Starting-off and Driving
115
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
set so that the play function volume decr
eases when activating the parking aid, see
Owner's Manual radio* or na
vigation system*. This impr
oves the audibility of the
parking aid. Activating The parking aid is activated when the
reverse gear
is engaged and the ignition is
turned on or by pressing the button
⇒page 114, fig. 118
- the symbol lights up in
the button. The activation is confirme
d by a brief acknowledgement signal.
Deactivating The parking aid is deactivated after pressing the button°
⇒page 114, fig. 118
or at
a speed of more than 10 km/h - the symbol
in the button is no longer illuminated.
WARNING
•
The parking aid is not a substitute for the driver paying proper attention and
it is always the driver's responsibility to
take care when reversing the vehicle or
carrying out similar manoeuvres.•
You should therefore satisfy yourself, befo
re reversing, that there is no small
obstacle, such as a rock, thin post, trailer drawbar etc., in front or behind your vehicle. Such an obstacle might not be
within the range dete
cted by the sensors.
•
Under certain circumstances, surfaces
of certain objects and types of
clothing cannot reflect the signal of th
e parking aid. Thus, these objects or
people who wear such clothing are not re
cognised by the sensors of the parking
aid.
Note
•
Only the front parking aid operates if yo
u are towing a trailer (applies only to
models which feature a factory-fitted towing device*).•
If a warning signal sounds for about 3 seco
nds after activating the system and there
is no obstacle close to your
vehicle, this indicates a system fault. The fault is confirmed
additionally when the symbol flashes in the button
⇒page 114, fig. 118
. Have the
fault rectified by a specialist workshop.•
The sensors must be kept clean and free of ice to enable the parking aid to operate
properly.
•
If the parking aid is activated and the sele
ctor lever of the automatic gearbox is in
the position , warning signal indicates inte
rruption (vehicle can no longer move).
Park Assist*Description and important informationThe park assist assists you when parking in a suitable parallel parking space between two vehicles or
behind a vehicle.
The park assist automatically searches for
suitable parking spaces
after switching on
the ignition and when driving up to 30 km/h. During the parking procedure the park assist only takes over the steering movements, the pedals continue to be operated by the driver. Function of the system is based on:•
Length and depth measurement of the parking spaces when driving
•
Evaluation of the size of the parking space
•
Definition of the correct position of the vehicle for parking
•
Calculating the line on which the vehicle drives backwards into the parking space
•
Actuation of the steering force assistance, automatic spinning of the wheels of the
front axle when parking.
WARNING
The park assist does not take away the responsability from the driver when parking.•
Pay particular attention to small children and animals as they would not be
recognised by the sensors of the parking aid.•
Under certain circumstances, surfaces of certain objects and types of
clothing cannot reflect the signal of the park assist or the parking aid. Thus, these objects or people who wear such clothing are not recognised by the sensors of the parking aid.
AP
sgg.6.book Page 115 Thursday, September 24, 2009 2:32 PM
Starting-off and Driving
116
•
The external sound source of the park
assist and the parking aid can be
disruptively influenced and under unfavourable conditions, objects or people cannot be recognised by the sensors of the parking aid.
Caution
•
If other vehicles are parked behind or on
the kurb, the park assist guides your
ve hicle be yond the kurb or onto it. Make s ure that the whee ls or the whe el rims of yo ur vehicle are not damaged and if necessary intervene in time.•
You should satisfy yourself before parking that there is no small obstacle, such as a
rock, thin post, trailer drawbar etc., in front
or behind your vehicle. Such an obstacle
might not be within the range detected by the sensors.•
Under certain circumstances, surfaces or st
ructures of certain objects such as wire
mesh fences, powder snow etc..., ca
nnot be recognised by the system.
•
The evaluation of the parking space and the parking procedure depends on the
circumference of the wheels. The system does not function correctly if your vehicle is mounted with wheels of non-permissible
size, snow chains or a temporary spare
wheel (in order to reach the nearest workshop). If the tyres other than those excepted by the manufacturer are mounted, the resulting position of the vehicle in the parking space can differ slightly. The parking assistant system automatically performs the correction of the wheel circumference when driving.•
The accuracy of the evaluation for the parking space can be influenced by the
incorrectly determined outside temperature if
the later is influenced by the thermal
radiation of the engine i.e for stop and go in a traffic jam.•
In order to avoid damaging th
e sensors while cleaning wi
th high-pressure cleaners
or steam jets, the sensors must only be
directly sprayed for short periods while a
minimum distance of 10 cm must be observed.
Note
•
A component of the park assist is the front and rear parking aid*.
•
The electronic stability programme (ESP*)
must always be switched on for the
parking procedure.
