____________________________________________ A_ u_ t_ o_ m_ a_ t_ i_ c _ t_ra _ n_s_ m __ is_s_ i_ o _ n _ __.lJII
Automatic transmission
• • ®
t1ptron1c
General information
Your vehicle is equipped with an e lectron ically contro lled automatic
transmission. Upshifting and downshifting takes place
automati
cally.
The transmiss ion is also equipped with tiptronic ®. It allows the driver
to shift gears
manually if desired => page 167. •
Driving the automatic transmission
Starting the engine
-The selector lever must be in Nor P.
Starting off
- Press a nd hold the brake pedal.
Fig. 162 Shift gate on
th e ce nte r co nso le :
selec tor lever w it h
r ele ase bu tton
-Press and hold the release button in the selector lever
handle and move the selector lever from
P or N to D and
release the button => & .
Con tro ls a nd e quip
m en t Vehicle
OP-eration
- Wait briefly until the transmission has shifted (you will
feel a slight movement).
- Remove your foot from the brake pedal and accelerate .
Rocking back and forth to become unstuck
-Shift only between D and R when the vehicle is at a full
stop and the engine is running at idle speed .
Stopping
-Press and ho ld the brake pedal until the vehicle has come
to a complete stop .
- Keep the b rak e pedal depr essed so that the vehicle ca nnot
roll forward or backward while it is idling => & .
- Once stopped,
do not depress the accelerator pedal to rev
up the engine=> &.
Parking
-Press and hold the brake pedal until the vehicle has come
to a complete stop.
- Set the park ing brake firmly=>
page 132, "Park ing".
- Press and hold the release button in the selector lever
hand le, move the se lector l ever int o
P and the n let go of
the release button => & .
The selecto r lever must be in Nor P. If one of the dr iv ing positions is
engaged a safety switch will prevent the engine from being started.
See also =>
page 127. _,.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data
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When the ignition is on, the backup lights illuminate when the
selector lever is moved into
R.
N -Neutral
The transmission is in neutral in th is posi tion . Sh ift to this posit ion
for standing with the brakes applied~
page 165.
When the vehicle is stationary or at speeds below 3 mph (5 km/h),
you must always apply the footbrake before and wh ile moving the
lever out of
N .
D -Normal position for driving forward
Position D is for normal city and highway driving. It ranges from zero
to top speed and all gears shift automatically, depending on engine
load, driving speed and automatically selected shift programs.
When the vehicle is stat ionary or at speeds below 3 mph (5 km/h),
you must always app ly the foot brake before and while moving the
lever to
D out of N.
In certain circumstances it may be advantageous to temporarily
switch to the manual shift program to manua lly select gear rat ios to
match specific driving conditions~
page 167.
S -Sport position
Select this position for sportier performance. In this position, the
transmission will not upshift as soon, allowing the vehicle to use the
increased power available at higher engine speeds to ach ieve livelier
acceleration.
When the vehicle is stat ionary or at speeds below 3 mph (5 km/h),
you must always apply the foot brake before and while moving the
lever to
S out of N.
& WARNING
Read and follow all WARNINGS ~ & in "Driving the automatic
transmission " on page
163 .
Contro ls a nd e quip
m en t Vehicle
OP-eration
0 Note
Coasting downh ill with the transmission in N and the engine not
running will result in damage to the automatic transmission and
poss ibly the catalytic converter .•
Automatic Shift Lock (ASL)
The Automatic Shift Lock safeguards you against acci
dentally shifting into a forward or the reverse gear and
causing the vehicle to move unintentionally .
Fig. 164 Shift gate:
selector lever lock posi
tions and interlock
button highlighted
The selector lever lock is released as follows:
- Turn the ignition on.
- Step on the brake pedal.
At the same time press and hold
the interlock button on the side of the gear selector knob
=> fig . 164 with your thumb un til you have moved the
selector lever to the desired position.
Automatic selector lever lock
The selector lever is locked in the P and N positions when the ignition
is turned on. To move the lever from these positions the driver must
depress the brake pedal. As a reminder to the driver, the following
~
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data
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warning appears in the instrument cluster display when the selector
is in
P and N:
When stationary apply foot brake while selecting gear
A time delay element prevents the selector lever from locking when
it is moved through the
N position (going from R to D). The locking
element will lock the selector lever if the lever is left in N (Neutral) for
more than approximately 1 second, without the brake pedal be ing
pressed.
