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Controls, Safety, Instruments
65
Warning!
To avoid overheating and premature wear of
the brakes:
fBefore descending a steep grade, reduce
speed and shift the transmission into a lower
driving position 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 of-
ten. This could cause the brakes to get hot and not function properly.
Brake boosterThe brake booster assists braking only when
the engine is running.
When the car is moving while the engine is not run-
ning, or if the brake booster is defective, more
pressure on the brake pedal is required to bring
the car to a stop.
Moisture, road salt or grit on brakes affects brak-
ing. When the vehicle is driven on salted or gritted
roads for extended periods, the brakes should be
washed down thoroughly about every 2 weeks. An
automatic carwash facility cannot do this job prop-
erly. Brakes will dry after a few cautious brake ap-
plications.
Warning!
Driving through water may reduce the trac-
tion. Moisture on brakes from road water, car
wash, or a coating of road salt or grit may af-
fect braking efficiency.
fCautiously apply brakes to test brakes after being exposed.
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Controls, Safety, Instruments
Brake wearYour car has excellent brakes, but they are still
subject to wear. The rate at which they wear de-
pends on how the brakes are used.
fHave the brake system inspected at the inter-
vals recommended in your Maintenance Book-
let.
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 pads
are worn, excessively.
fDo not continue to operate the vehicle.
Have your authorized Porsche dealer inspect
or replace the brake pads.
fPlease observe the chapter “WARNING LIGHTS
AND WARNING MESSAGES” on Page 106.
Brake pads and brake discsWear on the brake pads and brake discs depends
to a great extent on the driving style and the con-
ditions of use and therefore cannot be expressed
in actual miles on the road.
The high-performance brake system is designed
for optimal braking effect at all speeds and tem-
peratures.
Certain speeds, braking forces and ambient con-
ditions (such as temperature and humidity) there-
fore might cause the brakes to squeal.New brake pads or linings
New brake pads have to be “broken in“, and there-
fore only attain optimal friction when the car has
covered several hundred miles or km.
The slightly reduced braking ability must be com-
pensated for by pressing the brake pedal harder.
This also applies whenever the brake pads and
brake discs are replaced.
Brake wear warning light
USA
Brake wear warning light
Canada
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Controls, Safety, Instruments
67
Safety notes!
fDo not obstruct the pedal travel with floor mats
or other objects.
The brake booster is ready for operation only
while the engine is running.
If the engine is switched off or there is a defect in
the brake booster, much greater force has to be
applied to the pedal when braking.
fPlease observe the chapter “TOWING” on
Page 340.
In heavy rain, while driving through water or after
leaving a car wash, the braking action may be de-
layed and increased pressure may be required.
fFor this reason, keep further back from the ve-
hicle in front and “dry” the brakes by applying
them at intervals. Make sure that following traf-
fic is not affected.
After a long drive over salted or gritted roads, a
coating may form on the brake discs and pads
that significantly reduces friction and thus braking
action.
fTherefore, clean the brake discs and pads ap-
prox. every 2 weeks with a strong jet of water.
The cleaning effect of automatic car washes is
insufficient.
To prevent corrosion of the brake discs, “brake
them dry” before parking the car.fEven though the brake discs consist of alloyed
grey cast iron, they will unavoidably start to
corrode if your car is parked for an extended
period. The brakes will tend to “rub” as a re-
sult.
The nature, extent and effects of corrosion de-
pend 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.
fTo relieve the braking system on downhill
stretches, change down to a lower gear in
good time to obtain engine braking.
If engine braking is insufficient on steep
stretches, operate the footbrake at intervals.
Continuous braking overheats the brakes and
reduces the braking effect.
fPlease observe the chapter “BRAKE-FLUID LE-
VEL” on Page 242.
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Controls, Safety, Instruments
Instrument Panel USA ModelsWarning and indicator lights on the
tachometerWarning and indicator lights on the
speedometer
A Oil temperature gauge
BTachometer
C Clock reset button
D Cooling system temperature gauge
E Multi-purpose display
F Digital speedometer,
Outside temperature,
Clock,
Mileage displays
G Fuel gauge
H Reset button for trip counter display
I Speedometer
J Engine boost pressure display Emission Control warning light
(Check Engine)
Airbag warning light
Safety belt warning light
PSM warning light
ABS warning light
Turn signal pilot light, left
Cruise control readiness
Hydraullically engageable anti-roll bars
Rear fog light indicator light
Turn signal pilot light, right
Trailer turn signal Indicator light
Differential locking indicator light
Brake warning light
Fog light indicator light
Tire pressure warning light
High beam indicator light
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Page 70 of 369
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Controls, Safety, Instruments
Instrument Panel Canada ModelsWarning and indicator lights on the
tachometerWarning and indicator lights on the
speedometer
A Oil temperature gauge
BTachometer
C Clock reset button
D Cooling system temperature gauge
E Multi-purpose display
F Digital speedometer,
Outside temperature,
Clock,
Mileage displays
G Fuel gauge
H Reset button for trip counter display
I Speedometer
J Engine boost pressure display Emission Control warning light
(Check Engine)
Airbag warning light
Safety belt warning light
PSM warning light
ABS warning light
Turn signal pilot light, left
Cruise control readiness
Hydraullically engageable anti-roll bars
Rear fog light indicator light
Turn signal pilot light, right
Trailer turn signal Indicator light
Differential locking indicator light
Brake warning light
Fog light indicator light
Tire pressure warning light
High beam indicator light
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Page 72 of 369
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Controls, Safety, Instruments A warning message will appear on the multi-pur-
pose display of the instrument panel if the engine
oil temperature is too high.
fReduce speed and engine load immediately if
the red zone is reached.
Ta c h o m e t e rTachometerThe start of the red zone on the tachometer scale
is a visual warning of the maximum permissible en-
gine speed.
If the red zone is reached during acceleration, fuel
feed is interrupted in order to protect the engine.
SpeedometerSpeedometerThe digital speedometer is integrated into the
multi-purpose display in the instrument panel.
An analogue display is also located on the right be-
side the multi-purpose display in the instrument
panel.
Oil Temperature Gauge