2009 Porsche Cayman Alternator Replacement (987.2)

[@erickbaka]

I've been thinking about a 987.2 2.9L, and since I don't have a Porsche specialist any closer than a 1 hour drive, considering if I can do my own maintenance. Videos such as yours give me lot of courage and yours was so well made and helpful! Good job, I hope your channel takes off! Greetings from Tartu, Estonia ;)

[@How2Helen]

Thank you so much for the kind words! This is why we do our videos, to help others as much as we can with the most details. When you buy your Porsche and want to work on it, just make sure you have the special tools needed for the repairs. i.e. Porsche cars like to use special tools like torx screws. The special/specific tools are essential to be able to work on these cars. Thank you again for your support! You have inspired us to make more videos-Rjeff and Helen (H2H)

[@chichi3591]

Thanks for making the video and very much appreciated!

[@How2Helen]

Thank you for appreciating. I hope it helps others. if you need other help, let me know

[@howiewynn8248]

Man... you're awesome 👌. DIY. saved yourself big buck. Dealers will suck all your blood to fix that. Worth for your hard work.

[@How2Helen]

Hopefully the video can help someone out there who wants to save a bit of coin. Thank you-H2H

[@nonodtect]

You both doing a excellent job and the videos are very informative for beginners. Merci beaucoup.

[@How2Helen]

We are happy to share our knowledge and experience with others. Thank you for watching -Rjeff H2H

[@DenisJust]

Thank you! Great work and great video!

[@How2Helen]

You are welcome! We have more videos coming. Stay tuned! -Rjeff

[@christosmachairas8447]

welldone, verynice and clean job, congrats !!

[@How2Helen]

Thank you so much, and thank you for watching!- H2H

[@kstoff2218]

Thanks for the video. Great work.

[@How2Helen]

Thank-H2H

[@michaelho1659]

Good job & thanks for sharing the work done. Well edited video too. 👏🏻👏🏻

[@How2Helen]

Thanks. We just want to help others out there who are on a budget. This would have been at least a $2k repair from a dealer. Thanks again! H2H

[@dzwiaddzwiadxc4964]

Keep the good work! Thank you for sharing it helps!

[@How2Helen]

We are glad our video is able to help you. We will make more as issues arose on your Cayman.. well, hopefully not much. Lol. Thanks again for watching - Rjeff H2H

[@WadeinWhiskey]

Thanks for posting.

[@How2Helen]

You are very welcome! Thank you for watching!-H2H

[@Roland_Rohrle]

Thanks for sharing this. I just did the power steering hoses on my 987.2... Believe me, the alternator is a walk in the park compared to that. All the best Roland Sydney Australia

[@How2Helen]

Thank you for the compliment. Oh I do wish I don't go that route. We only have the car barely a year, and driven less than 500 miles, yet there is so much problems. And if we didn't have Diy capability, this car gets very expensive fast! Thank you Roland watching! Hope all is well in Sydney!

[@PeruAliens]

Yes. I replaced the power steering pump and lines and it is like the 7 gates of hell! Now my alternator has gone out so im having to swap just it. Thank you for the video! Also I found it much easier to remove the seats, at least the passenger one before starting.

[@vasantos-re4hb]

If you are having electrical gremlins, swap the voltage regulator first before buying a new alternator. The voltage regulator is only $35, and it's far cheaper than a new alternator. The key to dislodging the alternator is to leave the bolts slightly in, and then hit the bolts with your extension. DO NOT hit the alternator. I also used a pry bar to gentle move the alternator around.

[@How2Helen]

Hello, I agree, I was planning on just swapping the Voltage regulator first. But me being a newbie on this, I damaged the cylindrical pulley on the alternator. So if I buy the replacement parts, plus the tools to replace the pulley, It would end up the same amount. Which is why I decided to include my mistakes on the video, so that other people will not make the same mistake I did. On the 987.2, the alternator does not actually get stuck on the brackets like the 987.1. However, you have to shift the whole unit to the left to clear the brackets. But because the space if very tight, and the wire on top(as seen on the view) is in the way, the alternator would not move. On hindsight, I made a lot of mistakes, and with this video, I hope others will not make the same mistake I made. The key is moving the wires on top of the alternator, so you will have space to shift to the left and clear the brackets easily... (SPOILER ALERT ON THE NEXT VIDEO!) Oh and remove the Power steering pulley to get more working space. This is essential... Thanks for the input!

[@streaydog019]

@@How2Helen You can also have your alternator rebuilt or rebuild yourself. I didnt like the idea of returning my Bosch alternator that was 3 times the price for a Autozone alternator. I had mine rebuilt which was also cheaper.

