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Driving and the EnvironmentThe first 1 500 kilometres and then afterwardsA new engine
The engine has to be run in during the first 1 500 kilometres.Up to 1 000 kilometres– Do not drive faster than 3/4 of the maximum speed of the gear in use, that is 3/4 of
the maximum permissi ble engine speed.
– Do not use full throttle.
– Avoid high engine revolutions.
– Do not tow a trailer.From 1 000 up to 1 500 kilometres– Increase the power output of the engine gradually up to the full speed of the gear
engaged, that is up to the maxi mum permissible engine revolutions.
During the first operating hours the engine ha s higher internal friction than later until
all of the moving parts have harmonized. Th e driving style which you adopt during the
first approx.1 500 kilometres plays a decisive part in the success of running in your
vehicle.
You should not drive at unnecessarily high engine revolutions even after the
running-in period is complete . The maximum permissible en gine speed is marked by
the beginning of the red zone on the scale of the revolutions counter. Shift up into the
next higher gear on a vehi cle fitted with manual gear box before the red zone is
reached. Extremely high engine revolutions are automatically governed, by the way.
For a vehicle fitted with a manual gearbox the converse situation also applies: Do not
drive at engine revolutions which are too low. Shift down as soon as the engine is no
longer running smoothly.
Caution
All the speed and engine revolution figures ap ply only when the engine is at its normal
operating temperature. Never rev up an engine which is cold, neither when the vehicle
is stationary nor when driving in individual gears.
For the sake of the environment
Not driving at unnecessari ly high engine revolutions and shifting to a higher gear as
early as possible are ways to minimise fu el consumption and operating noise levels
and protects the environment.New tyresNew tyres have to be “run in” since they do not offer optimal grip at first. You should
take account of this fact for the first 500 kilometres and drive particularly carefully.New brake padsAllow for the fact that new brake pads do no t achieve their full braking efficiency until
approximately 200 kilometres. New brake pads must be first “run in” before they
develop their optimal friction force. You ca n, however, compensate for this slightly
reduced braking force by increasing the pressure on the brake pedal.
This guideline also applies to any new brake pads installed at a future date.
During the running-in pe riod, you should avoid excessive stresses on the brakes. This
includes, for example, violent braking, part icularly from very high speeds, and also
when crossing mountain passes.
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Driving and the Environment197
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guidelines given in this chapter in order to
make best use of these characteristics and
to maintain their effectiveness.
The optimal engine speed should be obtained when accelerating, in order to avoid a
high fuel consumption and resonance of the vehicle.
Looking ahead when driving
A vehicle's highest fuel consumption occurs it accelerates.Avoid accelerating and braking unnecessarily. If you drive with forsight you will not
need to brake so often and will also then not have to accelerate so much. Let your
vehicle coast to a stop, for example, if this is possible, when you see that the next set of
traffic lights is at red.Shifting gears and saving energy
Shifting up early saves on fuel.Manual gearbox– Drive no more than about one length of your vehicle in first gear.
– Always shift up into the next higher gear at approx. 2 000 to 2 500 revs.Automatic gearbox– Depress the accelerator pedal slowly. Do not depress it beyond the kickdown
position, however. An effective way of achieving good fuel economy is to shift up
early. You will consume
more fuel if you drive at unnecessaril y high revolutions in any given gear.
The fig. 174 shows the ratio of fuel consumption to the speed of your vehicle in the
relevant gears. Fuel consumptio n in 1st gear is the highest, while that in 5th or 6th gear
is the lowest.
Only depress the accelerator pedal slowly if your vehicle is fitted with an automatic
gearbox in order to automatically select an economic driving programme. You will
achieve good fuel economy by shifting up early and shifting down late.
Note
Also use the information supplied by the multi-functional indicator* page 19.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 vehicl e noises increase disproportionally at
high speeds.
The fig. 175 shows the ratio of fuel consumption to 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.
Fig. 174 Fuel consumption in litres/100
km. and speed in km/h.
Fig. 175 Fuel consumption in litres/100
km. and speed in km/h.
