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Controls, Safety, Instruments
Starting and Stopping the EnginefPlease observe the chapter “IMMOBILIZER” on
Page 21.
fPlease observe the chapter “EMISSION
CONTROL SYSTEM” on Page 282.
Danger!
Risk of poisoning. Exhaust gas contains
colorless and odorless carbon monoxide
(CO), which is toxic even in low concentra-
tion. Carbon monoxide can cause uncon-
sciousness and even death if inhaled.
fNever start or let the engine run in an en-
closed, unventilated area. It is not recommend-
ed to sit in your car for prolonged periods with
the engine on and the car not moving.
An unattended vehicle with a running engine
is potentially hazardous. If warning lights
should come on to indicate improper opera-
tion, they would go unnoticed.
fNever leave the engine idling unattended.
Danger of fire.
fDo not drive or park your car where combusti-
ble materials, such as dry grass or leaves,
can come into contact with the hot exhaust
system.
fIf your car catches on fire for any reason, call
the fire department. Do not endanger your life by attempting to put out the fire.
Starting vehicles with manual
transmissionfOperate footbrake.
fFully depress and hold the clutch pedal.
fPut the gearshift lever in neutral.
fDo not press the accelerator pedal. The engine
control module will provide the correct starting
mixture.
fTurn ignition key to ignition lock position 2.
fDo not operate the starter longer than approx.
10 seconds. If necessary, repeat the starting
procedure after a pause of approx.
10 seconds. Turn the ignition key back to
ignition lock position 3 first.
The first operation of the starter is ended automat-
ically when the engine starts.
If the engine does not start, subsequent starter
operations will not be ended automatically.fDo not warm up the engine when stationary.
Drive off immediately.
Avoid high revolutions and full throttle until the
engine has reached operating temperature.
fIf battery output is insufficient, jump leads can
be used to start the engine.
fPlease observe the chapter “EMERGENCY
STARTING WITH JUMPER CABLES” on
Page 355.
Note on operation
To ensure a good charge condition for the battery
and thus its ability to start the engine, all electrical
accessories which are not required should be
switched off when the ignition is switched on and
when engine revolutions are low (in stop and go
traffic).
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Parking BrakeThe parking brake acts on the rear wheels and
serves to secure the car while parked.
fUse the parking brake only after the vehicle
has come to a full stop.
Applying the parking brakefPress down firmly on the foot pedal.
The warning light in the instrument panel lights
up.
A message will be displayed on the multi-pur-
pose display of the instrument panel if the
parking brake is not released before moving
off.
If the brake is not fully set, the vehicle may roll
without control.
fBefore exiting the vehicle, make sure that the
parking brake is fully applied and the vehicle is
not moving at all.
Danger!
Risk of serious personal injury or death. A
partially engaged parking brake may allow
the vehicle to roll, causing serious personal
injury or death to any person in its path.
fEngage the parking brake fully.
fPlease observe the chapter “WARNING LIGHTS
AND WARNING MESSAGES” on Page 124.fPress on the footbrake and pull handle A of the
parking brake.
The warning light and the message disappear.
Releasing the parking brake
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Controls, Safety, Instruments The warning lights will go out after the parking
brake is fully released.
The warning lights are not an indicator that the
parking brake is fully applied; it is only intended to
be a warning to release the parking brake before
driving the car. Caution!
A partially engaged brake will overheat the
rear brakes, reduce their effectiveness and
cause excessive wear.
fRelease the parking brake fully.
fWhen parking your car, press down firmly on
the foot pedal.
fMove the selector lever to “P“ (Tiptronic) or
move the gearshift lever to reverse or first
gear (Manual transmission).
fOn hills also turn the front wheels towards the
curb.
BrakesfMake it a habit to check the operation of your
brakes before driving.
Keep in mind that the braking distance increases
very rapidly as the speed increases. At 60 mph
(100 km/h), for example, it is not twice but four
times longer than 30 mph (50 km/h). Tire traction
is also less effective when the roads are wet or
slippery.
fTherefore, always maintain a safe distance
from the car in front of you.Note
Even though the brake discs consist of alloyed
grey cast iron, they will unavoidably start to cor-
rode if your car is parked for an extended period.
The brakes will tend to “rub“ as a result.
The nature, extent and effects of corrosion de-
pend on the amount of time the vehicle was
parked, whether road salt or grit was spread and
whether grease-dissolving agents were used in
car washes.
If the braking comfort is noticeably impaired, we
recommend having the brake system checked by
experts at an authorized Porsche dealer.
Parking Brake warning
light USA
Parking Brake warning
light Canada
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Brake system functionYour Porsche is equipped with a power assisted
hydraulic dual circuit brake system with disc
brakes at the front and rear.
Both circuits function independently. One brake
circuit operates the front left and rear right wheel
and the other operates the front right and rear left
wheel.
If one brake circuit has failed, the other will still op-
erate. However, you will notice an increased pedal
travel when you apply the brakes.Failure of one
brake circuit will cause the stopping distance to in-
crease.
