Control system .................................... 99
Multifunction display .....................101
Multifunction steering wheel ............ 99
Resetting to factory settings ..........106
Control system menus ...................... 102
Audio/DVD .................................... 103
Navigation ..................................... 105
Settings ......................................... 106
Standard display ............................ 102
Telephone ...................................... 113
Trip computer ................................ 112
Vehicle status message memory ...105
Control system submenus
Convenience .................................. 111
Instrument cluster .........................107
Lighting .......................................... 109
Vehicle ........................................... 111
Convenience submenu
Easy-entry/exit feature .................. 112
Coolant
Anticorrosion/antifreeze ...............264
Capacities ...................................... 261
Checking level ............................... 156
Messages in the multifunction
display ........................................... 210
Temperature gauge ..........................98
Coolant temperature gauge ............... 26
Corner-illuminating front fog
lamps .................................................... 78
Cruise control .................................... 115
Activating ....................................... 116
Canceling ....................................... 116
Changing the set speed .................116
Last stored speed ..........................117
Lever .............................................. 116
Messages in the multifunction
display ........................................... 205
Resume function ............................ 117
Setting current speed ....................116
Cup holders ........................................ 134
Curb weight ....................................... 177
Customer Assistance Center (CAC) ... 21
Customer Relations Department ....... 21D
Dashboard see Instrument cluster
Data recording ..................................... 22
Daytime running lamp mode .............. 76
Switching on or off ......................... 109
Deep water
see Standing water
Defogging (windshield) ..................... 126
Defroster
Front (Climate control system) ......125
Rear window .................................. 127
Windshield ..................................... 127
Delayed shut-off
Exterior lamps ................................ 110
Interior lighting .............................. 111
Department of Transportation
see DOT
Differential locks ................................. 95
A few words about ...........................96
Difficulties
While driving .................................... 87
With starting .................................... 86
Digital speedometer ......................... 103
Dimensions (vehicle) see Vehicle specification
Direction of rotation (tires) .............. 169
Displays
Digital speedometer ......................103
Maintenance service indicator .......190
Messages in the multifunction
display ........................................... 203
Multifunction display .....................101
Outside temperature .............103, 108
Symbol messages ..........................208
Text messages ............................... 204
Trip computer ................................ 112
Vehicle status message memory ...105
Vehicle system settings .................106
Door control panel .............................. 30
Door handles ........................................ 30
Doors
Child safety locks ............................ 50
Locking/unlocking (SmartKey) ........60
Messages in the multifunction
display ........................................... 210
Opening from inside ......................... 626Index463_AKB; 3; 35, en-USd2ureepe,Version: 2.11.8.12009-07-16T20:59:56+02:00 - Seite 6
FunctionPageAPress button & or *
briefly:
to move within a menuto select previous or next
track, scene or stored
station within Audio/DVD
menu103
to switch to the phone book
and select a name or
number within Telephone
menu113
Press and hold button
& or *:
to select previous or next
track with quick search, or
to select previous or next
station in station list or
wave band within Audio/
DVD menu103
to start the quick search in
the phone book within
Telephone menu113
iCanada vehicles: The steering wheel in
this vehicle may vary from steering wheel
shown. However, multifunction steering
wheel symbols and feature description
apply to Canada vehicles as well.
iG 55 AMG: The steering wheel in this
vehicle may vary from steering wheel
shown. However, multifunction steering
wheel symbols and feature description
apply to AMG vehicles as well.
Center console
Upper part
FunctionPage:Seat heating, driver’s side69;Windshield defroster
switch127
=Rear window wiper/washer
switch83
?Electronic Stability
Program (ESP®) switch54
ADifferential lock switches95BCentral unlocking switch63Central locking switch63CAlarm system indicator
lamp56
Tow-away alarm off switch57DSeat heating, front
passenger side69
ESeat ventilation, front
passenger side69
28Center consoleAt a glance
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Any unauthorized modification to this
device could void the user’s authority to
operate the equipment.
Driving safety systems
Introduction
This section contains information about the
following driving safety systems:
R ABS (
Antilock Brake System)
R BAS (
Brake Assist System)
R EBB (
Electronic Brake Booster)
R ESP ®
(
Electronic Stability Program)
i In winter operation, the maximum
effectiveness of most of the driving
systems described in this section is only
achieved with winter tires, or snow chains
as required.
Safety notes
GWarning!
The following factors increase the risk of
accidents:
R Excessive speed, especially in turns
R Wet and slippery road surfaces
R Following another vehicle too closely
The driving safety systems described in this
section cannot reduce these risks or prevent
the natural laws of physics from acting on the
vehicle. They cannot increase braking or
steering efficiency beyond that afforded by
the condition of the vehicle brakes and tires
or the traction afforded.
Only a safe, attentive, and skillful driver can
prevent accidents.
The capabilities of a vehicle equipped with the
driving safety systems described in this
section must never be exploited in a reckless
or dangerous manner which could jeopardize
the user’s safety or the safety of others.
