open gas tank PORSCHE 944 1987 1.G Owners Manual

Left Instrument Cluster
The left instrument cluster includes the
coolant temperature and fuel gauges as well
as warning lights for coolant temperature, fuel
reserve, brake-
lining wear, safety belt, parking light and parking brake. The two arrows at the
top are turn signal indicators for vehicles with
trailer coupling.
Coolant temperature

Indicator
Needle in lower field - engine is cold
Avoid high speeds and high engine rpm. During cold engine operation, engine
response and power levels will vary from that
of a warm engine. Due caution and notice of
these engine characteristics will ensure safe
operation of the vehicle.
Needle in center field - normal

Under normal driving conditions, needle
should remain in center field. The needle may
reach the upper field, especially at high
engine loads, but should return to "normal"
when engine load is reduced.

Needle in upper field - warning
If needle enters the upper field the engine is
overheating the warning light comes on.
Reduce speed and engine rpm. The needle
should return to the center field and the
indicator light goes out.
If the needle does not return to the center
field, and the indicator light does not go out,
the radiator fan may not be working to
provide sufficient engine cooling. Pull off the
road and turn off the engine. The fan should
still be running for a while. Failure to do so
may result in severe damage to the engine.
WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine compartment, let the engine cool down.
Hot components can burn skin on
contact. The radiator fan switches on automatically when the coolant reaches a
certain temperature and continues to run
(even with ignition off), until the coolant
temperature drops. Therefore, never

touch the fan blades as they will rotate spontaneously when the termoswitch
turns the fan on.
Be careful if you have to remove the cap from a hot coolant fluid reservoir. Protect
your hands, arms and face against
scalding. Use a thick rag and open the
cap carefully one turn to allow excess
pressure to escape before removing the
cap.

If the fan is not working, the fuse for the fan
may be burned out, or the relay may be
defective. See "Fuses and Relays".
After the engine has cooled down, check the coolant level (see "Cooling System"). If the
coolant level is low, top it up with water.
Check for possible leaks.
If the coolant level is normal, proceed to the
nearest workshop. Avoid idle speed and stop-
and-go driving. But with an inoperative fan,
the coolant will heat up again. When the
needle enters the upper field, stop again and
let the engine cool down before you continue
driving.
Coolant system malfunctions should be
remedied by the nearest Porsche dealer, as
severe engine damage may occur.

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Fuel Gauge and FuelReserve Indicator
When the ignition is turned on, the amount of
fuel in the tank is indicated by the fuel gauge
in the right part of the dial.
If the needle enters the area in the bottom and the fuel reserve indicator lights up, there is
only a reserve of about. 2.1 U.S. gal/8 liters
left in the tank. Time to refuel at the next gas
station.
Brake Pad
Warning Light
The brake pad warning light comes on when the ignition is turned on and goes out after the engine has started.
If the light stays on when the engine is
running or comes on while driving, the brake
pads are worn, excessively.
Do not continue to operate the vehicle but
have your Porsche dealer check and
replace the brake pads.

Safety Belt
Warning Light
When the ignition is turned on the light will
come on for about 6 seconds to remind driver
and passenger to buckle up. See "Safety
Belts" for more details.


Parking Brake Light
The parking brake light will light up when the
ignition is turned on and the parking brake is
set.
The light goes out when the parking brake is fully released.
Parking Light
The parking light indicator at the bottom in the
left instrument cluster lights up when the
parking lights are switched on.

Turn Signal
Indicator Light
The turn signal indicator light, which is located below the central warning light, will flash at the same frequency as the turn signals. If a turn
signal fails, the control light flashes at about
twice the normal frequency. Have your dealer
check and repair it for you.
High Beam Indicator
Light

The high-beam indicator light, which is located at the top between the tachometer and the
right instrument cluster, will light up when you
switch on the high beams or when you flash
signal. The indicator goes out when you
switch to low beam.

Central Warning Light
The central warning light comes on after
turning on the ignition. This light monitors all
functions displayed by the instruments. If one
of these functions fails, the central warning
light and the pertinent indicator light come on
until the malfunction has been corrected. The
vehicle should immediately be taken to the
nearest authorized workshop.

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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 get maximum fuel
economy.
Have your vehicle tuned to specifications.
Fuel injection should be adjusted to
specifications.
Spark plugs should be clean, properly
gapped and fire efficiently.
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 pressures. Keep a light foot on the accelerator pedal. Drive smoothly, avoid abrupt changes in
speed as much as possible.
Avoid jack rabbit starts and sudden stops. Do not drive longer than necessary in the
lower gears. Shifting up early helps to save
fuel.
Avoid unnecessary idling. Turn the engine
off.
Prolonged "warm up" idling wastes gas. Start the vehicle just before you are ready to drive. Accelerate slowly and smoothly.


