61 Getting started
Driving
Switching on windshield wipers
Turn the combination switch to the
desired position depending on the in-
tensity of the rain.
MWindshield wipers off
USlow intermittent wiping
Rain sensor operation with low
sensitivity.
VFast intermittent wiping
Rain sensor operation with high
sensitivity.
uSlow continuous wiping
tFast continuous wipingIntermittent wiping
Only switch on intermittent wiping under
wet weather conditions or in the presence
of precipitation.
When you select intermittent wiping, the
rain sensor is activated. The rain sensor
automatically sets a suitable wiping
interval depending on the wetness of the
sensor surface.
Turn the combination switch to
positionU orV.After the initial wipe, pauses between
wipes are automatically controlled by the
rain sensor.
Single wipe
Press the combination switch briefly in
direction of arrow1 to the resistance
point.
The windshield wipers wipe one time
without washer fluid.
If the windshield wipers fail to function at all in
combination switch positionU orV,
set the combination switch to the next
higher wiper speed
have the windshield wipers checked at the
nearest authorized Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center
!Do not leave windshield wipers in intermit-
tent setting when the vehicle is taken to an auto-
matic car wash or during windshield cleaning.
Wipers will operate in the presence of water
sprayed on the windshield, and windshield
wipers may be damaged as a result.
!If you have set intermittent wiping, dirt on
the surface of the rain sensor or optical effects
may cause the windshield wipers to wipe in an
undesired fashion. This could then damage the
windshield wiper blades or scratch the windows.
You should therefore switch off the windshield
wipers when weather conditions are dry.
iIntermittent wiping is interrupted when the
vehicle is at a standstill and a front door is
opened. This protects persons getting into or out
of the vehicle from being sprayed.
Intermittent wiping will be continued when
all doors are closed
and
the automatic transmission is set to
positionD or R
or
the wiper setting is changed using the
combination switch
76 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Safety guidelines for the seat belt,
emergency tensioning device and
air bagiAir bags are designed to deploy only in cer-
tain frontal impacts (front air bags), side impacts
(side impact and head protection window curtain
air bags) which exceed preset thresholds, and in
certain rollovers (head protection window cur-
tain air bags). Only during these events will they
provide their supplemental protection.
The driver and passengers should always wear
their seat belts. Otherwise it is not possible for
air bags to provide their supplemental protec-
tion.
In case of other types of impacts and impacts be-
low air bag deployment thresholds, air bags will
not deploy. The driver and passenger will then be
protected to the extent possible by a properly
fastened seat belt. A properly fastened seat belt
is also needed to provide the best possible pro-
tection in a rollover.
We caution you not to rely on the presence of the
air bags in order to avoid wearing your seat belt.
It is important to your safety and that of your
passengers that you replace deployed air bags
and repair any malfunctioning air bags to make
sure the vehicle will continue to provide supple-
mental crash protection for occupants.
Warning!G
Damaged seat belts or belts that were
highly stressed in an accident must be
replaced and their anchoring points
must also be checked. Use only belts in-
stalled or supplied by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
Air bags and pyrotechnic emergency
tensioning devices (ETDs) are designed
to function on a one-time-only basis. An
air bag or ETD that is deployed must be
replaced.
Do not pass belts over sharp edges.
They could tear.
Do not make any modification that could
change the effectiveness of the belts.
Do not bleach or dye seat belts as this
may severely weaken them. In a crash
they may not be able to provide ade-
quate protection.
No modifications of any kind may be
made to any components or wiring of
the SRS. This includes changing or
removing any component or part of the
SRS, the installation of additional trim
material, badges, etc. over the steering
wheel hub, front passenger front air bag
cover, outboard sides of the front seat
backrests, door trim panels, or door
frame trims, and installation of addition-
al electrical/electronic equipment on or
near SRS components and wiring. Keep
area between air bags and occupants
free from objects (e.g. packages, purs-
es, umbrellas, etc.).
