New Member/Porsche Owner Introduction

[BimmersInGA]

Hello. I have exclusively owned BMWs for the last 20 years, but try not to hold that against me! I've had a couple of my car buddies suggest I try out a Porsche and I just came across a really good deal on a 2002 Boxster for sale locally. So I decided to give it a try.

I've only owned it for about 24 hours so far, but it's definitely making an impression. What a fun little car. Now I see why all of the car mags rave about it.

I've been trying to absorb as much info as I can about it and have already learned a lot. But there is still a long way to go!

I didn't get an owner's manual (shocking, I know) and do have a few basic questions I'm hoping to get answered.

1. Every time I unlock the door and get in, the alarm goes off. The key has (well, used to have) buttons to remotely lock and unlock the car, but they no longer function. So I have to actually put the key in the lock and turn it to lock/unlock the doors. Am I doing something wrong to keep setting it off?

2. I can't figure out the headlight switch! I am assuming that you turn it clockwise and then pull it out to turn on the headlights. But they won't turn on. The smaller lights at the bottom of the cluster will turn on, and if I hold the turn signal lever back, the high beams will come on. But I can't figure out how to turn on the low beams!

3. The car has about 96K miles on it and the suspension is a little creaky. Are there common items that need replacement? On BMWs, the links connecting the anti roll bars are pretty notorious. I noticed the noise pulling into my driveway which requires going over a pretty high curb (and at an angle so the air dam doesn't scrape the driveway). Whoever built the development i live in must have assumed that everybody would drive SUVs and pickups. Because anything else will bang its chin backing out or pulling in.

I'll get the car cleaned up and post some pictures as soon as I can.