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Driving and operating207Deactivation by the driver or by the
system during manoeuvring will be
indicated by Parking Deactivated in
the Driver Information Centre.
Fault
A message appears in the Driver
Information Centre when:
● There is a fault in the system.● The driver did not successfully complete the parking
manoeuvre.
● The system is not operational.
If an object is detected during parking
instructions, Stop is indicated in the
Driver Information Centre. Removing
the object will resume the parking
manoeuvre. If the object is not
removed, the system will be
deactivated. Press D for approx.
one second to activate the system
and search for a new parking slot.Basic notes on parking assist
systems9 Warning
Under certain circumstances,
various reflective surfaces on
objects or clothing as well as
external noise sources may cause the system to fail to detect
obstacles.
Special attention must be paid to
low obstacles which can damage
the lower part of the bumper.
Caution
Performance of the system can be reduced when sensors are
covered, e.g. by ice or snow.
Performance of the parking assist
system can be reduced due to
heavy loading.
Special conditions apply if there
are taller vehicles in the vicinity
(e.g. off-road vehicles, mini vans,
vans). Object identification and
correct distance indication in the
upper part of these vehicles
cannot be guaranteed.
Objects with a very small reflection
cross-section, e.g. objects of
narrow size or soft materials, may
not be detected by the system.
Parking assist systems do not
detect objects outside the
detection range.
Notice
The parking assist system can be
activated and deactivated by
changing the settings in the
Info-Display. If a trailer coupling is
attached, it must be selected in the
menu.
Vehicle personalisation 3 132.
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Driving and operating209
Side blind spot alert is active from
speeds of 6 mph up to 87 mph.
Driving faster than 87 mph
deactivates the system, indicated by
low lighting warning symbols B in
both exterior mirrors. Reducing the speed again will extinguish the
warning symbols. If a vehicle is then
detected in the blind zone, the
warning symbols B will illuminate as
normal on the relevant side.
When the vehicle is started, both exterior mirror displays will briefly
come on to indicate that the system is operating.
The system can be activated or
deactivated in the menu Settings in
the Info-Display, vehicle
personalisation 3 132.
Deactivation is indicated by a
message in the Driver Information
Centre.
Detection zones The system sensor covers a zone of
approx. three metres on both sides of
the vehicle. This zone starts at each
exterior mirror and extends rearwards by approx. three metres. The height
of the zone is approx. between
0.5 metres and two metres off the
ground.
The system is deactivated if the
vehicle is towing a trailer.
Side blind spot alert is designed to ignore stationary objects such as
guardrails, posts, curbs, walls and
beams. Parked vehicles or oncoming
vehicles are not detected.
Fault
Occasional missed alerts can occur
under normal circumstances.Side blind spot alert does not operate when the left or right corners of the
rear bumper are covered with mud,
dirt, snow, ice or slush. Cleaning
instructions 3 285.
In the event of a fault in the system or if the system does not work due to
temporary conditions, a message is
displayed in the Driver Information
Centre. Seek the assistance of a
workshop in case of a permanent
fault.
Rear view camera The rear view camera assists the
driver when reversing by displaying a
view of the area behind the vehicle.
The view of the camera is displayed
in the Colour-Info-Display.9 Warning
The rear view camera does not
replace driver vision. Note that
objects that are outside the
camera's field of view and the
advanced parking assist sensors,
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212Driving and operatingRoad signs
Beginning and end of:
● motorways
● A-roads
● play streetsAdd-on signs ● additional hints to traffic signs
● restriction of trailer towing
● tractor constraints
● wet warning
● ice warning
● direction arrows
Speed limit signs are displayed in the
Driver Information Centre until the
next speed limit sign or end of speed
limit is detected or up to a defined sign timeout.
Indication of multiple signs on the
display is possible.
An exclamation mark in a frame
indicates that there is an add-on sign detected which cannot be recognised
by the system.
The system is active up to a speed of 124 mph depending on the lighting
conditions. At night the system is
active up to a speed of 99 mph.
As soon as vehicle speed becomes
slower than 34 mph the display will be
reset and the content of the traffic sign
page will be cleared. The next
recognized speed indication will be
displayed.
Display indication
Traffic signs are displayed on the Traffic sign detection page in the
Driver Information Centre.
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Driving and operating223Trailer hitch
General information
Only use towing equipment that has
been approved for your vehicle.
