
Driving safet
ysystems Driving safety systems overview
In this section, you will find information about
the following driving safety systems:
R ABS ( Anti-lock BrakingSystem)
R BAS ( Brake Assist System)
R ASR (Acceleration SkidControl)
R ESP ®
(Electronic StabilityProgram)
R EBD ( Electronic Brake Force Distribution) Important safety notes
If you fail to adapt yourd riving style or if you
are inattentive, the driving safety systems can
neither reduce the risk of accident nor
override the laws of physics. Driving safety
systems are merely aids designed to assist
driving. You are responsible for the distance
to the vehicle in front, for vehicle speed and
for braking in good time. Always adapt your
driving style to the prevailing road and
weather conditions and maintai nasufficient,
safe distance from other road users. Drive
carefully.
The driving safety systems described can only
attain their maximum effectiveness when
there is optimum contact between the tires
and the road can. Therefore pay special
attention to the information on tires, the
recommended minimum tire tread, etc., in
the "Wheels and tires" section (Y page 274).
In wintry driving conditions, always use winter
tires (M+S tires) and if necessary, snow
chains. Only in this way will the driving safety
systems described in this section work as
effectively as possible. ABS (Anti-lock Braking System)
Important safety notes Note the section on 'Important safety notes'
(Y
page 56). G
WARNING
If ABS is faulty, the wheels could lock when
braking. The steerability and braking
characteristics may be severely impaired.
Additionally, further driving safety systems
are deactivated. There is an increased danger
of skidding and accidents.
Drive on carefully. Have ABS checked
immediately at a qualified specialist
workshop.
If ABS is malfunctioning, other systems will
also fail, including driving safety systems.
Observe the information relating to the 000E
(Y page 210) warning lamp.
ABS regulates brake pressure in such a way
that the wheels do not lock when you brake.
This allows you to continue steering the
vehicle when braking.
ABS acts from a speed of about 5 mph
(8 km/h) upwards, regardless of road surface
conditions. ABS works on slippery surfaces,
even when you only brake gently.
The yellow 000Ewarning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up when the ignition
is switched on. The lamp goes out when the
engine starts running.
Braking X
If ABS intervenes: continue to depress the
brake pedal with force until the braking
situation is over.
X To make a full brake application:
depress the brake pedal with full force.
If ABS intervenes when braking, you will feel
a pulsating in the brake pedal.
The pulsating brake pedal can be an
indication of hazardous road conditions and
functions as a reminder to take extra care
while driving. BAS (Brake AssistS
ystem)
Note the section on 'Important safety notes'
(Y page 56). 56
Driving safety systemsSafety

G
WARNING
If BAS is malfunctioning, the braking distance
in an emergency braking situation is
increased. There is a risk of an accident.
In an emergency braking situation, depress
the brake pedal with full force. ABS prevents
the wheels from locking.
Vehicles without steering wheel buttons: if
the BAS driving safety system is
malfunctioning, the 000Awarning lamp lights
up while the engine is running (Y page 210).
BAS operates in emergency braking
situations. If you depress the brake quickly,
BAS automatically increases the brake
pressure, thereby reducing the stopping
distance.
The brakes will function as usual once you
release the brake pedal. BAS is deactivated. EBD (electronic brake force
distribution)
Note the section on 'Important safety notes'
(Y page 56). G
WARNING
If EBD has malfunctioned, the rear wheels can
still lock, e.g. under full braking. This
increases the risk of skidding and an accident.
You should therefore adapt yourd riving style
to the different handling characteristics. Have
the brake system checked at a qualified
specialist workshop.
EBD monitors and controls the brake
pressure to the rear wheels. This enables EBD
to improve handling during braking.
Observe the information on warning and
indicator lamps (Y page 210). ESP
®
(Electronic Stability Program)
Note the section on 'Important safety notes'
(Y page 56). G
WARNING
If ESP ®
is malfunctioning it willn ot provide
any vehicle stabilization. There is an increased
risk of skidding or of an accident.
Exercise caution when continuing to drive.
Have ESP ®
checked at a qualified specialist
workshop.
! Only operate the vehicle briefly
(maximum of 10 seconds) on a brake
dynamometer. The key must be turned to
position 1in the ignition lock during this
time. You could otherwise damage the
drive train or the brake system.
! Do not run the vehicle on a roller
dynamometer (e.g. for performance tests).
If you must operate the vehicle on a roller
dynamometer, please consult a qualified
specialist workshop in advance. You could
otherwise damage the drive train or the
brake system.
If you activate or deactivate ESP ®
in a vehicle
with engageable all-wheel drive, ESP ®
will be
deactivated for the duration of the
activation/deactivation process.
If ESP ®
is malfunctioning, the 0002indicator
lamp lights up while the engine is running and
the engine power may be reduced
(Y page 210).
ESP ®
monitors driving stability and detects a
tendency of the vehicle to understeer or
oversteer (skidding) in good time. If ESP ®
detects that the vehicle is deviating from the
direction desired by the driver, one or more
wheels are braked to stabilize the vehicle. The
engine output is also modified to keep the
vehicle on the desired course within physical
limits. ESP ®
greatly assists you when driving
on wet or slippery road surfaces. ESP ®
also
stabilizes the vehicle when braking.
The 000D warning lamp in the instrument
cluster flashes when ESP ®
is intervening. Driving safety systems
57Safety Z

