
At a glance
 13Reference
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Indicator and warning lamps
The concept
Indicator and warning lamps can light up in a 
variety of combinations and colors.
Several of the lamps are checked for proper 
functioning and light up temporarily when the 
engine is started or the ignition is switched on.
Text messages
Text messages at the top edge of the Control 
Display describe the meanings of the indicator 
and warning lamps.
Supplementary text messages
You can call up more information on the Control 
Display, e.g. on the cause of a malfunction and 
on how to respond, via Check Control, refer to 
page84.
In urgent cases, this information will be shown 
as soon as the corresponding lamp comes on.
Indicator lamps without text messages
The following indicator lamps notify you that 
certain functions are active:
High beams/headlamp flasher103
Fog lamps
*104
Lamp flashes:
DSC or DTC is regulating the propul-
sive forces in order to maintain driving 
stability90
parking brake applied57
Canada: parking brake applied57
engine malfunction with adverse effect 
on emissions228
Canada: engine malfunction with 
adverse effect on emissions228 

Driving
56
Radio readiness and ignition off
All indicator and warning lamps as well as dis-
plays in the instrument cluster go out.
Starting the engine
Do not run the engine in enclosed areas; 
otherwise, the inhalation of toxic exhaust 
gases can cause loss of consciousness and 
death. The exhaust gases contain carbon mon-
oxide, an odorless and colorless, but highly 
toxic gas. Never leave an unattended vehicle 
with the engine running; otherwise, such a vehi-
cle represents a potential safety hazard. 
Before leaving the vehicle with the engine run-
ning, always shift into neutral or selector lever / 
transmission position P and apply the parking 
brake forcefully to prevent the vehicle from roll-
ing.<
Avoid frequent starting in quick succes-
sion as well as repeated start attempts in 
which the engine does not start. Otherwise, the 
fuel is not burned or incompletely burned and 
there is a danger of overheating and damaging 
the catalytic converter.<
Do not wait for the engine to warm up while the 
vehicle remains stationary. Start driving right 
away, but at moderate engine speeds.
Manual transmission
Remote control in the ignition lock or, with 
Comfort Access, inside the vehicle, refer to 
page33.
1.Depress the brake.
2.Depress the clutch and shift to neutral posi-
tion.
3.Press the start/stop button.The starter operates automatically for a certain 
time, and stops automatically as soon as the 
engine has started.
Automatic transmission
Remote control in the ignition lock or, with 
Comfort Access, inside the vehicle, refer to 
page33.
1.Depress the brake.
2.Move the selector lever to position P.
3.Press the start/stop button.
The starter operates automatically for a certain 
time, and stops automatically as soon as the 
engine has started.
Sports automatic transmission with 
double clutch
Remote control in the ignition lock or, with 
Comfort Access, inside the vehicle, refer to 
page33.
1.Depress the brake.
2.Press the start/stop button.
The engine starts independent of the current 
transmission position.
Switching off the engine
Always take the remote control with you 
when you leave the vehicle. 
When parking, apply the parking brake force-
fully; otherwise, the vehicle could begin to roll.<
Manual transmission
1.With the car at a standstill, press the start/
stop button.
2.Shift into first gear or reverse.
3.Forcefully apply the parking brake.
4.Removing the remote control from the 
ignition lock, refer to page55. 

Controls
 57Reference
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Automatic transmission
1.With the car at a standstill, move the 
selector lever to position P.
2.Press the start/stop button.
3.Forcefully apply the parking brake.
4.Removing the remote control from the 
ignition lock, refer to page55.
Sports automatic transmission with 
double clutch
1.With the car at a standstill, press the start/
stop button.
If the transmission is shifted into N when the 
engine is switched off, you will be notified 
visually and acoustically of this fact.
2.Forcefully apply the parking brake.
3.Remove remote control from the ignition 
lock, refer to page55. The transmission is 
automatically shifted into transmission 
position P.
Parking brake
The parking brake is primarily intended to pre-
vent the vehicle from rolling while parked; it 
brakes the rear wheels.
Indicator lamp
The indicator lamp is lit, and when you 
drive off an acoustic signal sounds in 
addition. The parking brake is still 
applied.
Indicator lamp for Canadian models.
Applying
The lever locks in position automatically.
Releasing
Pull slightly upwards, press the button and 
lower the lever.
In exceptional cases, if the parking brake 
has to be used to slow or stop the car, do 
not pull the lever up too hard. In doing so, con-
tinuously press the button of the parking brake 
lever. 
Otherwise, excessive force on the parking 
brake can lock up the rear wheels and cause the 
rear of the car to swerve.<
To prevent corrosion and one-sided brak-
ing action, occasionally apply the parking 
brake lightly when the vehicle is slowly coming 
to a stop if the traffic conditions are suitable.
The brake lamps do not light up when the park-
ing brake is applied.<
Manual transmission
When shifting into 5th or 6th gear, press 
the gearshift lever to the right. Otherwise, 
the engine could be damaged if you inadvert-
ently shift into 3rd or 4th gear.< 

