Instruments and Indicator/Warning Lights
36
Note
If the battery has been disc
onnected, the warning light
comes on after switching on
the ignition. The warning light must go out after driving a short distance.Antilock brake system (ABS)
The warning light
shows the functionality of the ABS.
The warning light comes on for a few seconds after the ignition has been switched on or when starting the engine. The warning light goes out after an automatic check sequence has been completed. A fault in the ABS The system is not functioning properly if the ABS warning light
does not go out
within a few seconds after switching on the ignition, does not light up at all or lights up while driving. The vehicle will only be br
aked by the normal brake system. Visit a
specialist garage as quickly as possible and
adjust your style of driving appropriately as
you will not know how great the damage is. Further information about ABS
⇒page 167, “Antilock brake system (ABS)”.
A fault in the entire brake system If the ABS warning light
comes on together with the brake system warning light
(handbrake must be released), there is a fa
ult not only in the ABS but also in another
part of the brake system
⇒
.
WARNING
•
If the brake system warning light
comes on together with the ABS
warning light
stop the vehicle immediately and check the brake fluid level in
the reservoir
⇒page 209, “Brake fluid”. If the fluid level has dropped below the
MIN marking, do not drive any further - risk of accident! Obtain professional assistance.•
Pay attention to the following instruct
ions before checking the brake fluid
level and opening the bonnet
⇒page 204, “Working in the engine compart-
ment”.
•
If the brake fluid is at the correct leve
l, the ABS control function has failed.
The rear wheels may then block very rapi
dly when braking. In certain circum-
stances, this can result in the rear end of the car breaking away - risk of skid-ding! Drive carefully to the nearest sp
ecialist garage and have the fault
rectified.Seat belt warning light
The warning light
comes on after the ignition is sw
itched on as a reminder for the
driver and front passenger to fasten the seat
belt. The warning light only goes out if the
driver or front passenger has fastened his seat belt. If the seat belt has not been fastened by
the driver or front passenger, a permanent
warning signal sounds at vehicle speeds gr
eater than 20 km/h and simultaneously the
warning light
flashes.
If the seat belt is not fastened by the dr
iver or front passenger during the next 90
seconds, the warning signal is deactivated and the warning light
lights up perma-
nently. Further information on the seat belts
⇒page 141, “Seat belts”.
Thickness of the brake pads*
The warning light
comes on for a few seconds
5) when the ignition is switched on.
If the warning light
comes on, contact a specialist garage immediately and have the
brake pads on
all of the wheels
inspected.
The following text will be displayed in the information display*:
Check brake pads!
5)The warning light
on vehicles fitted with information display does not come on after switching
the ignition on, but only if a fault exists.WARNING (continued)
sgg.6.book Page 36 Thursday, September 24, 2009 2:32 PM
Instruments and Indicator/Warning Lights
37
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Boot lid
The warning light
comes on when the ignition is switched on if the luggage
compartment door is open. If th
e boot lid opens while driving
, the warning light
lights up and an audible signal sounds. An audible signal sounds as an additional warning signal.The warning light comes on even when the ig
nition is switched off. The warning light
lights up for a maximum of 5 minutes. On vehicles with information display* this wa
rning light is replaced
by a vehicle symbol
⇒ page 25.Open door
The warning light
comes on, if one or several doors are opened. If one of the doors
opens while driving, the warning light lights
up and an audible signal sounds.
The warning light comes on even when the ig
nition is switched off. The warning light
lights up for a maximum of 5 minutes. On vehicles with information display* this wa
rning light is replaced
by a vehicle symbol
⇒ page 25.Windshield washer fluid level*
The warning light
comes on when the ignition is switched on if there is insufficient
fluid in the windshield washer system. Top up with liquid
⇒page 214.
The following text will be displayed in the information display*:
Add wash fluid!
Brake system
The warning light
flashes or comes on if the brake fluid level is too low, if there is a
fault in the ABS or if the handbrake is applied. If the warning light
flashes and an audible signal sounds three times (handbrake is
not applied),
stop
and check the brake fluid level
⇒
.
The following text will be displayed in the information display*:
Brake fluid Owner's manual
If there is a fault in the ABS which also infl
uences the function of the brake system (e.g.
distribution of brake pressure), the ABS warning light
comes on and at the same
time the brake system warn
ing light starts flashing
. Be aware that not only the ABS
but also another part of th brake system is defective
⇒
.
