1schoir

There are two leads going to this switch. Are you saying that I connect the two alligator clips to the two leads? I was going to ziptied the switch but she told me to remove it because it would be dangerous if she or someone else accidentally start the car in gear and not depressing the clutch pedal. I'm always careful to start my car in neutral but she told me that she starts it in gear all the time. (I ran out to the garage and remove the ziptie!)

If you use a jumper wire to connect the two sides of the switch, you cannot avoid the fact that you should only start the car in neutral or with the clutch pedal depressed. Any other method will have the car lurching forward, and it could be catastrophic, so be careful.

Regards, Maurice.

Definitely, the carpet was bunched up when it came back on a flarbed. :(

I was able to start the boxster but a few minutes later I wasn't.

I have to drive it myself for a few days to learn more about this problem.

So she could have bumped-start it? I should have told her to try that....

Also, check to ensure the carpet isn't bunched up under the clutch pedal restricting the movement of the pedal.

Bill

I don't think you can "bump-start" the car with a bad clutch interlock switch. Not sure if it disables the ignition or just the circuit to the starter solenoid.

That issue with bunched up carpets under the clutch pedal that "whall" mentions is a fairly common problem, so make absolutely sure that there is nothing restricting the full movement of the clutch pedal. If it annoys you, you can jump the two sides of the switch with a small piece of wire, but then you have to remember to have the clutch depressed or the tranny in neutral so as to avoid having the car lurch forward when you turn the key (like in the old days). The ROW DME program allows the car to be started without having to step on the clutch.

Regards, Maurice.

Hello Everyone!

My car was making the belt squeaky sound very loudly, removing the oil filler cap elimited the noise. I therefore thought the AOS was failing (in part it may have been) I replaced the AOS after following the excellent guide as linked on from this forum - However the squaking noise is still just about audible (much much fainter) The car is also idling very roughly anytime you come off the throttle. It tends to sort itself out after 5 seconds or so but I can tell something isn't quite right - feels slightly more brash and lumpy, rather than the silky smooth feeling it had before. It also caused the check engine light to come on - I've since reset the battery as I took the AOS out and re connected it all fearing I had not connected something correctly. I'm 100% sure everything is now connected properly. I was given a new rubber hose bit with the AOS (is this the bellows??) that connects right at the bottom of the AOS. I replaced the spring type clamp with a jubilee (screw) type clamp.

Any ideas as to where the problem maybe? Would it be worth replacing the plastic Y tube that connects the AOS to the throttle body? At a guess I'm assuming there is a vaccum leak somewhere as when I take the oil filler cap off the car idles much more smoothly.

Thanks

Mike

Mike:

The little accordion-type "rubber hose bit" is the bellows.

Double check all of the mechanical connections on both sides of the bellows, and at both ends of the plastic "Y" tube. Also make sure that the AOS is firmly seated against the side of the engine where it is held secure by the two 10mm bolts.

Check the connection between the two parts of the oil fill tube (from the bulkhead section to the middle hose) as it may have been disturbed during the AOS install.

Regards, Maurice.

Well friends, 2010 was quite a year for me. I came down with a mysterious illness and almost passed away. Sorry to be so morbid, but that is what happened. After 3 months of misdiagnoses by several doctors, I ended up in the hospital unable to walk and partially paralyzed. A wonderful Neurologist did 30 minutes of tests and discovered I had Guillain - Barre Syndrome.

Thank God I have made a full recovery,after 6 days in the hospital on a special IV, and 3 months of recovery at home. I am one of the blessed ones I am being told, as some folks experience permanent paralysis in certain parts of their body. All of this because of a bad reaction to a Tetanus shot...

Well so much for personal things. When I was well, I drove the engine block halves down to LM Engineering in Momence, Illinois. The cylnder walls were replaced with the thicker walls, higher alloy aluminum, and nickel plated on the inside. Went from a 3.4 to 3.6 Liter, with new JR pistons. I also purchased the modified thermostat, and the new hybrid IMS bearing.

