Porsche 928 1989 User Manual

WKD 928021 89
© Dr. Ing. h. c. F. Porsche Aktiengesellschaft

All rights reserved. Printed in Germany

Your car may have all or some of the compo-

nents described in this manual. Should you

find explanations of a feature or equipment

not installed in your car your Porsche dealer
will be glad to assist you. Also check with
your dealer on other available options or

equipment.
Text, illustrations and specifications in this

manual are based on the information availa-

ble at the time of printing.

It has always been Porsche's policy to con­tinuously improve its products. Porsche,
therefore, reserves the right to make
changes in design and specifications, and to

make additions or improvements in its pro­duct, without incurring any obligation to in­stall them on products previously manufac­tured.

2.7 M

7/88

IMPORTANT

For your own protection and longer
service life of your car, please heed
all operating instructions and spe­cial warnings. Ignoring them could
result in serious mechanical failure
or even physical injury.

NOTE TO OWNERS

In Canada, this manual is also available in
French. To obtain a copy contact your dealer

or write to:

NOTE AUX PROPRIETAIRES

Au Canada on peut se procurer un

exemplaire de ce manuel en frangais aupres
concessionnaire ou du:

Volkswagen Canada Inc.

Porsche Customer Assistance/

Assistance a la Clientele Porsche

1940 Eglinton Ave. East
Scarborough
Ontario M1L2M2

2

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 au-

tomobiles.

Remember however that, as with any ve­hicle, you should take time to familiarize

yourself with your Porsche and its perfor-

mance 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 drink alcohol be­fore or while driving.

This Owner's Manual contains a host of use­ful information. Please read this manual be­fore you drive your new Porsche. Acquaint
yourself with your car's features and know

how to operate your Porsche more safely.
The better you know your Porsche, the more

pleasure you will experience driving your

new car.
A separate Warranty and Maintenance book-

let explains how you can keep your Porsche

in top driving condition by having it serviced

regularly.

It also contains detailed information about
the warranties covering your Porsche. This
warranties are:

"Warranty for new Porsche vehicles", "War­ranty against corrosion for new Porsche ve­hicles", "Warranty for new Porsche vehicle
emission control system", "Emissions per-

formance warranty" (USAonly), and "Califor-

nia emission control system warranty"
(California USA only).

In order to keep your warranty in effect, you
must have the vehicle maintained and ser-

viced as prescribed in the Warranty and

Maintenance booklet provided to you at the

time of sale.
Always carry your Warranty & Maintenance

booklet with you when you take your
Porsche to an authorized dealer for service.
It provides your Service Adviser with the in-

formation he needs and enables him to re-

cord each service.
If you sell your Porsche, the Owner's Manual

and the Warranty & Maintenance booklet

should be left in the vehicle to make all

operating safety and maintenance informa-

tion available to the next owner.

If you change your address or if you
bought this Porsche used, be sure to send

in a "Notice of Address Change "/"Notice of

Used Car Purchase" post card.This card can
be found in the Warranty & Maintenance
booklet or obtained from your Porsche
dealer.

It is in your own interest that we can con­tact you, should the need arise, in case
any adjustments or modifications need to

be made to your Porsche to maintain its
safety.

For your own protection and longer service

life of your car, please heed all operating in­structions and special warnings. Ignoring

them could result in serious mechanical
failure or even physical injury.

We wish you many miles of safe and pleasur-

able driving in your

Index

Before Driving Off, Running In, Controls

Maintenance, Car Care

Practical Tips, Emergency Service

Vehicle Identification, Technical Data

Index

A

ABS 30
Acceleration kick-down 60
Accelerator pedal 60
Adjusting headlights 100
Air compressor 86

- conditioning 48-50

- cleaner 69
Alternator warning light 36
Anti-freeze 67-68,114
Antilock brake system 30
Anti-theft alarm 16
Ashtray/light 51, 99
Automatic garage door 33

- speed control 46

- transmission 58-60

- transmission fluid (ATF) 66

B

Battery 91-92
Brake booster 29

- fluid 70

- pads 12, 29

- parking 28, 59

- pedal 29

- system 28-30

- warning light 29
Break-in-hints 12
Bulbs - replacing 95-99

C

Capacities 1 1 4
Car care instructions , 74-78
Catalytic converter 104
Cautions 62, 80

Center console 42
Central door locking 16-17
Changing a wheel 87-89
Cigarette lighter 51
Cleaning 74-78
Climate control system 48-50

Clock 51

Clutch 31
Collapsible spare tire 86
Coolant temperature gauge 36
Cooling system 67-68

- air flaps 102

Corrosion prevention 74-78

D

Dashboard 42
Defogging/defrosting 43
Dimensions 1 1 2
Directional signals 37, 44
Doors locks 16-17
Driving hints 10-11

