On-board computer event window 199

Tyres

Display messages Possible causes/consequences and M Solutions

Supplementary text Û: Change tyre.
h
The h indicator lamp lights up red in the status area of the on-
Flat tyre board computer as well as in the event window. The tyre pressure
has suddenly dropped in one or more tyres. A warning tone also
sounds.
G WARNING
The driving and braking characteristics are affected.
There is a risk of an accident.
X Stop the vehicle without steering or braking suddenly. Pay
attention to the traffic conditions.
X If necessary, change the tyre (Y page 377).

On-board computer and displays

Cement mixer vehicle with single tyres: the vehicle is designed
in such a way that, in the case of a flat tyre on a rear axle, the
vehicle can continue to travel a short distance at reduced speed.
This allows you to find a safe place to stop the vehicle for the
purposes of changing a wheel.
X Check the scale of the damage to the wheel (tyre and rim).
X If a faulty tyre presents a danger to other road users: do not
continue your journey.
X Replace the tyre immediately (Y page 377).
or
X If a faulty tyre does not present a danger to other road
users: continue driving until you find a suitable place to pull
over.
X Drive at a maximum of 40 km/h on straight stretches of road.
X On bends a maximum of 15 km/h.

Additional text ÛCheck and correct tyre pressure.

h
The h indicator lamp lights up red in the status area of the on-
Tyre pressure too board computer as well as in the event window. The tyre pressure
low in one of the tyres is too low.
G WARNING
The driving and braking characteristics are affected.
There is a risk of an accident.
X Stop the vehicle without steering or braking suddenly. Pay
attention to the traffic conditions.
X Check the tyre pressure and, if necessary, correct it.

Z
200 Indicator lamps in the status area of the display

Indicator lamps in the status area of Warning and indicator lamps

the display
6 Driver's airbag (Y page 54)
Important safety notes
7 Seat belt warning (Y page 53)
If you ignore warning and indicator lamps, you
will not be able to recognise failures and mal- · An emissions-relevant malfunc-
functions in components or systems. Driv- tion in the BlueTec® exhaust gas
ing/braking characteristics may be affected aftertreatment system or low
and the operating and road safety of your AdBlue® supply (Y page 142)
vehicle may be limited. Have the affected sys-
tem checked and repaired at a qualified spe- 5 Engine oil pressure too low, see
cialist workshop. Always observe the warning the corresponding event window
and indicator lamps and follow the corre- 4 Engine oil level too low
sponding measures. (Y page 159)
, Coolant level too low
On-board computer and displays

Overview (Y page 191)

# Battery charge level, see the cor-
responding event window
ª Power supply malfunction
(Y page 185)
¯ Maintenance due date, see the
corresponding event window
} Leading axle (Y page 291)
¡ Trailing axle (Y page 291)
å Starting-off aid (Y page 291)
Õ Steerable trailing axle centred
(Y page 292)
{ Steerable trailing axle steering
Example: warning and indicator lamps in the on- angle disparity (Y page 292)
board computer
If there is a fault, warning or operating infor- D Auxiliary steering (Y page 180) or
mation, a warning lamp or indicator lamp (yel- power steering (Y page 180)
lights up in status area : of the on-board low)
computer. The warning lamp/indicator lamp D Power steering (Y page 195)
lights up in a different colour, depending on (red)
the priority of the fault, warning or the oper-
ating information. The warning lamp/indica- ¤ Sensor-monitored semitrailer
tor lamp may also light up in addition to an coupling (Y page 310)
event window. £ Sensor-monitored semitrailer
coupling (Y page 310)
 Indicator lamps in the status area of the display 201

Warning and indicator lamps

î Sensor-monitored semitrailer
coupling malfunction
(Y page 193)
¬ Loading tailgate, see the separate
operating instructions
I Power take-off (Y page 328)
y Continuous brake malfunction
(Y page 245)
h Tyre pressure monitor warning,
see the corresponding event win-
dow

On-board computer and displays

¨ Tyre pressure monitor
(Y page 155)
x Frequent-stop brake
(Y page 243)
Ï Four-wheel parking brake
(Y page 243)
! ABS equipment (! shown with
s, r or u for tractor
vehicle and/or trailer/semi-
trailer) (Y page 239)
ß ABS trailer/semitrailer malfunc-
tion (Y page 239)
Û Trailer/semitrailer brake system
malfunction, see the correspond-
ing warning/indicator lamps in
the following sections
# Brake pads/lining wear (#
supplemented by s for tractor
vehicle (Y page 174) or r for
trailer/semitrailer (Y page 178))
¯ Control intervention by Stability
Control Assist in trailers/semi-
trailers (Y page 262)

Z
202 Indicator lamps in the status area of the display

Yellow warning or indicator lamp

Problem Possible causes/consequences and M Solutions

The Û indicator G Risk of accident
lamp in the status area
The trailer's/semitrailer's brake system is malfunctioning. Driv-
of the on-board com-
ing/braking characteristics may change. Also observe the infor-
puter lights up yellow.
mation in the separate operating instructions provided by the
trailer/semitrailer manufacturer.
X Drive on carefully.
X Have the brake system checked at a qualified specialist work-
shop.

Red warning/indicator lamp

On-board computer and displays

Problem Possible causes/consequences and M Solutions

The Û indicator G Risk of accident
lamp in the status area
The trailer's/semitrailer's brake system is malfunctioning or the
of the on-board com-
trailer/semitrailer is automatically braked. Driving/braking char-
puter lights up red.
acteristics may change. Also observe the information in the sep-
arate operating instructions provided by the trailer/semitrailer
manufacturer.
X Brake carefully and stop the vehicle, paying attention to road
and traffic conditions.
X Apply the parking brake.
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop.
 203

Useful information ............................ 204

Overview and functions ................... 204

FleetBoard®
204 Overview and functions

Useful information FleetBoard® TiiRec

These Operating Instructions describe all the FleetBoard® TiiRec overview

models and standard and optional equipment
of your vehicle that were available at the time
of going to print. Country-specific differences
are possible. Bear in mind that your vehicle
may not be equipped with all the functions
described. This also applies to safety-relevant
FleetBoard®

systems and functions.

Read the information on qualified specialist
workshops (Y page 30).

Overview and functions

Important safety notes
G WARNING
Operating the integrated information systems
and communications equipment in the vehicle
while driving will distract you from traffic con-
: FleetBoard® TiiRec
ditions. You could then lose control of the
vehicle. There is a risk of an accident. ; Card slot (tachograph driver card or Fleet-
Only operate these devices if road traffic con- Board®)
ditions permit. If you are unsure about the = Ñ Home-Call button
surrounding conditions, pull over to a safe ? Ò Event-Call button
location and make entries only while the vehi- A Ó Service-Call button
cle is stationary. B U Reads out driver card and sends
data
When using FleetBoard®, observe the legal
C LED indicator lamp
requirements of the country in which you are
currently driving. FleetBoard® is an innovative Internet-based
telematics service designed to provide con-
stant communication between vehicle and
headquarters at any time and location.
Some requirements must be met before
FleetBoard® can be operated, e.g. a service
contract. For more information, please con-
tact FleetBoard® Support; see contact details
in the imprint. You can obtain information on
FleetBoard® from any Mercedes-Benz Ser-
vice Centre.
FleetBoard® vehicle management enables
unlimited access to consumption figures and
information about vehicle parts that are sub-
ject to wear.
 Overview and functions 205

FleetBoard® functions Avoid touching the contact surface points of

memory chip : with your fingers. Otherwise,
FleetBoard® TiiRec allows you to carry out the errors could occur when reading memory
following functions: chip :.
RAnalyse and calculate the driving style X Switch the ignition lock to the drive posi-
RRecord journey and rest periods tion.
RDetermine the position of the vehicle
Before beginning the journey/trip:
RRemote readout of the driver card and the
X To insert: insert FleetBoard® driver
mass storage device of the digital tacho-

FleetBoard®
graph card ; into the card slot of FleetBoard®
RSend predefined messages from the vehi-
TiiRec until it engages.
The lettering and memory chip : on Fleet-
cle (Home-Call, Service-Call, Event-Call)
Board driver card ; must be facing
RSend vehicle maintenance due dates to the
upwards. If FleetBoard® driver card ; is
maintenance schedule, e.g. remaining dis- inserted incorrectly, a warning tone
tance for engine and transmission oil sounds.
RSend vehicle fault memory for fast diagno-
sis and breakdown assistance (only if the After the end of the journey/trip:
disclosure of data has been agreed to in the X To remove: remove FleetBoard® driver
service contract) card ; from the card slot.
RSend data for the purpose of operational
analysis of the vehicle, e.g. current use and
operating conditions Sending a message
RAnalyse and evaluate vehicle data via the
With FleetBoard® TiiRec, you can send 3 dif-
Internet
ferent messages to the headquarters which
have been predefined by the headquarters.
FleetBoard® driver card X Switch the ignition lock to the drive posi-
tion.
i If the green LED on FleetBoard® TiiRec is
continuously lit, FleetBoard® TiiRec is
ready for operation.
X To send a Home or Event-Call message:
press the Ñ or Ò button on Fleet-
Board® TiiRec.
FleetBoard® driver card A short warning tone sounds over the loud-
The FleetBoard® driver card is used to identify speaker. FleetBoard® TiiRec generates the
the driver for driver-related evaluation. data which is to be sent. This may take a
few seconds.
X To send a Service Call message/to acti-
vate roadside assistance: press the Ó
button on FleetBoard® TiiRec for approx-
imately 2 seconds.
A short warning tone sounds over the loud-
speaker and the yellow LED indicator lamp
flashes. FleetBoard® TiiRec generates the

Z
206 Overview and functions

data which is to be sent. This may take The tachograph driver card can also be used,
some time. Leave the ignition switched on as can the FleetBoard® driver card, for unam-
while the data is being sent. A short warn- biguous identification of the driver.
ing tone sounds over the loudspeaker and Avoid touching the contact surface points of
the green LED indicator lamp flashes three memory chip with your fingers. Otherwise,
times when the message has been suc- errors could occur when reading memory
cessfully sent. The roadside assistance chip.
data is now available to Mercedes-Benz
Service. Reading out and sending driver data
FleetBoard®

X Switch the ignition lock to position 0.

X Switch the ignition lock to the drive posi-
X Contact Mercedes-Benz Service (Customer
tion.
Assistance Centre or national organisa-
X Insert tachograph driver card into the card
tion).
slot of FleetBoard® TiiRec until it engages.
If a longer warning tone sounds over the loud- The memory chip and the arrow on the
speaker and the red LED indicator lamp driver card must be facing upwards. If the
flashes three times, the message has not driver card is inserted incorrectly, a warn-
been sent: ing tone sounds.
XChange the vehicle location. X Press the U button on FleetBoard®
XSend the message again. TiiRec for approximately 2 seconds.
i You will find further information on road- The LED indicator lamp on FleetBoard®
side assistance in the "Breakdown assis- TiiRec flashes yellow while the card is being
tance" section (Y page 364). read out. The card reading procedure can
take up to approximately 1 minute. Once
the card has been read out, a warning tone
Reading the tachograph driver card sounds and the LED indicator lamp lights
and sending data up green again. FleetBoard® TiiRec auto-
matically transmits the data it has read out
Data on the driver card to the FleetBoard® Service Centre. Data is
also transmitted when the key is not inser-
ted in the ignition lock.
X Remove the tachograph driver card from
the card slot.

Example: tachograph driver card

The data from the digital tachograph is stored
on the driver card. You can use FleetBoard®
TiiRec to transmit this data to the Fleet-
Board® Service Centre. Once the data has
been transmitted, the central fleet office can
download the data from the FleetBoard® Ser-
vice Centre via the Internet. The data must be
made available to the authorities if requested.
 Overview and functions 207

Driver card read-out error

Problem Possible causes/consequences and M Solutions

The LED indicator lamp The FleetBoard® has not detected a valid driver card.
glows green and a con- There could be several reasons for this:
tinuous warning tone
sounds until the tacho- Ran incorrect driver card has been inserted.
graph driver card is Rthe driver card has been inserted incorrectly.
removed. Rthe memory chip on the driver card is dirty.

FleetBoard®
X Insert the correct driver card. Do not confuse the tachograph
driver card with the FleetBoard® driver card.
X Clean the contact surface points of the memory chip carefully
with a lint-free cloth.
X Insert the driver card so that the arrow and contact surface
points of the memory chip face upwards.

The LED indicator lamp The driver card has already been read out during the last 18 hours.
flashes orange/red and X Wait until 18 hours have elapsed since the last reading process.
you hear a continuous
warning tone until the
driver card has been
removed.
The LED indicator lamp It is possible that the FleetBoard® TiiRec cannot send data as there
glows red and a contin- is no connection to the mobile phone network.
uous warning tone The temporary memory of FleetBoard® TiiRec is full.
sounds until the tacho-
X Find a location with a connection to the mobile phone network
graph driver card has
been removed. and send the data again.
X Call FleetBoard® Support, see contact details in the imprint.

The LED indicator lamp The "Send data" function is not enabled.
briefly lights up orange X Call FleetBoard® Support, see contact details in the imprint.
and then green.

Z
208
 209

Important safety notes .................... 210

General notes .................................... 210
Anti-theft protection ......................... 211
Operating system ............................. 212
Audio mode ....................................... 219
Bluetooth® settings .......................... 220
Navigation ......................................... 222
Digital Operating Instructions ......... 224

Audio systems
210 General notes

Important safety notes G WARNING

Operating or handling mobile audio/video
G WARNING sources while driving will distract you from
The CD/DVD drive is a class 1 laser product. traffic conditions. You could then lose control
If you open the housing of the CD/DVD drive, of the vehicle. There is a risk of an accident.
invisible laser beams may be released. These Operate or handle mobile audio/video sour-
laser beams may damage your retina. There is ces only when the vehicle is stationary.
a risk of injury. Only operate mobile audio/video sources via
Do not open the housing. Always have main- the communications equipment integrated in
tenance work and repairs carried out at a the vehicle, and if road traffic conditions per-
Audio systems

qualified specialist workshop. mit. If you are unsure about the surrounding
conditions, pull over to a safe location and
G WARNING make entries only while the vehicle is station-
Handling discs while driving will distract you ary.
from traffic conditions. You could then lose
control of the vehicle. There is a risk of an G WARNING
accident. If you use the RF transmitter in the vehicle in
Handle discs only when the vehicle is station- an improper way, its electromagnetic radia-
ary. tion can disrupt vehicle electronics, e.g. if:
Rthe RF transmitter is not connected to an
G WARNING exterior aerial
Operating the integrated information systems Rthe exterior aerial is fitted incorrectly or is
and communications equipment in the vehicle not a low-reflection aerial
while driving will distract you from traffic con- This can jeopardise the operating safety of the
ditions. You could then lose control of the vehicle. There is a risk of an accident.
vehicle. There is a risk of an accident.
Have the low-reflection exterior aerial fitted at
Only operate these devices if road traffic con- a qualified specialist workshop. When oper-
ditions permit. If you are unsure about the ating in the vehicle, always connect the RF
surrounding conditions, pull over to a safe transmitter to the low-reflection exterior aer-
location and make entries only while the vehi- ial.
cle is stationary.

You must observe the legal requirements for

the country in which you are currently driving General notes
when operating the system.
These brief instructions only describe the
G WARNING basic operation of your audio system.
Operating mobile information systems and The brief instructions include the following
communications equipment while driving will device variants:
distract you from traffic conditions. You could
then lose control of the vehicle. There is a risk
Rradio/navigation system, Bluetooth®,
of an accident. Comfort (in the following radio/navigation
system)
Only operate these devices when the vehicle
RCD radio, Bluetooth® / CD radio, Blue-
is stationary.
tooth®, Comfort (in the following CD radio)
Rradio with USB socket, CD radio (in the fol-
lowing radio)
 Anti-theft protection 211

All further information on the individual func-

tions can be found on the Internet at
www.mercedes-benz.de/betriebsanleitung-
lkw or in the Digital Operating Instructions
(radio/navigation system only).

Anti-theft protection

When switching on for the first time or after

the battery has been disconnected Disa‐

Audio systems
bled. Please switch on ignition./
Disabled, please switch on igni‐
tion./BLOCKED appears in the audio system
display.
X Switch on the ignition.
The audio system can now be switched on
using the q button.

Z
212 Operating system

Operating system
Radio/navigation system overview
Audio systems

Function Page Function Page

: Display 214 A Turn 3 the controller: 217
; Number pad To select a station
To set a station via the sta- To select a list item
tion presets To adjust the map scale
To store stations manually To change the adjustment
To enter a passkey 221 value
To enter the telephone Press V the controller
number briefly: 217
To enter characters To confirm your selection
To display stored stations
= 6 To display playback options
To accept a call To display the map in full-
To dial a number screen
To switch to telephone Press and hold V the con-
mode from another operat- troller: 217
ing mode To start route guidance
? ~/? directly from a list
To reject a call
To end an active call
To activate the voice con-
trol system
 Operating system 213

Function Page Function Page

B =; Horizontal arrow H F Press briefly:
buttons: To select stations using the
To select a main function station search function
To move the map horizon- To select the next track
tally (in full-screen display) F Press and hold:
To select a DVD menu item To fast forward
C :9 Vertical arrow Manual station search

Audio systems
buttons: I E Press briefly:
To select a function from To select stations using the
the submenu station search function
To move the map vertically To select the previous track
(in full-screen display)
E Press and hold:
To select a DVD menu item
Fast rewind
D % Press the back button Manual station search
briefly:
J Mini USB socket and AUX
To move up one menu level
jack
% Press and hold:
To jump to the highest K Disc slot
menu level for the selected To insert CDs/DVDs
main function To remove CDs/DVDs
E j Press the delete but- L o Turn: to adjust volume
ton briefly:
M q Press: to switch radio/
To delete characters
navigation system on/off
To exit the settings menu
without making any
changes
j Press and hold:
To delete entries
F Hands-free microphone
G 8/8 Press the
mute/eject button briefly:
To mute
To switch off the traffic and
navigation announcements
To pause CD, DVD or USB
playback
8/8 Press and hold:
to eject a CD/DVD

Z
214 Operating system

Radio/navigation system function Radio/navigation system menu over-

overview view
You can use the radio/navigation system to Main function audio ¦
operate the following main functions: ¨ Radio
Rthe audio function with the radio, audio u CD/DVD playback
CD/DVD and MP3 mode, USB audio, Blue- © USB audio
tooth® audio and audio AUX operating ª Bluetooth® audio
modes
¬ AUX audio
Rthe navigation system (destination entry,
Audio systems

tour entry, traffic messages, navigation set- Main function Navigation ¡

tings) ¢ Basic display with map
Rthe phone via Bluetooth® (making a call, £ Destination entry
phone book, call lists) ¤ Trip entry
Rthe video DVD function and the video/AUX ¥ Traffic announcements
inputs m Navigation settings
RDigital Operating Instructions (keyword
Main function telephone w
search, visual search, contents, article
page, help) x Basic display with keypad
Rthe settings (sound, language, display, y Phone book
Bluetooth®, system) z Unanswered calls
| Accepted calls
~ Dialled numbers
Radio/navigation system display
overview Main function video t
u DVD playback
v Video/AUX in sockets
Main function Digital Operating Instruc-
tions n
o Index term search
p Visual search
q Contents
r Article page
s Help
Main function settings h
: Status bar
i Audio settings
; Menu-path display
j Language settings
= Main function bar; the current main func-
tion is highlighted in blue k Display settings
? Selected list entry l Bluetooth® settings
A Display/selection window (here, town m System settings
selection list)
B Submenu of the selected main function
(here, navigation)
 Operating system 215

CD radio overview

Audio systems
Function Page Function Page
: Display 216 Press V the controller: 217
To confirm your selection
; Number keypad:
To display stored stations
To set a station via the sta-
To display playback options
tion presets
To store stations manually B =; Horizontal arrow
To enter a passkey 221 buttons:
To enter the telephone To select a main function
number C :9 Vertical arrow
To enter characters buttons:
= 6 To select a function from
the submenu
To accept a call
To dial a number D % Press the back button
To select telephone mode briefly:
To move up one menu level
? ~
% Press and hold:
To reject a call
To jump to the highest
To end an active call menu level for the selected
A Turn 3 the controller: 217 main function
To select a station
To select a list item
To change the adjustment
values

Z
216 Operating system

Function Page Function Page

E j Press the delete but- I E Press briefly:
ton briefly: To select stations using the
To delete characters station search function
j Press and hold: To select the previous track
To delete an entry E Press and hold:
F Hands-free microphone Manual station search
Fast rewind
G 8/8 Press the
Audio systems

mute/eject button briefly: J Mini USB socket and AUX

To mute jack
To switch off traffic K Disc slot:
announcements To insert CDs
8/8 Press and hold: To remove CDs
To eject a CD
L o Turn:
H F Press briefly: To set the volume
To select stations using the
station search function M q Press:
To select the next track To switch the CD radio on/
off
F Press and hold:
Manual station search
Fast forward

CD radio function overview

You can use the CD radio to operate the fol-
lowing main functions:
Rthe audio function with the radio, audio CD
and MP3 mode, USB audio, Bluetooth®
audio and audio AUX operating modes
Rthe phone via Bluetooth® (making a call,
phone book, call lists)
Rthe settings (sound, language, display,
Bluetooth®, system)

Example: MP3 playback function in CD mode

CD radio display overview
: Main function bar, current main function
The display shows the currently selected is highlighted (audio in the example)
function and its associated menus. The dis- ; Status symbols
play is divided into several areas. = Submenu of the selected main function
? Selected list entry
 Operating system 217

A The currently active option is marked with Radio/navigation system and CD

# radio controller
B Submenus

CD radio menu overview

Main function radio ´
RSwitching FM stations/traffic announce-
ment priority on/off

Audio systems
RSwitching automatically stored FM sta-
tions/traffic announcement priority on/off
RSwitching between AM stations/wave-
bands Example: operating the controller
RSwitching between automatically stored Using the controller you can:
AM stations/wavebands Rpress briefly or press and hold V
Main function audio · Rturn clockwise or anti-clockwise 3
RCD playback (audio CD and MP3 CDs)
RUSB audio
RBluetooth® audio
RAUX
Main function telephone º
RBasic display
RPhone book
RMissed calls
RAccepted calls
RDialled numbers
Main function sound settings ¸
RTreble
RBass
RMid-range
RBalance
R3D sound
Main function settings ä
RLanguage
RDisplaybrightness
RBluetooth® settings
RSystem settings

Z
218 Operating system

Radio overview
Audio systems

Function Page Function Page

: t B ´· Scroll buttons:
To select a menu In radio mode: to change
In CD/USB mode: to switch waveband
to the track time display In MP3 mode (CD or USB):
to change folder
; u
In AUX mode: to switch
To select the sound menu between FRONT and REAR
= Display MAN

? Disc slot: C SRC source button:

To insert CDs To select an audio source 219
To remove CDs Press and hold: A‑STORE
To mute the current traffic
A Equipment with CD drive:
announcement
8 Eject button:
To eject a CD
Equipment without CD
drive:
RDS button
In radio mode: to switch the
RDS convenience function
on/off
 Audio mode 219

Function Page Function Page

D 8 Mute button: F Mini USB socket and AUX
To end the current traffic jack
message G Number pad
Equipment with CD drive:
In radio mode:
Press briefly: Press briefly: to select a
To mute the audio source station from the station
(mute/pause) memory
Press and hold:

Audio systems
Press and hold: to store a
In radio mode: to switch the station manually
RDS convenience function In CD/USB mode:
on/off Button 3 (RND): to switch
Equipment without CD random playback on/off or
drive: to switch between random
To mute the audio source playback modes
(mute/pause) Button 4 (RPT): to switch
E üû Arrow buttons repeat track on/off or to
switch between repeat
In radio mode:
modes
Press briefly: to start sta-
tion search H q Press the control knob:
Press and hold: manual sta- To switch audio equipment
tion search on/off
In CD/USB mode: q Turn:
Press briefly: to skip to the To set the volume
next/previous track
Press and hold: fast
forward/rewind

Radio function overview Audio mode

You can use the radio to operate the following
Radio/navigation system
functions:
X Press the = or ; button repeatedly
Rradio with the wavebands: FM, AM
until ¦ (audio) is selected in the main
(medium wave, short wave and long wave)
function bar.
Raudio CD playback (only on equipment with
The audio submenu that you last used
a CD drive) appears.
RMP3 playback from CD (only on equipment
X Press the 9 or : button to select the
with a CD drive) desired audio source (radio, CD/DVD,
RMP3 playback from USB audio devices
USB, Bluetooth®, AUX) in the audio sub-
Raudio equipment playback via the AUX jack menu.
Rsettings (sound, traffic announcements,
Radio Data System)
Z
220 Bluetooth® settings

CD radio RBluetooth® must be activated on both the

X To select the radio: press the = audio system and on the Bluetooth®
or ; button repeatedly until $ device.
(radio) is selected in the main function bar. Rthe Bluetooth® device must be "visible".
The radio basic display appears. You will Rthe procedure for adjusting the settings of
hear the last station played. the Bluetooth® device can be found in the
X To select another audio source: press operating instructions of the Bluetooth®
the = or ; button repeatedly until device.
¦ (audio) is selected in the main func-
tion bar.
Audio systems

The audio submenu that you last used Calling up the Bluetooth® settings
appears. menu
X Press the 9 or : button to select the
X Press the = or ; button repeatedly
desired audio source (CD/DVD, USB, Blue-
until h (system settings) is selected in
tooth®, AUX) in the audio submenu.
the main function bar.
Radio The settings menu that you last used
X Press the SRC button repeatedly until the appears.
desired audio source (radio, CD/MP3, X If necessary: press 9 or : to select

USB, AUX) is shown in the display. the Bluetooth settings menu.

