Boxster AC Issues, Solar Sensor Problem?

Hi there! I had a similar issue with my 2011 Porsche Cayman (I have some experience working on cars). The symptoms were exactly the same, AC blowing warm air and temperature control going crazy. Turned out it was a defective wiring harness that was causing all sorts of electrical gremlins in the climate control system. Took it to my local Porsche specialist, and they diagnosed it pretty quickly. The repair set me back about 155€ including parts and labor. Been working perfectly since then, and it was definitely worth fixing properly rather than trying band-aid solutions. What's the mileage on your Boxster? Also, are you getting any error messages on the display? This could help narrow down if we're dealing with the same issue. Btw, I've also seen similar problems on the 911s of that generation, so it seems to be somewhat common with Porsches from that era.

Thanks for your input! Mine's at 88464 KM and had its last service about two months ago. No error messages showing up on the display, which makes it even more frustrating to diagnose. Good to know about the wiring harness issue, that's actually super helpful. I'll definitely mention this to my mechanic when I take it in. Was your repair done at an official Porsche center or an independent specialist?

Hey again! I took mine to an independent Porsche specialist I've been using for years. While official Porsche centers are great, I've found that good independent shops can be just as knowledgeable but more budget-friendly. Since you mentioned no error messages, that's actually exactly how mine was too! My Cayman had about 95,000 KM when this happened, so we're in a similar ballpark mileage-wise. Honestly, it was super annoying because the problem would come and go, some days it worked fine, others it was just blowing warm air like yours. One thing I forgot to mention in my first reply, before we found the wiring harness issue, they actually checked my solar sensor too (since that was my initial suspicion, just like yours). It turned out to be fine, which is why they dug deeper and found the wiring problem. If your car's behavior is anything like mine was, I'd bet money it's the same wiring harness issue. The repair was really straightforward once they knew what to look for. Just make sure whoever looks at it is familiar with Porsche climate control systems, they can be a bit quirky! Let me know how it goes when you get it checked out. Always interested to hear if these fixes work out for others too!

This is exactly the kind of detailed info I was hoping for! Really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience. The similarity in symptoms is pretty striking, and you've given me a lot more confidence about what to look for. I've actually got a well-reviewed independent Porsche specialist nearby that I might try out, especially after hearing about your experience with Stuttgart Motors. The intermittent nature of the problem you described matches what I'm experiencing too. Some mornings it works perfectly fine, then by afternoon it's acting up again. It's good to know about the solar sensor check too, I'll make sure they look at both that and the wiring harness when I take it in. I'll definitely keep you posted on what they find. Thanks again for all the help, this kind of firsthand experience is invaluable when dealing with these specific Porsche issues!