
If Emergency Tensioning Devices are triggered
or air bags are deployed, you will hear a bang,
and some powder may also be released. The
6restraint system warning lamp lights up.
Only in rare cases will the bang affect your hear-
ing. The powder that is released generally does
not constitute a health hazard, but it may cause
short-term breathing difficulties in people with
asthma or other respiratory problems. Provided
it is safe to do so, you should leave the vehicle
immediately or open the window in order to pre-
vent breathing difficulties.
Air bags and pyrotechnic Emergency Tensioning
Devices (ETDs) contain perchlorate material,
which may require special handling and regard
for the environment. National guidelines must
be observed during disposal. In California, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/HazardousWaste/
Perchlorate/index.cfm.
Method of operation
During the first stage of a collision, the restraint
system control unit evaluates important physi-
cal data relating to vehicle deceleration or accel-
eration, such as:
Rduration
Rdirection
Rintensity
Based on the evaluation of this data, the
restraint system control unit triggers the Emer-
gency Tensioning Devices during a frontal or
rear collision.
An Emergency Tensioning Device can only be
triggered, if:
Rthe ignition is switched on
Rthe components of the restraint system are
operational. You can find further information
under "Restraint system warning lamp"
(
Ypage 41)
Rthe seat belt buckle tongue has engaged in
the belt buckle of the respective front seat
The Emergency Tensioning Device of the front-
passenger seat is triggered independently of the
lock status of the seat belt. If the restraint system control unit detects a
more severe accident, further components of
the restraint system are activated independ-
ently of each other in certain frontal collision
situations:
RFront air bags
RWindow curtain air bag on the side on which
the impact occurs
The activation threshold of the Emergency Ten-
sioning Devices and the air bags is determined
by evaluating the rate of vehicle deceleration or
acceleration which occurs at various points in
the vehicle. This process is pre-emptive in
nature. Deployment should take place in good
time at the start of the collision.
The rate of vehicle deceleration or acceleration
and the direction of the force are essentially
determined by:
Rthe distribution of forces during the collision
Rthe collision angle
Rthe deformation characteristics of the vehicle
Rthe characteristics of the object with which
the vehicle has collided
Factors which can only be seen and measured
after a collision has occurred do not play a deci-
sive role in the deployment of an air bag. Nor do
they provide an indication of air bag deploy-
ment.
The vehicle can be deformed considerably, with-
out an air bag being deployed. This is the case if only parts which are relatively easily deformed
are affected and the rate of deceleration is not
high. Conversely, air bags ma
y be deployed even
though the vehicle suffers only minor deforma-
tion. This is the case if, for example, very rigid
vehicle parts such as longitudinal body mem-
bers are hit, and sufficient deceleration occurs
as a result.
If the restraint system control unit detects a side
impact or if the vehicle rolls over, the applicable
components of the restraint system are
deployed independently of each other depend-
ing on the apparent type of accident.
RSide impact air bag on the side of impact,
independently of the Emergency Tensioning
Device and the use of the seat belt
RWindow curtain air bag on the side of impact,
independently of the use of the seat belt and
independently of whether the front-
passenger seat is occupied
48Occupant safety
Safety

Drive on carefully. Have ABS checked imme-
diately at a qualified specialist workshop.
If ABS is malfunctioning, other systems will also
fail, including driving safety systems. Observe
the information relating to the !warning
lamp (
Ypage 196).
ABS regulates brake pressure in such a way that the wheels do not lock when you brake. This
allows you to continue steering the vehicle when
braking.
ABS works from a speed of about 5 mph
(8 km/h), regardless of road-surface conditions. ABS works on slippery surfaces, even when you
only brake gently.
The yellow !warning lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up when the ignition is switched
on. The lamp goes out when the engine starts
running.
Braking
If ABS intervenes when braking, you will feel a
pulsating in the brake pedal.
The pulsating brake pedal can be an indication
of hazardous road conditions and functions as a
reminder to take extra care while driving.
