Spec PORSCHE BOXSTER 2009 2.G Owners Manual

2Dear Owner, We would like to thank you for your purchase of a
Porsche Sports car.
Judging by the car you have chosen, you are a mo-
torist of a special breed, and you are probably no
novice when it comes to automobiles.
Remember however, as with any vehicle, you
should take time to familiarize yourself with your
Porsche and its performance characteristics. Al-
ways 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 in-
jury, always use your safety belts. Never consume
alcohol or drugs before or during the operation of
your vehicle.
This Owner’s Manual contains a host of useful in-
formation. Please take the time to read this manu-
al before you drive your new Porsche. Become fa-
miliar with the operation of your Porsche car for
maximum safety and operating pleasure. The bet-
ter you know your Porsche, the more pleasure you
will experience driving your new car.
Always keep your Owner’s Manual in the car, and
give it to the new owner if you ever sell your
Porsche. A separate Maintenance Booklet
explains how
you can keep your Porsche in top driving condition
by having it serviced regularly.
A separate Warranty and Customer Informa-
tion Booklet contains detailed information about
the warranties covering your Porsche.
For U.S. only:
If you believe that your vehicle has a fault which
could cause a crash, injury or death, you should
immediately inform the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration (NHTSA) in addition to noti-
fying Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (Porsche
Cars N.A.).
If NHTSA receives similar complaints, it may open
an investigation, and if it finds that a safety prob-
lem exists in a group of vehicles, it may order a re-
call and remedy campaign. However, NHTSA can-
not become involved in individual problems be-
tween you and your dealer, or Porsche Cars N.A..
To contact NHTSA, you may call the Vehicle Safety
Hotline toll-free at 1-88 8-327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-
424-9153); go to http://www.safercar.gov; or
write to: Administrator, NHTSA, 400 Seventh
Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590.
You can also obtain other information about motor
vehicle safety from http://www.savercar.gov.
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.
Warning!
Any alteration or misuse of the vehicle can
lead to accidents and severe or fatal
personal injuries.
Any alteration of the vehicle may negate or
interfere with those safety features built into
the vehicle. Modifications may be carried out
on your vehicle only if approved by Porsche.
Your Porsche is intended to be used in a safe
manner obeying the local laws and in the
light of driving conditions faced by you, and
in accordance with the instructions provided
in this Owner’s Manual.
f Do not misuse your Porsche by ignoring those
laws and driving conditions, or by ignoring the instructions in this manual. Caution!
The fitting of racing tires (e.g. slicks) for
sporting events is not approved by Porsche.
Very high cornering speeds can be achieved
with racing tires. However, the resulting
transverse acceleration values would jeopar-
dize the adequate supply of oil to the engine.
Porsche therefore will not accept any
warranty or accept any liability for damage
occurring as a result of non-compliance with
this provision.
f Do not fit racing tires (e .g. slicks) for sporting events on your vehicle.

3
Regularly check your vehicle for signs of
damage.
Damaged or missing aerodynamic compo-
nents such as spoilers or underside panels
affect the driving behavior and therefore
must be replaced immediately.
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 vehicle, contact your authorized Porsche
dealer. He/She will be glad to assist you. Also
check with your dealer on other available options
or equipment.
Throughout this booklet, left is designated as the
driver’s side of the vehicle, and right as the pas-
senger’s side of the vehicle.
Text, illustrations and specifications in this manual
are based on the informatio n available at the time
of printing.
It has always been Porsche’s policy to continuous-
ly improve its products. Porsche, therefore, re-
serves the right to make changes in design and
specification, and to make additions or improve-
ments in its product without incurring any obliga-
tion to install them on products previously manu-
factured.
We wish you many miles of safe and pleasurable
driving in your Porsche.
Warning!
For your own protection and longer service life of
your car, please follow all operating instructions
and special warnings. These special warnings use
the safety alert symbol, followed by the words
Danger, Warning and Caution . These special
warnings contain important messages regarding
your safety and/or the potential for damage to
your Porsche. Ignoring them could result in seri-
ous mechanical failure, serious personal injury or
death.
f Do not alter your Porsche. Any alteration could
create dangerous conditions or defeat safety
engineering features built into your car.
f Do not misuse your Porsche. Use it safely, and
consistently with the law, according to the driv-
ing conditions, and the instructions in this man-
ual.
Alteration or misuse of your Porsche could
cause accidents and serious personal injury
or death.
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 français auprès du concessionaire
ou du:
Porsche Cars Canada, Ltd.
Automobiles Porsche Canada, LTEE
5925 Airport Road
Suite 420
Mississauga, Ontario
Canada L4V 1W1
Telephone number for customer assistance:
1-800-PORSCHE / Option 3

