166 Controls in detailAudio systemAccepting an incoming call in cassette,
CD or radio mode
If the telephone is activated in the back-
ground (receiving symbol
S visible on dis-
play), the audio source is muted when a
call is received. The ringing tone is heard
and the caller’s telephone number or the
name under which this telephone number
has been saved in the telephone book ap-
pears on the display. If the caller’s number
is not transmitted,
CALL
appears in the dis-
play.
Press the
SND
key to accept the call.Muting a call
It is possible to mute a call; the caller is
then no longer able to hear you.
Mute on
Press the
MUT
key.
Mute off
Press the
MUT
key.
Terminating a call
Press the
END
key.
The current call is terminated.Call waiting
If you receive another call during an al-
ready active call, you can accept the sec-
ond call and switch between the two.
Accepting a second call
Press the
SND
key.
You are connected with the second
caller, the first call is muted.
Switching between the calls
Press the
SND
key.
Terminating the second call
Press the
END
key.
The current call will be terminated. You
are connected with the muted call
again.
170 Controls in detailAutomatic transmissionGear ranges
With the gear selector lever in positionD,
you can limit the transmission’s gear range
by pressing the gear selector lever to the
left (D-), and reverse the gear range limit
by pressing the gear selector lever to the
right (D+).
The selected gear range appears in the
right multifunction display (
page 117). If
you press on the accelerator when the en-
gine has reached its rpm limit, the trans-
mission will upshift beyond any gear range
limit selected.
iIf, when driving in shift program mode
C and S the maximum engine speed for
the gear range has been reached, the
transmission shifts up automatically,
even if the gear range is restricted. In
shift program MAN the transmission
will not shift up automatically.
Effect
é
The transmission shifts through
fourth gear only.
è
The transmission shifts through
third gear only.With this selection you can use the
braking effect of the engine.
Effect
ç
The transmission shifts through
second gear only.
Allows the use of engine’s braking
power when driving:
on steep downgrades
in mountainous regions
under extreme operating con-
ditions
æ
The transmission operates in the
first gear only.
For maximum use of engine’s
braking effect on very steep or
lengthy downgrades.
173 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Shift program mode selector switch
1Program mode selector switch
C Comfort For comfort driving
MAN Manual For manual gearshift
program
S Sport For standard driving
Turn the program selector switch to the
desired setting.
Select C for comfort operation:
The vehicle starts out in second
gear for gentler starts. This does
not apply if full throttle is applied or
gear range1 is selected.
Traction and driving stability are
improved on icy roads.
Upshifts occur earlier even when
you give more gas. The engine then
operates at lower rpms and the
wheels are less likely to spin.
Select MAN for the manual gearshift pro-
gram. This program allows you to perform
manual gearshifts (
page 175).
Driving tips
Accelerator position
Your driving style influences the
transmission’s shifting behavior:
Less throttle Earlier upshifting
More throttle Later upshifting
Kickdown
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.
177 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Upshifting
Press the button2 (
page 174) on
the right side of the steering wheel.
or
Briefly press the gear selector lever to
the right in theD+direction.
The transmission shifts to the next
higher gear.
The current gear selector position ap-
pears in the right multifunction display
(page 117).
If the red gearshift indicator lamp>
comes on in the speedometer display
(
page 29), shift to the next higher gear.
The fuel supply will otherwise be interrupt-
ed to prevent the engine from overrevving.
Deactivating manual gearshift program
Turn program mode selector switch1
(page 173) to the C or S setting.
The selected gearshift program ap-
pears in the right multifunction display.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 gear selector lever toP.
Turn off the engine.
Wait at least ten seconds before
restarting.
Restart the engine.
Move gear selector lever to positionD
(for second gear) orR.
Have the transmission checked at an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center as
soon as possible.
!In the manual program modeM, the
transmission will not upshift, even if
the engine has reached its overrevving
range. Shift up to the next gear before
the engine has reached its overrevving
range. Make absolutely certain that the
engine speed does not reach the red
marking on the tachometer
(page 28). Otherwise the engine
could be damaged which is not covered
by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
185 Controls in detail
Automatic 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 en-
ters the passenger compartment through
the air distribution system.
Adjusting the temperature
Use temperature controls6 andb to
separately adjust the air temperature on
each side of the passenger compartment.
You should raise or lower the temperature
setting in small increments, preferably
starting at 72°F (22°C).
Increasing
Turn the outer adjustment ring slightly
to the right.
The automatic climate control system
will correspondingly adjust the interior
air temperature.
Warning!
G
When operating the automatic climate con-
trol, the air that enters the passenger com-
partment through the air vents in the
footwell can be very hot or very cold (de-
pending on the set temperature). This may
cause burns or frostbite on unprotected skin
in the immediate area of the air vents. Al-
ways keep sufficient distance between un-
protected parts of the body and the footwell
air vents. If necessary change the air flow
using the air distribution controls to direct
the air away from the footwell air vents
(page 187).
Warning!
G
Follow the recommended settings for heat-
ing and cooling given on the following pag-
es. Otherwise the windows could fog up,
impairing visibility and endangering you and
others.iIf the vehicle interior is hot, ventilate
the interior before driving off.
