
12
Before driving off...
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
airbag 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
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.
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
reduced speeds, particularly on roads with
standing water, as the handling characteristics
of the vehicle may be impaired due to hydropla-
ning 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
vehicle with engine idling.
Please see the chapter “ENGINE EXHAUST” on
Page 8.fWhen parked, always set the parking brake.
Move 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
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, fuel spill or other flammable
material.
fMake it a habit to have the engine oil checked
after every refueling.
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Operation, Safety
41
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
system for the 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
severity.
Below the deployment threshold of the airbag
system, and during types of collisions which do
not cause the actuation of the system, the safety
belts provide the primary protection to the occup-
ants 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 38.
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,
airbags 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,
inflating airbags can result in serious
personal injury or death.
fMake sure there are no people, animals or
objects 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
compartment closed. Objects must not
protrude out of the door storage compart-
ment.
fDo not add any additional coverings or stickers
to the steering wheel or in the area of the
passenger’s airbag, side airbags and head
airbags. Doing so may adversely affect the
functioning of the airbag system or cause
harm to the occupants if the airbag system
should deploy.
Do not use protective seat covers.
fDo not modify the seat coverings. Do not
attach additional cushions, protective cover-
ings, 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 and to the seat base frame.
fNo changes may be made to the wiring or
components of the airbag system.
fDo not install any wiring for electrical acces-
sory equipment in the vicinity of the airbag
wiring harnesses. Doing so may disable the
airbag system or cause inadvertent inflation.
fIf the warning light comes on, the airbag
system should be repaired immediately by
your authorized Porsche dealer.
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Operation, Safety
59
Porsche Stability Management
(PSM)PSM is an active control system for stabilization of
the vehicle during extreme driving maneuvers.
Warning!
Risk of an accident, resulting in serious
personal injury or death.
The increased control that is provided should
not induce you to take greater risks with your
safety. The limits dictated by the laws of
physics cannot be overcome, even with PSM.
The risk of accidents due to inappropriate
speed cannot be reduced, even by PSM.
The driver bears the responsibility for all
driving maneuvers.
fAdapt your driving style to the prevailing road
and weather conditions.
fObey all traffic laws.
Sensors at the wheels, brakes, steering system
and engine continuously measure:
–Speed
– Direction of travel (steering angle)
– Lateral acceleration
– Rate of turn about the vertical axis
– Longitudinal accelerationPSM uses these values to determine the direction
of travel indicated by the driver.
PSM intervenes and helps to correct the course if
the actual direction of motion deviates from the
chosen course (steering-wheel position):
It brakes individual wheels as needed. In addition,
the engine power may be manipulated in order to
stabilize the vehicle.
The events below inform the driver of PSM control
operations and warn him/her to adapt his/her
driving style to the road conditions:
– The multifunctional information light on the
instrument panel flashes.
– Hydraulic noises can be heard.
– The vehicle decelerates and steering-wheel
forces are altered as PSM controls the brakes.
– Reduced engine power.
– The brake pedal pulsates and its position is
changed during braking.
In order to achieve full vehicle deceleration,
foot pressure must be increased after the
brake pedal has begun vibrating.
Advantages of PSM– Improved traction and lane-holding ability in all
driving situations – even on road surfaces with
varying friction.
– The system compensates for undesired lateral
vehicle reactions when the driver releases the
accelerator pedal or brakes when cornering.
This compensation functions up to the
maximum lateral acceleration.
– PSM actively helps stabilize the vehicle as
required during dynamic driving maneuvers
(e.g. rapid steering movements, during lane
changes or on alternating bends).
– Improved braking stability in curves and on
different or varying road surfaces.
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Operation, Safety
71
Stopping Engine fTurn key back to position 3.
fDo not stop engine immediately after hard or
extended driving.
Keep engine running at increased idle for
about two minutes to prevent excessive heat
build-up before turning off engine.
fTo avoid discharging the battery, always
remove the ignition key from the ignition lock.
fWhen leaving the vehicle always remove the
ignition key, apply the parking brake and
engage the 1st gear or reverse gear.
fEngage the steering lock by moving the
steering wheel to the left or right.
Turn the steering wheel to the locking position
before you switch off the engine so that you
don’t have to exert yourself when locking or
unlocking the steering.
Warning!
Danger of injury. Hot engine compartment
components can burn skin on contact.
fBefore working on any part in the engine
compartment, turn the engine off and let it cool down sufficiently.
Engine-compartment blower,
radiator fan The radiator and radiator fan are in the front of the
car.
The engine-compartment blower is mounted on
the engine compartment lid.
Warning!
Risk of injury.
After the engine is switched off, the engine-
compartment temperature is monitored for
approx. 30 minutes.
During this period, and depending on tempe-
rature, the engine-compartment blower may
continue to run or start to run.
fCarry out work in these areas only with the
engine off, the ignition off, and exercise
extreme caution.
Risk of injury. The radiator fan in the front
end of the car may be operating or unexpec-
tedly start operating when the engine is
switched on.
fCarry out work in these areas only with the engine switched off.
Automatic garage door The ignition system in your Porsche may interfere
with your electronically operated garage door.
fTo check this, drive your Porsche close to the
garage door. Make sure not to interfere with
the operating range of the door.
fRun the engine at different speeds.
fIf the garage door opens or closes without you
operating the garage door unit in your car,
contact the dealer who installed the automatic
garage door to have the frequency and/or
coding of the garage door signal changed or
modified.
