ContentsTires and wheels ................................ 233Important guidelines .................... 233
Life of tire ..................................... 234
Direction of rotation ..................... 234
Checking tire inflation pressure ... 234
Rotating wheels ............................ 235
Winter driving..................................... 236 Winter tires ................................... 236
Block heater (Canada only) .......... 237
Snow chains ................................. 237
Maintenance ...................................... 238 Clearing the service indicator....... 238
Service term exceeded ................. 238
Calling up the service indicator .... 239
Resetting the service indicator ..... 239
Vehicle care ....................................... 240 Cleaning and care of vehicle ........ 240
Practical hints .................................. 245
What to do if … .................................. 246 Lamps in instrument cluster ......... 246
Lamp in center console ................ 251
Messages in the display ............... 252
Where will I find ... ............................. 271 First aid kit ................................... 271
Spare wheel ................................. 271
Vehicle tool kit ............................. 272
Unlocking/locking in an emergency .. 274 Unlocking the vehicle ................... 274
Locking the vehicle ...................... 275
Changing batteries ....................... 276
Fuel filler flap ............................... 277
Manually unlocking the
transmission selector lever .......... 277
Opening/closing in an emergency ..... 278 Panorama sliding/pop-up roof ..... 278
Replacing bulbs ................................. 280 Bulbs ............................................ 280
Replacing bulbs for front lamps ... 282
Side marker lamp bulb ................. 285
Replacing bulbs for rear lamps ..... 285 Replacing wiper blades ...................... 287
Removing ..................................... 287
Installing ...................................... 287
Flat tire .............................................. 288 Preparing the vehicle ................... 288
Mounting the spare wheel ............ 288
Battery ............................................... 294 Disconnecting the battery ............ 295
Removing the batteries ................ 295
Charging and reinstalling
batteries ...................................... 295
Reconnecting the batteries .......... 295
Jump starting ..................................... 297
Towing the vehicle ............................. 299 Installing towing eye bolt ............. 302
Fuses ................................................. 303 Fuse box in passenger
compartment ............................... 303
Fuse box in engine compartment . 303
Auxiliary fuse box in trunk ............ 304
31
Getting started
Unlocking
Starter switch positionsStarter switch0
For removing key
The steering is locked when the key is
removed from the starter switch. If
necessary, move steering wheel slight-
ly to allow the locking mechanism to
engage.
1 Power supply to some electrical con-
sumers, such as seat adjustment
2 Ignition (power supply for all electrical
consumers) and driving position
3 Starting position
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch and lock
the vehicle. Do not leave children unattend-
ed in the vehicle, or with access to an un-
locked vehicle. Unsupervised use of vehicle
equipment may cause an accident and/or
serious personal injury.iVehicles with automatic transmission:
The SmartKey can only be removed
from the starter switch with the gear
selector lever in position P.
!If the key is left in the starter switch
position 0 for an extended period of
time, it can no longer be turned in the
starter switch.
Remove the key from the starter
switch and reinsert.
If the key can still not be turned, the
battery may not be sufficiently
charged.
Check the battery and charge it if
necessary (
page 294).
Get a jump start (
page 297).
To prevent accelerated battery dis-
charge and a possible dead battery, al-
ways remove the key from the starter
switch.
45
Getting started
Driving
Turn the key in the starter switch to
position
3. Release only when the en-
gine is firing regularly (
page 31).
More information can be found in the
“Controls in detail” section (page 130).
Automatic transmission*
Gearshift pattern for automatic
transmissionP Park position with selector lever lock
R Reverse gear
N Neutral
D Drive position
Make sure that the gear selector lever
is set to P.
Do not depress accelerator.
Starting
Turn the key in the starter switch to
position 3 and hold until the engine
starts (
page 31).
Depress the brake pedal.
The selector lever lock is released.
For information on turning off the engine
with the key see “Turning off the engine”
(
page 52) Starting difficulties
If the engine does not start as described,
carry out the following steps:
Turn key in starter to position
0 and re-
peat starting procedure.
Remember that extended starting at-
tempts can drain the battery
Get a jump start (
page 297).
If the engine does not start after several
starting attempts, there could be a mal-
function in the engine electronics or in the
fuel supply system.
Notify an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
iYou can also use the “touch-start”
function. Turn the key to position 3 and
release it again immediately. The en-
gine then starts automatically.
205
Controls in detail
Useful features
A voice connection between the Roadside
Assistance dispatcher and the occupants
of the vehicle will be established. When a
voice connection is established the audio
system mutes and the message
TELE AID
– ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE CALL ACTIVE
ap-
pears in the multifunction display.
Describe the nature of the need for as-
sistance.
The Mercedes-Benz Roadside assistance
dispatcher will either dispatch a qualified
Mercedes-Benz technician or arrange to
tow your vehicle to the nearest
Mercedes-Benz Center. For services such
as labor and/or towing, charges may ap-
ply. Refer to the Roadside Assistance man-
ual for more information. These programs are only available in the
USA:
Sign and Drive services: Services such
as jump start, a few gallons of fuel or
the replacement of a flat tire with the
vehicle spare tire are obtainable.
