To avoid damage to the vehicle, deactivate
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC and the HOLD
function in the following or similar situations: R
when towing the vehicle R
in the car wash
! Never clean your vehicle in a Touchless
Automatic Car Wash as these use special
cleaning agents. These cleaning agents can
damage the paintwork or plastic parts.
! Make sure that: R
the side windows and the sliding sunroof
are fully closed. R
that the blower of the ventilation/heating
system is switched off (OFF button has
been pressed). R
the windshield wiper switch is at position
Z .
The vehicle may otherwise be damaged.
! In car washes with a towing mechanism,
make sure that the automatic transmission is
in transmission position \\ ; otherwise, the
vehicle could be damaged. R
Vehicles with a SmartKey:
Do not remove the SmartKey from the igni-
tion lock. Do not open the driver's door or
front-passenger door when the engine is
switched off. Otherwise, the automatic
transmission selects park position ] auto-
matically and locks the wheels. You can
prevent this by shifting the automatic trans-
mission to \\ beforehand.R
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO:
Do not open the driver's door or front-
passenger door when the engine is
switched off. Otherwise, the automatic
transmission selects park position ] auto-
matically and locks the wheels.
Observe the following to make sure that the
automatic transmission stays in position \\ :X
Make sure the vehicle is stationary and the
ignition is switched off. X
Turn the SmartKey to position in the ignition
lock H ( Y
page 140).
Use the SmartKey instead of the Start/Stop
button on vehicles with KEYLESS-GO. X
Depress and hold the brake pedal. X
Shift the automatic transmission to position
\\ . X
Release the brake pedal. X
Release the electric parking brake. X
Switch off the ignition and leave the SmartKey
in the ignition lock.
You can wash the vehicle in an automatic car
wash from the very start.
If the vehicle is very dirty, pre-wash it before
cleaning it in an automatic car wash.
After using an automatic car wash, wipe off wax
from the windshield and the wiper blades. This
will prevent smears and reduce wiping noises
caused by residue on t he windshield.
Washing by hand In some countries, washing by hand is only
allowed at specially equipped washing bays.
Observe the legal requirements in all countries
concerned. X
Do not use hot water and do not wash the
vehicle in direct sunlight. X
Use a soft sponge to clean. X
Use a mild cleaning agent, such as a car
shampoo approved by Mercedes-Benz. X
Thoroughly hose down the vehicle with a gen-
tle jet of water. X
Do not point the water jet directly towards the
air inlets. X
Use plenty of water and rinse out the sponge
frequently. X
Rinse the vehicle with clean water and dry
thoroughly with a chamois. X
Do not let the cleaning agent dry on the paint-
work.
When using the vehicle in winter, remove all
traces of road salt deposits carefully and as
soon as possible.
Power washers
G WARNING
The water jet from a circular jet nozzle (dirt
blasters) can cause invisible exterior damage
to the tires or chassis components. Compo-
nents damaged in this way may fail unexpect-
edly. There is a risk of an accident.
Do not use power washers with circular jet
nozzles to clean the vehicle. Have damaged
tires or chassis components replaced imme-
diately. Care 331
Maintenance and care Z
i Use only insect remover and car shampoo
from the range of recommended and
approved Mercedes-Benz care products.
Cleaning the vehicle parts
Cleaning the wheels
G WARNING
The water jet from a circular jet nozzle (dirt
blasters) can cause invisible exterior damage
to the tires or chassis components. Compo-
nents damaged in this way may fail unexpect-
edly. There is a risk of an accident.
Do not use power washers with circular jet
nozzles to clean the vehicle. Have damaged
tires or chassis components replaced imme-
diately.
! Do not use acidic wheel cleaning products
to remove brake dust. This could damage
wheel bolts and brake components.
! 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.
Cleaning the windows
G WARNING
You could become trapped by the windshield
wipers if they start moving while cleaning the
windshield or wiper blades. There is a risk of
injury.
