2016 MERCEDES-BENZ METRIS parking brake

Switching off the engine
Important safety notes
GWARNING
The automatic transmission switches to neu-
tral position Nwhen you switch off the engine.
The vehicle may roll away.T here isarisk of an
accident.
After switching off the engine, always switch
to parking position P.Prevent the parked vehi-
cle from rolling away by applying the parking
brake.
!If the coolant temperature is very high, e.g.
after driving on hilly roads, leave the engine
running at idle speed for about two minutes
before turning it off.
This allowst he coolant temperature to return
to normal.
Vehicles with automatic transmission
XStop the vehicle.
XShift the transmission to position P.
XApply the parking brake.
XTurn key to position0in the ignition lock and
remove it.
The immobilizer is activated.
If you switch the engine off with the trans-
mission in position Ror D,t he automatic
transmission shifts to Nautomatically.
If you then open one of the front doors or
remove the key from the ignition, the auto-
matic transmission automatically shifts to P.
If you shift the automatic transmission to N
before switching off the engine, the automatic
transmission remains in Neven if afront door
is opened.
XSecure the vehicle to prevent it from rolling
away (Ypage 132).
Parking the vehicle for along period
If you leave the vehicle parked for longer than
4w eeks, the battery may be damaged by
exhaustive discharging.
XDisconnect the battery (Ypage 250).
or
XConnect the battery to atrickle charger.
Be sure to observe the notes on charging the batteries (
Ypage 253).
You can obtain information about trickle
chargers from aqualified specialist work-
shop.
If you leave the vehicle parked for longer than
6w eeks, the vehicle may suffer damage as a
result of lack of use.
XVisit aqualified specialist workshop and seek
advice.
Driving tips
General notes
Important safety notes
GWARNING
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.Y ou will require considerably
more effort to steer and brake. There is arisk
of an accident.
Do not switch off the ignition while driving.
GWARNING
If you operate mobile communication equip-
ment while driving, you will be distracted from traffic conditions. You could also lose control
of the vehicle. There is arisk of an accident.
Only operate this equipment when the vehicle
is stationary.
Observe the legal requirements of the countryi n
which you are driving. Some jurisdictions pro-
hibit the driver from using amobile phone while
driving avehicle.
134Driving tips
Driving and parking

Mercedes-Benzrecommends that you have the
maximum permissible speed programed at a
Mercedes-BenzC ommercial Van Center.
Before overtaking, take into consideration that
the engine speed limiter prevents the speed
increasing beyond the programed maximum
speed.
Driving abroad
Service
An extensive network of authorized Mercedes-
Benz Centers is also at your disposal when you
are traveling abroad. Nevertheless, please bear
in mind that service facilities or replacement
parts may not always be immediately available.
The relevant workshop directories are available
from any Mercedes-BenzC ommercial Van Cen-
ter.
Fuel
In some countries, only fuels with ahigher sulfur
content are available.
Unsuitable fuel can cause engine damage. You
will find information about fuel under "Service
products and capacities" (
Ypage 296).
Low-beam headlamps
General notes
When driving in countries in which traffic drives
on the opposite side of the road to the country
where the vehicle is registered, you must switch
the headlamps to symmetrical low beam. This
prevents oncomingt raffic from being blinded.
Symmetrical low beam does not illuminate as
large an area of the edge of the road.
Vehicles with halogen headlamps
The headlamps do not need to be switched to
symmetrical low beam. The legal requirements
of countries in which traffic drives on the oppo- site side of the road to the countryw here the
vehicle is registered are met without the need to
convert the headlamps.
Transport by rail
Transporting your vehicle by rail may be subject to certain restrictions or require special meas- ures to be taken in some countries due to vary-
ing tunnel heights and loading standards.
You can obtain information on this from any
Mercedes-BenzC
ommercial Van Center.
Brakes
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If you shift down on aslippery road surface in
an attempt to increase the engine's braking
effect,t he drive wheels could lose their grip.
