Page 146 of 276

146
Shifting Gear
Manual Transmission, ClutchThe positions of the gears are shown on the shift
diagram on the gearshift lever.
Warning!
Risk of accident.
fDo not obstruct the pedal travel with floor mats
or other objects.
Nonskid floor mats of the correct size are
available at your authorized Porsche dealer.
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.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 backup lights are illuminated.
Permitted engine speedfYou should change into a higher gear before
the needle reaches the red mark on the ta-
chometer, 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 shifting down.
Page 149 of 276

Shifting Gear
149
Selector Lever Positions P – Parking lock fSelect only when car has been stopped.
fEngage parking lock after applying the hand-
brake and release it before releasing the hand-
brake.
The ignition key can be withdrawn only in
selector lever position P. R – Reverse fSelect only when car has been stopped and
the brake is applied. N – Neutral Selector lever position N must be selected for to-
wing or in car washes, for example.
fSelect the desired position for moving off (D,
M or R) only when the engine is idling and while
depressing the brake pedal.
fSelect position N while driving only if the car
is threatening to skid in slippery conditions.
Otherwise N should not be selected when dri-
ving.
D – Automatic selection mode fSelect position D for “normal” driving. The ge-
ars 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.
The accelerator position, driving speed, engine
speed, longitudinal and lateral acceleration and
the road profile all have an influence on the gear-
changing characteristic.
Unwanted upward shifts, e.g. before bends, are
prevented by swiftly releasing the accelerator pe-
dal.
Depending on lateral acceleration, upward shifts
on bends are not made until the engine-speed limit
is reached.
Under braking, and depending on the amount of
deceleration, the Tiptronic shifts down earlier.
For subsequent cornering, the right gear is enga-
ged when pressure is applied to the brakes before
the bend.
The bend is taken in the right gear, and when you
accelerate out of the bend you do not have to shift
down. Driving off
In 2nd gear, the vehicle drives off with the throttle
only slightly open.
Drive off in 1st gear with the throttle open wider
or when the engine is cold.
Page 152 of 276

152
Shifting Gear
Slip monitoring When the speeds of rotation of the front and rear
axles differ by more than the maximum permissib-
le value, integrated slip monitoring shifts up to the
next gear.
This increases driving stability on a slippery sur-
face.
Note
fSlip monitoring is also deactivated when
Porsche Stability Management (PSM) is swit-
ched off. Stopping fFor a brief stop, e.g. at a traffic light, leave the
selector lever in drive position and hold the ve-
hicle with the brake pedal.
fFor a longer stop with the engine running,
select position N (neutral).
fDo not hold the car on a slope using the
accelerator. Use the brake pedal or the hand-
brake instead.
fBefore leaving the vehicle, always apply the
handbrake and move the selector lever to
position P.
Parking fGo easy on the accelerator.
fWhen parking or maneuvring in a small space,
control the speed by careful use of the footbra-
ke. Driving in winter In wintery road conditions it is advisable to take
steep inclines in manual mode. This prevents the
occurrence of gear changes that could cause
wheelspin. Tow-starting, towing fPlease observe the chapter “TOWING” on Page
254.
Emergency program
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-
w a r d f a s t e n o u g h t o c a u s e r e a r w h e e l l o c k u p .
fDo not shift into R while the vehicle is moving forward.
A transmission fault is indicated by the following
symptoms:
–The 4th-gear display flashes.
– The warning “Tiptronic emergency run”
appears in the on-board computer.
– The transmission no longer shifts.
Regardless of selector lever position, 4th is
the only forward gear still available.
fAdapt your driving style to the changed hand-
ling.
fTo remedy the fault, please consult an authori-
zed Porsche dealer.
Page 154 of 276

