Driving and operating223Driving and
operatingDriving hints ............................... 224
Driving economically ...............224
Control of the vehicle ...............224
Steering ................................... 224
Starting and operating ...............225
New vehicle running-in ............225
Ignition switch positions ...........225
Starting the engine ..................226
Idle speed control ....................227
Overrun cut-off ........................ 227
Stop-start system ....................227
Parking .................................... 230
Air suspension ......................... 230
Engine exhaust .......................... 232
Diesel particle filter ..................232
Catalytic converter ...................233
AdBlue ..................................... 233
Manual transmission ..................240
Manual transmission automa‐ ted .............................................. 240
Transmission display ...............240
Starting the engine ..................241
Selector lever .......................... 241Manual mode........................... 242
Electronic driving programmes 242
Fault ........................................ 243
Interruption of power supply ....243
Brakes ........................................ 243
Antilock brake system .............243
Parking brake .......................... 244
Brake assist ............................. 245
Hill start assist ......................... 245
Ride control systems .................246
Traction Control system ..........246
Electronic Stability Control ......247
Limited-slip rear axle ...............248
Driver assistance systems .........248
Cruise control .......................... 248
Speed limiter ........................... 250
Active emergency braking .......252
Parking assist .......................... 254
Side blind spot alert .................256
Rear view camera ...................258
Lane departure warning ..........260
Fuel ............................................ 261
Fuel for diesel engines ............261
Refuelling ................................ 262
Trailer hitch ................................ 264
General information .................264
Driving characteristics and towing tips .............................. 264
Trailer towing ........................... 264Towing equipment ...................265
Trailer stability assist ...............265
Auxiliary features .......................265
Power take-off ......................... 265
Driving and operating229● the vehicle battery is sufficientlycharged and in good condition
● the engine is warmed up
● the engine coolant temperature is
not too high
● the ambient temperature is not too low
● the altitude is not too high
● the slope is not too steep
● the defrosting function is not activated
● the parking assist is not in operation
● the climate control system does not inhibit an Autostop
● the rear air conditioning system is
not activated
● the brake vacuum is sufficient ● the self-cleaning function of the diesel particle filter is not active
3 232
● the vehicle has moved since the last Autostop
Otherwise an Autostop will be
inhibited.An Autostop may become
unavailable as the ambient
temperature approaches freezing
point.
Certain settings of the climate control
system may also inhibit an Autostop.
See "Climate control" chapter for
further information 3 207.
Immediately after motorway driving
an Autostop may be inhibited.
New vehicle running-in 3 225.
Vehicle battery discharge protection
To ensure reliable engine restarts, several vehicle battery discharge
protection features are implemented
as part of the stop-start system.
Restart of the engine by the driverManual transmission
With the selector lever in neutral,
depress the clutch pedal to restart the
engine.
Notice
If any gear is selected, the clutch
pedal must be fully depressed to
restart the engine.If the engine does not restart first
time, depress clutch pedal fully again.Manual transmission automated
With the selector lever in position D,
M or N and the parking brake
released, release the brake pedal to
restart the engine.
Engaging reverse gear or depressing the accelerator pedal may also restart
the engine.
The control indicator Ï will extinguish
in the instrument cluster when the
engine is restarted. If certain
conditions are not fulfilled, a restart will not take place. Start using the
ignition key.
Starting the engine 3 226.
Bus
The engine is restarted automatically
when operating the power sliding
door switch on the instrument panel
during an Autostop.
Sliding door 3 29.
230Driving and operatingRestart of the engine by the stop-
start system
If one of the conditions for an
Autostop is not fulfilled anymore or
the vehicle starts to move, the engine
may be restarted automatically by the
stop-start system.
An automatic engine restart may not
be possible if a door or the bonnet is
open.
If an electrical accessory, e.g. a
portable CD player, is connected to
the power outlet, a brief power drop
during restart might be noticeable.
If the Infotainment system is active,
audio sound may briefly be reduced
or interrupted during the restart.
Fault
If the LED illuminates in deactivation
button ) without first being pressed
to deactivate the system, there is a
fault in the stop-start system and it is
deactivated. A corresponding
message also appears in the Driver Information Centre 3 104.
