1987 PORSCHE 944 fluids

Car Care Instructions

Regular and correct care helps to maintain the value of your car and is also a
precondition for the long-life guarantee.

The Porsche paint finish is of a high quality
baked synthetic enamel. The color and
enamel type designation are indicated on the
"paint number sticker". When buying touch-up
paint, always give the paint and the car's
identification numbers to your dealer.
A well-cared for Porsche can look like new 10
years later. It all depends on the amount of
care the owner is willing to give the car.
Your Porsche dealer has a number of car-
care products and can advise you which ones to
use for cleaning the interior and exterior of
your car. Whether you use Porsche
recommended products or other commercially available cleaning agents first make sure of
their correct application.
WARNING
Cleaning agents may be poisonous. Keep
them out of the reach of children.
Observe all caution labels. Always read directions on the container before using any product. Most chemical cleaners are concentrates which require dilution. Do not use gasoline, kerosene, naphtha, nail
polish remover or other volatile cleaning
fluids. They may be toxic, flammable or
hazardous in other ways. Only use spot
removing fluids in well ventilated areas.
Do not wash, wax or dry the vehicle with the
engine running.
Do not clean the underside of chassis,
fenders, wheel covers, etc., without
protecting your hands and arms you may cut
yourself on sharp-edged metal parts.
Moisture and road salt on brakes may affect braking efficiency. Test the brakes after each vehicle washing.
Washing and waxing
The paint on your Porsche is very durable but
must be protected from losing its luster due to
outside influences. Therefore, wash and wax
your Porsche often. The longer the dirt is left
on the paint, the greater the risk of damaging
the glossy finish, either by scratching if the dirt is rubbed into the paint, or simply by the
chemical effect dirt particles have on the paint
surface. Do not wash or wax in direct
sunlight. Do not use hot water. Lukewarm
to cool water is kinder to the paint.
Pamper your Porsche! Wash it by hand! The
mechanical brushes in an Automatic Car
Wash may not reach every angle of the
vehicle, and some tracks may cause
damage to the underbody.
Use plenty of water, a car-wash and wax
solution and a soft sponge or hose brush.
Begin by spaying water over the dry surface to remove all loose dirt before applying the car-wash and wax solution. Use plenty of water to
rinse the vehicle off. Wipe everything dry with
a chamois to avoid water spots.
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To guard against corrosion from the inside
out, clean drain holes on the bottom of doors,
tail gates, hatches etc., after each washing.
Then wipe dry thoroughly. Also inspect all
weatherstrips to make sure they do not allow water to enter the body panels. Do not aim the water jet directly at door, hatch or rear lid locks. Tape the key holes to prevent water from seeping into the lock cylinders.
Water in lock cylinders should be removed
with compressed air. To prevent locks from freezing in the winter, squirt glycerin or lock
deicer into the lock cylinders.
Do not use any solution that can damage
the body paint.
The underside of the vehicle picks up dirt and
road salts used to keep streets and highways
free of snow and ice. To guard against
corrosion, it is important to remove mud,
debris and road salt from the underside with a
powerful jet of water. Be sure to include the
wheel housings, bumpers, muffler, tailpipe
and brackets. This should be done twice a
year and is best accomplished after the
vehicle has been driven through a heavy rain.
Let engine and exhaust system cool down
before washing.

Waxing is not really needed when you have
used a car-wash and wax solution. If you do
not use a car-wash liquid with wax, apply wax
to preserve the natural shine of the body
paint. To obtain a long lasting finish, apply
hard wax. Wax again if water remains on the
surface in large patches instead of forming
beads and rolling off.
Exterior
Care of the finish
Oils contained in the paint are the most
important ingredients contributing to the
elasticity of the finish. Because these oils
diminish gradually due to weather and similar
causes, they must be replenished through
regular and proper care of the finish. Given
proper care, the original finish will retain its
luster for many years. Ask your dealer for
approved cleaning agents and preservatives.
The use of polishes is recommended only
after it becomes evident that the normal
preservatives no longer accomplish the job.