I assembled the engine in my garage at home, and fired it up late last December. What a letdown to not be able to drive it. I don't have to say much about the very cold winter, and long cold Spring, especially here in Michigan. So this past Monday, the 996 hit the road. I am breaking it in with hard acceleration. WHAT A JOY TO DRIVE IT AGAIN! Yes it is noticeably faster with only a 20 HP increase.

I hope I am now bulletproof with this rebuild. I do want to have a daily driver that will not let me down.

Mark:

Congratulations on beating the odds in both scenarios!

I'm sure that the work that you did has given you immense satisfaction. Thanks for sharing the saga and here's hoping for a fantastic 2011!

Regards, Maurice.

Maurice,

You've been an amazing amount of help to me with this issue. The underside views were very helpful.

I managed to borrow a floor jack and lift the driver's side of the car. Upon removal of the underpanel, I was able to easily drill two 3/8" holes in the low spots of the floor without risk of puncturing anything important. I siliconed in two grommets to protect and waterproof the holes, and put some mesh over the top to prevent the foam from forming a seal on the grommets. Now if any water does leak in, it will hopefully be able to drain out.

I found a small amount of debris in both side drains under the roof. It didn't seem to be enough to cause the problems, but I blew and flushed them out. I flooded both sides with a garden hose and detected no water intrusion.

I reinstalled the immobiliser and everything worked fine, but the "psm error" was still present. I took it out for a drive and after just a mile or two, that error went out.

I really thought I was headed towards a $1k stop at the porsche dealer. You've saved me a bunch of cash and tought me some things about my new love along the way.

Thanks again,

Bill

Bill:

Thanks for the kudos.

Pat yourself on the back for your perseverance! Your solution should provide you with additional peace of mind.

Take some of the $$ you saved and buy some goodies for your Boxster!

Regards, Maurice.

Looks like the rubber plug for the drain tube. Number 19 in the part list/diagram

DC

DC:

Thanks. I was trying to figure out if the rubber plug had a one-way valve function or something. Apparently it just looks like a sealing rubber cap, as you point out, for the little drain nipple in that corner.

When I removed mine on the passenger side to replace it, it was torn up and I didn't have a spare on hand, but I was surprised that only about 8 ounces of coolant drained out the that radiator. Maybe it was because the front of the car was jacked up, about 24 inches off the ground. I made a temporary plug out of a piece of 3/8" fuel line and a cut-down bolt.

As soon as I receive the replacement part, I'll install it.

Regards, Maurice.

Hi All

I have an 02 Boxster s and have noticed that the roof is rattling more an more. Looking at the outside parts of the soft top is touching the clam shell. In fact at the front it has gouged the aluminium trim somehow. Does anyone know if the top can be adjusted to horizontally lower it or has something gone out of adjustment.

Rpee

Rpee:

If you have a plexiglass windscreen installed between the rollbars, does the latch at the front of the top's frame hit or touch the top edge of the windscreen as you lower the top? If it doesn't touch, the convertible top is most likely okay fore and aft.

The top can be adjusted horizontally, but there is only a VERY small amount of movement that will be obtained. You have to loosen the bolts on each side of the convertible frame base (3 on each side, and remove the Phillips head screws [1 or 2] if you find any in that same area). For some photos, take a look at the DIY here: http://sites.google....gthetopandframe

Post a couple of photos of how the clamshell sits in relation to the quarter panel and to the rear trunk lid, as it may actually be the clamshell that is out of adjustment.

If your clamshell is sitting exactly where it's supposed to be, before going at the three bolts on each side described above, first check that your "tension ropes" are intact and that they are connected.

If they are intact and connected, you can adjust the rear main bow of the convertible top frame by turning the 14mm adjusting bolt Counter-clockwise.

