132Driving and operatingDriving and
operatingDriving hints ............................... 133
Control of the vehicle ...............133
Starting and operating ...............133
New vehicle running-in ............133
Ignition switch positions ...........133
Retained power off ..................134
Starting the engine ..................134
Overrun cut-off ........................ 135
Stop-start system ....................135
Parking .................................... 138
Engine exhaust .......................... 139
Diesel particle filter ..................139
Catalytic converter ...................140
Automatic transmission ..............140
Transmission display ...............140
Selector lever .......................... 140
Manual mode ........................... 141
Electronic driving programmes 142
Fault ........................................ 142
Interruption of power supply ....142
Manual transmission ..................143Manual transmission automa‐
ted .............................................. 144
Transmission display ...............144
Starting the engine ..................144
Selector lever .......................... 145
Manual mode ........................... 147
Electronic driving programmes 147
Fault ........................................ 147
Brakes ........................................ 148
Antilock brake system .............148
Parking brake .......................... 149
Brake assist ............................. 149
Hill start assist ......................... 149
Ride control systems .................150
Traction Control system ..........150
Electronic Stability Control ......151
City mode ................................ 152
Driver assistance systems .........153
Cruise control .......................... 153
Speed limiter ........................... 155
Forward collision alert .............156
Following distance indication ...159
Parking assist .......................... 159
Side blind spot alert .................169
Rear view camera ...................171
Traffic sign assistant ................172
Lane departure warning ..........175
Fuel ............................................ 176
Fuel for petrol engines .............176Fuel for diesel engines ............177
Fuel for liquid gas operation ....178
Refuelling ................................ 180
Fuel consumption - CO 2-
Emissions .............................. 183
Trailer hitch ................................ 184
General information .................184
Driving characteristics and towing tips .............................. 184
Trailer towing ........................... 184
Towing equipment ...................185
Trailer stability assist ...............188
Driving and operating137Otherwise an Autostop will be
inhibited.
Certain settings of the climate control
system may inhibit an Autostop. See
'Climate control' chapter for further
information 3 125.
Immediately after motorway driving
an Autostop may be inhibited.
New vehicle running-in 3 133.
Vehicle battery discharge protection
To ensure reliable engine restarts,
several vehicle battery discharge
protection features are implemented
as part of the stop-start system.
Power saving measures
During an Autostop, several electrical
features, e.g. the rear window
heating, are disabled or switched into
a power saving mode. The fan speed of the climate control system is
reduced to save power.
Restart of the engine by the driverVehicles with manual transmission
Depress the clutch pedal to restart the
engine.When the engine is restarted, control
indicator D in the Driver Information
Centre extinguishes.
If the selector lever is shifted out of
neutral before depressing the clutch
pedal first, control indicator -
illuminates or is shown as a symbol in
the Driver Information Centre.
Control indicator - 3 92.Vehicles with manual transmission
automated
Release the brake pedal or move
selector lever out of D to restart the
engine.
When the engine is restarted, control
indicator D in the Driver Information
Centre extinguishes.
Restart of the engine by the stop-
start system
The selector lever must be in neutral
to enable an automatic restart.
If one of the following conditions occurs during an Autostop, the
engine will be restarted automatically
by the stop-start system:
● The stop-start system is manually deactivated.
● The bonnet is opened.
● The driver's seat belt is unfastened and the driver's door
is opened.
● The engine temperature is too low.
● The charging level of the vehicle battery is below a defined level.
● The brake vacuum is not sufficient.
● The vehicle is driven at least at walking speed.
● The climate control system requests an engine start.
● The air conditioning is manually switched on.
If the bonnet is not fully closed, a
warning message is displayed in the
Driver Information Centre.
If an electrical accessory, e.g. a
portable CD player, is connected to
the power outlet, a brief power drop
during restart might be noticeable.
140Driving and operatingCatalytic converter
The catalytic converter reduces the
amount of harmful substances in the
exhaust gases.Caution
Fuel grades other than those listed on pages 3 176, 3 244 could
damage the catalytic converter or
electronic components.
Unburnt petrol will overheat and
damage the catalytic converter.
