2008 MERCEDES-BENZ R-CLASS MPV brake

Trailer towing*
241Removing the ball coupling
X Pull the protective cap off the lock in the
handwheel.
X Use the key to unlock the lock in the hand-
wheel.
X Hold the ball coupling. Pull the handwheel
away from the ball coupling and turn it
clockwise until it engages.
The red area on the handwheel is aligned
with the white dot on the ball coupling.
X Pull out the ball coupling downwards.
X Clean the ball coupling if it is dirty.
X Press the protective cap into the ball cou-
pling recess until it engages.
X Make sure that the protective cap is firmly
seated.
X Replace the cover.
Storing the ball coupling X
Place the ball coupling with the key inser-
ted in the ball coupling stowage compart-
ment in the stowage well under the luggage
compartment floor. G
Risk of accident
Do not carry the ball coupling in the vehicle
interior if it is not secured. Otherwise, you and others could be injured
by the ball coupling being thrown around if
you:
R
brake sharply
R change direction suddenly
R are involved in an accident
Information on cleaning and care of the trailer
coupling can be found at (Y page 248). Trailer power supply
When it leaves the factory, your vehicle's
trailer socket outlet is equipped with a per-
manent power supply and a power supply that
is switched on via the ignition lock.
The permanent power supply is supplied via
trailer socket pin 9.
The power supply that is switched on via the
ignition lock is supplied via trailer socket pin
10.
! You can connect consumers with a power
rating of up to 240 W to the permanent
power supply and up to 180 W to the power
supply that is switched on via the ignition
lock.
You must not charge a trailer battery using
the power supply. You can obtain further information about
installing the trailer electrics from a qualified
specialist workshop, e.g. a Mercedes-Benz
Service Centre.
X
To switch the switched power supply on
or off: turn the key in the ignition lock to
position 2or 0, respectively. Trailer with 7-pin connector
If your trailer has a 7-pin connector, you can
connect it to the 13-pin socket on the ball
coupling using an adapter or, if necessary, an
adapter cable. Both of these can be obtained
at a qualified specialist workshop, e.g. at a
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre. Operation
* optional
251_AKB; 5; 7, en-GB
wobuchh
,V ersion: 2.10.6
2008-05-11T14:51:51+02:00 - Seite 241 ZDateiname: 6515_1825_02_buchblock.pdf; preflight

Care
244 H
Environmental note
Dispose of empty packaging, cleaning
cloths and polishing wads in an environ-
mentally responsible manner.
! Do not affix:
R stickers
R films
R magnetic plates or similar items
to painted surfaces, otherwise you could
damage the paintwork. Vehicle care
! Do not park the vehicle for a long period
of time directly after cleaning, especially if
the wheels have just been cleaned with a
wheel cleaner. Wheel cleaners could cause
rapid corrosion of the brake discs and
brake pads/linings. After cleaning, park
the vehicle when it is at normal operating
temperature.
Automatic car wash You can wash the vehicle in an automatic car
wash from the very start. !
Do not use a touch-free automatic car
wash that uses chemical agents to wash
the vehicle.
Preferably use one without brushes.
If the vehicle is very dirty, prewash it before
cleaning it in an automatic car wash.
! Make sure that the automatic car wash is
suitable for the size of the vehicle. Fold in
the exterior mirrors before the vehicle is
washed. There is otherwise a risk of dam-
age to the exterior mirrors.
! Make sure that the automatic transmis-
sion is not in position Pwhen washing your
vehicle in an automatic car wash.
R Vehicles with a key:
Do not remove the key from the ignition
lock. Do not open the driver's or front-
passenger door when the engine is
switched off, as this automatically shifts
the automatic transmission to park posi-
tion Pand locks the wheels, unless you
have shifted the automatic transmission
to N.
R Vehicles with KEYLESS GO*:
Do not open the driver's or front-
passenger door when the engine is
switched off, as this shifts the automatic transmission to park position
Pand locks
the wheels.
! Make sure the side windows are com-
pletely closed, the ventilation/heater
blower is fully turned off and the wind-
screen wiper switch is set to 0. The rain
sensor may otherwise be activated, for
instance, leading to inadvertent wiper
sweeps being triggered. This could cause
damage to the vehicle.
After using an automatic car wash, wipe off
wax from the windscreen and the wiper
blades. This will prevent smears and reduce
wiping noises caused by residue on the wind-
screen.
High-pressure cleaners G
Risk of accident
Do not use high-pressure cleaners with cir-
cular-jet nozzles (dirt grinders) to clean
your vehicle or - especially - the tyres. You
could otherwise damage the tyres and
cause an accident.
! Observe the instructions issued by the
equipment manufacturer concerning the
distance to be maintained between the Operation
* optional
251_AKB; 5; 7, en-GB
wobuchh,
Version: 2.10.6 2008-05-11T14:51:51+02:00 - Seite 244Dateiname: 6515_1825_02_buchblock.pdf; preflight

