
Driving and operating151level. Since engine power decreases
as altitude increases due to the air
becoming thinner, therefore reducing
climbing ability, the permissible gross
train weight also decreases by 10%
for every 1000 metres of additional
altitude. The gross train weight does
not have to be reduced when driving
on roads with slight inclines (less than
8%, e.g. motorways).
The permissible gross train weight
must not be exceeded. This weight is
specified on the identification plate
3 199.
Vertical coupling load
The vertical coupling load is the load
exerted by the trailer on the coupling
ball. It can be varied by changing the
weight distribution when loading the
trailer.
The maximum permissible vertical
coupling load is specified on the
towing equipment identification plate
and in the vehicle documents. Always aim for the maximum load, especially
in the case of heavy trailers. The
vertical coupling load should never
fall below 25 kg.In the case of trailer loads of
1200 kg or more, the vertical coupling load should not be less than 50 kg.
Rear axle load
When the trailer is coupled and the
towing vehicle fully loaded (including
all occupants), the permissible rear
axle load (see identification plate or
vehicle documents) must not be
exceeded.
Towing equipmentCaution
When operating without a trailer,
remove the coupling ball bar.
Towing equipment audible
warning
For vehicles fitted with towing
equipment, when connected to a
trailer the pitch of the audible warning
changes upon operation of the turn
signals.
The pitch of the audible warning will
change if a turn signal light on the
trailer or the towing vehicle fails.
Trailer stability assist
If the system detects snaking
movements, engine power is reduced
and the vehicle/trailer combination is
selectively braked until the snaking ceases. While the system is working,keep steering wheel as still as
possible.
Trailer stability assist (TSA) is a
function of the Electronic Stability
Program (ESP) 3 137.

156Vehicle care
Pull the safety catch, located slightly
left of centre, and open the bonnet.
Pull up the support rod from its holder,
then secure it in the right side hook on the underside of the bonnet.
If the bonnet is opened during an Autostop, the engine will be restarted
automatically for safety reasons.
Closing Before closing the bonnet, press the
support into the holder.
Lower the bonnet and allow it to drop into the catch from a low height
(20-25 cm). Check that the bonnet is
engaged.
Engine oil Check the engine oil level manuallyon a regular basis to prevent damage
to the engine.
Ensure that the correct specification
of oil is used. Recommended fluids
and lubricants 3 196.
Check with the vehicle on a level
surface. The engine must be at
operating temperature and switched
off for at least 10 minutes.Pull out the dipstick, wipe it clean, insert it to the stop on the handle, pull
out and read the engine oil level.Caution
It is the owner's responsibility to
maintain the proper level of an
appropriate quality oil in the
engine.
When the engine oil level has
dropped to the MIN mark, top-up
engine oil.

170Vehicle careElectrical systemFuses
Data on the replacement fuse must
match the data on the defective fuse.
There are two fuse boxes in the
vehicle:
● on the left-hand side of the instrument panel, behind the trimpanel
● in the engine compartment located below the coolant
expansion tankCombi
An additional fuse box is located
behind a trim panel on the right-hand
side of the load compartment, beside
the rear door.Bus
An additional fuse box is located on
the lower right-hand side of the load
compartment, below the step trim
panel.
Before replacing a fuse, turn off the
respective switch and the ignition.A blown fuse can be recognised by its melted wire. Do not replace the fuse
until the cause of the fault has been
remedied.
It is advisable to carry a full set of
fuses. Consult a workshop.
Some functions are protected by
several fuses.
Fuses may also be inserted without existence of a function.
Notice
Not all fuse box descriptions in this
manual may apply to your vehicle.
When inspecting the fuse box, refer
to the fuse box label.
Fuse extractor

