Contents
Oxidation catalyst
(diesel engine).............................. 358
Emission control .......................... 358
Coolant temperature .................... 359
At the gas station .............................. 360
Refueling ...................................... 360
Check regularly and before
a long trip..................................... 362
Engine compartment ......................... 364
Hood ............................................ 364
Engine oil ..................................... 366
Transmission fluid level ................ 370
Coolant level ................................ 370
Windshield/rear window
washer system and headlamp
cleaning* system ......................... 372
Tires and wheels ................................ 373
Important guidelines .................... 373
Tire care and maintenance........... 374
Direction of rotation ..................... 375
Loading the vehicle ...................... 376
Recommended tire inflation
pressure ....................................... 380
Checking tire inflation pressure ... 382
Tire labeling.................................. 391
Load identification ....................... 395DOT, Tire Identification
Number (TIN) ................................ 396
Maximum tire load ........................ 397
Maximum tire inflation pressure ... 398
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Standards (U.S. vehicles) .............. 398
Tire ply material ............................ 400
Tire and loading terminology......... 401
Rotating tires ................................ 404
Winter driving ..................................... 405
Winter tires ................................... 405
Snow chains.................................. 406
Maintenance....................................... 407
Maintenance service indicator
message ....................................... 407
Calling up the maintenance
service indicator display ............... 409
Resetting the maintenance
service indicator ........................... 409
Vehicle care........................................ 410
Cleaning and care of the vehicle ... 410
Practical hints.................................. 419
What to do if … ................................... 420
Lamps in instrument cluster ......... 420
Lamp in center console ................ 431
Vehicle status messages in the
multifunction display .................... 433
Where will I find ...? ............................ 472
First aid kit.................................... 472
Vehicle tool kit.............................. 472
Spare wheel .................................. 475
Unlocking / locking in an emergency .. 478
Unlocking the vehicle ................... 478
Locking the vehicle ....................... 479
Fuel filler flap ................................ 479
Opening / closing in an emergency..... 481
Power tilt/sliding sunroof* ........... 481
Resetting activated head restraints.... 482
Replacing SmartKey batteries ............ 483
Replacing bulbs .................................. 484
Bulbs............................................. 484
Replacing bulbs for front lamps .... 487
Replacing bulbs for rear lamps ..... 491
Replacing wiper blades ...................... 494
Front wiper blades ........................ 494
Rear wiper blade ........................... 495
23 At a glance
Exterior view
ItemPage
1Tailgate
Opening123
Closing125
Power tailgate*123,
125
Cargo compartment
Vehicle tool kit472
Spare wheel475
2Rear window defroster217
3Rear lamps485
4Fuel filler flap360
Refueling360
Fuel361,
542
5Exterior rear view mirrors
Adjusting49
Auto-dimming rear view
mirrors*213
Power folding*214
ItemPage
6Towing eye bolt
Vehicle tool kit472
Installing517
7Tires and wheels373,
532
Checking tire inflation
pressure382
Run Flat Indicator
(Canada vehicles)383
Tire Pressure Monitoring
System (U.S. vehicles)385
Advanced Tire Pressure
Monitoring System*
(Canada vehicles)388
Flat tire497
Spare wheel475
8Hood364
Engine oil366
Coolant370
ItemPage
9Windshield wipers60
Wiper blades, replacing494
Wiper blades, cleaning415
aWindshield
Cleaning with wiper fluid62
Cleaning415
bPower tilt/sliding sunroof*258
Panorama roof with power
tilt/sliding panel*261
cDoors
Locking and unlocking112
Opening and closing122
Locking/unlocking in an
emergency478
dFront lamps484
eHeadlamp cleaning system*212
107 Safety and Security
Anti-theft systems
Anti-theft systems
Immobilizer
The immobilizer prevents unauthorized
persons from starting your vehicle.
Activating
With the SmartKey
Remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch.
With KEYLESS-GO*
Press the KEYLESS-GO start/stop
button (
page 41) once.
The engine is turned off.
Open the driver’s door.Deactivating
With the SmartKey
Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position2 (
page 39).
With KEYLESS-GO*
Switch on the ignition (page 39).
Anti-theft alarm system
Once the alarm system has been armed, a
visual and audible alarm is triggered when
someone opens
a door
the tailgate
the hood
The alarm will stay on, even if the activat-
ing element (a door, for example) is imme-
diately closed.
The alarm system will also be triggered
when
the vehicle is opened with the mechan-
ical key, see “Unlocking the vehicle”
(
page 478)
a door is opened from the inside, see
“Opening the doors from the inside”
(
page 122)
iStarting the engine will also deactivate the
immobilizer.
In case the engine cannot be started (yet the
vehicle’s battery is charged), the system is not
operational. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center or call
1-800-FOR-MERCedes (in the USA), or
1-800-387-0100 (in Canada).
166 Controls in detail
Control system
Standard display menu
In the standard display, the main odometer
and the trip odometer appear in the multi-
function display.
1Trip odometer
2Main odometer
If you see another display, press
buttonè orÿ repeatedly until
the standard display appears.
Press buttonkorj to select
the functions in the standard display
menu.The following functions are available:Checking coolant temperature
FunctionPage
Checking tire inflation pressure382
Checking coolant temperature166
Calling up digital speedometer or
outside temperature167
Calling up maintenance service
indicator409
Checking engine oil level
(R 500 only)366
Warning!G
Driving when your engine is overheated
can cause some fluids which may have
leaked into the engine compartment to
catch fire. You could be seriously
burned.
