The essentials
until it locks. In vehicles with an automatic
g e
arbo
x, the gear lever must be in the P posi-
tion in order to remove the key. If necessary,
press the locking key on the selector lever
and release it again.
● Unlocking the steering wheel: Put the key
into the ignition and turn it
at the same time
as the steering wheel in the direction indica-
ted by the arrow. If it is not possible to turn
the steering wheel, it may be because it is
locked.
Turning on/switching off the ignition, glow
plugs reheating
● Switch ignition on: Turn the key to the 2position.
●
Switch ignition off. Turn the key to the 1position.
●
Diesel vehicles : The glo
w p
lugs reheat
when the ignition is switched on
Starting the engine
● Manual gearbox: press the clutch pedal all
the way
down and move the gearbox lever in-
to neutral.
● Automatic gearbox: Press the brake pedal
and move the sel
ector lever to the P position
or into N.
● Turn the key to the 3 position. The key au-
t om
atic
ally returns to the 2 position. Do not
pr e
s
s the accelerator. Start-Stop System*
When you s
top and release the clutch pedal,
the Start-Stop system* turns off the engine.
The ignition remains switched on.
››› in Switching on the ignition and
starting the engine on page 130
››› page 130 Lights and visibility
Light sw
it
ch Fig. 29
See position on page 7 Turn the switch to the required position
› ›
›
Fig. 29.
Sym-
bolIgnition switched
offIgnition is
switched on
Fog lights, dipped
beam and side lights
off.Light off or daytime
driving light on.
Side light on.
Dipped beam head-
light offDipped beam
switched on.
Front fog lights: mov
e the switch to the
first position, from positions or .
Rear fog light: move the switch completely
from positions or .
Switching off fog lights: Push the switch or
turn it to the position.
››› in Switching lights on and off on
page 102
››› page 102 21
The essentials
WARNING
If the warning lamps are ignored, the vehicle
ma y
stall in traffic, or may cause accidents
and severe injuries.
● Never ignore the warning lamps.
● Stop the vehicle safely as soon as possible.
● Park the vehicle away from traffic and en-
sure th
at there are no highly flammable ma-
terials under the vehicle that could come into
contact with the exhaust system (e.g. dry
grass, fuel).
● A faulty vehicle represents a risk of acci-
dent for the driv
er and for other road users. If
necessary, switch on the hazard warning
lamps and put out the warning triangle to ad-
vise other drivers.
● Before opening the bonnet, switch off the
engine and al
low it to cool.
● In any vehicle, the engine compartment is a
hazar
dous area and could cause severe inju-
ries ›››
page 184. CAUTION
Failure to heed the warning lamps when they
appe ar m
ay result in faults in the vehicle. Gearbox lever
M anua
l
gearbox Fig. 35
Gear shift pattern of a 5-speed man-
ual g
e
arbox The position of each of the gears is shown on
the g
e
ar s
tick ››› Fig. 35.
● Keep the clutch pedal pushed all the way
down.
● Mov
e the gearbox lever to the required po-
sition ››
› in Manual gear change on
p ag
e 138
.
● Release the clutch pedal to engage clutch.
Selecting r
everse gear
● Engage reverse gear only when the vehicle
is s
topped.
● Keep the clutch pedal pushed all the way
down ››
› in Manual gear change on
p ag
e 138
. ●
Place the g
earbox lever into neutral and
push the lever downwards.
● Slide the gearbox lever to the right, and
then back
ward as shown on the lever.
● Release the clutch pedal to engage clutch.
››› in Manual gear change on page 138
››› page 138 Automatic gearbox
Fig. 36
Automatic gearbox diagram of gears Reverse gear
Neutr
al
(idlin
g)
Drive (forward)
Tiptronic mode: pull the lever forwards
(+) to go up a gear or backwards ( –) to
go down a gear. »
R
N
D
M
27
The essentials
Driving style
T o
w
ing requires some experience, especially
when using a tow rope. Both drivers should
realise how difficult it is to tow a vehicle. In-
experienced drivers should not attempt to
tow.
Do not pull too hard with the towing vehicle
and take care to avoid jerking the tow rope.
