Uns
uitable fuel can cause engine damage. In for‐
mation about fuel can be found in the "Fuel" sec‐
tion (/ page 341).
Information about transport byrail
Tr ansporting your vehicle byrail may be subject
to cer tain restrictions or require 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 (/ page124).
% Cha
nge the shift range in good time when
cruise control is acti vated. Obser vethe driv‐
ing tips (/ page111).
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
If
th e brakes ha vebeen subjected toa heavy
load, do not stop theve hicle immediatel y.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 moderately,
yo u should occasionally test their ef fectiveness.
To do this, brake more firm ly from a higher speed
while pa ying attention tothe traf fic 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. Maintain a grea ter dis tance tothe
ve hicle in front.
While paying attention tothe traf fic conditions,
yo u should brake theve hicle firm lyafte r 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 brake‐
pads can increase braking dis tances consid‐
erably, or braking may happen on only one
side
R Maintain an especially large safe 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 depress 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
brakepads byper form ing a visual inspection to
look for pad material wear.
If yo u are unable tocheck the brakepad wear on
th e inside of the wheels, remo vethe wheels if
yo u possess there qu ired skills, or visit a qualified
specialist workshop.
If th e brakepad material thickness is less than
0. 12 in (3 mm), ha vethe brakepads checked and
re placed at a qualified specialist workshop, if
necessar y.
Do not solely rely on the brakepad wear sensor. 11 4
Driving and pa rking
It is also
strongly recommended that you ha ve
th e brakepads checked at a qualified specialist
wo rkshop, not only at everyservice displa yedby
th e maintenance inter val displa y,but also prior to
long journe ysand when ever the wheels are
re mo ved.
Ne w brake discs and brakepads
New brakepads and brake discs on lyreach their
optimal braking ef fect af ter appro ximately
10 0 miles (100 kilome ters).
Unti lth en, compensate forth ere duced braking
ef fect by applying greater pressure tothe brake
pedal. For saf etyre asons, Mercedes-Benz recom‐
mends that you only ha vebrakepads and brake
discs which are appr ovedby Mercedes-Benz
ins talled on your vehicle.
Other brake discs or brakepads may compromise
th e saf ety of your vehicle.
Alw aysre place all brake discs and brakepads on
an axle at the same time. Alw ays ins tall new
brakepads when replacing brake discs.
Pa rking brake &
WARNING Risk of skidding or an acci‐
dent bybraking with the parking brake
If yo u ha vetobrake your vehicle with the
parking brake, the braking dis tance is consid‐
erab lylonger and the wheels may loc k.There
is an increased risk of skidding and/or acci‐
dent. #
Only brake theve hicle with the parking
brake if the service brake has failed. #
Inthis case, do not apply the parking
brake with too much forc e. #
Ifth e wheels loc k,immediately release
th e parking brake as much as required
fo rth e wheels toturn again. Ve
hicles with a manual parking brake
When driving on wetro ads or dirt-co vered sur fa‐
ces, road salt or dirt may getinto the parking
brake. This causes cor rosion and a reduction of
braking forc e.
In order topreve ntthis, drive with the parking
brake lightly applied from time totime.
When doing so, drive for a dis tance of appr ox‐
imately 300 ftat a maximum speed of 13mph
(20 km/h).
The brake lights do not light up when you brake
th eve hicle with the parking brake. Information about driving on
wetroads
Hydroplaning &
WARNING Risk of aquaplaning because
tire tread is too low
Depending on the dep thofthewate r onthe
ro adw ay, aquaplaning can occur despite suf fi‐
cient tire tread dep thand low speed. #
Avoid tire ruts and brake carefully. The
refore , in heavy rain or other conditions in
which hydroplaning can occur, drive as follo ws:
R Reduce your speed
R Avoid tire ruts
R Brake carefully
Driving on flooded roads
Bear in mind that vehicles tr aveling in front or in
th e opposite direction create waves. This may
cause the maximum permissible dep thofwater
to be exc eeded. These no tes must be obser ved
under all circum stances. Otherwise, you can
damage the engine, electrics and transmission.
