
Dear Porsche Owner Before going on a trip...
A lot has gone into the manufacture of your Porsche, including advanced engineering
techniques, rigid quality control and
demanding inspections. These engineering
and safety features will be enhanced by
you... the safe driver...
who knows his car and all controls who maintains his vehicle properly who uses his driving skills wisely, and who always drives within his own capabilities and
his level of familiarity with his vehicle.
You will find helpful hints in this manual on
how to perform most of the checks listed on
these pages. If in doubt, have these checks
performed by your Porsche dealer.
First things first
Turn the engine off before you attempt any
checks or repairs of the vehicle.
Be sure tires are inflated correctly. Check for
damage and tire wear.
See that wheel bolts are properly tightened
and not loose or missing.
Check engine oil level, add if necessary.
Make it a habit to have engine oil checked
with every fuel filling. Check coolant level to assure sufficient
engine cooling.
Be sure you have a well charged battery. Check brake fluid level. If too low, have
brake system checked.
Replenish windshield washer fluid. Check if engine hood is latched safely. Replace worn or cracked wiper blades. See that all windows are clear and
unobstructed.
Keep air intake slots and area between engine hood and windshield free of snow and ice, so that the heater and the windshield wipers work properly.
Check whether all light lenses are clean.
Be sure all lights are working and headlights
are aimed correctly.
Check under vehicle for leaks. Be sure all luggage is stowed securely.
Emergency equipment 3
It is good practice to carry emergency
equipment in your vehicle. Some of the things
you should have are: window scraper, snow
brush, container or bag of sand or salt,
emergency light, small shovel, first-
aid kit, etc.
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In the driver's seat... On the road...
Check operation of horn.
Position seat for easy reach of controls. Adjust inside and outside rear view mirrors. Attach your safety belts. Check operation of foot and parking brakes. Check all warning and indicator lights when
starting the engine.
NEVER leave car idling unattended. Lock doors from inside, especially with
children in the car.
To prevent inadvertent opening of doors
from inside or outside, drive with locked
doors.
Never drive after you have consumed
alcohol.
Always have your safety belt attached. Always drive defensively. Expect the unexpected. Use signals to indicate turns and lane
changes.
Turn on headlights at dusk. Always keep a safe distance from the vehicle in front of you, depending on traffic, road and weather conditions. Reduce speed at night and during inclement weather.
Driving in wet weather requires caution and
reduced speeds, particularly on roads with
standing water, as the handling characteristics of the vehicle may be impaired due to tire
aquaplaning.
Also, when crossing stretches of deeper water there is a danger that too high of a speed can
cause water to enter the engine combustion
chambers through the intake air system
and/or water may strike the cooling fan
causing cooling system damage. In order to
avoid possible en- gine or cooling system damage when driving
through deep water, the vehicle should be
driven at a walking speed in first gear.
Observe speed limits and obey road signs.
When tired, get well off the road, stop and
take a rest. Turn the engine off. Do not sit in
the vehicle with engine idling. See
WARNINGS on "Engine Exhaust".
When parked, always set the parking brake.
Move the selector lever to "P" (Automatic
transmission) or move the gearshift lever to
reverse or first gear (Manual transmission).
On hills also turn the wheels toward the curb.
When emergency repairs become necessary, move the vehicle well off the road. Turn on
emergency flasher and use other warning
devices to alert other motorists. Do not park
or operate the vehicle in areas where the hot
exhaust system may come in contact with dry grass, brush, fuel spill or other flammable
material.
Make it a habit to have the engine oil
checked with every fuel filling.
9

Ignition/Starter Switch with Steering Lock
The steering is equipped with an anti-theft
ignition lock.
Switch positions
0
The steering is blocked by the steering lock: all circuits wired through the ignition
are switched off.
The ignition key can only be withdrawn in the
"0" position. The parking lights can be
operated in this position by pushing the turn
signal indicator lever up and down (also see
"Parking lights").
1 Position for radio. Steering unlocked. If it is difficult to turn the key, gently move the
steering wheel until the key turns freely.
Note: all circuits which are disconnected in
position "3" can be switched on.
