9
Engine Exhaust
Danger!
Engine exhaust is dangerous if inhaled.
Engine exhaust fumes have many compo-
nents which you can smell. They also contain
carbon monoxide (CO), which is a colorless
and odorless gas.
Carbon monoxide can cause unconscious-
ness and even death if inhaled.
fNever start or let the engine run in an en-
closed, unventilated area.
It is not recommended to sit in your car for pro-
longed periods with the engine on and the car not moving.
Ground ClearancePlease bear in mind the limited ground clearance
of your car on uneven surfaces, when parking
(curbs), on ramps, lifting platforms, towing etc.
14
Controls, Instruments
Dear Porsche Owner A lot has gone into the manufacture of your
Porsche, including advanced engineering, rigid
quality control and demanding inspections.
These engineering and safety features will be
enhanced by you... the safe driver... – who knows his car and all controls,
– who maintains the vehicle properly,
– who uses driving skills wisely and always
drives within her/his own capabilities and the
level of familiarity with the vehicle.
You will find helpful hints in this manual on how to
perform most of the checks listed on the following
pages.
If in doubt, have these checks performed by your
authorized Porsche dealer.
Before driving off... Check the following items first fTurn the engine off before you attempt any
checks or repairs on the vehicle.
fBe sure the tires are inflated correctly.
Check tires for damage and tire wear.
fSee that wheel bolts are properly tightened
and not loose or missing.
fCheck engine oil level, add if necessary.
Make it a habit to have engine oil checked with
every fuel filling.
fCheck all fluid levels such as windshield
washer and brake fluid levels.
fBe sure the vehicle battery is well charged and
cranks the engine properly.
fCheck all doors and lids for proper operation
and latch them properly.
fCheck, and if necessary replace worn or
cracked wiper blades.
fSee that all windows are clear and unob-
structed.
fCheck air intake slots and area between lug-
gage compartment lid and windshield are free
of snow and ice, so the heater and the wind-
shield wipers work properly. fIf a child will be riding in the vehicle, check
child seat/child seat restraint system to ensure
that restraints are properly adjusted.
fCheck all exterior and interior lights for opera-
tion and that the lenses are clean.
fCheck the headlights for proper aim, and if
necessary, have them adjusted.
fCheck under the vehicle for leaks.
fBe sure all luggage is stowed securely.
Emergency equipment It is good practice to carry emergency equipment
in your vehicle.
Some of the items you should have are:
window scraper, snow brush, container or bag of
sand or salt, emergency light, small shovel, first-
aid kit, etc.
Controls, Instruments
15
In the driver’s seat... fCheck operation of the horn.
fPosition seat for easy reach of foot pedals and
controls.
To reduce the possibility of injury from the
airbag deployment, you should always sit back
as far from the steering wheel as is practical,
while still maintaining full vehicle control.
fAdjust the inside and outside rear view mirrors.
fBuckle your safety belts.
fCheck operation of the foot and parking brake.
fCheck all warning and indicator lights with
ignition on and engine not running.
fStart engine and check all warning displays for
warning symbols.
fNever leave an idling car unattended.
fLock doors from inside, especially with chil-
dren in the car to prevent inadvertent opening
of doors from inside or outside.
Drive with doors locked.
On the road... fNever drive after you have consumed alcohol
or drugs.
fAlways have your safety belt fastened.
fAlways drive defensively.
Expect the unexpected.
fUse signals to indicate turns and lane changes.
fTurn on headlights at dusk or when the driving
conditions warrant it.
fAlways keep a safe distance from the vehicle in
front of you, depending on traffic, road and
weather conditions.
fReduce speed at night and during inclement
weather.
Driving in wet weather requires caution and re-
duced speeds, particularly on roads with
standing water, as the handling characteristics
of the vehicle may be impaired due to hydro-
planing of the tires.
fAlways observe speed limits and obey road
signs and traffic laws.
fWhen tired, get well off the road, stop and take
a rest. Turn the engine off. Do not sit in the ve-
hicle with engine idling.
Please observe the chapter “ENGINE EX-
HAUST” on Page 9.fWhen parked, always set the parking brake.
Move the Tiptronic selector lever to ”P“ or the
gearshift lever to reverse or first gear.
On hills also turn the front wheels toward the
curb.
fWhen emergency repairs become necessary,
move the vehicle well off the road. Turn on the
emergency flasher and use other warning de-
vices to alert other motorists. Do not park or
operate the vehicle in areas where the hot ex-
haust system may come in contact with dry
grass, brush, fuel spill or other flammable ma-
terial.
fMake it a habit to have the engine oil checked
after every fuel filling.
Controls, Instruments
31
Folding in door mirrors
Warning!
Danger of injury to fingers if the mirror
accidentally flips back when being folded in.
fExercise extreme caution when folding in
mirror by hand. Do not let go of the mirror
before the locking lever is locked or the mirror is fully unfolded.1. Push mirror towards the door window and
continue to hold it (high spring force).
2. Swivel the locking lever up to the stop and
slowly let go of the mirror.
Unfolding door mirrors1. Push mirror towards the door window and
continue to hold it (high spring force). The
locking lever disengages automatically.
