ContentsAt the gas station............................... 224
Refueling ...................................... 224
Check regularly and before
a long trip ..................................... 225
Engine compartment.......................... 227
Hood ............................................ 227
Engine oil...................................... 228
Transmission fluid level ................ 232
Coolant level ................................ 232
Windshield/rear window washer
system and headlamp cleaning
system.......................................... 234
Battery ............................................... 235
Tires and wheels ................................ 236
Important guidelines .................... 236
Life of tire ..................................... 237
Direction of rotation ..................... 237
Checking tire inflation pressure ... 237
Rotating wheels............................ 238
Winter driving..................................... 240
Winter tires................................... 240
Block heater (Canada only) .......... 240
Snow chains ................................. 241Maintenance ...................................... 242
Clearing the service indicator ...... 242
Service term exceeded ................ 242
Calling up the service indicator .... 243
Resetting the service indicator..... 243
Vehicle care ....................................... 244
Cleaning and care of the vehicle .. 244
Practical hints.................................. 251
What to do if … .................................. 252
Lamps in instrument cluster ........ 252
Lamp in center console ................ 259
Messages in the multifunction
display.......................................... 260
Where will I find ...? ........................... 283
First aid kit ................................... 283
Vehicle tool kit ............................. 283
Vehicle jack.................................. 284
CD changer .................................. 284
Spare wheel ................................. 285Unlocking/locking in an emergency .. 287
Unlocking the vehicle................... 287
Locking the vehicle ...................... 288
Changing batteries in
the SmartKey ............................... 288
Fuel filler flap ............................... 290
Manually unlocking the
transmission gear selector lever .. 290
Opening/closing in an emergency .... 292
Sliding/pop-up roof ..................... 292
Brush guard* ..................................... 293
Lowering and raising brush guard 294
Replacing bulbs ................................. 295
Bulbs ............................................ 295
Replacing bulbs for front lamps ... 297
Replacing bulbs for rear lamps .... 301
Replacing wiper blades ...................... 304
Removing wiper blades ................ 304
Installing wiper blades ................. 305
Flat tire .............................................. 306
Preparing the vehicle ................... 306
Mounting the spare wheel ........... 307
215 Operation
Driving instructions
Checklist before off-road driving
Engine oil level
Check the engine oil level
(page 229). The display
ENGINE OIL
LEVEL - OK
must appear in the multi-
function display.
Only then can the vehicle obtain a trou-
ble-free oil supply, even on steep gradi-
ents.
Tires
Check the tread depth and maintain
specified tire pressure (see tire pres-
sure label inside the fuel filler flap).
Check tires for possible damage and
remove foreign objects.
Replace missing valve caps.
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.
Avoid excessive engine
speeds – drive at moderate engine
speeds (max. 3000 rpm).
Before driving through water, deter-
mine its depth.
Do not stop vehicle while immersed
in water, and do not shut off the en-
gine.
In sandy soil, drive at a steady
speed as allowed by conditions.
This helps overcome the vehicle
rolling resistance and reduces the
likelihood of the vehicle sinking into
the ground.
Do not initiate jumps with the vehi-
cle. It interrupts the forward mo-
mentum of the vehicle.
Always drive on slopes with the en-
gine running and the vehicle in
gear.
Inspect the vehicle for possible
damage after each off-road trip.
216 OperationDriving instructionsRims
Dented or bent rims can cause tire
pressure loss and damage the tire
beads. For this reason, check and, if
necessary, change rims before driving
off-road.
Vehicle tool kit
Check if the vehicle jack is functional.
In all cases take the vehicle tool kit, a
strong tow rope, a shovel and a small
plank (to put under the vehicle jack on
sandy soil) with you.Driving in steep terrain
Slope angle127°
236°
Comply with the warnings
(page 214) and rules for off-road
driving (
page 214).
Driving on embankments, slopes and
other steep inclines should only be
done straight up or downhill, i.e. in the
line of gravity. Maximum vehicle climb-
ing ability is a 80% grade.
Select gear range2 or1 on the auto-
matic transmission (
page 142).
Drive slowly.
Utilize the engine’s braking power
when descending a slope, observe the
engine speed (do not overrev the en-
gine). Apply the service brake as need-
ed.
Check the brakes after a lengthy down-
grade drive.
Traction in steep terrain
Be easy on the accelerator and watch for
continuous wheel traction when driving in
steep terrain.iThe 4-ETS helps greatly when starting
out on a steep incline when the front
wheels have then the tendency to slip
due to the weight shifting away the
front axle.The 4-ETS recognizes the sit-
uation and limits the torque for the
front wheels by braking them. Simulta-
neously the torque for the rear wheels
is provided.
