2009 PORSCHE BOXSTER service

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.

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Practical Tips, Emergency Service
Note
Under no circumstances sh
ould tires older than 6
years be used on your Porsche.
The age of the tire can be obtained from the “DOT”
code number. If, for example, the last four num-
bers read 1208, then the ti re was produced in the
12th week of 2008.
f Store tires in a cool and dry place.
Snow tires For a better grip on snow and ice, use radial M+S
tires with studs.
Check with your local Motor Vehicle Bureau for
possible restrictions.
Danger!
Risk of loss of control and damage to the
vehicle as well as seri ous personal injury or
death.
The standard tires prof ile and rubber mixture
are optimized for wet and dry driving condi-
tions, and may not prove favorable for snow
conditions.
f Therefore install M+S tires before driving in such conditions. Before mounting snow tires, consult with
your Porsche dealer. He has the technical
information necessary to advise you on
wheel and tire compatibility.
Snow tires should have the same load capacity as
original equipment tires and should be mounted on
all four wheels.
Snow tires with studs should be run at moderate
speeds when new in order to give the studs time
to settle.
Danger!
Tires with badly worn treads and studs are
very dangerous and could cause accidents
resulting in serious personal injuries or
death.
f Make sure they are replaced immediately.
f Do not drive a vehicle equipped with snow tires
at prolonged high speed.
Snow tires do not have the same degree of
traction on dry, wet or snowfree roads as a
normal tire.
Furthermore, snow tires wear rapidly under
these conditions.
Comply with all state and local laws
governing snow tire and tread depth
requirements.
Danger!
Risk of accident and se rious personal injury
or death due to excessive speed.
f Always check the maximum speed rating on
the tire sidewall on any tire on the vehicle.
f Never exceed the maximum speed rating of the tires.
f Fit winter tires to both axles well before the
cold season begins.
Your authorized Porsche dealer will be pleased
to advise you.
Maintenance note
We recommend fitting snow tires on the vehicle at
temperatures below 45 °F (7 °C) since the driving
performance of summer tires is reduced at low
temperatures. Summer tires may be permanently
damaged at extremely low temperatures.
Winter tires lose their traction capability when their
tread depth falls below 5/32 in. (4 mm).

Practical Tips, Emergency Service
231
Snow chains
Caution!
Risk of damage to body, axle or brake com-
ponents.
f Fit snow chains only to the rear wheels, and
only with the tire/rim combination listed in the
Technical Data.
To ensure adequate clearance between chain
and body, Porsche recommends only the use
of fine-link chains such as those approved by
Porsche.
f Follow instructions issued by the supplier of the chains.
Different states and countries have varying statu-
tory requirements regarding maximum speed.
Check with local authorities for possible restric-
tions.
f Remove chains as soon as the roads are free
of ice and snow. Fitting snow chains
The use of snow chains is not permitted when
5 mm spacers are mounted.
Caution!
Risk of damage to the wheel housings if the
5 mm spacers are not removed before fitting
snow chains.
f To permit the fitting of snow chains, have the 5 mm spacers removed on all 4 wheels.
f To fit/remove the spacers:
Please consult an authorized Porsche dealer.
f Please see the chapter “SPACERS” on
Page 243.
Tire designations Due to new speed and load ratings for radial tires,
new designations have come into force for snow
tires for your Porsche.
The designation to be used for ZR tires is e.g.,
265/40 ZR 18 (Z = code letter for radial tires for
speeds above 150 mph / 240 km/h).

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Practical Tips, Emergency Service
Example of InscriptionInscription on radial tireATire size
Example: P 295/30 ZR 19 100 Y
–P - The tire is designed for Passenger vehicle.
This information is not included on all tires.
– 295 - Indication of tire width in mm
– 30 - Indication of tire height to tire width ratio
in percent –
ZR - code letter for radial tires for speeds
above 150 mph / 240 km/h
There are currently no standards concerning
tire strength at speeds above 150 mph
(240 km/h).
– R - Belt type code letter for radial
– 19 - Indication of rim diameter in inches
– 100 - Load capacity coefficient
– Y - Speed code letter
– XL (Extra Load) - Tire with increased load rat-
ing
B TIN (Tire Identification Number)
Example: DOT xx xx xxxx xxxx
–DOT
The DOT symbol indicates that the tires com-
ply with the requirements of the US Depart-
ment of Transportation and provides informa-
tion about:
– first two-digit code means manufacturer’s iden- tification mark.
– second two-digit code means tire size.
– third four-digit code means tire type code.
– fourth four-digit code means date of manufac- ture.
If, for example, the last four numbers read
0208, the tire was produced in the 2nd week
of 2008.
C Tire ply composition and material
The number of layers in the tread and sidewalls
and their material composition.
D Maximum permissible inflation pressure
The maximum permissible cold inflation pressure
to which a tire can be inflated.
f Do not exceed the permissible inflation
pressure.

