
Switching off the engine
Important safety notes
GWARNING
The automatic transmission switches to neu-
tral position Nwhen you switch off the engine.
The vehicle may roll away. There is a risk of an
accident.
After switching off the engine, always switch
to parking position P. Prevent the parked vehi-
cle from rolling away by applying the parking
brake.
!If the coolant temperature is very high, e.g.
after driving on hilly roads, leave the engine
running at idle speed for about two minutes
before turning it off.
This allows the coolant temperature to return
to normal.
Vehicles with automatic transmission
XStop the vehicle.
XShift the transmission to position P.
XApply the parking brake.
XTurn the key to position0in the ignition lock
and remove it.
The immobilizer is activated.
If you switch the engine off with the trans-
mission in position Ror D, the automatic
transmission shifts to Nautomatically.
If you then open one of the front doors or
remove the key from the ignition, the auto-
matic transmission automatically shifts to P.
If you shift the automatic transmission to N
before switching off the engine, the automatic
transmission remains in Neven if a front door
is opened.
XSecure the vehicle to prevent it from rolling
away (Ypage 135).
Parking the vehicle for a long period
If you leave the vehicle parked for longer than
four weeks, the battery may be damaged by
exhaustive discharging.
XDisconnect the battery (Ypage 261).
or
XConnect the battery to a trickle charger.
Be sure to observe the notes on charging the batteries (
Ypage 264).
You can obtain information about trickle
chargers from a qualified specialist work-
shop.
If you leave the vehicle parked for longer than 6
weeks, the vehicle may suffer damage as a
result of lack of use.
XVisit a qualified specialist workshop and seek
advice.
Driving tips
General notes
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If you switch off the ignition while driving,
safety-relevant functions are only available
with limitations, or not at all. This could affect, for example, the power steering and the brake
boosting effect. You will require considerably
more effort to steer and brake. There is a risk
of an accident.
Do not switch off the ignition while driving.
GWARNING
If you operate mobile communication equip-
ment while driving, you will be distracted from traffic conditions. You could also lose control
of the vehicle. There is a risk of an accident.
Only operate this equipment when the vehicle
is stationary.
Observe the legal requirements of the country in
which you are driving. Some jurisdictions pro-
hibit the driver from using a mobile phone while driving a vehicle.
Driving tips137
Driving and parking
Z 

drive over obstacles, have the front
passenger direct you.
iWe recommend that you additionally carry a
shovel and a recovery rope with shackle in the
vehicle.
REnsure that loads and items of luggage are
securely stowed or lashed down
(
Ypage 244).
RBefore driving off-road, stop the vehicle and
shift to a low gear.
RIf the surface requires, temporarily deactivate
ESP®when pulling away (Ypage 66).
ROnly drive off-road with the engine running
and a gear engaged.
RDrive slowly and smoothly. Walking pace is
necessary in many situations.
RAvoid spinning the drive wheels.
RMake sure that the wheels always remain in
contact with the ground.
RDrive with extreme care over unknown terrain
where you can only see for a short distance.
As a precaution, get out of the vehicle to take
a look at the route to be taken in advance.
RCheck the water depth before fording.
RWatch out for obstacles (e.g. rocks, holes,
tree stumps and ruts).
RAvoid edges where the surface could crumble
or break away.
Checklist after driving off-road
!If you detect damage to the vehicle after
driving off-road, have the vehicle checked
immediately at a qualified specialist work-
shop.
Off-road driving places a higher demand on your
vehicle than normal road operation. Check your
vehicle after driving on rough terrain. By doing
so you will notice any damage in good time and
reduce the risk of an accident for yourself and
other road users. Clean your vehicle thoroughly
before driving on public roads.
Observe the following points after driving off-
road, on construction sites and before driving on
public roads:
XActivate ESP®(Ypage 66).
XClean the headlamps and tail lamps and
check them for damage.
XClean the front and rear license plates.
XClean the windshield, windows and exterior
mirrors.
XClean the steps, door sills and grab handles.
This increases safety of footing.
XClean the wheels/tires, wheel housings and
the underbody of the vehicle with a water jet. This increases road grip, especially on wet
road surfaces.
XCheck the wheels/tires and wheel housings
for trapped foreign objects and remove them.
Trapped foreign objects can damage the
wheels/tires and may be flung out from the
vehicle when you continue driving.
XCheck the underbody for trapped branches or
other parts of plants and remove them.
Trapped branches or other parts of plants
increase the risk of fire and can cause dam-
age to fuel lines, brake hoses and the rubber
bellows of axle joints and drive shafts.
XClean the brake disks, brake pads and axle
joints, particularly after operation in sand,
mud, grit/gravel, water or similarly dirty con-
ditions.
XCheck the entire floor assembly, the tires,
wheels, bodywork structure, brakes, steering,
chassis and exhaust system for any damage.
XCheck the service brake for operating safety,
e.g. carry out a brake test.
XIf you notice strong vibrations after driving off-
road, check the wheels and drive train for for- eign objects again. Remove any foreign
objects which can lead to imbalances and
thus cause vibrations.
Driving in mountainous areas
When driving in mountainous areas, note that
the power output of the engine, and with it its
gradient climbing capability, decrease with
increasing altitude. Please take note of this par-
ticularly when driving with a trailer in mountain-ous areas.
The maximum permissible trailer loads are valid
for journeys at altitudes up to 1100 yds
(1000 m) above sea level with gradients up to
12%.
Information on maximum permissible trailer
loads can be found in your vehicle registration
papers and on the vehicle identification plate
(
Ypage 305) or under "Trailer loads"
(Ypage 316).
Driving tips143
Driving and parking
Z 

