
38 Opening and closing
well as the vehicle doors closed when not
in use.
@ Tips
- If the rear lid is ope n or not properly
locked when the ignition is turned on,
the door and rear lid warning appears in
the instrument cluster disp lay.
- If the rear lid on a locked vehicle is un
l ocked with the middle button
c;j on the
remote key, the rear lid is automatically
l ocked again immediately after clos ing.
This is indicated by the turn signals
blinking .
Rear Lid Emergency Release
If the rear lid cannot be opened , an emergen
cy release is provided .
Fig. 32 Storage compartment between t he seatbacks
Fig. 33 Hand le for emergency re lease
., Pull the handle on the lid in the direction of
the arrow
i=;,fig. 32 and swing the lid down
ward .
.. Remove the handle from its anchor.
.. Pull the handle
r::;,fig. 33 in the direction of
the arrow.
A WARNING
-Never operate the emergency release for
the trunk lid while the vehicle is moving .
Anti-theft alarm
system
The anti-the~ alarm triggers an alarm if any
one attempts to break into the vehicle.
Fig. 34 Diode positio n in th e instrument panel
,..
-q
i
The anti-theft alarm system triggers an audi
ble a larm and turns on the emergency flasher
if an unauthorized interference with the vehi
cle is sensed by the system .
How is the anti-theft alarm system
switched on?
The anti-theft alarm system is switched on
when you lock the driver's door manually us
ing the fold-out key, or when you use the re
mote control. The system is activated approx i
mately 30 seconds after the vehicle is locked.
T he ind icator light
r::;, fig. 34 starts flashing
rapidly for 30 seconds and then blinks slowly.
How is the anti-theft alarm system
switched off?
The anti-theft alarm system is switched off
o nl y when you use the remote control to un
lock your vehicle . If you do not open a door
within 30 seconds after you have unlocked
with the remote control, the vehicle wi ll lock
itself aga in automatically .
If you lock just the driver's door using your
key, the front passenger's door and the rear
lid remain locked. ..,.

opening for the eme rgency locking crank is
l ocated behind the protective cap.
Removing the square shaft
.,. Insert the threaded side of the crank into
the insertion opening
q fig. 51 .
.,. Turn the crank to the right until it is tightly
screwed into place@ .
.,. Pull the crank with the square shaft thread
ed onto it downward to remove the shaft
completely @.
Using the crank to lock the convertible
top
.,. Insert the other side of the crank (with the
mult ipoint head) into the opening until the
stop ring lies against the closing mo tor @
qfig . 51 .
.,. Turn the crank clockwise to open the retain
ers and pull the convertible top down at the
s ide .
.,. Turn the crank counter-clockwise until the
top is fully locked in place and the indicator
light on the instrument cluster goes out .
.,. Pull the crank out.
.,. Unscrew the square shaft from the crank .
.,. Insert the square shaft into the opening un
t il you hear it click into place .
.,. Use the protective cap to close off the inser -
t ion open ing .
The convertible top is now completely closed .
H ave the malfunct ion repaired as soon as pos
sible.
(Dl Tips
Turn the emergency operat ion screw in the
luggage compartment to the r ight to close
the convertible top hydraulic system.
Convertible top 47

