Automatic gearbox DSG137
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
Selector lever-emergency unlocking (DSG)
In case of interruption of the power supply (e.g. flat vehicle battery, defec-
tive fuse) or defect of the selector lever lock, the selector lever can no
longer be shifted from the position P in the normal way and the vehicle
can no longer be moved. The selector lever must be unlocked in case of
emergency.
– Apply the handbrake firmly.
– Open the stowage compartment in front centre console* or the front ashtray.
– Carefully pull up the front left and right cover.
– Pull up rear cover.
– Press with a narrow object (e.g. ignition key) the yellow plastic hoop -arrow- to the left.
– Simultaneously press the shiftlock butt on in the handle of the selector
lever in the position N
8).
Tow-starting and towing vehicle
Tow-starting a vehicle
It is not possible to tow-start vehi cles fitted with automatic gearbox ⇒page 239.
you can use jump-start cables connected to the battery of another vehicle for
starting your car if the vehicle battery is flat ⇒page 238.
Towing a vehicle
Please pay attention to the following information if it comes necessary to tow-in
your car ⇒page 239.
8)If the selector lever is moved again into the position P, it is once again blocked.
Fig. 148 Selector lever-
emergency unlocking
NKO A5 20 MR08.book Page 137 Wednesday, April 11, 2007 2:54 PM
Intelligent Technology
184
WARNING
Even with this additional function the vehicle cannot be steered automati-
cally! The driver is furthermore fully reponsible for the steering of the
vehicle!
Brakes
What has a negative effect on braking efficiency?
Wear-and-tear
Wear-and-tear to the brake pads is greatly dependent on the operating conditions
of the vehicle and your style of driving. Particularly if you drive a great deal in towns
and over short distances or if you adopt a sporty style of driving, it may be neces-
sary to have the thickness of the brake pads inspected at a specialist garage
between the service inspections.
Wet roads or road salt
There may be a certain delay before the brakes take full effect under certain condi-
tions such as when driving through water, during heavy rain showers or after the
vehicle has been washed in an automatic vehicle wash, since the brake discs and
brake pads may be moist or even have a coating of ice on them in winter. You
should dry the brakes as soon as possib le (by applying and releasing the brakes
several times, if the road conditions and the traffic situation allows it).
There also may be a certain delay before the full braking efficiency is available when
driving on roads which have been treated wi th road salt if you have not used the
brakes for some considerable time beforeha nd. The layer of salt on the brake discs
and brake pads must first be rubb ed off when you apply the brakes.
Corrosion
Corrosion on the brake discs and dirt on th e bake pads occur if the vehicle has been
parked for a long period and if you do not make much use of the braking system.
We recommend cleaning the brake discs by firmly applying the brakes at a fairly
high speed if you do not make much use of the braking system or if surface corro-
sion is present ⇒. Faults in the brake surface
If you notice that the braking distance
has suddenly become longer and that the
brake pedal can be depressed further, it is possible that a brake circuit of the dual-
circuit brake system has failed. Drive, in such cases, to the nearest specialist garage
without delay in order to have the problem rectified. Drive at a reduced speed while
on your way to the dealer and adapt your style of driving to the higher brake pedal
pressure required.
Low brake fluid level
An insufficient level of brake fluid may result in problems in the brake system. The
level of the brake fluid is monitored electronically ⇒page 32, “Brake system ”.
WARNING
•Only apply the brakes for the purpos e of drying and cleaning the brake
discs if the traffic conditions permit this. Do not place any other road users
in jeopardy.
•When retrospectively mounting a front spoiler, solid wheel hubs etc. one
must ensure that the air supply to the front wheel brakes is not reduced
otherwise the braking sy stem could run too hot.
•Allow for the fact that new brake pads do not achieve their full braking
efficiency until approximately 200 kilo metres. New brake pads must be first
“run in” before they develop their optimal friction force. You can, however,
compensate for this slightly reduced braking force by increasing the pres-
sure on the brake pedal. This guidelin e also applies to any new brake pads
installed at a future date.
Caution
•Never allow the brakes to ru b by applying slight pressure if you do not wish to
brake the vehicle. This causes the brakes to overheat and can also result in a longer
braking distance and excessive wear.
•Before negotiating a steep downhill sect ion, please reduce your speed, shift
down into the next lower gear (manual ge arbox) or select a lower driving stage
(automatic gearbox). This enables you to make full use of the braking power of the
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Driving and the Environment189
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
Driving and the Environment
The first 1 500 kilometres and then afterwards
A new engine
The engine has to be run in during the first 1 500 kilometres.
