114Driving and operating■ Always apply parking brakewithout pressing release button.Apply as firmly as possible on a
downhill slope or uphill slope.
Depress foot brake at the same
time to reduce operating force.
■ Switch off the engine.
■ If the vehicle is on a level surface or uphill slope, engage
first gear. On an uphill slope,
turn the front wheels away from the kerb.
If the vehicle is on a downhill
slope, engage reverse gear.
Turn the front wheels towards
the kerb.
Lock the vehicle 3 19 and activate the
anti-theft locking system 3 27 and
anti-theft alarm system 3 27.
Air suspension Operates automatically when the
vehicle is driven. The air suspension
system constantly adjusts the ride
height according to the vehicle load.
For further information on the air
suspension system, refer to the
operating instructions supplied.
Master switchCaution
The air suspension system must
be switched off when the vehicle is
being towed, jump‐started, raised
off the ground or transported.
Do not switch off the air
suspension system when driving.
The master switch is located on the
door pillar.
Remote control
When increased ground clearance or improved vehicle access is required,the suspension can be raised or
lowered using the remote control.
The remote control unit is magnetic
and can be fixed to any metal part of
the vehicle.
With the ignition switched on, press
the appropriate button for 2 seconds
to adjust the suspension height.
Driving and operating115
Indicator light will flash intermittently
while height adjustment is in progress
and illuminates when complete.
Handle with care, protect from
moisture and high temperatures and
avoid unnecessary operation.
Pre-programmed settings Adjusts the suspension height to oneof three pre-programmed positions.
The buttons are only functional when
the engine is running.l=lowered positionk=normal positionj=raised position
Manual settings
Manual adjustment can only be
performed when the vehicle is
stationary.
Select by pressing button h for 2
seconds, then button R to raise, or
button S to lower.
To exit, press any of the pre-
programmed buttons.
When the vehicle is moving, manual
adjustment will exit automatically. If
the ignition is switched off, the vehicle will return to normal ride height when
the ignition is switched back on.
Service mode Press button i for 5 seconds to put
the vehicle into service mode. The
indicator light will illuminate. When
service mode has been activated, the
air suspension master switch must be turned off.
To exit service mode, press button
i again for 5 seconds.
Fault If a fault is detected, i button will
flash intermittently. If the service
mode has been activated and there is a fault h, S and R buttons will flash
simultaneously.
Have the cause of the fault remedied by a workshop.Engine exhaust9 Danger
Engine exhaust gases contain
poisonous carbon monoxide,
which is colourless and odourless and could be fatal if inhaled.
If exhaust gases enter the interior
of the vehicle, open the windows.
Have the cause of the fault
rectified by a workshop.
Avoid driving with an open load
compartment, otherwise exhaust
gases could enter the vehicle.
Diesel particle filter
The diesel particle filter system filters
harmful soot particles out of the
exhaust gases. The system includes
a self-cleaning function that runs
automatically during driving without
any notification. The filter is cleaned
by periodically burning off the soot
particles at high temperature. This
116Driving and operating
process takes place automatically
and the emission of smells and
smoke during this process is normal.
Under certain driving conditions, e.g.
short distances, the system cannot
clean itself automatically.
If cleaning of the filter is required and if previous driving conditions did not
enable automatic cleaning, it will be
indicated by illumination of control
indicator A 3 80. Seek the
assistance of a workshop
immediately.
Catalytic converter
The catalytic converter reduces the
amount of harmful substances in the
exhaust gases.Caution
Fuel grades other than those listed on page 3 130, 3 182 could
damage the catalytic converter or
electronic components.
Unburnt petrol will overheat and
damage the catalytic converter.
Therefore avoid excessive use of the starter, running the fuel tank
dry and starting the engine by
pushing or towing.
In the event of misfiring, uneven
engine running, a reduction in engine performance or other unusual
problems, have the cause of the fault
rectified by a workshop as soon as
possible. In an emergency, driving
can be continued for a short period,
keeping vehicle speed and engine
speed low.