Bluetooth® settings Activating/deactivating Bluetooth®

X Turn 3 the controller to select Acti‐
Introduction
vate Bluetooth/Bluetooth on.
Telephony via the radio/navigation system X To change the setting: press V the con-
and CD radio is available in conjunction with a
troller.
Bluetooth®-capable phone. When the O box is ticked, the function is
Further information on suitable mobile activated.
phones and connecting Bluetooth®-capable
mobile phones with the audio system can be
obtained: Connecting Bluetooth® devices
Rat your Mercedes-Benz Service Centre or
General notes
Ron the Internet at www.mercedes-
benz.com/connectivity Before using your Bluetooth® device with the
audio system for the first time, you will need
to connect it.
Requirements for a Bluetooth® con- Connecting a Bluetooth® mobile phone and a
nection Bluetooth® audio device is in principle the
Requirements: same for the user. The process is therefore
only explained once below.
Rmobile phones must support Hands-Free
Profile 1.0 or above.
Revery Bluetooth® device has a Bluetooth®
name, which you can choose yourself.
 Bluetooth® settings 221

Calling up the Bluetooth® device list Authorising (registering) the Blue-

tooth® device
X Turn 3 the controller to select List of
BT cell phones/Phone list or List X Turn 3 the controller to select the
of BT audio players/Audio device device that has not yet been authorised in
list . the Bluetooth® device list.
X To confirm your selection: press V the X To confirm your selection: press V the
controller. controller.
A list of Bluetooth® device names appears. The menu of the Bluetooth® functions for
The status of the listed devices can differ in the selected device appears.

Audio systems
the following ways (visible by the symbol): X Turn 3 the controller to select Author‐
No symbol Devices in range, ise.
but not yet author- X To confirm your selection: press V the
ised controller.
An enquiry dialogue appears, asking you
Ï greyed Devices out of range whether you are sure that you want to
out/Ï in square that have already authorise the device.
brackets been authorised X To authorise the device: press V the
Ï Devices in range controller to confirm Yes.
that have been The dialogue for entering the passkey
authorised but not appears.
connected If you want to cancel the process, select No
Ñ Devices in range and press V the controller to confirm.
that have been The passkey is any one to sixteen-digit num-
authorised and con- ber combination that you can determine your-
nected self. You must enter the same number
sequence into the audio system and the Blue-
i For Bluetooth® audio equipment, you see tooth® device you wish to authorise (see the
a note symbol instead of the telephone operating instructions of the Bluetooth®
symbol. device).
X Enter the passkey on the audio system key-
If your mobile phone or audio device is not on
the list, the list needs to be updated. pad.
X Turn V the controller to confirm OK.
X Turn 3 the controller to select Update.
A request for the passkey to be entered
X To confirm your selection: press V the
appears in the Bluetooth® device.
controller.
X Enter the same passkey on the Bluetooth®
The audio system searches for Bluetooth®
device as for the audio system and confirm.
devices within range. This procedure may
take some time. Once the search is com- Radio/navigation system: the Bluetooth®
plete, the audio system updates the device device is authorised and is connected right
list. away.
CD radio: the Bluetooth® device is author-
ised. After the Bluetooth® device has been
successfully authorised, it also needs to be
connected.

Z
222 Navigation

Connecting a device to the CD radio: You must observe the legal requirements for
X In the telephone or audio device list, turn the country in which you are currently driving
3 the controller to select the desired when operating the system.
device. The driver is responsible for the safety of the
X To confirm your selection: press V the
vehicle at all times.
controller.
X Turn 3 the controller to select Connect.
General note
X To confirm your selection: press V the
controller. Navigation is available for the radio/naviga-
tion system.
Audio systems

An enquiry dialogue appears, asking you

whether you are sure that you want to con-
nect the device.
Switching on navigation mode
X To connect the device: press V the con-
troller to confirm Yes. X Press the = or ; button repeatedly
Your Bluetooth® device is now connected until ¡ (navigation) is selected in the
and ready for operation via the audio sys- main function bar.
tem. The navigation menu that you last used
appears.
X If necessary: press the 9 button to

Navigation select ¢ (map display) in the navigation

submenu.
Important safety notes The map is shown.
G WARNING
Operating the integrated information systems
Showing/hiding the menu
and communications equipment in the vehicle
while driving will distract you from traffic con- X To hide the menu: press V the controller.
ditions. You could then lose control of the The map appears in the full-screen display.
vehicle. There is a risk of an accident. X To show the menu: press the % back
Only operate these devices if road traffic con- button when the map is shown in full-
ditions permit. If you are unsure about the screen.
surrounding conditions, pull over to a safe
location and make entries only while the vehi-
cle is stationary. Destination entry
The navigation system calculates the route to Destination entry options
the destination without taking into account,
The following options can be used for desti-
for example:
nation entry:
Rtraffic lights
Rentering an address
Rstop signs and right-of-way signs
Rselecting a destination from the destination
Rparking and stopping restrictions
memory
Rlane narrowings
Rselecting one of the last used destinations
Rother road and traffic controls and regula-
(previous destinations)
tions
Rentering a destination using the map
Rselecting a destination from the POIs
 Navigation 223

Calling up the destination entry menu X Turn 3 the controller to select the
desired list entry.
X Press the = or ; button repeatedly
X To confirm your selection: press V the
until ¡ (navigation) is selected in the
main function bar. controller.
The navigation menu that you last used The address input menu appears.
appears. Selecting the street:
X If necessary: select the 9 or : but-
X In the address input menu, turn 3 the
ton in the £ navigation submenu (desti- controller to select Street.
nation entry).
X To confirm your selection: press V the
The destination input menu appears.

Audio systems
controller.
The street list appears immediately for
Example: address entry smaller towns. For larger towns, the char-
acter entry menu appears first and the
Address input menu
street list only appears after the first letters
Calling up the address input menu: of the desired street have been entered.
X In the destination entry menu, turn 3 X Turn 3 the controller to select the
the controller to select Address input. desired street.
X To confirm your selection: press V the X To confirm your selection: press V the
controller. controller.
The address entry menu appears again.
Entering an address
You can start route guidance. The destination
Selecting a country:
is then the centre of the selected town. How-
X In the destination entry menu, turn 3 ever, the Street, House number or Junc‐
the controller to select Country. tion can be entered first. Proceed in the
X To confirm your selection: press V the same way as for the street name entry.
controller.
X Turn 3 the controller to select the
desired country. Route guidance
X To confirm your selection: press V the General notes
controller.
The character entry menu for entering the Navigation announcements should guide you
town appears. during the journey without distracting you
from traffic conditions or driving. Always lis-
X Enter the first letters of the desired town. ten to the navigation announcements rather
Once the number of towns that begin with the than using the map display for orientation.
entered letters is small enough, the selection
list appears automatically. However, you can Starting route guidance
also switch to the list display in advance by X In the address input menu, turn 3 the
pressing and holding the controller in the
controller to select Start route guid‐
character entry menu or by selecting OK and
ance.
confirming.
X To confirm your selection: press V the
controller.

Z
224 Digital Operating Instructions

Cancelling route guidance Preparation phase

X Turn 3 the controller to select Cancel The radio/navigation system prepares you
route guidance from the function menu. for the upcoming change of direction. The
announcement is made with the words Pre‐
X To confirm your selection: press V the
pare to turn right soon.. The map can
controller. be seen in the full-screen display.
The map appears in full screen mode with-
out active route guidance. Announcement phase
The radio/navigation system announces the
Displays during route guidance imminent change of direction. For example,
Audio systems

the change of direction might be announced

with the message Turn right after four
hundred metres and follow the A 81..
Change-of-direction phase
The radio/navigation system announces the
imminent change of direction. Based on the
example display below, the change of direc-
tion is announced 40 metres before the
change of direction with the Please turn
next right. message.
Example: full-screen mode with split screen and
active route guidance Display and description of lane recom-
: Map orientation (here: north-up), to the mendations
right of the adjusted scale
Lane
; Information on the destination (distance
from destination, estimated duration of Recommended Green
journey, estimated time of arrival) lane
= Arrow indicating the direction of travel
Possible lane White
during change of direction
? TMC indicator1 Lane not recom- Light grey
A Current road (if available) or geo-coordi- mended
nates
B Current vehicle position and direction of
travel Digital Operating Instructions
C Route (highlighted in colour) General note

Change of direction Digital Operating Instructions are available

for the radio/navigation system.
Introduction
Changes of direction have three phases:
Rpreparation phase
Rannouncement phase
Rchange-of-direction phase

1 Traffic Message Channel – radio traffic reports.

 Digital Operating Instructions 225

Opening the Digital Operating Instruc-

tions

Audio systems
Entry screen
X Press the = or ; button until n
(Digital Operating Instructions) is selected
in the main function bar.
The entry screen appears.
X Turn V the controller to select More.
X To confirm your selection: press V the
controller.
The display shows the submenu last used.

Example: visual search submenu

Z
226 Digital Operating Instructions

Overview of Digital Operating Instructions

Audio systems

Example: radio/navigation system with Digital Operating Instructions open

: Navigation bar with path for the current topic
; Main function bar, main menu n Digital Operating Instructions selected
= Keypad
? V Controller
A % Back button
B j Delete button
C s How to use the digital Operating Instructions
D r Article page (contents of the Operating Instructions)
E q Contents
F p Visual Search
G o Index term search

Operating the Digital Owner's Manual link to link p. When the link is selected,
press V the controller.
X To change the submenu: press the 9 The display jumps to the relevant reference
or : button. or to the relevant position on the contents
X To move within the Digital Operating page.
Instructions: turn cVd the controller. X To return to the previous display: press
X To confirm a selection: press V the con- the % back button.
troller. i When you follow a link, the % back
X To select a link: when scrolling through button only has this function if the link
text, the cursor jumps automatically from directs you to another reference page. If
the link directs you to the contents page,
 Digital Operating Instructions 227

you can return to the reference page by

pressing the : button.
X To expand warnings, environmental
notes and damage warnings: when
scrolling through text, the cursor jumps
automatically to expandable warnings,
environmental notes and damage warn-
ings. When the note is selected, press V
the controller.
The appropriate warning, environmental

Audio systems
note or damage warning expands on the Example: article page
same page.

Calling up the help function of the Dig-

ital Operating Instructions

Example: quick access list

X Press the 9 or : button to select s
(quick access) in the basic menu of the Dig-
ital Operating Instructions.
The display shows a list of keywords for
quick access to the corresponding con-
tents of the Digital Operating Instructions.
X Using the controller cVd, select a list item.

i When more than seven list items appear,

you can scroll through the list.
X To confirm your selection: press V the
controller.

Z
228
 229

Useful information ............................ 230

Driving ............................................... 230
Brakes ................................................ 238
Manual transmission ........................ 246
Automated transmission ................. 249
Operation ........................................... 259
Driving systems ................................ 267
Level control ..................................... 286
Additional axles ................................ 291
Driving tips ........................................ 293
Refuelling ........................................... 305

Driving mode
Trailers/semitrailers ........................ 308
Wind deflector ................................... 316
Winter operation ............................... 320
230 Driving

Useful information

These Operating Instructions describe all the

models and standard and optional equipment
of your vehicle that were available at the time
of going to print. Country-specific differences
are possible. Bear in mind that your vehicle
may not be equipped with all the functions
described. This also applies to safety-relevant
systems and functions.
Read the information on qualified specialist Decoupling element between the engine and
workshops (Y page 30). exhaust pipe (example: tractor/semitrailer combi-
nation with BlueTec®6)
Driving mode

X Check decoupling element of exhaust sys-

Driving
tem : for visible damage, e.g. cracks.
Preparing for a journey The decoupling element is a wear part and
must be checked regularly.
Visual and function check on the vehi-
BlueTec®5 vehicles: in the event of dam-
cle external
age, the decoupling element must be
Before you drive off, you should carry out the replaced immediately.
following checks on the towing vehicle and BlueTec®6 vehicles: in the event of damage
the trailer/semitrailer: and/or leakage, the decoupling element
XCheck the vehicle for leaks. must be replaced immediately. Traces of
XCheck that the licence plate, vehicle light- soot on the decoupling element signify
ing, turn signal and brake lamps are clean leakage.
and free of damage. X Make sure that the vehicle is loaded cor-

i The lighting check function of the multi- rectly.

function key can assist you in checking the X Make sure that the dropsides and external

vehicle lighting (Y page 61). flaps are locked securely and not damaged.
X Fold/push in and lock folding/extendable
X Check wheels and tyres (Y page 398).
steps before driving.
Observe the following points in particular:
X Fold the folding underride guard to the road
Rgeneral condition position.
Rvisible damage and cracks X Fit and secure the mudguard centre part
Rtyre pressures when operating the vehicle without a sem-
Rtyre tread depth itrailer.
Rwheels are secure X Fold down the mud flaps.
X In wintry conditions, remove snow and
accumulations of ice from the tractor vehi-
cle and trailer/semitrailer (Y page 320).
X Make sure that cables and compressed-air
lines are connected correctly
(Y page 313).
X Make sure that the semitrailer/trailer cou-
pling is locked and secured correctly.
 Driving 231

Observe the separate instructions issued When carrying emergency equipment, e.g. a
by the manufacturer for the operation, care breathalyser, observe the legal requirements
and maintenance of the semitrailer/trailer of the country in which you are currently driv-
coupling. ing.
Have all faults and damage rectified. If nec- Checking the vehicle lighting, turn signal
essary, have the causes determined and rec- lamps and brake lamps
tified at a qualified specialist workshop. X Switch the ignition lock to the drive posi-
tion.
Visual and function check in the vehicle If a bulb on the towing vehicle is faulty, the
General notes on-board computer displays a correspond-
ing event window. In the case of a bulb fail-
Please note that all electronic systems in the ure, the event window displays b and
vehicle only serve to assist you. They do not s for the towing vehicle.

Driving mode
relieve you of the obligation to carry out a vis-
X Check the vehicle lighting, turn signal
ual inspection of the vehicle and the trailer/
semitrailer before starting a journey. lamps and brake lamps on the tractor vehi-
cle and trailer/semitrailer with the help of a
Activating driving systems second person.
Before driving on public roads: or
X Activate Stability Control Assist X Check the vehicle lighting using the multi-

(Y page 262) or activate ASR function key (Y page 61).

(Y page 261). X Replace faulty bulbs (Y page 99).
X Vehicles with level control: set the driving
level (Y page 288). Checking the fuel/AdBlue® supply
X Check the fuel level/AdBlue® level shown
Checking the emergency equipment/ on the fuel gauge (Y page 139) and on the
first-aid kit AdBlue® gauge (Y page 139).
You will find an overview of emergency equip- X If necessary, refuel (Y page 305) and top
ment and first-aid kits in the "Breakdown up the AdBlue® (Y page 306).
assistance" section (Y page 365).
X Check the emergency equipment to make Checking the engine oil level
sure that it is accessible, complete and Check the engine oil level before the start of
ready for use, for example: every journey (Y page 159). The engine oil
RReflective safety vest level is not displayed while driving.
RWarning triangle
RWarning beacon
Ignition lock
RFirst-aid kit
RFire extinguisher G WARNING
X At regular intervals, check that the first-aid If you switch off the ignition while the vehicle
kit is usable. Note the use-by dates of the is in motion, safety-relevant functions are
contents. restricted or not available. This can affect the
X Have the fire extinguisher checked every 1
power steering function and the brake boost-
ing effect, for example. You will then require
to 2 years.
considerably more force to steer and brake.
X The fire extinguisher must be refilled after
There is a risk of an accident.
each use.

Z
232 Driving

Do not switch off the ignition while the vehicle i The multifunction key is secured against
is in motion. turning. The multifunction key can only be
inserted into the key slot in one position.
G WARNING i The key may heat up in the key slot.
If you leave children unattended in the vehi-
The ignition lock has the following switch
cle, they could set the vehicle in motion by, for
positions:
example:
R0
Rreleasing the parking brake
Rshifting the transmission into neutral
Insert/remove key =.
Rstarting the engine
The display of the instrument cluster is off.
R1 – radio position
They could also operate the vehicle's equip-
ment and become trapped. There is a risk of Power supply for some consumers.
The display of the instrument cluster shows
Driving mode

an accident and injury.

