Holy shit, the headlight removal is awesomely simple :o Sure beats screwing around with certain cars where you need to remove the bumper and some other stuff to replace the light.
Another excellent video! Really appreciate the care and time you've put into these and I'm sure I'm not the only one who would enjoy more. The Porsche 986's are beautiful cars that will no doubt be viewed as must have classics over time. The one thing I absolutely hate about the earlier 986's is the need to get out of the car when putting the roof down to do the "Boxster Chop" to ensure the plastic rear window folds properly. I'd consider replacing the top with one that has a glass rear window instead.
Thanks for you comment! I do update periodically on the Boxster as I do more work on it. The latest is the front hood strut replacement. Oh lol! I laughed at that one because I had to do the Boxster Chop plenty of times. If you don't then it puts a dent in the plastic. I even had the plastic get a hole in it after the repair shop opened it without folding it properly as it was a bit brittle at the time.
I just accepted delivery of my '04 S. Pete did a great job telling me things I would did not know. He speaks well and does not act like an actor, but rather a teacher.
OMG, I didn't know about those features. I have a 2001 Boxster that is spitting out white smoke. I found your channel, saw your post, and am going to replace my AOS. I am so glad you are making these videos, please make more. I would love to know more about my car. Thank You.
+Lewis Paul A ha h ah a! Awesome! I was almost thinking people already knew most of these. =D Yup, I certainly will be making more vids about this car. Btw. I think I broke my AOS from flooring it several times. Did you floor it a few times before it broke? Lol.
Yeah, that worried me too .... scratches !!! (I was thinking I should get a plastic panel removal tool (cheap at Harbor Freight) in case I needed to remove the plug. But now I'll just use your technique.
You Rock dude! I didn't get the owners manual with the car and I didn't know how to activate the spoiler and what button was for. Now I have to watch your videos again lol.
That was really useful. I've only had my Boxter for a few weeks and I'm still finding out new stuff about it. I WAS wondering what that tool was for. I can't believe how easy changing the bulbs is.
There’s also a feature that no one really has covered that I accidentally discovered when the AC was off by pressing the recirculation button when you press the recirculation button when the AC is off the AC turns on and goes instantly to highest fan speed automatically
THANK YOU for using a tripod with the camera! I am so sick of hand-held cameras I usually shut off the video in the first 10 seconds. I've seen video done with phone cameras in one hand while doing a how-to with the other. This is one of the best recorded videos I've ever seen produced by a non-professional. I have actually done 1-4 but never 5. And I have a parking light bulb out. Now I know how to do it. And yes, I've used the tow hook more times than I care to mention. Bought a new 2004 S Special Edition and it is approaching 150,000 miles. Thanks again.
Lol. =D All in a day's work! =D Thanks for your kind words. You mentioned parking light bulb? I think I only showed the headlamp and not the rear although that's pretty easy to get to as well. Ahh. When I talked to the tow truck guy that has towed the Boxster, they're often really impressed I know about the hook as most people have no idea. Mine's at 153k, yay! Pretty similar in mileage cool!
How great it is to suddenly get all these new features! Hmmm, there were the top once but there are certainly a few more. Will see about that in a future vid.
Cools tips. About to order some spare bulbs. BTW, if you hold down the door lock button on the keyfob, the windows will move all the way back up. VW's and Audi's do the same as I recall. Same Bosch system. I tested that today after I forgot to raise the windows after putting the roof back up.
Thank you for posting this video. I just changed the position bulbs (aka bulbs for parking lights) in my 996 in about 20 minutes. Lights are still out as I cleaned the housings / around the rail area and I'm letting drip-dry but I've tested to satisfaction. Nice work! (Would you believe the dealer charged > C$25 per bulb? ugh.. Zero in labour, though. haha.)
i always think to go with the highest one you can comfortably afford. The 986 being old in the tooth might not be a good starter although it's so dirty cheap it might be worth it even if you can drive it for another few years.
I completely agree with you on that one. 986's are way cheaper than 987's. But I see way more RU-vid videos on how to take care of them, what budget fun you can have with them, what to look out for, IMS bearings, etc....
pretty cool. I have a problem, the windows came down like the convertible was going down but i was not home, and it rained hard, so now the car won't start?
Ouch. Sounds like electrical short and the fuses blew. You might want to dry everything out. Check all fuses and replace if broken. Make sure the battery is not drained. And try again.
great video tx being a recent owner of a 2001 Boxster S the ease in which that headlight pops out is awesome. Question...I bypassed the rear cats thinking i would get a throatier sound but its hardly noticable, so I have to change rear muffler, any recommendations on rear muffler only? too quiet for a roadster...
