Switching on the standing lamps:
X Turn the key to position 0 (Y page 127) in
the ignition lock or remove the key.
X Right-hand standing lamp: turn the light
switch to position X.
X Left-hand standing lamp: turn the light
switch to position W.Combination switch
Turn signal lamp :
To indicate a right turn
; To indicate a left turn
X To indicate: press the combination switch
in desired direction : or ; until it
engages.
The combination switch automatically
returns to its original position after large
steering movements.
X To indicate briefly: press the combination
switch briefly in desired direction : or ;.
The corresponding turn signal flashes three
times. High-beam headlamps and high-beam
flasher :
High-beam headlamps
; High-beam flasher
X To switch on the high-beam headlamps:
turn the light switch to
L or Ã.
X Press the combination switch forwards :.
The K indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up.
i In the à position, the high-beam head-
lamps are only switched on when it is dark
and the engine is running.
X To switch off the high-beam headlamps:
move the combination switch back to its
normal position.
The K indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster goes out.
X To flash the headlamps: turn the key to
position 1 or 2 in the ignition lock.
X Pull the combination switch briefly in direc-
tion of arrow ;. Hazard warning lamps
G
WARNING
If you open the rear-end doors 90°, the rear
lighting systems are no longer visible. The
vehicle will then be difficult for other road
users to see or will not be seen by them at
all, particularly if it is dark or visibility is
poor. There is a risk of an accident.
You should therefore ensure in this and simi-
lar situations that the vehicle is visible from
the rear in accordance with the relevant
national regulations, by using the warning
triangle, for instance. Exterior lighting
101
Lights and windshield wipers Z
Useful information
This Operator's Manual describes all models
as well as standard and optional equipment of
your vehicle that were available at the time of
going to print. Country-specific variations are
possible. Note that your vehicle may not be
equipped with all of the described functions.
This also applies to systems and functions rel-
evant to safety.
Read the information on qualified specialist
workshops (Y page
32).Overview of climate control systems
Important safety notes
Observe the recommended settings on the fol-
lowing pages. Otherwise, the windows could
fog up.
To prevent the windows from fogging up:
R only switch off climate control briefly
R only switch on air-recirculation mode briefly
R for vehicles with air-conditioning system or
dual-zone automatic climate control, switch
on the "Cooling with air dehumidification"
function
R for vehicles with dual-zone automatic cli-
mate control, switch on the windshield
defrosting function briefly, if required Climate control regulates the temperature and
the humidity in the vehicle interior and filters
undesirable substances from the air.
Climate control is only operational when the
engine is running. The system only functions
optimally when the side windows are closed.
Ventilate the vehicle for a brief period during
warm weather. In order to cool the vehicle
more rapidly, switch climate control to air-
recirculation mode briefly. This will speed up
the cooling process and the desired interior
temperature will be reached more quickly.
The integrated filter can filter out most parti-
cles of dust and completely filters out pollen.
In vehicles with dual-zone automatic climate
control, gaseous pollutants and odors will also
be reduced. A clogged filter reduces the air-
flow into the vehicle interior. For this reason,
you should always observe the interval for
replacing the filter, which is specified in the
Maintenance Booklet. As the interval between
changes depends on environmental condi-
tions, e.g. heavy air pollution, the interval may
be shorter than stated in the Maintenance
Booklet. 114
Overview of climate control systems
Climate control
R
If you wish to use the driver's side settings
on the co-driver's side and, for vehicles with
rear-compartment air conditioning, for the
rear compartment as well, use the "Synchro-
nization" function. The indicator lamp in the
0 button comes on when the function is
switched on.
R After long journeys, you can use the residual
heat of the engine to heat the stationary
vehicle. The residual heat utilization can
only be switched on or off while the ignition
is switched off. The indicator lamp in the
Ì button comes on when the function is
switched on.
Approximately 60 minutes after parking the
vehicle, 3-zone automatic climate control can
switch on automatically, depending on the out-
side temperature. The vehicle is then ventila-
ted for about 30 minutes at low fan setting
and 3-zone automatic climate control is dried
out. Optimum use of the rear compart-
ment air conditioning
Vehicles with air-conditioning system
Switch the rear-compartment air-conditioning
system on and off using the air-conditioning
system control panel. When you switch on the
rear-compartment air conditioning, your set-
tings for temperature, airflow and air distribu-
tion are automatically adopted on the control
panel for the rear-compartment air condition-
ing.
The indicator lamp in the / button comes
on when the rear-compartment air-condition-
ing is switched on
(Y page 115).
