Page 207 of 299
Driving and operating205
Road signs
beginning and end of:
■ motorways
■ A-roads
■ play streetsAdd on signs ■ additional hints to traffic signs
■ restriction of trailer towing
■ wet warning
■ ice warning
■ direction arrows
Speed limit signs are displayed in the
Driver Information Centre until the
next speed limit sign or end of speed
limit is detected or up to a defined sign timeout.
Combinations of more signs in the
display are possible.
An exclamation mark in a frame
indicates that there is an additional
sign detected which cannot be
recognised by the system.
The system is active up to a speed of
200 km/h depending on the lighting
conditions. At night the system is
active up to a speed of 160 km/h.
As soon as the speed becomes
slower than 55 km/h the display will
be reset and the content of the traffic
sign page will be cleared, e.g. when
entering a city zone. The next
recognized speed indication will be displayed.
Page 212 of 299

210Driving and operating
Fuel selector
Pressing button Y switches between
petrol and natural gas operation.
Switching is not possible at high loads
(e.g. strong acceleration, running at
full throttle). The LED status shows
the current operating mode.
1 off=natural gas
operation.1 illumi‐
nates=petrol operation.1 flashes=no switching is
possible, one type
of fuel is empty.As soon as the natural gas tank is
empty, petrol operation is
automatically engaged until the
ignition is switched off.
If the natural gas tank is not refuelled, the system must be manually
switched to petrol operation before
the engine is started-up again. This
will prevent damage to the catalytic
converter (overheating caused by
irregular fuel supply).
If the selector switch is operated
several times within a short time, a
switchover block is activated. The engine remains in the current
operating mode. The block remains
active until the ignition is switched off.
A slight loss of power and torque can be expected during petrol operation.
You must therefore adapt your driving
style (e.g. during overtaking
manoeuvres) and vehicle loads (e.g.
towing loads) accordingly.
Every six months run the petrol tank
down until control indicator Y
illuminates, then refuel. This isnecessary to maintain fuel quality as
well as system function necessary for
petrol operation.
Fill the tank completely at regular intervals to prevent corrosion in the
tank.
Fuel for liquid gas
operation Liquid gas is known as LPG
(Liquefied Petroleum Gas) or under its French name GPL (Gaz de Pétrole Liquéfié). LPG is also known as
Autogas.
LPG consists mainly of propane and
butane. The octane rating is between
105 and 115, depending on the
butane proportion. LPG is stored
liquid at around 5 - 10 bar pressure.
The boiling point depends on the
pressure and mixing ratio. At ambient pressure, it is between -42 °C (pure
propane) and -0.5 °C (pure butane).
Page 220 of 299

218Driving and operating
Natural gas
The fuel consumption information
was obtained using reference fuel
G20 (methane proportion
99 - 100 mol%) under prescribed
driving conditions. When using
natural gas with a lower proportion of
methane, the fuel consumption can
differ from the specified values.Trailer hitch
General information
Only use towing equipment that has
been approved for your vehicle.
Vehicles with natural gas engines
require special towing equipment.
Entrust retrofitting of towing
equipment to a workshop. It may be
necessary to make changes that
affect the cooling system, heat
shields or other equipment.
The bulb outage detection function for
trailer brake light cannot detect a
partial bulb outage. E.g. in case of
4x 5 Watt bulbs, the function only
detects lamp outage when only a
single 5 Watt lamp remains or none
remain.
Fitting of towing equipment could
cover the opening of the towing eye.
If this is the case use the coupling ball bar for towing. Always keep the
coupling ball bar in the vehicle.Driving characteristics and
towing tips Before attaching a trailer, lubricatethe coupling ball. However, do not do
so if a stabiliser, which acts on the coupling ball, is being used to reduce snaking movements.
For trailers with low driving stability
and caravan trailers with a permitted
gross vehicle weight of more than
1300 kg the use of a stabiliser is
strongly recommended when driving
above 80 km/h.
If the trailer starts snaking, drive more slowly, do not attempt to correct the
steering and brake sharply if
necessary.
When driving downhill, drive in the
same gear as if driving uphill and
drive at a similar speed.
Adjust tyre pressure to the value
specified for full load 3 285.
Page 221 of 299