E

Electrical system 90-102
Emergency flasher 43

- starting 59, 93-94
Emission control system 103-104
Engine compartment 78

- exhaust 12

- hood release 56

- number 108

- oil 63-65,114

Engine specifications 1 1 0

- speed, maximum

F

Fan - radiator 102
Fan switch 49

12, 57, 1 1 0

Filling capacities 1 1 4
Flasher - emergency 43­Fog lights 42, 96
Fuel economy 72

- evaporation control 105

- filler cap 71

- gauge 35

- recommendations 71

- tank 71,114

Fuses and relays 90

G

Gasohol 72
Gasoline - octane ratings . . . 71, 73,110,114
Gear ratios 1 1 4
Gearshifting 57
Glove compartment 54
Gong 10, 26, 32, 42

H

Hatchback release 55
Headlights 42, 44, 95-96,100-101
Headlight dimmer/flasher 44

- washer lever/reservoir 45, 67

- switch 42
Heater/ventilation controls 47-48
High beam/low beam lever/light 37, 44
Hood release 55-56

l/J

Identification plates 108-109
Ignition/steering lock 32
Information system 38-41
Instrument cluster 34

- illumination 42
Intensive windshield cleaning/
switch/reservoir 42,68

6

Interior lights 18, 99
Intermittent wiper interval 45
Jack 81, 86, 89

- lifting points 88-89

K/L

Keys 14-15, 87
Kickdown - acceleration 60
Lane changer 44
Leather 77
Lights - ashtray 99

- fog 42, 96

- interior 18, 99

- license plate 99

- parking 44, 98

- stop 97, 98

- switch 42

- tail 97

- turn signal 44,98

- vanity mirror 53

- warning 37
Lockable wheel nuts 87
Locks - doors, wheels 15-17, 87
Luggage compartment 55

- light 18
Lumbar support 21

M/O

Manual transmission 57
Mirrors 24,53

Octane ratings 71, 73, 1 1 0 , 1 1 4
Odometer 34, 50
Oil changing/checking 63-66

- filter 64

- grades 65-114

- pressure gauge/warning light . . . . 35

- transmission 66

On-board-computer functions 40
Oxygen sensor 104

P

Paint number 109
Paint damage 75
Parking brake lever 28

- lights/lever 44, 98
Performance 1 1 3
Polishing 74-78
Power steering fluid 69,114

- windows . 19

Pressure - tires 82, 86, 1 1 2

R

Radiator fan 102
Rear seats 23

- window defogger/defroster 43

- window wiper switch 53

- view mirrors 24
Refrigerant 70,114
Roof rack 73,112

S

Safe driving hints 10-11
Safety belts 25-27
Seats, front/rear/electric 20-23

- heating 21

- position memory 22

Selector lever 58-59
Shift points 57
Sliding roof - electric 52
Snow chains 84,112
Spare tire - collapsible 86
Specifications - engine 1 1 0
Speed control - automatic 46
Speedometer 34
Starting hints/engine . 33, 103
Steering lock 32
Sun visors 53
Sunroof 52

T

Tachometer 34
Technical data 110-114
Tires 82-85
Tire size/pressure 82, 86, 1 1 2
Tool kit 81
Transmission 57-60, 66,111
Trip odometer 34, 50
Turn signal lights/lever 44, 98

U

Undercoating 78, 103
Unleaded fuel 71, 110,114
Upholstery, care of 77

V

Vanity mirror 53
Vehicle care 74-78
Vehicle identification 108-109

- label 109
Ventilation/heater controls 47-50
Voltmeter 36

W/Z

Warning functions 39
Warning indicator lights 37
Washer system 45, 67
Washing the car 74-75
Weights 112
Wheels 76-77, 82-85,112
Wheel changing 87-89

- nuts, lockable 87
Window switches 19
Windshield washer reservoir 67

- wiper washer lever 45
Zero button 50

7

Before Driving Off, Running In, Controls

9

Dear Porsche-Owner

Before going on a trip...

A lot has gone into the manufacture of your

Porsche, including advanced engineering,

techniques, rigid quality control and de-

manding inspections. These engineering
and safety features will be enhanced by

you...

the safe driver...

who knows his car and all controls,
who maintains his vehicle properly,
who uses his driving skills wisely, and always

drives within his own capabilities and his
level of familiarity with his 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 Porsche dealer.

First things first

• Turn the engine off before you attempt
any checks or repairs of the vehicle.

• Be sure tires are inflated correctly. Check

tires for damage and tire wear.

• See that wheel bolts are properly tight­ened and not loose or missing.

• Check engine oil level, add if necessary.
Make it a habit to have engine oil checked

with every fuel filling.

• Check coolant level to assure sufficient

engine cooling.

• Be sure you have a well charged battery.

