2009 PORSCHE PANAMERA warning light

1
Dear Owner,We would like to thank you for your purchase of a
Porsche Panamera. Judging by the car you have
chosen, you are a motorist of a special breed, and
you are probably no novice when it comes to
automobiles.
Remember however, as with any vehicle, you
should take time to familiarize yourself with your
Porsche and its performance characteristics.
Always drive within your own unique capabilities as
a driver and your level of experience with your
Porsche. Ensure that anyone else driving your
Porsche does the same. To prevent or minimize
injury, always use your safety belts. Never
consume alcohol or drugs before or during the
operation of your vehicle.
This Owner’s Manual contains a host of useful
information. Please take the time to read this
manual before you drive your new Porsche.
Become familiar with the operation of your
Porsche car for maximum safety and operating
pleasure. The better you know your Porsche, the
more pleasure you will experience driving your
new car.
Always keep your Owner’s Manual in the car, and
give it to the new owner if you ever sell your
Porsche. A separate Maintenance Booklet
explains how
you can keep your Porsche in top driving condition
by having it serviced regularly.
A separate Warranty and Customer Informa-
tion Booklet contains detailed information about
the warranties covering your Porsche.
For U.S. only:
If you believe that your vehicle has a fault which
could cause a crash, injury or death, you should
immediately inform the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration (NHTSA) in addition to
notifying Porsche Cars North America, Inc.
(Porsche Cars N.A.).
If NHTSA receives similar complaints, it may open
an investigation, and if it finds that a safety
problem exists in a group of vehicles, it may order
a recall and remedy campaign. However, NHTSA
cannot become involved in individual problems
between you and your dealer, or Porsche Cars
N.A..
To contact NHTSA, you may call the Vehicle Safety
Hotline toll-free at 1–888–327–4236 (TTY:
1–800–424–9153); go to
http://www.safercar.gov; or write to: Adminis-
trator, NHTSA, 400 Seventh Street, SW.,
Washington, DC 20590.
You can also obtain other information about motor
vehicle safety from http://www.safercar.gov.
Your car has thousands of parts and components
which have been designed and manufactured in
accordance with Porsche’s high standards of
engineering quality and safety.
Warning!
Any alteration or misuse of the vehicle can
lead to accidents and serious or fatal
personal injuries.
Any alteration of the vehicle may negate or
interfere with those safety features built into
the vehicle. Modifications may be carried out
on your vehicle only if approved by Porsche.
Your Porsche is intended to be used in a safe
manner obeying the local laws and in the
light of driving conditions faced by you, and
in accordance with the instructions provided
in this Owner’s Manual.
f Do not misuse your Porsche by ignoring those
laws and driving conditions, or by ignoring the instructions in this manual.
Regularly check your vehicle for signs of
damage.
Damaged or missing aerodynamic compon-
ents such as spoilers or underside panels
affect the driving behavior and therefore
must be replaced immediately.
Your car may have all or some of the components
described in this manual.
Should you have difficulty understanding any of
the explanations of features or equipment installed
in your vehicle, contact your authorized Porsche
dealer. They will be glad to assist you. Also check
with your dealer on other available options or
equipment.

5
In the driver’s seat…fCheck operation of the horn.
f Position seat for easy reach of foot pedals and
controls.To reduce the po ssibility 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.
f Adjust the inside and outside rear view mirrors.
f Buckle your safety belts.
f Check operation of the foot and electric
parking brake.
f Check all warning and indicator lights with
ignition on and engine not running.
f Start engine and check all warning displays for
warning symbols.
f Never leave an idling car unattended.
f Lock doors from inside, especially with
children 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.
f Always have your safety belt fastened.
f Always drive defensively.
Expect the unexpected.
f Use signals to indicate turns and lane changes.
f Turn on headlights at dusk or when the driving
conditions warrant it.
f Always keep a safe distance from the vehicle in
front of you, depending on traffic, road and
weather conditions.
f Reduce speed at night and during inclement
weather.
Driving in wet weather requires caution and
reduced speeds, particularly on roads with
standing water, as the handling characteristics
of the vehicle may be impaired due to hydro-
planing of the tires.
f Always observe speed limits and obey road
signs and traffic laws.
f When tired, get well off the road, stop and take
a rest. Turn the engine off. Do not sit in the
vehicle with engine idling.
Please see the chapter “ENGINE EXHAUST” on
Page 2. f
When parked, always put the electric parking
brake on and put the PDK selector lever in
position P.
On hills also turn the front wheels toward the
curb.
f When emergency repairs become necessary,
move the vehicle well off the road. Turn on the
emergency flasher and use other warning
devices to alert other motorists. Do not park
or operate the vehicle in areas where the hot
exhaust system may come in contact with dry
grass, brush, spilled fuel or other flammable
material.
f Make it a habit to have the engine oil checked
with every refueling.

