HintsOne person per safety belt
Never allow more than one person to
wear a single safety belt. Never allow infants or
small children to ride on a passenger's lap. ◀
Putting on the belt
Lay the belt, without twisting, snugly
across the lap and shoulders, as close to the
body as possible. Make sure that the belt lies
low around the hips in the lap area and does
not press on the abdomen. Otherwise, the belt
can slip over the hips in a frontal impact and in‐
jure the abdomen.
The safety belt must not lie across the neck, rub
on sharp edges, be routed over breakable ob‐
jects, or be pinched. ◀
What reduces the restraining effect Avoid wearing bulky clothing, and pull
the shoulder belt periodically to readjust the
tension. Make sure that the belt is not jammed; otherwise, the belt can be damaged and the
restraining effect is reduced. ◀
Using the middle safety belt If the middle safety belt in the rear is
used, the larger side of the backrest must be
locked. Otherwise, the safety belt will not have
a restraining effect. ◀
Buckling the belt
Make sure you hear the latch plate engage in
the belt buckle.
Unbuckling the belt1.Hold the belt firmly.2.Press the red button in the belt buckle.3.Guide the belt back into its roll-up mecha‐
nism.
Safety belt reminder for driver's seat
and front passenger seat
The indicator lamp lights up and a sig‐
nal sounds. Make sure that the safety
belts are positioned correctly. The
safety belt reminder is active at speeds above
approx. 6 mph/10 km/h. It can also be acti‐
vated if objects are placed on the front passen‐
ger seat.
Damage to safety belts
Wear and tear after accidents or when dam‐
aged otherwise:
Have the safety belts, including the safety belt
tensioners, replaced and have the belt anchors
checked.
Check and replace safety belts
This should only be done by your service
center; otherwise, this safety feature might not
work properly. ◀
Front head restraints
Correctly adjusted head restraint A correctly adjusted head restraint reduces the
risk of injury to cervical vertebrae in the event
of an accident.
Adjust the headrest via the backrest tilt as
needed.
Adjusting the head restraint
Adjust the head restraints of all occupied
seats properly; otherwise, there is an increased
risk of injury in an accident. ◀
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in the rear; otherwise, there is increased risk of
injury in the event of an accident. ◀▷To lower flaps: press the button, arrow 1,
and press down the head restraint.▷Fold back up: pull up head restraints.
Removing
Only remove the head restraint if no one will be
sitting in the seat in question.
Fold the seat down, refer to page 145, before
removing the head restraint, otherwise the
head restraint cannot be removed.
1.Pull head restraint up against the resist‐
ance.2.Press button, arrow 1, and pull the head re‐
straint out completely.
Before transporting passengers
Reinstall the head restraint before trans‐
porting anyone in the seat; otherwise, the pro‐
tective function of the head restraint is unavail‐
able. ◀
Mirrors
Exterior mirrors
General information
The mirror on the passenger side is more
curved than the driver's side mirror.
Depending on the vehicle equipment, the mir‐
ror setting is stored for the profile currently in
use. When the vehicle is unlocked via the re‐
mote control, the position is automatically re‐
trieved if this function is active.
Note Estimating distances correctly
Objects reflected in the mirror are closer
than they appear. Do not estimate the distance
to the traffic behind you based on what you see
in the mirror, as this will increase your risk of an
accident. ◀
Overview1Adjusting 542Left/right, Automatic Curb Monitor3Fold in and out 54
Selecting a mirror
To change over to the other mirror:
Slide the switch.
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Transporting children safelyVehicle features and op‐
tions
This chapter describes all standard, country-
specific and optional features offered with the
series. It also describes features that are notnecessarily available in your car, e. g., due to
the selected options or country versions. This
also applies to safety-related functions and sys‐
tems. The respectively applicable country provi‐
sions must be observed when using the respec‐
tive features and systems.
The right place for children
Note
Children in the vehicle
Do not leave children unattended in the
vehicle; otherwise, they could endanger them‐
selves and other persons, e.g., by opening the
doors. ◀
Children should always be in the rear Accident research shows that the safest place
for children is in the back seat.
Transporting children in the rear
Only transport children younger than
13 years of age or shorter than 5 ft/150 cm in
the rear in child restraint systems provided in
accordance with the age, weight and size of
the child; otherwise, there is an increased risk
of injury in an accident.
Children 13 years of age or older must wear a
safety belt as soon as a suitable child restraint system can no longer be used due to their age,
weight and size. ◀
Children on the front passenger seat
Should it ever be necessary to use a child re‐
straint system in the front passenger seat,
make sure that the front, knee and side airbags
on the front passenger side are deactivated.