Here is a photo of where that adjustment bolt is (red arrow), and where the lower end of the tension rope's metal ball cup attaches to the steel ball (yellow arrow) connected to the adjustment mechanism:

By turning the bolt CCW, the steel ball will be lowered, and that in turn will pull the rear main bow down and minimize the abrasion. Again, this is if your clamshell is sitting properly and doesn't itself need to be adjusted.

Regards, Maurice.

This thing looks like a rubber hose/plug/valve and is located on the outside bottom corner of each radiator on a 986.

Can anyone tell me what its purpose is?

Regards, Maurice.

I removed the seat and was able to lay it alongside the car without disconnecting the large connector as you stated is doable in the 986. I was not able to get to checking the drains yet, but will do so once I get the other issues sorted out. It's in a carport so that can wait.

I removed the circuit board and inspected it. There was a fair amount of corrosion on the one end. I very gently cleaned it with the ipa and a soft brush as u suggested. I reinstalled it and all messages seemed to go away except the "psm failure". I don't feel comfortable using the car with any messages showing since that indicated to me that the board overall isn't trustworthy. I gave it a much more vigorous cleaning since I feel I've got nothing to lose at this point. If it does not work 100% tomorrow, I'll have to replace it.

Two questions;

1) Where do you suggest I purchase the new board, and what should I expect it to cost?

(I am unable to find this part anywhere on the net. I've just contacted the local dealer with a part inquiry but would really prefer to find a reputable online parts house.)

2) I've read somewhere on the net of people drilling a small hole and inserting a rubber grommet in the floor near the immobiliser to let water drain out if this should happen again. (I will be diligent about the drains from now on, but I'm paranoid and would like some extra insurance.) I can not see what is below the floor. How safe/dangerous would it be to attempt this? I have no idea what is below the floor here, electrical, brake or fuel lines, etc.

Bill:

Glad to see you are making progress.

Before going the replacement route, I would first attempt to "reset" the PSM failure message and see if it comes back. Someone else can chime in here whether it's possible to do that just by disconnecting the battery for a few minutes or whether a PIWIS or Durametric are the only tools that will reset that message. It's certainly within the realm of possibility (probable, even) that there is no PSM failure, just the indication and that it has to be reset.

As for replacement, the part is the complete immobilizer, and it has to be programmed with a PIWIS by using the IPAS codes (that you can get from the dealer) because the keys must be reprogrammed, or more accurately, the immobilizer must be reprogrammed to the keys IIRC. I know that you only get one shot at programming an immobilizer, so that is probably best left to a dealer or a competent Porsche indie. A good online dealer is board sponsor Sunset (Porsche Parts at dealer cost tab near the top right of every page). Suncoastparts.com also has good prices and service. Either one is much better than your local dealer is likely to be.

One of the places that you have to be very careful is along both sides of the car, just inboard of the rocker panels/door sills, as the brake lines, power steering line and clutch line run along the left side and the a/c lines fuel lines run along the right side. Under the center longitudinal line run the radiator hoses and there are two lines that run from under the left rocker panel towards the center not far from the middle of the car's underbody. Nonetheless, don't drill anything without having a look underneath for yourself and, if you are going to go that route, be sure to rust-proof the circumference of the newly-drilled hole.

Here are a couple of photos of the underbody so that you can orient yourself:

Looking forward from driver's side rear

Looking forward from driver's side rear

Looking forward from passenger's side rear

Also, note that these are from a 986, but I believe the 987 is similar.

Regards, Maurice.

Right you are Maurice, it's saturated down there. I hate to bother you, but is there a good source of how-to information on removing my seat and cleaning the drains?

No bother...we are all here to share information. BTW, , sorry it had to be under such circumstances.

You can easily remove the seat with a female torx socket by unscrewing the four bolts that hold the seat rails in place. To access the two in the rear, slide the seat all the way forward, to access the two in the front, slide the seat all the way back. If you don't have a torx socket, in a pinch you can remove those four bolts with a 1/4" drive 10mm good quality socket. 1/4" drive will give you a decent enough fit to get the job done. There is also a large connector under the seat, but if you disconnect that one, make sure that the ignition is off AND that the key is out of the ignition, otherwise you will set off your airbag light, which can then only be turned off with a PIWIS, PST2 or Durametric.

