8 things about the Boxster that I don't like and wish Porsche would fix.
 

2001 BOXSTER

1) Only 3 settings for the wippers. Super slow, med and super fast! No in-between stage or dimmer type switch. Kind of stupid.
2) Sun visors don't move to the outside. Stuck in that up or down position so it doesn't interfear with the top maybe? Who knows why?
3) E-Brake had to be up to put top up or down. (Fixed recently with hack thread found on this site)
4) Seatbelt cuts into my collar bone area.
5) Alarm - Headlights flash 2 times for armed and 1 time for dis-armed. Shouldn't it be the other way around? No horn noise uless you leave your interior lights on.
6) Plastic Rear Window - always worried about it cracking and splitting.
7) Blind spotts when top is up and trying to see behind me when coming out of a u-turn.
8) RMS Leak - Had it fixed once, worried it could still come back some day.

Most of these have been address by Porsche...they call it the 987 and the 987S Boxster!! :D

Dont forget to the rattling windstop and lack of a glove box on the early boxsters like my 1997

I've never had any problems with my Windstop. Fits tight with no noise.

Does the 987 allow you to adjust the sun visor to the outside?

the rattling wind stop and RMS is still an issue on some 987.

glove box? what do you want next a frapucino drink holder?
wipers? If I'm going at least 45mph I don't even turn them on. Water just blows off from the rake of the windshield.

I wish:

1: no electric top, something manual on high quality ball bearings. Saves weight and an no expensive top repair.

2: Turbo headlights like 2002-2004 911. Although the fried eggs are cool. Thank god they didn't put the round 911 light on any Boxsters.

3. they should have sub contracted the design of the gear box to Honda. If they came up with something half as good as the S2000 it would be a 1000% improvement.

4. a lower rear valance. Sits too high off the ground.

5. Get rid of the electric front and door latches. and place the latches in the center arm rest where you arent's scratching them with your shoe.

stock turbo engine ;) and i would forget them for everything else that sucks on this car

Sun visor...what the heck...it's a convertible...sun is coming in from all kind of angles! That why I got a convertible and a good set of sunglasses (and sun screen).

I second the wiper situation... my bmws always had the smart wipers that stopped or slowed when you stopped at a light. Dont other boxsters have the intermittent dimming switch on the dash???
I wish you could put the windows up by turning the key and holding it.
Rear axle hop if you try to "burn a little rubber"
Otherwise, not many complaints.

The Key! It's the worst. The buttons go off when I don't want them to, in my pocket. Then when I actually want to pop the hood using the key I end up popping the trunk or locking the car. You have to have fingers the size of a two year old to actually press the right button.

Interesting thread as I just emailed Porsche about a few things I would like to see changed in the 987:

1. The HVAC controls are way too complicated and irritating to use
2. The navigation is also quite clunky
3. Make the top go down or up with a simple button push, and not to have to hold it down. We shouldn't have to hack it to work that way.
4. I also agree with Perfectlap about the gearbox.
5. Give me just a little more leg room from the clutch to the steering wheel. I am only 6', and the 2007 has a telescoping wheel, but my knee sits right under that steering wheel before I engage the clutch.
6. And I guess since were venting, why not have the door locks programmed from the factory to lock when you start the car and unlock when you turn it off.

AUDIOGUY:

I'm not 100% sure, but I think my 2000 has this feature. It isn't something I use on a regular basis. I believe I was able to lower and raise the windows with the key in the lock when I had my center console torn apart, and the window buttons disconnected.

I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong.

ddb

Yes, I go out into my garage and find one of the hoods popped open all the time.

You guys better be careful. Germans don't take criticism very well.

PS- I am of German heritage! :D

HI, I'm glad i didn't pay $50,000 for my car, makes it easier to accept all the crap from Porsche. :(

putting the jey in and turning it one way or another, holding for a little while, willg et the windows up or down, depending on where they are when you started.

What did you just say BOYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY :D

damn just saw how badly that ended up looking, wow

anyways...put the key in the door, hold right, and windows will go up, hold left, windows will go down.

better? :D

DJ must have aiming the new camera to the car in one hand that's why he was having hard time typing the words..hahahahahahahaha!

HI, much better and yes you are right about the key left wait down and right wait up and ******************** i scratched the paint again thingy :confused:

Thanks :p

Hi, And I just want to hit 200 posts :cheers:

seriously the key sucks!!!! There have been times when I sit right next to my car and hold the button and it won't pick it up....diagnosis found no problem....not to mention I am close to 6'1 and not a small guy so climbing in and out does suck....especially when one of the trunks randomly opens....

well the 20K service comes in a little bit, I'll have them look at the key and the steroeo that is just horrible when it comes to reception....

other than that, give it gas and its the best investment ever all over again.... :D

there is a thread on ppbb.com about this....
you can extend a wire in the A pillar, a white one, and your reception will go crazy. from 15 to 62 feet

heres the thread about that
http://www.ppbb.com/boards/ppbbphp/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=ARCHIVES&Number=1003514&pa ge=&view=&sb=&o=&fpart=all&vc=1

The antenna extention mod didn't do crap for my car. Nor a buddy's car. Sucks.

1) Only 3 settings for the wippers. Super slow, med and super fast! No in-between stage or dimmer type switch. Kind of stupid.

:: Fixed on 987, thankfully!

