Page 27 of 435
26 At a glanceCenter consoleLower part
Item
Page
1
KEYLESS-GO* start / stop
button
33
2
Gear selector lever for
automatic transmission
43
3
PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF
indicator lamp
71
4
Thumbwheel for setting
distance in Distronic*
213
5
Distance warning func-
tion* on / off switch
213
6
Lower storage compart-
ments
232
7
Program mode selector for
automatic transmission
170
Page 33 of 435

32 Getting startedUnlockingUnlocking with KEYLESS-GO*
If your vehicle is equipped with the
KEYLESS-GO function, your vehicle checks
whether the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO is
valid when you grasp the door handle. If
your SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO is valid,
the doors will unlock, and you can open
them.
The function of the SmartKey overrules the
KEYLESS-GO function.
Grasp the outside door handle.
All turn signal lamps flash once. The
locking knobs in the doors move up.
If the SmartKey is inside the vehicle, press-
ing the KEYLESS-GO start/stop button on
the gear selector lever corresponds to
turning the SmartKey to the various starter
switch positions.iTo unlock the vehicle, the SmartKey
with KEYLESS-GO must be outside the
vehicle, no further than approximately
3 feet (1 meter) away from the door.
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch, take the
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO with you and
lock your vehicle. Do not leave children un-
attended in the vehicle, or with access to an
unlocked vehicle. Unsupervised use of vehi-
cle equipment may cause an accident
and/or serious personal injury.
Page 34 of 435

33 Getting started
Unlocking
1KEYLESS-GO start/stop button
Before you press the KEYLESS-GO
start/stop button1, the vehicle’s
on-board electronics have status 0 (as with
SmartKey removed).The SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO must be
located in the vehicle.
Make sure the gear selector lever is set
toP.
Do not depress the brake pedal.
Position 1
Press the KEYLESS-GO start/stop
button1 once.
This supplies power to some electrical
consumers, such as seat adjustment.Ignition (or position 2)
Press the KEYLESS-GO start/stop
button1 twice.
This supplies power to all electrical
consumers. All the lamps in the instru-
ment cluster come on.
For more information, see “SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO*” (
page 91).
For information on starting the engine us-
ing the KEYLESS-GO start/stop button,
see “Starting with KEYLESS-GO*”
(
page 44).
iIf you now press the KEYLESS-GO
start/stop button
once again, the ignition (position2)
is switched on
twice, the power supply is again
switched off
iIf you now press the KEYLESS-GO
start/stop button once, the power sup-
ply is again switched off.
Page 45 of 435

44 Getting startedDrivingStarting with KEYLESS-GO*
You can start your vehicle without the
SmartKey in the starter switch using the
KEYLESS-GO start/stop button on the
gear selector lever.
The SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO must be
located in the vehicle.
1KEYLESS-GO start/stop button
Make sure the gear selector lever is set
toP.
Depress the brake pedal during the
starting procedure. Do not depress ac-
celerator.
The gear selector lever lock is released.
Press KEYLESS-GO start/stop
button1 once.
The engine starts automatically if the
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO is in the
vehicle .
For information on turning off the engine
with KEYLESS-GO, see “Turning off the en-
gine with KEYLESS-GO*” (
page 54).Starting difficulties
If the engine does not start as described,
carry out the following steps:
If you are starting the engine with the
SmartKey, turn SmartKey in starter
switch to position0 and repeat starting
procedure.
If you are starting the engine with
KEYLESS-GO: Close any doors that
may be open to allow for better detec-
tion of the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO.
or:
Start the engine with the SmartKey as
radio signals from another source may
be interfering with the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO.
Page 50 of 435

