Can A Competent Local Tire and Alignment Be Trusted?

[PorscheServiceThen529Plan]

I have a 2001 C4 Cab and will be replacing the outer tie rods. Dealer wants $240 for alignment. There is a good Porsche Indy that will do it for $125, but they are 40 minutes away, and there are good local tire and alignment shops that will do it for $69. I got feedback on an earlier thread that there is some tricky-ness to it where they have to hook up to OBD to find zeroed out steering angle, but not clear to me if this is standard practice for alignment shop. Can a competent local non-Porshce shop be trusted (don't need track tolerances just a daily driver) or is is too tricky? Are there some threshold questions to ask to determine if they can be trusted? Is it tricky enough that I ought to Drive to the Indy 40 min on possibly whacked alignment? Any input appreciated. thanks,

ps. for the benefit of anyone trying to solve high speed wobbling issues: mine was shaking badly over 80, but got two bent wheels fixed and its smooth as silk now , - was a cheap fix too,

Edited May 1, 2014 by PorscheServiceThen529Plan

[JFP in PA]

I have a 2001 C4 Cab and will be replacing the outer tie rods. Dealer wants $240 for alignment. There is a good Porsche Indy that will do it for $125, but they are 40 minutes away, and there are good local tire and alignment shops that will do it for $69. I got feedback on an earlier thread that there is some tricky-ness to it where they have to hook up to OBD to find zeroed out steering angle, but not clear to me if this is standard practice for alignment shop. Can a competent local non-Porshce shop be trusted (don't need track tolerances just a daily driver) or is is too tricky? Are there some threshold questions to ask to determine if they can be trusted? Is it tricky enough that I ought to Drive to the Indy 40 min on possibly whacked alignment? Any input appreciated. thanks,

ps. for the benefit of anyone trying to solve high speed wobbling issues: mine was shaking badly over 80, but got two bent wheels fixed and its smooth as silk now , - was a cheap fix too,

Without references from people that have used them, it is a total crap shoot. Some know what they are doing, while others look or sound like it but really do not.

[PorscheServiceThen529Plan]

Thanks JFP. Indy shop it is. Probably good to get that contact going anyways because one of these days something will come along where I will chicken out and I think I am done with the local dealer (that left my windows open in the rain and trashed the seats).

[White987S]

$240 for the dealership is not really that bad a price. I'd go there. Your time (80 minutes) is well worth the $115 delta. Do NOT go to the $69 place.

[creekman]

On the same topic, does anyone know if the Porsche PST2 code reader can cancel one code at a time, as opposed to the OBD reader and Durametric program that cancel all the codes at once? To identify which code cancels my faulting water temp gauge I need to know which code it is. None of the codes that are thrown identify the specific code that cancels and restores the water temp gauge.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions...

[fpb111]

Post the codes thrown.

[creekman]

Post the codes thrown.

Here ya go... if I knew which one of these codes cancels the water temp gauge fault it would be extremely helpful. BTW: the reason I have so many engine faults is that the Porsche engine is gone (LS3 V8 is the replacement) so most of these are N/A, I think. But one or more will cancel the water temp gauge fault. As you can see none of the faults would seem to have anything to do with the water temp, expansion level sensor, or the engine room blower?

Thanks,

Edited May 2, 2014 by creekman

[JFP in PA]

Post the codes thrown.

Here ya go... if I knew which one of these codes cancels the water temp gauge fault it would be extremely helpful. BTW: the reason I have so many engine faults is that the Porsche engine is gone (LS3 V8 is the replacement) so most of these are N/A, I think. But one or more will cancel the water temp gauge fault. As you can see none of the faults would seem to have anything to do with the water temp, expansion level sensor, or the engine room blower?

Thanks,

Screenshot 2014-05-02 10.18.08.png

If most of the codes are moot anyway, why not just clear everything, see if the temp gauge starts working, and what codes resurface.

[creekman]

Post the codes thrown.

Here ya go... if I knew which one of these codes cancels the water temp gauge fault it would be extremely helpful. BTW: the reason I have so many engine faults is that the Porsche engine is gone (LS3 V8 is the replacement) so most of these are N/A, I think. But one or more will cancel the water temp gauge fault. As you can see none of the faults would seem to have anything to do with the water temp, expansion level sensor, or the engine room blower?

Thanks,

Screenshot 2014-05-02 10.18.08.png

If most of the codes are moot anyway, why not just clear everything, see if the temp gauge starts working, and what codes resurface.

That is exactly what happens, I clear the codes, the temp gauge comes back online, until it faults again with the same codes that I had previously erased. There doesn't seem to be anyway to narrow the codes down, it's all or nothing. I've got a call into the lead tech at the San Antonio Porsche dealer to see if their PST2 code reader will cancel one code at a time. I doubt that it will...

Thanks for your reply.

[JFP in PA]

Post the codes thrown.

Here ya go... if I knew which one of these codes cancels the water temp gauge fault it would be extremely helpful. BTW: the reason I have so many engine faults is that the Porsche engine is gone (LS3 V8 is the replacement) so most of these are N/A, I think. But one or more will cancel the water temp gauge fault. As you can see none of the faults would seem to have anything to do with the water temp, expansion level sensor, or the engine room blower?

Thanks,

Screenshot 2014-05-02 10.18.08.png

If most of the codes are moot anyway, why not just clear everything, see if the temp gauge starts working, and what codes resurface.

That is exactly what happens, I clear the codes, the temp gauge comes back online, until it faults again with the same codes that I had previously erased. There doesn't seem to be anyway to narrow the codes down, it's all or nothing. I've got a call into the lead tech at the San Antonio Porsche dealer to see if their PST2 code reader will cancel one code at a time. I doubt that it will...

Thanks for your reply.

I'm afraid you are going to find most system dump them all at one time.

[creekman]

Post the codes thrown.

Here ya go... if I knew which one of these codes cancels the water temp gauge fault it would be extremely helpful. BTW: the reason I have so many engine faults is that the Porsche engine is gone (LS3 V8 is the replacement) so most of these are N/A, I think. But one or more will cancel the water temp gauge fault. As you can see none of the faults would seem to have anything to do with the water temp, expansion level sensor, or the engine room blower?

Thanks,

Screenshot 2014-05-02 10.18.08.png

If most of the codes are moot anyway, why not just clear everything, see if the temp gauge starts working, and what codes resurface.

That is exactly what happens, I clear the codes, the temp gauge comes back online, until it faults again with the same codes that I had previously erased. There doesn't seem to be anyway to narrow the codes down, it's all or nothing. I've got a call into the lead tech at the San Antonio Porsche dealer to see if their PST2 code reader will cancel one code at a time. I doubt that it will...

Thanks for your reply.

I'm afraid you are going to find most system dump them all at one time.

Sadly I'm sure you're right... I'll have to figure something else out to stop the water temp faulting...

Thanks,