Operation
START ENGINE STOP button flashes to indicate
thi s
fact.
Braking and parking Electr
onic parking brake Fig. 165
In the lower part of the centre con-
so l
e: electronic parking brake button. The electronic parking brake replaces the
h
andbr
ake.
Activating the electronic parking brake
The electronic parking brake can be activated
whenever the vehicle is at a standstill, even
when the ignition is switched off. Activate it
whenever you leave or park the vehicle.
● Pull and hold the ››
› Fig. 165 button.
● The parking brake is activated when the
contr
ol light of the ››› Fig. 165 button (arrow) and the red control light of the display in
the d
ash panel are on.
● Release the button.
Rel
easing the electronic parking brake
● Switch the ignition on.
● Press the button ››
› Fig. 165. At the same
time step hard on the brake pedal or, if the
engine is running, press the accelerator ped-
al slightly.
● The control light of the ››
› Fig. 165 button
(arrow) and the red control light of the dis-
play in the dash panel go out.
Automatic release of the electronic parking
brake on starting the engine
The electronic parking brake is automatically
switched off when starting if, after the driv-
er's door is closed and the driver's seat belt
fastened, any of the following situations take
place:
● On vehicles with an automatic gearbox: A
ge
ar range is engaged or the vehicle is
switched to another one and the accelerator
pedal is lightly pressed.
● In vehicles with a manual gearbox: The
clut
ch pedal is pressed fully before starting
off and the accelerator is pedal lightly press-
ed.
● To facilitate certain manoeuvres there are
ex
ceptions that allow the automatic parking brake to be released without the driver's seat
belt bein
g fastened.
The parking brake can be prevented from be-
ing automatically released by continuously
pulling up the ››› Fig. 165 switch when
starting off.
The electronic parking brake is not discon-
nected until the button is released. This
can facilitate starting off when a heavy load
is towed ››› page 255.
Automatic activation of the electronic park-
ing brake on starting the engine
In vehicles with automatic transmission, the
electronic parking brake is activated auto-
matically when exiting the vehicle incorrectly
if: ● The selector lever is in the D/S or R pos
i-
tion or in the Tiptronic selection track.
● AND: the vehicle is stationary.
● AND:
the driver door i
s open.
Emergency braking function
Only use the emergency brake function if you
are unable to stop the vehicle with the foot
brake ››› .
● Pull and hold the › ›
› Fig. 165 button in
this position to forcefully stop the vehicle. At
the same time, an acoustic warning can be
heard.
170
Driving
● To s
top the braking process, release the
button or press the accelerator. WARNING
The improper use of the electronic parking
br ak
e can cause accidents and serious injury.
● Never use the electronic parking brake to
st
op the vehicle, unless it is an emergency.
Braking distances can be considerably lon-
ger, since, under certain circumstances, only
the rear wheels brake. Always use the foot
brake.
● Never accelerate from the engine when a
ge
ar range or a gear is engaged and the en-
gine is running. The vehicle could move, even
if the electronic parking brake is activated. CAUTION
To prevent the vehicle from unintentionally
mo v
ing when parking it, first apply the elec-
tronic parking brake and then remove your
foot from the brake pedal. Note
● In v
ehicles with a manual gearbox, releas-
ing the clutch and accelerating at the same
time automatically disconnects the electronic
parking brake.
● If the vehicle battery is flat, it will not be
pos
sible to disconnect the electronic parking
brake. Use the jump-start ›››
page 58. ●
When the el ectr
onic parking brake is ap-
plied or released, noises may be heard.
● The system performs automatic and audi-
bl
e tests sporadically in the parked vehicle if
some time elapses without the electronic
parking brake being used. Parking
The electronic parking brake should always
be ap
p
lied when the vehicle is parked.
Always note the following points when park-
ing the vehicle: – Use the brake pedal to stop the vehicle.
– Apply the electronic parking brake.
– Put it in 1st gear.
– Switch the engine off and remove the key
from the ignition.
Turn the steering wheel
slightly to engage the steering lock.
