New GT4 collection questions - Page 2 - Boxster/Cayman - PistonHeads UK

Hi, I’m collecting my new GT4 soon and would be interested what others have done in the circumstances. I’m paying for it outright and would like to check the car over before I pay the remainder, but bank transfers aren’t guaranteed to be quick and I could be waiting a while. Should I just pay in full in advance and not worry? The dealer has mentioned Porsche Car Connect which I understand is a tracker, Dealer says I don’t need to use it, but need to create an account so they can input into the car if I want to. Is this worth doing ? Lastly, not a collection question but what trickle charger are people using? Many thanks

Make payment before collection assuming it is a UK OPC no worries. Get the OPC to sign a receipt the car is EXACTLY as you specced it there have been a few cases of cars not having everything you specced with componentry supply issues etc if need be go through everything before you drive off especially if it is a new to you OPC. Tracker wouldn't bother with more trouble than its worth unless it is a requirement of your insurance. Some insurers bizarrley charge more for cars with tracker than without now reflectling it is little deterrent to professional car thieves who would specifically target a GT4. As others have said a Ctek charger is ideal hope you specced a smoker package makes it easier to connect to the cig lighter.

When I have previuosly paid cash for PorschesI have made final payment in advance of picking up the car . It is very unlikely that there will be anything wrong with the car - I assume it is brand new ? Re the tracker, you need to check with your insurance, they may insist on a tracker on a car of this value - mine did. There are of course other trackers available but it makes sense to utilise the one alteady in the car. Some people have had problems with the Porsche tracker though - mine has been OK so far !! I use CTEK MX 5 trickle charger - very good. Good luck with the car Edited by WG on Sunday 24th July 10:01

Thanks for the replies yes brand new from an OPC Don’t need a tracker for insurance Didn’t specify the smokers package, is there a 12v socket I can use instead ? Thanks

N54 said: Thanks for the replies yes brand new from an OPC Don’t need a tracker for insurance Didn’t specify the smokers package, is there a 12v socket I can use instead ? Thanks No other socket unfortunately but it is an easy job removing the plastic tray under the hood at the base of the windscreen to expose the battery for charging. Who is your insurer if you don't mind me asking?

av185 said: No other socket unfortunately but it is an easy job removing the plastic tray under the hood at the base of the windscreen to expose the battery for charging. Who is your insurer if you don't mind me asking? Is there not a 12v socket in the passenger footwell RHS ??

av185 said: No other socket unfortunately but it is an easy job removing the plastic tray under the hood at the base of the windscreen to expose the battery for charging. Who is your insurer if you don't mind me asking? Was going with classic line

Sandy59 said: av185 said: No other socket unfortunately but it is an easy job removing the plastic tray under the hood at the base of the windscreen to expose the battery for charging. Who is your insurer if you don't mind me asking? Is there not a 12v socket in the passenger footwell RHS ?? Unfortunately not.

There’s a 12v socket in the passenger footwell that can be used for trickle charging.

You will be asked to pay in full before collection in my experience, as others have said it’s not worth trying to hold anything back. You could ask to inspect it prior to handover day, it usually takes a few days for the PDI etc to get done so it’s gives you some time to have a good look. You should do a very thorough inspection of the car as soon as you get it, especially the paint quality. Two out of three of my last new Porsches have required rectification, one of which was really bad. To be fair Porsche sorted it out quickly and efficiently. My last one was PTS and the paint quality is superb. My cars all go straight from collection to the detailer for PPF. The detailer gives the paintwork a good check over and correction. I always have the geometry checked and set up as well. It’s only a couple of hundred quid but it can make a huge difference to how it drives. The geometry out of the factory can be miles out. Then enjoy

There appears to be some confusion as to whether you can charge a battery on certain Porsches including a 718 GT4 from the passenger footwell terminal. This gets conflated by the fact that the power SUPPLY at this point is automatically disconnected after around 30 mins to preserve battery life on some models and this MAY include the GT4. This would not necessarilly mean the battery couldn't be successfully charged at this point and this remains to be seen and in the meantime it would be interesting to hear from anyone who has successfully charged a 718 GT4 battery this way.

I can’t speak directly to a 718GT4, but a 981GT4 can be charged using a trickle charger (in my case the ubiquitous Ctek model 5 that everyone recommends) plugged into either the power socket in the centre arm rest or the passenger footwell. Even though they may shut down as far as supplying power from the battery after a specified period, they remain “open” for power to be supplied to the battery. By contrast, the sockets in my wife’s 2017 Mini take a charge for 5-10 minutes, then the Ctek shuts down to display a single flashing light. The only way I have found to trickle charge that car is direct to the battery and the earth point. I infer that the sockets in that have been designed by BMW to shut down for all purposes after a specified period.

Charging can be done on the passenger footwell socket , but not on the cigarette lighter !

Romo said: Charging can be done on the passenger footwell socket , but not on the cigarette lighter ! I regularly charge my 718 GT4 991.2 GT3 and Turbo S through the cigar lighter socket.

