Jon61

On 3/26/2024 at 2:45 PM, phazed said:

We normally like to (gleefully) point out weeds in people's driveways when they post pictures on here. We don't usually get the opportunity to point out weeds in their roofs! 

Fantastic access - that's on a lift, by the look of it? You'll have lots of people green with envy at that view! 

3 minutes ago, Toddie said:

@Langers   A nice sounding 986S Tip just put in the for sale section on here! no mileage given but seems to have a lot new parts sorted recently.

Yeah, I wondered about mentioning that to him but he didn't respond to my post above so I thought I'd stay quiet 

Here's the thread, and I'll tag him as yours didn't work properly:

@Langers

Alternatively - I know @Langers that you said that a 550 Anniversary was your dream car - but is it that much of a dream that you are happy to restrict your choice this much, and pay that much extra for it? (OK, so I know it's possible the Anni's will hold their value better - some people will pay a lot more for them, obviously, but I'd guess that most 986 buyers wouldn't.) You'd have so much more choice of good cars, and more cash left over to put towards things that are probably going to need doing on any car of that age. If I was buying a 20 year old car to drive, I'd rather put my money into something more tangible than a Limited Edition badge and a few unusual options - but I do realise that everyone's preferences are different ... just a thought, certainly no criticism intended 

Usual source for the beep when locking the car is leaving the centre console compartment slightly open, but there are various other contacts that are connected to the alarm, and I'm sure one of them is a connection on the radio cage that detects if the radio is removed. I can't remember the detail, but I have a feeling it's the opposite of what you might expect - I think normally the radio in place keeps a contact switch open, but when the radio is removed, a spring closes the switch which alerts the alarm.

When you changed the radio, did you see such a wire, and did you perhaps think it needed to be grounded? If so I think it's the opposite - you need to leave it unconnected and make sure the wire cannot become grounded (ie tape it up and attach it somewhere safe out of the way).

I found this online that seems to confirm this - but experiment and check for yourself:

See post #7 of https://986forum.com/forums/performance-technical-chat/37522-removed-radio-grounded-wire-alarm-still-chirps.html

EDIT to add: I just read your post more carefully, and it sounds not like the usual bleep as you lock the car, but the alarm triggering at some time later? In that case, I'd check first that the centre console compartment closes and latches closed properly, and then I'd investigate the wiring behind the aftermarket radio to see if the wire has been left loose somewhere it can come into contact with an earth. Also check the insulation on the wire hasn't got damaged when the new radio was slid back into the cage. 

It could just be your battery going slightly flat though - the alarm has its own stand-by battery and will go off if the main battery gets too low. But if you've never had any issues starting the car after the alarm went off, I wouldn't say this was the first suspect.

17 minutes ago, Topbox said:

No, wait, this owner is clearly an older person, who by selecting such bold and unique colour choices is clearly making a definitive statement exploring the role of aspirational halo cars and their position in the marketing  zeitgeist for those who seek affirmirming choices  in life spaces that are traditional seen as limiting. Colours that are seen twice in the daily 24 hour cycle remind us of the circular nature of our lives  suggesting  acceptance of the orbiting time spans present in our wider universe. A colour choice which in turn  can be considered a metaphor for the premature termination of the flat six with parraraell homage to the eternal joy of the internal combusted life force. 😀

You've missed your vocation, Bob - surely it's only a matter of time before you have a TV programme with alan Yentob? 

46 minutes ago, daz05 said:

I think but not certain that you could order it but then I would have expected more bits in red.

Looking back at the 981 brochures, I can't see the two-colour seats listed as a 'standard' option on the 981, but the 2013 'Exclusive' brochure does show several pictures of a Riviera Blue car with just the seat centres in blue - the bolsters are black, but also the centre console compartment lid, door pulls and door storage lids are in black, as in the OP's photo (and unlike the 718 picture I posted above). So I suspect the OP's car may have a more expensive 'Exclusive' option on the seats.

