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164Vehicle careVehicle careGeneral Information...................164
Vehicle checks ........................... 165
Bulb replacement .......................172
Electrical system ........................182
Vehicle tools .............................. 188
Wheels and tyres .......................189
Jump starting ............................. 200
Towing ....................................... 202
Appearance care .......................204General Information
Accessories and vehicle
modifications
We recommend the use of genuine parts and accessories and factory
approved parts specific for your
vehicle type. We cannot assess or
guarantee reliability of other products
- even if they have a regulatory or
otherwise granted approval.
Do not make any modifications to the electrical system, e.g. changes of
electronic control units (chip tuning).Caution
When transporting the vehicle on
a train or on a recovery vehicle, the
mud flaps might be damaged.
Vehicle storage
Storage for a long period of time
If the vehicle is to be stored for several months:
■ Wash and wax the vehicle.
■ Have the wax in the engine compartment and underbody
checked.
■ Clean and preserve the rubber seals.
■ Fill up fuel tank completely.
■ Change the engine oil.
■ Drain the washer fluid reservoir.
■ Check the coolant antifreeze and corrosion protection.
■ Adjust tyre pressure to the value specified for full load.
■ Park the vehicle in a dry, well ventilated place. Engage first orreverse gear or set selector lever to P . Prevent the vehicle from rolling.
■ Do not apply the parking brake.
Page 194 of 237

192Vehicle careTyre chains
Tyre chains are only permitted on the
front wheels.
Always use fine mesh chains that add no more than 10 mm to the tyre tread
and the inboard sides (including chain lock).
9 Warning
Damage may lead to tyre blowout.
Tyre chains are only permitted on
tyres of size 195/65 R 15,
205/55 R 16 and 225/45 R 17.
Tyre chains are not permitted on tyres of size 225/40 R 18.
The use of tyre chains is not permitted on the temporary spare wheel.
Tyre repair kit
Minor damage to the tyre tread can be
repaired with the tyre repair kit.
Do not remove foreign bodies from
the tyres.
Tyre damage exceeding 4 mm or that
is at the tyre's sidewall near the rim
cannot be repaired with the tyre repair kit.9 Warning
Do not drive faster than 50 mph.
Do not use for a lengthy period.
Steering and handling may be
affected.
If you have a flat tyre:
Apply the parking brake and engage
first gear, reverse gear or P.
The tyre repair kit is in the stowage
compartment in the load
compartment.
To open the compartment, disengage the cover and open it.
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194Vehicle care
8. Press on/off switch on thecompressor. The tyre is filled withsealant.
9. The compressor pressure gauge briefly indicates up to 6 bar whilst
the sealant bottle is emptying
(approx. 30 seconds). Then the
pressure starts to drop.
10. All of the sealant is pumped into the tyre. Then the tyre is inflated.
11. The prescribed tyre pressure should be obtained within
10 minutes. Tyre pressure
3 224 . When the correct pressure
is obtained, switch off the
compressor by pressing the on/off switch again.
If the prescribed tyre pressure is
not obtained within 10 minutes,
remove the tyre repair kit. Move
the vehicle one tyre rotation.
Reattach the tyre repair kit and
continue the filling procedure for
10 minutes. If the prescribed tyre pressure is still not obtained, the
tyre is too badly damaged. Seek
the assistance of a workshop.
Release excess tyre pressure
using the ] button.
Do not run the compressor longer
than 10 minutes.
12. Push catch on bracket to remove sealant bottle from bracket. Screwthe tyre inflation hose to the free
connection of the sealant bottle.
This prevents sealant from
escaping. Stow tyre repair kit in
load compartment.
13. Remove any excess sealant using a cloth.14. Take the label indicatingmaximum permitted speed from
the sealant bottle and affix in the
driver's field of view.
15. Continue driving immediately so that sealant is evenly distributedin the tyre. After driving approx.
6 miles (but no more than
10 minutes), stop and check tyre
pressure. Screw compressor air
hose directly onto tyre valve and
compressor when doing this.
If tyre pressure is more than 1.3 bar , set it to the correct value.
Repeat the procedure until there
is no more loss of pressure.
If the tyre pressure has fallen
below 1.3 bar, the vehicle must
not be used. Seek the assistance
of a workshop.
16. Stow away tyre repair kit in load compartment.
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Vehicle care197
Set the jack to the necessary
height. Position it directly below
the jacking point in a manner that
prevents it from slipping.
Attach jack handle and with the
jack correctly aligned rotate handle until wheel is clear of theground.
Variant 2:
Set the jack to the necessary
height. Position it directly below
the jacking point in a manner that
prevents it from slipping.
Attach wheel wrench and with the
jack correctly aligned rotate wheel wrench until wheel is clear of the
ground.