2. Move mirror back to unfolded position by hand.
Do not let go of the mirror beforehand.
Controls, Instruments
43
An audio-visual warning system is interconnect-
ed 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 if vehicle speed ex-
ceeds 6 mph/10 km/h.
The safety belt warning lights in the instrument
panel and on-board computer will go off as soon
as the driver has buckled up.
Inertia reel retractor The combination lap/shoulder belt with inertia reel
locking mechanism adjusts automatically to your
size and movements as long as the pull on the belt
is slow.
Rapid deceleration during hard braking or a colli-
sion locks the belt. The belt will also lock when you
drive up or down a steep hill or in a sharp curve,
otherwise, the shoulder belt will not inhibit your
upper body movement. fAssume a comfortable sitting position.
The shoulder belt should always rest on your
upper body. The shoulder belt should never be
worn behind your back or under your arm.
fTo fasten, grasp belt and pull the belt in a con-
tinuous slow motion across your chest and lap.
fInsert belt tongue into buckle on inboard side
of seat. Push down until it securely locks with
an audible click. Pull the belt to check.
fPull shoulder section to make sure belt fits
snugly across the pelvis.
fBelts should fit snugly across the pelvis and
chest. Make sure there is no slack in the belt.
fTo unfasten belt, push in release button
(arrow) on buckle. Belt tongue will spring out
of buckle.
fTo release a latched belt, lean back to take the
body pressure off the belt.
fTo store lap/shoulder belt, allow the belt to re-
tract as you guide the latch to its stowed posi-
tion.
fPlease observe the chapter “AUTOMATIC LO-
CKING RETRACTOR” on Page 44.
f f f
Safety Belt Warning System
Controls, Instruments
59
The warning lights in the instrument panel and on-
board computer will go out after the parking brake
is fully released.
The warning lights are not an indicator that the
parking brake is fully set; 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, always set the parking
brake by pulling all the way up on the lever.
fMove the 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.
Brakes fMake 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 or
100 km/h, for example, it is not twice but four
times longer than 30 mph or 50 km/h. Tire trac-
tion 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 Compos-
ite 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 de-
pend on the amount of time the vehicle was
parked, whether granular or liquid road salt 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 function Your 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 and the other operates
the rear.
If one brake circuit has failed, the other will still op-
erate. 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.
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 cir-
cuit, 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 deal-er for repair.
f f f
Parking brake warning light USA
Parking brake warning light
Canada
64
Controls, Instruments
Sport ModeA 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.
– The Tiptronic S switches to a sporty gear-
changing map and shortens the gear shifting
periods. Gear changes take place faster.
– PSM (Porsche Stability Management) control is
sporty. PSM interventions take place later than
in Normal mode. The driver can maneuver the
vehicle with greater agility at its performance
limits, without having to dispense with the
assistance of PSM in emergency situations.
– The electronic accelerator pedal reacts
sooner, and the engine is more responsive to
throttle inputs. When Sport mode is switched
on, this function is activated only after the
driver has floored the accelerator pedal or
released it briefly.
– The rpm limiter characteristic is “harder”, i.e.
the engine is immediately throttled when the
performance limits are reached (only in manual
selection mode for vehicles with Tiptronic S).
fPlease observe the appropriate chapters of
this Manual.
Switching Sport mode on and offfPress SPORT button in the center console.
When Sport mode is switched on, the light-
emitting diode in the SPORT button is lit.When Sport mode is switched on, the logo SPORT
appears next to the digital speedometer.
Switching Sport mode on and off simultaneously
activates and deactivates the Sport mode of the
PA S M .
If the Sport mode of the PASM was activated with
the PASM button, it will remain on.
After the ignition is switched off, Sport mode is
automatically reset to Normal mode.
Controls, Instruments
67
Sport modeA sportier car set-up is obtained when Sport mode
is switched on. PSM interventions are later than in
Normal mode; the vehicle can be manoeuvred
with greater agility at its performance limits,
without the need to dispense with the assistance
of PSM in emergency situations. This helps to
achieve optimal lap times, particularly on race
circuits and a dry road surface. – The multifunctional light on the instrument
panel lights up for a lamp check when the
ignition is switched on.
– The light indicates a control operation by
flashing, including when PSM is switched off
(brake control in the event of one-sided wheel
spin).
– In conjunction with a message on the on-board
computer, the light indicates that PSM is
switched off.
An acoustic signal also sounds.
– Faults are displayed by the light in conjunction
with a message on the on-board computer.
PSM is out of order.
fPlease consult an authorized Porsche dealer.
fPlease observe the chapter “PUTTING
VEHICLE INTO OPERATION” on Page 239.
fPlease observe the chapter “WARNINGS ON
THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND THE ON-
BOARD COMPUTER” on Page 105.
TowingfPlease observe the chapter “VEHICLE
TOWING” on Page 259.Checks on test standsWhen carrying out brake tests on roller test
stands a maximum testing speed of 5 mph
(8 km/h) must not be exceeded.
Handbrake checks on the roller brake tester
must be performed only with the ignition switched
off.
Multifunctional PSM light