Remote Vehicle Diagnostics: This func-
tion permits the Mercedes-Benz Road-
side Assistance dispatcher to
download malfunction codes and actu-
al vehicle data.iThe indicator lamp in the Roadside As-
sistance button
•
remains illumi-
nated in red for approx. 10 seconds
during the system self-check after turn-
ing the key in the starter switch to
position 2 (together with the “SOS”
button and the Information
button
¡
).
See system self-check (
page 202)
when the indicator la mp does not light
up in red or stays on longer than ap-
proximately 10 seconds.
If the indicator lamp in the Roadside
Assistance button
•
is illuminated
continuously and there was no voice
connection to the Response Center es-
tablished, then the Tele Aid system
could not initiate a Roadside Assis-
tance call (e.g. the relevant cellular
phone network is not available). The
message
ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE –
CALL FAILED
appears in the multifunc-
tion display.
Roadside Assistance calls can be ter-
minated using the
ì
button on the
multifunction steering wheel.
245
Practical hints
What to do if …
Where will I find ...?
Unlocking/locking in an emergency
Opening/closing in an emergency Replacing bulbs
Replacing wiper blades
Flat tireBattery
Jump starting
Towing the vehicle
Fuses
255
Practical hints
What to do if …
Display
Possible cause
Suggested solution
#
BATTERY/ALTERNATOR
VISIT WORKSHOP!
The battery was charged with a battery
charger or jump started.
Have the battery checked at a ser-
vice station.
The battery is no longer charging.
Possible causes:
alternator malfunctioning
broken poly-V-belt
Stop immediately and check the
poly-V-belt.
If it is broken:
Do not continue to drive. Otherwise
the engine will overheat due to an in-
operative water pump which may re-
sult in damage to the engine. Notify
an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
If it is intact:
Drive immediately to the nearest au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
294 Practical hintsBattery
BatteryThe battery is located in the engine com-
partment on the right hand side.
Removal of filter box:
Release the three clamps1.
Remove filter box.
Installation of filter box:
Insert filter box properly.
Secure it with the three clamps 1.
Warning!
G
Failure to follow these instructions can re-
sult in severe injury or death.
Never lean over batteries while connecting,
you might get injured.
Battery fluid contains sulfuric acid. Do not
allow this fluid to come in contact with eyes,
skin or clothing. In case it does, immediately
flush affected area with water and seek
medical help if necessary.
A battery will also produce hydrogen gas,
which is flammable and explosive. Keep
flames or sparks away from battery, avoid
improper connection of jumper cables,
smoking etc.
!Never loosen or detach battery termi-
nal clamps while the engine is running
or the key is in the starter switch. Oth-
erwise the alternator and other elec-
tronic components could be severely
damaged.
Have the battery checked regularly by
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Refer to Service Booklet for mainte-
nance intervals or contact your autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center for further
information.Warning!
G
Do not place metal objects on the battery as
this could result in a short circuit.
Use leak-proof battery only to avoid the risk
of acid burns in the event of an accident.
297
Practical hints
Jump starting
Jump starting
If the battery is discharged, the engine can
be started with jumper cables and the bat-
tery of another vehicle. Observe the follow-
ing:
Jump starting should only be performed
when the engine and catalytic convert-
er are cold.
Do not start the engine if the battery is
frozen. Let the battery thaw out first.
Only jump start from batteries with the
same voltage rating (12V). Jump start-
ing with a more powerful battery could
damage the vehicle’s electrical system,
which will not be covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Use only jumper cables with sufficient
cross-section and insulated terminal
clamps.
Always make sure that the jumper ca-
bels are not on or near pulleys, fans or
other parts that move when an engine
is started or running.
Warning!
G
Failure to follow these directions will cause
damage to the electronic components, and
can lead to a battery explosion and severe
injury or death.
Never lean over batteries while connecting
or jump starting, you might get injured.
Battery fluid contains sulfuric acid. Do not
allow this fluid to come in contact with eyes,
skin or clothing. In case it does, immediately
flush affected area with water, and seek
medical help if necessary.
A battery will also produce hydrogen gas,
which is flammable and very explosive. Keep
flames or sparks away from battery, avoid
improper connection of jumper cables,
smoking etc.
Read all instructions before proceeding.
!Jump starting may only be performed
on the battery installed in the engine
compartment.
Avoid repeated and lengthy starting at-
tempts.
Do not attempt to start the engine us-
ing a battery quick charge unit.
If engine does not run after several un-
successful starting attempts, have it
checked at the nearest authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Excessive unburned fuel generated by
repeated failed starting attempts may
damage the catalytic converter and
may present a fire risk.
Make sure the jumper cables do not
have loose or missing insulation.
Make sure the cable clamps do not
touch any other metal part while the
other end is still attached to a battery.