Display
messages 256 Text messages
G
Risk of accident and injury
The operating safety of your vehicle could be compromised if service work is carried out improperly. You could lose control of the vehicle,
thereby causing an accident. Safety systems may also not be able to protect you or others as intended.
Always have maintenance work carried out at a qualified specialist workshop which 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 purpose.
In particular, work relevant to safety or on safety-related systems must be carried out at a qualified specialist workshop. Display messages Possible cause/consequence Possible solution
120 km/h Maximum speed
exceeded The maximum speed has been excee-
ded
31
. X
Drive more slowly. ABS ABS, ESP unavaila-
ble See Owner's
Manual
G
Risk of accident
ABS and ESP ®
and therefore also PRE-
SAFE ®
are temporarily unavailable. It is
possible that self diagnosis is not yet com-
plete.
BAS has also been deactivated.
The brake system continues to function
normally, but without the functions listed
above. X
Carefully drive a short distance at a speed
above 20 km/h.
If the display message disappears, ABS and
ESP ®
are available again. 31
Only for certain countries. Practical advi
ce
251_AKB; 5; 7, en-GB
wobuchh,
Version: 2.10.6 2008-05-11T14:51:51+02:00 - Seite 256Dateiname: 6515_1825_02_buchblock.pdf; preflight

Display
messages 257Display messages Possible cause/consequence Possible solution
ABS ABS, ESP unavaila-
ble See Owner's
Manual G
Risk of accident
ABS, ESP ®
and therefore also PRE-
SAFE ®
are unavailable due to undervolt-
age. BAS has also been deactivated.
The brake system continues to function
normally, but without the functions listed
above. X
Drive on carefully.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop immedi-
ately. ABS ABS, ESP inopera-
tive See Owner's
Manual G
Risk of accident
ESP ®
and therefore also PRE-SAFE ®
are
unavailable due to a malfunction. BAS has
also been deactivated.
The brake system continues to function
normally, but without the functions listed
above. X
Drive on carefully.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop immedi-
ately. DISTRONIC - - - km/h
An activation condition for Distronic
*is
not fulfilled. X
If conditions permit, drive faster than
30 km/h and store the speed (Y page 143).
or
X Check the activation conditions for Dis-
tronic* (Y page 143). DISTRONIC Override
Distronic* is no longer controlling the
speed of the vehicle. X
Ease off the accelerator pedal. DISTRONIC inoperative
Distronic* is faulty or the display has
failed. X
Visit a qualified specialist workshop. Practical advice
* optional
251_AKB; 5; 7, en-GB
wobuchh,
Version: 2.10.6 2008-05-11T14:51:51+02:00 - Seite 257 ZDateiname: 6515_1825_02_buchblock.pdf; preflight

Display
messages 259Display messages Possible cause/consequence Possible solution
ESP unavailable See
Owner's Manual G
Risk of accident
ESP ®
and therefore also BAS and PRE-
SAFE ®
are unavailable due to undervolt-
age.
The brake system continues to function
normally, but without the functions listed
above. X
Drive on carefully.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop immedi-
ately. ESP unavailable See
Owner's Manual If, when driving, this message appears and
the
v warning lamp flashes, this
means that 4ETS has been deactivated.
This prevents the brakes on the drive
wheels overheating. As soon as the brakes have cooled down again,
4ETS will be reactivated automatically.
The display message disappears and the v
warning lamp goes out. ESP inoperative See
Owner's Manual G
Risk of accident
ESP ®
and therefore also Brake Assist and
PRE-SAFE ®
are unavailable due to a mal-
function. The vwarning lamp also
lights up in the instrument cluster.
The brake system continues to function
normally, but without the functions listed
above. X
Drive on carefully.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop immedi-
ately. Select position
P only when vehicle
is at a standstill You have attempted to move the auto-
matic transmission to
Peven though the
vehicle is still moving. X
Stop the vehicle immediately, paying attention
to the traffic conditions as you do so.
X Move the selector lever to P. Practical advi
ce
251_AKB; 5; 7, en-GB
wobuchh,
Version: 2.10.6 2008-05-11T14:51:51+02:00 - Seite 259 ZDateiname: 6515_1825_02_buchblock.pdf; preflight

