Driving and operating133Driving and
operatingDriving hints ............................... 134
Control of the vehicle ...............134
Steering ................................... 134
Starting and operating ...............134
New vehicle running-in ............134
Ignition switch positions ...........135
Power button ........................... 135
Retained power off ..................136
Starting the engine ..................137
Overrun cut-off ........................ 138
Stop-start system ....................138
Parking .................................... 140
Engine exhaust .......................... 141
Diesel particle filter ..................142
Catalytic converter ...................142
Automatic transmission ..............143
Transmission display ...............143
Selector lever .......................... 143
Manual mode ........................... 144
Electronic driving programmes 145
Fault ........................................ 145
Interruption of power supply ....145
Manual transmission ..................146Drive systems ............................ 147
All-wheel drive ......................... 147
Brakes ........................................ 148
Antilock brake system .............148
Parking brake .......................... 148
Brake assist ............................. 149
Hill start assist ......................... 149
Ride control systems .................149
Traction Control system ..........149
Electronic Stability Control ......150
Descent control system ...........151
Driver assistance systems .........152
Cruise control .......................... 152
Speed limiter ........................... 154
Forward collision alert .............155
Following distance indication ...157
Parking assist .......................... 158
Rear view camera ...................160
Traffic sign assistant ................161
Lane departure warning ..........165
Fuel ............................................ 166
Fuel for petrol engines .............166
Fuel for diesel engines ............166
Fuel for liquid gas operation ....167
Refuelling ................................ 169
Fuel consumption - CO 2-
Emissions ............................... 172Trailer hitch................................ 173
General information .................173
Driving characteristics and towing tips .............................. 173
Trailer towing ........................... 173
Towing equipment ...................174
Driving and operating143Caution
Fuel grades other than those listedon pages 3 166, 3 225 could
damage the catalytic converter or
electronic components.
Unburnt petrol will overheat and
damage the catalytic converter.
Therefore avoid excessive use of the starter, running the fuel tank
dry and starting the engine by
pushing or towing.
In the event of misfiring, uneven
engine running, a reduction in engine performance or other unusual
problems, have the cause of the fault
rectified by a workshop as soon as
possible. In an emergency, driving
can be continued for a short period,
keeping vehicle speed and engine
speed low.
Automatic transmission
The automatic transmission permits
automatic gearshifting (automatic
mode) or manual gearshifting
(manual mode).
Transmission display
The mode or selected gear is shown
in the Driver Information Centre.
In automatic mode, the driving
programme is indicated by D.
In manual mode, M and the number
of the selected gear is indicated.
R indicates reverse gear.
N indicates neutral position.
P indicates park position.
Selector leverP:park position, wheels are locked, engage only when the vehicle is
stationary and the parking brake
is appliedR:reverse gear, engage only when
the vehicle is stationaryN:neutralD:automatic modeM:manual mode<:upshift in manual mode]:downshift in manual mode
Driving and operating147Caution
It is not advisable to drive with thehand resting on the selector lever.
Gear shift indication 3 94.
Stop-start system 3 138.
Drive systems
All-wheel drive
The All-Wheel Drive (AWD) system
enhances driving characteristics and
stability, and helps to achieve the best
possible driveability regardless of
ground surface. The system is always
active and cannot be deactivated.
The torque is distributed steplessly
between the wheels of the front and rear axle, depending on the driving
conditions. Additionally the torque
between the rear wheels is distributed depending on the surface.
For optimum system performance,
the vehicle's tyres should not have
varying degrees of wear.
When using a temporary spare
wheel, the AWD system is
automatically disabled.
The AWD system will also be
temporarily disabled to protect the
system from overheating if there is
excessive wheel spin. When the
system cools down, AWD will be
restored.The deactivation of the AWD system
will be indicated by a message on the
Driver Information Centre.
If a service message or warning
code S73 is displayed on the Driver
Information Centre, there is a
malfunction in the AWD system. Seek
the assistance of a workshop.