49 Getting started
Driving
Single wipe
Press switch briefly in the direction of
arrow1.
The windshield wipers wipe one time
without washer fluid.Wiping with windshield washer fluid
Press switch in the direction of
arrow1 past the resistance point.
The windshield wiper operates with
washer fluid.
For information on filling up the washer
reservoir, see “Windshield washer system
and headlamp cleaning system*”
(
page 281).
!Do not leave windshield wipers in inter-
mittent setting when vehicle is taken to
an automatic car wash or during wind-
shield cleaning. Wipers will operate in
the presence of water sprayed on the
windshield, and wipers may be dam-
aged as a result.
The switch should not be left in inter-
mittent setting as the wipers will wipe
the windshield once every time the en-
gine is started. Dust that accumulates
on the windshield might scratch the
glass and/or damage the wiper blades
when wiping occurs on a dry wind-
shield.
!If anything blocks the windshield wip-
ers (leaves, snow, etc.), switch them off
immediately.
For safety reasons,
turn off the engine by turning
the SmartKey to position0 and
withdraw SmartKey from starter
switch
or
turn off the engine by pressing the
KEYLESS-GO* start/stop button
and open the driver’s door (with the
driver’s door open, starter switch is
in position0, same as with
SmartKey removed from starter
switch)
before attempting to remove any block-
age.
Remove blockage.
Turn the windshield wipers on
again.
If windshield wipers fail to function at
all in switch positionI,
set the combination switch to the
next highest wiper speed
have the windshield wipers
checked at the nearest authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center
Page 52 of 435

51 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 SmartKey from the starter
switch. The vehicle cannot be steered when
the SmartKey is removed.Warning!
G
With the engine not running, there is no
power assistance for the brake and the
steering systems. In this case, it is impor-
tant to keep in mind that a considerably
higher degree of effort is necessary to brake
and steer the vehicle.
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 vehicle movement, before turning off
the engine and leaving the vehicle always:
Keep right foot on brake pedal.
Firmly depress parking brake pedal.
Move the gear selector lever to
positionP.
Slowly release brake pedal.
When parked on an incline, turn front
wheel towards the road curb.
Turn the SmartKey to starter switch
position0 and remove, or press
start / stop button (vehicles with
KEYLESS-GO*).
Take the SmartKey or the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* and lock vehicle when
leaving.
Page 55 of 435

54 Getting startedParking and lockingFor more information, see “Locking and
unlocking” (
page 88).Turning off the engine with
KEYLESS-GO*
Place the gear selector lever in
positionP.
Press the KEYLESS-GO start/stop
button to shut off the engine.
With the driver's door closed, the start-
er switch is now in position1. With the
driver’s door opened, the starter switch
is set to position0, same as SmartKey
removed from starter switch
(page 31).
Press the seat belt release button
(page 41).
Allow the retractor to completely re-
wind the seat belt by guiding the latch
plate.
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch and lock
your vehicle. Do not leave children unat-
tended in the vehicle, or with access to an
unlocked vehicle. Unsupervised use of vehi-
cle equipment may cause an accident
and/or serious injury.
!If you hear a warning signal, you have
either
forgotten to turn off the lights be-
fore opening the driver’s door
or
tried to turn off the engine while the
gear selector lever is not inP.
Turn off the lights or place the gear se-
lector lever inP.
Warning!
G
To prevent possible personal injury, always
keep hands and fingers away from the door
openings when closing the doors. Be espe-
cially careful when small children are
around.
Before closing doors, make sure there is no
possibility of someone getting caught in a
door during closing.
Page 59 of 435

58 Safety and SecurityOccupant safety
Occupant safetyIn this section you will learn the most im-
portant facts about the restraint systems
of the vehicle.
The restraint systems are:
Seat belts
Emergency tensioning device
Airbags
Child seats
Child seat recognition
Lower anchors and tethers for children
(LATCH)
As independent systems, their protective
effects work in conjunction with each oth-
er.The 1 indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster comes on
for about four seconds when you turn
the SmartKey in the starter switch to
position1 or press the KEYLESS-GO*
start/stop button once. It then goes
out briefly, comes on again and re-
mains lit until you start the engine.
for about four seconds when you start
the engine by turning the SmartKey or
pressing the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop
button.The restraint systems are fully operational
if the 1 indicator lamp is not lit when
the engine is running.
A malfunction in the system has been de-
tected if the1 indicator lamp:
fails to extinguish after approximately
four seconds.
does not come on at all.
comes on after the engine was started
or while driving.
For safety reasons, we strongly recom-
mend that you visit an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center immediately to
have the system checked.
For more information, see “Practical hints”
(
page 303).
iFor information on infants and children
traveling with you in the vehicle and re-
straint systems for infants and chil-
dren, see “Children in the vehicle”
(page 69).
iThe 1 indicator lamp remains lit if
the SmartKey is turned to position 2
and left there or the KEYLESS-GO*
start/stop button is pressed twice. The
indicator lamp will go out when you
start the engine.