154
Mobile Roofs
Convertible Top Brief operating instructions can be found on the
back side of the driver’s sun visor.
fPlease observe the chapter “CAR CARE IN-
STRUCTIONS” on Page 191.
Warning!
When opening or closing the convertible top,
serious personal injury may occur if a per-
son’s body parts are near or in the way of the
convertible top mechanism’s moving parts.
fMake absolutely sure that nobody can be inju-
red by the convertible-top mechanism or the convertible-top compartment lid. Do not operate convertible top:
– At temperatures below 32°F/0°C.
– When one side of the car is on a curb, a hoist
or a jack.
– When items of luggage or other objects hinder
the convertible top movement or are in abrasi-
ve contact with the convertible top or rear win-
dow.
Items of luggage or objects on the luggage
tray above the engine compartment lid must
be put in the storage box or be secured under
the net to prevent their sliding out.
– Drive only with the convertible top fully open or
closed.
fAvoid frequent operation of the convertible top
with the engine off; the vehicle battery would
be unintentionally discharged rapidly.
fThe convertible top must be operated only
when the car is stationary. Make sure there is
sufficient clearance above the convertible top
(e.g. in the garage).
fTo prevent damp stains and abrasions, only
open the convertible top in a dry, clean state.
fPark your car in the shade whenever possible,
as the fabric, rubber material and color can be
harmed by long exposure to sunlight.
Door windows If the door windows are closed, they will automati-
cally be lowered a few centimeters before the con-
vertible top is opened or closed.
The door windows close automatically when the
convertible top is locked with the latching lever on
the windshield frame. Conditions for operating the convertible
top – The ignition must be switched on
(engine running or off).
– Maximum speed 30 mph (50 km/h)
The opening/closing process of the convert-
ible top will be interrupted if the maximum
speed is exceeded.
fReduce speed.
Press button again.
The opening/closing process is ended.
Page 164 of 276
164
Mobile Roofs 7. Put both pivot locks in the opening position on
the hardtop.
The handles must point inwards.
Refer to illustration on right. 8. With one person on each side, grasp hardtop
and carefully lift over the car.
9. Insert hardtop front into the sockets on the
windshield frame.
Warning!
Danger of pinching fingers or hands.
fEvenly lower the hardtop at both sides.10.Lower hardtop at rear.
The pivot locks must be completely sunken
into the locks (arrow A).
If necessary, move latching lever slightly.
11.Swing both latching levers to the rear until they
can be felt to engage (arrow B).
Page 172 of 276

172
Maintenance, Car Care
Engine Oil Engine oil consumption
It is normal for your engine to consume oil.
The rate of oil consumption depends on the quality
and viscosity of oil, the speed at which the engine
is operated, the climate, road conditions as well
as the amount of dilution and oxidation of the lub-
ricant.
If the vehicle is used for repeated short trips, and
consumes a normal amount of oil, the engine oil
measurement may not show any drop in the oil le-
vel at all, even after 600 miles (1000 km) or more.
This is because the oil is gradually becoming dilut-
ed with fuel or moisture, making it appear that the
oil level has not changed.
The diluting ingredients evaporate out when the
vehicle is driven at high speeds, as on an express-
way, making it then appear that oil is excessively
consumed after driving at high speeds.
If the conditions you drive your vehicle in are dus-
ty, humid, or hot, the frequency of the oil change
intervals should be greater. If the vehicle is driven at a high rate of speed, cli-
matic conditions are warm, and the load is high,
the oil should be checked more frequently, as dri-
ving conditions will determine the rate of oil con-
sumption.
– The engine in your vehicle depends on oil to lu-
bricate and cool all of its moving parts.
Therefore, the engine oil should be checked re-
gularly and kept at the required level.
– Make it a habit to have the engine oil level che-
cked with every fuel filling.
– The oil pressure warning light is not an oil level
indicator.
The oil pressure warning light indicates serious
engine damage may be occuring when lit, if en-
gine rpm is above idle speed.
Page 175 of 276

Maintenance, Car Care
175
Brake Fluid Level fPlease observe the chapter “EXERCISE EXTRE-
ME CAUTION WHEN WORKING ON YOUR VE-
HICLE” on Page 168.
fUse only new (unused) Original Porsche
brake fluid.
Warning!
Brake fluid is hazardous to your health, and
may be fatal if swallowed.
Brake fluid also attacks paintwork.
fKeep brake fluid out of children’s reach.
fTake care while topping off brake fluid not to
soil the luggage compartment or items of lug-gage.
Checking the brake fluid level The reservoir for the hydraulic braking and clutch
systems is in the front luggage compartment.
1. Open and remove cover flap A.
2. Regulary check the brake-fluid level on the
transparent expansion tank through the win-
dow B.
The fluid level should always lie between the
“Min” and “Max” marks. A slight decrease in the fluid level due to wear and
automatic readjustment of the disc brakes is nor-
mal.
If, however, the fluid level falls markedly or below
the “Min” mark, the braking system may have de-
veloped a leak.
fHave the braking system checked immediately
at an authorized Porsche dealer.
Page 176 of 276
176
Maintenance, Car Care
Changing the brake fluid Brake fluid absorbs moisture from the air over ti-
me. This accumulation of water lowers the boiling
point and, under certain operating con ditions,
can affect the braking action.
Therefore have the brake fluid changed in accor-
dance with the change intervals stated in the bro-
chure “Maintenance”. The brake-fluid warning lights in the instrument pa-
nel and on-board computer indicate:
– brake-fluid level too low,
– in conjunction with large pedal travel, braking-
circuit failure.
If the warning lights should light up while
driving:
fStop immediately in a suitable place.
fDo not continue driving.
Please have the fault remedied at your nearest
authorized Porsche dealer.
Warning light USA
Warning light Canada