Contents
Opening and closing the roller sun-
blinds for the
panorama sliding/pop-up roof ..... 189
Opening and closing the
panorama sliding/pop-up roof ..... 190
Synchronizing the
panorama sliding / pop-up roof
and the roller sunblinds ............... 193
Driving systems ................................. 194 Cruise control .............................. 194
Loading.............................................. 197 Roof rack*.................................... 197
Luggage cover.............................. 197
Split rear bench seat .................... 197
Loading instructions..................... 199
Useful features .................................. 200 Interior storage spaces ................ 200
Ashtrays ....................................... 203
Cigarette lighter ........................... 204
Telephone* .................................. 205
Tele Aid* ...................................... 206
Garage door opener ..................... 214
Operation ......................................... 221
The first 1000 miles (1500km) .......... 222 Driving instructions ............................ 223
Drive sensibly – save fuel.............. 223
Drinking and driving ...................... 223
Pedals ........................................... 223
Power assistance .......................... 223
Brakes........................................... 224
Driving off ..................................... 225
Parking.......................................... 225
Tires .............................................. 226
Hydroplaning................................. 227
Tire traction .................................. 227
Tire speed rating ........................... 228
Winter driving instructions ............ 228
Standing water.............................. 229
Passenger compartment ............... 230
Driving abroad .............................. 230
Control and operation of
radio transmitter ........................... 230
Catalytic converter........................ 231
Emission control ........................... 231
Coolant temperature..................... 232
At the gas station ............................... 233 Refueling....................................... 233
Check regularly and
before a long trip .......................... 234
Engine compartment .......................... 236 Hood ............................................. 236
Engine oil ...................................... 237
Transmission fluid level ................ 241
Coolant level ................................. 241
Battery .......................................... 242
Windshield washer system and
headlamp cleaning system ........... 243
Tires and wheels ................................ 244 Important guidelines ..................... 244
Life of tire ..................................... 245
Direction of rotation ..................... 245
Checking tire inflation pressure .... 245
Rotating wheels ............................ 246
Winter driving ..................................... 247 Winter tires ................................... 247
Block heater (Canada only) ........... 248
Snow chains ................................. 248
Maintenance ...................................... 249 Clearing the service indicator ....... 249
Service term exceeded ................. 249
Calling up the service indicator .... 250
Resetting the service indicator ..... 250
Vehicle care ....................................... 251 Cleaning and care of the vehicle ... 251
23
At a glance
Instrument cluster
Item
Page
1
Reset button for:
Resetting trip odome-
ter
107
Instrument cluster illu-
mination
105
Resetting individual
settings
119
2
Tachometer with:?
Engine malfunction
indicator lamp
260
-Antilock Brake Sys-
tem (ABS) malfunc-
tion warning lamp
258
;Brake warning
lamp, except Cana-
da
259
3Brake warning
lamp, Canada only
259
Item
Page
3
Speedometer with:LLeft turn signal indi-
cator lampKRight turn signal in-
dicator lampvElectronic Stability
Program (ESP)
warning lamp
261
AHigh beam head-
lamp indicator
102
EIndicator lamp
without function
1
DTRIndicator lamp
without function
1
1The indicator lamp illuminates briefly when you
turn the SmartKey in the starter switch to
position 2
Item
Page
4
Multifunction display
with:Trip odometer
107
Main odometerOutside temperature dis-
play
107
Digital clock
122
Display for program mode
and gear selector lever
position
142
144
5
Fuel gauge with:Fuel reserve warning lamp
262
262
1Supplemental re-
straint system indi-
cator lamp
262
59
Safety and Security
Occupant safety
quarter trim panels where the side air-
bag inflates. This could result in serious
injuries or death should the side airbag
be activated.
(2) Always sit upright, properly use the seat belts and use an appropriately sized in-
fant or child restraint system for all chil-
dren 12 years old or under.
(3) Always wear seat belts properly.
If you believe that, even with the use of
these guidelines, it would be safer for your
rear seat occupants to have both rear side
airbags deactivated, then deactivation can
be accomplished upon your written request
to do so at your authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center at an additional cost.
