2004 Mercedes-benz M Class Owners Manual

Always make sure that there is suffi- cient overhead clearance.

The vehicle must be unlocked.

Opening the liftgate from inside A minimum height clearance of 7 ft (2.15 m) is required to open the liftgate. The release lever is located on the inside of the liftgate.

1 Grip molding 2 Handle 왘 Pull on handle 2. 왘 Swing the liftgate upward by using the

grip molding.

1 Handle 2 Catch

91

Controls in detail Locking and unlocking

왘 To unlock the liftgate, move the

Closing the liftgate

catch 2 to the right.

왘 Pull handle 1 down and swing liftgate

upward.

Always make sure that there is suffi- cient overhead clearance.

To lock the liftgate, move the catch 2 to the left.

Warning!

When leaving the vehicle, always remove the key from the steering lock and lock the vehi- cle. Do not leave children unattended in the vehicle. Children could open the liftgate from inside, which could result in an acci- dent and/or serious personal injury.

92

Warning!

To prevent possible personal injury, always keep hands and fingers away from the liftga- te opening when closing the liftgate. Be es- pecially careful when small children are around.

Do not close the liftgate from the inside by pulling on the handle.

1 Recessed grip 2 Grip molding 왘 Pull down on recessed grip 1. 왘 Close liftgate by using grip molding 2.

Warning!

Only drive with the liftgate closed as exhaust fumes may enter the vehicle interior.

To prevent an inadvertent lockout, do not place the key in the cargo compart- ment.

Automatic central locking

The doors and the liftgate automatically lock when the ignition is switched on and the left front wheel turns at vehicle speeds of approximately 9 mph (15 km/h) or more. If one of the front doors is then opened from the inside, the vehicle is unlocked centrally unless only the driver's door was previously unlocked.

The doors unlock automatically after an accident if the force of the impact ex- ceeds a preset threshold. To prevent the vehicle door locks from locking, deactivate the automatic cen- tral locking when the vehicle 앫 is pushed or towed 앫 is on a test stand

Information on towing the vehicle can be found in the “Practical hints” section (컄 page 241). The switch is located on the lower center console.

Central locking switch 1 Locking 2 Unlocking

Controls in detail Locking and unlocking

Activating 왘 Make sure the ignition is switched on. All the lamps in the instrument cluster light up.

왘 Press and hold upper part 1 of the

central locking button for approximate- ly six seconds. The automatic central locking is activated.

Deactivating 왘 Make sure the ignition is switched on. All the lamps in the instrument cluster light up.

왘 Press and hold lower part 2 of the

central locking button for approximate- ly six seconds. The automatic central locking is deacti- vated.

93

Controls in detail Locking and unlocking

Locking and unlocking from the inside

You can lock or unlock the doors and the tailgate from inside using the central lock- ing switch. This can be useful, for example, if you want to lock the vehicle before start- ing to drive.

Warning!

When leaving the vehicle, always remove the key from the steering lock and lock the vehi- cle. Do not leave children unattended in the vehicle, or with access to an unlocked vehi- cle. Unsupervised use of vehicle equipment may cause an accident and/or serious per- sonal injury.

Locking 왘 Press upper part 1 of central locking

button (컄 page 93). If all the doors are closed, the vehicle locks.

Unlocking 왘 Press lower part 2 of central locking

button (컄 page 93). The vehicle unlocks.

You can open a locked door from the inside. Open door only when conditions are safe to do so. If the vehicle was previously centrally locked using the remote control, it will not unlock using the central locking switch.

94

왔 Seats Information on seat adjustment can be found in the “Getting started” section (컄 page 34).

Removing and installing front seat head restraints

Information on head restraint adjustment can be found in the “Getting started” sec- tion (컄 page 34).

Controls in detail Seats

Warning!

Front seat head restraints

For your protection, drive only with properly positioned head restraints.

Adjust head restraint so that the head re- straint supports the back of the head at eye level. This will reduce the potential for injury to the head and neck in the event of an accident or similar situation.

Do not drive the vehicle without the seat head restraints. Head restraints are intend- ed to help reduce injuries during an acci- dent.

Do not interchange head restraints from front and rear seat.

Removing head restraints 왘 Pull head restraint to its highest

position.

왘 Push button 1 and pull out head

restraint.

95

Controls in detail Seats

Installing head restraint 왘 Insert head restraint and push it down

Raising: 왘 Manually adjust the height of the head

to the stop.

restraint by pulling it upward.

Head restraint tilt

왘 Push button 1 and adjust head restraint to the desired position (컄 page 36).

Rear seat head restraints

Head restraint height

Lowering: 왘 To lower the head restraint, push

button 1 and press down on the head restraint.

Warning!

For your protection, drive only with properly positioned head restraints.

Adjust head restraint so that the head re- straint supports the back of the head at eye level. This will reduce the potential for injury to the head and neck in the event of an ac- cident or similar situation.

Do not drive the vehicle without the seat head restraints. Head restraints are intend- ed to help reduce injuries during an acci- dent.

Manually adjust the angle of the head restraint. 왘 Push or pull on the upper edge of the

head restraint cushion.

More informations on seats can be found in the “Getting started” section (컄 page 34).

96

Removing and installing rear seat head restraints

Warning!

For your protection, drive only with properly positioned head restraints.

Adjust head restraint so that the head re- straint supports the back of the head at eye level. This will reduce the potential for injury to the head and neck in the event of an ac- cident or similar situation.

Do not drive the vehicle without the seat head restraints. Head restraints are intend- ed to help reduce injuries during an acci- dent.

Do not interchange head restraints from front and rear seat.

Removing rear seat head restraints 왘 Pull head restraint to its highest

position.

