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On the contrary - the markings are very useful if you have the FCC label! Check if the unit has the FCC ID - it should be written on the FCC label. It should be of the format: FCC ID: xxxxxxxxxxx Just plug the numbers into the first two fields on this form (first 3 chars into first field and remaining chars into second field): https://gullfoss2.fcc.gov/prod/oet/cf/eas/r...nericSearch.cfm and hit search. It'll tell you the manufacturer and some other details. Thanks! Shash

On a Boxster (and 996) they use an integrated dry sump - not an external reservoir. Overfilling the integrated dry sump can cause the oil to overflow into the conventional sump area, which really can't be good. At least with the integrated dry sump the crank can't slosh the oil too much if you do overfill, but I still say that a quart is too much. Case in point, Carlton had oil getting into the intake due to overfilling. Granted he wasn't sure how much excess oil and estimates "a few quarts", but obviously overfilling is bad... http://www.renntech.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=5972 Thanks! Shash

Hi all, Has anyone here ever had their old oil analysed? I collected a small amount of my oil during my oil change on Saturday and will be sending it for a full analysis as soon as possible... I was just wondering if anyone here has their analysis details, just for comparison. Thanks! Shash

My car, a 99 2.5, actually has a sticker label on the inside of the trunk lid that specifically states that Mobil 1 is the preferred oil, and that my car was filled from new with it... S.

You've not had the car running for 3 months?? It would have driven me crazy not to have the car running for 3 days! ;) Good luck on the diagnosis - hopefully it doesn't cost too much to repair! Thanks! Shash

Not by me... and none of the boxes looked crushed. Also, both sides are incorrectly gapped - so it would have had to have been dropped twice (or it did some sort of backflip when it dropped to hit both electrodes!). Thanks! Shash

Well, I've confirmed it's the spark plug... I put one of my old Bosch plugs in (which is still in very good condition), and the erratic idle has gone away! Of course I need to swap that plug again, so I need to get this sorted... I might just get the plug replaced, since it was supposed to be gapped correctly in the first place. Either that or I need to find a proper gapping tool. I don't want to weaken any of the electrodes or insulators - I've seen plugs lose their tops under compression! So, how often do people get incorrectly gapped plugs from Porsche...? This is my first set direct from the OPC, and already I have one! Just bad luck, or a common occurrence? Thanks! Shash

Hi all, I just installed new Beru OEM plugs as part of my 60K service, and I didn't visually check them before putting them in (it was late, and I was tired - I'd spent a good amount of time fitting the fuel filter!!). Anyway, the car is running fine, but the idle is a little rough. I hooked up my DTC scanner, and sure enough I'm getting a misfire in cylinder 3. I pulled the plug out, and found that the gap on one side must was 0.2mm and the other side was 0.3mm. That's a far cry from the required 0.8mm (I got the plugs from an OPC, so they should have been pre-gapped). The 0.2mm side is virtually touching the centre electrode! Anyway, I wanted to re-gap the plug, but it's proving difficult to say the least... I can't get the ground electrode to budge at all, and I can't get good leverage because the only thing to lean on is the insulator - which, of course, I don't want to touch. Do you absolutely need a special tool for these 2-electrode plugs, or is there some sort of trick to do it? As this plug is so far off I'm thinking of pulling all the plugs and re-gapping! Thanks! Shash

Weird, I moved my head unit down to the bottom console, but left the wire that was randomly attached to the cage up above (so it doesn't touch the head unit any more) - but I don't get an alarm beep telling me there's a fault... I know the alarm works cuz if I leave my center console compartment open, the alarm does alert me that a zone is open... Weird. Thanks! S.

Hm, or maybe you just lost power? So there might have been no issue with the actual gears? Ignition switch sounds like a possibility - maybe when you pushed the clutch in you engaged the clutch safety switch (i.e. the switch that "clicks" when you press the clutch down so you can start the car), and because of some electrical fault somewhere else (perhaps the ignition), that caused all your lights to come on in pre-start mode? Either way, I doubt it's an air flow, MAF or vacuum leak - the dash lights would not all light up for that... Thanks! Shash

Overfilling by half a quart is significant enough to warrant draining a little out... Overfill causes foaming and aeration which can overheat your oil (damaging the oil lubrication properties), damaging seals, and starving the engine of oil since the aerated oil is harder to pump. Aeration can also lead to oxidation of the oil. Jinster - I agree with you that engines are not an exact science, but modern engines have far closer tolerances than older engines. For example, just a little excessive fuel into the cylinder can cause bore wash, leading to eventual compression failure. The short-term effects are likely to go unnoticed, but long-term it is not good for the engine. Slight overfilling is acceptable (say up to 100ml), but half a quart (almost 500ml!) is excessive. That's a 5.7% overfill with filter. So if you just look at the sump (which is where the excess oil will sit), you're probably looking at a 10% (or more) increase in unexpected oil. I would personally drain the excess oil out. Thanks! Shash

Hm, if every light on the dash lit up, that sounds more like an electrical problem. Possibly a faulty dashpod? The whole gear thing is a little weird though. You need to have your fault codes read (either buy an OBD-II code reader or have a dealer read the codes and give you a printout) to see if anything was logged. Post the codes here are we can try and help you. If there are no codes, you should probably have a dealer diagnose it. Without physically seeing the car it would be difficult to diagnose - unless someone else has had this issue... Jeff/Loren - you guys might have seen this before...? Thanks! Shash