• Check brake fluid level. If too low, have
brake system checked.

• Replenish windshield washer fluid.

• Check if front hood is latched safely.

• Replace worn or cracked wiper blades.

• See that all windows are clear and un­obstructed.

• Keep air intake slots and area between
engine hood and windshield free of snow
and ice, so that the heater and the

windshield wipers work properly.

• Check whether all light lenses are clean.

• Be sure all lights are working and head­lights are aimed correctly.

• Check under vehicle for leaks.

• Be sure all luggage is stowed securely.

Emergency equipment

It is good practice to carry emergency equip­ment in your vehicle. Some of the things you

should have are: window scraper, snow

brush, container or bag of sand or salt,
emergency light, small shovel, first-aid kit,
etc.

10

In the driver's seat...

On the road...

• Check operation of horn.

• Position seat for easy reach of controls.

• Adjust inside and outside rear view mirrors.

• Attach your safety belts.

• Check operation of foot and parking
brakes.

• Check ail warning and indicator lights and

the information system display with igni­tion on and engine stationary.

• NEVER leave car idling unattended.

• Lock doors from inside, especially with
children in the car.

• To prevent inadvertent opening of doors

from inside or outside, drive with locked

doors.

• Never drive after you have consumed al­cohol.

• Always have your safety belt attached.

• Always drive defensively. Expect the un­expected.

• Use signals to indicate turns and lane
changes.

• Turn on headlights at dusk.

• Always keep a save distance from the ve­hicle in front of you, depending on traffic,
road and weather conditions.

• Reduce speed at night and during incle-

ment weather.

• Observe speed limits and obey road
signs.

• 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. See

WARNINGS on "Engine Exhaust".

• When parked, always see the parking
brake. Move the selector lever to "P" (Au-

tomatic transmission) or move the gear-

shift lever to reverse or first gear (Manual
transmission). On hills also turn the
wheels toward the curb.

• When emergency repairs become neces­sary, move the vehicle well off the road.

Turn on 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.

• Make it a habit to have the engine oil
checked with every fuel filling.

11

Break-in hints for the first

1.000 miles/1.600 kilometers

Engine exhaust

There are no specific break-in rules for your

Porsche. However, by taking a few precau-

tions you can help extend the service life and

performance of your engine.
During the first 1.000 miles/1.600 km, all

working components of the engine adjust to

each other to a certain degree. Therefore:

Avoid full throttle starts and abrupt stops.

Change speeds frequently. Vary the throttle
load.

Do not exceed maximum engine speed of

5.000 rpm (revolutions per minute).
Do not run a cold engine at high rpm either

in Neutral or in gear.

Do not let the engine labor, especially when
driving uphill. Shift to the next proper gear in

time (use the most favorable rpm range).
There may be a slight stiffness in the steer-

ing, gearshifting or other controls during the
break-in period which will gradually disap­pear.

Never lug the engine in high gear at low

speeds. This rule applies all the time, not

just during the break-in period.

Breaking-in brake pads

Brake pads do not have maximum braking
efficiency when the car is new. Therefore,
more pedal force is necessary during the first
100 to 150 miles/150 to 250 km. This also
applies to replacement brake pads.

Breaking-in new tires

New tires do not have maximum traction.

They tend to be slippery. Break in new tires

by driving at moderate speeds during the

first 60 to 120 miles/100 to 200 km, and

longer braking distances must be antici­pated.

Engine oil consumption

During the break-in period oil consumption
may be slightly higher than normal.

As always rate of oil consumption depends

on the quality and viscosity of oil, the speed
at which the engine is operated, the climate,
road conditions as well as the amount of di­lution and oxidation of the lubricant.

WARNING

• Engine exhaust is dangerous if in­haled,

• Never start or let the engine run in a

closed garage. Never sit in your car for

prolonged periods with the engine on

and the car not moving.

• Although exhaust fumes from the en-

gine have many components which
you can smell, they also contain car­bon monoxide, which is a colorless
and odorless gas. Carbon monoxide
can be fatal if inhaled.

• If you smell gas fumes in the vehicle,

drive with the windows open but keep
the hatchback closed. Have the cause
immediately located and corrected.

• Because of inherent hazards, we do

not recommend transporting objects
larger than those fitting safely into the
luggage compartment. Keep the
hatchback closed while driving to pre­vent poisonous exhaust gas from
being drawn into the vehicle.

• Never carry additional fuel containers

in your vehicle. Such containers, full or
partially empty, may leak, cause an
explosion, or result in fire in case of a
collision.

12

1 Light switch

2 Turn signal/headlight dimmer flasher/

parking light switch lever
3 Horn
4 Windshield wiper and windshield/

headlight washer switch lever
5 Emergency flasher switch
6 Switches for power windows
7 Controls for power seat
8 Parking brake lever
9 Side view mirror adjuster

2 3 4 5

8

13

NEVER invite car theft!