왘 Push button 1 and pull out head

restraint.

For a better view toward the rear, you can store the rear center head restraint underneath the rear seat (컄 page 97).

Controls in detail Seats

Installing rear seat head restraints 왘 Insert head restraint and push it down

to the stop.

왘 Push button 1 and adjust head restraint to the desired position (컄 page 36).

Stowing rear center head restraint

1 Rear center head restraint 2 Bar 3 Clip

컄컄

97

Controls in detail Seats

컄컄

왘 Remove rear center head restraint

(컄 page 96).

왘 If necessary, remove cargo floor plates,

see “Removing cargo floor plates” (컄 page 162).

왘 Slide rear seats forward, see “Adjusting

rear seat fore and aft” (컄 page 99). 왘 Fold rear seat backrests down, see

“Folding down the backrest” (컄 page 100).

왘 From cargo compartment, attach rear center head restraint 1 to underside of rear center seat. Make sure front side of head restraint 1 is facing upward.

왘 Press bar 2 on both sides into

clips 3.

98

Heated seats*

Both switches for the front seats are loca- ted in the center console.

1 Normal heating 2 Rapid heating 왘 Start the engine.

Switching on seat heating 왘 Press upper switch position 1.

A red indicator lamp on the switch lights up.

Switching off seat heating 왘 Press upper switch position 1 again. The indicator lamp on the switch turns off.

The seat heater will be automatically switched off after approximately 20 minutes.

Switching on rapid seat heating 왘 Press lower switch position 2.

Both red indicator lamps on the switch turn on.

The system switches over to normal heating mode after approximately five minutes. Only one red indicator lamp remains on.

Switching off rapid seat heating 왘 Press lower switch position 2 again. Both red indicator lamps on the switch turn off.

Rear seats

Warning!

Adjusting rear seat fore and aft

Controls in detail Seats

If one or both of the lamps on the seat heater switch are flashing, there is in- sufficient voltage available since too many electrical consumers are turned on. The seat heater switches off auto- matically. The seat heater will switch back on again automatically as soon as suffi- cient voltage is available.

Do not adjust the rear seats while driving.

Always seat in an upright position and the seat belts are properly positioned on the body. Your seat must be adjusted so that you can correctly fasten your seat belt.

Adjust head restraint to support the back of the head approximately at ear level.

Never place hands under the seat or near any moving parts while a seat is being ad- justed.

The rear seats are divided asymmetrically. To enlarge the cargo area you can adjust the left and right part separately. The fol- lowing changes are possible: 앫 moving the seat fore and aft 앫 folding down the backrest 앫 lowering the seat

1 Release lever 왘 Pull release lever 1 in direction of

arrow.

왘 Slide seat to the desired position until

it locks in place.

Warning!

Failure to assure that seats are locked into place could result in an increased chance of injury in an accident.

99

Controls in detail Seats

Folding down the backrest

1 Lock button 왘 Close cup holder (컄 page 167) and ashtray (컄 page 169) in rear center console (컄 page 167).

왘 Move front seats forward. Manual seat (컄 page 35) or power seat (컄 page 37).

왘 Slide seat forward. 왘 Remove head restraint(s) (컄 page 95). 왘 Pull lock button 1 up and fold back-

rest forward until it locks in place.

100

The red backrest lock indicator at lock button 1 is not visible in the locked position.

Folding up the backrest 왘 Close cup holder (컄 page 167) and ashtray (컄 page 169) in rear center console.

왘 Pull lock button 1 up and unfold back-

rest until it locks in place. Make sure the seat belt is not caught in the seat.

왘 Check for secure locking by pulling and

pushing on the backrest. The red backrest lock indicator at lock button 1 is not visible in the locked position.

왘 Install head restraint (컄 page 96).

왘 Slide seat rearward to desired position

(컄 page 99).

왘 Adjust front seats to desired position.

Manual seats (컄 page 35) or power seats (컄 page 37).

Lowering the rear seat

1 Release button 2 Lever 3 Release lever

왘 Close cup holder in rear center console

(컄 page 167).

왘 Move front seats forward. Manual seat (컄 page 35) or power seat (컄 page 37). 왘 Press and hold release button 1 to un-

lock lever 2.

왘 Pull lever 2 in direction of arrow. 왘 Pull release lever 3 and push down

rear seat until it locks in place.

왘 Fold down the backrest (컄 page 100). 왘 Adjust front seats to desired position.

Manual seats (컄 page 35) or power seats (컄 page 37).

Folding up the rear seat 왘 Move front seats forward. Manual seat (컄 page 35) or power seat (컄 page 37). 왘 Pull release lever 3 and raise rear seat

until it locks in place.

Warning!

Failure to assure that seats are locked into place could result in an increased chance of injury in an accident.

Easy entry/exit feature* The easy entry/exit feature allows access to the third row seats*. The right cargo floor plate must be removed (컄 page 162).

Warning!

Never drive with the second row right seat folded forward (easy entry/exit feature). It could open and fold back unintentionally.

Controls in detail Seats

Folding rear seat forward

1 Lever 왘 Move right seat forward. Manual seats

(컄 page 35) or power seats (컄 page 37).

왘 Move rear seat forward (컄 page 99). 왘 Push head restraint fully down and tilt

it forward.

왘 Fold backrest forward (컄 page 100). 왘 Pull lever 1 up and fold the rear seat

forward.

101

Controls in detail Seats

Resetting rear seat

왘 Move the rear and front seats in de-

Folding down single seat

sired position.

왘 Pull up and adjust head restraint

(컄 page 36).

Third row seats*

Warning!

For your protection, drive only with properly positioned head restraints.

