
Automatic gearbox109
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data In certain circumstances (e.g. when driving in mountainous regions or when towing
a trailer) it may be beneficial to select the manual shift programme ⇒page 110 for
a short time in order to adapt the gearbox ratios manually to the driving situations.
S - Position for sporty style of driving
Shifting up later into a higher gear makes it possible to fully exploit the power
potential of the engine. The gearbox also then shifts down at higher engine speeds
as in the position D.
The gearbox does not shift into the 6th gear in the position S, because the
maximum speed is achieved with the 5th gear.
The Shiftlock on the selector lever grip must be pressed when moving the selector
lever out of the position D into the position S.
WARNING
•
Never move the selector lever into position R or P when driving - risk of
an accident!
•
When the engine is running and the vehicle is stationary, it is necessary
to hold the car with the brake pedal in all the positions of the selector lever
(except P and N) since the power transmission is never completely inter-
rupted, also not when the engine is idling - the vehicle creeps.
•
You must on no account unintentionally operate the throttle (e.g. by
hand from the engine compartment) if a drive position is engaged when the
car is stationary. The vehicle would otherwise immediately start off - also
when the handbrake is firmly applied - risk of an accident!
•
You must move the selector lever into position P and firmly apply the
handbrake first before you or any other person opens the bonnet and starts
working on the engine when it is running - risk of accident! It is also essential
to observe all warnings ⇒page 185, “Working in the engine
compartment”.
Selector lever lockAutomatic selector lever lock
With the ignition on, the selector lever is locked when it is in the positions P and N.
You must first of all depress the brake pedal in order to move the selector lever out
of this position. The warning light
⇒page 32 lights up in the instrument cluster
as a reminder for the driver when the selector lever is in position P and N.
A time delay element ensures that the selector lever is not blocked when rapidly
switching over the position N (e.g. from R to D). This does, for example, allow one
to seesaw out a stuck vehicle. The selector lever lock will click into place if the lever
is in the N position for more than 2 seconds without the brake pedal being pressed.
The selector lever lock is only active if the vehicle is stationary or moving at speed
of less than 5 km/hour. The lock is switched off automatically into position N when
the car is travelling at a higher speed.
Shiftlock button
The Shiftlock button in the handle of selector lever prevents certain selector lever
positions being engaged inadvertently. The selector lever lock is cancelled when
you press the Shiftlock button.
Keylock
5)- 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.Fully depressing the accelerator pedal allows the kickdown function to be activated
in the desired driving program. This function has precedence over the driving
programme and serves for maximum acceleration of the vehicle when exploiting
the maximum power potential of the engine without taking into account the 5)This function is only valid for some countries.
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Automatic gearbox 110current selector lever position (D, S or Tiptronic). The gearbox shifts down to one
or several gears in line with the driving state and the vehicle accelerates. The
gearbox does not shift up into the highest gear until the engine has reached its
maximum revolutions for this gear range.
WARNING
Please note that using the kickdown function can result in the driven wheels
spinning on a smooth or slippery road surface - risk of skidding!Dynamic shift programmeThe automatic gearbox of your vehicle is controlled electronically. Shifting up and
down through the gears is performed automatically 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 sporty style of driving with rapid movements of the accelerator pedal
combined with sharp acceleration and frequent changes in speed, exploiting the
top speed of the car or depressing the accelerator pedal (kickdown function), will
cause the gearbox to switch over to this style of driving and shift down earlier with
frequent changes in gears in comparison to the moderate style of driving.
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 or shift
down into a dynamic shift 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 accelerate 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. When driving downhill, it is possible to shift down into the
Tiptronic position, in order to exploit the engine brake torque.
Tiptronic
The Tiptronic allows the driver to also shift gears manually.Switching over to manual shifting
– Push the selector lever to the right out of position D. After switching
over, 6 5 4 3 2 1 appears in the display with the currently engaged gear
being highlighted.
Fig. 131 Selector lever:
Manual shifting of gearsFig. 132 Information
display: Manual shifting of
gears
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Communication123
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
WARNING
•
If a mobile phone or a two-way radio system is operated in the vehicle
without using a special external aerial or an external aerial which has been
incorrectly installed, this can increase the strength of the electromagnetic
field in the interior of the vehicle.
•
Please concentrate fully at all times on your driving!
