All seat belts except the driver's seat belt are
equipped with a special seat belt retractor to
securely fasten child restraint systems in the
vehicle. Further information can be found under
"Special seat belt retractor" (
Ypage 49).
Releasing seat belts
!Make sure that the seat belt is fully rolled up.
Otherwise, the seat belt or belt tongue will be
trapped in the door or in the seat mechanism.
This could damage the door, the door trim
panel and the seat belt. Damaged seat belts
can no longer fulfill their protective function
and must be replaced. Visit a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
XPress the release button in the belt buckle,
hold the belt tongue firmly and guide the belt
back.
Belt warning for drivers and front pas-
sengers
The 7 seat belt warning lamp in the instru-
ment cluster is a reminder that all vehicle occu-
pants must wear their seat belts. It may light up
continuously or flash. In addition, there may be
a warning tone.
Regardless of whether the driver's seat belt has
already been fastened, the 7seat belt warn-
ing lamp lights up for 6 secondsa fter each time
the ignition is switched on. After the engine has
been started, it goes out once the driver has
fastened the seat belt.
If the driver's seat belt is not fastened when the
engine is started, an additional warning tone will sound. This warning tone stops after a maximum
of six seconds or once the driver's seat belt is
fastened.
If the vehicle's speed exceeds 15 mph
(25 km/h) once and the driver's seat belt is not
fastened, a warning tone sounds. The warning
tone sounds for 60 seconds or until the driver's
seat belt is fastened.
If the driver's seat belt is unfastened during the
journey, the seat belt warning is activated again.
Air bags
Introduction
The installation point of an air bag can be rec-
ognized by the SRS/AIRBAG or AIRBAG mark-
ing.
An air bag complements the correctly fastened
seat belt. It is no substitute for the seat belt. The
air bag provides additional protection in appli-
cable accident situations.
Not all air bags are deployed in an accident. The
different air bag systems function independ-
ently from one another (
Ypage 47).
However, no system available today can com-
pletely eliminate injuries and fatalities.
It is also not possible to rule out a risk of injury
caused by an air bag due to the high speed at
which the air bag must be deployed.
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If you do not sit in the correct seat position,
the air bag cannot protect as intended and
could even cause additional injury when
deployed. This poses an increased risk of
injury or even fatal injury.
To avoid hazardous situations, always make
sure that all of the vehicle's occupants:
Rhave fastened their seat belts correctly,
including pregnant women
Rare sitting correctly and maintain the great-
est possible distance to the air bags
Rfollow the following instructions
Always make sure that there are no objects
between the air bag and the vehicle's occu-
pants.
RAdjust the seats properly before beginning
your journey. Always make sure that the seat
is in an almost upright position. The center of
the head restraint must support the head at
about eye level.
RMove the driver's and front-passenger seats
as far back as possible. The driver's seat posi-
tion must allow the vehicle to be driven safely.
ROnly hold the steering wheel on the outside.
This allows the air bag to be fully deployed.
Occupant safety45
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
while driving, the restraint systems may not
be able to provide the intended protection.
There is an increased risk of injury, possibly
even fatal.
Engage the driver's and front-passenger seatsso they are facing the direction of travel
before starting the engine.
!When rotating the seats, make sure that
there is sufficient space to do so.
Move the seat forward or back first. This will
help to avoid contact with other parts of the
interior.
Push the handbrake lever down to the stop.
The parking brake or handbrake lever could
otherwise be damaged.
Seat release (example: front-passenger seat)
The driver's seat and front-passenger seat can
be rotated by 50° and 180°.
The seats engage when facing in the direction of travel as well as when facing in the opposite
direction and also engage at an angle of 50° to
the door.
XMake sure that the parking brake has been
engaged and that the handbrake lever has
been pushed down to the stop (
Ypage 130).
XAdjust the steering wheel to provide the nec-
essary space to rotate and adjust the driver's seat (
Ypage 79).
XBefore rotating, push the front-passenger
seat forwards (Ypage 75).
XTo rotate the seat: push lever:on the rear
of the seat towards the center of the vehicle
and rotate the seat slightly inwards.
The rotation device is released.
XRelease lever :.
XTurn the seat about 50° towards the outside
or inside to the desired position.
Twin front-passenger seat
XTo fold a seat cushion forwards: lift the seat
cushion out of front anchorage :.
XPull the seat cushion forwards slightly and out
of rear anchorage;.
