The tech replaced the entire belt buckle connector which should include the contacts.

Ok, so I'm working again. Started my new job March 19th. Actually I started my new old job. My previous employer rehired me at the same salary/benefits as before. Even got my got my old office back, same desk, same chair, same phone, same phone number, even same company email account. Should have not thrown out my old business cards. They'd still be good.

(While I am glad to be working again -- I really didn't want to retire just yet -- I was waiting for the weather to improve in the rest of the country for I had planned on taking a nice leisurely road trip of 2 or 3 weeks -- long enough to get sick of staying in hotels and I like staying in hotels -- but of course I can't take off now. Now I'm under tons of pressure to get this new product done.)

Payday was April 1st and I got my first paycheck yesterday. Haven't even had time to get to the bank to deposit it -- auto deposit hasn't kicked in yet -- and this AM I got into the Boxster to head to the old salt mine, err work and my nice new (old) job, and the air bag warning light stayed on after the engine started. Too much too hope the air bag is just low on air.

Contacted the SM at the dealer to make arrangements to bring the car in Saturday for this air bag warning light along with its 290K mile oil/filter service, all to be done Monday or Tuesday of next week.

So how did the Boxster know I just got paid?

Minus 40 degrees... Is that Fahrenheit or Celsius?

Great to hear you're working again.

Glad to see that you're "back in the saddle", Marc. Sounds like you got a good start to Spring with some good news.

It is nice to be working again. I do not fear retirement but want to retire when I am ready, when I decide I want to retire, not because I can't find work in my field and am forced into retirement.

Dropped the Boxster off at the dealer yesterday and sent the SM an email detailing what I want done, looked at. 5K mile oil/filter service (car's do just rolled over 290K miles!); get the air bag light looked into; oh and I noticed the driver side door cubby hole lid has lost its "spring" and won't stay open when I lift the lid and when closed has just its weight to keep it still. Don't know when the lid lost its spring.

That's wonderful news regarding the job. (The update on your eternally young Boxster is also excellent.)

Congratulations..... the job market is frosty still but improving. Add to the mess is that companies are transitioning from employees to contracting for labor. It used to be Kelly Girls when I was young, but that slowly moved up market and we are solidly in a historical transformation of the labor market. Interesting times.

Peace
Bruce in Philly

some hesitation at my hourly rate. The rate I quoted was based the fact I would have to pay all my SS, Medicare, and I would not get any sick pay, vacation pay, holiday pay, nor any medical insurance -- COBRA was costing me $1183/month -- nor the 25% matching contribution to my401(k). And then I also factored in something for the "hot" job market in this area in my field.

But as a fallback I did say I would be willing to return as a full time employee, at the same pay/benefits level as before and the company agreed. The only downside, and it doesn't bother me, is the job may not be "permanent" for if this new product doesn't take off I may be laid off again later this year.

In the meantime though I am glad to be working. And the SM at the dealer has an email of the list of things the Boxster needs so I should have the Boxster back in a day or two.

permanent jobs these days?

I was lucky to be in the right place and prepared when it came to retirement but that meant giving up many job offers along the way and going Porsche-less for 34 years. If I were working now, I'd take the job offers because you can't depend on being lucky enough to be employed through 6 changes of ownership, 5 turns in technology and 37 years as I was.

Good luck Marc.

There is a suspected dead short in the instrument cluster. This has to come out so a search can be made for the dead short. Labor to do this is est. to be 1.5 to 2 hours. The driver side door storage bin has to be replaced to fix the floppy lid. $135 for the parts. Over an hour's labor is required to do this repair.

5w-50 oil should be here today so the oil change can be done. Probably won't get the car back today. (Even if the car is finished today I couldn't pick it up until tomorrow.) Car will probably be done Wednesday and earlier I can pick it up would be Thursday AM before work unless SM can find the time to drop the car off at home for me during the day.

In the meantime it is pouring down rain, with T-storms and possibly hail forecast, and I get to drive the 996.

... really don't have to be replaced.
You can DIY by just drilling a small hole on the plastic hinge next to the hole that ripped.
The spring that holds them up tears through the plastic and the flap flops.
The dealer doesn't fix anything, they just replace.
As I write this, I'm fixing four of these floppy door flaps.
It takes about 20 minutes if you take your time.
Happy Boxstering,
Pedro

Pedro Bonilla
1998 Boxster 986 - 311,000+ miles: [www.PedrosGarage.com]
PCA National Club Racing Scrutineer - PCA National HPDE Instructor - PCA Technical Committee (Boxster/Cayman)

---

Racecar spelled backwards is Racecar

"Racing is life. Anything before or after is just waiting" ... Steve McQueen as Michael Delaney in "LeMans"

"If you wait, all that happens is that you get older"... Mario Andretti

"Being second is to be the first of the ones who lose" ... Ayrton Senna

late now as the new part is in the car. But I'll get the old one and study it and the next time I'll be ready. If the Boxster follows its usual pattern the passenger side door lid will soon fail. It seems whatever happens to one side's door or window or door lock or door latch the other side's counterpart soon follows suit.