To conserve battery power, switch off other
electrical consumers while playing radio in
position "1".
2
Ignition on. All electric circuits are
operational. With the engine stationary, the
central warning light and all individual
warning lights located in both combination
instruments will light up for a bulb check.
3
The starter is operated by turning the
ignition key to the right. As soon as the
engine starts, release the key. It will spring
back to position "2". With the engine
running, the central and individual warning
lights should go out (see "Central warning
light").
To conserve battery power, the electric
circuits for headlights, rear window de-
fogger/defroster, temperature control and
wiper/washer system are temporarily interrupted during the starting process.
The starter should not be operated for more
than 10 to 15 seconds at a time. If the engine
does not start the first time or stalls at any
time, the ignition key must be returned to the
"0" position. The non-repeat lock in the switch
prevents the
starter from being operated when the engine is running and guards against
starter damage.
To remove the key and to lock the steering
wheel
, turn the key back to position "0" and
pull out. Turn the steering wheel until it locks.
WARNING
Never remove key from ignition lock or
turn key off while vehicle is moving. The
steering wheel will lock, causing loss of
control.
Instrument panel lights
Warning lights for alternator, oil pressure, and
brake system will light up for a bulb check
when the ignition is turned on. They should go out after the engine is started. The brake
warning light will go out after the parking
brake has been fully released. See
"Warning lights" for more details.
Buzzer
If you leave the key in the ignition/steering
lock, the buzzer will sound when the driver's
door is opened. This is a reminder to remove
the key.
For further details see "Starting Procedures"
on the following page.
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Starting Procedures
WARNING
Fasten safety belts before driving.
Never start or let the engine run in an enclosed, unventilated area. Exhaust
fumes from the engine contain carbon
monoxide, which is a colorless and
odorless gas. Carbon monoxide can be
fatal if inhaled.
Never leave engine idling unattended. An unattended vehicle with a running engine
is potentially hazardous.
Do not park or operate the vehicle in areas where the hot exhaust system may
come in contact with dry grass, brush,
fuel spill or other flammable material.
Never leave engine idling. When starting engine, be ready to drive immediately.
Maintain moderate speed until engine is
warm.
Automatic Transmission - Start with selec-
tor lever in Park.
Manual Transmission - Start with gearshift
lever in Neutral.
Temperature sensors on the engine auto- matically provide the correct fuel/air mixture
required for starting.
Therefore, do not depress the accelerator
pedal while starting a cold or a warm engine.
When starting at very low outside
temperatures , fully depress the clutch pedal,
so that the starter only has to crank the
engine.
As soon as the engine starts, release the ignition key.
If the engine fails to start after 10 to 15
seconds of cranking, wait about 10
seconds before engaging starter again.
Do not let engine idle to warm it up. After
starting, drive vehicle at moderate speeds and with gradual accelerations. Avoid high rpm
and full throttle operation until the engine has
reached normal operating temperature.
Stopping engine
Turn key back to position 0.
Do not stop engine immediately after hard
or extended driving. Keep engine running
at increased idle for about two minutes to
prevent excessive heat buildup before
turning off engine.
WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine compartment, let the engine cool down.
Hot components can burn skin on
contact.
The radiator fan switches on automatically when the coolant reaches a
certain temperature and continues to run
(even with ignition off) until the coolant
temperature drops. Therefore, never
touch the fan blades as they will rotate
spontaneously when the thermoswitch
turns the fan on.
If you have an automatic garage door...
The transistorized ignition system in your
Porsche may interfere with your electronically
operated garage door. To check this: drive
your Porsche close to the garage door and
run the engine at different speeds.
If the garage door opens or closes without
your operating the garage door unit in your
car, contact the dealer who installed the
automatic garage door to have the frequency
and/or coding of the garage door signal
modified.
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Lane changer
To indicate your intention when changing
lanes on the highway, slightly push the turn
signal switch lever up or down to the point of
resistance. The lever will return to the OFF
position when released.
Headlight dimmer
With the light switch at stage 2, high beam is
switched on by pressing the lever towards the
instrument panel, and low beam is switched
on by pulling the lever towards the steering
wheel. When high beams are on, the blue indicator light between the tachometer and the right instrument cluster will light up.
