Gearshifting
The positions ofthe gears areshown onthe gear-
shift lever.
j!\
Warning!
Risk ofan accident.
~ Always checkthemovement ofthe clutch ped-
al before driving andmake surethatitis not
obstructed byafloor matorany other object.
~ Secure thefloor mattoprevent itfrom sliding
into positions thatcould interfere withthesafe
operation ofyour vehicle.
Your Porsche dealercanoffer youfloor mats
of the correct sizeincluding asecuring possi-
bility.
To avoid damage tothe clutch andtransmis-
sion:
~ Always depress theclutch pedalfullywhen
changing gears.
Make surethatthegearshift leveriscomplete-
ly engaged.
~ Only shiftintoreverse whenthecar has come
to acomplete stop.
~
Permitted enginespeed
~ Change intoahigher gearbefore theneedle
reaches thered mark onthe tachometer, or
ease offthe accelerator.
If the redzone isreached duringacceleration, fuel
feed isinterrupted.
j!\
Caution!
To avoid severe engine damage.
~ Always observe theengine rpmbefore down-
shifting toalower gear,soyou donot exceed
the maximum enginerpm.
Reverse
~ Depress theclutch pedalforseveral seconds
before shifting intoreverse.
Only then move thegearshift levertothe left,
overcoming thespring tension, andthen tothe
front.
Both back-up lightscome onwhen thetransmis-
sion isput into reverse (withignition on).
Controls,Instruments
109
Engine-compartment blower,
radiator fan
The radiator andradiator fansareinthe front of
the car.
The engine-compartment blowerismounted on
the engine compartment lid.
A
Warning!
Risk ofinjury.
After theengine isswitched off,theengine-
compartment andcoolant temperatures are
monitored forapprox. 20minutes.
During thisperiod, anddepending ontem-
perature, theengine-compartment blower
and radiator fansmaycontinue torun or
start torun.
t>
Carry outwork inthese areasonlywiththeen-
gine off,the ignition switched off,and exercise
extreme caution.
1
Maintenance, CarCare
Engine
Oil
Engine oilconsumption
It is normal foryour engine toconsume oil.
The rate ofoil consumption dependsonthe quality
and viscosity ofoil, the speed atwhich theengine
is operated, theclimate, roadconditions aswell
as the amount ofdilution andoxidation ofthe
lubricant.
If the vehicle isused forrepeated shorttrips, and
consumes anormal amount ofoil, the engine oil
measurement maynotshow anydrop inthe oil
level atall, even after600miles (1000 km)or
more. Thisisbecause theoilisgradually becom-
ing diluted withfuelormoisture, makingitappear
that theoillevel hasnotchanged.
The diluting ingredients evaporateoutwhen the
vehicle isdriven athigh speeds, ason anexpress-
way, making itthen appear thatoilisexcessively
consumed afterdriving athigh speeds.
If the conditions youdrive yourvehicle inare
dusty, humid, orhot, thefrequency ofthe oil
change intervals shouldbegreater. If
the vehicle isdriven atahigh rateofspeed,
climatic conditions arewarm, andtheload ishigh,
the oilshould bechecked morefrequently, as
driving conditions willdetermine therate ofoil
consumption.
- The engine inyour vehicle depends onoilto
lubricate andcool allofits moving parts.
Therefore, theengine oilshould bechecked
regularly andkept atthe required level.
- Make ita habit tohave theengine oillevel
checked withevery fuelfilling.
- The oilpressure warninglightisnot anoillevel
indicator.
The oilpressure warninglightindicates serious
engine damage maybeoccuring whenlit,ifen-
gine rpmisabove idlespeed.
Brake Fluidlevel
I>
Please observe thechapter "EXERCISE EX-
TREME CAUTION WHENWORKING ONYOUR
VEHICLE" onPage 112.
I>
Use only new(unused) OriginalPorsche
brake fluid.
A
Warning!
Brake fluidishazardous toyour health, and
may befatal ifswallowed.
Brake fluidalsoattacks paintwork.
