Quote:
Originally Posted by Smallblock454
Hello mr.borrie,
The universal OBD2 diagnostic tools won't give you any deeper details on a Porsche. Especially on the engine (for example camshaft deviation – which would be important in that case). Also you can't always be shure to get a correct error reading. Which makes it useless in the end. There are some after market products on the market like Durametric. But the good ones are expensive.
The Porsche workshop manuals can't be officially bought from Porsche. But the internet gives a lot of (sometimes not that legal) possibilities. 
The engine problems are well known. Also if you do an IMS replacement, the engine can fail in other parts. Some engines are very short lived, some run forever. Hard to give a recommendation. If you can live with the idea of a failing engine or the idea to loose a lot of money, than go for a Boxster. If you are on budget and it would hurt to throw money in a car i would say look for something else. There are a lot of cars out there that are fun. It must not be a Porsche.
And just don't think of failing engine parts. A car that is about 20 years old needs also brakes, suspension and other parts. Especially if it's a Porsche that wants to be driven like a sports car.
Would i buy a used Boxster today? I'm not shure – think with the knowlegde of today i would go for something different. I bought mine new in 2003. So i know the history, i know what has been done to the car and i also know what can happen in worst case.
Regards, Markus |
Hi Markus,
It's funny with all that information on the engines I was about to open a topic with a poll with that exact same question. "Would i buy a used Boxster today?" because I'm having struggles with the idea having a troublesome engine.
And I know all about owing older cars and the maintenance they require the oldest Volvo in the stable is a 145 from 1972. There is not allot that can break on a simple car like that but still I have redone just about anything from engine to brake rebuilds
I guess the lesson is here, buy the car for an amount that its not to painful to loose overnight (lets say the engine takes a ********************). ideally the price of what a engineless boxster would fetch.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jcslocum
You can get the cheap Chinese version of the durametric on ebay for about $20. this for example:
 Newest Piwis Cable V3 0 15 0 for Porsche Can Access All of The Systems | eBay
This is the early version of the software and cable but works quite well to diagnose the engine and it's electronics. Do not try to use the later version of the software, it will render that cable useless.
This can give you all of the info you need on camshaft deviations, etc... This can help with diagnostics.
Is the car now a runner?? he's selling because he doesn't want to fix this issue?? That part can be changed in car and takes decent skills, but not super skills. Volvo and Porsche, in my mind will be quite similar for this type of work.
Good luck and the Box is a special car and worth some investment of time and $$.
I searched the solenoid part number and came up with the best price at about $165.00 SOLENOID | Genuine Porsche | 996-605-901-00 |
Fantastic, I just orderd that cable, I'll see it as a cheap insurance check before I actually buy the car once I get to see it in 2 weeks.
The car is a runner and he drives it daily, the dealer just gave him a FYI that this issue is coming up and will run him E2500. He saw my add on that forum that I was looking for a Boxster and that I'm handy with a spanner so he gave me a message on his car. He was planning on selling it for a while and this repair was the tipover moment to go ahead and message me.