Q – My Boxster rear window is damaged and the top is also worn. I would like to have a more durable window and I wonder if a glass window can be installed along with the new top. Who do you recommend for this work? Matt
A – You are in luck Matt, you can upgrade to the glass window and you can even get the job done at a special price, if you can wait until June 23rd. One of our advertisers in the newsletter, Paul’s Interiors, is looking for one candidate for a demo Boxster top installation at Devil’s in the Details, and you could be the one. It won’t be free, but they assure me that the price will be lower than you can have the work done anywhere else.
Now if you are like me, you want proof that you are truly getting the best deal on the work. I suggest that you shop around first then call Paul’s to get their regular price. There are a number of shops in the Metro Detroit area that are competent and recommended by dealers or other shops so call a few and find out what the going rate is. Paul’s installed a 993 top on my early Carrera and I could not be more pleased. MC
NOTE: To any other Boxster owner who wants a new top, you can watch the installation process and view the quality of the work first hand. If Matt chooses to decline having his done, members should contact Paul’s for this one time offer to the first club member who signs up.
Q – My 2005 Carrera has been starting fine but last time I took it in for an oil change, the battery tested at only 12 volts static when is should have been 12.6 volts. While I thought that it was just fine, I was told that it was in a low state of charge. The shop mentioned a possible charging system or amp draw as possible causes of this condition but again, the car started fine so I did not think it was a real problem. Since I planned to visit a dealership for another matter anyway, I decided to get a second opinion. They agreed that the battery was low but then told me that it was not a Genuine Porsche and it was too small for the car. At this point, I became perturbed, as I had just bought that battery from yet another dealer the year before. So I went back to dealer A and mentioned that dealer B said that dealer A had sold me the wrong battery and that is was too small for the car. Dealer A disagreed, insisting that there was no problem with the battery and that it was the correct battery for the car. Furthermore they refused to do anything about it. I then returned to dealer B and had them install a Genuine Porsche battery. Did I get scammed? Dave
Dave, something is fishy here on a number of levels. Starting with the last issue first, Porsche does not manufacture batteries for their cars, they purchase them from a vendor who labels them with a “Genuine” label and then they are sold through the dealer network. Dealers are not obligated to sell only “Genuine” batteries. There are a number of reasons to consider alternatives. One factor is warranty coverage, another is brand recognition, and finally there is price. If there was a difference which you considered significant, you might have gone with a Genuine Porsche product. Apparently they did not give you a choice. Shame on them for that; now you are ticked off and you won’t go back.
As far as the size of the battery being a cause for low voltage, I disagree. The external size of the battery relative to capacity can fool you. The smaller battery can have the same or better ratings than the Genuine battery. The only way to know for certain is to compare the specifications, but unfortunately dealer B did not do that. They replaced your one year old battery, took it in as a “core exchange” and sold you a new battery that possibly has a shorter warranty than the one they removed. I find that annoying, especially since I like you. Something definitely smells fishy to me.
When a battery tests low on charge, the logical thing to do is slow charge it, load test it again, then call it pass or fail. Simply finding it low on charge does not constitute failure. After all, you said it: “the car was starting fine.” When I find a battery low, a series of questions follows and I may recommend a battery but only as a test part, not simply because I am in the business of selling batteries. I suspect that you have a problem with the car or the charging system, since you have now replaced two batteries within one year. If left undiagnosed, my hunch is that sooner than later, you will have a symptom that will bring you back in for a diagnosis…I hope it is not on a flat bed. MC
Q – My 2002 Boxster has a squealing noise in the rear end. I take pride in maintaining my car in top condition and I am also an engineer. Things like this really annoy me. My wife is also an engineer. I have spent a lot of money on this car and I want to keep it. If I cannot get this problem solved, she wants me to sell the car and buy a Toyota. When I had the car in for other work, they could not find it. Then I took it to another shop, squealing all the way, but when I arrived, the noise was GONE! I was astounded and took a ride…no noise! I do not want to replace my Boxster with a Toyota! I want to take my wife on a ride with me and not worry that the car may fall apart. Larry
A – Subtle symptoms are tough. And when they are intermittent…Good Luck! I have tried to experience problems with thousands of cars that refused to cooperate. This is a serious problem that can cause people to sell their cars!
