Controls, Safety, Instruments
211
Driving with a trailer
When towing a trailer you must under all
circumstances adapt your speed to prevailing
road and driving conditions. Never exeed a speed
of 50 mph (80 km/h). Towing in excessive
speed can result in loss of control.
fCarefully and gradually familiarize yourself with
the handling and braking behavior of the car-
trailer combination.
fDo not drive with the towing vehicle empty and
the trailer loaded.
If this unfavorable combination is unavoidable,
please drive especially slowly.
fBear in mind the different vehicle handling and
size in situations such as braking, parking,
cornering and overtaking, etc.
fThe driving stability of the car-trailer combina-
tion worsens as the speed increases. There-
fore, drive especially slowly on downhill
stretches and in the case of unfavorable road
and weather conditions (such as wind).
fDrive in an appropriately low gear on downhill
stretches in order to make use of the engine
braking effect.fSlow down immediately if the trailer starts to
sway. Do not countersteer; brake if necessary.
Never attempt to straighten out the car-trailer
combination by accelerating.
fActivate Low Range when moving off on steep
slopes.
fUnder no circumstances may people, animals
or objects be in the space between the trailer
and the towing vehicle when the vehicle is
moving.
fWhen reversing, bear in mind that ParkAssist is
not active.
Maintenance note
fPlease take into consideration that driving with
a trailer places markedly greater stress on all
vehicle components. Expert inspection and
maintenance after every use are indispensable
prerequisites for proper functioning and safety.
214
Shifting Gear, Traction Systems
Tiptronic SThe Porsche Tiptronic is a six-speed transmission
and features an “automatic” and a “manual” gear-
shift mode.
In automatic selection mode (selector lever po-
sition D), gear changing is automatic.
Depending on the driving program, you can
change temporarily from automatic to manual
mode using the rocker switches on the steering
wheel.
In manual selection mode (selector lever
position M), you change gear using the rocker
switches on the steering wheel or by pushing the
selector lever forward or back.
You can change between selector lever positions
D and M as you wish while driving.
Note on operation
Take care not to operate the rocker switches on
the steering wheel inadvertently, thereby trigger-
ing undesired gear changes.
Changing the selector lever positionThe selector lever is locked with the ignition key
withdrawn.
The selector lever can be moved from position P
or N only with:
– The ignition switched on
– The brake pedal pressed and
– The release button pressedRelease button
The release button (arrow) on the front side of the
selector lever prevents unintentional gear chang-
es.
The release button must be pressed when shifting
to position R or P.
The selector lever cannot be operated in the event
of an electrical fault.
fPlease observe the chapter “SELECTOR LE-
VER EMERGENCY RELEASE” on Page 221.
StartingThe engine can be started only in selector lever
position P or N with the brake pedal pressed.Moving offfSelect the desired position for moving off
(D, M or R) only when the engine is idling and
when depressing the brake pedal.
fSince the car creeps when in gear, do not re-
lease the brake until you want to move off.
fAfter selecting a gear, do not accelerate until
you can feel that the gear is engaged.
Shifting Gear, Traction Systems
215
Selector lever positionIndicator for selector lever position and
engaged gearWhen the engine is running, the selector lever po-
sition and engaged gear are indicated.If there is a fault in the transmission:
– All gear indicators light up
– The transmission no longer shifts.
fHave the fault rectified immediately at your au-
thorized Porsche dealer.
Selector Lever PositionsP – Parking lockIn selector lever position P, the driven wheels are
mechanically locked.
fEngage parking lock only when vehicle is
stationary.
fEngage parking lock after applying the park-
ing brake and release it before releasing the
parking brake.
fAlways apply the parking brake before leaving
the vehicle.
The ignition key can be withdrawn only in selector
lever position P.R – ReversefSelect reverse only if car is stationary and the
brake is applied.N – NeutralSelector lever position N must be selected for
towing or in car washes, for example.
fSelect the desired position for moving off
(D, M or R) only when the engine is idling and
when depressing the brake pedal.
