141 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission*
Gear selector lever position
Effect
P
Park position
Selector position when the vehicle
is parked. Only place selector lever
in positionP when vehicle is
stopped. The park position is not in-
tended to serve as a brake when
the vehicle is parked. Rather, the
driver should always set the park-
ing brake in addition to placing the
selector lever in positionP to se-
cure the vehicle.
The key can only be removed from
the starter switch with the selector
lever in positionP. With the key re-
moved the selector lever is locked
in positionP.
Effect
R
Reverse gear
Place selector lever in positionR
only when vehicle is stopped.
N
Neutral
No power is transmitted from the
engine to the drive axle. When the
brakes are released, the vehicle
can be moved freely (pushed or
towed).
To avoid damage to the transmis-
sion, never engageN while driving.
If ESP is deactivated or malfunc-
tioning:
Only move selector lever toN if the
vehicle is in danger of skidding (e.g.
on icy roads).
D
Drive
The transmission shifts automati-
cally. All five forward gears are
available.
!Coasting the vehicle, or driving for any
other reason with selector lever inN
can result in transmission damage that
is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.Warning!
G
Getting out of your vehicle with the selector
lever not fully engaged in positionP is dan-
gerous. Also, positionP alone is not intend-
ed to or capable of preventing your vehicle
from moving, possibly hitting people or ob-
jects.
Always set the parking brake in addition to
shifting to positionP (
page 51).
When parked on an incline, turn the front
wheels towards the road curb.
143 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission*
Accelerator position
Your driving style influences the transmis-
sion’s shifting behavior:
Less throttle Earlier upshifting
More throttle Later upshiftingKickdown
Use kickdown when you want maximum
acceleration.
Press the accelerator past the point of
resistance.
The transmission shifts into a lower
gear.
Ease on the accelerator when you have
reached the desired speed.
The transmission shifts up again.Emergency operation (Limp Home
Mode)
If vehicle acceleration worsens or the
transmission no longer shifts, the trans-
mission is most likely operating in limp
home (emergency operation) mode. In this
mode only second gear and reverse gear
can be activated.
Stop the vehicle.
Move selector lever toP.
Turn off the engine.
Wait at least ten seconds before
restarting.
Restart the engine.
Move selector lever to positionD (for
second gear) orR.
Have the transmission checked at an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center as
soon as possible.
175 Controls in detail
Audio system
Cassette eject
Press the eject button
3
.
The display will fold down and the cas-
sette will be ejected. The system will
switch back to radio mode automatical-
ly.
Fold the display back up.Track search
Track search forward
Press the
f
button.
SEEK FWD
will appear in the display. The
track search will run the tape forward
to the start of the next track and switch
to play.Track search backward
Press the
e
button.
SEEK RWD
will appear on the display.
The track search will run the tape back-
ward to the start of the track currently
playing and switch to play.
Stopping track search
Press the
d
, c
, f
or
e
button.
The cassette will switch over to Play.
iThe cassette will not be ejected when
the system is switched off or switched
to another operating mode.
iThe cassette will not be ejected when
the system is switched off or switched
to another operating mode.
176 Controls in detailAudio systemScanning
Press the
2
button.
SC will appear on the display.
Each track on the cassette will be
played briefly in ascending order.
Stopping scan:
Press the
2
, d
, c
, f
or
e
button.
The system will switch to Play.Fast forward/reverse
Starting cassette fast forward mode:
Press the
d
button.
FORWARD
will appear on the display.
Starting cassette fast reverse mode:
Press the
c
button.
REWIND
will appear on the display.
The cassette will automatically switch over
to the play mode at the end or beginning of
the tape.Stopping the cassette fast forward/re-
verse mode:
Press the
d
, c
, f
or
e
button.
The cassette will switch over to the
play mode.
187 Controls in detail
Power windows
Power windows
Opening and closing the windows
The side windows can be opened and
closed electrically. The switches for all the
side windows are on the driver’s door. The
switches for the respective windows are
on the front passenger and the rear doors.
1Left front window
2Right front window
3Switch for rear door window override
(
page 71)
4Right rear window
5Left rear window
Turn key in the starter switch to
position1 or2.
Opening the windows
Press switch to resistance point.
The window will move downwards until
you release the switch.
Closing the windows
Pull on switch.
The window will move upwards until
you release the switch.
Warning!
G
When closing the windows, make sure that
there is no danger of anyone being harmed
by the closing procedure.
The closing of the door windows can be im-
mediately halted by releasing the switch or,
if switch was pulled past the resistance
point and released, by either pressing or
pulling the respective switch.
If the window encounters an obstruction
that blocks its path in a circumstance where
you pulled the switch past the resistance
point and released it to close the window,
the automatic reversal function will stop the
window and open it slightly.
If the window encounters an obstruction
that blocks its path in a circumstance where
you are closing the window by pulling the
switch and holding it there, or by pressing
and holding button
‹
on the SmartKey,
the automatic reversal function will not
operate.
