40
Operation, Safety
Multi-Functional Steering Wheel
Warning!
There is a danger of accident if you set or
operate the on-board computer, radio,
navigation system, telephone or other
equipment when driving.
Operating these devices while driving could
distract you from traffic and cause you to
lose control of the vehicle.
f Operate these components while driving only if
the traffic situation allows you to do so safely.
f Carry out any complicated operating or setting procedures only while the vehicle is stationary.
Depending on the equipment in your vehicle, you
can use the function keys of the multi-functional
steering wheel to operate the following Porsche
communication systems:
–PCM
– Telephone
– Radio with CD-Drive
–CD-Audio
Readiness for operation of multi-
functional steering wheelThe multi-functional steering wheel is ready for
operation when the ignition and PCM are switched
on.
Operating the function keysf Please read the separate PCM operating
instructions before operating the function
keys.
The rotary knobs at the top left and right of the
steering wheel can also be pressed.
Turn volume control
Upwards – increase volume.
Downwards – decrease volume.
Press volume control
To switch volume/mute on and off.
Turn rotary knob
To select/mark function in the PCM within
a menu. To do this, turn the rotary knob
upward or downward.
Press rotary knob
To activate selected function.
Press screen button
To call the stored PCM function.
The button can be assigned the desired
function in the PCM.
Press Back button
To move back in the PCM menu.
Press Handset Pickup button
To accept a telphone call.
Press Handset Hangup button
To end or refuse a telephone call.
42
Operation, Safety
Safety Belts
Warning!
Always make sure your and your passenger’s
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.
f For your and your passenger’s 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 body and lap from sliding
forward. Improperly positioned safety belts
can cause serious personal injury or death 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.
f Do 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.
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 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.
f If safety belts do not work properly, see your
authorized Porsche dealer immediately.
f I f t h e b e l t s s h o w d a m a g e t o w e b b i n g , b i n d i n g s ,
buckles or retractors, they should be replaced
to ensure safe operation.
f Do not modify or disasse mble 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 INSTRUC-
TIONS” on Page 203.
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 tensioner Depending on the force of an impact, fastened
safety belts are tightened in an accident.
The belt tensioners are triggered in:
– Front, side and rear impacts of sufficient
severity.
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.
Operation, Safety
45
fUsing accessories not approved by Porsche
can cause the weight sensing system to be im-
paired.
f Do not squeeze objects, such as the fire extin-
guisher, or first aid kit under the seat.
f Only have seats removed and installed by an
authorized Porsche dealer so that weight sens-
ing components will not be damaged.
f Give your passenger all of the information in
this chapter.
Note
Airbag components (e.g. steering wheel, door lin-
ing, seats) may be disassembled only by an autho-
rized Porsche dealer.
When disposing of a used airbag unit, our safety
instructions must be followed. These instructions
can be obtained at any authorized Porsche dealer.
Function of the airbag systemAirbags are a supplemental safety system. Your
primary protection comes from your safety belts.
The front airbags are triggered during a frontal
collision of sufficient force and direction.
In the event of a side impact of corresponding
force, the side airbag on the impact side is
triggered.
The inflation process gene rates the amount of gas
required to fill the airbags at the necessary pres-
sure in fractions of a second.
Airbags help to protect the head and upper body,
while simultaneously damp ing the motion of the
driver and passenger in the impact direction in the
event of a frontal impact or side impact.
In order to help provide protection in severe colli-
sions which can cause death and serious injury,
airbags must inflate extremely rapidly. Such high
speed inflation has a negative but unavoidable
side effect, which is that it can and does cause in-
juries, including facial an d arm abrasions, bruising
and broken bones. You can help minimize such in-
juries by always wear ing your safety belts.
There are many types of accidents in which air-
bags are not expected to deploy. These include
accidents where the airbags would provide no be-
nefit, such as a rear impact against your vehicle.
Other accidents where the airbags are designed
not to deploy are those where the risk of injury
from the airbag deployment could exceed any pro-
tective benefits, such as in low speed accidents or higher speed accidents where the vehicle decele-
rates over a long time. Since airbag deployment
does not occur in all accidents, this further em-
phasizes the need for yo
u and your passenger to
always wear safety belts.
Your vehicle is equipped with a crash sensing and
diagnostic module. This module will record the
use of the seat belt restraint system by the driver
and passenger when the airbags and/or belt ten-
sioner work.
Advanced AirbagYour vehicle is equipped with a weight sensing sys-
tem for the passenger's seat in accordance with
U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208.
Depending on the weight acting on the passen-
ger's seat, the passenger's airbag will automati-
cally be switched on and off.
Depending on the angle and force of impact, the
passenger's airbag which is activated will be trig-
gered during a collision.
