242Driving and operatingStarting the engine
Depress the brake pedal when
starting the engine. If the brake pedal
is not depressed, T illuminates in the
transmission display and the engine
cannot be started.
When the brake pedal is depressed,
the transmission automatically shifts
to N (neutral). "N" appears in the
transmission display and the engine
can be started. There may be a slight delay.
Selector leverAlways move the selector lever in the
appropriate direction as far as it will
go. Upon release, it automatically
returns to the centre position.N:neutralD/M:switch between automatic and manual mode
The transmission display
shows "D" when in automatic
mode.R:reverse gear
Engage only when vehicle is
stationary. The transmission
display shows "R" when
reverse gear is engaged.+:shift to a higher gear.-:shift to a lower gear.
Starting off
When the engine is started, the
transmission is in automatic mode.
Depress the brake pedal and move
the selector lever towards + to
engage first gear.
If R is selected, reverse gear is
engaged. The vehicle starts to move
when the brake pedal is released. To
start off quickly, release the brake
pedal and accelerate immediately
after engaging a gear.
In automatic mode the transmission
shifts to other gears automatically,
dependent on driving conditions.
To engage manual mode, move the
selector lever towards D/M. The
current gear will appear in the
transmission display.
To engage first gear, depress brake
pedal and move selector lever
towards + or -. Shift to a higher or
lower gear by moving selector lever to + or -. Gears can be skipped by
moving the selector lever repeatedly
at short intervals.
Stopping the vehicle In automatic or manual mode,
first gear is engaged and the clutch is
released when the vehicle is stopped.
In R, reverse gear remains engaged.
When stopping on gradients, engage parking brake or depress the brake
pedal. To prevent overheating of the
clutch, an intermittent audible
Driving and operating243warning may sound as a signal to
depress the brake pedal or apply the
parking brake.
Switch off engine if stopping for a lengthy period, e.g. in traffic jams.
When the vehicle is parked and the
driver's door is opened, a warning
chime will sound if neutral is not
selected or the brake pedal has not
been depressed.
Engine braking
Automatic mode
When driving downhill, the manual transmission automated does not shift into higher gears until a fairly
high engine speed has been reached. It shifts down in good time when
braking.
Manual mode
To utilise the engine braking effect, select a lower gear in good time when driving downhill.Rocking the vehicle
Rocking the vehicle is only
permissible if the vehicle is stuck in
sand, mud, snow or a hole. Move the
selector lever between R and D/M (or
between + and -) in a repeat pattern,
while applying light pressure to the
accelerator pedal. Do not race the
engine and avoid sudden
acceleration.
Parking
Apply the parking brake. The most recently engaged gear (see
transmission display) remains
engaged. With N, no gear is engaged.
When the ignition is switched off, the transmission no longer responds to
movement of the selector lever.
If the ignition is not switched off, or the parking brake has not been applied, a
warning chime will sound upon
opening the driver's door.
Manual mode If a higher gear is selected when the
engine speed is too low, or a lower
gear when the speed is too high, theshift is not executed. This prevents
the engine from running at too low or
too high an engine speed.
If engine speed is too low, the
transmission automatically shifts to a
lower gear.
If engine speed is too high, the
transmission only switches to a higher gear via kickdown.
Electronic driving programmes
Laden mode kg
244Driving and operatingIt is possible to use the Laden mode
in both manual and automatic modes. In both cases, the gearshifting
patterns are adapted automatically
for carrying an increased payload.
Activation
Press kg. Control indicator kg is
shown in the transmission display.
The transmission will then select
optimized gearshift patterns.
Deactivation
The Laden mode is switched off by:
● pressing kg again
● turning off the ignition
Kickdown If the accelerator pedal is pressed
past the pressure point, the
transmission shifts to a lower gear
depending on engine speed. Full
engine power is available for
acceleration.
If engine speed is too high the
transmission switches to a higher
gear, even in manual mode. Without
kickdown this automatic shift is not
effected in manual mode.Fault
In the event of a fault, control indicator W is shown in the transmission
display. Continued driving is possible
provided the vehicle is driven with
care and anticipation.
Have the cause of the fault remedied
by a workshop.
Interruption of power supply The clutch is not disengaged if there
is an interruption of the power supply
when a gear is engaged. The vehicle
cannot move.
