Tips and Troubleshooting

Since I am not a mechanic or body specialist, you will not find any engine rebuilding or body working tips. What you will find below are some very simple often overlooked items that I have discovered that will improve the appearance and enjoyment of your Porsche. I welcome comments concerning any of these.

If your 924 has the original Porsche hood crest, chances are that it is very dull and faded (you may not even realize how badly faded). New hood crests can be bought for about $20 and this is an inexpensive replacement that can dramatically improve the appearance of the car.

On my 924S, this was very easy. The emblem was simply CAREFULLY pulled away from the car as it was held to the car by some plastic inserts. On the 924, this was more difficult as I had to crawl under the car and remove the grill and a round rubber grommet to get to the fasteners on the back of the emblem.

For some unknown reason, Porsche chose not to light one of the rear tail light sections (bottom center on each side). Kits to light these sections sell on ebay for about 9.99 and this is a simple "do it yourself" upgrade that is well worth it.

Additional note: The solution sold on ebay works extremely well but is a "home made" type fix. If you want a professional package, Performance Products sells a nice one for about $20.

My 82 924 came with the old fashioned hood "pole" type stand. However, the car also came equipped with the brackets for the more modern hood shocks. For some odd reason, Porsche simply chose to use the pole rather than the shocks. If your car has the brackets, the shocks are a simple, inexpensive and worthwhile upgrade.

Additional note: You will also need the pins and fasteners that hold the shocks to the hood (these are not generally sold with the shocks). You can get these from anyone parting out an old car or order them from Porsche.

If your carpets are in good shape but badly faded, try dying them rather than buying an expensive carpet kit. A couple of boxes of dye will cost less than $10 and can restore your carpets to the original color. You will be surprised at how easy it is to make your carpets look like new again. I did this without removing any of the carpets except for the piece that surrounds the gear shift.

Have you checked your spare tire lately? In both my cars I found that the spare had a "flat spot" where it had been sitting on the same spot for many years. I have also observed this on the spare tires being sold on Ebay. Simply turning the tire every once in awhile will prevent this.

Are your washer nozzles barely doing the job? Replacing these is surprisingly simple and inexpensive and can make a huge difference in the operation of the washer system. Once replaced, the nozzle "tips" can be adjusted (I used a very small screw driver) to optimize coverage.

Additional note: The washer nozzles for the 924S are considerably more expensive and more difficult to replace than those for the 924.

Related Tip: If the system isn't working well and the nozzles aren't the problem, the likely culprits are the "T" and "L" fittings that you will find under the hood near the washer nozzles. These fittings get clogged over time and aren't easily cleaned/repaired. After years of service, they should be replaced.

On every 924 that I have seen, the rear hatch lock seal is hard, cracked, and in need of replacing. If this seal isn't' soft to the touch, you should replace it. The part is inexpensive and easy to replace.

Additional note: This job is much easier on the 924 than it is the 924S because the 924S has an electric hatch opener. However, the job is still very easy on the 924S.

Are there covers on your windshield wiper bolts? There should be (Haynes page 239) but these are missing on every 924 that I have come across. These "snap on" covers are inexpensive and add a nice finishing touch to the car.

Clean that engine! It is really easy and makes all the difference. If your engine is really dirty, use a product such as GUNK Engine Brite. For regular cleaning, I have found that Dawn dishwashing detergent really works well. When using a degreaser, I clean the engine by placing wet towels on the fenders to protect them, cover the battery and electrical components with plastic bags and then spraying the engine compartment with the degreaser followed by a good rinsing with water (note I said rinsing, not jet propulsion spraying. I don't even use a hose nozzle). After a thorough rinsing, I start the engine to let the heat finish the drying. That's it.

Additional Note: OK, that's not really it. Not if you REALLY want the engine compartment to shine. Extra steps include 1) Going back over the aluminum engine components with a good cleaner/polish and a stiff brush 2) Polishing and/or waxing all finished surfaces including the underside of the hood and 3) Using a rubber conditioner (e.g. Amorall) on all the black hoses etc. Detailing is just that. The more detailed you get, the better it will look!

If you need to replace instrument bulbs on the car, you might be able to reach behind the dash and push the instrument out to get to the bulbs. On my 924 it was not possible to reach the instruments from behind so I had to remove the steering wheel and the entire instrument cluster.

While this seems like a big job it really isn't. Removing the steering wheel is quite easy. Simply pry off the horn pad being CAREFUL because there is a horn wire attached to it. Once the pad is off, disconnect the horn wire and using a 24mm or 15/16" socket remove the nut holding on the steering wheel (placing a mark on the outside of the steering column so that you can realign it is probably a good idea).

