dphatch

Agreed, it's such a significant improvement, you wonder why the standard shifter is and has been such junk all these years. We stock the B&M for those who prefer to have a solid as a rock shifter and not spend the dough on the Porsche unit, million mile warranty, etc. I've had both, and like both. Enjoy the ride! I would like to install a short shifter on my 2007 T4S. Is there much difference in the throw or feel between the two? Thanks for the input. I don't believe there is any significant difference between the two besides the fact that the Porsche unit comes installed in a shifter housing. This allows you to keep the original and change back to it if you decide you don't like the short shifter. With that said, I have read many posts on this subject by both owners and the pro's and while owners are split on the subject, the pro's suggest against it saying the stock shifter is already shorter than on earlier models and that the short shifter can make engagement more difficult. Myself, I put one in my '01 Boxster and felt it made a positive improvement as the throw on those cars was significantly longet than the current unit , but it took a while to get the adjustment just right so that engagement was as smooth as possible. Haven't considered it on '07 C4S as the stock shifter is almost as short as the B & M unit I put in the Boxster and I don't see the need for it to be any shorter. I have also read that shortening the stock shifter in the 997's can lead to premature synchro wear caused by the the reduced engagement time generated by the revised shift angle. True or False, I can't say, but if it's a car you plan on keeping for any length of time, I'd suggest buying a used stock shifter housing and installing the B & M short shifter kit in that. This way you can go back to the unmolested stock unit if you don't like it and want to sell the car as an unmodified bone stock vehicle which will be easier to sell and will retain a higher resale value.

Am thinking some of what you are seeing may be condensation from the engine exhaust when cold which would make the problem appear much bigger than it is. What is the ambient temp when you start the car ? Taking a small leap here, but I'm thinking your id of "englishempire" might suggest your weather, in the UK, is cold this time of year. If so, I can tell you my car gives off a significant puff of white fog at start up when it's below 35-36 degrees Farhenheit and/or when the dew point is such that the condensation from the exhaust would be more evident. If you live in Miami or Cancun forget about about what I said and have some else take a look at the AOS. :D :D

You know that "I think I got a good deal" statement is going to get you opinions from the members who profess to know what a "good deal" really is, lol, but it sounds fair to me. You got the car you wanted and the color combo sounds great. Hope you'll post pics of the interior after you get the car so we can get a better look at the cocoa leather and the Makassar wood. Drive it in good health.

I would agree with those who state it's normal. It is really a function of the boxer motor design. Every other conventional vertical piston motor drains all the oil coating the cylinder bores into the pan when sitting idol. Boxter engines tend to leave a little oil in the bores that can slowly migrate into the combustion chamber at shut down. The horizontal bores don't drain completely and the oil is still present at start up hence the puff of smoke. I would also agree with others suggestions you take a look at the AOS. It was a common problem on the early engines, ( but I believe was improved upon by the time your car was built) is cheap to fix, particularly if you're handy with tools, and may well be contributing to your problem. My '01 Boxster did it every now and then and it seemed to be more frequent as the engine aged. It had 30 K + miles when I sold it to get my current car. AOS was very common on these motors. MY '07 hasn't done it yet but only has 10,000 miles on it. Comments about the slightly heavier oil solving the problem are interesting and worth a try once you've gotten your money's worth from your recent fill. Cheaper fix than the AOS.

Thanks very much for the response - it would be my DD. As to 05 vs. 06, can I assume that your recommendation is related to the 05 engine issues? If so, would your response change if it was CPO, and I intend to renew it? Thanks again Pretty much relates to the issues always discussed here on the '05's. As for the CPO, would prefer it was on an '06 S. The '05 issues may get a little over blown on forums like these as people with a beef tend to speak louder and more often. But, even some of the Pcar magazine guys will make comments about the '05's being an issue with the IMS being the focus. For the kind of money you're spending why chance it.

