
Controls, Safety, Instruments
11 Controls, Safety, Instruments
Porsche and the Environment .......................... 4
Never invite car theft! .................................... 16
Keys ............................................................ 17
Remote Control ............................................ 20
Porsche Entry & Drive ................................... 22
Central Locking System................................ 24
Doors .......................................................... 27
Alarm System,
Passenger Compartment Monitoring, 
Inclination Sensor ......................................... 28
Power Windows ............................................ 33
Front seats................................................... 36
Front seat with memory................................. 37
Easy Entry Function ...................................... 39
Headrests .................................................... 40
Rear Seats ................................................... 41
Heated Seats – Front and Rear ...................... 44
Safety Belts.................................................. 46
Airbag Systems ............................................ 50
Child Restraint Systems ................................ 55
Child Restraint Anchorages ............................ 61
Steering Wheel ............................................. 62
Multi-Functional Steering Wheel ...................... 64
Interior Mirror ............................................... 66
Door Mirrors................................................. 67
Automatic Anti-Dazzle Mirror .......................... 69
Ignition Lock/Steering Lock ........................... 70
Starting and Stopping the Engine ................... 72
Parking Brake ............................................... 75
Brakes ......................................................... 76
Instrument Panel USA Models ........................ 82
Instrument Panel Canada Models.................... 84Oil Temperature Gauge ................................. 86
Cooling System ............................................ 87
Fuel ............................................................. 88
Odometer..................................................... 88
Clock ........................................................... 89
Voltmeter ..................................................... 90
Emission Control........................................... 91
Multi-Purpose Display.................................... 92
MPH limit...................................................... 98
Warning Lights and Warning Messages ......... 124
Light Switch ............................................... 132
Instrument Illumination ................................. 134
Automatic Headlight Beam Adjustment ......... 134
Turn signal/High Beam/
Headlight Flasher Stalk ................................ 135
Emergency flasher ...................................... 136
Windshield Wiper/Washer Stalk .................... 137
Cruise Control ............................................ 140
Vents ......................................................... 143
Fresh-air intake ........................................... 143
Heated Rear Window ................................... 144
Manual Air Conditioning ............................... 145
Automatically Controlled 
Two-Zone Air Conditioning ........................... 148
Automatically Controlled 
Four-Zone Air Conditioning ........................... 152
Parking Heater............................................ 158
Sun Visors .................................................. 164
Sun Blinds, Rear Side Windows .................... 165
Interior Lighting .......................................... 166
Door-Surrounding Lighting ........................... 168
Coming Home Function (Auto Shut Off Delay) 168Sliding/Lifting Roof...................................... 169
Parking Aids ............................................... 179
Garage Door Opener ................................... 184
Ashtray ...................................................... 187
Cigarette Lighter ......................................... 188
Car Audio Operation/Tips ............................ 189
Porsche Communication Management (PCM). 191
Fire Extinguisher ......................................... 192
Storage...................................................... 193
Cupholder .................................................. 197
Rear Lid ..................................................... 199
Rear Window .............................................. 201
Loadspace ................................................. 202
Luggage Compartment Cover ...................... 203
Engine Compartment Lid ............................. 204
Luggage Safety Net ....................................206
Ski Bag ...................................................... 208
Roof Transport System................................ 210
Trailer Coupling .......................................... 212
Loading Information ....................................213 

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 put the handbrake on 
and put the gearshift lever in neutral or the se-
lector lever in position 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. 

Controls, Safety, Instruments
47
Belt tensionerDepending on the force of a collision, fastened 
seat belts are automatically tightened in an acci-
dent.
The belt tensioners are triggered in:
– Front and rear impacts
– Side impacts (only belt tensioners of the front 
seats are triggered)
Maintenance note
The belt tensioner system can be triggered only 
once; the system must be replaced afterwards.
If there is a fault in the belt tensioner system, the 
airbag warning light lights up.
Work may be performed on the belt tensioner 
system only by an authorized Porsche dealer. 
Smoke is released when the belt tensioners are 
triggered.
This does not indicate a fire in the vehicle.An audio-visual warning system is interconnect-
ed with the driver’s safety belt. 
Every time the ignition is turned on, the gong will 
sound for about 6 seconds to remind driver and 
passenger to buckle up.
In addition, the gong will sound if vehicle speed 
exceeds 6 mph (10 km/h).
The safety belt warning lights in the instrument 
panel and multi-purpose display will go off as soon 
as the driver has buckled up.
Safety Belt Warning System 

50
Controls, Safety, Instruments
Airbag SystemsThe airbags in combination with the safety belts 
make up a safety system which offers the driver 
and the passenger the greatest known protection 
from injuries in case of accident.
Your vehicle is equipped with weight sensing for 
the passenger's seat in accordance with U.S. Fed-
eral/Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 
208. 
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. 
Seatbelts always provide the primary protection to 
occupants in the event of collision, when correctly 
worn. This is particularly the case in collisions be-
low airbag actuation thresholds.
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 46.
The front airbags are located under the padded 
steering wheel panel on the driver’s side and, on 
the passenger's side, in the dashboard.
The side airbags for the front seats are installed 
on the side in the seat backrests.
The head airbags are installed above the doors 
in the roof area. 

