Opening/closing from the outside
The sliding door is equipped with an active
retainer, which engages the door at the end stop
when opened.
iYou can also lock the sliding door in place
around halfway when opening and closing.
The door does not have to be opened fully
when getting into or out of the vehicle. The
intermediate detent does not fully engage the
sliding door.
XTo open: pull door handle :.
The sliding door opens.
XPush back the sliding door using door han-
dle :until it engages.
XCheck the sliding door detent.
XTo close: slide the sliding door firmly for-
wards by handle :until it closes.
Opening/closing from the inside
Interior door handle on the sliding door
The sliding door is equipped with an active
retainer, which engages the door at the end stop
when opened.
iYou can also lock the sliding door in place
around halfway when opening and closing. The door does not have to be opened fully
when getting into or out of the vehicle. The
intermediate detent does not fully engage the
sliding door.
XTo unlock:
pull locking knob =upwards.
Only this sliding door unlocks. The other
doors remain locked.
XTo open: press button :.
XSlide the sliding door by handle ;back to the
stop.
XCheck the sliding door detent.
The sliding door must be engaged.
XTo close: slide the sliding door firmly for-
wards by door handle ;until it engages.
XTo lock: press locking knob =down.
Only the sliding door is locked. All other doors that were previously unlocked remain
unlocked.
Electrical closing assist
If your vehicle is equipped with electrical closing
assist, you will require less force to close the
sliding door.
Electrical step
Important safety notes
!
Always observe the ground clearance of the
vehicle and avoid obstacles. On vehicles with a step, ground clearance is further restricted.
Obstacles can damage the vehicle.
If you must drive over obstacles, drive espe-
cially slowly and carefully. If necessary, have
another person direct you.
If you do not use the grab handle and the step,
you could injure yourself when getting in and out
of the vehicle.
In order to reduce risks:
Rdraw the passengers' attention to the electri-
cal step. Wait until the electrical step is fully
extended.
Rdo not jump out of the vehicle.
Ronly use the grab handle and step. Only they
are designed for such a load.
Rkeep grab handles, access steps and entry
sills free from dirt, e.g. mud, clay, snow and
ice.
66Electrical step
Opening and closing
Rswitch off the electrical system using the bat-
tery main switch (Ypage 118) and
Rdisconnect the vehicle's auxiliary battery
Otherwise, you need to check the battery's con- dition of charge every three weeks, since
standby power consumption can drain the bat-
tery. If the battery voltage is lower than 12.2 V,
the battery must be charged. Otherwise, the
battery may be damaged by exhaustive dis-
charging.
Be sure to observe the notes on disconnecting
and charging the batteries under "Battery"
(
Ypage 227). You can obtain information about
trickle chargers from a qualified specialist work- shop.
If you leave the vehicle parked for longer than
6 weeks, the vehicle may suffer damage as a
result of lack of use. In this event, consult a
qualified specialist workshop.
Driving tips
General notes
Important safety notes
GWARNING
The driver's attention to the road must always be his/her primary focus when driving. For
your safety and the safety of others, we rec-
ommend that you pull over to a safe location
and stop before placing or taking a telephone
call. If you choose to use the telephone while
driving, please use the hands-free device and
only use the telephone when road, weather
and traffic conditions permit.
Some jurisdictions prohibit the driver from
using a mobile phone while driving a vehicle.
Bear in mind that at a speed of just 30 mph
(approximately 50 km/h), your vehicle covers
a distance of 44 feet (approximately 14 m)
ever yse cond.
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. 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.
!Always observe the ground clearance of the
vehicle and avoid obstacles. On vehicles with a step, ground clearance is further restricted.
Obstacles can damage the vehicle.
If you must drive over obstacles, drive espe-
cially slowly and carefully. If necessary, have
another person direct you.
Drive sensibly – save fuel
In order to save fuel, observe the following tips:
XThe tires should always be inflated to the rec-
ommended tire pressure.
XRemove unnecessary loads.
XRemove roof carriers when they are not nee-
ded.
XWarm up the engine at low engine speeds.
