Before driving offImportant safety notes .................. 121
Belt
see Seat belts
Belt warning ......................................... 49
Blind Spot Assist
Activating ....................................... 148
Activating/deactivating (vehicle
with steering wheel buttons) ......... 185
Collision warning ........................... 148
Display message ............................ 216
Important safety notes .................. 146
Monitoring range of the sensors .... 147
Notes/function .............................. 146
Trailer towing ................................. 148
Warning display ............................. 148
Blower
see Climate control
Bluetooth
®Audio ............................... 182
Brake
Display message (vehicle without
steering wheel buttons) ................. 190
Brake Assist
see BAS (Brake Assist System)
Brake assistance
see BAS (Brake Assist System)
Brake fluid
Checking the level ......................... 255
Display message (vehicle with
steering wheel buttons) ................. 207
Display message (vehicle without
steering wheel buttons) ................. 193
Notes ............................................. 309
Brake force distribution
see EBD (electronic brake force
distribution)
Brake lamps
Display messages (vehicle with
steering wheel buttons) ................. 210
Display messages (vehicle with-
out steering wheel buttons) ........... 196
Replacing bulbs ............................. 103
Trailer display messages (vehicle
with steering wheel buttons) ......... 210
Trailer display messages (vehicle
without steering wheel buttons) .... 196
Brake pads/linings
New ............................................... 138 Brakes
ABS .................................................. 64
Adaptive Brake Assist .................... 145
Applying the parking brake ............ 134
BAS .................................................. 65
Brake fluid (notes) ......................... 309
Checking brake fl
uid level .............. 255
Display message (vehicle with
steering wheel buttons) ................. 204
EBD .................................................. 65
Hill start assist ............................... 123
Important safety notes .................. 137
New brake pads/linings ................ 138
Parking brake (notes) ..................... 138
Riding tips ...................................... 137
Warning lamp ................................. 221
Breakdown
Vehicle tool kit ............................... 270
see Towing away
Buttons
On the instrument cluster .............. 171
On the steering wheel .................... 176
C
CaliforniaImportant notice for retail cus-
tomers and lessees .......................... 27
Camera
see Rear view camera
Car
see Vehicle
Car key
see SmartKey
Car wash
see Care
Care
Car wash ........................................ 264
Carpets .......................................... 269
Display ........................................... 268
Exterior lights ................................ 266
Interior ........................................... 267
Notes ............................................. 263
Paint .............................................. 265
Plastic trim .................................... 268
Power washer ................................ 264
Rear view camera .......................... 267
Roof lining ...................................... 269
6Index
Limited braking efficiency on sal-
ted roads ....................................... 138
New brake disks ............................ 138
New brake pads/linings ................ 138
Off-road driving .............................. 140
Overrun cut-off .............................. 136
Snow chains .................................. 280
Speed limitation .............................136
Towing a trailer .............................. 163
Wet road surface ........................... 138
E
EBD (electronic brake force distri-
bution)
Display message (vehicle with
steering wheel buttons) ................. 207
Display message (vehicle without
steering wheel buttons) ................. 193
Function/notes ................................ 65
ECO start/stop function
Automatic engine start .................. 124
Automatic engine switch-off .......... 124
Deactivating/activating ................. 125
General information ....................... 123
Important safety notes .................. 124
Electric sliding door
Function ...........................................7 6
Important safety notes .................... 75
Obstacle detection ........................... 76
Opening/closing from the inside .....7 7
Problem (malfunction) ..................... 78
Programming the key button ........... 78
Resetting ......................................... 78
Reversing feature ............................. 76
Electrical fuses
see Fuses
Electrical sliding door
Opening/closing from the out-
side .................................................. 76
Electronic brake force distribution
see EBD (electronic brake force
distribution)
Electronic Stability Program
see ESP
®(Electronic Stability Program)
Emergency
Automatic measures after an acci-
dent .................................................5 8Emergency braking
see BAS (Brake Assist System)
Emergency release
Vehicle ............................................ .71
Emergency Tensioning Devices
Activation ........................................ .56
Emissions control
Service and warranty information .... 27