176Vehicle careWinter tyresWinter tyres improve driving safety at
temperatures below 7 °C and should
therefore be fitted on all wheels.
In accordance with country-specific
regulations, affix the maximum speed sticker in the driver's field of view.
Tyre designations
E.g. 215/65 R 16 C 109 R215:tyre width, mm65:cross-section ratio (tyre height
to tyre width), %R:belt type: RadialRF:type: RunFlat16:wheel diameter, inchesC:cargo or commercial use88:load index e.g. 109 is
equivalent to approx. 1030 kgR:speed code letter
Speed code letter:
Q:up to 100 mphS:up to 112 mphT:up to 118 mphH:up to 130 mphV:up to 150 mphW:up to 168 mphDirectional tyres
Fit directional tyres such that they roll
in the direction of travel. The rolling
direction is indicated by a symbol
(e.g. an arrow) on the sidewall.
Tyre pressure
Check the pressure of cold tyres at
least every 14 days and before any
long journey. Do not forget the spare
wheel. This also applies to vehicles
with tyre pressure monitoring system.
The tyre pressure information label
on the driver's door frame indicates
the original equipment tyres and the
correspondent tyre pressures.
Always inflate tyres to the pressures
shown on the label.
Tyre pressures 3 219.
The tyre pressure data refers to cold
tyres. It applies to summer and winter
tyres.
Always inflate the spare tyre to the
pressure specified for full load.Incorrect tyre pressures will impair
safety, vehicle handling, comfort and
fuel economy and will increase tyre
wear.
Tyre pressures differ depending on
various options. For the correct tyre
pressure value, follow the procedure
below:
1. Identify the engine identifier code.
Engine data 3 201.
2. Identify the respective tyre.
The tyre pressure tables show all possible tyre combinations 3 219.
For the tyres approved for your
vehicle, refer to the EEC Certificate of
Conformity provided with your vehicle or other national registration
documents.
The driver is responsible for correct
adjustment of tyre pressure.9 Warning
If the pressure is too low, this can
result in considerable tyre warm-
up and internal damage, leading to tread separation and even to tyre
blow-out at high speeds.

Vehicle care177Rear-wheel drive, with twin rear
wheels
When inflating the outer tyre, the
inflation tube should be passed
between the two wheels.
Tyre pressure monitoring system
The Tyre Pressure Monitoring
System (TPMS) uses radio and
sensor technology to check tyre
pressure levels.Caution
Tyre pressure monitoring system
warns only about low tyre pressure condition and does not replace
regular tyre maintenance by the
driver.
All wheels must be equipped with pressure sensors and the tyres must
have the prescribed pressure.
Notice
In countries where the tyre pressure
monitoring system is legally
required, the use of wheels without
pressure sensors will invalidate the
vehicle type approval.
The TPMS sensors monitor the air
pressure in the tyres and transmit tyre pressure readings to a receiver
located in the vehicle.
Tyre pressure chart 3 219.
Tyre pressures in display
The current tyre pressures can be
shown in the Driver Information
Centre (DIC) 3 89.With the vehicle stationary, press
button on end of wiper lever
repeatedly until the tyre pressure
menu is displayed.
Low tyre pressure condition
A detected low tyre pressure
condition is indicated by illumination
of control indicator w 3 87 and a
corresponding message appears in
the DIC.
If w illuminates, stop as soon as
possible and inflate the tyres as
recommended 3 219.

