2005 PORSCHE BOXSTER Owners Manual

Controls, Instruments
41
Sun Visors fSwing the sun visors down to prevent glare
from the front.
Vanity mirror The vanity mirror on the rear of the sun visor is co-
vered by a lid.
Warning!
Risk of injury or risk of damage to mirror lid
and convertible top.
fKeep the lid closed while driving and when clo-
sing the convertible top.
Risk of damage.
fDo not force the lid beyond its end position.
In the case of an illuminated vanity mirror, the light
is switched on when the lid is opened.

42
Controls, Instruments
Safety Belts
Warning!
Always make sure your and your passenger’s
safety belts are properly fastened while the
vehicle is in motion.
Failure to follow safety belt warnings may re-
sult in serious personal injury.
fFor your and your passenger’s 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 ob-
jects in or on your clothing, such as eye glas-
ses, pens, keys, etc. as these may cause inju-
ry.
fSeveral layers of heavy clothing may interfere
with proper positioning of belts.
fBelts must not rub against sharp objects or da-
mage 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 excesssive
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 observe the chapter “CAR CARE IN-
STRUCTIONS” on Page 191.
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 tensioner Depending on the force of a collision, fastened
safety belts are tightened in an accident.
The belt tensioners are triggered in:
– Front, side and rear impacts
Note
The belt tensioner system can be triggered only
once; the system must be replaced afterward.
If there is a fault in the belt tensioner system, the
airbag light lights up.
Work may be performed on the belt tensioner sys-
tem only by an authorized Porsche dealer.
Smoke is released when the belt tensioners are
triggered. This does not indicate a fire in the vehic-
le.

Controls, Instruments
43
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 if the vehicle speed
exceeds 6mph (10 km/h).
The safety belt warning light 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 collisi-
on 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 up-
per 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 snu-
gly 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.
Safety Belt Warning System

44
Controls, Instruments
Automatic locking retractor The safety belt for the passengers seat is equip-
ped with an automatic locking retractor for secu-
ring a child restraint system.
When activated, this retractor allows you to secu-
rely fasten the child restraint system in place so
that inadvertent movements will not occur. Activating the automatic locking retractor
1. Pull the safety belt retractor completely out.
At this point the locking mechanism is activa-
ted.
2. Insert the safety belt tongue into the buckle
and make certain that it is properly latched.
3. Allow the safety belt to retract until it is tight on
the child restraint system. You may further tigh-
ten the belt by pulling on it to allow more of it
to retract. Releasing the safety belt
1. Unbuckle the safety belt latch.
2. Then make certain that the belt has fully retrac-
ted.
At this point the automatic locking feature will
be disengaged.

Controls, Instruments
45
Child Restraint Systems Porsche recommends that all infants and children
be restrained in child restraint systems at all times
while the vehicle is in motion in accordance with
applicable laws.
The use of infant or child restraints is required by
law in all 50 states and the Canadian provinces.
The child restraint system should be one that com-
plies with U.S. Federal/Canadian Motor Vehicle
Safety Standards 213 and should be secured by a
lap belt or lap belt portion of a lap-shoulder belt or
for child seats equipped with the LATCH system
(Lower Anchorage and Tether for Children, also
known as ISOFIX) to the LATCH anchorages.
A statement by the seat manufacturer of compli-
ance with this standard can be found on the in-
struction label on the restraint and in the instruc-
tion manual provided with the restraint.
Note
The key switch for switching off the passenger’s
airbag and the LATCH attachment bracket are not
installed at the factory. This can be retrofitted.
fPlease see your authorized Porsche dealer.
Danger!
Risk of serious personal injury or death to the
child.
fFollow all child restraint instructions and war-nings in this manual.
– When using an infant or child restraint system,
be sure to follow all manufacturer’s instruc-
tions on installation and use.
– Infants and small children should never be held
on the lap, nor should they share a safety belt
with another occupant while the vehicle is in
motion.
– Children too big for child restraint systems
should use regular safety belts. A shoulder belt
can be used providing it does not cross the
face or the neck of the child.
– The airbag deactivation device installation re-
quires special programming available only
from your authorized Porsche dealer.
– Your authorized Porsche dealer will be glad to
advise you about the installation possibility for
a Porsche child restraint system which allows
deactivation of the passenger’s airbags.
Danger!
The use of a child restraint system in the pas-
senger seat without airbag deactivation can
result in serious personal injury or death to
the child from an airbag deployment.
To reduce risk of injury from an inflating air-
bag in an accident, Porsche strongly recom-
mends:
fFor children up to a weight of 59 lbs. (27 kg),
the passenger’s airbag must be switched off if
a child retraint system is used on the passen-
ger’s seat.
The passenger’s airbag must be switched on for children weighing over 59 lbs. (27 kg).
fPlease observe the chapter “KEY-OPERATED
AIRBAG DEACTIVATION DEVICE” on Page 48.

