
170
Driving and Driving Safety
Tiptronic SThe Porsche Tiptronic is a six-speed transmission
and features an “automatic” and a “manual” gear-
shift mode.
In automatic selection mode (selector lever po-
sition D), gear changing is automatic.
Depending on the driving program, you can
change temporarily from automatic to manual
mode using the rocker switches on the steering
wheel.
In manual selection mode (selector lever
position M), you change gear using the rocker
switches on the steering wheel or by pushing the
selector lever forward or back.
The functions of selector lever positions D and M
differ in the on-road program, High Range, and in
the off-road program, Low Range.
You can change between selector lever positions
D and M as you wish while driving.
The currently selected gear is retained if you
change from D to M.
If you change from M to D, the gear-changing map
suitable for your current driving style is selected
and the appropriate gear is selected.
Note on operation
Take care not to operate the rocker switches on
the steering wheel inadvertently, thereby trigger-
ing undesired gear changes.
Changing the selector lever positionThe selector lever is locked with the ignition key
withdrawn.
The selector lever can be moved from position P
or N only with:
– The ignition switched on
– The brake pedal pressed and
– The release button pressed (arrow).Release button
The release button (arrow) on the front side of the
selector lever prevents unintentional gear chan-
ges.
The release button must be pressed when shifting
to position R or P.
The selector lever cannot be operated in the event
of an electrical fault.
fPlease see the chapter “SELECTOR LEVER
EMERGENCY RELEASE” on Page 175.
StartingThe engine can be started only in selector lever
position P or N with the brake pedal pressed.Moving offfSelect the desired position for moving off
(D, M or R) only when the engine is idling and
when depressing the brake pedal.
fSince the car creeps when in gear, do not re-
lease the brake until you want to move off.
fAfter selecting a gear, do not accelerate until
you can feel that the gear is engaged.
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Driving and Driving Safety
171
Selector lever positionIndicator for selector lever position and
engaged gearWhen the engine is running, the selector lever
position and engaged gear are indicated.
Selector Lever PositionsP – Parking lockIn selector lever position P, the driven wheels are
mechanically locked.
fEngage parking lock only when vehicle is
stationary.
fEngage parking lock after applying the
parking brake and release it before releasing
the parking brake.
fAlways apply the parking brake before leaving
the vehicle.
The ignition key can be withdrawn only in selector
lever position P.R – ReversefSelect reverse only if car is stationary and the
brake is applied.N – NeutralSelector lever position N must be selected for
towing or in car washes, for example.
fSelect the desired position for moving off
(D, M or R) only when the engine is idling and
when depressing the brake pedal.
D - Automatic selection mode (in the road
driving program)fUse selector lever position D for “normal”
driving.
The gears are shifted automatically according
to the accelerator position and speed.
Depending on the way the vehicle is driven and on
the resistance (e.g. uphill), the gear-changing
points are shifted towards higher or lower engine-
speed ranges. Movement of the accelerator,
driving speed, longitudinal and lateral acceleration
and the road profile all have an influence on the
gear-changing characteristic.
When PSM is switched off, transmission gear
changes are done at higher engine speeds.
Unwanted upward shifts, e.g. before corners, are
prevented by swiftly releasing the accelerator
pedal.
Depending on lateral acceleration, upward
changes on corners are not made until the engine-
speed limit is reached.
During braking, and depending on the amount of
deceleration, the Tiptronic changes down earlier.
For subsequent cornering, the right gear is
engaged when pressure is applied to the brakes
before the corner.
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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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Driving and Driving Safety
175
ParkingfGo easy on the accelerator.
fWhen parking or maneuvring in a small space,
control the speed by careful use of the foot-
brake.Driving in winterIn wintry road conditions it is advisable to take
steep inclines in manual mode M. This prevents
the occurrence of gear changes that could cause
wheelspin.
Limp-home modeIf there is a fault in the transmission:
–An X appears instead of the current gear
indicator on the multi-purpose display of the
instrument panel.
The transmission no longer shifts.
fTo remedy the fault, immediately consult an
authorized Porsche dealer.
Warning!
Reverse gear lock monitoring is disabled in
the emergency running program.
Damage to the vehicle may result as well as
loss of control, if the vehicle is moving for-
ward fast enough to cause rear wheel lockup.
fDo not shift into R while the vehicle is moving forward.
Tip on driving
3rd or 5th gear in selector position D and reverse
gear R are now available and will allow you to
reach the nearest authorized Porsche dealer.
fPlease go to your authorized Porsche dealer
as soon as possible.
Selector lever emergency releaseIn the event of an electrical fault, the selector lever
lock in position P can be manually released (for
towing the vehicle, for example).
1. Fold up armrest.
2. Remove key B from the lower storage tray
(underneath the rubber mat) in the center
console.
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176
Driving and Driving Safety 3. Undo screws A with key B.
4. Remove trim mounting F.
5. Lift trim C at rear and carefully pull it off.6. Unplug plug connection D.
7. Press foam aside.
8. Press locking lever E aside (to the left) using a
suitable object.
9. Move selector lever to position N.
10.Reassemble in reverse order.
