Page 137 of 247

Driving and operating135
An Autostop is indicated by the
needle at the AUTOSTOP position in
the tachometer.
During an Autostop, the heating and
brake performance will be
maintained.
Caution
The steering assist can be
reduced during an Autostop.
Conditions for an Autostop
The stop-start system checks if each
of the following conditions is fulfilled:
■ The stop-start system is not manually deactivated
■ the bonnet is fully closed
■ the driver's door is closed or the driver's seat belt is fastened
■ the vehicle battery is sufficiently charged and in good condition
■ the engine is warmed up
■ the engine coolant temperature is not too high
■ the engine exhaust temperature is not too high, e.g. after driving with
high engine load
■ the ambient temperature is above -5° C
■ the climate control system allows an Autostop
■ the brake vacuum is sufficient
■ the self-cleaning function of the diesel particle filter is not active
■ the vehicle was driven at least at walking speed since the last
AutostopOtherwise an Autostop will be
inhibited.
Certain settings of the climate control
system may inhibit an Autostop. See
Climate control chapter for more
details 3 124.
Immediately after motorway driving
an Autostop may be inhibited.
New vehicle running-in 3 132.
Battery discharge protection
To ensure reliable engine restarts,
several battery discharge protection
features are implemented as part of
the stop-start system.
Power saving measures
During an Autostop, several electrical
features, e.g. auxiliary electric heater
or rear window heating are disabled
or switched into a power saving
mode. The fan speed of the climate
control system is reduced to save
power.
Page 138 of 247

136Driving and operating
Restart of the engine by the
driver Depress the clutch pedal to restart the
engine.
The engine start is indicated by the
needle at the idle speed position in
the tachometer.
If the selector lever is shifted out of
neutral before depressing the clutch
first, control indicator - illuminates
or is shown as a symbol in the Driver Information Centre.
Control indicator - 3 89.
Restart of the engine by the
stop-start system The selector lever has to be in neutral
to enable an automatic restart.
If one of the following conditions
occurs during an Autostop, the
engine will be restarted automatically by the stop-start system:
■ The stop-start system is manually deactivated
■ the bonnet is opened
■ the driver's seat belt is unfastened and the driver's door is opened■ the engine temperature is too low
■ the charging level of the vehicle battery is below a defined level
■ the brake vacuum is not sufficient
■ the vehicle is driven at least at walking speed
■ the climate control system requests
an engine start
■ the air conditioning is manually switched on
If the bonnet is not fully closed, a
warning message is displayed in the
Driver Information Centre.
If an electrical accessory, e.g. a
portable CD player, is connected to
the power outlet, a brief power drop during restart might be noticeable.
Parking ■ Do not park the vehicle on an easily
ignitable surface. The high
temperature of the exhaust system
could ignite the surface.
■ Always apply parking brake. Apply manual parking brake without
pressing release button. Apply asfirmly as possible on downhill or uphill slopes. Depress the foot
brake at the same time to reduce
operating force.
Apply electric parking brake by pulling switch m for approx.
one second.
■ Switch off the engine and ignition. Turn the steering wheel until the
steering wheel lock engages.
■ If the vehicle is on a level surface or
uphill slope, engage first gear or set the selector lever to P before
switching off the ignition. On an
uphill slope, turn the front wheels
away from the kerb.
If the vehicle is on a downhill slope,
engage reverse gear or set the selector lever to P before switching
off the ignition. Turn the front
wheels towards the kerb.
■ Lock the vehicle and activate the anti-theft alarm system.
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Driving and operating137
Notice
In the event of an accident with
airbag deployment, the engine is
turned off automatically if the vehicle
comes to a standstill within a certain time.Engine exhaust9 Danger
Engine exhaust gases contain
poisonous carbon monoxide,
which is colourless and odourless and could be fatal if inhaled.
If exhaust gases enter the interior
of the vehicle, open the windows.
Have the cause of the fault
rectified by a workshop.
Avoid driving with an open load
compartment, otherwise exhaust
gases could enter the vehicle.
Diesel particle filter
The diesel particle filter system filters
harmful soot particles out of the
exhaust gases. The system includes
a self-cleaning function that runs
automatically during driving without
any notification. The filter is cleaned
by periodically burning off the soot
particles at high temperature. This
process takes place automatically
under set driving conditions and may
take up to 25 minutes. Typically it
needs between 7 and 12 minutes. Autostop is not available and fuel
consumption may be higher during
this period. The emission of smells and smoke during this process is
normal.
Under certain driving conditions, e.g.
short distances, the system cannot
clean itself automatically.
If the cleaning of the filter is required
and if previous driving conditions did
not enable automatic cleaning, it will
be indicated by control indicator %.
Page 140 of 247

