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
110 yds (100 m) at a maximum speed of 12 mph(20 km/h).
The brake lamps are not illuminated when you
brake the vehicle using the parking brake.
Driving in wet conditions
Hydroplaning
GWARNING
There is a danger of hydroplaning occurring,
even if you are driving slowly and your tires
have sufficient tread depth, depending on the
depth of water on the road. There is a risk of
an accident.
For this reason, avoid tire ruts and brake care-
fully.
Therefore, in heavy rain or other conditions in
which hydroplaning can occur, drive as follows:
Rreduce your speed
Ravoid tire ruts
Rapply the brakes with care
Driving on flooded roads
!Do not drive through flooded areas. Check
the depth of any water before driving through
it. Drive slowly through standing water. Oth-
erwise, water may enter the vehicle interior or
the engine compartment. This can damage
the electronic components in the engine or
the automatic transmission. Water can also
be drawn in by the engine's air suction nozzles
and this can cause engine damage.
If you have to drive on stretches of road on which
water has collected, please bear in mind that:
Rthe water level of standing water should not
be above the lower edge of the front bumper
Rdo not drive faster than walking speed
Driving in winter
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.
!An accumulation of snow and ice, particu-
larly when frozen, caught in the area around
the air intake slots, moving parts, the axles
and the wheel arches may:
Rrestrict air intake
Rdamage vehicle parts
Rcause malfunctions by restricting the mobi-
lity intended by the design (e.g. reduced
possible steering input).
Regularly check the vehicle and remove snow
or ice when traveling in wintry conditions.
If there is any damage, inform a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
!Vehicles with automatic transmission may
roll only briefly in the neutral position N. Pro-
longed rolling of the wheels, e.g. when being
towed, will result in transmission damage.
Have your vehicle winterproofed at a qualified
specialist workshop at the onset of winter.
Drive particularly carefully on slippery roads.
Avoid sudden acceleration, steering and braking
maneuvers. Do not use cruise control.
If the vehicle threatens to skid or cannot be
stopped when moving at low speed:
XShift the transmission to position N.
XTry to maintain control of the vehicle using
corrective steering.
The outside temperature indicator is not
designed to serve as an ice-warning device and is therefore unsuitable for that purpose.
Changes in the outside temperature are dis-
played after a short delay.
Indicated temperatures just above the freezing
point do not guarantee that the road surface is
free of ice. The road may still be icy, especially in
wooded areas or on bridges. If you do not adjust
your driving style, the vehicle may start to skid.
Al
ways adapt your driving style and drive at a
speed to suit the prevailing weather conditions.
You should pay special attention to road condi-
tions when temperatures are around freezing
point.
Driving tips139
Driving and parking
Z
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 242).
RBefore driving off-road, stop the vehicle and
shift to a low gear.
RIf the surface requires, temporarily deactivate
ESP®when pulling away (Ypage 66).
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:
XActivate ESP®(Ypage 66).
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/tires, wheel housings and
the underbody of the vehicle with a water jet. This increases road grip, especially on wet
road surfaces.
XCheck the wheels/tires and wheel housings
for trapped foreign objects and remove them.
Trapped foreign objects can damage the
wheels/tires and may be flung 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/gravel, water or similarly dirty con-
ditions.
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 in mountainous areas
When driving in mountainous areas, note that
the power output of the engine, and with it its
gradient climbing capability, decrease with
increasing altitude. Please take note of this par-
ticularly when driving with a trailer in mountain-ous areas.
The maximum permissible trailer loads are valid
for journeys at altitudes up to 1100 yds
(1000 m) above sea level with gradients up to
12%.
Information on maximum permissible trailer
loads can be found in your vehicle registration
papers and on the vehicle identification plate
(
Ypage 303) or under "Trailer loads"
(Ypage 314).
Driving tips141
Driving and parking
Z
Activationconditions
To activat ecruise control ,all of th efollowin g
activation condition smus tbe fulfilled :
Rtheparking brak emus tbe released. The F
(only USA) or J(only Canada) indicator
lamp in th einstrumen tcluste rgoe sout
RES P®mus tbe switched on ,but no tcurrentl y
intervening or performin g acontrol action
Ryou are drivin gfaste rthan 20 mph (30 km/h)
Rthe brake pedal is not depressed
Storing and maintaining the current
speed
XAccelerate the vehicle to the desired speed
above 20 mph (30 km/h).
XBriefly push the cruise control lever up :or
down =.
XRelease the accelerator pedal.
Cruise control is activated. The current speed
is stored and shown briefly in the display's
text field.