If the vehicle battery is discharged,
start the vehicle using jump leads
3 304.
If the cause of the fault is not a
discharged vehicle battery, seek the
assistance of a workshop.
If neutral cannot be selected, the
vehicle must only be towed with the
drive wheels raised off the ground
3 306.
Towing the vehicle 3 306.Brakes
The brake system comprises two
independent brake circuits.
If a brake circuit fails, the vehicle can
still be braked using the other brake
circuit. However, braking effect is
achieved only when you depress the
brake pedal firmly. You need to use
considerably more force for this. The
braking distance is extended. Seek
the assistance of a workshop before
continuing your journey.
When the engine is not running, the
support of the brake servo unit
disappears once the brake pedal has been depressed once or twice.
Braking effect is not reduced, but
braking requires significantly greater
force. It is especially important to bear
this in mind when being towed.
Control indicator R 3 100.
Antilock brake system Antilock brake system (ABS)
prevents the wheels from locking.
Driving and operating247Ride control systems
Traction Control system The traction control system is a
component part of the Electronic
Stability Control (ESC) which
improves driving stability when
necessary, regardless of the type of
road surface or tyre grip, by
preventing the drive wheels from
spinning.
As soon as the drive wheels start to
spin, engine output is reduced and
the wheel spinning the most is braked
individually. This considerably
improves the driving stability of the
vehicle on slippery road surfaces.
Traction control system is operational
as soon as the ignition is switched on and control indicator b extinguishes
in the instrument cluster.
When traction control system is active b flashes.9 Warning
Do not let this special safety
feature tempt you into taking risks
when driving.
Adapt speed to the road
conditions.
Control indicator b 3 101.
Trailer stability assist 3 266.
Enhanced traction function
If necessary, in the event of soft
ground, mud or snow-covered road
surfaces, the traction control system
can be deactivated to enhance
traction:
Press Ø.
A message appears in the Driver
Information Centre.
When vehicle speed reaches
50 km/h, the system switches
automatically to standard traction control system operation. A message
appears in the Driver Information
Centre.
Traction control system is reactivated by pressing Ø again.
A message appears in the Driver
Information Centre.
Fault
If the system detects a fault, control
indicator b 3 101 illuminates together
with j 3 99 in the instrument cluster
and a corresponding message
appears in the Driver Information
Centre.
248Driving and operatingThe traction control system is not
operational. Have the cause of the
fault remedied by a workshop.
Vehicle messages 3 106.
Driver Information Centre 3 105.
Electronic Stability Control
The Electronic Stability Control (ESC) improves driving stability when
necessary, regardless of the type of
road surface or tyre grip. It also
prevents the drive wheels from
spinning.
As soon as the vehicle starts to
swerve (understeer / oversteer),
engine output is reduced and the wheels are braked individually. This
considerably improves the driving
stability of the vehicle on slippery road
surfaces.
ESC is operational as soon as the
ignition is switched on and control indicator b extinguishes in the
instrument cluster.
When ESC comes into action b
flashes.9 Warning
Do not let this special safety
feature tempt you into taking risks
when driving.
Adapt speed to the road
conditions.
Control indicator b 3 101.
Trailer stability assist 3 266.
Enhanced traction function
If necessary, in the event of soft
ground, mud or snow-covered road
surfaces, ESC can be deactivated to
enhance traction:
Press Ø.
A message appears in the Driver
Information Centre.
When vehicle speed reaches
50 km/h, the system switches
automatically to standard ESC
operation. A message appears in the
Driver Information Centre.
ESC is reactivated by pressing Ø
again.
ESC is also reactivated the next time
the ignition is switched on.
Engine drag torque control The engine drag torque control
system is an integral feature of ESC. When downshifting under slippery
road conditions, the engine speed
and torque increases to help prevent
locking of the drive wheels during
sudden deceleration.
Side wind assist The side wind assist is an integralfeature of ESC and maintaines the
vehicle's path. When the system
comes into action " appears in the
Driver Information Centre.
Driving and operating255pedal to override the automatic
braking if the situation and the
surroundings permit.
In the following cases, active
emergency braking performance is limited:
● driving on winding or hilly roads
● detecting all vehicles, especially vehicles with a trailer, tractors,
muddy vehicles, etc.
