Couple of questions from new Cayman owner

[greenace]

Hello all

 

Got my first Porsche - a 981 Cayman - last month. 

 

Still getting to know it and a couple of things have cropped up already. One of them is the fact that the front end of the car feels light at motorway speeds and I'm sure I'm picking up a slight vibration through the steering wheel. Because I'm not used to the car I'm not sure if this is a characteristic or if there's something that needs attention. I'll be fitting new tyres all round in the next couple of weeks and I've been told a decent four-wheel alignment will help - is there anything else I should look at? Can anyone recommend a decent place for a geo/alignment in Suffolk? Not all that keen on taking it to ATS or wherever....

 

Also, the interior lights have given up coming on when the car's unlocked. The ambient light comes on but the map lights and rear lights have stopped - even though I know they still work. I can't find any settings under 'lights and visibility' in PCM that'll help, and there's no physical switch in the overhead console thing. Am I missing something here?

 

Cheers 

[GlosRich]

Hi and welcome.

 

Your on the right line there, depends on the condition of the existing tyres, balancing and alignment. Also check the tyre pressures are right. These cars are also best on the better brand tyres, Porsche approve Michelin Pilot sport, so maybe if the previous owner has put in cheaper brands that might be causing some of the issues.

 

If you bought it from a dealer, I'd be looking for them to pay for some of this work to rectify the problems.

 

If the car is higher mileage, it might be some wear in the suspension components, like the front control arm bushes can wear and cause these symptoms, but not really until the mileage is over 60k plus or 10 years for example.

 

So I would start with the tyres, balancing and alignment first.

 

Syer on here uses these Porsche specialists in Suffolk https://www.reasonporsche.com/

 

 

Edited March 5, 2020 by GlosRich

[greenace]

Great, thanks. Difficult to know what's 'normal' and what's not, y'know?

 

Existing tyres are pretty shoddy and a mix of Bridgestone Potenza and Pirelli P Zero. I did buy from a dealer and they are helping with the cost (though not as much as I'd like).

 

Had the car inspected and there were no significant issues around the suspension so (fingers crossed) I should be OK there for a while...

 

I'll check out Reason, thanks *thumbs up*

[GlosRich]

Best to get the same make and tread pattern all around for consistent feel and handling.

[greenace]

Yep - going for N-rated Goodyear Eagle F1s all round... 

[Windymiller]

On 05/03/2020 at 14:12, greenace said:

 

Existing tyres are pretty shoddy and a mix of Bridgestone Potenza and Pirelli P Zero. I did buy from a dealer and they are helping with the cost (though not as much as I'd like).

Welcome and well done for becoming a Cayman owner. 👍🏻
 

I can assure you that these cars do not ordinarily exhibit vibrations or ‘light nose’ at speed - they’re designed and built to go fast 😉

 

my 10yr old 987 doesn’t have a whisper of a wobble at any speed and I’ve never felt the front go light and I’ve had 145mph on the clock numerous times. 
 

Also, they absolutely should not have mixed brands of tyres on them. Go for the same all round. Your dealer should have caught and rectified this on a pre-delivery check, so they should rectify this at their total cost as they have effectively sold you the car in an unsafe condition. 😱
 

you may read much about ‘N’ rated tyres, and if you’re under a Porsche approved warranty that’s what you’ll have to stick with. but if not Porsche warranted you can go for much newer materials and design of tyres that won’t have been Porsche N rated. 
 

eg - I previously used Goodyear eagle F1 N rated, and they were good tyres for sure, but they’re a 10+ year old design of tyre. Last year a switched to Michelin Pilot Sport 4S (not N rated in 19” for my 987 sadly), but they are clearly a better tyre all round than the GYF1 as they are ~8-10 yrs newer in their design and materials. 

 

whatever you do, go for same brand and type of tyre on all 4 corners, and go for the best premium brand you can afford - it’s the only thing keeping you and your porker safely on the black stuff 😉👍🏻

[Daz]

Wise words and great advice. 

Car shouldn't feel light at speed. If anything they get more planted with no vibration.

 

Try tyres and a good balance and then maybe a 4 wheel alignment.

[greenace]

Thanks guys.

 

Yeah, I never scrimp on tyres - apart from my right foot, they're the thing most likely to stop me going through a hedge backwards. In the end it was a compromise between what the dealer was willing to pay for and what I wanted - so we agreed on the Goodyears. They're ordered but not fitted yet - once they're on and the car's had a decent set up, I'll let you know if it feels better/different.