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Hi all, While driving the other day I got the dreaded P1128/P1130 codes the other day, but decided to just clear them. The car has been driving very roughly for a little while now, but I never got around to investigating the issue... Anyway, even though the CEL did not light up again, I decided to clean the MAF and see what happens. I removed the unit (2 x T20H screws i.e. Security TORX with the pin in the middle, for those of you that haven't done this yet!) - which takes less than 3 minutes to remove - and used an aerosol duster (designed for computer keyboards - just compressed air) to blow out any debris in the sensor, and then I sprayed on generous amounts of electronics contact cleaner (zero-residue type). I let it dry for a couple of minutes, used some more compressed air on it, then re-installed the MAF back in to the car. The entire process, including opening the engine compartment, took less than 20 minutes. Total investment, if you don't have the tools or cleaners, would be about $20-$30, depending on if you got the T20H bit on its own or in a kit with other things. A small can of contact cleaner and compressed air should last many many cleanings, and of course the T20H bit is forever! After this, the car drove like a completely different car. No hesitation, smooth idling, smooth driving, no vibrations through the accelerator, smooth gearchanges (there was always hesitation and jerky gearchanges) - completely different. I've never had issues with mass airflow sensors on any of my previous cars - I'd recommend any Porsche owner make cleaning the MAF part of the regular maintenance cycle! If you haven't done yours, your car has more than 50,000 miles, and you can be trusted with tools, I'd recommend doing this now! Thanks! Shash

This mod sounds pretty cool - I didn't know the new Nobles did that. I'll keep an eye out for clear needles and let you know if I find any. Worst case we could have them custom made from clear acrylic - not sure how much that would cost though considering the needles are different sizes. All the needles would have to change to get a cohesive look when not at redline! ;) Thanks! Shash

It's worth learning Linux to improve the system. Linux is a much better embedded operating system; faster performance, quicker boot times, highly customizable, etc, etc. If you're not familiar with Linux it can take some time to learn, but well worth it. Not to mention you get to have some hands-on experience with a UNIX-type operating system - if you're in the technology sector, that makes you a lot more marketable. Gives you some freedom from Microsoft too - being stuck on only one operating system gives no choice and is very limiting. I am working on a system right now for the 986/987/996/997 (initially - other marques / models may be added) which will be highly embedded. I might even make it commercially available. Thanks! Shash

Um, the Boxster only comes in soft top... Unless you're comparing with the 911(996)? Thanks! S.

Is that a real Diablo next to it? (the black one)

The RMS seal issue is a fairly common issue. Mine has been replaced twice already (once before I owned the car, and once after I got it - both times under warranty). Basically the main seal that fits around the crank output shaft to seal the engine oil inside the engine starts to leak and oil ends up in your transmission bell housing. Eventually it leaks on to the floor (usually that's when you first know about it). The oil pools inside the bell housing and can damage the flywheel and clutch if not caught early-ish. Some cars never have the problem, others have it all the time. The general consensus, I believe, is that there is / was a defect in the manufacturing of the engines. Some engines have a perfectly round hole where the seal sits and others are slightly oval. This defect eventually causes the leak. Porsche have tried several seal designs to no avail. Generally, once your car has had the problem once, it will usually have it again and again (unless the engine is replaced with a non-defective engine). In reality I don't even know if Porsche know the real reason behind it - if they did you'd think they would have resolved it a long time ago. It could be their manufacturing equipment and it's just cheaper to replace the odd defective engine. Porsche don't admit this as a common issue so no recall has been issued (and even if they did recall, they couldn't really do anything about it anyway). They generally treat this on a case-by-case basis, and have been known to honor warranties even after it has expired (sometimes replacing entire engines). I believe they generally replace the engine if the problem occurs 3 times, but I don't think that's set in stone. I've heard they are more willing to fix the seal or replace the engine after the warranty has expired to original owners, but again this is not a rule. Porsche have only really had these problems since releasing the M96 engine (996 and Boxster) - I don't think their aircooled engines of the past had any of these issues. It can be annoying since the seal costs pennies compared to the labor. Some people replace the seal as a preventative measure when changing the clutch, but others prefer to leave the seal alone if it isn't leaking. If you can do the work yourself then it's no big deal (shouldn't cost very much at all). If you have to take it to a dealer, I think the average cost is almost $1000 - not sure what the non-dealer cost would be, although it should be a lot less. If you need to change the clutch at the same time, it's not too bad as it can be easily done at the same time. Despite these issues, people still buy Porsches and I'd have to say the majority of them never have a problem. Personally it doesn't bother me as I can do the work myself if it happens again. Thanks! Shash