When leaving the vehicle, always take the key the greeting display (Mercedes star). After
with you and lock the vehicle. Never leave a short time the display also shows the date
children unattended in the vehicle. and time.
R2 – drive position
G WARNING The ignition is switched on.
When using the engine run-on function, the The instrument cluster display shows a
vehicle may start to roll if crawler mode is menu window or an event window.
activated and the pulling-away gear is R3 – start position
engaged. There is a risk of an accident.
When key = is inserted and Start/Stop but-
When using the engine run-on function:
ton ::
Rshift the transmission into neutral. Ris pushed in all the way, the ignition lock is
Rapply the parking brake. switched to position 3 and the engine
starts.
Ris pushed in to the first switching threshold,
the ignition lock is switched to the next
position, 0, 1 or 2.
If you press the Start/Stop button when in
position 2, the ignition lock switches back
to position 0.
You can switch the engine off when the vehi-
cle is stationary using Start/Stop button :
by:
Rpushing it in as far as it will go.
Example: ignition lock
Rpushing it in to the first switching threshold
The ignition lock consists of key slot ;,
which receives key =, and Start/Stop but- and then releasing Start/Stop button :.
ton :, which has two positions. To activate The ignition lock is in position 1 once the
the ignition lock, insert key = into key slot ; engine has been switched off.
as far as it will go. Insert key = into the key Engine run-on: the engine run-on function
slot with the Mercedes star facing upwards. allows you to leave the engine running while
stationary and to remove key = from the
 Driving 233

ignition lock. This means, for example, that the pedals. Do not lay several floormats or
you can lock the cab and use power take-off carpets on top of one another.
or level control in working mode.
X Stop the vehicle. G WARNING
X Push Start/Stop button : in to the first If you load the vehicle unevenly, driving char-
switching threshold and hold. acteristics such as steering and braking
X Remove the key. behaviour may be severely impaired. There is
The on-board computer shows Shunting a risk of an accident.
speed only. in the event window Load the vehicle evenly. Secure the load so
i Only release Start/Stop button : once that it cannot slip.
you have completely removed the key.
The vehicle's driving, braking and steering
X Release Start/Stop button :. characteristics vary with the type, weight and
The ignition lock remains in position 2 and

Driving mode
centre of gravity of the load.
the engine is left running. X Close all doors.
The vehicle speed is limited to approximately X Make sure that the floormats and carpets
6 km/h while the engine run-on function is are properly secured so that they cannot
active. slip and obstruct the pedals.
If you re-insert the key in the key slot, the
engine run-on function is deactivated again. Starting the engine
G WARNING
Before driving off Combustion engines emit poisonous exhaust
gases such as carbon monoxide. Inhaling
Important safety notes
these exhaust gases leads to poisoning. There
G WARNING is a risk of fatal injury. Therefore never leave
If objects, luggage or loads are not secured or the engine running in enclosed spaces with-
not secured sufficiently, they could slip, tip out sufficient ventilation.
over or be flung around and thereby hit vehicle
! When the engine oil pressure is too low,
occupants. There is a risk of injury, especially
the on-board computer displays the 5
when braking or abruptly changing directions.
symbol in the red event window. A warning
Always store objects so that they cannot be tone also sounds.
flung around. Secure objects, luggage or
The operating safety of the engine is jeop-
loads against slipping or tipping before the
ardised. Switch off the engine immediately.
journey.
Observe the information and instructions on
G WARNING this event window in the "On-board computer
Objects in the driver's footwell can impede and displays" section (Y page 191).
pedal travel or block a pedal which is X Depress the brake pedal or apply the park-
depressed. This jeopardises safe operation of ing brake.
the vehicle. There is a risk of an accident. X Switch the ignition lock to the drive posi-
Stow all objects in the vehicle safely, so that tion.
they cannot reach the driver's footwell. Make The display check for the instrument clus-
sure the floormats and carpets are properly ter starts. The display check in the instru-
secured so that they cannot slip and obstruct ment cluster allows you to see what equip-

Z
234 Driving

ment is present and whether there are any X Repeat the starting procedure.
faults with their functions. X If the engine still fails to start, contact a
The immobiliser is deactivated and the qualified specialist workshop.
engine can be started. If you use an invalid
key, the on-board computer will show an Safety inspection
event window. Use a valid spare key.
Vehicles with Mercedes PowerShift: the on- Checking the reservoir pressure in the
board computer displays the transmission- compressed-air brake system
shift position and the automatic drive pro- G WARNING
gram A, A economy, A power, A offroad, It is not possible to brake the vehicle if the
A fleet or A fire-sv. compressed-air brake system has a leak or if
X Check the engine oil level (Y page 159). there insufficient reservoir pressure. There is
X Shift into neutral. a risk of an accident.
Driving mode

X Disengage power take-off (Y page 330). Do not pull away until the required reservoir
X Deactivate the loading tailgate; see the pressures have been reached.
separate operating instructions. In the event of loss of pressure while driving,
X Vehicles with engine preheating: at outside immediately bring the vehicle to a halt in
temperatures below Ò20 †, preheat the accordance with the traffic conditions.
engine before starting (Y page 133). Secure the vehicle using the parking brake.
X Press the Start/Stop button as far as it will Have the compressed-air system repaired at a
go and hold it. Do not depress the acceler- qualified specialist workshop.
ator pedal whilst doing so.
X Start the engine.
X Once the engine starts normally, release
X Leave the engine running until the J
the Start/Stop button.
warning lamp in the instrument cluster
The idling speed is controlled automati-
goes out.
cally.
X Call up the Reserve pressure menu win-
i The engine idling speed is raised at very
dow (Y page 159) and check the current
low outside temperatures or during regen-
reservoir pressure.
eration of the diesel particle filter.
Observe the event window in the on-board
i The starting procedure is automatically computer and the indicator lamps in the sta-
cancelled: tus area of the on-board computer/instru-
Rafter approximately 60 seconds on vehi- ment cluster for the reservoir pressure and
cles with the OM 936 engine the compressed-air brake system.
Rafter approximately 40 seconds on vehi-
Checking the reservoir pressure in the
cles with the OM 470, OM 471 or OM 473 transmission/clutch circuit
engine
G WARNING
X If the engine fails to start: rectify the cause
If there is a loss of pressure or insufficient
of the poor starting characteristics.
reservoir pressure in the transmission/clutch
Possible causes of poor starting characteris- circuit, you can no longer shift gears. There is
tics are, for example: a risk of an accident.
Ra blocked fuel filter Do not pull away, or stop the vehicle as soon
Ran empty fuel tank (Y page 305) as possible, paying attention to road and traf-
Rfuel system not bled (Y page 373) fic conditions. Secure the vehicle against roll-
 Driving 235

ing away, e.g. with the parking brake. Have low + Condensation in compressed-
the compressed-air system repaired at a air reservoir event window. In this case,
qualified specialist workshop. have the compressed-air brake system
checked at a qualified specialist workshop. If
The reservoir pressure in the transmission/ your vehicle is equipped with a condensation
clutch circuit is supplied once brake circuits 1 sensor, the following check is not applicable.
and 2 have been charged.
If the reservoir pressure in the transmission/
clutch circuit is too low, the on-board com-
puter will display the yellow : Transmis‐
sion/clutch reserve pressure too low
event window.
X Start the engine.

Driving mode
X Leave the engine running until the yel-
low :Transmission/clutch
reserve pressure too low event win-
dow in the on-board computer goes out.
Example: condensation valve on the compressed-
air reservoir
Checking the function of the compressed-
air drier Vehicles without a condensation sensor are
equipped with condensation valve : on a
G WARNING compressed-air reservoir.
If the condensation level in the compressed-
X Start the engine.
air reservoir is too high, the braking effect may
X Check the reservoir pressure in the
reduce or the brake system may fail. There is
a risk of an accident. compressed-air brake system.
X If the on-board computer displays the red
Check the compressed-air drier for conden-
sation before starting a journey. If the con- Brake supply pressure in circuit 1
densation level is high, have the compressed- too low and/or Brake supply pres‐
air brake system checked at a qualified spe- sure in circuit 2 too low event win-
cialist workshop immediately. dow, leave the engine running until the red
event window goes out.
The compressed-air system is charged.
X Switch off the engine.
X Pull ring ; on condensation valve : and
drain off the condensation.
X If a large amount of condensation runs out,
have the compressed-air brake system
checked at a qualified specialist workshop.
X If the system detects that the number of
regeneration phases performed is insuffi-
cient, the yellow + Condensation in
Example: condensation sensor on the
compressed-air reservoir
Vehicles with a condensation sensor: if the
condensation level in the compressed-air res-
ervoir is too high, this is displayed by the yel-

Z
236 Driving

compressed-air reservoir event win- There is a delay in displaying a change in out-

dow is displayed in the on-board computer. side temperature.
X In this case, check the compressed-air If the brake system is defective, braking
dryer more frequently. behaviour may change or the brake system
X If a large amount of condensation runs out, may fail. If you notice a reduction in braking
have the compressed-air brake system power when testing the brakes, stop the vehi-
checked at a qualified specialist workshop. cle as soon as possible while paying attention
to traffic conditions. Have the brake system
Checking the vehicle height checked and repaired at a qualified specialist
Vehicles with level control: when driving with workshop.
a lowered or raised chassis, the driving and Always pay attention to the information in the
braking characteristics may be affected. event window, which is shown by the on-
Additionally, the maximum permitted vehicle board computer if the brake system is mal-
Driving mode

height may be exceeded when the chassis is functioning. In addition, an indicator lamp
raised. Observe the legally permissible vehi- lights up in the instrument cluster or the sta-
cle heights for the country you are currently tus area of the on-board computer and a
in. warning tone may sound. Braking behaviour
If the yellow ¸ indicator lamp in the instru- may change. The pedal travel and pedal force
ment cluster lights up, the chassis is not at required to brake the vehicle may increase.
driving level. If you ignore warning lamps and messages in
X Set the driving level (Y page 288). the display, you will not recognise failures and
The ¸ indicator lamp in the instrument faults affecting the brake system compo-
cluster goes out. nents and systems. Braking behaviour may
change. The pedal travel and pedal force
required to brake the vehicle may increase.
Pulling away Have the brake system checked and repaired
at a qualified specialist workshop. Always pay
! Do not pull away as soon as the engine attention to the warning lamps and messages
starts. Let the engine run in neutral for a in the display.
short time after starting, until there is suf- Vehicles with an automated transmission and
ficient engine oil pressure. Do not drive at without a hydrodynamic clutch: the vehicle
high engine speeds when the engine is has a switchable crawler mode. When crawler
cold. mode is activated, the vehicle crawls auto-
This will prevent excessive wear and pos- matically when the service brake is released
sible engine failure. and continues rolling at the engine idling
speed. You can find information on crawler
! Do not hold the steering wheel for longer
mode in the "Automated transmission" sec-
than 10 seconds with the steering at full
tion (Y page 252).
lock. Otherwise, the power steering assis-
tance could malfunction. Vehicles with a hydrodynamic clutch: always
pay attention to the information about pulling
Do not turn the steering wheel forcefully if
away in the section "Hydrodynamic clutch"
the wheels are resting on the curb or other
(Y page 259).
similar surfaces. Otherwise, the power
steering assistance could be damaged. When the vehicle is stationary and the trans-
mission is in neutral, the engine has delayed
You should pay special attention to road con- throttle response.
ditions when temperatures are around the
freezing point.
 Driving 237

X Engage a gear, see Automated transmis- restricted or not available. This can affect the
sion (Y page 249) or Manual transmission power steering function and the brake boost-
(Y page 246). ing effect, for example. You will then require
X Release the brake pedal or parking brake considerably more force to steer and brake.
and slowly depress the accelerator pedal. There is a risk of an accident.
X If the drive wheels spin when pulling away, Do not switch off the ignition while the vehicle
switch on the starting-off aid (Y page 291). is in motion.
X When starting a journey, carry out a brake
test. Observe the road and traffic condi- G WARNING
tions when doing so. If you leave children unattended in the vehi-
Warm up the engine quickly by driving at cle, they could set the vehicle in motion by, for
moderate engine speeds. After approx- example:
imately 10 to 20 minutes, the engine will Rreleasing the parking brake

Driving mode
reach its operating temperature of between Rshifting the transmission into neutral
approximately 85 and 100 †, depending on Rstarting the engine
the outside temperature.
They could also operate the vehicle's equip-
You can utilise the full engine power output ment and become trapped. There is a risk of
once the engine has reached its normal oper- an accident and injury.
ating temperature.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the key
with you and lock the vehicle. Never leave
children unattended in the vehicle.
Stopping and switching off the engine
G WARNING Ensure that you observe the safety notes in
the "Children in the vehicle" section
Flammable material such as leaves, grass or
(Y page 55).
twigs may ignite if they come into contact with
hot parts of the exhaust system or exhaust You can find information on crawler mode in
gas flow. There is a risk of fire. the "Automated transmission" section
(Y page 252).
Park the vehicle so that no flammable mate-
rial can come into contact with hot vehicle Vehicles with automated transmission: after
components. In particular, do not park on dry stopping the vehicle with crawler mode acti-
grassland or harvested grain fields. vated, the vehicle begins to crawl again if you:
Rdo not shift the transmission into neutral
G WARNING Rdo not apply the parking brake
The parking brake may not be sufficient to Rrelease the service brake again
ensure that the loaded vehicles does not roll
X Stop the vehicle.
away on uphill and downhill gradients. There
is a risk of an accident. X Apply the parking brake.

In the test position, check whether the park- X Shift into neutral.

ing brake will hold the loaded vehicle. If the Let the engine idle for approximately
vehicle is not held, secure it using other meth- 2 minutes before switching it off, if:
ods, e.g. wheel chocks. RThe vehicle has been driven for a prolonged
period with the hydrodynamic clutch in
G WARNING operation
If you switch off the ignition while the vehicle Rthe vehicle has been driven for a prolonged
is in motion, safety-relevant functions are period in retarder mode

Z
238 Brakes

Rthe coolant temperature is above approx- RHill holder

imately 100 † RBAS (Brake Assist)
Rfull engine power has been used, e.g. while The electronic control is able to relieve the
driving in mountainous terrain or during load on the service brake by activating the
combined operation continuous brake, depending on the vehicle
X To switch off the engine: press the Start/ load and the weather conditions.
Stop button to the first switch threshold The control system harmonises the braking
and then release it. processes of the tractor vehicle and the
or trailer/semitrailer to ensure braking of the
X Press the Start/Stop button as far as it will entire tractor/trailer combination, continu-
go. ously balancing the braking force at individual
X Safeguard the vehicle against rolling away;
wheels according to weight distribution. This
use chocks if necessary. means the vehicle and trailer combination
Driving mode

has improved braking characteristics. On

vehicles with disc brakes on all axles, the
electronic control system monitors the tem-
Brakes
perature of the disc brakes.
Brake system If electronic control detects malfunctions, a
corresponding event window appears in the
If the brake system is defective, braking
on-board computer.
behaviour may change or the brake system
may fail. If you notice a reduction in braking If you brake hard (emergency braking) from a
power when testing the brakes, stop the vehi- speed greater than approximately 50 km/h,
cle as soon as possible while paying attention the hazard warning lamps are switched on
to traffic conditions. Have the brake system automatically. The hazard warning lamps
checked and repaired by a qualified specialist flash at a higher frequency.
workshop. The hazard warning lamps are switched off
Always pay attention to the information in the automatically if:
yellow (Y page 180) or red (Y page 195) event Remergency braking is interrupted or
windows, which are shown by the on-board Rthe vehicle comes to a standstill after the
computer if the brake system is malfunction- emergency braking and then pulls away
ing. In addition, an indicator lamp lights up in again
the instrument cluster or the status area of
the on-board computer and a warning tone i If the vehicle comes to a standstill after
may sound. Braking behaviour may change. emergency braking, the hazard warning
The pedal travel and pedal force required to lamps continue to flash at the normal fre-
brake the vehicle may increase. Have the quency.
brake system checked and repaired by a
qualified specialist workshop.
Checking the compressed-air brake
The vehicle is equipped with an electronic
system for leaks
braking system (EBS) when it leaves the fac-
tory and can include the following functions: G WARNING
RABS (Anti-lock Braking System) It is not possible to brake the vehicle if the
RASR (acceleration skid control system) compressed-air brake system has a leak or if
RALB (automatic load-dependent brake) there insufficient reservoir pressure. There is
a risk of an accident.
 Brakes 239

Do not pull away until the required reservoir minute, the compressed-air brake system
pressures have been reached. is free from leaks.
In the event of loss of pressure while driving, If a significant loss of pressure is detected,
immediately bring the vehicle to a halt in the compressed-air brake system is leak-
accordance with the traffic conditions. ing.
Secure the vehicle using the parking brake. X If the compressed-air brake system is leak-
Have the compressed-air system repaired at a ing, have it checked and repaired by a quali-
qualified specialist workshop. fied specialist workshop.

Do not let anyone enter or exit the vehicle

during the test. This avoids you mistaking ABS (Anti-lock Braking System)
pressure loss from the air-sprung seats or the
level control system for a leak. General notes

Driving mode
X Stop the vehicle on a level surface. ABS controls the braking pressure so that the
X Apply the parking brake. wheels do not lock under braking. This means
X Use chocks to safeguard the vehicle that the vehicle can still be steered while
against rolling away. braking.
X Release the parking brake. ABS is operational from walking pace, regard-
X Switch the ignition lock to the drive posi- less of road surface conditions. If the road is
tion. slippery, ABS intervenes even if you only
brake gently.
X Call up the Reserve pressure menu win-
dow in the on-board computer in the ã
Monitoring info menu (Y page 159).
ABS display check
X Run the engine until the display shows a G WARNING
reservoir pressure of at least 11 bar. If ABS is malfunctioning, the wheels could
X Push the Start/Stop button in to the first lock when braking. The steerability and brak-
switch threshold and release it. ing characteristics are thus severely impaired.
or There is an increased risk of skidding and an
X Press the Start/Stop button as far as it will accident.
go. Drive on carefully. Have the ABS checked at a
The engine switches off. qualified specialist workshop as soon as pos-
X Switch the ignition lock to the drive posi- sible.
tion.
The anti-lock protection function is not guar-
X Call up the Reserve pressure menu win-
anteed if, after the ignition is switched on:
dow in the on-board computer again.
Rno brake system display appears in the sta-
X Depress the brake pedal and keep it in this
position. tus area of the on-board computer or
Rthe display does not go out after 3 seconds
X Read off the reservoir pressure after
approximately 1 minute. or
Rthe display does not go out when the vehi-
X Read off the reservoir pressure again after
another minute. cle pulls away
If no significant loss of pressure can be X Switch the ignition lock to the drive posi-

detected in the Reserve pressure menu tion.

window in the on-board computer after this The ! indicator lamp for ABS equip-
ment is shown in grey in the status area of

Z
240 Brakes

the on-board computer for approximately If ABS is deactivated or if there is a malfunc-

3 seconds. The ! indicator lamp is sup- tion in the vehicle's brake system, Active
plemented with the s, r or u Brake Assist is automatically deactivated.
indicator lamps for towing vehicles and/or When ABS is intervening:
trailers/semitrailers.
X Continue to depress the brake pedal until
If the electronic control detects ABS faults, a the braking situation is over.
corresponding event window appears in the When ABS is intervening, the continuous
on-board computer. A coloured indicator brake is switched off. The à indicator
lamp for the affected ABS equipment also lamp in the instrument cluster remains on.
lights up in the status area of the on-board
computer as described above. During a full brake application:
X Depress the brake pedal with force.
Braking with anti-lock protection
If you want to drive the tractor vehicle with a
Driving mode

G WARNING trailer/semitrailer with ABS or an electronic

The wheels of the trailer/semitrailer may lock
brake system:
when braking and the vehicle combination X Connect a control cable to the socket or to
may become unstable if: the ABS plug (Y page 313).
Rthe trailer/semitrailer does not have ABS If you want to drive the semitrailer tractor
Rthe ABS of the trailer/semitrailer has failed vehicle without a trailer or with a trailer with-
RABS has failed completely out ABS:
As a result, you could lose control of the vehi- X Insert the control cable into the blank
cle and cause an accident. socket.
Always adapt your driving style to the prevail-
ing road and weather conditions and maintain Deactivating/activating ABS
a sufficient, safe distance from other road
users. Avoid full brake applications; except in G WARNING
emergency situations. If ABS is deactivated, the wheels may lock
when braked. As a result, the vehicle can no
Anti-lock protection improves the directional longer be steered. There is an increased risk
stability and the steerability of the vehicle or of skidding and an accident.
tractor/trailer combination during braking. Always leave ABS on when driving on roads
If you fail to adapt your driving style or if you and firm surfaces.
are inattentive, the driving safety systems can
neither reduce the risk of an accident nor
override the laws of physics. Driving safety
systems are merely aids designed to assist
driving. You are responsible for the distance
to the vehicle in front, for vehicle speed and
for braking in good time. Always adapt your
driving style to the prevailing road and
weather conditions and maintain a sufficient,
safe distance from other road users. Drive
carefully.
 Brakes 241

ABS is automatically activated when you start

the engine. By deactivating ABS, it may be
possible to achieve shorter braking distances
on rough terrain and on unpaved roads, e.g.
on soft ground. You can only deactivate ABS
for the tractor vehicle.
X Press the upper section of the q button.
When the ! indicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster lights up, ABS is deactivated.

Independent trailer brake lever (example: Actros

BAS (Brake Assist) GigaSpace)
G WARNING The independent trailer brake can be used

Driving mode
If BAS has malfunctioned, the braking system independently of the service and parking
remains available with full brake boosting brake of the towing vehicle.
effect. However, braking force is not auto- The independent trailer brake only brakes the
matically increased in emergency braking sit- wheels on the trailer/semitrailer.
uations and the stopping distance may The independent trailer brake can be used to
increase. perform adaptive braking on downhill gradi-
ents. This prevents the tractor/trailer combi-
BAS operates in emergency braking situa- nation from jack-knifing.
tions. If you depress the brake pedal quickly, If the independent trailer brake is not suffi-
BAS boosts the braking force and thus short- cient, reduce speed with the service brake or
ens the braking distance. the continuous brake.
Braking using BAS: X To brake/straighten the tractor/trailer
X Keep the brake pedal firmly depressed until combination: pull the independent trailer
the emergency braking situation has brake lever to fully applied position 2 until
passed. the required braking effect of the trailer/
ABS prevents the wheels from locking semitrailer is achieved. Hold the lever in
when this occurs. this position.
The brakes will function as usual once you X To release the independent trailer
release the brake pedal. BAS is deactivated. brake: let go of the independent trailer
brake lever.
The independent trailer brake lever returns
Independent trailer brake to release position 1.

G WARNING
If the independent trailer brake is used incor- Parking brake
rectly, e.g. as a substitute for the continuous
brake, the trailer/semitrailer brake may over- G WARNING
heat or lock. The vehicle is then no longer safe If the parking brake lever is not in the fully
or roadworthy. There is a risk of an accident. applied position, it automatically returns to
Only use the independent trailer brake for the released position. The vehicle could roll
short-term adaptive braking. away as a result. There is a risk of an accident.

Z
242 Brakes

Move the lever into the fully applied position Testing the parking brake
when parking the vehicle. X Apply the parking brake.
X Press the top of parking brake lever ?.
G WARNING While doing so, move parking brake
The parking brake may not be sufficient to lever ? beyond fully applied position 2
ensure that the loaded vehicles does not roll into control position 3 and hold it.
away on uphill and downhill gradients. There During the test, the vehicle combination is
is a risk of an accident. only held by the force exerted by the spring-
In the test position, check whether the park- loaded brake of the tractor vehicle. The
ing brake will hold the loaded vehicle. If the trailer/semitrailer brake is released.
vehicle is not held, secure it using other meth- On fire engines with a four-wheel parking
ods, e.g. wheel chocks. brake: the parking brake on the front axle is
released. The vehicle is only held by the
Driving mode

spring-loaded parking brake.

The vehicle must not move.
X If the force exerted by the spring-loaded
brake cannot hold the vehicle combination,
secure the tractor vehicle and trailer/semi-
trailer with chocks.
X Move parking brake lever ? from control
position 3 back to fully applied position
2 and engage it.
Releasing the parking brake
Parking brake lever (example: Actros GigaSpace)
X Pull parking brake lever ? upwards from
Secure the parked vehicle against rolling
away by applying the parking brake. The park- fully applied position 2 and swing it up
ing brake actuates the spring-loaded parking into released position 1 as far as it will go.
brake cylinder. The ! indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster goes out.
You can find further information about the
parking brake on the trailer/semitrailer in the If the ! indicator lamp in the instrument
manufacturer's operating instructions. cluster does not go out, the spring-loaded
brake circuit charge pressure is too low.
Applying the parking brake
On fire engines with a four-wheel parking
X Move parking brake lever ? from release brake: releasing the parking brake also dis-
position 1 to fully applied position 2, engages the four-wheel parking brake
push it downwards and engage it. (Y page 243).
If you cannot move the parking brake lever
further, then it is engaged and the parking To tow the vehicle, you can also manually
brake has been applied. release the spring-loaded parking brake cyl-
inder on the parking brake (Y page 394).
The ! indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up.
Trailer/semitrailer with EC brake system:
when the trailer/semitrailer is attached,
the parking brake acts on the service brake
of the trailer/semitrailer.
 Brakes 243

Four-wheel parking brake Frequent-stop brake

G WARNING
When securing the vehicle against rolling
away with the frequent-stop brake, the brak-
ing pressure may be too low. The vehicle could
roll away even though the frequent-stop brake
is engaged. There is a risk of an accident.
Never leave the driver's seat with the fre-
quent-stop brake activated and be prepared
to apply the brakes. If the vehicle begins to
roll, apply the service brake.
The four-wheel parking brake couples the ser-
G WARNING

Driving mode
vice and parking brake electro-pneumatically.
The four-wheel parking brake ensures suffi- If you brake in wintry road conditions while
cient support for fire engines, e.g. when car- the frequent-stop brake is activated, the
rying out rescue operations using the winch. wheels may lock shortly before stopping.
Even if you take your foot off the brake pedal,
X To apply: secure the vehicle with wheel
the wheels remain locked. The vehicle may
chocks. skid or slip away, e.g. on uphill or downhill
X Start the engine. gradients. There is a risk of an accident.
X Shift into neutral. Never activate the frequent-stop brake in win-
X Engage the differential lock (Y page 263). try conditions.
X Apply the parking brake.
X Press the upper section of the Ï button. G WARNING
The Ï four-wheel parking brake indica- If you do not stop the vehicle using the service
tor lamp in the instrument cluster lights up. brake, e.g. when rolling to a stop, the fre-
X To release: press the upper section of the quent-stop brake will not be activated. The
Ï button. vehicle could roll away. There is a risk of an
The Ï four-wheel parking brake indica- accident.
tor lamp in the instrument cluster goes out. Always brake the vehicle to a standstill using
The parking brake remains in braking posi- the service brake in order to activate the fre-
tion. quent-stop brake.
i If you turn the key back as far as it will go
in the ignition lock, the four-wheel parking
brake is released automatically. The park-
ing brake remains in braking position.
If you release the parking brake and pull
away immediately, the four-wheel parking
brake is released automatically.

