Maintenance, Car Care
199
Fuels containing MMT Some North American fuels contain an octane en-
hancing additive called methylcyclopentadienyl
manganese tricarbonyl (MMT).
If such fuels are used, your emission control sys-
tem performance may be negatively affected.
The check engine warning light on your instrument
panel may turn on.
If this occurs, Porsche recommends you stop
using fuels containing MMT.
Portable Fuel Containers
Danger!
Portable fuel containers, full or partially em-
pty, may leak causing an explosion, or result
in fire in case of an accident.
fNever carry additional fuel in portable contai-ners in your vehicle.
200
Maintenance, Car Care
Emission Control System In the interest of clean air Pollution of our environment has become a pro-
blem that is of increasing concern to all of us. We
urge you to join us in our efforts for cleaner air in
controlling the pollutants emitted from the auto-
mobile.
Porsche has developed an emission control sys-
tem that controls or reduces those parts of the
emission that can be harmful to our environment.
Your Porsche is equipped with such a system.
Porsche warrants the Emission Control System in
your new car under the terms and conditions set
forth in the Warranty Booklet.
You, as the owner of the vehicle, have the
responsibility to provide regular maintenance ser-
vice for the vehicle and to keep a record of all
maintenance work performed. To facilitate record
keeping, have the service performed by authori-
zed Porsche dealers. They have Porsche trained
technicians and special tools to provide fast and
efficient service.
To assure efficient operation of the
Emission Control System fHave your vehicle maintained properly and in
accordance with the recommendations descri-
bed in your Maintenance Booklet.
Lack of proper maintenance, as well as impro-
per use of the vehicle, will impair the function
of the emission control system and could lead
to damage.
fDo not alter or remove any component of the
emission control system.
fDo not alter or remove any device, such as
heat shields, switches, ignition wires, valves,
etc., which are designed to protect your vehic-
le’s emission control system.
In addition to serious engine damage, this can
result in a fire if excess raw fuel reaches the ex-
haust system.
fDo not continue to operate your vehicle if you
detect engine misfire or other unusual opera-
ting conditions.
Parking
Warning!
Danger of fire.
fDo not park or operate the vehicle in areas
where the hot exhaust system may come in
contact with dry grass, brush, fuel spill or
other flammable material.
fIf your car catches on fire for any reason, call
the fire department.
Do not endanger your life by attempting to put out the fire.
Undercoating
Danger!
Danger of fire and serious personal injuries
or death.
fDo not apply additional undercoating or rust-
proofing on or near the exhaust manifold, ex-
haust pipes, catalytic converters or heat
shields. During driving the substance used for undercoating could overheat and ignite.
202
Maintenance, Car Care
Fuel Evaporation Control Fuel tank venting The evaporation chamber and the carbon canister
prevent fuel from escaping to the atmosphere at
extreme high outside temperatures, when driving
abruptly around curves and when the car is parked
at an incline or in any other nonlevel position. Vapor control system and storage When the fuel tank is filled, vapors are collected in
the evaporation chamber by a vent line leading the
vapors to the carbon canister where they are
stored as long as the engine does not run. Purge system When the engine is running, the fuel vapors from
the canister will be mixed with fresh air from the
ambient air of the canister. This mixture will be di-
rected to the intake air housing by the tank vent
line, mixed with the intake air and burned during
normal combustion.
Washer Fluid The reservoir, with a blue screw cap, is in the front
luggage compartment, to the rear left. Capacity – Without headlight cleaning system:
approximately 2.5 liters.
– With headlight cleaning system:
approximately 6 liters. Adding washer fluid
Clean water is generally not enough to clean the
windshield and headlights.
It is advantageous to add a winter cleaner giving
antifreeze protection or a suitable summer clea-
ner, depending on the season. Follow the instruc-
tions for the mixing ratio.
fDo not use engine coolant anti-freeze or any
other solution that can damage the car’s paint,
in the washer reservervoir.
1. Please follow all the information on the contai-
ner of the cleaning agent.
