Palbox

@stevetran: Definitely look at my post from February 17. I didn't have any issues for maybe more than two years after replacing the fuel vapor regeneration valve. But I am really tired of this. I don't fully trust the car, so I end up sitting in my Panam instead in the nice weather and I have my now re-painted and re-roofed Boxster just parked in the garage. I got a service appointment on June 2nd and they assume it's going to take a few days to figure this one out after I explained everything I have already found and replaced... I'll definitely give a full update; I assume we are not alone with these annoying car problems...

Nothing at all! Figured I'd give an update in case someone else is struggling with similar issues.

So. It. is. happening. again! Argh! After running great for more than a year, Sabine (that's my 2000 Boxster's name) started stalling again when idling. Sounds like she is running rich and then stalls. What I still don't get is that after she stalls, the fuel pressure on the fuel rail is 0 (measured in real time with a fuel gauge)! Sabine has only ever been in a shop once and that was to get a new key. I had sworn I would learn everything I could about cars with Sabine and fix everything myself (I had never fixed anything in my life prior to getting this car around 2014-15!). But this time I give in. It's been multiple years and I am uncomfortable driving her since fuel supply seems to come and go here and there. What if it happened going 55 (we all go 55 on freeways, right?) on the freeway? I am taking her in to Tom Wood Porsche Indy next week. I trust them; they perform all service on my Panam and they are really good! I'll try and post what they come up with! This error has been sooooooooo annoying! And no error codes to work with this time...

Finished the job last night. Never figured out what the velcro was for. I never dismounted the plastic guard on top of the frame that the outer cover ridge slides into (the plastic guard is strapped in with a metal clip I didn't wanted to pry out); perhaps the velcro is for re-mounting this part... Either way, the job was fairly easy (but annoying!). I'd like to offer a few comments since all other comments online seem to be in favor of aftermarket outer covers with glass windows and defrosters: The original Porsche outer cover fits perfectly and all holes are pre-punched and all edges are cut and trimmed to perfection. The cover comes with metal plates, springs and wires, rear rubber and plastic linings, foam side linings as well as parts 986561559/560 for mounting the bottom of the top. Those are plastic parts that I imagine are beat up on many Boxsters although they were in good condition on mine and wouldn't have needed replacement. Anyway, it is significantly easier to mount the new outer cover when mounting on these parts BEFORE they are attached to the car frame. With the original cover, there is no need to reuse any wires, springs or metal plate parts. The new metal plates come with adhesive and you can reliably glue the canvas on by aligning the pre-punched holes before even putting the top on the car. The cover simply fits perfectly. There is no trimming of corners or along metal plates. There is no need for spray adhesive (I did use one strip of double-sided tape and two beads of black rubber adhesive). There is no need to stretch the canvas to get rid of bulges etc. It simply just fits! It's a Porsche product! However, this was never intended as a DIY part; it comes with NO instructions whatsoever. It is, though, much easier to mount than aftermarket kits (think Porsche wants this replacement to take as few shop hours as possible for a dealership mechanic!). Now for the plastic window: If you choose an aftermarket cover with glass window, it will significantly be in the way when in service position and your access to the engine from the top is going to be significantly restricted. My car has ~160,000 miles on it and I spend a lot of time accessing the engine! I prefer to have full access. Also, I have not even once thought to myself: "I really wish I had a defroster in my summer roadster". I simply don't need a defroster. The plastic window is much larger than the glass version and your field of view is thus much larger and there's more light inside the car. I like my car OEM as Porsche designed it. My 2000 Boxster rolled out of the factory with a plastic window and I like to keep it as original as possible. When I look on youtube, it looks like even quite new canvases get sharp wear-lines radiating from the corners of the glass window. I imagine the canvas takes a beating in EXACTLY the same spot every time the top is lowered because the glass window is rigid. The longevity of the plastic window is obviously lower compared to glass; my car is 23 years old and I just replaced it (although it should have been done 3 years ago). Even so, my plastic window had a lifespan of 18+ years. The new one will probably last longer as the car is always parked in garages and only gets sun exposure when I am out driving. To me, it's simply part of maintenance that the outer cover must be replaced every 15-20 years. I doubt the canvas on a glass window top is particularly attractive at this age anyway. Not trying to tell other people what to do or that they are wrong in their choices, simply offering a different perspective on choosing the top outer cover replacement that fits your needs!

I finally got around to replacing the outer cover. It was actually pretty easy to get the old outer cover off. I am ready to mount my new Porsche replacement outer cover. The original part (98656191506A10) comes with steel plates, wires, rear rubber linings, parts 986561559/560 and everything, so buying the original part (surprisingly) turns this into a much easier DIY project compared to all the aftermarket kits where you have to reuse all these now 20+ years old original parts. I do have one question: The original outer cover part also comes with a long velcro strip about 1 inch wide and 7 feet long. This I don't see anything on either the old outer cover or the new outer cover that could possibly attach to this strip, nor is there a velcro strip anywhere on the old frame on the car. Any idea what this velcro strip is intended for?

@JFP in PA Thanks for the clarification! This is what I figured! For those like-minded out there: the list price of the replacement Porsche outer cover is currently about $3,200. If you search on the part number (98656191506A10; original Porsche with vinyl window) it can be found online for about $2,400...

