
Seats, Mirrors and Steering Wheel
45
Airbag SystemsThe airbags in combination with the safety belts 
make up a safety system which offers the driver 
and the passenger the greatest known protection 
from injuries in case of accident.
Your vehicle is equipped with weight sensing for 
the passenger's seat in accordance with 
U.S. Federal/Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety 
Standard 208. 
Even if your vehicle is equipped with airbags, the 
safety belts must be worn at all times, 
because the front airbag system is only actuated 
by frontal collisions with an impact of sufficient se-
verity. 
Below the deployment threshold of the airbag 
system, and during types of collisions which do 
not cause the actuation of the system, the safety 
belts provide the primary protection to the 
occupants when correctly worn. Therefore, all 
persons within the vehicle must wear safety 
belts at all times (in many states, state law 
requires the use of safety belts). 
fPlease see the chapter “SAFETY BELTS” on 
Page 42.
The front airbags are located under the padded 
steering wheel panel on the driver’s side and, on 
the passenger's side, in the dashboard.
The side airbags for the front seats are installed 
on the side in the seat backrests.
The head airbags are installed above the doors 
in the roof area.
 Danger!
To provide optimal occupant protection, air-
bags must inflate at very high speed. If you 
are not wearing your safety belt or are too 
close to the airbag when it is deployed, infla-
ting airbags can result in serious personal in-
jury or death.
Improper handling of weight sensing can 
unintentionally impair switching the 
passenger's airbag off and on.
fMake sure there are no people, animals or ob-
jects between the driver or passenger and the 
area into which the airbag inflates.
fSit back as far from the dashboard or steering 
wheel as is practical, while still maintaining full 
vehicle control.
fAlways hold the steering wheel by the outer 
rim. Never rest your hands on the airbag panel.
fAlways fasten seat belts because triggering 
of the airbag system depends on the force and 
angle of impact.
fDo not transport heavy objects on or in front of 
the passenger seat. These could impair the 
function of the airbag, the seat belts, and 
weight sensing.
fDo not hang objects (e.g., jackets, coats, coat 
hangers) over the backrest.fAlways keep the lid of the door storage com-
partment closed. Objects must not protrude 
out of the door storage compartment.
The storage compartment must be closed 
while driving.
fNo changes must be made to the wiring or 
components of the airbag system.
fDo not add any additional coverings or stickers 
to the steering wheel or in the area of the 
passenger airbag, side airbags and head 
airbags. Doing so may adversely affect the 
functioning of the airbag system or cause 
harm to the occupants if the airbag system 
should deploy.
Do not use protective seat covers.
fDo not modify the seat coverings. Do not 
attach additional cushions, protective 
coverings, or pillows to the passenger's seat. 
Do not affix things to the passenger's seat or 
cover it with other materials. Do not cover the 
back of the backrest. Do not make changes to 
the passenger's seat and to the seat base 
frame.
fDo not undertake any wiring for electrical ac-
cessory equipment in the vicinity of the airbag 
wiring harnesses. Doing so may disable the 
airbag system or cause inadvertent inflation.
fIf the warning light comes on, the airbag 
system should be repaired immediately by 
your authorized Porsche dealer.
10_Cayenne_21_KW17.book  Seite 45  Donnerstag, 9. April 2009  3:33 15 

46
Seats, Mirrors and Steering Wheel fAlways keep feet in the footwell while driving. 
Do not put feet on the dashboard or the seat 
area. Do not lean against the inside of the door 
or outside the window while the vehicle is 
moving.
fUsing accessories not approved by Porsche 
can cause the weight sensing to be impaired. 
fDo not squeeze objects, such as the fire 
extinguisher, or first aid kit under the seat.
fOnly have seats removed and installed by an 
authorized Porsche dealer so that weight 
sensing components will not be damaged.
fGive your passenger all of the information in 
this chapter.
Note
Airbag components (e.g. steering wheel, seats) 
may be disassembled only by an authorized 
Porsche dealer.
fWhen disposing of a used airbag unit, our 
safety instructions must be followed. These 
instructions can be obtained at any authorized 
Porsche dealer.
Function of the airbag systemAirbags are a supplemental safety system. Your 
primary protection comes from your safety belts.
The front airbags are triggered during a frontal 
collision of sufficient force and direction.
In the event of a side impact of corresponding 
force, the side airbag on the impact side is 
triggered.
The inflation process generates the amount of gas 
required to fill the airbags at the necessary 
pressure in fractions of a second.
