2009 PORSCHE BOXSTER warning

Maintenance, Car Care
217
Note
Door windows feature a water-repellent (hydro-
phobic) coating which prevents soiling of the
windows.
This coating is subject to natural wear and can be
renewed.
fConsult an authorized Porsche dealer.Wiper blades Wiper blades that are in perfect condition are vital
for a clear view.
fPlease see the chapter “WIPER BLADES” on
Page 212.
f Replace the wiper blades twice per year (be-
fore and after the cold season) or whenever
wiper performance deteriorates or the blades
are damaged.
f Periodically clean the wiper blades with
Porsche window cleaner, especially after the
vehicle has been washed in a car wash.
If they are very dirty (e.g. with insect remains),
they can be cleaned with a sponge or cloth.
If the wiper blades rub or squeak, this can be as a
result of the following:
– If the vehicle is washed in an automatic car wash, residues may adhere to the windshield.
These wax residues can be removed only by
using window cleaner concentrate.
– The wiper blades may be damaged or worn. – Replace damaged or worn wiper blades imme-
diately.
f Please see the chapter “WASHER FLUID” on
Page 210.
f Please contact your authorized Porsche dealer
for further information.
Undercoating As it is not possible to ex clude the risk of damage
to this protective coating in day to day driving, it
is advisable to have the underside of the car in-
spected at certain interv als – preferably before
the start of winter and again in spring – and the un-
dercoating restored as necessary.
Your authorized Porsche dealer is familiar with the
bodyseal treatment procedures and has the nec-
essary equipment for applying factory approved
materials. We recommend that you entrust them
with such work and inspections.
Unlike conventional spray oils, undercoating and
rust-proofing compounds based on bitumen or
wax do not attack the so und-proofing materials ap-
plied at the factory.
Warning!
Danger of fire resulting in serious personal
injury or death.
f Do 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.
f Before applying fresh underseal, carefully
remove any deposits of dirt and grease. Once
it has dried, the new undercoating compound
forms a tough protective coating which
provides efficient rust-proofing of the floor
panels and components.
f Always apply a fresh coating of suitable pre-
servative 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
during the cold weather seas on. If your car is driv-
en 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.
Stainless steel exhaust tailpipesStainless steel exhaust tailpipes can discolor due
to soiling, strong heat, and combustion residues.
The original polish can be achieved again using
commercially available metal polishing paste or
metal polish.

218
Maintenance, Car Care
Light alloy wheels fPlease see the chapter “WASHING” on
Page 214.
Warning!
Danger of accident re sulting in serious per-
sonal injury or death if cleaning agents (e.g.
wheel cleaning agents) come into contact
with the brake discs.
The resulting film on the brake discs can im-
pair braking performance.
f Make sure that no cleaning agent comes into
contact with the brake discs.
f If cleaning agent has come into contact with
the brake discs, thoroughly clean the brake
discs with a strong jet of water.
f Paying attention to any road users behind you,
dry the brake discs by applying the brakes at short intervals.
Metal particles (such as brass or copper in brake
dust) must not remain too long on alloy wheels.
Contact corrosion can cause pitting.
Cleaners with an oxide-removing effect or the
wrong pH value, as are commonly used for other
metals, as well as mechanical tools and products,
will damage the oxide layer and are therefore
unsuitable.
f Use only cleaners for alloy wheels (pH value
9.5). Products with the wrong pH value can destroy the protective layer on the wheels.
We recommend Porsche cleaner for alloy rims.
f If possible, wash the wheels every two weeks
with a sponge or washing brush. If the wheels
are exposed to road salt, grit or industrial dust,
weekly cleaning is necessary.
Door, roof, lid and window seals
Caution!
The lubricant coating on the inner door seals,
convertible top and hardtop seals may be
damaged by unsuitable cleaning and care agents.
f Do not use any chemic al cleaning agents
or solvents.
f Do not use any preservative agents.
f Wash dirt (e.g. abrasion, dust, road salt and
grit) from all seals regularly using warm
soapy water.
f If there is a risk of frost, protect the outer door
seals and lid seals against freezing into place
with a suitable care product.
Headlights, lights, interior and exterior
plastic parts, adhesive filmsfUse only clean water and a little dishwashing
detergent to clean light lenses, plastic head-
light lenses, plastic parts, adhesive films and
surfaces.
Do not clean when dry.
Use a soft sponge or a so ft, lint-free cloth. Gen-
tly wipe the surface without applying too much
pressure.
An interior window cleaner can also be used to
clean plastic surfaces (always read the cleaning
instructions on the container). We recommend
Porsche interior window cleaner.
f Gently wipe the surfac e without applying too
much pressure.
f Do not clean when dry.
f Never use other chemical cleaners or
solvents.
f Rinse cleaned surfaces with clear water.Leather Characteristics and special features
The natural surface markings of leather, e.g.
creases, healed scars, in sect sting marks, struc-
tural differences and slight variations in shade and
grain add to the attractiveness of the natural leath-
er product.

