Page 72 of 385

69 Restraint systems
Te ch n i c a l
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care IndexYour vehicle was originally equipped with airbags
which are designed to activate in certain impacts
exceeding a preset threshold to reduce the potential
and severity of injury. It is important to your safety
and that of your passenger that you replace deployed
airbags and repair any malfunctioning airbags to
ensure the vehicle will continue to provide crash
protection for occupants.
Wa r n i n g !
Airbags are designed to reduce the potential of
injury in certain frontal (front airbags) impacts,
which may cause significant injuries, however, no
system available today can totally eliminate
injuries and fatalities.The activation of the “SRS” temporarily releases a
small amount of dust from the airbags. This dust,
however, is neither injurious to your health, nor
does it indicate a fire in the vehicle. The dust might
cause some temporary breathing difficulty for
people with asthma or other breathing trouble. To
avoid this, you may wish to get out of the vehicle as
soon as it is safe to do so. If you have any breathing
difficulty but cannot get out of the vehicle after the
airbag inflates, then get fresh air by opening a
window or door.The service life of the front passenger airbag
extends to the date indicated on the label located
on the driver side B pillar. To provide continued
reliability after that date, they should be inspected
by an authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center at that time and replaced when necessary.
Wa r n i n g !
To reduce the risk of injury when the front airbags
inflate, it is very important for the driver and front
passenger to always be in a properly seated
position and to wear their seat belts.For maximum protection in the event of a collision
always be in normal seated position with your back
against the backrest. Fasten your seat belt and
ensure that it is properly positioned on your body.Since the airbag inflates with considerable speed
and force, a proper seating and hands on steering
wheel position will help to keep you at a safe
distance from the airbag. Occupants who are
unbelted, out of position or too close to the airbag
can be seriously injured by an airbag as it inflates
with great force in the blink of an eye.
J_G463.book Seite 69 Mittwoch, 19. September 2001 8:06 08
Page 73 of 385

70 Restraint systems
Te ch n i c a l
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index
• Sit properly belted in an upright position with
your back against the backrest.• Adjust the driver’s seat as far as possible
rearward, still permitting proper operation of
vehicle controls. The distance from the center
of the driver’s breastbone to the center of the
airbag cover on the steering wheel must be at
least ten inches (25 cm) or more. You should be
able to accomplish this by a combination of
adjustments to the seat and steering wheel. If
you have any problems, please see your
authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.• Do not lean with your head or chest close to the
steering wheel or dashboard.• Keep hands on the outside of steering wheel
rim. Placing hands and arms inside the rim
can increase the risk and potential severity of
hand / arm injury when the driver front airbag
inflates.• Adjust the front passenger seat as far as
possible rearward from the dashboard when
the seat is occupied.
• Always sit upright, properly use the seat belts
and appropriate size infant or child restraint
system.• Children 12 years old and under must never
ride in the front seat, except in a
Mercedes-Benz authorized BabySmart
TM
compatible child seat, which operates with the
BabySmart
TM system installed in the vehicle to
deactivate the passenger side front airbag
when it is properly installed. Otherwise they
will be struck by the airbag when it inflates in
a crash. If this happens, serious or fatal injury
can result.
• Accident research shows that the safest place
for children in an automobile is in the rear
seat. Should you choose to place a child 12
years old or under in the front passenger seat
of your vehicle, you must properly use a
BabySmart
TM chi ld restrai nt whi ch w il l turn of f
the passenger side front airbag.
Failure to follow these instructions can result in
severe or fatal injuries to you or other occupants.
J_G463.book Seite 70 Mittwoch, 19. September 2001 8:06 08
Page 74 of 385

71 Restraint systems
Te ch n i c a l
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index Safety guidelines for the seat belt, emergency
tensioning retractor and airbag
Wa r n i n g !
• Damaged seat belts or belts that were highly
stressed in an accident must be replaced and
their anchoring points must also be checked.
Use only belts installed or supplied by an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.• Airbags and “ETR’s” are designed to function
on a one-time-only basis. An airbag or
emergency tensioning retractor (ETR) that was
activated must be replaced.• Do not pass belts over sharp edges.• Do not make any modification that could
change the effectiveness of the belts.• Do not use handles above doors for placing
such items as coat hangers etc.
• No modifications of any kind may be made to
any components or wiring of the “SRS”. This
includes changing or removing any component
or part of the “SRS”, the installation of
additional trim material, badges etc. over the
steering wheel hub, front passenger airbag
cover, door trim panels, or door frame trims,
and installation of additional electrical /
electronic equipment on or near “SRS”
components and wiring. Keep area between
airbags and occupants free from objects (e.g.
packages, purses, umbrellas, etc.).•An airbag system component within the
steering wheel gets hot after the airbag has
inflated. Do not touch.• Improper work on the system, including
incorrect installation and removal, can lead to
possible injury through an unintended
activation of the “SRS”.• In addition, through improper work there is a
risk of rendering the “SRS” inoperative or
causing unintended airbag deployment. Work
on the “SRS” must therefore only be performed
by an authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center.
J_G463.book Seite 71 Mittwoch, 19. September 2001 8:06 08
Page 81 of 385

