Driving and operating183Ride control systems
Traction Control system The Traction Control system (TC) is a
component of the Electronic Stability
Control (ESC).
TC improves driving stability when
necessary, regardless of the type of
road surface or tyre grip, by
preventing the drive wheels from
spinning.
As soon as the drive wheels starts to
spin, engine output is reduced and
the wheel spinning the most is braked
individually. This considerably
improves the driving stability of the
vehicle on slippery road surfaces.
TC is operational after each engine
start as soon as the control indicator
b extinguishes.
When TC operates b flashes.
9 Warning
Do not let this special safety
feature tempt you into taking risks
when driving.
Adapt speed to the road
conditions.
Control indicator b 3 109.
Deactivation
TC can be switched off when spinning of drive wheels is required: press t
briefly.
Control indicator k illuminates.
A status message appears in the
Driver Information Centre when TC is
deactivated.
When TC is deactivated, ESC
remains active but with higher control threshold.
TC is reactivated by pressing t again.
A status message pops up in the
Driver Information Centre when TC is
reactivated.
TC is also reactivated the next time
the ignition is switched on.
Fault
If there is a fault in the system the
control indicator b illuminates
continuously and a message appears
in the Driver Information Centre. The
system is not operational.
184Driving and operatingHave the cause of the fault remedied
by a workshop.
Electronic Stability Control
Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
improves driving stability when
necessary, regardless of the type of
road surface or tyre grip.
As soon as the vehicle starts to
swerve (understeer/oversteer),
engine output is reduced and the wheels are braked individually.
ESC operates in combination with the Traction Control system (TC). It
prevents the drive wheels from
spinning.
Torque distribution is a special
feature that allocates the torque to the drive wheels before the ESC
intervenes. When cornering, the
wheels on the inner curve are braked
individually. Additionally, engine
torque will be delivered to the drive wheel on the outer curve. This
reduces the tendency of
understeering and improves traction
when cornering fast.
ESC is operational after each engine
start as soon as the control indicator
b extinguishes.
When ESC operates b flashes.
9 Warning
Do not let this special safety
feature tempt you into taking risks
when driving.
Adapt speed to the road
conditions.
Control indicator b 3 109.
Deactivation
ESC and TC can be deactivated:
● hold t pressed for a minimum of
five seconds: ESC and TC are
both deactivated. k and t
illuminate and status messages appear in the Driver Information Centre.
196Driving and operating● The active emergency brakingsystem is applying the brakes.
● Driving on steep inclines.
● The radar sensor is blocked by an ice or water film.
● A fault is detected in the radar, camera, engine or brake system.
● The brakes need to cool down.
Additionally, the system is
automatically deactivated on vehicles
with automatic transmission (full
speed range adaptive cruise control)
when:
● The incline uphill or downhill is greater than 20 %.
● The electric parking brake is applied.
● The vehicle is being held to a stop
by the system for more than
five minutes.
● The vehicle stops, the driver's seat belt is unbuckled and the
driver's door is opened.When adaptive cruise control is
deactivated, the control indicator m
changes from green to white and a
pop-up message is displayed in the
Driver Information Centre.
The stored speed is maintained.
On Midlevel display, the stored speed is indicated in brackets in the Driver
Information Centre when the system
is deactivated but not switched off.
On Uplevel display, the adaptive
cruise control symbol C changes
from green to white when the system
is deactivated but not switched off.
9 Warning
When adaptive cruise control is
deactivated, the driver must take
over full brake and engine control
immediately.
Switching off the system
Press C to switch off adaptive cruise
control. The control indicator C
extinguishes in the Driver Information Centre. The stored speed is deleted.
Switching off the ignition also
switches off adaptive cruise control
and deletes the stored speed.
Driver's attention ● Use adaptive cruise control carefully on bends or mountain
roads, as it can lose the vehicle
ahead and needs time to detect it again.
● Do not use the system on slippery roads as it can create
rapid changes in tyre traction
(wheel spinning), so that you
could lose control of the vehicle.
● Do not use adaptive cruise control during rain, snow or
heavy dirt, as the radar sensor
can be covered by a water film,
dust, ice or snow. This reduces or suppresses completely the
Driving and operating235The permissible gross train weight
must not be exceeded. This weight is
specified on the identification plate
3 288.
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 of:
● 60 kg (Grand Sport with all engines except B20DTH /
B20NFT / D20DTR)
● 75 kg (Sports Tourer, Country Tourer with all engines except
B20DTH / B20NFT / D20DTR)
● 90 kg (All bodystyles with engines B20DTH / B20NFT /
D20DTR)
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
When the trailer is coupled and the
towing vehicle fully loaded, the
permissible rear axle load (see
identification plate or vehicle
documents) may be exceeded by 80 kg
(engines B20NFT / B20DTH /
D20DTR: 90 kg), the gross vehicle
weight rating must not be exceeded.
If the permissible rear axle load is
exceeded, a maximum speed of
60 mph applies.
Towing equipmentCaution
The folding coupling ball bar
cannot be removed from the
vehicle. When driving without a
trailer, fold in the coupling ball bar.
9 Warning
Make sure that no one is in the
pivot zone of the coupling ball bar. Risk of body injury.
