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 271).
R Before driving off-road, stop theve hicle and
engage a low gear.
R Vehicles with DSR: activate DSR when you
are driving downhill (/ page127).
R All-wheel drive vehicles: activate the all-
wheel drive (/ page125) and, if necessa ry,
activate theLO W RANGE transmission ratio
(/ page 126).
R Ifth e sur face requ ires, temp orarily deactivate
ESP ®
when pulling away ( / page 148).
R Only drive off-road wi th 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. rock s, 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 101). R
The auxiliary heating is swit ched off
(/ page 106).
R Activate all-wheel drive (/ page 125) and
ac tivate it on vehicles with theLO W RANGE
transmission ratio (/ page 126).
R Restrict the shift range to1or 2.
R Avoid high engine speeds.
R Drive slowly and smoo thly at no mo rethan 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 bywater.
Checklist af ter driving off-road
Driving over rough 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.
If yo ufind damage totheve hicle af ter off-road
driving, ha vetheve hicle checked at a qualified
specialist workshop immediately.
Obser vethefo 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 127).
R All-wheel drive vehicles: deactivate the all-
wheel drive (/ page125).
R Activate ESP ®
(/ page 148).
R Clean theex terior lighting, particularly the
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.
This increases road adhesion, especially on
we tro adw ays.
R Check the wheels and tires and wheel wells
fo r trapped fore ign objects and remo vethem.
Tr apped fore ign objects can damage the11 8
Driving and pa rking
ga
in driving experience and become accus‐
to med tothe new handling characteristics.
R Before driving, check thefo llowing:
- that the trailer tow hit chand ball coupling
are secure
- that the saf ety swit chfor braked trailers is
functioning cor rectly
- that the saf etych ains are secure and
undamaged
- that the electrical connections are secure
- that the lights are functioning cor rectly
- the wheels for dama geand cor rect tire
pressure (/ page 308)
R Adjust the outside mir rors so that you ha ve a
clear view of there ar section of the trailer.
R Ifth e trailer is equipped with an individual
braking sy stem, check before each journey
whe ther the brakes are functioning cor rectl y.
R Ifth e trailer has electronically cont rolled
brakes, pull away carefully wi th theve hicle/
trailer combination. Brake manually using the
brake controller and check whe ther the
brakes are functioning cor rectl y.
R Secu rethe load on the trailer in line with the
re qu irements and rules for load-securing
me thods.
R When driving with a trailer, check at regular
inter vals that the load is secure and that the
lights and brakes are functioning cor rectl y.
R Bear in mind that the handling characteristics
are more uns table when towing a trailer than
when driving without a trailer. Avoid sudden
st eering mo vements.
R The vehicle/trailer combination is heavier,
accelerates more slowl y,has a reduced
climbing ability and an increased braking dis‐
ta nce. It is more susceptible toside winds
and requ ires careful steering.
R If possible, do not brake suddenl y,but rath er
moderately at firs t so that the trailer can acti‐
va te its brakes. Then inc rease the pressure on
th e brake pedal.
R Ifth e automatic transmission shifts between
ge ars on uphill or downhill gradients, restrict
th e shift range. Select shi ftrange 4, 3, 2 or 1.
A lo werge ar and reduced speed decrease the
ri sk of engine damage.
R When driving on a downhill gradient, shift to a
lo we rge ar to use the engine's braking ef fect. Av
oid cons tant braking, as this could cause
th eve hicle brakes and possibly also the
trailer brakes toove rheat.
R Ifth e coolant temp erature increases signifi‐
cant lywhen the air-conditioning sy stem is
switched on, switch the air-conditioning sys‐
te m off.
Coolant heat can also be dissipated by
switching the air flow and thete mp erature of
th e heater or air conditioning tothe maximum
le ve l. Open the windo wsif necessar y.
R When overtak ing, pay particular attention to
th e increased overtaking dis tance of your
ve hicle/trailer combination.
