02tx996cab

Dakar, read the excellent thread on M030 install in the "mods" section (http://www.renntech.org/forums/topic/7073-row-m030-sport-suspension-install/). Before you do the job, inspect the condition of the front bump stops. They're high-density foam and will deteriorate. Mine were chunked and needed to be replaced. Local dealer will likely not carry them, so have them on hand--if you need them--before you start. When I did the conversion on my '02 C2 cab, I reused everything else after a through cleaning/inspection/regreasing/reassembly. The car had about 45,000 mostly "gentle" miles on it at the time I did the conversion, with no obvious clunks, and the condition of the parts (other than the bump stops) was fine. If you have the time, wait until you're into the job to assess condition of other parts (tie rods, control arm bushings, etc.) to avoid throwing lots of money into parts you don't need.

Regarding fuel octane--US pumps display (R+M)/2 octane, whereas European pumps display just RON (the "R" in the US octane rating). For most pump gasolines, "R" is about 10 points higher than "M". Bottom line is that the 93 octane US premium unleaded is essentially the same as the 98 octane premium unleaded available in Europe, at least from an octane rating perspective. As for the car's performance on racing fuel--it may increase slightly over time. I would personally spend the extra $$ on more track time; that will lower lap times more quickly and effectively than boutique racing fuel for anyone other than a pro (or near pro) driver, IMHO.

Some more info would be helpful: -- If you lock the car with the remote and then leave it for more than 5 days, the "remote unlocking" feature becomes inactive in order to prolong the car battery's life. Is your key fob failing to open the car "all the time" meaning within 5 days of locking it (with the remote)? -- Can you lock the car via the key fob? -- If you have both keys, do both fobs exhibit the same behavior? If only one fob neither locks nor unlocks the car then I'm guessing the remote sender in that fob is the problem. If you have two keys and both fobs won't lock/unlock the car then I'd be inclined to suspect the detector in the car. If you unlock the car manually, you must insert the key into the ignition and power the car up (don't have to start it) within 10 seconds or the alarm will go off. That's a design "feature". And, that suggests the alarm system is fine i.e. no blown fuse.

996-504-981-01-G2X available from Sonnen Porsche (www.porscheoemparts.com) for $77.51. Auto Atlanta shows it at list price.

FWIW, my '02 Cab with stock rear decklid has just one strut, on the RHS near the air box. I can see where a strut would attach (with some additional hardware) to the LHS but it's clear from the perfect condition of the paint that a strut or its hardware has never been located there. I suspect that one may need struts on both sides when running a modified or aftermarket decklid with a large/heavy wing on it. When I purchased the car (about 2 years ago) it also had the "sudden close" feature, which a single new strut remedied perfectly. Good luck.

Another tip, applicable if you will not run the engine at all whilst in storage: Change the engine oil just before you put car up for the winter, but UNDERFILL by a quart. When you take the car out of storage in the spring, add the "missing" quart before you start the car for the first time. This new quart will wet some parts that may have dried out a bit from months without oil circulation. Possibly not necessary--but it can't hurt either.

I just completed installation of the M030 RoW suspension (plus new rear dogbones and engine protection plate) on my 2002 996 C2 Cab. The collective wisdom in this thread gave me the confidence to tackle this myself--my sincere thanks to all who've contributed before me. A few tips for anyone doing this on their Cab: 1. Access to the upper mounting points for the rear shocks is via the compartment where the soft top folds away (behind the rear seats). The instructions in the "Cabrio Top Hydraulic Fluid Step by Step" thread () are excellent for showing how to gain access to them. The nuts are under some black foam, conveniently pre-slitted at all the right places to make access to them a breeze. 2. You definitely want to mark the upper rear mounting point locations before loosening the nuts, since two of them on each side also secure the aluminum braces for what appears to be the rollover protection system (see the second picture in step 5 of the above-referenced article). These braces will likely shift when the nuts are undone. 3. I found that I needed an assortment of 15mm sockets (regular and deep), a short extention and a universal fitting to get onto all three upper rear nuts securely. Each nut had its own special combination of these items to get the job done right. 4. When I pulled out the first front strut I found that the bump stop, which is supposed to be reused, was shot and needed replacing. Ditto for the one on the other side. Lesson learned--visually inspect these items before beginning work, and buy new ones if you need them...I didn't, and none were available locally so I ordered two of them "next day air" for what turned out to be very little more than what the local dealer wanted for just one. 5. Replacing the front stabilizer is an exercise in disassembling lots of bits to get access to actually do the replacement. The rear is simple, 15 minutes tops. To answer Coleta's question in post #47...the spring compressor appears to be a Sears one. That's where I purchased mine, which looks identical to that shown in the DIY procedure. It worked very well. Overall the whole job probably took me 10-12 hours, which was all done solo and using jackstands. It was my first time tackling any of this kind of work (on any car), and I took things very slowly and carefully. Others' estimates of around 4-6 hours are definitely doable for someone with experience.

