Kickdown
Use kickdown for maximu
macceleration:
X Depress the accelerator pedal beyond the
pressure point.
The automatic transmission shifts to alower
gear depending on the engine speed.
X Ease off the accelerator pedal once the
desired speed is reached.
The automatic transmission shifts back up.
Towing atrailer X
Drive in the middle of the engine speed range
on uphill gradients.
X Limit the shift range to 3or 2depending on
the uphill or downhill gradient (Y page 105).
X Shift the transfer case int ooff-roa ddriving
position LOWR ANGE on extreme uphill gra-
dients or stee pdownhil lgradients
(Y page 124). Progra
mselector button
General notes The program selector button allows you to
choose between drive programs with different
driving characteristics.
The automatic transmission switches to auto-
matic drive program Eeach time the engine is
started.
Available drive programs E
Economy Com
fortable, economical
driving S
Sport Sport
ydriving style M
Manual Manual gearshifting
Furthe
rinformation on the automatic drive pro-
gra m( Ypage 104). Select
ing the drive program Program selector button
X Press program selector button :repeatedly
until the desired drive program is shown in the multifunction display. Steering wheel gearshift paddles
In the automatic drive program
,you can restrict
or derestrict the shift range using steering wheel gearshift paddles :and ;(Y page 105).
In the manuald rive program, you can change
gears manually using steering wheel gearshift
paddles :and ;(Ypage 106).
You can only change gear with the steering
wheel gearshift paddles when the transmission
is in position D. Automatic drive program
Drive program Eis characterised by the follow-
ing:
R comfort-orientated engine an dtransmission
settings.
R optimal fuel consumption resulting from the
automatic transmission shifting up sooner. 104
Auto
matictransmissionDriving and parking
Manual gearshifting
Temporary setting X
To activate: shift the selector lever to posi-
tion D.
X Pull steering whee lgearshift paddle :or;.
The temporary setting will remai nactive for a
certain amount of time .Unde rcertain condi-
tions, the minimu mamount of time is extended,
e.g .int he cas eoflatera lacceleration, during an
overru nphase or when driving on stee pterrain.
X To deactivate: pull steering whee lgearshift
paddle ;and hol ditinp lace.
or X Use the lever to switch the transmission posi-
tion.
or X Chang ethe drive program.
Shiftin ggears X
To shift up: pull steering whee lgearshift pad-
dle ;.
The automatic transmission shifts up to the
next gear.
X To shift down: pull steering whee lgearshift
paddle :.
The automatic transmission shifts down to
the next gear.
Automatic downshifting occurs when coast-
ing.
If the engine woul dexceed the maximum
engine speed when shifting down, the auto-
matic transmission protects against engine
damage by not shifting down.
Gearshift recommendation The gearshift recommendation assist
syou in
adopting afuel-efficien tdriving style. The rec-
ommended gear is shown on the multifunction
display.
X When gearshift recommendation :is shown
on the multifunction display of the instrument
cluster, shift to recommended gear ;. Manual drivep
rogram
General information In manua
ldrive program M,you can change gear
yourself by using the steering wheel gearshift
paddles. The transmission must be in position D
to do this. The gear currently selected and
engaged is shown in the multifunction display.
Manuald rive program Mdiffers from drive pro-
grams Cand Swith regard to spontaneity,
responsiveness and smoothness of gear
changes. 106
Automatic transmissionDriving and parking
To ensure that the vehicle is safeguarded
against rolling away unintentionally:
R the parking brake must be applied
R the transmission must be in position Pand the
key must be removed from the ignition lock
R the transfer case must not be in the neutral
position
R on uphill or downhill gradients, turn the front
wheels towards the kerb
R the empty vehicle must be secured at the
front axle with awheel chock or similar
object ,for example, on uphill or downhill gra-
dients
R al aden vehicle must also be secured at the
rear axle with awheel chock or similar object,
for example, on uphill or downhill gradients Switching off the engine
G
WARNING
The automatic transmission switches to neu-
tral position Nwhen you switch off the engine.
