Porsche 928 1994 User Manual

WKD 928 021 94 500 3/94

© Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche Aktiengesellschaft
All rights reserved.

Printed in Germany

Dear Owner,

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 automobiles.

Remember however that, as with any vehicle,
you should take time to familiarize yourself with
your Porsche and its performance 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 consume alcohol or drugs
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 Maintenance Booklet explains
how you can keep your Porsche in top driving
condition by having it serviced regularly. A sepa­rate Warranty Booklet contains detailed informa­tion about the warranties covering your Porsche.

For U.S. only:

If you believe that your vehicle has a defect
which could cause a crash or could cause injury
or death, you should immediately inform the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA) in addition to notifying Porsche Cars
North America.

If NHTSA receives similar complains, it may
open an investigation, and if it finds that a safety
defect exists in a group of vehicles, it may order
a recall and remedy campaign. However, NHTSA
cannot become involved in individual problems
between you, your dealer, or Porsche Cars
North America.

To contact NHTSA, you may either call the Auto
Safety Hotline toll-free at 1-800-424-9393 (or
366-0123 in Washington, D.C. area) or write to:
NHTSA, U.S. Department of Transportation,
Washington, D.C. 20590. You can also obtain
other information about motor vehicle safety
from the Hotline.

Your car has thousands of parts and com­ponents which have been designed and manu­factured in accordance with Porsche's high
standards of engineering quality and safety.

Any alteration of the car may negate or in­terfere with those safety features built into
the car.

2

Your Porsche is intended to be used in a safe
manner in light of the local laws and driving con­ditions faces by you, and in accordance with the
instructions provided in this Manual.

Do not misuse your Porsche by ignoring
those laws and driving conditions, or by ig­noring the instructions in this manual. Any
alteration or misuse of the car can lead to
accidents and severe or fatal personal in­juries.

We wish you many miles of safe and pleasurable
driving in your Porsche.

Your car may have all or some of the com­ponents described in this manual. Should you

have difficulty understanding any of the explana­tions of features or equipment installed in your
car, your authorized 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 available 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.

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.

Do not alter your Porsche. Any alteration could
create dangerous conditions or defeat safety en­gineering features built into your car.

Do not misuse your Porsche. Use it safely, and
consistently with the law, the driving conditions,
and the instructions in this manual.

Alteration or misuse of your Porsche could
cause accidents and severe or fatal per­sonal injuries.

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 francais aupres du concession­naire ou du:

Volkswagen Canada Inc.
Porsche Customer Assistance

Assistance ä la Clientele Porsche

1940 Eglinton Ave. East
Scarborough
Ontario MIL 2M2

3

Fuel octane rating:

Your engine is designed to provide optimum performance and fuel economy using unleaded premium
fuel with an octane rating of 98 RON (93 CLC or AKI). Porsche therefore recommends the use of these
fuels in your vehicle.

Porsche also recognizes that these fuels may not always be available. Be assured that your vehicle
will operate properly on unleaded premium fuels with octane numbers of at least 95 RON (90 CLC or AKI),
since the engine's "Electronic Octane knock control" will adapt the ignition timing, if necessary.

Cold tire pressures:

Summer tires: front and rear 36 psi (2,5 bar)
Snow tires: front 36 psi (2,5 bar)

rear 44 psi (3,0 bar)

Collapsible spare tire front and rear 36 psi (2,5 bar)

These tire pressures are valid only for Porsche approved tires. For replacement tires it is imperative
that you consult the Technical Data section of this manual and follow the recommendations
contained therein.

4

Before Driving Off, Running In, Controls

Maintenance, Car Care

Practical Tips, Emergency Service

Vehicle Identification, Technical Data

Index

Pocket for Additional Information

Before Driving Off, Running In, Controls

Before going on a trip 8
In the driver's seat 9
Break-in hints 10
Engine exhaust 10
Keys 12, 13
Doors 14
Central door locking 15

Theft protection 16
Anti-theft alarm 16
Power windows 17
Interior lights 18
Seats 19-23
Luggage compartment 23
Mirrors 24
Safety belts 25-27
Child restraint systems 26, 27
Air bag system 28, 29
Brakes 30-33
Limited slip differential 34
Clutch 35
Starting 36, 37

Controls, Instruments, Warning lights .... 38 - 54

Automatic climate control 55 - 58
Power sunroof 60, 61
Engine hood, hatchback 63 - 64
Transmission 65-68

7

Dear Porsche-Owner

A lot has gone into the manufacture of your
Porsche, including advanced engineering, tech­niques, rigid quality control and demanding in­spections. These engineering and safety fea-

tures 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 authorized Porsche dealer.