If ESP
®
intervenes:
X Do not deactivate ASR under any
circumstances.
X When driving off, apply as little throttle as
possible.
X Adapt yours peed and driving style to the
prevailing road conditions.
i Only use wheels with the recommended
tire sizes. Only then will ESP ®
function
properly. ASR (acceleration skid control)
General notes Important safety notes
Note the section on 'Important safety notes'
(Y
page 56).
ASR can neither reduce the risk of an accident
nor suspend the laws of physics if the driver
does not pay attention when pulling away or
accelerating. ASR is only an aid. Always adapt
your driving style to suit the prevailing road
and weather conditions.
Vehicles without steering wheel buttons: if
ASR is malfunctioning, the 000Aindicator
lamp lights up while the engine is running and
the engine power may be reduced
(Y page 210).
ASR significantly improves traction, i.e. the
transmission of power from the tires to the
road surface, and thus increases the vehicle's
driving stability. If the driving wheels start to
spin, ASR brakes individual drive wheels and
limits the engine torque. ASR thus
significantly assists you when pulling away
and accelerating, especially on wet or
slippery roads.
If traction on the road surface is not sufficient,
even ASR will not allow you to pull away
without difficulty. The type of tires and total
weight of the vehicle as well as the gradient
of the road also play a crucial role. If ASR intervenes, the
000Dwarning lamp in
the instrument cluster flashes.
Activating/deactivating ASR G
WARNING
If deactivated, ASR will not attempt to
stabilize the vehicle during pulling away and
acceleration. There is an increased risk of
skidding and of an accident.
Only deactivate ASR in the situations
described in the following.
! If you deactivate ASR, ESP ®
will still
intervene to stabilize the vehicle. Frequent
braking automatically triggered by ESP ®
can damage the brake system.
For this reason, deactivate ASR only briefly
and when absolutely necessary. When ESP
®
is intervening and the 000D
warning lamp in the instrument cluster is
flashing, leave ASR on. In this case, only
depress the accelerator pedal as far as
required when pulling away.
X Press the 0006button.
If ASR is deactivated, the 000Dwarning
lamp in the instrument cluster lights up.
ASR is automatically activated when the
engine is started.
It may be best to deactivate ASR briefly in the
following situations:
R when using snow chains
R in deep snow
R on sand or gravel 58
Driving safet
ysystemsSafety

If you deactivate ASR:
R
engine torque is not limited and the drive
wheels are able to spin. The spinning
wheels will then achieve a cutting effect for
better traction.
R traction control remains active through
brake intervention. If a drive wheel attains
its tire traction limitb ecause one side of the
road is slippery, for example, that wheel is
braked. The traction is then increased in
this situation.
R active brake intervention by ESP ®
to
increase driving stability remains active.
The 000D warning lamp in the instrument
cluster flashes when ESP ®
is intervening. Emergency exit
Emergency exit window
G
WARNING
The emergency exit window cannot be locked
in place. You risk injury if you exit the vehicle
through the emergency exit window.
R Make sure that nobody becomes trapped,
both when closing and when opening the
emergency exit window.
R The opened emergency exit window must
be held in place by another person.
Pay attention to traffic conditions. G
WARNING
If the emergency exit window is unlocked
while driving, it could open and slam shut and
consequently fall down. There is a risk of an
accident and injury.
Before starting off, make sure that the
emergency exit window is locked and the
locking pins are undamaged.
! Make sure there is sufficien tclearance
when opening the emergency exit window.
Hold the open window in position. You
could otherwise damage the emergency
exit window. The emergency exit window is intended for
use in an emergency only and must not be
opened unless the vehicle is stationary. The
emergency exit window is the firs
twindow
behind the driver's seat on the driver's side.
It is marked by the "Emergency Exit" label.
X To open: position both handles 0005
vertically. This will break locking pins 0006.
The window is unlocked.
X Swing the window outward by the handles
and hold it in this position. Make sure there
is sufficien tclearance when doing so.
X To close: close the window.
X Position both handles 0005horizontally.
Make sure that the locks 0026are inside in
front of the window frame.
The window is locked.
X Replace locking pins 0006at the lates tbefore
starting on a new journey.
You can obtain information on this at any
qualified specialist workshop.
In an emergency, or after an accident, the
vehicle occupants can exit the vehicle
through the emergency exit window.
Observe the following notes to make sure that
the emergency exit window can be used
safely in the event of an emergency:
R Before beginning a journey, inform the
vehicle occupants of the emergency exit
window and explain how to use it. Make Emergency exit
59Safety Z

