height MERCEDES-BENZ V-CLASS 2021 Owners Manual

PRE-S
PRE-S
AFE
AFE®
®
Syst
Syst em
em F
F
unction of PRE-S
unction of PRE-S AFE
AFE ®
®
(anticipat
(anticipat or
ory occupant pr
y occupant pr o-
o-
t
t ection)
ection) PRE-SAFE
®
can de tect cer tain hazardous situa-
tions and take pre-em ptive measures topro tect
th eve hicle occupants.
PRE-SAFE ®
can implement thefo llowing measures
independently of each other:
R Tightening the seat belts on the driver's seat
and co-driver seat.
R Closing the side windo ws.
R V
V ehicles wit
ehicles wit h a sliding sunr
h a sliding sunr oof:
oof:closing the slid-
ing sunroof.
R V
V ehicles wit
ehicles wit h memor
h memory function:
y function: adjustingthe
co-driver seat toa more favo urable seat posi-
tion.
* NO
NOTE
TEDamage caused byobjects in the
fo ot we ll or behind the seat The automatic adjustment of
the seat position
may result in damage tothe seat and/or the
object. #
Stow objects in a suitable place. R
R
e
ev
ver
er sing t
sing t he PRE-S
he PRE-S AFE
AFE®
®
syst
syst em measur
em measur es
es If an accident did not occur,
the pre-em ptive meas-
ures that we re ta ken are reve rsed.
Yo u will need tomake cer tain adjustments your-
self. #
Ifth e seat belt pre-tensioning is not reduced,
mo vethe seat backrest back slightl y.
The locking mechanism releases. A
A
ut
ut omatic measur
omatic measur es
esaTer
aTer an accident
an accident
Depending on the type and se verity of the acci-
dent, and depending on theve hicle's equipment,
th efo llowing measures can be implemented, for
ex ample:
R activating the hazard warning lights
R triggering an automatic emer gency call
(/ page 236)
R switching o. the engine
To restart theve hicle, switch the ignition o.
and switch it back on (/ page 136). Depend-
ing on the type and se verity of the accident, it may possible
that theve hicle can no lon ger be
star ted.
R switching o. the fuel supply
R unlocking theve hicle doors
R lowe ring the front side windo ws
R switching on the interior lighting Saf
Saf
el
ely tr
y tr anspor
anspor ting c
ting childr
hildren in t
en in t he v
he vehicle
ehicle Alw
ay
Alw ays observ
s observ e when c
e when c hildr
hildren ar
en ar e trav
e tr avelling in t
elling in t he
he
v
v ehicle
ehicle %
Always obser vethe saf ety no tesre leva nt to
th e situation. In doing so, you will be able to
identify possible risks and avoid dangers when
ch ildren are tr avelling in theve hicle
(/ page 39).
Be dilig
Be dilig ent
ent
Bear in mind that negligence when securing a child
in thech ild restraint system may ha veserious con-
sequences. Alw ays be dili gent and secure a child
carefully before each journe y.
Infants and children must ne ver tr avel sitting on
th e lap of a vehicle occupant.
To impr oveprotection forch ildren younger than 12
ye ars old or under 1.50 m in height, Mercedes-
Benz recommends you obser vethefo llowing infor-
mation:
R Always secure thech ild in a child restraint sys-
te m suitable forth is Mercedes-Benz vehicle.
R The child restraint system must be appropria te
to the age, weight and size of thech ild.
R The vehicle seat must be suitable for /tting a
ch ild restraint system (/ page 41).
Ac cident statistics show that children secured on
th ere ar seats are generally sa ferth an children
secured on the front seats. Forth is reason,
Mercedes-Benz st rongly advises that you /t a child
re straint system toare ar seat.
The g
The g ener
eneric t
ic ter
erm c
m c hild r
hild r es
es tr
traint syst
aint syst em
em
The generic term child restraint system is used in
th is set of Operating Instructions. A child restraint
system is, forex ample:
R a baby car seat
R are ar wa rd-facing child seat
R afo rw ard-facing child seat
R ach ild booster seat with a backrest and seat
belt guides 38
38
Occupant saf
ety

This could cause
youto lose control of the
ve hicle. #
Always make sure that the driver's seat is
engaged before starting theve hicle. &
W
WARNING
ARNING Risk of injury or death due to
th e front seat being positioned too close
to the cockpit
The front airbags can also injure the occupants
in the front of theve hicle. #
Always adjust the front seats so they are
as farawa y as possible from the front air-
bags. #
In addition, obser vethe no tes on cor rect
seat adjustment. &
W
WARNING
ARNING Risk of injury or death due to
incor rect seat position
The seat belt will not o.er the intended le vel of
pr otection if you ha venot mo vedth e seat
backrest toan almost vertical position.
