Q – I just got my 1992 Carrera 4 out for the summer and what a surprise. The taillights on the left side don’t work and I can see water inside them. The dome light fell out and it doesn’t work. I am also getting a “light show “on my dash. Numerous warning lights are coming on at random as I drive the car. If I turn it off and then back on, they all work normally for a while. My radio is also dead. I had none of these problems when I stored it last fall. – Marc
A – Sounds like it is time to do some electrical spring cleaning. This is what makes keeping old cars such a treat. There is always something to tinker with. Isn’t it great when you can actually fix things? Got a few hours to play with your Porsche? Let’s dig in.
The taillights on this model leak water and the contacts have probably corroded on the lighting sockets or in the plugs. First remove the assemblies and drain the water. Look for some white crusty residue or red rust on the sockets or around the terminals. That shmutz is the byproduct of galvanic corrosion and it is easily brushed off to make a good contact again unless it has rotted the contacts out of the socket. If the sockets have rotted beyond cleaning, bulbs can be “hard wired” to the harness, if you prefer to spend your cash on necessities. Since the sockets are not available as a separate part this is an economical and reliable repair. Once you clean everything, apply a thin layer of silicone dielectric grease to the areas that corroded.
Of course then there’s the issue of how did the water get into the taillight if it is not broken? The lenses are heat welded to the reflector and the weld has probably failed. If you can afford it, just replace them. The problem is, the new ones won’t match the color of the others since the red tends to fade and they become pink. The other problem is the extreme cost of two new lights and the center taillight. So if you are industrious, you can try to reseal them. And if the reseal doesn’t work, I cover my bets by drilling three tiny drain holes in the bottom of the reflector so any water that gets in can also get out. If the water can’t attack the metal, the taillights should be as reliable as they were for the first 17 years.
The dome light fell out of the roof since the plastic housing has warped from age and heat. It seems to happen to all Cabrios. If it works fine otherwise, you can increase tension on the little bullet shaped pins by adding some discretely placed layers of tape. I prefer narrow strips of blue or green masking tape. Don’t use electrical tape, duct tape, or scotch tape. It tends to get gooey.
As far as the dome light not working, I bet that the rubber boots for the dome light switches are rotted. Look carefully. When water runs down the A-pillar, it seeps into the switch if the boot is torn. Once water seeps in, corrosion occurs at the contact point (which you can’t see) and the dome light switch fails to turn the light on. You can unscrew the switch, clean it with contact cleaner and a small brush then lubricate it with silicone grease. With a new boot, just like the taillights, you are good for years.
That light show on the dash can have numerous causes. When your battery goes dead, a number of things can happen if you jump the car. If the systems that are indicated actually function, worry less about the lights and take it in for a computer scan. This may reveal the source of the fault and it can also reset the computer to basic settings. On some Carreras I have found the ignition switch intermittently failing which will also cause this symptom (it is not a very expensive part.) Once your vehicle is reset / rebooted, it will begin learning your driving style to optimize fuel mixture, ignition timing, and POWER!
The radio fuse may have blown due to a power surge. If you can remove the radio, check the fuse on the back and replace it. If you can’t see it blown, that doesn’t mean that it will pass current. Check it with a meter. Once the radio powers up, if it is in “code” or “safe” mode, it will need to be reset with your security code. If you have the code but don’t know how to reset it, pay a kid to do it, they are a lot smarter than us when it comes to electronics. Ask me, I have two teenagers. –MC
Q – On my 85 Carrera it is time to replace the brake hoses and I have mixed feelings about stainless steel braided brake hoses. My mechanic recommended them but I like the feel of the original rubber hoses and I have driven cars with the aftermarket hoses. What do you think? Terry
A – Although I have my preferences, here are the facts. Both types are perfectly fine for your car and safety is not a factor when they are properly installed. The rubber sheathed hoses do have more resilience than the stainless steel. They have a small degree of softness by comparison under normal usage. On the track however, the difference may be a lot more obvious. Race cars use stainless steel for the sharper feel that they provide.
Original hoses are not expensive but they actually cost more than the stainless. So cost is not a significant factor. Installation is identical for both but here is the rub (bad pun). Rubber hoses have an abrasion resistant rubber outer layer that prevents wear from destroying the fabric inner braid that gives the hose its strength. The stainless steel hoses do not have this protective layer and when poorly installed, the stainless braid can rub through. This can lead to sudden brake failure when you need them the most. It happened to me and taught me to be very vigilant with hose installation. – MC
Q – I am excited to get my car out and blast down I-75 with my Valentine One on highway mode. I am ready but I wonder if my Carrera is. I put it away with the tires pumped up, fresh oil, etc. Anything I should do as I get it out? Pete
A – There are a few components that need special attention on a stored car: One is the battery. I talk a lot about batteries so if you find this boring, skip to the next tip. But that pesky battery sure can cause a lot of problems. It sits all winter with nothing to do, nowhere to go, no exercise and then we expect it to rise to the occasion and crank the car. It’s like running a marathon without a warm up.