Controls, Safety, Instruments
51
 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 it is deployed, inflat-
ing airbags can result in serious personal in-
jury or death.
Improper handling of weight sensing can un-
intentionally impair switching the passen-
ger's airbag off and on.
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.
fAlways hold the steering wheel by the outer 
rim. Never rest your hands on the airbag panel.
fAlways fasten seat belts because triggering 
of the airbag system depends on the force and 
angle of impact.
fDo not transport heavy objects on or in front of 
the passenger seat. These could impair the 
function of the airbag, the seat belts, and 
weight sensing.
fDo not hang objects (e.g., jackets, coats, coat 
hangers) over the backrest.fAlways keep the lid of the door storage com-
partment closed. Objects must not protrude 
out of the door storage compartment.
fNo changes must be made to the wiring or 
components of the airbag system.
fDo not add any additional coverings or stickers 
to the steering wheel or in the area of the pas-
senger airbag and side airbags. Doing so may 
adversely affect the functioning of the airbag 
system or cause harm to the occupants if the 
airbag system should deploy.
fDo not modify the seat coverings. Do not at-
tach additional cushions, protective coverings, 
or pillows to the passenger's seat. Do not affix 
things to the passenger's seat or cover it with 
other materials. Do not cover the back of the 
backrest. Do not make changes to the passen-
ger's seat and to the seat base frame.
fDo not undertake any wiring for electrical ac-
cessory equipment in the vicinity of the airbag 
wiring harnesses. Doing so may disable the air-
bag system or cause inadvertent inflation.
fIf the warning light comes on, the airbag sys-
tem should be repaired immediately by your 
authorized Porsche dealer.
fAlways 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.fUsing accessories not approved by Porsche 
can cause the weight sensing to be impaired. 
fDo not squeeze objects, such as the fire extin-
guisher, or first aid kit under the seat.
fOnly have seats removed and installed by an 
authorized Porsche dealer so that weight sens-
ing components will not be damaged.
fGive your passenger all of the information in 
this chapter.
Note
Airbag components (e.g. steering wheel, seats) 
may be disassembled only by an authorized 
Porsche dealer.
When disposing of a used airbag unit, our safety 
instructions must be followed. These instructions 
can be obtained at any authorized Porsche dealer. 

52
Controls, Safety, Instruments
Function of the airbag systemThe front airbags are triggered during a frontal col-
lision of sufficient force and direction.
In the event of a side impact of corresponding 
force, the side airbag on the impact side is 
triggered.
The inflation process generates the amount of gas 
required to fill the airbags at the necessary pres-
sure in fractions of a second.
Airbags help to protect the head and upper body, 
while simultaneously 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 airbags and/or belt 
tentioner are triggered.
Precondition for activating the restraint systems:
– Ignition is switched on.Advanced Airbag
Your vehicle is equipped with weight sensing for 
the passenger's seat in accordance with U.S. Fed-
eral/Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 
208. 
Depending on the weight acting on the passen-
ger's seat, the passenger's airbag will automati-
cally be switched on and off.
Depending on the angle and force of impact, the 
passenger's airbag which is switched-on will be 
triggered during a collision.
Precondition for switching the passenger's airbag 
on and off, depending on weight:
– Ignition is switched on.Seat adjustment for the passenger's seat
If the seat is in an extreme position (e.g., the back-
rest is in contact with the rear seat bench), the 
backrest can warp. Warping of the backrest can 
lead to malfunctions.
fCorrect the seat adjustment. 
The seat is not jammed and is self-supporting. 
The backrest is in the upright position.
fDo not transport a load and objects in the rear 
footwell or under the passenger's seat. 
If the load or objects are under the seat, they 
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 in the multi-purpose display 
in the instrument panel:
fCorrect the seat adjustment.
fPlease observe the chapter “WARNING LIGHTS 
AND WARNING MESSAGES” on Page 124. 

Controls, Safety, Instruments
53
Automatic deactivation of the passenger 
airbags
 Danger!
The use of a child restraint system in the 
front passenger 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:
fUnder all normal circumstances, the child seat 
must be placed in the rear. 
Do not use a child restraint system in the front passenger seat.
Before transporting a child on the passenger seat:
fPlease observe the chapter “CHILD RES-
TRAINT SYSTEMS” on Page 55.
– When an up to one-year old child is seated 
in the child restraint system, the front airbag is 
automatically deactivated on the passenger 
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 airbags re-
main active or, in the case of very light adults or 
young persons, that the passenger airbag is deac-
tivated.
The condition of the passenger airbag system is 
shown by the indicator lamp A in the central con-
sole.
fIf in doubt, fasten the child restraint system on 
the rear bench or transport the passenger on 
the rear bench.Note
fAfter switching on the ignition, the PASSEN-
GER AIRBAG OFF warning light lights up for a 
few seconds as a check. 
If there is a change in status in the PASSENGER 
AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp, a message is dis-
played in the multi-purpose display in the instru-
ment panel:
fPlease observe the chapter “WARNING LIGHTS 
AND WARNING MESSAGES” on Page 124.
PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp 
lights up
– The passenger's airbag is switched off. 

54
Controls, Safety, Instruments 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 or mortal injury due to the 
passenger airbag triggering unintentionally.
When the ignition is on and the up to one-
year old child is seated in the child restraint 
system on the passenger 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:
fFasten the child restraint system on the rear 
bench immediately.
fHave the fault remedied at your nearest author-ized Porsche dealer.Faults are indicated by a warning light on the ta-
chometer and a message on the instrument 
panel’s multi-purpose display.
fPlease observe the chapter “WARNING LIGHTS 
AND WARNING MESSAGES” on Page 124.
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 is switched on 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, as 
well as on all airbag components.
For special recommendations on the use of child 
restraints:
fPlease observe the chapter “CHILD RES-
TRAINT SYSTEMS” on Page 55.
Warning lights and warning 
messages