WARNING

An unlocked car with the key in the

ignition switch invites car theft.

A steering wheel lock and a gong

alarm are standard equipment in

your Porsche. The gong will sound

if you open the driver's door while

the key is still in the ignition lock. It

is your reminder to pull the key out
of the ignition lock and to lock the

doors.

WARNING
Always remove the ignition key,

especially if children are left unat­tended in the vehicle. Unsuper­vised use of any vehicle key may

cause serious personal injury.
NEVER leave your vehicle unat-

tended with the key in the ignition

lock. Take the key and lock the

doors.

a Key with built-in flashlight

b Flat key
c Rear glove compartment key
d Key for lockable wheel nuts

Keys

Three keys are supplied with the vehicle.

Each fits the ignition lock, door locks, hatch-

back lock, fuel filler cap lock and glove com-

partment lock.
There is one flat key which you can keep in

your purse or wallet, for instance, as an
"emergency key". If you remove the plastic

head of the flat key, you can clip on an illumi-

nated plastic handle (available from your

Porsche dealer). Vehicles with a rear seat
glove compartment receive two additional

keys for the compartment lock.

NEVER remove the key from the steering
lock while you are driving or as the car is
rolling to a stop. The steering column will
lock when you remove the key, and you

will not be able to steer the car. This may

result in a serious accident.

Because of the symmetrical shape of the key

shaft, there is no "wrong" way of inserting

the key in the locks.
The new format of the keys makes unau-

thorized duplication of the keys virtually im-

possible. This means, however, that you

yourself will not be able to get replacement

keys cut, unless ordered from the manufac-

turer.

For the lockable wheel nuts, three identical

keys, are included. When taking the vehicle
to your Porsche dealer or to a workshop for
wheel or tire service, remember to leave one

key with the service attendant.

In case of loss, duplicate wheel look keys
cannot be furnished by your Porsche dealer.
Do not leave these keys in the vehicle. Keep

them in a safe place.
See "Lockable wheel nuts" for details.

NOTE: It is a good idea to also keep a re-

cord of your key numbers in your wallet
together with your license.

14

Key number

The key number of the ignition key is impress­ed on a plastic tag which comes with the keys.

Detach this tag and keep it in a safe place.

For your protection against theft:

• Record the key numbers and keep them in
a safe place, such as your wallet. Do not
keep them in the vehicle.

• If you should lose a key, provide your
Porsche dealer with the key number and

the vehicle identification number to obtain

a duplicate key.

Key light

Two of the keys have a built-in flashlight in the

key head. The beam from a small bulb in the
key head illuminates the lower part of the key

stem.
The flashlight is on as long as the contact but-

ton is depressed.
The flashlight is powered by a 15 Volt button

battery. When the beam begins to fade, re­place the battery, because an old battery

may leak and damage your clothes.

1. Use your finger nail or a small screw driver
to carefully lift the key handle cover.

2. Insert a new, commercial available battery
(1.5 V) in the contact button.

3. Assemble key top as shown in the figure.

15

Anti-theft alarm

The alarm system is activated automati­cally when one of the doors is locked with

the key. Light-emitting diodes in the lock-

ing knobs flash to indicate that the alarm

system is activated.

If an attempt is made to force the driver's or
passenger side door, engine compartment

hood or the hatchback or if the ignition is
switched on while the alarm is activated a
specially protected siren will sound for about
90 seconds. The engine cannot be started.
Additionally the fog lights and stop lights will
flash intermittent for the same time period.

16

The alarm system is switched off automati-

cally when a door is opened with the key. The
light-emitting diodes go out.

If the hatchback is opened with the alarm

system activated, this alarm status is auto-

matically interrupted until the hatchback is
reclosed.

Keep plastic tag with key number in a safe
place. Do not leave it in the vehicle.

Central door locking system

The central door locking system enables you
to lock or unlock both doors simultaneously.
The doors are locked when the key is turned

in either door lock, or when the key is turned

further anticlockwise in the lock of the hatch-

back. Unlocking the hatchback will not un­lock the doors.

The central door locking system functions

only when both doors are fully closed. If one
door is "centrally" locked before the other
door is fully closed, the "centrally" locked
door will unlock automatically.

The car is safely locked when locking knob
"A" is fully down on both doors. If locking
knob "A" is not fully down on one door, open
that door again, close it firmly and repeat the

locking operation.

On a centrally locked vehicle, the passenger
door can also be unlocked and locked from
inside by turning locking knob "B". Locking
knob "B" is operational only with door fully
closed.

Central locking button
With the ignition key in Pos. " 1" or "2" both

doors can be locked or unlocked by pres-

sing the central locking button in the
center console. The button is illuminated
when the doors are locked.

