I finally got the nerve up to get under the car and replace my front motor mount. While I was under there, I also replaced the spark plugs and did an oil change. It's like driving a whole new car. The vibration at 3000 RPMs is 99% gone. I think it's barely perceptible whereas before I almost didn't want to drive it. I think I drove for 6 months avoiding 3000 RPMs as much as possible. I did a lot of freeway driving in 4th and sometimes 5th gear. Now, It drives a lot smoother and shifting feels better too. And surprisingly, the motor mount didn't look as bad as it felt. The rubber inside was worn and cracked but still present.
The car idle seems better too. I'm not sure how old my spark plugs were. I didn't think they looked too bad and there wasn't any oil collecting in the tubes. Tomorrow, I'll change the air filters and the serpentine belt. The Boxster is really pretty easy to work on. I've probably spent about $500 on tools in the past 10 years but I probably recouped that cost in just replacing the brake pads and rotors a couple of times. Without the great resources like Pedro's DIY's, Wayne's 101 Projects book and the Bentley service manual, I would never have attempted any of these projects.
A couple learn from fails from these projects. #1 don't leave the lug nut key on the wheel when you do a test drive around the block. Thankfully, it didn't fall off. I had tightened the bolts on the wheel but hadn't torqued them yet. Then I lowered the car and started it to see if my CEL went away (see LMF #2). Car ran fine, so I figured I would drive around the block forgetting that I hadn't torqued the bolts.
LMF #2 - I didn't make sure that the spark plug connectors were attached to the coils securely. This morning I had to take the wheel off on the passenger side and check the connections since I was getting a P301 code last night. I found that 2 of the 3 connectors weren't locked on the coils. I need to check the driver's side too but drove it to work anyway.
I still have more projects to do but I'll probably wait until spring. I have a small oil leak on the driver's side and I've been getting P1128 and P1130 codes. I'm guessing the AOS is starting to fail. I don't have any smoke or extreme suction from the oil cap though. Also, the outer CV boot on the driver's side is torn. I need to take care of that before too much longer.
And finally, maybe next year, I'll have the IMS bearing and clutch replaced. The engine has 75k (replaced at 47k under warranty) on it and the clutch has 123k. I'd like to get another 125k out of my Boxster but I'd really be happy with another 5 years and 50k miles.
Kermit
2000 S 123k miles