Contents
Control system .................................. 157
Multifunction display .................... 157
Multifunction steering wheel ........ 158
Menus .......................................... 160
Standard display menu ................ 164
Audio menu .................................. 166
NAV* menu .................................. 168
Off-road menu .............................. 168
DISTRONIC* menu ....................... 169
Vehicle status message
memory menu .............................. 169
Settings menu .............................. 170
Vehicle configuration ................... 185
Trip computer menu..................... 187
TEL* menu ................................... 189
Automatic transmission ..................... 192
Gear selector lever ....................... 192
Shifting procedure ....................... 195
Transmission positions................. 195
Driving tips ................................... 198
Gear ranges ................................. 200
Steering wheel gearshift control .. 201
Emergency operation
(Limp-Home Mode) ...................... 202
Transfer case ..................................... 203
LOW RANGE mode* ..................... 203Differential locks* .............................. 206
A few words about differentials
and differential locks* .................. 206
Switching differential locks* ......... 207
Good visibility ..................................... 210
Headlamp cleaning system* ......... 210
Rear view mirrors.......................... 210
Power folding exterior
rear view mirrors*......................... 211
Sun visors ..................................... 213
Rear panorama roof sunshade ...... 214
Rear window defroster .................. 215
Climate control ................................... 216
Deactivating the
climate control system ................. 220
Operating the climate control
system in automatic mode............ 220
Setting the temperature................ 221
Adjusting air distribution............... 221
Adjusting air volume ..................... 222
Air vents in the roof liner
over the second-row seats* .......... 222
Front defroster.............................. 223
Air recirculation mode .................. 224
Air conditioning............................. 226
Residual heat and ventilation ........ 227Rear climate control* ................... 228
3-zone automatic climate control* ..... 230
Deactivating the automatic
climate control system ................. 234
Operating the automatic
climate control system
in automatic mode ........................ 235
Setting the temperature ............... 235
Adjusting air distribution .............. 236
Adjusting air volume ..................... 237
Front defroster ............................. 237
Maximum cooling MAXCOOL ........ 239
Air recirculation mode .................. 239
Air conditioning ............................ 241
Using driver-side settings
for all temperature zones.............. 242
Residual heat and ventilation ........ 242
Rear automatic climate control..... 243
Power windows .................................. 248
Opening and closing ..................... 248
Synchronizing the door windows .. 251
Summer opening feature .............. 251
Convenience closing feature......... 252
81 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
The side impact air bags and window cur-
tain air bags are not deployed in impacts
which do not exceed the system’s deploy-
ment threshold.
Vehicles with OCS* only:
The front passenger side impact air bag
will not deploy if the OCS senses that the
front passenger seat is empty and the front
passenger seat belt is not fastened (latch
plate is not inserted into the buckle). With
an empty front passenger seat and the
seat belt fastened (latch plate properly in-
serted into buckle) the front passenger
side impact air bag will deploy indepen-
dently of the empty seat.Occupant Classification System*
The Occupant Classification System (OCS)
automatically turns the front passenger
front air bag on or off based on the classi-
fied occupant weight category determined
by weight sensor readings from the front
passenger seat.
Occupants must sit properly belted in a
position that is as upright as possible with
their back against the seat backrest and
feet on the floor to be correctly classified.
If the occupant’s weight is transferred to
another object in the vehicle (e.g. by lean-
ing on armrests), the OCS may not be able
to properly approximate the occupant’s
weight category.
Warning!G
Only use seat covers which have been test-
ed 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 your autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center for
availability.
iThe system does not deactivate the front
passenger side impact air bag, the window
curtain air bag, and the emergency tensioning
device.
106 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
For more information, see the “Practical
hints” section (
page 441) and
(
page 459).
Warning!G
Never switch off the ESP® when you see the
ESP® warning lampv flashing in the in-
strument cluster. In this case, proceed as
follows:
While driving off, apply as little throttle
as possible.
While driving, ease up on the accelera-
tor.
Adapt your speed and driving style to
the prevailing road conditions.
Failure to observe these guidelines could
cause the vehicle to skid.
The ESP
® cannot prevent accidents result-
ing from excessive speed.
Warning!G
The ESP® cannot prevent the natural laws of
physics from acting on the vehicle, nor can
it increase the traction afforded. The ESP
®
cannot prevent accidents, including those
resulting from excessive speed in turns, fol-
lowing another vehicle too closely, or hydro-
planing. Only a safe, attentive, and skillful
driver can prevent accidents. The capabili-
ties of an ESP
® equipped vehicle must never
be exploited in a reckless or dangerous
manner which could jeopardize the user’s
safety or the safety of others.
!Operational or performance test must only
be conducted on a two-axle dynamometer. If
such tests are necessary, contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center. You could
otherwise seriously damage the brake system or
the transfer case which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
!Because the ESP® operates automatically,
the engine and ignition must be shut off
(SmartKey in starter switch position0 or1 or
KEYLESS-GO* start/stop button in
position0or1) when testing the parking brake
on a brake test dynamometer and such testing
should be no longer than 10 seconds.
Active braking action through the ESP
® may
otherwise seriously damage the brake system
which is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.
iThe ESP® will only function properly if you
use wheels of the recommended tire size
(
page 554).
109 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
EBP
The EBP enhances braking effectiveness
by allowing the rear brakes to supply a
greater proportion of the braking effort
without a loss of vehicle stability.
For more information, see the “Practical
hints” section (
page 438) and
(
page 471).
4-ETS
The 4-Electronic Traction System (4-ETS)
improves the vehicle’s ability to utilize
available traction, especially under
slippery road conditions. The brakes are
applied to the spinning wheel and power is
transferred to the wheel(s) with traction.
