DrivingVehicle features and options
This chapter describes all standard, country-
specific and optional features offered with the
series. It also describes features that are not
necessarily available in your car, e. g., due to
the selected options or country versions. This
also applies to safety-related functions and
systems. The respectively applicable country
provisions must be observed when using the
respective features and systems.
Start/Stop button The concept Pressing the Start/Stop button
switches drive readiness on or
off.
Drive readiness starts with the
brake pedal pressed when you
press the Start/Stop button.
Pressing the Start/Stop button again switches
drive readiness back off and operating readi‐
ness, refer to page 19, is switched back on.
Drive readiness
Information DANGER
If the exhaust pipe is blocked or ventila‐
tion is insufficient, harmful exhaust gases can
enter into the vehicle. The exhaust gases con‐
tain carbon monoxide, an odorless and color‐
less but highly toxic gas. In enclosed areas, ex‐
haust gases can also accumulate outside of
the vehicle. There is danger to life. Keep the
exhaust pipe free and ensure sufficient ventila‐
tion.◀WARNING
An unsecured vehicle can put itself into
motion and roll away. There is risk of an acci‐
dent. Before exiting, secure the vehicle against
rolling.
In order to ensure that the vehicle is secured
against rolling away, observe the following:▷Set the parking brake.▷On uphill grades or on a slope, turn the
front wheels in the direction of the curb.▷On uphill grades or on a slope, also secure
the vehicle, e.g. with a wheel chock.◀
CAUTION
In the case of repeated starting attempts
or repeated starting in quick succession, the
fuel is not burned or is inadequately burned.
The catalytic converter can overheat. There is
risk of property damage. Avoid repeated start‐
ing in quick succession.◀
Switching on drive readiness
Steptronic transmission
1.Depress the brake pedal.2.Press the Start/Stop button.
The ignition is activated automatically for a
certain time and is stopped as soon as the en‐
gine starts.
Most of the indicator and warning lights in the
instrument cluster light up for a varied length
of time.
Switch off drive readiness
Steptronic transmission
1.Engage selector lever position P with the
vehicle stopped.2.Press the Start/Stop button.
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3.Set the parking brake.
Before driving into a car wash
So that the vehicle can roll into a car wash ob‐
serve instructions for going into an automatic
car wash, refer to page 291.
Auto Start/Stop function
The concept The Auto Start/Stop function helps save fuel.
The system switches off the engine during a
stop, e.g., in traffic congestion or at traffic lights. Drive readiness remains switched on.
The engine starts again automatically for driv‐
ing off.
Information After every engine start via the Start/Stop but‐
ton, the Auto Start/Stop function is activated or
deactivated, according to the last setting, refer
to page 99. If the Auto Start/Stop function is
active, it is available as soon as a speed of ap‐
prox. 3 mph, approx. 5 km/h is exceeded.
Engine stop
The engine is switched off automatically dur‐
ing a stop under the following conditions:
▷The selector lever is in selector lever posi‐
tion D.▷The brake pedal remains pressed while the
vehicle is stationary or the vehicle is held
by Automatic Hold.▷The driver's safety belt is buckled or the
driver's door is closed.
The air flow from the air conditioner is reduced
when the engine is switched off.
Displays in the instrument cluster
The display in the tachometer
indicates that the Auto Start/
Stop function is ready for an Au‐
tomatic engine start.
The display indicates that the
conditions for an automatic en‐
gine stop have not been met.
Functional limitations The engine is not switched off automatically in
the following situations:▷In case of a steep downhill grade.▷Brake not engaged strongly enough.▷The external temperature is high and auto‐
matic climate control is running.▷The car's interior has not yet been heated
or cooled to the required level.▷If window condensation is imminent.▷Engine or other parts not at operating tem‐
perature.▷Engine cooling is required.▷The wheels are at a sharp angle or the
steering wheel is being turned.▷Vehicle battery is heavily discharged.▷At higher elevations.▷The engine compartment lid is unlocked.▷HDC Hill Descent Control is activated.▷The parking assistant is activated.▷Stop-and-go traffic.▷Selector lever position in N or R.▷After driving in reverse.▷Use of fuel with high ethanol content.
Starting the engine
The engine starts automatically under the fol‐
lowing conditions:
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▷By releasing the brake pedal.▷When Automatic Hold is activated: press
the accelerator pedal.
After the engine starts, accelerate as usual.
Safety mode
After the engine switches off automatically, it
will not start again automatically if any one of
the following conditions are met:
▷The driver's safety belt is unbuckled and
the driver's door is open.▷The hood was unlocked.
Some indicator lights light up for a varied
length of time.
The engine can only be started via the Start/
Stop button.
