geoff

1. Listen to Todd and Phillip 2. Talk to Jake Raby at flat 6 regarding options to increase power and displacement (and most likely reliability) of your existing 3.4 engine 3. Talk to Ruf in Texas about conversions like this. A friend had his 987 S set up with the 3.8 X51 engine, along with all the other goodies, and loves his car. It took Ruf a lot longer than they expected to get the conversion running right 4. Do the math on what it will be cost you to do the conversion vs. how much just getting a stock car with 3.6 or 3.8 X51 engine, then look seriously at what you car would be worth after you do the conversion to see if it makes any sense whatsoever. If you have to ever get your car smogged, probably add more to your estimate for conversion cost. 5. Listen to Todd and Phillip

If I understand your question, you went to a drive-in movie and sat in your car with the engine idling for a couple of hours while watching the movie?! Didn't everyone around you complain to the management? I thought in the owners manual Porsche says not to leave the engine idling for long periods of time, although all I could find on a quick look says not to leave the car idling for long periods while unattended Was this just to keep the heater going? Or to play the movie through the car speakers? If for the heater, my '08 Cayenne S has a "REST" button that keeps the heat coming out for a while. If speakers, I think you can adjust the brightness of the display by the speedometer and also for the PCM screen. Or you could just throw a blanket on the dash to cover up the display

If anyone is thinking about chains as well, Amazon sells the SCC Super Z6 cable chains for $85, and today they are eligible for free super saver shipping. I guess it sometimes pays to wait. Order through the RennTech Amazon store (see above under Special Offers) and help support RennTech as well

I thought I read somewhere the GT3 engine family won't just bolt up to a transmission that mates to an M96 engine. Did you think of just getting a used 996 Turbo? Probably less expensive than trying to mate a C4S tranny to a GT3RS motor, remains stock Porsche, plenty of power, AWD and same race proven engine casing as the GT3 motor. There are supposed to be great deals on 996 Turbos now Or look at what Jake Raby can do to a C4S engine in terms of getting closer to GT3 engine performance, but keeping a more or less stock (and maintainable) engine/tranny configuration? Or just get an all wheel drive Panamera? Just mating a GT3RS engine to a C4S still wouldn't make it anywhere near a GT3, and either of the three options I listed might be easier to live with on a daily basis (not to mention more reliable and less expensive). But don't knock the Cayenne - for an SUV it's an amazing ride

Thanks for the link. When I talked to (either Rud or SCC, don't remember which), they said their tire sock wouldn't fit my size tires - not big enough. The Roof Box fitting guides for the snow socks don't show my specific tire size, so I'm led to believe my wheel/tire size is too big. The chains link says both "no fit", but the RUD Kantenspur style special 3.5mm chains (pair) no. 471-52-25 will fit the 2008 and newer facelift Cayenne (like mine). But at £339.85 plus shipping from the UK, that's a lot for something I hope not to use. Since I heard Rud made the 3.5mm chains for Porsche, I'm guessing these are the same as what Porsche sticks their name on. Interesting that the Rud folks here in the US didn't mention this product. Neither "Kantenspur" nor "471-52-25" show up when I search the Rud web site online catalog, so maybe the chains aren't US DOT approved here?! SCC Super Z6 cable chain model number is SZ441, cost from vulcantire is $89/pair. From what I can tell, I need S.A.E Class "S" Cable chains or link chains for vehicles with restricted clearances.

Take a look at http://www.cb-racing.com/boxster_030.html (only for the 986 models if anyone else looks at this). Sway bar differences are at the bottom of the page

In order to possibly get a wider range of responses before buying snow chains, I asked over on Rennlist as well (not someplace I normally frequent, but some Cayenne owners there). I called Rud Chain and talked to them. Their database said none of their chains would fit my 19" Cayenne tires. The Thule product selection guide for chains also didn't look promising. Based on a Rennlist suggestion to avoid tirechain.com and try vulcantire.com, I called SCC, one of the brands sold by vulcantire.com, and they indicated their SCC Super Z6 cable chains would work within the limited clearance available. Unless anyone has any horror stories about these cable chains with the Cayenne, or better suggestions, that's what I'll probably order some time this week. One of the places I talked to said the 3.5mm link chains are European and not usually sold in the US. At the price Porsche charges, it's no wonder they aren't sold here! Now the only problem is America's Tire called yesterday and the store manager said he's only found 3 N-rated Michelin Latitude tires out of the 4 I ordered, and the computer shows back order status. Hopefully they can come up with new tires with enough tread before I head up north in a few weeks.