Keep the air intake grille in front of the
windshield free of snow and debris.
iWhen operating the climate control
system in automatic mode, you will
only rarely need to adjust the tempera-
ture, air volume and air distribution.
211 Controls in detail
Useful features
Roadside Assistance button •
The Roadside Assistance button• is
located below the center armrest cover.
Press and hold the button (for longer
than two seconds)
A call to a Mercedes-Benz Roadside
Assistance dispatcher will be initiated.
The button will flash while the call is in
progress. The message Connecting call
will appear in the
multifunction display.
When the connection is established, the
message
Call connected
appears in the
multifunction display. The Tele Aid system
will transmit data generating the vehicle
identification number, model, color and lo-
cation (subject to availability of cellular
and GPS signals).A voice connection between the Roadside
Assistance dispatcher and the occupants
of the vehicle will be established.
Describe the nature of the need for as-
sistance.
The Mercedes-Benz Roadside Assistance
dispatcher will either dispatch a qualified
Mercedes-Benz technician or arrange to
tow your vehicle to the nearest authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center. For services such
as labor and/or towing, charges may ap-
ply. Refer to the Roadside Assistance Man-
ual for more information.
These programs are only available in the
USA:
Sign and Drive services: Services such
as jump start, a few gallons of fuel or
the replacement of a flat tire are ob-
tainable.
Warning!
G
If you feel at any way in jeopardy when in the
vehicle (e.g. smoke or fire in the vehicle, ve-
hicle in a dangerous road location), please
do not wait for voice contact after you have
pressed the emergency button. Carefully
leave the vehicle and move to a safe loca-
tion. The Response Center will automatically
contact local emergency officials with the
vehicle’s approximate location if they re-
ceive an automatic SOS signal and cannot
make voice contact with the vehicle occu-
pants.
212 Controls in detailUseful features
Information button ¡
The Information button¡ is located be-
low the center armrest cover.
Press and hold the button (for longer
than two seconds).
A call to the Customer Assistance Cen-
ter will be initiated. The button will
flash while the call is in progress. The
message
Connecting call
will appear
in the multifunction display.
When the connection is established, the
message
Call connected
appears in the
multifunction display. The Tele Aid system
will transmit data generating the vehicle
identification number, model, color and lo-
cation (subject to availability of cellular
and GPS signals).A voice connection between the Customer
Assistance Center representative and the
occupants of the vehicle will be estab-
lished. Information regarding the operation
of your vehicle, the nearest
Mercedes-Benz Center or Mercedes-Benz
USA products and services is available to
you.
For more details concerning the Tele Aid
system, please visit www.mbusa.com and
use your ID and password (sent to you sep-
arately) to learn more (USA only).
iThe indicator lamp in the Roadside
Assistance button• remains illumi-
nated in red for approximately ten sec-
onds during the system self-check after
switching on the ignition (together with
the SOS button and the Information
button¡).
See system self-check (
page 208) if
the indicator lamp does not come on in
red or stays on longer than approxi-
mately ten seconds.
If the indicator lamp in the Roadside
Assistance button• is illuminated
continuously and there was no voice
connection to the Response Center es-
tablished, then the Tele Aid system
could not initiate a Roadside Assis-
tance call (e.g. the relevant cellular
phone network is not available). The
message
Call failed
appears in the
multifunction display.
Roadside Assistance calls can be ter-
minated using the ìbutton on the
multifunction steering wheel.
214 Controls in detailUseful features
Remote door unlock
In case you have locked your vehicle unin-
tentionally (e.g. SmartKey inside vehicle),
and the reserve SmartKey is not handy:
Contact the Mercedes-Benz Response
Center at 1-800-756-9018 (in the USA)
or 1-888-881-6611 (in Canada).
You will be asked to provide your pass-
word which you provided when you
completed the subscriber agreement.
Then return to your vehicle and pull the
trunk recessed handle for a minimum
of 20 seconds until the SOS button is
flashing.
The message
Connecting call
ap-
pears in the multifunction display.
As an alternative, you may unlock the vehi-
cle via Internet using the ID and password
sent to you shortly after the completion of
your acquaintance call.
The Response Center will then unlock your
vehicle with the remote door unlocking
feature.
iThe indicator lamp in the respective
button flashes until the call is conclud-
ed. Calls can only be terminated by a
Response Center or Customer Assis-
tance Center representative except
Roadside Assistance and Information
calls, which can also be terminated by
pressing button ì on the multifunc-
tion steering wheel.iWhen a Tele Aid call has been initiated,
the audio system is muted and the se-
lected mode (radio or CD) pauses. The
cellular phone (if installed) switches
off. If you must use this phone, the ve-
hicle must be parked. Disconnect the
coiled cord and place the call. The dis-
play in the instrument cluster is avail-
able for use.
iThe remote door unlock feature is avail-
able if the relevant cellular phone net-
work is available.
The SOS button will flash and the mes-
sage
Connecting call
will appear in
the multifunction display to indicate re-
ceipt of the door unlock command.
Once the vehicle is unlocked, a Re-
sponse Center specialist will attempt
to establish voice contact with the ve-
hicle occupants.
If the trunk recessed handle was pulled
for more than 20 seconds before door
unlock authorization was received by
the Response Center, you must wait
15 minutes before pulling the trunk re-
cessed handle again.