– Never leave a vehicle key in the vehicle.
Addition
al notes on parking the vehicle on
gradients:
Turn the steering wheel so that the vehicle
rolls against the kerb if it started to roll.
● If the vehicle is parked facing downhi
ll,
turn the front wheels so that they point to-
wards the kerb . ●
If the
vehicle is parked facing uphill, turn
the front wheels so that they point away from
the kerb.
● Secure the vehicle as usual by applying the
electr
onic parking brake firmly and putting it
in 1st gear. WARNING
● Tak
e measures to reduce the risk of injury
when you leave your vehicle unattended.
● Never park where the hot exhaust system
cou
ld ignite inflammable materials, such as
dry grass, low bushes, spilt fuel etc.
● Never allow vehicle occupants to remain in
the v
ehicle when it is locked. They would be
unable to open the vehicle from the inside,
and could become trapped in the vehicle in
an emergency. In the event of an emergency,
locked doors will delay assistance to vehicle
occupants.
● Never leave children alone in the vehicle.
They c
ould set the vehicle in motion, for ex-
ample, by releasing the electronic parking
brake or the gearshift lever, which would
cause the vehicle to move, but uncontrolla-
bly.
● Depending on weather conditions, it may
become e
xtremely hot or cold inside the vehi-
cle. This can be fatal. 171
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety
Driving
Automatic gearbox/DSG auto-
m atic
gearbox*
Introduction Your vehicle is equipped with an electronical-
ly
c
ontrolled manual gearbox. Torque be-
tween the engine and the gearbox is trans-
mitted via two independent clutches. They re-
place the torque converter found on conven-
tional automatic gearboxes and allow for
smooth, uninterrupted acceleration of the ve-
hicle.
The tiptronic system allows the driver to
change gears manually if desired
››› page 179, Changing gears in tiptronic
mode*.
Selector lever positions Read the additional information carefully
› ›
› page 41
The selector lever position engaged is high-
lighted on the display in the instrument clus-
ter. With the selector lever in the manual
gearbox positions G, D, E and S, the engaged
gear is also indicated on the display.
P – Parking lock
When the selector lever is in this position,
the driven wheels are locked mechanically. The parking lock must be engaged only when
the v
ehicle is stationary ››› .
The int erloc
k button (the button on the selec-
tor lever handle) must be pressed in and si-
multaneously the brake pedal must be de-
pressed before moving the selector lever ei-
ther in or out of position P.
R – Reverse gear
Reverse gear must be engaged only when the
vehicle is stationary and the engine is idling
››› .
T o mo
ve the selector lever to position R, the
interlock button must be pressed in and at
the same time the brake pedal must be de-
pressed. The reverse lights come on when
the selector lever is in the R position with the
ignition on.
N – Neutral (idling)
With the selector lever in this position, the
gear is in neutral.
D/S – Permanent drive (forward) position
The selector lever in the D/S position enables
the gears to be controlled in normal mode (D)
or Sport (S). To select Sport mode (S), move
the selector lever backwards. Moving the lev-
er again will select normal mode (D). The se-
lected driving mode is shown on the instru-
ment panel display. In normal mode
(D), the g
earbox automatical-
ly selects the best gear ratio. This depends
on the engine load, the road speed and the
dynamic gear control programme (DCP).
Sport mode (S) must be selected for a sporty
driving style. This setting makes use of the
engine's maximum power output. When ac-
celerating the gear shifts will be noticeable.
Press the brake pedal to move the selector
lever from N to D/S when the vehicle is sta-
tionary or at speeds below 3 km/h (2 mph)
››› .
Under c er
tain circumstances (e.g. when driv-
ing in mountains) it can be advantageous to
switch temporarily to tiptronic mode
››› page 179, in order to manually select gear
ratios to suit the driving conditions. WARNING
● Tak
e care not to accidentally press the ac-
celerator pedal when the vehicle is stopped.
The vehicle could otherwise start moving im-
mediately (in some cases even if the parking
brake is engaged) resulting in the risk of an
accident.