The vehicle may roll away. There is arisk of an
accident.
After switching off the engine, alwayss witch
to parking position P.Prevent the parked vehi-
cle from rolling awaybya pplying the parking
brake.
X Shift the automatic transmission to position
P.
X Turn the key to position 0in the ignitionlock
and remove it.
The immobiliser is activated.
X Firmly apply the parking brake.
X Turn the steering whee luntil the steering
whee llock engages.
If you switch the engine off with the transmis-
sion in position Ror D,t he automatic transmis-
sion shifts to Nautomatically.
If you then open the driver's door or the front-
passenger door or remove the key from the igni- tion, the automatic transmission shifts to P
automatically.
If you switch off the engine while the transmis-
sion is in position N,the automatic transmission
remains in Neven if adoor is opened .The auto-
matic transmission only automatically shifts into neutral
Nwhe nyou switc hoff the engine
using the key. Parking brake
G
WARNING
If you mus tbrake the vehicl ewith the parking
brake, the braking distance is considerably
longer and the wheels coul dlock. This increa-
ses the risk of skidding and an accident.
Only use the parking brake to brake the vehi- cle when the service brake is faulty. Do not
apply the parking brake too firmly .Ifthe
wheels lock, release the parking brake until
the wheels begi nturning again. G
WARNING
If you leave children unattended in the vehi-
cle, they may be abletos et the vehiclein
motion if, for example, they:
R release the parking brake
R shift the automatic transmission out of park
position P
R start the engine
In addition, they may operate vehicl eequip-
ment and become trapped. There is arisk of
an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, alwayst ake the key
with you and lock the vehicle. Never leave
children unattended in the vehicle. The brake light
sdonot light up when you brake
the vehicle with the parking brake.
If you pull away with the parking brake applied,
aw arning tones ounds.114
ParkingDriving and parking
Alway
sreplace al lbrake discs and brake pads/
lining sonana xleatt he same time .Alway sfit
new brake pads/lining swhenr eplacing brake
discs.
The vehicl eisequippe dwithl ightweight brake
discs to which the whee lassembl ywithr im and
threaded connectio nism atched.
The us eofbrake discs othe rtha nt hose
approved by Mercedes-Benz ma yalter track
width and is subject to approval, if applicable.
Whe nhandling the brake discs, shock-type
load ssuchast hoseexperience dwhenc hanging
wheels ,can lead to areduction in comfort when
driving with lightweight brake discs. Avoid
shock-typ eloads on the lightweight brake discs,
particularly on the brake plate. Driving on slippe
rysurfaces
! Where possible, avoid spinnin
gthe drive
wheels when pulling away on slipper yroads.
You could otherwise damage th edrive train.
Thi stypeofd amage is no tcovered by the
term soft heMercedes-Ben zwarranty.
X Engage th edifferential locks if necessary
(Y page 126). Drivin
gonw et roads
Aquaplaning If wate
rhas accumulated to acertain depth on
the road surface, there is adanger of aquaplan-
ing occurring, even if:
R you are driving at low speeds
R the tyres have adequate tread depth
For this reason, drive in the following manner in the event of heavy rain or in conditions in which
aquaplaning can occur:
R lowery ours peed
R avoid tyre ruts
R avoid sudden steering movements
R brake carefully
Drivin gonflooded roads !
Bear in mind that vehicles travelling in front
or in the opposite direction create waves. This may cause the maximum permissibl ewater
depth to be exceeded. These notes must be observed under all cir-
cumstances. You could otherwise damage
the engine, the electronics or the transmis-
sion.
If you must drive on stretches of road on which
water has collected, please bear in mind that:
R in the case of standing water, the water level
must be no higher than the lower edge of the
vehicle body
R you should drive no faster than walking pace
Off-road fording !
Under no circumstances should you accel-
erate before entering the water. The bow
wave could cause water to enter and damage
the engine and neighbouring assemblies.
