Board Botschaft (Executive Board Member Column

by Chris Flaugh, Maverick Region Treasurer photos provided by auhtor

Wow, has this been a hot summer! With triple digit temperatures, here are a few things you can do to keep yourself, your Porsche, and your pets relatively cool during this inferno season.

Stay indoors, in the shade, or in the air conditioned comfort of your Porsche interior whenever possible. If you do venture out under the blazing sun, please wear sunscreen and consider a hat: a cap, cowboy hat, or sombrero will do just fine…...and the bigger the better……this is Texas after all!

In addition to keeping yourself hydrated, you may wish to check the coolant level in your Porsche (this obviously does not apply to air cooled Porsches….if you are fortunate enough to own one of these iconic models, feel free to skip on to the next paragraph). The last thing you want in this weather is for your Porsche to overheat, potentially causing you to overheat as well! On many rear and front engine Porsches, the coolant reservoir is easy to identify in the engine compartment to visually confirm the coolant level (just don’t unscrew that cap when the engine is hot!). On the mid-engine Boxster and Cayman, the coolant level can be checked via the rear trunk. 986 and 987 models have a visual indicator for checking the coolant level without removing the cap. For specific info pertaining to your car, please consult your owners manual or preferred local mechanic.

Also, don’t forget your tires. While most modern Porsches have Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems that will alert you to a low tire pressure situation, these systems do not alert you to an over pressure situation. Check your tire pressures cold (as cold as possible in this environment) and adjust to the manufacturer recommended levels. This information can be found in various locations, depending on the year and model of your car. A few places to check are the driver door jamb, inside of the frunk lid, or your car’s owners manual.

Please keep your pets indoors as often as possible, and make sure they have plenty of water to drink. After all, most of them are wearing a fur coat year round! Cowboy prefers drinking from the large concrete water bowl in the middle of our backyard…..that chlorinated water apparently tastes great, and he can also cool his feet by stepping into the water on the first step of the pool (that’s as far as he goes).

Stay cool, be safe, and have fun out there!