My '01 Boxster (986) came with Continental ContiSports and I got 27.5K miles out of the rear tires (18" wheels). Both the dealer and suspension shop I use have said the newer cars (i.e., 9x7 models) get better tire wear than the older ones (9x6). I replaced the Contis with Michelin Pilot Sport Ribs expecting to get less wear and was pleasantly surprised to get similar wear (new ones just went on last week). My car is lowered with the ROW M030 suspension and I do a lot of (not slow) canyon driving. The inside of the tires wear a little more than the outsides. I usually get a four wheel alignment every two years or so from someone knowledgeable with Porsches. I also get the tires checked every 6K miles and rebalanced when necessary. I check the air every few weeks (a compressor at home helps a lot). It sounds like your car is way out of alignment, possible due to the suspension mods Depending on where you buy your tires, some places offer free inspections and rebalancing. I use America's Tire (same as Discount Tire in other parts of the country) and having the tires checked/rebalanced as needed seems to help tire wear a lot. Did your selling dealer put the wrong size tires on your car to make it CPO? I thought dealers are supposed to follow the Porsche tire rules, including using N-rated tires! You should also have someone knowledgeable look at your suspension setup to see if the springs match the shocks, since that could also cause excessive tire wear. Hopefully they got the right shocks, springs and sway bars on both front and rear!

I looked in the trunk on my '01 Boxster and there are small humps on the floor on each side of the spare. It looked like the wheel wells intrude slightly into the trunk. I never really noticed it before you pointed it out

If they make a cigarette lighter plug adapter for your maintainer, that would probably be the easiest way to maintain your battery during the winter. That's the way Porsche does it. The lighter plug stays hot after the car is turned off, so you can just leave it plugged in that way. There is a notch in the bottom of the door rubber weatherstripping to run the cable I would be worried about somebody bumping the jumper cables and either shorting something out or causing the maintainer to become disconnected

The 997 424 983 00 is the Porsche short shifter. 997 424 010 00 is the 997 style stock shifter, which like the 997 short shifter has the metal plate on the side like the short shifter, so it is less loose than the original 986 shifter and some have said it has a slightly shorter throw than the 986 shifter. You can see the metal plate in the second picture at the top of this topic. Porsche charges a big premium for the 997 short shifter relative to the standard 997 shifter, so a lot of people just put the 997 shifter in their 986 to remove some of the shifter slop and maybe slightly shorten the shift throws

Does your car have somewhere between 35K and 60K miles on it? If yes, but you don't have a check engine light lit, there's a good chance you need to clean the throttle body. Dirty throttle body will cause rough idle. Lots of posts here - try searching. If you don't have a check engine light, then no need to replace the MAF. P1128 and/or P1130 are common codes for a MAF that's not working. You can confirm by clearing codes and cleaning the MAF with electronic parts cleaner that doesn't leave any residue and see if your CEL stays off for several hundred miles of driving (really only a temporary fix). If yes, then replace your MAF. See Mike Focke's excellent MAF page for part numbers. As many others have stated, buying a MAF on eBay is like playing Russian roulette. Good prices for known good, new parts from Sunset in Oregon (see Porsche Parts at Dealer Cost - Sunset Imports link on each page) or try AutohausAZ.

