iborguk Posted August 19, 2020 Report Share Posted August 19, 2020 Talking of Roofs - got mine fixed. Lower push rods replaced both sides for belt and braces. Cost (nada) Now I just need the weather back in my locale to use it, at the moment the car would just be a water butt. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul P Posted August 19, 2020 Report Share Posted August 19, 2020 5 hours ago, Ascender said: I’ve swapped-out the microswitch this morning so can finally get the roof down on the car for the first time since purchasing it 5 weeks ago! Unfortunately I still can’t get the rear wheels off as the locking wheel nut key I’ve been sent is the wrong size 😡 May have missed it in the thread - whats the story with the locking wheel nut? - They are usually in the toolbox in the frunk behind the little flap at the car end of the "space" - but some folks relocate them to the glovebox so they can get to them in the event of emergency frunk release requirements. If you have it and it's committed suicide (porsche tend to make these things out of cheese) then OPC can provide replacement, and they also have a set of master keys so they should be able to remove for you. A lot of people just replace them with regular bolts. Personal choice there...... A lot of tyre places have the tools to get the old ones out (they get destroyed in the process) - but again - if you have replacements or alternatives to hand then that may be an option. Apologies if this has already been covered - and result on getting the roof working. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Menoporsche Posted August 19, 2020 Report Share Posted August 19, 2020 I'd drive to OPC, ask them to remove and swap for regular bolts. Save you so much hassle. No-one seems to nick wheels these days. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ascender Posted August 19, 2020 Report Share Posted August 19, 2020 Locking wheel nut key is missing - the dealer who sold me the car knew this and had already ordered a replacement as they’d serviced the car first and had to use the master set to get the rears off. These are the rears which are worn to their indicators and are barely legal. They just failed to mention any of this to me.... The new key and set of four bolts has now arrived, five weeks after buying the car, but the locking wheel nut key is just slightly too small for those on the car. I had knee surgery a couple of weeks ago so held off on getting a local garage to crack the nuts and couldn’t really book it in anywhere anyway as I couldn’t drive. Having been assured the key was arriving i’ve now booked a mobile tyre fitter in for tomorrow, but that’s going to be a wasted trip. OPC aren’t willing to just undo the four bolts with their set unless i booked it in for an hour which they can’t do for 10 days or so. And the DIY attempts with sockets, gator grip and various tools have all failed. Dealer has offered to pay the Porsche bill to get the nuts off, but is missing the point that on the visual inspection they assured me there was loads of tread left on the rears and when i pointed out they weren’t legal just said to drive it in the meantime anyway. So its kind of been a bit of a $hit show from the start with this one 😊 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul P Posted August 19, 2020 Report Share Posted August 19, 2020 1 hour ago, Menoporsche said: I'd drive to OPC, ask them to remove and swap for regular bolts. Save you so much hassle. No-one seems to nick wheels these days. Given how much hand wringing we see on here about saving 50 quid on a tyre I would have thought there would be a concern about parking a car up with a grands worth of rubber let along a couple of brands worth of wheels. Also. Of course it’s purely up to the individual but given Porsche describe these cheese bolts as “thatcham approved” wonder what the insurance companies response would be IF wheels got nicked if they weren’t told that device was no longer fitted. ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul P Posted August 19, 2020 Report Share Posted August 19, 2020 4 minutes ago, Ascender said: Locking wheel nut key is missing - the dealer who sold me the car knew this and had already ordered a replacement as they’d serviced the car first and had to use the master set to get the rears off. These are the rears which are worn to their indicators and are barely legal. They just failed to mention any of this to me.... The new key and set of four bolts has now arrived, five weeks after buying the car, but the locking wheel nut key is just slightly too small for those on the car. I had knee surgery a couple of weeks ago so held off on getting a local garage to crack the nuts and couldn’t really book it in anywhere anyway as I couldn’t drive. Having been assured the key was arriving i’ve now booked a mobile tyre fitter in for tomorrow, but that’s going to be a wasted trip. OPC aren’t willing to just undo the four bolts with their set unless i booked it in for an hour which they can’t do for 10 days or so. And the DIY attempts with sockets, gator grip and various tools have all failed. Dealer has offered to pay the Porsche bill to get the nuts off, but is missing the point that on the visual inspection they assured me there was loads of tread left on the rears and when i pointed out they weren’t legal just said to drive it in the meantime anyway. So its kind of been a bit of a $hit show from the start with this one 😊 Understand the pain there. Hope that gets resolved soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iborguk Posted August 19, 2020 Report Share Posted August 19, 2020 (edited) 39 minutes ago, Ascender said: Locking wheel nut key is missing - the dealer who sold me the car knew this and had already ordered a replacement as they’d serviced the car first and had to use the master set to get the rears off. These are the rears which are worn to their