Adjust head restraint so that head restraint supports the back of the head at eye level. This will reduce the potential for injury to the head and neck in the event of an accident or similar situation.

Failure to assure that seats are locked into place could result in an increased chance of injury in an accident.

Never place hands under seat or near any moving parts while a seat is being adjusted.

1 Head restraint 2 Hook 3 Tensioner 4 Hook and loop velcro strip 왘 Remove cargo floor plate

(컄 page 162).

왘 Remove head restraint 1 from seat

cushion.

왘 Lift tensioner 3 upward to a horizon- tal position to release tension of the belt.

왘 Disengage hook 2 while holding onto

the seat firmly with one hand.

왘 Pull down on seat bench until it locks

into place.

왘 Pull lock button 1 (컄 page 100) up and unfold backrest until it locks into place.

왘 Check for secure locking by pulling and

pushing on the backrest. The red backrest lock indicator at lock button 1 (컄 page 100) is not visible in the locked position.

102

Controls in detail Seats

왘 Install head restraint 1 in backrest

(컄 page 102).

왘 Disengage belt and engage hook 2

(컄 page 102) in ceiling mount.

왘 Attach belt at hook and loop velcro

strip 4 (컄 page 102) on underside of seat.

Storing single seat

5 Backrest release 6 Seat release 왘 Fold seat down until it locks securely in

place. The red marking on the seat release 6 should not be visible.

왘 Store cargo floor plates inside the

backrest (컄 page 162).

왘 Pull backrest release 5 and unfold

backrest until it locks securely in place.

왘 Remove head restraint from backrest

(컄 page 102).

왘 Pull backrest release 5 and fold back- rest forward until it locks securely in place.

왘 Remove cargo floor plates from the

backrest.

왘 Pull seat release 6 (컄 page 103) and

fold seat up.

왘 Pull on free end of belt until tight. 왘 Install head restraint in openings

provided in seat cushion.

왘 Install cargo floor plates (컄 page 162).

Warning!

After folding the seats up, manually place the lap belt portion of the seat belt behind the seat (arrow). Otherwise, the lap belt may be subject to damage and could rip.

103

왘 Lift tensioner 2 upward to a horizon- tal position to release tension of the belt.

왘 Disengage hook 1 while holding onto

the seat firmly with one hand.

왘 Attach belt at hook and loop strip 3

on underside of seat.

왘 Move release lever 4 upward and re-

move seat.

Installing single seat 왘 Place seat into the mounting clamps

and click the seat into place.

Controls in detail Seats

Removing single seat

1 Hook 2 Tensioner 3 Hook and loop velcro strip 4 Release lever

104

왔 Memory function*

Prior to operating the vehicle the driver should check and adjust the seat height, seat position fore and aft, and seat backrest angle if necessary, to en- sure adequate control, reach and com- fort. The head restraint should also be adjusted for proper height. See also the section on airbags (컄 page 59) for proper seat positioning. In addition, adjust the steering wheel to ensure adequate control, reach, opera- tion and comfort. Both the inside and outside rear view mirrors should be ad- justed for adequate rear vision. Fasten seat belts. Infants and small children should be seated in a properly secured restraint system that complies with U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 213 and 225 and Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 213 and 210.2.

With the memory button you can store up to three different settings for the driver- and passenger seat. Together with the driver’s seat you can store the exterior rear view mirrors. For the front passenger seat you can store the seat position.

Warning!

Do not activate the memory function while driving. Activating the memory function while driving could cause the driver to lose control of the vehicle.

Storing exterior rear view mirror parking position

For easier parking, you can adjust the pas- senger-side exterior rear view mirror so that you can see the right rear wheel as soon as you engage reverse gear R.

Controls in detail Memory function*

For information on activating the parking position feature, see “Activating exterior rear view mirror parking position” (컄 page 127).

1 Position buttons 2 Memory button

105

Controls in detail Memory function*

Storing parking position 왘 Stop the vehicle. 왘 Switch on ignition (if not already on). 왘 Press button 2.

The passenger-side exterior rear view mirror is selected.

왘 Adjust the exterior rear view mirror

with button 3 so that you see the rear wheel and the road curb.

왘 Press memory button 2 (컄 page 105). 왘 Within three seconds, press bottom of

adjustment button 3. The parking position is stored if the mirror does not move.

106

If the mirror does move, repeat the above steps. After the setting is stored you can move the mirror again. The selected position will be stored rel- ative to the position button 1 (컄 page 105) pressed.

Storing positions in memory

왘 Adjust the seat (컄 page 37) and exteri- or rear view mirrors (컄 page 40) to the desired position.

왘 Push memory button 2 (컄 page 105). 왘 Release memory button and press one of the position buttons 1 within three seconds. All the settings are stored at the select- ed position.

Recalling positions from memory

Do not operate the power seats using the memory button if the seat backrest is in an excessively reclined position. Doing so could cause damage to front or rear seats.

왘 Press and hold one of the position

buttons 1 until seat and rear view mir- rors have fully moved to the stored po- sitions.

Releasing the button immediately stops movement to the stored posi- tions.

왔 Lighting For notes on how to switch on the head- lamps (컄 page 48) and use the turn signals (컄 page 49), see the “Getting started” sec- tion.

If you drive in countries where vehicles drive on the other side of the road than the country where the vehicle is regis- tered, you must have the headlamps modified for symmetrical low beams. Relevant information can be obtained at your authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.

Combination switch

The combination switch is on the left of the steering column.

1 High beam 2 High beam flasher

Controls in detail Lighting

M Off U Automatic headlamp mode C Parking lamps, license plate lamps

and instrument panel lamps Canada only: With the engine run- ning, the low beam headlamps additionally switched on.