To add to the comments already... Also take a look at the VIN decoder from the Documents menu at the top of each page here on RennTech to help you figure out what your car is from the VIN From what I've read here and elsewhere, Mobil 1 0W40 isn't the same formulation it was a few years ago, and now there are supposedly better Porsche-approved oils out there. My local dealer uses Mobil 1 0W40 (which I usually bring in to save money), but am planning to try Castrol Syntec 5W40 (also on the Porsche approved list) for my next oil change. I've seen both at Autozone, Kragen and Pep Boys There is a lot of anecdotal evidence that shorter oil change intervals (e.g., 5000-7500 miles) instead of Porsche's 15K recommended interval increase the likelihood your engine will stay healthy Sunset Motors in Oregon is probably the best place to order parts, including a new radiator cap. See the Porsche Parts at Dealer Cost link toward the top of each page for their contact info Your car looks like it's in great shape! Enjoy it

I talked to the head mechanic at my local Porsche dealer for a long time last week, partly about older air cooled 911s. When I first bought my Boxster in late 2001, the dealer wouldn't touch the older air cooled models for service. Now they have lots in for service and are happy to work on them. Go figure! The mechanic is happy to work on the older 911s (he has several of his own), but he has to look up a lot of things to work on the older cars relative to the newer ones Based on his comments, the two key points that stuck with me were: 1) you're much better off getting a well maintained older car that costs more, than trying to bring a neglected car back to where it should be - way more cost effective to get a well maintained car in the first place; and 2) lots more labor required on the older 911s than the current Boxsters and Carreras. Just to adjust the valves on some of the older cars (a required maintenance activity), much of the exhaust system has to come off to provide access. I would love to add an older 911 to the Porsches I have, but can't see an older one as an alternative to my Boxster.

Oil change at the dealer today as part of the 24K mile service. LN Engineering magnetic oil drain plug worked fine on my '08 Cayenne S according to the mechanic. Starting in '08, Cayenne V-8 engines only have one oil drain plug, older ones have two. Neither the mechanic nor the parts manager knew what the difference is between the Cayenne and Boxster/Carrera oil plugs. Anyone?

Great info at tirechain.com! It looks like in California, there are 3 levels of snow chain requirement. For level 1, M+S tires suffice, and for level 2 with M+S tires, I need to carry chains, but don't have to put them on. Only at level 3 do I need to put the chains on. I talked to a friend with a MBz ML with 215+K miles who has a house in Mammoth, and he said if it's level 3, you don't want to be on the road at all, otherwise he has no problems. I expect the Cayenne is at least as good in the snow as the ML. One of my neighbors with a big Land Rover, who also go to Mammoth often during the winter, has chains but never use them. tirechain.com shows cable chains, but no real chains in the Porsche recommended 3.5mm links. The smallest they list are 5.5mm links. Does anyone know if anyone sells the 3.5mm link chains for Cayennes (besides Porsche)? I asked the parts manager at the dealer, and he said they have never sold any of the Porsche tire chains (no surprise at over $600!). Amazon shows Thule tire chains in the right size (you have to go through their fitment guide), but the Thule chains also have much larger chain size than 3.5mm (either 12 or 16mm). (I would assume a Swedish company like Thule would know something about snow!) I found a VW Service Bulletin, and Touaregs with 275/45R19 is listed as NO for tire chain usage, so finding a VW equivalent is probably not likely. And on an Audi forum, I read that Audi specifically doesn't allow chains on wheels larger than 235/18. Any other suggestions before I give up and go for cable chains?

I picked up one of the LN Engineering oil drain plugs for my Boxster, but my Cayenne needs an oil change first. See http://www.lnengineering.com/drainplug.html for details on the plug. Will this fit the Cayenne also? When I looked in the online PET, the Cayenne shows 2 drain plugs part number 900 219 020 31 and the Boxster shows one drain plug part number 900 219 009 30, but both are listed as M18x1.5 screw plugs. Are these really the same plug, or is there some difference? Does the Cayenne need 2 of these plugs?

Very impressive installation! Just to be certain, do you think the cupholder will simply replace the side-by-side 2000 to 2002 standard cupholders?

One more comment on experts - there are experts out there who have pulled many failed engines apart, identified 126 possible failure modes (or more), and come up with many replacement parts which are way better than the ones designed by Porsche's best accountants. I have no doubt that the engineering on these parts would make Dr. Porsche proud. However, these experts are also in the business of selling the parts they design, so don't go overboard with upgrading every conceivable engine part that might possibly go wrong. Given the price of labor, it might be more cost effective to just buy a newer car under warranty every few years. I realize you're looking at a 10 year old 996, so am assuming a new IMS-less 997 is not within your budget. Just trying to point out and put into perspective how easy it is getting spun up being overly concerned about everything that could possibly fail in these engines and trying to do something about it.

