Buying spare parts for later use

[georgios]

I am in the process of moving to Europe and I own a 2003 996 4S. Since spare parts are rather expensive in Europe I will be bying whatever I can here in the US and take with me for later us. My car has approximately 35000 miles on it. I have already purchased 1 set of brake pads (front and rear), and plan to purchase front and rear rotors , and maybe a fuel pump as well. Does this sound right? Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated! Parts in Greece are about double the price right now.

Also, lately I noticed that sometimes when I turn the light switch on, the xenon lights dont go on but when I turn the switch off and on again they light up. Is that indicative of a bad switch?

[Izzy]

I suggest you also get:

A/C Belt

air filter X2

cabin filter X2

wiper blades

oil filter X2

MAF cleaner

[demosan]

I am in the process of moving to Europe and I own a 2003 996 4S. Since spare parts are rather expensive in Europe I will be bying whatever I can here in the US and take with me for later us. My car has approximately 35000 miles on it. I have already purchased 1 set of brake pads (front and rear), and plan to purchase front and rear rotors , and maybe a fuel pump as well. Does this sound right? Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated! Parts in Greece are about double the price right now.

Also, lately I noticed that sometimes when I turn the light switch on, the xenon lights dont go on but when I turn the switch off and on again they light up. Is that indicative of a bad switch?

georgios,

Yes those light switch symptoms seem to reflect a switch going bad soon, although it could also be your ignition switch getting flaky.

Therefore, to add to Izzy's list, I would suggest getting the plastic replacement portion of the ignition switch ( about $25-$30) and perhaps a spare light switch as well.

As a curiosity, will you going to Greece "permenently" or for an ex-pat tyoe of assignment?? In either case, I'm sure you'll enjoy your C4S there.

Demosan :cheers:

[georgios]

I'll be going over for business purposes....the length of which is unknown currently. By the way, is there a relay switch that I can change that would fix the problem that I have with the lights? Also what is the MAF cleaner that Izzy recommended?

I appreciate the help.

George

[demosan]

I'll be going over for business purposes....the length of which is unknown currently. By the way, is there a relay switch that I can change that would fix the problem that I have with the lights? Also what is the MAF cleaner that Izzy recommended?

I appreciate the help.

George

I doubt it is a relay as these is separate relay for each side and it would be very unlikely they would both we going bad at the same time. CHeck your owners manual and you can see what I mean in the fuse panel/relay lay-out section.

Demosan

[1schoir]

I'll be going over for business purposes....the length of which is unknown currently. By the way, is there a relay switch that I can change that would fix the problem that I have with the lights? Also what is the MAF cleaner that Izzy recommended?

I appreciate the help.

George

George:

MAF cleaner is a spray can of "Mass Air Flow Sensor Cleaner" which can be useful to extend the life of your MAF. CRC is one manufacturer that sells the cleaner, and it's available in most chain auto stores (Pep Boys, Autozone, Advance Auto Parts, etc.).

You can get the ignition switch from AutohausAZ.com for about $10 (last time I checked).

I don't know how far you want to go in being prepared for repairs, or how long you intend to keep the car, but if it's for the long haul, you might also want to stock up on a fuel filter and a replacement coolant reservoir.

Regards, Maurice.

[georgios]

Thanks for all the input. I do plan to keep this car for a very long time.. About 18 mos ago I changed the coolant reservoir. My understanding was that the high temperatures in the engine bay cause the reservoir to crack. Is this something that I will be changing frequently? Also, how do I go about determining whether I have a faulty light switch or ignition switch? Also, I was told that the fuel filter is located in the fuel pump. Should I just pick up a fuel pump then?

George