3 hours ago, tonz said:

Hi, may be too late for you, but I just signed up and saw this.  I just removed PSS10s (B16s) from my 2002 996 RWD Cabriolet because the ride was much too stiff around town, even when adjusted to the softest settings on all 4 corners.  They are overkill or street only use.  Former owner tracked the car.  The car handled incredibly on very smooth roads but was intolerable for for only street use in the SF Bay Area. I replaced with Eibach lowering springs and Bilstein B4s (for sport suspension).  Eibach told me they tested with stock shocks and their lowering springs are made to work with the sport version.  Ride height is about an inch lower than stock for the US car.  Car is still plenty stiff, but this took the edge off noticeably.  I think this setup is a great compromise; you will still notice very bad pavement.  My Car also has GT3 sway bars on the least aggressive of the optional link mounting holes, and adjustable GMG upper arms in rear suspension to get the camber right on a lowered car - previous owner added them due to the PSS 10 upgrade.  I get alignment and steering calibration in a few days, but alignment seems OK now since ride height now is not that different than it was with the PSS10s.  BTW, if anyone wants a nice used set of PSS10s for tracking, I will sell for $500 plus shipping.  They are circa 2008, but probably have 30k to 40k on them.  I have them cleaned up and ready to go.

Thank you for your feedback 

1 minute ago, Shrek said:

Did changing the starter fix your problem?

Yes! That was the issue. Sorry for the late reply. 

On 1/19/2012 at 9:45 PM, logray said:

+1 get new shocks, perhaps tires, proper pressure and balance... should be golden.

I would go for stock suspension if you are looking for the smoothest ride a boxster can provide (short of something custom, or really cheap shocks at a short change interval).

I've had "standard" Bilstein shocks on other cars and the pcar and they've always ranged from slightly more aggressive than stock to dramatically more uncomfortable.

On my 996 pcar, the stock suspension was much more compliant than the pss10's I slapped on.

logray, I'm thinking of the B16 (PSS10's). What you say "the stock suspension was much more compliant than the PSS10's" can you elaborate on the ride of the PSS10's. 

Also, how much did you lower them? And what number setting did you choose? Did you change any other factory OE suspension parts to aftermarket like bushings or mounts?

I'm trying to decide between PSS10 or RoW Springs and B8's. 

Hi Porsche community, 

I've read and narrowed down a suspension upgrade for my 2004 Porsche 911, C2, Coupe, Manual 6 speed.  (I currently have the standard suspension.)

Bilstein B16 (PSS10) 48-186322 vs Bilstein B8's with RoW M030 springs.

RoW M030 springs - (These will lower my USA vehicle 20mm(.78") in Front and 10mm(~.39") in the rear. This would be a great height for street driving in USA. The roads are horrible in the USA. This will give me a better look, stiffer springs, and a little rake. And the Bilstein B8's will also firm things up bit more. 

Bilstein recommends B4 or B8 for the RoW M030 springs. I'm leaning toward the Bilstein B8's(over the Bilstein B4's) to improve handling. I'm hoping it wont be too aggressive and still street-able but I think it will be a good because I'm going with a Porsche European Spring. 

Has anyone used Bilstein B8's with RoW M030 springs? How do they perform on the street?

The other option is the Bilstein B16 (PSS10) 48-186322. The highest spring setting on this also matches the RoW M030 springs. Which will lower the my vehicle 20mm(.78") in Front and 10mm(~.39") in the rear. This is my current target setting, since Porsche recommends this and is a good balance of what I'm trying to achieve without bottoming out and scraping. Of course they can go lower but that's not my target. They also have adjustable dampening settings to dial the bump and rebound. I am primarily a spirited street driver who appreciates precise steering and handling. This is my focus. 

Between these two kits what does the Porsche community recommend? Looking from a place from experience in comparing these. 

Right now —all in all there's also a cost difference of about $1,200, when you factor in strut bearings, strut mounts, spring pads, misc. etc. 

And the other issue with is the RoW M030 springs have to come from Europe and may take many weeks as there's delays (due to Covid). I'm getting quotes of up to 6 weeks. I'd love to get your input.

Thanks in advance all. 

Just now, JFP in PA said:

Thanks, but we already have a shelf full of spare parts starters, but thanks for the offer! 😉

 

Perhaps a local tech school would accept it as an educational item, but you should also hang onto it just in case wherever you are getting the replacement from wants a core.

Okay I will see. Thank you again!

On 11/8/2021 at 6:54 PM, JFP in PA said:

We have cleaned and re-lubed a lot of them over the years and most went on to serve for many more years before the starter needed to be replaced.  This problem happens because the drive picks up debris from both the clutch and environment over time.