Up to 1 000 kilometres
– Do not drive faster than 3/4 of the mamimum speed of the gear in use,
that is 3/4 of the maximum permissible engine speed.
– Do not use full throttle.
– Avoid high engine revolutions.
– Do not tow a trailer.
From 1 000 up to 1 500 kilometres
– Increase the power output of the engine gradually up to the full
speed of the gear engaged, that is up to the maximum permissible
engine revolutions.
During the first operating hours the engine has higher internal friction than later
until all of the moving parts have harmonized. The driving style which you adopt
during the first approx.1 500 kilometres plays a decisive part in the success of
running in your car.
You should not drive at unnecessarily high engine revolutions even after the
running-in period is complete. The maximum permissib le engine speed is marked
by the beginning of the red zone on the scale of the revolutions counter. Shift up
into the next higher gear on a vehicle fitted with manual gearbox before the red
zone is reached. Extremely high engine revolutions are automatically governed, by
the way.
For a vehicle fitted with a manual gearbox the converse situation also applies: Do
not drive at engine revolutions which are too low. Shift down as soon as the engine
is no longer running smoothly.
Caution
All the speed and engine revolution figure s apply only when the engine is at its
normal operating temperature. Never rev up an engine which is cold, neither when
the vehicle is stationary nor when driving in individual gears.
For the sake of the environment
Not driving at unnecessarily high engine revolutions and shifting to a higher gear as
early as possible are ways to minimise fuel consumption and operating noise levels
and protects the environment.
New tyres
New tyres have to be “run in” since they do not offer optimal grip at first. You should
take account of this fact for the first 500 kilometres and drive particularly carefully.
New brake pads
Allow for the fact that new brake pads do not achieve their full braking efficiency
until approximately 200 kilometres. New brake pads must be first “run in” before
they develop their optimal friction force. You can, however, compensate for this
slightly reduced braking force by increa sing the pressure on the brake pedal.
This guideline also applies to any new brake pads installed at a future date.
During the running-in period , you should avoid excessive stresses on the brakes.
This includes, for example, violent braking, particularly from very high speeds, and
also when crossing mountain passes.
NKO A5 20 MR08.book Page 189 Wednesday, April 11, 2007 2:54 PM
Driving and the Environment191
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
The fuel consumption can naturally also be
influenced by factors which are beyond
the driver's control. It is, for example, normal for the fu el consumption to increase
in winter and under worsened conditions such as poor road conditions, towing a
trailer, etc.
The technical requirements for low fuel usage and economic efficiency of the
vehicle have already been built into the ve hicle at the works. Special attention has
been given to minimising ne gative effects on the environment. It is necessary to
take note of the guidelines given in this chapter in order to make best use of these
characteristics and to maintain their effectiveness.
The optimal engine speed should be obtain ed when accelerating, in order to avoid
a high fuel consumption an d resonance of the vehicle.
Looking ahead when driving
A vehicle's highest fuel consumption occurs it accelerates.
Avoid accelerating and brakin g unnecessarily. If you drive with forsight you will not
need to brake so often and will also then not have to accelerate so much. Let your
vehicle coast to a stop, for example, if this is possible, when you see that the next
set of traffic lights is at red.
Shifting gears and saving energy
Shifting up early saves on fuel.
Manual gearbox
– Drive no more than about one length of your vehicle in first gear.
– Always shift up into the next higher gear at approx. 2 000 to 2 500 revs.
Automatic gearbox
– Depress the accelerator pedal slowly. Do not depress it beyond the
kickdown position, however.
An effective way of achieving good fuel economy is to shift up early. You will
consume more fuel if you drive at unnecessa rily high revolutions in any given gear.
The ⇒fig. 188 shows the ratio of fuel consumption to the speed of your vehicle in
the relevant gears. Fuel consumption in 1st gear is the highest, while that in 5th or
the 6th gear is the lowest.
Only depress the accelerator pedal slowly if your vehicle is fitted with an automatic
gearbox in order to automatically select an economic driving programme. You will
achieve good fuel economy by shifting up early and shifting down late.
Note
Also use the information supplied by the multi-functional indicator* ⇒page 14.
Fig. 188 Fuel consump-
tion in litres/100 km. and
speed in km/h.
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Inspecting and Replenishing
210
– Grip with the hand under the radiat or grille and lift up the bonnet.
– Take the bonnet support out of its holder and set it in the opening designed for it ⇒page 209, fig. 196 .
