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Seats, Mirrors and Steering Wheel
41
C-Rear seat, left
D-Rear seat, rightSwitching onfTurn thumb wheel until the desired position is
reached.Switching offfTurn thumb wheel to 0.
A- Switches seat heating on
B- Switches seat heating off
C- Temperature control for left seat
D- Temperature control for right seatRear seat heating in vehicles with an
four-zone air conditioning systemSwitching on
fPress button A.
After the seat heating is switched on, the air
conditioning display switches to seat heating
mode for approx. 10 seconds.Controlling the temperature
fMove button C or button D upwards or down-
wards until the desired position is reached.
Switching off
fPress button B.
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42
Seats, Mirrors and Steering Wheel
Safety Belts
Danger!
Always make sure your and your passengers'
safety belts are properly fastened while the
vehicle is in motion.
Failure to follow safety belt warnings may re-
sult in serious personal injury or death.
fFor your and your passengers' protection, use
safety belts at all times while the vehicle is in
motion.
fUse appropriate child restraint systems for all
small children.
Proper wearing of safety belts
fS a f e t y b e l t s m u s t b e p o s i t i o n e d o n t h e b o d y a s
to restrain the upper body and lap from sliding
forward. Improperly positioned safety belts
can cause serious personal injury in case of an
accident.
fThe shoulder belt should always rest on your
upper body. The shoulder belt should never be
worn behind your back or under your arm.
fFor maximum effectiveness, the lap belt
should be worn low across the hips.
fPregnant women should position the belt as
low as possible across the pelvis. Make sure it
is not pressing against the abdomen.
fBelts should not be worn twisted.fDo not wear belts over rigid or breakable
objects in or on your clothing, such as eye
glasses, pens, keys, etc. as these may cause
injury.
fSeveral layers of heavy clothing may interfere
with proper positioning of belts.
fBelts must not rub against sharp objects or
damage may occur to the belt.
fTwo occupants should never share the same
belt at the same time.
Care and maintenance
fKeep belt buckles free of any obstruction that
may prevent a secure locking.
fBelts that have been subjected to excessive
stretch forces in an accident must be inspec-
ted or replaced to ensure their continued effec-
tiveness in restraining you.
The same applies to belt tensioner systems
which have been triggered. In addition, the
anchor points of the belts should be checked.
fIf safety belts do not work properly, see your
authorized Porsche dealer immediately.
fI f t h e b e l t s s h o w d a m a g e t o w e b b i n g , b i n d i n g s ,
buckles or retractors, they should be replaced
to ensure safe operation.
fDo not modify or disassemble the safety belts
in your vehicle.fThe belts must be kept clean or the retractors
may not work properly.
Please see the chapter “CAR CARE
INSTRUCTIONS” on Page 270.
fNever bleach or dye safety belts.
fDo not allow safety belts to retract until they
are completely dry after cleaning or this may
cause damage to the belt.
Belt tensionerDepending on the force of a collision, fastened
seat belts are automatically tightened in an
accident.
The belt tensioners are triggered in:
– Front and rear impacts of sufficient severity
– Side impacts (only belt tensioners of the front
seats are triggered)
– In cases of vehicle rollover
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Seats, Mirrors and Steering Wheel
43
Maintenance Notes
The belt tensioner system can be triggered only
once; the system must be replaced afterwards.
If there is a fault in the belt tensioner system, the
airbag warning light lights up.
Work may be performed on the belt tensioner
system only by an authorized Porsche dealer.
Smoke is released when the belt tensioners are
triggered.
This does not indicate a fire in the vehicle.
An audio-visual warning system is interconnec-
ted with the driver’s safety belt.
Every time the ignition is turned on, the gong will
sound for about 6 seconds to remind driver and
passenger to buckle up.
In addition, the gong will sound for approx.
90 seconds if vehicle speed exceeds 15 mph/
24 km/h.
The safety belt warning lights in the instrument pa-
nel and multi-purpose display will go off as soon as
the driver has buckled up.
Fastening the safety beltfAssume a comfortable sitting position.
Adjust the backrest of the front seat so that the
belt always rests on your upper body and runs
across the middle of your shoulder.
fGrasp the belt tongue and pull the belt in a
slow, continuous motion across your chest and
lap.Note on operation
The belt can be blocked if the vehicle is standing
at an angle or if the belt is pulled out using a
jerking movement.
fThe belt cannot be pulled out while accelera-
ting and slowing down, when cornering and
when driving uphill.
fInsert the belt tongue into the appropriate
buckle on the inboard side of the seat, until it
locks securely with an audible click.
fMake sure that belts are not trapped or twis-
ted, and that they are not rubbing on sharp
edges.
fThe horizontal section of the belt should al-
ways fit snugly across the pelvis. Therefore, af-
ter fastening the belt, always pull the diagonal
part of the belt upwards.
Pregnant women should position the belt as
low as possible across the pelvis, and ensure
that it is not pressing against the abdomen.
fPull on the diagonal section of the belt now and
again during the journey to ensure that the
horizontal section remains tight.
Safety Belt Warning System
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44
Seats, Mirrors and Steering Wheel fMake sure that the belts and buckles fit
correctly on the rear seat bench.
Releasing the safety beltfHold the belt tongue.
fPress the red button (arrow).
fGuide belt tongue to the reel.
Safety belt height adjustmentThe heights of the belt deflectors for the driver’s
seat, passenger’s seat and the outer rear seats
can be adjusted.
Adjust the height of the safety belt so that it runs
across the middle of the shoulder, not against the
neck.
Adjusting belt height manually
fUpward – push belt deflector up.
fDownward – press button A and move belt
deflector.Adjusting belt height electrically
fOperate rocker switch B in the desired
direction until the optimal belt adjustment is
reached.
On vehicles with comfort memory, seat belt height
adjustment can be stored on the person buttons
and vehicle keys and recalled with these.
fPlease see the chapter “FRONT SEAT WITH
MEMORY” on Page 37.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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48
Seats, Mirrors and Steering Wheel
A- PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator lampNote on operation
Although not desired, it can occur in the case of
heavier children that the passenger airbags
remain active or, in the case of very light adults or
young persons, that the passenger airbag is
deactivated.
The condition of the passenger airbag system is
shown by the indicator lamp A in the central
console.
fIf in doubt, fasten the child restraint system on
the rear bench or transport the passenger on
the rear bench.Note
fAfter switching on the ignition, the PASSEN-
GER AIRBAG OFF warning light lights up for a
few seconds as a check.
PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp
lights up
The passenger's airbag is switched off.
PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp
does not light up
– The passenger's airbag is active and ready for
operation.
– If the passenger's seat is not occupied, the
PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp will
also not light up, even though the passenger's
airbag is switched off.
Danger!
Risk of serious personal injury or death due
to the passenger airbag triggering
unintentionally.
When the ignition is on and a child weighing
up to 29 lbs (13 kg) is seated in the child re-
straint system on the passenger seat the in-
dicator lamp „PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF“
must be on.
If the “PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF” indicator
lamp does not light up, it could indicate a
fault in the system.
In this case:
fFasten the child restraint system on the rear
bench immediately. Do not install any child re-
straint system on the passenger’s seat.
fHave the fault remedied at your nearest authorized Porsche dealer.
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