It looks like Ollie may have 'sanitised' his presence on here:

https://www.BoXa.net/profile/24999-ollie-attaboy-tv/content/

(The forum equivalent of Enron's method of 'Triple Entry Bookkeeping': Debit, Credit & Shreddit )

Well, it's hard to tell the real shade of red interior from photos - that does look quite red to be Porsche OEM, but quite often they do look more alarming colourful  in photos than they do for real.

You can't get to the 981 configurator anymore, but the 718 is available in a similar black/red combo as that (below), although I could only get in the standard seats rather than whatever version of the sports seats that is in your photo. But I wouldn't rule that out as being OEM.

Edit to add: BTW, I got that on the configurator by selecting 'black/red leather package with partial leather interior' option

46 minutes ago, ½cwt said:

Two 4 ohms in series is 8 ohms.  Two 4 ohms in parallel is 2 ohms (but splits as half the applied voltage on each part of the parallel circuit).

Your equivalent resistances are correct, but your bit in brackets is not right I'm afraid. If the resistances are in parallel, the full supply voltage is applied to both of them, as they are both connected directly to the power supply. It's when they are connected in series, and the supply voltage (= potential difference) has to fall from the full supply voltage down to zero in two stages, that less than the full supply voltage applies across each resistance (in this case, half across each, as the resistances are equal).

6 hours ago, Tony Daniel said:

@Jon61 Yes the car is Dec '14 GTS and it does have the Aux/USB in the glovebox & DAB

This got me really intrigued - and then I found your old 2021 thread ('981 PCM 3.1 Nav and Phone not available') which I missed at the time. Having done a bit of digging, I've come up with an idea that might explain how you (and others) have got a setup that doesn't seem to be described in the brochures. For the benefit of anyone else in future searching for a similar 'PCM but no Navi' query, I've put my thoughts in the other thread rather than here, but here's a link to it: (https://www.BoXa.net/topic/93363-981-pcm-31-nav-and-phone-not-available/?do=findComment&comment=1408341

I just discovered this old thread - which I missed at the time - when I was thinking about the issue you raised on the other more recent PCM/HDD thread (https://www.BoXa.net/topic/91463-2013-981-pcm31-hard-drive-failure/?do=findComment&comment=1408242). I know I'm a bit late for the original query above, but as you're obviously still interested in this issue, and it intrigued me as well, I've done a bit of digging. For what it's worth, and in case it's of any use to anyone looking into this same issue in future, I've set out my thoughts below (rather than on the other thread, though I'll link to this post there as well).

Although I mentioned on that other thread that the phone connection was always an option, even on PCM systems, I had thought that PCM always included the Navigation, so I was surprised to read in the above comments that several other forum members said they also had the PCM without Navigation combination. And yet I've looked in the 11/2011, 03/2014 and 03/2015 UK-spec 981 brochures (and the separate 03/2014 worldwide brochure specifically for the GTS), and they all talk only about 'PCM with Navigation Module'. So there seems to also have been an option of 'PCM without Navigation Module', even though it's not mentioned in the brochures anywhere. I don't believe Porsche ever did printed UK consumer price lists, where this option would presumably have appeared, but I am 100% positive (because I spent a fair bit of time on there) that as of 2015 the Porsche 981 configurator did not allow you to specify PCM without Navi.

I have however discovered that in the 981 option codes listed on Stuttcars (https://www.stuttcars.com/porsche-boxster-2016-options-codes/) there are separate option codes for:
- "PCM 3 Porsche Communication Management touchscreen incl. radio, CD" (665), and
- "Navigation module for PCM" (672)
This would be consistent with the two different versions being available - with and without Navi, though the sales brochure and configurator used the option code of P23 for the 'PCM with Navi' (and P25 for CDR Plus).

But I'm struggling to understand what - other than the USB input - a PCM without the Navigation module would have given you over the base system - the CDR already has the Aux input, the CDR+ even has the USB input as well (and also the Digital radio that isn't even standard on the PCM!). So it's not clear to me why a buyer would have opted for a non-Navi PCM at all?