If yo u ha vetodrive on stre tches of road on which
wate r has collected, please bear in mind thefo l‐
lowing:
R The wate r level of standing water may not be
abo vethe lo wer edge of the front bumper.
R You may drive no fasterthan walking pace.
Obser vethe no tes on ford ing while off- road for
all-wheel drive vehicles (/ page116).
Infor mation 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 when theve hicle
becomes stuck 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 side of theve hi‐
cle facing away from the wind toensure
an adequate supply of fresh air. Driving and parking
11 5
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
wheels and tires or may be
flung out from the
ve hicle when continuing the journe y.
R Check the underbody for trapped branches or
ot her parts of plants and remo vethem.
R Clean the brake discs, brakepads and axle
joints, particularly af ter operation in sand,
mud, grit and gr avel,wate r or similar lydirty
conditions.
R Check the entire floor assembly, the tires,
wheels, bodywork stru cture, brakes, steering,
suspension and exhaust sy stem for any dam‐
age.
R Check the service brake for operating saf ety,
e.g. car ryout a brake test.
R Ifyo u notice strong vib rations af ter driving
off-road, check the wheels and driv etra in for
fo re ign objects again. Remo veany fore ign
objects which can lead toimbalances and
th us cause vibrations. In theeve nt of damage
to the wheels and the drive train, visit a quali‐
fi ed specialist workshop immediately. Fu
nction of the ECO display The ECO display sums up
your driving character‐
istics from thest art tothe end of the trip and
supports a consum ption-optimized driving style.
Yo u can influence consum ption as follo ws:
R Anticipa teroad and traf fic conditions.
R Obser vethege arshift recommendation. Instrument Display wi
thcolor display
The segment's lettering lights up brightl y,the
outer edge lights up and the segment is filled
when theve hicle is driven with thefo llowing char‐
acteristics:
R 1 ACCELERATION: mode rate acceleration
R 2 CONSTANT: consis tent speed
R 3 COASTING: gentle deceleration and roll‐
ing The segment's lettering is gr
ay,th e outer edge is
dark and the segment is em ptied when theve hi‐
cle is driven with thefo llowing characteristics:
R 1 ACCELERATION: sporty acceleration
R 2 CONSTANT: speed fluctuations
R 3 COASTING: heavy braking
Yo u ha vedriven in a consum ption-optimized man‐
ner when:
R The thre e segments ha vebeen comple tely fil‐
led simultaneousl y.
R The edge of all thre e segments lights up. Instrument Display with black and white dis‐
play
The bars will fill up when theve hicle is driven
with thefo llowing characteristics:
R 1Moderate acceleration
R 2Consis tent speed
R 3Gentle deceleration and rolling
The bars will em pty when theve hicle is driven
with thefo llowing characteristics:
R 1Spo rty acceleration
R 2Speed fluctuations
R 3Heavy braking
The displ aywill also show the additional range
(4 Bonu sXXX mi Fr. Start orXXX mi From
Start) that you ha veachie ved with your driving
st yle compared with a driver with a very sporty
driving style. This range does not cor respond to
any fixe d consum ption saving. Driving and parking
11 9
#
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 (/ page125).
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 LOWrange 1
Enga ging and disengaging LOWrange
% On
vehicles with DSR (Downhill Speed Regu‐
lation), switch 1isreplaced with the switch
fo r DSR. #
Toengage and disen gage:press the upper
section of switch 1.
The 002E indicator lamp flashes in the instru‐
ment display forth e duration of the shift
operation.
R When the shift operation take s place and
LO W RANGE is engaged, the002E indica‐
to r lamp lights up.
R When the shift operation take s place and
LO W RANGE is disengaged, the002E indi‐
cator lamp goes out.
As long as the indicator lamp 002Eisflashing,
yo u can cancel the shift operation bypressing
button 1again. If the shift operation fails, the
indicator lamp 002Ebrieflyflashes thre e times.