With the ignition key in Pos. "0" the central

locking system is operational by turning

knob "B".

Doors

To open doors from outside, pull the reces-

sed door handle.

To open doors from inside, pull recessed

handle "C" above armrest.

The armrests have a built-in storage com-

partment. To open, press knob in hand cut­out and tilt armrest outward. To close, tilt
compartment toward door panel.

The courtesy light in the lower door panel

"D" will come on when a door or the hatch-

back is opened. The light can also be turned
on or off with the switch on the light housing.

17

Interior light in headlining

Footwell light in lower part of door trim Luggage compartment light in hatchback

Interior lights

The interior lights, which are independent The interior lights have the following switch The interior light in the headlining and the
from one another, come on, with the switch positions: luggage compartment light are switched on

in the appropriate position, as soon as a and off by tilting the lamp glass. The footwell
door or the hatchback is opened. lights are operated by the switch integrated

The interior lights go out after approx. 30 se- hatchback is opened

conds after the doors or the hatchback are
closed. The lights go out immediately if the b - light switched off permanently
ignition is switched on or the vehicle locked

with the key. c - light switched on permanently

18

a - light comes on only when a door or the in the light.

Power windows

WARNING

Door warning lights

The red spot lights in the rear doorjambs will
come on when a door or the hatchback is
opened.

To open or close, depress the rocker

switches in the center console in front of the

shift lever.
The power windows are operational when

the ignition is turned on.
When the ignition is turned off or the ignition

key removed, the power windows can be op-

erated until one door is opened.

Do not put anything on or near the win­dows that may interfere with the driver's
vision.

Remove the ignition key to shut off power
to the window switches when the vehicle
is not attended by a responsible person.

Remember, power is still supplied to the

window switches until one door is

opened.

19

Front seat adjustments

The correct seating position is all-important
for safe and fatigue-free driving. In order to
satisfy individual requirements, the seat has

infinitely variable adjustment.

We recommend the following procedure for
finding the correct position for the driver's
seat:

20

1. Operate longitudinal adjustment until
your leg is fully stretched with the clutch

pedal depressed while your foot is bent.

2. Adjust desired fore/aft height.

3. Clasp upper portion of steering wheel.
Then adjust backrest inclination so that

both shoulders remain in contact with the
backrest even with your arms fully
stretched.

4. If necessary, correct the longitudinal ad­justment.

Steering wheel adjustment

For maximum legroom and unobstructed
view of the instruments, the height of the
steering wheel, together with the instrument
cluster unit, can be adjusted.

Release locking lever under instrument clus­ter for desired positioning (arrow), then lock
securely.

Lumbar support (B)

The lumbar support, which supports the
spine, can be adjusted continuously with
switch (B).

Lumbar support extend/retract

Lumbar support raise/lower

Seat heating system (A)

The heating system in the seat cushion and

backrest is switched on and off by pressing

the rocker switch.

Press upper half of switch - heating on
Press lower half of switch - heating off

Front seats

Two multi-function switches control the elec­tric motors for longitudinal adjustment, seat
height and angle of backrest tilt.

Heating temperature is controlled with the
aid of the knurled knob set in the switch; the
temperature is held constant until the seat
heating or the ignition is switched off.

Turn knurled knob up to increase temperature
Turn knurled knob down to reduce temperature

Manual operation

Should the electrical seat adjustment fail,
you can use the hexagon socket-screw in

the tool-kit for longitudinal seat adjustment

by turning the servo-motor below the front

of the seat.

21

Seat position memory

The seat position memory can store up to
three different sitting positions. Each posi­tion stored in the memory comprises lon­gitudinal adjustment, seat height, backrest
angle, position and size of lurnbar support
and the position of the outside mirrors. The

positions can be adjusted, stored or called
up regardless of whether the engine is on or

off.

Selecting a position

Adjust the seat and the two outside mirrors

to the desired position by operating the
switches for seat and mirror adjustment,

Storing a position

To store a position in the memory, press the

memory button (arrowed) and the appropri-

ate position button (button 1, 2 or 3). The

memory button must be pressed before the
position button.

Calling up a position

To set the seat to the position stored in the

memory, the appropriate position button

must be depressed until the seat reaches its
final position. The procedure is curtailed
as soon as the button is released. The but­tons are illuminated for ease location.

Once the seat reaches its end position the

mirrors are set automatically to the positions
stored in the memory.

The seat switches always take priority over

automatic adjustment. If a seat switch is op­erated, automatic adjustment is immediately
interrupted.

.Pilotlamp

A red pilot lamp is set in the memory button

If adjustment is initiated, the pilot lamp lights
up until the adjustment is completed. If the
procedure is interrupted, the lamp goes out
approx. 60 seconds after the ignition is
switched off.

