Page 137 of 334
Useful information
............................136
Breaking-in notes .............................. 136
Driving ............................................... 136
Automatic transmission ...................142
Refueling ............................................ 145
Parking ............................................... 149
Driving tips ........................................ 151
Driving systems ................................ 159
Working mode ................................... 172
Towing a trailer ................................. 173 135Driving and parking
Page 138 of 334

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 25). Breaking-in notes
The first 1000 miles (1500 km)
New or replaced brake pads and brake disks
only reach their optimum braking effect after
a few 100 miles (a few 100 kilometers). Until then, compensate for this by applying greaterforce to the brake pedal.
For the service life and economy of your vehi-
cle it is crucial that you break in the engine
with due care.
R Therefore, protect the engine for the first
1000 miles (1500 km) by driving at varying vehicle and engine speeds.
R Avoid overstraining the vehicle and high
engine speeds during this period, e.g. driv-
ing at full throttle. Do not exceed 00C6of the
maximum speed for each gear.
R Do not change down a gear manually in
order to brake.
R Try to avoid depressing the accelerator
pedal beyond the point of resistance (kick-
down).
R The shift ranges 3,2or 1should only be
engaged when driving slowly, e.g. when
driving in mountainous terrain.
After 1000 miles (1500 km), you can increase
the engine speed gradually and accelerate
the vehicle to full speed.
i You should also observe these notes on
breaking-in if the engine or parts of the drive train on your vehicle have been
replaced. Driving
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
If you switch off the ignition while driving,
safety-relevant functions are only available
with limitations, or not at all. This could affect, for example, the power steering and the brake
boosting effect. You will require considerably
more effort to steer and brake. There is a risk of an accident.
Do not switch off the ignition while driving. G
WARNING
If the parking brake has not been fully
released when driving, the parking brake can:
R overheat and cause a fire
R lose its hold function.
There is a risk of fire and an accident. Release
the parking brake fully before driving off.
If you park the vehicle for more than
three weeks:
R connect the batteries to a trickle charger or
R disconnect the vehicle's starter battery or
R switch off the electrical system using the
battery main switch (Y page 137) and
R disconnect the vehicle's auxiliary battery
Otherwise, you need to check the battery's
condition of charge every three weeks, since standby power consumption can drain the
battery. If the battery voltage is lower than
12.2 V, the battery must be charged. Other-
wise, the battery may be damaged by exhaus-
tive discharging.
Be sure to observe the notes on disconnect-
ing and charging the batteries under "Battery"
(Y page 258). You can obtain information
about trickle chargers from a qualified spe-
cialist workshop. 136
DrivingDriving and parking
Page 139 of 334

Battery isolating switch
Important safety notes !
Make sure that the key is in position
0in
the ignition lock and wait at least 20 sec-
onds before disconnecting or connecting
the battery isolating switch. You could oth-
erwise damage electrical system compo-
nents.
You can use the battery isolating switch to
disconnect the power supply to all your vehi- cle's consumers. This will prevent uncontrol-
led battery discharge caused by off-load cur-
rent consumption.
If your vehicle is equipped with an auxiliary
battery in the engine compartment, you will
need to disconnect both batteries. Only then
is the electrical system fully disconnected
from the power supply.
i Only switch the vehicle to de-energized
using the battery main switch if:
R the vehicle is stationary for a lengthy
period
R it is absolutely necessary
After the power supply has been activated,
you will need to reset the side windows
(Y page 79).
Switching off the power supply !
When you clamp the connector under the
accelerator pedal, make sure that the con- nector does not become damaged or dirty.
It may otherwise not be possible to restore
the electrical connection when the parts
are reassembled. Battery isolating switch in the driver's footwell, on
the right-hand side next to the accelerator pedal
X Remove the key from the ignition lock and
wait for about 20 seconds.
X Press button 0044in the direction of the
arrow and hold.
X Pull connector 0043from the earth pin.
X Clamp connector 0043under the accelerator
pedal so that it cannot make contact with
the earth pin.
All starter battery consumers are discon-
nected from the power supply.
Switching on the power supply X
Insert the key into the ignition lock.
X Press connector 0043onto earth pin 0044until
you feel it engage and the lock inhibitor is
released.
Connector 0043must be in full contact with
earth pin 0044.
All consumers are reconnected to the DC
power supply. Driving
137Driving an d parking Z
Page 140 of 334

