I purchased my black 2002 Boxster S 2 months ago with about 28K miles on it and have been going thru it fixing all the small (and thank God they are small) problems since. Although one can find hundreds of posts on this forum depicting Boxster problems and solutions, I thought it might be good to start one thread where we can all concisely post all the items we have had to repair on our cars, in an effort to share the experience with others. Many thanks to all of you who answered my questions about the car in he past.
My fixes were as follows:
#1 Cracked coolant bottle
Symptoms: Flashing red light on dash indicating low coolant as well as little or no coolant tin the bottle. Engine coolant temp stayed within tolerance, but could have easily gone high if this problem had gone unattended. Even when topped off level would noticeably drop in a few days.
#2 - Rear plastic window was separating from the canvas top.
Fix: Had the dealer install a whole new window. Looks much better and won't leak. I tried to push for a whole new top but they would not budge. I have read posts from other members who have had the entire top replaced under warrantee.
Finished it off with Ragtop cleaner and protectant.
Top looks very good with the exception of the pressure marks and scuffs.
#3 Car needed 30K maintenance.
Fix: I replaced the pollen and air filters myself. I got stupid and had the dealer do the oil change, spark plugs (not required at 30K on a 2002 S but I did it anyway) and flushed the brake fluid. Due to the insane price he charged me for this service I will be doing all the maintenance I can possibly do in the future myself.
#4 "Titanium colored inner windshield trim (this is only "titanium" from 2000 on Boxster S only) was discolored. Looked like it was rusting.
Symptoms: Very obvious when looking closely at the car.
Fix: Had the dealer replace it under warrantee. Got a new windshield out of the deal as well, as they often break when removed. Had to take it back to get the outer rubber seal "refitted" ( glued down with a urethane glue) as it did not fit flush on the first pass above the top corners. Looks good now. Interesting to note the first dealer said this was not covered under warrantee. Took it to dealer #2 and they took care of it.
#5 Paint had small scratches everywhere. (curse of the black car)
Symptoms: Looked at the car under direct sunlight. You could see hundreds of hairline scratches on every body panel, resulting in big ugly spider webs.
Fix: I have spent more time on this problem than anything elese. I purchased a Portacable Orbital Buffer with an assortment of Lake Country foam pads, medium and light cut polishing compound, Klasse All in One and Klasse Sealant Glaze and a bunch of cotton diapers. Many, many passes later it looks very good. I have been looking at every black car I see parked to compare and most of them look much, much worse than mine so I am going to learn to live with the relatively small number of defects that are not going to come out. Think long and hard before you buy a black one.
#6 Former owner delivered the car with a really cherry ding in the left front fender.
Symptoms: Obvious to the most casual observer
Fix: Fortunately I have a friend who owns a body shop who professionally repaired the ding and re-sprayed the entire fender. Looks so good I do not think anyone could tell it was repaired. They are in the LA area and I will be happy to recommend them if anyone is interested.
#7 Former owner scratched all four Techart wheels.
Fix: This is the last thing I need to do. I will be dropping of the wheels and tires at a place called Wheels America in Santa Fe Springs CA next week to have them completely refinished.
#8 Former owner took the roll bar inserts prior to delivery.
Fix: Purchased a set used from a fellow forum member for $125.00
#9 Former owner took the Porsche Crest wheel center caps.
Fix: Bought a set on ebay for $65.00 - Got lucky and they are brand new - look great
#10 Radio would seize up intermittently.
Fix: Removed the after market ipod docking station. Found the interconnecting cable had wrapped around the pulley for the throttle cable (neat). Once removed it has not seized since.
#11 Car needed brake pads:
Fix: Bought OEM pads from the dealer and installed them myself. Really was not that difficult. Hardest part is removing and replacing the brake pad wear sensors without cracking them.
#12 Floor Mats were worn out especially on the drivers side.
Fix: Bought new ones form the dealer and installed myself.
#13 Former owner had wiped out the 3 different plastic air dams fitted under the front of the car.
Fix: Fortunately they were small ones. Bought new at the dealer and replaced myself
All of this stuff was basically TLC. I know I will have more maintenance and a clutch job coming up, but other than that I am going to enjoy this thing by driving it instead of working on it.
Thanks again to all who provided advice on getting all of the above finished.
Hope we don’t see too many horror stories posted here, but, it is what it is and I think this type of information will be very good to share.
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