ProblemPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
The engine does not
start.
The starter motor cannot
be heard.The battery is discharged or faulty.
XCheck the battery for damage.
XCharge the battery (Ypage 262).
The engine is not running
smoothly and is misfir-
ing.There is a malfunction in the engine electronics or a mechanical com-
ponent of the engine management system.
XOnly depress the accelerator pedal slightly.
Unburnt fuel may otherwise get into the catalytic converter and
damage it.
XHave the cause rectified immediately at a qualified specialist work-
shop.
Automatic transmission
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If the engine speed is above the idling speed
and you engage transmission position Dor R,
the vehicle could pull away suddenly. There is
a risk of an accident.
When engaging transmission position Dor R,
always firmly depress the brake pedal and do not simultaneously accelerate.
GWARNING
The automatic transmission switches to neu-
tral position Nwhen you switch off the engine.
The vehicle may roll away. There is a risk of an
accident.
Before 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 engine is switched off, rolling in neutral
N can damage the power transmission and
result in transmission damage.
Always observe the instructions and safety
notes under "Tow starting and towing away"
(
Ypage 274).
Bear in mind that power transmission between
the engine and the transmission is interrupted
when the engine is switched off. For this reason,
shift the automatic transmission to Pbefore the engine is switched off and with the vehicle is
stationary. Apply the parking brake to prevent
the vehicle from rolling away.
DIRECT SELECT lever
Overview of the transmission shift sys-
tem
jPark position with parking lock
kReverse gear
iNeutral
hDrive
The DIRECT SELECT lever is on the right of the
steering column.
The DIRECT SELECT lever always returns to its
original position. The display in the instrument
cluster shows the current transmission position,
namely P,R, Nor D(
Ypage 128).
126Automatic transmission
Driving and parking
Problems with the transmission
ProblemPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
The transmission is
locked in positionP.The vehicle electronics are malfunctioning.
XHave the vehicle electronics checked immediately at a qualified
specialist workshop.
The acceleration charac-
teristics have deteriora-
ted noticeably.
The transmission does
not shift.The transmission is in emergency mode.
It is only possible to shift into second gear or reverse gear R.
XStop the vehicle.
XDepress the brake pedal.
XMove the selector lever to positionP.
XSwitch off the engine.
XWait at least ten seconds before restarting the engine.
XDepress the brake pedal.
XMove the selector lever to positionDor R.
In position D, the transmission shifts into second gear; in position R,
the transmission shifts into reverse gear.
XHave the transmission checked immediately at a qualified specialist
workshop.
Refueling
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Fuel is highly flammable. Improper handling of
fuel creates a risk of fire and explosion.
Avoid fire, open flames, smoking and creating
sparks under all circumstances. Switch off the
engine and, if applicable, the auxiliary heating
before refueling.
GWARNING
Fuel is poisonous and hazardous to health.
There is a risk of injury.
You must make sure that fuel does not come into contact with your skin, eyes or clothing
and that it is not swallowed. Do not inhale fuel
vapors. Keep fuel away from children.
If you or others come into contact with fuel,
observe the following:
RWash away fuel from skin immediately
using soap and water.
RIf fuel comes into contact with your eyes,
immediately rinse them thoroughly with
clean water. Seek medical assistance with-
out delay.
RIf fuel is swallowed, seek medical assis-
tance without delay. Do not induce vomit-
ing.
RImmediately change out of clothing which
has come into contact with fuel.
GWARNING
Electrostatic buildup can create sparks and
ignite fuel vapors. There is a risk of fire and
explosion.
Always touch the vehicle body before opening
the fuel filler flap or touching the fuel pump
nozzle. Any existing electrostatic buildup is
thereby discharged.
132Refueling
Driving and parking
Do not get into the vehicle again during the refu-
eling process. Otherwise, electrostatic charge
could build up again.
HEnvironmental note
If fuels are handled improperly, they pose a
danger to persons and the environment. Do
not allow fuels to run into the sewage system,
the surface waters, the ground water or into
the ground.
!Do not switch on the ignition if you acciden-
tally refuel with the wrong fuel. Otherwise, the
fuel will enter the fuel lines. Notify a qualified
specialist workshop and have the fuel tank
and fuel lines drained completely.
!Overfilling the fuel tank could damage the
fuel system.
!Take care not to spill any fuel on painted
surfaces. You could otherwise damage the
paintwork.
!Use a filter when adding fuel from a fuel can.
The fuel lines and/or the fuel injection system
could otherwise be blocked by particles from
the fuel can.
