Maintenance, Car Care
249
Fuel EconomyFuel economy will vary depending on where,
when and how you drive, optional equipment
installed, and the general condition of your
car.
A car tuned to specifications and correctly
maintained, will help you to achieve optimal
fuel economy.
fHave your vehicle tuned to specifications. Air
cleaner should be dirt free to allow proper en-
gine “breathing“.
Battery should be fully charged.
Wheels should be properly aligned.
Tires should be inflated at correct pressure.
fAlways monitor your fuel consumption.
fDrive smoothly, avoid abrupt changes in speed
as much as possible.
fAvoid jack rabbit starts and sudden stops.
fDo not drive longer than necessary in the lower
gears. Shifting into a higher gear early without
lugging the engine will help save fuel.
fProlonged “warm up“ idling wastes gas. Start
the vehicle just before you are ready to drive.
Accelerate slowly and smoothly.fSwitch off the engine if stationary for longer
periods.
fAny additional weight carried in the vehicle re-
duces fuel economy. Always keep cargo to a
minimum and remove all unnecessary items.
fOrganize your trips to take in several errands
in one trip.
fAll electrical accessories contribute to in-
creased fuel consumption.
fOnly switch on the air conditioning when neces-
sary.
fDo not drive with the Roof Transport System
mounted unless you need it.
The EPA estimated m.p.g. is to be used for
comparison purposes, actual mileage may
be different from the estimated m.p.g., de-
pending on your driving speed, weather con-
ditions and trip length. Your actual highway
mileage will probably be less than the esti-
mated m.p.g.
fPlease observe all local and national speed lim-
its.
Operating Your Porsche in other
CountriesGovernment regulations in the United States and
Canada require that automobiles meet specific
emission regulations and safety standards. There-
fore, cars built for the U.S. and Canada differ from
vehicles sold in other countries.
If you plan to take your Porsche outside the conti-
nental limits of the United States or Canada, there
is the possibility that
– unleaded fuel may not be available;
– unleaded fuel may have a considerably lower
octane rating. Excessive engine knock and se-
rious damage to both engine and catalytic con-
verters could result;
– service may be inadequate due to lack of prop-
er service facilities, tools or diagnostic equip-
ment;
– replacement parts may not be available or very
difficult to get.
Porsche cannot be responsible for the me-
chanical damage that could result because
of inadequate fuel, service or parts availabil-
ity.
If you purchased your Porsche abroad and want to
bring it back home, be sure to find out about ship-
ping and forwarding requirements, as well as cur-
rent import and customs regulations.
Maintenance, Car Care
257
High-pressure cleaning units
Warning!
High-pressure cleaning units can damage
the following components:
–Tires
– Logos, emblems
– Painted surfaces
– Widened fenders
– Lock and latch of the removable towing attach-
ment
– Seals of the electrically retractable ball hitch
– Alternator, valve covers
– ParkAssist sensors.
fPlease observe the operating instructions from
the unit manufacturer.
fAlways cover the lid over the brake fluid reser-
voir prior to cleaning. Never point the cleaning
jet directly at the lid.
fWhen cleaning with a flat-jet nozzle or the like,
maintain a minimum distance of 50 cm
(21 in.).fNever use high-pressure cleaning units with a
round-jet nozzle.
A high-pressure cleaning unit with round nozzle
will damage your vehicle. The tires are particu-
larly susceptible to damage.
fDo not point the cleaning jet directly at any of
the aforementioned components.
WashingThe best protection for the car from the damaging
effects of the environment is frequent washing and
preservation. The underside of the car should also
be thoroughly washed for cinders, salt or sanding
at winter‘s end.
The longer salt, road dust, industrial dust, insect
remains, bird excrement, and tree exudations (res-
in, pollen), etc. are allowed to remain on the body-
work, the more serious is their harmful effect.
New cars should be washed carefully with plenty
of clear water to protect the new paint work.
Dark paint finishes show up the smallest of sur-
face damage (e.g. scratches) more readily than
lighter colors.
Dark colors are also more susceptible to scratch-
ing because of the composition of their pigments
and require particularly careful paint care.fDo not wash your car in bright sunlight or while
the bodywork is still hot.
fWhen washing by hand, use abundant water, a
soft sponge or wash brush and Porsche car
shampoo.
fBegin by spraying the body thoroughly with wa-
ter to rinse away loose dirt.
fAfter washing, rinse the car with plenty of wa-
ter and then dry with a chamois leather.
