2Dear Owner, We would like to thank you for your purchase of a
Porsche Sports car.
Judging by the car you have chosen, you are a mo-
torist of a special breed, and you are probably no
novice when it comes to automobiles.
Remember however, as with any vehicle, you
should take time to familiarize yourself with your
Porsche and its performance characteristics. Al-
ways drive within your own unique capabilities as
a driver and your level of experience with your
Porsche. Ensure that anyone else driving your
Porsche does the same. To prevent or minimize in-
jury, always use your safety belts. Never consume
alcohol or drugs before or during the operation of
your vehicle.
This Owner’s Manual contains a host of useful in-
formation. Please take the time to read this manu-
al before you drive your new Porsche. Become fa-
miliar with the operation of your Porsche car for
maximum safety and operating pleasure. The bet-
ter you know your Porsche, the more pleasure you
will experience driving your new car.
Always keep your Owner’s Manual in the car, and
give it to the new owner if you ever sell your
Porsche. A separate Maintenance Booklet explains how
you can keep your Porsche in top driving condition
by having it serviced regularly.
A separate Warranty and Customer Informa-
tion Booklet contains detailed information about
the warranties covering your Porsche.
For U.S. only:
If you believe that your vehicle has a fault which
could cause a crash, injury or death, you should
immediately inform the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration (NHTSA) in addition to
notifying Porsche Cars North America, Inc.
(Porsche Cars N.A.).
If NHTSA receives similar complaints, it may open
an investigation, and if it finds that a safety prob-
lem exists in a group of vehicles, it may order a re-
call and remedy campaign. However, NHTSA can-
not become involved in individual problems be-
tween you and your dealer, or Porsche Cars N.A..
To contact NHTSA, you may either call the Auto
Safety Hotline toll-free at 1-(800)-424-9393
(or
366-0123 in Washington, D.C. area) or write
to: NHTSA, U.S. Department of Transportation,
Washington, D.C. 20590. You can also obtain oth-
er information about motor vehicle safety from the
Hotline. Your car has thousands of parts and components
which have been designed and manufactured in
accordance with Porsche’s high standards of engi-
neering quality and safety.
Any alteration of the vehicle may negate or
interfere with those safety features built into
the vehicle.
Your Porsche is intended to be used in a safe man-
ner obeying the local laws and in the light of driv-
ing conditions faced by you, and in accordance
with the instructions provided in this Owner’s Man-
ual.
Do not misuse your Porsche by ignoring
those laws and driving conditions, or by
ignoring the instructions in this manual.
Any alteration or misuse of the vehicle can
lead to accidents and severe or fatal
personal injuries.
The fitting of racing tires (e.g. slicks) for sporting
events is not approved by Porsche. Very high cor-
nering speeds can be achieved with racing tires.
However, the resulting transverse acceleration
values would jeopardize the adequate supply of oil
to the engine.
Porsche therefore will not accept any warranty or
accept any liability for damage occurring as a re-
sult of non-compliance with this provision.
Controls, Instruments
57
Rollover Protection System The Rollover Protection System on the Cabriolet
consists of two supplemental safety bars that to-
gether with the front windshield frame help to cre-
ate occupant survival space in case of rollover. Be-
cause of the extreme and unpredictable forces
which can be encountered in a rollover, it is not
possible to guarantee that occupants will be pro-
tected from all contact with exterior objects or the
ground. However, the Rollover Protection System
is designed to maintain the occupant survival
space.
The Rollover Protection System is activated auto-
matically in the event of an accident or extreme
driving situation.
The protective devices are located behind each
rear seat and rapidly deploy within a fraction of a
second.
They can deploy under:
– Extreme tilting of the vehicle.
– Loss of ground contact (e.g. Going over the
crest of a hill at high speed).
Danger!
Risk of death or serious injury.
fDo not block area of supplemental safety bars
with objects.
In the event of a deployment event, such
objects could potentially prevent such deploy-
ment from occuring, or such objects could
impact the car occupants at high speed.
fDo not tamper with or work on wiring and or
components of Rollover Protection System.
fAll work regarding this system must be carried
out by your authorized Porsche dealer.
fCheck functions and periodic service intervals
according to maintenance schedule (see your
authorized Porsche dealer).
To avoid damage to the convertible top:
fIf the supplemental safety bars are extended
for any reason, do not open or close converti-ble top.Faults in the Rollover Protection System are indi-
cated by the airbag warning light in the instrument
panel.
Extension of the supplemental safety bars is no
longer ensured.
fSee your authorized Porsche dealer immedi-
ately and have the fault remedied.
Lowering the supplemental safety bars
after deployment fHave this work performed by an authorized
Porsche dealer.
Warning light
Controls, Instruments
97
The warning light in the instrument panel comes
on when the ignition is first turned on and remains
on briefly as a bulb check. If the light does not
come on, have the bulb replaced promptly.
