Driving tips
206 Driving tips
Rolling with the engine switched off
G
Risk of accident
Never switch the engine off while the vehi-
cle is in motion.
There
is no power assistance for the steer-
ing and the service brake when the engine
is not running.
You will require considerably more effort to
steer and brake and you could therefore
lose control of the vehicle and cause an
accident. Braking
G
Risk of accident
Do not change down for additional engine
braking on a slippery road surface. This
could cause the drive wheels to lose their
grip and the vehicle could skid. G
Risk of accident
Make sure that other road users are not
endangered by your braking. Downhill gradients On long and steep downhill gradients, espe-
cially if the vehicle is laden, you must select
shift range 1, 2 or 3 in good time.
i
This also applies if you have activated
cruise control, Speedtronic or Distronic*
.
This uses the braking effect of the engine and
you will not have to brake to such an extent
to maintain the same speed. This relieves the
load on the brake system and prevents the
brakes from overheating and wearing too
quickly. If you need additional braking,
depress the brake pedal repeatedly rather
than continuously.
Heavy and light loads If the brakes have been subjected to a heavy
load,
do not stop the vehicle immediately, but
drive on for a short while. This allows the air-
flow to cool the brakes more quickly. G
Risk of accident
Never depress the brake pedal continu-
ously while the vehicle is in motion, e.g.
never cause the brakes to rub by applying
constant
slight pedal pressure. This causes
the brake system to overheat, increases the braking distance and can lead to the
brakes failing completely.
If
the brakes have been used only moderately,
you should occasionally test their effective-
ness. To do this, brake more firmly from a
higher speed. This improves the grip of the
brakes.
Wet roads If driving in heavy rain for a prolonged period
of time without braking, there may be a
delayed
reaction from the brakes, when brak-
ing for the first time. You must brake harder.
You must therefore maintain a greater dis-
tance from the vehicle in front.
Brake firmly after driving on a wet road. This
way the brake discs will become warm, drying
more quickly, which will protect them against
corrosion.
Limited braking performance on salted
roads G
Risk of accident
The layer of salt on the brake discs and the
brake pads/linings may cause a delay in
the braking effect, resulting in a signifi- Operation
* optional
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Display messages
227Display messages Possible cause/consequence Possible solution
HOLD cannot be activa-
ted See Owner's
Manual A condition for activating HOLD has not
been met. Check the conditions for activating HOLD
(Y page 144).
X
Close the bonnet.
X Close the driver's door.
X Start the engine.
X Release the parking brake.
X Switch off all consumers that are not required.
HOLD can be reactivated as soon as the on-
board voltage is sufficient. HOLD inoperative See
Owner's Manual A malfunction has occurred. X
Visit a qualified specialist workshop. Cruise control
and SPEEDTRONIC inoperative Speedtronic and cruise control or Dis-
tronic* are not operational. X
Visit a qualified specialist workshop. SRS Restraint system
malfunction Con-
sult workshop The restraint systems are faulty. X
Visit a qualified specialist workshop immedi-
ately. Cruise control - - - A condition for activating cruise control
has not been met. X
Activate ESP ®
(Y page 59)
X If conditions permit, drive faster than
30 km/h
and store the speed (Y page 132). Practical advice
* optional
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Display messages
237Display messages Possible cause/consequence Possible solution
N Check engine oil
level when next
refuelling The engine oil level has dropped to a crit-
ical level. X
Check the engine oil level (Y page 195) and top
up the engine oil if necessary.
X Have the engine checked for leaks if the engine
oil needs topping up more often than usual. ± Display malfunc-
tion Consult work-
shop One or more electronic systems are
unable to deliver information to the on-
board computer. The following systems
may have failed:
R
Coolant temperature gauge
R Rev counter
R Cruise control or Speedtronic display X
Visit a qualified specialist workshop. H Tyre pressure Cau-
tion Tyre defect One or more tyres are losing air rapidly.
The affected wheel is highlighted in the
tyre pressure display of the tyre pressure
monitor*. X
Stop the vehicle without making any sudden
steering
or braking manoeuvres. Pay attention
to the traffic conditions as you do so.
X Repair or change the tyre (Y page 276). Practical advice
* optional
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Troubleshooting
245Problem Possible cause/consequence Suggested solutions
v
The yellow ESP ®
warning
lamp flashes while the
vehicle is in motion. G
Risk of accident
ESP ®
or traction control has
intervened because at least one
wheel has started to spin.
Cruise control or Distronic* is
deactivated. X
Only depress the accelerator pedal as far as necessary when pull-
ing away.
X Release the accelerator pedal while you are driving.
X Adapt your driving style to suit the road and weather conditions.
X Do not deactivate ESP ®
. Exceptions: (Y page 59).3
The red brake system
warning lamp comes on
while you are driving. You
will also hear a warning
tone. You are driving with the parking
brake applied. X
Release the parking brake.
The warning lamp goes out and the warning tone ceases. 3
The red brake system
warning lamp comes on
while the engine is run-
ning. You will also hear a
warning tone. G
Risk of accident
There is insufficient brake fluid in
the fluid reservoir. X
Do not continue driving under any circumstances.
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop immediately.
X Observe the additional messages in the multi-function display
(Y page 219).
X Under no circumstances should you top up the brake fluid. This will
not rectify the fault. l
The red distance warning
lamp* lights up while the
vehicle is in motion. G
Risk of accident
The distance to the vehicle in
front is too short for the speed
selected. X
Increase the distance. Practical advice
* optional
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