õ Low beam or high beam headlamps ƒ Left or right standing lamps

(symbol on underside of switch)

107

Controls in detail Lighting

If you remove the key and open the driver’s door while the parking lamps or low beam headlamps are switched on, then a warning sounds.

Manual headlamp mode The low beam headlamps and parking lamps can be switched on and off with the combination switch. For combination switch, see (컄 page 107).

Automatic headlamp mode The parking lamps, low beam headlamps and license plate lamps switch on and off automatically depending on the brightness of the ambient light. 왘 Turn the combination switch to U.

108

Warning!

If the combination switch is set to U, 앫 the headlamps may switch off unexpect- edly when the system senses bright am- bient light, for example light from oncoming traffic.

앫 the headlamps will not be automatically

switched on under foggy conditions.

To minimize risk to you and to others, acti- vate headlamps by turning combination switch to õ when driving or when traffic and/or ambient lighting conditions require you to do so.

In low ambient lighting conditions, only switch from position U to õ with the vehicle at a standstill. Switching from U to õ will briefly switch off the head- lamps. Doing so while driving in low ambient lighting conditions may result in an acci- dent.

The automatic headlamp feature is only an aid to the driver. The driver is responsible for the operation of the vehicle's lights at all times.

If the automatic headlamp mode is ac- tivated, the fog lamps can also be switched on (컄 page 111). The low beam headlamp and parking lamps are activated simultaneously.

Daytime running lamp mode Canada only: 왘 Turn combination switch to

position M or U.

When the engine is running, the low beam headlamps are automatically switched on. In low ambient light conditions, the parking lamps will also switch on. When you shift from a driving position to position N or P, the low beam switches off (three minutes delay). For nighttime driving you should turn the combination switch to position õ to permit activation of the high beam head- lamps.

The high beam flasher is always avail- able.

Controls in detail Lighting

Night security illumination When you turn off the engine and the last door has been closed, the following lamps will remain lit: 앫 Parking lamps 앫 Tail lamps 앫 License plate lamps 앫 Front fog lamps The combination switch must be set to position U (컄 page 107).

Deactivating night security illumination temporarily 왘 Before leaving the vehicle, turn the key

in the steering lock to position 0 (컄 page 33) then turn it to position 2 and back to 0. The night security illumination is deac- tivated. It will reactivate as soon as you start the engine.

Setting illumination time

You can reactivate this function within ten minutes by opening a door or the liftgate. If you do not open a door or the liftgate after turning off the engine, the lamps will automatically switch off after 60 seconds.

1 Switch for fog lamps

109

Switching on high beams 왘 Turn the combination switch

to õ(컄 page 107).

왘 Push the combination switch forward. The high beam indicator A in the instrument cluster comes on.

High beam flasher 왘 Pull the combination switch briefly in

direction 2.

Locator lighting During darkness, the following lamps will come on when the vehicle is unlocked by remote control: 앫 Parking lamps 앫 Tail lamps 앫 License plate lamps 앫 Front fog lamps The combination switch must be set to position U (컄 page 107). The locator lighting switches off when the driver’s door is opened. It switches off au- tomatically after a period of approximately 40 seconds.

Controls in detail Lighting

왘 Stop the vehicle. 왘 Make sure the ignition is switched on. All the lamps in the instrument cluster light up.

왘 Turn combination switch to

position M.

왘 Press upper part 1 of switch until the clock, located in the instrument clus- ter, displays the actual illumination time.

왘 Press upper part 1 of switch again. Each time the switch is pressed, the illumination time increases by 15 seconds. You can set the illumina- tion time between 0 (off) and 60 seconds.

Approximately five seconds after pressing the switch, the illumination time is set and the clock is displayed again.

110

Fog lamps

Warning!

In low ambient lighting or foggy conditions, only switch from position U to B with the vehicle at a standstill. Switching from U to B will briefly switch off the headlamps. Doing so while driving in low ambient lighting conditions may result in an accident.

The fog lamps can be switched on with combination switch in position õ or U. Consult your state Motor Reg- ulations regarding allowable lamp oper- ation.

The switch is located on the upper center console.

1 Front fog lamps 2 Indicator lamp 3 Front fog lamps and rear fog lamp

Switching front fog lamps on and off 왘 Make sure the low beam headlamps

are switched on.

왘 Press upper part 1 of switch.

The green indicator lamp ‡ in the instrument cluster comes on.

왘 Press upper part 1 of switch again. The green indicator lamp ‡ in the instrument cluster goes out.

Controls in detail Lighting

Switching front fog lamps and rear fog lamps on and off 왘 Make sure the low beam headlamps

are switched on.

왘 Press lower part 3 of switch.

The green indicator lamp ‡ in the instrument cluster comes on in addi- tion to the yellow indicator lamp 2 in the switch.

왘 Press lower part 3 of switch again. The green indicator lamp ‡ in the instrument cluster and the yellow indi- cator lamp 2 in the switch go out.

Switching rear fog lamp on and off 왘 Press upper part 1 of switch.

The yellow indicator lamp 2 in the switch goes out.

왘 Press upper part 1 of switch.

The green indicator lamp ‡ in the instrument cluster goes out.

111

Controls in detail Lighting

Hazard warning flasher

The hazard warning flasher can be activa- ted with the ignition switched on or off. It is activated automatically when an airbag is deployed. The switch is located on top of the steering column.

Hazard warning flasher switch

112

Switching on hazard warning flasher 왘 Press the hazard warning flasher

switch. All the turn signals will flash.

Switching off hazard warning flasher 왘 Press hazard warning flasher switch

again.

