Air conditioning
Economic use of the air-conditioning
sy s
t
em When the air conditioning is switched on, the
compr
e
ssor consumes engine power and has
influence on fuel consumption.
If the vehicle interior has overheated due to
excessive solar radiation, it is best to open
the windows or doors to allow the hot air to
escape.
While in motion, the air conditioning should
not be switched on if the windows are open. If the interior temperature can be reached
without
sw
itching on the air conditioning, the
fresh air mode should be used. For the sake of the environment
Saving fuel reduces emissions. Faults
If the air conditioning does not work at out-
side t
emper
atures above +5°C (+41°F) then the system is faulty. This may be due to one
of the f
o
llowing reasons:
● One of the fuses has blown. Check the fuse
and repl
ace if necessary ››› page 80.
● The air conditioning compressor has
switc
hed off temporarily because of in-
creased engine coolant temperature
››› page 97.
If you cannot repair the fault yourself or
where cooling power continues to drop,
switch off the system. Contact a specialised
service.
Air vents Fig. 168
Air vents Opening air vents 3 and 4
– Turn the vertical circular control upwards. »
147Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety
Air conditioning
Connecting the recirculation
In an y
po
sition of rotary switch C except
th a
w:
● Pr
ess button 1
› ››
Fig. 169
, the sw
itch's
lamp will light up, indicating that air recircu-
lation inside the vehicle has been activated.
Disconnecting the recirculation
In any position of rotary switch C except
th a
w:
● Pr
ess button 1 again and the button's
l amp w
i
ll go off, indicating that air recircula-
tion from the outside has been activated.
In the thaw position of rotary switch C , the
entr y
of
air into the vehicle interior is always
from the outside. WARNING
Read and observe the safety warnings ›››
in
Genera l
notes on page 146. Air conditioning (manual)*
Gener a
l
notesThe air cooling system only works if
A/C but-
t on 2
› ›
›
Fig. 170 ›››
page 149 is pressed
and under following conditions:
● The engine is running, ●
The outside temper
ature is above +2°C
(+36°F),
● The blower control is in position 1–4.
When the coolin
g system is on and under cer-
tain conditions, air can be blown from the
vents at a temperature of approximately +5°C
(+41°F). In the event of prolonged, irregular
distribution of the air flow from the outlets
and significant differences in temperature,
e.g. on leaving the vehicle, sensitive people
may catch cold. Note
A visit to the specialised service once a year
is r
ecommended to clean the air conditioning
system. Manual operation
Fig. 170
Air conditioning: controls. Read the additional information carefully
› ›
›
page 37
Temperature selection – Turn rotary control A
› ››
Fig. 170
c
lockwise
to increase the temperature.
– Turn rotary control A anti-clockwise to re-
duc e the t
emper
ature.
Blower selection
– Turn rotary control B
› ››
Fig. 170
t
o posi-
tion 1 to 4 to switch the blower on.
– Turn rotary control B to position 0 to
sw it
c
h the blower off.
– Press button
1
› ›
› p
age 150, Air recir-
culation to close the fresh air vent.
Air distribution selection – Turn rotary control C
› ›
› Fig. 170
to select
the air vents ››› page 147 you wish to acti-
vate.
Switching cooling on and off
– Press the button A/C
2
› ›
› Fig. 170
and
the lamp in the button will illuminate.
– Press the A/C
2 button again and the
light in the b
utt
on will switch off. »
149
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety
Air conditioning
Climatronic* (automatic air conditioning) Gener a
l
notes Fig. 171
Climatronic: controls. Read the additional information carefully
› ›
›
page 36
Climatronic automatically maintains a com-
fortable temperature. To do so, it automati-
cally regulates the supplied air temperature
and the blower and air distribution levels.
The system also allows for the effect of sun-
light, so there is no need for manual adjust-
ment. It also has a humidity sensor that
helps to automatically demist the wind-
screen.
Automatic operations ››› page 152 guaran-
tee maximum comfort any time of year. Climatronic description
Coolin
g only works if the following conditions
are met:
● The engine is running
● the outside temperature is above +2°C
(+36°F);
● A/C
18
› ››
Fig. 171
sw
itched on.
Starting the Climatronic
The corresponding function will be switched
on when a button is pressed, turning on the
air conditioning if it was switched off, with
the exception of button 17
›
› ›
Fig. 171
(recir-
culation). Switching off the Climatronic
●
Turn control 10 to the left until the seg-
ments of
c
olumn 9
› ››
Fig. 171
sw itch off.
