2009 PORSCHE 911 ignition

Operation, Safety
57
Sports Exhaust SystemSwitching on and offThe sports exhaust system can be switched on
and off when the ignition is switched on using
button A.
When the sports exhaust system is switched on,
the light-emitting diode in the button lights up.
Parking Brake Parking brake force is mechanically transferred to
the rear wheels by means of cables.
fUse the parking brake only after the vehicle
has come to a full stop.
Setting the parking brake fPull the lever all the way up (arrow).
With the ignition on, the parking brake warning
lights in the instrument panel and on-board
computer will come on if the lever is even
slightly raised. A firm pull upward is required to
properly engage the parking brake.
If the brake is not fully set, the vehicle may roll
without control.
fMove the selector lever to “P” (PDK) or move
the gearshift lever to reverse or first gear
(Manual transmission).
fBefore exiting the vehicle, make sure that the
parking brake is fully set 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.Releasing the parking brakefPull the lever slightly up as you depress the re-
lease button, and then push the lever all the
way down.

Operation, Safety
59
Brake system warning light
You can check the functionality of the brake
system warning light by switching the ignition to
the "On" position and verifying that the warning
light illuminates.
If the warning lights in the instrument panel and on-
board computer go on while driving, the brake flu-
id level may be too low, or (if the brake pedal travel
has increased) one of the two brake circuits may
have 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 actuation should be 1-3/16 in. to
1-9/16 in. or 30 to 40 mm.
Whenever the brake pedal travel exceeds this dis-
tance, have the brake system checked.
Brake pedal
Warning!
Risk of an accident, resulting in serious per-
sonal injury or death.
Any obstruction of the brake pedal could
increase 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 nonskid floor mats of the correct size.
Note
In case one of the two brake circuits fails, in-
creased pedal travel is required to bring your
vehicle 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
gear or 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
often.
This could cause the brakes to get hot and not function properly.
Brake warning light USA
Brake warning light Canada

60
Operation, Safety
Brake booster The 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.
If this happens, ABS and PSM will also not oper-
ate.
Moisture or road salt on brakes affects braking.
When the vehicle is driven on salted or sanded
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 applica-
tions.
Warning!
Risk of an accident, resulting in serious per-
sonal injury or death.
Driving through water may reduce the trac-
tion.
Moisture on brakes from road water, car
wash, or coating of road salt may affect
braking efficiency.
fCautiously apply brakes to test brakes after ex-posure to road water, etc.
Brake wear Your 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
intervals recommended in your Maintenance
Booklet.
Brake system warning light
You can check the functionality of the brake
system warning light by switching the ignition to
the "On" position and verifying that the warning
light illuminates.
If the warning lights in the instrument panel and on-
board computer stay on when the engine is run-
ning or come on while driving, the brake pads are
worn excessively.
fDo not continue to operate the vehicle.
Have your authorized Porsche dealer inspect
or replace the brake pads.
Brake pads Wear 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
conditions (such as temperature and humidity)
therefore might cause “brake noises”.
New brake pads or linings
New brake pads and brake discs have to be “bro-
ken in”, and therefore 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.
Warning light USA
Warning light Canada

62
Operation, Safety When the ignition is switched on the ABS warning
light will light up while the system is electronically
interrogated and goes out when the engine is
started if the check is not yet complete.
If the ABS warning lamp fails to go out, this indi-
cates that ABS has been deactivated due to a
fault. If the warning lights in the instrument panel
and on-board computer light up while you are driv-
ing, this indicates that a fault has occurred. In both
cases, normal braking, as in vehicles without ABS,
is still retained.
The ABS system should, however, be examined at
an authorized Porsche dealer immediately to pre-
vent the occurrence of further faults.
fIf the ABS system becomes inoperative, take
your vehicle to your authorized Porsche dealer
immediately.
Warning!
Risk of an accident, resulting in serious per-
sonal injury or death.
The control unit of the ABS brake system is
set for standard tire size. If non-standard
tires are installed, the control unit may mis-
interpret the speed of the vehicle, because of
the variant data it receives from the sensors
on the axles.
fUse only tire makes and types tested by Porsche.
Clutch Pedal The clutch pedal must be depressed fully
before the starter will engage.
Warning!
Risk of an accident, resulting in serious per-
sonal injury or death.
fAlways check the movement of the clutch ped-
al before driving and make sure that it is not
obstructed 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
nonskid floor mats of the correct size.
To avoid damage to the clutch and transmis-
sion:
fAlways depress the clutch pedal fully when
changing gears.
fDo not hold the car on a steep grade with the clutch pedal partially depressed.
Should the free travel of the clutch pedal suddenly
become larger, it could mean a malfunction of the
clutch.
fSee your Porsche dealer for correction.
Warning light USA
Warning light Canada

