Silver_TT

I was wondering if anyone had any recomendations for helmets both with respect to brand/model as well as vendors that sell them at the most competitive prices. The helmet needs to be Snell 2005 or better compliant at the track I race at. Thank you.

+1 to what JFP is saying I don't mean to interject but I recently went through the exact same thing with my voltage regulator / alternator and my car is also "old" -- a 2002 C4S -- and has seen cold and snow. My guess is that you didn't have the bushing out enough from the flange. It literally just takes 2-3 twists and then a tap with a hammer (with a buffer such as wood to not damage the bolt..unless you have a deadblow hammer). I made the same mistake when I followed Loren's instructions but wasn't super careful to follow it word-for-word on the first try. You won't break the housing with the force from a hammer because eventhough it's alumimum you're not talking about going wild on it. All it takes is a couple good but powerful taps to push that bushing back from the flange. That said, I just went through this same thing as I said and I agree it's a bit of a pain to get the alternator off the first time you try. Once I understood what I stated above I know I can do it much faster next time and without so much blood, sweat, and tears as I spent on the first try. The first time I tried it and that bushing was still blocked by that flange, I also though that it was fused to the metal or something. Either way, glad you got it sorted and you learned something from it so that's what's important! cheers

2^16=65536 and yours says 65535 with the last one 2965h ago. I believe DME memory is 16-bit.... so your DME in that memory address has "1111111111111111" (16 "1"s). Quite possibly the result of you using fake/junk equipment or old software. You might have saved a few dollars now but it's likely going to cost you in the long-run with garbage readings like this.

No question, absolutely agree -- not holding this one against the car in the least.

You won't know for sure until you properly test but I don't think you have intermix. Intermix looks like gooey pancake batter as JPF stated. You just have cloudy water. No way to tell for sure until you do a proper test but I don't think it's a slamdunk you have intermix. AOS is only a PITA because you have to drop the transmission. This is why people sometimes get AOS and IMS done when they do a regular clutch job, etc.

To follow-up on this, the problem actually fixed itself without me doing anything (I wasn't really in a huge rush because it's hardly an issue, I just hate seeing any error codes at all). When I discovered this error, it was actually because I had purchased a Durametric to help me track down another issue -- which turned out to be my alternator that needed to be replaced (the voltage regulator was shot and the core wasn't charging 100% at idle RPM). I hooked up the Durametric today to check the status after driving on the car for a solid month with no issues after the fact. Not sure exactly why this alternator issue would manifest itself in this specific seat memory error code being thrown but who knows, electrical issues can be weird. I had fully erased the error codes and it kept coming back, and I had also tried unplugging the battery to reset the system and those didn't seem to help, so I can only assume it may have been alternator-issue related since that's really the only thing that's changed. At any rate, hope this info might be useful to someone else in the future.

Just because your CEL light isn't on doesn't mean that it didn't throw a fault. If you have a Durametric you should check to see if it threw any codes as a starting point.

I would try to not drive the car at all until it's fixed since depending on what the specific issue is with the clutch you could damage your gearbox if you continue to drive on it. The OEM clutch kit should be fine. Examine the flywheel but if it's ok, no need to replace.

I respectfully agree with JFP on this one as well. 5-6K miles or 1 yr -- whichever comes first. Changing your oil frequently doesn't cost much and it's easy to do yourself in 15 mins (not counting drain time). It's cheap insurance, if for no other reason simply because you can check the oil to make sure it's clean (no metal, particles, irregularities, etc) and everything looks good. It's pretty good "coverage" for such a small price. I installed the LN Engineering magnetic drain plug with my last oil change. Also cheap insurance. Cheers!

