2006 PORSCHE BOXSTER maintenance

192
Maintenance, Car Care
Brake Fluid Level fPlease observe the chapter “EXERCISE EXTRE-
ME CAUTION WHEN WORKING ON YOUR VE-
HICLE” on Page 184.
fUse only new (unused) Original Porsche
brake fluid.
Warning!
Brake fluid is hazardous to your health, and
may be fatal if swallowed.
Brake fluid also attacks paintwork.
fKeep brake fluid out of children’s reach.
fTake care while topping off brake fluid not to
soil the luggage compartment or items of lug-gage.
Checking the brake fluid level The reservoir for the hydraulic braking and clutch
systems is in the front luggage compartment.
1. Open and remove cover flap A.
2. Regulary check the brake-fluid level on the
transparent expansion tank through the win-
dow B.
The fluid level should always lie between the
“Min” and “Max” marks. A slight decrease in the fluid level due to wear and
automatic readjustment of the disc brakes is nor-
mal.
If, however, the fluid level falls markedly or below
the “Min” mark, the braking system may have de-
veloped a leak.
fHave the braking system checked immediately
at an authorized Porsche dealer.

Maintenance, Car Care
193
Changing the brake fluid Brake fluid absorbs moisture from the air over ti-
me. This accumulation of water lowers the boiling
point and, under certain operating con ditions,
can affect the braking action.
Therefore have the brake fluid changed in accor-
dance with the change intervals stated in the bro-
chure “Maintenance”. The brake-fluid warning lights in the instrument pa-
nel and on-board computer indicate:
– brake-fluid level too low,
– in conjunction with large pedal travel, braking-
circuit failure.
If the warning lights should light up while
driving:
fStop immediately in a suitable place.
fDo not continue driving.
Please have the fault remedied at your nearest
authorized Porsche dealer.
Warning light USA
Warning light Canada

194
Maintenance, Car Care
Fuel Economy Fuel 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
engine “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 (traffic lights, jams, level crossings). 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 increa-
sed fuel consumption.
fOnly switch on the air conditioning when neces-
sary.
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 li-
mits.

Maintenance, Car Care
195
Operating Your Porsche in other
Countries Government 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 pro-
per 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 availabi-
lity.
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.

196
Maintenance, Car Care
Fuel
Warning!
Fuel is highly flammable and harmful to
health.
fFire, open flame and smoking are prohibited
when handling fuel.
fAvoid contact with skin or clothing.
fDo not inhale fuel vapors.
To prevent damage to the emission control
system and engine:
fNever drive the tank completely out of fuel.
fAvoid high cornering speeds after the warning lights have come on.
fPlease observe the chapter “FUEL ECONOMY”
on Page 194.
fPlease observe the chapter “EMISSION CONT-
ROL SYSTEM” on Page 200.
fPlease observe the chapter “FUEL” on Page
88.
Check engine warning light
If the warning lights in the instrument panel and on-
board computer come on and remain on while
driving, it suggests:
– an improperly fastened tank cap or
– refuelling with engine running.
Opening the filler flap The filler opening is under the filler flap in the front
right fender.
fWith the vehicle unlocked, press on the front
part of the filler flap (arrow) to open the flap.
The filler flap is centrally locked along with the
other locks. If there is a defect in the automatic unlocking
system:
fOpen the passenger door.
fPull the ring in the right-hand door aperture
(arrow).

Maintenance, Car Care
197
Refuelling Fuel tank capacity is listed under “Capacities”.
Porsche does not recommend the use of fuel ad-
ditives.
Fuel is highly flammable and harmful to
health.
fPlease observe the chapter “CAPACITIES” on
Page 286.1.Important: Stop the engine and switch off the
ignition.
2. Slowly unscrew the tank cap.
Hang the tank cap on the plastic strap of the
filler flap.
3. Insert fuel-hose nozzle fully into the filler neck
with the handle of the fuel-hose nozzle facing
down.
4. Do not add further fuel once the correctly ope-
rated automatic fuel-hose nozzle has switched
off.
Fuel could spray or could run over in warm
temperatures.
5. Replace the tank cap immediately after
refuelling and turn it until you hear it and feel it
engage.
If you lose the tank cap, you must replace it
only with an original part to reduce the pos-
sibility of a fire in the event of a collision.
Note
The oil level is automatically measured during
refuelling.
fPlease observe the chapter “OIL DISPLAY AND
MEASUREMENT OF THE ENGINE OIL LEVEL”
on Page 111.

198
Maintenance, Car Care
Fuel Recommendations Your Porsche is equipped with catalytic conver-
ters and must use UNLEADED FUEL ONLY.
Your engine is designed to provide optimum per-
formance and fuel economy using unleaded premi-
um fuel with an octane rating of 98 RON
(93
CLC or AKI). Porsche therefore recom-
mends the use of these fuels in your vehicle.
Porsche also recognizes that these fuels may not
always be available. Be assured that your vehicle
will operate properly on unleaded premium fuels
with octane numbers of at least 95
RON
(90 CLC or AKI), since the engine’s ”Electronic
Oktane™ knock control“ will adapt the ignition ti-
ming, if necessary.
T h e u s e o f U N L E A D E D F U E L O N LY i s c r i t i c a l l y
important to the life of the catalytic conver-
ters. Deposits from leaded fuels will ruin the
converters and make it ineffective as an
emission control device.
Cars with catalytic converters have a smaller fuel
tank opening, and gas station pumps have smaller
nozzles. This will prevent accidental pumping of
leaded fuel into cars with catalytic converters. Unleaded fuels may not be available outside the
continental U.S. and Canada. Therefore, we re-
commend you do not take your car to areas or
countries where unleaded fuel may not be availab-
le.
Octane ratings Octane rating indicates a fuel’s ability to resist de-
tonation. Therefore, buying the correct octane gas
is important to prevent engine ”damage“.
The RON octane rating is based on the research
method. The CLC (U.S. Cost of Living Council oc-
tane rating) or AKI (antiknock index) octane rating
usually displayed on U.S. fuel pumps is calculated
as research octane number plus motor octane
number, divided by 2, that is written as:
The CLC or AKI octane rating is usually lower than
the RON rating:
For example: 95 RON equals 90 CLC or AKI.
Fuels containing alcohol and ether Some areas of the U.S. require oxygenated fuels
during certain portions of the year. Oxygenated fu-
els are fuels which contain alcohols (such as me-
thanol or ethanol) or ether (such as MTBE).
Under normal conditions, the amount of these
compounds in the fuel will not affect driveability.
You may use oxygenated fuels in your Porsche,
provided the octane requirements for your vehicle
are met. We recommend, however, to change to a
different fuel or station if any of the following pro-
blems occur with your vehicle:
– Deterioration of driveability and performance.
– Substantially reduced fuel economy.
– Vapor lock and non-start problems, especially
at high altitude or at high temperature.
– Engine malfunction or stalling. RON MON+
2 ---------------------------------------------------- o rRM+
2 ------------------------

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.