Issue link: http://digital.nexsitepublishing.com/i/141672
signal up through the oil to detect the location of the oil surface. The sensor makes 360 measurements in 6 miles. Technicians can hook up a computer to the engine and get an accurate reading of the oil level, with the precise amount of oil that needs to be added or removed. Gone are the days of dipsticks and oily rags! Brake Fluid - Brake fluid should be replaced every 2 years. Over time, brake fluid absorbs moisture; this lowers the boiling point of the fluid, which can result in the fluid boiling during heavy braking, which significantly reduces braking effectiveness. Coolant - Porsche installs coolant that is designed to last the lifetime of the car. There is no need to periodically flush and replace it. Batteries - New Porsches use a new battery technology called "AGM" Absorbed Glass Mat. In these batteries the electrolyte between the plates is absorbed into a glass-fiber mat separator. These batteries are designed to better support the constant cycling that occurs in modern vehicles with multiple electronic devices draining power. The 2013 Panamera, 991 and Boxster and the 2014 Cayman all use AGM batteries. A charging controller "gateway" continually tracks the health of the battery and automatically adjusts the charging program to compensate for the aging of the battery. Cars with "AGM" batteries CANNOT use a regular battery; they must use an "AGM" battery. Battery maintainers are recommended for these types of batteries. Note: a battery charger is NOT the same as a battery maintainer. Porsche batteries last about 4-5 years. Apparently, green environmental standards in Germany limits the life span of German batteries due to the batteries composition. USA battery manufacturers are not subject to these German standards, which is why many Porsche owners replace their OEM batteries with Interstate batteries. Interstate batteries have about twice the life of a Porsche battery. Boxster Barrier had a Boxster on a lift so people could walk underneath it. This was one of the most popular exhibits. I got talking to an aerospace engineer who commented that Porsches are engineered 46 JULY 2013 like aircraft, with lightness and strength. I pointed out a beautifully engineered alloy suspension component that wouldn't look amiss on an aircraft or displayed as a work of art. "See…" he said approvingly "…"straight load paths". No compromises". Jeff announced that they'd be ending the Tech Ed with a bang. Not to worry, this didn't involve crashing any Porsches, but it did involve firing a steering wheel airbag that had been removed from a car. Everyone gathered around. "Step back" warned Jeff. Everyone stepped back. "You really might want to step further back", he warned. We all took a few more steps backwards. One lucky raffle ticket winner had the job of triggering the explosion. Bang! The airbag deployed like a firecracker, leaping off the ground, surrounded by smoke. Everyone involuntarily jumped. We were about 8 feet away from the airbag. Imagine that going off right next to you in a car! My initial reaction was that I was glad I wasn't in a car when it deployed, but of course if it did, I'd be very grateful that this safety device did deploy and saved my life. Once again, this was a fantastic Tech Ed session and we're grateful to Barrier Porsche for the informative and educational day and giving us a few "I didn't know that's" to take home with us.