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A pp lies to ve hicles : with A dap tive Air Su spen sion
Chassis controls
Five different driving modes can be set by the driver.
The automatic control processes are speed- and time-dependent. For
example, it is not possible to raise the suspension to a high level
above certain speeds.
When a speed of about 75 mph (120 km/h) is exceeded for more than
30 seconds, the vehicle is automatically lowered to
low level when in
comfort and automatic mode. Ground clearance is about 0.6 inch (15
mm) less, compared to the
normal level.
When a speed of about 100 mph (160 km/h) is exceeded for more
than 20 seconds, the vehicle is automatically lowered to
highway
level
when in automatic and dynamic mode . Ground clearance is
about 1.4 inches (35 mm) less, compared to the
normal level. Road
holding is optimized as a resu lt of the lower center of gravity, and fuel
consumption is reduced as a result of reduced wind resistance .
Level adjustment
high level 2
normal level
highway level
Ground clearance
about 9.4 inches (240 mm)
about 8 inches (205 mm)
about 7 inches (180 mm)
about 6.5 inches (165 mm)
about 5. 7 inches (145 mm)
The segment display @ in the MMI Display =>
page 178 or in the
instrument cluste r display =>
page 179 shows the current vehicle
level.
Automatic
Select the automatic mode if you prefer a balanced, comfortable
suspension setting. The damp ing characteristics are adjusted accord
ing ly .
Controls and equip
ment Safety first •
Automatic lowering: When a speed of about 75 mph (120 km/h)
is exceeded for more than 30 seconds, the veh icle is automatically
lowered by about 0 .6 inch (15 mm) to the
low level, which is more
suitable for highway speeds. Road holding is optimized as a result of
the lower center of gravity and fuel consumpt ion is reduced as a
result of reduced wind resistance . When a speed of about 100 mph
(160 km/h) is exceeded fo r more than 20 seconds, the vehicle is auto
matically lowered by an additional 0.8 inch (20 mm) to
highway level.
• Automatic raising: When the vehicle is at highway level and the
speed falls below about 80 mph (130 km/h) for more than 20
seconds, the vehicle is automat ically raised to
low level. The vehicle is
automatically raised again to
normal level if the speed falls below
about 44 mph (70 km/h) for a period of 2 minutes. The vehicle is
raised immediately when speed falls below about 22 mph (35 km/h).
Dynamic
Select the dynamic mode if you prefer a sporty suspension setting . In
this mode, the vehi cle is lowe red to
low level wh ile it is still stationary
and sporty damp ing characteristics a re selected . The warning light
c.:> in the instrument cluster wi ll come on for a few seconds just to
remind you of the reduced ground clearance.
If you switch off the engine whi le the vehicle is in the dynamic mode
and then switch on the ignition once again, the
c.:> warning light will
also come on again for a few seconds as a reminder .
• Automatic lowering : When a speed of about 100 mph (160 km/h)
is exceeded fo r more than 20 seconds, the vehicle is automatically
lowered by 0.8 inch (20 mm) to
highway level.
• Automatic raising: The vehicle is automatically raised to low level
again, if the speed falls below about 80 mph (1 30 km/h) for a per iod
of 20 seconds. The vehicle is raised immediately when speed falls
below about 22 mph (35 km/h).
Comfort
Select the comfort mode if you desire a suspension setting with a
special emphasis on comfort. Damping characteristics with a clear
emphasis on comfort are selected in this mode.
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Vehicle care Technical data
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• Automatic lowering: When a speed of about 75 mph ( 120 km/h)
is exceeded for more than 30 seconds, the vehicle is automatically
lowered by 0 .6 inch (15 mm) to
low level .
• Automatic raising: The vehicle is automatically raised to normal
level
again, if the speed falls below about 44 mph (70 km/h) for a
period of 2 minutes . The vehicle is raised immediately when speed
falls below about 22 mph (35 km/h) .