An audible signal sounds three times as an additional warning signal.One should get used to high pedal forces, long braking distances and long free play of the brake pedal when driving to the next specialist garage. For further information on the brake system
⇒page 166, “Brakes”.
Handbrake applied The warning light
also comes on if the handbrake is applied. An audible warning is
also given if you drive the vehicle for at least 3 seconds at a speed of more than 6 km/h. The following text will be displayed in the information display*:
Release parking brake!
WARNING
•
Pay attention to the following instruct
ions before checking the brake fluid
level and opening the bonnet
⇒page 204, “Working in the engine compart-
ment”.•
If the brake system warning light
does not go out a few seconds after
switching on the ignition or comes on when driving, stop immediately and check the brake fluid in the reservoir
⇒page 209. If the fluid level has dropped
below the MIN marking, do not drive any further - risk of accident! Obtain professional assistance.Alternator
The warning light
comes on after the ignition has been switched on. It should go
out after the engine has started.
sgg.6.book Page 37 Thursday, September 24, 2009 2:32 PM
Lights and Visibility
65
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Alternative park position of the rear window wiperEach time after switching off the engine for
the second time, the wi
per blade of the rear
window wiper is tilted when the park position
is activated. Thus, the life of the wiper
blade is prolonged.Activating– Switch on the ignition - position
⇒page 109.
– Push the operating level in the position
⇒page 63, fig. 57
five times in succes-
sion within 5 seconds.
– Switch off the ignition. After switching on
the ignition again, the alternative park
position of the rear window wiper is activated.
– For deactivating the alternative park position of the rear window wiper, proceed in
the same way.
Headlight cleaning system*The headlights are being cleaned after the windscreen has been sprayed for the first time and fifth time, the low beam or main beam are switched on and the windscreen wiper lever was held in the position
⇒page 63, fig. 57
for about 1 second.
The headlight washer nozzles are moved forward out of the bumper by the water pres- sure for cleaning the headlights. You should remove stubborn dirt (such as in
sect residues) from the headlight lenses at
regular intervals, for example when refuelling
. Please refer to the following guidelines
⇒ page 196, “The headlight lenses”. You should remove any snow from the fixtur
es of the washer nozzles and clear ice in
winter with a de-icing spray in order to
ensure proper operation of the cleaning
system.
Replacing wiper blades for the windscreen wipersOne cannot fold out the wiper arms in the re
st position from the windscreen. Before
replacing the wiper arms you must pu
t them into the service position.
Service position for changing wiper blades– Close the bonnet. – Switch the ignition on and then again off. – Then press the windscreen wiper lever in the position
⇒page 63, fig. 57
within
10 seconds - the wiper arms move into the service position.
Taking off the wiper blade– Fold windscreen wiper arm away from the windscreen. – Press the locking button, in order to unlock the wiper blade and pull off in the
direction of arrow
⇒fig. 58
.
Attaching a wiper blade– Push the wiper blade until it locks up to the stop. – Check whether the wiper blade is correctly attached. – Fold the windscreen wiper ar
m back onto the windscreen.
The wiper arms move back into the rest posi
tion - after switching on the ignition and
after changing the position of the window
wiper lever or when driving at a speed
greater than 6°km/h.
A2
A6
A5
Fig. 58 Wiper blade for the windscreen wiper
A4
sgg.6.book Page 65 Thursday, September 24, 2009 2:32 PM
Heating and air conditioning system
101
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Recirculated air mode In recirculated air mode air is sucked out of the interior of the vehicle and then fed back into the interior.Recirculated air mode prevents polluted air
outside the vehicle from getting into the
vehicle, for example when driving through a
tunnel or when standi
ng in a traffic jam.
Switching recirculated air mode on– Press the button
⇒page 99, fig. 109
the warning light lights up in the
button.
Switching recirculated air mode off– Press again the button - the warning light in the button goes out. The recirculated air mode is switched off automatically if the air distribution control is in position
⇒page 99, fig. 109
. You can also switch recirculated air mode on
again from this setting by re
peatedly pressing button .
