Any 996 owners in the Charlotte area ?

[Pressed]

Hey guys, I have relocated from Columbia, S.C. to the Charlotte area and was wondering if there is a group of folks interested in meeting, mentoring, exchanging notes and helping with some DIY's on our cars. Consider it a bartering system of knowledge and skills. Outside of an engine rebuild, we can help each other maintain our machines by coaching each other on DIY's ie. changing the fuel filler vent valve, cleaning the IACV (Idle air control valve), changing the fuel filter, changing O2 sensors. We can do a Northlake Mall "Showout" or a location agreeable to all interested. You get the idea. Hope to get some feedback on this as I'm very much interested in learning all that I can about my 1999 996 and to also ask you questions regarding preferred indys in the area and prospects of helping each other in maintaining our rides with some form of monetary compensation for the use of our time, tools and know how. Anyone interested ? I hope this type of post is legit. It's only a proposal for those who are as passionate about their 996's as I am with no offense to those who are as equally passionate about their cars but may not verbalize.

[royp4]

I am in a small town about 70 miles south of Charlotte. I have an 03 C2 Cab. Sharing of knowledge and tips would be great for me. I too would be interested in reputable indys in the Charlotte area. I love my dealer but **** repairs are expensive.

[Pressed]

Hey Royp4, I hear you as far as the crazy markup on service by the "stealerships'. If you're closer to Columbia, SC, you may want to consider Sandy Run Auto on North Main Street. The shop is not much to look at (take my word for it) and it may appear as a notch above shade tree auto repair, but Mike knows these cars and his prices are very reasonable. Mike onreplaced the rotors and brake sensors on my 1999 996 Manual Convertible before I took possession of it from the auto broker I purchased it from and have had no problems at all. Mike is also knowledgeable about the other systems in these cars ie. Emissions. Anything outside of an engine rebuild, I would seek Mike out. First come, first serve and you may want to be first in line. The shop is across the street from a major automotive store like Autozone or Advanced Auto but you may want to consider ordering parts online from ECS Tuning , RM European or Partsgeek ahead of time so you can have him do a remove and replace. Here in Charlotte, I've heard that BlackForest racing is pretty good and I plan on visiting with them to see how their prices are, Black Forest Racing was suggested by another Indy that looked out for my car while I was living in Columbia but I think they began to think that my pockets were deeper than they actually were so that's when I began reading my maintenance book by Bentleys and have to date, changed the fuel filler vent valve, purge valve, charcoal canister, s change over valve associated with the purge valve and lastly the serpentine belt. Have you done any DIY's ?

[russelljones48]

If you're North of Charlotte there are a couple of good shops in Denver NC.  They are both on the same little industrial loop.  Both come recommended but I have only used 1, Black Forest Racing.  I can recommend the shop (they did my IMS bearing) and John and Cody (father and son) are both highly experienced and very personable.

 

rj  

[Pressed]

RussellJones 48, Thanks for the heads up on the 2 Indy's north of Charlotte. Every bit of info helps when you' re  looking for quality service at reasonable costs. One of my Indy's in Columbia(not Sandy Run Auto mentioned previously but a "die hard" Porsche shop) had suggested BlackForest racing as a reputable shop for ensuring that my ride is kept "tight". I'm reluctant to mention the name of this shop because I made mention in my previous post that I believe they were getting a little too comfortable with my wallet. At that time, I knew very little about the systems so whaddaya do ? (That's right, pay them and cry later :( In all fairness to them, I will not drop names. They saw that I was a newbie and may have taken slight advantage of my naivete and my want to have my ride free of major issues. Can you give me the name of the other Indy north of Charlotte ? Would like to see what kind of feel I get from each.

[Pressed]

Hey RoyP4, you still on the airwaves ? If there's any questions that you have, you've come to the right place. Loren and Ahsai are excellent with the advice they give and will take the time to walk you through the steps that we 996 owners may be opt to overlook.  Are you having any issues with your ride ? or have you had any issues with it ? Let's share some stories if you're up to it. I know I have been throwing a CEL since I purchased the car. The notorious P1411 and P0410 which are emissions codes. Took the car to autozone months ago and it displayed the air shut off valve as the culprit (the first valve you get to behind the secondary air injection pump) The cost for repair is north of $500.00. I purchased a used valve and another valve (air injection valve) from specialized german and want to have an Indy remove and replace. I'm hoping that BlackForest Racing or the other Indy can quote me a price just a little south of $500.00. Hey, worth the try right ? shout back RoyP4. Let's hear from you, bro

[royp4]

I am currently having a problem with slow top opening and closing, as well as clamshell not closing completely when lowering top. I have topped up the hydraulic fluid on two occasions which was a temporary fix. I have not been able to locate a fluid leak, but there must be one somewhere. any tips on where to look would be greatly appreciated. I have performed minor DIYs like replacing brake light switch and headlight bulbs. Haven't performed any major jobs as this is my DD and I fear that I might screw up something leading to a long downtime with no way to travel.