Thanks! Shash

I'm guessing they did this as it's a "secure" location halfway between the engine and the ignition... Out of interest, how did the module get wet...? Thanks! Shash

Hi, I figured out what the problem was. Inside the motor assembly there is a rubber bush. Somehow this managed to get worn so that there was some play (this is why the window moves a little by hand). The bush is not available and a new motor assembly is required. You don't need a new regulator, but if yours is covered under warranty you might as well get both replaced! See here for more details: http://www.renntech.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=8317 I actually ended up fabricating a part to replace the bush, and it worked fine for a while, but now its starting to do the same thing again (because the part I made wasn't strong enough). I could re-do it with a proper piece of rubber, but I might just get the replacement motor - depends how much time I have and if I can source some rubber of the right thickness and compliance. Thanks! Shash Oh, one other thing - it seems that the service people in dealerships will automatically assume that it's the regulator. I took mine to the dealer (I was there picking some other stuff up and thought I'd ask for the heck of it) and he barely looked at it, and started saying that it's a common regulator problem. In this case it was not the regulator though (and they wanted to charge me $700+ to "fix" it). Without examining your vehicle I can't tell you if it's the same problem, but if it is, then it's most definitely not a regulator issue. Thanks! Shash

My mileage comment was more to do with higher miles == higher chance of car being driven hard, potentially causing more problems. Generally, though, more miles do equate to more issues as more wear and tear has occured. The car itself should be fine for several hundred thousand miles, but it does mean more maintenance. Thanks! Shash

My Boxster is a 99 and has had virtually no problems in the last year. Only problem it did have was an RMS leak, but that was sorted under warranty as I bought the car from a dealer who gave me 30 days warranty (and I made sure I looked over the car thoroughly during that time). The leak was probably there for ages though cuz the oil leak was very slight from the crankcase and only showed up after a 500 mile trip to Los Angeles! If the dealer didn't do the work, I would of done it myself and would of cost very little (just the cost of the RMS seal). The other minor issue it's had is the drivers door window motor bush is worn - but everything works just fine (it still has that problem - all it means is that sometimes I have put push down on the window slightly before closing the door cuz the play in the bush means the half-inch auto-drop doesn't always drop half an inch. Other than that, the window works just fine. So, when buying a used car, as with buying any car, some cars will have more problems than others. The only thing you can do is make sure the car has full service history, relatively low mileage (although if the mileage is too low, that can cause problems too!), and doesn't look like it's been driven in to the ground. An independent inspection can also give peace of mind, but that costs money. Of course, always make sure you run a check on the car so that you know its history. Generally stay away from cars which have had accidents, and also make sure that the dealer has completed any TSB's that might be needed. You can also go to any dealer and ask them to give you a print-out of any warranty work performed on the car during its life (they do it by VIN on a central database). If a car has had 10 RMS seals replaced in the last 2 years, obviously stay away from it! Thanks and good luck! Shash

Hi all, I'm about to do my 60K service - anything other than the standard Major service items I should look at (in addition to Polyrib)? Thanks! Shash

Thanks Loren! :) Shash

Hi all, Does anyone have the official wheel alignment specs for a '99 Boxster? Thanks! Shash

The part number, I believe, would be 996-552-253-01 (this is the upper-most shelf of the two at the bottom - I believe this is where your CD-holder is). I got it from Sunset Imports (1-800-346-0182 and ask to speak to Jeff in parts) and it cost me $33 including delivery to California (no tax as it's coming from Oregon). Very reasonable - the local dealer wanted to charge me over double! Thanks! Shash

I've tried using Duplicolor in the past... You have to make sure you do it very evenly and thinly, per coat. It's a very watery paint so drips very easily (a zero-G environment would be perfect for painting!). Also, make you sure you do ALL coats within one hour. If you have to stop you will have to wait a full 7 days before doing the next coat (ask me how I know! The paint creases almost like magic if you don't!). I have only used the cheap Duplicolor method so that I know what colour I want though. I will ultimately powder-coat the calipers - which is the ultimate professional method of painting these, and lasts pretty much forever. If you know for sure you want to change the colour, I'd suggest powder-coating them - but it can be a lot more expensive (still cheaper than new calipers though). Thanks! Shash

Hmm, yea, that's what I saw, but this isn't what I want. The connector shown on Crutchfield is just the standard ISO male. I do need one of those, but those are pretty common. What I really need is the the staggered 6-pin connector that is used to connect to the amplifier. Look at this pic: http://www.palerider.org/pics/996/CDR-220/CDR-220%20Back.JPG The TOP most connector has the staggered pin configuration. The connector that plugs in to this only fits the first 6-pins (so it doesn't cover the entire connector). I need a male version of this that will plug in to the cars wiring loom. The other end should be female RCA's with a switched remote amplifier output too. Thanks! Shash

Hi all, Where can I get a harness that goes from the special 6-pin connector to standard pre-in's (i.e. 6-pin male to RCA)? I've seen that some people splice into the line, but I'd like to have an actual harness. Do I have to get this from Becker? Thanks! Shash

Seems that my source must have stole this from RennTech... Once again, apologies Loren - I'll let you know where I got it from in private message. Thanks! Shash