2008 MERCEDES-BENZ R-CLASS MPV steering

Tyres and wheels
230
X
Press the jork button to select the
Tyre pressure function or wait until the
following message appears:
Tyre pressure displayed only after
driving for a few minutes
X Press the reset button on the left of the
multi-function steering wheel
(Y page 242).
The Restart Tyre pressure monitor
Yes Cancel message appears in the multi-
function display.
X Press the æbutton.
The following message appears in the
multi-function display:
Tyre pressure monitor restarted
The tyre pressure monitor has stored the
pressure of the tyres as a new reference
value.
If you wish to cancel the restart:
X Press the çbutton. Interchanging the wheels
G
Risk of accident
Interchange the front and rear wheels only
if they have the same dimensions: for exam-
ple size, offset, etc.
After every wheel interchange/change,
have the tightening torque checked at a
qualified specialist workshop that has the
necessary specialist knowledge and tools
to carry out the work required. Mercedes-
Benz recommends that you use a
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre for this pur-
pose. In particular, work relevant to safety
or on safety-related systems must be car-
ried out at a qualified specialist workshop.
The wheels could work loose if they are not
tightened to a torque of 150 Nm.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only use wheel bolts of the
correct size which have been approved for
Mercedes-Benz vehicles.
The wear patterns on the front and rear tyres
differ depending on the operating conditions.
Interchange the wheels before a clear wear
pattern has formed on the tyres. Front tyres
typically wear more on the shoulders and the
rear tyres in the centre. Interchange the wheels every 5,000 km to
10,000 km depending on the degree of tyre
wear, provided that the vehicle has the same
size front and rear tyres. Do not reverse the
direction of tyre rotation.
Clean the contact surfaces of the wheel and
the brake disc thoroughly every time a wheel
is interchanged. Check the tyre pressure and,
if necessary, restart the tyre pressure loss
warning system or the tyre pressure moni-
tor*.
! On vehicles fitted with a tyre pressure
monitor*, electronic components are loca-
ted in the wheel.
Tyre fitting tools should not be applied in
the area of the valve, as this could damage
the electronic components.
Always have the wheels interchanged/
changed at a qualified specialist workshop,
e.g. a Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.
i Vehicles with a tyre pressure monitor*
If the positions of the wheels on the vehicle
are changed, the tyre pressure may be tem-
porarily displayed at the wrong position.
This is rectified after a few minutes of driv-
ing, and the tyre pressures are displayed
for the correct positions. Operation
* optional
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Driving
tips 232
R
Snow chains cannot be fitted to all wheel/
tyre combinations.
R Snow chains must not be fitted to emer-
gency wheels, e.g. a collapsible emergency
spare wheel.
R Fit snow chains only in pairs and only to the
rear wheels. Comply with the manufactur-
er's installation instructions.
On vehicles with the AIRMATIC package*, if
snow chains have been fitted, you may only
drive at raised vehicle level (Y page 152).
Do not exceed the maximum permissible
speed of 50 km/h.
i You may wish to deactivate ESP ®
when
pulling away with snow chains fitted
(Y page 60). This way you can allow the
wheels to spin in a controlled manner, ach-
ieving an increased driving force (cutting
action). Winter driving
G
Risk of accident
Do not shift down for additional engine
braking on a slippery road surface. This
could cause the drive wheels to lose their
grip and the vehicle could skid.
You should drive particularly carefully on slip-
pery road surfaces. Avoid sudden accelera-
tion, steering and braking manoeuvres.
If the vehicle threatens to skid or cannot be
stopped when moving at low speed:
X Shift the selector lever to N.
X Try to bring the vehicle under control using
corrective steering. Driving tips
Rolling with the engine switched off
G
Risk of accident
Do not switch off the engine while the vehi-
cle is in motion.
There is no power assistance for the steer-
ing or the service brake when the engine is
not running.
Steering and braking require significantly
more effort and you could lose control of
the vehicle and cause an accident as a
result. Braking
G
Risk of accident
Do not change down for additional engine
braking on a slippery road surface. This
could cause the drive wheels to lose their
grip and the vehicle could skid. G
Risk of accident
Make sure that other road users are not
endangered by your braking. Operation
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Trailer towing*
240Bear in mind that the payload and the rear
axle load are reduced by the actual nose-
weight.
i On vehicles without level control, the
height of the ball coupling will alter accord-
ing to the load placed on the vehicle. In this
case, you should use a trailer with a height-
adjustable drawbar.
Driving tips i
Observe the notes on ESP ®
trailer stabi-
lisation (Y page 60).
In Germany, the maximum permitted speed
for vehicle/trailer combinations is 80 km/h.
! A maximum speed of 80 km/h should not
be exceeded, even in countries where
higher speeds are permitted for vehicle/
trailer combinations.
