2011 SKODA FABIA towing

Table of Contents
Layout of this Owner's Manual
(explanations)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Using the system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Cockpit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Instruments and warning lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
General information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Overview of the instrument cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Engine revolutions counter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Coolant temperature gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Fuel gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Counter for distance driven . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Service reminder indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Digital clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Shift recommendation for changing gears . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Multi-functional indicator (onboard computer) . . . . . . . 14
MAXI DOT display (information display) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Auto Check Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Warning lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Unlocking and locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Vehicle key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Locking/Unlocking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Child safety lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Central locking system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Remote control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Anti-theft alarm system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Interior monitor and towing protection monitoring . . 36
Electrical power windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Electric sliding/tilting roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Lights and Visibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Interior lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Visibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Windshield wiper and wash system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Rear-view mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Seats and Stowage
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Front seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Head restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Heating the front seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Rear seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Pedals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
luggage compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Variable loading floor in the luggage compartment
(Combi) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Luggage net partition (Combi)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Bicycle holder in the luggage compartment . . . . . . . . . 63
Roof rack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Front cup holder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Rear cup holder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Parking ticket holder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Ashtray . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Cigarette lighters and power sockets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Storage compartments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Heating and air conditioning system . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Air outlet vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Air conditioning system (manual air conditioning
system) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Climatronic (automatic air conditioning)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Starting-off and Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Setting steering wheel position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Ignition lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Starting the engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Switching off the engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Shifting (manual gearbox) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Pedals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Handbrake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Parking aid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Cruise control system (CCS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
“START-STOP” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 Automatic gearbox
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Automatic gearbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Communication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Multifunction steering wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Universal telephone preinstallation GSM II . . . . . . . . . . 98
Voice control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Music playback via Bluetooth ®
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Inputs AUX-IN and MDI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Passive Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Basic information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Correct seated position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Seat belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Why seat belts? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
The physical principle of a frontal collision . . . . . . . . . . 109
Important safety information regarding the use of
seat belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
How are seat belts correctly fastened?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Belt tensioner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Description of the airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Front airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Side airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Head airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Deactivating airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Transporting children safely . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
What you should know about transporting children! . 121
Child seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Attaching a child seat using the “ISOFIX” system . . . . 126
Attaching child seat using the “Top Tether” system . . 127 3
Table of Contents Using the system Safety Driving Tips General Maintenance Breakdown assistance Technical data

Driving Tips
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Intelligent Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Electronic stability programme (ESP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Brake booster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Antilock brake system (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Uphill Start Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Electrohydraulic power steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Tyre pressure monitoring system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Diesel particle filter (diesel engine) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Driving and the Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
The first 1 500 kilometres and afterwards . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Catalytic converter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Driving in an economical and environmentally
conscious manner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Environmental compatibility
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Motoring abroad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Avoiding damage to your vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Driving through bodies of water on roads . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Towing a trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Towing a trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
General Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Taking care of your vehicle and cleaning the
vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Care of the exterior of vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Care of the interior of vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Petrol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Diesel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Refuelling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Inspecting and Replenishing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Engine compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Engine oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Cooling system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Brake fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159 Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Windshield washer system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Wheels and Tyres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Accessories, changes and replacement of parts . 169
General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Breakdown assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Breakdown assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
First-aid box and warning triangle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Fire extinguisher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Vehicle tool kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Spare wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Changing a wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Tyre repair kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Jump-starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
The vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Fuses and light bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Electric fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Technical data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Technical data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
General information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Used abbreviations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Performances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Weight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Identification details . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Fuel consumption according to the ECE standards and
EU guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Dimensions

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Engine oil specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Engine 1.2 l/44 kW - EU5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Engine 1.2 l/51 kW - EU5/EU2 DDK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Engine 1.2 l/63 kW TSI - EU5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Engine 1.2 l/77 kW TSI - EU5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Engine 1.4 l/63 kW - EU5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Engine 1.6 l/77 kW - EU4, EU2 DDK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Engine 1.4 l/132 kW TSI - EU5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203 Engine 1.2 l/55 kW TDI CR DPF - EU5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Engine 1.6 l/55 kW TDI CR - EU5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Engine 1.6 l/66 kW TDI CR - EU5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Engine 1.6 l/77 kW TDI CR - EU5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2084
Table of Contents

