John V

I replaced my AOS for lack of another solution. The old one looked fine as did the belows. But there was a good amount of oil in the S tube and throttle body. While your at it I would clean the throttle body well, and may as well clean the idle control. I also cleaned the intake plenum but be careful not to lose a rag in the there.

Make sure your serpentine belt is not squeaking. Having that break would stink. Also check your pullies and altenator as they could also squeal.

My squeak is gone but I can't say for sure if it was the AOS. I now have a mysterious tick that is much like the sqeak. And I have Secondary Air CEL codes. So I'm not sure what's going on. But having been in your position I would definetly replace the AOS. I let my chirp go for a while and I may have fouled the secondary air system (I don't know). Take your time and clean the hose and the whole intake track while your at it. The car will run better when clean.

Check your plugs, mate. :)

To clarify what I meant was where do you put the windstop when the top is up, because it barely fits into the shelf under the role bar.

Also, I was just wondering about the premium vs. regular gas. I know you should use premium but $3 every fill adds up, and I know Porsches are a bit pricey to maintain but it doesn't hurt to try and pinch pennies if I doesn't really affect performance, but it sounds like it does.

I still don't understand. You don't have to do anything with the wind stop when the top is up. Just leave it in place.

Hi,

Okay I finally have gotten to enjoying my Boxster. :drive:

I have a few questions, I have had it for two weeks and have filled it up once. My question is what do you guys use premium or regular? The owners manual says to use premium but with gas prices the way they are is regular okay? My friend had a porsche 944 for 16 years without any problems and he only filled it with regular even though the manual said to use premium.

Second, are $25 Xenon headlights to good be true, in comparison to $2000 ones that replace the entire headlight?

Third, were do you put the windstop when the top is down? I have the shelf under the role bar but it barely fits in there.

Fourth, can you put a ski rack on the hard top, or is not strong enough?

Thanks! :)

I appreciate all answers!

Not sure what you mean regarding the wind stop - I leave it in place with the top down. Otherwise, what good does it do you?

You really should continue to use premium fuel. The engine was designed for it, and while the knock sensors will retard timing (and hurt performance!) to save the motor, but it's still not ideal. If the cost premium of .. uh .. premium fuel is an issue, I think maybe you bought the wrong car. These are not cheap cars to keep on the road, regardless of your choice in petrol.

Problem solved. One spark plug was just slightly loose. The air pressure rushing out of the spark plug tube past the coilpack seals caused the chirp. The plug was probably loose for some time, but I never noticed it because the spark plug tubes had oil in them and it probably muffled the sound or didn't allow the chamber to resonate.

Anyway, torqued all the plugs and I'm a happy camper!

No need to remove the lower chassis plate. I did my AOS this weekend in about an hour, working from above and below.

1) Remove the hose going to the throttle body at the AOS.

2) Remove the two bolts from below.

3) Cut the bellows

4) This gives you enough wiggle to pop the AOS loose from the engine at the o-ring.

5) Remove the "middle" hose

6) Move the wiring harnesses out of the way and pull out the AOS.

Messy, but not difficult.

Agreed - it should slide right off. Though I didn't bother compressing the spring. There isn't much (if any) preload on them once the assembly is removed. Maybe that slight preload helped push mine off. :)

Hi John,

Just got around to installing my one-touch top opener...great device, easy to instal and so convenient! Thanks again for producing a terrific product at a very competitive price. When my friend sees mine he'll want to order one too; hopefully there are a few left. Anyone who is interested in this product, I give it my endorsement.

Thanks!

Jerry Matta

2002 Boxster S

Thanks for the kind words, Jerry. Glad you're happy. If you have any problems in the future please don't hesitate to e-mail us!

John

Hmmmm...... I've no idea then. Does it change pitch at all when the clutch is disengaged?

Totally unaffected by the clutch being in or out, unaffected by gear selection.

It varies with engine speed and it doesn't happen (or it isn't noticable) above 3,000 RPM or so.