In particular, you may slip under the seatbelt
and injure yourself. #
Adjust the seat proper lybefore beginning
yo ur journe y. #
Always ensu rethat the seat backrest is
in an almost vertical position and that
th e shoulder section of your seat belt is
ro uted across the centre of your shoul-
der. &
W
WARNING
ARNING Risk of injury due tohead
re straints not being /tted or being adjus-
te d incor rectly
If head restraints ha venot been installed or
ha ve not been adjusted cor rectl y,there is an
increased risk of injury in the head and neck
area, e.g. in theeve nt of an accident or when
braking. #
Always drive with the head restraints /t-
te d. #
Before driving o., make sure forev ery
ve hicle occupant that the centre of the
head restraint supports the back of the
head at about eye le vel. Do not inter
change the head restraints of the front
and rear seats. Otherwise, you will not be able to
set the height and inclination of the head restraints
to the cor rect position. Ad
just the head restraint fore -and-aT position so
th at it is as close as possible tothe back of your
head. &
W
WARNING
ARNING Risk of burns from hot ampli/-
ers under the driver's seat
Ve hicles with ampli/ers under the driver's seat:
The ampli/er can become hot during opera-
tion.
Yo u could burn yourself if youto uch the ampli-
/er. #
Do not reach underneath the driver's
seat. #
Adjust the driver's seat carefull y. *
N NO
OTE
TE Damage tothe seats and seat heat-
ing due to0uids, sharp objects or insulat-
ing materials To
prev ent damage tothe seats and the seat
heating, obser vethefo llowing inst ructions: #
Do not spill any 0uids onto the seats. If
some thing is spilt onto the seats, dry the
seats as quickly as possible. #
Do not switch on the seat heating if the
seat co vers are wet or damp. Do not use
th e seat heating todry the seats. #
Clean the seats as recommended; see
th e "Cleaning and care" section. #
Do not transport heavy loads on the
seats. Do not place any sharp objects,
such as knives, nails or tools, on the
seats. If possible, use the seats only for
people. #
When using the seat heating, do not
co verth e seats with insulating materials,
such as blank ets, coats, bags, pr otective
co vers,ch ild seats or booster seats. A
A
djus
djusting t ting t he seat
he seat f
for
or e-and-aT
e-and-aT position
position 72
72
Seats and st
owage

#
Pull le ver1 upwards and slide the seat for-
wa rds or back until the desired position has
been reached. #
Release le ver1 and push the seat back or
fo rw ards until you hear the seat engage.
% For front swivel seats, the le ver in position 1
is used torelease the swivel seat. The le verto
adjust thefo re -and-aT position is in thefo rm
of a bar in front of the seat (/ page 76).
A
A djus
djusting t ting t he seat height
he seat height #
Pull or push le ver4 repeatedly until the
desired seat height has been reached.
A
A djus
djusting t ting t he seat bac
he seat bac kr
krest
est #
Turn handwheel 5forw ards.
The seat backrest will mo vetoave rtical posi-
tion. #
Turn handwheel 5backwards.
The seat backrest will tilt bac k.
A
A djus
djus ting t
ting t he seat cushion inclination
he seat cushion inclination #
Turn handwheel 3forw ards.
The front of the seat cushion will tilt down. #
Turn handwheel 3backwards.
The front of the seat cushion will tilt up.
A
A djus
djusting t ting t he seat cushion length
he seat cushion length #
Pull le ver2 upwards and slide the front part
of the seat cushion forw ards or backwards. A
A
djus
djusting t ting t he fr
he front seat electr
ont seat electr ically
ically &
W
WARNING
ARNING Risk of becoming trapped if the
seats are adjusted bychildren
Children could become trapped if they adjust
th e seats, particular lywhen unat tended. #
When leaving theve hicle, alw aysta ke the
ke y with you and lock theve hicle. #
Never lea vechildren unattended in the
ve hicle. The seats can be adjusted when
there is no key in
th e ignition loc k. &
W
WARNI NG
ARNI NGRisk of injury if vehicle settings
are adjusted while theve hicle is in motion
Yo u could lose control of theve hicle in thefo l-
lowing situations in particular:
R ifyo u adjust the driver's seat, steering
wheel or mir rors while theve hicle is in
motion.
