mystery fluid on ground

[shihman]

MY2000, boxster s, 101200 miles

hey guys, i had a little run in with the stupid island curb in the parking lot tonight. while trying to park, i ran the front driver side over the curb. it made a loud enough sound for me to take notice. after i got out of the car and inspect the front fender, indeed inside the left front wheel wall was slightly pushed in (see pic). then i noticed fluid was dripping down, slowly but dripping. i think it is the coolant but i am not sure why would it be leaked in that location unless there is a radiator.

so my question is, did i cause a major damage and is this something i can fix myself?

also, i am planning on making my own oil change. i already bought the motor oil and the paper filter with the replace seal ring. also have the drain pan, allen wrench and the filter wrench ready. i am only lacking a new crush ring.

the question is can this crush ring be bought at any local auto parts store or do i need to go to the dealer to get it? also, i have read lots of posts of horrible experiences with removal of the drain plug because it is aluminum and soft and very easy to ruin the tread. is this true?

:help:

thank you all in advance.

[RFM]

The leak looks like coolant from the left radiator, remove the front bumper to take a look and replace the radiator if necessary. It is not the plug treat but rather the allen key hole what's easily to destroy. There is a lot of info on the board for the DIY.

[1schoir]

MY2000, boxster s, 101200 miles

hey guys, i had a little run in with the stupid island curb in the parking lot tonight. while trying to park, i ran the front driver side over the curb. it made a loud enough sound for me to take notice. after i got out of the car and inspect the front fender, indeed inside the left front wheel wall was slightly pushed in (see pic). then i noticed fluid was dripping down, slowly but dripping. i think it is the coolant but i am not sure why would it be leaked in that location unless there is a radiator.

so my question is, did i cause a major damage and is this something i can fix myself?

also, i am planning on making my own oil change. i already bought the motor oil and the paper filter with the replace seal ring. also have the drain pan, allen wrench and the filter wrench ready. i am only lacking a new crush ring.

the question is can this crush ring be bought at any local auto parts store or do i need to go to the dealer to get it? also, i have read lots of posts of horrible experiences with removal of the drain plug because it is aluminum and soft and very easy to ruin the tread. is this true?

:help:

thank you all in advance.

Shihman:

I guess when it rains it pours. I hope you finally got everything straightened out with your AOS and oil filler tube replacement.

With respect to the leak from your left radiator, here is a good write-up with photos that will give you step-by-step instructions on how to remove your front bumper cover. This will also give you an opportunity to clean out the debris that inevitably builds up between the radiator and the a/c condenser on each side of the car:

http://www.realtime.net/~rentner/Porsche/R...r/Radiator.html

Replacing that crush ring is not crucial, but recommended. When you are removing the drain plug, just be sure that you are using the correct size allen wrench and you won't have a problem. It's a good idea to drain the oil after the engine is warmed up as the oil will drain better and it may also reduce the effort needed to remove the drain plug. I always find that things are easier to work on when they are a little warm, especially when it's freezing out.

Regards, Maurice.

Edited March 4, 2009 by 1schoir

[shihman]

hey maurice, you said it best. just when i thought i am almost done, they pull me back in.

i haven't completely finished the previous DIY. i did finish replacing the AOS and wow what a difference it made to the smoothness of the drive (i hope i am not imagining things). i still have to replace the middle oil tube and Brad had suggested to take out the AOS and then replacing it. if there is not another way to do it without taking out the AOS, i'll have to tackle it when i can set aside more time before i jump into it. in the mean time i will change the oil (the way my luck is lately, hopefully this will go smoothly) and see what kind of damage/mess i did to the radiator.

thanks again for all your help and everyone's. i'll report back when find more information.

[shihman]

ok guy, here is a doozy. i changed my oil today and happy to say everything went smoothly. after completing the oil change, started up, drove around the block and the oil reading from the dash was all good except my oil dipstick was completely dry. i re-insert the dipstick back in and taken it out several times but nothing. what happened? does this has anything to do with me replacing my AOS earlier?

[jmatta]

How much did you put back in? I find when I change the oil on my '02 S, it takes about 9.5 quarts, though I'm very careful with the ninth and tenth jug. I change the oil hot and let the car sit on even ground for about a half hour to drain as much as possible.

[shihman]

i put in 9 quarts.

[Glyn]

Shihman, what does the electronic reading on the dash say - This will tell you how short you are.

Dont forget the filter will take a bit to fill as well and providing the dipstick is going all the way in try adding another pint, cant see any reason why the stick has nothing on it and not sure how close to full it needs to be before the stick registers.

You certainly dont have much luck just lately, AOS expert now after all that struggle - as for the tube - Leave it alone as you have repaired it and its not going to cause you any trouble for the forseable future - change it when you can be arsed

[shihman]

hey glyn, the electronic reading is full at cold start and in between the arrows towards high after warm. so i think i am ok. but the strange thing is my dipstick is completely dry. i am just a little concerned and wondering if i mess something up with AOS.