[royp4]

By the way, 2003 C2 Cabriolet.

[Pressed]

Hey Royp4, I had a similar problem @ 3 months after purchasing my 996 and what the mechanic did was "re synch" the flaps on both sides of the car that you can see while the top is going back. I remember specifically him saying that occasionally there may be a lag between the two flaps (are we talking microseconds here? maybe) where the cycle gets interrupted and as a result, the top may not go back into its perch completely or may not go up. Your situation appears different. You stated that your top closes and opens very slowly and that your clamshell doesn't close all the way. Did something fall in that "dead zone" near the back window that may be hemming it up ? You would probably notice that but ya never know. You stated that you changed the hydraulic fluid and checked for leaks. Did you ensure that the fuse is still good. Ensure that all the fuses involved in convertible top operation are good (most obvious, least obvious theory). Do you have a scanning tool and when you get the top back as far as it will go, do you get an indication on your instrument cluster (blinking light for top operation ?)

[royp4]

Thank you Pressed. Turns out I have found a leak. The driver's side hydraulic cylinder has a major leak. I am in need of a replacement cylinder, but can't shell out $800 for a new OEM cylinder. I need a provider of refurbished or used cylinders that are reasonably priced. Any info is greatly appreciated. Again, thank you for taking the time to respond.

[Pressed]

Not a problem, royp4. I myself would try some of the used Porsche part dealers. I use specialized german for my parts that may be in the stratosphere with price. Also take advantage of ebay if you haven't done so. If I spot a hydraulic cylinder in my searches that I think may be a good fit pricewise, I'll definitely let you know. I gotta ask, how were you able to determine that you had a major leak ? was it obvious or did you have to dig deeper ? That's some good troubleshooting.

[royp4]

After topping up the fluid on two occasions, only to have the top action slowly degrade, I suspected a leak. A visual inspection of the driver's side cylinder was inconclusive. The old touch test showed me that the cylinder piston was covered in hydraulic fluid. Crude but effective.

[Pressed]

Sounds like you gave it the ole "fruit ripened pluck test" which resulted in your being able to know your next move. You're right. Crude but effective and sometimes the answer lies in the realm of the elementary instead of the complex. Were you able to locate a hydraulic cylinder ? I though I came across a shop that refurbishes hydraulic cylinders for these cars but I believe it involves mailing the part to the shop that actually performs this task and I thought you said that this is your daily driver and wasn't sure how long the shop may take in performing the process.

[royp4]

I did find a company. They sent me two cylinders which I hope to install tomorrow. Then I return my old cylinders to them for a $300 refund. Total cost after refund will be about $400. It was hard to find anyone who had them in stock and was willing to ship them before receiving my old ones. Decided to go ahead and change both sides, as that seems to be the consensus opinion as to what to do. I'll let you know how it goes.

[Pressed]

I'm glad everything is working out for you on this. I have a slow leak on my rear left tire (Invo Nitto 18" Z rateds). I only drove @ 10k miles on these and have a lot of tread left but apparently the autobroker that my autobroker bought the car from hadn't performed a 4 wheel alignment on the car so I have a vertical line of separation on the tread that is located on the inner side of the tire. Can you say 88% life used ?  Went into Discount tire thinking that they could do a quick patch and find this out (jeesh). I called the Nitto customer service and after a lot of bantering back and forth and escalating this case (The tires were supposedly placed on the car from the other autobroker prior to me taking possession of it), the supervisor authorized a 25% discount on a set of new tires to the tune of $383.00. Not too bad, that includes balancing, installation and the whole nine yards. Got a question for you. Have you ever tinkered with the secondary air injection system ? I'm  somewhat leary about doing this since it involves removal of the alternator, air tubes etc. I'm getting price quotes of @ 500.00 and must admit I don't want to pay that amount. Or are you familiar with someone who has done this as a DIY. I need to change the air injection valve and air change over valve to stop the CEL (P1411 and P0410, both emissions codes).

[royp4]

I replaced the hydraulic cylinders over the weekend. Took about 4 hours, but I have been accused of being slow. So far cabrio top is working like new. On a side note, I also decided to replace driver's side window regulator with a genuine Porsche regulator purchased from PelicanParts. Cracked door apart and removed old regulator which was trashed. Then opened brand new regulator only to find it had a broken part. Having no other option, I went ahead and put new regulator in the car. Worked ok. I was kind of angry and posted about my frustration on Facebook Sunday night. Monday at noon I received a call from Pelican. They are shipping another new regulator (hopefully not broken), so this weekend I guess I'll take the door apart again and replace the new broken regulator with the new (hopefully unbroken) regulator. These DIY projects certainly are eating into the little bit of free time I have. Will continue to update.

