R
Make sure that the positive terminal of a
connected battery does not come into con-
tact with vehicle parts.
R Never place metal objects or tools on a bat-
tery.
R It is important that you observe the descri-
bed order of the battery terminals when
connecting and disconnecting a battery.
R When jump-starting, make sure that the
battery poles with identical polarity are
connected.
R It is particularly important to observe the
described order when connecting and dis-
connecting the jumper cables.
R Never connect or disconnect the battery
terminals while the engine is running. G
WARNING
Battery acid is caustic. There is a risk of injury. Avoid contact with skin, eyes or clothing. Do
not inhale any battery gases. Do not lean over
the battery. Keep children away from batter-
ies. Wash away battery acid immediately with
plenty of clean water and seek medical atten- tion. H
Environmental note Batteries contain dangerous
substances. It is against the
law to dispose of them with
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 005D
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 Battery (vehicle)
341Breakdown assistance Z
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 charge state checked more
frequently if you use the vehicle mainly for short trips or if you leave it standing idle for a lengthyperiod. 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 electrical consumers.
The 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 automatically folding
the exterior mirrors in/out by folding the mir-
rors out once(Y page 106) Charging the 12 V battery
G
WARNING
During charging and jump-starting, explosive
gases can escape from the battery. There is a risk of an explosion.
Particularly avoid fire, open flames, creating
sparks and smoking. Ensure there is sufficient
ventilation while charging and jump-starting.
Do not lean over a battery. G
WARNING
Battery acid is caustic. There is a risk of injury. Avoid contact with skin, eyes or clothing. Do
not inhale any battery gases. Do not lean over
the battery. Keep children away from batter- ies. Wash away battery acid immediately with
plenty of clean water and seek medical atten-tion. G
WARNING
A discharged battery can freeze at tempera-
tures below freezing point. When jump-start-
ing the vehicle or charging the battery, gases can escape from the battery. There is a risk of
an explosion.
Allow the frozen battery to thaw out before
charging it or jump-starting.
! Only use battery chargers with a maximum
charging voltage of 14.8 V.
! Only charge the battery using the jump-
starting connection point.
The jump-starting connection point is in the
engine compartment (Y page 343).
X Open the hood.
X Connect the battery charger to the positive
terminal and ground point in the same order
as when connecting the donor battery in the
jump-starting procedure (Y page 343).
Keep away from fire and open flames. Do not
lean over a battery. Never charge the battery if it is still installed in the vehicle, unless you use a
battery charger which has been tested and
approved by Mercedes-Benz. A battery charger
unit specially adapted for Mercedes-Benz vehi-
cles and tested and approved by Mercedes-
Benz is available as an accessory. It permits the
charging of the battery in its installed position.
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
for further information and availability. Read the battery charger's operating instructions before
charging the battery.
If, at low temperatures, the indicator lamps/
warning lamps in the instrument cluster do not
light up, it is highly likely that the discharged
battery has frozen. In this case you may neither
jump-start the vehicle nor charge the battery.
The service life of a thawed-out battery may be
shorter. The starting characteristics can be
impaired, particularly at low temperatures. Have
the thawed-out battery checked at a qualified
specialist workshop. 342
Battery (vehicle)Breakdown assistance
G
WARNING
A discharged battery can freeze at temperatures below freezing point. When jump-starting the
vehicle or charging the battery, gases can escape from the battery. There is a risk of an explosion.
Allow the frozen battery to thaw out before charging it or jump-starting.
! Vehicles with a gasoline engine:
avoid repeated and lengthy starting attempts. Otherwise, the
catalytic converter could be damaged by non-combusted fuel.
If the indicator/warning lamps do not light up at low temperatures, it is very likely that the dis-
charged battery has frozen. In this case you may neither jump-start the vehicle nor charge the
battery. The service life of a thawed-out battery may be shorter. The starting characteristics can be
impaired, particularly at low temperatures. Have the thawed-out battery checked at a qualified
specialist workshop.