The frequent-stop brake uses less

compressed air than the parking brake. Use

Z
244 Brakes

the frequent-stop brake if you frequently pull G WARNING

away and stop for short periods of time, e.g. in If you do not stop the vehicle using the service
refuse collection operation. The frequent- brake, e.g. when coasting to a stop, the hill
stop brake does not replace the service brake holder will not be activated. The vehicle could
or the parking brake. Further information on roll away. There is a risk of an accident.
parking the vehicle can be found in the "Stop-
Always brake the vehicle to a standstill using
ping and parking" section (Y page 237).
the service brake in order to activate the hill
If the ignition lock is switched to position 0 holder.
while the frequent-stop brake is activated, the
frequent-stop brake remains activated. An
event window is shown in the on-board com-
puter and a warning tone sounds.
X To switch on: press the lower section of
Driving mode

the x switch.
The x indicator lamp in the status area
of the on-board computer lights up.
X To switch off: press the upper section of
the x switch.
or
X Press the ¿ / x switch into the cen- The hill holder assists you when driving on
tral position. uphill or downhill gradients. The hill holder
The x indicator lamp in the status area prevents the vehicle from rolling and facili-
of the on-board computer goes out. tates controlled pulling away.
Vehicles with automatic transmission: X To activate: press the upper section of the
when you activate the frequent-stop brake, ¿ switch.
crawler mode is deactivated automatically. X To deactivate: press the lower section of
You can find information on crawler mode in
the ¿ switch.
the "Automated transmission" section
(Y page 252). Vehicles with automated transmission: if
you do not depress the brake pedal while the
vehicle is stationary and the hill holder is
Hill holder active, a warning tone sounds. The hill holder
is deactivated and the ¿ indicator lamp in
G WARNING the instrument cluster goes out.
If you brake in wintry road conditions with the Vehicles with manual transmission: if you
hill holder activated, the wheels can lock do not depress the accelerator, clutch or
shortly before stopping. Even if you take your brake pedal while the vehicle is stationary and
foot off the brake pedal, the wheels remain the hill holder is active, a warning tone
locked. The vehicle may skid or slip away, e.g. sounds. The hill holder is deactivated and the
on uphill or downhill gradients. There is a risk ¿ indicator lamp in the instrument cluster
of an accident. goes out.
Never activate the hill holder in wintry condi- When your vehicle's brake pedal is depressed
tions. until the vehicle is stationary while the hill
holder is activated, the hill holder is active and
the ¿ indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up.
 Brakes 245

If you then apply the parking brake, the hill G WARNING

holder is deactivated and the ¿ indicator If there is a retarder or retarder control mal-
lamp in the instrument cluster goes out. The function, braking characteristics can change.
vehicle is then held by the parking brake. The vehicle can brake uncontrollably. The
After the parking brake is released, the hill wheels can block and thus lose traction on
holder is no longer active. If you depress the slippery road surfaces. This can cause the
brake pedal, the hill holder remains active vehicle to skid. There is a risk of an accident.
after the parking brake is released.
Drive with even greater care or stop the vehi-
If you depress the accelerator pedal and the cle immediately in accordance with the traffic
vehicle pulls away, the hill holder is released conditions. Have the retarder checked and
automatically. The ¿ indicator lamp in the repaired immediately at a qualified specialist
instrument cluster goes out. workshop.
The hill holder remains activated in forward Always observe the warning lamps and dis-

Driving mode
and reverse gear even after a brief stop or play messages and follow the described
after the engine is switched off. measures.
Vehicles with an automated transmis-
sion: if crawler mode is active, the hill holder The engine brake and retarder are used as a
is automatically released when the vehicle continuous brake.
begins to creep forward after the service You can utilise the engine's braking effect,
brake has been released. particularly on long downhill gradients if you:
Crawler mode is cancelled automatically Ractivate the continuous brake
when its functional limits are reached
Rshift to a lower gear in good time
(Y page 252). The on-board computer then
displays the Crawler mode cancelled The continuous brake is activated automati-
event window. A warning tone sounds and the cally if:
transmission control disengages the clutch. Rafter several brake applications, the vehicle
In this case, depress the brake pedal to bring electronics detect that the vehicle is loaded
the vehicle to a halt or depress the accelera- and you then depress the brake pedal
tor pedal to pull away again. Rcruise control, speed limiter or distance
control assistant intervene in overrun
mode
Continuous brake
Important safety notes Switching continuous brake on and off
! If the continuous brake is deactivated and
G WARNING
the à indicator lamp in the instrument
If you activate the continuous brake or shift to cluster does not go out, have the continu-
a lower gear on a slippery road surface in ous brake checked at a qualified specialist
order to increase the engine's braking effect, workshop.
the drive wheels may lose traction. There is an
increased risk of skidding and an accident.
Do not activate the continuous brake and do
not shift to a lower gear in order to increase
the engine's braking effect on a slippery road
surface.

Z
246 Manual transmission

Retarder
If the à indicator lamp flashes in the
instrument cluster, the retarder's braking
power is reduced.
X Shift down in good time.
The engine braking effect and the engine
cooling effect are increased.

Manual transmission
Example: multifunction lever
Important safety notes
Vehicles without a retarder are equipped with
3 brake stages (1 - 3). G WARNING
Driving mode

If the ignition lock is switched to drive posi- If there is a loss of pressure or insufficient
tion and the à indicator lamp flashes in reservoir pressure in the transmission/clutch
the instrument cluster, the multifunction circuit, you can no longer shift gears. There is
lever is not in position g. a risk of an accident.
X To switch on: pull the multifunction lever Do not pull away, or stop the vehicle as soon
to the desired brake level. as possible, paying attention to road and traf-
The à indicator lamp in the instrument fic conditions. Secure the vehicle against roll-
cluster lights up. ing away, e.g. with the parking brake. Have
The braking effect of the continuous brake the compressed-air system repaired at a
is lowest in position 1 and highest in posi- qualified specialist workshop.
tion 5.
X To switch off: push the multifunction lever
! Observe the following notes. You could
otherwise damage the transmission, the
to position g.
engine or the clutch:
The à indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster goes out. Rdo not drive with an engine speed that is
too high or too low.
When ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) inter-
Ronly engage reverse gear with the engine
venes, the continuous brake is switched off.
The à indicator lamp in the instrument at idling speed and the vehicle station-
cluster remains on. ary.
Rwhen changing gear, make sure that the

Engine brake engine speed does not enter the red

overrevving range in the rev counter.
The effectiveness of the engine brake Rrelease the gear lever when you have fin-
depends on the engine speed. A high engine ished changing gear. Do not rest your
speed results in more effective engine brak- hand or arm on the gear lever.
ing.
Rif a warning tone sounds when down-
Observe the effective engine braking range shifting, the maximum permissible
marked on the rev counter (Y page 138). engine speed has been exceeded. Shift
At very low outside temperatures, the engine to a higher gear, not a lower gear. The
brake has limited or no effect after the engine power-assisted gearshift is deactivated
has been started. to protect the transmission synchronisa-
 Manual transmission 247

tion. As a result, more force is required When in neutral position, the gear lever is in
when shifting gear. the gate between the 3rd and 4th gear and
The engine has delayed throttle response if: the 5th and 6th gear.
The shift ranges of the transmission are divi-
Rthe vehicle is stationary
ded into:
Rthe engine is running
Rthe low shift range "L" with:
Rthe transmission is in neutral
reverse gear k
-
In order to support a fuel-efficient driving
- crawler gear r
style, the on-board computer displays a gear-
shift recommendation in the form of an arrow. - gears 1 to 4
Shift up Z or down ¬ according to the gear- Rthe high shift range "H" with gears 5 to 8
shift recommendation.
Changing the shift range

Driving mode
Changing gears ! Observe the following maximum permis-
sible speed when changing shift range from
X Depress the clutch pedal. the fast to the slow group.
X Shift the gear lever to neutral. When driving in the off-road gear of the
X If necessary, change the shift range. transfer case, do not exceed the maximum
X Use the gear lever to shift to the desired speed of 20 km/h when changing gear.
gear. Do not use excessive force. When driving in the road gear or when driv-
X Slowly release the clutch pedal. ing a vehicle without a transfer case, main-
tain a vehicle speed of less than approx-
X To select the reverse gear: move the gear
imately 25 km/h when changing gear.
lever past the point of resistance into the
reverse-gear gate with a gentle sideways If you change from the high-range group to
tap of the hand on the gear lever. the low-range group at high speed, the
transmission may be damaged.
X Depress the clutch pedal.
9-speed transmission X Shift the gear lever to neutral.
X Overcome the gear lever pressure point
General notes
between the shift ranges with a gentle side-
ways tap of the hand on the gear lever.
X After approximately 1 second, select the
desired gear without using excessive force.
X Slowly release the clutch pedal.

Gearshift pattern
The 9-speed transmission is a manually oper-
ated gearbox. The gearbox is equipped with a
double-H gearshift.

Z
248 Manual transmission

16-speed transmission Changing the shift range

General notes ! Observe the following maximum permis-

sible speed when changing shift range from
the fast to the slow group.
When driving in the off-road gear of the
transfer case, do not exceed the maximum
speed of 15 km/h when changing gear.
When driving in the road gear or when driv-
ing a vehicle without a transfer case, main-
tain a vehicle speed of less than approx-
imately 20 km/h when changing gear.
If you change from the high-range group to
the low-range group at high speed, the
Driving mode

Gearshift pattern transmission may be damaged.

The 16-speed transmission is a manually X Depress the clutch pedal.
operated gearbox. The transmission is equip- X Shift the gear lever to neutral.
ped with a double-H gearshift. X Overcome the gear lever pressure point
The additional gear reduction means that you between the shift ranges with a gentle side-
can select a total of 16 forward gears and 2 ways tap of the hand on the gear lever.
reverse gears. X After approximately 1 second, select the
When in neutral position, the gear lever is in desired gear without using excessive force.
the gate between the 3rd and 4th gear and X Slowly release the clutch pedal.
the 5th and 6th gear.
The shift ranges of the transmission are divi- Selecting the splitter group
ded into:
Rthe low shift range "L" with gears 1 to 4
and reverse gear k
Rthe high shift range "H" with gears 5 to 8
Rthe splitter groups with the switch on the
front side of the gear lever

Gearshift options
You can shift gears:
Rin the selected low-range splitter group,
e.g. off-road driving By selecting a splitter group, you select a low-
Rin the selected high-range splitter group, range or high-range ratio for the gear selected
e.g. on-road driving without changing the gear itself.
Rbetween low-range and high-range splitter X Move the splitter switch to the upper posi-
groups, e.g. when the vehicle is laden tion for high-range splitter group : or to
 Automated transmission 249

the lower position for low-range splitter Multifunction lever

group ;.
X Depress and hold the clutch pedal until the
splitter group is engaged.
X Release the clutch pedal.

Automated transmission
Important safety notes
G WARNING
If there is a loss of pressure or insufficient : To select the direction of travel:
reservoir pressure in the transmission/clutch

Driving mode
h Drive (Y page 255)
circuit, you can no longer shift gears. There is
a risk of an accident.
i Neutral (Y page 256)
k Reverse (Y page 258)
Do not pull away, or stop the vehicle as soon
as possible, paying attention to road and traf- ; To select a drive program (Y page 250):
fic conditions. Secure the vehicle against roll- d Automatic drive program with the
ing away, e.g. with the parking brake. Have drive and vehicle-specific gearshift pro-
the compressed-air system repaired at a gram
qualified specialist workshop. p Manual drive program
= ± To shift down manually with the auto-
The vehicle has a selectable crawler mode. matic (Y page 256)/manual
When crawler mode is activated, the vehicle (Y page 257) drive program
crawls automatically when the service brake ? q To shift up manually with the auto-
is released and continues rolling at the engine matic (Y page 256)/manual
idling speed. (Y page 257) drive program

Multifunction lever and gear indicator

General notes
Mercedes PowerShift is equipped with
8, 12 or 16 forward gears and
2 or 4 reverse gears.
When driving, the transmission control con-
trols clutch and gear operation, e.g. when:
Rpulling away
Rmanoeuvring
Rchanging gear
Rstopping
If Mercedes PowerShift is malfunctioning,
you can continue to drive in backup drive
mode (Y page 151).

Z
250 Automated transmission

Gear indicator Drive programs and drive functions

Automatic
The transmission control shifts gears depend-
ing on a number of factors including:
Rengine speed
Raccelerator pedal position
Rapplication of the continuous brake
Rload status of the vehicle
Rcondition of the road surface
In addition, EcoRoll mode and crawler mode
can be deactivated and activated as drive
Driving mode

functions using the Systems menu window in

the ä settings menu (Y page 160).
On vehicles without hydrodynamic clutch and
with the offroad gearshift program, the
Gear indicator in the display of the on-board com- crawler mode, which is specially suited for
puter
driving off-road, can be activated or deacti-
: Direction of travel and/or selected gear
vated using the í button (Y page 254).
; Gearshift recommendation (shift up Z/
shift down ¬) or preselected gear (flash- Automatic transmission with drive-spe-
ing) cific gearshift program
= Drive program
Depending on the type of transmission, the
Possible displays:
gearshift program is either designed for:
1 – 16 1st to 16th gear Rthe performance-oriented dynamic driving
mode with higher engine speeds – power
N Neutral position
or
N1 Low-range splitter group Rthe driving mode that saves fuel – econ-
omy or
N2 High-range splitter group
Rthe performance-oriented driving mode
E Neutral position in EcoRoll with higher engine speeds for light off-road
mode terrain and building sites – offroad or
R1 – R4 1st to 4th reverse gear Rthe performance-oriented dynamic driving
mode with higher engine speeds and a high
A Automatic drive program gross combination weight – heavy or
A economy, Automatic drive program Rfleet mode – fleet or
A power, with drive-specific and vehi- Rrefuse collection vehicles — municip or
A fleet, cle-specific gearshift pro- Rthe dynamic driving mode with optimal
A offroad, gram acceleration for emergency and alarm call-
A municip out journeys in fire engines – fire-sv
or A fire-
In the power, offroad, heavy and fire-sv
sv
gearshift programs, automatic control only
M Manual drive program shifts to the next gear at higher engine
 Automated transmission 251

speeds. EcoRoll mode cannot be switched on In particularly difficult driving conditions,

in these gearshift programs. switch to the manual driving program. This
In the offroad gearshift program, the crawler will enable you to avoid any undesired inter-
mode adapted for road use is deactivated. On ruptions to the tractive power that may occur
vehicles without a hydrodynamic clutch, the with automatic gearshifting.
specially adapted crawler mode for driving
off-road can be activated using the í but- Drive program selection
ton (Y page 254). Crawler mode can be deac-
tivated and activated using the Systems
menu window in the ä settings menu
(Y page 162).
In the heavy gearshift program, the trans-
mission does not automatically shift up, if

Driving mode
you:
Rdepress the accelerator pedal beyond the
point of resistance (kickdown) and hold
Rroll into overrun mode
In the economy gearshift program: Multifunction lever
REcoRoll mode is always activated You cannot activate the manual drive pro-
Rthe adjustable speed of cruise control is gram in vehicles with the fleet gearshift pro-
limited to 85 km/h gram. Also, you will be unable to select
Rthe kickdown function is restricted another gearshift program.
In the fleet gearshift program: When the engine has been started, an auto-
matic control drive program is always activa-
REcoRoll mode is always activated ted. On vehicles with the power gearshift
Rthe maximum speed is limited to approx- program, this is the standard automatic con-
imately 85 km/h trol, A. On vehicles with the fire-sv gearshift
Rthe kickdown function is restricted program, this is always the A fire-sv pro-
Rthe automatic drive program is always gram.
active, except in reverse gear On vehicles with the economy, heavy, muni-
In the municip gearshift program: cip or offroad gearshift program, this is the
Rthe previously selected drive program is previously selected drive program.
always active after starting the engine After the display check, A or e.g. A economy
REcoRoll mode is deactivated
and N or N 1 appear in the display.
Rcrawler mode is deactivated
Rthe acoustic clutch overload warning is
deactivated

Manual drive program

In the manual drive program, the driver is
responsible for selecting gears. The gearshift
recommendation is shown in the status area
of the on-board computer.

Z
252 Automated transmission

You can switch between the drive programs (default setting) or the road speed toler-
at any time. ance that you have set is exceeded
X To activate the manual drive program: Ra programmed maximum speed is excee-
press and hold o button :. ded by approximately 4 km/h
The display shows manual drive program M, Ryou leave a certain engine speed or speed
the selected gear and a gearshift recom- range
mendation. Rthe gross combination weight is very high
X To activate the automatic drive pro- In the power, heavy, municip, offroad and
gram: briefly press o button :. fire-sv gearshift programs, EcoRoll mode is
The display shows automatic drive program always deactivated and cannot be activated.
A, the selected and the preselected gear. In standard drive program A and in the other
X To change the gearshift program of the gearshift programs, EcoRoll mode is always
automatic drive program: briefly press activated once the engine is started. EcoRoll
Driving mode

o button :. mode can be deactivated and activated in

If the display shows A, the standard gear- standard drive program A using the Systems
shift program is activated. menu window in the ä settings menu
If the display shows, for example, A econ‐ (Y page 162).
omy or A power, the drive-specific gearshift i EcoRoll mode cannot be deactivated
program is activated. when gearshift programs economy and
If the transmission control detects no fleet have been selected.
demand for additional power for more than
1 minute when in the A power gearshift EcoRoll mode is active above speeds of
program, the transmission control auto- approximately 35 km/h.
matically shifts to the standard gearshift i When EcoRoll mode is activated, steering
program with lower fuel consumption. forces on the multifunction steering wheel
may be somewhat greater under certain
EcoRoll mode driving conditions, e.g. on gently winding
downhill inclines. This does not jeopardise
EcoRoll mode allows an economic driving operating and road safety.
style. If you do not depress the accelerator
pedal when driving, the transmission control Crawler mode
shifts to neutral, depending on driving condi-
tions. E then appears in the display. General notes (vehicles without a hydro-
The transmission does not shift into neutral or dynamic clutch)
from neutral to a suitable gear if: Crawler mode enables the vehicle to crawl
Ryou depress the accelerator pedal forwards automatically when the service
Ryou depress the service brake pedal brake is released and to coast in neutral when
the accelerator pedal is not depressed. After
Ryou apply the continuous brake
crawling forwards, the vehicle coasts in neu-
Rcruise control or distance control assistant tral until you bring the vehicle to a halt using
brakes or accelerates the vehicle the service brake or until crawler mode is
Rthe speed limiter is active and the maxi- deactivated/cancelled.
mum speed set is exceeded Crawling and coasting are possible in all pull-
Rthe speed set for cruise control is exceeded ing-away gears. You can shift gear manually,
by more than approximately 6 km/h e.g. in a traffic jam, and adjust your coasting
speed to the traffic conditions.
 Automated transmission 253

Crawler mode is deactivated automatically if: In the offroad gearshift program, the crawler
Ryou shift the transmission to neutral posi- mode tuned for road driving is always deacti-
tion i for longer than approximately vated. The crawler mode tuned specially for
2 seconds off-road driving can be activated and deacti-
vated using the í button (Y page 254).
Ryou apply the parking brake
Ryou activate the rocking-free drive function
In standard drive program A and in the other
gearshift programs, crawler mode tuned for
Rdistance control assistant intervenes
road driving is always activated once the
Rthe idling speed is above approximately engine is started.
700 rpm On vehicles with all-wheel drive, crawler
RActive Brake Assist has intervened mode is always deactivated once the engine
Rbackup drive mode is enabled is started. The crawler mode tuned especially
Rthe clutch is about to overload for driving off-road and for all-wheel-drive

Driving mode
Ra change of direction cannot be performed
vehicles can be activated and deactivated
using the í button (Y page 254).
If no further conditions are met, crawler mode
is reactivated when you pull away using the When you activate the corresponding crawler
accelerator pedal. mode, it is activated after you pull away for
the first time. The maximum torque for
Crawler mode is cancelled automatically crawler mode is not available when crawling
when its functional limits are reached. for the first time after the mode has been
This is the case if: activated.
Rthe vehicle does not move, e.g. due to If you switch to the manual drive program, the
unexpectedly high driving resistance current crawler mode remains active. If you
Rthe wheels spin, e.g. on slippery road sur- then switch back to the automatic drive pro-
faces gram, the crawler mode assigned to that drive
Rthe driving resistance exceeds a predeter- and gearshift program is activated. It may
mined value when crawling/coasting in only be available again when you next pull
neutral away by depressing the accelerator pedal.
If crawler mode has been cancelled automat- General notes (vehicles with a hydrody-
ically, the on-board computer shows the namic clutch)
Crawler mode cancelled event window. A In crawler mode it is possible to maintain
warning tone sounds and the transmission control and descend downhill gradients
control disengages the clutch. In this case, slowly.
depress the brake pedal to bring the vehicle
When descending, you can control the speed
to a halt or depress the accelerator pedal to
using the accelerator (when the gear oppos-
pull away again. If you do not depress the
ing the direction of travel is engaged).
brake or accelerator pedal, crawler mode is
deactivated. It will only be available again Crawler mode can be activated and deactiva-
when you pull away by depressing the accel- ted using the Systems menu window in the ä
erator pedal. settings menu (Y page 162).
On vehicles without a driven front axle, X Stop the vehicle using the service brake.
crawler mode is tuned for road driving. X Depress the brake pedal.
Crawler mode tuned for road driving can be X Activate crawler mode in Off-road mode.
deactivated and activated using the Systems X If you want to reverse down a gradient
menu window in the ä settings menu slowly: turn direction switch to h
(Y page 162). (Y page 249).