● Never move the selector lever to R or P
when drivin
g. Failure to follow this instruc-
tion could result in an accident.
● With selector lever in any position (except
P) the v
ehicle must always be held with the
foot brake when the engine is running. This is
because an automatic gearbox still transmits » 177
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety
Operation
power even at idling speed, and the vehicle
t
end
s to “creep”. The accelerator pedal must
on no account be pressed inadvertently when
a gear is engaged with the vehicle stationary.
The vehicle could otherwise start moving im-
mediately (in some cases even if the parking
brake is engaged) resulting in the risk of an
accident.
● While you are selecting a gear and the vehi-
cl
e is stopped with the engine running, do
not accelerate. Failure to follow this instruc-
tion could result in an accident.
● As a driver you should never leave your ve-
hicl
e if the engine is running and a gear is en-
gaged. If you have to leave your vehicle while
the engine is running, you must apply the
handbrake and engage the parking lock (P).
● To avoid accidents, apply the handbrake
and put
the selector lever in position P before
opening the bonnet and working on the vehi-
cle with the engine running. Please always
observe the important safety warnings
››› page 282, Work in the engine compart-
ment. Note
● If the sel
ector lever is moved accidentally
to N when driving, release the accelerator and
let the engine speed drop to idling before se-
lecting gear range D or S again.
● Should the power supply to the selector
lev
er be interrupted in position P, the selector
lever will be locked. If this should happen the
manual release can be used ›››
page 41. Selector lever lock
Fig. 166
Selector lever lock. The selector lever lock prevents gears from
bein g en
gaged inadvertently, so that the ve-
hicle is not set in motion unintentionally.
The selector lever lock is released as follows:
– Switch the ignition on.
– Press the brake pedal and
, at the same
time, hold the lock button in the direction
of the arrow ››› Fig. 166.
Automatic selector lever lock
With the ignition switched on, the selector
lever is locked in the positions P and N. The
brake pedal must be pressed to release the
lever while pressing the release button if the
selector lever is in the position P. As a re-
minder for the driver, with the lever in posi-
tions P or N the following message will be
shown on the display: When stationary, apply footbrake
while selecting a gear.
Lev
el lock only engages with the vehicle sta-
tionary and at speeds of up to 5 km/h
(3 mph). At speeds of over 5 km/h (3 mph)
the lever lock is automatically deactivated in
position N.
The selector lever lock is not engaged if the
selector lever is moved quickly through posi-
tion N (e.g. when shifting from R to D). This
makes it possible, for instance, to rock the
vehicle “backwards and forwards” if it is
stuck. The selector lever lock engages auto-
matically if the brake pedal is not depressed
and the lever is in position N for more than
about two seconds.
Interlock button
The interlock button on the selector lever
handle prevents the driver from inadvertently
engaging certain gears. Press the button in
to disengage the selector lever lock.
Safety interlock for ignition key
Once the ignition has been turned off, the
key may be removed only if the gear selector
is in position P. While the key is not in the ig-
nition, the selector lever is locked in position
P.
178
Driving
(automatic gearbox: gear S). Maintain the en-
gine s peed at
approximately 2,000 rpm. The
rise in temperature causes the soot on the fil-
ter to burn. On completion of the cleaning
the warning lamp will switch off. If the warn-
ing lamp does not switch off, go immediately
to a specialised workshop to rectify the prob-
lem.
Engine management* This warning lamp monitors the engine man-
ag
ement
system for petrol engines.
The warning lamp (Electronic Power Con-
trol) lights up when the ignition is switched
on while system operation is being verified. It
should go out once the engine is started.
If there is a fault in the electronic engine
management system while you are driving,
this warning lamp will light up. Take the vehi-
cle to a specialised workshop as soon as
possible and have the engine checked.
Emission control system* Control lamp
fla
shes:
When there is misfiring that can damage the
catalytic converter. Reduce speed and drive
carefully to the nearest specialised workshop
to have the engine checked. The control lamp
lights
up:
If a fault has developed during driving which
has reduced the quality of the exhaust gas
(e.g. lambda probe fault). Reduce speed and
drive carefully to the nearest specialised
workshop to have the engine checked.