Due tothe length of your vehicle/trailer com‐
bination you will require a longer stre tch of
ro ad before swit ching back tothe original
lane. Pe
rm issible trailer loads and trailer dr awbar
nose weights We
ight information &
WARNING Risk of accident due to
unbraked trailer with excessively high
gross weight
If yo uto w a trailer without a separate func‐
tional braking sy stem and a gross trailer
we ight (G TW) of more than 1635 lbs (750 kg),
th en theve hicle brake sy stem may overheat.
This increases the braking dis tance and the
brake sy stem may even fail. #
Always use a trailer with a separate
functional braking sy stem when towing
a trailer with a gross trailerweight
(G TW ) of more than 1635 lbs (750 kg). *
NO
TEDama getothe drive train, trans‐
mission or trailer tow hit chdue toexc ess
gross combination weight The permissible
gross combinationweight is
exc eeded.
The drive train, the transmission or the trailer
to w hit chmay be dama ged. #
Comply with the permissible gross com‐
bination weight. Fo
rve hicles with a permissible gross vehicle
we ight of 11030 lbs (5003 kg),th e permissible
gross combination weight is less than the sum of Driving and parking
17 3
Overview of Instrument Display
&
WARNING Risk of accident due toan
instrument display malfunction
If th e Instrument Display has failed or mal‐
functioned, you may not recognize function
re strictions applying tosaf etyre leva nt sys‐
te ms.
The operating saf ety of your vehicle may be
impaired. #
Drive on carefull y. #
Have theve hicle checked immediately
at a qualified specialist workshop. If
yo u are uncer tain rega rding the operational
saf ety of your vehicle, park theve hicle safely as
soon as possible. Inform a qualified specialist
wo rkshop.
Instrument Display Example: Instrument Display with color display
1
Speedome ter
2 Multifunction display
3 Tach ome ter
4 Coolant temp erature display
5 Fuel le vel and fuel filler flap location indicator
In normal driving mode, coolant temp erature dis‐
play 4is permitted torise tothere d marking. Example: Instrument Display with black and white
display
1
Speedome ter
2 Indicator lamps display
3 Tach ome ter
4 Multifunction display
* NO
TEEngine damage due toexc essively
high engine speeds The engine will be damaged if
you drive with
th e engine in theov errevving range. #
Do not drive wi th the engine in theove r‐
re vving range. When
there d marking in tach ome ter3 is
re ached (o verspeed range), the fuel supply will be
inter rupte d in order toprotect the engine. &
WARNING Danger of bu rns when open‐
ing the hood
If yo u open the hood when the engine has
ove rheated or during a fire inthe engine com‐
partment, you could come into con tact wi th
hot gases or other escaping operating fluids. #
Before opening the hood, allow the
engine tocool down. #
Intheeve nt of a fire inthe engine com‐
partment, keep the hood closed and call
th efire service. Instrument Display and on-board computer
175
#
Toopen: pull handle 1torelease the hood. #
Reach into thega p and push the hood catch
handle upwards. #
Open the hood and hold it up. #
Take support 1from the brac ket on the
hood and pull it down wards. #
Inse rtthe support into the brac ket below 2. &
WARNING Risk offire due toflammable
material in the engine compartment or
th eex haust sy stem
Clo ths or other flammable materials left in
th e engine compartment bymis take could
igni teupon coming into con tact wi thhot sec‐
tions of the engine or exhaust sy stem. #
Ensure that there are no flammable
ex tern al materials in the engine com‐
partment or on theex haust sy stem
af te r maintenance workhas been con‐
ducted. &
WARNING Risk of accident and inju ry
when opening and closing the engine
hood
When opening or closing the engine hood, it
may suddenly drop into the end position.
