krafty

I didn't know the rev limiter was set at 7,400 rpms, but it is !

9964runner

That's not a rev limiter, it's an aural shift indicator!

JayG

In my 04 Targa, I found out that if you apply pressure to the gas pedal the car goes really fast. Same thing happens in my 986 S, just not as fast

Also if you push hard on the brake pedal the car stops really fast

Petersa9

Rear transmission bump between seats doubles as a nice pillow for long drive with the little ones.

krafty

If you put the key in the drivers door, and turn to the lock position, and hold it there, it will close the windows and sunroof. That'sa nice !

DTMiller

For giggles, try it the other way with the car locked and see what happens. On a targa it even opens/closes the targa roof.

Foxtrot 911

I just read through close to 400 of the most amazing facts, and some banter , and realized I have one that hasn't been mentioned.

Some 996's are prone to a "2nd-gear pop-out issue". This is a $200 fix and can be done with the engine still in the car. When shifting into the 2nd gear the shifter will sometimes feel like it seats into the gear but as soon as you release the clutch and give it some gas the shifter will pop-out. If you hold your hand on the shifter (like many of us do) this will cause a grinding sound.

DO NOT force this into gear. Hopefully you haven't damaged the gear itself as this detent replacement will not correct an already problematic issue.

This site gives insight and the part that is needed to buy on eBay and how to do it. My 99 996 has experienced this and I ordered the part for it yesterday. I'll be home from my deployment in a couple of weeks and I'll be switching this out and correcting my issue.

http://www.gboxweb.com/detent.html

http://www.ebay.com/itm/PORSCHE-TRAN...-/151307607531

Big shout out to my local PCA members for showing me this!

Hutbed

For the others out there who turn their own wrenches- disconnecting a door air bag (even if you reconnect and have the key out the whole time) will trip the airbag warning light. I had mine reset by the dealer, not sure if other methods will work.
Oil changes can be done without lifting the car as long as you have a shallow-ish drain container.
For Cabriolet owners: there's a special red-handled, very long allen wrench tucked away for EMERGENCY top raising (via the assembly behind the rear seat wall cover)... this WILL throw off all the micro switch adjustment and require a lengthy dealer visit.
Decent rear tires will probably be rated under 15,000 miles, and if you're driving it right, that's optimistic.
This is an excellent thread, thank you to all contributors. Here's my 2000 C2 I bought last year.

JayG

With a Tiptronic in auto mode, if you blip the throttle, it will downshift to the lowest gear that is safe for your current speed

adcampo

I've had my 996 for 9 months and never realized that you can pull on the cup holder and a spot for a second cup appears. I grinned a bit when I learned this yesterday.

jhenderson999

My 5 year old has discovered the middle pillow already, and thanks to @levdeb for the Harmony seat link. I've learned so much from this post, mostly to RTFM.

normfalick

First, Toronto is right. My car is a car magnet in a parking lot. I park between empty spots all the time and come back only to find someone parking right next to me. Drives me nuts.

Second, the air/oil separator on 996s is not made for the G forces created on the track by using track tires.
Funny, I thought Porsche's were built for this kind of driving. That said, we replaced mine with a AOS meant for a GT3, much bigger and more expensive, but it works.

sabadabadoo

After refueling in a 996, the electronic oil level gauge comes on, but you can see the level anytime by inserting key in ignition, and turning it to the second setting where all the warning lights come to life, and wait till the count down timer reaches 0 on the right hand display where you usually see the oil level indicator ( anywhere from 5 seconds if car has been sitting, to an hour if you just came from a hot lap around the track).

A second hint, In a locked 996 with an aero kit, and a dead battery, the dealer wanted me to tow car to him, since reaching the cable to unlock either front or back hoods, was next to impossible.

I ended up using a $10 gizmo that charges battery through the cigarette lighter, and put enough charge to activate the central lock, and unlock the hood.

JayG

don't people read the owners manual???

sabadabadoo

You will be surprised & dismayed imho.

Does anyone know the purpose of the oval cover in the dashboard to the left of the headlight switch ? ( I saw three or four wires clip to the inside, when I took apart the driver side vent in the process of doing diagnostics on the switch)