XAvoid frequent acceleration or braking.
XHave all maintenance work carried out as
indicated by the service intervals in the Main-
tenance Booklet or by the service interval dis-
play.
Fuel consumption also increases when driving in cold weather, in stop-start traffic and in moun-
tainous terrain.
Overrun cutoff
If you are in overrun mode and take your foot off
the accelerator pedal, the fuel supply is cut off
when the engine speed is out of the idle speed
control range.
Drinking and driving
GWARNING
Drinking and driving and/or taking drugs and driving are very dangerous combinations.
Even a small amount of alcohol or drugs can
affect your reflexes, perceptions and judg-
ment.
The possibility of a serious or even fatal acci-
dent are greatly increased when you drink or
take drugs and drive.
Driving tips133
Driving and parking
Z
Rules for driving off-road
!Always bear the vehicle's ground clearance
in mind and avoid obstacles, e.g. deep ruts.
Obstacles may damage the following parts of
the vehicle:
Rthe chassis
Rthe drive train
Rthe fuel and supply tanks
For this reason, you should always drive
slowly when driving off-road. If you have to
drive over obstacles, have the front
passenger direct you.
iWe recommend that you additionally carry a
shovel and a recovery rope with shackle in the
vehicle.
REnsure that loads and items of luggage are
securely stowed or lashed down
(
Ypage 212).
RBefore driving off-road, stop the vehicle and
shift to a low gear.
RIf the surface demands it, temporarily deacti-
vate ASR when pulling away (Ypage 53).
ROnly drive off-road with the engine running
and a gear engaged.
RDrive slowly and smoothly. Walking pace is
necessary in many situations.
RAvoid spinning the drive wheels.
RMake sure that the wheels always remain in
contact with the ground.
RDrive with extreme care over unknown terrain
where you can only see for a short distance.
As a precaution, get out of the vehicle to take
a look at the route to be taken in advance.
RCheck the water depth before fording.
RWatch out for obstacles (e.g. rocks, holes,
tree stumps and ruts).
RAvoid edges where the surface could crumble
or break away.
Checklist after driving off-road
!If you detect damage to the vehicle after
driving off-road, have the vehicle checked
immediately at a qualified specialist work-
shop.
Off-road driving places a higher demand on your
vehicle than normal road operation. Check your
vehicle after driving on rough terrain. By doing
so you will notice any damage in good time and reduce the risk of an accident for yourself and
other road users. Clean your vehicle thoroughly
before driving on public roads.
Observe the following points after driving off-
road, on construction sites and before driving on
public roads:
XVehicles with all-wheel drive:
deactivate
all-wheel drive (Ypage 148).
XActivate ASR (Ypage 53).
XClean the headlamps and tail lamps and
check them for damage.
XClean the front and rear license plates.
XClean the windshield, windows and exterior
mirrors.
XClean the steps, door sills and grab handles.
This increases safety of footing.
XClean the wheels and tires, wheel arches and
the underbody of the vehicle with a water jet.
This increases road grip, especially on wet
road surfaces.
XCheck the wheels and tires and wheel arches
for trapped foreign objects and remove them.
Trapped foreign objects can damage the
wheels and tires or may be fl
ung out from the
vehicle when you continue driving.
XCheck the underbody for trapped branches or
other parts of plants and remove them.
Trapped branches or other parts of plants
increase the risk of fire and can cause dam-
age to fuel lines, brake hoses and the rubber
bellows of axle joints and drive shafts.
XClean the brake disks, brake pads and axle
joints, particularly after operation in sand,
mud, grit and gravel, water or similarly dirty
conditions.
XCheck the entire floor assembly, the tires,
wheels, bodywork structure, brakes, steering,
chassis and exhaust system for any damage.
XCheck the service brake for operating safety,
e.g. carry out a brake test.
XIf you notice strong vibrations after driving off-
road, check the wheels and drive train for for-
eign objects again. Remove any foreign
objects which can lead to imbalances and
thus cause vibrations.
Driving tips139
Driving and parking
Z