General information
Steptronic Sport transmission: shift lights are
shown, when the SPORT+ driving program is
activated.
Manual transmission: shift lights are shown,
when the SPORT or SPORT+ driving program
is activated.
Switching on shift lightsSteptronic Sport transmission:1.Select SPORT+ using the Driving Dynam‐
ics Control.2.Activate the M/S manual mode of the
transmission.
Manual transmission:
1.Select SPORT or SPORT+ using the Driv‐
ing Dynamics Control.2.Deactivate DSC if needed.
Display in the instrument display
▷Current engine speed is displayed in the
tachometer.▷Arrow 1: successive yellow illuminated
fields indicate an increase in the speed.▷Arrow 2: successive orange illuminated
fields indicate the upcoming shift moment.▷Arrow 3: fields are illuminated in red. Do
not wait any further to shift.
When the maximum possible speed is
reached, the entire display flashes. When the
maximum speed is exceeded, the supply of
fuel is interrupted in order to protect the en‐
gine. Speeds in this range must be avoided.
Check Control
The concept The Check Control system monitors functions
in the vehicle and notifies you of malfunctions
in the monitored systems.
A Check Control message is displayed as a
combination of indicator or warning lights and
text messages in the instrument cluster and in
the Head-up Display.
In addition, an acoustic signal may sound and a text message may appear on the Control Dis‐
play.
Indicator/warning lights
General information
The indicator and warning lights in the instru‐
ment cluster can light up in a variety of combi‐
nations and colors.
Several of the lights are checked for proper
functioning and light up temporarily when the
engine is started or the ignition is switched on.
Red lights Safety belt reminder Flashing or illuminated: safety belt onthe driver or passenger side is not
buckled. The safety belt reminder can
also be activated if objects are placed on the
front passenger seat.
Make sure that the safety belts are positioned
correctly.
Airbag system Airbag system and belt tensioner aredefective.
Have the vehicle checked by the serv‐
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Resetting the fuel consumption or
speed
On the Control Display:1."Vehicle info"2."Onboard info"3."Consumpt." or "Speed"4."Yes"
Sport displays
The concept
On the Control Display, the current values for
performance and torque can be displayed if
the vehicle is appropriately equipped.
Displaying sport displays on the
Control Display
1."Vehicle info"2."Sport displays"
Speed warning
The concept Displays a speed, when reached, should cause
a warning to be issued.
The warning is repeated if the vehicle speed
drops below the set speed once by at least
3 mph/5 km/h.
Displaying, setting or changing the
speed warning
On the Control Display:
1."Settings"2."Speed"3."Warning at:"4.Turn the controller until the desired speed
is displayed.5.Press the controller.
Speed warning is stored.
Activating/deactivating the speed
warning
On the Control Display:1."Settings"2."Speed"3."Warning"4.Press the controller.
Setting your current speed as the
speed warning
On the Control Display:
1."Settings"2."Speed"3."Select current speed"4.Press the controller.
The current vehicle speed is stored as the
speed warning.
Settings on the Control
Display
Time
Setting the time zone
1."Settings"2."Time/Date"3."Time zone:"4.Select the desired time zone.
The time zone is stored.
Setting the time
1."Settings"2."Time/Date"3."Time:"4.Turn the controller until the desired hours
are displayed.5.Press the controller.Seite 99DisplaysControls99
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In case of a malfunction have airbag sys‐
tem checked immediately.
In case of a malfunction have airbag system
checked immediately; otherwise, there is a risk
that the system does not function as expected
in case of a severe accident.◀
Automatic deactivation of the front-
seat passenger airbags
The system reads if the front passenger seat is
occupied by measuring the human body's re‐
sistance.
Front, knee and side airbag on the front pas‐
senger's side are either activated or deacti‐
vated.