Do not start the vehicle using a rapid charging device. If your vehicle's battery is discharged, the
engine can be jump-started from another vehicle or from a donor battery using jumper cables.
Observe the following points:
R The battery is not accessible in all vehicles. If the other vehicle's battery is not accessible, jump-
start the vehicle using a donor battery or a jump-starting device.
R Vehicles with a gasoline engine: only jump-start the vehicle when the engine and exhaust
system are cold.
R Do not start the engine if the battery is frozen. Let the battery thaw first.
R Only jump-start from batteries with a 12 V voltage rating.
R Only use jumper cables which have a sufficient cross-section and insulated terminal clamps.
R If the battery is fully discharged, leave the battery that is being used to jump-start connected for
a few minutes before attempting to start. This charges the battery slightly.
R Make sure that the two vehicles do not touch.
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 that 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 005D.
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 0092in the ignition lock and remove it
(Y page 135).
X Switch off all electrical consumers, e.g. rear window defroster, lighting, etc.
X Open the hood.
i Right-hand-drive vehicle:
the jump-starting connection points may be located on the other
side of the vehicle. 344
Jump-startingBreakdown assistance
If your vehicle is being towed, much more
force may be necessary to steer or brake.
There is a risk of an accident.
In such cases, use a tow bar. Before towing,
make sure that the steering moves freely. G
WARNING
When towing or tow-starting another vehicle
and its weight is greater than the permissible gross weight of your vehicle, the:
R the towing eye could detach itself
R the vehicle/trailer combination could roll-
over.
There is a risk of an accident.
When towing or tow-starting another vehicle,
its weight should not be greater than the per- missible gross weight of your vehicle.
Details on the permissible gross vehicle weight
of your vehicle can be found on the vehicle iden-
tification plate (Y page 382).
! When Active Brake Assist, Active Distance
Assist DISTRONIC or the HOLD function is
activated, the vehicle brakes automatically in
certain situations.
To avoid damage to the vehicle, deactivate
these systems in the following or similar sit-
uations:
R when towing the vehicle
R in the car wash
! Make sure that the electric parking brake is
released. If the electric parking brake is faulty,
visit a qualified specialist workshop.
! Only secure the tow rope or tow bar at the
towing eyes, or the trailer tow hitch, if availa-
ble. You could otherwise damage the vehicle.
! Observe the following points when towing
with a tow rope:
R Secure the tow rope on the same side on
both vehicles.
R Make sure that the tow rope is not longer
than legally permitted. Mark the tow rope in
the middle, e.g. with a white cloth
(11.8 x 11.8 in). This will make other road
users aware that a vehicle is being towed.
R Only secure the tow cable to the towing
eyes or, if available, to the trailer tow hitch. R
Observe the brake lamps of the towing
vehicle while driving. Always maintain a dis-
tance a distance so that the tow rope does not sag.
R Do not use steel cables or chains to tow
your vehicle. You could otherwise damage
the vehicle.
! Do not use the trailer tow hitch for recovery
or towing. Do not use the towing eye for
recovery. this could damage the vehicle. If in
doubt, have the vehicle recovered using a
crane.
! When towing, pull away slowly and
smoothly. Pull the towed vehicle as straight as possible and not at an acute angle. Excessive
tractive power could damage the vehicles.
When towing, it is preferable to use a rigid tow-
ing bar as opposed to a tow rope. A rigid towing bar helps to keep the tractive power low.
! When towing away vehicles with KEYLESS-
GO, use the key instead of the Start/Stop
button. The automatic transmission may oth-
erwise shift to position 005Dwhen you open the
driver's or front-passenger door, which could damage the transmission.
! Do not tow with sling-type equipment. This
could damage the vehicle.
! 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.
! You may tow the vehicle for a maximum dis-
tance of 30 miles (50 kilometers). A towing
speed of 30 mph (50 km/h) must not be
exceeded.