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Contents
Check Engine (Emission
Control) .................. 114
Acoustic Signals ......... ................................ 114
Operating the Multi-Function Display in the
Instrument Panel ......... ................................ 115
Vehicle Settings on the Multi-Function
Display........................................... ............ 138
Overview of Warning Messages.................... 152
Driving and Driving Safety ................ 163Ignition Lock, Steering Lock ........................ 164
Starting and Stopping the Engine ................. 167
Auto Start Stop Functi on ............................. 169
Electric Parking Brak e ................................. 171
Brakes .............. ......................... ................ 172
Cruise Control ................................ ............ 176
Adaptive Cruise Contr ol ............................... 178
Car Audio Operation/Ti ps ............................ 189
Porsche Communication Management
(PCM) ............................ ............................ 191
iPod
®, USB and AUX ....... ............................ 192
Voice Control.............. ................................ 192
Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK) .................... 193
Selector-Lever Positions .................. ............ 195
Porsche Traction Management (PTM) ........... 202
Porsche Stability Management (PSM)............ 202
ABS Brake System (Anti-Lock Brake
System) ......................... ............................ 207
Porsche Active Suspension Management
(PASM)....................................................... 208
Porsche Active Suspension Management
(PASM) with Air Suspension and Level
Control ............. ......................... ................ 209
Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC) .... 211
“Sport” and “Sport Plus ” Mode .................... 212 Sports Exhaust System
............................... 214
Retractable Rear Spoi ler .............................. 214
Storage, Luggage Compartment
and Roof Transport System .............. 217Storage........................ .............................. 218
Drinks Holder/Cuphold er ............................. 221
Front Ashtray ................ .............................. 224
Rear Ashtray...................................... ......... 224
Cigarette Lighter....... .................................. 225
Refrigerated box in the re ar of the vehicle..... 226
Folding Rear Seats Forward and Returning
to Upright Position ......................... ............. 226
Luggage Compartment. ............................... 227
Stowing Loads .............. .............................. 228
Luggage Compartment Cover ...................... 229
Fixed Luggage Compartm ent Cover ............. 231
Ski Bag ........................ .............................. 231
Roof Transport System ............................... 232
Loading Information .. .................................. 236Parking .................... ....................... 238ParkAssist ......................................... ......... 239
Rearview Camera ...... .................................. 241
Swivelling Down Mirror Glass as
Parking Aid ............... .................................. 242
Garage Door Opener . .................................. 243Alarm System and Theft
Protection ....................................... 246Alarm System and Passenger
Compartment Monitori ng ............................. 247
Immobilizer............... .................................. 250 Locking the Steering Column .......................250
Theft Protection ..........
................................250
Maintenance and Car Care ............... 251Exercise Extreme Caution when Working
on your vehicle ....... ....................................252
Engine Oil ........................................ ...........254
Checking Engine-Oil Le vel ............................254
Topping Up Engine Oi l ................................ 255
Checking Coolant Level and Adding
Coolant ........................... ...........................257
Brake Fluid ................. ................................258
Washer Fluid .............. ................................259
Power Steering .......... ................................260
Changing Air Cleaner ...................................261
Changing Particle Filt er ................................261
Wiper Blades .............. ................................261
Emission Control Syst em .............................262
How Emission Control Works .......................263
Fuel Economy ............. ................................264
Operating Your Porsche in other Countries ....264
Fuel ............................................ ...............265
Fuel Can ..................... ................................267
Fuel Recommendations ................................268
Fuel Evaporation Control .................. ...........269
Car Care Instructions ...................................269Minor Repairs .................................. 277Exercise Extreme Caution when Working
on your Vehicle ....... ....................................278
Tires and Wheels......... ................................280
Wheel Bolts ............... ................................293
Flat Tire...................... ................................293
Electrical System ........ ................................296