WARNING
You should not leave recirculated air mode on over a longer period of time, as “stale” air may result in fatigue in the driver and occupants, divert your atten- tion and also cause the windows to mist up. The risk of having an accident increases. Switch recirculated air mode off as soon as the windows begin misting up.Using the air conditioning system economicallyThe compressor on the air conditioning syst
em uses power from the engine when in
cooling mode which will effect the fuel consumption. It recommended to open the windows or the
doors of a vehicle for which the interior
has been strongly heated through the effect
of direct sunlight in order to allow the
heated air to escape. The cooling system should not be switched
on while travelling when the window is
open.
The desired interior temperature can also be achieved without switching in the cooling system just by switching to fresh air mode.
For the sake of the environment
When you economize on fuel, you
also reduce pollutant emissions.
Operational problemsIf the cooling system does not operate at outside temperatures higher than +5 °C, there is a problem in the system. The reasons for this may be:•
The fuse on the air conditioning system has blown. Check the fuse, replace it if
necessary
⇒page 233.
•
The cooling system has switched off auto
matically for a short time because the
coolant temperature of the engine is too hot
⇒page 17.
If you are not able to rectify the operational
problem yourself, or if the cooling capacity
decreases, switch the cooling system off. Contact a specialist garage.Climatronic* (automatic air conditioning)Description The Climatronic system is a combination of an automatic heating, fresh air and cooling system which provides optimal comfort for the occu-pants of the car.The Climatronic maintains fully automatically a convenience temperature. This is achieved by automatically varying the temperature of the outflowing air, the blower stages and the air distribution. The system also takes into account sunlight which elim- inates the need to alter the settings manually. The
automatic mode
⇒page 103
ensures maximum wellbeing of the occupants at all times of the year. Description of Climatronic system The cooling operates only if the following conditions are met:•
engine running,
A4
AC
sgg.6.book Page 101 Thursday, September 24, 2009 2:32 PM
Starting-off and Driving
111
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
•
Never leave your vehicle unattended with the engine running.Caution
•
The starter may only be operated (ignitio
n key position ), if the engine is not
running. If the starter is immedi
ately operated after switchin
g off the engine, the starter
or the engine can be damaged.•
Avoid high engine revolutions, full throttle and high engine loads as long as the
engine has not yet reached its normal oper
ating temperature - risk of damaging the
engine!•
Vehicles which are fitted with an exhaust gas catalytic converter should not be tow-
started over a distance of more than 50 metres.
For the sake of the environment
Never warm up the engine when the vehicle
is standing. Drive off right away. Through
this the engine reaches its operating temperature more rapidly and the pollutant emis- sions are lower.Petrol enginesThese engines are fitted with a starter system which selects the correct fuel-air mixture for every external air temperature.•
Do not operate accelerator before and when starting engine.
•
Interrupt the attempt at starting after 10
seconds if the engine does not start right
awayand wait for about 30 seconds before repeating the attempt.•
It is possible that the fuse on the electric
al fuel pump is defect if the engine still
does not start. Check the fuse and replace it if necessary
⇒page 233.
•
Contact the nearest specialist garage to obtain professional assistance.
It may be necessary, if the engine is
very hot
, to slightly depress the accelerator after
the engine has started.
Diesel enginesGlow plug system Diesel engines are equipped with a glow plug system, the preglow period being controlled automatically in
line with the coolant temperature and outside tempera-
ture. The preglow indicator light
comes on after the ignition has been switched on.
You should not switch on any major electrical components during the heating period otherwise the vehicle battery
will be drained unnecessarily.
•
You should start the engine immediately after the glow plug warning light
has
gone out.•
The glow plug warning light will come on for about one second if the engine is at a
normal operating temperature or if the outside temperature is above +5°C. This means that you can start the engine
right away
.
•
Interrupt the attempt at starting after 10 seconds if the engine does not start right
awayand wait for about 30 seconds before repeating the attempt.•
It is possible that the fuse
on the diesel preglow system is defect if the engine still
does not start. Check the fuse and replace it if necessary
⇒page 233.
•
Contact the nearest specialist garage to obtain professional assistance.
Starting the engine after
the fuel tank has run dry
It may take longer than normal to start the
engine after refuelling if the fuel tank has
run completely dry - up to one minute. This is
because the fuel system must first of all
be filled while the attempting to start the engine.Switching off the engine– The engine can be switched off by turnin
g the ignition key from position into
⇒ page 109, fig. 114
.
WARNING
•
Never switch off the engine before the ve
hicle is stationary - risk of accident!
WARNING (continued)
A3
A1
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Driving and the Environment
176
Avoiding full throttle Driving more slowly means saving fuel.Sensitive use of the accelerator will not only
significantly reduce fuel consumption but
also positively influence environmenta
l pollution and wear of your vehicle.
You should avoid exploiting the top speed
of your vehicle wherever possible. Fuel
consumption, pollutant emissions and vehicle noises increase disproportionally at high speeds. The
⇒fig. 160
shows the ratio between the fuel
consumption and the speed of your
vehicle. You will cut your fuel consumption by
half if you only make use three-quarters
of the possible top speed of your vehicle.Reducing idling Idling also costs fuel.It is worthwhile switching off the engine in
a traffic jam or when waiting at a level
crossing or at traffic lights with a lengthy red phase. Even after just 30 - 40 seconds you will have saved more fuel th
an that is needed when you start the engine up again.
If an engine is only idling it takes much
longer for it to reach its normal operating
temperature. Wear-and-tear and pollutant emis
sions, though, are particularly high in
the warming-up phase. This is why you should drive off right after starting the engine. Do avoid high engine revolu
tions at this time, however.
Regular servicing A poorly tuned engine consumes an unnecessarily high amount of fuel.Having your vehicle serviced regularly at a specialist garge enables you to satisfy
one
of the requirements for economical motoring
even before you set off on your journey.
Keeping your vehicle properly serviced not on
ly has a positive effect on the safety of
your vehicle and maintaining its value, but also saves on
fuel
.
A poorly tuned engine can result in a fuel consumption which is 10% higher than normal. The foreseen maintenance work should be undertaken exactly according to the Service schedule by a specialist garage. Also check the
oil level
after refueling.
Oil consumption
is dependent to a consider-
able extent on the load and speed of the en
gine. Oil consumption could be as high as
0.5 litres/1 000 km depending on your style of driving. It is quite normal that a ne
w engine has a higher oil cons
umption at first, and reaches
its lowest level only after a certain running
in time. It is therefore not possible to
correctly assess the oil consumption of a ne
w vehicle until after you have driven about
5 000 km.
For the sake of the environment
•
You can achieve additional
improvements in your fuel economy by using high-
lubricity oils.•
Check the ground below your vehicle at regular intervals to detect any leakages in
good time. Please have your vehicle inspec
ted by a specialist garge if you find any
stains caused by oil or other fluids on the floor.
Fig. 160 Fuel consumption in litres/100 km. and speed in km/h.
sgg.6.book Page 176 Thursday, September 24, 2009 2:32 PM
Driving and the Environment
183
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
•
shovel.
Safe off-road drivingAdopt a correct seated position and always fa
sten the seat belt correctly. Make sure
that your front passenger and your passengers
seated on the rear seats always fasten
their seat belts correctly. When driving off-road, it is perhaps more useful to adopt a slightly different seated position. Depending on the terrain, an incr
eased force may be required to turn the
steering wheel because the force is transferred from the front wheels to the steering wheel. You must be seated in such a way that you have good front visibility, especially when driving uphill or dow
nhill. You must never be seat
ed in such a way that the
distance between your chest and the midd
le of the airbag cover is less than
25 cm
⇒ page 148. Under no circumstances must you drive off-ro
ad with high heels,
slippery or open
shoes. You should wear shoes which fit your fe
et well and allow you to get a feel for the
pedals.
WARNING
Observe the important guidelines
⇒page 180.
Before driving off-road•
Make sure the tyres are suitable for the planned off-road journey. Before you drive
through difficult terrai
n, equip your vehicle with off-road tyres.
•
Fill up your tank. The fuel consumption of
the vehicle is much higher when driving
off-road than when driving on the road.•
Install the towing eye at the front or at the rear before driving off-road. It is not
always possible to install the towing eye if the vehicle got stuck.•
Always check the inflation pressure of a
ll the tyres and if necessary correct it.
•
Check the vehicle tool kit and suppl
ement it according to your needs.
•
Fill with engine oil up to the line , so that the engine is sufficiently supplied with
engine oil when the vehicle is in a tilted position
⇒page 205, “Check engine oil level”.
•
Top up wash fluid.
•
Stow your load as low as possible in the vehicle and attach all the items which are
loose.Off-road driving•
Never be alone when driving off-road and be prepared to encounter unexpected
situations. Travel together with at least two off-road vehicles. Equipment with which you can call for help in an em
ergency is partic
ularly useful.