178Vehicle careAfter inflating, some driving may be
required to update the tyre pressure
values in the DIC. During this time w
may illuminate.
If w illuminates at lower temperatures
and extinguishes after some driving,
this could be an indicator for
approaching a low tyre pressure
condition. Check tyre pressure of all
four tyres.
If the tyre pressure must be reduced
or increased, switch off ignition.
Only mount wheels with pressure
sensors, otherwise the tyre pressure
will not be displayed and w flashes for
several seconds then illuminates
continuously together with control
indicator A 3 85 and a
corresponding message appears in
the DIC.
A spare wheel or temporary spare
wheel is not equipped with pressure
sensors. TPMS is not operational for
these wheels. For the further three
wheels, TPMS remains operational.Control indicator w and the
corresponding message appears at
each ignition cycle until the tyres are
inflated to the correct tyre pressure.
Driver Information Centre (DIC) 3 89.
Vehicle messages 3 90.
Puncture A puncture or severely under-inflated
tyre is indicated by illumination of
control indicator w together with C
3 85 and a corresponding message
appears in the DIC. Stop vehicle and
switch off engine.
Tyre pressure 3 219, Tyre repair kit
3 180, Spare wheel 3 185, Wheel
changing 3 184.
Temperature dependency Tyre pressure depends on the
temperature of the tyre. During
driving, tyre temperature and
pressure increase.
Tyre pressure values provided on the tyre information label and tyre
pressure chart are valid for cold tyres,
which means at 20 °C. The pressure
increases by nearly 1.5 psi for a10 °C temperature increase. This
must be considered when warm tyres
are checked.
The tyre pressure value displayed in
the DIC shows the actual tyre
pressure. A cooled down tyre will show a decreased value, which does
not indicate an air leak.
Relearn function
After changing the wheels, TPMS
needs to recalculate.
With the vehicle stationary, select the tyre pressure menu in the DIC by
pressing button on end of wiper lever. Press and hold button for approx.

Vehicle care1795 seconds to initialise recalculation. A
corresponding message appears in
the DIC.
Several minutes of driving at a speed
above 25 mph may be required to
complete the relearn process. The
system can only provide limited
information during this time.
If problems occur during the relearn
process, control indicator w remains
illuminated and a warning message is displayed in the DIC.
Driver Information Centre (DIC) 3 89.
Vehicle messages 3 90.
General information
The use of tyre chains or
commercially available liquid tyre
repair kits can impair the function of
the system. Factory-approved tyre
repair kits can be used.
Tyre repair kit 3 180, Tyre chains
3 180.
External high-power radio equipment
could disrupt the TPMS.
Each time the tyres are replaced,
TPMS sensors must be dismounted
and serviced by a workshop.Tread depth
Check tread depth at regular
intervals.
Tyres should be replaced for safety
reasons at a tread depth of 2-3 mm (4 mm for winter tyres).
For safety reasons it is recommended
that the tread depth of the tyres on
one axle should not vary by more than 2 mm.
The legally permissible minimum
tread depth (1.6 mm) has been
reached when the tread has worn
down as far as one of the tread wear
indicators (TWI). Their position is
indicated by markings on the
sidewall.
Tyres age, even if they are not used.
We recommend tyre replacement
every 6 years.
Changing tyre and wheel size
If tyres of a different size than those fitted at the factory are used, it may be necessary to reprogramme the
speedometer as well as the nominal
tyre pressure and make other vehicle modifications.
After converting to a different tyre
size, have the label with tyre
pressures replaced.9 Warning
Use of unsuitable tyres or wheels
may lead to accidents and will
invalidate the vehicle type
approval.

180Vehicle careWheel coversWheel covers and tyres that are
factory approved for the respective
vehicle and comply with all of the
relevant wheel and tyre combination
requirements must be used.
If the wheel covers and tyres used are
not factory approved, the tyres must
not have a rim protection ridge.
Wheel covers must not impair brake
cooling.9 Warning
Use of unsuitable tyres or wheel
covers could lead to sudden
pressure loss and thereby
accidents.
Tyre chains
Tyre chains are only permitted on the
drive wheels.
On vehicles with twin rear wheels,
tyre chains are only permitted on the
outer wheels.
Always use fine mesh chains that add no more than 15 mm to the tyre tread
and the inboard sides (including chain lock).
9 Warning
Damage may lead to tyre blowout.
Wheel covers on steel wheels may
come into contact with parts of the
chains. In such cases, remove the
wheel covers.
Tyre chains may only be used at
speeds up to 30 mph and, when
travelling on roads that are free of
snow, they may only be used for brief
periods since they are subject to rapid wear on a hard road and may snap.
The use of tyre chains is not permitted on the temporary spare wheel.
Tyre repair kit Minor damage to the tyre tread can be
repaired with the tyre repair kit.
Do not remove foreign bodies from
the tyres.
Tyre damage exceeding 4 mm or that is at the tyre's sidewall near the rim
cannot be repaired with the tyre repair kit.