pvaughan

I had a CEL issue on my 99 Boxster awhile back so I looked into getting a code reader. At the time, I read online that most auto parts stores will let you use theirs in their parking free of charge. I decided to get my own since I figured I'd be using it more than the one time. I picked one up from Sears for around $150 or so. I don't do much tooling beyond brakes on my car but it is nice to know what I'm in for when I take it to the shop. I live in Scripps Ranch and work in Del Mar. You're more than welcome to stop by with your car some time. We can plug it in and read the codes. Later, -pvaughan

This is fantastic! It's great to hear how well these cars can perform. I am a believer in preventative maintenance. The simple things like oil changes, filters, etc. Take care of your baby and it will give you many years and miles of joy. Congrats! -pvaughan

I am looking to hear from other high mileage owners. How many miles does your Boxster have and what have you put into it to keep it going. I purchased a MY99 Boxster used from a dealer in 2004 with 30k miles on it. It has been great. Aside from routine maintenance (tires, brakes, rotors, etc.) I have only had to have it in the shop one time for CEL gremlins which turned out to be MAF and low radiator fluid. Today it is in the shop for the 90k service. It is also getting a new clutch, front brakes & rotors, and front engine mount. I'm looking to 100k and beyond! Happy motoring! -pvaughan :renntech:

I popped off my shifter knob and used a grinder to lop off 1" of my stem. I then matched the notches so the shifter knob would seat correctly. Popped the shifter knob back on and now I have a "short shifter". No muss, no fuss. It shifts the same as it did before. I've even considered taking another 1" off the stem but the leather shroud is pretty bunched up as it is now. To do it I draped off the interior of the car with about four layers of thick canvas drop cloth. Be sure to monitor where your sparks are being sent. I burned through a couple layers of the drop cloth pretty easily. Match the existing bevels and notches and you are good. Later, -pvaughan

I replaced my whole system. It wasn't that tricky. I would highly recommend not trying to run new wire to the doors. It's impossible. Just tap into the existing wiring. Even if you don't have door speakers now, most likely, the wiring harness at the door has all the wiring in place. Typically, it is done that way so that if you want the upgraded stereo system the dealer can add it quickly by adding the speakers to the doors because the wiring is already in place. One thing to note: when you open the door there is corrugated rubber sleeve that houses all the wiring running from the car into the door. It attaches at the body side. Undo a bolt and slide the retaining clip and work it off. This assembly houses a junction block which connects the door wiring to the car wiring. On my right-hand side the wiring colors changed for the speakers. Meaning, the wire color from the amp block to the door junction block was accurate to the manual. But the wire color used from the door side of the door junction block to the speakers was different. Just wanted to let you know. Here is a tip. To test your speaker wiring before you hook your system into it, get a 9V battery and touch your speaker wire to it. When you touch the positive and negative terminals you should see the speaker push out if you have in phase. If is sucks in, then just switch the positive and negative and the speaker will push out. The simplest thing to do is us the existing wiring that is in the wiring block on the factory amp. Anyway, I started this to tell you that you will need an antenna connector. Check your head unit installation instructions. You can pick one up at BestBuy or someplace like that. Just walk into the install bay and they’ll get you want you need. Good luck with your project. -pvaughan

Dig a little deeper in the DIY forum here. There is a lot of info on brakes. Also, check out this post: http://www.renntech.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=6864 and this link: www.bombaydigital.com/boxster/projects/brakes/ Good luck with your project. I did mine and it was pretty easy. You can read about my experience in the post above. Later, -pvaughan

OK. I just have to tell this story. I was once young, broke and eager to do my own oil change in order to save twenty dollars. So I went down to the local auto shop, bought the oil, filter, drain pan and headed home. I backed the car out of the garage at my condo so that is straddled the swale of the driveway gutter and I could easily slide underneath it. I proceeded to remove the drain plug with my rachet and removed all the oil from the car. It went swimmingly and I was very proud of myself. Until I tried removing the old oil filter. I tried with all my might. I tried everything I could think of the free it. I tried belts, pipe wrenches, everything. But nothing would make it budge. Finally, realizing that I couldn't drive back to the store for a filter wrench I had to leave the car and my project sticking out in the driveway of my complex. I walked to the nearest strip mall that had a grocery and pharmacy type store. I figured the pharmacy may have a wrench since I know the sell oil, windshield fluid and car scent crap and all. Anyway, they had a filter wrench. I could have kissed the old lady that rang me up. Could have...... I walked home with wrench in hand to my abandoned steed. Quick as a jiffy I slid under the car, slipped on the wrench and freed the filter. Again, swelling with pride. New filter went on, refilled the engine with the new oil and back into the garage. Success! Later that evening, I recounted the story to my younger brother. He is a Marine that has worked on amtracks and other military vehicles along with doing just about all of the work on his own vehicles. He laughed at me and asked, "This was the old filter right?" I said, "Yes." He asked if I had a screwdriver. To which I said, "Of course." He told me that next time I should just shove the screwdriver through one side of the filter and out the other, then twist. Needless to say, I felt like an idiot. I actually used the method the next time I did an oil change. And it was a hell of a lot easier than trying to get the filter wrench to work. Of course this won't work on Porsches but it's a funny story and I like telling it. I hope you enjoyed it too. Later, -pvaughan