Batteries contain acid. Acid can eat holes in your body (and your car’s body too). Batteries output explosive hydrogen gas. Yes, the same gas that led to the demise of the Hindenburg, another fine German machine. Why is this important? Three reasons: 1) Your battery might have gotten low on charge over the winter. 2) You might need to jump it. 3) You don’t want to blow it.
When your battery is low, follow safe jumping processes. Connect the positive cables first, then the negative cable to the dead car last. This minimizes the likelihood of a dead short that might cause sparks (or fire). Verify the positive and negative terminals and don’t simply trust the colors of the cables. I have made this mistake a couple times and it is truly thrilling! If the battery doesn’t even have enough juice to turn the car over at a normal speed, don’t jump it, charge it. And if you charge it, remember the Hindenburg. Keep sparks away. The safest method of disconnecting a battery charger is to unplug it at the outlet first, then disconnect the battery.
Tires need some annual inspection too. Don’t forget to reduce the tire pressure to summer specs. (you did keep them pumped up over the winter didn’t you?) Check the pressure and notice the deviations between where you had inflated them versus where they are now. It is significant when you notice a deviation between tires. You need to keep your eye on that. Say your right rear tire lost 10 pounds and the other three lost 5. After your run down the freeway, check them again and recheck them in a week or so. If you notice that right rear tire low again, you either have a nail in it or a rim leak.
When you take your car out on the freeway, does it shake? Perhaps it didn’t shake when you stored it, but it does now. This is not uncommon on stored cars. Some tires are notorious for flat spotting while other brands are not. So how long should it take to go away? On my car, with old, aged out rubber, it would take about two mils then it was gone. Other cars I have driven took longer and some, not all.
As you sat in your car, fantasizing about that drive, did you notice that funny odor? Every spring a half dozen or so cars arrive with nests, chewed wiring, and that disgusting smell of rodents who have desecrated your Porsche with urine and worse.
I remember that Saturday in spring. As I washed my car I realized that the trunk was not shut all the way. I didn’t think much of it. I mopped up the water around the weather stripping and figured that it needed to be cleaned as well. That night, after the wash, I was justifiably proud of my fine work and took my darling wife to dinner. Her comment? “Gee honey the car looks great but WHAT IS THAT SMELL!!
On Sunday, I took the entire trunk apart, the heater hoses, defroster parts and vacuumed the nest out of the car. Multiple doses of carpet shampoo, power washing, and Fabreze made it all fresh and clean again. I spent so many hours on it I took pictures of the inside of my naked trunk and vowed, no one will ever see it this clean again. I had proof.
The moral of the story…if you have a minor odor problem, don’t get it wet! Water re-energizes dried residue and makes it new again. It is unbelievably nasty. Lift up the carpet, look for evidence in the spare tire area, look back in the engine compartment and vacuum it all out then set aside an afternoon for the champion cleaning job.
If you have a Cabrio, there is also an issue of sticking rubber seals were the convertible top rests on the windshield frame. Over the winter, they can stick so tightly that the top is literally glued tight to the frame. The drive mechanism can become overloaded and damaged. That first time of the season, after the automatic release does its job, give the top a gentle push up to help un-stick it.
When you own a Cabrio, having operated the top a few times, you intuitively know how the mechanism normally sounds during the different modes of release, top going down, and then fully seated in the boot. If it sounds like it is laboring in any mode, STOP pushing the button and investigate. Clients sometimes do not consider the power of their own intuition, making a minor problem much worse to the power of ten. – MC
Q – My Boxster is driving me crazy. I bought it at auction for a great price but three months later, the transmission failed. I only paid 12,000 for the car but the transmission cost me another 9 grand. So I’ve got $21,000 into the car and I was OK with that until it started overheating. I have never had any problem driving it until it overheated; and even after that, the engine still runs fine.
My local mechanic replaced the water pump and the thermostat but still after a few miles, the temp gauge starts to rise and then the heater quits producing heat! I took it back and now he is telling me that he thinks the head gaskets have failed. I have read all about Boxster engine problems on the web and now I am thinking that the engine might be bad. – Brian
A – Brian you have my sympathy. I understand why you would be worried. The water pump impellers do fail. They are made of plastic! And the thermostat is a good hunch too. And although it may seem simple to replace both parts, there is an added complication that your mechanic might not have realized.