Vehicle messages 3 103 , Towing the
vehicle 3 212.
Driving and operating159If r is pressed once within an
ignition cycle, the front parking assist
is reactivated if the vehicle speed
goes below a certain value and if the
vehicle speed has not exceeded
25 km/h beforehand.
Deactivation
Deactivate the system by pressing r .
The LED in the button will go out and
Park Assist Off will be displayed in the
Driver Information Centre.
The system is deactivated
automatically at a certain speed.
Fault
In the event of a fault in the system, a vehicle message is displayed in the
Driver Information Centre.
Additionally, a vehicle message is
displayed in the Driver Information
Centre if a malfunction of the system
due to temporary conditions, e.g.
snow covered sensors is detected.
Vehicle messages 3 103.Important hints for using the
parking assist systems9 Warning
Under certain circumstances,
various reflective surfaces on
objects or clothing as well as
external noise sources may cause the system to fail to detect
obstacles.
Special attention has to be paid to
low obstacles which can damage
the lower part of the bumper. If
such obstacles leave the detection area of the sensors during
approach of the vehicle, a
continuous warning tone will
sound.
Caution
Performance of the system can be reduced when sensors are
covered, e.g. by ice or snow.
Performance of the parking assist
system can be reduced due to
heavy loading.
Special conditions apply if there
are taller vehicles in the vicinity
(e.g. off-road vehicles, mini vans,
vans). Object identification and correct distance indication in the
upper part of these vehicles
cannot be guaranteed.
Objects with a very small reflection
cross-section, e.g. objects of
narrow size or soft materials, may
not be detected by the system.
Parking assist systems do not
detect objects outside the
detection range.
Note
The parking assist system
automatically detects factory-fitted
towing equipment. It is deactivated
when the connector is plugged in.
The sensor may detect a non-
existent object (echo disturbance)
caused by external acoustic or
mechanical disturbances.
Note
The parking assist is deactivated
when the rear carrier system is
extended.
Driving and operating161Warning symbols
Warning symbols are indicated as
triangles 9 on the picture which show
obstacles detected by the rear
sensors of the advanced parking
assist.
Additionally 9 appears on the top line
of the Info-Display with the warning to
check the vehicle surrounding.
Deactivation
The camera is deactivated when a certain forward speed is exceeded or
if reverse gear is not engaged for
approx. 10 seconds.
Rear view camera can be manually deactivated in the vehicle
personalisation menu in the Info-
Display. Select the relevant setting in Settings .
Vehicle personalisation 3 105.Deactivation of guiding lines and
warning symbols
7'' Colour-Info-Display: Activation or
deactivation of the visual guiding lines and the warning symbols can be
changed via touch buttons in the
lower zone of the display.
8'' Colour-Info-Display: Activation or
deactivation of the visual guiding lines
and the warning symbols can be
changed in the Settings menu in the
Info-Display.
Info-Display 3 101.
Vehicle personalisation 3 105.
Fault
Fault messages are displayed with a
9 on the top line of the Info-Display.
The rear view camera may not
operate properly when:
● The surrounding is dark.
● The sun or the beam of headlights is shining directly into
the camera lens.
● Ice, snow, mud, or anything else covers the camera lens. Clean
the lens, rinse it with water, and
wipe it with a soft cloth.
● The vehicle is towing a trailer. ● The vehicle had a rear end accident.
● There are extreme temperature changes.
Traffic sign assistant
Functionality
The traffic sign assistant system
detects designated traffic signs via a
front camera and displays them in the Driver Information Centre.
162Driving and operating
Traffic signs which will be detected
are:
Limit and no passing signs ● speed limit
● no passing
● end of speed limit
● end of no passingRoad signs
Beginning and end of:
● city regions (country specific)
● motorways
● A-roads
● play streetsAdd-on signs ● additional hints to traffic signs
● restriction of trailer towing
● tractor constraints
● wet warning
● ice warning
● direction arrows
Speed limit signs are displayed in the
Driver Information Centre until the
next speed limit sign or end of speed
limit is detected or up to a defined sign timeout.