To be thorough and follow-up (hopefully for good), let me offer the following. Hopefully this helps anyone with the same problem in the future. Since the people on this site (JFP in PA, etc) were so nice to offer their time to help me, I think it's the least I can do.....I really, really appreciate everyone that helped me through this issue. Everything I said above is true. Replacing the voltage regulator did get the voltage to stop bouncing around and I stopped getting PSM/ABS failures, etc. It made the car drivable again. However, on short distance trips to run errands I noticed the battery was slowly draining. I was able to keep the car operable by hooking my car up to my C-Tek 7200 charger/maintainer at night. In the process of all of this I had the wiring harness (the one that goes from alternator -> starter -> junction block) replaced because there was some resistance as you traced its path from the alternator. I believe there is a TSB on that and I understand that the issue is so common that most dealers keep the part in stock. However the battery was still being drained after all of that. I was so confused since I had the alternator tested at Auto Zone and their diagnostic said it was fine. Indeed, electrical problems can be difficult to track down. It turns out my alternator was bad and I think it was subjecting the voltage regulator to high stress and caused it to fail. This is the chicken-and-the-egg problems so I don't know what caused what, but that's my best guess. As I would find out later, my alternator was working just fine at higher RPMs so highway driving was just fine. However, at idle RPM it wasn't working 100%. This explains why the short trips to run errands were problematic. I guess another moral of the story is don't always trust Auto Zone's alternator testing equipment. I'm sure it will tell you if your alternator is completely dead, but it certainly didn't catch mine which was half-working. So I ordered a new alternator from Vertex. Part is 996-603-012-02 for my 2002 C4S manual transmission. Cost was $375 total shipped (after $200 deposit to return old core). Replacing the alternator is one of the easier things to do on this vehicle as long as you follow Loren's DIY and uncsrew the bolt just slightly and tap the bolt head with a deadblow hammer to loosen the back bushing on the alternator from the engine flange.

I thought manual = free-wheel, auto/tip = fixed ..... I just had to buy a new alternator myself (2002 C4S). I didn't buy from an official dealer as you will pay 3-4 times more for the same thing since they can only buy from Porsche NA. I just paid $375 all-in for a Bosch (you can probably do better but I needed it immediately) which was exactly the same as the original I pulled out of my car. I have a manual transmission. If you have a tip/automatic it will be less... closer to $300. Alternator is one of the easier things to replace on the vehicle if you are so inclined.

To Loren's point, the last time I ordered these washers along with a couple oil filters (from AutohausAZ in Arizona, I think) I ordered 2 and they sent me a bag of 20+

Vertex has good pricing. The caveat though is that you have to keep an eye on them because sometimes they send older versions of parts. Case in point: I ordered the RMS from them last year and they sent an old version (says my indy), not the latest one which is very good and doesn't leak.

Most car insurance reimburses for towing without impacting your rates (at least in the state I live in), so I always tow when in doubt. It's free. Engines generate a ton of heat. The first time my cooling system failed I was alarmed by how fast the temperature rises.

I also own a 4S. Great car. For what it's worth, $39,995 asking price is pretty high IMHO -- even for low mileage. Not trying to rain on your parade, just my 2 cents. As Phillipj stated, you would be better off getting one from a private party. It would likely save you ~ $5K+. Again, just my opinion, take it at face value.... enjoy the 4S!

You might want to give your local Wal-mart store a call to see if they either have it or can have it sent from another store. I was actually just in there and they told me that they were in the process of "refreshing" their offering of oil products (don't know if that's a nationwide initiative or just in my specific location), so I don't know if 5w-50 is part of that.... Never hurts to give them a quick call to ask. I buy my 0w-40 there and it's about as cheap as I have found. Good luck.

I changed the oil yesterday using the "board" method and it took under 10 mins (not counting drain wait time). No ramps, jack, or jack stands needed. Very effortless -- exactly the advice I was looking for.

That link shows $38.61 for 6qts... $6.44/qt before any potential shipping or other costs. Walmart here sells these for $6.47/qt.....and $26.48 for a 5qt = $5.30/qt So even if there's free shipping on the link you have, I think you can probably do better at Walmart, for example.

Thanks guys, all very good input from all responders. I think I will take a page from Loren and Dharn's book and go with the "board" method, allowing me to be both lazy and able to keep the car level. Thanks again.

Thanks for the response, guys. i know that jack stands would be the best....I was basically just wondering if I could be lazy and get away without having to use them :) I know it's kind of the easy, sloppier way but since I only need to be under the car for such a short period of time for an oil change anyway, I'm trying to cheat..... Otherwise I'm going to see if I can get Loren to do it like in the first response to this post: http://www.renntech....-on-jackstands/ :) That's a long DIY thread, 5+ pages... however, you can see there's a lot of disagreement about the proper way to jack up and hold a car. you can see that after the accident on page 4, they are now recommending that you replace your engine mounts first if your car has over 90k, etc. pretty scary what happened there actually. So all that said, I may try the oil change with the car on a slight incline.... since I change my oil often (~5K miles), I don't think it would be the end of the world if some old oil stays in the sump....as long as it's not much. Thanks very much for your input.