Thinking about it, I think mine had the same stain too... I didn't think too much about it though. I'll confirm when I next open the engine compartment. Thanks! Shash

Mine is 0-40 so I'll let you know when I get it... I'm still waiting for my kit. Thanks! Shash

I have an Innova 3100C which works just fine to read codes and clear the CEL light. It was about $120. The cheaper Innova readers should work fine too. I got mine from Kragen, but Autozone should have a selection too. Note that these readers won't let you change Porsche-specific option codes - you'd need a PST2 (or equivalent) to do that! Thanks! Shash

I think every mechanic (or serious DIY'er) knows about the screwdriver-through-the-filter method! It can be a little messy though, and some cars it simply doesn't work (e.g. the Nissan Primera 2.0eGT - a British-model Nissan - is extremely tight quarters around the oil filter so it's impossible to get a screwdriver through it). Having the correct tool is always the fastest, cleanest and correct method though ;) Thanks! S.

Weird how it was detected on all six cylinders too (although it could just be a couple of cylinders - one in each bank). When was the last time the car had a service? A weak or delayed spark could cause a rich situation, clogged injectors could cause a lean situation. Since the car is 7 years old with such low mileage (average of 3200/yr), the time-based maintenance schedule should be carried out - not mileage-based. As Loren suggested, if it comes back read the codes asap. A rich situation is okay for a while, but a lean situation is very destructive to a cylinder. Thanks! S.

Um, all OBD-II systems will hold codes whenever the light comes on (even if it turns off again). In fact, in some situations the light never comes on, but a code is logged. However, some codes only stay in the system for a specific number of cycles (i.e. journeys). You may have exceeded the number of journeys and the code may have reset since the problem did not re-occur. Always good to own a code scanner (even a basic $60 one) so that you can scan codes as the first sign of an issue. Even though the code reset it could be a part that's just starting to fail. Thanks! S.

At a guess I'd say it was oil... If it were water or fuel it would have evaporated long ago. Being on top of the engine is a little weird though - however it could have been there for a long time so someone might have spilt oil in the past? You could try removing the intake from the throttle body and checking if there is oil inside the pipes - could indicate a bad oil seperator? Thanks! Shash

Speaking of the pollen filter, is it supposed to have a case over it, or is just supposed to be exposed? Thanks! S.

Well, a DSO is easier (compared to a traditional CRT oscilloscope) as it can store your data for later analysis (so you don't need to analyse it in real time, and you don't need to have a second person helping you press the gas!). Let us know how it goes... Thanks! Shash

DSO == Digital Storage Oscilloscope. It would let you analyze the output in real-time far more accurately than a multimeter. You would have to fabricate some kind of probe that could touch the contact while it was still connected. I have used light gauge flexible wire in the past (remove the connector, place the wire so that the bare wire is touching the contact, and gently push the connector back on). If you are not confident about doing this, I suggest swapping everything back like Loren suggested, or taking the car to a dealer! Thanks! Shash