•
Drive slowly through unclear terrain.
•
You must stop when encountering difficul
t passages and explore the continuation
of the route on foot. If you cannot go on or
if you doubt the safety of the route, turn
back and choose another way.•
Drive slowly over hilltops. Make sure that
the wheels of the vehicle do not lift off
the ground, as this could severely damage
the vehicle and it may become disabled.
•
Drive slowly on difficult stretches of the route. When driving on a slippery ground,
shift up into the next higher gear and make
sure that the vehicle always stays in motion.
Do not drive too fast so that you don't lose control over your vehicle.•
If your vehicle got stuck in
sand, snow or sludge, it may be more effective to reverse
the vehicle than trying to drive forwards.•
Place stones, footmats or pieces of wood
under the spinning wheels in order to
achieve traction on a sandy or slippery ground.•
Do no drive through water before reading what you must take into account
⇒ page 179.•
Keep sufficient distance from other vehicles even at low speeds. When the first
vehicle suddenly gets stuck, the following vehi
cle can still stop in time without getting
stuck itself.•
Do not plan day trips which are too far in distance.
•
Do not use the cruise control system when
driving off-road. It is only intended for
driving on the road.
WARNING
•
The intelligent engineering of your ve
hicle cannot overco
me the physical
limits of your vehicle.
AA
sgg.6.book Page 183 Thursday, September 24, 2009 2:32 PM
Driving and the Environment
186
– Do not shift gears or release the
clutch during th
e climbing phase.
– Depress the accelerator only as much as
is necessary in order
to handle the slope.
If you can go no further on a slope– Never attempt to make a turn with the vehicle on a hillside. – If the engine cuts out, press the foot brake and restart the engine. – Engage the reverse gear and carefully
drive backwards in your own tracks.
– Press the foot brake in order to maintain a constant speed.Driving downhill–Switch on the Off-road mode
⇒page 170.
– Shift into first gear or select the first driving stage, while in the Tiptronic mode, to
drive downhill on steep hillsides in order
to use the Downhill Drive Support to its
maximum.
– Press the foot brake gently, so you do not lose the control over your vehicle. – If it is feasible and safe, drive straight down (maximum gradient).– Do not release the clutch or shift into Neutral.
WARNING
•
Never attempt to drive uphill or downhill if it is too steep for your vehicle.
The vehicle could slip or roll
over - risk of accident!
•
Never attempt to make a turn on a hillside. The vehicle could tilt or roll over.
This can result in serious accidents.•
If the engine cuts out on a slope or
you can no longer go on for whatever
other reason, then stop!•
Never let the vehicle roll down the hill
side at idling speed. You can lose the
control over your vehicle.•
If the engine cuts out, press the foot brake and restart the engine. Engage the
reverse gear and carefully drive backward
s in your own tracks. Use the engine
braking power and press the foot brake in order to maintain a slow and constant speed.
•
Observe the important guidelines
⇒page 180.
Driving at an angle on a hillsideFig. 166 Steer and maintain your trajectory
/ in direction to exit - facing uphill
Driving at an angle on a hillside is one of the most dangerous situations while driving off-road. It may look harmle
ss, but you must never underestimate the difficulties and
the dangers when driving at an angle on a
hillside. Basically you should avoid moving
your vehicle into a sideways
position on a hillside. Unde
r certain circumstances, the
vehicle can slide away uncontrollably or roll over. Check before driving in a tilted position, whether there is a different and safer route. If you have to drive in a tilted position, then
the ground should be as firm and even as
possible. Note that the vehicle may slide sideways or sink in and roll over when driving on slippery or soft ground. Make sure that
the inclination is not too steep when driving
over surface irregularities. Otherwise, the vehicle can roll over and then roll down the hillside. If the vehicle is at a very steep angle, the wheels on the low side must not sink deeply into the ground or into troughs and you mu
st not drive over stones, tree stumps or
other obstructions with the alternate raised wheels. If there is a risk your ve
hicle may tilt, steer immedi
ately in direction of dip
⇒fig. 166
and lightly depress the accelerator. The centre
of gravity of the vehicle should be as low
as possible. Distribute the weight of all the occupants of the vehicle evenly. Taller and heavier people should be seated on the rais
ed side of the vehicle. The luggage on the
WARNING (continued)
sgg.6.book Page 186 Thursday, September 24, 2009 2:32 PM