Here’s the best news. I believe that the most likely problem is that cooling system has not been properly bled. Based on Boxster cooling system design, this is not an easy task and depending on where your mechanic got his information, he might have been doomed. The factory manual is vague on the topic (presumably they handle it in on-the-car training) and we have found that the Robert Bentley manual has the most detailed written & pictorial procedure.
It’s not easy or inexpensive but getting all the bubbles out sometimes takes a couple hours, a couple spirited road tests and even after that, a pesky air bubble may rise to the top and require a coolant top up. The key ingredient is patience.
Under the plastic trim panel where you fill and check coolant and oil, there is a bleeding port which is very well hidden. Porsche does not want the car owner to ever touch it and you shouldn’t. During servicing however, if the tech doesn’t find it, it can’t be bled properly.
Another cause of coolant loss (and potential overheat) is the coolant cap itself. The original cap on the early Boxster has been superseded to a newer, better design. If you have the original cap, check the number and buy the newer version.
So before you give up on the car, take it to a qualified shop and trust the process (trust but verify…make sure they know about the bleeder port first!). Even if your mechanic thinks that the engine is damaged, you need a second opinion. Based on the last Boxster engine swap I was involved in, if it actually needs to be replaced, it will cost what the car is worth, or more! I hope that is not the case. – MC
Q – For my 1986 Targa I just bought some beautiful aftermarket wheels and although they are made in China, they look great. I chose a slightly wider 7 inch wheel for the front and 9 inch wheels in the back. The car looks fantastic.
The problem is: When I backed up with my steering wheel turned hard over to the right, the left front tire caught the inside of my fender and peeled it outward. It looks pretty ugly and I am not happy about it. When I bought the wheels I was told that they would fit my car and they would not rub! Pete
A – There are two solutions at hand. First, increase the negative camber in the front wheels to tilt the top of the tire inward. This will give your some clearance around the outer lip of the fender and with that, your car will corner a little bit better too. Second, you will need to have the fender lips rolled. This is done with a tool that bolts onto the wheel hub and allows the technician to very gently and gradually push the fender lip inward so the sharp edge no longer catches on the tire. When carefully done it will cause little or no paint damage.
Q – I’m thinking about taking my Porsche 993 to the track and I wonder about corner weighting. I had the car lowered slightly when I had a Bilstein PSS-9 coilover suspension kit installed. What do you think; is it worth it or not? – Paul
A – Corner weighting allows you to determine whether or not your car is “square” in terms of the chassis relative to the pavement. Typically, when coilovers are installed the ride height is set from fixed points on the chassis to a flat surface. Usually for most folks, this is good enough.
One would think that measuring from the fender edge to the ground would be a good way to determine if a car is level but I found that fenders aren’t a reliable reference point. I know that sounds odd but I have found quite a bit of difference side to side compared to fixed points on the chassis. What looks right to the naked eye is sometimes wrong.
Now, having said that, how reliable is the chassis as a reference point? Not as likely as you would expect especially on an older 911 and don’t even ask about 914s. I found that on most early 911s that I’ve measured and inspected, rather than resembling a rectangular box, they actually measure like a trapezoid. And 911s aren’t the only cars that are cock eyed. Every VW Super Beetle built is too. Not only is this interesting, it also makes adjustments difficult. For instance, on the eighties 911, one side upper strut mount is further in than the other side. This requires some creativity when an aggressive alignment is requested.
On the later cars, like yours, there are many more adjustments available and tolerances are held much closer. Frame misalignment is less prevalent unless your car was wrecked or driven through crater deep chuck holes. For street use or D.E. events, corner weighting would be an extravagance; but for hard core track use, or when “pushing the envelope”, I would recommend it. – MC
Q: On my 94 C4, the knob that releases the seat back keeps coming off. Is that why Porsche uses two of them on each seat? What keeps that little bugger in place? – Jon
A: Believe it or not, the tiny little clip that you can’t see (since it is embedded in the knob) originated in a 1963 Volkswagen Type 3. As you know, there has been some cross-pollination between VW and Porsche since the beginning.
As far as retrieving the clip, forget it. Don’t try to dig it out of the knob, once it is stuck, it is never coming out unless you mangle it. And if it was on the lever, now it is down inside the seat.
