A question came up in a discussion about testing Relays. Relays seem like magical little boxes of wonder. They often catch the blame for mysterious electrical gremlins because they're operation is a mystery to most auto enthusiasts. But if we really stop to learn what a relay is and how it works, we will learn that they are really quite simple. Understanding and being able to test them can help us cross them off the list when things go wrong. So let's take a lesson on Relays, how they work and...
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In Germany, every new Porsche is delivered with a set of Emergency Triangles and a First Aid Kit. Those of us who opted to do a European Delivery were surprised to receive these cool little safety devices at delivery. These are cool little keep sakes that I'd like to hang on to, and as the German TUV knows, it's not a bad idea to have these in your car. The First Aid kit fits nicely into the storage box in the trunk, but the triangles won't fit there. European cars have a nifty little set...
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Changing the oil and filter on a GT-4 is not rocket science. This procedure is a little different and a little more difficult on the GT-4 than it is on other Caymans. There are a few specialty tools I would recommend you obtain before tackling this maintenance task. With a few tips and tricks in mind, even an amateur mechanic can handle this job. 1Torque Values Fastener LocationDescriptionTool SizeTorque ValueDrain Plug18mm Aluminum Drain Plug8mm Hex Driver37 ft.lb.Oil FilterPlastic...
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The dreaded day arrived for me last fall. I'm writing of course about when my factory Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) sensors reached the end of their life. My car is a 2007, manufactured in June 2007, put into service in July 2007. I started seeing TPMS malfunctions (the readings all went blank while driving, then came back) in the summer of 2014. So I got about 7 years, 80,000 miles out of my sensors before they went kaput. This is pretty much in line with the 6-8 years that other...
84 Comments

If you ever have to run a wire to the back of a Cayman, you'll need to remove the Driver Side Sill Plate. I had to do so to run a wire for my Oil Pressure Gauge and I learned that unlike most cars where that plate is held down with just plastic friction pins, the sill plate on a Cayman is rock solid. It's held in with two rather substantial bolts. If you need to remove yours, you'll want to read on. 1Removal Procedure 1). There are two plastic plugs in the side of the sill plate between...
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A clutch slave cylinder should last a long time. But there have been incidents of slave cylinders leaking in Caymans, which can leave your clutch pedal on the floor. There was a Workshop Campaign (W802) back in 2008 to replace more than 1,200 bad slave cylinders that made their ways into cars (987s and 997s). Should you find yourself in need of a new slave cylinder, this article should be of great help to you. 1Torque Values Fastener LocationDescriptionTool SizeTorque ValueClutch...
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We've heard a lot of talk about Rear Main Seals leaking in Porsches, but as the Cayman Register advocate I can't say that I've seen many members who've experienced a failure. That's likely because Porsche made a major improvement to the seals in 2005 and all Caymans received that new seal. The RMS in my car didn't leak, but I decided to replace it anyway because I was replacing my IMS cover seal. My car had 80,000 miles on it, I was right there with 95% of the labor already done and the new RMS...
23 Comments

I don't know of a single Throw-Out bearing that has failed in a Cayman. I decided to replace mine because of an IMS cover leak, which required me to remove my transmission, clutch, pressure plate and flywheel. Because my car had 80,000 miles on it at the time, it seemed sensible to freshen up the clutch package, which meant a new throw-out bearing too. Once the transmission is out, changing the Throw-Out bearing is a simple operation. 1Torque Values Fastener LocationDescriptionTool...
6 Comments

A clutch is a wear item so it's only a matter of time before we each need to replace one. I replaced mine at 80,000 miles because I was in there to replace a leaking IMS cover seal. As it turned out, my original clutch was still in excellent condition. But there's nothing like the bite of a new clutch, and my leak repair required removal of the clutch, so replacement required nothing more than ordering parts. Because there is so much labor involved, it would have been senseless for me not to...
63 Comments

Our Caymans are equipped with a Dual Mass Flywheel which does a really good job of eliminating gear chatter and providing us with silky smooth clutch engagements. But DMFs can and do fail. When they do they can create very strange sounds and/or vibrations in our cars. If you suspect a bad flywheel in your car, or if you happen to have the transmission out for some other reason like I did, make sure you test your flywheel as shown below. 1Needed Specialty Tools Toothed Flywheel...
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