At speeds above about 3 mph (5 km/h) the Automatic Shift Lock is
automatically deactivated in the
N position.
Interlock button
The lock button on the selector lever prevents the lever from being
accidentally shifted into certain positions. Pressing this button deac
tivates the selector lever lock. Depending on the direction of the
shift, the selector lever locks at different positions. The positions are
high light ed in the illustrat ion~
page 165, fig. 164.
Ignition key safety interlock
The key cannot be removed from the ignition unless the selector lever
is in the
P park position. When the ignition key is removed, the
selector lever w ill be locked in the
P pos it ion .•
Kick-down
The kick-down feature allows the vehicle to generate
maximum acceleration.
When you press the accelerator pedal beyond the resistance point
that is reached at full throttle, the transmission will select a lower
gear rat io based on vehicle speed and engine RPM . The engine RPM
will be contro lled to produce maximum vehicle acceleration as long
as you continue to press the accelerator pedal beyond th is resistance
point .
& WARNING
Be careful when using the kick-down feature on slippery roads.
Rapid acceleration may cause the vehicle to skid. •
Dynamic shift program (DSP)
The automatic transmission is electronically controlled.
The transmission is self adapting and will automatically select the
best sh ift program suited to the dr iving cond it ions and dr iving style .
The transmission will select one of the
economy programs when you
dr ive at a steady speed or a gradua lly changing speed w ithout heavy
acceleration. This achieves optimum fuel efficiency, with early
upshifting and delayed downshifting.
The transm ission will automatically select the
sporty shift programs
when you drive at higher speeds, or w ith heavy acceleration and
frequently changing speeds. Upshifts a re delayed to make full use of
engine power. Downshifting takes place at higher engine speeds than
in the economy programs.
The selection of the most suitable shift program is a continuous, automatic process. The driver can also make the transmission switch
to a sporty program by
quickly pressing down the gas pedal.
Thi s causes the transmission to shift down to a lower gear to achieve
rapid accelerat ion, e .g . for quickly passing another vehicle . You do
not need to press the gas pedal into the kick-down range. After the
transmission has upshifted, the orig inal program is selected
according to your driving sty le.
An additional shift program allows the automatic transmission to
select the proper gear for uph ill and downh ill grad ients.
Thi s keeps the transmission from shifting up and down unnecessarily
on hills. The transmission will shift down to a lowe r gear when the
driver presses the brake pedal on a downhill gradient. This makes use .,_
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of the braking effect of the engine without the need to shift down
manually .•
Manual shift program
Using the manual shift program you con manually select
gears.
Fig. 165 Center
console: shifting the
tiptroni c® manually
Fig. 166 Display:
manual shift program,
selec ted gear
Switching to manual shift program
-Push the selector lever to the right from D. As soon as the
transmission has switched over , the selected gear appears
in the display => fig. 166.
Con tro ls a nd e quip
m en t Vehicle
OP-eration
To upshift
-Push the selector lever forward to the plus position 0
=> fig. 165.
To downshift
- Push the lever to the minus position Q.
When accelerating, the transmission will a utomatica lly shift into the
next gear before the engine reaches its maximum RPM .
I f you apply a light throttle when accelerating, tiptronic ® will auto
matically shift from 1st to 2nd gea r to save fuel. If you apply a heavy
throttle, the transmission will stay in 1st gear until near maximum
RPM is reached, or until the driver sh ifts into 2nd gear.
I f you take your foot off the accelerator pedal when driv ing down a
st eep incline, tiptronic ® will downshift from the selected gear into
the next lower gear until it reaches 1st gear, based on road speed and
e ngine RPM . Automatic downsh ifting is interrupted as soon as you
apply the throttle again.
[ i ] Tips
• When you shift into the next lower gear, the transmission will
downshift on ly when there is no possibility of over-rewing the
engine.
• When the kick -down comes on, the transmission will shift down to
a lower gear, depending on vehicle and engine speeds.