Display
messages 260 Display messages Possible cause/consequence Possible solution
Vehicle not in position P You have opened the driver's door and the
automatic transmission is in position
R,
N or D. X
Move the selector lever to P.
X Engage the parking brake. Compass unavailable
The compass* is malfunctioning. X
Have the compass* checked at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop. Compass - - -
The compass* is not calibrated. X
Calibrate the compass* (Y page 215).Compass - - -
The compass* is malfunctioning because
of exterior interference. As soon as the source of the interference has
been removed:
X
Turn the key to position 0in the ignition lock
and remove it.
X Wait until the total distance recorder has dis-
appeared from the multi-function display.
X Calibrate the compass* (Y page 215).No Service Your vehicle is outside the network pro-
vider transmitter/receiver range. X
Wait until the operational readiness symbol
appears in the multi-function display
(Y page 138). Drive to work-
shop without changing
gear The transmission position cannot be
changed due to a malfunction. If transmission position
Dis selected:
X Drive to a qualified specialist workshop without
shifting the transmission from position D.
If transmission position R,Nor Pis selected:
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. Practical advi
ce
* optional
251_AKB; 5; 7, en-GB
wobuchh,
Version: 2.10.6 2008-05-11T14:51:51+02:00 - Seite 260Dateiname: 6515_1825_02_buchblock.pdf; preflight

Display
messages 261Display messages Possible cause/consequence Possible solution
P To start the
engine, shift to
either P or N You attempted to start the engine while
transmission position
Ror Dwas selec-
ted. X
Shift the automatic transmission to Por N. Depress brake
to shift out of position P X
Depress the brake pedal. PRE-SAFE inoperative See
Owner's Manual G
Risk of injury
Important functions of PRE-SAFE ®
have
failed. All other occupant safety systems,
e.g. airbags, remain available. X
Visit a qualified specialist workshop. Tyre pressure
monitor inoperative
The tyre pressure monitor* is malfunc-
tioning. X
Have the tyre pressure monitor* and wheels
checked at a qualified specialist workshop. Tyre pressure
monitor inoperative No
wheel sensors The tyre pressure monitor* is deactivated
because the vehicle is fitted with wheels
that do not have suitable wheel sensors. X
Have wheels with suitable wheel sensors fitted
at a qualified specialist workshop.
Once wheels with the correct wheel sensors
have been fitted, the tyre pressure monitor*
reactivates automatically after a few minutes
of driving. Practical advi
ce
* optional
251_AKB; 5; 7, en-GB
wobuchh,
Version: 2.10.6 2008-05-11T14:51:51+02:00 - Seite 261 ZDateiname: 6515_1825_02_buchblock.pdf; preflight

Display
messages 265Display messages Possible cause/consequence Possible solution
$ At least one door is open. X
Close the doors. D The cooling fan for the coolant is faulty. X
If the coolant temperature is less than 120 †,
you can continue driving to the nearest quali-
fied specialist workshop.
X In doing so, avoid heavy loads on the engine
(e.g. driving in mountainous terrain) and stop-
and-go driving. # The battery is not being charged. Possible
causes are:
R
a faulty alternator
R a torn poly-V-belt
R a malfunction in the electronics X
Stop immediately and safely when traffic con-
ditions allow and check the poly-V-belt.
X If it has torn: do not drive on. Contact the
nearest qualified specialist workshop.
X If it is not damaged: have the vehicle checked
immediately at a qualified specialist workshop. # Battery/Alternator
Stop vehicle The battery is faulty. X
Pull over as soon as it is safe to do so.
X Do not continue driving under any circumstan-
ces.
X Consult the nearest qualified specialist work-
shop. 2 Brake wear The brake pads/linings have reached
their wear limit. X
Have the brake pads/linings replaced as soon
as possible at a qualified specialist workshop. Practical advi
ce
251_AKB; 5; 7, en-GB
wobuchh,
Version: 2.10.6 2008-05-11T14:51:51+02:00 - Seite 265 ZDateiname: 6515_1825_02_buchblock.pdf; preflight