Inside the car while driving, wind noise, engine sounds and traffic make it very difficult to discern the nature of the noise and location. Test drives exceeding a hundred miles are not unheard of. With the price of gas and the value of time, you have to consider “outside the box” methods. Solid state video cameras and recorders are cheap and can be suction cupped or attached to cars to make cool videos or…capture intermittent events! By strategically placing recording devices on your car, the problem might be isolated. By posting the sound or video on a tech site, you might even find that your problem is not that uncommon in the world of the web. The engineers who designed your car had it wired for sound in hundreds of places. But you knew that…you are an engineer. So take heart, the problem will be found. MC
Q – I recently had my car inspected for a rattle in the front end and there was “no problem found.” When I drove my car away, I could still hear the rattle. I wondered how they missed it, when I can hear it plain as day. I took it back and they recommended new stabilizer links and bushings. I was somewhat suspicious since those parts were replaced before I ever went to them. I went along with it since they are the “experts”. Now they are telling me that the stabilizer bracket was loose and that the bushings were OK after all. My head is spinning. How could something as simple as a loose part be overlooked during an inspection? I am grateful that they did not simply replace parts that I did not need and found the problem. How did they miss it the first time? Salvatore.
A – I am a fan of C.S.I. When I see the acronym “NPF” from another shop, it is like a red cape in front of a bull. The gauntlet is laid! I like a good mystery and a challenge so I dug deeper into this for you. When they did the inspection, of course, they lifted the car. In doing so they “loaded the suspension in full droop”. When the car is unloaded, on a lift, certain components may appear to be tight which are not tight at all when the car is on the ground. It is easy to be fooled. I have been.
Stabilizer components are supposed to be unloaded during normal operation on a smooth road. In fact, if you install a new, cool, full zoot stabilizer bar, the instructions clearly state that final adjustments should only be done with the car on its own weight.
I then put on my Sherlock Holmes hat and look for red dust around a joint, discoloration or an oddly different color on the surface around a joint. In the case of your car, the tip off turned out to be shiny metal around two components that should have been firmly mated together. Indeed the bushings had been replaced. If a new fastener had also been installed and properly torqued, I would not have had this opportunity to dazzle you with my wit and wisdom. MC
Q – My 98 Boxster has a problem with the tonneau cover sitting crooked. I took it in to a local shop and they informed me that the convertible top transmissions needed to be upgraded with a newer design. I had them do it but when I went to pick the car up, I discovered that the tonneau cover was now sitting even MORE crooked. Then I was told that the car had to go to a body shop since they do not do body work. I am very unhappy about this and I am out quite a bit of money too. What is your take on this? Phillip
A – Who wouldn’t be frustrated!. When you spend a lot of money on a service, you want it done, not half done. Over the years, Porsche has tried many different convertible top transmissions and the original Boxster units were not only noisy, they also had a problem with getting out of “sync” and bending the top frame components. Without a doubt, you were wise to upgrade them. The newer ones are bullet proof. It makes sense that they would have suggested replacement. However, I find it puzzling that you were not warned that replacing the transmissions alone would not cure a twisted tonneau cover. Oops.
Before going to the body shop, check the levers and arms to be sure that they are not bent. I would compare them to new arms. Simply looking at them tells you nothing since they have a very artistic geometric curve even when they are brand new. I take the old arms, align them with new arms, use a rod through the pivot points, put a carpenter square on the flat surfaces, take measurements and verify that they are identical in every dimension, plane, and pivot angle. I wish I had the factory measuring jig, but I don’t.
The tonneau might, indeed, need to be straightened at a body shop. Sometimes, it can merely be “tweaked” back into shape. If the shop is uncomfortable with the process, one of the finer shops in the P4 will cheerfully accommodate you. In some cases I have seen the body pivot bracket, which is spot welded to the inner fender, so badly twisted that the body shop is the only place that can fix it. MC
Q – My 86 930 Turbo has been the joy in my life and a curse. I still love it though I am freezing. I took it in three times complaining of lack of heat but got nothing except warm feelings. The problem is, the feelings only last until I get to the end of the driveway then I freeze again. Help. Ron
A – These older heating systems are tricky. But analyzing why you have no heat is simple. You have two heater control boxes attached to the body on either side of the transmission. When you need heat, two cables, attached to the electronic heater control module between the seats, open the valves, turn on the fans and viola’ you get heat. What could be simpler?; certainly not this system.