The air bag warning light is proving to be a real pain. Was suspected of being a dead short in the instrument cluster then the airbag trigger/control unit. A new airbag trigger/control unit was ordered. This was done based on I believe input from a factory support person. The dealer/techs have been in contact with the factory on this problem. Surprisingly the problem is a bit more complicated than I at first suspected. More on this below.

I visited the dealer and picked up the old airbag control unit and took it to the office and removed the circuit board from the enclosure and examined the board under a microscope. A very nice looking circuit board, nicely conformal coated, and with not one sign of any problems.

Not too long after I looked the board over, the SM emailed me the new airbag trigger unit did *not* solve the problem. So I put the old unit back together and returned it. The new unit was not digitally connected to the vehicle so it can go back into stock and the original unit can go back into the car. Whew! The new unit lists for over $800.

Before meeting with the tech, I did some research on airbag warning lights and Boxsters, then went to talk with the tech.

My research found a problem with 2001 and earlier Boxsters and the seat belt connectors. There is a TSB on this. My car was made in late 2001. However, my research turned up that even with cars that were fitted with the new/improved seat belt connectors problems, albeit less common, can occur. And with now over 290K miles and a lot of seat belt couplings/uncouplings under its belt (no pun....) I felt the Boxster might be due for new seat belt buckles/connectors.

The problem is there are no errors from the airbag control unit. This is the complication I spoke of above and why factory support help has been solicited. The light can be extinguished but the light comes right back on. The tech found the driver's side seat belt connector was staying released when the button was pressed down to unlatch the buckle. He replaced this but it didn't help. Based on my research my WAG was a seat belt buckle was probably the cause of the problem, but apparently not. However, I had no problem with the tech replacing this and said if he felt the other connector questionable he could replace that too.

The thinking is back to a short in the instrument cluster. I pointed out there has been no other electrical problems, no fuses blowing, nothing that would even suggest there's an electrical problem. The tech said the short is after the load which won't blow fuses but the airbag control unit is sensitive enough that it detects the short and lights the warning light.

The plan is to remove the instrument cluster. A new one is estimated to cost $2500 and I told the tech I would *not* agree to spending that kind of money to eliminate an airbag warning light with no error codes associated with it. Before I did this I would tape over the light and drive on.

The tech said the unit can be sent out to be rebuilt for $400 plus shipping. I agreed to that. However, before the tech sends the unit out to be rebuilt I think I'll take a look at the unit, take it to the office and let a tech look it over. If the problem is just a short a wire splice or shrink wrap or something may be all that is necessary to resurrect the unit and I can save $400 plus s&h.

So there it is. An update.

I hate "electrical" problems.

... on early 986s.
Where I have found the problem is in the belt buckle receptacle itself.
I have fixed the issue by liberally spraying electric contact cleaner directly into the latch while rapidly and continuously pressing and releasing the red button.
Sometimes it has taken several minutes.
After, clear the error and see if it come back.
I have had to repeat several times more in some cases.
Lately, I just replace the receptacle altogether with another used one which I have cleaned thoroughly outside the car.
My car had such a fault at around 230K miles. I cleaned as explained and still clear at 259K.
Happy Boxstering,
Pedro

Pedro Bonilla
1998 Boxster 986 - 311,000+ miles: [www.PedrosGarage.com]
PCA National Club Racing Scrutineer - PCA National HPDE Instructor - PCA Technical Committee (Boxster/Cayman)

---

Racecar spelled backwards is Racecar

"Racing is life. Anything before or after is just waiting" ... Steve McQueen as Michael Delaney in "LeMans"

"If you wait, all that happens is that you get older"... Mario Andretti

"Being second is to be the first of the ones who lose" ... Ayrton Senna

However, I do not have the old parts in hand to confirm this. I'll swing by Monday and see just what was replaced and mention the contacts to him.

I have a spare that i bought from Trygve, but never needed it.

There are two similar problems - 1) the buckle contact as you report, and 2) the seat wiring ground, which had a bulletin to replace with gold plated ones. I used deoxit. Voila.

Grant

Grant

gee-lenahan-at-gee-mail-dot-com

So are you now among the double-dipping?

I failed retirement too.

Enjoy,

Grant

Grant

gee-lenahan-at-gee-mail-dot-com

Quote
grant
So are you now among the double-dipping?

I failed retirement too.

Enjoy,

Grant

should my search for work prove unsuccessful, but I found a job and resumed working March 19 of this year, 6 months and 3 days after I was laid off.

In fact I found my "old" job. My ex-previous-employer rehired me at my previous salary and previous benefits level. I got my old office back, with the same chair, phone, with the same phone number. I got the same company email address. I did get a new desktop PC.