 

To clean the drive, use common brake cleaner, and once dry, spray the shaft with DuPont dry Teflon spray (Lowes and Amazon carry it) while moving the starter gear back and forth.  The advantage of using this type of lubricant is that it does not attract dirt and moisture like common greases do.  To facilitate this, the starter has to be removed from the engine, so the question as to fix it or replace it is purely a personal choice. As a shop owner, I don't like to replace parts unless it is absolutely necessary, maintenance is always preferable and cheaper in the long run.😉

JFP. I have decided that I will just swap out the starter with a brand new one. I just want a faster fix and I'm hoping a new one will outlast— rebuilding this one. I appreciate your help on this issue and help diagnosing the sound. Would you like me to send you my current starter for a spare? Its all clean, and worked perfect(except for the Bendix gear getting stuck sometimes— hence the reason for all this). Now that it is clean, you will have to grease it up. It seems that it was already replaced, as its BOSCH manufacture date is 2012. I also had to drill out the heads of the 3 torx M5 bolts so those would need to be sourced for a good rebuild.

Let me know, and I'll put it in the mail since you helped guide me along the way and I was able to learn about this. 

Thank you.

On 11/8/2021 at 6:54 PM, JFP in PA said:

We have cleaned and re-lubed a lot of them over the years and most went on to serve for many more years before the starter needed to be replaced.  This problem happens because the drive picks up debris from both the clutch and environment over time.

 

To clean the drive, use common brake cleaner, and once dry, spray the shaft with DuPont dry Teflon spray (Lowes and Amazon carry it) while moving the starter gear back and forth.  The advantage of using this type of lubricant is that it does not attract dirt and moisture like common greases do.  To facilitate this, the starter has to be removed from the engine, so the question as to fix it or replace it is purely a personal choice. As a shop owner, I don't like to replace parts unless it is absolutely necessary, maintenance is always preferable and cheaper in the long run.😉

JFP I have removed, disassembled, and cleaned the entire starter internally. Tomorrow I would like to grease and assemble it. The small internal gears appeared to have a thick grease on them. Is the DuPont Teflon Non-Stick Dry-Film Lubricant you recommended for all the internal gears? Or just the shaft of the starter gear which is more exposed to the clutch? Which lube do you recommend for the small internal gears and the Bendix drive gear? 

Also the DuPont dry Teflon spray is out of stock and I can't get my hands on it until next week.

These are alternatives that I have found in stock. Are you familiar and do you recommend any of these to the DuPont dry Teflon spray or any others?

Blaster Industrial Graphite DRY Lubricant (not teflon)

Blaster Advanced Dry Lube with Teflon

WD-40 SPECIALIST Dry Lube with PTFE (teflon)

Thanks again. You've been right all along so far. 

24 minutes ago, JFP in PA said:

Sounds like the Bendix drive on the starter is not retracting properly when you release the key.  This is a common problem and  can usually be fixed by cleaning the drive and relubricating it. 

JFP Thank you very much for your fast response!

Would you recommend "cleaning and relubricating the drive" or just replacing the starter with a rebuilt Porsche/ or OE new unit for about $275?

When this occurs does it signal that other parts in the starter are on their way out and will fail soon even if I was to "clean and relubricating the Bendix drive"? 

How hard is it to "clean the drive and relubricating it" vs just replacing it myself?

Thank you again. 

Hi Porsche Community, 

I need some help to diagnosis what this grinding noise is —— immediately after startup. The grinding noise lasts about 1-2 seconds and only happens on startup. It goes away after. It doesn't happen on every startup. It occurs about 1 out of 3 starts. Sometimes it happens on the first start. Sometimes it doesn't. I started the engine consecutively 3 times and it happened on the third start. I included a file called "good start audio" clip and a "grinding startup noise audio" so that you can focus on the grinding noise and only the difference in the sounds. It starts up right away, no problems or hesitation. No error codes. Taken well care of. 

2004 Porsche 911 Carrera 2 (996) - RWD

6 Speed manual 

78,000 miles

Thanks in advance. 

Good Start Audio.m4a Grinding Startup Noise Audio.m4a

12 hours ago, JFP in PA said:

Another pathway is to spray the flange with a quality penetrating oil such as Kriol, then put a suitable socket over the flat end and use a large c-clamp to manually press them out.  Doesn't always work if they are severely rusted, but many just pop out.

 

I bought a heavy duty large c-clamp and tried it. It didn’t work on my bolts.  I then went to a machine shop and they heated and hammered them out for $20. 

Thanks everyone for your support on this issue. I'm so glad I got this resolved quickly. 

4 hours ago, RFM said:

The bolts are pressed in, you have to burn them red hot with a welding torch, and than tap with a hammer if you do not have hydraulic press. When using a hammer you have to remove the lambda probes, they can easily fail by the vibrations of the hammer.

Wow okay RFM. Thanks for the info. Seems like you removed these bolts before.

Is a hydraulic press easier or the torch and hammer is the preferred method? 

