ture on the windshield. The rain sensor wiper intervals depend on
t he sensi tivi ty setting as well as vehic le speed . Dur ing brief s tops,
wiper motion wil l adjust in re lation to the amount of rain on the
windsh ield .
During br ief stops, e.g. at a red ligh t, wiper mot ion wil l automa ti
cal ly be reduced to the next lower speed . Wipers a lready turning at
low speed. cha nge to i ntermittent w ip ing.
When the ignition is turned on, the washer jets are heated .
With the low beam headlights switched on, p ull the wiper lever
towards you only
briefly t o clean the windshield. Ho lding the wiper
lever wou ld a lso engage the headlight washer system each time you
clean the w indsh ie ld and wou ld dra in the washer fluid reservoir
pr ematurely.
& WARNING
• Wiper blades are crucial for safe driving! Only when they are in
good condition are they able to clear the windows properly to
provide uncompromising visibilit y. Worn or damaged wiper blades
are a safety hazard
=> page 82 , "In stalling new wiper blade s"!
• The rain sensor is only designed to assist and support the
driver . It remains entirely the driver' s respon sibility to monitor
out side weather condit ions and to manually acti vate the wipers as
soon as rain or drizzle reduces visibility through the windshield.
• The windshield must not be treated with water-repellent mate
rial s. They can increa se glare under poor visibility conditions such
as wetness , darkness , or when the sun is low on the horizon. In
addition , they can cau se the wind shield wipers to chatter.
0 Note
In freezi ng or near freezing conditions:
• Always check that the wiper blades are not frozen to the glass
be fore you turn the w ipe rs on. Loose n a wiper b lade wh ich is fro zen
Controls and equip
ment
Cl ea r vision
in place before operating the wipers to prevent damage to the wiper
blade or the wiper motor.
• Do not use the wipers to clear a frosted window. Using the
wipers as a convenient ice scraper will des troy the wiper blades .
• Before you take your vehic le to an automatic car wash, make sure
you have the w indshield w iper system switched o ff (lever in p ositi on
Ol, otherwise the windshield wiper system could get damaged in the
car was h if it should suddenly co me on .
[ i ] Tips
• Make sure th e washer fluid reservoir in the engin e compart men t
is topped off before going on a long trip . Look up=>
page 325 for
check ing and fi lling t he washer conta iner.
• I f you switch off the ignition with the windshield wiper lever still
in the inte rval wi pe positio n and t hen come ba ck a while la ter and
drive off, the rain sensor will reactivate itself after the vehicle speed
has exceeded
4 mph (6 km/h) .
• Worn or dirty windshie ld wiper b lades cause smearing which
can aff ect t he opera tion of the rai n senso r. Check the c ondi tion of
your windshield wiper b lades regu lar ly . •
Headlight washer system
The hea dligh t washer s ys tem cle ans the he adlig hts.
Opera te the win dshi eld w iper/was her sy stem @wit h th e
h eadl igh ts t urned o n by ho ld in g the lev er fo r lo nge r than
one s eco nd
~ page 80, fig. 76 .
The washer je ts extend forward out of the fron t bumper driven by
water pressure to spray the front head lights with water .
You should inspect the head lights regu lar ly (for examp le when refu -
e ling) a nd c lean o ff any solid dirt or insects from the lenses. _,.
I • •
______________________________________________ A_ l_,_ p _h_ a_ b_e _t_i c_ a _ l _in _ d_e _ x __ lllll
When must the airbag system be inspected? Wiper blades
231
See Windsh ield wipers ............ . 82
When should I adjust the tire pressures? ...
334
X
When should I check the t ire pressures? 334
Where can I find the tire pressures for my Xenon-Lights · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · . 364
car? ... ... .. .... .... .... ....... 333
Why safety belts? ... .... ...... .. 211, 212
Y
Windows
I • Yellow symbols ..
..... .. .... .... .... . 34
C eaning ... .. ...... ............. 294
Convenience open feature ... .. .... . 64
Defogging ....................... 120
Defrosting ....................... 120
Rapid defrosting/defogging ........ 122
Windshield defogger/defroster . ....... 123
Windshield washer fluid Low level ......... ....... ..... ... . 35
Windshield wipers Installing new wiper blades ... ... ... 82
Intermittent wiping .. .............. 80
One -tap wiping ................ ... 80
Rain sensor ....................... 80
Service position .. .... .... ... .... .. 82
Washer reservoir ................. 325
Winter driving Windows ........................ 294
Winter operation Battery . .... ... .. .... .... ...... .. 320
Cooling system ... ....... ........ 316
Steering wheel heating .... ...... .. 119
Tir es .... .... ... ..... .......... . 275
Winter tires ... .. .... .... ..... ... ... 343
All -wheel drive . ...... .... ...... .. 343
Controls and equip
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data