Z
254 Automated transmission

X If you want to drive down a gradient slowly: ted. The indicator lamp in the í button
turn direction switch to k (Y page 249). lights up.
X To descend slowly: release the service Activating
brake. X Select a pulling-away gear.
Do not depress the accelerator. X Press the lower section of the í button.
X To descend quickly: depress the acceler- The indicator lamp in the í button goes
ator slightly. out.
X To slow down and stop: continue to X Depress the accelerator pedal and pull
depress the accelerator. away.
X Driving back up uphill gradients: Crawler mode is activated.
depress the accelerator further. i If you do not pull away immediately after
If power is provided, the vehicle will con- pressing the button, the indicator lamp in
tinue to drive up the incline. the í button lights up again. Crawler
Driving mode

This function allows you to move the vehicle mode then remains deactivated.
forwards or backwards on an uphill gradient Deactivating
only using the accelerator. This is particularly X Select a gear above the permissible pulling-
of benefit when operating the vehicle with a
away gears.
trailer containing a heavy load as you do not
need to change gear or depress the service or
brake. X Shift the transmission to neutral position.
or
Activating/deactivating crawler mode
X Apply the parking brake.
with the button (vehicles without a hydro-
dynamic clutch) or
X Activate the rocking-free drive function.
or
X Press the lower section of the í button
again.
The indicator lamp in the í button lights
up.

Rocking free
! If the gross tractor/trailer combination
weight is very high, the dry clutch may be
In the offroad gearshift program, the crawler overloaded and damaged.
mode tuned for road driving is always deacti-
vated. On all-wheel-drive vehicles, this
applies for all drive programs.
The crawler mode tuned specially for off-road
driving and all-wheel-drive vehicles can be
activated in all permissible pulling-away gears
by using the í button.
The crawler mode adapted especially for off-
road driving and all-wheel-drive vehicles is
always deactivated once the engine is star-
 Automated transmission 255

You can use the rocking-free drive function in Pulling away and stopping the vehicle
all permissible pulling-away gears to rock the
vehicle out of a depression in the terrain. If Pulling away
you release the accelerator pedal when rock-
ing free, the dry clutch is immediately disen-
gaged and the vehicle rolls back. If you
depress the accelerator pedal again, the dry
clutch engages immediately and the vehicle
pulls away.
Vehicles with a hydrodynamic clutch: if the
on-board computer event window shows
Clutch under heavy strain, the rocking
free drive function is automatically disen-
gaged.

Driving mode
Activating Multifunction lever

X Drive at a speed below approximately Depending on the transmission, various pull-

5 km/h. ing-away gears can be selected. For the 8-
speed transmission, 1st - 3rd; for the 12-
X Select a pulling-away gear, e.g. 1st to
speed transmission, 1st - 6th; and for the 16-
8th gear for transmissions with 16 forward speed transmission, 1st - 8th gearcan be
gears. selected.
or If the clutch is under a heavy load, you can
X Select reverse gear 1 or 2. only pull away in 1st gear. In the municip
X Press the upper section of the i button. gearshift program, you cannot select a gear
The indicator lamp in the i button lights higher than 2nd to pull away (Y page 165).
up. The transmission control switches X Start the engine.
automatically to the manual drive program.
X Turn the direction of travel selection switch
Deactivating to the h position (drive) :.
X Drive at a speed above approximately In all drive programs, the transmission con-
8 km/h. trol selects a suitable pulling-away gear,
which can be changed manually, depending
or
on the vehicle load.
X Press the upper section of the i button
X Release the brake pedal or parking brake
again.
and depress the accelerator pedal.
The indicator lamp in the i button goes
To achieve higher torque, the engine speed
out.
may increase to approximately 1100 rpm
when pulling away in 1st gear with the
accelerator pedal fully depressed. The
engine speed is automatically increased as
required for pulling away.
Changing the starting gear
X Pull the multifunction lever up briefly (to
shift up) ; or push it down briefly (to shift
down) =.
The transmission control shifts up or down
1 gear.
Z
256 Automated transmission

The gear change is complete when the dis- Shifting into neutral
play shows the selected gear.
or
X Vehicles with 12/16-speed transmission:
pull the multifunction lever up and hold (to
shift up) ; or push it down and hold (to
shift down) =.
Vehicles with a 12-speed transmission: the
transmission shifts up or down to 1st, 3rd
or 6th gear. The gear change is complete
when 1, 3 or 6 is shown in the display.
Vehicles with a 16-speed transmission: the
transmission shifts up or down to 1st, 4th Multifunction lever
Driving mode

or 8th gear. The gear change is complete Shift the transmission to neutral when stop-
when 1, 4 or 8 is shown in the display. ping for a longer time, e.g. at traffic lights or
If you release the service brake after stopping before stopping the engine.
the vehicle for the first time, the vehicle X Depress the brake pedal or apply the park-
begins to crawl (Y page 252). ing brake.
X Turn the direction of travel selection switch
Stopping to the i position (neutral) :.
X
When N1 or N2 is shown in the display, the
Depress the brake pedal.
gear change is complete.
The transmission control shifts back,
depending on driving conditions, and into a
suitable pulling-away gear shortly before
the vehicle comes to a standstill. Driving using the automatic drive pro-
gram
If you release the service brake after stop-
ping the vehicle, the vehicle begins to crawl Accelerating
again.
You can use the accelerator pedal position to
Information on crawling and coasting in neu- actively influence the shift point:
tral can be found in the "Crawler mode" sec-
Rlightthrottle: early upshift
tion (Y page 252).
Rheavy throttle: late upshift
Automatic neutral position Rkickdown: maximum upshift delay and
extremely early downshift
If the vehicle is stationary for approximately
9 minutes with a gear engaged and the engine i The kickdown function is limited when
running, a warning tone will sound. N flashes using the economy and fleet gearshift pro-
in the display. After a further minute, the grams.
transmission control automatically shifts to If the continuous brake is activated and you
the neutral position. shift up on downhill gradients, the transmis-
sion control limits the gear change based on
the vehicle weight and the gradient.
 Automated transmission 257

Kickdown gear shifting driving speed is too high. The gear is not
selected. The transmission control only
Use kickdown for maximum acceleration of
selects permissible gears.
the vehicle.
X Pull the multifunction lever up briefly (to
You can increase performance when pulling
away using the kickdown function if required, shift up) : or push it down briefly (to shift
e.g. on steep uphill gradients. When pulling down) ;.
away in 1st gear, the kickdown function ena- The transmission control shifts up or down
bles an increased pulling-away engine speed. 1 gear. The gear change is complete when
the display shows the selected gear.
X Depress the accelerator pedal past the
or
pressure point to the stop.
X Depending on the number of gears to be
The transmission control shifts to a lower
gear as required. shifted, briefly pull up the multifunction
lever (to shift up) : or briefly push it down
X Ease off the accelerator pedal slightly once

Driving mode
(to shift down) ; a corresponding number
the desired speed is reached.
of times.
The transmission control shifts up again.
The transmission control shifts several
gears up or down. The gear change is com-
Decelerating plete when the display shows the selected
X Release the accelerator pedal. gear.
X Depress the brake pedal. or
X Pull and hold the multifunction lever up (to
or
shift up) : or push and hold it down (to
X Activate the continuous brake
shift down) ;.
(Y page 245).
The transmission control determines the
The transmission control shifts down auto-
most suitable gear (target gear) for the
matically according to the driving situation.
desired gearshift direction, depending on
the vehicle load. The transmission control
Selecting a gear manually shifts up or down at least one gear to a
suitable gear. The gear change is complete
when the display shows the selected gear.

Driving using the manual drive pro-

gram
General notes
In the manual drive program, the driver is
responsible for selecting gears.
In particularly difficult driving conditions,
You can also select a different gear manually. switch to the manual driving program. This
The automatic control functions are not will enable you to avoid any undesired inter-
changed by doing this. ruptions to the tractive power that may occur
Changing gear while driving is only possible at with automatic gearshifting.
suitable engine speeds or at suitable driving In order to support a fuel-efficient driving
speeds. A warning tone will sound if the style, the on-board computer displays a gear-
engine speed has not been achieved or if the shift recommendation in the form of an arrow.

Z
258 Automated transmission

Shift up Z or down ¬ according to the gear- shifts up or down at least one gear to a
shift recommendation. suitable gear. The gear change is complete
Changing gear while driving is only possible at when the display shows the selected gear.
suitable engine speeds or at suitable driving
speeds. A warning tone will sound if the
engine speed has not been achieved or if the Reverse gear and changing direction
driving speed is too high. The gear is not quickly
selected. The transmission control only
selects permissible gears. Engaging reverse gear

Shifting gears
Driving mode

Multifunction lever
To pull away, you can only shift from neutral to
X Pull the multifunction lever up briefly (to the 1st or 2nd reverse gear.
shift up) : or push it down briefly (to shift When you shift to reverse gear, the manual
down) ;. drive program is activated. You can switch to
The transmission control shifts up or down the automatic drive program.
1 gear. The gear change is complete when With the vehicle stationary and the transmis-
the display shows the selected gear. sion in neutral:
or X Depress the brake pedal or apply the park-
X Depending on the number of gears to be ing brake.
shifted, briefly pull up the multifunction X Turn the direction of travel selection switch
lever (to shift up) : or briefly push it down to the k position (to reverse) :.
(to shift down) ; a corresponding number The gear change is complete when R1 is
of times. shown in the display.
The transmission control shifts several
Vehicles with a reverse warning device: the
gears up or down. The gear change is com-
reverse warning device sounds.
plete when the display shows the selected
gear. Shifting to 2nd reverse gear
or X Pull the multifunction lever up briefly (to
X Pull and hold the multifunction lever up (to shift up) ;.
shift up) : or push and hold it down (to The gear change is complete when R2 is
shift down) ;. shown in the display.
The transmission control determines the X Release the brake pedal or parking brake
most suitable gear (target gear) for the and slowly depress the accelerator.
desired gearshift direction, depending on
the vehicle load. The transmission control
 Operation 259

You can shift up or down by single reverse From a higher forward gear,
gears in succession while reversing: 1st reverse gear is preselected.
X Pull the multifunction lever up briefly (to From the 3rd or 4th reverse gear, a suitable
shift up) ; or push it down briefly (to shift pulling away gear is preselected.
down) =. The gear is engaged as soon as the vehicle
The gear change is complete when the next comes to a standstill. The gear change is
higher or next lower reverse gear appears complete when the display shows the gear.
in the display.
Shifting to the reverse gears while the vehicle
is in motion is only possible at suitable engine Operation
speeds or driving speeds. A warning tone will Hydrodynamic clutch
sound if the engine speed has not been ach-
ieved or if the driving speed is too high. The General notes

Driving mode
selected reverse gear is not engaged. The
transmission control only selects permissible The hydrodynamic clutch (turbo retarder
reverse gears. clutch) assists you when pulling away and
braking (primary retarder).
If you bring the vehicle to a halt in 2nd, 3rd or
4th reverse gear, the transmission control The oil temperature increases when you drive
shifts to the 1st reverse gear. in hydrodynamic clutch mode. If the oil tem-
perature is too high, an event window is dis-
played and a warning tone sounds. Shift to a
Changing direction quickly
lower gear to decrease the oil temperature.
If the event window and warning tone persist:
X Brake the vehicle and stop, paying atten-
tion to road and traffic conditions.
X Apply the parking brake.
X Shift into neutral.
X Let the engine run at approximately
1200 rpm for approximately 1 minute.
X If the event window and the warning tone
persist: have the hydraulic clutch checked
Multifunction lever
at a qualified specialist workshop.
At speeds of up to approximately 30 km/h,
Pulling away
you can preselect a reverse or forward gear
while driving. General notes
Changing the direction of travel You should primarily use the automatic oper-
X Turn the direction switch to the h (forward ating mode when pulling away. The Mercedes
gear) or k (reverse gear) position :. PowerShift transmission system automati-
From the 1st forward gear, the cally determines the optimal gear and shift
1st reverse gear is preselected, and vice point. Depending on the driving resistance,
versa. the dry clutch opens or closes.
From the 2nd forward gear, the You can pull away at low engine speeds with
2nd reverse gear is preselected, and vice maximum torque (approximately 1200 rpm).
versa.

Z
260 Operation

i The transmission does not change gear vring mode to continue driving. The starting
when driving in clutch mode. power is higher in the power, heavy and off-
road gearshift programs.
Level ground
In manoeuvring mode, the vehicle starts up as
X Select a gear. soon as you release the service brake.
X Depress the accelerator pedal and release
Manoeuvring mode does not deactivate auto-
the parking brake. matically.
The X indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up. When manoeuvring mode is active, the trans-
mission does not change gear automatically.
The hydrodynamic clutch is filled and the It is possible to deactivate manoeuvring mode
vehicle pulls away. After pulling away, the by depressing the accelerator pedal beyond
X indicator lamp in the instrument clus- the point of resistance (kickdown).
ter goes out and power is transmitted via
the dry clutch. Activating manoeuvring mode
Driving mode

Gradients
How the vehicle pulls away depends on:
Rthe gradient of the road surface
Rthe gross tractor/trailer combination
weight
Rhow quickly you depress the accelerator
pedal
X Apply the parking brake or activate the hill
holder.
X Switch on automatic mode. X Stop the vehicle, leaving the engine run-
The electronics change the gears quickly ning.
and accurately. X Depress the brake pedal.
X Select a gear.
X Press the lower section of the switch.
X Depress the accelerator pedal and release The indicator lamp in the lower section of
the parking brake. the switch lights up.
The X indicator lamp in the instrument The engine speed is limited to 1300 rpm in
cluster lights up. manoeuvring mode and the transmission
The hydrodynamic clutch is filled and the changes to the manual drive program p.
vehicle pulls away. After pulling away, the X Select a suitable pulling-away gear based
X indicator lamp in the instrument clus- on the gross train weight.
ter goes out and power is transmitted via All pulling-away gears are available.
the dry clutch.
X Release the brake pedal.
The vehicle is, depending on the load and
Manoeuvring mode gradient, either held or will roll down the
uphill gradient with the brakes applied.
General notes
On vehicles with a hydrodynamic clutch, i When manoeuvring mode is active, it is
only possible to change gears when the
manoeuvring mode allows you to manoeuvre
vehicle is stationary and the brake pedal is
more precisely. You can also pull away using
depressed.
manoeuvring mode and deactivate manoeu-
 Operation 261

Deactivating manoeuvring mode always adapt your driving style to suit pre-
X Press the lower section of the switch. vailing road and weather conditions.
or ASR considerably improves traction, i.e.
X Depress the accelerator pedal past the power transmission between the tyres and
pressure point to the stop (kickdown). the road surface, and therefore also improves
the vehicle's driving stability. ASR assists
with pulling away and accelerating, particu-
larly on slippery surfaces.
Axle and wheel loads
If the drive wheels:
! Do not exceed the permissible axle loads
Rspin on one or both sides of the vehicle,
and wheel loads. Do not exceed the per-
missible gross weight. The difference ASR is activated automatically
between wheel loads must not exceed 10 % Rspin on one side, ASR brakes them auto-

of the axle load. matically

Driving mode
The following parts of the vehicle may oth- Rspin on both sides, ASR automatically

erwise be damaged: reduces the engine's power output

Rtyres
If ASR intervenes:
Rchassis frame Rthe À indicator lamp in the instrument
Raxles
cluster flashes
Ryou cannot activate cruise control
! Observe the maximum gross axle weight Rand cruise control has already been activa-
when tipping, rolling away or setting down
ted, it will remain active. It is not possible to
demountable bodies or containers. Do not
accelerate or decelerate using cruise con-
exceed the values given in the body/equip-
trol.
ment mounting directive.
X Switch the ignition lock to the drive posi-
The following parts of the vehicle may oth-
tion.
erwise be damaged:
The À indicator lamp in the instrument
Rtyres cluster lights up and goes out after approx-
Rchassis imately 2 seconds. ASR is activated.
Raxles If the À indicator lamp does not go out,
then ASR has a malfunction. Have the
Information on the body/equipment mount-
cause of the malfunction rectified at a
ing directives (Y page 29).
qualified specialist workshop.
While driving, pay regular attention to the
indicator and warning lamps and the displays
on the on-board computer. Deactivating/activating ASR
G WARNING
If deactivated, ASR will not attempt to stabi-
ASR (acceleration skid control)
lise the vehicle during pulling away and accel-
Driving with ASR eration. There is an increased risk of skidding
and of an accident.
ASR can neither reduce the risk of an accident
Only deactivate ASR in the situations descri-
nor override the laws of physics if the driver
bed in the following.
does not pay attention when pulling away or
accelerating. ASR is only an aid. You should

Z
262 Operation

vice brake or continuous brake. If Stability

Control Assist intervenes, the Á indicator
lamp in the instrument cluster flashes.
If you fail to adapt your driving style or if you
are inattentive, Stability Control Assist can
neither reduce the risk of an accident nor
override the laws of physics. Stability Control
Assist is only an aid, and you are always
responsible for the distance to the vehicle in
front, for vehicle speed and for braking in
good time. Always adapt your driving style to
Vehicles with Stability Control Assist have no the prevailing road and weather conditions
à button. Traction control (ASR function) and maintain a sufficient, safe distance from
is part of Stability Control Assist. If you deac- other road users. Drive carefully.
Driving mode

tivate Stability Control Assist, traction control When the engine is running and the Á
is also deactivated (Y page 262). indicator lamp in the instrument cluster lights
X If traction problems occur when driving up permanently, Stability Control Assist is
with snow chains or driving on loose surfa- malfunctioning. Have Stability Control Assist
ces, e.g. gravel, deactivate ASR. checked at a qualified specialist workshop.
X For vehicles with several driven rear Regardless of the vehicle load or road surface
axles: if the road surface is slippery, conditions, Stability Control Assist reduces
engage the differential lock (Y page 263). the risk that the vehicle:
X To deactivate/activate: press the à Rskids
button. Rjack-knifes
If the À indicator lamp lights up, ASR is
Rtips
deactivated.
Stability Control Assist stabilises the tractor/
semitrailer combination or drawbar combina-
Stability Control Assist tion using the following automatic control
interventions:
Function and notes Rreducing engine output
Stability Control Assist monitors handling and Rtargeted braking of individual wheels on the
traction, i.e. power transmission between the tractor vehicle
tyres and the road surface. If it detects that Rtargeted braking of the trailer/semitrailer
the vehicle is deviating from the direction Rbraking the entire tractor/semi-trailer
desired by the driver, one or more wheels are combination or drawbar combination
braked to stabilise the vehicle. The engine
output may also be modified to keep the vehi- Deactivating/activating Stability Con-
cle on the desired course within physical lim- trol Assist
its. Stability Control Assist can also stabilise
the vehicle during braking or in critical driving G WARNING
situations, e.g. sudden swerving or fast cor- If you deactivate Stability Control Assist, Sta-
nering. bility Control Assist does not stabilize the
Stability Control Assist is operational at vehicle. There is an increased risk of skidding
speeds above approximately 20 km/h, and an accident.
regardless of the operating status of the ser-
 Operation 263

Only deactivate Stability Control Assist in the ability of the vehicle is severely impaired. You
situations described in the following. could lose control of the vehicle, especially
when engaging on a bend. There is a risk of an
Only drive with Stability Control Assist deac- accident.
tivated for short periods, such as when you Disengage the differential lock immediately
are driving on a loose surface, using snow when driving on a firm, high-traction surface.
chains or operating a snow plough.
If you deactivate Stability Control Assist, ASR ! Observe the following points. You could
is also deactivated. otherwise damage the differential lock.
RDo not engage the differential lock if the
drive wheels are spinning.
REngage the differential lock only when
the vehicle is stationary or when travel-

Driving mode
ling at walking pace.
RDo not engage the differential lock while
depressing the accelerator or brake
pedal.
RPull away slowly after engaging the dif-
ferential lock. The differential lock teeth
When you start the engine, Stability Control may not be fully engaged.
Assist is automatically activated. RDo not drive on high-grip surfaces with
the differential lock engaged.
X Press the k button.
RDo not exceed a maximum speed of
If the k indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up, Stability Control Assist is 50 km/h with the differential lock
deactivated. engaged.
! If the £ display flashes when the dif-
ferential locks are switched off, briefly
Differential locks change speed, e.g. pull away, or change
your direction of travel. Do not drive any
G WARNING further if the £ display flashes. Other-
When driving off-road or driving with an wise, the differential gear system may be
engaged differential lock in the automatic damaged.
driving program, the electronic management
system may perform unwanted gear changes.
Due to the interruption in the tractive power,
the vehicle may roll backwards on uphill
slopes, for instance. There is a risk of an acci-
dent.
Always drive carefully and be prepared to
brake. In particularly difficult driving condi-
tions, switch to the manual driving program.

G WARNING
If you engage the differential lock when driv-
ing on a firm, high-traction surface, the steer-

Z
264 Operation

ential lock has not yet engaged/disengaged.

The conditions for engaging/disengaging
have not been fulfilled, e.g. due to differing
wheel rotational speeds. The differential lock
is automatically engaged as soon as all gear-
shift conditions have been fulfilled.
Engage the differential locks to improve trac-
tion, e.g. on slippery road surfaces or off-
road. The individual differential locks can only
be engaged in sequence.
If a differential lock is engaged on vehicles
with automated transmission, the shift range
is automatically limited to upshifting.
Driving mode

During an ABS braking regulation, the inter-

axle locks are disengaged and the dot flashes
in the display. Once the ABS braking regula-
tion is finished, the inter-axle locks are re-
engaged and the front axle is re-engaged.
Activating
X Stop the vehicle.
X Vehicles with automated transmission: to
avoid unwanted gear changes and inter-
ruptions in the tractive power in particularly
difficult driving conditions, select the man-
ual drive program (Y page 250).
X Turn the differential lock control knob to
position 1.
The inter-axle lock in through-drive/trans-
fer case is engaged.
X Turn the differential lock control knob to
position 2.
g Differential locks disengaged or
1: Shift position and inter-axle lock dis- X Press the upper section of the i switch.
play The cross-axle locks on the rear axles are
2; Shift position and cross-axle lock (rear engaged.
axles) display X Turn the differential lock control knob to
3= Shift position and cross-axle lock (front position 3.
axles) display The cross-axle locks on the front axles are
Vehicles with one differential lock have a engaged.
switch; vehicles with several differential locks i The respective differential lock is only
have a control knob. engaged when the display shows £.
When the differential lock is engaged, the dis-
play shows £. When the differential lock is
disengaged, the display shows v. If the
£ dot in the display is flashing, the differ-
 Operation 265

Deactivating Transfer case

X Turn the differential lock switch to position Engaging off-road gear
g.
The differential locks are disengaged. The
differential lock indicators in the display go
out.
or
XPress the lower section of the i switch.
The differential lock is disengaged. The
indicator for the differential lock in the dis-
play goes out.
i The respective differential lock is only dis-
engaged when the display shows v.