Note that (at least on 986's) the cable under the seat is long enough to allow you to pull the seat out and lay it directly next to the door sill, outside the car, possibly elevated on a suitable box or platform. That avoids the difficulty in undoing that large connector, which is a little tricky if you've never done it before and avoids the airbag light problem.

For the drains, go to this link for photos and DIY instructions: http://sites.google.com/site/mikefocke2/drainsdiagram

Don't put off taking the immobiliser apart and at least drying it out, maybe with some warm air from a hair dryer set on medium. The fact that your Boxster started probably means it hasn't gotten fried, so be pro-active and it might turn into a non-event. Do a search here as I believe some have cleaned the circuit board with isopropyl alcohol or another similar circuit board-friendly solvent.

After you are done, you should be able to discern whether "it's all good" if all of your symptoms have disappeared.

Be absolutely sure to find out if it's only a matter of clogged drains, as opposed to torn or ripped foam drain trays which sometimes get damaged by a dangling pushrod after one of the plastic ball cups on the end of the pushrod breaks apart or pops off. We can work on that after you take care of the more pressing issue of rescuing the immobilizer.

Regards, Maurice.

I've owned my stock 2005 boxster for a few months with perfect reliability, until now. I had to (painfully) leave it out in the rain today at work. When I came out, my windows were half way down and the spoiler was up. I did not leave it this way. It started fine, but the "rear lid open" indicator on the tach computer screen was on. The lid was closed but the light stayed on. The spoiler would not go down. I also was unable to put the windows up until I drove for a few miles, then they worked. I brought it home and left it in the garage. My neighbor called to let me know the alarm was going off. I shut if off. A few minutes later, it alarmed again. I shut it down and started it up to recharge the battery and the computer indicated that the psm malfunctioned. The battery is now disconnected since it keeps alarming.

I'm fairly mechanically savy, but electrcal issues are beyond me.

Any suggestions? Please help.

Check to see whether there is any moisture or water under the driver's seat or in the foam padding under the carpet behind the seat. The symptoms you describe sound like your immobiliser may have gotten wet. In some instances, you can take it apart and clean it/dry it with isypropyl alcohol and revive it without any further problems if you get to it soon enough.

If there is water intrusion, make sure that you clean out your drains to prevent a repeat occurrence.

Regards, Maurice.

Does anyone on here have any knowledge of these tops? (link below)

Including quality and how hard they are to install, if you have done one yourself.

Thanks, Randy

http://www.autotopsd...-07-box-018.htm

Randy:

Take a look at the DIY on Mike Focke's Boxster Pages to get an idea of what is involved in stripping off the old canvas and installing the new one: http://sites.google.com/site/mikefocke2/replacingthetop-adiy

If the aftermarket top is correctly sized, it is a straighforward, but time consuming, install. You just need patience and to not cut any corners to end up with a perfect install.

Regards, Maurice.

Well, I'm a photographer, so high rez images are easy.

I am trying to keep the file sizes down however, but I think these show the damage pretty clear...

sean

Your second photo shows pretty clearly that this not "rock chip" damage. The area is too wide for it to have been hit by a rock, on both sides (fender and bumper) and to leave those kinds of outlines.

If that area has been previously repainted and the surface prep was not proper, it could make the paint pull away from the surface, but, since there is no extensive corrosion on the fender side (and no possibility of rusting on the urethane bumper side), it had to be caused by some mechanical means.

Take a look at how the paint has pulled away from the underside of the fender at the left corner (red arrow in this photo), and at the uneven, jagged outline of the missing paint. (You can see it clearly in your photo. My copy of your photo just shows you the area to look at in your second photo).