XFold the rear edge of the seat cushion up.
iYou can stow various articles in the space
under the twin front-passenger seat.
XTo fold the seat cushion back: fold down
the seat cushion by the rear edge.
XSlide the seat cushion under the seat back-
rest into rear anchorage ;.
XPush down on the seat cushion at the front
until it engages in front anchorage :.
Folding seat
GWARNING
If the key is inserted in the partition sliding
door, it may come into contact with the per-
son on the folding seat. There is a risk of
injury.
Always remove the key from the partition slid-
ing door before a person sits on the folding
seat.
76Seats
Seats, steering wheel and mirrors
XTo set the armrest angle:fold the armrest
upwards by more than 45° ;.
The armrest is released.
XFold armrest =forwards to the stop.
XSlowly fold the armrest upwards to the
desired position.
XTo fold the armrest up: if necessary, fold the
armrest upwards :by more than 90°.
Seat heating
GWARNING
Repeatedly switching on the seat heating can
cause the seat cushion and backrest pads to
become very hot. The health of persons with
limited temperature sensitivity or a limited
ability to react to high temperatures may be
affected or they may even suffer burn-like
injuries. There is a risk of injury.
Therefore, do not switch the seat heating on
repeatedly.
!When you leave your seat, do not place any-
thing on the seat and switch off the seat heat-
ing. Do not switch the seat heating on when
the seat is not occupied, e.g. when driving
without a front passenger. The seat heating
may otherwise overheat, causing damage to
the seat.
The three red indicator lamps in the cbutton
show the activated heating level 1to 3.
The system automatically switches down from
level 3to level 2after approximately
five minutes.
The system automatically switches down from
level 2to level 1after approximately
ten minutes. At level
1, the seat heating remains in continu-
ous operation.
XMake sure that the key is in position 1or 2in
the ignition lock.
XTo switch on: press thecbutton repeat-
edly until the desired heating level has been
set.
XTo switch off: press thecbutton repeat-
edly until all indicator lamps go out.
If the indicator lamps of the current heating level
in the cbutton flash, the seat heating has
switched off automatically. In this case, too
many electrical consumers are switched on or
the battery charge is not sufficient. The seat
heating will automatically switch back to the
current heating level when enough on-board
voltage is available again.
Steering wheel
GWARNING
You could lose control of your vehicle if you do the following while driving:
Radjust the driver's seat, head restraint,
steering wheel or mirrors
Rfasten the seat belt
There is a risk of an accident.
Adjust the driver's seat, head restraint, steer-
ing wheel and mirror and fasten your seat belt before starting the engine.
GWARNING
If the steering wheel is unlocked while the
vehicle is in motion, it could change position
unexpectedly. This could cause you to lose
control of the vehicle. There is a risk of an
accident.
Before starting off, make sure the steering
wheel is locked. Never unlock the steering
wheel while the vehicle is in motion.
GWARNING
Children could injure themselves if they
adjust the steering wheel. There is a risk of
injury.
Steering wheel79
Seats, steering wheel and mirrors
Z
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children unsupervised in the vehicle.
The steering wheel can still be adjusted if the
key has been removed.
:Steering column fore-and-aft adjustment
;Steering column height
=Lever
XTo set the steering wheel: swing lever=
down until it engages.
The steering wheel is unlocked.
XMove the steering wheel to the desired posi-
tion.
XPull lever =up to the stop.
The steering wheel is locked again.
Mirrors
Rear-view mirror
XAnti-glare mode: push anti-glare lever :in
the direction of the arrow.
Exterior mirrors
Important safety notes
GWARNING
The additional mirrors in the exterior mirrors
reduce the size of the image. Objects visible in
the mirrors are closer than they appear. You
could misjudge the distance from road users
driving behind you when changing lanes, for
instance. There is a risk of an accident.
You should therefore always determine the
actual distance from road users driving
behind you, e.g.:
Rby looking over your shoulder
Rby looking in the main mirror in the exterior
mirror.
Adjusting manually
XBefore starting off, manually adjust the exte-
rior mirrors in such a way that you can get a
good overview of road and traffic conditions.
Adjusting electrically
Button and switch for mirror adjustment
XBefore pulling away, turn the key to position 2
in the ignition lock (Ypage 119).
XPress switch ;to position 1for the left-hand
exterior mirror or to position 2for the right-
hand exterior mirror.
