check oil PORSCHE BOXSTER S 2010 2.G User Guide

Warnings
165
Oil pressure gage faultyHave the fault remedied at an authorized
Porsche dealer.
Oil level display faulty Have the fault remedied at an authorized
Porsche dealer.
Oil temperature gage faulty Have the fault remedied at an authorized
Porsche dealer.
Oil temperature
too high Switch engine off and let
it cool. Check oil level
and, if necessary, add oil.
Please observe the chapter “OIL DISPLAY AND
MEASUREMENT OF THE ENGINE OIL LEVEL“.
Indicator faulty Coolant indicator failed.
Have the fault remedied at an authorized
Porsche dealer.
Brake pad wear Have the brake pads changed immediately at an
authorized Porsche dealer.
Warning – Brake fluid level Stop immediately in a suitable place.
Do not continue driving. Have the fault remedied
at an authorized Porsche dealer.
Warning – Brake circuit division Stop immediately in a suitable place. Do not continue driving. Have the fault remedied
at an authorized Porsche dealer.
ABS failure Have the fault remedied at an authorized
Porsche dealer.
PSM off Porsche Stability Management has been
switched off.
Instrument
panel On-board
computerText display on on-board
computer Meaning/measure

166
Warnings
PSM onPorsche Stability Management has been
switched on.
PSM failure Have the fault remedied at an authorized
Porsche dealer.
PSM
initialisation Please observe the chapter “PUTTING VEHICLE
INTO OPERATION“.
PASM Normal/Sport Indicator for selected PASM mode
PASM failure Have the fault remedied at an authorized
Porsche dealer.
PASM indicator faulty Have the fault remedied at an authorized
Porsche dealer.
Sport mode failure Have the fault remedied at an authorized
Porsche dealer.
Airbag system fault Airbag is faulty.
Have the fault remedied at an authorized
Porsche dealer.
Check passenger’s seat setting Weight sensing is impaired on the front passenger's seat (Advanced Airbag).
Correct the seating position, set the backrest
upright, do not support weight on the armrests,
or lift on the handles.
Failure spoiler control Driving stability is impaired.
Adjust your driving style. Reduce speed.
Have the fault remedied at an authorized
Porsche dealer.
Display of
selector lever posi-
tion flashes Selector lever is not engaged Porsche Doppelkupplung:
Selector lever can be between two positions.
Engage the selector lever correctly.
Instrument
panel On-board
computerText display on on-board
computer Meaning/measure

Maintenance, Car Care
197
Coolant LevelfPlease see the chapter “EXERCISE EXTREME
CAUTION WHEN WORKING ON YOUR VEHICLE”
on Page 196.
The cooling system is filled at the factory with a
permanent coolant.
It provides year-round protection from corrosion
and freezing down to –31 °F/–35 °C .
f Only use antifreeze authorized by Porsche. Checking coolant level The expansion tank with its filler orifice is located
in the rear luggage comp artment under the serv-
ice flap.
f Check the coolant level regularly.
When the engine is cold and the car is level the
fluid level must lie between the “MIN” and “MAX”
markings.
Topping off coolant
Warning!
Danger of serious personal injury or death
from scalding. Coolant is hazardous to your
health, and may be fatal if swallowed.
f Do not open the cap of the expansion tank
while the engine is hot.
f Allow the engine to cool down before opening
the cap and protect your hands, arms and face
from any possible escape of hot coolant.
f Keep coolant out of children’s reach.
f Also, 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 contai-
ner. Coolant can be deadly to pets if consu-
med.
Risk of damage from overflowing coolant.
f Take care while topping off coolant not to soil the luggage compartment or items of luggage.
1. Switch engine off and let it cool. Please see the chapter “COOLING SYSTEM” on
Page 88. 2. Open the service flap by pulling the handhold.
3. Cover the expansion tank cap with a thick rag.
Open cap slowly and ca refully and allow over-
pressure to escape.
Then unscrew cap completely.
4. Only add a mixture of antifreeze and water in
equal parts, and do not exceed the ”Max.“
mark.
Antifreeze in coolant:
50% gives protection down to –31 °F/–35 °C
60% gives protection down to –58 °F/–50 °C
5. Screw cap firmly on.
6. Close service flap.

