Page 299 of 489

298 OperationDriving instructions
Tires
Treadwear indicators (TWI) are required by
law. These indicators are located in six
places on the tread circumference and be-
come visible at a tread depth of approxi-
mately
1/16 in (1.6 mm), at which point the
tire is considered worn and should be re-
placed.The treadwear indicator appears as a solid
band across the tread.
Specified tire inflation pressures must be
maintained. This applies particularly if the
tires are subject to extreme operating con-
ditions (e.g. high speeds, heavy loads, high
ambient temperatures).
Warning!
G
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 gear selector lever to
positionP.
Slowly release brake pedal.
When parked on an incline, turn front
wheels towards the road curb.
Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position0 and remove the SmartKey
from the starter switch, or press
KEYLESS-GO* start/stop button
(vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*).
Take the SmartKey or the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* with you and lock the
vehicle when leaving.
Warning!
G
If you feel a sudden significant vibration or
ride disturbance, or you suspect that possi-
ble damage to your vehicle has occurred,
you should turn on the hazard warning flash-
ers, carefully slow down, and drive with cau-
tio n to an a rea whic h is a s afe d ista nc e fro m
the road.
Inspect the tires and the vehicle underbody
for possible damage. If the vehicle or tires
appear unsafe, have the vehicle towed to
the nearest Mercedes-Benz Center or tire
dealer for repairs.
Warning!
G
Although the applicable federal motor
vehicle safety laws consider a tire to be
worn when the treadwear indicators (TWI)
become visible at approximately
1/16in
(1.6 mm), we recommend that you do not al-
low your tires to wear down to that level. As
tread depth approaches
1/8in (3 mm), the
adhesion properties on a wet road are
sharply reduced.
Depending upon the weather and/or road
surface (conditions), the tire traction varies
widely.
Page 306 of 489

305 Operation
At the gas station
At the gas station
Refueling
The fuel filler flap is located on the
right-hand side of the vehicle towards the
rear. Locking/unlocking the vehicle with
the SmartKey or the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* automatically locks/un-
locks the fuel filler flap.1To open the fuel filler flap
2To insert the fuel filler cap
Turn the engine off
by turning the SmartKey to
position0. Remove the SmartKey
from the starter switch.
by pressing the KEYLESS-GO*
start/stop button. Open the driv-
er’s door (with driver’s door open,
starter switch is now in position0,
same as with SmartKey removed
from starter switch).
Open the fuel filler flap by pushing at
the point indicated by the arrow 1.
The fuel filler flap springs open.
Turn fuel cap counterclockwise and
hold on to it until possible pressure is
released.
Warning!
G
Gasoline is highly flammable and poisonous.
It burns violently and can cause serious inju-
ry. Whenever you are around gasoline, avoid
inhaling fumes and skin contact, extinguish
all smoking materials. Never allow sparks,
flame or smoking materials near gasoline!
Failure to remove the fuel cap slowly could
result in personal injury.
iIn cases where the central locking sys-
tem is not releasing the fuel filler flap,
or the opening mechanism is clamping,
notify Roadside Assistance or an au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Page 357 of 489

356 OperationVehicle careCleaning the windows and the wiper
blades
Fold the wiper arms forward until they
snapes into place.
Clean the wiper blade inserts with a
clean cloth and detergent solution.
Use a soft, clean cloth and a mild win-
dow cleaning solution on all outside
and inside glass surfaces.
An automotive glass cleaner is
recommended.Light alloy wheels
If possible, clean wheels once a week.
Use Mercedes-Benz approved Wheel
Care, a soft bristle brush and a strong
spray of water for cleaning the light al-
loy wheels.
Warning!
G
For safety reasons, switch off wipers and
remove SmartKey from starter switch
(vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*: Make sure the
vehicle's on-board electronics have
status
0) before cleaning the windshield
and/or the wiper blades. Otherwise, the
wiper motor could suddenly turn on and
cause injury.
!Fold the windshield wiper arms back
onto the windshield before turning the
SmartKey in the starter switch or
pressing the KEYLESS-GO start/stop
button (vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*).
Hold on to the wiper when folding the
wiper arm back. If released, the force
of the impact from the tensioning
spring could crack the windshield.!To clean the window interior, do not
use a dry cloth, abrasives, solvents or
cleaners containing solvents. Do not
touch the inside of the front, rear or
side windows with hard objects such as
an ice scraper or ring. Doing so may
damage the windows.
!Only use acid-free cleaning materials.
Acid may cause corrosion or damage
the clear coat.!The vehicle should not be parked for an
extended period of time immediately
after it has been cleaned, especially not
after the wheel rims have been cleaned
with wheel rim cleaner. Wheel rim
cleaners can lead to increased corro-
sion of the brake disks and brake pads.
Therefore, the vehicle’s brake system
should always be warmed-up before it
is parked after cleaning. To do so,
please drive your vehicle for several
minutes to allow the brakes to dry.
Page 367 of 489

