Pre-drive inspection

I seldom ask for help on this forum, but I am hoping to get some expert opinion on something that has troubled me for years: I have a 99 C2, and when I first got the car, I read the manual, cover to cover, determined to follow Porsche�s recommendations and suggestions; since they must know the best way of caring for and driving their magnificent machines. Therefore, for the past 9 years, I have religiously followed the manuals instructions to: Before diving off�.. Check the following items first - Be sure the tires are inflated correctly. Check tires for damage and tire wear - See that wheel bolts are properly tightened and not loose or missing - Check engine oil level, add if necessary - Check all fluid levels - Be sure vehicle battery is well charged - Check all doors and hoods for proper operation and latch them properly - Check and replace if necessary wiper blades - See that all windows are clear and unobstructed - Check air intake slots and are between hood and windshield - Check all interior and exterior lights and make sure lenses are clean - Check headlights for proper aim and adjust if necessary - Check under the vehicle for leaks All the above is suggested before you even get in the car. My concern is that it takes me approximately 30 minutes to perform all the above tasks each time I want to drive my car. It used to be more than an hour, but through careful planning and efficiencies I implemented with my inspection technique, I was able to cut the time in half. My question to the experts is whether they also follow Porsche�s suggestions before driving their car. I also ask whether you think it would be wise for me to use some of my intelligence to, maybe, modify what I insect each time I want to take the car for a drive. Recently, I almost stopped the above inspections if I had already done one that same day. However, when I did my inspection in the morning and drove to get coffee at Duncan Donuts, I just was not comfortable NOT doing the inspection all over again before driving back home. I have read and reread the manual and, nowhere is there any guidance that this inspection should be done daily, weekly or less frequently, so I feel compelled, in order to be as safe as possible and properly maintain the vehicle, to perform the inspection before each and every drive. Forgive me for the question, but I DID search the forum several times but found nothing that would provide me with any guidance. I saw many posting that suggested that it is always best to follow Porsche' recommendations and that no one on the board should question their expertise. I am hoping that there may be a maverick among us that has strayed from some Porsche recommendations and would like to know how they were able to sleep at night. Also, what special qualifications do you have to make such a decision against Porsche recommendations?. Thank to all.

My hat off to you, but I can neither confirm nor deny whether I follow the manual that closely.

I read it twice and didn't get the joke. Can anyone help, cos I'm sure it's buried in there somewhere.....

Are you serious? I would love to get a video of this provess if this is true. I manually check my tires and oil once each week, visually inspect the tires each time I drive, let her idle for a few seconds, drive off and keep the car below 4k RPM until my temp hits 180. Then it's vroom vroom.

You mean you didn't get this listen and learn series along with your owners manual It explains everything you could ever need to know, really it does!

I actually have a PPI done before I drive it. Yeah, it's $135 in the morning and again at night, but the peace of mind is worth it.

Dude, either you have the world's driest sense of humor , or a serious dose of OCD. In case it's the latter, I assure you that for normal driving, I get in, buckle up, start the engine, and go. So far so good.

I forgot to mention the problem with checking the lug bolts torque before each drive. I typically set the initial bolt torgue to about 96/ftlbs. Unfortunately, the only way to properly check the setting is to apply enough torque to the bolt to get it to move just slightly more than it was set for. This means that everytime I check the lugs, I have to increase the torque by about 1/ftlb to get a proper reading. So now I have to loosen all the bolts every few drives and reset them so I don't over torque them. There has to be a better way!

If it's the morning, I generally skip checking the headlights for proper aim.

Wow! I am flattered that you spend so much time using me as your cyber-punching bag. I am truly humbled by your jealousy of me.

Do you rec'd any particular weight of oil or do you just follow the most current approved engine oils list? Just having a little Friday afternoon fun

Because the manual states that the oil pressure should be at 3.5 bar on a warmed engine at running speed and mine is always at 5 bar, I've made it a practice to add 2 quarts of kerosene to the cranckcase in order to lower the pressure. Guage is now accurate according to the manual. I use to put 3 quarts less ol in the crankcase to lower the pressure but I heard alot of noise in the back of the car. Have a great weekend everyone.

[Image-only post; no author-written text. Original image references:] https://rennlist.com/forums/graemlins/roflmao.gif

No problem - you deserve it

Seriously 1999Porsche911 is right. I do all the checks myself - every time! Even if I only get the mail. Plus: as I have a K&N CAI that I'm not supposed to use in the rain, I own a small Porsche umbrella to walk home if it rains.

