Driving and Driving Safety
163
The warning lights will go out after the parking
brake is fully released.
The warning lights are not an indicator that the
parking brake is fully applied; it is only intended to
be a warning to release the parking brake before
driving the car.
Caution!
A partially engaged brake will overheat the
rear brakes, reduce their effectiveness and
cause excessive wear.
fRelease the parking brake fully.
fWhen parking your car, press down firmly on
the foot pedal.
fMove the Tiptronic selector lever to “P”
(Tiptronic) or move the gearshift lever to
reverse or first gear (Manual transmission).
fOn hills also turn the front wheels towards the
curb.
BrakesfMake it a habit to check the operation of your
brakes before driving.
Keep in mind that the braking distance increases
very rapidly as the speed increases. At 60 mph
(100 km/h), for example, it is not twice but four
times longer than 30 mph (50 km/h). Tire traction
is also less effective when the roads are wet or
slippery.
fTherefore, always maintain a safe distance
from the car in front of you.Vehicles without Porsche Ceramic
Composite Brake (PCCB)Even though the brake discs consist of alloyed
grey cast iron, they will unavoidably start to cor-
rode if your car is parked for an extended period.
The brakes will tend to “rub” as a result.
The nature, extent and effects of corrosion
depend on the amount of time the vehicle was
parked, whether road salt or grit was spread and
whether grease-dissolving agents were used in
car washes.
If the braking comfort is noticeably impaired, we
recommend having the brake system checked by
experts at an authorized Porsche dealer.
Brake system functionYour Porsche is equipped with a power assisted
hydraulic dual circuit brake system with disc
brakes at the front and rear.
Both circuits function independently. One brake
circuit operates the front left and rear right wheel
and the other operates the front right and rear left
wheel.
If one brake circuit has failed, the other will still
operate. However, you will notice an increased
pedal travel when you apply the brakes.Failure of
one brake circuit will cause the stopping distance
to increase.
Warning!
Risk of an accident, resulting in serious per-
sonal injury or death.
In the unlikely event of hydraulic failure of
one brake circuit:
fPush the brake pedal down firmly and hold it in
that position. A mechanical linkage activates
the second circuit, and you will be able to bring
the vehicle to a stop.
fAfter bringing your vehicle to a complete stop,
avoid driving the vehicle and instead have it
towed to the nearest authorized Porsche dealer for repair.
Parking Brake warning
light USA
Parking Brake warning
light Canada
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164
Driving and Driving Safety Brake system warning light
You can check the functionality of the brake sys-
tem warning light by switching the ignition to the
“On” position and verifying that the warning light
illuminates.
The warning light in the instrument panel lights up.
A message will be displayed on the multi-purpose
display of the instrument panel if the brake fluid
level is too low, or (if the brake pedal travel has in-
creased) one of the two brake circuits has failed.
A greater braking pressure will be required, stop-
ping distances will be longer and the braking
behavior will change, particularly in curves.
With correctly adjusted brakes and a correctly
working brake system, the pedal travel to the
point of brake application should be 1-3/16 in. to
1-9/16 in. (30 to 40 mm). Whenever the brake
pedal travel exceeds this value, have the brake
system checked.
Brake pedal
Warning!
Risk of an accident, resulting in serious per-
sonal injury or death.
Any obstruction of the brake pedal could in-
crease the stopping distance.
fAlways check the movement of the brake pedal
before driving and make sure that it is not
obstructed by a floor mat or any other object.
fSecure the floor mat to prevent it from sliding
into positions that could interfere with the safe
operation of your vehicle.
Your Porsche dealer will be glad to offer you
floor mats of the correct size including a securing possibility.
Note
In case one of the two brake circuits fails,
increased pedal travel is required to bring your
vehicle to a full stop.
Warning!
To avoid overheating and premature wear of
the brakes:
fBefore descending a steep grade, reduce
speed and shift the transmission into a lower
gear to control speed.
fDo not “ride the brakes” by resting your foot on
the pedal when not intending to apply brake
pressure.
fDo not hold the pedal down too long or too
often. This could cause the brakes to get hot and not function properly.
Brake warning light USA
Brake warning light
Canada
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Driving and Driving Safety
165
Brake boosterThe brake booster assists braking only when
the engine is running.
When the car is moving while the engine is not
running, or if the brake booster is defective, more
pressure on the brake pedal is required to bring
the car to a stop.
Moisture, road salt or grit on brakes affects
braking.
Brakes will dry after a few cautious brake applica-
tions.
Warning!
Risk of an accident, resulting in serious per-
sonal injury or death.
Driving through water may reduce the trac-
tion. Moisture on brakes from road water, car
wash, or a coating of road salt or grit may
affect braking efficiency.
fCautiously apply brakes to test brakes after exposure to road water, etc.
Brake wearYour car has excellent brakes, but they are still
subject to wear. The rate at which they wear
depends on how the brakes are used.
fHave the brake system inspected at the inter-
vals recommended in your Maintenance Book-
let.