R ifyo ufa sten your seat belt while theve hi-
cle is in motion. #
Adjust the driver's seat, steering wheel
and mir rors and fasten your seat belt
before you start theve hicle. &
W
WARNING
ARNING Risk of becoming trapped dur-
ing seat adjustment
When you adjust a seat, you or other vehicle
occupants could become trapped, e.g. on the
seat guide rail. #
Make sure when adjusting a seat that no
one has any body parts in the sweep of
th e seat. Obser
vethe saf ety no tes on "Airbags" and "Chil-
dren in theve hicle". &
W
WARNING
ARNING Risk of injury or death due to
th e front seat being positioned too close
to the cockpit
The front airbags can also injure the occupants
in the front of theve hicle. #
Always adjust the front seats so they are
as farawa y as possible from the front air-
bags. #
In addition, obser vethe no tes on cor rect
seat adjustment. &
W
WARNING
ARNING Risk of injury or death due to
incor rect seat position
The seat belt will not o.er the intended le vel of
pr otection if you ha venot mo vedth e seat
backrest toan almost vertical position.
In particular, you may slip under the seatbelt
and injure yourself. #
Adjust the seat proper lybefore beginning
yo ur journe y. #
Always ensu rethat the seat backrest is
in an almost vertical position and that
th e shoulder section of your seat belt is Seats and st
owage
73
73

ro
uted across the centre of your shoul-
der. &
W
WARNING
ARNING Risk of injury due tohead
re straints not being /tted or being adjus-
te d incor rectly
If head restraints ha venot been installed or
ha ve not been adjusted cor rectl y,there is an
increased risk of injury in the head and neck
area, e.g. in theeve nt of an accident or when
braking. #
Always drive with the head restraints /t-
te d. #
Before driving o., make sure forev ery
ve hicle occupant that the centre of the
head restraint supports the back of the
head at about eye le vel. Do not inter
change the head restraints of the front
and rear seats. Otherwise, you will not be able to
set the height and inclination of the head restraints
to the cor rect position. &
W
WARNING
ARNING Risk of burns from hot ampli/-
ers under the driver's seat
Ve hicles with ampli/ers under the driver's seat:
The ampli/er can become hot during opera-
tion.
Yo u could burn yourself if youto uch the ampli-
/er. #
Do not reach underneath the driver's
seat. #
Adjust the driver's seat carefull y. *
N NO
OTE
TE Damage tothe seats and seat heat-
ing due to0uids, sharp objects or insulat-
ing materials To
prev ent damage tothe seats and the seat
heating, obser vethefo llowing inst ructions: #
Do not spill any 0uids onto the seats. If
some thing is spilt onto the seats, dry the
seats as quickly as possible. #
Do not switch on the seat heating if the
seat co vers are wet or damp. Do not use
th e seat heating todry the seats. #
Clean the seats as recommended; see
th e "Cleaning and care" section. #
Do not transport heavy loads on the
seats. Do not place any sharp objects,
such as knives, nails or tools, on the seats. If possible, use
the seats only for
people. #
When using the seat heating, do not
co verth e seats with insulating materials,
such as blank ets, coats, bags, pr otective
co vers,ch ild seats or booster seats. R
R
eq
eq uir
uir ements:
ements:
R The vehicle is switched on or the door is open. 1
Head restraint height adjustment
2 Seat ba ckrest inclination adjustment
3 Seat height adjustment
4 Seat cushion inclination adjustment
5 Seat fore -and-aT position adjustment #
Adjust the seat using buttons 1to5 onthe
door trim.
If th eve hicle is not switched on, you can adjust
th e seat within 30 seconds of unlocking theve hi-
cle.
% V
V ehicles wit
ehicles wit h PRE-S
h PRE-SAFE
AFE®
®
:
:if PRE-SAFE ®
inter-
ve nes, the front passenger seat will automati-
cally be adjusted from a less favo urable posi-
tion into one that o.ers better pr otection. The
front passenger seat can be readjusted only
aTer the hazardous situation is over.Informa-
tion about the system can be found under
"PRE-SAFE ®
System" (/ page 38).
% You can sa vethe settings forth e seat with the
memory function (/ page 75). 74
74
Seats and st
owage

#
Pull one of two EAS Y-ENTRY release handles
1 upwards and fold the luxury rear seat
fo rw ard using there lease handle.
or #
F
For luxur
or luxur y r
y rear seats inst
ear seats inst alled on t
alled on the
heleT
leT side
side
only
only :
:push the le ver on the leT side of the seat
down wards and fold the luxury rear seat for-
wa rds #
T
To f
o f old t
old t he luxur
he luxur y r
y r ear seat bac
ear seat bac k:
k:fold the
luxury rear seat back until it engages into the
seat anchorages.
Indicator tab2 is no longer visible and is fully
re tracted into the seat anchorage.
A A djus
djusting t ting t he luxur
he luxur y r
y rear seat electr
ear seat electr ically
ically &
W
WARNING
ARNING Risk of injury or death due to
incor rect seat position
The seat belt will not o.er the intended le vel of
pr otection if you ha venot mo vedth e seat
backrest toan almost vertical position.
In particular, you may slip under the seatbelt
and injure yourself. #
Adjust the seat proper lybefore beginning
yo ur journe y. #
Always ensu rethat the seat backrest is
in an almost vertical position and that
th e shoulder section of your seat belt is
ro uted across the centre of your shoul-
der. &
W
WARNING
ARNING Risk of becoming trapped if the
seats are adjusted bychildren
Children could become trapped if they adjust
th e seats, particular lywhen unat tended. #
When leaving theve hicle, alw aysta ke the
ke y with you and lock theve hicle. #
Never lea vechildren unattended in the
ve hicle. *
N
NOOTE
TE Damage tothe leg rest due toove r-
load The leg
rest can be dama ged if it is loaded with
more than 25 kg. #
Do not place more than 25 kg on the leg
re st. *
N NOOTE TE Dama getothe leg rest due toman-
ual adjustment The leg
rest can be dama ged if it is adjusted
manuall y. #
Only adjust the leg rest electrical ly. *
N
NO
OTE
TE Damage tothe luxury seat due to
incor rect adjustment of the leg rest If
yo u turn the luxury seat's leg rest or mo veit
in the longitudinal direction, the seat may be
damaged. #
Only adjust the leg rest inclination as
desc ribed in thefo llowing. R
R
eq
eq uir
uir ements:
ements:
R The vehicle is switched on. 1
Head restraint height adjustment
2 Head restraint fore -and-aT adjustment
3 Seat ba ckrest inclination adjustment
4 Legrest inclination adjustment #
Adjust the luxury rear seat using the buttons in
th e leT-hand side trim.
% You can sa vethe settings forth e luxury rear
seats with the memory function (/ page 75).88
88
Seats and st
owage

head
restraint supports the back of the
head at about eye le vel. Do not inter
change the head restraints of the front
and rear seats. Otherwise, you will not be able to
set the height and inclination of the head restraints
to the cor rect position.
Using the head restraint fore -and-aT adjustment,
adjust the head restraint so that it is as close to
th e back of the head as possible. #
T
To r
o r aise:
aise: pullthe head restraint up wards into
th e desired position and ensure that it
engages.
% Use the head restraint only when it is
engaged. #
T
To low
o low er
er:
:press release button 2, slidethe
head restraint down wards into the desired
position and ensure that it engages.
% Use the head restraint only when it is
engaged. #
T
To mov
o mov e f
e forw
orw ar
ards:
ds: press release button 1
and pull the head restraint forw ards until it
engages in the desired position. #
T
To mov
o mov e bac
e backw
kwar
ards:
ds: press release button 1
and slide the head restraint ba ckwards into the
desired position. #
T
To r
o r emov
emov e:
e:press release button 2and pull
th e head restraint up and out. #
T
To
o /t:
/t: press the head restraint wi thdetent into
th e holes on the leT-hand side when vie wed in
th e direction of tr avel until it engages. A
A djus
djusting t ting t he head r
he head r es
estrtraint electr
aint electr ically
ically
* NO
NOTE
TEDamage tothe electrical head
re straint when adjusted manually If
th e height of the electrically adjustable head
re straint is adjusted manuall y,this can damage
th e mechanism of the head restraint. #
Adjust the height of the electrically
adjustable head restraints using the but-
to ns in the door trim. R
R
eq
eq uir
uir ements:
ements:
R The vehicle is switched on or the door is open. #
T
To adjus
o adjust t t the height
he height: :push button 1up or
down in the direction of the ar row. #
T To mov o mov e f
e forw
orw ar
ar ds or bac
ds or bac kw
kwar
ards:
ds: press and
hold release knob 2and slide the head
re straint forw ards or backwards tothe desired
position.
