233 Controls in detail
3-zone automatic climate control*
Activating rear automatic climate
control
Press buttonU.
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on. The temperature, air vol-
ume, and air distribution are adjusted
automatically.
Deactivating rear automatic climate
control
Press button´.
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.
The cooling function switches off after
a short delay.Operating from the front
Deactivating
Press button> (
page 222).
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.
In displaye (
page 222), you will see
the> symbol followed by
MODE
for
approximately 3 seconds.
Press button´ (
page 222).
In displaye (
page 222), you will see
the> symbol followed by
OFF
.
The rear automatic climate control is
switched off.
1
Left rear center air vent, adjustable
2
Right rear center air vent, adjustable
3
Temperature control
4
Air distribution and air volume
(automatic, manual)
5
Air distribution (directs air through
the center air vents)
6
Air distribution (directs air through
the footwells and side air vents)
7
Rear automatic climate control
on/off
8
Decreasing air volume
9
Indicator lamps for air volume
settings
a
Increasing air volume
i
The automatic climate control must be
switched on (
page 224).
i
Switch off the rear automatic climate con-
trol for improved cooling or heating output in the
front passenger compartment.
You can also switch off the rear automatic
climate control from the front passenger com-
partment (
page 222).
234 Controls in detail3-zone automatic climate control*Reactivating
Press button> (
page 222).
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.
In displaye (
page 222), you will see
the> symbol followed by
ON and
MODE
. The
MODE
display is cleared and
the indicator lamp on button>
goes out after approximately
3 seconds.
The rear automatic climate control
switches on.Setting the temperature
Press button> (
page 222).
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.
In displaye (
page 222), you will see
the> symbol followed by
MODE
.
Set the desired temperature for the
rear passenger compartment using
temperature control3 (
page 233).
After approximately 3 seconds after
the last adjustment, the display switch-
es back to its standard display and the
indicator lamp on button> goes
out.Adjusting air distribution
Use the air distribution controls5 or6
to adjust the air distribution for the rear
passenger compartment.
The symbols on the controls represent the
following functions:
Adjusting manually
Press the desired air distribution con-
trol.
The indicator lamp on buttonU
goes out.
i
You can also press the>button once
more to switch back to the standard display.
Symbol
Function
Z
Directs air to the center air
vents
Y
Directs air to the footwells and
the side air vents
235 Controls in detail
3-zone automatic climate control*
Adjusting automatically
Press buttonU while the engine is
running.
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on. The air distribution is adjust-
ed automatically.
Setting the temperature
Use temperature control3 (
page 233)
to separately adjust the air temperature of
the rear passenger compartment.
You should raise or lower the temperature
setting in small increments, preferably
starting at 72°F (22°C). The automatic cli-
mate control will adjust to the set temper-
ature as fast as possible.Increasing the temperature
Turn temperature control3
(page 233) slightly clockwise.
The rear automatic climate control will
correspondingly adjust the interior air
temperature for the rear passenger
compartment.
Decreasing the temperature
Turn temperature control3
(page 233) slightly counterclock-
wise.
The rear automatic climate control will
correspondingly adjust the interior air
temperature for the rear passenger
compartment.Adjusting air volume
Adjusting manually
Five blower speeds are available.
Press button to decrease or
buttonQ to increase air volume to
the desired level.
The indicator lamp on the buttonU
goes out. The selected blower speed is
shown by the indicator lamps for air
volume settings9 (
page 233).
Adjusting automatically
Press buttonU.
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on. The air volume is adjusted
automatically.
i
The rear automatic climate control will not
cool the air when the air conditioning is switched
off (page 231).
237 Controls in detail
Power windows
Opening the door windows
Press switch1, 2, 3, or4
(page 236) to the resistance point.
The corresponding door window moves
downwards until you release the
switch.
Closing the door windows
Pull switch1, 2, 3, or4
(page 236) to the resistance point.
The corresponding door window moves
upwards until you release the switch.
If a door window encounters an obstruction
that blocks its path in a circumstance where
you are closing a door window by pulling and
holding the switch, or by pressing and hold-
ing button‹on the SmartKey, by press-
ing and holding the lock button (vehicles
with KEYLESS-GO*) on a door handle, the
automatic reversal function will not operate.
