Operating Safety - Mercedes-Benz V-Class 2021 Owner's Manual

18 General notes
your vehicle that was available at the time of
going to press. Country-specific differences are
possible. Note that your vehicle may not be fitted
with all functions described. This is also the case
for systems and functions relevant to safety.
Therefore, the equipment on your vehicle may dif‐
fer from that in the descriptions and illustrations.
The original purchase agreement documentation
for your vehicle contains a list of all the systems
in your vehicle.
Should you have any questions concerning equip‐
ment and operation, consult a Mercedes-Benz
Service Centre.
The Operating Instructions and Service Booklet
are important documents and should be kept in
the vehicle.
Note on vehicles which are equipped by body
manufacturers
Always observe the body manufacturer's Operat‐
ing Instructions. You could otherwise fail to rec‐
ognise dangers.

Operating safety

& WARNING Risk of injury due to malfunc‐
tions or system failure
In order to avoid malfunctions or system fail‐
ures:
Always have the specified service/
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maintenance work as well as any neces‐
sary repairs carried out at a qualified
specialist workshop.
& WARNING Risk of accident or injury due
to improper modifications to electronic
components
Modifications to electronic components, their
software or wiring can impair their functional‐
ity and/or the functionality of other net‐
worked components or safety-relevant sys‐
tems.
This can endanger the vehicle's operating
safety.
You must not tamper with wiring, elec‐
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tronic components, or their software.
Always have work on electrical and elec‐
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tronic devices carried out at a qualified
specialist workshop.
If you make any changes to the on-board elec‐
tronics, the general operating permit is rendered
invalid.
Observe the "Vehicle electronics" section in
"Technical data".
& WARNING Risk of fire due to flammable
materials on hot parts of the exhaust sys‐
tem
Flammable material such as leaves, grass or
twigs may ignite if they come into contact
with hot parts of the exhaust system.
When driving on unpaved roads or off-
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road, regularly check the vehicle under‐
side.
Remove trapped plants or other flam‐
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mable material, in particular.
If there is damage, consult a qualified
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specialist workshop immediately.
* NOTE Damage to the vehicle due to driv‐
ing too fast and due to impacts to the
vehicle underbody or suspension compo‐
nents
In the following situations, in particular, there
is a risk of damage to the vehicle:
the vehicle becomes grounded, e.g. on a
R
high kerb or an unpaved road
the vehicle is driven too fast over an
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obstacle, e.g. a kerb, speed bump or pot‐
hole
a heavy object strikes the underbody or
R
suspension components
In situations such as these, damage to the
body, underbody, suspension components,
wheels or tyres may not be visible. Compo‐
nents damaged in this way can unexpectedly
fail or, in the case of an accident, may no lon‐
ger absorb the resulting force as intended.
If the underbody panelling is damaged, flam‐
mable materials such as leaves, grass or
twigs can collect between the underbody and
the underbody panelling. These materials may
ignite if they come into contact with hot parts
of the exhaust system.
Have the vehicle checked and repaired
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immediately at a qualified specialist
workshop.
or