•
Only the front parking aid operates if yo
u are towing a trailer (applies only to
models which feature a factory-fitted towing de
vice*). This is why it is not possible to
park backwards with the help of the
park assist when towing a trailer.
•
The sensors must be kept clean and free of ice to enable the parking aid to operate
properly.Switch on display of the park a
ssist in the information display*
Fig. 119 Switching on the park assist / information display: Finding a suitable parking spaceSwitch on display of the park assist in the information display*– Press the button
⇒fig. 119
.
– Drive past the parking row up to maximum 30 km/h and with a distance of 0.5 m to
1.5 m
⇒fig. 119
.
Operate the turn signal for the driver's side if
you wish to park on this side of the road.
In the information display* the search area
for the parking space is indicated on the
driver's side. If you press the button at a speed greate
r than 30 km/h and less than 50 km/h, the
message indicating that the speed for detecting the space is exceeded will be displayed in the information display of the in
strument cluster. If the speed drops below
30 km/h, the condition of the parking assistant is automatically displayed in the infor-mation display of the instrument cluster. When exceeding the speed of 50 km/h, it is required to activate the displa
y again by pressing the button
⇒fig. 119
.
WARNING (continued)
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Starting-off and Driving
117
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Note
•
If the park assist is switched on, a yell
ow warning light lights up in the button.
•
The search for suitable parking spaces is
automatic after switching on the ignition
at speeds of more than 30 km/h. Searching for a parking space is performed at the same time on the driver and front passenger side.•
If the sensors find a suitable parking space, they store its parameters until another
suitable parking space has been found or until
a distance of 10 m had been driven after
finding the parking space. This is why it is
possible to switch on the park assist after
driving past the parking space, the information on whether this parking space is suit- able for parking appears in the information display*.Parking with the help of the park assist and concluding the parking procedureFig. 120 Information display: the determined pa
rking space with the information to drive on
and for engaging the reverse gear
Fig. 121 Information display: Information for
engaging the forward gear or the reverse
gear The time limit for the parking procedure with the help of the park assist lasts 180 seconds. – If the park assist has recognised a suitable parking space, it is shown in the infor-
mation display*
⇒fig. 120
.
– Drive on further until the display
⇒fig. 120
appears.
– Bring the vehicle to a stop for at least 1 second.– Engage the reverse gear or set the selector lever* in the position
R.
– As soon as the following message is shown in the information display*:
Steering
interv. active. Monitor area around veh.!
, let go of the steering wheel, the
steering will be taken over by the system.
– Observe the surroundings and drive backwards with a speed of maximum 7 km/h,
at the same time operate the pedal.
– In the event that the parking procedure cannot be carried out in one go, proceed
to parking in further stages. If the forward arrow flashes in the information display* ⇒ fig. 121
, engage the forward gear.
– Observe the surroundings and drive forw
ards with a speed of maximum 7 km/h.
–If the backward arrow
⇒fig. 121
flashes in the information display*, once again
engage the reverse gear or move the selector lever* into the position
R and care-
fully drive backwards. You can repeat these steps several times.
AA
AB
AC
AD
AA
AB
AC
AD
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Airbag system
151
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Function of the side airbags Risk of injury to the upper part of the body is reduced by fully inflated side airbags.When the side airbags are deployed, the head airbag* and the belt tensioner are also automatically deployed on the relevant side
⇒fig. 142
.
If an airbag is deployed, the airbag is filled with gas. The airbags inflate in fractions of a second and at a high speed in order to be able to offer that additional protection in the event of an accident. A grey white, non harmful gas is released when airbag is inflated. This is perfectly normal and is not an indicati
on of a fire in the vehicle.
The load of the occupants is cushioned when
plunging into the fully inflated airbag and
the ri sk of i njur y to the entire uppe r body
(chest, stomach and pelvis) is reduced on the
side facing the door.Important safety information on the side airbag Correct use of the airbag system cons
iderably reduces the risk of injury!
WARNING
•
It is essential to always switch off
⇒page 154, “Deactivating an airbag” the
front passenger airbag when attaching a child safety seat on the front passenger seat where the child is seated
with its back facing in direction of
travel (in some countries also
when the child is facing the direction of travel). If
this is not done, there is a risk of the ch
ild suffering severe or even fatal injuries
if the front passenger airbag is deploy
ed. In certain countries national legal
provisions also require that the side or
head passenger airbags be deactivated.
When transporting a child on the front passenger seat, please comply with the appropriate national regulations regarding the use of child safety seats.•
Your head should never be positioned in the deployment area of the side
airbag. You might suffer severe injuries in
the event of an accident. This applies
in particular to children who are transported without using a suitable child safety seat
⇒page 158, “Child safety and side airbag*”.
