59 Getting started
Parking and locking
Parking brake
1Parking brake pedal
2Release handle
Step firmly on parking brake pedal1.
When the engine is running, the indica-
tor lamp;(USA only) or3
(Canada only) in the instrument cluster
will be illuminated.
Switching off headlamps
Turn the exterior lamp switch to posi-
tion M (
page 53).
For more information, see “Exterior lamp
switch” (
page 123).
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey or the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* from the starter switch, take
it with you, and lock the vehicle. Do not
leave children unattended in the vehicle, or
with access to an unlocked vehicle. Children
could release the parking brake and/or
move the gear selector lever from
positionP, either of which could result in an
accident and/or serious injury.
Warning!
G
Getting out of your vehicle with the gear se-
lector lever not fully engaged in positionP is
dangerous. Also, when parked on an incline,
positionP alone may not prevent your vehi-
cle from moving, possibly hitting people or
objects.
Always set the parking brake in addition to
shifting to positionP (
page 164).
When parked on an incline, also turn front
wheels towards the road curb.
61 Getting started
Parking and locking
Releasing seat belts
Press the seat belt release button
(page 47).
Allow the retractor to completely re-
wind the seat belt by guiding the latch
plate.
Locking
!Make sure the seat belt retracts fully so
that the seat belt and/or latch plate
cannot get caught or pinched in the
door or in the seat mechanism. This
can damage the seat belt and impair
the effectiveness of the seat belt,
and/or cause damage to the door
and/or door trim panel. Such damage
is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.
Damaged seat belts must be replaced.
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Light Truck Center.
Warning!
G
To prevent possible personal injury, always
keep hands and fingers away from the door
openings when closing the doors. Be espe-
cially careful when small children are
around.
Before closing doors, make sure that there
is no possibility of someone getting caught
in a door during closing.Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey or the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* from the starter switch, take
it with you, and lock the vehicle. Do not
leave children unattended in the vehicle, or
with access to an unlocked vehicle. Unsu-
pervised use of vehicle equipment may
cause an accident and/or serious personal
injury.
iIf you hear a warning signal you have
either
forgotten to turn off the lights be-
fore opening the driver’s door
In addition the message
Turn off
lamps
appears in the multifunction
display.
or
tried to turn off the engine while the
gear selector lever is not inP
In addition the message
Gear se-
lector lever to P
appears in the
multifunction display.
Turn off the lights or place the gear se-
lector lever inP.
76 Safety and SecurityOccupant safetyRaising the roll bar
Lift the switch for the retractable hard-
top.
Press and hold button2 until the roll
bar is raised.Lowering the roll bar
If the roll bar was raised manually:
Lift the switch for the retractable hard-
top.
Press and hold button1 until the roll
bar is lowered.
If the roll bar was raised automatically:
Press and hold button2 until you hear
the roll bar lock into place.
Press and hold button1 until the roll
bar is lowered.
Children in the vehicle
If an infant or child is traveling with you in
the vehicle:
Secure the child using an infant or child
restraint appropriate to the age and
size of the child.
Make sure the infant or child is proper-
ly secured by a belt at all times while
the vehicle is in motion.
Infant and child restraint seats and infor-
mation on choosing an appropriate re-
straint system can be obtained from any
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Warning!
G
If the roll bar warning light in the ta-
chometer remains lit after starting the en-
gine, there is a malfunction. In the display
you see the message
Raise the
roll-over bar
.
For safety reasons, drive only with the roll
bar upright until the malfunction is repaired.
Have your vehicle checked at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
iIf you raised the roll bar manually using
the button, the roll bar will be automat-
ically lowered and then raised again
when you close and open the retract-
able hardtop.
77 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Infant and child restraint systems
Only use a BabySmart
TM compatible child
restraint for the front passenger seat in
this vehicle.
We recommend all infants and children be
properly restrained at all times while the
vehicle is in motion.
The passenger lap-shoulder belt has a spe-
cial seat belt retractor for the secure fas-
tening of child restraints.
To fasten a child restraint follow child re-
straint instructions for mounting. Then pull
the shoulder belt out completely and let it
retract. During the seat belt retraction a
ratcheting sound can be heard to indicate
that the special seat belt retractor is acti-
vated. The belt is now locked. Push down
on child restraint to take up any slack.
To deactivate, release seat belt buckle and
let seat belt retract completely. The seat
belt can again be used in the usual man-
ner.The use of infant or child restraints is re-
quired by law in all 50 states, the District of
Columbia, the U.S. territories, and all Ca-
nadian provinces.
Infants and small children should be seat-
ed in an appropriate infant or child re-
straint system which is properly secured
by a lap-shoulder belt and that complies
with U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard 213 and Canadian Motor Vehicle
Safety Standard 213.
A statement by the child restraint manu-
facturer of compliance with this standard
can be found on the instruction label on
the restraint and in the instruction manual
provided with the restraint.When using any infant or child restraint
system, be sure to carefully read and fol-
low all manufacturer’s instructions for in-
stallation and use.
Please read and observe warning labels af-
fixed to inside of vehicle and to infant or
child restraints.
Warning!
G
Never release the seat belt buckle while the
vehicle is in motion, since the special seat
belt retractor will be deactivated.
Warning!
G
Children 12 years old and under must never
ride in this vehicle, except in a
Mercedes-Benz authorized BabySmart
TM
compatible child seat, which operates with
the BabySmart
TM system installed in the ve-
hicle to deactivate the passenger front air-
bag when it is properly installed. Otherwise
they will be struck by the airbag when it in-
flates in a crash. If this happens, serious or
fatal injury will result.
97 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch, take it
with you, and lock the vehicle. Do not leave
children unattended in the vehicle, or with
access to an unlocked vehicle. It is possible
for children to open a locked door from the
inside, which could result in an accident
and/or serious injury.!To prevent possible malfunction, avoid
exposing the SmartKey to high levels of
electromagnetic radiation.
iUSA only:
This device complies with Part 15 of
the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to
the following two conditions:
(1) This device may not cause harmful
interference, and
(2) this device must accept any inter-
ference received, including interfer-
ence that may cause undesired
operation.
Any unauthorized modification to this
device could void the user’s authority
to operate the equipment.
iCanada only:
This device complies with RSS-210 of
Industry Canada. Operation is subject
to the following two conditions:
(1) This device may not cause interfer-
ence, and
(2) this device must accept any inter-
ference received, including interfer-
ence that may cause undesired
operation of the device.
Any unauthorized modification to this
device could void the user’s authority
to operate the equipment.iYou can also open and close the power
windows (
page 192) and the retract-
able hardtop using the SmartKey
(
page 199).
101 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO1‹Lock button
2Š Unlock button for the trunk lid
3Mechanical key locking tab
4ŒUnlock button
5Battery check lamp
6Â Panic button (
page 81)
For information on using the SmartKey
buttons, see “SmartKey” (page 96).
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO with you and
lock the vehicle. Do not leave children unat-
tended in the vehicle, or with access to an
unlocked vehicle. Unsupervised use of vehi-
cle equipment may cause an accident
and/or serious personal injury.!To prevent possible malfunction, avoid
exposing the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO to high levels of electro-
magnetic radiation.
iUSA only:
This device complies with Part 15 of
the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to
the following two conditions:
(1) This device may not cause harmful
interference, and
(2) this device must accept any inter-
ference received, including interfer-
ence that may cause undesired
operation.
Any unauthorized modification to this
device could void the user’s authority
to operate the equipment.
109 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
1Remote trunk lid release switch
2Indicator lamp
Pull remote trunk lid release switch1.
The trunk lid unlocks. Indicator
lamp2 comes on and remains lit until
the trunk is closed again.
Lift the trunk lid.The trunk can also be opened using
the SmartKey, see “Locking and un-
locking” (
page 96)
the remote trunk lid release switch, see
“Opening the trunk from the inside”
(page 108)
the trunk lid emergency release button,
see “Trunk lid emergency release”
(page 111)
Closing the trunk
1Handle
Lower trunk lid by firmly pulling on
handle1.
iTo facilitate trunk loading and unload-
ing when the hardtop is retracted, you
can raise the hardtop from its storage
position in the trunk using the loading
aid feature (
page 236). You may also
unhook the luggage cover.
Remember to resecure the luggage
cover after loading/unloading the
trunk. Otherwise you will not be able to
lower the retractable hardtop.
Warning!
G
To prevent possible personal injury, always
keep hands and fingers away from the trunk
opening when closing the trunk lid. Be espe-
cially careful when small children are
around.
113 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Locking and unlocking from the inside
You can lock or unlock the vehicle from in-
side using the central locking switches.
This can be useful, for example, if you want
to unlock the passenger door from the in-
side or want to lock the vehicle before
starting to drive.
The central locking switch does not lock or
unlock the fuel filler flap.The switches are located above and be-
tween the center air vents of the air condi-
tioning.
Central locking switches1Locking
2UnlockingLocking
Press central locking switch1.
If all the doors are closed, the vehicle
locks.
Unlocking
Press central unlocking switch2.
The vehicle unlocks.
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey or the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* from the starter switch, take
it with you, and lock the vehicle. Do not
leave children unattended in the vehicle, or
with access to an unlocked vehicle. Unsu-
pervised use of vehicle equipment may
cause an accident and/or serious personal
injury.
Warning!
G
You can open a locked door from inside at
any time. Open door only when conditions
are safe to do so.