Display messagesPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
ÒThe tailgateis open .
XCloseth etailgate.
ÑThe rear door is open .
XCloseth erear door(s).
ÓAn additional warning tone sounds. The hoo dis open .
GWARNIN G
The open hoo dmay then bloc kyour vie wwhen th evehicl eis in motion .
There is aris kof an accident.
XStop th evehicl eimmediately, payin gattention to roa dand traffic
conditions.
XSecur eth evehicl eto preven tit from rollin gaway (Ypage 135).
XCloseth ehood.
CAn additional warning tone sounds while th evehicl eis in motion .The
display shows th eopen door(s).
XClos eall doors.
Ð
Power Steering Mal ‐function See Oper.Manual
An additional warning tone sounds. The steering powe rassistanc e
could be malfunctioning .You may need to steer mor eforcefully.
XCarefully continu eto aqualified specialist workshop and hav eth e
steering checke dimmediately.
Â
Obtain aNew Key
The ke yneeds to be replaced.
XVisit aqualified specialist workshop .
Phone No ServiceYour vehicleis outside th enetwork provider' stransmitter/receiver
range.
¥
Check Washer Fluid
The washer flui dlevel in th ewasher flui dreservoir has dropped belo w
th eminimum .
XAddwasher flui d (Ypage 258).
Indicatorand warning lamps in the instrume nt cluster
General notes
Whe nswitching on th eignition ,som esystems carry out aself-test .Some indicator and warning
lamp smay temporarily tur non or start to flash. This is no tan indication of any problem .Only when
these indicator and warning lights tur non or start flashin gafter th eengin ehas started or during th e
journey has amalfunction occurred .
Indicator and warning lamps in the instrument cluster221
On-board computer and displays
Z 

Vehicle
Warning/
indicator
lampNSignal type
Possible causes/consequences and M
Solutions
ÐNThe red power steering warning lamp is lit while the engine is running. An addi-
tional warning tone sounds.
The steering power assistance could be malfunctioning. You may need to steer
more forcefully.
XCarefully continue to a qualified specialist workshop and have the steering
checked immediately.
1N The yellow "door open" indicator lamp is lit.
A door is not fully closed.
XClose the doors.
Indicator and warning lamps in the instrument cluster231
On-board computer and displays
Z 

