2006 PORSCHE CAYENNE S PORSCHE CAYNNE S 2006 1.G Owners Manual

Shifting Gear, Traction Systems
249
Driving downhill
Danger!
There is a danger of serious personal injury
or death and risk of damage if the vehicle
should overturn.
fDo not drive over embankments or slopes at
steep diagonal angles.
fDrive downhill slowly, with the wheels pointing
straight ahead.
fIf the vehicle starts to tilt, immediately steer in
the direction of the tilt (line of slope).
fWhen driving downhill, never let the vehicle roll
when in idle.
fUse engine braking effect.
If the engine braking effect is not adequate, gently apply the foot brake.Note on operation
fActivate Low Range. The off-road ABS is
switched on automatically.
Tips on driving
The same general principle as for uphill driving ap-
plies to downhill driving.
fDo not perform manual gear changes when
driving, and try to avoid stopping.
fAvoid high engine speeds (max. 2,500 rpm).
A special circuit in the off-road ABS permits con-
trolled brief lock-up of the front wheels so that they
can dig into the loose surface more effectively.
Locked wheels slip and can no longer be steered.
fWhen driving down steep hills on unpaved sur-
faces, brake carefully so that vehicle does not
start to slide.

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Shifting Gear, Traction Systems
Water crossingfPlease observe the chapter “GROUND CLEA-
RANCE” on Page 390.
Danger!
Danger of drowning if water enters the vehi-
cle. Risk of damage to the engine and acces-
sories if water penetrates.
fBefore driving through water, check the water
depth A, water speed and the condition of the
surface beneath it.
The water must not be deeper than 20 in.
(50 cm).
The water must not be deeper than 22 in.
(55.5 cm) for vehicles with level control and
height adjustment.
fCheck the door sills and rubber seals before
starting to drive.
fDo not drive through deep or rapidly flowing
water.
Deep or rapidly flowing water, e.g. mountain
streams, can cause the car to deviate from the
desired path.
fAvoid a "bow wave" by driving at an appropriate
speed.
fNever open the doors when driving through wa-
ter.Soiling can impair the braking action.
fCheck and clean the brakes if they have been
soiled.
Danger of steering assistance failing during
a long journey in the water if the drive belt
slips.
fIf the steering assistance fails, more effort will
be required to steer.
Danger of damaging electrical systems
fAvoid driving through salt water.
Notes on operation
fActivate Low Range.
fSwitch the air conditioner off.
fSwitch the headlights off.

Shifting Gear, Traction Systems
251
Tips on driving
fAvoid high engine speeds (max. 2,500 rpm).
fDo not perform manual gear changes when
driving, and try to avoid stopping.
Moving off in the water can be difficult due to
the high resistance and the loose surface in-
volved.
fStart the water crossing at a shallow place at
walking speed.
fAfter checking the body of water, take the
shortest path through it.
fNever drive into the water at high speed. The
resulting “bow wave” could damage the engine
and its accessories.
fAdjust your driving style to the unfamiliar sur-
roundings.
fCross the body of water slowly and at a con-
stant speed.
fNever turn around when crossing a body of wa-
ter.
fIf it is not possible to cross the body of water,
the car must be backed out of it in reverse
gear.
The servo pump and alternator can fail if the car is
driven through water for an extended period.
fIf the servo pump fails, substantially more
force will have to be exerted in order to steer. Maintenance note
The car requires a special check after the water
crossing.
fRemove mud from the tire tread.
fBriefly apply the brakes in order to dry them af-
ter driving through the water.
ObstaclesfPlease observe the chapter “GROUND CLEA-
RANCE” on Page 390.
Note on operation
fActivate Low Range and engage differential
locks if necessary.
Tips on driving
fJust before reaching the obstacle, ease off the
accelerator slightly and use the car's momen-
tum to cross the obstacle. This will prevent the
car from jumping over the obstacle and landing
on the following downward slope at an exces-
sive speed.
fAvoid high engine speeds (max. 2,500 rpm).

252
Shifting Gear, Traction Systems
Crossing obstacles
Caution!
Risk of damage to the underbody and chas-
sis components if obstacles are traversed
improperly.
fAlways bear in mind the ground clearance of
your vehicle.
fSlowly drive over the middle of tree trunks,
boulders or other obstacles with one of the
front wheels.
fCross the obstacle with the rear wheel in the same way.
Note on operation
fActivate Low Range and engage differential
locks if necessary.Tips on driving
fHave your passenger direct you if necessary.
fAvoid high engine speeds (max. 2,500 rpm).
fDrive slowly.
Driving on sandNote on operation
fActivate Low Range and engage differential
locks if necessary.
Tips on driving
Loose sand is an especially tricky surface for off-
road driving.
You can often become stuck in sand within
minutes if you do not drive correctly in such
situations.
fDrive at brisk pace and do not stop under any
circumstances. This will reduce the chance of
the car becoming bogged down.
fFollow existing tracks – provided that they
have not been covered by blown sand, are not
too deep and the car's ground clearance is
sufficient.
Please observe the chapter “GROUND CLEA-
RANCE” on Page 390.
fAvoid high engine speeds (max. 2,500 rpm).

