Operation
At speeds of up to approximately 80 km/h
(50 mph), it i
s ab
le to balance out differences
in the speed of the driven wheels of approxi-
mately 100 rpm/min caused by a partially
slippery road surface. It does this by braking
the wheel which has lost traction and distrib-
uting more driving force to the other driven
wheel via the differential.
To prevent the disc brake of the braking
wheel from overheating, the EDL cuts out au-
tomatically if subjected to excessive loads.
The vehicle will continue to function normally
without EDL. For this reason, the driver is not
informed that the EDL has been switched off.
The EDL will switch on again automatically
when the brake has cooled down.
Control lamp
A malfunction in the EDL is indicated by the
ABS control lamp ››› page 158. Take the
vehicle to a specialised workshop as soon as
possible. WARNING
● When accel er
ating on a slippery surface,
for example on ice and snow, press the accel-
erator carefully. Despite EDL, the driven
wheels may start to spin. This could impair
the vehicle's stability.
● Always adapt your driving style to suit road
conditions and the tr
affic situation. Do not let
the extra safety afforded by EDL tempt you in- to taking any risks when driving, this can
cause ac
c
idents. CAUTION
Modifications to the vehicle (e.g. to the en-
gine, the br ake sys
tem, running gear or any
components affecting the wheels and tyres)
could affect the efficiency of the EDL
››› page 190. Hydraulic Brake Assist (HBA)*
The function (Hydraulic Brake Assist HBA) is
on
ly
inc luded in
vehicles with ESC.
In an emergency, most drivers brake in time,
but not with maximum force. This results in
unnecessarily long braking distances.
This is when the brake assist system comes
into action. When pressing the brake pedal
rapidly, the assistant interprets it as an emer-
gency. It very quickly builds up the full brake
pressure so that the ABS can be activated
more quickly and efficiently, thus reducing
braking distance.
Do not reduce the pressure on the brake ped-
al, since the brake assist system switches off
automatically as soon as you release the
brake. Automatic hazard warning lights activation
The brake lights fl
ash automatically to indi-
cate that the vehicle is braking suddenly or in
an emergency situation. If the emergency
braking continues until the vehicle comes to
a standstill, the hazard warning lights will
then come on and the brake lights will re-
main on permanently from that moment. The
warning lights will automatically switch off
when the vehicle begins to move again or
when the "warning" light button is pressed. WARNING
● The risk of ac
cident is higher if you drive
too fast, if you do not keep your distance from
the vehicle in front, and when the road sur-
face is slippery or wet. The increased acci-
dent risk cannot be reduced by the brake as-
sist system.
● The brake assist system cannot defy the
laws
of physics. Slippery and wet roads are
dangerous even with the brake assist system!
Therefore, it is essential that you adjust your
speed to suit the road and traffic conditions.
Do not let the extra safety features tempt you
into taking any risks when driving. Anti-lock brake system (ABS)
The anti-lock brake (ABS) system prevents
the wheel
s
fr om loc
king during braking and
is an important part of the vehicle's active
safety system.
158
Driving
How the ABS works
If one of
the wheel s
turns too slowly in rela-
tion to the vehicle's speed, and is close to
locking, the system will reduce the braking
pressure to this wheel. The driver is made
aware of this control process by a pulsating
of the brake pedal and audible noise. This is
a deliberate warning to the driver that one or
more of the wheels is tending to lock and the
ABS control function has intervened. In this
situation it is important to keep the brake
pedal fully depressed so the ABS can regu-
late the brake application. Do not “pump”.
If you brake hard on a slippery road surface,
the best possible control is retained as the
wheels do not lock.
However, ABS will not necessarily guarantee
shorter braking distances in all conditions.
Braking distance could even be further if you
brake on gravel or on fresh snow on a slip-
pery surface.
Control lamp
The control lamp lights up for a few sec-
onds when the ignition is switched on. It
goes out again after the system has run
through an automatic test sequence.
There is a fault in the ABS if:
● The control lamp does not light
up when
the ignition is switched on. ●
The control
lamp does not go out again af-
ter a few seconds.
● The control lamp lights up when the vehicle
is mov
ing.
The vehicle can still be braked in the normal
way, without the ABS function. Take the vehi-
cle to a specialised workshop as soon as
possible.
If there is a fault in the ABS, the ESC* and the
tyre pressure control lamp will also light up.
