Some simple Q's from a newcomer

[eltren]

Just picked a '99, it's all new to me. Overall, it seems pretty damn good.

Engine performance is decidedly underwhelming. I think I hear an exhaust leak.
The computer is telling me I'm getting 16 MPG. At 60 in 5th.

Is there a well known exhaust leak problem spot or component?
I don't notice any smells indicating an extreme rich condition.
Can the computer need calibration?

So to state the obvious, the car needs a tune, and...what?

You tell me.

thanks

[kabel]

Could be a number of things, cat, dirty or bad MAF, O2 sensor malfunction...

[stab1991]

Reminds me of all those posts about the 928 having poor performance, but all those were poorly maintained and needed some tlc to get the performance back. Best bet would be to take it to a porsche tech and see. No lights lit on the dash?

[eltren]

Lights? I get a spoiler light when I start it, otherwise, no. The car was sitting for months and months, so am running through the old gas in order to slam in a full tank of premium. The folks who had the car were charging it by idling. Can't be good.
Let's see if that fresh gas changes anything.

It's a Tip, and seems much happier driven in M and revved. Comments?

Look, the car's only rated for 200HP, how much zip does it really have without revving hard?

Whatsa MAF?

[yelojkt]

Originally Posted by eltren

Lights? I get a spoiler light when I start it, otherwise, no. The car was sitting for months and months, so am running through the old gas in order to slam in a full tank of premium. The folks who had the car were charging it by idling. Can't be good.
Let's see if that fresh gas changes anything.

It's a Tip, and seems much happier driven in M and revved. Comments?

Look, the car's only rated for 200HP, how much zip does it really have without revving hard?

Whatsa MAF?

Well this awnsers alot of questions especially the part in bold. I think you need to give yourself some time driving the car. But first chang the oil and filter and look at your filter really good.Pull it apart and look for any kind of debris metal or plactic/rubber.

The MAF is the Mass Air Flow meter positioned in the intake just after the air filter.

[eltren]

We're all basically on the same page. Just calibratin'.

One lapse here is I had the oil changed the second I picked it up...and knew bupkus about
the IMwhatever. Therefore there was no inspection of the filter. Oops.

Everything you say is dead on. In fact my biggest issue right now apart from the apparent exhaust leak and the horn, is getting the roof compartment drained!

All probs should be so minor.

How hard/risky is it to pull the steering wheel airbag?
That seems the likeliest spot for a horn short. It goes off and stays on over bumps, when steering, if I sneeze....I pulled fuze B-3 meantime, but I hate not having something to razz the dip****************s with. Anyone else notice how aggressive Prius drivers have gotten?

[Mark_T]

Mentioning the months-old gas might have been slightly relevant when making your first post about the poor performance and mileage.

Run a couple of tanks of premium through it. Add a can of Lubro-moly Jectron to the second tank. See what it runs like after using up the tank with the Jectron in it. Don't expect much power under 4K, but it should be flying by the time it hits 5K. It's not an "off the line" car, but if you want to pass some dick on the highway then just watch 'er go! Downshift to catch your power band.

Rev it hard - isn't that what you bought it for? If you do a little reading on this forum, you'll soon see that the engines that don't last are the ones that are driven too soft, but if you beat the living crap out of it then it will probably last forever. I try to always keep my rpm above 3K.

Good luck

[Mark_T]

Come again about draining the roof compartment? There should be round plastic tubes in the bottom of the foam trays to allow water to drain out to the street. If those are plugged and water overflows to the cabin, then the first thing to fry will be your $3000+ alarm module located under the drivers seat. Be careful. Check for damp carpet.

Just a couple of screws to pull the airbag - Make sure you disconnect the battery and let the car sit for half an hour or so before you start work. Unexpected airbag deployment can be startling. Look around for a DIY on changing the steering wheel to get step by step instructions complete with pics. You should get yourself a Bentley manual ASAP if you're planning on working on the car.

[yelojkt]

Originally Posted by eltren

Just picked a '99, it's all new to me. Overall, it seems pretty damn good.

Engine performance is decidedly underwhelming. I think I hear an exhaust leak.
The computer is telling me I'm getting 16 MPG. At 60 in 5th.

Is there a well known exhaust leak problem spot or component?
I don't notice any smells indicating an extreme rich condition.
Can the computer need calibration?

So to state the obvious, the car needs a tune, and...what?

You tell me.

thanks

It's a 12 year old sports car. Did you get a PPI done? Is it the base model, which by the way has always seemed a little underwhelming to me. What kind of service records did you get with your purschase? Remember you bought a car that when new cost $40 to $50,000. You cannot expect to pay $10,000 on a Porsche and not put any money into it. Now you can buy one that you may not have to spend as much money on as another but that is where research and patience comes in. I would say give it a tune up an extensive one and start doing your own research to find out as much as you can about your new machine. Good luck and have fun with it. Oh and congratulations on buying a 986.