I was wondering if there was anything specific in the mechanics manual for the 996 that says the car should be completely level/flat (eg. 0 degree incline) when doing an oil change. I'm about to do my first DIY oil change on this car since getting it. I'm guess it would be best to have the vehicle completely level, however, that said, I was wondering what the caveats are, if any, to having the vehicle on an incline while I do the oil change. I recently purchased some "rhinoramps" since ramps seemed to be more convenient and practical for my needs vs. jack stands. Obviously one consequence of using ramps is that when I work on the car, it's a bit tilted. I saw some related posts -- users who thought changing their oil on an incline caused some old oil to stay in the engine as they measured by how much new oil they put in the engine after the change -- however, the consensus I took away from that seemed to indicate an incline was ok. Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Thanks for the input, guys. I'll check the basic stuff this weekend like fuses, power supply, and adapter connection, etc. Since it still works manually, and this is only related to the automatic adjustment with the seat memory, it's not bothering me too much. I just don't like to see any error codes... I will fix it if it doesn't require a new motor ($200) or control module ($$$$) Thanks

Thanks for the response, Loren. Really appreciate it, this is helpful. I had a few questions if you or anyone else can answer.... 1. Is there a way to tell if the fault code is referring to the driver's side or passenger's side...or both? My understanding is that each seat is controlled separately, not centrally controlled. Please correct me if I'm wrong (very possible!). 2. Is the Hall-effect sensor part# 99660610602 ... It appears this is a Hall-effect sensor but used on the engine.. I'm guessing not the same? I was trying to figure out where this part is in the vehicle (under the seat I assume?) and what it looks like. I found the picture attached of the part# I mentioned (see 1st attachment). Is this it? It looks like the Hall-sensor is used in various areas of the vehicle so I'm not sure if it's the same. 3. Is the control module under the seat? Is it visible in this second picture I have attached (see 2nd attachment)? Are pin2 and pin3 labeled? I will test with my multimeter if so. I just want to be sure I know what I'm looking for. Thanks in advance!

2002 C4S Got my Durametric yesterday and have been playing around. Looks like no new faults after clearing some related to an alternator issue recently fixed except the following one which I was wondering about: 11 - Hall sensor height adj. Short circuit at front (see attached pic) Can anyone give me more detail about this? Is this referring to the driver or passenger seat? I don't know if it's related but my passenger seat had a broken cable that attached from the motor to the seat for the up/down seat adjustment a few months ago that I fixed myself. As far as I can tell, all works now that the cable has been replaced (it was missing when I got the car). Doesn't appear to be a short circuit...at least if there is one it doesn't appear to be causing any adverse side effects. I tried to clear the fault but it instantly comes back again. This leads me to my second questions which is: What is the source of finding more detailed information on these errors? I looked at the PDF manual that came with the Durametric and I don't see a database of error codes. I've got about 30 minutes experience with the Durametric so maybe I'm missing something or doing something stupid. Any input would be greatly apprecaited. Thanks!

Here's a picture of the culprit. This was the original voltage regulator taken from my alternator and replaced with the part I mentioned above (that also works in various other cars like VW, Mercedes, etc). I can't say what caused what, but it turns out that my wiring harness that runs from the alternator to the starter to a junction block was also bad and was causing resistance when it heated up (I believe there's a TSB related to this). Thanks to JFP in PA who was a huge help tracking this down and told me that these two parts can sometimes go out together. I saw Logray and some others had this problem too in the past (see link below) so that was helpful too. It's been 100+ degrees F here for the last few weeks so it's not surprising that if it was going to happen, it would happen now. http://www.renntech.... guage harness Also, FYI, in response to my own question above: The "Battery / Generator" warning message and accompanying battery light on the console goes on when the computer detects that the voltage is too low. It's not something that is "tripped" and it will go off once the battery is recharged and the alternator issues are fixed, therefore keeping the battery charged. This can also happen if you leave your light on or door open in the car too long and it drains the battery. Just take it for a spirited drive to let the alternator charge the battery or hook the battery up to a charger if it gets too low to crank the starter. Thank you! :renntech: