tac27

Geoff, Do you have a full lift, or did you only use jackstands while replacing the clutch? I have an '03 996 Cab C2 that is nearly due for a new clutch; I'm debating whether to attempt the installation myself. Tim.

Steve, I used top quality steel from fresh stock and paid $180.00. The welder that I used chared me $85.00 an hour. It took him 1 and 1/2 hours to cut and weld all the pieces together. Paint and decals were $30.00. So the grand total was just over $300.00. It was a bit more than I planned, but it's a one time charge. My local Porsche dealer charges $120.00 an hour so about 2 and 1/2 hours at the Porsche dealer. These will enable me to do a bit more than basic maitenance, and I know for sure I will get more than 2 and 1/2 hours out of them. Hope that helped. Jim I originally posted a question about the guage, I've since reliazed that it is included in the original post. Do you mind sharing how, and with what material, you coated the pads (the black material)? Tim.

Anyone have a diagram or photo showing where the EGR vavle is located? I'd like to try this possible solution to clicking noise on my 996.

Just received the replacement glass from Pelican today; logged on to see if anyone had posted instructions. Thanks for the post and the messages; especially about wearing gloves! Regards, Tim Las Vegas.

Someone had an issue with my right side door mirror; the damage seems limited to only the glass mirror itself. Anyone have disassembly/assembly instructions so I can replace it? The car is an '03 cab. Thanks. Tim

Hey Izzy...in the event that I have to try this, do you also have instuctions on how to retract them? My cab is a '03.... Tim.

I'm replacing the fuel tank for a '72 914 with a 8 gallon racing cell; this includes a new fuel sending unit (a six inch unit as the stock unit is too large for the cell). The manufacturer (Fuel Safe) has asked that I verify the ohm range of the stock gauge prior to ordering the sending unit. Anyone know off hand what the ohm range is, from empty to full. I've had one answer of 0 for full and 90 for empty but want to verify. Thanks.

I'm not sure of the mileage, but my wife and I travelled to the ALMS at Miller Motorsports Park near Toole, Ut. We had an unfortunate detour; starting in Vegas we were 'forced' to 'reroute' through four states: AZ, NM, CO, and WY. Our experience was similiar to Orient's, but I didn't get such a neat picture as his. Guess I'll have to go again.

Anyone try this on an '03 996 C2? The first two plugs on the driver side weren't too difficult to reach, but the rear most plug, drivers side was very close quarters. Same experience for the first two plugs on the passenger side; the first was very easy, the middle one a little 'awkward.' However, that rear most plug on the passenger side was a real challenge. I have small hands and still just could not reach into that plug; the exhaust pipes, cats, and heat shields blocked access and I'm just not flexible enough to reach from the wheel well. I was set to surrender and take it into an indie shop, but instead elected to try and remove the exaust header; afterall, I had replaced the other five plugs. It came off quite easily with a pneumatic wrench. But still, that led to a whole different challenge, especially as I was replacing the header; of the six bolts, the rear most bolt stripped on the first two or three threads (this was after I had began each of the six bolts by hand to make sure the head and the gasket were sitting where they wanted to sit). So, I am off to the mechanic tomorrow to see what damage (and how much it will cost) to get a replacement bolt back in it's spot. But...other than that....I was able to inspect all of the coils, wires, and replace the plugs. The whole experience took me around 5 hours (most of that on those two rear plugs). Next on the list is the serpentine belt......

For wross996tt: can't see the wiring and that's a great personalized plate! I was parked 'nose-to-nose' with the Cayman, it had a plate but only a dealer frame (Guadin Porsche of Vegas). I've been told that nothing works against laser detection; do you guys have any experience that they do? I really need to pick up one of those Valentine 1; my last speeding ticket was really expensive.

Found this interesting license plate frame on a Cayenne Turbo. The top bracket bar has some kinda gadget that caught my attention; I've circled it in a yellow oval. If you look close you can see what appears to be infared sensors; the one on the right is rectangular, the one to the right a sqare. My initial thought is that it was either a backup camera or a motion sensor. The lenses are red, so I don't think it is the former, and the vehicle had the factory installed backup sensors in the bumper so it would seem redundant for the latter. So, anyone seen this thing before and know what it is? My wife's guess is a radar detector; if that is the case I would like to know where to get one for myself.

Thanks for the replies. I would very much like to do the work myself. My main concern: during a recent visit to the dealership, the service tech infered that my warranty may be void if I don't have the major maintainance work done by a 'certified Porcsche service technician.' Does anyone know if there is any truth to that? Can I do the work myself and still expect that my warranty will be intact if I save the receipts? An additional concern is that I may miss something in inspecting lines, hoses, joints etc that an experienced tech would easily catch before it became an issue. Any thought or further advice?

Getting close to the 60k mile mark and have learned that the local dealer charges 'around $1,600.' Two local indie shop each quoted 'around $1,400.' Fellow PCA members have opined that Las Vegas is more expensive for Porsche parts and service so I'm wondering if other renntech members have paid similiar fees for a 60k service in other parts of the US. Thanks for sharing.

If any of you make it to Vegas, drop me a line and I'll email you some great road trips in southern Nevada and southern Utah. Great looking car, jsmirand, and what a fantastic experience.

I had a similar experience. My wife and I purchased an '04 E500; there were so many problems that the dealer eventually agreed to purchases the car back from us under the Nevada lemon law. We did a lot of research and felt it unwise to purchase another Mercedes. We purchased 'our' '03 996 cab c2 from the local dealer with 11,600 miles on it in October of '05; it now has just short of 60k miles. I use it as my daily commuter, about 40 miles, round-trip, per day, whatever errands I run during the weekends, and the occasional trip. It has been very reliable and thanks to this website, I've been able to do the simple maintenance myself (oil, brakes etc); I've also found information on a couple of 'simple' fixes (fuel door hinge for example) which were not only easy, but I had fun doing the work myself. I had to replace all four tires around 30k miles, and I think the clutch was in the mid 40k mile range when it needed replacement. As for the RMS, I haven't had any issues. My garage floor is as clear of oil spots as it was the first day I parked the car on it. As for the cost of repairs that I can't do, I've found two independent shops here in Vegas that are both much more affordable; surprisingly, the dealer has admitted (although somewhat begrudgingly) to me that both shops do quality work. You may find qualified 'indie' mechanics in your area too. The only real problem I've had with the car is the two speeding tickets I've received, but that's a topic for different post I have very much enjoyed owning a Porsche.

I'm sure I'm missing something that is going to be embarrasingly obvious, but I'm still going to ask. How does one reboot the computer? Isn't this done each time the ignition is switched off?

I have a similiar experience with my '03 996; just a few seconds after start up and then into the 'normal' engine sound. During the very hottest days of the summer it last longer, perhaps as long as a minute; both the dealer and two indie mechanics provided the same answer as Loren's. I use the Mobile 1 0 W 40. The car is a daily driver, approximately 35 miles a day in the furnace known as Las Vegas.

That was one of the recommendations my Dad made; turn the radio up until you can't hear the worrisome noises!

Hope you have a speedy, and complete, recovery. Regards, Tim

I recently did the brakes on my car following the instructions posted under the "DIY" section; after the first wheel, the following three were a breeze. Not only was it fun to do, but I saved myself a few dollars. I didn't replace the rotors (I had an indie mechanic check them); I've heard from some that they can be turned, and from others that they cannot recondition drilled slotted rotors. One of the more experienced members will have to post about replacing/reconditioning the rotors. The parts I purchased from www.pelicanparts.com; I purchased pads, sensors, vibration dampeners, and the fasteners. I also purchased a medium sized channel lock and four jackstands (Crafstman 2 1/4 ton, Sears product number 50182-I think they came in sets of two). I opted for the 'most economical' (read as 'cheapest') pads, Mintex. There was a slight squeal for about 500 miles, but since then they don't squeal, rattle, hum or otherwise make a nuisance of themselves. Make sure you order the correct number of vibration dampners; I got a bit confused when I ordered mine as to how many were in a 'set' vs. 'each.' Nothing like putting everything back together and then waiting for the extra parts to arrive.

Thanks Loren!

Thanks for the replies; I'll try not to obsess so much about the oil pressure. As for the clutch pedal noise, I'll be returning to the dealer today to discuss it with them.

I can never seem to get a straight answer from the dealer's service tech; unless a warning light flashes, I'm not confident in their diagnosis. So I have two questions: The first is the oil pressure. The manual mentions that 'typical pressure' is about 3.5 'milibars.' But my car runs much higher, around 4 to 4.5; in second gear, approaching 5k RPM, the pressure guage nearly touches the '5'. At running temp (the temp needle typicaly rest on the '0' of the '180') the needle will rest on .75 bars to 2 bars during idle. The needles will sometimes 'bounce' with the RPMs constant; the 'bounces' aren't big or frequent. The dealer service rep assured me that all is okay, each car has it's own 'personality' and that if something is wrong, the car 'will tell me.' I live in Las Vegas and use the recommended 0 W 40 Mobil 1; the car is a daily driver logging just under 50 miles each workday. I'm thinking that the recent high summer temps may be causing higher than typical at temp running pressures. Does that sound right to anyone? I also check the oil level at each filling; really, I'm a bit more paranioid than that and check it about 15 minutes after I've returned home. I keep the level right in between the two 'dots' sometimes just under the upper dot. The other question is about the clutch cable. Even with the top up and in noisy city traffic, I can hear that thing creaking and groaning each time I engage/disengage the clutch. I've recently had the clutch replaced and I'm worried that maybe the mechanic didn't get the cable correctly reinstalled. I'd also like to add my thanks for the individuals who have posted so much information; especially the DIY maintenance articles. I very much enjoy performing the maintenance on the car and the illustrated post are very easy to follow.

Anyone know how to replaced the Gas Door hinge? Thanks, Tim in Vegas

Thanks, guys, for the answers! I was sweating the weekend until Monday morning to get it in front of a dealer tech.