Automatic Engine Start/Stop
Function
The concept The Auto Start/Stop function helps save fuel.
The system switches off the engine during a
stop, e.g., in a traffic congestion or at traffic
lights. The ignition remains switched on. The
engine starts again automatically for driving
off.
Certain vehicle components may experience
additional wear as a result of this system.
Automatic mode
The Auto Start/Stop function is operational af‐
ter each engine start.
This function is activated at speeds faster than
about 3 mph, approx. 5 km/h.
Engine stop
The engine is switched off automatically dur‐
ing a stop under the following conditions:
Automatic transmission:▷The selector lever is in transmission posi‐
tion D.▷The brake pedal remains pressed while the
vehicle is stationary or the vehicle is held
by Automatic Hold.▷The driver's seat belt is buckled or the driv‐
er's door is closed.
The air volume of the air conditioner is reduced
when the engine is switched off.
Displays in the instrument cluster The display indicates that the
automatic engine start-stop
function is ready for an auto‐
matic engine start.
The display indicates that the
conditions for an automatic en‐
gine stop have not been satis‐
fied.
Note
The engine is not switched off automatically in
the following situations:▷External temperature too low.▷The external temperature is high and auto‐
matic climate control is running.▷The passenger compartment has not yet
been heated or cooled to the required
level.▷The engine is not yet at operating temper‐
ature.▷The wheels are at a sharp angle or the
steering wheel is being turned.▷After driving in reverse.▷Fogging of the windows when the auto‐
matic climate control is switched on.▷Vehicle battery is heavily discharged.▷The engine compartment lid is unlocked.▷HDC Hill Descent Control is activated.▷The parking assistant is activated.▷Stop-and-go traffic.▷The transmission selector lever is in posi‐
tion N or M/S.▷Use of fuel with high ethanol content.
Starting the engine
The engine starts automatically under the fol‐
lowing conditions:
▷Automatic transmission:
By releasing the brake pedal.
When Automatic Hold is activated: press
the accelerator.
After the engine starts, accelerate as usual.
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Safety mode
After the engine switches off automatically, it
will not start again automatically if any one of
the following conditions are met.▷The driver's safety belt is unbuckled and
the driver's door is open.▷The hood was unlocked.
Some indicator lamps light up for varying
lengths of time.
The engine can only be started via the Start/
Stop button.
Note Even if driving away was not intended, the de‐
activated engine starts up automatically in the
following situations:
▷Excessive warming of the passenger com‐
partment when the cooling function is
switched on.▷The steering wheel is turned.▷Automatic transmission: the transmission
position is changed from D to N, R, or M/S.▷Automatic transmission: the transmission
position is changed from P to N, D, R or
M/S.▷Fogging of the windows when the auto‐
matic climate control is switched on.▷Vehicle battery is heavily discharged.▷Excessive cooling of the passenger com‐
partment when the heating is switched on.Activating/deactivating the system
manually
Using the button
Press the button.
▷LED comes on: Auto Start Stop function is
deactivated.
The engine is started during an automatic
engine stop.
The engine can only be stopped or started
via the Start/Stop button.▷LED goes out: Auto Start Stop function is
activated.
Switching off the vehicle during an
automatic engine stop
During an automatic engine stop, the vehicle
can be switched off permanently, e.g., when
leaving it.
1.Press the Start/Stop button. The ignition is
switched off. The Auto Start/Stop function
is deactivated.
Transmission position P is engaged auto‐
matically.2.Set the parking brake.
Engine start as usual via Start/Stop button.
Automatic deactivation
In certain situations, the Auto Start/Stop func‐
tion is deactivated automatically for safety rea‐
sons, such as when the driver is detected to be
absent.
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Malfunction
The Auto Start/Stop function no longer
switches of the engine automatically. A Check
Control message is displayed. It is possible to
continue driving. Have the system checked.
Parking brake The conceptThe parking brake is used to prevent the vehi‐
cle from rolling when it is parked.
Setting
Pull the switch.
