Shifting Gear, Traction Systems
241
Tips on driving
fAvoid high engine speeds (max. 2,500 rpm).
fDo not perform manual gear changes when
driving, and try to avoid stopping.
Moving off in the water can be difficult due to
the high resistance and the loose surface in-
volved.
fStart the water crossing at a shallow place at
walking speed.
fAfter checking the body of water, take the
shortest path through it.
fNever drive into the water at high speed. The
resulting “bow wave” could damage the engine
and its accessories.
fAdjust your driving style to the unfamiliar sur-
roundings.
fCross the body of water slowly and at a con-
stant speed.
fNever turn around when crossing a body of wa-
ter.
fIf it is not possible to cross the body of water,
the car must be backed out of it in reverse
gear.
The servo pump and alternator can fail if the car is
driven through water for an extended period.
fIf the servo pump fails, substantially more
force will have to be exerted in order to steer. Maintenance note
The car requires a special check after the water
crossing.
fRemove mud from the tire tread.
fBriefly apply the brakes in order to dry them af-
ter driving through the water.
ObstaclesfPlease observe the chapter “GROUND CLEA-
RANCE” on Page 375.
Note on operation
fActivate Low Range and engage differential
locks if necessary.
Tips on driving
fJust before reaching the obstacle, ease off the
accelerator slightly and use the car's momen-
tum to cross the obstacle. This will prevent the
car from jumping over the hump and landing on
the following downward slope at an excessive
speed.
fAvoid high engine speeds (max. 2,500 rpm).
Maintenance, Car Care
251
Radiator fansThe radiator and radiator fans are in the front of
the car.
Warning!
Danger of injury. The fans can start running
as a function of temperature, even with the
engine switched off.
fExercise extreme caution when working in the area of the radiator fans.
Engine OilEngine oil consumption
It is normal for your engine to consume oil.
The rate of oil consumption depends on the quality
and viscosity of oil, the speed at which the engine
is operated, the climate, road conditions as well
as the amount of dilution and oxidation of the lubri-
cant.
If the vehicle is used for repeated short trips, and
consumes a normal amount of oil, the engine oil
measurement may not show any drop in the oil lev-
el at all, even after 600 miles (1000 km) or more.
This is because the oil is gradually becoming dilut-
ed with fuel or moisture, making it appear that the
oil level has not changed.
The diluting ingredients evaporate out when the
vehicle is driven at high speeds, as on an express-
way, making it then appear that oil is excessively
consumed after driving at high speeds.
If the conditions you drive your vehicle in are
dusty, humid, or hot, the frequency of the oil
change intervals should be greater.If the vehicle is driven at a high rate of speed, cli-
matic conditions are warm, and the load is high,
the oil should be checked more frequently, as driv-
ing conditions will determine the rate of oil con-
sumption.
– The engine in your vehicle depends on oil to lu-
bricate and cool all of its moving parts. There-
fore, the engine oil should be checked regular-
ly and kept at the required level.
– Make it a habit to have the engine oil level
checked with every fuel filling.
– The oil pressure warning light is not an oil level
indicator.
The oil pressure warning light indicates serious
engine damage may be occuring when lit, if en-
gine rpm is above idle speed.
252
Maintenance, Car Care
Engine Oil LevelfCheck the oil level regularly. I t i s b e s t t o d o t h i s
when refuelling and before extended journeys.
Further important information concerning “mainte-
nance” can be found in a separate chapter.
fPlease observe the chapter “EXERCISE
EXTREME CAUTION WHEN WORKING ON YOUR
VEHICLE” on Page 250.
fPlease observe the chapter “WARNING LIGHTS
AND WARNING MESSAGES” on Page 122.
Warning!
Engine oil is hazardous to your health and
may be fatal if swallowed.
fKeep engine oil out of children's reach.