Closing the bonnet
– Lift the bonnet slightly and unhook the bonnet support. Press the bonnet support into the hold er designed to hold it.
– Allow the bonnet to drop from a height of about 30 cm into the lock - bonnet do not press down on it !
WARNING
•Never open the bonnet if you see that steam or coolant is flowing out of
the engine compartment - risk of scaldi ng! Wait long enough until the steam
or coolant has stopped escaping.
•For safety reasons, the bonnet must always be properly closed when
driving. One should therefore check that the lock has in fact engaged prop-
erly after closing the bonnet.
•Stop your vehicle i mmediately while driving if yo u notice that the lock is
not properly engaged and close the bonn et properly - risk of an accident!
Caution
Never open the bonnet using the handle - danger of causing damage.
Working in the engine compartment
Particular care is required when carrying out any work in the engine
compartment!
There is a risk of injuries, scalding, accidents and fire when working in the
engine compartment, e.g. inspecting an d replenishing oil and other fluids. For
this reason, it is essential to comply with the warning instructions stated below and with the general applicable rules of safety. The engine compart-
ment of your car is a hazardous area
⇒ .
WARNING
•Never open the bonnet if you see that steam or coolant is flowing out of
the engine compartment - risk of scaldi ng! Wait long enough until the steam
or coolant has stopped escaping.
•Switch off the engine and pull out the ignition key.
•Apply the handbrake firmly.
•If your vehicle is fitted with a manual gearbox, move the gearshift lever
into Neutral, or if it is fitted with automatic gearbox, move the selector lever
into position P.
•Allow the engine to cool down.
•Keep children clear of the engine compartment.
•Never spill oil and other fluids over the hot engine. Such fluids (e.g. the
antifreeze contained in the coolant) may ignite!
•Avoid short circuits in the electrical system - particularly on the battery.
•Never place your hand into the radiator fan as long as the engine is still
warm. The fan might suddenly start running!
•Never open the cap of the coolant expa nsion bottle as long as the engine
is still warm. The cooling system is pressurized!
•Cover over the cap of the coolant expansion reservoir with a large cloth
when opening it as protection for your face, hands and arms from hot steam
or hot coolant.
•Do not let objects, such as e.g cleaning cloth or tools lie in the engine
compartment.
•If you wish to work under the vehicl e, you must secure the vehicle from
rolling away and support it with suitable supporting blocks: the car jack is
not sufficient for this - risk of injury!
•In cases where it be necessary to carry out inspection work when the
engine is running there is an additional risk from rotating parts (e.g. the V-
ribbed belt, alternator, radiator fan) and from the high-voltage ignition
system. Please observe in addition the following:
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Breakdown assistance233
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
The tyre repair kit is located in a textile ba
g. There is a velcro fastener on the under-
side of the bag, with which the bag is atta ched to the floor covering of the luggage
compartment in such a way that the side of the bag rests on the right side of the
luggage compartment and on the seat backrest.
Spare wheel
The spare wheel lies in a well under the floor covering of the luggage compartment
and is fixed in place using special screws ⇒fig. 210 .
Before removing the spare wheel, you must take out the box with the vehicle tool
kit box ⇒page 232, fig. 209 .
One should check the inflation pressure in the spare wheel (at best when generally
checking the tyre air pressures - see sign on the fuel filler flap ⇒page 223) to
ensure that the spare wheel is always ready to use.
Temporary spare wheel
A warning label displayed on the rim of the temporary spare wheel indicates that
your vehicle is equipped with a temporary spare wheel.
Please observe the following notes when driving with a temporary spare wheel:
•After fitting on the wheel, the warning st icker must not be concealed (e.g. by the
wheel trim).
•D o n o t d r i v e w i t h th i s s p a re w h e e l a t m o re th a n 8 0 k m / h - ri s k o f a c c i d e n t. Av o i d
accelerating at full throttle, sharp braking and fast cornering.
•The inflation pressure for this spare wheel is identical to the inflation pressure
of the standard tyres. The temporary spar e wheel R 18 must have an inflation pres-
sure of 420 kPa (4.2 bar)!
•Use this spare wheel only to reach the nearest specialist garage as it is not
intended for continuous use.
•No other summer or winter tyres must be mounted on the rim of the spare
wheel R 18.
Changing a wheel
Preliminary work
The following steps should be carried out before actually changing the
wheel.
– If it is necessary to change a wheel, park the vehicle as far away as possible from the traffic flow. The place you choose should be level.
