New owner first questions!

cobnut · May 7, 2019

Hi folks, new 987S owner here, unbelievably happy with my car, it's all I can do to get on with the rest of my life and not just constantly drive her around. Anyway, I have a couple of questions from the last 4 days of driving, my apologies if they're FAQs or answered elsewhere.

#1 - The tiptronic controls on the wheel show + and - on the switches on both sides but on mine the left-hand switch only shifts up and the right-hand one only shifts down, pressing the other direction does nothing. Is this normal? If it's not normal, is it a setting hidden somewhere in the config? It doesn't seem likely these switches will have both broken in such a specific way...

#2 - Aircon. It's not been the best of weather over the bank holiday weekend, but the cabin did get a little warm at one point and I tried out the "AC Max" button. It seemed to do all the right things (airflow to max, recirculating, etc.) but the cooling effect was quite weak by the standards of other cars I've owned, even ones of a similar age. Again, is this normal for Porsche or might it indicate the system needs recharging? If recharging is the issue, can this be done at any reputable garage that offers the service or is it an arm and a leg at an authorised dealer? It's not a huge issue, 99% of the time if it's warm enough to need aircon the roof will be down anyway!

Many thanks,

Jack

Craiglm68 · May 7, 2019

Welcome to the club! If you don't know when it was last recharged (air con I mean), any reputable purveyor of such services is fine (but yes, the 987 systems aren't as "Arctic" as some you will have experienced). Over time, some cars can suffer damage to the air con condensers, hence people install grills (e.g. Zunsport)

Motorhead · May 7, 2019

Hi Jack,

Sorry I can't help with the Tiptronic question - I drive a manual 987.2 Cayman S - but it sounds as though your a/c system certainly would benefit from a recharge. The two a/c condensers up front are prone to corrosion and leaks, so it would be worthwhile getting them checked-out at the time of the recharge.

Although the system can be recharged anywhere, if you can find a local Porsche independent who can do the job they'll be able to advise you on any rectification work required, and they'll be significantly cheaper than a Porsche dealer.

Carry on enjoying the new car.!

Jeff

cobnut · May 7, 2019

Thanks Craig, Jeff. The aircon issue is pretty low priority - I've other places I'd rather spend the money first! I'll scope around locally for prices, etc.

Roger Goode · May 7, 2019

Both Tiptronic switches should shift up and down. I’m not aware that they can be programmed as yours are and I guess that someone may have modified the wiring on yours. Perhaps an independent Porsche specialist would be best placed to sort that out for you. If you didn’t have a pre purchase inspection carried out I suggest that you get a 111 point inspection done. Some independents will do that free of charge. It will tell you what needs doing and prioritise tasks.

cobnut · May 7, 2019

Thanks Roger, to be honest it's something I can live with for now - I don't use them often but it's good to know how they should work and to add to a list perhaps the next time she needs to go in somewhere. This is as good a time as any to ask the bonus round question of if you, or anyone else, has a recommendation for a good independent specialist in the Oxford/Reading area...

Jack