30
Operation, Safety
Seat Adjustment and Head
Restraints
Warning!
The seat may move unexpectedly if you
attempt to adjust while driving. This could
cause sudden loss of control, resulting in se-
rious personal injury or death.
fDo 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 safety belts or safety
belts worn by passengers in an excessively
reclined position can cause serious personal
injury or death in an accident.
fDo not operate the car with the driver or
passenger backrests excessively reclined
(see “Seat position”).
Risk of injury if persons or animals are in the
movement range of the seat during seat
adjustment.
fAdjust the seat so that no-one is put at risk.
Caution!
Risk of damage to windshield, sun visor,
windstop, etc. when the seat is adjusted or
folded back or forward.
fAdjust 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 and front passenger seats provide
integrated head restraints in the backrests. The
head restraints are not adjustable. The rear seats
do not provide head restraints. 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 positions so that the risk of
neck injuries is minimized in the event of a crash.
For 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 adjust-
ing the driver’s seat to suit individual
requirements:
1.Vehicles with manual transmission:
Adjust the seat until, with the clutch pedal fully
depressed, your leg remains at a slight angle.
Vehicles with Porsche Doppelkupplung
(PDK):
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 (not applicable for
Sports bucket seat) 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 (not applicable for
Sports bucket seat) 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.
Operation, Safety
37
Rear Seat BackrestsExtra storage space is gained by folding the rear
seat backrests forward.
Folding forward
fPull lever forward and fold the backrest
forward.
Folding back
fTilt the backrest back until you feel it click into
place. When doing so, make sure that the seat
belt is properly routed (see figure).Cabriolet
fDo not fold up the rear seat backrests with the
windstop installed.
Steering Wheel Adjustment
Warning!
Risk of accident.
The steering wheel may move further than
desired if you attempt to adjust it when
driving.
You can lose control of the vehicle, causing
serious personal injury or death.
fDo not adjust the steering wheel when driving.
Adjusting steering wheel height and
longitudinal direction1. Insert ignition key fully into ignition lock.
2. Push the locking lever downwards.
3. Adjust steering wheel to fit the chosen
backrest angle and your seat position by
moving the steering wheel up or down and
longitudinally.
4. Swivel locking lever back until you feel it en-
gage.
If necessary, move steering wheel slightly lon-
gitudinally.
40
Operation, Safety
Sun VisorsfSwing the sun visors down to prevent glare
from the front.
fTo prevent glare from the side, unclip the sun
visor from the inner bracket and swivel round
so that it is in front of the door window. Vanity mirror The vanity mirror on the rear of the sun visor is
covered by a lid.
Warning!
Risk of injury in an accident or risk of dam-
age to mirror lid and convertible top.
fKeep the lid closed while driving and when
closing the convertible top.
Risk of damage.
fDo not force the lid beyond its end position.
Coupé, CabrioletThe vanity mirror illumination is switched on auto-
matically when the cover is opened (arrow).
Ta rg aThe vanity mirror illumination is switched on auto-
matically when the sliding cover is opened
(arrow). The light is switched off when the sun vi-
sor is in its upper or lower end position.
Operation, Safety
41
Safety Belts
Warning!
Always make sure your and your passengers’
safety belts are properly fastened while the
vehicle is in motion.
Failure to follow safety belt warnings may re-
sult in serious personal injury or death.
fFor your and your passengers’ protection, use
safety belts at all times while the vehicle is in
motion.
fUse appropriate child restraint systems for all
small children.
Proper wearing of safety belts
fSafety belts must be positioned on the body as
to restrain the upper body and lap from sliding
forward. Improperly positioned safety belts
can cause serious personal injury or death in
case of an accident.
fThe shoulder belt should always rest on your
upper body. The shoulder belt should never be
worn behind your back or under your arm.
fFor maximum effectiveness, the lap belt
should be worn low across the hips.
fPregnant women should position the belt as
low as possible across the pelvis. Make sure it
is not pressing against the abdomen. fBelts should not be worn twisted.
fDo not wear belts over rigid or breakable ob-
jects in or on your clothing, such as eye glass-
es, pens, keys, etc. as these may cause injury.
fSeveral layers of heavy clothing may interfere
with proper positioning of belts.
fBelts must not rub against sharp objects or
damage may occur to the belt.
fTwo occupants should never share the same
belt at the same time.
Care and maintenance
fKeep belt buckles free of any obstruction that
may prevent a secure locking.
fBelts that have been subjected to excessive
stretch forces in an accident must be inspect-
ed or replaced to ensure their continued effec-
tiveness 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.
fIf safety belts do not work properly, see your
authorized Porsche dealer immediately.
fIf the belts show damage to webbing, bindings,
buckles or retractors, they should be replaced
to ensure safe operation.
fDo not modify or disassemble the safety belts
in your vehicle. fThe belts must be kept clean or the retractors
may not work properly.