If the warning lights in the instrument panel and on-
board computer come on and remain on while
driving, it suggests:
– a potential engine control problem and the
need for system service or
– an improperly fastened tank cap or
– refuelling with engine running.
Although the vehicle is usually driveable and will
not require towing, see your dealer for service as
soon as possible.
Caution!
If the Check engine light in the instrument
panel is flashing, severe catalytic converter
damage and power loss will soon occur.
Prolonged driving with the Check engine light
on could cause damage to the emission con-
trol system. It also could affect fuel economy
and driveability.
fHave the fault remedied at the nearest author-ized Porsche dealer immediately. The central warning light on the instrument panel
lights up if there are warning messages in the
INFO menu.
The messages can be called in the on-board
computer INFO menu:
fPlease observe the chapter “INFO WARNING
MESSAGES” on Page 102.
The warning light on the instrument panel lights
up:
– if the handbrake is on,
– if the brake fluid level is low,
– if the brake pads have reached the wear limit,
– if the brake circuit division is defective.
Additionally, a warning is displayed by the on-
board computer.
fPlease observe the chapter “WARNINGS ON
THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND THE ON-
BOARD COMPUTER” on Page 122.
Check Engine
Warning Light
Central warning light
Brake warning light USA
Brake warning light Canada
160
Controls, Instruments
Compact disc player
Caution!
To avoid damage to compact disc player and
discs.
fUse only compact discs labeled as shown, hav-
ing no dirt, damage or warpage.
fNever attempt to disassemble or oil any part
of the player unit.
Do not insert any object other than a disc into
the slot.
Remember there are no user-serviceable parts
inside the compact disc player. fDo not allow the disc to sustain any finger-
prints, scrapes or stickers on the surfaces.
This may cause poor sound quality.
Hold the disc only on the edge or center hole.
fWhen not in use, take the disc out of the player,
put the disc back into its case and store it
away from dust, heat, damp and direct sun-
light.
Leaving the disc on the dashboard in the sun
can damage the disc.
fIf the disc gets dirty, clean the disc by wiping
the surfaces from the center to the outside in
a radial direction with a soft cloth.
Do not use a conventional record cleaner or
anti-static record preservative.
Disc cleaners are available in audio stores.
Practical Tips, Emergency Service
227 Practical Tips, Emergency Service
Exercise Extreme Caution
when Working on your Vehicle .................... 228
Tires/Wheels ............................................ 229
Loading Information................................... 242
Lifting the Vehicle with a Lifting Platform
or Garage Lift ........................................... 244
Flat Tire .................................................... 245
Wheel Bolts .............................................. 248
Spacers ................................................... 249
Changing a wheel ...................................... 250
Electrical System ...................................... 254
Battery ..................................................... 258
Emergency Starting with Jumper Cables ..... 264
Lights, Replacing Bulbs.............................. 266
Headlights ................................................ 268
Tail Light .................................................. 276
License Plate Light .................................... 277
Luggage Compartment/
Engine Compartment/Footwell Light ........... 277
Door Guard/Curb Light .............................. 277
Interior Light, Reading Lights...................... 278
Adjusting Headlights .................................. 279
Towing ..................................................... 281
232
Practical Tips, Emergency Service
Tire pressures
Warning!
Incorrect tire pressure causes increased tire
wear and adversely affects road handling.
fAlways use an accurate tire pressure gauge
when checking inflation pressures.
fDo not exceed the maximum tire pressure list-
ed on the tire sidewall.
Please observe the chapter “TIRE PRESSURE
PLATE” on Page 285.
fCold tire inflation pressure means: all tires
must be cold, ambient temperature maximum
(68°F/20°C)
, when adjusting the inflation pres-
sure.
Avoid sunlight striking the tires before measur-
ing cold pressures, since the pressures would
rise from temperature influence.
fValve caps protect the valve from dust and dirt,
and thus from leakage.
Always screw caps tightly down.
Replace missing caps immediately.
fUse only plastic valve caps.
fDo not use commercially available sealant or
tire inflating bottles. Only use Porsche approved tire sealant.Each tire, including the spare (if provided), should
be checked every 2 weeks when cold (68°F/20°C)
and inflated to the inflation pressure recommend-
ed in this Owner's Manual or on the tire-pressure
plate.
If your vehicle has tires of a different size than the
size indicated in this Owner's Manual or on the tire-
pressure plate, you should determine the proper
tire inflation pressure for those tires.
As an added safety feature, your vehicle has been
equipped with a tire pressure monitoring (TPC)
that illuminates a low tire pressure message when
one or more of your tires is significantly under-in-
flated. Accordingly, when the low tire pressure
message illuminates, you should stop and check
your tires as soon as possible, and inflate them to
the proper pressure. Driving on a significantly un-
der-inflated tire causes the tire to overheat and
can lead to tire failure. Under-inflation also reduc-
es fuel efficiency and tire tread life, and may affect
the vehicle’s handling and stopping ability.
