12
Controls, Instruments
Dear Porsche Owner A lot has gone into the manufacture of your
Porsche, including advanced engineering, rigid
quality control and demanding inspections.
These engineering and safety features will be
enhanced by you... the safe driver... – who knows his car and all controls,
– who maintains the vehicle properly,
– who uses driving skills wisely, and always
drives within her/his own capabilities and the
level of familiarity with the vehicle.
You will find helpful hints in this manual on how to
perform most of the checks listed on the following
pages.
If in doubt, have these checks performed by your
authorized Porsche dealer.
Before driving off... Check the following items first fTurn the engine off before you attempt any
checks or repairs on the vehicle.
fBe sure the tires are inflated correctly.
Check tires for damage and tire wear.
fSee that wheel bolts are properly tightened
and not loose or missing.
fCheck engine oil level, add if necessary.
Make it a habit to have engine oil checked with
every fuel filling.
fCheck all fluid levels such as windshield wash-
er and brake fluid levels.
fBe sure the vehicle battery is well charged and
cranks the engine properly.
fCheck all doors and lids for proper operation
and latch them properly.
fCheck and if necessary replace worn or
cracked wiper blades.
fSee that all windows are clear and unobstruct-
ed.
fCheck air intake slots and area between front
lid and windshield are free of snow and ice, so
the heater and the windshield wipers work
properly. fIf a child will be riding in the vehicle, check
child seat/child seat restraint system to ensure
that restraints are properly adjusted.
fCheck all exterior and interior lights for opera-
tion and that the lenses are clean.
fCheck the headlights for proper aim, and if
necessary, have them adjusted.
fCheck under the vehicle for leaks.
fBe sure all luggage is stowed securely.
Emergency equipment It is good practice to carry emergency equipment
in your vehicle.
Some of the items you should have are:
window scraper, snow brush, container or bag of
sand or salt, emergency light, small shovel, first-
aid kit, etc.
Controls, Instruments
13
In the driver’s seat... fCheck operation of the horn.
fPosition seat for easy reach of foot pedals and
controls.
To reduce the possibility of injury from the air-
bag deployment, you should always sit back as
far from the steering wheel as is practical,
while still maintaining full vehicle control.
fAdjust the inside and outside rear view mirrors.
fBuckle your safety belts.
fCheck operation of the foot and parking brake.
fCheck all warning and indicator lights with
ignition on and engine not running.
fStart engine and check all warning displays for
warning symbols.
fNever leave an idling car unattended.
fLock doors from inside, especially with chil-
dren in the car to prevent inadvertent opening
of doors from inside or outside.
Drive with doors locked.
On the road... fNever drive after you have consumed alcohol
or drugs.
fAlways have your safety belt fastened.
fAlways drive defensively.
Expect the unexpected.
fUse signals to indicate turns and lane changes.
fTurn on headlights at dusk or when the driving
conditions warrant it.
fAlways keep a safe distance from the vehicle in
front of you, depending on traffic, road and
weather conditions.
fReduce speed at night and during inclement
weather.
Driving in wet weather requires caution and re-
duced speeds, particularly on roads with
standing water, as the handling characteristics
of the vehicle may be impaired due to hydro-
planing of the tires.
fAlways observe speed limits and obey road
signs and traffic laws.
fWhen tired, get well off the road, stop and take
a rest. Turn the engine off. Do not sit in the ve-
hicle with engine idling.
fPlease observe the chapter “ENGINE EX-
HAUST” on Page 8.fWhen parked, always set the parking brake.
Move the Tiptronic selector lever to ”P“ or the
gearshift lever to reverse or first gear.
On hills also turn the front wheels toward the
curb.
fWhen emergency repairs become necessary,
move the vehicle well off the road. Turn on the
emergency flasher and use other warning de-
vices to alert other motorists. Do not park or
operate the vehicle in areas where the hot ex-
haust system may come in contact with dry
grass, brush, fuel spill or other flammable ma-
terial.
fMake it a habit to have the engine oil checked
with every fuel filling.
Danger!
Danger of fire in engine compartment due to
burning cigars or cigarettes. Serious perso-
nal injury or death could result from fire in
the engine compartment.
fDo not throw any lit cigars or cigarettes out of
the vehicle.
They can be blown into the air inlets by the air
flow and cause a fire in the engine compart-
ment.
fPlease observe the chapter “ASHTRAY” on Page 138.