% Ifth eve hicle is not switched on, you can
adjust the head restraint height wi thin 30 sec-
onds of unlocking theve hicle. Seats and st
owage
95
95

A
A
djus
djus ting t
ting t he head r
he head r es
estr traint on a luxur
aint on a luxur y r
y rear seat
ear seat
A
A djus
djus ting t
ting t he side bolst
he side bolst ers
ers #
Push or pull right-hand and leT-hand side bol-
ster 1into the desired position.
A
A djus
djusting t ting t he head r
he head r es
estr traint electr
aint electr ically
ically #
Switch on theve hicle. #
T
To adjus
o adjust t t the height
he height: :slide the button up or
down in the direction of ar row 1. #
T
To adjus
o adjust t t the longitudinal dir
he longitudinal dir ection:
ection:slidethe
button forw ards or backwards in the direction
of ar row 2. Switc
Switc
hing t
hing t he seat heating
he seat heating on/o.
on/o. &
W
WARNING
ARNING Risk of burns due torepeatedly
switching on the seat heating
Re peatedly switching on the seat heating can
cause the seat cushion and seat backrest pad-
ding tobecome very hot.
In particular, the health of persons with limited
te mp erature sensitivity or a limited ability to
re act tohigh temp eratures may be a.ected or
th ey may even su.er burn-like injuries. #
Do not repeatedly switch on the seat
heating. To
protect against overheating, the seat heating
may be temp orarily deactivated aTer it is switched
on repeatedl y.
* N
NO
OTE
TE Damage tothe seat heating due to
ove rheating The seat heating may
overheat if the seat is
unoccupied when the seat heating is switched
on or if objects are placed on the seat. #
Switch o. the seat heating when the seat
is unoccupied. #
Do not place any objects on the seat
when the seat is unoccupied. R
R
eq
eq uir
uir ements:
ements:
R The po wer supply has been switched on. Fr
ont seat Comfort
rear seat 96
96
Seats and st
owage

#
Make sure that the air inlet grilles on the back
of the seat backrest are not co vered. #
T
To switc
o switc h on / incr
h on / incr ease t
ease the lev
he level:
el:press button
1 repeatedly until the desired blo wer setting
is set.
Depending on the blo wer setting, one tothree
indicator lamps will light up. #
T To switc
o switc h
h o.
o. / r
/ reduce t
educe t he lev
he level:
el:press button
1 repeatedly until the desired blo wer setting
is set.
If all indicator lamps are o., the seat ventila-
tion is switched o..
% The con venience opening function automati-
cally switches the seat ventilation forth e driv-
er's seat tothe highest blo wer setting
(/ page 64).
% Rear seat ventilation activation is possible only
once theve hicle has been switched on. S S
t
teer
eer ing wheel
ing wheel A
A
djus
djusting t ting t he st
he steer
eering wheel
ing wheel &
W
WARNING
ARNING Risk of accident due toadjust-
ing theve hicle settings while theve hicle is
in motion
Yo u could lose control of theve hicle in thefo l-
lowing situations in particular:
R ifyo u adjust the driver's seat, the head
re straint, the steering wheel or the mir ror
while theve hicle is in motion
R ifyo ufa sten your seat belt while theve hi-
cle is in motion #
Before starting theve hicle: in particular,
adjust the driver's seat, head restraint,
stee ring wheel and mir ror,and fasten
yo ur seat belt. &
W
WARNING
ARNING Risk of accident due to
unloc ked steering wheel
The steering wheel may mo veunexpectedly if it
is unloc ked while theve hicle is in motion. #
Make sure that the steering wheel is
loc ked before driving o.. #
Never unlock the steering wheel when
th eve hicle is in motion. &
W
WARNING
ARNING Risk of ent rapment forch ildren
when adjusting the steering wheel
Children could injure themsel ves if they adjust
th e steering wheel. #
Never lea vechildren unattended in the
ve hicle. #
When leaving theve hicle, alw aysta ke the
ke y with you and lock theve hicle. A
A
djus
djusting t ting t he st
he steer
eering wheel
ing wheel #
T
To unloc
o unloc k:
k:push release le ver3 down as far
as it will go.
