157 Controls in detail
Climate control
Air conditioning
The air conditioning is operational while
the engine is running and cools the interior
air to the temperature set by the operator.
Deactivating
It is possible to deactivate the air condi-
tioning (cooling) function of the climate
control system. The air in the vehicle will
then no longer be cooled or dehumidified.
Press button
°
(page 151).
The indicator lamp on the button
°
lights up.Activating
Moist air can fog up the windows. You can
dehumidify the air with the air conditioner.
Press button
°
again (
page 151).
The indicator lamp on the button
°
goes out.
The air conditioner uses the refrigerant
R134a. This refrigerant is free of CFCs
which are harmful to the ozone layer.Rear passenger compartment adjust-
able air vents
1Air volume control for center air vents
2Left center air vent, adjustable
3Right center air vent, adjustable
iCondensation may drip out from under-
neath the vehicle. This is normal and
not an indication of a malfunction.
!If the
°
button on the climate con-
trol panel starts to blink, this indicates
that the air conditioner is losing refrig-
erant. The compressor has turned itself
off. The air conditioner cannot be
turned on again.
Have the air conditioner checked at
the nearest authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
158 Controls in detailPower windows
Power windowsOpening and closing the windows
The side windows can be opened and
closed electrically. The switches for all the
side windows are on the driver’s door. The
switches for the respective windows are
on the front passenger and the rear doors.
1Switch for rear door window override
(
page 69)
2Left front window
3Right front window
4Right rear window
5Left rear window
Turn key in the starter switch to
position1 or2.
Opening the windows
Press switch to resistance point.
The window will move downwards until
you release the switch.
Closing the windows
Pull on switch.
The window will move upwards until
you release the switch.
Warning!
G
When closing the windows, make sure that
there is no danger of anyone being harmed
by the closing procedure.
The closing procedure can be immediately
halted by releasing the switch or by releas-
ing button
‹
on the remote control.
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
key from starter switch, and lock your vehi-
cle. Do not leave children unattended in the
vehicle, or with access to an unlocked vehi-
cle. Unsupervised use of vehicle equipment
can cause an accident and/or serious per-
sonal injury.
iWith a front door opened and the key in
starter switch position0 or1, or re-
moved from starter switch, the power
windows can be operated for
approx. 30 minutes.
159 Controls in detail
Power windows
Fully opening windows
Press switch past resistance point and
release.
The window opens completely.
Stopping windows
Press or pull respective switch again.
Opening and closing windows with the
SmartKey
The sliding/pop-up roof will also be
opened or closed when you operate the
power windows with the key.
Aim transmitter eye at the driver’s door
handle.
Opening (Summer opening feature)
Press and hold button
Œ
after un-
locking the vehicle.
The windows and sliding/pop-up roof
begin to open after approximately one
second.
Release transmit button to interrupt
procedure.Closing (Convenience feature)
Press and hold button
‹
after lock-
ing the vehicle.
The windows and sliding/pop-up roof
begin to close after approximately one
second.
Release transmit button to interrupt
procedure.
Ensure that all side windows and the slid-
ing/pop-up roof are properly closed before
leaving the vehicle.
Warning!
G
Never operate the windows or slid-
ing/pop-up roof if there is the possibility of
anyone being harmed by the opening or
closing procedure.
In case the procedure causes potential dan-
ger, the procedure can be immediately halt-
ed by releasing the remote control button.
To reverse direction of movement,
pressŒ for opening or ‹ for closing.
161 Controls in detail
Sliding/pop-up roof
Opening and closing the sliding/pop-up
roof with the SmartKey
The power windows will also be opened or
closed when you operate the slid-
ing/pop-up roof with the key.
Aim transmitter eye at the driver’s door
handle.Opening
Press and hold button
Œ
after un-
locking the vehicle.
The windows and sliding/pop-up roof
begin to open after approximately one
second.
Release transmit button to interrupt
procedure.Closing
Press and hold button
‹
after lock-
ing the vehicle.
The windows and sliding/pop-up roof
begin to close after approximately one
second.
Release transmit button to interrupt
procedure.
Ensure that all side windows and the slid-
ing/pop-up roof are properly closed before
leaving the vehicle.
Warning!
G
Never operate the windows or slid-
ing/pop-up roof if there is the possibility of
anyone being harmed by the opening or
closing procedure.
In case the procedure causes potential dan-
ger, the procedure can be immediately halt-
ed by releasing the remote control button.
To reverse direction of movement,
pressŒ for opening or ‹ for closing.
190 Controls in detailUseful features
Remote door unlock
In case you have locked your vehicle unin-
tentionally (e.g. key inside vehicle), and the
reserve key is not handy:
Contact the Mercedes-Benz Response
Center at 1-800-756-9018 (in the USA)
or 1-888-923-8367 (in Canada).
You will be asked to provide your pass-
word which you provided when you
completed the subscriber agreement.
Then return to your vehicle and press
the tailgate lock for minimum of
20 seconds until the SOS button is
flashing.
The message
EMERGENCY CALL –
CALL CONNECTED appears in the multi-
function display.
As an alternative, you may unlock the vehi-
cle via Internet using the ID and password
sent to you shortly after the completion of
your acquaintance call.T h e R e s p o n s e C e n t e r w i l l t h e n u nl o c k y o u r
vehicle with the remote door unlocking
feature.
iWhen a Tele Aid call has been initiated,
the COMAND system audio is muted
and the selected mode (radio, tape or
CD) pauses. The optional cellular
phone (if installed) switches off. If you
must use this phone, the vehicle must
be parked. Disconnect the coiled cord
and place the call. The navigation sys-
tem (if engaged) will continue to run.
