pjslowik

Pentosin has returned to the approved list. I use it in all my VW's and will begin again in my 03. Pento High Performance II 5W-40.

Nice. Thank you!

Anyone seen my bowler? :)

I fixed this for Peter yesterday.

The dealer should have know the model type code has to be in the DME to change any programming. The PST2 even has a warn message to that affect when you try to code something.

Where do you get the order type for any given vehicle? Thanks.

TP, In that photo the bearing appears to be a ball bearing. Do you have any pics of the older style bearings? I thought they were roller type.

There is a bearing on the end of the shaft. I have been told Porsche went from a double to a single bearing. I was told the year but forget - I think 2001. This is why you seldom hear of intermediate shaft failures on the older cars.

Picture is a 2003 2.7.

TP, can the bearing be removed from the case and shaft from behind that cover? Thanks.

Usually there is a lot more damage than just the bearing (a whole lot more).

I was wondering if it could be replaced before failure. According to Tool Pants, guess not. Thanks.

There is a bearing on the end of the shaft. I have been told Porsche went from a double to a single bearing. I was told the year but forget - I think 2001. This is why you seldom hear of intermediate shaft failures on the older cars.

Picture is a 2003 2.7.

TP, can the bearing be removed from the case and shaft from behind that cover? Thanks.

There is definitely no noise before the central bolt break.

X2, and X3

This whole thing caught on by racing teams dragging Nitrogen bottles to a racetrack to fill tires. And the reason they used these bottles was it is easier to bring the bottles than a chiller and compressor for clean dry air to use in their "air" tools and tires.

Well that clears it up for me. I just didn't realize that plain ole dried air was so much more expensive to bottle than a single element.

Got a questions about some of the tools needed for repairs and where they are found.

Transmission Drain Plug

Transmission Fill Plug

This is where I got mine.

Rapid Parts

First Argon is not inexpensive, not sure of actual cost but it is on orders of magnitude more expensive than Nitrogen, no contest. Coefficient of expansion of all gasses is close enough to be considered equal. Thermal conductivity is margionally better (lower) but could you tell the difference in a dry suit. I'd be suprised.

Second, I'm continually amazed at the fact that people continue to throw their money away on this marketing crap. I'm a retired engineer having worked for a major industrial gas company and currently working at a state university as a research scientist. I continue to tell people of their folly but they seem insensed to throw their money away. Well feel free, but don't say I didn't tell you so.

Wow! Thanks for this info. I'm gonna forward it to NASCAR so all those teams can stop wasting money.

Berty, what happened with this?

Spooky world that you have a '99 passat with 115,000 miles as a second car.....so do i , with the same mileage and on original clutch too. I wouldn't take the car to porsche because of the warranty clause on wearing items and also if unsuccesful in the claim it would be a crippling 2000 pounds for the work (this is costing just under 900 including the DMF and clutch ). I spoke with tech support at LUK (DMF suppliers/ mfrs) and they quoted there is no specific tolerance for the amount of movement between the two parts of the flywheel. Though the TSB suggests 15mm is allowable LUK suggest that up to 30mm is common depending on the application to which the DMF is fitted. It will be hard to prove the car has not been abused , since clutch slip at 26,000 miles is very unusual , and i purchased the car with 20k on the clock , so i have racked up some fair mileage. What is interesting is the guy at LUK said that the two parts of the DMF are separate and there is a friction section sandwiched in between. This is sacraficial in the event of an excess load being placed on the gearbox or engine and can itself cause clutch slip symptoms if damaged. The DMF can also only be truly tested if it is seen in a dynamic state , so the bench test is somewhat limited. Are you suggesting in your post that the Passat DMF and Porsche item are actually the same device ? There seem to be very different capabilities and horsepower requirements between the two engines.

On my DMF, when tested, it would not spring back. Also, my clutch and pressure plate were only engaging in the outer half of the diameter. I never heard of this before. I was just out in my 99. I bought it new and do all the work myself. I really enjoy it and am glad I decided to use synthetic since new even though it was not required at the time. I love that turbo motor. I also have an 04 Passat GLX V6 4Motion and an 87 GLI with 240K miles.

I doubt the DMF and clutch are the same in the two cars, but I know for a fact that the 5 speed is the same as the Passat/A4 5 speed, except for ratios.

I see you didn't buy your Porsche new. I regret buying mine new with 300 miles on it. I usually don't buy cars that have been driven. I don't know how it was treated in those critical first miles. Also, I made the mistake of letting a service manager take the car to try it overnoight after an engine replacement. Might just be consern about nothing.