Warning!
Risk of an accident. In the unlikely event of
hydraulic failure of one brake circuit:
fPush the brake pedal down firmly and hold it in
that position. A mechanical linkage activates
the second circuit, and you will be able to bring
the vehicle to a stop.
fAfter bringing your vehicle to a complete stop,
avoid driving the vehicle and instead have it
towed to the nearest authorized Porsche deal-er for repair.The warning light in the instrument panel lights up.
A message will be displayed on the multi-purpose
display of the instrument panel if the brake fluid
level is too low, or (if the brake pedal travel has in-
creased) one of the two brake circuits has failed.
A greater braking pressure will be required, stop-
ping distances will be longer and the braking be-
havior will change, particularly in curves.
With correctly adjusted brakes and a correctly
working brake system, the pedal travel to the
point of brake application should be 1-3/16 in. to
1-9/16 in. (30 to 40 mm). Whenever the brake
pedal travel exceeds this value, have the brake
system checked.
Brake warning light USA
Brake warning light
Canada
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79
Brake wearYour car has excellent brakes, but they are still
subject to wear. The rate at which they wear de-
pends on how the brakes are used.
fHave the brake system inspected at the inter-
vals recommended in your Maintenance Book-
let.
A warning message will be displayed on the multi-
purpose display of the instrument panel if the
brake pads are worn, excessively.
fDo not continue to operate the vehicle.
Have your authorized Porsche dealer inspect
or replace the brake pads.
fPlease observe the chapter “WARNING LIGHTS
AND WARNING MESSAGES” on Page 124.
Brake pads and brake discsWear on the brake pads and brake discs depends
to a great extent on the driving style and the con-
ditions of use and therefore cannot be expressed
in actual miles on the road.
The high-performance brake system is designed
for optimal braking effect at all speeds and tem-
peratures.
Certain speeds, braking forces and ambient con-
ditions (such as temperature and humidity) there-
fore might cause the brakes to squeal.New brake pads or linings
New brake pads have to be “broken in“, and there-
fore only attain optimal friction when the car has
covered several hundred miles or km.
The slightly reduced braking ability must be com-
pensated for by pressing the brake pedal harder.
This also applies whenever the brake pads and
brake discs are replaced.
Brake wear warning message
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Controls, Safety, Instruments
Instrument Panel USA ModelsWarning and indicator lights on the
tachometer
Indicator lights in central instrument
panelWarning and indicator lights on the
speedometer
A Oil temperature gauge
BTachometer
CClock
D Clock reset button
E Cooling system temperature gauge
F Multi-purpose display
G Fuel gauge
H Reset button for trip counter display
I Speedometer
J Mileage displays
KVoltmeter Emission Control warning light
(Check Engine)
Airbag warning light
Safety belt warning light
PSM warning light
ABS warning light
Cruise control readiness
Hydraulically disengageable anti-roll bars
Turn signal indicator light, left
Turn signal indicator light, right
Trailer turn signal
Indicator light
Rear fog light indicator light
Tire pressure warning light
Differential locking indicator light
Brake warning light
Fog light indicator light
General warning
Observe warning message on the multi-
purpose display!
High beam indicator light
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Controls, Safety, Instruments
Instrument Panel Canada ModelsWarning and indicator lights on the
tachometer
Indicator lights in central instrument
panelWarning and indicator lights on the
speedometer
A Oil temperature gauge
BTachometer
CClock
D Clock reset button
E Cooling system temperature gauge
F Multi-purpose display
G Fuel gauge
H Reset button for trip counter display
I Speedometer
J Mileage displays
KVoltmeter Emission Control warning light
(Check Engine)
Airbag warning light
Safety belt warning light
PSM warning light
ABS warning light
Cruise control readiness
Hydraulically disengageable anti-roll bars
Turn signal indicator light, left
Turn signal indicator light, right
Trailer turn signal
Indicator light
Rear fog light indicator light
Tire pressure warning light
Differential locking indicator light
Brake warning light
Fog light indicator light
General warning
Observe warning message on the multi-
purpose display!
High beam indicator light
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Controls, Safety, Instruments
Example: Brake pad warning messageWarningsMAIN MENU > VEHICLE INFO > WARNINGS
NO WARNING is displayed if the vehicle is in
perfect condition.
Any warning messages are displayed.
fSelect warnings one after the other with the
rocker switch.
Example: Front side light warning messageReturning to the VEHICLE INFO menu
fPress RESET switch.
Caution!
Warning messages indicate possible faults.
fGo to an authorized Porsche dealer immediately.
LevelMAIN MENU > VEHICLE INFO > LEVEL
The ground clearance of vehicles equipped with
level control is shown in the LEVEL menu.
Note on operation
fThe level is set using the rocker switch behind
the selector lever in the center console.
fPlease observe the chapter “AIR SUSPENSION
WITH LEVEL CONTROL AND HEIGHT ADJUST-
MENT” on Page 254.
Returning to the VEHICLE INFO menu
fPress RESET switch.