
Seats and stowage147
Safety First
Controls and equipment
Practical tips
Technical Data
only be loaded to the maximum weight permitted indicated in the assembly
instructions.
WARNING
•Loads carried on the roof must be securely attached. Failure to do so
could result in an accident.•Do not exceed the maximum roof load for the vehicle, the maximum
axle loads or the maximum gross vehicle weight. Failure to do so could
result in an accident.•When transporting heavy or bulky loads on the roof, bear in mind that
the car's handling is affected by the extra weight on the roof and a possible
susceptibility to cross winds. Adjust your speed and driving style accord-
ingly to avoid accidents.For the sake of the environment
Roof carriers are often left attached for convenience, even when they are not
being used. However, the increased air resistance means that the vehicle
uses more fuel. For this reason you should always take off the roof carrier
when it is not in use.
Drink holdersFront drink holders
– To open the drink holder, press the symbol
on the drink holder
lid ⇒fig. 122
– To close the drink holder, press it in until it engages.
WARNING
•Do not put any hot drinks in the drink holder while the vehicle is
moving. You can be scalded if the hot liquid is spilt.•Do not use hard china cups or glasses. These could cause injury in the
event of an accident.
Fig. 122 Detailed view of
instrument panel: Drink
holders
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Heating, Ventilation and Air conditioning
158Defrosting
The windscreen and side windows are defrosted or demisted
as quickly as possible.– To enable this mode, press the ⇒page 156, fig. 132 button.
– To disable, press the button again or select the button.The temperature is regulated automatically. The air output is increased to
maximum and most of the air comes out of outlets 1 and 2 ⇒page 161.
The air recirculation and ECON modes are switched off when the button is
pressed.Air recirculation: manual enabling
The air recirculation setting prevents fumes etc. from entering
the interior.Enabling air recirculation mode
–Press the ⇒page 156, fig. 132 ⇒ button.
Disabling air recirculation mode
– Press the button again or
– Press the button or
–Press the button.In this setting, the air in the vehicle is constantly recirculated. We recommend
using the air recirculation mode in the following circumstances:
•When driving through a tunnel or in queues of traffic, to prevent fumes
entering the interior of the vehicle.WARNING
Do not drive for too long with the air recirculation mode enabled because,
if the compressor is disconnected, the windscreen may mist up because no
fresh air is entering the interior of the vehicle, with the subsequent risk of
accidents.ECON Mode (economy)
ECON mode helps save fuel.– To enable, press the button ⇒page 156, fig. 132.
– To disable, press the button again or select the button.Air cooling is disconnected in ECON mode. The heating and the blower are
adjusted automatically. “ECON” stands for “Economy”. Disconnecting air
cooling (compressor) saves on fuel.
Please note that the interior temperature must not be lower than the outside
temperature in ECON mode. The blower does not cool or dehumidify the air in
the interior. The windows could therefore mist up.
On diesel vehicles, the supplementary heater is switched off in ECON mode
to save fuel.
Note
If the diode on the ECON button continues to light up when the ECON mode
has been switched off (i.e. the climate control has been switched on) this is
AUTO
AUTO
ECONECONECON
AUTO
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Heating, Ventilation and Air conditioning
162Each of the three buttons has a specific function. The numbers relate to the
air outlets ⇒page 161, fig. 134.
Air directed to windows
This setting directs all the air to outlets 1 and 2. Unlike in setting , the
volume of air delivery remains the same.
Air to the driver/front passenger
All the air comes from outlets 3 and 4 in the dash panel and from the rear of
the centre console.
Air to the footwells
Most of the air emerges from outlets 5 and the outlets under the front seats.
Some of the air will also be issued from outlets 3 and 4.
Note
In all of the above air distribution settings, a small amount of air will still
come from the other outlets.Economical use of the climate control
Economical use of the climate control will help save fuel.Engine power is reduced and fuel consumption increases when the
climate control is in cooling mode. To ensure that the system is only
switched on when it is really necessary, please note the following
points:
– Select ECON mode if you wish to save fuel.
– Select ECON mode if you decide to open the windows or sun roof* while driving. – If the vehicle has heated up after standing in the sun, open the
windows and doors for a short time to cool the vehicle.
For the sake of the environment
By saving fuel you also reduce the amount of pollutants emitted from your
vehicle.Key settings
When the ignition is switched on, the climate control settings
assigned to the key are selected automatically.The climate control settings selected are automatically stored and assigned
to the key in use. When the vehicle is started, the climate control automati-
cally selects the settings assigned to the key. Hence, every driver automati-
cally obtains his/her preferred settings without having to select them manu-
ally.
Note
Should another driver use the key and enter other settings, the previous
settings will be deleted.