Electrical closing assist
If your vehicle is equipped with electrical
closing assist, you will require less force to
close the sliding door. Electrical step
Important safety notes
If you do no tuse the grab handle and the step,
you could injure yourselfw hen getting in and
out of the vehicle.
In order to reduce risks:
R draw the passengers' attention to the
electrical step. Wait until the electrical step
is fully extended.
R do not jump out of the vehicle.
R only use the grab handle and step. Only
they are designed for such a load.
R keep grab handles, access steps and entry
sills free from dirt, e.g. mud, clay, snow and
ice. Operation and obstacle detection
Electrical step
The sliding door of your vehicle can be
equipped with an electrical access step.
X When getting in and out of the vehicle, use
the grab handles and electrical step 0005.
Electrical step 0005automatically extends
when the sliding door is opened and retracts
when it is closed. Electrical step
0005is equipped with an
obstruction detection device on the front
side. If the step comes into contact with an
obstacle while it is extending, it stops.
After you have removed the obstacle, you
must first close the sliding door and open it
once again so that the step can extend
completely.
i If the electrical step obstructs loading,
you can prevent the step from extending
when opening the sliding door via obstacle
detection. The electrical step can then
remain retracted and aforklift or other
lifting equipment can be moved nearer to
the cargo compartment.
Vehicles without steering-wheel buttons: if
the 0004 indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up and a warning tone sounds,
electrical step 0005is malfunctioning
(Y page 219).
Vehicles with steering-wheel buttons: if the
Electrical Step message is shown in the
display and a warning tones ounds, electrical
step 0005is malfunctioning (Y page 208).
If electrical step 0005is malfunctioning, the
step may only partially extend/retract or may
not extend/retract at all. If a malfunction
does occur, you will have to retrac tand lock
electrical step 0005manually before continuing
the journey (Y page 72).
Before passengers ge tout of the vehicle, let
them know that electrical step 0005might not
be extended. Emergency release
! Driving with the step extended may result
in it being damaged.
If the electrical step does not retract
automatically, you will have to push it in and
loc kiti nto place manually before
continuing your journey. 72
Electrical stepOpening and closing

Useful information
This Operator's Manual describes all models
as well as standard and optional equipment
of your vehicle that were available at the time
of going to print. Country-specific variations
are possible. Note that your vehicle may not
be equipped with all of the described
functions. This also applies to systems and
functions relevant to safety.
Read the information on qualified specialist
workshops (Y page 26). Exterior lighting
Important safety notes
For reasons of safety, we recommend that
you drive with the lights switched on even
during the daytime. There may be differences
in operation due to legal requirements and
voluntary recommendations in some
countries. Lamp failure indicator
The bulb failure indicator is only an aid. You
are responsible for the proper functioning of
the vehicle lighting. Insufficient or non-
functioning vehicle lightin gputs the operating
safety of the vehicle at risk.
For this reason, check the condition and
function of your vehicle's lighting system and,
if necessary, that of the trailer before each
journey.
The bulb failure indicator monitors all of the
exterio rlighting lamps, except the perimeter
lamp and the trailer lighting. If a bulb fails,
either the 0002(Ypage 34) indicator lamp
lights up, or you will see a corresponding
message in the display (Y page 201).
i Depending on the equipment, the bulb
failure indicator can fail for all lamps with
the exceptio nofthe turn signal lamps. Light switch
Operation 00080007
Automatic headlamp mode
0009000C Lights off/daytime running lamp
mode
000A000B Parking lamps, license plate and
instrumentl ighting
000E0004 Low-beam/high-beam headlamps
000F0005 Fog lamps
00100007 Rear fog lamp
If you hear a warning tone when you leave the
vehicle, the lights may still be switched on.
X Turn the light switch to 000Cor0007.
Or
X If the rear fog lamp is switched on: press
the light switch in to the stop.
The tur nsignals, high-beam headlamps and
the high-beam flasher are operated using the
combination switch (Y page 92).
Low-beam headlamps X
To switch on: turnthe key to position 2in
the ignition lock or start the engine.
X Turn the light switch to position 0004.
The 0004 indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up.
X To switch off: turn the light switch to
000C. 90
Exterior lightingLights and windshield wipers

