Page 233 of 317

Driving and operating231and may cause engine stalling, poorstarting or damage on the fuel
injection system.
Refuelling9 Danger
Before refuelling, switch off
ignition and any external heaters
with combustion chambers.
Switch off any mobile phones.
Follow the operating and safety
instructions of the filling station
when refuelling.
9 Danger
Fuel is flammable and explosive.
No smoking. No naked flames or
sparks.
If you can smell fuel in your
vehicle, have the cause of this
remedied immediately by a
workshop.
A label with symbols at the fuel filler
flap is indicating the allowed fuel
types. In Europe the pump nozzles of the filling stations are marked with
these symbols. Refuel only the
allowed fuel type.
Caution
In case of misfuelling, do not
switch on ignition.
Fuel filler flap is located at right rear
side of the vehicle.
The fuel filler flap can only be opened
if the vehicle is unlocked. Release the
fuel filler flap by pushing the flap.
Petrol and Diesel refuelling To open, turn the cap slowly
anticlockwise.
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232Driving and operating
The fuel filler cap can be retained in
the bracket on the fuel filler flap.
To refuel, fully insert the pump nozzle
and switch it on.
After the automatic cut-off, the tank can be topped up by operating the
pump nozzle a maximum of two more
times.
Caution
Wipe off any overflowing fuel
immediately.
To close, turn the fuel filler cap
clockwise until it clicks.
Close the flap and engage.
Vehicles with misfuel inhibitor9 Warning
Do not try to open the flap of the
fuel filler neck manually on
vehicles with misfuel inhibitor.
Disregarding this could lead to
trapping of the fingers.
Vehicles with a selective catalytic
reduction system are equipped with a
misfuel inhibitor.
The misfuel inhibitor ensures that the flap of the fuel filler neck can only be
opened by using a nozzle for diesel
fuel or a funnel for emergency
refilling.
Turn the fuel filler cap slowly
anticlockwise.
The cap can be retained in the
bracket on the fuel filler flap.
Place the nozzle in a straight line to the filler neck and press with slight
force to insert.
In case of an emergency, refill with a
canister. A funnel must be used to
open the cap of the filler neck.
Page 235 of 317

Driving and operating233The funnel is located on the right-
hand side storage compartment in the
load compartment.
Place the funnel in a straight line to
the filler neck and press with slight
force to insert.
Use the funnel to fill the diesel fuel into the filler neck.
After topping-up, put the funnel into
the plastic bag and stow it in the storage compartment.
Selective catalytic reduction system
3 190.
Fuel filler cap Only use genuine fuel filler caps.
Diesel-engined vehicles have special
fuel filler caps.Trailer hitch
General information Only use towing equipment that has
been approved for your vehicle.
Vehicles with natural gas engines
require special towing equipment.
Entrust retrofitting of towing
equipment to a workshop. It may be
necessary to make changes that
affect the cooling system, heat
shields or other equipment.
The bulb outage detection function for trailer brake light cannot detect a
partial bulb outage. E.g. in case of
4x 5 Watt bulbs, the function only
detects lamp outage when only a
single 5 Watt lamp remains or none
remain.
Fitting of towing equipment could
cover the opening of the towing eye.
If this is the case use the coupling ball
bar for towing. Always keep the
coupling ball bar in the vehicle.Driving characteristics and
towing tips
Before attaching a trailer, lubricatethe coupling ball. However, do not do
so if a stabiliser, which acts on the coupling ball, is being used to reduce
snaking movements.
For trailers with low driving stability
and caravan trailers with a permitted
gross vehicle weight of more than
1300 kg the use of a stabiliser is
strongly recommended when driving
above 80 km/h.
If the trailer starts snaking, drive more slowly, do not attempt to correct the
steering and brake sharply if
necessary.
When driving downhill, drive in the
same gear as if driving uphill and
drive at a similar speed.
Adjust tyre pressure to the value
specified for full load 3 297.
Page 236 of 317

