Driving and operating243warning 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 D/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
Laden mode kg
244Driving and operatingIt 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.
Interruption of power supply The 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
3 304.
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
3 306.
Towing the vehicle 3 306.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 3 100.
Antilock brake system Antilock brake system (ABS)
prevents the wheels from locking.
Driving and operating245ABS 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 3 100.
Fault
If control indicators u and j
illuminate with a message in the
Driver Information Centre, there is a fault in the ABS. The brake system
remains operational but without ABS
regulation.9 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.
If control indicators u, j , R and
C illuminate, the ABS and ESC are
deactivated and a message is shown
in the Driver Information Centre.
Have the cause of the fault remedied
by a workshop.
Parking brake
9 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 j 3 100.
Parking 3 231.
246Driving and operatingRetractable 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, press the release button and pull the lever
up slightly, then return the lever to the
horizontal position.
To apply the parking brake, pull the
lever up then release it. The lever
returns to the horizontal position.
Brake assist
If the brake pedal is depressed
quickly and forcefully, maximum
brake force is automatically applied
(full braking).
Maintain steady pressure on the
brake pedal for as long as full braking is required. Maximum brake force is
automatically reduced when the
brake pedal is released.
Brake assist is not available during an
Autostop.
Stop-start system 3 228.
Hill start assist
The system helps prevent unintended movement when driving away on
inclines, depending on the steepness.
When releasing the brake pedal after
stopping on an incline (with the
selector lever in a forward gear or
reverse gear), the brakes remain on
for a further 2 seconds. The brakes
release automatically as soon as the
vehicle begins to accelerate.Caution
The hill start assist cannot
completely prevent vehicle
movement in all situations
(extremely steep gradients, etc.).
If necessary, depress the brake
pedal to prevent the vehicle from
rolling backwards.
The hill start assist is not active during
an Autostop.
Stop-start system 3 228.
Driving and operating247Ride control systems
Traction Control system The traction control system is a
component part of the Electronic
Stability Control (ESC) which
improves driving stability when
necessary, regardless of the type of
road surface or tyre grip, by
preventing the drive wheels from
spinning.
As soon as the drive wheels start to
spin, engine output is reduced and
the wheel spinning the most is braked
individually. This considerably
improves the driving stability of the
vehicle on slippery road surfaces.
Traction control system is operational
as soon as the ignition is switched on and control indicator b extinguishes
in the instrument cluster.
When traction control system is active b flashes.9 Warning
Do not let this special safety
feature tempt you into taking risks
when driving.
Adapt speed to the road
conditions.
Control indicator b 3 101.
Trailer stability assist 3 266.
Enhanced traction function
If necessary, in the event of soft
ground, mud or snow-covered road
surfaces, the traction control system
can be deactivated to enhance
traction:
Press Ø.
A message appears in the Driver
Information Centre.
When vehicle speed reaches
50 km/h, the system switches
automatically to standard traction control system operation. A message
appears in the Driver Information
Centre.
Traction control system is reactivated by pressing Ø again.
A message appears in the Driver
Information Centre.
Fault
If the system detects a fault, control
indicator b 3 101 illuminates together
with j 3 99 in the instrument cluster
and a corresponding message
appears in the Driver Information
Centre.
248Driving and operatingThe traction control system is not
operational. Have the cause of the
fault remedied by a workshop.
Vehicle messages 3 106.
Driver Information Centre 3 105.
Electronic Stability Control
The Electronic Stability Control (ESC) improves driving stability when
necessary, regardless of the type of
road surface or tyre grip. It also
prevents the drive wheels from
spinning.
As soon as the vehicle starts to
swerve (understeer / oversteer),
engine output is reduced and the wheels are braked individually. This
considerably improves the driving
stability of the vehicle on slippery road
surfaces.
ESC is operational as soon as the
ignition is switched on and control indicator b extinguishes in the
instrument cluster.
When ESC comes into action b
flashes.9 Warning
Do not let this special safety
feature tempt you into taking risks
when driving.
Adapt speed to the road
conditions.
Control indicator b 3 101.
Trailer stability assist 3 266.
Enhanced traction function
If necessary, in the event of soft
ground, mud or snow-covered road
surfaces, ESC can be deactivated to
enhance traction:
Press Ø.
A message appears in the Driver
Information Centre.
When vehicle speed reaches
50 km/h, the system switches
automatically to standard ESC
operation. A message appears in the
Driver Information Centre.
ESC is reactivated by pressing Ø
again.
ESC is also reactivated the next time
the ignition is switched on.
Engine drag torque control The engine drag torque control
system is an integral feature of ESC. When downshifting under slippery
road conditions, the engine speed
and torque increases to help prevent
locking of the drive wheels during
sudden deceleration.
Side wind assist The side wind assist is an integralfeature of ESC and maintaines the
vehicle's path. When the system
comes into action " appears in the
Driver Information Centre.
250Driving and operatingFor safety reasons the cruise control
cannot be activated until the brake
pedal has been operated once.
Do not use the cruise control if it is not advisable to maintain a constant
speed.
With manual transmission
automated, only activate cruise
control in automatic mode.
Control indicators m and U 3 103.
Switching on the system
Press m, control indicator U
illuminates green in the instrument
cluster.
Cruise control is now in standby mode
and a corresponding message
appears in the Driver Information
Centre.
Accelerate to the desired speed and
press < or ]. The current speed is
now stored and maintained and the
accelerator pedal can be released.
Control indicator m illuminates green
in the instrument cluster together with
U and a corresponding message
appears in the Driver Information
Centre.
Vehicle speed can be increased by
depressing the accelerator pedal.
The stored speed flashes in the
instrument cluster. When the
accelerator pedal is released, the
previously stored speed is resumed.
Cruise control remains activated
while gearshifting.
The speed is saved until the ignition
is switched off.
Driving and operating251Increase speedWith cruise control active, the vehicle
speed can be increased continuously or in small increments by holding
down or tapping < repeatedly.
When the switch is released the
current speed is stored and
maintained.
Alternatively, accelerate to the
desired speed and store by pressing
< .
Reduce speed With cruise control active, the vehicle
speed can be decreased
continuously or in small increments
by holding down or tapping ]
repeatedly.
When the switch is released the
current speed is stored and
maintained.Deactivation of the functionality
Press $: cruise control is deactivated
and the green control indicator m
extinguishes in the instrument cluster.
Automatic deactivation: ● vehicle speed drops below 30 km/h
● the brake pedal is depressed
● the clutch pedal is depressed
● selector lever in N
The speed is stored and a
corresponding message appears in
the Driver Information Centre.
Activation of the functionality
Press R at a speed above 30 km/h.
If the stored speed is much higher
than the current speed, the vehicle
will accelerate powerfully until the
stored speed is obtained.
Pressing < will also reactivate the
cruise control function, but at the
current vehicle speed only, not the stored speed.
Switching off the system
Press m, green control indicators U
and m extinguish in the instrument
cluster.
Speed limiter
The speed limiter prevents the
vehicle exceeding a preset maximum
speed above 30 km/h.