Rear spoiler deployment concerns

Hello guys! I don't run my cayman S alot but when i do the speed is not always and mostly not constant, it always goes from 40mph to 100mph or higher. It keeps on swinging due to traffic. Now my question is the spoiler deploys and again it rests playing around 75mph. Does it affects the motor, since it's been put to heavy use? Afraid of that i manually deploy the spoiler when i know i will be in the speed band of 70mph or higher. Will it affect the electronics of the car? Stability issues? Need all your views guys!

Well, I wouldn't be surprised if the motor is tested to last through many more cycles than you would ever put it through in the life of the car, but if you are concerned, then just manually deploy it when you go for your drives. I'm not sure what your concerns are about deploying it all the time, but it certainly won't affect the handling or electronics at speeds less than 75 mph.

I had to replace the spoiler motor on my 993. It wasn't a huge deal, it cost about $100 (several years ago), but the motor was easily accessible under the hood. The Cayman motor looks a bit more buried, I'm not sure how much labor would it take to access it. I also had to replace what they call the "spoiler wall," the plastic accordian like piece that covers the gap between the open spoiler and the engine. The Cayman has no such piece. But due to that, I got in the habit of always pressing the spoiler button when I got in the car, so as to lessen wear on those parts. I pressed the button for years with no ill effects. This habit has carried over to my Cayman , although I am starting to break out of it. I can't imagine how pressing the button could effect electronics in any way, and having the spoiler up when below 75 won't hurt stability either. It might cause a tiny little bit of drag, probably unmeasurable.

Shouldn't be an issue to manually deploy it. Did the same with my 993. I'm not convinced it adds anything other than cosmetics anyway

I am just concerened about the life cycle of the spoiler motor, coz the car plays around 70-100 mph. The spoiler goes crazy up down up down. I don't want it kill itself so i better do it manually as i always do. Thanks guys. More views welcome!! :kiss:

The spoiler goes up at 75mph and retracts at 50mph, so it doesn't constantly go up and down unless your speed fluctuates below 50mph frequently. As others have said, if you're that concerned, just keep the spoiler up manually.

I have been trying to figure out how to tell if the wing is automatically deploying. I cannot find a way to see it in my mirrors to tell if it is up. It would just be cool to know if it is up. Obviously the way around this is to manually deploy. But I would still like to be able to see if it is up or not...Any ideas???

Come on our this Saturday to Cars and Coffee followed by the tech event. When you drive in a Nor'Easter caravan, someone will have video evidence for you! Of course you'll have to manually deploy the spoiler because the speed limits are 65 MPH in NJ... :hilarious:

For track events, I've been told to manually deploy it and leave it up. With tight corners at 30-40 MPH following by straights above 130, that thing will be going up and down all day long!

Hey Pete, Yeah I manually put it up when I know I will be driving hard at speed but always wondered if it was up when cruising the highway at 'deployed speeds...just can't see it in the mirrors...I wish the console light would indicate auto deployment as well as manual. I would love to be there on Saturday...tech session and all but I am back to working Saturdays...so out of luck hope to hear what happens and some pics of course!!

Spoiler motor can fail at any time, but I've put over 236K miles on my Boxster and its spoiler has been up and down more times than the stock market and still works just fine. I've worn out the driver's side floor mat, a brake light switch, clutch interlock switch, cruise control disable switch, ignition switch, passenger door lock switch assembly and a few other mechanical items on the car and engine (but *Not* the engine or the clutch!), but the spoiler motors are original and the spoiler works just fine, still. If you visit the track I like the advice to just manually raise the thing while you're at the track. As for when the thing does up, carry a small hand mirror and hold it up and you probably can see the spoiler. This is how I proved to myself my Boxster 's spoiler was going up and down. (Hehehe. Or buy a Turbo. When I'm in my Turbo and going 75mph I can see the spoiler's top edge in the rear view mirror when the spoiler is deployed. And when I slow down I see the thing retract when the speed drops.) Or drive at right angles to the low sun and check out the car's shadow. Just don't run into anything watching the spoiler go up and down. Sincerely, Rockster.

:hilarious: Sure buddy! Thanks for all your views guys! My ideas are now very clear! Any idea how much the motor would cost?? :cheers:

Another factor with a raised spoiler is law enforcement. They know these spoilers go up at speed, and a raised spoiler is a signal to them that you've been driving fast. I got pulled over in my 993 one time, and one of the first questions of of the cop's mouth was "at what speed does the spoiler raise?" I answered truthfully, and added, also truthfully, "but I pressed the button to raise it manually, so that it doesn't go up and down all the time and wear out the parts, which is why it is still up, even though I'm parked and it normally goes back down automatically when the speed drops." I got off with a warning.

The light on the spoiler button is supposed to come on, when the unit deploys. If yours doesn't, like mine, it will require pushing the button for manual deployment. If the light does not come on then, you'll have to check at home. From the Carfax for my car, my spoiler was replaced very early in the car's life. In the time I've owned it, it has never extended automatically. It works fine manually and the light comes on. It definitely makes a difference in how the rear feels, so you should consider having your dealer check it.

Not entirely true...yes, if you press the spoiler button when the spoiler is already down, the light goes on and the spoiler raises up. However, if you shut off the car with the spoiler manually raised and restart it, the light will be off despite the spoiler still being up. EDIT: If you leave it this way, the spoiler will automatically go down once you surpass 50mph and then decelerate below 50.

Interpol is correct and I apologize for misleading anyone. My owner's manual states that, in auto mode, the spoiler extends at the proper moment and the LED light does NOT come on. It only comes on with a failure in auto mode, or, if manually extended (see p.79 of the 2007 model year owner's manual). I need to check mine, as, at speed, when it should be working, the rear "feels" not as planted, until I push the button and activate manually.

It is called a spoiler because it spolis your day by alerting cops that you are speeding.