8
Before driving off...
Dear Porsche Owner A lot has gone into the manufacture of your
Porsche, including advanced engineering, rigid
quality control and demanding inspections.
These engineering and safety features will be
enhanced by you... the safe driver... – who knows his/her car and all controls,
– who maintains the vehicle properly,
– who uses driving skills wisely and always drives within her/his own capabilities and the
level of familiarity with the vehicle.
You will find helpful hints in this manual on how to
perform most of the checks listed on the following
pages.
If in doubt, have these checks performed by your
authorized Porsche dealer.
Before driving off... Check the following items first f Turn the engine off before you attempt any
checks or repairs on the vehicle.
f Be sure the tires are inflated correctly.
Check tires for damage and tire wear.
f See that wheel bolts are properly tightened
and not loose or missing.
f Check engine oil level, add if necessary.
Make it a habit to have engine oil checked with
every fuel filling.
f Check all fluid levels such as windshield
washer and brake fluid levels.
f Be sure the vehicle battery is well charged and
cranks the engine properly.
f Check all doors and lids for proper operation
and latch them properly.
f Check, and if necessary replace worn or
cracked wiper blades.
f See that all windows are clear and unob-
structed.
f Check air intake slots and area between lug-
gage compartment lid and windshield. Ensure
that these areas are free of snow and ice, so
the heater and the windshield wipers work
properly. f
If a child will be riding in the vehicle, check
child seat/child seat restraint system to ensure
that restraints are properly adjusted.
f Child restraint systems will not fit into the
Sports bucket seat.
Do not install a child restraint system in the
Sports bucket seat.
The Sports bucket seat cannot be equipped
with the LATCH system and thus the airbag
system cannot be manually deactivated.
f Check all exterior and interior lights for opera-
tion and that the lenses are clean.
f Check the headlights for proper aim, and if
necessary, have them adjusted.
f Check under the vehicle for leaks.
f Be sure all luggage is stowed securely.
Emergency equipment It is good practice to carry emergency equipment
in your vehicle.
Some of the items you should have are:
window scraper, snow brush, container or bag of
sand or salt, emergency light, small shovel, first-
aid kit, etc.

Before driving off...
9
In the driver’s seat... fCheck operation of the horn.
f Position seat for easy reach of foot pedals and
controls.
To reduce the possibility of injury from the
airbag deployment, you should always sit back
as far from the steering wheel as is practical,
while still maintaining full vehicle control.
f Adjust the inside and outside rear view mirrors.
f Buckle your safety belts.
f Check operation of the foot and parking brake.
f Check all warning and indicator lights with
ignition on and engine not running.
f Start engine and check all warning displays for
warning symbols.
f Never leave an idling car unattended.
f Lock doors from inside, especially with chil-
dren in the car to prevent inadvertent opening
of doors from inside or outside.
Drive with doors locked.
On the road... fNever drive after you have consumed alcohol
or drugs.
f Always have your safety belt fastened.
f Always drive defensively.
Expect the unexpected.
f Use signals to indicate turns and lane changes.
f Turn on headlights at dusk or when the driving
conditions warrant it.
f Always keep a safe distance from the vehicle in
front of you, depending on traffic, road and
weather conditions.
f Reduce speed at night and during inclement
weather.
Driving in wet weather requires caution and re-
duced speeds, particularly on roads with
standing water, as the handling characteristics
of the vehicle may be impaired due to hydro-
planing of the tires.
f Always observe speed limits and obey road
signs and traffic laws.
f When tired, get well off the road, stop and take
a rest. Turn the engine off. Do not sit in the ve-
hicle with engine idling.
Please see the chapter “ENGINE EXHAUST” on
Page 5. f
When parked, always set the parking brake.
Move the PDK selector le ver to ”P“ or the gear-
shift lever to reverse or first gear.
On hills also turn the front wheels toward the
curb.
f When emergency repairs become necessary,
move the vehicle well off the road. Turn on the
emergency flasher and use other warning de-
vices to alert other motorists. Do not park or
operate the vehicle in areas where the hot ex-
haust system may come in contact with dry
grass, brush, fuel spill or other flammable ma-
terial.
f Make it a habit to have the engine oil checked
with every refueling.