I may try to find a machine shop that would do it for me if the torch method is still difficult. Do you think a big steel C clamp could do the trick, without torching?

On 4/5/2018 at 7:56 PM, Porschedane said:

I do t believe they are welded onto the flance.  Just hit them hard with a hamme that should know them out. 

The replacement Porsche bolts now have a hex head.

See below

My catalytic converter bolts are in bad shape and I want to replace them. These bolts seemed to be welded onto the cat.

Have any of you ever removed these? Do you know how I will get these off without damaging the cat?

 

 

This is the support topic for the DIY Tutorial Brake/Clutch Fluid Change and Bleeding Instructions. Please post here if you have any questions or feedback.

 

 

I have some questions regarding the Clutch Bleeding portion of this tutorial. 

 

How do you know if you need to bleed your clutch? Are there signs that this needs to be done? 3 weeks ago I bled my brakes with the Motive Power Bleeder but I didn't do the clutch bleeding. Should I go back and do this? Or is there a test I can do to know if my clutch needs to be bled? 

 

I have a 2004 996 with manual transmission.

 

And just so I get a better understanding...the clutch uses brake fluid and the brake system master cylinder to operate? 

 

Thanks in advance. 

 

 

Both the clutch and the brakes share a common fluid reservoir, so when you bleed the brakes, you should also do the clutch at the same time.

 

Hi JFP in PA—

Ok, but since I just did the brake bleeding and brake flush 3 weeks ago, should I do it again to get the clutch bled? How do I know if i have air in the clutch?

This is the support topic for the DIY Tutorial Brake/Clutch Fluid Change and Bleeding Instructions. Please post here if you have any questions or feedback.

I have some questions regarding the Clutch Bleeding portion of this tutorial. 

How do you know if you need to bleed your clutch? Are there signs that this needs to be done? 3 weeks ago I bled my brakes with the Motive Power Bleeder but I didn't do the clutch bleeding. Should I go back and do this? Or is there a test I can do to know if my clutch needs to be bled? 

I have a 2004 996 with manual transmission.

And just so I get a better understanding...the clutch uses brake fluid and the brake system master cylinder to operate? 

Thanks in advance. 

Hi everyone.

I just called my local tire shop to purchase some rears (285/30/R18 Pirelli P Zero Rosso N4 Porsche Spec) for my 996 and they told me that they are going to be discontinuing this tire next year.

Has anyone else heard the same?

Just for thoughts, what will you ride for a daily driver tire (wet/dry performance?)

I did an oil change on my 2004 996 Carrera using the correct amount of Porsche specified oil about 1,500 miles ago. Now after running and car and letting the oil settle back to the oil pan the dash computer level and dipstick are reading the same. The oil level is half way from the min/max levels. 

I know that the oil level is in the acceptable range now, but is considered having low oil?

The reason why I am asking is because I brought my car to get diagnosed (and fixed) for a faulty oil pressure sending unit problem that occurs rarely when the dash warning pops up saying oil failure and the oil pressure gauge goes to 0. Then when I shut off the car the error disappears. I think it has to be the oil pressure sending unit, especially from other similar issues on this forum.

Some history on my car. Well I bought the car from carmax and purchased the maxcare warranty.  I was going to put the part and do it myself but it was too easy and I said let me use the warranty (since they would use Porsche parts) and I won't have to buy the part. So when I bring it in they tell me that if they can't find a fault they have to charge me a diagnostic fee. I said ok I know what the problem is and the oil pressure sending unit is covered under the warranty so go ahead. 

The call me back with the results and told me that their Alltel computer diagnostic system did not read any faults and the first thing they did was check the oil level and it was low. I was upset because I run the oil check every time I run the car and I never received a low oil light on. I ran over there because I thought the technician doesn't know how to read Porsche oil and we confirmed that the oil level was smack in the middle of the min and max lines and no light on the dash. My response was oil level is good. His response was that oil level is low and that could be the cause of the oil pressure sending unit. My first question is that oil level considered have oil that is too low? 

I need help because I feel Carmax just conned me out of a diagnostic fee because they didn't even proceed to look for a loose wire or anything. They said if the oil level is low thats the first thing that needs to be fixed. I would understand if the oil level is low. But it is in the middle of the dipstick in the acceptable range?

Please let me know if my logic or theirs is wrong. Thanks.

Hi All,

I have a question that has been bugging me.

I just purchased a 2004 911 carrera that has the 12 way power/ memory seats.

The mirrors and seats move electronically.

The problem I am having trouble doing is setting up the reverse mirror tilt.

I just went to the local Porsche dealer and they said that they didn't have that function in the USA models in 2004 996's and they received them in future 911 models for the USA. Is that true?

My manual says it should be programed and gives instructions but I cannot get it to work. Dealer said it was for European models only.

Please give me any advise you can and if that option is functional in USA 996 models.

THANKS.

Leonidas