Let's see...owner isn't the seller, inconsistent stories on history, some mechanical issues with accident damage. IMHO, even if the car was priced well (which it isn't), run--don't walk--away from this car. There are plenty of better, lower-risk examples available at/near the $25K price point. Give yourself the best chance of your first Porsche ownership being a fantastic, worry-free one.

I'll either vacuum or use compressed air to remove dust/lint etc., then wash with clear water. One in a while I'll use Raggtop cleaner (for fabric tops) with soft brush. I use 303 Fabric protectant which gives me superb beading action for about a year or maybe 4-6 "soapy washes" of the top. I have found that spraying 2-3 light applications of the 303 in direct sun (as instructed) yields a much longer lasting treatment than doing it in a dark/cold garage in mid-February! Both products (Raggtop and 303) are available from autogeek.net which is where I purchased mine.

Search is your friend...http://www.renntech.org/forums/index.php/topic/6885-cel-error-codes-p0410-and-p1411/ My guess--running the engine with the air box disconnected caused the secondary air pump function to not register properly. Suggestion: completely reinstall the air box, clear the codes (disconnect battery for 10 minutes...make sure you have your radio code handy!), then drive the car. If the CEL doesn't re-light, you're good to go. Good luck

Some suggestions: 1. Take a close look at the owner' service records. If he/she doesn't have them, take the VIN number to your local Porsche dealer and see if they'll run a service history on the car for you. Lack of current visible leaks etc. is not an indicator that RMS/IMS/water pump have never been replaced. 2. Have an independent Porsche mechanic do a complete pre-purchase inspection, including leak-down tests on each cylinder. This will cost you a few hundred $$ but is worth it IMHO. You should get a much better understanding of what the car is once these items are done, especially of what bits and pieces may need replacing soon. The above may take you a few days but if you pursue them with diligence and urgency, the owner should hold off on brokering the car until you're done. If he/she is hesitant to wait, offer to share the results from your investigations, for use if he/she does end up broker the car. (As an aside, the cynical side of me says the broker comment may just be a way to artifically create urgency on your part...a standard sales tactic.) Good luck.

It's certainly okay to use them in moderation if you want to. Having said that, if you consistently use a "top tier" fuel brand--Chevron, Texaco, Shell, Exxon--then you really don't need them. The top tier gasolines--especially premium grade (highest octane)--contain more and more effective additives than most "bargain brand" fuels, and they keep your intake system squeaky clean. In many cases the additives in the bottle are the same as those in your top-tier fuels; for example, the Techron you buy in a bottle is the same stuff found in Chevron and Texaco gasolines. However, if you typically use no-name fuels from the local Quik-E Mart, either by choice or because you have to, then adding a bottle of something like Techron every few thousand miles is probably a good idea. This is what I do after a long road trip through locations where I can't get my normal fix of Chevron Supreme for my P-car. (I'm an oil company guy who's learned a few things about gasoline and additive chemistry over his career...)

+1 on the other posters' advice. Patience on your part will definitely pay off. There are great examples out there; continue to search and build your personal knowledge base about the 996 at the same time. I looked at several 996 Cabs, none of which were in great condition--either very high mileage (lease returns, usually) or not well looked after--before I came across the '02 which I've enjoyed since late 2009. It had less than 34000 miles, a full service history, had been pampered by its former owners, and cost me not quite $29K. You might also consider looking outside of CA, into the Southern US (Nevada/Vegas, Arizona/Phoenix). There seem to be good examples and prices there, plus minimal snow/ice/salt exposure which is a plus. Regardless of where you look, invest in a thorough pre-purchase inspection by an independent Porsche specialist mechanic. They're a few hundred bucks but worth every penny IMHO. Many local Porsche Owners Clubs will be happy to direct you to mechanics they trust. Enjoy the hunt and, once you get your car, the drive. Good luck.

