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
15
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 practical,
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
ignition 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 9.fWhen parked, always set the parking brake.
Move the Tiptronic selector lever to ”P“ or the
gearshift lever to reverse or first gear.
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
after every fuel filling.
Maintenance, Car Care
199
Coolant LevelfPlease observe the chapter “EXERCISE EXTRE-
ME CAUTION WHEN WORKING ON YOUR VE-
HICLE” on Page 198.
The cooling system is filled at the factory with a
permanent coolant.
It provides year-round protection from corrosion
and freezing down to –31°F/–35°C
.
fOnly use antifreeze authorized by Porsche.
Checking coolant level The expansion tank with its filler orifice is in the en-
gine compartment.
fCheck the coolant level regularly through the
transparent expansion tank.
When the engine is cold and the car is level the
fluid level must lie between the “MIN” and “MAX”
markings. Topping off coolant
Warning!
Danger of serious personal injury from scald-
ing. Coolant is hazardous to your health, and
may be fatal if swallowed.
fDo not open the cap of the expansion tank
while the engine is hot.
fAllow the engine to cool down before opening
the cap and protect your hands, arms and face
from any possible escape of hot coolant.
fKeep coolant out of children’s reach.
fAlso, keep coolant away from your pets.
They can be attracted to it should there be a
spill, or to used coolant left in an open contain-er. Coolant can be deadly to pets if consumed.1. Switch engine off and let it cool.
Please observe the chapter “COOLING SYS-
TEM” on Page 92.
2. Cover the expansion tank cap with a thick rag.
Open cap slowly and carefully and allow over-
pressure to escape.
Then unscrew cap completely.
3. Only add a mixture of antifreeze and water in
equal parts, and do not exceed the “MAX”
mark.
Antifreeze in coolant:
50% gives protection down to –31°F/–35°C
60% gives protection down to –58°F/–50°C
4. Screw cap firmly on.
If in an emergency pure water has been added, the
mix ratio must be corrected at an authorized
Porsche dealer.
Marked loss of coolant indicates leakage in the
cooling system.
The cause should immediately be remedied at an
authorized Porsche dealer.
f f f
Maintenance, Car Care
201
Engine Oil Engine oil consumption
It is normal for your engine to consume oil.
The rate of oil consumption depends on the quality
and viscosity of oil, the speed at which the engine
is operated, the climate, road conditions as well
as the amount of dilution and oxidation of the
lubricant.
If the vehicle is used for repeated short trips, and
consumes a normal amount of oil, the engine oil
measurement may not show any drop in the oil
level at all, even after 600 miles (1,000 km) or
more. This is because the oil is gradually becom-
ing diluted with fuel or moisture, making it appear
that the oil level has not changed.
The diluting ingredients evaporate out when the
vehicle is driven at high speeds, as on an express-
way, making it then appear that oil is excessively
consumed after driving at high speeds.
If the conditions you drive your vehicle in are
dusty, humid, or hot, the frequency of the oil
change intervals should be greater. If the vehicle is driven at a high rate of speed,
climatic conditions are warm, and the load is high,
the oil should be checked more frequently, as
driving conditions will determine the rate of oil
consumption.
– The engine in your vehicle depends on oil to
lubricate and cool all of its moving parts.
Therefore, the engine oil should be checked
regularly and kept at the required level.
– Make it a habit to have the engine oil level
checked at every fuel filling.
– The oil pressure warning light is not an oil level
indicator.
The oil pressure warning light indicates serious
engine damage may be occuring when lit, if en-
gine rpm is above idle speed.
Engine Oil Level fPlease observe the chapter “EXERCISE EXTRE-
ME CAUTION WHEN WORKING ON YOUR VE-
HICLE” on Page 198.
fRegularly check the oil level using the on-board
computer after the vehicle is refuelled.
Please observe the chapter “OIL DISPLAY AND
MEASUREMENT OF THE ENGINE OIL LEVEL”
on Page 118.
The difference between the minimum and maxi-
mum marks on the segment display is approx.
1.2 liters.
Each segment of the display corresponds to ap-
prox. 0.4 liter.
f f f
260
Practical Tips, Emergency Service
Warning!
Hydrogen gas generated by the battery
could cause an explosion, resulting in severe
personal injuries.
fCharge battery in a well ventilated area.
fNever charge a frozen battery. It may explode
because of gas trapped in the ice. Allow a fro-
zen battery to thaw out first.
fIf you get electrolyte, which is an acid, in your
eyes or on your skin, immediately rinse with
cold water for several minutes and call a doc-tor. Slow battery charging
1. Pay attention to all warnings and follow instruc-
tions that come with your battery charger.
2. When charging, ensure adequate ventilation.
3. Remove battery.
Please observe the chapter “REMOVING THE
BATTERY” on Page 262.
4. All vent caps should be open.
The fluid level should meet the indicator mark
in each cell.
5. Ensure that charger is switched off – danger of
short circuit!
6. Connect charger cables.
Charger cables must be connected
POSITIVE (+) to POSITIVE (+) and
NEGATIVE (–) to NEGATIVE (–).
7. Switch on charger.
Normally, a battery should be charged at no
more than 10 percent of its rated capacity.
Rated capacity of the battery in your vehicle is
listed on the battery housing.
8. After charging, turn off charger and disconnect
charger cables.
9. Tighten the vent caps and reinstall battery.
Please observe the chapter “INSTALLING THE
BATTERY” on Page 263.
Winter operation The capacity and ability of the battery to store
power decreases at low outside temperatures.
Additionally, more power is consumed while start-
ing, and the headlights, heater, rear window de-
fogger, etc., are used more frequently.
fLet your Porsche dealer test the battery’s
capacity before winter sets in.
The battery will discharge more quickly if your ve-
hicle is not driven on a daily basis over a distance
of several miles. The more often you drive your ve-
hicle, and the longer the distance driven on each
trip, the more opportunity the vehicle’s charging
system will have to recharge the batteries.
266
Practical Tips, Emergency Service
Lights, Replacing Bulbs
Warning!
Risk of short circuit.
fAlways switch off the relevant consumer when
changing bulbs.
Risk of injury. The Bi Xenon headlights are
under high voltage when installed.
fBe careful during all work in the area of the Bi
Xenon headlights.
Risk of damage. Bulbs of a higher wattage
can damage the lamp housing.
fOnly the bulbs shown in the chart may be used.
fNew bulbs must be clean and free from oil,
grease and fingerprints. Therefore, never
touch bulbs with your bare hands.
Use a cloth or soft paper while replacing bulbs.
Caution!
Risk of damage to headlights due to exces-
sive temperatures and abrasion.
fAttach no coverings (e.g. films, “stone
guards”) in the area of the headlights.
fUse soapy water only to clean light lenses and
plastic headlight lenses.
In no case may chemical cleaners or other vol-
atile cleaning fluids be used.
fTo prevent scratches, do not rub with a dry or merely moist cloth, tissue or insect sponges.