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. Unsupervised use of vehi-
cle equipment can cause an accident
and/or serious personal injury.
i
You can also open or close the windows
using the SmartKey, see “Summer opening fea-
ture” (page 239) and see “Convenience clos-
ing feature” (
page 239).
Depending on the current position, the power
windows may also open or close when the air
recirculation button: on the control panel of
the climate control (
page 208) or automatic
climate control* (
page 222) is pressed and
held.
i
With the SmartKey in starter switch
position0 or removed from the starter switch,
the windows can be operated
until you open the driver’s or front passenger
door
for at least 5 minutes
Warning!
G
If you pull and hold the switch up when clos-
ing the door window, and upward movement
of the door window is blocked by some ob-
struction including but not limited to arms,
hands, fingers, etc., the automatic reversal
will not operate.
242 Controls in detailPower tilt/sliding sunroof*Warning!
G
When closing the tilt/sliding sunroof, make
sure that there is no danger of anyone being
harmed by the closing procedure.
If the tilt/sliding sunroof encounters an ob-
struction that blocks its path in a circum-
stance where you are closing the tilt/sliding
sunroof by moving the tilt/sliding sunroof
switch past the resistance point, or by
pressing and holding button‹ on the
SmartKey, by pressing and holding the lock
button (vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*) on the
door handle, the automatic reversal function
will not operate.
The opening/closing procedure of the
tilt/sliding sunroof can be immediately halt-
ed by releasing the switch or, if the switch
was moved past the resistance point and re-
leased, by moving the switch in any direc-
tion.
The tilt/sliding sunroof is made out of glass.
In the event of an accident, the glass may
shatter. This may result in an opening in the
roof.
In a vehicle rollover, occupants not wearing
their seat belts or not wearing them properly
may be thrown out of the opening. Such an
opening also presents a potential for injury
for occupants wearing their seat belts prop-
erly as entire body parts or portions of them
may protrude from the passenger compart-
ment.
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey or SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
from the starter switch, take it with you, and
lock your vehicle. Do not leave children un-
attended in the vehicle, or with access to an
unlocked vehicle. Unsupervised use of vehi-
cle equipment can cause an accident
and/or serious personal injury.!
To avoid damaging the seals, do not trans-
port any objects with sharp edges which can
stick out of the tilt/sliding sunroof.Do not open the tilt/sliding sunroof if there is
snow or ice on the roof, as this could result in
malfunctions.
The tilt/sliding sunroof can be opened or closed
manually should an electrical malfunction occur
(
page 478).
i
When the tilt/sliding sunroof is open, reso-
nance noises may result in addition to the usual
wind noises. They are caused by minimal pres-
sure changes in the passenger compartment. To
reduce or eliminate these noises, change the po-
sition of the tilt/sliding sunroof or open a side
window slightly.
i
You can also open or close the tilt/sliding
sunroof using the SmartKey or the
KEYLESS-GO* function, see “Summer opening
feature” (
page 239) and see “Convenience
closing feature” (
page 239).
i
Depending on the current position, the
tilt/sliding sunroof may also open or close when
the air recirculation button: on the control
panel of the climate control (
page 208) or
automatic climate control* (
page 222) is
pressed and held.
346 OperationDriving instructions
Adjust the mirrors (
page 49) to
permit unobstructed view beyond rear
of trailer.
If the trailer has electric brakes, start
your vehicle and trailer moving slowly,
and then apply only the trailer brake
controller by hand to make sure the
brakes are working properly.
Always secure items in the trailer to
prevent load shifts while driving.
When towing a trailer, check occasion-
ally to make sure the load is secure,
and that lighting and trailer brakes (if
so equipped) are functioning properly.
Take into consideration that when tow-
ing a trailer, the handling characteris-
tics are different and less stable from
those when operating the vehicle with-
out a trailer.
It is important to avoid sudden maneu-
vers.
The vehicle and trailer combination is
heavier, and therefore is limited in ac-
celeration and climbing ability, and re-
quires longer stopping distances.
It is more prone to reacting to cross
wind gusts, and requires more sensi-
tive steering input.
If possible, do not brake abruptly, but
rather engage the brake slightly at first
to permit the trailer to activate its
brake. Then increase the braking force.