Do not use the same chamois leather for
drying as you use for cleaning the windshield
and windows.
f f f
Maintenance, Car Care
265
Storing your PorscheIf you intend to store your Porsche for a prolonged
period, please consult your authorized Porsche
dealer. The staff will be glad to advise you on the
most suitable and necessary methods.
fClean your vehicle thoroughly inside and out-
side. Clean the engine compartment. The un-
der carriage and chassis components should
be free of dirt and salt deposits.
fFill up the fuel tank.
fChange the oil and oil filter, and run the engine
for several minutes.
fIncrease the tire pressure to 58 psi (4 bar).It is
not recommended to lift the vehicle, due to the
possibility of corrosion on shock absorber pis-
ton shafts.The vehicle should be moved slight-
ly, approximately every four weeks, to prevent
flat spot on the tires.Climate control
The air conditioning system should be in good
working condition and fully charged.
Windshield/Headlight washer
fCheck and correct antifreeze/cleaning solution
level as necessary.
Electrical system
fRemove the battery from the vehicle and store
it in a cool dry place, not on a cement floor.
When the battery is disconnected, the alarm
system is deactivated.
fRecharge the battery every 3 months. If the
battery remains in the vehicle with the cables
connected, it is necessary to check, remove
and recharge the battery every 2-3 weeks.
Do not fast charge the battery.
fPlease observe the chapter “CHARGE STATE”
on Page 312.Vehicle interior
The interior must be dry, especially in the area of
the floor carpets. The use of drying agents (Silica-
Gel) is recommended in vehicles with leather inte-
rior and in areas with high humidity. The recom-
mended amount is 3 fabric bags of 1.1 lbs.
(500 grams) each placed on the floor carpets.
Windows, doors, lids and roof must be closed.
The air vents should be opened.
Practical Tips, Minor Repairs
267 Practical Tips, Minor Repairs
Exercise Extreme Caution when
Working on your Vehicle.............................. 268
Notes on Minor Repairs .............................. 269
Tires/Wheels ............................................. 269
Jack .......................................................... 283
Tool Kit ..................................................... 283
Lifting the Vehicle with a Lifting Platform
or Garage lift ............................................. 284
Compressor .............................................. 285
Wheel Bolts ............................................... 285
Changing Wheels........................................ 286
Flat Tire ..................................................... 287
Electrical System ....................................... 302
Battery ...................................................... 312
Emergency Starting with Jumper Cables ...... 323
Replacing the remote control battery ........... 326
Bulb Chart ................................................. 327
Replacing Bulbs ......................................... 328
Headlights ................................................. 329
Tail Light ................................................... 335
License Plate Lights ................................... 337
Headlight Adjustment.................................. 338
Changing Headlights from Left to
Right-Hand Traffic ....................................... 339
Towing ...................................................... 340
Practical Tips, Minor Repairs
269
Notes on Minor RepairsTool kitThe tool kit is accommodated in the spare-wheel
well under the cover of the loadspace floor.
Tires/WheelsThe original equipment tires and wheel rims on
your Porsche comply with all applicable Federal
Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.
For your safety remember the following:
– Wheel rims and wheel bolts are matched to fit
your Porsche.
– If you intend to use other than original equip-
ment wheels, be sure that they conform to
Porsche specifications for your model.Only
tires with the same make and with the same
specification code (e.g. “N0“, “N1“...) can be
mounted.
– The use of wheel rims and wheel bolts that do
not meet specifications of the original factory
installed equipment will affect the safe opera-
tion of your vehicle.
– Before you plan on exchanging wheels, or
snow tires already mounted on the wheel rims,
consult your authorized Porsche dealer.
Your dealer has the technical information nec-
essary to advise you which wheel rims and
wheel bolts are compatible with the original
factory installations.
Danger!
Risk of loss of control and serious personal
injury or death.
fIf while driving, your vehicle experiences a sud-
den vibration or ride disturbance, and/or you
suspect that possible damage to your tires or
vehicle has occurred, you should immediately
reduce your speed without excessive use of
the brakes.
fStop the vehicle as soon as possible, and in-
spect the tires.
