2006 PORSCHE CAYENNE S instrument panel

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

Controls, Safety, Instruments
75
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

Controls, Safety, Instruments
77
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

Controls, Safety, Instruments
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