8
Before driving off...
Dear Porsche Owner A lot has gone into the manufacture of your
Porsche, including advanced engineering, rigid
quality control and demanding inspections.
These engineering and safety features will be
enhanced by you... the safe driver... – who knows his/her car and all controls,
– who maintains the vehicle properly,
– who uses driving skills wisely and always drives within her/his own capabilities and the
level of familiarity with the vehicle.
You will find helpful hints in this manual on how to
perform most of the checks listed on the following
pages.
If in doubt, have these checks performed by your
authorized Porsche dealer.
Before driving off... Check the following items first f Turn the engine off before you attempt any
checks or repairs on the vehicle.
f Be sure the tires are inflated correctly.
Check tires for damage and tire wear.
f See that wheel bolts are properly tightened
and not loose or missing.
f Check engine oil level, add if necessary.
Make it a habit to have engine oil checked with
every fuel filling.
f Check all fluid levels such as windshield
washer and brake fluid levels.
f Be sure the vehicle battery is well charged and
cranks the engine properly.
f Check all doors and lids for proper operation
and latch them properly.
f Check, and if necessary replace worn or
cracked wiper blades.
f See that all windows are clear and unob-
structed.
f Check air intake slots and area between lug-
gage compartment lid and windshield. Ensure
that these areas are free of snow and ice, so
the heater and the windshield wipers work
properly. f
If a child will be riding in the vehicle, check
child seat/child seat restraint system to ensure
that restraints are properly adjusted.
f Child restraint systems will not fit into the
Sports bucket seat.
Do not install a child restraint system in the
Sports bucket seat.
The Sports bucket seat cannot be equipped
with the LATCH system and thus the airbag
system cannot be manually deactivated.
f Check all exterior and interior lights for opera-
tion and that the lenses are clean.
f Check the headlights for proper aim, and if
necessary, have them adjusted.
f Check under the vehicle for leaks.
f Be sure all luggage is stowed securely.
Emergency equipment It is good practice to carry emergency equipment
in your vehicle.
Some of the items you should have are:
window scraper, snow brush, container or bag of
sand or salt, emergency light, small shovel, first-
aid kit, etc.
46
Operation, Safety
Seat adjustment for the passenger's seat Danger!
Safety belts only offer protection when the
backrest is upright and the belts are properly
positioned on the body. Improperly positio-
ned safety belts can cause serious personal
injury or death in an accident.
f Do not operate the car with the driver or pas-
senger backrest excessively reclined.
f Porsche recommends the use of L.A.T.C.H.
(L ower Ancorage and Tether for Ch ildren)
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 engine compartment
wall), the backrest can warp. Warping of the back-
rest can lead to malfunctions.
f Correct the seat adjustment.
Ensure that the seat is not jammed and is self-
supporting.
Ensure that the backrest is in the upright posi-
tion. f
Do not transport a load and objects behind and
under the passenger's seat.
If the load or objects ar e 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.
f Select 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 mo-
ving.
If the passenger's seat is warped significantly, a
message is displayed on the on-board computer:
f Correct the seat adjustment.
f Please see the chapter “WARNINGS ON THE
INSTRUMENT PANEL AND THE ON-BOARD
COMPUTER” on Page 166.
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 ha ving your vehicle modi-
fied. Automatic deactivation of the passenger’s
airbags
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.
f Please see the chapter “PASSENGER AIRBAG
OFF INDICATOR LAMP DOES NOT LIGHT UP”
on Page 47.
f Before transporting a child on the passenger’s
seat:
Please see the chapter “CHILD RESTRAINT
SYSTEMS” on Page 50.
f Do 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
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
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.