Key positions
005A
To insert/remove the key, to lock the
steering wheel
0047 To unlock the steering wheel, power sup-
ply for some consumers (e.g. the radio)
0048 To switch on the ignition. Power supply for
all consumers, preglow and drive position
0049 To start the engine
On vehicles with a battery main switch, you
must first switch on the power supply
(Y page 137).
i To unlock the steering, move the steering
wheel slightly while turning the key to posi- tion 1. Preparing for a journey
Visual check of the vehicle exterior X
In particular, check the following compo-
nents on the vehicle, and on the trailer as
necessary:
R license plates, vehicle lighting, turn sig-
nals, brake lamps and wiper blades for
dirt and damage
R tires and wheels for firm seating, correct
tire pressure and general condition
R trailer tow hitch for play and security
The trailer coupling is one of the most
important vehicle parts with regard to
road safety. The separate instructions
issued by the manufacturer pertaining to operation, care and maintenance should
be observed.
X Rectify any noticeable defects before com-
mencing the journey.
Checks in the vehicle Emergency equipment/first-aid kit
X Check the equipment to make sure that it is
accessible, complete and ready for use.
The first aid and breakdown assistance equip-
ment is in the front door stowage compart-
ments and behind the driver's seat.
Vehicle lighting
X Turn the key to position 2in the ignition
lock.
X Check the lighting system with the aid of a
second person.
X Replace defective bulbs (Y page 99). Before driving off
G
WARNING
Objects in the driver's footwell may restrict
the clearance around the pedals or block a
depressed pedal. This jeopardizes the oper-
ating and road safety of the vehicle. There is a risk of an accident.
Stow all objects securely in the vehicle so that
they do not get into the driver's footwell.
When using floormats or carpets, make sure
that they are properly secured so that they do not slip or obstruct the pedals. Do not place
several floormats or carpets on top of one
another. G
WARNING
Unsuitable footwear can hinder correct usage of the pedals, e.g.:
R shoes with thick soles
R shoes with high heels
R slippers
There is a risk of an accident. 138
DrivingDriving and pa
rking
Page 141 of 334

Wear suitable footwear to ensure correct
usage of the pedals.
X Secure the load as per the loading guide-
lines (Y page 240).
X Make sure that the floormats and carpets
are properly secured so that they cannot
slip and obstruct the pedals.
X Close all doors. Starting the engine
G
WARNING
Combustion engines emit poisonous exhaust
gases such as carbon monoxide. Inhaling
these exhaust gases leads to poisoning. There is a risk of fatal injury. Therefore never leave
the engine running in enclosed spaces with-
out sufficient ventilation.
! Do not depress the accelerator pedal
when starting the engine.
X Before starting the engine, make sure that:
R all the doors are closed.
R all the vehicle occupants are wearing
their seat belts correctly.
R the parking brake is applied.
i If you depress the brake pedal before
starting the engine, the pedal travel is short
and pedal resistance is high.
If you depress the brake pedal again after
starting the engine, pedal travel and resist-
ance will be back to normal again. Gearshift pattern
005D
Park position with parking lock
005E Reverse gear
005C Neutral
005B Drive
X Move the selector lever to position P.
The display in the instrument cluster shows
P:
R on vehicles with steering wheel buttons
(Y page 187)
R on vehicles without steering wheel but-
tons (Y page 182)
i You can also start the engine in neutral
N.
X Turn the key to position 2in the ignition
lock.
The 0028 preglow indicator lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up briefly.
X Once the 0028preglow indicator lamp goes
out, turn the key to position 3in the ignition
lock and release it as soon as the engine is running.
i You can start the engine without preglow
when the engine is warm.
The preglow system is malfunctioning if the
0028 preglow indicator lamp lights up for
approximately 1 minute:
R after the ignition is switched on
R while the engine is running
At extremely low outside temperatures you
may then no longer be able to start the
engine. Have the malfunction rectified at a qualified specialist workshop. Driving
139Driving and parking Z
Page 142 of 334

