135 Controls in detail
Lighting
Hazard warning flasher
The hazard warning flasher can be
switched on at all times, even with the
SmartKey removed from the starter switch
or with the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
removed from the vehicle.
The hazard warning flasher switches on
automatically when an air bag deploys.
The hazard warning flasher switch is
located on the center console.
1Hazard warning flasher switchSwitching on hazard warning flasher
Press hazard warning flasher
switch1.
All turn signal lamps are flashing.Switching off hazard warning flasherPress hazard warning flasher switch1
again.
iWith the hazard warning flasher activated
and the combination switch set for either left or
right turn, only the respective left or right turn
signals will operate when the ignition is switched
on (
page 38).
iIf the hazard warning flasher has been
activated automatically, press hazard warning
flasher switch1 once to switch it off.
137 Controls in detail
Lighting
Manual control
Switching front interior lighting on and
off
Press the W symbol on rocker
switch3.
The front interior lighting comes on.
Press rocker switch3 to center
position to activate the automatic
control.
Switching rear interior lighting on and
off
Press button V.
The lighting in the rear passenger
compartment comes on.
Press button V again.
The lighting in the rear passenger
compartment goes out.Switching front reading lamps on and off
Press the left or right button X to
switch on the desired front reading
lamp.
Press the left or right button X
again to switch off the respective front
reading lamp.
Door entry lamps
For better orientation in the dark, the cor-
responding door entry lamps will switch on
in darkness when you open a door and the
automatic control is activated.
The door entry lamps will switch off when
the corresponding door is closed.
Trunk lamp
The trunk lamp switches on if the trunk is
opened.
If the trunk lid remains open, the trunk
lamp switches off automatically after
approximately 10 minutes.
iIf you turn the SmartKey in the starter
switch to position0 and switch off the head-
lamps, the door entry lamps will remain lit for
approximately 5 minutes.
140 Controls in detail
Instrument cluster
Tachometer
The red marking on the tachometer
(
page 26) denotes excessive engine
speed.
To help protect the engine, the fuel supply
is interrupted if the engine is operated
within the red marking.
Clock
In vehicles with Audio 20, the clock can be
set via the control system (
page 156).
Outside temperature indicator
The outside temperature is indicated in the
multifunction display (
page 141).The temperature sensor is located in the
front bumper area. Due to its location, the
sensor can be affected by road or engine
heat during idling or slow driving. This
means that the accuracy of the displayed
temperature can only be verified by com-
parison to a thermometer placed next to
the sensor, not by comparison to external
displays (e.g. bank signs etc.).
When moving the vehicle into colder ambi-
ent temperatures (e.g. when leaving your
garage), you will notice a delay before the
lower temperature is displayed.
A delay also occurs when ambient temper-
atures rise. This prevents inaccurate tem-
perature indications caused by heat
radiated from the engine during idling or
slow driving.
!Avoid driving at excessive engine speeds, as
it may result in serious engine damage that is not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
iVehicles with COMAND*:
For information on setting the time in COMAND,
refer to the separate COMAND operating in-
structions.
Warning!G
The outside temperature indicator is not de-
signed to serve as an ice-warning device and
is therefore unsuitable for that purpose.
Indicated temperatures just above the freez-
ing point do not guarantee that the road sur-
face is free of ice. The road may still be icy,
especially in wooded areas or on bridges.
147 Controls in detail
Control system
AUDIO menu
The functions in the
Audio menu operate
the audio equipment which you currently
have turned on.
If no audio equipment is currently turned
on, the message
AUDIO OFF appears in the
multifunction display.
The following functions are available:
Selecting radio station
Turn on the radio (page 210) and se-
lect radio. Vehicles with COMAND*:
Refer to separate operating instruc-
tions.
Press buttonè orÿ repeatedly
until the currently tuned station
appears in the multifunction display.1Waveband setting
2Station frequency
Press buttonk orj repeatedly
until the desired station or the desired
stored station is found.
The station search depends on the se-
lected setting in the
Vehicle submenu
of the control system (
page 161).
Pressing buttonk orj will ei-
ther start a frequency scan or select
the next stored radio station.Selecting satellite radio station*
(USA only)
The satellite radio is treated as a radio
application.
Select satellite radio with the
corresponding soft key (SAT) in the
radio menu.
1SAT mode and preset number
2Setting for station selection using
memory
3Channel name or number
Press buttonk orj repeatedly
until the desired channel is found.
FunctionPage
Selecting radio station147
Selecting satellite radio
station* (USA only)147
Operating CD player148
iYou can only store new stations using the
corresponding feature on the radio
(
page 216).
Vehicles with COMAND*:
Refer to separate operating instructions.
You can also operate the radio in the usual
manner.iFor more information on satellite radio oper-
ation, see “Introduction to satellite radio*
(USA only)” (
page 218).
Vehicles with COMAND*:
Refer to separate operating instructions.
150 Controls in detail
Control system
Press buttonè orÿ repeatedly
until the vehicle status message
memory appears in the multifunction
display.