Precondition for switching the passenger's airbag
on and off, depending on weight:
– Vehicles equipped with key-operated airbag deactivation device:
Switch position AUTO.
– Ignition key is inserted.
Improper handling of the weight sensing
system can unintentional ly impair switching
the passenger's airbag off and on.
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
remains active or, in the case of very light adults
or young persons, that the passenger airbag is
deactivated.The condition of the passenger’s front airbag is
shown by the indicator lamp.
If in doubt:
f
Please see the chapter “PASSENGER AIRBAG
OFF INDICATOR LAMP DOES NOT LIGHT UP”
on Page 47.
f Please see the chapter “KEY-OPERATED AIR-
BAG DEACTIVATION DEVICE” on Page 49.
f Please see the chapter “CHILD RESTRAINT
SYSTEMS” on Page 50.
f Please see the chapter “LATCH SYSTEM
CHILD SEAT BRACKET ON THE PASSENGER’S
SEAT” on Page 53.
Note
f After 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 unintenti-
onally.
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:
f On vehicles with key-operated airbag deactiva-
tion device: Switch to position OFF.
f On vehicles without key-operated airbag deac-
tivation device: Do not drive.
f Have the fault remedied at your nearest autho-rized Porsche dealer.
48
Operation, Safety
Note
The key switch for switching off the passenger’s
airbag in combination with the LATCH attachment
bracket are not installed at the factory. They can
be retrofitted.
f
Please see your authorized Porsche dealer.
Faults are indicated by a warning light in the instru-
ment panel and a message on the on-board com-
puter.
f Please see the chapter “WARNINGS ON THE
INSTRUMENT PANEL AND THE ON-BOARD
COMPUTER” on Page 166.
f In the following cases you should immedi-
ately consult an authorized Porsche
dealer in order to assure the airbag sys-
tem is functioning properly:
– If the warning light does not light up when the ignition key is inserted or
– If the warning light does not go out once the engine is running or
– If the warning light appears while driving.
Airbag maintenanceIn order to ensure long-t erm functioning, the air-
bag system must be inspected by an authorized
Porsche dealer at the i ntervals recommended in
your Maintenance Booklet.
Important information
If you sell your Porsche, notify the purchaser that
the vehicle is equipped with airbags, and refer
them to the chapter, “Airbag Systems“, in the
Owner's Manual (safety and disposal rules).
Further information on the airbag system can be
found on stickers attach ed to the sun visors.
For special recommendations on the use of child
restraints:
f Please see the chapter “CHILD RESTRAINT
SYSTEMS” on Page 50.
Warning light and warning
message
Operation, Safety
49
Key-operated airbag deactivation deviceIn case your vehicle is equipped with LATCH, you
can switch off (OFF) the passenger’s front airbag
manually. In the automatic mode (AUTO), the air-
bag will be switched on or off automatically de-
pending on the weight on the passenger seat.
fSwitch off the passenger’s airbag on the key
switch using the vehicle key.
A Switch position AUTO – passenger’s front airbag is active
B Switch position OFF – passenger’s front airbag is switched off
PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp
Danger!
Risk of serious personal injury or death for
passenger if passenger’s airbag remains
switched off after the child restraint system
is removed.
f Make sure that the key switch is switched to
AUTO once the child seat has been removed,
in order to provide protection to the adult occupants. Warning light ”PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF“
If the airbag on the pass
enger’s side is switched
off:
– Warning light “PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF” is continuously lit when the ignition key is
inserted.
Danger!
Risk of serious personal injury or death from
the passenger’s airbag.
If the ”PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF“ warning
light is not lit when the ignition key is inserted
and the Airbag OFF switch is switched to the
OFF-Position, this could indicate a fault in the
system.
f Do not install a child restraint system on the
passenger’s seat.
f Have the fault remedied immediately. Please see your authorized Porsche dealer.
Note
f Do not install a child restraint system in
the Sports bucket seat.
The key switch for switch ing off the passenger’s
airbag in combination with the LATCH attachment
bracket are not installed at the factory. They can
be retrofitted (not on vehicles with Sports bucket
seats).
f Please see your authorized Porsche dealer.
50
Operation, Safety
Child Restraint SystemsfDo not install a child restraint system in
the Sports bucket seat.
The Sports bucket seat cannot be
equipped with the LATCH system.
Porsche recommends that all infants and children
be restrained in child restraint systems at all times
while the vehicle is in motion in accordance with
applicable laws.
Use only child restraint systems with the LATCH-
system recommended by Porsche. These sys-
tems have been tested and adjusted to the interior
of your Porsche and the appropriate child weight
groups. Other systems have not been tested and
could entail an increased risk of injury or death.