Please note that the TPC is not a substitute for
proper tire maintenance, and it is the driver’s re-
sponsibility to maintain correct tire pressure, even
if under-inflation has not reached the level to trig-
ger illumination of the TPC low tire pressure mes-
sage.
fOn vehicles with tire pressure monitoring:
Please observe the chapter “TPC TIRE
PRESSURE MONITORING” on Page 109.
When tires are warm, the tire pressure is
increased.fNever let air out of hot tires.
This could cause the tire pressure to fall below
the prescribed value.
Insufficient tire filling pressure can cause tires to
overheat and thus be damaged – even invisibly.
Hidden tire damage is not eliminated by subse-
quently correcting the tire pressure.
Overloading
Danger!
Risk of personal injury, loss of control and
damage to vehicle parts.
fDo not overload your vehicle. Be careful about
the roof load.
fIf loading the vehicle also correct the tire pres-
sure. Tire pressure for loaded vehicle can be
found on the tire pressure plate and in the
chapter technical data.
fNever exceed the specified axle load.
Overloading can shorten the service life of the
tires and car, as well as lead to dangerous ve-
hicle reactions and long braking distances.
Damage due to overloading is not covered by the vehicle warranty.
fPlease observe the chapter “LOADING INFOR-
MATION” on Page 242.
fPlease observe the chapter “TIRE PRESSURES
FOR COLD TIRES” on Page 290.
Practical Tips, Emergency Service
241
E Maximum Load rating
The maximum load in kilograms and pounds can
be carried by the tire. If you replace tires always
use a tire that has the same maximum load rating
as the factory installed tire.
FRadial
The identification indicates if the tire has radial
structure.
G Term of tubeless or tube tire
Identification for tubeless tires.Speed code letterThe speed code letter indicates the maximum per-
missible speed for the tire.
This code letter is shown on the tire sidewall.
T = up to 118 mph (190 km/h)
H = up to 131 mph (210 km/h)
V = up to 150 mph (240 km/h)
W = up to 167 mph (270 km/h)
Y = up to 186 mph (300 km/h)Tip on driving
Tires with a maximum speed rating that is lower
than the specified maximum vehicle speed may be
mounted only if they bear an M+S identification on
the tire sidewall.
fPlease note that in addition to the winter tires,
all-season and all-terrain tires are also subject
to speed limits and bear this identification.
Inscription on light alloy wheelsMaintenance note
fProtect the valve inserts against soiling with
valve caps.
Use only plastic valve caps.
Soiled valve inserts can cause a gradual loss
of air.
Note on operation
fThe rim width in inches A and the rim offset F
are visible from the outside. This information
can be found near the tire valve.
A-Rim width in inches
B- Rim-flange contour code letter
C- Symbol for drop-center rim
D- Rim diameter in inches
E-Double hump
F- Rim offset in mm
Practical Tips, Emergency Service
247
A- Filler bottle
B- Filler hose
C- Plug of the filler hose
D-Valve turner
E-Valve insert
F- Tire valveInserting sealant
1. Leave the object that caused the puncture in
the tire.
2. Remove sealant and the enclosed sticker from
the luggage compartment.
3. Adhere the sticker in the driver's field of vision.
4. Shake filler bottle A.5. Screw filler hose B onto the filler bottle.
The filler bottle is now open.
6. Unscrew valve cap from tire valve F.
7. Remove valve insert E from the tire valve with
valve turner D.
Keep the valve insert in a clean and dry place.
8. Remove plug C of the filler hose B.
9. Push filler hose onto the tire valve.
10.Hold filler bottle higher than the level of the tire
valve and press it together forcefully until the
bottle is completely emptied into the tire.
11.Pull filler hose off the tire valve.
12.Twist the valve insert firmly into the tire valve
using the valve turner.
13.Connect the compressor to the cigarette light-
er and inflate the tire to the prescribed tire
pressure.
Please observe the chapter “TIRE PRESSURES
FOR COLD TIRES” on Page 290.
14.Screw valve cap onto the tire valve.
15.Check the tire pressure after driving for around
10 minutes.
If the tire pressure is less than 22 psi (1.5 bar),
do not continue driving.
If a value of more than 22 psi (1.5 bar) is indi-
cated, correct the pressure to the prescribed
value.16.Please consult your authorized Porsche
dealer.
Care Instructions
After drying, any sealant that emerges can be
peeled off like a film.
Warning!
Risk of accident.
fHave the tire replaced by an authorized
Porsche dealer immediately.
fAvoid hard acceleration and high cornering
speeds.
fDo not exceed maximum speed of 50 mph
(80 km/h).
fPlease always observe the safety and oper-
ating instructions, which can be found in the
separate operating instructions for the sealant and on the compressor.