[Pressed]

Wow, that sounds like quite the daunting DIY for someone like me. Window regulator, Hydraulic cylinders ? I've always envied those with the guts to do some of the things which require thinking through the problem while knowing what parts belong where and the order and reverse order of the processes involved. That takes determination and the determination sometimes comes easy owning our cars cause the stealerships and some indies included are out to watch us bleed green for some relatively easy projects y'know ? Man, give yourself a pat on the back for these DIY's. You deserve I, bro. Keep me informed on your progress.

[royp4]

Thank you Pressed. Trust me on this, I am no mechanical genius. I have found a wealth of information on this site concerning various DIY repairs. I really believe that by taking a methodical approach and doing some research, we can do more than we think we can. I feel certain that you aren't giving yourself enough credit. If I can help you in any way, please feel free to contact me. I am no expert like Loren, but will be happy to attempt to guide you in the right direction.

[royp4]

On 10/19/2016 at 3:19 PM, royp4 said:

I replaced the hydraulic cylinders over the weekend. Took about 4 hours, but I have been accused of being slow. So far cabrio top is working like new. On a side note, I also decided to replace driver's side window regulator with a genuine Porsche regulator purchased from PelicanParts. Cracked door apart and removed old regulator which was trashed. Then opened brand new regulator only to find it had a broken part. Having no other option, I went ahead and put new regulator in the car. Worked ok. I was kind of angry and posted about my frustration on Facebook Sunday night. Monday at noon I received a call from Pelican. They are shipping another new regulator (hopefully not broken), so this weekend I guess I'll take the door apart again and replace the new broken regulator with the new (hopefully unbroken) regulator. These DIY projects certainly are eating into the little bit of free time I have. Will continue to update.

The new replacement regulator arrived Friday so I attempted installation today. This regulator was not cracked or broken in any way. I removed the brand new cracked regulator which was working fine and installed the new regulator. After installation, I found that the window would only raise halfway. Nothing I tried would make a difference. Out of desperation I took out the brand new uncracked regulator and reinstalled the brand new cracked regulator. It worked perfectly. I am at a loss for an explanation as to what caused this. I welcome comments and suggestions. Thank you

[Pressed]

Say whaaaaaat ?  I'd really be at my boiling point about now but I'm totally speechless as far as any advice I could offer. I simply don't know. If the circuit is sound and apparently it is because the new cracked regulator is functioning as designed but has an imperfection/flaw in that it's cracked. Can you put a price on a flawed part ?. Maybe one could say that due to the crack, the part would fail sooner than a part that was not cracked (take into account the effects of temperature, vibration and action on the cracked regulator). I myself would take a picture of the part (the cracked regulator that works) with  the your smart phone, send it to your email address, go in and save it in your picture file and send it to the seller. I would request some kind of a refund on that part, whatever you feel is fair and reasonable. If you can live with a cracked regulator which you can't see anyway due to its perch behind the door panel, what else can one really do other than demand some kind of justice if the crack compromises the longevity of the regulator y'know ? I  mean, your time is valuable and you could possibly swap out another regulator with the same problem or both !!!. Diplomacy and assertiveness pays off when dealing with some of these online retailers especially if a art was purchased through ebay. Ebay has staff that mediate the whole process. You don't have to trash the seller but let them or an assigned mediator know of your dissatisfaction with the purchased part. No real words of wisdom here, bro. You need to make the seller aware and hopefully the seller can meet you halfway. Hope all goes well with you and the seller.

[royp4]

I purchased the regulator from Pelican Parts. They were very attentive to my problem and rapidly sent the replacement regulator. They asked that I return the cracked regulator to them and paid for shipping. As I did not wish to tear the door apart yet again, I kept the cracked regulator and returned the new regulator that didn't work. I have no quibble with Pelican, as they responded quickly to my dilemma. I did not even contact them about the replacement regulator not working properly, but just returned it and kept the cracked one that is working. Will I regret this decision in the future? Who knows. I'm just happy to have a working window and cabrio top. I want to stress that I have no beef with Pelican, and am sure I will make other purchases from them in the future. They will probably be a little puzzled when they receive the new uncracked regulator I returned.

[Coy Gillenwater]

Hey.. I am in Indian Trail... Suburb of Charlotte...

[Pressed]

Pleasure to meet you Coy. Mmm Indian Trail eh ?   My wife and I did some house hunting not far from Indian Trail in Waxhaw last year when we were still residing in Columbia, SC. Nice area. Horse country for sure. What are you driving on the weekends, Coy ?