Controls, Safety, Instruments
71
Ignition lock position 1Ignition on
fTurn ignition key to position 1.
Ignition is switched on.
Note on operation
All electrical equipment can be switched on.
The warning lights light up for a lamp check.
fPlease observe the chapter “INSTRUMENT PA-
NEL USA MODELS” on Page 80.
If a load is not switched on for 10 minutes after
switching on the ignition, the ignition must be
switched on again.
Turn the ignition key to ignition lock position 3 (ig-
nition off) first.Ignition lock position 2Starting engine
fOperate footbrake.
fMove selector lever to position P or N.
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 af-
ter a pause of approx. 10 seconds.
Turn the ignition key to ignition lock position 3
(ignition off) first.
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.
Please observe the chapter “EMERGENCY
STARTING WITH JUMPER CABLES” on
Page 343.
Notes on operation
The first operation of the starter is ended
automatically when the engine starts.
If the engine does not start, subsequent starter
operations will not be ended automatically.
When the engine is started, the warning lights
must go out.
Ignition lock position 3Ignition off
fTurn ignition key to ignition lock position 3.
Locking the steering columnVehicles without Porsche Entry & Drive
The steering column is automatically locked
when the ignition key is withdrawn from the igni-
tion lock.
The steering column is automatically unlocked
when the ignition key is inserted into the ignition
lock.
Vehicles with Porsche Entry & Drive
The steering column is automatically locked
when the ignition is switched off and the vehicle is
locked.
Manually locking the steering column on
vehicles with Porsche Entry & Drive
fDepress the clutch on vehicles with manual
transmission.
fOnce the ignition is switched off, turn the
control unit again to ignition lock position 3
and hold it there for 2seconds.
The steering column is locked.
The steering column is automatically unlocked
by turning the control unit from ignition lock posi-
tion 0.
72
Controls, Safety, Instruments
Starting and Stopping the EnginefPlease observe the chapter “LOCK THE DRI-
VER'S DOOR WITH THE KEY AT THE DOOR
LOCK.” on Page 19.
fPlease observe the chapter “EMISSION
CONTROL SYSTEM” on Page 271.
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.
StartingfOperate footbrake.
fMove selector lever to position P or N.
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 af-
ter a pause of approx. 10 seconds. Turn the ig-
nition key back to ignition lock position 3 first.
The first operation of the starter is ended
automatically 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.
Please observe the chapter “EMERGENCY
STARTING WITH JUMPER CABLES” on
Page 343.
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).
Starting with auxiliary batteryIf your vehicle is fitted with an additional battery
in the luggage compartment, you have the possi-
bility of starting the engine with the ignition key,
even if the main battery fails.
In vehicles with Porsche Entry & Drive:
1. Remove the Porsche Entry & Drive control unit
from the ignition lock.
Please observe the chapter “REMOVING THE
CONTROL UNIT FROM THE IGNITION LOCK” on
Page 70.
2. Insert the ignition key into the ignition lock and
start the engine as described.
fPlease have the cause of the fault remedied at
an authorized Porsche dealer.
Controls, Safety, Instruments
73
StoppingfWithdraw the ignition key only when the vehicle
is stationary, otherwise the steering lock en-
gages and the vehicle cannot be steered.
fOnly switch the ignition off when the vehicle
comes to a stop as the steering assistance
and brake boost are deactivated when the
ignition is switched off.
fAlways withdraw the ignition key and engage
the parking brake when leaving the vehicle.
The control unit always remains in the ignition
lock in vehicles that have Porsche Entry &
Drive.
Note on operation
The vehicle battery discharges if the ignition key is
left inserted.
Warning!
Danger of injury. Hot engine compartment
components can burn skin on contact.
fBefore working on any part in the engine com-
partment, turn the engine off and let it cool down sufficiently.Radiator fans
The radiator and radiator fans are in the front of
the car.
Warning!
Danger of injury. After the ignition is
switched off, the engine compartment and
coolant temperatures are monitored for ap-
prox. 30 minutes. During this period, and de-
pending on temperature, the radiator fan
may continue to run or start to run.
fCarry out work in these areas only with the en-gine off and exercise extreme caution.
74
Controls, Safety, Instruments
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.
fMove the selector lever to “P“.
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 122.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
75
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“.
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 or
100 km/h, for example, it is not twice but four
times longer than 30 mph or 50 km/h. Tire trac-
tion 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
76
Controls, Safety, Instruments
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. or 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
77
Brake pedal
Warning!
Risk of an accident.
Any obstruction of the brake pedal could in-
crease the stopping distance.
fAlways check the movement of the brake pedal
before driving and make sure that it is not ob-
structed by a floor mat or any other object.
fSecure the floor mat to prevent it from sliding
into positions that could interfere with the safe
operation of your vehicle.
Your Porsche dealer will be glad to offer you
floor mats of the correct size including a secur-ing possibility.
Note
In case one of the two brake circuits fails, in-
creased pedal travel is required to bring your vehi-
cle to a full stop.
Warning!
To avoid overheating and premature wear of
the brakes:
fBefore descending a steep grade, reduce
speed and shift the transmission into a lower
driving position to control speed.
fDo not “ride the brakes“ by resting your foot on
the pedal when not intending to apply brake
pressure.
fDo not hold the pedal down too long or too of-
ten. This could cause the brakes to get hot and not function properly.
Brake boosterThe brake booster assists braking only when
the engine is running.
When the car is moving while the engine is not run-
ning, or if the brake booster is defective, more
pressure on the brake pedal is required to bring
the car to a stop.
Moisture, road salt or grit on brakes affects brak-
ing. When the vehicle is driven on salted or gritted
roads for extended periods, the brakes should be
washed down thoroughly about every 2 weeks. An
automatic carwash facility cannot do this job prop-
erly. Brakes will dry after a few cautious brake ap-
plications.
Warning!
Driving through water may reduce the trac-
tion. Moisture on brakes from road water, car
wash, or a coating of road salt or grit may af-
fect braking efficiency.
fCautiously apply brakes to test brakes after being exposed.
78
Controls, Safety, Instruments
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.
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 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 122.
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