
Operation
Automatic gear change Fig. 148
Automatic gearbox diagram of gears Read the additional information carefully
› ›
›
page 27
Move the selector lever to the N position to:
● Starting up the engine
● Remove the key from the ignition switch
● Engage the steering wheel lock
Move the sel
ector lever to the D or R position
to:
● Park the vehicle
● Repair a puncture
● Changing a wheel
To mov
e the gear selector lever from the posi-
tion N to D or to R, first press and hold the
brake pedal. In the instrument panel display, with the igni-
tion switc
hed on, the selected gear range or
the gear engaged in the gearbox is shown.
- Reverse gear
Reverse gear is selected. Engage only when
the vehicle is stopped.
- Neutral
The gearbox is in neutral. No movement is
transmitted to the wheels and the engine
does not act as a brake.
- Standard driving position
The gears are changed (up and down) auto-
matically. The gear shifts are determined by
the engine load, your individual driving style
and the speed of the vehicle.
- Tiptronic driving position (manual shift
programme)
All gears can be changed (up and down)
manually ››› page 145. This is possible as
long as the system is not changing gear auto-
matically due to a traffic situation. WARNING
Placing the selector lever in an incorrect posi-
tion ma y
cause loss of control of the vehicle
and a serious accident.
● Do not press the accelerator when engag-
ing a ran
ge of gears. ●
With the en gine ru
nning and a gear range
selected, the vehicle will move when the ac-
celerator is pressed.
● Never engage reverse gear while driving.
● Unintentional movements of the vehicle
coul
d cause serious injury.
● As a driver, you should never leave your ve-
hicle if
the engine is running and a gear range
is engaged. If you have to leave your vehicle
while the engine is running, you must always
apply the handbrake and put the selector lev-
er in position N.
● Never engage the R gear range when the
vehicl
e is moving.
● Never leave the vehicle without applying
the handbrak
e. With the engine running the
vehicle moves downhill regardless of the gear
range selected. Note
If, while driving, the selector lever is acciden-
ta l
ly placed in position N, lift your foot off the
accelerator. Wait until the engine is running
at idle speed before selecting a new gear
range. 144

Driving
Engaging gear with Tiptronic Fig. 149
Lever in the Tiptronic position With Tiptronic, the gears can be changed up
or do
wn m
anual
ly with the automatic gear-
box. When you change to the Tiptronic pro-
gramme, the vehicle remains in the currently
selected gear. This is possible as long as the
system is not changing gear automatically
due to a traffic situation.
Using Tiptronic
● Place the lever in the position D to the lef
t
on the Tiptronic shift gate M ››› in Auto-
m atic
g
ear change on page 144.
● Press the lever forwards + or backwards
– to move up or down a gear
››
›
Fig. 149.
● Place the lever back to the position M to
the lef
t on the Tiptronic shift gate, to leave
Tiptronic mode ››› in Automatic gear
c h
an
ge on page 144. With the lever in the position D, and pres
sing
forwards + or backwards
– the Tiptronic
pr ogr
amme c
an be selected M. CAUTION
● When acc el
erating, the gearbox automati-
cally shifts up into the next gear shortly be-
fore the maximum engine speed is reached.
● When reducing speed manually, the gear-
box on
ly shifts gear when the engine can no
longer exceed the maximum engine speed. Driving with automatic gearbox
The gearbox changes gear ratios automatical-
ly
a
s
the vehicle moves.
Driving down hills
The steeper the gradient, the lower the gear
you will need to select. The lowest gears in-
crease the engine braking work. Never go
down hills with the selector lever in neutral
N.
● You should reduce speed accordingly.
● Place the lever in the position D to the lef
t
on the Tiptronic shift gate M ›››
page 145.
● Gently pull the selector lever back – to
c h
an
ge down a gear. Starting when going up a slope
The steeper the gr
adient, the lower the gear
you will need.
When stopping on a slope with a gear range
engaged, the vehicle must be prevented from
rolling backwards by always pressing the
brake pedal or pulling the handbrake lever
up. When starting, release the brake pedal or
the handbrake ››› .
Kic k
-do
wn
The kickdown system provides maximum ac-
celeration when the gear selector lever is in
the position D, or in the Tiptronic position M.
When the accelerator pedal is pressed right
down, the automatic gearbox will shift down
to a lower gear, depending on road speed
and engine speed. This takes advantage of
the maximum acceleration of the vehicle
››› .
When the ac c
el
erator is pressed to the floor,
the automatic gearbox shifts to the next gear
only after the engine reaches the specified
maximum engine speed. WARNING
Rapid acceleration can cause loss of traction
and skid din
g, especially on slippery ground.
This could cause loss of control of the vehicle
resulting in an accident and serious injury. » 145
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety

Operation
Possible malfunction in the laser sensor
If l
a
ser sensor operation is impaired, for ex-
ample due to heavy rain, mist, snow or dirt,
the City Safety Assist system function is tem-
porarily switched off. On the instrument pan-
el display the control lamp flashes.
When the fault in the laser sensor has been
rectified, the City Safety Assist system func-
tion automatically becomes available again.
The control lamp switches off.
The following conditions could prevent the
City Safety Assist system from functioning:
● Tight bends.
● Accelerator pressed all the way down to the
floor.
● If the C
ity Safety Assist system is switched
off or there i
s a fault ››› page 157.
● If the laser sensor is dirty, covered or over-
heated ›
›› page 158.
● In the event of snow, heavy rain or dense
fog.
● If ther
e are vehicles in front.
● Vehicles changing lanes.
● Vehicles moving in the opposite direction
in the same lane.
● V
ery dirty vehicles with a low degree of re-
flection.
● Pre
sence of thick dust. Hill driving assistant*
Operation This function is only included in vehicles with
ESC.
The hi
l
l driving assistant helps the driver to
move off and upward on a hill when the vehi-
cle is stationary.
The system maintains brake pressure for ap-
proximately two seconds after the driver
takes his foot off the brake pedal to prevent
the vehicle from lurching backward when it is
started. During these 2 seconds, the driver
has enough time to release the clutch pedal
and accelerate without the vehicle moving
and without having to use the handbrake,
making start-up easier, more comfortable
and safer.
These are the basic operation conditions:
● being on a ramp or hill/slope,
● doors closed,
● vehicle completely stationary,
● engine running and foot on the brake,
● besides having a gear engaged or being in
neutral f
or manual gear change and with the
selector lever at positions S, D or R in vehi-
cles with an automatic gearbox.
This system is also active when reversing up-
hill. WARNING
● If y
ou do not start the vehicle immediately
after taking your foot off the brake pedal, the
vehicle may start to roll back under certain
conditions. Depress the brake pedal or use
the hand brake immediately.
● If the engine stalls, depress the brake ped-
al or u
se the hand brake immediately.
● When following a line of traffic uphill, if you
want t
o prevent the vehicle from rolling back
accidentally when starting off, hold the brake
pedal down for a few seconds before starting
off. Note
The Official Service or a specialist workshop
can t el
l you if your vehicle is equipped with
this system. Start-Stop System
C ontr
o
l lamps
It lights up
The Start-Stop system is enabled.
160

Checking and refilling levels
●
Noise s
heard when refuelling are normal
and do not indicate the presence of a fault in
the system.
● The vehicle natural gas system is prepared
both for ref
uelling with a small compressor
(slow refuel) and a large compressor (fast re-
fuel) in natural gas service stations. Bonnet
Work in
g in the engine compartment Read the additional information carefully
› ›
›
page 10
Before working in the engine compartment,
make sure that the vehicle is parked on hori-
zontal and firm ground.
The engine compartment of the vehicle is a
hazardous area. Never work on the engine or
in the engine compartment if you are not fa-
miliar with the operations to be carried out,
the applicable safety standards and especial-
ly if you do not have the necessary instru-
ments, liquids and tools ››› ! If required,
h av
e an
y work carried out by a specialised
workshop. Negligent work can cause serious
injury. WARNING
If the vehicle moves unexpectedly, this could
cau se seriou
s injury. ●
Never w ork
under the vehicle if it has not
been immobilized. If you must work under-
neath the vehicle with the wheels in contact
with the ground then it should be parked on
flat ground, the wheels should be prevented
from moving and the key should be removed
from the ignition.
● If you have to work underneath the vehicle,
you mus
t use suitable stands additionally to
support the vehicle, there is a risk of acci-
dent!. The jack is not intended for this kind of
work and its failure could lead to severe inju-
ries.
● Disconnect the Start-Stop system. WARNING
The engine compartment is a dangerous area
cap ab
le of causing serious injury.
● For all type of work, always take the utmost
precaution
s, work carefully and note the gen-
eral safety standards in force. Never take per-
sonal risks.
● Never work on the engine or in the engine
compar
tment if you are not familiar with the
necessary operations. If you are not sure
about procedures then visit a specialised
workshop to carry out the necessary work.
Working incorrectly can cause serious inju-
ries.
● Never open the bonnet if you see steam or
cool
ant escaping from the engine compart-
ment. This may cause serious burns. Always
wait until you cannot see or hear the sound of steam or coolant coming from the engine
comp
ar
tment.
● Always allow the engine to cool down be-
fore openin
g the bonnet.
● Contact with hot elements of the engine
and the exhau
st system can cause burns.
● Once the engine has cooled, follow the in-
structions
below before opening the bonnet:
– Engage the handbrake and place the gear
selector lever in N or the gear stick in
neutral.
– Remove the key from the ignition.
– Keep children away from the engine com-
partment and never leave them unsuper-
vised.
● When the engine is warm or hot, the cool-
ing sys
tem is pressurised. Do not unscrew
the cap on the expansion tank when the en-
gine is hot. Otherwise, coolant may spray out
under pressure causing burns and serious in-
jury.
– After cooling, carefully and slowly un-
screw the cap anticlockwise, gently
pressing down on it.
– Always protect your face, hands and arms
from hot coolant and steam using a large,
thick cloth.
● When refilling liquids, avoid spilling them
on part
s of the engine and the exhaust sys-
tem. Spilled liquids could cause a fire. » 187
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety

Advice
WARNING
The high voltages of the electrical system can
give el ectric
shocks as well as causing burns
and serious injury and possibly even death!
● Never cause short circuits in the electrical
syst
em. The battery could explode.
● To minimise the risk of electric shock and
serious c
onsequences while the engine is
running or starting the engine, note the fol-
lowing:
– Never touch the electrical wiring of the
ignition system. WARNING
In the engine compartment, there are rotat-
ing p ar
ts that could cause serious injury.
● Never place your hands directly on or near
the radi
ator fan. Touching the rotor blades
could seriously harm you. The ventilator
works according to the engine temperature
and could start suddenly even when the igni-
tion is turned off and the key is removed.
● If any work has to be performed when the
engine is
started or with the engine running,
there is an additional, potentially fatal, safety
risk from rotating parts, such as the drive
belts, alternator, radiator fan, etc., as well as
from the high-voltage ignition system. Al-
ways work with the utmost caution.
– Always make sure that no parts of your
body, jewellery, ties, loose clothing and
long hair can be trapped by the rotating
parts of the engine. Before any work, re- move ties and jewellery (necklaces, etc),
tie long h
air b
ack and tie all items of
loose clothing to your body to make sure
that they cannot be trapped by engine
components.
– Take extreme caution when operating the
accelerator and remain attentive. The ve-
hicle could move, even if the handbrake
is applied.
● Always make sure you have not left any ob-
jects, s
uch as cleaning cloths and tools, in
the engine compartment. If any object is left
in the engine compartment, this could cause
malfunctions, engine faults and even a fire. WARNING
Refill liquids and certain materials can catch
fire e a
sily in the engine compartment, caus-
ing a fire and serious injury!
● Never smoke.
● Never work close to places exposed to
flames
or sparks.
● Never pour service fluids over the engine.
These fluid ma
y ignite hot engine parts and
cause injuries.
● If it is necessary to work on the fuel system
or the electrica
l system, please follow the in-
structions below:
–Always disconnect the vehicle battery.
– Never work close to heaters, heat sources
or places exposed to flames or sparks. ●
Alw a
ys keep a recently serviced and per-
fectly working fire extinguisher close by.
● Never cover the engine with additional in-
sul
ating materials such as a blanket. Risk of
fire! WARNING
If the bonnet is not correctly closed, it could
s ud den
ly open while driving leaving the driv-
er without visibility. This could result in a se-
rious accident.
● After closing the bonnet, always check that
it is
properly secured by the locking mecha-
nism in the lock carrier piece. The bonnet
must be flush with the surrounding body pan-
els.
● While driving, if you notice that the bonnet
is not
correctly closed then stop immediately
and close it correctly.
● Make sure the bonnet is opened and closed
safely
(when the engine is off, no smoke is
coming from the engine compartment, there
is enough space around the car, no people
are near, etc.). CAUTION
● When refi l
ling or changing service liquids,
ensure that you put the liquids into the right
tank. Making a mistake when refilling could
cause serious malfunctions and damage the
engine! 188

Index
First-aid kit st
or
age . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Floor mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Fluid Level control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Fog light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Front airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14, 61
Front passenger front airbag control and warning lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
disabling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
disconnection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Front seat manual adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
manually adjusting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Front wiper blades change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31, 181 natural gas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
refuelling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
savings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Fuel gauge control and warning lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
petrol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Fuel tank cap opening and closing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Fuel tank flap opening and closing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34, 78 fuse box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
identifying blown fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
identifying by colours . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
preparation before replacing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
replacing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
G Gearbox lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Gear change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
automatic gearbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
changing gears manually . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
gear recommendation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
manual gear change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
putting the vehicle in gear (manual gearbox) 143
Gear engaged . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
General instrument panel instrument panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
General view control and warning lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Generator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Glove compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117, 118
H
Handbrake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Hazard warning lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22, 106
Head-on collisions and their laws of physics . . . . 55
Headlight range control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Headlights driving abroad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Head rest adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Head restraints Adjusting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Rear head restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Heated rear window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29, 30
Heating and fresh air controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Heating and fresh air system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Heating of the rear window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29, 30
Hill driving assistant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Hill hold control and warning lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Start-Stop system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87 How to jump start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
desc ription . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Hubcaps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
I
Ice removing from the windscreen . . . . . . . . . . 29, 30
Identifying letters on engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Ignition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 see "Engine and ignition" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Ignition lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 removal lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
unauthorised vehicle key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
In case of emergency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Indications on the display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
recommended gear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
seat belt status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
selector lever positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Start-Stop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
temperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Instrument panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 control and warning lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88, 89
general instrument panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
service intervals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Instrument panel lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Interior lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Interior rear vision mirror anti-dazzle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Interior view left . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
223