Advice
●
Never open the bonnet if
you can see or
hear steam or coolant escaping from the en-
gine compartment. Risk of scalding. Wait un-
til you can no longer see or hear escaping
steam or coolant.
● The engine compartment is a dangerous
area. B
efore carrying out any work in the en-
gine compartment, switch off the engine and
allow it to cool down. Always note the corre-
sponding warnings ››› page 263. Topping up coolant
Read the additional information carefully
› ›
›
page 59
Top up coolant when the level is below the
MIN (minimum) mark.
Checking coolant level – Park the vehicle in a horizontal position.
– Switch the ignition off.
– Read off the coolant level on coolant ex-
pans
ion tank. When the engine is cold, the
coolant level should be between the marks.
When the engine is hot, it may be slightly
above the upper mark.
Topping up coolant – Wait for the engine to cool down. –
Cov
er the coolant expansion tank cap with
a cloth and carefully unscrew it to the left
››› .
– Top up the coolant only if there is still cool-
ant in the e
xp
ansion tank, otherwise you
could damage the engine. If there is no
coolant in the expansion tank, do not con-
tinue driving. You should obtain professio- nal assistance ››› .
– If there is still some coolant in the expan-
sion t
ank, t
op up to the upper mark.
– Top up with coolant until the level becomes
stab
le.
– Screw the cap back on correctly.
Any lo
ss of coolant fluid normally indicates a
leak in the cooling system. Take the vehicle
straight to a specialised workshop to have
the cooling system examined. If there are no
leaks in the engine cooling system, a loss of
coolant can only occur if the coolant boils
and is forced out of the system as a result of
overheating. WARNING
● The coo lin
g system is under pressure. Do
not unscrew the cap on the coolant expan-
sion tank when the engine is hot: risk of
burns!
● The antifreeze and coolant fluid can be a
health h
azard. Therefore, the antifreeze
should be stored in the original container in a safe place out of reach of children. Failure to
comp
ly
could result in poisoning.
● If working inside the engine compartment,
remember that, ev
en when the ignition is
switched off, the radiator fan may start up au-
tomatically, and therefore there is a risk of in-
jury. WARNING
If there is not enough anti-freeze in the cool-
ant sys
tem, the engine may fail leading to se-
rious damage.
● Please make sure that the percentage of
additiv
e is correct with respect to the lowest
expected ambient temperature in the zone in
which the vehicle is to be used.
● When the outside temperature is very low,
the cool
ant could freeze and the vehicle
would be immobilised. In this case, the heat-
ing would not work either and inadequately
dressed passengers could die of cold. CAUTION
Do not top up the expansion tank with cool-
ant fluid if it
is empty! Air could enter the
cooling system. In this case, stop driving.
Seek specialist assistance. Otherwise, there
is a risk of engine damage. 270
Advice
Service life of tyres Fig. 232
Tyre tread wear indicators. Fig. 233
Diagram for changing wheels. The useful life of tyres is dependent on tyre
pr
e
s
sure, driving style and fitting.
Wear indicators
The original tyres on your vehicle have
1.6 mm high “tread wear indicators”
››› Fig. 232, running across the tread. De- pending on the make, there will be 6 to 8 of
them evenly
spaced around the tyre. Mark-
ings on the tyre sidewall (for instance the let-
ters “TWI” or other symbols) indicate the po-
sitions of the tread wear indicators. The mini-
mum tread depth required by law is 1.6 mm
(measured in the tread grooves next to the
tread wear indicators). Worn tyres must be re-
placed. Different figures may apply in export
countries ››› .
T y
r
e pressure
Incorrect tyre pressure causes premature
wear and could cause tyre blow-out. For this
reason, the tyre pressure should be checked
at least once per month ››› page 275.
Driving style
Fast cornering, heavy acceleration and hard
braking all increase tyre wear.
Changing wheels around
If the front tyres are worn considerably more
than the rear ones it is advisable to change
them around as shown ››› Fig. 233. The use-
ful life of all the tyres will then be about the
same time.
Wheel balance
The wheels on new vehicles are balanced.
However, various factors encountered in nor-
mal driving can cause them to become unbal-
anced, which results in steering vibration. Unbalanced wheels should be rebalanced, as
they otherw
ise cause excessive wear on
steering, suspension and tyres. A wheel must
also be rebalanced when a new tyre is fitted.
Incorrect wheel alignment
Incorrect running gear alignment causes ex-
cessive tyre wear, impairing the safety of the
vehicle. If tyres show excessive wear, you
should have the wheel alignment checked by
a Technical Service. WARNING
There is a serious danger of accidents if a tyre
bur s
ts during driving!
● The tyres must be replaced at the latest
when the trea
d wear indicators are worn
››› page 276. Failure to follow this instruction
could result in an accident. Worn tyres do not
grip well at high speeds on wet roads. There
is also a greater risk of “aquaplaning”.