Definitely an '06 over and '05. As for Tip or man, that's really a personal decision. I prefer the stick but it's not a DD so I don't have to drive in stop and go traffic. If it was my DD and I had to mess with stop and go I'd choose the Tip. Now if the Tip is the S, and it's your DD, the Tip would get to nod hands down. Keep in mind the greatest % of Pcars bought in Europe are Tips/PDKs. USA is the only country where it's the other way round.

OK. Did Google search and found a goodly number of add on kits to make this happen. ( Haven't found a Porsche specific solution yet ) Will do some further research but it appears this a "doable" mod for not a lot of cash or a lot of "electrical engineering" expertise . On second thought, having done a little more research.... :o This may not be as simple as I first suggested. Looks like the key maybe the rain sensor but on one of the BMW forums a member tried it and wound up with some additional issues that were worse than the the cure for the original project. And something was mentioned about a wiring harness..... That means maybe an electrical engineer will be required after all.:rolleyes: All the other aftermarket solutions require cutting up wires and attaching sensors to the dash, and generally mucking up stuff that the Porsche gods don't want you to muck up. Maybe trading the car in for a new one whenever they add this feature would be easier. :D

Don't your DT running lights serve your purpose for driving through the tunnel or are wanting to see you gauges ? In any event, this would be a great upgrade for use when it's too dark to see your gauges at night, if you can figure it out I'd love to do it myself. Have often wondered why Porsche didn't add this capability to the system from the get go as most everything necessary too make it happen is already in the car an adding the proper relay at the factory would be a cheap and easy mod when building the car. Doing it after the fact won't be I'm afraid.

Regardless of whether or not you can remove the strut without the aid of spring compressors, you will need them to remove and replace the springs when you replace the rubber mounts. It is also important that when you install the mounts and the springs that you align them correctly. Outside of that, the process, while fairly simple, involves the dismantling of a number of suspension and parts and calipers to get to fully free the strut from the car and, if you have never done it, will require the help of someone who has. Having done this myself a couple times it's not what I'd call a home handyman project unless you have all the necessary tools and time to tackle it.

Mine "rattles" as they all do at start up for maybe 30 seconds more or less, dependent upon the ambient temp outside. Clattering could be another word for it and is normal on these cars. Was not an issue for the older Boxsters as my '01 didn't do it. (not sure about the newer ones.) However, not being there to hear it I think a trip to the dealer, as many have here have already suggested, would answer the question one way or the other. Having them take a listen will either put your mind at ease or let you know if it's a more ominous issue. Problem is you'll have to wait until the engine is dead cold to have them diagnose it. Means leaving it overnight I'm afraid. Don't suppose you have a fellow Pcar owner in the neighborhood that could give it listen at startup some morning? Maybe a nearby member of this forum ?

Don't think the front springs would cause this condition in the back. Not sure I've ever heard of a spring getting bent. Sounds like previous owner hit something substantial with front wheels. Curb maybe. Any evidence of other damage in the front. Shocks aren't holding anything up, springs do all the heavy lifting. Might be worth having your mechanic take a look before you spend any money replacing stuff. He can put the car on a lift and check all possible causes. Maybe cheaper in the long run.

Definitely someone having fun at your expense. They are not Porsche issue and they were placed there by someone with some knowledge of these cars due to the fact they're large enough not to fall through the grill. Don't think it would do any damage to your car and would sure drive you nuts until you found it. Looks like slingshot ammo to me. I hope this thread doesn't give anyone ideas. Could become an epidemic.

Wheels look great on against the black car. Who makes 'em ? Are they Verdestein wheels ?

If you haven't already done it, drive it for awhile and the light should go out. If not, double check that your connections are clean and tight. (Don't over do it just make sure they are snug. Should not be able to move the terminal end if it's connected properly) I have disconnected the battery several times and if I had the PSM light come on it didn't last long enough for me to remember it. Also had a similar set up with a battery tender so I don't think that's the issue unless you're getting current loss from a loose connection or a poor connection caused by a dirty or oxidized battery terminal. Make sure you always disconnect negative terminal first ( if you just need to cut power to the car ) and reconnect it last (if you're also disconnecting the positive terminal).