Functional limitations
Even if driving off was not intended, the deacti‐
vated engine starts up automatically in the fol‐
lowing situations:
▷Excessive warming of the car's interior
when the cooling function is switched on.▷Excessive cooling of the car's interior when
the heating is switched on.▷If window condensation is imminent.▷The steering wheel is turned.▷Change from selector lever position D to N
or R.▷Change from selector lever position P to N,
D or R.▷Vehicle battery is heavily discharged.▷Start of an oil level measurement.Activating/deactivating the system
manually
Using the button
Press button.
▷LED comes on: Auto Start/Stop function is
deactivated.
The engine is not automatically switched
off.
The engine is started during an automatic
engine stop.
The Auto Start/Stop function is deacti‐
vated in selector lever position M/S or in
SPORT drive mode.▷LED goes out: Auto Start/Stop function is
activated.
Switching off the vehicle during an
automatic engine stop
During an automatic engine stop, the vehicle
can be switched off permanently, e. g., when
leaving it.
1.Press the Start/Stop button.▷Drive readiness is switched off.▷Operating readiness is switched on.▷Selector lever position P is engaged
automatically.2.Set the parking brake.Seite 99DrivingControls99
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Automatic deactivation
In certain situations, Auto Start/Stop function
is deactivated automatically for safety reasons
as if the driver were absent.
Malfunction
The Auto Start/Stop function no longer
switches off the engine automatically. A Check
Control message is displayed. It is possible to
continue driving. Have the system checked.
Parking brake The concept
The parking brake is used to prevent the vehi‐
cle from rolling when it is parked.
Information WARNING
An unsecured vehicle can put itself into
motion and roll away. There is risk of an acci‐
dent. Before exiting, secure the vehicle against
rolling.
In order to ensure that the vehicle is secured
against rolling away, observe the following:▷Set the parking brake.▷On uphill grades or on a slope, turn the
front wheels in the direction of the curb.▷On uphill grades or on a slope, also secure
the vehicle, e.g. with a wheel chock.◀
WARNING
Unattended children or animals can
move the vehicle and endanger themselves
and traffic, e.g. with the following actions:
▷Pressing the Start/Stop button.▷Releasing the parking brake.▷Opening and closing of doors or windows.▷Shifting the selector lever into neutral.▷Using vehicle equipment.There is risk of accidents or injuries. Do not
leave children or animals unattended in the ve‐
hicle. Carry remote control along when exiting
and lock the vehicle.◀
Overview
Parking brake
Setting Pull the switch.
LED on the switch lights up.
The indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up red. The parking brake
is set.
While driving Use as emergency brake while driving:
Pull the switch and hold it. The vehicle brakes
hard while the switch is being pulled.
The indicator lamp lights up red, a sig‐
nal sounds and the brake lights light
up.
A Check Control message is displayed.
If the vehicle is slowed down to a speed of ap‐
prox. 2 mph/3 km/h the parking brake is set.
Releasing
With drive readiness switched on:
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Press the switch while stepping on the
brake pedal or selector lever position P is
set.
The LED and indicator lamp go out.
The parking brake is released.
Automatic release
The parking brake is released automatically
when you drive away.
The LED and indicator lamp go out.
Automatic Hold
The concept
This system assists the driver by automatically
setting and releasing the brake, such as when
moving in stop-and-go traffic.
The vehicle is automatically held in place when
it is stationary.
On inclines, the system prevents the vehicle
from rolling backward when driving off.
General information
Under the following conditions, the parking
brake is automatically engaged:▷Drive readiness is deactivated.▷The driver's door is opened while the vehi‐
cle is stationary.▷The moving vehicle is brought to a stand‐
still using the parking brake.
The indicator lamp changes from green
to red.
The indicator lamp goes out.
Information WARNING
An unsecured vehicle can put itself into
motion and roll away. There is risk of an acci‐
dent. Before exiting, secure the vehicle against
rolling.
In order to ensure that the vehicle is secured
against rolling away, observe the following:▷Set the parking brake.▷On uphill grades or on a slope, turn the
front wheels in the direction of the curb.▷On uphill grades or on a slope, also secure
the vehicle, e.g. with a wheel chock.◀
CAUTION
If the vehicle is stationary, Automatic
Hold engages the parking brake. It prevents
the vehicle from rolling in a car wash. There is
risk of property damage. Deactivate Automatic
Hold prior to entering the car wash.◀
WARNING
Unattended children or animals can
move the vehicle and endanger themselves
and traffic, e.g. with the following actions:
▷Pressing the Start/Stop button.▷Releasing the parking brake.▷Opening and closing of doors or windows.▷Shifting the selector lever into neutral.▷Using vehicle equipment.
There is risk of accidents or injuries. Do not
leave children or animals unattended in the ve‐
hicle. Carry remote control along when exiting
and lock the vehicle.◀
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Overview
Automatic Hold
Establishing function readiness from
Automatic Hold
Press the button while pressing on the
brake pedal.
The LED on the button lights up.
The indicator lamp lights up green.
Automatic Hold is functional.
After every new vehicles start, the last
selected setting is active.
Automatic Hold holding the vehicle Function readiness is established.