When releasing the stowed
coupling ball bar, make sure to
stand left of the grip.
Release stowed coupling ball bar
Pull the grip located left to the number
plate under the rear bumper fascia at an angle of approx. 45° to the ground.
240Vehicle careVehicle checks
Performing work9 Warning
Only perform engine compartment
checks when the ignition is off.
The cooling fan may start
operating even if the ignition is off.
9 Danger
The ignition system uses
extremely high voltage. Do not
touch.
Bonnet
Opening
Pull the release lever and return it to
its original position.
Move the safety catch sideways to the left vehicle side and open the bonnet.
The bonnet is held open
automatically.
If the bonnet is opened during an
Autostop, the engine will be restarted automatically for safety reasons.
Stop-start system 3 166.
Closing Lower the bonnet and let it fall into the
latch. Check that the bonnet is
engaged.
Vehicle care243Depending on the engine, the
position of the coolant container may be different.9 Warning
Allow the engine to cool before
opening the cap. Carefully open
the cap, relieving the pressure
slowly.
To top up, use a 1:1 mixture of
released coolant concentrate mixed
with clean tap water. If no coolant
concentrate is available, use clean
tap water. Install the cap tightly. Have the coolant concentration checked
and have the cause of the coolant
loss remedied by a workshop.
Washer fluid
Fill with clean water mixed with a
suitable quantity of approved
windscreen washer fluid which
contains antifreeze.
Caution
Only washer fluid with a sufficient
antifreeze concentration provides
protection at low temperatures or
a sudden drop in temperature.
Washer fluid 3 285.
Brakes
In the event of minimum thickness of
the brake lining, a squealing noise
sounds during braking.
Continued driving is possible but
have the brake lining replaced as
soon as possible.
Once new brake linings are installed,
do not brake unnecessarily hard for
the first few journeys.
Brake fluid9 Warning
Brake fluid is poisonous and
corrosive. Avoid contact with eyes, skin, fabrics and painted surfaces.
Vehicle care245Stop-start system 3 166.
Charging the vehicle battery9 Warning
On vehicles with stop-start
system, ensure that the charging potential does not exceed
14.6 volts when using a battery
charger. Otherwise the vehicle
battery might be damaged.
Jump starting 3 277.
Warning label
Meaning of symbols: ● No sparks, naked flames or smoking.
● Always shield eyes. Explosive gases can cause blindness or
injury.
● Keep the vehicle battery out of reach of children.
● The vehicle battery contains sulphuric acid which could cause
blindness or serious burn
injuries.
● See the Owner's Manual for further information.
● Explosive gas may be present in the vicinity of the vehicle battery.
Diesel fuel system bleeding If the tank has been run dry, the diesel
fuel system must be bled. Switch on
the ignition three times for
15 seconds at a time. Then crank the
engine for a maximum of 40 seconds. Repeat this process after
no less than five seconds. If the
engine fails to start, seek the
assistance of a workshop.Wiper blade replacement
Windscreen
Lift the wiper arm until it stays in the
raised position. Lift retaining clip to
disengage the wiper blade and
remove.
Attach the wiper blade slightly angled
to the wiper arm and push until it
engages.
Lower wiper arm carefully.
264Vehicle careIncorrect tyre pressures will impair
safety, vehicle handling, comfort and
fuel economy and will increase tyre
wear.
Tyre pressures differ depending on
various options. For the correct tyre
pressure value, follow the procedure
below:
1. Identify drive axle and body style.
2. Identify the engine identifier code.
Engine data 3 293.
3. Identify the respective tyre.
The tyre pressure tables show all possible tyre combinations 3 303.
For the tyres approved for your
vehicle, refer to the EEC Certificate of
Conformity provided with your vehicle or other national registration
documents.
The driver is responsible for correct
adjustment of tyre pressure.9 Warning
If the pressure is too low, this can
result in considerable tyre warm-
up and internal damage, leading to tread separation and even to tyre
blow-out at high speeds.
9 Warning
For specific tyres the
recommended tyre pressure as
shown in the tyre pressure table may exceed the maximum tyre
pressure as indicated on the tyre.
Never exceed the maximum tyre
pressure as indicated on the tyre.
After adjusting tyre pressure, select
the according tyre loading setting on
the page Tyre load in the Driver
Information Centre, 3 113.
Temperature dependency The tyre pressure depends on the
temperature of the tyre. During
driving, tyre temperature and
pressure increase. Tyre pressure
values provided on the tyre
information label and tyre pressure
chart are valid for cold tyres, which
means at 20 °C.
The pressure increases by nearly
1.5 psi for a 10 °C temperature
increase. This must be considered
when warm tyres are checked.
The tyre pressure value displayed in
the Driver Information Centre shows
the real tyre pressure. A cooled down
tyre will show a decreased value,
which does not indicate an air leak.
Tyre pressure monitoringsystem
The tyre pressure monitoring system
checks the pressure of all four wheels once a minute when vehicle speed
exceeds a certain limit.Caution
Tyre pressure monitoring system
warns just about low tyre pressure condition and does not replace
regular tyre maintenance by the
driver.