Here we go again
 

Questions arise whenever I look at a possible purchase. Current prospect, 99 base, 130k miles, comprehensive service records since new; clutch/IMS/water pump/shocks all done at or since 100k; good tires, brakes, top upgraded to glass, grin-inducing test drive. Price is somewhat above KBB, but I can live with that. The issue? CEL

P0140, P1117, P1121, P0410, P1411

of course, with the holiday I can't get it to a mechanic so I'm looking for some feedback from folks on here. First, should this be a deal-breaker? I've been reading (yes, search is my friend) and it seems this can be one of many things, but most folks who've had it done in a shop get it cleared for good for less than $1k. If anyone has been through this and has real world numbers to share, I'd be grateful. If those figures are as I suspect, then I think I'm ok moving forward, but happy for any and all insight on that score as well. (Current owner says it has been popping up for years, one concern I have is that as sometimes reported, this might cause cats to fail which would mean big $$ down the road.)

Oh, and PO has just one key and the electronics on it don't work. It locks the car and starts it, obviously, but no button function. IIRC this is like $500 to replace at the dealer?!

Thanks all. One day I'll complete a purchase and can perhaps contribute not just take from this board.

P0140 Oxygen Sensor After Catalytic Converter (cylinders 1 - 3) - Interruption of Signal
P1117 Oxygen Sensor Heating 1 After Catalytic Converter - Below Lower Limit
P1121 Oxygen Sensor Heating 2 After Catalytic Converter - Below Lower Limit
P0410 Secondary Air Injection System - Signal Implausible (Cylinders 1 - 3)
P1411 Secondary Air Injection System - Signal Implausible (Cylinders 4 - 6)

It seems that this car has two separate issues. The first three codes are O2 sensor related whereas the last two codes are SAI related.

The O2 codes can affect engine performance and should be investigated and repaired. The SAI codes are only emissions related and should not affect engine performance.

Budgeting $1000 for the codes is probably reasonable for a shop to diagnose and repair whatever might be wrong. Same for the $500 to replace the keys and have them re-programmed.

None of these issues would be a deal breaker for me but I definitely wouldn't pay a premium for a car with these types of existing issues either (if it was me, I'd be offering $2000 under KBB). I say this mainly because if there are obvious areas of deferred maintenance, you can be sure that there are other maintenance/repairs that the current owner skipped but just aren't as obvious as the CEL's and non-functional key.

With all of this being said, PLEASE get a good pre-purchase inspection! The PPI will tell you exactly what you might be getting into and an approximate estimate of the repair costs.

My experience suggests that such a car is a needless gamble at the price. You have no idea exactly how much t would cost to fix the problem.
There are plenty of CEL-free Boxsters for sale.Why buy trouble at full Market Price?
Always check Rediness Monitors in case of SAI problems.

yes, i'm getting the feeling that i should walk away, tempting as it was after a very nice test drive. haven't yet totally shut the door, but since i don't think the seller will go down much further in price, i'm thinking i should just be patient and wait for another.

"There is nothing as expensive as a cheap Porsche " !
Ask here for a local Boxster Indie. Ask him about any of his customers selling.
In your area - look at the For Sale Section in this Forum and find the car member Chuck W advertised. It seemed expensive until you added the cost of fixing a cheap alternative with no history.

If you haven't already, check out the cars for sale in the classifieds here, online Excellence Magazine classifieds, Excellence | The Magazine About Porsche, and the Porsche Club of America classifieds, www.pca.org. Also Rennlist, www.rennlist.com. You may find an enthusiast owned and well maintained car that the owner wants to sell only because he/she is ready for something else. Remember, the search is half the fun!

Agreed, the search has been fun. I'm waiting for a PPI report on an 03 base that I found yesterday, which might be the winner. If it comes back clean, i'll pull the trigger and move to the tech tips board as I start digging into the joys of ownership/maintenance.