Please contact your local authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center or call our Customer
Assistance Center at 1-800-FOR-MERCedes
(1-800-367-6372) for details.
iAirbags are designed to activate only in
certain frontal impacts (front airbags)
and in side impacts (side impact and
head protection window curtain air-
bags) which exceed preset thresholds.
Only during these types of impacts, if of
sufficient severity to meet the deploy-
ment tresholds, will they provide their
supplemental protection.
The driver and passengers should
always wear their seat belts. Otherwise
it is not possible for airbags to provide
their supplemental protection.
In cases of other frontal impacts,
angled impacts, roll-overs, other side
impacts, rear collisions, or other acci-
dents, the airbags will not be activated.
The driver and passengers will then be
protected by the fastened seat belts.
We caution you not to rely on the pres-
ence of the airbags in order to avoid
wearing your seat belt.
Your vehicle was originally equipped
with airbags that are designed to acti-
vate in certain impacts exceeding a
preset threshold to reduce the poten-
tial and severity of injury. It is important
to your safety and that of your passen-
ger that you replace deployed airbags
and repair any malfunctioning airbags
to ensure that the vehicle will continue
to provide supplement crash protec-
tion for occupants.
61
Safety and Security
Occupant safety
When you sell your vehicle we strongly
urge you to give notice to the subsequent
owner that it is equipped with an SRS by
alerting them to the applicable section in
the Operator’s Manual.
Front airbags
Driver and passenger airbags are de-
ployed:
in the event of a frontal impact
if impact exceeds a preset deployment
threshold
independently of the side impact air-
bags
The airbags will not deploy in impacts
which do not exceed the system’s deploy-
ment thresholds. You will then be protect-
ed by the fastened seat belts. The front passenger airbag will only be de-
ployed if:
the front passenger seat is occupied
the PASS. AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp
in the center console is not lit
(page 67)
the impact exceeds a preset deploy-
ment threshold.
1 Driver airbag
2 Passenger airbag Side impact airbags, window curtain
airbags
The side impact airbags and window cur-
tain airbags are deployed:
on the impacted side of the vehicle
in impacts exceeding a preset deploy-
ment threshold
independently of the front airbags
The side impact airbags and window cur-
tain airbags are not deployed in impacts
which do not exceed the system’s deploy-
ment threshold.!Do not place objects heavier than
20 lbs (9kg) on the front passenger
seat. This could cause the front or side
impact airbag on the front passenger
side to deploy in a crash which exceeds
the system’s deployment threshold.
63
Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Warning!
G
Never ride in a moving vehicle with the seat
backrest reclined. Sitting in an excessively
reclined position can be dangerous. You
could slide under the seat belt in a collision.
If you slide under it, the belt would apply
force at the abdomen or neck. That could
cause serious or even fatal injuries. The seat
backrest and seat belt provide the best re-
straint when the wearer is in an upright po-
sition and the belt is properly positioned on
the body.Warning!
G
Never let more people ride in the vehicle
than there are seat belts available. Be sure
everyone riding in the vehicle is correctly re-
strained with a separate seat belt.
Warning!
G
Damaged seat belts or belts that were highly
stressed in an accident must be replaced
and their anchoring points must also be
checked.
Only use seat belts which have been ap-
proved by Mercedes-Benz.
Do not make any modifications to the seat
belts. This can lead to unintended activation
or to failure.
Have all work carried out only by qualified
technicians. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Warning!
G
USE SEAT BELTS PROPERLY
Seat belts can only work when used
properly. Never wear seat belts in any
other way than as described in this sec-
tion, as that could result in serious inju-
ries in case of an accident.
Each occupant should wear their seat
belt at all times, because seat belts help
reduce the likelihood of and potential
severity of injuries in accidents, includ-
ing rollovers. The integrated restraint
system includes SRS (driver airbag, pas-
senger front airbag, side impact airbags,
head protection window curtain airbags
for side windows), ETD (seat belt emer-
gency tensioning device), and front seat
knee bolsters. The system is designed
to enhance the protection offered to
properly belted occupants in certain
frontal (front airbags) and side (side im-
pact and window curtain airbags) im-
pacts which exceed preset deployment
thresholds.