There is a risk of injury for an yone in the
engine hood's range of mo vement. #
Only open or close the engine hood
when there are no persons in the engine
hood's range of mo vement. *
NO
TEDama getothe hood Pushing
the hood closed with your hands
could damage it. #
Toclose the hood, let it drop from the
specified height. #
Toclose: liftthe hood slightl y. #
Movesupport 1tothe brac ket on the hood
and apply light pressure toengage it. #
Lowe rth e hood and let it drop from a height
of appr oximately 0.5 ft(15 cm). #
If it is still possible tolift the hood a little,
open the hood again and let it drop from a
height of appr oximately 0.7 ft(20 cm) until it
engages cor rectly. Engine oil
Che
cking the engine oil le vel with a dip stick &
WARNING Risk of bu rns from hot com‐
ponent parts in the engine compartment
Cer tain component pa rts in the engine com‐
partment can be very hot, e.g. the engine, the
cooler and pa rts of theex haust sy stem. #
Letthe engine cool down and only
to uch the component parts described
as follo ws. Depending on
the engine, the dipstick may be in
va rying locations in the engine compartment.
Wa iting time before checking the oil le vel:
R engine at normal operating temp erature:
fi ve minutes
R engine not at normal operating temp erature
(the engine was only star ted briefly, forex am‐
ple): 30 minutes 280
Maintenance and care
Dip
stick (e xamp le) #
Park theve hicle on an even sur face. #
Remo vedipstick 1and wipe it off. #
Slowly insert dipstick 1into the dipstick
guide tube as far as it will go and pull it out
af te rth re e seconds.
R Oil le vel OK: the oil le vel is between the
MIN and the MAX mar k.
R Oil le velto o low: the oil le vel is at the MIN
mark or belo w. #
Ifth e oil le vel is too lo w,add appr ox.
1. 1 US qt (1 liter) engine oil. #
Ifth e oil le vel is too high, drain off excess
engine oil.
Vi sit a qualified specialist workshop.
Checking the engine oil le vel with the on-
board compu ter
Re quirements:
R The vehicle is le vel during the measuring
process.
R The hood is not open.
R Depending on the driving profile, the oil le vel
can be displa yed only af ter a driving time of
up to30 minutes and only when the ignition
is switched on.
On-board computer: 4 Service 5
Engine Oil Level
Yo u will see one of the following messa ges on
th e multifunction displa y:#
Measuring Engine Oil Level...: measurement
ofthe oil le vel not yet possible. Repeat the
qu ery af ter driving for a maximum of
30 minutes. #
Engine Oil Level OK andthe bar showing the
oil le vel on the multifunction display is green
and lies between "MIN" and "MAX": the oil
le ve l is OK. #
Engine Oil Level Drive until the engine is
warm. :wa rm upthe engine tooperating tem‐
perature. #
Engine Oil Level Correct Measurement Only
if Vehicle Is on Level Ground: park theve hicle
on a le vel sur face. #
Engine Oil Level Add 1,0 liq.gal. andthe bar
showing the oil le vel on the multifunction dis‐
play is orange and lies below "MIN": add
1. 1 US qt (1 l ) of engine oil. #
Reduce Engine Oil Level andthe bar showing
th e oil le vel on the multifunction display is
orange and lies abo ve"MAX": drain off excess
engine oil.
Vi sit a qualified specialist workshop. #
For Engine Oil Level Switch Ignition On :
switch on the ignition in order tocheck the
engine oil le vel. #
Engine Oil Level System Inoperative: the sen‐
sor is defective or not connected. Visit a
qu alified specialist workshop. #
Engine Oil Level System Currently Unavaila-
ble: close the hood.
% Ve
hicles with cold oil le vel displa ys:the oil
le ve l is automatically displa yed on the multi‐
function display af terth eve hicle has been
non-operational for an extended pe riod. If it
is not possible tomeasu rethe engine oil
le ve l, a cor responding message will appear.