● After 1 second has elapsed, turn the control
again t
o switch off the display.
In order to ensure engines subject to heavy
loads are cooled, the air conditioning com-
pressor is switched off in the event of high
coolant temperatures.
Recommended setting for all seasons of the
year
● Set the required temperature. We recom-
mend +22°C (72°F). »
151
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety
Driving
It is possible, however, to set the blower
s peed t
o s
uit requirements.
● Turn control 10
› ››
Fig. 171
c
ounter-clock-
wise (to lower the speed) or clockwise (to in-
crease the speed).
Climatronic will switch off when the blower
switches off. WARNING
Read and observe the safety warnings ›››
in
Genera l
notes on page 146. Windscreen defrost
Switching on windscreen defrosting
●
Press the button
12
› ›
›
Fig. 171.
Switching off windscreen defrosting
● Press button
12
› ›
›
Fig. 171 several
times or press the AUTO button.
The t emper
at
ure is regulated automatically.
The air output is increased from vents 1
››› page 147 and 2. Driving
St ar
tin
g and stopping the en-
gine
Introduction Read the additional information carefully
›› ›
page 17 WARNING
● When mov in
g with the engine switched off,
the ignition key must always remain in posi-
tion 2
››› Fig. 172 ›
›› page 154 (ignition on).
The control lamps will light up in this posi-
tion. Otherwise, the steering lock could en-
gage suddenly. Risk of accident!
● Do not remove the key from the ignition un-
til the
vehicle has come to a standstill and is
secure (e.g. the handbrake is engaged). Oth-
erwise, the steering lock could suddenly en-
gage. Risk of accident!
● Always take the ignition key with you when
you le
ave the vehicle. This is particularly im-
portant if you leave children in the vehicle.
Children could, for example, start the engine
with the subsequent risk of accident.
● Never leave the engine running in unventi-
lated or c
losed rooms. The exhaust gases
contain carbon monoxide, an odourless and
colourless poisonous gas. Risk of fatal acci-
dents! Carbon monoxide can cause people to
lose consciousness and can cause death. ●
Never l e
ave the vehicle unattended if the
engine is running.
● Never switch the engine off until the vehi-
cle h
as come to a complete stop. Risk of acci-
dent! CAUTION
● Turnin g the s
teering wheel fully in either
direction when the vehicle is stationary and
the engine is in gear puts the power steering
under great stress. This could lead to noise.
Never leave the steering wheel turned fully in
either direction for more than 15 seconds.
Risk of damage to the power steering system!
● The starter motor may only be used (key
position 3
››› Fig. 172 ›
›› page 154 in the ig-
nition) if the engine is off. Using the starter
motor when the engine is running could dam-
age it.
● Immediately release the ignition key when
the engine st
arts, otherwise damage could be
caused to the starter motor.
● When the engine is cold, you should avoid
high engine speed
s, driving at full throttle
and over-loading the engine before it reaches
operating temperature. Risk of engine dam-
age!
● Do not tow-start the engine. Risk of engine
damag
e! In vehicles with a catalytic convert-
er, fuel that has not been burned could reach
the catalytic converter and catch fire in it.
This would lead to a fault in the catalytic con-
verter. You may use the battery from another » 153
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety
Driving
If the steering lock is engaged
and it
i s diffi-
cult or impossible to turn the key to position 2 , release the lock by turning the steering
wheel s
lightly
in both directions.
Starter button Fig. 173
In the steering column: start-up
p u
sh b
utton for the Keyless Access lock and
start-up system. The layout in right-hand
drive vehicles is symmetrical. Fig. 174
Emergency ignition in vehicles with
Keyl e
ss Access. The start-up button may only be used if there
i
s
a
valid key in the vehicle.
Opening the driver's door when exiting the
vehicle activates the electronic lock on the
steering column if the ignition is disabled.
Switching the ignition on/off
● Briefly push the start-up button ›››
Fig. 173
without touching the brake or clutch ped-
al ››› .
Emer g
ency
starting function
If no valid key is detected inside the vehicle,
an emergency start-up will be required. The
relevant message will appear in the dash
panel display. This may happen when, for ex-
ample, the vehicle key battery is very low or
flat: ●
Immediately
after pushing the start-up but-
ton, keep the vehicle key next to the steering
column ››› Fig. 174.
● The ignition connects and the engine starts
automatic
ally.
Emergency disconnection
If the engine does not stop after briefly press-
ing the start-up button, an emergency dis-
connect will be required:
● Press the starter button twice within 1 sec-
ond or pres
s it once for more than 2 seconds
››› .
● The engine turns off automatically.
En gine r
e
start feature
If no valid key is detected inside the vehicle
after the engine stops, you will only have 5
seconds to restart it. A warning will display
on the dash panel screen.
After this interval, it will not be possible to
start the engine without a valid key inside
the vehicle. WARNING
Any accidental movement of the vehicle could
re s
ult in serious injury.
● When pressing the start-up button, do not
pre
ss the brake or clutch pedal, this way the
engine will start immediately. » 155
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety
Driving
●
Where br ak
ing is not necessary, do not
wear down the brake pads by pressing down
gently on the brake pedal. This causes the
brakes to overheat, increasing their wear and
increasing braking distances.
● To ensure the brake assist systems work
properly, a
ll wheels must be fitted with tyres
approved by the manufacturer. Note
● If y
ou brake suddenly and the brake system
control unit regards the situation as hazard-
ous for the drivers behind you, the brake
lights will begin to flash automatically. After
reducing speed to approximately 10 km/h (6
mph) or stopping the vehicle, the brake lights
will stop flashing and the hazard warning
lights will switch on. The hazard warning
lights are automatically switched off when
you accelerate or restart the vehicle.
● On long, steep gradients, reduce your
speed and ch
ange to a lower gear (manual
gearbox) or move the selector lever to a lower
gear position (automatic gearbox). This uses
the force of the engine and the brakes do not
suffer as much. If you still have to brake, do
so intermittently, pressing down repeatedly
on the brake pedal.
● Vehicle modifications (e.g. to the engine,
brake
s, frame or a combination of wheels and
tyres) could impair the brake assist systems
››› page 193, Accessories and modifications
to the vehicle . ●
In the event of
a fault in the ABS system,
the ESC, TCS and EDL are switched off auto-
matically. A fault in the ABS is indicated by
the ››› page 101 warning lamp. Brakes
Wear
The rat
e of
wear of the brake pads depends
on the driving style and on the way in which
the vehicle is used. The brake pads will wear
more quickly if you use your vehicle frequent-
ly in urban traffic and short trips or drive in a
sporty style. Under these demanding condi-
tions, visit your specialised service, even be-
fore the scheduled service date, so that the
thickness of the brake pads can be meas-
ured.
Wet roads or road salt
If brakes are wet or frozen, or if you are driv-
ing on roads which have been gritted with
salt, braking power may set in later than nor-
mal. Dry the brakes as soon as possible by
braking repeatedly.
Corrosion
Long periods of inactivity and little use can
lead to rust on the brake discs and dirt on the
brake pads. Where the brake system is sub-
jected to light stress or in the case of corro- sion, clean the brake discs by braking fully
sever
al
times at a high speed.
Brake system fault
If you notice that the braking distance sud-
denly increases and the brake pedal can be
pressed down more fully, there may be a fault
in the brake system. Visit a specialised serv-
ice immediately and adjust your driving style
to the extent of the damage and to limit the
effect of the brakes.
Low brake fluid level
Insufficient brake fluid could cause faults in
the brake system. The brake fluid level is con-
trolled electronically ››› page 99, Brake sys-
tem .
Brake servo
The brake servo supplements the pressure
you exert on the brake pedal. The brake servo
only works when the engine is running.
157
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety
Driving
slope, the handbrake should be firmly ap-
p lied bef
or
e moving the selector lever to the
park position. This reduces the load on the
lock mechanism while making it easier to
move the selector lever from position P.
If, while the vehicle is moving, the selector
lever is accidentally moved to position N, re-
lease the accelerator and wait for the engine
to idle before moving it back into position. WARNING
● Never pr e
ss the accelerator when selecting
the automatic gearbox operating mode when
the vehicle is stationary. Risk of accident!
● Never move the selector lever to positions
R or P when driving. Ri
sk of accident!
● If the vehicle is to be stopped with a gear
selected and the en
gine idling (e.g. waiting
or moving slowly at traffic lights), press down
on the brake pedal because the transmission
is not entirely interrupted when the engine is
idling and the vehicle will tend to start mov-
ing.