48 Clear vision
Clear vision Lights
Switching the headlights on and off
Fig . 52 Instr ument pane l: lig ht sw itc h
Fig. 53 Instrum ent pane l: ligh t swi tch with daytime
runnin g lights (DRL)
The light switch must not be overturned past
the stops in
either direct ion.
Switching on automatic headlight
control*
.,. Turn the light switch to AUTO* ¢ fig. 52.
Switching on the side marker lights
... Turn the light switch to :;oo: .
Switching on the headlights and high
beam
... Turn the light switch to iD.
... Push the high beam lever forward towards
the instrument panel¢
page SO.
Switching off the lights
... Turn the light switch to 0.
The head lights only work when the ignition is
switched on. While start ing the engine or
when switching off the ignition, the head- lights
will go off and only the side ma rker
lights will be on.
Daytime running lights (DRL) (USA
models)
T he daytime running lights can be turned on
or off using this function. If the function is ac
tive, the daytime running lights are turned on
automatically when the ignit ion is switched
on.
The daytime running lights are activated
only
when the light switch is at the AUTO* or DRL *
position.
Daytime running lights (Canada models
only)
The daytime running lights are activated only
when the light switch ¢ fig. 52 is either at the
0 or the :;oo: position.
T he daytime r unning lights funct ion cannot be
turned off.
Automatic headlight control*
In the switch position AUTO the automatic
headlight control
is turned on. The low
beams are turned on automatically through a
light sensor as soon as ambient brightness
(e .g. when driving into a tunnel) falls below a
value preset at the factory. When ambient
brightness increases aga in, the low beams are
turned off again automatically ¢.&. .
In the
AUTO position the low beams are
switched off automatically when the ignition
is turned off .
Light Sensor Malfunction*
In the event of a light sensor malfunction, the
driver is notified in the instrument cluster dis
play:
tal Automatic headlights/automatic wipers
defective
For safety reasons the low beams are turned
on permanently with the switch in
AUTO* .
However, you can continue to turn the lights
on and off using the light switch . Have the
Ill>-

50 Clear vis ion
Front fog lights
F ig. 5 4 Fog light act ivation: light switch pos itio n on
veh icles WITHOUT sensor light
Switching on the front fog lights iO
.,. Do not turn the light switch ·'t/-· ¢ fig. 54 to-
ward the fog light symbol
}D.
.,. Turn the light switch to :o o: or to io .
.,. Pull the ligh t switch to the first stop @.
When the front fog lights are on, the symbol
}D next to the light switch will i llum ina te.
@ Tips
With the switch in AUTO front fog lights
cannot be turned on in addit ion.
Turn signals and high beam lever
The lever on the left side of the steering col
umn is used to operate the turn signals and
the high beam as well as the headlight flash
er .
Fig . 55 Tu rn signa l and high beam lever
The turn signal and high beam lever has the
following functions:
Turn signals ¢ Q ©@
.,. Push the lever up as fa r as it ca n go to t urn
on the right turn s ignal or down to tu rn on
the left turn signal ¢
fig. 55 .
.,. Move the lever briefly unti l you meet res ist
ance and release it to flash three times .
.,. Move the lever (up or down) until you meet
resistance and hold it there to determine
the flashing time for the turn signals .
High be am gD @
.,. Push the lever forward to switch on the high
beam.
.,. Pull the lever back towards you to switch off
the high beam.
Headlight fla sh er gD @
.,. Pull the lever toward the steering whee l to
use the headlight flasher.
Not es on thes e features
- The turn signals on ly work wi th the ignition
sw itched on. The indicator lights
B or iPJ
in the instrument cluster~ page 12 a lso
blink.
- After you have tu rned a corner, the turn sig
na l switches off automatically .
- The
high beam wo rks on ly when the head
lights are on . The indicator light
Iii in the
instrument cluster illuminates when the
high beams are on.
- The
headlight flasher works only as lo ng as
you ho ld the lever -even if there a re no
lights turned on. The indicator light
Iii in
the instrument cluster illuminates when you
use t he headlight flasher.
A WARNING
Do not use the h igh beam or head light
flasher if yo u know that these could b lind
oncom ing traffic.
-