XIf ABS intervenes: continue to depress the
brake pedal with force until the braking sit-
uation is over.
XTo make a full brake application: depress
the brake pedal with full force.
ASR (acceleration skid control)
General notes
Important safety notes
Observe the important safety guidelines for the
driving safety system (Ypage 54).
ASR can neither reduce the risk of an accident
nor suspend the laws of physics if the driver
does not pay attention when pulling away or
accelerating. ASR is only an aid. Always adapt
your driving style to suit the prevailing road and
weather conditions.
If you activate or deactivate the all-wheel drive
in a vehicle with this option, ASR will be deacti- vated for the duration of the activation/deacti-
vation process. Vehicles without steering wheel buttons: if ASR
is malfunctioning, the
:indicator lamp lights
up while the engine is running and the engine
power may be reduced (
Ypage 196).
ASR significantly improves traction, i.e. the
transmission of power from the tires to the road surface, and thus increases the vehicle's driving
stability. If the driving wheels start to spin, ASR
brakes individual drive wheels and limits the
engine torque. ASR thus significantly assists you
when pulling away and accelerating, especially
on wet or slippery roads.
If traction on the road surface is not sufficient,
even ASR will not allow you to pull awa
y without
difficulty. The type of tires and total weight of the
vehicle as well as the gradient of the road also
play a crucial role.
If ASR intervenes, the dwarning lamp in the
instrument cluster flashes.
Activating/deactivating ASR
GWARNING
If deactivated, ASR will not attempt to stabi-
lize the vehicle during pulling away and accel- eration. There is an increased risk of skidding
and of an accident.
Only deactivate ASR in the situations descri-
bed in the following.
!If you deactivate ASR, ESP®will still inter-
vene to stabilize the vehicle. Frequent braking
automatically triggered by ESP
®can damage
the brake system.
For this reason, deactivate ASR only briefly
and when absolutely necessary.
When ESP®is intervening and the dwarning
lamp in the instrument cluster is flashing, leave
Driving safet ysystem s55
Safety
Z

ASR on. In this case, only depress the acceler-
ator pedal as far as required when pulling away.
XPress theàbutton.
If ASR is deactivated, the dwarning lamp
in the instrument cluster lights up.
ASR is automatically activated when the engine
is started.
It may be best to deactivate ASR briefly in the
following situations:
Rwhen using snow chains
Rin deep snow
Ron sand or gravel
If you deactivate ASR:
Rengine torque is not limited and the drive
wheels are able to spin. The spinning wheels
will then achieve a cutting effect for better
traction.
Rtraction control remains active through brake
intervention. If a drive wheel attains its tire
traction limit because one side of the road is
slippery, for example, that wheel is braked.
The traction is then increased in this situation.
Ractive brake intervention by ESP®to increase
driving stability remains active. The d
warning lamp in the instrument cluster
flashes when ESP
®is intervening.
BAS (Brake Assist System)
GWARNING
If BAS is malfunctioning, the braking distance
in an emergency braking situation is
increased. There is a risk of an accident.
In an emergency braking situation, depress
the brake pedal with full force. ABS prevents
the wheels from locking.
Vehicles without steering wheel buttons: if the
BAS driving safety system is malfunctioning,
the : warning lamp lights up while the
engine is running (
Ypage 196).
BAS operates in emergency braking situations.
If you depress the brake quickly, BAS automat-
ically increases the brake pressure, thereby
reducing the stopping distance.
The brakes will function as usual once you
release the brake pedal. BAS is deactivated.
EBD (electronic brake force distribu-
tion)
GWARNING
If EBD is malfunctioning, the rear wheels can
lock, e.g. under full braking. This increases the
risk of skidding and an accident.
You should therefore adapt your driving style
to the different handling characteristics. Have
the brake system checked at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
EBD monitors and controls the brake pressure
to the rear wheels. This enables EBD to improve
handling during braking.