Again, also too much of a coincidence for work to be done in that area and for damage to magically appear at one of the points where the bumper and fender are separated.

Regards, Maurice.

So, I've had some coolant leak issues for the past 6 months....the dealer replace the front right rad in January....and the about 3 weeks ago, replace an o-ring in bypass valve on the front left rad.

I had to go back to the dealer this weekend so they could replace an overflow tube or something like that on the coolant reservoir. Saturday morning, I was washing and polishing my car and noticed the front bumper was not seated properly. The gap along the bottom of the headlights was larger than it should be. So I starting examining more closely and found the following damage where the bumper and front right fender meet.

To me, it looks like tool damage. Like someone used a big flathead screwdriver or pry bar to remove the bumper and removed a bunch of paint on the bumper and fender. It takes a lot to remove paint from the fender. This damage was NOT there the last time I washed and polished my car (a month ago)

I showed it to my dealer when I went down and the service advisor said it just looked like a normal rock chip that might have "creeped" :| She said she'd show it to the service manager and get his feedback. When I picked up my car, she was occupied so the VW service rep had to give me my keys. No mention of it on the work order, the service manager wasn't around or available and I was left to drive home without any further communication. About 1 hour into my drive home, I wish I had stood there and insisted on getting more dialogue about the issue.

My bumper has lots of dings, scratches and even some cracks (in the paint)....but it's plastic. I don't care as much. The fender is metal and a possible corrosion point. Not to mention, repairs are more costly and frankly, they never seem to be 100%.

I'm just looking for some second opinions....does it look like a normal rock chip or some sort of "man made" damage?

Thanks for your opinions, even if they vary from mine ;)

sean

Sean:

Judging from that photo, it's unlikely that it's a rock chip, mostly because there is paint removed on both sides of the "injury". The width of the paint that was removed might indicate that it was caused by one of those flat plastic pry tools or a screwdriver inserted more than once or "moved along" to separate the panels.

You may be able to conclusively tell by examining it more closely on the edge towards the underside because if it's caused by a screwdriver or some similar tool, there will usually be small pieces of residue from where the paint cracked off but may still be hanging by a thread. Separate the bumper from the fender and have a closer look at the edges where the clearcoat/topcoat is missing.

The fact that they were working on the radiators and had to remove the bumper to gain access to that area makes it a little more likely than not, IMO.

Regards, Maurice.

Edit: I looked at the photo again, and you can see what I am talking about where the paint is missing on the bumper side of the damage. There are two little areas of "cracked" or "separated" paint where I have placed the two arrows.

Take some more high resolution photos for your proof and don't rub those edges off before you show it to the dealer again. You can stop at any auto body shop and show them those two spots and see what they say.

Reviving this old thread.

Purchased the uview 5550000000 to do a coolant drain/replace on my 99' 996 C2.

I only managed to get 5 gallons (almost exactly) out of the system using this procedure.

Turn heater to high, fan on low.

Lift bleeder valve.

Remove reservoir cap.

Remove drain plug on engine, drain.

Remove thermostat & smaller hose next to it, drain.

Remove two lines near transmission going to heater core, drain.

Remove two lower radiator hoses, drain.

To get the last 0.5 gallons (to make 5 gallons even) I used the uview to draw a vaccum to 25psi, then instead of refilling with coolant, I let it draw air in. Then I removed the coolant drain plug on the engine, and magically a few quarts of coolant drained, likely drawn closer to the engine by the vaccum. I repeated the process again and got another few quarts. During each run through with the uview.

Where could that last pesky gallon be (to make 6 which is my understanding what the capacity is) and I suppose I could continue the above process until I capture 6 gallons? Reason I want to drain ALL of the fluid is I'm replacing with Peak global anti freeze and don't want any problems mixing the porsche anti freeze with the peak stuff, even though they should be compatible..

I heard a considerable amount of gurgling when the uview was drawing a vaccum, I'm guessing it's safe to keep drawing a vaccum repeatedly?.