366 Practical hintsWhat to do if …?Problem
Possible cause/consequence
Suggested solution
<
The red seat belt telltale comes
on and a warning chime sounds
for approximately 6 seconds af-
ter starting the engine with all
doors closed.
The seat belt telltale reminds you and your
front passenger to fasten your seat belts be-
fore driving off.
Fasten your seat belts.
The seat belt telltale goes out.
<
The red seat belt telltale remains
illuminated after driving off. The
vehicle’s speed does not exceed
15 mph (25 km/h).
You and/or your front passenger have for-
gotten to fasten your seat belts.
There are items placed on the front passen-
ger seat and therefore the system senses the
front passenger seat is being occupied.
Fasten your seat belts.
Remove the items from the front pas-
senger seat and put them in a safe
place.
<
The red seat belt telltale flashes
and you additionally hear an in-
termittent warning chimer with
increasing intensity for a maxi-
mum of 60 seconds from the
time the vehicle’s speed exceeds
15 mph (25 km/h).
You and/or your front passenger have for-
gotten to fasten your seat belts.
There are items placed on the front passen-
ger seat and therefore the system senses the
front passenger seat as being occupied.
Fasten your seat belts.
Remove the items from the front pas-
senger seat and put them in a safe
place.
iAfter 60 seconds with an unfastened
seat belt the warning chime stops
sounding and the seat belt telltale illu-
minates continuously. The seat belt
telltale will only go out if both, the
driver and front passenger’s, seat belt
are fastened, or the vehicle is standing
still and a front door is opened.
Page 381 of 489
380 Practical hintsWhat to do if …?Display message
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
P
Selector lever
in park position
You have turned off the engine with the
KEYLESS-GO* start/stop button in gear
selector lever positionN and opened the
driver’s door.
or
You have attempted to switch off the en-
gine with the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop
button while the gear selector lever was in
positionR orD.
Place the gear selector lever in
positionP.
Please
shift to
N or P
You have attempted to start the engine
with the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop button
while the gear selector lever was in
positionR orD.
Place the gear selector lever in
positionP or N.
Page 383 of 489
382 Practical hintsWhat to do if …?Symbol messagesDisplay symbol
Display message
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
#
Visit workshop
The battery is no longer charging.
Possible causes:
broken poly-V-belt
alternator malfunctioning
Stop immediately in a safe location or
as soon as it is safe to do so and check
the poly-V-belt.
If it is broken:
Do not continue to drive. Otherwise
the engine will overheat due to an
inoperative water pump which may
result in damage to the engine. Notify
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
If it is intact:
Drive immediately to the nearest
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Low voltage
Charge battery
The battery has insufficient voltage.
Start the engine (
page 48).
Low voltage
Switch off
consumers
The battery has insufficient voltage.
Turn off unnecessary electrical con-
sumers.
Page 386 of 489

385 Practical hints
What to do if …?
During severe operating conditions and
stop-and-go city traffic, the coolant tem-
perature may rise close to 248°F (120°C).
Display symbol
Display message
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
•
Coolant
Stop, engine off
The coolant is too hot.
Stop the vehicle in a safe location or
as soon as it is safe to do so and turn
off the engine.
Only start the engine again after the
message disappears. You could other-
wise damage the engine.
Warning!
G
Driving when your engine is overheated can
cause some fluids which may have leaked
into the engine compartment to catch fire.
You could be seriously burned.
Steam from an overheated engine can cause
serious burns which can occur just by open-
ing the hood. Stay away from the engine if
you see or hear steam coming from it.
Turn off the engine, get out of the vehicle
and do not stand near the vehicle until the
engine has cooled down.
!The engine should not be operated with
the coolant temperature above 248°F
(120°C). Doing so may cause serious
engine damage which is not covered by
the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Page 391 of 489

390 Practical hintsWhat to do if …?Display symbol
Display message
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
A
Reserve fuel
The fuel level has dropped below the re-
serve mark.
Refuel at the next gas station
(page 305).
Y
Hood open
You are driving with the hood open.
Close the hood (
page 309).
I
Remove key
You have forgotten to remove the
SmartKey.
Remove the SmartKey from the start-
er switch.
Replace key
No additional code available for SmartKey
or SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center as soon as possible.
Key
Check battery
The SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* batter-
ies are discharged.
Change the batteries (
page 409).
Key
not recognized
The SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* is not
recognized while the engine is running be-
cause
the SmartKey is not in the vehicle
there is strong radio-frequency inter-
ference
Stop the vehicle as soon as it is safe to
do so.
Search for the SmartKey.
Otherwise the vehicle cannot be centrally
locked nor can the engine be started
again after the engine has been stopped.
The SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* is mo-
mentarily not recognized.
Change the position of the SmartKey
in the vehicle.
Operate the vehicle with the SmartKey
in the starter switch if necessary.
Keyless Go
Check system
The KEYLESS-GO* system is malfunction-
ing.
Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center as soon as possible.