Controls, Safety, Instruments
197
Stowing load in the vehicle
Warning!
Danger of injury.
An unsecured or incorrectly positioned cargo
can slip out of place or endanger the vehicle
occupants during braking, direction changes
or in accidents.
Never transport objects which are not se-
cured.
fAlways transport cargo in the cargo area, nev-
er in the passenger compartment (e.g. on or in
front of the seats).
fSupport the cargo on the seat backrests when-
ever possible. Always lock the backrests into
place.
fPlace the cargo behind unoccupied seats
whenever possible.
fStow heavy objects as close to the front of the
cargo area as possible, with lightweight ob-
jects behind them.
fThe cargo must never project over the top
edge of the seat backrest.
fAlways protect the passenger compartment
with a luggage safety net and a luggage
compartment cover.
Do not drive with objects on top of the luggage
compartment cover.fIf the rear seats are not occupied, the back-
rests can be additionally secured with the safe-
ty belts. Simply cross the outer safety belts
and insert each into the opposite buckle.
fMake sure that the cargo cannot damage the
heating filaments of the rear window and the
TV antenna of the side window.
Luggage net
fLuggage must be stowed completely covered
by the luggage net.
The luggage net can prevent only lightweight
objects from slipping.
Tie-down belts
fDo not use elastic belts or straps to tie down
cargo.
fDo not place belts and straps over sharp edg-
es.
fObserve the directions for use and information
for the tie-down equipment.
fUse only belts with a tear strength of at least
1543 lbs. (700 kg) and a maximum width of
1in. (25mm).
fCross the belts over the load.Driving
fThe car's handling changes depending on the
vehicle loading. Adapt your driving style to the
changed driving behavior.
fDo not exceed the maximum gross weight and
the axle load.
fPlease observe the chapter “WEIGHTS” on
Page 363.
fNever drive with the rear window or rear lid
open.
Exhaust gases can enter the passenger
compartment.
fAdapt the tire pressure to the load.
fPlease observe the chapter “LOAD” on
Page 93.
fPlease observe the chapter “TIRE PRESSU-
RES, COLD” on Page 361.
198
Controls, Safety, Instruments
Towing a trailer
Warning!
Driving with a trailer
fAlways observe the permissible towing capac-
ity, vertical coupling load and rear-axle load.
Please observe the chapter “WEIGHTS” on
Page 363.
fWhen connected, the trailer must always be
horizontal behind the towing vehicle. If neces-
sary, use a trailer with an adjustable drawbar.
fWhen the vehicle is driven in the mountains, the
engine output decreases as altitude increases.
The maximum weights stated are the values at
sea level. The total permissable weight of the
car-trailer combination must therefore be re-
duced by 10% for each increment of 3,280 ft.
(1,000 meters) altitude. A fractional increment
counts as the full 3,280 ft. (1,000 meters).
Please take this into consideration when plan-
ning your route.Distributing the load
fDistribute the load in the trailer so that heavy
objects are as close to the axle as possible.
Always safeguard all objects against slipping
and tie them down securely.
fYou should make the best possible use of the
trailer coupling's rated vertical coupling load
when loading the trailer, but never exceed it.
Tire pressure
fSelect the vehicle tire pressure for full load
when towing a trailer.
fPlease observe the chapter “Tire pressure ta-
bles”.
fCheck the tire pressure of the trailer's wheels
according to the manufacturer's instructions.Door mirrors
fIf the width of the trailer obstructs your view of
the traffic behind the trailer, you must have ad-
ditional door mirrors fitted.
Headlights, lights
fAlways check the headlight adjustment before
driving with a trailer.
If necessary, correct with the headlight beam
adjustment function.
fCheck whether the plug of the trailer is
plugged into the towing vehicle and whether all
lights function.
202
Shifting Gear, Traction Systems
Manual transmission, clutch
Warning!
Risk of accident.
fDo not obstruct the pedal travel with floor mats or other objects.
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
tachometer, 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.