Speculating further, I've now noticed that what you have in your car (Aux & USB in glovebox, plus DAB, but no Nav or Jukebox) in fact sounds just like the brochure description of "CDR Plus audio system" - see for example page 94 (appears as p48/69 in the PDF) of the sales brochure here: https://www.stuttcars.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Porsche_int-Boxster_2015.pdf . The 'CDR Plus' option wasn't available in the early 2012 cars, but became available in MY2013, I think at the same time the Version 4 hardware of PCM came out. And the CDR Plus system has the CD/DVD drive also used in the PCM, rather than the CD-only unit in the CDR31. So I'm wondering if what they describe in the sales literature as 'CDR Plus' they actually implement by installing a PCM unit with the normal PCM front panel (rather than a CDR31), but without the Navi and HDD modules - and if that is what you have in your car. Does that make sense? The only thing I can see that doesn't fit is that you said in the other thread that you didn't think your unit even had a connector for a HDD module - but perhaps they just don't put the connector/lead on the PCM 665 unit unless they know there's also going to be a 672 Navi module as well.

The same Stuttcars option list mentioned above has a code for CDR31 (696 - the same code appeared on the configurator), but I can't find a code in the Stuttcars list for 'CDR Plus' - which fits my theory; it's not a separate option at all, but simply the same as 665. So I'm inclined to think that:
- 696 is the 'sales' code for the base CDR system, and also the code the factory uses to fit a CDR31 unit;
- P25 is the 'sales' code for the CDR Plus system - which the factory would interpret as 665 (PCM without Navi) only*
- P23 is the 'sales' code for the PCM incl Navi - which the factory would interpret as requiring 665 AND 672

* Note: The CDR Plus option (P25) was always described in the brochure and configurator as including the Sound Package Plus (seven speakers/185W) system which was an optional extra if you had the base CDR31, and also included the digital radio tuner. The SPP had its own option code of 490, and Digital Radio was 691. So in fact, P25 CDR Plus would = 665+490+691, whereas P23 would = 665+672 but not 490 or 691 (unless they were specified separately).

If ever you get hold of a build sheet/spec list of option codes for your car, it would be interesting to know if they tie up with my thoughts above.

14 minutes ago, Tony Daniel said:

It is a PCM 3.1 unit on V4.73 software but no nav, phone, or jukebox. It does have sim slot but I presume it does nothing.

Amazingly, considering what the C stands for , telephone capability wasn't automatically part of PCM on 981's - you had to spec one of two different options (either 'Preparation for mobile phone' 619, or 'Telephone module' 666) to get it. It's possible that the SIM slot was always present though even without one of these options, for simplicity of parts/manufacture. (BTW Digital radio 691 was also an option and not standard @moonshine, unless you had CDR Plus which included it)

But the rest sounds a bit weird to me, if it is really a PCM rather than CDR or CDR Plus. Right from the 2011 brochure, PCM is always described as having a navigation module built-in. The jukebox facility wasn't always there though (and without nav or jukebox, there would be no need for a hard disk) - that depends on the hardware version; even within PCM3.1s, there are different versions as described in Richard Hamilton's 2020 post in another thread:

Richard states that from MY2013, PCM became hardware version 4 (note this is different to software version numbers), and included the Jukebox. But he also says that it's only this hardware version 4 that can be updated to software version V4.xx. So that would seem to suggest that if your software is V4.73, then your hardware should be Version 4 and should include the hard disk and jukebox. That would fit anyway with yours being a GTS - so I think it must be MY2014 or later?

I have a vague feeling that I've read on here before that someone had a car that sounded different to what all the literature suggests should be the case though - but I can't remember if that was you Tony or someone else! Even if your PCM had ever been replaced for any reason I would expect it to conform to one of the standard types. Out of interest, do you have a USB socket that you can play music from? (I think you should, on a post-MY2013 PCM)

On 3/19/2024 at 11:47 AM, Menoporsche said:

I think there is no one right answer. You could have following the curve, dead straight, or a combination of both, to taste. And then discuss the spacing between the letters. 

