Our company and staff congratulate you
on the purchase of your new
Mercedes-Benz.
Your selection of our product is a demon-
stration of your trust in our company
name. Furthermore, it exemplifies your de-
sire to own an automobile that will be as
easy as possible to operate and provide
years of service.
Your Mercedes-Benz represents the ef-
forts of many skilled engineers and crafts-
men. To help assure your driving pleasure,
and also the safety of you and your passen-
gers, we ask you to make a small invest-
ment of time:Please read this manual carefully,
then return it to your vehicle where it
will be handy for your reference.
Please follow the recommendations
contained in this manual. They are de-
signed to acquaint you with the opera-
tion of your Mercedes-Benz.
Please pay attention to the warnings
and cautions contained in this manual.
They are designed to help improve the
safety of the vehicle operator and occu-
pants.
We extend our best wishes for many miles
of safe, pleasurable driving.
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC
A DaimlerChrysler Company
9
Product information
Introduction
Product information
Please observe the following in your own
best interest:
We recommend using Genuine
Mercedes-Benz Parts as well as conversion
parts and accessories explicitly approved
by us for your vehicle model.
We have tested these parts to determine
their reliability, safety and special
suitability for Mercedes-Benz vehicles.We are unable to make an assessment for
other products and therefore cannot be
held responsible for them, even if in indi-
vidual cases an official approval or authori-
zation by governmental or other agencies
should exist. Use of such parts and acces-
sories could adversely affect the safety,
performance or reliability of your vehicle.
Please do not use them.Genuine Mercedes-Benz Parts as well as
conversion parts and accessories
approved by us are available at your
authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center where you will receive comprehen-
sive information, also on permissible tech-
nical modifications, and where proper
installation will be performed.
15 Introduction
Where to find it
Where to find it
This Operator’s Manual is designed to pro-
vide comprehensive support information
for you, the vehicle operator. Each section
has its own reference color.
At a glance
Here you will find an overview of all the
controls that can be operated from the
driver’s seat.
Getting started
Here you will find all the information you
need for your first drive. You should read
this section first if this is your first
Mercedes-Benz vehicle or if you are rent-
ing or borrowing this vehicle.
Safety and Security
Here you will find descriptions of the safety
and security features of your vehicle.
Controls in detail
Here you will find detailed information
about the equipment installed on your ve-
hicle. This section expands on the “Getting
started” section and also describes techni-
cal innovations. If you are already familiar
with the basic functions of your vehicle,
this section will be of particular interest to
you.
Operation
Here you will find all the information you
need for the proper operation of your vehi-
cle.
Practical hints
This section provides fast assistance for
dealing with problems you may encounter.
Technical data
All important technical data for your vehi-
cle can be found in this section.
Indexes
The table of contents and the index are de-
signed to help you find information quickly
and easily.
The following publications are part of your
vehicle documentation:
this Operator’s Manual
the Maintenance Booklet
Separate operating instructions will be
provided as required depending on the
equipment options installed in your vehi-
cle.
17 Introduction
Operating safety
Operating safety
Proper use of the vehicle
Proper use of the vehicle requires that you
are familiar with the following information
and rules:
the safety precautions in this manual
the “Technical data” section in this
manual
traffic rules and regulations
motor vehicle laws and safety stan-
dards
Warning!G
Work improperly carried out on electronic
components and associated software could
cause them to cease functioning. Because
the vehicle’s electronic components are in-
terconnected, any modifications made may
produce an undesired effect on other sys-
tems. Electronic malfunctions could
seriously impair the operating safety of your
vehicle.
See an authorized Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center for repairs or modifications to
electronic components.
Other improper work or modifications on the
vehicle could also have a negative impact on
the operating safety of the vehicle.
Some safety systems only function while the
engine is running. You should therefore nev-
er turn off the engine while driving.
