Really not having a good time...

[gschotland]

Originally Posted by willd

Not three miles onto French soil, the car cuts out completely. All electrics are fine, the engine just died. Wouldn't catch on turning over at all.

Sounds curiously like what happened to me recently (my car: '02 S, 71k mi), but unfortunately at Home Depot in New Jersey, not France. France is one of the few places I wouldn't mind being stranded. Turned out a faulty voltage regulator had caused the battery to very rapidly discharge to near zero with no warning whatsoever.

After you get the boot and bonnet open, measure your battery voltage (see threads for specs), then charge it thoroughly overnight, or if it's more than few years old strongly consider simply replacing it. I'd just replaced my battery not more than a week before experiencing this failure.

Search this site for "alternator" or "alternator failure" to find a number of very good threads on troubleshooting your charging system and alternator removal. Replacement of the faulty voltage regulator, which is part of the alternator, is inexpensive (the part was $15, some people have paid up to $65) and very quick once you get the alternator out. Overall, not a bad DIY project for someone like me with very average mechanical skills.

Don't get discouraged, your Boxster DOES love you, it just gets a little cranky occasionally. As you say in the UK, "Keep your pecker up."

[willd]

Ok, first of all thanks for the info. I got the trunk/boot/bonnet open, I opted to use the 'thin screwdriver in the lever area', i.e. sliding the solenoid across manually. Only thing I would mention to UK owners is that you're sliding it away from the middle of the car, not towards, but that's quickly worked out!

So anyway, I've opened it all up and am mildly happy...or kind of, I think maybe just relieved I can get to all areas of my broken car now

BUT.......and I do wonder if this is why my car died in the first place - to the right of the battery, there is a 'void' area with some elctrical items (I don't know what they are yet)....but anyhow.........that entire void was full of water. Right up to the bottom of the battery. I'm beginning to think the previous owner parked this car in the sea. I've drained it (more or less), but now need to find out what's housed in there....and then whether they will dry out in time (not counting on that as it's a typical British winter), or whether they will need replacing.

If anyone has any ideas what they are, that would be appreciated. In the meantime I've drawn a diagram of how to open the trunks, to suplement the guides below. It's crude but.....I tried. Also, photos of my water tank....argh, I mean, my car.

http://www.4vve.com/boxster/bootopening.htm

[Bladecutter]

If you have water there, that means that your drains for the windshield area are plugged up with leaves and other debris. You will need to clean those drain tube areas out.

BC.