engine MERCEDES-BENZ R-CLASS MPV 2008 Owner's Guide

Transmission
114 Automatic transmission
! Warm up the engine quickly. Do not use
the engine's full performance until it has
reached operating temperature.
Only shift the automatic transmission to R
or Pwhen the vehicle is stationary.
Where possible, avoid spinning the drive
wheels when pulling away on slippery
roads. You could otherwise damage the
drive train.
The DIRECT SELECT selector lever is on the
right of the steering column. Gearshift pattern
P
Park position with selector lever lock
N To select neutral
R To select reverse gear
D To select drive i
The DIRECT SELECT selector lever always
returns to its original position. The current
transmission position P,N, R, or Dappears
in the transmission position display
(Y page 115).
Shifting to neutral N X
Push the DIRECT SELECT selector lever up
or down to the first point of resistance.
Engaging reverse gear R X
Push the DIRECT SELECT selector lever up
past the first point of resistance.
Shifting to transmission position D X
Push the DIRECT SELECT selector lever
down past the first point of resistance.
Engaging park position P X
Push the DIRECT SELECT selector lever in
the direction of the arrow P.
i Depress the brake and push the DIRECT
SELECT selector lever up or down to disen-
gage park position.
If you want to switch from the park position
directly to reverse gear, depress the brake and push the DIRECT SELECT selector lever
up past the first point of resistance.
If you want to switch from the park position
directly to the transmission position,
depress the brake and push the DIRECT
SELECT selector lever down past the first
point of resistance.
! If the engine speed is too high, do not shift
the automatic transmission directly from
D to R, from Rto Dor directly to P. The
automatic transmission could otherwise be
damaged.
Changing gears The automatic transmission shifts into indi-
vidual gears automatically. This automatic
gearshifting behaviour is determined by:
R
the transmission position D(Y page 115)
with shift ranges 6,5,4,3,2and
1 (Y page 115)
R the selected drive program (S/C)
(Y page 116)
R the position of the accelerator pedal
(Y page 117)
R the road speed
In transmission position D(Y page 117), you
can influence the gearshifts made by the Controls
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Transmission
115
automatic transmission by using the DIRECT
SELECT steering wheel gearshift buttons to:
R restrict the shift range
R change gear yourself
Transmission display The current transmission position and drive
program appear in the display.
1
Current transmission position
! If the transmission display is not working,
you should pull away carefully to check
whether the desired gear is selected. Ide-
ally, you should select transmission posi-
tion Dand drive program Sor C. Do not
restrict the shift range. Transmission positions ì Park position
Prevents the vehicle from rolling
away when stopped. Only select
P
when your vehicle is stationary.
If you switch off the engine using
the key and then remove the key or
open one of the front doors, the
automatic transmission will auto-
matically shift to park position P.
If you switch off the engine using
the KEYLESS GO button* and open
the driver's door, the automatic
transmission will automatically
shift to park position P. í Reverse gear
Only shift the automatic transmis-
sion to
Rwhen the vehicle is sta-
tionary. ë Neutral
Do not shift the automatic trans-
mission to
Nwhile you are driving.
The automatic transmission could
otherwise be damaged.
If you switch off the engine using
the key or the KEYLESS GO but-
ton*, the automatic transmission
will automatically shift to neutral
N.
If ESP ®
is deactivated or faulty,
only shift the automatic transmis-
sion to Nif the vehicle is in danger
of skidding, e.g. on icy roads. ê Drive
The automatic transmission
changes gear automatically. All
forward gears are available.
Shift ranges
In transmission position
D, you can use the
DIRECT SELECT steering wheel gearshift but-
tons (Y page 117) to restrict or derestrict the
shift range for the automatic transmission.
i If the maximum engine speed for the shift
range is reached and you continue to accel-
erate, the automatic transmission shifts up Controls
* optional
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Transmission
116in order to prevent the engine from over-
revving, even if the shift range is restricted. Driving situation
è The braking effect of the engine can
be used in this position.
ç To use the braking effect of the
engine on downhill gradients and
for driving:
R
on steep mountain roads
R in mountainous terrain
R in arduous conditions æ To use the braking effect of the
engine on extremely steep downhill
gradients and long downhill
stretches
Restricting the shift range
X
Press the left-hand button on the steering
wheel (Y page 117).
The set shift range appears in the multi-
function display. Derestricting the shift range
X
Press the right-hand button on the steering
wheel (Y page 117).
The set shift range appears in the multi-
function display.
