Tool Pants

With your year you need to rule out the relay/control unit. There was a bad batch of units on the early model year 2000. Corrected unit went into production December 23, 1999. Pull the relay out again and see if there is a black dot on the blue base. Like in the pic. If so then we have to think again.

Pic just for jokes. Early Boxster made in 1996

Front or rear?

That sensor, 996 606 124 00, will not work in your car as a direct replacement as it is the first e-gas sensor and you have the second version. I do not know if a dealer can even "back date" your DME software to get it to work - I would have to ask Peter. Since you have 986 606 125 00 you need that number as a direct replacement you so that you can replace it yourself. I have a feeling the third version, 986 606 125 01, would also be a direct replacement without a reprogram with the PST2. That is because Porsche has not issued a bulletin on this sensor, like they did with the second version. I would have to ask Peter to be sure. Make sure you get the right part as they will not usually let you return electrical stuff. The problem with the aftermarket is their info is not up to date and they do not know there have been 3 versions of the e-gas sensor. Also shop around. There was a long thread here a few months ago about the sensor for a 2.5. The dealer wants $370 but a few guys shoped around and found it for $180. I think from the partsbin. The company must have figured out something because they then jacked up the price because Porsche was selling it for so much more.

I do not see that Bosch part number on on the 2.5 sensor or the box it came in. Maybe an internal part number used by the aftermarket company that sells them? As jonathan notes there have in fact been 4 sensors since the Boxster started production in 1996. He has the correct Porsche part numbers. The first is for the 2.5 and the next 3 are for the e-gas cars as they changed part numbers. Your sensor 986 606 125 00 went into production on January 31, 2000 - more resistant to contamination. When the 2.7 and 3.2s first came out in 1999 it was 996 606 124 00. You could not put in the January 31st sensor in an older e-gas car unless the computer was reprogrammed per a Porsche bulletin issued April 18, 2000. 986 606 125 00 has been replaced by 986 606 125 01, so something has been changed. I do not know what since there is no bulletin from Porsche. So to be safe speak to the aftermarket parts guy. Have him open the box while you are on the phone and give you the 986 part number and make sure they match. This picture is a 2.5 sensor so do not even look at it for part numbers. Has no application on your car.

The sway bar? On an S with 030 it is 19.8mm. Bushing is 996 333 792 25. Clamp 996 333 777 01. Bolt 900 378 055 09. The clamps and bolts are the same for all years and all suspensions, only the bushing comes in different sizes. If this is not a warranty replacement let me know and I will look up the torque spec.

The local group has done about 40 plus OBC retrofits over the years. I like to do it with the stalk because then it is the same as the factory option on your year. Let me know and I will give you a list of parts to buy.

We put the box in the sun to warm it up so the grills will pop in. Remove the battery clamp and slide the battery over to the passenger side. You will see a 3" rubber plug. Poke an awl in the center of the plug. Then look above the gas pedal and you will see the sharp end of the awl sticking out through a precut X in the carpet insulation. That is how we run stuff for a cd changer retrofit and a 2003 rear speaker install since your 4 wires are hooked up to the amp and not the head unit. Make sure you have the extension/adapter in your kit so that you can hook up to the amp. Remove spare tire. If you have a cd changer then remove it. If not, then pull the carpet away from where it would be. You will see another large rubber plug. Poke a hole in it and pull the wires through and over to the amp. It would help to undo the two 10mm bolts for the amp so you can hide the wires behind the carpet. Raman has a 2003 with the factory retrofit rear speaker kit and he has put in about 6 for us local owners, so if you have any questions.....

You can pull them out with your fingers. Only held in place with plastic clips. They snap in and snap out. This is the back of an aspheric mirror but the standard mirror mounts the same. The standard mirrors do not cost much but in the UK prices are much higher. The aspheric is about twice the cost. And a self dimming is about four times. Now for those BMW valve caps. http://members.roadfly.com/brown1706/ValveCaps.htm

The picture is a 2003 2.7 5 speed manual transmission. That is a spacer which Porsche calls an adapter. I can see from the parts list that an S does not have it, which makes sense since the transmissions are different. I will have to search and see if I have an S out of the car picture, or ask Peter how he does it since he never removes the bumper cover. By then you will have figured it out.

I have never done it but I have watched Peter do it. He removes the entire exhaust from the manifold back in one piece and the bumper cover stays in place. This was for a transmission and/or engine replacement so ignore all the extra parts you see in the pictures. These are pictures of a 2003. Looks like he unbolts the bracket to the transmission. You can see that the 2 bolts to the muffler bracket are still in place. You should be able to do the same just for the muffler. Let us know if this works.

