Page 366 of 585

365 Operation
Tires and wheels
Tires and wheels
See an authorized Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center for information on tested and
recommended rims and tires for summer
and winter operation. They can also offer
advice concerning tire service and
purchase.
Important guidelines
Only use sets of tires and rims of the
same type and make.
Tires must be of the correct size for the
rim.
Break in new tires for approximately
60 miles (100 km) at moderate
speeds.
Regularly check the tires and rims for
damage. Dented or bent rims can
cause tire inflation pressure loss or
damage to the tire beads.
If vehicle is heavily loaded, check tire
inflation pressure and correct as
required.
Do not allow your tires to wear down
too far. Adhesion properties on wet
roads are sharply reduced at tread
depths under
1/8in (3 mm).
When replacing individual tires, you
should mount new tires on the front
wheels first (on vehicles with
same-sized wheels all around).
Warning!
G
Replace rims or tires with the same designa-
tion, manufacturer and type as shown on the
original part. See an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center for fur-
ther information. If incorrectly sized rims
and tires are mounted:
The wheel brakes or suspension
components can be damaged.
The operating clearance of the wheels
and the tires may no longer be correct.
Warning!
G
Worn, old tires can cause accidents. If the
tire tread is badly worn, or if the tires have
sustained damage, replace them.
When replacing rims, only use genuine
Mercedes-Benz wheel bolts specified for the
particular rim type. Failure to do so can
result in the bolts loosening and possibly an
accident.
Retreaded tires are not tested or recom-
mended by Mercedes-Benz, since previous
damage cannot always be recognized on re-
treads. The operating safety of the vehicle
cannot be assured when such tires are used.
Page 411 of 585

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.
Page 415 of 585

414 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Lamps in instrument clusterGeneral information:
If any of the following lamps in the instru-
ment cluster fails to come on during thebulb self-check when switching on the
ignition, have the respective bulb checked
and replaced if necessary.Problem
Possible cause/consequence
Suggested solution
-
The yellow ABS indicator lamp
comes on while the engine is
running.
ABS has detected a malfunction and has
switched off. The BAS, ESP
®, EBP and 4-ETS
are also switched off (see messages in multi-
function display).
The brake system is still functioning normally
but without the ABS available.
If the ABS control unit is malfunctioning,
other systems such as the navigation
system* or the automatic transmission may
also be malfunctioning.
Continue driving with added caution.
Wheels may lock during hard braking,
reducing steering capability.
Read and observe messages in the
multifunction display (
page 428).
Have the system checked at an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center as soon as possible.
Failure to follow these instructions
increases the risk of an accident.
The charging voltage has fallen below
10 volts. The ABS has switched off.
The battery might not be charged sufficiently.
When the voltage is above this value
again, the ABS is operational again and
the ABS indicator lamp should go out.
If the ABS indicator lamp should go out:
Have the generator (alternator) and
the battery checked.
Page 416 of 585

415 Practical hints
What to do if …
Problem
Possible cause/conse-
quence
Suggested solution
;
(USA only)
3
(Canada only)
The red brake warning lamp
comes on while driving and
you hear a warning sound.
You are driving with the
parking brake set.
Release the parking brake
(page 57).
There is insufficient brake fluid
in the reservoir.
Risk of accident! Carefully stop the
vehicle in a safe location or as soon it
is safe to do so.
Apply the parking brake (
page 65).
Notify an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Light Truck Center. Do not add brake
fluid! This will not solve the problem.
Warning!
G
Driving with the brake warning lamp illumi-
nated can result in an accident. Have your
brake system checked immediately if the
brake warning lamp stays on.
Do not add brake fluid before checking the
brake system. Overfilling the brake fluid res-
ervoir can result in spilling brake fluid on hot
engine parts and the brake fluid catching
fire. You can be seriously burned.
!
If you find that the brake fluid in the brake
fluid reservoir has fallen to the minimum mark or
below, have the brake system checked for brake
pad thickness and leaks.
Page 417 of 585
416 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Problem
Possible cause/conse-
quence
Suggested solution
;
(USA only)
3
(Canada only)
-
v
The red brake warning lamp
comes on while driving. In ad-
dition, the yellow ABS malfunc-
tion indicator lamp, and the
yellow ESP
® warning lamp
come on and a warning will
sound.
A malfunction in the Electronic
Brake Proportioning
(page 101) was detected.
Have the system checked at an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center as soon as possible.
Failure to follow these instructions
increases the risk of an accident.
Page 418 of 585

417 Practical hints
What to do if …
Problem
Possible cause/consequence
Suggested solution
?
(USA only)
±
(Canada only)
The yellow engine malfunc-
tion indicator lamp comes on
while driving.
There is a malfunction in:
The fuel management system
The ignition system
The emission control system
Systems which affect
emissions
Such malfunctions may result in
excessive emissions values and
may switch the engine to its
limp-home (emergency opera-
tion) mode (
page 198).
Have the vehicle checked as soon as
possible by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
An on-board diagnostic connector is
used by the service station to link the
vehicle to the shop diagnostics
system. It allows the accurate identi-
fication of system malfunctions
through the readout of diagnostic
trouble codes. It is located in the
front left area of the footwell next to
the parking brake pedal.
i
Some states may by law require you to visit
a workshop immediately as soon as the engine
malfunction indicator lamp comes on. Check
local requirements.
Page 424 of 585

423 Practical hints
What to do if …
Problem
Possible cause/consequence
Suggested solution
l
The red distance warning lamp
comes on while driving and you
hear a warning chime sound.
You are gaining too rapidly on the vehicle
ahead of you.
The distance warning system has recog-
nized a stationary obstacle on your probable
line of travel.
Apply the brakes immediately.
Carefully observe the traffic
situation. You may need to brake
or maneuver to avoid hitting an
obstacle.
1
The red SRS indicator lamp comes
on while driving.
There is a malfunction in the restraint systems.
The air bags or emergency tensioning device
(ETDs) could deploy unexpectedly or fail to
deploy unexpectedly in an accident.
Drive with added caution to the
nearest authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center.
Warning!
G
In the event a malfunction of the SRS is indi-
cated as outlined above, the SRS may not be
operational. For your safety, we strongly
recommend that you visit an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center immedi-
ately to have the system checked, otherwise
the SRS may not be activated when needed
in an accident, which could result in serious
or fatal injury, or it might deploy unexpect-
edly and unnecessarily which could result in
an accident and/or injury to you or to
others.
Page 431 of 585

430 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Text messagesDisplay message
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
ABS
inoperative
See Operator’s Manual
The ABS has detected a malfunction
and has switched off.
The ESP
® and the BAS are also
deactivated.
The brake system is still functioning
normally but without the ABS avail-
able.
Continue driving with added caution.
Wheels may lock during hard braking,
reducing steering capability.
Have the system checked at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center as soon
as possible.
Failure to follow these instructions increases
the risk of accident.
unavailable
See Operator’s Manual
The ABS was deactivated because of
insufficient power supply. The charg-
ing voltage has fallen below 10 volts.
The brake system is still functioning
normally but without the ABS
available.
When the voltage is above this value again, the
ABS is operational again and the message in
the multifunction display should disappear.
If the message in the multifunction display
does not disappear:
Have the generator (alternator) and the
battery checked.