Operation, Safety
63
Porsche Traction Management
(PTM)With PTM, the engine power is variably distributed
to the front and rear wheels.
Power distribution between the front and rear ax-
les is performed by a map-conrolled multiple-disc
clutch.
Distribution of the engine power also depends on
the difference in wheel speed between the two ax-
les.
The multiple-disc clutch always delivers sufficient
drive power to the front wheels to ensure optimum
propulsion even on an unfavorable road surface.
In combination with the Porsche Stability Manage-
ment (PSM), the PTM ensures optimum handling
and high driving stability.
Warning!
The increased control that is provided should
not induce you to take greater risks with your
safety. The limits dictated by the laws of phy-
sics cannot be overcome, even with PTM.
The risk of accidents due to inappropriate
speed cannot be reduced, even by PTM.
The driver bears the responsibility for all dri-
ving maneuvers.
fAdapt your driving style to the prevailing road
and weather conditions.
fObey all traffic laws.
Dynamometer testing procedure Some U.S. states and Canadian provinces con-
duct emissions inspection/maintenance testing in-
volving the use of two-wheel dynamometer.
A two-wheeled dynamometer is a treadmill type
device upon which a single axle of the car, the dri-
ving axle of the vehicle, rotates to simulate vehicle
operation on the road while the vehicle remains
stationary.
Your vehicle has a full-time four-wheel drive system
which cannot be disabled. Severe damage to the
powertrain can result if tested on a two-wheel dy-
namometer.
Warning!
Risk of severe powertrain damage and a pos-
sible unexpected movement of the vehicle.
fDo not test your vehicle on a two-wheel dyna-
mometer.
fAdvise the emission station of this warning be-fore testing the vehicle.
Brake testsBrake tests must be performed only on plate-type
test stands or roller test stands.
The ignition must be off.
The following limit values must not be exceeded
on roller test stands:
– Testing speed 5 mph (8 km/h)
– Test duration 20 seconds Handbrake tests Handbrake tests on the roller test stand must only
be carried out with the ignition switched off. Balancing wheels on the vehicle During finish balancing of the wheels, the vehicle
must be hoisted and all the wheels able to rotate
freely. Towing fPlease see the chapter “TOWING” on
Page 280.Wheels/TiresThe PTM control unit is adapted to the approved
tire sizes. The use of non-approved tire sizes may
lead to deviations in wheel speeds and it may influ-
ence handling or result in the PTM switching off.

