2012 MERCEDES-BENZ R-Class steering

ProblemPossible causes/consequences and M SolutionsYou have lost the
mechanical key.XReport the loss immediately to the vehicle insurers.XIf necessary, have the locks changed as well.The engine cannot be
started using the
SmartKey.The on-board voltage is too low.XSwitch off non-essential consumers, e.g. seat heating or interior
lighting, and try to start the engine again.
If this does not work:
XCheck the starter battery and charge it if necessary
( Y page 310).
or
XJump-start the vehicle ( Y page 313).
or
XConsult a qualified specialist workshop.The engine cannot be
started using KEYLESS-
GO. The SmartKey is in
the vehicle.A door is open. Therefore, the SmartKey cannot be detected as
easily.XClose the door and try to start the vehicle again.There is interference from a powerful source of radio waves.XStart your vehicle with the SmartKey in the ignition lock.Doors
Important safety notes
GWARNING
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the ignition lock. Always take
the SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle.
Do not leave children unsupervised in the
vehicle, even if they are secured in a child
restraint system, and do not give them access
to an unlocked vehicle. A child's unsupervised
access to a vehicle could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury. They could:
R injure themselves on vehicle parts
R be seriously or fatally injured by extreme
heat or cold
R injure themselves or have an accident with
vehicle equipment that may still be in
operation even after the SmartKey has
been removed from the ignition, such as the
seat adjustment, steering wheel
adjustment or memory function.
If children open a door, they could cause
severe or even fatal injury to other persons; if
they get out of the vehicle, they could injure
themselves when doing so or be seriously or
even fatally injured by any passing traffic.
Do not expose the child restraint system to
direct sunlight. The child restraint system's
metal parts, for example, could become very
hot, and a child could be burned on these
parts.GWARNING
Do not carry heavy or hard objects in the
passenger compartment or cargo
compartment unless they are firmly secured
in place.
Doors79Opening/closingZ

GWARNING
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the ignition lock. Always take
the SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle.
Do not leave children unsupervised in the
vehicle, even if they are secured in a child
restraint system, and do not give them access
to an unlocked vehicle. A child's unsupervised
access to a vehicle could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury. They could:
R injure themselves on vehicle parts
R be seriously or fatally injured by extreme
heat or cold
R injure themselves or have an accident with
vehicle equipment that may still be in
operation even after the SmartKey has
been removed from the ignition, such as the
seat adjustment, steering wheel
adjustment or memory function.
If children open a door, they could cause
severe or even fatal injury to other persons; if
they get out of the vehicle, they could injure
themselves when doing so or be seriously or
even fatally injured by any passing traffic.
Do not expose the child restraint system to
direct sunlight. The child restraint system's
metal parts, for example, could become very
hot, and a child could be burned on these
parts.
GWARNING
Do not carry heavy or hard objects in the
passenger compartment or cargo
compartment unless they are firmly secured
in place.
Unsecured or improperly positioned cargo
increases a child's risk of injury in the event
of
R strong braking maneuvers
R sudden changes of direction
R an accident
GWARNING
Make sure the tailgate is closed when the
engine is running and while driving. Among
other dangers, deadly carbon monoxide (CO)
gases may enter vehicle interior resulting in
unconsciousness and death.
! The tailgate swings upwards and to the
rear when opened. Therefore, make sure
that there is sufficient clearance above and
behind the tailgate.
To open the tailgate completely, a minimum
clearance of 7.20 ft (2.20 m) above the
ground is necessary.
You can:
R open and close the tailgate manually from
outside
R open and close the tailgate automatically
from outside
R open and close the tailgate automatically
from inside
R open the tailgate manually from inside
R limit the opening angle of the tailgate
Opening/closing from the outside
Opening
XPress the % button on the SmartKey.XPull handle :.XRaise the tailgate.
Closing
GWARNING
To prevent possible personal injury, always
keep hands and fingers away from the cargo
82Cargo compartmentOpening/closing

Useful information ..............................96
Correct driver's seat position ............96
Seats .................................................... 97
Steering wheel .................................. 107
Mirrors ............................................... 109
Memory functions .............................11295Seats, steering wheel and mirrors

