359 Operation
Engine compartment
Press buttonk orj on the
multifunction steering wheel until the
following message appears in the mul-
tifunction display:
One of the following messages will
subsequently appear in the
multifunction display:
Engine oil level OK
Add 1.0 qt. to reach max. oil
level(Canada:
1.0 liter
)
Add 1.5 qts. to reach max. oil
level(Canada:
1.5 liters
)
Add 2.0 qts. to reach max. oil
level(Canada:
2.0 liters
)
If necessary, add engine oil
(page 361).
For information on adding engine oil, see
(
page 361).
For more information on engine oil, see
“Technical data” section (
page 543) and
(
page 546).
Other display messages
If the SmartKey or KEYLESS-GO*
start/stop button is not in position2, the
following message will appear:
Switch ignition on
to check engine oil level
Switch on the ignition (
page 40).
If you see the message:
Observe waiting period
If the engine is at operating
temperature, wait 5 minutes before
repeating check procedure.
If the engine is not at operating temper-
ature, wait 30 minutes before repeat-
ing check procedure.
If you see the message:
Engine oil level
Not when engine on
Turn off the engine.
If the engine is at operating tempera-
ture, wait 5 minutes before checking
oil.
If the engine is not at operating temper-
ature yet, you must wait 30 minutes
before checking oil.
If there is excess engine oil with the engine
at operating temperature, the following
message will appear:
Engine oil level
Reduce oil level
i
If you want to interrupt the checking proce-
dure, press the
k
or
j
button on the
multifunction steering wheel.
405 Operation
Vehicle care
Your vehicle has been treated at the facto-
ry with a wax-base rustproofing in the body
cavities which will last for the lifetime of
the vehicle. Post-production treatment is
neither necessary nor recommended by
Mercedes-Benz because of the possibility
of incompatibility between materials used
in the production process and others ap-
plied later.
We have selected car-care products and
compiled recommendations which are
specially matched to our vehicles and
which always reflect the latest technology.
You can obtain Mercedes-Benz approved
car-care products at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
Scratches, corrosive deposits, corrosion or
damage due to negligent or incorrect care
cannot always be removed or repaired with
the car-care products recommended here.
In such cases it is best to seek aid at an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center.The following topics deal with the cleaning
and care of your vehicle and give important
“how-to” information as well as references
to Mercedes-Benz approved car-care
products.
Power washerTar stains
Quickly remove tar stains before they dry
and become more difficult to remove. A tar
remover is recommended.
Paintwork, painted body components
Mercedes-Benz approved Paint Care
should be applied when water drops on the
paint surface do not “bead up”. This should
normally be done every 3 to 5 months,
depending on the climate and washing
detergent used.
Mercedes-Benz approved Paint Cleaner
should be applied if the paint surface
shows signs of dirt embedding (i.e. loss of
gloss).
!
Follow the instructions provided by the
power washer manufacturer on maintaining a
distance between the vehicle and the nozzle of
the power washer.
Never use a round nozzle to power-wash tires.
The intense jet of water can result in damage to
the tire.
Always replace a damaged tire.
Always keep the jet of water moving across the
surface. Do not aim directly at electrical parts,
electrical connectors, seals, or other rubber
parts.
i
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*:
If a door handle is hit by a strong jet of water, and
a SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* is in close
proximity, i.e. within approximately 3 ft (approxi-
mately 1 m), the vehicle could be inadvertently
locked or unlocked.
!
Affixing stickers, magnets, adhesive tape or
similar materials to painted body components
may damage the paintwork.
406 OperationVehicle careDo not apply any of these products or wax
if your vehicle is parked in the sun or if the
hood is still hot.
Use the appropriate MB-Touch-Up
Stick for quick and provisional repairs
of minor paint damage (i.e. chips from
stones, vehicle doors, etc.).
Engine cleaning
Prior to cleaning the engine compartment
make sure to protect electrical compo-
nents and connectors from the intrusion of
water and cleaning agents.
Corrosion protection, such as
MB Anticorrosion Wax, should be applied
to the engine compartment after every en-
gine cleaning. Before applying, all control
linkage bushings and joints should be lu-
bricated. The poly-V-belt and all pulleys
should be protected from any wax.Vehicle washing
In the winter, thoroughly remove all traces
of road salt as soon as possible.
When washing the vehicle underbody, do
not forget to clean the inner sides of the
wheels.
Hand-wash
Do not use hot water or wash your vehicle
in direct sunlight.
Only use a mild car wash detergent,
such as Mercedes-Benz approved Car
Shampoo.
Thoroughly spray the vehicle with a dif-
fused jet of water.
Direct only a very weak spray towards
the ventilation intake.
Use plenty of water and rinse the
sponge and chamois frequently.
Rinse with clean water and thoroughly
dry with a chamois.
Do not allow cleaning agents to dry on
the finish.
i
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*:
If a door handle is hit by a strong jet of water, and
a SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* is in close
proximity, i.e. within approximately 3 ft (approxi-
mately 1 m), the vehicle could be inadvertently
locked or unlocked.
