
9
Controls, Safety, Instruments 11 - 218
Shifting Gear, Traction Systems 219 - 258
Maintenance, Car Care 259 - 294
Practical Tips, Minor Repairs 295 - 376
Vehicle Identification, Technical Data 377 - 391
Index 392 - 401 

14
Controls, Safety, Instruments
Break in hints for the first 
2,000 miles (3,000 kilometers)The following tips will be helpful in obtaining opti-
mum performance from your new Porsche.
Despite the most modern, high-precision manufac-
turing methods, it cannot be completely avoided 
that the moving parts have to wear in with each 
other. This wearing-in occurs mainly in the first 
2,000 miles (3,000 km).Therefore:fPreferably take longer trips.
fAvoid frequent cold starts with short-distance 
driving whenever possible.
fAvoid full throttle starts and abrupt stops.
fDo not exceed maximum engine speed of 
4,200 rpm (revolutions per minute).
fDo not run a cold engine at high rpm either in 
Neutral or in gear.
fDo not let the engine labor, especially when 
driving uphill. Shift to the next lower gear in 
time (use the most favorable rpm range).
fNever lug the engine in high gear at low 
speeds. This rule applies at all times, not just 
during the break-in period.fDo not participate in motor racing events, 
sports driving schools, etc. during the first 
2,000 miles (3,000 kilometers).
There may be a slight stiffness in the steering or 
other controls during the break-in period which will 
gradually disappear.
Break in brake padsNew brake pads and discs have to be “broken in“, 
and therefore 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.New tiresNew tires do not have maximum traction. They 
tend to be slippery.
fBreak in new tires by driving at moderate 
speeds during the first 60 to 120 miles (100 
to 200 km). Longer braking distances must be 
anticipated.
Engine oil and fuel consumptionDuring the break-in period oil and fuel consump-
tion may be higher than normal.
As always, the rate of oil consumption depends on 
the quality and viscosity of oil, the speed at which 
the engine is operated, the climate and road con-
ditions, as well as the amount of dilution and oxi-
dation of the lubricant.
fMake a habit of checking engine oil with every 
fuel filling, add if necessary.
fPlease observe the chapter “ENGINE DATA” on 
Page 380. 

76
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 

Shifting Gear, Traction Systems
219 Shifting Gear, Traction Systems
Manual transmission, clutch ........................ 220
Tiptronic S ................................................. 221
Selector Lever Positions ............................. 222
Driving Programs for On-Road 
and Off-Road Driving................................... 229
Power-Transmission 
and Running-Gear Control Systems .............. 235
Off-Road Driving ......................................... 245
Air Suspension with Level Control 
and Height Adjustment................................ 254
Porsche Active Suspension Management 
(PASM) ...................................................... 257 

224
Shifting Gear, Traction Systems Kickdown
The kickdown function is active in selector lever 
position D.
fFor optimum acceleration, e.g. when overtak-
ing, depress the accelerator pedal beyond the 
full-throttle point (kickdown).
The transmission shifts down depending on the 
speed of travel and engine speed.
Upward shifts occur at the highest possible engine 
speeds.
These gear-changing speeds remain active until 
the accelerator is released to approx. 80% of the 
full-throttle position.
D - Automatic selection mode (in the off-
road driving program)The functions of selector lever positions D and M 
differ in the on-road program, High Range, and in 
the off-road program, Low Range.
fUse selector lever position D for “normal” driv-
ing.
The gears are shifted automatically according 
to the accelerator position and speed.
The gears are shifted automatically according to 
the accelerator position and speed. The gear-
changing points have been adjusted to achieve the 
best possible vehicle control on difficult terrain.Depending on the route profile, the gear-changing 
points are shifted towards higher or lower engine-
speed ranges. On steep downhill stretches, up-
ward shifts are prevented until medium engine 
speeds are reached (at least 2,500 rpm).
When the car is overrunning, an automatic upshift 
does not occur when the engine speed limit is 
reached.
Moving off
The car moves off in 1st gear.
Shifting gear on the steering wheel
By shifting gear with the rocker switches on the 
steering wheel, you can temporarily change from 
automatic selection mode D to manual selection 
mode M.
Advantages
– Shifting down on downward slopes (engine 
braking).
– Shifting down for brief spurts of acceleration.
– Selecting 1st/2nd or 3rd gear for moving off.
The manual selection mode remains engaged:
– For overrunning
– Depending on lateral acceleration
– When the vehicle is stationary (e.g. at a junc-
tion).The system leaves manual selection mode:
– Automatically after around 8 seconds
(unless car is subject to high lateral accelera-
tion, is overrunning or stationary),
– if you depress the accelerator to kickdown.
Kickdown
The kickdown function is active in selector lever 
position D.
fFor optimum acceleration, e.g. when overtak-
ing, depress the accelerator pedal beyond the 
full-throttle point (kickdown).
The transmission shifts down depending on the 
speed of travel and engine speed.
Upward shifts occur at the highest possible engine 
speeds.
These gear-changing speeds remain active until 
the accelerator is released to approx. 80% of the 
full-throttle position.
Tip on driving
Unlike in the on-road driving program, an automat-
ic upshift is not performed in manual selection 
mode M when the engine-speed limit is reached. 

