5 problems on my 97 Boxster cost $5,125?!?!?

[bhduxbury]

great points x -- indeed, renntech even has a whole forum dedicated to top issues alone:

http://www.renntech.org/forums/index.php?showforum=46

[TVC15]

which dealer in LA did you take it to?

hi boxsterian
it is funny but you seem to have similar problems with your 97 as I had with mine(i have since change for an 2000 S)
the airflow unit is very expensive I kept the old one as a souvenir on my office shelf, it is only made by bosch and to my knowledge cannot be purchase outside an official porsche part supplier, I even tried Germany but the cost in Euro is around €500.
this unit as it is called regulate the air flow going into your engine and when faulty your motor will not run on 6 cylinder but less and causes misfire.
an other problem that I encounter is with the water pump which litterally snap, maybe you should keep an eye on this too, it snapped the supply belt and everything on the boxster in run by this belt (this is NOT the timing belt as there isn't one on the Box but a chain is used instead)
If you manage to buy and change the airflow mass unit yourself you will have to get it set up with a porsche approved electronic unit which connect under the passenger side of the dashboard.
I hope you can get your car sorted out quickly and cheaply to get you back motoring
it is madness to deal with a porsche dealership to repair a 97 Box, find a good local porsche specialist which will charge probably half the cost and have all the needed tools.

[97Boxsterian]

Thank you for all valuable advices! I appreciate that a lot!
Since the motor mount and RMS leak are covered by the warranty, I am not worried about that. I guess I will fix the rest of problem myself. The priority are:
1) Coolant leak and Mass Air Flow Sensor
2) Top issue
3) Hand break adjustment (may be I just live with it or just fix it when I have nothing to do in the future)

My Box is my wife's daily driver and we drive it out to dinner and grocery market every weekend. We don't feel anything wrong with it except sometime need to try 2-3 times to get the engine. The check engine light of my car never on, I doubt how serious the Coolant leak and MAF problems are. I check the oil and coolant level once a week and found both tank are always full. I notice both RMS leak and coolant in about 3 weeks ago when I bought my Box to a Porsche specialist to do the 30K service. He said it is not so bad and can be fixed in November when my extended warranty ready. I check the ground of my garage and see no coolant drop and just couple drops of engine oil every night. I smell no coolant on the back trunk so I assume my coolant leak is not so bad. I think the service rep from Porsche dealer just makes it a big deal and want my business.

I bought my box in a local used car dealer. I called them several time and they sound like they don't want to be responsible for that. I don't want to spend time with them and I will try to fix my car as soon as possible and may go back to sue the dealer for the money and time I spend on this mass. My advice for all used car shopper: PPI is a MUST and stay away from used car dealership.

hi boxsterian
the mass airflow problem I had did not show on any dashboard light and as you mention the hard starting there is an explanation on your other thread about right amount of air for fuel to ignite your engine, I believe the airflow is more than likely your start problem

[Brucelee]

"PI is a MUST and stay away from used car dealership."

I agree a PPI is prudent and always recommend them to my buyers.

My bias here is clear--I am a used care dealer, specializing in Porsche and Corvette.

I can tell you that all dealers like, all people, are not alike.

There are plenty of reputable dealers and then there are those who are not.

This is similar to private party sellers. Some are selling to you with full disclosure, some are not.

Specific to your issues, I can tell you that some of the issues that have arisen would NOT have been detected by most dealers. The coolant leak is certainly one, the MAF the other.

I am not defending nor attacking your selling dealer, I simply do not have enough info to have any informed opinion.

However, broad generalizations are normally avoided because they are so often wrong.

Caveat Emptor and Good Luck with your warranty coverage.

[97Boxsterian]

Originally Posted by Brucelee

"PI is a MUST and stay away from used car dealership."

I agree a PPI is prudent and always recommend them to my buyers.

My bias here is clear--I am a used care dealer, specializing in Porsche and Corvette.

I can tell you that all dealers like, all people, are not alike.

There are plenty of reputable dealers and then there are those who are not.

.......

Let me correct my previous comment about used car dealership:
Not all used car dealerships are bad, just need to find a trustworthy one. Not only research on the car before you buy it but also research on the dealership's reputation too.

[97Boxsterian]

Originally Posted by olly986

hi boxsterian
the mass airflow problem I had did not show on any dashboard light and as you mention the hard starting there is an explanation on your other thread about right amount of air for fuel to ignite your engine, I believe the airflow is more than likely your start problem

I agree with you. I plan to clean MAF first and see if the problem goes away. If not, I will replace it. Thanks for your opinion!