Driving mode
X If the £ indicator flashes, briefly change
your speed, e.g. pull away, brake or change
your direction of travel. Do not drive on.
X If the £ indicator does not go out when
the inter-axle locks are disengaged, stop
the vehicle and reverse it a short distance.
i If the differential locks are engaged and
you drive faster than 50 km/h, the current
status of the differential locks is again
shown in the display. Disengage the differ-
ential locks or drive at a speed below Engage the off-road gear to increase power to
50 km/h. the driven axles off-road.
Off-road gear is engaged when all the engage-
ment conditions are met. The display then
shows the m symbol.
The display goes out when the off-road gear is
disengaged and the road gear selected.
Even if all engagement conditions are met,
changing gear on vehicles with a manual
transmission can take up to 3 seconds.
If the off-road gear is selected on vehicles
with an automated transmission, the shift
range is automatically limited to upshifting.
X To engage off-road gear: stop the vehicle.
X Shift into neutral.
X Vehicles with automated transmission: to
avoid unwanted gear changes and inter-
ruptions in the tractive power in particularly
difficult driving conditions, select the man-
ual drive program (Y page 250).

Z
266 Operation

X Press the upper section of the m switch. gaged when all conditions for engaging/
When all engagement conditions are met, disengaging are fulfilled.
the off-road gear is engaged and the m When you engage the front axle, the transfer
symbol is shown in the display. case inter-axle lock is activated.
X To disengage off-road gear: stop the vehi- If the front axle is engaged on vehicles with an
cle. automated transmission, the shift range is
X Press the lower section of the off-road gear automatically limited to upshifting.
switch. When ABS intervenes, the inter-axle locks are
The off-road gear is disengaged when all deactivated, the front axle is disengaged and
engagement conditions are met. If the road the display flashes. Once ABS has finished
gear is then reselected, the indicator goes intervening, the inter-axle locks and the front
out in the display. axle are engaged again.
X To engage the front axle: stop the vehicle.
Driving mode

Engaging the front axle X Turn the differential lock switch to 1.

The front axle and the rear axles are driven
and the inter-axle locks are engaged. There
is no rotational speed compensation
between the front axle and the rear axles.
X To disengage the front axle: stop the
vehicle.
X Turn the differential lock switch to g.
Only the rear axles are driven. The inter-
axle locks are deactivated.
Positions 2 and 3 are the differential lock
functions (Y page 263).

Idling speed

Engage the front axle to improve traction, e.g.

on slippery road surfaces or off-road.
When you engage the front axle, e is shown
in the display. If the front axle is not engaged,
d is shown in the display. If the £ dot Buttons on the multifunction steering wheel
flashes in the display, the front axle is not yet After the engine has started, the idling speed
engaged/disengaged. The conditions for is controlled automatically according to the
engaging/disengaging have not been fulfil- coolant temperature. The engine idling speed
led, e.g. due to differing wheel rotational may differ in certain operating conditions
speeds. The front axle will be engaged/disen-
 Driving systems 267

depending on the engine or on vehicles with Driving systems

power take-off.
For the engines OM 470, OM 471 and OM Introduction to driving systems
473, the engine idling speed can be set The vehicle may be equipped with the follow-
between approximately 500 and 800 rpm. For ing driving systems:
the engine OM 936, the engine idling speed RSpeed limiter (Y page 267)
can be set between approximately 600 and
800 rpm. The engine idling speed may differ RCruise control (Y page 269)
for special-purpose bodies. RDistance control assistant (Y page 271)

The engine idling speed can be set via the on- RPPC (Y page 276)
board computer. This makes it possible to RActive Brake Assist (Y page 278)
operate auxiliary equipment such as pumps RLane Keeping Assist (Y page 283)
at their working speed. RAttention Assist (Y page 285)

Driving mode
Setting the idling speed With the right-hand button group on the mul-
X Press the Ù button on the multifunction tifunction steering wheel, you can switch
steering wheel repeatedly until the on- between the speed limiter, cruise control and
board computer shows the Engine speed distance control assistant driving systems.
input window. You can activate/deactivate PPC and Atten-
X Press the s or r button to increase tion Assist using the Systems menu window
or decrease the idling speed in approx- in the settings menu (Y page 162). You can
imately 20 rpm increments. activate/deactivate Active Brake Assist and
X Press the 9 button to exit the input win- Lane Keeping Assist using the buttons on the
dow. dashboard.
or
X Wait for approximately 3 seconds.
Speed limiter
The setting is stored automatically.
Switching off the idling speed setting
Important safety notes
X Press the o button. The speed limiter is only an aid. You are
responsible for the distance to the vehicle in
or
front, for vehicle speed, braking in good time
X Press the Ù button repeatedly until the on- and remaining in lane. You should always
board computer shows the Engine speed adapt your driving style to suit prevailing road
input window. and weather conditions.
X Press the u button.
Also observe the warning notes of the other
The increased idling speed is automatically driving systems.
reset if you drive faster than approximately
20 km/h.

Z
268 Driving systems

Overview Selecting the speed limiter

X Press the È button.
The on-board computer shows the È
symbol in grey.

Activating when driving

X Select the speed limiter.
X Drive at the desired speed and briefly press
the Ñ button.
The speed limiter is activated and the cur-
rent vehicle speed is stored as the limit
speed.
È Selects the speed limiter or
Driving mode

Ñ Activates and sets the current limit X Briefly press the q button.
speed/increases the set limit speed The speed limiter is activated and assumes
q Activates and calls up the stored limit the stored limit speed.
speed/decreases the set limit speed The on-board computer shows the È
é Selects cruise control (Y page 270)/ symbol and the set limit speed in white.
sets the distance control assistant
(Y page 271)
Increasing/decreasing the limit speed
o Deactivates the speed limiter
You can change the settings of the limit speed
The È symbol in the on-board computer
while driving.
shows the status of the speed limiter by col-
our: X Activate the speed limiter.
X To adjust in 1 km/h increments: press
RGrey symbol: the speed limiter is selected,
but not activated. the q or Ñ button repeatedly until
the desired speed is shown in the on-board
RWhite symbol: the speed limiter is active
computer.
and is restricting the vehicle speed to the
set limit speed. or
X To adjust in 5 km/h increments: press
Activating and hold the q or Ñ button until the
desired speed is shown in the on-board
Functions and activation conditions computer.
The speed limiter restricts the vehicle speed
to the set limit speed. It is possible to accel-
erate the vehicle up to the set limit speed
using the accelerator pedal. In order to keep
the set limit speed on downhill gradients, the
speed limiter automatically brakes the vehi-
cle with the continuous brake. If the set speed
is exceeded, the È symbol in the on-board
computer flashes.
If the speed limiter cannot be activated, the
on-board computer will display - - - km/h in
grey.
 Driving systems 269

Driving ! Do not exceed the maximum speed of the

individual gears. Keep an eye on the rev
It is possible to exceed the set limit speed,
counter.
e.g. when overtaking:
X
If you fail to adapt your driving style or fail to
Briefly depress the accelerator pedal
pay attention to your surroundings, cruise
beyond the point of resistance (kickdown).
control can neither reduce the risk of an acci-
The set limit speed is still shown and the
dent nor override the laws of physics. Cruise
È symbol flashes in the on-board com-
control cannot take road and weather condi-
puter.
tions into account, nor the prevailing traffic
X When overtaking is completed, briefly
situation. Cruise control is only an aid. You
release the accelerator pedal and depress are responsible for the distance to the vehicle
it again. in front, for vehicle speed, braking in good
The speed limiter again restricts the vehicle time and remaining in lane. You should always
speed to the set limit speed.

Driving mode
adapt your driving style to suit prevailing road
and weather conditions.
Deactivating Do not use cruise control:
The limit speed remains stored if you deacti- Rin traffic conditions that do not allow you to
vate the speed limiter. drive at a constant speed (e.g. heavy traffic
X Press the o button. or winding roads). You may otherwise
The on-board computer shows the È cause an accident.
symbol in grey. Ron slippery roads. The drive wheels may
or lose their grip when braking or accelerating
X Using the é button, select cruise con- and the vehicle may skid.
trol or the distance control assistant. Rwhen there is low visibility, e.g. due to fog,
The on-board computer shows the é or heavy rain or snow.
É symbol and the set speed in grey.
Overview

Cruise control
Important safety notes
G WARNING
If you call up a stored speed and this is dif-
ferent from the current speed, the vehicle
accelerates or brakes. If you do not know
what the stored speed is, the vehicle may
accelerate or brake unexpectedly. There is a
risk of an accident.
é Selects cruise control/sets the dis-
Take the traffic conditions into account tance control assistant (Y page 271)
before calling up the stored speed. If you do
Ñ Activates and adjusts current speed/
not know what the stored speed is, store the
increases set speed
desired speed again.
q Activates and calls up stored speed/
reduces set speed

Z
270 Driving systems

È Selects the speed limiter (Y page 268) The on-board computer shows the é
o Deactivates cruise control symbol and the set speed in white.
X Release the accelerator pedal.
The é symbol in the on-board computer
In order to maintain the set speed, cruise
shows the status of cruise control in colour:
control automatically brakes or acceler-
RGrey symbol: cruise control is selected, but ates the vehicle.
not activated.
RWhite symbol: cruise control is activated Setting the speed and speed tolerance
and maintains the set speed.
Increasing/reducing the speed
Activating You can change the speed setting while driv-
ing.
Functions and activation conditions
X Activate cruise control.
Cruise control maintains the set speed of the
Driving mode

X To adjust in 0.5 km/h increments: press

vehicle for you. If the set speed is exceeded
on downhill gradients by more than the set the q or Ñ button repeatedly until
speed tolerance, the continuous brake is the desired speed is shown in the on-board
applied automatically. computer.
If you are driving slower than 15 km/h, cruise or
control cannot be activated. X To adjust in 5 km/h increments: press

If cruise control cannot be activated, the on- and hold the q or Ñ button until the
board computer will display - - - km/h in desired speed is shown in the on-board
grey. computer.
Cruise control is deactivated automatically if: Setting the speed tolerance
Ryou are driving slower than 10 km/h Set the speed tolerance (Y page 277).
Rthe transmission is shifted into neutral for
more than approximately 5 seconds Driving
If cruise control automatically deactivates, a
warning tone sounds. Driving tips
Cruise control maintains the set speed more
Selecting cruise control smoothly in the A economy and A fleet drive
X Press the é button repeatedly until the programs. For this reason, the driving speed
on-board computer shows the é sym- and the set speed may differ slightly under
bol in grey. certain circumstances. This leads to lower
fuel consumption. In drive programs A econ‐
Activating when driving omy and A fleet, the speed can be set to a
X Select cruise control. maximum of 85 km/h. In drive program A
X Drive at the desired speed and briefly press economy, you can exceed the set speed by
the Ñ button. depressing the accelerator pedal, e.g. for
Cruise control is activated and the current overtaking.
speed is stored. You can decelerate using the continuous
or brake. Cruise control remains activated.
X Briefly press the q button. If you reset the continuous brake lever, but do
Cruise control is activated and assumes the not deactivate it, the vehicle will accelerate
stored speed. on inclines up to the set speed.
 Driving systems 271

If the continuous brake is deactivated, the or

vehicle will accelerate to the last stored X Select the speed limiter with the È but-
speed. ton.
If cruise control is decelerating the vehicle The on-board computer shows the È
using the continuous brake and you simulta- symbol in grey.
neously depress the brake pedal, cruise con- or
trol remains activated. X Select the distance control assistant with
If the braking power from the continuous the é button.
brake is insufficient: The on-board computer shows the é
X Shift down a gear and reduce your speed. symbol and the set speed in white. Dis-
If you shift down on a downhill gradient tance control assistant is activated
without adjusting the speed, cruise control (Y page 273).
sets an engine speed lower than the engine

Driving mode
overspeed. The set speed remains set and
is automatically re-established as soon as Distance control assistant
this is possible in a higher gear.
Important safety notes
The vehicle is braked by the continuous brake
automatically if: G WARNING
Rcruise control is activated and Distance control assistant does not respond
to:
Rthe vehicle speed exceeds the set speed by
more than the upper speed tolerance Rpeople or animals
When the continuous brake is activated and Rstationary obstacles on the road, e.g. stop-
you activate cruise control, the continuous ping or parking vehicles
brake regulates the set speed on downhill Roncoming vehicles and crossing traffic
slopes. As a result, the distance control assistant may
Overtaking not warn you or intervene in these situations.
There is a risk of an accident.
It is possible to exceed the set speed, e.g.
when overtaking: Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit-
uation and be ready to brake.
X Depress the accelerator pedal.
X When the overtaking manoeuvre is fin- G WARNING
ished, release the accelerator pedal again. Distance control assistant cannot always
Cruise control adjusts the vehicle's speed clearly identify other road users and complex
to the set speed. traffic situations.
In such cases, distance control assistant may:
Deactivating Rgive an unnecessary warning and then
The speed remains stored if you deactivate brake the vehicle
cruise control. Rneither give a warning nor intervene

X Press the o button. Raccelerate or brake unexpectedly

or There is a risk of an accident.

X When cruise control accelerates the vehi- Continue to drive carefully and be prepared to
cle, depress the brake pedal. brake, particularly if distance control assis-
The on-board computer shows the é tant warns you.
symbol and the set speed in grey.

Z
272 Driving systems

G WARNING Do not use the distance control assistant

Distance control assistant brakes your vehi- Ron slippery roads. The drive wheels may
cle with up to 30% of the maximum possible lose their grip when braking or accelerating
deceleration. If this deceleration is insuffi- and the vehicle may skid.
cient, distance control assistant issues an Rwhen there is low visibility, e.g. due to fog,
audible and visual warning. There is a risk of heavy rain or snow.
an accident. If the distance control assistant no longer
In these cases, apply the brakes yourself and detects a vehicle driving in front, the distance
try to take evasive action. control assistant may accelerate to the
stored speed. On a filter lane or a slip road,
Observe the safety warnings detailing situa- this speed may be too high.
tions in which vehicles in front may not be
detected correctly (Y page 281): Overview
Driving mode

The distance control assistant may not detect

narrow vehicles driving in front, e.g. motor-
cycles, and vehicles driving on a different line.
In particular, be aware of the following driving
situations:
Rcornering, entering and exiting bends
Ryour own vehicle driving on a different line
or vehicles in front of you driving on a dif-
ferent line
Rother vehicles changing lane
Rvehicles turning off
é Selects cruise control/sets the dis-
Rovertaking
tance control assistant (Y page 269)
Rwinding stretches of road Ñ Activates and adjusts current speed/
Robstacles and stationary vehicles increases set speed
Clean the distance sensor of the distance q Activates and calls up stored speed/
control assistant (Y page 346). reduces set speed
If you fail to adapt your driving style or if you È Selects the speed limiter (Y page 267)
are inattentive, the distance control assistant o Deactivates the distance control assis-
can neither reduce the risk of an accident nor tant
override the laws of physics. The distance
The É symbol in the on-board computer
control assistant cannot take the road and
shows the status of the distance control
weather conditions into account, nor the pre-
assistant by colour:
vailing traffic situation. The distance control
assistant is only an aid. You are responsible Rgrey symbol: the distance control assistant
for the distance to the vehicle in front, for is selected, but not activated
vehicle speed, braking in good time and Rwhite symbol: the distance control assis-
remaining in lane. tant is activated, but a vehicle in front has
not been detected
Rwhite symbol with a blue vehicle inside the
symbol: the distance control assistant is
activated and a vehicle in front has been
detected
 Driving systems 273

When a vehicle in front has been detected, The distance control assistant cannot be acti-
the on-board computer also displays the vated or is deactivated automatically if:
speed of the detected vehicle and the dis- Ryou are driving slower than 15 km/h on
tance to the detected vehicle. roads with more than a 10% downhill/uphill
i The Assistance menu window also dis- gradient
plays the speed of the detected vehicle and Ryou are driving slower than 5 km/h and a
the distance to the detected vehicle in the vehicle in front is not detected
à driving menu (Y page 150). Ryou shift the transmission into neutral for
more than approximately 5 seconds
Activating Ryou select the reverse gear

Functions and activation conditions Ryou deactivate ABS

Rthe vehicle is stationary and you leave your
The distance control assistant controls the
seat

Driving mode
speed and supports you in automatically
maintaining the distance from a vehicle Rthe vehicle is stationary and you open the
detected in front. If there is no vehicle in front, driver's door
the distance control assistant operates in the Rfor vehicles with air suspension, the chas-
same way as cruise control in the speed range sis is not within the driving level
between 15 and 90 km/h. If a vehicle is Rthere is a malfunction in the brake system/
detected in front, it operates in the speed electronic management system
range between 0 and 90 km/h. Rthe distance sensor initialisation is not yet
If the distance control assistant detects a complete
vehicle in front driving at a slower speed, your
If distance control assistant is deactivated
vehicle is slowed and the specified minimum
automatically, a warning tone sounds.
distance selected is maintained.
If the distance control assistant cannot be
The distance control assistant brakes the
activated, the on-board computer will display
vehicle with the continuous brake if:
- - .- km/h in grey.
Rthe vehicle exceeds the set speed, includ- The distance control assistant remains acti-
ing the set speed tolerance, e.g. on a down- vated if:
hill gradient
Ryou decelerate using the continuous brake
Ra slower vehicle in front is detected
Rit decelerates the vehicle using the contin-
When the continuous brake slows the vehicle,
uous brake/service brake and you simul-
the à indicator lamp lights up in the instru-
taneously depress the brake pedal
ment cluster.
If your vehicle accelerates and you depress
The distance control assistant may also brake
the brake pedal, the distance control assis-
the vehicle using the service brake in order to
tant is deactivated automatically.
maintain the specified minimum distance. If
the vehicle in front is no longer detected, e.g. Selecting the distance control assistant
if it changes lane, your vehicle will accelerate X Press the é button repeatedly until the
up to the set speed. É symbol appears in grey in the on-
board computer.
If you change from cruise control to the dis-
tance control assistant and the distance con-
trol assistant was activated earlier, the É
symbol appears in white in the on-board dis-

Z
274 Driving systems

play. The distance control assistant is activa- The on-board computer shows the "Apply
ted. The vehicle adapts its speed to that of the parking brake" event window when the vehi-
vehicle in front, but only up to the desired and cle is stationary, the distance control assis-
set speed. tant is activated and you:
Activating when driving Rleftthe driver's seat
Ropen the driver's door
At speeds below 15 km/h, you can only acti-
vate the distance control assistant if a vehicle Rswitch off the engine
in front has been detected.
X Drive at a speed above 15 km/h. Pulling away and stopping the vehicle
X Select the distance control assistant.
Pulling away
X Briefly press the Ñ button.
The distance control assistant's starting-off
The distance control assistant is activated function provides support when driving in
Driving mode

and the current speed is set. traffic jams. Your vehicle pulls away automat-
or ically after a standstill within 2 seconds if the
X Briefly press the q button. vehicle in front drives on.
The distance control assistant is activated In order that the vehicle can pull away auto-
and the last stored speed is set. matically, the following conditions must be
The on-board computer shows the É fulfilled:
symbol and the set speed in white. Rthe vehicle in front of you drives on or is
X Release the accelerator pedal. already more than 10 m away
The vehicle adapts its speed to that of the Ra forward gear is engaged
vehicle in front, but only up to the desired
Rthe continuous brake is deactivated
and set speed.
Rthe parking brake and service brake are
Activating while the vehicle is stationary released
When the vehicle is stationary, only activate X To pull away, briefly depress the accelera-
the distance control assistant in a traffic jam tor pedal.
on roads similar to motorways and not in or
urban traffic. The function is not designed for X Press the q button.
urban traffic. When the vehicle is stationary, The vehicle pulls away and adapts its speed
you can only activate the distance control to that of the vehicle in front, but only up to
assistant if a vehicle in front has been detec- the desired and set speed.
ted.
X Apply the parking brake or the service Stopping
brake. G WARNING
X Select the distance control assistant. If you leave the vehicle, although it is only
X Briefly press the q button. being braked by distance control assistant, it
The distance control assistant is activated can roll away if:
and the last stored speed is set. Ra malfunction in the system or in the volt-
The on-board computer shows the É age supply occurs
symbol and the set speed in white. Rdistance control assistant is deactivated,
X Release the parking brake or service brake. e.g. by a vehicle occupant or from outside
The distance control assistant prevents the of the vehicle
vehicle from rolling away. Ryou leave the driver's seat
 Driving systems 275

Rthe accelerator pedal is depressed, e.g. by The minimum distance for the distance con-
a vehicle occupant trol assistant can be set to 5 levels. If you
Rthe q button is pressed, e.g. by a vehicle restart the engine, the mean specified dis-
occupant tance is available for selection.
There is a risk of an accident. Make sure that you maintain the minimum
distance to the vehicle in front required by
If you wish to exit the vehicle, always deacti-
law. Adjust the specified minimum distance
vate distance control assistant and secure the
to the vehicle in front if necessary.
vehicle against rolling away.
X Press the Ù button repeatedly until the
If distance control assistant detects that the ACC distance input window appears in the
vehicle in front has stopped, it will brake your on-board computer.
vehicle to a stop. Depending on the specified X Press the r or s button to reduce/
minimum distance, your vehicle will come to a increase the specified minimum distance.

Driving mode
halt within an appropriate distance from the The bar display shows the specified mini-
vehicle in front. mum distance you have selected.
X Press the 9 button to exit the input win-
Setting the speed and speed tolerance/ dow.
specified minimum distance or
Increasing/reducing the speed X Wait for approximately 3 seconds.

You can only change the speed setting while The setting is stored automatically.
driving. Setting the speed tolerance
X Activate the distance control assistant.
Set the speed tolerance (Y page 277).
X To adjust in 0.5 km/h increments: press
the q or Ñ button repeatedly until Driving
the desired speed is shown in the on-board
computer. Collision warnings
or If a collision warning is given, a yellow event
X To adjust in 5 km/h increments: press window with the · symbol appears in the
and hold the q or Ñ button until the on-board computer. A double warning tone
desired speed is shown in the on-board also sounds. The event window is displayed
computer. for as long as the hazardous situation per-
sists.
Setting the specified distance to the vehi- If a collision warning appears in the on-board
cle in front computer when the vehicle is in motion:
X Pay particular attention to the traffic situa-
tion.
X Slow down the vehicle using the service
brake.
If you depress the accelerator pedal or indi-
cate a turn, the collision warning tone is sup-
pressed.

