Page 244 of 376

244 OperationVehicle care
Vehicle careCleaning and care of the vehicle
While in operation, even while parked, your
vehicle is subjected to varying external in-
fluences which, if gone unchecked, can at-
tack the paintwork as well as the
underbody and cause lasting damage.Such damage is caused not only by ex-
treme and varying climatic conditions, but
also by:
Air pollution
Road salt
Tar
Gravel and stone chipping
To avoid paint damage, you should imme-
diately remove:
Grease and oil
Fuel
Coolant
Brake fluid
Bird droppings
Insects
Tree resins, etc.
Frequent washing reduces and/or elimi-
nates the aggressiveness and potency of
the above adverse influences.More frequent washings are necessary to
deal with unfavorable conditions:
Near the ocean
In industrial areas (smoke, exhaust
emissions)
During winter operation
You should check your vehicle from time to
time for stone chipping or other damage.
A n y d a m a g e s h o u l d b e r e p a i r e d a s s o o n a s
possible to prevent corrosion.
In doing so, do not neglect the underbody
of the vehicle. A prerequisite for a thor-
ough check is a washing of the underbody
followed by a thorough inspection. Dam-
aged areas need to be re-undercoated.
Your vehicle has been treated at the facto-
ry with a wax-base rustproofing in the body
cavities which will last for the lifetime of
the vehicle. Post-production treatment is
neither necessary nor recommended by
Mercedes-Benz because of the possibility
of incompatibility between materials used
in the production process and others ap-
plied later.
Warning!
G
Many cleaning products can be hazardous.
Some are poisonous, others are flammable.
Always follow the instructions on the partic-
ular container. Always open your vehicle’s
doors or windows when cleaning the inside.
Never use fluids or solvents that are not de-
signed for cleaning your vehicle.
Page 256 of 376

256 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Problem
Possible cause
Suggested solution
?
The yellow “CHECK ENGINE”
malfunction indicator lamp
comes on while driving.
There is a malfunction of:
The fuel management system
The ignition system
The emission control system
Systems which impact emissions
Such malfunctions may result in excessive
emissions values and may switch the engine
to its limp-home (emergency operation)
mode. Serious damage can occur to the
emission system.
Have the vehicle checked as soon as
possible by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
An on-board diagnostic connector is
used by the service station to link the
vehicle to the shop diagnostics sys-
tem. It allows the accurate identifica-
tion of system malfunctions through
the readout of diagnostic trouble
codes. It is located near the hood lock
release on the upper left of footwell.
The fuel cap is not closed tightly.
Check the fuel cap.
Your gas tank is empty.
After refuelling, start the engine three
or four times in succession. The
limp-home mode is canceled.
Page 258 of 376

258 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Problem
Possible cause
Suggested solution
<
The red seat belt non-usage
warning lamp illuminates briefly
after starting the engine.
The warning lamp reminds you to fasten seat
belts.
Fasten your seat belt.
The yellow fuel tank reserve warning lamp
illuminates while driving.
The fuel level has gone below the reserve
mark.
Refuel at the next gas station.
Also note the messages in the multi-
function display (
page 260).
The yellow fuel tank reserve warning lamp is
blinking.
The fuel cap is not closed tight.
Check the fuel cap.
1
The red SRS indicator lamp
comes on while driving.
There is a malfunction in the restraint sys-
tems. The airbags or emergency tensioning
device (ETD) could deploy unexpectedly or
fail to activate in an accident.
Drive with added caution to the near-
est authorized Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center.
Warning!
G
In the event a malfunction of the SRS is indi-
cated as outlined above, the SRS may not be
operational.
For your safety, we strongly recommend
that you visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Light Truck Center immediately to have the
system checked; otherwise the SRS may not
be activated when needed in an accident.
This could result in serious or fatal injury, or
it might deploy unexpectedly and unneces-
sarily which could also result in an accident
and/or injury to you or to others.
Page 271 of 376

