158 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
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.
!
Coasting the vehicle, or driving for any
other reason with gear 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 gear
selector lever not fully engaged in positionP
is dangerous. Also, positionP alone is not
intended to or capable of preventing your
vehicle from moving, possibly hitting people
or objects.
Always set the parking brake in addition to
shifting to positionP (
page 54).
When parked on an incline, turn the front
wheels towards the road curb.
Do not park this vehicle in areas where
combustible 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.
Warning!G
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. Children
could move the gear selector lever from
positionP, which could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury.
172 Controls in detail
Good visibility
Rear window sunshade*
The switch is located in the center console.
1Rear window sunshade switch
Switch on the ignition (page 33).
Always raise the sunshade fully for its
support against the window frame.
Raising or lowering the sunshade
Press switch1 briefly.
The sunshade is raised or lowered com-
pletely.
Stopping the raising or lowering
procedure
Press switch1 again.
The sunshade stops.
Warning!G
When operating the rear window sunshade,
make sure there is no danger of anyone be-
ing harmed by the raising or lowering proce-
dure.
The raising or lowering procedure can be
immediately halted by briefly pressing the
switch.
Briefly press switch again to raise or lower
the rear window sunshade completely.
Warning!G
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 can cause an
accident and/or serious personal injury.
!
Make sure the movement of the rear
window sunshade is not restricted by
objects on the rear window shelf. Oth-
erwise, the sunshade or the objects
could be damaged.
238 Controls in detail
Power windows
Opening and closing the windows
The side windows are 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 door and the rear
doors.
1Left front window
2Right front window
3Right rear window
4Left rear window
5Rear window override switch
(
page 80)
Warning!G
When closing the power windows, make
sure 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
t h a t b l o c k s i t s p a t h i n a c i r c u m s t a n c e w h e r e
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 and
holding the switch, by pressing and holding
button‹ on the SmartKey, or by press-
ing and holding button, ore on the
automatic climate control panel, the auto-
matic reversal function will not operate.
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 can cause an
accident and/or serious personal injury.
243 Controls in detail
Power tilt/sliding sunroof
Switch on the ignition (page 33).Opening and closing the power
tilt/sliding sunroof
To open, close, raise, or lower the
tilt/sliding sunroof, move the sunroof
switch to resistance point in the
required direction of arrows1 to4.
Release the sunroof switch when the
tilt/sliding sunroof has reached the
desired position.
Fully opening (Express-open) and
closing (Express-close) the power
tilt/sliding sunroof
To open or close the tilt/sliding
sunroof, move the sunroof switch past
the resistance point in the required
direction of arrow1 to4 and
release.
The tilt/sliding sunroof opens or closes
completely.
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 can cause an
accident and/or serious personal injury.
!
To avoid damaging the seals, do not
transport any objects with sharp edges
which can stick out of the tilt/sliding
sunroof.
Do not open the tilt/sliding sunroof if
there is snow or ice on the roof, as this
could result in malfunctions.
The tilt/sliding sunroof can be opened
or closed manually should an electrical
malfunction occur (
page 389).
i
You can also open or close the tilt/slid-
ing sunroof using the SmartKey, see
“Summer opening feature”
(
page 241) and “Convenience clos-
ing feature” (
page 241).
Depending on current position, the
tilt/sliding sunroof may also open or
close when the air recirculation
button, in the control panel of the
climate control (
page 175) or auto-
matic climate control* (Canada only)
(
page 191), or the charcoal filter
buttone in the control panel of the
automatic climate control* (Canada
only) (
page 193) is pressed and held.
262 Controls in detail
Useful features
Cigarette lighter
Switch on the ignition (page 33).1Cover plate
2Cigarette lighter
Briefly press the bottom of cover
plate1.
The cover plate opens automatically.
Push in cigarette lighter2.
The cigarette lighter will pop out
automatically when hot.
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.
!
The lighter socket can be used to ac-
commodate 12V DC electrical acces-
sories (up to a maximum of 85 W)
designed for use with the standard
“cigarette lighter” plug type. Keep in
mind, however, that connecting acces-
sories to the lighter socket (for exam-
ple extensive connecting and
disconnecting, or using plugs that do
not fit properly) can damage the lighter
socket. With the socket damaged, the
lighter may no longer be able to be
placed in the heating (pushed-in) posi-
tion, or the lighter may pop out too ear-
ly with the lighter not hot enough.
