boosting effect. You will require considerably
more effort to steer and brake. There is a riskof an accident.
Do not switch off the ignition while driving. G
WARNING
If the parking brake has not been fully
released when driving, the parking brake can:
R overheat and cause a fire
R lose its hold function.
There is a risk of fire and an accident. Release
the parking brake fully before driving off.
! Do not warm up the engine when the vehi-
cle is stationary. Drive off immediately.
Avoid high engine speeds and driving at full throttle until the engine has reached its
operating temperature.
Only shift the automatic transmission to
the desired drive position when the vehicle is stationary.
Where possible, avoid spinning the drive
wheels when pulling away on slippery
roads. You could otherwise damage the
drive train. Key positions
Key g
To remove the key
1 Power supply for some consumers, such
as the windscreen wipers 2
Ignition (power supply for all consumers)
and drive position
3 To start the vehicle
Vehicles with manual transmission: the
steering is locked when the key is taken out of the ignition lock.
i If the key does not belong to the vehicle, it
can still be turned in the ignition lock. How- ever, the ignition will not be switched on.
The engine cannot be started.
Start/Stop button General notes
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO are equipped with
keys featuring an integrated KEYLESS-GO
function and a detachable Start/Stop button.
A check which periodically establishes a radio connection between the vehicle and the key
determines whether a valid key is in the vehi-
cle. This occurs, for example, when starting
the engine.
When you insert the Start/Stop button into
the ignition lock, the system needs approx-
imately two seconds recognition time. You
can then use the Start/Stop button.
Pressing the Start/Stop button several times
in succession corresponds to the different
key positions in the ignition lock. Pre-requi-
site for this is that:
R you do not depress the brake pedal (vehi-
cles with automatic transmission)
R you do not depress the clutch pedal (vehi-
cles with manual transmission)
If you depress the brake pedal and press the
Start/Stop button, the engine starts immedi- ately (vehicles with automatic transmission).
If you depress the clutch pedal and press theStart/Stop button, the engine starts immedi-
ately (vehicles with manual transmission). Driving
159Driving and parking Z
You can only switch between Start/Stop but-
ton mode and key operation when the vehicle is stationary.
You must also engage park position P(vehi-
cles with automatic transmission).
X Remove Start/Stop button :from ignition
lock ;.
You do not have to remove the Start/Stop
button from the ignition lock when you leave
the vehicle. You should, however, always take the key with you when leaving the vehicle. As long as the key is in the vehicle:
R the vehicle can be started using the Start/
Stop button
R the electrically powered equipment can be
operated Starting the vehicle
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If children are left unsupervised in the vehicle, they could:
R open doors, thereby endangering other per-
sons or road users
R get out and be struck by oncoming traffic
R operate vehicle equipment and become
trapped, for example
In addition, the children could also set the
vehicle in motion, for example, if they:
R release the parking brake
R shift the automatic transmission out of park
position P or shift manual transmission into
neutral
R start the engine
There is a risk of an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the key with you and lock the vehicle. Never leave
children and animals unattended in the vehi-
cle. Keep the keys out of the reach of children. G
WARNING
Combustion engines emit poisonous exhaust
gases such as carbon monoxide. Inhaling
these exhaust gases leads to poisoning. There is a risk of fatal injury. Therefore never leave
the engine running in enclosed spaces with-
out sufficient ventilation. G
WARNING
Flammable materials introduced through
environmental influence or by animals can
ignite if in contact with the exhaust system or parts of the engine that heat up. There is a risk
of fire.
Carry out regular checks to make sure that
there are no flammable foreign materials in
the engine compartment or in the exhaust
system.
! Do not depress the accelerator when
starting the engine.
General notes Vehicles with a petrol engine:
the engine
runs at a higher engine speed during the cold
start procedure so that the catalytic con-
verter can reach operating temperature more quickly. The sound of the engine may change
as a result.
Manual transmission You can only start the engine when the clutch
pedal is fully depressed.
X Depress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
X Depress the clutch pedal fully.
X Shift to neutral N.
Automatic transmission X
Shift the transmission to position P
(Y page 170).
The transmission position indicator in the
multifunction display shows P
(Y page 170). Driving
161Driving and parking Z
When the transmission is in position
N, you
can also start the engine with the brake pedal
depressed.
