
Driving and Driving Safety
159
Ignition lock position 1 - Ignition onfTurn ignition key to position 1.
Note on operation
All electrical equipment can be switched on.
The warning lights light up for a lamp check.
fPlease see the chapter “INSTRUMENT PANEL 
USA MODELS” on Page 117.
If a load is not switched on for 10 minutes after 
switching on the ignition, the ignition must be 
switched on again. 
Turn the ignition key to ignition lock position 3 
(ignition off) first.Ignition lock position 2 - Starting enginefTurn ignition key to ignition lock position 2.Ignition lock position 3 - Ignition offfTurn ignition key to ignition lock position 3.
fFor further information on starting and stop-
ping the engine:
Please see the chapter “STARTING AND STOP-
PING THE ENGINE” on Page 160.
Locking the steering column Vehicles without Porsche Entry & Drive
The steering column is automatically locked 
when the ignition key is withdrawn from the 
ignition lock and is automatically unlocked 
when the ignition key is inserted into the ignition 
lock.
Vehicles with Porsche Entry & Drive
The steering column is automatically locked 
when the ignition is switched off and the vehicle is 
locked.
Manually locking the steering column on 
vehicles with Porsche Entry & Drive
fDepress the clutch on vehicles with manual 
transmission.
fOnce the ignition is switched off, turn the 
control unit again to ignition lock position 3 
and hold it there for 2seconds.
The steering column is automatically unlocked 
by turning the control unit from ignition lock 
position 0.
Emergency operation - unlocking the 
ignition keyIf the vehicle battery is dead, the key can only be 
pulled out of the ignition lock if the emergency 
operation is performed.
1. Turn ignition key counter-clockwise.
2. Press a pointed object, e.g. a ballpoint pen, in 
the opening A next to the ignition lock and 
keep pressed.
3. Remove ignition key.
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160
Driving and Driving Safety
Starting and Stopping the EnginefPlease see the chapter “IMMOBILIZER” on 
Page 248.
fPlease see the chapter “EMISSION CONTROL 
SYSTEM” on Page 263.
 Danger!
Risk of poisoning. Exhaust gas contains 
colorless and odorless carbon monoxide 
(CO), which is toxic even in low concentra-
tion. Carbon monoxide can cause uncon-
sciousness and even death if inhaled.
fNever start or let the engine run in an en-
closed, unventilated area. It is not recommen-
ded to sit in your car for prolonged periods 
with the engine on and the car not moving.
An unattended vehicle with a running engine 
is potentially hazardous. If warning lights 
should come on to indicate improper opera-
tion, they would go unnoticed.
fNever leave the engine idling unattended.
Danger of fire.
fDo not drive or park your car where combus-
tible materials, such as dry grass or leaves, 
can come into contact with the hot exhaust 
system.
fIf your car catches on fire for any reason, call 
the fire department. Do not endanger your life by attempting to put out the fire.
Starting vehiclefOperate footbrake.
fFully depress and hold the clutch pedal. Put the 
gearshift lever in neutral or on vehicles with 
Tiptronic S:
move the Tiptronic selector lever to position P 
or N.
fDo not press the accelerator pedal. The engine 
control module will provide the correct starting 
mixture.
fTurn ignition key to ignition lock position 2.
fDo not operate the starter longer than approx. 
10 seconds. If necessary, repeat the starting 
procedure after a pause of approx. 
10 seconds. Turn the ignition key back to 
ignition lock position 3 first.
Notes on operation
The first operation of the starter is ended auto-
matically when the engine starts.
If the engine does not start, subsequent starter 
operations will not be ended automatically.
When the engine ist started, the warning lights 
must go out.fDo not warm up the engine when stationary. 
Drive off immediately. 
Avoid high revolutions and full throttle until the 
engine has reached operating temperature.
fIf battery output is insufficient, jump leads can 
be used to start the engine.
Please see the chapter “EMERGENCY 
STARTING WITH JUMPER CABLES” on 
Page 323.
Note on operation
To ensure a good charge condition for the battery 
and thus its ability to start the engine, all electrical 
accessories which are not required should be 
switched off when the ignition is switched on and 
when engine revolutions are low (in stop and go 
traffic).
