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Re: High Pitched Brake Squealing on 987s To end this fuss, I ended up paying for my pads HKD 2780 rear pads and I had requested for my old pads to be extended to me for double checking at another brake specialist if need be. So far the car doesn't squeak. There's no vibration so it is unlikely that the brake disc is warped and the caliper seldom gives me problem so squeaking usually means that the pads are worn (but unlikely on mine at 7000km) but in any case, I had gotten myself new pads. Also put in 5 mm spacer set the difference is minimal. I wish they had the old 986 set on simply rear 14 mm but now I have 4 sets of 5 mm. Loren, I repeatedly asked for an explanation and the answer was this: Selected vehicles of Porsche would exemplify squeaky noises due to the materials of these racing stock brakes and we wrote to the factory and they said it was absolutely normal and safe. Well, what can I say right? Let's hope it doesn't return.

Thanks. MY VIN wasn't on the TSB list cos I live in HK. I am through with this squeeking and had decided to replace the rear pads at my own cost but this is certainly a bit out of the ordinary to change pads at 7000 km.

Even with the rusting on top and bottom of the rear rotor (the 2 strips of rust that were absent on the front rotor?) Let me check my vin I have a HK vehicle.

Front disc. No brake squealing at all. Loren for sure you are definitely knowledgeable enough to tell me. The dealer left the decision up to me and of course changing pads at 7000 km is at my cost and I wonder how long it would take for the pads to wear down so even contact can be achieved again.

Rear disc. Both discs in same condtions.

My car's rear brakes squeaked consistently and the service centre sanded away the edges in an attempt to eliminate the squealing. They sanded away the top and bottom edges of my brake pads leaving the middle in tact. Visually it is not nice as I checked out other 996 and the discs have no such edge rusting. I worry that if I don't change the pads, the rust will keep building up just like if you wash your car without driving it for a prolonged period that the rust would eat into the disc/rotor. Maybe I should consider changing the pads just to be sure. I know any rotor/disc will rust even with hosing but usually the rust will be taken care of by application of the brake a few times. However, on my rear rotors, now there are two distinct strips showing rust top and bottom due to the sanding away. Advisor said the only way to get rid of it is by natural wearing till the pads are even again or I have to change the brake pads. Should I be concerned? I mean visually it's not that nice but long term wise? I wouldn't mind changing pads but at 7000 km is a bit early. The advisor said on the TSBs, one of the solutions was sanding away the edges another being changed pads. However, he assured me that safety is not of a concern. It could potentially also be caused my the city driving condition of HK and the "soft braking" habits of mine. I doubt that it had anything to do with bedding in the brakes because I believe that these stock brakes aren't racing brakes and they should be intuitive enough to be bed in slowly by any everyday driver. Visually, it's really not going to go away not for a while but I worry the rust would build up to a degree that it hardens and get burnt into the disc.

My dealer said a TSB was issued on selected vehicles having high pitched brake squealing when brake pads were applied softly or progressively, can someone shed some light on this TSB? Anyone experiencing this problem?

Just found this: here are some times around Hockenheim track by German Sport Auto mag : Mercedes SLK55AMG 1.17,1min Porsche Boxster(240hp,PASM,18") 1.17,4min Porsche Cayman S(295hp,PASM,18")1.15,5min 1:15.7 --- 123.646 km/h - Porsche Boxster S (2005), 280hp/1406kg (sport auto 12/04)

this is rare but a stock black boxster S and the guy looks like he was trying hard to overtake him but he couldn't although he had 75 hp over him... making him around the 350 range... maybe it's an M3? I wonder how a M3 would run against a 987 s but M3 has the SMG which is touted to be one of the best sequential pioneers. Alternatively, another car which I would definitely be interested to watch a video on chasing around a boxster s or other way around a 987s chasing around a M3 and or SLK 55 AMG. The 55 AMG for sure is like way ahead of a 987s with a 5.5 L V8 churning out 300+ hp but that was what I drove for a while before. I don't think I will ever miss it but the 55 AMG still feels very much like a softie but it can definitely win in a drag race but running around the hills or curves, I don't think it will have too much of an advantage over the 987s. There was a video comparison made by Top Gear between boxster s and SLK 55 but the 987s definitely handles better. I am sure 987s would have no problem doing a few rounds on the R171 slk 350 but it would be fun to watch it head to head against some muscle cars like M3 or 55 AMG. What do you guys think?