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
key from starter switch, take it with you, and
lock your vehicle. Do not leave children
unattended in the vehicle, or with access to
an unlocked vehicle. Unsupervised use of
vehicle equipment can cause an accident
and/or serious personal injury.
209 Controls in detail
Useful features
You can take and place telephone calls us-
ing the
í
and
ì
buttons on the
steering wheel. To carry out other tele-
phone functions, use the control system
(
page 111).
See separate operating manual for instruc-
tions on how to use the telephone.
Tele Aid*
Warning!
G
Please do not forget that your primary re-
sponsibility is to drive the vehicle. A driver’s
attention to the road must always be
his /her primary focus when driving. For
your safety and the safety of others, we rec-
o m m e n d t h a t y o u p u l l o v e r t o a s a f e l o c a t i o n
and stop before placing or taking a tele-
phone call.
If you choose to use the telephone
1 while
driving, please use the hands-free device
and only use the telephone when road,
weather and traffic conditions permit. Some
jurisdictions prohibit the driver from using a
cellular telephone while driving a vehicle.
Only operate the COMAND* (Cockpit Man-
agement and Data System)
1 if road, weather
and traffic conditions permit.
Bear in mind that at a speed of just 30 mph
(approximately 50 km / h), your vehicle is
covering a distance of approx. 44 feet (ap-
proximately 13.5 m) every second.
1Observe all legal requirements.
Warning!
G
Some jurisdictions prohibit the driver from
using a cellular telephone while driving a ve-
hicle. Whether or not prohibited by law, for
safety reasons, the driver should not use the
cellular telephone while the vehicle is in mo-
tion.
Stop the vehicle in a safe location before an-
swering or placing a call.
!The initial activation of the Tele Aid
system may only be performed by
completing the subscriber agreement
and placing an acquaintance call using
the SOS button. Failure to complete
either of these steps will result in a
system that is not activated. If the
system is not activated, the indicator
lamp in the SOS button stays on after
turning key in starter switch to
position2 and the message
TELE AID
– NOT ACTIVATED
will be shown in the
multifunction display for approx. ten
seconds.
If you have any questions regarding ac-
tivation, please call the Response Cen-
ter at 1-800-756-9018 (in the USA) or
1-888-923-8367 (in Canada).
215 Controls in detail
Useful features
Upgrade signals
The Tele Aid system processes calls using
the following priority:
Automatic emergency – First priority
Manual emergency – Second priority
Roadside assistance – Third priority
Information – Fourth priority
Should a higher priority call be initiated
while you are connected, an upgrade (al-
ternating) tone will be heard, and the ap-
propriate indicator lamp will flash. If
certain information such as vehicle identi-
fication number or customer information is
not available, the operator may need to re-
transmit.
During this time you will hear a beep and
voice contact will be interrupted. Voice
contact will resume once the retransmis-
sion is completed. Once a call is conclud-
ed, a beep will be heard and the
appropriate indicator lamp will stop flash-
ing. The COMAND* system operation will
resume. See system self-check (
page 210)
when the indicator lamp does not light
up in red or stays on longer than ap-
proximately ten seconds.
If the indicator lamp in the Information
button
¡
is illuminated continuous-
ly and there was no voice connection to
the Response Center established, then
the Tele Aid system could not initiate
an Information call (e.g. the relevant
cellular phone network is not avail-
able). The message
INFO –
CALL FAILED
appears in the multifunc-
tion display.
Information calls can be terminated us-
ing the
ì
button on the multifunc-
tion steering wheel.
!If the indicator lamps do not start flash-
ing after pressing one of the buttons or
remain illuminated (in red) at any time,
the Tele Aid system has detected a
fault or the service is not currently ac-
tive, and may not initiate a call. Visit
your Mercedes-Benz Center and have
the system checked or contact the Re-
sponse Center at 1-800-756-9018 (in
the USA) or 1-888-923-8367 (in Cana-
da) as soon as possible.
235 Operation
Engine compartment
Engine compartment
Hood
Opening
1Hood release
Pull lever1 downwards.
The hood is unlocked and handle2 will
extend out of the radiator grill. 2Handle for opening the hood
Pull handle2 to its stop out of radiator
grill.
Pull up on the hood (do not pull up on
the handle) and then release it.
The hood will be automatically held
open at shoulder height by gas-filled
struts.
Warning!
G
Do not pull the release lever while the vehi-
cle is in motion. Otherwise the hood could
be forced open by passing air flow.
!To avoid damage to the windshield wip-
ers or hood, never open the hood if the
wiper arms are folded forward away
from the windshield.
Warning!
G
To help prevent personal injury, stay clear of
moving parts when the hood is open and the
engine is running. Make sure the hood is
properly closed before driving. When closing
the hood, use extreme caution not to catch
hands or fingers.
The radiator fan may continue to run for ap-
proximately 30 seconds or even restart af-
ter the engine has been turned off. Stay
clear of fan blades.Warning!
G
If you see flames or smoke coming from the
engine compartment, or if the coolant tem-
perature gauge indicates that the engine is
overheated, do not open the hood. Move
away from vehicle and do not open the hood
until the engine has cooled. If necessary,
call the fire department.