Spot the problem update: It is geting worse.... |  |  |
Expect the best, and accept no substitute. |
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| Spot the problem... MarcW - 7 years ago |
Pic taken of my Boxster's dash this AM.
Spot the problem. Hint: It is not the airbag warning light. While that's a problem it is not the current problem of interest; and the lid ajar warning light is on because I got the iPad out of the trunk and left the lid open while I snapped the pic.
Spot the problem. Hint: It is not the airbag warning light. While that's a problem it is not the current problem of interest; and the lid ajar warning light is on because I got the iPad out of the trunk and left the lid open while I snapped the pic.
MikenOH - 7 years ago |
| Re: The parking brake light won't go off? MarcW - 7 years ago |
CarreraLicious - 7 years ago |
| Bingo! You win.... MarcW - 7 years ago |
CarreraLicious - 7 years ago |
| Re: Bingo! You win.... MarcW - 7 years ago |
Quote
boxtaboy
Haha thx. You can get a used cluster off eBay and swap it with yours. You can even get it programmed to match the mileage if you want. Much less than $1800.
Cluster swap:
[youtu.be]
I'm researching what I can do or more likely have done to address this. Sent an email to AutoParts.Repair (used to be VDORepair) asking what if anything could be done.
| Re: Bingo! You win.... Lawdevil & CURVN8R - 7 years ago |
| Re: Bingo! You win.... MarcW - 7 years ago |
Quote
Lawdevil & CURVN8R
I think I would live it - or "fix" it with a piece of tape.
Well, I have been living with it but spider pattern is replicating itself and is just below the '3'.
Andy at AutoParts.Repair or someone else I talked about this said the entire LCD will become just a mass of spiders after a while. So the only way tape would work is if I just taped over the center part of the instrument cluster.
Stopped at the dealer today and spoke to the SA about a new cluster, asked for a quote. Just got an email from him with the parts cost quote. New Boxster instrument cluster: 986.641.203.06.70C; and lists for $3460.00. "Net" is $2389.64 which is close to dealer cost. With tax then the new cluster cost comes to $2610.68. Labor adds probably $200 to this.
So I am going to bring the car in next week but to have the cluster removed and sent to Andy at AutoParts.Repair in Las Vegas to have him repair this. The quote is $349 but may not include tax or shipping.
I'll try to get this repaired this way. If unsuccessful... I have been shopping (online) 718 Cayman S's...'course, it seems kind of odd that I balk at spending a bit less than $3K (which is what the passenger bank VarioCam solenoid/actuator repair cost a couple of years ago) but don't seem to balk at spending around $80K to replace the Boxster. 'course, online shopping for a new 718 Cayman S is a long ways from writing a check for one.
| Re: Are they offering substantial discounts on the 718 Yet? There seem to be quite a few at the dealers. MarcW - 7 years ago |
Quote
MikenOH
n/t
Not that I can see. About the lowest 718 Cayman S price was $80K for I believe a car at Porsche of Marin which is north of the SF Bay Area. (I've never been to that dealer. The only one in the "Bay Area" I've not been to.)
(As an aside because when I start searching for another car I like to keep a hard copy record of what I find and when and where and the prices I tried to print the search results to a file -- this on my desktop machine at work -- and all I had available was some lame ass Microsoft XPS file format. After I "printed" the file I opened the document and it was just garbage. Should have used my MacBook Pro to print the search results in a PDF format. Anyhow, I just repeated the search on my Mac and saved the results and there is a black Cayman S for just under $80K but it is black and I don't want black.)
I just clicked on "Special Offers" and got a 2.9% financing offer. Not going to finance the next car. The last two I financed -- just to make car payments for a few months to touch up my credit rating because I haven't used credit in a long long time (I do not carry a balance on my credit cards even) -- and in both cases -- the Cayman S and then the 996 Turbo -- had accidents with both cars just weeks after buying them and to eliminate any interference from the bank/finance company regarding repairing the cars I just paid the notes off. I never even made a payment on the Cayman S or the Turbo. So all that extra paperwork at the dealer to finance was just wasted time.
