244Vehicle care
The brake fluid level must be betweenthe MIN and MAX marks.
If fluid level is below MIN seek the
assistance of a workshop.
Brake and clutch fluid 3 285.
Vehicle battery
The vehicle battery is maintenance-
free provided that the driving profile
allows sufficient charging of the
battery. Short-distance-driving and
frequent engine starts can discharge
the battery. Avoid the use of
unnecessary electrical consumers.
Batteries do not belong in household
waste. They must be disposed of at
an appropriate recycling collection
point.
Laying up the vehicle for more than
four weeks can lead to battery
discharge. Disconnect the clamp from the negative terminal of the vehicle
battery.
Ensure the ignition is switched off
before connecting or disconnecting
the vehicle battery.
Battery discharge protection 3 147.
Disconnecting the battery
If the vehicle's battery is to be
disconnected (e.g. for maintenance
work), the alarm siren must be
deactivated as follows: Switch the ignition on then off, then disconnect
the vehicle's battery within
15 seconds.
Replacing the vehicle battery
Note
Any deviation from the instructions
given in this section may lead to
temporary deactivation or
disturbance of the stop-start system.
When the vehicle battery is being
replaced, please ensure that there
are no open ventilation holes in the
vicinity of the positive terminal. If a
ventilation hole is open in this area, it
must be closed off with a dummy cap, and the ventilation in the vicinity of the
negative terminal must be opened.
We recommend that you have the
vehicle battery replaced by a
workshop.
Stop-start system 3 166.
Charging the vehicle battery9 Warning
On vehicles with stop-start
system, ensure that the charging potential does not exceed
Vehicle care24514.6 volts when using a battery
charger. Otherwise the vehicle
battery might be damaged.
Jump starting 3 277.
Warning label
Meaning of symbols: ● No sparks, naked flames or smoking.
● Always shield eyes. Explosive gases can cause blindness or
injury.
● Keep the vehicle battery out of reach of children.
● The vehicle battery containssulphuric acid which could cause
blindness or serious burn
injuries.
● See the Owner's Manual for further information.
● Explosive gas may be present in the vicinity of the vehicle battery.
Diesel fuel system bleeding If the tank has been run dry, the diesel
fuel system must be bled. Switch on
the ignition three times for
15 seconds at a time. Then crank the
engine for a maximum of 40 seconds. Repeat this process after
no less than five seconds. If the
engine fails to start, seek the
assistance of a workshop.Wiper blade replacement
Lift the wiper arm until it stays in the
raised position. Lift retaining clip to
disengage the wiper blade and
remove.
Attach the wiper blade slightly angled
to the wiper arm and push until it
engages.
Lower wiper arm carefully.
264Vehicle careThe tyre pressure tables show allpossible tyre combinations 3 301.
For the tyres approved for your
vehicle, refer to the EEC Certificate of Conformity provided with your vehicle
or other national registration
documents.
The driver is responsible for correct
adjustment of tyre pressure.9 Warning
If the pressure is too low, this can
result in considerable tyre warm-
up and internal damage, leading to tread separation and even to tyre
blow-out at high speeds.
9 Warning
For specific tyres the
recommended tyre pressure as
shown in the tyre pressure table may exceed the maximum tyre
pressure as indicated on the tyre.
Never exceed the maximum tyre
pressure as indicated on the tyre.
After adjusting tyre pressure, select
the according tyre loading setting on
the page Tyre load in the Driver
Information Centre, 3 113.
Temperature dependency The tyre pressure depends on the
temperature of the tyre. During
driving, tyre temperature and
pressure increase. Tyre pressure
values provided on the tyre
information label and tyre pressure
chart are valid for cold tyres, which
means at 20 °C.
The pressure increases by nearly
10 kPa for a 10 °C temperature
increase. This must be considered
when warm tyres are checked.
The tyre pressure value displayed in
the Driver Information Centre shows
the real tyre pressure. A cooled down
tyre will show a decreased value,
which does not indicate an air leak.Tyre pressure monitoring
system
The tyre pressure monitoring system
checks the pressure of all four wheels once a minute when vehicle speed
exceeds a certain limit.Caution
Tyre pressure monitoring system
warns just about low tyre pressure condition and does not replace
regular tyre maintenance by the
driver.
All wheels must be equipped with
pressure sensors and the tyres must
have the prescribed pressure.
Note
In countries where the tyre pressure monitoring system is legally
required, the use of wheels without
pressure sensors will invalidate the
vehicle operating permit.
Select the Tyre pressure monitoring
page under the Info Menu in the
Driver Information Centre 3 113.
Vehicle care265
System status and pressure warnings
are displayed by a message
indicating the corresponding tyre in the Driver Information Centre.
The system considers the tyre
temperature and the tyre loading
setting for the warnings.
Tyre loading setting, see below in this chapter.
Temperature dependency 3 263.
A detected low tyre pressure
condition is indicated by the control
indicator w 3 110.
If w illuminates, stop as soon as
possible and inflate the tyres as
recommended 3 301.
Ensure that vehicle loading status
matches selected tyre pressure.
Vehicle loading status, see below in
this chapter.
After inflating, some driving may be
required to update the tyre pressure
values in the Driver Information
Centre. During this time w may
continue to illuminate.
If w illuminates at lower temperatures
and extinguishes after some driving,
this could be an indicator for
approaching a low tyre pressure
condition. Check tyre pressure.
Vehicle messages 3 124.
Only mount wheels with pressure
sensors, otherwise the tyre pressure
will not be displayed and w
illuminates continuously.
A spare wheel or temporary spare
wheel is not equipped with pressure
sensors. The tyre pressuremonitoring system is not operational
for these wheels. Control indicator w
illuminates. For the further three
wheels the system remains
operational.