Starting procedure with the key To start the engine using the key instead of
the Start/Stop button, pull the Start/Stop
button out of the ignition lock.
X To start a petrol engine: turn the key to
position 3in the ignition lock (Y page 159)
and release it as soon as the engine is run-
ning.
X To start a diesel engine: turn the key to
position 2in the ignition lock (Y page 159).
The % preglow indicator lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up.
X When the %preglow indicator lamp
goes out, turn the key to position 3
(Y page 159) and release it as soon as the
engine is running.
You can start the engine without preglow if
the engine is warm.
Starting procedure using the Start/
Stop button The Start/Stop button can be used to start
the vehicle manually without inserting the key into the ignition lock. The key must be in the
vehicle and the Start/Stop button must be
inserted in the ignition lock. This mode for
starting the engine operates independently of
the ECO start/stop automatic engine start
function.
You can start the engine if a valid key is in the vehicle. Switch off the engine and always take
the key with you when leaving the vehicle,
even if you only leave it for a short time. Pay
attention to the important safety notes.
X Vehicles with automatic transmission:
depress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
X Vehicles with manual transmission:
depress the clutch pedal and keep it
depressed. X
To start a petrol engine: press the Start/
Stop button once (Y page 159).
The engine starts.
X To start a diesel engine: press the Start/
Stop button once (Y page 159).
Preglow is activated and the engine starts. Pulling away
Manual transmission !
Change gear in good time and avoid spin-
ning the wheels. Otherwise, you could dam- age the vehicle.
Depress the accelerator carefully when pull-
ing away.
The vehicle locks centrally once you have
pulled away. The locking knobs in the doors
drop down.
You can open the doors from the inside at any time.
You can also deactivate the automatic lockingfeature (Y page 247).
Automatic transmission G
WARNING
If the engine speed is above the idling speed
and you engage transmission position Dor R,
the vehicle could pull away suddenly. There is a risk of an accident.
When engaging transmission position Dor R,
always firmly depress the brake pedal and do not simultaneously accelerate.
Depress the accelerator carefully when pull-
ing away.
The vehicle locks centrally once you have
pulled away. The locking knobs in the doors
drop down.
You can open the doors from the inside at any
time.
You can also deactivate the automatic locking feature (Y page 247). 162
DrivingDriving and parking
In vehicles with a colour multifunction dis-
play, the èECO symbol appears in yellow
in the multifunction display after the fourth
automatic engine start. When the èECO
symbol is shown in green in the multifunction
display, automatic engine switch-off is again
possible.
Vehicles with manual transmission The ECO start/stop function switches off the
engine automatically at low speeds.
X Brake the vehicle.
X Engage neutral N(Y page 169) (follow
gearshift instruction :to engage neutral
N, if necessary).
X Release the clutch pedal.
The engine is switched off automatically.
Vehicles with automatic transmission
If the vehicle is braked to a standstill in Dor N,
the ECO start/stop function switches off the engine automatically.
The HOLD function can be activated if the
engine has been switched off automatically. It is then not necessary to continue applying the
brakes during the automatic stop phase.
When you depress the accelerator pedal, the engine starts automatically and the braking
effect of the HOLD function is deactivated.
Automatic engine start General notes
The engine is started automatically if:
R
you switch off the ECO start/stop function
by pressing the ECO button
R you engage reverse gear R
R you unfasten your seat belt or open the
driver's door R
the vehicle starts to roll
R the brake system requires this
R the temperature in the vehicle interior devi-
ates from the set range
R the system detects moisture on the wind-
screen when the air-conditioning system is
switched on
R the battery's charge status is too low
Vehicles with manual transmission
! Only engage gear when the clutch pedal is
depressed.
The engine is started automatically if you:
R depress the clutch pedal fully
R depress the accelerator pedal
Vehicles with automatic transmission
The engine is started automatically if you: R release the brake pedal in transmission
position Dor Nwhen the HOLD function is
not active
R depress the accelerator pedal
R move the transmission out of position P
Shifting the transmission to position Pdoes
not start the engine.