Maintenance, Car Care
219
Observe the following care instructions:
Caution!
The leather will be da maged by the use of
unsuitable cleaning and care agents and by
incorrect treatment.
f Do not use caustic cleaners or hard
cleaning aids.
f Perforated leather must under no circumstances get wet on its reverse side.
f Clean all types of leather regularly to remove
fine dust using a soft, damp, white woollen
cloth or a commercially available
microfibre cloth.
f Remove heavy contamination with a leather
cleaner.
Always read the instructions for use given on
the containers.
We recommend Porsche leather cleaner.
f Treat cleaned leather only with a leather
care product.
We recommend the Porsche leather
care product.
Cleaning airbags covers
Danger!
There is a danger of serious personal injury
or death if the airbag system is impaired by
improper cleaning work.
f Do not make any modifications whatsoever on
individual components such as the padded
covers of the steering wheel, passenger side
instrument panel, the front seats and the door
linings.
f Let your authorized Porsche dealer clean these components.
Carpets and floor-mats fUse only a vacuum clea ner or a medium stiff
brush.
f Remove stains and spots with Porsche stain
remover.
To protect carpets, the Porsche range of accesso-
ries includes mats of th e correct size and with the
appropriate fastening.
Warning!
Risk of an accident re sulting in serious per-
sonal injury or death.
f Always check the movement of the pedals be-
fore driving and make sure that they are not ob-
structed by a floor-ma t or any other object. f
Secure the floor-mat to prevent it from sliding
into positions that could interfere with the safe
operation of your vehicl e - do not install them
loosely in the vehicle.
Your Porsche dealer will be glad to offer you
nonskid floor-mats of the correct size.
Cleaning fabric linings
f Fabric linings on pillars, convertible top liner
and sun blinds, etc. must be cleaned only
using suitable cleaning agents or a suitable dry
foam and a soft brush.
Alcantara fDo not use a leather care product to clean
Alcantara.
For regular care it is su fficient to clean the cover
with a soft brush.
Heavy abrasion or rubbing when cleaning causes
a lasting change in the surface.
Cleaning when lightly soiled
f Wet a soft cloth with water or a neutral soap
solution and wipe off the dirt.
Cleaning when heavily soiled
f Wet a soft cloth with lukewarm water or
thinned white spirit and dab the dirt from the
outside in.
Cleaning safety belts

224
Practical Tips, Emergency Service
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 actual conditions of
their use, however, and
may depart significantly fr om the norm due to var-
iations in driving habits, service practices and dif-
ferences in road characteristics and climate.
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 perform-
ance.
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 ar e A (the highest), B and
C, representing the tire’s resistance to the gener-
ation of heat and its abilit y to dissipate heat when
tested under controlled conditions on a specified
indoor laboratory test wheel.
Sustained high temperatur es 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 perform-
ance which all passenger car tires must meet un-
der the Federal Motor Vehi
cle Safety Standard No.
109.
Grades B and A represent higher levels of per-
formance on the laboratory test wheel than the
minimum required by law.
Warning!
The temperature grade for this tire is established
for a tire that is properly inflated and not overload-
ed.
Excessive speed, underinflation, or excessive
loading, either separately or in combination, can
cause heat buildup and possible tire failure, result-
ing in serious personal injury or death. Tire pressures
Warning!
Incorrect tire pressure causes increased tire
wear and adversely affects road handling.
This could lead to tire fa ilure, resulting in loss
of control, leading to serious personal injury
or death.
f Always use an accurate tire pressure gage
when checking inflation pressures.
f Do not exceed the maximum tire pressure list-
ed on the tire sidewall.
Please see the chapter “TIRE PRESSURE PLA-
TE” on Page 275. f
Cold tire inflation pressure means: all tires
must be cold, ambient temperature maximum
(68 °F/20 °C)
, when adjusting the inflation
pressure.
Avoid sunlight striking the tires before measur-
ing cold pressures, since the pressures would
rise from temperature influence.
f Valve caps protect the valve from dust and dirt,
and thus from leakage.
Always screw caps tightly down.
Replace missing caps immediately.
f Use only plastic valve caps.
f Do not use commercially available sealant or
tire inflating bottles. Only use Porsche
approved tire sealant.
f Please see the chapter “TIRE PRESSURE FOR
COLD TIRES (68 °F/20 °C)” on Page 277.

