AMacdonald

4 hours ago, mortzz said:

Hi all i dont use my 986 much but took it out the other day and found only when i put the heater on i get a very strong smell of Antifreeze, im thinking there may be a leak with the heater matrix? thing is i dont seem to be loosing any Antifreeze, an ideas? its a 99 plate 2.7

 

many thanks Andy

I'm in the same boat. Are your windows steaming up as well? That's the clincher for a leaking heater matrix. Thankfully (I say that - I haven't done mine yet) it looks like a comparatively simple job. No dashboard removal!

Mine makes the same noise occasionally and has done for a number of years. I may get round to cleaning off the grease buildup one day, but not today.

This week I noticed a coolant smell in the cabin and had misty windows. The thought of replaying my Peugeot and BMW shenanigans to replace the heater matrix made me sad.

Today, I remembered I downloaded a set of official service manuals years ago and consulted them to see what I was in for  and became happy again. I love it when a manufacturer thinks rationally.

Looks just like mine so glass. It's also very clear and uncreased.

55 minutes ago, Daboy3000 said:

I was about to suggest drop links. Cheap and easy to replace too.

When they aren't an absolute living nightmare to replace, that is.

Could it be the drain hose for the hood compartment?

I had this exact fault on my Spanish road trip. All pads were close to the sensors but none were breached. I checked each sensor with a simple multimeter (unplugged each in turn) and one was open circuit - the wire had broken where it enters the plug. I don't think there is a way to identify which one is at fault on a 986 without manually checking them. They are just wires so either the circuit is complete or it's not.

I have Philips Ultinons in my 2003. Bit of a tight squeeze but everything fits.

Each remote transponder has a fixed number of times it can be used, after which it's basically dead. One of my keys is in that situation. It'll still open and start the car - I just have to be quick to disable the alarm.

Very unlikely to happen to two simultaneously though.

Bottle of T-Cut and some elbow grease would sort that out in no time.

+1 for the Cabrioshield. I bought one the day I got my 986 almost 8 years ago. It hasn't seen daily use but it's been in place over a few winters and it's showing no signs of deterioration.

11 hours ago, deanmr2 said:

My Boxster S is a 2001 so to get this right when applying for the clean air sticker I should put Euro 4 into the form which gives a environmental category of 2 is this correct?

You don't really get a choice. If Euro4 was the applicable standard in 2001, that's the only one the form will accept for that year, regardless of actual emissions.

I've been looking into this as well as I have a Spain / Portugal / France trip planned for may. if you are going near any big French cities you'll need an emissions sticker to avoid fines in clean air zones. It only costs a few euros and comes in the post. Check out https://www.certificat-air.gouv.fr/ It's based purely on year so it doesn't matter than my 986 is Euro6 compliant - it's a Euro4 sticker or nothing.

It's safe to describe my car history as largely lamentable. My very first car was a 1973 Mini 1275GT too, bought at auction and needing an immediate engine transplant. It had Cooper twin carbs, almost no floor and lasted for about a year until a valve dropped out. Probably my fault, that. From then on it was a selection of terrible, middle-aged saloons and hatches, ranging in size from a Mini 1000 to a Seat Alhambra, all of them unexceptional. I've never owned a new car and probably never will. Modern cars seem to be built to last as long as the lease agreement only and the combination of my Wife and our dogs makes a lease untenable, even if I wasn't so morally against them.

For my 40th birthday in 2005 though I went on a driving experience day in Evesham. I went mainly for the Ferrari 355 and Lamborghini Murcielago, but the standout experience of the day was actually a tired green 996 that had been hideously mis-specced by its first owner. It just felt so, so right, even if its green on green aesthetics were painful.

Fast forward a decade and I was driving home along the A55 in sweltering heat with all the windows on my Passat estate open and it occurred to me that I quite fancied a convertible. After musing on that for a bit I realised that a sporty convertible would be even better since I live in North Wales and it would be a pity to waste that fact, and if it was going to be sporty it might as well be a two-seater. As a toy, I didn't want something that was going to rust for fun on the driveway (bye-bye MX5 and MR2) and then that 996 experience came back to me....

A couple of months later, just a week after my 50th, I collected my base-spec (I hate cars packed with needless stuff), one-lady-owner 986 and I've loved it every day since. I've never had a drive that was anything but grin-inducingly enjoyable, the car is way more capable than I am and the quality of the engineering never fails to impress me. It's been my most reliable car ever and will definitely be with me until one of us breaks terminally.

On my Cabrioshield half cover, little rubber tubes sewn into the seams hold the cover in place at the front and rear of the door as well.

A single screw at the top of the vent and three spring clips (you can see two of them in the photo above). The vent has a plastic collar with three plastic lugs, which push into the spring clips. It can take a bit of effort to dislodge but the vents basically pulls straight out. What look like screw holes at the bottom of the picture above aren't - they are rubber bungs.

1 hour ago, Menoporsche said:

Welcome. You have a couple of fantastic garages near you, Revolution in Brighouse and Porscheuro in Doncaster IIRC.

Are they still in brighouse? I thought they'd moved to Leeds now, although I haven't used them for as while. Not that it makes much difference, but I enjoyed the drive to Brighouse over the moors.

33 minutes ago, hmg66 said:

I had one of these for my 986. Highly recommend and fitted like a condom. 
 

https://www.ukcustomcovers.com/porsche-boxster-986-987-tailored-car-cover

Agreed. I've just bought my second. The first lasted for at least 4 years in all weathers, which is a bargain for £75

On my (admittedly 2003) 986 I can rearm the remote unlocking by turning the key a quarter turn anticlockwise in the drivers door. I don't know if you'll need the mechanism attached properly for that though.

Only one IMS replacement and that was voluntary / paranoid. The leak last year was just a seal and easily replaced, or at least easily for a decent Indie.

I had my IMS upgraded and a new RMS fitted by one of the forum favourite Indies shortly after I got my car 6 years ago. Within a year there was evidence of the RMS seeping again but it didn't become a problem until last year when the IMS seal went and a lot more oil started coming out. It's lovely and dry now after having both replaced in Newcastle.

I've just had my IMS and RM seals replaced after the normal weep became quite a bit more significant. It was a 250 mile drive to the chosen indie and it went through about 1.5 litres on the journey, neccessitating several topups. Nerve-wracking but not an actual problem in the end. £700 all-in, including oil, filter and sump plug. IMS and clutch are both fine.

I've used one of these for about 3 years now. It fits snugly, doesn't flap in the wind and the underbody straps are easy to fit with a cane and a tennis ball. It's not 100% waterproof (these things never are) but it dries quickly and keeps dirt/leaves off a treat.

Today was the day.

After just under 6 years and 40K miles of ownership, I finally popped my cherry and the engine cover for the first time to replace the air filter. Reassuringly tidy under there.

I think it's the other way round sadly, unless you have a pre-1986 Boxster. 😀

"For class 3,4,5 and 7 vehicles, the defect ‘Light source and lamp not compatible’ only applies to vehicles first used on or after 1 April 1986.

Should a vehicle be presented for an MOT test with conversions before 1 April 1986 they must not be failed with immediate effect.

Vehicles presented with converted halogen headlamp units first used on or after 1 April 1986 will continue to be failed."