2. Undo the cap (arrow).
3. Top up the washer fluid and carrefully replace
the cap.
If less than 0.5 liter remains, a warning message
appears on the on-board computer.
fAdd washer fluid.
Warning light
206
Maintenance, Car Care
Removing engine compartment lid 1. Withdraw the ignition key so that the convertib-
le top cannot be operated unintentionally.
fOpen all 5 catches of the engine compartment
lid with an Allen key.
fRemove engine compartment lid.
Warning!
Risk of intoxication. Exhaust or fumes from
the engine compartment could enter the
passenger compartment.
fDo not drive with the engine compartment lid open.
Closing Engine Compartment Lid 1. Withdraw the ignition key so that the convertib-
le top cannot be operated unintentionally.
Warning!
Risk of intoxication. Exhaust or fumes from
the engine compartment could enter the
passenger compartment.
fMake sure that the engine compartment lid clo-ses tightly and all catches are fully locked.
2. Put on engine compartment lid.
Fully lock all 5 catches of the engine compart-
ment lid with an Allen key.
3. Put on carpet covering.
Lock turn-locks of the carpet covering.
Vehicles with luggage net: 4 turn-locks.
Vehicles with storage box: 2 turn-locks.
4. Push storage box under the supplemental safe-
ty bar from behind.
Press down and lock turn-locks of the storage
box.
5. On vehicles with BOSE High End sound pa-
ckage, connect the electrical plug connection
of the loudspeakers. 6. Disengage the retaining strap and fasten it at
t h e re a r p a r t o f th e c onvertible top with the Vel-
cro fastening strip.
7. Fold down rear part of the convertible top.
8. Clip fabric covering into both holders.
9. Engage both lower ball heads of the tension ro-
pes.
10.Open or close convertible top.
Please observe the chapter “CONVERTIBLE
TOP” on Page 170.
Engine compartment lid behind the seats An additional lid for assembly and servicing work
is located under the carpet behind the seats.
Maintenance, Car Care
207
Power Steering
Warning!
Risk of accident.
When the engine is stopped (e.g. when on
tow) or the power steering has failed there is
no steering assistance.
Therefore, substantially more force will have
to be exerted in order to steer.
fExercise great care when being towed.
fHave the fault remedied at your nearest autho-rized Porsche dealer. Note
The flow noise heard at full steering lock is design-
related and does not indicate a defect in the stee-
ring system.
Checking hydraulic fluid fPlease observe the chapter “EXERCISE EXTRE-
ME CAUTION WHEN WORKING ON YOUR VE-
HICLE” on Page 184.
The hydraulic fluid reservoir is located in the engi-
ne compartment.
fOnly use hydraulic fluid authorized by Porsche.
fPlease observe the chapter “CAPACITIES” on
Page 286.
fCheck the fluid level with the engine stopped
and cold (approximately 68°F/20°C).
1. Open the engine compartment lid.
Please observe the chapter “OPENING ENGINE
COMPARTMENT LID” on Page 203.
2. Open the reservoir cap.
3. Wipe measuring rod.
Close lid and reopen. The fluid level should lie
in the area below the ”Cold“ marking.
Add hydraulic fluid if necessary.
4. Close cap carefully.
Close engine compartment lid.
Noticeable loss of fluid indicates leakage in the
system.
The cause should be remedied immediately at an
authorized Porsche dealer.
Maintenance, Car Care
209
Car Care Instructions fPlease observe the chapter “EXERCISE EXTRE-
ME CAUTION WHEN WORKING ON YOUR VE-
HICLE” on Page 184.
Regular and correct care helps to maintain
the value of your car and is also a precondi-
tion for the New Vehicle Warranty and the
Anti Corrosion Warranty.
Your authorized Porsche dealer has specially
developed car-care products from the
Porsche program available either singly or
as complete car-care sets. They will be ple-
ased to help you select suitable products.
Whether you use Porsche products or other
commercially available cleaning agents first
make sure of their correct application.