There is an increased danger of skidding and
accidents.
Do not shift down for additional engine brak-
ing on aslippery road surface.
Downhill gradients
!Depressing the brake pedal constantly
results in excessive and premature wear to
the brake pads.
This also applies to automatic braking if you
have activated cruise control.
On long and steep downhill gradients, you
should change down to shift range 2or1 in
good time (
Ypage 128).
This should be observed in particular when driv-
ing with aladen vehicle and when towing a
trailer.
You thereby make use of the braking effect of
the engine and do not have to brake as often to
maintain the speed. This relieves the load on the
service brake and prevents the brakes from
overheating and wearing too quickly.
Heavy and light loads
GWARNING
If you rest your foot on the brake pedal while
driving, the braking system can overheat. This increases the stopping distance and can even
cause the braking system to fail. There is a
risk of an accident.
Never use the brake pedal as afootrest.N ever
depress the brake pedal and the accelerator
pedal at the same time.
136Driving tips
Driving and parking

!Depressing the brake pedal constantly
results in excessive and premature wear to
the brake pads.
If the brakes have been subjected to aheavy
load, do not stop the vehicle immediately.D rive
on for ashort while.T he brakes are cooled down
more quickly in the airflow.
Wet road surfaces
If you have been driving for along time in heavy
rain without braking, there may be adelayed
response when you first apply the brakes. This
may also occur after driving through acar wash
or deep water.
You must depress the brake pedal more firmly.
Maintain alonger distance to the vehicle in
front.
While paying attention to the traffic conditions,
you should brake the vehicle firmly after driving
on aw et road surface or through acar wash. This
heats the brake discs, so that they dry more
quickly, which protects them against corrosion.
Limited braking performance on salt-
treated roads
When driving on salted roads, salt may start to
buildupont he brake disks and brake pads. This
can increase braking distances considerably.
Maintain agreater distance to the vehicle in
front.
To remove any build-up of salt that may have
formed:
XApply the brakes at the start of the journey,
occasionally during journey and at the end of
the journey. Make sure that you do not endan-
ger other road users when doing so.
New brake discs and brake pads/
linings
New brake pads and brake discs only reach their
optimal braking effect after about60m iles
(100 kilometers). Until then, compensate for
this by applying greater force to the brake pedal. For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends only installing the following brake discs
and brake pads/linings:
Rbrake discs that have been approved by
Mercedes-Benz
Rbrake pads/linings that have been approved
by Mercedes-Benz or are of an equivalent
standard of quality
Other brake discs or brake pads/linings can
compromise the safety of your vehicle.
Alwaysr eplace all brake discs or brake pads/
linings on an axle at the same time and only have
them replaced at aqualified specialist work-
shop. When replacing the brake discs, always
have the brake pads/linings replaced at the
same time.
Parking brake
GWARNING
If you must brake the vehicle with the parking brake, the braking distance is considerably
longer and the wheels could lock. There is an
increased danger of skidding and accidents.
Only use the parking brake to brake the vehi-
cle when the service brake is faulty. Do not
apply the parking brake too firmly. If the
wheels lock, release the parking brake until
the wheels begin turning again.
When driving on wet roads or dirt-covered sur-
faces, road salt and/or dirt may get into the
parking brake. This causes corrosion and a
reduction of braking force.
In order to prevent this, drive with the parking
brake lightly applied from time to time. When
doing so, drive for adistance of approximately
110 yds (100 m) at amaximum speed of 12 mph
(20 km/h).
The brake lamps are not illuminated when you
brake the vehicle using the parking brake.
Driving in wet conditions
Hydroplaning
GWARNING
There is adanger of hydroplaning occurring,
even if you are driving slowly and your tires
Driving tips137
Driving and parking
Z

have sufficient tread depth, depending on the
depth of water on the road. There isarisk of
an accident.
For this reason, avoid tire ruts and brake care-
fully.
