Page 26 of 384
26 At a glanceCenter consoleLower part
Item
Page
1
KEYLESS-GO* start / stop
button
33, 43
2
Selector lever for
automatic transmission
43,
145
3
PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF
indicator lamp
65
4
Thumbwheel for setting
distance in Distronic*
187
5
Distance warning func-
tion* on / off switch
187
6
Program mode selector for
automatic transmission
147
Page 28 of 384
28 At a glanceDoor control panel
Door control panel
Item
Page
1
Door handle
87
2
Memory function (for stor-
ing seat, mirror and steer-
ing wheel settings)
105
3
Seat heating
103
Seat ventilation*
102
4
Seat adjustment
34, 96
5
Exterior mirror adjustment
38,
151
Item
Page
6
Switches for opening /
closing front door windows
169
7
Rear window
override switch
69
8
Switches for opening /
closing rear windows
169
9
Remote trunk lid release
switch
88
Trunk lid opening / closing
system* switch
91
Page 34 of 384
34 Getting startedAdjusting
AdjustingSeatsWarning!
G
All seat, head restraint, steering wheel, and
rear view mirror adjustments, as well as fas-
tening of seat belts, must be done before
the vehicle is put into motion.Warning!
G
Do not adjust the driver’s seat while driving.
Adjusting the seat while driving could cause
the driver to lose control of the vehicle.
Never ride in a moving vehicle with the seat
back reclined. Sitting in an extremely re-
clined position can be dangerous. You could
slide under the seat belt in a collision. If you
slide under it, the belt would apply force at
the abdomen or neck. That could cause se-
rious or fatal injuries. The seat back and seat
belts provide the best restraint when the
wearer is in an upright position and belts are
properly positioned on the body.
Your seat must be adjusted so that you can
correctly fasten your seat belt.
Never place hands under the seat or near
any moving parts while a seat is being ad-
justed.Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
key from the starter switch, take the KEY-
LESS-GO* card with you, and lock your vehi-
cle.
The power seats can also be operated with
the driver’s or passenger door open. Do not
leave children unattended in the vehicle, or
with access to an unlocked vehicle. Unsu-
pervised use of vehicle equipment may
cause an accident and/or serious personal
injury.
Warning!
G
Children 12 years old and under must never
ride in the front seat, except in a
Mercedes-Benz authorized BabySmart
TM
compatible child seat, which operates with
the BabySmart
TM system installed in the ve-
hicle to deactivate the front passenger air-
bag when it is properly installed. Otherwise
they will be struck by the airbag when it in-
flates in a crash. If this happens, serious or
fatal injury will result.
According to accident statistics, children
are safer when properly restrained in the
rear seating positions than in the front seat-
ing positions. Infants and small children
must ride in back seats and be seated in an
appropriate infant or child restraint system,
which is properly secured with the vehicle's
seat belt and top tether strap, or secured via
lower anchors and top tether strap, fully in
accordance with the child seat manufactur-
er’s instructions.
Page 36 of 384
36 Getting startedAdjustingHead restraint height
Press the switch up or down in the di-
rection of arrow1.
Seat height
Press the switch up or down in the di-
rection of arrow2.
Seat cushion tilt
Press the switch up or down in the di-
rection of arrow3 until your upper legs
are lightly supported.Seat cushion depth
Press the switch forward or backward
in the direction of arrow4 until your
legs are supported comfortably.
Seat fore and aft adjustment
Press the switch forward or backward
in the direction of arrow5.
Adjust to a comfortable seating posi-
tion that still allows you to reach the
accelerator / brake pedal safely. The
position should be as far to the rear as
possible, corresponding to the driver’s
ability to properly operate the controls.Seat backrest tilt
Press the switch forward or backward
in the direction of arrow6 until your
arms are slightly angled when holding
the steering wheel.
Head restraint tilt
Manually adjust the angle of the head
restraint. Push or pull on the lower
edge of the head restraint cushion.
Warning!
G
For your protection, drive only with properly
positioned head restraints.
Adjust head restraint to support the back of
the head approximately at ear level.
Do not drive the vehicle without the seat
head restraints. Head restraints are intend-
ed to help reduce injuries during an acci-
dent.
iWhen moving the seat, be sure that
there are no items in the footwell or be-
hind the seats. Otherwise you could
damage the seats.
Page 37 of 384
37 Getting started
Adjusting
More information can be found in the
“Controls in detail” section (
page 97).
Steering wheel Steering wheel adjustment
The stalk for steering wheel adjustment is
located on the steering column (lower left).