If the hazard warning flasher was acti- vated automatically, press the hazard warning flasher switch twice to deacti- vate.

Interior lighting

The controls are located in the overhead control panel.

1 Left front interior lamp lens 2 Right front interior lamp lens 3 Automatic function off 4 Automatic function on 5 Rear interior lighting

Automatic control

Activating automatic control 왘 Bring the rocker switch to center

position 4. Interior lamps (except cargo compart- ment lamp) are switched on in dark- ness, when you 앫 unlock the vehicle 앫 open a door 앫 remove the key from the steering

lock

In addition, the entry/exit lamps in the door trays will come on when you open a door. When all doors are closed and no key is inserted in the steering lock, the interi- or lamps are switched off after a brief delay.

Controls in detail Lighting

If the door remains open, the interior lamps (except cargo compartment lamp) switch off automatically after ap- proximately 30 minutes.

Deactivating automatic control 왘 Press lower part 3 of rocker switch.

The interior lighting and the entry/exit lamps remain switched off in darkness, even when you 앫 unlock the vehicle 앫 open a door 앫 remove the key from the steering

lock

Manual control

If a lamp is switched on manually, it will not go out automatically. This could cause the battery to become dis- charged.

Switching on front interior lamps 왘 Press on lamp lens 1 or 2.

The respective lamp switches on.

Switching off front interior lamps 왘 Press on lamp lens 1 or 2 again. The respective lamp switches off.

Operating rear interior lighting with rocker switch 왘 Press on upper part 5 of rocker

switch. The rear interior lighting goes on.

컄컄

113

Controls in detail Lighting

컄컄

왘 Press on upper part 5 of rocker

switch again. The rear interior lighting goes off. If the switch is pressed while the rear interior lighting is on, the function is re- versed.

Operating rear interior lighting with lamp lens

Rear interior lighting 왘 Push on lamp lens (arrow) to switch

rear interior lighting on or off.

114

Reading lamps in inside rear view mirror

Cargo compartment lamp

1 Reading lamps 2 Reading lamps on/off

Switching reading lamp on and off 왘 Press button 2.

The lamp switches on. 왘 Press button 2 again. The lamp switches off.

1 Switched off 2 Switched on continuously 3 Automatic control

Switching off cargo compartment lamp 왘 Slide the switch to position 1. The cargo compartment lamp is switched off, even when the liftgate is opened.

Switching on continuous cargo compartment lamp 왘 Slide the switch to position 2. The cargo compartment lamp is switched on continuously.

Automatic control 왘 Slide the switch to position 3. The cargo compartment lamp is switched on and off by opening or clos- ing the liftgate.

To prevent the vehicle battery from be- ing discharged, make sure the switch is not in position 2 when leaving the ve- hicle.

Controls in detail Lighting

115

Controls in detail Instrument cluster 왔 Instrument cluster A full view illustration of the instrument cluster can be found in the “At a glance” section of this manual (컄 page 24).

The instrument cluster is activated when you: 앫 open the driver’s door 앫 turn the key in steering lock to

position 1 or 2 (컄 page 33)

앫 press the left knob 1

1 Left knob 2 Right knob

116

Instrument cluster illumination

You can set the instrument cluster illu- mination with the following lamps on: 앫 parking lamps 앫 low beam headlamps 앫 high beam headlamps

To brighten illumination 왘 Turn knob 1 clockwise.

The instrument cluster illumination will brighten.

To dim illumination 왘 Turn knob 1 counterclockwise.

The instrument cluster illumination will dim.

Controls in detail Instrument cluster

Coolant temperature gauge

Under normal driving conditions, the cool- ant temperature may rise to 248°F (120°C). The coolant temperature may climb to the red marking: 앫 at high outside temperatures 앫 during stop-and-go city traffic 앫 when driving on hilly terrain The engine should not be operated with the coolant temperature in the red zone. Doing so may cause serious engine dam- age which is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.

Warning!

Display in the speedometer

Driving when your engine is badly overheat- ed can cause some fluids which may have leaked into the engine compartment to catch fire. You could be seriously burned.

Steam from an overheated engine can cause serious burns and can occur just by opening the engine hood. Stay away from the engine if you see or hear steam coming from it.

Turn off the engine, get out of the vehicle and do not stand near the vehicle until the engine has cooled down.

Changing display 왘 Press the left knob 1 in the instru-

ment cluster (컄 page 116). The display changes between main odometer and trip odometer. 왘 Press the left knob 1 twice.

The next scheduled service is displayed (컄 page 232).

117

Controls in detail Instrument cluster

Resetting trip odometer

Outside temperature indicator

Setting the clock

왘 Press the left knob 1 (컄 page 116) re- peatedly until you see the trip odome- ter display.

왘 Press and hold the left knob 1 until

the trip odometer is reset.

Tachometer

To help protect the engine, the fuel supply is interrupted if the engine is operated above its specified limit.

Warning!

The outside temperature indicator is not de- signed to serve as an ice-warning device and is therefore unsuitable for that purpose.

Indicated temperatures just above the freez- ing point do not guarantee that the road sur- face is free of ice. The road may still be icy, especially in wooded areas or on bridges.

Hour 왘 Pull out the right knob 2 in the instru- ment cluster (컄 page 116) and turn it counterclockwise.

Minutes 왘 Pull out the right knob 2 in the instru- ment cluster (컄 page 116) and turn it clockwise.

To set the clock by a single hour or a few minutes, turn knob 2 just a few degrees in the direction indicated for hours or minutes.

The outside temperature is displayed in the instrument cluster (컄 page 24). When moving the vehicle into colder ambi- ent temperatures (e.g. when leaving your garage), you will notice a delay before the lower temperature is displayed. A delay also occurs when ambient temper- atures rise. This prevents inaccurate tem- perature indications caused by heat radiated from the engine during idling or slow driving.

