GWARNING
Work carried out incorrectly on the battery
can lead, for example, to a short circuit and
thus damage the vehicle electronics. This canlead to function restrictions applying to
safety-relevant systems, e.g the lighting sys-
tem, the ABS (anti-lock braking system) or the
ESP ®
(Electronic Stability Program). The oper-
ating safety of your vehicle may be restricted.
You could lose control of the vehicle, for
example:
R when braking
R in the event of abrupt steering maneuvers
and/or when the vehicle's speed is not
adapted to the road conditions
There is a risk of an accident.
In the event of a short circuit or a similar inci-
dent, contact a qualified specialist workshop
immediately. Do not drive any further. You
should have all work involving the battery car- ried out at a qualified specialist workshop.
If ABS malfunctions, the wheels can lock dur-
ing braking. This limits the steerability of the
vehicle when braking and may increase the
braking distance.
If ESP ®
malfunctions, the vehicle will not be
stabilized if it starts to skid or a wheel starts to spin.
iFor further information about ABS and
ESP ®
, see ( Ypage 65) and ( Ypage 66).
GWARNING
During the charging process, a battery produ-
ces hydrogen gas. If a short circuit occurs or
sparks are created, the hydrogen gas can
ignite. There is a risk of an explosion.
R Make sure that the positive terminal of a
connected battery does not come into con-
tact with vehicle parts.
R Never place metal objects or tools on a bat-
tery.
R It is important that you observe the descri-
bed order of the battery terminals when
connecting and disconnecting a battery.
R When jump-starting, make sure that the
battery poles with identical polarity areconnected.
R It is particularly important to observe the
described order when connecting and dis-
connecting the jumper cables.
R Never connect or disconnect the battery
terminals while the engine is running.
GWARNING
Electrostatic build-up can lead to the creation
of sparks, which could ignite the highly explo-
sive gases of a battery. There is a risk of an
explosion.
Before handling the battery, touch the vehicle body to remove any existing electrostatic
build-up.
The highly flammable gas mixture forms when
charging the battery as well as when jump-starting.
Always make sure that neither you nor the
battery is electrostatically charged. A build-
up of electrostatic charge can be caused, for
example:
R by wearing clothing made from synthetic
fibers
R due to friction between clothing and seats
R if you push or pull the battery across the
carpet or other synthetic materials
R if you wipe the battery with a cloth
GWARNING
Battery acid is caustic. There is a risk of injury.
Avoid contact with skin, eyes or clothing. Do
not inhale any battery gases. Do not lean over
the battery. Keep children away from batter-
ies. Wash away battery acid immediately with
plenty of clean water and seek medical atten- tion.
!Have the battery checked regularly at a
qualified specialist workshop.
Observe the service intervals in the Main-
tenance Booklet or contact a qualified spe- cialist workshop for more information.
Battery (vehicle)217
Roadside Assistance
Z
little energy, thus conserving battery power.
iIf the power supply has been interrupted,
e.g. due to a discharged battery, you will
have to: R set the clock. Information on setting the
clock can be found in the Digital Opera-
tor's Manual.
On vehicles with COMAND and a naviga-
tion system, the clock is set automati- cally.
R reset the head restraints on the front
seats. Information on resetting the head
restraints can be found in the Digital
Operator's Manual.
R reset the function for folding the exterior
mirrors in/out automatically, by folding
the mirrors out once ( Ypage 87).
Charging the battery
GWARNING
During charging and jump-starting, explosive
gases can escape from the battery. There is a
risk of an explosion.
Particularly avoid fire, open flames, creating
sparks and smoking. Ensure there is sufficient
ventilation while charging and jump-starting.
Do not lean over a battery.
GWARNING
Battery acid is caustic. There is a risk of injury.
Avoid contact with skin, eyes or clothing. Do
not inhale any battery gases. Do not lean over
the battery. Keep children away from batter-
ies. Wash away battery acid immediately with
plenty of clean water and seek medical atten- tion.
GWARNING
A discharged battery can freeze at tempera-
tures below freezing point. When jump-start-
ing the vehicle or charging the battery, gases can escape from the battery. There is a risk of
an explosion.
Allow the frozen battery to thaw out before
charging it or jump-starting.
!Only charge the battery using the jump-
starting connection point.
!Only use battery chargers with a maxi-
mum charging voltage of 14.8 V.
!Only charge the installed battery with a
battery charger which has been tested and
approved by Mercedes-Benz. These battery
chargers allow the battery to be charged
while still installed in the vehicle.
