coolant

A buddy of mine just got a 996 C4S and was wondering if he needs to contact his dealer to add additional coolant or just pick some up at the auto parts store.Any particular brand? Any info would be appreciated. Steve '97 993tt

I bit the dust and bought the quart in the black bottle from the dealer, just to make sure I didn't mix different kinds. Easy to add yourself.

Porsche antifreeze is the new environmentally safe (organic) antifreeze and should not be mixed with other antifreeze. There are stories of the coolant jelling (as in Jello) when the wrong kinds are mixed. A 50-50 mixture of the Porsche (Elf) antifreeze and water is recommended by Porsche. Here is a pic of the approved coolant bottles:

Thanks guys. The speed of your responses has convinced my buddy as to the incredible value to rennlist membership- as well as the fact that he should use the Porsche coolant! Thanks again. Steve '97 993tt

FWIW, Please keep in mind that if you ever require/request warranty engine replacement, Porsche will definitely take fluid samples (oil, coolant) first, and if they detect non recommended fluids/additives based on spectrographic analysis, you will be out of luck. Considering that a REMANUFACTURED motor for my 01TT is ~ $30K, I can't see not using Porsche approved fluids.

I have a quart of the Porsche-approved coolant in my garage too, but wouldn't hesitate to use another ethelyne-glycol based coolant in a pinch (that's what a close-up of the ingredients label on the picture above would show). Its anti-freeze, not nuclear fissionable material, 'fer pete's sake! And if this car starts overheating at the track (like the last one), I won't hesitate to add Red Line Water Wetter. Finally, Porsche would have to prove that using non-approved fluids was the direct cause of an engine failure in order to get out of their warrantee obligations. Keep in mind that the primary reason for Porsche Approved is "promotional considerations" paid by the fluid supplier (bribery is such an ugly word ). Next thing you know, we will be encouraged to only fill our Porsche-approved tires with Porsche-approved air

JayM, I agree with you on the "promotional" aspect. However, since Porsche states that the use of unapproved or unauthorized fluids/additives will void your warranty, I believe they hold the stronger postion (legally speaking). They don't have to prove that the unauthorized fluid was the root cause or not; merely present evidence that the owner/user ignored the written warnings regarding said use. Again, given the liability of the cost of a new motor, I don't mind stocking their fluids and subsidizing their promotional partners. Porsche has refused motor replacements based on improper fluids and have prevailed in court when challenged.