Entrust retrofitting of towing
equipment to a workshop. It may be
necessary to make changes that
affect the cooling system, heat
shields or other equipment.
The bulb outage detection function for trailer brake light cannot detect a
partial bulb outage, e.g. in case of 4 x
5 Watt bulbs, the function only detects
lamp outage when only a single
5 Watt lamp remains or none remain.
Fitting of towing equipment could
cover the opening of the towing eye.
If this is the case use the coupling ball bar for towing. Always keep the
coupling ball bar in the vehicle.Driving characteristics and
towing tips
Before attaching a trailer, lubricate the coupling ball. However, do not do
so if a stabiliser, which acts on the coupling ball, is being used to reduce snaking movements.
For trailers with low driving stability
and caravan trailers with a permitted
gross vehicle weight of more than
1300 kg (Sports tourer: 1200 kg) the
use of a stabiliser is strongly
recommended when driving above
50 mph.
If the trailer starts snaking, drive more slowly, do not attempt to correct the
steering and brake sharply if
necessary.
When driving downhill, drive in the
same gear as if driving uphill and
drive at a similar speed.
Adjust tyre pressure to the value
specified for full load 3 308.Trailer towing
Trailer loads The permissible trailer loads are
vehicle and engine-dependent
maximum values which must not be
exceeded. The actual trailer load is the difference between the actual
gross weight of the trailer and the
actual coupling socket load with the
trailer coupled.
The permissible trailer loads are
specified in the vehicle documents. In general, they are valid for gradients
up to max. 12%.
The permitted trailer load applies up to the 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).
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224Driving and operatingThe permissible gross train weight
must not be exceeded. This weight is
specified on the identification plate
3 292.
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 (75 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) may be exceeded by 60 kg , the gross vehicle weight rating
may be exceeded by 60 kg. If the
permissible rear axle load is
exceeded, a maximum speed of
60 mph applies.
Towing equipmentCaution
When operating without a trailer,
remove the coupling ball bar.
Stowage of coupling ball bar
The bag with the coupling ball bar is
stowed in the rear stowage
compartment on the floor.
Place the strap through the lashing
eye, wrap around twice and tighten
the strap to secure the bag.
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226Driving and operating
● Pull out rotary knob and turnclockwise as far as it will go.
Inserting the coupling ball bar
Insert the tensioned coupling ball bar
in the opening and push firmly
upwards until it audibly engages.
The rotary handle snaps back into its
original position resting against the
coupling ball bar without a gap.9 Warning
Do not touch rotary handle during
insertion.
Lock the coupling ball bar by turning
the key to position e. Remove the key
and close the protective flap.
Eye for break-away stopping cable
Attach breakaway stopping cable to
eye.
Check that the coupling ball bar is correctly installed
● Green marking on rotary knob must point towards green
marking on coupling ball bar.
● There must be no gap between the rotary handle and the
coupling ball bar.
● The coupling ball bar must be firmly engaged in the opening.
● The coupling ball bar must be locked and the key removed.9Warning
Towing a trailer is permitted only
when a coupling ball bar is fitted correctly. If the coupling ball bardoes not engage correctly, seekthe assistance of a workshop.
Page 229 of 343
Driving and operating227Dismounting the coupling ball bar
Open the protective flap and turn the
key to position c to unlock the
coupling ball bar.
Pull out rotary handle and turn
clockwise as far as it will go. Pull out coupling ball bar downwards.
Insert sealing plug in opening. Fold away socket.
All versions except 3-door hatchback:
Attach the rear side of the cover into
the recess of the bumper and fold the
front side upward.
Press fastenings outward.
Trailer stability assist
If the system detects snaking
movements, engine power is reduced
and the vehicle/trailer combination is selectively braked until the snaking
ceases. While system is working keep steering wheel as still as possible.
Trailer stability assist (TSA) is a
function of the Electronic Stability
Control 3 181.
Page 263 of 343
Vehicle care261No.Circuit1–2Trailer outlet3Parking assist4–5–6–7Power seat8–9–10–11Trailer module/Trailer socket12Trailer module13Trailer outlet14Rear seat/Electrical folding15–16Interior mirror/Rear view
cameraNo.Circuit17Power outlet18–19Steering wheel heating20Sunroof21Heated front seats22–23–24–25–26Deactivated logistic mode27–28–29–30–31Amplifier/Subwoofer32Active damping system/Lane
departure warning
When assembling press the blind into
the rubber grommets to reach full
retention force.