Page 209 of 245

Vehicle care207
2. Place the loop end of the strapthrough the front lashing eye on
the appropriate side.
3. Place the hook end of the strap through the loop and pull it until
the strap is fastened securely to
the lashing eye.4. Insert the strap through the spokes of the wheel as shown in
the illustration.
5. Mount the hook to the rear lashing
eye.
6. Tighten the strap and secure it using the buckle.
9 Danger
Always drive with folded up and
engaged rear seat backrests when stowing a damaged full size wheel
in the load compartment.
Jump starting
Do not start with quick charger.
A vehicle with a discharged vehicle
battery can be started using jump
leads and the vehicle battery of
another vehicle.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.
● Never expose the vehicle battery
to naked flames or sparks.
Page 210 of 245

208Vehicle care● A discharged vehicle battery canalready freeze at a temperature
of 0 °C. Defrost the frozen battery before connecting jump leads.
● Wear eye protection and protective clothing when
handling a 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 16 mm 2
(25 mm 2
for
diesel engines).
● Do not disconnect the discharged
vehicle battery from the vehicle.
● Switch off all unnecessary electrical consumers.
● 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, transmission in neutral,
automatic transmission in P.
Open the positive terminal protection
caps of both vehicle batteries.
Lead connection order: 1. Connect the red lead to the positive terminal of the booster
battery.
2. Connect the other end of the red lead to the positive terminal of the
discharged battery.
3. Connect the black lead to the negative terminal of the boosterbattery.
4. Connect the other end of the black
lead to a vehicle grounding point
of your vehicle in the engine
compartment.
Route the leads so that they cannot
catch on rotating parts in the engine
compartment.
To start the engine: 1. Start the engine of the vehicle providing the jump.
2. After five minutes, start the other engine. Start attempts should be
made for no longer than
15 seconds at an interval of one
minute.
3. Allow both engines to idle for approx. three minutes with the
leads connected.
4. Switch on electrical consumers (e.g. headlights, heated rear
window) of the vehicle receiving
the jump start.
5. Reverse above sequence exactly when removing leads.
Page 211 of 245

Vehicle care209Towing
Towing the vehicle
Insert a screwdriver in the slot at the
bottom of the cap. Release the cap by
carefully moving the screwdriver
downwards.
The towing eye is stowed with the vehicle tools 3 195.
Screw in the towing eye as far as it will
go until it stops in a horizontal
position.
Attach a tow rope – or better still a tow
rod – to the towing eye.
The towing eye must only be used for towing and not for recovering the
vehicle.
Switch on ignition to release steering wheel lock and to permit operation of
brake lights, horn and windscreen
wiper.
Transmission in neutral.
Caution
Drive slowly. Do not drive jerkily.
Excessive tractive force can
damage the vehicle.
When the engine is not running,
considerably more force is needed to
brake and steer.
To prevent the entry of exhaust gases from the towing vehicle, switch on the
air recirculation and close the
windows.
Vehicles with manual transmission
and All-wheel drive: If the vehicle is
towed with all four wheels on the
ground then there are no technical
limitations for speed and distance. If
only one axle has been raised, the
maximum speed is 50 km/h. There is
no distance limitation.
Vehicles with automatic transmission and All-wheel drive: The vehicle must
be towed facing forwards. If the
vehicle is towed with all four wheels
on the ground, the maximum speed is 50 km/h and for a maximum of
50 km. If the front axle has been
Page 212 of 245
210Vehicle careraised, the maximum speed is
50 km/h. There is no distance
limitation.
Seek the assistance of a workshop. After towing, unscrew the towing eye.
Iinsert cap with the outer flange into
the recess and fix cap by pushing.
Towing another vehicle
Insert a screwdriver in the slot at the
bottom of the cap. Release the cap by
carefully moving the screwdriver
downwards.
The towing eye is stowed with the vehicle tools 3 195.
Screw in the towing eye as far as it will
go until it stops in a horizontal
position.
The lashing eye at the rear
underneath the vehicle must never be used as a towing eye.
Attach a tow rope – or better still a tow
rod – to the towing eye.
The towing eye must only be used for
towing and not for recovering a
vehicle.
Caution
Drive slowly. Do not drive jerkily.
Excessive tractive force can
damage the vehicle.
After towing, unscrew the towing eye.
Insert cap with the upper flange into
the recess and fix cap by pushing.
Page 213 of 245

Vehicle care211Appearance care
Exterior care LocksThe locks are lubricated at the factoryusing a high quality lock cylinder
grease. Use a de-icing agent only
when absolutely necessary, as this
has a degreasing effect and impairs
lock function. After using a de-icing
agent, have the locks regreased by a
workshop.
Washing
The paintwork of your vehicle is
exposed to environmental influences. Wash and wax your vehicle regularly.
When using automatic vehicle
washes, select a programme that
includes waxing.
Bird droppings, dead insects, resin,
pollen and the like should be cleaned
off immediately, as they contain
aggressive constituents which can
cause paint damage.If using a vehicle wash, comply with
the vehicle wash manufacturer's instructions. The windscreen wiperand rear window wiper must be
switched off. Remove antenna and
external accessories such as roof
racks etc.
If you wash your vehicle by hand,
make sure that the insides of the
wheel housings are also thoroughly
rinsed out.
Wax painted parts of the vehicle
regularly.
Clean edges and folds on opened
doors and the bonnet as well as the
areas they cover.
Clean bright metal mouldings with a
cleaning solution approved for
aluminium to avoid damages.Caution
Always use a cleaning agent with
a pH value of four to nine.
Do not use cleaning agents on hot surfaces.
Do not clean the engine compartmentwith a steam-jet or high-pressure jet
cleaner.
Thoroughly rinse and leather-off the vehicle. Rinse leather frequently. Use
separate leathers for painted and
glass surfaces: remnants of wax on
the windows will impair vision.
Have the door hinges of all doors
greased by a workshop.
Do not use hard objects to remove
spots of tar. Use tar removal spray on
painted surfaces.
Exterior lights
Headlight and other light covers are
made of plastic. Do not use any
abrasive or caustic agents, do not use an ice scraper, and do not clean them
dry.
Polishing and waxing
Wax the vehicle regularly (at the
latest when water no longer beads).
Otherwise, the paintwork will dry out.
Polishing is necessary only if the paint
has become dull or if solid deposits
have become attached to it.
Page 214 of 245