Brake system fault
If the ABS warning lamp lights up together
with the brake warning lamp , there is a
fault in the ABS function and in the brake
system ››› .
WARNING
● The anti-lock br ak
e system cannot defy the
laws of physics. Slippery and wet roads are
dangerous even with ABS! If you notice that
the ABS is working (to counteract locked
wheels under braking), you should reduce
speed immediately to suit the road and traffic
conditions. Do not let the extra safety fea-
tures tempt you into taking any risks when
driving.
● The effectiveness of ABS is also determined
by the tyr
es fitted ››› page 213.
● If the running gear or brake system is modi-
fied, the effectivenes
s of the ABS could be se-
verely limited. WARNING
● Befor e openin
g the bonnet, read and ob-
serve the warnings ››› page 201, Working in
the engine compartment.
● If the brake system warning lamp should
light up t
ogether with the ABS warning lamp
, stop the vehicle immediately and check
the brake fluid level in the reservoir
››› page 209, Brake fluid. If the brake fluid
level has dropped below the “MIN” mark you
must not drive on. Risk of accident. Obtain
technical assistance.
● If the brake fluid level is correct, the fault in
the brake sys
tem may have been caused by a
failure of the ABS system. This could cause
the rear wheels to lock quickly when you
brake. This could cause the rear to break
away. Risk of skidding. Stop the vehicle and
seek technical assistance. Electronic differential lock (XDS)*
When taking a curve, the driveshaft differen-
ti
al
mec h
anism allows the outer wheel to turn
at a higher speed than the inner wheel. In
this way, the wheel that is turning faster (out-
er wheel) receives less drive torque than the
inner wheel. This may mean that in certain
situations the torque delivered to the inner
wheel is too high, causing the wheels to
spin. On the other hand, the outer wheel is
receiving a lower drive torque than it could
transmit. This causes an overall loss of lateral »
159
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety
Driving
Manual gearbox Driv in
g w ith m
anual gearboxRead the additional information carefully
›››
p
age 37
Certain versions of the model may include a
6-speed manual gearbox, and its diagram is
shown on the gearbox lever.
The reverse gear can only be engaged when
the car is stationary. When the engine is run-
ning and before engaging this gear, wait
about 6 seconds with the clutch pressed
down thoroughly in order to protect the gear-
box.
The reverse lights switch on when the reverse
gear is selected and the ignition is on. WARNING
● When the engine is ru
nning, the vehicle
will start to move as soon as a gear is engag-
ed and the clutch released.
● Never select the reverse gear when the ve-
hicle is
in motion. Risk of accident. Note
● Do not re s
t your hand on the gear lever
while driving. The pressure of your hand
could cause premature wear on the selector
forks in the gearbox. ●
When chan gin
g gear, you should always
depress the clutch fully to avoid unnecessary
wear and damage.
● Do not “slip” the clutch to hold the vehicle
on a hill.
This causes premature wear and
damage to the clutch.
● Do not leave your foot on the clutch pedal;
although the pres
sure may seem insignifi-
cant, it can cause the premature wear of the
clutch plate. Use the foot rest when you do
not need to change gear. Gear-change indicator
3 Valid for vehicles: with a manual gearbox
The r ec
ommended gear for saving fuel is in-
dicated on the dash screen of certain vehi-
cles during driving.
DisplayMeaning
The optimal gear is selected.
Changing to a higher gear is recommended.
Changing to a lower gear is recommended.
Information regarding the “cleanliness” of
the die
sel
par
ticulate filter
The exhaust system manager detects that the
diesel particulate filter is nearly saturated
and contributes to self-cleaning by recom-
mending the optimal gear. For this purpose, it might be necessary to drive momentarily
with a high rpm
›››
page 170. WARNING
The gear change indicator is only an auxiliary
function and in no c a
se should be a substi-
tute for careful driving.
● The responsibility of choosing the correct
gear depending on the s
ituation (e.g. over-
taking, driving up or down a slope or towing a
trailer) lies with the driver. For the sake of the environment
Selecting the correct gear can help to save
fuel. Note
The recommended gear display is switched
off when the clut c
h pedal is pressed. Automatic gearbox*
Driv ing pr
ogr
ammes Read the additional information carefully
› ›
›
p
age 38
The automatic gearbox has got two gearbox
programmes. »
161
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety
Operation
Selecting the normal programme
– Put the selector lever into position D.