118

The automatic transmission selects indi- vidual gears automatically, depending on: 앫 the gear selector lever position D with

gear ranges 4, 3, 2, 1 (컄 page 121) 앫 the position of the accelerator pedal

(컄 page 123)

앫 the vehicle speed The current gear selector lever position appears in the tachometer display (컄 page 24).

왔 Automatic transmission Information on driving with an automatic transmission is found in the “Getting started” section (컄 page 46). Your vehicle’s transmission adapts its gear shifting process to your individual driving style by continually adjusting the shift points up or down. These shift point adjust- ments are performed based on current operating and driving conditions. If the operating conditions change, the automatic transmission reacts by adjusting its gear shift program.

During the brief warm-up, transmission upshifting is delayed. This allows the catalytic converter to heat up more quickly to operating temperature.

Controls in detail Automatic transmission

Warning!

It is dangerous to shift the gear selector lever out of P or N if the engine speed is higher than idle speed. If your foot is not firmly on the brake pedal, the vehicle could accelerate quickly forward or reverse. You could lose control of the vehicle and hit someone or something. Only shift into gear when the engine is idling normally and when your right foot is firmly on the brake pedal.

When the gear selector lever is in position D, you can influence transmission shifting by 앫 limiting the gear range 앫 changing gears manually

119

i To avoid overrevving the engine when the gear selector lever is moved to the D– direction, the transmission will not shift to a lower gear if the engine’s max. speed would be exceeded.

Upshifting 왘 Briefly press the gear selector lever to

the right in the D+ direction.

The transmission will shift from the current gear to the next higher gear as permitted by the shift program. This action simul- taneously extends the gear range of the transmission.

Canceling gear range limit 왘 Press and hold the gear selector lever in the D+ direction until D reappears in the tachometer display.

The transmission will shift from the current gear range directly to gear range D.

Shifting into optimal gear range 왘 Press and hold the gear selector lever

in the D– direction.

The transmission will automatically select the gear range suited for optimal acceleration and deceleration. This will involve shifting down one or more gears.

Controls in detail Automatic transmission

One-touch gearshifting

Even with an automatic transmission you can change the gears manually when the gear selector lever is in position D.

Downshifting 왘 Briefly press the gear selector lever to

the left in the D– direction.

The transmission will shift from the current gear to the next lower gear. This action simultaneously limits the gear range of the transmission (컄 page 121).

Warning!

On slippery road surfaces, never downshift in order to obtain braking action. This could result in drive wheel slip and reduced vehicle control. Your vehicle’s ABS will not prevent this type of loss of control.

120

Gear ranges

With the gear selector lever in position D, you can limit the transmission’s gear range by pressing the gear selector lever to the left (D-), and reverse the gear range limit by pressing the gear selector lever to the right (D+). The selected gear range appears in the tachometer display. If you press on the accelerator when the engine has reached its rpm limit, the transmission will upshift beyond any gear range limit selected.

Controls in detail Automatic transmission

Effect

Effect

é The transmission shifts through

ç The transmission shifts through

fourth gear only.

è The transmission shifts through

third gear only. With this selection you can use the braking effect of the engine.

second gear only. Allows the use of engine’s braking power when driving: 앫 on steep downgrades 앫 in mountainous regions 앫 under extreme operating

conditions

æ The transmission operates in

first gear only. For maximum use of engine’s braking effect on very steep or lengthy downgrades.

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Controls in detail Automatic transmission

Gear selector lever position

Effect

ì Park position

Gear selector lever position when the vehicle is parked. Place gear selector lever in position P only when vehicle is stopped. The park position is not intended to serve as a brake when the vehicle is parked. Rather, the driver should always set the parking brake in addition to placing the gear selector lever in position P to secure the vehicle.

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Effect The key can only be removed from the steering lock with the gear selector lever in position P. With the key removed, the gear selector lever is locked in position P. If the vehicle’s electrical system is malfunctioning, the gear selector lever could remain locked in position P (컄 page 264). í Reverse gear

Place gear selector lever in position R only when vehicle is stopped.

Effect ë Neutral

No power is transmitted from the engine to the drive axle. When the brakes are released, the vehicle can be moved freely (pushed or towed). To avoid damage to the trans- mission, never engage N while driving. If the ESP is deactivated or malfunctioning: Move gear selector lever to N only if the vehicle is in danger of skidding, e.g. on icy roads.

ê Drive

The transmission shifts automatically. All five forward gears are available.

Controls in detail Automatic transmission

Coasting the vehicle, or driving for any other reason with gear selector lever in N can result in transmission damage that is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.

Warning!

Getting out of your vehicle with the gear selector lever not fully engaged in position P is dangerous. Also, position P alone is not intended to or capable of preventing your vehicle from moving, possibly hitting people or objects.

Always set the parking brake in addition to shifting to position P (컄 page 53). When parked on an incline, turn the front wheels towards the road curb.

Warning!

Accelerator position

Do not park this vehicle in areas where com- bustible materials such as grass, hay or leaves can come into contact with the hot exhaust system, as these materials could be ignited and cause a vehicle fire.

Warning!

When leaving the vehicle, always remove the key from the steering lock, take it with you and lock the vehicle. Do not leave children unattended in the vehicle, or with access to an unlocked vehicle. Children could move the gear selector lever from position P, which could result in an accident and/or serious personal injury.

Your driving style influences the transmission’s shifting behavior: Less throttle More throttle

Earlier upshifting Later upshifting

Kickdown Use kickdown when you want maximum acceleration. 왘 Press the accelerator past the point of

resistance. The transmission shifts into a lower gear.