Automatic deactivation of front-seat passenger
airbags, refer to page 97.Note
Deactivating the front-seat passenger air‐
bags
If a child restraint system is used in the front
passenger seat, deactivate the front-seat pas‐
senger airbags; otherwise, there is an increased
risk of injury to the child when the airbags are
activated, even with a child restraint system. ◀
Installing child re‐
straint systems
Hints Manufacturer's information for child re‐straint systems
To select, mount and use child restraint sys‐
tems, observe the information provided by the
system manufacturer; otherwise, the protective
effect can be lost. ◀
Ensuring the stability of the child seat
When installing child restraint systems,
make sure that the child seat is securely fas‐
tened to the backrest of the seat. Angle and
headrest of the backrest might need to be ad‐
justed or possibly be removed. Make sure that
all backrests are securely locked. Otherwise the
stability of the child seat can be affected, andSeite 56CONTROLSTransporting children safely56
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there is an increased risk of injury because of
unexpected movement of the seat backrest. ◀
In order to faciliate the installation of a back-
facing child restraint system in the rear:
move the front passenger's seat as far up as
possible before folding down the backrest.
On the front passenger seat
Deactivating airbags
After installing a child restraint system in the
front passenger seat, make sure that the front,
knee and side airbags on the front passenger
side are deactivated.
Deactivate the front-seat passenger airbags au‐
tomatically, refer to page 97.
Deactivating the front-seat passenger air‐
bags
If a child restraint system is used in the front
passenger seat, deactivate the front-seat pas‐
senger airbags; otherwise, there is an increased
risk of injury to the child when the airbags are
activated, even with a child restraint system. ◀
Seat position and height
Before installing a child restraint system, move
the front passenger seat as far back as possible
and adjust its height to the highest and thus
best possible position for the belt and to offer
optimal protection in the event of an accident.
If the upper anchorage of the safety belt is lo‐
cated in front of the belt guide of the child seat,move the passenger seat carefully forward until
the best possible belt guide position is reached.
Child seat security
The rear safety belts and the front passenger
safety belt can be permanently locked to fasten
child restraint systems.
Locking the safety belt
1.Pull out the strap completely.2.Secure the child restraint system with the
belt.3.Allow the strap to be pulled in and pull it
tight against the child restraint system. The
safety belt is locked.
Unlocking the safety belt
1.Unbuckle the belt buckle.2.Remove the child restraint system.3.Allow the strap to be pulled in completely.
LATCH child restraint system
LATCH: Lower Anchors and Tether for Children.
Note Follow manufacturer's information for
LATCH child restraint systems
To mount and use the LATCH child restraint sys‐
tems, observe the operating and safety infor‐mation from the system manufacturer; other‐
wise, the level of protection may be reduced. ◀
Mounts for the lower LATCH anchors
The lower anchors may be used to attach the
CRS to the vehicle seat up to a combined childSeite 57Transporting children safelyCONTROLS57
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No persons on the back seat when there
is a child restraint system with an upper
retaining strap on the front passenger seat.
When there is a child restraint system with an
upper retaining strap on the front passenger
seat, no one should sit in the back seat directly
behind it, otherwise there is an increased risk of
injury due to the upper retaining strap. ◀
Upper retaining strap when the backrest
is folded down
When the backrest is folded down, do not
guide the belt through the head restraint sup‐
ports on the backrest; otherwise the belt may
not secure the child restraint system properly in
case of an accident ◀
ON 5-door models: Lock‐
ing the doors and win‐
dows
Rear doors
Push the locking lever on the rear doors up.
The door can now be opened from the outside
only.
Safety switch for the rear Press button on the driver's door if
children are being transported in the
rear.
This locks various functions so that they cannot
be operated from the rear: safety switch, refer
to page 46.Seite 59Transporting children safelyCONTROLS59
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DrivingVehicle features and op‐
tions
This chapter describes all standard, country-
specific and optional features offered with the
series. It also describes features that are not
necessarily available in your car, e. g., due to
the selected options or country versions. This
also applies to safety-related functions and sys‐
tems. The respectively applicable country provi‐
sions must be observed when using the respec‐
tive features and systems.
Start/Stop button The concept Pressing the Start/Stop button
switches the ignition on or off
and starts the engine.
Steptronic transmission: the en‐
gine starts in selector lever posi‐
tion P or N with the brake pedal pressed when
you press the Start/Stop button.
Manual transmission: the engine starts with the
clutch pedal pressed when the Start/Stop but‐
ton is pressed.
Ignition on Steptronic transmission: press the Start/Stop
button, and do not press on the brake pedal at
the same time.
Manual transmission: press the Start/Stop but‐
ton without stepping on the clutch pedal.
All vehicle systems are ready for operation.
Most of the indicator and warning lights in the
instrument cluster light up for a varied length of
time.To save battery power when the engine is off,
switch off the ignition and any unnecessary
electronic systems/power consumers.
Ignition off
Manual transmission: press the Start/Stop but‐
ton again without stepping on the clutch pedal.
Steptronic transmission: shift to selector lever
position P, press the Start/Stop button again
without stepping on the brake.
All indicator lights in the instrument cluster go
out.
To save battery power when the engine is off,
switch off the ignition and any unnecessary electronic systems/power consumers.