• tiptronic ® is inoperative when the transmission is in the fail-safe
mode. •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data
Parking system -
----------------=-------'
Applies to veh icles : w ith par king system advanced
Switching on and off
Th e rear view camera switches on automatically together
with the acoustic and visual park assist when you put the
vehicle in reverse.
Switching on
F ig. 173 Cente r
c on sole: Pa rki ng
sys tem swi tch
Fig . 174 MMI display:
v is ual d istance disp la y
- Switch the MMI on and select reverse gear.
- Switch on the Adaptive Air Suspension * comfort or auto-
matic mode .
Contro ls a nd e quip
m en t Vehicle
OP-eration
-To use the front parking system , press the switch P11.1A in the
center console ~ fig . 173 . A short confirmat ion tone
sou nds an d the indicator light in the sw itch lights up.
Switching between the rear view camera and
visual display
- Press the Graphic control button~ page 174, fig. 175 @
to see the visual dis pla y.
- P ress the
Rear view control button to see the rear view
camera image~ fig . 174.
Switching off
Drive faster than 6 mph ( 10 km/h), or
- press th e swi tch
P111 A or
- switch off the ignition .
Segments in the visual display
The red segments i n front of and behind the vehicle=> fig . 174 help
you to determine the distan ce between you and an obstacle . As your
vehicle comes closer to the obstacle, the segm ents move closer to the
veh icle . The co llision area has been reached when t he next to last
segmen t is displayed . Do not cont inue dr iv ing farthe r=>
& in
"Ge neral Information " on
page 171 !
& WARNING
• The MMI display cannot show , or cannot adequately show ,
c ertain objects (such a s small posts or grating ), reces ses in the
ground and protruding parts on another car.
• Onl y use the rear view camera to a ssist you if it show s a good ,
clear picture. For e xample, the image may be affected by the sun
shining into the lens , dirt on the len s or if there is a defect. .,_
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service Technical data
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App lies to ve hicles : with A dap tive Air Su spen sion
Chassis controls
Five different driving modes can be set by the driver.
The automatic control processes are speed- and time-dependent. For
example, it is not possible to raise the suspension to a high level
above certain speeds.
When a speed of about 75 mph (120 km/h) is exceeded for more than
30 seconds, the vehicle is automatically lowered to
low level when in
comfort and automatic mode. Ground clearance is about 0.6 inch (15
mm) less, compared to the
normal level.
When a speed of about 100 mph (160 km/h) is exceeded for more
than 20 seconds, the vehicle is automatically lowered to
highway
level
when in automatic and dynamic mode . Ground clearance is
about 1.4 inches (35 mm) less, compared to the
normal level. Road
holding is optimized as a resu lt of the lower center of gravity, and fuel
consumption is reduced as a result of reduced wind resistance .
Level adjustment
high level 2
normal level
highway level
Ground clearance
about 9.4 inches (240 mm)
about 8 inches (205 mm)
about 7 inches (180 mm)
about 6.5 inches (165 mm)
about 5. 7 inches (145 mm)
The segment display @ in the MMI Display =>
page 180 or in the
instrument cluste r display =>
page 181 shows the current vehicle
level.
Automatic
Select the automatic mode if you prefer a balanced, comfortable
suspension setting. The damp ing characteristics are adjusted accord
ing ly .
Controls and equip
ment Safety first •
Automatic lowering: When a speed of about 75 mph (120 km/h)
is exceeded for more than 30 seconds, the veh icle is automatically
lowered by about 0 .6 inch (15 mm) to the
low level, which is more
suitable for highway speeds. Road holding is optimized as a result of
the lower center of gravity and fuel consumpt ion is reduced as a
result of reduced wind resistance . When a speed of about 100 mph
(160 km/h) is exceeded fo r more than 20 seconds, the vehicle is auto
matically lowered by an additional 0.8 inch (20 mm) to
highway level.
• Automatic raising: When the vehicle is at highway level and the
speed falls below about 80 mph (130 km/h) for more than 20
seconds, the vehicle is automat ically raised to
low level. The vehicle is
automatically raised again to
normal level if the speed falls below
about 44 mph (70 km/h) for a period of 2 minutes. The vehicle is
raised immediately when speed falls below about 22 mph (35 km/h).
