Cassiebox

Well then, as Loren asked, what's the bottom of your bumper cover look like? Sounds like, and somewhat looks like (based on your first picture - alignment of headlights to bumper cover) your front end/bumper was bottomed out pretty hard. You might be able to get everything lined up correctly by pulling the entire bumper cover off yourself and reinstalling. So, you might as well clean out the front radiators while doing so. It's quite simple to do and only requires a few tools. Here's a link on how to do it. Follow these directions but know you DO NOT need to pull the wheels or put the front end up on jack stands. Nor do you need to remove the wheel well liners - just pull the rivets and pry the liners back to access the one hidden screw behind the side marker lights). Some model years used torx screws or bolts on the bottom side of the cover to fasten the cover so be prepared. You can/should drive the front wheels up onto a 2x6 (or 2 of them stacked) to get a little more clearance on the underside... Good luck and know you can do the cleaning (including removal and reinstall in ~ 1hr.... 2 max) :)

Looks to be a combination of things as there are a # of adjustments in the hood and w/ the front bumper cover. The good part is they're mostly DIYable even if you're not an expert mechanic. - check/adjust (by screwing in to make shorter or out to make longer) the rubber stops in the front corners of the hood. Looks like the center is being pulled down while the edges are being stopped and bending upward. Is the trunk hard to open? Does is "spring" open (until the safety catch) when released? Try shortening them up a fair bit. Sorry no pics but look for the black (or could be oxidized/faded to white) rubber stops and turn accordingly. - check/adjust the height of center latch catch for the hood. Remove the black plastic cover where the hood safety release is (4 plastic caps turn 90 deg then entire panel pops out). pull back carpet in front trunk and loosen the 2 (IIRC) 10mm nuts on the latch and slide up down as need be. Here's how to remove the cover - finally, once you have the hood laying flat, you'll need to check/adjust the front bumper cover by loosening the 2 screws holding the bumper cover below black cover shown/described above. All you need to do here is loosen them and slide the bumper cover in/out as needed. The gap is supposed to be bigger than you think it should be (something like 7-8mm). Personally, my rule of thumb is to make mine match the gap between the sides of the hood and fender. It takes a little time to get all the adjustments right but each is pretty easy to do. Good luck :)

Sorry, no I do not know the p/n or if it's even available separately :unsure: . I'm not 100% certain it would be a separate harness to the DSP from the amp either. It's likely tied in w/ the main harness which runs from the amp to the h/u and then a portion truncates off to the DSP amplifier. You may want to call Jeff Clark at Sunset Porsche or someone at Suncoast Imports as they should surely know the answer. Good luck :)

this is from my '99 so yours may be slightly different but on mine it attaches at the base of the 'b' pillar. You can see it when the top is open all but a foot or so. Ignore the red arrows in pic #2 as I put them in there to help someone else w/ a different problem.

I misunderstood your post in the other thread - sorry. Anyhow, the M680 amp should work as long as you also hookup the DSP controller which necessitates an extra wiring harness be run from the amp back thru the firewall to the DSP controller in the center console. That's more than a fair amount of work to do for the results..... When upgrading amps from the 4x40 to 6x40 (or just replacing) you need to make sure you get an amp w/ the same architecture as the existing... M490 or M680 (DSP). Good Luck :)

Yes, but you need to pick up a DSP 6x40 amp (option M680) if your existing one says M680 on it. The non-DSP amps are labeled M490. :)

What is the "infamous brown plug"? Maurice- The brown plug is the connector piece between the rear speaker wiring harness plug (which usually connects to the back of the head unit) to the extension wires. The extension wires run to the front trunk amp. If you didn't get one w/ your kit, call Harvey and he'll send you one. Good luck! :)

Actually, you can do that now to test the speaker as the stock h/u has a built in amplifier. It's only 18W, but you could easily run a jumper cable from the h/u to the speaker to test it. If the right still cuts out, it's a speaker issue. IIRC, the amplified pins on the CDR220 are (all are in Socket B on the back of the h/u): b1 = rr + b2 = rr - b3 = fr + b4 = fr - b5 = fl + b6 = fl - b7 = rl + b8 = rl - This could also be done to isolate the issue to the amp (run a jumper wire from the right speaker plug to the left speaker and vice versa). If the left now cuts out it's an amp issue. In case you need the manual, you download it from Becker's site here

to access the dash, yes it's just removal of 2 torx screws to access the door speakers, you need to remove the interior door panel. I'm going from memory, but it includes removing the following AFTER YOU DISCONNECT THE NEGATIVE TERMINAL ON BATTERY (since you are working near the airbag).... - rear view mirror sail panel - cover over top of door pull - torx screw located under cover above - c clip in door grab bar - torx screw under clip above - plastic cover that says 'airbag' on it (w/ fish line or carefully w/ a screwdriver - allen screw under cover above - plastic philips screw inside door pocket w/ anchor Then you can pop the 8 or so trim plugs attached to the door panel holding it to the door. Specific directions can be found in Andy_M's guide in the DIY section on upgrading the Boxsters sound system or you can get it from the Boxster Wiki Here