Dull finishes and plastics
Plastic parts, such as light bulb lenses,
decorative strips, panels, etc., will come clean
during car washing. Should additional
cleaning or spot removal be necessary, use a
soft brush or cloth soaked with a mild
detergent solution. Then rinse thoroughly and
immediately with clear water. Do not use
anything which could mar the plastic or dull
finished surface, such as wax or polish,
abrasive detergents or chemical cleaning
solvents.
Metal trim
Bright or black anodized trim will come clean
when you wash the vehicle. To protect the trim, use car wax.
Touch-up paint
Your dealer has touch-up paint for minor
scratches and stone chips. Scratches should
be touched up soon after they occur, to
prevent corrosion. If corrosion formation
becomes visible, however, a simple touch-up
job will not suffice. The affected surface must
be smoothed with sand paper and covered
with an anti-rust primer, before restoring the
painted finish.


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Tar or oil
Do not allow tar or oil to remain on the paint.
Remove as soon as possible with a cloth
soaked with a special paint cleaner. If you do
not have a tar or oil remover, you may
substitute with turpentine. After applying a
cleaning fluid, always wash with a lukewarm
soap water solution and apply a new wax
coat.
Insects
Remove as soon as possible with a lukewarm
soap/water solution or apply insect remover.
Tree sap Remove with a lukewarm soap/water solution. Do not allow tree sap or bird droppings to
harden on the paint.
Windows
Keep silicone sprays off the windshield to
avoid wiper smear in rain.
Generally, highway dust that settles on the
outside of the windshield contains material
worn from tires and oil residues. On the inside surfaces of the windshields, particularly in
strong sunlight, there are build-ups of dust
from the interior decor. These buildups are
reinforced by pollution in the air

brought in with the fresh air supply. Use a
lukewarm soap/water solution or an alcohol
based commercial window cleaning agent for t
he inside and outside. If a chamois is used for polishing the glass, it should exclusively be
used for that purpose.
To assure that windshield washers also
function at freezing temperatures, antifreeze
must be added to the washer fluids reservoirs
beforehand. It is advisable to use window
washer solvent with anti-freeze all year round. Follow directions on the can for the right
amounts to be used. Do not use engine
coolant anti-freeze or any other solution
that can damage the paint.
In vehicles with Sekurif
lex windshields, the plastic coating on the inside of the
windshield must not have gummed labels
put on it or be cleaned using abrasive
agents or dry methods. If very dirty, it can
be cleaned with benzine. The use of
benzine in a confined environment may be
dangerous to your health. Make certain
that the plastic coating is not damaged in
cleaning by hard objects such as jewelry
or wristwatches.
Do not remove ice on the inside of the
windshield by any means except warm air
from the defroster nozzles. Do not use any
deicer sprays, scratching tools, or
scrapers!

A foil base must be applied to the windshield prior to application of any labels or stickers
such as those used for state registration or
inspections. Failure to utilize foil base
between sticker or label and the Sekuriflex
coating will result in damage to the Sekuriflex
coating. Three foil bases were included with
the vehicle and additional foil bases may be
ordered from any Porsche dealer.
Instructions:
1. Clean the windshield in the area for
application.
2.
Cut the base of the foil to the required size.
Round off the edges.
3.
Pull off the protective film.
4. Spray the gummed side of the foil base and the windshield with a soap solution (distilled water and liquid soap or grease-free
detergent in a mixing ratio 10:1).
5.
Apply the foil base to the windshield and spray it once again.
6. Any liquid and bubbles under the foil base must be brushed out using a flexible plastic
scraper.
7.
Dry the windshield using a soft cloth.
8. Install label/sticker on the foil base.
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When removing the label/sticker or the
backing foil, first spray the foil with a soapy
solution (see point 4).
Wiper blades
Always loosen frozen wiper blades from glass as they may tear otherwise.
Remove all wiper blades periodically and
clean them thoroughly with an alcohol base
cleaning solution. Use a sponge or soft cloth
and wipe lengthwise.
Weatherstrips
To seal properly, weatherstrips around hood,
hatch, windows, doors, etc., must be pliable.
Spray with silicone or coat with talcum powder or glycerin to retain flexibility of the rubber and to protect against freezing in the winter.
Light alloy wheels
To preserve the decorative appearance of the
light aluminium castings, some special care is
necessary. Aside from road dirt and salt
sprays, brake metal dust will exert corrosive
effects.
If left on too long, brake metal dust can cause
pitting. Wash the wheels with a sponge or
hose brush every other week.

