CEL Oxygen Sensor

[vheidenr]

Hello folks. I am contemplating purchasing a 98 boxster (black exterior, red leather interior), 5 speed that has 30K miles on it. From an exterior perspective, the car looks close to mint. The interior is sharp too.

When I arrived at the dealership (Not a Porsche dealer), the rep mentioned to me that while the owner of the business was driving the car this afternoon, the CEL came on. He had apparently had the car diagnosed later that afternoon (I arrived 5 hours later for a test drive) and was told that the problem was a faulty oxygen sensor. The dealership told me that they would certainly have this problem fixed should I decide to purchase the car.

All else was pretty solid with the exception of a few minor issues. The clutch seemed to engage especially high, there was a small crack in the plastic window (not sure that I need an expert fix on this as this will be my summer car), and I'm not certain the car has had the dreaded 30K service. Also, the key did not have the "innards" for the keyless entry feature. All of this again, the dealer said that they would rectify prior to a potential purchase.

The price of this car seems pretty reasonable. My question is, given these issues, do you folks recommend that I look for something/anything else before closing the deal.

The car looks sweet, but I'm concerned about purchasing someone's nightmare especially given the fact that the car will not be certified. I do have a certified car on my radar, that will likely have 7K more miles and will be about $10K more expensive. (Budgets from "el dictateur" can really spoil a parade :-))

Thanks in advance for your help.

I have a few other cars to look at tomorrow, but I tend to be an "instant gratification" type of guy. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks again....

Vince

[vheidenr]

Well the weekend has come and gone...Happy father's day to all. I was hoping for a little more help before making the plunge....but alas, none came. Now that I own the '98 boxster, I'd welcome commentary on any/all items that I should scrutinize.

Thanks again in advance for your experienced insight.

Regards,

Vince

[Tool Pants]

Look in the service book for any stamps. If you know which dealer serviced the car you can get the service history from the VIN if they will give it to you. If you like to tinker you can do the 30k service yourself.