http://video.google.com/videoplay?d...591983063&q=987

IMHO - I think you have a few more model years before you need worry As the Boxster is the lowest cost Porsche sold, it is also at the bottom of the list for features. Certain features are held back just to preserve a gap between the Boxster and Carrera/911. A simple example would be no glove box in the Boster until 2004, even though the same dash in the 996 had a glove box. I suggest it is likely to be several years before the new high tech transmission technology "trickles down" to the Boxster. In a likely scenario - First the transmission goes into the TT/GT3/GT2 cars, then into the Carrera, then into the Cayenne, Cayman and the (as yet to be named) 4 door Porsche Sedan, then the second generation of dual clutch transmission hits TT/GT3/GT2, THEN we see the first generation new transmission in the Boxster . I may be pessimistic here, as Ceramic brakes moved down the food chain very quickly. This is almost certainly due to the fact that Ceramic Brakes are a seperately billed high cost item. If the paddle shifted transmission is marketed like ceramic brakes , you may see it travel down the food chain to the Boxster in 2-4 years. Looks like it and the 987 isn't gonna get it maybe in the next 24 months and I think maybe in 36 months for sure. Most technologies (new ones) go to the high end models first to keep the segmentation clear between entry level models and to protect owners paying premiums. The only concern (it is going to come but when is the question) is that tiptronic S wouldn't be supported anymore. The real question is whether or not tiptronic S would go in parallel with PDK just like the PCCB. Normal brakes are used but PCCB is a high cost item that you can add on. For e.g., all normal 987 or 997 would have manual as standard and tiptronic S as option but you will have to pay a ton more like the PCCB to get the PDK technology. This makes perfect sense for P to cash in on a new technology like that and very hard to imagine P to completely replace tiptronic with such a newly developed and high cost item. Any normal user wanting an automatic without too much worry on shifting lag times can simply take the good o tiptronic s and those who want something simlar to DSG that shifts faster with less lag time could pay more. This would look most natural as a market segmentation strategy to me.

Anyone has any input on this front? I didn't wait at all and ordered my 987s tiptronic and now most of the news is out on the 997TT except the deployment of PDK/DSG. P is really keeping that under the lid and seal so no news at all. I know all 987, 997 2006 MY will get tiptronic S only and no PDK at all. However, it will definitely be a bummer to find that I just ordered the 987s in tiptronic to be the last production year of a new model with tiptronic S cos it is highly likely that all MY 2007 cars will start to get PDK. Does anyone know any news on the PDK deployment if at all?

A friend of mine who lived in Edinburgh said because of the rather rainy and moist weather in Scotland, cars tend to rust more easily. A friend of mine shared his maintenance tip with me and said that cars in general would be better off to avoid as much water as possible. Hence he said that the better way to keep cars would be to use wet clothes to wipe your car on a daily basis and spray hose it maybe once a week. He also said to never spray directly at the rims like those car washing houses do but on the tyres more because spraying directly at the rims would mean spraying too much water on the brake discs and it wouldn't be good for the car either. The weather in HK is defintely great for keeping exotic cars like Porsche. We never snow in the first place so salt and dirt and mud aren't too much of a problem. Just want some inputs on maintenance and care. In general, does using a hose to spray the RIMS of a car on a daily basis to clean the dirt tend to cause premature rusting on the rotor and brake disc? The disc always rust to a certain degree and I believe that washing on a daily basis is not a problem as long as you drive it after instead of letting it dry naturally. I believe that from a maintenance POV, it is always better to wash the car in the morning and then drive it right away so the heat can evaporate the water instead of letting it stick with the axles and rotational system overnight. Any input? Intuitively, the more frequent you wash the car, the more chance for you to cause premature rusting?

Any simple break-in procedure on a 987 stock tip S? Some people actually said modern days cars are so well made that there is little to be worried about on break in. Just drive it but I doubt it. Inputs?

How's the breaking in coming along and what are you doing now on break-in procedure. I am still thinking whether I should get it in Silver Black or Black on Black. Though I like Black on Terracotta but that option ain't worth it in my mind.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1...4924&q=top+gear what do you think of this?

