Most U.S. states and all Canadian provinces
require by law: R
Safety chains between the towing vehicle and
the trailer. The chains should be cross-wound
under the trailer drawbar. They must be fas-
tened to the vehicle's trailer coupling, not to
the bumper or the axle.
Leave enough play in the chains to make tight
cornering possible. R
A separate brake system for certain types of
trailer. R
Safety switch for braked trailers. Check the
specific legal requirements applicable to your
state.
If the trailer becomes detached from the tow-
ing vehicle, the safety feature triggers the
trailer brakes.
Towing a trailer There are numerous legal requirements con-
cerning the towing of a trailer, e.g. speed restric-
tions. Make sure that your car/trailer combina-
tion complies with the local regulations: R
in your place of residence R
in the location to which you are driving
The police and local authorities can provide reli-
able information.
Observe the following when towing a trailer: R
To gain driving experience and to become
accustomed to the new handling characteris-
tics, you should practice the following in a
traffic-free location: -
cornering -
stopping -
backing up R
Before driving, check: -
trailer tow hitch -
safety switch for braked trailers -
safety chains -
electrical connections -
lights -
wheels R
Adjust the exterior mirrors to provide an
unobstructed view of the rear section of the
trailer. R
If the trailer has electronically controlled
brakes, pull away carefully. Brake manually using the brake controller and check whether
the brakes function correctly. R
Secure any objects on the trailer to prevent
the cargo from slipping when the vehicle is in
motion. R
When you couple up a trailer, check at regular
intervals that the load is firmly secured. If the
trailer is equipped with trailer lights and
brakes, check the trailer to ensure that these
are working. R
Bear in mind that the handling will be less
stable when towing a trailer than when driving
without one. Avoid sudden steering move-
ments. R
The vehicle/trailer combination is heavier,
accelerates more slowly, has a decreased
gradient climbing capability and a longer
braking distance.
It is more susceptible to side winds and
requires more careful steering. R
If possible, do not brake suddenly, but instead
depress the brake pedal moderately at first so
that the trailer can activate its brakes. Then
increase the pressure on the brake pedal. R
If the automatic transmission repeatedly
shifts between gears on uphill or downhill gra-
dients, shift to a lower gear using the left-hand
steering wheel paddle shifter.
A lower gear and lower speed reduce the risk
of engine failure. R
When driving downhill, shift to a lower gear to
utilize the engine's braking effect.
Avoid continuous brake application as this
may overheat the vehicle brakes and, if instal-
led, the trailer brakes. R
If the coolant temperature increases dramat-
ically while the air-condition ing system is
switched on, switch off the air-conditioning
system.
Coolant heat can also be dissipated by open-
ing the windows and switching the ventilation
blower and the interior temperature to the
highest level. R
When overtaking, pay particular attention to
the extended length of your vehicle/trailer
combination.
Due to the length of the vehicle/trailer com-
bination, you require additional road space in
relation to the vehicle you are overtaking
before you can change back to the original
lane.Towing a trailer 223
Driving and parking Z
R
Highway mode R
Active light function R
Cornering light function R
Extended range fog lamps R
Off-road lights
Further information on the Intelligent Light Sys-
tem ( Y
page 112).
Vehicle submenu Activating/deactivating the automatic
door locking mechanism If you activate the Automatic Door Lock func-
tion, the vehicle is centrally locked above a
speed of approximately 9 mph (15 km/h). X
Press the Y or e button on the steering
wheel to select the Sett. menu.X
Press the d or c button to select the
Vehicle submenu.X
Press v to confirm.X
Press the d or c button to select the
Automatic Door Lock function.
When the Automatic Door Lock function is
activated, the vehicle doors are displayed in
orange in the multifunction display. X
Press the v button to save the setting.
For further information on the automatic locking
feature, see ( Y
page 84).
Activating/deactivating the acoustic
locking verification signal If you switch on the Acoustic Lock function, an
acoustic signal sounds when you lock the vehi-
cle. X
Press the Y or e button on the steering
wheel to select the Settings menu.X
Press the d or c button to select the
Vehicle submenu.X
Press v to confirm.X
Press the d or c button to select the
Acoustic Lock function.
