12
Controls, Safety, Instruments
Dear Porsche OwnerA lot has gone into the manufacture of your
Porsche, including advanced engineering, rigid
quality control and demanding inspections. These
engineering and safety features will be enhanced
by you...the safe driver...– who knows his car and all controls,
– who maintains the vehicle properly,
– who uses driving skills wisely and always
drives within her/his own capabilities and the
level of familiarity with the vehicle.
You will find helpful hints in this manual on how to
perform most of the checks listed on the following
pages. If in doubt, have these checks performed
by your authorized Porsche dealer.
Before driving off...Check the following items firstfTurn the engine off before you attempt any
checks or repairs on the vehicle.
fBe sure the tires are inflated correctly.
Check tires for damage and tire wear.
fSee that wheel bolts are properly tightened
and not loose or missing.
fCheck engine oil level, add if necessary. Make
it a habit to have engine oil checked with every
fuel filling.
fCheck all fluid levels such as windshield wash-
er and brake fluid levels.
fBe sure the vehicle battery is well charged and
cranks the engine properly.
fCheck all doors and lids for proper operation
and latch them properly.
fCheck and if necessary replace worn or
cracked wiper blades.
fSee that all windows are clear and unobstruct-
ed.
fCheck air intake slots and area between en-
gine compartment lid and windshield are free
of snow and ice, so the heater and the wind-
shield wipers work properly.fIf a child will be riding in the vehicle, check
child seat/child seat restraint system to ensure
that restraints are properly adjusted.
fCheck all exterior and interior lights for opera-
tion and that the lenses are clean.
fCheck the headlights for proper aim, and if
necessary, have them adjusted.
fCheck under the vehicle for leaks.
fBe sure all luggage is stowed securely.
Emergency equipmentIt is good practice to carry emergency equipment
in your vehicle.
Some of the items you should have are: window
scraper, snow brush, container or bag of sand or
salt, emergency light, small shovel, first-aid kit,
etc.
Controls, Safety, Instruments
13
In the driver's seat...fCheck operation of the horn.
fPosition seat for easy reach of foot pedals and
controls.To reduce the possibility of injury from
the airbag deployment, you should always sit
back as far from the steering wheel as is prac-
tical, while still maintaining full vehicle control.
fAdjust the inside and outside rear view mirrors.
fBuckle your safety belts.
fCheck operation of the foot and parking brake.
fCheck all warning and indicator lights with igni-
tion on and engine not running.
fStart engine and check all warning displays for
warning symbols.
fNever leave an idling car unattended.
fLock doors from inside, especially with chil-
dren in the car to prevent inadvertent opening
of doors from inside or outside. Drive with
doors locked.
On the road...fNever drive after you have consumed alcohol
or drugs.
fAlways have your safety belt fastened.
fAlways drive defensively.
Expect the unexpected.
fUse signals to indicate turns and lane changes.
fTurn on headlights at dusk or when the driving
conditions warrant it.
fAlways keep a safe distance from the vehicle in
front of you, depending on traffic, road and
weather conditions.
fReduce speed at night and during inclement
weather.
Driving in wet weather requires caution and re-
duced speeds, particularly on roads with
standing water, as the handling characteristics
of the vehicle may be impaired due to hydro-
planing of the tires.
fAlways observe speed limits and obey road
signs and traffic laws.
fWhen tired, get well off the road, stop and take
a rest. Turn the engine off. Do not sit in the ve-
hicle with engine idling.
Please observe the chapter “ENGINE EX-
HAUST” on Page 6.fWhen parked, always set the parking brake.
Move the Tiptronic selector lever to “P“.
On hills also turn the front wheels toward the
curb.
fWhen emergency repairs become necessary,
move the vehicle well off the road. Turn on the
emergency flasher and use other warning de-
vices to alert other motorists. Do not park or
operate the vehicle in areas where the hot ex-
haust system may come in contact with dry
grass, brush, fuel spill or other flammable ma-
terial.
fMake it a habit to have the engine oil checked
with every fuel filling.
