153 Controls in detail
Lighting
Manual control
Switching front/rear interior lighting on
and off
Press front/rear interior lighting
switch4 or2 to switch on the
respective interior light.
Press front/rear interior lighting
switch4 or2 again to switch off the
respective interior light.
Switching front reading lamps on and off
Press front reading lamp switch1
or5 to switch on the respective front
reading lamp.
Press front reading lamp switch1
or5 again to switch off the respective
front reading lamp.Switching second-row reading lamps on
and off
The second-row reading lamps are located
above the side windows.
Passenger side reading lamp
1Second-row reading lamp
Press on reading lamp1 in direction
of arrow.
The reading lamp comes on.
Press on reading lamp1 in direction
of arrow again.
The reading lamp goes out.Switching third-row reading lamps* on
and off
The switches for the third-row reading
lamps are located in the rear overhead
control panel.
1Rear right reading lamp switch
2Rear left reading lamp switch
3Rear left reading lamp
4Rear interior lamp
5Rear right reading lamp
iAn interior lamp switched on manually does
not go out automatically.
154 Controls in detail
Lighting
Press rear reading lamp switch1
or2 to switch on the respective rear
reading lamp.
Press rear reading lamp switch1
or2 again to switch off the respective
rear reading lamp.
Door entry lamps
For better orientation in the dark, the
corresponding door entry lamps comes on
when you open a door and the automatic
control is activated.
The door entry lamps will switch off when
the corresponding door is closed.Cargo compartment lamp
The cargo compartment lamp comes on
when the tailgate is opened.
If you leave the tailgate open for an extend-
ed period of time, the cargo compartment
lamp will switch off automatically after ap-
proximately 5 minutes.
iThe rear interior lighting is switched on and
off using the button on the front overhead con-
trol panel (
page 151).iIf you turn the SmartKey in the starter
switch to position0 or remove the SmartKey
from the starter switch, the door entry lamps will
remain lit for approximately 5 minutes.
156 Controls in detail
Instrument cluster
Resetting trip odometer
Make sure you are viewing the trip odome-
ter display (
page 157).
If it is not displayed, press buttonè
orÿ on the multifunction steering
wheel (
page 158) repeatedly until
the trip odometer appears in the multi-
function display.
Press and hold reset button2 in the
instrument cluster (
page 155) until
the trip odometer is reset.
Tachometer
The red marking on the tachometer
(
page 26) denotes excessive engine
speed.To help protect the engine, the fuel supply
is interrupted if the engine is operated
within the red marking.
Outside temperature indicator
The outside temperature is displayed in the
multifunction display (
page 157).The temperature sensor is located in the
front bumper area. Due to its location, the
sensor can be affected by road or engine
heat during idling or slow driving. This
means that the accuracy of the displayed
temperature can only be verified by com-
parison to a thermometer placed next to
the sensor, not by comparison to external
displays (e.g. bank signs etc.).
When moving the vehicle into colder ambi-
ent temperatures (e.g. when leaving your
garage), you will notice a delay before the
lower temperature is displayed.
A delay also occurs when ambient temper-
atures rise. This prevents inaccurate tem-
perature indications caused by heat
radiated from the engine during idling or
slow driving.!Avoid driving at excessive engine speeds, as
it may result in serious engine damage that is not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
Warning!G
The outside temperature indicator is not de-
signed to serve as an ice-warning device and
is therefore unsuitable for that purpose.
Indicated temperatures just above the freez-
ing point do not guarantee that the road sur-
face is free of ice. The road may still be icy,
especially in wooded areas or on bridges.
166 Controls in detail
Control system
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 appears in the
multifunction display.
The following functions are available:Selecting radio station
Turn on the COMAND system and
select radio. Refer to separate
COMAND system operating instruc-
tions.
Press buttonè orÿ repeatedly
until the currently tuned station
appears in the multifunction display.
1Waveband setting
2Station frequency
Press buttonk orj repeatedly
until the desired station is found.
The station search depends on the se-
lected setting in the
Vehicle submenu
of the control system (
page 183).
Pressing buttonk orj will
either start a frequency scan or select
the next stored radio station.Selecting satellite radio station*
(USA only)
The satellite radio is treated as a radio
application.
Select satellite radio with the
corresponding soft key on the
COMAND system.
1SAT mode
2Channel name or number
Press buttonk orj repeatedly
until the desired channel is found.
FunctionPage
Selecting radio station166
Selecting satellite radio station*
(USA only)166
Operating CD player167
iYou can only store new stations using the
corresponding feature on the radio. Refer to
separate COMAND system operating instruc-
tions.
You can also operate the radio in the usual
manner.
169 Controls in detail
Control system
DISTRONIC* menu
Use the
DISTRONIC menu (page 266) to
display the current settings for your
Distronic system. The information shown
in the multifunction display depends on
whether the Distronic system is activated
or deactivated.
Please refer to the “Driving systems” sec-
tion of this manual (
page 262) for
instructions on how to activate Distronic.
Press buttonè orÿ repeatedly
to select the Distronic menu in the
multifunction display.