22

In order to adjust the backrest, pull the in-

side locking lever at the front of the seat up­wards, set seat to desired position and re­lease the lever.

When there is no load on the backrest, it will

always be pushed forwards by spring force

when the lever is pulled.

WARNING

Front seat passengers should not ride in

a moving vehicle with the backrest re­clined. Safety belts only offer protection
when the backrest is upright and the belts
are properly positioned on the body. Im­properly positioned safety belts can cause

serious personal injury in an accident.

Sports seat

Longitudinal adjustment and backrest seats ad-

justment are carried out manually on sports seats

To move the seat backwards and forwards,

Pull the outside locking lever at the front of
the seat upwards, move seat into desired po­sition, release lever and ensure that the seat
engages securely.

Never unlock the driver's seat while the

vehicle is in motion: the seat may move
suddenly, causing you to loose control

over the vehicle.

Backrest release

The backrest can be folded forward for easy
access to the rear seats. To release, pull the
lever on the side of the backrest up (arrow)

and, at the same time, tilt the backrest for­ward. When the backrest is tilted back, the
lock will engage automatically.

WARNING

For driver and passenger protection,
backrest locks must be engaged at all

times while the vehicle is in motion.

Rear seats

The backrests of the rear seats can be tilted

forward to provide additional luggage
space.

To release backrest, pull the lever on side of
the backrest up and, at the same time, tilt

the backrest forward.
To prevent luggage and other objects from

sliding around while the car is in motion, you
can secure them with the luggage net. The

eyelets for this purpose can be found behind
the rear bolster and on the luggage compart­ment floor.

23

Heated outside mirrors with remote control;

When the rear window defogger/defroster is

switched on, the outside mirrors are also

heated electrically. The outside mirrors are
adjustable from inside of the vehicle by a four
direction switch and a rocker switch located
on the left door next to the side window

vents in the armrest. The rocker switch

selects either the left or right mirror for ad-

justment. Press the rocker switch into the ap-

propriate position. Then the four direction
switch will adjust the selected mirror in any
of the four directions.

The mirror housing is hinged and can be

folded flat against the car in either direction
to prevent damage in tight parking spots.

If necessary, the outside mirrors can also be

adjusted manually.

Rear view mirrors

Adjust the outside and inside mirrors be­fore driving. It is important for safe driving

that you have good vision to the rear.

24

Inside day-night mirror

You can adjust the day-night mirror from
clear daylight visibility to non-glare visibility

at night, by moving the lever at the bottom
of the mirror forward or rearward.

Do not put decals or other signs on the
windows that may interfere with the
driver's vision.

Safety belts

Warning

Failure to follow safety belt instructions
may result in serious personal injury.

Instructions

• For your and your passengers' protec­tion, use safety belts at all times while the
vehicle is in motion. Use child safety
seats for all small children.

• Safety belts must be properly positioned
on the body. Improperly positioned safety
belts can cause serious personal injury in
case of an accident.

• 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.

• The use of infant or child restraints is re­quired by law in all 50 states and the
Canadian provinces. The child restraint
system should be one that complies with

U. S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Stan­dard 213 and should be secured by a lap
belt or the lap belt portion of a lap-shoul­der belt. A statement by the seat man­ufacturer of compliance with this stan­dard can be found on the instruction label

on the restraint and in the instruction
manual provided with the restraint.

• When using an infant or child restraint
system be sure to follow all manufac-

turer's instructions on installation and

use.

• Infants and small children should never
be held on the lap, nor should they share
a seat belt with another occupant while

the vehicle is in motion.

• Children too big for child restraint sys-

tems should use regular seat belts. A
shoulder belt can be used providing it

does not cross the face or the neck of the

child.

• For maximum safety and protection, we
recommend that small children travel in

the rear seats.

• For maximum effectiveness, the lap belt

should be worn low across the pelvic

crest.

• Belts should not be worn twisted.

• Do 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.

• Several layers of heavy clothing may inter-

fere with proper positioning of belts.

• Belts must not rub against sharp objects.

• Keep belt buckles free of any obstruction
that may prevent secure locking.

• Make sure that belt of the unoccupied

passenger seat is fully wound up on its
retractor so that the belt tongue is in its

stowed position.

• Belts that have been subjected to exes­sive stretch forces in an accident must be

replaced.

• If belts show damage to webbing, bind-

ings, buckles or retractors, they should
be replaced.

• If belts do not work properly, see your au-

thorized Porsche dealer.

• Do not modify or disassemble the safety

belts in your vehicle.

• The belts must be kept clean as otherwise
the retractors may not work properly (see

also "Car care instructions").

• Never bleach or dye safety belts.

• Do not allow safety belts to retract until
they are completely dry.

25

Safety belt warning system

An audio-visuel warning system is inter-

connected with the driver's safety belt.

