mechanical ignition problem
 

My Boxster starts fine but the key doesn't release causing interference with head lights and wipers so I manually give it a quarter turn back after starting and all is well. I have seen this posted before but have not seen a suggestion on how to fix it. Does anyone have a solution for this.

Yes - buy a new electrical portion of the ignition switch, part #4AO 905 849 B.

You can get it from a VW / Audi dealership as well as Pelican. I don't think Porsche supply just the electrical portion any more.
Be aware that there are 2 separate parts, the electrical portion and the complete mechanical / electrical unit (which is what Porsche now supply).

I found VW somewhat cheaper than Audi.

It's easy to change as well. I did it by taking out the AC vent and that allowed me to work with 1 arm up from underneath and 1 hand thru the vent hole. I used my 1/4" ratchet with a small straight bit and it took me 10 minutes.

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i1...ps1xp4d0oj.jpg

[QUOTE=jcslocum;470779]It's easy to change as well. I did it by taking out the AC vent and that allowed me to work with 1 arm up from underneath and 1 hand thru the vent hole. I used my 1/4" ratchet with a small straight bit and it took me 10 minutes.

I think you must be the first to say that this job was easy! :)

kcj2050 and spinnaker had some good tips that I used when I did mine, here is my thread with links to theirs:

http://986forum.com/forums/general-discussions/48561-key-rotated-all-way-around-when-i-went-start-my-car-evening.html

JJ, I had read a lot on here so when I did it, it was not a mystery and I had the easy tool. The vent out is the big secret.

I changed mine as well. I thought it was a real PITA! I did it from underneath the dash. After trying 5 different screwdrivers to get the switch out I found the screwdriver on my mini Swiss Army knife worked like a charm.

mechanical ignition problem
 

Perhaps the level of difficulty is lower if the switch has been replaced once already - I found the difficult part was clearing out the hardened factory lock-tight type fluid that was all over top face of the screws.

I do wish I'd read this a/c vent removal tip prior to doing mine though, I'm sure it would have helped [emoji106]🏼

I bought a VW unit which I'm confident is going to last a while, but I may get a cheap one off eBay and keep that in the car. If you get stranded, no need in install the new switch, just plug in the replacement and operate it directly with a key or other small object.