The three ring bezel is held on by two screws on the inside at the top. After removing these screws, you can CAREFULLY pull out the bezel (there are two clips at the bottom that you don't want to break).

So you want to replace your rear speakers? Ok, first ask yourself how badly you want to do this. It can be done but the job takes some time and requires considerable care. The rear speakers are 4X6 and have a max installation clearance of about 2". Be certain that the replacement speakers have a flush face. A "cone" type tweeter etc will not work since the speaker must sit flush with the car panel.

[ I have seen instructions that indicate that the seat belt and/or the rear window must be removed. I did not remove either of these in replacing the rear speakers.]

Simply remove all obvious screws etc. You will then need to remove the header piece (3 screws) and pull off the black door trim. Now comes the difficult part. You will need to work your way around the panel CAREFULLY pulling the trim away from the car. This is glued and can be difficult to accomplish especially around the rear window (thus the recommendation by some to simply remove the window). With CARE, you can get the trim pulled away.

One final obstacle awaits, there is a hidden fastener in the panel that needs to be pulled away from the body. Be careful not to simply tug on this or it could tear itself away from the panel. Once this is dislodged, you will have access to the speaker. You will have to work around the panel since the seatbelt will prevent it from being set aside.

When put back together, I did not re-glue any of the trim as it did not seem necessary (and I may have to do this again). If by chance you weren't very careful and tore the panel, don't panic and simply head to your nearest auto store to buy a vinyl repair kit. If you are going through this process, see Tip #19 as well.

Seat belt bolt covers in a 924 are kinda like socks in a dryer. Somehow, one or two just seem to vanish. Having the bolts exposed really detracts from the appearance of the interior. These snap on covers are inexpensive and easily replaced.

On every 924, the hood insulation (sound proofing) needs to be replaced if it is still original. Time and engine heat have simply taken their toll. If it is still there, it is discolored, crumbling, and falling off.

I removed what was left of the insulation by placing a sheet over the engine compartment and then scraping the insulation off with a plastic spatula (it comes off quite easily). Initially, I wanted to leave it off and polish the hood. What I found out was that the remaining adhesive (glue) is simply impossible to remove without damaging the finish. If you try to remove the glue, I am certain you will arrive at the same conclusion.

New hood insulation (sound proofing) will cost around $80 and while not exactly an inexpensive item, it will certainly improve the appearance of the engine compartment. The new insulation will generally have a "peel and stick" type backing (thus is can be installed in minutes) and it can be applied right over the old adhesive.

When was the last time you cleaned your car? No, I'm not talking about the usual bucket, sponge and a can of beer. I mean using a quality paint cleaner. If your paint is looking rather dull (what paint doesn't after many years?) has "swirl" wax scratches, acid rain damage, or damage from sap or bird droppings, then you might want to try the following: 1) Wash the car with a wax stripping soap (dish detergent works well) and dry the car completely 2) Go over the car with a quality paint cleaner 3) Polish the car with a quality car polish and finally 4) Wax the car with a high quality carnauba car wax.

The above process isn't easy and may take an entire day to complete. However, it will give you a finish that you may have been missing for many years. Be certain to follow the product directions and don't try and hurry the job. Also, don't forget to apply wax to the rims, door sills and the finished areas of the engine compartment.

Additional notes: If you are going to use the above process, please use a new soft applicator for each stage of the job and buff at each stage with a CLEAN 100% cotton cloth. Resist the urge to apply the products in a "circular" motion and instead apply in a back and forth motion (circular imperfections are much easier to see at any angle).

Tired of opening and closing that cargo cover? Then the rear cover kit (available from Performance Products for $15) is money well spent. It allows you to attach the cargo cover to the rear hatch so that it opens and closes with the hatch. This is an item that Porsche should have installed. It is a very simple upgrade that really improves the car.

Whether you are detailing the interior of the car, replacing carpet, or working under the dash, it is often beneficial to remove the front seats. This is easier than it may appear and can be accomplished in minutes. Simply push the seat all the way back and remove the two bolts that are exposed. Then move the seat all the way forward and remove the two bolts that are exposed. Then simply lift the seat out of the car.

The A/C vents in the 924 are really poor quality items and the louver inserts are easily broken. Porsche corrected this in the 944 and 924S cars. The vent inserts in the later cars are a much better quality and are perfectly interchangeable with the 924. These vents are often parted out on eBay and are a worthwhile upgrade.

