150 Controls in detailAutomatic transmissionCanceling gear range limit
Press and hold the gear selector lever
in the D+direction until
Dreappears in
the multifunction display.
The transmission will shift from the current
gear range directly to gear rangeD.
Shifting into optimal gear range
Press and hold the gear selector lever
in the D-direction.
The transmission will automatically select
the gear range suited for optimal accelera-
tion and deceleration. This will involve
shifting down one or more gears.
Gear ranges
With the gear selector lever in positionD,
you can limit the transmission’s gear range
by pressing the gear selector lever to the
left (D-), and reverse the gear range limit
by pressing the gear selector lever to the
right (D+).
The selected gear range will appear in the
multifunction display. If you press on the
accelerator when the engine has reached
its rpm limit, the transmission will upshift
beyond any gear range limit selected.
!If the transfer case is in off-road driving
position LOW, the automatic transmis-
sion will not shift up automatically,
even when the engine has reached the
speed limit for that gear. There is a risk
of damaging the engine.
It is very important to make sure the
permissible engine speed is not ex-
ceeded.
Effect
é
The transmission shifts
through fourth gear only.
è
The transmission shifts
through third gear only.
With this selection you can
use the braking effect of the
engine.
ç
The transmission shifts
through second gear only.
Allows the use of engine’s
braking power when driving
on steep downgrades
in mountainous regions
under extreme operating
conditions
æ
The transmission operates in
first gear only.
For maximum use of engine’s
braking effect on very steep
or lengthy downgrades.
154 Controls in detailTransfer caseFor more information on off-road driving,
see “Off-road driving” (
page 223).
Gear range
Switching transfer case
The switch is located in the center console.
1Transfer case indicator
2Gear range indicator
Transfer case indicator1 in the multi-
function display shows the gear position of
the transfer case.Switching from HIGH to LOW
Press upper half (“LOW”) of the trans-
fer case switch.
Once the shift is complete, gear
position
L is displayed in the transfer
case indicator.
Put gear selector in D.
H
HIGHRoad position
L
LOWOff-road position
This position is intended for driv-
ing off-road and step gradients.
The transmission will not upshift
automatically to the next higher
gear range when driving at the
rpm limit.The transfer case supports the
engine’s driving force (approx. 1/2speed). Output is therefore
increased.
N
NeutralNo power is transmitted from the
engine to the drive axle.
!The shift procedure can only be per-
formed when:
The engine is running.
The gear selector lever for the auto-
matic transmission is in positionN.
The vehicle is not at standstill.
The vehicle speed does not exceed
25 mph (40 km/h).
iIf the shift procedure does not take
place press upper half (“LOW”) of the
transfer case switch again.
155 Controls in detail
Transfer case
Switching from LOW to HIGH
Press lower half (“HIGH”) of the trans-
fer case switch.
Once the shift is complete, gear
position
H is displayed in the transfer
case indicator.
Put gear selector in D.Messages in the multifunction display
If a shift was not completed and the multi-
function display shows one of the following
messages:
TC SHIFT CONDITIONS NOT FULFILLEDThe shift did not take place. At least
one shift condition was not met.
Repeat the shift procedure.
TC IN NEUTRAL The shift did not take place. The trans-
fer case is in neutral. The gear
position
N is displayed in transfer case
indicator1.
Repeat the shift procedure.
TC SHIFT – CANCELLEDThe shift did not take place.
Repeat the shift procedure.
TRANSFER CASE – VISIT WORKSHOP!There may be a malfunction in the
system.
Repeat the shift procedure.
If the shift procedure still does not take
place, have the vehicle checked at an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center as soon as possible.
For more information, see “Practical hints”
section (
page 319).
!The shift procedure can only be per-
formed when:
The engine is running.
The gear selector lever for the auto-
matic transmission is in positionN.
The vehicle is not at standstill.