Vehicles with dual-zone automatic climate
control
To operate the rear-compartment air condi-
tioning, use the control panel of the dual-zone
automatic climate control system. When you
switch on the rear-compartment air condition-
ing, you can set the temperature and airflow
separately on the control panel. The airflow
setting is automatically adopted for the rear-
compartment air conditioning. When dual-zone
automatic climate control is in à automatic
mode, the air distribution of the rear-compart-
ment air conditioning is also automatically
adjusted.
When you set the temperature and airflow of
the rear-compartment air conditioning, the indicator lamp of the / button
(Y page
116) flashes. When the rear-compart-
ment air conditioning is switched on, the indi-
cator lamp on the / button lights up.
For optimum climate control, set the tempera-
ture to 72 ‡ (22 †) and switch on à auto-
matic mode. Only change the temperature in
small increments. Operating the climate control sys-
tem
Switching the climate control on/off
Important safety notes When the climate control is switched off, air
intake and air circulation also stop. Only use
this setting for a brief period. Otherwise, the
windows could fog up.
Air-conditioning system X
Turn the key to position 2 in the ignition
lock.
X To switch on: turn airflow control A clock-
wise to at least level 1 – (Y page
115).
X To switch off: turn airflow control A coun-
ter-clockwise to position 0.
Dual-zone automatic climate control X
Turn the key to position 2 in the ignition
lock.
X To switch on: press the à button.
The indicator lamp in the à button and
the display are switched on. The climate
control is automatically adjusted depending
on the set temperature
(Y page 119).
or
X Press the K button and set blower set-
ting 1 or above.
The blower settings are shown in the display
as a bar graph.
X To switch off: press the I button and,
after reaching the lowest blower speed,
press it again.
The control panel display goes off.
Preferably switch on climate control using the
à button. Operating the climate control system
117
Climate control
Rear-compartment air-conditioning
system
Vehicles with air-conditioning system
X Switch on air-conditioning system.
X To activate/deactivate: press the /
button on the air-conditioning system con-
trol panel.
The indicator lamp in the / button
comes on when the rear-compartment air
conditioning is switched on. The settings for
temperature, airflow and, in the case of
rear-compartment air conditioning, air distri-
bution are adopted for the rear-compart-
ment air conditioning.
Vehicles with dual-zone automatic cli-
mate control
X Switch on dual-zone automatic climate con-
trol.
X To switch on: press the / button on the
control panel.
The indicator lamp in the / button
flashes. The control panel display shows the
second menu level for the temperature and
airflow setting of the rear-compartment air
conditioning.
X Press the K button and set blower set-
ting 1 or above for the rear-compartment air
conditioning.
The blower settings are shown in the display
as a bar graph. The rear-compartment air
conditioning is switched on.
X If necessary set the temperature for the
rear-compartment air conditioning using
temperature control : or E (Y page
116).
The display shows the selected rear-com-
partment temperature.
If you do not make any more settings for
approximately ten seconds, the control
panel display shows menu level 1 again for
the automatic climate control settings. The
indicator lamp in the / button remains
lit.
i The air distribution setting applies both to
automatic climate control and to the rear-
compartment air conditioning and cannot be
set separately for the two.
X To switch off: press the / button on the
control panel.
The indicator lamp in the / button
flashes. The control panel display shows the second menu level for the temperature and
airflow setting of the rear-compartment air
conditioning.
X Press the I button and, after reaching
the lowest blower speed, press it again.
The control panel display goes off and the
rear-compartment air conditioning is
switched off.
If you do not make any more settings for
approximately ten seconds, the control
panel display shows menu level 1 again for
the automatic climate control settings. The
indicator lamp in the / button goes out. Switching the cooling with air dehu-
midification function on/off
Important safety notes The cooling with air dehumidification function
of the air conditioning or automatic climate
control is only available when the engine is
running. The air inside the vehicle is cooled
and dehumidified according to the tempera-
ture selected.
Condensation may appear on the underside of
the vehicle when in cooling mode. This is nor-
mal and not a sign that there is a malfunction.
If you switch off the "Cooling with air dehumid-
ification" function, the air inside the vehicle
will not be cooled (in warm weather) or dehu-
midified. Therefore, only switch off the "Cool-
ing with air dehumidification" function briefly.
Otherwise, the windows will fog up more
quickly.
Switching on and off For dual-zone automatic climate control, the
function for automatic climate control settings
can only be activated or deactivated on the
first menu level. If you do not set a new value
for the rear-compartment climate control in
the second menu level within approx. ten sec-
onds, the control panel display goes back to
the first menu level.
X Press the ¿ button.
The indicator lamp in the ¿ switch
comes on when the function is switched on.
i The cooling with air dehumidification func-
tion has a delayed switch-off feature. 118
Operating the climate control system
Climate control
Switching air-recirculation mode
on/off
Important safety notes You can deactivate the intake of fresh air if
unpleasant odors enter the vehicle from out-
side. The air inside the vehicle is then circula-
ted.