Daytime running lamp mode
You can activate/deactivate daytime running
lamp mode using the on-board computer.
This is no tpossible in countries where
daytime running lamp mode is a legal
requirement.
Daytime running lamp mode must be
activated using the on-board computer:
R Vehicles with steering wheel
buttons(Y page 187)
R Vehicles without steering wheel buttons
(Y page 179)
X To switch on: turn the light switch to the
000C position.
The low-beam headlamps, parking lamps
and license plate lamp are switched on
when the engine is running. The 0004
indicator lamp in the instrument cluster
lights up.
i USA only:
If you turn the light switch to the 000Bor
0004 position, the parking lamps or low-
beam headlamps are switched on. If you
turn the light switch to the 0007position,
daytime running lamp mode stays switched
on.
i Canada only:
If you turn the light switch to the 0004
position, the low-beam headlamps are
switched on. If you turn the light switch to
the 000B or0007 position, daytime running
lamp mode stays switched on.
Automatic headlamp mode G
WARNING
If the light switch is set to 000Band it is foggy,
snowing or there is poor visibility, the low-
beam headlamps will not come on
automatically. There is a risk of an accident.
In such situations, turn the light switch to
0004. Automatic headlamp mode is only a driving
aid. You are responsible for the vehicle
lighting at all times.
If it is dark or foggy, turn the light switch
quickly from
0007to0004.Y ou could
otherwise briefly interrupt operation of the
headlamps.
Depending on ambient light, the rain and light
sensor automatically switches on the parking
lamps, low-beam headlamps and the license
plate lamp. This excludes weather-related
impairments to visibility, such as snow, fog or
spray.
X To switch on automatic headlamp
mode: turn the light switch to 0007.
Key in position 1in the ignition lock: the
parking lamps are switched on or off
automatically depending on the ambient
light.
When the engine is running: depending on
the ambient light, the parking lamps and
the low-beam headlamps are switched on
or off automatically.
When the low-beam headlamps are
switched on, the 0004indicator lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up.
Fog lamp/rear fog lamp G
WARNING
If you suspect that driving conditions will be
foggy, turn the light switch to 0004before you
start your journey. Your vehicle may
otherwise not be visible and you could
endanger yourself and others. G
WARNING
In low ambient lighting or foggy conditions,
only switch from position 0007to0004 with
the vehicle at a standstill in a safe location.
Switching from 0007to0004 will briefly
switch off the headlamps. Doing so while
driving in low ambient lighting conditions may
result in an accident. Exterior lighting
91Lights and windshiel dwipers Z

X
Turn the ignition key to position 2in the
ignition lock or start the engine.
X Turn the light switch to 0004or000B.
i If your vehicle is only equipped with one
rear fog lamp, you must turn the light
switch to 0004.
i When the light switch is set to 0007, you
cannot switch on the front or rear fog
lamps.
X To switch on the front fog lamps: pull the
light switch out to the first locking point.
The green 0005indicator lamp on the light
switch lights up.
X To switch on the rear fog lamp: pull the
light switch out to the second locking point.
The yellow 0007indicator lamp on the light
switch lights up.
X To switch off the front fog lamps/rear
fog lamp: push in the light switch to the
stop.
The 0007 and0005 indicator lamp on the
light switch go out. Combination switch
Turn signal lamps 0005
To indicate a right turn
0006 To indicate a left turn X
To indicate: press the combination switch
in desired direction 0005or0006 until it
engages.
The combination switch automatically
returns to its original position after large
steering movements.
X To indicate briefly: press the combination
switch briefly in desired direction 0005
or 0006.
The corresponding turn signal flashes three
times.
High-beam headlamps and high-beam
flasher 0005
High-beam headlamps
0006 High-beam flasher
X To switch on the high-beam
headlamps: switch on the low-beam
headlamps (Y page 90).
X Press combination switch 0005forwards.
The 0003 indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up.
i In the 0007position, the high-beam
headlamps are only switched on when it is
dark and the engine is running.
X To switch off the high-beam
headlamps: move the combination switch
back to its normal position.
The 0003 indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster goes out. 92
Exterior lightingLights and windshield wipers