Contents
Safety and Security........................... 73
Occupant safety................................... 74
Air bags .......................................... 76
Occupant Classification System* ... 81
BabySmart
TM air bag deactivation
system (Canada only) ..................... 87
Seat belts ....................................... 88
Active head restraint ...................... 92
Rear head restraints ....................... 93
Children in the vehicle .................... 93
Blocking of rear door
window operation ......................... 100
Panic alarm ........................................ 102
Activating ..................................... 102
Deactivating ................................. 102
Driving safety systems ....................... 103
ABS .............................................. 103
BAS .............................................. 105
ESP
®............................................. 105
EBP............................................... 109
4-ETS ............................................ 109
Anti-theft systems.............................. 111
Immobilizer................................... 111
Anti-theft alarm system ................ 111
Controls in detail............................. 113
Locking and unlocking ....................... 114
SmartKey ..................................... 114
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* ...... 117
Checking batteries in the
SmartKey or SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* .............................. 122
Loss of the SmartKey or
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* ...... 122
Opening the doors
from the inside ............................. 122
Tailgate/Power tailgate*.............. 123
Automatic central locking ............ 130
Locking and unlocking
from the inside ............................. 130
Seats ................................................. 132
Easy-entry/exit feature for
third-row seats ............................. 132
Front seat active head restraints . 135
Rear seats .................................... 135
Lumbar support............................ 139
Multicontour seat* ....................... 140
Seat heating* ............................... 140
Seat ventilation* .......................... 142Memory function* ............................. 143
Storing positions into memory ..... 144
Recalling positions from memory . 144
Lighting ............................................. 145
Exterior lamp switch .................... 145
Combination switch ..................... 149
Corner-illuminating
front fog lamps*........................... 150
Hazard warning flasher ................ 151
Interior lighting ............................ 151
Door entry lamps ......................... 154
Cargo compartment lamp ............ 154
Instrument cluster ............................. 155
Adjusting instrument
cluster illumination ...................... 155
Resetting trip odometer ............... 156
Tachometer .................................. 156
Outside temperature indicator ..... 156
Contents
Emission control .......................... 373
Coolant temperature .................... 374
At the gas station .............................. 375
Refueling ...................................... 375
Check regularly and
before a long trip.......................... 377
Engine compartment ......................... 379
Hood ............................................ 379
Engine oil ..................................... 381
Transmission fluid level ................ 382
Coolant level ................................ 382
Windshield/rear window
washer system and
headlamp cleaning system* ........ 384
Tires and wheels ................................ 385
Important guidelines .................... 385
Tire care and maintenance........... 386
Direction of rotation ..................... 388
Loading the vehicle ...................... 388
Recommended tire
inflation pressure ......................... 394
Checking tire inflation pressure ... 396
Tire labeling.................................. 406
Load identification ....................... 410
DOT, Tire Identification
Number (TIN) ............................... 410Maximum tire load ........................ 412
Maximum tire inflation pressure ... 412
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Standards (U.S. vehicles) .............. 413
Tire ply material ............................ 415
Tire and loading terminology......... 415
Rotating tires ................................ 418
Winter driving ..................................... 420
Winter tires ................................... 420
Snow chains.................................. 421
Maintenance....................................... 422
Maintenance service indicator
message ....................................... 422
Calling up the maintenance
service indicator display ............... 424
Resetting the maintenance
service indicator ........................... 424
Vehicle care........................................ 425
Cleaning and care of the vehicle ... 425
Practical hints.................................. 435
What to do if … ................................... 436
Lamps in instrument cluster ......... 436
Lamp in center console ................ 448
Vehicle status messages in
the multifunction display .............. 451
Where will I find ...? ............................ 495
First aid kit.................................... 495
Vehicle tool kit.............................. 495
Spare wheel .................................. 499
Unlocking/locking in an emergency .. 500
Unlocking the vehicle ................... 500
Locking the vehicle ....................... 501
Fuel filler flap ................................ 501
Opening/closing in an emergency ..... 503
Power tilt/sliding sunroof* ........... 503
Resetting activated head restraints.... 504
Replacing SmartKey batteries ............ 506
Replacing bulbs .................................. 508
Bulbs............................................. 508
Replacing bulbs for front lamps .... 511
Replacing bulbs for rear lamps ..... 515
Adjusting headlamp aim ............... 518
27 At a glance
Instrument cluster
ItemPage
1LLeft turn signal
indicator lamp
2To dim instrument cluster
illumination155
3Reset button for:
Resetting trip odometer
Resetting all settings
156
171
4To brighten instrument
cluster illumination155
5KRight turn signal
indicator lamp
6Clock
Setting the time
176
ItemPage
7Speedometer with:
-Antilock Brake
System (ABS)
indicator lamp436
’Variable speed limiter
indicator lamp1
lDistance warning
lamp2265,
445
1Lamp without function. It illuminates when the
ignition is on. It should go out when the engine is
running.