I took an unexpected opportunity to retire early with a pension and a payout, and look for nice 1/2 time interesting work.
That would have allowed me more time to drive, ski and generally enjoy myself.

I failed completely, deciding to hook up with a really well respected guy and do a start-up. So now i work stupidly hard for, well, not much,
but I hope building lots of equity and a solid business. We shall see. Not my plan at all. yet, for the most part i am enjoying myself ( aside from the heavy travel).
"Thank you sir, may i please have another?" (ok, all guess the quote, you get one guess)

Sounds like you shoudl be fairly pleased too. Glad to hear it.

G

Grant

gee-lenahan-at-gee-mail-dot-com

Pedro Bonilla
1998 Boxster 986 - 311,000+ miles: [www.PedrosGarage.com]
PCA National Club Racing Scrutineer - PCA National HPDE Instructor - PCA Technical Committee (Boxster/Cayman)

---

Racecar spelled backwards is Racecar

"Racing is life. Anything before or after is just waiting" ... Steve McQueen as Michael Delaney in "LeMans"

"If you wait, all that happens is that you get older"... Mario Andretti

"Being second is to be the first of the ones who lose" ... Ayrton Senna

Grant

gee-lenahan-at-gee-mail-dot-com

The problem is with the instrument cluster. Oh, the symptom is the airbag warning light is on and there are no airbag error codes.

The techs got a chance to try an instrument cluster from another Boxster in my car and the "new" cluster didn't turn on the airbag light.

I took the car's OE cluster to work and a tech and I took it apart, to a point. Nothing jumped out at me -- or the technician.

We didn't remove the circuit board from the unit to flip it over. The way the thing works, at least the LEDs for the warning lamps, is they are all fed from a common hot lead. Each though has an individual and controllable ground. When it is time to turn the LED on the ground is made. Because the airbag lamp is on all the time, the ground is active all the time.

My WAG is the "ground" is probably an output pin on a chip on the circuit board that has to be kept high to avoid a ground condition. This circuit behind the pin has failed and the pin is no longer controllable and has gone low, which completes the ground and thus lights the lamp. This is a "fail safe" implementation.

The short version is the problem is probably a bad chip on the circuit board.

At $2500 for a new cluster, I wasn't in the mood to get too frisky with what I'm told is a "rebuildable" cluster. So the tech and I put the unit back together.

I am told the cost is (was) $400 plus S/H. Since there are so few of these sent in the rebuilder doesn't swap out an incoming one with one already rebuilt but rebuilds the units as they arrive. The turn around time is approx. 3 weeks.

On the way to the office this AM I will drop the unit off and have it sent out for rebuilding.

Oh, I priced some instrument clusters from a Porsche salvage business, Parts Heaven, but the cheapest is $475 and there is the question of whether the salvage unit is in any better condition that the one from my car.

Since the cluster from my car is in otherwise fine shape I see no reason to roll the dice and buy one from a salvage business.

Found a place — VDO — in Newport Beach, CA, that will fix my Boxster instrument cluster. Cost is $349. A chip will be removed and a new one installed. All the values in the instrument cluster unique to my vehicle will remain the same. This includes the odometer. I'm pretty proud of the nearly 300K miles on the car and I don't want to lose them!

Turn around is 1 to 2 days unless the chip is not handy in which case VDO will call me and let me know there will be a delay. I can book the repair online. (www.VDOrepair.com IIRC.)

I ship the unit — insured (for I was advised for $200 but I think I’ll see how much it costs to insure the unit for more: New it would cost over $2000!) — by Priority Mail. This is the best and the least expensive way to ship. The unit comes back the same way. There is a one year warranty.

So Wednesday I pick up the cluster from the dealer and take it by a USPS store and get the thing on its way to Newport Beach. Hopefully I will have it back in a week to 10 or 11 days. I will have the unit shipped directly back to the dealer.

Grant

gee-lenahan-at-gee-mail-dot-com

[vdorepair.com]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/07/2015 07:00PM by Laz. (view changes)

The VDO facility that specializes in Porsche cluster repair is not located in CA after all. The facility that specializes in Porsche instrument cluster repair is located in Lake Havasu City, AZ. Cluster was sent there. I talked to the tech again who I learned is not at the VDO facility in CA but at the facility in Lake Havasu City (when I spoke to him the other day after calling the CA facility I assumed he was located at that facility but I was mistaken) and the unit should be repaired and on its way to me, well, the dealer, soon, maybe this coming week.

I hope to have the Boxster repaired and back on the road very soon. Just in time. The 996 is fast approaching its 5K mile oil/filter service point and I think I'll be using it for business travel soon. My employer has tentative plans to send me to southern CA (Santa Barbara or Monterey Park, not sure yet which) on business in a week or two. I will drive down late in the afternoon and be at a customer's site early the next day then drive back that same afternoon. It will be around a 720 mile round trip. A nice drive.