When towing on an unpaved road, there is al-
ways a risk of overloading and damaging the
anchorage points.
Switch on the ignition so that the turn sig-
nals, windscreen wipers and windscreen
washer can work. Ensure that the steering
wheel is unlocked and moves freely.
Place the gear lever in neutral on vehicles
with a manual gearbox. With an automatic
gearbox, place the lever in N.
To brake, press the brake pedal firmly. The
brake servo does not work when the engine
is switched off.
The power steering only works when the igni-
tion is switched on and the vehicle is moving,
provided that the battery is sufficiently charg-
ed. Otherwise, it will need more force.
Ensure that the tow rope remains taut at all
times. ››› in Instructions for tow-starting on
page 75
››› page 74 Tow-starting
In general, the vehicle should not be started
by
t
owing. Jump-starting is much more pref-
erable ››› page 42.
For technical reasons, the following vehicles
can not be tow started:
● Vehicles with an automatic gearbox.
● If the vehicle battery is flat, it is possible
that the en
gine control unit does not operate
correctly.
However, if your vehicle must absolutely be
tow-started (manual gearbox):
● Put it into second or third gear.
● Keep the clutch pressed down.
● Switch on the ignition and the hazard warn-
ing lights.
● Rel
ease the clutch when both vehicles are
movin
g.
● As soon as the engine starts, press the
clutc
h and move the gear lever into neutral.
This helps to prevent a collision with the tow-
ing vehicle. How to jump start
Jump lea
ds If the engine fails to start because of a dis-
ch
ar
ged battery, the battery of another vehi-
cle can be used to start the engine. Before
starting, check the magic eye on the battery
››› page 193.
For starting assistance, jump lead cables con-
forming to the standard DIN 72553 are re-
quired (see the cable manufacturer instruc-
tions). The cable section in vehicles with pet-
rol engine must be at least 25 mm 2
. WARNING
Incorrect use of jump leads and incorrectly
jump st ar
ting could cause the battery to ex-
plode resulting in serious injury. Please ob-
serve the following rules to minimise the risk
of a battery explosion:
● The battery providing current must have
the same v
oltage (12V) and approximately
the same capacity (see markings on battery)
as the flat battery.
● Never charge a frozen or recently thawed
batter
y. A flat battery can also freeze at tem-
peratures close to 0 °C (+32 °F).
● If a battery is frozen and/or has been frozen
then it mus
t be replaced.
● A highly explosive mixture of gases is re-
lea
sed when the battery is being charged. Al-
ways keep lit cigarettes, flames, sparks and 42
Safety
● Adju s
t
the seat so that there is a distance
of at least 25 cm between the steering wheel
and your chest ››› Fig. 64 and so that you can
hold the steering wheel with both hands on
the outside of the ring at the 9 o'clock and 3
o'clock positions with your arms slightly
bent.
● The adjusted steering wheel must face your
ches
t and not your face.
● Adjust the driver seat forwards or back-
ward
s so that you are able to press the accel-
erator, brake and clutch pedals to the floor
with your knees slightly angled and the dis-
tance between your knees and the dash pan-
el is at least 10 cm ››› Fig. 64.
● Adjust the height of the driver seat so that
you can e
asily reach the top of the steering
wheel.
● Keep both feet in the footwell so that you
have the
vehicle under control at all times.
● Adjust and fasten your seat belt correctly
›››
page 51.
Valid for the passenger:
● Adjust the seat backrest to an upright posi-
tion so that
your back rests completely
against it.
● Move the front passenger seat back as far
as po
ssible for optimum protection should
the airbag deploy.
● Always keep your feet in the footwell while
the vehic
le is in motion. ●
Adjust
and fasten your seat belt correctly
››› page 51.
Valid for the passengers in the rear section:
● Adjust the head restraint so that its upper
edge is
at the same level as the top of your
head, or as close as possible to the same lev-
el as the top of your head and under no cir-
cumstances below eye level. Keep the back
of your neck as close as possible to the head
restraint ››› Fig. 64 and ››› Fig. 65.
● Short people must lower the head restraint
to the firs
t anchorage position, even if your
head is below its upper edge.