38
Seats, Mirrors and Steering Wheel
Seat Adjustment and Head
Restraints
Danger!
The seat may move unexpectedly if you
attempt to adjust while driving. This could
cause sudden loss of control, resulting in
serious personal injury or death.
f Do not adjust seats while the vehicle is in mo-
tion.The backrest locks must be engaged at all
times while the vehicle is in motion.
Safety belts only offer protection when the
backrest is upright and the belts are properly
positioned on the body.
Improperly positioned sa fety belts or safety
belts worn by passengers in an excessively
reclined position can cause serious personal
injury or death in an accident.
f Do not operate the car with the driver or
passenger backrests excessively reclined.
f Please see the chapter “SEAT POSITION” on
page 38.
Danger of injury if pe rsons or animals are in
the movement range of the seat during seat
adjustment.
f Adjust the seat so that no-one is put at risk.
f Do not activate the comf ort memory button if
there is any risk of the seat crushing the
occupant. f
Cancel automatic adjustment by pressing any
of the seat adjustment buttons.
f Do not leave children in the vehicle unattended,
since they may depress the comfort setting
button and crush themselves or another
occupant. Caution!
Risk of damage to wi ndshield, sun visor,
windstop, etc. when the seat is adjusted or
folded back or forward.
f Adjust the seat so that the s e a t b a c k re s t i s n o t in contact with any other object.
The driver, front, and back passenger seats
provide integrated head restraints in the
backrests. The head restraints are not adjustable. Warning!
All occupants, including the driver, should not
operate a vehicle or sit in a vehicle’s seat until the
head restraints and backrests, respectively, are
placed in their proper posi tions so that the risk of
neck injuries is minimize d in the event of a crash.
For a proper positioning of the head restraint, the
seatback’s inclination should be adjusted such
that the head restraint is in an upright position.
Driver and passengers should be seated upright
and in the center of their seats.
Seat positionAn ergonomically correct sitting position is
important for safe and fatigue-free driving. We
recommend the following procedure for adjusting
the driver’s seat to suit individual requirements:
1. Adjust the seat until, with your left foot on the footrest, your left leg remains at a slight angle.
2. Rest your outstretched arm on the steering wheel. Set the backrest angle and the steering-
wheel position so that your wrist rests on the
outer rim of the steering wheel. At the same
time, the shoulders must still be in noticeable
contact with the backrest.
3. Adjust the seat height to give yourself enough headroom and a good overview of the vehicle.
4. Electrically adjustable seat: Adjust the seat angle until your thighs rest
lightly on the seat cushion.

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Seats, Mirrors and Steering Wheel
Front and Rear Seat VentilationThe seat ventilation is ready for operation when
the ignition is on. The seat ventilation can be
adjusted to one of three settings by repeatedly
pressing the seat ventilation button B.Switching onfPress the seat ventilation button B
(repeatedly).
The number of illuminated lights indicates the
selected ventilation setting.
Switching offf Press the seat ventilation button B repeatedly
until all the indicator lights go out.
Notes
Seat heating is not available when the interior
temperature is high.
Seat ventilation is not available when the interior
temperature is low.
Safety Belts
Danger!
Always make sure your and your passengers'
safety belts are properly fastened seated in
the vehicle.
Failure to follow safety belt warnings may
result in serious personal injury or death.
f For your and your passe ngers' protection, use
safety belts at all times while the vehicle is in
motion.
f Use appropriate child restraint systems for all
small children.
Proper wearing of safety belts
f S a f e t y b e l t s m u s t b e p o s i t i o n e d o n t h e b o d y a s
to restrain the upper bo dy and lap from sliding
forward. Improperly positioned safety belts
can cause serious personal injury in case of an
accident.
f The shoulder belt should always rest on your
upper body. The shoulder belt should never be
worn behind your back or under your arm.
f For maximum effectiveness, the lap belt
should be worn low across the hips.
f Pregnant women should position the belt as
low as possible across the pelvis. Make sure it
is not pressing against the abdomen.
f Belts should not be worn twisted.

Seats, Mirrors and Steering Wheel
45
fDo not wear belts over rigid or breakable
objects in or on your clothing, such as eye
glasses, pens, keys, etc. as these may cause
injury.
f Several layers of heavy clothing may interfere
with proper positioning of belts.
f Belts must not rub against sharp objects or
damage may occur to the belt.
f Two occupants should never share the same
belt at the same time.
Care and maintenance
f Keep belt buckles free of any obstruction that
may prevent a secure locking.
f Belts that have been subjected to excessive
stretch forces in an accident must be
inspected or replaced to ensure their
continued effectiveness in restraining you.
The same applies to belt tensioner systems
which have been triggered. In addition, the
anchor points of the belts should be checked.
f If safety belts do not work properly, see your
authorized Porsche dealer immediately.
f If the belts show damage to webbing, bindings,
buckles or retractors, they should be replaced
to ensure safe operation.
f Do not modify or disassemble the safety belts
in your vehicle. f
The belts must be kept clean or the retractors
may not work properly.
Please see the chapter “CAR CARE
INSTRUCTIONS” on page 269.
f Never bleach or dye safety belts.
f Do not allow safety belts to retract until they
are completely dry after cleaning or this may
cause damage to the belt.
Belt tensionerDepending on the force of a collision, fastened
seat belts are automatically tightened in an
accident.
The belt tensioners are triggered in:
– Front and rear impacts of sufficient severity
– Side impacts
– In cases of vehicle rollover
Maintenance notes
The belt tensioner system can be triggered only
once; the system must be replaced afterwards.
If there is a fault in the belt tensioner system, the
air bag warning light lights up.
Work may be performed on the belt tensioner
system only by an authorized Porsche dealer.
Smoke is released when the belt tensioners are
triggered.
This does not indicate a fire in the vehicle. An audio-visual warning
system is
interconnected with the driver’s safety belt.
Every time the ignition is turned on, the gong will
sound for about 6 seconds to remind driver and
passenger to buckle up.
In addition, the gong will sound for approximately
90 seconds if vehicle speed exceeds 15 mph
(24 km/h).
The safety belt warning lights in the instrument
panel and multi-function display will go off as soon
as the driver has buckled up.
Safety Belt Warning System