If control indicator Z flashes, the
permitted emission limits may be
exceeded. Lift your foot off the
accelerator until Z stops flashing and
is steadily illuminated. Contact a
workshop immediately.
Malfunction indicator light 3 80.
118Driving and operatingStarting the engineDepress the foot brake when starting
the engine. If the foot brake is not
depressed, T illuminates in the
transmission display and the engine
cannot be started.
When the foot brake is depressed, the
transmission automatically shifts to
N (neutral); "N" appears in the
transmission display and the engine
can be started. There may be a slight delay.
Selector leverAlways move the selector lever in the
appropriate direction as far as it will
go.Upon release, it automatically
returns to the centre position.N=Neutral.A/
M=Switch between automatic and manual mode.
The transmission display
shows "A" when in automatic
mode.R=Reverse gear.
Engage only when vehicle is
stationary.The transmission
display shows "R" when
reverse gear is engaged.+=Shift to a higher gear.-=Shift to a lower gear.
Starting off
When the engine is started, the
transmission is in automatic
mode.Depress the foot brake and
move the selector lever towards + to
engage first gear.
If R is selected, reverse gear is
engaged.The vehicle starts to move
when the foot brake is released.To
start off quickly, release the foot brake and accelerate immediately after
engaging a gear.
In automatic mode the transmission
shifts to other gears automatically,
dependent on driving conditions.
To engage manual mode, move the
selector lever towards A/M. The
current gear will appear in the
transmission display.
To engage first gear, depress foot
brake and move selector lever
towards + or -. Shift to a higher or
lower gear by moving selector lever to + or -. Gears can be skipped by
moving the selector lever repeatedly
at short intervals.
Stopping the vehicle In automatic or manual mode,
first gear is engaged and the clutch is
released when the vehicle is
stopped.In R, reverse gear remains
engaged.
When stopping on gradients, engage
parking brake or depress the foot
brake.To prevent overheating of the
clutch, an intermittent audible
Driving and operating119
warning may sound as a signal to
depress the foot brake or apply the
parking brake.
Switch off engine if stopping for a
lengthy period, e.g. in traffic jams.
When the vehicle is parked and the
driver's door is opened, a warning
chime will sound if neutral is not
selected or the foot brake has not
been depressed.
Engine braking
Automatic mode
When driving downhill, the manual
transmission automated does not
shift into higher gears until a fairly
high engine speed has been
reached.It shifts down in good time
when braking.
Manual mode
To utilise the engine braking effect, select a lower gear in good time when driving downhill.Rocking the vehicle
Rocking the vehicle is only
permissible if the vehicle is stuck in
sand, mud, snow or a hole.Move the
selector lever between R and A/M (or
between + and -) in a repeat pattern,
while applying light pressure to the
accelerator pedal.Do not race the
engine and avoid sudden
acceleration.
Parking Apply the parking brake.The mostrecently engaged gear (see
transmission display) remains
engaged.With N, no gear is engaged.
When the ignition is switched off, the
transmission no longer responds to
movement of the selector lever.
If the ignition is not switched off, or the parking brake has not been applied, a
warning chime will sound upon
opening the driver's door.
Manual mode
If a higher gear is selected when the
engine speed is too low, or a lower
gear when the speed is too high, theshift is not executed. This prevents
the engine from running at too low or too high an engine speed.
If engine speed is too low, the
transmission automatically shifts to a
lower gear.
If engine speed is too high, the
transmission only switches to a higher gear via kickdown.
Electronic driving
programmes
Winter mode V
120Driving and operating
Activate the Winter mode if you have
problems starting off on a slippery
road surface.
Activation
Press the V button.Control indicator
V is shown in the transmission
display.The transmission switches to
automatic mode and the vehicle
starts off in a suitable gear.
Deactivation
The Winter mode is switched off by:
■ pressing the V button again,
■ turning off the ignition,
■ switching to manual mode.
