67
Driving
6Driving recommendations
► Observe the driving regulations and remain
vigilant whatever the traffic conditions.
►
Monitor your environment and keep your
hands on the wheel to be able to react to
anything that may happen any time.
►
Drive smoothly
, anticipate the need for
braking and maintain a longer safety distance,
especially in bad weather.
►
Stop the vehicle to carry out operations that
require close attention (such as adjustments).
►
During long trips, take a break every two
hours.
Important!
Never leave the engine running in a
closed space without sufficient
ventilation. Internal combustion engines emit
toxic exhaust gases such as carbon
monoxide. Danger of poisoning and death!
In severe wintry conditions (temperature
below -23°C), let the engine run for 4
minutes before moving off, to ensure the
correct operation and durability of the
mechanical components of your vehicle
(engine and gearbox).
Never drive with the parking brake
applied . Risk of overheating and
damage to the braking system!
Do not park the vehicle or leave the
engine running on a flammable
surface (dry grass, dead leaves, etc.). The
exhaust system of your vehicle is very hot,
even several minutes after the engine stops.
Risk of fire!
Never leave a vehicle unattended with
the engine running. If you have to leave
your vehicle with the engine running, apply
the parking brake and put the gearbox into
neutral or position N or P (depending on the
type of gearbox).
Never leave children inside the vehicle
unsupervised.
On flooded roads
We strongly advise against driving on flooded
roads, as this could cause serious damage to
the engine or gearbox, as well as to the electrical
systems of your vehicle.
If you are obliged to drive on a flooded road:
► check that the depth of water does not
exceed 15 cm, taking account of waves that
might be generated by other users,
►
deactivate the Stop & Start function,
►
drive as slowly as possible without stalling. In
all cases, do not exceed 6 mph (10
km/h),
►
do not stop and do not switch off the engine.
On leaving the flooded road, as soon as safety
conditions allow
, make several light brake
applications to dry the brake discs and pads.
If in doubt about the state of your vehicle,
contact a CITROËN dealer or a qualified
workshop.
In case of towing
Driving with a trailer places greater
demands on the towing vehicle and
requires extra care from the driver.
Respect the maximum towable weights.
At altitude: reduce the maximum load by
10% per 1,000 metres of altitude; the density
of the air decreases with altitude and the
performance of the engine reduces.
New vehicle: do not pull a trailer before
having driven at least 620 miles (1,000
kilometres).
If the outside temperature is high, let the
engine idle for 1 to 2 minutes after the
vehicle comes to a stop, to help it to cool.
68
Driving
automatically to preserve the remaining battery
charge.
Starting the engine
With the parking brake applied:
► With a manual gearbox, place the gear lever
in neutral then fully depress the clutch pedal.
► With an automatic gearbox, place the gear
selector in mode N or P then fully depress the
brake pedal.
► Insert the key into the ignition switch; the
system recognises the code.
► Unlock the steering column by simultaneously
turning the steering wheel and the key.
In certain cases, you may have to apply
significant force to move the steering
wheel (wheels on full lock, for example).
► With a petrol engine , operate the starter
motor by turning the key to position 3 without
pressing the accelerator pedal, until the engine
starts. Once the engine starts, release the key.
With petrol engines , after a cold start,
preheating the catalytic converter can
cause noticeable engine vibrations for
anything up to 2 minutes while stationary with
the engine running (accelerated idle speed).
► With a Diesel engine, turn the key to position
2, ignition on, to operate the engine preheating
system.
Before setting off
Nose weight
► Distribute the load in the trailer so that the
heaviest items are as close as possible to the
axle and the nose weight (at the point where it
joins your vehicle) approaches the maximum
permitted without exceeding it.
Tyres
► Check the tyre pressures of the towing
vehicle and of the trailer , observing the
recommended pressures.
Lighting
► Check the electrical signalling on the trailer
and the headlamp beam height of your vehicle.
If a genuine CITROËN towing device is
used, the rear parking sensors will be
deactivated automatically to avoid the audible
signal.
When driving
Cooling
Towing a trailer uphill increases the temperature
of the coolant. The maximum towable load
depends on the gradient and the exterior
temperature. The cooling capacity of the fan
does not increase with engine speed.
►
Reduce speed and lower the engine speed,
so as to limit the heating-up. In all cases, pay attention to the coolant
temperature.
If this warning lamp and the
STOP
warning lamp come on, stop the vehicle
and switch off the engine as soon as possible.
Brakes
Braking distances are increased when towing a
trailer. To avoid overheating of the brakes, the
use of engine braking is recommended.
Side wind
Bear in mind the increased susceptibility to the
wind that the vehicle will have.
Anti-theft protection
Electronic immobiliser
The key contains an electronic chip which has a
special code. When the ignition is switched on,
this code must be recognised in order for starting
to be possible.
This electronic engine immobiliser locks the
engine management system a moment after
the ignition is switched off, and prevents
unauthorised engine starting.
In the event of a fault, you are informed
by illumination of this warning lamp, an
audible signal and a message in the screen.
In this case, your vehicle will not start; contact
a CITROËN dealer or a qualified workshop as
soon as possible.
Starting / Switching off the
engine with the key
Key ignition switch
It has 3 positions:
– 1. Stop: inserting and removing the key ,
steering column locked.
–
2. Ignition : steering column unlocked, ignition
on, Diesel preheating, engine running.
–
3. Starting
.
Avoid attaching heavy objects to the key or the remote control. It would weigh
down on its shaft in the ignition switch and
could cause a malfunction.
Ignition on position
It allows the use of the vehicle's electric
equipment or portable devices to be charged.
Once the state of charge of the battery drops to
the reserve level, the system switches to energy
economy mode : the power supply is cut off