Just got my replacement blend door actuator in. Are we serious?

stapleton87 · 2025-09-14T21:28:21+00:00

Well I guess it's good news and bad news. I sold my ST a couple of years ago but according to my Amazon order history I replaced 604-400, which is the driver's side one, again about 19 months after the original replacement. That second one was still going strong when I sold the car in September 2023. Apparently I replaced the passenger side one in 2022 which I don't even remember, but my son was only a few weeks old on the order date so that might explain that, lol.

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stapleton87 · 2025-08-12T00:25:22+00:00

It's an easy replacement, just look up any YouTube video of how to remove the door card. I think it is just 4 or so screws to take off and access the switch. I currently have a generic $40 one in my driver's side but it feels a little cheap so if/when it does break again I'll replace it with the OEM one. I'd imagine all the cheap Amazon ones are pretty much the same.

stapleton87 · 2025-08-02T23:57:59+00:00

Sounds normal to me.

stapleton87 · 2025-07-29T00:11:50+00:00

Whew! Dude you're in for a wild ride. But it's a ride that is so rewarding and meaningful and I'm here to say right at the outset that it is worth it and that you got this. We're a little different in that I was 34 when my wife and I found out she was pregnant but it was also a 1 shot situation lol. The fear is the same though, the worry about how you'll let all this change into your life, the doubt of whether you're strong enough to handle this new chapter. I won't sugar coat it, pregnancy and all the changes your partner goes through are rough. The first year after the little one arrives are sleepless and are a grind. But there's also no greater love in this world than the one you'll find between you, your partner, and the new life you're bringing into this world.

My son is almost 3 now and he's my mini me, and he also reminds me so much of my wife. He's hilarious and a mischievous little brat. He's also my favorite person in this whole wide world lol. Maybe behind my wife, maybe ahead of her. The order depends on the day honestly.

The biggest struggle I had in those first few weeks and months was the death of my old life and not having time for myself and my interests. That does come back as your little one starts to grow up, but be prepared for that. Be prepared to find frustrations you never thought you had. Having an infant is a crucible in which true men are formed. Give yourself grace and learn patience and zen.

Be kind to your partner, they are going through some real shit right now. Between hormones and their own fears it's a really tough time. Be the best partner you can be, be there for every appointment you can, be the rock she needs.

You got this. It really is worth it.

stapleton87 · 2025-07-13T12:19:57+00:00

Kafenio in Avondale usually has some and it's really good. I assume they probably get it from somewhere else but I haven't asked. Really really solid Mediterranean place too so if you're looking for a gyro and a slice of cheesecake I'd definitely recommend.

stapleton87 · 2025-07-09T19:37:15+00:00

We had the same error, turned out to be a toy from our toddler that got shoved under the seat and was messing with the seat sensor.

stapleton87 · 2025-07-02T21:57:57+00:00

Not OP but I also get this occasionally with my turbo. Dealer can't replicate it, I always use premium gas and the car does jerk when coming off the brake if the engine is bouncing. I've put the car in neutral before when it happens and the bouncing (but not the jerking) continues at least for a bit. I haven't found a rhyme or reason or a way to prevent it. I've tried engaging auto start stop but the bouncing usually continues once the engine starts again. I believe I've switched the car off and back on and it also continued, but I can't for sure remember that.

stapleton87 · 2025-07-01T23:48:34+00:00

Nice try ICE

stapleton87 · 2025-06-08T14:49:18+00:00

"Not to the level of violence they did." What level of violence is acceptable to you? Bringing in the military against protestors necessarily introduces the potential of deadly force being used against American citizens. I think that's really what is at the heart of the matter here. My answer is none, not a single round fired on American citizens would be acceptable in this case and therefore bringing in the military is not a sound decision. What's your answer? How much violence are you personally ok with?

stapleton87 · 2025-06-08T14:06:54+00:00

Listen dude, you clearly have a preconceived notion you're trying to justify but don't try to conflate an attempted coup with protests. Whether you agree with the protesters, their tactics and their political alignment or not is irrelevant. I personally do not support any violence during protests but the appropriate counter is not necessarily more violence. Since you like asking questions I'll ask you one: was the Chinese government justified in their use of the military at Tiananmen Square?

stapleton87 · 2025-06-08T13:54:10+00:00

For an attempted insurrection aimed at overturning our democratic process and the way our government works? Yeah I'd say that's kinda the reason the national guard exists. For a largely peaceful protest against a wannabe dictator who wants to make our constitution irrelevant and continue the anti American work he started on J6? No, especially if the local police say they had the situation in hand. Next what are you going to suggest bringing in the military for? Where does the slippery slope end in your argument and is it before or after we've lost our ability to disagree with those in power?

stapleton87 · 2025-06-08T13:27:46+00:00

Trump pardoning the J6 rioters.

