Starting-off and Driving101
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
Starting the engine
General
You can only start the engine only using an original ignition key.
•Place the gearshift lever into neutral (or place the selector lever to the position
P or N in the case of an automatic gearbox) and put on the handbrake firmly before
starting the engine.
•The clutch pedal should be fully depressed when starting the engine which
means that the starter only has to crank the engine.
•Let go of the key as soon as the engine starts otherwise there may be damage
to the starter.
The engine running noises may louder at first be louder for a short time after
starting the cold engine until oil pressure can be built up in the hydraulic valve
clearance compensation. This is quite normal and is not an operating problem.
If the engine does not start ...
You can use the battery of anothe r vehicle as a jump-start aid ⇒page 215.
It is only possible to tow-start vehicl es fitted with a manual gearbox. The tow-
starting distance must not be more than 50 metres ⇒page 217.
WARNING
•Never run the engine in non ventilat ed or enclosed areas. The exhaust
gases of the engine contain besides the odorless and colourless carbon
monoxide a poisonous gas - hazard! Carbon monoxide can cause uncon-
sciousness and death.
•Never leave your vehicle unattended with the engine running.
Caution
•The starter may only be operated (ignition key position ), if the engine is not
running. If the starter is immediately oper ated after switching off the engine, the
starter or the engine can be damaged.
•Avoid high engine revolutions, full throttle and high engine loads as long as the
engine has not yet reached it s normal operating temperature - risk of damaging the
engine!
•Vehicles which are fitted wi th an exhaust gas catalytic converter should not be
tow-started over a distance of more than 50 metres.
For the sake of the environment
Never warm up the engine when the vehicle is standing. Drive off right away.
Through this the engine reaches its operating temperature more rapidly and the
pollutant emissions are lower.
Petrol engines
These engines are fitted with a starter system which selects the correct fuel/air
mixture for every external air temperature.
•Do not operate accelerator before and when starting engine.
•Interrupt the attempt at starting after 10 seconds if the engine does not start
right awayand wait for about 30 seconds before repeating the attempt.
•It is possible that the fuse on the electric al fuel pump is defect if the engine still
does not start. Check the fuse and replace it if necessary ⇒page 220.
•If the engine does not start, contact th e nearest specialist garage to obtain
professional assistance.
It may be necessary, if the engine is very hot, to slightly depress the accelerator
after the engine has started.
Diesel engines
Glow plug system
Diesel engines are equipped with a glow plug system, the preglow period being
controlled automatically in line with the coolant temperature and outside temper-
ature.
The preglow indicator light
comes on after the ignition has been switched on.
A3
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Starting-off and Driving
102
You should not switch on any major elec trical components during the heating
period otherwise the vehicle battery will be drained unnecessarily.
•You should start the engine immediately after the glow plug warning light
has gone out.
•The glow plug warning light will come on for about one second if the engine is
at a normal operating temperature or if the outside temperature is above +5°C. This
means that you can start the engine right away.
•Interrupt the attempt at starting after 10 seconds if the engine does not start
right awayand wait for about 30 seconds before repeating the attempt.
•It is possible that the fuse on the diesel preglow system is defect if the engine
still does not start. Check the fuse and replace it if necessary ⇒page 220.
•If the engine does not start, contact th e nearest specialist garage to obtain
professional assistance.
Starting the engine after fuel tank has run dry
It may take longer than normal to start the engine after refuelling if the fuel tank has
run completely dry - up to one minute. This is because the fuel system must first of
all be filled while the attempting to start the engine.
Switching the engine off
– Turn the ignition key into position ⇒page 100, fig. 114 .
WARNING
•Never switch off the engine before the vehicle is stationary - risk of acci-
dent!
•The brake booster only operates when the engine is running. Greater
physical effort for braking is required when engine is switched off. Because
if you do not stop as normal, this can cause an accident and severe injuries.
Caution
you should not switch the engine off right away at the end of your journey after the
engine has been operated for a lengthy peri od at high loads but should be allowed
it to run at idling speed for about 2 minut es. This prevents any accumulation of heat
when the engine is switched off.
Note
•The radiator fan may continue running for a further 10 minutes or so after the
engine and the ignition have been switched off. The coolant fan may, however, also
switch on again after some time if the coolant temperature rises because of an
accumulation of heat in the engine or if the engine is warm and the engine
compartment is additionally heated by strong sunlight.
•This is why particular care is required when carrying out any work in the engine
compartment ⇒ page 185, “Working in the engine compartment”.
