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281
Airbags
Danger!
There is a danger of serious personal injury
or death if the airbag system is impaired by
improper cleaning work.
fDo not make any modifications whatsoever on
individual components such as the padded
covers of the steering wheel, the front seats,
the roof pillars and the rooflinings.
fLet your authorized Porsche dealer clean these components.
Fabric liningsFabric linings on pillars, headliner and sun visors,
etc., must be treated only using suitable cleaning
agents or a suitable dry foam and a soft brush.
AlcantarafDo not use a leather care product to clean Al-
cantara.
For regular care it is sufficient to clean the cover
with a soft brush. Strong abrasion or rubbing when
cleaning will permanently change the surface.
Cleaning when lightly soiled
fWet a soft cloth with water or a neutral soap
solution and wipe off the dirt.
Cleaning when heavily soiled
fWet a soft cloth with lukewarm water or
thinned white spirit and dab the dirt from the
outside in.
Safety beltsfUse a mild detergent to clean soiled belts.
fWhen drying, avoid direct sunlight.
fOnly use suitable cleaning agents.
fDo not tint or bleach the belts.
The belt fabric could be weakened, thus affect-
ing safety.
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Maintenance, Car Care
Storing your PorscheIf you intend to store your Porsche for a prolonged
period, please consult your authorized Porsche
dealer. The staff will be glad to advise you on the
most suitable and necessary methods.
fClean your vehicle thoroughly inside and out-
side. Clean the engine compartment. The un-
der carriage and chassis components should
be free of dirt and salt deposits.
fFill up the fuel tank.
fChange the oil and oil filter, and run the engine
for several minutes.
fIncrease the tire pressure to 58 psi (4 bar).It is
not recommended to lift the vehicle, due to the
possibility of corrosion on shock absorber pis-
ton shafts.The vehicle should be moved slight-
ly, approximately every four weeks, to prevent
flat spot on the tires.Climate control
The air conditioning system should be in good
working condition and fully charged.
Windshield/Headlight washer
fCheck and correct antifreeze/cleaning solution
level as necessary.
Electrical system
fRemove the battery from the vehicle and store
it in a cool dry place, not on a cement floor.
When the battery is disconnected, the alarm
system is deactivated.
fRecharge the battery every 3 months. If the
battery remains in the vehicle with the cables
connected, it is necessary to check, remove
and recharge the battery every 2-3 weeks.
Do not fast charge the battery.
fPlease observe the chapter “CHARGE STATE”
on Page 332.Vehicle interior
The interior must be dry, especially in the area of
the floor carpets. The use of drying agents (Silica-
Gel) is recommended in vehicles with leather inte-
rior and in areas with high humidity. The recom-
mended amount is 3 fabric bags of 1.1 lbs.
(500 grams) each placed on the floor carpets.
Windows, doors, lids and roof must be closed.
The air vents should be opened.
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Practical Tips, Minor Repairs
283 Practical Tips, Minor Repairs
Exercise Extreme Caution when Working on your
Vehicle ...................................................... 284
Notes on Minor Repairs .............................. 285
Tires/Wheels ............................................. 285
Jack .......................................................... 299
Tool Kit ..................................................... 299
Lifting the Vehicle with a Lifting Platform or
Garage lift ................................................. 300
Compressor .............................................. 301
Wheel Bolts ............................................... 301
Spacers .................................................... 302
Changing Wheels........................................ 303
Flat Tire ..................................................... 304
Electrical System ....................................... 322
Battery ...................................................... 332
Emergency Starting with Jumper Cables ...... 343
Replacing the remote control battery ........... 346
Bulb Chart ................................................. 347
Replacing Bulbs ......................................... 348
Headlights ................................................. 349
Tail Light ................................................... 355
License Plate Lights................................... 357
Headlight Adjustment.................................. 358
Changing Headlights from Left to Right-Hand
Traffic ....................................................... 359
Towing ...................................................... 360
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Practical Tips, Minor Repairs
Exercise Extreme Caution when
Working on your Vehicle
Danger!
Ignoring the following instructions may
cause serious personal injury or death.
fThe engine compartment of any motor vehicle
is a potentially hazardous area. If you are not
fully familiar with proper repair procedures, do
not attempt the adjustments described on the
following pages.
