[78F350]

Originally Posted by mfm22

wouldn't want to bypass the ppi , just want to eliminate some dogs before the ppi .

it can become costly getting multiple ppi's

Gelbster - that orange county boxster could be a deal a bit too far from NY

So, a few simple things to screen a car before paying for a PPI? (not to replace the PPI)

I have bought a lot of Boxsters and I have overlooked a lot of things when I bought them. Here's an incomplete list with no attempt at proper grammar.

Initial cosmetic walk around:

• Proper and even alignment/gap of doors, frunk and trunk.
• Variations in clear-coat or visible sanding marks near seams or corners.
• Headlights -burnt inner lens, water intrusion, hidden cracks, rubber body seals intact.
• Entire windshield for cracks and chips.
• Wheels -not just curb rash, but fine cracks, wrong lugs or locking lug with no key. Excessive brake wear.
• Tires -rating, age, size, tread wear, style and brand match.
• General wheel alignment -extreme wear on one side or cupping -does the camber look even on both sides of the car.
• Frunk and trunk: Tools and inflated spare tire, Dry (check the board under the carpet near the coolant tank, lift supports hold them open, oil and coolant levels, type and condition.

Getting in and starting up:

• Open and close the doors. lock them and unlock them.
• Correct Key fob button operation.
• Slide the seat forward. pull up the carpet behind the seat at the firewall. Is the padding a wet sponge?
• Put the seat back and try all the adjustments.
• Open storage compartments, ash tray. (broken hinges, sticking)
• Turn the key on and verify that all the correct dash lights come on. You'd be surprised how many car just happen to have a burned out Check Engine Light, or air bag light.
• Check the windows and top for complete correct operation. *Stop the top in the service position after verifying operation if you want to open the engine compartment to check for leaks/damage/cracks/air filter/PS fluid/and rigged stuff. (takes time and could get messy -maybe do as follow-up if anything else leads to worry)
• Do all that on battery power before you start the car. Battery weak?
• Start the car. Look at the puff of smoke and make sure it dissipates quickly. Hear the initial rattle? did it immediately go away? and if the engine was cold, the SAI pump should run for a minute or so (faint sound like a vacuum cleaner).
• That rattle that keeps going??? may be heat shield on the exhaust, strange whine could be AC compressor, alternator, or PS pump.
• Honk the horn, its amazing how many don't work.
• Climate control, all buttons, all digits of the LCD, after you drive to operating temperature, be sure to check for actual heat from the climate control (bad flap door valve).
• Steady idle.
• Tiptronic? proper operation of brake and key interlock with the shift lever.

Drive:

• Get the seat and telescoping steering comfortable, buckle up, adjust mirrors, drive away.
• easy driving/warm it up, drive over small bumps that will get the worn suspension to rattle. Find a safe place for a hard brake and acceleration.
• Drive steady at 25-30 mph, drive at 50+ mph.
• Smooth shifting, normal clutch operation, Ask someone with an S model about the second gear detent problem, I have not experienced it.
• Park it in a place where you are not uncomfortable crawling on your belly under the car.

Post-drive check:
Everybody with a car should at least have a simple code reader. An ELM327 BT scanner can connect to a smartphone, read basic codes, and look them up online. After the drive, check the car for any codes or pending codes.

• Jack the car up, run two wheels up on the curb, or put it on ramps.
• Look underneath.
• Front: leaking PS fluid, or coolant. cracked or missing belly panels, torn bumper mounts.
• Sides: dented/crushed tubing, cracked or missing belly panels, damaged jacking points. Leaks.
• Rear: driveshaft boots, secure exhaust, leaks in general. Oil leak between engine and transmission, general condition of subframe and suspension components.

OIL FILTER..... If you can safely get under the car and it is fairly level, the filter cup can be removed with very little oil being lost. Some owners and many situations may make it impractical to do casually on site. Before you ask the seller, ask yourself if you are comfortable doing this. It is easy, but you never know what might go wrong. You will need the correct filter wrench, and if you are doing it on my car, a way to verify torque back to 25 NM.
You are doing this, but without draining and refilling the oil: Porsche Boxster Oil Change - 986 / 987 - Pelican Parts Technical Article
It's a good idea to bring along a replacement filter and quart of the same wt oil as a courtesy if someone lets you do this. So, pull the cup off remove the filter and get a look. Put in a new filter and close it up, torque it, and verify oil level. Actually you are not going to do it on my car, but I'll do it with you watching. I always stock all filters and fluids for my cars.
:dance:

Ok, that is way more than I meant to write and much more than most people want to read, and yet I'm sure that I left out some important parts of a thorough DIY PPI. A shop should do quite a bit more, add expertise, and special tools.