When you shift the transmission from Rto D,
the ECO start/stop function is available in the following cases:
R after the èECO symbol appears in the
multifunction display in vehicles with black
and white multifunction display
R after the èECO symbol appears in
green in vehicles with colour multifunction
display Driving
165Driving and parking Z
Problem
Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions Vehicles with a petrol
engine:
The engine is not run-
ning smoothly and is
misfiring. There is a malfunction in the engine electronics or in a mechanical
component of the engine management system.
X Only depress the accelerator pedal slightly.
Otherwise, non-combusted fuel may get into the catalytic con-
verter and damage it.
X Have the cause rectified immediately at a qualified specialist
workshop. The coolant tempera-
ture display is showing
more than 120 †. The
coolant warning lamp
may also be on and a
warning tone may
sound. The coolant level is too low. The coolant is too hot and the engine
is no longer being cooled sufficiently.
X Stop as soon as possible and allow the engine and the coolant to
cool down.
X Check the coolant level (Y page 322). Observe the warning
notes as you do so and top up the coolant if necessary. If the coolant level is correct, the engine radiator fan may be faulty.
The coolant is too hot and the engine is no longer being cooled
sufficiently.
X If the coolant temperature is below 120 †, you can continue
driving to the nearest qualified specialist workshop.
X Avoid heavy loads on the engine as you do so, e.g. driving in
mountainous terrain and stop-start traffic. Manual transmission
Gear lever
! Only engage gear when the clutch pedal is
depressed.
! When shifting to
5thand 6thgear, you
must press the shift lever to the right. Oth- erwise, you could shift unintentionally into
3rd or4th gear and damage the engine or
transmission.
If you shift down at too high a speed (trans-
mission braking), this can cause the engine
to overrev, leading to engine damage.
Do not use the clutch bite point to keep the vehicle stationary on uphill gradients.
There is otherwise a risk of damaging the
clutch.
! On long and steep downhill gradients,
especially if the vehicle is laden or towing a trailer, you must shift into gear
1, 2or3in
good time. This uses the engine's braking
effect. This relieves the load on the brake
system and prevents the brakes from over-
heating and wearing too quickly. k
Reverse gear
1 -6
Forward gears 168
Manual transmissionDriving and parking
Shifting to neutral N
X
Depress the clutch pedal fully.
X Move the gear lever to position N:. Engaging reverse gear
! Only shift into reverse gear
Rwhen the
vehicle is stationary. Otherwise, you could
damage the transmission.
X Pull the gear lever up, push it to the left and
then pull it back.
The ECO start/stop function is not available
when reverse gear is engaged. For further
information on the ECO start/stop function;
see (Y page 164). Gearshift recommendation
The gearshift recommendations assist you in
adopting an economical driving style. The rec- ommended gear is shown in the multifunction
display.
X Shift gear according to gearshift recom-
mendation :when shown in the multi-
function display of the instrument cluster. Automatic transmission
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
If the engine speed is above the idling speed
and you engage transmission position Dor R,
the vehicle could pull away suddenly. There is a risk of an accident.
When engaging transmission position Dor R,
always firmly depress the brake pedal and do not simultaneously accelerate. G
WARNING
The automatic transmission switches to neu-
tral position Nwhen you switch off the engine.
The vehicle may roll away. There is a risk of an
accident.
After switching off the engine, always switch
to parking position P. Prevent the parked vehi-
cle from rolling away by applying the parking
brake.
Bear in mind that power transmission
between the engine and the transmission is
interrupted when the engine is switched off.
To prevent the vehicle from rolling away: R when the engine is switched off and the
vehicle is stationary, shift the automatic
transmission to park position Pand
R apply the electric parking brake Automatic transmission
169Driving and parking Z
A Neutral
Do not shift the transmission to
N
while driving. Otherwise, the auto-
matic transmission could be dam-
aged.
No power is transmitted from the
engine to the drive wheels.
Releasing the brakes will allow you
to move the vehicle freely, e.g. to
push it or tow it.
If ESP ®
is deactivated or faulty:
shift the transmission to position N
if the vehicle is in danger of skid-
ding, e.g. on icy roads.
If you switch the engine off with the transmission in position Ror D, the
automatic transmission shifts to N
automatically.
! Rolling in neutral
Ncan lead to
damage to the transmission. 7 Drive
The automatic transmission
changes gear automatically. All
forward gears are available.