I>
Keep brake fluidoutofchildren's reach.
I>
Take carewhile topping offbrake fluidnotto
soil theluggage compartment oritems oflug-
gage .
Checking thebrake fluidlevel
The reservoir forthe hydraulic brakingsystems is
in the luggage compartment.
I>
Check thebrake·fluid levelregularly atthe
transparent reservoir.
The fluid level should always liebetween the"MIN"
and "MAX" marks.
A slight decrease inthe fluid level duetowear and
automatic readjustment ofthe disc brakes isnor-
mal.
If, however, thefluid level fallsmarkedly orbelow
the "MIN" mark, thebraking systemmayhave
developed aleak.
I>
Have thebraking systemchecked immediately
at an authorized Porschedealer. Changing
thebrake fluid
Brake fluidabsorbs moisture fromtheairover
time. Thisaccumulation ofwater lowers theboil-
ing point and,under certain operating conditions,
can affect thebraking action.
Therefore havethebrake fluidchanged inaccor-
dance withthechange intervals statedinthe
brochure "Maintenance".
• Warning lightUSA
G
Warning lightCanada
The brake-fluid warninglightsinthe instrument
panel andon-board computer indicate:
- brake-fluid leveltoolow,
- inconjunction withlarge pedal travel,
a braking-circuit failure.
If the warning lightsshould lightupwhile
driVing:
I>
Stop immediately inasuitable place.
I>
Donot continue driving.
Please havethefault remedied atyour nearest
authorized Porschedealer.
Maintenance, CarCare
19
Fuel
j!\
Warning!
Fuel ishighly flammable andharmful to
health.
l>
Fire, open flame andsmoking areprohibited
when handling fuel.
l>
Avoid contact withskinorclothing.
l>
Donot inhale fuelvapors.
To prevent damage tothe emission control
system andengine:
l>
Never drivethetank completely outoffuel.
l>
Avoid highcornering speedsafterthewarning
lights havecome on.
l>
Please observe thechapter "EMISSION CON-
TROL SYSTEM" onPage 124.
Please observe thechapter "FUELECONOMY"
on Page 120.
Please observe thechapter "LEVELGAUGE"
on Page 63.
Check engine warning light
If the warning lightsinthe instrument panelandon-
board computer comeonand remain onwhile
driving, itsuggests:
- animproperly fastenedtankcap
or
- refuelling withengine running.
Opening
thefiller flap
The filler opening isunder thefiller flapinthe front
right fender.
l>
With thevehicle unlocked, pressonthe front
part ofthe filler flap
(arrow)
toopen theflap.
The filler flapiscentrally lockedalongwiththeoth-
er locks.
If
there isadefect inthe automatic unlocking
system:
l>
Open thepassenger door.
l>
Pull thering inthe right-hand dooraperture
(ar-
row).
l>l>l>
Maintenance, CarCare
21
Octane ratings
The CLC orAKI octane ratingisusually lowerthan
the RON rating:
For example: 95RON equals 90CLC orAKI
Unleaded
fuelsmaynotbeavailable outsidethe
continental U.S.andCanada. Therefore, werec-
ommend youdonot take your cartoareas or
countries whereunleaded fuelmay notbeavail-
able.
Octane ratingindicates afuel's ability toresist det-
onation. Therefore, buyingthecorrect octanegas
is important toprevent engine"damage".
The RON octane ratingisbased onthe research
method. TheCLC (U.S. CostofLiving Council oc-
tane rating) orAKI (antiknock index)octane rating
usually displayed onU.S. fuelpumps iscalculated
as research octanenumber plusmotor octane
number, dividedby2,that iswritten as:
Fuels
containing MMT
Some NorthAmerican fuelscontain anoctane en-
hancing additive calledmethylcyclopentadienyl
manganese tricarbonyl(MMT).
If
such fuels areused, youremission controlsys-
tem performance maybenegatively affected.
The check engine warning lightonyour instrument
panel mayturnon.