TIA!

Drawing a vacuum a number of times is safe. If you can't get that last gallon out and don't want to mix antifreeze types, you could try to fill the system with plain water and drain it a couple of times, then do the final drain after filling it with distilled water.

If it's been drained and refilled with water a few times, you should have diluted the old coolant enough to have no compatibility issues. If the final fill with distilled water leaves one gallon unaccounted for, you can just count that gallon for the level of dilution that you want to reach.

Regards, Maurice.

I followed your instructions, and it is still not closing "up" when I close the doors. I checked the fuses again and they are fine. Any more suggestions?

That is unusual, as that exact procedure is described in the Owner's Manual.

This is a longshot, but I cannot imagine anything else that would affect the operation of the windows other than the immobiliser (under the driver's seat). Check for any moisture or dampness under and behind the driver's seat and the thick foam padding under the carpeting. If the immobilizer gets wet, it will also affect the window operation.

Regards, Maurice.

wow, thank you very much for the comprehensive answers...I have purchased the 101 Projects (Pelican Parts' book) and have read it cover to cover ;)

I also bought a digital manual which appears to be a Porsche service manual which appears less than DIY, although useful.

I will buy a Bentley as well.

Will perform the maintenance procedures you recommend...

Where could i purchase an Owners Manual? Ebay has none for my year, and those that *are* on there are silly $ (120$??).

I even tried reading the French MY2000 on the forum ;) but my French is poor.

Updates:

My coolant light is flashing slowly; which I believe relates to coolant level low...but coolant is at max in the boot tank..? ANyone know how to meter that sensor?

The engine oil leak does *not* appear to be at the RMS or IMS area. Rather appears to be somewhere near the AOS or even dripping from the filler tube (from boot tank to engine)...will dig further.

WHen removing the oil cap on the oil filler part of the boot tank, I get a fair amount of engine vaccuum. Idle roughens when cap is removed. I think this indicates AOS is intact and likely OK?

Anyway, thanks again!

R

R:

If you can remove the oil fill cap with relative ease (and you don't have any blue smoke coming from your exhaust), those are all indications that your AOS is okay. You should remove the tube that runs from the AOS to the air intake and inspect for excessive oil deposits there as a double check.

The rubber bellows on the AOS is a common failure point, so you should check that part to see if that is where your oil leak is coming from.

Aside from being an indication of low coolant lever, the coolant light slowly flashing can also be an indication of a fault in the engine compartment blower fan.

Regards, Maurice.

so i did the leak test, and the water is definitely leaking from the front of the pan. I poured water and i can see water draining from behind the drivers seat back corner in picture 3 above-red arrow (after removing all the foam of course).

I took some pictures and saw a small tear maybe, but just superficial, so i used the silicone adhesive and patched it up. see picture of the tear. I am not sure if this is the cause of the water leak, but i didnt want to remove that part of the top to see under it yet, afraid i might mess something up even more, like not knowing how to put it back together again. but if the leak continues, i guess i have only 1 choice that is to remove that base and see whats under it.

please, let me know what u think. could that tear be causing all that leak?

thank you

We need a higher resolution photo to make a clear determination, but I can tell you that just about ANY tear or rip, no matter how small can cause major water infiltration into the cabin...it just takes a little longer for all of the water that collects in the drain pain to drain through smaller rips or tears. It has to be 100% waterproof, especially towards the front of the drain trays because any water in the drain pan will be thrown forward whenever you step on the brakes or whenever you may be on a downward incline.

After the silicone adhesive sealant has cured, try the test again to see if it has stopped coming into the cabin.