Automatic gearshift program You can select either gearshift program
Cor
S.
The program selector button is located on the
centre console. 1
Program selector button C
Comfort For comfort mode
S
Sport For all normal driving con-
ditions !
Only press program selector button 1
when the selector lever is in position P,N
or D. 1
Current gearshift program
i If gearshift program Cor Sis selected, the
automatic transmission remains in the
selected gearshift program if you start the
engine again.
i All models with diesel engines:
To reduce the demand placed on the torque
converter, the vehicle pulls away in first
gear regardless of the gearshift program
selected.
X Press program selector button 1repeat-
edly until the letter (C/S)for the desired
gearshift program appears in the multi-
function display.
Comfort mode Cis characterised by the fol-
lowing: Controls
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Transmission
117
R
the vehicle pulling away more gently in
forward and reverse gears, unless the
accelerator pedal is depressed fully.
R an increase in traction. This improves the
driving stability of the vehicle on slippery
road surfaces, for example.
R the automatic transmission shifting up
sooner. The vehicle is driven at lower
engine speeds and the wheels are less
likely to spin.
Gearshift program Sis characterised by the
following:
R the vehicle pulling away in first gear.
R the automatic transmission shifting up
later.
Driving tips Accelerator pedal position
Your style of driving influences how the auto-
matic transmission shifts gear:
R little throttle: early upshifts
R more throttle: late upshifts
Kickdown
Use kickdown for maximum acceleration. X
Depress the accelerator pedal beyond the
pressure point.
The transmission shifts to a lower gear
depending on the engine speed.
X Ease off the accelerator pedal once the
desired speed is reached.
The automatic transmission shifts back up.
Trailer towing
X Drive in the middle of the engine speed
range on uphill gradients.
X Shift down to shift range 3or 2depending
on the incline of the uphill or downhill gra-
dient (Y page 115), even if cruise control is
activated. DIRECT SELECT steering wheel gear-
shift buttons
You can restrict or derestrict the shift range
using the DIRECT SELECT steering wheel
gearshift buttons. 1
Left-hand button: to restrict the shift
range
2 Right-hand button: to derestrict the shift
range
i When the automatic transmission is in
position P,Nor R, you cannot shift gears
using the DIRECT SELECT steering wheel
gearshift buttons.
Derestricting the shift range X
Press right-hand button 2on the steering
wheel.
The shift range is derestricted
(Y page 115). The automatic transmission
shifts up to the next gear.
i If the maximum engine speed for the shift
range is reached and you continue to accel- Controls
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Instrument cluster
118erate, the automatic transmission shifts up,
even if the shift range is restricted.
Restricting the shift range G
Risk of accident
Do not change down for additional engine
braking on a slippery road surface. This
could cause the drive wheels to lose their
grip and the vehicle could skid.
i In order to prevent the engine from over-
revving, the automatic transmission does
not shift down when the engine speed is
too high.
X Press left-hand button 1on the steering
wheel.
The shift range is restricted (Y page 115).
The automatic transmission shifts down to
the next gear.
Selecting the ideal shift range X
Press and hold the left-hand button on the
steering wheel until a shift range appears
in the display.
The automatic transmission will shift to a
range which allows ideal acceleration and
deceleration. To do this, the automatic transmission will shift down one or more
gears.
Derestricting the shift range X
Press and hold the right-hand button on the
steering wheel until the corresponding
number for the gear disappears from the
display.
The automatic transmission shifts from the
current shift range directly to D. Instrument cluster
Points to remember
You will find an illustration of the instrument
cluster in the "At a glance" section
(Y page 26). G
Risk of accident
If the instrument cluster or the multi-func-
tion display fails, no messages can be dis-
played.
This means that you will not see information
about the driving situation, such as the
speed, outside temperature, warning/indi-
cator lamps, display messages or system
failures. The handling characteristics may
be affected. Adapt your driving style and
speed accordingly.
Immediately consult a qualified specialist
workshop which has the necessary special-
ist knowledge and tools to carry out the
work required. Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you use a Mercedes-Benz
Service Centre for this purpose. In particu-
lar, work relevant to safety or on safety-
related systems must be carried out at a
qualified specialist workshop. Cont
rols
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Instrument cluster
119Activating the multi-function display
X Switch on the ignition. 1
To dim the instrument cluster lighting
2 Reset button
3 To brighten the instrument cluster lighting
The multi-function display is also activated
when you:
R switch on the lights
R press reset button 2
R open a front door Adjusting the instrument cluster
lighting
X Brighter: press and hold down button 3.
