
Information about transport
byrail
Tr ansporting your vehicle byrail may be subject
to cer tain restrictions or requ ire special meas‐
ures tobe take n in some countries due tovarying
tunnel heights and loading standards.
Yo u can obtain information about this from any
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Note s on brakes &
WARNING Risk of skidding and of an
accident due toshifting down on slippery
ro ad sur faces
If yo u shift down on slippery road sur faces to
inc rease the engine braking ef fect, the drive
wheels may lose traction. #
Do not shift down on slippery road sur‐
fa ces toinc rease the engine braking
ef fect. &
WARNING Risk of accident due tothe
brake sy stem overheating
If yo u lea veyour foot on the brake pedal
when driving, the brake sy stem may overheat.
This increases the braking dis tance and the
brake sy stem may evenfa il. #
Never use the brake pedal as a foot re st. #
Do not depress the brake pedal and the
accelerator pedal at the same time
while driving. Downhill
gradients
On long and steep downhill gradients you should
obse rveth efo llowing instructions:
R invehicles with an automatic transmission,
shift down toshift ranges 2or 1in good time
so that the engine is running at a medium to
high engine speed (/ page117).
% Cha
nge the shift range in good time when
cruise control is acti vated. Obser vethe driv‐
ing tips (/ page105).
Yo uth ereby make use of the braking ef fect of the
engine and do not ha vetobrake as of tento main‐
tai nth e speed. This relie vesth e load on the
service brake and pr events the brakes from over‐
heating and wearing tooqu ickl y. Heavy and light loads &
WARNING Risk of accident due tothe
brake sy stem overheating
If yo u lea veyour foot on the brake pedal
when driving, the brake sy stem may overheat.
This increases the braking dis tance and the
brake sy stem may evenfa il. #
Never use the brake pedal as a foot re st. #
Do not depress the brake pedal and the
accelerator pedal at the same time
while driving. If
th e brakes ha vebeen subjected toa heavy
load, do not stop theve hicle immediately. Drive
on for a short while. The brakes cool down more
qu ickly in the air flow.
If th e brakes ha vebeen used only moderatel y,
yo u should occasionally test their ef fectiveness.
To do this, brake more firm lyfrom a higher speed
while paying attention tothe tra ffic conditions.
The brakes will grip better as a result.
We tro ad sur faces
If yo u ha vebeen driving for a long time in heavy
ra in without braking, there may be a dela yed
re sponse when youfirs t apply the brakes. This
may also occur af ter driving thro ugh a car wash
or deep water.Yo u must depress the brake pedal
more firm ly. Main tain a longer di stance tothe
ve hicle in front.
While paying attention tothe tra ffic conditions,
yo u should brake theve hicle firm ly af ter driving
on a wetro ad sur face or thro ugh a car wash. This
heats the brake discs so that they dry more
qu ickl y,which pr otects them against cor rosion.
Limited braking ef fect on salt-trea tedro ads:
R a layer of salt on the brake discs or brakepads
can increase braking dis tances conside rably,
or braking may happen on only one side
R maintain an especially lar gesafe dis tance to
th eve hicle in front
To remo vethe la yer of salt:
R apply the brakes from time totime, paying
attention totraf fic conditions
R carefully dep ress the brake pedal at the end
of a journey and af terth est art of a new jour‐
ney
Checking the brakepad thickness
In addition tomonitoring using the brakepad wear
sensor, regular lymonitor and check all of the 108
Driving and pa rking

Information about driving in winter
&
DANG ER Risk of fata l injury due topoi‐
sonous exhaust gases
If th eta ilpipe is bloc ked or suf ficient ventila‐
tion is not possible, poisonous exhaust gases
such as carbon monoxide may enter theve hi‐
cle. This is the case if theve hicle getsst uck
in sn ow,fo rex ample. #
Keep theta ilpipe and the area around
th eve hicle free from snow when the
engine or thest ationary heater are run‐
ning. #
Open a window on the windward side of
th eve hicle toensure an adequate sup‐
ply of fresh air. &
WARNING Risk of skidding and of an
accident due toshifting down on slippery
ro ad sur faces
If yo u shift down on slippery road sur faces to
inc rease the engine braking ef fect, the drive
wheels may lose traction. #
Do not shift down on slippery road sur‐
fa ces toinc rease the engine braking
ef fect. Ve
hicles with automatic transmissions may roll in
neut ral position 005Cfor only a short time. Allowing
th e wheels torollfo r longer, e.g. when towing,
causes transmission damage.