@cjp69Yes. Was very simple! The fuel vapor regeneration valve (can be found under the left side intake plenum) was broken and perpetually stuck in "open". So fuel vapor after fueling or immediately after driving would saturate the intake and cylinders and the car wouldn't start! I replaced the valve with the aftermarket Bosch valve (996-110-129-06-M14) since it's about 1/6 of the price for the Porsche part. The aftermarket part comes without lines; I cut the original lines and mounted the new valve with ~$10 hoses and hose clamps from the local auto store. Took 15 min and the car has had no issues since I FINALLY found the culprit about a year+ ago!

Hi, One of my cars is a 2000 Boxster. The top needed an overhaul; I renovated frame, gears, motor etc. I'd like to keep the car with original Porsche top parts as much as possible. The replacement convertible top outer cover (98656191506A10) comes with a vinyl window (despite the catalogue description; it is a poor translation of the original German catalogue description). I read in multiple fora that you can directly mount a 2003 complete top (outer cover AND frame; 2003 outer cover has a glass window) on 2000-and-up Boxsters. I can't find any info whether it is possible to mount a 2003 convertible top outer cover (98656191507A10; glass window) directly on a 2000 frame?

Excellent post! Thanks for the reference!

Update: I measured fuel pressure on the fuel rail. It's odd... When turning the key without starting the engine, the fuel pump builds up a pressure somewhere between 5 and 25ish psi (it's inconsistent). However, when I pull the key out of the ignition switch and put it back in and turn without starting the engine, the pressure builds up to around 40ish. Pressure is stable over long periods of time. When I turn on the car, the pressure does one of two: 1) moves to ~44-46 psi and stays there as the engine revs or idles or 2) moves to 30-35ish. As the engine revs, the pressure can be 'pumped' up to 44-46 psi and stays there even when the engine idles. Fuel regulator looks good; no gas in vacuum line or coming out of regulator. When vacuum line is removed, the pressure jumps - as expected - to 55ish. Pressure lowers to 44-46 when vacuum line is plugged back in. Here's the kicker: when turning the engine off, the pressure INCREASES over time from 44-46 to over 50 psi! Could this be a clogged fuel filter (pressure high on upstream side of filter and low on the rail side; after turning the engine off pressure evens out over time)? Bad fuel pump?

I currently only have a basic OBDII reader. It doesn't read alarm codes. I am researching getting something more advanced at a reasonable price point. It would be awesome with a device that could cover both my cars (Porsche Boxster and Mercedes Benz CLK350 that has a recent SRS error - just can't catch a break from these cars!). Autel? Any other directions to look?

The car idles perfectly normally and steadily when I leave it turned on in my driveway. It typically cuts out after 20 min to an hour. Wouldn’t a failing fuel pump give varying fuel pressure and a resulting rough idle? Thank you for your advice; I’ll try and figure out how to run your suggested diagnostics. My boxster is a ‘learn-as-I-go’ project that I usually really enjoy. This time though, the car is parked for good in my garage, so a little less fun!

New to the forum; 2000 Boxster (2.7L engine assembled in 1998; manual transmission, transmission code ends in 002 and is a topic for another day!). Engine recently started cutting out driving home from work. The engine cuts out with no warning (no 'roughing' etc). When it cuts out, it won't restart. Hours later, engine magically starts again and runs like nothing ever happened until cutting out again. The behavior is identical whether idling in my driveway or driving. It doesn't seem to be temperature related. The way the engine cuts out with no additional symptoms or warnings, I doubt it's a fuel pump issue? Could be a clogged fuel filter, but after a while the car starts up again with no apparent issues making me doubt it is a fuel filter issue? Crankshaft position sensor: when cranking my car the tachometer stays at 0 until the engine starts. So does my other car. I see several posts that the tachometer should show a reading as the engine cranks before but before it starts. This is not the case for my two cars. People also post that if it is a CPS problem, then the engine should start again right away? I would expect the fuel supply to be cut off if the CPS doesn't signal to the ECU? Could my problem be a failed CPS even though it doesn't seem to be temperature related? My passenger side door lock is acting up. The car has been giving the characteristic 'double-honk' when locking and unlocking for a while and the window doesn't stay down the tiny bit it's supposed to when the door is open. It was on the list to fix this month. Shortly before the engine started cutting out, the 'double-honk' started sounding while driving and often. Could the problem be alarm/lock related? Shortly before the engine started cutting out, I had a few instances of the key not turning easily in the ignition switch. I read that many weird issues can arise from a faulty ignition switch; I haven't found descriptions of engine stalls though. Could a faulty ignition switch be the problem? I do have a P0442 error code; have had it for a long time though. It comes and goes, and a fuel tank vent replacement is also on my list of upcoming fixes. I doubt that it has relevance to engine problem (?), but full disclosure. No other error codes on my OBDII. Any other suggestions? Lastly, if I wanted a computer that could read/reset everything to help diagnose the problem, what would be options within reasonable budgetary constraints? Any computers that would also work for my other car (Mercedes Benz CLK350)? Thank you for your time!