Always switch off the windshield wipers and
the ignition before cleaning the windshield or
wiper blades.
! Do not use dry cloths, abrasive products,
solvents or cleaning agents containing sol-
vents to clean the inside of the windows. Do
not touch the insides of the windows with
hard objects, e.g. an ice scraper or ring. There
is otherwise a risk of damaging the windows. ! Clean the water drainage channels of the
windshield and the rear window at regular
intervals. Deposits such as leaves, petals and
pollen may under certain circumstances pre-
vent water from draining away. This can lead
to corrosion damage and damage to elec-
tronic components. X
Clean the inside and outside of the windows
with a damp cloth and a cleaning product that
is recommended and approved by Mercedes-
Benz.
Cleaning wiper blades
G WARNING
You could become trapped by the windshield
wipers if they start moving while cleaning the
windshield or wiper blades. There is a risk of
injury.
Always switch off the windshield wipers and
the ignition before cleaning the windshield or
wiper blades.
! Do not pull the wiper blade. Otherwise, the
wiper blade could be damaged.
! Do not clean wiper blades too often and do
not rub them too hard. Otherwise, the graph-
ite coating could be damaged. This could
cause wiper noise.
! Hold the wiper arm securely when folding
back. The windshield could be damaged if the
wiper arm smacks against it suddenly. X
Fold the windshield wiper arms away from the
windshield ( Y
page 123). X
Carefully clean the wiper blades with a damp
cloth. X
Fold the windshield wiper arms back again
before switching on the ignition.
Cleaning the exterior lighting
! Only use cleaning agents or cleaning cloths
which are suitable for plastic light lenses.
Unsuitable cleaning agents or cleaning cloths
could scratch or damage the plastic light len-
ses. X
Clean the plastic lenses of the exterior light-
ing using a wet sponge and a mild cleaning
agent, e. g. Mercedes-Benz car shampoo or
cleaning cloths. Care 333
Maintenance and care Z
Cleaning the mirror turn signals
! Only use cleaning agents or cleaning cloths
that are suitable for plastic lenses. Unsuitable
cleaning agents or cleaning cloths could
scratch or damage the plastic lenses of the
mirror turn signals. X
Clean the plastic lenses of the mirror turn sig-
nals in the exterior mirror housing using a wet
sponge and mild cleaning agent, e.g.
Mercedes-Benz car shampoo or cleaning
cloths.
Cleaning the side running board
! Do not clean the aluminum inserts of the
side running board with alkaline or acidic
cleaners, such as wheel cleaner. Do not use
acidic wheel cleaners to remove brake dust.
The aluminum inserts could otherwise be
damaged.
Cleaning the sensors
! If you clean the sensors with a power
washer, make sure that you keep a distance
of at least 11.8 in (30 cm) between the vehicle
and the power washer nozzle. Information
about the correct distance is available from
the equipment manufacturer.
X
Clean sensors C of the driving systems with
water, car shampoo and a soft cloth. Cleaning the rear view camera and 360°
camera
! Do not clean the camera lens and the area
around the rear view camera or 360° camera
with a power washer.
X
Make sure that the vehicle is stationary and
the SmartKey is in position H in the ignition
lock. X
Open the camera cover for cleaning via the
multimedia system (see Digital Operator's
Manual). X
To clean the camera: use clean water and a
soft cloth to clean the camera lens C .
360° camera: if you drive at speeds above
20 mph (30 km/h) or with the SmartKey in posi-
tion
X
If possible, bring the front wheels into the
straight-ahead position. X
Vehicles with the AIRMATIC package:
make sure that the normal vehicle level is
selected ( Y
page 190).X
Vehicles with the Off-Road Engineering
package: make sure that the normal level is
selected ( Y
page 184).X
Switch off the engine. X
Vehicles without KEYLESS-GO: remove the
SmartKey from the ignition lock. X
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO: open the driv-
er's door.
The vehicle electronics are now in position
the household rubbish. They
must be collected separately
and recycled to protect the
environment.
Dispose of batteries in an
environmentally friendly
manner. Take discharged
batteries to a qualified spe-
cialist workshop or a special
collection point for used bat-
teries.
! Have the battery regularly checked at a
qualified specialist workshop.
For more information, please contact a quali-
fied specialist workshop.
! Always have work on batteries carried out at
a qualified specialist workshop.
Should it, in exceptional circumstances, be
absolutely necessary to disconnect the 12-
volt battery yourself, please observe the fol-
lowing: R
Secure the vehicle to prevent it from rolling
away. R
Switch off the ignition. R
Disconnect the negative terminal first and
then the positive terminal.
The transmission is locked in position ]
after disconnecting the battery.
After the work has been done, install the bat-
tery and replace the cover of the positive ter-
minal clamp firmly.
Comply with safety precautions and take pro-
tective measures when handling batteries.
Risk of explosion.
Fire, open flames and smoking are
prohibited when handling the bat-
tery. Avoid creating sparks.
Battery acid is caustic. Avoid contact
with skin, eyes or clothing.
Wear suitable protective clothing,
especially gloves, apron and face-
guard. Rinse any acid spills immediately
with clear water. Contact a physician
if necessary.
Wear eye protection.
Keep children away.
Observe this Operator's Manual.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only use batteries which have
been tested and approved for your vehicle by
Mercedes-Benz. These batteries provide
increased impact protection to prevent vehicle
occupants from suffering acid burns should the
battery be damaged in the event of an accident.
In order for the battery to achieve the maximum
possible service life, it must always be suffi-
ciently charged.
Like other batteries, the vehicle battery may
discharge over time if you do not use the vehicle.
In this case, have the battery disconnected at a
qualified specialist workshop. However, you can
also charge the battery with a charger recom-
mended by Mercedes-Benz. Contact a qualified
specialist workshop for further information.
Have the battery condition of charge checked
more frequently if you use the vehicle mainly for
short trips or if you leave it standing idle for a
lengthy period. Consult a qualified specialist
workshop if you wish to leave your vehicle
parked for a long period of time.
Remove the SmartKey if you park the vehicle
and do not require any electrica l consumers.
T he vehicle will then use very little energy, thus
conserving battery power.
If the power supply has been interrupted, e.g. if
you reconnect the battery, you will have to: R
set the clock; see the Digital Operator's Man-
ual
On vehicles with a multimedia system and
navigation system, the clock is set automati-
cally. R
reset the function for folding the exterior mir-
rors in/out automatically, by folding the mir-
rors out once ( Y
page 111)Battery (vehicle) 345
Breakdown assistance Z
Make sure that: R
The jumper cables are not damaged. R
Bare parts of the terminal clamp do not come into contact with other metal parts while the jumper
cables are connected to the battery. R
The jumper cables cannot come into contact with parts which can move when the engine is
running, such as the V-belt pulley or the fan. X
Secure the vehicle by applying the electric parking brake. X
Shift the transmission to position ] .X
Make sure that the ignition is switched off. All indicator lamps in the instrument cluster must be
off. When using the SmartKey, turn the SmartKey to position
! Vehicles with differential locks: make sure
the differential locks are in automatic mode.
When towing, the differential locks must not
be switched on. The transmission may other-
wise be damaged.
! The vehicle can be towed a maximum of
30 miles (50km). The towing speed of 30 mph
(50 km/h) must not be exceeded.
If the vehicle has to be towed more than
30 miles (50km), the entire vehicle must be
raised and transported.
It is better to have the vehicle transported than
to have it towed away.
If the vehicle has suffered transmission damage,
have it transported on a transporter or trailer.
The automatic transmission must be in position
\\ when the vehicle is being towed.
The battery must be connected and charged.
Otherwise, you: R
cannot turn the SmartKey to position H in
the ignition lock R
cannot release the electric parking brake R
cannot shift the automatic transmission to
position \\
Disarm the automatic locking feature before the
vehicle is towed ( Y
page 244). You could other-
wise be locked out when pushing or towing the
vehicle.