One of the shift conditions was not met. DSR (Downhill Speed
Regulation) Note
s on DSR If
yo ufa ilto adapt your driving style or you are
inat tentive, DSR can nei ther reduce therisk of
accident nor override the la wsof ph ysics. DSR
cannot take road, weather and traf fic conditions
into account. DSR is only an aid. You are respon‐
sible for a safe dis tancetotheve hicle in front, for
ve hicle speed and for braking in good time.
DSR supports you when driving downhill. DSR
main tains a set speed foryo u on downhill gradi‐
ents byapplying the brakes as required. Main‐ 12 6
Driving and pa rking
Electronic le
vel control starts automatically if the
ignition is switched on. Operation is only possible
af te rth e parking brake has been applied.
Elect ronic le vel control per form s a self-check reg‐
ularly when it is activated and while in use. Indi‐
cator lamp 7onthere mo tecontrol lights up for
about one second when you swit chon the igni‐
tion.
There is a malfunction if indicator lamp 7
beha ves in thefo llowing ways:
R The indicator lamp does not light up when you
switch on the ignition.
or
R The indicator lamp then lights up again or
fl ashes.
In addition, a warning tone is emitted from the
re mo tecontrol for appro ximately 30 seconds.
The fault that has been de tected can be shown
using the indicator lamps (signaling of fault
codes). #
Park theve hicle, leaving the ignition switched
on. #
Apply the parking brake. #
Toraise or lo wer the vehicle le vel:press
and hold button 4or5 until theve hicle
le ve lre aches therequ ired height.
The indicator lamp in button 4or5 flashes
as long as theve hicle le vel is being changed.
When theve hicle le vel has been set, the indi‐
cator lamp in button 4or5 lights up. #
Tolowe r automatical ly:brie fly press but ton
5 .
Electronic le vel control automatically lo wers
th eve hicle tothe next lo wer position:
R From the highest position todriving le vel
R From driving le velto the lo west position
The indicator lamp in button 5flashes as
long as theve hicle le vel is being changed. When
theve hicle le vel has been set, the indi‐
cator lamp in button 5lights up.
% By pressing button
4during the mo vement,
th e original position will be reset. #
Toraise automaticall y:briefly press button
4.
Elect ronic le vel control automatically raises
th eve hicle tothe next higher position:
R From the lo west position todriving le vel
R From driving le velto the highest position
The indicator lamp in button 4flashes as
long as theve hicle le vel is being changed.
When theve hicle le vel has been set, the indi‐
cator lamp in button 4lights up.
% By pressing button
5during the mo vement,
th e original position will be reset. #
Toraise or lo wer automatical lyto driving
le ve l (center position): press and hold but‐
to n6.
Electronic le vel control automatically raises or
lo we rstheve hicle todriving le vel. #
Tosave the set vehicle le vel:set the
re qu ired vehicle le vel. #
Press and hold button 1or2 until you hear
a to ne.
The vehicle le vel set has been sa ved on cor re‐
sponding button 1or2. #
Tocall up the sa vedve hicle le vel:briefly
press button 1or2.
Electronic le vel control automatically raises or
lo we rstheve hicle tothe sa ved driving le vel.
The indicator lamp in button 1or2 flashes
as long as theve hicle le vel is being changed.
When theve hicle le vel has been set, the indi‐
cator lamp in button 1or2 lights up.
% Service mode may only be activated or deac‐
tivated at a
qualified specialist workshop by
trained pe rsonnel. In service mode, the air
suspension sy stem is deactivated for mainte‐
nance or fault de tection. #
Toactivate service mode: press button3.
Service mode is active and the indicator lamp
in button 3lights up continuousl y. #
Todeactivate service mode: press button
3.
Service mode is deactivated and the indicator
lamp in button 3goes out. 13 0
Driving and pa rking
#
In particula r,do not park on dry grass‐
land or har vested grain fields. &
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 and be stru ck byoncoming traf‐
fi c.
R Ope rate ve hicle equipment and become
trapped, forex ample.
In addition, thech ildren could also set the
ve hicle in motion, forex ample by:
R Releasing the parking brake.
R Changing the transmission position.