! Do not open any of the vehicle's doors while
fording. Otherwise, water could get into the
vehicle interior and damage the vehicle's
electronics and interior equipment.
i You may only drive through fresh water.
R Observe the safety notes (Y page 119) and
general notes (Y page 119) on driving off-
road
R Establish how deep the water is and the char-
acteristics of the body of water before fording
R Switch off automatic climate control
R Vehicles with auxiliary heating/ventila-
tion: switch the auxiliary heating/ventilation
off
R Shift the transfer case to the LOW RANGE
off-road driving position (Y page 124)
R Engage the differential locks if necessary
(Y page 119)
R Avoid high engine speeds
R Enter and exit the water at aflat place and at
as teady walking pace
R Drive slowly and at aconstant speed through
the water
R Ensure that abow wave does not form as you
drive
R Do not stop and do not switch off the engine.
Water offers ahigh degree of resistance, the
ground is slippery and, in some cases, unsta- ble. Therefore, it is difficult and dangerous to pull awayinw ater
R Cleana ny mud from the tyre tread after ford-
ing
R Apply the brakes to dry them after fording Driving tips
117Driving and parking Z
Alway
sobserve the fording depth values
(Y page 255). Parkin
gthe vehicle after heavy loads
on the engine
! Vehicles with
adiesel engine: your vehi-
cle's exhaust gas turbocharger may get very
hot under heavy engine load, e.g. during:
R trailer towing
R longer motorway journeys at high speed
R longer journeys through mountainous ter-
rain
X Let the engine run for approximately another
two minutes while the vehicle is stationary
before switching off the engine.
This way, the exhaust gas turbocharger can
cool down more effectively. Winte
rdriving G
WARNING
If you shift dow nonaslippery road surface in
an attempt to increas ethe engine's braking
effect, the drive wheels coul dlose their grip.
This increases the risk of skidding and having
an accident.
Do not shift downf or additionalengine brak-
ing on aslippery road surface. G
WARNING
If you select the LOW RANGE off-road gearon as lippery road surface, the wheels coul dlose
traction:
R if you release the accelerator peda lwhen
the vehicl eisinmotion
R if Off-road ABS intervenes when braking
If the wheels lose traction, it willnol onger be
possible to steer the vehicle. This increases
the risk of skidding and having an accident.
Never select the LOW RANGE off-road gear
when driving on slippery road surfaces. G
DANGER
If the exhaus tpipe is blocke doradequate
ventilation is no tpossible, poisonous gases
suc hasc arbon monoxide (CO) may ente rthe
vehicle. This is th ecase, e.g. if th evehicle
become strapped in snow. There is ariskof
fatal injury.
If you leav ethe engin eortheauxiliary heating
running, mak esuret he exhaust pipe and area
around th evehicl eare clear of snow. To
ensur eana dequate supply of fresh air, open a
window on th eside of th evehicl ethatisn ot
facing int othe wind.
Hav eyour vehicl ewinterproofed at aqualified
specialist workshop at th eonset of winter.
You should drive particularly carefully on slip-
per yroads urfaces. Avoid sudden acceleration,
steering and braking manoeuvres.
If th evehicl ethreaten stoskidorc annotbe
stoppe dwhen moving at low speed:
X Shift th eautomatic transmission to position
N.
X Try to bring th evehicl eunder control by using
corrective steering.
The outside temperature indicator is not
designed to serve as an ice-warning device and
is therefor eunsuitable for that purpose.
Changes in th eoutside temperature are dis-
played after ashort delay.
Indicate dtem peratures jus tabov ethe freezing
poin tdon otguarantee that th eroads urfac eis
free of ice .The roa dmay still be icy, especially in
wooded area soronbridges.The vehicl ecould
skid if you fail to adapt your drivin gstyle. Always
adapt your drivin gstyle and drive at aspeed to
suit th eprevailing weather conditions.
You should pay special attention to roa dcondi-
tion swhen temperatures are around freezing
point.
Further information on drivin gwiths nowc hains
(Y page 237).
Further information on drivin gwiths ummer
tyres (Y page 237).
