tow PORSCHE 911 2009 5.G Owner's Manual

Mobile Roofs
183
If the convertible top does not lock in the
windshield frame
fOpen convertible top again, start the engine
and close the convertible top again using the
switch.
Assist with the closing process by grasping the
convertible top at the handhold and pulling it
toward the windshield frame (arrow).
fPlease see the chapter “WARNINGS ON THE
INSTRUMENT PANEL AND THE ON-BOARD
COMPUTER” on Page 158.
Messages in on-board computerIf the engine compartment lid is open when acti-
vating the convertible top, a message appears in
the on-board computer. The convertible top can-
not be opened.
fClose engine compartment lid.
fPlease see the chapter “WARNINGS ON THE
INSTRUMENT PANEL AND THE ON-BOARD
COMPUTER” on Page 158.
Emergency operation
of the convertible top fBefore performing emergency operation,
please check:
Was the ignition switched on and was the en-
gine compartment lid closed during operation
of the convertible top with the switch?
Are electrical fuses defective?
Please see the chapter “ELECTRICAL SYS-
TEM” on Page 257.
Warning!
There is danger of injury and damage during
emergency operation.
There is danger of crushing or trapping body
parts at all movable convertible top parts
which could cause serious personal injury.
fTake great care when performing emergency
operation.
fDo not operate the convertible top during and after emergency operation.
Before emergency operation
fRemove the ignition key so that the convertible
top is not operated unintentionally.
fTake screwdriver out of the tool kit.
fFold the rear seat backrests forward.
Rear lid
Convertible top status

190
Mobile Roofs
Example: Mount for 911 Carrera, 911 Carrera SWindstop The windstop is stowed in a protective bag in the
luggage compartment.
The protective bag is fastened with a Velcro strip
in the luggage compartment.
Caution!
Risk of damage to the windstop
fMake sure that the windstop is not damaged
by items of luggage or objects in the luggage
compartment.
fDo not place any objects on the windstop.
fDo not store any sharp-edged objects under
the installed windstop.
fDo not damage the windstop during seat ad-
justment and when folding back the front-seat
backrests.
Adjust seat so that the seat backrest does not
touch the windstop.
fDo not fold up the rear seat backrests with the
windstop installed.
fRemove windstop before fitting a hardtop.
Installing the windstop1. Open zipper of the protective bag.
Take the windstop out of the luggage compart-
ment.

Maintenance, Car Care
219
How Emission Control Works When an automobile engine is running, it uses en-
ergy generated through the combustion of a mix-
ture of air and fuel. Depending on whether a car is
driven fast or slowly or whether the engine is cold
or hot, some of the fuel (hydrocarbons) may not
be burned completely, but may be discharged into
the engine crankcase or exhaust system. Additon-
al hydrocarbons may enter the atmosphere
through evaporation of fuel from the fuel tank.
These hydrocarbons (HC), when released into the
air, contribute to undesirable pollution.
In addition, carbon monoxide (CO) and oxides of
nitrogen (NOx) contribute to engine emissions.
They, too, are formed during the combustion proc-
ess and discharged into the exhaust system.
To reduce these pollutants, your Porsche is
equipped with a precisely calibrated fuel injection
system to assure a finely balanced air/fuel mixture
under all operating conditions.
Oxygen sensor The oxygen sensor, installed in the exhaust pipe
continuously senses the oxygen content of the
exhaust and signals the information to an electron-
ic control unit. The control unit corrects the air/
fuel ratio, so the engine always receives an accu-
rately metered air/fuel mixture. Crankcase ventilation Through crankcase ventilation, undesirable emis-
sions from the engine crankcase are not permit-
ted to reach the outside atmosphere. These emis-
sions are recirculated from the crankcase to the
air intake system. From here the emissions mix
with the intake air and are later burned in the en-
gine. Catalytic converters The catalytic converters are efficient “clean-up”
devices built into the exhaust system of the vehi-
cle. The catalytic converters burn the undesirable
pollutants in the exhaust gas before it is released
into the atmosphere.
The exclusive use of unleaded fuel is critical-
ly important for the life of the catalytic con-
verters. Therefore, only unleaded fuel must
be used.The catalytic converters will be damaged by:
– push or tow starting the vehicle
– misfiring of the engine
– turning off the ignition while the vehicle is mov-
ing or
– driving until the fuel tank is completely empty
– by other unusual operating conditions.
fDo not continue to operate your vehicle under
these conditions, since raw fuel might reach
the catalytic converters. This could result in
overheating of the converters. Federal law pro-
hibits use of leaded fuel in this car.

