336 Controls in detail
Starter switch positions
SmartKey
Starter switch
0For removing SmartKey
1Power supply for some electrical con-
sumers, such as seat adjustment
2Ignition (power supply for all electrical
consumers) and driving position.
All lamps (except high beam headlamp
indicator lamp and turn signal indicator
lamps unless activated) in the instru-
ment cluster come on. If a lamp in the
instrument cluster fails to come on
when the ignition is switched on, have
it checked and replaced if necessary.
If a lamp in the instrument cluster re-
mains on after starting the engine or
comes on while driving, refer to “Lamps
in instrument cluster” (
page 566).
3Starting position
For information on starting the engine us-
ing the SmartKey, see “Starting with the
SmartKey” (
page 379).
Warning!G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey or SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
from the starter switch, take it with you, and
lock the vehicle. Do not leave children unat-
tended in the vehicle, or with access to an
unlocked vehicle. A child’s unsupervised ac-
cess to a vehicle could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury.
iWhen you switch on the ignition, the indica-
tor and warning lamps (except high beam head-
lamp indicator lamp and turn signal indicator
lamps unless activated) in the instrument cluster
come on. The indicator and warning lamps (ex-
cept high beam headlamp indicator lamp and
turn signal indicator lamps if activated) should go
out when the engine is running. This indicates
that the respective systems are operational.
!If you turn off the engine using the
SmartKey and
remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch
or
open a door
the transmission will shift to park positionP
automatically.
Keep in mind that turning off the engine with the
SmartKey alone only will automatically shift the
transmission to neutral positionN.
!If the SmartKey cannot be turned in the
starter switch, the battery may not be sufficient-
ly charged.
Check the battery and charge it if necessary
(
page 655).
Get a jump start (page 660).
To prevent accelerated battery discharge or a
completely discharged battery, always remove
the SmartKey from the starter switch when the
engine is not in operation.
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338 Controls in detail
Starter switch positions
Position 0
Before you press the KEYLESS-GO
start/stop button, the vehicle’s on-board
electronics have status 0 (as with
SmartKey removed).
Position 1
Press the KEYLESS-GO start/stop but-
ton once.
This supplies power for some electrical
consumers, such as seat adjustment.
Ignition (or position 2)
Press the KEYLESS-GO start/stop but-
ton twice.
This supplies power for all electrical
consumers.All lamps (except high beam headlamp
indicator lamp and turn signal indicator
lamps unless activated) in the instru-
ment cluster come on. If a lamp in the
instrument cluster fails to come on
when the ignition is switched on, have
it checked and replaced if necessary.
If a lamp in the instrument cluster re-
mains on after starting the engine or
comes on while driving, refer to “Lamps
in instrument cluster” (
page 566).For information on starting the engine us-
ing the KEYLESS-GO start/stop button,
see “Starting with KEYLESS-GO*”
(
page 379).
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 supply is
again switched off.
iWhen you switch on the ignition, the indica-
tor and warning lamps (except high beam head-
lamp indicator lamp and turn signal indicator
lamps unless activated) in the instrument cluster
come on. The indicator and warning lamps (ex-
cept high beam headlamp indicator lamp and
turn signal indicator lamps if activated) should go
out when the engine is running. This indicates
that the respective systems are operational.
!If you turn off the engine using the
KEYLESS-GO start/stop button and open the
driver’s or passenger door, the transmission will
shift to park positionP automatically.
Keep in mind that turning off the engine using
the KEYLESS-GO start/stop button alone only
will automatically shift the transmission to
neutral positionN.
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355 Controls in detail
Mirrors
Auto-dimming rear view mirrors
The reflection brightness of the exterior
rear view mirror on the driver’s side and
the interior rear view mirror will respond
automatically to glare when
the ignition is switched on
(
page 336)
and
incoming light from headlamps falls on
the sensor in the interior rear view
mirror
The interior rear view mirror will not react if
reverse gear R is engaged
and
the interior lighting is turned on
Warning!G
The auto-dimming function does not react if
incoming light is not aimed directly at the
sensors in the interior rear view mirror.