The most common failure is the linkage coupling in the module. It is cheap and so easy that I am sure they have already looked at it. Since Porsche was trying to make the system sophisticated they added a sample motor to monitor the cabin temperature, heat sensors at the control boxes to monitor the heat temperature, a circuit board to sort it all out, then a servo motor to convert the input into output. Oh and I should mention the numerous fans that distribute or boost the flow.
The time consuming part is figuring out which component or component(s) have failed. For that, I use a test car (borrowed with permission of course” to compare inputs and outputs which are poorly documented in the service manual. Then, again with permission, component swapping takes place. Why not just replace what you think is wrong? The parts cost alone can top $2,000 for genuine Porsche parts if you simply fire the “parts cannon” at it. So one must proceed cautiously when spending some one else’s money.
I am certain that if you take this approach, you will have heat again, fall in love with your “beast” and take it out on cold November days without frosted toes. MC
Q – I am thinking of taking my car to the track and I want to learn more about it. I am not sure if my car is ready for it or if I am ready for it. Steve
A – You are in good company. At the last “Intro to D.E.” tech session these topics were amply covered by my rabid motorhead friends in the club. Don’t fret, there is more fun to come.
In March and again in April, you can learn more about what it is like to wring every last horsepower out of that flat six. So come over to Gilson Motorsports in March to learn the differences between “track” cars and daily driven cars that are taken to D.E. And if your appetite has been sufficiently whetted, bring your car to Munk’s Motors for the next D.E. Tech Inspection day where your car will be inspected to determine if it is suitable to take to a D.E.
If you are still uncertain, take a holiday and come out to the track to see just what goes on and get a ride with an instructor. It that doesn’t scare you and if you think you are ready to learn how to drive your car the way it was intended, sign up and join the party. MC
Q – I am itching to drive my car and I went out to start it. The battery was dead. I know you covered it last year but please just explain it briefly. Dave
A – Simple.
1) Don’t jump start the car and expect the alternator to charge it, it may FRY.
2) Charge the battery with jumper cables and another car for about 15 minutes.
3) After you have some voltage in the battery, still don’t start it. Put it on a slow 10 to 15 amp charge at least overnight to build up the battery.
4) Then start it up and let it warm up while you check the tire pressures.
5) Air up the tires, take it out and have a ball. MC
Q – I feel lousy. I love my car but it just dumped on me. I took it in for an oil change and my mechanic mentioned that my clutch pedal felt rough when pressing it down or letting it up. I wasn’t really concerned about it since the clutch was replaced about a year and a half ago. I mentioned that…and he suggested that I take it back to the place that replaced it and get their opinion.
So I did, and they agreed that it was a problem. So far so good, I authorized them to take it apart again to see what had gone wrong.
Now I want to state that I am not hard on a clutch and it still felt very strong, it just had this odd sensation in the pedal. They took it apart and said that other parts in the system had failed and that when they did the work originally, they were OK. So I said “go ahead and replace them but I want to speak to the service manager about the issue”. Well they fixed it, and presented me with a bill for about $2,500. That is almost what it cost to have the work done the last time. I am very upset and I hope you can explain it too me. I am not a mechanic. Chuck
A – There are many ways to approach a problem and deal with it. If one were to do only what is asked and nothing more, disappointment down the road is inevitable. When I was young, my Dad, who was an engineer, stressed the wisdom of spending a little more time to think a problem through and figure out how to make it better. His philosophy was “if you can improve the design for lifespan, performance or cost, you could make an informed choice about how you want to do it”. So when one is given only one choice, not the range of possibilities, details can get overlooked with devastating consequences.