Therefore, in heavy rain or other conditions in
which hydroplaning can occur, drive as follows:
Rreduce your speed
Ravoid tire ruts
Rapply the brakes with care
Driving on flooded roads
!Do not drive through flooded areas. Check
the depth of any water before driving through
it. Drive slowly through standing water. Oth-
erwise, water may enter the vehicle interior or
the engine compartment. This can damage
the electronic components in the engine or
the automatic transmission. Water can also
be drawn in by the engine's air suction nozzles
and this can cause engine damage.
If you have to drive on stretches of road on which
water has collected, please bear in mind that:
Rthe water level of standing water should not
be above the lower edge of the front bumper
Rdo not drive faster than walking speed
Driving in winter
GWARNING
If you shift down on aslippery road surface in
an attempt to increase the engine's braking
effect,t he drive wheels could lose their grip.
There is an increased danger of skidding and
accidents.
Do not shift down for additional engine brak-
ing on aslippery road surface.
!Vehicles with automatic transmission may
roll only briefly in the neutral position N.Pro-
longed rolling of the wheels, e.g. when being
towed, will result in transmission damage.
Have your vehicle winterproofed at aqualified
specialist workshop at the onset of winter. Drive particularly carefully on slippery roads.
Avoid sudden acceleration, steering and braking
maneuvers. Do not use cruise control.
If the vehicle threaten stoskid or cannot be
stopped when moving at low speed:
XShift the transmission to position N.
XTry to maintain control of the vehicle using
corrective steering.
The outside temperature indicator is not
designed to serve as an ice-warning device and
is therefore unsuitable for that purpose.
Changes in the outside temperature are dis-
played after ashort delay.
Indicated temperatures just above the freezing
point do not guarantee that the road surface is
free of ice. The road may still be icy, especially in
wooded areas or on bridges. If you do not adjust
your driving style, the vehicle may start to skid.
Always adapt your driving style and drive at a
speed to suit the prevailing weather conditions.
You should pay special attention to road condi-
tions when temperatures are around freezing
point.
You can find further information under:
R"M+S tires" (Ypage 269)
R"Snow chains" (Ypage 270)
R"Driving with summer tires" (Ypage 269)
Also observe the notes under "Winter operation" (
Ypage 269).
Driving off-road
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If you drive on asteep incline at an angle or
turn when driving on an incline, the vehicle
could slip sideways, tip and rollover. There is a risk of an accident.
Always drive on asteep incline in the line of
fall (straight up or down) and do not turn the
vehicle.
GWARNING
When driving off-road, your body is subject to
forces from all directions, due to the uneven
surface. You could be thrown from your seat,
for instance. There is arisk of injury.
138Driving tips
Driving and parking

Alwayswearas eatb elt, eve nwhend riving off-
road.
GWARNING
If yo udrive ove robstacle sorinr uts, the steer-
ing whee lmayjerk outofy ourg rip, causing
injury to your hands.
Alway sholdt he steering whee lfirmly with
both hands. Whe ndriving ove robstacles, you
must expect steering forces to increase
briefl yand suddenly.
GWARNING
Flammabl ematerial such as leaves, grass or
twigs mayi gnite if they come into contact with
hot parts of the exhaus tsystem .There is arisk
of fire.
Whe ndriving off roa doronunpaved roads,
check the vehicle's undersid eregularly .In
particular, remove parts of plants or other
flammabl ematerial swhich have become
trapped. In the cas eofdamage, contact a
qualified specialist workshop.
!Whe ndriving off-roadoronu npaved surfa-
ces ,check the undersid eofthe vehicl eand
the wheels and tire satregular intervals .In
particular, remove any trappe dforeign
objects, e.g .stone sand branches.
Such foreig nobjects may:
Rdamage the chassis, the fuel tank or the
brake system
Rcause imbalance sand thusv ibrations
Rbe flung outw heny ou continue driving
If ther eisany damage, inform aquali fied spe-
cialist workshop.
