150Driving and operatingwarning may sound as a signal to
depress the brake pedal 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 brake pedal 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 most
recently 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
Driving and operating151Activate the Winter mode if you have
problems starting off on a slippery
road surface.
Activation
Press V. 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 V 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
brake pedal, 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 kg. 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 kg again
● turning off the ignition
Kickdown If the accelerator pedal is pressed
past 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.
158Driving and operatingFor safety reasons the cruise control
cannot be activated until the brake
pedal has been operated once.
Do not use the cruise control if it is not advisable to maintain a constant
speed.
With manual transmission
automated, only activate cruise
control in automatic mode.
Control indicators m and U 3 99.
Activation
Press m, control indicator U
illuminates green in the instrument
cluster.
Cruise control is now in standby mode
and a corresponding message
appears in the Driver Information
Centre.
Accelerate to the desired speed and
press < or ]. The current speed is
now stored and maintained and the
accelerator pedal can be released.
Control indicator m illuminates green
in the instrument cluster together with
U and a corresponding message
appears in the Driver Information
Centre.
Vehicle speed can be increased by
depressing the accelerator pedal.
The stored speed flashes in the
instrument cluster. When the
accelerator pedal is released, the
previously stored speed is resumed.
Cruise control remains activated
while gearshifting.
The speed is saved until the ignition
is switched off.
170Driving and operatingIn 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) 3 155.Auxiliary features
Power take-off
Activation
To activate the power take-off, with
the vehicle stationary and the engine
idling:
● Set the gearshift lever to neutral (vehicles with manual
transmission automated:
selector lever in position N).
● Depress the clutch pedal.
Driving and operating171● Press switch on the instrumentpanel; LED in switch illuminates
after approx. two seconds.
● Release the clutch pedal.
The engine idle speed increases to
1,200 rpm.Caution
During operation of the power
take-off, never move the selector
lever out of neutral (vehicles with
manual transmission automated:
selector lever in position N), to
avoid damage to the transmission.
If a gear change becomes
necessary, i.e. to adjust the driving
speed, the power take-off must always be deactivated first.
Deactivation
To deactivate the power take-off: ● Depress the clutch pedal.
● Press switch on the instrument panel; LED in switch
extinguishes after approx.
two seconds.
● Release the clutch pedal.
Fault
If the LED in the switch does not
illuminate when attempting to activate the power take-off and/or the system
does not operate:
Gradually release the clutch pedal.
- or - ● Set the gearshift lever to neutral (vehicles with manual
transmission automated:
selector lever in position N).
● Depress the clutch pedal.
● Press switch on the instrument panel; LED in switch illuminatesafter approx. two seconds.
● Release the clutch pedal.
Then repeat the above procedure.
Notice
The power take-off function is not
available when control indicator A
3 95, C 3 96 or W 3 97 is
illuminated.
Vehicle care203Do not remove foreign bodies from
the tyres.
Tyre damage exceeding four mm or
that is at the tyre's sidewall near the
rim cannot be repaired with the tyre repair kit.9 Warning
Do not drive faster than 50 mph.
Do not use for a lengthy period.
Steering and handling may be
affected.
If the vehicle has a flat tyre:
Apply the parking brake and engage
neutral (manual transmission) or N
(manual transmission automated).
The tyre repair kit is located under the
front seat. Slide seat forwards fully
and fold backrest down to access kit.
1. Take the tyre repair kit out from under the front seat.
2. Remove the compressor.
3. Remove the power supply lead(s)
and air hose from the stowage
compartments on the underside
of the compressor.
4. Screw the compressor air hose to
the connection on the sealant
bottle.
5. Fit the sealant bottle into the retainer on the compressor.
Set the compressor near the tyre
in such a way that the sealant
bottle is upright.
6. Unscrew valve cap from defective
tyre.7. Screw the sealant filler hose to the
tyre valve.
8. The rocker switch on the compressor must be set to
position O.
206Vehicle careWheel changingSome vehicles are equipped with a
tyre repair kit instead of a spare wheel
3 202.
Make the following preparations and
observe the following information:
● Park the vehicle on a level, firm and non-slippery surface. The
front wheels must be in the
straight-ahead position.
● Apply the parking brake and engage first gear or reverse gear
(manual transmission) or N
(manual transmission
automated).
● Switch off the air suspension system 3 138.
● Remove the spare wheel 3 208.
● Never change more than one wheel at a time.
● Use the jack only to change wheels in case of puncture, not
for seasonal winter or summer
tyre change.
● The jack is maintenance-free.● If the ground on which the vehicle
is standing is soft, a solid board
(max. 1 cm thick) should be
placed under the jack.
● No people or animals may be in the vehicle when it is jacked-up.
● Never crawl under a jacked-up vehicle.
● Do not start the engine when the vehicle is raised on the jack.
● Clean wheel bolts/nuts and their threads before mounting thewheel.9 Warning
Do not grease wheel bolt, wheel
nut and wheel nut cone.
1. Remove the wheel cover using the hook supplied. Vehicle tools
3 196.
Depending on vehicle, first
remove the bolt/nut covers by
hand then remove the wheel
cover, or press wheel cover at the points indicated by the arrows and
turn to release.
Rear-wheel drive, with twin rear
wheels: Remove the tyre valve
extender from the inner rear
wheel.
2. Install the wheel wrench (depending on vehicle, attach
wheel wrench to adapters)
ensuring that it locates securely
and loosen each wheel bolt/nut by half a turn.
Vehicle care211Jump starting
The jump start terminal is located in
the engine compartment.
A vehicle with a discharged vehicle
battery can be started using jump
leads and the vehicle battery of
another vehicle.
Do not start with a quick charger.9 Warning
Be extremely careful when starting
with jump leads. Any deviation
from the following instructions can
lead to injuries or damage caused
by battery explosion or damage to the electrical systems of both
vehicles.
9 Warning
Avoid contact of the battery with
eyes, skin, fabrics and painted
surfaces. The fluid contains
sulphuric acid which can cause
injuries and damage in the event
of direct contact.
Caution
The air suspension system must
be switched off prior to jump
starting.
Air suspension 3 138.
● Never expose the vehicle battery
to naked flames or sparks.
● A discharged vehicle battery can already freeze at a temperature
of 0 °C. Defrost the frozen vehicle
battery before connecting jump leads.
● Wear eye protection and protective clothing when
handling a vehicle battery.
● Use a booster battery with the same voltage (12 volts). Its
capacity (Ah) must not be much
less than that of the discharged
vehicle battery.
● Use jump leads with insulated terminals and a cross section of
at least 25 mm 2
.
● Do not disconnect the discharged
battery from the vehicle.
● Switch off all unnecessary electrical consumers.
● Switch off the air suspension system 3 138.
● Do not lean over the vehicle battery during jump starting.
● Do not allow the terminals of one
lead to touch those of the other
lead.
● The vehicles must not come into contact with each other during
the jump starting process.
● Apply the parking brake and engage neutral (manual
transmission) or N (manual
transmission automated).