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162
Driving and Driving Safety
Parking BrakeThe parking brake acts on the rear wheels and 
serves to secure the car while parked.
fUse the parking brake only after the vehicle 
has come to a full stop.
Applying the parking brakefPress down firmly on the foot pedal. 
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 
parking brake is not released before moving 
off.
If the brake is not fully set, the vehicle may roll 
without control.
fBefore exiting the vehicle, make sure that the 
parking brake is fully applied and the vehicle is 
not moving at all.
 Danger!
Risk of serious personal injury or death. A 
partially engaged parking brake may allow 
the vehicle to roll, causing serious personal 
injury or death to any person in its path.
fEngage the parking brake fully.
fPlease see the chapter “OVERVIEW OF 
WARNING MESSAGES” on Page 149.fPress on the footbrake and pull handle A of the 
parking brake.
The warning light and the message disappear.
Releasing the parking brake
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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
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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178
Driving and Driving Safety Selecting off-road driving program
fPush rocker switch forward  .
The vehicle becomes one step more suitable 
for off-road driving.
Selecting on-road driving program
fPull rocker switch to the rear  .
The vehicle becomes one step more suitable 
for on-road driving.
Once the driving program has been selected, the 
rocker switch springs back to home position.
A-High Range on-road driving program 
(without reduction)
B-Low Range off-road driving program
(with reduction)
C-Center differential lock in Low Range is fully engaged
D-Rear differential lock in Low Range is fully engagedDisplay of the selected driving program
The selected driving program is displayed by light-
emitting diodes next to the rocker switch (illustra-
tion).
The corresponding indicator lights on the instru-
ment panel and light-emitting diodes beside the ro-
cker switch flash several times during the shif-
ting process.Tip on driving center differential lock
When the center differential lock C is fully enga-
ged, there is no longer any speed difference bet-
ween the front and rear axles. If, for example, both 
wheels at the front axle lose traction on an icy 
road or soft surface, the rigidly linked drive wheels 
will permit the car to continue moving neverthe-
less.
Tip on driving rear-differential lock
When the rear differential lock D is fully engaged, 
there is no longer any speed difference between 
the two rear wheels. If, for example, one drive 
wheel at the rear axle loses traction on an icy road 
or soft surface, the rigidly linked drive wheels will 
permit the car to continue moving nevertheless.
Note on operation
The rear differential lock can be engaged only 
while the engine is running.
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180
Driving and Driving Safety Switching Sport mode on and off
Sport mode can be activated when the ignition is 
switched on and when the on-road driving program 
High Range (without reduction) is selected.
fPress SPORT button E in the center console. 
When Sport mode is switched on, the light-
emitting diode F in the SPORT button is lit.
When Sport mode is switched on, the logo SPORT 
appears on the multi-purpose display.
After the ignition is switched off, Sport mode is 
automatically reset to Normal mode.
Warning messages
A warning appears on the multi-purpose display of 
the instrument panel in the event of a fault.
fFor information on warning messages on the 
multi-purpose display:
Please see the chapter “OVERVIEW OF 
WARNING MESSAGES” on Page 149.Vehicles with air suspension
If you wish to use the characteristics of Sport 
mode and the sports exhaust system, but would 
like a more comfortable running-gear setup, you 
can:
– switch PASM and PDCC separately to Normal 
or Comfort mode and/or
– raise the ride height of the vehicle.
fPress the corresponding PASM button in the 
center console. The light-emitting diode in the 
button of the selected running-gear setup 
lights up.
In addition, the selected running-gear setup is 
shown on the multi-purpose display of the 
instrument panel for approx. 12 seconds.
Please see the chapter “PORSCHE ACTIVE 
SUSPENSION MANAGEMENT (PASM)” on 
Page 193.
Please see the chapter “PORSCHE DYNAMIC 
CHASSIS CONTROL (PDCC)” on Page 194.
Press the rocker switch in the center console for-
ward. The corresponding light-emitting diode next 
to the rocker switch lights up continuously after 
the adjustment process. The level change is also 
indicated on the multi-purpose display of the in-
strument panel.
Please see the chapter “AIR SUSPENSION WITH 
LEVEL CONTROL AND HEIGHT ADJUSTMENT” on 
Page 190.
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