The display also shows the Vsymbol and
the stored speed:
Rin the header on vehicles without steering
wheel buttons (Ypage 171)
Rin the status area on vehicles with steering
wheel buttons (Ypage 177)
Resuming the stored speed
GWARNING
If you call up the stored speed and it differs
from the current speed, the vehicle acceler-
ates or decelerates. If you do not know the
stored speed, the vehicle could accelerate or brake unexpectedly. There is a risk of an acci-
dent.
Pay attention to the road and traffic condi-
tions before calling up the stored speed. If you
do not know the stored speed, store the
desired speed again.
XBriefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you ;.
XRelease the accelerator pedal.
Cruise control is activated and resumes the
vehicle's speed to the last speed stored. The stored speed is shown briefly in the dis-
play.
The display also shows the
Vsymbol and
the stored speed:
Rin the header on vehicles without steering
wheel buttons (Ypage 171)
Rin the status area on vehicles with steering
wheel buttons (Ypage 177)
iWhen you pull the cruise control lever
towards you for the first time after starting the
engine, cruise control adopts the current
speed.
Setting the speed
It may be a moment before the vehicle starts to
accelerate or brake to the set speed. Take this
delay into account when setting the speed.
XPress the cruise control lever up :to
increase the speed or down =to reduce the
speed.
The vehicle will accelerate or decelerate. The
speed is shown in the display.
XRelease the cruise control lever once the
desired speed is reached.
The displayed speed is stored.
or
XBriefly press the cruise control lever as far as
the 1st pressure point up :or down =.
The last speed stored is increased/reduced in
increments of 1 mph (1 km/h).
or
XBriefly press the cruise control lever beyond
the pressure point up :or down =.
The last speed stored is increased/reduced in
increments of 5 mph (10 km/h).
iCruise control is not deactivated if you
depress the accelerator pedal. If you acceler-
ate briefly to overtake, for example, cruise
control resumes the vehicle’s speed to the
last speed stored after you have finished over-
taking.
Deactivating cruise control
There are various ways to deactivate cruise con- trol:
XBriefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards ?.
or
XApply the brakes.
Driving system s143
Driving an d parking
Z
The last speed set remains stored. The last
speed stored is deleted when you switch off the
engine.
Cruise control is deactivated automatically
when:
Ryou apply the brakes
Ryou apply the parking brake and theF
(only USA) or J(only Canada) indicator
lamp in the instrument cluster lights up
Ryou are driving slower than 20 mph (30 km/h)
Ryou shift th eautomati ctransmission to neu-
tral position Nwhile th evehicl eis in motion
RES P®intervenes or you deactivat eES P®
Rthere is amalfunction in th eES P®or AB Ssys-
te m
If cruise control automatically deactivates, a
warnin gtone sounds and th eCruise
Contro lOffmessage appears briefl yin th edisplay.
The V symbol and th edisplay of th estore d
speed in th eheader or in th estatu sarea of th e
display are then no tshown.
Problems with cruise contro l
The speed cannotbe set when cruise control is
activated.
The display is showin g amessage of high priority
and canno ttherefor esho w a chang ein speed.
XProceed as instructe dby th emessage in th e
display.
COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST
Gene ral notes
COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST help syou:
Rto minimiz eth eris kof afront-en dcollision
wit h a detecte dobstacle in th epat hof your
vehicl e
Rto reduce th econsequence sof afront-en d
collision
The system uses rada rsensor sto detec tvehi-
cle sin front.
COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST consist sof th e
distanc ewarnin gfunction and Adaptive Brake
Assist.
If COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST is malfunc -
tioning, th edisplay shows acorrespondin gmes -
sage (
Ypage 214).
Distance warning function
Important safety notes
GWARNIN G
The distanc ewarnin gfunction does no treact:
Rto people or animals
Rto oncomin gvehicles
Rto crossin gtraffic
Rwhen cornering
Thus ,th edistanc ewarnin gfunction canno t
provid e awarnin gin all critica lsituations.
There is aris kof an accident.
Always pay careful attention to th etraffic sit -
uation and be read yto brake.
GWARNIN G
The distanc ewarnin gfunction canno talways
clearly identify objects and complex traffic
situations.
In suc hcases, th edistanc ewarnin gfunction
may:
Rgiv ean unnecessary warnin g
Rnotgiv e a warnin g
There is aris kof an accident.
Always pay careful attention to th etraffic sit -
uation and do no trel ysolely on th edistanc e
warnin gfunction .
In particular, th edetection of obstacles can be
impaire din th ecas eof:
Rdir ton th esensor sor anythin gelse coverin g
th esensor s
Rsnow or heav yrain
Rinterferenc efrom other rada rsource s
Rstrongrada rreflections, for example, in park -
in g garages
Ranarrow vehicl etravelin gin front, e.g. a
motorbik e
Ravehicl etravelin gin fron ton adifferen tlin e
Due to th enature of th esystem, particularly
complicate dbut non-critica ldrivin gcondition s
may also caus eth esystem to display awarning.