Do not hang items such as coat hangers
from the coat hooks or handles over the
door. These items may turn into projec-
tiles and cause head and other injuries
when window curtain air bag is de-
ployed.
Air bag system components will be hot
after an air bag has inflated. Do not
touch.
85 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Infant and child restraint systems
We recommend all infants and children be
properly restrained at all times while the
vehicle is in motion.
All lap-shoulder belts except the driver’s
seat belt have special seat belt retractors
for secure fastening of child restraints.
To fasten a child restraint, follow child
restraint instructions for mounting. Then
pull the shoulder belt out completely and
let it retract. During seat belt retraction, a
ratcheting sound can be heard to indicate
that the special seat belt retractor is acti-
vated. The belt is now locked. Push down
on child restraint to take up any slack.
To deactivate, release seat belt buckle and
let seat belt retract completely. To deacti-
vate the special seat belt retractor for the
front passenger seat, the front passenger
seat must be in the most backward posi-
tion. The seat belt can again be used in the
usual manner.The use of infant or child restraints is re-
quired by law in all 50 states, the District
of Columbia, the U.S. territories and all
Canadian provinces.Do not expose the child restraint system to
direct sunlight. The child restraint system’s
metal parts, for example, could become very
hot, and the child could be burned on these
parts.
If children open a door, they could
injure other persons
get out of the car and injure themselves
or be injured by following traffic
Do not carry heavy or hard objects in the
passenger or cargo compartment unless
they are firmly secured in place. For more in-
formation, please refer to the “Loading”
(
page 297) and “Useful features”
(
page 311) sections in the “Controls in
detail” chapter.
Unsecured or improperly positioned cargo
increases a child’s risk of injury in the event
of:
strong braking maneuvers
sudden changes of direction
an accident
Warning!G
Never release the seat belt buckle while the
vehicle is in motion, since the special seat
belt retractor will be deactivated.
iFor information on child seats with mounting
fittings for tether anchorages, see “Installation
of infant and child restraint system”
(
page 95).
For information on LATCH type child seat
mounts, see “Child seat anchors – LATCH type”
(
page 93).
177 Controls in detail
Control system
Submenus in the Settings menu
Press buttonj.
The collection of the submenus
appears in the multifunction display.
Press buttonç.
The selection marker moves to the next
submenu.
The submenus are arranged by hierarchy.
Scroll down with buttonç, scroll up
with buttonæ.With the selection marker on the desired
submenu, use thej button to access
the individual functions within that sub-
menu. Once within that submenu, you can
use thejbutton to move to the next
function or thekbutton to move to the
previous function within that submenu.
The settings themselves are made with
buttonæ orç.
iThe settings you have changed will not be
reset unless you confirm the action by pressing
the reset button a second time.
After approximately 5 seconds, the
Settings
menu reappears in the multifunction display
(
page 176).
iFor safety reasons, the function
Light circuit headlamp in the Lighting
submenu cannot be reset while driving.
The following message appears in the multifunc-
tion display:
Settings
Cannot be
completely reset
to factory settings
while driving
178 Controls in detail
Control system
The table below shows what settings can
be changed within the various menus.
Detailed instructions on making individual
settings can be found on the following
pages.
INSTRUMENT CLUSTERTIME/DATELIGHTINGVEHICLECOMFORT*
(page 179)(page 181)(page 183)(page 186)(page 189)
Selecting speedometer display
modeSetting the time
(hour)Setting daytime running
lamp mode (USA only)Calling up the compassActivating
easy-entry/exit feature*
Selecting languageSetting the time
(minutes)Setting locator lightingCompass adjustmentSetting fold-in function
for exterior rear view
mirrors*
Selecting display (digital
speedometer or outside
temperature) for status indicatorSetting the date
(month)Setting night security
illuminationCompass calibration
Setting the date
(day)Setting interior lighting
delayed shut-offAudio search function
Setting the date
(year)Setting automatic
locking
Limiting opening height
of tailgate*
181 Controls in detail
Control system
Time/Date submenu
Access the
Time/Date submenu via the
Settings menu. Use the Time/Date
submenu to change the time and date
settings.
