Blangford

Maurice,

Thanks again for your assistance and mentoring. As suspected, I did not have the cable fully seated into the transmission.....problem fixed!!!

I now notice the top movement is slightly uneven despite my attempts to align each side, but it is small. I also noticed the movement being slightly "jumpy" so I plan to lubricate the track with a grease lubricant. Any recommendations for this or which "pivot points" also may need lubricated?

Finally, the top seems to move relatively smoothly and then experiences a small sudden "drop" the last six inches or so when closing. I think lube may solve this as well but I would appreciate any recommendations or suggestions.

I hope you enjoyed a Merry Christmas and have a wonderful New Year's.

Thanks again!

Bryan

Hi Maurice. I verified I have the new cable which allows one to pull the square metal shaft back and forth through the sheath. I pulled it back from the motor end and then tried to gently push it back towards the transmission while turning to "catch" it for engagement. It seemed to possibly stop and catch with ~3/4" remaining on the motor end....but no success. I tried again and it actually seemed to possibly seat a little deeper, but still no success.

One other note, as I unplug both left and right cables from the motor and then power the switch, it operates smoothly and very quietly (motor only, no load). As I hook up the problem side (passenger), and power the motor I can feel vibration through the sheath (turning?) and the sound level is noticeably louder (not sure if this if from the turning of cable or the transmission attempting to work.). From the cabin, it sounds like it originates from the trans area but from the outside I could not "feel" any motion through the mechanisms.

It seems as though my next step is to pull the transmission again to verify the cable is properly in position (and turning from motor.). I would appreciate any other suggestions greatly! If it does turn out to be a sudden failure of the transmission, do you have any recommendations for a cost effective source? (I am assuming used salvage may not be wise given the wear nature of this component???)

Thanks again,

Bryan

Blang:

First verify whether you have the older, smooth sided cables that came on 1997 to late 1999 Boxsters, or whether you have the new "improved" cross-hatched surface on your faulty cable. The cross-hatched ones look like this:

If you have the cross-hatched version, you can usually pull out and insert the inner speedometer-type cable without having to remove or replace the outer (cross-hatched) black vinyl sheath. If that's the case, push the inner cable all the way into the sheath, forcing it towards the transmission as you turn it by hand to see if you can get it to "catch".

Verify that it is installed properly by inserting the end (the end closest to the electric motor) of the inner cable into the chuck of a cordless drill, then set the cordless drill on the LOWEST torque setting and spin the cable by operating the drill. Before you turn on the drill, verify and mark (and photograph for reference) the position of the V-lever. You can use white out and mark the position of the two arms of the V-lever on the black plastic round cosmetic dust cover that is directly outboard of the V-lever.

Now, observe the V-lever to see if it is rotating. It will rotate very slowly with the drill but it should move in both directions, depending on the forward or reverse setting on your drill.

If it does not rotate, and you are sure that your inner cable is intact, you will have to remove the transmission and open it up to see if the worm gear is worn or broken. Porsche does not sell parts for the transmissions individually, only complete units, but the worm gear is rarely at fault. It is usually because the cable is broken or not properly engaged.

Try that and report back with what you find.

The black "hydraulic" pushrods are under a great deal of pressure because there is a very large spring inside the black cylinder which pulls the clamshell down tight when the top is in the completely open or completely closed position. The ball cups on the end of the black pushrods are not under pressure when the clamshell is in the 45 degree position.

Be very careful not to "tweak" the clamshell by rotating one side a lot more than the other, either with the drill or with the electric motor.

Regards, Maurice.

Maurice,

Thank you for the guidance! I will give this a shot within the next few days and report back. Thank ou again for all f your support.

Bryan

Hi Maurice, I am a newbie on this forum with a 2000 boxster. I have greatly appreciated the knowledge you have graciously shared throughout this site. I currently need some assistance:

History: top is in up position, when attempting to lower the passenger side, the lid cover will not raise on that side and gots lopsided quickly (so I stopn to avoid further damage.) I have verified the motor is functioning. The old cable had the tip sheared at the motor so I have replaced it (although I need to verify that it is seated properly in transmission - it is still not working properly!). The ball ends of the push rods were definitely under pressure and I could not pop them off so I used recommended work arounds. I am not sure where to go next. I will verify seating of cable on transmission end and that cable is indeed spinning (feels like it). I would greatly appreciate any suggestions. If the transmission end is rounded out on the inside, is it possible to repair rather than replace the transmission?

Also, any further clarity regarding removal of push rods would be appreciated, we could not figure out how to get leverage (and feared having to reassemble if t takes that much force to remove :-)).

Thank you!

If you are looking for the knob that is located about shoulder high - on either side of the seat back - that releases the seat back to tilt forward:

996.521.421.00....control button....left....MY99 -> MSRP..$2.90

996.531.422.00....control button....right....MY99 -> MSRP..$2.90

Bill

Thank you!!! Both of you were very helpful. A great first experience within the Porsche community. Thanks again and God Bless.

Hello, this is my first post on this site. I am a first time Porsche owner of a 2000 Boxster 2.7l with design package. I am seeking a part number and source for a small plastic component that attaches to the backrest adjustment lever on the driver's seat, interior side of seat. It is black in color. I appreciate any assistance!