If the Acoustic Lock function is activated,
the 7 symbol in the multifunction display
lights up orange. X
Press the v button to save the setting. Convenience submenu Activating/deactivating the EASY-
ENTRY/EXIT feature
G WARNING
When the EASY-ENTRY/EXIT feature adjusts
the steering wheel, you and other vehicle
occupants – particularly children – could
become trapped. There is a risk of injury.
While the EASY-ENTRY/EXIT feature is mak-
ing adjustments, make sure that no one has
any body parts in the sweep of the steering
wheel.
If somebody becomes trapped: R
press one of the memory function position
buttons, or R
move the switch for steering wheel adjust-
ment in the opposite direction to that in
which the steering wheel is moving.
The adjustment process is stopped. X
Press the Y or e button on the steering
wheel to select the Sett. menu.X
Press the d or c button to select the
Convenience submenu. X
Press v to confirm. X
Using d or c , select the Easy Entry/
Exit function.
If the Easy Entry/Exit function is activated,
the vehicle steering wheel is displayed in
orange in the multifunction display. X
Press the v button to save the setting.
Further information on the EASY-ENTRY/EXIT
feature ( Y
page 104).
Switching the seat belt adjustment on/off X
Press the Y or e button on the steering
wheel to select the Settings menu.X
Press the d or c button to select the
Convenience submenu. X
Press v to confirm. X
Press the d or c button to select the
Belt Adjustment function.
If the Belt Adjustment function is activated,
the vehicle seat belt is shown in orange in the
multifunction display. X
Press the v button to save the setting.Menus and submenus 239
On-board computer and displays Z
Operating system
Overview
General notes
! Do not use the space in front of the display
for storage. Objects placed here could dam-
age the display or impair its function. Avoid
any direct contact with the display surface.
Pressure on the display surface may result in
impairments to the display, which could be
irreversible.
Wearing polarized sunglasses may impair your
ability to read the display.
The display has an automatic temperature-con-
trolled switch-off feature. The brightness is
automatically reduced if the temperature is too
high. The display may temporarily switch off
completely.
Cleaning instructions
! Do not touch the display. The display has a
very sensitive high-gloss surface; there is a
risk of scratching. If you have to clean the
screen, however, use a mild cleaning agent
and a soft, lint-free cloth.
The display must be switched off and have
cooled down before you start cleaning. Do not
apply pressure to the display surface when
cleaning it, as this could cause irreversible dam-
age to the display.
Switching the multimedia system
on/off X
Press the C control knob.
Adjusting the volume X
Turn the C control knob.
The volume is adjusted: R
for the currently selected media source R
during traffic or navigation announcements R
in hands-free mode during an active call
Switching the sound on or off X
Press the c button on the control panel.
If the audio output is switched off, the status
line will show the c symbol. If you switch the media source or set the volume, the sound
is automatically switched on.
i Navigation announcements will be heard
even if the sound is muted.
Functions The multimedia system has the following func-
tions: R
Radio mode R
Media mode with media search R
Sound systems R
Navigation system
COMAND: navigation via the hard drive
Audio 20: navigation via SD card R
Communication functions R
SIRIUS Weather (COMAND) R
Vehicle functions with system settings R
Favorites functions
Controller The controller in the center console lets you: R
select menu items on the display R
enter characters R
select a destination on the map R
save entries
The controller can be: R
turned 3 R
slid left or right 1 R
slid forwards or back 4R
slid diagonally 2 R
pressed briefly or pressed and held 7
Back button You can use the 8 button to exit a menu or to
call up the main menu of the current operating
mode. X
To exit the menu: briefly press the 8
button.
The multimedia system changes to the next
higher menu level in the current operating
mode. X
To call up the main menu: press the 8
button for longer than two seconds.
The multimedia system changes to the main
menu of the current operating mode.288
Operating system
Multimedia system