Driving
58
Reverse gear
Select this only when the vehicle is stationary. 
When the gearshift lever is pressed to the left, 
a slight resistance has to be overcome.
Automatic transmission with 
Steptronic*
In addition to fully automatic operation, you can 
also manually shift with the Steptronic, refer to 
page59.
Vehicle parking
To prevent the vehicle from rolling, 
always select position P and apply the 
parking brake before leaving the vehicle with 
the engine running.<
Disengaging the remote control
In order to remove the remote control from the 
ignition lock, you must first move the selector 
lever to position P and switch off the engine: 
interlock. Removing the remote control from 
the ignition lock, refer to page55.
Selector lever positions
P R N D M/S + –
Displays in the instrument cluster
The selector lever position is displayed and, in 
manual mode, the engaged gear, e.g. M4.
Changing selector lever positions
>With the ignition switched on or the engine 
running, the selector lever can be moved 
out of position P.>Before moving the lever away from P or N 
with the vehicle stationary, first depress the 
brake; otherwise, the selector lever will 
refuse to move: shiftlock.
To prevent the vehicle from creeping 
after you select a driving position, 
depress the brake until you are ready to 
start.<
A lock prevents you from inadvertently engag-
ing selector lever positions R and P. To cancel 
the lock, press the button on the front of the 
selector lever, see arrow.
P Park
Select this only when the vehicle is stationary. 
The rear wheels are locked.
R Reverse
Select this only when the vehicle is stationary.
N Neutral
You can select this in a car wash, for example. 
The vehicle can roll.
D Drive, automatic position
Position for normal vehicle operation. All for-
ward gears are selected automatically.
Under normal operating conditions, fuel con-
sumption is lowest when you are driving in posi-
tion D.
Kickdown
Kickdown enables you to achieve maximum 
performance. 
Press the accelerator pedal beyond the full-
throttle resistance point. 

Controls
 63Reference
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Deactivating the system
>Press the SPORT button again
>Switching off the engine
The LED in the button lights up and SPORT 
appears in the info display.
Manually unlocking parking lock
In the event of a power supply interrup-
tion such as a discharged or discon-
nected battery or an electrical malfunction, the 
parking lock must be manually unlocked; other-
wise, the rear wheels are immobilized and the 
vehicle cannot be towed.<
Only unlock the parking lock manually for tow-
ing and make sure to set the parking brake 
forcefully beforehand so that the vehicle cannot 
roll. Lock the parking lock again after the vehicle 
is parked.
Releasing
1.Unclip the sleeve of the selector lever.
2.Pull the sleeve up over the selector lever 
until the sleeve is inside out.
3.Using the allen wrench from the toolkit, 
refer to page233, rotate the cover until it 
reaches the stop, arrow 1, and remove, 
arrow2.4.Insert allen wrench into the opening, 
arrow1.
5.Rotate allen wrench until it reaches the 
stop, arrow2. The parking lock is unlocked.
Do not turn allen wrench in the oppo-
site direction; otherwise, you may 
damage the mechanism.<
6.Remove allen wrench from the opening.
After parking the vehicle, lock the parking 
lock again. Otherwise, there is a danger 
that the vehicle will roll.<
Locking
1.Press the button, see arrow. 
The parking lock is locked again.
2.Replace cover again.
3.Clip the selector lever sleeve back into 
place.
4.Forcefully apply the parking brake.
Jump-starting and towing, starting on 
page241. 

Controls
 69Reference
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Mobility
Since this active cruise control system is a new 
technology and operates differently from con-
ventional cruise control systems which you may 
be accustomed to, you are strongly urged to 
read all of the pages relating to this system 
before use. Pay special attention to the System 
limitations section beginning on page73.
Braking sensation
>If you step on the brake pedal while the sys-
tem is braking, pedal sensation will be 
slightly different from the usual.
>Possible noises during automatic braking 
are normal.
Manual transmission
You can shift gears while cruise control is acti-
vated. The system is deactivated when you 
drive at very low engine speeds for an extended 
period.
Range of applications
The minimum desired speed is 20 mph or 
30 km/h, the maximum desired speed is 
110 mph or 180 km/h.
As with conventional cruise control sys-
tems, active cruise control in no way 
diminishes or substitutes for the driver’s own 
personal responsibility, alertness and aware-
ness in adjusting speed, braking or otherwise 
controlling the vehicle. The driver should 
decide when to use the system on the basis of 
road, traffic, visibility, and weather conditions. 
Active cruise control is intended for use on 
highway-type roadways where traffic is moving 
relatively smoothly. Do not use this system in 
city driving; heavy traffic such as during rush 
hour; on curvy, winding roads, slippery roads or 
roads with sharp curves such as highway off-
ramps; during inclement weather such as snow, 
strong rain or fog; or when entering inter-
changes, service/parking areas or toll booths. 
It is also important to regulate your vehicle's 
speed and distance setting within applicable 
legal limits. Always be ready to take action or 
apply the brakes if necessary, especially when 
the system is actively following a vehicle in front of you. Otherwise, driving situations could 
result that pose the risk of accidents.<
One lever for all functions
1Store and increase desired speed
2Store and decrease desired speed
3Deactivate system, refer to page70
4Resume stored desired speed and dis-
tance, refer to page71
5Select distance to vehicle driving ahead, 
refer to page70
Storing current speed
Briefly push lever, arrow1, or pull lever, arrow 2, 
at a driving speed of more than approx. 20 mph 
or 30 km/h.
The car's current speed is stored. It is displayed 
on the speedometer and briefly in the instru-
ment cluster. 