Brake system warning light
You can check the functionality of the brake sys-
tem warning light by switching the ignition to the
“On” position and verifying that the warning light
illuminates.
A warning message will be displayed on the multi-
purpose display of the instrument panel if the
brake pads are worn, excessively.
fDo not continue to operate the vehicle.
Have your authorized Porsche dealer inspect
or replace the brake pads.
fPlease see the chapter “OVERVIEW OF
WARNING MESSAGES” on Page 149.
Brake pads and brake discsWear on the brake pads and brake discs depends
to a great extent on the driving style and the con-
ditions of use and therefore cannot be expressed
in actual miles on the road.
The high-performance brake system is designed
for optimal braking effect at all speeds and tem-
peratures.
Certain speeds, braking forces and ambient
conditions (such as temperature and humidity)
therefore might cause the brakes to squeal.
Brake wear warning message
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166
Driving and Driving Safety New brake pads or linings
New brake pads have to be “broken in”, and there-
fore only attain optimal friction when the car has
covered several hundred miles or km.
The slightly reduced braking ability must be com-
pensated for by pressing the brake pedal harder.
This also applies whenever the brake pads and
brake discs are replaced.
Warning!
fDo not obstruct the pedal travel with floor mats
or other objects.
The brake booster is ready for operation only
while the engine is running.
If the engine is switched off or there is a defect in
the brake booster, much greater force has to be
applied to the pedal when braking.
fPlease see the chapter “TOWING” on
Page 342.
In heavy rain, while driving through water or after
leaving a car wash, the braking action may be
delayed and increased pressure may be required.
fFor this reason, keep further back from the ve-
hicle in front and “dry” the brakes by applying
them at intervals. Make sure that following traf-
fic is not affected.
After a long drive over salted or sanded roads, a
coating may form on the brake discs and pads
that significantly reduces friction and thus braking
action.fEven though the brake discs consist of alloyed
grey cast iron, they will unavoidably start to
corrode if your car is parked for an extended
period. The brakes will tend to “rub” as a
result.
The nature, extent and effects of corrosion
depend on the amount of time the vehicle was
parked, whether road salt or grit was spread
and whether grease-dissolving agents were
used in car washes (not on vehicles with
Porsche Ceramic Composite Brake).
To prevent corrosion of the brake discs, “brake
them dry” before parking the car (not on
vehicles with Porsche Ceramic Composite
Brake).
If the braking comfort is noticeably impaired,
we recommend having the brake system
checked by experts at an authorized Porsche
dealer.
fTo relieve the braking system on downhill
stretches, change down to a lower gear in
enough time to obtain engine braking.
If engine braking is insufficient on steep
stretches, operate the footbrake at intervals.
Continuous braking overheats the brakes and
reduces the braking effect.
fPlease see the chapter “BRAKE-FLUID LEVEL”
on Page 257.
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Driving and Driving Safety
167
A- SET (Store speed)
1- RESUME - Switch on/resume cruise control readiness
(pull toward driver)
2- OFF - Interrupt (push away from driver)
3-+ SPEED - Accelerate (raise clockwise)
4-– SPEED - Decelerate (lower counter-clockwise)Cruise ControlCruise control maintains any selected speed
between 20 and 150 mph (30 and 240 km/h)
without you having to use the accelerator.
The cruise control is operated with the operating
lever on the steering wheel.
Warning!
Risk of accident while using cruise control in
heavy traffic and consequent personal injury
or death, on twisting roads or under
unfavorable road conditions (e.g. wintry or
wet conditions, varying road surfaces).
fDo not use the cruise control under such
conditions.
fObserve all local and national speed limits.
Risk of an accident, personal injury and loss
of control.
fDo not reach through the steering-wheel spokes while driving.
Switching cruise control readiness onfPull back the operating lever to position 1 until
it clicks audibly into place.Maintaining and storing speedfBring the car to the desired speed with the
accelerator.
fPress button A.
The desired speed has now been stored.
Accelerating (e.g. to overtake)Option 1
fIncrease the speed as usual with the accelera-
tor.
When you ease off the accelerator, the
previously stored value is set again.
Option 2
fPush operating lever upwards into position 3
until the desired speed is reached.
The speed reached is maintained and stored
when the operating lever is released.
Option 3
fPush operating lever slightly upwards into
position 3 (a maximum of 10 times).
The speed is increased by 1 mph (2 km/h),
each time the lever is pushed upwards.
Note on operation
Cruise control operation is automatically interrup-
ted if the speed is increased by more than approx.
16 mph (25 km/h) for longer than 20 seconds.
Cruise control readiness
The green indicator light on the tacho-
meter now indicates readiness.
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Driving and Driving Safety
169
Manual transmission, clutch
Warning!
