Operation
In the instrument panel display, with the igni-
tion sw it
c
hed on, the selected gear range or
the gear engaged in the gearbox is shown.
- Reverse gear
Reverse gear is selected. Engage only when
the vehicle is stopped.
- Neutral
The gearbox is in neutral. No movement is
transmitted to the wheels and the engine
does not act as a brake.
- Standard driving position
The gears are changed (up and down) auto-
matically. The gear shifts are determined by
the engine load, your individual driving style
and the speed of the vehicle.
- Tiptronic driving position (manual shift
programme)
All gears can be changed (up and down)
manually ››› page 146. This is possible as
long as the system is not changing gear auto-
matically due to a traffic situation. WARNING
Placing the selector lever in an incorrect posi-
tion ma y
cause loss of control of the vehicle
and a serious accident.
● Do not press the accelerator when engag-
ing a ran
ge of gears. ●
With the en gine ru
nning and a gear range
selected, the vehicle will move when the ac-
celerator is pressed.
● Never engage reverse gear while driving.
● Unintentional movements of the vehicle
coul
d cause serious injury.
● As a driver, you should never leave your ve-
hicle if
the engine is running and a gear range
is engaged. If you have to leave your vehicle
while the engine is running, you must always
apply the handbrake and put the selector lev-
er in position N.
● Never engage the R gear range when the
vehicl
e is moving.
● Never leave the vehicle without applying
the handbrak
e. With the engine running the
vehicle moves downhill regardless of the gear
range selected. Note
If, while driving, the selector lever is acciden-
ta l
ly placed in position N, lift your foot off the
accelerator. Wait until the engine is running
at idle speed before selecting a new gear
range. Engaging gear with Tiptronic
Fig. 149
Lever in the Tiptronic position With Tiptronic, the gears can be changed up
or do
wn m
anual
ly with the automatic gear-
box. When you change to the Tiptronic pro-
gramme, the vehicle remains in the currently
selected gear. This is possible as long as the
system is not changing gear automatically
due to a traffic situation.
Using Tiptronic
● Place the lever in the position D to the lef
t
on the Tiptronic shift gate M ››› in Auto-
m atic
g
ear change on page 146.
● Press the lever forwards + or backwards
– to move up or down a gear
››
›
Fig. 149.
● Place the lever back to the position M to
the lef
t on the Tiptronic shift gate, to leave
Tiptronic mode ››› in Automatic gear
c h
an
ge on page 146.
146
Driving
With the lever in the position D, and pr e
s sing
forwards + or backwards
– the Tiptronic
pr ogr
amme c
an be selected M. CAUTION
● When acc el
erating, the gearbox automati-
cally shifts up into the next gear shortly be-
fore the maximum engine speed is reached.
● When reducing speed manually, the gear-
box on
ly shifts gear when the engine can no
longer exceed the maximum engine speed. Driving with automatic gearbox
The gearbox changes gear ratios automatical-
ly
a
s
the vehicle moves.
Driving down hills
The steeper the gradient, the lower the gear
you will need to select. The lowest gears in-
crease the engine braking work. Never go
down hills with the selector lever in neutral
N.
● You should reduce speed accordingly.
● Place the lever in the position D to the lef
t
on the Tiptronic shift gate M ›››
page 146.
● Gently pull the selector lever back – to
c h
an
ge down a gear. Starting when going up a slope
The steeper the gr
adient, the lower the gear
you will need.
When stopping on a slope with a gear range
engaged, the vehicle must be prevented from
rolling backwards by always pressing the
brake pedal or pulling the handbrake lever
up. When starting, release the brake pedal or
the handbrake ››› .
Kic k
-do
wn
The kickdown system provides maximum ac-
celeration when the gear selector lever is in
the position D, or in the Tiptronic position M.
When the accelerator pedal is pressed right
down, the automatic gearbox will shift down
to a lower gear, depending on road speed
and engine speed. This takes advantage of
the maximum acceleration of the vehicle
››› .