I bought a 2005 997 back in August with 25K miles. I did purchase an extended warranty from my credit union, just in case something major failed on the car. My warranty covers me up to 90k miles - cost me about $1500. Put about 4k miles on it and havent had a issue (keeping my fingers crossed). I believe the biggest issue with the MY2005 is the IMS failure (not an expert but have seen several posts about this issue); I plan to do more frequent oil changes and keep up on the maintenance of the car, also a website recommended using 5W30 oil rather than 0W30 (anyone have any ideas about this?) I believe 5W 40 was the recommendation as that weight was the only one approved in 2005. 0W 40 was added in 2006. Both oils are approved weights for these cars depending upon ambient temps where the car is driven. The problem with the 5 W 40 is that it can be hard to find at your local auto parts store. For me the 0 W 40 is easier to get and recommended in my colder climate. As for the IMS failure issue, while the issue gets lots of press on these web sites, I'm not sure what the actual percentage of failure rate is for these cars. My guess is it is in low single digits. Problematic if it's your car that's one of the statistics but still a low number. I do agree the warranty is an excellent way to protect yourself from the problem and at $ 1,500 was very cheap insurance indeed.

Owned my Boxster for 7 years and currently have 1.5 years on my 997. Never had the problem on these cars or any of the cars I've ever owned including a 20 year old MB 450 SL. If the car is a 997.2 have the dealer fix it under warranty. While the window seals at the top of the door may leak no moisture should be getting to the inside door panels due to the plastic membrane inside the door and the door panel. Unless the membrane were incorrectly installed, doubtful, or missing which would be ever more bizarre, you shouldn't be having this problem. It's not normal, or in my experience, very common.

Not possible. The material appears to be very stiff and is completely bonded to the underside of the hood. No way you could generate anywhere near enough air pressure at any speed to compress the hood in this area. It is interesting that no one else has confirmed either the absence of this material or the existence of it on their specific model year cars. Don't think it's unique to 997's and it should be visible on Boxsters and Caymans, maybe MY '07 and newer, as all these cars are nearly identical in this area.

Mine looks the same. Great picture by the way. I didn't think you'd be able to actually get a picture of it given how difficult the effect is to see with the naked eye. One more thought. My hood has clear bra on it. Given the pressure necessary to remove all the air bubbles from the material during application is it possible, going on the premise that the AL hood is somewhat fragile, that during this process the metal was flattened out ? This is really a stretch though as the application of pressure would be applied to the entire section having the clear bra applied as well as the sections adjacent to it where the flat edged plastic tool runs off the material onto the hood during the install process. Those sections of the hood show no signs of any flattening at all and given the clear demarcation area where it starts and stops the metal would have to significantly weaker in this area than anywhere else on the hood. Only thing that makes sense is that is was a deliberate factory design. Why ? Can't say outside of the whistling hood theory. I don't have the clear bra but your explanation (pressure to remove air bubbles out) makes sense. Can I bother you to look under the hood at the front under the supporting structure to see if you have any material bonded/laminated to the skin? I haven't had the time to swing by my local dealer in Pasadena but will try and get by next week. Just checked and the bonded material, looks something like fiberglass about 1/8" thick, is where you described it would be. Given the fact that it starts at the same spot on the hood that the "indentation" appears and runs forward it was definitely out there for a purpose. Adds support to the idea that the indentation, or maybe better described as a transition from the compound curves of the hood to a flat section, was an intentional factory design. My guess the purpose is to minimize or eliminate the possibility of denting or compressing the hood when closing it. However, it could just as easily been designed with a curve in to maintain the flow of the rest of the hood so there is still one question unanswered. Why has the hood been flattened in this area ?