XConnect the negative terminal clamp of the
jumper cable to negative terminal;of the
donor veh icle's battery, and then to earth
contact ?of your own veh icle.
XInsert the key into the ignition lock and start
the engine.
You can now switch electrical consumers
back on except the lighting system.
XBefore disconnecting the jumper cables, let
the engine run for several minutes.
XDisconnect the negative terminal of the
jumper cable from earth contact ?and then
from negative terminal ;of the donor veh i-
cle's battery.
XDisconnect the positive terminal clamp of the
jumper cable from positive terminal Aon the
jump-starting connection point, and then
from positive terminal =of the donor veh i-
cle's battery.
Contact protection cover :isautomatically
returned forwards to its original position by
the spring force and the jump-starting con-
nection pointis closed.
XPosition the cover on positive terminal =of
the donor veh icle's battery.
You can now switch on the lighting system.
XHave the battery checked at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
Tow-starting and towing away
Important safety notes
GWAR NING
Functions relevant to safety are restricted or
no longer availab leif:
Rthe engine isnot running.
Rthe brake system or the power steering is
malfunctioning.
Rthere isa malfunction inthe voltage supply
or the veh icle's electrical system.
If your veh icle is bein g towed, much more
force may benecessary to steer or brake.
There isa risk of an acc ident.
In such cases, use a tow bar. Before to wing,
make sure that the steering moves freely.
GWARNING
You can no longer steer the vehicle ifthe
steering wheel lock has been engaged. There
is a risk of an accident.
Alwa ysswit ch off the ignition when to wingthe
vehicle with a tow cable or a tow bar.
GWARNING
When to wingor tow-starting another vehicle
and its weight isgreater than the permissible
gross weight of your vehicle, the:
Rthe to wingeye could detach itself
Rthe 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.
In formation on the gross vehicle weight can be
found on the vehicle identification plate
(
Ypage 305).
!Secure the tow rope or tow bar to the to wing
eye or trailer tow hitch only. Otherwise, the
vehicle could become damaged.
!Do not use the to wingeye for recovery, this
could damage the vehicle. If indoubt, recover
the vehicle with a crane.
!Drive slowly and smoothly when to wing.
Excessive tractive power could otherwise
damage the vehicles.
!Shift the automatic transmission to Nand
do not open the driver's or front passenger's
door during to wing. The automatic transmis-
sion may otherwise shift to position P,whic h
could damage the transmission.
!The vehicle can be towed a maximum of
30 miles (50km ).The to wingspeed of 30 mph
(50 km/h) must not be exceeded.
If the vehicle has to betowed more than
30 mile
s(50k
m) ,the entire vehicl emust be
raised and transported.
When towing away, you must observe the legal
requirements for the country in which you are
currently driving.
It is better to have the vehicle transported than
to have it towed.
276Tow-starting and towing away
Breakdown assistance 

Towing the vehicle with both axles on
the ground
Important safety notes
GWARNING
You can no longer steer the vehicle if the
steering wheel lock has been engaged. There
is a risk of an accident.
Always switch off the ignition when towing the
vehicle with a tow cable or a tow bar.
!Do not exceed the towing speed of 30 mph
(50 km/h). You could otherwise damage the
transmission.
Please observe the important safety notes
before towing your vehicle (
Ypage 276).
Towing vehicles with automatic trans-
mission
XTurn the key to position 2in the ignition lock.
XDepress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
XShift the automatic transmission to position
N.
XLeave the key in position 2in the ignition lock.
XSwitch on the hazard warning lamps
(Ypage 98).
XRelease the parking brake.
XRelease the brake pedal.
XDo not exceed the towing speed of 30 mph
(50 km/h).
Recovering a vehicle that is stuck
!
When recovering a vehicle that has become
stuck, pull it as smoothly and evenly as pos-
sible. Excessive tractive power could damage
the vehicles.
If the drive wheels get trapped on loose or
muddy ground, recover the vehicle with the
utmost care. This is especially the case if the
vehicle is laden.
Never attempt to recover a vehicle with a trailer
attached.
Pull out the vehicle backwards, if possible, using
the tracks it made when it became stuck.
Transporting the vehicle
!
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 or trailer tow hitch can be used
to pull the vehicle onto a trailer or transporter if
you wish to transport it.
XTurn the key to position 2in the ignition lock.
XShift the transmission to position N.
XRelease the parking brake.
If the vehicle is loaded:
XShift the transmission to position P.
XTurn the key to position 0in the ignition lock
and remove it.
XMake sure the parking brake is applied.
XLash down the vehicle.
Tow-starting (emergency engine
starting)
General notes
!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
"Jump-starting“ (
Ypage 274).
Electrical fuses
The fuse allocation chart and important safety
information on the fuses can be found in the
"Fuse allocation chart" supplement.
278Electrical fuses
Breakdown assistance