Controls, Instruments
123
Welcome Home LightingSwitching onfMove light switch to the HOME position.
For improved visibility and security when you get
in and out of the car, the fog lights and the tail
lights remain on for a certain period of time:
–When you get out of the car, the lights are
turned on for approx. 30 seconds after the
door is opened. The off-delay time resumes
when the vehicle is locked.
On vehicles with the Sport Chrono Plus
package, the PCM can be used to set the off-
delay time. This setting also changes the
lighting period for unlocking the vehicle.
Please observe the chapter “Individual
Memory” in the separate PCM operating
instructions.
The lights are turned on for approx. 30 seconds
when the vehicle is unlocked.
The lights go out if the ignition is switched on or
when leaving the Welcome Home lighting
If the ignition key is withdrawn and the door is ope-
ned while the lights (not the parking light left/right)
are on, a gong warns of possible battery dis-
charge.
In some countries, differences are possible
due to provisions of law.
Automatic Headlight Beam
Adjustment Vehicles with Litronic headlights feature auto-
matic headlight beam adjustment.
When the ignition is switched on, the level of the
headlight beam automatically changes in accord-
ance with the vehicle load.
The level of the headlight beam is automatically
kept constant during acceleration and braking.
Checking operation
1. Switch the low beam on.
2. Switch ignition on.
The light beam first dips all the way down and
is then adapted to the vehicle load.
The level of the low beam rises perceptibly
when the high beam is switched on.
If these test items are not met, the headlight beam
adjustment must be checked by an authorized
Porsche dealer.
124
Controls, Instruments
Turn Signal/ Headlight Dimmer/
Parking light / Flasher Lever Turn signals, low beam and high beam are ready
for operation when the ignition is on.
1– Turn signal left
2– Turn signal right
3–High beam
4– Headlight flasher
Lever in center position–Low beam
When high beam and headlight flasher are select-
ed, the blue indicator light in the tachometer is lit.
The turn signal lever turns off automatically when
the steering wheel is straightened out after com-
pleting a turn.
Lane changer fTo indicate your intention when changing lanes
on the freeway, slightly lift or depress the lever
to the resistance point.
The lever will return to the OFF position when
released.
fIf the frequency of the display becomes notice-
ably faster, check the operation of the turn sig-
nal bulbs. Headlight flasher (With ignition on or off)
fTo flash the headlights to oncoming motorists,
slightly pull the lever toward the steering wheel
and then release it.
The blue indicator light in the tachometer will
go on/off as you pull/release the lever. Parking lightThe parking light can only be switched on when
the ignition is switched off.
fMove the lever up or down to switch on the
right or left parking light.
Controls, Instruments
125
Windshield Wiper / Washer Lever
Warning!
Danger of injury when the windshield wipers
operate unintentionally.
Risk of damage to the windshield and wiper
system.
fAvoid running the wiper blades over a dry wind-
shield to prevent scratching the glass. Spray
washer fluid on the windshield first.
A scratched windshield will reduce visibility.
fAlways loosen wiper blades from frozen glass
before operating wipers to prevent damage to
the wiper motor or blades. fAlways switch off windshield wipers in car
wash to prevent them wiping unintentionally
(intermittent or sensor operation).
fAlways switch off windshield wipers before
cleaning the windshield to avoid unintentional
operation (intermittent or sensor operation).
fDo not operate the headlight washer in car
washes.
fDo not operate headlight washer when it is
frozen.
Front windshield wipers and headlight
washer system0 – Windshield wipers off
1 – Rain sensor operation for front
windshield wipers
fMove wiper lever upwards to the first click.
Please observe the chapter “RAIN SENSOR” on
Page 126.
2 – Windshield wipers slow
fMove wiper lever upwards to the second click.
3 – Windshield wipers fast
fMove wiper lever upwards to the third click.
4 – Front windshield wiper – one-touch oper-
ation:
fMove wiper lever downwards. The windshield
wipers wipe once.5 – Windshield wipers and washer system:
fPull wiper lever towards the steering wheel.
The washer system sprays and wipes while the
lever is pulled towards the steering wheel.
When the wiper lever is released, a few drying
wipes are executed.
A - Headlight washer (Vehicles with Bi-Xenon
headlights):
The washer sprays only while low beam or high
beam is switched on.
fBriefly push button A to operate headlight
washer system.
fIf heavily soiled, repeat wash.