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Operation, Safety
75
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
Push the lever to the upper or lower pressure
point – turn signals flash three times
3 – High beam
4 – Headlight flasher
Lever in center position – Low beam
When high beam and headlight flasher are
selected, the blue indicator light in the tachometer
is lit. The turn signal lever turns off automatically when
the steering wheel is straightened out after
completing 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
signal bulbs. Headlight flasher (With ignition on or off)
fTo flash the headlights to oncomming
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.
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Operation, Safety
89
Porsche Communication
Management (PCM) fRefer to the separate Owner’s Manual before
putting the PCM into operation.
fPlease see the chapter “LOAD SWITCH-OFF
AFTER 2 HOURS OR 7 DAYS” on Page 208.
Warning!
There is a danger of accident if you set or
operate the on-board computer, radio,
navigation system, telephone or other equip-
ment when driving.
This could distract you from the traffic and
cause you to lose control of the vehicle resul-
ting in serious personal injury or death.
fOperate the components while driving only if
the traffic situation allows you to do so safely.
fCarry out any complicated operating or setting procedures only with the vehicle stationary.
The reception conditions for the radio module
integrated in the PCM change continuously as you
drive. Interference from buildings, terrain and the
weather is unavoidable.
FM stereo reception is particularly susceptible to
varying reception conditions.
Electronic accessories should only be retrofitted
by your authorized Porsche dealer.Accessories which have not been tested and
approved by Porsche may impair radio function
and reception.
NavigationWhen put into operation for the first time, a
distance of approx. 30 miles (50 km) must be
driven in order for the navigation system to
complete the process of fine calibration.
The same applies when the tires are changed (e.g.
summer/snow tires) or new tires fitted.
Full location accuracy is not yet achieved during
the fine-calibration process.
If the vehicle has been transported (e.g. ferry, car
train), the system may take a few minutes to deter-
mine the current location after it has been
switched on.
Serious tire slip (e.g. spinning wheels on snow)
may result in temporarily inaccurate navigation.
When the battery has been disconnected, it may
take up to 15 minutes before the navigation
system is operational again.
Car Audio Operation/Tips For radio operation see your separate
Owner’s Manual which is included with your
on-board literature.
fPlease see the chapter “LOAD SWITCH-OFF
AFTER 2 HOURS OR 7 DAYS” on Page 208.
FM reception
A vehicle is not an ideal place to listen to a radio.
Because the vehicle moves, reception conditions
are constantly changing.
Buildings, terrain, signal distance and noise from
other vehicles are all working against good recep-
tion.
Some conditions affecting FM may appear to be
problems when they are not.
The following characteristics are completely
normal for a given reception area, and they do not
indicate any problem with the radio itself.
Note
Electronic accessories should only be installed by
your authorized Porsche dealer.
Equipment which has not been tested and
approved by Porsche may impair radio function
and reception.
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114
Instruments, On-Board Computer
A- Adjustment button for clock
B-Clock
C- Outside temperature displayClock The clock is blanked out approximately four
minutes after the ignition is switched off or when
the car is locked.
Setting the time
Warning!
Risk of loss of control or accident, resulting
in serious personal injury or death.
fDo not reach through the steering-wheel spokes while driving.
fSwitch ignition on.
Setting hours
fPress adjustment button A for about one
second.
Hour display flashes.
fTurn button in the appropriate direction:
to right – increase hours figure
to left – decrease hours figure.
Adjustment in hours – turn button briefly
Fast adjustment (display cycles) –
turn and hold button.
Setting minutes
fPress adjustment button again.
Minutes display flashes.
fSet by rotating as in hours mode. Leaving adjustment mode
Automatically after one minute or:
fPress adjustment button again.
When adjustment mode is deliberately left by
pressing the button, the time begins precisely to
the second.
Note
The time mode can be changed between 12h and
24h in the on-board computer.
Outside Temperature The outside temperature display C does not
indicate, if ice is on the road.
Even if a temperature above 32 °F (0 °C) is
displayed, ice may still form on the road, for
instance on bridges or when the road passes
through a heavily shaded area.
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Instruments, On-Board Computer
135
Tire pressure function of the on-board
computer
The tire pressure function of the on-board
computer displays the tire pressures (actual
pressure) dependent on temperature in the four
wheels.
You can watch the tire pressure rise as the tempe-
rature increases while driving.
This display is only for information.
fUnder no circumstances should the tire
pressures be changed based on this display.
Warning!
This display is for informational purposes
only. Under no circumstances should the tire
pressures be changed based on this display.
Changing the tire pressure to incorrect
pressures could adversely affect the perfor-
mance, driving characteristics, and safety of
your vehicle.
fMaintain tire pressures according to the units
indicated on the tire pressure plate, located on the drivers side door of the vehicle.
Displaying the tire pressure function of the
on-board computer
fPush operating lever up or down until the tire
pressure function of the on-board computer
appears.
(The selection field must be switched off.)Pressure info in tire pressure menu
In accordance with physical principles, the air
pressure changes as the temperature changes.
The tire pressure increases or decreases by
around 1.5 psi (0.1 bar) for every 18 °F (10 °C)
change in temperature.
The Tire Pressure Monitoring takes this relation-
ship between tire pressure and temperature into
account.
fPlease see the chapter “PRESSURE INCREASE
AS THE RESULT OF TEMPERATURE
INCREASE” on Page 142.
You can read the tire pressures to be
corrected in this display.
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