The interior rear view mirror and the exterior
rear view mirror on the driver’s side do not
react, for example, if the rear window sun-
shade is in raised position.
Light hitting the mirror(s) at certain angles
(incident light) could blind you. As a result,
you may not be able to observe traffic con-
ditions and could cause an accident.
Warning!G
Exercise care when using the passen-
ger-side exterior rear view mirror. The mirror
surface is convex (outwardly curved surface
for a wider field of view). Objects in mirror
are closer than they appear. Check your in-
side rear view mirror or glance over your
shoulder before changing lanes.
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363 Controls in detail
Lighting
Lighting
Exterior lamp switch
The exterior lamp switch is located on the
dashboard to the left of the steering wheel.
iIf you drive in countries where vehicles drive
on the other side of the road than the country in
which the vehicle is registered, you must have
the headlamps modified for symmetrical low
beams. Relevant information can be obtained at
your authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
iThe active Bi-Xenon headlamps monitor
your steering angle and driving speed, then auto-
matically shift their beams to either side to bet-
ter follow the curvature of the road ahead,
increasing usable illumination over conventional
headlamps.
1‚Standing lamps, left (turn left two
stops)
2ˆStanding lamps, right (turn left
one stop)
3MOff
Daytime running lamp mode
(
page 365)
4*Automatic headlamp mode
Daytime running lamp mode
(
page 365)
5CParking lamps (also side marker
lamps, tail lamps, license plate
lamps, instrument panel lamps)
6BLow beam headlamps or high
beam headlamps when the com-
bination switch is pushed for-
ward. The tail lamps, license
plate lamps, side marker lamps,
parking lamps and instrument
panel lamps also come on.
7‡Front fog lamps
8†Rear fog lamp
iIf you hear a warning signal you have forgot-
ten to switch off the headlamps before opening
the driver’s door.
In addition the message “Please switch off
lights” appears in the multifunction display.
Switch off the headlamps.
!Failure to switch off the headlamps when
leaving the vehicle may result in a discharged
battery.
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364 Controls in detail
Lighting
Manual headlamp mode
The low beam headlamps and parking
lamps can be switched on and off with the
exterior lamp switch.
Switching on low beam headlamps
Turn the exterior lamp switch toB.
The green indicator lampC in the
exterior lamp switch comes on.
Automatic headlamp mode
The following lamps switch on and off au-
tomatically depending on the brightness of
the ambient light:
Low beam headlamps
Tail and parking lamps
License plate lamps
Side marker lamps
Turn the exterior lamp switch to *.
With the SmartKey in starter switch po-
sition 1 or the KEYLESS-GO*
start/stop button pressed once, only
the parking lamps and the side marker
lamps will switch on and off automati-
cally.
When the engine is running, the low
beam headlamps, the tail and parking
lamps, the license plate lamps, and the
side marker lamps will switch on and
off automatically.
Warning!G
If the exterior lamp switch is set to*,
the headlamps may switch off unexpect-
edly when the system senses bright am-
bient light, for example light from
oncoming traffic.
the headlamps will not be automatically
switched on under foggy conditions.
To minimize risk to you and to others, acti-
vate headlamps by turning exterior lamp
switch to B when driving or when traffic
and/or ambient lighting conditions require
you to do so.
In low ambient lighting conditions, only
switch from position * to B with the
vehicle at a standstill in a safe location.
Switching from * to B will briefly
switch off the headlamps. Doing so while
driving in low ambient lighting conditions
may result in an accident.
The automatic headlamp feature is only an
aid to the driver. The driver is responsible for
the operation of the vehicle’s lights at all
times.
iUSA only:
With the automatic headlamp mode activated
you can switch on the high beam headlamps in
low ambient lighting conditions.
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365 Controls in detail
Lighting
Daytime running lamp mode
Turn exterior lamp switch to
positionM or*.
When the engine is running, the low
beam headlamps are switched on.
In low ambient light conditions, the fol-
lowing lamps will switch on additional-
ly:
Tail and parking lamps
License plate lamps
Side marker lamps
Canada only
The daytime running lamp mode is manda-
tory and therefore in a constant mode.When the engine is running, and you shift
from a driving position to positionN orP,
the low beam headlamps will switch off
with a 3-minute delay.