The steering column is unloc ked. #
Adjust height 1and distance 2tothe steer-
ing wheel. #
T To loc
o loc k:
k:push release le ver3 up as far as it
will go.
The steering column is loc ked. S S
t
to
o w
w ag
ag e ar
e ar eas
eas S
S
t
to
o w
w ag
ag e spaces and st ow
e spaces and st owag
age com
e com par
par tments
tments Opening and closing t
Opening and closing t
he stow
he st owag
age com
e com par
partment in
tment in
t
t he centr
he centr e console
e console #
Slide co ver1 ofthe centre console up or
down using handle 2. 98
98
Seats and st
owage

*
N NO OTE
TE Damage totheve hicle due tonot
observing the maximum permitted head-
ro om clearance If
th eve hicle height is greater than the maxi-
mum permitted headroom clearance, thero of
and other parts of theve hicle may be dam-
aged. #
Obser vethe signposted headroom clear-
ance. #
Ifth eve hicle height is greater than the
permitted headroom clearance, do not
enter. #
Obser vethech anged vehicle height with
add-on roof equipment. N No
ot
tes on shor
es on shor t-dist
t-distance tr
ance tr ips
ips
If th eve hicle is predominantly used in short-dis-
ta nce driving, a fault in the automatic cleaning
function of the diesel particulate /lter can occur.
Due tothis, fuel may also accumulate inthe engine
oil and cause engine failure.
During automatic cleaning, extremely hot exhaust
ga ses escape from theex haust pipe. Main tain a
distance of at least 1 m toother objects, e.g.
par kedve hicles, in order toavo id material damage.
If yo u mainly drive short distances, you should
drive on a mo torw ay or go for a country drive for
20 minutes every 500 km. This facilitates the
re ge neration of the diesel particulate /lter.
Inf
Inf or
ormation about tr
mation about tr anspor
ansport b
t by r
y rail
ail
Tr ansporting your vehicle byrail may be subject to
cer tain restrictions or requ ire special measures to
be take n in some countries due tovarying tunnel
heights and loading standards.
Yo u can obtain information about this from a
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.
Inf
Inf or ormation on br
mation on br ak
ak es
es &
W
WARNING
ARNING Risk of accident due tothe
brake system overheating
If yo u lea veyour foot on the brake pedal when
driving, the brake system may overheat.
This increases the braking distance and the
brake system can even fail. #
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. *
N NOOTE TE Causing wearto the brake linings by
permanently depressing the brake pedal #
Do not permanently depress the brake
pedal while driving. #
Touse braking e.ect of the engine, shiT
to a lo werge ar in good time. Do
Do
wnhill gr
wnhill gradients
adients
On long and steep downhill gradients you should
obser vethefo llowing inst ructions:
R invehicles with an automatic transmission,
shiT down toshiT ranges 2 2or 1 1in good time
so that the engine is running at a medium to
high engine speed (/ page 143).
R invehicles with a manual transmission, shiT
down toa lo werge ar in good time, so that the
engine is running at a medium tohigh engine
speed.
% Change the shiT range in good time when
cruise control or the limiter are activated.
Obser vethe driving tips (/ page 137).
Yo uth ereby make use of the braking e.ect of the
engine and do not ha vetobrake as oTen tomain-
ta in the speed. This relie vesth e load on the
service brake and pr events the brakes from over-
heating and wearing tooqu ickl y.
Hea
Hea vy and light loads
vy 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 quickly in
th e air0o w.
If th e brakes ha vebeen used only moderatel y,you
should occasionally test their e.ectiveness. Todo
th is, brake more /rmly from a higher speed while
paying attention tothe tra1c conditions. The
brakes will grip better as a result.