48
Seats, Mirrors and Steering Wheel Danger!
To provide optimal occupant protection, air
bags must inflate at very high speed. If you
are not wearing your safety belt or are too
close to the air bag when it is deployed,
inflating air bags can result in serious
personal injury or death.
f Make sure there are no people, animals or
objects between the driver or passenger and
the area into which the air bags inflate.
f Sit back as far from the dashboard or steering
wheel as is practical, while still maintaining full
vehicle control.
f Always hold the steering wheel by the outer
rim. Never rest your hands on the air bag
panel.
f Always fasten seat belts because triggering
of the air bag system depends on the force
and angle of impact.
f Do not transport heavy objects on or in front of
the passenger seat. These could impair the
function of the air bags, the seat belts, and
occupant sensing.
f Do not hang objects (e. g., jackets, coats,
coat hangers) over the backrest. f
Always keep the lid of the door storage
compartment closed. Objects must not
protrude out of the door storage
compartment.
f Do not add any additional coverings or stickers
to the steering wheel or in the area of the
passenger air bag, side air bags, knee air
bags, and head air bags. Doing so may
adversely affect the functioning of the air bag
system or cause harm to the occupants if the
air bag system should deploy.
f No objects should be placed over or near the
air bag on the instrument panel, because any
such objects could cause harm if the vehicle is
in a crash severe enough to cause the air bag
to inflate.
f Do not modify the seat coverings, since such
changes can block the seat-mounted side air
bag. Do not attach additional cushions,
protective coverings, or pillows to the
passenger's seat. Do not affix things to the
passenger's seat or cover it with other
materials. Do not cover the back of the
backrest. Do not make changes to the
passenger's seat, the cushion or foam, the
occupant sensor, and to the seat base frame.
f No changes must be made to the wiring or
components of the air bag system.
f Do not install any wiring for electrical
accessory equipment in the vicinity of the air
bag wiring harnesses. Doing so may disable the air bag system or cause inadvertent
inflation.
f If the warning light comes on, the air bag
system should be repaired immediately by
your authorized Porsche dealer.
f Always keep feet in the footwell while driving.
Do not put feet on the dashboard or the seat
area. Do not lean against the inside of the door
or outside the window while the vehicle is
moving.
f Using accessories not approved by Porsche
can cause the occupant sensing to be
impaired.
f Do not squeeze objects, such as the fire
extinguisher, or first aid kit under the seat.
f Only have seats removed and installed by an
authorized Porsche dealer so that occupant
sensing components will not be damaged.
f Give your passenger all of the information in
this chapter.
Note
Air bag components (e.g. steering wheel, seats)
may be disassembled only by an authorized
Porsche dealer.
f When disposing of a used air bag unit, our
safety instructions must be followed. These
instructions can be obtained at any authorized
Porsche dealer.

Seats, Mirrors and Steering Wheel
51
Note
fAfter switching on the ignition, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF warning light lights
up for a few seconds as a check.
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
lights up
The passenger’s air bags are switched off.
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
does not light up
The passenger’s air bags are active and ready for
operation.
Danger!
Risk of serious personal injury or death due
to the passenger air bag triggering
unintentionally.
When the ignition is on and the up to one-
year old child is seated in the child restraint
system on the passenger seat the indicator
lamp “PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF“ must be
on.
If the “PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF” indicator
lamp does not light up, it could indicate a
fault in the system, and the air bag could
inflate in a collision, placing the child at risk
of death or severe injury from the inflating air
bag.
In this case:
f Fasten the child restraint system on one of the
rear seats immediately.
f Have the fault remedied at your nearest authorized Porsche dealer. Faults are indicated by a warning light in the
instrument panel.
The air bag warning light illuminates when the
electronic monitoring of the air bag system
detects a malfunction of the
sensors, safety belt
system, occupant detection system, PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp, related wiring, air bag
modules and control units.
f In the following cases you should
immediately consult an authorized
Porsche dealer in order to assure the air
bag system is functioning properly:
– If the warning light does not light up when the ignition is switched on or
– If the warning light does not go out once the engine is running or
– If the warning light appears while driving.
Warning light