1schoir

I called off the deal. I noticed that they had sent me a carfax that was over 1 year old !!!! It wasn't even updated. Anyways, the updated carfax indicated had front end damage, not a door ding or bumper ding as they had guesstimated. Total lack of disclosure on their end. They didn't even try to get an answer for me. Thanks for everyone's advice. Joe: Definitely the right decision, IMO. It's pretty clear now why they were parsing words on the language that they proposed for the Bill Of Sale. Pat yourself on the back for being an informed buyer! There are plenty of Porsches out there. You may as well get one that is honestly represented! Regards, Maurice.

Dog: I couldn't find it over the weekend, but I just went in there after seeing your message and remembered I had another box of parts. I found it and it is for the correct side that is missing from your Boxster. Here are a couple of photos of it.... It's not perfect, it has a tiny bit of crazing on the very rear edge of the surface and it's missing a nub on the underside. I see from your photo that you don't need the black support part, so if you want the Ocean Blue Metallic part and you want to pay for postage, I'll send it to you for free. I think you can install it with the one nub and maybe some silicone sealant or double sided tape. A small USPS priority mail box is $5.20, plus ?? for delivery confirmation. PM me your name and address and I'll get it in the mail tomorrow. Again, it's not perfect, but it can hold you over until you decide whether it's worth getting another one, etc... Regards, Maurice.

See post #3... Helen's fuse box diagram is missing from her car. Scanning and posting the diagram would be appreciated. Regards, Maurice.

PM Sent. Regards, Maurice.

Bob: Be careful when buying used wheels on the net. IMO you are usually better off buying OEM used wheels than any type of "refinished" wheel. Here's a thread that can serve as a cautionary tale, and one that is downright scary: http://www.6speedonline.com/forums/996-turbo-gt2/239523-kinesis-f110-wheels-cracked-must-see-19.html Regards, Maurice.

We need a much higher resolution photo of your fuse panel. My photos are from a 986, but I think that as of 2005, the top row is now for spare fuses, the gripper tool, and for the emergency unlocking of the front luggage compartment. Perhaps somebody here with a 987 can post a pic of their fuse panel diagram from behind the fuse panel cover. If your fuse panel is on the left side kick panel of the car, the relay tray with the convertible top double relay will be above the fuse panel. The convertible top relay is the only double relay in the tray. Regards, Maurice.

Sometimes, cleaning up and/or improving the ground at the bolt directly to the right of the arrow in Richard's photo will improve reception and/or reduce static. Unscrew that bolt, clean off any surface corrosion and coat the area with some dielectric grease to see if the situation improves. Regards, Maurice.

Joe: You are not being super paranoid. You are following the "caveat emptor" doctrine and doing your best to avoid any surprises which would tend to seriously cut into your enjoyment of the car. Regards, Maurice.

So this what the dealer said they would add to the Bill of Sale: As far as the inspection, the BOS will read like this "Sold as Certified Pre-owned, fully inspected, full carproof disclosed and accepted by buyer, No undisclosed structural damage " If your independant inspector finds Structural damage that has not been disclosed, then we will discuss how to remedy the situation so that you are happy and we are happy too. Is that fair enough ? Not even close. In the first sentence, they are asking you to certify that you have made an independent decision to accept CarProof as a trusted source for anything that might be wrong with the car. Nevertheless, all of that could be fixed with just replacing the language in the second part of the second sentence to read as follows: "...then we will remedy the situation so that you are made whole." That would not be my first choice if I were drafting the clause, but it's one that they should not have a problem with. By that language, you are only asking them to guarantee that what they are claiming they are selling to you is what you are actually buying. In other words, you would not be offering the price that you have agreed to pay if the car actually had "undisclosed structural damage". Trust me when I tell you that in the unlikely event that the car does not check out, it is not legally possible for you to be happy when the dealer already has your money, with the language they are proposing. Right now you have all of the leverage because they still don't have your money. If you are going to get some language in there that will protect you, you have to do it before you fork it over. Don't get lost in the details. There are only two possibilities here: 1. If they have nothing to hide, they should not have any qualms about agreeing to this. 2. If they bought a car that may have sustained damage that they don't know about, that should not end up being your problem (or your loss). You are not asking for anything that is commercially unreasonable. Regards, Maurice.