10
Before driving off...
Break in hints for the first
2,000 miles/3,000 kilometers The following tips will be helpful in obtaining opti-
mum performance from your new Porsche.
Despite the most modern, high-precision manufac-
turing methods, the moving parts must still wear
in with each other. This we aring-in occurs mainly in
the first 2,000 miles/3,000 kilometers.Therefore: f Preferably take longer trips.
f Avoid frequent cold starts with short-distance
driving whenever possible.
f Avoid full throttle starts and abrupt stops.
f Do not exceed maximum engine speed of
4,200 rpm (revolutions per minute).
f Do not run a cold engine at high rpm either in
Neutral or in gear.
f Do not let the engine labor, especially when
driving uphill. Shift to the next lower gear in
time (use the most favorable rpm range).
f Never lug the engine in high gear at low
speeds. This rule applies at all times, not just
during the break-in period. f
Do not participate in motor racing events,
sports driving schools, etc. during the first
2,000 miles/3,000 kilometers.
There may be a slight stiffness in the steering,
gear-shifting or other controls during the break-in
period which will gradually disappear.
Break in brake pads and brake discsNew brake pads and discs ha ve to be “broken in”,
and therefore only attain optimal friction when the
car has covered several hundred miles or km.
The slightly reduced braking ability must be com-
pensated for by pressing the brake pedal harder.
This also applies whenev er the brake pads and
brake discs are replaced. New tires New tires do not have maximum traction. They
tend to be slippery.
f Break in new tires by driving at moderate
speeds during the first 60 to 120 miles/100 to
200 km. Longer braking distances must be an-
ticipated.
Engine oil and fuel consumption During the break-in peri od oil and fuel consump-
tion may be higher than normal.
As always, the rate of oil consumption depends on
the quality and viscosity of oil, the speed at which
the engine is operated, the climate and road con-
ditions, as well as the amount of dilution and oxi-
dation of the lubricant.
f Make a habit of checking engine oil with every
refueling, add if necessary.

14
Operation, Safety
Never invite car theft! An unlocked car with the key in the ignition lock
invites car theft.
A steering wheel lock and a gong alarm are
standard equipment in your Porsche.
The gong alarm 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!
Any uncontrolled movement of the vehicle
may result in property damage, serious per-
sonal injury or death.
Never leave your vehicle unattended with the
key in the ignition lock, especially if children
and/or pets are left unattended in the vehi-
cle. They can operate power windows and
other controls. If the engine is left running,
they may accidentally engage the shift lever.
Serious personal injury or death could result
from loss of control of the vehicle.
f Always remove the ignition key.
f Always set the parking brake.
fLock the doors with the remote control.
Warning!
Risk of a serious accident.
The steering column will lock when you re-
move the key while you are driving or as the
car is rolling to a stop. You will not be able to
steer the car.
Serious personal injury or death could result
from loss of control of the vehicle.
f Never remove the key from the steering lock while you are driving. To protect your vehicle and your possessions
from theft, you should always proceed as
follows when leaving your vehicle:
f
Close windows.
f Close convertible top (with the convertible top
open, the passenger compartment monitoring
system is always switched off)
f Remove ignition key.
f Engage steering lock.
f Lock glove compartment.
f Remove valuables (e.g. car documents, cell
phones, house keys) from the car.
f Lock doors.