Whe ndriving off-roada nd on construction sites,
sand, muda nd water mixe dwitho il,f or exam-
ple, mayg et into the brakes. Thi smaylead to a
reduction in braking performance or totalb rake
failure, also as aresul tofi ncreased wear .The
braking characteristics will vary depending on
the material thath asgot into the system .Clean
the brakes afte rdriving o
ff-road. If yo uth
en
notice reduce dbraking performance or hear
scraping noises ,hav et he brake system checked
at aq uali fied specialist workshop.A djust your
driving style to the changedb raking character-
istics. Driving off-roadoronc
onstruction sites increa-
ses the possibility of vehicl edamag ewhich may
in turn lead to the failure of certain assemblies
and systems. Adapt your driving style to the off- roa ddriving conditions. Driv ecarefully. Have
any vehicl edamag erectifie dataq ualified spe-
cialist workshop as soo naspossible.
Whe nloadin gyourvehicl efor driving off-roado r
on aconstruction site, kee pthe vehicle's center
of gravity as lo waspossible.
Rule sfor drivin goff-road
!Alway sbearthe vehicle's ground clearance
in mind and avoido bstacles, e.g .deepr uts.
Obstacles mayd amagethe following parts of
the vehicle:
Rthe chassis
Rthe drive train
Rthe fuel and supply tanks
For thisr eason, yo ushoul dalway sdrive
slowly when driving off-road. If yo uhavet o
drive ove robstacles, have the front
passengerd irect you.
iWe recommend thaty ouadditionally carry a
shovel and arecover yrop ew iths hackle in the
vehicle.
REnsure thatl oadsand items of luggage are
securel ystowed or lashe ddown
(
Ypage 232).
RBefore driving off-road, stop the vehicl eand
shift to alow gear.
RIf the surface requires ,temporaril ydeactivate
ESP®when pulling away (Ypage 64).
ROnlyd rive off-roadw itht he engine running
and ageare ngaged.
RDriv eslowly and smoothly. Walking pace is
necessary in many situations.
RAvoi dspinning the drive wheels.
RMake sure thatt he wheels always remai nin
contact with the ground.
RDriv ewithe xtreme car eoveru nknown terrain
where yo ucan onlys ee forashort distance.
As aprecaution, get outoft he vehicletotake
al oo katt he route to be take ninadvance.
RCheck the water depth before fording.
RWatch outf or obstacles(e.g. rocks ,holes,
tree stumps and ruts).
RAvoi dedges where the surface could crumble
or break away.
Driving tips139
Driving an dparking
Z

Checklist after driving off-road
!If you detect damagetothevehicle after
driving off-road, have th evehicle checked
immediately at aqualified specialist work-
shop.
Off-road driving places ahigher demand on your
vehicle than normal road operation. Checky our
vehicle after driving on roug hterra in. By doing
so you will notic eany damageing ood timeand
reduc ethe riskofana ccidentf or yourself and
other road users. Clean your vehicle thoroughly
before driving on public roads.
Observ ethe followingp oints after driving off-
road ,onc onstructio nsites and before driving on
public roads:
XActivate ESP®(Ypage 64).
XClean th eheadlamps and tail lamps and
check them for damage.
XClean th efront and rear licens eplates.
XClean th ewindshield, windows and exterior
mirrors.
XClean th esteps, door sills and grab handles.
This increases safety of footing.
XClean th ewheels/tires, wheel housing sand
th eu nderbody of th evehicle withaw aterjet .
This increases road grip ,especiall yonw et
road surfaces.
XCheckt hewheels/tires and wheel housings
for trapped foreign object sand remove them.
Trapped foreign object scan damaget he
wheels/tires and may be flun gout from the
vehicle when you continue driving.
XCheckt heunderbody for trapped branches or
other part sofplants and remove them.
