Air conditioning
●
At lo w out
side temperatures, the compres-
sor switches off automatically and cannot be
switched on even with the AUTO button.
● It is advisable to turn on the air condition-
ing at l
east once a month, to lubricate the
system gaskets and prevent leaks. If a de-
crease in the cooling capacity is detected, a
Technical Service should be consulted to
check the system.
● To ensure correct operation, the grilles on
both sides
of the screen must not be obstruc-
ted. ●
When the engine i s
under extreme strain,
switch off the compressor for a moment. Economic use of the air conditioning
When the air conditioning is switched on, the
compr
e
ssor consumes engine power and has
influence on fuel consumption. Consider the
following points in order to have the system
operating in the minimum possible time. ●
If the v
ehicle interior has overheated due to
an excessive solar radiation, it is best to
open the windows or doors to allow the hot
air to escape.
● While in motion, the air conditioning
should not
be switched on if the windows are
open.
Air outlets Fig. 169
Air vents. To ensure proper heating, cooling and venti-
l
ation in the
v
ehicle interior, air vents
››› Fig. 169 1 should remain open.
●
The outl ets
c
an be closed or opened sepa-
rately using the slats and the air flow direc-
ted according to need. There are other additional, non-adjustable air
vents in the d
ash panel 2 , in the footwell
and in the r e
ar ar
ea of the interior. »
159
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety
Operation
Note
Food, medicine and other heat or cold sensi-
tive o b
jects should never be placed in front of
the air outlets as they may be damaged or
made unsuitable for use by the air coming
from the air vents. Air recirculation
Air recirculation prevents unpleasant smells,
e.g. when p
a
ssing through a tunnel or in
queuing traffic, from entering the interior.
If the air distribution is in the thaw position,
the recirculation flap will always be open (in-
dicator light off).
If the air distribution is switched from any po-
sition to the thaw position, recirculation will
be automatically deactivated. Connecting the recirculation
In any
air di
stribution position except thaw:
● Press button , the button’s
lamp will
light up, indicating that air recirculation in-
side the vehicle has been activated.
Disconnecting the recirculation
In any air distribution position except thaw:
● Press button again and the butt
on's
lamp will go off, indicating that air entry from
the outside has been activated.
In the thaw position the entry of air into
the vehicle interior is always from the out-
side. WARNING
In air recirculation mode, no cold air from the
outs ide ent
ers the vehicle interior. If the air
conditioner is switched off, the windows can quickly mist over. Therefore, never leave the
air rec
ir
culation mode switched on for a long
time (risk of accident). Note
● When en gagin
g reverse gear, the air recir-
culation is connected automatically to pre-
vent the entrance of exhaust gases in the ve-
hicle on travelling backwards. The control
lamp on the button does not light up.
● If the temperature regulator is turned to the
col
dest setting (blue point) and the button
is on, the “Air recirculation” function is auto-
matically activated in order to cool the vehi-
cle faster using less energy, and its control
lamp will light up.
● If the function is not deactivated by press-
ing the butt
on, it will deactivate after approx-
imately 20 minutes. 160
Air conditioning
Heating and fresh air C ontr
o
ls Fig. 170
Heating controls on the dash panel. Temperature regulator
››
›
page 162.
Blower control. There are four speed set-
tings for the blower. The blower should
always be set at the lowest speed when
driving slowly.
Air distribution regulator.
Air recirculation button ››› page 160.
When the function is activated, a warning
light on the button is turned on.
Heated rear window.
Air distribution
Control 3 for setting the flow of air in the re-
quir ed dir ection.
1 2
3
– Air di
stribution towards the windscreen
in or der t
o demist. For safety reasons, it is
not recommended to switch air recirculation
on.
– Air distribution to upper body.
– Air distribution to footwell
– Air distribution to the windscreen and
the footwell. WARNING
● For y
our safety, the windows should never
be fogged up or covered with snow or ice.
This is essential to ensure good visibility.
Please familiarise yourself with the correct operation of the heating and ventilation sys-
tem, inc
ludin
g the demist/defrost functions
for the windows. Note
● Plea
se consider the general notes
››› page 158. 161
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety
Air conditioning
Manual air conditioning* C ontr
o
ls Fig. 171
Air conditioning controls on the dash
panel . Temperature selector
››
›
page 163
Blower control. There are four speed set-
tings for the blower. At low speed, it is
recommended to set the blower to a mini-
mum of 1 to improve the intake of fresh
air.
Air distribution regulator.
Air recirculation button ››› page 160.
When the function is activated, a warning
light on the button is turned on.