46
Controls, Instruments
Key-operated airbag deactivation
deviceIf you decide to put a child seat in the passenger's
seat, then you must order the key-operated airbag
deactivation device as an After Sales option. It is
not standard equipment on this vehicle. This de-
vice is the only way to deactivate the airbag.
fPlease observe the chapter “KEY-OPERATED
AIRBAG DEACTIVATION DEVICE” on Page 48.Children up to 9 months oldChildren of this age must be held in a restraint
system which is installed on the passenger’s seat
facing backwards.
fThe passenger’s airbag must be switched off.Children aged between 9 months and
3yearsChildren of this age are held in child restraint
systems facing forwards.
fThe passenger’s airbag must be switched off
when these systems are used on the
passenger’s seat.
Children aged between 3 and 6 yearsChildren of this age are held in child restraint
systems facing forwards.
fThe passenger’s airbag must be switched off
when these systems are used on the
passenger’s seat.
Children aged between 6 and 12 yearsChildren of this age are held in child restraint
systems facing forwards.
fThe passenger’s airbag must be switched off
when these systems are used on the passen-
ger’s seat.
The passenger’s airbag must be switched on
for children weighing over 59 lbs. (27 kg).

Controls, Instruments
47
LATCH SystemChild seat bracket on the passenger’s
seatUse only child restraint systems with the LATCH
system recommended by Porsche.
These systems have been tested and adjusted to
the interior of your Porsche and the appropriate
child age groups. Other systems have not been
tested and could entail an increased risk of injury.
You can obtain child seats that are
LATCH compatible at your authorized Porsche
dealer.
fAlways observe the separate installation in-
structions for your child seat.
Note
The LATCH attachment bracket is not installed at
the factory. It can be retrofitted at your authorized
Porsche dealer.
Danger!
The use of a child restraint system in the
passenger seat without airbag deactivation
can result in serious personal injury or death
to the child from an airbag deployment.
fFor children up to a weight of 27 kg (59 lbs.),
the passenger’s airbag must be switched off if
a child restraint system is used on the
passenger’s seat.
The passenger’s airbag must be switched on
for children weighing over 27 kg (59 lbs.).
fPlease see your authorized Porsche dealer for
correct Porsche Child Seat availability.
fPorsche recommends the use of a Porsche
Child Seat with Lower Anchorage and Tether
for Children system (LATCH).
fPlease observe the chapter “CHILD RESTRAINT SYSTEMS” on Page 45.
Installing a LATCH child seat system1. Switch off passenger airbag with key switch.
The warning light “PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF”
must be illuminated.
Please observe the chapter “KEY-OPERATED
AIRBAG DEACTIVATION DEVICE” on Page 48.2. Secure the child seat to retaining lugs A as out-
lined in the instruction manual for the child
seat.
3. Pull the child seat to check that both fastening
points are engaged correctly.
Note
The airbag must be switched back on after remo-
ving the child seat.

48
Controls, Instruments
Key-operated airbag deactivation
deviceSwitching passenger’s airbag on and offfSwitch off the passenger airbag on the key
switch using the vehicle key.
A - Switch position ON – airbag is active
B - Switch position OFF – airbag is switched off
Danger!
Risk of serious personal injury or death for
passenger if passenger airbag remains
switched off after the child restraint system
is removed.
fThe passenger airbag must be switched on
again once the child seat has been removed, in
order to provide protection to the adult occupants.
Warning light “PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF”If the airbag on the passenger’s side is switched
off:
– Warning light “PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF” is
continuously lit when the ignition is switched
on.
fPlease observe the chapter “WARNINGS ON
THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND THE ON-
BOARD COMPUTER” on Page 102.
Danger!
Risk of serious personal injury or death from
the passenger’s airbag.
If the “PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF” warning
light is not lit when the ignition is switched on
and the Airbag OFF switch is switched off,
this could indicate a fault in the system.
fDo not install a child restraint system on the
passenger’s seat.
fHave the fault remedied immediately. Please see your authorized Porsche dealer.
Note
The key switch and the warning light “PASSENGER
AIRBAG OFF” are not installed at the factory.
They can be retrofitted at your authorized Porsche
dealer.