You will find further information about fuel and
fuel grades under "Service products and capaci-
ties" (
Ypage 305).
Refueling procedure
:Fuel filler flap
;Fuel filler cap
=Tire pressure table (Ypage 280)
?Fuel filler neck
Fuel filler flap :is on the left side of the vehicle
behind the front door. It is only possible to open fuel filler flap :when the front door is open.
XRemove the key from the ignition lock.
XOpen the front left-hand door first, and then
fuel filler flap :.
XClose all vehicle doors to prevent fuel vapors
from entering the vehicle interior.
XTurn fuel filler cap ;counter-clockwise,
remove it and let it hang from the strap.
XCompletely insert the filler neck of the fuel
pump nozzle into tank ?and refuel.
XOnly fill the tank until the pump nozzle
switches off. Fuel may otherwise leak out.
XReplace tank filler cap ;on tank ?and turn
clockwise.
You will hear a click when the fuel filler cap is
closed fully.
XOpen the front left-hand door first, and then
close filler flap :.
Problems with the fuel and fuel tank
If your vehicle is losing fuel, the fuel lines or the
fuel tank are defective.
XTurn the SmartKey immediately to position 0
in the ignition lock and remove it.
XDo not restart the engine under any circum-
stances.
XConsult a qualified specialist workshop.
Parking
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Flammable material such as leaves, grass or
twigs may ignite if they come into contact with
hot parts of the exhaust system or exhaust
gas flow. There is a risk of fire.
Park the vehicle so that no flammable mate-
rials come into contact with parts of the vehi-
cle which are hot. Take particular care not to
park on dry grassland or harvested grain
fields.
Parking133
Driving an d parking
Z
GWARNING
If you leave children unsupervised in the vehi-
cle, they could set it in motion by, for example:
Rrelease the parking brake.
Rshift the automatic transmission out of the
parking position P.
Rstart the engine.
In addition, they may operate vehicle equip-
ment and become trapped. There is a risk of
an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children unsupervised in the vehicle.
!Always secure the vehicle correctly against
rolling away. Otherwise, the vehicle or its driv-
etrain could be damaged.
!When the vehicle is parked, always remove
the key to prevent the battery from becoming
discharged.
Always park your vehicle safely and secure it
against rolling away. When parking, observe the
legal requirements of the country in which you
are currently driving.
To ensure that the vehicle is properly secured
against rolling away unintentionally:
Rthe parking brake must be firmly applied
Rthe transmission must be in position Pand the
key must be removed from the ignition lock
Ron steep uphill or downhill gradients, the front
wheels must be turned towards the curb
Parking brake
GWARNING
If you leave children unsupervised in the vehi-
cle, they could set it in motion by, for example:
Rrelease the parking brake.
Rshift the automatic transmission out of the
parking position P.
Rstart the engine.
In addition, they may operate vehicle equip-
ment and become trapped. There is a risk of
an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children unsupervised in the vehicle.
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.
The brake lamps are not illuminated when you
brake the vehicle using the parking brake.
As a rule, you may only apply the parking brake
when the vehicle is stationary.
XTo apply the parking brake: depress park-
ing brake pedal ;firmly.
The red F(only USA) or J(only Can-
ada) indicator lamp in the instrument cluster
lights up if the engine is running.
XTo release the parking brake: depress the
brake pedal and keep it depressed.
XPull release handle :.
The parking brake is released abruptly. The
red F (only USA) or J(only Canada)
indicator lamp in the instrument cluster goes
out.
Exceptionally, if the service brake fails, the park-
ing brake can be used to brake the vehicle in an
emergency.
XEmergency braking: pull release handle:
and gradually depress parking brake
pedal ;.
134Parking
Driving and parking
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. There is a risk 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 allows the coolant temperature to return
to normal.
Vehicles with automatic transmission
XStop the vehicle.
XShift the transmission to position P.
XApply the parking brake.
XTurn the 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, the 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 a front door
is opened.
XSecure the vehicle to prevent it from rolling
away (Ypage 133).
Parking the vehicle for a long period
If you leave the vehicle parked for longer than
four weeks, the battery may be damaged by
exhaustive discharging.
XDisconnect the battery (Ypage 259).
or
XConnect the battery to a trickle charger.
Be sure to observe the notes on charging the batteries (
Ypage 262).
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.
XVisit a qualified 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. 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.
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 a risk of an accident.
Only operate this equipment when the vehicle
is stationary.
Observe the legal requirements of the country in
which you are driving. Some jurisdictions pro-
hibit the driver from using a mobile phone while driving a vehicle.
