Lights and visibility
116
NoteThe system operates from a speed of about 10 km/h.Hazard warning lights
The hazard warning lights are used to draw the attention of
other road users to your vehicle in emergencies.
If your vehicle breaks down:
1. Park your vehicle at a safe distance from moving traffic.
2. Press the button to switch on the hazard warning lights ⇒.
3. Switch the engine off.
4. Apply the handbrake. 5. On a manual gearbox engage 1st gear, and for an automatic
move the selector lever to P.
6. Use the warning triangle to draw the attention of other road users
to your vehicle.
7. Always take the vehicle key with you when you leave the vehicle.
You should switch on the hazard warning lights to warn other road users, for
instance when:•
reaching the tail end of a traffic jam
•
there is an emergency
•
your vehicle breaks down due to a technical defect
•
you are towing another vehicle or your vehicle is being towed.
All turn signals flash simultaneously when the hazard warning lights are
switched on. That is that the two turn signal indicator lamps
and the
indicator lamp in the switch
will flash at the same time. The hazard
warning lights also work when the ignition is switched off.
Turning on the emergency indicators
The emergency indicators turn on auto matically when braking sharply at a
speed of over 60km/h, or if the ABS works for a prolonged period, in order to
alert the vehicles behind. If you accele rate, or continue at over 40km/h, the
emergency indicators turn off automatically.
WARNING
•
The risk of an accident increases if your vehicle breaks down. Always
use the hazard warning lights and a warning triangle to draw the attention
of other road users to your stationary vehicle.
•
Never park where the catalytic convert er could come into contact with
inflammable materials under the vehicle, for example dry grass or spilt
petrol. This could start a fire!
Fig. 76 Instrument panel:
switch for hazard warning
lights
leon ingles.book Seite 116 Dienst ag, 11. September 2007 1:47 13
Seats and stowage
134
CautionWhen driving, do not leave open cans in the cup holders. The drink might be
spilt on braking, for example, and could damage the vehicle.Stowage compartment with the CD charger*
The CD* loader is located under the front left hand seatTo access the loader
– Open the external cover by operating the button on this cover.
– Pull the sliding internal cover to the right.
– Press the “EJECT” button.
– To close the compartment, reverse the procedure.
WARNING
•
Do not close the external cover with the loader cover open.
Other stowage areasOther stowage areas can be found:•
in the centre console,
•
in the side trims of the luggage compartment,
The hooks for hanging are found on the pillar between the front and rear side
windows.
WARNING
•
Do not store loose objects on the dashboard. These objects could be
flung through the passenger compartment when the vehicle is moving (e.g.
while accelerating, braking or cornerin g) and distract the driver. Risk of
accident.
•
Ensure that no objects can fall from the centre console or other stowage
areas into the driver foot well while the vehicle is moving. In the event of a
sudden braking manoeuvre, you will not be able to use the brake, clutch or
accelerator. Risk of accident.
•
Clothing hung on the coat hooks mu st not restrict the driver's view.
Risk of accident. The coat hooks are in tended only for use with light arti-
cles of clothing. Do not leave any hard, sharp or heavy objects in hanging
articles of clothing. During sudden braking manoeuvres or accidents, espe-
cially those involving airbag deployment, these objects could injure the
vehicle occupants.
leon ingles.book Seite 134 Dienst ag, 11. September 2007 1:47 13
Driving161
Safety First
Operating instructions
Tips and Maintenance
Te c h n i c a l D a t a
– Press and release the brake pedal, at the same time press the
button on the selector lever.The lock is only activated when the vehicle is stopped or at a speed of less
than 5 km/h. At higher speeds, the lock is automatically released in position
N.
For rapid changes of position (e.g. from R to D) the lever will not lock. If the
lever remains in the position N more than one second then it is locked. With
the automatic lock, the lever is prevented passing from P and N to any other
gear without first pressing the brake pedal.
The selector lever must be put in the position P in order to remove the key.Driving with an automatic gearbox* / DSG automatic gearbox*
The drive and reverse gears are automatically engaged.
Driving
– Press and hold the foot brake.
– Press on the button on the selector lever knob (on the left,
⇒fig. 122).
– Select a gear for driving ( R, D or S).
– Release the button and wait a few seconds for the gear to engage, a light jerk will be felt.
– Release the brake and accelerate.
Short stop
– Hold the vehicle stationary with the brake pressed down (for example at traffic lights). The selector lever does not need to be
put into the positions P or N for this.
