addysdady

Hi all!
I took delivery of a, new to me, 2005 Porsche Boxster this week. I am having a blast learning the car. There are a few minor issues but nothing that can't be remedied. The one issue that I would like to tackle first is a PASM Failure. I knew that the problem existed when I purchased the car. It is stuck in sport mode and the previous owner just drove the car that way for the last few thousand miles. Looking through the vehicle records, I found that there is a problem with the control module. I have sourced one from another vehicle but before I make the purchase, is there anything that I need to know about swapping out the unit? Also, can anyone point me in the direction of it's location. I am sure that I could find it but would like to avoid ripping apart the car if possible.

I wouldn't mind just keeping the car in sport but it's a no go for the Mrs.

Your help is appreciated,

John

RWPinNC

Do a Google search for PASM failure. Many were caused by replacing the battery. One of the first approaches seems to be disconnecting and reconnecting the battery and then driving the car. Worth a try.

addysdady

I just wanted to update the thread for anyone that might experience the same problem. When I purchased the car, I knew of the PASM Failure. After going through the vehicle's history, I saw that a mechanic diagnosed the issue to be a bad control unit for which the original owner deferred the repair. I was able to source a used control module on Ebay for $90. The module is located in the passenger foot well behind the carpet on the right hand side. It is plug and play so no reprogramming was needed. The hardest part of the job was getting the unit clipped back in properly behind the carpet. All and all, it was a 10 minute repair. After driving around for a while, I discovered that I like sport mode much more than normal but it's nice to have the option.

Prior to the repair, I got really annoyed by the dash warning and the red exclamation point always being on. I discovered that if I put the car in sport mode prior to moving, the warning never came on.

I hope this helps someone.

John

ELUSIVE

Hey John - this helped me.
I too am getting the PASM failure upon startup in my new to me 2005 Boxster. Mine is due to 3 of the 4 shocks reporting errors.
Your suggestion of turning on the PASM before before does indeed prevent the warnings from coming up. Thank you!!!!

I'm not entirely sure what i'm going to do to handle my issue as my local shop quoted me $4400 to replace the shocks. Ugh. Will likely be looking into alternatives.

ELUSIVE

I have also since noticed that when I put my car into PASM sport it seems to stay there between drives for some reason . So it stays in sport mode and doesn't trigger the PAMS warning lights on the dash. No lights for days.
As soon as I turn the PASM off, the dash warnings trigger. For now it's just staying in PASM sport.

7GTurn

Did you end up resolving the PASM issue? If yes, how?
I have the same symptoms on my 2006 Boxster: 3 out of 4 shocks are supposed to be broken, error suppression by keeping it in sport mode etc. I went from no error to 3 failed shocks. That seems bogus to me. I've seen other posts where people replaced the shocks and still got the PASM Failure message afterwards. I'm thinking of replacing the main PASM module.

ELUSIVE

I did, but not as easily as I would have hoped.
I had 2 different shops tell me that 3 out of my 4 PASM struts were bad. It was a high mileage 17/18 year old car so I figured that was correct. I spent close to $6K on new struts, all new strut parts, installation, and alignment only for the same exact PASM failure message on the dash and same terribly harsh ride. I was so pissed.
I did more research and found out about the PASM control module up underneath the passenger side. I ordered a used one from Ebay, spent 10 minutes installing it and the entire car was transformed. No more warning lights on the dash, the ride was now smooth, and the PASM button turned on and off as expected.

If you are having similar issues, I would highly recommend starting with the PASM module. There are few 987 used ones on Ebay right now. I believe its part number 987.618.105.09
I'm pissed I spent on that money, but I suppose it wasn't for nothing. It was super old and I have some peace of mind that my strut assemblies are all in working order now.

Hope this helps you.

7GTurn

Thanks for all the info @ELUSIVE. If you ever sell, the new struts could help up the value. I'm now trying to decide whether to get a used module with as many miles as my bad one (cheap), or get an aftermarket one for $1500, which is supposed to be much better.

ELUSIVE

I considered that too, but ultimately went with a used one as I wasn't sure if that was the problem or not. $300 vs $1500.
I will likely never sell this car. With the engine replacement, strut replacement and dozens of other things I've done i'm so deep I'd lose my shirt. LOL.
Did some fun weekend projects on her this weekend. New front brake rotors, painted the calipers red, alcantara steering wheel cover, and red air intake cover. I think she looks pretty good for 131K miles.

quickboxster

@ELUSIVE That intake cover in red is a really nice touch.

7GTurn

Nice ride btw !!

So, I went and got a used PASM module from Ebay. It came from a car with 115,000 miles. The other option was one with 140,000. Unfortunately, that didn't solve the issue. There is a 3rd unit on Ebay for $400 with 56K miles on it, but they do not accept returns. I think that the unit I got, with that many miles, is probably as bad as mine is (my car is in the 90K mile range). I found a new OEM one for $750 at some dealer online. My local dealer quoted me $1,100 and a 3-week wait. I'm waiting to hear if the $750 one is in stock or special order.

ELUSIVE

I'm sorry to hear that the used PASM controller didn't work.
Another thing you could do is reach out to your local Porsche community and see if anyone has a similar PASM car that would be willing to let you do a quick swap of modules. That would tell you for sure if its the module or not before spending more money.
If you're in the Denver area, I'd help you out.

7GTurn

Thanks for the offer. I returned the bad module to the Ebay seller for a refund and sourced a different one. The second module worked !!

Anyone reading this, if you are getting a "PASM Failure" message, only in PASM normal mode, and only when the car starts to roll: Even if you get codes that say that your strut valves are broken, try replacing the PASM module before you spend any money on new struts.

ELUSIVE

That's great to hear that you got it all worked out!!!
You had the same results I did, except I fell for the new struts first. haha