Danger!
Risk of loss of control, resulting in serious
personal injury or death.
fEnsure that the parking brake of the vehicle is set and that vehicle does not move on its own.
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Driving and Driving Safety
177
Driving Programs for On-Road and
Off-Road DrivingTwo different driving programs with special power-
transmission and running-gear control systems
(such as ABS, off-road ABS and PSM, etc.) are pro-
vided in your Porsche for realising the best possib-
le driving dynamics combined with maximum safe-
ty.
– Low Range off-road driving program
(with reduction)
– High Range on-road driving program
(without reduction)When the driving program is active, the power
transmission and running-gear control systems
are automatically adapted to the requirements for
off-road or on-road driving.
Selecting driving programThe particular driving program can be selected
using the rocker switch A.
The rocker switch A is located in the center con-
sole of the vehicle. It features a multi-step function
and can be operated in both directions.
Note on operation
The number of differential locks that can be enga-
ged in Low Range depends on the equipment of
your vehicle.
Prerequisites for manual settings
Vehicles with manual transmission
fStop the vehicle.
fApply the brake.
fPut the gearshift lever in neutral.
Caution!
Risk of engine damage (overrevving). In the
Low Range program, the gear-shifting points
are shifted towards lower engine-speed ran-
ges.
fShift early to prevent overrevving the engine.
Vehicles with Tiptronic S
fWhen selecting the off-road driving program:
Reduce speed to below 9.3 mph (15 km / h) or
stop vehicle.
fWhen selecting the on-road driving program:
Reduce speed to below 19 mph (30 km / h) or
stop vehicle.
fMove Tiptronic selector lever to position N.
Danger!
Risk of accident, resulting in serious perso-
nal injury or death due to uncontrolled vehic-
le movement. The Tiptronic selector lever is
blocked during the shifting procedure. Shif-
ting when driving uphill can cause the vehicle
to stand still or even roll backwards, if the
shifting procedure has not yet been comple-
ted. When driving downhill, the vehicle can
accelerate unintentionally while shifting.
fIncreased brake readiness is required.
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Driving and Driving Safety
179
Note on operation
If the Low Range indicator light next to the rocker
switch flashes rapidly after the ignition is swit-
ched on, there is a fault in the shifting system.
fHave the vehicle checked immediately.
Please consult an authorized Porsche dealer.
If the Low Range indicator light next to the rocker
switch flashes when you attempt to operate
rocker switch, then at least one condition for shif-
ting has not been met:
Vehicles with manual transmission
– Vehicle is not stationary.
– Brake is not pressed.
– Gearshift lever in not in neutral.
Vehicles with Tiptronic S
– Vehicle has exceeded or gone below the limit
speed.
– Tiptronic selector lever is not in position N.
Sport ModeFunction
The sports exhaust system is switched on and a
sportier car set-up is obtained when Sport mode
is switched on.
Interventions by the Porsche control systems are
intentionally shifted towards greater agility and
driving performance.
– PASM (Porsche Active Suspension Manage-
ment) is automatically changed to Sport mode,
resulting in a stiffer suspension setup.– PDCC (Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control) is
automatically set to Sport mode, and this
further reduces the roll tendency of the
vehicle.
– The air suspension automatically changes to
the low level setting.
– The Tiptronic S transmission changes to a
sportier shift strategy.
The gear-changing points are shifted to higher
speed ranges. Upward shifts are initiated later,
and deceleration shifts are performed earlier.
The vehicle moves off in 1st gear.
– The electronic accelerator pedal reacts
sooner, and the engine is more responsive to
throttle inputs.
– Sporty engine tuning is activated.
fFor further information:
Please see the chapter “PORSCHE ACTIVE
SUSPENSION MANAGEMENT (PASM)” on
Page 193.
fPlease see the chapter “PORSCHE DYNAMIC
CHASSIS CONTROL (PDCC)” on Page 194.
Low Range indicator light
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Driving and Driving Safety
181
Power-Transmission and Running-Gear Control SystemsA complex interconnection of all control systems acting in power transmission and in the running gear has been realized in your Porsche.
All control systems have been linked with the aim of combining the best possible driving performance with maximum safety.
The following systems are involved:
System/designation Scope
PTM
Porsche Traction Management– Full-time all-wheel drive
– Electronically controlled center differential lock
– Automatic brake differential (ABD)
– Traction control system (TCS)
– Reduction gear/Low Range
PTM Plus
Porsche Traction ManagementIn addition to the PTM features, PTM Plus also includes:
– Electronically controlled rear differential lock
PSM
Porsche Stability Management– Stability management system
– Anti-lock brake system (ABS)
– Brake system prefilling
– Brake booster
– Traction control system (TCS)
– Automatic brake differential (ABD)
– Engine drag torque control (MSR)
Air suspension
with level control and height adjustment– Fully load bearing air spring struts with integral shock absorbers
– Air supply system with pressure accumulator
PAS M
Porsche Active Suspension Management– Shock absorber system with adaptive, continuous shock absorber control
PDCC
Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control– Active chassis control system to stabilize roll tendency of vehicle body when driving
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