[@How2Helen]

@@streaydog019 Hello. If you watched the video, you would see that Rjeff messed up the voltage regulator. And I don’t know what else he could have messed up. But bottom line, it was cheaper to buy a brand new online, with 3 years warranty, and free return shipping if defective. That is why we went that route . Thanks for the input -H2H

[@melp1088]

Great job pre. I had a black base 2008 and then a white 2009S. Now im looking for my 3rd one and it has to be black or maybe even red 987.2S. Even considering a 911-997.1 but i just love the curves on the 1st gen caymans.

[@How2Helen]

Oh nice! Red was actually what we wanted originally, but there was none around. When you get a red one, please post it on our facebook page! We would love to see it! Thanks-Rjeff H2H

[@johnsanpedro1379]

Good work.

[@How2Helen]

Thanks!

[@rmjmotoring]

Great video, thank you so much. One day I know I will need this on my 987.2

[@How2Helen]

Thank you for your kind words. And if this car ever stops braking, I will follow diy in installing a new radio. Thank you for watching-H2H

[@rmjmotoring]

@@How2Helen why does it brake so much, to much fun?

[@How2Helen]

@@rmjmotoring I did ask that at the end of the video, if Porsche or Bosch is to blame for frequent repairs. The alternator and O2 Sensor I recently replaced were both made by Bosch. Yet, my other car with Bosch parts have not needed replacement even with twice the miles. I smell a conspiracy.. Lol. - H2H

[@rmjmotoring]

@@How2Helen my 2009 has 63k miles on it. Hope i dont have to do any of those soon haha

[@andresantos8783]

Thanks for the well made video, this will help me out. I have a whine noise on my Boxster that I'm pretty sure it's the alternator's dying song :| I noticed you have some oil next/under the alternator. My car has also some oil there and I've yet to figure out where it's coming from. Did you happen to figure that out in the meanwhile?

[@How2Helen]

Hello. What you saw was actually just WD40, and not oil. I pre-soaked the bolts prior to doing the alternator because I was afraid the bolts might break when removing them and I didn't want to get into that situation. On our other videos, you will see a few bolts that broke just because we didn't soak them. One in particular it the Nissan Armada Air suspension air compressor replacement. The bolt that was soaked with WD40 was ok, but the one that we were not able to soak broke off. So we sometimes oversoaks the bolts. Anyway, our Cayman does not leak oil. If I might suggest, but this is totally up to you, try putting just a little bit of AT-205 (recommended by Scotty Kilmer). If the rubber gaskets or rear main seal is just a bit dried up and allows oil to leak out, the AT-205 revitalizes/rejuvenates the rubber gaskets and closes out the oil leak. It is a very minor leak, it is worth a try in my opinion. But that is up to you. Also, check the bolts for the oil pan gasket. Make sure they are snug, but do not overtighten them. Hope this information helps. Thank you for watching - Rjeff H2H

[@andresantos8783]

@@How2Helen ahhh ofc! I saw you applying wd40 but didn’t recall it when I saw the oil puddle there afterwards x) - thanks for the reply 🤝

[@How2Helen]

@@andresantos8783 No problem. Also, are you sure the whining noise is from your alternator? I posted a short video of a "Whistling noise" coming from the engine bay. I am just wondering if that is what you are hearing. I still have not figured that out yet. Let's keep in touch maybe one of us will figure it out. Thanks again - Rjeff H2H

[@andresantos8783]

@@How2Helen Actually I don't think it's the alternator. I ran the car with the covers off and it's clearly NOT the alternator. I suspect it's either the power steering or water pump. Checked the power steering fluid level and it's low... fingers crossed its that. I just got the car, so I'm still checking every little thing and bringing it back into shape.

[@poman8926]

Just an FYI. If you drop a nut, torx, bolt etc. into the engine bay, like me, try banging on the Underbody Shield. I heard, then saw my bit bouncing about and was able to fish it out with a telescopic magnet in a minute or two.

[@How2Helen]

Lol. That just happened to me on my recent project. Of course I lost a 10mm socket. Lol! Thank you for watching! -Rjeff H2H

[@poman8926]

@@How2Helen 10mm socket, always the mystical one.

[@rudfil]

Do you still own this 2009 Cayman? Im considering buying a 2008 CaymanS in mint condition w 35k miles but still concerned with future IMS issues and seals etc. just because it hasn't been driven much. It also has the tiptronic auto.