Trapped branches or other part sofplants
increas ethe riskoff irea nd can caus ed
am-
age

to fuel lines, brak ehoses and th erubber
bellows of axle joint sand driv eshafts.
XClean th ebrak edisks, brak epads and axle
joints, particularly after operatio ninsand,
mud, grit/gravel, wate rorsimilarly dirt ycon-
ditions.
XCheckt heentir efloo rassembly, th etires,
wheels, bodywork structure, brakes, steering,
chassis and exhaust system for any damage.
XCheckt heservic ebrak efor operatin gsafety,
e.g .carry out abrak etest.
XIf you notic estron gv ibrations after driving off-
road ,che ck th ewheelsa nd drivetrain for for-
eign object sagain.R emove any foreign object
swhichc an lead to imbalances and
thus caus evibrations.
Driving in mountainous areas
When driving in mountainous areas ,notet hat
th ep ower output of th eengine, and withiti ts
gradientc limbingcapability, decreas ewith
increasing altitude. Pleaset aken oteoft hisp ar-
ticularly when driving withat railer in mountain-
ous areas.
The maximum permissible trailer loads are valid
for journeys at altitudes up to 1100 yds
(1000 m) aboves ea levelwithg radients up to
12%.
Information on maximum permissible trailer
loads can be foun dinyour vehicle registration
papersa nd on thevehicle identification plate
(
Ypage 294) or unde r"Trailer loads"
(Ypage 305).
When driving at altitudes of 2700 yds (2500 m)
aboves ea level, th eECO start/sto pfunction is
no longer available.
Notes on braking on downhill gradients can be
foun dint he"Braking" sectio n(
Ypage 136).
Driving systems
Cruise control
General notes
Cruise control maintain sthe speedoft hevehi-
cle for you. It brakes automatically in orde rto
avoid exceedingt heset speed.
Use cruise control if road and traffic conditions
makeita ppropriat etomaintain asteady speed
for aprolonged period. You can set any speed
from 30 km/h upwards in increment sof1km/h
and 10 km/h.
If you have set Miles
as theunit for th edigital
speedometer, you can set any speeda bove
20 mph in increment sof1mph and5mph.
Changingt hedisplay unit for th edigital speed-
omete rand th edistance:
Ron vehicle swithout steering wheel buttons
(Ypage 174)
Ron vehicle swith steering wheel buttons
(Ypage 185)
Cruise control shouldn otbe activated when
driving off-road or on constructio nsites.
140Driving systems
Driving and parking

Cruisecontro lmaybe unab leto maintain the
storeds peedonu phillgradients .The stored
speedisr esumedifth eu phill gradiente vens out
and th evehicle 's speedd oes notfall below
20 mph (30 km/ h).C ruise control maintains the
storeds peed on downhil lgradients by automat-
icall yapplyin gthe brakes. Observe the addi-
tiona ldriving tip s(
Ypage 136).
Important safety notes
Observe the notes on braking (Ypage 136).
If yo ufailtoa dapt your driving style or if yo uare
inattentive ,cruise control can neither reduce
the ris kofana ccident nor override the laws of
physics .Cruise control canno ttake road,
weathe rand traffic conditions into account.
Cruise control is only an aid. Yo uare responsible
for the distance to the vehicl einfront, for vehi-
cle speed, for braking in goo dtime and for stay-
ing in lane.
If yo uchange wheel size ,make sure they corre-
spond to the correct wheel size category
(
Ypage 267). If the categor yischanged without
recoding the control units in the vehicle, the
functioning of cruise control may be impaired.
Do not us ecruise control:
Rin traffic conditions that are unsuitable for
driving at aconstant speed, e.g. in heavy traf-
fic, on winding roads or off-road.
Ron slippery roads. Braking or accelerating
may cause the drive wheel stoloset raction
and the vehicl ecould then skid.
Rwhen there is poo rvisibility ,e.g. du etofog,
heavy rai norsnow.
If there is achange of drivers ,make sure that
yo ui nform the new driver aboutt he set cruise
speed.