When the ac c
el
erator is pressed to the floor,
the automatic gearbox shifts to the next gear
only after the engine reaches the specified
maximum engine speed. WARNING
Rapid acceleration can cause loss of traction
and skid din
g, especially on slippery ground.
This could cause loss of control of the vehicle
resulting in an accident and serious injury. ●
Alw a
ys adapt your driving style to suit the
flow of traffic.
● Only use the kick-down function or rapid
accel
eration if visibility, weather, road and
traffic conditions so permit.
● Never put other road users in danger by ac-
celer
ating or with your driving style. CAUTION
If you stop on a hill with a gear range engag-
ed, do not try
to prevent the vehicle from roll-
ing back by pressing on the accelerator. Oth-
erwise, the automatic gearbox may overheat
causing damage. Automatic gearbox malfunction
Back-up programme
When aut
om
atic
gearbox warning and indica-
tion lamps light up on the instrument panel,
there may be a system malfunction
››› page 143. In the event of some faults the
automatic gearbox functions using a backup
programme. When the programme is activa-
ted, it is possible to drive the vehicle, howev-
er, at low speeds and within a selected range
of gears.
With the manual gearbox, in some cases it is
not possible to drive with all the gears .
In all cases the automatic gearbox must be
checked at a specialised workshop. »
147
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety
Operation
The City Safety Assist function is limited by
the l a
w
s of physics and by the nature of the
system itself. For this reason, this may pro-
duce reactions from the City Safety Assist
system in certain circumstances that are late
or unexpected by the driver. For this reason,
always pay due attention and if necessary, in-
tervene.
For example, the following driving situations
require special attention:
Driving through a bend
When entering or leaving a “long” bend, the
vehicle may decelerate when the laser sensor
detects a vehicle travelling in the adjoining
lane ››› Fig. 156 A. To interrupt deceleration
you can accelerate, turn the steering wheel or
press the clutch.
Narrow vehicles in front
The laser sensor will only detect narrow vehi-
cles in front if they are in the sensor detec-
tion zone ››› Fig. 156 B. This applies especial-
ly to narrow vehicles such as motorbikes.
Other vehicles changing lanes
Vehicles moving into your lane in close prox-
imity can cause unexpected braking from the
City Safety Assist system ›››
Fig. 157. To inter-
rupt deceleration you can accelerate, turn the
steering wheel or press the clutch. Possible malfunction to the laser sensor
If the la
ser sensor operation function is im-
paired, for example due to heavy rain, mist,
snow or dirt, the City Safety Assist system
function is temporarily disconnected. On the
instrument panel display the control lamp
flashes.
When the malfunction in the laser sensor has
been rectified, the availability of the City
Safety Assist system function is automatically
restored. The control lamp switches off.
The following conditions could prevent the
City Safety Assist system from functioning:
● Tight bends.
● Accelerator pressed all the way down to the
floor.
● If the C
ity Safety Assist system is switched
off or there i
s a fault ››› page 157.
● If the laser sensor is dirty, covered or over-
heated ›
›› page 158.
● In the event of snow, heavy rain or dense
fog.
● If ther
e are vehicles in front.
● Vehicles changing lanes.
● Vehicles moving in the opposite direction
in the same lane.
● V
ery dirty vehicles with a low degree of re-
flection.
● Pr e
sence of thick dust. Hill driving assistant*
Operation This function is only included in vehicles with
ESC.
The hi l
l driving assistant helps the driver to
move off and upward on a hill when the vehi-
cle is stationary.
The system maintains brake pressure for ap-
proximately two seconds after the driver
takes his foot off the brake pedal to prevent
the vehicle from lurching backward when it is
started. During these 2 seconds, the driver
has enough time to release the clutch pedal
and accelerate without the vehicle moving
and without having to use the handbrake,
making start-up easier, more comfortable
and safer.