To help avoid damaging the cigarette
lighter socket, we recommend con-
necting 12V DC electrical accessories
designed for use with the standard
“cigarette lighter” plug type to the 12V
power outlets (
page 263) in your ve-
hicle whenever possible.
341 Operation
Vehicle care
Vehicle care
Cleaning and care of the vehicle
While in operation, even while parked, your
vehicle is subjected to varying external
influences which, if gone unchecked, can
attack the paintwork as well as the under-
body and cause lasting damage.Such damage is caused not only by
extreme and varying climatic conditions,
but also by:
Air pollution
Road salt
Tar
Gravel and stone chipping
To avoid paint damage, you should
immediately remove:
Grease and oil
Fuel
Coolant
Brake fluid
Bird droppings
Insects
Tree resins, etc.
Frequent washing reduces and/or elimi-
nates the aggressiveness and potency of
the above adverse influences.More frequent washings are necessary to
deal with unfavorable conditions:
near the ocean
in industrial areas (smoke, exhaust
emissions)
during winter operation
You should check your vehicle from time to
time for stone chipping or other damage.
Any damage should be repaired as soon as
possible to prevent corrosion.
In doing so, do not neglect the underbody
of the vehicle. A prerequisite for a thor-
ough check is a washing of the underbody
followed by a thorough inspection. Dam-
aged areas need to be re-undercoated.
Your vehicle has been treated at the facto-
ry with a wax-base rustproofing in the body
cavities which will last for the lifetime of
the vehicle. Post-production treatment is
neither necessary nor recommended by
Mercedes-Benz because of the possibility
of incompatibility between materials used
in the production process and others
applied later.
Warning!G
Many cleaning products can be hazardous.
Some are poisonous, others are flammable.
Always follow the instructions on the partic-
ular container. Always open your vehicle’s
doors or windows when cleaning the inside.
Never use fluids or solvents that are not de-
signed for cleaning your vehicle.
Always lock away cleaning products and
keep them out of reach of children.
392 Practical hints
Replacing SmartKey batteries
If the batteries in the SmartKey are
discharged, the vehicle can no longer be
locked or unlocked. It is recommended to
have the batteries replaced at an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.Batteries contain materials that can harm
the environment if disposed of improperly.
Recycling of batteries is the preferred
method of disposal. Many states require
sellers of batteries to accept old batteries
for recycling.
Warning!G
Keep the batteries out of reach of children.
If a battery is swallowed, seek medical help
immediately.
i
When inserting the batteries, make
sure they are clean and free of lint.
i
When replacing batteries, always
replace both batteries of both
SmartKeys.
The required replacement batteries are
available at any Mercedes-Benz
Center.
443 Technical terms
ABS
(A
ntilock Brake System)
Prevents the wheels from locking up
during braking so that the vehicle can
continue to be steered.
Accessory weight
(
page 331)
Air pressure
(
page 331)
Alignment bolt
Metal pin with thread. The centering
pin is an aid used when changing a tire
to align the wheel with the wheel hub.
Aspect ratio
(
page 331)BabySmart
TM air bag deactivation
system
This system detects if a special system
compatible child restraint seat is
installed on the front passenger seat.
The system will automatically
deactivate the passenger front air bag
when such a seat is properly installed
(the56indicator lamp located
in the center console comes on and re-
mains illuminated).
BabySmart
TM compatible child seats
Special restraint system for children.
The sensor system for the passenger
seat prevents deployment of the
passenger front air bag if a
BabySmart
TM compatible child seat is
installed. See an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center for availability.
Bar
(
page 331)BAS
(B
rake Assist System)
System for potentially reducing braking
distances in emergency braking
situations. The system is activated
when it senses an emergency based on
how fast the brake is applied.
Bead
(
page 331)
Bi-Xenon headlamps*
Headlamps which use an electric arc as
the light source and produce a more
intense light than filament headlamps.
Bi-Xenon headlamps produce low
beam and high beam.
CAC
(C
ustomer Assistance Center)
Mercedes-Benz customer service
center, which can help you with any
questions about your vehicle and
provide assistance in the event of a
breakdown.