So you will need a new knob and a new clip. I suggest that you buy two of those little clips. They are installed on the metal lever inside the seat with tiny needle nose pliers. Since you have to skillfully guide the clip onto the lever down in a hole, you might drop one. I have, (I have probably dropped a dozen of them.) And you know where they go, down inside the seat. So take the second clip and more carefully this time, install it on the lever and firmly push your new release knob home onto the lever. Bolstered by this small victory, you might also check the other three. I bet one of them feels a little shaky too. – MC
Q: On my 2001 Cabrio, the lid for my console has a broken hinge. Since this is merely annoying, I don’t want to spend a ton of money on it. The original hinge was cast into the plastic and although I think I am fairly creative, this one might be tricky. I called to get a price on a new part and it was astronomical! – Herb
A: That hinge design is not one of Porsche’s stellar efforts. They all break if you lean on them. Fortunately the cure is a hinge repair kit that is fairly cheap. You may have to tell the parts counter person that such a kit exists but if you insist, he will find it and order one for you. The bad news is that you still have to remove the console to install it. This is not too difficult and if you have a few hours to spare, few special tools are required. Once you fix it, the repair should last since the kit is much stronger than the original hinge. – MC
Q: I have a 2001 Carrera and I wonder why my clutch is working poorly following a service. I never had any problem with it before I took it in for the 30 K service but the advisor mentioned that it felt “grainy” and weak. I wasn’t too worried about it since I was going to put the car away for the winter but when I went to pick it up, it was noticeably slipping and it wasn’t doing that before.
When I got the car I was warned that the clutch and brakes are two areas that I should plan to fix but I wasn’t expecting to get the car back with a clutch that didn’t work. I never track the car and I thought I was easy on the clutch. I trust the guy but I have to wonder if he is playing me straight. – Charley
A: Charley, thirty thousand miles on a clutch is not normal but since you bought the car used, it’s possible that the first owner abused it and you just inherited the problem. So don’ t beat yourself up, but I wonder about your comment that you are “easy on it”.
From my perspective, being easy on it means getting your foot off the pedal as quickly as possible and not allowing the clutch to slip. But to most folks this is counter intuitive. If you believe the revving the engine up and slowly releasing the clutch pedal is being kind to the clutch, you are dead wrong!
The only time a clutch wears is when you are starting off or during shifts while you rev the engine. When the car is in any gear, with the clutch fully engaged, it undergoes no wear whatsoever. It just spins merrily around connecting the crankshaft to the transmission. And the “easier” you are with it, and the more throttle you feed it while it is slipping it, the more wear that occurs. I have seen clutches live 7 thousand miles, 12 thousand miles or 170 thousand miles. It all depends on the driver, not the clutch. As an aside, automatic transmissions have clutches too. The reason that they don’t fail, is that the computer controls how much slip or grip to apply, not the driver.
When a clutch pedal starts feeling rough or vibrates that usually means that the clutch has been abused or overheated. The pedal should feel smooth as glass when depressed or when released, never grainy. Roughness can be caused by clutch system components which lose their integrity due to heat. My hunch is that your clutch was weak when the car was serviced and then it was probably stall tested. That will bring out the worst in a marginal clutch.
Technicians perform a stall test to determine the relative strength of the clutch. At about 30 miles per hour, the clutch is depressed, fifth gear is selected, the engine rpm’s are held at about 3,000 and then the clutch pedal is quickly released. If the clutch is healthy, the engine rpm’s will immediately drop as the clutch is “loaded”. If the clutch is weak, the rpm’s will not drop and the car may actually slow down while the engine revs up. What follows is an acrid odor of roasted clutch friction material. And that is a very nasty odor…like the smell of burning money.
When the clutch is dismantled, the disc will probably be worn down to the rivets or oil soaked. The damage should be obvious. If you have concerns about the advice that you are given, ask to see the parts and take them with you. A second opinion should ease your mind.
If the clutch has oil on it, don’t be surprised. Whenever the transmission is removed from your generation Porsche, request that applicable technical service bulletins be accessed to nip any other related problems in the bud. On this model, there is one in particular that recommends resealing of another potential leak source at the end of the engine block. Don’t be surprised if the engine main oil seal has failed since the original part number has been superseded three times! The latest and best seal is a new design Teflon seal that is used in many applications in Porsche, VW and Audi. I have no doubt that this seal will be the last one your engine will need if properly installed. – MC
Q: As I leaned on the console of my 89 944, the top of the cover slid off the console when the hinge broke. I tried rigging it through various means but it always breaks again. – Fred
A: Fred there is no good fix for that hinge except to replace it. It comes as a whole assembly but last time I checked, you could buy that part from the dealer for less than thirty dollars. It seems like a lot for a piece of formed plastic but it pales in comparison to some of those plastic parts on the newer cars. – MC