78 Steering wheel adjustment
Te ch n i c a l
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index
Steering wheel adjustment
To operate the steering wheel adjustment switches, turn
the electronic key in starter switch to position 1 or 2
(with a front door opened, the steering wheel
adjustment can also be operated with the electronic key
removed or in starter switch position 0 for
approximately 30 minutes).The switch is located on the driver’s door.
1Steering column, lengthen or shorten column
Move the switch to the front or rear.
2Steering column, height
Move the switch up or down.
Note:
The steering wheel adjustment can be stored together
with the seat and exterior rear view mirror adjustment.
See page 48 for notes on the memory function.
Wa r n i n g !
Do not adjust the steering wheel while driving.
Adjusting the steering wheel while driving could
cause the driver to lose the control of the vehicle.When leaving the vehicle always remove the
electroni c key f rom t he sta rter s wi tch a nd lock your
vehicle.The steering wheel adjustment feature can also be
operated with the driver’s door open. Do not leave
children unattended in the vehicle, or with access
to a n un locked vehi cle. Un supervi sed use of vehicl e
equipment may cause serious personal injury.
1
2
2562
J_G463.book Seite 78 Mittwoch, 19. September 2001 8:06 08
Page 84 of 385
81 Rear view mirrors
Te ch n i c a l
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index Notes:
The exterior rear view mirrors have electrically heated
glass. The heater switches on automatically, depending
on outside temperature.
If an exterior mirror housing is forcibly pivoted from its
normal position, it must be repositioned by applying
firm pressure until it snaps into place.
Before running the vehicle through an automatic car
wash, fold the mirrors in, otherwise they might get
damaged.Storing mirror positions in memory
The exterior rear view mirror positions are stored in
memory with the seat / steering wheel adjustment and
can be recalled when necessary. See page 48 for notes
on the memory function.
J_G463.book Seite 81 Mittwoch, 19. September 2001 8:06 08
Page 91 of 385
88 Instrument cluster
Te ch n i c a l
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index
Tachometer (2)
The red marking on the tachometer denotes excessive
engine speed.
Avoid this engine speed, as it may result in serious
engine damage that is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
To help protect the engine, the fuel supply is interrupted
if the engine is operated within the red marking.Trip odometer (8)
To reset to “0” miles / km:
Activate the instrument cluster if it is not already
activated, see page 87.
Press button è or ÿ on the multifunction
steering wheel repeatedly until the trip odometer
appears if it is not displayed. See page 94.
Press and hold button (1) on the instrument cluster, see
page 84.
J_G463.book Seite 88 Mittwoch, 19. September 2001 8:06 08
Page 93 of 385
90 Multifunction steering wheel, multifunction display
Te ch n i c a l
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index
Multifunction steering wheel, multifunction display
P54.30-4452-29
J_G463.book Seite 90 Mittwoch, 19. September 2001 8:06 08
Page 94 of 385

91 Multifunction steering wheel, multifunction display
Te ch n i c a l
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index Depending on your vehicle’s equipment, you may use
the buttons on the multifunction steering wheel to call
up, control and set the following systems in the
multifunction display:
1Trip odometer and main odometer, see page 88 and
page 94
Flexible service system (FSS), see page 124
Vehicle speed, see page 94
Coolant temperature gauge, see page 123
Engine oil level indicator, see page 127
2Audio systems, see page 96
Radio, see page 96
CD player, see page 973Navigation system, see page 103
4Malfunction message memory, see page 106
5Individual settings, see page 108
6Trip computer, seepage104
After start
After reset
Fuel tank content
7Telephone, see page 98
Press the è or ÿ button repeatedly until the
required system is displayed.
The display advances by one system each time the
button is pressed.
You may call up add ition al d is plays wit hin som e of t hes e
categories by pressing the j or k button.
J_G463.book Seite 91 Mittwoch, 19. September 2001 8:06 08