64
Operation, Safety
Sport ModeA sportier car set-up is obtained when Sport mode
is switched on. Interventions by the Porsche
control systems are intentionally shifted towards
greater agility and driving performance:
– PASM (Porsche Active Suspension Manage-
ment) is automatically changed to Sport mode,
resulting in a stiffer suspension setup.
– When Sport mode is active, the PDK transmis-
sion switches to a sporty gear-changing map
and shortens the gear shifting times. Gear
changes take place faster, but fuel consump-
tion is also increased.
PSM (Porsche Stability Management) control
gives a sportier road-feel to the vehicle. PSM
interventions take place later than in Normal
mode. The driver can maneuver the vehicle
with greater agility at its performance limits,
without having to dispense with the assistance
of PSM in emergency situations. This helps to
achieve optimal lap times, particularly on race
circuits with a dry road surface.
– The electronic accelerator pedal reacts
sooner, and the engine is more responsive to
throttle inputs. When Sport mode is switched
on, this function is activated only after the
driver has floored the accelerator pedal or
released it briefly.– The rpm limiter characteristic is “harder”, i.e.
the engine is immediately throttled when the
performance limits are reached (only in manual
selection mode for vehicles with PDK transmis-
sion).
fPlease observe the chapters on PSM, PASM
and PDK.
Switching Sport mode on and offSwitching Sport mode on and off simultaneously
activates and deactivates the Sport mode in
PA S M .
If PASM Sport mode was activated with the PASM
button, PASM remains active.
After the ignition is switched off, Sport mode is
automatically reset to Normal mode.
SPORT button
fPress SPORT button A in the center console.
When Sport mode is switched on, the light-
emitting diode in the SPORT button is lit.
A sporty gear-changing map is enabled and the
gear shifting times are shortened for the PDK
transmission.
A sporty driving style is recognized more quickly
and the gear-changing speeds are adapted to
driving performance.
Deceleration downshifts are commenced earlier.
Downshifts are made during slight decelerations,
even at higher engine speeds.
fPlease see the chapter “SPORT MODE
(“SPORT” AND “SPORT PLUS” MODES)” on
Page 172.

68
Operation, Safety
Sport modeA sportier car set-up is obtained when Sport or
Sport Plus mode is switched on.
PSM interventions are later than in Normal mode;
the vehicle can be maneuverd with greater agility
at its performance limits, without dispensing with
the assistance of PSM in emergency situations.
This helps to achieve optimal lap times, particu-
larly on race circuits and a dry road surface.
– The multifunctional light on the instrument
panel lights up for a lamp check when the
ignition is switched on.
– The light indicates a control operation by
flashing, including when PSM is switched off
(brake control in the event of one-sided wheel
spin).
– In conjunction with a message on the on-board
computer, the light indicates that PSM is
switched off.
An acoustic signal also sounds.
– The light indicates a fault in conjunction with a
message on the on-board computer.
PSM is out of order.fPlease have the fault remedied at an author-
ized Porsche dealer.
fPlease see the chapter “PUTTING VEHICLE
INTO OPERATION” on Page 263.
TowingfPlease see the chapter “TOWING” on
Page 280.Checks on test standsBrake tests
Brake tests must be performed only on plate-type
test stands or roller test stands.
The ignition must be switched off.
The following limit values must not be exceeded
on roller test stands:
– Testing speed 5 mph (8 km/h)
– Test duration 20 seconds
Handbrake tests
Handbrake tests on the roller test stand must be
performed only with the ignition switched off.
PSM multifunctional light

Operation, Safety
69
PASM makes two running-gear setups available to
the driver: “Normal” and “Sport”.
The selection is made via a button on the center
console.
In Normal mode the running gear is in a comfort-
able setup.
Sport mode offers very sporty shock absorber
tuning.
The variable suspension system selects the appro-
priate damping level for each wheel according to
the situation and driving conditions.
Example:
If the vehicle is driven in a very sporty manner in
Normal mode, PASM automatically adapts the
shock-absorber behavior to the driving situation
accordingly.
Switching on PASM Sport modefPress PASM button in the center console.
When PASM Sport mode is switched on, the
light-emitting diode in the button is lit up and a
message is shown on the on-board computer.Switching off PASM Sport modefPress PASM button in the center console.
The light-emitting diode in the button goes out
and the on-board computer displays a
message.
After the ignition is switched off, PASM is
automatically reset to Normal mode.
Retractable Rear SpoilerThe rear spoiler improves driving stability,
especially at higher speeds.
Warning!
Risk of accident. If the rear spoiler cannot be
extended, driving stability will be adversely
affected by increased rear axle lift, which
could lead to loss of control.
fAdapt your driving style and speed to the
changed driving behavior.
fHave the fault remedied at an authorized
Porsche dealer.
Risk of injury during manual retraction or
extension of the rear spoiler with the vehicle
stationary.
fMake sure that no persons or objects are
within the range of movement of the rear
spoiler.
Risk of damage from pushing the vehicle by
the spoiler.
fDo not push the vehicle at the spoiler.
Porsche Active Suspension
Management (PASM)