If it hasn't, you are going to have to remove, or at least lift up that side of the convertible top frame base. It's not a difficult DIY, and you may not have to remove the other side's base. It's only a matter of three bolts and either 1, 2 or no Phillips screw(s), depending on your year Boxster. Take a look at the instructions starting at the bottom of page 11 and at page 12, and the photo at the bottom of page 12 of the Part I PDF at this link: http://sites.google.com/site/mikefocke2/installinga'03-'04glasstopandframeona'97

Once you take off the three bolts (two of them are circled in red in the photo) and check to see whether there are any phillips screws to remove (blue arrow in the photo), you will be able to lift that side of the base of the top frame enough to be able to inspect the drain tray under it for any other rips or tears.

Here is a photo of the forward part of the driver's side drain tray removed from the car so that you can get an idea of what you are looking at:

Regards, Maurice.

I had accidentely lft my spare key in the ignition, totally killing the battery. AFter getting things re-charged, I have two problems;

1. My windows won't close after exiting the car.

2. heated seats won't work, and I can't find the fuse listed on the fuse diagram.

I have checked all the fuses, could it be the emergency fuse that opens the trunk lid?

Thanks All

For your windows that won't close properly after loss of battery power, you have to "retrain" them as follows:

Close the windows with the rocker switch once.

Then press the rocker switch upwards again to store the end position of the windows in the control unit. (Sometimes you have to hold the switch in that position for five seconds depending on your year Boxster, IIRC).

Do the same procedure for the fully open position.

Let us know how you make out.

Regards, Maurice.

so i read so many threads trying to figure out the source of the leak. Took it to porsche mechanic who couldnt find the source and suggested to change the drain pan on left side (which involved removing the convertible top around 6 hours labor...). So now I've been stuck with putting a towel under the carpet behind the driver side to protect the alarm module box.

I included some pictures if anyone can suggest anything or solution to this problem. The drain pan (picture 1) looks intact, no holes anywere. Tested the drain (picture 2), with all water freely flowing in front of the rear left wheel. The arrow from the inside (picture 3) shows mainly where the water is getting in. My concern is could there be anywhere else, other that the drain pan/hole where water can get there?

one of the pictures is from outside (picture 4), there is a hole there, i dont know what it is mean for, but it is same on the other side and the other side doesnt leak. so my guess, its not the problem.

Will appreciate any help or suggestion. PS: the leaves are just from yesterday, parked under a tree. not an issue since i've been dealing with this for the last month.

thank you

hope Maurice sees this posting...

Karned:

That little hole in your #4 photo is supposed to be there, as it is an extra drain for water that collects in the U-channel on each side into which the forward parts of the clamshell sit. However, you have to make sure that water drains freely through that hole because it if doesn't, the channel will overflow, and some water could end up over the inboard side of the channel near the front and some of it could end up in the passenger compartment. Pour some water slowly into that channel and see if it drains as quickly as the other side's little hole.

To confirm that water is not draining properly through the drain hole in that drain pan, place a pan under the front of the left rear wheel so that you can catch the water that drains out there. Then pour in one measured pint and see if you catch a complete pint in the pan. If you don't you have confirmed that it leaking through some hole or crack in the foam drain tray, OR that it is leaking where the little plastic funnel collects the water under the hole (in your photo #2) in the foam drain tray. You can have a little peek at that little funnel if you remove the V-lever and the thin black plastic disc that protects the foam drain tray as the V-levers turn. Then you can untuck the top outboard edge of the foam drain tray from the sheet metal and carefully pull it up so that you can have a peek under the drain tray.

The V-lever bolt is 19mm and is on with loctite, so it take a bit of force to remove. Also, make sure that take careful note of the position of the V-lever's MALE keyway, because it is possible to reinstall it upside down (i.e., 180 degrees off).

When you pour the pint of water in, also take a close look at where the base of the convertible top frame sits on top of the foam drain tray.

Here is a photo of the places to check under the base of the frame:

As you slowly pour water at the base of the frame (where the red lines are), see if the water pools there and then flows towards the rear and into the drain hole. If it disappears under the frame without flowing towards the drain hole, there is a tear or rip under the top frame and you will have to remove at least that side of the frame to make the repair by patching it with Permatex Black Adhesive Silicone Sealant.

