2009 PORSCHE BOXSTER warning light

Warnings
163
Check left/right dipped beam (low
beam)
also applies to:
direction indicator, high beam, side in-
dicator light, reversing lightThe reported light is faulty. Check bulb.
Have the fault remedied
at an authorized
Porsche dealer.
Daytime
driving lights off Daytime driving lights switch off when the en-
gine is shut off. Switch
on lights if necessary.
Headlight beam
adjustment faulty Have the fault remedied
at an authorized
Porsche dealer.
Front lid not closed Close front lu ggage compartment lid properly.
Rear lid not closed Close rear luggage compartment lid properly.
Rain sensor faulty Have the faul t remedied at an authorized
Porsche dealer.
Steering wheel heating
ON Steering wheel heating was switched on.
Steering wheel heating
OFF Steering wheel heating was switched off.
Launch
control
active
Drive Off Assistant
failure Have the fault remedied
at an authorized
Porsche dealer.
Refill washer fluid
LIMIT
Cannot be accepted
with vehicle stopped The current speed can only
be accepted for the
acoustic warning signal when the vehicle is in
motion.
Instrument
panel On-board
computerText display on on-board
computer Meaning/measure

164
Warnings
LIMIT
30Selected speed limit (e.g. 30 mph) for the
acoustic warning signal has been exceeded.
Adjust your speed if necessary.
Fuel gage warning
light Consider remaining range Refuel at next opportunity.
Check engine oil level Start engi
ne oil level measurement in the
on-board computer.
Engine oil pressure too low Stop immediately at a suitable place, measure oil level with the on-board computer and, if nec-
essary, add engine oil.
Warning light
Temperature gage Engine temperature too high Switch
engine off and let it cool.
Check coolant level and, if necessary,
add coolant.
Temperature gage
warning light flash-
es Check coolant level Switch en
gine off and let it cool.
Check coolant level and, if necessary, add cool-
ant.
Engine diagnostics – workshop Stop imme diately at a suitale place and check
tank cap for proper fastening. If the tank cap
was fastened correctly, consult your authorized
Porsche dealer.
Reduced engine power Consult yo ur authorized Porsche dealer.
Temperature gage
warning light flash-
es Failure of
engine compartment blower
Consult your authorized Porsche dealer.
Warning Battery/generator Stop at a safe place and switch the engine off.
Do not continue driving.
Have the fault remedied at an authorized
Porsche dealer.
Instrument
panel On-board
computerText display on on-board
computer Meaning/measure

172
Shifting Gears
Manual Transmission, ClutchThe positions of the gears are shown on the shift
diagram on the gearshift lever.
Warning!
Risk of accident, resulting in serious person-
al injury or death.
f Do not obstruct the pedal travel with floor mats
or other objects.
Nonskid floor mats of the correct size are
available at your authorized Porsche dealer. To avoid damage to the clutch and transmis-
sion:
f
Always depress the clutch pedal fully when
changing gears. Make sure that the gearshift
lever is completely engaged.
f Only shift into reverse when the car has come
to a complete stop.
f When shifting gears, always ensure that the
clutch pedal is fully depressed and the gear
has fully engaged.
f Select reverse only when vehicle is stationary.
Reverse gear can be enga ged after shifting the
gearshift lever as far as possible to the left.
f Select an appropriately low gear on upward
and downward slopes.
This will ensure optimum use of engine power
and engine braking.
When reverse gear is sele cted and the ignition is
on, the backup lights are illuminated.
Permitted engine speedf You should change into a higher gear before
the needle reaches the red mark on the
tachometer, or ease off the accelerator.
If the red zone is reached during acceleration, fuel
feed is interrupted.
Caution!
Risk of engine damage (overrevving) when
shifting down to a lower gear.
f Take care not to exceed the maximum permitted engine speed when shifting down.