indicators and are barely legal. They just failed to mention any of this to me.... The new key and set of four bolts has now arrived, five weeks after buying the car, but the locking wheel nut key is just slightly too small for those on the car. I had knee surgery a couple of weeks ago so held off on getting a local garage to crack the nuts and couldn’t really book it in anywhere anyway as I couldn’t drive. Having been assured the key was arriving i’ve now booked a mobile tyre fitter in for tomorrow, but that’s going to be a wasted trip. OPC aren’t willing to just undo the four bolts with their set unless i booked it in for an hour which they can’t do for 10 days or so. And the DIY attempts with sockets, gator grip and various tools have all failed. Dealer has offered to pay the Porsche bill to get the nuts off, but is missing the point that on the visual inspection they assured me there was loads of tread left on the rears and when i pointed out they weren’t legal just said to drive it in the meantime anyway. So its kind of been a bit of a $hit show from the start with this one 😊 No idea if any good but services like this are out there.... https://www.lockingwheelnutkeys.co.uk Or maybe an OPC parts dept can help supply a replacement key ? Hope it get's sorted and try to keep positive on it (easy for others to say when going through stuff) Edited August 19, 2020 by iborguk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephenM Posted August 19, 2020 Report Share Posted August 19, 2020 When I had my 986 I “lost” the locking wheel nut key, I rang OPC gave them my VIN number and they got me a new locking wheel nut key. I can’t remember how much they charged. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iborguk Posted August 19, 2020 Report Share Posted August 19, 2020 Almost forgot - eventful day - caught my petrol cap before it hit the deck when filling up. The tether had broken (perished) Ordered a new cap from an OPC - a tenner Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iborguk Posted August 19, 2020 Report Share Posted August 19, 2020 33 minutes ago, StephenM said: When I had my 986 I “lost” the locking wheel nut key, I rang OPC gave them my VIN number and they got me a new locking wheel nut key. I can’t remember how much they charged. Yup - that would be the way I would go, just my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ascender Posted August 20, 2020 Report Share Posted August 20, 2020 The dealer did exactly that and got a new locking nut key sent from Porsche in Germany. Unfortunately its the wrong one and the dealer is based 500+ miles away from me with the time to resolve already 5 weeks+. Its just unfortunate with the timing that 3 or 4 different factors have combined to make this more complicated than it should have been! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Menoporsche Posted August 20, 2020 Report Share Posted August 20, 2020 16 hours ago, Paul P said: Given how much hand wringing we see on here about saving 50 quid on a tyre I would have thought there would be a concern about parking a car up with a grands worth of rubber let along a couple of brands worth of wheels. When was the last time you heard of someone's wheels being stolen? I've been here 10 years - never. In the outside world - never. Ascender - sorry about your introduction to Boxster ownership. It should get better! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul P Posted August 20, 2020 Report Share Posted August 20, 2020 1 minute ago, Menoporsche said: When was the last time you heard of someone's wheels being stolen? I've been here 10 years - never. In the outside world - never. Fair point - agree you don't often find cars up on bricks anymore. But for a while pretty much every Vauxhall Zafira either had their spare wheel stolen from under the car or had a 3rd party locking wheel mechanism installed to prevent it. But my post didn't say "you should have locking wheel nuts", my point was - I am surprised that more aren't stolen not least because of the tyres, and as a side point - they are a standard security feature of the car and it's a consideration if (for all the right, sensible, practical reasons) someone decides to remove them. Me, they haven't caused me issues on this or my previous car - but I am conscious of the fact that they are notoriously weak and (like the standard bolts) prone to rusting - so I am keeping an eye to see if they start looking "questionable", at which point I will make a choice of what I will do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ascender Posted August 20, 2020 Report Share Posted August 20, 2020 Thanks @Menoporsche! I actually had a 2.5 986 back in 2000, but instead of moving to a Boxster S after a few years I think I ended up in an M Coupe and then TVR, so its nice to get back in a Boxster all these years later. I’d quite happily just have standard bolts, but if I can get these locking ones off, I do have a fresh new set to put on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Menoporsche Posted August 20, 2020 Report Share Posted August 20, 2020 59 minutes ago, Paul P said: Fair point - agree you don't often find cars up on bricks anymore. But for a while pretty much every Vauxhall Zafira either had their spare wheel stolen from under the car or had a 3rd party locking wheel mechanism installed to prevent it. Interesting, wonder why. Ease of nickability - 90 seconds under the car is a lot faster than faffing with a jack and bricks? I think the question is also what they can transfer to in terms of size and stud pattern, and are those (Astra?) owners open to buying from dodgy sources. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul P Posted August 20, 2020 Report Share Posted August 20, 2020 3 minutes ago, Menoporsche said: Interesting, wonder why. Ease of nickability - 90 seconds under the car is a lot faster than faffing with a jack and bricks? I think the question is also what they can transfer to in terms of size and stud pattern, and are those (Astra?) owners open to buying from dodgy sources. - found this on moneysavingexpert: This was raised on Watchdog on BBC1 a while ago. This was taken from a cache of the watchdog site.Vauxhall Zafira 15th March 2005 The Vauxhall Zafira was launched 6 years ago. Nearly a quarter of a million of these people carriers have been sold in Britain, making it one of the country’s most popular cars. But Watchdog knows of hundreds of people who have had their spare wheel stolen from underneath the car. Hazel Winters bought a Zafira last year and later discovered that her spare wheel was missing from the cage underneath it. Matthew Guite bought a Zafira in December 2003 and within days of buying it discovered that his spare wheel was missing. When he phoned the dealer, he was told that they had sold all of their stock because so many of these wheels had been stolen. Matthew did eventually manage to purchase one, only to have it stolen again months later. Last year three Zafira owners in one neighbourhood in Kent all lost their spare wheels in a spate of thefts. Vauxhall say the Zafira is "protected by some of the toughest anti-theft devices around". Yet consultant Engineer Steve Lee told Watchdog the Zafira might as well have a sign on the back saying: "Please steal my spare wheel." On top of needing to pay up to £60 to get a special lock fitted to stop their spare being stolen again, Zafira owners have been left with bills of up to £200 for a new wheel and tyre. Vauxhall told Watchdog that as the wheel can only be lawfully released from inside of the car, this isn't a manufacturing issue. They advise that those affected should refer to their insurance companies. All retailers are being instructed to offer the lock to customers at point of sale, and there will be changes to the security design of future models. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Menoporsche Posted August 20, 2020 Report Share Posted August 20, 2020 8 minutes ago, Paul P said: Vauxhall told Watchdog that as the wheel can only be lawfully released from inside of the car, this isn't a manufacturing issue. PMSL. And as Ford Transits can only lawfully be opened with the right key, the fact that any 15 year old can open them with a screwdriver is not a manufacturing issue... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iborguk Posted August 20, 2020 Report Share Posted August 20, 2020 58 minutes ago, Menoporsche said: PMSL. And as Ford Transits can only lawfully be opened with the right key, the fact that any 15 year old can open them with a screwdriver is not a manufacturing issue... Had a Morris Ital (don't judge me) Work mate had an Allegro. We could open and start each other's cars with the excuse of a key provided. Oh the hours of fun spent hide/find the car in nearby streets... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iborguk Posted August 20, 2020 Report Share Posted August 20, 2020 Replacement petrol cap fitted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EagleStar Posted August 20, 2020 Report Share Posted August 20, 2020 1 hour ago, iborguk said: Had a Morris Ital (don't judge me) Work mate had an Allegro. We could open and start each other's cars with the excuse of a key provided. Oh the hours of fun spent hide/find the car in nearby streets... I had a Morris minor. You could open it up with pretty much anything. Added to that, if you opened the bonnet and jammed a 2p between two of the fuses In the fuse box you could hand crank it started too! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike1960 Posted August 20, 2020 Report Share Posted August 20, 2020 On 8/19/2020 at 10:12 AM, Ascender said: I’ve swapped-out the microswitch this morning so can finally get the roof down on the car for the first time since purchasing it 5 weeks ago! Unfortunately I still can’t get the rear wheels off as the locking wheel nut key I’ve been sent is the wrong size 😡 If the wheel nuts are the originals, then you can get them from an OPC. I lost my locking wheel nut key and only discovered when needed new tyres. Went to Porsche Tewksbury and they keep a stock of all types, about 40 of them. They tried them on mine until they found the right fit, sold me that one and ordered a new one for their stock. 10 minutes after getting there and only £14 lighter in my pocket I was on my way back home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
½cwt Posted August 20, 2020 Report Share Posted August 20, 2020 6 hours ago, Paul P said: - I am surprised that more aren't stolen not least because of the tyres, and as a side point - they are a standard security feature of the car and it's a consideration if (for all the right, sensible, practical reasons) someone decides to remove them. ...then your insurer might well not pay out, as the vehicle was modified from factory spec by removing the locking wheel nut security feature??? We know how weasly insurers can be.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ascender Posted August 20, 2020 Report Share Posted August 20, 2020 Today I got two new rear tyres fitted to my car 😃 I managed to get one of the locking nuts off last night and the Kwik Fit mobile fitter tech managed to get the other one off. Great service from them btw. Front two tyres have loads of tread so I can get something sorted at my leisure and finally start enjoying the car. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ninesomething Posted August 21, 2020 Report Share Posted August 21, 2020 Passed the MOT. Didn't think the rear tyres would pass but 3mm left which gives me a couple more days to save up.... This car (05 model) has never failed an MOT. I like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iborguk Posted August 21, 2020 Report Share Posted August 21, 2020 Fitted new OE wipers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.