Sel ectin
g the s por
t programme
– Put the selector lever into position S.
If you sel
ect the normal programme, D, you
will drive in the economy mode, i.e. the pro-
gramme is designed to reduce fuel consump-
tion. The gearbox changes up into a higher
gear as soon as possible and down into a
lower gear as late as possible.
If you select the sport programme, S, you will
drive in a sporty mode, i.e. a programme in
which shifts into high gears are postponed in
order to use the full power of the engine.
Selector lever positions Read the additional information carefully
› ›
›
p
age 38
Selector lever positions
The selected gear is displayed on the side of
the selector lever and on the instrument pan-
el display. The currently selected gear for the
automatic gearbox will also be shown on the
display. Tiptronic gear indicator
If the automatic
gearbox is shifted manually,
the selected gears are shown on the screen.
P - parking lock
When the selector lever is in this position,
the driven wheels are locked mechanically.
Position P on the lever must only be selected
if the vehicle is stationary.
To move selector lever from position P, the
locking button on the selector lever handle
must be pressed and the brake pedal de-
pressed at the same time while the ignition is
switched on.
To put the selector lever in position P, simply
press the lock button down and, if necessary,
depress the brake pedal down.
R - Reverse gear
The reverse gear is engaged in this position.
Reverse gear must be engaged only when the
vehicle is stationary and the engine is idling.
To move the selector lever to position R,
press the lock button down and, at the same
time, press the brake pedal down, with the
ignition switched on.
With the selector lever in position R and the
ignition switched on the following occurs:
● Reverse lights light up. ●
The air conditioner automatic ally changes
the air recirculation mode.
● The wiper starts if the windscreen washer is
on.
● The parking distance warning system*
switche
s on.
N - Neutral (idling)
If this position is selected, the gearbox is in
neutral. Power is not transmitted to the
wheels and the engine does not have a brak-
ing function.
Never use the N position to drive down a long
hill. There is no engine braking and the
brakes are subjected to excessive stain.
You could damage the automatic gearbox if
you drive down hills with the gearbox lever in
position N and the engine switched off.
D - Drive (forward)
In this position the gearbox automatically
changes to a lower or higher gear, according
to the engine's requirements, the driving
style and speed. The braking effect of the en-
gine when driving downhill is very limited
when the selector is in this position. The in-
strument panel display shows the selected
gear as well as the selector lever in position
D.
When travelling at speeds lower than 5 km/h
(3 mph) or when the vehicle is stationary,
162
Operation
The selector lever lock is released as follows: – Switch the ignition on.
– Press and hold the brake pedal and press
the sel ect
or l ev
er lock on the left of the se-
lector lever at the same time ››› Fig. 170.
The warning lamp on the instrument panel
lights up when the brake pedal should be ap-
plied. This is essential when the selector lev-
er is taken from the P or N positions.
Level lock only engages with the vehicle sta-
tionary at a speed of up to 5 km/h (3 mph).
At speeds of over 5 km/h (3 mph) the selec-
tor 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
in snow or mud. The selector lever lock en-
gages automatically if the brake pedal is not
depressed and the lever is in position N for
more than about 1 second. Selecting gears manually with Tip-
tronic mode*
Fig. 171
Changing gear with Tiptronic. Fig. 172
Steering wheel with paddle levers
f or aut
omatic
gearbox. The Tiptronic system allows the driver to se-
l
ect
ge
ars manually. Changing gear with the selector lever
– Press the selector lever from position D to
the right into the tiptr
onic selector gate.
– Lightly press the selector lever forward
››› Fig. 171
+ to change up to a higher
g e
ar .
– Lightly
press the selector lever backward
››› Fig. 171
- to change down to a lower
g e
ar .
Ch
anging gear with the steering wheel pad-
dle levers*
– Press the right paddle lever + towards the
s t
eerin g wheel
to change up ››› Fig. 172.
– Press the left paddle lever - towards the
s t
eerin g wheel
to change down ››› Fig. 172.
Using the paddle levers on the steering
wheel, you can access manual driving mode
regardless of the pre-selected driving mode.
General information about driving in tiptron-
ic mode
When accelerating, the automatic gearbox /
DSG automatic gearbox goes into a higher
gear a little before the engine reaches its
maximum permitted revolutions.
