2010 MERCEDES-BENZ R320 overheating

bring road-salt-impaired braking efficiency
back to normal.
If the vehicle is parked after being driven on
salt-treated roads, the braking efficiency
should be tested as soon as possible after
driving is resumed.
G
Warning!
Make sure not to endanger any other road
users when carrying out these braking
maneuvers. Driving instructions
Drive sensibly – save fuel
To save fuel you should:
R Keep tires at the recommended inflation
pressures.
R Remove unnecessary loads.
R Remove carriers when not in use.
R Allow engine to warm up under low load
use.
R Avoid frequent acceleration and
deceleration.
R Have all maintenance work performed at
the intervals specified in the Maintenance
Booklet and as required by the
Maintenance system. Contact an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Fuel
consumption is also increased by driving
in cold weather, in stop-and-go traffic, on
short trips and in mountainous areas. Drinking and driving
G
Warning!
Drinking and driving and/or taking drugs and
driving are very dangerous combinations.
Even a small amount of alcohol or drugs can
affect your reflexes, perceptions and
judgment. The possibility of a serious or even fatal
accident

are greatly increased when you drink
or take drugs and drive.
Do not drink or take drugs and drive or allow
anyone to drive who has been drinking or
taking drugs. Pedals
G
Warning!
Make sure absolutely no objects are
obstructing the pedals’ range of movement.
Keep the driver’s footwell clear of all
obstacles. If there are any floormats or
carpets in the footwell, make sure that the
pedals still have sufficient clearance.
During sudden driving or braking maneuvers,
the objects could get caught between the
pedals. You could then no longer brake or
accelerate. This could lead to accidents and
injury. Power assistance
G
Warning!
There is no power assistance for the steering
and
the brake when the engine is not running.
Steering and braking requires significantly
more effort and you could lose control of the
vehicle and cause an accident as a result.
Do not turn off the engine while the vehicle is
in motion. Brakes
Downhill grades !
When driving down long and steep
grades, relieve the load on the brakes by
shifting into a lower gear to use the
engine’s

braking power. This helps prevent
overheating of the brakes and reduces
wear. Driving instructions
253
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When using the engine’s braking power, a
drive wheel may not spin for an extended
period of time, e.g. on slippery road
surfaces. This may cause serious damage
to
the drivetrain which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Continuous or hard braking G
Warning!
Resting your foot on the brake pedal will
cause excessive and premature wear of the
brake pads.
It can also result in the brakes overheating,
thereby significantly reducing their
effectiveness. It may not be possible to stop
the vehicle in sufficient time to avoid an
accident.
After hard braking, it is advisable to drive on
for

some time, rather than immediately park,
so that the air stream will cool down the
brakes faster.
Wet roads G
Warning!
After driving in heavy rain for some time
without
applying the brakes or through water
deep enough to wet brake components, the
first braking action may be somewhat
reduced and increased pedal pressure may be
necessary to obtain expected brake effect.
Maintain a safe distance from vehicles in
front.
To help prevent brake disk corrosion after
driving on wet or salt-covered roads, it is
advisable to brake the vehicle with
considerable force prior to parking. The heat
generated serves to dry the brakes.
Salt-covered roads G
Warning!
A layer of salt on the brake discs and the brake
linings may cause a delay in the braking
effect, resulting in a significantly increased braking distance, which could lead to an
accident.
To avoid this danger, you should:
R
occasionally brake carefully when you are
driving on salt-covered roads, so that any
layer of salt that may have built up on the
brake discs and the brake linings is
removed without putting other road users
at risk
R maintain a greater distance to the vehicle
ahead and drive with particular care
R carefully apply the brakes at the end of a
trip and immediately after commencing a
new

trip, so that salt residues are removed
from the brake disc
Brake service !
The brake fluid level in the reservoir may
be

too low if the brake warning lamp in the
instrument cluster comes on and an
acoustic warning sounds although the
parking brake is released. Observe
additional messages in the multifunction
display that may appear.
Brake pad wear or a leak in the system may
be the reason for low brake fluid in the
reservoir.
Have the brake system inspected
immediately. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
All checks and service work on the brake
system should be carried out by qualified
technicians only. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Only install brake pads and use brake fluid
recommended by Mercedes-Benz. G
Warning!
If other than recommended brake pads are
installed, or other than recommended brake
fluid is used, the braking properties of the
vehicle

