engine MERCEDES-BENZ R-CLASS MPV 2008 User Guide

Occupant safety
41carry out any modifications on the restraint
systems.
Never tamper with electronic components
and their software.
SRS (Supplemental Restraint System)
The SRS reduces the risk of occupants com-
ing into contact with the vehicle's interior in
the event of an accident. It can also reduce
the forces to which occupants are subjected
during an accident.
The SRS consists of:
R The 1 warning lamp
R belt tensioners
R belt force limiters
R airbags
The 1 1 warning lamp The SRS functions are checked regularly
when you turn on the ignition and when the
engine is running. Malfunctions can therefore
be detected in good time.
The
1 warning lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up when the ignition is switched
on. It goes out no later than a few seconds
after the engine is started. G
Risk of injury
If SRS is malfunctioning, individual systems
may be activated unintentionally or not be
deployed in the event of an accident with
heavy braking.
A malfunction has occurred if the 1
warning lamp:
R does not light up when you switch on the
ignition
R does not go out after the engine has been
running for a few seconds
R lights up again once the engine is running
In this case, have SRS checked immedi-
ately at a qualified specialist workshop.
Triggering of belt tensioners, belt force
limiters and airbags In the event of a collision, the sensor in the
airbag control unit evaluates important phys-
ical data such as duration, direction and force
of the vehicle deceleration or acceleration.
Based on the evaluation of this data and
depending on the vehicle's rate of longitudi-
nal deceleration in a collision, in the first
stage the airbag control unit pre-emptively
triggers the belt tensioners.i
The front belt tensioners can only be trig-
gered if the belt tongue is correctly
engaged in the seat belt buckle.
The front airbags are only deployed if there is
an even higher rate of vehicle deceleration in
a longitudinal direction.
Your vehicle has adaptive, dual stage front
airbags. When the first activation threshold is
reached, the front airbag is filled with enough
propellant gas to reduce the risk of injuries.
The front airbag is only fully inflated if a sec-
ond threshold is reached within a few milli-
seconds, due to the control unit having
detected further deceleration.
Criteria for triggering belt tensioners and
airbags
In the first stage of a collision, the airbag con-
trol unit evaluates the duration and direction
of vehicle acceleration or deceleration in
order to determine whether it is necessary to
trigger the belt tensioner and/or airbag.
The belt tensioner and airbag triggering
thresholds are variable and are adapted to the
rate of deceleration of the vehicle. This proc-
ess is pre-emptive in nature as the airbag
must be deployed during – and not at the end
of – the collision. Safety
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Occupant safety
43
ignition is switched on and goes out once
the engine is running)(Y
page 41)
R for each three-point seat belt in the front of
the vehicle when the belt tongue is
engaged in the buckle
R in the event of a head-on or rear-end colli-
sion if the vehicle decelerates or acceler-
ates rapidly in a longitudinal direction
during the initial stages of impact
R in certain situations if the vehicle over-
turns, and the system determines that it
can provide additional protection
If the airbags are deployed, you will hear a
bang and a small amount of powder may also
be released. Only in rare cases will the bang
affect your hearing. The powder that escapes
does not generally constitute a health hazard.
The 1 warning lamp lights up.
i If the belt buckle tensioners have been
triggered on the front seats, the buckle will
be pulled down and will be almost flush with
the upper edge of the seat. The 1warn-
ing lamp comes on. G
Risk of injury
The belt buckle tensioners on the front
seats only function if the belt buckles can
be pulled down without obstruction. They must not be restricted in any way. For this
reason, do not hold the belt buckles and do
not place any objects under the belt buck-
les. Otherwise, the tensioning of the belt by
the buckle is restricted or will not function
and will not provide any additional protec-
tion.
G
Risk of injury
If the seat belt tensioners have been trig-
gered, they provide no additional protec-
tion in the event of another accident.
