
Starting-off and Driving
112
•
The brake booster only operates when
the engine is running. Greater phys-
ical effort for braking is required when en
gine is switched off. Because if you do
not stop as normal, this can cause an accident and severe injuries.
Caution
you should not switch the engine off right
away at the end of your journey after the
engine has been operated for a lengthy period
at high loads but should be allowed it
to run at idling speed for
about 2 minutes. This prevents any accumulation of heat
when the engine is switched off.
Note
•
The radiator fan may continue running fo
r a further 10 minutes or so after the
engine and the ignition have been switched
off. The coolant fan may, however, also
switch on again after some time if the co
olant temperature rises because of an accu-
mulation of heat in the engine or if the engine is warm and the engine compartment is additionally heated
by strong sunlight.
•
This is why particular care is required
when carrying out any work in the engine
compartment
⇒page 204, “Working in the engine compartment”.
Shifting (manual gearbox)
Shift into reverse only when the vehicle is
stationary. Depress the clutch pedal and hold
it fully depressed. Wait a mo
ment before engaging reverse gear in order to avoid any
shift noises. The reversing lights will come on once reverse gear is engaged, provided the ignition is on.
WARNING
Never engage the reverse gear when driving - risk of accident!
Note
•
One should not lay the hand on the shift lever while driving the vehicle. The pres-
sure of the hand will be transferred to the gearshift forks in the gearbox. This can, over a period of time, lead to earl
y wear of the gearshift forks.
•
Depress the clutch pedal fully when changi
ng gears, in order to avoid unnecessary
wear and damage.HandbrakeApplying the handbrake– Pull the handbrake lever up fully.
WARNING (continued)
Fig. 115 The shift pattern: 5-speed or 6- speed manual gearbox
Fig. 116 Centre console: Handbrake
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Starting-off and Driving
113
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Releasing the handbrake– Pull the handbrake lever up slightly and
at the same time
press in the locking
button
⇒fig. 116
.
– Hold the button pressed and push the handbrake lever down fully
⇒
.
The handbrake warning light
lights up when the handbrak
e is applied, provided the
ignition is on. A warning signal sounds and the following text
appears in the display* if you have inad-
vertently driven off with the handbrake applied:
Handbrake on
The handbrake warning is acti
vated 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 result in the rear brakes overheating which will have a negative effect on the 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
After the car has come to a stop, always firs
t of all apply the handbrake firmly before
then additionally engaging a gear (manual gearbox) or moving the selector lever into position
P (automatic gearbox).
Rear parking aid*The parking aid provides a warning
of obstacles behind the vehicle.
The audible parking aid determines the di
stance between the rear bumper and an
obstacle located behind the ve
hicle with the aid of ultras
ound sensors. The tones of
the parking aid can be adapted in th
e menu of the information display*
⇒page 27.
The sensors are integrated in the rear bumper. Range of sensors The clearance warning begins at a distance
of about 160 cm from the obstacle (area
⇒ fig. 117
). The interval between the warning signals becomes shorter as the clear-
ance is reduced. A continuous tone sounds from
a distance of approx. 30
cm (area ) - danger area.
You should not reverse any further after this signal sounds!
If the vehicle is
equipped with a factory-fitted
towing device*, the border of the danger area starts,
continuous tone, 5 cm furt
her behind the vehicle. Th
e vehicle can be extended
through an installed deta
chable towing device.
On vehicles equipped with a factory-fitted
radio* or navigation system*, the distance
to the obstruction is shown graphically in the display. On vehicles with a factory-fitted towing device, the sensors are deactivated when towing a trailer. The driver is informed about this by a graphic display (vehicle towing
a trailer) in the radio* or the navigation*
display. The radio* or navigation system*, which is factory-fitted, can be set so that the play function volume decreases when acti
vating the parking ai
d, see Owner's Manual
radio* or navigation system*. This impr
oves the audibility of the parking aid.
Fig. 117 Parking aid: Detection range of rear sensors
AA
AB
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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
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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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Automatic gearbox DSG*
122
Caution
•
The double clutch on the automatic gear
box DSG is equipped
with an overload
protection. If you make use of
the uphill function on a vehicle which is stationary or
driving slowly uphill, it will result in an
increase of thermal stress of the clutches.
•
In the event that they overheat, the warning light
and a warning text
⇒page 38
appear in the information display*. In such a case bring the vehicle to a stop, switch off the engine and wait until the warning light and the warning go out - risk of gearbox damage! You can continue the trip as soon as the warning light and the warning go out.Selector lever positionsFig. 123 Selector lever / informatio
n display: Selector lever positions
The current selector lever position is indica
ted in the information display of the instru-
ment cluster
⇒fig. 123
on the right. In the positions
D and
S the gear you have already
engaged will be additionally displayed on the display. - Parklock The driven wheels are locked me
chanically in this position.
The Parklock must only be engage
d when the vehicle is stationary
⇒
.
If you wish to move the selector lever into
or out of this position, you must press the
Shiftlock button in the handle of the select
or lever and at the same time depress the
brake pedal. If the battery is used, the selector lever cannot be moved out of the position
P.
- Reverse gear Reverse gear must only be engaged when
the vehicle is stationary and the engine
idling
⇒
.