If a lower gear is selected, the automatic
gearbox / DSG automatic gearbox will only
change down when the engine cannot go
over its maximum permitted revolutions.
164
Driving
If “tiptronic” is selected whilst the vehicle is
in motion and the aut om
atic g
earbox / DSG
automatic gearbox is in third gear and selec-
tor lever position D, “tiptronic” mode will
then also be in third gear.
Changing gears in the normal or sport pro-
gramme using the steering wheel paddle lev-
ers
If the paddle levers ››› Fig. 172 are used in
the normal or sport programme, the system
switches temporarily to “tiptronic” mode. To
exit “Tiptronic” mode again, press the right
paddle lever + towards the steering wheel
f or ap
pro
ximately one second. You will also
leave “tiptronic” mode if the paddle levers
are not moved for a certain time. Note
● The gear p a
ddle levers on the steering
wheel can be operated with the selector lever
in any position and with the vehicle in mo-
tion. Driving tips
The gearbox changes gear ratios automatical-
ly
a
s the
vehicle moves.
Starting
– Start the engine with the selector lever in
position P
or N. Driving
– Press and hold the brake pedal.
– Holding down the lock button (button on
the selector lev
er), select R or D.
– Release the lever and wait a little for the
gearbox
to engage the gear (a slight move-
ment can be felt).
– Release the brake and press the accelerator
››› in Selector lever positions on
p ag
e 163 .
St
opping briefly
– If stopping for a short time, keep the vehi-
cle st
ationary by pressing the foot brake
hard to prevent the vehicle moving back-
wards on a slope or “creeping” forwards,
e.g. at traffic lights. The selector lever does
not need to be put into the positions P or N
for this.
– Do not press the accelerator.
Parking
– Pr
ess and hold the brake pedal until the ve-
hicle come
s to a standstill ››› in Selector
l ev
er po s
itions on page 163.
– Apply the handbrake.
– By pressing the lock button down, move
the selector lev
er to P and release the lock
button. Driving up and down hills
–
Press the selector lever from position “D”
to the right into the tiptr
onic selector gate.
– Lightly press the selector lever back to
chang
e down.
Holding the car on a hill
– The brake must be always pressed down to
prevent the
vehicle from “rolling back-
wards” ››› in Selector lever positions on
p ag
e 163 . Do not
try to prevent the vehicle
from “rolling backwards” by increasing the
engine speed while a range of gears is se-
lected.
Starting the vehicle up hills
– Apply the handbrake.
– With a selected gear, accelerate slowly and
at the same time, rel
ease the handbrake.
The steeper the slope, the lower the needed
gear. This increases the braking effect of the
engine. For example, when driving down a
very steep slope in third gear. If the engine
brake effect is not enough, the vehicle will
speed up. The automatic gearbox automati-
cally changes up to prevent the engine over-
revving. Use the foot brake to reduce speed
and change into 3rd gear using Tiptronic*
››› in Selector lever positions on page 163.
Y our
vehic
le has an automatic interlock
which prevents the selector lever from being »
165
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety
Operation
put into a position for driving forwards or in
r ev
erse fr
om positions P or N if the brake
pedal is not depressed.
The ignition key cannot be removed unless
the selector lever is in position P.
Control lamp “Pressing brake pedal”
When the warning lamp next to the selector
lever lights up, press the brake pedal. This is
necessary when the automatic gearbox selec-
tor lever is moved out of positions P or N. A
text message or instructions to perform nec-
essary operations may appear on the instru-
ment panel. CAUTION
● If y ou s
top the vehicle up hills, do not at-
tempt to stop it from rolling back by depress-
ing the accelerator when a gear has been se-
lected. Otherwise, the automatic gearbox
may overheat causing damage. Pull the hand-
brake up or fully depress the brake pedal to
prevent the vehicle from rolling away.
● If you allow the vehicle to roll when the en-
gine is not ru
nning, or with the selector lever
in position N, a lack of lubrication in the auto-
matic gearbox will damage it. Kick-down feature
This feature allows maximum acceleration. If you press the accelerator down thoroughly,
the g
e
arbo x
automatically changes down, de-
pending on speed and engine speed, into a
lower gear to take full advantage of give the
vehicle maximum acceleration.
The gearbox does not change gear until the
engine reaches the maximum determined en-
gine speed for the gear. WARNING
You could lose control of the vehicle if you ac-
celer at
e on slippery road surfaces. Risk of se-
rious injury.