These are the basic operation conditions:
● being on a ramp or hill/slope,
● doors closed,
● vehicle completely stationary,
● engine running and foot on the brake,
● besides having a gear engaged or being in
neutral f
or manual gear change and with the
selector lever at positions S, D or R in vehi-
cles with an automatic gearbox.
This system is also active when reversing up-
hill.
160
Checking and refilling levels
●
Never w ork
under the vehicle if it has not
been immobilized. If you must work under-
neath the vehicle with the wheels in contact
with the ground then it should be parked on
flat ground, the wheels should be prevented
from moving and the key should be removed
from the ignition.
● If you have to work underneath the vehicle,
you mus
t use suitable stands additionally to
support the vehicle, there is a risk of acci-
dent!. The jack is not intended for this kind of
work and its failure could lead to severe inju-
ries.
● Disconnect the Start-Stop system. WARNING
The engine compartment is a dangerous area
cap ab
le of causing serious injury.
● For all type of work, always take the utmost
precaution
s, work carefully and note the gen-
eral safety standards in force. Never take per-
sonal risks.
● Never work on the engine or in the engine
compar
tment if you are not familiar with the
necessary operations. If you are not sure
about procedures then visit a specialised
workshop to carry out the necessary work.
Working incorrectly can cause serious inju-
ries.
● Never open the bonnet if you see steam or
cool
ant escaping from the engine compart-
ment. This may cause serious burns. Always
wait until you cannot see or hear the sound of steam or coolant coming from the engine
comp
ar
tment.
● Always allow the engine to cool down be-
fore openin
g the bonnet.
● Contact with hot elements of the engine
and the exhau
st system can cause burns.
● Once the engine has cooled, follow the in-
structions
below before opening the bonnet:
– Engage the handbrake and place the gear
selector lever in N or the gear stick in
neutral.
– Remove the key from the ignition.
– Keep children away from the engine com-
partment and never leave them unsuper-
vised.
● When the engine is warm or hot, the cool-
ing sys
tem is pressurised. Do not unscrew
the cap on the expansion tank when the en-
gine is hot. Otherwise, coolant may spray out
under pressure causing burns and serious in-
jury.
– After cooling, carefully and slowly un-
screw the cap anticlockwise, gently
pressing down on it.
– Always protect your face, hands and arms
from hot coolant and steam using a large,
thick cloth.
● When refilling liquids, avoid spilling them
on part
s of the engine and the exhaust sys-
tem. Spilled liquids could cause a fire. WARNING
The high voltages of the electrical system can
give el ectric
shocks as well as causing burns
and serious injury and possibly even death!
● Never cause short circuits in the electrical
syst
em. The battery could explode.
● To minimise the risk of electric shock and
serious c
onsequences while the engine is
running or starting the engine, note the fol-
lowing:
– Never touch the electrical wiring of the
ignition system. WARNING
In the engine compartment, there are rotat-
ing p ar
ts that could cause serious injury.
● Never place your hands directly on or near
the radi
ator fan. Touching the rotor blades
could seriously harm you. The ventilator
works according to the engine temperature
and could start suddenly even when the igni-
tion is turned off and the key is removed.
● If any work has to be performed when the
engine is
started or with the engine running,
there is an additional, potentially fatal, safety
risk from rotating parts, such as the drive
belts, alternator, radiator fan, etc., as well as
from the high-voltage ignition system. Al-
ways work with the utmost caution.
– Always make sure that no parts of your
body, jewellery, ties, loose clothing and
long hair can be trapped by the rotating » 187
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety
Advice
parts of the engine. Before any work, re-
mov
e tie
s and jewellery (necklaces, etc),
tie long hair back and tie all items of
loose clothing to your body to make sure
that they cannot be trapped by engine
components.
– Take extreme caution when operating the
accelerator and remain attentive. The ve-
hicle could move, even if the handbrake
is applied.