For towing distances over 30 miles
(50 kilometers), 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
005C when the vehicle is being towed. 346
Towing and tow-startingBreakdown assistance
The battery must be connected and charged.
Otherwise, you:
R cannot turn the SmartKey to position 0048in
the ignition lock
R cannot release the electric parking brake.
R cannot shift the automatic transmission to
position 005C
Disarm the automatic locking feature before the vehicle is towed (Y page 240). You could other-
wise be locked out when pushing or towing the
vehicle.
If the vehicle is in a dangerous area, it can be
towed out of that area with both axles on the
ground. In this case, the towing distance must
not be greater than 165 ft (50 m)and must not
exceed a towing speed of 6 mph (10 km/h). For
longer distances, have the vehicle loaded and
transported. Permitted towing methods
Mercedes-Benz recommends transporting your
vehicle in the case of a breakdown, rather than
towing it away.
When towing away, use a towing rope or a tow-
ing bar with both axles on the ground. Do not use any tow bar systems. 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 00430044.
X Remove the towing eye from the vehicle tool
kit (Y page 335).
X To open the cover at the front: press the
mark on cover 0043inwards 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 0044out of the bumper.
X Take cover 0043or0044 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 0043or0044 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
005D 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 005Cwhen towing away the
vehicle, you must observe the following points:
X Make sure that the vehicle is stationary.
X Turn the SmartKey to position 0048in the igni-
tion lock.
X Depress and hold the brake pedal.
X Shift the automatic transmission to position
005C.
X Leave the SmartKey in position 0048in the igni-
tion lock.
X Release the brake pedal.
X Release the electric parking brake.
X Switch on the hazard warning lamps
(Y page 112).
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 resetting Towing and tow-starting
347Breakdown assistance Z
the combination switch, the hazard warning
lamp starts flashing again. Transporting the vehicle
4MATIC vehicles/vehicles with auto-
matic transmission !
When the vehicle is loaded for transport, the
front and rear axles must be stationary and on
the same transportation vehicle. Positioning
over the connection point of the transport
vehicle is not permitted. The drive train may
otherwise be damaged.
All vehicles !
You may only secure the vehicle by the
wheels, not by parts of the vehicle such as
axle or steering components. Otherwise, the
vehicle could be damaged.
The towing eye can be used to pull the vehicle
onto a trailer or transporter for transporting pur-
poses.
X Turn the SmartKey to position 0048in the igni-
tion lock.
X Shift the automatic transmission to position
005C.
As soon as the vehicle has been loaded:
X Prevent the vehicle from rolling away by
applying the electric parking brake.
X Shift the automatic transmission to position
005D.
X Turn the SmartKey to position 0092in the igni-
tion lock and remove it.
X Secure the vehicle. Securing the vehicle !
After loading, the vehicle must be secured at
all four wheels. Otherwise, the vehicle could
be damaged.
A minimum distance of 8 in (20 cm) up and
4 in (10 cm) down must be maintained to the transport platform.
X Secure all four wheels after loading the vehi-
cle.
Vehicles with ADS PLUS (Adaptive
Damping System PLUS) Important safety notes
G
WARNING
The weaker damping forces of the vehicle to
be transported can cause the vehicle/trailer
combination to swing.
As a result, when transporting vehicles with
Adaptive Damping System PLUS, the vehicle/ trailer combination may start to skid. Conse-
quently, you could lose control of the vehicle.
There is a risk of accident and injury.
When transporting, make sure that:
R the vehicle is has been loaded onto the
transporter correctly
R the vehicle is secured at all four wheels with
suitable tensioning straps
R you do not exceed the maximum permissi-
ble speed of 35 mph (60 km/h)
Securing the vehicle ! After loading, the vehicle must be secured at
all four wheels. Otherwise, the vehicle could
be damaged.