If you cannot determine the cause for the dis-
turbance, have your vehicle towed to the near-
est Porsche or tire dealer to have your vehicle
or tire(s) inspected.
fContinuing to operate the vehicle without cor-
rection could result in a loss of control and se-rious personal injury.
270
Practical Tips, Minor Repairs
Uniform Tire Quality GradingQuality grades can be found where applicable on
the tire sidewall between tread shoulder and max-
imum section width.
ExampleAll passenger car tires must conform to Federal
Safety Requirements in addition to these grades.Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the tire when tested un-
der controlled conditions on a specific govern-
ment test course. For example, a tire graded 150
would wear one and a half (1-1/2) times as well on
the government course as a tire graded 100. The
relative performance of tires depends upon the ac-
tual conditions of their use, however, and may de-
part significantly from the norm due to variations
in driving habits, service practices and differences
in road characteristics and climate.
Practical Tips, Minor Repairs
271
Traction AA, A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are
AA, A, B, and C and they represent the tire's ability
to stop on wet pavement as measured under con-
trolled conditions on specified government test
surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C
may have poor traction performance.
Warning!
The traction grade assigned to this is based on
braking (straight-ahead) traction tests and does
not include cornering (turned) traction, accelera-
tion, hydroplaning or peak traction characteris-
tics.Temperature A, B, C
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B and
C, representing the tire's resistance to the gener-
ation of heat and its ability to dissipate heat when
tested under controlled conditions on a specified
indoor laboratory test wheel.
Sustained high temperatures can cause the mate-
rial of the tire to degenerate and reduce tire life,
and excessive temperature can lead to sudden
tire failure.
The grade C corresponds to a level of perfor-
mance which all passenger car tires must meet
under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
No. 109.
Grades B and A represent higher levels of perfor-
mance on the laboratory test wheel than the mini-
mum required by law.
Warning!
The temperature grade for this tire is estab-
lished for a tire that is properly inflated and
not overloaded.Excessive speed, underinfla-
tion, or excessive loading, either separately
or in combination, can cause heat buildup
and possible tire failure.
272
Practical Tips, Minor Repairs
Tire pressures
Danger!
Risk of accident.
Risk of serious personal injury or death.
Driving the vehicle with low tire pressure
increases risk of a tire failure and resulting
loss of control. Furthermore, low tire pres-
sure increases rate of wear of the affected
tires and cause damage. Always use an
accurate tire pressure gauge when checking
inflation pressures.
fDo not exceed the maximum tire pressure
listed on the tire sidewall. (Also refer to “Tech-
nical data“).
fCold tire inflation pressure means: all tires
must be cold, ambient temperature maximum
68°F (20°C), when adjusting the inflation pres-
sure. Avoid sunlight striking the tires before
measuring cold pressures, since the pressures
would rise from temperature influence.
fValve caps protect the valve from dust and dirt,
and thus from leakage. Always screw caps
tightly down. Replace missing caps immedi-
ately.
fFor safety reasons, don't use tire inflating bot-tles.The tire pressure must match the prescribed
value.
You can find information on the tire pressure:
– In the front left door aperture.
– Please observe the chapter “TIRE
PRESSURES, COLD” on Page 350.
These values are for cold tires (68°F/20 °C).
fCheck the tire pressure at least every
2 weeks. Always check when tires are cold.
fOn vehicles with tire pressure monitoring
system:
Please observe the chapter “TIRE PRESSURE”
on Page 85.
When tires are warm, the tire pressure is
increased.
fNever let air out of hot tires. This could cause
the tire pressure to fall below the prescribed
value.
Insufficient tire pressure can cause tires to
overheat and thus be damaged – even invisibly.
Hidden tire damage is not eliminated by subse-
quently correcting the tire pressure.Overloading
Danger!
Risk of personal injury, loss of control and
damage to vehicle parts.
fDo not overload your vehicle. Be careful about
the roof load.
fIf loading the vehicle also correct the tire pres-
sure. Tire pressure for loaded vehicle can be
found on the tire pressure plate and in the
chapter technical data.
fNever exceed the specified axle load.
Overloading can shorten the service life of the
tires and car, as well as lead to dangerous vehi-
cle reactions and long braking distances.
Damage due to overloading is not covered by the vehicle warranty.
fPlease observe the chapter “LOADING INFOR-
MATION” on Page 191.
fPlease observe the chapter “TIRE PRESSU-
RES, COLD” on Page 350.