Therefore, have belt tensioners which have
been triggered replaced at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
Comply with safety regulations when dis-
posing of belt tensioners. Any Mercedes-
Benz Service Centre can provide details of
these regulations.
Airbags Airbag deployment slows down and restricts
the movement of the vehicle occupant.
If the airbags are deployed, you will hear a
bang and a small amount of powder may also
be released. Only in rare cases will the bang
affect your hearing. The powder that escapes
does not generally constitute a health hazard.
The 1 warning lamp lights up. The SRS/AIRBAG identification indicates the
location of the airbags. G
Risk of injury
Airbags provide additional protection; they
are not, however, a substitute for seat
belts.
Observe the following notes to reduce the
risk of serious or even fatal injury if an air-
bag is deployed:
R all vehicle occupants — in particular preg-
nant women — must wear their seat belt
correctly at all times and lean back
against the backrest, which should be
positioned as close to the vertical as pos-
sible. The head restraint must support
the back of the head at about eye level.
R always secure children less than 1.50 m
tall or under 12 years of age in suitable
child restraint systems.
R all vehicle occupants must select a seat
position that is as far away from the air-
bag as possible. The driver's seat posi-
tion must allow the vehicle to be driven
safely. The driver's chest should be as far
away from the middle of the driver's front
airbag cover as possible. Safety
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Driving safety sys
tems60 ESP
®
(Electronic Stability Program)
ESP ®
monitors driving stability and traction,
i.e. power transmission between tyres and
the road surface.
If ESP ®
detects that the vehicle is deviating
from the direction desired by the driver, one
or more wheels are braked to stabilise the
vehicle. The engine output is also modified, if
necessary, to keep the vehicle on the desired
course within physical limits. ESP ®
assists
the driver when pulling away on wet or slip-
pery roads. ESP ®
can also stabilise the vehi-
cle during braking.
When ESP ®
intervenes, the vwarning
lamp flashes in the instrument cluster. G
Risk of accident
If the v warning lamp in the instrument
cluster flashes, proceed as follows:
R do not deactivate ESP ®
under any cir-
cumstances.
R only depress the accelerator pedal as far
as necessary when pulling away.
R adapt your driving style to suit prevailing
road and weather conditions.
The vehicle could otherwise go into a skid. ESP
®
cannot reduce the risk of an accident
if you drive too fast. ESP ®
cannot override
the laws of physics.
! If you have the vehicle towed with the
front or rear axle raised, the ignition must
be switched off (key in position 0or 1in the
ignition lock). Intervention by ESP ®
could
otherwise destroy the braking system on
the front or rear axle.
! Vehicles with 4MATIC* may not be towed
with the front or rear axle raised.
! Vehicles with 4MATIC*: operate the vehi-
cle only briefly (for a maximum of ten sec-
onds) on a brake dynamometer. Turn the
key in the ignition lock to position 0or 1.
You could otherwise damage the drive train
or the brake system.
! Vehicles with 4MATIC*: function or per-
formance tests may only be carried out on
a 2-axle dynamometer. If you wish to oper-
ate the vehicle on such a dynamometer,
please consult a Mercedes-Benz Service
Centre in advance. You could otherwise
damage the drive train or the brake system. i
Only use wheels with the recommended
tyre sizes. Only then will ESP ®
function
properly.
ESP ®
trailer stabilisation If your trailer begins to lurch, you can only
stabilise the vehicle/trailer combination by
depressing the brake firmly.
In this situation, ESP
®
assists you and detects
if the trailer begins to lurch. ESP ®
slows the
vehicle down by braking and limiting the
engine output so the vehicle/trailer combi-
nation can stabilise.
Trailer stabilisation is active from about
65 km/h. G
Risk of accident
If road and weather conditions are bad,
trailer stabilisation will not be able to pre-
vent the trailer from swerving and thereby
reduce the risk of accident. Trailers with a
high centre of gravity can tip over before
ESP ®
can detect this.