Steam from an overheated engine can
cause serious burns which can occur
just by opening the hood. Stay away
from the engine if you see or hear steam
coming from it.
Stop the vehicle in a safe location away from
other traffic. Turn off the engine, get out of
the vehicle and do not stand near the vehicle
until the engine has cooled down.
341 Controls in detail
Useful features
Reprogramming a single signal
transmitter button
To program a device using a signal trans-
mitter button previously trained, follow
these steps:
Switch on the ignition (page 39).
Press and hold the desired signal
transmitter button (2, 3 or4).
Do not release the button.
Indicator lamp1 will begin to flash
after 20 seconds. Without releasing
the signal transmitter button, proceed
with programming starting with step 3.Operation of integrated remote control
Switch on the ignition (page 39).
Select and press the appropriate
integrated signal transmitter
button (2, 3 or4) to activate the
remote controlled device.
The integrated remote control trans-
mitter continues to send the signal as
long as the button is pressed – up to
20 seconds.
Erasing the integrated remote control
memory
Switch on the ignition (page 39).
Simultaneously press and hold outer
signal transmitter buttons2 and 4,
for approximately 20 seconds, until the
indicator lamp1 flashes rapidly. Do
not hold for longer than 30 seconds.
The codes of all three channels are
erased.Programming tips
If you are having difficulty programming
the integrated remote control, here are
some helpful tips:
Check the frequency of the hand-held
remote control5 (typically located on
the reverse side of the remote).
The integrated remote control is com-
patible with radio-frequency devices
operating between 280-390 MHz.
Put a new battery in hand-held remote
control5. This will increase the likeli-
hood of the hand-held remote control
sending a faster and more accurate sig-
nal to the integrated remote control.
While performing step 3, hold
hand-held remote control5 at differ-
ent lengths and angles from the signal
transmitter button (2, 3 or4) you
are programming. Attempt varying
angles at the distance of 2 to 5 inches
(5 to 12 cm) away or the same angle at
varying distances.
iUpon completion of programming the
integrated remote control, make sure you retain
the hand-held remote control that came with the
garage door opener, gate operator or other
device. You may need it for use in other vehicles,
for future programming of an integrated
remote control, or simply for continued use as a
hand-held remote control to operate the respec-
tive device in other situations.
iIf you sell your vehicle, erase the codes of all
three channels.
359 Operation
Driving instructions
Coolant temperature
During severe operating conditions and
stop-and-go city traffic, the coolant
temperature may rise to approximately
248°F (120°C).
The engine should not be operated
with the coolant temperature above
248°F (120°C). Doing so may cause seri-
ous engine damage which is not covered
by the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Warning!G
Inhalation of exhaust gas is hazardous to
your health. All exhaust gas contains carbon
monoxide (CO), and inhaling it can cause un-
consciousness and possible death.
Do not run the engine in confined areas
(such as a garage) which are not properly
ventilated. If you think that exhaust gas
fumes are entering the vehicle while driving,
have the cause determined and corrected
immediately. If you must drive under these
conditions, drive only with at least one win-
dow fully open at all times.
Warning!G
Driving when your engine is overheated
can cause some fluids which may have
leaked into the engine compartment to
catch fire. You could be seriously
burned.
Steam from an overheated engine can
cause serious burns and can occur just
by opening the engine hood. Stay away
from the engine if you see or hear steam
coming from it.
Turn off the engine, get out of the vehicle
and do not stand near the vehicle until the
engine has cooled down.
362 Operation
At the gas station
Low outside temperatures
(diesel engine)
To prevent malfunctions, diesel fuel with
improved cold flow characteristics is of-
fered in the winter months. Check with
your fuel retailer.Check regularly and before a long trip
Open the hood (page 364).
1Coolant level
2Brake fluid
3Windshield washer system and
headlamp cleaning system*Engine oil level
For more information on engine oil, see
“Engine oil” (page 366).
Coolant
For normal replenishing, use water (pota-
ble water quality). For more information,
see “Coolant level” (
page 370) and
“Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.”
(
page 538).
Brake fluid
!Do not fill the tank with gasoline. Do not
blend diesel fuel with gasoline or kerosine. The
fuel system and engine will otherwise be dam-
aged, which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
!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 immediately. Contact an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center
immediately. Do not add brake fluid as this will
not solve the problem. For more information, see
“Brake fluid” (
page 541).
364 Operation
Engine compartment
Hood
Opening
Warning!G
Do not pull the release lever while the vehi-
cle is in motion. Otherwise the hood could
be forced open by passing air flow.
This could cause the hood to come loose
and injure you and/or others.
Warning!G
If you see flames or smoke coming from the
engine compartment, or if the coolant tem-
perature gauge indicates that the engine is
overheated, do not open the hood. Move
away from the vehicle and do not open the
hood until the engine has cooled.
If necessary, call the fire department.
Warning!G
You could be injured when the hood is open
– even when the engine is turned off.
Parts of the engine can become very hot. To
prevent burns, only touch owner serviceable
components described in the Operator's
Manual and comply with all relevant safety
precautions.
Warning!G
To help prevent personal injury, stay clear of
moving parts when the hood is open and the
engine is running.
The radiator fan may continue to run for
approximately 30 seconds or may even re-
start after the engine has been turned off.
Stay clear of fan blades.
Warning!G
Vehicles with gasoline engine:
The engine is equipped with a transistor-
ized ignition system. Because of the high
voltage it is dangerous to touch any compo-
nents (ignition coils, spark plug sockets,
diagnostic socket) of the ignition system
with the engine running
while starting the engine
if ignition is “on” and the engine is
turned manually