Ad ding engine oil &
WARNING Risk of bu rns from hot com‐
ponent parts in the engine compartment
Cer tain components in the engine compart‐
ment can be very hot, e.g. the engine, the
ra diator and parts of theex haust sy stem. #
Allow the engine tocool down and only
to uch component parts desc ribed in the
fo llowing. &
WARNING Danger of bu rns when open‐
ing the hood
If yo u open the hood when the engine has
ove rheated or during a fire inthe engine com‐
partment, you could come into con tact wi th
hot gases or other escaping operating fluids. Main
tenance and care 281
#
Before opening the hood, allow the
engine tocool down. #
Intheeve nt of a fire inthe engine com‐
partment, keep the hood closed and call
th efire service. If
yo u ha vetocar ryout any workinthe engine
compartment, touch only thefo llowing compo‐
nents:
R Hood
R Engine oil filler opening cap
R Washer fluid reser voir cap
R Coolant expansion reser voir cap &
WARNING Risk offire and injury from
engine oil
If engine oil comes into con tact wi thhot com‐
ponent parts in the engine compartment, it
may ignite. #
Make sure that no engine oil is spilled
next tothefiller opening. #
Allow the engine tocool off and thor‐
oughly clean the engine oil from compo‐
nent parts before starting theve hicle. *
NO
TEEngine damage due toincor rect oil
fi lter, incor rect oil or additi ve #
Do not use engine oil or an oil filter with
specifications deviating from those
re qu ired forth e prescribed service
inter vals.
Mercedes-Benz recommends using original or
te sted replacement and service parts. #
Do not change the engine oil or oil filter
in order toset change inter vals longer
th an those prescribed. #
Do not use any additive. #
Follow the instructions on the service
inter val display forch anging the engine
oil. *
NO
TEDama gecaused byadding too
much engine oil To
o much engine oil can damage the engine
or the catalytic con verter. #
Have excess engine oil remo ved at a
qu alified specialist workshop. Engine OM651
Engine OM642
#
Turn cap 1counter-clockwise and remo veit. #
Add engine oil. #
Replace cap 1and turn it clockwise until it
engages. #
Check the oil le vel again. Check using the on-
board computer (/ page 281),check with
th e oil dipstick (/ page 280). Checking
the coolant le vel &
WARNING Risk of bu rns from hot com‐
ponent parts in the engine compartment
Cer tain components in the engine compart‐
ment can be very hot, e.g. the engine, the
ra diator and parts of theex haust sy stem. #
Allow the engine tocool down and only
to uch component parts desc ribed in the
fo llowing. 282
Maintenance and care
If
yo u ha vetocar ryout any workinthe engine
compartment, touch only thefo llowing compo‐
nents:
R Hood
R Engine oil filler opening cap
R Washer fluid reser voir cap
R Coolant expansion reser voir cap &
WARNING Danger of bu rns when open‐
ing the hood
If yo u open the hood when the engine has
ove rheated or during a fire inthe engine com‐
partment, you could come into con tact wi th
hot gases or other escaping operating fluids. #
Before opening the hood, allow the
engine tocool down. #
Intheeve nt of a fire inthe engine com‐
partment, keep the hood closed and call
th efire service. &
WARNING Risk of scalding from hot
coolant
The engine cooling sy stem is pressurized,
particular lywhen the engine is warm. If you
open the cap, you could be scalded byhot
coolant spr aying out. #
Letthe engine cool down before open‐
ing the cap. #
When opening the cap, wear pr otective
gl ove s and saf etygl asses. #
Open the cap slowly torelease pres‐
sure. Allow
the engine and the engine cooling sy stem
to cool down before checking the coolant le vel or
re filling coolant.
* NO
TEPaint wo rkdamage due tocoolant If coolant
gets on painted sur faces, the paint‐
wo rkcan be damaged. #
Add coolant carefully. #
Remo vespilled coolant. Checking
the coolant le vel Example: coolant
expansion reser voir #
Park theve hicle on an even sur face. #
Open the hood (/ page278). #
Slow ly tu rncoolant expansion reser voir cap
1 half a turn coun ter-clockwise and allow
exc ess pressure toescape. #
Turn coolant expansion reser voir cap 1fur‐
th er and remo veit. #
Check the coolant le vel.