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Controls, Safety, Instruments
LightingMAIN MENU > SETTINGS > LIGHTS
You can set the duration the headlights remain on
after the vehicle is locked.
fSelect OFF DELAY with the rocker switch.
fPress RESET switch. The set coming home
time is active.
fSelect time with the rocker switch and press
the RESET switch.
fYou can use the rocker switch to set an off-de-
lay time (Coming Home function) ranging from
15 to 90 seconds. The time is set in incre-
ments of 15 seconds.
fPress RESET switch.
UnitsMAIN MENU > SETTINGS > UNITS
The UNITS menu offers the following options:
– Speedometer
Select unit for speedometer:
mph, km/h
– Consumption
Select unit for fuel consumption:
l/100km, mpg (USA), mpg (UK), km/l
– Temperature
Select unit for temperature: °C, °F
– Tire pressure
Select unit for pressure: bar, psifSelect the desired item with the rocker switch
and the RESET switch.
fActivate or deactivate the desired units with
the RESET switch.
Controls, Safety, Instruments
115
Automatic driving light assistantThe driving light assistant is a comfort function.
Your Porsche’s driving light (low beam) is switched
on and off automatically, irrespective of the ambi-
ent brightness.
Despite possible support by the driving light assis-
tant, it is the responsibility of the driver to switch
on the driving light using the conventional light
switch in accordance with the relevant national
regulations.
Activating the headlights using the driving light as-
sistant does not therefore absolve the driver
of responsibility for the correct operation of the
driving light.
The low beam is switched on automatically in the
following situations:
–Dusk
–Darkness
– Travelling through tunnels
– Rain
– Highway driving
Note on operation
Fog is not recognised.
fIn the event of fog, the driving light must be
switched on manually.
Warning!
Risk of accident due to driving without lights.
fAlways carefully monitor the automatic driving light control.
Highway function
The light is switched on at speeds of over 87 mph
(140 km/h). If you are travelling slower than 40
mph (65 km/h), the driving light is switched off af-
ter a delay of approx. 2 minutes, if the external
lighting conditions permit.
Rain function
The driving light is switched on after five seconds
of continuous wiper operation.
The driving light is switched off approx. 4 minutes
after the wipers have stopped.
Bi-Xenon main headlights with
dynamically controlled cornering lightThe Bi-Xenon main headlights are equipped with
an additional light in vehicles with a cornering
light. As a result of its particular positioning, the
additional light provides significantly better lane
lighting to the left and right of the main light beam.
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Controls, Safety, Instruments
A- Instrument lighting knobWhen the light is switched on, the brightness of
the instrument illumination can be adjusted by
turning thumb wheel A.
fPlease observe the chapter “A - BUTTON FOR
DIMMING THE COMFORT LIGHTING” on
Page 146.
Automatic Headlight Beam
AdjustmentVehicles with Bi-Xenon headlights feature
automatic headlight beam adjustment.
When the ignition is switched on, the level of the
headlight beam automatically changes in accor-
dance with the vehicle load. The level of the head-
light beam is automatically kept constant during
acceleration and braking.
Checking operation
1. Switch the low beam on.
2. Switch ignition on.
The light beam first dips all the way down and
is then adapted to the vehicle load.
If this test point not satisfied, the headlight level-
ling adjustment must be checked by an authorized
Porsche dealer.
Instrument Illumination
120
Controls, Safety, Instruments The rain sensor remains switched off if the wiper
lever is already in position 1 when the ignition is
switched on.
To switch the rain sensor on again:
fMove wiper stalk to position 0 and then to
position1 – switching on is confirmed by one
wipe of the windscreen – or
fOperate windscreen washer system 5–
switching on is confirmed by three wipes of the
windscreen – or
fChange the sensitivity of the rain sensor with
four-stage switch A.Changing the sensitivity of the rain sensor
Sensitivity can be set with switch A in 4 stages:
fAdjust switch A upwards –
high sensitivity.