You can flash signal other motorists by
repeatedly pulling and releasing the lever just
up to the point of resistance.
Light Switch
Parking light - 1st position
Headlights -2nd position (with ignition key in
switch position "1").
Tail lights, side marker lights, license plate
and instrument lights are on in both switch
positions.
The retractable headlights open when turning
the switch to the second position.
When you open the door while the lights are
on, the buzzer will sound. It is your reminder
to switch off the lights.
Instrument illumination
The instrument illumination goes on when the
vehicle lights are turned on. Turn the
knob to the left of the light switch for infinitely
variable brightness control.
Turn Signal/Headlight
Dimmer Switch Lever
(ignition on)
Lever up - right turn signal
Lever down - left turn signal
The turn signal lever turns off automatically
when the steering wheel is straightened out after completing a turn.
If a turn signal fails, the indicator light flashes
about twice as fast. The light bulb may have
to be replaced.
Headlight flasher
During daylight, you can flash signal with your
foglights (in lieu of horn) by repeatedly pulling
and releasing the lever just up to the point of
resistance.
Fog lights
- with ignition on
Turn on the fog lights by depressing the rocker switch on the dashboard. A green light in the
switch glows when the fog lights are turned
on.
Parking lights - with ignition off . ... Lever up -
right side parking lights on Lever down - left
side parking lights on
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Windshield Wiper/Washer Lever
(with intermittent wiper operation)
The windshield wiper/washer switch has se-
ven positions:
1 - Low speed
2 - Normal speed
3 - High speed
4 - Intermittent wiper operation
5 - Windshield washers
6 - Windshield washers and wipers
7 - Headlight washers
The time intervals can be set at the control
element to the right of the ignition lock.
Pulling the lever from its basic position
towards the steering wheel activates the
windshield washer pump in the first stage
(switch position 5) and the windshield wipers
in the second stage (switch position 6).
The electric windshield washer system can be operated by pulling the lever toward the
steering wheel from any wiper position.
When the ignition is switched on, the washer
nozzles are heated, depending on the outdoor temperature. Nevertheless, a commercial windshield anti-freeze solution should be
added to the windshield washer water during
cold weather conditions.
Avoid running the wiper blades over a dry
windshield to p
revent scratching the glass. Spray on washer fluid first. A scratched
windshield will reduce visibility.
Always loosen blades frozen to glass
before operating wipers to prevent damage to wiper motor.
WARNING
Worn or dirty wiper blades will reduce
visibility, making driving hazardous. Clean
blades regularly to remove road film and
carwash wax buildup. Use an alcohol base
cleaning solution, a lint free cloth and wipe lengthwise.
Clean all inside and outside window glass
regularly. In vehicles without Securiflex
windshields use an alcohol base cleaning
solution and wipe dry with a lint free or a
chamois cloth.
In vehicles with Sekuriflex windshields, the plastic coating on the inside of the
windshield must not have gummed labels
put on it or be cleaned using aggressive
agents or dry methods. If very dirty, it can
be cleaned with benzine. Make certain that
the plastic coating is not damaged in
cleaning by hard objects such as jewelry
or wristwatches.
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Tar or oil
Do not allow tar or oil to remain on the paint.
Remove as soon as possible with a cloth
soaked with a special paint cleaner. If you do
not have a tar or oil remover, you may
substitute with turpentine. After applying a
cleaning fluid, always wash with a lukewarm
soap water solution and apply a new wax
coat.
Insects
Remove as soon as possible with a lukewarm
soap/water solution or apply insect remover.
Tree sap Remove with a lukewarm soap/water solution. Do not allow tree sap or bird droppings to
harden on the paint.
Windows
Keep silicone sprays off the windshield to
avoid wiper smear in rain.
Generally, highway dust that settles on the
outside of the windshield contains material
worn from tires and oil residues. On the inside surfaces of the windshields, particularly in
strong sunlight, there are build-ups of dust
from the interior decor. These buildups are
reinforced by pollution in the air
brought in with the fresh air supply. Use a
lukewarm soap/water solution or an alcohol
based commercial window cleaning agent for t
he inside and outside. If a chamois is used for polishing the glass, it should exclusively be
used for that purpose.