● Tall people must raise the head restraint
compl
etely.
● Always keep your feet in the footwell while
the vehic
le is in motion.
● Adjust and fasten your seat belt correctly
›››
page 51.
Adjusting the steering wheel position Read the additional information carefully
› ›
›
page 14.
Adjust the steering wheel before your trip
and only when the vehicle is stationary.
Adjust the correct distance between the driv-
er and the steering wheel ›››
Fig. 64 using the
controls on the driver seat ›››
page 12. WARNING
Incorrect use of the steering wheel adjust-
ment f u
nction and an incorrect adjustment of
the steering wheel can result in severe or fa-
tal injury.
● After adjusting the steering column, push
the lever firm
ly upwards to ensure the steer-
ing wheel does not accidentally change posi-
tion while driving.
● Never adjust the steering wheel while the
vehicl
e is in motion. If you need to adjust the
steering wheel while the vehicle is in motion,
stop safely and make the proper adjustment.
● The adjusted steering wheel should be fac-
ing y
our chest and not your face so as not to
hinder the driver's front airbag protection in
the event of an accident.
● When driving, always hold the steering
wheel with both h
ands on the outside of the
ring at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions
to reduce injuries when the driver's front air-
bag deploys.
● Never hold the steering wheel at the 12
o'clock
position or in any other manner (e.g.
in the centre of the steering wheel). In such
cases, if the driver's airbag deploys, you may
sustain injuries to your arms, hands and
head. 48
Safe driving
Danger of injuries due to an incorrect
s ittin
g po
sitionNumber of seats
The v
ehic
le has a total of 4 seats: 2 front
seats and 2 rear seats. Each seat is equipped
with a seat belt.
If the seat belts are worn incorrectly or not at
all, the risk of severe injuries increases. Seat
belts can provide optimal protection only if
the belt web is properly worn. Being seated
in an incorrect position means the seat belt
cannot offer its full protection. This could re-
sult in severe and even fatal injuries. The risk
of severe or fatal injuries is especially height-
ened when a deploying airbag strikes a vehi-
cle occupant who has assumed an incorrect
sitting position. The driver is responsible for
all passengers in the vehicle, particularly
children.
The following list shows just some examples
of incorrect sitting positions which can be
dangerous to all vehicle occupants.
When the vehicle is in motion:
● Never stand in the vehicle.
● Never stand on the seats.
● Never kneel on the seats.
● Never tilt your seat backrest too far to the
re ar
.
● Never lean against the dash panel. ●
Never lie on the re
ar seats.
● Never sit on the front edge of a seat.
● Never sit sideways.
● Never lean out of a window.
● Never put your feet out of a window.
● Never put your feet on the dash panel.
● Never put your feet on the surface of a seat
or seat b
ackrest.
● Never travel in a footwell.
● Never travel on a seat without wearing the
seat belt
.
● Never carry any person in the luggage com-
partment
. WARNING
An incorrect sitting position in the vehicle
can l e
ad to severe injuries or death in the
event of sudden braking or manoeuvres, colli-
sion or accidents or if the airbag deploys.
● Before the vehicle moves, assume the prop-
er sitting po
sition and maintain it throughout
the trip. This also includes fastening the seat
belt.
● Never transport more people than there are
seats
with a seat belt available in the vehicle.
● Children must always be protected with an
appro
ved child restraint system suited to
their height and weight ››› page 63,
››› page 58.
● Always keep your feet in the footwell while
the vehic
le is in motion. Never, for example, put your feet on the surface of a seat or on
the da
sh p
anel and never put them out of a
window. Otherwise the airbag and seat belt
offer insufficient protection and the risk of in-
jury in the event of an accident is increased. WARNING
Before every trip, adjust the seat, the seat
belt and the he a
d restraints and instruct your
passengers to fasten their seat belts proper-
ly.
● Move the front passenger seat back as far
as po
ssible.