Used engine oil contains chemicals that have
caused cancer in laboratory animals.
fAlways protect your skin by washing thorough-ly with soap and water.If the oil level is too low, this is indicated by the oil-
level warning light lighting up on the multi-purpose
display.
fCheck the oil level using the oil dipstick as
soon as possible and add engine oil if neces-
sary.
Note on operation
fIf the engine compartment lid is opened and oil
is not added, the warning message appears
again after approximately 62 miles (100 km).
Checking the oil level
Warning!
Danger of injury. The radiator fans can start
running as a function of temperature, even
with the engine switched off.
Risk of burning from hot parts in engine com-
partment.
fExercise extreme caution when working on the engine compartment.
Conditions for measuring the oil level
correctly
– Vehicle must be level.
– Engine must be switched off and at operating
temperature.
– Before the oil-level measurement, allow the en-
gine oil to flow back into the oil pan for around
3 minutes.
Oil-level warning
Maintenance, Car Care
253
Checking oil level with the oil dipstick
1. Withdraw oil dipstick and wipe it with a clean,
lint-free cloth.
2. Push oil dipstick fully home, withdraw again
and read off the oil level.
The oil level must never fall below or ex-
ceed the “Min.” and “Max.” marks on the
dipstick.
The difference between the marks is approx.
1.6 qt or 1.5 liters.
3. Push oil dipstick in as far as the stop.Topping off engine oil
Warning!
Fire hazard if engine oil comes into contact
with hot engine parts.
Risk of damage if engine oil comes into con-
tact with the drive belt.
fExercise great care when adding engine oil.1. Unscrew cap of the oil filler opening.
2. Add engine oil carefully.
3. Measure oil level again after a few minutes.
Never exceed the MAX mark on the oil
dipstick.
4. Push oil dipstick in as far as the stop.
5. Carefully close cap of the oil filler opening.
Maintenance, Car Care
255
Oil changeThe engine oil has to be changed at the intervals
listed in your Maintenance Schedule.
fPlease observe the chapter “CAPACITIES” on
Page 371.
We recommend that you have the engine oil
changed at your Porsche dealer, who has the re-
quired oils and the necessary filling equipment.
If you suspect an oil leak in the engine have your
dealer check it out immediately.
All current engine oils are compatible with each
other, i.e. when making an oil change it is not nec-
essary to flush the engine if you wish to use a dif-
ferent brand or grade of oil.
Since, however, each brand of oil has a special
composition, you should, if possible, use the
same oil brand if it becomes necessary to top up
between oil changes.
Porsche engines have long intervals between oil
changes. Only by using oils approved by Porsche
the needed engine oil performance is guaranteed.If your vehicle is used frequently in stop-and-go
traffic in cold weather, the engine will not always
be properly warmed up.
Condensation from products of combustion may
accumulate in the oil. In this case, it is advisable
to change the oil more frequently so that your en-
gine once again has 100% efficient engine oil.
Engine oil performance classEngine oil is not only a lubricant, but also serves
to keep the engine clean, to neutralize the dirt
which penetrates into the engine through combus-
tion and to protect the engine against corrosion.
To perform these functions, the oil is provided with
additives which have been specially developed for
these functions.
The efficiency of an oil is expressed, for example,
by the API, ILSAC or ACEA classifications.
ViscosityLike all liquids, engine oil is viscous when cold,
and thin-bodied when warm. The viscosity of an oil
is expressed by its SAE class. For cold viscosity
the SAE class is given as a number and the letter
“W“ (as in winter), for hot viscosity the SAE class
is given only as a number.
The viscosity of an oil is, therefore, always the
same if it has the same number of an SAE class.
E.g.: A 5 W-40 oil and a 5 W-50 oil have the same
viscosity when cold; when hot the oil with the
number 40 is thinner than the oil with the number
50.
Oils with two viscosities are called multigrade oils;
oils with only one viscosity are termed single-
grade oils.
The viscosity of the engine oil for your Porsche
has to be chosen according to the ambient tem-
perature given in the engine oil recommendation
table.