•
If children adopt an incorrect seated
position when travelling, they may be
exposed to an increased risk of injury in
the event of an accident. This can result
in serious injuries
⇒page 156, “What you should know about transporting
children!”.•
There must not be any further persons,
animals as well as objects posi-
tioned between the occupants and the deployment area of the airbag. No accessories, such as a can holder, should be attached to the doors.•
The airbag control unit operates together with the pressure sensors, which
are attached in the front doors. For this reason no adjustments must be carried out at the doors as well as at the door panels (for example additional installa-tion of loudspeakers). Resulting damage
s can have a negative affect on the
operation of the airbag system. All work on the front doors and their panels must only be carried out by a specialist garage.•
In the event of a side collision, the side airbags will not function properly, if
the sensors cannot measure the increasi
ng air pressure inside the doors,
because the air can escape through lar
ge, non-sealed open
ings in the door
panel.
− Never drive with removed inner door panels. − Never drive, if parts of the inner do
or panel have been removed and the
remaining openings have not been properly sealed. − Never drive, if the loudspeakers in the doors have been removed, only if the loudspeaker openings have been properly sealed. − Always make sure that the openings are covered or filled, if additional loudspeakers or other equipment part
s are installed in the inner door
panels.
Fig. 142 Inflated side airbag
WARNING (continued)
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Airbag system
153
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Function of the head airbags The risk of injury to the head and neck area is reduced in the event of a side collision by fully inflated head airbags.In the case of a
side collision
the head airbag is deployed together with the relevant
side airbag
⇒fig. 144
and the belt tensioner on the side of the car on which the acci-
dent occurs. If the system is deployed, the airbags are filled with propellant gas and extend over the entire area of the side wind
ow including the door pillar
⇒fig. 144
.
The protection offered by the head airbags is
thus available simultaneously both to the
front occupants of the car seated on the side on which the accident occurs, as well as to the rear occupants. Any impact of the head against parts of the interior or objects outside of the car, is cushioned by the in
flated head airbag. The reduction in any
impact to the head and the resultant minimi
zing of any movement
s of the head addi-
tionally reduce the risk of injuries to the neck area. The head airbag also offers addi-tional protection in the case of an offset
impact by covering
the front door pillar.
In certain accident situations, the front, side and head airbag are simultaneously deployed. The airbags inflate in fractions of a second an
d at a high speed in order to be able to
offer that additional protection in the even
t of an accident. A grey white, non harmful
gas is released when airbag is inflated. This is perfectly normal and is not an indication of a fire in the vehicle.
Important safety information on the head airbag Correct use of the airbag system cons
iderably reduces the risk of injury!
WARNING
•
It is essential to always switch off
⇒page 154, “Deactivating an airbag” the
front passenger airbag when attachin
g a child safety seat on the front
passenger seat where the child is seated
with its back facing in direction of
travel (in some countries also when the chil
d is facing the direct
ion of travel). If
this is not done, there is a risk of the ch
ild suffering severe or even fatal injuries
if the front passenger airbag is deploy
ed. In certain countries national legal
provisions also require that the side or
head passenger airbags be deactivated.
When transporting a child on the front passenger seat, please comply with the appropriate national regulations regarding the use of child safety seats.•
There must not be any objects in the deployment area of the head airbags
which might prevent the airbags from inflating properly.•
Only hang light items of clothing on
the clothes hooks to the vehicle. Never
leave any heavy or sharp-edged objects in
the pockets of the items of clothing.
In addition, it is not permitted to use clothes hangers for hanging up items of clothing. •
The airbag control unit operates together with the sensors, which are
attached in the front doors. For this reason no adjustments must be carried out at the doors as well as at the door panels (for example additional installation of loudspeakers). Resulting da
mages can have a negative affect on the operation
of the airbag system. All work on the front doors and their panels must only be carried out by a specialist garage.•
There must not be any other persons (e
.g. children) or animals between the
car occupant and the deployment area of
the head airbag. In addition, none of
the occupants should lean their head out of the window when driving, or extend their arms and hands out of the window.•
The sun visors must not be swivelled to the side windows into the deploy-
ment area of the head airbags if any obje
cts, such as ball-point pens etc. are
attached to them. This might result in injuries to the occupants if the head airbag is deployed.•
Installing impermissible accessories in the area of the head airbags may
considerably impair the protection offered by the head airbag in the event of it
Fig. 144 Inflated head airbag
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Intelligent Technology
163
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Driving TipsIntelligent TechnologyElectronic stability programme (ESP)*GeneralGeneral The ESP aids you in maintaining control of
your vehicle in situations in which the
vehicle is driving at its dynamic limits, such as
entering a curve fast. The risk of skidding
is reduced and your vehicle thus offers greater driving stability depending on the conditions of the road surface. The system operates at all speeds. The following systems are integrated into the electronic stability programme:•
electronic Differential Lock (EDL),
•
traction control system (TCS),
•
active driver-steering recommendation (DSR),
•
antilock brake system (ABS),
•
brake Assist,
•
uphill-Start off-Assist.