The use of commercially available
liquid tyre repair kits can impair the
function of the system. Factory-
approved repair kits can be used.
Operating electronic devices or being close to facilities using similar wave
frequencies could disrupt the tyre
pressure monitoring system.
Each time the tyres are replaced tyre
pressure monitoring system sensors
must be dismounted and serviced.
For the screwed sensor replace valve
core and sealing ring, for clipped
sensor replace complete valve stem.
Use only original plastic valve caps to protect valve on any damage.Caution
Do not use metal valve caps as
they lead to valve oxidation and
damage.
266Vehicle careVehicle loading status
Adjust tyre pressure to load condition according tyre information label or
tyre pressure chart 3 301, and select
the appropriate setting in the Tyre
loading page under the Settings
menu in the Driver Information Centre
3 113. This setting determines the
reference pressures for the tyre
pressure warnings.
Depending on the display, the menu
Tyre loading only appears if the
vehicle is at a standstill and the
parking brake is applied. On vehicles
with automatic transmission the
selector lever must be in P.Select:
● Light for comfort pressure up to
3 people.
● Eco for Eco pressure up to
3 people.
● Max for full loading.
Auto learn function After changing wheels or wheel
positions the vehicle must be
stationary for approx. 20 minutes,
before the system recalculates. The
following relearn process takes up to
10 minutes of driving in a speed range
of 40 to 100 km/h. Avoid to drive
outside of this range for a longer time.
If possible, use a country road or
similar which allows continuous
driving. During relearn process $
can be displayed or pressure values can swap in the Driver Information
Centre.
If problems occur during the relearn
process, a failure message is
displayed in the Driver Information
Centre. w will flash for 60 seconds
and then illuminate continuously.If this happens, repeat learning
process. Keep your vehicle stationary for approx. 20 minutes and then drive
again for 10 minutes as described
above.
Tread depth
Check tread depth at regular
intervals.
Tyres should be replaced for safety
reasons at a tread depth of 2-3 mm
(4 mm for winter tyres).
For safety reasons, it is
recommended that the tread depth of
the tyres on one axle should not vary
by more than 2 mm.
Vehicle care267The legally permissible minimum
tread depth (1.6 mm) has been
reached when the tread has worn
down as far as one of the tread wear
indicators (TWI). Their position is
indicated by markings on the
sidewall.
If there is more wear at the front than
the rear, swap round front wheels and
rear wheels periodically. Ensure that
the direction of rotation of the wheels
remains the same.
Tyres age, even if they are not used.
We recommend tyre replacement
every 6 years.
Changing tyre and wheel size
If tyres of a different size than thosefitted at the factory are used, it may be necessary to reprogramme the
speedometer as well as the nominal
tyre pressure and make other vehicle modifications.After converting to a different tyre
size, have the label with tyre
pressures replaced and the tyre
deflation detection system
reinitialised. 3 2649 Warning
The use of unsuitable tyres or
wheels may lead to accidents and will invalidate the vehicle
operating permit.
Wheel covers
Wheel covers and tyres that are
factory approved for the respective
vehicle and comply with all of the
relevant wheel and tyre combination
requirements must be used.
If the wheel covers and tyres used are
not factory approved, the tyres must
not have a rim protection ridge.
Wheel covers must not impair brake
cooling.
9 Warning
Use of unsuitable tyres or wheel
covers could lead to sudden
pressure loss and thereby
accidents.
Vehicles with steel wheels: When
using locking wheel nuts, do not
attach wheel covers.
Tyre chains
Tyre chains are only permitted on the
front wheels.
268Vehicle careAlways use fine mesh chains that addno more than 10 mm to the tyre tread
and the inboard sides (including chain
lock).9 Warning
Damage may lead to tyre blowout.
Tyre chains are only permitted on
tyres of size 215/60 R16, 215/55 R17 ,
225/55 R17 and 235/45 R18.
Temporary spare wheel
The use of tyre chains is not permitted on the temporary spare wheel.
Tyre repair kit
Minor damage to the tyre tread can be
repaired with the tyre repair kit.
Do not remove foreign bodies from
the tyres.
Tyre damage exceeding 4 mm or that is at tyre's side wall cannot be
repaired with the tyre repair kit.
9 Warning
Do not drive faster than 80 km/h.
Do not use for a lengthy period.
Steering and handling may be
affected.
Two types of tyre repair kit are
available:
● Type 1 indicated by the on/off
switch at the top of the
compressor.
● Type 2 indicated by the on/off
switch at the side of the
compressor.
If vehicle has a flat tyre:
Apply the parking brake and engage first gear, reverse gear or P.
Vehicle care273● No people or animals may be inthe vehicle when it is jacked-up.
● Never crawl under a jacked-up vehicle.
● Do not start the vehicle when it is
raised on the jack.
● Clean wheel nuts and thread with
a clean cloth before mounting the
wheel.9 Warning
Do not grease wheel bolt, wheel
nut and wheel nut cone.
1. Disengage wheel nut caps with a screwdriver and remove.
Steel wheels with cover: Pull off
the wheel cover.
Alloy wheels: Disengage wheel
nut caps with a screwdriver and
remove. To protect the wheel,
place a soft cloth between the
screwdriver and the alloy wheel.
2. Fold out the wheel wrench and install ensuring that it locates
securely and loosen each wheel
nut by half a turn.
The wheels might be protected by
locking wheel nuts. To loosen
these specific nuts, first attach the adapter for the locking wheel nuts
onto the head of the nut before
installing the wheel wrench. The
adapter is located in the glovebox.3. Ensure the jack is correctly positioned under the relevant
vehicle jacking point.
Some versions have sill
panellings with covered vehicle