Shifting Gear, Traction Systems
205
D - Automatic selection mode (in the road
driving program)The functions of selector lever positions Dand M
differ in the on-road program, High Range, and in
the off-road program, Low Range.
fUse selector lever position D for “normal” driv-
ing.
The gears 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. Movement of the accelerator,
driving speed, longitudinal and lateral acceleration
and the road profile all have an influence on the
gear-changing characteristic.
When PSM is switched off, transmission gear
changes are done at higher engine speeds.
Unwanted upward shifts, e.g. before bends, are
prevented by swiftly releasing the accelerator ped-
al.
Depending on lateral acceleration, upward chang-
es on bends are not made until the engine-speed
limit is reached.
During braking, and depending on the amount of
deceleration, the Tiptronic changes down earlier.
For subsequent cornering, the right gear is en-
gaged when pressure is applied to the brakes be-
fore the bend.The bend is taken in the right gear, and when you
accelerate out of the bend you do not have to
change down.
Moving off
In 2nd gear, the vehicle moves off with the throttle
only slightly open. Move off in 1st gear with the
throttle open wider or when the engine is cold.
When PSM is switched off, the car generally
moves off in 1st gear.
Shifting gear on the steering wheel
By shifting gear with the rocker switches on the
steering wheel, you can temporarily change from
automatic selection mode D to manual selection
mode M.
Advantages
– Shifting down before bends and on entering
built-up areas.
– Shifting down on downward slopes (engine
braking).
– Shifting down for brief spurts of acceleration.
– Selecting 1st or 2nd gear for moving off.
The manual selection mode remains engaged:
– For cornering (depending on the lateral accel-
eration) and overrunning,
– When the vehicle is stationary (e.g. at a junc-
tion).The system leaves manual selection mode:
– automatically after around 8 seconds
(unless car is cornering, overrunning or
stationary),
– if you depress the accelerator to kickdown.
Temporary change-down
Precondition
– Speed is higher than approx. 33 mph
(54 km/h).
fDepress accelerator quickly.
The Tiptronic changes temporarily to the sport-
iest gear-changing map, i.e. to the highest pos-
sible gear-changing points. Correspondingly,
the transmission shifts down immediately by
one, two or three gears.
Ending the function
fRelease the accelerator markedly (by approx.
25%).
f f f
Shifting Gear, Traction Systems
209
StoppingfFor 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.
fDo not hold the car on a slope using the accel-
erator. Use the brake pedal or the parking
brake instead.
fBefore leaving the vehicle, always apply the
handbrake and move the selector lever to
positionP.
Tip on driving
In selector lever positions D and M, the Hillholder
prevents the car from rolling backward when it has
been stopped on an upward slope with the engine
running.
fPlease observe the chapter “HILLHOLDER” on
Page 224.
ParkingfGo easy on the accelerator.
fWhen parking or maneuvring in a small space,
control the speed by careful use of the foot-
brake.Driving in winterIn wintry road conditions it is advisable to take
steep inclines in manual mode M. This prevents
the occurrence of gear changes that could cause
wheelspin.
Reduced driving programIf there is a fault in the transmission:
–An X appears instead of the current gear
indicator on the multi-purpose display of the in-
strument panel.
The transmission no longer shifts.
fTo remedy the fault, immediately consult an au-
thorized Porsche dealer.
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-
ward fast enough to cause rear wheel lockup.
fDo not shift into R while the vehicle is moving forward.
Tip on driving
3rd or 5th gear in selector position D and reverse
gearR are now available and will allow you to
reach the nearest authorized Porsche dealer.
fPlease go to your authorized Porsche dealer
as soon as possible.
Shifting Gear, Traction Systems
211
Driving Programs for On-Road and
Off-Road DrivingTwo different driving programs with special power-
transmission and running-gear control systems
(such as ABS, off-road ABS and PSM, etc.) are pro-
vided in your Porsche, with the aim of realising the
best possible driving dynamics combined with
maximum safety.