Throughout this booklet and other Porsche publi­cations applicable to USA vehicles, left is desig­nated as the driver's side of the vehicle, and
right as the passenger's side of the vehicle.

Before going on a trip...

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.

8

In the driver's seat...

• 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 all 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.

On the road...

• 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 inclement
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 set the parking brake.

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.

• 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.

9

Break-in hints for the first

1.000 miles/1.600 kilometers

There are no specific break-in rules for your

Porsche. However, by taking a few precautions
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 steering,
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.

Engine exhaust

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 engine
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 hatch-

back 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 compart-

ment. Keep the hatchback closed while driv-

ing 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 re-

sult in fire in case of a collision.

10

8 7

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

11

NEVER invite car theft!

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 unattended with the
key in the ignition lock. Take the key and
lock the doors.

Keys

Three keys are supplied with the vehicle. Each
fits the ignition lock, door locks, hatchback lock,
fuel filler cap lock and glove compartment lock.

There is one flat key which you can keep in
your purse or wallet, for instance, as an
"emergency key".

A Key with built-in flashlight
Β Flat key

C Rear glove compartment key

D Key for lockable wheel nuts

If you remove the plastic head of the flat key,
you can clip on an illuminated plastic handle
(available from your Porsche dealer). Vehicles
with a rear seat glove compartment receive two
additional keys for the compartment lock.

Key "A" or "B" operate:

1. Door locks with
central locking system
alarm system
power windows
power sunroof
interior lights

2. Ignition/starter switch with steering lock

3. Hatchback lock with alarm system

4. Fuel filler cap lock

5. Glove compartment lock

WARNING

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.

12

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 unauthorized
duplication of the keys virtually impossible. This
means, however, that you yourself will not be
able to get replacement keys cut, unless

ordered from your authorized Porsche dealer.

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.

Key number

The key number of the ignition key is supplied
together with the keys themselves, and should
be kept in a safe place outside the vehicle.

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 but­ton is depressed.

The flashlight is powered by a 1.5 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.

13

C Inner door handle
D Courtesy light
Ε Locking knob for stowage compartment

Doors

To open doors from outside, pull the recessed

door handle.

To open doors from inside, pull recessed
handle "C" above armrest.

The armrests have a builtin storage compart­ment. To open, press knob in hand cutout and
tilt armrest outward. To close, tilt compartment
toward door panel.

14

Courtesy light

The courtesy light in the lower door panel "D"
will come on when a door or the hatchback is
opened. The light can also be turned on or off
with the switch on the light housing.

Door warning lights

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

A Locking button
Β Rotary button

Central door locking

With the central door locking system, both
doors can be locked and unlocked electrically.
The doors are locked when a key is turned in
either door lock.

When the doors are locked, the locking buttons
(A) must be fully retracted.

The two doors can be locked individually from
inside by turning button (B) or by pressing lock­ing buttons (A). If one door is unlocked by turn­ing button (B), the second door is automatically
unlocked as well.

To prevent being accidentally locked out of the
vehicle, the central locking system can only be
actuated when the driver's door is closed (even
if the passenger door is still open).

If the central locking system fails to work, open
and close the two doors individually. The alarm
system can be armed by closing a door three

times in rapid succession.

Central locking button

Both doors can be electrically locked by
pressing the central locking button in the center
console. The lamp in the central locking button
remains lit while the system is activated.

To deactivate the system with the locking but­ton, switch on the ignition.

15

• Theft Protection

To protect your vehicle from theft, you should
always proceed as follows when leaving your ve­hicle:

• Close windows and sunroof

• Remove ignition key

• Engage steering lock

• Lock the glove compartment

• Cover luggage

• Lock doors

• Lock petrol cap

• Don't leave any valuables in the car

The following components are monitored by the
alarm:

• Doors (central door locking system)

• Engine- and luggage-compartment lids

• Glove compartment

• Radio

• Ignition

If an alarm contact is broken, the alarm horn will
sound for approx. 4 minutes.

At the same time, the interior lights and the
hazard warning lights flash for approx. 4
minutes. When the alarm is triggered, the LEDs
are switched to a double-flashing signal.

Emergency arming

If the central locking system is not working, the
alarm system can be armed by locking a door
three times in rapid succession. The LEDs indi­cate this with a double-flashing signal.