Just completed my first DIY plug change on my 2002 C2 Cab. The job was sometimes frustrating but the satisfaction of firing up the car when I was done, with a smoothly purring engine and no CEL, was top drawer. A few lessons learned: * +1 on removing the mufflers, which I was going to do anyway since I was replacing the stock units with aftermarket AWE cans. * Using two 2-inch extensions was easier than using one 4-inch extension for several plugs. If I were buying tools just for this job I'd get just the two 2-inchers. * The rearmost passenger-side coil pack upper cap screw was a royal pain until I decided to remove the heat shielding; it was then a breeze to remove with a 5mm allen key socket on a 2-inch extension * Use a normal 5/8" spark plug socket (with rubber insert) for removing plugs, but a normal deep 5/8" socket (no rubber insert) for installing the new ones. This prevents the extension separating from the socket when trying to pull the socket loose, due to the rubber gripping the plug tightly. (I don't like the idea of using grease, even dielectric grease, on electrical parts when I can avoid it.) The accumulated knowledge in this thread is priceless, and gave me the confidence to tackle this job myself. Thanks all. :thankyou:

A Porsche battery discharges as the car slowly dies from the shame of not being driven... :( More seriously: -- the remote-actuated central locking system drains some power, but shuts itself off after 5 days as Dharn55 notes -- alarm system stays on (the blinking red light) continuous, using power, until there's none left -- etc. etc. (others have said it, I won't repeat it) I recall that, if you lock your car manually--not using the remote--the central locking system doesn't fully power up, saving you a few milliamps. The owner's manual notes this and a few other things to do if you're going to leave the car undriven for a while. Both a good buddy and I have 996s. 2 weeks unattended is no problem, beyond that and sometimes the battery gets low enough to be unable to start the car. A trickle charger/battery tender is your friend if you must leave the car in the garage for an extended period of time.

A Porsche battery discharges as the car slowly dies from neglect and the shame of not being driven... More seriously: -- the remote-actuated central locking system drains some power, but shuts itself off after 5 days as Dharn55 notes -- alarm system stays on (the blinking red light) as long as there's battery power -- etc. etc. (others have said it, I won't repeat it) I recall that, if you lock your car manually--not using the remote--the central locking system doesn't fully power up, saving you a few milliamps. Both a good buddy and I have 996s. 2 weeks unattended is no problem, beyond that and sometimes the battery gets low enough to be unable to start the car. A trickle charger/battery tender is your friend if you must leave the car in the garage for an extended period of time.

Bumperplugs.com as well. Just be sure to get the OEM Hellas and not some knock-offs peddled on ebay.

Check with someone who has a 997...they came with a 19" wheel option. Use what is recommended for the 997/19" and tweak up or down from there based on how the car feels and how the tires wear. As for DE/track, get advice from your fellow drivers at these events for tire pressures and see what works and feels best for you. (Likely, those pressures will be a bit lower than for normal street use.) The 36/44 inside the gas filler door of your 996 are for the 18" wheel option for that car.

Depending on where you filled up during vacation, you may have gotten iffy gasoline which has partially gacked up an injector. Try running the car "briskly" on a tankful of top tier fuel (Chevron, Shell or Exxon's premium grades) plus a bottle of Techron or other injector/fuel system cleaner. That'll clean up your injectors and fuel system and may clear the problem. I had a very similar problem after a 4000 mile road trip which required a few fill-ups with off-brand fuels. After my mechanic verified there was nothing seriously wrong, I did the above treatment cycle a couple of times; my CEL cleared after a few driving cycles and has stayed clear ever since. Good luck.

I run 5W40 Mobil 1 and see about 1.5 bar at idle (800 rpm or thereabouts) and 2.5 to 3.0 bar at 3000 rpm when the engine is fully hot. (It pegs at 5.0 bar until the car warms up fully.) 10W40 is more viscous than Porsche recommends for the 996 and you might experience problems with the VarioCam...at least that's what I've read. If it does you'll be greeted with a CEL. If you run problem-free then fine, otherwise consider changing to 5W40.

The MAF can be installed "backwards". The "notch" or opening in the MAF needs to face towards the air intake. The installation instructions for the K&N FIPK (http://www.knfilters.com/instructions/57-7000_inst.pdf look at photos 26 and 26a) have good pictures of proper MAF orientation. If that's not the problem then your system may be re-learning--due to both battery disconnect and being clean. Good luck.