•
You must not install two-way radio systems, mobile phones or mounts
on the covers of the airbags or within the immediate deployment range of
airbags. This might result in injuries to the occupants in the event of an acci-
dent.Note
Please also refer to the operating instructions of the mobile phones and two-way
radio systems.Input AUX-IN*The input for external audio sources AUX-IN is located on the right next to the hand-
brake and is marked with
.
The input AUX-IN transmits audio signals from connected external audio sources
(e. g. iPod or mp3 player) and record music from these devices via your radio*
installed in the factory. The input AUX-IN* is only available in combination with a
radio installed in the factory. The description on how to operate AUX-IN* can be
found in the relevant operating instructions of the radio*.
Note
If an external audio source is connected via AUX-IN*, which has a separate power
supply, this can lead to an interference of the audio signals.
CD changer*Operating the CD changer*Loading a CD
– Touch the button and guide the CD (compact disc) into the CD-
case . The CD is automatically loaded onto the next free position in
the CD-changer. The LED in the corresponding button stops
flashing.
Load CDs
– Hold the button pressed for longer than 2 seconds and guide the
CDs one after the other into the CD-case . The LEDs in the buttons
are no longer flashing.
Loading a CD to one definite position
– Briefly touch the button . The LEDs in the buttons light up at the
memory spaces, which are already assigned and flash in the case of
free memory spaces.
– Touch the desired button and guide the CD into the CD-case .
Fig. 139 The CD changer
AC
AB
AD
AC
AB
AD
AC
AD
AD
AB
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Passive Safety129
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data For your own safety and to reduce the risk of injury in the event of an accident, we
recommend the following setting.
•
Adjust the steering wheel so that the distance between the steering wheel and
your chest is at least 25 cm ⇒page 128, fig. 140.
•
Position the driver seat in the forward/back direction so that you are able to fully
press the pedals with your legs at a slight angle.
•
Adjust the seat backrest so that you are able to reach the highest point of the
steering wheel with your arms at a slight angle.
•
Adjust the head restraint so that the top edge of the head restraint is at the same
level as the upper part of your head ⇒fig. 141.
•
Fasten the seat belt correctly ⇒page 134, “How are seat belts correctly
fastened?”.
Driver seat adjustment ⇒page 62, “Adjusting the front seats”.
WARNING
•
The front seats and the head restraints must always be adjusted to match
the body size of the seat occupant as well as the seat belts must always be
correctly fastened in order to provide an optimal protection for you and your
occupants.
•
The driver must maintain a distance of at least 25 cm to the steering
wheel ⇒page 128, fig. 140. Not maintaining this minimum distance will mean that the airbag system will not be able to properly protect you -
hazard!
•
When driving, hold the steering wheel with both hands firmly on the
outer edge in the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock position. Never hold the steering
wheel firmly in the 12 o'clock position or in another way (e.g. in the middle
of the steering wheel or at the inner steering wheel edge). In such cases,
injuries to the arms, the hands and the head can occur when the driver
airbag is deployed.
•
Ensure that there are no objects in the footwell as any objects may get
behind the pedals during a driving or braking manoeuvre. You would then
no longer be able to operate the clutch, to brake or accelerate.
Correct seated position for the front passenger
The front passenger must maintain a distance of at least 25 cm from
the dash panel so that the airbag offers the greatest possible safety
when an airbag is deployed.For the safety of the front passenger and to reduce the risk of injury in the event of
an accident, we recommend the following setting.•
Adjust the front passenger seat as far as possible to the rear.
•
Adjust the head restraint so that the top edge of the head restraint is at the same
level as the upper part of your head ⇒fig. 141.
•
Fasten the seat belt correctly ⇒page 134, “How are seat belts correctly
fastened?”.
In exceptional cases the front passenger airbag can be deactivated ⇒page 145,
“Deactivating airbags”.
Adjusting the passenger seat ⇒page 62, “Adjusting the front seats”.
WARNING
•
The front seats and the head restraints must always be adjusted to match
the body size of the seat occupant as well as the seat belts must always be
Fig. 141 The correct head
restraint adjustment for the
driver
WARNING (continued)
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Passive Safety 130correctly fastened in order to provide an optimal protection for you and your
occupants.•
The front passenger must maintain a distance of at least 25 cm to the
dash panel. Not maintaining this minimum distance will mean that the
airbag system will not be able to properly protect you - hazard!