Dynamic
Select the dynamic mode if you prefer a sporty suspension setting . In
this mode, the vehi cle is lowe red to
low level wh ile it is still stationary
and sporty damp ing characteristics a re selected . The warning light
c.:> in the instrument cluster wi ll come on for a few seconds just to
remind you of the reduced ground clearance.
If you switch off the engine whi le the vehicle is in the dynamic mode
and then switch on the ignition once again, the
c.:> warning light will
also come on again for a few seconds as a reminder .
• Automatic lowering : When a speed of about 100 mph (160 km/h)
is exceeded fo r more than 20 seconds, the vehicle is automatically
lowered by 0.8 inch (20 mm) to
highway level.
• Automatic raising: The vehicle is automatically raised to low level
again, if the speed falls below about 80 mph (1 30 km/h) for a per iod
of 20 seconds. The vehicle is raised immediately when speed falls
below about 22 mph (35 km/h).
Comfort
Select the comfort mode if you desire a suspension setting with a
special emphasis on comfort. Damping characteristics with a clear
emphasis on comfort are selected in this mode.
~
Vehicle care Technical data
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Cargo mode is automatically canceled again when a different mode is
selected in the MMI Display, or when a speed of about 3 mph (5 km/h)
has been exceeded .
If the system is temporarily unavailable due to, for instance, an
empty compressed air tank, the
Lower for loading function appears
greyed out in the MMI Display. As soon as the system is available
again, the function can once more be selected in the display.
While the vehicle is being lowered, the indicator light®
~ page 183, fig. 182 on the switch in the luggage compartment
flashes . When the cargo level has been reached, the indicator light
comes on and remains on as long as the vehicle is in cargo mode.
When the veh icle is ra ised again, the indicator light flashes again .
0 Note
Make sure before ca nceling cargo mode that there is sufficient clear
ance above the vehicle and around the trunk lid, if open.
(I) Tips
• The vehicle will not be lowered if one of the vehicle doors is open,
or if the compressed air tank is empty. The ind icator light on the
switch flashes three times.
• When the compressed air tank is empty, it will refill when you
drive at speeds over 25 mph (40 km/h). The vehicle can be lowered to
cargo level when the compressed air tank is adequately filled.
• If the vehicle is in lift or offroad mode when you activate cargo
mode, the vehicle will first drop down to normal level.•
_____________________________________________________ H_ o_m_ e_ L_i_n _k_ ®_ • __ _
Homelink ®
Universal remote control
Applies to veh icles: w ith Hom eli nk ® universal remote control
General information
The Homelink ® feature can learn up to three radio
frequency codes for most current transmitters used for
operating garage doors, estate gates, home or outdoor
lighting systems, and other devices.
You must first program the Homelink ® transm itter before you can
use the system=>
page 186, "Programming the Home link® trans
mitter".
I n order to program the Homelink ® transmitter for devices utilizing
rolling code, a second person on a ladder who can safe ly reach the
garage door opener motor is recommended. It is also necessary to
locate the "learn" button on your garage door opener motor. Refer to
the operating instructions for the opener, as the location and color of
this button may vary by manufacturer.
You can still use the original remote control for the device at any
time.
& WARNING
• Never use the Homelink'"' transmitter with any garage door
opener that does have not the safety stop and reverse feature as
required by federal safety standards. This includes any garage
door opener model manufactured before Aprill, 1982.
• A garage door opener which cannot detect an object, signaling
the door to stop and reverse does not meet current federal safety
standards. Using a garage door opener without these features
increases risk of serious injury or death.
Controls and equip
ment Safety first
& WARNING
(continued)
• For safety reasons never release the parking brake or start the
engine while anyone is standing in front of the vehicle.
• A garage door or an estate gate may sometimes be set in
motion when the Homelink ® remote control is being
programmed. If the device is repeatedly activated, this can over
strain motor and damage its electrical components -an over
heated motor is a fire hazard!
• To avoid possible injuries or property damage, please always
make absolutely certain that no persons or objects are located in
the range of motion of any equipment being operated.
rn Tips
• If you would like more information on Homelink ®, where to
purchase the Homelink ® compatible products, or would like to
purchase the Homelink ® Home Lighting Package, please call toll
free: 1-800-355-3515.
• For Declaration of Compliance to United States FCC and Industry
Canada regulations=>
page 371 . •
Vehicle care Technical data