Tips and Tricks - cool features?

funky800 · Sep 10, 2018

So now i have my new 718 and i am trying to get to grips with it. Have any other owners discovered any cool features or tips and tricks they would like to share?

I have had cars in the past where you do not discover a cool feature - usually hidden in the bottom of the manual for the life of the vehicle so feel free to share any hidden features or tips that every owner should know about.

GregW · Sep 11, 2018

Turning on the fog lights--although with one fog every 3 years or so I can't remember how to do it. It is in the manual though.

DJL · Sep 11, 2018

Not quite a hidden feature, more a hidden button: Steering wheel heater is activated by a tiny button on the dashboard side of the steering wheel at the bottom. I know we are all tough sports car drivers here, but I quite like that button on cold mornings! (This is standard issue in Australia... not sure about other countries.)

Oh, there is an uncool feature: Try disconnecting the soundaktor - it may change your perception of the quality of the 718's soundtrack.

Nithros · Sep 11, 2018

Two cool things for me...
(1) The fold out bins in the doors.
(2) Running Waze on my iPhone (in the background) through the Apple Car Play interface while listening to music or navigating with the Apple maps and it breaking into whatever is coming out of the speakers with "watch out - police reported ahead".

Viffermike · Sep 11, 2018

@funky800 : Moving this thread to the General Discussion forum since it's not 718 Boxster-specific. Thanks, and welcome to the forum!

funky800 · Sep 11, 2018

DJL said:
Not quite a hidden feature, more a hidden button: Steering wheel heater is activated by a tiny button on the dashboard side of the steering wheel at the bottom.

So this turned on the other day and i had no idea how! I had to restart the car to turn it off so this is very useful! I live in California and its summer so i def did not need the steering wheel to be any hotter than it already was!

funky800 · Sep 11, 2018

Nithros said:
Two cool things for me...
(1) The fold out bins in the doors.
(2) Running Waze on my iPhone (in the background) through the Apple Car Play interface while listening to music or navigating with the Apple maps and it breaking into whatever is coming out of the speakers with "watch out - police reported ahead".

I need to check these ones out!

Rideguy · Sep 11, 2018

funky800 said:
So this turned on the other day and i had no idea how! I had to restart the car to turn it off so this is very useful! I live in California and its summer so i def did not need the steering wheel to be any hotter than it already was!

After 3000 miles, I somehow still seem to accidentally turn on the steering wheel heater about half the time I do a full lock turn, like backing out of a parking space. There is a message that shows up on the dash that it is on, but it is momentary and disappears after a few seconds.

GGG · Sep 11, 2018

Pull both pedals on the PDK and the gearbox goes into neutral. I have only recently discovered this feature, still exploring what you can do with it.

timjwhite · Sep 11, 2018

The "hold" feature. Deep press the brake pedal to hold the car in place.

funky800 · Sep 11, 2018

timjwhite said:
The "hold" feature. Deep press the brake pedal to hold the car in place.

is that another way of engaging the parking brake?

Optical TDI · Sep 12, 2018

GGG said:
Pull both pedals on the PDK and the gearbox goes into neutral. I have only recently discovered this feature, still exploring what you can do with it.

Do you have Sport Chrono? If not are you sure about this? This feature was stock on a GT3. 997 I believe. I thought I tried it on my 718 but will try again tomorrow.

Optical TDI · Sep 12, 2018

funky800 said:
timjwhite said:

The "hold" feature. Deep press the brake pedal to hold the car in place.

Click to expand...

is that another way of engaging the parking brake?

No but I use this at almost every stop light. Love it!

funky800 · Sep 12, 2018

Optical TDI said:
No but I use this at almost every stop light. Love it!

Found this today! yes its really handy.

Does any one know what the A in a circle in yellow and in green ( i think ) is with an arrow at the end of the circle? This is when it idles at stop lights - sometimes the revs go down to 0 and sometimes the revs idle a 1000rpm -

I am trying to work out what decides between the two or if its automatic or something you can initiate a certain way?

Viffermike · Sep 12, 2018

funky800 said:
Found this today! yes its really handy.

Does any one know what the A in a circle in yellow and in green ( i think ) is with an arrow at the end of the circle? This is when it idles at stop lights - sometimes the revs go down to 0 and sometimes the revs idle a 1000rpm -

I am trying to work out what decides between the two or if its automatic or something you can initiate a certain way?

That's the Auto Start/Stop feature. The green icon means it's activated; the yellow one means your car is stopped but the system won't shut the engine down. You can disable Auto Start/Stop via the button on the center console with that same icon on it.

Pretty much everything mentioned so far in this thread is covered in the Owner's Manual, by the way. Here's a link to the online version of the one for your car. There is also an official app for iOS and Android that has most of the Owner's Manual contents in it called the Good to Know app.

GGG · Sep 12, 2018

Optical TDI said:
Do you have Sport Chrono? If not are you sure about this? This feature was stock on a GT3. 997 I believe. I thought I tried it on my 718 but will try again tomorrow.

I don't have sport chrono and I am sure about this.
From what I read on the internet, on the GT3 (991) you have to keep the pedals pulled, I select neutral once I release the pedals and do the same to reengage the gear.

timjwhite · Sep 13, 2018

My other favorite feature: I have Enter and Drive, which includes sensors for the frunk and trunk. Just place your hand right below the emblem on the front, or over the model name on the rear, and they open up.

RussellHodgson · Sep 13, 2018

timjwhite said:
My other favorite feature: I have Enter and Drive, which includes sensors for the frunk and trunk. Just place your hand right below the emblem on the front, or over the model name on the rear, and they open up.

Is there a sensor in those locations? How does it know your hand is there?

funky800 · Sep 13, 2018

timjwhite said:
My other favorite feature: I have Enter and Drive, which includes sensors for the frunk and trunk. Just place your hand right below the emblem on the front, or over the model name on the rear, and they open up.

If this is a thing this is really useful! Thanks for sharing. And yes x2 on how?

Edit - Tested this today and its great! no more reaching for the key!

cipher · Sep 13, 2018

funky800 said:
I need to check these ones out!

Waze and Google Maps will be fully supported in CarPlay on September 17th:

https://www.motoringresearch.com/car-news/apple-carplay-compatible-waze-google-maps/

Tips and Tricks - cool features?

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