Vehicle status message memory menu
Use the vehicle status message memory
menu to scan malfunction and warning
messages that may be stored in the
system. Such messages appear in the
multifunction display and are based on
conditions or system status the vehicle’s
system has recorded.
The vehicle status message memory menu
only appears if there are any messages
stored.
Press buttonè orÿ repeatedly
until the vehicle status message
memory appears in the multifunction
display.
If the vehicle status message memory
menu does not appear, no messages have
been stored.
Warning!G
Malfunction and warning messages are only
indicated for certain systems and are inten-
tionally not very detailed. The malfunction
and warning messages are simply a remind-
er with respect to the operation of certain
systems and do not replace the owner’s
and/or driver’s responsibility to maintain
the vehicle’s operating safety by having all
required maintenance and safety checks
performed on the vehicle and by bringing
the vehicle to an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Light Truck Center to address the malfunc-
tion and warning messages (
page 451).
182 Controls in detail
Control system
Press buttonj ork repeatedly
until the message
Compass setting
Zone
appears in the multifunction
display.
The selection marker is on the current
setting.
Press buttonæ orç to set the
respective compass zone.
For information on how to call up the
compass, see “Compass” (
page 345).Compass calibration
This function is not available if your vehicle
is equipped with the COMAND system and
navigation module*.
In order to calibrate the compass properly,
mind the following:
Calibrate the compass in open terrain.
Nearby buildings, bridges, power lines
and large antenna masts, for example,
could impair compass calibration.
Switch off electrical consumers (e.g.
climate control, windshield wipers, or
rear window defroster).
Close all doors and the tailgate.
Start the engine (page 57).
Press buttonæ orç to move
the selection marker to the
Vehicle
submenu.
Press buttonj ork repeatedly
until the message
Compass Calibration appears in the
multifunction display.
The selection marker is on setting
switched off.
Press buttonæ to set the selection
marker to
Start.
The following message appears in the
multifunction display:
Compass Calibration active
Please drive in a full circle
iMake sure you are in area where you can
drive a full circle with your vehicle without dis-
turbing traffic in order to calibrate the compass.
196 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Effect
ìPark position
Shift into park positionP only
when vehicle is stopped. The
park position is not intended to
serve as a brake when the vehi-
cle is parked. Rather, the driver
should always set the parking
brake in addition to shifting into
park positionP to secure the
vehicle.
If the vehicle’s electrical system
is malfunctioning, the automatic
transmission could remain
locked in park positionP.
Have the vehicle checked as
soon as possible by an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center.
!SmartKey:
If you turn off the engine using the SmartKey and
remove the SmartKey from the starter switch,
the transmission will shift to park positionP
automatically. Keep in mind that turning off the
engine with the SmartKey alone will not automat-
ically shift the transmission to park positionP.
!KEYLESS-GO*:
If you turn off the engine using the KEYLESS-GO*
start/stop button and open a front door, the
transmission will shift to park positionP
automatically. Keep in mind that turning off the
engine using the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop
button alone will not automatically shift the
transmission to park positionP.
iEven though this is possible, make it a prac-
tice to always shift into park positionP before
turning off the engine and remove the SmartKey
from the starter switch, or when using
KEYLESS-GO*, before turning off the engine with
the start/stop button and opening a front door.
Effect
íReverse gear
Shift into reverse gearR only
when the vehicle is stopped.
ëNeutral
No power is transmitted from the
engine to the drive axle. When
the brakes are released, the
vehicle can be moved freely
(pushed or towed).
To avoid damage to the transmis-
sion, never shift into neutral
positionN while driving.
If the ESP
® is deactivated or
malfunctioning:
Shift into neutral positionN only
if the vehicle is in danger of
skidding, e.g. on icy roads.
êDrive
The transmission shifts
automatically. All forward gears
are available.
199 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Maneuvering
When you maneuver in tight areas,
e.g. when pulling into a parking space:
Control the vehicle speed by gradually
releasing the brakes.
Accelerate gently.
Never abruptly step on the accelerator.
Rocking the vehicle
Rocking the vehicle by shifting between
drive positionD and reverse gearR can
help free a vehicle stuck in mud or snow.
The engine control system of this vehicle
electronically limits shifting between
drive positionD and reverse gearR to
very low speeds, i.e. approximately
5 mph (9 km/h). To shift between drive
positionD and reverse gearR, move the
gear selector lever past the resistance
point up or down.Working on the vehicle
Hill start assist systemOn uphill grades with a gradient angle of
more than 5°, the hill start assist system
maintains the pressure in the brake sys-
tem for approximately 1 second after you
have released the brake pedal. Therefore,
you can start off smoothly without the
vehicle moving immediately after releasing
the brake pedal.
The hill start assist system is inactive
when starting off on a level road or
downhill grades
with the transmission in neutral
positionN
with the parking brake set
if the ESP® has switched off due to a
malfunction
Warning!G
When working on the vehicle, set the
parking brake and shift to park positionP.
Otherwise the vehicle could roll away.
Warning!G
The hill start assist system is not designed
to function as a parking brake and does not
prevent the vehicle from moving when
parked on an incline.
Always set the parking brake in addition to
shifting to park position
P.