XPress button :up or down, to the right or
left.
80Mirrors
Seats, steering wheel and mirrors
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
Problems with the transmission
ProblemPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
The transmission mal-
functions when shifting
gear.The transmission is losing oil.
XHave the transmission checked immediately at a qualified specialist
workshop.
The acceleration charac-
teristics have deteriora-
ted noticeably.
The transmission does
not shift.The transmission is in emergency mode.
It is only possible to shift into second gear or reverse gear R.
XStop the vehicle.
XDepress the brake pedal.
XMove the selector lever to positionP.
XSwitch off the engine.
XWait at least 10 seconds before restarting the engine.
XDepress the brake pedal.
XMove the selector lever to positionDor R.
In position D, the transmission shifts into second gear; in position R,
the transmission shifts into reverse gear.
XHave the transmission checked immediately at a qualified specialist
workshop.
Releasing the parking lock manually
In the event of a malfunction, it is possible to
manually release the selector lever from the
lock in parking position P, e.g. to have the vehi-
cle towed away.
XApply the parking brake.
XRemove cover :.
XSlide implement ;as far as it will go into the
opening.
XPush the implement in and simultaneously
move the selector lever out of position P.
The selector lever lock is released. You can
now move the selector lever freely again until
it is returned to position P.
XRemove implement;.
XRe-install cover:.
iThe screwdriver from the vehicle tool kit
could function as the implement, for instance
(
Ypage 241).
Refueling
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Fuel is highly flammable. Improper handling of
fuel creates a risk of fire and explosion.
Avoid fire, open flames, smoking and creating
sparks under all circumstances. Switch off the
engine and, if applicable, the auxiliary heating
before refueling.
GWARNING
Fuel is poisonous and hazardous to health.
There is a risk of injury.
You must make sure that fuel does not come into contact with your skin, eyes or clothing
126Refueling
Driving and parking
Always park your vehicle safely and according to
legal requirements and secure it against rolling
away.
To ensure that the vehicle is properly secured
against rolling away unintentionally:
Rthe parking brake must be firmly applied
Rthe selector lever must be in positionPand
the key must be removed from the ignition
lock
Ron steep uphill or downhill gradients, the front
wheels must be turned towards the curb
Rthe rear axle must be secured, e.g. with a
wheel chock, on steep uphill or downhill gra-
dients
Use the wheel chock (
Ypage 131) to do so.
If you leave the vehicle parked for more than
three weeks:
Rconnect the batteries to a trickle charger or
Rdisconnect the vehicle's starter battery or
Rswitch off the electrical system using the bat-
tery main switch (Ypage 118) and
Rdisconnect the vehicle's auxiliary battery
Otherwise, you need to check the battery's con-
dition of charge every 3 weeks, since standby
power consumption can drain the battery. If the
battery voltage is lower than 12.2 V,the battery
must be charged. Otherwise, the battery may be damaged by exhaustive discharging.
Be sure to observe the notes on disconnecting
and charging the batte
ries under "Bat-
tery“ (Ypage 228). You can obtain information
about trickle chargers from a qualified specialist
workshop.
Parking brake
GWARNING
If you leave children unsupervised in the vehi-
cle, they could set it in motion by, for example:
Rrelease the parking brake.
Rshift the automatic transmission out of the
parking position P.
Rstart the engine.
In addition, they may operate vehicle equip-
ment and become trapped. There is a risk of
an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children unsupervised in the vehicle.
GWARNING
If you must brake the vehicle with the parking brake, the braking distance is considerably
longer and the wheels could lock. There is an
increased danger of skidding and accidents.
Only use the parking brake to brake the vehi-
cle when the service brake is faulty. Do not
apply the parking brake too firmly. If the
wheels lock, release the parking brake until
the wheels begin turning again.
The brake lamps are not illuminated when you
brake the vehicle using the parking brake.
As a rule, you may only apply the parking brake
when the vehicle is stationary.
XTo apply the parking brake: pull brake
lever :up as far as the last possible detent.
The c warning lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up if the engine is running.
iOn vehicles with a folding brake lever, you
can then press lever :down to the stop.
XTo release the parking brake: on vehicles
with a folding brake lever, first pull brake
lever :up to the stop.
XRaise brake lever :slightly and press
release knob ;.
XGuide brake lever :down to the stop.
The c indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster goes out.
130Parking
Driving an d parking