Shifting Gear, Traction Systems
253
When driving on slopes with soft sand on vehicles
with Tiptronic S:
fUse the manual select mode M in addition to
the Low Range program.
If your vehicle becomes stuck nevertheless:
Do not spin the wheels. Instead, use branches,
mats or similar items to provide adequate traction
so that you can drive out of the critical area.
Track rutsOther vehicles leave ruts in many off-road courses
or gravel roads.
fPlease observe the chapter “GROUND CLEA-
RANCE” on Page 390.
Caution!
Risk of damage to the vehicle floor when
driving through ruts that are too deep.
fAlways bear in mind the car's ground clear-
ance.
fDo not drive over ruts that are too deep.
Note on operation
fActivate Low Range and engage differential
locks if necessary.
Tips on driving
fIn cases of doubt, drive with one wheel on the
strip of grass between the ruts.
fAvoid high engine speeds (max. 2,500 rpm).
fDrive slowly.

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Shifting Gear, Traction Systems
Air Suspension with Level Control
and Height AdjustmentOn vehicles with air suspension, the driver can set
five different level steps manually.
The preselected level is automatically adjusted to
suit the vehicle speed.
The height of the car is automatically kept
constant when the car is loaded.
Tip on driving
It is not permissible to drive on public roads with
the car in the terrain or special terrain setting.Note on operation
Frequent level changes can cause the compressor
to overheat. In this case, the compressor must
cool for several minutes before the level adjust-
ment is fully functional again.
Normal levelThe ground clearance at normal level is around
8.5 in. (217 mm).Terrain levelThis setting is intended for off-road driving, field
paths and forest paths, etc.
The vehicle is raised by around 1 in. (26 mm) com-
pared to normal level.
Terrain level can be selected only manually at
speeds below around 50 mph (80 km/h).
The car is automatically lowered to normal level at
speeds exeeding around 50 mph (80 km/h).
The car is automatically raised to terrain level
when Low Range is activated.This setting is intended only for extremely chal-
lenging terrain requiring maximum ground clear-
ance. The vehicle is raised by 2.2 in. (56 mm)
compared to normal level.
The warning light in the instrument panel comes
on when the special terrain level has been
reached.
Special terrain level can be selected only at
speeds below around 19 mph (30 km/h).
The car is automatically lowered to terrain level at
speeds exeeding around 19 mph (30 km/h).
Low levelThis level is intended for high-speed driving. Above
speeds of around 78 mph (125 km/h), the car is
lowered by around 1 in. (27 mm) compared to nor-
mal level.
When the speed drops to below around 25 mph
(40 km/h), the car is automatically raised to nor-
mal level.Special low levelAt extremely high speeds, for example when oper-
ated on a race track, the car is lowered 0.4 in.
(11 mm) compared to the low level.
Special terrain level

Shifting Gear, Traction Systems
255
Loading level
Caution!
Risk of damage to running-gear parts, units
and the vehicle underbody.
If the car is driven off a curb when at loading level,
for example, insufficent ground clearance can
cause it to bottom out.
fAlways switch to normal level before moving off.
This setting makes it easier for you to load the lug-
gage compartment.
The vehicle is lowered by around 2.4 in. (60 mm)
compared to normal level.
The car is automatically raised to normal level at
speeds exceeding around 3 mph (5 km/h).
Setting level manuallyPreconditions
–Ignition on.
– Doors are closed.
Setting
fMove rocker switch in the appropriate direc-
tion.
This sets the next possible height.
Indication of selected level
The corresponding light-emitting diode beside the
rocker switch flashes during the control process.
The light-emitting diode is continuously lit after the
control process.
The level change is also indicated on the multi-pur-
pose display of the instrument panel.
Exceptions
Automatic changes from normal level to low level
and back are not indicated on the multi-purpose
display of the instrument panel.
Note on operation
The level selected last is stored in memory after
the ignition is switched off.Raising the vehicle
1st actuation: Terrain level
2nd actuation: Special terrain level
f f f

256
Shifting Gear, Traction Systems Lowering the vehicle
1st actuation: Low level
2nd actuation: Loading level
Warning messageVarious messages are indicated on the multi-pur-
pose display of the instrument panel if there is a
system fault or if the compressor switches off due
to overload.fPlease observe the chapter “WARNING LIGHTS
AND WARNING MESSAGES” on Page 124.
fAdapt your driving style to the changed condi-
tions.
fConsult an authorized Porsche dealer in order
to remedy a system fault.
fIf the overload-protection function causes the
compressor to switch off, wait for a time until
it has cooled down. The system will function
again as soon as it has cooled sufficiently.
The warning message appears when the control
system is switched off and when the collapsible
spare wheel is being filled. This does not indicate
a fault.
The warning message will go out once these pro-
cedures have been completed.
Raising vehicle with the jackWhenever it is necessary to jack up the vehicle:
fManually set normal level and then switch off
level control.
Switching off level control
1. Switch ignition on.
2. Push rocker switch forward for 5 to
10 seconds.
A message is shown on the multi-purpose
display of the instrument panel.
The vehicle can now be raised.
Switching level control back on
1. Switch ignition on.
2. Push rocker switch forward for 5 to
10 seconds or
3. Drive forward with the vehicle.
Level control switches on automatically.Transporting the vehicles on car trains,
ferries and car transportersfTie the vehicle down only at its wheels.