If
this occurs, Porsche recommends youstop us-
ing fuels containing MMT.
Portable FuelContainers
/!\
Danger!
Portable fuelcontainers, fullorpartially
empty, mayleakcausing anexplosion, orre-
sult infire incase ofan accident.
D>
Never carryadditional fuelinportable contain-
ers inyour vehicle.
Fuels
containing alcoholandether
Some areasofthe U.S. require oxygenated fuels
during certain portions ofthe year. Oxygenated fu-
els are fuels which contain alcohols (suchasmeth-
anol orethanol) orether (such asMTBE).
Under normal conditions, theamount ofthese
compounds inthe fuel willnot affect driveability.
You may useoxygenated fuelsinyour Porsche,
provided theoctane requirements foryour vehicle
are met. Werecommend, however,tochange to
a different fuelorstation
if
any ofthe following
problems occurwithyour vehicle:
- Deterioration ofdriveability andperformance.
- Substantially reducedfueleconomy.
- Vapor lockandnon-start problems, especially
at high altitude orathigh temperature.
- Engine malfunction orstalling.
R+M
-2-
or
RON+MON
2
Maintenance,CarCare
123
FuelEvaporation Control
Fuel tank venting
The evaporation chamberandthecarbon canister
prevent fuelfrom escaping tothe atmosphere at
extreme highoutside temperatures, whendriving
abruptly aroundcurvesandwhen thecar isparked
at an incline orinany other nonlevel position.
Vapor control systemandstorage
When thefuel tank isfilled, vapors arecollected in
the evaporation chamberbyavent lineleading the
vapors tothe carbon canister wheretheyare
stored aslong asthe engine doesnotrun.
Purge system
When theengine isrunning, thefuel vapors from
the canister willbemixed withfresh airfrom the
ambient airofthe canister. Thismixture willbe
directed tothe intake airhousing bythe tank vent
line, mixed withtheintake airand burned during
normal combustion.
Maintenance, CarCare
Washer
Fluid
The reservoir, withablue screw cap,isinthe lug-
gage compartment, tothe rear left.
Capacity
- Without headlight cleaningsystem:
approximately 3.2quarts (3liters).
- With headlight cleaningsystem:
approximately 6.1quarts (5.7liters). Clean
water isgenerally notenough toclean the
windshield andheadlights.
It is advantageous toadd awinter cleaner giving
antifreeze protection orasuitable summer clean-
er, depending onthe season. Followtheinstruc-
tions forthe mixing ratio.
\>
Donot use engine coolant anti-freeze orany
other solution thatcandamage thecar's paint,
in the washer reservoir.
\>
Please noteallthe information onthe container
of the cleaning agent.
e
Warning light
The warning lightsinthe instrument panelandon-
board computer lightwhen approximately 0.5liter
(0.52 quarts) isleft inthe reservoir.
Washing
The best method ofprotecting yourcarfrom the
damaging effectsofthe environment isfrequent
washing andtheapplication ofapreservative. The
underside ofyour vehicle shouldalsobewashed
thoroughly, atthe latest whensaltisno longer
spread onthe roads.
The longer salt,road dustandindustrial dust,
dead insects, birddroppings orsubstances from
trees (resin, pollen) areallowed toremain onthe
bodywork, themore serious istheir harmful ef-
fect.
New cars should bewashed carefully withplenty
of clear water toprotect thenew paint work. Dark
paint finishes showupthe smallest ofsurface
damage (e.g.,scratches) morereadily thanlighter
colors.
Dark colors arealso more susceptible toscratch-
ing because ofthe composition oftheir pigments
and require particularly carefulpaintcare.
D-
Donot wash yourcarinbright sunlight orwhile
the bodywork isstill hot.
D-
When washing byhand, useabundant water,a
soft sponge orwash brush, andPorsche car
shampoo.
D-
Begin byspraying thebody thoroughly withwa-
ter torinse away loose dirt.
D-
After washing, rinsethecarwith plenty ofwa-
ter and then drywith achamois leather.
