Driving and operating153
Ignition on power mode: press and
hold Engine Start/Stop button for
6 seconds without operating clutch or brake pedal. The green LED in the
button illuminates, diesel engine is
preheating. Control indicators light up
and the most electrical functions are
operable.
Engine start: operate clutch pedal
(manual transmission) or brake pedal (automatic transmission) and press
Engine Start/Stop button once more.
Release button after starting
procedure begins.
Ignition off: press Engine Start/Stop
button briefly in each mode or when
engine is running. Some functions
remain active until driver's door is
opened, if ignition was on before.
Steering wheel lock
The steering wheel lock activates
automatically when:
■ the vehicle is stationary and
■ the ignition has been switched off and
■ the driver's door is opened.To release steering wheel lock, open
and close driver's door and switch on accessory mode or start the engine
directly.9 Warning
If the vehicle battery is discharged,
the vehicle must not be towed,
tow-started or jump-started as the
steering wheel lock cannot be
disengaged.
Emergency operation on
vehicles with electronic key
system
If either the electronic key fails or the
battery of the electronic key is weak,
the Driver Information Centre may
display No Remote Detected or
Replace Battery in Remote Key when
you try to start the vehicle.Open the centre console storage area by lifting up the armrest. Place the
electronic key in the transmitter
pocket. Depress the clutch pedal
(manual transmission) or the brake
pedal (automatic transmission) and
press the Engine Start/Stop button.
To switch off the engine, press the Engine Start/Stop button again.
Remove the electronic key from the
transmitter pocket.
This option is intended for
emergencies only. Replace the
electronic key battery as soon as
possible 3 21.
Driving and operating157Caution
The steering assist can be
reduced during an Autostop.
Conditions for an Autostop
The stop-start system checks if each
of the following conditions is fulfilled.
■ The stop-start system is not manually deactivated
■ the bonnet is fully closed
■ the driver's door is closed or the driver's seat belt is fastened
■ the vehicle battery is sufficiently charged and in good condition
■ the engine is warmed up
■ the engine coolant temperature is not too high
■ the engine exhaust temperature is not too high, e.g. after driving with
high engine load
■ the ambient temperature is above -5° C
■ the climate control system allows an Autostop
■ the brake vacuum is sufficient
■ the self-cleaning function of the diesel particle filter is not active
■ the vehicle was driven at least at walking speed since the last
Autostop
Otherwise an Autostop will be
inhibited.
Certain settings of the climate control
system may inhibit an Autostop. See
Climate control chapter for more
details 3 137.
Immediately after motorway driving
an Autostop may be inhibited.
New vehicle running-in 3 152.
Vehicle battery discharge protection
To ensure reliable engine restarts, several battery discharge protection
features are implemented as part of
the stop-start system.
Power saving measures
During an Autostop, several electrical
features such as auxiliary electric
heater or rear window heating are
disabled or switched to a powersaving mode. The fan speed of the
climate control system is reduced to
save power.
Restart of the engine by the
driver Depress the clutch pedal to restart the
engine.
The engine start is indicated by the
needle at the idle speed position in
the tachometer.
If the selector lever is shifted out of
neutral before depressing the clutch
first, control indicator - illuminates
or is shown as a symbol in the Driver
Information Centre.
Control indicator - 3 105.
Restart of the engine by the
stop-start system
The selector lever must be in neutral
to enable an automatic restart.
If one of the following conditions
occurs during an Autostop, the
engine will be restarted automatically
by the stop-start system:
158Driving and operating
■ The stop-start system is manuallydeactivated
■ the bonnet is opened
■ the driver's seat belt is unfastened and the driver's door is opened
■ the engine temperature is too low
■ the charging level of the vehicle battery is below a defined level
■ the brake vacuum is not sufficient
■ the vehicle is driven at least at walking speed
■ the climate control system requests
an engine start
■ the air conditioning is manually switched on
If the bonnet is not fully closed, a
warning message is displayed in the
Driver Information Centre.
If an electrical accessory, e.g. a
portable CD player, is connected to
the power outlet, a brief power drop during the restart might be noticeable.Parking
■ Do not park the vehicle on an easily
ignitable surface. The high
temperature of the exhaust system
could ignite the surface.