Shifting Gear, Traction Systems
225
M - Manual selection mode (in the on-
road driving program)The functions of selector lever positions D and M 
differ in the on-road program, High Range, and in 
the off-road program, Low Range.
The currently selected gear is retained if you 
change from D to M.
If you change from M to D, the gear-changing map 
suitable for your current driving style is selected 
and the appropriate gear is selected.
 Warning!
The kickdown function is not active in manual 
selection mode “M“.
The kickdown function cannot be used to 
downshift in manual selection mode “M“.
fTherefore shift down manually when accelerat-ing (e.g. to overtake).
Shifting up
fPress upper part (+) of a rocker switch A or
fPush selector lever B forward in the M gate.Shifting down
fPress lower part (–) of a rocker switch A or
fPush selector lever B back in the M gate.
Depending on driving speed and engine speed, 
you can shift up or down at any time. Gear chang-
es which would exceed the upper or lower engine-
speed limit are not executed by the control unit.
You can change down two gears by quickly press-
ing rocker switches A or selector lever B twice.
If PSM is active and the engine-speed limit is 
reached, an automatic upward shift is performed 
or, just before idling speed is reached, a down-
ward shift is performed.
fSelect an appropriately low gear on upward 
and downward slopes. 
This will ensure optimum use of engine power 
and engine braking.
If manual mode fails, the control electronics 
switch to automatic mode. 
In this event, the instrument panel will display se-
lector lever position D.
fTo remedy the fault, please consult an author-
ized Porsche dealer.
f   f   f 

226
Shifting Gear, Traction Systems
M - Manual selection mode (in the off-
road driving program)The functions of selector lever positions D and M 
differ in the on-road program, High Range, and in 
the off-road program, Low Range.
The currently selected gear is retained if you 
change from D to M.
If you change from M to D, the gear-changing map 
suitable for your current driving style is selected 
and the appropriate gear is selected.
 Warning!
The kickdown function is not active in manual 
selection mode “M“.
The kickdown function cannot be used to 
downshift in manual selection mode “M“.
fTherefore shift down manually when accelerat-ing (e.g. to overtake).
Tip on driving
The kickdown function is not active in selector le-
ver position M. 
Unlike in the road driving program, an automatic 
upshift is not performed when the engine-speed 
limit is reached.
Shifting up
fPress upper part (+) of a rocker switch A or
fPush selector lever B forward in the M gate.Shifting down
fPress lower part (–) of a rocker switch A or
fPush selector lever B back in the M gate.
Depending on driving speed and engine speed, 
you can shift up or down at any time. Gear chang-
es which would exceed the upper or lower engine-
speed limit are not executed by the control unit.
You can change down two gears by quickly press-
ing rocker switches A or selector lever B twice.
The gear is changed down automatically just be-
fore idle speed is reached.
fSelect an appropriately low gear on upward 
and downward slopes. 
This will ensure optimum use of engine power 
and engine braking.
If manual mode fails, the control electronics 
switch to automatic mode. In this event, the instru-
ment panel will display selector lever position D.
fTo remedy the fault, please consult an author-
ized Porsche dealer. 

Shifting Gear, Traction Systems
227
StoppingfFor a brief stop (e.g. at a traffic light), leave the 
selector lever in drive position and hold the ve-
hicle with the brake pedal.
fDo not hold the car on a slope using the accel-
erator. Use the brake pedal or the parking 
brake instead.
fBefore leaving the vehicle, always apply the 
handbrake and move the selector lever to 
position P.
Tip on driving
In selector lever positions D and M, the Hillholder 
prevents the car from rolling backward when it has 
been stopped on an upward slope with the engine 
running. 
fPlease observe the chapter “HILLHOLDER” on 
Page 242.
ParkingfGo easy on the accelerator.
fWhen parking or maneuvring in a small space, 
control the speed by careful use of the foot-
brake.Driving in winterIn wintry road conditions it is advisable to take 
steep inclines in manual mode M. This prevents 
the occurrence of gear changes that could cause 
wheelspin.
Reduced driving programIf there is a fault in the transmission:
–An X appears instead of the current gear 
indicator on the multi-purpose display of the in-
strument panel.
The transmission no longer shifts.
fTo remedy the fault, immediately consult an au-
thorized Porsche dealer.
 Warning!
Reverse gear lock monitoring is disabled in 
the emergency running program.
Damage to the vehicle may result as well as 
loss of control, if the vehicle is moving for-
ward fast enough to cause rear wheel lockup.
fDo not shift into R while the vehicle is moving forward.
Tip on driving
3rd or 5th gear in selector position  D and reverse 
gear R are now available and will allow you to 
reach the nearest authorized Porsche dealer.
fPlease go to your authorized Porsche dealer 
as soon as possible.