To assure that windshield washers also
function at freezing temperatures, antifreeze
must be added to the washer fluids reservoirs
beforehand. It is advisable to use window
washer solvent with anti-freeze all year round. Follow directions on the can for the right
amounts to be used. Do not use engine
coolant anti-freeze or any other solution
that can damage the paint.
In vehicles with Sekurif
lex windshields, the plastic coating on the inside of the
windshield must not have gummed labels
put on it or be cleaned using abrasive
agents or dry methods. If very dirty, it can
be cleaned with benzine. The use of
benzine in a confined environment may be
dangerous to your health. Make certain
that the plastic coating is not damaged in
cleaning by hard objects such as jewelry
or wristwatches.
Do not remove ice on the inside of the
windshield by any means except warm air
from the defroster nozzles. Do not use any
deicer sprays, scratching tools, or
scrapers!
A foil base must be applied to the windshield prior to application of any labels or stickers
such as those used for state registration or
inspections. Failure to utilize foil base
between sticker or label and the Sekuriflex
coating will result in damage to the Sekuriflex
coating. Three foil bases were included with
the vehicle and additional foil bases may be
ordered from any Porsche dealer.
Instructions:
1. Clean the windshield in the area for
application.
2.
Cut the base of the foil to the required size.
Round off the edges.
3.
Pull off the protective film.
4. Spray the gummed side of the foil base and the windshield with a soap solution (distilled water and liquid soap or grease-free
detergent in a mixing ratio 10:1).
5.
Apply the foil base to the windshield and spray it once again.
6. Any liquid and bubbles under the foil base must be brushed out using a flexible plastic
scraper.
7.
Dry the windshield using a soft cloth.
8. Install label/sticker on the foil base.
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When removing the label/sticker or the
backing foil, first spray the foil with a soapy
solution (see point 4).
Wiper blades
Always loosen frozen wiper blades from glass as they may tear otherwise.
Remove all wiper blades periodically and
clean them thoroughly with an alcohol base
cleaning solution. Use a sponge or soft cloth
and wipe lengthwise.
Weatherstrips
To seal properly, weatherstrips around hood,
hatch, windows, doors, etc., must be pliable.
Spray with silicone or coat with talcum powder or glycerin to retain flexibility of the rubber and to protect against freezing in the winter.
Light alloy wheels
To preserve the decorative appearance of the
light aluminium castings, some special care is
necessary. Aside from road dirt and salt
sprays, brake metal dust will exert corrosive
effects.
If left on too long, brake metal dust can cause
pitting. Wash the wheels with a sponge or
hose brush every other week.
Roads salts should be removed weekly with
an acid free cleaning solution.
The acid free cleaning solution must not have
a pH value greater than 10 (see explanation),
in case of doubt, it is recommended to check
with the manufacturer of that particular cleaner.
Every three months (after regular cleaning)
the wheels should be coated with petroleum
jelly. Rub it in firmly with a soft cloth. Never use abrasive or metal polishing cleaning
agents.
Explanation of pH value
The pH value is a measurement for the
hydrogen-ion concentration in a liquid. This
value tells if the liquid reaction is sour (acid) o r alkaline (lye solution). At a pH value of 7, the reaction of the liquid is
neutral (that is, chemically clean water), it is
not an acid or alkaline. Acids have a pH value
under 7, the strength of the acid increases
with a lower pH value. Alkaline lies between a pH value of 7 and 14, the strength of the
alkaline increases with higher pH values.
For example: a mineral water mixed with
carbon dioxide has a pH value of 6-6.5,
reaction is also light sour. Battery acid in
comparison has a pH value of 1.
or
the pH value for normal soap solution is 8-9,
but the soap solution for a dishwasher is
approximately 12.5, this would not be suitable
for wheel cleaning.
Your Porsche dealer can advise you which
product to use.
Remember that moisture and road salt on
brakes may affect braking efficiency. Test
the brakes after each car or wheel wash.
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