● detecting a vehicle when weather
limits visibility, such as in fog,
rain, or snow
● driving during nighttime
● sensor in the windscreen or radar
unit behind the front bumper
blocked by snow, ice, slush, mud, dirt, etc.
● windscreen damaged or affected
by foreign objects, e.g. stickers
Complete attention is always required
while driving, and you should be
ready to take action and apply the
brakes and / or steer the vehicle to
avoid crashes.Fault
In case the system requires a service,
a message is displayed in the Driver
Information Centre.
Additionally, warning lights l and
j illuminate at the same time.
When the system detects that its
function is not available, warning light l or j illuminates and stays on.
Additionally, a message in the Driver Information Centre appears. The
system may be temporarily disrupted
(for example: radar or camera
obscured by dirt, mud, snow etc.). In
this case, park the vehicle and switch
off the engine. Clean the windscreen
area around the camera and the
detection zone of the radar in the front bumper. When the warning lights and
messages still appear after starting
the vehicle again, seek the
assistance of a workshop.Parking assist9 Warning
It is the driver who bears full
responsibility for the parking
manoeuvre.
Always check the surrounding
area while reversing and using the rear parking assist system.
The parking assist measures the
distance between the vehicle and
obstacles behind and, if available, in
front of the vehicle. It informs and
warns the driver by giving acoustic
signals.
The system consists of four ultrasonic parking sensors in the rear bumper
and, if available, four ultrasonic
parking sensors in the front bumper.
262Driving and operatingDeactivation
The system is deactivated by
pressing Q. A corresponding
message appears in the Driver
Information Centre to indicate that the
system is switched off.
At speeds below 60 km/h the system is inoperable.
Operation hints
The lane departure warning system
may not operate properly when:
● The windscreen is not clean.● There are adverse environmental
conditions like heavy rain, snow,
direct sunlight or shadows.
● Lane departure is very fast.
● Acceleration is very strong.
● Bends are tight.
● Driving continuously on a line.
The system cannot operate when no
lane marking is detected.Fault
In the event of a fault in the system, a warning message appears in the
Driver Information Centre (possibly in
combination with control indicator
j ).
Seek the assistance of a workshop.
Driver Information Centre 3 105.Fuel
Fuel for diesel engines The Diesel engines are compatible
with bio-fuels that conform to current and future European standards and
can be obtained from filling stations:
Diesel fuel that meets standard
EN590 mixed with a biofuel that
meets standard EN14214 (possibly
containing up to 7% Fatty Acid Methyl
Ester).
Driving and operating263Diesel fuel that meets standard
EN16734 mixed with a biofuel that
meets standard EN14214 (possibly
containing up to 10% Fatty Acid
Methyl Ester).
Paraffinic Diesel fuel that meets
standard EN15940 mixed with a
biofuel that meets standard
EN14214 (possibly containing up to
7% Fatty Acid Methyl Ester).
If travelling in countries outside the
European Union, occasional use of Euro-Diesel fuel with a sulphur
concentration below 50 ppm is
possible.
Caution
Frequent usage of diesel fuel containing more than 15 ppm
sulphur will cause severe engine
damage.
Caution
Use of fuel that does not comply to EN 590 or similar can lead to
engine powerloss, increased wear
or engine damage and may affect
your warranty.
Do not use marine diesel oils, heating
oils, Aquazole and similar diesel-
water emulsions. Diesel fuels must
not be diluted with fuels for petrol
engines. Do not use additives.
The flow and filterability of diesel fuels are temperature-dependent. When
temperatures are low, refuel with
diesel fuel with guaranteed winter
properties.
Diesel fuel system bleeding 3 276.
Low temperature operation
At temperatures below 0 °C, some
diesel products with biodiesel blends
may clog, freeze or gel, which may
affect the fuel supply system. Starting
and engine operation may not work
properly. Make sure to fill winter
grade diesel fuel at ambient
temperatures below 0 °C.
Arctic grade diesel fuel can be used
in extreme cold temperatures below
-20 °C. Using this fuel grade in warm
or hot climates is not recommended
and may cause engine stalling, poor starting or damage to the fuel
injection system.
Refuelling9 Danger
Before refuelling, switch off engine
and any external heaters with
combustion chambers. Switch off
any mobile phones.
Follow the operating and safety
instructions of the filling station
when refuelling.