62
Controls, Safety, Instruments
Steering WheelTiptronic rocker switchesThe Porsche Tiptronic is a six-speed transmission
and features an “automatic” and a “manual” gear-
shift mode.
You can change temporarily to manual mode using
rocker switches A on the steering wheel.
fPlease observe the chapter “TIPTRONIC S” on
Page 214.
HornfPress button B to operate the horn.Airbag unitAirbag unit C is located behind the padded steer-
ing wheel boss.
In conjunction with the safety belts, the “airbag” is
a safety system designed to provide the driver and
passengers with maximum protection from injury
in an accident.
fPlease observe the chapter “AIRBAG SYS-
TEMS” on Page 50.
Steering Wheel HeatingIf the interior temperature in the vehicle is lower
than +54°F (12°C) when the ignition is switched
on, the steering wheel heating is switched on au-
tomatically.
When this happens, the steering wheel adjusts to
a temperature of +73°F (23°C).
If the interior temperature rises above +71°F
(22°C) when the vehicle is operational, the steer-
ing wheel heating switches off again.
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.
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.
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.
220
Shifting Gear, Traction Systems
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:
– All gear indicators light up
– 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.