When the engine is running, and youturn the exterior lamp switch to
positionC, the parking lamps and
the side marker lamps switch on addi-
tionally.
turn the exterior lamp switch to
positionB, the manual headlamp
mode has priority over the daytime run-
ning lamp mode.
The corresponding exterior lamps
switch on (
page 363).USA only
By default, the daytime running lamp mode
is deactivated. Activate the daytime run-
ning lamp mode using the control system,
see “Setting daytime running lamp mode
(USA only)” (
page 271).
When the engine is running, and you turn
the exterior lamp switch to position C
orB, the manual headlamp mode has
priority over the daytime running lamp
mode.
The corresponding exterior lamps switch
on (
page 363).
iWith the daytime running lamp mode activat-
ed and the engine running, the low beam head-
lamps cannot be switched off manually.
iWith the exterior lamp switch in position
M or *, you cannot switch on the high
beam headlamps.
The high beam flasher is available at all times.
For nighttime driving you should turn the exterior
lamp switch to positionB to permit activa-
tion of the high beam headlamps.
iWith the daytime running lamp mode
activated and the exterior lamp switch in
position M, you cannot switch on the high
beam headlamps.
The high beam flasher is available at all times.
For nighttime driving you should turn the exterior
lamp switch to positionB or * to permit
activation of the high beam headlamps.
ProCarManuals.com
366 Controls in detail
Lighting
Locator lighting and night security illu-
mination
The locator lighting and night security illu-
mination are described in the COMAND ve-
hicle section under “Setting locator
lighting” (
page 236) and “Setting night
security illumination” (
page 235).
Fog lampsFront fog lampsSwitch on the low beam
headlampsB (
page 364).
Pull out exterior lamp switch to first
stop.
The front fog lamps are switched on.
The green indicator lamp‡ in the
exterior lamp switch comes on
(
page 363).
Push in the exterior lamp switch.
The front fog lamps are switched off.
The green indicator lamp‡ in the
exterior lamp switch goes out.Rear fog lamp (driver’s side only)
Switch on the low beam
headlampsB (
page 364).
Pull out exterior lamp switch to second
stop.
The front fog lamps and the rear fog
lamp switch on.
The yellow indicator lamp† in the
exterior lamp switch comes on
(
page 363).
Push in the exterior lamp switch to first
stop.
The rear fog lamp switches off.
The green indicator lamp‡ in the
exterior lamp switch goes out.
The front fog lamps remain lit.
Warning!G
In low ambient lighting or foggy conditions,
only switch from position * to B with
the vehicle at a standstill in a safe location.
Switching from * to B will briefly
switch off the headlamps. Doing so while
driving in low ambient lighting conditions
may result in an accident.
iFog lamps will operate with the parking
lamps and/or the low beam headlamps on. Fog
lamps should only be used in conjunction with
low beam headlamps. Consult your State or
Province Motor Vehicle Regulations regarding
permissible lamp operation.
iFog lamps cannot be switched on manually
with exterior lamp switch in position*. To
activate the fog lamps, turn exterior lamp switch
to positionB first.
ProCarManuals.com
367 Controls in detail
Lighting
Switching on high beams
Combination switch
1High beam
2High beam flasher
Turn the exterior lamp switch to
positionB (
page 363).
Push the combination switch in the di-
rection of arrow1.
The high beam indicatorA in the in-
strument cluster comes on
(
page 30).
High beam flasher: Pull the combina-
tion switch briefly in the direction of
arrow2.
Headlamp cleaning system
1Headlamp washer button
Switch on the ignition (page 336).
Press button1 up or down.
The headlamps are cleaned with a
high-pressure water jet.For information on filling up the washer
reservoir, see “Windshield washer system
and headlamp cleaning system”
(page 519).
iThe headlamps are automatically cleaned
when, at the same time,
the engine is running
the headlamps are switched on
the windshield wipers have wiped the wind-
shield with washer fluid fifteen times
When you switch off the ignition or press
button1, the automatic function is reset and
will start counting the next time from the begin-
ning.
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