Airbags help to protect the head and upper body, 
while simultaneously damping the motion of the 
driver and passenger in the impact direction in the 
event of a frontal impact or side impact.
In order to help provide protection in severe colli-
sions which can cause death and serious injury, 
airbags must inflate extremely rapidly. Such high 
speed inflation has a negative but unavoidable 
side effect, which is that it can and does cause in-
juries, including facial and arm abrasions, bruising 
and broken bones. You can help minimize such in-
juries by always wearing your safety belts.
There are many types of accidents in which 
airbags are not expected to deploy. These include 
accidents where the airbags would provide no be-
nefit, such as a rear impact against your vehicle. 
Other accidents where the airbags are designed 
not to deploy are those where the risk of injury 
from the airbag deployment could exceed any pro-
tective benefits, such as in low speed accidents or higher speed accidents where the vehicle decele-
rates over a longer time. Since airbag deployment 
does not occur in all accidents, this further em-
phasizes the need for you and your passengers to 
always wear safety belts.
Your vehicle is equipped with a crash sensing and 
diagnostic module. This module will record the 
use of the seat belt restraint system by the driver 
and front passenger when the airbags and/or belt 
tentioner are triggered.
Precondition for activating the restraint systems:
fIgnition is switched on.
Advanced AirbagYour vehicle is equipped with weight sensing for 
the passenger's seat in accordance with 
U.S. Federal/Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety 
Standard 208. 
Depending on the weight acting on the 
passenger's seat, the passenger's airbag will 
automatically be switched on and off.
Depending on the angle and force of impact, the 
passenger's airbag which is switched-on will be 
triggered during a collision.
Precondition for switching the passenger's airbag 
on and off, depending on weight:
fIgnition is switched on.
10_Cayenne_21_KW17.book  Seite 46  Donnerstag, 9. April 2009  3:33 15 

Seats, Mirrors and Steering Wheel
47
Seat adjustment for the passenger's seat
 Danger!
Safety belts only offer protection when the 
backrest is upright and the belts are properly 
positioned on the body. Improperly positio-
ned safety belts can cause serious personal 
injury or death in an accident.
fDo not operate the car with the driver or pas-senger backrests excessively reclined.
If the seat is in an extreme position (e.g., the back-
rest is in contact with the rear seat bench), the 
backrest can warp. Warping of the backrest can 
lead to malfunctions.
fCorrect the seat adjustment.
The seat is not jammed and is self-supporting. 
The backrest is in the upright position.
fDo not transport a load and objects in the rear 
footwell or under the passenger's seat.
If the load or objects are under the seat, they 
can cause malfunctions.
If the weight on the passenger's seat is reduced 
significantly, e.g., by supporting weight on the 
armrest, the passenger's airbag can be switched 
off.fSelect an upright seat position, and do not 
support weight on the armrests or lean out of 
the window. 
Always keep feet in the footwell while driving. 
Do not put feet on the dashboard or the seat 
area. Do not lean against the inside of the door 
or outside the window while the vehicle is 
moving.
If the passenger's seat is warped significantly, a 
message is displayed in the multi-purpose display 
in the instrument panel:
fCorrect the seat adjustment.
fPlease see the chapter “OVERVIEW OF 
WARNING MESSAGES” on Page 149.
Vehicle modifications to accommodate 
persons with disabilitiesBecause modifications to your vehicle could 
compromise your advanced airbag system, 
please call 1-800-PORSCHE prior to having your 
vehicle modified.
Automatic deactivation of the passenger 
airbags
 Danger!
The use of a child restraint system in the 
front passenger seat can result in serious 
personal injury or death to the child from an 
airbag deployment.
To reduce risk of injury from an inflating 
airbag in an accident, Porsche strongly 
recommends:
fUnder all normal circumstances, the child seat 
must be placed in the rear. 
Do not use a child restraint system in the front passenger seat.
Before transporting a child on the passenger seat:
fPlease see the chapter “CHILD RESTRAINT 
SYSTEMS” on Page 49.
– When a child weighing up to 29 lbs (13 kg) 
is seated in the child restraint system, the front 
airbag is automatically deactivated on the pas-
senger side.
– When an adult is seated in the front seat the 
front airbag remains active on the passenger‘s 
side.
10_Cayenne_21_KW17.book  Seite 47  Donnerstag, 9. April 2009  3:33 15 

Air Conditioning, Parking Heater and Heated Rear Window
71
Automatic modefPress button  .