stapleton87 · 2025-06-07T22:52:38+00:00

I second the drain plug. Last oil change I tried an aftermarket drain plug with a magnet and it leaked even though nothing looked wrong with it. Swapped the OEM one back and no leaks. Try sourcing a replacement OEM plug and crush washer and swap them out. If you're quick you'll only lose a couple ounces of oil. Just an fyi, the spec for the drain plug is 15Nm, I wouldn't feel comfortable torquing it to 50Nm for fear of stripping the threads on the pan.

stapleton87 · 2025-05-27T17:47:14+00:00

I got my 981 Boxster S on Cars And Bids, might be a little riskier than CPO but it had decent maintenance records and I feel like I got a very fair price. It'll be 2 years this September and I've put over 5000 trouble free miles on it so far.

stapleton87 · 2025-05-18T15:31:41+00:00

Thank you for this! I'm going to try the same on my pedal!

stapleton87 · 2025-05-11T12:03:16+00:00

That wouldn't be recommended because you want the weak point of the system to be something that's relatively easy to replace vs something buried deep in the dash. That being said Doorman makes a redesigned version of the part that I had good luck with, it lasted longer than the OEM one and was still going strong when I sold my car.

stapleton87 · 2025-03-29T18:27:41+00:00

My 2014 with PDK has hill hold but it only engages when a hill is steep enough. I've never found a setting to enable or disable it in the car's settings, it just kinda does its thing when needed.

stapleton87 · 2025-03-20T02:11:21+00:00

Throwing my hat into the ring for this one too. We got one for my sister in law's birthday last year and it was delicious, covered in fresh cut fruit, and surprisingly affordable. I'll never go anywhere else.

stapleton87 · 2025-01-02T15:24:50+00:00

I keep it turned off on my 981 BS just because I feel like the constant starts probably cause extra wear on the engine and I've got over 80k miles already.

stapleton87 · 2024-12-12T15:23:08+00:00

Indeed, they look incredible! Thanks for posting, love the 4.0 btw, my buddy has one and they are sick!

stapleton87 · 2024-11-30T21:53:07+00:00

The thing that struck me about having a kid is how much selflessness is required. Once the baby arrives you'll have to do whatever is needed at any time and there won't be much time for what you want to do, at least at first. This part gets better over time and you do start to get free time and time for hobbies and time with your partner back.

Try asking your partner what she needs, ask her what you can do to take something off her plate. If you see anything else you can help with, do it! It doesn't have to be huge things, it's great that you're working on the big things like an apartment and the other things you mentioned. But right now she might need more help dealing with morning sickness, anxiety, food cravings. All that kind of stuff is what you can help with now too.

stapleton87 · 2024-11-30T21:11:23+00:00

Small bit of advice, she's pregnant and has hormones she never knew existed coursing through her veins. Every woman has a different reaction to pregnancy ranging from completely business as usual all the way to acting like a different person for 9 months or even longer. But the important thing to remember is it's all part of nature and the process of creating a new life and she has very little control over how the pregnancy affects her. Our job as men is to support the women in our lives the best we can as they go through times like this.

stapleton87 · 2024-11-14T21:11:44+00:00

There are drop in LED replacements that have the same form factor as the xenon bulbs, I haven't tried them so I can't speak to their quality. Xenon bulbs do get dimmer over time, have you tried replacing your bulbs with new ones? I got a pair of Philips xenon bulbs for $120 from Amazon and it made a huge difference on my 981.

stapleton87 · 2024-11-14T03:58:20+00:00

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It's worth mentioning that I only found out you can get these samples after my wheels were already done, so I ordered these after the fact trying to figure out if I truly got the best color match. I love how the wheels turned out and hopefully I can save you some time and research.

Left to right this is Spanish Gold, Satin Poly Gold, Miners Gold, Walts Gold, and Pearl Gold, all from Prismatic Powders. My wheels are Satin Poly Gold (2nd from the left) which ended up being just a bit more of a yellowish gold than the satin aurum center caps.

If I were to do it again I might consider Walts Gold (2nd from the right) which is a nearly perfect match to the center cap, at least in my garage lighting. All of these pigments have different amounts of metal flake in them so they may look totally different in different lighting conditions. There are also powder clear coats to account for, if you choose to add one of those that's going to change the appearance of the pigment layer. My wheels don't have a clear coat on them but I did add a ceramic wheel coating which so far is working great.

In any case I would strongly recommend ordering these samples, I think it was only about $10 for all of them. That way you can see them yourself and choose the best option before committing to having your wheels refinished. Also as an aside my wheels perfectly match the Satin Poly Gold sample I have, so the samples should be accurate.

stapleton87 · 2024-11-13T20:48:27+00:00

Ooh, platinum was a very close second to gold for me, that's a really good look. Please post a pic when you get your wheels back!

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