In order to protect the transmission at extremely high clutch temperatures,
an intermittent audible warning may
sound.In such cases, depress the
foot brake, select "N" and apply the
parking brake to allow the clutch to
cool down.Laden mode kg
It is possible to use the Laden mode
in both manual and automatic
modes.In both cases, the gearshifting
patterns are adapted automatically
for carrying an increased payload.
Activation
Press the kg button.Control indicator
kg is shown in the transmission
display.The transmission will then
select optimized gearshift patterns.
Deactivation
The Laden mode is switched off by:
■ pressing the kg button again,
■ turning off the ignition.
Kickdown If the accelerator pedal is pressedpast the pressure point, the
transmission shifts to a lower gear
depending on engine speed.Full
engine power is available for
acceleration.
If engine speed is too high the
transmission switches to a higher
gear, even in manual mode.Without
kickdown this automatic shift is not
effected in manual mode.
Fault In the event of a fault, control indicator
W is shown in the transmission
display. Continued driving is possible
provided the vehicle is driven with
care and anticipation.
Have the cause of the fault remedied
by a workshop.
Driving and operating121Interruption of power
supply
The clutch is not disengaged if there
is an interruption of the power supply
when a gear is engaged. The vehicle
cannot move.
If the vehicle battery is discharged,
start the vehicle using jump leads
3 168.
If the cause of the fault is not a
discharged vehicle battery, seek the
assistance of a workshop.
If neutral cannot be selected, the
vehicle must only be towed with the
drive wheels raised off the ground
3 170.
Towing the vehicle 3 170.Brakes
The brake system comprises two
independent brake circuits.
If a brake circuit fails, the vehicle can
still be braked using the other brake
circuit. However, braking effect is
achieved only when you depress the
brake pedal firmly. You need to use
considerably more force for this. The
braking distance is extended. Seek
the assistance of a workshop before continuing your journey.
When the engine is not running, the
support of the brake servo unit
disappears once the brake pedal has
been depressed once or twice.
Braking effect is not reduced, but
braking requires significantly greater
force. It is especially important to bear this in mind when being towed.
Control indicator R 3 80.
Antilock brake system
Antilock brake system (ABS)
prevents the wheels from locking.ABS starts to regulate brake pressure as soon as a wheel shows a tendency
to lock. The vehicle remains
steerable, even during hard braking.
ABS control is made apparent
through a pulse in the brake pedal
and the noise of the regulation
process.
For optimum braking, keep the brake
pedal fully depressed throughout the
braking process, despite the fact that
the pedal is pulsating. Do not reduce
the pressure on the pedal.
Control indicator u 3 81.
Fault If control indicators u and A
illuminate with the messages CHECK
ABS and CHECK ESP in the Driver
Information Centre, there is a fault in
the ABS. The brake system remains
operational but without ABS
regulation.
Driving and operating123Hill start assistThe system helps prevent unintendedmovement when driving away on
inclines.
When releasing the foot brake after
stopping on an incline, the brakes
remain on for a further two seconds.
The brakes release automatically as
soon as the vehicle begins to
accelerate.
The Hill start assist is not active
during an Autostop.
Stop-start system 3 111.Ride control systems
Traction Control system
The Traction control system (TC) is a
component part of the Electronic
stability program (ESP® Plus
) which
improves driving stability when
necessary, regardless of the type of
road surface or tyre grip, by
preventing the drive wheels from
spinning.
As soon as the drive wheels starts to spin, engine output is reduced and
the wheel spinning the most is braked
individually. This considerably
improves the driving stability of the
vehicle on slippery road surfaces.
TC is operational as soon as the
ignition is switched on and control
indicator b extinguishes in the
instrument cluster.
When TC is active b flashes.9 Warning
Do not let this special safety
feature tempt you into taking risks
when driving.
Adapt speed to the road
conditions.
Control indicator b 3 81.
Deactivation
If necessary, in the event of mud or
snow-covered road surfaces, TC can
be deactivated to enhance traction: