Page 139 of 249

Driving and operating137
Without brake pedal applied, the
control indicator j illuminates.
If the selector lever is not in P when
the ignition is switched off, the control
indicator j flashes.
To engage P, R or M, press the
release button.
The engine can only be started with the lever in position P or N. When
position N is selected, press the brake
pedal or apply the parking brake
before starting.
Do not accelerate while engaging a
gear. Never depress the accelerator
pedal and brake pedal at the same
time.
When a gear is engaged, the vehicle
slowly begins to creep when the
brake is released.
Engine braking To utilise the engine braking effect,select a lower gear in good time when
driving downhill, see manual mode.Rocking the vehicle
Rocking the vehicle is only
permissible if the vehicle is stuck in
sand, mud or snow. Move the selector
lever between D and R in a repeat
pattern. Do not race the engine and
avoid sudden acceleration.
Parking
Apply the parking brake and engage P .
The ignition key can only be removed
when the selector lever is in position
P .
Manual modeMove selector lever in position M.
Press < on the selector lever to shift
a higher gear.
Press ] on the selector lever to shift
a lower gear.
If a higher gear is selected when
vehicle speed is too low, or a lower
gear when vehicle speed is too high,
the shift is not executed. This can
cause a message in the
Driver-Info-Display.
In manual mode, no automatic
shifting to a higher gear takes place
at high engine revolutions.
Gear shift indication
R with a number next is indicated,
when gear shifting is recommended
for fuel saving reasons.
Shift indication appears only in
manual mode.
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142Driving and operating
Rocking the vehicleRocking the vehicle is only
permissible if the vehicle is stuck in
sand, mud or snow. Move the selector lever between R and D in a repeat
pattern. Do not race the engine and
avoid sudden acceleration.
Parking
The most recently engaged gear (see transmission display) remains
engaged when switching off ignition.
With N, no gear is engaged.
Therefore always apply the parking
brake when switching off ignition. If
parking brake is not applied, P flashes
in the transmission display and the
key cannot be removed from the
ignition switch. P stops flashing in the
transmission display as soon as the
parking brake is slightly applied.
When the ignition is switched off, the
transmission no longer responds to
movement of the selector lever.Tyre pressure monitoring
system
To start the sensor matching process of the tyre pressure monitoring
system, the selector lever must be
moved and hold in position N for
five seconds. P illuminates in the
transmission display to indicate that
the sensor matching process can be
started.
Tyre pressure monitoring system
3 200.
Manual mode
If a higher gear is selected when the
engine speed is too low, or a lower
gear when the speed is too high, the
shift is not executed. This prevents
the engine from running at too low or
too high an engine speed. A warning
message is displayed in the Driver
Information Centre. Vehicle
messages 3 100.
If engine speed is too low, the
transmission automatically shifts to a
lower gear.If engine speed is too high, the
transmission only switches to a higher gear via kickdown.
When + or - is selected in automatic
mode, the transmission switches to
manual mode and shifts accordingly.
Gear shift indication R with a number next is indicated,
when gear shifting is recommended
for fuel saving reasons.
Shift indication appears only in
manual mode.
Electronic driving
programmes ■ Following a cold start, the operating
temperature programme increasesengine speed to quickly bring the
catalytic converter to the required
temperature.
■ The adaptive programme tailors gearshifting to the driving
conditions, e.g. greater load or
gradients.
Page 174 of 249