A minimum distance of 8 in (20 cm) up and
4 in (10 cm) down must be maintained to the
transport platform.
X Secure all four wheels after loading the vehi-
cle. Information on 4MATIC vehicles
! Vehicles with 4MATIC must not be towed
with either the front or the rear axle raised, as
doing so will damage the transmission. 348
Towing and tow-startingBreakdown 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 005D. To
shift the automatic transmission to position 005C,
you must provide power to the vehicle's on-
board electrical system in the same way as
when jump-starting (Y page 343).
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 343). 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 350).
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 349)
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 0092. This is the same as the SmartKey
having been removed.
The driver’s door can be closed again.
X Secure the vehicle against rolling away
(Y page 156).
All indicator lamps in the instrument cluster
must be off.
The fuses are located in various fuse boxes:
R Fuse box on the front-passenger side of the
dashboard
R Fuse box in the engine compartment on the
right-hand side of the vehicle, when viewed in
the direction of travel
R Fuse box under the rear bench seat Dashboard fuse box
! Do not use a pointed object such as a screw-
driver to open the cover in the dashboard. You could damage the dashboard or the cover.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you have this
work performed at a qualified specialist work- Fuses
349Breakdown assistance Z
Pay particular attention to damage such as:
R Cuts in the tires
R Punctures in the tires
R Tears in the tires
R Bulges on tires
R Deformation or severe corrosion on wheels
Regularly check the tire tread depth and the
condition of the tread across the whole width of
all tires (Y page 352). If necessary, turn the
front wheels to full lock in order to inspect the
inner side of the tire surface.
All wheels must have a valve cap to protect the
valve against dirt and moisture. Do not mount
anything onto the valve other than the standard
valve cap or other valve caps approved by
Mercedes-Benz for your vehicle. Do not use any other valve caps or systems, e.g. tire pressure
monitoring systems.
Regularly check the pressure of all the tires par- ticularly prior to long trips. Adjust the tire pres-
sure as necessary (Y page 354).
Observe the notes on the emergency spare
wheel (Y page 376).
The service life of tires depends, among other
things, on the following factors:
R Driving style
R Tire pressure
R Distance covered Notes on tire tread
G
WARNING
Insufficient tire tread will reduce tire traction.
The tire is no longer able to dissipate water.
This means that on wet road surfaces, the risk of hydroplaning increases, in particular where speed is not adapted to suit the driving con-
ditions. There is a risk of accident.
If the tire pressure is too high or too low, tires
may exhibit different levels of wear at differ-
ent locations on the tire tread. Thus, you
should regularly check the tread depth and
the condition of the tread across the entire
width of all tires.
Minimum tire tread depth for:
R Summer tires: 00CEin (3 mm)
R M+S tires: 00CFin (4 mm) For safety reasons, replace the tires before
the legally prescribed limit for the minimum
tire tread depth is reached. Marking
0043shows where the bar indicator
(arrow) for tread wear is integrated into the tire
tread.
Treadwear indicators (TWI) are required by law. Six indicators are positioned on the tire tread.
They are visible once a tread depth of approx-
imately 00CDin (1.6 mm) has been reached. If this
is the case, the tire is so worn that it must be
replaced. Selecting, mounting and replacing
tires
R Only mount tires and wheels of the same type
and make.
Exception: it is permissible to mount a differ-
ent type or make in the event of a flat tire.
Observe here the "MOExtended tires (tires
with run-flat characteristics)" section
(Y page 336).
R Only mount tires of the correct size onto the
wheels.
R Break in new tires at moderate speeds for the
first 60 miles (100 km). The new tires only
reach their full performance after this dis-
tance.
R Do not drive with tires which have too little
tread depth. This significantly reduces the
traction on wet roads (hydroplaning).
R Replace the tires after six years at the latest,
regardless of wear.
Observe the notes on the emergency spare
wheel (Y page 376). 352
OperationWheels and tires