Offroad
Select the offroad mode when you have to travel over poor quality
sections of road (e.g. trails) . In this mode, the vehicle is raised to
high
level 1, and damping characteristics for poor road stretches are
selected. When switching to offroad mode, the Adaptive Air Suspen
sion indicator appears automatically in the instrument cluster display
=>page 179.
The offroad mode can only be activated at speeds below 37 mph
(60 km/h). Offroad mode ends automatically and the automatic
mode is activated when a speed of approximately 50 mph (80 km/h)
is exceeded.
Lift
Select the lift mode when exceptionally high ground clearance is
needed at a reduced speed. In this mode, the vehicle is raised to
high
level 2 . When switching to lift mode , the Adaptive Air Suspension
indicator appears automatically in the instrument cluster display
=:>page 179 .
The lift mode can be activated only at speeds below 12 mph (20
km/h) . When a speed of about 25 mph (40 km/h) is exceeded, the
system automatically leaves
lift mode and the offroad mode is acti
vated . The instrument cluster display automatically switches the
display to Adaptive Air Suspension to indicate reduced ground
clearance. •
Appli es to veh icles : with Adapt ive Air Su spens ion
MMI se ttings
Driving modes are adjusted in the MMI and the current
vehicle level is displayed.
Fig.176 MMI Display:
Settings
The ignition must be switched on to set the driving modes.
- Select: Function button
(CAR].
Raising and lowering
If arrow (Dis white => fig. 176, the vehicle is raised.
If arrow @ is
white, the vehicle is lowered .
The respective arrow stays on until the level change is complete. The
time used for a level change can vary, depending on the current
driving conditions.
Displaying the vehicle level
The current vehicle level is shown with segments filled out in the
segment display ®·
If only the bottom segment is filled out, the
vehicle is at highway level. If all segments are filled out, the vehicle is
at high level 2 and has the greatest amount of ground clearance
possible. .,_
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While the vehicle is being raised or lowered, the target level is indi
cated by an arrow © next to the corresponding segment. The arrow
disappears again when the vehicle is at the target level.
Limitations to MMI settings
Please note that not every driving mode can be selected in every
dr iving s ituation . For example , it is not poss ible to switch to "lift"
mode at speeds above 12 mph (20 km/h) . This mode is then shown
greyed out in the MMI Display .
The vehicle can on ly be lowered when
all of the veh icle's doors are
closed.
If one doo r is open, all driving modes whose level setting is
below the current vehicle level appear greyed out in the MMI Display.
If a door is opened whi le the vehicle is being lowered , the lowering
process is interrupted until all doo rs are closed again.
I f the system is temporarily unavailable due to, for instance, an
empty compressed air tank, the driving modes that cannot be set
appear
greyed out in the MMI Display . As soon as the system is avail
able aga in, the driv ing modes can once more be selected in the
display .
(I] Tips
• For additional information on the driving modes=> page 177,
"Chassis controls".
• When the compressed air tank is empty , the compressor can be
switched on by starting the engine. The Adaptive Air Suspension is
once again available, after waiting a few minutes. •
Contro ls a nd e quip
m en t Vehicle
OP-eration
Applies to vehicles : w ith Adapt ive A ir Sus pens ion
Appearance in the instrument cluster
display
You can view the current vehicle level in the instrument
cluster display.
Fig. 177 Display:
Adaptive Air Suspen sion
Fig. 178 Display:
Adaptive Air Suspen
s ion
Repeated, br ief tapping of the [ RESET] button on the windshield
wiper lever allows you to selec t whether information concerning the
trip computer, digita l tachometer, navigation* or "Adaptive Air
Suspension " is to appear in the instrument cluster display .
Display of the Adaptive Air Suspension is automatic when the offroad
or lift mode is se lected, or when the vehicle is automat ically lowered
i n lift mode.
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Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data
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Raising and l owering
If a rrow (Dis solid re d => pag e 179 , fig. 177 or whit e=> pag e 179,
fig . 178, the veh icle is raised .
