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286 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Adaptive Damping System (ADS)*
The fine tuning of the damping is depen-
dent on:
road surface conditions
your driving style
your personal settings
The ADS switch is located on the upper
part of the center console.
1ADS switch
2Indicator lamp for SPORT setting
3Indicator lamp for COMF settingThe following settings are available:
AUTO (for normal driving situations)
Indicator lamps2 and3 are off.
SPORT (for sporty driving)
Indicator lamp2 comes on.
COMF (for comfort driving)
Indicator lamp3 comes on.
Start the engine (page 54).
Press ADS switch1 repeatedly until
the desired suspension tuning is
reached.Vehicle level control*
The vehicle level control automatically
regulates the ride height to
reduce fuel consumption
improve driving safety
The vehicle begins adjusting to the set
vehicle level as soon as the doors or
tailgate are
unlocked
or
opened or closed with the vehicle
unlocked
For major changes in vehicle level, the
engine must be running.
iThe setting is stored when you turn off the
engine.
iChanges to the vehicle level should be made
while the vehicle is moving. The vehicle will then
reach the set level as fast as possible.
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287 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Basic settings (except R 63 AMG)
There are two settings from which to
choose:
Raised level, for driving on rough roads
Highway level, for driving on paved
roads in fair or better conditionThe vehicle’s ride height changes by the
approximate values given in table below
according to the set level:
The vehicle lowers to highspeed level
automatically when
the vehicles speed exceeds
70 mph (112 km/h)
the vehicles speed is between
60 mph (96 km/h) and
70 mph (112 km/h) for longer
than 20 seconds
Warning!G
Make sure that no one is near the wheel
housing or under the vehicle when you lower
the vehicle while it is standing still. Limbs
could become wedged into or under the
vehicle.
For safety reasons, the vehicle can only be
lowered with all doors and the tailgate
closed. Lowering is interrupted if a door or
the tailgate is opened and will continue after
the door is closed again.
Warning!G
Adapt your speed and driving to possible
changed driving behavior of the vehicle after
changing the vehicle level. The ESP
® cannot
prevent accidents, including those resulting
from excessive speed. The ESP
® cannot
prevent the natural laws of physics from
acting on the vehicle.
!Keep in mind that in rough or uneven roads,
adjusting the vehicle to a lower level may cause
the vehicle underbody to come in contact with
the road and result in damage to the vehicle un-
derbody. Always make sure the vehicle has suffi-
cient ground clearance before adjusting it to a
lower level.
!Before jacking up the vehicle with equip-
ment that lifts one or more of the wheels com-
pletely off the ground, remove the SmartKey
from the starter switch.
!Please also note the information in the
section on towing (
page 517).
iThe activation threshold is defined by the set
suspension tuning (
page 286).
iThe third available level is the highspeed
level that is set automatically.
LevelRide height
Raised+ 1.97 in (+ 50 mm)
Highway+/- 0
Highspeed- 0.78 in (- 20 mm)
iObey local speed limits. Use prudent driving
speeds appropriate to prevailing conditions.
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290 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Highway level
Close all doors and the tailgate.
Start the engine (page 54).
The switch is located on the upper part of
the center console.
1Vehicle level control switch
2Indicator lampIf indicator lamp2 is on:
Press switch1 (page 289).
Indicator lamp2 flashes. The vehicle
adjusts to the highway level.
The following message appears in the
multifunction display while the level is
being set:When the highway level is reached, indica-
tor lamp2 goes out and the following
message appears in the multifunction dis-
play:
!Keep in mind that in rough or uneven roads,
adjusting the vehicle to a lower level may cause
the vehicle underbody to come in contact with
the road and result in damage to the vehicle
underbody. Always make sure the vehicle has
sufficient ground clearance before adjusting it
to a lower level.
iThe messages can be cleared by pressing
buttonæ orç on the multifunction steer-
ing wheel.
iThe vehicle level is set to highway level auto-
matically when the vehicle speed is exceeding
25 mph (40 km/h).
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295 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Rear view camera*
Warning!G
The rear view camera is only an aid and may
display obstacles from a distorted perspec-
tive or inaccurately, or may not display ob-
stacles at all. The rear view camera does not
relieve you of the responsibility to be cau-
tious, take care and pay careful attention.
The rear view camera may not show objects
which are
very close to the rear bumper
under the rear bumper
above the tailgate handle
You are responsible for safety at all times
and must continue to pay attention to the
immediate surroundings when parking and
maneuvering. This includes the area behind,
in front of and beside the vehicle. Otherwise
you could endanger yourself or others.
Warning!G
Make sure that no persons or animals are in
or near the area in which you are
parking/maneuvering. Otherwise, they
could be injured.
Warning!G
The rear view camera either will not function
or will not function to its full capability if
the tailgate is open
it is raining very hard, snowing or foggy
it is night or you are parking/maneuver-
ing your vehicle in an area where it is
very dark
the camera is exposed to a very bright
white light
the immediate surroundings are illumi-
nated with fluorescent light (the display
may flicker)
there is a sudden change in tempera-
ture, e.g. if you drive into a heated
garage from the cold (lens condensa-
tion)
the camera lens is dirty or covered
the rear of your vehicle is damaged
In this case, have the position and set-
ting of the camera checked by a quali-
fied specialist workshop.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you
contact a Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center for this purpose.
Do not use the rear view camera in these sit-
uations. Otherwise you could injure yourself
or others and/or damage property including
your vehicle while parking/maneuvering.
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296 Controls in detail
Driving systems
The rear view camera is an optical parking
aid. It shows you the area behind the vehi-
cle in the COMAND system display when
reverse gear R is engaged, for example
during parallel parking.
The rear view camera is located near the
tailgate handle.
1Rear view cameraSwitching the rear view camera
on and off
Switch on the ignition (page 39).
Shift the automatic transmission to
positionR (
page 197).
The area behind the vehicle appears in
the COMAND system display.
Shift the automatic transmission to
positionP,N orD to switch off the rear
view camera.
iThe area behind the vehicle is shown in the
COMAND system display as a mirror image, like
in the rear view mirror.
iThe image from the rear view camera will
no longer be displayed if you select another
function on the COMAND system while reverse
gear R is engaged. To display the image again,
disengage and reengage reverse gear R.
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297 Controls in detail
Loading
Loading
Roof rack*
1Trim coverFlip roof trim covers 1 open.
Attach the roof rack to the attachment
points under roof trim covers 1.
Follow roof rack manufacturer’s
installation instructions.
For further information, inquire at your
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
Warning!G
Only use the roof rack when the basic
carrier bars have been completely mounted.
The left and right roof rails are only
stabilized by means of the basic carriers
being mounted.
Follow the manufacturer’s installation
instructions. Otherwise, an improperly
attached roof rack system or its load could
become detached from the vehicle.
Do not exceed the maximum roof load of
220 lb (100 kg).
Take into consideration that when the roof
rack is loaded, the handling characteristics
are different from those when operating the
vehicles without the roof rack loaded.
!Load the roof rack in such a way that the
vehicle cannot be damaged while driving.
Make sure
you can completely raise the tilt/sliding
sunroof* (or tilt/sliding panel*) at the rear
you can open the tilt/sliding sunroof* (or
tilt/sliding panel*) completely
you can open the tailgate completely
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298 Controls in detail
Loading
Loading instructions
Load distribution
The gross vehicle weight which is the
weight of the vehicle including fuel, tools,
spare wheel, installed accessories, pas-
sengers, and luggage/cargo must never
exceed the load limit and the Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating (GVWR) for your vehicle as
specified on the placard located on the
driver’s door B-pillar (
page 526). In addi-
tion, the load must be distributed in such a
way so that the weight on each axle never
exceeds the Gross Axle Weight Rating
(GAWR) for the front and rear axle. The
GVWR and GAWR for your vehicle are indi-
cated on the certification label which can
be found on the driver’s door B-pillar
(
page 526).
For more information, see “Tire and Load-
ing Information” (
page 377).
The handling characteristics of a fully
loaded vehicle depend greatly on the load
distribution. It is therefore recommended
to load the vehicle according to the illustra-
tions shown, with the heaviest items being
placed towards the front of the vehicle.
Warning!G
Always fasten items being carried as
securely as possible using cargo tie-down
rings and fastening materials appropriate
for the weight and size of the load.
In an accident, during hard braking or
sudden maneuvers, loose items will be
thrown around inside the vehicle, and can
cause injury to vehicle occupants unless the
items are securely fastened in the vehicle.
To help avoid personal injury during a
collision or sudden maneuver, always use
tie-down rings and, if so equipped, always
use the partition net* when transporting
cargo.
Never drive vehicle with the tailgate open.
Deadly carbon monoxide (CO) gases may
enter vehicle interior resulting in uncon-
sciousness and death.
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301 Controls in detail
Loading
Expanding cargo compartment
You can separately fold each seat of the
rear passenger compartment to expand
the cargo compartment.
Expanding cargo compartment in part
Folding third-row seats
Completely lower the head restraints of
the third-row seats.1Seat belt holder
2Release handle
3Seat backrest
Place seat belt in seat belt holder 1.
Pull release handle 2 on seat
backrest3 in direction of arrow.
Seat backrest 3 is released.
Warning!G
When expanding the cargo compartment,
always fully fold the corresponding seats
and, if so equipped, always use the partition
net* (
page 308) when transporting cargo.
Unless you are transporting cargo, the seat
backrests must remain properly locked in
the upright position.
In an accident, during hard braking or
sudden maneuvers, loose items will be
thrown around inside the vehicle, and can
cause injury to vehicle occupants unless the
items are securely fastened in the vehicle.
Always use the cargo tie down rings
(
page 299).
Warning!G
Never drive vehicle with the tailgate open.
Deadly carbon monoxide (CO) gases may
enter vehicle interior resulting in uncon-
sciousness and death.
!When the second-row seats are folded
forward, the front seats may not be moved to the
rearmost position. Otherwise you could damage
the front and second-row seats.
iThe third-row head restraints are adjusted in
the same manner as the head restraints of the
second-row seats (
page 139).