Installing/removing the towing eye
Installing the towing eye The brackets for the screw-in towing eye are
located in the bumpers. They are at the front and
rear behind covers C D .X
Remove the towing eye from the vehicle tool
kit ( Y
page 339). X
To open the cover at the front: press the
mark on cover C inwards in the direction of
the arrow. X
To open the cover at the rear: insert a flat,
blunt object into the cutout and lever
cover D out of the bumper. X
Take cover C or D off the opening.X
Screw in the towing eye clockwise as far as it
will go and tighten it.
Removing the towing eye X
Unscrew and remove the towing eye. X
Position cover C or D in the bumper and
press the cover on until it engages. X
Place the towing eye in the vehicle tool kit.
Towing a vehicle with both axles on
the ground The automatic transmission shifts to position
] automatically when you open the driver's or
front-passenger door or when you remove the
SmartKey from the ignition lock.
In order to ensure that the automatic transmis-
sion stays in position \\ when towing away the
vehicle, you must observe the following points: X
Make sure that the vehicle is stationary. X
Turn the SmartKey to position H in the igni-
tion lock. X
Depress and hold the brake pedal. X
Shift the automatic transmission to position
\\ . X
Leave the SmartKey in position H in the igni-
tion lock. X
Release the brake pedal. X
Release the electric parking brake. X
Switch on the hazard warning lamps
( Y
page 117).
In order to signal a change of direction when
towing the vehicle with the hazard warning
lamps switched on, use the combination switch
as usual. In this case, only the indicator lamps
for the direction of travel flash. After resetting350
Towing and tow-starting
Breakdown assistance
Vehicles with 4MATIC may either be towed away
with both axles on the ground or be loaded up
and transported.
If the vehicle's transmission, front, or rear axle is
damaged, have the vehicle transported on a
truck or trailer.
In the event of damage to the electrical sys-
tem: if the battery is defective, the automatic
transmission will be locked in position P . To shift
the automatic transmission to position N , you
must provide power to the vehicle's electrical
system in the same way as when jump-starting
( Y
page 346).
Have the vehicle transported on a transporter or
trailer.
Tow-starting (emergency engine
starting)
! Vehicles with automatic transmission must
not be tow-started. You could otherwise dam-
age the automatic transmission.
You can find information on "Jump-starting"
under ( Y
page 346).
Fuses
Important safety notes
G WARNING
If you manipulate or bridge a faulty fuse or if
you replace it with a fuse with a higher amper-
age, the electric cables could be overloaded.
This could result in a fire. There is a risk of an
accident and injury.
Always replace faulty fuses with the specified
new fuses having the correct amperage.
! For the fuse boxes in the engine compart-
ment and under the rear bench seat, only use
fuses with the suffix "S". Otherwise, compo-
nents or systems could be damaged.
! Make sure that no moisture can enter the
fuse box when the cover is open.
! When closing the cover, make sure that it is
lying correctly on the fuse box. Moisture seep-
ing in or dirt could otherwise impair the oper-
ation of the fuses. The fuses in your vehicle serve to close down
faulty circuits. If a fuse blows, all the compo-
nents on the circuit and their functions stop
operating.
Blown fuses must be replaced with fuses of the
same rating, which you can recognize by the
color and value. The fuse ratings are listed in the
fuse allocation chart.
The fuse allocation chart is located in the fuse
box under the rear bench seat ( Y
page 353).
If a newly inserted fuse also blows, have the
cause traced and rectified at a qualified special-
ist workshop, e.g. an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
Before changing a fuse Observe the important safety notes
( Y
page 352) X
Switch off the engine. X
Switch off all electrical consumers. X
Remove the SmartKey from the ignition lock.
Or, on vehicles with KEYLESS-GO start function
or KEYLESS ‑ GO: X
Open the driver's door.
The vehicle electronics are now in key posi-
tion