
The essentials
Front brake pads worn.
›››
page
154
it lights up:
Fault in the ESC, or dis-
connection caused by the system.
flashes: ESC or ASR activated.
ASR manually deactivated.
ABS faulty or does not work.
Rear fog light switched on.›››
page
18
lights up or flashes:
fault in the
emission control system.››› page
164
it lights up:
pre-heating of diesel
engine.
››› page
165
flashes: fault in the diesel engine
management.
fault in the petrol engine manage-
ment.›››
page
165
lights up or flashes:
fault in the
steering system.››› page
150
Tyre pressure too low, or fault in
the tyre pressure monitoring sys-
tem.›››
page
219
Fuel tank almost empty.›››
page
98
Fault in airbag system and seat
belt tensioners.›››
page
66 Other warning lamps
Left or right turn signal.›››
page
19
Hazard warning lights on.››› page
121
Trailer turn signals›››
page
184
it lights up:
Press the foot brake!
flashes: the selector lever locking
button has not engaged.››› page
157
it lights up:
cruise control activated
or speed limiter switched on and
active.
››› page
31
flashes: the speed set by the
speed limiter has been exceeded.
Main beam on or flasher on.›››
page
19 On the instrument panel display
Fig. 41
On the instrument panel display: door
open.
Do not continue driving!
With the corresponding indica-
tion: door(s), rear lid or bonnet
open or not properly closed.››› page
25
Ignition: Do not carry on driv-
ing! Engine coolant level too low,
coolant temperature too high
››› page
208
Flashing: Fault in the engine
coolant system.
Do not continue driving!
Engine oil pressure too low.››› page
205» 33

Driving
petrol engine vehicle at low speed. Other-
wi
se, the br
ake servo might not work proper-
ly. Risk of accident!
● In the event of damage to the standard
front s
poiler or where a different front spoil-
er, wheel trims, etc. are subsequently fitted,
make sure the air vent to the brakes on the
front wheels is not blocked. Otherwise, brak-
ing operations may be impaired. Risk of acci-
dent!
● Always fully release the handbrake. If it is
only p
artially released, this will cause over-
heating of the rear brakes, which can impair
the function of the brake system. Risk of acci-
dent!
● Never leave children unsupervised in the
vehicl
e. They could release the handbrake or
move the gear lever. The vehicle could start
moving. Risk of accident!
● Insufficient fuel can cause the engine to run
irregu
larly or to switch off. Brake assist sys-
tems could be impaired. Risk of accident!
● Always adjust your driving style to suit visi-
bility
, the weather and road and traffic condi-
tions. The best vehicle safety offered by
brake assist systems must never encourage
you to run greater risks. Risk of accident! CAUTION
● Ob ser
ve the information concerning new
brake pads ››› page 161.
● Where braking is not necessary, do not
wear do
wn the brake pads by pressing down gently on the brake pedal. This causes the
brak
e
s to overheat, increasing their wear and
increasing braking distances.
● To ensure the brake assist systems work
properly, a
ll wheels must be fitted with tyres
approved by the manufacturer. Note
● If y
ou brake suddenly and the brake system
control unit regards the situation as hazard-
ous for the drivers behind you, the brake
lights will begin to flash automatically. After
reducing speed to approximately 10 km/h (6
mph) or stopping the vehicle, the brake lights
will stop flashing and the hazard warning
lights will switch on. The hazard warning
lights are automatically switched off when
you accelerate or restart the vehicle.
● On long, steep gradients, reduce your
speed and ch
ange to a lower gear (manual
gearbox) or move the selector lever to a lower
gear position (automatic gearbox). This uses
the force of the engine and the brakes do not
suffer as much. If you still have to brake, do
so intermittently, pressing down repeatedly
on the brake pedal.
● Vehicle modifications (e.g. to the engine,
brake
s, frame or a combination of wheels and
tyres) could impair the brake assist systems
››› page 192, Accessories and modifications
to the vehicle .
● In the event of a fault in the ABS system,
the ESC, T
CS and EDL are switched off auto- matically. A fault in the ABS is indicated by
the
›››
page 155 warning lamp. Control lamp
The warning lamp il
lumin
ates if the brake
fluid level is too low or if there is a fault in the
ABS system.
The informative display indicates:
Brake fluid Instruction Manual!
Stop the vehicle, switch off the engine and
check the level of the brake fluid
››› page 209 WARNING
● The fo l
lowing indications must be taken in-
to account when opening the engine com-
partment to check the brake fluid
››› page 202, Engine compartment.
● If the warning lamp illumin
ates together
with the warning lamp ››› page 155, ,
stop the vehicle! Go to a technical service.
● A fault in the brake system or in the Anti-
lock br
ake system (ABS) can lead to longer
braking distances – Risk of accident! 153
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety

Operation
Brakes Wear
The rat
e of
wear of the brake pads depends
on the driving style and on the way in which
the vehicle is used. The brake pads will wear
more quickly if you use your vehicle frequent-
ly in urban traffic and short trips or drive in a
sporty style. Under these demanding condi-
tions, visit your specialised service, even be-
fore the scheduled service date, so that the
thickness of the brake pads can be meas-
ured.
Wet roads or road salt
If brakes are wet or frozen, or if you are driv-
ing on roads which have been gritted with
salt, braking power may set in later than nor-
mal. Dry the brakes as soon as possible by
braking repeatedly.
Corrosion
Long periods of inactivity and little use can
lead to rust on the brake discs and dirt on the
brake pads. Where the brake system is sub-
jected to light stress or in the case of corro-
sion, clean the brake discs by braking fully
several times at a high speed.
Brake system fault
If you notice that the braking distance sud-
denly increases and the brake pedal can be
pressed down more fully, there may be a fault in the brake system. Visit a specialised serv-
ice immedi
at
ely and adjust your driving style
to the extent of the damage and to limit the
effect of the brakes.
Low brake fluid level
Insufficient brake fluid could cause faults in
the brake system. The brake fluid level is con-
trolled electronically ››› page 153, Control
lamp.
Brake servo
The brake servo supplements the pressure
you exert on the brake pedal. The brake servo
only works when the engine is running.
Handbrake Fig. 175
Centre console: handbrake. Applying the handbrake
– Pull the handbrake lever up all the way. Releasing the handbrake
– Pull the handbrake lever up slightly and
pr e
s
s the unlock button at the same time
››› Fig. 175.
– Keep the button pressed down and push
the lever al
l the way down.
Control lamp
The warning lamp lights up when the hand-
brake is applied with the ignition on .
Additionally, driving the vehicle at speeds ex-
ceeding 6 km/h (4 mph) for at least 3 sec-
onds produces an audible warning.
The informative display indicates: Release the handbrake!
Braking and stability systems Electronic
Stability Control (ESC) The ESC system increases control of the vehi-
c
l
e in emer
gency situations, e.g. during a
sudden change in direction. Depending on
the driving conditions, it reduces the risk of
skidding and increases driving stability.
The system uses the steering wheel angle
and road speed to calculate the changes of
direction desired by the driver, and constant-
ly compares them with the actual behaviour
of the vehicle. When irregularities occur, for
154

Driving
Gearbox: System fault! You
may continue driving.
Hav e the f
au
lt corrected by a specialised
workshop without 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. Run-in and economical driving
The first 1,500 km Over the first 1,500 kilometres the engine
mus
t
be run in.
Up to 1000 kilometres
– Do not drive at more than 3/4 of the maxi-
mum speed corr
esponding to the engaged
gear, i.e. up to 3/4 of the maximum permit-
ted engine speed.
– Do not drive at full speed.
– Avoid high engine speeds.
– Do not tow a trailer.
From 1000 t o 1500 k
ilometres (600 to 900
miles)
– Slowly increase the engine speed until
re
aching the maximum permitted speed of
the engaged gear, i.e. the maximum per-
mitted engine speed.
During its first few hours of running, the in-
ternal friction in the engine is greater than
later on, when all the moving parts have bed-
ded in. How the vehicle is driven over approx-
imately the first 1,500 kilometres (900
miles), determines the success of the proc-
ess of running in the engine. Even after running in, the vehicle should not
be unnece
ssarily driven at high engine
speeds. The maximum permitted engine
speed is marked at the start of the red zone
on the rev counter dial. The gear must be
changed up when the red area is reached in
vehicles with a manual gearbox. Extremely
high engine speeds when accelerating are
automatically limited, however the engine is
not protected against high engine speeds
produced by incorrectly changing to a lower
gear, which could cause the engine to run at
revs above the maximum permitted amount,
and consequently result in damage to the en-
gine.
Additionally, vehicles with a manual gearbox
must also bear the following in mind: do not
drive with the engine speed too low. Change
down to a lower gear when the engine no
longer runs smoothly. Observe the recom-
mendations for changing gear
››› page 25.
New tyres
New tyres must be submitted to “running in”,
given that initially their grip is not yet at the
maximum level. During the first 500 km (120
miles) drive very carefully.
New brake pads
New brake pads do not yet provide maximum
friction capacity. First they must be “run in”. »
161
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety

Index
Rubber seals car
e
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Run-in new engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
new tyres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
the first 1,500 km . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Running in brake pads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
the tyres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
S Safe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108 driving safe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Safety child safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
child seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
deactivating the front passenger airbag . . . . . . 14
Safe driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Safety equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Safety instructions head-protection airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
side airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
using child seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16, 73
Safety notes seat belt tensioners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
using seat belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Saving tips (efficiency programme) . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Seat belt position for pregnant women . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12, 64
seat belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12, 64
Seat belt release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Seat belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12, 64
cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
control lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
height adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
protective function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 safety notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
unfa
stened . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Seat belt tensioners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13, 65
Seat heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Selector lever positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Selector lever lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Selector lever (automatic gearbox) malfunction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
manual release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Service interval indication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Service notification: read . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Side airbags description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
safety instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
see also Airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Signal lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Sitting position driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Snow chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49, 224
Spanner symbol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Spare wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Speed warning device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Start-Stop operating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Start-Stop System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Starter button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Starting the engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149, 152
Starting the vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Steering steering lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Steering wheel adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
setting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Steering wheel controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Storage luggage compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138 Storage compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
front se ats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
glasses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
in front door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
in the centre console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
in the luggage compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
passenger side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
reflective vest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Storage compartments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Sun visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Switch hazard warning lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Switching off the engine with the key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Switching off the lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Switching on the lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Switching the ignition on and off . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
System Easy Connect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
T
Tailgate locking time extension see Luggage compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Technical specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Temperature display engine oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
outside temperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Temperature selection heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Tightening torque of wheel bolts . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Timer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 lap times . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Tiptronic (automatic gearbox) . . . . . . . . . . 157, 159
Tiredness detection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Top speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Top Tether . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
240