ContentsSafety and Security........................... 59
Occupant safety................................... 60 Air bags .......................................... 61
Seat belts ....................................... 66
Children in the vehicle .................... 70
Panic alarm* ........................................ 80 Activating ....................................... 80
Deactivating ................................... 80
Driving safety systems ......................... 81 ABS ................................................ 81
BAS ................................................ 82
ESP ................................................. 83
Anti-theft systems................................ 86 Immobilizer..................................... 86
Anti-theft alarm system* ................ 86
Tow-away alarm* ........................... 87
Controls in detail ............................... 89
Locking and unlocking ......................... 90 SmartKey ....................................... 90
Opening the doors from the inside . 94
Opening the trunk lid ..................... 95
Closing the trunk lid ....................... 95
Trunk lid emergency release .......... 96
Automatic central locking .............. 97
Locking and unlocking from the
inside ............................................. 98
Seats ................................................. 100 Easy-entry/exit feature* .............. 100
Removing and installing front seat
head restraints ............................. 102
Rear seat head restraints ............. 103
Seat heating* ............................... 106
Memory function* ............................. 107 Storing positions into memory ..... 108
Recalling positions from memory . 108
Storing exterior rear view mirror
parking position ........................... 109 Lighting ............................................. 110
Exterior lamp switch .................... 110
Combination switch ..................... 114
Cornering fog lamps*................... 114
Hazard warning flasher ................ 116
Interior lighting ............................ 117
Instrument cluster ............................. 119 Instrument cluster illumination .... 119
Coolant temperature gauge ......... 120
Trip odometer .............................. 121
Tachometer .................................. 121
Outside temperature indicator ..... 121
Control system .................................. 123 Multifunction display.................... 123
Multifunction steering wheel........ 124
Menus .......................................... 126
Standard display menu ................ 128
AUDIO menu ................................ 129
NAV* menu .................................. 131
Vehicle status message memory
menu............................................ 132
Settings menu .............................. 133
Trip computer menu..................... 151
TEL menu* ................................... 153
106 Controls in detailSeatsSeat heating*
The switches for the front seats are locat-
ed in the center console.1 Seat heating switch
2 Indicator lamps The red indicator lamps
2 on the switch
show the heating level selected:
Switch on the ignition (
page 33). Switching on seat heating
Press switch
1 twice.
Three red indicator lamps 2 in the
switch come on.
Continue pressing switch 1 until
desired seat heating level is reached.
Switching off seat heating
Press switch 1 repeatedly until all
indicator lamps 2 go out.
Level3
Three indicator lamps on.
After approximately 5 minutes,
seat heating is automatically
switched to level 2 .
2
Two indicator lamps on.
After approximately 10 minutes,
seat heating is automatically
switched to level 1.
1
One indicator lamp on.
After approximately 20 minutes,
seat heating is automatically
switched off.
off
No indicator lamp on.
iIf one or all of the indicator lamps 2
on the seat heating switch are flashing,
there is insufficient voltage due to too
many electrical consumers are turned
on. The seat heating switches off
automatically.
The seat heating will switch back on
again automatically as soon as
sufficient voltage is available.
177
Controls in detail
Climate control
Defrosting
Activating
Press button
P or0
(page 173).
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.
The air conditioning switches automatical-
ly to the following functions:
maximum blowing and heating
power
air flows onto the windshield and
the front side windows
the air recirculation mode is
switched off Deactivating
Press button
P or0
(page 173).
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out. Defrosting is turned off.
Air recirculation mode
Switch to air recirculation mode to prevent
unpleasant odors from entering the vehicle
from the outside. This setting cuts off the
intake of outside air and recirculates the
air in the passenger compartment. Activating
Press button
, (
page 173).
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.
iThese settings should only be selected
for a short time.
Warning!
G
When the outside temperature is
below 41°F (5°C), only switch to air
recirculation mode for short periods to
prevent window fogging.
Window fogging may impair visibility and
endanger you and others.
iIf you keep button , pressed the
side windows and panorama roof with
power tilt/sliding panel* will close.Warning!
G
Never operate the side windows and the
panorama roof with power tilt/sliding pan-
el* if there is the possibility of anyone being
harmed by the closing procedure.
Vehicles without panorama roof with power
tilt/sliding panel*:
In the event that the procedure causes
potential danger, the opening and closing of
the side windows can be immediately halted
by pressing or pulling the respective window
switch.
184 Controls in detailAutomatic climate control*The automatic climate control is operation-
al whenever the engine is running. You can
operate the climate control system in ei-
ther the automatic or manual mode. The
system cools or heats the interior depend-
ing on the selected interior temperature
and the current outside temperature.Nearly all dust particles, pollutants and
odors are filtered out before outside air
enters the passenger compartment
through the air distribution system.
The air conditioning will not engage (no
cooling) if the modeAC
OFF
is activated or
mode A/C is deactivated (page 192).
iFeature availability is based on prelimi-
nary information at time of printing.
The automatic climate control may not
be available as optional equipment on
all models.
Warning
G
When operating the automatic climate
control, the air that enters the passenger
compartment through the air vents in the
footwell can be very hot or very cold
(depending on the set temperature). This
may cause burns or frostbite on unprotected
skin in the immediate area of the air vents.