The rear wheels on the 924 are set too far inside the wheel wells. This gives the car the appearance of the wheels being out of line. Adding wheel spacers to the rear dramatically improves the look of the car. These spacers are widely available and inexpensive. Spacers of 1/4 or 5/16 can be added without changing the lug bolts. Larger or stacked spacers may require larger bolts.

Additional Note: Next time you buy tires, ask about a wider size. The stock rims can handle a wider than stock size and it will certainly improve the overall look.

Replacing your stereo? Why not add a power antenna while your at it? If you car has the old fashioned manual antenna, the power antenna is a nice upgrade. Most modern stereos are pre-wired for the power antenna and inexpensive kits are sold on ebay. If you can replace your stereo, you can almost certainly handle this installation as well.

The 924S and 944 came with a cassette console. The 924 did not have this but the part is easily found on ebay or can be bought new from Performance Products. This is a really simple installation and a nice addition to the 924. Finally, a place to store spare change etc.

OK, the dash in your car is cracked (join the club) and you need to do something about it. A new dash (if you can find one) will cost $1,000+ and this is beyond what most owners (including myself) consider reasonable. Some people have successfully removed and refinished the dash using bondo type products but I'll leave that discussion to them.

The most common and economical solution is to simply cover the dash. I have tried many of these covers. The first being the fabric cover by Dash King which is the least cost solution (about $40). It looks nice and does cover the dash but I was always unhappy with it because it was rather obvious that is was a cover.

The other alternative is to get one of the "hard" dash covers commonly sold on eBay and by Performance Products and other sellers. I bought one of the dash caps typically sold on eBay as well as a Coverlay dash cover from Performance Products. My opinion of these is that the Coverlay dash cover is a much nicer fit and blends better with the car and gives the "appearance" of having a new dash. If you buy the Coverlay during one of Performance Products 20% off sales, it will cost around $80. They otherwise list for close to $100. The eBay type cover generally sells between $60-$80.