The setting is confirmed by one wipe of the
windscreen.
fAdjust switch A downwards –
low sensitivity.
2 – Front windscreen wiper – slow
fMove wiper stalk upwards to the second click.
3 – Front windscreen wiper – fast
fMove wiper stalk upwards to the third click.
At speeds of less than approx. ca. 2.5 mph (4 km/
h), rain sensor operation mode is automatically
activated if the windscreen wiper is switched on. If
you exceed a speed of approx. 5 mph (8 km/h),
the system switches to the pre-selected wiper
level.
4 – Front windscreen wiper – one-touch
operation
fMove wiper stalk downwards. The front wind-
screen wipers go through one wiping cycle.5 – Front windscreen wipers and washer
system
fPull wiper stalk towards the steering wheel.
The washer system sprays and wipes while the
lever is pulled towards the steering wheel.
When the wiper lever is released, a few drying
wipes are executed.
Headlight washer (on vehicles with Bi-Xe-
non headlights):
The washer sprays only while low beam or high
beam is switched on.
To activate the headlight washer system, the
wiper lever must be pulled for a longer period
of time.
The spray duration is limited.
Maintenance note
fIf heavily soiled, repeat wash.
fPersistent dirt (e.g. insect remains) should be
regularly removed.
Please observe the chapter “CAR CARE
INSTRUCTIONS” on Page 256.
Thefront windscreen washer nozzles are heat-
ed when the ignition is on, as a precaution against
freezing.
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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 352.
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 weight of the car-trailer
combination must therefore be reduced by
10% for each increment of 3,280 ft. or
1,000 metres altitude. A fractional increment
counts as the full 1,000 metres. Please take
this into consideration when planning 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
fCheck whether the plug of the trailer is
plugged into the towing vehicle and whether all
lights function.
Shifting Gear, Traction Systems
221
Driving systems for off-road drivingSpecially adapted driving programs or power-
transmission and running-gear control systems
are available for off-road driving:
– Off-road program Low Range
–Off-road PSM
–Off-road ABS
– Center differential lock
– Rear differential lock
fPlease observe the chapter “POWER-TRANS-
MISSION AND RUNNING-GEAR CONTROL SYS-
TEMS” on Page 211.Before driving offTires
fCheck tread depth and tire pressure.
fCheck for damage and remove any foreign ob-
jects (e.g. stones) from the tread.
fReplace missing valve caps.
Rims
fReplace dented or damaged rims before
driving off road.
After driving off roadOff-road driving places a greater burden on the ve-
hicle than does normal driving on roads.
We recommend inspecting the vehicle after off-
road driving. Potential damage poses an accident
risk and impairs driving comfort. Damage on the
car is recognised in good time if the car is
checked.
Warning!
Car damage poses an accident risk for the
vehicle occupants and other road users.
fIn cases of doubt, have your vehicle checked
by your authorized Porsche dealer.
fExamine tires for signs of damage such as
cuts, tears, bulges or foreign objects stuck in
the tread. Replace a damaged tire if necessa-
ry.
fHave any damage to your vehicle repaired by an authorized Porsche dealer without delay.
Recommended procedure
fDeactivate Low Range.
fClean headlights and tail lights and check them
for signs of damage.
fClean the front and rear licence plates.fClean the tire tread with a jet of water and re-
move any foreign objects.
fClean wheels, wheel housings and the under-
body with a jet of water.
fCheck whether the car has picked up plant
parts or branches.
These materials increase the risk of fire and
can damage fuel lines, brake hoses, boots of
the axle joints and drive shafts.
fAfter off-road driving, always check the entire
floor assembly, tires, body structure, steering
system, running gear and exhaust system for
signs of damage.
fAfter driving for an extended period through
mud, sand, water or substances with a similar
soiling effect, check the brake discs, brake
pads, wheels and axle joints and have them
cleaned.
fIf you experience severe vibrations after
driving off road, check the wheels for foreign
substances.
These substances can produce an imbalance
which might be responsible for the vibrations.
Removing these deposits may remedy the
problem.