The following functions are available:Setting the time (hour)
This function is not available if your vehicle
is equipped with the COMAND system and
navigation module*.
Move the selection marker with
buttonæ orçto the
Time/Date
submenu.
Press buttonj ork repeatedly
until the message
Clock Set hour
appears in the multifunction display.
The selection marker is on the hour
setting.
Press buttonæ orç to set the
hour.Setting the time (minutes)
This function is not available if your vehicle
is equipped with the COMAND system and
navigation module*.
Move the selection marker with
buttonæ orçto the
Time/Date
submenu.
Press buttonj ork repeatedly
until the message
Clock Set minute(s) appears in the
multifunction display.
The selection marker is on the minute
setting.
Press buttonæ orç to set the
minutes.
FunctionPage
Setting the time (hours)181
Setting the time (minutes)181
Setting the date (month)182
Setting the date (day)182
Setting the date (year)182
iIf your vehicle is equipped with the
COMAND system and navigation module*, see
separate COMAND operating instructions for
information on how to set the date and time.
183 Controls in detail
Control system
Lighting submenu
Access the
Lighting submenu via the
Settings menu. Use the Lighting
submenu to change the lamp and lighting
settings on your vehicle.
The following functions are available:Setting daytime running lamp mode
(USA only)
Move the selection marker with
buttonæ orç to the
Lighting
submenu.
Press buttonj ork repeatedly
until the message
Lamp circuit
headlamp
appears in the multifunction
display.
The selection marker is on the current
setting.
Press buttonæ orç to select
manual operation (
Manual) or daytime
running lamp mode (
Constant).
With daytime running lamp mode activated
and the exterior lamp switch in
positionM orU, the low beam
headlamps are switched on when the
engine is running.
FunctionPage
Setting daytime running lamp
mode (USA only)183
Setting locator lighting184
Setting night security
illumination185
Setting interior lighting delayed
shut-off186
iThis function is not available in countries
where the daytime running lamp mode is manda-
tory and therefore in a constant mode.
266 Controls in detail
Driving systems
The driving systems of your vehicle are
described on the following pages:
Cruise control (page 266) and
Distronic* (
page 271), with which
the vehicle can maintain a preset
speed.
Distance warning function*
(
page 284) is only available with
Distronic*, which warns of stationary
obstacles or slower moving vehicles
that you are closing in on too quickly.
AIRMATIC* (page 285) adjusts the
vehicle suspension characteristics
automatically and controls the vehicle
level.
Parktronic* (page 291) and rear view
camera* (
page 295), which serve as
a parking aid.
For information on the ABS, BAS, EBP,
ESP
®, and 4-ETS, see “Driving safety sys-
tems” (
page 100).
Cruise control
The cruise control automatically maintains
the speed you set for your vehicle.
The use of cruise control is recommended
for driving at a constant speed for extend-
ed periods of time. You can set or resume
cruise control at any speed above
20 mph (30 km/h).
The cruise control function is operated by
means of the cruise control lever.
The cruise control lever is the uppermost
lever on the left-hand side of the steering
column (
page 24).
Warning!G
The cruise control is a convenience system
designed to assist the driver during vehicle
operation. The driver is and must always
remain responsible for the vehicle’s speed
and for safe brake operation.
Only use the cruise control if the road, traffic
and weather conditions make it advisable to
travel at a constant speed.
The use of the cruise control can be
dangerous on winding roads or in heavy
traffic because conditions do not allow
safe driving at a constant speed.
The use of the cruise control can be
dangerous on slippery roads. Rapid
changes in tire traction can result in
wheel spin and loss of control.
Deactivate the cruise control when
driving in fog.
The “Resume” function should only be
operated if the driver is fully aware of the
previously set speed and wishes to resume
this particular preset speed.