Click here to see your identical post w/ the answer ;)

Ahhh the old Boxster 5sp appendix :D

I put a B&M in and it's well worth it! :) One tip.... if you plan on "try" someone else's installed SSK (in their car), make sure the car running. With the engine not running it will still feel short but very notch-y which is not the true feeling you get while driving ;)

I presume you have permission from Harvey at PNP to scan and post those instructions? He's a nice guy and doubt he would have an issue w/ you doing so, but I think you should at least point people to one of his auctions for rear speaker kits too: Harvey's Rear Speaker Kit Auction Better yet, why not just provide a link to download the instructions in one fell swoop from his sight directly as most people have in the past: Harvey's PNP Rear Speaker Kit Install Instructions ;)

most people cut the old speaker out of the "basket" and ring. Then they either epoxy, hot glue, or even velcro the new driver into the basket ring and reattach. It's the easiest and cheapest way plus it's not like you'll ever want to put the stock speakers back in.... you'll see what I mean once you pull them and see the crappy paper cone and how small the magnet is ;) If you put really high end speakers in, then yes, you may want to put a less expensive pair in when you sell the car but having a decent sound system (especially when it still looks stock) will only help when you re-sell. Good luck :)

There is no tune-able crossover in the amp - it's built into the circuitry. I do not know the crossover point either. That being said, if you replace the crappy 5.25" door speakers w/ something larger (6.5, 6.75 or 6x9) you'll get much better low end. With 5.25", it difficult/impossible to produce any/good lows w/o lots of power and 40W ain't no where near lots-o-power. The only mod is to make for larger door speakers is a wood baffle covered w/ dynamat or some other sound deadner. The baffle can mount using the factory holes. Again, review Andy_M's guide in the DIY section and you'll see I posted a template for the baffle as well ;) When you upgrade to larger door speakers, you'll want something w/ 2 ohm resistance, an efficiency of 91dB+ and can go lower than 50K Hz. Normal human detectable sound range is something like 20-120K Hz so the closer you can get to 20K Hz the better. Good luck and do a search in the archives for 6x40 amp to find the various p/n's that are compatible. The one I used was 996.645.313.00 :)

Just look at the option sticker under your hood (or inside your owners manual) instead of unbolting. The sticker has your VIN#, paint code and then a bunch of option #s listed. One of the options listed will be either 490 or 680 (most likely 490 though....). The amp in the trunk in a 4x40 (4 channels at 40Watts each channel peak). 2 channels power the dash (1 left, 1 right), then the other 2 power the doors (1 left, 1 right). You do not need to replace it. Instead, you'll just be hooking up the rear speakers to the head unit's built in amplifier which is 4x18W. The h/u's preamp outputs feed the amp in the trunk. :)

Ryan- If you have door speakers, then you have the M490 (hi-fi) or M680 (DSP) option which includes the amp in the front trunk (mounted vertically on the firewall behind the spare). The 6ch amp everyone is talking about is a 6x40W amp pulled from either a Boxster (pre-'03-04 which uses the MOST fiber-optic system) or from a 996 cab or coupe. Without a 6ch amp, you'll be running the rear speakers off the head unit (at 18W). You can buy 6ch amps on ebay or in the classifieds here or on other P-boards. However, you need to know the type of amp being sold (M490 or M680) and match it to yours are they are not cross compatible. To answer your next question, Do I have M490 or M680, you can either: look at the option sticked under the front hood, look at the label on the amp after unbolting from firewall, or do you have a "surround sound" controller in the batwing (space below dash console) which allows you to press various buttons to create a different sounding system (jazz, etc..). If you have door speakers and just a blank batwing, then it's the M490 option. On my system, I wanted to keep everything looking stock so, I upgraded the speakers in the dash and door (put 6.75" drivers in) and put in a 6x40W amp from a 996. Using efficient drivers (speakers) I find the 6x40W amp was enough to meet my needs. Will th ebass set off alarms of parked cars? No, but my system sounds **** good compared to the stock M490 system I started with. Plus, it all still looks stock. Incidentally, Harvey makes some very nice SS door sill protectors. If you need some, reach out to him on those as well. Here's a quick shot of mine along w/ the upgraded 6.75" door speakers I put in.... Good luck w/ your decisions an welcome to the world of hacking der Boxster :D