Engine pre-heating/fault system* The warning lamp lights up to show that the
glo
w p
lugs are preheating the diesel engine.
The control lamp lights up
If the control lamp lights up when the en-
gine is started it means that the glow plugs
are preheating. The engine can be started
straight away when the lamp switches off.
Control lamp flashes
If a fault develops in the engine management
system while you are driving, the glow plug
system lamp will flash . Take the vehicle to
a specialised workshop as soon as possible
and have the engine checked. Driving tips
Driv in
g on flooded roads To prevent damage to the vehicle when driv-
in
g thr
ough water, for example, along a floo-
ded road, please observe the following:
● The water should never come above the
low
er edge of the bodywork.
● Drive at pedestrian speed. WARNING
After driving through water, mud, sludge,
et c
., the braking effect can be delayed slight-
ly due to moisture build-up on the discs and
brake pads. Applying the brakes carefully
several times will remove the moisture and
restore the full braking effect. CAUTION
● Driv in
g through flooded areas may severely
damage vehicle components such as the en-
gine, transmission, running gear or electrical
system.
● Whenever driving through water, the Start-
Stop sy
stem* must be switched off
››› page 188. Note
● Chec k
the depth of the water before enter-
ing the flooded zone. » 187
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety
Operation
●
Do not s
top in the water, drive in reverse, or
stop the engine in any situation.
● Note that vehicles travelling in the opposite
direction m
ay splash water that could exceed
the maximum permitted water height for your
vehicle.
● Avoid driving through salt water (corro-
sion). Driver assistance systems
St ar
t-Stop System*
Description and operation The Start-Stop system helps save fuel and re-
duc
e C
O2 emissions.
In Start-Stop mode, the engine will automati-
cally switch off when the vehicle stops, when
stopping at traffic lights for example. The ig-
nition remains switched on during the stop-
ping phase. The engine automatically
switches back on when required. In this sit-
uation the light of the START ENGINE STOP but-
t on s
tays on.
As soon as the ignition is switched on, the
Start-Stop function is automatically activa-
ted.
Basic requirements for the Start-Stop mode
● The driver door must be closed.
● The driver must have their seat belt fas-
tened.
● The bonnet
must be closed.
● The engine must have reached a minimum
serv
ice temperature.
● The reverse gear must not be engaged.
● The vehicle must not be on a very steep
slope. WARNING
● Nev er sw
itch the engine off until the vehi-
cle is stationary. The brake servo and power
steering functions will not be completely cov-
ered under warranty. More force may also be
needed to turn the steering wheel or to brake.
As you cannot steer and brake in the normal
manner, there is a greater risk of accidents
and serious injury.
● Never remove the key from the ignition if
the v
ehicle is in motion. Otherwise, the steer-
ing could lock making it impossible to steer
the vehicle.
● To avoid injury, make sure that the Start-
Stop sy
stem is switched off when working in
the engine compartment ››› page 190. CAUTION
The Start-Stop system must always be
sw it
ched off when driving through flooded
areas ››› page 190. Stopping/Starting the engine
Vehicles with a manual gearbox
– When the vehicle is stopped, put it into
neutr al
and release the clutch pedal. The
engine will switch off. The warning lamp
will appear on the instrument panel dis-
play.
188
Driver assistance systems
● The s lope of
the descent is at least 10%
when driving forward and 9% when driving in
reverse.
● The brake and the accelerator are not
pre
ssed.
Hill Descent Control is deactivated on press-
ing the brake and the accelerator or if the
slope is below 5%. The function may be dis-
connected manually in the Easy Connect sys-
tem by pressing the button and the
HDCfunction button
››
›
Fig. 41.
Control lamps
››› in Warning and control lamps on
p ag
e 107.
It lights up white
Hill Descent Control is active.
It lights up grey
Hill Descent Control is not active. The system is switched
on, but is not adjusting.