If, at low temperatures, the indicator lamps/
warning lamps in the instrument cluster do
not light up, it is highly likely that the dis-
charged battery has frozen. In this case you
may neither jump-start the vehicle nor charge the battery. The service life of a thawed-out
battery may be shorter. The starting charac-
teristics can be impaired, particularly at low
temperatures. Have the thawed-out battery
checked at a qualified specialist workshop.
A battery charger unit specially adapted for
Mercedes-Benz vehicles and tested and
approved by Mercedes-Benz is available as an
accessory. Contact an authorized Mercedes-
Benz Center for information and availability.
Charge the battery in accordance with the
operating instructions for the battery
charger.
The jump-starting connection point is in the
engine compartment ( Ypage 220).
X Read the operating instructions for the bat-
tery charger.
X Open the hood ( Ypage 205).
X Connect the battery charger to the positive
terminal and ground point in the same
order as when connecting the donor bat-
tery in the jump-starting procedure( Y page 220).
Battery (vehicle)219
Roadside Assistance
Z
Jump-starting
For the jump-starting procedure, use only the jump-starting connection point, consisting of apositive terminal and a ground point, in the engine compartment.
GWARNING
Battery acid is caustic. There is a risk of injury.
Avoid contact with skin, eyes or clothing. Do not inhale any battery gases. Do not lean over the
battery. Keep children away from batteries. Wash away battery acid immediately with plenty of
clean water and seek medical attention.
GWARNING
During charging and jump-starting, explosive gases can escape from the battery. There is a risk of an explosion.
Particularly avoid fire, open flames, creating sparks and smoking. Ensure there is sufficient ven-
tilation while charging and jump-starting. Do not lean over a battery.
GWARNING
During the charging process, a battery produces hydrogen gas. If a short circuit occurs or sparks
are created, the hydrogen gas can ignite. There is a risk of an explosion.
R Make sure that the positive terminal of a connected battery does not come into contact with
vehicle parts.
R Never place metal objects or tools on a battery.
R It is important that you observe the described order of the battery terminals when connecting
and disconnecting a battery.
R When jump-starting, make sure that the battery poles with identical polarity are connected.
R It is particularly important to observe the described order when connecting and disconnecting
the jumper cables.
R Never connect or disconnect the battery terminals while the engine is running.
GWARNING
A discharged battery can freeze at temperatures below freezing point. When jump-starting the
vehicle or charging the battery, gases can escape from the battery. There is a risk of an explosion.
Allow the frozen battery to thaw out before charging it or jump-starting.
!Vehicles with a gasoline engine: avoid repeated and lengthy starting attempts. Other-
wise, the catalytic converter could be damaged by non-combusted fuel.
If, at low temperatures, the indicator lamps/warning lamps in the instrument cluster do not
light up, it is highly likely that the discharged battery has frozen. In this case you may neither jump-start the vehicle nor charge the battery.
Once the battery has thawed out, its service life may be dramatically reduced.
The starting characteristics can be impaired, particularly at low temperatures.
Have the thawed-out battery checked at a qualified specialist workshop.
220Jump-starting
Roadside Assistance
The jump-starting connection point consists of poles;and =.
X Lift up cover :of positive terminal ;in the direction of the arrow.
X Connect positive terminal ;on your vehicle to positive terminal ?of donor battery B
using the jumper cable. beginning with your own battery.
X Start the engine of the donor vehicle and run it at idling speed.
X Connect negative terminal Aof donor battery Bto ground point =of your vehicle using
the jumper cable, connecting the jumper cable to donor battery Bfirst.
X Start the engine.
X First, remove the jumper cables from ground point =and negative terminal A, then from
positive clamp ;and positive terminal ?. Each time beginning with your vehicle's battery.
X Have the battery checked at a qualified specialist workshop.
iJump-starting is not considered to be a normal operating condition.
iJumper cables and further information regarding jump-starting can be obtained at any
qualified specialist workshop.
Towing and tow-starting
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Functions relevant to safety are restricted or
no longer available if:
R the engine is not running.
R the brake system or the power steering is
malfunctioning.
R there is a malfunction in the voltage supply
or the vehicle's electrical system.
If your vehicle is being towed, much more
force may be necessary to steer or brake.
There is a risk of an accident.
In such cases, use a tow bar. Before towing,
make sure that the steering moves freely.
GWARNING
When towing or tow-starting another vehicle
and its weight is greater than the permissible gross weight of your vehicle, the:
R the towing eye could detach itself
R the vehicle/trailer combination could roll-over.
There is a risk of an accident.