If th eve hicle thre atens toskid, or cannot be stop‐
ped when tr aveling at a low speed, you can stabi‐
lize theve hicle using thefo llowing measures:
R Shift the automatic transmission toneutral
position 005C.
R Tryto maintain control of theve hicle using
cor rective steering.
Drive particularly carefully on slippery roads.
Av oid sudden acceleration, steering and braking
maneuver.
Ha ve your vehicle winterized at a qualified spe‐
cialist workshop in good time at the onset of win‐
te r.
Obser vethe instructions in the section "No tes on
snow chains" (/ page 233).
Re gular lych eck theve hicle and remo vesnow or
ice when tr aveling in wintry conditions. An accumulation of snow and ice, particular
ly
when frozen, in the area around the air intake,
moving parts, the axles and the wheel housing,
may cause thefo llowing problems:
R Obstruction of the air intake
R Damage tovehicle parts
R Malfunctions due torestriction of mobility
intended bythe design (e.g. reduced steering
mo vement)
If th ere is any damage, inform a qualified special‐
ist workshop.
Information about driving off-road &
WARNING Risk of accident if you do not
ke ep toline of fall on inclines
If yo u drive at an angle or turn on an incline,
th eve hicle could slip side ways, tip and roll‐
ove r. #
Always drive on inclines in the line of fall
(straight up or down) and do not turn. &
WARNING Risk of inju rydue toacceler‐
ating forc e during off-road driving
When driving off-road on une ven su rfaces,
th efo rc e of theve hicle's acceleration af fects
yo ur body from all directions.
Yo u could, forex ample, be thro wn from your
seat. #
Alwayswe ar a seat belt when driving
off- road. &
WARNING Risk of inju ryto the hands
when driving over obs tacles
If yo u drive over obs tacles or in tire ruts, the
st eering wheel may fold back and cause inju‐
ri es tothe hands. #
Steering wheel must alw ays be held
securely with bo thhands. #
When driving over obs tacles, expect
increased steering forc es at short
notice. &
WARNING Risk offire due toflammable
materials on hot parts of theex haust sys‐
tem
Flammable material such as lea ves, grass or
twigs may ignite if they come into contact
wi th hot parts of theex haust sy stem. 11 0
Driving and pa rking

#
Switch off the ignition and wait at least
15 minutes. #
Remo vecover1. #
Press and hold button 3.#
Pull plug 2out of the ground pin. #
Push plug 2asfar as possible in the direc‐
tion of the ar row sothat it cannot make con‐
ta ct wi th the ear thpin.
All star ter battery consumers are disconnec‐
te d from the po wer supp ly.
Switching on the po wer supply #
Press plug 2onto the ground pin until you
fe el it engage and plug 2is in full contact
with the ground pin.
All star ter battery consumers are reconnec‐
te dto the po wer supply. #
Fasten co ver1. Au
tomatic transmission DIRECT SELECT le
verFu
nction of the DIRECT SELECT le ver&
WARNING Risk of accident and inju ry
due tochildren left unat tended in the
ve hicle
If ch ildren are left unat tended in theve hicle,
th ey could:
R open doo rs,th ereby endangering other
persons or road users.
R get out of theve hicle and be hit by
oncoming traf fic. R
operate ve hicle equipment and become
trapped, forex ample.
In addition, children could also set theve hicle
in motion, forex ample, by:
R releasing the parking brake.
R shifting the automatic transmission out of
park position 005D.
