New owner here!
 

I remember test driving this car back in '04 and I swore to myself that I would someday buy one. When this one popped up, 15,600 miles, I had to get her. Anyway, I'm glad to have found this site and look forward to learning more about my car. By the way, the check engine light has turned on twice in the last three weeks and the rear speakers/subwoofer doesn't seem to work... woohoo!!!! Thank goodness for the warranty. :confused:

Welcome aboard!

Welcome, I hope the dealer fixes everything under warranty and you get to enjoy your Boxster.

Well, the dealer fixed the rear subs and the check engine light. 100 miles later, baaaaazing!!! The check engine light turns on again!!!! :rolleyes: So, back the dealer it went and they replaced the ECU. The dealer tech actually called me and explained the status, which was really cool, but we'll see what happens this time... Yeah, I know... :ah:

Oh the joy of owning a Porsche... So, after replacing the ECU and driving the car for approximately 100 miles, guess what... it's back at the dealer because the check engine light turned on AGAIN!!!!! Frick!!!! :( :eek: :o

Maybe they should be figuring out what is causing the CEL to come on, rather than attack the light itself.

Just maybe...


Did they ever tell you what code it's giving? Get yourself an OBDII reader, or have an auto parts store read the code for you before you take it to the dealer again.

Post the code here, and we'll figure out what it could mean, so you can then have the dealer address the actual problem, instead of the symptom thereof.

So, the car's finally out of the shop. They troubleshot the car and narrowed it down to the two oxygen sensors ahead of the catalytic converters. Apparently, they were somehow sending the signals at a slower pace than normal to the ECU, so both were replaced and we'll see if anything else pops.

So you have an '04 special edition? When does your warranty expire? I would be VERY WORRIED about it expiring w/ all these problems.




I really hope your car is OK. I am glad to see you sincerely love your car, though, despite the fact it's having some problems.

Yeah, it's a special edition with 16,700 miles and the warranty expires next year. I think I'll buy an extended warranty, just in case. I'm a gear head by heart and an Engineer by trade so I have a little more patience than most people especially when it comes to technology and cars.

Aw, crap!! Bloody check engine light turned on again!! :eek: :mad:

Take it to Autozone. They will read your codes for free. Write them down and report back here. We will help you narrow down the problem.

Ditto to what Topless said. All I will add is that you may need to take the car to a different dealership or request a completely different tech look at your car at the same dealership.

Sometimes, a different set of eyes and fresh deductive reasoning can be a great thing.

Well, the car's in shop now and I hope to get it back tomorrow. I'll consider your suggestions next time. Ugh, this is so frustrating!

So, I got the car back and it was a loose vacuum tube. Last night... tadaah!!! Check Engine Light!!! This is the worst car I've ever owned in my life!

Really! It shouldn't be so difficult. I suspect your mechanic has limited experience with this car and does not know what to look for. We can help you....

Year?
Model?
Mileage?
error codes?

Where in California are you?

Well, the car is a 2004 Boxster S Special Edition, ~18,600 miles. I live in the San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles area. I don't know too much about this car, except I love driving it, so where do I start? Where's the OBD2 port? I don't really trust the people at Autozone, but I'll try anything at this point. The only consolation is that I haven't spent a single penny for any of the repairs because it's covered under the warranty. I'll post the trouble code once I find the OBD2 port and find a scan tool. By the way, has anyone tried this tool? http://www.durametric.com/ Thank you all for the suggestions.

The OBD II port is under the dash right by your left knee. The Durametric software is probably the best tool out there because it gives you so much more information than the typical scanner. Once you get the codes, let the guys here know what they are. They'll have you up and running in no time.

As for the Auto Zone guys, there's not much they can screw up really. They just plug in the scanner and read the codes off to you.

If it makes you feel any better, I've had an intermittent CEL for the past couple of weeks. I haven't figured mine out yet either.

Which Porsche dealer are you taking it to? I was taking mine to Rusnak in Westlake before I moved back to NY. They weren't to swift. I complained about a ticking noise coming from the back of the car and they found nothing. Yet when I drove it I still heard it. After I moved to NY I took it to my local Porsche dealer to have new tires put on. While they were test driving it they noted the ticking noise and told me that was a bad wheel bearing. They put in a new bearing and the car run great now. No more ticking noise.

Moral of the story, all Porsche dealer mechanics are not the same even if the charge the same amount.