944 S2 Cabriolet questions

[Big Les]

[redacted]

[softinthehead]

caution I think - see my thread about urgent hood help needed! ok mine's boroken but the burden of the OPC song to me this morning is that the hoods are very very good when they work and very easy to B***ock up. I have a workshop manual for the 968 on CDROm which includes a section on the hood and there are a few little widgets in there that need renewing if the hood mechanism is tampered with. oh and a special tool is needed at one point I think. in other words, unless youre very very condfident I'd stick to spark plugs and oil and let a clever fellow do the hood (you may be a clever fellow - I'm just talking from personal perspective here)

yes the box youve found is the immobiliser. give it a good once over, its a prime spot to get damp and after a while they get corroded with predictable results (immobility)

[Big Les]

I've since heard that the hood system is a little noisy, however the two alloy upright pillars just behind the side windows are both snapped and need replacing, so whilst doing those I thought a bit of lubrication to the mechanism (after 16 years) wouldn't do any harm.

The black box all looks OK, no signs of water damage - how do I tell if it's working OK?

[bite-me]

answers in CAPS, sorry not shouting

Big Les said:

1) Has anyone serviced the hood mechanism? Mine sounds a bit rough and sounds like the mechanism could do with a good clean and lubrication. I've removed the plastic quarter panels and can see the motor/winder system, is there a way of lubricating without removal? If it needs removal has anyone any instructions? NOISE IS COMING FROM THE MOTOR IN THE REAR, NOT THE MECHANISMS IN THE DOORS. THEY DONT NEED LUBING, DONT REMOVE THEM AS THEY HAVE SPECIAL WASHERS IN THERE, WHICH ADJUST/ACT AS SHIMS FOR THE ALIGNMENT OF THE HOOD. 2) After removing the front seats I have found a 'black box' under the carpet on the passenger side. It has a black cable going into it, and I can see what looks like the edge of a card/circuit board in red. Any ideas what it is? Part of the alarm/immobiliser? IMMOBILOISER, RECOMMEND YOU REMOVE THE CARPET THAT IS COVERING IT (IF THERE IS ONE) DONT ASK ME WHY, JUST TRUST ME. YOU CAN TELL IF IT WORKS, WHEN YOU PUT THE IMMOBILSER KEY IN THE FOB THE RELAY IN IT WILL CLICK. THE CAR WONT START IF ITS WORKING AND CONNECTED PROPERLY. YOU WILL HAVE AN IGNITION KEY AND A SMALL BLACK FOB. All help and tips gratefully received.

sorry for caps !

[softinthehead]

Big Les said:

The black box all looks OK, no signs of water damage - how do I tell if it's working OK?

if it fails the car wont start. if its corroding then you may find the immobiliser key only works intermittently or needs several attempts before it beeps. in a wet winter mine used to require a vigorous rubbing of the immobiliser key's little metal tip with my tie before it would start (presume I built up a bit of static and blasted the circuit - who knows. oddly only a pure silk tie would do it)