All control systems meet these requirements for
both off-road and normal driving.With rocker switch A, you can easily select the ap-
propriate driving program to suit the special re-
quirements for the respective terrain.
Off-road program Low Range
(with reduction)
When Low Range is active, the power transmis-
sion and running-gear control systems are
automatically adapted to the requirements for
off-road driving.
On-road driving program High Range
(without reduction)
When High Range is active, the power-transmis-
sion and running-gear control systems are auto-
matically adapted to the requirements for on-road
driving.
UseRocker switch A is located in the center console
of the vehicle. It features a multi-step function and
can be operated in both directions. Each time the rocker switch is pushed forward,
the vehicle becomes one step more suitable for
off-road driving. This is realised by changing from
the on-road to the off-road driving program or by
engaging the differential locks in stages.
The number of differential locks that can be en-
gaged in Low Range depends on the equipment of
your vehicle.
Each time the rocker switch is pushed back, 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.
Notes on operation
If the Low Range indicator light beside the rocker
switch flashes rapidly after the ignition is
switched on, there is a fault in the shifting
system.
fPlease have the vehicle checked immediately
at an authorized Porsche dealer.
212
Shifting Gear, Traction Systems If the Low Range indicator light beside the rocker
switch flashes when you attempt to operate rock-
er switch, the conditions for a shift have not been
met:
Vehicles with manual transmission
– Vehicle is not stationary.
– Brake is not pressed.
– Gear-shift lever is not in neutral.
Vehicles with Tiptronic S
– Vehicle has exceeded or gone below the limit
speed.
– Selector lever is not in position N.
A-Rocker switch
B- Low Range is engagedChanging from on-road driving program
to off-road driving programVehicles with manual transmission
fStop the vehicle.
fApply the brake.
fPut the gearshift lever in neutral.fPush rocker switch A forward until activation of
the off-road driving program is indicated on the
multi-purpose display of the instrument panel
and by illumination of light-emitting diodeB.
The Low Range indicator lights in the instru-
ment panel and beside the rocker switch flash
several times during the shifting process.
Low Range is now engaged.
Caution!
Risk of engine damage (overrevving). In the
Low Range program, the gear-changing
points are shifted towards lower engine-
speed ranges.
fShift early to prevent overrevving the engine.
Tip on driving
When Low Range is active, the power
transmission and running-gear control systems
are automatically adapted to the requirements for
off-road driving.
Low Range indicator light
Shifting Gear, Traction Systems
213
Vehicles with Tiptronic S
fReduce speed to below 9.3 mph (15 km / h) or
stop vehicle.
fMove selector lever to position N.
fPush rocker switch A forward until activation of
the off-road driving program is indicated on the
multi-purpose display of the instrument panel
and by illumination of light-emitting diodeB.
The Low Range indicator light on the instru-
ment panel and light-emitting diode B beside
the rocker switch flash several times during
the shifting process.
Low Range is now engaged.
Danger!
Serious risk of injury or death. Risk of
accident due to uncontrolled vehicle
movement. The selector lever is blocked
during the shifting procedure. Shifting when
driving uphill can cause the vehicle to stand
still or even roll backwards, if the shifting
procedure has not yet been completed.
When driving downhill, the vehicle can accel-
erate unintentionally while shifting.
fIncreased brake readiness is required.
fPlease observe the chapter “POWER-TRANS-
MISSION AND RUNNING-GEAR CONTROL SYS-
TEMS” on Page 217.
A- Rocker switch
B- Low Range is engaged
C- Center differential lock is fully engagedFully engaging the center differential lock
in Low RangeTip on driving
When the center differential lock is fully engaged,
there is no longer any speed difference between
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 vehicle to continue moving never-
theless.fPush rocker switch A forwards in stages until
engagement of the center differential lock is in-
dicated on the multi-purpose display of the in-
strument panel and by the illumination of the
two light-emitting diodes Band C.
The center differential lock is changed over to
fully engaged state by the automatic control
system.