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Automatic gearbox*
112
Shiftlock button
The Shiftlock button in the handle of select or lever prevents certain selector lever
positions being engaged inadvertently. The selector lever lock is cancelled when
you press the Shiftlock button.
Keylock - Ignition key withdrawal lock
You can only withdraw the ignition key after switching off the ignition if the selector
lever is in position P. If the ignition key is withdrawn, the selector lever is blocked in
position P.
Kickdown function
The kickdown function provides you with maximum acceleration
power.
Depressing the accelerator pedal beyond the pressure point casues the automatic
gearbox to shift down into a lower gear (in line with vehicle speed and engine
speed). The gearbox shifts up into the next higher gear when the engine has
reached its maximum revolutions.
WARNING
Please note that using the kickdown fu nction can result in the driven wheels
spinning on a smooth or slippery road surface - risk of skidding!
Dynamic shift programme
The automatic gearbox of your vehicle is controlled electronically. Shifting up and
down through the gears is performed auto matically on the basis of pre-defined
driving programmes.
Adopting a moderate style of driving will cause the gearbox to select the most
economical driving programme. Shifting up into a higher gear as soon as possible
and shifting down as late as possible will have a favourable effect on your fuel
consumption. Adopting a
faster style of driving with rapid movements of the accelerator pedal
combined with sharp acceleration and freq uent changes in speed, exploiting the
top speed of the car or operating the kick down function, will cause the gearbox to
switch over to the sporty driving programme. Shifting up later into a higher gear
makes it possible to fully exploit the powe r reserves of the engine. The gearbox also
then shifts down at higher engine speeds than is the case for the economy-oriented
programmes.
Selecting the most appropriate driving programme for the particular style of driving
is a continuous process. Irrespective of this it is, however, possible to switch into a
sporty driving programme by depressing the accelerator rapidly. The gearbox shifts
down into a lower gear matching the speed of the car and this allows you to accel-
erate rapidly (e.g. when overtaking) without having to depress the accelerator pedal
fully into the kickdown range. The original programme will be reactivated to match
your particular style of driving once the gearbox has shifted up again.
When driving in hilly regions, the gears are selected to match uphill and downhill
sections. This avoids the gearbox frequently shifting up and down when negotiating
an uphill stretch. Depressing the brake pedal while driving downhill causes the
gearbox to shift down into the next lower gear. This makes it possible for you to
exploit the engine braking power withou t the need for shifting gears manually.
NKO B5 20.book Page 112 Friday, March 2, 2007 1:46 PM
Intelligent Technology
160
pedal firmly and hold it in this position in order to achieve the shortest possible
braking distance.
The Brake Assist is able to help you achieve a shorter braking distance in emergency
situations by rapidly producing the pressure required in the brake system. It fully
exploits the attributes of the ABS. After you release the brake pedal, the function of
the Brake Assist is automatically switched off and the brakes operate in the normal
way.
WARNING
•The Brake Assist is also not able to overcome the physical limits of your
car in terms of the braking distance required.
•Adapt your speed to the conditions of the road surface and to the traffic
situation.
•The increased safety offered by the Brake Assist must not tempt you to
take a greater safety risk than otherwise.
Power steering
Power steering assists the driver in steering the vehicle and reduces the physical
force needed for steering.
The steering characteristics can be changed by a specialist garage.
It is still possible to fully steer the vehicle if the power steering fails or if the engine
is not running (vehicle being towed in). The only difference is that greater physical
effort is required.
If the steering is turned to full lock when the car is stationary, you will place great
stresses on the power steering system. Turning the steering to full lock in such a
situation will be accompanied by noises. In addition, the idling speed of the engine
will drop briefly.
Caution
Do not leave the steering at full lock for more than 15 seconds when the engine is
running - risk of damagi ng the power steering!
Note
•Have the steering inspected as soon as po ssible by a specialist garage if there is
a leak or fault in the system.
•The power steering requires a special hydraulic oil. The oil reservoir is located
at the front left of the engine compartment ⇒page 186. The correct hydraulic oil
level is important for proper oper ation of the power steering system.
Diesel particle filter* (diesel engine)
In the diesel particle filter the resulting soot particles are collected
and burnt during the combustion of diesel fuel.
Code 7GG on the vehicle data sticker ⇒fig. 165 indicates that your
vehicle is equipped with a diesel particle filter. The vehicle data sticker is
located on the floor of the luggage com partment and is also stated in the
Service schedule.
The diesel particle filter filters the soot particles completely from the exhaust. The
soot is collected in the diesel particle filter and burnt regularly. To assist this proce-
dure, we recommend not to drive regularly over short distances.