● Adjust the driver seat so that there is at
lea
st 25 cm distance between your chest and
the hub of the steering wheel. Adjust the
driver seat so that you are able to press the
accelerator, brake and clutch pedals to the
floor with your knees slightly angled and that
the distance between your knees and the
dash panel is at least 10 cm. If your physical
constitution prevents you from meeting these
requirements, contact a specialised work-
shop to make any modifications required.
● Never drive with the seat backrest tilted far
back.
The further the seat backrests are tilted
to the rear, the greater the risk of injury due
to incorrect positioning of the belt web or to
the incorrect sitting position!
● Never drive with the seat backrest tilted
forw
ards. Should a front airbag deploy, it
could throw the seat backrest backwards and
injure the passengers of the rear seats. » 49
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety
Emergencies
WARNING
Driving with an unsealed tyre is dangerous
and can c au
se accidents and serious injury.
● Do not continue driving if the tyre pressure
is 1.3
bar (19 psi / 130 kPa) and lower.
● Seek specialist assistance. Changing the windscreen wiper
bl
a
des
Changing the windscreen and rear
window wiper blades Read the additional information carefully
› ›
›
page 45.
The windscreen wiper blades are supplied as
standard with a layer of graphite. This layer is
responsible for ensuring that the wipe is si-
lent. If the graphite layer is damaged, the
noise of the water as it is wiped across the
windscreen will be louder.
Check the condition of the wiper blades regu-
larly. If the wipers scrape across the glass
they should be changed if they are damaged,
or cleaned if they are dirty ››› .
Dam ag
ed w
iper blades should be replaced
immediately. These are available from quali-
fied workshops. WARNING
Worn or dirty wiper blades reduce visibility
and incr e
ase the risk of accident and serious
injury.
● Always replace damaged or worn blades or
bla
des which do not clean the windscreen
correctly. CAUTION
● Damag ed or dir
ty windscreen wipers could
scratch the glass.
● If products containing solvents, rough
spong
es or sharp objects are used to clean
the blades, the graphite layer will be dam-
aged.
● Never use fuel, nail varnish remover, paint
thinner or simil
ar products to clean the win-
dows. CAUTION
● To pr ev
ent damage to the bonnet and the
wiper arms, only leave them in the service
position.
● Before driving, always lower the wiper
arms. Note
If wax deposits, other cleaning products from
the autom atic
car wash, or other care prod-
ucts, are left on the windscreen and the rear
window, the blades can scratch the glass. Re- move wax deposits with a special product or
cl
e
aning cloths. Tow-starting and towing
Ins truction
s for tow-starting Read the additional information carefully
›› ›
page 41.
When towing or tow starting, respect the le-
gal requirements.
For technical reasons, it is not possible to
tow a vehicle if the battery is flat.
In general, the vehicle should not be started
by towing. Jump-starting is much more pref-
erable ›››
page 42.
For technical reasons, the following vehicles
can not be tow started:
● Vehicles with an automatic gearbox.
● If the vehicle battery is flat, it is possible
that the en
gine control unit does not operate
correctly.
However, if your vehicle must absolutely be
tow-started (manual gearbox):
● Put it into second or third gear.
● Keep the clutch pressed down.
74
Self-help
● Sw it
c
h on the ignition and the hazard warn-
ing lights.
● Release the clutch when both vehicles are
movin
g.
● As soon as the engine starts, press the
clutc
h and move the gear lever into neutral.
This helps to prevent a collision with the tow-
ing vehicle. WARNING
A vehicle with a flat battery should never be
to w
ed.
● Never remove the key from the ignition
lock. Otherw
ise, the steering wheel lock
could suddenly lock. The vehicle would not
be controlled and a serious accident could
ensue. WARNING
When towing the vehicle, the handling and
brak in
g efficiency change considerably.
Please observe the following instructions to
minimise the risk of serious accidents and in-
jury:
● As the driver of the vehicle being towed:
– The brake mu
st be depressed must hard-
er as the brake servo does not operate.
Always remain aware to avoid collision
with the towing vehicle.
– More strength is required at the steering
wheel as the power steering does not op-
erate when the engine is switched off. ●
As the driv er of
the towing vehicle:
– Accelerate gently and carefully.
– Avoid sudden braking and manoeuvres.