Useful information
i This Operator's Manual describes all
models and all standard and optional
equipment of your vehicle available at the
time of publication of the Operator's
Manual. Country-specific differences are
possible. Please note that your vehicle may
not be equipped with all features
described. This also applies to safety-
related systems and functions.
i Please read the information on qualified
specialist workshops ( Y page 24).
Correct driver's seat position
Observe the safety guidelines on seat
adjustment ( Y page 97).
XCheck whether you have adjusted seat =
properly.
Electrical seat adjustment ( Y page 98)
When adjusting the seat, make sure:
R you are as far away from the driver's air
bag as possible.
R you are sitting in a normal upright
position.R you can fasten the seat belt properly.
R you have moved the backrest to an
almost vertical position.
R you have set the seat cushion angle so
that your thighs are gently supported.
R you can depress the pedals properly.XCheck whether the head restraint is
adjusted properly ( Y page 99).
When doing so, make sure that you have
adjusted the head restraint so that the back
of your head is supported at eye level by
the center of the head restraint.
Observe the safety guidelines on steering
wheel adjustment ( Y page 107).
XCheck whether steering wheel : is
adjusted properly.
Adjusting the steering wheel
manually( Y page 107)
Adjusting the steering wheel electrically
( Y page 108)
When adjusting the steering wheel, make
sure:
R you can hold the steering wheel with your
arms slightly bent.
R you can move your legs freely.
R you can see all the displays in the
instrument cluster clearly.
Observe the safety guidelines for seat belts
( Y page 51).
XCheck whether you have fastened seat
belt ; properly ( Y page 53).
The seat belt should:
R fit snugly across your body
R be routed across the middle of your
shoulder
R be routed in your pelvic area across the
hip jointsXBefore starting off, adjust the rear-view
mirror and the exterior mirrors96Correct driver's seat positionSeats, steering wheel and mirrors

(Y page 110) in such a way that you have
a good view of road and traffic conditions.XVehicles with a memory function: save
the seat, steering wheel and exterior mirror
settings ( Y page 112).
Seats
Important safety notes
GWARNING
In order to avoid possible loss of vehicle
control, all seat, head restraint, steering
wheel and rear view mirror adjustments, as
well as fastening of seat belts, must be done
before setting the vehicle in motion.
GWARNING
Do not adjust the driver's seat while driving.
Adjusting the seat while driving could cause
the driver to lose control of the vehicle.
Never travel in a moving vehicle with the seat
backrest in an excessively reclined position as
this can be dangerous. You could slide under
the seat belt in a collision. If you slide under
it, the seat belt would apply force at the
abdomen or neck. This could cause serious or
fatal injuries. The seat backrest and seat belts
provide the best restraint when the wearer is
in a position that is as upright as possible and
seat belts are properly positioned on the
body.
GWARNING
Your seat belt must be adjusted so that you
can correctly fasten your seat belt.
Observe the following points:
R adjust the seat backrest until your arms are
slightly angled when holding the steering
wheel.
R adjust the seat to a comfortable seating
position that still allows you to reach the
accelerator/brake pedal safely. The
position should be as far back as possible
with the driver still able to operate the
controls properly.
R adjust the head restraint so that it is as
close to the head as possible and the center
of the head restraint supports the back of
the head at eye level.
R never place hands under the seat or near
any moving parts while a seat is being
adjusted.
Failure to do so could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury.GWARNING
The electrically adjustable seats can be
operated at any time. Therefore, do not leave
children unattended in the vehicle, or with
access to an unlocked vehicle. A child's
unsupervised access to a vehicle could result
in an accident and/or serious personal injury.
GWARNING
According to accident statistics, children are
safer when properly restrained in the rear
seating positions than in the front seating
position. Thus, we strongly recommend that
children be placed in the rear seats whenever
possible. Regardless of seating position,
children 12 years old and under must be
seated and properly secured in an
appropriately sized infant restraint, toddler
restraint, or booster seat recommended for
the size and weight of the child. For additional
information, see "Children in the vehicle".
A child's risk of serious or fatal injuries is
significantly increased if the child restraints
are not properly secured in the vehicle and/
or the child is not properly secured in the child
restraint.
GWARNING
For your protection, drive only with properly
positioned head restraints.
Adjust the head restraint so that it is as close
to the head as possible and the center of the
head restraint supports the back of the head
at eye level. This will reduce the potential for
Seats97Seats, steering wheel and mirrorsZ