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Heating, Ventilation and Air conditioning163
Safety First
Controls and equipment
Practical tips
Technical Data
Solar-powered blower/solar roof*
If the vehicle is parked in sufficiently strong sunlight, the
blower will operate in solar-powered mode when the ignition
is switched off.After the ignition is switched off, the blower is supplied with electrical power
from the solar roof. Please ensure that outlets 3 and 4 are open ⇒page 161,
fig. 134 to ensure the best possible ventilation.
The blower only works when the sun roof is closed or tilted open at the rear.
If the air recirculation mode is on when you switch off the engine, the climate
control will automatically switch to fresh air ventilation.Supplementary heating*Diesel vehicles are fitted with supplementary heating
2) to raise the tempera-
ture of the interior as quickly as possible. At outdoor temperatures below
+5°C and with the engine running, the supplementary heating will switch on
and off automatically depending on the temperature of the coolant.
In order to save fuel, the supplementary heating can be can be switched off
by briefly pressing the button on the climate control.
Seat heating*
The surface and backrest of the front seats can be electrically
heated.Turn thumbwheel or ⇒fig. 135 to switch on and adjust the
heating on the left or right front seats.The heating is switched off when the thumbwheel is set to 0. The temperature
settings range from 1 to 6.
Caution
To avoid damaging the heating elements of the seat heating, please do not
kneel on the seat or apply sharp pressure to a single point.
2)For Nordic countries only.
Fig. 135 Detailed view of
instrument panel: Thum-
bwheel controls for seat
heating
A1
A2
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Driving167
Safety First
Controls and equipment
Practical tips
Technical Data
– Turn the ignition key to position without pressing the acceler-
ator.
– Release the ignition key as soon as the engine starts (the starter motor must not be allowed to run on with the engine).
Vehicles with a diesel engine:
– Use the foot brake.
– Manual gearbox: Push the clutch pedal all the way down.
– Move the gear lever into neutral (automatic gearbox: gear selector lever to P or N) ⇒.
– Turn the ignition key to position . The pre-heating indicator light
comes on while the glow plugs are preheating.
– When the indicator light
goes out, turn the ignition key to
position . Do not press the accelerator.
– Release the ignition key as soon as the engine starts (the starter motor must not be allowed to run on with the engine).
When starting a very cold engine, it may be a little noisy for the first few
seconds until oil pressure has built up in the hydraulic valve compensators.
This is quite normal, and no cause for concern.
If the engine fails to start straight-away, switch off the starter after about 10
seconds and try again after about half a minute.
Glow plug system*
To assist starting at low temperatures, diesel engines are equipped with a
glow plug preheating system. The preheating time depends on the coolant
temperature and the outside temperature. Start the engine as soon as the
glow plug indicator light
goes out. When the engine is warm or at outside temperatures above +8°C, the glow
plug indicator light will only come on for about one second. This means that
the engine can be started
immediately.
If the engine will not start...
•⇒ page 279•⇒page 282•⇒page 216, “Refuelling”WARNING
Never run the engine in confined spaces, as the exhaust gases are
poisonous.
Caution
Avoid high engine speeds, full throttle and extreme load conditions until the
engine has reached its normal operating temperature, otherwise this can
damage the engine.
For the sake of the environment
Do not warm up the engine by running the engine with the vehicle stationary.
Start immediately. This will help avoid unnecessary exhaust emissions.Stopping the engine– Turn the ignition key to position ⇒page 166, fig. 139 .
WARNING
•Never switch the engine off until the vehicle is stationary.
A3A2
A3
A1
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Driving175
Safety First
Controls and equipment
Practical tips
Technical Data
Manual gearboxDriving a car with a manual gearboxEngaging the reverse gear
– The vehicle should be stationary with the engine idling. Press the
clutch down thoroughly.
– Place the gear lever into neutral and push the lever downwards.
– Slide the gear lever to the left, and then into the reverse position shown on the gear stick.The reverse gear can only be engaged when the vehicle is stationary. When
the engine is running and before engaging this gear, wait about 6 seconds
with the clutch pressed down thoroughly in order to protect the gearbox.
The reverse lights light up when the reverse gear is selected and the ignition
is on.
WARNING
•When the engine is running, the vehicle will start to move as soon as a
gear is engaged and the clutch released.•Never select the reverse gear when the vehicle is in motion. Risk of acci-
dent.Note
•Do not rest your hand on the gear lever while driving. The pressure of your
hand could cause premature wear on the selector forks in the gearbox.•When changing gear, you should always depress the clutch fully to avoid
unnecessary wear and damage.•Do not hold the car “on the clutch” up hills. This causes premature wear
and damage to the clutch.Automatic gearbox*Introduction
multitronic
®, tiptronic (7-speed gearbox)
Applies to vehicles with multitronic
® gearbox
The vehicle is equipped with an electronically controlled continuously vari-
able transmission (Multitronic
®). Unlike conventional automatics, the gear
ratios are not shifted in fixed steps but continuously variable. This gives
smoother transmission and makes for better fuel economy.
