my dealership advises NOT to add non-Porsche coolant as it could cause a reaction that might damage cooling components.

really? Being a consummate cynic, I always think I smell a sales job.

thoughts?

 

Lot's of opinions on both sides of that arguement but for my money I only use the Porsche coolant for the every 4 year flush and refill. Find a reliable informed source to discredit your dealers claim and post your results here. Beyond that, use the Porsche coolant and sleep better at night. Pretty cheap insurance considering the fact that the coolant rarely needs to be replaced.

 

here is the absolute truth. For 997 u can use porsche coolant or the same exact stuff from vw dealer..It is lifelong coolant. does not need changing. Alternative is PENTOFROST ++. or G12

 

That's what I thought, so why a 4 year flush?

 

"Lifelong" coolant is pretty ambiguous. After 4 years, you'll want to flush the system for the sake of seals, etc. It's just good "preventative maintenance" policy- the operative word here being preventative.

If your P-car is a daily driver I would replace the thermostat after the first 25k-30,000 miles; or once every 3 years, whichever comes first. I'm not sure what the Porsche maint interval spec is for thermostats; but R&Ring them is VERY cheap insurance. This is a great time to to the flush.

One more thing, I would never go anything but OEM or better for a thermostat. Every single garden-variety "aftermkt unit" I've used has always stuck a approximately 10k miles, without fail; and they usually stick shut, which is usually a VERY bad thing & can lead to engine failure if you can't pull over fast enough. OEM is only a few bucks more than aftermkt.