Therefore avoid excessive use of the starter, running the fuel tank
dry and starting the engine by
pushing or towing.
In the event of misfiring, uneven
engine running, a reduction in engine performance or other unusual
problems, have the cause of the fault
rectified by a workshop as soon as
possible. In an emergency, driving
can be continued for a short period,
keeping vehicle speed and engine
speed low.
Automatic transmission
The automatic transmission permits
automatic gearshifting (automatic
mode) or manual gearshifting
(manual mode).
Manual shifting is possible in manual mode by pressing < or ] on the
selector lever 3 141.
Transmission display
The mode or selected gear is shown
in the Driver Information Centre.
In automatic mode, the driving
programme is indicated by D.
In manual mode, M and the number
of the selected gear is indicated.
R indicates reverse gear.
N indicates neutral position.
P indicates park position.
Selector leverP:park position, wheels are locked, engage only when the vehicle is
stationary and the parking brake
is appliedR:reverse gear, engage only when
the vehicle is stationaryN:neutralD:automatic shift mode
142Driving and operatingIf a higher gear is selected when
vehicle speed is too low, or a lower
gear when vehicle speed is too high,
the shift is not executed. This can
cause a message in the Driver
Information Centre.
In manual mode, no automatic
shifting to a higher gear takes place
at high engine revolutions.
Gear shift indication
The symbol R with a number beside
it is indicated when gearshifting is
recommended for fuel saving
reasons.
Shift indication appears only in
manual mode.
Electronic driving programmes
● Following a cold start, the operating temperature
programme increases engine
speed to quickly bring the
catalytic converter to the required
temperature.● The automatic neutral shift function automatically shifts to
idling when the vehicle is stopped
with a forward gear engaged and the brake pedal is pressed.
● Special programmes automatically adapt the shiftingpoints when driving up inclines or
down hills.
● When starting off in snowy or icy conditions or on other slippery
surfaces, the electronic
transmission control selects a
higher gear automatically.
Kickdown Pressing down the accelerator pedal
beyond the kickdown detent will lead to maximum acceleration
independent of selected driving
mode. The transmission shifts to a
lower gear depending on engine speed.Fault
In the event of a fault, control indicator g illuminates. Additionally, a
message is displayed in the Driver
Information Centre. Vehicle
messages 3 102.
The transmission no longer shifts
automatically. Continued travel is
possible with manual shifting.
Only the highest gear is available.
Depending on the fault, 2nd gear may also be available in manual mode.
Shift only when the vehicle is at a
standstill.
Have the cause of the fault remedied by a workshop.
Interruption of power supply In the event of an interruption of
power supply, the selector lever
cannot be moved out of the P
position. The ignition key cannot be removed from the ignition switch.
If the vehicle battery is discharged,
start the vehicle using jump leads
3 229.
144Driving and operatingCaution
It is not advisable to drive with thehand resting on the selector lever.
Gear shift indication 3 92.
Stop-start system 3 135.
Manual transmission
automated
The manual transmission automated permits manual gearshifting (manual
mode) or automatic gearshifting
(automatic mode), both with
automatic clutch control.
Manual shifting is possible by tapping the selector lever in manual mode.
Notice
When unlocking or opening a
vehicle door, a sound may be
audible caused by the hydraulic
system.Transmission display
In automatic mode, the driving
programme is indicated by D in the
Driver Information Centre.
In manual mode, M and the number
of the selected gear is indicated.
R indicates reverse gear.
N indicates neutral.
Starting the engine
To start the engine, depress the brake
pedal, if transmission is not in position N .
Driving and operating145Transmission automatically shifts to
N upon starting. There may be a slight
delay.
Starting is not possible if all brake
lights fail.
Stop-start-system
Autostop
If the vehicle is at a standstill and
brake pedal is operated, Autostop is
activated automatically.
The engine will be switched off while the ignition stays on.
An Autostop is indicated by control
indicator D.
Autostart
Release the brake pedal or move selector lever out of D to restart the
engine.
When the engine is restarted, control
indicator D extinguishes in the Driver
Information Centre.
The stop-start system will be disabled
on inclines of 15% or more.
Stop-start-system 3 135.