Observ ethe note sint he"Winte roperation "sec-
tion (Y page 236). 118
Driving tipsDriving and parking
X
Clean th ewheels, wheel arches and th evehi-
cle underside wit hawaterjet;c he ck for any
foreign object sand damage.
X Chec kwhether twigs or other part sofplants
have become trapped. Thes eincreas ethe risk
of fir eand can damag efuel pipes ,brake
hoses or th erubbe rbellows of th eaxle joints
and propeller shafts.
X Afte rthe trip, examin ewithout fail th eentire
undercarriage, wheels, tyres, bodywork struc- ture, brakes, steering ,cha ssis and exhaust
system for damage.
X Afte rdriving in sand, mud, gravel, wate ror
similar dirt yconditions ,have th efollowing
checked and cleaned:
R brak ediscs
R wheels
R brak epads
R axle joints
X If you notic estron gv ibrations after off-road
driving ,che ck for foreign object sinthe
wheel sand driv etrain and ,ifnecessary,
remove them. Foreign object scan disturb the
balance and caus evibrations.
Driving on sand Observ
ethe following rules when driving on
sand:
R shift the transfer case to the LOW RANGEoff-
road driving position (Y page 124).
R avoid high engine speeds.
R Shift the automatic transmission to alow
gear.
R drive quickly to overcome the rolling resist-
ance. Otherwise, the vehicle could dig itself
into the sand.
R drive in the tracks of other vehicles if possible.
When doing so, make sure that:
- the tyre ruts are not too deep
- the sand is firm enough
- your vehicle has sufficient ground clear-
ance
Tyre rutsa nd unpaved roads !
Check that the ruts are not too deep and
that your vehicle has sufficient clearance.
Otherwise, your vehicle could be damaged or bottom out and get stuck. Observe the following rules when driving along
ruts in off-road terrain or on roads with loose
gravel:
R shift the transfer case to the LOW RANGEoff-
road driving position (Y page 124)
R avoid high engine speeds
R observe the safety notes (Y page 119) and the
general notes (Y page 119) on off-road driving
R shift the automatic transmission to alow gear
R drive slowly
R where ruts are too deep, drive with the wheels
on one side on the middle section of turf if
possible
Driving over obstacles !
Obstacles could damage the floor of the
vehicle or componentsoft he chassis. Ask
passengers for guidance when driving over
large obstacles. Any damage to the vehicle
always increases the risk of an accident.
! Drive with particular care when driving over
an obstacle while driving up or down asteep
slope.
The vehicle could otherwise tilt and slide side- waysort ip over.
Observe the following rules when driving over
tree stumps, large stones and other obstacles:
R observe the safety notes (Y page 119) and the
general notes (Y page 119) on off-road driving
R shift the transfer case to the LOW RANGEoff-
road driving position (Y page 124)
R avoid high engine speeds
R shift the automatic transmission to alow gear
R make sure that you have enough ground
clearance before driving across an obstacle
R drive very slowly
R try to drive straight over the centreofo bsta-
cles: front wheel first, then rear wheel Travelling uphill
Approach/departure angle G
WARNING
If you drive on asteep incline at an angle or
turn on asteep incline, the vehicl ecoulds lip
sideways, tip and overturn. There is arisk of
an accident. Drivingt
ips
121Driving an dparking
Z
When driving on an incline, drive into the line
of fall (upwards or downwards in astraight
line) and do not turn.
Always observe the approach/departure angle
values (Y page 255).
R Observe the safety notes (Y page 119) and
general notes (Y page 119) on driving off-
road.
R Follow the line of fall when driving on slopes
and steep inclines.
R Befor edriving on extreme uphill and extreme
downhill gradients ,set the transfer case to
the LOW RANGE off-road driving position
(Y page 124).
R Engage the differential locks if necessary
(Y page 126).
R Drive slowly.
R Accelerate gently and make sure that the
wheels are gripping.
R Avoid high engine speeds, except when driv-
ing on sandy and muddy routes with high driv-
ing resistance.