•
Always keep your feet in the footwell when the vehicle is being driven -
never place your feet on the instrument panel, out of the window or on the
surfaces of the seats. You will be exposed to increased risk of injury if it
becomes necessary to apply the brake or in the event of an accident. If an
airbag is deployed, you may suffer fatal injuries when adopting an incorrect
seated position!
•
The seat backrests must not be angled too far back when driving other-
wise this will affect proper operation of the seat belts and of the airbag
system - risk of injury!
Correct seated position for the occupants on the rear seats
Occupants on the rear seats must sit upright, keep the feet in the
footwell and must have their seat belts correctly fastened.To reduce the risk of injury in the event of a sudden braking manoeuvre or an acci-
dent, the occupants on the rear seats must observe the following.•
Adjust the head restraints so that the top edge of the head restraints are at the
same level as the upper part of your head ⇒page 129, fig. 141.
•
Fasten the seat belt correctly ⇒page 134, “How are seat belts correctly
fastened?”.
•
If you are transporting ⇒page 147, “Transporting children safely” children in
the vehicle, please use a suitable child restraint system.
WARNING
•
The head restraints must always be adjusted to match the body size, in
order to offer an optimal protection for you and your occupants.
•
Always keep your feet in the footwell when the car is being driven - never
put your feet out of the window or on the surfaces of the seats. You will be
exposed to increased risk of injury if it becomes necessary to apply the brake
or in the event of an accident. If the head airbag* is deployed and when
adopting an incorrect seated position, you are exposing yourself to an
increased risk of injury and in the event of an accident you may suffer fatal
injuries!
•
If the occupants on the rear seats are not sitting upright, the risk of injury
is increased due to incorrect routing of the seat belt.
Examples of an incorrect seated position
An incorrect seated position can lead to severe injuries or death for
the occupants.Seat belts offer their optimum protection only if the webbing of the seat belts is
properly routed. Incorrect seated positions considerably reduce the protective
functions of the seat belts and therefore increase the risk of injury due to an incor-
rect routing of the seat belt. The driver is fully responsible for himself and his occu-
pants, in particular for the children. Do not permit an occupant to adopt an incor-
rect seated position when the car is moving.
The following list contains the examples of seated positions which are dangerous
for the occupants. This list is not complete, however we would like you to get inter-
ested in this subject.
Therefore, while the car is moving never:•
stand up in the vehicle;
•
stand up on the seats;
•
kneel on the seats;
•
tilt the seat backrest fully to the back;
•
lean against the dash panel;
•
lie on the rear seat bench;
•
only sit on the front area of the seat;
WARNING (continued)
WARNING (continued)
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Seat belts135
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
– Slowly pull the belt webbing at the tongue of the lock over your chest
and pelvis ⇒.
– Insert the tongue of the lock into the seat belt buckle belonging to the
seat until it is heard to lock in place.
– Pull on the belt to check that it has also reliably engaged in the lock.Each three-point seat belt is equipped with an inertia reel. This inertia reel offers
you complete freedom of movement if the belt is unreeled slowly. If the brakes are
applied suddenly, the inertia reel will block. The belts also block when the car accel-
erates, when driving downhill and when cornering.
Expectant mothers must also wear the seat belt ⇒.
WARNING
•
The shoulder part of the seat belt must never run across your neck but
must run approximately over the middle of the shoulder and fit snugly
against the chest. The lap part of the belt must run across the hip and must
never be routed across the stomach. It must always fit snugly ⇒page 134,
fig. 145. Adjust the belt webbing as required.
•
The lap part of the belt should be positioned as low as possible at the
pelvis of an expectant mother in order to avoid exerting any pressure on the
lower abdomen.
•
Always ensure that the webbing of the seat belts is properly routed. Seat
belts which are not correctly adjusted can themselves cause injuries even in
minor accidents.
•
A seat belt which is hanging too loose can result in injuries as your body
is moved forward by the kinetic energy produced in an accident and is then
suddenly held firm by the belt.
•
Only insert the lock tongue into the lock which is the correct one for your
seat. This will affect the protection which the belt offers and increase the risk
of an injury.
Seat belt height adjuster on the front seatsThe seat belt height adjuster makes it possible for you to adapt the
routing of the front three-point seat belt in the area of the shoulder to
match your body size.
– To adjust the belt height press the height adjuster and move it up or
down ⇒fig. 147.
– Then pull firmly on the belt to ensure that the seat belt height adjuster
has correctly locked in place.
