3
Regularly check your vehicle for signs of
damage.
Damaged or missing aerodynamic compo-
nents such as spoilers or underside panels
affect the driving behavior and therefore
must be replaced immediately.
Your car may have all or some of the components
described in this manual.
Should you have difficulty understanding any of
the explanations of features or equipment installed
in your vehicle, contact your authorized Porsche
dealer. He/She will be glad to assist you. Also
check with your dealer on other available options
or equipment.
Throughout this booklet, left is designated as the
driver's side of the vehicle, and right as the pas-
senger's side of the vehicle.
Text, illustrations and specifications in this manual
are based on the information available at the time
of printing.
It has always been Porsche's policy to continuous-
ly improve its products. Porsche, therefore, re-
serves the right to make changes in design and
specification, and to make additions or improve-
ments in its product without incurring any obliga-
tion to install them on products previously manu-
factured.
We wish you many miles of safe and pleasurable
driving in your Porsche.
Important!
For your own protection and longer service life of
your car, please heed all operating instructions
and special warnings. These special warnings use
the safety alert symbol, followed by the words
Danger, Warning and Caution. These special
warnings contain important messages regarding
your safety and/or the potential for damage to
your Porsche. Ignoring them could result in seri-
ous mechanical failure or even physical injury.
fDo not alter your Porsche. Any alteration could
create dangerous conditions or defeat safety
engineering features built into your car.
fDo not misuse your Porsche. Use it safely, and
consistently with the law, according to the dri-
ving conditions, and the instructions in this ma-
nual.
Alteration or misuse of your Porsche could
cause accidents and severe or fatal personal
injuries.
Note to ownersIn Canada, this manual is also available in French.
To obtain a copy contact your dealer or write to:Note aux proprietairesAu Canada on peut se procurer un exemplaire de
ce Manuel en français auprès du concessionaire
ou du:
Porsche Cars Canada, Ltd.
Automobiles Porsche Canada, LTEE
5045 Orbitor Drive
Building #8, Suite 200
Mississauga, Ontario
Canada L4W 4Y4
Telephone number for customer assistance:
1-800-PORSCHE / Option 3
Controls, Safety, Instruments
49
Airbag SystemsThe Airbags in combination with the safety belts
makes up a safety system which offers the driver
and the passenger the best known protection
from injuries in case of accident.
Even if your vehicle is equipped with airbags, the
safety belts must be worn at all times,
because the front airbag system is only actuated
by frontal collisions with an impact of sufficient se-
verity.
Below the actuation threshold of the airbag sys-
tem, and during types of collisions which do not
cause the actuation of the system, the safety belts
provide the primary protection to the occupants
when correctly worn.
Therefore, all persons within the vehicle
must wear safety belts at all times (in many
states, state law requires the use of safety belts).
fPlease observe the chapter “SAFETY BELTS”
on Page 42.
Thefront airbags are located under the padded
steering wheel panel on the driver’s side and, on
the passenger's side, in the dashboard.
Theside airbags for the front seats are installed
on the side in the seat backrests.
Thehead airbags are installed above the doors
in the roof area.
FunctionThe front airbags are triggered during a frontal col-
lision of sufficient force.
In the event of a side impact of corresponding
force, the side airbag on the impact side is trig-
gered.
The inflation process generates the amount of gas
required to fill the airbags at the necessary pres-
sure in fractions of a second.
Airbags protect the face and upper body, while si-
multaneously damping the motion of the driver
and passenger in the impact direction in the event
of a frontal impact or side impact.
Your vehicle is equipped with a crash sensing and
diagnostic module. This module will record the
use of the seat belt restraint system by the driver
and front passenger when the side airbags and
head airbags are inflated.
Danger!
To provide optimal occupant protection, air-
bags must inflate at very high speed. If you
are not wearing your safety belt or are too
close to the airbag when its deployed, inflat-
ing airbags can result in serious personal in-
jury or death.
fMake sure there are no people, animals or ob-
jects between the driver or passenger and the
area into which the airbag inflates.
fSit back as far from the dashboard or steering
wheel as is practical, while still maintaining full
vehicle control.
fDo not lean against the inside of the doors.
fAlways hold the steering wheel by the outer
rim. Never rest your hands on the airbag panel.
fNever transport heavy or sharp objects on or
in front of the passenger seat.
fAlways keep the lid of the door storage com-
partment closed. Objects must not protrude
out of the door storage compartment.
fGive your passenger all of the information in
this chapter.
fNo changes must be made to the wiring or
components of the airbag system.
f f f
Controls, Safety, Instruments
53
Multi-Functional Steering Wheel
Warning!