Indicator light in button lights up.
Air quantity and air distribution are automati-
cally controlled and variations are compensa-
ted.
Note on operation
If necessary, the automatic system can be manu-
ally influenced.
This manual setting is retained until the appropri-
ate function button is pressed again or the button 
 is pressed.SensorsTo avoid affecting the performance of the air-con-
ditioning system:
fDo not cover the sun sensor on the dashboard 
and the temperature sensor F in the front con-
trol panel of the air-conditioning system.
Setting temperatureTo suit personal comfort, the interior temperature 
can be adjusted between 61 °F and 85 °F (16 °C 
and 29.5 °C).
Recommendation: 72 °F (22 °C)
The selected temperature is shown on the display 
above the button.
Increase temperature
fPush temperature button up.
Left side of vehicle: button H
Right side of vehicle: button N
Decrease temperature
fPush temperature button down.
Left side of vehicle: button H
Right side of vehicle: button N
If “LO” or “HI” appears on the display,  the system 
is operating at maximum cooling or heating 
power. Automatic mode is switched off.
If the preselected temperature is changed, the air 
quantity blowing out can adjust automatically in 
automatic mode.
The desired temperature is reached more quickly 
this way.The selected air quantity is shown in a bar display 
on the display above the button.
The more bars that are displayed, the more air 
flows into the interior.
Increase air quantity
fPush air quantity button G up.
Decrease air quantity
fPush air quantity button G down.
Press button   to return to automatic mode.
If the air quantity was reduced so much that “OFF” 
appears on the display, the outside-air supply is 
interrupted.
 Warning!
Risk of accident due to impaired vision, 
resulting in serious personal injury or death. 
If the air quantity is “OFF”, the windows may 
mist up.
fOnly select air quantity setting “OFF” for short 
periods.
fIf windows mist up, push air quantity button G 
up to increase air quantity and select the func-tion “Defrost windshield”.
Setting air quantity
10_Cayenne_21_KW17.book  Seite 71  Donnerstag, 9. April 2009  3:33 15 

76
Air Conditioning, Parking Heater and Heated Rear Window You can switch to automatic mode for the front 
and rear air-conditioned areas, independently of 
one another.
fPress AUTO button C on the front or rear 
control panel. 
The indicator light in button C of the front con-
trol panel and the AUTO indication in the rear 
display panel are lit.
Air quantity and distribution are automatically 
controlled and variations are compensated.Note on operation
If necessary, the automatic system can be 
manually influenced.
This manual setting is retained until the appropri-
ate function button is pressed again or the AUTO 
button C is pressed.Automatic mode
Control panel, rear
C- AUTO button (automatic mode)
F- Air-conditioning/seat heating display
G- Air-quantity button, left
H- Temperature button, left; seat heating, left
I- Air to vent, left door post
J- Air to footwell, left
K- Air to left central vent (center console)
O-Seat heating off/on
P- Air to vent, right door post
Q- Air to footwell, right
R- Air to right central vent (center console)
S- Temperature button, right; seat heating, right
T- Air-quantity button, rightSensorsTo avoid affecting the performance of the air-con-
ditioning system:
fDo not cover the sun sensor on the dashboard 
and the temperature sensor F in the front con-
trol panel of the air-conditioning system.
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Lights, Turn Signals and Windshield Wipers
107
The emergency flasher is ready for use regardless 
of the ignition lock position.Switching on and offfPress button A to switch on.
Press button A again to switch off.
All turn signal lights and indicator lights on the 
dashboard flash when the switch is operated.
 Danger!
Risk of an accident resulting in serious 
personal injury or death.
fWhenever stalled or stopped for emergency 
repairs, move the car well off the road. Switch 
on the emergency flasher and mark the car 
with road flares or other warning devices.
fDo not remain in the car. Someone 
approaching from the rear may not realize your 
vehicle is stopped and cause a collision.
Danger of fire.
fDo 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.
Hot engine compartment components can 
burn skin on contact.
fBefore working on any part in the engine 
compartment, turn the engine off and let it cool down sufficiently.
A, C- Switch for individual reading lights
B- Switch for interior lightInterior LightingReading lights, frontSwitching on
fPress button A or C.
Switching off
fPress button A or C.
Emergency flasher
10_Cayenne_21_KW17.book  Seite 107  Donnerstag, 9. April 2009  3:33 15 

Luggage Compartment, Loadspace and Storage
219
Compact disc player
 Caution!
