Bill083

Thanks to those who helped us out on this topic. Unfortunately, while the class action suit is technically a win, it is so restrictive that it was no use to my coworker. The shop he had it trailered to was in search of a used motor, but the timeline was shaky at best as good motors seem in short supply and pricey as well. He sold the car for a few grand, pretty much a total loss. Needless to say, he was a one time and never again Porsche owner. I am seriously considering having the IMS retrofit done to my car as I am now super paranoid that my boxster's time is also limited. Any ideas as to cost of having someone do the retrofit, which one's are best as there appear to be several competing models, and any good shops closer to the Lansdale PA, Montgomery county area? The shops that JFP mentioned are not too far, but closer is always better if the shops are known to have done successful transplants before. Thanks again to everyone. Bill

Thank you all for the responses. It's a bad situation with no real good solution, but I'm hoping we can find a practical engine swap solution. I'll try to find out more about JFP and the Porsche short engines, thought that's beyond our capabilities and would still need a good mechanic. If anyone else has any recommendations for shops that may be reliable in engine swaps, I'd appreciate it. We live in SE PA by the way, north west of Philadelphia in Montgomery and Berks counties. Thanks again. ps, just noticed that JFP was the first responder, guess I'll need to contact him.

A friend and coworker of mine bought a 2005 Boxster a few years ago. It was in excellent condition with only 20k miles. He was meticulous about care and maintenance. Driving home a few days ago, he heard the rattle, and the car died. The Porsche dealer determined that it was IMS failure and the engine is toast. He is covered under the 25% rule of the class action suit. This means that Porsche will cover 25% of the $30,000 engine replacement. This is obviously not an option on a car he paid $25,000 for over four years ago. He's sick over it as am I since I also bought a 2005 Boxster a few years ago (mine has 63k miles), so this hits close to home. My question is, what options does he have? The car is immaculate. Is it worth selling as is? Any idea on ballpark value or possible outlets to sell it? Is it realistic to get a replacement junkyard engine (which could also be a time bomb) or is that still cost prohibitive? Any help is appreciated.

Well after a year of successfully using my dried out computer, I guess the corrosion finally made it's way through something important. A few weeks ago I tried to put the top down and ....nothing. No clicks or pops, just nothing. I took it to my local porsche guy, Mike, and he gave it a good thorough going over and everything checked out except he couldn't communicate with the computer. I had to take it to the local official porsche dealer and they found that the rear control module had failed. They replaced the module ( I assume it's the same one under the seat that got wet a year earlier, but the tech that fixed it was not available to ask ). As to the cost, $350.81 for the part, $330.20 labor, G.O.G. & supplies ( no clue wtf that is) $20.00. Lesson learned; not keeping drain holes clear=$743.07.

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

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.

Right you are Maurice, it's saturated down there.

Thaks for the fast reply. I'll check it out.

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.