64 Safety and SecurityOccupant safety
Emergency tensioning device (ETD)
The seat belts are equipped with emergen-
cy tensioning devices and belt force limit-
ers.
The ETD is designed to activate in the fol-
lowing cases when the seat belts are fas-
tened:
in frontal or rear-end impacts exceed-
ing a preset severity level
if the restraint systems are operational
and functioning correctly, see
1indicator lamp (
page 56).
In an impact, emergency tensioning devic-
es remove slack from the belts in such a
way that the seat belts fit more snugly
against the body. Belt force limiters reduce
the force exerted by the seat belts on oc-
cupants during a crash.
Never wear the shoulder belt under your
arm, against your neck or off your shoul-
der. In a crash, your body would move
too far forward. That would increase the
chance of head and neck injuries. The
belt would also apply too much force to
the ribs or abdomen, which could se-
verely injure internal organs such as
your liver or spleen.
Never wear belts over rigid or breakable
objects in or on your clothing, such as
eyeglasses, pens, keys, etc., as these
might cause injuries.
Position the lap belt as low as possible
on your hips and not across the abdo-
men. If the belt is positioned across your
abdomen, it could cause serious injuries
in a crash.
Never use a seat belt for more than one
person at a time. Do not fasten a seat
belt around a person and another per-
son or other objects.
Belts should not be worn twisted. In a
crash, you wouldn’t have the full width
of the belt to manage impact forces. The
twisted belt against your body could
cause injuries.
Pregnant women should also use a
lap-shoulder belt. The lap belt portion
should be positioned as low as possible
on the hips to avoid any possible pres-
sure on the abdomen.
Never place your feet on the instrument
panel or on the seat. Always keep both
feet on the floor in front of the seat.
87
Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Illumination of the emergency release but-
ton:
The button will flash for 30 minutes af-
ter opening the trunk.
The button will flash for 60 minutes af-
ter closing the trunk.
Automatic central locking
The doors and the trunk lid automatically
lock when the ignition is switched on and
the wheels are turning at vehicle speeds of
approximately 9 mph (15 km/h) or more.
You can open a locked door from the in-
side. Open door only when conditions are
safe to do so.
For more information on towing the vehi-
cle, see “Towing the vehicle” (
page 313).
You can deactivate the automatic locking
mode using the control system
(
page 129).
iThe emergency release button unlocks
and opens the trunk while the vehicle is
standing or driving.
The emergency release button does
not open the trunk lid, if the vehicle
battery is discharged or disconnected.
iIf the emergency release button is
pressed and the vehicle was centrally
locked, the exterior lamps will flash and
the alarm will sound as the trunk lid
opens. To cancel the alarm, do one of
the following:
Press button Œ or‹ on the
SmartKey.
Insert the SmartKey in the starter
switch.
iThe doors unlock automatically after an
accident if the force of the impact ex-
ceeds a preset threshold.
The vehicle automatically locks when
the ignition is switched on and the
wheels are turning at vehicle speeds of
approximately 9 mph (15 km/h) or
more. You could therefore lock yourself
out when the vehicle
is pushed or towed
is on a test stand
103
Controls in detail
Lighting
Interior lighting
The controls are located in the overhead
control panel.
1 Rear interior lights
2 Right front reading lamp
3 Rocker switch for automatic control
system
4 Left front reading lamp Activating automatic control
Press the rocker switch
3 to center
position.
Interior lamps are switched on in dark-
ness, when you
unlock the vehicle
open a door
remove the SmartKey from starter
switch
The interior lamps are switched off follow-
ing a preset time (
page 128). Deactivating automatic control
Press the
=symbol on rocker
switch 3.
The interior lighting remains switched
off, even when you
unlock the vehicle
open a door
remove the SmartKey from the
starter switch
Manual control
Switching all front interior lights on and
off
Press the Wsymbol on rocker
switch 3.
The front interior lights come on.
Press rocker switch 3 to center
postion to activate the automatic
control.
iIf the door remains open, the interior
lamps switch off automatically after ap-
proximately five minutes, when the
SmartKey is removed or in the starter
switch position 0.
An interior lamp switched on manually
does not go out automatically.