Cruise control levera nd display
:To activate and store the current speed or a
higher speed
;To activate at the last storeds peed
=To activate and store the current speed or a
lowerspeed
?To deactivate cruise control
The cruise control lever is the lowe rlev er on the
left of the steering column.
Whe nyou activate cruise control ,the display
briefl yshows the Cruise Control
message
and the storeds peed.
The display also shows the Vsymbo land the
storeds peed:
Rin the header on vehicles withou tsteering
wheel buttons (Ypage 170)
Rin the statu sareaonv ehicles with steering
wheel buttons (Ypage 176)
Activation conditions
To activate cruise control ,allof the following
activation conditions mus tbefulfilled:
Rthe parking brake mus tbereleased .The F
(onl yUSA) or J(onlyCanada) indicator
lamp in the instrument cluster goe sout
RESP®mus tbes witched on, bu tnot currently
intervening or performing acontrol action
Ryoua re driving faster than 20 mph (30 km/h)
Rthe brake pedal is not depressed
Driving systems141
Driving and parking
Z

Storing and maintaining the current
speed
XAccelerate the vehicle to the desired speed
above 20 mph (30 km/h).
XBriefly push the cruise control lever up:or
down =.
XRelease the accelerator pedal.
Cruise control is activated. The current speed
is stored and shown briefly in the display's
text field.
The display also shows the Vsymbol and
the stored speed:
Rin the header on vehicles without steering
wheel buttons (Ypage 170)
Rin the status area on vehicles with steering
wheel buttons (Ypage 176)
Resuming the stored speed
GWARNING
If you call up the stored speed and it differs
from the current speed, the vehicle acceler-
ates or decelerates. If you do not know the
stored speed, the vehicle could accelerate or brake unexpectedly. There is arisk of an acci-
dent.
Pay attention to the road and traffic condi-
tions before calling up the stored speed. If you
do not know the stored speed, store the
desired speed again.
XBriefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you ;.
XRelease the accelerator pedal.
Cruise control is activated and resumes the
vehicle's speed to the last speed stored.
The stored speed is shown briefly in the dis-
play.
The display also shows the Vsymbol and
the stored speed:
Rin the header on vehicles without steering
wheel buttons (Ypage 170)
Rin the status area on vehicles with steering
wheel buttons (Ypage 176)
iWhen you pull the cruise control lever
towards you for the first time after startin gthe
engine, cruise control adopts the current
speed.
Setting the speed
It may be amoment before the vehicle starts to
accelerate or brake to the set speed. Take this
delay into account when settingt he speed.
XPress the cruise control lever up:to
increase the speed or down =to reduce the
speed.
The vehicle will accelerate or decelerate. The
speed is shown in the display.
XRelease the cruise control lever once the
desired speed is reached.
The displayed speed is stored.
or
XBriefly press the cruise control lever as far as
the 1st pressure point up :or down =.
The last speed stored is increased/reduced in increments of 1mph (1 km/h).
or
XBriefly press the cruise control lever beyond
the pressure point up :or down =.
The last speed stored is increased/reduced in increments of 5mph (10 km/h).
iCruise control is not deactivated if you
depress the accelerator pedal. If you acceler-
ate briefly to overtake, for example, cruise
control resumes the vehicle’s speed to the
last speed stored after you have finished over-
taking.
To deactivatec ruise control
There are various ways to deactivate cruise con-
trol:
XBriefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards?.
or
XApply the brakes.
The last speed set remains stored. The last
speed stored is deleted when you switch off the
engine.
Cruise control is deactivated automatically
when:
Ryou apply the brakes
Ryou apply the parking brake and the F
(only USA) or J(only Canada) indicator
lamp in the instrumentc luster lights up
Ryou are driving slower than 20 mph (30 km/h)
Ryou shift the automatic transmission to neu-
tral positionNwhile the vehicle is in motion
142Driving systems
Driving and parking