Page 137 of 239

Driving and operating135start off quickly, release the brake
pedal and accelerate immediately
after engaging a gear.
In automatic mode the transmission
shifts to other gears automatically,
dependent on driving conditions.
To engage manual mode, move the
selector lever towards A/M. The
current gear will appear in the
transmission display.
To engage first gear, depress brake
pedal and move selector lever
towards + or -. Shift to a higher or
lower gear by moving selector lever to
+ or -. Gears can be skipped by
moving the selector lever repeatedly
at short intervals.
Stopping the vehicle
In automatic or manual mode,
first gear is engaged and the clutch is
released when the vehicle is stopped.
In R, reverse gear remains engaged.
When stopping on gradients, engage
parking brake or depress the brake
pedal. To prevent overheating of the
clutch, an intermittent audiblewarning may sound as a signal to
depress the brake pedal or apply the
parking brake.
Switch off engine if stopping for a
lengthy period, e.g. in traffic jams.
When the vehicle is parked and the
driver's door is opened, a warning
chime will sound if neutral is not
selected or the brake pedal has not
been depressed.
Engine braking
Automatic mode
When driving downhill, the manual
transmission automated does not
shift into higher gears until a fairly
high engine speed has been reached. It shifts down in good time when
braking.
Manual mode
To utilise the engine braking effect,
select a lower gear in good time when
driving downhill.Rocking the vehicle
Rocking the vehicle is only
permissible if the vehicle is stuck in
sand, mud, snow or a hole. Move the
selector lever between R and A/M (or
between + and -) in a repeat pattern,
while applying light pressure to the
accelerator pedal. Do not race the
engine and avoid sudden
acceleration.
Parking
Apply the parking brake. The most
recently engaged gear (see
transmission display) remains
engaged. With N, no gear is engaged.
When the ignition is switched off, the
transmission no longer responds to
movement of the selector lever.
If the ignition is not switched off, or the
parking brake has not been applied, a
warning chime will sound upon
opening the driver's door.
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
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136Driving and operatingshift is not executed. This prevents
the engine from running at too low or
too high an engine speed.
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.
Electronic driving programmes
Winter mode VActivate the Winter mode if you have
problems starting off on a slippery
road surface.
Activation
Press V. Control indicator V is shown
in the transmission display. The
transmission switches to automatic
mode and the vehicle starts off in a
suitable gear.
Deactivation
The Winter mode is switched off by:
● pressing V again
● turning off the ignition
● switching to manual mode
In order to protect the transmission at extremely high clutch temperatures,
an intermittent audible warning may
sound. In such cases, depress the
brake pedal, select "N" and apply the parking brake to allow the clutch to
cool down.Laden mode kg
It is possible to use the Laden mode
in both manual and automatic modes. In both cases, the gearshifting
patterns are adapted automatically
for carrying an increased payload.
Activation
Press kg. Control indicator kg is
shown in the transmission display.
The transmission will then select
optimized gearshift patterns.
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Driving and operating137Deactivation
The Laden mode is switched off by:
● pressing kg again
● turning off the ignition
Kickdown
If the accelerator pedal is pressed past the pressure point, the
transmission shifts to a lower gear
depending on engine speed. Full
engine power is available for
acceleration.
If engine speed is too high the
transmission switches to a higher
gear, even in manual mode. Without
kickdown this automatic shift is not
effected in manual mode.
Fault
In the event of a fault, control indicator W is shown in the transmission
display. Continued driving is possible
provided the vehicle is driven with
care and anticipation.
Have the cause of the fault remedied
by a workshop.Interruption of power supply
The clutch is not disengaged if there
is an interruption of the power supply
when a gear is engaged. The vehicle
cannot move.
If the vehicle battery is discharged,
start the vehicle using jump leads
3 193.
If the cause of the fault is not a
discharged vehicle battery, seek the
assistance of a workshop.
If neutral cannot be selected, the
vehicle must only be towed with the
drive wheels raised off the ground
3 195.
Towing the vehicle 3 195.Brakes
The brake system comprises two
independent brake circuits.
If a brake circuit fails, the vehicle can
still be braked using the other brake
circuit. However, braking effect is
achieved only when you depress the
brake pedal firmly. You need to use
considerably more force for this. The
braking distance is extended. Seek
the assistance of a workshop before
continuing your journey.
When the engine is not running, the
support of the brake servo unit
disappears once the brake pedal has
been depressed once or twice.
Braking effect is not reduced, but
braking requires significantly greater
force. It is especially important to bear this in mind when being towed.
Control indicator R 3 88.
Antilock brake system
Antilock brake system (ABS)
prevents the wheels from locking.
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138Driving and operatingABS starts to regulate brake pressureas soon as a wheel shows a tendency to lock. The vehicle remains
steerable, even during hard braking.
ABS control is made apparent
through a pulse in the brake pedal
and the noise of the regulation
process.
For optimum braking, keep the brake
pedal fully depressed throughout the
braking process, despite the fact that
the pedal is pulsating. Do not reduce
the pressure on the pedal.
Control indicator u 3 88.
Fault
If control indicators u and A
illuminate with the messages CHECK
ABS and CHECK ESP in the Driver
Information Centre (DIC), there is a
fault in the ABS. The brake system
remains operational but without ABS
regulation.9 Warning
If there is a fault in the ABS, the
wheels may be liable to lock due
to braking that is heavier than
normal. The advantages of ABS are no longer available. During
hard braking, the vehicle can no longer be steered and may
swerve.
If control indicators u, A , R and
C illuminate, the ABS and ESP are
deactivated and the message
BRAKING FAULT is shown in the
DIC. Seek the assistance of a
workshop.
