Caught myself the other day closing the door by holding and pushing the window to close the door. I figure that is doing nothing but giving the tracks, rivets, glues and what not a chance to fail and cost time and money to repair.

The I recalled when I first joined the forum and a the topic of the front hood emblem needing replacement and how closing the hood by pushing on the emblem is the wrong answer. I quit doing that trick after reading how the emblems aren't easy to get and attach............

So I'm just wondering what else have guys found is what not to do.

Might as well add don't use strong rim cleaners since it takes the protective coat off and the metal is prone to corrode.

 

getting in with the door partially open invariably involves kicking the door panel if you are in a hurray, and I have cracked the door speaker grill once...

(I will stop pushing down on the emblem to close the boot - promise)

 

My Porsche dealer told me that you are supposed to press down on the emblem when you close the boot...

 

There was a recent article in Excellence on what not to do....I'll see if I can locate it later today.

 

i never push on the emblem or any other place with my hand to close. instead i use my forearm placed at the edge of the lower lip of the hood and lightly press till it clicks. i'm sure everybody's got there own way.

 

Which reminds me I've been meaning to put a small piece of clear 3m vinyl to the upper right corner of the door handle as that's where I push to close the door. I have a black car so fingerprints are always noticeable there.

 

I always sit in the driver seat carefully then swing my legs in so I don't slide on the seat edge and also put extra pressure on the seams. I also ask my occasional passengers to do the same.

I can see how pushing on the hood emblem would eventually cause wear.

 

I always check out my passengers so they don't have any metal zippers, sharp metal buttons/clips of any sort on their pants or specifically jeans. It happened in my old bmw and every time the guy would slide in the seat I would hear a ripping type sound. The second time he did it I looked and he scratched the whole seat with a zipper type pocket...

Also when getting out of the car, I don't hold on to the seam of the seat...

I watch what shoes I wear, and if they are very grippy I would take the clutch shoe off so that I don't make a hole in my mats...

 

I have two old hood emblems, from a 1970 and 1972, that are bent like a potato chip from folks pushing on them to close the boot. I replaced them when I bought the cars. They are only gussied up pot metal. I don't think Porsche has changed the material since then. Except for the new ones on the GT3RS? that are decals.

 

I usually karate kick my door and sumo flop my hood.

 

The 996 new owner video clearly shows how you should close the trunk, by using your finger tips, both hands, on either side of the emblem. Period.

 

I always pull the door handle out far enough to retract the window, pause, then finish opening the door.

 

The emblem is attached by a single mounting stud and screw. The stud is attached to the emblem in the center and doesn't have much area of contact. The contact area can become weak if there is any play when pushing on the emblem.

Eventually the contact area will weaken enough for the emblem to come off. I know I've lost 1 emblem as it flew off my hood driving at speed and another one later when washing the car.

I don't really even close it by the emblem but I imagine doing it would put more stress on it and cause it to fall off sooner.

 

++

I read mine a bedtime story everynight.

 

For some reason I do this as well as instruct my passengers to do this too. It just feels weird opening the door regularly on these things.