I would tend to want to leave the cats in since it helps with oxidizing the unburnt hydrocarbons and better for the air. You probably see I still have a stock one so I actually have no experience with an aftermarket muffler. I think if I were in your market I would want to hear the brand of muffler first hand so I might find some boxster club where there is a high concentration of them so I can spy on some from others just to hear it in person.
I own a 2001 Porsche Boxster S. I loved your video and will save it. I knew most of the things you discussed but I had no idea how to change the headlights. Can the lights be upgraded the same way? There is a little wire thing inside the front bumper opening. What is that?
If you are upgrading the bulbs only then yes. Depending on what you are upgrading to you might need to install a ballast for the new bulbs. You can also upgrade the whole assembly which will be more costly. The little wire thing inside the front bumper is just there to hold on to the cap in case it falls off on its own.
@@markcash2 What car in the world can you get that has that performance for that price? I just love mine. I don't need a single HP more to make me happy. It makes me smile when I drive it ... really !!! I was never a Porsche guy (except for the 550 and 356s.) But I drove this and was immediately in love.
+Alex Molina Thanks! Not sure as I bought the car used and it came like that. =D I think stock replaces the clear part with yellow and a small clear window?
Yes, you just power the battery externally with a tab near the fuse box. Then you use the button. Alternatively you'll have to open the front wheel well on the driver's side and there is a cable you can pull manually.
2014 911 I sure hope 1 of these secret pull cords are a feature, Im stuck in underground parking with 0 outlets to open hood with a dead battery@@BeatTheBush ...holy tips.... thanks for all the money saving do it yourself hints
I think you'll have to check since I only got mine to compare with. Mine has some sort of sport package so one or more of those features might be part of it.
BeatTheBush hello there I'm thinking about buying one a boxter s but it's automatic..is it wise to buy automatic or manual? I used to own a 914 many moons ago ...the boxter looks nice and comfy ...anyways pls advise as I'm not familiar with this porsches
Thanks for the video. All that info in in the owners manual, It being almost 180 pages long I am certainly not saying your info isn't useful as hell, BUT for people thinking of buying a used Boxster, make sure it has the owners manual and the complete tool kit,
hi, Thank you for video - i own a Boxter S 2004 - i parked on a covered home garage and covered with 1 soft cloth and then 2 polyethylene-pad cover from Porsche in 2009 because going out in a business trips. The car has about 10 Kilometers as i remember. With this said, i just returned to the garage and it is 2018!.... of course battery dead, etc. I leaving again so i will not even try to turn it on, etc. However, i was able to release the hang-break. My other goal is to remove the gas cap. Can i open the cover lid to remove the gas cap without a battery? is there a way? thanks - Nasri
Why would you want to remove the gas cap? Are you replacing it? You need it there so gas fumes will not leak out. You can attach an external battery through the fuse box 12V post and the metal hoop at the door for ground.
hi - thank you for response. It might be late now....no surprises....but i want to remove the gas cap so the tank and attached pipes do not get damage more - if not already damaged - regarding the fumes, it is a standalone garage with flutes so fumes can go out. I was hoping to remove the gas cap perhaps reducing the pressure build-in due to temperature changes - i do not recall how much gas is in there - i know it is 93 and probably near full. Fuel might be flat but concern with the pressure build-in. i was hoping there is not need to bring a battery to open the door so i can remove the cap - thank you for any leads
Okay, my view on this is completely different. You shouldn't be removing the gas cap and release gasoline fumes into the air as that is directly causing airborne pollution. Your gas tank is meant to hold in the pressure so there shouldn't be worries of leaving the gas cap on. With it removed, your gas will evaporate and eventually have nothing in the tank. To keep the car durable and long, run it every 3 days at least. To keep the battery and not completely drain it, put a battery keeper on there, it is simply a low energy battery maintainer you plug in. You're biggest concern will be condensation that does not get burnt off from running the car. It sits at the bottom and rusts things. Also the lubrication will run down and will cause a large amount of friction when you next start the car, causing a bit of high wear right at the beginning.
i understand your point -and really hope you are right - there is no need to remove the gas cap. Now, the gas might be flat by now. I am looking to towing the thing to Porsche for all fluids purge and refill. ....but still if you happen to know, i am still curios to know if i can open the lid without using the battery... thank you ...
How about how to get out of a attacker situation when you are reversing through a narrow street and you need to do a U-turn right after you get to the main street to escape them?