212Vehicle carePaintwork polish with silicone forms a
protective film, making waxing
unnecessary.
Plastic body parts must not be treated with wax or polishing agents.
Windows and windscreen wiper
blades
Use a soft lint-free cloth or chamois
leather together with window cleaner
and insect remover.
When cleaning the rear window from
inside, always wipe in parallel to the
heating element to prevent damage.
For mechanical removal of ice, use a
sharp-edged ice scraper. Press the
scraper firmly against the glass so
that no dirt can get under it and
scratch the glass.
Clean smearing wiper blades with a
soft cloth and window cleaner.
Remove dirt residues from smearing
wiper blades by using a soft cloth and window cleaner. Also make sure to
remove any residues such as wax,
insect residues and similar from the
window.Ice residues, pollution and continuous
wiping on dry windows will damage or even destroy the wiper blades.
Glass panel
Never clean with solvents or abrasive
agents, fuels, aggressive media
(e.g. paint cleaner, acetone-
containing solutions etc.), acidic or
highly alkaline media or abrasive
pads.
Wheels and tyres
Do not use high-pressure jet
cleaners.
Clean rims with a pH-neutral wheel
cleaner.
Rims are painted and can be treated
with the same agents as the body.
Paintwork damageRectify minor paintwork damage with
a touch-up pen before rust forms.
Have more extensive damage or rust
areas repaired by a workshop.Underbody
Some areas of the vehicle underbody
have a PVC undercoating while other
critical areas have a durable
protective wax coating.
After the underbody is washed, check
the underbody and have it waxed if
necessary.
Bitumen/rubber materials could
damage the PVC coating. Have
underbody work carried out by a
workshop.
Before and after winter, wash the
underbody and have the protective
wax coating checked.
Liquid gas system9 Danger
Liquid gas is heavier than air and
can collect in sink points.
Take care when performing work
at the underbody in a pit.
Page 215 of 245

Vehicle care213For painting work and when using a
drying booth at a temperature above 60 °C, the liquid gas tank must be
removed.
Do not make any modifications to the
liquid gas system.
Towing equipment Do not clean the coupling ball bar with
a steam-jet or high-pressure jet
cleaner.
Interior care Interior and upholstery
Only clean the vehicle interior,
including the instrument panel fascia
and panelling, with a dry cloth or
interior cleaner.
Clean the leather upholstery with
clear water and a soft cloth. In case of
heavy soiling, use leather care.
The instrument cluster and the
displays should only be cleaned using
a soft damp cloth. If necessary use aweak soap solution.Clean fabric upholstery with a
vacuum cleaner and brush. Remove
stains with an upholstery cleaner.
Clothing fabrics may not be
colourfast. This could cause visible
discolourations, especially on light-
coloured upholstery. Removable
stains and discolourations should be
cleaned as soon as possible.
Clean seat belts with lukewarm water
or interior cleaner.Caution
Close Velcro fasteners as open
Velcro fasteners on clothing could
damage seat upholstery.
The same applies to clothing with
sharp-edged objects, like zips or
belts or studded jeans.
Plastic and rubber parts
Plastic and rubber parts can be
cleaned with the same cleaner as
used to clean the body. Use interior cleaner if necessary. Do not use any
other agent. Avoid solvents and petrol in particular. Do not use high-
pressure jet cleaners.
Page 216 of 245

214Service and maintenanceService and
maintenanceGeneral information ...................214
Service information ..................214
Recommended fluids, lubricants
and parts .................................... 215
Recommended fluids and lubricants ................................ 215General information
Service information In order to ensure economical and
safe vehicle operation and to
maintain the value of your vehicle, it
is of vital importance that all
maintenance work is carried out at the proper intervals as specified.
The detailed, up-to-date service
schedule for your vehicle is available
at the workshop.
Severe operating conditions exist if one or more of the following
circumstances occur frequently: Cold
starting, stop and go operation, e.g.
for taxis and police vehicles, trailer
operation, mountain driving, driving
on poor and sandy road surfaces,
increased air pollution, presence of
airborne sand and high dust content,
driving at high altitude and large
variations of temperature. Under
these severe operating conditions,
certain service work may be required more frequently than the regularservice interval.
Service display 3 85.Service intervals - country group 1
Maintenance of your vehicle is
required every 25,000 km or after one
year, whichever occurs first, unless
otherwise indicated in the service
display.
These service intervals are valid for
the following countries:
Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Cyprus,
Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Greenland, Iceland, Ireland,
Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg,
Malta, Monaco, Netherlands,
Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United
Kingdom.
Service intervals - country group 2 Maintenance of your vehicle
equipped with engine EB2DT,
EB2FDTM or EB2DTS is required
every 15,000 km or after one year,
whichever occurs first, unless
otherwise indicated in the service
display. Maintenance of your vehicle
with any other engine than mentioned
before is required every 25,000 km or