52 Clear vis ion
Instrument panel illumination
F ig. 58 Instrument panel ill umination
The illumination of the instruments, displays
and the center console can be adjusted. You
regulate the brightness of the instruments
with the left thumbwheel
CJ:J ~ fig. 58.
Ignition ON, light switch at @ .
With the ignition switched ON, the glow of in
strument needles can be adjusted to appear
brighter or dimmer.
Ignition ON , light switch at ;oo~ or io .
With the l ights sw itched on, the brightness of
instrument cluster (i.e. needles, gauges and
displays) and center console illumination can
be adjusted.
@ Note
The instrument cl uster and cente r console
illumination (gauges and needles) comes
on when you switch on the ignition and the
vehicle headligh ts ar e off . Be aware of the
following difference between mode ls built
to US or Canadian specifications:
- USA mode ls: illumination of the instru
ment cluster (gauges and needles), dash
and center consol e around the se lector
l ever is controlled by a light senso r locat
ed in the instrument panel. The instru
ment pane l illumination will a utomat i
cally become dimmer as the daylight
fades away and eventually will go out
complete ly when outside light is very
l ow . Th is is to rem ind you, the driver, to
switch on the headlights before it gets
too dark . -
Canada models: instrument panel illumi
nation will stay bright regardless of the
intensity of ambient light . Always be
aware of changes in outside light condi
tions while you are driving. Respond in
time to fading daylight by tur ning the
light switch to position fD (o r "AUTO" if
your car is equipped with this feature) to
t ur n on you r headlights.
Luggage compartment light
The light is located on the right side of the
lu ggage compartme nt. These lights come on
automat ica lly when the rear lid is opened . The
lights turn off automatica lly if the lid is left
open for more then 10 minutes.
Vision
Adjusting the exterior mirrors
Fig. 59 Fo rwa rd section of driver's a rmrest: power mir
ror controls
Turn the knob to the desired posit ion:
Q/ P -In this pos ition, you can adjust the
driver's and front passenger's exte rior m irrors
by turning the knob in the desired d irection.
4iil -The mirrors are heated depending on the
outside temperature .
8 -The exterior mirrors fold in*
You are we ll-advised to fold the exterior mir
rors in when maneuvering in tight spaces or
when leaving the car parked close to other
vehicles. ..,,.

Speed warning 2: setting a speed limit
Switches in the wiper arm are used to operate warning threshold
2 .
'----I ®
Fig. 84 W iper lever: Trip computer controls
To store maximum speed
.. Turn off the ignit ion .
.. Briefly press the button in the instrument
cluster¢
page 76, fig. 83. The odometer
and the digital clock are now illuminated .
.. Press the button for at least 2 seconds. The
currently stored maximum speed appears in
the display
or the crossed out symbol for
warning threshold 2, if no maximum speed
was set previously .
.. Press the function selector switch in the
wiper lever@¢
fig. 84 up or down to
change the set value. Values run up or down
i n steps of 6.2 mph (10 km/h).
To delete maximum speed
.. Turn off the ignition.
.. Briefly press the button in the instrument
cluster ¢
page 76, fig. 83. The odometer
and the digital clock are now illuminated.
.. Press the button for at least 2 seconds. The
currently stored maximum speed appears in
the display.
.. Press the reset button in the wiper lever®
¢
fig . 84 until the crossed out speed warn
ing symbol for warning threshold 2 appears
in the d isplay.
A few seconds after the adjustment is com pleted, the illumination for the odometer and
the digital clock will go out.
On the road 77
@ Tips
This warning threshold can a lso be con
trolled through the trip computer
¢ page 25, Navigating the menu.
Cruise control
Switching the system on
The cruise control system makes it possible to
drive at a constant speed starting at
20 mph
(30kmlh).
®-
Fig. 85 Co ntro l leve r w ith set b utto n
Fig. 86 Display : Se lected speed
.. Pull the lever to position @¢ fig. 85 to
switch the system on .
.. Dr ive at the speed you w ish to set .
.. Press button @ to set that speed.
The display ¢
fig. 86 will show the set speed .
The display may vary depending on the type of
display in your vehicle. The indicator light
II (US model) /. (Canadian model) will al
so light up in the instrument cluster .
A WARNING
-Always pay attention to traffic even when
the cruise control is switched on. You are
always responsible for your speed and

