Hit something?
 

I didn't see anything (very dark out) and I did not feel a bump on the tires.
But something sounded like a rock bouncing under the car.
My ABS and Battery warning lights came on and I seem to have lost power steering.
Other than the hard steering I can't tell anything is wrong.
Until I get a look underneath, I can't tell if I hit something that damaged the wiring harness, or if something broke off?
The ABS light makes me think the Wheel sensor harness is damaged, but I have not owned my Boxster for very long.
(About 4 months)
I was hoping some one could say if a wiring harness damage could account for the hard steering? or do I have multiple problems.

If it helps, I have a 99 with 120k
I should update my profile?

Sounds like your serpintine belt broke making the noise & causing the power steering loss. Search the forum on how to inspect & replace.

It does sound like the serpentine belt.

If so watch out for overheating as the water pump may stop turning with the belt coming apart.

I'd stop driving it until you can confirm the belt issue.

You dont want to damage the expensive engine.

Thanks.
I will inspect tomorrow when I have some light.
It didn't sound like it came from behind the seat though?
Shouldn't cost too much to replace? maybe 25 dollars?

I see this is likely?
Quoting another post;
"I lost the serpentine belt. Lost power steering, traction control and ABS and the battery light came on. I made it just off the highway before it started over heating (stupid traffic)."
I only had to drive about a quarter mile, so overheating was not a factor.
Thanks again.

did you temp. gauge hit the roof? (i.e. the red/orange light comes on)?

if indeed its the serpentine belt ...3 things will happen

1) AC will not work (the air will not be cold)
2) temp gauge shoots up through the roof within 30 secs if u are driving
3) your battery light comes on (which you saw).

When you look for the broken belt, also check the water pump - it may not just be the belt that broke but the pump shaft snapping, or the deflection / tension rollers siezing causing the belt to dislodge or break....
You will need to remove the inspection hatch behind the seats (its difficult from underneath). To do this you will have to put the top into the service position and remove the carpets and engine cover before you can access the inspection plate.
Use the search function if you get stuck....

Well I got a spare belt.
My belt was still there and it looks better than new.
The bad news, I'm missing the lower idler pulley. (That explains the hitting a rock noise.)
The mounting bolt is broken off in the hole. :-( very :-(
Not much room to try to get a drill and easy-out in the tight space. (Dremel?)
About $90. for a replacement pulley, but it will take a lot longer to get the old bolt out.
The good news is everything else looks good and all the other pulleys spin freely.

Right-angle reversing drill will help

I went back to where it happened and found the pulley.
The barring seems okay but it's a little scratched up from the road.
Not sure why the bolt failed?
No sign of the spacer.

Dude - turn that frown upside down! You have a valid excuse to go out and buy an expensive new tool!

Yep, it's an ill wind that blows no good.

The frown will turn right side up, when I have a clean bolt hole with good healthy threads. :-)

I think I'm going to look for a local shop to remove the broken bolt.
If I screwed up the threads on a perfectly good running Porsche engine block...
Let's just say, I'm hesitant to risk it.
I'll call some shops tomorrow.
No Porsche shops around here anyway.
I live in Corvallis Oregon.

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h1...ps78085f4c.jpgSorry having problems trying to host images

Yea! Got the picture up.
You can see the bolt broke off deep in the hole.

The good news is that you are close to Sunset Porsche in Portland.

The most perplexing thing is why it broke a bolt on the idler?

Perhaps the idler wheel seized?

The fact that it broke off deep in the hole points to a twisting failure which would be consistent with a seized pulley.

I can't think of any other reason for such a failure.

Better to replace all those bearing parts in that case.

Heres a handy DIY reference: http://www.pelicanparts.com/techarticles/Boxster_Tech/17-ENGINE-Idler_Pullies/17-ENGINE-Idler_Pullies.htm

and the parts: http://www.pelicanparts.com/catalog/shopcart/986M/POR_986M_ENGmis_pg1.htm#item5

May as well do the belt and water pump while you're up in there to ensure this doesn't happen again for a good long time.

The pulley's bearing seems to be fine. (I found it on the road where it broke) and all the pulleys rotate freely.
So it is a mystery. Very perplexing! Maybe the spacer got loose and spun with the pulley on the bolt?
I did not find the spacer, so I can't evaluate the cause better.
I hate to modify anything. But I'm thinking of cutting an access panel to get a direct line for a drill. Make a guide to keep the drill strait too?
I don't know. I'm going to have to study the options.
I think welding the access plate back afterwards, is still a lot cheaper than dropping the motor.
Estimates at 11 hours of shop rate just to drop the motor, with who knows how many more, to drill out the bolt.
Might be the most expensive $4.00 bolt replacement ever.
Luckily it's not my only car.