– Brake well in advance than usual and
brake gently. CAUTION
● When t ow-
starting, fuel could enter the cat-
alytic converter and damage it.
● Carefully fit and remove the towline anchor-
age and its
cover to avoid damage to the ve-
hicle (e.g. paintwork).
● When towing, fuel could enter the catalytic
conv
erter and cause damage! Note
Fitting a towline anchorage to the rear bump-
er is not
possible. The vehicle is not suitable
for towing other vehicles. Advice for towing the vehicle
Towing vehicles with an automatic gearbox
Not
e the f
o
llowing for a towed vehicle:
● Make sure the gear selector lever is in the N
position.
● Do not
drive faster than 50 km/h (30 mph)
when tow
ing a vehicle.
● Do not tow further than 50 km (30 miles). ●
If a bre
akdown truck is used, the vehicle
must be towed with the front wheels raised.
Situations in which the vehicle should not be
towed
In the following cases, the vehicle should not
be towed but transported on a trailer or spe-
cial vehicle:
● If the vehicle gearbox does not contain lu-
bricant due t
o a fault.
● If the battery is flat and the steering cannot
be unloc
ked as a result, the electronic steer-
ing lock and electronic parking brake cannot
be disengaged.
● If the vehicle to be towed has an automatic
gearbo
x and the distance to be covered is
greater than 50 km (30 miles). Note
The vehicle can only be towed if the steering
lock el
ectronic gearbox lock is deactivated. If
the vehicle has no power supply or there is
an electric system fault, the engine must be
started using jump leads to deactivate the
steering column electronic gearbox lock. 75
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety
Operation
wheels lock this could result in loss of vehicle
contr
o
l! If possible, reduce your speed and
drive carefully to a specialised workshop
close by to check the brake system. During
the following journey, avoid sudden braking
and manoeuvres.
● If the ABS warning lamp does not
go out
or if it lights while driving, the ABS is mal-
functioning. The vehicle can only be stopped
using normal braking without ABS. The pro-
tection provided by the ABS is not available.
Visit a specialised workshop as soon as pos-
sible. CAUTION
Failure to heed the warning lamps when they
appe ar m
ay result in faults in the vehicle. Handbrake
Fig. 143
Between the front seats: handbrake. Using the handbrake
●
Pull firmly in an upwards direction on the
h andbr ak
e lever while pressing the button.
● The handbrake is applied when the control
lamp
lights up on the instrument panel
››› page 133 when the ignition is switched
on.
Releasing the handbrake
● Pull gently in an upwards direction on the
handbrak
e lever and press the lock button
››› Fig. 143 (arrow).
● Move the handbrake lever downwards
keeping the loc
k button pressed. WARNING
The incorrect use of the handbrake may result
in a serious ac
cident.
● Never use the handbrake to brake the vehi-
cle e
xcept in an emergency. The braking dis-
tance is considerably longer, because braking
is only applied to the rear wheels. Always use
the foot brake.
● Never drive with the handbrake gently ap-
plied. Thi
s can overheat the brake, affecting
the brakes system. This also causes prema-
ture wear on the rear brake pads.
● Never accelerate from the engine compart-
ment with the en
gine running and a gear en-
gaged. The vehicle could move, even if the
handbrake is applied. Note
If the vehicle moves at a speed superior to
6 km/h (4 mph) with the h andbr
ake applied,
an audible warning is sounded. Parking
When parking your vehicle, all legal require-
ments shou
l
d be observed.
To park the vehicle
Complete operations only in the sequence
given. ● Park the vehicle on a suitable surface ››
›
.
● Press and hold the brake pedal until the ve-
hic l
e c
omes to a standstill.
● Apply the handbrake firmly ›››
page 134.
● For an automatic gearbox, move the selec-
tor lev
er to position P.
● Switch off the engine and release the brake
pedal.
● R
emove the key from the ignition.
● If necessary, turn the steering wheel slight-
ly to loc
k the steering.
● With a manual gearbox, engage 1st gear on
flat gr
ound and slopes, or even reverse gear
on hills, and release the clutch pedal.
● Ensure that all passengers leave the vehi-
cle, e
specially children.
134