There are a lot of cars for sale though. Within 100 miles of my location there are 40 cars. Not all are Cayman S's. I see at the bottom of the search there are 14 Cayman base models included even though I specified S in the search. There is one white S at the very bottom that just was added. This car is at the Livermore dealer.
Have to say the prices of the base models is attractive. For example a speed yellow base at Fremont Porsche (where I bought my used Turbo) is priced at $60,935. That's about what I would like to spend for an S.
I know times are different but it was just about this time in 2009 when I found and bought the new 2008 Cayman S at Stead Porsche (Walnut Creek, CA) that listed for $62.6K and was marked down to $50.6K. Things were a bit different then with the economy in the tank due to the I think housing bubble bursting but there are a lot of unsold 2017 Caymans around. I think someone could probably make a pretty good deal for one.
Frankly I'm of 2 minds regarding another Porsche. I mean I am a bit PO'd that an instrument cluster costs nearly $3K to replace. That's outrageous. And it really sours me on buying another Porsche. 'course on the other hand the Boxster has been a great car and the Cayman does away with the soft top which I really never cared all that much for.
Have to point out for say $80K for a new Cayman S -- assuming no discount -- I can buy a new Dodge Challenger R/T with the Scat Pack and have enough left over to buy a new Mini Cooper S and like a co-worker have the JCW engine/exhaust bits added afterwards by the dealer for around $3K. One gets the JCW power/torque without having pay for all the JCW froo froo and of course the JCW price premium and have enough left over to take a nice road trip in either car.
MikenOH - 7 years ago |
Quote
MarcW
Quote
MikenOH
n/t
Not that I can see. About the lowest 718 Cayman S price was $80K for I believe a car at Porsche of Marin which is north of the SF Bay Area. (I've never been to that dealer. The only one in the "Bay Area" I've not been to.)
(As an aside because when I start searching for another car I like to keep a hard copy record of what I find and when and where and the prices I tried to print the search results to a file -- this on my desktop machine at work -- and all I had available was some lame ass Microsoft XPS file format. After I "printed" the file I opened the document and it was just garbage. Should have used my MacBook Pro to print the search results in a PDF format. Anyhow, I just repeated the search on my Mac and saved the results and there is a black Cayman S for just under $80K but it is black and I don't want black.)
I just clicked on "Special Offers" and got a 2.9% financing offer. Not going to finance the next car. The last two I financed -- just to make car payments for a few months to touch up my credit rating because I haven't used credit in a long long time (I do not carry a balance on my credit cards even) -- and in both cases -- the Cayman S and then the 996 Turbo -- had accidents with both cars just weeks after buying them and to eliminate any interference from the bank/finance company regarding repairing the cars I just paid the notes off. I never even made a payment on the Cayman S or the Turbo. So all that extra paperwork at the dealer to finance was just wasted time.
There are a lot of cars for sale though. Within 100 miles of my location there are 40 cars. Not all are Cayman S's. I see at the bottom of the search there are 14 Cayman base models included even though I specified S in the search. There is one white S at the very bottom that just was added. This car is at the Livermore dealer.
Have to say the prices of the base models is attractive. For example a speed yellow base at Fremont Porsche (where I bought my used Turbo) is priced at $60,935. That's about what I would like to spend for an S.
I know times are different but it was just about this time in 2009 when I found and bought the new 2008 Cayman S at Stead Porsche (Walnut Creek, CA) that listed for $62.6K and was marked down to $50.6K. Things were a bit different then with the economy in the tank due to the I think housing bubble bursting but there are a lot of unsold 2017 Caymans around. I think someone could probably make a pretty good deal for one.
Frankly I'm of 2 minds regarding another Porsche. I mean I am a bit PO'd that an instrument cluster costs nearly $3K to replace. That's outrageous. And it really sours me on buying another Porsche. 'course on the other hand the Boxster has been a great car and the Cayman does away with the soft top which I really never cared all that much for.
Have to point out for say $80K for a new Cayman S -- assuming no discount -- I can buy a new Dodge Challenger R/T with the Scat Pack and have enough left over to buy a new Mini Cooper S and like a co-worker have the JCW engine/exhaust bits added afterwards by the dealer for around $3K. One gets the JCW power/torque without having pay for all the JCW froo froo and of course the JCW price premium and have enough left over to take a nice road trip in either car.