271 Practical hints
What to do if …
When the
ADD 1.0 QT. ENG. OIL
-
WHEN
NEXT REFUELLING!
(Canada:
1.0 LITER
)
message appears while the engine is run-
ning and at operating temperature, the en-
gine oil level has dropped to approximately
the minimum level.
When this occurs, the warning will first
come on intermittently and then stay on if
the oil level drops further.Visually check for oil leaks. If no obvious oil
leaks are noted, drive to the nearest ser-
vice station where the engine oil should be
topped to the required level with an ap-
proved oil.
Display symbol
Display message
Possible cause
Possible solution
Ñ
CRUISE CONTROL
DRIVE TO WORKSHOP!
Cruise control is malfunctioning.
Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Light Truck Center.
J
DOOR OPEN!
You are attempting to drive with one or
more doors open.
Close the doors.
e
ENGINE AIR FILTER
VISIT WORKSHOP!
The engine filter is clogged and must be
replaced.
Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Light Truck Center as soon as
possible.
:
USA only:ADD 1.0 Qt. ENGINE OIL
WHEN NEXT REFUELING!Canada only:ADD 1.0 LITER ENG. OIL
WHEN NEXT REFUELING!
The engine oil level is too low.
Add engine oil (
page 231) and check
the engine oil level (
page 229).
!The engine oil level warnings should
not be ignored. Extended driving with
the symbol displayed could result in se-
rious engine damage that is not cov-
ered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
Page 273 of 376
273 Practical hints
What to do if …
Display symbol
Display message
Possible cause
Possible solution
A
RESERVE FUEL
GO TO GAS STATION
The fuel level has dropped below the re-
serve mark.
Refuel at the next gas station
(page 224).
CHECK GAS CAP
SEE OPERATOR’S MANUAL
The fuel cap is not closed tightly.
Check the fuel cap (
page 224).
Y
HOOD OPEN!
You are driving with the hood open.
Close the hood (
page 228).
I
REMOVE KEY!
You have forgotten to remove the Smart-
Key.
Remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch.
REPLACE KEY
DRIVE TO WORKSHOP!
No additional code available for Smart-
Key.
Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Light Truck Center.
Page 290 of 376
290 Practical hintsUnlocking/locking in an emergencyFuel filler flap
The emergency release is in the cargo
compartment behind the rear panel trim.
1Edge protection
2Rear panel trim
Open the tailgate.
Remove edge protection1 from the
door pillar.
Remove rear panel trim2.3Release strap
Pull strap 3 upwards.
The fuel filler flap is unlocked and can
be opened. Manually unlocking the transmission
gear selector lever
In the case of power failure the transmis-
sion gear selector lever can be manually
unlocked, e.g. to tow the vehicle.
1Pin
Page 310 of 376

310 Practical hintsFlat tireLowering the vehicle
Using the pump lever, open the lower-
ing screw on the jack approximately
one turn (
page 308).
The vehicle is resting fully on its own
weight.
Remove the jack.
After use, disassemble pump handle
(page 308) and store jack in the des-
ignated storage compartment
(page 284).
1-5 Wheel bolts
Tighten the five wheel bolts evenly, fol-
lowing the diagonal sequence illustrat-
ed (1 to 5), until all bolts are tight.
Observe a tightening torque of 97 lb-ft
(130 Nm).
Press the jack piston in again and close
the lowering screw. Store the jack
(page 284) and the other vehicle
tools (
page 283).
After changing the wheel, secure the
damaged wheel on the spare wheel
mounting bracket (
page 286). Make
sure the wheel cannot come loose.
Check the tire inflation pressure and
correct it if necessary.
A table with the tire pressure values for
your vehicle is located on the fuel filler
flap.
Warning!
G
Have the tightening torque checked after
changing a wheel as soon as possible. The
wheels could come loose if they are not
tightened to a torque of 97 lb-ft (130 Nm).
Page 313 of 376

313 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 use 12 volt battery to jump start
your vehicle. Jump starting with a more
powerful battery could damage the ve-
hicle’s electrical system, which will not
be covered by the Mercedes-Benz Lim-
ited Warranty.
Use only jumper cables with sufficient
cross-section and insulated terminal
clamps.
Always make sure the jumper cables
are not on or near pulleys, fans, or oth-
er 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.
Attempting to jump start a frozen battery
can result in it exploding, causing personal
injury.
Read all instructions before proceeding.
!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 Light Truck 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.!Do not tow-start the vehicle.