X Dimmer: press and hold down button 1. Resetting the trip meter
X Select the standard display menu
(Y page 125).
X Press and hold reset button 2until the trip
meter is reset. Clock
On vehicles with Audio 20, you can set the
time using the on-board computer
(Y page 131). Speedometer with segments
The segments in the speedometer indicate
which speed range is available.
Distronic* mode:
One or two segments around the stored
speed light up. Rev counter
The red band in the rev counter indicates the
engine's overrevving range. The fuel supply is
interrupted to protect the engine when the
red band is reached.
! Do not drive in the overrevving range.
Doing so will damage the engine. H
Environmental note
Avoid driving at high engine speeds, as this
increases your vehicle's consumption
unnecessarily and pollutes the environ-
ment through increased emissions. Cont
rols
* optional
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On-board computer
132
X
Press èor· to select the Set-
tings menu.
X Press the jbutton to call up the selec-
tion of submenus.
X Press the æorç button to select the
Time/Date submenu.
Setting the time
X Press the jbutton to select Clock Set
hour (orClock Set minute).
X Press the æorç button to set a
value.
Setting the date
X Press the jbutton to select Set date
Day (orSet date Month orSet date
Year).
X Press the æorç button to set the
values.
X Press the j,èorÿ button to
select a different display.
Setting constant headlamp mode If you have selected constant headlamp mode
and the light switch is set to the Mor
U position, the position lamps, dipped-
beam headlamps and licence plate lighting switch on automatically when the engine is
running. Turning the light switch to a different
position switches on the corresponding
lights. Make sure that the light switch is set
to
B orU if you switch off the constant
headlamp mode while driving at night.
In countries in which constant headlamp
mode is a legal requirement, Constantis the
factory setting.
X Press èor· to select the Set-
tings menu.
X Press the jbutton to call up the selec-
tion of submenus.
X Press the æorç button to select the
Lighting submenu.
X Press the jbutton to select Headlamp
mode.
X Press the æorç button to set the
switch-on mode for the headlamps to Man-
ual orConstant (constant headlamp
mode).
X Press the j,èorÿ button to
select a different display. Switching the surround lighting on or
off If the surround lighting is switched on, the
following lights will be switched on automat-
ically in the dark after you have unlocked the
vehicle using the key:
R
the position lamps
R the tail lamps
R the licence plate lighting
R the front foglamps
The surround lighting switches off automati-
cally if you open the driver's door or after 40
seconds.
X Press èor· to select the Set-
tings menu.
X Press the jbutton to call up the selec-
tion of submenus.
X Press the æorç button to select the
Lighting submenu.
X Press the jbutton to select the Sur-
round lighting function. Controls
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On-board computer
133
X
Press the æorç button to switch
the Surround lighting function on or
off.
X Press the j,èorÿ button to
select a different display.
Activating or deactivating the exterior
lighting delayed switch-off Using the
Headlamp switch-off delay
function, you can set whether the exterior
lighting should remain on for 15 seconds after
the doors are closed when it is dark. If none
of the doors are opened after the engine is
switched off or if an open door is not closed,
the exterior lighting goes out after 60 sec-
onds.
When you have set a delayed switch-off time
and then switch off the engine, the following
remain lit:
R the position lamps
R the tail lamps
R the licence plate lighting
R the front foglamps X
Press èor· to select the Set-
tings menu.
X Press the jbutton to call up the selec-
tion of submenus.
X Press æorç to select the Light-
ing submenu.
X Press the jbutton to select Headlamps
delayed switch-off.
X Press the æorç button to activate
or deactivate the Headlamps delayed
switch-off function.
X Press the j,èorÿ button to
select a different display.
To temporarily deactivate the delayed switch-
off:
X Before leaving the vehicle, turn the key to
position 0in the ignition lock.
X Turn the key to position 2in the ignition
lock and back to position 0.
Delayed switch-off is deactivated.
Delayed switch-off is reactivated as soon as
you restart the engine.
Activating/deactivating the interior
lighting delayed switch-off Using the
Interior lighting delayed
switch-off function, you can set whether the interior lighting should remain on for 10
seconds after the key is removed from the
ignition lock when it is dark.
X Press èor· to select the Set-
tings menu.
X Press the jbutton to call up the selec-
tion of submenus.
X Press the æorç button to select the
Lighting submenu.
X Press the jbutton to select Interior
lighting delayed switch-off.
X Press the æorç button to activate
or deactivate Interior lighting
delayed switch-off.