It's the OBD II port under the dashboard, above and to the left of your left knee as you sit in the driver's seat. Here's a photo showing the location. In this photo, it's the purple part near the top left corner of the photo. You can see the fuse panel on the kick panel below it. There is only one way to connect it, but make sure it is fully seated. Regards, Maurice.

Helen: The fuse tray is labeled with numbers 1 to 10, running from left to right, but the numbers are tiny. (Click on the photo and you can see the numbers). Row A is the topmost row, and Row B is below it, down to row E at the bottom, with a row of spare fuses beneath row E. Here is a photo of the fuse tray location, Fuse A1 is at the top left, etc... Note that this photo of the fuse tray is of a U.S. car, so I don't think that you will have the "dead pedal" there on your car. Also, here is a photo of the the location of the double relay, located above the fuse panel and towards the front. Regards, Maurice.

Helen: The "temperamental" nature of the problem that you describe points to either bad/degraded connections at a number of possible points, or a hairline crack at the parallel strips microswitch inside of the convertible top latch assembly or a deformed plunger-type microswitch, also inside that latch assembly. You must first verify that the parking brake light on the dashboard is actually lit up when you pull up on the parking brake. Then double check that your fuses at B6 (supplies power to the convertible top double relay) and at D3 (supplies power to the convertible top motor) are intact AND that there is no corrosion at their respective spades on at the female receptacles on the fuse panel into which they are pressed. You can clean up any corrosion in those areas with a small piece of fine emery cloth. Next, double check for and clean up any corrosion on all of the male spades of the convertible top double relay, and the same for the female receptacles in the relay tray that accept the double relay spades. You can also tap the double relay on the ground a couple of times sharply, as that sometimes "revives" a sticking relay. If you have done all of the above and still get no reaction at all, you can then move to the convertible top latch assembly and its two microswitches. When you unlatch the top, the latch releases the plunger type microswitch inside the latch assembly and that causes it to ground. When it is grounded, a signal is sent to drop the windows about 4 inches. Poke your finger or a pencil eraser into that depression in the latch assembly and see if you get any reaction from the windows. If you don't, you will have to open up the latch assembly to access the two microswitches. Try the above steps first and report back. If there is no improvement, we can proceed with instructions on how to remove the latch assembly, etc... Regards, Maurice.

J: Anytime. Make sure that the little plastic pin is inserted into that tube. It helps to expand the mushroom end of the tube and keep it in place inside the slider. Regards, Maurice.

I bought a clamshell and some associated parts from a guy who was parting out his car locally about three years ago. I'm not sure if I have an extra one of those parts and whether it's the right or left side. I have the parts stored and I can take a look this coming weekend to let you know. Regards, Maurice.

Was there meant to be a photo?Sorry.Here goes....http://www.photoshop.com/users/westladog/assets/5427b30749bd4499b888ba7b2a2e1787 1999 BoxsterThe part number is 986 504 862 01 G2X - Cover ® at $31.68 plus tax. Comes painted in primer, sorry no pre-colored options. The 862 denotes the right side (even part number before version of part). 861 is for the left side.You can order the part for a good price from one of the board sponsors, Sunset Imports (Just click on "Porsche Parts at Dealer Cost" near the top of every page, on the tab to the right of center).Is your car Ocean Blue Metallic?Regards, Maurice.

You should probably also check the passenger side transmission's studs and nuts for tightness, to prevent something like that in the future. Regards, Maurice.

Joe: If the dealer has any hesitation about adding a reasonable clause along the lines that we discussed, that would raise a red flag for me. I know that you guys pay more for Porsches up in Canada, but there are lots of Porsches for sale all the time. It pays for you to get one that gives you that peace of mind, as that's one less thing to worry about. When you finally get it (or another one) home, post some pics. We love pics! Regards, Maurice.

If you did physically go there to look at the car, you would not necessarily have to know what to look for yourself. If your only concern is whether there has been a major accident, you could take the car to any body shop with a lift and have them check the undercarriage. If there is anything suspicious, they will spot it pretty easily, and, if necessary, they can also take measurements and compare them with the figures published by Porsche. Another approach might be to tell the dealer your concern and to draft a side agreement to the contract that specifically provides that you will be afforded five days after delivery during which you can have the car inspected for any hidden major body damage. If such damage is found, you can be required to document the damage (with photos and a sworn affidavit from the body shop guy) before you are allowed to return the car, at the dealer's expense. Since it's a 997, and it's a Cab, AND you are in Canada, I'm sure we are not talking about a minor purchase here, so it might be a wise idea to act with deliberation. Regards, Maurice.

