Best Boxster Diagnostic Device? OBD?
 

I now own 3 boxsters and I want to learn how to diagnose problems. What magical device do I need to buy and where do I find it?

www.durametric.com

This is IMHO the best tool for diagnostics.

+1 on the Durametrics. Good thing for you with 3 P's, they have an Enthusiast set-up for three cars.

P.S. You'll need a laptop.

And factory manuals
 

plus Bentley and Pelican books.

Plus a course in engine internals (taught by flat6).

Now the very best diagnostic machine would be a PST2 which sometimes come on the market used but are expensive. Next the Durametric (plus laptop) in one of the 2 versions with increasing capabilities and prices.

And then there are thousands of dollars of special Porsche diagnostic or mechanical tools that are referred to for use in testing by the factory manuals.

For the basics, an Actron Code Reader for maybe $100 and a list of the Porsche-used codes and their descriptions associated with the model year cars you have.

Maybe save your money on the Pelican book. It's a very nice looking book, but I found that, when I came to actually use it, that the information was scanty and there wasn't much detail to the procedures, and a lot of the pictures weren't particularly helpful. Plus, everything in the book is available online at the website.

Instead, I prefer to go with Pedro's tutorials whenever possible. Better pictures, better explanations, and he is very quick to respond to emails if you get stuck. The Bentley manual is also quite good.

Get yourself a copy of the parts catalog, too. Ordering parts is much easier if you can look up the numbers ahead of time, and the exploded diagrams can be pretty handy. You can download it for free.

The last few jobs I've done, I went to the garage armed with the Bentley and Pelican books, and Pedro on the laptop. Barely used Pelican after an initial quick glance.

Oh, and if you're changing the canvas top, Mike Focke's tutorial is all you need to get you through the job. It is by far the best walkthrough I have found for that particular job.

A big +1 on the Durametric tool.

I bought my Boxster thinking that I would be relying on the pro's for service. I have yet to take it in to a shop for anything as these cars are very easy to work on once you overcome the initial fear. I will say that I am getting pretty fed up with jack stands and will likely get a lift of some kind next spring.

Lots of guys use the Durametric to good effect. This is all I have ever needed though:
http://www.actron.com/whats_new_detail.php?id=20

Combined with discussions here and on Renntech a simple code reader works well. It is after all, just a tool. How much tool do you need?

Durametric works fine and you have a license for 3 cars..!!

I agree with pretty much everything in this post. (I can't comment on the Durametric...never used one. But it does have a solid following among people around here.) And a resounding "Amen" to the desirability of a lift. I, too, am getting really tired of dealing with jack stands. (At first it was just the nagging fear of working under a car supported by them. With experience with stands, I've totally gotten over that. I'll NEVER get over the hassle of using them.)

Let us know what you get, lift-wise. (Check to see if they're open to a group-buy discount.)

Sorry to hijack...

I have a chinese code reader, less than $20, that works on the laptop and does averything the Actron does, but I'm getting the durametric, mostly because it reads cam deviation (the others do not) which is a good early warning of a failing IMSB.