Trailer stabilising does not work if ESP ®
is
deactivated or disabled because of a mal-
function. Safety
* optional
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Driving safety sys
tems 61
ETS (Electronic Traction Support) Traction control is part of ESP
®
.
Traction control brakes the drive wheels indi-
vidually if they spin. This enables you to pull
away and accelerate on slippery surfaces, for
example if the road surface is slippery on one
side.
Traction control remains active when you
deactivate ESP ®
. G
Risk of accident
Traction control cannot reduce the risk of
an accident if you drive too fast. Traction
control cannot override the laws of physics.
i If heavy demands are made on the brakes,
traction control switches off automatically
for a brief period so that the brakes do not
heat up even further. The vwarning
lamp in the instrument cluster lights up if
traction control is not engaging for this rea-
son. The message ABS, ESP unavailable
see Owner's Manual also appears in the
multi-function display.
Activating/deactivating ESP ®ESP
®
is activated automatically when the
engine is running. It may be best to deactivate ESP
®
in the fol-
lowing situations:
R when using snow chains
R in deep snow
R on sand or gravel G
Risk of accident
Activate ESP ®
as soon as the situations
described above no longer apply. ESP ®
will
otherwise not be able to stabilise the vehi-
cle if the vehicle starts to skid or a wheel
starts to spin.
If you deactivate ESP ®
:
R ESP ®
no longer improves driving stability.
R the engine's torque is no longer limited and
the drive wheels can spin. Spinning of the
wheels results in a cutting action, which
provides better grip.
R traction control is still activated.
R ESP ®
still provides support when you
brake.
i If ESP ®
is deactivated and one or more
wheels start to spin, the vwarning lamp
in the instrument cluster flashes. In such
situations ESP ®
will not stabilise the vehi-
cle. 1
To deactivate/activate ESP ®
X To deactivate: press button1.
The v warning lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up. G
Risk of accident
If the v warning lamp in the instrument
cluster is continuously lit when the engine
is running, ESP ®
is deactivated or not avail-
able due to a malfunction. There is an
increased risk of your vehicle skidding in
certain situations.
You should always adapt your driving style
to suit prevailing road and weather condi-
tions. Safety
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Anti-theft syste
ms 63Anti-theft systems
Immobiliser
The immobiliser prevents your vehicle from
being started without the correct key.
Activating the immobiliser X
With the key: remove the key from the
ignition lock.
X With KEYLESS GO*: press the KEYLESS
GO button on the dashboard.
The engine switches off.
Deactivating the immobiliser X
With the key: turn the key to position 2in
the ignition lock.
X With KEYLESS GO*: press the KEYLESS
GO button on the dashboard twice without
depressing the brake.
i The immobiliser is always deactivated
when you start the engine. ATA* (anti-theft alarm system)
A visual and audible alarm is triggered when
the alarm system is primed and you open:
R a door
R a door using the emergency key element
R the tailgate
R the bonnet
The alarm is not switched off even if you close
an open door again. 1
Indicator lamp X
To prime: lock the vehicle using the key.
On vehicles with KEYLESS GO*, the locking
button on the door handle can also be used.
Indicator lamp 1flashes. The alarm sys-
tem is primed after approximately 10 sec-
onds.
X To deactivate: unlock the vehicle using the
key. On vehicles with KEYLESS GO*, you
can also unlock the vehicle by grasping the
door handle.
Switching off the alarm X
With the key: insert the key into the igni-
tion lock.
The alarm is switched off.
or
X Press the Œor‹ button on the key.
The alarm is switched off.
X With KEYLESS GO*: grasp the door han-
dle. The key must be outside the vehicle.
The alarm is switched off.
or
X Press the KEYLESS GO* button on the
dashboard. The key must be inside the
vehicle.
The alarm is switched off. Safety
* optional
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Opening and closing
69
X
To change the setting: press thek
and j buttons simultaneously for
approximately six seconds until the battery
check lamp flashes twice.
The key now functions as follows:
X To unlock the driver's door: press the
k button once.