Some warning and control lamps will light up
briefly
when the ignition i
s switched on to
check certain functions. They will switch off
after a few seconds. WARNING
Observe the safety warnings ››
› in Warning
and c ontr
ol lamps on page 107. WARNING
Always be ready to brake. Otherwise, an acci-
dent c
ould occur and cause injury.
● Hill Descent Control is only an auxiliary
sys
tem that in some situations may not suffi-
ciently brake the vehicle when going down a
slope.
● The speed of the vehicle may increase de-
spit
e the intervention of Hill Descent Control. Auto Hold Function
D e
scription and operation Fig. 170
In the lower part of the centre con-
so l
e: Auto Hold function button. The control light of the
› ›
›
Fig. 170 button
remains on when the Auto Hold function is
connected. Once connected, the Auto Hold function as-
si
sts the driver in keeping the vehicle station-
ary at repeated intervals or for a certain peri-
od of time with the engine running, for exam-
ple, when going up a slope, when stopped at
traffic lights or in heavy traffic with intermit-
tent stops.
When connected, the Auto Hold function au-
tomatically prevents the vehicle from rolling
when stationary without pressing the brake
pedal.
After detecting that the vehicle is stationary
and the brake pedal has been released, the
Auto Hold function holds the vehicle. The
driver can lift their foot off the brake pedal.
When the driver touches the accelerator ped-
al or accelerates slightly to continue driving,
the Auto Hold function releases the brake.
The vehicle moves according to the slope of
the road.
If the vehicle is stationary and one of the con-
ditions required by the Auto Hold function is
impaired, it disconnects itself and the but-
ton's control light goes out ››› Fig. 170. The
electronic parking brake connects automati-
cally, if necessary, to park the vehicle safe-
ly ››› .
C ondition
s for keeping the vehicle stationary
with the Auto Hold function
● The driver door must be closed.
● The driver's seat belt must be fastened. »
191
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety
Operation
● The en gine i
s running.
Switching the Auto Hold function on and off
Press the button ››› . The control lamp on
the b utt
on goes out when the Auto Hold func-
tion is switched off.
Automatically engaging and disengaging the
Auto Hold function
If the Auto Hold function was switched on
with the button before disengaging the ig-
nition, the function will remain on after the
ignition is re-engaged.
If the Auto Hold function was not switched
on, it will automatically remain off next time
the ignition is engaged.
The Auto Hold function is automatically
switched on if the following conditions are
met:
All conditions must be met at the same time
››› :
Manual gearboxAutomatic gearbox
1.The vehicle is kept stationary with the brake ped-
al on a flat surface or on a slope.
2.The engine rotates “correctly”.
All conditions must be met at the same time
››› :
Manual gearboxAutomatic gearbox
Upon pressing the
clutch and accelerating
at the same time, the
brake releases gradu-
ally.Upon accelerating, the
brake releases gradu-
ally. The Auto Hold function is automatically
t
urned off
if the following conditions are
met:
Manual gearboxAutomatic gearbox
1.
If any of the conditions mentioned on
››› page 191, Conditions for keeping the vehicle
stationary with the Auto Hold function are no lon- ger met.
2.If the engine is running irregularly or an anomalyis detected.
3.If the engine is turnedoff or stalls.If the engine is switch- ed off.
4.The clutch and the ac-
celerator are pressed at the same time.If the accelerator is pressed.
5.
If any of the tyres hasonly minimal contact
with the ground, e.g. in the case of axle articu- lation. WARNING
The smart technology incorporated into the
Aut o Ho
ld function cannot defy the laws of
physics; it only works within the limits of the
system. The greater convenience provided by
the Auto Hold function should never tempt
you to take any risk that may compromise
safety.
● Never leave the vehicle running and with
the Auto Ho
ld function switched on.
● The Auto Hold function cannot always keep
the v
ehicle stationary uphill or downhill or
stop it sufficiently, for example, on slippery
or frozen surfaces. Note
Before entering a car wash, always switch off
the Aut o Ho
ld function, because if the elec-
tronic parking brake is automatically connec-
ted, it may cause damage. 192