Please Help

[g_arrington]

I have been lurking for a few months now and have encountered a situation that I really need your help with. Sorry for the long message.

I purchased a 2001 Speed Yellow Boxster with 38k on it in April '06. The car only had one owner, who was a middleage female, and had received all of its regular service and maintainence. Needless to say, this was my dream car and I was thrilled.

In June, I walked to my car and started it up. The CEL was on and as I tried to lower the top, it became stuck about halfway back. In trying to get it closed so that I could drive it home, the driver's side of the clamshell actually popped OUT of its track. I got the top back up and drove my broken boxster to the dealership where I had purchased it. The dealer was kind enough to split the cost of the convertible top repair bill with me so I (It required all new engines, transmissions, the whole works to the tune of about $3k).

They diagnosed the CEL as a MAF. I then took the car home b/c the parts had to be ordered and were on back order. I drive the car per their instructions with the CEL on until last Wednesday(The parts arrived). I drove the car to the dealer on Wednesday to get the MAF and Top repaired.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Between purchase and last wednesday, I put about 4k mi on the car and it had always driven wonderfully and I had NO sputtering, stalling, etc. at any time even though the CEL was on. The car had always driven 100% the same until Wednesday.

Dealer fixes the top and MAF on Wednesday. I get about 40 miles from the dealer and the Tachometer jumps a couple of ticks while I am accellerating. I think to myself "That's strange but they said it would drive a little differently now that I have a new MAF." So I continue down the road and go for probably another 60 miles and it jumps again. By this time, the dealer is closed and I figure that Ill drive for a day or two and take it back if I have further trouble.

I go probably another 20 miles and I hear a LOUD Hisssss......the dashboard lights up with all of the idiot lights and the engine makes a Mwwwaaaaa sound as it is still turning but has no power. I downshift and pop the clutch hoping to restart it, but just more Mwwwwaaaa. So I pull off of the highway and it is DEAD. Won't start, but does have power to put the top back up.

I have the car towed all the way back (approx 100-150 miles) to the dealer. The dealership first says, its our fault because we replaced an air nozzle, compressor, hose or something to that effect when we changed the MAF. Then they call back and tell me that it wasn't their fault because it is the RPM Sensor that went out and it is located near the flywheel and wouldn't be anything that they did wrong.

So help me out here.....It seems odd to me that the car would drive perfect minus the CEL for 4k miles, go to the dealership, have this problem almost immediately after their repair, die in the midde of the road and it would just be a coincidence.

I am wondering if A) The harmed the sensor somehow when they fixed the MAF or B) If the RPM sensor threw a MAF code and the dealer neglected to investigate the problem any further and just changed the MAF and sent me on my merry little way. (Again, the car never acted up in any manner when the CEL came on).

PLEASE HELP