R Use the braking power of the engine when
driving down aslope. Observe the engine
speed; do not overrev the engine.
R Shift the automatic transmission to alow gear
appropriate for tackling an uphill gradient or a long, steep downhill gradient.
The HOLD function assists you when pulling
away and manoeuvrin gonaslope or hillside
(Y page 122).
Maximum gradient-climbing capability Alwayso
bserve the maximu mgradient climbing
ability values (Y page 255).
Hilltops When drivin
gupanu phill gradient, slightly
reduce pressure on the accelerator immediately
before reaching the brow of the hill. Make use of the vehicle's own impetus to travel over the
brow.
This style of driving prevents:
R the vehicle from lifting off the ground on the
brow of ahill
R loss of traction
R the vehicle from travelling too quickly down
the other side Driving downhill R
Drive slowly.
R Do no tdrive at an angle down stee pinclines.
Stee rinto the line of fall and drive with the
front wheels aligned straight forwards .Oth-
erwise, the vehicl ecould slip sideways ,tip
and overturn.
R Before tackling stee pdownhil lgradients ,shift
the automatic transmission to alow gear.
By doing so, yo uwillu se the braking effect of
the engine to reduce the speed. If thi sisnot
sufficient, brake gently .Whend oing so, make
sure tha tthe vehicl eisfacing in the direction
of the line of fall.
R Observe the note sondrivinginm ountainous
terrai n(Ypage 122).
R Check tha tthe servic ebrake is workin gnor-
mall yafter alon gd ownhil lstretch.
When drivin gatspeeds below60km/h ,off-road
ABS is activated and the front wheels lock cycli- cally durin gbraking .The digging-i neffect ach-
ieved in the proces sreduce sthe stopping dis-
tance durin goff-roa ddriving. Thi slim its steering
capability. Driving systems
HOLD function
General notes Th
eH OLD function can assist the driver in the
following situations:
R when pulling away,e specially on steep slopes
R when manoeuvring on steep slopes
R when waiting in traffic
The vehicle is kept stationary without the driver having to depress the brake pedal.
The braking effect is cancelled and the HOLD
function deactivated when you depress the
accelerator pedal to pull away.
Do not use the HOLD function when driving off-
road, on steep uphill or downhill gradients or on
slippery or loose surfaces. The HOLD function
cannot hold the vehicle on such surfaces. 122
Driving systemsDriving and parking
the engine compartment, leav
ethe bonnet
close dand notify the fir ebrigade.
The coolant temperatur egauge is in the instru-
ment cluste ronthe right-hand side (Y page 26).
Under normal operating conditions and with the specifie dcoolant level ,the coolant temperature
ma yriseto1 20 †.
At high outside temperatures and when driving
in mountainou sterrain, the coolant temperature
ma yrisetot he end of the scale. Operatin
gthe on-board computer
Overview :
Multifunction display
; Switches sound on/off
= Right control panel
? Left control panel
A Back button
X To activate the on-board computer: turn
the key to position 1in the ignition lock
(Y page 96).
You can control the multifunction display and
the settings in the on-board computer using the buttons on the multifunction steering wheel. Left control panel =
; R
Calls up the menu and menu bar 9
: Press briefly:
R Scrolls through lists
R Selects asubmenu or function
R In the Audio Audio menu: selects the
previous or next station, when the preset list or station list is active,
or an audio track
R In the Tel Tel(telephone) menu:
switches to the phone book and
selects aname or telephone num-
ber 9
: Press and hold:
R
In the Audio Audio menu: selects apre-
set list or astation list in the
desired frequency range a R
Confirms selection/displaym es-
sage
R In the Tel
Tel(Telephone) menu:
switches to th etelephone book
and start sdiallin gthe selected
number Right contro
lpanel ~ R
Rejects or end sacall 6 R
Makes or accept sacall
R Switches to the redial memory W
X R
Adjusts the volume 8 R
Mute ? R
Mute 132
Displays and operationOn-board computer and displays