I believe Porsche chose the OEM placement very carefully to look 'right' from where it's typically viewed - which is more or less horizontally, from behind. The main issue here is that the bootlid curves downwards from side to side, so if the PORSCHE badge was put in a 'straight line' across the boot (ie the way a long strip of paper placed across the lid would naturally lay), then the curve of the lid means that, viewed from behind the car (rather than perpendicularly down onto the bootlid), the badge will appear in a pronounced curve (downwards = frowny) following the curve of the boot. So instead, Porsche put the badge on what looks like a 'smiley' upwards curve when looked down at perpendicularly (see picture below, linked from the Rennlist thread I posted earlier in this thread). When looked at from behind, this looks more straight and natural.

To complicate matters further for the DIY-er, the bottom edge of the bootlid is also curved, but by a different amount. Anyone that has replaced the PORSCHE badge asuming that the letters are a constant distance up from the bottom curved edge will have made the curve too pronounced, so that from behind it will still look distinctly curves upwards - a matter of taste, obviously, but that's not what Porsche themselves went for.

Another issue that @moospeed may be encountering when making a template, is that as well as curving from side to side, the bootlid also curves slightly from front to back in a compund curve, so that a piece of paper will not lie flat on the bootlid - even if you let it follow the side-to-side curve, it won't be able to truly follow the front-to-back curve - although in the distance up to the lettering, the effect may be minimal. But that's one reason the official template (as sold by Suncoast) is a moulded plastic affair rather than a paper or card template.

5 minutes ago, Sanky said:

What are peoples thought who have factory fitted heated seats in there 986 Boxster, do they heat up a lot?

With the 2-stage seat heating in my 986.1, like every other car I've had with heated seats, the hottest setting was too hot for my liking and I'd never use that setting for more than a minute or so. So I'd say the answer to your question is a definite yes, if they're working correctly.

From the brochure:

Light design package.
The optional light design package comprises dimmable LEDs in the overhead console, in the area of the door handles, in the door storage compartments and in the footwells. LED illumination of the luggage compartments and in the vanity mirrors of the sun visors is also included with the light design package.

(£203 when specified from new)

Well done, and I'm sure your car is glad that it now has an owner that knows how to use it; the previous owner(s) didn't seem to!  My second Boxster - only 4 years older than yours - must by now be approaching twice that mileage with its current owner. 

2 hours ago, McDonald said:

My tyres seem to hold up well but I'm on my third set of mats - I do like clean mats.

I'm intrigued by this though - do you live on a farm or something? 

3 hours ago, Daboy3000 said:

Don't even have an airbag in the dash currently, the very first models didn't have one.  I just have one in the steering wheel.

Wow, this was news to me, like redbarediver's, my 1998 car also had one (ie two!). Obviously you're in a position to know for real, but I have a 8/96 Boxster brochure (from when I ordered my first one - I didn't get it for nearly 18 months though) and that says: "As Porsche was the first manufacturer to equip its vehicles with two airbags as standard the Boxster has of course two full-size airbags". I saw the launch car at the 1996 motor show, but I must admit I can't remember how many airbags that had.

I know yours is a particularly early car and I think you've speculated whether it may have been a demo model - I wonder if by any chance it's actually a sort of pre-production model with a different spec. In which case, trying to find another dashboard to fit may be pretty tricky!

And well done @RedBarediver for taking on what looks like a daunting job, but assuring us it's quite doable! 

Another good video, but posted (at least) twice already :

I don't know how the costs, or likely secondhand availability & condition stack up, but have you considered replacing the seats entirely and selling your leather ones to fund the purchase of a secondhand non-leather set? I would have thought the end result was likely to look better without costing a lot overall. I can't remember when alcantara first made an appearance in Boxster specs though, so you may possibly need to make do with whatever materials were available for the 986 (or 987 - see below).

This obviously wouldn't work if you wanted to be able to revert to the original spec at any point - eg if you have any of the other leather options on the car you may make a resale harder by putting lower-spec seats in it.

Several people on here have changed their seats, including swapping between 986 & 987, which would give you more options - it gets more complicated if you have heated and/or multi-way electric adjustments though. But there will be several threads about it, including some recent/current ones.