Practical Tips, Emergency Service
233
E Maximum Load rating
The maximum load in kilograms and pounds can
be carried by the tire. If you replace tires always
use a tire that has the same maximum load rating
as the factory installed tire.
FRadial
The identification indicates if the tire has radial
structure.
G Term of tubeless or tube tire
Identification for tubeless tires.Speed code letterThe speed code letter indicates the maximum per-
missible speed for the tire.
This code letter is shown on the tire sidewall.Tip on driving
Tires with a maximum speed rating that is lower
than the specified maximum vehicle speed may be
mounted only if they bear an M+S identification on
the tire sidewall.
f
Please note that in addition to the winter tires,
all-season and all-terrain tires are also subject
to speed limits and bear this identification.
Inscription on light alloy wheelsMaintenance note
fProtect the valve inserts against soiling with
valve caps.
Use only plastic valve caps.
Soiled valve inserts can cause a gradual loss
of air.
Note on operation
f The rim width in inches A and the rim offset F
are visible from the outside.
The information is inscri bed on the back of the
spokes near the tire valve.
A - Rim width in inches
B - Rim-flange contour code letter
C - Symbol for drop-center rim
D - Rim diameter in inches
E -Double hump
F - Rim offset in mm
T = up to 118 mph (190 km/h)
H = up to 131 mph (210 km/h)
V = up to 150 mph (240 km/h)
W = up to 167 mph (270 km/h)
Y = up to 186 mph (300 km/h)
(Y) = up to 186 mph (300 km/h) as for
Y tires. Speeds of more than
300 km/h (186 mph) are also
possible at a maximum tire load
capacity of 85 % (confirmation from
tire manufacturer required for
speeds of more than 186 mph (300
km/h)).

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Practical Tips, Emergency Service
Loading InformationDefinitionsThe Curb weight - actual weight of your vehicle -
vehicle weight including standard and optional
equipment, fluids and emergency tools. This
weight does not include passengers and cargo.
The Gross Vehicle Weight is sum of the curb
weight and the weight of passengers and cargo
combined.
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating is the maxi-
mum total weight of vehicl e, passengers, luggage
and optional equipment.
The Gross Axle Weight Rating is the maximum
load limit for the front or the rear axle. This infor-
mation is located on the safety compliance sticker
located in the driver’s side door jamb.
For determining the compat ibility of the tire and
vehicle load capabilities:
f Please see the chapter “TECHNICAL DATA” on
Page 276.
The load capacity coeffici ent (e.g. “100”) is a min-
imum requirement. The Gross Combined Weight Rating is the
maximum total weight rating of vehicle, passen-
gers and cargo.
The Vehicle Capacity Weight
- Load Limit - is
the maximum total weight limit specified of the
load (passengers and cargo) for the vehicle. This
is the maximum weight of passengers and cargo
that can be loaded into the vehicle. This informa-
tion can be found on the tire pressure plate.
The maximum loaded vehicle weight is the
sum of curb weight, accessory weight, vehicle ca-
pacity weight and production options weight.
The load rating is the maximum load that a tire
is rated to carry for a given inflation pressure.
The maximum load rating is the load rating for
a tire at the maximum permissble inflation pres-
sure.
The cargo capacity is the permissible weight of
cargo, the substracted weight of passengers from
the load limit.
f Never exceed the permissible limits.
Danger!
Risk of loss of control, damage to the vehicle
and serious personal injury or death.
f Never exceed the specified axle loads.
Overloading can shorten the service life of the
tires and car, as well as lead to dangerous
vehicle reactions and long braking distances.
Damage due to overloading is not covered by the vehicle warranty.

Practical Tips, Emergency Service
235
Example for determining the combined weight of
occupants and cargoVehicle Load CapacityfThe combined weight of occupants and cargo
should never exceed the weight shown on the
tire plate in the vehicle.
Please see the chapter “TIRE PRESSURE PLA-
TE” on Page 275.
f Never exceed the number of passengers
shown on the tire pressure plate in the vehicle. Determining the combined weight of
occupants and cargo:
f
Add the weight of all occupants and then add
the total luggage weight ( figure).
Steps for determining correct load limit
1. Locate the statement "The combined weight of occupants and cargo should never exceed XXX
pounds" on your vehicle’s placard (depending
on the date of manufacture).
2. Determine the combined weight of the driver and passengers that will be riding in your vehi-
cle. 3. Subtract the combined weight of the driver and
passengers from XXX kilograms or XXX
pounds.
4. The resulting figure equals the available amount of cargo and luggage load capacity.
For example, if the ”XXX“ amount equals
400 lbs. and there will be two - 150 lb passen-
gers in your vehicle, the amount of available
cargo and luggage load capacity is 100 lbs.
(400 - 300 (2 x 150) = 100 lbs.).
5. Determine the combined weight of luggage and cargo being loaded on the vehicle. That
weight may not safely ex ceed the available car-
go and luggage load capacity calculated in
Step 4.

236
Practical Tips, Emergency Service
Wheel Bolts
Danger!
Risk of wheel bolt breakage and wheel sepa-
ration, resulting in serious personal injury or
death.
f Follow all instructions concerning wheel bolts. f
Always clean the wheel bolts before fitting.
f Apply a thin coat of Optimoly TA (aluminum
paste) on the thread and between the bolt head
and movable spherical cap ring ( arrows).
The bearing surface of the spherical cap
facing the wheel must not be greased.
f Replace damaged wheel bolts.
Only use the Original Porsche wheel bolts spe-
cially designed for this vehicle type.
Tightening torque Tightening torque of wheel bolts:
96 ftlb./130 Nm
Wheel Securing Bolts If the wheels have to be removed at the workshop,
please do not forget to hand over the wrench
socket for the wheel securing bolts along with the
car key.
The wrench socket for the wheel securing bolts is
in the tool box.
To loosen or tighten the wheel bolt with anti-theft
protection, a wrench sock et with the appropriate
coding must be used be tween the wheel bolt and
the wheel-bolt spanner.
f When positioning the wr ench socket, ensure
that it engages fully in the teeth of the wheel
bolt.