Heated rear window.
Button to switch on air conditioning
››› page 163. The air conditioning system
1 2
3
only works when the engine is running
and the f
an is
switched on. WARNING
For your safety, the windows should never be
fog g
ed up or covered with snow or ice. This is
essential to ensure good visibility. Please fa-
miliarise yourself with the correct operation
of the heating and ventilation system, includ-
ing the demist/defrost functions for the win-
dows. Note
Please consider the general notes. Functions
Interior heating
Max
imum he
at output, which is needed to
defrost the windows quickly, is only available
when the engine has reached its operating
temperature.
● Disconnect the cooling system using the
›››
Fig. 171 button (the button light turns off).
● Turn the temperature regulator 1 to set
the des ir
ed temperature inside the vehicle.
● Turn the blower switch to any of the set-
ting s
1-4. »
163
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety
Operation
● Set the air di
s
tribution regulator 3 to the
air flo w c
onfigur
ation desired: (towards
the windscreen), (towards the chest),
(towards the footwell) and (towards the
windscreen and footwell areas).
Interior cooling
When the air conditioning is switched on, the
temperature and the air humidity go down.
This way, if the outside humidity is extreme,
the air conditioning prevents the misting of
the windows and therefore, comfort is im-
proved.
● Turn on the cooling system using the
button (the b
utton light turns on).
● Turn the temperature control switch until
the desir
ed interior temperature is reached. ●
Turn the blo
wer switch to any of the set-
tings 1-4.
● Set the air distribution control to the air
flow configur
ation desired: (towards the
windscreen), (towards the chest), (to-
wards the footwell) and (towards the wind-
screen and footwell areas).
Demisting the windscreen
● Turn air distribution to .
● Turn the fan control to one of the two levels
depending on the speed r
equired.
● Rotate the temperature control to the de-
sired l
evel of comfort.
● Close the central outlets. ●
Open and turn the side outl
ets towards the
windows.
If the air conditioning does not work, this
may be due to the following reasons:
● The engine is stationary.
● The fan blower is switched off.
● The outside temperature is lower than ap-
prox
imately +3°C (+37°F).
● The air conditioning system compressor
has
been temporarily switched off because of
an increased engine coolant temperature.
● The air conditioner fuse is faulty.
● Another fault in the vehicle. Have the air
conditioning c
hecked by a specialised work-
shop.
164
Air conditioning
Climatronic* Gener a
l
notes Fig. 172
Climatronic: controls. Read the additional information carefully
› ›
›
page 49
Climatronic automatically maintains a com-
fortable temperature. To do so, it automati-
cally regulates the supplied air temperature
and the blower and air distribution levels.
The system also allows for the effect of sun-
light, so there is no need for manual adjust-
ment.
Automatic operation guarantees maximum
comfort any time of year ››› page 166. Climatronic description
Coolin
g only works if the following conditions
are met:
● The engine is running
● the outside temperature is above +2°C
(+36°F);
● turned on.
Star
ting the Climatronic
When a button is pressed, the corresponding
function will be activated (except for the recir-
culation button), switching on the air condi-
tioning if it was switched off. Switching off the Climatronic
●
Adjust fan power to zero ›››
Fig. 172 2 or
pr e
s
s the button.
In order to ensure engines subject to heavy
loads are cooled, the air conditioning com-
pressor is switched off in the event of high
coolant temperatures.
Recommended setting for all seasons of the
year
● Set the required temperature. We recom-
mend +22°C (72°F).
● Pre
ss the button ››
› Fig. 172. »
165
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety
Driving
a great extent on the conditions under which
the v
ehic
le is operated and the way the vehi-
cle is driven. If you often drive in town, drive
short distances or have a sporty driving style,
we recommend that you have the thickness
of your brake pads checked by technical serv-
ices more frequently than recommended in
the Maintenance Programme.
If you drive with wet brakes, for example, af-
ter crossing areas of water, on days of heavy
rainfall or even after washing the car, the ef-
fect of the brakes is reduced as the brake
discs are wet or even frozen (in winter): in
this case, the brakes should be “dried” by
pressing the brake pedal several times. WARNING
Longer braking distances and faults in the
brak e sy
stem increase the risk of accidents.
● New brake pads must be run in and do not
have the c
orrect friction during the first
200 km. This reduced braking capacity may
be compensated for by pressing on the brake
pedal a little harder, which also applies when
the brake pads have to be changed further
on.
● If brakes are wet or frozen, or if you are
driving on r
oads which have been salted,
braking power may be lower than normal.
