200Driving and operatingStop-start systemThe stop-start system helps to save
fuel and to reduce the exhaust
emissions. When conditions allow, it
switches off the engine as soon as the
vehicle is at a low speed or at a
standstill, e.g. at a traffic light or in a
traffic jam. It starts the engine
automatically as soon as the clutch is
depressed. A vehicle battery sensor
ensures that an Autostop is only
performed if the vehicle battery is
sufficiently charged for a restart.
Activation
The stop-start system is available as soon as the engine is started, the
vehicle starts-off and the conditions
as stated below in this section are
fulfilled.Deactivation
Deactivate the stop-start system
manually by pressing eco. The
deactivation is indicated when the
LED in the button extinguishes.
Autostop If the vehicle is at a low speed or at a
standstill, activate an Autostop as
follows:
● Depress the clutch pedal.
● Move the selector lever to neutral.
● Release the clutch pedal.
The engine will be switched off while
the ignition stays on.
Indication
An Autostop is indicated by the
needle at the AUTOSTOP position in
the tachometer.
After restart, the idle speed is
indicated.
The stop-start system will be disabled
on inclines of 12% or more.
During an Autostop, the heating and
brake performance will be
maintained.
Driving and operating201Conditions for an Autostop
The stop-start system checks if each
of the following conditions is fulfilled.
● 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 engine exhaust temperature is not too high, e.g. after driving
with high engine load.
● The ambient temperature is above -5 °C.
● The climate control system allows an Autostop.
● The brake vacuum is sufficient.
● The self-cleaning function of the exhaust filter is not active.
● The vehicle was driven at least at
walking speed since the last
Autostop.Otherwise an Autostop will be
inhibited.
Certain settings of the climate control
system may inhibit an Autostop. See
Climate control chapter for more
details 3 190.
Immediately after motorway driving,
an Autostop may be inhibited.
New vehicle running-in 3 197.
Vehicle battery discharge protection
To ensure reliable engine restarts,
several battery discharge protection
features are implemented as part of
the stop-start system.
Power saving measures
During an Autostop, several electrical
features such as auxiliary electric
heater or 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 driver
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 message
in the Driver Information Centre.
Control indicator - 3 111.
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.
202Driving and operating● The charge level of the vehiclebattery 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 engine restart may be
noticeable.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 the parking brake. Activate the manual
parking brake without pressing the 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.
For vehicles with electric
parking brake, pull switch m for
a minimum of one second until
control indicator m illuminates
constantly and electric parking
brake is applied 3 111.
● Switch off the engine. ● If the vehicle is on a level surface or uphill slope, engage
first gear or set the selector
lever to position P before
removing the ignition key. On
an uphill slope, turn the front
wheels away from the kerb.
If the vehicle is on a downhill
slope, engage reverse gear or
set the selector lever to position
P before removing the ignition
key. Turn the front wheels
towards the kerb.
● Close the windows.
● Remove the ignition key from the ignition switch. Turn the
steering wheel until the
steering wheel lock is felt to
engage.
For vehicles with automatic
transmission, the key can only
be removed when the selector
lever is in position P.
● Lock the vehicle.
● Activate the anti-theft alarm system.
● The engine cooling fans may run
after the engine has been
switched off 3 259.
208Driving and operatingAutomatic transmission
The automatic transmission permits
automatic gearshifting (automatic
mode) or manual gearshifting
(manual mode).
Manual shifting is possible in manual
mode M by tapping the selector lever
to + or - 3 209.
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 modeM:manual mode<:upshift in manual mode]:downshift in manual mode
The selector lever is locked in P and
can only be moved when the ignition
is on, the release button on the
selector lever is pushed and the brake
pedal is applied.
Without brake pedal applied, the
control indicator j illuminates.
If the selector lever is not in P when
the ignition is switched off, control
indicator j flashes.
To engage P or R, press the release
button.
Driving and operating209The engine can only be started with
the lever in position P or N. When
position N is selected, press the brake
pedal or apply the parking brake
before starting.
Do not accelerate while engaging a
gear. Never depress the accelerator
pedal and brake pedal at the same
time.
When a gear is engaged, the vehicle
slowly begins to creep when the
brake is released.
Engine braking To utilise the engine braking effect,select a lower gear in good time when
driving downhill, see manual mode.
Rocking the vehicle Rocking the vehicle is only
permissible if the vehicle is stuck in
sand, mud or snow. Move the selector
lever between D and R in a repeat
pattern. Do not race the engine and
avoid sudden acceleration.Parking
Apply the parking brake and engageP .
The ignition key can only be removed
when the selector lever is in position
P .
Manual mode
Move selector lever out of position D
towards the left in position M.
Tap selector lever upwards + to shift
to a higher gear.
Tap the selector lever downwards - to
shift to a lower gear.
If 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.
210Driving and operating● The automatic neutral shiftfunction automatically shifts gear
to idling when the vehicle is
stopped with a forward gear
engaged and the brake pedal is
pressed.
● When SPORT mode is engaged,
the vehicle shifts at higher engine
speeds (unless cruise control is
on). SPORT mode 3 217.
● Special programmes automatically adapt the gearshift
points when driving up inclines or down hills.
● In snowy or icy conditions or on other slippery surfaces, the
electronic transmission control
enables the driver to select
manually first, second or third
gear for starting off.
Kickdown If the accelerator pedal is pressed
down completely in automatic mode, the transmission shifts to a lower gear
depending on engine speed.Fault
In the event of a fault a message is
displayed in the Driver Information
Centre. Vehicle messages 3 122.
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 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
3 295.
If the vehicle battery is not the cause
of the fault, release the selector lever.
1. Apply the parking brake.
2. Release the selector lever trim from the centre console at the
front, fold it upwards and rotate it
to the left.
212Driving and operatingBrakes
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 the brake pedal
is depressed firmly. Considerably
more force is needed 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 3 111.
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.
After starting off the system performs
a self-test which may be audible.
Control indicator u 3 112.
Adaptive brake light During full braking, all three brake
lights flash for the duration of ABS
control.
Fault9 Warning
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.
Have the cause of the fault remedied
by a workshop.
Parking brake
9 Warning
Before leaving the vehicle, check
parking brake status. Control
indicator R (manual parking
brake) or m (electrical parking
brake) must illuminate constantly.
Driving and operating213Manual parking brake9Warning
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
foot brake at the same time.
Control indicator R 3 111.
Electric parking brake
Applying when vehicle is stationary
9 Warning
Pull switch m for a minimum of
one second until control indicator
m illuminates constantly and
electric parking brake is applied
3 112. The electric parking brake
operates automatically with
adequate force.
Before leaving the vehicle, check
the electric parking brake status.
Control indicator m 3 112.
The electric parking brake can always
be activated, even if the ignition is off.
Do not operate electric parking brake
system too often with engine not
running, as this will discharge the
vehicle battery.
Releasing
Switch on ignition. Keep foot brake
pedal depressed and then push
switch m.
Drive away function
Vehicles with manual transmission:
Depressing the clutch pedal and then
slightly releasing the clutch pedal and slightly depressing the accelerator
pedal releases the electric parking
brake automatically. This is not
possible when the switch m is pulled
at the same time.