Driving tips135
Driving and parking
Z
Always use the hands-free system for telephon-
ing while driving. Only use the telephone if road
traffic conditions permit. If this is not the case,
pull over to a safe location before using the tele-
phone.
Bear in mind that at a speed of just 30 mph
(approximately 50 km/h), your vehicle is cov-
ering a distance of 44 fee t(approximately 14 m)
every second.
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 is greatly increased when you drink or
take drugs and drive.
Do not drink or take drugs and drive or allow
anyone to drive who has been drinking or tak-
ing drugs.
Emission control
GWARNING
Combustion engines emit poisonous exhaust
gases such as carbon monoxide. Inhaling
these exhaust gases leads to poisoning. There
is a risk of fatal injury. Therefore never leave
the engine running in enclosed spaces with-
out sufficient ventilation.
Certain engine systems are designed to keep
the level of poisonous substances in exhaust
fumes within legal limits.
These systems only work optimally if they are
maintained exactly in accordance with the man-
ufacturer's specifications. Any work on the
engine should therefore be carried out by quali-
fied and authorized Mercedes-Benz technicians.
The engine settings must not be changed under
any circumstances. In addition, all specific
maintenance work must be carried out at regu-
lar intervals and in accordance with the service
requirements of the dealer listed here on the
inside title page. Details can be found in the
Maintenance Booklet.
Speed limiter
GWARNING
Exceeding the stated tire load-bearing capa-
city and the approved maximum speed could
lead to tire damage or the tire bursting. There is a risk of accident.
Therefore, only use tire types and sizes
approved for your vehicle model. Observe the
tire load rating and speed rating required for
your vehicle.
As the driver, you must be aware of the maxi-
mum design speed of the vehicle and the maxi- mum permissible speed based on the tires (tire
and tire pressure). In particular, also observe the tire approval regulations for each country.
You must not exceed the speed limit for the tires
indicated by the speed rating. The speed rating
is stated in the tire tables (
Ypage 300).
You can permanently limit the permissible max-
imum speed of your vehicle, e.g. for driving on
winter tires.
136Driving tips
Driving and parking
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you have the
maximum permissible speed programed at a
Mercedes-Benz Commercial Van Center.
Before overtaking, take into consideration that
the engine speed limiter prevents the speed
increasing beyond the programmed permissible
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-Benz Commercial Van Cen-
ter.
Fuel
In some countries, only fuels with a higher sulfur
content are available.
Unsuitable fuel can cause engine damage. You
will find information about fuel under "Service
products and capacities" (
Ypage 305).
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 oncoming traffic 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 country where 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-Benz Commercial Van Center.
Braking
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If you shift down on a slippery road surface in an attempt to increase the engine's braking
effect, the 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 a slippery 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 a laden 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 a footrest. Never
depress the brake pedal and the accelerator
pedal at the same time.
Driving tips137
Driving and parking
Z
!Depressing the brake pedal constantly
results in excessive and premature wear to
the brake pads.
If the brakes have been subjected to a heavy
load, do not stop the vehicle immediately. Drive
on for a short while. The brakes are cooled down
more quickly in the airflow.
Wet road surfaces
If you have been driving for a long time in heavy
rain without braking, there may be a delayed
response when you first apply the brakes. This
may also occur after driving through a car wash
or deep water.
You must depress the brake pedal more firmly.
Maintain a longer distance to the vehicle in
front.
While paying attention to the traffic conditions,
you should brake the vehicle firmly after driving
on a wet road surface or through a car 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
build up on the brake disks and brake pads. This can increase braking distances considerably.
Maintain a greater 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.
Checking the brake pad thickness
In addition to monitoring using the brake pad
wear sensor, regularly monitor and check all of
the brake pads by performing a visual inspection
to look for pad material wear.
If you are unable to check the brake wear on the
inside of the wheels, remove the wheels with the tools provided.
Make sure that the brake pad material thickness
never falls below 0.12 in (3 mm). Have the brake pads checked and replaced at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop, if necessary. Do not solely rely on the brake pad wear sensor.
It is strongly recommended that you have the
brake pads checked at a qualified specialist
workshop at every service displayed in the main-
tenance interval indicator, prior to long journeys
and whenever the wheels are removed.
New brake discs and brake pads/
linings
New brake pads and brake discs only reach their
optimal braking effect after about 60 miles
(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.
Always replace all brake discs or brake pads/
linings on an axle at the same time and only have
them replaced at a qualified 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 a distance of approximately
138Driving tips
Driving and parking