When you switch on air-recirculation mode,
the side windows and windows could fog up
more quickly, in particular at low outside tem-
peratures. Only switch on air-recirculation
mode for a short time.
Air-conditioning system or dual-zone
automatic climate control X
Switch on climate control ( Y page 117).
X Press the h button.
If the indicator lamp in the h button
lights up, air-recirculation mode is activated.
Air-recirculation mode switches on automati-
cally: R at high outside temperatures
R while driving in a tunnel (only vehicles with a
navigation system)
The indicator lamp in the h button is then
not lit up. Outside air is added automatically
after about
30 minutes.
Air-recirculation mode is deactivated automati-
cally:
R after approximately five minutes at outside
temperatures below about 45 ‡ (7 †)
R after approximately five minutes when the
cooling with air-dehumidification function is
deactivated
R after approximately 30 minutes at outside
temperatures above about 45 ‡ (7 †) and
when the cooling with air-dehumidification
function is active Convenience opening/pre-entry cli-
mate control
G
WARNING
During convenience opening, body parts
could be drawn in or become trapped
between the side window and the door
frame. There is a risk of injury. Monitor the entire opening procedure when
using convenience opening. When opening,
make sure that nobody touches the side
window. Release the % switch immedi-
ately if somebody becomes trapped, to
interrupt the opening procedure.
X Pre-entry climate control and conveni-
ence opening with the key:
press and hold
the % button on the key.
The side windows open automatically and
the blower of the climate control system is
activated.
X Release the % button.
i At high interior temperatures, the blower is
also switched on when a door is opened.
This means that slightly cooled air enters
the vehicle interior after the engine is star-
ted, to cool the vehicle more rapidly. Switching the residual heat function
on/off
General notes Only vehicles with dual-zone automatic climate
control have the residual heat function.
Once the engine is switched off, it is possible
to make use of the residual heat of the engine
to continue heating or ventilating the front
compartment of the vehicle for approximately
30 minutes. The heating or ventilation time
depends on the set interior temperature.
Switching the function on/off X
Turn the key to position 0 in the ignition
lock or remove it.
X Press the Ì button.
If the residual heat function is activated, the
indicator lamp in the Ì button comes on.
The blower will run at a low speed regard-
less of the airflow setting.
If you activate the residual heat function at
high temperatures, only the auxiliary ventila-
tion will be activated. The blower then runs
at medium speed. Operating the climate control system
123
Climate control Z
Useful information
This Operator's Manual describes all models
as well as standard and optional equipment of
your vehicle that were available at the time of
going to print. Country-specific variations are
possible. Note that your vehicle may not be
equipped with all of the described functions.
This also applies to systems and functions rel-
evant to safety.
Read the information on qualified specialist
workshops (Y page
32).Breaking-in notes
Important safety notes
In certain driving and driving safety systems,
the sensors adjust automatically while a cer-
tain distance is being driven after the vehicle
has been delivered or after repairs. Full system
effectiveness is not reached until the end of
this teach-in procedure.
New or replaced brake pads and brake discs
only reach their optimal braking effect after a
few hundred kilometers of driving. Until then,
compensate for this by applying greater force
to the brake pedal. The first 1000 miles (1500 km)
For the service life and economy of your vehi-
cle it is crucial that you break in the engine
with due care.
R Therefore, protect the engine for the first
1000 miles (1500 km
) by driving at varying
vehicle and engine speeds.
R Avoid overstraining the vehicle and high
engine speeds during this period, e.g. driv-
ing at full throttle. Do not exceed Ø of the
permissible maximum speed for each gear.
R Do not change down a gear manually in
order to brake.
R Try to avoid depressing the accelerator
pedal beyond the pressure point (kickdown).
After 1000 miles (1500 km), you can increase
the engine speed gradually and accelerate the
vehicle to full speed.
i You should also observe these notes on
breaking-in if the engine or parts of the drive
train on your vehicle have been replaced. Driving
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Flammable materials introduced through
environmental influence or by animals can
ignite if in contact with the exhaust system
or parts of the engine that heat up. There is
a risk of fire.
Carry out regular checks to make sure that
there are no flammable foreign materials in
the engine compartment or in the exhaust
system. G
WARNING
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. G
WARNING
If the parking brake has not been fully
released when driving, the parking brake
can:
R overheat and cause a fire
R lose its hold function.
There is a risk of fire and an accident.
Release the parking brake fully before driv-
ing off.
! Warm up the engine quickly. Do not use
the engine's full performance until it has
reached operating temperature.
Only shift the automatic transmission to the
desired drive position when the vehicle is
stationary.
Where possible, avoid spinning the drive
wheels when pulling away on slippery roads.