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Driving and the Environment201
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Driving through bodies of water on roadsIn order to avoid damage to the vehicle wh en driving through bodies of water (e.g.
flooded roads), observe the following:
Determine the depth of the water when driv ing through bodies of water. The water
can reach at the maximum the web on the lower sill of the vehicle fig. 177 .
Drive no more than at walking speed. At a higher speed, a water wave can form in
front of the vehicle which can cause water to penetrate into the air induction system of
the engine or into other parts of the vehicle.
Never let the vehicle stand in the water, never drive backwards and do not switch
off the engine.
WARNING
Driving through water, mud, sludge etc. can reduce the braking power and
extend the braking distance - risk of accident!
Avoid sudden and severe braking manoeuvres immediately after driving
through bodies of water.
After driving through bodies of water, the brakes must be cleaned and dried
as soon as possible by intermittent braking. Only apply the brakes for the
purpose of drying and cleaning the brake discs if the traffic conditions permit
this. Do not place any other road users in jeopardy.
Caution
When driving through bodies of water, pa rts of the vehicle such as the engine,
gearbox, catalytic converter, chassis or electrics can be severely damaged.
Oncoming vehicles can generate water waves which can exceed the permissible
water level for your vehicle.
Potholes, mud or rocks can be hidden under the water making it difficult or impos-
sible to drive through the body of water.
Do not drive through salt water. The salt can lead to corrosion. Immediately rinse
all the parts of the vehicle, which came into contact with the salt water, with fresh
water.Note
After driving through a body of water, we recommend that the vehicle is checked by a
specialist garage.
Fig. 177 Web on the lower sill of the
vehicle
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Inspecting and replenishing
216
Working in the engine compartment
Particular care is required when carrying out any work in the engine
compartment!There is a risk of injuries, scalding, acci dents and fire when working in the engine
compartment, e.g. inspecting and replenishing oil and other fluids. For this
reason, it is essential to comply with the warning instructions stated below and
with the general applicable rules of safe ty. The engine compartment of your car
is a hazardous area .
WARNING
Never open the bonnet if you see that steam or coolant is flowing out of the
engine compartment - risk of scalding! Wait long enough until the steam or
coolant has stopped escaping.
Switch off the engine and pull out the ignition key.
Apply the handbrake firmly.
If your vehicle is fitted with a manual gearbox, move the gearshift lever into
Neutral, or if it is fitted with automatic gearbox, move the selector lever into
position P.
Allow the engine to cool down.
Keep children clear of the engine compartment.
Never spill oil and other fluids over the hot engine. Such fluids (e.g. the anti-
freeze contained in the coolant) may ignite!
Avoid short circuits in the electrical system - particularly on the battery.
Never place your hand into the radiator fan as long as the engine is still
warm. The fan might suddenly start running!
Never open the cap of the coolant expans ion bottle as long as the engine is
still warm. The cooling system is pressurized!
Cover over the cap of the coolant expansion reservoir with a large cloth
when opening it as protection for your face, hands and arms from hot steam or
hot coolant.
Do not let objects, such as e.g cleaning cloth or tools lie in the engine
compartment.
If you wish to work under the vehicl e, you must secure the vehicle from
rolling away and support it with suitable supporting blocks: the car jack is not
sufficient for this - risk of injury!
In cases where it be necessary to carry out inspection work when the engine
is running there is an additional risk fr om rotating parts (e.g. the V-ribbed belt,
alternator, radiator fan) and from the high-voltage ignition system. Please
observe in addition the following.
Never touch the electrical cabl es of the ignition system.
Absolutely avoid any jewellery, loose it ems of clothing or long hair from
getting into the rotating parts of the engine - Hazard! Therefore remove any
jewellery beforehand, tie up your hair and wear tight fitting clothing.
Please also comply with the warnin g instructions stated below when
carrying out any essential work on the fu el system or on the electrical system.
Always separate the car battery from the electrical system.
Do not smoke.
Never carry out any work close to naked flames.