[1schoir]

hey glyn, the electronic reading is full at cold start and in between the arrows towards high after warm. so i think i am ok. but the strange thing is my dipstick is completely dry. i am just a little concerned and wondering if i mess something up with AOS.

Shihman:

Nothing to do with the AOS replacement.

The amount of oil that is measured between the two marks on the dipstick is just a little over one quart.

The dipstick reading is much more reliable than the electronic reading, so long as:

1. you make sure that the car is on a level surface,

2. you have waited a few minutes after turning off the engine, and

3. the dipstick is firmly seated all the way down against the shoulders of the dipstick tube.

Add 1/4 of a quart and take another reading, until you can see the oil start to leave a mark on the dipstick and go from there.

Remember, there is some amount of condensation that burns off when the engine is thoroughly warmed up and some oil that remains in the oil passages of the engine before it has had a chance to drain back down to the sump.

Don't overfill the engine with oil, but, if you do, now that you have become an expert at changing the oil, it's easy enough to take off the oil filter and thus get rid of something less than one quart without affecting anything else. :P

Regards, Maurice.

[shihman]

haha, you guys are funny. as much as i struggled with AOS, the word "expert" is far from anything i know and does with the engine. but i do appreciate all the help. :thumbup:

never the less, when i changed the oil, i did let it drain for almost an hour or so and another half an hour after removing the filter. just now i went and check it again and the dipstick has some black burned residue at end of the tip but still no oil. i will go get 1 or 2 more quarts of oil tomorrow and see if that works.

as far as checking the radiator, is it possible to remove the bumper without removing front tires? if not, i will have to take the car to a tire store to get the bolts loosen first. does this look bad for this much leak?

[Loren]

Yes, you do not need to remove the front tires. You may need to turn them thought to get teh screw behind the sidemarker lights.

[1schoir]

haha, you guys are funny. as much as i struggled with AOS, the word "expert" is far from anything i know and does with the engine. but i do appreciate all the help. :thumbup:

never the less, when i changed the oil, i did let it drain for almost an hour or so and another half an hour after removing the filter. just now i went and check it again and the dipstick has some black burned residue at end of the tip but still no oil. i will go get 1 or 2 more quarts of oil tomorrow and see if that works.

as far as checking the radiator, is it possible to remove the bumper without removing front tires? if not, i will have to take the car to a tire store to get the bolts loosen first. does this look bad for this much leak?

Any leak of coolant is a bad leak that has to be investigated and dealt with. Once you get the bumper cover off you will see what you are up against.

When you add the oil, don't pour in a whole quart at a time, do it piecemeal until you get the desired reading.

Regards, Maurice.

[Glyn]

The front bumper comes off dead easy, Take out the side repeater indicators and there is a screw behind them, A row of philips screws underneath the front apron, these can be taken out with a small phillips screwdriver without jacking up the car, lift the front boot lid and take the plastic cover off around the front - where the catch is, three more screws are here - remove them, then simply easy each side outwards and forwards (best done by two people the first time you do it but it can be done on your own) and off it all lifts.

There are a couple of plastic surrounds in front of the radiators and remember the air con condensors (radiators) are in front of the water radiators.

Either radiator can be changed without disconnecting the air con radiators - just a bit fiddly.

I think you are trying to become an expert on everything now ----you have the bug - but you dont need to go around wrecking bits to get experienced.

Shihman - you amaze me with your resilience for getting stuck and stuck in ---well done mate

Edited March 6, 2009 by Glyn

[shihman]

haha glyn, you caught me. i purposely wreck parts of the car so i have an excuse to fix it. after all, there is no reason to take the car apart when it is in good running shape. :lol:

ok, first thing first. i added another quart of oil, that makes it 10 quarts already, and still nothing showing up on the dipstick. hmm... <_<

my project this weekend will be the radiator. so i'll report back on my success or lack of and what i ruined by hitting the curb.

thank you all,

over and out.

[RFM]

shihman

Take a look if the dipstick tube is still in place or broken, perhaps sits the dipstick besides the tube and is ON the engine block in stead of IN. 10 quarts of oil in the engine, without any oil mark on the stick looks too unlikely for a simple oil change.

[jmatta]

I agree, 10 quarts is too much and the car is now overfilled. Don't run it with that much oil, you will cause damage. I'm no expert, but agree something is very wrong with your dipstick or tube.

[whall]

shihman,

How long is the dipstick on your car?

An MY03 Boxster dipstick is about 35.5 inches long, from the tip to the shoulder of the pull ring. Part number 996.107.014.02.

An MY02 Carrera dipstick is about 23 inches long, from the tip to the shoulder of the pull ring. Part number 996.107.014.54 / 55, depending on engine serial number.

Bill

Edited March 7, 2009 by whall

[itzbob46]

shihman,

Regarding your coolant leak.....Sorry, but this is not going to be too easy. I did the same repair last winter because the guy I bought the box from did the damage that you did. The #)$@#*# tricked me into buying the car by keeping his garage floor clean and washing the car immediately before I saw it. I didn't note the leak until I got it home (a hundred miles away). His mechanic changed the lower rad hose as he thought the connection was leaking!!!!!