The ESP system cannot be switched off, the
TCS system can only be switched off by
pressing the button
⇒fig. 154
, then the ESP warning light flashes slowly
.
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 proc- esses additional measurement data which are supplied by highly sensitive sensors: the rotational velocity of the vehicle about its ve
rtical axis, the lateral acceleration 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 co
nstantly compared with the actual behav-
iour of the vehicle. If
differences exist, such as the vehi
cle beginning to skid, the ESP will
automatically brake the appropriate wheel. The car is stabilised again by the forces wh
ich 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 wh
eel of a vehicle whic
h tends to understeer
(tendency to shift out of the curve). This braking control cycle is accompanied by noises. During an intervention of the system, the warning light
flashes quickly in the instru-
ment cluster
⇒page 35.
The ESP operates in combination with the ABS
⇒page 167, “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 inst
rument cluster when there is a fault on the
ESP
⇒page 35.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 surfac
e and the traffic situation. This partic-
ularly applies when driving on slippery
and wet roads. The increased safety
Fig. 154 ESP switch
sgg.6.book Page 163 Thursday, September 24, 2009 2:32 PM
Intelligent Technology
164
offered must not tempt you to take greater risks than otherwise - risk of an acci- dent!
Note
•
All four wheels must be fitted with the same tyres in order to achieve problem-free
operation of the ESP. Differing rolling circum
ferences of the tyres can lead to an unde-
sirable reduction in the engine output.•
Changes to vehicle (e.g. on engine, on th
e brakes, on chassis or another combina-
tion of tyres and wheels) can influence the function of the ESP
⇒page 221, “Accesso-
ries, changes and replacement of parts”.Electronic Differential Lock (EDL)* The electronic differential lock prev
ents an individual wheel from slip-
ping.Models fitted with ESP ar
e equipped with electronic 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 conditions of the road surface are unfavourable. Operating principle The EDL is activated automaticall
y, 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 greate
r driving force to the other driven wheel.
This control process is also accompanied by noises. Overheating of the brakes The EDL switches off automatica
lly 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 driven 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.
EDL Off-road* After switching on the Off-road mode
⇒page 170, EDL Off-road is activated.
EDL Off-road is matched in such a way that it assists the traction of the vehicle when driving on an unfirm ground. EDL is activated earlier in the Off-road mode than in the normal mode. The brake pres- sure builts up more quickly on the slipping
wheel, on one axle, as well as diagonally.
WARNING
•
Carefully depress the accelerator when
accelerating on uniformly slippery
road surfaces, such as ice and snow. Th
e 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 or ESP warning light comes on, this may 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 combina-
tion of tyres and wheels) can influence the function of the EDL
⇒page 221, “Accesso-
ries, changes and replacement of parts”.
WARNING (continued)
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Intelligent Technology
165
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
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 th
e conditions of the road
surface are unfavourable.
Operating principle The TCS switches on automatically when th
e 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 auto- matically adapted by reducing the engine speed. The system operates at all speeds. The TCS operates in combination with the ABS
⇒page 167, “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 instru
ment cluster when there is a fault on the
TCS
⇒page 34.
During an intervention of the system, the TCS warning light
flashes quickly in the
instrument cluster
⇒page 34.
Switching off You can switch the TCS off and on again as yo
u wish. On vehicles fitted with ABS, you
can switch off the TCS by pressing the button
⇒fig. 155
, on vehicles fi
tted with ESP*,
you can switch off the TCS wi
th the aid of the button
⇒page 163, fig. 154
. The TCS
warning light
flashes slowly in the instrument cluster if the system is switched off
⇒ page 34. The TCS 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:•
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 TCS again. TCS Off-road* After switching on the Off-road mode
⇒page 170, TCS Off-road is activated.
TCS Off-road provides a more effective a
cceleration of the vehicle on an unfirm
ground, as it allows higher traction be
tween the slipping wheels and the ground.
The system operates when starting off or at low speeds.
WARNING
You should always adjust your style of driving to the conditions of the road surface and the traffic situation. The increased safety offered must not tempt you to take greater risks than otherwise - risk of an accident!
Note
•
All four wheels must be fitted with the same tyres in order to achieve problem-free
operation of the TCS. Differing rolling circumferences of the tyres can lead to an unde- sirable reduction in the engine output.•
Changes to vehicle (e.g. on engine, on the brakes, on chassis or another combina-
tion of tyres and wheels) can influence the function of the TCS
⇒page 221, “Accesso-
ries, changes and replacement of parts”.
Fig. 155 TCS switch
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