When towing a trailer, your vehicle's handling
characteristics will be different in comparison
to when driving without a trailer.
The vehicle/trailer combination:
R is heavier
R is restricted in its acceleration and gradi-
ent-climbing capability
R has an increased braking distance R
is affected more by strong crosswinds
R demands more sensitive steering
R consumes more fuel
On long and steep downhill gradients you
must select the shift range 1,2or 3in good
time.
i This also applies if you have activated
cruise control, Distronic* or Speedtronic.
This uses the braking effect of the engine and
you will not have to brake to such an extent
to maintain the same speed. This relieves the
load on the brake system and prevents the
brakes from overheating and wearing too
quickly. If you need additional braking,
depress the brake pedal repeatedly rather
than continuously. G
Risk of accident
Never depress the brake pedal continu-
ously while the vehicle is in motion, e.g.
never cause the brakes to rub by applying
constant slight pedal pressure. This causes
the brake system to overheat, increases
the braking distance and can lead to the
brakes failing completely. Driving tips
R
Maintain a greater distance from the vehi-
cle in front than when driving without a
trailer.
R Avoid braking abruptly. If possible, brake
gently at first to allow the trailer to run on.
Then increase the braking force rapidly.
R The values given for gradient-climbing
capabilities from a standstill refer to sea
level. When driving in mountainous areas,
note that the power output of the engine,
and consequently the vehicle's gradient-
climbing capability, decrease with increas-
ing altitude.
If the trailer swings from side to side:
X Do not accelerate.
X Do not counter-steer.
X Brake if necessary. G
Risk of accident
On no account should you attempt to draw
the vehicle/trailer combination out by
increasing speed. Operation
* optional
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Care
246
Cleaning the panorama sliding sun-
roof* A protective film is laminated to the rear glass
element of the panorama sliding sunroof.
! Do not use any of the following to clean
the protective film:
R dry cloths
R abrasive cleaning agents
R solvents or cleaning agents containing
solvents
Do not touch the protective film with hard
objects, e.g. ice scrapers or rings. You
could otherwise scratch or damage the sur-
face of the protective film.
Cleaning the plastic cover !
Do not use dry, coarse or hard cloths and
do not scrub. Doing so will scratch or dam-
age the surfaces.
! In order to protect the vehicle's high qual-
ity surfaces and to retain the overall
appearance, avoid contact with cosmetics
and suntan lotion. X
Wipe plastic parts with a damp, lint-free
cloth (e.g. a microfibre cloth).
X Light soiling: use a low-foaming soap (e.g.
a light liquid hand soap) diluted in water.
X Heavy soiling: use a cleaning agent that is
solvent-free and non-corrosive. Mercedes-
Benz recommends that you use a
Mercedes-Benz cleaning product for this
purpose.
Cleaning the steering wheel boss and
dashboard X
Moisten a clean lint-free cloth with water.
X Clean the plastic parts and the dashboard.
X If particularly dirty, use a mild detergent. G
Risk of injury
Do not use cleaners and cockpit care
sprays containing solvents to clean the
cockpit and steering wheel boss. Cleaners
containing solvents cause the surface to
become porous and in the event of an air-
bag being triggered, plastic parts that have
become loose could cause considerable
injuries. Cleaning the leather upholstery* !
Cleaning
R Clean genuine leather covers using a
damp cloth, then wipe the covers down
using a dry cloth. When doing this, make
sure that the leather does not become
soaked. For leather care, you should use
leather care foam A 001 986 59 71 10.
You can purchase this from any
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.
R Clean artificial leather covers with a cloth
moistened with a solution containing 1%
detergent (e. g. washing-up liquid).
R Clean fabric covers with a microfibre
cloth moistened with a solution contain-
ing 1% detergent (e. g. washing-up liquid).
When cleaning, take care not to rub too
vigorously and always wipe entire seat
sections to avoid leaving visible lines.
Leave the seat to dry afterwards. Clean-
ing results depend on the type of dirt and
how long it has been there.
R Clean Alcantara covers with a damp
cloth. Make sure you wipe entire seat
sections to avoid leaving visible lines.
i Note that leather covers are a natural
product and as such are subject to a natural Operation
* optional
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Display
messages 263Display messages Possible cause/consequence Possible solution
Tyre pressure Check tyres
G
Risk of accident
The tyre pressure loss warning system has
detected a significant pressure loss. X
Stop the vehicle without making any sudden
steering or braking manoeuvres. Pay attention
to the traffic conditions as you do so.
X Check the tyres.
X Check the tyre pressure and correct it if nec-
essary (Y page 226).
X Repair or change the faulty wheel as neces-
sary (Y page 313).