Leave feet in the footwell
Make sure that the front passenger
keeps his or her feet in the footwell; otherwise,
proper functioning of the front passenger air‐
bag might not be assured.◀
Child restraint fixing system in the front
passenger seat
Before transporting a child on the front pas‐
senger seat, refer to the safety notes and in‐
structions for children on the front passenger
seat, see Children.◀
Malfunction of the automatic
deactivation system
When transporting older children and adults,
the front-seat passenger airbags may be deac‐
tivated in certain sitting positions. In this case,
the indicator lamp for the front-seat passenger
airbags lights up.
In this case, change the sitting position so that
the front-seat passenger airbags are activated
and the indicator lamp goes out.
If it is not possible to activate the airbags, have
the person sit in the rear.
To enable correct recognition of the occupied
seat cushion▷Do not attach covers, cushions, ball mats
or other items to the front passenger seat
unless they are specifically recommended
by your vehicle's manufacturer.▷Do not place any electronic devices on the
passenger seat if a child restraint system is
to be installed on it.▷Do not place objects under the seat that
could press against the seat from below.▷No moisture in or on the seat.
Indicator lamp for the front-seat
passenger airbags
The indicator lamp for the front-seat passen‐
ger airbags indicates the operating state of the
front-seat passenger airbags.
The lamp indicates whether the airbags are ei‐
ther activated or deactivated.
▷The indicator lamp lights up
when a child is properly
seated in a child restraint fix‐
ing system or when the seat
is empty. The airbags on the
front passenger side are not
activated.▷The indicator lamp does not light up when,
e.g., a correctly seated person of sufficient
size is detected on the seat. The airbags
on the front passenger side are activated.
Detected child seats
The system generally detects children seated
in a child seat, particularly in child seats re‐
quired by NHTSA when the vehicle was manu‐
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System limitsSudden tire damage
Sudden serious tire damage caused by
external circumstances cannot be recognized
in advance.◀
A natural, even tire inflation pressure loss in all
four tires will not be recognized. Therefore,
check the tire inflation pressure regularly.
The system could be delayed or malfunction in
the following situations:▷When the system has not been initialized.▷When driving on a snowy or slippery road
surface.▷Sporty driving style: spinning traction
wheels, high lateral acceleration (drifting).▷When driving with snow chains.
Actions in the event of a flat tire
Normal tires
1.Identify the damaged tire.
Do this by checking the air pressure in all
four tires.
The tire pressure gage of the Mobility Sys‐
tem, refer to page 224, can possibly be
used for this purpose.
If the tire inflation pressure in all four tires
is correct, the Flat Tire Monitor may not
have been initialized. In this case, initialize
the system.
If an identification is not possible, please
contact the service center.2.Fix the flat tire where applicable using the
Mobility System, refer to page 224.
Run-flat tires
Maximum speed
You may continue driving with a damaged tire
at speeds up to 50 mph/80 km/h.
Continued driving with a flat tire
If continuing to drive with a damaged tire:1.Avoid sudden braking and steering maneu‐
vers.2.Do not exceed a speed of 50 mph/80 km/h.3.Check the air pressure in all four tires at
the next opportunity.
If the tire inflation pressure in all four tires
is correct, the Flat Tire Monitor may not
have been initialized. In this case, initialize
the system.
Possible driving distance with complete loss of
tire inflation pressure:
The possible driving distance after a loss of tire
inflation pressure depends on cargo load, driv‐
ing style and road conditions.
A vehicle with an average load has a possible
driving range of approx. 50 miles/80 km.
A vehicle with a damaged tire reacts differ‐
ently, e.g., it has reduced lane stability during
braking, a longer braking distance and different
self-steering properties. Adjust your driving
style accordingly. Avoid abrupt steering ma‐
neuvers or driving over obstacles, e.g., curbs,
potholes, etc.
Because the possible driving distance de‐
pends on how the vehicle is used during the
trip, the actual distance may be shorter or lon‐
ger depending on the driving speed, road con‐
ditions, external temperature, cargo load, etc.
Continued driving with a flat tire
Drive moderately and do not exceed a
speed of 50 mph/80 km/h.
