54 Getting started
Driving
Driving
Depress the brake pedal.
Move gear selector lever to
positionDorR.
Release the brake pedal.
Carefully depress the accelerator
pedal.After a cold start, the automatic transmis-
sion shifts at a higher engine revolution.
This allows the catalytic converter to reach
its operating temperature earlier.
For more information on driving, see “Driv-
ing instructions” (
page 293).
iWait for the gear selection process to com-
plete before setting the vehicle in motion.
!If you hear a warning signal and the mes-
sage
Release parking brake appears in the
multifunction display when driving off, you have
forgotten to release the parking brake.
Release the parking brake (
page 53).
iAt vehicle speeds of approximately 9 mph
(15 km/h), the automatic central locking system
engages and the locking knobs drop down.
The automatic door lock feature can be deacti-
vated (
page 162).
You can open a locked door from the inside.
Open door only when conditions are safe to do
so.
!Simultaneously depressing the accelerator
pedal and applying the brake reduces engine
performance and causes premature brake and
drivetrain wear.
Warning!G
On slippery road surfaces, never downshift
in order to obtain braking action. This could
result in drive wheel slip and reduced vehi-
cle control. Your vehicle’s ABS will not pre-
vent this type of loss of control.
!Place the gear selector lever in
positionRorP only when the vehicle is stopped
in order to avoid damaging the transmission.
!Do not run cold engine at high engine
speeds. Running a cold engine at high engine
speeds may shorten the service life of the en-
gine.
Warning!G
It is dangerous to shift the gear selector
lever out ofPorN if the engine speed is
higher than idle speed. If your foot is not
firmly on the brake pedal, the vehicle could
accelerate quickly forward or in reverse. You
could lose control of the vehicle and hit
someone or something. Only shift into gear
when the engine is idling normally and when
your right foot is firmly on the brake pedal.
61 Getting started
Parking and locking
Turning off the engine with the
SmartKey
Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position0 (
page 36).
Remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch.
The immobilizer is activated.
Turning off the engine with
KEYLESS-GO*
Press the KEYLESS-GO start/stop but-
ton to shut off the engine.
With the driver’s door closed, the start-
er switch is now in position1. With the
driver’s door opened, the starter switch
is set to position0, same as SmartKey
removed from starter switch
(
page 36).
Releasing seat belts
Press the seat belt release button2
(
page 48).
Allow the retractor to completely re-
wind the seat belt by guiding the latch
plate.
Locking
iThe SmartKey can only be removed from the
starter switch with the gear selector lever in
positionP.
iIf you hear a warning signal, you have tried
to turn off the engine while the gear selector le-
ver was not inP.
In addition, the message
Selector lever in
Park
appears in the multifunction display.
Place the gear selector lever inP.
!Make sure the seat belt retracts fully so that
the seat belt and/or latch plate cannot get
caught or pinched in the door or in the seat
mechanism. This can damage the seat belt and
impair the effectiveness of the seat belt, and/or
cause damage to the door and/or door trim pan-
el. Such damage is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limit Warranty.
Damaged seat belts must be replaced. Contact
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Warning!G
To prevent possible personal injury, always
keep hands and fingers away from the door
openings when closing the doors. Be espe-
cially careful when small children are
around.
Before closing doors, make sure there is no
possibility of someone getting caught in a
door during closing.
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.
62 Getting started
Parking and locking
Exit the vehicle, take the SmartKey or
the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* with
you, and close all doors and the trunk
lid.
Locking with the SmartKey
Press lock button‹on the
SmartKey (
page 34).
With the trunk and both doors closed:
All turn signal lamps flash three
times.
An acoustic signal sounds three
times.
For more information, see “Factory
setting” (
page 104).
The locking knobs in the doors
move down.
The anti-theft alarm system is
armed.
For more information, see “SmartKey”
(
page 98).
Locking with KEYLESS-GO*
1Lock button
Press lock button1 on an outside
door handle.
With the trunk and both doors closed:
All turn signal lamps flash three
times.