Maintenance, Car Care
199
Engine Oil It is important to perform oil changes regularly in
accordance with the intervals specified in the
“Maintenance” booklet.
Engine 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
lubricant.
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
level at all, even after 600 miles (1,000 km) or
more. This is because the oil is gradually becom-
ing diluted with fuel or mo isture, 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,
climatic conditions are warm, and the load is high,
the oil should be checked more frequently, as
driving conditions will determine the rate of oil
consumption.
– The engine in your vehicle depends on oil to
lubricate and cool all of its moving parts.
Therefore, the engine oil should be checked
regularly and kept at the required level.
– Make it a habit to have the engine oil level checked at 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.
Engine Oil Level f Please see the chapter “EXERCISE EXTREME
CAUTION WHEN WORKING ON YOUR VEHICLE”
on Page 196.
f Regularly check the oil level using the on-board
computer after the vehicle is refuelled.
Please see the chapter “OIL DISPLAY AND
MEASUREMENT OF THE ENGINE OIL LEVEL”
on Page 157.
The difference between the minimum and maxi-
mum marks on the segment display is approx.
1.3 quarts (1.25 liters).
Each segment of the display corresponds to ap-
prox. 0.42 quart (0.4 liter).

200
Maintenance, Car Care
Topping off engine oil
Warning!
Engine oil is hazardous to your health and
may be fatal if swallowed.
f Keep engine oil out of children’s reach.
Used engine oil contains chemicals that have
caused cancer in laboratory animals.
f Always protect your skin by washing thorough-ly with soap and water. Caution!
Risk of damage from overflowing engine oil.
f Take care while checking and topping up
engine oil not to soil the luggage compartment or items of luggage.
Note
The Check Engine warning light may light up if the
cap of the oil filler open ing is opened while the
engine is running.
The oil inlet opening is lo cated in the rear luggage
compartment under the service flap.
1. Measure the oil level and read off the required top-up quantity on the on-board computer.
2. Switch off the engine. 3. Open the service flap by pulling the handhold.
4. Unscrew the oil filler cap.
5. Add at most 0.5 quar ts (0.5 liter) of engine oil
at a time.
Never add more engine oil than required
to reach the max. mark.
6. Close oil filler cap until you feel it reach its end
position.
7. Measure oil level again with the on-board computer. Switch off the engine.
8. If necessary, repeat the process and add more engine oil as required.
Engine Oil RecommendationPorsche recommends .
The right oil for your vehicle.
1) Generally, you can find details of the
manufacturer approvals on the oil containers or as
a notice displayed by the retailer.
The current approval status is also available from
your Porsche partner.
2) SAE viscosity class - Example: SAE 0W - 40
Specification 0W = Viscosity specification for
low temperatures (winter).
Specification 40 = Viscosity specification for
high temperatures.
3) For all temperature ranges.
4) For the temperature range over --13 °F (--
25 °C).Complies with
approval
1)
Viscosity class
2)
Porsche A40 SAE 0W - 40
3)
SAE 5W - 40
4)
SAE 5W - 50
4)

Maintenance, Car Care
201
Always observe the following points:
– Use engine oils approved by Porsche only. This is a precondition for optimum and problem-free
operation of your vehicle.
– Regular oil changes are part of servicing. It is important that the service intervals,
particularly the oil change intervals, are
observed in accordance with the specifications
in the “Maintenance” booklet.
– Oils approved by Porsche can be mixed with each other.
– Porsche engines are designed so that no oil additives may be used.
– A label is located in the engine compartment, which provides you with in formation on suitable
oil for your engine.
Your Porsche partner will be pleased to
advise you.Oil changeThe engine oil has to be changed regularly at the
intervals listed in your Maintenance Schedule .
f Please see the chapter “CAPACITIES” on
Page 281.
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. You can make best use of these long oil
change intervals by usin
g multigrade oils since
these are largely independent of seasonal fluctua-
tions in temperature.
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 fr equently so that your
engine once again has 100% efficient engine oil.
Engine oil performance class Engine 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.
Viscosity Like 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
(measured at temperatures below 32 °
F/0 °
C) the
SAE class is given as a number and the letter “W”
(as in winter), for hot viscosity (measured at
212 °
F/100 °
C) 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.
Oils with two viscosities are called multigrade oils;
oils with only one viscosity are termed single-
grade oils.
Single-grade oils can not be used in your engine.
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.

