130Driving and operatingStarting and operating
New vehicle running-in
Do not brake unnecessarily hard for
the first few journeys and after new
disc brake pads have been fitted.
During the first drive, smoke may
occur because of wax and oil
evaporating off the exhaust system.
Park the vehicle in the open for a
while after the first drive and avoid
inhaling the fumes.
During the running-in period fuel and engine oil consumption may be
higher and the cleaning process of
the diesel particle filter may take
place more often. Autostop may be
inhibited to allow for charging the
vehicle battery.
Stop-start system 3 132.
Diesel particle filter 3 137.Ignition switch positions0:ignition off1:steering wheel lock released,
ignition off2:ignition on
diesel engines: preheating3:starting
Steering wheel lock
Remove key from ignition switch and
turn steering wheel until it engages.
9 Danger
Never remove the key from
ignition switch during driving as
this will cause steering wheel lock.
Starting the engine
Manual transmission: operate clutch.
Manual transmission automated:
operate brake; transmission
automatically shifts to N.
Do not accelerate.
Driving and operating133An Autostop is indicated when Ï
illuminates green in the instrument
cluster.
During an Autostop, the heating
performance, power steering and
brake performance will be
maintained. Brake assist, however, is
not available 3 151.
Note
If you exit the vehicle while the
engine is in an Autostop, a warning
chime will sound as a reminder that
the engine is on standby and has not been switched off.
Conditions for an Autostop
The stop-start system checks if each
of the following conditions is fulfilled,
otherwise an Autostop will be
inhibited and control indicator \ will
illuminate in the instrument cluster.
● the stop-start system is not manually deactivated
● the bonnet is fully closed
● the driver's door is closed or the driver's seat belt is fastened
● the vehicle battery is sufficiently charged and in good condition● the engine is warmed up
● the engine coolant temperature is
not too high
● the ambient temperature is not too low
● the defrosting function is not activated
● the climate control system does not inhibit an Autostop
● the brake vacuum is sufficient ● the self-cleaning function of the diesel particle filter is not active
● the vehicle has moved since the last Autostop
Otherwise an Autostop will be
inhibited.
An Autostop may become
unavailable as the ambient
temperature approaches freezing
point.
Certain settings of the climate control system may also inhibit an Autostop.See "Climate control" chapter for
further information 3 112.
Immediately after motorway driving
an Autostop may be inhibited.Autostop may also be inhibited
temporarily if the vehicle battery has
been recharged by an external
source.
New vehicle running-in 3 130.
Vehicle battery discharge protection
To ensure reliable engine restarts,
several vehicle battery discharge
protection features are implemented
as part of the stop-start system.
Restart of the engine by the driver
Depress the clutch pedal to restart the
engine.
If the selector lever has been shifted
out of neutral (manual transmission)
or N (manual transmission
automated) or other conditions are
not met, start using the ignition key.
The green control indicator Ï will
extinguish in the instrument cluster
when the engine is restarted.
If the selector lever is shifted out of
neutral (manual transmission) or N
(manual transmission automated) before depressing the clutch first, a
restart will not take place.
134Driving and operatingRestart of the engine by the stop-
start system
The selector lever must be in neutral(manual transmission) or N (manual
transmission automated) 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. Control
indicator Ï will flash green in the
instrument cluster during an
automatic engine restart.
● 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 vehicle battery is discharged
● the brake vacuum is not sufficient
● the vehicle starts to move
● the defrosting function is activated● the climate control systemrequests an engine start
● the predetermined timing has been exceeded
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.
If the Infotainment system is active,
audio sound may briefly be reduced
or interrupted during the restart.
Warning chimes 3 99.
Fault
If control indicator Ï illuminates
yellow, there is a fault in the stop-start system 3 96. A corresponding
message also appears in the Driver
Information Centre 3 98. Seek the
assistance of a workshop.Parking9 Warning
● Do not park the vehicle on an
easily ignitable surface. The
high temperature of the
exhaust system could ignite the
surface.
● Always apply parking brake without pressing release
button. Apply as firmly as
possible on a downhill slope or
uphill slope. Depress brake
pedal at the same time to
reduce operating force.
● Switch off the engine.
● If the vehicle is on a level surface or uphill slope, engage
first gear. On an uphill slope,
turn the front wheels away from
the kerb.
If the vehicle is on a downhill
slope, engage reverse gear.
Turn the front wheels towards the kerb.
146Driving and operatingStarting the engine
Depress the brake pedal when
starting the engine. If the brake pedal
is not depressed, T illuminates in the
transmission display and the engine
cannot be started.
When the brake pedal is depressed,
the transmission automatically shifts
to N (neutral); "N" appears in the
transmission display and the engine
can be started. There may be a slight delay.
Selector leverAlways move the selector lever in the
appropriate direction as far as it will
go. Upon release, it automatically
returns to the centre position.N:neutralA/M:switch between automatic and manual mode
The transmission display
shows "A" when in automatic
mode.R:reverse gear
Engage only when vehicle is
stationary. The transmission
display shows "R" when
reverse gear is engaged.+:shift to a higher gear.-:shift to a lower gear.
Starting off
When the engine is started, the
transmission is in automatic mode. Depress the brake pedal and move
the selector lever towards + to
engage first gear.
If R is selected, reverse gear is
engaged. The vehicle starts to move
when the brake pedal is released. To
start off quickly, release the brake pedal and accelerate immediately
after engaging a gear.
In automatic mode the transmission
shifts to other gears automatically,
dependent on driving conditions.
To engage manual mode, move the
selector lever towards A/M. The
current gear will appear in the
transmission display.
To engage first gear, depress brake
pedal and move selector lever
towards + or -. Shift to a higher or
lower gear by moving selector lever to + or -. Gears can be skipped by
moving the selector lever repeatedly
at short intervals.
