Re: I continue to be impressed

99 Boxster

Driving down the highway today, the light went on for the rear spoiler. I was able to look back there and see it was still extended. I stopped for gas and it had retracted as normal. That said, the light remained on until I turned the car off. When I went back there, it appears that one end (passenger side) had maybe 1/8" of give when I lightly pushed down on it. Anyway, got in the car after filling up and drove the rest of the way on the highway with no problems.

It might be nothing or is it the start of something? Anyone run across this issue? Things to check? Bad switch? The light may have come on when I hit a small bump, but to be honest I hit some harder bumps later in the trip with no problems.

Thanks.

-Greg

with how well these cars are designed and built. A 99 boxster is a 15 or 16 year old car. To think that the spoiler has gone up and down a kazillion times, in nasty conditions - wind, rain, cold, heat, and only now might be starting to say it's tired, well...that's impressive.

Quote
Roger987
with how well these cars are designed and built. A 99 boxster is a 15 or 16 year old car. To think that the spoiler has gone up and down a kazillion times, in nasty conditions - wind, rain, cold, heat, and only now might be starting to say it's tired, well...that's impressive.

That is for sure, Roger. 115k miles. Original clutch. Have only replaced the front brake pads (albeit I bought the car with 37k miles). Only replaced the cloth top last year. Minor changes here or there. A very well designed car that gives me permagrin daily!

The first time many years ago a few weeks or less after I washed the engine, for the first and last time.

I recall the light was on and the spoiler was up when I pulled in to the parking lot here at the office.

I tried to lower the spoiler with the switch but it was not moving. I left the car parked and later came out and drove it to lunch and back. At some point I noticed the light was out and the spoiler had retracted I guess during the drive to/from lunch. (Oh, driven on surface streets at speeds far below the deployment speed.)

Another time more recently but still months ago (I think I posted a picture of the spoiler light on, the CEL on and some other warning light on) it came on for no reason but I do not recall the details. It went off as inexplicably as it came on.

The spoiler continues to AFAIK deploy when it is supposed to and retract when it is supposed to. After I got the Boxster back from the accident repair I tested the spoiler both on the highway and manually. I checked the spoiler doesn't have any excessive play and does not show any signs of any wear/tear.

I suspect what is going on in your car's case is what I suspect went in my car's case, both times. Marginal electrical contact at a connector at the spoiler raising/lowering mechanism or a switch. If you want to track down the spoiler wiring harness and disconnect and connect and related connectors with the idea this will remove any surface corrosion that may be affecting the signals to the spoiler or from the switches.

You might also remove and re-install the spoiler relays. I think there are two, but I may have my 996 Turbo's spoiler confused with my Boxster's spoiler.

You can also do what I did: Ignore it with the idea if the light doesn't come back on and the spoiler continues to work there is no problem. So far this has proved to be the case with the Boxster

In the case of the 996 I had to replace the spoiler hardware, at a considerable cost when the warning light on symptom was soon joined by signs of fluid leakage at the spoiler cylinders (the spoiler system in my 996 is hydraulic) and with uneven spoiler deployment.

Thanks, Marc. Something in my head tells me that it is the same double relay that operates the top as well. I could be wrong, but I thought that is what it was from memory when I had my relay go out.