R Starting theve hicle. #
Never lea vechildren unat tended in the
ve hicle. #
When leaving theve hicle, alw aysta ke
th eke y with you and lock theve hicle. #
Keep theve hicle key out of reach of
ch ildren. *
NO
TEDama getotheve hicle or the drive‐
train due torolling away #
Always park your vehicle safely and
according tolegal requirements. #
Always proper lysecure theve hicle
against rolling away. &
WARNING Risk of accident and inju ryif
parking brake is not applied
If yo u park theve hicle with the transmission
in park position 005Dand the parking brake is
not engaged, theve hicle may rollaw ay.
Engaging pa rkposition 005Dis not a fully ade‐
qu ate replacement forth e parking brake.
There is a risk of accident and injur y.#
Secu retheve hicle against rolling away
as desc ribed belo w. Obser
vethefo llowing points toensure that the
ve hicle is properly secured against rolling away
unin tentionally: #
alwa ys apply the parking brake. #
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
engage transmission position 005D. #
On uphill or downhill inclines: turnthe
front wheels towa rdsth e curb. #
On uphill or downhill inclines: securethe
re ar axle with a chock or an object without
sharp edges.
% Yo
u can operate the side windo wsforfive
minutes af teryo u ha veswitched off theve hi‐
cle. Manual parking brake
Applying/releasing
the handbrake le ver &
WARNING Risk of skidding or an acci‐
dent bybraking with the parking brake
If yo u ha vetobrake your vehicle with the
parking brake, the braking dis tance is consid‐
erab lylonger and the wheels may loc k.There
is an increased risk of skidding and/or acci‐
dent. #
Only brake theve hicle with the parking
brake if the service brake has failed. #
Inthis case, do not apply the parking
brake with too much forc e. #
Ifth e wheels loc k,immediately release
th e parking brake as much as required
fo rth e wheels toturn again. &
WARNING Risk offire and an accident if
th e parking brake is not released
If th e parking brake is not fully released when
driving, thefo llowing situations can occur:
R The parking brake can overheat and cause
a fire
R The parking brake can lose its holding
function #
Comple tely release the parking brake
before driving off. The brake lights do not light up when
you brake
th eve hicle with the parking brake. Driving and parking
141
Gene
rally, you may only apply the parking brake
when theve hicle is stationar y. #
Toapply the pa rking brake: pull handbrake
le ve r1 up as far as the last possible de tent.
When the engine is running, the0049
and 0024 (USA) or 0024(Canada) indicator
lamps in the Instrument Display light up. If
th eve hicle is in motion, a warning tone
sounds.
% In
vehicles with a folding handbrake le ver,
yo u can then press handbrake le ver1 down
as far as it will go. #
Torelease the pa rking brake: onvehicles
with a folding handbrake le ver,firs t pull hand‐
brake le ver1 up as far as it will go. #
Guide handbrake le ver1 down toas far as it
will go.
The 0049 and0024 (USA) or 0024(Canada)
indica tor lamps in the instrument display go
out.
Fo lding the handbrake le ver up or down (only
in vehicles with a folding handbrake le ver)
Re quirements:
R The handbrake le ver is applied. #
Tofold down the handbrake le ver:push the
handbrake le ver down as far as it will go. #
Toraise the handbrake le ver:pull the hand‐
brake le ver up as far as it will go. Pe
rforming emer gency braking with the hand‐
brake le ver If, in
exceptional cases, the service brake fails,
yo u may use the parking brake toper form emer‐
ge ncy braking. #
Eme rgency braking: press and hold release
button 2and carefully pull brake le ver1. Electric parking brake
Information on
the electric pa rking brake &
WARNING Risk of accident and injury
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 and be stru ck byoncoming traf‐
fi c.
R Ope rate ve hicle equipment and become
trapped, forex ample.
In addition, thech ildren could also set the
ve hicle in motion, forex ample by:
R Releasing the parking brake.
R Changing the transmission position.
R Starting theve hicle. #
Never lea vechildren unat tended in the
ve hicle. #
When leaving theve hicle, alw aysta ke
th eke y with you and lock theve hicle. #
Keep theve hicle key out of reach of
ch ildren. 14 2
Driving and pa rking