Maintenance, Car Care
221
Power Steering Power steering is assisted by hydraulic auxiliary
forces.
The hydraulic fluid reservoir is located in the en-
gine compartment.
Note
The flow noise heard at full steering lock is design-
related and does not indicate a defect in the steer-
ing system.
Warning!
Risk of accident resulting in serious personal
injury or death.
When the engine is stopped (e.g. when being
towed) or the hydraulic system fails, there is
no assistance for steering.
Therefore, substantially more force will have
to be exerted in order to steer.
fExercise great care when being towed.
fHave the fault remedied at your nearest author-ized Porsche dealer.
Checking hydraulic fluid fPlease see the chapter “EXERCISE EXTREME
CAUTION WHEN WORKING ON YOUR VEHICLE”
on Page 206.
fOnly use hydraulic fluid authorized by Porsche.
Specification:
Please see the chapter “CAPACITIES” on
Page 290.
Check the fluid level with the engine stopped and
cold (approximately 68 °F/20 °C).
1. Open the engine compartment lid.
2. Open the reservoir cap.
3. Wipe measuring rod.
Close cap and reopen. The fluid level should lie
between the “MIN” and “MAX” marks.
Add hydraulic fluid if necessary.
4. Close cap carefully.
Close engine compartment lid.
Noticeable loss of fluid indicates leakage in the
system.
The cause should be remedied immediately at an
authorized Porsche dealer.

222
Maintenance, Car Care
Air Filter A dirty air filter not only reduces engine perform-
ance, but can lead to premature engine wear.
Regular filter replacement is part of the routine
maintenance service.
fIn dusty conditions, check the filter element
more frequently and replace if necessary.Combination Filter The fresh air passing through the combination fil-
ter into the passenger compartment is virtually
free of dust, pollen, and unpleasant odors.
fIf the outside air is polluted by exhaust fumes,
press the circulating-air button.
A dirty filter can be the cause of reduced air flow:
fHave filter replaced by your authorized
Porsche dealer.
Regular filter replacement is part of the routine
maintenance service.
Fluids/Oils for Manual
Transmission and Porsche
Doppelkupplung (PDK)The transmission fluids/oils have to be checked
and changed at the intervals listed in your Mainte-
nance Schedule.
fPlease see the chapter “CAPACITIES” on
Page 290.
Do not tow the car or run the engine without fluid/
oil in the transmission. The transmission may be
damaged by even a tiny speck of dirt, only a clean
funnel or spout must be used when adding fluid/
oil.
We recommend that you have the fluids/oils
changed at your Porsche dealer, who has the re-
quired lubricants and the necessary filling equip-
ment.
fIf you suspect an oil leak in the transmission,
have your authorized Porsche dealer check it
out immediately.

Practical Tips, Emergency Service
233 Practical Tips, Emergency Service
Exercise Extreme Caution when Working
on your Vehicle ......................................... 234
Tires/Wheels ............................................ 235
Loading Information................................... 246
Wheel Bolts .............................................. 248
Changing a wheel ...................................... 249
Flat Tire .................................................... 251
Lifting the Vehicle with a Lifting Platform or
Garage Lift ............................................... 254
Spacers 911 Carrera, 911 Carrera S ......... 255
Electrical System ...................................... 257
Battery ..................................................... 261
Replacing the remote-control battery .......... 266
Emergency Starting with Jumper Cables ..... 267
Bulb chart................................................. 269
Lights, Replacing Bulbs.............................. 269
Headlights ................................................ 270
Number Plate Light.................................... 277
Changing Light-Emitting Diodes and
Long-Life Bulbs ......................................... 277
Adjusting Headlights .................................. 278
Towing ..................................................... 280

Practical Tips, Emergency Service
235
Tires/Wheels The original equipment tires and wheel rims on
your Porsche comply with all applicable Federal
Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.
For your safety remember the following:
– Wheel rims and wheel bolts are matched to fit
your Porsche.
– If you intend to use other than original equip-
ment wheels, be sure that they conform to
Porsche specifications for your model.
Only tires with the same make and with the
same specification code (e.g. “N0”, “N1”...)
can be mounted.
– The use of wheel rims and wheel bolts that do
not meet specifications of the original factory
installed equipment will affect the safe opera-
tion of your vehicle.
– Before you plan on exchanging wheels, or
snow tires already mounted on the wheel rims,
consult your authorized Porsche dealer. Your
dealer has the technical information necessary
to advise you which wheel rims and wheel bolts
are compatible with the original factory instal-
lations.
Danger!
Risk of loss of control and serious personal
injury or death.
fIf while driving, your vehicle experiences a sud-
den vibration or ride disturbance, and/or you
suspect that possible damage to your tires or
vehicle has occurred, you should immediately
reduce your speed without excessive use of
the brakes.
fStop the vehicle as soon as possible, and in-
spect the tires.
If you cannot determine the cause for the dis-
turbance, have your vehicle towed to the near-
est Porsche or tire dealer to have your vehicle
or tire(s) inspected.
fContinuing to operate the vehicle without cor-
rection could result in a loss of control and serious personal injury.
ExampleUniform Tire Quality GradingQuality grades can be found where applicable on
the tire sidewall between tread shoulder and max-
imum section width.
All passenger car tires must conform to Federal
Safety Requirements in addition to these grades.
Tr e a d w e a r
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a specific govern-
ment test course.
For example, a tire graded 150 would wear one

Practical Tips, Emergency Service
267
Emergency Starting with Jumper
Cables If the battery is discharged, e.g. in winter or after
the car has been parked for a long time, the bat-
tery of another car can be used for starting with
the help of jumper cables.
Make sure the voltage of both batteries is the
same. Both batteries must be 12 volt types.
The capacity (Ampere hours, Ah) of the booster
battery must not be substantially less than that of
the discharged battery.
The discharged battery must be correctly con-
nected to the vehicle’s electrical system.
fPlease see the chapter “BATTERY” on
Page 261.
fPlease see the chapter “EMERGENCY UNLO-
CKING OF THE LUGGAGE COMPARTMENT LID”
on Page 260.
Note
fDo not try to start the car by pushing or tow-
ing. Damage to the catalytic converters and
other components of the car may result.
Warning!
Risk of short circuit, damage and explosion,
resulting in serious personal injury or death.
fUse only jumper cables of adequate diameter
cross-section and fitted with completely insu-
lated alligator clips.
fFollow all warnings and instructions of the
jumper cable manufacturer.
fWhen connecting jumper cables, make sure
that they cannot get caught in any moving
parts in the engine compartment.
The jumper cables must be long enough so
that neither vehicles nor cables touch another.
fThe vehicles must not be in contact, otherwise
current might flow as soon as the positive ter-
minals are connected.
fThe cable clamps must not be allowed to con-
tact each other when one end of the jumper ca-
bles are connected to a battery.
fEnsure that tools or conductive jewelery (rings,
chains, watch straps) do not come into contact
with the positive jumper cable or the positive
battery post.
fImproper hook-up of jumper cables can ruin
the alternator. Danger of caustic burns from escaping acid.
fDo not lean over the battery.
Danger of gas explosion.
fImproper use of booster battery to start a
vehicle may cause an explosion, resulting in
serious personal injury or death.
fKeep sources of ignition away from the bat-
tery, e.g. open flame, burning cigarettes or
sparking due to cable contact or welding work.
fA discharged battery can freeze even at 23 °F/
–5 °C.
Before connecting jumper cables, a frozen
battery must be thawed out.

280
Practical Tips, Emergency Service
Towing Certain state statutes and local ordinances prohib-
it towing with a chain, rope or even a tow bar.
In addition, damage to your vehicle may result
from improper procedures.
Consult your authorized Porsche dealer for de-
tails. Vehicle towing Flat bed towing is the preferred type of towing to
be used on Porsche vehicles.
Under certain circumstances, wheel lifts may be
used when the vehicle will not roll.
The vehicle must be towed with all four
wheels off the ground, otherwise damage to
the vehicle may result.
PDK selector lever emergency releaseIn the event of an electronics failure, the selector
lever must be released for towing.
1. Lift up the rubber mat in the oddments tray.
2. Insert a screwdriver in the opening and press
down until you feel it reach the limit position.
The selector lever can now be moved to
position N.
Towing hook The towing hook A is contained in the tool box in
the luggage compartment.
Caution!
Risk of damage to the vehicle.
fUse the towing hook only for an emergency to
remove the vehicle off the road. The towing
hook is to be used only to pull the vehicle onto
the flat bed, tractor or towing aparatus if the
vehicle will roll freely. Under no circumstances
is the vehicle to be secured using the towing
hook.
fNever use the towing hook to tow this or any
other vehicle.
fBear in mind the limited ground clearance of your car on uneven surfaces.

Practical Tips, Emergency Service
281
Fitting towing hook
When fitting on the rear of the vehicle, the license
plate must be removed.
1. Press the lower edge of the appropriate
plastic cover into the bumper until the cover
disengages.
2. Pull cover out of the bumper and let it hang by
its thread.
3. Completely screw in the towing hook A.Removing towing hook
1. Unscrew the towing hook A.
2. Insert plastic cover at the lower edge of the
opening.
3. Fold the cover up and press on its upper edge
to engage it in the bumper.
When removing on the rear of the vehicle, the
license plate must be mouted.