Page 112 of 255
110LightingWhen the doors are closed, the
courtesy light extinguishes after a
delay or immediately after the ignition
is switched on.
Reading lights Front reading light
Operated with l.
The reading light can be directed as
required, depending on version.
Rear reading lights
Combi, Bus
Operate rocker switch on the
instrument panel:
press l:onpress OFF:off
Courtesy lights c 3 109.
Each reading light can then be
switched on or off individually and
directed as required.
Page 113 of 255
Lighting111Lighting features
Exit lighting
Headlights come on for approx.
30 seconds after the vehicle is parked
and the system is activated.
Activating 1. Switch off ignition.
2. Remove ignition key.
3. Pull turn signal lever towards steering wheel.
This action can be repeated up to
four times.
The headlights are turned off immediately by turning the light switch
to any position and returning to 7.
Battery discharge protection To prevent discharge of the vehicle
battery when the ignition is switched
off, some interior lights may be
switched off automatically after some
time.
Page 121 of 255

Climate control119Fan speed
Adjust the air flow to select the
desired speed.
turn clockwise:increase air flowturn anti-clock‐
wise:decrease air flow
Combi
Additional air conditioning is supplied
to the rear passenger compartment
via the air vents located above the
driver and front passenger
compartment.
With the front passenger
compartment air conditioning system
switched on, adjust the air flow to
select the desired speed.
Ensure the air vents are open when in use, to prevent ice forming in the
system due to lack of air movement.
Auxiliary heater
Coolant heater The engine-independent, fuel-
powered coolant heater provides
rapid heating of the engine coolant to
enable heating of the vehicle interior
without the engine running.
Note
Depending on version, an additional
coolant heater may be switched on
automatically to speed up heating
when the ignition is on and the
outside temperature is below 5 ℃.9 Warning
Do not operate the system when
refuelling, when dust or
combustible vapours are present
or in enclosed spaces (e.g.
garage).
Before starting or programming the
system to start, turn the vehicle's
climate control system to heat, set the
air distribution to V and turn the fan
on.
Switch off when not required. Heating stops automatically after the
programmed runtime. It will also
cease to operate if the vehicle fuel
level drops too low.
During operation, power from the
vehicle battery is used. The driving
time should therefore be at least as
long as the heating time. For short
journey times, check the vehicle
battery regularly and recharge if
necessary.
To ensure efficient performance,
briefly operate the auxiliary heater
once a month.
Page 130 of 255

128Driving and operatingDriving and
operatingDriving hints ............................... 129
Driving economically ...............129
Control of the vehicle ...............129
Steering ................................... 129
Starting and operating ...............130
New vehicle running-in ............130
Ignition switch positions ...........130
Starting the engine ..................130
Idle speed control ....................131
Overrun cut-off ........................ 131
Stop-start system ....................132
Parking .................................... 134
Air suspension ......................... 135
Engine exhaust .......................... 137
Diesel particle filter ..................137
Catalytic converter ...................137
AdBlue ..................................... 138
Manual transmission ..................145
Manual transmission automa‐ ted .............................................. 145
Transmission display ...............145
Starting the engine ..................146
Selector lever .......................... 146Manual mode........................... 147
Electronic driving programmes 147
Fault ........................................ 148
Interruption of power supply ....149
Brakes ........................................ 149
Antilock brake system .............149
Parking brake .......................... 150
Brake assist ............................. 151
Hill start assist ......................... 151
Ride control systems .................151
Traction Control system ..........151
Electronic stability program .....152
Limited-slip rear axle ...............154
Driver assistance systems .........154
Cruise control .......................... 154
Speed limiter ........................... 158
Parking assist .......................... 158
Rear view camera ...................160
Lane departure warning ..........162
Fuel ............................................ 163
Fuel for diesel engines ............163
Refuelling ................................ 164
Fuel consumption - CO 2-
Emissions ............................... 165
Trailer hitch ................................ 166
General information .................166
Driving characteristics and towing tips .............................. 166
Trailer towing ........................... 166Towing equipment ...................167
Trailer stability assist ...............167
Auxiliary features .......................167
Power take-off ......................... 167
Page 132 of 255

130Driving and operatingStarting and operating
New vehicle running-in
Do not brake unnecessarily hard for
the first few journeys and after new
disc brake pads have been fitted.
During the first drive, smoke may
occur because of wax and oil
evaporating off the exhaust system.
Park the vehicle in the open for a
while after the first drive and avoid
inhaling the fumes.
During the running-in period fuel and engine oil consumption may be
higher and the cleaning process of
the diesel particle filter may take
place more often. Autostop may be
inhibited to allow for charging the
vehicle battery.
Stop-start system 3 132.
Diesel particle filter 3 137.Ignition switch positions0:ignition off1:steering wheel lock released,
ignition off2:ignition on
diesel engines: preheating3:starting
Steering wheel lock
Remove key from ignition switch and
turn steering wheel until it engages.
9 Danger
Never remove the key from
ignition switch during driving as
this will cause steering wheel lock.
Starting the engine
Manual transmission: operate clutch.
Manual transmission automated:
operate brake; transmission
automatically shifts to N.
Do not accelerate.
Page 134 of 255

132Driving and operatingStop-start systemThe stop-start system helps to save
fuel and to reduce the exhaust
emission. When conditions allow, it
switches off the engine as soon as the
vehicle is at a low speed or at a
standstill, e.g. at a traffic light or in a
traffic jam. It starts the engine
automatically as soon as the clutch is
depressed. A vehicle battery sensor
ensures that an Autostop is only
performed if the vehicle battery is
sufficiently charged for a restart.
Activation
The stop-start system is available as soon as the engine is started, the
vehicle starts-off and the conditions
as stated below in this section are
fulfilled.Deactivation
Deactivate the stop-start system
manually by pressing Î.
Deactivation is indicated when the
LED in the button illuminates.
Note
When the fast idle function is
activated, the stop-start system is
automatically deactivated and
cannot be reactivated by pressing
Î . LED in button illuminates to
indicate deactivation and a
corresponding message may
appear in the Driver Information
Centre 3 98.
Idle speed control 3 131.
Autostop
If the vehicle is at low speed or
standstill, activate an Autostop as
follows:
● depress the clutch pedal
● shift the selector lever to neutral (manual transmission) or N
(manual transmission
automated)
● release the clutch pedal
The engine will be switched off while
the ignition stays on if the required conditions are met.
Page 135 of 255

Driving and operating133An Autostop is indicated when Ï
illuminates green in the instrument
cluster.
During an Autostop, the heating
performance, power steering and
brake performance will be
maintained. Brake assist, however, is
not available 3 151.
Note
If you exit the vehicle while the
engine is in an Autostop, a warning
chime will sound as a reminder that
the engine is on standby and has not been switched off.
Conditions for an Autostop
The stop-start system checks if each
of the following conditions is fulfilled,
otherwise an Autostop will be
inhibited and control indicator \ will
illuminate in the instrument cluster.
● the stop-start system is not manually deactivated
● the bonnet is fully closed
● the driver's door is closed or the driver's seat belt is fastened
● the vehicle battery is sufficiently charged and in good condition● the engine is warmed up
● the engine coolant temperature is
not too high
● the ambient temperature is not too low
● the defrosting function is not activated
● the climate control system does not inhibit an Autostop
● the brake vacuum is sufficient ● the self-cleaning function of the diesel particle filter is not active
● the vehicle has moved since the last Autostop
Otherwise an Autostop will be
inhibited.
An Autostop may become
unavailable as the ambient
temperature approaches freezing
point.
Certain settings of the climate control system may also inhibit an Autostop.See "Climate control" chapter for
further information 3 112.
Immediately after motorway driving
an Autostop may be inhibited.Autostop may also be inhibited
temporarily if the vehicle battery has
been recharged by an external
source.
New vehicle running-in 3 130.
Vehicle battery discharge protection
To ensure reliable engine restarts,
several vehicle battery discharge
protection features are implemented
as part of the stop-start system.
Restart of the engine by the driver
Depress the clutch pedal to restart the
engine.
If the selector lever has been shifted
out of neutral (manual transmission)
or N (manual transmission
automated) or other conditions are
not met, start using the ignition key.
The green control indicator Ï will
extinguish in the instrument cluster
when the engine is restarted.
If the selector lever is shifted out of
neutral (manual transmission) or N
(manual transmission automated) before depressing the clutch first, a
restart will not take place.
Page 137 of 255

Driving and operating135● Close the windows.
● Turn the ignition key to position
0 and remove it. Turn the
steering wheel until the
steering wheel lock is felt to
engage.
Lock the vehicle 3 23 and activate the
anti-theft locking system 3 33 and
anti-theft alarm system 3 33.
Air suspension
Operates automatically when the
vehicle is driven. The air suspension
system constantly adjusts the ride
height according to the vehicle load.
Caution
To ensure safe operation of the air
suspension system, do not exceed the maximum permissible gross
vehicle weight rating. Refer to
identification plate 3 218 or the
vehicle documents.
For further information on the air
suspension system, refer to the
operating instructions supplied.
Master switchCaution
The air suspension system must
be switched off when the vehicle is being towed, jump‐started, raised
off the ground or transported.
Do not switch off the air
suspension system when driving.
Jump starting 3 206, Towing the
vehicle 3 208.
The master switch is located on the
door pillar.
Switch on to enable operation and
adjustment of the air suspension
system.
Switch off to put the vehicle into
service mode.
Remote control
When increased ground clearance or improved vehicle access is required,the suspension can be raised or
lowered using the remote control.