202
Maintenance, Car Care
Brake Fluid LevelfPlease see the chapter “EXERCISE EXTREME
CAUTION WHEN WORKING ON YOUR VEHICLE”
on Page 196.
f Use 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.
f Keep brake fluid out of children’s reach.
f Take care while topping off brake fluid not to
soil the luggage compartment or items of lug-gage.
Checking the brake fluid levelThe reservoir for the hydraulic braking and clutch
systems is located in the luggage compartment.
1. Open and remove cover flap A.
2. Regularly check the brake-fluid level on the transparent expansion tank through the
window B.
The fluid level should always lie between the
minimum and maximum 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 minimum mark, the br aking system may have
developed a leak.
f Have the brake system checked without delay
at an authorized Porsche dealer.

Maintenance, Car Care
211
Power Steering
Warning!
Risk of accident resulti ng in serious personal
injury or death.
When the engine is stopped (e.g. when being
towed) or the hydraulic system fails, there is
no assistance for steering.
Therefore, substantially more force will have
to be exerted in order to steer.
f Exercise great care when being towed.
f Have the fault remedied at your nearest autho-rized Porsche dealer.
Note
The flow noise heard at full steering lock is system
related and does not indi cate a defect in the
steering system.
Checking hydraulic fluid f Please see the chapter “EXERCISE EXTREME
CAUTION WHEN WORKING ON YOUR VEHICLE”
on Page 196.
The hydraulic fluid reservoir is located in the engi-
ne compartment.
Regular checking of hydraulic fluid is part of
servicing.
Air Filter A dirty air filter not only reduces engine perform-
ance, but can lead to premature engine wear.
Regular filter replacement is part of the routine
maintenance service.
f In dusty conditions, check the filter element
more frequently and replace if necessary.Combination Filter The fresh air passing through the combination fil-
ter into the passenger co mpartment is virtually
free of dust, pollen, and unpleasant odors.
f If the outside air is polluted by exhaust fumes,
press the circulating-air button.
A dirty filter can be the cause of reduced air flow:
f Have filter replaced by your authorized
Porsche dealer.
Regular filter replacement is part of the routine
maintenance service.
Fluids/Oils for Manual
Transmission and Porsche
Doppelkupplung (PDK)The transmission fluids/oils have to be checked
and changed at the intervals listed in your Mainte-
nance Schedule.
f Please see the chapter “CAPACITIES” on
Page 281.
Do not tow the car or run the engine without fluid/
oil in the transmission. The transmission may be
damaged by even a tiny speck of dirt, only a clean
funnel or spout must be used when adding fluid/
oil.
We recommend that you have the fluids/oils
changed at your Porsche dealer, who has the re-
quired lubricants and the necessary filling equip-
ment.
f If you suspect an oil leak in the transmission,
have your authorized Porsche dealer check it
out immediately.

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

220
Maintenance, Car Care
f
Use mild detergent to clean soiled belts.
f When drying, avoid direct sunlight.
f Only use suitable cleaning agents.
f Do not tint or bleach the belts.
The belt fabric could be weakened, thus affec-
ting safety.
Storing your Porsche If you intend to store yo ur Porsche for a prolonged
period, please consult your authorized Porsche
dealer. The staff will be glad to advise you on the
most suitable and necessary methods.
f Clean your vehicle thoroughly inside and out-
side.
Clean the engine compartment.
The under carriage and chassis components
should be free of dirt and salt deposits.
f Fill up the fuel tank.
f Change the oil and oil filter, and run the engine
for several minutes.
f Increase the tire pressure to 50 psi (3.5 bar).
It is not recommended to lift the vehicle, due to
the possibility of corros ion on shock absorber
piston shafts.
The vehicle should be moved slightly, approxi-
mately every four weeks, to prevent flat spot
on the tires.
Climate control
The air conditioning system should be in good
working condition and fully charged.
Windshield/Headlight washer
f Check and correct antifr eeze/cleaning solution
level as necessary. Electrical system
f
Remove the battery from the vehicle and store
it in a cool dry place, not on a cement floor.
When the battery is disconnected, the
alarm system is deactivated.
f Recharge the battery every 3 months. If the
battery remains in the vehicle with the cables
connected, it is necessary to check, remove
and recharge the battery every 2-3 weeks.
Do not fast charge the battery.
f Please see the chapter “BATTERY” on
Page 249.
Vehicle interior
The interior must be dry, especially in the area of
the floor carpets. The use of drying agents (Silica-
Gel) is recommended in vehicles with leather inte-
rior and in areas with high humidity. The recom-
mended amount is 3 fabric bags of 1.1 lbs.
(500 grams) each placed on the floor carpets.
Windows, doors and lids must be closed. The air
vents should be opened.