Shifting Gears
177
“Sport Plus” mode activated:
In “Sport Plus” mode, the PDK transmission
changes to a shift program designed for driving
on race circuits. 7th gear is not selected.
The gear-changing performance is enhanced
significantly again compared with “Sport” mode.
fPlease see the chapter “SPORT MODE” on
Page 61.
Driving with Launch Control
Driving with Launch Control allows you to achieve
maximum acceleration from a standing start. It is
intended to provide you with a unique enjoyment of
your vehicle under controlled circumstances and
is not intended to be used in any location where it
could be a nuisance to other persons.
Warning!
There is a risk of endangering other road
users if you use this Control in an improper
location or in a situation where other persons
might need to take evas ive action due to the
rapid acceleration that this technology
permits.
f Launch Control is designed to be used in a
controlled environment on closed circuit
driving courses where no vehicle cross traffic
or pedestrian traffic is present.
f Use Launch Control only if conditions permit it
to be applied in a safe manner. f
Do not use Launch Control if there is a possibi-
lity it could endanger other persons. Such a
possibility exists if you cannot see that you
have a clear road with no possibility of cross
traffic in your intended direction of driving. Caution!
Stress on components increases dramatically
when starting with maximum acceleration in
comparison with normal driving off. Use of
Launch Control will inevitably reduce the life
of the engaged engine and transmission
components.
Preconditions:
– Launch Control should only be used when the engine has reached operating temperature.
– “Sport Plus” mode must be switched on (light- emitting diode in button is on and “SPORT
PLUS” is displayed on the on-board computer).
1. Press the brake with your left foot.
2. Quickly press down the accelerator fully (kickdown activated) and hold.
The engine speed will flatten out at around
6500 rpm.
“Launch Control active” is displayed on the
on-board computer. 3. Release the brake within a few seconds.
Remaining stationary for a long time with
“Launch Control active” can lead to overload-
ing of the transmission.
In order to protect the transmission, the engine
power is then reduced an d the “Launch Control
active” process is cancelled.
Shifting gears on the steering wheel
With the shift buttons on the steering wheel, you
can change temporarily fr om automatic selection
mode D to manual mode M.
For example:
– Shifting down before bends and on entering built-up areas.
– Shifting down on downward slopes (engine braking).
– Shifting down for brief spurts of acceleration.
Manual selection mode remains engaged:
– for cornering (depending on the lateral acceler- ation) and overrunning,
– when the vehicle is stationary (e.g. at a junction).
The system leaves manual selection mode:
– automatically after approx. 8 seconds (unless cornering or overrunning),
– after driving off.

Shifting Gears
179
Depending on driving speed and engine speed,
you can shift up or down at any time.
Gear changes which would exceed the upper or
lower engine speed limit are not executed by the
controller.
There is no automatic upshift at the upper engine
speed limit in selector lever position M. Upshift
suppression can be cancelled by kickdown opera-
tion. If, for example, the engine speed limit is
reached during overtaking and the automatic
upshift does not occur, the transmission in this
case shifts up as a result of kickdown operation.
f Select an appropriately low gear on upward
and downward slopes.
This will ensure optimum use of engine power
and engine braking.
In order to shift up au tomatically at the upper
engine speed limit:
f Depress the accelerator pedal beyond the full-
throttle point (kickdown). Failure of the selector lever display on the
instrument cluster
The warning “Transmission emergency run” is
displayed in red on the on-board computer.
–Effect:
No selector lever position is displayed on the
instrument cluster.
Vehicle can be driven only until it comes to a
stop.
Remedy:
It is not possible to continue driving. Immedi-
ately stop the vehicle in a suitable place. Have
the vehicle towed to an authorized Porsche
dealer.
Please see the chapter “TOWING” on
Page 269.
Stoppingf For a brief stop (e.g. at a traffic light), leave the
selector lever in drive position and hold the
vehicle with the brake pedal.
f Do not hold the car on a slope using the
accelerator. Use the brake pedal or the
handbrake instead.
f Before leaving the vehicle, always apply the
handbrake and move the selector lever to
position P.Parkingf Go easy on the accelerator!
f When parking or manoeuvring in a small
space, control the speed by careful use of the
footbrake.Driving in winterIn wintry road conditions it is advisable to take
steep inclines in manual mo de. This prevents gear
changes occurring that could cause wheelspin.Tow-starting, towingf Please see the chapter “TOWING” on
Page 269.

