Controls, Instruments
47
Seat adjustment for the front passenger's
seat
If the seat is in an extreme position (e.g., the back-
rest is in contact with the rear seat), the backrest
can warp. Warping of the backrest can lead to mal-
functions.
fCorrect the seat adjustment.
Ensure that the seat is not jammed and is self-
supporting.
Ensure that the backrest is in the upright posi-
tion.
fDo not transport a load and objects in the rear
footwell and under the passenger's seat.
If the load or objects are under the seat, it can
cause malfunctions.
If the weight on the passenger's seat is reduced
significantly, e.g., by supporting weight on the
armrest, the passenger's airbag can be switched
off.
fSelect an upright seat position, and do not sup-
port weight on the armrests or lean out of the
window.
Always keep feet in the footwell while driving.
Do not put feet on the dashboard or the seat
area. Do not lean against the inside of the door
or outside the window while the vehicle is mov-
ing.
If the passenger's seat is warped significantly, a
message is displayed on the on-board computer:fCorrect the seat adjustment.
fPlease observe the chapter “WARNINGS ON
THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND THE ON-
BOARD COMPUTER” on Page 122.
48
Controls, Instruments Automatic deactivation of the front
passenger’s airbags Danger!
The use of a child restraint system in the
front passenger’s seat can result in serious
personal injury or death to the child from an
airbag deployment.
fPlease observe the chapter “PASSENGER
AIRBAG OFF INDICATOR LAMP DOES NOT
LIGHT UP” on Page 49.
fBefore transporting a child on the passenger’s
seat:
Please observe the chapter “CHILD RESTRAINT SYSTEMS” on Page 51.
– When an up to one-year old child is seated
in the child restraint system, the front airbag is
automatically deactivated on the passenger’s
side.
– When an adult is seated in the front seat, the
front airbag remains active on the passenger‘s
side.
A- PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator lampNote on operation
Although not desired, it can occur in the case of
heavier children that the passenger’s airbags re-
main active or, in the case of very light adults or
young persons, that the passenger’s airbag is
deactivated.The condition of the passenger’s airbag system is
shown by the indicator lamp A.
If in doubt:
fPlease observe the chapter “PASSENGER AIR-
BAG OFF INDICATOR LAMP DOES NOT LIGHT
UP” on Page 49.
fPlease observe the chapter “KEY-OPERATED
AIRBAG DEACTIVATION DEVICE” on Page 50.
fPlease observe the chapter “CHILD RES-
TRAINT SYSTEMS” on Page 51.
fPlease observe the chapter “LATCH SYSTEM
CHILD SEAT BRACKET ON THE PASSENGER’S
SEAT” on Page 55.
Note
fAfter inserting the ignition key, the PASSEN-
GER AIRBAG OFF warning light lights up for a
few seconds as a bulb check.
PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp
lights up
– The passenger's airbag is switched off.
Controls, Instruments
49
PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp
does not light up
– The passenger's airbag is active and ready for
operation.
– If the passenger's seat is not occupied, the
PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp will
also not light up, even though the passenger's
airbag is switched off.
Danger!
Risk of serious personal injury or death due
to the passenger airbag triggering uninten-
tionally.
When the ignition is on and the up to one-
year old child is seated in the child restraint
system on the passenger’s seat, the indicator
lamp “PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF” must be on.
If the “PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF” indicator
lamp does not light up, it could indicate a
fault in the system.
In this case:
fChild restraint systems facing forwards:
Install on the rear seats.
fChild restraint systems facing rearwards:
On vehicles with key-operated airbag deactiva-
tion device: Switch to position OFF.
fChild restraint systems facing rearwards:
On vehicles without key-operated airbag deac-
tivation device: Do not use a child restraint sys-
tem in the front passenger’s seat.fHave the fault remedied at your nearest author-
ized Porsche dealer.
Note
The key switch for switching off the passenger’s
airbag in combination with the LATCH attachment
bracket are not installed at the factory. They can
be retrofitted.
fPlease see your authorized Porsche dealer.
Faults are indicated by a warning light in the instru-
ment panel and a message on the on-board com-
puter.
fPlease observe the chapter “WARNINGS ON
THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND THE ON-
BOARD COMPUTER” on Page 122.
fIn the following cases you should immedi-
ately consult an authorized Porsche
dealer in order to assure the airbag sys-
tem is functioning properly:
– If the warning light does not light up when the
ignition key is inserted or
– If the warning light does not go out once the
engine is running or
– If the warning light appears while driving.
Airbag maintenanceIn order to ensure long-term functioning, the air-
bag system must be inspected by an authorized
Porsche dealer at the intervals recommended in
your Maintenance Booklet.
Important information
If you sell your Porsche, notify the purchaser that
the vehicle is equipped with airbags, and refer
them to the chapter, “Airbag Systems“, in the
Owner's Manual (safety and disposal rules).
Further information on the airbag system can be
found on stickers attached to the sun visors.
For special recommendations on the use of child
restraints:
fPlease observe the chapter “CHILD RES-
TRAINT SYSTEMS” on Page 51.
Warning light and warning
message
50
Controls, Instruments
Key-operated airbag deactivation deviceIf in doubt about the status of the airbag, you can
switch off the passenger's airbag on the key
switch.
fSwitch off the passenger’s airbag on the key
switch using the vehicle key.
Switch position AUTO – passenger’s airbag
system is active
Switch position OFF – passenger’s airbag
system is switched off
A- PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp
Danger!
Risk of serious personal injury or death for
passenger if passenger’s airbag remains
switched off after the child restraint system
is removed.
fMake sure that the key switch is switched to
AUTO once the child seat has been removed,
in order to provide protection to the adult occupants.Warning light “PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF”
If the airbag on the passenger’s side is switched
off:
– Warning light “PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF” is
continuously lit when the ignition key is
inserted.