I f arrow
0 is solid red or white, the vehicle is lowered .
T he respective arrow stays on until the level change is complete . The
time required for a level change can vary, depending on the current
dr iving cond it ions .
Displ aying the vehicle le vel
The current vehicle leve l is show n wit h segments fi lled ou t in the
segment display@. If only the bot tom segment is filled out, the
vehicle is at highway leve l. If all segments a re filled o ut, the vehicle is
at high level 2 and has the greatest amount o f ground clearance
possible.
W hile the vehicle is being ra ised or lowe red, t he target leve l is ind i
cated by an arrow © next to the correspond ing segment . The arrow
disappe ars aga in whe n the vehicle is a t the target level. •
Applies to vehicles: w it h Ad ap tiv e Ai r Suspens ion
Jacking mode when changing a flat tire
This mod e must be activated in the MMI bef ore raising
the vehicle with a jack or on a vehicle
li~ .
-Select: Fu nction button [CAR)> function butto n [SETUP ]
> Jacking mode .
The veh icle jack mode must be activated before c hanging a whee l so
that the automatic contro l processes for t he air s uspensio n do not
make lifting w ith the vehicle jack more difficult .
The check lamp in the instr ument cluster display illuminates in
vehicle jac k mode.
W Tips
Th e veh icle ja ck mode is switc hed off automat ica lly at speeds above 9
mph (15 km/h). •
App lies to veh icles: with towing hitch and Adaptive Air Suspe nsion
Towing a trailer
Automatic lowering is not desirable when towing a
trailer.
- Selec t: Fu nct ion button [CARI > fun ction but ton [S ETUP I
> Towing mode .
As long as towing mode is activated, a ve hicl e w ith a t railer appears
in the
adaptive air suspension main menu .
Level Adjustment when towing a trailer
• Before h itching up the trailer and befo re adjust ing the tongue
we igh t at the trailer, the automatic or com fort mode mu st be
selected so that the vehicle can be at normal leve l=>
page 178, "MMI
se ttings" .
• If dr iv ing in dynamic mode is desired, this mode
must be selected
befo re hitc hing up the tra iler and before adjus ting the tongue
we ight. However, note that yo ur vehicle is lowered and ground clear
ance is reduced.
• If you have to drive under diff icu lt road conditions, you can selec t
offroad or li ft mode, aft er hitching up the trai le r or after adjust ing
the tongue weight .
• If the vehicle is at
normal level, an d you se lec t offro ad mode wh ile
traveling a t speeds higher than 22 mph (35 km/h), the vehicle will
no t b e raised. O ffroad mode will a ppear as t he active mode in the
MMI D isplay.
• If the veh icle is in o ffro ad mode at
high level 1, it automatic a lly
lowers to
normal level when the vehicle is traveling at speeds
exceeding approximate ly 31 mph ( SO km/h). The vehicle is automat -...
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ically raised to high level 1 again when the traveling speed falls below
approximately 25 mph (40 km/h) .
Restrictions when operating with a trailer
When operating with a trailer, the lift mode can only be selected up
to about 12 mph (20 km/h). Lift mode is automatically canceled
agai n when a speed of about 25 mph (40 km/h) is exceeded.
If the vehicle is in automatic , comfort, offroad or lift mode before the
trailer towing mode is activated, the dynamic mode cannot be acti
vated .
If the vehicle is in dynam ic mode before towing operation is acti
vated, it can be driven in this mode. If the suspension is switched
from th is mode to another mode, dynamic mode cannot be re
selected.
[I) Tips
• For vehicles with a factory installed towing hitch or a trai ler hitch
that was installed later according to factory specifications, the
system recognizes "Trailer towing mode" and activates this specia l
mode automat ically , as soon as the electr ical connection on the
trailer socket is connected. The mode ceases automatically when the
electrical connection to the trailer socket is disconnected.