● Apply the handbrake firmly and put the se-
lector l
ever in position P before opening the
bonnet and working on the vehicle with the
engine running. Risk of accident! Strictly fol-
low the safety instructions ››› page 203, En-
gine compartment.
● When stopping on a slope (hill), try not to
stop the
vehicle from moving by pressing the
“accelerator” with a gear selected. This could
overheat the clutch. If the clutch risks being burnt due to this force, it would switch off
and the v
ehic
le could move backwards. Risk
of accident!
● If you have to stop on a hill, press down on
the brake ped
al to stop the vehicle from mov-
ing.
● The drive wheels could lose traction on a
slipper
y road surface when the kick-down
function is activated. Risk of sliding! CAUTION
● In D SG aut om
atic gearboxes, the double
clutch is protected from overloads. If the hill
hold control is used, the clutches are subjec-
ted to greater force if the vehicle is at a
standstill on a slope or suddenly accelerating
on a slope.
● Should the clutches overheat, the sym-
bol i
s shown on the informative display with
a warning message Gear overheated.
Stop! Instruction Manual! An audible
warning is also heard. Stop the vehicle in this
case, stop the engine and wait until the sym-
bol has switched off. Danger of damage to
the gearbox! You can continue driving once
the symbol is switched off. Starting and driving
Starting
– Press and hold the brake pedal. –
Pr e
s
s and hold the interlock button on the
selector lever knob and move the selector
lever to position ››› page 160 before releas-
ing the interlock button.
– Release the brake and press the accelera-
tor.
St
opping
– The selector lever does not have to be
moved t
o position N if the vehicle is stop-
ped for a short period, e.g. at intersections.
Applying the brake is enough. However, the
engine must remain idling.
Parking
– Press the brake pedal.
– Apply the handbrake.
– Press the interlock button, move the selec-
tor lev
er to position P and release the but-
ton.
Kick-down feature
The kick-down feature allows maximum ac-
celeration to be reached.
In any gear programme, press down fully on
the accelerator for the automatic gearbox to
activate the kick-down feature. This function
takes priority over the gear programmes with-
out taking into account the position of the se-
lector lever (D, S or Tiptronic) and is used to
reach maximum acceleration, using full »
159
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety
Driving
Tiptronic Fig. 179
Selector lever: Tiptronic. The Tiptronic gearbox allows the driver to
c
h
an
ge gears manually using the selector
lever.
Activating the manual gearbox
– From position D, push the sel
ector lever to
the right. The selected position of the se-
lector lever is shown on the general instru-
ment panel display together with the gear
engaged 1
› ›
› Fig. 178
.
Shifting up – Push the selector lever gently forwards +›››
Fig. 179. Shifting down
– Push the selector lever gently backwards
-
› ››
Fig. 179
.
The m
anual gearbox can be activated when
the vehicle is either moving or stationary.
When accelerating, the gearbox automatical-
ly shifts up shortly before the maximum en-
gine speed is reached.
On shifting up, the gear is only engaged
when there is no risk of engine damage.
When the accelerator pedal is pressed down
to the kick-down zone, the gearbox will shift
down in line with the road speed and engine
speed. Note
The kick-down function is also available in
manua l
shift mode. Selector lever lock
Automatic selector lever lock
The sel ect
or l
ever is locked in the positions P
and N when the ignition is on. Press down on
the brake to unlock it. Remember, if the se-
lector lever is in positions P and N then thewarning lamp will light up on the general in-
strument p
anel ››› page 104.
When the selector lever merely moves
through position N (e.g. when moved from R
to D), the lever lock is not applied. This
makes it possible, for example, to rock a
stuck vehicle backwards and forwards. The
lock is only applied if the brake is not press-
ed and the selector lever is moved to position
N for more than 2 seconds.
The selector lever only locks when the is vehi-
cle stationary or driving at a speed lower
than 5 km/h (3 mph). At a higher speed, it
automatically disconnects in the N position.
Interlock button
The interlock button on the selector lever
knob prevents the driver from inadvertently
engaging a gear. Press the button to unlock
the selector lever.
Safety interlock for ignition key 1)
After switching off the ignition, you can only
remove the ignition key if the selector lever is
in position P. When the ignition key is re-
moved, the selector lever is locked in posi-
tion P. 1)
Valid only for certain countries.
161
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety