178 Controls in detail
Control system
Vehicle submenu
Access the
Vehicle submenu via the
Settings menu. Use the Vehicle submenu
to make general vehicle settings.
The following functions are available:Compass adjustment
This function is not available if your vehicle
is equipped with the COMAND system and
navigation module*.
Determine your location on the basis of the
following zone maps.
Zone map North AmericaZone map South America
Press buttonæ orç to move
the selection marker to the
Vehicle
submenu.
FunctionPage
Compass adjustment178
Compass calibration179
Audio search function180
Setting automatic central
locking180
Limiting opening height of
tailgate*181
164.boo Seite 178 Freitag, 30. März 2007 12:54 12
180 Controls in detail
Control system
Drive a full circle at a vehicle speed of
between 3 mph and 6 mph (5 km/h
and 10 km/h).
When calibration was successful, the
following message appears in the mul-
tifunction display:
Compass Calibration
Completed Successfully
Audio search function
Use of the Audio search function to select
a radio station will enable you to start a
frequency scan (
Frequency) (page 164)
or select a radio station stored in memory
(
Memory).
Move the selection marker with
buttonæ orç to the
Vehicle
submenu.
Press buttonj ork repeatedly
until the message
Audio Search
Function
appears in the multifunction
display.
The selection marker is on the current
setting.
Press buttonæ orç to select
Frequency or Memory.Setting automatic central locking
Use this function to activate or deactivate
the automatic central locking. With the
automatic central locking system
activated, the vehicle is centrally locked at
vehicle speeds of approximately 9 mph
(15 km/h).
Move the selection marker with
buttonæ orç to the
Vehicle
submenu.
Press buttonj ork repeatedly
until the message
Automatic Door
Locking
appears in the multifunction
display.
The selection marker is on the current
setting.
Press buttonæ orç to switch
the automatic central locking
On or Off.
iIf the message Compass Calibration
Completed Successfully
does not appear in
the multifunction display, drive another full
circle.
If calibration does not succeed within 3 minutes,
the message
Compass Calibration appears
in the multifunction display again. Calibrating the
compass has failed due to outside influences.
Repeat compass calibration in a different
location.
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181 Controls in detail
Control system
Limiting opening height of tailgate*
Use this function to activate or deactivate
the limiting opening height of the tailgate.
Move the selection marker with
buttonæ orç to the
Vehicle
submenu.
Press buttonj ork repeatedly
until the message
Opening Limiter
Tailgate
appears in the multifunction
display.
The selection marker is on the current
setting.
Press buttonæ orç to switch
the limiting opening height of the
tailgate
On or Off.Comfort submenu*
Access the
Comfort submenu via the
Settings menu. Use the Comfort submenu
to change the settings for a number of con-
venience features.
The following functions are available:Activating easy-entry/exit feature*
Use this function to activate and
deactivate the easy-entry/exit feature
(
page 48).
FunctionPage
Activating easy-entry/exit
feature*181
Setting fold-in function* for
exterior rear view mirrors182
Warning!G
You must make sure no one can become
trapped or injured by the moving steering
wheel when the easy-entry/exit feature is
activated.
To stop steering wheel movement, do one of
the following:
Move steering wheel adjustment stalk*
(
page 50).
Press one of the stored position
buttons* or the memory buttonM*
(
page 141).
Do not leave children unattended in the ve-
hicle, or with access to an unlocked vehicle.
Children could open the driver’s door and
unintentionally activate the easy-entry/exit
feature, which could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury.
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182 Controls in detail
Control system
Move the selection marker with
buttonæ orç to the
Comfort
submenu.
Press buttonj ork repeatedly
until the message
Easy-entry Function appears in the
multifunction display.
The selection marker is on the current
setting.
Press buttonæ orç to switch
the easy-entry/exit feature
On or Off.Setting fold-in function* for exterior
rear view mirrors
Using this function, you can set the
exterior rear view mirrors to be automati-
cally folded in when you lock your vehicle.
Move the selection marker with
buttonæ orç to the
Comfort
submenu.
Press buttonj ork repeatedly
until the message
Fold In Mirrors
When Locking
appears in the multi-
function display.
The selection marker is on the current
setting.
Press buttonæ orç to switch
function
On or Off.
Vehicle configuration
The following functions are available:
iWith this function set to On and the exterior
rear view mirrors folded in using the button on
the door control panel (
page 209), the exterior
rear view mirrors will not fold out when you
switch on the ignition. You will then have to fold
out the exterior rear view mirrors using the
button on the door control panel (
page 209).
Make sure both exterior rear view mirrors are
folded out completely before driving off.
FunctionPage
Distance warning function*
on/off183
DSR set speed183
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193 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Effect
ìPark position
Shift into park positionP only
when vehicle is stopped. The
park position is not intended to
serve as a brake when the vehi-
cle is parked. Rather, the driver
should always set the parking
brake in addition to shifting into
park positionP to secure the
vehicle.
If the vehicle’s electrical system
is malfunctioning, the automatic
transmission could remain
locked in park positionP.
Have the vehicle checked as
soon as possible by an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center.
!SmartKey:
If you turn off the engine using the SmartKey and
remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch
or
open a front door
the transmission will shift to park positionP
automatically.
Keep in mind that turning off the engine with the
SmartKey alone only will automatically shift the
transmission to neutral positionN.