• If the trai ler towing mode has been activated, the vehicle will not
drop to the low o r highway level. •
Controls and equip
ment Safety first
A
pp lies to vehicles : w ith Adapt ive Air Sus pens ion
Cargo mode
The rear of the vehicle can be lowered to make it easier to
load .
Fig. 179 Luggage
compartment detail:
Cargo mode switch
Activating cargo mode in the MMI
-Select: Function button [CARI> function button [SETUP)
> Lower for loading.
Using switch for activating cargo mode
- Close all vehicle doors.
- Open the trunk lid.
- Press the lower part of the switch ®~ fig. 179. The rear
of the vehicle is lowered.
- Press the upper part of the switch
(D. The rear of the
veh icle is raised again.
In cargo mode, the rear axle is lowered by 2.2 inches (55 mm),
compa red to the normal level.
While the vehicle is in cargo mode, the segments do not appear as
filled in the segment d isplay. .,,
Vehicle care Technical data
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Cargo mode is automatically canceled again when a different mode is
selected in the MMI Display, or when a speed of about 3 mph (5 km/h)
has been exceeded .
If the system is temporarily unavailable due to, for instance, an
empty compressed air tank, the
Lower for loading function appears
greyed out in the MMI Display. As soon as the system is available
again, the function can once more be selected in the display.
While the vehicle is being lowered, the indicator light®
~ page 181, fig. 179 on the switch in the luggage compartment
flashes . When the cargo level has been reached, the indicator light
comes on and remains on as long as the vehicle is in cargo mode.
When the veh icle is ra ised again, the indicator light flashes again .
0 Note
Make sure before ca nceling cargo mode that there is sufficient clear
ance above the vehicle and around the trunk lid, if open.
(I) Tips
• The vehicle will not be lowered if one of the vehicle doors is open,
or if the compressed air tank is empty. The ind icator light on the
switch flashes three times.
• When the compressed air tank is empty, it will refill when you
drive at speeds over 25 mph (40 km/h). The vehicle can be lowered to
cargo level when the compressed air tank is adequately filled.
• If the vehicle is in lift or offroad mode when you activate cargo
mode, the vehicle will first drop down to normal level.•
___ s_ a_ f_ e_ t_ y~ b_ e_ lt_s _____________________________________________ _
- Insert t he tongue into the correct buck le of your seat until
you hear it latch secure ly==> fig. 193 .
- Pull on the be lt to make sure tha t it is secure ly la tched in
the buck le.
Automatic safety belt retractors
Every safety be lt is equipped with an automatic be lt retractor on the
shoulder be lt. This feat ure locks the be lt whe n the belt is pulled out
fast, during hard braking and in an acc ident. The belt may also lock
w hen you dr ive up or dow n a steep hill or throug h a sharp curve.
Dur ing normal driv ing the belt lets you move freely.
Safety belt pretensioners
The safety belts are equipped w ith a belt pretensioner that helps to
t ighten the safety be lt and remove sla ck when the p re tensioner is
act ivated. The function of the pretensioner is monitored by a warn ing
light =>
page 17.
Switchable locking feature
Every sa fety be lt ex ce pt t he one on the driver sea t is eq uipped wi th a
switchab le locking feature that
must be used when the safety belt is
used to at tach a child safety seat. Be s ure to read t he importa nt info r
mation about this feature=>
page 241.
& WARNING
Improperly positioned safety belts can c au se se rious injury in a n
accident =>
page 204, "Safety b elt po sition ".
• Safety belt s offer optimum p rotection only when the seat back
i s upr ight and belts are properly positioned on the body .
• Always make sure th at the rear seat backre st to which the
center rear safety belt is attached i s secur ely latched when ever the
rear cente r sa fety belt is be ing u sed . If the ba ckre st is not securely
latched, the pas senger will move forward with th e backre st during
sudde n braking, in a sudden maneuve r and especiall y in a crash .
& WARNING (continued )
• Never attach the safety belt to the buckle fo r another seat .
Attaching the belt to the wrong buckle will reduce safety belt
effectiveness and can cause ser ious personal injury.