There is a danger of accident if you set or
operate the on-board computer, radio, navi-
gation system, telephone or other equipment
when driving.
This could distract you from the traffic and
cause you to lose control of the vehicle.
fOperate the components while driving only if
the traffic situation allows you to do so safely.
fCarry out any complicated operating or setting procedures only with the vehicle stationary.
Depending on the equipment in your vehicle, you
can use these function keys to operate the follow-
ing Porsche communication systems:
– Radio with CD drive
–CD changer
– Satelite radio
Readiness for operation of multi-
functional steering wheel– With ignition switched on and
– With Porsche communication systems
switched on.
fPlease observe the operating instructions sup-
plied for the Porsche communication systems
before operating the function keys.
Note on operation
The Porsche communication systems cannot be
switched on and off using the multi-functional
steering wheel.
Operating the function keysThe function keys on the steering wheel (arrows)
can be operated by pressing and by pulling.
Various functions may require you to press or pull
the buttons several times in order to achieve the
desired setting.
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.
Controls, Safety, Instruments
85
Tire PressureThe tire pressure monitoring system continuously
monitors tire pressure and tire temperature on all
four wheels and warns the driver when the tire
pressure is too low.
The display as well as the settings for tire
pressure monitoring are done on the multi-
purpose display in the TYRE PRESSURE menu.
However the tire pressure must be set manually
on the wheel.
The tire pressures to be monitored for tire type
are permanently set in the tire pressure
monitoring system and cannot be changed.
The driver is solely responsible for filling the tires
correctly and for selecting in the multi-purpose dis-
play.
Danger!
Risk of serious personal injury or death.
Driving the vehicle with low tire pressure in-
creases increases risk of a tire failure and re-
sulting loss of control. Furthermore, low tire
pressure increases rate of wear of the affect-
ed tires.
fWhen a flat tire has been displayed, immediate-
ly stop in a suitable place and check the tires
for damage. If necessary remedy the damages
with a tire sealant.
fDo not by any means continue to drive with
leaking tires.
fDefective tires must be immediately replaced
by a specialist workshop.
Tyre repairs are not permissible under
any circumstances.
fSealing the tyre with the tyre sealant is only an
emergency repair, so you can drive to the next
workshop. The maximum permitted speed is
50 mph (80 km/h).
fDo not drive with tires whose tyre pressure
drops again in a short period of time. In cases
of doubt, have tires checked by a specialist
workshop.
fIf the tire pressure monitoring system is defec-
tive (e.g., defective wheel transmitter), contact
a specialist workshop immediately and have
the damages repaired.
The tire pressure will not be monitored by a
defective tire pressure monitoring system.fUse only the pressure differences shown in the
TYRE PRESSURE menu or from tyre pressure
messages or warnings when correcting the
tyre pressure.
fTires lose air over time without a tire defect be-
ing present. A tire pressure warning will then
appear in the multi-purpose display
Correct the tire pressure.
fThe tire pressure monitoring system gives a
warning about tyre damages due to insufficient
tyre pressure as well as about a gradual loss
of pressure due to foreign objects.
The tyre pressure monitoring system cannot
warn you about tyre damages occurring sud-
denly (e.g., flat tyre due to sudden external ef-
fects).
fIf a message is displayed, check the tire
pressure at the next opportunity.
fBefore fitting tires approved by Porsche which
are not stored in the on-board computer, the
missing information should be supplemented
in the on-board computer.
Controls, Safety, Instruments
87
Tire pressure monitoring system learning
phaseEach time a wheel is changed, the tire pressure
monitoring system must complete the learning
phase again. The tire pressure monitoring system
identifies the wheel positions in this process.
The current tire pressures will not be available on
the multi-purpose display until the learning phase
is complete.
Tire pressure monitoring system learning
process
fSelect tire type and tire size in the menu TYRE
PRESSURE > SETTINGS > TYRES.