If the vehicle is locked by pressing the button
3 and some doors or the boot lid
are not closed, the turn signal lights flash only after closing. WARNING
If the vehicle is locked from the outside and the safe securing system is acti-
vated, there must not be any person in the vehicle as it is then not possible to
open either a door or a window from the inside. The locked doors make it
more difficult for rescuers to get into the vehicle in an emergency - hazard! Note
● Operate the radio remote control only when the doors and boot lid are closed
and you have visual contact with the vehicle.
● Once in the car, you must not press the lock button  of the radio remote con-
trol before inserting the key into the ignition lock in order to avoid the car being
inadvertently locked and the alarm system being switched on. Should this happen,
press the unlock button  of the radio remote control. 
Synchonisation of the remote control If the vehicle cannot be unlocked by actuating the remote control system then it
is possible that the code in the key and the control unit in the vehicle are no lon-
ger synchronised. This can occur when the buttons on the radio-operated key are
actuated a number of times outside of the operative range of the equipment or
the battery on the remote control was replaced.
This means it is necessary to synchronise the code as follows:
●
Press any button on the remote control.
● pressing of the button means that the door will unlock with the key within 1
minute. 
Anti-theft alarm system
Description The anti-theft alarm system increases the level of protection against people seek-
ing to break into the vehicle. The system triggers audible and visual warning sig-
nals if an attempt is made to break into the vehicle. How is the alarm system activated?
The anti-theft alarm system is activated automatically when the vehicle is locked
with the key on the driver's door or by using the radio remote control. It is activa-
ted 30 seconds after locking the door.
How is the alarm system deactivated?
The anti-theft alarm system is deactivated if the vehicle is unlocked by only using
the radio remote control. The anti-theft alarm system is reactivated if the vehicle
is not opened within 30 seconds after transmitting the radio signal.
Once you unlock the vehicle by inserting the key into the driver door you then
have to insert the key into the ignition lock and switch the ignition on within 15
seconds after opening the door in order to deactivate the anti-theft alarm system.
The alarm will be triggered
if you do not switch on the ignition within 15 seconds.
When is the alarm triggered?
The following security areas of the locked vehicle are monitored:
● Bonnet,
● Boot lid,
● Doors,
● Ignition lock,
● Vehicle inclination ⇒ page 36,
● Vehicle interior ⇒ page 36,
● A drop in voltage of the on-board power supply,
● Socket of the factory-fitted towing device.
An alarm is immediately triggered if either of the two battery terminals is discon-
nected while the anti-theft alarm system is activated.
How is the alarm switched off?
You switch the alarm off if you unlock the vehicle with the radio remote control or
if you switch the ignition on. Note
● The working life of the alarm siren is 5 years. More detailed information is
available by a specialist garage.
● Before leaving the car, check that all the doors, windows and the electric slid-
ing/tilting roof are properly closed in order to ensure that the anti-theft alarm sys-
tem is fully operational.
● Coding of the radio remote control and the receiver unit precludes the use of
the radio remote control from other vehicles.  35
Unlocking and locking Using the system Safety Driving Tips General Maintenance Breakdown assistance Technical data

Interior monitor and towing protection monitoring
The interior monitor and the towing protection monitoring detect
movements inside the vehicle interior and then trigger the alarm.
Fig. 18 Button for interior monitor and
towing protection monitoring
The interior monitor and the towing protection monitoring are operated with the
button . You can switch the interior monitor and the towing protection moni-
toring off if there is a possibility that movements from (e.g. children or animals) in-
side the vehicle interior or if the vehicle must be transported (e.g. by train or ship)
or towed, might trigger the alarm.
Switch off the interior monitor and towing protection monitoring
– Switch off the ignition.
– Open the driver door.
– Press the button 
on the driver door ⇒ fig. 18.
– Lock the vehicle within 30 seconds. The interior monitor and the towing pro-
tection monitoring are switched off.
The interior monitor and the towing protection monitoring are switched on again
automatically the next time the car is locked. Note
● You can switch the interior monitor and the towing protection monitoring off if
there is a possibility that movements from (e.g. children or animals) inside the ve-
hicle interior or if the vehicle must be transported (e.g. by train or ship) or towed,
might trigger the alarm.
● You can also switch off the interior monitor and the towing protection moni-
toring, by deactivating the safe securing system ⇒ 
page 30.●
When the ignition key is removed or a door is opened, the symbol in the but-
ton lights up red.
● Lighting up of the symbol in the button does not confirm that the interior
monitor and the towing protection monitoring are switched on. 
Electrical power windows Buttons for electrical power windows Fig. 19 Buttons on the driver's door/Buttons on the rear doors
The power windows operate only when ignition is switched on.
Opening a window
– A window is opened by pressing lightly on the respective button in the door.
The process stops when one releases the button.
– Additionally you can open the window automatically (fully opened) by pressing
the button up to the stop. Renewed pressing of the button causes the window
to stop immediately.
Closing a window
– A window is closed through pulling lightly on the respective button in the
door. The closing process stops when one releases the button.
– Additionally you can close the window automatically (fully closed) by pulling
the button up to the stop. Renewed pulling of the button causes the window
to stop immediately.
The buttons for the individual windows are located in the operating part of the
armrest of the driver's door ⇒ 
fig. 19