Well, anyway, if you crawl under the nose with a flashlight you will be able to look up the little vent holes under the bumper skin and follow the drip. The view won’t be really clear, but what is leaking is the where the plastic locator pin on the front of the radiator enters the bracket on the frame. The locator is likely cracked where it is attached to the plastic end of the radiator which is now garbage. My air scoop was also trashed as well as a broken tab that holds one of the bumper grills. I hope that you don't have to repair these as well. Do you notice that it leaks more when it's parked? As it cools? If so, my theory is that the hot expanded radiator tightens the crack against the rubber washer between the locator pin and frame, which slows the leak. At least it did on mine.

The link that another poster gave you will be helpful for the mechanical work. You will need the wheel off as well as the inner fencer and bumper skin. Don't plan on doing a fast job on this.

Good luck and feel free to write with questions as needed. Try Pelican Parts for a radiator. Change ALL of the related clamps and your hoses that attach to the radiator if more than 60K on the car.

The photos attached indicate what stage you will likely have to go to with disassembly. The second photo shows the locator pin pulled out of the frame bracket. It's the pin with the cross on the end. Note dampness where it meets the radiator plastic end.

Bob

Edited March 9, 2009 by itzbob46

[shihman]

The front bumper comes off dead easy, Take out the side repeater indicators and there is a screw behind them, A row of philips screws underneath the front apron, these can be taken out with a small phillips screwdriver without jacking up the car, lift the front boot lid and take the plastic cover off around the front - where the catch is, three more screws are here - remove them, then simply easy each side outwards and forwards (best done by two people the first time you do it but it can be done on your own) and off it all lifts.

There are a couple of plastic surrounds in front of the radiators and remember the air con condensors (radiators) are in front of the water radiators.

Either radiator can be changed without disconnecting the air con radiators - just a bit fiddly.

I think you are trying to become an expert on everything now ----you have the bug - but you dont need to go around wrecking bits to get experienced.

Shihman - you amaze me with your resilience for getting stuck and stuck in ---well done mate

hey glyn, there is also another screw screwed in front the underside to where the side maker is. looks like you have to take the wheel liner out to access that screw. is this correct, or is there another way to do so? also what is the best way to remove those plastic rivets?

[Glyn]

The plastic clips are easy, there is a smaller diameter protruding head from the larger diameter body, just use a screwdriver to ease the protruding part from the body - work it a bit - Once the top part pulls out the clip itself will prise out -(The top part pushes down the middle of the lower part and expands the clip so it holds)

[shihman]

ok guys, so finally i got the bumper off. i know it didn't take long but just got a lot of sh*t going on. but anyway this is what is underneath. i guess i hit the center part of the radiator so it is causing it to leak on the left lower corner. see pic.

so let me know what is the next step? replace the entire radiator and what else? :help:

[1schoir]

ok guys, so finally i got the bumper off. i know it didn't take long but just got a lot of sh*t going on. but anyway this is what is underneath. i guess i hit the center part of the radiator so it is causing it to leak on the left lower corner. see pic.

so let me know what is the next step? replace the entire radiator and what else? :help:

Shihman:

The radiator probably has to be replaced, although if the bend is not too bad and all you have is the leak, in some instances a radiator shop can re-solder the radiator or epoxy it and stop the leak.

You might be better off getting a used radiator from someone parting out their car if you don't want to spring for a new one. Take a look at the 986forum.com classifieds. There are a couple of guys parting out their 986's. You might get lucky.

One caution. Before you remove your radiator, get a couple of hose shutoff pliers and clamp the two radiator hoses shut. If you don't you're going to lose a lot of coolant and it will be that much harder to "burp" or bleed the cooling system after everything is back together. Pep Boys and Autozone sell a set of two pliers, made of red plastic that should do the job fine.

Regards, Maurice.

[shihman]

thanks maurice. do i just need to replace the radiator or is there any other parts/hoses that also need to be replaced? what is the grill in front of the radiator?

are there any threads that have a detailed instruction of replacing the radiator like which hose do i clamp down with the clamp pliers and is this a very straight forward DIY?

thank you guys again for all your help.

[Glyn]

Shihman, the radiator in front of the leaking radiator is the air con condensor, You can seperate this from the water radiator without disconecting the air con fluid pipes (or you will need to regass the air con)

Just have a look at the hoses to see if anything else needs to be replaced - I would doubt it as the hoses seem to last forever.

I agree with Maurice - get the radiator repaired rather than replaced - a radiator repair shop will tell you if the radiator is past its sell by date and unrepairable.

Once you have changed it out and topped up the water dont forget to open the bleed valve just below the oil and water filler caps (take out the plastic false floor to reveal)

Start the engine with the water cap off and let the engine idle - the bleed valve will buble as the engine gets to opperating temperature and the thermostat opens as this flow of water will push the trapped air around the system.

Let it run for 5 or ten minutes after reaching operating temperature just to make sure all the trapped air is out then shut the valve --- Job Done.

Next job is taking the gearbox out for a rebuild at the rate you are getting involved in doing repair work