Danger!
Risk of serious personal injury or death from
the passenger’s airbag.
If the “PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF” warning
light “A” is not lit when the ignition key is
inserted and the Airbag OFF switch is
switched to the OFF-Position, this could
indicate a fault in the system.
fDo not install a child restraint system on the
passenger’s seat.
fHave the fault remedied immediately. Please see your authorized Porsche dealer.
Note
The key switch for switching off the passenger’s
airbag in combination with the LATCH attachment
bracket are not installed at the factory. They can
be retrofitted.
fPlease see your authorized Porsche dealer.
Controls, Instruments
51
Child Restraint SystemsPorsche recommends that all infants and children
be restrained in child restraint systems at all times
while the vehicle is in motion in accordance with
applicable laws.
Use only child restraint systems with the LATCH-
system recommended by Porsche. These sys-
tems have been tested and adjusted to the interior
of your Porsche and the appropriate child age
groups. Other systems have not been tested and
could entail an increased risk of injury or death.
You can obtain child seats that are LATCH compa-
tible at your authorized Porsche dealer.
fAlways observe the separate installation in-
structions for your child seat.
The use of infant or child restraints is required by
law in all 50 states of the U.S. and all Canadian
provinces. The child restraint system should be
one that complies with U.S. Federal/Canadian Mo-
tor Vehicle Safety Standards and should be se-
cured by a lap belt or lap belt portion of a lap-
shoulder belt or for child seats equipped with the
LATCH sytem (Lower Anchorage and Tether for
Children, also known as ISOFIX) to the LATCH an-
chorages.
A statement by the seat manufacturer of compli-
ance with this standard can be found on the in-
struction label on the restraint and in the instruc-
tion manual provided with the restraint.
Danger!
The use of a child restraint system in the
front passenger’s seat can result in serious
personal injury or death to the child from an
airbag deployment.
To reduce risk of injury from an inflating air-
bag in an accident, Porsche strongly recom-
mends:
fPlease observe the chapter “PASSENGER
AIRBAG OFF INDICATOR LAMP DOES NOT
LIGHT UP” on Page 49.
fPlease observe the chapter “CHILD RES-TRAINT SYSTEMS” on Page 51.
Note
The key switch for switching off the passenger’s
airbag and the LATCH attachment bracket are not
installed at the factory. They can be retrofitted.
fPlease see your authorized Porsche dealer. Danger!
Risk of serious personal injury or death to the
child.
fFollow all child restraint instructions and warnings in this manual.
– When using an infant or child restraint system,
be sure to follow all manufacturer's instruc-
tions on installation and use.– Infants and small children should never be held
on the lap, nor should they share a safety belt
with another occupant while the vehicle is in
motion.
– Children too big for child restraint systems
should use regular safety belts. A shoulder belt
can be used providing it does not cross the
face or the neck of the child.
– Choose a child restraint system according to
the age and size of the child.
– Child restraint systems that are damaged or
have been heavily stressed in an accident must
be replaced immediately.
– Do not affix things to child restraint systems or
cover it with other materials.
– Your authorized Porsche dealer will be glad to
advise you about the installation possibility for
a Porsche child restraint system which allows
a key-operated airbag deactivation of the pas-
senger’s airbag.
– The key-operated airbag deactivation device
installation requires special programming avail-
able only from your authorized Porsche dealer.
fPlease observe the chapter “KEY-OPERATED
AIRBAG DEACTIVATION DEVICE” on Page 50.
56
Controls, Instruments
Child Restraint Anchorages (Coupé only)
fPlease observe the chapter “AUTOMATIC LO-
CKING RETRACTOR” on Page 54.
If your child restraint seat or seats require the use
of a tether strap, you will want to use the anchor
points provided behind the rear seat backrests un-
der the carpet.
To ensure proper installation, see your authorized
Porsche dealer.
Note
If a child seat with top tether is adapted for use on
the front seat, the rear right (passenger’s side) an-
chor point must be used for anchoring the top
tether. It is then not permitted for a passenger to
use the rear right (passenger’s side) seat.
Warning!
Child restraint anchorages are designed to
withstand only those loads imposed by cor-
rectly fitted child restraints. Under no cir-
cumstances are they to be used for adults
safety belts or harnesses. Such use could re-
sult in serious personal injury or death.
fDo not misuse the child restraint anchorages.
They are not designed to withstand loads
imposed by adults.
fOnly attach one child seat tether per ancho-rage.
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
58
Controls, Instruments
Parking Aids Parking assistantWhen the driver backs up, the parking assistant
system indicates the distance between the car
and a large obstacle behind it, by means of signal
tones.
Warning!
Risk of serious personal injury or death.
Parking assistant cannot detect small ob-
jects such as children and pets.
Despite use of the parking assistant system,
the driver is still responsible for taking due
care and assessing obstacles when backing
up.
fMake sure that no persons, especially small
children, animals or obstacles are within the maneuvring area.
The parking assistant system is activated auto-
matically when reverse gear is selected and the ig-
nition is on.
Note
Be aware that the parking assistant system is
not switched on if the car rolls backward without
reverse gear being engaged.
Ultrasound sensors
Sensors
Four ultrasound sensors in the rear bumper meas-
ure the distance to the closest obstacle.
– Range middle sensors around 60 in./150 cm
– Range outer sensors around 24 in./60 cm
Obstacles cannot be detected in the “blind” sen-
sor area (e.g. near the ground).
Note
The sensors must always be kept free of dust, ice
and snow in order to ensure that they are fully
functional.
Caution!
To avoid damaging the sensors:
fMaintain sufficient distance when cleaning with steam-jet units.