–Have all the occupants get out. While changing a wheel, the occu-
pants of the vehicle should not stan d on the road (e.g. behind a crash
barrier).
– Apply the handbrake firmly.
–Engage 1st gear or if your vehicle is fitted with an automatic gearbox,
position the selector lever into position P.
– If a trailer is coupled, uncouple it.
– Take the vehicle tool kit ⇒ page 232 and the spare wheel
⇒ page 233 out of the luggage compartment.Fig. 210 Luggage
compartment: Spare
wheel
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Breakdown assistance
240
– Release the clutch particularly gent ly when starting off or depress the
accelerator particularly gently if yo ur vehicle is fitted with an auto-
matic gearbox.
Driver of the towed vehicle
– Switch the ignition on so that the steering wheel is not blocked and you can also operate the turn signal lights, the headlight flasher, the
windscreen wipers and wi ndscreen washer system.
– Take the vehicle out of gear or move the selector lever into position N
if your vehicle is fitted with an automatic gearbox.
– Note that the brake servo unit and power steering only operate if the engine is running. You will require si gnificantly greater physical force
to depress the brake pedal and to steer the vehicle if the engine is not
running.
– Ensure that the tow rope is always kept taught.
Tow rope or tow bar
A tow bar is safest way of towing a vehicle and also minimizes any shocks. You can
use a tow rope only if a suitable tow bar is not available.
The tow rope must be elastic to protect the vehicle. Thus one should only use
plastic fibre rope or a rope made out of a similarly elastic material.
Only attach the tow rope to the towing eyes provided for this purpose ⇒page 241,
“Front towing eye” and ⇒page 241, “Rear towing eye”.
Driving style
Towing another vehicle requires a certain amount of practice. Both drivers should
be familiar with the particular points about towing a vehicle. Unskilled drivers
should not attempt to tow in another vehicle or to be towed in.
One should be constantly vigilant not to allow impermissibly high towing forces or
jerky loadings. There is always a risk of excessive stresses and damage resulting at
the points to which you attach the tow ro pe or tow bar when you attempt to tow a
vehicle which is not standing on a paved road.
Caution
If the gearbox of your vehicle no longer contains any oil because of a defect, your
vehicle must only be towed in with the driven wheels raised clear of the ground, or
on a special vehicle transporter or trailer.
Note
•Please comply with any legal requirements particularly regarding the switched
on signal systems, when towing in or tow-starting another vehicle.
•The tow rope must not be twisted as it may in certain circumstances result in the
front towing eye being unscrewed out of your vehicle.
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Breakdown assistance
242
Tow-starting a vehicle
If the engine does not start, we generally do not recommend to tow-start
your vehicle. One should attempt to start the engine using jump start
cables ⇒page 238 or call on the servic es of the SERVICE mobile.
If your vehicle has to be towed:
– Engage 2nd or 3rd gear wi th the vehicle stationary.
– Depress the clutch pedal fully and keep it depressed.
– Switch on the ignition.
– Wait until both vehicles are movi ng then release the clutch pedal
slowly.
– Depress the clutch pedal fully when the engine fires and take the vehicle out of gear.
For technical reasons it is not possibl e to tow-start a car fitted with an automatic
gearbox .
WARNING
There is high risk of having an accide nt when tow-starting a vehicle, when
for example the towed vehicle r uns into the towing vehicle.
Caution
Vehicles which are fitted with a catalytic converter should not be tow-started over
a distance of more than 50 metres. Unburnt fuel may get into the catalytic converter
and damage it.
Towing in a vehicle fitted with a manual gearbox
Please refer to the notes ⇒page 239. The car can be towed in with a tow bar or a
tow rope or with the front or rear wheels
raised. The maximum towing speed is 50 km/h.
Towing of a vehicle with an automatic gearbox
Please refer to the notes ⇒ page 239.
The car can be towed in with a tow bar or a tow rope. Refer at the same time to the
following guidelines:
•Move selector lever into N .
•The maximum towing speed is 50 km/h.
•The maximum permissible towing distance is 50 km. The gear oil pump does
not operate when the engine is not runni ng; the gearbox would not be adequately
lubricated at higher speeds an d over longer towing distance.
Caution
If the vehicle is towed in by a recovery vehi cle, it should only be towed in with the
front wheels raised. If the vehicle is ra ised at rear, the automatic gearbox is
damaged! (Does not apply to the automatic gearbox DSG).
Note
The vehicle must be transported on a special vehicle or trailer if it is not possible to
tow in the vehicle in the way described or if the towing distance is greater than
50 km.
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