718 Boxter cayman engine fires?

[anonymous-user]

Just got a note about owners throwing cigarettes and cigars out of their windows and “combustible material” getting into the air intake by the rear wheel causing a fire in the engine compartment.

Then some helpful note about recognising your car being on fire.

Seems Porsche want to fit a protective grille on the air intake.

Anyone else got this?

[timg4d]

Correct. This has apparently been an issue, and protective grills (which are not visible from outside) are being fitted free to 718s. I have just had mine serviced and this was done at the same time.

[anonymous-user]

timg4d said:

Correct. This has apparently been an issue, and protective grills (which are not visible from outside) are being fitted free to 718s. I have just had mine serviced and this was done at the same time.

Good news that it’s not visible, It must be deep into the air intake?

Seems a bit ott though when the problem is caused by owners throwing cigarettes into their own cars?

[gwsinc]

Seem to remember there’s a passage in my 987 owners manual about this.

Not a new problem, but glad something is being done about it.

[Blink982]

I received the same letter today but I've already had them fitted as my car was in for some warranty work. I read about it on 718forum and checked my vents when I picked up my car and the new grills had been fitted but the opc didn't tell me they'd done it.

[ClubsportStr]

Just checked my 718GTS and it as grills fitted must of been fitted in July when my car was in for some checks.
Wonder when they are going to start fitting protection to the front air intakes free of charge in case the car in front throws their cigarette out and it lands in there along with all the leaves

Edited by ClubsportStr on Wednesday 26th September 22:21

[ClubsportStr]

Found this on another site . Looks like what is fitted to my car. But dealer said nothing to me about them being fitted ???

[Maxym]

Grille. A grill is what you cook stuff on. (Although it's basically the same word, I grant you.)

[JayK12]

Porsche should leave it and owners should stop throwing cigs out of there windows.

[Rockster]

That hardly looks like it would stop a cigarette butt.

Shortly after I bought a new 2002 Boxster I was stopped at a light and some bozo -- a passenger -- in a car on the right (passenger) side of the car tossed a lit butt at the vent on the right side of the car. This is the engine compartment air intake vent not the engine air intake vent which is on the left (driver) side.

At some point during my 16 years of ownership of the Boxster I came upon one or two cases reported of a car ingesting a butt through the engine air intake vent and this catching the filter on fire then the plastic air box, and so on.

Given the number of cars on the road it didn't seem like a real issue. Also, given that in many places tossing a cigarette (lit or not) out the car is forbidden anyhow if a butt ended up catching the car afire... that's called karma I guess.

[gwsinc]

ClubsportStr said:

Wonder when they are going to start fitting protection to the front air intakes free of charge in case the car in front throws their cigarette out and it lands in there along with all the leaves

Edited by ClubsportStr on Wednesday 26th September 22:21

That’s a silly suggestion, grilles on the front intakes would restrict airflow and the car would spontaneously combust.

GT models, however, are immune to this (or don’t need airflow), so they can have them from factory.

[Godlysmasko]

Yep, got this letter in yesterday too. My 718C is now booked in to get the mesh grilles fitted in a couple of weeks. Bit of an inconvenience having to go out my way to take it to my OPC, but at least it gives me an excuse to have a look around the showroom and spec a GTS

It’s a bit odd that they didn’t consider the possibility of cigarettes blowing into the air intakes until now... Seems quite obvious to me!

[Malcolm E Boo]

I have had the same letter. Booked in with the OPC in two weeks time.