● At continuously high speeds, a tyre with in-
sufficient
pressure flexes more. This causes it
to overheat. This can cause tread separation
and tyre blow-out. Risk of accident. Always
observe the recommended tyre pressures.
● If tyres show excessive wear, you should
have the ru
nning gear checked by a Technical
Service.
● Keep chemicals such as oil, fuel and brake
fluid awa
y from tyres.
● Damaged wheels and tyres must be re-
plac
ed immediately! 276
Advice
Wheel bolts The design of wheel bolts is matched to the
rims. If diff
er
ent wheel rims are fitted, the
correct wheel bolts with the right length and
correctly shaped bolt heads must be used.
This ensures that wheels are fitted securely
and that the brake system functions correctly.
In certain circumstances, you should not use
wheel bolts from a different vehicle, even if it
is the same model ››› page 247. WARNING
If the wheel bolts are not tightened correctly,
the wheel c ou
ld become loose while driving.
Risk of accident.
● The wheel bolts must be clean and turn
eas
ily. Never apply grease or oil to them.
● Use only wheel bolts which belong to the
wheel.
● If the pr
escribed torque of the wheel bolts
is t
oo low, they could loosen whilst the vehi-
cle is in motion. Risk of accident! If the tight-
ening torque is too high, the wheel bolts and
threads can be damaged. CAUTION
The prescribed tightening torque for wheel
bolt s
for steel and alloy wheels is 120 Nm. Tyre monitoring indicator*
Fig. 234
Centre console: tyre monitoring sys-
t em b
utt
on. The tyre monitoring system compares wheel
r
ev
o
lutions alongside the wheel diameter of
each wheel, with help from the ESC. If the di-
ameter of a wheel changes, the tyre monitor-
ing indicator lights up . The wheel diame-
ter changes when:
● Tyre pressure is insufficient.
● The tyre structure is damaged.
● The vehicle is unbalanced because of a
load.
● The wheel
s of one axle are under more
pres
sure (for example, driving with a trailer or
on steep slopes).
● The vehicle is fitted with snow chains.
● The temporary spare wheel is fitted.
● The wheel on one axle is changed. Tyre pressure adjustment
After modif
ying tyre pressure or changing any
wheels, the new tyre pressure must be stored
in the Easy Connect system with the but-
t on and the S
ET
TINGS function button
› ›
›
page 34.
In vehicles without a radio, press and hold
down the button ››› Fig. 234, with the
ignition on, until an acoustic signal is heard.
If the wheels are under excessive load (for ex-
ample, driving with a trailer or heavy load),
the tyre pressure must be increased to the
recommended value for a full load (see the
sticker on the back of the left front door
frame). If the tyre monitor system button is
pressed down, the new tyre pressures are
confirmed.
The tyre pressure control lamp lights up
If the tyre pressure of a wheel is much lower
than the value set by the driver, then the tyre
pressure control lamp ››› will light up.
WARNING
● When the tyr e pr
essure control lamp lights
up, reduce speed immediately and avoid any
sudden turning or braking manoeuvre. Stop
when possible, and check the tyre pressure
and status.
● The driver is responsible for maintaining
correct
tyre pressures. For this reason, tyre
pressure must be regularly checked. 278
Index
starting the engine with Press & Drive . . . . . . 179
s t
op
ping the engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Engine compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17, 263, 266 battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
brake fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
closing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269, 270
engine oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266, 268
opening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
safety notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
windscreen washer liquid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Engine coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 checking level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
G12 plus-plus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
G13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Engine data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Engine fault control lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Engine management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202 control lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Engine oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58, 266 changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266, 269
checking engine oil level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
consumption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
diesel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
dipstick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
inspection service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
maintenance intervals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
oil properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59, 266
temperature display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
topping up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Engine oil pressure control lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267 Environment
envir onmental compatibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
environmentally-friendly driving . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Environmental tip refuelling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
ESC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183 electronic stability control . . . . . . . . . . . 183, 185
Multi-collision Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Sport Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Ethanol (fuel) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Event Data Recorder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Exhaust purification system for vehicles with diesel engines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Extending the luggage compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Exterior lighting changing the bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Exterior mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153 adjusting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
folding in electrically . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
folding in manually . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
heated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Exterior view . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7, 8
External aerial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
F Fastening rings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Fatigue detection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Fault in electronic differential lock (EDL) control lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Faulty bulbs changing the bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Filling up the tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Fire extinguisher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
First-aid kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97 Floor mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Fluid Level
control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Fog light bulb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Front airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21, 88 safety instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Front Assist indications on the display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Front drink holder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Front passenger front airbag control lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
deactivation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Front seat manual adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57, 258 consumption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
diesel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
ethanol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
fuel gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
natural gas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
refuelling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
saving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Fuel consumption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200 why does fuel consumption increase? . . . . . . 202
Fuel tank cap opening and closing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62, 104 fuse box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
identifying blown fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
identifying by colours . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
preparation before replacing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
replacing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
G
Gear-change indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41, 197
Gearbox DSG see Automatic gearbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Gearbox lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
301