I was young when my Dad started hammering this concept into my pubescent brain, so I usually ignored him and tried to do things quickly. I did not want to take the time to do them well. I had a party to go to, a gig to play or any other immature excuse. I was frequently bitten. I learned that if you did not take the time to do things right, somehow you could always find the time to do them over again. After I started my career, I discovered that folks do not take kindly to being charged again. They get quite testy about it. You learn fast.
Getting charged again would frost me too. On one hand, if they had given you a choice to replace the widget while the thing was apart, you would have said “yes of course, it only makes sense” After all, you love your car and you can afford a Porsche, so why didn’t they?
My theory is that the person working on the car did not know you. He did not know how you felt about the car or how much you loved it. Your advisor may not have been familiar with the car or the potential problems that could crop up later. In fact, that guy might have already moved on to another place. It sounds like a disconnect…a breakdown of communication.
I apologize for your frustration. You did not deserve it and even though I was not involved in the decisions, I empathize. You deserved better and I wish I had been there to advise you. MC
Q – I have a 1986 Porsche 944 that I just purchased last year. It is my first Porsche and I absolutely love the car. When I was considering the car, I had a local shop check things over. One of the several things they recommended was replacement of the timing and balance shaft belts. The belts on the car didn’t “look bad,” and I had paperwork showing that they had been replaced in 1995, about sixteen years before…but they only had about 20,000 miles on them. The water pump and all of the pulleys that the belts ride on were replaced at that time. The shop that made this recommendation said that it was an age-related suggestion, that timing belts should be replaced preemptively every ten years or so, regardless of the mileage on them. I’d heard that advice from other Porsche owners, so I told them to go ahead and do it. They told me at the time that the pulleys “sounded good” and didn’t have any noticeable problems…unlike the belts, they said, the pulleys don’t have an age-related failure record, so they didn’t replace them at that time. I was somewhat relieved, since they had mentioned that the pulleys plus labor would cost a few hundred dollars extra.
Fast-forward about six months: I’ve got the car in that same shop for an oil pressure warning issue. My oil light came on a few times, and I had it taken to the shop immediately. While they were working on checking out the oil pressure, they noticed a whining noise coming from under the timing covers. They removed the covers, and heard one of the tensioner pulleys for the timing belt making both a whining and a clicking noise. Now they’re telling me that they want to replace the pulleys…and that it’s going to cost as much as the timing belt job they did six months ago! What gives? Why didn’t anybody tell me to replace the pulleys when they first had it apart? – Mike
A – Mike, this is a sensitive topic. The question of whether to “shotgun” a timing belt job gets more complicated when the job was done a long time before. It is certainly true that rubber will dry-rot with age, and that it is a general, industry-wide bit of conventional wisdom to replace timing (and balance shaft) belts at roughly ten-year intervals. It is also true that the idler and tensioner pulleys can live a much longer useful lifespan than the belts; being mostly metal, they wear out much more due to mileage than failing due to age. At our shop, we have performed belt replacements with and without pulleys, and frequently, the pulleys can last twice the lifespan of the belts. This can be very convenient for the car owner, as it does reduce the cost of any given replacement operation.
It is also true, however, that if the belts are replaced without replacing the pulleys (or water pump) and one of those components fails at a later date, the whole thing does have to come back apart. Because of this fact, and because just getting the belts off and on takes anywhere from five to seven hours, we usually recommend a “shotgun” replacement of the pulleys and the water pump at the same time as the belts. I wouldn’t necessarily blame the guys who just did your job…if the pulleys were not making noise at that time, and if there was evidence that they were only 20,000 miles old, the shop had every reason to believe that they could save you a fair amount of money with no penalty. It’s a tough call.
To add yet another element of complexity, there are multiple oil seals on the front end of the motor (camshaft, crankshaft, and both balance shafts) that can also only be accessed during a timing belt removal and reinstallation. At the very least, those seals need to be inspected closely…if there is ANY evidence of leaks or seepage, it’s time to replace them! If they are “bone dry,” then it becomes an optional thing, just like the pulleys. Replacing all of the seals at once tacks on yet another several-hundred-dollar charge, and so again it’s a tough call. We usually don’t insist on seals, but we do inspect them closely, and any hint of wetness triggers the “red light” for our techs. MC