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
119 Controls in detail
Control system
Menus, submenus and functions
Menu1
Menu2
Menu3
Menu4
Menu5
Menu6
Menu7
Standard
display
AUDIO
NAVI
Malfunction
memory
Settings
Trip computer
Telephone
Commands/submenuCoolant
temperature
display
Select radio
station
Activate route
guidance
Call up
malfunction
messages
Reset to factory
settings
Fuel
consumption
statistics after
start
Load phone book
Digital
speedometer
Operate CD
player
Instrument
cluster submenu
Fuel
consumption
statistics since
the last reset
Search for name
in phone book
Call up FSS
Lighting
submenu
Call up range
Check engine oil
level
Vehicle submenuConvenience
submenu
120 Controls in detailControl system
Standard display menu
You can select the functions in the stan-
dard display menu with buttonk
orj.
The following functions are available:
Display digital speedometer
Press buttonj twice.
The current vehicle speed is shown in
the multifunction display.
AUDIO menu
The functions in the
AUDIO
menu operate
the audio equipment which you currently
have turned on.
If no audio equipment is currently turned
on, the message
AUDIO OFF
is shown in the
display.
The following functions are available:
iThe headings used in the menus table
are designed to facilitate navigation
within the system and are not neces-
sarily identical to those shown in the
control system displays.
The first function displayed in each
menu will automatically show you
which part of the system you are in.
Function
Page
Call up coolant temperature
display
112
Call up digital speedometer
120
Call up FSS
242
Check engine oil level
229
Function
Page
Select radio station
121
Operate CD player
121
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.
226 OperationAt the gas stationEngine oil level
For more information on engine oil, see
(page 228).
Vehicle lighting
Check function and cleanliness. For infor-
mation on replacing light bulbs, see “Re-
placing bulbs” (
page 295).
For more information, see “Exterior lamp
switch” (
page 104).
Tire inflation pressure
For more information, see “Checking tire
inflation pressure” (
page 237).
229 Operation
Engine compartment
Checking engine oil level with the
control system
When checking the oil level the vehicle
must
be parked on level ground
be at normal operating temperature
have been stationary for at least five
minutes with the engine turned off
To check the engine oil level via the
multifunction display, do the following:
Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position2.
The standard display (
page 115) should
appear in the multifunction display.
Press buttonk orj on the
steering wheel until the following
message is seen in the multifunction
display:MEASURE. CORRECT
ONLY IF VEH. LEVELAfter about three seconds this
message is displayed:
ENGINE OIL LEVEL
MEASURING NOWOne of the following messages will
subsequently appear in the indicator:
ENGINE OIL LEVEL
OK
ADD 1.0 Qt. TO
REACH MAX. OIL LEVEL!(Canada:
1.0 LITER
)
ADD 1.5 Qts. TO
REACH MAX. OIL LEVEL!(Canada:
1.5 LITERS
)
ADD 2.0 Qts. TO
REACH MAX. OIL LEVEL!(Canada:
2.0 LITERS
)
If necessary, add engine oil.
For adding engine oil see (
page 231).
For more information on engine oil, see the
“Technical data” section (
page 333) and
(
page 334).
Other display messages
If the SmartKey is not turned to position2
in the starter switch, the following
message will appear:
FOR ENGINE OIL LEVEL
SWITCH ON IGNITION!
Switch on the ignition.
If you see the message:
OBSERVE WAITING PERIOD
iIf you want to interrupt the checking
procedure, press thek orj
button on the multifunction steering
wheel.
230 OperationEngine compartment
If engine is at normal operating
temperature, wait five minutes before
repeating check procedure.
If engine is not yet at normal operating
temperature, wait 30 minutes before
repeating check procedure.
If you see the message:
ENGINE OIL LEVEL
NOT WHEN ENGINE ON!
Turn off the engine.
If the engine is at normal operating
temperature, wait five minutes before
checking oil.
If the engine is not yet at normal
operating temperature, you must wait
30 minutes before checking oil.
If there is excess engine oil with the engine
at normal operating temperature, the
following message will appear:
ENGINE OIL LEVEL
REDUCE OIL LEVEL
Have excess oil siphoned or drained
off. Contact your authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
For more information on messages in the
display concerning engine oil, see the
“Practical hints” section (
page 271). Checking engine oil level with the oil
dipstick
When checking the oil level the vehicle
must
be parked on level ground
be at normal operating temperature
have been stationary for at least five
minutes with the engine turned off
!Excess oil must be siphoned or drained
off. It could cause damage to the
engine and catalytic converter not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.iPerform the engine oil level check with
the dipstick if it cannot be completed
with the control system (
page 230).
In this case we recommend that you
have the system checked at a
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
iThe engine oil level can be checked by
either the oil dipstick or via the multi-
function display in the instrument
cluster (
page 229). The amount of
engine oil needed is shown more
precisely in the multifunction display.
231 Operation
Engine compartment
To check the engine oil level with the oil
dipstick, do the following:
Open the hood (
page 227).
Pull out oil dipstick1 (
page 232)
Wipe oil dipstick1 clean.
Fully insert oil dipstick1 into the
dipstick guide tube.
Pull out oil dipstick1 again after
approximately three seconds to obtain
accurate reading.
Oil dipstickThe oil level is correct when it is between
the lower (min) and upper (max) mark of
the oil dipstick.
If necessary, add engine oil.
For adding engine oil see (
page 231).
For more information on engine oil, see the
“Technical data” section (
page 333) and
(
page 334).
For more information on messages in the
display concerning engine oil, see the
“Practical hints” section (
page 271). Adding engine oil
iThe filling quantity between the upper
and lower marks on the oil dipstick is
approximately 2.1 US qt. (2.0 l).
!Only use approved engine oils. For a
listing of approved engine oils, refer to
the Factory Approved Service Products
pamphlet in your vehicle literature port-
folio.
In addition, check the oil filler cap for
important information pertaining to the
engine oil needing to meet a specific
Mercedes-Benz specification (e.g. MB
229.5). If such information is printed
on the oil filler cap, only use an engine
oil from the list of approved engine oils
in the Factory Approved Service Prod-
ucts pamphlet that meets the specifi-
cation indicated on the oil filler cap.
Using engine oils of other specification
may cause the FSS to incorrectly deter-
mine the next service interval and will
r e s u l t i n e n g i n e d a m a g e n o t c o v e r e d b y
the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.