This caution applies to the entire vehicle.
fO n l y w o r k o n y o u r v e h i c l e o u t d o o r s o r i n a w e l l
ventilated area.
fEnsure that there are no open flames in the
area of your vehicle at any time when fuel
fumes might be present. Be especially cau-
tious of such devices such as hot water heat-
ers which ignite a flame intermittently.
fBefore working on any part in the engine com-
partment, turn the engine off and let it cool
down sufficiently. Hot engine compartment
components can burn skin on contact.
fBe alert and cautious around engine at all
times while the engine is running.
If work has to be performed with the engine
running, always set the parking brake, and
make sure the selector lever is in position “P“
or “N“.fIn particular, be very careful to ensure that
items of clothing (ties, shirt, sleeves etc.), jew-
elry, long hair, hand or fingers cannot get
caught in the engine-compartment blower, fan,
belts or other moving parts.
The radiator and radiator fans are in the front
of the car.
The fans can start or continue running as a
function of temperature, even with the engine
switched off.
Carry out work in these areas only with the en-
gine off and exercise extreme caution.
fYour Porsche is equipped with an electronic ig-
nition system. When the ignition is on, high volt-
age is present in all wires connected with the
ignition system; therefore, exercise extreme
caution when working on any part of the engine
while the ignition is on or the engine is running.
fAlways support your car with safety stands if it
is necessary to work under the car. The jack
supplied with the car is not adequate for this
purpose.
For vehicles with air suspension with level con-
trol and height adjustment:
Please observe the chapter “AIR SUSPENSION
WITH LEVEL CONTROL AND HEIGHT ADJUST-
MENT” on Page 244.fWhen working under the car without safety
stands but with the wheels on the ground,
make sure the car is on level ground, the
wheels are blocked, and that the engine can-
not be started.
Remove the ignition key.
fDo not smoke or allow an open flame around
the battery or fuel.
Keep a fire extinguisher in close reach.
fIncomplete or improper servicing may cause
problems in the operation of the car. If in doubt
about any servicing, have it done by your au-
thorized Porsche dealer.
Improper maintenance during the warranty pe-
riod may affect your Porsche warranty cover-
age.
fSupplies of fluids, e.g. engine oil, brake fluid or
coolant, are hazardous to your health. Keep
these fluids out of children's reach and dispose
of them in accordance with the appropriate
regulations.
fSome countries require additional tools and
special spare parts to be carried.
Please make enquiries before driving abroad.
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Practical Tips, Minor Repairs
285
Notes on Minor RepairsTool kitThe tool kit is accommodated in the spare-wheel
well under the cover of the loadspace floor.
Tires/WheelsThe original equipment tires and wheel rims on
your Porsche comply with all applicable Federal
Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.
For your safety remember the following:
– Wheel rims and wheel bolts are matched to fit
your Porsche.
– If you intend to use other than original equip-
ment wheels, be sure that they conform to
Porsche specifications for your model.Only
tires with the same make and with the same
specification code (e.g. “N0“, “N1“...) can be
mounted.
– The use of wheel rims and wheel bolts that do
not meet specifications of the original factory
installed equipment will affect the safe opera-
tion of your vehicle.
– Before you plan on exchanging wheels, or
snow tires already mounted on the wheel rims,
consult your authorized Porsche dealer.
Your dealer has the technical information nec-
essary to advise you which wheel rims and
wheel bolts are compatible with the original
factory installations.
Danger!
Risk of loss of control and serious personal
injury or death.
fIf while driving, your vehicle experiences a sud-
den vibration or ride disturbance, and/or you
suspect that possible damage to your tires or
vehicle has occurred, you should immediately
reduce your speed without excessive use of
the brakes.
fStop the vehicle as soon as possible, and in-
spect the tires.
If you cannot determine the cause for the dis-
turbance, have your vehicle towed to the near-
est Porsche or tire dealer to have your vehicle
or tire(s) inspected.
fContinuing to operate the vehicle without cor-
rection could result in a loss of control and se-rious personal injury.
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Practical Tips, Minor Repairs
Uniform Tire Quality GradingQuality grades can be found where applicable on
the tire sidewall between tread shoulder and max-
imum section width.
ExampleAll passenger car tires must conform to Federal
Safety Requirements in addition to these grades.Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the tire when tested un-
der controlled conditions on a specific govern-
ment test course. For example, a tire graded 150
would wear one and a half (1-1/2) times as well on
the government course as a tire graded 100. The
relative performance of tires depends upon the ac-
tual conditions of their use, however, and may de-
part significantly from the norm due to variations
in driving habits, service practices and differences
in road characteristics and climate.
