Page 9 of 162

Contents
9
Passenger safety systems:
Airbags52
Transporting children safely54
Vehicle Memory, Key
Memory58
Driving:
Ignition lock59
Starting the engine59
Switching off the engine61
Parking brake61
Manual transmission62
Automatic transmission with
Steptronic*63
Turn signal indicator/Headlamp
flasher66
Washer/wiper system/Rain
sensor*67
Cruise control*68
Everything under control:
Odometer70
Tachometer70
Energy control70
Fuel gauge71
Engine coolant temperature
gauge71
Service interval display72
Check Control72
Clock73
Computer74
Technology for safety and
driving convenience:
Park Distance Control (PDC)*76
Automatic Stability Control plus
Traction (ASC+T)*77
Dynamic Stability Control
(DSC)*79
Tire Pressure Monitor (TPM)*81
Flat Tire Monitor*82
Lamps:
Parking lamps/Low beams85
Instrument lighting86
High beams/Standing lamps86
Fog lamps*87
Interior lamps87
Controlling the climate for
pleasant driving:
Air conditioning88
Automatic climate control*92
Roller sun blind*96
Interior conveniences:
Premium sound system*97
Glove compartment97
Storage compartments98
Cellular phone*99
Ashtray, front*100
Ashtray, rear*100
Clothes hooks101
Loading and transporting:
Through-loading system102
Ski bag*103
Cargo loading104
Roof-mounted luggage
rack*105
Controls and features
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21
Steering wheel with multifunction buttons*
These buttons let you operate the fol-
lowing functions quickly and without
being distracted from traffic conditions:
>
Selected radio functions
>
The cruise control
>
Selected telephone functions
>
The voice recognition system.
The controls are active only when
the corresponding systems and
accessories are switched on.
<
Press briefly:
Receive a phone call, initiate dialing,
terminate a call.
Extended pressure:
Switch voice recognition on and off.
Switch between phone and radio, cas-
sette and CD.
Forward:
>
Radio
Press briefly: station scan in FM band
Extended pressure: station search
>
CD
Press briefly: jump to next track
Extended pressure: search function
in track
>
Cassette
Press briefly: jump to next track or
stop fast forward
Extended pressure: fast forward
>
Phone
Scan personal phone book.
Rewind: same functions as forward.
Volume.
Cruise control: select a stored setting.
Cruise control: store and accelerate +
or decelerate and store –.
Cruise control: activate/interrupt/deac-
tivate.
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36
To open from the inside*If the luggage compartment lid has not
been locked separately, you can open it
with this button in the footwell on the
driver's side when the vehicle is sta-
tionary.
To closeThe handle recesses in the interior trim
panel of the luggage compartment lid –
see arrows – make it easier to pull the
lid down.
To avoid injuries, be sure that the
travel path of the luggage com-
partment lid is clear when it is closed,
following the same precautions as with
all closing procedures.<
Operate the vehicle only when the
luggage compartment lid is
closed. Otherwise, exhaust fumes
could penetrate the interior of the vehi-
cle.<
Should it be absolutely necessary to
operate the vehicle with the luggage
compartment lid open:
1. Close all windows. Shut the slid-
ing/tilt sunroof
2. Greatly increase the quantity of air
coming from the air conditioning or
automatic climate control system,
see page 88 or 92.
Luggage compartment lid
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63
Automatic transmission with Steptronic*You can drive as with a normal auto-
matic transmission. In addition, you can
also shift manually.
When you move the selector lever from
the D position to the left into the M/S
range, the performance-oriented shift
programs of the automatic transmission
are engaged. Steptronic enters the
manual selection mode and executes
the desired shift whenever you tap the
selector lever in the direction indicated
by + or –. Whenever you want to use
the automatic mode again, just shift the
selector lever toward the right to posi-
tion D.
Under normal operating conditions, fuel
consumption is lowest when driving in
position D.Selector lever positionsP R N D M/S + –Starting the engineThe engine can only be started in selec-
tor lever positions P – for Park – or N –
for Neutral.