	Porsche 924 - A True Porsche Classic \| home History and Background \| 82 924 Restoration \| 87 924S Restoration \| Tips and Troubleshooting \| Footwell Lighting \| The Mechanic \| Photo Album 1982 924 \| Photo Album 1987 924S \| Mailbag \| Related Links \| Contact Me Tips and Troubleshooting Since I am not a mechanic or body specialist, you will not find any engine rebuilding or body working tips. What you will find below are some very simple often overlooked items that I have discovered that will improve the appearance and enjoyment of your Porsche. I welcome comments concerning any of these. Tip #1 If your 924 has the original Porsche hood crest, chances are that it is very dull and faded (you may not even realize how badly faded). New hood crests can be bought for about $20 and this is an inexpensive replacement that can dramatically improve the appearance of the car. On my 924S, this was very easy. The emblem was simply CAREFULLY pulled away from the car as it was held to the car by some plastic inserts. On the 924, this was more difficult as I had to crawl under the car and remove the grill and a round rubber grommet to get to the fasteners on the back of the emblem. Update: I added the plastic inserts to the 924 to hold the emblem. This is a much better solution than the back fasteners. Tip #2 For some unknown reason, Porsche chose not to light one of the rear tail light sections (bottom center on each side). Kits to light these sections sell on ebay for about 9.99 and this is a simple "do it yourself" upgrade that is well worth it. Additional note: The solution sold on ebay works extremely well but is a "home made" type fix. If you want a professional package, Performance Products sells a nice one for about $20. Tip #3 My 82 924 came with the old fashioned hood "pole" type stand. However, the car also came equipped with the brackets for the more modern hood shocks. For some odd reason, Porsche simply chose to use the pole rather than the shocks. If your car has the brackets, the shocks are a simple, inexpensive and worthwhile upgrade. Additional note: You will also need the pins and fasteners that hold the shocks to the hood (these are not generally sold with the shocks). You can get these from anyone parting out an old car or order them from Porsche. Tip #4 If your carpets are in good shape but badly faded, try dying them rather than buying an expensive carpet kit. A couple of boxes of dye will cost less than $10 and can restore your carpets to the original color. You will be surprised at how easy it is to make your carpets look like new again. I did this without removing any of the carpets except for the piece that surrounds the gear shift. Tip #5 Have you checked your spare tire lately? In both my cars I found that the spare had a "flat spot" where it had been sitting on the same spot for many years. I have also observed this on the spare tires being sold on Ebay. Simply turning the tire every once in awhile will prevent this. Tip #6 Are your washer nozzles barely doing the job? Replacing these is surprisingly simple and inexpensive and can make a huge difference in the operation of the washer system. Once replaced, the nozzle "tips" can be adjusted (I used a very small screw driver) to optimize coverage. Additional note: The washer nozzles for the 924S are considerably more expensive and more difficult to replace than those for the 924. Related Tip: If the system isn't working well and the nozzles aren't the problem, the likely culprits are the "T" and "L" fittings that you will find under the hood near the washer nozzles. These fittings get clogged over time and aren't easily cleaned/repaired. After years of service, they should be replaced. Tip #7 On every 924 that I have seen, the rear hatch lock seal is hard, cracked, and in need of replacing. If this seal isn't' soft to the touch, you should replace it. The part is inexpensive and easy to replace. Additional note: This job is much easier on the 924 than it is the 924S because the 924S has an electric hatch opener. However, the job is still very easy on the 924S. Tip #8 Are there covers on your windshield wiper bolts? There should be (Haynes page 239) but these are missing on every 924 that I have come across. These "snap on" covers are inexpensive and add a nice finishing touch to the car. Tip #9 Clean that engine! It is really easy and makes all the difference. If your engine is really dirty, use a product such as GUNK Engine Brite. For regular cleaning, I have found that Dawn dishwashing detergent really works well. When using a degreaser, I clean the engine by placing wet towels on the fenders to protect them, cover the battery and electrical components with plastic bags and then spraying the engine compartment with the degreaser followed by a good rinsing with water (note I said rinsing, not jet propulsion spraying. I don't even use a hose nozzle). After a thorough rinsing, I start the engine to let the heat finish the drying. That's it. Additional Note: OK, that's not really it. Not if you REALLY want the engine compartment to shine. Extra steps include 1) Going back over the aluminum engine components with a good cleaner/polish and a stiff brush 2) Polishing and/or waxing all finished surfaces including the underside of the hood and 3) Using a rubber conditioner (e.g. Amorall) on all the black hoses etc. Detailing is just that. The more detailed you get, the better it will look! Tip #10 If you need to replace instrument bulbs on the car, you might be able to reach behind the dash and push the instrument out to get to the bulbs. On my 924 it was not possible to reach the instruments from behind so I had to remove the steering wheel and the entire instrument cluster. While this seems like a big job it really isn't. Removing the steering wheel is quite easy. Simply pry off the horn pad being CAREFUL because there is a horn wire attached to it. Once the pad is off, disconnect the horn wire and using a 24mm or 15/16" socket remove the nut holding on the steering wheel (placing a mark on the outside of the steering column so that you can realign it is probably a good idea). The three ring bezel is held on by two screws on the inside at the top. After removing these screws, you can CAREFULLY pull out the bezel (there are two clips at the bottom that you don't want to break). Now you can get to the back of the instruments. Tip #11 So you want to replace your rear speakers? Ok, first ask yourself how badly you want to do this. It can be done but the job takes some time and requires considerable care. The rear speakers are 4X6 and have a max installation clearance of about 2". Be certain that the replacement speakers have a flush face. A "cone" type tweeter etc will not work since the speaker must sit flush with the car panel. [ I have seen instructions that indicate that the seat belt and/or the rear window must be removed. I did not remove either of these in replacing the rear speakers.] Simply remove all obvious screws etc. You will then need to remove the header piece (3 screws) and pull off the black door trim. Now comes the difficult part. You will