226
Practical Tips, Emergency Service
B Vehicle load limit
Is the maximum total weight limit specified of
the load (passengers and cargo) for the vehi-
cle. This is the maximum weight of passengers
and cargo that can be loaded into the vehicle.
Please see the chapter “LOADING INFORMA-
TION” on Page 234.
C Tire size for the front axle Check with your authorized Porsche dealer
about the current release status.
D Recommended tire pre ssure for the front axle
These values are for cold tires (68 °F/20 °C).
E Tire size for the rear axle Check with your authorized Porsche dealer
about the current release status.
F Recommended tire pressure for the rear axle. These values are for cold tires (68 °F/20 °C).
G In vehicles with collapsible spare wheel: Size and tire pressure of the spare wheel.
Tire traction
Warning!
When driving on wet or slushy roads, a
wedge of water may build up between the
tires and the road. This phenomenon is
known as “hydroplane” and may cause par-
tial or complete loss of traction, vehicle
control or stopping ability.
f Reduce speed on wet surface to prevent this. Tire life Tire life depends on vari ous factors, i. e., road
surfaces, traffic and wea ther conditions, driving
habits, type of tires and tire care.
f Inspect your tires for wear and damage before
driving off. If you notice uneven or substantial
wear, wheels might need alignment or tires
should be balanced or replaced.
Tire wear The original equipment tires on your Porsche have
built-in tire wear indicato rs. They are molded into
the bottom of the tread grooves and will appear as
approximately 1/2 in. (12 mm) bands when the
tire tread depth is down to 1/16 of an in.
(1.6 mm).
When the indicators appear in two or more adja-
cent grooves, it is time to replace the tires. We
recommend, however, that you do not let the tires
wear down to this extent.
Worn tires cannot grip the road surface properly
and are even less effective on wet roads.
Snow tires lose their traction capability when their
tread depth falls below 5/32 in. (4 mm).
In the United States, state laws may govern the
minimum tread depth permissible. Follow all such
laws.

228
Practical Tips, Emergency Service
Danger!
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.
f Check tires – including sidewalls – regularly for
foreign bodies, nicks, cuts, cracks and bulges.
f After driving off road, examine tires for signs
of damage such as cuts, tears, bulges or for-
eign objects stuck in the tread. Replace a dam-
aged tire if necessary.
f Cross curb edges slowly and at right angles if
possible.
Avoid driving over steep or sharp curbs.
f In cases of doubt, have the wheel (particularly
the inner side) checked by an authorized Porsche dealer.
Tire replacements If in doubt, contact your Porsche dealer.
Use only tire makes and types approved by
Porsche.
If you do not use a Porsche recommended
replacement tire, make sure that you
purchase your new tires from a reputable tire
dealer and that the dealer complies with all
manufacturers warnings for those tires.
Only tires with the same make and with the
same specification code (e.g. “N0”, “N1”...)
can be mounted.
Before mounting new tires, check with your
Porsche dealer about the current release
status.
Use tires with “ZR” quality standards. There
are currently no standards concerning tire
strength at speeds above 150 mph (240 km/h).
Tires should be replaced no less than on one axle
at the time.
Only tires of the same make and type must be
used. Mixed tires are not permissible.
Initially, new tires do not have their full traction.
You should therefore drive at moderate speeds
during the first 60 - 120 miles (100 - 200 km). If new tires are installed only on one axle, a notice-
able change in handling occurs due to the different
tread depth of the other tires.
This happens especially if only rear tires are re-
placed. However, this condition disappears as the
new tires are broken in.
f
Please adjust your driving style accordingly.
Installation of new tires sh ould only be done by a
qualified tire technician.
Valves
Rubber valve stems must be replaced every time
a tire is replaced.
For metal valves, the installation and replacement
instructions must be observed.
f Use only genuine Porsche metal valves.
f Protect the valve inserts against soiling with
valve caps.
Soiled valve inserts can cause a gradual loss
of air.
f Use only plastic valve caps.