, front passenger door and on the rear doors. £36
Unlocking and locking

The warning light
 lights up in the instrument cluster when the rear fog light is
switched on ⇒
 page 20.
Only the rear fog light of the trailer lights up if the vehicle is fitted with a towing
device from ŠKODA Original Accessories and when you are towing a trailer which
is fitted with the rear fog light. CAUTION
The rear fog light should only be switched on if visibility is particularly poor (con-
form with any varying legal provisions) to avoid dazzling vehicles behind your ve-
hicle. 
Headlamp range adjustment Once the low beam is switched on you can then adapt the range of
the headlights to the load of the vehicle.
Fig. 24 Dash panel: Lights and Visibility
– Turn the control dial ⇒ 
fig. 24
until you have adjusted the low beam so that on-
coming traffic is not dazzled.
Settings
The positions correspond approximately to the following vehicle loads: Front seats occupied, luggage compartment empty.
All seats occupied, luggage compartment empty.
All seats occupied, luggage compartment laden.
Driver seat occupied, luggage compartment laden.
- 1
2
3 CAUTION
Headlamp range adjustment should always be adjusted in a way that:
● it does not dazzle other road users, especially oncoming traffic,
● and the range is sufficient for safe driving. 
Switch for hazard warning lights  Fig. 25 Dash panel: Switch for hazard
warning lights
– Press switch  ⇒ fig. 25 to switch the hazard warning light system on or off.
All the turn signal lights on the vehicle flash at the same time when the hazard
warning light system is switched on. The indicator light for the turn signals and
the indicator light in the switch also flash at the same time. You can also switch
on the hazard warning light system if the ignition is switched off.
The hazard warning light system is switched on automatically if an airbag is de-
ployed in the event of an accident.
Please comply with any legal requirements when using the hazard warning light
system. Note
Switch on the hazard warning light system if, for example:
● you encounter traffic congestion;
● your vehicle breaks down or an emergency situation occurs. 44
Lights and Visibility

The handbrake warning light
 lights up when the handbrake is applied, provided
the ignition is on.
A warning signal sounds and the following text appears in the Information display
if you have inadvertently driven off with the handbrake applied:
Release parking brake! (Release parking brake!)
The handbrake warning is activated 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 ex-
ample, 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 first of all apply the handbrake firmly be-
fore then additionally engaging a gear (manual gearbox) or moving the selector
lever into position P (automatic gearbox). 
Parking aid The parking aid provides a warning of obstacles behind the vehicle.
Fig. 85 Parking aid: Range of sensorsThe audible parking aid determines the distance from the rear bumper to an ob-
stacle behind the car with the aid of ultrasound sensors. The sensors are integra-
ted in the rear bumper.
Range of sensors
The clearance warning begins at a distance of about 160 cm from the obstacle
(area
A ⇒
 fig. 85 ). The interval between the warning signals becomes shorter as
the clearance is reduced.
A continuous tone sounds from a distance of approx. 30 cm (area B ) - danger
area. You should not reverse any further after this signal sounds! If the vehicle is
equipped with a factory-fitted towing device, the indication threshold of the dan-
ger area starts - continuous tone
- 5 cm further behind the vehicle. The vehicle
can be extended through an installed detachable towing device.
On factory-fitted radio navigation systems and car stereos, the distance to the ob-
struction can also be shown graphically in the display. On vehicles with a factory-
fitted towing device, the rear 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 radio navigation display. The factory-fitted radio or navigation system
can be set so that the play function volume decreases when activating the park-
ing aid, see Owner's Manual radio or radio navigation system. As a result, the sig-
nal tones from the parking aid can be better recognised.
Activating
The parking aid is activated automatically when reverse gear is engaged and the
ignition is turned on. This is confirmed by a brief audible signal.
Deactivating
The parking aid is deactivated by disengaging the reverse gear or by switching the
ignition off. £86
Starting-off and Driving