When towing or tow-starting another vehicle,
its weight should not be greater than the per- missible gross weight of your vehicle.
!If DISTRONIC PLUS or the HOLD function
is activated, the vehicle brakes automati-
cally in certain situations. To prevent dam-
age to the vehicle, deactivate DISTRONIC
PLUS and the HOLD function in the follow- ing or other similar situations:
R when towing the vehicle
R in the car wash
!The vehicle can be towed a maximum of
30 miles (50km). The towing speed of
30 mph (50 km/h) must not be exceeded.
If the vehicle has to be towed more than
30 miles (50km), the entire vehicle must be
raised and transported.
!Only secure the tow cable or tow bar to
the towing eyes. You could otherwise dam-
age the vehicle.
!Do not tow with sling-type equipment.
This could damage the vehicle.
!Do not use the towing eyes for recovery
purposes as this could damage the vehicle.
If in doubt, recover the vehicle with a crane.
222Towing and tow-starting
Roadside Assistance
!When towing, pull away slowly and
smoothly. If the tractive power is too high,
the vehicles could be damaged.
!Your vehicles is equipped with an auto-
matic transmission. Therefore, you must
not have the vehicle tow-started. The trans-
mission may otherwise be damaged.
iDetails on the permissible gross vehicle
weight of your vehicle can be found on the
vehicle identification plate ( Ypage 258).
It is better to have the vehicle transported
than to have it towed away.
If the transfer case can be shifted into neutral N , you can tow the vehicle.
If the transfer case cannot be shifted into neutral N, you can tow the vehicle with one
axle raised. Please bear the following in mind:
R remove the propeller shaft between the
transfer case and the rolling axle.
R turn the SmartKey to position 1in the igni-
tion lock ( Ypage 103).
The battery must be connected and charged.
Otherwise, you:
R cannot turn the SmartKey to position 2in
the ignition lock ( Ypage 103).
R cannot shift the automatic transmission to
position N.
iDisarm the automatic locking feature
before the vehicle is towed ( Ypage 75). You
could otherwise be locked out when push-
ing or towing the vehicle.
Towing eyes
Towing eyes, front
:Towing eyes, front
Towing eye, rear
Rear towing eye :is located under the
bumper, on the left-hand side when viewed in
the direction of travel.
Towing a vehicle with both axles on
the ground
It is important that you observe the safety
instructions when towing away your vehicle( Y page 222).
X Switch on the hazard warning lamps(Y page 90).
iIn order to signal a change of direction
when towing the vehicle with the hazard
warning lamps switched on, use the com-
bination switch as usual. In this case, only
the indicator lamps for the direction of
travel flash. After resetting the combina-
Towing and tow-starting223
Roadside Assistance
Z
tion switch, the hazard warning lamp starts
flashing again.
X Turn the SmartKey to position 2in the igni-
tion lock ( Ypage 103).
X When the vehicle is stationary, depress the
brake pedal and keep it depressed.
X Shift the transfer case to neutral positionN (Y page 134).
X Shift the automatic transmission to posi-
tion N.
X Release the brake pedal.
X Release the parking brake ( Ypage 111).
iThe transmission can only change gear if
the battery has sufficient charge.
If you cannot move the selector lever to N,
the propeller shafts to the driven axles
must be removed.
Transporting the vehicle
!
You may only secure the vehicle by the
wheels, not by parts of the vehicle such as
axle or steering components. Otherwise,
the vehicle could be damaged.
Use the towing eyes to pull the vehicle if it
needs to be transported on a trailer or trans-
porter ( Ypage 223).
X Apply the parking brake.
X Turn the SmartKey to position 2in the igni-
tion lock ( Ypage 103).
X Shift the selector lever to N.
X Shift the transfer case to neutral
( Y page 134).
X Secure the towing cable to the towing eyes
( Y page 223).
X Make sure that the vehicle cannot roll
away.
X Release the parking brake.
X Load the vehicle onto the transporter. As soon as the vehicle has been loaded: X
Apply the parking brake.
X Shift the automatic transmission to posi-
tion P.
X Turn the SmartKey to position 0in the igni-
tion lock ( Ypage 103) and remove it.
X Secure the vehicle.
Recovering a vehicle that has become
stuck
!
When recovering a vehicle that has
become stuck, pull it as smoothly and
evenly as possible. Excessive tractive
power could damage the vehicles.
If the drive wheels have become stuck in
loose or muddy ground, pull the vehicle out
with extreme caution, especially so if the vehi-
cle is loaded.
Never attempt to recover a stuck vehicle with
a trailer attached.