The learning process is started. The tire type
and size must be selected even if the settings
for the new set of wheels are the same as for
the old wheels.Note
The spare wheel and collapsible spare wheel do
not contain a wheel transmitter and are not moni-
tored by the tire pressure monitoring system.
The tire pressures for cold tires (68°F/20°C) are
shown in the TYRE PRESSURE menu (filling infor-
mation) during the learning phase.
The required pressure for the spare wheel is al-
ways displayed in the TYRE PRESSURE menu (fill-
ing information).
fCheck the tire pressure for the spare wheel
and collapsible spare wheel manually.
Tire pressure filling informationTire pressure menuThe TYRE PRESSURE menu provides an overview
of the current pressure specifications for the re-
spective wheel (filling information). The pressure
differences with respect to the required pressure
are specified irrespective of the tire temperature.
If the wheels have not been learned, the current
pressures are unavailable.
The spare wheel is not monitored. The required
pressure is specified in brackets.
To make changes to the settings of the tire pres-
sure monitoring system, select SETTINGS in the
TYRE PRESSURE menu.
Controls, Safety, Instruments
93
Tire pressure warnings and
messagesThe tire pressure monitoring system warns about
loss in pressure in two stages, depending on the
amount of pressure loss:
Stage 1 – Tyre pressure too low message
(3 to 6 psi (0.2 to 0.4 bar) loss in pressure)
Stage 2 – Flat tire warning
(loss in pressure as of 6 psi (0.4 bar))
Warning!
Risk of accident. Tire damage may impair
road safety.
fStop the vehicle at a suitable location if there
is a tire pressure warning or tire pressure mes-
sage. Check the tires for signs of damage and fill or change them if necessary.
Example: If the tire pressure display shows
“– 3 psi”, you must increase the tire pressure by
3psi.
Tires can lose air over time without a tire defect
being present. The tire pressure monitoring sys-
tem will then issue a corresponding message or
warning.
fCorrect the tire pressure.
Message indicating tire pressure lossThis message indicates a pressure loss of be-
tween 3 and 6 psi (0.2 and 0.4 bar) if the wheel
positions have not been identified.
This message appears when the vehicle is station-
ary and the ignition is switched on again.
fThe message is displayed for 10 seconds or
fPress RESET switch.
Note on operation
fCorrect the tire pressure at the next opportuni-
ty. When correcting the tire pressure, add only
the pressure differences shown in the "Ty re
pressure" menu.
Message indicating tire pressure loss for
a wheelThe system has identified the wheel positions. The
deviation from the required pressure is displayed
for the corresponding wheel.
This message indicates a pressure loss of be-
tween 3 and 6 psi (0.2 and 0.4 bar).
This message appears when the vehicle is station-
ary and the ignition is switched on again.
fThe message is displayed for 10 seconds or
fPress RESET switch.
Note on operation
fCorrect the tire pressure at the next opportuni-
ty. When correcting the tire pressure, add only
the pressure differences shown in the "Ty re
pressure" menu.
96
Controls, Safety, Instruments
Warning “When vehicle stops,
Hit selection”If you drive off after changing a wheel or inflating
the tires and neglect to make a selection in the
screen SELECTION AFTER WARNING, the following
message will appear:
WHEN VEHICLE STOPS, HIT SELECTION.
fThe next time you stop the vehicle, perform
the settings in the “Selection after warning”.
Wheel change messageThe WHEEL CHANGE? message CHECK
SETTINGS appears after a wheel change, if the
tire type and tire size of the new tires have not
been set in the TYRE PRESSURE > SETTINGS
menu.
When the vehicle is stationary, the display
changes to SELECTION AFTER WARNING.
fPlease observe the chapter “SELECTION
AFTER WARNING” on Page 95.
fSelect WHEEL CHANGE. The menu automati-
cally changes to TYRE TYPE.
fSelect the appropriate tire type and tire size.
Only if the tire type and size are selected will
the tire pressure monitoring system re-learn
the tires.
Message “Spare wheel or sealing set
operation”The message SPARE WHEEL OR SEALING SET
OPERATION? appears after switching on the igni-
tion if a spare wheel type (spare wheel, collapsible
spare wheel, or sealing set) was set.
fSelect YES or NO with the rocker switch.
fPress RESET switch.