Combinations of multiple signs in the
display are possible.
An exclamation mark in a frame
indicates that there is an additional
sign detected which is not recognised
by the system.
The system operates without loss of
performance up to a speed of
200 km/h depending on the lighting
conditions. At night the system is
active up to a speed of 160 km/h.
Display indication Information about the currently valid
traffic signs is available on the
designated traffic sign assistant page in the Driver Information Centre.
Additionally, the currently valid speed
limit is displayed permanently in the
lower line of the Driver Information
Centre. In case a speed limit with
addon is available, a + symbol is
displayed in this area.
Driving and operating173Trailer hitch
General information
Only use towing equipment that has
been approved for your vehicle.
Entrust retrofitting of towing
equipment to a workshop. It may be
necessary to make changes that
affect the cooling system, heat
shields or other equipment.
The bulb outage detection function for trailer brake light cannot detect a
partial bulb outage, e.g. in case of four
times five watt bulbs, the function only detects lamp outage when only a
single five Watt lamp remains or none remain.
Fitting of towing equipment could
cover the opening of the towing eye.
If this is the case, use the coupling ball
bar for towing. Always keep the
coupling ball bar in the vehicle when
not in use.Driving characteristics and
towing tips
Before attaching a trailer, lubricate
the coupling ball. However, do not do
so if a stabiliser, which acts on the coupling ball, is being used to reduce
snaking movements.
For trailers with low driving stability
and caravan trailers with a permitted
gross vehicle weight of more than
1000 kg a speed of 80 km/h must not
be exceeded; the use of a stabiliser is
recommended.
If the trailer starts snaking, drive more
slowly, do not attempt to correct the
steering and brake sharply if
necessary.
When driving downhill, drive in the
same gear as if driving uphill and
drive at a similar speed.
Adjust tyre pressure to the value
specified for full load 3 231.Trailer towing
Trailer loadsThe permissible trailer loads are
vehicle and engine-dependent
maximum values which must not be
exceeded. The actual trailer load is
the difference between the actual
gross weight of the trailer and the
actual coupling socket load with the trailer coupled.
The permissible trailer loads are
specified in the vehicle documents. In general, they are valid for gradients
up to max. 12%.
The permitted trailer loads apply up to
the specified incline and up to an
altitude of 1000 metres above sea
level. Since engine power decreases
as altitude increases due to the air
becoming thinner, therefore reducing
climbing ability, the permissible gross train weight also decreases by 10%
for every 1000 metres of additional
altitude. The gross train weight does
not have to be reduced when driving
on roads with slight inclines (less than
8%, e.g. motorways).
174Driving and operatingThe permissible gross train weight
must not be exceeded. This weight is
specified on the identification plate
3 220.
Vertical coupling load The vertical coupling load is the load
exerted by the trailer on the coupling
ball. It can be varied by changing the
weight distribution when loading the
trailer.
The maximum permissible vertical
coupling load (75 kg) is specified on
the towing equipment identification
plate and in the vehicle documents.
Always aim for the maximum load,
especially in the case of heavy
trailers. The vertical coupling load
should never fall below 25 kg.
Rear axle load The permissible axle loads (see
identification plate or vehicle
documents) must not be exceeded.Towing equipmentCaution
When operating without a trailer,
remove the coupling ball bar.
Stowage of coupling ball bar
The bag with the coupling ball bar is
stowed in the rear stowage
compartment on the floor.
Place the strap through the lashing
eye, wrap around twice and tighten
the strap to secure the bag.
Fitting the coupling ball bar
Disengage and fold down the socket. Remove the sealing plug from the
opening for the coupling ball bar and
stow it.