There's one Boxster owner around Livermore, CA with well over 200K miles on his original engine. Regular maintenance and 5K mile oil change interval. He recently bought a used 996 Turbo to go with his Boxster which he regularly drives. I've spent a lot of time talking to my local dealer's service writer and head mechanic. Some of the engines do randomly self destruct, but the vast majority don't. Regular maintenance and oil changes seem to be a common factor in improving your odds. 5-7.5K mile oil change intervals, instead of Porsche's 15-20K mile recommendation, is cheap insurance in my mind. At the Ventura show in September, I talked to Charles Navarro (LN Engineering) for a while, and he indicated the 3.4 engines were the most reliable. Others have said the 3.4 engines aren't as reliable as others. There seems to be a lot more folklore than hard facts for most of what is being said online - the only common fact everyone seems to be able to agree on is that some engines go bad. If you read Porsche history, every model seems to have their share of issues. The newer models have the benefit of the Internet to expand your personal world of contacts to the whole world, so there are a lot more people you can directly contact to hear horror stories about failed engines. I am assuming at some point, I will either: 1) need a new clutch, at which time I'll look seriously at the LN Engineering IMS bearing retrofit, probably a new RMS seal, and whatever else is reasonably doable when the transmission is already separated from the engine, or 2) my engine will fail due to nothing I could have prevented with regular maintenance. In either case, I'm expecting to have to spend some money to keep my Porsche sports cars running - that's just the nature of the beast. Cars that are driven regularly, hard and often seem to have fewer problems, or so I've heard from multiple sources. With that in mind, driving and enjoying the car is much better than having a pristine garage queen. Chances are you'll be too scared to drive the garage queen out of fear of something catastrophic breaking, and something will break because the car has been sitting in the garage instead of being driven. My advice to you is to find a car you like, have it thoroughly inspected, walk away from anything that shows any actual or potential problems (there are lots of used 996s and 997s out there, and they aren't getting any more expensive), and enjoy every day you drive the car. Be prepared for something horribly expensive to go wrong (nobody ever said anything on these cars isn't cheap, so don't buy one if you can't afford to keep it running), but don't let that stop you from enjoying it. And don't buy the car just for looks, as a fashion statement or to impress anyone; there are less expensive and worrisome ways to show off, car-wise. These are great driving cars, and that's what they are made for

Doesn't ANYONE use tire chains on their Cayenne? The wheels and tires TSB mentions Porsche tire chains, part number 955.044.600.00, and the retail price is listed at $639.48!! Maybe that's why nobody answered. It's a 3.5mm link type chain, and can only be fitted to the rear axle on the 275/45R19 tires I have

Have your alternator checked. My '01 Boxster's alternator died about 6 months out of warranty. The battery light came on, then went off, then came on, then my dash lights resembled a Christmas tree with everything lit up. Then the car died. No problems since getting a new (Porsche remanufactured) alternator. You will be astounded at the price of an OEM Boxster alternator!

275/45R19 Continentals, with M+S designation which means all season tires suitable for winter driving according to the TSB I'm not sure how far in the boonies this house is, given it's brand new and half the price of everything else! If it's snowing enough, or the roads aren't plowed, we'll need chains anyway. So my original question about the chains still stands

If you have a front license plate frame, try taking that off and see if that solves the problem. When I finally got around to putting license plates on, I started having intermittent problems in front with the park assist sensors. The dealer took off their own frame and no problems since

To me, snow is an abstract concept that is best seen on television, but it looks cold. For some insane reason, my wife's family has decided to rent a house for a week in Squaw Valley by Lake Tahoe at Christmas-time. I can read the owner's manual and try to figure out this four wheel drive stuff, low gear setting, and what-not. Do I also need to carry snow chains? I have an '08 Cayenne S, 19" original Continentals with about 24K miles on them (not down to the wear bars yet), and air suspension. If I need snow chains, what should I get? I'm sure Porsche sells N-rated tire chains, which are probably the same as some other brand with more expensive brand marking. I assume they go on the rear wheels, correct? Any tips, suggestions or good jokes to keep thinking about if I have to put them on? I am definitely not looking at winter tires or a second set of wheels for the snow.