N54 said: The dealer has mentioned Porsche Car Connect which I understand is a tracker, Dealer says I don’t need to use it, but need to create an account so they can input into the car if I want to. Is this worth doing ? I have never liked trackers and my insurance has never asked for it (elephant for many years) but Porsche Car Connect does other stuff, check status of car on the app, lock doors remotely etc Get them to explain it thoroughly as it was stupidly complicated on my Macan with 3 different connect systems / levels

Use a pig tail connector one connector to +ve battery terminal and the other to an earthing point NOT the -ve battery terminal. The lead will come out of the top of the bonnet near the hinge without fouling the rubber weather strip. (I use a Halfords black plug trickle charger that has a light that changes from red to green. Must have had it 15yrs and the tightness in me doesn’t see the point spending top price on a C-TEK when other chargers can do the same job)

bigmowley said: You will be asked to pay in full before collection in my experience, as others have said it’s not worth trying to hold anything back. You could ask to inspect it prior to handover day, it usually takes a few days for the PDI etc to get done so it’s gives you some time to have a good look. You should do a very thorough inspection of the car as soon as you get it, especially the paint quality. Two out of three of my last new Porsches have required rectification, one of which was really bad. To be fair Porsche sorted it out quickly and efficiently. My last one was PTS and the paint quality is superb. My cars all go straight from collection to the detailer for PPF. The detailer gives the paintwork a good check over and correction. I always have the geometry checked and set up as well. It’s only a couple of hundred quid but it can make a huge difference to how it drives. The geometry out of the factory can be miles out. Then enjoy Thanks for the replies Bit confused if you can charge via the power socket or not but that would be the easiest option. Did you get the OPC to check the geometry? Not good that it’s out from the factory

You can charge it from the footwell 12v socket. I did over winter. Won’t be a problem though, you’ll want to drive it all the time. Enjoy.

N54 said: bigmowley said: You will be asked to pay in full before collection in my experience, as others have said it’s not worth trying to hold anything back. You could ask to inspect it prior to handover day, it usually takes a few days for the PDI etc to get done so it’s gives you some time to have a good look. You should do a very thorough inspection of the car as soon as you get it, especially the paint quality. Two out of three of my last new Porsches have required rectification, one of which was really bad. To be fair Porsche sorted it out quickly and efficiently. My last one was PTS and the paint quality is superb. My cars all go straight from collection to the detailer for PPF. The detailer gives the paintwork a good check over and correction. I always have the geometry checked and set up as well. It’s only a couple of hundred quid but it can make a huge difference to how it drives. The geometry out of the factory can be miles out. Then enjoy Thanks for the replies Bit confused if you can charge via the power socket or not but that would be the easiest option. Did you get the OPC to check the geometry? Not good that it’s out from the factory Christ no. I am sure that there are some very capable OPC’s out there but I haven’t found one yet. I use independent specialists who have way more experience and will tailor the car to how you like it to drive. Not sure where you are based but there are lots of good guys about. Fernsport, Centre of Gravity, String Theory or lots of the Porsche race teams. Porsche GT cars have a lot more adjustment possible than most cars and can feel quite noticeably different depending on the set up, even on the road at modest pace. My last 718 Spyder was a bit of a bugger to set up and was very sensitive to rear toe. It’s not necessarily “wrong” out of the factory just not optimized for you. There are a lot of variables!

Mad Scientist said: You can charge it from the footwell 12v socket. I did over winter. Won’t be a problem though, you’ll want to drive it all the time. Enjoy. Thanks can anyone advise where the best place to route the ctek cable around the passenger door is please ?

All good advice. Anything else to look out for on delivery? This is my first Porsche so all new. I’m using PRG so I’d imagine all should be good on the set-up front. And any experience of winter tyres / wheels? I’ll be using mine all weathers, year round. Just swap tyres or new wheels needed too? I’ve heard Alpins are good but new wheels are expensive.

Now then Bruce said: All good advice. Anything else to look out for on delivery? This is my first Porsche so all new. I’m using PRG so I’d imagine all should be good on the set-up front. And any experience of winter tyres / wheels? I’ll be using mine all weathers, year round. Just swap tyres or new wheels needed too? I’ve heard Alpins are good but new wheels are expensive. I have a set of Alpin 4s for my Spyder. They are very good and I did a trip to Sweden in Feb this year with them fitted and had no issues at all despite a heck of a lot of snow and Ice. They were fine in the UK too. You loose a bit of steering feel and the ride is softer but really very good. I could not get the Porsche recommended sizes which are a bit odd, so I used the standard summer tyre size on standard wheels and it was fine.

bigmowley said: I have a set of Alpin 4s for my Spyder. They are very good and I did a trip to Sweden in Feb this year with them fitted and had no issues at all despite a heck of a lot of snow and Ice. They were fine in the UK too. You loose a bit of steering feel and the ride is softer but really very good. I could not get the Porsche recommended sizes which are a bit odd, so I used the standard summer tyre size on standard wheels and it was fine. Awesome, thanks. That sounds like a heck of a trip. Very cool. Did you swap the tyres over, or have a new set of wheels?

Now then Bruce said: bigmowley said: I have a set of Alpin 4s for my Spyder. They are very good and I did a trip to Sweden in Feb this year with them fitted and had no issues at all despite a heck of a lot of snow and Ice. They were fine in the UK too. You loose a bit of steering feel and the ride is softer but really very good. I could not get the Porsche recommended sizes which are a bit odd, so I used the standard summer tyre size on standard wheels and it was fine. Awesome, thanks. That sounds like a heck of a trip. Very cool. Did you swap the tyres over, or have a new set of wheels? I swapped them over onto the standard wheels, then swapped them back in April. I will pop them back on in November.

I tend to buy a set of winter wheels and tyres with a new Porsche as a matter of course nowadays. They generally do such a good deal on them that you are effectively paying for a spare set of rims with centre caps and TP sensors, and getting the tyres thrown in for free. If you have a look on the configurator there will be a price for them, and you should be able to get the same deal from your OPC as an accessory after you get the car. Saves messing about worrying that the winter tyres will have an acceptable N-rating for warranty, etc. I also worry about changing tyres more often than necessary and ending up with the rims getting marked or worn. Liam

Cheers guys. All very sensible. Main issue for me is the cost. I’m already stretching myself to get the GT4. So, a penny saved will be a penny earned…