Your car handles differently when you lose tire
inflation pressure, e.g., your lane stability is re‐
duced when braking, braking distances are
longer and the self-steering properties will
change.◀
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▷PreCrash▷PostCrash
Attentiveness assistant
The concept The system can detect increasing lack of alert‐
ness or fatigue of the driver during long, mo‐
notonous journeys, e.g., on highways. In this situation, it is recommended that the driver
takes a break.
Note Personal responsibility
The system cannot act as a substitute for
the personal assessment of one's physical
state and may not detect an increasing lack of
alertness or fatigue or may not detect it cor‐
rectly. Therefore, make sure that the driver is
rested and alert; otherwise, risks may be de‐
tected too late and an accident be caused as a
result.◀
Function
The system is activated each time the engine
is started and cannot be switched off.
After travel has begun, the system is trained
about the driver, so that increasing lack of
alertness or fatigue can be detected.
This procedure takes the following criteria into
account:
▷Personal driving style, e.g., steering behav‐
ior.▷Driving conditions, e.g., length of trip.
Starting at approximately 43 mph/70 km/h, the
system is active and can display a recommen‐
dation to take a break.
Break recommendation
If the driver becomes increasingly less alert or
fatigued, a message is displayed in the Control
Display with the recommendation to take a
break.
A recommendation to take a break is displayed
only once during an uninterrupted trip.
After a break, another recommendation to take
a break cannot be displayed until after approxi‐
mately 45 minutes.
System limits
The function may be limited in the following
situations, for instance, and will either output
an incorrect warning or no warning at all:▷When the clock is set incorrectly.▷When the vehicle speed is mainly below
about 43 mph/70 km/h.▷With a sporty driving style, such as during
rapid acceleration or when cornering fast.▷In active driving situations, such as when
changing lanes frequently.▷When the road surface is poor.▷In the event of strong side winds.
PreCrash
The concept With this system critical driving situations that
might result in an accident can be detected
above a speed of approx. 20 mph/30 km/h. In these situations, preventive measures are au‐
tomatically taken to minimize the risk of an ac‐
cident as much as possible.
Critical driving situations may include:
▷Emergency stop.▷Severe understeering.▷Severe oversteering.
If the vehicle includes the front-end collision
warning or front-end collision warning with
braking feature, impending collisions with vehi‐
cles driving ahead or stopped in front of you
can also be detected within the system's
range.
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Therefore, do not reduce the additional safety
margin by driving in a risky manner.◀
Do not deactivate DSC when driving withroof load
Do not deactivate Dynamic Stability Control
DSC when driving with roof load, e.g. roof-
mounted luggage rack.
Otherwise, driving safety is not given in driv‐
ing-critical situation due to the elevated center
of gravity.◀
Overview
Button in the vehicle
DSC OFF button
Indicator/warning lights The indicator lamp flashes: DSC con‐
trols the drive and braking forces.
The indicator lamp lights up: DSC has
failed.
Deactivating DSC: DSC OFF
When DSC is deactivated, driving stability is
reduced during acceleration and when driving
in curves.
Stabilizing interventions by the Integral Active
Steering system are only performed by the
rear axle steering.
To increase vehicle stability, activate DSC
again as soon as possible.
Deactivating DSC
Press and hold this button but not lon‐
ger than approx. 10 seconds, until the
indicator lamp for DSC OFF lights up in the in‐
strument cluster and displays DSC OFF.
The DSC system is switched off.
The steering and, depending on the equip‐
ment, suspension are tuned for sporty driving.
Activating DSC Press button.
DSC OFF and the DSC OFF indicator
lamp go out.
Indicator/warning lights
When DSC is deactivated, DSC OFF is dis‐
played in the instrument cluster.
The indicator lamp lights up: DSC is
deactivated.
DTC Dynamic Traction
Control
The concept The DTC system is a version of the DSC where
forward momentum is optimized.
The system ensures maximum headway on
special road conditions or loose road surfaces,
e.g., unplowed snowy roads, but with some‐
what limited driving stability.
Activating the Dynamic Traction Control DTC
provides maximum traction. Driving stability is
limited during acceleration and when driving in
curves.
Therefore drive with appropriate caution.