Pull out the vehicle backwards, if possible
using the tracks it made when it became
stuck.
Towing in the event of malfunctions
General notes
!If you are removing the propeller shaft,
use M10 nuts as spacers on the M8 bolts
and secure them with M8 nuts.
New self-locking nuts must be used when
the propeller shafts are refitted.
X Observe the safety notes as you do so(Y page 222).
iConsult an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
224Towing and tow-starting
Roadside Assistance
Engine damage, gear damage or electri-
cal malfunctions
X Move the selector lever to posi-
tion N(Y page 106).
X Shift the transfer case to neu-
tral (Y page 134).
In the event of damage to the transfercase
Have the propeller shafts between the axles
and the transfer case removed.
In the event of damage to the front axle
Have the propeller shaft between the rear
axle and the transfer case removed.
Have the vehicle towed with the front axle
raised.
In the event of damage to the rear axle
Have the propeller shaft between the front
axle and the transfer case removed.
Have the vehicle towed with the rear axle
raised and with wheel rollers under the front
axle.
Tow-starting (emergency engine
starting)
!
Vehicles with automatic transmission
must not be tow-started. You could other-
wise damage the automatic transmission.
You can find information on "Jump-starting"
under ( Ypage 220).
Fuses
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If you manipulate or bridge a faulty fuse or if
you replace it with a fuse with a higher amper-
age, the electric cables could be overloaded.
This could result in a fire. There is a risk of an accident and injury.
Always replace faulty fuses with the specified
new fuses having the correct amperage.
!Only use fuses that have been approved
for Mercedes-Benz vehicles and which
have the correct fuse rating for the system
concerned. Otherwise, components or sys-
tems could be damaged.
The fuses in your vehicle serve to close down faulty circuits. If a fuse blows, all the compo- nents on the circuit and their functions stop
operating.
Blown fuses must be replaced with fuses of
the same rating, which you can recognize by
the color and value. The fuse ratings are listed
in the fuse allocation chart.
iIf a fuse has blown, contact a breakdown
service or an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
If a newly inserted fuse also blows, have the
cause traced and rectified at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop, e.g. an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Before changing a fuse
X Park the vehicle and apply the parking
brake.
X Switch off all electrical consumers.
X Remove the SmartKey from the ignition
lock.
All indicator lamps in the instrument cluster
must be off.
The fuses are located in various fuse boxes:
R Main fuse box on the driver's side of the
dashboard
R Fuse box in the front-passenger footwell
R Fuse box in the transmission tunnel
R Fuse box in the battery case
R Fuse box in the cargo compartment
Fuses225
Roadside Assistance
Z
Useful information
iThis Operator's Manual describes all
models and all standard and optional equip- ment 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.
iRead the information on qualified special-
ist workshops: ( Ypage 28).
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If wheels and tires of the wrong size are used,
the wheel brakes or suspension components
may be damaged. There is a risk of an acci-
dent.
Always replace wheels and tires with those
that fulfill the specifications of the originalpart.
When replacing wheels, make sure to use the
correct:
R designation
R model
When replacing tires, make sure to use the
correct:
R designation
R manufacturer
R model
GWarning
A flat tire severely impairs the driving, steer-
ing and braking characteristics of the vehicle.
There is a risk of an accident.
do not drive with a flat tire. Immediately
replace the flat tire with your spare wheel, or
consult a qualified specialist workshop.
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center if you require information on tested and rec- ommended wheels and tires for summer and
winter driving. Advice on purchasing and car-
ing for tires is also available there.
Accessories that are not approved for your
vehicle by Mercedes-Benz or are not being
used correctly can impair the operating
safety.
Before purchasing and using non-approved
accessories, visit a qualified specialist work-
shop and ask about:
R suitability
R legal stipulations
R factory recommendations
Information on the dimensions and types of
wheels and tires for your vehicle can be found
in the "Wheel/tire combinations" section( Y page 254).
Information on air pressure for the tires on
your vehicle can be found:
R on the tire pressure label on the fuel fillerflap
R in the "Tire pressure" section
iFurther information on wheels and tires
can be obtained at any qualified specialist
workshop.
Operation
Notes on driving
If the vehicle is heavily loaded, check the tire
pressures and correct them if necessary.
When parking your vehicle, make sure that
the tires do not get deformed by the curb or
other obstacles. If it is necessary to drive over
curbs, speed humps or similar elevations, try to do so slowly and at an obtuse angle. Oth-
erwise, the tires, particularly the sidewalls,
may be damaged.
230Operation
Wheels and tires