If you fail to adapt your drivin gstyle, th edis-
tance warnin gfunction can neither reduce th e
ris kof an acciden tno roverride th elaws of phys -
ics .The distanc ewarnin gfunction canno ttak e
144Driving systems
Driving and parking
ready for use, the lane markings in the symbol
are shown as solid lines;.
Setting the sensitivity of Lane Keeping
Assist
XIn theAssist.menu on the on-board com-
puter, select the Lane Keeping Assist:
function (Ypage 185).
XSelectStandardorAdaptive.
In the setting Standard
, no warning vibration
occurs if:
Ryou operate the turn signal in the correspond-
ing direction. In this event, the warnings are
suppressed for a certain period of time.
Ra driving safety system, such as ABS, BAS or
ESP®, intervenes or performs a control
action.
When Adaptive
is selected, there is also no
warning vibration when:
Ryou accelerate hard, e.g. kickdown.
Rbrake sharply.
Ryou steer actively, e.g. swerve to avoid an
obstacle or change lanes quickly.
Ryou cut the corner on a sharp bend.
In order that you are warned only when neces-
sary and in good time if you cross the lane mark-
ing, the system differentiates between various
conditions and warns you accordingly.
The warning vibration occurs earlier if:
Ryou approach the outer lane marking on a
bend.
Rthe road has very wide lanes, such as a high-
way.
Rthe system detects solid lane markings.
The warning vibration occurs later if:
Rthe road has narrow lanes.
Ryou cut the corner on a bend.
Alertness Assistant ATTENTION
ASSIST
General notes
ATTENTION ASSIST helps you during long,
monotonous journeys such as on freeways and
interstate highways. It is active in the 40 mph
(60 km/h) to 125 mph (200 km/h) range. If
ATTENTION ASSIST detects typical indicators of fatigue or increasing lapses in concentration on
the part of the driver, it suggests taking a break.
Important safety notes
ATTENTION ASSIST is only an aid. The system
may not always detect fatigue or lapses in con-
centration until too late, or may not detect them
at all. ATTENTION ASSIST is not a substitute for
a well-rested and attentive driver.
The functionality of ATTENTION ASSIST is
restricted, and warnings may be delayed or not
occur at all:
Rif the length of the journey is less than approx-
imately 30 minutes
Rif the road condition is poor, e.g. if the surface
is uneven or if there are potholes
Rif there is a strong side wind
Rif you have adopted a sporty driving style with
high cornering speeds or high rates of accel-
eration
Rif you are predominantly driving at a speed
below 40 mph (60 km/h) or above 125 mph
(200 km/h)
Rif the time has been set incorrectly
Rin active driving situations, such as when you
change lanes or change your speed
ATTENTION ASSIST is reset and starts assessing
your attention again when you continue your
journey if:
Ryou switch off the engine
Ryou take off your seat belt and open the driv-
er's door, e.g. for a change of drivers or to
take a break
Displaying the attention level
For vehicles with steering wheel buttons you can
have the current ATTENTION ASSIST (Attention
Level) assessment displayed.
150Driving systems
Driving and parking
XSelectStatus Overviewin theAssist.menu and display the attention level
(Ypage 184).
The following information is displayed:
Rthe length of the journey since the last break.
Rthe attention level determined by ATTENTION
ASSIST, displayed in a bar display in five levels
from low to high.
Rif ATTENTION ASSIST is unable to calculate
the attention level and cannot output a warn-
ing, the System
Passivemessage appears in
the display. The bar display is then dimmed.
This is the case, for example, if you are pre-
dominantly driving at a speed below 40 mph
(60 km/h) or above 125 mph (200 km/h).
Activating ATTENTION ASSIST
XActivating ATTENTION ASSIST with the on-
board computer:
Ron vehicles without steering wheel buttons
(Ypage 175)
Ron vehicles with steering wheel buttons
(Ypage 185)
For vehicles with steering wheel buttons, the
system determines the attention level of the
driver depending on the setting selected:
Standard: the sensitivity with which the sys-
tem determines the attention level is set to
normal.
Sensitive: the sensitivity is set higher. The
driver is warned earlier.
When ATTENTION ASSIST is switched on and
the vehicle engine is running:
Ron vehicles without steering wheel buttons,
the À indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up
Ron vehicles with steering-wheel buttons, the
display shows the Àsymbol:
-in the status area
-in the Status Overviewof the Assist.menu (Ypage 184)
For vehicles with steering wheel buttons, if you
deactivate ATTENTION ASSIST, the system is
automatically re-activated when you start the
engine. The system sensitivity then corresponds
to the last selection activated – standard or sen-
sitive.