Good luck with your car. Get it right no matter what the expense so you can enjoy it.

Also FWIW, a dealer won't cover the DMF for a slipping clutch.

I don't think they have much choice. If there is no evidence of abuse, and the part is defective, there's no reason to deny warranty coverage. I have had mine replaced under warranty. I also have a 99 Passat that has a DMF and original clutch with 115,000 miles, and they perform perfectly. Both cars have the same transmission BTW. If your denied by one dealer, try another or squawk to the factory rep.

You should not feel the vibration, rather the resonance, you are experiencing. Something is imbalanced and you feel the resonance at the 3 - 3.3k range.

These engines are naturally balanced 360*/180*/6cyl. I'm sure Porsche goes to great lengths to fine-tune individual component balance too. They should be silky smooth.

I have had three engines in my 03. The first two were indeed silky smooth. After the third, I felt the same resonance you describe. Sometimes you might expect some increase in vibration after removing and replacing the flywheel/pressure plate. Things don't always get reassembled exactly the same. I expected to remove the transmission and reassemble everything myself, perhaps rotating it 180*, but I decided to pursue a warranty complaint. Dealer replaced DMF, clutch and pressure plate. DMF was shot - I can't understand why - 35K miles. This greatly reduced the resonance. Almost as smooth as the other two times. If it doesn't get worse, I'll be content.

When I get some spare time, I might remove the DMF and pressure plate, bolt them together, index it, and send it out to be balanced as an assembly. Some performance clutch mfgrs sell kits preindexed and balanced.

Calling toolpants or any service techies out there. I have a 2005 model boxster (3.2 s)currently in with an indie for clutch replacement. The car has covered 29,ooo miles and symptoms were high biting point and clutch slip when pulling away from standstill when driving enthusiastically. The indie has taken the clutch apart and advised that the dual mass flywheel needs replacing !!! The clutch doesnt seem to be worn out , and there is no scorring on the flywheel , so they put the slip down to a weak pressure plate and the flywheel. They are suggesting the flywheel needs replacement becuse the tolerance is out on the amount of slack between the two plates. anyone know anything about testing the dual mass flywheel (same as 986 boxster) or what the tolerances are ? Is it normal to replace the flywheel with a clutch or are they being over cautious ? Need to confirm tomorrow so any replies welcome. thanks

I believe to test the DMF you grab the outer part of the flywheel and twist it. It should be able to move, with some resistance, 15* in either direction and return to center upon release.

You should have taken it to a dealer for warranty repair instead if the independant mechanic. Now they may not cover it being it was disassembled.

Sorry to hear about your situation. I don't think it's funny. Prob why the others moved out! Get a have-a-heart trap and take little kitty for a ride. I don't have any suggestions for the odor.

I bought the top spray from my dealer 6 or so years ago. Said back then it was a waste of time and money, and that I would never treat the top again. And I have not.

TP, I'm curious what it was about the Porsche protectant you didn't like? I masked off my top and unloaded a full can on the cleaned top. It seems to work pretty well for me.

Also, you mentioned the 3M Scotchguard. I wanted to use that a couple years ago, so I called them to ask but they did not recommend it for convertible tops. Have you found one that is specifically recommended for tops?

engine air filter is part of the oil change cost

so really he's looking at a $750 oil change.

and your serpentine belt was bad at 25,000 miles or that's what the dealer TOLD you? ;)

Sorry, I didn't mean to upset you. But, you said you thought the 03 didn't need plugs for 60k miles, which was incorrect. And you didn't mention the filters. I only wanted to emphasize that the manual, or the posting suggested by Loren, should be checked for proper intervals. I never heard of an air filter being part of an oil change. If that's true, I might start paying for oil changes.

The belt was in poor shape. I saw it. The dealer replaced it along with the engine that was hanging on it.

so really you're looking at a $975 oil change.

That's not exactly true. An 03 requires spark plug change, air filter change, & cabin filter change, among other things. Checking the polyrib belt is up there in importance too. Mine was in bad shape at only 25,000 miles. Ask the dealer exactly what they plan to do for the $$.

I park in NYC on the street all the time too. Never any problems.

Just be sure to hide that Red Sox cap. Go Yankees!!

Try the Radio Shack catalog. Pin removal tools should be common items. Sometimes I use a trimmed tywrap slipped alongside the pin to unlock it.

Be sure to let us know how this works out!

You'll windup disabling your cruise control too.