Always keep a working fire extinguisher at hand.Caution
When replenishing fluids in the engine, always ensure that the fluids are on no account
mixed up. This may result in major oper ating problems and also vehicle damage!
WARNING (continued)
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The spare wheel lies in a well under the floor covering of the luggage compartment and
is fixed in place using special screws
page 236, fig. 195 .
Before removing the spare wheel, you must take out the box with the vehicle tool kit
box page 236, fig. 194.
One should check the inflation pressure in the spare wheel (at best when generally
checking the tyre air pressures - see sign on the fuel filler flap page 228) to ensure
that the spare wheel is always ready to use.
Temporary spare wheel
A warning label displayed on the rim of the temporary spare wheel indicates that your
vehicle is equippe d with a temporary spare wheel.
Please observe the following notes when driving with a temporary spare wheel:
The warning label must not be covered after installing the wheel.
Do not drive faster than 80 km/h with this spare wheel and pay particular attention
while driving. Avoid accelerating at full throttle, sharp braking and fast cornering.
The inflation pressure for this spare wheel is identical to the inflation pressure of
the standard tyres. The temporary spare wheel R 18 must have an inflation pressure of
420 kPa (4.2 bar)!
Use this spare wheel only to reach the nearest specialist garage as it is not intended
for continuous use.
No other summer or winter tyres must be mounted on the rim of the spare wheel
R 18.
Changing a wheelPreliminary workThe following steps should be carried ou t before actually changing the wheel.
– If it is necessary to change a wheel, park the vehicle as far away as possible from
the traffic flow. The place you choose should be level.
–Have all the occupants get out. While changing a wheel, the occupants of the
vehicle should not stand on the road (e.g. behind a crash barrier).
– Apply the handbrake firmly. –Engage
1st gear or if your vehicle is fitted with an automatic gearbox, position the
selector lever into position P .
– If a trailer is coupled, uncouple it.
–Take the vehicle tool kit page 236 and the spare wheel* page 236 out of the
luggage compartment.
WARNING
If you find yourself in flowing traffic switch on the hazard warning lights
system and place the warning triangle on the side of the road at the prescribed
distance from your vehicle while observin g all national legal provisions. In this
way you are protecting not only yourself but also other road users.
Never start the engine with the vehicle si tting on the raised jack - danger of
suffering injury.Caution
If you have to change a wheel on a slope fi rst block the opposite wheel with a stone or
similar object in order to secure the vehicle from unexpectedly rolling away.
Note
Comply with the national legal regulations.Changing a wheelAlways change a wheel on a level surface as far as possible.
– Take off the full wheel trim* page 238 or the wheel trim cap page 239 or the
caps page 239.
– In the case of light alloy wheels remove the wheel trim cap page 239.
– First of all slacken the safety wheel bolt * and afterwards the other wheel bolts page 239.
– Jack up the vehicle until the wheel to be changed is clear of the ground
page 240.
– Unscrew the wheel bolts and place them on a clean surface (cloth, paper etc.).
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– Release the clutch particularly gently wh
en starting off or depress the accelerator
particularly gently if your vehicle is fitted with an automatic gearbox.
Driver of the towed vehicle– Switch the ignition on so that the steeri ng wheel is not blocked and you can also
operate the turn signal lights, the headlight flasher, the windscreen wipers and
windscreen washer system.
– Take the vehicle out of gear or move the selector lever into position N if your
vehicle is fitted with an automatic gearbox.
– Note that the brake servo unit and power steering only operate if the engine is running. You will require significantly grea ter physical force to depress the brake
pedal and to steer th e vehicle if the engine is not running.
– Ensure that the tow rope is always kept taught.
Tow rope or tow bar
A tow bar is safest way of towing a vehicle an d also minimizes any shocks. You can use
a tow rope only if a suitable tow bar is not available.
The tow rope must be elastic to protect the vehicle. Thus one should only use plastic
fibre rope or a rope made out of a similarly elastic material.
Only attach the tow rope to the towing eyes provided for this purpose page 243
and page 244.
Driving style
Towing another vehicle requires a certain am ount of practice. Both drivers should be
familiar with the particular points about to wing a vehicle. Unskilled drivers should not
attempt to tow in another vehicle or to be towed in.
