New boxster 987 owner, just a few questions.

[matthew.woodward]

Hi all,

my first ever Porsche and love it. Surprisingly practical as it’s my only car.

mine has the Litronic headlights, can someone explain these to me? The main beam is great, very bright. But the dip beam is pitiful.
is one xenon and the other halogen?
is there a good kit to upgrade the dipped beam to xenon or led? Obviously legal and doesn’t through up any error lights.

is it me or is the cabin quite warm? Even in October I have the air con on as I find it warmer than my previous hatch back.

wipers judder like €@!€, is this common and if so what brands should I use to perhaps limit it.

a rubber seal on drivers side near my shoulder is hanging down slightly. I’ve tried pushing it back into place but it drops down instantly. Am I missing a trick or is it secured with screws or an adhesive? It’s not letting water in but I can hear wind noise as there’s a gap left between seal and window.

mine has the 18 inch wheels on which look the business. However I test drove a cayman with 17’s and found the ride a bit more forgiving but still held the road like glue. Opinions on 17 vs 18 alloys?


hood treatment, yes or no? Dealer told me not to.

mine has the Bose system and sounds lovely, is here a setting for speed related volume enhancement? I’ve looked everywhere but can’t find it.

im in Cornwall and hope to attend as many events as possible, is there much on in the southwest?

anyway I’m loving the car, it sounds incredible and u feel like you’re flying even at slow speeds. The 5 speed box is a delight and a nice change to the modern obsession with 10 speed auto boxes. Just can’t wait for summer so I can get the top down and wind in my remaining hair lol ??

any and all feedback will be of a great help. Along with any tips on driving it and maintaining it.

thanks in advance

matt

 

[adrian55]

Hi Matt , Welcome to the club - from experience 2 answers - I've had same issue with wipers - new Bosche Aerotwin blades helped and why would you not put protection on the hood . Try Autoglym kit - easy to apply or Fabsil Gold . Plenty of info from friendly forum members on Boxa.Net .

Great cars - enjoy

Ade

 

[Motorhead]

Hi Matt,

I think that as you say, Litronic headlamps have both Xenon and Halogen bulbs, both of which are used for the main beam but only Halogen for dipped beam. I’m sure that there’s a mod available somewhere to upgrade the dipped beam, but you could always try using an upgraded Halogen bulb first. Most owners who have the standard headlamp set-up seem to reckon that they’re inadequate for the performance of the car. My 987.2 Cayman S has the PDLS system which is excellent, although it only became available on the Gen2 cars.

The car’s HVAC system should keep the cabin at a comfortable temperature, the more so if you have the climate control option, although it could be malfunctioning. Make sure that the a/c is working properly by setting the temperature to LO. Air flow from the vents should be really cool and if not then the system will need a re-gas, although it’s likely that there’s a system leak usually from the front-mounted condensers which are vulnerable both to impact and corrosion and which is a common problem on all Porsche sports cars.

The 17” wheels will have higher profile tyres than their 18” counterparts and the taller, more flexible sidewall will give a more compliant ride without compromising the handling to a great extent, especially if you’re only interested in driving on our restricted roads and not on track.

If you’re not planning to maintain the car yourself I’d look for a reputable Porsche Independent in your area [Williams Crawford in Saltash perhaps?]. Your Club RO should be able to provide some options as well as telling you what’s going on in your Region.

Enjoy your car and Club membership.

Jeff

 

[911hillclimber]

Had my 987.2 since 2016.

When working they are really good cars, perfect for trips!

Winter driving when the air is crisp, the roads dry and all others are shivvvvering makes for a good day out.

Cabin will be warmer as it's smaller and 2 people do a good job of heating it.

Fat tyres are a god send when on those long trips, I have 19" wheels and it is very harsh at times and weigh a LOT.

Williams Crawford have a sky-high positive reputation from what I've read over the years.

You HAVE to post a picture!

 

[Paul_Sue_Leggett]

Hello Matt

All mohair hoods get grubby and have various amounts of crud build up on them, especially if it's outside a lot, which it sound like yours will be. If you don't already know, don't clean it with a pressure washer or with car shampoo. This wrecks the waterproofing. Gently remove any spot stains with warm water. If you do clean it use something like Autoglym or Car Gods. Autoglym is a two bottle set, cleaner and reproofer and a "rough" sponge. Car Gods come individually as cleaner and reproofer. I once tried Renovo and didn't like it, and I have used Meguairs where the reproofer is in an aerosol. Don't use any sharp or harsh scrubbing brushes unless there is a really tough bit and then be careful not to ruck the surface of the mohair. I have been cleaning hoods for years and usually find you need a decent warm day as the success of the first wash only reveals itself when the hood has dried and you spot the bits you missed. Wash the car after you have reproofed the hood to remove any residues from the paintwork.

Hope this helps, and all of this is IMHO.

 

[BrianJ]

I don't think that the 987 had "Litronics". That name was used on 986 (and 996) for Bosch bi-Xenon’s. I think 987 had halogens as standard (awful) or bi-Xenon’s as an option (I think standard on S). The 987.2 had as an option the bi-Xenons which moved into corners, which were called PDLS on 981. Great article on Porsche headlights in Nov 911 and Porsche World.

Before you give up on the wiper blades, try twisting the arms gently with an adjustable spanner so the blades make the same angle to the screen in both directions of wipe. They tend to develop a “set” on one direction when parked over a long period.

 

[matthew.woodward]

The garage I bought it from, JRMotors said they were litronic headlights.

all I know is the high beam is awesome and the low beam is rubbish.

am going to Williams Crawford tomorrow so will ask them what they are.