You can obtain child seats that are LATCH compa-
tible at your authorized Porsche dealer.
f Always see the separate installation
instructions for your child seat.
The use of infant or child restraints is required by
law in all 50 states of the U.S. and all Canadian
provinces. The child restraint system should be
one that complies with U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standards and should be secured by a lap
belt or lap belt portion of a lap-shoulder belt or for
child seats equipped with the LATCH sytem ( Lo-
wer Anchorage and Tether for Children, also
known as ISOFIX) to the LATCH anchorages.
A statement by the seat manufacturer of compli-
ance with this standard can be found on the in-
struction label on the restraint and in the instruc- tion manual provided with the restraint.
Danger!
The use of a child restraint system in the pas-
senger seat can result in serious personal in-
jury or death to the child from an airbag
deployment.
To reduce risk of injury from an inflating air-
bag in an accident, Po rsche strongly recom-
mends:
f Please see the chapter “PASSENGER AIRBAG
OFF INDICATOR LAMP DOES NOT LIGHT UP”
on Page 47.
f Please see the chapter “CHILD RESTRAINT
SYSTEMS” on Page 50.
f Do not install a child restraint system in
the Sports bucket seat.
The Sports bucket seat cannot be equipped with the LATCH system.
Note
The key switch for switching off the passenger’s
airbag and the LATCH attachment bracket are not
installed at the factory. Th ey can be retrofitted (not
on vehicles with Sports bucket seats).
f Please see your authorized Porsche dealer.
Danger!
Risk of serious personal injury or death to the
child.
f Follow all child restraint instructions and warnings in this manual.
– When using an infant or child restraint system, be sure to follow all manufacturer's instruc-
tions on installation and use.
– Infants and small children should never be held on the lap, nor should th ey share a safety belt
with another occupant while the vehicle is in
motion.
– Children too big for child restraint systems should use regular safety belts. A shoulder belt
can be used providing it does not cross the
face or the neck of the child.
– Choose a child restraint system according to the weight of the child.
– Child restraint systems that are damaged or h a v e b e e n h e a v i l y s t r e s s e d i n a n a c c i d e n t m u s t
be replaced immediately.
– Children could be endangered in a crash if their child restrains are not properly secured in the
vehicle.
– Do not affix things to child restraint systems or cover it with other materials.
Operation, Safety
51
– Your authorized Porsche dealer will be glad to advise you about the inst allation possibility for
a Porsche child restraint system which allows
a key-operated airbag de activation of the pas-
senger’s airbag.
– The key-operated airbag deactivation device installation requires special programming
available only from your authorized Porsche
dealer.
f Please see the chapter “KEY-OPERATED AIR-
BAG DEACTIVATION DEVICE” on Page 49.Direction of installation for child restraint
systemsGroup 0 and 0+: Children up to 29 lbs (13 kg)
Children of this weight must be transported in a
restraint system which is installed on the passen-
ger’s seat facing rearward .
Group I: Children between 20 lbs (9 kg) and
40 lbs
Children of this weight ar e held in child restraint
systems facing forward .
Group II: Children in between 33 lbs (15 kg)
and 55 lbs (25 kg)
Children of this weight ar e held in child restraint
systems facing forward .
Group III: Children in between 49 lbs (22 kg)
and 80 lbs (36 kg) Children of this weight are held in child restraint
systems
facing forward .
f The vehicle seat must be adjusted so that it is
in its lower rear position.
Using child restraint systems in the
passenger seatfDo not install a child restraint system in
the Sports bucket seat.
Danger!
The use of a child restraint system in the pas-
senger seat can result in serious personal
injury or death to the child from an airbag
deployment.
To reduce risk of injury from an inflating air-
bag in an accident, Porsche strongly recom-
mends:
f Please see the chapter “PASSENGER AIRBAG
OFF INDICATOR LAMP DOES NOT LIGHT UP”
on Page 47.
f Please see the chapter “CHILD RESTRAINT
SYSTEMS” on Page 50.
f Do not install a child restraint system in
the Sports bucket seat.
The Sports bucket seat cannot be equipped with the LATCH system. Child restraint system for up to one-year old
children
– Make sure that the PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF
indicator lamp lights up.
– Adjust the passenger's seat as far away from the airbag as possible.
Danger!
Risk of serious personal injury or death due
to the passenger airbag triggering uninten-
tionally.
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 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:
f Do not use a child restraint system on the pas-
senger’s seat.
f On vehicles with key-operated airbag deactiva-
tion device: Switch to position OFF.
f On vehicles without key-operated airbag
deactivation devi ce: Do not drive.
f Have the fault remedied at your nearest autho-rized Porsche dealer.