Range selectionA detent prevents inadvertent shifts to
the Reverse or Park selector lever posi-
tions. To disengage the detent, press
the button on the front side of
the selector lever button – see arrow.
While the vehicle is stationary and
before shifting out of Park or Neu-
tral, depress the footbrake in order to
disengage the selector lever's lock
mechanism – Shiftlock.
Hold the footbrake down until starting
off. Otherwise the vehicle will "creep"
when a drive position is engaged.<
To prevent the vehicle from start-
ing off on its own, always move
the selector lever to position P and
engage the parking brake before leav-
ing your vehicle with the engine run-
ning.
Do not leave the vehicle unattended
with the engine running. An unattended
vehicle with a running engine repre-
sents a safety hazard.<
PParkSelect only when the vehicle is station-
ary. Transmission locks to prevent rear
wheels from turning.RReverseSelect only when the vehicle is station-
ary.NNeutralSelect only when stopping for an
extended period.DDrive – automatic shift programThis position is designed for driving
under all normal operating conditions.
All forward gears are available.
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71
Fuel gaugeOnce the indicator lamp stays on con-
tinuously, there are still approx.
2 gallons/8 liters of fuel in the fuel tank.
Fuel tank capacity approx.
16.6 gallons/63 liters.
Certain operating conditions, such as
those encountered in mountainous
areas, may cause the needle to fluctu-
ate slightly.
Fill the fuel tank before it is com-
pletely empty. Driving to the last
drop of fuel can prevent the engine
from operating properly and result in
damage.<
When you switch on the ignition, the
indicator lamp lights up briefly as an
operation check.
Engine coolant temperature gaugeBlueThe engine is still cold. Drive at moder-
ate engine and vehicle speeds.RedWhen you switch on the ignition, the
warning lamp comes on briefly as an
operation check.
If the lamp comes on during normal
vehicle operation: the engine has over-
heated. Stop and switch the engine off
immediately and allow it to cool down.
To check coolant level, refer to
page 122.
Between the blue and red zonesNormal operating range. The needle
may rise as far as the edge of the red
sector during normal operation.
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Page 88 of 162
88Controlling the climate for pleasant driving
Air conditioning
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Page 89 of 162
89
1Air onto the windshield and the side
windows
2Air for the upper body area91
3Air to the footwell
4Air supply/Blower90
5Temperature90
6Air distribution90
7Rear window defroster90
8Air conditioning90
9Outside air/Recirculated-air
mode90Air conditioning
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90
Air supply/Blower
You can select blower speeds
from 1 to 4. The heating and
ventilation become more and
more effective as the air sup-
ply settings are increased. In position 0,
the blower and the heater are switched
off. The outside air supply is blocked in
position 0.
Temperature
In order to increase the tem-
perature of the passenger
compartment, turn to the right
toward the red zone. The tem-
perature of the incoming air is kept con-
stant.
Air distribution
You can direct air to flow onto
the windows , toward your
upper body or into the
footwell . All intermediate
settings are possible. In the setting,
there is a low flow of air onto the win-
dows to keep them free of condensa-
tion.
Rear window defroster
When the rear window defroster
is activated, the indicator lamp
comes on. The rear window defroster
switches off automatically.
You can have your vehicle pro-
grammed in such a way that the
rear window defroster switches on
automatically. This occurs within 5 min-
utes after starting the engine when out-
side temperatures are below approx.
397/+46.<
Air conditioning
The air is cooled and dehumidi-
fied and – depending on the
temperature setting – rewarmed.
Depending on the weather, the wind-
shield may fog over briefly when the
engine is started. Air conditioning helps
prevent the windows from fogging up.
Condensation forms during opera-
tion of the air conditioning system,
which then exits under the vehicle.
Traces of condensed water on the
ground underneath the vehicle are thus
normal.<
Outside air/Recirculated-air mode
You can respond to unpleasant
external odors by temporarily
blocking the supply of outside air. The
system then recirculates the air cur-
rently within the vehicle.
If the windows should fog over in
the recirculated-air mode, switch
this mode off and increase the air sup-
ply as required.<
Air conditioning
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