Stopping the vehicle In automatic or manual mode,
first gear is engaged and the clutch is
released when the vehicle is stopped.
In R, reverse gear remains engaged.
When stopping on gradients, engage
parking brake or depress the brake
pedal. To prevent overheating of the
clutch, an intermittent audible
Driving and operating147warning may sound as a signal to
depress the brake pedal or apply the
parking brake.
Switch off engine if stopping for a lengthy period, e.g. in traffic jams.
When the vehicle is parked and the
driver's door is opened, a warning
chime will sound if neutral is not
selected or the brake pedal has not
been depressed.
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.Rocking the vehicle
Rocking the vehicle is only
permissible if the vehicle is stuck in
sand, mud, snow or a hole. Move the
selector lever between R and A/M (or
between + and -) in a repeat pattern,
while applying light pressure to the
accelerator pedal. Do not race the
engine and avoid sudden
acceleration.
Parking
Apply the parking brake. The most recently engaged gear (see
transmission display) remains
engaged. With N, no gear is engaged.
When the ignition is switched off, the transmission no longer responds to
movement of the selector lever.
If the ignition is not switched off, or the parking brake has not been applied, a
warning chime will sound upon
opening the driver's door.
Manual mode If a higher gear is selected when the
engine speed is too low, or a lower
gear when the speed is too high, theshift is not executed. This prevents
the engine from running at too low or too high an engine speed.
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.
Electronic driving programmes
Winter mode V
148Driving and operatingActivate the Winter mode if you have
problems starting off on a slippery
road surface.
Activation
Press V. Control indicator V is shown
in the transmission display. The
transmission switches to automatic
mode and the vehicle starts off in a
suitable gear.
Deactivation
The Winter mode is switched off by:
● pressing V again
● turning off the ignition
● switching to manual mode
In order to protect the transmission at extremely high clutch temperatures,
an intermittent audible warning may
sound. In such cases, depress the
brake pedal, select "N" and apply the parking brake to allow the clutch to
cool down.Laden mode kg
It is possible to use the Laden mode
in both manual and automatic modes. In both cases, the gearshifting
patterns are adapted automatically
for carrying an increased payload.
Activation
Press kg. Control indicator kg is
shown in the transmission display.
The transmission will then select
optimized gearshift patterns.
Deactivation
The Laden mode is switched off by:
● pressing kg again
● turning off the ignition
Kickdown If the accelerator pedal is pressed
past the pressure point, the
transmission shifts to a lower gear
depending on engine speed. Full
engine power is available for
acceleration.
If engine speed is too high the
transmission switches to a higher
gear, even in manual mode. Without
kickdown this automatic shift is not
effected in manual mode.
Fault
In the event of a fault, control indicator W is shown in the transmission
display. Continued driving is possible
provided the vehicle is driven with
care and anticipation.
Have the cause of the fault remedied
by a workshop.
Driving and operating149Interruption of power supplyThe clutch is not disengaged if there
is an interruption of the power supply
when a gear is engaged. The vehicle
cannot move.
If the vehicle battery is discharged,
start the vehicle using jump leads
3 206.
If the cause of the fault is not a
discharged vehicle battery, seek the
assistance of a workshop.
If neutral cannot be selected, the
vehicle must only be towed with the
drive wheels raised off the ground
3 208.
Towing the vehicle 3 208.Brakes
The brake system comprises two
independent brake circuits.
If a brake circuit fails, the vehicle can
still be braked using the other brake
circuit. However, braking effect is
achieved only when you depress the
brake pedal firmly. You need to use
considerably more force for this. The
braking distance is extended. Seek
the assistance of a workshop before
continuing your journey.
When the engine is not running, the
support of the brake servo unit
disappears once the brake pedal has been depressed once or twice.
Braking effect is not reduced, but
braking requires significantly greater
force. It is especially important to bear this in mind when being towed.
Control indicator R 3 94.
Antilock brake system
Antilock brake system (ABS)
prevents the wheels from locking.ABS starts to regulate brake pressure as soon as a wheel shows a tendency
to lock. The vehicle remains
steerable, even during hard braking.
ABS control is made apparent
through a pulse in the brake pedal
and the noise of the regulation
process.
For optimum braking, keep the brake
pedal fully depressed throughout the
braking process, despite the fact that the pedal is pulsating. Do not reduce
the pressure on the pedal.
Control indicator u 3 94.
Fault
If control indicators u and A
illuminate with the messages CHECK
ABS and CHECK ESP in the Driver
Information Centre, there is a fault in
the ABS. The brake system remains
operational but without ABS
regulation.
150Driving and operating9Warning
If there is a fault in the ABS, the
wheels may be liable to lock due
to braking that is heavier than
normal. The advantages of ABS are no longer available. During
hard braking, the vehicle can no longer be steered and may
swerve.
If control indicators u, A , R and
C illuminate, the ABS and ESP are
deactivated and the message
BRAKING FAULT is shown in the
Driver Information Centre. Seek the
assistance of a workshop.
Have the cause of the fault remedied
by a workshop.
Parking brake9 Warning
Always apply parking brake firmly
without operating the release
button, and apply as firmly as
possible on a downhill or uphill
slope.
To release the parking brake, pull
the lever up slightly, press the
release button and fully lower the
lever.
To reduce the operating forces of
the parking brake, depress the
brake pedal at the same time.
Control indicator R 3 94.
Parking 3 134.
Retractable parking brake
Depending on vehicle, the parking
brake lever retracts to the horizontal
position even with the parking brake
applied.
To release the parking brake, pull the lever up slightly, press the release
button and return the lever to the
horizontal position.
To apply the parking brake, pull the
lever up and release it. The lever rests
in a horizontal position.