Regards, Maurice.

Definitely sounds like there is a problem with the left side transmission. You can remove the 19mm bolt that holds the V-lever onto the transmission and remove the three nuts that hold the transmission onto the studs that are mounted on the inner quarter panel. Then you can open up the transmission to determine what is causing the excessive play. Make sure that you note and mark the position of the female keyway and its relation with the V-lever because it can be mounted two ways: the correct way and 180 degrees off. Here is what it looks like when you have taken it apart: Did you "tweak" the clamshell? If you did, and it's not severe, you can pull off the clamshell and, with the help of a friend, you can bend it back into place. There is a thread here somewhere by "Tool Pants" that shows you how to do that. The body-colored brackets don't bend easily. They are either okay or they crack. Regards, Maurice.

You are correct about helping it to fold inwards, but there must also be some tension on the looped strings to help guide the tension cables into the channels (so that the tension cables don't fall outside the guide channels). So, the elastic band in the center has to provide a little tension on the looped strings just before the top nears the completely closed position. Regards, Maurice.

A good practice is to change the oil once a year, regardless of mileage (if you don't drive much). The reason brake fluid is supposed to be replaced every two years is not so much because it gets dirty or cloudy. It's because brake fluid is hygroscopic, meaning that it absorbs water from the atmosphere. That degrades seals and hastens rusting of the caliper pistons, slave and master cylinder pistons, etc., and it reduces the performance of the brake fluid by lowering its boiling point. Regards, Maurice.

mjk: The following are from a late model 986, for reference. The set up should be the same, but you might double check: In this one, I drew in the orientation of the string over the plastic ear. . . Here's the real thing . . . . A view of how it is routed over the tubular part of the frame . . Overall view. . . Make sure that there is still some elasticity in the center elastic band so that it can maintain the proper tension to guide the tension cable into the guide channels. If it has lost all of its elasticity, you can replace it or patch in a short elastic band on each side (to which the looped strings attach). Regards, Maurice.

J.: Swap the finger spring from one side to the other and see if the problem follows the spring. If the problem remains, there are a couple of possibilities other than the velcro straps. It's possible that the tension cable (that runs inside the sheath on the side of the top) has either stretched, or become unscrewed from its anchoring point under the B-pillar or detached from or has stretched the spring by means of which it is attached onto the aluminum shoulder plate. You also have to make sure that your slider has not seized or is not binding (explained in the DIY linked below). You don't say what year your Boxster is, so there is also the possibility that your year might have the looped string that is attached to a plastic ear on each side of the convertible top frame (over the top rear of the window) and to an elastic band that runs from side to side straddling the centerline of the roof. If that's the case, that side may have broken off or the elastic has stretched beyond serviceability. Take a look at the following DIY for some photos, explanations, and the measurement of the tension cable: http://sites.google....fallintoguidech Regards, Maurice.

Steve: Thanks for the kudos. The following is assuming that your immobilizer has not gotten wet, and that there is no water or moisture under the driver's seat. What may be going on now is that your driver's side lock assembly is on the fritz. More specifically, either the microswitch INSIDE the door lock assembly is bad, or, more likely there is a loose/broken or intermittent connection from the wiring harness at that point to the assembly's microswitch. When it is acting up (i.e., the light goes on by itself, you press the button to turn it off and it turns itself back on, etc.) , if the driver's side window drops the 1/2 inch when you pull on the door handle but then sometimes goes up while the door is open and you let go of the inner door handle, that is very likely the problem. You're going to have to take off the door panel, but you may not have to take apart (or replace) the door lock assembly. With the door panel off, jiggle the wires going into the door lock assembly, press them into the connector, pull on them, etc. and see if that has any effect on the operation. Some guys have had luck with heating up the connections with a soldering iron, just enough to flow solder onto the wires and that has solved the problem permanently. If I find a photo of how that was done, I'll post it here. Regards, Maurice.