172Driving and operating
The permitted trailer loads apply up tothe specified incline and up to an
altitude of 1000 metres above sea
level. Since engine power decreases
as altitude increases due to the air
becoming thinner, therefore reducing
climbing ability, the permissible gross
train weight also decreases by 10 % for every 1000 metres of additional
altitude. The gross train weight does
not have to be reduced when driving on roads with slight inclines (less than
8 %, e.g. motorways).
The permissible gross train weight
must not be exceeded. This weight is specified on the identification plate3 226.
Vertical coupling load
The vertical coupling load is the load
exerted by the trailer on the coupling
ball. It can be varied by changing the
weight distribution when loading the
trailer.
The maximum permissible vertical
coupling load (55 kg) is specified on
the towing equipment identification
plate and in the vehicle documents.
Always aim for the maximum load,especially in the case of heavy
trailers. The vertical coupling load
should never fall below 25 kg.
Rear axle load When the trailer is coupled and the
towing vehicle fully loaded, the
permissible rear axle load (see
identification plate or vehicle
documents) for passenger vehicles
may be exceeded by 70 kg for the 5-
door vehicle and 60 kg for the 3-door vehicle, the gross vehicle weight
rating by 55 kg.
If the permitted rear axle load is
exceeded a maximum speed of
60 mph applies. If lower national
maximum speeds are specified for
trailer operation, they must be
complied with.
Towing equipmentCaution
When operating without a trailer,
remove the coupling ball bar.
Stowage of coupling ball bar
The coupling ball bar is stowed in a
bag in the spare wheel well and
secured to the lashing eyes in the
load compartment.
When inserting, fit protective cap over
rotary knob with key.
Page 180 of 249
178Vehicle care9Danger
The ignition system and Xenon
headlights use extremely high
voltage. Do not touch.
Bonnet
Opening
Pull the release lever and return it to
its original position.
Push the safety catch upwards and open the bonnet.
Secure the bonnet support.
If the bonnet is opened during an
Autostop, the engine will be restarted automatically for safety reasons.
Closing Before closing the bonnet, press the
support into the holder.
Lower the bonnet and let it fall into the
latch from a low height (20-25 cm).
Check that the bonnet is engaged.Caution
Do not press the bonnet into the
latch to avoid dents.
Engine oil
Check the engine oil level manually on a regular basis to prevent damage
to the engine. Ensure that the correct
specification of oil is used.
Recommended fluids and lubricants
3 223.
Check with the vehicle on a level
surface. The engine must be at
operating temperature and switched
off for at least five minutes.
Page 190 of 249
188Vehicle care
2. Rotate the bulb holderanticlockwise to disengage.
Withdraw the bulb holder from the
reflector.
3. Remove the bulb from the plug connector by disengaging and
pulling.
4. Replace the bulb. Connect and engage bulb holder with the plug
connector.
5. Insert the bulb holder into the reflector and rotate clockwise to
secure.
6. Fit the cap and rotate clockwise.
Fog lights
The bulbs are accessible from the
underside of the vehicle.
1. Turn the bulb holder anti- clockwise and remove it from the
reflector.
2. Disengage the bulb socket from the plug connector by pressing
the retaining lug.
3. Remove and replace the bulb socket with bulb and attach the
plug connector.
4. Insert the bulb socket into the reflector by turning clockwise and
engage.
Front turn signal lights
Front turn signal lights exist of longlife bulbs. They can not be changed by
yourself. In case of defective have
bulbs replaced by a workshop.
Page 191 of 249
Vehicle care189Tail lights
1. Release the cover in the loadcompartment on the respective
side and remove.
2. Unscrew both plastic securing nuts from the inside by hand.
3. Carefully withdraw the lightassembly from the recesses and
remove.
4. Press the retaining lugs and remove the bulb carrier from the
light assembly.
Page 192 of 249
190Vehicle care
5. Remove and replace the bulb bypushing the bulb slightly into thesocket and rotating anticlockwise:
Tail light/Brake light 1
Turn signal light 2
6. Insert and turn bulb clockwise into
the tail light assembly. Fit light
assembly with the retaining pins
into the recesses of the car body
and tighten the securing nuts from
the inside of the load
compartment.
Close cover and engage.
Reversing light/rear fog light
The description of bulb replacement
is the same for both lights.
1. Remove screw in the tailgate.
2. Move light assembly a little to the outside and then withdraw from
the tailgate.
3. Remove the bulb holder by turning.
Page 214 of 249

212Vehicle care
■ Never crawl under a jacked-upvehicle.
■ Do not start the vehicle when it is raised on the jack.
■ Before screwing in the wheel bolts,
clean them and lightly coat thetaper of each wheel bolt with
commercially available grease.9 Warning
Do not grease the thread of the
wheel bolt.
1. Steel wheels:
Pull off the wheel cover with the
hook. Vehicle tools 3 198.
Alloy wheels with bolt caps: Disengage wheel bolt caps with a
screwdriver and remove. To
protect the wheel, place a soft
cloth between the screwdriver
and the alloy wheel.
Alloy wheels with center cap:
Insert extractor in the open slot of
the center cap and substract the
cap from the wheel. Vehicle tools 3 198.
2. Install the wheel wrench ensuring
that it locates securely and loosen
each wheel bolt by half a turn.
The wheels might be protected by locking wheel bolts. To loosen
these specific bolts first attach the
key adapter onto the head of the
bolt before installing the wheel
wrench. The key adapter is
located in the glovebox.