Engine
Altitude limit (diesel engine) .......... 141
Changing the power output ............. 31
Check Engine warning lamp ........... 225
Cleaning instr uctio
ns ..................... 265
Display messages (vehicle with
steering wheel buttons) ................. 212
Display messages (vehicle with-
out steering wheel buttons) ........... 198
ECO start/stop function ................ 123
Engine number ............................... 304
Irregular running ............................ 125
Jump-starting ................................. 272
Operating safety .............................. 31
Starting .......................................... 122
Starting problems .......................... 125
Switching off .................................. 135
Tow-starting (vehicle) ..................... 276
Engine electronics
Notes ............................................. 303
Problem (malfunction) ................... 125
Engine jump starting
see Jump starting (engine)
Engine oil
Adding ........................................... 253
Additives ........................................ 308
Checking the oil level using the
dipstick .......................................... 252
Display messages (vehicle with
steering wheel buttons) ................. 213
Display messages (vehicle with-
out steering wheel buttons) ........... 199
Filling capacity ............................... 307
Information about oil consump-
tion ................................................ 308
Notes about oil grades ................... 307
Oil change ...................................... 308
Oil level (note) ............................... 252
Viscosity ........................................ 308
Index11
Limited Warranty .............................27
Operating safety
Limited Warranty ............................. 27
Operating safety and vehicle
approval
Attachments and bodies .................. 32
Changing the engine power out-
put ................................................... 31
Correct use ...................................... 29
Declaration of conformity ................ 31
Equipment and conversions ............. 32
Important safety notes .................... 30
Information about body/equip-
ment mounting directives ................ 32
Notes on operating the vehicle ........ 30
Qualified specialist workshop .......... 31
Registering your vehicle ................... 32
Operating system
On-board computer (vehicle with
steering wheel buttons) ................. 176
On-board computer (vehicle with-
out steering wheel buttons) ........... 171
Operator's Manual
General notes .................................. 27
Vehicle equipment ........................... 27
Outside temperature display ........... 170
Overhead control panel ...................... 43
Overrevving range ............................. 170
Overrun cutoff ................................... 136
P
Paint code number ............................ 303
Paintwork (cleaning instructions) ... 265
Parking ............................................... 133
Important safety notes .................. 133
Parking brake ................................ 134
Rear view camera .......................... 158
see Active Parking Assist
see PARKTRONIC
Parking aid
Active Parking Assist ..................... 154
see PARKTRONIC
see Rear view camera
Parking assistance
see PARKTRONIC Parking brake
Display message (vehicle with
steering wheel buttons) ................. 208
Display message (vehicle without
steering wheel buttons) ................. 195
Notes/function .............................. 134
Warning lamp ................................. 134
Parking brake
see Parking brake
Parking lamps
Changing bulbs .............................. 102
PARKTRONIC
Deactivating/activating ................. 153
Display messages .......................... 214
Driving system ............................... 151
Function/notes ............................. 151
Important safety notes .................. 151
Problem (malfunction) ................... 154
Range of the sensors ..................... 152
Roll-back warning .......................... 153
Trailer towing ................................. 154
Warning display ............................. 153
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
Indicator lamp .................................. 46
Passenger compartment air-condi-
tioning system
see Climate control
Passenger compartment heating
see Climate control
Pedestrian protection
see Hood
Pets in the vehicle ............................... 64
Plastic trim (cleaning instruc-
tions) .................................................. 268
Power washers .................................. 264
Power windows
see Side windows
Preparing for a journey
Checks in the vehicle ..................... 121
Visual check of the vehicle exte-
rior ................................................. 121
Program selector button .................. 129
Protection against theft
see ATA (Anti-Theft Alarm system)
Protectio n o
f the environment
General notes .................................. 29
Pulling away
Automatic transmission ................. 122
Index17
Tire size designation, load-bearing
capacity, speed rating .................... 291
Tire tread ....................................... 278
Tire tread (definition) ..................... 295
Total load limit (definition) ............. 296
Traction (definition) ....................... 296