X To unlock centrally: press thekbut-
ton twice.
X To lock centrally: press thejbutton.
Restoring the factory settings X
Press the kandj buttons simulta-
neously for approximately six seconds until
the battery check lamp flashes twice. KEYLESS GO key*
The optional equipment supplied with your
vehicle includes two KEYLESS GO keys. You
can start, lock or unlock the vehicle using the
KEYLESS GO key. To do this, you need only
carry the KEYLESS GO key on your person.
When you touch the surface of the sensors on
the vehicle's door handles, KEYLESS GO
establishes a radio connection between the
vehicle and the key. The distance between
the KEYLESS GO key and the vehicle's door
handle from which you wish to lock or unlock
the vehicle, must not be greater than 1 m.
When you pull the door handle, the following
unlock centrally if the factory settings have
not been changed:
R the doors
R the tailgate
R the fuel filler flap
If you pull on the handle of the tailgate, only
the tailgate of your vehicle is unlocked.
When starting the engine and whilst driving,
KEYLESS GO also checks whether a valid
KEYLESS GO key is in the vehicle by periodi-
cally establishing radio contact. G
Risk of accident
If children are left unsupervised in the vehi-
cle, they could open a door from the inside,
even if it has been locked. Or they could
start the vehicle if a valid KEYLESS GO key
is in the vehicle and they press the KEY-
LESS GO button on the ignition lock. They
could endanger themselves and others.
Never leave children unsupervised in the
vehicle. Switch off the engine and take the
KEYLESS GO key with you, even if you are
only leaving the vehicle for a short time. 1
j To lock the vehicle
2 i To unlock, open* or close* the tail-
gate
3 k To unlock the vehicle
4 Battery check lamp Controls
* optional
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Opening and closing
70
i
You can also use the KEYLESS GO key to
open and close the side windows and the
sliding/tilting sunroof* or the panorama
sliding sunroof *.You can open them using
the summer opening feature
(Y page 108). You can close them using
the convenience closing feature
(Y page 108).
i If the vehicle has been parked for a long
time, you must pull the door handle to acti-
vate the KEYLESS GO functions.
Important notes R
If the KEYLESS GO key is removed from the
vehicle (e.g. in luggage or an article of
clothing), it will no longer be possible to
lock or start the vehicle.
R If the KEYLESS GO key is removed from the
vehicle while the engine is running, e.g. if
the front passenger leaves the vehicle with
the KEYLESS GO key, the following mes-
sage will appear in the multi-function dis-
play as you pull away: Key not detec-
ted.
R If the KEYLESS GO key is in the vehicle, the
vehicle can be started at any time. If you
have left the KEYLESS GO key in the vehi-
cle, the following message will appear in the multi-function display when you lock
the vehicle:
Key still in vehicle.
Factory settings X
To unlock centrally: pull the door handle.
The turn signals flash once. The locking
knobs in the doors pop up. The anti-theft
alarm system* is deactivated.
When it is dark, the surround lighting also
comes on if it is activated in the on-board
computer.
i If you do not open either a door or the
tailgate after you have unlocked the vehi-
cle, it will automatically relock after approx-
imately 40 seconds.
i There is a danger of the vehicle being
unlocked unintentionally. This could occur
if the KEYLESS GO key is within one metre
of the vehicle and the door handle is
splashed with water. This could also occur
when cleaning the door handle. 1
Locking button on the door handle
X To lock centrally: press locking button
1 on the door handle.
The turn signals flash three times. The lock-
ing knobs in the doors drop down. The anti-
theft alarm system* and the immobiliser
are primed.
Individual settings You can change the setting of the locking
system. When you now grasp the door handle
on the driver's door, you will only unlock the
driver's door and the fuel filler flap. This could
be useful if you frequently travel on your own.
X
To change the setting: press thek
and j buttons simultaneously for Controls
* optional
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Opening and closing
71
approximately six seconds until the battery
check lamp flashes twice.