with 9x7 shifter assembly though, you don't need to cut out the old lever. Once you pull up the old black housing, you can just drop the new one in. Follow the B&M install directions for removing the center console and you'll be home free. One tip: before you reinstall the console, take the car for a drive to make sure all gears engage as they should. Once confirmed, reinstall the console and enjoy. :)

I've heard them both and own Harvey's kit. Bought Harvey's kit b/c at the time, he was $50-75 less expensive than the OEM and his has room to be upgraded (PNP uses 3.5" speakers which is a common size whereas OEM uses 3" IIRC). The sound: yes his sounds a bit better but in reality they are just surround speakers in the car and help pull the stage back from just behind the windshield to where your ears are in the car. What matters most is how you'll power them and if you plan on doing any further upgrades to the system..... If you plan on powering them off the head unit (at 18W) then either kit will work just as well as the other. If you have a 6x40 amp (std eq on '03+ or plan to add a 2ch amp to power them) or plan on doing further upgrades down the road, then you'll most likely want Harvey's due to it's expansion capabilities. Otherwise you'll have a heck of a time cutting the steel speaker frame in the OEM to fit larger drivers. Again, their main purpose is to pull the sound stage in the car back to where your ears are which really doesn't take a lot of power or clarity. So, at $130, I'd go w/ the OEM kit and then dump the difference into a good pair of new dash speakers and toss a few more $ into a decent pair of door speakers. Good luck w/ your decision and check the sticky in the DIY for sound system upgrades. Andy M did a great layman's term how to which covers pretty much everything you want to know. :)

Not sure what your asking as you say: "Looking for manual or help" and "Have the manual for the CDR 220" anyhow, for 2001 the hi-fi option (M490) includes: amp (4x40W) in the front trunk, dash and the door speakers. The base system only includes dash speakers powered by the head unit (at 18W per). Here's a link to download the manual from Becker.... http://www.beckerautosound.com/pdf_guides/om43-4462.pdf Hope this is what you're looking for. If not, please ask more specific question. Welcome to RennTech :)

check radio shack if all you need are the female pins. Most stores have drawers full of various sized pins and connectors. Good luck :)

I suspect you might be confusing the city light w/ the headlight as the headlight should not come on when using the left or right park lights. anyhow, those are marker/parking lights. Popular/necessary in Europe when parking on tight streets/alleys to show markings/vehicle in roadway w/out having to leave all the lights on.

another option........ go to the auction site and pick up a used homelink unit for < $20. Then you can put it anywhere you want in the car (obviously your limited to where the box will fit but lots of options). Hard wire it into the system and you can forget about ever having to change batteries like you would w/ the opener hack. I chose to put it in the batwing and power it from the phone power cord..... indicator light and all..... I thought long and hard about using the targa switch but had a brainstorm one day and found a homelink for ~ $12. Took about an hour or so to dremel/cut the batwing holes just right and put some plugs on the end. Works perfectly and was 1/2 the cost of the switch alone. :)

There is a tensioner spring behind the handle. Is just the handle loose or is it the entire handle assembly? The assembly is attached from the back side of the panel but is really secured to the door from the front side by the top screw from the grab handle and another just behind the pull You'll need to pull the door skin off to figure out what is wrong. Here's a link on how to.... don't forget to disconnect the battery since you'll be working on/near the air bag. Also, follow the directions closely for removing the trim piece just above the door pull handle. It has a goofy clip that can easily break if you pull it off the wrong way. If you do, the part will still go back on and function normally but it will be a little bt loose (I broke one of mine the first time I pulled the door skin :rolleyes: ;) ) Finally, do not mess around too much w/ the bowden cable - connects to the release. It's somewhat of a delicate piece... not it so much but the routing and the end connectors. http://www.ecoutez.net/boxster/door-panel-removal/ If it's just the tensioner spring, you should be able to replace it w/ something from a local hardware store. Otherwise it's p/n 999.522.015.00. Good luck :)

I tried to answer you in the other place you asked this same question.... http://www.renntech.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=21035