• A pass enger who i s not properly restrained can be seriou sly
i njured by the safety belt itself when it mo ves from the stronger
part s of the body into critical area s like the abdomen.
• Alway s loc k the convertible locking retractor when you a re
securing a child safety seat in the vehicle=>
page 243. •
Safety belt position
Correct belt position is the key to getting maximum
pro tection from safety belts .
Fig. 194 H ead
r e str aint a nd safet y
belt po sit ion a s seen
from the side
Standard features on your vehicle help you adjust the position of the
safety belt to match your bo dy size.
• belt h eigh t adjustment for the front seats and the oute r seat ing
positions in the second row seating,
• height-ad justable front seats. .,
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fore-and-aft and lateral directions, the brake pressure and the
steering angle are all measured.
The direction in which the driver wishes to travel is determined with
the aid of the steering angle and vehicle speed and is continually
compared with the actual behavior of the vehicle. If the two do not
match, for example, when the vehicle starts hydroplaning on a wet
road, ESP will automatically brake the appropriate whee l to correct
the problem.
The vehicle is then stabi lized by the forces acting on the whee l during
braking. If the vehicle is
oversteering (rear tends to skid out of the
turn), the brakes are main ly applied on the wheel that is on the
outs ide of the curve. In the case of a vehicle that is
understeering
(tendency to slide out of the curve), the brakes are applied as needed
on the wheel that is on the inside of the curve or additionally on the
other wheels. An acoustic s ignal indicates when ESP brake application
cuts in=> &.
The system operates across the entire speed range in combination
with the ABS system ~
page 256 . If the Anti -Lock Brake System
(ABS) ma lfunctions, the ESP wi ll be out of action as well.
Activating
When you turn on the engine, ESP will automatically be activated and
will perform a self-test. As soon as the test is comp leted, the system
is in normal operating mode .
Offroad mode
ESP should normally be operated in normal mode because this
ensures maximum vehicle stability. If necessary, you can activate the
ESP offroad mode by pressing the button=>
page 252, fig. 220 to
obtain maximum traction and braking ability when driving off paved
roads at low speeds. In ESP offroad mode, the ESP indicator light
=> page 16 illuminates and the message ESP Offroad Caution!
Limited driving stability
appears briefly in the disp lay.
The ESP offroad mode can be useful in the following exceptiona l situ
ations when slip or a highly effe ctive different ial loc king funct ion is
desirable. Examples:
Controls and equip ment Safety first Vehicle operation
•
when driving w ith tire chains,
• when driving in deep snow or on loose ground,
• when driving on uneven surfaces with the wheels severely
unloaded (articulation), and
• when rocking the vehicle loose a fter it has become stuck.
When the unusual situation is past, you should sh ift back to the
normal ESP operating mode by pushing the button again. The
message
ESP/ ASR on then appears briefly in the display.
Hill descent control
The hill descent control is switched on in ESP offroad mode. When
slowly descending steep gradients on loose ground or when the axles
are art iculated, hill descent control provides assistance by automati
cally applying the brakes to keep vehicle speed constant. The vehicle
is also rende red easier to steer by select ive distribution of braking
force. Hill descent control intervenes when:
• the accelerator pedal is not pressed,
• the vehicle is travelling less than 12 mph (20 km/h),
• a steep gradient is detected,
• wheel behavior indicates loose ground or conditions with poor
adhesion (e.g. also axle articulat ion).
Hill descent control operates both dr iving forward and in reverse.
Active hi ll descent control is deactivated by pressing the accelerator
pedal until the conditions for activation already listed are met aga in .
& WARNING
• The Electronic Stabilization Program is nevertheless subject to
the laws of physics . It is particularly important to pay attention to
this fact on wet and slippery roads. It is therefore important that
you always adapt your driving to the condition of the road and
traffic conditions. Do not allow the increased safety provided by
the Electronic Stabilization Program system to lull you into
accepting additional safety risks. ..
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data