The KEYLESS GO key will now function as fol-
lows:
X To unlock the driver's door: pull the door
handle on the driver's door.
X To unlock centrally: pull the door handle
on the front-passenger door or on the rear
doors.
X To lock centrally: press locking button
1 on the door handle.
Restoring the factory settings X
Press the kandj buttons simulta-
neously for approximately six seconds until
the battery check lamp flashes twice.
Locking from the luggage compart-
ment* On vehicles with KEYLESS GO* and the EASY-
PACK tailgate*, you can close the tailgate
automatically and thereby centrally lock your
vehicle (Y
page 74). Opening the doors from the inside
You can open a door from the inside at any
time, even if it has been locked. 1
Locking knob
2 Door handle
X Pull door handle 2.
If the door is locked, locking knob 1pops
up. The door is unlocked and can be
opened. Tailgate
G
Risk of poisoning
Exhaust fumes could enter the vehicle inte-
rior if the engine is running and the tailgate
is open. This could poison you. You should
therefore make sure that the tailgate is
always closed when the engine is running.
! The tailgate swings upwards and to the
rear when opened. Therefore, make sure
that there is sufficient clearance above and
behind the tailgate.
i You will find details of the tailgate opening
dimensions in the Technical data section
(Y page 351).
Opening from the outside You can only open the tailgate after unlocking
it first.
X
To unlock centrally: press thekbut-
ton on the key. Controls
* optional
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Opening and closing
73EASY-PACK tailgate*
On vehicles with the EASY-PACK tailgate*,
the tailgate opens and closes automatically.
You can stop the automatic opening and clos-
ing procedure at any time:
R by pulling or pressing the remote operating
button at the driver's seat
R by pressing the ibutton on the key
R by pulling the handle on the tailgate
R by pressing the closing button in the tail-
gate
You may also hear a warning tone when open-
ing or closing the tailgate. G
Risk of poisoning
Exhaust fumes could enter the vehicle inte-
rior if the engine is running and the tailgate
is open. This could poison you. You should
therefore make sure that the tailgate is
always closed when the engine is running.
! The tailgate swings upwards and to the
rear when opened. Therefore, make sure
that there is sufficient clearance above and
behind the tailgate. Opening from the outside You can only open the tailgate after unlocking
it first.
X
To unlock centrally: press thekbut-
ton on the key. 1
Handle
X Pull handle 1.
The tailgate opens automatically.
Opening from the outside using the key X
Press and hold the ibutton on the key
until the tailgate opens. Closing from the outside using the key X
Press and hold the ibutton on the key
until the tailgate closes.
Closing from the outside (without KEY-
LESS GO*) You can close the tailgate from the outside
using the closing button in the tailgate.
G
Risk of injury
Monitor the tailgate closing procedure to
make sure that nobody can become trap-
ped. Press the closing button in the tailgate
again or press the ibutton on the key
to halt the closing procedure.
i Do not leave the key in the luggage com-
partment. You could otherwise lock your-
self out. Controls
* optional
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Key positions
76
X
To unlock: press button 1.
X To lock: press button 2. Key positions
Key
Ignition lock
}
To remove the key
$ Power supply for some consumers, such
as the windscreen wipers
% Ignition (power supply for all consumers)
and drive position
& To start the engine
i Even if the key is not for the vehicle in
question, it will still turn in the ignition lock.
The ignition is not switched on. The engine
cannot be started. KEYLESS GO*
If you press the KEYLESS GO button repeat-
edly without depressing the brake pedal, its
function corresponds to the different key
positions in the ignition lock.
If you depress the brake pedal and press the
KEYLESS GO button, the engine starts imme-
diately.
i To start the engine using the KEYLESS GO
button, the KEYLESS GO key must be in the
vehicle. 1
KEYLESS GO button
If KEYLESS GO button 1has not yet been
pressed, this corresponds to "key removed"
or position 0. Cont
rols
* optional
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