Tire pressure monitoring...

[LoveBunny]

Okay. I just looked in the door frame with my own eyes and the front pressure is supposed to be 32, back 37. I don't know where my dad got 27 from, but I'm thinking maybe he needs to get his vision checked.

[husker boxster]

Take a reading on the left front and see if it's close to 32 (remember to do this in the morning before driving it, aka a "cold" reading). If it's 32, then mystery solved as to why only the right front sensor shows -4.

PS. Don't be upset with your Dad. He's just trying to help his favorite daughter. However, a word of advise. DON'T let your Dad add any fluids (antifreeze, pwr steering, oil, etc) to your car unless he's a Porsche guy. These cars take special fluids and adding ordinary fluids will damage your car. Most people don't know Porsches require special fluids, so unless he knows Porsches he may think it's OK to top off with what he has in the garage. That will be a costly mistake. Might want to casually mention this to him now before he tries to help you out without telling you. It will be too late then to have that conversation.

[LoveBunny]

So the recommended pressures are for a cold tire, not one that is heated up? If so, then I think they are all low. Maybe I should take the pressures in the middle of the night because that's about the only time that it's not hot around here.

[LoveBunny]

Ah, and thanks for the advice about adding fluids. I'd like to think that my dad would know what to do and not to do since he's been working with cars in one way or another for his whole life, but then he's the one that seems to have gotten the tire pressures wrong. I don't think he'd just add fluids to my car, at least I hope not. He seems like he's getting nuttier as he ages though.

When I was planning to buy my Boxster he kept griping and carrying on about how he didn't understand why anyone would get a Porsche and I shouldn't get one, blah, blah, blah. Then right before I was about to get it he sends me an e-mail with a whole bunch of info about Boxsters and tells me they look like great cars. Now that I have it he loves it.

[944boy]

That sucks they don't offer loaners.

I generally don't trust TPMS due to their general lack of accuracy. But it is good to know if a tire is going flat. On such nice wheels I would suggest investing in a good gauge and keeping an eye on them every now and then.

32psi sounds better for a 19".

Husker... I feel what you are saying. The dealer I bought my '05 from said they changed the oil, I believe them, but its a used chevy dealer. As competent as they are I have no idea what they used. I plan on changing the oil in 3K or less miles. Good fluids are important too.

P.S. how does the boxster deal with the rough NO roads. My 944 was not happy with the potholes and rough/unevenness. I bottomed out a number of times when I was there.

Good luck and I hope it all works out!!

[LoveBunny]

NO roads are not the best for this car. That's probably why SUVs are a lot more popular here than sports cars. I have to be really careful to avoid potholes. I also got a tire/wheel warranty that covers just about anything except for me hitting a curb.

[husker boxster]

LB, I'm not referring to the outside temp in NO when I say take a cold reading. I mean take the reading before you drive your car for any distance. Just like an engine, the air in your tires will heat up when you drive your Box, which causes it to expand. Your pressure will then show a higher number if you measure it after driving the car (expanded air = higher psi).

As far as the fluids go, in most cases Porsches require synthetic oils (oil, pwr strg, etc). The antifreeze is typical European in that it doesn't contain phosphates but most of the popular brands sold in parts stores contain phosphates, so they won't work (even if you drain all the antifreeze and replace with phosphate a/f). In general, what your Dad may have in his garage probably won't be the proper fluid for your Porsche.