If the transmission repeatedly shifts
between gears on inclines, manually
shift to a lower gear (select 4, 3, 2 or 1)
(page 193).
A lower gear and reduction of speed re-
duces the chance of engine overload-
ing and/or overheating.
On very steep inclines, not manageable
with automatic transmission in1,
switch on off-road driving program
(page 268).
When going down a long hill, shift into
a lower gear and use the engine’s brak-
ing effect.
Avoid riding the brakes, thus overheat-
ing the vehicle and trailer brakes.
If the engine coolant rises to an ex-
tremely high temperature (coolant tem-
perature needle approaching the red
zone) when the air conditioning is on,
turn off the air conditioning system.
Engine coolant heat can be additionally
vented by opening the windows,
switching the climate control fan speed
to high and setting the temperature
control to the maximum hot position.
!
If the trailer should begin to sway, reduce
the vehicle’s speed immediately.
In no case attempt to straighten out the tow
vehicle and trailer by increasing the speed.
393 Operation
Tires and wheels
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rat-
ing based on the wear rate of the tire when
tested under controlled conditions on a
specified government test course. For ex-
ample, a tire graded 150 would wear one
and one-half (1
1/2) times as well on the
government course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of their use,
however, and may depart significantly
from the norm due to variations in driving
habits, service practices and differences in
road characteristics and climate.Traction
The traction grades, from highest to low-
est, are AA, A, B, and C. Those grades rep-
resent the tire’s ability to stop on wet
pavement as measured under controlled
conditions on specified government test
surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire
marked C may have poor traction perfor-
mance.Temperature
The temperature grades are A (the high-
est), B, and C, representing the tire’s resis-
tance to the generation of heat and its
ability to dissipate heat when tested under
controlled conditions on a specified indoor
laboratory test wheel. Sustained high tem-
perature can cause the material of the tire
to degenerate and reduce tire life, and ex-
cessive temperature can lead to sudden
tire failure. The grade C corresponds to a
level of performance which all passenger
car tires must meet under the Federal
Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 109.
Grades B and A represent higher levels of
performance on the laboratory test wheel
than the minimum required by law.
Warning!
G
The traction grade assigned to this tire is
based on straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning, or peak traction
characteristics.
407 Operation
Vehicle care
Automatic car wash
You can have your car washed in an auto-
matic car wash from the start. Automatic
car washes without brushes are prefera-
ble.
To protect the filter system, switch the
climate control (
page 208) or the au-
tomatic climate control (
page 222)
to air recirculation mode.
If the vehicle is very dirty, prewash it
before running it through the automatic
car wash.Ornamental moldings
For regular cleaning and care of ornamen-
tal moldings, use a damp cloth.
!
Do not clean your vehicle in an automatic
touchless car wash which use caustic spray.
Otherwise the caustic spray will damage the
paint or ornamental moldings.
!
If you want the gear position to remain inN
(for example when the vehicle is pulled through
a car wash)
do not remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch
or, when using KEYLESS-GO*
do not turn off the engine using the
KEYLESS-GO start/stop button* and open
the driver’s door.
Otherwise, the transmission will shift toP and
lock the wheels, preventing the vehicle from be-
ing pulled through a car wash.
!
Make sure that the windshield wiper switch
is set to0 (
page 61). Otherwise, e.g. the rain
sensor could activate and cause the wipers to
move unintentionally. This may lead to vehicle
damage.
Due to the width of the vehicle, fold in exterior
rear view mirrors prior to running the vehicle
through an automatic car wash to prevent
damage to the mirrors.
i
After running the vehicle through an auto-
matic car wash, wipe any wax off of the wind-
shield (
page 410). This will prevent smears
and reduce wiping noise which can be caused by
residual wax on the windshield.
When leaving the car wash, make sure that the
mirrors are folded out. Otherwise they may
vibrate.
!
Do not use chrome cleaner on ornamental
moldings. Although ornamental moldings may
have chrome appearance, they could be made of
anodized aluminum that will be damaged when
cleaned with chrome cleaner. Instead, use a
damp cloth to clean those ornamental moldings.
For very dirty ornamental moldings of which you
are sure are chrome-plated, use a chrome clean-
er. If in doubt whether an ornamental molding is
chrome-plated, contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.