왘 Ease on the accelerator when you have

reached the desired speed. The transmission shifts up again.

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Controls in detail Automatic transmission

Towing a trailer

If you tow a trailer, note the following points: 앫 Manually shift to a lower gear range (4, 3, 2, 1), if the transmission hunts between gears on inclines (컄 page 121). A lower gear range and reduction of speed reduces the change to overload or overheat the engine.

앫 At very steep inclines switch transfer

case to LOW RANGE mode (컄 page 125).

For more information on trailer towing, see the “Operation” section (컄 page 206).

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Emergency operation (Limp Home Mode)

If vehicle acceleration worsens or the transmission no longer shifts, the trans- mission is most likely operating in limp home (emergency operation) mode. In this mode only second gear and reverse gear can be activated. 왘 Stop the vehicle. 왘 Move gear selector lever to position P. 왘 Turn off the engine. 왘 Wait at least ten seconds before

restarting.

왘 Restart the engine. 왘 Move selector lever to position D

(for second gear) or R.

왘 Have the transmission checked at an authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center as soon as possible.

왔 Transmission control – LOW RANGE mode In the following situations you should switch to LOW RANGE mode: 앫 during off-road driving 앫 when crossing water 앫 when towing up or down on steep

You should only operate the vehicle on a single axle dynamometer for briefly testing the brakes. The key must be in steering lock position 1 (컄 page 33).

gradients

Only switch the LOW RANGE mode on or off, when the vehicle is 앫 at a complete standstill 앫 the engine speed is less than

1500 rpm

Failure to do so may result in transmis- sion or engine damage which is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.

Switching on LOW RANGE mode

LOW RANGE mode switch 왘 Stop the vehicle. 왘 Move the gear selector lever to

position N.

Controls in detail Transmission control – LOW RANGE mode

왘 Press on the upper part of the switch. During the changeover the indicator lamp (컄 page 25) flashes three times. Once the changeover is complete, the indicator lamp comes on continuously.

Switching off LOW RANGE mode

왘 Stop the vehicle. 왘 Move the gear selector lever to

position N.

왘 Press on the upper part of the switch. During the changeover the indicator lamp (컄 page 25) flashes three times. Once the changeover is complete, the indicator lamp goes out.

For information on driving safety systems during LOW RANGE mode see the “Safety and Security” section (컄 page 76).

125

Controls in detail Good visibility 왔 Good visibility Information on the windshield wipers (컄 page 49) and for setting the rear view mirrors (컄 page 40) is found in the “Getting started” section.

Rear view mirror

Interior rear view mirror, antiglare position

1 Lever 왘 Tilt the mirror to the antiglare night po- sition by moving lever 1 towards the windshield. The interior rear view mirror is dimmed.

126

Automatic antiglare rear view mirror* The reflection brightness of the exterior rear view mirror on the driver’s side and the interior rear view mirror will respond automatically to glare when: 앫 the automatic antiglare function is acti-

vated (컄 page 127)

앫 the ignition is switched on 앫 incoming light from headlamps falls on

the sensor in the interior rear view mirror

The rear view mirror will not react if 앫 reverse gear is engaged 앫 the interior light is turned on

Warning!

The automatic antiglare function does not react if incoming light is not aimed directly at sensors in the inside rear view mirror.

The interior rear view mirror and the exterior rear view mirror on the driver’s side do not react, for example, if the cargo area is fully loaded.

Glare can endanger you and others.

Warning!

In the case of an accident, liquid electrolyte may escape the mirror housing if the mirror glass breaks.

Electrolyte has an irritating effect. Do not al- low the liquid to come into contact with eyes, skin, clothing, or the respiratory sys- tem. In case it does, immediately flush af- fected area with water, and seek medical help if necessary.

Warning!

Activating

Exercise care when using the passen- ger-side exterior rear view mirror. The mirror surface is convex (outwardly curved surface for a wider field of view). Objects in mirror are closer than they appear. Check your in- terior rear view mirror or glance over your shoulder before changing lanes.

Electrolyte drops coming into contact with the vehicle paint finish can only be completely removed while in their liq- uid state and by applying plenty of wa- ter.

1 Button 2 Indicator lamp 왘 Press button 1.

Indicator lamp 2 comes on.

Deactivating 왘 Press button 1 again.

Indicator lamp 2 goes out.

Controls in detail Good visibility

Activating exterior rear view mirror parking position The buttons are on the lower part of the center console.

1 Deactivating parking position 2 Activating parking position 3 Adjustment button 왘 Make sure you have stored a parking position for the passenger-side exterior rear view mirror (컄 page 106).

왘 Switch on ignition (if not already on). 왘 Press button 2.

The passenger-side exterior rear view mirror is selected.

컄컄

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Controls in detail Good visibility

컄컄

왘 Engage reverse gear R.

The passenger-side exterior rear view mirror moves automatically to the stored parking position.

The exterior rear view mirror returns to its stored driving position: 앫 ten seconds after you put the gear

selector lever in position D

앫 immediately once your vehicle exceeds

a speed of approx. 6 mph (10 km/h)

앫 immediately when you press the button 1 for driver’s side mirror

If the button 1 is pressed, the auto- matic passenger-side exterior rear view parking position is deactivated.

128

Electrically folding exterior rear view mirrors

The buttons are located on the upper cen- ter console.

Before driving the vehicle through an automatic car wash, fold the exterior mirrors in. Otherwise they may get damaged.

Folding exterior mirrors in and out manually* The exterior rear view mirrors can vibrate if they are not completely folded out.