Practical Tips, Emergency Service
229
Parking at the curb
Warning!
Hard impacts against curbs (or traffic
islands) are dangerous and may cause hid-
den tire damage which is not noticeable until
later. Such damage can result in accidents at
high speeds causing serious personal injury
or death.
Depending on the force of impact, the edge
of the rim can also be damaged.
f If you are in doubt, have the wheel checked by
an expert, particularly if you suspect damage
on the inside.
f If you must drive over a curb or other obstacle,
drive slowly and at an obtuse angle. Exercise care when parking along curbs.
Wheel alignment, wheel balancing As a precaution, have wheels with summer tires
balanced in the spring, and those with mud and
snow tires before winter.
Unbalanced wheels may affect car handling and
tire life.
Only the specified weight s may be used for wheel
balancing.
Self-adhesive weights must not come into contact
with cleaning agents, since they could drop off.
Uneven tread wear indicates wheel imbalance. In
this event, the vehicle should be checked at an au-
thorized Porsche dealer.
Warning!
If, during a trip, uneven running or vibrations
occur that could be caused by damage to
tires or the car, the speed must be reduced
immediately, but without braking sharply.
If you continue your trip without having the
cause of the fault reme died, you might lose
control of your vehicle which could cause se-
rious personal injury or death.
f Stop the vehicle and check the tires.
f If no cause for the fault can be found, drive
carefully to the nearest authorized Porsche dealer.
Wheels with Tire Pressure Monitoring
(TPM) sensorsBefore changing wheels, make sure that the
wheels are compatible with your vehicle's TPM.
f Check this with your authorized Porsche
dealer.Removing and storing tires fAfter changing, adjust tire pressure and torque
wheel bolts diagonally to 94 ftlb (130 Nm).
Tires must always remain on the same side of
the vehicle.
When wheels are removed, the direction of
rotation and position of each wheel should be
marked.
Example
FR (front right), FL, RR and RL.
Wheels must always be fitted in accordance with
their marking.
The perception that tire durability and perform-
ance are immune to the effects of storage and
age is unfounded.
Chemical additives, whic h make the rubber elas-
tic, lose their effectivene ss in the course of time
and the rubber becomes brittle and cracks.
Therefore, the tires should be inspected from
time to time.

Practical Tips, Emergency Service
237
Changing a wheel
Warning!
Risk of serious personal injury or death. The
car may slip off the jack.
f Make sure that no one is in the vehicle when
jacking up and changing a wheel.
f Always place the car on stable supports if work
has to be carried out under the car.
Risk of damage to the brake discs of the
Porsche Ceramic Composite Brake (PCCB).
f Always screw in both assembly aids when changing a wheel.
Note
The tools required for changing a wheel (e.g. jack,
wheel bolt wrench, assembly aids) are not sup-
plied with the car.
Your authorized Porsche dealer will be pleased to
advise you.
1. Apply the handbrake fully and engage 1st gear or PDK selector-lever position P and remove
the ignition key.
2. Switch on the hazard warning lights if neces- sary.
3. Secure the car against rolling away, e.g. by
means of wedges under the wheels on the op-
posite side.
This is particularly important on slopes. 4. Slightly slacken the whee
l bolts of the wheel to
be changed.
5. Lift the car only at the specified jacking points.
6. Raise the car until the wheel lifts off the ground.
Please see the chapter “LIFTING THE VEHICLE
WITH A LIFTING PLATFORM OR GARAGE LIFT”
on Page 242.
7. Remove 1 or 2 wheel bolts (see respective illustration).
8. Screw in assembly aids instead of the wheel bolts.
Screw in assembly aid for
cars
without Porsche
Ceramic Composite Brake
9. Remove the remaining wheel bolts.
Note on operation
f To remove or mount the spacers:
Please see the chapter “SPACERS” on
Page 243.