Driving
●
Once you hav
e engaged a gear
, gently
pr
ess the accelerator and pull on the elec-
tronic parking brake button.
Back-up programme
If all the positions of the lever are shown over
a light background on the instrument panel
display, there is a system fault and the auto-
matic gearbox will operate in with the backup
programme. It is still possible to drive the ve-
hicle, however, at low speeds and within a se-
lected range of gears. Driving in reverse
gear may not be possible.
Kick-down
The kick-down system provides maximum ac-
celeration when the gear selector lever is in
the positions D, S or in the Tiptronic mode.
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
›››
.
The upshift t
o the ne
xt higher gear is del
ayed
until the engine reaches maximum rpm.
WARNING
Observe the safety warnings
›››
in Selec-
tor le
ver positions on page 208.
●
Never allow the brake to rub and do not
use the brake pedal too often or for long
periods, as the brakes can overheat. This
reduces the braking po
wer, increases the
braking distance or even causes a brake
system fault.
●
If you have to stop on a hill, keep the vehi-
cle’s brakes applied with the brake pedal or
parking brake.
WARNING
Please note that if the road surface is slip-
pery or w
et, the kick-do
wn feature could
cause the driving wheels to spin, which
could result in skidding.
CAUTION
●
If you stop the vehicl
e on a gradient, do
not attempt to stop it from rolling by de-
pressing the accelerator when a gear has
been selected. This could cause overheat-
ing and damage the automatic gearbox.
●
If you allow the vehicle to roll with the
lever in position N and the engine off, the
automatic gearbox will be damaged by
lack of lubrication.
●
In certain driving situations or traffic con-
ditions, the gears could overheat and be
damaged! If the warning lamp lights up,
stop the vehicle as soon as you can and
wait for the gearbox to cool
›››
page 212.
●
If the gearbox operates with the backup
programme, take the vehicle to a special-
ised workshop and have the fault repaired
without delay.
Launch-control program
3 Value for vehicles: diesel with power of more
than 125 kW, and petr
ol of more than 140 kW.
The Launch-control programme enables
maximum acceleration from a standstill.
Condition: the engine must have reached op-
erating temperature and the steering wheel
must not be turned.
The engine speed for Launch-control is differ-
ent on petrol and diesel engines.
To use the Launch-control you must discon-
nect the traction control (TCS) or activate the
ESC Sport mode, using the Infotainment sys-
tem menu: press the function button >
Driver assistance > ESC menu. The warning
lamp will stay switched on or will flash
slowly depending on whether or not the vehi-
cle has a driver information system*.
On vehicles with the driver information sys-
tem, the ESC lamp lights up permanently and
the corresponding text message Stability
control deactivated (temporary) appears
on the instrument panel to indicate the deac-
tivation status.
210
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