124Driving and operating
Deactivation
Deactivate the stop-start system
manually by pressing the eco button.
Deactivation is indicated when the
LED in the button extinguishes.
Autostop
If the vehicle is at a low speed or at a standstill, activate an Autostop as
follows:
■ Depress the clutch pedal
■ set the lever in neutral
■ release the clutch pedal
The engine will be switched off while
the ignition stays on.
An Autostop is indicated by the
needle at the AUTOSTOP position in
the tachometer.
During an Autostop, the heating
performance, power steering and
brake performance will be
maintained.
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 battery is sufficiently chargedand 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 not too low
■ 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 has moved since the last Autostop
Otherwise an Autostop will be
inhibited.
Ambient temperature near to the
freezing point can inhibit an Autostop.
Certain settings of the climate control
system may inhibit an Autostop. See
Climate control chapter for more
details.
Driving and operating125
Immediately after motorway driving
an Autostop may be inhibited.
New vehicle running-in 3 122.
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 such as 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.
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 message in the Driver Information Centre.
Control indicator - 3 85.
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 battery is discharged
■ the brake vacuum is not sufficient
■ the vehicle starts to move■ 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 engine 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 without
pressing release button. Apply as
firmly as possible on downhill or
uphill slopes. Depress the foot
brake at the same time to reduce
operating force.
■ Switch off the engine and ignition. Turn the steering wheel until the
steering wheel lock engages.
126Driving and operating
■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.
Note
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 cleaning of the filter is required and if previous driving conditions did not
enable automatic cleaning, it will be
indicated by control indicator %.
128Driving and operatingAutomatic 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 gearsM=manual mode
The selector lever is locked in P and
can only be moved when the ignition
is on and the brake pedal is applied.
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.
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.
Driving and operating129
Engine brakingTo 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 to position M.
Press button on the selector lever:
<=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 increases
engine 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.
■ Special programmes automatically adapt the shifting points when
driving up inclines or down hills.
Kickdown If the accelerator pedal is pressed
down completely in automatic mode, the transmission shifts to a lower gear depending on engine speed.
130Driving and operatingFaultIn the event of a fault, g illuminates.
Additionally a code number or a
vehicle message is displayed in the
Driver Information Centre. Vehicle
messages 3 94.
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 battery is discharged, start the
vehicle using jump leads 3 186.If the battery is not the cause of the
fault, release the selector lever.
1. Turn the ignition off and remove the key.
2. Depress and hold the brake pedal
and pull the parking brake lever
up.
3. Remove the cap on the console with a thin object such as ascrewdriver.
4. Insert a screwdriver into the opening as far as it will go.
5. Shift selector lever to N.
6. Remove the screwdriver from the slot.
7. Reinstall the cap.
8. Have the cause of the power supply interruption remedied by a
workshop.
134Driving and operatingRide control systems
Traction Control system
The Traction Control system (TC) is a
component of the Electronic Stability
Control (ESC) 3 134.
TC improves driving stability when necessary, regardless of the type of
road surface or tyre grip, by
preventing the drive wheels from
spinning.
As soon as the drive wheels starts to spin, engine output is reduced and
the wheel spinning the most is braked individually. This considerably
improves the driving stability of the
vehicle on slippery road surfaces.
TC is operational after each engine
start as soon as the control indicator
b extinguishes.
When TC operates b flashes.9 Warning
Do not let this special safety
feature tempt you into taking risks
when driving.
Adapt speed to the road
conditions.
Control indicator b 3 87.
Deactivation
TC can be switched off when spinning of drive wheels is required:
press button t briefly to deactivate
TC, k illuminates. Deactivation is
displayed as status message in the
Driver Information Centre.
TC is reactivated by pressing the t
button again.
TC is also reactivated the next time
the ignition is switched on.
Electronic Stability Control Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
improves driving stability when
necessary, regardless of the type of
road surface or tyre grip. It also
prevents the drive wheels from
spinning.
As soon as the vehicle starts to
swerve (understeer/oversteer),
engine output is reduced and the wheels are braked individually. This
considerably improves the driving
stability of the vehicle on slippery road
surfaces.
ESC is operational after each engine
start as soon as the control indicator b extinguishes.
When ESC operates b flashes.
Driving and operating1359Warning
Do not let this special safety
feature tempt you into taking risks
when driving.
Adapt speed to the road
conditions.
Control indicator b 3 87.
Deactivation
For very high-performance driving
ESC can be deactivated: hold button
t depressed for approx. 5 seconds.
Control indicator k and n illuminate.
ESC is reactivated by pressing the t
button again. If the TC system was
previously disabled, both TC and
ESC are reactivated.
ESC is also reactivated the next time
the ignition is switched on.
Descent control system The Descent control system (DCS)
allows the vehicle to travel at a low
speed without depressing the foot
brake. The vehicle will automatically
decelerate to a low speed and remain
at that speed when the system is
activated. Some noise or vibration
from the brake system may be
apparent when the system is active.Caution
Use only when descending steep
grades while driving off-road. Do
not use when driving on normal
road surfaces. Unnecessary
usage of the DCS function, such
as while driving on normal roads,
may damage the brake system
and the ESC function.
Switching on
At speeds below approx. 40 km/h,
press button u. DCS is operational as
soon as control indicator u
illuminates.
Activation
DCS is active at speeds between 2 and 35 km/h. Depending on the
current speed, the vehicle will be