Mine looks the same. Great picture by the way. I didn't think you'd be able to actually get a picture of it given how difficult the effect is to see with the naked eye. One more thought. My hood has clear bra on it. Given the pressure necessary to remove all the air bubbles from the material during application is it possible, going on the premise that the AL hood is somewhat fragile, that during this process the metal was flattened out ? This is really a stretch though as the application of pressure would be applied to the entire section having the clear bra applied as well as the sections adjacent to it where the flat edged plastic tool runs off the material onto the hood during the install process. Those sections of the hood show no signs of any flattening at all and given the clear demarcation area where it starts and stops the metal would have to significantly weaker in this area than anywhere else on the hood. Only thing that makes sense is that is was a deliberate factory design. Why ? Can't say outside of the whistling hood theory.

Interesting thread. Have a similar issue with my '07. Coolant was low soon after delivery on the car but temp never above 175, regardless of the ambient temp. Added distilled water to halfway between max hot / min cold levels. Checked again week or so later level was low again but never much below the min cold mark. Took it the dealer a week or so ago, had 'em pressure check tank and cap. No leaks. They filled it up and so far the level hasn't gone down. Go figure. Maybe air in the system. Will continue to check, per dealer recommendation, and going back to dealer for other warranty work and will have them re-check system. These tanks have always been a weak link in the cooling system in all the water cooled modern, 986 & 996 and newer, cars. After 10 years they still haven't solved the plastic tank and plastic cap issues completely.

OK. Now you've got me wondering. When I put the flat edge on the hood I placed it next to the hood badge. It's possible that area has flattened out as a result of closing the hood as that's where I place the palm of my hand to close it. Will have to check other spots across the width to see if it's just this one spot. But the transition line I am seeing definitly goes across the width of the hood. Originally thought it may have been an issue with the metalic paint application but the flat edge disproved that as being the sole cause of the visual effect. Atleast I thought it did. The good news I'm not hearing any whistling. :huh:

Below are shots of the cover (OEM Part No. 997-044-000-11) in various unfolding states. It is actually a neat design. The envelope and zipped cover can be tucked in the windshield. I do not think that the zipper in the rear is a problem - in my unit it is fully protected by a fabric flap and does not touch the body. Like any cover it is easier to put in place and remove with 2 people, but this design is far easier to put on than most as it self aligns. Experience from people who actually used it is welcome. I have the same cover and cut the bag away from the cover to address the issue of potentially scratching the car with it. I believe the thought was you'd never lose the cover that way but am not sure and in any event thought it prudent to detach one from the other. As for the little black strap looking things they are used with the locking cable and lock to hold the cover on in windy weather. I use mine in as an indoor cover during the winter months when the weather is too nasty to drive my car.

The height of the washer heads is adjustable so it's possible one of them got pushed down, or pulled up, for some reason. Could also be that the cap is not fully seated on the spray head that apears higher than the other as it's much easier to move the cap than the spray head itself. As near as I can tell they are the same height on both sides on my car. I have seen the adjustment instructions somewhere but can't remember where. Might be in the owners manual. Worth a look.

Put a flat edged tool of some kind on the front of the hood placed front to back. (I used a carpenters level on mine, with blue painters type on the side that would touch the car to prevent scratches, and placed it next to the front hood emblem.) For the first 4" or so the flat edge will sit nearly dead flat on the hood. Any further back than that and it will not. If the flat edge you're using is longer than 6" the last two inches of it will not touch the hood. It will not sit flat across the hood only front to back and only for the first few inchs from the front edge. What you are seeing is the transition between the flat front section of the hood and the compound curves of the rest of the hood. It is definitely visible, in the right light and at the right angle, on my '07 997 C4S.

Might be cheaper for you to buy tires in the States and have 'em shipped to you. As for tires. I have the PS2's on mine and have been happy with them. Great grip on dry or wet pavement and quite on most road surfaces. The new Bridgestone Potenza RE =11 gets good reviews. They run $ 1160 US for a set of 4 - 19". 18" would be even less. Another tire that gets good reviews is the Hankook Ventus V12 evo K110 and you can get a set of 4 of them for under $ 800 US. As beauar suggests, go to tirerack.com and check 'em out. Discounttiredirect.com is another source for brand name tires. Don't know if either ships international or what kind of fees you pay when importing stuff like this but it's worth looking into.