
154Driving and operating
A precondition is that forward collision
alert is not deactivated by pressing
V .
Activation Forward collision alert operates
automatically above 25 mph, if it is not
deactivated by pressing V, see
below.
Selecting the alert sensitivity
The alert sensitivity can be set to
near, medium or far.Press V, the current setting is shown
on the Driver Information Centre
(DIC). Press V again to change the
alert sensitivity.
Alerting the driver
A green illuminated vehicle ahead
control indicator A illuminates in the
instrument cluster when the system has detected a vehicle in the driving
path.
When the distance to a preceding
moving vehicle becomes too small or
when approaching another vehicle
too rapidly and a collision is imminent,
a red LED warning light is reflected
flashing in the windscreen in front of
the driver's view.
Simultaneously a warning chime
sounds. Depress the brake pedal, if it
is required by the situation.
Deactivation The system can be deactivated.
Press V repeatedly until the following
message appears in the DIC.

Driving and operating155
General information
9Warning
Forward collision alert is just a
warning system and does not
apply the brakes. When
approaching a vehicle ahead too
rapidly, it may not provide you
enough time to avoid a collision.
The driver accepts full
responsibility for the appropriate
following distance based on traffic, weather and visibility conditions.
The complete attention of the
driver is always required while
driving. The driver must always be
ready to take action and apply the
brakes.
System limitations
The system is designed to warn only for vehicles, but may react also onother objects.
In the following cases, forward
collision alert may not detect a vehicle ahead or sensor performance is
limited:
■ on winding roads
■ when weather limits visibility, such as fog, rain, or snow
■ when the sensor is blocked by snow, ice, slush, mud, dirt, or
windscreen damage
Following distance
indication
The following distance indication
displays the distance to a preceding
moving vehicle. The front camera in
the windscreen is used to detect the
distance of a vehicle directly ahead in the vehicle's path. It is active at
speeds above 25 mph.
When a preceding vehicle is detected
ahead, the distance is indicated in
seconds, displayed on a page in the
Driver Information Centre 3 95 . Press
MENU on the turn signal lever to
select Vehicle Information
Menu ? and turn the adjuster
wheel to choose following distance
indication page.
The minimum indicated distance is
0.5 seconds.

162Driving and operating
When a slot is detected, a visual
feedback on the Colour-Info-Display
and an acoustic signal is given.
If the driver does not stop the vehicle within 10 metres for parallel parking
slots or six metres for perpendicular
parking slots after a parking slot is
proposed, the system starts to search
for another suitable parking slot.
Park guiding mode
The parking slot suggestion of the
system is accepted when the vehicle
is stopped by the driver within
10 metres for parallel parking slots or
six metres for perpendicular parkingslots after the Stop message is given.
The system calculates the optimal
path into the parking slot.
A brief vibration in the steering wheel
after engaging reverse gear indicates
that the steering is controlled by the
system. Then the vehicle is steered
into the slot automatically by giving
the driver detailed instructions for
braking, accelerating and gear
shifting. The driver must keep hands
away from the steering wheel.
Always pay attention to the sound of
the front-rear parking assist.
Continuous sound indicates that the
distance to an obstacle is less than
approx. 30 cm.
If, for any reason, the driver must take over control of the steering, hold the
steering wheel only at the outer edge. Automatic steering is cancelled in thisevent.Changing the parking side
The system is configured to detect
parking slots by default on the
passenger side. To detect parkingslots on the driver side, switch on turn
signal indicator on the driver side for
the duration of the search.
As soon as the turn signal indicator is switched off, the system searches for
parking slots on the passenger side again.Display indication
The instructions on the display show:
■ General hints and warning messages.
■ A hint when driving faster than 18 mph during parking slot
searching mode, or 5 mph in
guiding mode.
■ The demand to stop the vehicle, when a parking slot is detected.
■ The direction of driving during the parking manoeuvre.
■ The demand to shift into reverse or
first gear.
■ The demand to accelerate or brake.
■ For some of the instructions a progress bar is shown in the DriverInformation Centre (DIC).

170Driving and operatingsigns. Do not ignore traffic signs
which are not displayed by the
system.
The system does not discern any
other than the conventional traffic signs that might give or end a
speed limit.
Do not let this special feature
tempt you into taking risks when
driving.
Always adapt speed to the road
conditions.
The driver assistance systems do not relieve the driver from full
responsibility for vehicle
operation.
Lane departure warning
The lane departure warning system
observes the lane markings between
which the vehicle is driving via a front camera. The system detects lane
changes and warns the driver in the
event of an unintended lane change
via visual and acoustic signals.
Criteria for the detection of an
unintended lane change are:
■ No operation of turn signals.
■ No brake pedal operation.
■ No active accelerator operation or speeding-up.
■ No active steering.
If the driver is performing these
actions, no warning will be issued.
Activation
The lane departure warning system isactivated by pressing ). The
illuminated LED in the button
indicates that the system is switched
on. When the control indicator ) in
the instrument cluster illuminates
green, the system is ready to operate.
The system is only operable at
vehicle speeds above 35 mph and if
lane markings are available.
When the system recognises an
unintended lane change, the control
indicator ) changes to yellow and
flashes. Simultaneously a chime
sound is activated.
Deactivation
The system is deactivated by
pressing ), the LED in the button
extinguishes.
At speeds below 35 mph the system
is inoperable.