Driving and operating219Trailer towingTrailer loads
The permissible trailer loads are
vehicle and engine-dependent
maximum values which must not be
exceeded. The actual trailer load is
the difference between the actual
gross weight of the trailer and the
actual coupling socket load with the
trailer coupled.
The permissible trailer loads are
specified in the vehicle documents. In general, they are valid for gradients
up to max. 12 %.
The permitted trailer load applies up
to the specified incline and up to an
altitude of 1000 metres above sea
level. Since engine power decreases
as altitude increases due to the air
becoming thinner, therefore reducing
climbing ability, the permissible gross
train weight also decreases by 10 %
for every 1000 metres of additional
altitude. The gross train weight does
not have to be reduced when driving
on roads with slight inclines (less than
8 %, e.g. motorways).The permissible gross train weight
must not be exceeded. This weight is specified on the identification plate3 271.
Vertical coupling load
The vertical coupling load is the load
exerted by the trailer on the coupling
ball. It can be varied by changing the
weight distribution when loading the
trailer.
The maximum permissible vertical
coupling load (75 kg) is specified on
the towing equipment identification
plate and in the vehicle documents.
Always aim for the maximum load,
especially in the case of heavy
trailers. The vertical coupling load
should never fall below 25 kg.Rear axle load
When the trailer is coupled and the
towing vehicle fully loaded, the
permissible rear axle load (see
identification plate or vehicle
documents) may be exceeded by
60 kg , the gross vehicle weight rating
may be exceeded by 60 kg. If the
permissible rear axle load is
exceeded, a maximum speed of
100 km/h applies.
Towing equipmentCaution
When operating without a trailer,
remove the coupling ball bar.
Page 224 of 299
222Driving and operating
■The coupling ball bar must be firmly
engaged in the opening.
■ The coupling ball bar must be locked and the key removed.9 Warning
Towing a trailer is permitted only
when a coupling ball bar is fitted correctly. If the coupling ball bardoes not engage correctly, seekthe assistance of a workshop.
Dismounting the coupling ball
bar
Open the protective flap and turn the
key to position c to unlock the
coupling ball bar.
Pull out rotary handle and turn
clockwise as far as it will go. Pull out coupling ball bar downwards.
Insert sealing plug in opening. Fold away socket.
Trailer stability assist If the system detects snaking
movements, engine power is reduced
and the vehicle/trailer combination is
selectively braked until the snaking ceases. While system is working keep steering wheel as still as possible.
Trailer stability assist (TSA) is a
function of the Electronic Stability
Control 3 177.
Page 225 of 299

Vehicle care223Vehicle careGeneral Information...................223
Vehicle checks ........................... 224
Bulb replacement .......................231
Electrical system ........................240
Vehicle tools .............................. 246
Wheels and tyres .......................247
Jump starting ............................. 261
Towing ....................................... 262
Appearance care .......................264General 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 248 of 299
246Vehicle care
No.Circuit16Inside mirror, rear view camera17Power outlet18–19Steering wheel heating20Sunblind21Heated front seats22–23–24Selective catalytic reduction
system25–26–27–28–29–30–No.Circuit31–32Active damping system, lane
departure warningVehicle tools
Tools
Some tools, the towing eye and (only on vehicles with spare wheel) the
vehicle jacking equipment are placed
in the rear storage in the load
compartment floor.
Open the cover in front of the tailgate.
Page 261 of 299

Vehicle care259
8. Lower holder all the way andremove spare wheel.
9. Change the wheel. The damaged wheel has to be
secured in the load compartment,
see below.
10. Lift the empty spare wheel holder and insert the safety cable.
11. Lift the spare wheel holder farther
and engage in both catches. The
open sides of the catches must
point in the direction of travel.
12. Close the empty spare wheel holder by turning both hexagon
bolts clockwise successively
using the wheel wrench.
13. Fit the caps above both hexagon bolts.
14. Stow wheel wrench and the jack in the stowage in front of the
tailgate.
15. Close the stowage compartment cover.
When stowing again the spare wheel
in the spare wheel holder, note that
the wheel is positioned with the tyre
valve above the recess of the wheel
holder.
Stowing a damaged wheel in the load compartment
The spare wheel holder is not
designed for other tyre sizes than
spare wheel.
A damaged wheel wider than the spare wheel has to be stowed in the
load compartment and secured with a strap. Vehicle tools 3 246.The seats of the third row must be
folded in 3 78.
1. Position the wheel close to the left
sidewall of the load compartment.
2. Place the loop end of the strap through the front lashing eye on
the left side.
3. Place the hook end of the strap through the loop and pull it until
the strap is fastened securely to
the lashing eye.