can be degraded to an extent that safe
braking is substantially impaired. This could
result in an accident. 254
Driving instructions
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Do not attempt to straighten out the tow
vehicle
and trailer by increasing the speed.
R If the transmission shifts between gears on
inclines repeatedly, shift to a lower gear
range manually ( Y page 119). Select 4, 3,
2 or 1.
A lower gear and reduction of speed
reduces the chance of engine overloading
and/or overheating.
R When going down an incline, shift into a
lower gear and use the engine’s braking
effect.
Avoid riding the brakes, thus overheating
the vehicle and trailer brakes (if so
equipped).
R If the engine coolant rises to an extremely
high temperature when the air conditioning
is on, turn off the air conditioning system.
Engine coolant heat can be additionally
vented by opening the windows, switching
the climate control fan speed to high and
setting the temperature control to the
maximum.
R During a passing maneuver extreme care
must be exercised since your vehicle with
a trailer will require additional passing
distance ahead than when driving without
a trailer.
Because your vehicle and trailer is longer
than your vehicle alone, you will also need
to go much farther ahead of the passed
vehicle before you can return to your lane.
Decoupling a trailer G
Warning!
Vehicles with AIRMATIC: While you are
coupling or decoupling a trailer, make sure
nobody locks or unlocks the vehicle and/or
opens or closes doors or the tailgate.
The vehicle’s level could change and you
could endanger yourself and/or others as a
result. Make sure that you do not operate the ADS
switch or the vehicle level control system
when coupling/decoupling the trailer.
X Make sure the automatic transmission is in
park position P (Y page 116).
X Engage the parking brake for the vehicle
(Y page 114).
X Start the engine (Y page 110).
X Close all doors and the tailgate.
X Engage the parking brake for the trailer. G
Warning!
Vehicles with AIRMATIC: As soon as you
disconnect
the electrical connection between
the trailer and the vehicle, the vehicle will
lower. To help avoid personal injury, make
sure no one is near the wheel housing or
underneath the vehicle before the electrical
connection is disconnected.
When you decouple the trailer, the vehicle is
temporarily raised because the springs are
relieved of load. Be especially careful during
this process, as you could otherwise injure
yourself and/or others. Make sure that any
persons remaining in the vehicle do not press
the switches for vehicle level control or the
ADS.
X Disconnect all electrical plug connectors.
X Decouple the trailer.
X Make sure that the trailer coupling is free
of load.
X Turn off the engine ( Y page 114). Driving abroad
If
you plan to drive the vehicle outside the U.S.
or Canada, you should request dealer
network information for your destination from
any authorized Mercedes-Benz Center. Driving instructions
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Display messages
Possible causes/consequences and
X SolutionsESP Unavailabl
e See
Operator’s
Manual The brake system still functions normally but due to
insufficient power supply the ESP
®
, the BAS, and the
PRE-SAFE ®
system are unavailable.
X Continue driving with added caution. Wheels may lock
during hard braking, reducing steering capability.
When the voltage is above the required value again, the
ESP ®
, the BAS, and the PRE-SAFE ®
system are operational
again and the message in the multifunction display should
disappear.
If the message in the multifunction display does not
disappear:
X Have the alternator and the battery checked.
X Have the system checked at an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center as soon as possible. ESP Unavailabl
e See
Operator’s
Manual
If the yellow ESP
®
warning lamp d flashes while driving
and this message appears, the Electronic Traction System
(4-ETS) has switched off to prevent overheating of the drive
wheel brakes.
As
soon as the brakes have cooled off, the Electronic Traction
System (4-ETS) switches on again.
The message in the multifunction display disappears and the
ESP ®
warning lamp d goes out. ESP Unavailabl
e See
Operator’s
Manual The self-diagnosis may not be completed yet.
The

display will clear after driving a short distance at a vehicle
speed of above 12 mph (20 km/h). PRE-SAFE Inoperativ
e See
Operator’s
Manual
The PRE-SAFE
®
system has failed. All other occupant safety
systems, such as the air bags, are still available.
X Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center as soon as
possible. 276
Vehicle status messages in the multifunction display
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Problem
Possible causes/consequences and
X Solutionsd
The yellow ESP ®
warning lamp
flashes while
driving. The ESP
®
or the 4-ETS has come into operation because of
detected traction loss in at least one tire.
The cruise control is deactivated.
X When driving off, apply as little throttle as possible.
X While driving, ease up on the accelerator pedal.
X Adapt your speed and driving to the prevailing road and weather
conditions.
X Do not deactivate the ESP ®
.
Exceptions: (Y page 65).
Failure to follow these instructions increases the risk of an
accident. At least one wheel is spinning and the 4-ETS has switched off to
prevent overheating of the drive wheel brakes.
X
Read and observe additional messages that may appear in the
multifunction display.
As soon as the brakes have cooled off, the 4-ETS switches on
again.
The message in the multifunction display disappears and the
ESP ®
warning lamp d goes out. Driving systems
Problem
Possible causes/consequences and
X Solutions·
The red distance
warning lamp
comes on while
driving. You are too close to the vehicle in front of you to maintain selected
speed.
X
Apply the brakes immediately to increase the following
distance. ·
The red distance
warning lamp
comes on while
driving and an
acoustic
warning sounds. You are gaining too rapidly on the vehicle ahead of you or the
distance

warning system has recognized a stationary obstacle on
your probable line of travel.
X Apply the brakes immediately.
X Carefully observe the traffic situation. You may need to brake
or maneuver to avoid hitting an obstacle. 304
What to do if …
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