■ Always apply parking brake. Pull electric parking brake switch
m for approx. one second.
Apply manual parking brake
without pressing release button.
Apply as firmly as possible on
downhill or uphill slopes. Depress the foot brake at the same time to
reduce operating force.
■ Switch off the engine and ignition. Turn the steering wheel until the
steering wheel lock engages.
■ If the vehicle is on a level surface or
uphill slope, engage first gear or set
the selector lever to P before
switching off the ignition. On an
uphill slope, turn the front wheels
away from the kerb.
If the vehicle is on a downhill slope, engage reverse gear or set theselector lever to P before switchingoff the ignition. Turn the front
wheels towards the kerb.
■ Lock the vehicle and activate the anti-theft alarm system.
Notice
In the event of an accident with
airbag deployment, the engine is
turned off automatically if the vehicle comes to a standstill within a certain
time.
160Driving and operatingCatalytic converterThe catalytic converter reduces the
amount of harmful substances in the
exhaust gases.Caution
Fuel grades other than those listed on pages 3 204, 3 272 could
damage the catalytic converter or
electronic components.
Unburnt petrol will overheat and
damage the catalytic converter.
Therefore avoid excessive use of the starter, running the fuel tank
dry and starting the engine by
pushing or towing.
In the event of misfiring, uneven
engine running, a reduction in engine performance or other unusual
problems, have the cause of the fault
rectified by a workshop as soon as
possible. In an emergency, driving
can be continued for a short period,
keeping vehicle speed and engine
speed low.
Automatic transmission
The automatic transmission permits
automatic gearshifting (automatic
mode) or manual gearshifting
(manual mode).
Manual shifting is possible in manual mode by tapping the selector lever or
pulling the steering wheel paddles
3 161.
Transmission displayThe driving programme in automatic
mode or the selected gear in manual
mode is indicated in the Driver
Information Centre.
Selector leverP=park position, wheels are locked,engage only when the vehicle is
stationary and the parking brake
is appliedR=reverse gear, engage only when
vehicle is stationaryN=neutralD=automatic mode with all gears
162Driving and operating
Tap selector leverforwards=shift to a higher gearbackwards=shift to a lower gear.
The selected gear is indicated in theinstrument cluster.
Steering wheel paddles
Move selector lever out of position D
towards the left to select manual
mode.
Pull steering wheel paddles to select
gears manually
right
paddle <=pull briefly to shift
one gear upleft
paddle ]=pull briefly to shift one
gear down, multiple
pulls allows gears to be
skipped.
The selected gear is indicated in the instrument cluster.
Temporary manual mode in drive
mode D
Manual paddle shifting is also
possible in automatic mode D. Upon
completion of manual shifting operation, transmission changes to
automatic mode D after a defined
time.
To interrupt manual mode: ■ press < paddle for 1 second, or
■ move selector lever towards the left
to manual mode and back to
position D.
If the vehicle is at a standstill and
engine is idling, the transmission will
remain in temporary manual mode. It
changes to automatic mode when
accelerator pedal is operated for a
defined time and no paddle shifting at
the steering wheel is performed.
General
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
Information Centre.
In manual mode no automatic shifting to a higher gear takes place at high
engine revolutions.
Electronic driving
programmes ■ Following a cold start, the operating
temperature programme increasesengine speed to quickly bring the
catalytic converter to the required
temperature.
■ The automatic neutral shift function
automatically shifts to idling when
the vehicle is stopped with a
forward gear engaged and the
brake pedal is pressed.
■ When SPORT mode is engaged, the vehicle shifts at higher engine
speeds (unless cruise control is
on). SPORT mode 3 170.
170Driving and operating
Additionally the selected mode is
displayed as status message in the
Driver Information Centre.
If the vehicle comes into threshold
with deactivated ESP, the system will reactivate ESP for the time duration
of the threshold, when the brake pedal is depressed once.
ESC is reactivated by pressing the
b button again. If the TC system was
previously disabled, both TC and
ESC are reactivated.