Warning!G
Heavy blows against the vehicle underbody
or tires/wheels, for example when running
over an obstacle, road debris or a pothole,
may cause serious damage and impair the
o per at i ng s a fet y of yo ur veh ic l e. I f y ou f ee l a
sudden significant vibration or ride distur-
bance, or you suspect that damage to your
vehicle has occurred, you should turn on
your hazard warning flashers, carefully slow
down, and drive with caution to an area
which is a safe distance from the road.
Inspect the vehicle underbody and
tires/wheels for possible damage. If the ve-
hicle appears unsafe, have it towed to the
nearest authorized Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center or other qualified maintenance
or repair facility for further inspection or re-
pairs.
Warning!G
Various warning labels are attached to your
vehicle. These warning labels are intended
to make you and others aware of various
risks. You should not remove any of these
warning labels unless explicitly instructed to
do so by information on the label itself. Re-
moval of any of these labels may cause you
and others to be unaware of certain risks
which may result in an accident and/or per-
sonal injury.
61 Getting started
Driving
Release the parking brake by pulling on
release handle2.
The warning lamp; (USA only)
or3(Canada only) in the
instrument cluster goes out.
Driving off
Depress the brake pedal.
The gear selector lever can now be
used.
Shift automatic transmission toD orR
(
page 194).
Release the brake pedal.
Carefully depress the accelerator
pedal.After a cold start, the automatic transmis-
sion shifts at a higher engine revolution.
This allows the catalytic converter (gaso-
line engine) or the oxidation catalyst (die-
sel engine) to reach its operating
temperature earlier.
Warning!G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey or SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
from the starter switch, take it with you and
lock the vehicle. Do not leave children unat-
tended in the vehicle, or with access to an
unlocked vehicle. Children could release the
parking brake, which could result in an acci-
dent and/or serious personal injury.
iWait for the gear selection process to com-
plete before setting the vehicle in motion.
iShifting from gear positionP to positionR,
N, orD is only possible with the brake pedal
depressed. Without the brake pedal depressed,
the gear selector lever can be moved, but the
parking pawl remains engaged, not allowing
shifting to occur.
!If you hear a warning signal and the
message
Release parking brake appears in
the multifunction display when driving off, you
have forgotten to release the parking brake.
Release the parking brake (
page 60).
iOnce the vehicle is in motion, the automatic
central locking system engages and the locking
knobs drop down.
The automatic door lock feature can be
deactivated (
page 183).
You can open a locked door from the inside.
Open door only when conditions are safe to do
so.
64 Getting started
Driving
Switch on the ignition (page 42).
Switching on windshield wipers
Turn the combination switch to the
desired position depending on the
intensity of the rain.
MWindshield wipers off
USlow intermittent wiping
Rain sensor operation with low
sensitivity.
VFast intermittent wiping
Rain sensor operation with high
sensitivity.
uSlow continuous wiping
tFast continuous wipingIntermittent wiping
Only switch on intermittent wiping under
wet weather conditions or in the presence
of precipitation.
When you select intermittent wiping, the
rain sensor is activated. The rain sensor
automatically sets a suitable wiping
interval depending on the wetness of the
sensor surface.
Turn the combination switch to
positionU orV.
!Do not operate the windshield wipers when
the windshield is dry. Dust that accumulates on
a windshield might scratch the glass and/or
damage the wiper blades when wiping occurs on
a dry windshield. If it is necessary to operate the
windshield wipers in dry weather conditions,
always operate the windshield wipers with wind-
shield washer fluid (
page 65).
!If anything blocks the windshield wipers
(leaves, snow, etc.), switch them off immediate-
ly.
For safety reasons, stop the vehicle in a safe
location and
remove SmartKey from starter switch
or
turn off the engine by pressing the
KEYLESS-GO* start/stop button and
open the driver’s door (with the driver’s
door open, starter switch is in
position0, same as with SmartKey
removed from starter switch)
before attempting to remove any blockage.
Remove blockage.
Turn the windshield wipers on again.If windshield wipers fail to function at all in the
combination switch positionU orV,
set the combination switch to the next
higher wiper speed
have the windshield wipers checked at the
nearest authorized Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center
!Do not leave windshield wipers on an inter-
mittent setting when the vehicle is taken to an
automatic car wash or during windshield clean-
ing. Wipers will operate in the presence of water
sprayed on the windshield, and windshield
wipers may be damaged as a result.