Any member now living in HK owning a 987?

Engine layouts and design make it a challenge to put in retractable hardtops. At least not for other cars like 911 or 987. Because the engine is MR, I think there just is no space for a retractable hardtop like the SLK or the 2007 3 series coupe. The folding hardtop can't be stored anywhere... The increasing popularity of retractable hardtop is going to be a trend. It certainly increases safety but it is simply hard for me to fathom 987 ever installing hardtop. For that matter, Porsche's convertible will pretty much always be soft-top focused simply because of MR and RR design. There is just no way to put a hardtop in. I would wait for Porsche to rollout a roof that retracts to the front? Cool? I wonder how Porsche would tackle this problem for 987 which has originally been designed to have no top. However, I suspect Porsche would not spend too much time on this as it had already sold off CTS to Magna and it would wanna focus on developments like Panamera and Cayman. Porsche is busy now with diversifying its line I think.

Had a chat with an old friend who owned a 986. He had traded in his 986 for a E90 this year. While the E90 is a great car, he found it a bit as he described "too practical" for him though he's getting married next year in December. We all only own 1 car and this year I traded in my "too practical car" for a R171 SLK 350 and I am trading it in for a 987. He said that he would rather wait for the 998 in 2008. I thought the 997 just came out maybe year 2004 (or end of 2004) so if the 998 is coming out 2008 or even 2009, it looks like the model/cohort/generation would change every 4/5 years for Porsche. Is there any info. on that? For e.g., it has been observed that Mercedes changes its model every 7 years now and the last time the SLK was rolled out was 1997 and in 2005 the line up has been changed. Just out of curiosity. He must have read it somewhere that there will be 998 in 2008 as he's quite an informed buyer and he reads up on loads of info.

Finally decided to trade in my R171 SLK 350 for a 987 tip or 987 s. Will test drive the 987 next tuesday with the dealer and if he doesn't renege on his trade in price (people usually do that... on the spot), I think I am all set. Only problem, no demo car in 987 plain and the demo on 987 s is tiptronic. I wouldn't mind but at 115,000 USD (I am in HK), the price is pretty hefty. Only concern is going from SLK 350 (3.5) to a 987 plain tip 2.7 maybe a bit of a step down in power. However, the S maybe heavy toll on my budgetting for next year and the wife is definitely gonna pound me on this. Base 987 plain vanilla with 18" wheels and metallic paint approximately 100K USD. The 987 s with the single option of metallic paint (18" wheels already standard) is 115,000K so the answer is 15 k more. The ownership cost and insurance are also factors. In fact, the ownership cost dealer service will be 6500 USD for 2 years all wear and tear parts and service inclusive and it's a must so it's 3.3% of your purchase price a year for the first 2 years. For additional 2 years thereafter (which most people also prone to buy) is 7500. Then it becomes 5% or so every year for year 2-4. I actually bought extended warranty for my Mercedes thinking that I would actually own it for 3 years and ownership cost on average = 2.5% a year. A few said the road conditions in HK (AVERAGE speed in HK's city driving is about 50 km/hr and highway 60 or so) make the base model a real good buy but if you really wanna have that rocket push sometimes, S is the way to go. At least the salesman had been telling me that I should simply get the S if I ain't really into pushing it hard. So the answer is I can afford it but the S is gonna be 15k more... worth it or not? I can't tell cos I don't have a base tiptronic to test and only the S but I don't wanna get the 987 base and be disappointed cos I tested the S and had different expectations.

Thanks and I truly hope I ain't gonna be making a mistake today. I am selling it off and making my order next tuesday. I am joining this forum for sure. Yeah of course, my old lady said a few things about safety as she felt the hard top was more secure... besides that... I think everything else seems fine. I know that the 987's roof has been improved with a 3rd layer for the new 987.