The vehicle speed does not exceed
40 mph (70 km/h).
iIf the shift procedure does not take
place press lower half (“HIGH”) of the
transfer case switch again.
Warning!
G
If TC is in neutral, transmission positionP
will not hold vehicle. The parking brake must
be applied to hold vehicle in place.
iIf the SmartKey is in starter switch
position0 or1, an alarm will sound if
the transfer case is in positionN and
the driver’s door is opened.
Engage transfer case to gear position
HIGH or LOW.
158 Controls in detailDifferential locksSwitching differential locks on and off
The switch is located in the center console.
1Transfer case (center) differential lock
2Rear axle differential lock
3Front differential lock
4Engagement indicator lamps (yellow)
5Function indicator lamps (red)Switching differential locks on Transfer case differential lock
Press switch1.
The yellow engagement indicator
lamp4 for the transfer case differen-
tial lock comes on.
The ESP warning lampv comes on.
When the differential lock engagement
operation has been completed, the red
function indicator lamp5 comes on.
The message
ABS NOT AVAILABLE -
DIFFERENTIAL LOCKED
appears in the
multifunction display.
The ESP warning lampv and the
ABS- warning lamp in the instru-
ment cluster come on.
iThe differential locks can only be
switched on in the sequence 1,
2,3.
!To avoid damage to the transfer case
and differential locks:
Engage differential locks only at low
speed (walking speed, not more
than 5 mph).
Do not engage differential locks if
the driving wheels are spinning due
to lack of traction.
Do not engage on paved roads.
159 Controls in detail
Differential locks
Once the transfer case differential lock
is switched on, you can now, if needed,
switch on rear axle differential
lock2
or
switch on rear axle differential lock
and front differential lock2
and3.
Rear axle differential lock
Press switch2.
The yellow engagement indicator
lamp4 comes on first, followed by the
red function indicator lamp5.
The rear axle differential lock is
switched on.Front differential lock
Press switch 3.
The yellow engagement indicator
lamp4 comes on first, followed by the
red function indicator lamp5.
The front differential lock is switched
on.
Switching differential locks off
There are two different methods to disen-
gage differential locks:
You can switch the differential locks off
in reverse order (3, 2,1).
To switch off all differential locks at the
same time:
Press switch1.
The yellow engagement indicator
lamps4 go out first. The red func-
tion indicator lamps5 go out
when the switching process has
been carried out in the differential.To activate the ESP, BAS and ABS systems,
drive again for three seconds using a con-
stant driving style.
All messages in the multifunction display
disappear. The ESP warning lampv
and the ABS- warning lamp in the in-
strument cluster go out.
iIf the function lamps do not go out
when the differential locks are disen-
gaged, bring vehicle to a stop and then
continue driving. Changing the vehicle
load can help to disengage locks. Warning!
G
Always remember to disengage the differen-
tial locks when returning to drive on paved
roads, see “A few words about differentials
and differential locks” (
page 157).
198 Controls in detailUseful featuresTele Aid The Tele Aid system
(Telematic Alarm Identification on
Demand)
The Tele Aid system consists of three
types of response:
Automatic and manual emergency
Roadside Assistance and
Information
The Tele Aid system is operational provid-
ing that the vehicle’s battery is charged,
properly connected, not damaged and cel-
lular and GPS coverage is available.
The speaker volume of a Tele Aid call can
be adjusted when using the volume control
on the multifunction steering wheel. To
raise, press buttonæ and to lower,
press buttonç.
To activate, press the SOS button, the
Roadside Assistance button• or
the Information button¡, depend-
ing on the type of response required.Shortly after the completion of your ac-
quaintance call, you will receive a user ID
and password.
By visiting www.mbusa.com and selecting
“Tele Aid” (USA only), you will have access
to account information, remote door un-
lock, profile and more.