Controls
 71Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
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Navigation
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Mobility
>When you select the automatic transmis-
sion's neutral position N
>When you select the neutral position N with 
the Sports automatic transmission with 
double clutch
>When you activate the Dynamic Traction 
Control DTC
>When you deactivate the Dynamic Stability 
Control DSC
>When DSC or ABS is intervening
>When the system does not recognize any 
objects for a longer period of time, e.g. on 
infrequently traveled roads without a shoul-
der or guard rails, or if the radar sensor is 
covered with dirt, refer to page72
>When you apply the parking brake
When the system is deactivated, you 
must brake the vehicle yourself and/or 
maneuver as necessary; otherwise, there is a 
risk of accidents.<
Warning lamp
The warning lamp comes on when 
active cruise control has been auto-
matically deactivated, for example 
due to a driving speed below 20 mph or 30 km/
h or a DSC intervention. A message appears on 
the Control Display.
Resuming stored desired speed and 
distance
Briefly press the button, arrow 4. 
The stored speed and distance are regained 
and maintained.
In the following instances, the stored speed is 
deleted and can no longer be resumed:
>When driving stability control systems are 
intervening
>In cars with manual transmission: when you 
shift gears very slowly or shift to neutral
>In cars with automatic transmission: when 
you engage selector lever position N>In cars with Sports automatic transmission 
with double clutch: when you engage selec-
tor lever position N
>When the ignition is switched off
Displays in the instrument cluster
1Stored desired speed
2Shows yellow: vehicle detected ahead
Flashes in red: system cannot maintain dis-
tance; driver must brake the vehicle
Flashes in yellow: driving stability control 
systems are intervening; cruise control is 
deactivated
3Selected distance to vehicle ahead
The indicator lights up as soon as the sys-
tem is activated.
4Selected desired speed is temporarily dis-
played
If --- mph or --- km/h temporarily appears 
in the instrument cluster display, it is pos-
sible that the system prerequisites for operation 
are currently not met. Calling up Check Control 
messages, refer to page85.< 

Technology for driving comfort and safety
92
Drive-off assistant
The drive-off assistant enables you to drive off 
smoothly on uphill gradients. It is not necessary 
to use the parking brake for this.
1.Hold the car in place by depressing the 
brake.
2.Release the brake and drive off without 
delay.
The drive-off assistant holds the car in 
place for approx. 2 seconds after the 
brake is released. Drive off without delay after 
releasing the brake. Otherwise, the drive-off 
assistant will no longer hold the car in place 
after approx. 2 seconds and the car will start to 
roll backwards.<
Flat Tire Monitor FTM*
The concept
The system does not measure the actual infla-
tion pressure in the tires.
The system detects a tire pressure loss due to 
speed comparisons among the individual 
wheels as you drive.
In the event of pressure loss, the rolling circum-
ference changes and, thus, the rotating speed 
of the affected wheel. The system detects this 
and reports it as a flat tire.
Functional requirement
The system has to have been initialized at the 
correct inflation pressure; otherwise, a reliable 
reporting of a flat tire is not assured.
Each time a tire inflation pressure has been cor-
rected or a wheel or tire has been changed, 
reinitialize the system.
System limitations
It is impossible to provide advance warn-
ing of sudden, severe tire damage caused 
by outside influences.<
The system will not detect a natural, uniform 
pressure loss in all four tires. Therefore you 
should check the inflation pressure regularly.
In the following situations, the system could be 
delayed or malfunction:
>System has not been initialized
>Driving on snowy or slippery road surface
>Performance-oriented style of driving: slip 
in the drive wheels, high lateral acceleration
>Driving with snow chains
*
Status display
The current status of the Flat Tire Monitor can 
be displayed on the Control Display, e.g. 
whether or not the FTM is active.
1."Vehicle Info"
2."Vehicle status"
3."Flat Tire Monitor"
The status is displayed.