Every time the ignition is turned on, the seat
belt warning light in the instrument cluster

will come on for about 6 seconds as a remin-

der to buckle up. If the driver does not fasten

the safety belt, the gong will continue for the

duration of this 6 second period. The gong

will go off as soon as the driver has buckled

up.

26

Inertia reel retractor

The combination lap/shoulder belt with iner-

tia reel locking mechanism adjusts automati-

cally to your size and movements as long as

the pull on the belt is slow.

Rapid deceleration during hard braking or a
collision 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.

• To fasten, grasp belt and pull belt in con­tinuous slow motion across your chest
and lap.

• Insert belt tongue into buckle on inboard
side of seat. Push down until it securely

locks with an audible click. Pull belt to

check.

• Pull shoulder section to make sure belt
fits snugly across the hips.

• Belts should fit snugly across the pelvis
and chest. Make sure any slack is wound
on the retractor.

• To unfasten belt, push in release button
on buckle. Belt tongue will spring out of
buckle.

• To release a locked belt, lean back to take

the body pressure off the belt.

• To store lap/shoulder belt, allow belt to

wind up on retractor as you guide latch to

its stowed position.

Child restrained anchorages
(Canada Models)

If your child restraint seat or seats require the

use of a tether strap you will want to use the
anchor points provided on the panel behind
the rear seats.

The right child restraint anchorage is shown

in the illustration (see arrow).

The hardware needed to attach the tether

strap comes with your Porsche. The

hardware can be moved to the other anchor
point if required.

If a child restraint system is to be used, the
necessary upper anchorage fitting must first be
mounted on the respective anchor point.

Additional hexagon head bolts, spacers and

fittings are available from your Porsche dealer.

To ensure proper installation the anchor fit­tings or fitting assemblies should be instal-

led or repositioned by your Porsche dealer.

Warning

Child restraint anchorages are designed to

withstand only those loads imposed by

correctly fitted child restraints. Under no
circumstances are they to be used for
adult seat belts or harnesses.

27

Brakes

Functioning of brake system

Your Porsche is equipped with a power as­sisted hydraulic dual circuit brake system
with disc brakes at the front and at the rear.

Both circuits function independently.

In the unlikely event of hydraulic failure of
one circuit, push the brake pedal down
firmly and hold it in that position. A me­chanical linkage activates the second cir­cuit, and you will be able to bring the vehi­cle to a stop.

Parking brake lever (arrows)

Parking brake force is mechanically transfer-

red to the rear wheels by means of cables.

Use the parking brake only after the vehi­cle has come to a full stop.

To set the parking brake

Press in the release button (arrow) at the end

of the lever as you pull the lever up. The park-

ing brake engages as soon as you release

the button in the raised lever.

To release the parking brake

Pull the lever slightly up as you depress the
release button. Keep the button depressed

as you lower the lever.

28

WARNING

• Release the parking brake fully. A par­tially engaged brake will overheat the

rear brakes, reduce their effectiveness

and cause excessive wear.

• Always set the parking brake when

parking your car. Move the selector

lever to "P" (Automatic transmission)
or move the gearshift lever to reverse
or first gear (Manual transmission). On

hills also turn the wheels toward the
curb.

The parking brake light and the fault mes­sage in the information system display will

go out after the engine is started and the
parking brake is fully released.

WARNING

Failure of one brake circuit will impair the
braking capability resulting in an in-

creased stopping distance.

If one brake circuit has failed, the other will
still operate, However, you will notice an in­creased pedal travel when you step on the

brake. Should you encounter such experi­ence, bring your vehicle safely to a full stop.

Avoid driving the vehicle and instead have

it towed to the nearest authorized
Porsche dealer.

Brake pedal

Brake operation and brake warning light

WARNING

WARNING

• The movement of the brake pedal must
never be obstructed by a floor mat or

any other object. In case one of the two

brake circuits fails, increased pedal

travel is required to bring your vehicle
to a full stop.

• Make sure that the size of your floor
mat does not hamper the movements
of either brake, clutch or accelerator
pedals in any way.

• Secure the floor mat against sliding
into positions that could interfere with

the safe operation of your vehicle.

• Do not "ride the brakes" by resting

your foot on the pedal when not intend-

ing to brake. Overheating and prema-

ture wear of the brakes will result.

• Before descending a steep grade, re-

duce speed and shift transmission into
a lower gear or driving position to con­trol speed. Do not ride the brakes or

hold pedal down too long or too often.

This could cause the brakes to get hot
and not function properly.

Make it a habit to check the operation of your
brakes before driving.