Ignition automatically cuts off while the vehicle
is stationary and the engine is stopped:▷During locking, also with the low beams ac‐
tivated.▷Shortly before the battery is discharged
completely, so that the engine can still be
started. This function is only available when
the low beams are turned off.▷When opening and closing the driver door,
if the driver's safety belt is unbuckled and
the low beams are turned off.▷While the driver's safety belt is unbuckled
with driver's door open and low beams off.▷The low beams switch to parking lights af‐
ter approx. 15 minutes of no use.
Radio ready state
Activate radio-ready state:
▷When the engine is running: press the Start/
Stop button.
Some electronic systems/power consumers re‐
main ready for operation.
Radio ready state switches off automatically:
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▷After approx. 8 minutes.▷When the vehicle is locked using the central
locking system.▷Shortly before the battery is discharged
completely, so that the engine can still be
started.
The radio-ready state remains active if, e.g., the
ignition is automatically switched off for the fol‐
lowing reasons:
▷Opening or closing the driver's door.▷Unfastening of the driver's safety belt.▷When automatically switching from low
beams to parking lights.
If the engine is switched off and the ignition is
switched on, the system automatically switches
to the radio-ready state if the lights are turned
off or, if correspondingly equipped, the day‐
time running lights are activated.
Starting the engine
Hints Enclosed areas
Do not let the engine run in enclosed
areas, since breathing in exhaust fumes may
lead to loss of consciousness and death. The
exhaust gases contain carbon monoxide, an
odorless and colorless but highly toxic gas. ◀
Unattended vehicle
Do not leave the vehicle unattended with
the engine running; doing so poses a risk of
danger.
Before leaving the vehicle with the engine run‐
ning, set the parking brake and place the trans‐
mission in selector lever position P or N to pre‐
vent the vehicle from moving. ◀
Repeated starting in quick succession
Avoid trying to start the vehicle repeat‐
edly and in quick succession. Otherwise, the
fuel is not burned or is inadequately burned,
posing a risk of overheating and damage to the
catalytic converter. ◀
Do not wait for the engine to warm-up while
the vehicle remains stationary. Start driving at
moderate engine speeds.
Steptronic transmission
Starting the engine1.Depress the brake pedal.2.Engage selector lever position P or N.3.Press the Start/Stop button.
The ignition is activated automatically for a cer‐
tain time and is stopped as soon as the engine
starts.
Manual transmission
Starting the engine
1.Depress the brake pedal.2.Press on the clutch pedal and shift to neu‐
tral.3.Press the Start/Stop button.
The ignition is activated automatically for a cer‐
tain time and is stopped as soon as the engine
starts.
Engine stop
Hints Take the remote control with you
Take the remote control with you when
leaving the vehicle so that children, e.g., cannot
start the engine. ◀
Apply parking brake and further secure
the vehicle if needed.
Set the parking brake firmly when parking; oth‐
erwise, the vehicle could roll. On steep upward
and downward inclines, further secure the ve‐
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Functional limitationsThe engine is not switched off automatically in
the following situations:▷External temperature too low.▷The external temperature is high and auto‐
matic climate control is running.▷The car's interior has not yet been heated
or cooled to the required level.▷The engine is not yet at operating tempera‐
ture.▷The wheels are at a sharp angle or the
steering wheel is being turned.▷After driving in reverse.▷Fogging of the windows when the auto‐
matic climate control is switched on.▷The vehicle battery charge is very low.▷At higher elevations.▷The engine compartment lid is unlocked.▷The parking assistant is activated.▷Stop-and-go traffic.▷Selector lever in selector lever position R, N
or M/S.
Starting the engine
The engine starts automatically under the fol‐
lowing conditions:
▷Manual transmission:
The clutch pedal is pressed.▷Steptronic transmission:
By releasing the brake pedal.
After the engine starts, accelerate as usual.
Safety mode
After the engine switches off automatically, it
will not start again automatically if any one of
the following conditions are met.
▷The driver's safety belt is unbuckled and
the driver's door is open.▷The hood was unlocked.Some indicator lights light up for a varied
length of time.
The engine can only be started via the Start/
Stop button.
Functional limitations
Even if driving off was not intended, the deacti‐
vated engine starts up automatically in the fol‐
lowing situations:▷Excessive warming of the car's interior
when the cooling function is switched on.▷The steering wheel is turned.▷Steptronic transmission: change from selec‐
tor lever position D to R, N or M/S.▷Steptronic transmission: change from selec‐
tor lever position P to R, N, D or M/S.▷The vehicle begins rolling.▷Fogging of the windows when the auto‐
matic climate control is switched on.▷The vehicle battery charge is very low.▷Excessive cooling of the car's interior when
the heating is switched on.▷Manual transmission: low brake vacuum
pressure; this can occur, e.g., if the brake
pedal is depressed a number of times in
succession.
Switching the system on/off
Using the button
Press button.
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