
Familiarize yourself with the characteristics of
your vehicle and the gear shift operation before
driving through difficult terrain.
The following driving systems are specially
adapted to off-road driving: R
the Off-road drive program (vehicles without
Off-Road Engineering package)
( Y
page 214)R
Off-road and Off-road Plus drive programs
(vehicles with Off-Road Engineering package)
( Y
page 215)R
LOW RANGE off-road gear (vehicles with the
Off-Road Engineering package)
( Y
page 216)R
Differential lock (vehicles with the Off-Road
Engineering package) ( Y
page 216)R
Off-road ABS ( Y
page 67)R
Off-road 4ETS ( Y
page 70)R
Off-road ESP ®
( Y
page 72)R
AIRMATIC package (vehicle level)
( Y
page 183)R
DSR (Downhill Speed Regulation)
( Y
page 213)
Observe the following notes: R
Stop the vehicle before starting to drive along
an off-road route. If necessary, select the off-
road program ( Y
page 215) or shift to the
LOW RANGE off-road gear ( Y
page 216).R
Select a vehicle level that is suitable for the
terrain. To avoid damaging the vehicle, make
sure there is always sufficient ground clear-
ance. R
Check that items of cargo and loads are
stowed safely and are well secured
( Y
page 299).R
Always keep the engine running and in gear
when driving on a downhill gradient. Activate
DSR ( Y
page 213).R
Always keep the engine running and in gear
when driving down an incline. R
Adapt your speed to the terrain. The rougher,
steeper or more ruts on the terrain, the slower
your speed should be. R
Do not jump with the vehicle as this will inter-
rupt the vehicle's propulsion. R
Drive with extreme care on unfamiliar off-road
routes where visibility is poor. For safety rea-
sons, get out of the vehicle first and survey
the off-road route. R
Look out for obstacles, such as rocks, holes,
tree stumps and furrows. R
Take care when turning on an uphill or down-
hill slope or when driving across a slope. The
vehicle could otherwise tip over. R
Always keep the doors, the tailgate, the side
windows and the sliding sunroof closed while
the vehicle is in motion. R
Do not shift the automatic transmission to
position \\ . R
Observe the notes on off-road fording
( Y
page 164).
i Information about retrofitting special all-ter-
rain tires is available from any qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
i Do not use the HOLD function when driving
off-road, on steep uphill or downhill gradients
or on slippery or loose surfaces. The HOLD
function cannot hold the vehicle on such sur-
faces.
Checklist before driving off-road
! If the engine oil warning lamp lights up while
the vehicle is in motion, stop the vehicle in a
safe place as soon as possible. Check the
engine oil level. The engine oil warning lamp
warning must not be ignored. Continuing the
journey while the symbol is displayed could
lead to engine damage. X
Engine oil level: check the engine oil level
and add oil if necessary.
When driving on steep gradients, the engine
oil level must be sufficiently high to ensure a
correct oil supply in the vehicle. X
DEF tank (BlueTEC vehicles): check the
level and add if necessary ( Y
page 153).X
Tire-changing tool kit: check that the jack is
working and make sure you have the lug
wrench, a robust tow cable and a folding
spade in the vehicle. X
Wheels and tires: check the tread depth and
pressure of the tires. X
Check for damage and remove any foreign
objects, e.g. small stones, from the wheels/
tires. X
Replace any missing valve caps. X
Replace dented or damaged wheels. X
Rims: dented or bent rims can result in a loss
of tire pressure and damage the tire bead.166
Driving tips
Driving and parking

A qualified specialist workshop will reset the
ASSYST service interval display after the service
work has been carried out. You can also obtain
further information on maintenance work, for
example.
Special service requirements The specified maintenance interval takes only
the normal operation of the vehicle into
account. Under increased load on the vehicle,
maintenance work must be carried out more
frequently, for example: R
Regular city driving with frequent intermedi-
ate stops R
If the vehicle is primarily used to travel short
distances R
Use in mountainous terrain or on poor road
surfaces R
If the engine is often left idling for long periods
Under these or similar conditions, have, for
example, the air filter, engine oil and oil filter
replaced or changed more frequently. Under
arduous operating conditions, the tires must be
checked more often. Further information can be
obtained at a qualified specialist workshop.
Driving abroad An extensive Mercedes-Benz Service network is
also available in other countries. You can obtain
further information from any authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Care
General notes
H Environmental note
Dispose of empty packaging and cleaning
cloths in an environmentally responsible man-
ner.
! When cleaning your car, do not use: R
dry, coarse or hard cloths R
abrasive cleaning agents R
solvents R
cleaning agents containing solvents
Do not scrub.
Do not touch the surfaces and films with hard
objects, e.g. rings or ice scrapers. Otherwise, you may scratch or damage the surfaces and
films.
! Do not park your vehicle for a long period of
time directly after cleaning, particularly after
cleaning the wheel rim with wheel cleaner.
Wheel cleaner can lead to the increased cor-
rosion of the brake discs and pads. Therefore,
drive for a few minutes after cleaning. By
heating up the brakes, the brake discs and
pads dry. The vehicle can then be parked for a
long period of time.
Regular care of your vehicle is a condition for
retaining the quality in the long term.
Use care products and cleaning agents recom-
mended and approved by Mercedes-Benz.
Washing the vehicle and cleaning the
paintwork
Automatic car wash
G WARNING
Braking efficiency is reduced after washing
the vehicle. There is a risk of an accident.
After the vehicle has been washed, brake
carefully while paying attention to the traffic
conditions until full braking power is restored.
! Before driving into an automatic car wash,
make sure that it is suitable for the dimen-
sions of the vehicle. In particular, make sure
that: R
there is enough ground clearance between
the vehicle underbody and the guide rails of
the automatic car wash. R
the clearance width of the automatic car
wash is sufficient, particularly the width of
the guide rails. R
you enter the automatic car wash straight
and in the center of the guide rails in order
to avoid damaging the tires or wheel rims.
Fold in the exterior mirrors before the vehicle
is washed. The exterior mirrors could other-
wise be damaged.
! When Distance Pilot DISTRONIC or the
HOLD function is activated, the vehicle
brakes automatically in certain situations.326
Care
Maintenance and care