If the vehicle status message memory
menu does not appear, then there are
no messages stored.Vehicle status messages have been
recorded
If conditions have occurred causing status
messages to be recorded, the number of
messages appears in the multifunction
display:
1Number of messages
Press buttonk orj.
The stored messages will now be
displayed in the order in which they
have occurred.
For malfunction and warning messag-
es, see “Vehicle status messages in the
multifunction display” (
page 368).Should the vehicle’s system record any
conditions while driving, the number of
messages will reappear in the multifunc-
tion display when the SmartKey in the
starter switch is turned to position0 or
removed from the starter switch. With
KEYLESS-GO*, turn off the engine by
pressing the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop
button and open the driver’s door.
Warning!G
Malfunction and warning messages are only
indicated for certain systems and are inten-
tionally not very detailed. The malfunction
and warning messages are simply a remind-
er with respect to the operation of certain
systems and do not replace the owner’s
and/or driver’s responsibility to maintain
the vehicle’s operating safety by having all
required maintenance and safety checks
performed on the vehicle and by bringing
the vehicle to an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center to address the malfunction and
warning messages (
page 368).
iThe vehicle status message memory will be
cleared when you switch on the ignition
(
page 38). You will then only see high-priority
messages in the multifunction display
(
page 368).
171 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Effect
ëNeutral
No power is transmitted from the
engine to the drive axle. When
the brakes are released, the
vehicle can be moved freely
(pushed or towed).
To avoid damage to the trans-
mission, never engage neutral
positionN while driving.
If the ESP
® is deactivated or
malfunctioning:
Move gear selector lever to neu-
tral positionN only if the vehicle
is in danger of skidding, e.g. on
icy roads.
êDrive
The transmission shifts
automatically. All forward gears
are available.
!Coasting the vehicle, or driving for any other
reason with gear selector lever in neutral
positionN can result in transmission damage
that is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.
Warning!G
PositionP alone is not intended to or capa-
ble of preventing your vehicle from moving,
possibly hitting people or objects. Always
set the parking brake in addition to shifting
to park positionP (
page 59).
When parked on an incline, turn the front
wheels towards the road curb.
Do not park this vehicle in areas where com-
bustible 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 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. Children could move the
gear selector lever from park positionP,
which could result in an accident and/or
serious personal injury.
Getting out of your vehicle without taking
the above measurements to secure it is
dangerous.
180 Controls in detail
Good visibility
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 38),
and
incoming light from headlamps falls on
the sensor in the interior rear view
mirror.
The rear view mirror will not react if
reverse gearR is engaged
the interior lighting is turned on
Warning!G
The auto-dimming function does not react if
incoming light is not aimed directly at sen-
sors 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
In case of an accident, liquid electrolyte may
escape from the mirror housing if the mirror
glass breaks.
Electrolyte has an irritating effect. Do not
allow the liquid to come into contact with
eyes, skin, clothing, or respiratory system.
In case it does, immediately flush affected
area with water, and seek medical help if
necessary.
!Electrolyte drops coming into contact with
the vehicle paint finish can be completely re-
moved only while in the liquid state and by apply-
ing plenty of water.
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
interior rear view mirror or glance over your
shoulder before changing lanes.
191 Controls in detail
Climate control
Deactivating
Press button, (page 185).
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.Air recirculation mode with conve-
nience closing or opening featureConvenience closingPress and hold button,
(
page 185) until the windows and the
tilt/sliding sunroof* are closed or have
reached the desired position. The indi-
cator lamp on the button comes on.
The air recirculation mode is activated.
Convenience opening
Press and hold button,
(
page 185) until the windows and the
tilt/sliding sunroof* have return to
their previous position or they have
reached the desired position. The indi-
cator lamp on the button goes out. The
air recirculation mode is deactivated.
iThe air recirculation mode is deactivated au-
tomatically:
after 5 minutes if the outside temperature is
below approximately 41°F (5°C)
after 5 minutes if the air conditioning is
turned off
after 30 minutes if the outside temperature
is above approximately 41°F (5°C)
Warning!G
Never operate the side windows and the
tilt/sliding sunroof* if there is the possibility
of anyone being harmed by the closing
procedure.
When using the air recirculation mode with
convenience closing feature, should the up-
ward movement of a window be blocked by
some obstructions including but not limited
to arms, hands, fingers. etc., the automatic
reversal feature will not operate.
In the event that the procedure causes
potential danger, the closing of the side
windows can be immediately halted by
releasing the, button or by pressing or
pulling the respective window switch. The
closing of the tilt/sliding sunroof* can be
immediately halted by releasing the,
button or by moving the tilt/sliding sunroof*
switch in the overhead control panel in any
direction.
iA side window or tilt/sliding sunroof* will
only return to its previous position if it has not
been moved to another position using the re-
spective side window switch or tilt/sliding sun-
roof* switch after it was closed with
button,. A side window or tilt/sliding sun-
roof* that was moved will remain in its current
position if button, is used to re-open the re-
maining side windows or tilt/sliding sunroof*.