The gearbox selects the gear ratio and shifts up or down automatically
according to the gear change programmes stored in the control unit
⇒ page 180.
Fig. 144 Detail of the
centre console: gear shift
pattern of a 6-speed
manual gearbox
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Driving
178To move the selector lever to position R, press in the interlock button and at
the same time press the brake pedal. Depending on the model, one or two
reversing lights will come on in selector lever position R (when ignition is
switched on).
N - Neutral (idling)
In this position the gearbox is in neutral ⇒.
D - Drive (forwards)
In this position, the gearbox selects the optimal transmission ratio
depending on the engine load, speed and the dynamic gear regulation
program (DRP).
Press the brake pedal when moving the selector lever from N to D if the
vehicle is stationary or at speeds below 5 km/h ⇒.
Under certain circumstances (e.g. when driving in mountains or towing a
trailer or caravan) it can be advantageous to switch temporarily to Tiptronic
mode ⇒page 181, so that the gear ratios can be selected manually to suit
the driving conditions.
S - Sport position
To drive in sports mode, select the position S. The engine power reserve is
used to its maximum. When accelerating the gear shifts will be noticeable.
Press the brake pedal when moving the selector lever from N to S if the
vehicle is stationary or at speeds below 5 km/h ⇒.
WARNING
•Never move the selector lever to R or P when driving. Failure to do so
could result in an accident.•In selector position D or S the vehicle must always be held with the foot
brake when the engine is running. This is because an automatic gearbox
still transmits power even at idling speed, and the vehicle tends to “creep”.
The throttle must on no account be opened inadvertently (for instance by hand from the engine compartment) when a gear is engaged with the
vehicle stationary. The vehicle could otherwise start moving immediately
(in some cases even if the parking brake is engaged) and possibly cause an
accident.
•To avoid accidents, apply the parking brake and put the selector lever
in position P before opening the bonnet and working on the vehicle with
the engine running. Please observe the important safety warnings
⇒ page 221, “Work in the engine compartment”.Note
•Applies to vehicles with tiptronic gearbox:•If the lever is moved accidentally to N when driving, release the acceler-
ator and let the engine speed drop to idling before selecting D or S again.•For the sake of fuel economy (and the environment), the gearbox ratios on
some models are designed so that maximum speed is only obtained when
the selector lever is at position S.WARNING (continued)
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Driving
180Applies to vehicles with tiptronic gearbox
When the accelerator pedal is pressed right down past the point of resistance
at full throttle, the gearbox will shift down to a lower gear, depending on road
speed and engine speed. The upshift to the next higher gear is delayed until
the engine reaches maximum rpm.
WARNING
P l eas e n o te t ha t i f t h e road s u r fa ce is s l i pp e r y o r w e t , t h e k ick- d ow n fe at u re
could cause the driving wheels to spin, which could result in skidding.Dynamic gear control program (DCP)
The automatic gearbox is controlled electronically.The vehicle is equipped with an electronically controlled gearbox. The gear
ratios are selected automatically according to preset gearshift programmes.
When you drive at moderate speeds the gearbox will select the most econom-
ical shift programme. It will then change up early and delay the downshifts to
give better fuel economy.
If you drive at higher speeds with heavy acceleration, if you open the throttle
quickly, or if you use the kick-down or the car's maximum speed, the gearbox
will automatically select the more sporty shift programmes.
The gearbox is self-adapting, and continuously selects the most suitable shift
programme. At the same time, the driver can also make the gearbox switch to
a more sporty programme by pressing the accelerator quickly. Depending on
road speed, this makes the gearbox shift down early into a lower gear ratio
for more rapid acceleration (for instance to pass another vehicle), without
having to press the accelerator all the way down into the kick-down position.
After the gearbox has shifted back up it returns to the original programme,
depending on your style of driving. Vehicles with multitronic® gearbox: the gearbox continuously adapts the
gear ratios to gradients. If the brake
pedal is pressed on a downhill gradient
the gearbox automatically shifts to a lower gear ratio. This increases the
engine braking effect.
Vehicles with tiptronic gearbox: in mountainous areas, the gearbox adapts
the gearshifts for uphill and downhill gradients. This prevents the gearbox
from shifting up and down unnecessarily on uphill gradients.
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