The brake fluid warning light in the instru-

ment cluster comes on accompanied by the

fault message in the information system dis-

play to indicate that the level in the brake

fluid reservoir is too low.
With correctly adjusted brakes, and a cor-

rectly working brake system, the pedal travel

to the point of brake actuation should be

1 -3/16" to 1 -9/16" or 30 to 40 mm. Whenever

the brake pedal travel exceeds this distance,

have the brake system checked.
Keep in mind that the braking distance in-

creases very rapidly as the speed increases.
At 60 mph or 100 km/h, for example, it is not
twice but four times longer than at 30 mph

or 50 km/h. Tire traction is also less effective
when the roads are wet or slippery. There­fore, always maintain a safe distance from
the car in front of you.

Brake booster
The brake booster assists braking only

when the engine is running.

When the car is moving while the engine is

not running, or if the brake booster is defec­tive, more pressure on the brake pedal is re-

quired to bring the car to a halt.

Moisture or road salt on brakes affects

braking.

Driving through water may reduce the
traction. Moisture on brakes from road
water, car wash, or coating of road salt

may affect braking efficiency. Cautiously
apply brakes to test them after being ex-

posed to such conditions. When the vehi­cle is driven on salted roads for extended

periods, the brakes should be hosed
down thoroughly about every 2 weeks. An
automatic car-wash facility cannot do
this job properly. Brakes will dry after a
few cautious brake applications.

Brake wear

Our automobiles have excellent brakes, but

they are still subject to wear, depending on

how the brakes are used. Have the brake
system inspected at the intervals recom-

mended in your Warranty & Maintenance

booklet.

New brake pads or linings

Brake pads or linings may not have the high­est possible braking efficiency when new.

Therefore, allow for longer braking distance

during the initial 100 to 150 miles or 150 to
250 kilometers of normal city driving if fewer
stops are realized.

29

ABS brake system

(Antilock brake system)

The ABS system represents a major con­tribution to the enhancement of active safety

in your vehicle. This system prevents the

wheels from locking in a panic stop on al-

most all road surfaces.

With ABS system in your vehicle, the fol-

lowing areas are enhanced:

Full steerability, vehicle remains steera-

ble under all braking forces.

Good directional control, no swerving
caused by locking of wheels under brak­ing conditions.

Excellent stopping distance, stopping
distances are usually reduced because
controlled braking is maximized.

Prevention of wheel lock up, no brake­induced sliding and thus no localized tire

wear from emergency braking.

The crucial advantage of ABS system over a

conventional brake system is in the area of

maintaining directional control and man-

euverability of the car in emergency situa-

tions, including panic braking in turns.

WARNING:

In spite of the improved handling afforded

by the ABS system, it still remains the re-

sponsibility of the driver to adapt the driv-

ing style to the prevailing road and wea-

ther conditions, as well as, obeying traffic

laws. In no case, should the higher degree

of safety offered by ABS be regarded as a

justification for taking greater risks.

Other vehicles not equipped with the ABS
system may not be able to maintain con­trol, especially on wet or poor road sur­faces and thus may be more likely to im-

pact you in the rear. To minimize that risk,

use your ABS system to increase your
ability to maneuver to avoid dangerous
situations and not merely to try to stop in
the shortest distance possible.

Driving with the ABS system

A wheel speed sensor is fitted to each of the

four wheels. If wheel slippage of either of the
front wheels or the rear wheels is sensed dur-

ing braking, the brake pressure is adjusted

automatically until the wheel no longer slips.
The brake pressure is regulated for each
front wheel individually and for both rear
wheels together.

On a road surface which is slippery on only
one side, the rear wheel which is braking on

the slippery surface determines the brake

pressure which will be applied equally to
both rear wheels. This ensures that direc-

tional stability is maintained. However, if

braking force approaches the wheel locking­up point for all wheels (panic braking) the

ABS system will intervene in a way compara-

ble with rapid rythmic braking. The proper
operation of ABS is perceived by the driver
as a pulsating brake pedal in conjunction

with audible noise and perhaps some vibra­tion. The driver is thereby warned to reduce
vehicle speed appropriate for the prevailing

road conditions.

If your ABS system should ever malfunction,

the ABS system is automatically switched

off, but the normal brake system, without

ABS, would remain fully operational. Such a

malfunction would be indicated by the illumi-

nation of the "ANTILOCK" light accom-

panied by the fault message in the informa-

tion system display.

If the ABS system becomes inoperative,

take your vehicle to your authorized
dealer immediately.

30

Clutch

Due to the hydraulic operation of the clutch,
a free travel of the clutch pedal of 0.1 " or 2.5
mm is necessary.

Should this free travel suddenly become big­ger, it could mean a malfunction of the
clutch. See your Porsche dealer for rectifica-

tion.
Always depress the clutch pedal fully when

changing gears. Do not hold the car on a
steep hill with the clutch pedal partially de-

pressed. This will cause premature wear or

damage.

31