injury to the head and neck in the event of an
accident or similar situation.
Do not drive the vehicle without the seat head
restraints. Head restraints are intended to
help reduce injuries during an accident.
! To avoid damage to the seats and the seat
heating, observe the following information:
R keep liquids from spilling on the seats. If
liquid is spilled on the seats, dry them as
soon as possible.
R if the seat covers are damp or wet, do not
switch on the seat heating. The seat
heating should also not be used to dry
the seats.
R clean the seat covers as recommended;
see the "Interior care" section.
R do not transport heavy loads on the
seats. Do not place sharp objects on the
seat cushions, e.g. knives, nails or tools.
The seats should only be occupied by
passengers, if possible.
R when the seat heating is in operation, do
not cover the seats with insulating
materials, e.g. blankets, coats, bags,
seat covers, child seats or booster seats.
! When you move the seats, make sure that
there are no objects in the footwell or
behind the seats. Otherwise, you could
damage the seats and the objects.
! When the outer seats in the second row
are folded down, the front seats must not
be in their rearmost position. The front
seats and the outer seats in the second row
could otherwise be damaged.
! Make sure that the sun visor is folded up
before adjusting the backrest and head
restraint height. The head restraint and sun
visor could otherwise collide when the head
restraint is fully extended.
i The rear-compartment head restraints
can be removed ( Y page 100).Please contact an authorized Mercedes-
Benz Center for more information.
i Other topics:
R Cargo compartment enlargement
(folding the second and third row of seats
forward) ( Y page 253)
Adjusting the seats
i Vehicles without Memory function: the
seats can be adjusted within three minutes
of a front door being opened.
The time period starts over again if, within
these three minutes, you:
R open or close a front door
R insert the SmartKey into the ignition lock
or remove it from the ignition lock
R switch the ignition on or off
If the SmartKey is in position 2 in the
ignition lock, the seats can be adjusted at
any time.
:Head restraint height 7;Backrest angle=Seat fore-and-aft adjustment?Seat cushion angleASeat height
i
Vehicles with Memory function: If PRE-
SAFE ®
has been activated, the front-
passenger seat is moved to a better
position if it was previously set unfavorably.
7 Only for vehicles with memory function.98SeatsSeats, steering wheel and mirrors

iYou can store the seat settings using the
memory function ( Y page 112).
Adjusting the head restraints
Adjusting the head restraints manually
Adjusting the head restraint height 8
! The head restraints must only be removed
at a qualified specialist workshop.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you use
a Mercedes-Benz Center for this purpose.
XIf the head restraint is fully lowered, it is
necessary to press release catch :.XTo raise: pull the head restraint up to the
desired position.XTo lower: press release catch : in the
direction of the arrow and push the head
restraint down to the desired position.
Adjusting the angle of the head restraints
GWARNING
Vehicles with Rear Seat Entertainment
System: When adjusting the head restraint,
make sure your fingers do not become caught
between the head restraint cushion and the
monitor. Failing to do so may lead to injury.
XPush or pull the lower edge of the head
restraint in the direction of the arrow.
Adjusting the head restraint height
electrically 9
XTo adjust the head restraint height:
slide
the switch for head restraint adjustment
( Y page 98) up or down in the direction of
the arrow.
Adjusting luxury head restraints
GWARNING
When folding back the side cushions, never
reach between the side cushion and the
mounting post. You could otherwise be
trapped.
XTo adjust the side bolsters of the head
restraint: push or pull right and/or left-8
For vehicles without memory function only.
9 For vehicles with memory function only.Seats99Seats, steering wheel and mirrorsZ

hand side bolster : into the desired
position.XTo adjust the angle of the head
restraint: push or pull the head restraint in
the direction of arrow ;.
Rear seat head restraints
GWARNING
For safety reasons, always drive with the rear
head restraints in the upright position when
the rear seats are occupied.
Keep the area around head restraints clear of
articles (e.g. clothing) to not obstruct the
folding operation of the head restraints.
GWARNING
For your protection, drive only with properly
positioned head restraints.
Adjust the head restraint in such a way that it
is as close to the head as possible and the
center of the head restraint supports the back
of the head at eye level. This will reduce the
potential for injury to the head and neck in the
event of an accident or similar situation.
With a rear seat occupied, make sure to move
the respective head restraint up from the
lowest non-use position and have the
occupant adjust the head restraint properly.
Do not drive the vehicle without the seat head
restraints installed when the rear seats are
occupied. Head restraints are intended to
help reduce injuries during an accident.
Adjusting the head restraint height
(second and third row of seats)
Outer seat head restraints in the second row of
seats
Outer seat head restraints in the third row of seats
XIf the head restraint is fully lowered, it is
necessary to press release catch :.XTo raise: pull the head restraint up to the
desired position.XTo lower: press release catch : and push
the head restraint down until it is in the
desired position.
Removing and installing rear head
restraints
GWARNING
Occupants should only travel sitting on seats
which have the head restraints installed. In
the event of an accident, this reduces the risk
of injury for passengers seated in the rear
compartment.
If you wish to remove the head restraints from
the outer seats in the second row of seats,
100SeatsSeats, steering wheel and mirrors