We
We t r
t road surf
oad surf aces
aces
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 you /rst apply the brakes. This may
also occur aTer driving thro ugh a car wash or deep
wa ter. Yo u must depress the brake pedal more
/rml y.Maintain a greater distance totheve hicle in
front.
While paying attention tothe tra1c conditions, you
should brake theve hicle /rml yaTer driving on a
we tro ad sur face or thro ugh a car wash. This heats
th e brake disks so that they dry more quickl y,
which pr otects them against cor rosion. 138 138
Driving and parking

Limited braking e.ect on salt-treated
roads:
R a layer of salt on the brake disks or brakepads
can increase braking distances considerabl y,
or braking may happen on only one side
R maintain an especially lar gesafe dis tance to
th eve hicle in front
To remo vethe la yer of salt:
R apply the brakes from time totime, paying
attention totra1c conditions
R careful lydepress the brake pedal at the end of
a journey and aTer the start of a new journey
N
N e
ew br
w br ak
ak e disk
e disk s and br
s and br ak
akepads
epads
Ne w brakepads and brake disks only reach their
optimal braking e.ect aTer appr oximately 100 km.
Until then, compensate forth ere duced braking
e.ect byapplying greater pressure tothe brake
pedal. For saf etyre asons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only ha vebrakepads and brake
disks which are appr ovedby Mercedes-Benz instal-
led on your vehicle.
Other brake disks or brakepads may compromise
th e saf ety of your vehicle.
Alw aysre place all brake disks and brakepads on
an axle at the same time. Alw ays /t new brakepads
when replacing brake disks.
Inf
Inf or
ormation about dr
mation about dr iving onwe
iving on wet r
t roads
oads
Not
Not es on aq
es on aq uaplaning
uaplaning
Aq uaplaning can take place once a cer tain amount
of wa ter has accumulate d onthero ad sur face.
Obser vethefo llowing no tes during heavy precipi-
ta tion or in conditions in whi chaquaplaning may
occur:
R reduce your speed
R avoid tyre ruts
R avoid sudden steering mo vements
R brake careful ly
Also obser vethe no tes on regular lyinspecting
wheels and tyres (/ page 252).
Not
Not es on dr
es on dr iving t
iving thr
hrough w
ough w at
ater on r
er on r oads
oads
Wa ter which has entered theve hicle can damage
th e engine, electrics and transmission.
Wa ter can also enter the air intake /tting of the
engine and cause engine damage. Obser
vethefo llowing if you must drive thro ugh
wa ter:
R The water,when calm, may only reach the
lo we r edge of theve hicle body.
R Drive at walking pace at most; water can other-
wise enter theve hicle interior or engine com-
partment.
R Vehicles tr avelling in front, or oncoming vehi-
cles, can create waves which may exceed the
maximum permissible height of thewa ter
The braking e.ect of the brakes is reduced aTer
fo rd ing. Brake carefully while paying attention to
th e tra1c conditions until braking po wer has been
fully restored.
N
No ot
tes on dr
es on dr iving in mount
iving in mountainous ar ainous areas
eas
V
V ehicles wit
ehicles wit h diesel engines:
h diesel engines: the operating saf ety
of the diesel engine is guaranteed up toan ele va-
tion of 2,500 m abo vesea le vel.Yo u may exceed
th is ele vation for a short time, e.g. in mountainous
te rrain. Do not drive continuously at ele vations
abo ve2,500 m. Otherwise, you may damage the
diesel engine.
When driving in mountainous areas, no tethat
engine output, and therefore start-o. gradeability,
will decrease with increasing ele vation. The ECO
start/stop function is no longer available when
driving at ele vations higher than 2,500 m abo ve
sea le vel. Obser vethe no tes on braking on down-
hill gradients (/ page 138).
The maximum permissible trailer loads are valid for
journe ysat ele vations up to1,000 m abo vesea
le ve l with gradients up to12% (/ page 279). EC EC
O st
O st ar
art/st
t/st op function
op function Oper
Oper
ation of t
ation of t he EC
he ECO st
O star
art/st
t/st op function
op function &
W
WARNING
ARNING Risk of accident and injury due
to automatic engine starting
If th e engine was switched o. automatically
and youth en get out, it star ted again automati-
call y.The vehicle could pull away. #
Before leaving theve hicle, alw ays switch
o. theve hicle and secure theve hicle
against rolling away. Driving and parking
139
139