To avoid damage to compact disc player and 
discs.
fUse only compact discs labeled as shown, 
having no dirt, damage or warpage.
fNever attempt to disassemble or oil any part 
of the player unit. Do not insert any object 
other than a disc into the slot.Remember there 
are no user-serviceable parts inside the 
compact disc player.
fDo not allow the disc to sustain any finger-
prints, scrapes or stickers on the surfaces. 
This may cause poor sound quality.
Hold the disc only on the edge or center hole.
fWhen not in use, take the disc out of the player, 
put the disc back into its case and store it 
away from dust, heat, damp and direct sun-
light.
Leaving the disc on the dashboard in the sun 
can damage the disc.fIf the disc gets dirty, clean the disc by wiping 
the surfaces from the center to the outside in 
a radial direction with a soft cloth. 
Do not use a conventional record cleaner or 
anti-static record preservative. 
Disc cleaners are available in audio stores. 
Car Telephone and Aftermarket Alarms Important legal and safety information 
regarding the use of cellular telephones
Some states may prohibit the use of cellular tele-
phones while driving a vehicle. Check the laws and 
regulations on the use of cellular telephones in the 
areas where you drive.
 Danger!
Risk of an accident.
Severe personal injury or death can result in 
the event of an accident.
Looking away from the road or turning your 
attention away from your driving can cause 
an accident and lead to serious personal 
injury or death. 
When using your cellular telephone, you should 
always:
fGive full attention to your driving - pull off the 
road and park before making or answering a 
call if traffic conditions so require; andfKeep both hands on the steering wheel - use 
hands-free operation (if available) - pull off the 
road and park before using a hand-held tele-
phone.
It is essential to observe the telephone 
manufacturer's instructions before operating 
the telephone.
Any portable telephone or radio transmitter which 
is used in a Porsche must be properly installed in 
accordance with the technical requirements of 
Porsche.
The transmission power must not exceed 
10 W.
The devices must possess a type approval for 
your vehicle and have an “e” symbol.
If you should require equipment with transmission 
power values greater than 10 W, please consult 
your authorized Porsche dealer for this purpose. 
He is familiar with the technical requirements for 
installing devices of this kind.
The antennas for all radios and telephones with a 
transmitting antenna must be externally mounted. 
The improper installation of radios or telephones 
or use of a radio or telephone with a transmitting 
antenna inside the car may cause the warning 
lights to come on. 
Improper installation of such equipment can 
create a discharged battery or excessive current 
draw from added equipment.
10_Cayenne_21_KW17.book  Seite 219  Donnerstag, 9. April 2009  3:33 15 

Parking
239
A- Front display – left monitoring area
B- Front display – right monitoring areaWarning indicators, signal tones, distances
The warning indicator for the front area is located 
on the dashboard.
The warning indicator for the rear area is located 
in the rooflining at the rear of the loadspace.
The warning indicators for the various monitoring 
areas (left and right) are subdivided respectively 
into one green, 4 yellow and 2 red light segments
C- Rear display – right monitoring area
D- Rear display – left monitoring areaIf ParkAssist is activated, the green light seg-
ments of the active warning indicators are lit up 
continuously.
If the vehicle approaches an obstacle that has 
been detected by the sensors, one or more of the 
yellow or red light segments lights up, depending 
on the distance to the obstacle.If the first yellow light segment lights up, the 
obstacle is still 48 in. (120 cm) (to the front) or 
48 in. to 59 in. (120 to 150 cm) (to the rear) 
away.
A brief signal tone sounds when reversing.
An intermittent tone sounds when the distance 
becomes less than approx. 24 in. (60 cm). The 
fourth yellow light segment lights up.
A continuous tone sounds when the distance be-
comes less than approx. 10 in. (25 cm) (on vehic-
les with trailer coupling: approx. 14 in. (35 cm)). 
The second red light segment lights up.
If the obstacle is approached even closer, the 
system may not be able to recognize the obstacle 
any longer.
fSet the radio volume so that the signal tones 
are not drowned out.
You can have the volume of the signal tones 
adjusted to your own requirements at your 
authorized Porsche dealer.
Note on operation
If the obstacle is approached even closer after the 
continuous tone sounds and the second red light 
segment lights up, the system may not be able to 
recognize the obstacle any longer.
10_Cayenne_21_KW17.book  Seite 239  Donnerstag, 9. April 2009  3:33 15