!
Do not use scouring agents on these parts.
Never apply strong force and only use a soft,
non-sratching cloth when cleaning the vehicle.
Do not attempt to wipe the surface with a dry
cloth or sponge.
Otherwise you may scratch or damage the paint.
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.
410 OperationVehicle careCleaning the windows and the wiper
blades
Fold the wiper arms forward until they
engage.
Clean the wiper blade inserts with a
clean cloth and detergent solution.
Use a soft, clean cloth and a mild win-
dow cleaning solution on all outside
and inside glass surfaces.
An automotive glass cleaner is recom-
mended.Light alloy wheels
If possible, clean wheels once a week.
Use Mercedes-Benz approved Wheel
Care, a soft bristle brush and a strong
spray of water for cleaning the light al-
loy wheels.
Warning!
G
For safety reasons, switch off wipers and re-
move SmartKey from starter switch
(vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*: Make sure the
vehicle’s on-board electronics have
status
0) before cleaning the windshield
and/or the wiper blades. Otherwise, the
wiper motor could suddenly turn on and
cause injury.
!
Do not pull on the wiper blade inserts. They
could tear.
!
Fold the windshield wiper arms back onto
the windshield before turning the SmartKey in
the starter switch or pressing the KEYLESS-GO
start/stop button (vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*).
Hold on to the wiper when folding the wiper arm
back. If released, the force of the impact from
the tensioning spring could crack the windshield.
!
To clean the window interior, do not use a
dry cloth, abrasives, solvents or cleaners con-
taining solvents. Do not touch the inside of the
front, rear or side windows and the power
tilt/sliding sunroof* or rear panorama roof with
hard objects such as an ice scraper or ring.
Doing so may damage the windows.
!
Only use acid-free cleaning materials. Acid
may cause corrosion or damage the clear coat.
!
The vehicle should not be parked for an ex-
tended period of time immediately after it has
been cleaned, especially not after the wheel rims
have been cleaned with wheel rim cleaner.
Wheel rim cleaners can lead to increased
corrosion of the brake disks and brake pads.
Non-approved wheel cleaners may also damage
the wheel paint if the car is not driven after
cleaning. Therefore, the vehicle’s brake system
should always be warmed-up before it is parked
after cleaning. To do so, please drive your vehicle
for several minutes to allow the brakes to dry.
When applying Mercedes-Benz approved Tire
Care and Mercedes-Benz approved Wheel Care
products, take care not to spray them on the
brake disks.
438 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Display message
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
P
Shift to P
You have started the engine or
switched on the ignition with
KEYLESS-GO* and opened the
driver’s door with the automatic
transmission not set to positionP.
Set the automatic transmission to
positionP.
or
Close the driver’s door.
Shift to P or N
to start engine
You have attempted to start the
engine with the KEYLESS-GO*
start/stop button while the auto-
matic transmission was set to
positionR orD.
Set the automatic transmission to
positionP orN.
Make sure the brake pedal is depressed
when attempting to start the engine
with the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop but-
ton.
Only shift to
Park when
vehicle is stationary
You have tried to shift the auto-
matic transmission into positionP
using the gear selector lever
although the vehicle is still in mo-
tion.
Stop the vehicle.
Apply the parking brake (
page 65).
455 Practical hints
What to do if …
Display symbol
Display messages
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
c
You are driving with one or more
doors open.
Stop the vehicle in a safe location or as
soon as it is safe to do so.
Close the door(s).
A
Gas cap is open
A loss of pressure has been
detected in the fuel system. The
fuel cap may not be closed
properly or the fuel system may
be leaky.
Check the fuel cap (
page 352).
If it is not closed properly:
Close the fuel cap.
If it is closed properly:
Have the fuel system checked by an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center.
a
You are driving with the hood or
the tailgate open.
Carefully bring the vehicle to a halt as
soon as it is safe to do so in a safe
location.
Close the hood (
page 356) or the
tailgate (
page 121).
You are trying to lock the vehicle
with the KEYLESS-GO* function
with a door or the tailgate open.
Close all doors and/or the tailgate
(page 121).
456 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Display symbol
Display messages
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
F
Key
not detected
The SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* is not recognized
while the engine is running
because
the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* is not in the
vehicle
there is strong
radio-frequency interference
Stop the vehicle in a safe location or as
soon as it is safe to do so.
Apply the parking brake (
page 65).
Search for the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO*.
Otherwise the vehicle cannot be centrally
locked nor can the engine be started
again after the engine is stopped.
The SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* is momentarily
not recognized.
Change the position of the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* in the vehicle.
Operate the vehicle with the SmartKey in
the starter switch if necessary.
Key
not detected
The SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* is not recognized
while the ignition is switched on
(page 40) and a door is
opened or closed and the
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* is
not in the vehicle.
Search for the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO*.
Otherwise the vehicle cannot be locked
nor can the engine be started.
Change the position of the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* in the vehicle.