I posted a pricing question on another site and the typical response on discounts for the 718 was about 5-6%; I guess the dealers aren't feeling the pain yet since that's pretty typical of what 981's were discounted.
OTOH, relative to your alternative strategy, a friend just picked up a slightly used Hellcat and I have to say, if you like lots of torque,burning rubber and a thunderous exhaust, it's a lot of car for the money. Big, comfortable and looking really bad-ass, it's throw back to the 60's but way faster than anything back then. The buyer has had a number of Porsches and Corvettes, but thinks this one is more fun than anything else he's driven.
Add to that, a good friend that had a 997 go boom at the track (and replaced the motor with a used one) sold it and eventually chose low mileage'14' Z51 over a '14' CS CPO. He liked the CS but felt the motor was a bit weak relative to the 997S and OBTW, the there was nearly a $20K spread in purchase price between the 2 cars. He was a long-time Porsche owner and PCA instructor but the C7 deal was too good to turn down.
Which brings me back to the 718S; all the cars I've seen locally are $80K + and even at that price I wouldn't call them fully loaded. The 718BS I drove was quick and a hoot to drive, the notion of paying $80k for a 4-banger takes a while to get used to. The Subie exhaust note doesn't help.
I'd suggest --if you haven't done so already--driving the base 718 first and see what you think; just based on the numbers--price/performance--it may be the best deal.
| Re: Are they offering substantial discounts on the 718 Yet? There seem to be quite a few at the dealers. MarcW - 7 years ago |
Quote
MikenOH
Quote
MarcW
Quote
MikenOH
n/t
Not that I can see. About the lowest 718 Cayman S price was $80K for I believe a car at Porsche of Marin which is north of the SF Bay Area. (I've never been to that dealer. The only one in the "Bay Area" I've not been to.)
(As an aside because when I start searching for another car I like to keep a hard copy record of what I find and when and where and the prices I tried to print the search results to a file -- this on my desktop machine at work -- and all I had available was some lame ass Microsoft XPS file format. After I "printed" the file I opened the document and it was just garbage. Should have used my MacBook Pro to print the search results in a PDF format. Anyhow, I just repeated the search on my Mac and saved the results and there is a black Cayman S for just under $80K but it is black and I don't want black.)
I just clicked on "Special Offers" and got a 2.9% financing offer. Not going to finance the next car. The last two I financed -- just to make car payments for a few months to touch up my credit rating because I haven't used credit in a long long time (I do not carry a balance on my credit cards even) -- and in both cases -- the Cayman S and then the 996 Turbo -- had accidents with both cars just weeks after buying them and to eliminate any interference from the bank/finance company regarding repairing the cars I just paid the notes off. I never even made a payment on the Cayman S or the Turbo. So all that extra paperwork at the dealer to finance was just wasted time.
There are a lot of cars for sale though. Within 100 miles of my location there are 40 cars. Not all are Cayman S's. I see at the bottom of the search there are 14 Cayman base models included even though I specified S in the search. There is one white S at the very bottom that just was added. This car is at the Livermore dealer.
Have to say the prices of the base models is attractive. For example a speed yellow base at Fremont Porsche (where I bought my used Turbo) is priced at $60,935. That's about what I would like to spend for an S.
I know times are different but it was just about this time in 2009 when I found and bought the new 2008 Cayman S at Stead Porsche (Walnut Creek, CA) that listed for $62.6K and was marked down to $50.6K. Things were a bit different then with the economy in the tank due to the I think housing bubble bursting but there are a lot of unsold 2017 Caymans around. I think someone could probably make a pretty good deal for one.
Frankly I'm of 2 minds regarding another Porsche. I mean I am a bit PO'd that an instrument cluster costs nearly $3K to replace. That's outrageous. And it really sours me on buying another Porsche. 'course on the other hand the Boxster has been a great car and the Cayman does away with the soft top which I really never cared all that much for.