X Then restart the tyre pressure loss warning
system once the tyre pressure is correct
(Y page 227). Check tyres, then restart Run
Flat Indicator There was a tyre pressure warning mes-
sage. X
Make sure that the pressure set is correct for
all tyres (Y page 226).
X Restart the tyre pressure loss warning sys-
tem (Y page 228). Run Flat Indi-
cator inoperative The tyre pressure loss warning system is
deactivated due to a malfunction. X
Visit a qualified specialist workshop. Please correct tyre pressures
Vehicles with tyre pressure monitor*:
The pressure is insufficient in one or more
tyres, or the pressures of the individual
tyres differ significantly. X
Check the tyre pressure at the next opportunity
and correct it if necessary ( Ypage 226). Cruise control
and SPEEDTRONIC inoperative Speedtronic and cruise control are
unavailable. X
Visit a qualified specialist workshop. Practical advi
ce
* optional
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Display
messages 267Display messages Possible cause/consequence Possible solution
> Vehicle rising
Wait briefly The vehicle level is too low. X
Do not pull away.
The rear axle level control* or AIRMATIC* has
not yet set the level required for driving.
X Wait until the display message disappears
before pulling away. > STOP car too low
G
Risk of accident
You have pulled away while the vehicle
level is still too low or the rear axle level
control* or AIRMATIC* is faulty. The rear axle level control* or AIRMATIC* should
set the vehicle to the selected level after a short
period. While the message is displayed:
X Avoid large steering angles. Otherwise, the
front wing or the tyres could be damaged when
you drive on. Listen for scraping sounds.
X Do not exceed a maximum speed of 80 km/h.
If the display message does not disappear:
X Have the vehicle checked at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop. > Level selection
not permitted You cannot change the vehicle level. Pos-
sible causes:
R
Vehicles with AIRMATIC*: you are
exceeding the speed permissible for the
selected vehicle level.
R You are towing a trailer.
R The socket of the trailer coupling is
being used, for example, by a cycle
rack. X
Vehicles with AIRMATIC*: drive slower and
reselect the desired vehicle level.
X Observe the notes on trailer towing
(Y page 239). Practical advi
ce
* optional
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Display
messages 274 Display messages Possible cause/consequence Possible solution
ò Replace air
cleaner element The engine air filter must be replaced. X
Visit a qualified specialist workshop. N Check engine oil
level when next
refuelling The engine oil level has dropped to a crit-
ical level. X
Check the engine oil level (Y page 222) and top
up the engine oil if necessary.
X Have the engine checked for leaks if the engine
oil needs topping up more often than usual. N Engine oil level
Consult workshop The engine oil level has dropped to a crit-
ical level or the measuring system is mal-
functioning.
33 X
Check the engine oil level (Y page 222).
If the engine oil level is OK:
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop.
If the engine oil level is not OK:
X Top up the engine oil.
X If the warning message disappears: consult a
qualified specialist workshop.
X If the warning message does not disappear: do
not drive on. Consult the nearest qualified spe-
cialist workshop. H Tyre pressure Cau-
tion, tyre defect
G
Risk of accident
At least one tyre is rapidly deflating. The
affected wheel is highlighted in the tyre
pressure display of the tyre pressure mon-
itor*. X
Stop the vehicle without making any sudden
steering or braking manoeuvres. Pay attention
to the traffic conditions as you do so.
X Repair or change the tyre (Y page 313).33
Only for certain vehicles. Practical advi
ce
* optional
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Display
messages 275Display messages Possible cause/consequence Possible solution
H Tyre pressure
Check tyres G
Risk of accident
The pressure in one or more tyres has
dropped significantly. The affected wheel
is highlighted in the tyre pressure display
of the tyre pressure monitor*. X
Stop the vehicle without making any sudden
steering or braking manoeuvres. Pay attention
to the traffic conditions as you do so.
X Check the tyres.
X Repair or change the faulty tyre if necessary
(Y page 313).
X Check the tyre pressure and correct it if nec-
essary (Y page 226).
The warning will disappear automatically after
you have been driving for a few minutes with
the corrected tyre pressure. H Please correct
tyre pressure(s) Vehicles with a tyre pressure monitor*:
the pressure of at least one tyre is too low
or there is a significant discrepancy
between the tyre pressures of the individ-
ual wheels. X
Check the tyre pressure at the next opportunity
and correct it if necessary ( Ypage 226). I Change key batter-
ies The KEYLESS GO* key batteries are dis-
charged. X
Change the batteries (Y page 305).I Key does not belong
to vehicle You have put the wrong key in the ignition
lock. X
Use the correct key. I Key not detected
The KEYLESS GO* key is not in the vehicle.
If the engine is switched off, the vehicle
can no longer be locked centrally and the
engine cannot be started. X
Stop the vehicle. Pay attention to the traffic
conditions as you do so.
X Look for the KEYLESS GO *key. Practical advice
* optional
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