Observe the information on warning and indica-
tor lamps (
Ypage 196).
ESP®(Electronic Stability Program)
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If ESP
®is malfunctioning it will not provide
any vehicle stabilization. There is an increased
risk of skidding or of an accident.
Exercise caution when continuing to drive.
Have ESP
®checked at a qualified specialist
workshop.
!Do not run the vehicle on a roller dynamom-
eter (e.g. for performance tests). If you must
operate the vehicle on a roller dynamometer,
please consult a qualified specialist workshop
in advance. You could otherwise damage the
drive train or the brake system.
If you activate or deactivate the all-wheel drive
in a vehicle with this option, ESP
®will be deac-
tivated for the duration of the activation/deac-
tivation process.
If ESP
®is malfunctioning, the hindicator
lamp lights up while the engine is running and
the engine power may be reduced
(
Ypage 195).
iOnly use wheels with the recommended tire
sizes. Only then will ESP®function properly.
56Driving safety systems
Safety

XTo unlock the driver's or rear door:press
the key release button on the remote control.
The key folds out.
XInsert the key fully into the door lock and turn it to position 2.
The door is unlocked.
XTo lock the vehicle: lock all doors except the
driver's door and, if necessary the rear door,
from inside. To do this, press down the door
locking buttons.
XPress the key release button on the remote
control.
The key folds out.
XInsert the key fully into the driver's door lock
and turn it to position 1.
The driver's door is locked.
Remote control battery
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Batteries contain toxic and corrosive substan- ces. If batteries are swallowed, it can result in
severe health problems. There is a risk of fatalinjury.
Keep batteries out of the reach of children. If
a battery is swallowed, seek medical attention immediately.
HEnvironmental note
Batteries contain dangerous
substances. It is against the
law to dispose of them with
the household rubbish. They
must be collected separatelyand 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.
The key batteries contain perchlorate material,
which may require special handling and regard for the environment. Check with your local gov-
ernment’s disposal guidelines. California resi-
dents, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/
HazardousWaste/Perchlorate/index.cfm .
We recommend that you have batteries
changed at a qualified specialist workshop.
Checking the batteries
XPress the %or& button for longer than
two seconds.
If battery indicator lamp (
Ypage 61 )lights up
briefly, the batteries in the remote control still
have sufficient charge. Otherwise, change the
batteries immediately.
iIf the remote control is checked within the
signal reception range of the vehicle, pressing
the & or% button:
Rlock or
Runlock the vehicle
Changing batteries
You need a CR 2025 2 3 V cell battery, which can
be obtained from any qualified specialist work-
shop.
When changing the batteries, do not press any
of the buttons on the remote control.
XPress release button ;.
The key folds out.
XRemove battery compartment cover :in the
direction of the arrow.
Key63
Opening and closing
Z

Electrical closing assist
If your vehicle is equipped with electrical closing
assist, you will require less force to close the
sliding door.
Electrical step
Important safety notes
!
Always observe the ground clearance of the
vehicle and avoid obstacles. On vehicles with a step, ground clearance is further restricted.
Obstacles can damage the vehicle.
If you must drive over obstacles, drive espe-
cially slowly and carefully. If necessary, have
another person direct you.
If you do not use the grab handle and the step,
you could injure yourself when getting in and out
of the vehicle.
In order to reduce risks:
Rdraw the passengers' attention to the electri-
cal step. Wait until the electrical step is fully
extended.
Rdo not jump out of the vehicle.
Ronly use the grab handle and step. Only they
are designed for such a load.
Rkeep grab handles, access steps and entry
sills free from dirt, e.g. mud, clay, snow and
ice.
Operation and obstacle detection
Electrical step
The sliding door of your vehicle can be equipped
with an electrical step.
XWhen getting in and out of the vehicle, use the grab handles and electrical step :.Electrical step
:automatically extends when
the sliding door is opened and retracts when it is
closed.
