Starting-off and Driving
97
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
HandbrakeApplying the handbrake – Pull the handbrake lever up fully. Releasing the handbrake – Pull the handbrake lever up slightly and
at the same time
press in the
locking button
⇒
fig. 107
.
– Hold the button pressed and push the handbrake lever down fully
⇒
.
The handbrake warning light
lights up when the handbrake is applied, provided
the ignition is on. A warning signal sounds and the following text appears in the display* if you have inadvertently driven off with the handbrake applied:
HANDBRAKE ON
The handbrake warning is activated if you drive at a speed of more than 6 km/h for more than 3 seconds.
WARNING
•
Please note that the handbrake must be fully released. A handbrake
which is only partially released can re
sult in the rear brakes overheating
which will have a negative effect on th
e operation of the brake system - risk
of accident! In addition this can result in premature wear of the rear brake pads.•
Never leave children unattended in the vehicle. The children might, for
example, release the handbrake or take
the vehicle out of gear. The vehicle
might then move off - risk of accident!
Caution
Each time the vehicle is parked, first of
all apply the handbrake and then addition-
ally engage the 1st gear.Rear parking aid*The parking aid provides a warning of obstacles behind the vehicle.The audible parking aid determines the distance between the rear bumper and an obstacle located behind the vehicle with th
e aid of ultrasound sensors. The sensors
are integrated in the rear bumper.
Fig. 107 Centre console: Handbrake
Fig. 108 Parking aid: Detec-tion range of rear sensors
s2g8.b.book Page 97 Tuesday, April 7, 2009 8:53 AM
Intelligent Technology
132
•
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 179,
“Accessories, changes and replacement of parts”.Electronic Differential Lock (EDL)* The electronic differential lock pr
events an individual wheel from
slipping.Vehicles fitted with ABS*
can be equipped with electron
ic differential lock (EDL).
General The EDL makes it much easier, and sometimes at all possible, to start off, accelerate and climb a steep hill when the conditio
ns of the road surface are unfavourable.
Operating principle The EDL is activated automatically, that is
without any action on the part of the
driver. It monitors the speeds of the driven wheels with the aid of the ABS sensors. Should only
one
drive wheel begin spinning on a slippery surface there will be an
appreciable difference in the speed of the driven wheels. The EDL function brakes the slipping wheel and the differential transmits a greater driving force to the other driven wheel. This control proces
s is also accompanied by noises.
Overheating of the brakes The EDL switches off
automatically if unusually severe
stresses exist in order to
avoid excessive heat generation in the
disc brake on the wheel which is being
braked. The vehicle can continue to be driv
en and has the same characteristics as a
vehicle not fitted with EDL. The EDL switches on again
automatically as soon as the brake has cooled down.
WARNING
•
Carefully depress the accelerator when accelerating on uniformly slip-
pery road surfaces, such as ice and sn
ow. The driven wheels might still spin
despite the EDL and affect the stability
of the vehicle - risk of an accident!
•
You should always adapt your style of driving to the condition of road
surface and to the traffic situation even
when your vehicle is fitted with EDL.
The increased safety offered must not tempt you to take greater risks than otherwise - risk of an accident!
Note
•
If the ABS warning light comes on, this ma
y also indicate a fault in the EDL.
Please have the vehicle inspected as soon
as possible by a specialist garage.
•
Changes to vehicle (e.g. on engine, on the brakes, on chassis or another combi-
nation of tyres and wheels) can in
fluence the function of the EDL
⇒page 179,
“Accessories, changes and
replacement of parts”.
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Towing a trailer
145
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
should be attached to folding arms. Adjust
the mirrors so that they provide you with
an adequate field of view to the rear. Headlights Before starting off with a hitched trailer, also check the setting of the headlights. Alter the setting as necessary with th
e aid of the headlight beam adjuster
⇒ page 51. Detachable ball head The ball rod is detachable on vehicles which feature a factory-fitted towing device. It is stowed together with separate fitting instructions in the spare wheel well in the luggage compartment of the vehicle. Further information on the towing device
⇒page 146.
Note
•
We recommend that you also have yo
ur vehicle inspected between service
intervals if you tow a trailer frequently.•
The handbrake on the towing vehicle
must be put on when coupling and
decoupling the trailer.Driving Tips Particular caution is required when towing a trailer.– Do not, as far as possible, drive
with your vehicle unladen and the
trailer laden.
– Do not make full use of the legal maximum speeds. This applies in
particular to downhill sections.