Alarm system

The alarm system is armed when one of the
doors is locked with the key. Light-emitting
diodes (LEDs) in the locking buttons start flash­ing immediately to indicate that the alarm is
armed.

If the LEDs do not flash when the car is locked
or change to a double-flashing signal after 10
seconds, not all of the alarm contacts have
been closed.

16

If the luggage-compartment lid is opened with
the key when the alarm has been armed, the
alarm status is automatically suspended until the
lid is closed.

When a door lock is unlocked, the alarm system
is disarmed and the LEDs go out.

Power windows

To open or close, depress the rocker switches

in the center console in front of the shift lever.
The switches can only be actuated one at a
time.

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 operated
until one door is opened.

Opening windows
Tapping the switches moves the windows in

stages to the desired position.

Pressing the switches for longer than 0.5 sec­onds automatically opens the windows fully. The
movement of the windows can be stopped in
any position by tapping the switch again.

Closing windows

To close the windows, the switch must be held
down until the windows have reached the
desired position.

Door lock contact

If the key is held in the locking position when
locking a door, the sunroof and the door win­dows will close in succession automatically.

WARNING

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.

17

Interior light in headlining

Footwell light in lower part of door trim

Interior lights

The interior lights, which are independent from
one another, come on, with the switch in the
appropriate position, as soon as a door is un-

locked or opened or the hatchback is opened.

The interior lights go out after approx. 20 sec­onds after the doors are closed. The lights go
out immediately if the ignition is switched on or
the vehicle locked with the key.

18

The interior lights have the following switch posi-

tions:

A  light comes on only when a door or the

hatchback is opened

Β  light switched off permanently

C  light switched on permanently

Make sure the interior lights are turned off when
the vehicle is parked (battery rundown).

The interior light in the headlining and the lug­gage compartment light are switched on and off
by tilting the lamp glass. The footwell lights are
operated by the switch integrated in the light.

The light for the central fuse/relay board is
switched on via the door contact switch.

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:

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 se-

curely.

19

In order to adjust the backrest, pull the inside
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 per-

sonal injury in an accident.

A Backrest release C Longitudinal adjustment

Β Height adjustment D Backrest adjustment

Front seats

Seats with manual longitudinal and
backrest adjustment

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.

WARNING

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.

20

The height of the seat can be adjusted electri-

cally by pressing the rocker switches.
34 Height adjustment, front
78 Height adjustment, rear

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.

Seats with electric longitudinal and
backrest adjustment

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

12 Longitudinal adjustment
34 Height adjustment, front
56 Backrest adjustment
78 Height adjustment, rear

A Seat heating system
Β Lumbar support

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

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.

Lurnbar support (B)

The backrest support can be regulated vertically

and horizontally to any position to guarantee a
relaxed seated posture and provide individual
lumbar support.

Lumbar support horizontal
Lumbar support vertical

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.

Move seat forward  turn counterclockwise

Move seat back  turn clockwise

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

lumbar 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 appropriate
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 il-

luminated 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.

Pilot lamp

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

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.

WARNING

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.

Rear seats

The backrests of the rear seats can be tilted

forward to provide additional luggage space.

Luggage compartment

Luggage and other belongings are pro-

tected from the sun and "inquisitive eyes"

by the luggage cover.

To release the luggage cover, turn the end

sleeves of the hangers about 90°.

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

backrest and on the luggage compartment floor.

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

23

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.

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.

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 adjustment. Press the rocker switch
into the appropriate 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.

24

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 appropriate
child restraint systems 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.

• For maximum effectiveness, the lap belt
should be worn low across the hips.

• 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 in­terfere 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 excessive

stretch forces in an accident must

be replaced.

• If belts show damage to webbing, bind­ings, buckles or retractors, they should
be replaced.

• If belts do not work properly, see your
authorized 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.

Safety belt warning system

An audio-visuel warning system is intercon-

nected 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 reminder to
buckle up. The gong will sound for the duration
of this 6 second period or go off as soon as the
driver has buckled up.

25

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 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 Restraint Systems

WARNING

Failure to follow these child restraint instruc­tions may result in serious personal injury.

Instructions

• 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 lap­shoulder 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.

26

• 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 sys­tems 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.

• To reduce risk of injury from an inflating
airbag in an accident, Porsche strongly
recommends the following positioning:

Forward facing child restraint system:

Use in the rear seat or in the passenger
seat only in the rearmost adjusting posi­tion.