Please see the chapter “CAR CARE INSTRUC-
TIONS” on Page 224.
fNever bleach or dye safety belts.
fDo not allow safety belts to retract until they
are completely dry after cleaning or this may
cause damage to the belt.
Belt tensioner Depending on the force of an impact, fastened
front seat safety belts are tightened in an acci-
dent.
The belt tensioners are triggered in:
– Front, side and rear impacts of sufficient
severity.
– For the Cabriolet, in cases of vehicle rollover.
Note
The belt-tensioner system can be triggered only
once; the system must be replaced afterward.
If there is a fault in the belt-tensioner system, the
airbag warning light lights up.
Work may be performed on the belt-tensioner sys-
tem only by an authorized Porsche dealer.
Smoke is released when the belt tensioners are
triggered. This does not indicate a fire in the
vehicle.
42
Operation, Safety An audio-visual warning system is interconnect-
ed 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 approx. 90 sec-
onds if vehicle speed exceeds 15 mph/24 km/h.
The safety belt warning lights in the instrument
panel and on-board computer will go off as soon
as the driver has buckled up.
Inertia reel retractor The combination lap/shoulder belt with inertia reel
locking mechanism adjusts automatically to your
size and movements as long as the pull on the belt
is slow.
Rapid deceleration during hard braking or a colli-
sion locks the belt. The belt will also lock when you
drive up or down a steep hill or in a sharp curve,
otherwise, the shoulder belt will not inhibit your
upper body movement.
Fastening the safety beltfAssume a comfortable sitting position.
fPlease see the chapter “SEAT POSITION” on
Page 30.
fThe shoulder belt should always rest on your
upper body. The shoulder belt should never be
worn behind your back or under your arm.
fGrasp belt and pull the belt in a continuous
slow motion across your chest and lap.
fInsert belt tongue into buckle on inboard side
of seat. Push down until it securely locks with
an audible click. Pull the belt to check.
fPull shoulder section to make sure belt fits
snugly across the pelvis.
fBelts should fit snugly across the pelvis and
chest. Make sure there is no slack in the belt. Releasing the safety beltfPush in release button (arrow) on buckle. Belt
tongue will spring out of buckle.
fTo release a latched belt, lean back to take the
body pressure off the belt.
fTo store lap/shoulder belt, allow the belt to re-
tract as you guide the latch to its stowed posi-
tion.
fPlease see the chapter “AUTOMATIC LOCKING
RETRACTOR” on Page 53.
Safety Belt Warning System
44
Operation, Safety
Airbag SystemsThe airbags in combination with the safety belts
make up a safety system which offers the driver
and the passenger the greatest known protection
from injuries in case of accident.
Your vehicle is equipped with a weight sensing sys-
tem for the front passenger's seat in accordance
with U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
208.
Even if your vehicle is equipped with airbags, the
safety belts must be worn at all times,
because the front airbag system is only deployed
by frontal collisions with an impact of sufficient se-
verity.
Below the deployment threshold of the airbag sys-
tem, and during types of collisions which do not
cause the actuation of the system, the safety belts
provide the primary protection to the occupants
when correctly worn.
Therefore, all persons within the vehicle
must wear safety belts at all times (in many
states, state law requires the use of safety belts).
fPlease see the chapter “SAFETY BELTS” on
Page 41.
The front airbags are located under the padded
steering wheel panel on the driver’s side and, on
the passenger's side, in the dashboard.
The side airbags for the front seats are installed
on the side in the seat backrests.
The head airbags are installed in the door linings.
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 airbag when it is deployed, inflat-
ing airbags can result in serious personal in-
jury or death.
fMake sure there are no people, animals or ob-
jects between the driver or passenger and the
area into which the airbag inflates.
fSit back as far from the dashboard or steering
wheel as is practical, while still maintaining full
vehicle control.
fAlways hold the steering wheel by the outer
rim. Never rest your hands on the airbag panel.
fAlways fasten seat belts because triggering
of the airbag system depends on the force and
angle of impact.
fDo not transport heavy objects on or in front of
the passenger’s seat. These could impair the
function of the airbag, the seat belts, and
weight sensing.
fDo not hang objects (e.g. jackets, coats, coat
hangers) over the backrest.fAlways keep the lid of the door storage com-
partment closed. Objects must not protrude
out of the door storage compartment.
fNo changes may be made to the wiring or
components of the airbag system.
fDo not add any additional coverings or stickers
to the steering wheel or in the area of the pas-
senger’s airbag, side airbags and head air-
bags. Doing so may adversely affect the func-
tioning of the airbag system or cause harm to
the occupants if the airbag system should de-
ploy.