Have to point out for say $80K for a new Cayman S -- assuming no discount -- I can buy a new Dodge Challenger R/T with the Scat Pack and have enough left over to buy a new Mini Cooper S and like a co-worker have the JCW engine/exhaust bits added afterwards by the dealer for around $3K. One gets the JCW power/torque without having pay for all the JCW froo froo and of course the JCW price premium and have enough left over to take a nice road trip in either car.
I posted a pricing question on another site and the typical response on discounts for the 718 was about 5-6%; I guess the dealers aren't feeling the pain yet since that's pretty typical of what 981's were discounted.
OTOH, relative to your alternative strategy, a friend just picked up a slightly used Hellcat and I have to say, if you like lots of torque,burning rubber and a thunderous exhaust, it's a lot of car for the money. Big, comfortable and looking really bad-ass, it's throw back to the 60's but way faster than anything back then. The buyer has had a number of Porsches and Corvettes, but thinks this one is more fun than anything else he's driven.
Add to that, a good friend that had a 997 go boom at the track (and replaced the motor with a used one) sold it and eventually chose low mileage'14' Z51 over a '14' CS CPO. He liked the CS but felt the motor was a bit weak relative to the 997S and OBTW, the there was nearly a $20K spread in purchase price between the 2 cars. He was a long-time Porsche owner and PCA instructor but the C7 deal was too good to turn down.
Which brings me back to the 718S; all the cars I've seen locally are $80K + and even at that price I wouldn't call them fully loaded. The 718BS I drove was quick and a hoot to drive, the notion of paying $80k for a 4-banger takes a while to get used to. The Subie exhaust note doesn't help.
I'd suggest --if you haven't done so already--driving the base 718 first and see what you think; just based on the numbers--price/performance--it may be the best deal.
Funny you should mention Hellcat.
I was at a business a few weeks ago. Was there just at opening time. Standing outside talking with an employee waiting for the business manager to show and the employee said here he comes. I looked up just in time to see a Hellcat just smoking the tires as it was leaving a stop light. Not making the connection yet between the manager and the Hellcat I asked who's that? Employee said "that's , the manager." Seems the manager was content to drive mostly Porsche cars for years then out of the blue bought a Hellcat and not only that he had some hotrod parts added to boost its already silly HP to beyond silly level.
Employee said the manager smokes the tires on that car every chance he gets and he gets a lot of chances. Example? As we watched the Hellcat after it left the stop light with its tires smoking it came to the main business entrance driveway which was blocked by another vehicle. The Hellcat stopped and backed up and then off it went down the road again with smoke just billowing from the rear tires. The driver gets down almost out of sight and manages to make a u-turn and back comes the Hellcat again with rear tires just smoking. The car stops at the stop light then makes a left hand turn and enters the business parking lot from another driveway. Once on the lot the driver then is very calm and sedate. But there was a couple of clouds of tire smoke wafting over the parking lot from the antics on the street.
And oh those rear tires. They probably last a week or two...
Anyhow, a new 718... Just heard on the radio at lunch time the CA governor (Jerry Brown) just signed a bill to raise fuel taxes and vehicle registration fees for the "roads". BS! More money from suckers, err taxpayers, to redistribute to favorites.
So, right now I'm in no mood to buy any more cars (and jack up my vehicle registration fees) until after I retire and move out of CA. The less tax money the fewer fees I have to pay until then the better.
And I'm certainly not going to spend nearly $3K on a new cluster either. Will give that AutoParts.Repair place one more chance to fix the cluster.
| Re: Bingo! You win.... db997S - 7 years ago |
| Spot the problem update: It is geting worse.... MarcW - 7 years ago |
If I don't get this fixed I'll end up taping over the entire bottom half of the center instrument cluster display. No trip odometer. No oil level display. Not acceptable. Monday I'll see about dropping the car off to have the cluster removed and sent to AutoParts.Repair down in Las Vegas.
Marc, it shouldn't be such a big deal. You can get a used working 01-02 cluster from eBay for about $200. There are tons of them on there. You can then send it to Autoparts repair to have them code the correct mileage, and then install it in your car. If you're real lazy, you can even forego the mileage programming, and just install it as is. Your car already has over 300k on it, so resale is not of the greatest concern.
| Re: Spot the problem update: It is geting worse.... MarcW - 7 years ago |
$350 is the price of one I found. There are less expensive ones at PatsRequest.com but...