If you switch off ATTENTION ASSIST in a vehicle without steering wheel buttons, the system
remains switched off even after you start the engine. The status of the system after switching
on the engine always corresponds to the status
last selected.
Warning in the display
If the system detects tiredness or increasing
lapses in concentration, the warning
Atten‐
tion Assist: Take a Break!orAttent.Asst: Take Break!is shown in the display.
An additional warning tone sounds.
XIf necessary, take a break.
XConfirm the message by pressing the a
button on the steering wheel.
On long journeys, take regular breaks in good
time to allow yourself to rest. If you do not take
a break and ATTENTION ASSIST continues to
detect increasing lapses in concentration, you
will be warned again after 15 minutes at the
earliest. This will only happen if ATTEN-
TION ASSIST still detects typical indicators of
fatigue or increasing lapses in concentration.
PARKTRONIC
General notes
PARKTRONIC is an electronic parking aid. The
system is equipped with ultrasonic sensors in
the front and rear bumpers to monitor the area
around your vehicle. PARKTRONIC indicates vis-
ually and audibly the distance between your
vehicle and an object.
Your vehicle features two separate sound emit- ters with different frequencies for the warning
tones. The warning ranges in front of and behind
the vehicle are indicated by different warning
tones.
PARKTRONIC is activated automatically when
you:
Rturn the key to position 2in the ignition lock
Rrelease the parking brake and
Rmove the selector lever to position D,N or R
PARKTRONIC is deactivated at speeds above
11 mph (18 km/h). PARKTRONIC is reactivated
at speeds below 10 mph (16 km/h).
Important safety notes
PARKTRONIC is only an aid. It cannot replace
your own awareness of the immediate surround-
ings. You are responsible for safe maneuvering,
Driving systems151
Driving and parking
Z
Active Parking Assist does not assist you park-
ing in spaces at right angles to the direction of
travel if:
Rtwo parking spaces are located directly next
to one another
Rthe parking space is directly next to a low
obstacle such as a low curb
Ryou forward park
Active Parking Assist does not assist you park-
ing in spaces that are parallel or at right angles
to the direction of travel if:
Rthe parking space is on a curb
Rthe system reads the parking space as being
blocked, for example by foliage or grass pav-
ing blocks
Rthe area is too small for the vehicle to maneu-
ver into
Rthe parking space is bordered by an obstacle,
e.g. a tree, a post or a trailer
:Detected parking space on the left
;Parking symbol
=Detected parking space on the right
If the driver's seat belt is fastened and all doors
are closed, Active Parking Assist is activated
automatically when driving forwards. The sys-
tem is operational at speeds of up to approx-
imately 22 mph (35 km/h). While in operation,
the system independently locates and meas-
ures parking spaces on both sides of the vehicle.
Active Parking Assist will only detect parking
spaces:
Rparallel or at right angles to the direction of
travel
Rthat are parallel to the direction of travel and are at least 59 in (1.5 m) wide
Rthat are parallel to the direction of travel and
at least 40 in (1.0 m) longer than your vehicle
Rthat are at right angles to the direction of
travel and at least 40 in (1.0 m) widerthan
your vehicle
iNote that Active Parking Assist cannot
measure the length of a parking space if it is at right angles to the direction of travel. You will
need to judge whether your vehicle will fit in
the parking space.
When the vehicle is driving at speeds of up to
approximately 20 mph (30 km/h), parking sym-
bol ;is shown as a status display in the header.
The syste m d
etects and differentiates between
parking spaces which are parallel or at right
angles to the direction of travel. When a parking
space is detected, an arrow appears next to
parking symbol ;to indicate which side the
parking space is on. The parking space is dis-
played while you are driving past it and until you
are approximately 50 ft (15 m) away from it.
Active Parking Assist displays parking spaces on
the passenger side as standard. The parking
spaces on the driver's side are only displayed if
you operate the turn signal on the driver's side.
When parking on the driver's side, you must
operate the turn signal until you have started
active parking assistance by pressing the a
button on the steering wheel.
Parking
GWARNING
If you leave the driver's seat when the vehicle is only being braked by Active Parking Assist,
the vehicle could roll away if:
Rthere is a malfunction in the system or in
the voltage supply.
Rthe electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses are tam-
pered with.
Rthe battery is disconnected.
Rthe vehicle is accelerated, e.g. by a vehicle
occupant.
There is a risk of an accident.
Before leaving the driver's seat, always secure the vehicle against rolling away.
If PARKTRONIC detects obstacles, Active Park-
ing Assist brakes automatically during the park- ing process. You are responsible for braking in
good time.
156Driving system s
Driving an d parking