You may find it useful to briefly activate DTC
under the following special circumstances:▷When driving in slush or on uncleared,
snow-covered roads.Seite 136ControlsDriving stability control systems136
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Activating HDC
Press button; the LED above the button
lights up.
Deactivating HDC Press button again and the LED goes
out. HDC is automatically deactivated
above approx. 37 mph/60 km/h.
Display in the instrument cluster The selected speed is displayed
in the speedometer.
▷Green: the system is actively
braking the vehicle.▷Orange: the system is on
standby.
Malfunction
A message is displayed in the instrument clus‐
ter. HDC is not available, e.g., due to elevated
brake temperatures.
Adaptive Drive
The concept Adaptive Drive includes the following systems:
▷Dynamic Drive, refer to page 138.▷Dynamic Damping Control, refer to
page 138.
The system increases driving stability and driv‐
ing comfort.
Dynamic Drive
The concept The system reduces the lateral inclination of
the vehicle that occurs during rapid driving in curves or during quick evasive maneuvers.
Driving stability and driving comfort are in‐
creased under all driving conditions. The sys‐
tem utilizes active stabilizer bars on the front
and rear axles that react immediately to all driv‐
ing situations.
Programs The system offers two different programs.
Select the programs via the Driving Dynamics
Control, refer to page 139.
SPORT
Sporty tuning for greater driving agility.
COMFORT
Comfort-oriented tuning for optimal comfort.
Dynamic Damping Control The concept
This system reduces undesirable vehicle mo‐
tion when using a dynamic driving style or trav‐
eling on uneven road surfaces.
The system enhances driving dynamics and
comfort fitting road surface and driving style.
Programs The system offers several different programs.
Select the programs via the Driving Dynamics
Control, refer to page 139.
SPORT/SPORT+
Consistently sporty control of the shock ab‐
sorbers for greater driving agility.Seite 138ControlsDriving stability control systems138
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COMFORT/ECO PROBalanced tuning.
COMFORT+ Comfort-oriented tuning of the shock absorb‐
ers for optimal traveling comfort.
Integral Active Steering The concept
Integral Active Steering is a combination of Ac‐
tive Steering and rear axle steering.
Active Steering varies the steering angle of the
wheels in relation to the steering wheel move‐
ment as a function of the speed.
At speeds up to approx. 37 mph/60 km/h, e.g.,
in curves, the steering angle is increased, i.e.,
steering becomes more direct.
The rear axle steering acts to increase maneu‐
verability by turning the rear wheels slightly in
a direction opposite to the front wheels.
At higher speeds, the steering angle is increas‐
ingly reduced.
The rear wheels are turned to the same angle
as the front wheels.
In critical situations, Integral Active Steering
can specifically steer the front and rear wheels
to stabilize the vehicle before the driver inter‐
venes, e.g., when braking where road condi‐
tions differ on the left and right sides of the ve‐
hicle.
InitializingIn rare cases, it may become necessary to initi‐
alize the Integral Active Steering.
The warning lamp lights up. A Check
Control message is displayed.1.With the engine running, turn the steering
wheel all the way to the left and right sev‐
eral times in a uniform manner until the
warning lamp disappears.2.Have the system checked if the warning
lamp does not go out after moving the
steering wheel approx. 6 times or if the
steering wheel is at an angle.
Using snow chains
Note When snow chains are in use, refer to
page 228, rear wheel steering is deactivated.
Programs The system offers several different programs.
Select the programs via the Driving Dynamics
Control, refer to page 139.
SPORT
Consistently sporty tuning of the Integral Ac‐
tive Steering for greater driving agility.
Malfunction In the event of a malfunction, the steering
wheel must be turned further, while the vehicle
responds more sensitively to steering wheel
movements in the higher speed range.
The stability-enhancing intervention may be
deactivated.
Proceed cautiously and drive defensively.
Have the system checked.
Driving Dynamics Control
The concept The Driving Dynamics Control can be used to
adjust the driving dynamics of the vehicle. For
this purpose various programs are available for
selection that are activated via the two buttons
of the Driving Dynamics Control and the DSC
OFF-button.
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