For $349 AutoParts.Repair will fix my cluster and if it has to swap parts and I think it will do this it will move the odometer reading and any other info over. I'd rather deal with AutoParts.Repair and have it fix my own cluster rather than buy a used one of unknown condition.
The dealer will remove the cluster and ship it to AutoParts.Repair and when it comes back put the cluster back in the car.
Have to do it this way. I can't work on the car here where live. Even if I tried to do this on the QT the car will be sans a cluster and its battery disconnected the entire time the cluster is out -- which I believe will be at least a week -- so I have no way of locking the car. Apartment rules forbid the use of a car cover so I can't even pull the Boxster iinto my carport and then after removing the cluster put the outside cover over the car.
For $349 AutoParts.Repair will fix my cluster and if it has to swap parts and I think it will do this it will move the odometer reading and any other info over. I'd rather deal with AutoParts.Repair and have it fix my own cluster rather than buy a used one of unknown condition.
The dealer will remove the cluster and ship it to AutoParts.Repair and when it comes back put the cluster back in the car.
Have to do it this way. I can't work on the car here where live. Even if I tried to do this on the QT the car will be sans a cluster and its battery disconnected the entire time the cluster is out -- which I believe will be at least a week -- so I have no way of locking the car. Apartment rules forbid the use of a car cover so I can't even pull the Boxster iinto my carport and then after removing the cluster put the outside cover over the car.
| Make that $389 for cluster repair. Let me try this... MarcW - 7 years ago |
Since Parts Heaven is so close to where I work I can drive by there today and see what clusters it has in stock. If it has a suitable cluster at a reasonable price I'll pick it up and have the dealter tech install it.
While the "new" cluster won't have the original's odometer value -- I don't think the Porsche tech can transfer the old odometer mileage over to the new used one -- if the LCD is good and the cluster works ok otherwise I think that's going to be good enough. I'll write down the old cluster's final mileage and the new cluster's starting mileage so I can still keep track of the total miles.
While the "new" cluster won't have the original's odometer value -- I don't think the Porsche tech can transfer the old odometer mileage over to the new used one -- if the LCD is good and the cluster works ok otherwise I think that's going to be good enough. I'll write down the old cluster's final mileage and the new cluster's starting mileage so I can still keep track of the total miles.
| Stopped at Parts Heaven today and one of the guys... MarcW - 7 years ago |
Quote
boxtaboy
Yes, it's that easy. There are places that can easily code the mileage too, if you feel the need. Bottom line, not a reason for you to get rid of the car. I'd personally like to see you get to half a million miles on her...with the original IMS!
believes he has one but not at the location near me. He asked for the part number and I sent him a pic of the back of the cluster from my car.
$350 is the cost.
Not sure who can code the mileage. The Porsche diagnostic computers are -- I'm told -- only able to change the mileage if the mileage is really low. Palo Alto Speedometer doesn't work on Boxster clusters. I am not anxious to send the cluster out of town as I'd like to keep the car's down time to a minimum. These instrument cluster "repairs" can span a week or more as there is coordination needed at the dealer service department to get the unit out of the car then the parts department must box and arrange shipping then when it comes back the parts department has to receive the cluster, unbox it and then get the cluster in the hands of the tech and there arranging the time for him to install the unit back in the car.
Not sure where you got the idea I am getting rid of the car. I only decided against buying a new factory cluster for it. That and I think I talked myself out of buying a new 718 Cayman.
I might have read too fast, but got that impression from what you wrote below:
"I'll try to get this repaired this way. If unsuccessful... I have been shopping (online) 718 Cayman S's...'course, it seems kind of odd that I balk at spending a bit less than $3K (which is what the passenger bank VarioCam solenoid/actuator repair cost a couple of years ago) but don't seem to balk at spending around $80K to replace the Boxster."
There are companies that can adjust your mileage on the cluster. I haven't had it done, but as an example:
[odo-pro.com]
"I'll try to get this repaired this way. If unsuccessful... I have been shopping (online) 718 Cayman S's...'course, it seems kind of odd that I balk at spending a bit less than $3K (which is what the passenger bank VarioCam solenoid/actuator repair cost a couple of years ago) but don't seem to balk at spending around $80K to replace the Boxster."