Always adjust your driving style to the
prevailing road and weather conditions and
keep a safe distance to other road users and
objects on the street.
If a driving system malfunctions, other driving
safety systems may also switch off. Observe
indicator and warning lamps that may come
on as well as messages in the multifunction
display that may appear.GWarning!
The ABS, the BAS, and the ESP ®
switch off
when the differential locks are switched on.
When the ABS, the BAS, and the ESP ®
are
switched off
R wheels may lock during hard braking
R steering capabilities are reduced
R braking distance is increased
R vehicle stability in standard driving
maneuvers is increased
Make sure the differential locks are switched
on at all times except when driving off-road
for example. Switch on the differential locks
immediately when returning from off-road
driving.
ABS
GObserve Safety notes, see page 52.GWarning!
Do not pump the brake pedal. Use firm, steady
brake pedal pressure instead. Pumping the
brake pedal defeats the purpose of the ABS
and significantly reduces braking
effectiveness.
The Antilock Brake System (ABS) regulates
the brake pressure so that the wheels do not
lock during braking. This allows you to
maintain the ability to steer your vehicle.
The ABS is functional above a speed of
approximately 5 mph (8 km/h) independent
of road surface conditions, provided the
differential locks are not engaged.
52Driving safety systemsSafety and security
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Vehicle equipment ..............................60
Locking and unlocking .......................60
Starter switch positions .....................65
Seats ....................................................65
Multifunction steering wheel .............70
Mirrors .................................................72
Memory function .................................73
Lighting ................................................74
Wipers ..................................................82
Power windows ...................................84
Driving and parking ............................85
Automatic transmission .....................89
Transfer case .......................................93
Differential locks .................................95
Instrument cluster ..............................98
Control system ....................................99
Driving systems ................................115
Climate control system ....................121
Windshield defroster ........................127
Rear window defroster .....................127
Power tilt/sliding sunroof ...............128
Loading and storing ..........................129
Useful features .................................134
59Controls in detail463_AKB; 3; 35, en-USd2ureepe,Version: 2.11.8.12009-07-16T20:59:56+02:00 - Seite 59
XPress lower half (“HIGH”) of the transfer
case switch.
Once the shift is complete, transfer case
position H appears in transfer case
indicator :.
If the shifting procedure does not take place,
press lower half (“HIGH”) of the transfer case
switch once more.
XShift the automatic transmission into drive
position D.
Messages in the multifunction display
If a shift was not completed and one of the
following messages appears in the
multifunction display:
R TC Shift Conditions Not Fulfilled
The shift did not take place. At least one
shift condition was not met.
XRepeat the shifting procedure.
R TC in Neutral
The shift did not take place. The transfer
case is in neutral. Transfer case position N
appears in transfer case indicator :.
XRepeat the shifting procedure.GWarning!
If the transfer case is in Neutral, the park
position P of the automatic transmission will
not hold the vehicle. The parking brake must
be engaged to hold the vehicle in place.
R TC shift Procedure Canceled
The shift did not take place.
XRepeat the shifting procedure.
R Transfer Case Services Required
There may be a malfunction in the system.
XRepeat the shifting procedure.
If the shifting procedure still does not take
place:
XHave the vehicle checked at an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center as
soon as possible.i If the SmartKey is in starter switch
position 0 or 1, an alarm will sound if the
transfer case is in Neutral and the driver’s
door is opened.
Switch the transfer case to gear position
HIGH or LOW .
Differential locks
Differential locks improve the vehicle’s
tractive power off-road. Switch differential
locks
R for off-road driving
R to switch the ABS off during off-road driving
R for driving through water
R when driving on deep snow and icy or
fouled surfaces
! Do not switch the front axle differential
lock when driving around tight corners. This
restricts steering ability.
! When driving off-road, apply only
moderate pressure to the accelerator pedal
if the differential locks are switched on.
When operating the vehicle on a single-axle
dynamometer – no matter how briefly – you
must
R raise the axle not being driven
or
R disconnect the drive shaft
and
R switch the transfer case differential lock.
Otherwise the transfer case can be
damaged, which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
GWarning!
Never drive on pavement with differential
locks switched.
Steering control will be strongly affected with
the differential locks activated.
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The ABS, BAS, and ESP® are switched off
automatically when the transfer case
differential lock is activated.
For more information on off-road driving, see
“Off-road driving” (Y page 184).
A few words about differentials and
differential locks
When a vehicle negotiates a turn, wheels on
the outside of the curve must travel farther
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 possible.
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 engine’s power
will go to that wheel because the power will
take the path of least resistance. Meanwhile,
the opposite wheel, sitting on dry pavement
where it could get enough grip to start the
vehicle moving, sits idle because it receives
no power.
The 4-ETS addresses this problem and
provides for good control and steering ability
by automatically slowing the slipping wheel
and thus increasing the power to the other
non-slipping drive wheels to get the vehicle
moving. The ESP® and the 4-ETS in this
vehicle feature such intelligent limited-slip
differential technology, ideally suited for on-
road and light off-road driving. Transfer case
position LOW (Y page 93) also enhances off-
road driving capabilities.