Electrical step :is equipped with an obstruc-
tion detection device on the front side. If the
step comes into contact with an obstacle while
it is extending, it stops.
After you have removed the obstacle, you must
first close the sliding door and open it once
again so that the step can extend completely.
iIf the electrical step obstructs loading, you
can prevent the step from extending when
opening the sliding door via obstacle detec-
tion. The electrical step can then remain
retracted and a forklift or other lifting equip-
ment can be moved nearer to the cargo com-
partment.
Vehicles without steering-wheel buttons: if
the 1 indicator lamp in the instrument clus-
ter lights up and a warning tone sounds, elec-
trical step :is malfunctioning (
Ypage 204).
Vehicles with steering wheel buttons: if the
Electrical
Stepmessage is shown in the dis-
play and a warning tone sounds, electrical
step :is malfunctioning (
Ypage 194).
If electrical step :is malfunctioning, the step
may only partially extend/retract or may not
extend/retract at all. If a malfunction does
occur, you will have to retract and lock electrical
step :manually before continuing the journey
(
Ypage 68).
Before passengers get out of the vehicle, let
them know that electrical step :might not be
extended.
Emergency release
!
Driving with the step extended may result in
it being damaged.
If the electrical step does not retract auto-
matically, you will have to push it in and lock it
into place manually before continuing your
journey.
68Electrical step
Opening and closing

XPull R-clips;on both rods :on the under-
side of the step out of their respective pins.
XRemove washers =and detach both rods :.
XFold rods:into the housing in the step.
XPush the step into its housing.
iWhen securing the step for the first time,
you must pierce a film with the R-clips.
XInsert R-clips ;into the step as far as they
will go through the holes on both sides of the
housing.
The step is secured in its housing.
Rear doors
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If you open a rear door, you could:
Rendanger other people or road users
Rbe caught by oncoming traffic
This is particularly the case if you open the
rear door more than 90°. There is a risk of an
accident and injury.
Only open the rear doors when traffic condi-
tions permit. Always make sure that the rear
doors are properly locked.
GWARNING
If you open the rear doors 90°, the rear lights are no longer visible. The vehicle will then be
difficult for other road users to see or will not
be seen by them at all, particularly if it is dark
or visibility is poor. There is a risk of an acci-
dent.
You should therefore ensure in this and simi-
lar situations that the vehicle is visible from
the rear in accordance with the relevant
national regulations, by using the warning tri-
angle, for instance.
!Make sure that there is sufficient clearance
when opening the rear doors. You could oth-
erwise damage the vehicle and objects in
close range of the rear doors.
You can lock the rear doors at an angle of 90°,
180° and 270°. Always make sure that the open
rear door is correctly engaged in the detent.
Rear doors69
Opening and closing
Z

Useful information
This Operator's Manual describes all models as
well as standard and optional equipment of your
vehicle that were available at the time of going
to print. Country-specific variations are possi-
ble. Note that your vehicle may not be equipped
with all of the described functions. This also
applies to systems and functions relevant to
safety.
Read the information on qualified specialist
workshops (
Ypage 27).
Exterior lighting
Important safety notes
For reasons of safety, we recommend that you
drive with the lights switched on even during the
daytime. There may be differences in operation
due to legal requirements and voluntary recom-
mendations in some countries.
Bulb failure indicator
The bulb failure indicator is only an aid. You are
responsible for the proper functioning of the
vehicle lighting. Insufficient or non-functioning
vehicle lighting puts the operating safety of the
vehicle at risk.
For this reason, check the condition and func-
tion of your vehicle's lighting system and, if nec-
essary, that of the trailer before each journey.
The bulb failure indicator monitors all of the
exterior lighting lamps, except the perimeter
lamp and the trailer lighting. If a bulb fails, either
the b(
Ypage 35) indicator lamp lights up, or
you will see a corresponding message in the
display (
Ypage 185).
iDepending on the equipment, the bulb fail-
ure indicator can fail for all lamps with the
exception of the turn signal lamps.