138Driving and operating
Simultaneously Diesel partic. filter is
full continue driving appears in the
Driver Information Centre.
% illuminates when diesel particle
filter is full. Start cleaning process as
soon as possible.
% flashes when diesel particle filter
has reached the maximum filling level. Start cleaning process
immediately to avoid damage to the
engine.
Cleaning process
To activate cleaning process,
continue driving, keep engine speed
above 2000 revolutions per minute.
Shift down if necessary. Diesel
particle filter cleaning is then started.
If additionally a message appears in
the Driver Information Centre that
cleaning is not possible, seek the
assistance of a workshop.Caution
If the cleaning process is
interrupted, there is a risk of
provoking severe engine damage.
Cleaning takes place quickest at high engine speeds and loads.
The control indicator % extinguishes
as soon as the self-cleaning
operation is complete.
Catalytic converter
The catalytic converter reduces the
amount of harmful substances in the
exhaust gases.Caution
Fuel grades other than those listed on pages 3 169, 3 229 could
damage the catalytic converter or
electronic components.
Unburnt petrol will overheat and
damage the catalytic converter.
Therefore avoid excessive use of the starter, running the fuel tank
dry and starting the engine by
pushing or towing.
In the event of misfiring, uneven
engine running, a reduction in engine performance or other unusual
problems, have the cause of the fault
rectified by a workshop as soon as
possible. In an emergency, driving
can be continued for a short period,
keeping vehicle speed and engine
speed low.
Page 141 of 247
Driving and operating139Automatic transmission
The automatic transmission permits
automatic gearshifting (automatic
mode) or manual gearshifting
(manual mode).
Transmission display
The mode or selected gear is shown
in the transmission display.
Selector leverP=park position, wheels are
locked, engage only when the
vehicle is stationary and the
parking brake is appliedR=reverse gear, engage only
when the vehicle is stationaryN=neutralD=automatic mode with all gears
The selector lever is locked in P and
can only be moved when the ignition
is on and the brake pedal is applied.
Without brake pedal applied, the
control indicator j illuminates.
If the selector lever is not in P when
the ignition is switched off, the control
indicators j and P flash.
To engage P or R, press the release
button.
The engine can only be started with
the lever in position P or N. When
position N is selected, press the brake
pedal or apply the parking brake
before starting.
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140Driving and operating
Do not accelerate while engaging a
gear. Never depress the accelerator
pedal and brake pedal at the same
time.
When a gear is engaged, the vehicle
slowly begins to creep when the
brake is released.
Engine braking To utilise the engine braking effect,
select a lower gear in good time when
driving downhill, see manual mode.
Rocking the vehicle
Rocking the vehicle is only
permissible if the vehicle is stuck in
sand, mud or snow. Move the selector
lever between D and R in a repeat
pattern. Do not race the engine and
avoid sudden acceleration.
Parking
Apply the parking brake and engage P .
The ignition key can only be removed
when the selector lever is in position
P .Manual mode
Move selector lever out of position D
towards the left and then forwards or backwards.
<=Shift to a higher gear.]=Shift to a lower gear.
If a higher gear is selected when
vehicle speed is too low, or a lower
gear when vehicle speed is too high,
the shift is not executed. This can
cause a message in the
Driver-Info-Display.
In manual mode no automatic shifting to a higher gear takes place at high
engine revolutions.
Electronic driving
programmes ■ Following a cold start, the operating
temperature programme increasesengine speed to quickly bring the
catalytic converter to the required
temperature.
■ The automatic neutral shift function
automatically shifts to idling when
the vehicle is stopped with a
forward gear engaged and the
brake pedal is pressed.
■ When SPORT mode is engaged, the vehicle shifts at higher engine
speeds (unless cruise control is
on). SPORT mode 3 147.
■ Special programmes automatically adapt the shifting points when
driving up inclines or down hills.
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Driving and operating141
KickdownIf the accelerator pedal is presseddown completely in automatic mode, the transmission shifts to a lower gear
depending on engine speed.
Fault
In the event of a fault a vehicle
message is displayed in the Driver
Information Centre. Vehicle
messages 3 100.
The transmission no longer shifts automatically. Continued travel is
possible with manual shifting.
Only the highest gear is available.
Depending on the fault, 2nd gear may also be available in manual mode.
Shift only when vehicle is at a
standstill.
Have the cause of the fault remedied by a workshop.Interruption of power
supply
In the event of an interruption of
power supply, the selector lever
cannot be moved out of the P
position. The ignition key cannot be
removed from the ignition switch.
If the vehicle battery is discharged,
start the vehicle using jump leads
3 214.
If the vehicle battery is not the cause
of the fault, release the selector lever.
1. Apply the parking brake.2. Release the selector lever trim from the centre console at the
front, fold it upwards and rotate it
to the left.
3. Insert a screwdriver into the opening as far as it will go and
move the selector lever out of P or
N . If P or N is engaged again, the
selector lever will be locked in
position again. Have the cause of
the power supply interruption
remedied by a workshop.
4. Mount the selector lever trim onto
the centre console and refit.
Page 144 of 247

142Driving and operatingManual transmission
To engage reverse, with the vehicle
stationary wait 3 seconds after
depressing the clutch pedal and then
press the release button on the
selector lever and engage the gear.
If the gear does not engage, set the
lever to neutral, release the clutch
pedal and depress again; then repeat
gear selection.
Do not slip the clutch unnecessarily.
When operating, depress the clutch
pedal completely. Do not use the
pedal as a foot rest.
Caution
It is not advisable to drive with the hand resting on the selector lever.
Brakes
The brake system comprises two independent brake circuits.
If a brake circuit fails, the vehicle can
still be braked using the other brake
circuit. However, braking effect is
achieved only when the brake pedal
is depressed firmly. Considerably
more force is needed for this. The
braking distance is extended. Seek the assistance of a workshop before
continuing your journey.
When the engine is not running, the
support of the brake servo unit
disappears once the brake pedal has been depressed once or twice.
Braking effect is not reduced, but
braking requires significantly greater
force. It is especially important to bear
this in mind when being towed.
Control indicator R 3 89.
Antilock brake system
Antilock brake system (ABS)
prevents the wheels from locking.