I'm going to check the engine mount next, which was replaced recently.

Well it wasn't the AOS. I replaced it (it certainly was leaking a large amount of oil into the throttle body tube - needed to be done) and the noise is still there.

We have a couple of units still available for sale. Please do not hesitate to e-mail (onetouchtop@hotmail.com) if you have interest.

Thanks!

getting ready to redo my motor mount,

i like the idea repairing the factory mount by removing all of the stock rubber and replacing with the flexane 80

is the 1lb kit enough to complete the job?

thanks, ked

the 1lb kit was enough for me to do my motor mount, all four control arms and two strut top mounts. also, you don't remove the factory rubber. you clean it with alcohol and cast the flexane around it.

I removed all the rubber. The downside to that approach is that you have to find a way to align the center portion of the mount relative to the housing. I built a simple jig to do this.

Waste of time since I ended up using another factory mount, but now I have a nice pretty spare.

link?

I got it from amazon, I bought the smaller 1,2,3 kit

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/104-3...o.y=0&Go=Go

I have the Novus 1-2-3 and also the Meguiar's #17 and #10. I prefer the Meguiar's products. First, use the cleaner. Second, use the polish.

Your mileage may vary of course - the Plexus worked well for me too, but I found that I had to go over it many times to acheive the same result the Meguiar's acheived in one application.

John

Don't put it on so tight next time

Tell that to the previous owner, or the Porsche shop he took the car to.

I had a noise very similar to this and thought it was coming from the A/C compressor....removed the belt and the noise was still there...... it turned out to be the oil separator.

I had the car on the alignment rack at the local VW / Porsche dealer and one of the techs said it sounded like a bad AOS.

I should have my AOS from Sunset in a couple days, so I'll know by the weekend if this is the problem or not. I find it hard to believe the AOS could cause this particular noise, but I've been (Very) wrong before.

Over the years at our local work on cars days many oil changes on different Boxsters have been done. Sometimes the oil filter cannister is on so tight you would never be able to get it off with just your hands.

That was certainly the case with mine.

My hand is also not calibrated for torque. My torque wrench is.

A bearing is toast in either one of the idler pulley or an accessory pulley. I hear cars with that all the time, typically its the power steering pulley or the timing belt tensioner. In this case won't be the timing belt tensioner but quite likely one of the tensioner for the accessory belt.

Have you had your belt changed yet? If not pull it off and start spinning things to see which guy is the culprit then order a new one.

I removed the serpentine belt and started the car momentarily. The squeak was still there. Therefore I don't think it is related to the pullies or multirib belt.

It's not an accessory pulley.

Only four of you have done the short shifter? Of course not...

Please ... let us know how you like it!

thx Norm

01 Boxster, 5 spd, Seal Grey

I had a B+M. I removed it and sold it to another member because I hated it. It was nearly impossible to find third gear when the car was cold.

Does it go away when the car is warm.? If so if you let it set to warm up does it go away or do you have to drive it for it to go away

Could it be the Trans?

It does it warm or cold. Seems to be a bit worse when the car is hot.

I removed the serpentine belt and started the car momentarily. The squeak was still there. Therefore I don't think it is related to the pullies or multirib belt.

It certainly could be in the transmission but it would have to be on the input side as the sound it engine speed related. It is unaffected by having the clutch in or out. It happens in gear or out. I'm at a loss. I'm driving my other vehicle until I get the AOS in.

JV

i don't know what the sound is, but it sounds like something loose/rubbing due to the engine vibration.

if you have oil around the TB and in the J-tube, you need a new AOS, period. i would not drive the car until you've replaced it. once a cylinder fills with (uncompressible) oil, that's it. you're done.

Thanks, Chris - I will definitely replace the AOS.