!The initial activation of the Tele Aid sys-
tem may only be performed by com-
pleting the subscriber agreement and
placing an acquaintance call using the
SOS button. Failure to complete either
of these steps will result in a system
that is not activated. If the system is
not activated, the indicator lamp in the
SOS button stays on after switching on
ignition and the message
TELE AID
EMERG. CALL – NOT ACTIVATED
will be
shown in the multifunction display for
approx. 10 seconds.
If you have any questions regarding ac-
tivation, please call the Response
Center at 1-800-756-9018 (in the USA)
or 1-888-923-8367 (in Canada).
iThe SOS button is located above the in-
terior rear view mirror.
The Roadside Assistance button•
and the Information button¡ are
located below the center armrest
cover.!The Tele Aid system utilizes the cellular
network for communication and the
GPS (Global Positioning System) satel-
lites for vehicle location. If either of
these signals are unavailable, the
Tele Aid system may not function and if
this occurs, assistance must be sum-
moned by other means.
199 Controls in detail
Useful features
System self-check
Initially, after switching on ignition, mal-
functions are detected and indicated (the
indicator lamps in the SOS button, the
Roadside Assistance button• and the
Information button¡ stay on longer
than 10 seconds or do not come on). The
message
TELE AID – DRIVE TO WORKSHOP!
appears for approx. ten seconds in the
multifunction display.Emergency calls
An emergency call is initiated
automatically:
following an accident in which the
emergency tensioning devices (ETDs)
or airbags deploy
if the anti-theft alarm or the tow-away
alarm stays on for more than
20 seconds. See anti-theft alarm sys-
tem (
page 88) and tow-away alarm
(
page 89)
An emergency call can also be initiated
manually by opening the cover next to the
interior rear view mirror labeled SOS, then
briefly pressing the button located under
the cover. See below for instructions on
initiating an emergency call manually.
Warning!
G
If the indicator lamps in the SOS button, in
the Roadside Assistance button and/or in
the Information button do not come on dur-
ing the system self-check or if any of these
indicators remain illuminated constantly in
red and/or the message
TELE AID -
DRIVE TO WORKSHOP
is displayed in the
multifunction display after the system
self-check, a malfunction in the system has
been detected.
If a malfunction is indicated as outlined
above, the system may not operate as ex-
pected. Have the system checked at the
nearest Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center
as soon as possible.
200 Controls in detailUseful featuresOnce the emergency call is in progress, the
indicator lamp in the SOS button will begin
to flash. The message
EMERGENCY CALL –
CONNECTING CALL
appears in the multifunc-
tion display. When the connection is estab-
lished, the message
EMERGENCY CALL –
CALL CONNECTED
appears in the
multifunction display. All information rele-
vant to the emergency, such as the loca-
tion of the vehicle (determined by the GPS
satellite location system), vehicle model,
identification number and color are gener-
ated.
A voice connection between the Response
Center and the occupants of the vehicle
will be established automatically soon af-
ter the emergency call has been initiated.
When a voice connection is established the
audio system mutes and the message
TELE AID – EMERGENCY CALL ACTIVE
ap-
pears in the multifunction display.The Response Center will attempt to deter-
mine more precisely the nature of the acci-
dent provided they can speak to an
occupant of the vehicle.
The Tele Aid system is available if:
it has been activated and is operation-
al. Activation requires a subscription
for monitoring services, connection
and cellular air time
the relevant cellular phone network
and GPS signals are available and pass
the information on to the Response
CenteriLocation of the vehicle on a map is only
possible if the vehicle is able to receive
signals from the GPS satellite network
and pass the information on to the
Response Center.
Warning!
G
If the indicator lamp in the SOS button is il-
luminated continuously and there was no
voice connection to the Response Center
established, then the Tele Aid system could
not initiate an emergency call (e.g. the rele-
vant cellular phone network is not available).
The message
EMERGENCY CALL –
CALL FAILED appears in the multifunction
display for approx. 10 seconds.
Should this occur, assistance must be sum-
moned by other means.