Rearward facing child restraint system:
Do not install in the passenger seat.

Child restraint 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 installed or re-

positioned 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

Air Bag System

The "Air Bag" in combination with the safety belt
makes up a passive safety system which offers
the driver and front seat passenger the greatest
known protection from injuries in case of acci­dent.

The air bag system is composed of the follow­ing 3 major groups:

• Air bag modules with gas generators and igni­tion unit

• Control electronics

• Collision sensors

28

In case of frontal collision greater than a certain

severity, the collision sensors send a signal via
the control electronics to the ignition mecha­nism. In the ignition process, a solid propellant
in the gas generator is combusted in a fraction
of a second. This combustion generates the gas
quantity and pressure necessary to fill the air

The air bag is located behind the steering wheel
center pad on the driver's side, and on the pas­senger side behind the padding above the glove
compartment. Due to the rapid deflation of the
air bag after use, there is little danger of ob­structed vision.

Likewise, the noise of the inflation of the air bag
generally goes unnoticed because of the colli­sion noise. The air bag protects the face and
upper body, and at the same time dampens the
forward motion of the driver and passenger.

Range of Effectiveness

Even if your vehicle is equipped with an air bag,
the safety belt must be worn at all times be­cause the air bag system is only actuated by
frontal collisions with an impact of sufficient

severity. See figure for range of effectiveness.

Below the actuation threshold of the air bag sys­tem, and during types of collisions which do not
cause the actuation of the system, the seat
belts provide the primary protection to the occu­pants when correctly worn. Therefore, all per-

sons within the vehicle must always wear
safety belts (in many states, state law requires

the use of safety belts). See also chapter

"Safety Belts".

Maintenance / Monitor Lights

The air bag system monitors the operational

readiness of the igniter, sensors, warning lamp,

and control electronics itself.
Any malfunctions which may arise are an-

nounced by the air bag warning light in the in­strument cluster. Upon activation of the vehicle
ignition circuit, the air bag warning light in the
instrument cluster lights up for approximately 3
seconds and then goes out again, indicating sys-

tem readiness.

In the following cases you should immedi-

ately consult an authorized Porsche dealer

in order to assure the air bag system is
functioning properly:

• Illumination of the air bag warning light during
travel or repeated illumination longer than 5

seconds after ignition circuit is turned on.

• Illumination fails to light up during ignition cir-

cuit activation.

A malfunction in the air bag system will be indi­cated by the illumination of the air bag warning
light accompanied by the fault message in the
information system display.

In order to ensure long-term functioning, the air
bag system must be inspected by an authorized
Porsche dealer after 4, 8 and 10 years from the
date of manufacture shown on the safety compli­ance sticker, and then every 2 years.

WARNING

No changes must be made to the wiring or
components of the air bag system. Do not
add any additional coverings or stickers to
the steering wheel or in the area of the pas­senger side air bag. Doing so may adversely
affect the functioning of the air bag system
or cause harm to the occupants if the air
bag system should deploy.

Do not undertake any wiring for electrical ac­cessory equipment in the vicinity of the air
bag wiring harness.

Doing so may disable the air bag system.

The actuation of the air bag requires the im­mediate inspection of the system and re­placement of some parts of the system. See
your authorized Porsche dealer.

Defects should be repaired immediately. See
your authorized Porsche dealer.

When disposing of a used air bag unit, our
safety instructions must be followed. These
instructions can be obtained at any
authorized Porsche dealer.

Further information on the air bag system can
be found on stickers in the glove compartment,
at the sun visors, as well as on all air bag com-

ponents.

Important:

If you sell your Porsche, notify the pur­chaser that the vehicle is equipped with an
air bag, and refer to him or her to the
chapter, "Air Bag System", in the owner's
manual (safety and disposal rules).

For special recommendations on the use of
child restraints, please refer to the chapter
on "Child Restraint Systems."

29

Parking brake lever

Parking brake force is mechanically transferred

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

Pull the lever all the way up (see arrow). With

the ignition on, the brake warning light will come

on if the lever is even slightly raised. A firm pull
upward is required to properly engage the park­ing brake.

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 all the way down.

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

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 by pulling all the way up on the
lever. 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 is not an indicator
that the parking brake is fully set; it is only
intended to be a warning to release the park­ing brake before driving the car. If brake is
not fully set, the vehicle may roll without con­trol.

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.

WARNING

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

30