A Porsche that is well-cared for can look like new
for years. It all depends on the amount of care the
owner is willing to give the car.
Warning!
Risk of serious personal injury or damage to
the vehicle or property.
Cleaning agents may be hazardous to your
health.
Most chemical cleaners are concentrates
which require dilution. High concentrations
might cause problems ranging from irritation
to serious injury as well as damage to your
vehicle.
fKeep cleaning agents out of reach from child-
ren.
fObserve all caution labels.
fAlways read directions on the container before
using any product. These directions may con-
tain information necessary to avoid personal
injury.
fDo not use fuel, 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 a well
vented area.
fDo not clean the underside of chassis, fen-
ders, wheel covers, etc., without protecting
your hands and arms as you may cut yourself on sharp-edged metal parts. Moisture and road salt on brakes may affect bra-
king efficiency.
fTest the brakes after each vehicle washing.
210
Maintenance, Car Care
Washing The best method of protecting your car from the
damaging effects of the environment is frequent
washing and the application of a preservative. The
underside of your vehicle should also be tho-
roughly washed for cinders, salt or sanding at win-
ter’s end.
The longer salt, road dust and industrial dust,
dead insects, bird droppings or substances from
trees (resin, pollen) are allowed to remain on the
bodywork, the more serious is their harmful ef-
fect.
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 surface da-
mage (e.g., scratches) more readily than lighter
colors.
Dark colors are also more susceptible to scrat-
ching because of the composition of their pig-
ments 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.
Warning!
Moisture which gets on to the brakes during
a car wash can reduce braking efficiency or
make the brakes pull unevenly which could
increase the danger of an accident, causing
serious personal injuries or death.
fAlways apply the brakes a few times after was-
hing the car to test braking efficiency and dry
the brake discs.
When doing this, take care not to hamper other
road users behind you (traffic conditions per-mitting).
Maintenance, Car Care
215
Warning!
Danger of fire and serious personal injuries.
fDo not apply additional undercoating or rust-
proofing on or near the exhaust manifold, ex-
haust pipes, catalytic converters or heat
shields. During driving the substance used for undercoating could overheat and ignite.
fBefore applying fresh underseal, carefully re-
move deposits or dirt and grease. Once it has
dried, the new undercoating compound forms
a tough protective coating which provides effi-
cient rust-proofing of the floor panels and com-
ponents.
fAlways apply a fresh coating of suitable preser-
vative to unprotected areas after cleaning the
underside of the body, the transmission, the
engine or carrying out repairs to under-body,
engine or transmission components.
Effective rust-proofing is particularly important du-
ring the cold weather season. If your car is driven
frequently in areas where salt has been spread on
the roads, the whole engine compartment should
be cleaned thoroughly after the winter to prevent
salt from causing any lasting damage. A full under-
body wash should also be performed at the same
time.
Door, roof, lid and window seals fWash dirt (e.g. abrasion, dust, road salts) from
all seals regularly using warm soapy water. Do
not use any chemical cleaning agents or sol-
vents.
When there is a frost hazard, the outer door seals
and the front and rear lid seals can be protected
against freezing into place by a suitable care pro-
duct.
In order to prevent damage to the anti-fric-
tion coating, the inner door seals, the con-
vertible top seals and hardtop seals must not
be treated with care products. Stainless steel exhaust tailpipesStainless steel exhaust tailpipes can discolour due
to soiling, strong heat, and combustion residues.
The original polish can be achieved again using
commercially available metal polishing paste or
metal polish.
Headlights, lights, interior and exterior
plastic parts fUse only clean water and a little dishwashing
detergent to clean light lenses, plastic head-
light lenses, plastic parts and surfaces.
Do not clean when dry.
Use a soft sponge or a soft, lint-free cloth.
Gently wipe the surface without applying too
much pressure.
The Porsche inside window cleaner is also sui-
table for cleaning plastic surfaces. Follow the
cleaning instructions on the container.
Never use other chemical cleaners or
solvents.
fRinse cleaned surfaces with clear water.