Any additional weight carried in the vehicle reduces fuel economy. Always keep cargo to
a minimum and remove all unnecessary
items.
Organize your trips to take in several
errands.
Use air conditioner only when needed. All electrical equipment contribute to increased fuel consumption.
The EPA estimated m.p.g. is to be used for
comparison purposes, actual mileage may be
different from the estimated m.p.g., depending on your driving speed, weather conditions and trip length. Your actual highway mileage will
probably be less than the estimated m.p.g.
Please observe all local and national speed
limits.


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Fuel Filler Cap
The lockable fuel filler cap is on the right side
panel of the car. When putting the cap back
on, twist it clockwise until it stops with an
audible click.
We recommend you turn off the engine
when filling the fuel tank.
Fuel tank capacity is listed under "Filling
Capacities".
If you lose your fuel filler cap, replace it
immediately with a cap of the same design to
reduce the possibility of a fire in a collision.
Fuel Recommendation
Your Porsche is equipped with a catalytic
converter and must use UNLEADED FUEL
ONLY.
944:
Minimum octane rating is 91 RON (87
CLC or AKI rating on US fuel pumps).
944 S / 944 Turbo: Minimum octane rating is
95 RON (90 CLC or AKI rating on US fuel
pumps).
Federal law prohibits use of leaded fuel in
this vehicle.
The use of UNLEADED FUEL ONLY is
critically important to the life of the catalytic
converter. Deposits from leaded gasolines will ruin the converter and make it ineffective as
an emission control device.
Cars with a catalytic converter have a smaller
fuel tank opening, and gas station pumps
have smaller nozzles. This will prevent
accidental pumping of leaded fuel into cars
with a catalytic converter.
Unleaded fuels may not be available outside
the continental U.S. and Canada. Therefore,
we recommend you do not take your car to areas or countries where unleaded fuel may
not be available.
Octane ratings
Octane rating indicates a gasoline's ability to
resist detonation. Therefore, buying the
correct octane gas is important to prevent
engine "knock" and possible engine damage.
The 91 RON (95 RON) octane rating of your
car is based on the research method. The CLC (U.S. Cost of Living Council octane
rating) or AKI (antiknock index) usually
displayed on U.S. gasoline 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:
91 RON equals ............ 87 CLC or AKI
95 RON equals ............ 90 CLC or AKI

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When the engine is cold, the coolant level
should reach the minimum mark on the
expansion tank. When the engine is warm, the coolant level will be above the minimum mark. Since the closed cooling system loses almost
no coolant, topping up is normally not
required. An obvious loss of coolant indicates
leakage. In this case contact your dealer.
WARNING

Do not open the filler cap when the engine is hot because of the danger of
scalding. Allow the engine to cool down.
Protect your hands, arms and face.

Using a thick rag, open the cap carefully and only enough to allow excess
pressure to escape before removing the
cap.
To avoid damage to the engine, only add
cold antifreeze and cold water
to the cooling system when the engine is also cold. A warm engine should only be topped up if the coolant level has dropped appreciably below
the minimum mark. Too much added coolant
will escape through the pressure cap when coolant warms up.
If more than about 1.06 U.S qt or 1 liter must
be added, the cooling system should be bled.

Winter operation At the beginning of the winter season, have the coolant checked for anti-freeze
concentration.
The ratio between water and anti-freeze
necessary to prevent freezing depends on the
anticipated outside temperatures. The ratios
can be taken from the mixing chart listed
under "Filling Capacities" or from the container of the antifreeze manufacturer.
Increasing the anti-freeze in the coolant
further than shown on the container is not
only uneconomical, it is also detrimental to engine cooling.
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944 Draining the coolant
Engine must be cold
1. Move temperature control lever to "warm".
2.
Remove filler cap from expansion tank.
3. Unscrew drain plug on radiator and on engine block (curved arrows). Allow coolant to drain completely.
Bleeding cooling system and topping up
coolant
1. Reinstall radiator drain plug. Do not overtighten plug (required torque is 43 in.
lb/5 Nm).
2.
When reinstalling engine block drain-plug,
use a new gasket. Do not overtighten plug
(required torque is 14 ft lb/20 Nm).
3.
Move temperature control lever to "warm".
4. Unscrew the vent plug (single white arrow)
and remove.
5. Remove the expansion tank filler cap and
slowly pour coolant into the tank. Stop
pouring as soon as fluid runs out of vent
plug opening.
6.
The expansion tank should only be about
half full so as to prevent any overflow once
the engine is warm.
7.
Screw in the vent plug loosely.
8. Start the engine. Let engine run at increased idle until it has reached operating temperature (the radiator fan will turn on
and off).
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