The brake pedal must be depressed and at
the same time the Shiftlock must be
pressed, if you wish to obtain the selector lever positions
R, P or N.
When the ignition is switched on an
d the selector lever is in position
R, the reverse
lights will come on. - Neutral The transmission is in Neutral in this position. The brake pedal must be depressed (if the le
ver is in its position for longer than 2
seconds) in order to move the se
lector lever out of the position
N into the position
D
or R, with the ignition switched on, on a vehicl
e travelling at less than 5 km/hour or on
a stationary vehicle. - Position for driving forward When the selector lever is in this position, the forward gears are shifted up and down automatically in line with engine load, vehicle speed and the dynamic shift programme. You must depress the brake pedal if you wish to move into position
D from
N when the
vehicle is travelling at less th
an 5 km/hour or is stationary
⇒
.
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 124 for a
short time in order to adapt the gearbox
ratios manually to the driving situations.
- 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 posi-tion
D.
The Shiftlock on the selector lever grip mu
st be pressed when moving the selector
lever out of the position
D into the position
S.
AP
ARANADAS
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Automatic gearbox DSG*
123
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
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 interrupted, 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 driv
e position is engaged when the car is
stationary. The vehicle would otherwise
immediately start of
f - also when the
handbrake is firmly applied - risk of an accident!•
You must move the selector lever into position P and firmly apply the hand-
brake 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 204, “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 or
der to move the selector lever out of this
position. The warning light
⇒page 35 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 lo
ck 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 swit
ched off automatically into position
N when the
car is travelling at a higher speed. Shiftlock button The Shiftlock button in the hand
le of selector lever prevents certain selector lever posi-
tions being engaged inadvertently. The selector lever lock is cancelled when you press the Shiftlock button.
Keylock - 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 a
ccelerator 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 accelerati
on of the vehicle when exploiting the
maximum power potential of the engine wi
thout taking into account the current
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 en
gine has reached its maximum revolutions for
this gear range.
WARNING
Please note that using the kickdown f
unction 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 po
ssible will have a favourable effect on your fuel consump-
tion. Adopting a
sporty style of driving
with rapid movements of the accelerator pedal
combined with sharp acceleration and freque
nt changes in speed, exploiting the top
speed of the car or depressing the accele
rator pedal (kickdown function), will cause
sgg.6.book Page 123 Thursday, September 24, 2009 2:32 PM

Airbag system
146
Airbag systemDescription of the airbag systemGeneral information on the airbag systemThe front airbag system is complementary to
the three-point seat belts and offers addi-
tional protection for the head and chest area of the driver and passenger in the event of a frontal collision. In the case of a violent side cr
ash, the side* and head airbags* reduce the risk of inju-
ries to the occupants on the side of the collision
⇒
.
The airbag system is only functional af
ter the ignition has been switched on.
The operational readiness of the airbag syst
em is monitored electronically. The airbag
warning light comes on for a few seconds each time the ignition is switched on. The airbag system (according to vehicle equipment) consists of:•
an electronic control unit,
•
the front airbags for the driver and front passenger,
•
driver's knee airbag*,
•
front side airbags*,
•
Rear side airbags*,
•
head airbags*,
•
an airbag warning light in the instrument cluster,
•
a front passenger airbag switch
⇒page 154,
•
an indicator light for a switched off front seat passenger airbag in the middle of the
dash panel
⇒page 154.
A fault in the airbag system exists if:•
the airbag indicator light does not light up when the ignition is switched on,
•
the warning light does not go out after about 4 seconds after the ignition is
switched on,•
the airbag indicator light goes out and come
s on again after the ignition is switched
on,
•
the airbag indicator light comes on or flickers when driving,
•
the airbag indicator light showing a swit
ched-off front passen
ger airbag in the
middle of the dash panel flashes.
WARNING
•
To enable the occupants of a vehicle
to be protected with the greatest
possible effect when the airbag is
deployed, the front seats must be
⇒ page 138, “Correct seated position” co
rrectly adjusted to match the body
size of the occupant.•
If you do not fasten the seat belts when driving, lean too far forward or
adopt an incorrect seated position, you are exposing yourself to increased risk of injury in the event of an accident.•
Have the airbag system checked immediat
ely by a specialist garage if a fault
exists. Otherwise, there is a
risk of the airbag not bein
g activated in the event of
an accident.•
No modifications of any kind may be made to parts of the airbag system.
•
It is prohibited to manipulate individual parts of the airbag system as this
might result in the airbag being deployed.•
The protective function of the airbag system is sufficient for only one acci-
dent. The airbag system must then be re
placed if the airbag has been deployed.
•
The airbag system needs no main
tenance during its working life.
•
If you sell your car, please hand over the complete vehicle documentation to
the new owener. Please note that the documents relating to the possibility of deactivating the front passenger airbag are also part of the vehicle documents!•
If the vehicle or individual parts of
the airbag system are scrapped, it is
essential to observe the relevant safety
precautions. Specialist garages are
familiar with these regulations.•
When disposing of vehicle or parts of the airbag system, it is important to
comply with the national legal requirements.
sgg.6.book Page 146 Thursday, September 24, 2009 2:32 PM