djant, can you elaborate on the tip and dsg relationship with jerkiness? I am now driving a 7G tronic on the new R171 SLK 350. It's quite smooth and it's being used also on CLS though I heard some bugs are coming up now... including jerkiness when going downhill. The tip is well established and tested and I bet there has been some improvements on the new 987. The only concern is that it is only 5 speed. But in fact, for some reason, a friend of mine owned an M3 and had many negative things to say about the widely praised SMG on the M3. I guess cos of his bad experience. He owned the car for 3 years and at the end of it his SMG gearbox failed on him and the whole thing had to be replaced. He was angry cos his warranty had just expired (in HK, MB offers only 2 years of warranty... and you must buy extended warranty...) and it cost him a fortune to replace the entire box. He said that it was a usual thing for SMG's box to fail after 2-3 years but I ain't sure what he means. He did say that the tiptronic is well renowned to be more durable and smooth. Whatever that means... I guess you are the one who did say something positive about the tip because everyone on this forum seems to say that it is rubbish and yet I see 95% + cars in HK using tip. There must be something good about it. but what are some good things on the current tip, a dated system, compared to SMG or DSG? I mean for Porsche to offer something that can't stand up to the competition, it is rare. Porsche must see something good about the system to have it still on. One thing could be cost but I doubt it... they have put the toureg engine on the Cayenne and they would have easily just put in a box from VW. No problem. I suspect that they do see something special or good about the tip.

Well, it is tough to stay true to its legacy by offering only one main line in this competitive world. Look at DCAG and MB... their lineups are ever increasing to suit market demands. Now the SUV market is less in due to oil prices, they are going for the A, B and R. I know Porsche has upsetted quite a bit of shareholders and enthusiast due to its rolling out of Cayenne. The fact that a sports car company is selling more SUVs than its bread and butter 911s seem to be an oxymoron but nonetheless, if it weren't for Cayenne... Porsche would not have quite the $$$ to fuel its other developments. yes it is a big strange that such a new line up Cayenne would outdo the 911 but Porsche is a for profit company and without developing the SUV market, it will soon be extinct. Furthermore, it is also a trend for automakers to merge and cross train each other. Porsche increasing shareholding in VW will ensure that it can utilize what VW can offer best. Hence, I suspect and had posted a thread that Porsche will one day deploy the DSG gearbox from VW soon just like putting in the heart of a V6 Cayenne a Toureg engine. To many, this is pretty much a ridicule but to others a way to live in a world where survival of the fittest is key.

Samir congrats! I am planning to order my 987 Boxster Tiptronic in Jan for April delivery. Can you tell me what options you got on it? Specifically, I am planning to simply get it with minimal option except metallic paint. Now considering if I should get the 18" but a friend said I should get it stock in 17"... see how it feels for 3-6 months before moving up to 18". I love to get the PASM and the Sport Chrono (mostly for looks...) but they really jack up the price of the car and putting those in, I might as well get an engine upgrade to Boxster S. How do you find the response on the tiptronic system? Is it responsive and fast enough on shifting? sorry wardhog, what does the RMS seal? What fluids leak out from that seal again? I would like to watch out on mine as well. Finally, what colour is your new ride Samir? One friend had asked me to get it in non metallic yellow or black. I do like the image colour of Silver with black top and black interior.

agree, even for DSG to be implemented on Boxster or its lineup, it will take at least upwards of 2 years. First of all, they must do a bit of testing in using what the veyron has on its lineup. Then it will start to rollout on selected few. However, if it will be on the TURBO first, then maybe we can see it as soon as 2006 when the TURBO rolls out. Since we have not seen it on the CAYMAN, I suspect that it won't be for a while. I ain't sure about the tiptronic... does anybody know Porsche's sales number on Stick V. Tiptronic? On this side of the world, 95% of Porsche is tiptronic due to traffic conditions and contours (in 1 hour, you are still stuck in traffic in Tokyo... while in 1 hour's time, you will be off skiing in lake tahoe...). Also, tiptronic preserves value much better due to a higher demand. I know this sounds a bit stupid cos I should purchase my car based on my preference... I love driving but if I have a stick, nobody else in the family can enjoy my ride (maybe that's a good thing... the last time my sister took my first day on the road R171 SLK out, she scratched the left side of the rim and then on the same day my gf scratched the right side... ouch!!!). Well, I guess life is all about sharing and compromise. But probably the mercedes 7G tronic would be a better deal in terms of shifting just like the Golf GTis DSG. What about BEAMER's famous SMG? I have not driven an M3 but most say it is amazing. To me, it doesn't mean that Porsche's tiptronic is crap... just that it is more well tested and less updated. However, a few said this generation's tiptronic is an updated version but 5 speed is a bit out for sure.