– Do not press the accelerator.
Parking the vehicle
– Press the foot brake and hold to bring the vehicle to a stop.
– Apply the handbrake firmly.
– Press in the button on the select or lever knob, move the lever to
the position P and release the button.
Driving slowly
– Move the selector lever to the position D and press to the right to
put the lever into Tiptronic mode.
– Press the gear lever towards (-) to select a lower gear.
Fig. 122 Driving
leon ingles.book Seite 161 Dienst ag, 11. September 2007 1:47 13
Driving
162
Hill stop
– Hold the vehicle, in all cases, using the foot brake to prevent rolling back.
– Do not try to slow the vehicle us ing another forward gear (engine
braking).
Descending gradients
– With the gear engaged, release the brake and accelerate.The steeper the gradient the lower the gear must be for effective engine
braking. For example, if 3rd gear is used on a very steep gradient, the engine
braking is insufficient and vehicle accelerates. So that the engine speed does
not become excessive, the gearbox changes to the next highest gear. Depress
the brake pedal and move the selector lever to the Tiptronic gate to return to
3rd gear.
WARNING
•
The driver should never leave the vehicle while the engine is running or
with any gear selected. If for any reason you must leave the vehicle with the
engine running, apply the handbrake and move the selector lever to posi-
tion P.
•
When the engine is running and the po sitions D, S or R are selected, it
is necessary to hold the vehicle with the foot brake because the vehicle will
creep at a low speed.
•
Never accelerate while changing the po sition of the selector lever (risk
of an accident).
•
The selector lever must never be moved into the positions R or P while
moving (risk of an accident).
•
Before descending a steep gradient, reduce speed and use the Tiptronic
programme to select a lower gear.
•
If you must stop on a hill, always hold the vehicle using the footbrake
to avoid rolling back.
•
The footbrake must not be held for a long period of time, not even
lightly; continuous braking will ca use overheating of the brakes and a
reduction or even a loss of braking power and a significant increase in
braking distances.
•
Never allow the vehicle to coast down a gradient with the selector lever
in positions N or D, even when the engine is not running. For descents, the
use of the Tiptronic programme is recommended to keep the speed
reduced.Caution
•
Never use the automatic gearbox to hold the vehicle stationary on a hill,
even for short periods, as this may overheat the gearbox and cause damage.
Apply the handbrake or depress the foot brake to hold the vehicle in position.
•
If the vehicle is allowed to roll with the engine stopped but the selector in
position N then the gearbox may be damaged because it will not be
lubricated.WARNING (continued)
leon ingles.book Seite 162 Dienst ag, 11. September 2007 1:47 13
Driving
164
Note•
The gearbox controls on the steering wheel can operate with the gear stick
in any position and with the vehicle in motion.
HandbrakeUsing the handbrake
The handbrake should be applied firmly to prevent the
vehicle from accidentally rolling away.Always apply the handbrake when you leave your vehicle and when
you park. Applying the handbrake
– Pull the handbrake lever up firmly ⇒
fig. 125.
Releasing the handbrake
– Pull the lever up slightly and press the locking knob in the direc- tion of the arrow ⇒fig. 125 and guide the handbrake lever down
fully ⇒ .
Always apply the handbrake firmly. This prevents you driving with the hand-
brake applied ⇒.
The handbrake warning lamp
lights up when the handbrake is applied
and the ignition switched on. The warning lamp goes out when the hand-
brake is released.
If you drive faster than 6 km/h with the handbrake on, the following
message* will appear in the instrument panel display: HANDBRAKE ON. Also,
an audible warning is given.
WARNING
•
Never use the handbrake to slow down the vehicle when it is in motion.
The braking distance is considerably longer, as braking is only applied to
the rear wheels. Risk of accident!
•
If it is only partially released this will cause overheating of the rear
brakes, which can impair the function of the brake system and could lead
to an accident. This also causes premature wear on the rear brake
pads/linings.Caution
Always apply the handbrake before you leave the vehicle. The first gear
should also be selected.
Fig. 125 Handbrake
between the front seats
leon ingles.book Seite 164 Dienst ag, 11. September 2007 1:47 13
Driving165
Safety First
Operating instructions
Tips and Maintenance
Te c h n i c a l D a t a
Parking
The handbrake should always be firmly applied when the
vehicle is parked.Always note the following points when parking the vehicle:
– Use the foot brake to stop the vehicle.
–Apply the handbrake.
– The first gear should also be selected.