Z
276 Driving systems

Overtaking PPC (Predictive Powertrain Control)

It is possible to exceed the set speed, e.g.
when overtaking:
X Maintain a sufficient distance to the vehicle
in front.
X Depress the accelerator pedal.
X When the overtaking manoeuvre is fin-
ished, release the accelerator pedal again.
The distance control assistant adjusts the
speed to the set speed.

Deactivating Example: speed tolerances display

Driving mode

The speed remains stored if you deactivate PPC uses topographic map data to optimise
the distance control assistant. fuel consumption and to adjust output
X Press the o button.
according to operating conditions. PPC influ-
ences gear selection and adjusts the speed of
or cruise control or distance control assistant.
X When the distance control assistant accel- The speed adjustment facilitates better uti-
erates the vehicle, depress the brake pedal. lisation of momentum accumulated on down-
The on-board computer shows the É hill gradients. On uphill gradients, the power
symbol and the set speed in grey. output is optimised and may be reduced
or before the top of the hill is reached. You can
X Select the speed limiter with the È but- adjust the speed tolerances in the Eco-Drive
ton. menu window (Y page 277).
The on-board computer shows the È PPC is active if:
symbol in grey. Rit has been activated in the settings menu
or Rcruise control or the distance control assis-
X Select cruise control with the é button. tant is active
The on-board computer shows the é RGPS reception is available
symbol and the set speed in white. Cruise
Rmap data is available
control is activated (Y page 270).
PPC is limited if:
Observe the conditions that lead to automatic
Ryou set the speed in cruise control or the
deactivation of the distance control assistant
in the "Functions and switch on conditions" distance control assistant
section. Ryou set the speed tolerance
Rthe transmission is in the manual drive pro-
gram
Ryou depress the accelerator or brake pedal
Rthe continuous brake is active
Rthe distance control assistant brakes the
vehicle
 Driving systems 277

The on-board computer shows the status of Upper speed tolerance

PPC by colour:
The Ä upper speed tolerance helps to bet-
RGrey symbol é: cruise control is deac- ter utilise momentum from downhill gradients
tivated. and thus save fuel. The upper speed tolerance
RWhite symbol é with PPC: PPC is acti- operates on the cruise control, distance con-
vated and cruise control is active. trol assistant and PPC driving systems.
RGreen symbol é with PPC: PPC actively For all drive programs except A economy and
regulates the speed and gear selection in A fleet, you can set the upper speed toler-
cruise control or for the distance control ance between 2 and 15 km/h. In the A econ‐
assistant. omy and A fleet drive programs, the setting
PPC can be deactivated and activated using can only be adjusted to between 4 and
the Systems menu window in the ä settings 15 km/h. If you set the upper speed tolerance
menu (Y page 162). to between 4 and 15 km/h, the value remains

Driving mode
saved even after you restart the engine.
The on-board computer shows the upper
Speed tolerance in the driving sys- speed tolerance next to the set speed. When
tems cruise control or distance control assistant is
activated, the speed limiter brakes the vehi-
Overview cle by 4 km/h by applying the continuous
brake, regardless of the set speed tolerance.

Lower speed tolerance

The Å lower speed tolerance can be set on
vehicles with PPC. By reducing power output
at the top of a hill at the correct time, the
lower speed tolerance helps save fuel.
For all drive programs except A economy and
A fleet, you can set the upper speed toler-
ance between 0 and 10 km/h. In the A econ‐
omy and A fleet drive programs, the setting
can only be adjusted to between 3 and
10 km/h.
When PPC is active, the on-board computer
shows the lower speed tolerance next to the
speed.

Setting the speed tolerance

X Press the Ù button repeatedly until Eco
Drive is displayed in the input window.
Example: display with PPC X With the r or s button, select the
Ä or Å menu bar.
Speed tolerance lets you determine the
In the Ä menu bar, set the value by
extent to which the vehicle speed is allowed
which the stored speed may be exceeded.
to fall below/exceed the set speeds of vari-
In the Å menu bar, set the value by
ous driving systems.

Z
278 Driving systems

which the stored speed may be fallen short In such cases, ABA may:
of.
Rgive an unnecessary warning and then
i To optimise fuel consumption, PPC may brake the vehicle
exceed or fall below the speed tolerance by
Rneither give a warning nor intervene
a few km/h.
There is a risk of an accident.
X Press the t or u button to increase/
Continue to drive carefully and be prepared to
reduce speed tolerance in 1 km/h incre-
brake, particularly if ABA warns you.
ments.
X Press the 9 button to exit the input win- If you fail to adapt your driving style or if you
dow. are inattentive, Active Brake Assist can nei-
or ther reduce the risk of accident nor override
X Wait for approximately 3 seconds. the laws of physics. Active Brake Assist can-
The setting is stored automatically. not take road and weather conditions into
Driving mode

account, nor the prevailing traffic situation.

Active Brake Assist is only an aid. You are
Active Brake Assist 3 responsible for keeping a safe distance to the
vehicle in front, for the vehicle speed, braking
Important safety notes in good time and remaining in lane. You
should always adapt your driving style to suit
G WARNING prevailing road and weather conditions.
ABA will initially brake your vehicle with a par- If attachments are mounted in front of the
tial application of the brakes if a danger of distance sensor, e.g. a crash guard, they can
collision is detected. A collision can result impair the operation of the distance sensor.
unless you also apply the brakes yourself.
Do not mount any attachments in front of the
Automatic emergency braking cannot prevent
distance sensor. Do not paint or affix items
a collision. There is a risk of an accident.
over the distance sensor cover.
Always apply the brakes yourself and try to
Active Brake Assist can help to minimise the
take evasive action.
risk of a collision with a vehicle in front or a
stationary vehicle. As a result, the effects of
G WARNING an accident can be reduced. Active Brake
ABA does not react to: Assist can also recognise stationary objects
Rpeople or animals and react to them, e.g. by issuing a warning
Roncoming vehicles and braking.
As a result, ABA might not warn you or inter- If Active Brake Assist detects the risk of a
vene in these situations. There is a risk of an front-end collision, it issues an audible and
accident. visual warning. If the risk persists, Active
Brake Assist automatically initiates partial
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit-
braking of the vehicle. If you do not react to
uation and be ready to brake.
the warnings and partial brake application,
Active Brake Assist automatically initiates a
G WARNING
full brake application.
ABA cannot always recognise other road
Active Brake Assist may not detect narrow
users and complex traffic conditions.
vehicles driving in front, e.g. motorcycles or
vehicles driving on a different line.
 Driving systems 279

Active Brake Assist does not automatically Activating/deactivating Active Brake

adapt to road and traffic conditions. Brake the Assist
vehicle using the service brake if:
Ra red event window with the · symbol
appears in the on-board computer
Ran intermittent warning tone sounds
Ran intermittent warning tone sounds and
automatic partial braking was initiated
If no visual and/or acoustic warning is issued
in a critical situation:
RActive Brake Assist has not recognised the
danger of the situation

Driving mode
RActive Brake Assist is deactivated When you start the engine, Active Brake
RActive Brake Assist has failed Assist is automatically activated.
If a visual and/or acoustic warning is issued Active Brake Assist is deactivated automati-
or a partial braking manoeuvre is performed cally if:
in a non-critical situation: Rthe chassis is not within the driving level
Rsuppress Active Brake Assist or range (vehicles with level control)
Rpress the l button to deactivate Active (Y page 288)
Brake Assist Rthere is a malfunction

You can suppress or deactivate Active Brake RABS is deactivated or there is a malfunction
Assist if you: in the brake system of the vehicle
Ruse a turn signal X To switch off: press the l button.

Rdepress the brake pedal When the l indicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster lights up, Active Brake Assist
Rdepress the accelerator pedal
is deactivated.
Rpress the Active Brake Assist OFF button
X To activate: press the l button for
You can cancel an Active Brake Assist-trig- approximately 1 second.
gered emergency braking manoeuvre if you: When the l indicator lamp in the instru-
Rdepress the accelerator pedal beyond the ment cluster goes out, Active Brake Assist
pressure point (kickdown) is activated.
Ror press the Active Brake Assist OFF button
The distance control assistant may warn you
before Active Brake Assist if there is a risk of
collision.
Clean the cover of the Active Brake Assist
distance sensor regularly (Y page 346).

Z
280 Driving systems

Collision warning and emergency braking

Overview
Driving mode

: Distance control assistant preliminary warning (Y page 275)

; Active Brake Assist warning
= Active Brake Assist partial braking
? Emergency stop (full brake application)
A Emergency stop completed
If a collision warning appears in the on-board computer when the vehicle is in motion:
X Pay particular attention to the traffic situation.
X Depress the brake pedal.
If there is a risk of collision and Active Brake Assist issues a warning, the audio device and/or
hands-free system installed at the factory are automatically muted.
Preliminary warning (distance control automatic partial braking. Active Brake Assist
assistant) brakes the vehicle with around 50% of the
The · symbol also appears in the yellow vehicle's maximum braking power.
event window in the on-board computer. A Emergency braking (Active Brake Assist)
double warning tone sounds.
If you do not react to the collision warnings
Warning (Active Brake Assist) and partial brake application, Active Brake
The · symbol appears in the red event Assist automatically initiates emergency
window in the on-board computer. An inter- braking (full brake application).
mittent warning tone sounds. The · symbol appears in the red event
window in the on-board computer. A contin-
Partial braking (Active Brake Assist) uous warning tone sounds. In addition, Active
The · symbol appears in the red event Brake Assist slows the vehicle with an auto-
window in the on-board computer. An inter- matic emergency braking manoeuvre (full
mittent warning tone sounds. In addition, brake application).
Active Brake Assist slows the vehicle with
 Driving systems 281

After emergency braking, the Emergency Driving on a different line and stationary
braking finished message appears in the vehicles
grey event window in the on-board computer.
After emergency braking, the vehicle is held
by the service brake for another 5 seconds to
prevent it from rolling away.
If an emergency braking manoeuvre has been
performed:
X Remove the vehicle from the area of danger
as soon as possible while paying attention
to the traffic situation.
X Stop the engine and apply the parking
brake to prevent the vehicle from rolling

Driving mode
The ability of Active Brake Assist and the dis-
away. tance control assistant to detect vehicles
X Make sure that the vehicle is in proper driving on a different line or stationary vehi-
operating order and that the load is secured cles is limited. Active Brake Assist and the
properly. distance control assistant may unexpectedly
You can interrupt emergency braking as fol- issue warnings or brake your vehicle. The dis-
lows: tance control assistant may accelerate unex-
pectedly.
X Press the l button.
or Other vehicles changing lane
X Depress the accelerator pedal beyond the
point of resistance (kickdown).

Particular driving situations

Cornering, entering and exiting bends

The ability of Active Brake Assist and the dis-

tance control assistant to detect vehicles
pulling into your lane is limited. The distance
to the vehicle in front entering your lane may
then be too short. Active Brake Assist and the
distance control assistant may unexpectedly
issue warnings or brake your vehicle. The dis-
The ability of Active Brake Assist and the dis-
tance control assistant may also accelerate
tance control assistant to detect vehicles on
the vehicle unexpectedly.
bends is limited. Active Brake Assist and the
distance control assistant may unexpectedly
issue warnings or brake your vehicle. The dis-
tance control assistant may also accelerate
the vehicle unexpectedly.

Z
282 Driving systems

Overtaking

The ability of Active Brake Assist and the dis-

tance control assistant to detect vehicles When you are passing, Active Brake Assist
pulling into your lane without maintaining a
Driving mode

and the distance control assistant may unex-

safe distance is limited. It does not detect pectedly issue warnings or brake your vehicle
vehicles until they are within the system's if you:
detection range. The distance control assis-
Rdrive too close to the vehicle in front and
tant may accelerate unexpectedly. Brake the
vehicle. This will increase the distance to the Rare in the same lane as the vehicle in front
vehicle in front.
Winding stretches of road
Vehicles turning off

On winding stretches of road, Active Brake

The ability of Active Brake Assist and the dis- Assist and the distance control assistant can-
tance control assistant to detect vehicles not detect which lane the vehicle in front is
turning off is limited. Active Brake Assist and driving in. Active Brake Assist and the dis-
the distance control assistant may unexpect- tance control assistant may unexpectedly
edly issue warnings or brake your vehicle. issue warnings or brake your vehicle. The dis-
tance control assistant may also accelerate
the vehicle unexpectedly.
 Driving systems 283

Obstacles and stationary vehicles Lane Keeping Assist

Important safety notes
G WARNING
Lane Keeping Assist cannot always clearly
identify lane markings.
In these cases, Lane Keeping Assist may:
Rgive an unnecessary warning
Rnot give a warning
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay particular attention to the traffic
Active Brake Assist and the distance control situation and keep in lane, especially if Lane

Driving mode
assistant cannot detect obstacles or station- Keeping Assist alerts you.
ary vehicles in front of the detected vehicle.
Active Brake Assist and the distance control The system may be impaired or may not oper-
assistant may unexpectedly issue warnings ate:
or brake your vehicle. The distance control
Rwhen there is low visibility, e.g. due to
assistant may also accelerate the vehicle
unexpectedly. insufficient road illumination or due to
snow, rain, fog or heavy spray
Stationary objects Rwhen there is glare, e.g. due to oncoming
traffic, direct sunlight or reflections (e.g.
from wet road surfaces)
Rwhen the windscreen in the area of the
camera is dirty, misted up, damaged or
covered, e.g. by a sticker
Rwhen no lane markings or several ambigu-
ous lane markings are present for a lane,
e.g. near construction sites
Rwhen the lane markings are worn, dark or
covered, for example by dirt or snow
Rwhen the distance from the vehicle in front
Active Brake Assist can also unexpectedly
is too small and this prevents the lane
issue warnings and brake the vehicle if it
markings from being detected
detects stationary objects, e.g.:
Rwhen the lane markings change rapidly,
Rvehicles which have broken down e.g. when lanes branch off, cross or merge
Rsigns
Rwhen lanes are very narrow or winding
Rbridges
Rwhen shade conditions on the road surface
Rtraffic islands change greatly
If you fail to adapt your driving style, Lane
Keeping Assist can neither reduce the risk of
accident nor override the laws of physics.
Lane Keeping Assist cannot take the road and
weather conditions into account, nor the pre-
vailing traffic situation. Lane Keeping Assist is

Z
284 Driving systems

only an aid. You are responsible for the dis- Functions and activation conditions
tance to the vehicle in front, for vehicle speed,
Lane Keeping Assist monitors the area in
braking in good time and remaining in lane.
front of your vehicle with a camera that is
Make sure that the windscreen is always kept located at the base of the windscreen. When
clean and unobstructed in the area of the Lane Keeping Assist is activated and it
camera (Y page 346). You can switch on the detects lane markings on the road surface, it
windscreen wiper to clean the windscreen, warns you that you may be leaving your lane
for example, or remove snow and ice from the unintentionally.
windscreen.
Lane Keeping Assist is ready to issue warn-
ings:
Overview
Rabove approximately 60 km/h
Rwhen the lane markings appear in white in
the on-board computer
Driving mode

When you drive over the lane marking unin-

tentionally:
Rthe relevant lane marking is shown in red in
the on-board computer
Rthe volume of the audio equipment and/or
hands-free system is reduced and a direc-
tion-related "rumble-strip noise" sounds
from the left or right loudspeaker
Lane Keeping Assist button and display
Once Lane Keeping Assist has issued a warn-
i The lane markings are also displayed in ing, further warnings will only be issued when
the Assistance menu window in the à the vehicle is once again fully within the lane
driving mode menu (Y page 150). markings.
The lane markings in the status area and in Lane Keeping Assist does not issue a warning
the "Assistance" menu window of the on- if:
board computer show the status of Lane Ryou have switched on the turn signals
Keeping Assist in colour:
Ryou explicitly and actively steer, brake or
RBlack lane markings: Lane Keeping Assist is accelerate
deactivated. Ra driving safety system intervenes, e.g.
RGrey lane markings: Lane Keeping Assist is Active Brake Assist, Stability Control Assist
activated but not ready to issue warnings or the distance control assistant
on the side of the vehicle in question. The warnings are then suppressed for a cer-
RWhite lane markings: Lane Keeping Assist tain time period.
is activated and ready to issue warnings on Lane Keeping Assist will warn you when
the side of the vehicle in question. changing lane if a turn signal has been
RRed lane markings: Lane Keeping Assist is switched on for more than 1 minute.
activated and is issuing a warning on the
side of the vehicle in question. Deactivating/activating
When you start the engine, Lane Keeping
Assist is automatically activated.
 Driving systems 285

X Press the m button. and trunk roads. Attention Assist is active at

If Lane Keeping Assist is deactivated, the speeds above approximately 60 km/h.
indicator lamp in the m button lights up. If Attention Assist detects typical indicators
The lane marking appears black in the sta- of fatigue or increasing lapses in concentra-
tus area of the on-board computer and in tion on the part of the driver, it suggests tak-
the Assistance menu window of the on- ing a break. The Attention Assist warning
board computer. occurs irrespective of legally prescribed driv-
ing and rest periods or the function of the
digital tachograph.
ATTENTION ASSIST
Functions and activation conditions
Important safety notes
Attention Assist assesses your level of fatigue
Attention Assist is only an aid. Attention
or lapses in concentration by taking the fol-

Driving mode
Assist cannot always detect fatigue or lapses
lowing criteria into account:
in concentration reliably or in time. Attention
Assist is not a substitute for a well-rested and Rpersonal driving style, e.g. remaining in
attentive driver. lane, steering characteristics
Attention Assist may be impaired or inopera- Rjourney-related parameters, e.g. length of
tive: journey
Rif there is low visibility, e.g. due to insuffi- Attention Assist is restricted and a warning
cient road illumination or due to snow, rain, does not occur or is delayed:
fog or heavy spray Rif you are predominantly driving slower
Rif the windscreen is dirty in the area of the than 60 km/h
camera, misted up, damaged or covered, Rif the markings on the road are missing or
e.g. by a sticker difficult to distinguish
Rif no lane markings or several ambiguous Ron winding roads
lane markings are present for a lane, e.g. If Attention Assist detects typical indicators
near construction sites of fatigue or increasing lapses in concentra-
Rif the lane markings are worn, dark or cov- tion on the part of the driver:
ered, for example by dirt or snow Ra warning tone sounds
Rif there is glare, e.g. due to oncoming traf-
Rthe on-board computer shows the yellow
fic, direct sunlight or reflections (e.g. from Ô event window and Attention
wet road surfaces) Assist: take a break?
Ron winding roads
RLane Keeping Assist is reactivated auto-
Make sure that the windscreen is always kept matically
clean and unobstructed in the area of the During long journeys, take regular breaks in
camera (Y page 346). You can switch on the good time. If you do not take a break, Atten-
windscreen wiper to clean the windscreen, tion Assist can only warn you again after
for example, or you can remove snow and ice 15 minutes at the earliest.
from the windscreen.
When you switch off the engine or the vehicle
is stationary for some time, Attention Assist
Overview
resets the detection sequence.
Attention Assist assists you during long,
monotonous journeys, such as on motorways

Z
286 Level control

Deactivating/activating frame. Driving with a lowered chassis frame

increases wear and tear on the vehicle and
After starting the engine, Attention Assist is
reduces driving comfort.
always activated. You can deactivate/acti-
vate Attention Assist using the Systems
menu window in the settings menu Activating/deactivating the control
(Y page 162). panel
! Make sure that when securing the control
Level control unit in the bracket or behind the driver's
seat that the connecting cable does not:
Important safety notes
Rget trapped in the driver's door
When driving with a lowered or raised chassis, Rget trapped in the driver's seat.
the driving and braking characteristics may
Driving mode

be affected. Additionally, the maximum per-

mitted vehicle height may be exceeded when
the chassis is raised. Observe the legally per-
missible vehicle heights for the country you
are currently in.
Set the driving level before pulling away.
It is necessary to raise/lower the chassis to
pick up/set down demountable bodies or
semitrailers. If you continue a journey after
having changed the chassis height, it is nec-
essary to lower/raise the chassis to driving
level.
If the yellow ¸ indicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster lights up, the chassis is not at
driving level. Observe the additional informa-
tion in the event window.
When loading/unloading the vehicle with the
ignition switched off, observe the information
in the "Loading and unloading the vehicle
when the ignition is switched off" section
(Y page 288)
Vehicles with 8x4/4 or 8x2/4 axle configu-
rations with air-sprung rear axle: when oper-
ating the vehicle without add-on equipment,
make sure that the chassis frame is always
fully raised. Otherwise, you could damage the
air bellows on the rear axle. Further informa- Example: control panel for fully air-sprung vehicles
tion on the characteristics of possible add-on : Preselection: to raise/lower the front
equipment can be found in the body/equip- axle
ment mounting directives. ; Preselection: to raise/lower the entire
Vehicles equipped with "driving level low- vehicle
ered" and/or with low profile tyres: avoid = Preselection: to set the driving level
operating the vehicle with a lowered chassis
 Level control 287

? Preselection: to raise/lower the rear Activating the control panel

axle X Control panel on the driver's seat: briefly
A Buttons press the u, t, r, s or T
u To activate the control panel, make a button.
preselection for the front/rear axle, or
entire vehicle or driving level XExternal control panel on the vehicle body:
t To activate the control panel, make a press the T button for approximately
preselection for the front/rear axle, 2 seconds.
entire vehicle or driving level i You can activate/deactivate the external
r To activate the control panel, lower the control panel on the vehicle body even if
chassis, set the driving level the vehicle key has been removed.
s To activate the control panel, raise the Deactivating the control panel
chassis, set the driving level

Driving mode
X External control panel on the vehicle body:
T To activate the control panel, to end
lifting or lowering operation press the T button again for approx-
imately 2 seconds.
û Press briefly: to call up memory position
M1 or M2 for chassis height or
Press and hold: to store memory posi- X External control panel on the vehicle body
tion M1 or M2 for chassis height and on the outside of the driver's seat: wait
approximately 60 seconds; do not press
You can operate the level control when the the button.
vehicle is stationary or when the vehicle is in
or
motion up to approximately 30 km/h.
X Drive at a speed above approximately
Depending on your vehicle's equipment, you
30 km/h.
control the function of the level control sys-
The control panel is automatically deacti-
tem using:
vated.
Rthe control panel on the driver's seat
Rthe external control panel on the vehicle
body Raising/lowering the chassis
Rthe multifunction key (Y page 61)
G WARNING
Rthe on-board computer (Y page 157)
People's limbs may become trapped if they
X Apply the parking brake.
are located underneath the vehicle or
X Switch the ignition lock to the drive posi- between the vehicle body and the tyres when
tion. the vehicle is lowering. There is a danger of
The level control automatically adjusts the injury.
chassis frame to the previously stored When lowering the vehicle, make sure no one
height. is underneath the vehicle or in the immediate
X If the reservoir pressure in the vicinity of the wheel arches.
compressed-air system is too low, leave the
engine running.
The compressed-air system is charged.
X Take the control panel out of the holder.