1 Folds the exterior mirrors in 2 Folds the exterior mirrors out 왘 Check that the ignition is switched on. All the lamps in the instrument cluster come on.

With the front doors closed, the exteri- or mirrors can still be folded in and out approximately 30 minutes after the ig- nition has been turned off.

Folding in 왘 Briefly press button 1 (컄 page 127).

Folding out 왘 Briefly press button 2.

The mirrors fold in.

The mirrors fold out.

Before you drive the vehicle through an automatic car wash, fold the exterior mirrors in, otherwise they may get damaged.

If you are driving at more than approxi- mately 9 mph (15 km/h), you will not able to fold the exterior mirrors in.

If an exterior rear view mirror housing is forcibly pushed forward (hit from the rear), reposition it manually by applying firm pressure until it snaps back into place. If an exterior rear view mirror is forcibly pushed rearward (hit from the front) press button 1 to fold mirrors in, then press button 2 to fold mirrors out. Do not force mirrors by hand as this may damage the adjustment mechanism. The mirror housing is now properly po- sitioned and you can adjust the mirror normally.

Controls in detail Good visibility

Windshield wipers

Information on the windshield wipers is found in the “Getting started” section (컄 page 49).

If leaves, snow, etc. block the wind- shield wipers, the wiper motor turns off. 앫 For safety reasons, withdraw key from steering lock. Remove block- age.

앫 Turn the windshield wipers on

again.

If windshield wipers fail to function at all in switch position 1, 앫 set the wiper switch to the next

highest wiper speed.

앫 have the windshield wipers

checked at the nearest authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.

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Controls in detail Good visibility

Intermittent wiping

Intermittent wiping is interrupted when the vehicle is at a standstill and a front door is opened.

Windshield wipers without rain sensor* At speeds of approximately 105 mph (170 km/h) the wiper switches automati- cally to continuous wiping. Always obey lo- cal speed limits.

130

Windshield wipers with rain sensor* A rain sensor automatically controls the windshield wipers depending on how wet the windshield is. 왘 Switch on ignition. 왘 Set the wiper switch to position 1

(컄 page 49).

After the initial wipe, pauses between wipes are automatically controlled by the rain sensor which monitors the wetness of windshield.

When intermittent wiping is on and the key is turned from position 1 to position 2 in the steering lock (컄 page 33), and kept in that position for longer than two seconds, the wipe interval will be set to approximately five seconds.

Do not leave windshield wipers in inter- mittent setting when the vehicle is tak- en to an automatic car wash or during windshield cleaning. Wipers will oper- ate in the presence of water sprayed on the windshield, and wipers may be damaged as a result. The switch should not be left in inter- mittent setting as the wipers will wipe the windshield once every time the en- gine is started. Dust that accumulates on the windshield might scratch the glass and/or damage the wiper blades when wiping occurs on a dry wind- shield.

Headlamp cleaning system*

The button is located on the right side of the dashboard.

Information on filling up the washer reser- voir can be found in the “Operation” sec- tion (컄 page 224).

Rear window wiper

The rear window wiper will also automati- cally engage if the windshield wiper is en- gaged and the gear selector lever is placed in reverse.

Headlamp washer button 왘 Switch on ignition. 왘 Briefly press the upper part of button. The headlamps will be cleaned with a high-pressure water jet.

Controls in detail Good visibility

Rear window wiper with rain sensor* Rear window wiper intervals are controlled automatically according to the amount of water on the windshield and the speed of the vehicle, if: 앫 rear window wiper is switched on 앫 front windshield wipers are switched to

intermittent wiping

The interval for the rear window wiper re- mains constant when the windshield wiper interval is ten seconds or more.

131

Controls in detail Good visibility

Sun visor

The sun visors protect you from sun glare while driving.

Warning!

Do not use the vanity mirror while driving.

Keep the mirrors in the sun visors closed while vehicle is in motion. Reflected glare can endanger you and others.

132

Illuminated vanity mirrors

1 Mirror cover 2 Mounting 왘 Swing sun visors down when you expe-

rience glare.

왘 Turn the key in steering lock to

position 1 (컄 page 33).

왘 Lift cover up.

왘 To use mirror, lift cover 1 up.

The lamp switches on.

If sunlight enters through a side win- dow, disengage sun visor from mounting 2 and pivot to the side.

Rear window defroster

The rear window defroster uses a large amount of power. To keep the battery drain to a minimum, switch off the defrost- er as soon as the rear window is clear. The defroster is automatically deactivated after approximately 6 to 17 minutes of operation depending on the outside tem- perature.

Activating 왘 Switch ignition on. 왘 Press button F (컄 page 135). The indicator lamp on the button comes on.

Deactivating 왘 Press button F again.

The indicator lamp on the button goes out.

Warning!

Any accumulation of snow and ice should be removed from the rear window before driv- ing. Visibility could otherwise be impaired, endangering you and others.

If the rear window defroster switches off too soon and the indicator lamp starts flashing, this means that too many electrical consumers are operat- ing simultaneously and there is insuffi- cient voltage in the battery. The system responds automatically by deactivating the rear window defroster. As soon as the battery has sufficient voltage, the rear window defroster au- tomatically turns itself back on.

Controls in detail Good visibility

133

Controls in detail Automatic climate control 왔 Automatic climate control

134

Item

1 Thumbwheel for center air vent 2 Center air vent, adjustable 3 Defroster air vent windshield 4 Thumbwheels for side air vent 5 Side air vent, adjustable 6 Footwell air vent 7 Automatic climate control

Automatic climate control panel in the front

Controls in detail Automatic climate control

Item

1 Air volume control 2 Defrosting 3 Air recirculation 4 Temperature control 5 Automatic control (temperature, air