Do not use thesame chamois leatherfordry-
ing asyou useforcleaning thewindshield and
windows.
/!\
Warning!
Moisture whichgetsontothe brakes during
a car wash canreduce braking efficiency or
make thebrakes pullunevenly whichcould
increase thedanger ofan accident, causing
serious personal injuriesordeath.
D-
Always applythebrakes afew times after
washing thecartotest braking efficiency and
dry the brake discs.
When doingthis,take care nottohamper other
road users behind you(traffic conditions per-
mitting),
Automatic carwashes
Optional add-onpartsorparts which project
beyond thecontours ofthe vehicle maybe
damaged bydesign features (e.g.brushes) ofau-
tomatic carwashes.
The
following partsareparticularly
susceptible todamage:
- Windshield wipers(always switchthemoffto
prevent themwiping unintentionally inintermit-
tent operation)
- External telephone antennas(alwaysunscrew)
- Roof Transport System(alwaysremove com-
pletely)
- Rear spoiler
- Wheels (thewider therimand thelower thetire
height, thegreater therisk ofdamage)
- High-gloss wheels(toprevent thesefromget-
ting scratched, donot clean withthewheel-
cleaning brushesofthe carwash).
D-
Please consult theoperator beforeusingauto-
matic carwashes.
D-
Wash anddrybyhand allpoints notreached by
a car wash, suchasdoor andlidseams or
door sills.
Note
Automatic carwashes spraywater atodd angles
and high pressures, whicharenotseen innormal
driving. Therefore, watercansometimes findits
way intothepassengers compartment duringor
shortly afterthecarwash.
D-D- D-
Maintenance, CarCare
Doorlocks
t>
Toprevent thedoor locks fromfreezing during
the cold season, thelock cylinders shouldbe
covered duringawash.
t>
Should thelocks freeze, useanordinary de-
icer. Inmany cases, awell warmed keycan
help. Never useexcessive force.
Paint
t>
Never rubadusty carwith adry cloth since
dust particles areabrasive andcould dulland
damage thesurface finish.
The paintwork ofyour carisexposed toall types
of mechanical andchemical conditions, particular-
ly climatic onessuchasbright sunlight, rain,frost
and snow. Ultraviolet light,rapid changes intem-
perature, rain,snow, industrial dustandchemical
deposits constantly attackthepaint which isonly
able towithstand suchexposure inthe long term
if
itis given regular careandattention.
t>
Donot apply silicone polishes tothe windshield
or windows.
t>
Donot treat matt-painted componentswith
preservatives orpolishes asthis willspoil the
matte effect.
132
Maintenance, CarCare Preservation
The paint surface becomes dullover timedueto
weathering. Itis therefore necessary topreserve
the paint regularly.
This keeps thepaint shiny andelastic. Dirtispre-
vented fromadhering tothe paint surface andin-
dustrial dustisprevented frompenetrating the
paint.
Provided itis washed andtreated withpreserva-
tive regularly, thebrand newfinish ofyour carwill
be retained foryears tocome.
t>
Apply thePorsche paintpreservative afterthe
car wash andpolish itdry toobtain abright fin-
ish orsimply addaliquid preservative regularly
to the final rinse water.
Polishing Do not resort tousing Porsche polishuntilitbe-
comes evident thatthenormal preservatives no
longer produce thedesired finish.
Spots andstains
t>
Remove tarstains, grease, oilspots anddead
insects assoon aspossible withInsect Remov-
er. They cancause discoloration ifallowed to
remain onthe paintwork.
t>
Wash theaffected areaimmediately aftertreat-
ing it. Minor
paintdamage
t>
Have minor paintdamage, suchasscratches,
scores orchips caused byflying stones, re-
paired immediately byyour authorized
Porsche dealerbefore corrosion setsin.
However, ifthere arealready tracesofcorrosion,
they must firstberemoved carefullyandthorough-
ly. Coat thearea witharust-proofing primerand
finish offwith atop coat. Thepaint code andcolor
number arefound onthe vehicle's paintdataplate.