● Be particularly careful when using the kick-
down feat
ures on slippery road surfaces. With
a fast acceleration, the vehicle could lose
traction and skid.
● You should use the kick-down feature only
when traffic and we
ather conditions allow it
to be used safely. Gearbox malfunctions
Gearbox: Fault! Stop the ve-
hicle and place the lever in the
position P.
There is a f
ault in the gearbox. Stop the vehi-
cle in a safe place and do not continue driv-
ing. Seek specialist assistance.
Gearbox: System fault! You
may continue driving. Have the fault corrected by a specialised
workshop w
ithout
delay.
Gearbox: System fault! You
can continue driving with re-
strictions. Reverse gear disa‐
bled
Take the vehicle to a specialised workshop
and have the fault repaired without delay. Gearbox: System fault! You
can continue driving in D until
switching off the engine
Stop the vehicle in a safe place well away
from moving traffic. Seek specialist assis-
tance. Gearbox: too hot. Adapt your
driving accordingly
Continue driving at moderate speeds. When
the warning lamp switches off, you can con-
tinue driving in a normal manner. Gearbox: press the brake and
engage a gear again.
If the fault was caused by a gearbox with a
high temperature, this driver message will be
displayed when the gearbox has cooled
again.
166
Operation
● Use of
solv
ent-free adhesives.
● Use of CFC-free coolants in cooling sys-
tems.
● Recyc
ling and energy recovery from resi-
dues (RDF).
● Impro
vement in the quality of waste water.
● Use of systems for the recovery of residual
heat (thermal
recovery, enthalpy wheels,
etc.).
● The use of water-soluble paints.
Economical and environmentally-
friendly driving Fuel consumption, environmental pollution
and w
e
ar t o the en
gine, brakes and tyres de-
pends in large part on your driving style. By
adopting an economical driving style and an-
ticipating the traffic situation ahead, you can
easily reduce fuel consumption by 10-15%.
Some tips on how to help you reduce pollu-
tion while saving money are listed below.
Active cylinder management (ACT ®
)
Depending on the equipment, the vehicle
may have active cylinder management
(ACT ®
).
The active cylinder management (ACT ®
) may
automatically deactivate some of the engine
cylinders if the driving situation does not re-
quire too much power. When it is switched off, no fuel is injected into these cylinders,
hence total
fuel consumption may be re-
duced. The number of active cylinders can be
seen on the instrument panel display
››› page 30.
Drive anticipating the traffic situation
A vehicle uses most fuel when accelerating.
When you anticipate situations, you have to
brake less often and, thus, accelerate less. If
it is possible, let the vehicle roll with a gear
engaged, for example, if you see a red light
ahead. The braking effect achieved in this
way helps to reduce the wear of brakes and
tyres; emissions and fuel consumption are
reduced to zero (disconnection due to iner-
tia).
Change gear early to save energy
An effective way of saving fuel is to change
up quickly through the gears. Running the
engine at high rpm in the lower gears uses
an unnecessary amount of fuel.
Manual gearbox: shift up from first to second
gear as soon as possible. We recommend
that, whenever possible, you change to a
higher gear upon reaching 2000 rpm. Follow
the “recommended gear” indication that ap-
pears on the instrument panel ››› page 161. Avoid driving at high speed
We advi
se you not to drive at the top speed
permitted by the vehicle. Fuel consumption,
exhaust emissions and noise levels all in-
crease very rapidly at higher speeds. Driving
at moderate speeds will help to save fuel.
Avoid idling
It is worthwhile switching off the engine
when waiting in a traffic jam, at level cross-
ings or at traffic lights with a long red phase.
The fuel saved after only 30 - 40 seconds is
greater than the amount of fuel needed to re-
start the engine.
The engine takes a long time to warm up
when it is idling. Mechanical wear and pollu-
tant emissions are also especially high dur-
ing this initial warm-up phase. It is therefore
best to drive off immediately after starting
the engine. Avoid running the engine at high
speed.
Periodic maintenance
Periodic maintenance work guarantees that,
before beginning a journey, you will not con-
sume more than the required amount of fuel.
A well-serviced engine gives you the benefit
of improved fuel efficiency as well as maxi-
mum reliability and an enhanced resale val-
ue.
A badly serviced engine can consume up to
10% more fuel than necessary.
168