Transmission S tronic transmission
Introduction
Your vehicle is equipped with a S tronic trans miss ion, also called a double-clutch system/
transmission.
Power is transferred between the engine and
the transmission by means of two i ndepend
ent clutches. They replace the to rque convert
e r of conventional automat ic transm iss ions
and a llow the vehicle to acce lerate without a
noticeable break in the power flow .
W ith the aid
of tiptr oni c, the gea rs can op
tionally be sh ifted
manually¢ page 84.
Selector lever positions
All the selector lever positions are explained
in this section.
F ig . 89 Display: Selector lever position
The instrument cluster display shows these
l ector lever position.
P -Park loc k
In th is position the gea rs are mechan ically
l ocked .
The park lock must on ly be engaged with the
ve hicle
stationary¢ /1. .
To engage P and to remove the lever from th is
position, you must depress the release button
(button in the selector lever handle)
and si
multaneously you must step on the brake
pedal.
Tran sm iss ion 8 1
R -re ver se
In this position, reverse is engaged.
Reverse gear must only be engaged w ith the
vehicle
stationary and the engine ru nning at
idle speed ¢
/1..
To engage R, you have to depress the release
button
and simultaneously step on the brake
pedal. I n the R pos ition, the bac k-up lights il
luminate w ith the ignition on.
N -Neutral
The transm iss ion is in neutral in this pos ition.
D -Normal po sition fo r dri ving fo rward
In this position, the forward gears are auto
matically shifted up and down, depending on
engine load and vehicle speed.
T o engage D from
N, the brake pedal must be
depressed at speeds below 3 mph (5 km/h) or
when the vehicle is stationary¢&. .
In certa in circ umstances (driving in the moun
tains for examp le) it can be beneficia l to
switch temporari ly to the man ual shift pro
gram ¢
page 84 in order to adjust the gear
ratios to driving conditions
manually .
S -Sport setting
The S set ting should be se lected for sporty
driving. The power reserves of the engine can
be fully exploited through later upshifts.
T o e ngage 5 from N, the b rake peda l must be
depressed at speeds below 3 mph (5 km/h) or
when the vehicle is stationary¢&. .
A WARNING
-Never p lace the selector lever i n the R or
P posit ion while the veh icle is moving -
risk of an accident!
- With the engine r unning, it is necessary
to hold the vehicle with the foot brake in
all se lector lever positions (except P and
N), because even at idle speed the trans
fe r of power is never completely inter
r u pted -the vehicle "creeps". If t he vehi
cle is stat io nary and the transm ission is

If you have selected a lower gear than the cur
rent one, the transmission will only shift down
when the engine cannot be overspeeded .
If kick-down is actuated, the transmission
shifts into a lower gear independent ly of
speed and engine rpm .
Steering wheel with Tiptronic controls
The selector paddles allow the driver to keep
both hands on the steering wheel when shift
ing gears.
Fig. 94 Sport stee ring wheel with selecto r paddles
Shifting up
.,. Pull the right paddle, marked 0 ¢ fig. 94
briefly towards you .
Shifting down
.. Pull the left paddle, marked 0 ¢ fig. 94
briefly towards you.
The selector paddles on the steering wheel
are activated when the selector lever on the
center console is in D, Sor in the manual posi
tion (Tiptronic mode).
You can also shift gears in the Tiptronic mode
using the selector lever on the center console.
@ Tips
With the gear selector lever in either Dor
S the transmission will switch back to the
automatic mode if you do not use the pad
dles within approx . 30 seconds.
Transmission 85
Kick -down feature
The kick-down feature allows maximum ac
celeration .
If you depress the accelerator pedal fully be
yond the full-throttle position, the transmis
sion automatically downshifts one gear, de
pending on vehicle speed and engine rpm. The
upshift into the next higher gear takes place
as soon as the maximum specified engine
speed is reached.
_&. WARNING
Please note that the drive wheels can spin
if the kick-down is used on a smooth slip
pery road -risk of sk idding!
Launch Control Program
The Launch Control Program permits maxi
mum acceleration.
In order to use Launch Control, the ASR (Anti
Slip Regulation) must be disabled. When ASR
is disabled, the ESC warning/indicator light
I) in the instrument cluster illuminates. So
that Launch Control can be used, the engine must be at operating temperature and the
steering wheel must not be turned .
.. With the engine running, briefly press the
ESC button . The message "Stabilization pro
gram off" or "Sport control Warning! Re
stricted stability" in the driver information
system display.
.. Shift the gear lever to "S" or the tiptron ic
position .
.. Step on the brake pedal with your left foot
and keep the brake pedal fully depressed for
at least one second .
.. With your right foot, step on the accelerator
to the wide-open throttle position or Kick
down. The engine speed settles at about
3,200 rpm.
.. Take your left foot off the brake.