182
Mobile Roofs
Convertible TopBrief operating instructions can be found on the
back side of the driver’s sun visor.
fPlease see the chapter “CAR CARE INSTRUC-
TIONS” on Page 213.
Warning!
When opening or closing the convertible top,
serious personal injury may occur if a per-
son’s body parts are near or in the way of the
convertible top mechanism’s moving parts.
f Make absolutely sure that nobody can be
injured by the convertible-top mechanism or the convertible-top compartment lid.
Do not operate convertible top:
– At temperatures below 32 °F/0 °C.
– When one side of the ca r is on a curb, a hoist
or a jack.
– When items of luggage or other objects hinder the convertible top movement.
f Drive only with the convertible top fully open or
closed (end positions). f
Items of luggage or objects on the luggage
tray above the engine compartment lid must
be put in the storage box or be secured to
prevent their sliding out. These items must not
be in abrasive contact with the convertible top
or rear window. Keep s hutters of the storage
box closed while driving.
f Avoid frequent operation of the convertible top
with the engine off; the vehicle battery would
be unintentionally discharged rapidly.
f When opening or closing the convertible top,
ensure there is sufficient clearance above the
convertible top (e.g. in the garage).
f To prevent damp stains and abrasions, only
open the convertible top in a dry, clean state.
f Park your car in the shade whenever possible,
as the fabric, rubber ma terial and color can be
harmed by long exposure to sunlight.
f The convertible top may only be actuated
during driving on even surfaces.
f The convertible top must not be used with
strong counter wind (over approx. 50 mph/
80 km/h).
Conditions for operating the convertible
top – The ignition must be switched on
(engine running or off).
– Maximum speed 30 mph (50 km/h) The opening/closing process of the convertib-
le top will be interrupted if the maximum speed
is exceeded.
f Reduce speed.
Press button again.
The opening/closing process is ended.

192
Mobile Roofs
7. Put both pivot locks in the opening position on
the hardtop.
The handles must point inwards. 8. With one person on each side, grasp hardtop
and carefully lift over the car.
9. Insert hardtop front i nto the sockets on the
windshield frame.
Warning!
Danger of pinching fingers or hands.
f Evenly lower the hardtop at both sides. 10.Lower hardtop at rear.
The pivot locks must be completely sunken
into the locks (arrow A).
If necessary, move latching lever slightly.
11.Swing both latching levers B to the rear until
they can be felt to engage.

Maintenance, Car Care
199
Engine Oil It is important to perform oil changes regularly in
accordance with the intervals specified in the
“Maintenance” booklet.
Engine oil consumption
It is normal for your engine to consume oil.
The rate of oil consumption depends on the quality
and viscosity of oil, the speed at which the engine
is operated, the climate, road conditions as well
as the amount of dilution and oxidation of the
lubricant.
If the vehicle is used for repeated short trips, and
consumes a normal amount of oil, the engine oil
measurement may not show any drop in the oil
level at all, even after 600 miles (1,000 km) or
more. This is because the oil is gradually becom-
ing diluted with fuel or mo isture, making it appear
that the oil level has not changed.
The diluting ingredients evaporate out when the
vehicle is driven at high speeds, as on an express-
way, making it then appear that oil is excessively
consumed after driving at high speeds.
If the conditions you drive your vehicle in are
dusty, humid, or hot, the frequency of the oil
change intervals should be greater. If the vehicle is driven at a high rate of speed,
climatic conditions are warm, and the load is high,
the oil should be checked more frequently, as
driving conditions will determine the rate of oil
consumption.
– The engine in your vehicle depends on oil to
lubricate and cool all of its moving parts.
Therefore, the engine oil should be checked
regularly and kept at the required level.
– Make it a habit to have the engine oil level checked at every fuel filling.
– The oil pressure warning light is not an oil level indicator.
The oil pressure warning light indicates serious
engine damage may be occuring when lit, if en-
gine rpm is above idle speed.
Engine Oil Level f Please see the chapter “EXERCISE EXTREME
CAUTION WHEN WORKING ON YOUR VEHICLE”
on Page 196.
f Regularly check the oil level using the on-board
computer after the vehicle is refuelled.
Please see the chapter “OIL DISPLAY AND
MEASUREMENT OF THE ENGINE OIL LEVEL”
on Page 157.
The difference between the minimum and maxi-
mum marks on the segment display is approx.
1.3 quarts (1.25 liters).
Each segment of the display corresponds to ap-
prox. 0.42 quart (0.4 liter).