2Vehicles without Distronic*: Warning lamp without
function. It illuminates when the ignition is on.
It should go out when the engine is running.
ItemPage
;Brake warning lamp,
USA only437
3Brake warning lamp,
Canada only437
vElectronic Stability
Program (ESP®)
warning lamp
441
HCombination low tire
pressure/TPMS mal-
function telltale,
USA only
Low tire pressure
telltale, Canada only446
446
63 Getting started
Driving
High beam
The combination switch is located on the
left of the steering column.
Combination switch
1High beam
2High beam flasher
Push the combination switch in
direction of arrow1.
The high beam headlamp indicator
lampA in the instrument cluster
comes on (
page 26).
For more information on headlamps, see
“Lighting” (
page 145).
Turn signals
The combination switch is located on the
left of the steering column.
Combination switch
1Turn signals, right
2Turn signals, left
Press the combination switch in
direction of arrow1 or2.
The corresponding turn signal indicator
lampL orK in the instrument
cluster flashes (
page 26).The combination switch resets automati-
cally after major steering wheel move-
ment.
Windshield wipers
The combination switch is located on the
left of the steering column.
Combination switch
1Single wipe
Wiping with windshield washer fluid
2Switching on windshield wipers
iTo signal minor directional changes such as
changing lanes, press combination switch only
to point of resistance and release. The corre-
sponding turn signal will flash three times.
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.
80 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
The air bags will not deploy in impacts
which do not exceed the system’s deploy-
ment thresholds. You will then be protec-
ted by the fastened seat belts.
The front passenger front air bag will only
be deployed if:
the system senses that the front
passenger seat is occupied
the 59indicator lamp in
the center console is not lit
(
page 85)
the impact exceeds a preset deploy-
ment thresholdSide impact air bags, window curtain
air bags
1Front side impact air bag
2Window curtain air bag
3Rear side impact air bag*
The side impact air bags and window
curtain air bags are deployed:
on the impacted side of the vehicle
in impacts exceeding a preset deploy-
ment threshold
independently of the front air bags
In addition, the window curtain air bags2
are deployed in certain vehicle rollovers.
!Vehicles with BabySmartTM air bag
deactivation system, Canada only:
Do not place objects heavier than 20 lb (9 kg) on
the front passenger seat. This could cause the
front or side impact air bag on the front passen-
ger side to deploy in a crash which exceeds the
system’s deployment threshold.
Warning!G
The pressure sensors for side impact air bag
control are located in the doors. Do not
modify any components of the doors or door
trim panels including, for example, the addi-
tion of door speakers.
Improper repair work on the doors or the
modification or addition of components to
the doors create a risk of rendering the
side impact air bags inoperative or causing
unintended air bag deployment. Work on the
doors must therefore only be performed by
qualified technicians. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
83 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
When the OCS senses that the front passen-
ger seat occupant is classified as being
heavier than the weight of a typical
12-month-old child seated in a standard
child restraint or as being a small individual
(such as a young teenager or a small adult),
the 59indicator lamp will illu-
minate for approximately 6 seconds when
the engine is started and then, depending on
occupant weight sensor readings from the
seat, remain illuminated or go out. With the
59indicator lamp illuminated,
the front passenger front air bag is deacti-
vated. With the 59indicator
lamp out, the front passenger front air bag is
activated.
When the OCS senses that the front passen-
g e r s e a t o c c u p a n t i s c l a s s i f i e d a s a n a d u l t o r
someone larger than a small individual, the
59indicator lamp will illumi-
nate for approximately 6 seconds when the
engine is started and then go out, indicating
that the front passenger front air bag is
activated.If the 59indicator lamp is illu-
minated, the front passenger front air bag is
deactivated and will not be deployed.
If the 59indicator lamp is not
illuminated, the front passenger front air
bag is activated and will be deployed:
in the event of certain frontal impacts
if impact exceeds a preset deployment
threshold
independently of the side impact air
bags.
If the front passenger front air bag is de-
ployed, the rate of inflation will be influ-
enced by:
the rate of vehicle deceleration as
assessed by the air bag control unit
the front passenger’s weight category
as identified by the Occupant Classifica-
tion System (OCS)
Warning!G
According to accident statistics, children
are safer when properly restrained in the
rear seating positions than in the front seat-
ing position. Thus, we strongly recommend
that children be placed in the rear seats
whenever possible. Regardless of seating
position, children 12 years old and under
must be seated and properly secured in an
appropriate infant or child restraint
recommended for the size and weight of the
child.
The infant or child restraint must be properly
secured with the vehicle’s seat belt, the seat
belt and top tether strap, or lower anchors
and top tether strap, fully in accordance
with the child seat manufacturer’s
instructions.