● Always make sure you have not left any ob-
jects, s
uch as cleaning cloths and tools, in
the engine compartment. If any object is left
in the engine compartment, this could cause
malfunctions, engine faults and even a fire. WARNING
Refill liquids and certain materials can catch
fire e a
sily in the engine compartment, caus-
ing a fire and serious injury!
● Never smoke.
● Never work close to places exposed to
flames
or sparks.
● Never pour service fluids over the engine.
These fluid ma
y ignite hot engine parts and
cause injuries.
● If it is necessary to work on the fuel system
or the electrica
l system, please follow the in-
structions below:
–Always disconnect the vehicle battery.
– Never work close to heaters, heat sources
or places exposed to flames or sparks. ●
Alw a
ys keep a recently serviced and per-
fectly working fire extinguisher close by.
● Never cover the engine with additional in-
sul
ating materials such as a blanket. Risk of
fire! WARNING
If the bonnet is not correctly closed, it could
s ud den
ly open while driving leaving the driv-
er without visibility. This could result in a se-
rious accident.
● After closing the bonnet, always check that
it is
properly secured by the locking mecha-
nism in the lock carrier piece. The bonnet
must be flush with the surrounding body pan-
els.
● While driving, if you notice that the bonnet
is not
correctly closed then stop immediately
and close it correctly.
● Make sure the bonnet is opened and closed
safely
(when the engine is off, no smoke is
coming from the engine compartment, there
is enough space around the car, no people
are near, etc.). CAUTION
● When refi l
ling or changing service liquids,
ensure that you put the liquids into the right
tank. Making a mistake when refilling could
cause serious malfunctions and damage the
engine! ●
To av oid d
amage to the bonnet and to the
windscreen wiper arms, only open it when
the windscreen wipers are in place against
the windscreen.
● Before driving, always lower the wiper
arms. For the sake of the environment
Service fluids leaks are harmful to the envi-
r onment . F
or this reason you should make
regular checks on the ground underneath
your vehicle. Take the vehicle to a specialised
workshop to be checked if you see stains, oil
or other fluids on the ground. Collect any
spilt service fluids and allow a professional to
dispose of them. Engine oil
Intr oduction WARNING
Incorrectly handling engine oil can cause in-
jury and seriou
s burns.
● Always protect your eyes when handling
engine oil
.
● Oil is toxic and must be kept out of the
reac
h of children. 188
Index
F F abric
s: c
leaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Fastening rings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Fault parking distance warning system . . . . . . . . . . 154
Fault memory connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Filling the tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182, 185
Fire extinguisher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
First-aid kit storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Floor mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Fluid Level control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Fog light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Front airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14, 62
Front passenger front airbag control lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
disabling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
disconnection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Front seat manual adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
manually adjusting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Front wiper blades change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31, 181 natural gas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
refuelling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
savings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Fuel gauge control lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
petrol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Fuel tank cap opening and closing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Fuel tank flap opening and closing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34, 78
fuse bo x . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
identifying blown fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
identifying by colours . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
preparation before replacing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
replacing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
G
Gearbox lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Gear change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 automatic gearbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
changing gears manually . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
gear recommendation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
manual gear change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
putting the vehicle in gear (manual gearbox) 145
Gear engaged . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
General instrument panel instrument panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
General view control and warning lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Generator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Glove compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117, 118
H
Handbrake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Hazard warning lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21, 106
Head-on collisions and the laws of physics . . . . . 55
Headlight range control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Headlights driving abroad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Head rest adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Head restraints adjusting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
rear head restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Heating and fresh air controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Heating and fresh air system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Heating of
the rear window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28, 30
Hill driving assistant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Hill hold control and warning lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
start-Stop system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
How to jump start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Hubcaps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
I
Identifying letters on engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Ignition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 see "Engine and ignition" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Ignition lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 removal lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
unauthorised vehicle key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
In case of emergency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Indications on the display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
recommended gear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
seat belt status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
selector lever positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
start-Stop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
temperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Instrument panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 control and warning lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88, 89
general instrument panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
service intervals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Instrument panel lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
221