[@How2Helen]

Hello. The 2009, which is a 987.2 does not have the ims issue. But it does come with the “newer version” typical issues which I have the diys on this channel. If you buy a 987.1, you will always have that ims bearing issue hanging on your head regardless if the car actually has the issue or not. Thats just the way it is. That and bore scoring on the S. My car has the pdk, but me personally, I prefer the tiptronic just because I live in nyc and lots of stop and go traffic. Our 2005 Cayenne has the tiptronic and it is better in traffic. But like I said, it is just my personal preference on the transmission. Last, my personal opinion, if the car is well taken car off, and the price is reasonable, the. Go for it. If not, just be patient. It took me around 6 months before I found mine. And after I purchased it, a few started popping out that kinda made me wish I waited a little longer. So try to be patient. It is fun to shop around anyway. Keep me posted on our facebook acct as I also like seeing others happy with their search and purchase. Your feedback is important to us. Thanks for watching the video, hope to hear from you again! -Rjeff H2H

[@starga-fr7qx]

@@How2Helen there is no IMS issue worth mentioning on the 2 row M97 engines. just get a magnet plug and do frequent oil changes, which you should do anyway on a Performance engine. 162K kms on mine.. zero oil burn zero particles in my oil plug

[@How2Helen]

@@starga-fr7qx Sir, If you read the first sentence on my reply to the OP, I just said what you said, that there is no IMS bearing issue on the 987.2 . Thank you for watching - Rjeff H2H

[@starga-fr7qx]

@@How2Helen No, I am refering to the 987.1 with the M97 engine.. you are referring to the 987.2 9A1 engine. There is no serious IMS issue on the M97 they have the dual row bearing, it is not a concern that the engine will dismantle itself without any warning. Just make sure to do frequent oil changes as you would on any performance engine anyway and check the magnetig plug you install since Porsche didn't. There is no reason to avoid the 987.1 with the M97 engine

[@P0N0]

😎👍

[@howiewynn8248]

Great job. Where do you live sir??

[@How2Helen]

Thanks. I love in Queens in NYC. How about you? -Rjeff

[@mauricedv]

Hi, it seems to me that you have mounted the belt in reverse. The grooves must be in contact with the pulleys

[@How2Helen]

Hello and welcome to H2H! Thank you for your concern. If you look closer to the video, the grooves of the Cayman belt is actually on both sides, as the belt actually uses both of its side when going through the alternator, condenser, power steering, etc. It is one of those quirks of this car to attain max space efficiency given a limited amount of space. I hope that helps. Thanks again!

[@streaydog019]

I did this a few years ago. The step to release the alternator was to hammer the bolt you took out. Was looking at the video but saw you went a different route. Probably why you hated doing this job because of that step.

[@How2Helen]

Hello. Where you doing a 987.2 or 987.1 before? It is different for a 987.2. I know the “hammer the bolt” procedure, and I assumed that was what I needed to do, but it is completely different. The 987.2 layout is similar to the 981 layout. Thanks for the input, I hope viewers will benefit from our experience - H2H

[@streaydog019]

@@How2Helen 987.1. I hammered the bolt to free the alternator. I can remember where I saw the procedure. But you unscrew the bolt and use it to free it at the back by tapping with a hammer. It should be on the forums. Good job though. Liked the video!

[@zryhmer]

MR2 levels of frustration.

[@ductritran8637]

Good job . But I’m not buying a Porsche, too cramped no room to work , too expensive to fix especially in Australia they charge you an arm and a leg to fix . Schedule services is fews thousands dollars let alone to fix some troubles .

[@starga-fr7qx]

they are just as doable to work on as any other car, the access panels are pretty well placed and sized.. There's really nothing you can do on a golf that you cannot do on a Cayman, if you know how to approach the thing you need to work on. I've done everything on my Cayman at a fraction off the price of Posche dealer or specialist And because of it i do things better, more proative, replace coilpacks before the misfired happens and they foil the cats water pump before it fails, etc etc etc I replace my oil every 5000 km or 1 year whichever comes first. unlike all those who claim Porsche maintenance is best and do it every 2 years. the money i saved in first 3 years I bougth a 1 post lift and now its even easier the it was before...

[@robertchanon2694]

Get a mechanic to do the work. The original Porsche alternator can be rebuilt and keep the car original. A rebuild is cheaper than a new Bosch alternator

[@How2Helen]

On time 12:17, I explained that yes, you can rebuild the alternator by replacing the voltage regulator. However, I also explained on the same segment that I damaged the alternator pulley, so I decided to replace the whole unit. On your concept on keeping the vehicle original, Porsche does not make alternators, Bosch supplies their alternators. There is no value on keeping the original alternator if it out. To us, the value on having a new original working alternator weighs more than rebuilding one just to say it is all original. Also, if you check the prices nowadays, rebuilding an alternator and buying new is almost the same price. And some websites even offer lifetime guarantee on alternators. It is more logical to buy one with lifetime warranty. Thank you for watching -Rjeff H2H