ESC is also reactivated the next time
the ignition is switched on.Interactive driving system
Flex Ride Flex Ride driving system allows the
driver to select between three driving
modes:
■ SPORT mode: press button SPORT , LED illuminates.
■ TOUR mode: press button TOUR,
LED illuminates.
■ NORMAL mode: neither button SPORT nor TOUR is pressed, no
LED illuminates.
Deactivate SPORT mode and TOUR
mode by pressing corresponding
button once more.
In each driving mode Flex Ride networks the following electronic systems:
■ Continuous Damping Control.
■ Accelerator Pedal Control.
■ Steering Control.
■ All-wheel drive.
■ Electronic Stability Control (ESC).■ Antilock brake system (ABS) with cornering brake control (CBC).
■ Automatic transmission.
SPORT mode
The settings of the systems are
adapted to a sportier driving style:
■ Damping of shock absorbers reacts
more stiffly to provide better contact with the road surface.
■ The engine reacts more quickly to the accelerator pedal.
■ Steering support is reduced.
Driving and operating171
■ Engine torque of All-wheel drive isdistributed more to the rear axle.
■ Shift points of automatic transmission occur later.
TOUR mode
The settings of the systems are
adapted to a comfort driving style:
■ Damping of shock absorbers reacts
more softly.
■ Accelerator pedal reacts with standard settings.
■ Steering support is in standard mode.
■ Engine torque of All-wheel drive isdistributed mainly to the front axle.
■ Shift points of automatic transmission occur in a comfort
mode.
NORMAL mode
All settings of the systems are
adapted to standard values.
Drive mode control
Within each manually selected driving mode SPORT, TOUR or NORMAL,
the Drive Mode Control (DMC)
detects and analyses continuously
the real driving characteristic,
responses by the driver, and the
active dynamic state of the vehicle. If
necessary, the control unit of DMC
automatically changes the settings
within the selected driving mode or,
when recognising greater variations,
the driving mode is changed for the
length of variation.
If, for example, NORMAL mode is
selected and DMC detects a sporty
driving behaviour, DMC changes
several settings of the Normal modeinto sporty settings. The DMC
changes to SPORT mode in case of
very sporty driving behaviour.
If, for another example, TOUR mode
is selected and whilst driving on a
winding road a sudden hard brake is
necessary, DMC will detect the
dynamic vehicle condition and
changes the settings for suspension
to SPORT mode to increase vehicle
stability.
When the driving characteristic or the
dynamic vehicle state returns to the
former state, DMC will change the
settings to the preselected driving
mode.
Personalised settings in SPORT
mode
The driver can select the functions of
the SPORT mode when SPORT
button is pressed.
Select the relevant settings in
Settings , I Sport Mode in the Colour-
Info-Display.
Colour-Info-Display 3 117.
Vehicle personalisation 3 121.
172Driving and operating
Flex Ride - VXR Version
The VXR Version of Flex Ride system works in the same way as the
standard Flex Ride system with the
difference that the modes have a
more sporty characteristic.VXR Flex Ride driving system allows
the driver to select between three
driving modes:
■ VXR mode: press button VXR, LED
illuminates.
■ SPORT mode: press button SPORT , LED illuminates.
■ NORMAL mode: neither button SPORT nor VXR is pressed, no
LED illuminates.
Deactivate SPORT mode and VXR
mode by pressing corresponding
button once more.
In each driving mode VXR Flex Ride
networks the following electronic
systems:
■ Continuous Damping Control.
■ Accelerator Pedal Control.
■ Steering Control.
■ All-wheel drive.
■ Electronic Stability Control (ESC).
■ Antilock brake system (ABS) with cornering brake control (CBC).
■ Automatic transmission.VXR mode
The drive dynamic characteristics are adapted to high performance
settings.
SPORT mode
The settings of the systems are
adapted to a sportier driving style.
NORMAL mode
In NORMAL mode, when neither
SPORT nor VXR button is pressed,
all settings of the systems are
adapted to standard values.
Personalised settings in the VXR
mode
The driver can select the functions of
the VXR mode when VXR button is
pressed.
Select the relevant settings in
Settings , I Sport Mode in the Colour-
Info-Display.
Colour-Info-Display 3 117.
Vehicle personalisation 3 121.