Operation, Safety
27
A - Power window in driver’s door
B - Power window in passenger’s doorPower Windows
Warning!
Risk of injury when the door windows close.
This applies especially if the windows are
closed with the one-touch operation, be-
cause with this function the window goes up
automatically.
f Make sure that fingers, hands, arms or other
parts are not in the way when the windows are
closed. f
Remove the ignition key to shut off power to
the window switches when the vehicle is not
attended by a responsible person. Uninformed
persons could injure themselves by operating
the power windows.
f In case of danger, release the button on the
car key immediately.
f Do not leave children in the car unattended.
Risk of an accident.
f Do not put anything on or near the windows
that may interfere with the driver’s vision.
Readiness for operation of power windows – When the ignition is switched on
(engine switched on or off) or
– with doors closed and ignition key withdrawn, but only until door is first opened.
One-touch operation for closing the door
windows is available only when the ignition is
switched on.
Opening/closing windowsThe two rocker switches A and B in the driver’s
door and the switch in the passenger’s door have
a two-stage function:
Opening
f Press the rocker switch down to the first stage
until the window has reached the desired
position.
Closing
f Press the rocker switch upwards to the first
stage until the window ha s reached the desired
position.
One-touch operation
f Press the rocker switch upwards or
downwards to the second stage.
Window moves to its final position.
Press again to stop the window in the desired
position.
One-touch operation for closing the passenger’s
window is available once the window is approxi-
mately half-way closed.

32
Operation, Safety
Seat Adjustment and Head
Restraints
Warning!
The seat may move unexpectedly if you
attempt to adjust while driving. This could
cause sudden loss of control, resulting in se-
rious personal injury or death.
f Do not adjust seats while the vehicle is in mo-
tion.
The backrest locks must be engaged at all
times while the vehicle is in motion.
Safety belts only offer protection when the
backrest is upright and the belts are properly
positioned on the body.
Improperly positioned sa fety belts or safety
belts worn by passengers in an excessively
reclined position can cause serious personal
injury or death in an accident.
f Do not operate the car with the driver or
passenger backrests excessively reclined
(see “Seat position”).
Risk of injury if persons or animals are in the
movement range of the seat during seat
adjustment.
f Adjust the seat so that no-one is put at risk.
Caution!
Risk of damage to windshield, sun visor, etc.
when the seat is adjusted or folded back or
forward.
f Adjust the seat so that the s e a t b a c k re s t i s n o t in contact with any other object.
The driver and passenger seats provide
integrated head restraints in the backrests. The
head restraints are not adjustable. Warning!
All occupants, including the driver, should not
operate a vehicle or sit in a vehicle's seat until the
head restraints and backrests, respectively, are
placed in their proper posi tions so that the risk of
neck injuries is minimize d in the event of a crash.
For proper positioning of the head restraint, the
seatback's inclination should be adjusted such
that the head restraint is in an upright position.
Driver and passenger should be seated upright
and in the center of their seats.
Seat positionAn ergonomically correct sitting position is
important for safe and fatigue-free driving.
We recommend the following procedure for adjust-
ing the driver’s seat to suit individual
requirements:
1. Vehicles with manual transmission:
Adjust the seat until, with the clutch pedal fully
depressed, your leg remains at a slight angle.
Vehicles with Porsche Doppelkupplung
(PDK):
Adjust the seat until, with your left foot on the
footrest, your left leg remains at a slight angle.
2. Rest your outstretched arm on the steering wheel.
Set the backrest angle (not applicable for
Sports bucket seat) and the steering-wheel
position so that your wr ist rests on the outer
rim of the steering wheel. At the same time,
the shoulders must still be in noticeable
contact with the backrest.
3. Adjust the seat height (not applicable for
Sports bucket seat) to give yourself enough
headroom and a good overview of the vehicle.
4. Electrically adjustable seat: Adjust the seat angle until your thighs rest
lightly on the seat cushion.

42
Operation, Safety
Safety Belts
Warning!
Always make sure your and your passenger’s
safety belts are properly fastened while the
vehicle is in motion.
Failure to follow safety belt warnings may re-
sult in serious personal injury or death.
f For your and your passenger’s protection, use
safety belts at all times while the vehicle is in
motion.
f Use appropriate child restraint systems for all
small children.
Proper wearing of safety belts
f S a f e t y b e l t s m u s t b e p o s i t i o n e d o n t h e b o d y a s
to restrain the upper body and lap from sliding
forward. Improperly positioned safety belts
can cause serious personal injury or death in
case of an accident.
f The shoulder belt should always rest on your
upper body. The shoulder belt should never be
worn behind your back or under your arm.
f For maximum effectiveness, the lap belt
should be worn low across the hips.
f Pregnant women should position the belt as
low as possible across the pelvis. Make sure it
is not pressing against the abdomen. f
Belts should not be worn twisted.
f Do not wear belts over rigid or breakable ob-
jects in or on your clothing, such as eye glass-
es, pens, keys, etc. as these may cause injury.
f Several layers of heavy clothing may interfere
with proper positioning of belts.
f Belts must not rub against sharp objects or
damage may occur to the belt.
f Two occupants should never share the same
belt at the same time.
Care and maintenance
f Keep belt buckles free of any obstruction that
may prevent a secure locking.
f Belts that have been subjected to excessive
stretch forces in an accident must be inspect-
ed or replaced to ensure their continued effec-
tiveness in restraining you.
The same applies to belt tensioner systems
which have been triggered.
In addition, the anchor points of the belts
should be checked.
f If safety belts do not work properly, see your
authorized Porsche dealer immediately.
f I f t h e b e l t s s h o w d a m a g e t o w e b b i n g , b i n d i n g s ,
buckles or retractors, they should be replaced
to ensure safe operation.
f Do not modify or disasse mble the safety belts
in your vehicle. f
The belts must be kept clean or the retractors
may not work properly.
Please see the chapter “CAR CARE INSTRUC-
TIONS” on Page 213.
f Never bleach or dye safety belts.
f Do not allow safety belts to retract until they
are completely dry after cleaning or this may
cause damage to the belt.
Belt tensioner Depending on the force of an impact, fastened
safety belts are tightened in an accident.
The belt tensioners are triggered in:
– Front, side and rear impacts of sufficient
severity.
– In cases of vehicle rollover.
Note
The belt-tensioner system can be triggered only
once; the system must be replaced afterward.
If there is a fault in the belt-tensioner system, the
airbag warning light lights up.
Work may be performed on the belt-tensioner sys-
tem only by an authorized Porsche dealer.
Smoke is released when the belt tensioners are
triggered. This does not indicate a fire in the
vehicle.

48
Operation, Safety
Note
The key switch for switching off the passenger’s
airbag in combination with the LATCH attachment
bracket are not installed at the factory. They can
be retrofitted.
f
Please see your authorized Porsche dealer.
Faults are indicated by a warning light in the instru-
ment panel and a message on the on-board com-
puter.
f Please see the chapter “WARNINGS ON THE
INSTRUMENT PANEL AND THE ON-BOARD
COMPUTER” on Page 162.
f In the following cases you should immedi-
ately consult an authorized Porsche
dealer in order to assure the airbag sys-
tem is functioning properly:
– If the warning light does not light up when the ignition key is inserted or
– If the warning light does not go out once the engine is running or
– If the warning light appears while driving.
Airbag maintenanceIn order to ensure long-t erm functioning, the air-
bag system must be inspected by an authorized
Porsche dealer at the i ntervals recommended in
your Maintenance Booklet.
Important information
If you sell your Porsche, notify the purchaser that
the vehicle is equipped with airbags, and refer
them to the chapter, “Airbag Systems“, in the
Owner's Manual (safety and disposal rules).
Further information on the airbag system can be
found on stickers attach ed to the sun visors.
For special recommendations on the use of child
restraints:
f Please see the chapter “CHILD RESTRAINT
SYSTEMS” on Page 50.
Warning light and warning
message