1Steering column, lengthen or shorten
2Steering column, height
Turn the key in the starter switch to
position1or2.
or
Press the KEYLESS GO* start/stop
button once or twice.
or
Open the driver’s or passenger door.
iThe front passenger seat head restraint
automatically lowers after a few sec-
onds when the front passenger seat is
not occupied.This improves the driver's
outward view as well as the forward
view from the rear passenger compart-
ment.
When the front passenger seat is occu-
pied again, the front passenger head
restraint returns to the last set position
within a few seconds.
If the front passenger seat was moved
fore or aft while not being occupied,
the front passenger seat head restraint
returns to a position that corresponds
best with the seat's axial position when
the seat is occupied again.
Warning!
G
Do not adjust the steering wheel while driv-
ing. Adjusting the steering wheel while driv-
ing could cause the driver to lose control of
the vehicle.
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
key from the starter switch, and take the
KEYLESS-GO
* card with you.
The steering wheel adjustment feature can
also be operated with the driver’s door
open. Do not leave children unattended in
the vehicle, or with access to an unlocked
vehicle. Unsupervised use of vehicle equip-
ment may cause an accident and/or serious
personal injury.
Page 38 of 384
38 Getting startedAdjustingSteering column, lengthen or shorten
Move stalk forward or backward in the
direction of arrow 1 until a comfortable
steering wheel position is reached with
your arms slightly bent at the elbow.
Steering column, height
Move the stalk up or down in the direc-
tion of arrow 2. Make sure that your
legs can move freely and that all the
displays (including malfunction and in-
dicator lamps) on the instrument clus-
ter are clearly visible.
Please refer to “Controls in detail” for in-
formation on the heated steering wheel*
(
page 208).
Mirrors
Adjust the inside and exterior rear view
mirrors before driving so that you have a
good view of the road and traffic condi-
tions.Inside rear view mirror
Manually adjust the inside rear view
mirror.
Exterior rear view mirror
Warning!
G
In the case of an accident liquid electrolyte
may escape the mirror housing if the mirror
glass breaks.
Electrolyte has an irritating effect. Do not al-
low the liquid to come into contact with
eyes, skin, clothing, or respiratory system.
In case it does, immediately flush affected
area with water, and seek medical help if
necessary.
Warning!
G
Exercise care when using the passenger
side exterior rear view mirror. The mirror
surface is convex (outwardly curved surface
for a wider field of view). Objects in mirror
are closer than they appear. Check your in-
side rear view mirror or glance over your
shoulder before changing lanes.
Page 46 of 384
46 Getting startedDrivingSwitching on headlampsExterior lamp switch1Off
2Low beam headlamps on
Turn the switch to
B
.More information can be found in the
“Controls in detail” section (
page 108).
Turn signals and high beam
The combination switch is on the left of the
steering column.Combination switch1Turn signals, right
2Turn signals, left
Press the combination switch up1 or
down2.High beam
Push the combination switch forward.
The high beam headlights are switched
on.
The high beam symbol
A
in the
tachometer lights up.
More information can be found in the
“Controls in detail” section (
page 111).
Warning!
G
On slippery road surfaces, never downshift
in order to obtain braking action. This could
result in drive wheel slip and reduced vehi-
cle control. Your vehicle’s ABS will not pre-
vent this type of loss of control.
iTo signal minor directional changes,
e.g. passing or changing lanes, move
combination switch to point of resis-
tance only and release. The turn signal
blinks three times.
Page 49 of 384
49 Getting started
Parking and locking
Parking and locking
You have now completed your first drive.
You have properly stopped and parked
your vehicle. End your drive as follows:Warning!
G
Wait until the vehicle is stationary before re-
moving the key from the starter switch. The
vehicle cannot be steered when the key is
removed.Warning!
G
With the engine not running, there is no
power assistance for the brake and steering
systems. In this case, it is important to keep
in mind that a considerably higher degree of
effort is necessary to brake or steer the ve-
hicle.
Warning!
G
Do not park this vehicle in areas where com-
bustible materials such as grass, hay or
leaves can come into contact with the hot
exhaust system, as these materials could be
ignited and cause a vehicle fire.
To reduce the risk of personal injury as a re-
sult of inadvertent vehicle movement, be-
fore turning off the engine and leaving the
vehicle always:
Keep right foot firmly on brake pedal.
Firmly depress parking brake pedal.
Move the selector lever to positionP.
Slowly release brake pedal.
When parked on an incline, turn front
wheels towards the road curb.
Turn the key to starter switch position0
and remove, or press start / stop button
(vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*).
Take the key or the KEYLESS-GO* card
and lock vehicle when leaving.