But I don't think it's going to stop the squeak. :angry:

My car (2000 Boxster S, 42,000 miles, 6-speed manual) has developed a chirp, or squeak, at startup, idle, and low RPM. It is rhythmic and varies with engine speed. It will happen in gear or out of gear, moving or not, but the engine must be running. I cannot replicate the noise by simply prying or shaking the engine. I cannot replicate the noise by pushing the car forward or backwards in gear with the engine off.

Here is a quick video that demonstrates the noise quite well.

Right click, save as

The noise appears to emanate from the left rear of the car. It is very loud in the driver's rear wheel well. Removing the wheel, it seems to be occuring near or above the head of the motor on the driver's side. I put a screwdriver blade on the valve cover with the handle end in my ear (cheap mechanic's stethoscope), and the squeak doesn't appear to be an internal engine part (good news).

I removed the front access panel and the noise doesn't appear to be coming from the belt area. Nonetheless I removed and checked the belt and it looks fine, and all the pulleys and tensioners spin freely and smoothly. It is unaffected by having the A/C on, and unaffected by me turning the steering wheel.

The interesting part is it appears to be much worse with the oil cap removed. I get moderate suction from the oil fill tube with the motor idling... not enough to suck my hand down painfully but there is a bit of suction there. I have a puddle of oil under the throttle body and there is oil in the AOS tube leading to the manifold past the throttle body. I get a bit of oil smoke on startup occasionally, but no CELs and no oil while driving. I have heard that the AOS failing can cause a squeak - does it sound like what is on my video?

Last bit of info - I changed out the driver's side spark plug tubes and o-rings last week. I cleaned that valve cover with solvent to get the old oil off of it. Is it possible this is related to that? I can't see how it would be, unless solvent got somewhere it shouldn't have.

Thanks for any help!

I just got home and did notice one final resolute chirp at shutdown. So am I right now with out actually getting into the engine compartment, I'm leaning toward the oil separator. It's defintly left rear chirp, loud whether in gear or not.

I have the same chirp, I believe. I can get it in gear or out, and it's getting worse. Pulling away from a stop I hear it rhythmically, over and over. I cannot get it to occur by shaking the motor, exhaust, wheel, nothing. It only happens when the engine is running. I removed the engine covers and it doesn't seem to be a pulley. Seems like the sound is loudest inside the driver's rear wheel well.

Any insight? What would the oil separator have to do with the noise?

Might just be the overflow line on the PS reservoir.

Todd

Maybe I just corner harder to the right than I do to the left... :P

I have the same issue. My suggestion is to use some spray degreaser to clean the cam cover thoroughly and then drive the car until you see the leak's source.

John V

Yea, I kind of thought along the same lines. The engine could use a little spiffing up anyway.

Thought I would post an update. On further examination the leak seemed to be coming from the spark plug tubes. I replaced all of them and the o-rings and cleaned up the case, and it has been clean for several days with no sign of leaking. Very easy repair.

Nick...

..thank you very much -- it saved my day. That connector is exactly what I used, (its second hole is the hot, and the fourth one is ground). Here's how my GPS ended up after an assault with the Dremel tool on the shelf-department.

-- peer

Can you even see that screen while driving?

Well, I did it, and no oil leaked out of the valve covers when the tubes were removed. I suspected it wouldn't, but wasn't sure so I was ready with a rag just in case.

I have to say, this was one of the easiest things I've done to a Boxster. It was less than an hour start to finish (including lifting the rear of the car onto jackstands, removing the wheel, etc). I used a snap-ring pliers to remove the tubes - I did all three on the driver's side of the motor which is where the leaks were. Worked like a charm. I used carb cleaner to clean the valve cover of all the oil that leaked out so I can see if it starts leaking again.

I recommend replacing the tubes AND the o-rings. My old tubes were very brittle.

John V

I have a leaky spark plug tube. I have the new tubes and new o-rings (bought all six just so I had them on hand) and am planning to do this without removing the valve cover. Will a significant quantity of engine oil leak out when this is done? If so, I'll just perform an oil change at the same time since I'm almost due.

Thanks,

John V