Hm, I'm also interested to know how the EVO intake is triggering the fault - especially as a real-time scan is showing no airflow! Sounds like a damaged MAF, or something else in the electrical path (unless the EVO is literally diverting air past the MAF). You could monitor the output of the MAF with a high impedence meter (or DSO if you have one) and rev the engine... If you see a logical change in voltage then the MAF is probably working fine but for some reason the ECU isn't seeing it... You could also test the voltage at the ECU and see if there is a corresponding voltage there too. Not saying that you're mistaken Loren, just from an engineering point of view a mechanical airflow "tube" shouldn't really make an ECU behave like that... Also, the fact that replacing the other MAF made the problem go away for a while kinda points to another faulty MAF. Now, if the EVO is somehow damaging the MAF's, that's entirely logical... Thanks! Shash

You definitely want to have the codes checked. If you CEL came on, then a code would definitely have been logged. The OBD-II connector is underneath the steering wheel to the left - it's a multi-way connector. I believe Autozone read codes for free. Virtually any OBD-II compliant reader can read the codes. If you get a code starting with P0xxxx (P-Zero) then it's a standard OBD-II code and a description should be in the manual that came with the reader. If you get a code starting with P1xxxx (P-One) then it's a manufacturer specific code (Porsche in this case), and if you post it here someone could tell you what's going on. Either way post your codes here and we'll try and help... At a guess, it could be a variety of things. Spark plugs is one thing... Temp sensors is another (temp sensors reading warm when the engine is cold and starving the engine of fuel). Could be a host of other things too. Hopefully the codes will shed some light. Could even just be some bad fuel. Thanks! Shash

cool - you rock Jeff :) You must seriously have pictures of every single square inch of the Boxster... ;) Thanks! Shash

Okay, does anyone know how the Antenna Amplifier on Sheet 14, grid A132 works? From the diagram it gets it's power-on signal from pin 5 on the ISO connector ("Power Antenna"). This lead is correctly hooked up, but I don't know it the amplifier is turning on (considering reception is so poor). Does anyone know where this Antenna Amplifier is physically located so I can check it directly? Thanks! Shash

Hi all, As mentioned in one of my other posts, I just picked up a new Alpine head-unit. However, after driving around the radio reception seems to be pretty poor. The Becker unit was MUCH better. I get a lot of white noise, fading, etc. I know quite a few people have installed Alpines in their Boxsters - does anyone else have this issue? What manufacturers (Sony, Kenwood, Pioneer, etc) work well in Boxsters? I know the windscreen antenna isn't the best, but the Becker (which was probably designed for it) is able to work very well so there must be an aftermarket brand that has comparable sensitivity... Thanks! Shash

Hi all, Why is it that I can't find a decently priced head-unit that actually has RDS in the US? The radio stations obviously broadcast with RDS (as my CDR-220 picks up all the station names and song details), but none of the head-units seem to support it... I bought an Alpine head unit which is pretty loaded with features, and I just got done installing it. When I tuned a local station that has RDS I didn't get any names... Sure enough, I checked the specifications and found that it doesn't have it! I was quite upset that they missed off this simple feature and was about to go look at another manufacturer - and now I see that virtually no major manufacturer has it! Pioneer has it on some units, but only upwards of $450. That is an option, but it's kind of limited. I checked Sony, Kenwood, Alpine and Pioneer - the 4 major players. So, considering that in Europe even the most basic no-name in-car system has RDS (including all OEM units), does anyone know why aftermarket manufacturers don't have it here? Almost every station (at least in California) broadcasts with it... Unless it's a money-making scheme? They'll start releasing units with the "NEW" RDS feature? I know Alpines new Blackbird system has it (and they mention it as an "important feature"), but that costs a lot more than a standard head unit. Comments? Thanks! Shash

If you slide the wire gauge between the side electrode and the center electrode, won't that be good enough? Although the gap on 4-electrode plugs seems to be pretty huge, so you'd need a big enough wire gauge. Thanks! Shash

Thanks for that! I've sent you a PM too... Thanks! Shash

I went out and bought the same gapping tool as Jeff and it gaps it fine - although I haven't tried refitting it yet... cbracer - these plugs are meant to be correctly gapped at 0.8mm - only the 4-electrode type plugs are not meant to be gapped. Thanks! Shash