An acoustic signal sounds three
times.
For more information, see “Factory
setting” (
page 104).
The locking knobs in the doors
move down.
The anti-theft alarm system is
armed.
For more information, see “SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO*” (
page 101).
iIf you hear a warning signal you have
forgotten to switch off the headlamps before
opening the driver’s door.
In addition the message
Turn off lamps
appears in the multifunction display. Vehicles
with KEYLESS-GO*, this message is only dis-
played for approximately 1 second. It is then
overwritten by the message,
Please do not
forget key
.
Switch off the headlamps.
iOpening a door causes the windows on that
side of the car to open slightly. They will return to
the up position when the door is closed.
71 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Both driver and the front passenger should
always use the 56 indicator lamp
as an indication of whether or not the front
passenger is properly positioned.
iIf your seat, including your trim cover and
cushion needs to be serviced in any way, take
the vehicle to an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
Only seat accessories approved by
Mercedes-Benz may be used. Warning!G
If the 56 indicator lamp illuminates
when an adult or someone larger than a
small individual is in the front passenger
seat, have the front passenger re-position
himself or herself in the seat until the
56 indicator lamp goes out.
More information about air bag display
messages (
page 372).
In the event of a collision, the air bag control
unit will not allow front passenger front air
bag deployment when the OCS classified
the front passenger seat occupant as being
up to or less than the weight of a typical
12-month-old child in a standard child
restraint or if the front passenger seat is
sensed as being empty.
When the OCS senses that the front passen-
ger seat occupant is classified as being up
to or less than the weight of a typical
12-month-old child in a standard child
restraint, the 56 indicator lamp will
illuminate when the engine is started and
remain illuminated, indicating that the front
passenger front air bag is deactivated.
When the OCS senses that the front passen-
ger seat is classified as being empty, the
56 indicator lamp will illuminate
when the engine is started and remain
illuminated, indicating that the front
passenger front air bag is deactivated.
When the OCS senses that the front passen-
ger seat occupant is classified as being
heavier than the weight of a typical
12-month-old child seated in a standard
child restraint or as being a small individual
(such as a young teenager or a small adult),
the 56 indicator lamp will illuminate
for approximately 6 seconds when the
engine is started and then, depending on
occupant weight sensor readings from the
seat, remain illuminated or go out. With the
56 indicator lamp illuminated, the
front passenger front air bag is deactivated.
With the 56 indicator lamp out, the
front passenger front air bag is activated.
104 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
with the starter switch position1,
the message:
Key not detected
appears in the multifunction display
with the engine running, the
message:
Key not detected
appears in the multifunction display
while driving off.
Find the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO or
change its present location immediate-
ly (e.g. place it on the front passenger
seat or insert it in shirt pocket).
If you have started the engine with the
KEYLESS-GO start/stop button
(
page 37), you can turn it off again
with:
the KEYLESS-GO start/stop button
the SmartKey inserted in the starter
switch, when the gear selector le-
ver is in positionP
Remember that the engine can be
started by anyone with a SmartKey
with KEYLESS-GO that is left inside the
vehicle.
Possibility 1:
(One SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO in
the vehicle, one SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO outside the vehicle):
If you leave the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO behind when exiting and
locking the vehicle, no message ap-
pears in the multifunction display.
Possibility 2:
(One SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO in
the vehicle, no SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO outside the vehicle):
When exiting and trying to lock the ve-
hicle, the message
Key detected in vehicle
will appear in the multifunction display.
The vehicle will not be locked.Factory setting
Global unlocking
Pull an outside door handle (SmartKey
with KEYLESS-GO must be near this
door).
All turn signal lamps flash once.
An acoustic signal sounds once.
The locking knobs in the doors
move up.
The anti-theft alarm system is dis-
armed.
iWhen unlocking or locking the vehicle with
the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO an acoustic sig-
nal sounds. The acoustic signal is activated at
the factory. If you wish to deactivate the feature,
or adjust its signal volume, contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
iIf the vehicle has been parked for a longer
period of time, you must pull an outside door
handle in order to activate the KEYLESS-GO
function.