Roads salts should be removed weekly with
an acid free cleaning solution.
The acid free cleaning solution must not have
a pH value greater than 10 (see explanation),
in case of doubt, it is recommended to check
with the manufacturer of that particular cleaner.
Every three months (after regular cleaning)
the wheels should be coated with petroleum
jelly. Rub it in firmly with a soft cloth. Never use abrasive or metal polishing cleaning
agents.
Explanation of pH value
The pH value is a measurement for the
hydrogen-ion concentration in a liquid. This
value tells if the liquid reaction is sour (acid) o r alkaline (lye solution). At a pH value of 7, the reaction of the liquid is
neutral (that is, chemically clean water), it is
not an acid or alkaline. Acids have a pH value
under 7, the strength of the acid increases
with a lower pH value. Alkaline lies between a pH value of 7 and 14, the strength of the
alkaline increases with higher pH values.

For example: a mineral water mixed with
carbon dioxide has a pH value of 6-6.5,
reaction is also light sour. Battery acid in
comparison has a pH value of 1.
or
the pH value for normal soap solution is 8-9,
but the soap solution for a dishwasher is
approximately 12.5, this would not be suitable
for wheel cleaning.
Your Porsche dealer can advise you which
product to use.
Remember that moisture and road salt on
brakes may affect braking efficiency. Test
the brakes after each car or wheel wash.


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Brake Fluid Reservoir


The brake fluid reservoir is in the engine
compartment. The reservoir has two
chambers, the front chamber for one brake
circuit and the rear chamber for the second
brake circuit and the hydraulic clutch.
The fluid level should be checked regularly. If
the level drops below the "min" mark on the
transparent reservoir, the cause should be
located and corrected by your dealer.
To add brake fluid , unscrew the cap. The
vent bore in the cap should be kept clean and
open.


944 / 944 S WARNING

Every 2 years the brake fluid has to be replaced. See your Warranty &
Maintenance booklet.
If brake fluid must be added to the reservoir, use only new and unused DOT
3 or DOT 4 brake fluid, that meets SAE
specification J1703 and conforms to
Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 116.
Do not use any other brake fluid or brake fluids that have absorbed moisture from
the open air, or brake fluid that is dirty. It
may cause premature wear or unreliable
braking action.


Do not add or mix DOT 5 silicone type brake fluid with the brake fluid in your
vehicle as severe component corrosion
may result. Such corrosion could lead to
brake system failure.
The brake warning light does not indicate brake fluid level. Check fluid level
between regular maintenance services.
Brake fluid is poisonous. Brake fluid is also harmful to the paint of your vehicle.
Checking Brake Pads
Brake pad wear will mainly depend upon the
degree of usage, and the type of driving you
do.
Thickness of the pads should be checked
during regular maintenance or whenever the
wheels are taken off (visual check). The brake pads must be thick enough between the brake pad plate and the cross spring to allow a
reserve for further wear (see illustration).
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944 Turbo

944

944 Turbo
The permissible wear limit has been reached
once the brake pad plate comes to rest
against the cross spring (brake pad thickness
approx. 0.08 in or 2 mm).
We also suggest that the condition of the
brake pads be checked prior to going on long
trips. Air Filter
A dirty air cleaner not only reduces engine performance, but can lead to premature
engine wear. If driving is mostly done in areas
where the air is very dusty, the air cleaner must be checked and cleaned frequently,
perhaps daily.
The paper filter element must never be
cleaned or soaked with gasoline, cleaning
solvents or oil.
To clean or replace
the filter element
944 / 944 Turbo

1. Loosen hose clamp at filter housing cover (arrow) and pull off hose.
2.
Loosen mounting screws with screw driver
and lift up filter housing cover. On the 944
Turbo, also remove the air intake funnel.
3.
Remove filter element and clean inside of
housing with a slightly oiled, lint-free cloth.
4.
Replace filter element or shake out dirt to
clean.
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