Seek the assistance of a workshop.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 parking brake without pressing 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.
● Switch off the engine.
● If the vehicle is on a level surface or uphill slope, engage
first gear. On an uphill slope,
turn the front wheels away from
the kerb.
If the vehicle is on a downhill
slope, engage reverse gear.
Turn the front wheels towards the kerb.
● Close the windows.
● Turn the ignition key to position
0 and remove it. Turn the
steering wheel until the
steering wheel lock is felt to
engage.
Lock the vehicle 3 23 and activate the
anti-theft locking system 3 34 and
anti-theft alarm system 3 35.
Air suspension
Operates automatically when the
vehicle is driven. The air suspension
system constantly adjusts the ride
height according to the vehicle load.
Caution
To ensure safe operation of the air
suspension system, do not exceed the maximum permissible gross
vehicle weight rating. Refer to
identification plate 3 314 or the
vehicle documents.
Driving and operating241Starting the engine
Depress the brake pedal when
starting the engine. If the brake pedal
is not depressed, T illuminates in the
transmission display and the engine
cannot be started.
When the brake pedal is depressed,
the transmission automatically shifts
to N (neutral). "N" appears in the
transmission display and the engine
can be started. There may be a slight delay.
Selector leverAlways move the selector lever in the
appropriate direction as far as it will
go. Upon release, it automatically
returns to the centre position.N:neutralD/M:switch between automatic and manual mode
The transmission display
shows "D" when in automatic
mode.R:reverse gear
Engage only when vehicle is
stationary. The transmission
display shows "R" when
reverse gear is engaged.+:shift to a higher gear.-:shift to a lower gear.
Starting off
When the engine is started, the
transmission is in automatic mode.
Depress the brake pedal and move
the selector lever towards + to
engage first gear.
If R is selected, reverse gear is
engaged. The vehicle starts to move
when the brake pedal is released. To
start off quickly, release the brake
pedal and accelerate immediately
after engaging a gear.
In automatic mode the transmission
shifts to other gears automatically,
dependent on driving conditions.
To engage manual mode, move the
selector lever towards D/M. The
current gear will appear in the
transmission display.
To engage first gear, depress brake
pedal and move selector lever
towards + or -. Shift to a higher or
lower gear by moving selector lever to + or -. Gears can be skipped by
moving the selector lever repeatedly
at short intervals.
Stopping the vehicle In automatic or manual mode,
first gear is engaged and the clutch is
released when the vehicle is stopped.
In R, reverse gear remains engaged.
When stopping on gradients, engage parking brake or depress the brake
pedal. To prevent overheating of the
clutch, an intermittent audible
242Driving and operatingwarning 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 mostrecently 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 operatingABS starts to regulate brake pressureas 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 99.
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 99.
Parking 3 230.
Driving and operating245Retractable 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 3 227.
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 3 227.
Driving and operating253Just before the imminent collision, the
system brakes automatically to
reduce the impact speed of the
collision or prohibit a crash.9 Warning
Do not rely on the system to brake
the vehicle. Active emergency
braking will not brake outside of its
operating speed range and only
responds to detected vehicles.
Deactivation and re-activation
Active emergency braking can be
deactivated with the vehicle
stationary and the ignition switched
on:Toggle through the Driver Information
Centre with the buttons on the right
lever until message Active braking
appears.
To deactivate the system, press and
hold one of the two buttons for
approx. 3 seconds. l illuminates in
the instrument cluster until system is
re-activated again.
To re-activate the system, press and hold one of the two buttons for
approx. 3 seconds. l disappears.
We recommend to deactivate the
system in the vehicle personalisation
in the following cases:
● when the vehicle is being towed
● before using an automatic car wash with ignition switched on
● if the windscreen has been damaged close to the camera
● if the front bumper has been damaged
Conditions for re-activation
The Active emergency brake system
can only be re-activated if:
● the gear lever is not in neutral
● parking brake is not activated
● vehicle is not cornering
System limitations In some cases, the active emergency
braking system may provide an
automatic braking in situations that
seem to be unnecessary, for instance in parking garages, due to traffic signs
in a curve or due to vehicles in
another lane. This is normal
operation, the vehicle does not need
service. Firmly apply the accelerator