108 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Opening the doors from the inside
You can open a locked door from the in-
side. Open doors only when conditions are
safe to do so.
1Locking knob
2Inside door handlePull on door handle2.
If door was locked, locking knob1 will
move up.iIf the vehicle has previously been locked
with the SmartKey or KEYLESS-GO*, opening a
door from the inside will trigger the anti-theft
alarm system.
To cancel the alarm, do one of the following:
With the SmartKey
Insert the SmartKey in the starter switch.
Press button‹orŒ on the
SmartKey.
With KEYLESS-GO*
Press the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop button
(
page 37).
The SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* must be
inside the vehicle.
Pull an outside door handle.
The SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* must be
within 3 ft (1 m) of the vehicle.
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
Turn off lamps ap-
pears in the multifunction display. Vehicles with
KEYLESS-GO*, this message is only displayed
for approximately 1 second. It is then overwrit-
ten by the message,
Please do not forget
key
.
Switch off the headlamps.
iIf you open a door, the side windows on that
side of the vehicle will lower slightly. The win-
dows close again when you close the door.
128 Controls in detail
Lighting
For information on how to switch on the
headlamps and use the turn signals, see
“Switching on headlamps” (
page 55)
and “Turn signals” (
page 55).
Exterior lamp switch
Exterior lamp switch
MOff
Daytime running lamp mode
(
page 130)
UAutomatic headlamp mode
Daytime running lamp mode
(
page 130)
CParking lamps (also tail lamps,
license plate lamps, side marker
lamps, instrument panel lamps)BLow beam headlamps or high beam
headlamps when the combination
switch is pushed forward. The tail
lamps, license plate lamps, side
marker lamps, parking lamps and
instrument panel lamps also come
on.
ˆStanding lamps, right (turn left one
stop)
‚Standing lamps, left (turn left two
stops)
‡Indicator lamp for front fog lamps
†Indicator lamp for rear fog lamp
iIf you drive in countries where vehicles drive
on the other side of the road than the country
where 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.
iVehicles equipped with active Bi-Xenon*
headlamps:
The active Bi-Xenon headlamps monitor your
steering angle and driving speed, then
automatically shift their beams to either side to
better follow the curvature of the road ahead,
increasing usable illumination over conventional
headlamps.
iIf you hear a warning signal you have
forgotten to switch off the headlamps before
opening the driver’s door.
In addition the message
Turn off lamps
appears in the multifunction display. Vehicles
with KEYLESS-GO*, this message is only dis-
played for approximately 1 second. It is then
overwritten by the message,
Please do not
forget key
.
Switch off the headlamps
138 Controls in detail
Instrument cluster
For a full view illustration of the instrument
cluster, see “Instrument cluster”
(
page 26).
1Reset button
The instrument cluster is activated when
you
open a door
switch on the ignition (page 38)
press the reset button1
switch on the exterior lamps
You can change the instrument cluster
settings in the Instrument cluster submenu
of the control system (
page 154).Adjusting instrument cluster
illumination
Use the reset button1 to adjust the
illumination brightness for the instrument
cluster.
To brighten illumination
Turn reset button1 clockwise.
The instrument cluster illumination will
brighten.
To dim illumination
Turn reset button1 counterclock-
wise.
The instrument cluster illumination will
dim.
Warning!G
No messages will be displayed if either the
instrument cluster or the multifunction
display is inoperative.
As a result, you will not be able to see infor-
mation about your driving conditions, such
as speed or outside temperature, warn-
ing/indicator lamps, malfunction/warning
messages or the failure of any systems.
Driving characteristics may be impaired.
If you must continue to drive, please do so
with added caution. Visit an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center as soon as possible.
iThe instrument cluster illumination is
dimmed or brightened automatically to suit am-
bient light conditions.
The instrument cluster illumination will also be
adjusted automatically when you switch on the
vehicle’s exterior lamps.