Fig. 165 Vehicle data
sticker
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Intelligent Technology161
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
If the diesel particle filter is clogged or there is a fault, it is indicated by the warning
light
⇒ page 25, “Diesel particle filter* (diesel engine)”.
WARNING
•The diesel particle filter achieves very high temperatures. Therefore do
not park at points where the hot filter comes into direct contact with dry
grass or other combustible materials - risk of fire!
•Never use additional underbody protection or corrosion-protection
agents for the exhaust pipes, catalytic converters, diesel particle filter or
heat shields. When the engine reaches its operating temperature, these
substances might ignite - risk of fire.
Note
•When using diesel fuel with high sulphur content the life of the diesel particle
filter is clearly reduced. A specialist gara ge will be able to tell you which countries
use only diesel fuel with high sulphur content.
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Driving and the Environment
162
Driving and the Environment
The first 1 500 kilometres and then afterwards
A new engine
The engine has to be run in du ring 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 enga ged, 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 harm onized. The driving style which you adopt
during the first 1 500 kilometres plays a de cisive 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 comple te. The maximum permissible 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 figures 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 brak e 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 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.
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Driving and the Environment163
Using the systemSafetyDriving TipsGeneral MaintenanceBreakdown assistanceTechnical Data
Catalytic converter
Proper operation of the emission co ntrol system (catalytic converter)
is of major significance for drivin g your vehicle in an environmen-
tally conscious way.
Please refer to the following guidelines:
– For vehicles with petrol engine only refuel with unleaded petrol
⇒ page 181, “Grades of petrol”.
– Never run the fuel tank completely empty.
– Do not switch off the ignition while you are driving the vehicle.
– Do not pour too much oil into the engine ⇒page 188, “Replenishing
engine oil”.
– Do not tow-start the vehicle over a distance of more than 50 metres ⇒page 218, “Tow-starting a vehicle”.
If you drive your vehicle in a country in which unleaded petrol is not available, you
must have the catalytic converter replaced later when driving the vehicle into a
country in which use of a cata lytic converter is mandatory.
WARNING
•In view of the high temperatures wh ich may be produced in the catalytic
converter, one should always park a vehicle in such a way that the catalytic
converter cannot come into contact with easily flammable materials below
the vehicle - a risk of fire!
•Never use additional underbody protection or corrosion-protection
agents for the exhaust pipes, catalytic converters or heat shields. Such
substances might ignite when driving - risk of fire!
Caution
•Vehicles fitted with catalytic converter sh ould never be allowed to let the fuel
tank to run completely empty. An irregular fuel supply can result in poor ignition or misfiring. Unburnt fuel may get into the
exhaust system and damage the catalytic
converter.
•Filling the tank even only once with leaded petrol will result in the catalytic
converter being destroyed.
•If you detect misfiring, a drop in perf ormance or irregular engine running when
driving, reduce your speed immediately and have the vehicle inspected by the
nearest specialist garage. The symptoms described may be caused by a fault in the
ignition system. Unburnt fuel may get into the exhaust system and damage the
catalytic converter.
For the sake of the environment
Even if the exhaust system is operating properly, a sulphur-like exhaust odour may
be produced under certain op erating conditions of the engine. This depends on the
sulphur content of the fuel. It is often sufficient to refuel with unleaded premium-
grade petrol of a different brand or at a different filling station.
Driving in an economical and environmentally
conscious manner
General
Your personal style of driving is a major factor.
Your fuel consumption, any pollution of the environmental and the wear-and-tear
to the engine, brakes and tyres, depend essentially on three factors:
•your personal style of driving,
•the conditions under which your vehicle is operated,
•technical aspects.
You can easily improve your fuel economy by 10 - 15 percent by driving in an
economical way with foresight. This section is intended to provide you with a
number of tips on how to protect the en vironment and at the same time save
money.
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Driving and the Environment
164
The fuel consumption can naturally also be influenced by factors which are beyond
the driver's control. It is, for example, no rmal for the fuel 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 bu ilt into the vehicle at the works. Special attention has
been given to minimisi ng negative effects on the envi ronment. 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.
Looking ahead when driving
A vehicle's highest fuel consumption occurs it accelerates.
Avoid accelerating and braking 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 unnecess arily high revolutions in any given gear.
The ⇒fig. 166 shows the ratio of fuel consumption to the speed of your vehicle in
the relevant gears. Fuel cons umption 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. This applies
in particular if you make use of the ma nual mode (Tiptronic) for shifting gears.
Note
Also use the information supplied by the multi-functional indicator ⇒page 15.
Fig. 166 Fuel consump-
tion in litres/100 km. and
speed in km/h.
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