R starting the engine #
Never lea vechildren and animals unat‐
te nded in theve hicle. #
When leaving theve hicle, alw aysta ke
th e SmartK eywith you and lock the
ve hicle. #
Keep the SmartK eyout of there ach of
ch ildren. &
WARNING Risk of accident due toincor‐
re ct gearshifting
If th e engine speed is higher than the idle
speed and you engage the transmission posi‐
tion 005Bor005E, theve hicle may accelerate
sharply. #
Ifyo u engage the transmission position
005B or005E always depress the brake
pedal firm lyand do not accelerate at
th e same time. Yo
u use the DIRECT SELECT le verto switch the
transmission position. The cur rent transmission
position appears in the multifunction displa y. 005D
Park position
005E Reversege ar
005C Neut ral
005B Drive position Driving and pa
rking 11 5

Engaging
reve rsege ar R #
Depress the brake pedal and push the
DIRECT SELECT le ver upwards past thefirst
point of resis tance.
Tr ansmission position display 005Eis shown in
th e multifunction displa y.
Selecting neutral N &
WARNING Risk of accident and inju ry
when neut ral position is engaged
If yo u park theve hicle with the transmission
in neutral position 005Cand the parking brake
is not engaged, theve hicle may rollaw ay.
There is a risk of accident and injur y.#
Before pa rking theve hicle, apply the
parking brake. #
Press the brake pedal and the DIRECT
SELECT le ver upwards or down wardsto the
fi rs t point of resis tance.
Tr ansmission position display 005Cis shown in
th e multifunction displa y.
Re leasing the brake pedal will allow youto mo ve
th eve hicle freely, e.g. topush it or tow it.
If th e automatic transmission should also
st ay in neutral 005C 005Cwhen the ignition is
switched off, car ryout thefo llowing: #
Start theve hicle. #
Depress the brake pedal and shift toneutral
005C. #
Release the brake pedal. #
Switch off the ignition.
% If
yo uth en lea vetheve hicle and the Smart‐
Ke y is still in theve hicle, the automatic trans‐
mission will stay in neut ral005C from then on.
Engaging park position P #
Press button 1.
Tr ansmission position display 005Dis shown in
th e multifunction displa y.
Pa rk position 005Dis engaged automatically when
one of thefo llowing conditions is me t:
R You swit choff the engine in transmission
position 005Bor005E.
R You open the driver's door when theve hicle is
st ationary or when driving at a very low speed
and in transmission position 005Bor005E
. 11 6
Driving and pa rking

Engaging drive position D
#
Dep ress the brake pedal and push the
DIRECT SELECT le ver down wards past the
fi rs t point of resis tance.
Tr ansmission position display 005Bis shown in
th e multifunction displa y.
The automatic transmission shifts thro ugh the
individual gears automatically when it is in trans‐
mission position 005B. This is determ ined bythe
fo llowing factors:
R Position of the accelerator pedal
R Driving speed Re
stricting the shift range Re
quirements:
R Transmission position 005Bis engaged
(/ page 117). #
Torestrict the shift range: briefly pull steer‐
ing wheel paddle shif ter1.
The automatic transmission shifts tothe next
ge ar down, depending on thege ar cur rently
engaged. The shi ftrange is also restricted.
The shi ftrange selected is shown in the multi‐
function displa y.The automatic transmission
shifts only as far as the selected gear. #
Pull and hold steering wheel paddle shif ter
1 .
The automatic transmission will change to a
shift range which allo wseasy acceleration
and deceleration. Todo this, the automatic
transmission shifts down one or more gears
and restricts the shift range.
The shi ftrange selected is shown in the multi‐
function displa y.The automatic transmission
shifts only as far as the selected gear.
% The automatic transmission does not shift
down if
you pull steering wheel paddle shif ter
1 whilst tr aveling at too high a speed.
If th e shift range is restricted and the maxi‐
mum engine speed forth ere stricted shi ft
ra nge is reached, the automatic transmission
will not shift up. #
Toderestrict the shi ftrange: briefly pull
st eering wheel paddle shif ter2.
The automatic transmission shifts tothe next
ge ar up, depending on thege ar cur rently
engaged. This de restricts the shift range at
th e same time.
The shift range selected is shown in the multi‐
function displa y.The automatic transmission
shifts only as far as the selected gear. #
Toderestrict the shi ftrange: pull and hold
st eering wheel paddle shif ter2.
or #
Engage transmission position 005Bagain
(/ page 117).
The automatic transmission shi fts up one or
more gears depending on thege ar cur rently
engaged. Simultaneously, the shift range
re striction is deactivated and the transmis‐
sion position appears in the multifunction dis‐
play 005B.