I think I shall get a decent horsehair brush and cleaning kit for the roof, when it needs it. And probably Fabsil gold for protection once a year.

still getting used to the car. Stalled it several times as the clutch is a lot heavier than my previous car. Also finding the steering heavy compared to my Peugeot but I guess it will be.

I can’t say I notice the Bose system being much better than the standard system but I guess there is more cabin noise compared to a hardtop.

oddly the wipers have stopped juddering and I’ve done nothing to them. Very weird.

I know the car will do much more speed than I’m doing so far but I’m still finding my feet , so to speak, and don’t want to do anything silly and spin.

 

[Motorhead]

Matthew,

According to Paul Frère in his book “Porsche Boxster Story” Litronic headlamps were an option on the 986, so if you have a 987 [from MY2005] this was replaced with the bi-Xenon option in which both the high and low beams were were Xenon lights.

Jeff

 

[matthew.woodward]

Mine is a 2005. Sorry I'm new to this but I was told its a 987.

If indeed these lights are xenon then they are terrible.

High beam is great but low beam is like having 2 candles up front.

I'll find out tomorrow but I'm guessing I have rubbish halogen low beam and xenon high beam

 

[BrianJ]

The garage I bought it from, JRMotors said they were litronic headlights.

all I know is the high beam is awesome and the low beam is rubbish.

am going to Williams Crawford tomorrow so will ask them what they are.

Probably the best way of establishing the facts is to take the headlight units and bulbs out and see exactly what is in there. Over the years a number of after-market modifications have been fitted by owners, some of which were better than others.

 

[Fountain999]

Welcome to the Porsche family Matt. These are great cars and enjoy the ride.

[ol][*]Lights - can't comment on this but I have the standard halogen. Not great but not an issue if you rarely use the car in the dark!![*]AC - have it checked out as others have said. Should be as comfortable as any other car. I had to have the condenser and pipes replaced. However, consider fitting zunsport grills. Protects the radiators from debris and damage. Easy to fit yourself.[*]Bosch wipers if you need to replace them. Good kit.[*]Hood - I've used Fabsil Gold for couple of years, 6 months after I treated it water still beads on the top. Use a good cleaner - autoglym/auto finesse etc and then paint the Fabsil on with a 1" paint brush (new) - check out car cleaning guru on You Tube who did this method on a VW beetle and with a steady hand you won't need to mask off the car.[*]Absolutely recommend a good porsche specialist. They will be your best friends where you can talk through where you want to be with your car and plan the next steps.[*]I have upgraded to PCCM+ (expensive) but adding DAB, Apple CarPlay and other car controls is a real benefit when out, touring and looks really nice as it has the same finish as the rest of the console.[/ol]Enjoy.

Paul

 

[matthew.woodward]

Are the Zunsport grills worthwhile? Not purely cosmetic.

im going to grab an autoglym roof kit and a decent horsehair brush.

does any use snow foam? Is it good?

 

[Paul_Sue_Leggett]

I can't say for Zunsport as my grills were fitted by my specialist and sit behind the bumper, but plenty on the forum use them and any grill is a benefit.

Snow foam is helpful. Helps loosen the muck and dust on the first application. Apply a second time and then wash with shampoo and noodle. The snow foam acts as a kind of lubricant and helps shift the muck and helps reduce the chance of swirls or scratches. It won't clean the car on it's own.

I had a 987 and upgraded the bulbs to GE Megalight Ultra +130. There are plenty of options available online and plenty of retailers where you can be sure you are getting genuine and not knock offs. The only thing with uprating them is that they don't have the same lifespan as the originals. Even for a non mechanical like me. getting the headlights out and back in is as easy as it says in the handbook. The old ones are handy spares should you decide to travel into Europe where many countries require you to carry spare bulbs.

 

[Fountain999]

Matt, I fitted my own zunsports (it must be easy if I can do it). Stops (i) leaves and other stuff settling in front of the radiators and (ii) as they are a finer mesh, the stop stones damaging the radiators. I think they are worthwhile.

Snowfoam - its part of the cleaning experience (you can't beat it). Snowfoam gets rid of any attached dirt (try Bilthamber) and after the first rinse cuts down the potential for adding scratches when you do the contact wash.

 

[matthew.woodward]

I think I’ll go for the Zunsport. They list a centre grill but my car doesn’t have one, so that’s confised me lol.

are the side grills worth it in front of the rear wheel? Or is that a cosmetic thing?

which ones did you replace?

 

[Fountain999]

Ha yes, that got me too. Just the front outside grills. Haven't done the sides as I thought the chance of anything going down the intakes there was remote.

Enjoy.

 

[Motorhead]

I think that there’s a Zunsport Club discount code somewhere, although I’m sure they’ll give you 10% off if you ask.

Jeff

 

[911hillclimber]

Had those grill covers on my 987.2 when I did the ac rads etc.

nothing but air and dirt gets past them, no leaves!

that was 4 years ago.

 

[Wollemi]

The easy way to tell if you have xenon lights is if you have headlight washers.

Headlight washer are a legal requirement for xenon headlights*, so if there are no washer, the lights are halogen.

(exception to this are the miserable special low power Xenons fitted to some 718s, where the light output is no better than halogen so washers not needed)

 

[adrian55]

Zunsports grills are very good - quote that you are a PCGB member and you might get a discount .I've had leaves go into the engine side intakes - the noise was terrible as they were catching on the fan so i think the grills are a worthwhile addition .

Ade