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 parking the vehi-
cle or carrying out similar manoeuvres.
● You should therefore satisfy yourself, before reversing, that there is no
small obstacle, such as a rock, thin post, trailer drawbar etc., behind your vehi-
cle. Such an obstacle might not be within the range detected by the sensors.
● Under certain circumstances, surfaces of certain objects and types of
clothing cannot reflect the signal of the parking aid. Thus, these objects or
people who wear such clothing are not recognised by the sensors of the park-
ing aid. Note
● The parking aid does not operate if you are towing a trailer (applies to models
which feature a factory-fitted towing device).
● A system fault is indicated if a warning signal sounds for about 5 seconds after
switching the ignition on and engaging reverse gear and there is no obstacle close
to your vehicle. It is possible that the audible warning does not function correctly
(an obstacle behind the vehicle may not be detected - take extra care). Have the
fault rectified by a specialist workshop.
● If the audible warning sounds for 3 seconds after switching the ignition on and
engaging the reverse gear, a fault has occured in the system. It is possible that
the audible warning does not function correctly (an obstacle behind the vehicle
may not be detected - take extra care). 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 selector lever of the automatic gearbox
is in the position P , warning signal indicates interruption (vehicle can no longer
move). Cruise control system (CCS)
Introduction The cruise control system (CCS) maintains a constant speed, more than 30 km/h
(20 mph), once it has been set, without you having to depress the accelerator
pedal. This is only possible within the range which is permitted by the power out-
put and braking power of the engine. The cruise control system makes it possible
- particularly on long journeys - for you to rest your
“accelerator foot”
. WARNING
● For safety reasons, the cruise control system must not be used in dense
traffic or on unfavourable road surfaces (such as icy roads, slippery roads,
loose gravel) - risk of accident!
● In order to prevent unintentional use of the cruise control system, always
switch off the system after use. Note
● Models fitted with a manual gearbox: Always depress the clutch pedal if you
switch on the cruise control system when the gearbox is in Neutral! Otherwise the
engine can rev up unintentionally.
● The cruise control system is not able to maintain a constant speed when driv-
ing on steep downhill sections. The weight of the vehicle increases the speed at
which it travels. One should shift down in good time to a lower gear or slow the
vehicle down by applying the foot brake.
● It is not possible on vehicles fitted with an automatic gearbox to switch on the
cruise control system if the selector lever is in the position P, N or R.  87
Starting-off and Driving Using the system Safety Driving Tips General Maintenance Breakdown assistance Technical data

WARNING
First ensure that it is not too high for the traffic conditions which exist at that
moment before resuming the stored speed. 
Switching off the cruise control system completely –
Press the switch A ⇒
 fig. 86 to the right into position OFF .
“START-STOP” Fig. 87 Centre console: START-STOP
System button
The “START-STOP” system helps you to save fuel while at the same time reducing
harmful exhaust emissions and CO 2 emissions.
The function is automatically activated each time the ignition is switched on.
In the start-stop mode, the engine automatically switches to the vehicle's idle
phase, e.g. when stopped at traffic lights.
Information regarding the current state of the “START-STOP

” system is indicated
in the display of the instrument cluster.
Automatic engine shut down (stop phase)
– Stop the vehicle (where necessary, apply the handbrake).
– Take the vehicle out of gear.
– Take your foot off the clutch.
Automatic engine restart (start phase).
– Push down on the clutch. Switching the “START-STOP” system on and off
You can switch the “START STOP

” system on/off by pressing the button ⇒ fig. 87.
When start-stop mode is deactivated, the warning light in the button lights up.
If the vehicle is in the stop phase when manually switching off the system, the en-
gine starts immediately.
The START-STOP system involves complicated switching conditions, some of
them cannot be correctly determined without servicing. The general conditions
for the proper functioning of the START-STOP system are listed in the following
overview.
Conditions for the automatic engine shut down (stop phase) The gearshift lever is in Neutral.
The clutch pedal is not pressed!
The driver has fastened the seat belt.
The driver's door is closed.
The bonnet is closed.
The vehicle is at a standstill.
The factory-fitted towing device is not electrically connected to a trailer.
The engine is at operating temperature.
The charge state of the vehicle battery is sufficient.
The stationary vehicle is not on a steep slope or a steep downhill section.
The engine speed is less than 1200 1/min.
The temperature of the vehicle battery is not too low or too high.
The pressure in the brake system is sufficient.
The difference between the outdoor- and the set temperature in the interior is
not too great.
The vehicle speed since the last time the engine was switched off was greater
than 3 km/h.
No cleaning of the diesel particle filter takes place
⇒ page 27 The front wheels are not turned excessively (the steering angle is less than 3/4
of a steering wheel revolution).
Conditions for an automatic restart (start phase)
The clutch is pressed.
The max./min. temperature is set.
£ 89
Starting-off and Driving Using the system Safety Driving Tips General Maintenance Breakdown assistance Technical data