!If you have set intermittent wiping, dirt on
the surface of the rain sensor or optical effects
may cause the windshield wipers to wipe in an
undesired fashion. This could then damage the
windshield wiper blades or scratch the windows.
You should therefore switch off the windshield
wipers when weather conditions are dry.
77 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Always sit as upright as possible, prop-
erly use the seat belts and use an appro-
priately sized infant restraint, toddler
restraint, or booster seat recommended
for the size and weight of the child.
Vehicles with BabySmartTM air bag
deactivation system, Canada only:
Children 12 years old and under must
never ride in the front seat, except in a
Mercedes-Benz authorized
BabySmart
TM compatible child seat,
which operates with the BabySmartTM
system installed in the vehicle to deacti-
vate the front passenger front air bag
when it is properly installed. Otherwise
they will be struck by the air bag when it
inflates in a crash. If this happens, seri-
ous or fatal injury will result.
Failure to follow these instructions can
result in severe injuries to you or other
occupants.
If you sell your vehicle, it is important that
you make the buyer aware of this safety
information. Be sure to give the buyer this
Operator’s Manual.
Warning!G
Accident research shows that the safest
place for children in an automobile is in the
rear seat.
It should be noted that with respect to both,
front side impact air bags or the rear side
impact air bags*, there is a possibility for a
side impact air bag related injury if occu-
pants, especially children, are not properly
seated or restrained when next to a side
impact air bag which needs to deploy rapidly
in a side impact in order to do its job.
To help avoid the possibility of injury, please
follow these guidelines:
(1) Always sit as upright as possible,
properly use the seat belts, and for all
children 12 years old and under, use an
appropriately sized infant restraint,
toddler restraint, or booster seat recom-
mended for the size and weight of the
child.
(2) Always wear seat belts properly.
iAir bags are designed to deploy only in
certain frontal impacts (front air bags), and in
side impacts (side impact and window curtain air
bags) which exceed preset thresholds, and in
certain rollovers (window curtain air bags). Only
during these events will they provide their sup-
plemental protection.
The driver and passengers should always wear
their seat belts. Otherwise it is not possible for
air bags to provide their supplemental protec-
tion.
In case of other types of impacts and impacts be-
low air bag deployment thresholds, air bags will
not deploy. The driver and passenger will then be
protected to the extent possible by a properly
fastened seat belt. A properly fastened seat belt
is also needed to provide the best possible pro-
tection in a rollover.
We caution you not to rely on the presence of the
air bags in order to avoid wearing your seat belt.
It is important to your safety and that of your pas-
sengers that you replace deployed air bags and
repair any malfunctioning air bags to make sure
the vehicle will continue to provide supplemental
crash protection for occupants.
79 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
When you sell your vehicle we strongly
urge you to give notice to the subsequent
owner that it is equipped with an SRS by
alerting them to the applicable section in
the Operator’s Manual.Front air bags
1Driver air bag
2Passenger air bag
Driver and front passenger front air bags
are deployed:
in the event of certain frontal impacts
if impact exceeds a preset deployment
threshold
independently of the side impact air
bags
Warning!G
Only use seat covers which have been
tested and approved by Mercedes-Benz for
your vehicle model. Using other seat covers
may interfere with or prevent the
deployment of the front side impact air bags
or the rear side impact air bags*. Contact an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center for availability.
iThe front air bags in this vehicle have been
designed to inflate in two stages. This allows the
air bag to have different rates of inflation that are
based on the rate of relevant vehicle decelera-
tion as assessed by the air bag control unit.
Vehicles with OCS* only:
On the front passenger-side, the front air bag
deployment is additionally influenced by the
passenger’s weight category as identified by the
Occupant Classification System (OCS)
(
page 81).
Vehicles with OCS* only:
The lighter the front passenger side occupant,
the higher the vehicle deceleration rate required
for the second stage inflation of the air bag.