– Apply the brakes in good time.– Keep a check on the coolant temper
ature gauge if the outside temper-
ature is high.
Distribution of weight The distribution of the weight is very poor
if your vehicle is
unladen and the trailer
is laden. Maintain a particularly low speed if you cannot avoid driving with this combination. Driving speed Do not drive faster than 80 km/hour for safety reasons. This also applies for coun- tries in which higher speeds are allowed. The fact that the driving stability of the vehicle + trailer combination reduces with increasing speed means that the legally allowed speed should not be used when there are unfavourable road, weather or wind
conditions, particul
arly near accident
black spots. You must always reduce your speed immedi
ately as soon as you detect even just
the
slightest swaying
of the trailer. On no account attempt to stop the trailer from
“swaying” by
accelerating.
Apply the brakes in good time! If the trailer is fitted with a
trailer brake
, apply the
brakes gently at first and then brake firmly
. This will avoid brake jolts resulting from
the trailer wheels locking. Shift down gears
in good time before negotiating a down-
hill section to allow the engine to also act as a brake. Engine overheating Please keep a check on the coolant temperature gauge if you have to negotiate a lengthy slope in a low gear at a high engine speed when the outside temperature is very high
⇒page 16.
If the needle of the coolant temperature gauge moves into the right-hand area or even the red area of the scale, reduce yo
ur speed immediately. Stop and switch off
the engine if the warning light
in the instrument cluste
r begins flashing. Wait a
few minutes and check the level of coolant in the coolant expansion bottle ⇒ page 165, “Inspecting the coolant level”. Please refer to the following guidelines
⇒page 30, “Coolant temperature/ Coolant
quantity
”.
The coolant temperature can be reduced by switching on the heating.Any increase in the cooling effect of the coolant fan through shifting down a gear and increasing the engine speed is not possible since the fan speed is independent
s2g8.b.book Page 145 Tuesday, April 7, 2009 8:53 AM
Fuel
157
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
– Unscrew the fuel filler cap anti-cl
ockwise and place the fuel filler cap
from above on the fuel filler flap
⇒
page 156, fig. 146
.
Closing fuel filler cap – Screw on the cap by turning it to the right until it is heard to lock. – On vehicles without remote unlocking of the fuel filler flap from the
driver's seat, lock the fuel filler cap on the fuel filler tube by turning the vehicle key to the right and withdraw the key.
– Close the fuel filler flap until it locks. Open the fuel filler flap from the driver's seat* – Press the switch to open the fuel filler flap
⇒
page 156, fig. 145
.
– Unscrew the fuel filler cap anti-cl
ockwise and place the fuel filler cap
from above on the fuel filler flap
⇒
page 156, fig. 146
.
Closing fuel filler cap – Screw on the cap by turning it to the right until it is heard to lock. – Close the fuel filler flap until it locks.The correct grade of fuel for your vehicle as
well as the tyre size and inflation pres-
sures are stated on a sticker affixed to the
inside of the fuel filler flap. Further infor-
mation on fuel
⇒page 155, “Fuel”.
The fuel tank has a capacity of about 55 litres.
WARNING
Pay attention to any legal requirements if
you do carry a spare canister in the
vehicle. We do not recommend carrying any fuel canisters in your vehicle for safety reasons. The canister can be da
maged in the event of an accident and
fuel may leak out.
Caution
•
Before refuelling it is necessary to switch off the auxiliary heating system (auxil-
iary heating and ventilation) *.•
Remove any fuel which has spilled onto
the paintwork of your vehicle immedi-
ately - risk of paint damage!•
On vehicles fitted with a
catalytic converter, never let the fuel tank run
completely empty. An irregular supply of fu
el to the engine can result in misfiring
and unburnt fuel may get into the exhaust system, which may result in overheating and damage to the catalytic converter.•
Make sure that the valve is not pressed
into the filler tube when inserting the
pump nozzle into the filler tube. Otherwis
e you are unintentionally filling up the
volume, which in case of heat can cause an
expansion of the fuel. This can lead to
an overflow of fuel or damage
to parts of the fuel reservoir.
•
The fuel tank is full just as soon as the pump nozzle switches off for the first time,
provided the nozzle has been operated pr
operly. Do not continue refuelling -
otherwise the expansion volume is filled up.Emergency release of fuel filler flapIf a fault exists in the system for opening the fuel filler flap from the driver's seat*, the fuel filler flap can be opened manually.
Fig. 147 Luggage compart- ment: Emergency release of fuel filler flap
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