You could otherwise damage the drive train. 126
Driving
Driving and parking
Key positions
g
To insert/remove the key, to lock the
steering wheel
1 To unlock the steering wheel, power sup-
ply for some consumers (e.g. the radio)
2 To switch on the ignition, power supply for
all consumers, preglow and drive position
3 To start the engine
i If the key does not belong to the vehicle, it
can still be turned in the ignition lock. How-
ever, the ignition will not be switched on.
The engine cannot be started. Preparing for a journey
Visual check of the vehicle exterior X
In particular, check the following compo-
nents on the vehicle, and on the trailer as
necessary:
R
license plates, vehicle lighting, turn sig-
nals, brake lamps and wiper blades for
dirt and damage
R tires and wheels for firm seating, correct
tire pressure and general condition
R trailer tow hitch for play and security
The trailer coupling is one of the most
important vehicle parts with regard to
road safety. Observe the notes on opera-
tion, care and maintenance of the trailer
tow hitch (see the manufacturer's operat-
ing instructions).
X Rectify any noticeable defects before com-
mencing the journey. Checks in the vehicle Emergency equipment/first-aid kit
X Check the equipment to make sure that it is
accessible, complete and ready for use.
The first aid and breakdown assistance equip-
ment is located:
R in the front door stowage compartments
R in the seat base of the left front seat
R in the rear stowage compartment on the
right-hand side of the vehicle
(Y page 270)
Vehicle lighting
X Turn the key to position 2 in the ignition
lock.
X Check the lighting system with the aid of a
second person.
X Replace defective bulbs (Y page
105). Before driving off
G
WARNING
Objects in the driver's footwell may restrict
the clearance around the pedals or block a
depressed pedal. This jeopardizes the oper-
ating and road safety of the vehicle. There is
a risk of an accident.
Stow all objects securely in the vehicle so
that they do not get into the driver's foot-
well. When using floormats or carpets, make
sure that they are properly secured so that
they do not slip or obstruct the pedals. Do
not place several floormats or carpets on
top of one another. G
WARNING
Unsuitable footwear can hinder correct
usage of the pedals, e.g.:
R shoes with thick soles
R shoes with high heels
R slippers
There is a risk of an accident.
Wear suitable footwear to ensure correct
usage of the pedals. Driving
127
Driving and parking Z
X
Stow luggage items securely. Secure the
load as per the loading guidelines
(Y page
242).
X Make sure that the floormats and carpets
are properly secured so that they cannot
slip and obstruct the pedals.
X Close all doors. Starting the engine
Important safety notes G
DANGER
Combustion engines emit poisonous
exhaust gases such as carbon monoxide.
Inhaling these exhaust gases is hazardous to
health and can result in poisoning. There is a
risk of fatal injury. Therefore, never leave the
engine running an enclosed space without
adequate ventilation.
! Do not depress the accelerator when start-
ing the engine.
X Before starting the engine, ensure the fol-
lowing:
R all the doors are closed.
R all the vehicle occupants are wearing their
seat belts correctly.
R the parking brake is applied.
i If you depress the brake pedal before
starting the engine, the pedal travel may be
shorter and pedal resistance higher.
If you depress the brake pedal again after
starting the engine, pedal travel and resist-
ance will be back to normal again.
Automatic transmission X
Shift the transmission to position j
(Y page
131).
The transmission position indicator in the
display shows j.
You can also start the engine in neutral posi-
tion i. Starting the engine X
Turn the key to position 3 in the ignition
lock
(Y page 127) and release it as soon as
the engine is running. Driving off
Automatic transmission G
WARNING
The vehicle can suddenly accelerate if the
engine speed is above the engine idling
speed and you then select transmission
position h or k. There is a risk of an acci-
dent.
When engaging transmission position h or
k at a standstill, always keep the brake
pedal depressed firmly and do not depress
the accelerator pedal at the same time.
! Only shift into reverse gear when the vehi-
cle is stationary k. Otherwise, you could
damage the transmission.
X Depress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
X Shift the transmission to position h or k.
On vehicles with a reverse warning feature,
when reverse gear k is engaged a warning
tone sounds to alert other road users
(Y page
129).
X Release the parking brake (Y page
138).
The F (only USA) or J (only Canada)
indicator lamp in the instrument cluster
goes out.
X Release the brake pedal.
Hill start assist automatically maintains the
brake pressure for about another two sec-
onds after the brake pedal is released. This
makes it possible to pull away without the
vehicle immediately rolling back
(Y page
129).
X Carefully depress the accelerator pedal.
i It is only possible to shift the transmission
from position j to the desired transmis-
sion position if you depress the brake pedal.
If the brake pedal is not depressed, the
DIRECT SELECT lever can still be moved but
the j position remains engaged. 128
Driving
Driving and parking