The only thing funnier than the original post is the fact that some people don't actually get the humor. I have one minor criticism though - please note that every time you check the air pressure in your tires, you are letting a little bit of air escape. I hope that you remember to "top off" the tire after checking. Michael

Wow!! You are really wound pretty tight about the oil/porsche approved thing huh? Okay, I'm convinced!! From now on I will know if anyone ever experiences; - Variocam surge - Valve clatter - Smoke on start-up - No smoke on start up - an RMS failure - too much oil pressure - not enough oil pressure - oil starvation - an engine failure - a tire failure - a cupholder failure - or hit a deer It was probably due to poor oil selection. I will now run out to the garage and drain all of the offending 0W-40 from my engines (it should be a quick process since I now understand that its consistency is that of "water" so it will just gush out). FWIW, I'm going to go with Russ Murphy's recommendation. He uses the unadulterated tear duct oil of virgin Emperor penquins. According to Russ, once it's fractally distilled it is able to adhere infinitely to engine bearing components even up to 15,000 degrees Kelvin. It's ridiculously expensive and not on Porsche's recommended/approved/accustomed/acknowledged/allowed/authorized/chosen/confirmed/credited/endorsed/established/kosher/okayed/preferred/recognized/sanctioned list, but what the heck that list was published by the marketing department anyway. Thanks again for the advice. Tim & Dell, fire up the popcorn machine and get me a stiff drink. It's Friday after all!!

Thanks, I guess. I think it's time for the 2 of us to grab a drink Maybe then we can understand eachother better. Maybe it's the brit in my that people don't get sometimes

Ray, it's ready to go!

Ahhh, that's good

Lemon Drop Martini please Dell - with lots of sugar on the rim. Which Brit did you have in you?

Yeah, throw me in there. I wondered how someone with so many posts could be so uptight, yet I still allowed myself to believe he could be telling the truth. Dry jokesters: 1, Carpundit: 0.

Although a bit too sweet for my taste, still a nice choice. Personally, like mine dirty, very dirty with 3 olives London to be exact. However, I was born here in the states. First generation to be born here though so I don't have to carry around that silly little green card like my Dad did

1999Porsche911 take my post in the humorous good spirit I intended it. FWIW, I hear you (and don't disagree) that Porsche sometimes must make compromises with the set-up and recommendations for it's cars. i.e. ride vs handling, power vs emissions, weight vs durability, recommended tire pressures more suited to the street than track, pads that won't hold up to track use, etc. However, sometimes I think it just makes good sense to follow their advice. For example, I see no reason not to use their specs for wheel bolt torque. and..........when it comes to the oil, I am sticking to one of the oils on their list. Have a great weekend (in spite of our current weather)!

You can tell you were not born in the UK........... You walked straight past the 'Which Brit did you have in you?' joke, without the obvious, 'No-one that you'd know' answer! That's pure Two Ronnies or Pete & Dud - very British humour. Of course, I just lost 99.9% of the people on this forum - but that's nothing new! Cheers!!

No, I got it but didn't have the reference coming to mind. Just didn't have the energy to respond with offending the masses Cheers

OMG! Now I have more to worry about!!

1999Porsche911 - I actually believed you did all those checks and I was thinking, man, I took that guys advise on another forum (you were dead on, THANKS). I thought to myself after reading, I will never takes this guys advise ever again; that was a good one and I cant believe I fell for it, good work.

All in fun. However, I do believe a few people got the point I was attempting to make. Have a good long weekend.

Just having a little Friday afternoon fun [/QUOTE] How many posts must you have before you can make a joke? I read a joke from some one with just 57 posts so I have to make at least another 44 �engine failure� post before I can post a joke!

Any number of posts for jokes. NEVER for engine failure posts

When are you changing your screen name to NCDell?

Probably never. I thought about it some time ago and actually posted a thread (poll) asking for input n if I should change to NC from LV. https://rennlist.com/forums/996-forum/278364-opinions-on-new-user-name.html

I didn't see that poll and as you know, I would never offer my opinion on anything anyway.

You are in rare form this weekend! Give it up, what changed in your life recently that provoked this change? I like it

I know I am late to this party, but just go home from work a few minutes ago, then I had to spend 45 minutes conducting my POST-drive inspection: o - Torque lug nuts (don't want them to fall off overnight). o - Check "hot" tire pressure (compare current readings to previous nights hot pressure readings to be certain they are in the acceptable, approved or "recommended" limits). o - Topped off windshield wiper fluid (even if sprayer wasn't used, charting evaporation rate against current external temperature and humidity readings to calculate evaporation rate). o - Measured paint thickness on hood and front fenders (in 20 months have documented 0.000000013 microns of clear coat loss on front 1/3 of hood and fenders compared to the other areas of the hood and fenders. Theorize that air friction is the cause. Another 214 months of daily data should give me enough information to support or disprove that theory). In the morning, I will just get in and drive! PS - here's the popcorn!