237 Operation
Tires and wheels
Life of tire
The service life of a tire is dependent upon
varying factors including but not limited to:
Driving style
Tire pressure
Distance driven
Direction of rotation
Unidirectional tires offer added advantag-
es, such as better hydroplaning perfor-
mance. To benefit, however, you must
ensure the tires rotate in the direction
specified.
An arrow on the sidewall indicates the in-
tended direction of rotation of the tire.
Checking tire inflation pressure
Correct the tire pressure only when tires
are cold.
Regularly check your tire pressure at inter-
vals of no more than 14 days.
If the tires are warm, you should only cor-
rect the tire pressure if it is too low for cur-
rent operating conditions.
A table on the fuel filler flap lists the spec-
ified tire inflation pressures for warm and
cold tires as well as for various operating
conditions.
Warning!
G
Tires and spare wheel should be replaced af-
ter six years, regardless of the remaining
tread.!Keep unmounted tires in a cool, dry
place with as little exposure to light as
possible. Protect tires from contact
with oil, grease and gasoline.
Warning!
G
If the tire pressure drops repeatedly:
Check the tires for punctures from for-
eign objects.
Check to see whether air is leaking from
the valves or from around the rim.
336 Technical dataFuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.Fuel requirements
Use only premium unleaded meeting
ASTM standard D 439:
The octane number (posted at the
pu m p) m us t b e 91 mi n. It is an a vera ge
of both the Research (R) octane num-
ber and the Motor (M) octane number:
(R+M) / 2). This is also known as the
ANTI-KNOCK INDEX.
Unleaded gasoline containing oxygenates
such as ethanol, IPA, IBA and TBA can be
used provided the ratio of any one of these
oxygenates to gasoline does not exceed
10%; MTBE must not exceed 15%.
The ratio of methanol to gasoline must not
exceed 3% plus additional cosolvents.
Using mixtures of ethanol and methanol is
not allowed. Gasohol, which contains 10%
ethanol and 90% unleaded gasoline, can be
used.
These blends must also meet all other fuel
requirements, such as resistance to spark
knock, boiling range, vapor pressure, etc.
Gasoline additives
A major concern among engine manufac-
turers is carbon build-up caused by gaso-
line. Mercedes-Benz recommends only the
use of quality gasoline containing additives
that prevent the build up of carbon depos-
its.
After an extended period of using fuels
without such additives, carbon deposits
can build up especially on the intake valves
and in the combustion area, leading to en-
gine performance problems such as:
Warm-up hesitation
Unstable idle
Knocking/pinging
Misfire
Power loss
Do not blend other specific fuel additives
with fuel. This only results in unnecessary
cost and may be harmful to the engine op-
eration.Damage or malfunctions resulting from
poor fuel quality or from blending specific
fuel additives are not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Coolants
The engine coolant is a mixture of water
and anticorrosion / antifreeze, which pro-
vides:
Corrosion protection
Freeze protection
Boiling protection (by increasing the
boiling point)
The cooling system was filled at the factory
with a coolant providing freeze protection
to approximately -35°F (-37°C) and corro-
sion protection.
If the antifreeze mixture is effective to
-22°F (-30°C), the boiling point of the cool-
ant in the pressurized cooling system is
reached at approximately 266°F (130°C).
349 Index
A
ABS 25, 74, 343
LOW RANGE mode 75
Malfunction indicator lamp 252, 253
Messages in display 261
Warning lamp 252, 253
Accelerator position, automatic
transmission 144
Accident
In case of 50
Activating
Air conditioning (cooling) 162
Air recirculation mode 160
Anti-theft alarm system 82
Central locking (control system) 133
Defrost 160
Easy-entry/exit feature 133
ESP 81
Exterior headlamps 46
Exterior lamps 105
Exterior rear view mirror parking
position 153Hazard warning flasher 108
Headlamps 46
High beams 108
Ignition 33
Rear fog lamp 106
Rear window defroster 155
Windshield wipers 47
Adding
Coolant 233
Engine oil 231
Additional turn signals 295
Adjusting 34
Air distribution 159
Air volume 159
Backrest tilt 36
Exterior rear view mirror 38
Head restraint height 36
Head restraint height, rear seats 96
Head restraint tilt 36
Instrument cluster illumination 112Interior rear view mirror 38
Mirrors 38
Multicontour seat* 97
Seat cushion length 97
Seat cushion tilt 36
Seat fore and aft adjustment 35
Seat height 36
Seats 34
Steering column in/out 37
Steering column up/down 37
Steering wheel 37
Air conditioning (cooling)
Turning off 162
Turning on 162
Air conditioning refrigerant 335
Air distribution
Adjusting 159
Air pressure see Tire inflation pressure
Air recirculation mode 160
Activating 160
Deactivating 161