i
Depending on the equipment installed,
the vehicle either automatically locks cen-
trally after switching on the ignition or after pulling away. The locking knobs in the
doors drop down.
You can open the doors from the inside at
any time.
Automatic door locking can be deactivated
(Y page 71). Driving off
G
WARNING
If the engine speed is above the idling speed
and you engage transmission position Dor R,
the vehicle could pull away suddenly. There is a risk of an accident.
When engaging transmission position Dor R,
always firmly depress the brake pedal and do not simultaneously accelerate.
! Only shift into reverse gear
Rwhen the
vehicle is stationary. Otherwise, you could
damage the transmission.
X Depress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
The selector lever lock is released.
X Move the selector lever to position Dor R.
On vehicles with a reverse warning feature, when reverse gear is engaged a warning
tone sounds to alert other road users
(Y page 140).
X Release the parking brake (Y page 150).
The 0066 indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster goes out.
X Release the brake pedal.
X Carefully depress the accelerator pedal.
i After pulling away or switching on the
ignition, the vehicle automatically locks
centrally. The locking knobs in the doors
drop down.
You can open the doors from the inside at
any time. You can also deactivate the automatic lock-
ing feature (Y page 71). Reverse warning device
G
WARNING
Other road users may ignore or fail to hear the warning tone of the reverse warning feature.
There is a risk of injury if you fail to ensure that
the area in which you are maneuvering is
clear.
Make sure that there are no persons or
objects in the area in which you are maneu-
vering. It may be necessary to enlist the help
of a second person when maneuvering.
The reverse warning feature is a system
designed to assist you in ensuring the safety
of other road users.
A warning signal sounds to alert other road
users when reverse gear is engaged. The vol-
ume of the warning tone can be reduced for
night-time driving.
X To reduce the volume of the warning
tone: engage reverse gear twice in quick
succession.
The warning tone is now quieter.
i The warning tone sounds at a normal vol-
ume by default. The volume of the warning
tone has to be reduced each time you
engage reverse gear if necessary. 140
DrivingDriving an
d parking
Page 143 of 334

Problems with the engine
Problem
Possible causes/consequences and
0050
0050Solutions The engine does not
start.
The starter motor can
be heard. There is air in the fuel system.
X Turn the key back to position 0in the ignition lock before
attempting to start the engine again.
X Start the engine again.
Please bear in mind that lengthy and frequent starting attempts
will drain the battery.
If the engine does not start after several attempts:
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. The engine does not
start.
The starter motor can
be heard. The reserve
fuel warning lamp is lit
and the fuel gage is at
0. The fuel tank has been run dry.
X Refuel the vehicle.
If you drive until the fuel tank is completely empty, air may get into
the fuel system. If the engine does not start after refueling, bleed the fuel system as follows:
X Turn the key to position 2in the ignition for approximately
10 seconds.
X Start the engine continuously for a maximum of 60 seconds.
If the engine does not start:
X Wait approximately 2 minutes.
X Restart the engine continuously for a maximum of 60 seconds.
X If the engine still fails start, do not continue trying to start it.
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. The vehicle cannot be
driven at a speed
exceeding 5 mph
(8 km/h).
The yellow
00B9engine
diagnostic lamp and
the yellow 00E2DEF
indicator lamp 2
light
up. The exhaust gas aftertreatment is faulty, an emission-relevant
malfunction has occurred or the DEF reserve has been used up.
This malfunction or defect can damage the exhaust gas after-
treatment.
X Observe the messages in the display:
R on vehicles without steering-wheel buttons (Y page 200)
R on vehicles with steering-wheel buttons (Y page 211) and
(Y page 211). The engine does not
start.
The starter motor can-
not be heard. The battery isolating switch is switched off.
X Switch on the power supply (Y page 137).2
Only vehicles without steering-wheel buttons. Driving
141Driving and parking Z
Page 144 of 334

Problem
Possible causes/consequences and
0050
0050Solutions The engine does not
start.
The starter motor can-
not be heard. The on-board voltage is too low. The battery is too weak or dis-
charged.
X Jump-start the vehicle (Y page 276).
If the engine cannot be jump-started, the starter motor is faulty.
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. The engine does not
start.
The starter motor can-
not be heard. The battery is discharged or faulty.
X Check the battery for damage.
X Charge the battery (Y page 263).Automatic transmission
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
If the engine speed is above the idling speed
and you engage transmission position Dor R,
the vehicle could pull away suddenly. There is a risk of an accident.
When engaging transmission position Dor R,
always firmly depress the brake pedal and do not simultaneously accelerate.
! Vehicles with automatic transmission
may roll only briefly in the neutral position
N. Prolonged rolling of the wheels, e.g.
when being towed, will result in transmis-
sion damage.
i Be sure to observe the instructions in the
"Tow-starting and towing away" section
(Y page 277). Selector lever
005D
Park position with parking lock
005E Reverse gear
005C Neutral
005B Drive
The display in the instrument cluster shows
the present selector lever position or the cur-
rent shift range:
R on vehicles with steering wheel buttons
(Y page 187)
R on vehicles without steering wheel buttons
(Y page 182) 142
Automatic transmissionDriving and parking