X Press the j,èorÿ button to
select a different display.
Setting the display when the ignition is
switched off The
Display when ignition off function
allows you to set which display you see in the
multi-function display after the key is
removed from the ignition lock.
X Press èor· to select the Set-
tings menu.
X Press the jbutton to call up the selec-
tion of submenus. Controls
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Driving sys
tems 140 Driving systems
Overview of driving systems
The vehicle's driving systems are described
on the following pages:
R Cruise control, Distronic* and Speedtronic,
which are used to control the speed of the
vehicle
R The rear axle level control*, which regu-
lates the vehicle level at the rear axle
R AIRMATIC package*, consisting of level
control* for individual adjustment of
ground clearance and ADS* (Adaptive
Damping System), for individual adjust-
ment of suspension tuning
R 4*MATIC (permanent four-wheel drive), for
optimum traction
R Parktronic*, which assists you in parking
and manoeuvring
R Reversing camera*, which assists you
when parking and manoeuvring
The ABS, BAS, ESP ®
, EBV vehicle safety sys-
tems and the distance warning system* are
described in the "Safety" section
(Y page 58). Cruise control
Cruise control maintains a constant road
speed for you. It brakes automatically in order
to avoid exceeding the set speed. On long and
steep downhill gradients, especially if the
vehicle is laden or towing a trailer, you must
select shift range 1,2or 3in good time. By
doing so you will make use of the braking
effect of the engine, which relieves the load
on the brake system and prevents the brakes
from overheating and wearing too quickly. G
Risk of accident
Do not change down for additional engine
braking on a slippery road surface. This
could cause the drive wheels to lose their
grip and the vehicle could skid.
Use cruise control only if road and traffic con-
ditions make it appropriate to maintain a
steady speed for a prolonged period. You can
store any road speed above 30 km/h. G
Risk of accident
Cruise control cannot take account of road
and traffic conditions.
Always pay attention to traffic conditions
even when cruise control is activated.
Cruise control is only an aid designed to
assist driving. You are responsible for the vehicle's speed and for braking in good
time.
G
Risk of accident
Do not use cruise control:
R in road and traffic conditions which do
not allow you to maintain a constant
speed (e.g. heavy traffic or winding
roads). You could otherwise cause an
accident.
R on slippery roads. Braking or accelerat-
ing could cause the drive wheels to lose
traction and the vehicle could then skid.
R when there is poor visibility, e.g. due to
fog, heavy rain or snow
Cruise control lever You can operate cruise control and variable
Speedtronic with the cruise control lever.
The LIM indicator lamp on the cruise control
lever indicates which system you have selec-
ted:
R
LIM indicator lamp off:
Cruise control is selected.
R LIM indicator lamp lit:
Variable Speedtronic is selected. Controls
* optional
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Driving sys
tems 142
X
Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you 3.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
The first time cruise control is activated it
stores the current speed or regulates the
speed of the vehicle to the previously
stored speed.
Setting a speed X
Press the cruise control lever to the pres-
sure point, up 1for a higher speed or
down 4for a lower speed.
X Keep the cruise control lever pressed until
the desired speed is reached.
X Release the cruise control lever.
The new speed is stored.
i Cruise control is not deactivated if you
depress the accelerator pedal. For exam-
ple, if you accelerate briefly to overtake,
cruise control adjusts the vehicle's speed
to the last speed stored after you have fin-
ished overtaking. Making fine adjustments in 1 km/h
increments X
Briefly press the cruise control lever to the
pressure point, up 1for a higher speed or
down 4for a lower speed.
The last speed stored is increased or
reduced.
Making adjustments in 10 km/h incre-
ments X
Briefly press the cruise control lever
beyond the pressure point, up 1for a
higher speed or down 4for a lower speed.
The last speed stored is increased or
reduced.
Deactivating cruise control There are several ways to deactivate cruise
control:
X
Briefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards 6.
or
X Brake.
or X
Briefly press the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow 5.
Variable Speedtronic is selected. LIM indi-
cator lamp 2in the cruise control lever
lights up.
Cruise control is automatically deactivated if,
for example:
R you depress the parking brake
R you are driving at less than 30 km/h
R ESP ®
is intervening or you deactivate
ESP ®
.
R you shift the automatic transmission to N
while driving
If cruise control is deactivated, you will hear
a warning tone. You will see the Cruise con-
trol Off message in the multi-function dis-
play for approximately five seconds.
i The last speed stored is cleared when you
switch off the engine. Controls
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