Always keep sufficient distance between
unprotected parts of the body and the foot-
well air vents. If necessary change the air
flow using the air distribution controls to
direct the air away from the footwell air
vents (
page 186).
Warning!
G
Follow the recommended settings for
heating and cooling given on the following
pages. Otherwise the windows could fog up,
impairing visibility and endangering you and
others.iSevere conditions (e.g. strong air
pollution) may require replacement of
the filter before its scheduled interval.
A clogged filter will reduce the air
volume to the interior.
If the vehicle interior is hot, ventilate
the interior before driving off, see
“Opening (Summer opening feature)”
(page 245).
Keep the air intake grille in front of the
windshield free of snow and debris.
Do not obstruct air flow by placing
objects on the air flow-through exhaust
slots below the rear window.
188 Controls in detailAutomatic climate control*Defrosting
Activating
Press buttonP or0
(page 183).
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.
The air conditioning switches
automatically to the following functions:
maximum blowing and heating
power
air flows onto the windshield and
the front side windows
the air recirculation mode is
switched off Deactivating
Press button
P or0
(page 183).
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out. Defrosting is turned off.
The previous settings are once again in
effect.
Maximum cooling MAXCOOL
If the left and right air distribution controls
as well as the airflow volume control are
set to U (
page 183) and there is a
high need for cooling, the display
“MAXCOOL” appears.
This provides the fastest possible cooling
of the vehicle interior (when side windows
and panorama roof with power tilt/sliding
panel* are closed).
iThese settings should only be selected
for a short time.
193
Controls in detail
Automatic climate control*
Activating
Moist air can fog up the windows. You can
dehumidify the air with the air condi-
tioning.
Automatic climate control panel
design A
Press button
° (
page 183) again.
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.
The cooling function is switched on.
Automatic climate control panel
design B
Press button 2 (
page 183) again.
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.
The cooling function is switched on.
The air conditioning uses the refrigerant
R134a. This refrigerant is free of CFCs
which are harmful to the ozone layer. Residual heat and ventilation
(available on automatic climate control
panel design A only)
With the engine switched off, it is possible
to continue to heat or ventilate the interior
for up to 30 minutes. This feature makes
use of the residual heat produced by the
engine.
Activating
Switch off the ignition (
page 58).
Press button
° (
page 183).
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on. Deactivating
Press button
° (
page 183).
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.
The residual heat is automatically turned
off:
when the ignition is switched on
after about 30 minutes
if the battery voltage drops
!If the air conditioning cannot be turned
on again, this indicates that the air
conditioning is losing refrigerant. The
compressor has turned itself off.
Have the air conditioning checked at
the nearest authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
iHow long the system will provide
heating depends on
the coolant temperature
the temperature set by the operator
The blower will run at speed setting 1
regardless of the air distribution
control setting.
259
Controls in detail
Useful features
Cigarette lighter
1 Cover plate
2 Cigarette lighter
Switch on the ignition (
page 33).
Briefly press the bottom of cover
plate 1.
The ashtray opens automatically.
Push in cigarette lighter 2.
The cigarette lighter will pop out
automatically when hot.
Push down cover plate 1 to close
ashtray.
The cover plate engages.
Warning!
G
Never touch the heating element or sides of
the lighter; they are extremely hot. Hold the
knob only.
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch, take it
with you, and lock the vehicle. Do not leave
children unattended in the vehicle, or with
access to an unlocked vehicle. Unsuper-
vised use of vehicle equipment may cause
an accident and/or serious personal injury.
iThe lighter socket can be used to
accommodate electrical accessories
up to a maximum 85 W.
278 OperationDriving instructionsBrakesTo help prevent brake disk corrosion after
driving on wet road surfaces (particularly
salted roads), it is advisable to brake the
vehicle with considerable force prior to
parking. The heat generated serves to dry
the brakes.
If your brake system is normally only sub-
jected to moderate loads, you should occa-
sionally test the effectiveness of the
brakes by applying above-normal braking
pressure at higher speeds. This will also
enhance the grip of the brake pads.
If the parking brake is released and the
brake warning lamp in the instrument clus-
ter stays on, the brake fluid level in the res-
ervoir is too low.Brake pad wear or a leak in the system may
be the reason for low brake fluid in the res-
ervoir.
Have the brake system inspected by quali-
fied technicians immediately. Contact an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
All checks and service work on the brake
system should be carried out by qualified
technicians only. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Install only brake pads and brake fluid
recommended by Mercedes-Benz.Warning!
G
After driving in heavy rain for some time
without applying the brakes or through wa-
ter deep enough to wet brake components,
the first braking action may be somewhat
reduced and increased pedal pressure may
be necessary to obtain expected braking
effect. Maintain a safe distance from vehi-
cles in front.
Resting your foot on the brake pedal will
cause excessive and premature wear of the
brake pads.
It can also result in the brakes overheating,
thereby significantly reducing their effec-
tiveness. It may not be possible to stop the
vehicle in sufficient time to avoid an
accident.
!Be very careful not to endanger other
road users when you apply the brakes.
Refer to the description of the Brake
Assist System (BAS), (
page 82).
Warning!
G
If other than recommended brake pads are
installed, or other than recommended brake
fluid is used, the braking properties of the
vehicle can be degraded to an extent that
safe braking is substantially impaired. This
could result in an accident.