There are companies that can adjust your mileage on the cluster. I haven't had it done, but as an example:
[odo-pro.com]
CarreraLicious - 7 years ago |
Here's one on eBay for $250 or best offer plus free shipping:
[www.ebay.com]
Then, just use the YouTube video instructions for the cluster swap I provided in my earlier post, and install it yourself. Done.
[www.ebay.com]
Then, just use the YouTube video instructions for the cluster swap I provided in my earlier post, and install it yourself. Done.
| Update: The "new" cluster installed... MarcW - 7 years ago |
A pic of the new cluster after installation:
The spidering is gone but also the airbag warning light is out. The tech's diagnosis of the cause of this -- bad "cluster" (and my research, well talking to the EE's here at the office, strongly suggests it was the I/O controller chip on the PC
-- was spot on.
Tech reported he tried several different ways to change/update the miles but was unsuccessful. I expected as much as my 2nd hand info is the cluster mileage can only be changed under very special circumstances, for instance only if the accumulated miles are very very low. This allows the changing of the miles of a new cluster to match the miles of the old cluster.
(It is probably possible to change the miles by other means but I have no desire to send the cluster out for this and no desire to buy the hardware myself.)
May not believe this, but after I got in the car at the dealer to drive it home this AM on the way home and I was enjoying being back in the Boxster and noting how "tight" it still felt I was thinking the new cluster mileage was closer to being "right" than the original cluster mileage based on how the car was running and riding. Really the car doesn't feel like it has covered 310K miles, it feels more like it has covered just 95K miles (or even less miles).
Dropped the car off the day before and it was ready before 3pm yesterday afternoon but I was not able to get away to pick the car up. In fact I was so busy at work I didn't even have time to check my personal email until after 8:30pm.
The "damage"? The cluster came from Parts Heaven -- less than a mile from my work -- and cost $350 not including sales tax. PH said it would guarantee the cluster to work and not show any problems or I could bring it back for a refund or exchange. (The cost including tax was less than it would have cost me to have the original cluster "repaired" at AutoParts.Repair, assuming it could have been repaired. The cluster has been there twice now and come back with the same problem -- airbag warning light on -- it went it to have fixed.)
Labor to remove the old cluster and install the "new" cluster cost around $200. (I got a discount of $24.)
The spidering is gone but also the airbag warning light is out. The tech's diagnosis of the cause of this -- bad "cluster" (and my research, well talking to the EE's here at the office, strongly suggests it was the I/O controller chip on the PC
-- was spot on.Tech reported he tried several different ways to change/update the miles but was unsuccessful. I expected as much as my 2nd hand info is the cluster mileage can only be changed under very special circumstances, for instance only if the accumulated miles are very very low. This allows the changing of the miles of a new cluster to match the miles of the old cluster.
(It is probably possible to change the miles by other means but I have no desire to send the cluster out for this and no desire to buy the hardware myself.)
May not believe this, but after I got in the car at the dealer to drive it home this AM on the way home and I was enjoying being back in the Boxster and noting how "tight" it still felt I was thinking the new cluster mileage was closer to being "right" than the original cluster mileage based on how the car was running and riding. Really the car doesn't feel like it has covered 310K miles, it feels more like it has covered just 95K miles (or even less miles).
Dropped the car off the day before and it was ready before 3pm yesterday afternoon but I was not able to get away to pick the car up. In fact I was so busy at work I didn't even have time to check my personal email until after 8:30pm.
The "damage"? The cluster came from Parts Heaven -- less than a mile from my work -- and cost $350 not including sales tax. PH said it would guarantee the cluster to work and not show any problems or I could bring it back for a refund or exchange. (The cost including tax was less than it would have cost me to have the original cluster "repaired" at AutoParts.Repair, assuming it could have been repaired. The cluster has been there twice now and come back with the same problem -- airbag warning light on -- it went it to have fixed.)
Labor to remove the old cluster and install the "new" cluster cost around $200. (I got a discount of $24.)
| Re: Update: The "new" cluster installed... Guenter in Ontario - 7 years ago |
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