The weather around here has been pretty moderate until a cold front went through last night and the temps have started to drop.
Unfortunately, I made an appointment last week to get the oil changed this Friday before I lay it up.
The forecast is overnight lows 21 deg. high temp 33 deg.; the dealer is 50 miles away.

Looking at the Conti website, they said this about how the tire reacts to cold temps:
---
Note:: Tires exposed to temperatures of 20 degrees F (-7 degrees C) or lower must be permitted to gradually return to temperatures of at least 40 degrees F (5 degrees C) for at least 24 hours before they are flexed in any manner, such as by adjusting inflation pressures, mounting them on wheels or using them to support, roll or drive a vehicle.

Flexing of the specialized rubber compounds used in Max Performance Summer tires during cold-weather use can result in irreversible compound cracking. Compound cracking is not a warrantable condition because it occurs as the result of improper use or storage, tires exhibiting compound cracking must be replaced.
-----
So, I'm rethinking this trip a bit. Would appreciate views on this.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/06/2017 08:06PM by MikenOH. (view changes)

Mike, I'm wondering if your appointment is for first thing in the AM or later in the day. If you're driving mid day, it shouldn't be a problem.

From personal experience, when I took my 981 in for its first oil change. It was around 30 degrees F and even drove through a couple of mile of s**w. I considered turning around, but I was already most of the way to the dealer (like yours, it was a 60 mile drive). In terms of tire cracking or anything else like that, I didn't experience any problems. (Except for the rear tires wearing out a year later because of that darn PSE. .

You definitely have to take it easy and give yourself plenty of space. at the cold temperatures. (Drive it like you borrowed it instead of like you stole it. )

That said, since you have a long enough warning ahead of time, I'd consider rebooking for next week sometime when temps warm up a bit again. You might even be able to drive it with the top down.

Guenter--thanks for the reply.
i'm ok with driving on these tires with temps in the 30's--as long as I don't make any sudden moves--but the temps forecasted that day were even lower. No good reason to push the envelope if I don't have to.
After looking at the forecast, I decided to rebook the following week--which hopefully won't be an issue.
I shouldn't have waited this long, but the weather in October was really great and we took advantage of it.

[It was that 21 F, that's quite a bit lower than what I experienced, that I think you made a good choice to reschedule. Since my car is no long under warranty, I'm going to have my local indi, who specializes in Porsches, change the oil this year. Ends up being about 1/3 the cost of what the dealer charges and he does all the same checks and services as the dealer. Makes it handy because I don't have to leave town.

This Friday, they're calling for a high of 25 F here and next week it's supposed to get back up into the high 30's and low 40's. I'm still holding off, but keeping an eye on the long term forecast to decide when to get the oil changed and tuck in the Boxster. 4 months is long enough. Trying to not make it any longer.

Guenter--What did the PSE have to do with the rear tires wearing out?

Quote
Blackbird
Guenter--What did the PSE have to do with the rear tires wearing out?

Well, when engaging PSE, it extends a strange control over the driver's right foot, which inevitably leads to a huge surge in the driver's permagrin while carving through twisties to sound of that fabulous Symphony in Flat Six.

Yoko AD08s through the winter (only as needed, on the track car) and I use my RE-71Rs all year 'round on the daily driver boxster, when i'm too lazy to put on my old snows. No issues.

But some tires can develop cracks or structural weakening. So I would check with the manufacturer. If that warning was for those tires, i would not move the car until it gets above 40 deg.

Remember what happens to the rear windows in cold weather!

G

Grant

gee-lenahan-at-gee-mail-dot-com

Rear windows in the cold aren't an issue with the 981 since it has a heated glass window. The manual does state you shouldn't open the top below 32 F. Reason isn't stated, but I imagine that below freezing, the membrane gets stiff or brittle enough that it could get damaged when it's folded.

From experience of a wreck that totaled my first Boxster.

If it went down to 21F, imagine how cold the road got and how long it will take to warm up to air temperature. And that is assuming the sun reaches 100% of the surface. A simple thing like the shade of a tree can mean that stretch of road warms as much as a day later even assuming the next night's temps are warmer. I was in charge of the roads in our development and traversed them at various times during the day during snow conditions (in a 4WD with aggressive A/S tires) and watched the influence of such simple things as it influenced where I needed to spread chemicals. Always where pine trees shaded the street.

Another item is condensation. Notice how the grass is often wet looking from dew? Well the same thing can happen to the roads only there especially if shaded glare ice can form that you can't really tell until you are sliding. I had plenty of time and distance to stop assuming my Summer High Performance tires grabbed the pavement, they didn't and only about 5 feet before I hit the truck did the ABS kick in.

About 10:30 on a day after Thanksgiving and I doubt the temps had gotten below 25 the night before. And I'm sure they were up to 35 by the time I went out to get an estimate on some chips in my windshield.

What I learned is Porsche's are very expensive to fix.

The "other " Porsche dealer in the region said no problem to rescheduling so next week it is. They were uncertain if I my request for a GT4 loaner would be possible .
I recall Chevy having issues with the new C7 when it was being shipped in 2013/2014 from KY during winter production, since many cars came with MSSZP tires and they sat in below freezing temps for long periods of time.
Apparently, they had to replace a number of them due to cracking, which included other models:
[cccorvette.org]

I wont go into the traction bit except to say that that we somewhat predictable - bad but predictable.

However, hidden (or not hidden) mechanical failure/cracking is potentially much more dangerous and could go UN-noticed.

As i said, many companies actually have tech notes or TSBs on this. Does that mean the others, such as my RE71s, are OK? I dont know.

Grant

Grant

gee-lenahan-at-gee-mail-dot-com

as some people here know, i lived in switzerland for about 30 years before i moved back to canada. i had my MY2000 986S for about 9 years. always ran pilot sports. never drove the car in the winter simply because i didn't find it comfortable, not because i didn't think it was a competent winter car.

one day in early december, it was a gorgeous, sunny, blue sky day. i thought that it would be a great day for a little drive in frogster (my handle is the car's name, not mine.) it was 10 deg C air temp. about 50 F i think? anyway, i'm driving down a single lane road in a suburban area and some idiot flies out of a gas station right in front of me and i had to slam on the brakes. the ABS kicked in and the car skidded for what felt like forever. i'm sure it was three times the normal stopping distance it would have been in warm weather. frankly it scared the shinola out of me. the roads were absolutely bone dry and there was no frost or anything like that. the tires simply had no grip.

the point of this is that sure you can drive. and probably you won't have an accident. but when that kid runs out in front of your car, or someone turns left in front of you, you simply will not have the stopping power. that would mean the difference between a crash or not, or maybe life and death. just something to consider.

--
MY 2000 S, Ocean Blue, Metropol Blue, Savanah Beige.
Bought June 2000 - Sold May 2010

When I was at TBHL in Vegas a few years ago, a group of us went out for a drive. I left the parking structure, sat in traffic for 5 to 10 minutes. The road pavement was hot, the tires had not reached operating temperature. I took a right turn at low speed and the back end came around. Luckily I didn't hit anything. Add to my list of experiences.