!KEYLESS-GO*:
If you turn off the engine using the KEYLESS-GO
start/stop button and open a front door, the
transmission will shift to park positionP
automatically.
Keep in mind that turning off the engine using
the KEYLESS-GO start/stop button alone only
will automatically shift the transmission to
neutral positionN.
iMake it a practice to always shift into park
positionP before turning off the engine and
remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch
or
open a front door
or when using KEYLESS-GO*, before turning off
the engine with the start/stop button and open-
ing a front door.
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195 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Insert the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* into the starter switch.
Switch on the ignition.
Depress the brake pedal.
Shift the automatic transmission to
neutral positionN.
Release the brake pedal.
If engaged, release the parking brake
(
page 59).
Switch off the ignition and leave the
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* in the
starter switch.
Driving tips
Accelerator position
Your driving style influences the
transmission’s shifting behavior:
Less throttle Earlier upshifting
More throttle Later upshifting
!Observe instructions
when taking the vehicle through an
automatic conveyor type car wash
(
page 428)
when towing the vehicle (page 538)
!Coasting the vehicle, or driving for any other
reason in neutral positionN can result in
transmission damage that is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Effect
êDrive
The transmission shifts
automatically. All forward gears
are available.
Warning!G
Getting out of your vehicle without shifting
into park positionP is dangerous. Also, park
positionP alone is not intended to or capa-
ble of preventing your vehicle from moving,
possibly hitting people or objects.
Always set the parking brake in addition to
shifting to positionP (
page 67).
When parked on an incline, turn the front
wheels towards the road curb.
Do not park this vehicle in areas where com-
bustible materials such as grass, hay or
leaves can come into contact with the hot
exhaust system, as these materials could be
ignited and cause a vehicle fire.
Warning!G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey or SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
from the starter switch, take it with you, and
lock the vehicle. Do not leave children unat-
tended in the vehicle, or with access to an
unlocked vehicle. Children could shift the
automatic transmission out of park
positionP, which could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury.
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204 Controls in detail
Differential locks*
For more information on Off-road driving,
see “Off-road driving” (
page 355).
Vehicles with enhanced off-road package*
are equipped with automatic locks for the
center and rear axle differential to improve
vehicle traction.
The center differential compensates
for differences in wheel rotation be-
tween the front and rear axle.
The rear axle differential compensates
differences between the rear wheels.A few words about differentials and
differential locks*
When a vehicle negotiates a turn, wheels
on the outside of the curve must travel far-
ther and rotate faster than the inside
wheels. The differential, the operation of a
set of gears that allows the powered
wheels in a vehicle to turn at different
speeds, makes this essential function pos-
sible.
The drawback is that the differential also
sends most of the engine’s power to the
wheel with the least load or strain on it. For
example, if one of a vehicle’s powered
wheels sits on a patch of snow and spins
because there is no traction, all of the en-
gine’s power will go to that wheel because
the power will take the path of least resis-
tance. Meanwhile, the opposite wheel, sit-
ting on dry pavement where it could get
enough grip to start the vehicle moving,
sits idle because it receives no power.The Electronic Traction System (ETS) ad-
dresses this problem and provides for
good control and steering ability by auto-
matically slowing the slipping wheel and
thus increasing the power to the other
non-slipping drive wheels to get the vehicle
moving. The ESP
® and ETS in this vehicle
feature such intelligent limited-slip differ-
ential technology, ideally suited for
on-road and light off-road driving. Transfer
case position LOW (
page 201) also en-
hances off-road driving capabilities
(
page 355).
More extreme off-road conditions may call
for another solution, engaging a differen-
tial lock or preventing the differential from
operating altogether. This vehicle comes
with two differential locks: transfer case
(center) and rear. Each can be engaged
simply by operating a rotary switch located
on the center console (
page 205). When
the transfer case (center) differential is
locked, the combined (or average) speed
of the front wheels is identical to the com-
bined rear wheel speed. When the rear
differential is locked, both rear wheels turn
iAt the front axles, the 4-ETS system
(
page 107) compensates for any traction
problems.
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205 Controls in detail
Differential locks*
at the same speed, independent of the in-
dividual torque. Please be aware that en-
gaging the differential locks will
significantly reduce the steering ability of
the vehicle.
For your safety and the safety of others
and to prevent damage to the vehicle, the
differential locks must not be engaged
when driving on paved roads. It is impor-
tant to understand that during
on-road/paved driving, differentials are
absolutely necessary for providing the es-
sential control and steering ability of the
vehicle. The differential locks, therefore,
must not be engaged when driving on
paved roads and should only be used to
the extent necessary to negotiate off-road
conditions which cannot be handled by the
systems (automatic 4-ETS, the ESP
®, man-
ual switch position “LOW” of transfer case)
this vehicle comes equipped with.
Switching differential locks*The rotary switch for the differential locks
is located on the upper part of the center
console.
You can select between three locking
modes.
1Rotatable outer adjustment ring with
indicator lamp
2AUTO mode: center differential is auto-
matically locked
3Center differential is completely locked
4Center and rear axle differential are
completely locked
!If the differential locks are engaged, accel-
erate gently when setting the vehicle in motion.
To avoid damage to the transmission, the vehicle
may only be operated on a dynamometer (single
axle dynamometer) if
the axle not being driven is jacked up
or
the associated propeller shaft is disconnect-
ed.
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