The ESP
® warning lampv in the instru-
ment cluster, starts to flash at any vehicle
speed, as soon as a tire loses traction and
the wheel begins to spin.
Warning!G
If the EBP is malfunctioning, the brake sys-
tem is still functioning. However, the rear
wheels may lock during hard braking, caus-
ing you to lose control over the vehicle and
possibly causing an accident. Adjust your
driving style to the non-operating status of
the EBP.
iIf conditions require, switch on off-road
driving program (
page 279) or LOW RANGE*
mode (
page 203).
Warning!G
When you see ESP® warning lampv
flashing in the instrument cluster, then pro-
ceed as follows:
While driving off, apply as little throttle
as possible.
While driving, ease up on the accelera-
tor.
Adapt your speed and driving style to
the prevailing road conditions.
Failure to observe these guidelines could
cause the vehicle to skid.
The 4-ETS cannot prevent accidents resul-
ting from excessive speed.
110 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
For more information, see the “Practical
hints” section (
page 436) and
(
page 451).
Off-road - 4-ETS
With the off-road driving program switched
on (
page 279), or with the transmission
in LOW RANGE* mode (
page 203), the
4-ETS designed for off-road use is auto-
matically activated.
!Operational or performance test must only
be conducted on a two-axle dynamometer. If
such tests are necessary, contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center. You could
otherwise seriously damage the brake system or
the transfer case which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
!Because the ESP® operates automatically,
the engine and ignition must be shut off
(SmartKey in starter switch position0 or1 or
KEYLESS-GO* start/stop button in
position0or1) when testing the parking brake
on a brake test dynamometer and such testing
should be no longer than 10 seconds.
Active braking action through the ESP
® may
otherwise seriously damage the brake system
which is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.
iIf the yellow ESP® warning lampv
comes on while driving, the 4-ETS is being
switched off temporarily to prevent overheating
of the drive wheel brakes. In addition, the
message
ESP inoperative See Operator’s
Manual
appears in the multifunction display.
113 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Seats
Memory function*
Lighting
Instrument cluster
Control system
Automatic transmission
Transfer case
Differential locks*
Good visibility
Climate control
3-zone automatic climate control*
Power windows
Power tilt/sliding sunroof*
Driving systems
Loading
Useful features
203 Controls in detail
Transfer case
Transfer case
LOW RANGE mode*
The LOW RANGE mode is available on vehi-
cles with enhanced off-road package*.
In the following situations you should
switch to LOW RANGE mode:
during off-road driving (page 357)
when crossing water (page 362)
when towing up or down on steep
gradients
With the LOW RANGE selected, the
engine’s power delivery and the shifting
behavior of the automatic transmission are
adjusted. Furthermore, the ABS, ESP
® and
4-ETS functions especially adapted to
off-road travel are activated.
For information on driving safety systems
during LOW RANGE mode, see “Driving
safety systems” (
page 103).
For more information on Off-road driving,
see “Off-road driving” (
page 357).Gear Ranges
There are two possible settings.
!Operational or performance test must only
be conducted on a two-axle dynanometer. If
such tests are necessary, contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center. You could
otherwise seriously damage the brake system or
the transfer case which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
!Because the ESP® operates automatically,
the engine and ignition must be shut off
(SmartKey in starter switch position0 or1 or
KEYLESS-GO* start/stop button in
position0or1) when testing the parking brake
on a brake test dynamometer and such testing
should be no longer than 10 seconds.
Active braking action through the ESP
® may
otherwise seriously damage the brake system
which is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.
iThe vehicle is equipped with full-time
four-wheel drive. Both the front and rear axles
are powered at all times when the vehicle is
being operated.
HIGH
RANGERoad position for all normal
driving situations.
(LOW RANGE mode off)
LOW
RANGEOff-road position for traveling
on rough terrain.
(LOW RANGE mode on)
Also use the off-road position
when driving on-road on steep
gradients, especially when
towing a trailer.
LOW RANGE acts by raising
the engine’s gear ratio. The ve-
hicle travels at roughly third
the speed compared to when
in the HIGH RANGE position,
leading to an increase in the
engine’s drive power.
204 Controls in detail
Transfer case
Switching LOW RANGE mode
The switch is located on the upper part of
the center console.
1LOW RANGE switch
2Indicator lamp
3LOW RANGE displaySwitching LOW RANGE mode on
(switching from HIGH RANGE to LOW
RANGE)
Press LOW RANGE switch1.
Indicator lamp2 flashes.
If the system senses that all conditions
are met, it will switch to LOW RANGE
mode. A chime sounds and the LOW
RANGE display3 appears in the multi-
function display.
The indicator lamp2 on the
LOW RANGE switch comes on continu-
ously, indicating that the LOW RANGE
mode has been activated.
Warning!G
Always wait until the procedure of shifting
from HIGH RANGE to LOW RANGE – and
from LOW RANGE to HIGH RANGE – has
been entirely completed. During this proce-
dure do not:
switch off the engine
shift the automatic transmission into
another gear
If you do not wait until the shifting proce-
dure has been entirely completed then it
might not be correctly performed. The trans-
fer case might be in neutral, thus interrupt-
ing the transfer of power between the
engine and the drive axle.
The vehicle is then freely movable, even if a
gear has been selected, and could uninten-
tionally be set into motion – particularly on
up – or downhill grades. This could lead to
an accident and cause injury to yourself and
others.
Please observe related messages appearing
in the multifunction display (
page 493).
!The shift procedure can only be performed
when the following conditions are met:
The engine is running (page 41).
The automatic transmission is in positionN
(
page 193).
The vehicle speed does not exceed 25 mph
(40 km/h).
iThere is no reset to HIGH after the ignition
has been switched off.