WARNING
Adjust the height of the belt in such a way that the shoulder part of the belt
is positioned approximately across the middle of your shoulder - on no
account across your neck.
Note
It is also possible to adapt the routing of the belt webbing on the front seats by
adjusting the height of the seat*.
Fig. 147 Front seat: Seat belt
height adjuster
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Intelligent Technology155
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Driving TipsIntelligent TechnologyElectronic stability programme (ESP)*GeneralGeneral
The ESP aids you maintain control of your vehicle in situations in borderline driving
situations such as when negotiating a curve too fast. The risk of skidding is reduced
and your vehicle thus offers greater driving stability depending on the conditions of
the road surface. This occurs at all speeds.
The following systems are integrated into the electronic stability programme:•
Electronic Differential Lock (EDL);
•
Traction control system (TCS);
•
Antilock brake system (ABS);
•
Brake Assist.Operating principle
The ESP switches on automatically when the engine is started and then conducts a
self-test. The ESP control unit processes data from the individual systems. It also
processes additional measurement data which are supplied by highly sensitive
sensors: the rotational velocity of the vehicle about its vertical axis, the lateral accel-
eration of the vehicle, the braking pressure and the steering angle.
The direction which the driver wishes to take is determined based on the steering
angle and the speed of the vehicle and is constantly compared with the actual
behaviour of the vehicle. If differences exist, such as the vehicle beginning to skid,
the ESP will automatically brake the appropriate wheel.
The car is stabilised again by the forces which take effect when the wheel is braked.
Intervention into the brake system takes place primarily on the outer front wheel of
a vehicle which tends to oversteer (tendency for the rear of the vehicle to break
away) while occurs this is on the inner rear wheel of a vehicle which tends to under-
steer (tendency to shift out of the curve). This braking control cycle is accompanied
by noises.
The ESP operates in combination with the ABS ⇒page 159, “Antilock brake system
(ABS)*”. If there is a fault in the ABS system, the ESP also does not operate.
The ESP warning light lights up in the instrument cluster when there is a fault on the
ESP
⇒page 32.
Switching off
You can switch the ESP off and on again as you wish, by pressing the button
⇒fig. 170. The ESP warning light lights up in the instrument cluster when the ESP is
switched off
⇒page 32.
The ESP should normally always be switched on. It may be good practice in certain
exceptional cases, such as when you wish to have wheel slip, to switch off the
system.
Examples:
Fig. 170 ESP switch
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Intelligent Technology 156•
when driving with snow chains;
•
when driving in deep snow or on a loose surface;
•
when it is necessary to rock a vehicle when it has become stuck.
then you should switch on the ESP again.
WARNING
It is also not possible for the ESP to overcome the physical limits of the
vehicle. Even if a vehicle fitted with ESP you should still always adapt your
style of driving to the condition of the road surface and the traffic situation.
This particularly applies when driving on slippery and wet roads. The
increased safety offered must not tempt you to take greater risks than other-
wise - risk of an accident!
Note
•
All four wheels must be fitted with the same tyres in order to achieve problem-
free operation of the ESP. Differing rolling circumferences of the tyres can lead to an
undesirable reduction in the engine output.
•
Changes to vehicle (e.g. on engine, on the brakes, on chassis or another combi-
nation of tyres and wheels) can influence the function of the ESP ⇒page 204,
“Accessories, changes and replacement of parts”.
Traction control system (TCS)*
The traction control system prevents the driven wheels from spinning
when accelerating.General
The TCS makes it much easier, and sometimes at all possible, to start off, accelerate
and climb a steep hill when the conditions of the road surface are unfavourable.
Operating principle
The TCS switches on automatically when the engine is started and then conducts a
self-test. The system monitors the speeds of the driven wheels with the aid of the
ABS sensors. If the wheels are spinning, the force transmitted to the road surface is
automatically adapted by reducing the engine speed. This occurs at all speeds.
The TCS operates in combination with the ABS ⇒page 159, “Antilock brake system
(ABS)*”. The TCS will not function if a fault exists in the ABS system.
The TCS warning light lights up in the instrument cluster when there is a fault on the
TCS
⇒page 31.
Switching off
You can switch the TCS off and on again as you wish by pressing the button
⇒fig. 171. The TCS warning light lights up in the instrument cluster when the TCS is
switched off
⇒page 31.
Fig. 171 TCS switch
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