Unless you have very small fingers made of rubber you should put the top in what we call the service position. You have to get the white clip in the roll bar along with the electrical connector. Then you have to hook up the connector that comes from the speakers to that connector. Trying to do that when the top is not in the service postion........ A tip on your install. I have watched Raman put in several rear speaker kits and we filmed on of the installs. It is hard to install the white clip since you need to twist it so that it locks in position. Raman puts the clip on the connector first then twists the clip into position. This way you have leverage. It is the clip for the harness that runs from the box to the head/amp.

http://www.pca.org/tech/tech_qa_question.a...A-2E84B50EACFF}

This company told me they can do it. http://www.mileageman.com/index.html I have been told by a Boxster owner this company can do it. http://www.paspeedo.com/ Not sure about this company. http://www.nhspeedometer.com/

Here is a transmission shop in Texas and they have a listing for a 1997 Boxster. http://www.jie.com/trans/porstrans.htm Porsche also sells rebuilt transmissions and they show up on ebay. Scott is correct, there is a 5 speed for sale on the racing board I would see if it would cost less to rebuild yours. Porsche sells parts for the 5 speed and it is really just a modified Audi/VW transmission. I have not see my dealer rebuild one for a Boxster, but I have seen them do it for Audi. Ignore the link. It looks like a rebuild kit for a triptronic transmission.

Follow these instructions. http://www.pca.org/tech/tech_qa_question.a...7-21908F9162BF} The replacement cables we use to use was left 986 561 717 01, and right 986 561 718 01. These are reinforced. They are the exact same length as the original cables. That is why we were able to use just the plastic housing. I have been told these have been discontinued. The only cable now available is 986 561 717 03. Same cable used on both sides. This is the cable used on the new style transmission, but it also works on the old style. The only real difference is that it is 1" longer. You cannot therefore use the housing with your original drive cable - the housing is too long. The cable 986 561 717 03 needs to be a bit longer because the mounting point on the new style transmission is in a different location than where it is on the old style. Timing the transmissions has been covered several times already in this section.

Have no clue what you mean when you say one of the top transmissions refuse to twist. If you can rotate the V-lever on one side but not the other then the motor has driven the worm gear off the half moon gear on the side you can rotate. Chuck the square end of the metal drive cable in a drill. Run the drill in X direction while you turn the V-lever to see if it will catch on the half moon gear. If that does not work then reverse the drill in Y direction. Time for some pictures I think. Hard to fix a car over the internet.

Once a cluster has over 62 miles or 100 km it is locked. A PST2 cannot change it. But there are several aftermarket companies that can set the mileage to whatever you want displayed. I doubt however if the aftermarket can also put the VIN in your cluster. Some people do not know the VIN is also in the instrument cluster. Guess it keeps some people honest with an electronic cluster.

If you have released the 2 black metal (looks like little shocks) push rods for the clamshell then you lift up on the clamshell. Then you put the top in the service position while the clamshell is up. Then you disconnect the push rods to the top that have the red plastic joints buy separating the joint - if the plastic joints are not already broken. You will now be able to raise and lower the top manually while you figure out the problem.

The top drive cables are just like an old fashioned speedometer cable. There are 2 parts. The plastic housing, and inside the housing is the metal drive cable that spins when the top motor operates. The metal drive cable is square on both ends that stick out of the housing, but round as to the middle part inside of the housing. The metal drive cable is about 2 inches longer than the plastic housing. One square end goes into the top motor, and the other square end into a worm gear in the transmission. When the housing "grows" it causes the square end to pull out of the motor so the motor can no longer turn that drive cable. It does not pull out of the worm gear end because it is a very tight fit So the cheap fix is to make the plastic housing a bit shorter so the square end will stay inside the drive motor. The local cars we worked on had housings that had grown in length no doubt due to heat. The drive cables were not broken. But Jon on the UK board had a broken metal drive cable on a 2002. That is the picture. If the drive cable was good we would just replace the housing with a reinforced housing. The old drive cable was then in a new housing. This was to avoid removing the drive cable from the worm gear. You cannot do this anymore. The housing now being sold is longer than what is in your car. Since the housing is longer your original drive cable will not stick out pas the housing on both ends. You must now replace both the drive cable and the housing, which means removing the drive cable from the worm gear. There are several pictures here on how to remove the worm gear from the cable.

No decent aftermarket manual and the factory manual is not for a DIYer. Peter at my local dealer was asked to write one but he did not think there was much material for a DIYer. That is why we started filming simple projects last year. Bentley has said they might come out with one, but they have said that for a long time. I think the problem is the Boxster does not have the numbers like Honda or Chevy.

Your top is haunted. That is an interesting top fix kit on ebay. The relay is the one for your car but you can buy a new relay for a less than $80. The 2 switches in the kit do not cut power to the top motor when it is going down. If you want to rule out the relay then find another 1997-1999 Boxster and swap. You will know immediately if that is the problem.

Loren has the OBDII book like I do and that is what the book says - the computer thinks the fuel/air mixture is too lean and the computer cannot correct it. Causes are air leaks, dirty injectors, low fuel pressure, or low fuel supply. The light goes on when the fault is detected then, if after a number of drive cycles, the light goes off it is because it was not detected again. Sometimes you see this when an aftermarket induction system has been put in. But if a Mahle air filter was put in then you have the stock induction. Open the engine compartment and check to see that everything is in place and all the clamps are tight. If everything is ok then time to think again. Maybe try a can of fuel injector cleaner. There should be a radio code card about the size of a credit card. Sometimes it is written on the white option stucker under the front trunk lid. Your dealer may also have it. If not then if you push the correct buttons on the radio the serial number will be displayed and any dealer can call a special number and get the code. Takes them 2 minutes. My dealer does not charge for this.

It just clips on. We remove them when we fix a top.

No big deal. With the top up you have to go under the roll bar to separate the joints. Ask Mark.