Light switch
Operation
1 ÃAutomatic headlamp mode/daytime
running lamps
2$Lights off
3TParking lamps, license plate and
instrument cluster lighting
4LLow-beam/high-beam headlamps
5NFog lamps
6RRear fog lamp
If you hear a warning tone when you leave the
vehicle, the lights may still be switched on.
XTurn the light switch to $orÃ.
or
XIf the rear fog lamp is switched on: press the
light switch in to the stop.
The turn signals, high-beam headlamps and the
high-beam flasher are operated using the com-
bination switch (
Ypage 84).
Low-beam headlamps
XTo switch on: turn the key to position 2in the
ignition lock or start the engine.
XTurn the light switch to position L.
The L indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up.
Daytime running lamps
You can activate/deactivate the daytime run-
ning lamps function using the on-board com-
puter.
This is not possible in countries where daytime
running lamps are a legal requirement.
82Exterior lighting
Lights and windshield wipers

The daytime running lamps function must be
activated using the on-board computer:
Rvehicles with steering wheel buttons
(Ypage 170)
Rvehicles without steering wheel buttons
(Ypage 163)
XTo switch on:turn the light switch to the
$ position.
The low-beam headlamps, parking lamps and
license plate lamp are switched on when the
engine is running. The Lindicator lamp in
the instrument cluster lights up.
iUSA only:
If you turn the light switch to the TorL
position, the parking lamps or low-beam
headlamps switch on. If you turn the light
switch to the Ãposition, the daytime run-
ning lamps remain switched on.
iCanada only:
If you turn the light switch to the Lposi-
tion, the low-beam headlamps are switched
on. If you turn the light switch to the Tor
à position, the daytime running lamps
remain switched on.
Automatic headlamp mode
GWARNING
When the light switch is set to Ã, the low-
beam headlamps may not be switched on
automatically if there is fog, snow or other
causes of poor visibility due to the weather
conditions such as spray. There is a risk of an
accident.
In such situations, turn the light switch to
L.
Automatic headlamp mode is only a driving aid.
You are responsible for the vehicle lighting at all
times.
Depending on ambient light, the rain and light
sensor automatically switches on the parking
lamps, low-beam headlamps and the license
plate lamp. This excludes weather-related
impairments to visibility, such as snow, fog or
spray.
If there is fog, snow or spray, turn the light
switch quickly from ÃtoL. You could
otherwise briefly interrupt operation of the
headlamps.
XTo switch on automatic headlamp mode:
turn the light switch to Ã.
Key in position 1in the ignition lock: the park-
ing lamps switch on or off automatically
depending on the ambient light.
When the engine is running: if you activate the
"daytime running lamps" function using the
on-board computer, the daytime running
lamps are switched on. The parking lamps and
low-beam headlamps also switch on or off
automatically, depending on the ambient
light.
When the low-beam headlamps are switched
on, the Lindicator lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up.
Fog lamps/rear fog lamp
GWARNING
If you suspect that driving conditions will be
foggy, turn the light switch to Lbefore you
start your journey. Your vehicle may other-
wise not be visible and you could endanger
yourself and others.
GWARNING
In low ambient lighting or foggy conditions,
only switch from position ÃtoL with
the vehicle at a standstill in a safe location.
Switching from ÃtoL will briefly
switch off the headlamps. Doing so while driv-
ing in low ambient lighting conditions may
result in an accident.
XTurn the key to position 2in the ignition lock
or start the engine.
XTurn the light switch to LorT.
iIf your vehicle is only equipped with one rear
fog lamp, you must turn the light switch to
L.
iWhen the light switch is set to Ãyou
cannot switch on the front and rear fog lamps.
XTo switch on the front fog lamp: pull the
light switch out to the first detent.
The green Nindicator lamp on the light
switch lights up.
Exterior lighting83
Lights and windshield wipers
Z