There is enough coolant in coolant expansion
re ser voir if the coolant reaches the MAX
mar k.
Ad ding coolant #
Refill th e coolant tothe MAX mark on the
coolant expansion reser voir.
Only use coolant appr oved byMercedes-Benz to
avo id damaging the engine cooling sy stem. #
Replace coolant expansion reser voir cap 1
and tigh ten in a clo ckwise direction. #
Start the engine. #
After appro ximately five minutes, switch off
th e engine again and allow it tocool down. #
Che ckthe coolant le vel again and add coolant
if necessar y.
% Obser
veadditional coolant information
(/ page 347). Main
tenance and care 283
#
Place a suitable collector beneath drain hose
2. #
Switch on the ignition. #
Open drain scr ew1 until thewate r/fuel
mixture emerges from drain hose 2.#
Close drain scr ew1 as soon as around
0.2 qt (0.2 liter) of thewate r/fuel mixture has
been collected.
Af ter 30 seconds, the electrical fuel pump
automatically stops the discharge of the
wate r/fuel mixture. #
After draining, switch off the ignition. #
Dispose of the collected water/fuel mixture
in an environmentally responsible manner,
e.g. at a qualified specialist workshop. #
Check that drain scr ew1 has been closed.
If th e engine is running while drain scr ew1
is open, you will lose fuel thro ugh drain hose
2. #
Close the hood (/ page278). #
003A The indicator lamp does not go out
af te r draining: drainthe fuel filter again. #
003AThe indica tor lamp does not go out
af te r the second draining: consult aquali‐
fi ed specialist workshop.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you ha vethe
fuel filter drained at a qualified specialist work‐
shop. Cleaning and care
Note
s onwashing theve hicle in an automatic
car wash &
WARNING Risk of accident due to
re duced braking ef fect af terwa shing the
ve hicle
The braking ef fect is reduced af terwa shing
th eve hicle. #
Afterth eve hicle has been washed,
brake carefully while paying attention to
th e traf fic conditions until the braking
ef fect has been ful lyrestored. *
NO
TERisk of damage tothe paintwork
and plastic components If
yo uwa sh your vehicle in Touchless Auto‐
matic Car Wash sy stems that use special
cleaning agents, the cleaning agents used can damage
the paintwork or plastic components
of theve hicle. #
Do not wash theve hicle in Touchless
Au tomatic Car Wash sy stems that use
special cleaning agents. Make sure
that the automatic car wash is suitable
fo rth e size of theve hicle.
Before washing theve hicle in an automatic car
wa sh, fold in the outside mir rors and remo veany
additional antennas. Otherwise, the outside mir‐
ro rs, antennas or theve hicle itself could be dam‐
aged.
Make sure any additional antennas are re-ins tal‐
led and that the outside mir rors are fully folded
out again when you lea vethe automatic car
wa sh.
To avo id damage to yourvehicle, obser vethefo l‐
lowing before using an automatic car wash:
R the side windo wsand the sliding window are
comple tely closed.
R the blo werfo rve ntilation and heating is
switched off.
R the windshield wiper switch is in position 005A.
If th eve hicle is very dirty, wash off excess dirt
before cleaning theve hicle in an automatic car
wa sh.
% Re
moving thewa x from the windshield and
th e wiper rubbers af terwa shing theve hicle,
will help avoid smearing and reduce wiper
noise. Note
s on use of a po werwa sher &
WARNING Risk of accident when using
high-pressu recleaning equipment wi th
ro und-spr aynozzles
The wate r jet from a round-spray nozzle (dirt
grinder) may cause damage totires and sus‐
pension components that is not visible.
Components damaged in this wa y may fail
unexpec tedly. #
Do not use high-p ressure cleaning
equipment with round-spray nozzles to
clean your vehicle. #
Damaged tires or suspension compo‐
nents must be replaced immediatel y. Ne
ver use a po werwa sher in theve hicle interior.
The pressurized water created bythe po wer 286
Maintenance and care