I am having a similar problemwith my MY99. The left headlight is dim. No low beam. I'd like to chanee the bulb but I'm not seeing how get to it. Any advice? Thanks in advance. -pvaughan

I saw a Cayman S in the showroom the other day. I love the lines on the body. The rear quarter panels flare out smiliar to a wide body 911. I also like the air intake ports on the Cayman. I was wondering if you could swap rear quarter panels. I think the wide body stance would look great on a Boxster. I think the air intake could be worked out fairly easily. The real concern would be if the two trunks were cut differently. Just a thought. Later, -pvaughan

AaronHurd - I did a full brake job on my MY99 Boxster. I got the pads, rotors and sensors from All German Parts (www.allgermanparts.com). They have package deals offered on eBay. That is what TP is showing. Here is a link to a package for the rears - http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Porsche-Box...itemZ7990787144 The rotors I purchased are canmium plated to prevent rust. The rears were US$270. I think the fronts were US$10 less. The rotors look good and the pads haven't made any noise. I have put about 500 miles on them. I stepped on them hard a couple times and they work great. They work well for my daily commuting too. I don't autocross. My Boxster had 45000 miles on it so I decided to replace the spring-clips and caliper bolts as well. I figured this was the first full brake job the car would have had. I read that you really want to replace the caliper bolts each time as Porsche recommends. I bought the bolt and spring-clip kits from a Porsche dealer (Sunset Imports). The parts sales person said you really want to do it because the bolts are under a lot of pressure and they actually stretch. I placed the old up against the new and found this to be true. Nearly 1/16" on the front. Sunset Imports has the best pricing for any Porsche dealer I have found. Here is a link to them - www.sunsetimports.com Out the door I spent under US$700 on the parts and only had to pay for the beer in order to enlist my brothers help with the work. Detailed instructions on how to do it can be found at www.bombaydigital.com/boxster/projects/brakes/ And a huge THANK YOU to both my brother and Trygve Isaacson at Bombay Digital for his very informative instructions. Good luck with your project. Regards, -pvaughan

Thanks Sixpack. Later, -pvaughan

Sorry for the delay in responding. I was was looking for the quote I received. I think I tossed it out. I forget exactly what they wanted to charge for the tank replacement. I think the parts were in the $300 range and the labor around $500. But really, I'm guessing. The total quote was for the tank replacement and front pads and rotors. The total was either $1500 or $1700. Later, -pvaughan

The rotor and pad package that I purchased off of eBay came with Textar pads. I like them. But I haven't done any comparisons either. Check out the digitalbombay site. I think he talks about the various manufacturers. I'm not sure who makes the OEM pads. Here is a link to the kit I bought on eBay. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Porsche-Box...1QQcmdZViewItem Here is the link to digitalbombay. http://www.bombaydigital.com/boxster/projects/brakes/ Good luck, -pvaughan

Since your brake wear dash light is on I would say do the brakes now. The pads are pretty well worn down by the time the sensor kicks in. Id say you have maybe 20-30 percent of pad left and now you are pressing the sensor into the rotor, which will damage the surface of the rotor. You can get a set of pads for less than $100 an axle. If you want to save some money you can skip the pad retainer kit. As I understand it, most dealers don't replace the spring clip and pin each time. But Porsche recommends that you do. When I did my rotors and pads I everything but flush the brake lines and overhaul the calipers. I bought my car at 30k and it had 45k when I did the brake work. I decided to go with drilled rotors because I like the look. I did all four because I didn't want to have a mixed set on the car. Since I bought it used, I would now know exactly when the work was done. It was definitely time for the front pads and rotors. I could have let the rears go for much longer because they simply aren't used that much when you drive. Most of your braking is done on the front end. When the rotors wear they develop a ridge along the perimeter edge. Feel the edge with your finger to determine the wear. Compare the front to the rear. I don't know what the spec is for when to replace them but my dealer wanted to do them at about 1/16". Maybe more. In any case, I would check into it due to the number of miles on it when you bought it and the number of miles on it now. It may be time to do the rotors, too. If you do the rotors replace the caliper bolts. They really do stretch! For OEM part, the best prices are at Sunset Porsche in Oregon. Or try eBay. Essentially, you own a race car. So most of the info you find will be inclined to getting the top performance out of your vehicle. But since it is used as a commuter vehicle, like mine, you don't need the ceramic brake upgrade or the short shifter or the air intake kit. The important thing is to have a safe vehicle when you are on the road. Do the pads now or you may be spending a lot more to replace the front end of your car and the rear end of someone elses. Best of luck and safe motoring, -pvaughan