
#
When driving on unpa vedro ads or off-
ro ad, regular lych eck theve hicle under‐
side. #
Remo vetrapped plants or other flam‐
mable material. #
Ifth ere is damage, consult a qualified
specialist workshop immediately. *
NO
TEDama getotheve hicle af ter driving
off-road When driving off-road or on unpa
ved sur fa‐
ces, fore ign bodies such as stones and
branches could become trapped on theve hi‐
cle underside, on wheels and tires, causing
damage totheve hicle.
Fo reign bodies could cause thefo llowing
damage:
R Damage the suspension, the fuel tank or
th e brake sy stem.
R Disturb the balance and cause vibrations. #
Regular lyremo veany trapped fore ign
bodies, e.g. stones and branches. #
After driving off-road, check carefully
whe ther there is any damage tothe
ve hicle. #
Ifth ere is damage, ha vetheve hicle
ch ecked at a qualified specialist work‐
shop. When driving off-road or on unpa
ved sur faces,
ch eck theve hicle underside, wheels and tires
re gularly at regular inter vals. In particular,
re mo veany trapped fore ign bodies, e.g. stones
and branches.
Obser vethefo llowing no tesre ga rding fore ign
bodies of this kind:
R They may damage the suspension, the fuel
ta nk or the brake sy stem.
R They may disturb the balance and cause
vibrations.
R They may be flung out from theve hicle when
yo u continue driving.
If th ere is any damage, inform a qualified special‐
ist workshop.
When driving off-road on steep inclines, you must
make sure that the DEF tank is su fficiently filled.
Therefore, ensure a le vel of at least ten li ters
before off-road driving. When driving off-road and on con
stru ction sites,
sand, mud and water,also mixed with oil, can get
into the brakes. This may lead toare duction in
braking ef fect or total brake failure, also as a
re sult of increased wear. The braking characteris‐
tics will vary depending on the material that has
got into the sy stem. Clean the brakes af ter driv‐
ing off-road. If youth en notice a reduced braking
ef fect or hear scraping noises, ha vethe brake
sy stem checked immediately at a qualified spe‐
cialist workshop. Adjust your driving style to the
ch anged braking characteristics.
Driving off- road or on con stru ction sites increa‐
ses the possibility of vehicle damage which may
in turn lead tothefa ilure of cer tain major assem‐
blies and sy stems. Adapt your driving style to the
off-road driving conditions. Drive carefull y.Ha ve
any vehicle damage rectified at a qualified spe‐
cialist workshop as soon as possible.
When driving on rough cross-country terrain, do
not shift the transmission into the neutral posi‐
tion and do not disengage the clutch. You could
lose control when attem pting tobrake theve hicle
with the service brake. If your vehicle cannot
manage an uphill incline, drive back down in
re ve rsege ar.
When loading your vehicle for off-road driving or
on a construction site, keep theve hicle's center
of gr avity as low as possible.
Checklist before off-road driving R Check the fuel and DEF le vels (/ page163)
and add if necessary (/ page 125).
R Engine: check the oil le vel and add oil if nec‐
essary (/ page 205). Before driving up or
down extreme inclines or slopes, fill th e oil to
th e maximum le vel.
% If
yo u drive up or down extreme inclines or
slopes, the00B2 symbol may appear in the
multifunction displa y.The engine operating
saf ety is not put at risk if you ha vefilled the
engine oil tothe maximum le vel before the
jou rney.
R Vehicle tool kit: check that the jack is work‐
ing (/ page 250).
R Make sure that a lug wrench (/ page 250), a
wo oden underlay forth e jac k,aro bust tow
ro pe, a folding spade and a wheel chock are
car ried in theve hicle.
R Tire s and wheels: check the tire tread dep th
( / page 232) and the tire pressure
(/ page 239). Driving and parking
111

Ru
les for off-road driving
Alw ays be aware of the ground clearance of the
ve hicle and avoid obs tacles such as deep tire
ru ts.
Obs tacles can damage thefo llowing parts of the
ve hicle, forex ample:
R Suspension
R Driv etra in
R Fuel and supply tanks
The refore , alw ays drive slowly when off-road. If
yo u must drive over obs tacles, ha vethe co-driver
instruct you.
% Mercedes-Benz
recommends that you addi‐
tionally car rya sho vel and a reco very rope
with a shackle in theve hicle.
R Make sure that loads and items of luggage
are securely stored or lashed down
(/ page 72).
R Before driving off-road, stop theve hicle and
engage a low gear.
R Vehicles with DSR: activate DSR when you
are driving downhill (/ page120).
R All-wheel drive vehicles: activate the all-
wheel drive (/ page119) and, if necessa ry,
activate theLO W RANGE transmission ratio
(/ page 119).
R Ifth e sur face requ ires, temp orarily deactivate
ASR when pulling away ( /page 119).
R Only drive off-road with the engine running
and a gear engaged.
R Drive slowly and smo othly. Wa lking pace is
necessary in many situations.
R Avoid spinning the driven wheels.
R Always ensure that the wheels remain in con‐
ta ct wi th the ground.
R Exercise the utmost caution when driving
across unfamiliar, unpredictable terrain. As a
precaution, getout of theve hicle totake a
look at thero ute tobe take nfirs t.
R Look out for obs tacles (e.g. rocks, holes, tree
st umps and tire ruts).
R Avoid edges where the sur face could crumble
or break away.
Ru les forfo rd ing off-road (all-wheel drive
ve hicles)
R Obser vethe saf ety no tes and general no tes
on driving off-road. R
Check the dep thand characteristics of the
body of water before ford ing. The water must
not be deeper than 23.6 in (60 cm).
R The climate control sy stem is switched off
(/ page 95).
R The auxiliary heating is switched off
(/ page 100).
R Swit chon all-wheel drive (/ page118) and
engage it on vehicles with theLO W RANGE
transmission ratio (/ page 119).
R Restrict the shift range to1or 2.
R Avoid high engine speeds.
R Drive slowly and smoo thly at no more than a
wa lking pace.
R Ensure that no bow wavefo rm s while driving.
R Afterfo rd ing, dry the brakes.
Af ter driving thro ugh a body of water deeper than
19 .7 in (50 cm), make su retocheck all vehicle
fl uids for any signs of penetration bywate r.
Checklist af ter driving off-road
If yo ufind damage totheve hicle af ter off-road
driving, ha vetheve hicle checked at a qualified
specialist workshop immediatel y.
Driving overro ugh terrain places greater
demands on your vehicle than normal road opera‐
tion. Check your vehicle af ter driving on rough
te rrain. This allo wsyouto detect damage
prom ptly and reduce therisk of an accident for
yo urself and other road users. Clean your vehicle
th oroughly before driving on public roads.
Obse rveth efo llowing points af ter driving off-
ro ad, on con stru ction sites and before driving on
public roads:
R Vehicles with DSR: deactivate DSR
(/ page 120).
R All-wheel drive vehicles: deactivate the all-
wheel drive (/ page119).
R Activate ASR (/ page 119).
R Clean theex terior lighting, particular lythe
headlamp s andtail lamps, and check them
fo r dama ge.
R Clean the front and rear license plates.
R Clean the windshield, windo wsand outside
mir rors.
R Clean thesteps, entra nces and grab handles.
This increases the saf ety of your foot ing.
R Clean the wheels and tires, wheel wells and
th e underbody of theve hicle with a water jet. 11 2
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