256
Maintenance, Car Care
Coolant LevelfPlease observe the chapter “EXERCISE
EXTREME CAUTION WHEN WORKING ON YOUR
VEHICLE” on Page 250.
The coolant provides year-round protection from
corrosion and freezing down to -31°F/-35°C
(Nordic countries -40°F/-40°C).
fUse only anti-freeze authorized by Porsche.
fCheck the coolant level regularly.
Further important information concerning “mainte-
nance” can be found in a separate chapter.
fPlease observe the chapter “EXERCISE
EXTREME CAUTION WHEN WORKING ON YOUR
VEHICLE” on Page 250. Checking coolant level/adding coolantThe expansion tank for the coolant is located un-
der the engine-compartment cover in the engine
compartment.
When the engine is cold and the car is level, the
coolant level must lie between the min- and max-
marks.Checking when engine is cold
1. Remove cover.2. Open cap of the expansion tank carefully and
allow any overpressure to escape.
Then unscrew cap completely.
3. Read the coolant level.
4. Top up with coolant if necessary.
Do not exceed the max- mark.
Only add a mixture of anti-freeze and water in
equal parts.
Antifreeze in coolant:
50% provides anti-freeze protection down to
-31°F/-35°C.
5. Screw the cap closed firmly and put on the
cover.
Maintenance, Car Care
257
Checking the coolant level when a warning
messages is shown on the multi-purpose
display of the instrument panel
Warning!
Danger of serious personal injury from scald-
ing. Coolant is hazardous to your health, and
may be fatal if swallowed.
fDo not open the cap of the expansion tank
while the engine is hot.
fAllow the engine to cool down before opening
the cap and protect your hands, arms and face
from any possible escape of hot coolant.
fKeep coolant out of children's reach.
fAlso, keep coolant away from your pets.They
can be attracted to it should there be a spill, or
to used coolant left in an open container. Cool-ant can be deadly to pets if consumed.1. Remove cover.
2. If the engine is hot, cover the the expansion
tank cap with a cloth.
Open cap carefully and allow any overpressure
to escape.
Then unscrew cap completely.
3. Read the coolant level.
Top up with coolant if necessary.
Only add a mixture of anti-freeze and water in
equal parts.
Antifreeze in coolant:
50% provides anti-freeze protection down to
-31°F/-35°C.
Do not exceed the max- mark.
Note on operation
fIf the coolant level exceeds the max- mark
when the engine is hot, check the coolant level
again when the engine is cold.
4. Screw the cap closed firmly and put on the
cover.
5. Have the cooling system checked by an author-
ized Porsche dealer.Maintenance note
If in an emergency pure water has been added, the
mixture ratio must be corrected at an authorized
Porsche dealer.
Marked loss of coolant indicates leakage in the
cooling system.
The cause should be remedied at an authorized
Porsche dealer immediately.
258
Maintenance, Car Care
Brake-Fluid LevelfUse only new (unused) Original Porsche brake
fluid.
Further important information concerning “mainte-
nance” can be found in a separate chapter.
fPlease observe the chapter “EXERCISE
EXTREME CAUTION WHEN WORKING ON YOUR
VEHICLE” on Page 250.
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.
fImmediately rinse off spilled brake fluid with
clean water.
fIf brake fluid gets into your eye, immediately
rinse with clean water for a few minutes. Then
see a doctor immediately.
fPlease note all the information on the refill container of the brake fluid.
Checking the brake-fluid levelThe reservoir for the hydraulic braking system is
located in the engine compartment.
1. Rotate the turn-locks 90° counterclockwise
(arrow) with a screwdriver and remove the
cover.
2. Check brake-fluid level at the transparent res-
ervoir.
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
normal.
If, however, the fluid level falls markedly or below
the MIN mark, the braking system may have devel-
oped a leak.
fPlease have the braking system checked im-
mediately at an authorized Porsche dealer.