Driving tips
Changing gear The automatic transmission shifts to the indi-
vidual gears automatically when it is in trans-
mission position D. Gearshifting is deter-
mined by:
R the selected drive program (Y page 174)
R the position of the accelerator pedal
(Y page 173)
R the road speed
Accelerator pedal position Your style of driving influences how the auto-
matic transmission shifts gear:
R little throttle: early upshifts
R more throttle: late upshifts Holding the vehicle stationary on uphill
gradients G
WARNING
If the clutch overheats, the electronic man-
agement system is automatically deactivated. This interrupts the power transmission. The
vehicle may, for example, roll backwards on
gradients. There is a risk of an accident.
Never hold the vehicle stationary on uphill
gradients by depressing the accelerator.
The clutch may overheat if you hold the vehi- cle stationary on uphill gradients by depress- ing the accelerator pedal. If the clutch over-
heats, a warning tone sounds.
The Stop vehicle Shift to P Leave Stop vehicle Shift to P Leave
engine
engine running
running display message appears in
the multifunction display. You will only be
able to continue your journey once the clutch
has cooled down and the display message in
the multifunction display has disappeared.
Never hold the vehicle stationary on uphill
gradients by depressing the accelerator.
Instead, only ever hold the vehicle stationary
on uphill gradients by:
R depressing the brake pedal
R activating the HOLD function
R engaging the electric parking brake
Kickdown Use kickdown for maximum acceleration:
X Depress the accelerator pedal beyond the
pressure point.
The transmission shifts to a lower gear
depending on the engine speed.
X Ease off the accelerator pedal once the
desired speed is reached.
The automatic transmission shifts back up.
For further information on kickdown in man-
ual drive program M(Y page 175). Automatic transmission
173Driving and parking Z
Storing the current speed or calling up the
last stored speed G
WARNING
If you call up a stored speed and this is dif-
ferent from the current speed, the vehicle
accelerates or brakes. If you do not know
what the stored speed is, the vehicle may
accelerate or brake unexpectedly. There is a
risk of an accident.
Take the traffic conditions into account
before calling up the stored speed. If you do
not know what the stored speed is, store the
desired speed again.
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you =.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
The first time cruise control is activated, it
stores the current speed or regulates the
speed of the vehicle to the previously
stored speed.
Setting a speed Bear in mind that it may take a brief moment
until the vehicle has accelerated or braked to the set speed.
X Press the cruise control lever up :for a
higher speed or down ?for a lower speed.
X Keep the cruise control lever pressed until
the desired speed is reached.
X Release the cruise control lever.
The new speed is stored.
X To adjust the set speed in 1 km/h incre-
ments: briefly press the cruise control
lever up :or down ?to the pressure
point.
The last stored speed increases or decrea-
ses in 1 km/h increments.
X To adjust the set speed in 10 km/h
increments: briefly press the cruise con-
trol lever up :or down ?beyond the
pressure point.
The last stored speed increases or decrea- ses in 10 km/h increments. i
Cruise control is not deactivated if you
depress the accelerator pedal. For exam-
ple, if you accelerate briefly to overtake,
cruise control adjusts the vehicle's speed
to the last speed stored after you have fin- ished overtaking.
Deactivating cruise control There are several ways to deactivate cruise
control:
X Briefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards B.
or
X Brake.
or X Briefly press the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow A.
Variable SPEEDTRONIC is selected. LIM
indicator lamp ;in the cruise control lever
lights up.
Cruise control is automatically deactivated if: R the vehicle is secured with the electric
parking brake
R you are driving at less than 30 km/h
R ESP ®
intervenes or you deactivate ESP ®
R while driving a vehicle with manual trans-
mission, you shift into neutral or depress
the clutch pedal for longer than six seconds
R on vehicles with manual transmission, you
shift to a gear that is too high, and as a
result the engine speed is too low
R on vehicles with automatic transmission,
you shift to position Nwhile driving
If cruise control is deactivated, you will hear a
warning tone. You will see the Cruise con‐
Cruise con‐
trol off trol off message in the multifunction dis-
play for approximately five seconds.
i The last speed stored is cleared when you
switch off the engine. 190
Driving systemsDriving and parking