178Driving and operating
1000 kg a speed of 50 mph must not
be exceeded; the use of a stabiliser is recommended.
If the trailer starts snaking, drive more
slowly, do not attempt to correct the
steering and brake sharply if
necessary.
When driving downhill, drive in the
same gear as if driving uphill and
drive at a similar speed.
Adjust tyre pressure to the value
specified for full load 3 249.
Trailer towing Trailer loads The permissible trailer loads are
vehicle and engine-dependent
maximum values which must not be
exceeded. The actual trailer load is
the difference between the actual
gross weight of the trailer and the
actual coupling socket load with the
trailer coupled.
The permissible trailer loads are
specified in the vehicle documents. In
general, they are valid for gradients
up to max. 12 %The permitted trailer loads apply up to the specified incline and up to an
altitude of 1000 metres above sea
level. Since engine power decreases as altitude increases due to the airbecoming thinner, therefore reducing
climbing ability, the permissible gross train weight also decreases by 10 %
for every 1000 metres of additional
altitude. The gross train weight does
not have to be reduced when driving
on roads with slight inclines (less than
8 %, e.g. motorways).
The permissible gross train weight
must not be exceeded. This weight is
specified on the identification plate
3 235.
Vertical coupling load
The vertical coupling load is the load
exerted by the trailer on the coupling
ball. It can be varied by changing the
weight distribution when loading the
trailer.Petrol and diesel engines
The maximum permissible vertical
coupling load (55 kg) is specified on
the towing equipment identification
plate and in the vehicle documents.Always aim for the maximum load,
especially in the case of heavy
trailers. The vertical coupling load
should never fall below 25 kg.Engine B14XEL LPG
The maximum permissible vertical
coupling load (45 kg) is specified on
the towing equipment identification
plate and in the vehicle documents.
Always aim for the maximum load,
especially in the case of heavy
trailers. The vertical coupling load
should never fall below 25 kg.
Rear axle load
Petrol and diesel engines
When the trailer is coupled and the
towing vehicle fully loaded, the
permissible rear axle load (see
identification plate or vehicle
documents) for passenger vehicles
may be exceeded by 70 kg for the 5-
door vehicle and 60 kg for the 3-door
vehicle, the gross vehicle weight
rating by 55 kg.

182Driving and operating
Push the rotary knob onto the
coupling ball bar and rotate right while pressed down until it engages. Pull
out the ball bar downwards.
Insert sealing plug in opening for
coupling ball bar. Fold away socket.
Trailer stability assist If the system detects snaking
movements, engine power is reduced
and the vehicle/trailer combination is selectively braked until the snaking
ceases. While system is working keep
steering wheel as still as possible.
Trailer stability assist (TSA) is a
function of the Electronic Stability
Control 3 148.

Vehicle care183Vehicle careGeneral Information...................183
Vehicle checks ........................... 184
Bulb replacement .......................191
Electrical system ........................200
Vehicle tools .............................. 205
Wheels and tyres .......................206
Jump starting ............................. 224
Towing ....................................... 225
Appearance care .......................227General Information
Accessories and vehicle
modifications
We recommend the use of genuine parts and accessories and factory
approved parts specific for your
vehicle type. We cannot assess or
guarantee reliability of other products
- even if they have a regulatory or
otherwise granted approval.
Do not make any modifications to the electrical system, e.g. changes of
electronic control units (chip tuning).Caution
When transporting the vehicle on
a train or on a recovery vehicle, the
mud flaps may be damaged.
Vehicle storage
Storage for a long period of time If the vehicle is to be stored for severalmonths:
■ Wash and wax the vehicle.
■ Have the wax in the engine compartment and underbody
checked.
■ Clean and preserve the rubber seals.
■ Fill up fuel tank completely.
■ Change the engine oil.
■ Drain the washer fluid reservoir. ■ Check the coolant antifreeze and corrosion protection.
■ Adjust tyre pressure to the value specified for full load.
■ Park the vehicle in a dry, well ventilated place. Engage first orreverse gear or set selector lever to P . Prevent the vehicle from rolling.
■ Do not apply the parking brake.

188Vehicle care9Warning
Allow the engine to cool before
opening the cap. Carefully open
the cap, relieving the pressure
slowly.
To top up use a 1:1 mixture of
released coolant concentrate mixed
with clean tap water. If no coolant
concentrate is available, use clean
tap water. Install the cap tightly. Have
the coolant concentration checked
and have the cause of the coolant
loss remedied by a workshop.
Washer fluid
Fill with clean water mixed with a
suitable quantity of windscreen
washer fluid which contains
antifreeze.
Caution
Only washer fluid with a sufficient
antifreeze concentration provides
protection at low temperatures or
a sudden drop in temperature.
Use of washer fluid containing
isopropanol can damage exterior
lamps.
Brakes
In the event of minimum thickness ofthe brake lining, a squealing noise
sounds during braking.
Continued driving is possible but
have the brake lining replaced as
soon as possible.
Once new brake linings are installed,
do not brake unnecessarily hard for
the first few journeys.
Brake fluid9 Warning
Brake fluid is poisonous and
corrosive. Avoid contact with eyes, skin, fabrics and painted surfaces.