– Switch off the engine and remove the key from the ignition lock.
Turn the steering wheel slightly to engage the steering lock.
– Always take you car keys with you when you leave the vehicle ⇒ .Additional notes on parking the vehicle on gradients:
Turn the steering wheel so that the vehicle would roll against the kerb if it did
start to roll.•
If the vehicle is facing downhill, turn the front wheels so that they point
towards the kerb.
•
If the vehicle is facing uphill , turn the front wheels so that they point away
from the kerb .
•
Secure the vehicle as normal by applying the handbrake firmly and
selecting first gear.
WARNING
•
Take measures to reduce the risk of injury when you leave your vehicle
unattended.
•
Never park where the hot exhaust system could ignite inflammable
materials, such as dry grass, low bushes, spilt fuel etc.
•
Never allow vehicle occupants to remain in the vehicle when it is
locked. They would be unable to open the vehicle from the inside, and
could become trapped in the vehicle in an emergency. In the event of an
emergency, locked doors will delay assistance to occupants.
•
Never leave children unsupervised in the vehicle. They could set the
vehicle in motion, for example, by releasing the handbrake or the gear
lever / selector lever.
•
Depending on weather conditions, it may become extremely hot or cold
inside the vehicle. This can be fatal.
Acoustic parking aid system*Rear parking aid
The parking aid system will use an acoustic signal to warn of
the approach of any object towards the rear of the vehicle.Description
The acoustic parking aid system will measure the distance between the rear
of the vehicle and any possible obstacle using four ultrasonic sensors located
on the rear bumper. The measuring range of the sensors starts at approxi-
mately and depending on the nature of the obstacle at a distance of:•
side of the rear bumper: 0.8 m
•
middle of the rear bumper: 1.5 mWARNING (continued)
leon ingles.book Seite 165 Dienstag, 11. September 2007 1:47 13
Driving167
Safety First
Operating instructions
Tips and Maintenance
Te c h n i c a l D a t a
Cruise control system (CCS)*Description
The cruise control system is able to maintain the set speed in
the range from approx. 30 km/h to 180 km/h.Once the speed setting has been saved, you may take your foot off the accel-
erator.
WARNING
It could be dangerous to use the cruise control system if it is not possible
to drive at constant speed.•
For safety reasons the cruise control system should not be used in
dense traffic, in sections with bends or where roads conditions are poor
(e.g. aquaplaning, loose chippings, slippery surfaces, snow). Risk of acci-
dent.
•
Always switch off the CCS when you have finished using it. This will
prevent you using it by mistake.
•
It is dangerous to use a set speed whic h is too high for the current road,
traffic or weather conditions. Risk of accident.Note
The cruise control cannot maintain a constant speed when descending gradi-
ents. The vehicle will accelerate under its own weight. Use the foot brake to
slow the vehicle.
Switching the cruise control system on and offSwitching on the system
–Push the switch ⇒fig. 126 to the left to ON.
Switching off system
– Either push the switch to the right to OFF or turn the ignition
off when the vehicle is stationary.When the speed regulation is on and a speed is programmed, the indicator
on the instrume nt panel is lit
19).
When the speed regulator (CCS) is turned off the indicator
is turned off, the
speed regulator is completely deactivated if the 1st gear is engaged.*
19)Depending on model version
Fig. 126 Turn signal and
main beam headlight
lever switch and rocker
switch for the cruise
control
AB
AB
leon ingles.book Seite 167 Dienst ag, 11. September 2007 1:47 13
Driving
168Setting speed*– Press the lower part SET/SET of the rocker switch ⇒fig. 127
once briefly when you have reached the speed you wish to set.When you release the rocker switch, the current speed is set and held
constant.
Adjusting set speed*
The speed can be altered without touching the accelerator or
the brake.Setting a higher speed
–Press the upper part RES/+ of the rocker switch ⇒fig. 128 to
increase the speed. The vehicle will continue to accelerate for as
long as you keep the rocker switch pressed. When you release
the switch, the new speed is stored.
Setting a lower speed
–Press the lower part SET/– of the rocker switch to reduce the
speed. The vehicle will automatically reduce its speed for as long
as you keep the switch pressed. When you release the switch, the
new speed is stored.
Fig. 127 Turn signal and
main beam headlight
lever switch and rocker
switch for the cruise
control
AA
Fig. 128 Turn signal and
main beam headlight
lever switch and rocker
switch for the cruise
control
AA
AA
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