Ad apt the shift range tothe driving situation:
0049 Use
the engine's braking ef fect.
0048 Use
the engine's braking ef fect on downhill
gradients and when driving on steep roads,
in mountainous areas as well as under ardu‐
ous operating conditions. Driving and parking
117

0047
Use
the engine's braking ef fect on extremely
st eep downhill gradients and on long down‐
hill stre tches. Using kickdown
#
For maximum acceleration: depressthe
accelerator pedal be yond the pressure point. #
Ease off the accelera tor pedal once the
desired speed is reached. All-wheel drive
Note
s on all-wheel drive All-wheel drive ensures permanent drive
for all
fo ur wheels, and toget her with ESP ®
it impr oves
th e traction of theve hicle.
The traction contro l ofthe all-wheel drive also
ta ke s place via the brake sy stem. Therefore, the
brake sy stem can overheat during extreme off-
ro ad use. In this case, ease off the accelerator
pedal or stop toallow the brake sy stem tocool
down.
If a driven wheel spins due toinsuf ficient trac‐
tion, obser vethefo llowing no tes:
R When pulling away, make use of the traction
cont rol integrated in ESP ®
. Depress the
accelerator pedal as far as necessar y.
R Take your foot off the accelera tor pedal,
slowly, while theve hicle is in motion.
In wintry driving conditions, alw ays use winter
tires (M+S tires) and, if necessar y,snow chains
(/ page 233). Only in this wa y can the maximum
ef fect of all-wheel drive be achie ved.
Use DSR (Downhill Speed Regulation) when driv‐
ing downhill off-road (/ page120).
If yo ufa ilto adapt your driving style or if you are
inat tentive, the all-wheel drive sy stem can neither
re duce therisk of an accident nor override the
la ws of ph ysics. The all-wheel drive sy stem can‐
not take road, weather and traf fic conditions into
account. The all-wheel drive sy stem is only an
aid. You are responsible for maintaining a safe
dis tan ce from theve hicle in front, forve hicle
speed, for braking in good time and forst ay ing in
lane. *
NO
TERisk of damage tothe driv etra in
and the brake sy stem If
yo u operate vehicles with all-wheel drive on
a one-axle test st and, you may damage the
driv etra in or the brake sy stem. #
A function or per form ance test should
only be car ried out on a two-axle test
st and. #
Ifyo u wish tooperate theve hicle on
such a test st and, please consult a
qu alified specialist workshop in
advance. *
NO
TERisk of damage tothe transfer
case If
yo uto w theve hicle with a raised axle, the
trans fer case can getdamaged. Such damage
is not co veredby Mercedes-Benz Limited
Wa rrant y. #
Neverto w theve hicle with a raised axle. #
Only tow theve hicle with all wheels on
th e ground or fully raised. #
Notethe instructions on towing the
ve hicle with full contact with the ground
fo r all wheels. Engaging all-wheel drive
Conditions
for en gaging/disengaging
Yo u can engage and deactivate the all-wheel drive
when stationary or while driving slowl y.
When stationar y,thefo llowing must be obser ved:
R The engine is running.
R The steering wheel in thest ra ight-ahead posi‐
tion.
If th e all-wheel drive cann otbe engaged when
st ationary: #
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
shift the selector le ver from 005Cto005B from
005B to005C from 005Cto005E and back to005C .
Engaging and disengaging the all-wheel drive
can be made easier in this wa y.
Obser vethefo llowing when driving slowly:
R The engine is running.
R The vehicle is not tr aveling fasterthan
6.2 mph (1 0 km/h).
R The vehicle is not being driven around a bend. 11 8
Driving and pa rking

If it is not possible
toengage all-wheel drive when
th eve hicle is rolling: #
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
brief lymo vethe selector le verto 005C . Engaging/disen
gaging all-wheel drive *
NO
TERisk of damage tothe transfer
case If
yo ustep on the accelerator pedal while the
all-wheel drive is engaged or disen gage d, the
trans fer case may be dama ged. #
Do not step on the accelera tor pedal
when the indicator lamp in the switch
fo rth e all-wheel drive is flashing. #
Toengage/disen gage:press the upper sec‐
tion of switch 1.