3 hours ago, Dermot said:

I want to put the "Porsche" lettering rear bonnet on my new 981.  I have no guidelines as the letters have already been removed.

There are templates at silly prices.  

https://www.suncoastparts.com/product/SKUTEMP981BGTS.html

I read somewhere there may be a template ion the workshop manual?  Any insights on this ?

I've seen mentions before about there being a template in the workshop manual, but never seen it and don't really understand how it would work - given that it's a large badge, and anyway as there's a physical item (as shown in the Suncoast listing), what would be the point to a workshop of a paper printout?

But even though it's not a template as such, this thread may help (see @Greenman's measurements in the 6th post): 

And probably aslo worth looking at this thread on Rennlist, though from a quick look I'm not sure which photos and measurements are real 'original' factory placements: 

https://rennlist.com/forums/981-forum/1173963-i-need-help-with-a-quick-photo-981-trunk-lid-letters.html

Edit: Just realised the Rennlist thread claims to be about a 981 Cayman, but there's a photo of a Boxster lid there (the red one), so I'll leave it here for reference

21 minutes ago, Scubaregs said:

Oh c'mon, £16 out lol.

Er, £17 actually ...   

It has been said occasionally that Porsche accessories are rather expensive . How about this one - that I posted on another thread last year:

On 4/7/2023 at 6:46 PM, Jon61 said:

I'm surprised no-one on this thread has so far mentioned this little extra, which I came across today (while looking for something else), available from your helpful online Porsche shop. Even by Porsche's usual pricing standards (and given that it's for a 918), this is a tad extreme 

https://shop.porsche.com/gb/en-GB/p/918-spyder-travel-set-3-piece-91804400005XXX-B/91804400005SPD

 

44 minutes ago, ½cwt said:

There is no filter part number for 2002 onwards cars. Earlier cars would have a filter change somewhere in the service schedule but I don't know at what time/mileage.

MY2001 Replace fuel filer: Every 48k miles

Welcome to the forum, and to Boxster ownership. And you've chosen a fantastic colour for your first one - and I say 'first', because as you may have already worked out, it's quite common for people to stick with (or return to) these wonderful cars once they've discovered them 

I don't know if there's an easy way to answer your first question. There have been posts before on here about numbers of various colours, but I've never been quite sure how reliable the underlying data was. eg there was one no long ago about the 981 breakdown by colour which sourced data from another site, which sounded like it also included 986 data, but the underlying website now seems to have disappeared (see https://www.BoXa.net/topic/82846-dvla-981-registrations-with-colour-breakdown/ ) - unless Steve @Ringer250 by any chance dosnloaded and saved the data?

Someone may remember a more relevant post from earlier, but it's quite hard to find posts without there being a fairly unusual word to search for.

As to the complete range of colours that was available during the 986 run, you need to bear in mind that the range changed during the run eg initially at launch the yellow available was Pastel Yellow - Speed Yellow was only available from a few years later; mine was also a 2001. But this may be a fairly reliable source for the colour range - Stuttcars has a lot of interesting information on it: https://www.stuttcars.com/porsche-boxster-986-1997-2004-paint-colors-exterior-interior/ (A little German knowledge will help - 'gelb' means yellow)

21 minutes ago, iborguk said:

Didn’t know titanium was a thing , learn something new etc 

The original 986 2.5 had a black badge (on all coloured cars, I think, though I don't know what happened on a black car). When the 986S was introduced, it had a titanium badge to differentiate it. Not sure what happened later though, or when the chrome variant arrived.

1 hour ago, Fat Rat said:

Well prices must have come down as I’m my price list Edition 10/2003 are as follows including VAT.

RTS £253.80

Humps £696.78

Hard top £1,429.98

Aerokit £2,809.43

Skirts £764.93

😬

Yes, I found that edition of the price list after I'd posted above about the MY2000 prices, and also noticed that they'd come down - not something you see often with Porsche prices! It made the RTS a positive bargain!

I think the reduction might have been connected with the realignment of UK/mainland European prices to counter the growing trend to import cars from Europe, which I remember took effect sometime after I bought my 2001 S unfortunately.