You're my new favorite RU-vid Guru. I have owned Boxster forever ten years and never knew A) The window with the door key and B) Changing a headlight bulb. Subscribed THANKS!
Johnny Lindo it's pretty addicting to drive. and then when you drive a rental you already changed your driving style to match it so the rental gets all wobbly around corners. >*
Those are AAA towing instructions at least. It makes some sense I guess due to the height. If you tow this thing by dragging it, it could bottom if you hit a bump.
Holy shit, didn't know it had the hex head needed for the headlights in the tool kit. I spent 15 minutes looking around my 30-40 pole barn for that fucker. Ended up finding it on top of the car that was on the lift at the time. Didn't think I'd actually learn anything from one of these kinds of videos. You get a plus, sir
Yeah, my 1999 986 is just a great great great car. It's fairly easy to work on, in some ways super simple like with the headlights. The 97-99 years have a dual row bearing in the engine too that rarely fails. I see a lot more videos on here evey day from people discovering this awesome, affordable, very capable Porsche.
hey buddy thanks for the video. But can I ask you one question? My headlight and brake light on my passenger side of my 2001 Porsche Boxster S went out simultaneously. I change both headlights and brake lights and still the passenger headlight and the passenger brake light still out.. all the other lights on the card work fine..
Whoa, that sounds like a terrible problem to have. Maybe something shorted? You might want to check the fuse box and see if the fuses went out. Keep in mind that sometimes, replacing the fuse enough enough because if the problem is still there, you'll just blow the fuse again.
When the headlights go out and other strange electrical failures happen in the drivers compartment, try wiggling the ignition switch when the switch is in the run position. If your problem goes away, it is the ignition switch failing.You need to replace the switch.It will happen again. Had this happen twice on my 1998.
The headlight unit & bulb removal sequence was particularly useful, especially as I didn't know the dipped and hi-beam bulbs could be interchanged in an emergency. Thanks!
Just purchased a 2003 Boxster S. Great information and I'm sure I'll be needing information from you going forward. I will be doing a lot of maintenance work myself but the real technical things will have to go to my mechanic. Thanks for the light and key info, good stuff! Greatly appreciate it!
Thanks for sharing, when I press the button on the remote on my BMW convertible the windows and roof go down together, I assume the Porsche does the same without sticking a metal key in the door as my BMW doesn't have the metal key bit
Just remembered another tip you can video. Just behind the drivers side door, by the top of the door pillar, there should be a pull cable visible, Pulling it will manually open the bonnet. Why? Well if you get a flat battery, or a deadlock situation due to a flat battery, you will need to know this tip! My first Boxster had this hidden behind the passenger side wheel arch, but you had to remove the plastic inner liner to get to it. I had dropped a umbrella down the passenger seat by the door, and it had dropped onto the electric switch for tilting the back of the seat. it ran off the motor gear and flattened the battery. When I got back from a flight I had a deadlocked car and had no idea how to open the front bonnet!
I remember reading about that one in the user manual and thought wow, I really need to know this or else I'll be in a huge pinch if the battery runs down. The other way they tell you is to hook up a battery to that tab to temporarily power everything to open the hood.
I have a 2003 S and the solenoid on the front trunk was sticking, I found the wire behind the driver tire, it was a pain to both find and pull. I since replaced the solenoid assembly but I'll go look for the cable on the pillar. I was going to say that this is something everyone with a Boxster should know since it's really important.
I've never been able to find my emergency trunk cable. I finally learned that the best thing to do is to get a patch cable that fits the OBDll plug-in and attach a battery. I had tried everything else and nothing worked but my mechanic had a jumper battery box which had a OBDll connector. I plugged it in and the latch popped the hood open easily. I then purchased a small Lithium jumper box and a cable to attach it to the OBDll plug from Amazon and keep it behind the passenger seat along with the tow eye bolt in case I need to tow and can't open the trunk.
@@boyracer3477 that’s a sure workaround. Made me laugh out loud when I thought about how poorly someone had designed that setup. I saw a guy the other day outside Waitrose Shell recharge with a I-pace being trailered away. Looks like his 12V DC battery had packed in. Locked out. Many new EV cars have this setup!?
@@knowledgebyte Yes, a rare Porsche engineering mistake. Kind of like the IMS bearing debacle I guess. Of course, if you daily drive your Boxster the battery is unlikely to drain but a lot of us have our Boxsters for weekend fun and if we miss a couple of weekends driving, the vampire electrical drain screw us. I keep a maintainer on mine now. (which has an ability to remove sulfates from the battery plates).