[IMG][IMG]http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h1...ps70cce866.jpg[/IMG][/IMG]

About 4" for a right angle drill, chuck and drill bit.
It does look like the spacer may have spun, before the bolt broke?
I might have to rent a dental drill?
About 11 hours of shop rate to pull the motor. :-(

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h1...ps86fb7ae2.jpg
The pulley I found on the road.
The bearing still works well, but it has a little road rash. It might have been run over too? The paint is still on the belt's contact surface. Very perplexing?
the underside of the pulley.
shows no sign of bearing damage.

In your first post, you state that you have only had the car for four months. Seeing that there is still paint on the pulley surface, I would think that it is more than likely a new pulley, otherwise all the paint would have been worn off by now. Sounds like the previous owner had a problem and replaced the pulley with a new one. Might have over tightened the bolt and lead to the failure. A lot of people think they have to tighten every bolt as tight as they can.

I recall seeing pictures a while back of a portable EDM tap remover. I wonder if that would be something you could use on this problem.

Just got this advice from a friend who races motor cycles.
More than likely he's had broken bolts in Aluminum a few times.
Sounds doable.
SMAW process 6013 x .1875 rod at 100 amps. Set source to straight polarity at .5 pulse or so. Touch the electrode to the end of the broken off bolt. After welded cut off the rod long enough to get a pair of vice grips on it and remove. Practice on a scrap bolt and nut a few times first if you have never done this before. Adjust power source accordingly.
I think you may be right about the pulley being new.
The belt looks totally new too.

The pulley still has ALL of it's paint except where it has road rash.
The bearing's rubber looks new too.
The belt show no signs of use.
I think you called it correctly.

Bulldog...
I feel for you, as 3-4 years ago I replaced my belt rollers and having just bought Wayne Dempsys 101 Projects for your Boxster, I followed the procedure as described in the Projects book.
Unfortunately, there was an error in the installation torque value of the lower roller retaining bolt (now updated I believe) and the result was that the new bolt sheared off and I was left with the same problem as you have.
I guess I was a little luckier as the remains of the broken bolt was flush with the block, but no way could I get a right angle drill in there without cutting out part of the bulkhead or removing the engine.
After sleeping on it, I bought a long very thin needle punch and after punching a small indentation in the bolt, slowly started tapping the bolt out of the block. Even though I had used Locktite on the threads when I installed the new bolt, it slowwwly came out - even though there was minimum manouvering room, & I cried with relief when enough of the bolt was out and I could grasp it with pliers......

Looking at your pictures, your bolt is a long way in the block, and I don't know if the long punch method will work for you. Trying to drill it out is fraught with danger as its difficult to get the drill strait even if you have the room to get one in there, plus if the drill runs off the old bolt, theres a good chance it will damage the thread & soft alloy block.....

Cutting, removing and re-welding the bulkhead so you can get a drill / easyout in there may be easier than removing the engine, depending where your expertise lay....
Whatever method you use, best of luck - its a nasty situation to be in and I sympathise with you.
Please keep us all informed of the outcome.

It almost looks like you could get an extra-long drill bit straight in? Hard to tell from pictures. Definitely center punch first, and use a left-handed bit.

the picture with the tape measure on a strait path shows that strait on is not possible.
Also the idea of cutting away an access opening would involve the inside corner of the console tunnel.
I'm researching the Tack welding method.
Just need to find someone willing?
I'll post my results, but this may be a slow repair.

I'd suggest taking it to a machine shop. It really is a tough situation but I don't think you'll need to pull the engine. The broken bolt may have been too long or the threads didn't go down as far as they should and the bolt may have been flexing as a result. If it were me I'd probably try tacking on a small rod and twisting it out, first.

The real problem with "tacking on" or drilling is the lack of space and no strait path to the bolt. Just getting a welding rod (bent or otherwise) into the tapped hole without touching part of the chassis or engine will be a delicate operation.
In my case, if the engine had been out of the car, it would have taken me 10 minutes to remove the broken bolt - as it was, it took over an hour of sweat (its tight even with the seats removed), lots of bad language and split knuckles to get the damned thing out. Bulldogs bolt is even more difficult to remove as it snapped deep in the threaded hole.

mig weld some flat stock onto the bolt, just right of the center

If the bearing in the idler looks good I would take a very thorough look at ALL the other pulleys and accessories. You may find that a P/S pump, alternator, or AC comp. clutch bearing failed and the idler bolt was the weakest link.

what happened
 

outcome? did the bolt come out?

I had a friend drop off some easy-out kits this weekend.
One set has square posts that pound into a sized drill hole. Then there is a hex head that slides over the square post for a wrench or socket.
I might start with that set.
I was a little too busy to start. but I hope next weekend I will.

Hooray!!!!
I got it out tonight.
It took a reversing right angle Air Drill, and a VERY short LH Drill bit.
(I had to shorten it to about 3/4 of an inch beyond the tip of the chuck.)
Feeling happy now. Just need a new bolt, washer, and spacer.
I did drop the bit of broken bolt onto the bottom engine skid-pan.
Hopefully it will find a way to fall out.