Link to review on RainyDayMagazine.com

Rainy Day Magazine.com - December 16, 2005

Porsche Boxster, Boxster S Service Manual: 1997-2004 review from Rainy Day Magazine.com, - December 16, 2005

RainyDayGarage...

Bentley Publishers

Boxster Service Manual

By Wan Chi Lau

"Here at the RainyDayGarage, we believe that everyone has the ability to work on their cars. All that is needed are good, clear, step-by-step instructions and a willingness to get their hands dirty. The Bentley Boxster Service Manual will go a long way in giving Boxster owners the confidence to tackle a wide range of projects. The service manual covers model years 1997 to 2004.

When we got our Boxster five years ago, we pretty much experimented on our own whenever we wanted to anything to the car. The questions tended to be...how does this piece come off? Which one is the ground wire? What does that OBDII code mean? All of those questions are answered in the Bentley manual and more.

One of the first projects we did way back when was to replace the brake pads. The biggest problem we ran into in the course of the project was removing the retaining pin...after an hour of messing around we finally whacked it with a hammer. When we checked Bentley’s instructions on replacing the brake pad...what did we see? A photo showing that one should whack the retaining pin to get it out :-) Sure made us wish we had the manual 5 years ago!!!

The Bentley service manual provide clear step-by-step instructions for all kinds of repair projects, such as doing an oil change, putting in a new air filter, and replacing the brake pad and rotors.

Most of the instructions are accompanied by photographs of the actual work done by the Bentley mechanics. Diagrams are used where to provide more clarity.

In addition to the standard repair and maintenance jobs, the manual also covers some of the more difficult tasks such as clutch adjustment, rear main seal replacement, and even pulling the engine.

We know that not all projects are appropriate for everyone. Nor will these instructions turn a novice mechanic into a seasoned Porsche technician. We tend to think having the Bentley Service Manual is more like having a friend who knows all about the Boxster and can answer questions at any time :-)

This "friend" also gives warnings about potential hazards associated with a given project. This is particularly welcomed since Porsche parts are not cheap and some are hard to come by.

One nice feature of the Bentley Porsche Service manual is the full listing of all of the OBDII error codes, their Porsche equivalent, and what they mean! There is also a complete set of electronics wiring diagrams and schematics for those interested in working on the Boxsters’s audio system (among other things).

This quick overview was meant to point out some of the more notable features of this service manual. It is by no means trying to be exhaustive. In our FirstLook, we found the manual to be a well produced and comprehensive collection of Boxster technical information. We think any Boxster owner who is interested in what makes their car tick will find it a worthwhile reference source.

In the FirstUse review, we’ll do a rotor replacement using the instructions outlined in the service manual. We’ll report back our experience on the completeness, clarity, and accuracy of the steps provided by the manual. Check back with us and see how we did!"