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287
Traction AA, A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are
AA, A, B,, and C and they represent the tire's abil-
ity to stop on wet pavement as measured under
controlled conditions on specified government
test surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire
marked C may have poor traction performance.
Warning!
The traction grade assigned to this is based
on braking (straight-ahead) traction tests
and does not include cornering (turned) trac-
tion, acceleration, hydroplaning or peak
traction characteristics.Temperature A, B, C
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B and
C, representing the tire's resistance to the gener-
ation of heat and its ability to dissipate heat when
tested under controlled conditions on a specified
indoor laboratory test wheel.
Sustained high temperatures can cause the mate-
rial of the tire to degenerate and reduce tire life,
and excessive temperature can lead to sudden
tire failure.
The grade C corresponds to a level of perform-
ance which all passenger car tires must meet un-
der the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No.
109.
Grades B and A represent higher levels of per-
formance on the laboratory test wheel than the
minimum required by law.
Warning!
The temperature grade for this tire is estab-
lished for a tire that is properly inflated and
not overloaded.Excessive speed, underinfla-
tion, or excessive loading, either separately
or in combination, can cause heat buildup
and possible tire failure.
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Practical Tips, Minor Repairs
Tire pressures
Danger!
Risk of accident.
Risk of serious personal injury or death.
Driving the vehicle with low tire pressure
increases risk of a tire failure and resulting
loss of control. Furthermore, low tire pres-
sure increases rate of wear of the affected
tires and cause damage. Always use an
accurate tire pressure gauge when checking
inflation pressures.
fDo not exceed the maximum tire pressure
listed on the tire sidewall. (Also refer to “Tech-
nical data“).
fCold tire inflation pressure means: all tires
must be cold, ambient temperature maximum
68°F (20°C), when adjusting the inflation pres-
sure. Avoid sunlight striking the tires before
measuring cold pressures, since the pressures
would rise from temperature influence.
fValve caps protect the valve from dust and dirt,
and thus from leakage. Always screw caps
tightly down. Replace missing caps immedi-
ately.
fFor safety reasons, don't use tire inflating bot-tles.
fPlease observe the chapter “TIRE PRESSU-
RES, COLD” on Page 370.Each tire, including the spare (if provided), should
be checked every 2 weeks when cold (68°F/20°C)
and inflated to the inflation pressure recommend-
ed in this Owner's Manual or on the tire-pressure
plate.
If your vehicle has tires of a different size than the
size indicated in this Owner's Manual or on the tire-
pressure plate, you should determine the proper
tire inflation pressure for those tires.
As an added safety feature, your vehicle has been
equipped with a tire pressure monitoring that illu-
minates a low tire pressure message when one or
more of your tires is significantly under-inflated.
Accordingly, when the low tire pressure message
illuminates, you should stop and check your tires
as soon as possible, and inflate them to the prop-
er pressure. Driving on a significantly under-inflat-
ed tire causes the tire to overheat and can lead to
tire failure. Under-inflation also reduces fuel effi-
ciency and tire tread life, and may affect the vehi-
cle’s handling and stopping ability.
Please note that the tire pressure monitoring is not
a substitute for proper tire maintenance, and it is
the driver’s responsibility to maintain correct tire
pressure, even if under-inflation has not reached
the level to trigger illumination of the tire pressure
monitoring low tire pressure message.
For further information on the tire pressure moni-
toring:
fPlease observe the chapter “TIRE PRESSURE”
on Page 100.When tires are warm, the tire pressure is in-
creased.
fNever let air out of hot tires. This could cause
the tire pressure to fall below the prescribed
value.
Insufficient tire pressure can cause tires to
overheat and thus be damaged – even invisibly.
Hidden tire damage is not eliminated by subse-
quently correcting the tire pressure.
Overloading
Danger!
Risk of personal injury, loss of control and
damage to vehicle parts.
fDo not overload your vehicle. Be careful about
the roof load.
fIf loading the vehicle also correct the tire pres-
sure. Tire pressure for loaded vehicle can be
found on the tire pressure plate and in the
chapter technical data.
fNever exceed the specified axle load.
Overloading can shorten the service life of the
tires and car, as well as lead to dangerous vehi-
cle reactions and long braking distances.
Damage due to overloading is not covered by the vehicle warranty.
fPlease observe the chapter “LOADING INFOR-
MATION” on Page 207.