TWR (permissible trailer drawbar
noseweight) (definition) ................. 296
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Standards (definition) .................... 294
Wear indicator (definition) ............. 296
Wheel and tire combination ........... 300
Wheel rim (definition) .................... 294
Wheel/tire combinations ............... 300
Tool
see Vehicle tool kit
Top Tether ............................................ 61
Tow-starting
Emergency engine starting ............ 276
Important safety notes .................. 274
Towing
If the vehicle is stuck ..................... 276
Installing/removing the towing
eye ................................................. 275
Towing a trailer
Active Parking Assist ..................... 154
Axle load, permissible .................... 314
Cleaning the trailer tow hitch ......... 267
Coupling up a trailer ...................... 165
Decoupling a trailer ....................... 167
Driving tips .................................... 163
Notes on retrofitting ...................... 313
Power supply ................................. 168
Trailer loads ................................... 314
Towing away
Important safety guidelines ........... 274
With both axles on the ground ....... 276
With the rear axle raised ................ 275
Towing eye ......................................... 270
Trailer coupling
see Towing a trailer
Trailer loads and drawbar nose-
weights ............................................... 167
Trailer operation
Lights display messages (vehicle
with steering wheel buttons) ......... 209
Lights display messages (vehicle
without steering wheel buttons) .... 196Trai
ler towing
Blind Spot Assist ............................ 148
ESP
®................................................ 67
PARKTRONIC ................................. 154
Permissible trailer loads and
drawbar noseweights ..................... 167
Transmission
see Automatic transmission
Transmission oil ........................ 308, 309
Transmission positions
Automatic transmission ................. 127
Display (DIRECT SELECT lever) ...... 128
Transport
Lashing straps ............................... 245
Loading guidelines ......................... 242
Stickers ......................................... 245
Vehicle ........................................... 276
Transport by rail ................................ 137
Transportation
Rail ................................................ 137
Transportation aids
Load protection net ....................... 247
Transporting
Cargo compartment variations ...... 244
Load distribution ............................ 243
Securing a load .............................. 244
Trim pieces (cleaning instruc-
tions) .................................................. 268
Trip computer
Displaying (vehicle with steering
wheel buttons) ............................... 179
Displaying (vehicle without steer-
ing wheel buttons) ......................... 172
Resetting (vehicle with steering
wheel buttons) ............................... 179
Resetting (vehicle without steer-
ing wheel buttons) ......................... 172
Selecting the display units (vehi-
cle with steering wheel buttons) .... 186
Selecting the display units (vehi-
cle without steering wheel but-
tons) .............................................. 175
Trip odometer
Displaying (vehicle with steering
wheel buttons) ............................... 178
Displaying (vehicle without steer-
ing wheel buttons) ......................... 172
Index23
Indicator and warning lamps
FunctionPage
:å ESP®OF F224
;K High-beam headlamps96
=÷ESP®22 2
?#! Turn signal96
AParking brak e134
F (USAonly)
! (Canada only)
BBrakes221
$ (USAonly)
J (Canada only)
CÐPowersteering22 9
Dò ABS222
E# Battery198
F1 Doors229
FunctionPag e
G6 Restrain tsystem45
Hü Seat belt220
I; CheckEngin e225
J? Coolan t225
KR Rear fog lamp95
LOFrontfog lamp s95
MhTirepressur emonitor22 8
NÀ ATTENTION ASSIST150
Oæ Reserve fuel225
PL Low-beam headlamps95
QTParking lamp sand
license plat elamp94
iCorresponding message smay also be
shown in th edisplay (Ypage 189).
38Instrument cluster (vehicles without steering wheel buttons)
At a glance
put is also modified to keep the vehicle on the
desired course within physical limits. ESP®can
also stabilize the vehicle during braking.
ESP
®also monitors traction, i.e. power trans-
mission between the tires and the road surface.
The integrated traction control supports you
when pulling away or accelerating on wet, slip-
pery or slick roads. Should the drive wheels spin,
traction control brakes them individually. In
addition, greater drive torque is transmitted to
the wheel or wheels with traction. If traction on
the road surface is not sufficient, even ESP
®will
not allow you to pull away without difficulty. The
type of tires and total weight of the vehicle as
well as the gradient of the road also play a cru-
cial role. Traction control remains active if you
deactivate ESP
®.
If the h warning lamp in the instrument clus-
ter goes out before beginning the journey, ESP
®
is automatically active.
The h warning lamp in the instrument cluster
flashes when ESP
®intervenes:
XDo not deactivate ESP®under any circum-
stances.
Xwhen driving off, apply as little throttle as
possible.
Xadapt your speed and driving style to the pre-
vailing road conditions.
Important safety notes
Observe the important safety guidelines for the
driving safety system (Ypage 64).
GWARNING
If ESP
®is malfunctioning it will not provide
any vehicle stabilization. There is an increased
risk of skidding or of an accident.
Exercise caution when continuing to drive.
Have ESP
®checked at a qualified specialist
workshop.
!Do not run the vehicle on a roller dynamom-
eter (e.g. for performance tests). If you must
operate the vehicle on a roller dynamometer,
please consult a qualified specialist workshop
in advance. You could otherwise damage the
drive train or the brake system.
If ESP
®is malfunctioning, the hwarning
lamp (Ypage 222) lights up continuously while the engine is running and the display shows a
message.
Ron vehicles without steering wheel buttons
(Ypage 194)
Ron vehicles with steering wheel buttons
(Ypage 208)
ESP®is deactivated if the åwarning lamp in
the instrument cluster is lit when the engine is
running.
Only use wheels with the recommended tire
sizes. Only then will ESP
®function properly.
Deactivating or activating ESP®
GWARNING
If you deactivate ESP
®, ESP®no longer sta-
bilizes the vehicle. There is an increased risk
of skidding and an accident.
Only deactivate ESP
®in the situations descri-
bed in the following.
It may be best to deactivate ESP
®in the follow-
ing situations:
Rwhen using snow chains
Rin deep snow
Ron sand or gravel
Activate ESP®as soon as the situations descri-
bed above no longer apply. Otherwise, ESP®
assistance for stabilizing the vehicle will remain significantly reduced, even if the vehicle starts
to skid.
If you deactivate ESP
®:
Rthe å warning lamp in the instrument clus-
ter lights up
Rthe ÷ warning lamp in the instrument clus-
ter flashes if the wheels are spinning
RESP®assistance for stabilizing the vehicle in
the lower speed range up to approximately
37 mph (60 km/h) is significantly reduced
Rengine torque is no longer limited and the
drive wheels are able to spin. The spinning of
the wheels results in a cutting action for bet-
ter traction on loose surfaces
Rtraction control is still activated
RESP®still provides support when you brake
66Driving safety systems
Safety
Useful information
This Operator's Manual describes all models as
well as standard and optional equipment of your
vehicle that were available at the time of going
to print. Country-specific variations are possi-
ble. Note that your vehicle may not be equipped
with all of the described functions. This also
applies to systems and functions relevant to
safety.
Read the information on qualified specialist
workshops (
Ypage 31).
Breaking-in notes
Important safety notes
In certain driving and driving safety systems, the
sensors adjust automatically while a certain dis-
tance is being driven after the vehicle has been
delivered or after repairs. Full system effective- ness is not reached until the end of this teach-in
procedure.
New or replaced brake pads and brake discs
only reach their optimal braking effect after a
few hundred kilometers of driving. Until then,
compensate for this by applying greater force to
the brake pedal.
The first 1000 miles (1500 km)
For the service life and economy of your vehicle
it is crucial that you break in the engine with due
care.
RTherefore, protect the engine for the first
1000 miles (1500 km) by driving at varying
vehicle and engine speeds.
RAvoid overstraining the vehicle and high
engine speeds during this period, e.g. driving
at full throttle. Do not exceed Øof the per-
missible maximum speed for each gear.
RDo not change down a gear manually in order to brake.
RTry to avoid depressing the accelerator pedal
beyond the pressure point (kickdown).
After 1000 miles (1500 km), you can increase
the engine speed gradually and accelerate the
vehicle to full speed.
iYou should also observe these notes on
breaking-in if the engine or parts of the drive
train on your vehicle have been replaced.
Driving
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Flammable materials introduced through
environmental influence or by animals can
ignite if in contact with the exhaust system or
parts of the engine that heat up. There is a risk
of fire.
Carry out regular checks to make sure that
there are no flammable foreign materials in
the engine compartment or in the exhaust
system.
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 the parking brake has not been fully
released when driving, the parking brake can:
Roverheat and cause a fire
Rlose its hold function.
There is a risk of fire and an accident. Release
the parking brake fully before driving off.
!Warm up the engine quickly. Do not use the
engine's full performance until it has reached
operating temperature.
Only shift the automatic transmission to the
desired drive position when the vehicle is sta-
tionary.
Where possible, avoid spinning the drive
wheels when pulling away on slippery roads.
You could otherwise damage the drive train.
120Driving
Driving and parking
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