5. Unscrew the wheel bolts. 6. Change the wheel.
7. Screw on the wheel bolts.
8. Lower vehicle.
9. Install the wheel wrench ensuring that it locates securely and tighten
each bolt in a crosswise
sequence. Tightening torque is
110 Nm.
10. Align the valve hole in the wheel cover with the tyre valve before
installing.
Install wheel bolt caps.
11. Stow the replaced wheel 3 198,
the vehicle tools 3 188 and the
key adapter 3 61.
12. Check the tyre pressure of the installed tyre and also the wheel
bolt torque as soon as possible.
Have the defective tyre renewed or
repaired.
Page 200 of 237
198Vehicle care
Jacking position for liftingplatform
Rear arm position of the lifting
platform at the underbody.
Front arm position of the lifting
platform at the underbody.
Spare wheel Some vehicles are equipped with a
tyre repair kit instead of a spare
wheel.
The spare wheel can be classified as
a temporary spare wheel depending
on the size compared to the other
mounted wheels and country
regulations.
The spare wheel has a steel rim.
The use of a spare wheel that is
smaller than the other wheels or in
combination with winter tyres could
affect driveability. Have the defective
tyre replaced as soon as possible.
The spare wheel is located in the load
compartment beneath the floor
covering. It is secured with a wing nut.
The spare wheel well is not designed for all permissible tyre sizes. If a
wheel wider than the spare wheel has
to be stowed in the load
compartment, it needs to be secured with a strap or, depending on the
version, with an extension bar.
Page 202 of 237

200Vehicle care9Warning
Storing a jack, a wheel or other
equipment in the load
compartment could cause injury if they are not fixed properly. During a sudden stop or a collision, looseequipment could strike someone.
Store jack and tools always in the
respective storage compartments
and secure them by fixing.
Place the damaged wheel always
in the load compartment secured
by the strap or in the spare wheel
well secured by the wing nut.
Temporary spare wheel
The use of the temporary spare wheel could affect driveability. Have thedefective tyre renewed or repaired as soon as possible.
Only mount one temporary spare
wheel. Do not drive faster than
50 mph. Take curves slowly. Do not
use for a long period of time.
If your vehicle gets a flat tyre in the
rear while towing another vehicle,
mount the temporary spare wheel in
the front and the full tyre in the rear.
Tyre chains 3 192.
Directional tyres
Fit directional tyres such that they roll in the direction of travel. The rolling
direction is indicated by a symbol
(e.g. an arrow) on the sidewall.
The following applies to tyres fitted
opposing the rolling direction:
■ Driveability may be affected. Have the defective tyre renewed or
repaired as soon as possible.
■ Drive particularly carefully on wet and snow-covered road surfaces.Jump starting
Do not start with quick charger.
A vehicle with a discharged vehicle
battery can be started using jump leads and the vehicle battery of
another vehicle.9 Warning
Be extremely careful when starting
with jump leads. Any deviation
from the following instructions can
lead to injuries or damage caused
by vehicle battery explosion or
damage to the electrical systems
of both vehicles.
9 Warning
Avoid contact of the vehicle
battery with eyes, skin, fabrics and painted surfaces. The fluid
contains sulphuric acid which can
cause injuries and damage in the
event of direct contact.
Page 204 of 237
202Vehicle care
4. Switch on electrical consumers(e.g. headlights, heated rear
window) of the vehicle receiving
the jump start.
5. Reverse above sequence exactly when removing leads.Towing
Towing the vehicle
Disengage cap at bottom and removedownwards.
The towing eye is stowed with the
vehicle tools 3 188.
Screw in the towing eye as far as it will
go until it stops in a horizontal
position.
Attach a tow rope – or better still a tow
rod – to the towing eye.
The towing eye must only be used for towing and not for recovering the
vehicle.
Caution
Activate the child lock in both rear
doors if the rear seats are
occupied. Child locks 3 24.
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Vehicle care203
Switch on ignition to release steering
wheel lock and to permit operation of
brake lights, horn and windscreen
wiper.
Transmission in neutral.Caution
Drive slowly. Do not drive jerkily.
Excessive tractive force can
damage the vehicle.
When the engine is not running,
considerably more force is needed to
brake and steer.
To prevent the entry of exhaust gases from the towing vehicle, switch on the
air recirculation and close the
windows.
Vehicles with automatic transmission: The vehicle must be towed facing
forwards, not faster than 50 mph nor further than 60 miles. In all other
cases and when the transmission is
defective, the front axle must be
raised off the ground.
Seek the assistance of a workshop. After towing, unscrew the towing eye.
Insert cap at the bottom and close
cap.
Towing another vehicle
Disengage the cap at the bottom and
remove downwards.
The towing eye is stowed with the
vehicle tools 3 188.
Screw in the towing eye as far as it will
go until it stops in a horizontal
position.
The lashing eye at the rear
underneath the vehicle must never be used as a towing eye.
Attach a tow rope – or even better a
tow bar – to the towing eye.
The towing eye must only be used for
towing and not for recovering a
vehicle.