What??? A torque converter in a Porsche you say?! Well I have one of those and all the Porsche dealer service techs I've talked to claim that the ATF fluid in the tiptronic transmission is a "lifetime" fluid and the flush interval/filter change is 108K miles or 12 years whichever comes first. Now I track my cayman and I'm a bit skeptical of the lifetime quality of this fluid since oil/lubricants break down eventually owing to heat right? Also, during my online research I found that the same...
17 Comments

Removing a 987 door panel is a pretty straight forward operation that can be done with basic tools and mechanical skills. 4 The door panel is held to the door by 5 T-30 Torx screws and 9 friction clips. The screws are hidden in the following locations: To access the screws, you first need to removes a few trim panels from the door. Let's start with the mirror trim. The mirror trim is held in my two friction clips on it's bottom, and a slide connection on the tip. 4
22 Comments

How to Adjust the Closed Window Height (this was on my 2003 Boxster S, I would think the 987 Cayman shared the same but not sure) Overview: The door windows drop down when you lift the door handle and automatically go backup once the door closes. This is done to relieve the cabin pressure and to make it easier to open and close the door. I recently had problems with MY closed window height being too high and catching on the roof. I learned that there is a height adjustment screw...
5 Comments

I've been having an intermittent Check Engine light, and during my last visit to the dealer, Jim Ellis in Atlanta (no affiliation), reading the fault codes seemed to indicate one bad Oxygen Sensor, Bank 1 (right side), pre-cat. The Oxygen Sensor, also known as the O2 Sensor, or Lambda Sensor does just what you might guess, measure oxygen in the exhaust gases. Voltage created by the sensor is proportional to how much oxygen is present, and the computer (DME) uses this signal along with other...
43 Comments

Replacing the Cabin Air Filter (also referred to as the Pollen Filter) is possibly the easiest maintenance task to perform on a Cayman. I'll demonstrate this task on my 2007 Cayman S. There are aftermarket filters available, but I like to use OE parts for my Porsche. The part number of the factory Porsche filter is 997.571.229.01. It's available at any Porsche parts department. I usually keep one on hand. Once you've obtained an OE filter or suitable replacement, you're ready to...
51 Comments

Changing the oil and filter on a Cayman is actually very easy, but slightly different than other oil changes you may have performed. There are a few specialty tools I would recommend you obtain before tackling this maintenance task. With a couple of tips and traps in mind even the most novice mechanic can handle this job. 1Torque Values Fastener LocationDescriptionTool SizeTorque ValueDrain Plug18mm Aluminum Drain Plug8mm Hex Driver37 ft.lb.Oil FilterPlastic Filter Housing74mm Oil...
170 Comments

Thanks to our wonderful Porsche engineers, gone are the days that the first inkling that you have a problem with your brake lights, is when you get pulled over by a cop to let you know that a light is out, and possibly even write you a fix-it ticket (let's face it, none of us enjoys getting pulled over, even for a minor infraction like that). So, I was pleasantly surprised when my car informed me that I had a problem with right brake light a couple of days ago. I figured that this...
37 Comments

Porsche suggests the spark plugs get replaced at the 60,000 mile service...nuf said, lets get at it. I'll just go into detail for the steps to replace one plug, they are all similar. UPDATE: In 2008 Porsche lowered the recommended interval for replacing the spark plugs to 60,000 km (~37,000 miles) or 4 years, whichever comes first, for cars in the USA. My plugs looked OK at 60,000 miles, use your best judgement. Thanks to pcormier at P-9 for his spark plug article. Thanks to...
107 Comments

Porsche brake rotors can last for many years of normal street use without wearing out. For other owners 'normal' use also includes track duty which can accelerate wear and/or cause other defects like cracking. When normal wear or defects reach a certain threshold it is time for new discs. I will use the terms "rotor" and "disc" interchangeably, "rotor" because it is the part of the brakes which actually turns, and "disc" because of the part's shape. I feel this is an acceptable practice...
111 Comments

Upper engine cover removal will probably be the first disassembly most owners will do on their beloved Caymans, and subsequently the most frequent disassembly operation. For almost every car on the road you can just pop the hood to get access to the engine, but placing the engine in the middle of the car kind of eliminates this easy method. Why? Access for maintenance or checks like Air Cleaner Cartridge Replacement or Checking the Power Steering Fluid Level. Installing a clear...
27 Comments