234Driving and operatingTrailer towingTrailer loadsThe permissible trailer loads are
vehicle and engine-dependent
maximum values which must not be
exceeded. The actual trailer load is
the difference between the actual
gross weight of the trailer and the
actual coupling socket load with the
trailer coupled.
The permissible trailer loads are
specified in the vehicle documents. In
general, they are valid for gradients
up to 12%.
The permissible trailer load applies
up to the specified incline and at sea
level. Since engine power decreases
as altitude increases due to the air
becoming thinner, therefore reducing
climbing ability, the permissible gross train weight also decreases by 10%
for every 1000 metres of altitude. The
gross train weight does not have to be reduced when driving on roads with
slight inclines (less than 8%, e.g.
motorways).The permissible gross train weight
must not be exceeded. This weight is
specified on the identification plate
3 287.
Vertical coupling load
The vertical coupling load is the load
exerted by the trailer on the coupling
ball. It can be varied by changing the
weight distribution when loading the
trailer.
The maximum permissible vertical
coupling load (75 kg) is specified on
the towing equipment identification
plate and in the vehicle documents.
Note
Engines D16DTH, D16DTJ,
D20DTH and D20DTJ: Depending
on the equipment the maximum
permissible vertical coupling load
can be 75 kg or 60 kg.
Always aim for the maximum load,
especially in the case of heavy
trailers. The vertical coupling load
should never fall below 25 kg.Rear axle load
When the trailer is coupled and the
towing vehicle fully loaded, the
permissible rear axle load (see
identification plate or vehicle
documents) may be exceeded by
60 kg , the gross vehicle weight rating
may be exceeded by 60 kg. If the permissible rear axle load is
exceeded, a maximum speed of
100 km/h applies.
Towing equipmentCaution
When operating without a trailer,
remove the coupling ball bar.
Page 237 of 317
Driving and operating235Stowage of coupling ball bar
The coupling ball bar is stowed in the
stowage compartment in the right
sidewall.
Fitting the coupling ball bar
Disengage and fold down the socket. Remove the sealing plug from the
opening for the coupling ball bar and
stow it.
Checking the tensioning of the
coupling ball bar
● Red marking on rotary knob must
point towards green marking on
coupling ball bar.
● The gap between the rotary knob
and the coupling ball bar must be approx. 6 mm.
● The key must be in position c.
Otherwise, the coupling ball bar must be tensioned before being inserted:
● Unlock coupling ball bar by turning key to position c.
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236Driving and operating
● Pull out rotary knob and turnclockwise as far as it will go.
Inserting the coupling ball bar
Insert the tensioned coupling ball bar
in the opening and push firmly
upwards until it audibly engages.
The rotary handle snaps back into its
original position, resting against the
coupling ball bar without a gap.9 Warning
Do not touch rotary handle during
insertion.
Lock the coupling ball bar by turning
the key to position e. Remove the key
and close the protective flap.
Eye for break-away stopping cable
Attach breakaway stopping cable to
eye.
Check that the coupling ball bar is correctly installed
● Green marking on rotary knob must point towards green
marking on coupling ball bar.
● There must be no gap between the rotary handle and the
coupling ball bar.
● The coupling ball bar must be firmly engaged in the opening.
● The coupling ball bar must be locked and the key removed.9Warning
Towing a trailer is permitted only
when a coupling ball bar is fitted correctly. If the coupling ball bardoes not engage correctly, seekthe assistance of a workshop.
Page 239 of 317
Driving and operating237Dismounting the coupling ball bar
Open the protective flap and turn the
key to position c to unlock the
coupling ball bar.
Pull out rotary handle and turn
clockwise as far as it will go. Pull out coupling ball bar downwards.
Insert sealing plug in opening. Fold away socket.
Trailer stability assist
If the system detects snaking
movements, engine power is reduced
and the vehicle/trailer combination is
selectively braked until the snaking ceases. While system is working keep steering wheel as still as possible.
Trailer stability assist (TSA) is a
function of the Electronic Stability
Control 3 200.
Page 240 of 317

238Vehicle careVehicle careGeneral Information...................239
Accessories and vehicle modifications .......................... 239
Vehicle storage ........................239
End-of-life vehicle recovery .....240
Vehicle checks ........................... 240
Performing work ......................240
Bonnet ..................................... 240
Engine oil ................................. 241
Engine coolant ......................... 242
Power steering fluid .................243
Washer fluid ............................ 244
Brakes ..................................... 244
Brake fluid ............................... 244
Vehicle battery ......................... 244
Diesel fuel system bleeding .....246
Wiper blade replacement ........246
Bulb replacement .......................247
Halogen headlights ..................247
LED headlights ........................ 249
Front fog lights ......................... 249
Tail lights ................................. 250
Side turn lights ......................... 253
Number plate light ...................253Interior lights ............................ 254
Instrument panel illumination ...254
Electrical system ........................254
Fuses ....................................... 254
Engine compartment fuse box . 256
Instrument panel fuse box .......258
Load compartment fuse box ....259
Vehicle tools .............................. 261
Tools ........................................ 261
Wheels and tyres .......................261
Winter tyres ............................. 261
Tyre designations ....................261
Tyre pressure .......................... 262
Tyre pressure monitoring system .................................... 263
Tread depth ............................. 266
Changing tyre and wheel size . 267
Wheel covers ........................... 267
Tyre chains .............................. 267
Tyre repair kit .......................... 267
Wheel changing .......................270
Spare wheel ............................ 271
Jump starting ............................. 276
Towing ....................................... 278
Towing the vehicle ...................278
Towing another vehicle ...........279Appearance care .......................280
Exterior care ............................ 280
Interior care ............................. 282