● On steep slopes, if brakes are excessively
used, they w
ill overheat. Before driving down
a long steep slope, it is advisable to reduce
speed and change down into a lower gear or range (depending on the type of transmis-
sion).
Thu
s, make use of engine braking and
relieve the brakes.
● Never let the brakes “drag” by applying
light pre
ssure. Continuous braking will cause
the brakes to overheat and the braking dis-
tance will increase. Apply and then release
the brakes alternately.
● Never let the vehicle run with the engine
switc
hed off. The braking distance is in-
creased considerably when the brake servo is
not active.
● If the brake fluid loses its viscosity and is
subj
ected to heavy use, vapour bubbles can
form in the brake system. This reduces the ef-
ficiency of the brakes.
● Non-standard or damaged front spoilers
coul
d restrict the airflow to the brakes and
cause them to overheat. Before purchasing
accessories please observe the relevant in-
structions ››› page 255, Modifications.
● If a brake system circuit fails, the braking
dist
ance will be increased considerably. Con-
tact a specialised workshop immediately and
avoid unnecessary journeys. Control lamp
Situations in which the warning lamp lights
up *
●
the brake fluid level is too low
› ›
›
page 275. ●
there is
a fault in the brake system.
This warning lamp can light up together with
the ABS system warning lamp. WARNING
● If the br ak
e warning lamp does not go out
or if it lights up when driving, the brake fluid
level in the reservoir is too low so there is a
risk of an accident ››› page 275, Brake fluid.
Stop the vehicle and do not drive on. Obtain
technical assistance.
● If the brake warning lamp lights up to-
gether w
ith the ABS lamp this could be
due to an ABS fault. 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. Handbrake
Fig. 176
Handbrake between the front seats. » 175
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety
Operation
The handbrake should be applied firmly to
pr ev
ent
the vehicle from accidentally rolling
away. Always apply the handbrake when you
leave your vehicle and when you park.
Applying the handbrake
– Pull the handbrake lever up firmly
›››
Fig. 176.
Releasing the handbrake
– Pull the lever up slightly and press the re-
lea
se knob in the direction of the arrow
››› Fig. 176 and guide the handbrake lever
down fully ››› .
A lw
a
ys pull the handbrake all the way up, so
there is less risk of driving off with it still en-
gaged ››› .
The h andbr
ak
e warning lamp lights up
when the handbrake is applied and the igni-
tion switched on. The warning lamp turns off
when the handbrake is released. WARNING
● Never u se the h
andbrake to stop the vehi-
cle when it is in motion. The braking distance
is considerably longer, because braking is
only applied to the rear wheels. Risk of acci-
dent!
● If the handbrake is only partially released,
this w
ill cause the rear brakes to overheat,
which can impair the function of the brake
system and could lead to an accident. This al- so causes premature wear on the rear brake
pa
d
s. CAUTION
Always apply the handbrake before you leave
the vehic
le. Put it in 1st gear as well. In vehi-
cles with an automatic gearbox, place the
gear lever in position P. Parking
The handbrake should always be firmly ap-
p
lied when the
v
ehicle is parked.
Always note the following points when park-
ing the vehicle: – Use the brake pedal to stop the vehicle.
– Apply the handbrake.
– Put it in 1st gear.
– Switch the engine off and remove the key
from the ignition. T
urn the steering wheel
slightly to engage the steering lock.
– Always take you keys with you when you
leav
e the vehicle ››› .
Ad dition
a
l notes on parking the vehicle on
gradients:
Turn the steering wheel so that the vehicle
rolls against the kerb if it started to roll. ●
If the v
ehicle is parked facing downhill,
turn the front wheels so that they point to-
wards the kerb .
● If the vehicle is parked facing uphill
, turn
the front wheels so that they point away from
the kerb.
● Secure the vehicle as usual by applying the
handbrak
e firmly and putting it in 1st gear. WARNING
● Tak e me
asures to reduce the risk of injury
when you leave your vehicle unattended.
● Never park where the hot exhaust system
coul
d ignite inflammable materials, such as
dry grass, low bushes, spilt fuel etc.
● Never allow vehicle occupants to remain in
the vehic
le when it is locked. They would be
unable to open the vehicle from the inside,
and could become trapped in the vehicle in
an emergency. In the event of an emergency,
locked doors will delay assistance to vehicle
occupants.
● Never leave children alone in the vehicle.
They cou
ld set the vehicle in motion, for ex-
ample, by releasing the handbrake or the
gearbox lever.
● Depending on weather conditions, it may
become extr
emely hot or cold inside the vehi-
cle. This can be fatal. 176