Selector lever
Always move the selector lever in the
appropriate direction as far as it will
go. Upon release, it automatically
returns to the centre position.
Notice
Do not hold the selector lever in an
intermediate position. Not fully
engaging a gear may lead to
malfunction and the error code 81
may be displayed in the Driver
Information Centre.
Return the selector lever to the
centre position. After a short while N
will be displayed in the Driver
Information Centre and the system
will operate normally again.
Vehicle messages 3 102.N:neutral positionD/M:switch between automatic (D)
and manual (M) shift mode.
The transmission display
shows either D or M with the
selected gear<:upshifting in manual mode]:downshifting in manual modeR:reverse gear. Engage only
when vehicle is stationary
If selector lever is moved from R to the
left, D is directly engaged.
If selector lever is moved from D to
< or ], manual mode M is selected
and the transmission shifts.
146Driving and operatingStarting off
Depress the brake pedal and move
the selector lever to D/M or R. If D is
selected, transmission is in automatic mode and first gear is engaged. If R
is selected, reverse gear is engaged.
The vehicle starts to move when the
brake pedal is released.
To start-off without depressing the
brake pedal, accelerate immediately
after engaging a gear as long as D or
R flashes.
If neither the accelerator nor the
brake pedal are depressed, no gear is engaged and D or R flashes for a
brief time in the display.
Stopping the vehicle
In D, first gear is engaged and the
clutch is released when the vehicle is
stopped. In R, reverse gear remains
engaged.Engine braking
Automatic mode
When driving downhill, the manual
transmission automated does not
shift into higher gears until a fairly
high engine speed has been reached. It shifts down in good time when
braking.
Manual mode
To utilise the engine braking effect, select a lower gear in good time when
driving downhill. Changing into
manual mode is only possible while
the engine is running or during an
Autostop.
Rocking the vehicle
Rocking the vehicle is only
permissible if the vehicle is stuck in
sand, mud or snow. Move the selector lever between R and D in a repeat
pattern. Do not race the engine and
avoid sudden acceleration.Parking
The most recently engaged gear (see transmission display) remains
engaged when switching off ignition.
With N, no gear is engaged.
Therefore always apply the parking
brake when switching off ignition. If
parking brake is not applied, P flashes
in the transmission display and the
key cannot be removed from the
ignition switch. P stops flashing in the
transmission display as soon as the
parking brake is slightly applied.
When the ignition is switched off, the
transmission no longer responds to
movement of the selector lever.
Tyre pressure monitoring system
To start the sensor matching process of the tyre pressure monitoring
system, the selector lever must be
moved and held in position N for
five seconds. P illuminates in the
transmission display to indicate that
the sensor matching process can be
started.
Tyre pressure monitoring system
3 214.
Driving and operating147Manual modeIf a higher gear is selected when the
engine speed is too low, or a lower
gear when the speed is too high, the
shift is not executed. This prevents
the engine from running at too low or
too high an engine speed. A warning
message is displayed in the Driver
Information Centre. Vehicle
messages 3 102.
If engine speed is too low, the
transmission automatically shifts to a
lower gear.
If engine speed is too high, the
transmission only switches to a higher
gear via kickdown.
When + or - is selected in automatic
mode, the transmission switches to
manual mode and shifts accordingly.
Gear shift indication
The symbol R with a number
alongside it, is indicated when
gearshifting is recommended for fuel
saving reasons.
Shift indication appears only in
manual mode.Electronic driving
programmes
● Following a cold start, the operating temperature
programme increases engine
speed to quickly bring the
catalytic converter to the required
temperature.
● The adaptive programme tailors gearshifting to the driving
conditions, e.g. greater load or
gradients.
Kickdown
If the accelerator pedal is pressed
down completely in automatic mode,
the transmission shifts to a lower gear depending on engine speed.
Fault
To prevent damage to the manual transmission automated, the clutch is
engaged automatically at high clutch
temperatures.In the event of a fault, control indicator
g illuminates. Additionally, a
warning message is displayed in the
Driver Information Centre. Vehicle
messages 3 102.
Continued driving is restricted or not possible, depending on the fault.
Have the cause of the fault remedied
by a workshop.