Risk of accident, resulting in serious perso-
nal injury or death.
fDo not obstruct the pedal travel with floor mats
or other objects.To avoid damage to the clutch and transmis-
sion:
fAlways depress the clutch pedal fully when
changing gears. Make sure that the gearshift
lever is completely engaged.
fOnly shift into reverse when the car has come
to a complete stop
Floor mats of the correct size and with the
appropriate fasteners are available from your
authorized Porsche dealer.
The positions of the gears are shown on the shift
diagram on the gearshift lever.
fWhen shifting gears, always ensure that the
clutch pedal is fully depressed and the gear
has fully engaged.
fSelect reverse only when vehicle is stationary.
fSelect an appropriately low gear on upward
and downward slopes.
This will ensure optimum use of engine power
and engine braking.
When reverse gear is selected and the ignition is
on, the reversing lights are lit.
Permitted engine speedfYou should change into a higher gear before
the needle reaches the red mark on the tacho-
meter, or ease off the accelerator.
If the red zone is reached during acceleration, fuel
feed is interrupted.
Caution!
Risk of engine damage (overrevving) when
shifting down to a lower gear.
fTake care not to exceed the maximum permit-ted engine speed when down-shifting.
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Driving and Driving Safety
173
The manual selection mode remains engaged:
– For passing
– Depending on lateral acceleration
– When the vehicle is stationary (e.g. at a
junction).
The system leaves manual selection mode:
– Automatically after around 8 seconds
(unless car is subject to high lateral accelera-
tion, is passing or stationary),
– if you depress the accelerator to kickdown.
Kickdown
The kickdown function is active in selector lever
position D.
fFor optimum acceleration, e.g. when overta-
king, depress the accelerator pedal beyond
the full-throttle point (kickdown).
The transmission shifts down depending on the
speed of travel and engine speed.
Upward shifts occur at the highest possible engine
speeds.
These gear-changing speeds remain active until
the accelerator is released to approx. 80% of the
full-throttle position.
Tip on driving
Unlike in the on-road driving program, an automa-
tic upshift is not performed in manual selection
mode M when the engine-speed limit is reached.
M - Manual selection mode (in the on-
road driving program)
Warning!
The kickdown function is not active in manual
selection mode “M”.
The kickdown function cannot be used to
downshift in manual selection mode “M”.
fTherefore shift down manually when accelera-ting (e.g. to overtake).Shifting up
fPress upper part (+) of a rocker switch A or
fPush selector lever B forward in the M gate.
Shifting down
fPress lower part (–) of a rocker switch A or
fPush selector lever B back in the M gate.
Depending on driving speed and engine speed,
you can shift up or down at any time. Gear
changes which would exceed the upper or lower
engine-speed limit are not executed by the control
unit.
You can change down two gears by quickly pres-
sing rocker switches A or selector lever B twice.
If PSM is active and the engine-speed limit is
reached, an automatic upward shift is performed
or, just before idling speed is reached, a down-
ward shift is performed.
fSelect an appropriately low gear on upward
and downward slopes.
This will ensure optimum use of engine power
and engine braking.
If manual mode fails, the control electronics
switch to automatic mode.
In this event, the instrument panel will display
selector lever position D.
fTo remedy the fault, please consult an
authorized Porsche dealer.
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174
Driving and Driving Safety
M - Manual selection mode (in the off-
road driving program)
Warning!
The kickdown function is not active in manual
selection mode “M”.
The kickdown function cannot be used to
downshift in manual selection mode “M”.
fTherefore shift down manually when accelera-ting (e.g. to overtake).
Tip on driving
The kickdown function is not active in selector
lever position M.
Unlike in the road driving program, an automatic
upshift is not performed when the engine-speed
limit is reached.Shifting up
fPress upper part (+) of a rocker switch A or
fPush selector lever B forward in the M gate.
Shifting down
fPress lower part (–) of a rocker switch A or
fPush selector lever B back in the M gate.
Depending on driving speed and engine speed,
you can shift up or down at any time. Gear
changes which would exceed the upper or lower
engine-speed limit are not executed by the control
unit.
You can change down two gears by quickly pres-
sing rocker switches A or selector lever B twice.
The gear is changed down automatically just
before idle speed is reached.
fSelect an appropriately low gear on upward
and downward slopes.
This will ensure optimum use of engine power
and engine braking.
If manual mode fails, the control electronics
switch to automatic mode. In this event, the instru-
ment panel will display selector lever position D.
fTo remedy the fault, please consult an
authorized Porsche dealer.
StoppingfFor a brief stop (e.g. at a traffic light), leave the
selector lever in drive position and hold the
vehicle with the brake pedal.
fDo not hold the car on a slope using the acce-
lerator. Use the brake pedal or the parking
brake instead.
fBefore leaving the vehicle, always apply the
handbrake and move the selector lever to
position P.
Tip on driving
In selector lever positions D and M, the hillholder
function makes it easier to move off from a stand-
still on an upward slope when the engine is run-
ning. The driver does not have to apply the brake.
fPlease see the chapter “HILLHOLDER -
MOVING-OFF ASSISTANT ON VEHICLES WITH
TIPTRONIC S” on Page 187.
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