The indicator lamp in switch 1flashes while
th e all-wheel drive is engaged or disengaged.
The 00E5 and003D warning lamps light up in
th e instrument displa y.ESP ®
and ASR are
deacti vatedfo rth e duration of the shift oper‐
ation. If the shift operation is successful, the
00E5 and003D warning lamps in the instru‐
ment display go out and ESP ®
and ASR are
re activated.
As long as the indicator lamp in switch 1is
fl ashing, you can cancel the shift operation by
pressing switch 1again. If the shift operation
fa ils, the indicator lamp in switch 1brief ly
fl ashes thre e times. One of the shift conditions
wa s not met.
If th e indicator lamp in switch 1lights up, all-
wheel drive is engaged. A releva nt messa ge
appears in the display of the on-board computer. %
If
th eLO W RANGE gear reduction is engaged,
th e all-wheel drive cann otbe disengaged. Fu
nction of theLO W RANGE gear reduction The
LOW RANGE gear reduction enables very
slow driving in there spective gears. If you engage
LO W RANGE, the engine's per form ance charac‐
te rist ics and the automatic transmission's shift‐
ing characteristics are adjus ted according ly. The
transmission ratio from the engine tothe wheels
is around 40% lo werth an in thero ad position.
The drive torque is in creased cor respondingly.
Conditions for en gaging/disengaging
The following shifting conditions must be met in
order toengage or disengage LOW RANGE:
R All-wheel drive is engaged (/ page119).
R The engi ne isrunning.
R The vehicle is stationar y.
R You depress the brake pedal.
R Vehicles with automatic transmission: the
selector le ver is in position 005Dor005C. Engaging and disen
gaging LOW range 1
Enga ging and disengaging LOWrange
% On
vehicles with DSR (Downhill Speed Regu‐
lation), switch 1isreplaced with the switch
fo r DSR. Driving and parking
11 9

#
Toswitch electronic le vel control on
again: press button 4again.
The indicator lamp on button 4goes out.
Using the but ton in the control panel #
Park theve hicle, leaving the ignition switched
on. #
Tolowe r automatical ly:brie fly press the
lo we r section of switch 2.
Electronic le vel control automatically lo wers
th eve hicle. #
Tostop the mo vement, brief lypress the upper
section of switch 1. #
Toraise todriving le vel:briefly press the
upper section of swit ch1.
Electronic le vel control automatically raises
th eve hicle tothe driving le vel. #
Tostop the mo vement, brief lypress the lo wer
section of switch 2. #
Toswitch on automaticall y:drive at over
6.2 mph (10 km/h) or release the parking
brake.
Elect ronic le vel control controls theve hicle
le ve l automaticall y. Using electronic le
vel control forch arging
with air in an emer gency Only
forve hicles with valves for electronic le vel
control emergency charging. If electronic le velcontrol is malfunctioning and
theve hicle is lean‐
ing, you can raise or lo werth eve hicle bycon‐
necting an extern al compressed-air source toone
of the emer gency valves (tire valves). If elect ronic
le ve l control is deactivated, you can drive on
carefully tothe nearest qualified specialist work‐
shop and ha vethe malfunction remedied.
* NO
TEDama gedue topressure being too
high If
th e pressure in the air suspension bello ws
is too high, the compressed-air lines or the air
suspension bello wsmay be dama ged. #
Ensure you obse rveth e maximum per‐
missible operating pressure of 600 kPa
(6 bar/87 psi). #
Apply the parking brake. #
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
shift the transmission toposition 005D. #
Switch off electronic le vel control
(/ page 123). #
Switch off the engine and open the hood
(/ page 202). #
Unscr ewtheva lve cap of the cor responding
va lve. #
Connect theex tern al compressed-air source. #
Raise or lo werth eve hicle le velby charging or
re leasing compressed air until the driving
le ve l has been reached and theve hicle is in a
horizontal position. While doing so, ensure
yo u obse rveth e maximum permissible oper‐
ating pressure of 600 kPa (6 bar/87 psi). #
Disconnect theex tern al compressed-air
source. #
Tighten theva lve caps on theva lves. #
Close the hood (/ page 202). #
Drive on carefully tothe nearest qualified
specialist workshop. 124
Driving and pa rking