One should be constantly vigi lant not to allow impermissibly high towing forces or
jerky loadings. There is always a risk of excessive stresses and damage resulting at the
points to which you attach the tow rope or tow bar when you attempt to tow a vehicle
which is not standing on a paved road.
Caution
If the gearbox of your vehicle no longer contains any oil because of a defect, your
vehicle must only be towed in with the driven wheels raised clear of the ground, or on
a special vehicle transporter or trailer.
Note
Please comply with any national legal provisions particularly regarding the
switched on signal systems, when towi ng in or tow-starting another vehicle.
The tow rope must not be twisted as it may in certain circumstances result in the
front towing eye being unscrewed out of your vehicle.
Front towing eye
The towing eye is stored in th e box for the vehicle tool kit.Fig. 203 Front bumper: Removing the cover / installing the towing eye– Take the cover out of the front bumper fig. 203 - left.
– Screw in the towing eye by hand to the left up to the stop fig. 203 - right and
tighten it as much as po ssible. For tightening, we recommend that you use for
example the wheel wrench*, the lashing eye of another vehicle or a similar object
which you can push through the eye.
– Put the cover in place after screwing out the towing eye again and press into place.
The cover must engage firmly.
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Breakdown assistance
244Caution
The towing eye must always be screwed in fully and firmly tightened, otherwise the
towing eye can tear when to wing in or tow-starting!Rear towing eyeFig. 204 Rear bumper: Removing the cover / installing the towing eye– Press onto the bottom part of the cover in the rear bumper fig. 204 - left and
take it out.
– Screw in the towing eye by hand to the left up to the stop fig. 204 - right and
tighten it as much as possible. For ti ghtening, we recommend that you use for
example the wheel wrench*, the lashing eye of another vehicle or a similar object
which you can push through the eye.
– Put the cover in place after screwing out the towing eye again and press into place.
The cover must engage firmly.
Caution
The towing eye must always be screwed in fully and firmly tightened, otherwise the
towing eye can tear when to wing in or tow-starting!
Tow-starting a vehicleIf the engine does not start, we generally do not recommend to tow-start your vehicle.
One should attempt to start the engine using jump start cables page 241 or call on
the services of the SERVICE mobile.If your vehicle has to be towed– Engage 2nd or 3rd gear with the vehicle stationary.
– Depress the clutch pedal fu lly and keep it depressed.
– Switch on the ignition.
– Wait until both vehicles are moving then release the clutch pedal slowly.
– Depress the clutch pedal fully when the engine fires and take the vehicle out of
gear.
For technical reasons it is not possibl e to tow-start a car fitted with an automatic
gearbox .
WARNING
There is high risk of having an accident when tow-starting a vehicle, when for
example the towed vehicle r uns into the towing vehicle.
Caution
Vehicles which are fitted with a catalytic converter should not be tow-started over a
distance of more than 50 metres. Unburnt fu el may get into the catalytic converter and
damage it.Towing in a vehicle fitted with a manual gearboxPlease refer to the additional instructions page 242.
The vehicle can be towed in with a tow bar or a tow rope or with the front or rear
wheels raised. The maximum towing speed is 50 km/h.
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Towing of a vehicle with an automatic gearboxPlease refer to the additional instructions page 242.
The car can be towed in with a tow bar or a tow rope. Refer at the same time to the
following guidelines.
Move selector lever into N .
The maximum towing speed is 50 km/h.
The maximum permissible towing distance is 50 km. The gear oil pump does not
operate when the engine is not running; th e gearbox would not be adequately lubri-
cated at higher speeds and ov er longer towing distance.Caution
If the vehicle is towed in by a recovery vehicle, it should only be towed in with the front
wheels raised. If the vehicle is raised at rear, the automatic gearbox is damaged! (Does
not apply to the automatic gearbox DSG).
Note
The vehicle must be transported on a special vehi cle or trailer if it is not possible to tow
in the vehicle in the way described or if the towing distance is greater than 50 km.
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