need to work your way around the panel CAREFULLY pulling the trim away from the car. This is glued and can be difficult to accomplish especially around the rear window (thus the recommendation by some to simply remove the window). With CARE, you can get the trim pulled away. One final obstacle awaits, there is a hidden fastener in the panel that needs to be pulled away from the body. Be careful not to simply tug on this or it could tear itself away from the panel. Once this is dislodged, you will have access to the speaker. You will have to work around the panel since the seatbelt will prevent it from being set aside. When put back together, I did not re-glue any of the trim as it did not seem necessary (and I may have to do this again). If by chance you weren't very careful and tore the panel, don't panic and simply head to your nearest auto store to buy a vinyl repair kit. If you are going through this process, see Tip #19 as well. Tip #12 Seat belt bolt covers in a 924 are kinda like socks in a dryer. Somehow, one or two just seem to vanish. Having the bolts exposed really detracts from the appearance of the interior. These snap on covers are inexpensive and easily replaced. Tip #13 On every 924, the hood insulation (sound proofing) needs to be replaced if it is still original. Time and engine heat have simply taken their toll. If it is still there, it is discolored, crumbling, and falling off. I removed what was left of the insulation by placing a sheet over the engine compartment and then scraping the insulation off with a plastic spatula (it comes off quite easily). Initially, I wanted to leave it off and polish the hood. What I found out was that the remaining adhesive (glue) is simply impossible to remove without damaging the finish. If you try to remove the glue, I am certain you will arrive at the same conclusion. New hood insulation (sound proofing) will cost around $80 and while not exactly an inexpensive item, it will certainly improve the appearance of the engine compartment. The new insulation will generally have a "peel and stick" type backing (thus is can be installed in minutes) and it can be applied right over the old adhesive. Tip #14 When was the last time you cleaned your car? No, I'm not talking about the usual bucket, sponge and a can of beer. I mean using a quality paint cleaner. If your paint is looking rather dull (what paint doesn't after many years?) has "swirl" wax scratches, acid rain damage, or damage from sap or bird droppings, then you might want to try the following: 1) Wash the car with a wax stripping soap (dish detergent works well) and dry the car completely 2) Go over the car with a quality paint cleaner 3) Polish the car with a quality car polish and finally 4) Wax the car with a high quality carnauba car wax. The above process isn't easy and may take an entire day to complete. However, it will give you a finish that you may have been missing for many years. Be certain to follow the product directions and don't try and hurry the job. Also, don't forget to apply wax to the rims, door sills and the finished areas of the engine compartment. Additional notes: If you are going to use the above process, please use a new soft applicator for each stage of the job and buff at each stage with a CLEAN 100% cotton cloth. Resist the urge to apply the products in a "circular" motion and instead apply in a back and forth motion (circular imperfections are much easier to see at any angle). Tip #15 Tired of opening and closing that cargo cover? Then the rear cover kit (available from Performance Products for $15) is money well spent. It allows you to attach the cargo cover to the rear hatch so that it opens and closes with the hatch. This is an item that Porsche should have installed. It is a very simple upgrade that really improves the car. Tip #16 Whether you are detailing the interior of the car, replacing carpet, or working under the dash, it is often beneficial to remove the front seats. This is easier than it may appear and can be accomplished in minutes. Simply push the seat all the way back and remove the two bolts that are exposed. Then move the seat all the way forward and remove the two bolts that are exposed. Then simply lift the seat out of the car. Tip #17 The A/C vents in the 924 are really poor quality items and the louver inserts are easily broken. Porsche corrected this in the 944 and 924S cars. The vent inserts in the later cars are a much better quality and are perfectly interchangeable with the 924. These vents are often parted out on eBay and are a worthwhile upgrade. Tip #18 The rear wheels on the 924 are set too far inside the wheel wells. This gives the car the appearance of the wheels being out of line. Adding wheel spacers to the rear dramatically improves the look of the car. These spacers are widely available and inexpensive. Spacers of 1/4 or 5/16 can be added without changing the lug bolts. Larger or stacked spacers may require larger bolts. Additional Note: Next time you buy tires, ask about a wider size. The stock rims can handle a wider than stock size and it will certainly improve the overall look. Tip #19 Replacing your stereo? Why not add a power antenna while your at it? If you car has the old fashioned manual antenna, the power antenna is a nice upgrade. Most modern stereos are pre-wired for the power antenna and inexpensive kits are sold on ebay. If you can replace your stereo, you can almost certainly handle this installation as well. Tip #20 The 924S and 944 came with a cassette console. The 924 did not have this but the part is easily found on ebay or can be bought new from Performance Products. This is a really simple installation and a nice addition to the 924. Finally, a place to store spare change etc. Tip #21 OK, the dash in your car is cracked (join the club) and you need to do something about it. A new dash (if you can find one) will cost $1,000+ and this is beyond what most owners (including myself) consider reasonable. Some people have successfully removed and refinished the dash using bondo type products but I'll leave that discussion to them. The most common and economical solution is to simply cover the dash. I have tried many of these covers. The first being the fabric cover by Dash King which is the least cost solution (about $40). It looks nice and does cover the dash but I was always unhappy with it because it was rather obvious that is was a cover. The other alternative is to get one of the "hard" dash covers commonly sold on eBay and by Performance Products and other sellers. I bought one of the dash caps typically sold on eBay as well as a Coverlay dash cover from Performance Products. My opinion of these is that the Coverlay dash cover is a much nicer fit and blends better with the car and gives the "appearance" of having a new dash. If you buy the Coverlay during one of Performance Products 20% off sales, it will cost around $80. They otherwise list for close to $100. The eBay type cover generally sells between $60-$80. Regardless of the product chosen, covering the dash makes a huge difference in the overall appearance of the car.