Z
288 Level control

X Press the u or t button to select Setting the driving level

front axle :, entire vehicle ; or rear
axle ?.
The LEDs for the selected preselection light
up.
X Press the r button to lower the chassis
or the s button to raise it.
If the chassis is not at driving level, the
¸ indicator lamp in the instrument clus-
ter lights up. Additionally, a yellow event
window appears in the on-board computer
with = or ? and Set driving
level. Example: STOP and driving level button
Driving mode

X Press the T button to interrupt/end the

X Using the button on the instrument
raising or lowering operation. panel: press the Ø button.
The chassis is raised/lowered to the driv-
ing level automatically. When the chassis is
Storing/calling up the chassis height at driving level, the ¸ indicator lamp in
X To store: raise/lower the chassis to the the instrument cluster goes out.
desired height. When the raised driving level is selected
X Press the û button for approximately (Y page 290), the chassis is raised/
2 seconds for memory position M1 or M2. lowered to the driving level automatically.
The current chassis frame height is stored X Press the ¤ button to interrupt/end the
under the corresponding û button. raising or lowering operation.
X To call up: briefly press the û button for X Using the control panel: press the u
memory position M1 or M2. or t button to select driving level pre-
The chassis will be raised/lowered auto- selection =.
matically to the stored height. The LEDs for driving level preselection =
A yellow event window appears in the on- light up.
board computer with = or ? and X Briefly press the r or s button.
Set driving level. The chassis is raised or lowered automati-
X Press the T button to interrupt/end the cally to the driving level. When the chassis
raising or lowering operation. is at driving level, the ¸ indicator lamp
in the instrument cluster goes out.
X Press the T button to interrupt/end the
raising or lowering operation.

Loading and unloading the vehicle

when the ignition is switched off
! Before removing the demountable body,
lower the chassis frame completely. Oth-
erwise, the chassis frame could spring up
suddenly when the special-purpose body is
 Level control 289

removed. This could damage the shock Road paver operation

absorbers.
Store a constant chassis height for loading
and unloading the vehicle.
X Vehicles with a trailing axle: lower the trail-
ing axle (Y page 291).
X If required, raise/lower the chassis to the
desired height.
X Run the engine until the pressure regulator
cuts out.
X Press and hold the T button on the control
panel or the ¤ button on the instrument Example: road paver operation button
panel.

Driving mode
In road paver operation, the level control per-
X Switch off the engine. manently regulates the driving level, regard-
X Remove the key from the key slot. less of operating conditions. This makes it
X Release the T button on the control panel possible to maintain an even level with the
or the ¤ button on the instrument road paver, and forced lowering is deactiva-
panel. ted.
If there is sufficient reservoir pressure in X To activate: press the upper section of the
the compressed-air system, the height of ë button.
the chassis frame is kept constant for In the display, ë flashes, the indicator
approximately 4 to 5 hours. lamp in the ë button flashes and the
function is preselected.
X Engage power take-off (Y page 328).
Forced lowering without residual air ë is shown in the display, the indicator
bellows pressure regulation lamp in the ë button is on and the func-
Forced lowering tion is activated.
X To deactivate: press the upper section of
If you engage power take-off, the vehicle is the ë button again.
completely lowered on all air-sprung axles. The ë message in the display and the
This increases the vehicle's tilt stability. If you indicator lamp in the ë button go out.
disengage power take-off, the vehicle
remains lowered until you select a level.
Forced lowering is ended if:
Ryou switch the ignition off and on again
Ryou press the T button on the control unit
Ryou press the ¤ button on the instru-
ment panel
Ryou press the ë button

Z
290 Level control

Raised vehicle level (vehicles for axles are raised above driving level. The rear
large-capacity transport) axle is raised higher than the front axle. This
allows you to improve the articulation angle
whilst manoeuvring, for example.
If you drive too fast at shunting level, a yellow
event window appears in the on-board com-
puter.
X Stop the vehicle.
or
X Drive at walking pace.
X To activate shunting level: press the
lower section of the þ button.
The indicator lamp in the þ button and
Driving mode

To improve ride comfort, raise the chassis the ¸ indicator lamp in the instrument
frame while the vehicle is in motion. cluster light up. The on-board computer
X To raise the chassis to the raised driv- also shows the Shunting level active
ing level: press the upper section of the event window. The chassis lowers/rises to
ê button. the shunting level.
The indicator lamp in the ê button and X To deactivate shunting level: press the
the ¸ indicator lamp in the instrument lower section of the þ button again.
cluster light up. The indicator lamp in the þ button and
X To lower the chassis to the normal driv- the event window in the on-board computer
ing level: press the upper section of the go out. The chassis lowers/rises to driving
ê button again. level. When the chassis lowers to the nor-
The indicator lamp in the ê button goes mal driving level, the ¸ indicator lamp in
out. When the chassis is lowered to the the instrument cluster goes out.
normal driving level, the ¸ indicator Shunting level is automatically activated if
lamp in the instrument cluster goes out. you:
Rlower/raise the chassis manually
Rset the driving level to a raised/normal
Shunting level
level
Rpress the T button on the control panel or
the ¤ button on the instrument panel

Example: raised driving level and shunting level

At shunting level, it is possible to slowly move
the vehicle outside of the driving level. If the
vehicle is in shunting level, the front and rear
 Additional axles 291

Additional axles Leading/trailing axle

Starting-off aid H Environmental note
When the leading/trailing axle is raised, roll
resistance is reduced. This reduces tyre wear
and fuel consumption.

Driving mode
Only activate the starting-off aid on snow and
ice-covered roads.
The vehicle's starting-off aid has either a
speed limiter or a time limit (switch-on inter- The leading/trailing axle is lowered just
lock). before the permissible axle load is reached.
RThe starting-off aid with speed limiter auto- Observe the notes in the "Axle loads and
matically switches off at a vehicle speed of wheel loads" section (Y page 261) and those
above 30 km/h. The starting-off aid can on the vehicle identification plate
only be activated again when the speed (Y page 414).
falls below 30km/h. On vehicles for the transportation of bulk
RThe starting-off aid with switch-on interlock cargo, weight can only be taken off the trailing
switches off automatically after axle and it cannot be raised.
90 seconds. After 50 seconds, the starting- Vehicles with a steerable trailing axle
off aid with switch-on interlock can be reac- (Y page 292): when you raise the additional
tivated. axle, the wheels move into the straight-ahead
RThe starting-off aid without switch-on inter- position. When you lower the additional axle,
lock is deactivated automatically after the wheels again steer actively.
120 seconds and can be reactivated imme- X Switch the ignition lock to the drive posi-
diately thereafter. tion.
X To activate starting-off aid: press the
X If the reservoir pressure in the
å button. compressed-air system is too low, run the
As long as the starting-off aid is activated, engine.
the å indicator lamp in the status area
X If the vehicle is empty or only partially
of the on-board computer lights up yellow.
laden, raise the leading/trailing axle before
X To deactivate the starting-off aid man-
pulling away.
ually: press and hold the ¤ button on
X Vehicles with a rear loading crane: observe
the instrument panel or the T button on
the information in the manufacturer's oper-
the control panel.
ating instructions before raising the lead-
ing/trailing axle.

Z
292 Additional axles

X When loading or unloading the vehicle, X Switch the ignition lock to the drive posi-
lower the leading/trailing axle. tion.
X To raise/lower: press the â button. X To centre manually: press the upper sec-
When the leading/trailing axle is raised, the tion of the Õ button.
¡ (trailing axle) or } (leading axle) The steering of the trailing axle is centred.
indicator lamp lights up yellow in the status The wheels on the trailing axle move to the
area of the on-board computer. straight-ahead position. When the Õ
indicator lamp lights up in the status area of
the on-board computer, the trailing axle is
Steerable additional axle centred.
X To activate: press the upper section of the
! When manoeuvring close to kerbstones
Õ button again.
or when travelling through narrow pas-
The trailing axle is activated. When the
sages, there is a risk of tyre damage. In
Driving mode

Õ indicator lamp goes out in the status

such cases, centre the steering of the trail-
area of the on-board computer, the trailing
ing axle.
axle is activated. The trailing axle again
steers actively.
When the { indicator lamp lights up grey
in the status area of the on-board computer,
the difference in steering angle between the
fully locked front axle wheels and the steera-
ble trailing axle is too great. The vehicle was
parked with the steering at full lock, for exam-
ple. The steerable trailing axle will not steer
actively.
X Turn the multifunction steering wheel to
The additional axle is an electro-hydraulically the left and the right as far as it will go.
steered trailing axle which steers in accord- The steerable trailing axle is picked up by
ance with the angle of the steering wheel turning the steering wheel. The trailing axle
when driving forwards and reversing. It again steers actively. The { indicator
reduces both tyre wear and the vehicle's turn- lamp in the status area of the on-board
ing circle. The steering angle of the additional computer goes out.
axle decreases with increasing speed and or
increases with decreasing speed. When the X Pull away slowly.
vehicle is stationary, the trailing axle steers The trailing axle again steers actively. The
actively. { indicator lamp in the status area of
In extreme driving conditions, e.g. when brak- the on-board computer goes out.
ing hard on a slippery or uneven road surface, Information on raising and lowering a height-
the steerable trailing axle may deactivate adjustable trailing axle can be found in the
itself. It will then only steer passively. "Leading/trailing axles" section
If the steerable trailing axle is malfunctioning (Y page 291).
or no longer actively steering, the yellow
event window shows the D (Y page 180)
symbol in the on-board computer.
 Driving tips 293

Driving tips become trapped underneath the frame. There

is a risk of fatal injury for the occupants of the
General notes on driving vehicle in front.
G WARNING Fold the underride guard down and lock it in
If you switch off the ignition while the vehicle place when driving on public roads.
is in motion, safety-relevant functions are
You can achieve a higher approach/depar-
restricted or not available. This can affect the
ture angle when driving off-road if you fold up
power steering function and the brake boost-
the underride guard.
ing effect, for example. You will then require
considerably more force to steer and brake.
There is a risk of an accident. Collapsible underride guard – tipper
with steel suspension
Do not switch off the ignition while the vehicle
is in motion.

Driving mode
G WARNING
The parking brake may not be sufficient to
secure the vehicle against rolling away on
uphill or downhill gradients. A vehicle with a
trailer/semitrailer or a laden vehicle could roll
away. There is a risk of accident.
In the test position, check if the parking brake
is sufficient to hold the tractor vehicle. If the
tractor vehicle is not held, secure the vehicle
and the trailer/semitrailer additionally using
wheel chocks. Secure the trailer/semitrailer
additionally using its parking brake.

G WARNING
If you load the vehicle unevenly, driving char-
acteristics such as steering and braking
behaviour may be severely impaired. There is
a risk of an accident.
Load the vehicle evenly. Secure the load so
that it cannot slip.

The vehicle's driving, braking and steering

characteristics vary with the type, weight and
centre of gravity of the load.

Underride guard
General notes
G WARNING d Road position
If the underride guard is folded up, in a colli- e Off-road position/road paver operation
sion with the vehicle in front this vehicle could position
Z
294 Driving tips

X Hold underride guard : in position. i If you swing underride guard : into road
X Swing both levers ; to position 2. finishing machine operation position r,
Underride guard : is released. leave both levers ; in position 2.
X Swing underride guard : into the desired
position and hold it in place. Road paver operation
X Swing both levers ; to position 1 and
Preparing for road paver operation
release underride guard :.
Underride guard : is locked.

Collapsible underride guard – tipper

with air suspension
Driving mode

Example: mud flap, left-hand side of vehicle

X Set the underride guard to the road paver
operation position.
X Swing both mud flaps ; up over the
licence plate holder.
X Attach the rings of mud flaps ; to
hooks : on the licence plate holder.

Notes on road paver operation – tipper

with steel suspension

Example: lever, left-hand side of the vehicle

d Off-road position
e Road position
r Road paver operation position
X Hold underride guard : in position.
X Swing both levers ; to position 2. Tipper with steel suspension in road paver opera-
tion (overrun mode)
Underride guard : is released.
X Swing underride guard : into the desired
In road paver operation, the roller of the road
position and hold it in place. paver presses against the tyres. This causes
the vehicle to be pushed forwards at the
X Swing both levers ; to position 1 and
speed of the road finishing machine.
release underride guard :.
Underride guard : is locked.
 Driving tips 295

Do not use the parking brake in overrun mode i The vehicle's level will be adjusted auto-
and only perform slight adaptive braking with matically. If the road paver rollers do not
the service brake. touch the centre of the approach plate, a
different driving level can be set before
Notes on the road paver – tipper with air
power take-off is activated (Y page 286).
suspension
G WARNING
When the underride guard is pressed against Driving off-road
the tyres, persons could become trapped
Important safety notes
between the tyres and the underride guard.
There is a risk of injury. G WARNING
Make sure that there is no-one in the area When driving off-road, your body is subject to
between the tyres and the underride guard. forces from all directions due to the uneven

Driving mode
surface. You could be thrown from your seat,
! Make sure that the underride guard is not for instance. There is a danger of injury.
engaged in road finishing machine opera-
Always wear a seat belt, even when driving off-
tion. The locking levers must be released
road.
and the underride guard must be able to
swing freely. The underride guard or the ! If the vehicle is being driven off-road, it
chassis could otherwise be damaged. can be damaged by obstacles.
Obstacles may damage vehicle parts such
as:
Raxles
Rpropeller shafts
Rfuel tank
Rcompressed-air reservoir
Rengine
Rtransmission
For this reason, you should always drive
Tipper with air suspension in road paver operation slowly when off-road. Ask passengers for
(overrun mode) guidance when driving over obstacles.
In road paver operation, the road paver Always observe the vehicle's ground clear-
presses rollers on the underride guard ance. Avoid obstacles if possible.
against the tyres. This causes the vehicle to ! When driving the vehicle on rough terrain,
be pushed forwards at the speed of the road ensure that the drive wheels always have
finishing machine. sufficient traction. Avoid wheelspin of the
Shift the level control to road paver operation drive wheels. You could otherwise damage
(Y page 286). the differential gear system.
For most road pavers, the optimal road paver Driving off-road increases the possibility of
roller position is preset. The road paver rollers damage to the vehicle, which may cause
should touch the approach plate roughly in assemblies or systems to fail. Adapt your
the centre. driving style to the conditions of the terrain.
Do not use the parking brake in overrun mode Drive carefully. Have vehicle damage rectified
and only perform slight adaptive braking with immediately at a qualified specialist work-
the service brake. shop.
Z
296 Driving tips

When driving off-road, substances such as Rules for off-road driving

dirt, sand, mud and water or water mixed with
oil may get into the brakes. This may lead to a G WARNING
reduction in braking performance or total If you drive over obstacles or in ruts, the steer-
brake failure as a result of increased wear. ing wheel may jerk out of your grip, causing
The braking characteristics will vary depend- injury to your hands.
ing on the substances that get into the Always hold the steering wheel firmly with
brakes. Clean the brakes after driving off- both hands. When driving over obstacles, you
road. If you notice grinding noises or a reduc- must expect steering forces to increase
tion in braking performance, have the brake briefly and suddenly.
system checked at a qualified specialist work-
shop immediately. Adapt your driving style to G WARNING
suit the altered braking characteristics. When driving off-road or driving with an
engaged differential lock in the automatic
Driving mode

Checklist before driving off-road driving program, the electronic management

X
system may perform unwanted gear changes.
Check the fuel and AdBlue® supplies
Due to the interruption in the tractive power,
(Y page 139) and top up (Y page 305).
the vehicle may roll backwards on uphill
X Engine: check the oil level (Y page 159)
slopes, for instance. There is a risk of an acci-
and top up the oil (Y page 354). dent.
Before driving up or down steep gradients, Always drive carefully and be prepared to
fill the oil to the maximum level. brake. In particularly difficult driving condi-
i If you drive up or down steep gradients, tions, switch to the manual driving program.
the 4 symbol may appear in an event
window on the on-board computer. The On gradients and inclines, always follow the
engine operating safety is not put at risk if line of fall and avoid changing gear. Drive up
you have filled the engine oil to the maxi- gradients without stopping until you are at the
mum level before the journey. top of the hill. If your vehicle is unable to cope
X
with the gradient, stop. Shift into reverse gear
Vehicle tool kit: check that the jack is
and allow the vehicle to slowly roll backwards.
working (Y page 366).
Vehicles with an automated transmission: the
X Make sure that a wheel bolt wrench,
vehicle has a selectable crawler mode. When
wooden underlay for the jack, a robust tow
crawler mode is activated, the vehicle crawls
cable and a folding spade are carried in the
automatically when the service brake is
vehicle.
released and continues rolling at the engine
X Tyres and wheels: check tread depth
idling speed (Y page 252). When driving in
(Y page 398) and tyre pressure difficult terrain or on journeys with the differ-
(Y page 401). ential gears engaged, drive carefully and be
X Driver's seat: block horizontal springing. ready to brake. Select the offroad gearshift
X Mud flaps: fold the mud flaps forward and program adapted for off-road driving. In par-
attach them. ticularly difficult driving conditions, switch to
X Folding underride guard: fold the under- the manual driving program. This enables you
ride guard to the off-road position to initiate the gear selection process man-
(Y page 293). ually, according to the driving conditions, and
to avoid interruptions in the tractive power.
X Securely stow away all loose objects.
X Securely fasten the load.
 Driving tips 297

X Secure bulk material (e.g. sand or gravel) Driving on inclines

with slip-on walls or covers to prevent it
slipping. G WARNING
X Secure add-on and attached equipment, If you drive up a steep incline at an angle or
such as tipper bodies or loading cranes, turn on a steep incline, the vehicle could slip
against inadvertent activation and move- sideways, tip and overturn. There is a risk of
ment. Observe the operating instructions an accident.
given by the body and equipment manufac- When driving up an incline, drive into the line
turer. of fall (upwards or downwards in a straight
X Close the side windows (Y page 71). line) and do not turn.
X Vehicles with level control: raise the chas-
Do not shift the transmission into neutral on
sis frame (Y page 287). downhill gradients.
X Vehicles with automated transmission:
X If the vehicle is being driven up or down a

Driving mode
select the offroad gearshift program or slope and it begins to tilt, steer the vehicle
activate the manual drive program into the line of the fall immediately.
(Y page 250).
Only drive over embankments and on
X Deactivate ASR (Y page 261) or Stability
slopes along the line of fall.
Control Assist (Y page 262).
X Only brake once the vehicle is on the line of
X Deactivate ABS (Y page 239).
fall.
X Engage the differential lock if the traction is
X Slowly depress the brake pedal if the
insufficient (Y page 263). engine's braking effect is insufficient when
X Vehicles with automated transmission: to driving downhill.
rock the vehicle free from a deep rut: acti-
vate the rocking free function.
Checklist after driving off-road
X Always keep the engine running and in gear
while driving. ! Parts of plants or branches which have
X Drive slowly and smoothly. It may often be become trapped may damage the following
necessary to drive at walking pace. components:
X Make sure that the wheels remain in con- Rfuel lines
tact with the ground. Rbrake lines
X Drive with extreme care over unknown ter- Raxle joints
rain where you can only see for a short dis- Rdrive shafts
tance. As a precaution, get out of the vehi-
X Activate ASR (Y page 261) or Stability Con-
cle to take a look at the route to be taken
first. trol Assist (Y page 262).
X Switch on ABS (Y page 239).
X Watch out for obstacles such as rocks,
holes, tree stumps and ruts. X Disengage the differential lock

X If possible, always drive over obstacles with

(Y page 263).
the wheels of one side of the vehicle. This X Vehicles with automated transmission:

means damage to the vehicle is avoided. select the drive program for on-road driving
(Y page 250).
X Test the brakes.
X Check the headlamps and tail lamps for
damage.
X Check for damage to the tyres.

Z
298 Driving tips

X Replace buckled or damaged wheels. on public roads. Remove any trapped foreign
X Replace missing valve caps and valve bodies.
extensions. Dirt and mud on the tyres and on the road
X Check and adjust the tyre pressure surface reduce road grip, particularly if the
(Y page 401). road surface is wet. This could cause your
X Check whether parts of plants or branches vehicle to start to skid. Always clean your
have become trapped. vehicle carefully after every journey off-road
or on a construction site and before journeys
X Check the entire vehicle underside, brakes,
on public roads.
steering, chassis and exhaust system for
damage. Clean the following vehicle parts after a jour-
X Check the engine oil level (Y page 159).
ney off-road or on a construction site:
X Fold the folding underride guard to the road Rlighting system
position (Y page 293). Rside windows and windscreen
Driving mode

X Fold down the mud flaps. Rexterior mirrors

X Observe the notes on cleaning after driving Rsteps

off-road or on construction sites. Rdoor sills
Rgrab handles
Cleaning after driving off-road or on Rwheels and tyres
construction sites Rwheel housing and mudguard
! Only direct the compressed-air, steam or Rsteering
water jet towards the radiator surface in a Raxles
vertical direction. Ensure that the radiator Rbrakes
fins are not damaged. Remove any dirt from
Rspring elements
the radiator fins. Damaged or dirty radiator
Rchassis
fins can cause the engine to overheat. If
there is a loss of coolant or damage to the Rlicence plate
cooling and heating system, have it Rengine
checked at a qualified specialist workshop. Rengine radiator

! When using a high-pressure cleaner, keep Rtransmission

a minimum distance of approximately Roil cooler (transmission)
30 cm between the high pressure nozzle X Clean wheels, tyres and wheel housings
and the vehicle parts. Do not use a high- and remove foreign objects, e.g. stones.
pressure cleaner with a round jet nozzle.
Parts of the vehicle or engine can otherwise After operation in mud, sand, water or after
be damaged. exposure to similar dirty conditions:
Foreign bodies that have become trapped can X Clean the brake discs, brake linings, wheels
be expelled during the journey, e.g. stones in and axle joints and check them for damage.
the tyre tread or between the tyres (twin X Lubricate the axle joints. Observe the infor-
tyres). This could cause other road users to be mation in the Maintenance Booklet.
injured or vehicles — especially the wind- X Test the brakes while paying attention to
screens — to be damaged. the road and traffic conditions.
Check the tyres for foreign bodies that have
become trapped after every journey off-road
or on a construction site and before journeys