After stepping on the brake pedal, e.g. when
stopping at a traffic light, the vehicle is auto‐
matically secured against rolling.
The indicator lamp lights up green.
Step on the accelerator pedal to drive
off.
The brake is released automatically.
The indicator lamp goes out.
Parking
The parking brake is engaged automatically if
the vehicle is stopped with Automatic Hold and
the drive-ready state is deactivated.
The indicator lamp changes from green
to red.
The parking brake is not set if the drive-ready
state is deactivated while the vehicle is coast‐
ing to a halt. Automatic Hold is deactivated.
Automatic Hold remains active during the en‐
gine stop brought about by the Auto Start/
Stop function.
Switching function readiness off Press button.
The LED on the button goes out.
The indicator lamp goes out.
Automatic Hold is switched off.
If the vehicle is being held by Automatic Hold,
press on the brake pedal to switch it off.
Malfunction
In the event of a failure or malfunction of the
parking brake, secure the vehicle against roll‐
ing using a wheel chock, e.g., when leaving it.
After a power failure
Putting the parking brake into
operation1.Turn on operations.2. Pull the switch while stepping on the
brake pedal or selector lever position P is
set and then push.
It may take several seconds for the brake to be
put into operation. Any sounds associated with
this are normal.
The indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster goes out as soon as the parking
brake is ready for operation.
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Setting the interval time or sensitivity
of the rain sensor
Turn the thumbwheel to adjust the frequency
or sensitivity of the rain sensor.
Up: short interval or high sensitivity of the rain
sensor.
Down: long interval or low sensitivity of the rain
sensor.
Clean the windshield, headlights
Pull the wiper lever towards you.
The system sprays washer fluid on the wind‐
shield and activates the wipers briefly.
In addition, the headlights are cleaned at regu‐
lar intervals when the vehicle's lights are acti‐
vated.
WARNING
The washer fluid can freeze onto the win‐
dow at low temperatures and obstruct the
view. There is risk of an accident. Only use the
washer systems, if the washer fluid cannot
freeze. Use antifreeze if needed.◀
CAUTION
When the wiper water container is
empty, the wash pump cannot work as in‐
tended. There is risk of property damage. Do
not use the washer system when the wash wa‐
ter container is empty.◀
Windshield washer nozzles
The windshield washer nozzles are automati‐
cally heated while operating readiness is
switched on.
Fold-out position of the wipers Fold wipers back when you want to change the
blades or with pending low temperatures.
WARNING
If the wipers start moving in the folded
away state, damage may occur to parts of the vehicle or body parts can be jammed. There is
risk of injuries or risk of property damage.
Make sure that the vehicle is switched off
when the wipers are in the folded away state
and the wipers are folded in when switching
on.◀1.Turn on operations.2.With icy conditions make sure that blades
are not frozen to the windshield.3.Press and hold wiper lever downward, until
the wipers stop in a close to vertical posi‐
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Ending the sport program/manual
mode
Push the selector lever to the right.
D is displayed in the instrument cluster.
Shift paddles
The shift paddles on the steering wheel allow
you to shift gears quickly while keeping both
hands on the steering wheel.
▷Shift up: briefly pull right shift paddle.▷Shift down: briefly pull left shift paddle.▷With the respective transmission version,
the lowest possible gear can be selected
by pulling and holding the left shift paddle.
Gears will only be shifted at appropriate engine
and road speeds, for example downshifting is
not possible if the engine speed is too high.
The selected gear is briefly displayed in the in‐
strument cluster, followed by the current gear.
If the shift paddles on the steering wheel are
used to shift gears in automatic mode, the
transmission temporarily switches to manual
mode.
If the selector lever is still in selector lever po‐
sition D with the respective transmission ver‐
sion, it is possible to switch back into the auto‐
matic mode:
▷Pull and hold right shift paddle.
or▷In addition to the briefly pulled right shift
paddle, briefly pull the left shift paddle.
In the manual mode, after conservative driving
for a certain amount of time or if there has
been no acceleration or shifting of the shift
paddles within a certain amount of time, the
transmission switches back to automatic
mode.
Displays in the instrument cluster The selector lever position is
displayed, e.g.: P.
Electronic unlocking of the transmission lock
General information
Electronically unlock the transmission lock to
maneuver vehicle from the danger area.
Unlocking is possible, if the started can spin
the engine.
Engaging selector lever position N1.Depress the brake pedal.2.Press and hold the Start/Stop button. The
starter must audibly start.3.Press and hold the selector lever into se‐
lector lever position N, until selector lever
position N is displayed in the instrument
cluster.
A corresponding Check Control message
is displayed.4.Release Start/Stop button and selector
lever.5.Release brake, as soon as the starter
stops.6.Maneuver the vehicle from the danger area
and secure it against moving on its own.
Launch Control
The concept Launch Control enables optimum accelerationon surfaces with good traction.
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