The headlight washer system automatically sprays
once for every ten times the front windshield
washer system is operated.
Note
The windshield washer nozzles are heated
when the ignition is on, as a precaution against
freezing.
192
Maintenance, Car Care
Washer Fluid The reservoir, with a blue screw cap, is in the front
luggage compartment, to the rear left. Capacity – Without headlight cleaning system:
approximately 2.5 liters.
– With headlight cleaning system:
approximately 6 liters.
Washer fluidClean water is generally not enough to clean the
windshield and headlights.
Depending on the season, mix the water with the
appropriate additives. Follow the instructions for
the mixture ratio.
Only use window cleaner concentrate which meets
the following requirements:
– Dilutability 1:100
– Phosphate-free
– Suitable for plastic headlight lenses.
We recommend window cleaner concentrates
approved by Porsche.
Your authorized Porsche dealer will be pleased to
advise you.
Summer filling
Water + window cleaner concentrate at the mixing
ratio indicated on the container.
Winter filling
Water + antifreeze protection + window cleaner
concentrate at the mixing ratio indicated on the
container.
fPlease note all the information on the
containers of the window cleaner concentrate
or the antifreeze protection.Adding washer fluid
1. Undo the cap (arrow).
2. Add washer fluid and close cap carefully.
If less than 0.5 liter remains, a warning message
appears on the on-board computer.
fAdd washer fluid.
Warning light
200
Maintenance, Car Care
Warning!
Danger of fire and serious personal injuries.
fDo not apply additional undercoating or rust-
proofing on or near the exhaust manifold, ex-
haust pipes, catalytic converters or heat
shields. During driving the substance used for undercoating could overheat and ignite.
fBefore applying fresh underseal, carefully re-
move deposits or dirt and grease. Once it has
dried, the new undercoating compound forms
a tough protective coating which provides effi-
cient rust-proofing of the floor panels and com-
ponents.
fAlways apply a fresh coating of suitable pre-
servative to unprotected areas after cleaning
the underside of the body, the transmission,
the engine or carrying out repairs to under-
body, engine or transmission components.
Effective rust-proofing is particularly important
during the cold weather season. If your car is driv-
en frequently in areas where salt has been spread
on the roads, the whole engine compartment
should be cleaned thoroughly after the winter to
prevent salt from causing any lasting damage. A
full under-body wash should also be performed at
the same time.
Door, lid and window seals fWash dirt (e.g. abrasion, dust, road salts) from
all seals regularly using warm soapy water. Do
not use any chemical cleaning agents or sol-
vents.
When there is a frost hazard, the outer door seals
and the front and rear lid seals can be protected
against freezing into place by a suitable care prod-
uct.
In order to prevent damage to the anti-fric-
tion coating, the inner door seals must not be
treated with care products. Stainless steel exhaust tailpipesStainless steel exhaust tailpipes can discolor due
to soiling, strong heat, and combustion residues.
The original polish can be achieved again using
commercially available metal polishing paste or
metal polish.
Headlights, lights, interior and exterior
plastic parts fUse only clean water and a little dishwashing
detergent to clean light lenses, plastic head-
light lenses, plastic parts and surfaces.
Do not clean when dry.
Use a soft sponge or a soft, lint-free cloth. Gen-
tly wipe the surface without applying too much
pressure.
The Porsche inside window cleaner is also suit-
able for cleaning plastic surfaces. Follow the
cleaning instructions on the container.
Never use other chemical cleaners or
solvents.
fRinse cleaned surfaces with clear water.
Practical Tips, Emergency Service
205 Practical Tips, Emergency Service
Exercise Extreme Caution when
Working on your Vehicle ............................. 206
Tires/Wheels ............................................ 207
Loading Information ................................... 221
Lifting the Vehicle with a Lifting
Platform or Garage Lift .............................. 223
Flat Tire .................................................... 224
Wheel Bolts .............................................. 227
Spacers ................................................... 230
Electrical System ....................................... 232
Battery ..................................................... 235
Jump lead starting .................................... 242
Replacing bulbs ......................................... 244
Headlights ................................................ 246
Turn signal light ......................................... 250
Side marker light ....................................... 253
Additional Brake Light ................................ 254
Tail light .................................................... 255
Luggage compartment/rear lid/
footwell lights ........................................... 257
Adjusting Headlights ................................. 258
Towing .................................................... 260