2) Sun visors don't move to the outside. Stuck in that up or down position so it doesn't interfear with the top maybe? Who knows why?

:: Not fixed on 987 and I agree, it'd be nice to be able to rotate them to the side.

3) E-Brake had to be up to put top up or down. (Fixed recently with hack thread found on this site)

:: Fixed on 987

4) Seatbelt cuts into my collar bone area.

:: You're probably too tall. :p

5) Alarm - Headlights flash 2 times for armed and 1 time for dis-armed. Shouldn't it be the other way around? No horn noise uless you leave your interior lights on.

:: The same on 987. Wish it would beep at me when I walk away. There's that mod chip out there that solves this problem and the other top issues though...

6) Plastic Rear Window - always worried about it cracking and splitting.

:: Fixed on 987.

7) Blind spotts when top is up and trying to see behind me when coming out of a u-turn.

:: Still there!

8) RMS Leak - Had it fixed once, worried it could still come back some day.

:: I guess there's still reports of this.

Also, the 987 rattling windstop thing seems to have been addressed with a TSB from Porsche.

So I guess you can say that Porsche is kind of aware of their deficiencies as they've managed to kill three out of eight of your issues. Just wish they'd do more!

The way the windshield washer works irks me. It has one wipe too many after the fluid dispenses - windshield looks clear after the first couple then there's a semi-dry wipe which smears it all over again, if you have something like tree sap or bug guts on it.

My 1997 Boxster also has this feature.

Hi Donv, you should maybe try:

1) New wiper inserts
2) Really clean your windshield good.
3) Different washer fluid- I find that some of the fluids have a "Rain X" type additive, and this builds up on the glass, and can cause streaking

Thanks, I keep the windshield clean and have new blades - but in my neck of the woods if you drive at night you end up with major bugs on the windshield, regardless. I can have a spot free windshield when I leave, but 15 minutes later the guts are everywhere. The windshield washer does a good job with most of it, but the stickiest ones are the problem and that extra "dry" wipe just smears them all over again. (Can see past "splats", but not so easy with smears.)

I do have some Rain-X (the "apply to windshield" version, not the washer additive) and should try that to see if it can help to keep 'em from sticking originally - then the extra wipe won't matter.

I've thought about the visor issue, too. I have to agree with bmuss and chalk it up to ownership of a convertable. Part of me also wonders how much visibility would be hampered if the visor was tilted left with the top up. I also feel that the key (as said before is waaaaayyyy too sensitive). One thing that I've found troublesome is the placement of the lighter/power sources. In the 987 (not sure in the 986) there is the outlet by the passenger's left leg/foot. Kinda awkward if you have something plugged in and are carrying a passenger.

if everything was perfect there would be nothing to ******************** about, i,ve had to learn to drive again, (i also run 2 tiptronic audi's ) somehow if you learn to live with the odd annoying thing you somehow feel more at one with the vehicle, how many of your wifes are perfect? .......i,m devorcing my rear screen!!! :mad: ..lol

Everything to complain about has been fixed on the 987. The only thing I can gripe about is that cursed blind spot...but it's conducive to dropping the top every chance I get, so maybe I should be thanking Porsche.

I guess the only complain is a nasty farmer's tan and UV light exposure! :D

The only thing that drives me CRAZY!!! is having to get out to karate chop the rear plastic window on the top when lowering. Other than that I love the car.

1) My Box has a knob that you can adjust the wiper speed. No complaints
2) I have a hat and sunglasses for this. No complaints
3) I need to do the hack for this. So far haven't needed to put top up or down while moving, though.
4) Seatbelt fine for me. No complaints
5) My horn honks once when the alarm is armed. This is very odd, you know. Before I installed my nav system it didn't. Now the lights flash twice and the horn beeps. I'm glad it does.
6) BIG COMPLAINT!!! You guys know my window split. Well the glue that's been holding the crack together melts in the heat so I broke down and have an appointment next week to have a new top put on with a glass window.
7) Yes, big blind spots, but I drive with my top down 90% of the time. No complaints
8) *knocks on wood furiously regarding no RMS*


As for the other complaints I've read I haven't experienced any. My windstop is tight, I'm 5'7" and I fit well in the car. I actually have nary a complaint about my Boxster. I love that car and it's perfect.

i kinda hate how a lot of stuff creeks and rattles...but w top down i dont notice any of that.

Wasn't even in the race, that's why I have the Boxster now instead!

Chills, the S models have a knob for controlling the speed of the intermittent wipers. (wish someone would come up with a haxxor for it!)

What brand top are you going with? If you can, please let me know... I'll be looking to do this in the next two or three months (if OT provides for it). Not sure if I'll do the top install myself, or defer to a pro.

I see, I didn't know the base models didn't have the knob.

I'm not exactly sure which top I'm getting. There's a shop here in Chi-land called Riggs Brothers and they are putting it on. They've got a good warranty for their work and they're close to me. $1500 is what it'll set me back.

I thought about doing it myself, but I think it's a bit over my head.

FrayAdjacent,

I recently added the knob for variable wiper speed. It is a very easy mod and fills an unused hole in the dash. I bought the part from eBay. If you have a problem finding the part I will help you find one.

ddb

Hi ddb, I would be interested in the variable wiper speed Knob if it would function on my 1997, searched on eBay and couldn't find anything, I would really appreciate your help.

Thanks

Franco