The display in the instrument cluster is
available for use and spoken com-
mands are only available by pressing
the RPT button on the COMAND unit. A
pop-up window will appear in the CO-
MAND display to indicate that a
Tele Aid call is in progress.
iThe remote door unlock feature is avail-
able if the relevant cellular phone net-
work is available.
The SOS button will flash and the mes-
sage
EMERGENCY CALL –
CALL CONNECTED
will appear in the mul-
tifunction display to indicate receipt of
the door unlock command.
Once the vehicle is unlocked, a Re-
sponse Center specialist will attempt
to establish voice contact with the ve-
hicle occupants.
If the tailgate lock was pressed for
more than 20 seconds before door un-
lock authorization was received by the
Response Center, you must wait
15 minutes before pressing the tailgate
lock again.
202 OperationDriving instructionsWinter driving instructions
The most important rule for slippery or icy
roads is to drive sensibly and to avoid
abrupt acceleration, braking and steering
maneuvers. Do not use the cruise control
system under such conditions.
When the vehicle is in danger of skidding,
move selector lever to positionN. Try to
keep the vehicle under control by correc-
tive steering action.Road salts and chemicals can adversely af-
fect braking efficiency. Increased pedal
force may become necessary to produce
the normal brake effect.
We therefore recommend depressing the
brake pedal periodically when traveling at
length on salt-strewn roads.
This can bring road salt impaired braking
efficiency back to normal. Be very careful
that you carry out these braking maneu-
vers without endangering any other road
users.
If the vehicle is parked after being driven
on salt-treated roads, the braking efficien-
cy should be tested as soon as possible af-
ter driving is resumed while observing the
safety rules in the previous paragraph.
For more information on winter driving
(
page 228).
iInformation on driving with snow
chains (
page 229).
Warning!
G
On slippery road surfaces, never downshift
in order to obtain braking action. This could
result in drive wheel slip and reduced vehi-
cle control. Your vehicle’s ABS will not pre-
vent this type of control loss.
Do not engage the transfer case in position
LOW when driving on ice or packed snow. At
speeds below 18 mph (30 km / h) vehicle
steering is adversely affected by the LOW
RANGE – ABS (
page 72).
Warning!
G
If the vehicle becomes stuck in snow, make
sure that snow is kept clear of the exhaust
pipe and from around the vehicle with the
engine running. Otherwise, deadly carbon
monoxide (CO) gases may enter vehicle in-
terior resulting in unconsciousness and
death.
To assure sufficient fresh air ventilation,
open a window slightly on the side of the ve-
hicle not facing the wind.Warning!
G
The outside temperature indicator is not de-
s i g n e d t o s e r v e a s a n i c e - w a r n i n g d e v i c e a n d
is therefore unsuitable for that purpose. In-
dicated temperatures just above the freez-
ing point do not guarantee that the road
surface is free of ice.
204 OperationDriving instructionsRead this chapter carefully before you be-
gin off-road travel.
Familiarize yourself with the vehicle char-
acteristics and gear changing before you
attempt any difficult terrain off-road driv-
ing. We recommend that you start out with
easy off-road travel.Special driving features for off-road
driving
The following driving features are available
for specific kind of operation:
ABS (
page 71)
ESP (
page 75)
4-ETS (
page 74)
Differential lock (
page 145)
Transfer case (
page 141)
Off-road driving rules
Engage the transfer case in position
LOW before driving under off-road con-
ditions (
page 141).
If necessary activate differential locks
(page 145).
The ABS, BAS and ESP are switched off
automatically when the differential
locks are activated.
Fasten items being carried as securely
as possible (
page 173).
Never let the vehicle roll backwards in idle.
You may lose control of the vehicle if you
use only the service brake.
Sand, dirt, mud and other material having
friction property can cause exceptional wear
and tear as well as brake failure.
Have the brakes checked for dirt build-up
and cleaned. There is otherwise a risk that
full braking power may not be available in an
emergency.
iWhenever driving in off-road mode, we
recommend:
Keeping doors, tailgate, windows
and sliding/pop-up roof closed.
Switching cruise control off.
!Observe the following during off-road
driving:
Adjust vehicle speed to condition of
terrain. The more uneven, rutty and
steeper the terrain, the lower the
speed should be. Drive through wa-
ter slowly at an even speed, avoid-
ing a bow wave.
Be especially careful when driving
in unknown territory. It may be nec-
essary to get out of the vehicle and
scout the path you intend to take.
Watch out for obstacles, such as
rocks, holes, tree stumps and ruts.
215 Operation
At the gas station
Check regularly and before a long trip
1Coolant
2Brake fluid
Coolant
For normal replenishing, use water (pota-
ble water quality). For more information on
coolant level see (
page 220) and the
“Technical data” section (
page 316).
Brake fluid
More information on brake fluid can be
found in the “Technical data” section
(
page 316).Windshield/rear window washer sys-
tem and headlamp cleaning system
For more information on refilling the reser-
voir, see (
page 222).
Engine oil level
For more information on engine oil, see
(
page 218).
Vehicle lighting
Check function and cleanliness. More in-
formation on replacing light bulbs can be
found in the “Practical hints” section
(page 279).
Exterior lamp switch (
page 100).
Tire inflation pressure
For more information on tire inflation pres-
sure, see (
page 225).
iUse only premium unleaded gasoline
with a minimum Posted Octane Rating
of 91 (average of 96 RON / 86 MON).
Information on gasoline quality can
normally be found on the fuel pump.
More information on gasoline can be
found in the Factory Approved Service
Products pamphlet. iLeaving the engine running and the fuel
cap open can cause the
?
lamp to
illuminate.
See also “Practical hints” section
(
page 243).
iOpening the hood, see (
page 216).