Also, make sure that your rear vinyl curtain is properly attached to the rear firewall with the two plastic clips as that curtain also directs water to the drains.

Once you have verified all of the above, it wouldn't hurt to check your front drains (located on each side of the battery drain tray under the front trunk.

As PK says, you cannot be too careful about keeping water away from your immobilizer. !!!

Regards, Maurice.

1999 Cab,Tiptronic, 28K miles, original owner, never any damage. Today removed instrument cluster to inspect non-functioning oil pressure gauge (hasn't worked in 5 years)then reconnected module plugs and started car to make sure everything functioning properly before positioning instrument module and reinstalling 2 dash screws. Everything fine until the emergency flasher became intermittent (would stick on, then would turn off when wires to flasher were touched). Heard strange high pitch alarm sound coming from dash instrument cluster when flasher wires were touched, then suddenly car stopped running with total loss of electric power. Now have no indication of power when turning the key in ignition. Both hood locks froze, so put jumper wire in main fuse block slot c3 as is done when battery is dead and hood lock cannot be opened, applied direct 12v power to jumper, hood locks unfroze,got all dash panel indicator lights on but still no engine crank. Removed direct 12v power from fuse block and now again have no power whatsoever. I do have a good battery (tested and verified). Tried jump starting with 12v power applied directly to the 12v jump start post on the engine and also nothing. Removed, inspected, reinstalled every fuse in main fuse block. I am totally stumped, having searched the internet for hours trying to find out what to do next. Is the emergency flasher module required to be functioning properly for electric power continuity and engine start? I am thinking perhaps if the flasher module is now bad, that may be the cause, but I have no way of testing module. I have copy of shop repair manual but found nothing in it to help me trouble-shoot this.

Had similar thing happen a couple of months ago. Turned key on and did not have any power. When checking the battery condition, I noticed a multi-wire connector block had disconnected from horn next to the battery(if that isn't the horn, then I just revealed/verified my ignorance. Reconnected the block and then everything was ok again. This was the first thing I looked at when losing power this time, but it remains properly connected.

Don't know if it has relevance, but for last several months I have heard buzzing noise through left speaker on dash after engine start. The buzzing sound would go up and down with engine revs. Could hear noise in speaker even with radio turned off. Really aggravating, but would be willing to hear it now as it would mean the car is started!

BTW, I am more than 100 miles from nearest Porsche dealer (under normal conditions I usually consider this to be a safe distance).

I do not have specialized test equipment

Any serious suggestions?

I am not sure that it would apply in this case from your description of how the problem originated (i.e., wires behind emergency flasher), but on all of the 986's and 996's, the electrical portion of the ignition switch is a frequent failure point, and it causes some otherwise inexplicable electrical gremlins.

Since the part is so inexpensive (about $10, and it's an Audi part, part number 4A0 905 849 B) and relatively easy DIY to replace, it may be worth a shot to eliminate that as a possible source of the problem.

Regards, Maurice.

Package sent.

Regards, Maurice.

Their experience is with 'Wheel Dynamics'. Is Wheel Enhancement their new name or did you just confuse the two companies?

Corrected post: Wheel Enhancement is in Culver City, CA.... Wheel Dynamics is in Monterey Park, CA. The latter company may have changed its name by now because that story was everywhere, and even ended up on "Jalopnik.com".

Regards, Maurice.

The bad experience was with a company with a similar name, but it is NOT the same company as "Wheel Enhancement": http://www.6speedonl...ust-see-19.html

See post #273 for one poster's summary of the 19 page thread. The part that disturbed me the most was that the "repairs" were not disclosed.

Regards, Maurice.

The clause the dealer is willing to include doesn't protect you at all should something be found amiss after they get your money and while $ 3000 for repairs wouldn't go very far on a modern Porsche it's still unexplained and worthy of further exploration before finalizing a deal. IMHO.

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.