The LED lights up.
The indicator lamp lights up red. The
parking brake is set.
Lower lamp: indicator lamp in Canadian
models
Set the parking brake and further secure
the vehicle as required
Set the parking brake firmly when parking; oth‐
erwise, the vehicle could roll. On steep upward
and downward inclines, further secure the ve‐
hicle, for example, by turning the steering
wheel in the direction of the curb. ◀
While driving
Use while driving serves as an emergency
braking function:
Pull the switch and hold it. The vehicle brakes
hard while the switch is being pulled.
The indicator lamp lights up red, a sig‐
nal sounds and the brake lamps light
up.
Lower lamp: indicator lamp in Canadian
models.
If the vehicle is braked to a speed of approx.
2 mph/3 km/h, the parking brake remains set.
Releasing Press the switch while the brake is de‐
pressed or transmission position P is en‐
gaged.
The LED and indicator lamp go out.
The parking brake is released. Take the remote control with you
Take the remote control with you when
leaving the vehicle so that children, for exam‐
ple, cannot release the parking brake.◀
Automatic release For automatic release, operate the accelerator
pedal.
The LED and indicator lamp go out.
Subject to the following requirements, the
parking brake is automatically released by op‐
eration of the accelerator pedal:▷Engine on.▷Drive position engaged.▷Driver buckled in and doors closed.
Inadvertent operation of the accelerator
pedal
Make sure that the accelerator pedal is not op‐
erated unintentionally; otherwise, the vehicle is
set in motion and there is a risk of an acci‐
dent.◀
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Manual release
The parking brake can be released manually in
the event of a power failure or electrical fault.
Before releasing, secure the vehicle
against rolling
Before releasing the parking brake manually,
and whenever you park the vehicle with the
parking brake released, ensure that position P
of the automatic transmission is engaged.
Secure the vehicle in a manner appropriate to
the inclination of the road, e.g., with a wheel
chock; otherwise, there is the danger of the ve‐
hicle rolling.◀
Unlocking1.Raise the rear cargo floor cover in the
cargo area, arrow 1, and fasten it with a re‐
taining strap.2.Remove the release tool from the onboard
vehicle tool kit.3.Take out the floor trim in the cargo area,
removing the clips with a screwdriver, ar‐
rows.4.Hook the release tool into the release
point, arrow.5.Forcefully pull the release tool up against
the resistance until you notice a marked in‐
crease in the resistance and the parking
brake releases audibly.
Have the malfunction corrected
If the parking brake has been released
manually in response to a malfunction, only
technicians can return it to operation.
Have the malfunction corrected by your serv‐
ice center.◀
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After a power failureOnly put the parking brake into operation
after a power failure
The parking brake should only be put into op‐
eration again if it was manually released due to
an interruption in the supply of electrical
power. Otherwise, it cannot be ensured that
the parking brake will function properly.◀
Putting the parking brake into
operation1.Switch on the ignition.2. Press the switch while the brake is
depressed or transmission position P is
engaged.
It may take several seconds for the brake to be
put into operation. Any sounds associated with
this are normal.
The indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster goes out as soon as the parking
brake is ready for operation.
Lower lamp: indicator lamp in Canadian
models.
Automatic Hold
The concept
This system assists the driver by automatically
setting and releasing the brake, such as when
moving in stop-and-go traffic.
The vehicle is automatically held in place when
it is stationary.
On inclines, the system prevents the vehicle
from rolling backward when driving away.
For your safety
Under the following conditions, Automatic
Hold is automatically deactivated and the park‐
ing brake is set:
▷The engine is switched off.▷A door is opened and driver's safety belt is
unbuckled while the vehicle is stationary.▷The moving vehicle is brought to a stand‐
still using the parking brake.
The indicator lamp switches from
green to red and the letters AUTO H go out.
Lower lamp: indicator lamp in Canadian
models.
Before driving away:
▷Release the parking brake manually.▷Reactivate Automatic Hold.
