- Fig. 1 Detail of the centre console: Selector lever with interlock button
Applies to vehicles: with S tronic gearbox
The gearbox changes the forward gears up and down automatically.
Driving away from a standstill
Press and hold the brake pedal.
Press and hold the interlock button (the button in the selector lever handle), move the selector lever to the desired position, for instance D Link, and release the interlock button.
Wait for the gearbox to engage the gear (a slight movement can be felt).
Release the brake and press the accelerator WARNING!.
Stopping briefly
Apply the foot brake to hold the vehicle when stationary (for instance at traffic lights).
Do not press the accelerator while waiting.
Parking the car
Press and hold the brake pedal WARNING!.
Apply the handbrake firmly.
Press and hold the interlock button and move the selector lever to P.
Stopping on a slope
Driving away on a slope (vehicles without hill hold assist*)
Apply the handbrake firmly.
Once you have engaged a gear press the accelerator carefully and disengage the handbrake.
Driving away on a slope (vehicles with hill hold assist*)
Once you have engaged a gear, release the footbrake and press the accelerator Link.
Driving down hills: In some situations (such as when driving on mountain roads or when towing a trailer) it can be advantageous to switch temporarily to the manual shift programme so that the gear ratios can be selected manually to suit the driving conditions WARNING!.
When parking on level ground it is sufficient to move the selector lever to P. On a gradient, however, the handbrake should be applied firmly before moving the selector lever to P. This reduces the load on the locking mechanism and makes it easier to move the selector lever out of position P.
- The driver should never get out of the vehicle when the engine is running and a gear is engaged. If you have to leave your vehicle while the engine is running, you must apply the parking brake and engage the parking lock P.
- If the engine is running and a gear is engaged (D, S or R) or the vehicle is in "tiptronic" mode, you will need to hold the car with the footbrake. Otherwise, the car will "creep" forwards as the power transmission is not fully interrupted even when the engine is idling.
- Do not press the accelerator while selecting a gear with the vehicle stationary and the engine running, as this could cause an accident.
- Never move the selector lever to R or P when driving, as this could cause an accident.
- Before you drive down a steep gradient, reduce the speed and use "tiptronic" to select a low gear.
- Never allow the brake to drag and do not use the brake pedal too often or for long periods. Constant braking will cause the brakes to overheat and will considerably reduce the effectiveness of the brakes. It will increase the braking distance and could cause the brake system to fail.
- To avoid rolling back on gradients always hold the vehicle with the footbrake or handbrake if you have to stop.
- Never attempt to hold the vehicle with the clutch when stopping on a gradient. The clutch is disengaged automatically if it is overloaded and becomes too hot - accident risk! Before the clutch is disengaged, the vehicle will jolt and the selector lever display (in the instrument cluster) will start to flash to warn you that the clutch is overloaded.
- When you have stopped on a gradient, do not try to stop the vehicle rolling back by accelerating when a gear is engaged. This could cause the automatic gearbox to overheat and become damaged. Apply the handbrake firmly or press the brake pedal in order to prevent the vehicle from rolling back.
- If you allow the car to roll with the selector lever in position N with the engine switched off, the automatic gearbox will be damaged as it will not be lubricated.