216
Shifting Gear, Traction Systems
D - Automatic selection mode (in the 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.
Depending on the way the vehicle is driven and on
the resistance (e.g. uphill), the gear-changing
points are shifted towards higher or lower engine-
speed ranges. Movement of the accelerator,
driving speed, longitudinal and lateral acceleration
and the road profile all have an influence on the
gear-changing characteristic.
When PSM is switched off, transmission gear
changes are done at higher engine speeds.
Unwanted upward shifts, e.g. before corners, are
prevented by swiftly releasing the accelerator ped-
al.
Depending on lateral acceleration, upward chang-
es on corners are not made until the engine-speed
limit is reached.
During braking, and depending on the amount of
deceleration, the Tiptronic changes down earlier.
For subsequent cornering, the right gear is en-
gaged when pressure is applied to the brakes be-
fore the corner.The corner is taken in the right gear, and when you
accelerate out of the corner you do not have to
change down.
Moving off
In 2nd gear, the vehicle moves off with the throttle
only slightly open. Move off in 1st gear with the
throttle open wider or when the engine is cold.
When PSM is switched off, the car generally
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 before corners and on entering
built-up areas.
– Shifting down on downward slopes (engine
braking).
– Shifting down for brief spurts of acceleration.
– Selecting 1st or 2nd gear for moving off.
The manual selection mode remains engaged:
– For cornering (depending on the lateral accel-
eration) and overrunning,
– 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 cornering, overrunning or
stationary),
– if you depress the accelerator to kickdown.
Temporary change-down
Precondition
– Speed is higher than approx. 33 mph
(54 km/h).
fDepress accelerator quickly.
The Tiptronic changes temporarily to the sport-
iest gear-changing map, i.e. to the highest pos-
sible gear-changing points. Correspondingly,
the transmission shifts down immediately by
one, two or three gears.
Ending the function
fRelease the accelerator markedly (by approx.
25%).
Shifting Gear, Traction Systems
217
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 auto-
matic upshift is not performed in manual selection
mode M when the engine-speed limit is reached.
218
Shifting Gear, Traction Systems
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.
Shifting Gear, Traction Systems
219
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.
fHave the fault eliminated at your authorized
Porsche dealer.
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 234.
Shifting Gear, Traction Systems
225
fPush rocker switch A forwards in stages until
engagement of the rear differential lock (trans-
verse lock) is indicated on the multi-purpose
display of the instrument panel and by the
illumination of the three light-emitting diodes B,
C and D.
The center and rear differential locks are
changed over to fully engaged state by the
automatic control system.
Note on operation
The rear differential lock can only be engaged
while the engine is running.
Hydraulically disengageable anti-roll barsThe front and rear anti-roll bars can be disengaged
to improve traction and comfort when driving off
road. This feature increases the wheel articulation.
Condition for disengaging the anti-roll bars
– Low Range is engaged.
Note
The anti-roll bars cannot be engaged if the wheel
articulation or lateral acceleration is too great.Disengaging
fPress button E.
Disengagement of the anti-roll bars is indicated
on the multi-purpose display of the instrument
panel and by illumination of light-emitting diode
F.
The light-emitting diode on the button flashes
several times during the disengagement
process.
The anti-roll bars are disengaged.
Note on operation
The anti-roll bars cannot be disengaged manually
at speeds above 25 mph (40 km/h).
Engaging
fPress button E.
Light-emitting diode F on the button flashes
several times during the engagement
process and then goes out.
The anti-roll bars are engaged.
Note on operation
The anti-roll bars are engaged automatically when
a speed of 30 mph (50 km/h) is exceeded or
when the lateral acceleration value is high.
Notes
Engagement of the anti-roll bars is audible.
At temperatures below –4°F (–20 °C), the anti-roll
bars take somewhat longer to engage.