Do not use protective seat covers.
fDo not modify the seat coverings. Do not at-
tach 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 passen-
ger's seat and to the seat base frame.
fDo not undertake any wiring for electrical ac-
cessory equipment in the vicinity of the airbag
wiring harnesses. Doing so may disable the air-
bag system or cause inadvertent inflation.
fIf the warning light comes on, the airbag sys-
tem should be repaired immediately by your
authorized Porsche dealer.
fAlways 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 mov-
ing.
46
Operation, Safety Seat adjustment for the front passenger's
seat Danger!
Safety belts only offer protection when the
backrest is upright and the belts are properly
positioned on the body. Improperly posi-
tioned safety belts can cause serious person-
al injury or death in an accident.
fDo not operate the car with the driver or
passenger backrests excessively reclined.
fPorsche recommends the use of L.A.T.C.H.
(Lower Anchorage and Tether for Children)
equipped Porsche child seat.
Do not install a child restraint system in
the Sports bucket seat.
The Sports bucket seat cannot be equipped with the LATCH system.
If the seat is in an extreme position (e.g., the back-
rest is in contact with the rear seat), the backrest
can warp. Warping of the backrest can lead to mal-
functions.
fCorrect the seat adjustment.
Ensure that the seat is not jammed and is self-
supporting.
Ensure that the backrest is in the upright posi-
tion.
fDo not transport a load and objects in the rear
footwell and under the passenger's seat.
If the load or objects are under the seat, it can
cause malfunctions.If the weight on the passenger's seat is reduced
significantly, e.g., by supporting weight on the
armrest, the passenger's airbag can be switched
off.
fSelect an upright seat position, and do not sup-
port weight on the armrests or lean out of the
window.
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 mov-
ing.
If the passenger's seat is warped significantly, a
message is displayed on the on-board computer:
fCorrect the seat adjustment.
fPlease see the chapter “WARNINGS ON THE
INSTRUMENT PANEL AND THE ON-BOARD
COMPUTER” on Page 158.
Vehicle modifications to accommodate
persons with disabilities
Because modifications to your vehicle could com-
promise your advanced airbag system, please call
1-800-PORSCHE prior to having your vehicle mod-
ified.Automatic deactivation of the front
passenger’s airbag.
Danger!
The use of a child restraint system in the
front passenger’s seat can result in serious
personal injury or death to the child from an
airbag deployment.
fPlease see the chapter “PASSENGER AIRBAG
OFF INDICATOR LAMP DOES NOT LIGHT UP”
on Page 47.
fBefore transporting a child on the passenger’s
seat:
Please see the chapter “CHILD RESTRAINT
SYSTEMS” on Page 50.
fDo not install a child restraint system in the Sports bucket seat.
– When an up to one-year old child is seated
in the child restraint system, the front airbag is
automatically deactivated on the passenger’s
side.
– When an adult is seated in the front seat, the
front airbag remains active on the passenger‘s
side.
Operation, Safety
47
PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator lampNote on operation
Although not desired, it can occur in the case of
heavier children that the passenger’s airbag re-
mains active or, in the case of very light adults or
young persons, that the passenger’s airbag is
deactivated.
The condition of the passenger’s front airbag is
shown by the indicator lamp.
If in doubt:
fPlease see the chapter “PASSENGER AIRBAG
OFF INDICATOR LAMP DOES NOT LIGHT UP”
on Page 47.fPlease see the chapter “KEY-OPERATED AIR-
BAG DEACTIVATION DEVICE” on Page 49.
fPlease see the chapter “CHILD RESTRAINT
SYSTEMS” on Page 50.
fPlease see the chapter “LATCH SYSTEM
CHILD SEAT BRACKET ON THE PASSENGER’S
SEAT” on Page 54.
Note
fAfter inserting the ignition key, the PASSEN-
GER AIRBAG OFF warning light lights up for a
few seconds as a bulb check.
PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp
lights up
– The passenger's airbag is switched off.
PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp
does not light up
– The passenger's airbag is active and ready for
operation.
– If the passenger's seat is not occupied, the
PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp will
also not light up, even though the passenger's
airbag is switched off.
Danger!
Risk of serious personal injury or death due
to the passenger airbag triggering uninten-
tionally.
When the ignition key is inserted and the up
to one-year old child is seated in the child re-
straint system on the passenger’s seat, the
indicator lamp “PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF”
must be on.
If the “PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF” indicator
lamp does not light up, it could indicate a
fault in the system.
In this case:
fChild restraint systems facing forwards:
Install on the rear seats.
fChild restraint systems facing rearwards:
On vehicles with key-operated airbag deactiva-
tion device: Switch to position OFF.
fChild restraint systems facing rearwards:
On vehicles without key-operated airbag deac-
tivation device: Do not use a child restraint sys-
tem in the front passenger’s seat.
fHave the fault remedied at your nearest author-ized Porsche dealer.