More extreme off-road conditions may call for
another solution, engaging a differential lock
or preventing the differential from operating
altogether. This vehicle comes with three
differential locks: front, transfer case
(center), and rear. Each can be engaged
simply by pushing dashboard-mounted
switches in sequential order (center, rear,
front) (Y page 96). When the transfer case
(center) differential is locked, half of the
engine’s power is automatically distributed to
the front wheels and half to the rear wheels.
When the rear differential is locked, power
going to the rear wheels is equally distributed,
so that both rear wheels turn at the same
speed and torque. Please be aware that
engaging 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 important to
understand that during on-road/paved
driving, differentials are absolutely necessary
for providing the essential 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 (the 4-ETS, the ESP®, and the
manual switch position “LOW” of transfer
case) this vehicle comes equipped with.
Switching differential locks on and off
The switches are located on the upper part of
the center console.
:Transfer case (center) differential lock;Rear axle differential lock=Front differential lock96Differential locksControls in detail
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?Engagement indicator lamps (yellow)AFunction indicator lamps (red)
The differential locks can only be switched on
in the sequence :, ; , = .
Switching differential locks on
! To avoid damage to the transfer case and
differential locks:
R Engage the differential locks only at low
speed (walking speed, not more than
5 mph [8 km/h]).
R Do not engage the differential locks if the
driving wheels are spinning due to lack
of traction.
R Do not engage the differential locks on
paved roads.
Transfer case differential lock
XPress switch :.
Yellow engagement indicator lamp ? for
the transfer case differential lock comes
on.
The ESP ®
warning lamp d in the
instrument cluster comes on.
When the differential lock engagement
operation has been completed, the red
function indicator lamp A comes on.
The message ABS not available
Differential Locked appears in the
multifunction display.
The ESP ®
warning lamp d and the !
indicator lamp in the instrument cluster come
on.
Once the transfer case differential lock is
switched on, you can now, if needed, switch
on rear axle differential lock ;, or switch on
rear axle differential lock ; and front
differential lock =.
Rear axle differential lockXPress switch ;.
Yellow engagement indicator lamp ?
comes on first, followed by red function
indicator lamp A.
The rear axle differential lock is switched
on.
Front differential lock
XPress switch =.
Yellow engagement indicator lamp ?
comes on first, followed by red function
indicator lamp A.
The front differential lock is switched on.
Switching differential locks off
There are two different methods to disengage
differential locks:
R You can switch the differential locks off in
reverse order ( =, ; , : ).
R To switch off all differential locks at the
same time:
XPress switch :.
Yellow engagement indicator
lamps ? go out first. Red function
indicator lamps A go out when the
switching process has been carried
out in the differential.
To activate the ESP ®
, BAS, and ABS systems,
drive again for 3 seconds using a constant
driving style.
All messages in the multifunction display
disappear. The ESP ®
warning lamp d and
the ! indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster go out.
i If red function indicator lamps A do not
go out when the differential locks are
disengaged, bring vehicle to a stop and
then continue driving. Changing the vehicle
load can help to disengage the differential
locks.
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GWarning!
Always remember to disengage the
differential locks when returning to drive on
paved roads, see “A few words about
differentials and differential locks”.
Instrument cluster
Introduction
For a full view illustration of the instrument
cluster, see “Instrument cluster”
(Y page 26).
GWarning!
No messages will be displayed if either the
instrument cluster or the multifunction
display is inoperative.
As a result, you will not be able to see
information about your driving conditions,
such as
Rspeed
Routside temperature
Rwarning/indicator lamps
Rmalfunction/warning messages
Rfailure of any systems
Driving characteristics may be impaired.
If you must continue to drive, do so with added
caution. Contact an authorized Mercedes-
Benz Center as soon as possible.
:Reset button For information on changing the instrument
cluster settings, e.g. the language, see
(Y page 107).
Activating the instrument cluster
The instrument cluster is activated when you
Ropen the driver’s door
Rswitch on the ignition
Rpress reset button :
Rswitch on the exterior lamps
Adjusting the instrument cluster
illumination
Use reset button : to adjust the illumination
brightness for the instrument cluster and the
switches on the center console.
XTo brighten illumination: Turn reset
button : clockwise until the desired level
of illumination is reached.
XTo dim illumination: Turn reset
button : counterclockwise until the
desired level of illumination is reached.
iThe instrument cluster illumination is
dimmed or brightened automatically to suit
ambient light conditions.
The instrument cluster illumination will also
be adjusted automatically when you switch
on the vehicle’s exterior lamps.
Coolant temperature gauge
The coolant temperature gauge is located on
the left side in the instrument cluster
(Y page 26).
GWarning!
Driving when your engine is overheated can
cause some fluids which may have leaked into
the engine compartment to catch fire. You
could be seriously burned.
98Instrument clusterControls in detail
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