Have the cause of the fault remedied by a workshop.
Parking brake9 Warning
Always apply parking brake firmly
without operating the release
button, and apply as firmly as
possible on a downhill or uphill
slope.
To release the parking brake, pull
the lever up slightly, press the
release button and fully lower the
lever.
To reduce the operating forces of
the parking brake, depress the
brake pedal at the same time.
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Driving and operating139Control indicator R 3 88.
Parking 3 124.
Retractable parking brake
Depending on vehicle, the parking
brake lever retracts to the horizontal
position even with the parking brake
applied.
To release the parking brake, pull the lever up slightly, press the release
button and return the lever to the
horizontal position.
To apply the parking brake, pull the
lever up and release it. The lever rests
in a horizontal position.
Brake assist
If the brake pedal is depressed
quickly and forcefully, maximum
brake force is automatically applied
(full braking).
Maintain steady pressure on the brake pedal for as long as full braking
is required. Maximum brake force is
automatically reduced when the
brake pedal is released.
Brake assist is not available during an
Autostop. Stop-start system 3 122.
Hill start assist The system helps prevent unintendedmovement when driving away on
inclines.
When releasing the brake pedal after
stopping on an incline (with the
selector lever in a forward gear or
reverse gear), the brakes remain on
for a further 2 seconds. The brakes
release automatically as soon as the
vehicle begins to accelerate.Caution
The Hill start assist cannot
completely prevent vehicle
movement in all situations
(extremely steep gradients, etc.).
If necessary, depress the brake
pedal to prevent the vehicle from
rolling forwards or backwards.
The Hill start assist is not active
during an Autostop. Stop-start system 3 122.
Page 142 of 239

140Driving and operatingRide control systems
Traction Control system
The Traction Control system (TC) is a component part of the Electronic
Stability Program (ESP® Plus
) which
improves driving stability when
necessary, regardless of the type of
road surface or tyre grip, by
preventing the drive wheels from
spinning.
As soon as the drive wheels starts to spin, engine output is reduced and
the wheel spinning the most is braked
individually. This considerably
improves the driving stability of the
vehicle on slippery road surfaces.
TC is operational as soon as the
ignition is switched on and control
indicator b extinguishes in the
instrument cluster. A corresponding
message also appears in the Driver
Information Centre (DIC) 3 92.
When TC is active b flashes.9 Warning
Do not let this special safety
feature tempt you into taking risks
when driving.
Adapt speed to the road
conditions.
Control indicator b 3 89.
Trailer stability assist (TSA) 3 155.
Enhanced Traction function
If necessary, in the event of soft
ground, mud or snow-covered road
surfaces, the Traction control system
(TC) can be deactivated to enhance
traction:
Press Ø on the instrument panel.
Control indicator Ø illuminates in the
instrument cluster and a
corresponding message appears in
the DIC 3 92.
When vehicle speed reaches 30 mph, the system switches
automatically from Enhanced
Traction function to TC operation.
Control indicator Ø extinguishes in
the instrument cluster.
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Driving and operating141TC is reactivated by pressing Ø
again. Control indicator Ø
extinguishes.
TC is also reactivated the next time
the ignition is switched on.
Fault
If the system detects a fault, control
indicator b 3 89 illuminates together
with A 3 87 in the instrument cluster
and a corresponding message
appears in the DIC 3 92.
The Traction control system (TC) is
not operational. Have the cause of the
fault remedied by a workshop.
Vehicle messages 3 92.
Electronic stability program The Electronic Stability Program
(ESP® Plus
) improves driving stability
when necessary, regardless of the type of road surface or tyre grip. It also
prevents the drive wheels from
spinning.
As soon as the vehicle starts to
swerve (understeer/oversteer),
engine output is reduced and thewheels are braked individually. This
considerably improves the driving
stability of the vehicle on slippery road
surfaces.
ESP® Plus
is operational as soon as
the ignition is switched on and control
indicator b extinguishes in the
instrument cluster. A corresponding
message also appears in the Driver
Information Centre (DIC) 3 92.
When ESP® Plus
comes into action b
flashes.9 Warning
Do not let this special safety
feature tempt you into taking risks
when driving.
Adapt speed to the road
conditions.
Control indicator b 3 89.
Trailer stability assist (TSA) 3 155.
Enhanced Traction function
If necessary, in the event of soft
ground, mud or snow-covered road
surfaces, ESP® Plus
can be
deactivated to enhance traction:
Press Ø on the instrument panel.
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142Driving and operating
Control indicator Ø illuminates in the
instrument cluster and a
corresponding message appears in
the DIC 3 92.
When vehicle speed reaches 30 mph, the system switches
automatically from Enhanced
Traction function to ESP® Plus
operation. Control indicator Ø
extinguishes in the instrument cluster.
ESP® Plus
is reactivated by pressing
Ø again. Control indicator Ø
extinguishes.
ESP® Plus
is also reactivated the next
time the ignition is switched on.
Fault
If the system detects a fault, control indicator b 3 89 illuminates together
with A 3 87 in the instrument cluster
and a corresponding message
appears in the DIC 3 92.
The Electronic Stability Program
(ESP® Plus
) is not operational. Have
the cause of the fault remedied by a
workshop.
Vehicle messages 3 92.Driver assistance
systems9 Warning
Driver assistance systems are
developed to support the driver
and not to replace the driver's
attention.
The driver accepts full
responsibility when driving the
vehicle.
When using driver assistance
systems, always take care
regarding the current traffic
situation.
Cruise control
The cruise control can store and
maintain speeds of 20 mph and
above. Deviations from the stored
speeds may occur when driving uphill or downhill. The stored speed will
flash in the Driver Information Centre
(DIC) 3 92.