Leaving the vehicle with the engine run‐
ning
Before leaving the vehicle with the engine run‐
ning, engage position P of the automatic trans‐
mission and ensure that the parking brake is
set. Otherwise, the vehicle may begin to roll.◀
Activating This function can be activated when the driv‐
er's door is closed and the safety belt is fas‐
tened, and while driving.
Press the button.
The LED and the letters AUTO H light
up.
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Automatic transmission with
Steptronic
Transmission positions
D Drive, automatic position Position for normal vehicle operation. All for‐
ward gears are available.
R is Reverse
Select only when the vehicle is stationary.
N is Neutral Use in automatic car washes, for example. The
vehicle can roll.
When the ignition is switched off, refer to
page 67, position P is engaged automatically.
P Park Select only when the vehicle is stationary. The
drive wheels are blocked.
P is engaged automatically:▷After the engine is switched off when the
vehicle is in radio ready state, refer to
page 68, or when the ignition is switched
off, refer to page 67, and when position R
or D is engaged.▷With the ignition is off, if position N is en‐
gaged.▷If the safety belt is unbuckled, the driver's
door is opened, and the brake pedal is not
pressed while the vehicle is stationary and
transmission position R or D is engaged.
Before exiting the vehicle, make sure that posi‐
tion P of the automatic transmission is en‐
gaged. Otherwise, the vehicle may begin to
roll.
Kickdown
Kickdown is used to achieve maximum driving
performance. Press on the gas pedal beyond
the resistance point at the full throttle position.
Engaging the transmission position▷Transmission position P can only be disen‐
gaged if the engine is running and the
brake pedal is pressed.▷With the vehicle stationary, press on the
brake pedal before shifting out of P or N;
otherwise, the shift command will not be
executed: shift lock.
Depress the brake until you start
driving
To prevent the vehicle from creeping after
you select a driving position, maintain
pressure on the brake pedal until you are
ready to start.◀
Engaging D, R and N
Briefly push the selector lever in the desired di‐
rection, beyond a resistance point if necessary.
After releasing the selector lever, it returns to
its center position.
Press unlock button, in order to:
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Engaging P
Press button P.Sport program and manual mode
Activating the sport program
Push the selector lever to the left out of trans‐
mission position D.
The engaged gear is displayed in the instru‐
ment cluster, e.g., S1.
The sport program of the transmission is acti‐
vated.
Activating the M/S manual mode
1.Push the selector lever to the left out of
transmission position D.2.Push the selector lever forward or pull it
backward.
Manual mode becomes active and the gear is
changed.
The engaged gear is displayed in the instru‐
ment cluster, e.g., M1.
Once maximum engine speed is attained, M/S
manual mode is automatically upshifted as
needed.
Switching to manual mode▷To shift down: press the selector lever for‐
ward.▷To shift up: pull the selector lever rear‐
wards.
Gears will only be shifted at appropriate engine
and road speeds, e.g., downshifting is not pos‐
sible if the engine speed is too high.
The selected gear is briefly displayed in the in‐
strument cluster, followed by the current gear.
Ending the sport program/manual
mode
Push the selector lever to the right.
D is displayed in the instrument cluster.
Shift paddles
The shift paddles on the steering wheel allow
you to shift gears quickly while keeping both
hands on the steering wheel.
If the shift paddles on the steering wheel are
used to shift gears in automatic mode, the
transmission temporarily switches to manual
mode.
If the shift paddles are not used and the vehicle
is not accelerated for a certain time, the sys‐
tem switches back into automatic mode if the
selector lever is in transmission position D.
▷Shift up: pull right shift paddle.▷Shift down: pull left shift paddle.Seite 79DrivingControls79
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Gears will only be shifted at appropriate engine
and road speeds, e.g., downshifting is not pos‐
sible if the engine speed is too high.
The selected gear is briefly displayed in the in‐
strument cluster, followed by the current gear.
Displays in the instrument cluster The transmission position is dis‐
played, e.g.: P.Seite 80ControlsDriving80
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