46 Getting startedAdjustingEasy-entry/exit feature
This feature allows for easier entry into and
exit from the vehicle. When entering and
exiting the vehicle, the steering wheel is in
its uppermost position.
The easy-entry/exit feature can be activat-
ed or deactivated in the
Convenience
sub-
menu of the control system (
page 181).With the easy-entry/exit feature activated,
the steering wheel will return to its last set
position when you:
close the driver’s door with the ignition
switched on
or
insert the SmartKey into the starter
switch or press the KEYLESS-GO*
start/stop button (
page 39) once
with the driver’s door closedWith the easy-entry/exit feature activated,
the steering wheel tilts upwards when you:
remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch
or
open the driver’s door with the
SmartKey in starter switch position 0
or 1 or the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop
button (
page 39) in position 1
Warning!
G
You must make sure no one can become
trapped or injured by the moving steering
wheel when the easy-entry/exit feature is
activated.
To stop steering wheel movement, do one of
the following:
Move steering wheel adjustment stalk.
Press one of the memory position
buttons (
page 139).
Do not leave children unattended in the ve-
hicle, or with access to an unlocked vehicle.
Children could open the driver’s door and
unintentionally activate the easy-entry/exit
feature, which could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury.i
The last set steering wheel position is stored
when
the ignition is switched off (
page 63)
the position is stored in memory
(page 139)
i
If the current position for the steering wheel
is in the uppermost tilt position, the steering
wheel will no longer be able to move upward
when the easy-entry/exit feature is activated.
The adjustment procedure is briefly interrupted
when the engine is started.
53 Getting started
Driving
Starting with KEYLESS-GO*
You can start your vehicle without the
SmartKey in the starter switch using the
KEYLESS-GO start/stop button on the
gear selector lever.
For information on turning off the engine
with KEYLESS-GO, see “Turning off with
KEYLESS-GO*” (
page 64).
The SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO must be
located in the vehicle.
KEYLESS-GO start/stop button1USA only
2Canada only
Make sure the gear selector lever is set
toP.
Depress the brake pedal during the
starting procedure. Do not depress ac-
celerator.
The gear selector lever lock is released.
Press KEYLESS-GO start/stop button
once.
The engine starts if the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO is in the vehicle.Starting difficulties
If the SmartKey is left in starter switch
position0 for an extended period of time,
it can no longer be turned in the switch. In
this case, the steering is locked.
To unlock remove SmartKey from the
starter switch and reinsert.
If the engine does not start as described,
carry out the following steps:
If you are starting the engine with the
SmartKey, turn SmartKey in starter
switch to position0 and repeat starting
procedure.
If you are starting the engine with
KEYLESS-GO: Close any doors that
may be open to allow for better detec-
tion of the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO.
Or:
Start the engine with the SmartKey as
radio signals from another source may
be interfering with the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO.
Warning!
G
As long as the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO
is in your vehicle, the vehicle can be started.
Therefore, never leave children unattended
in the vehicle, as they could otherwise acci-
dentally start the engine.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO with you and
lock the vehicle. Do not leave children unat-
tended in the vehicle, or with access to an
unlocked vehicle.
55 Getting started
Driving
Driving
Depress the brake pedal.
Move the 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 309).
i
Wait for the gear selection process to com-
plete before setting the vehicle in motion.
i
Once the vehicle is in motion, the automatic
central locking system engages and the locking
knobs drop down.
The automatic door lock feature can be deacti-
vated (page 180).
You can open a locked door from the inside.
Open door only when conditions are safe to do
so.
!
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 62).
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.
Warning!
G
It is dangerous to shift the gear selector le-
ver out ofP orN if the engine speed is high-
er than idle speed. If your foot is not firmly
on the brake pedal, the vehicle could accel-
erate 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.!
Simultaneously depressing the accelerator
pedal and applying the brakes reduces engine
performance and causes premature brake and
drivetrain wear.
57 Getting started
Driving
The combination switch resets automati-
cally after major steering wheel move-
ments.
Windshield wipers
The combination switch is located on the
left of the steering column.Combination switch1Switching on windshield wipers
2Single wipe
Wiping with windshield washer fluid
Switch on the ignition (
page 37).
i
To signal minor directional changes such as
changing lanes, press combination switch only
to point of resistance and release. The corre-
sponding turn signals will flash three times.
!
Do not operate the windshield wipers when
the windshield is dry. Dust that accumulates on
a windshield might scratch the glass and/or
damage the wiper blades when wiping occurs on
a dry windshield. If it is necessary to operate the
windshield wipers in dry weather conditions, al-
ways operate the windshield wipers with wind-
shield washer fluid (
page 59).
!
If anything blocks the windshield wipers
(leaves, snow, etc.), switch them off immediate-
ly.
For safety reasons, stop the vehicle in a safe
location and
remove SmartKey from starter switch
or
turn off the engine by pressing the
KEYLESS-GO* start/stop button and
open the driver’s door (with the driver’s
door open, starter switch is in
position0, same as with SmartKey re-
moved from starter switch)
before attempting to remove any blockage.
Remove blockage.
Turn the windshield wipers on again.
64 Getting startedParking and lockingTurning off with KEYLESS-GO*
Place the gear selector lever inP.
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 38).
Releasing seat belts
Press the seat belt release button
(page 50).
Allow the retractor to completely re-
wind the seat belt by guiding the latch
plate.
Locking
i
If you hear a warning signal, you have tried
to turn off the engine while the gear selector le-
ver was not in positionP.
In addition, the message
Gear selector le-
ver in Park position appears in the multi-
function display.
Place the gear selector lever in positionP.
!
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 Limited 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 that there
is no possibility of someone getting caught
in a door during closing.Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey or the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* with you, and lock the vehi-
cle. Do not leave children unattended in the
vehicle, or with access to an unlocked vehi-
cle. A child’s unsupervised access to a vehi-
cle could result in an accident and/or
serious personal injury.
65 Getting started
Parking and locking
Exit the vehicle and close all doors and
the tailgate.Locking with the SmartKey
After exiting the vehicle, press lock
button‹ on the SmartKey
(page 36).
All turn signal lamps flash three
times.
An acoustic signal sounds three
times.
The locking knobs in the doors
move down.
The anti-theft alarm system is
armed.
For more information, see the “Controls in
detail” section (
page 110).Locking with KEYLESS-GO*
1Lock button
After exiting the vehicle, press lock
button1 on an outside door handle.
All turn signal lamps flash three
times.
An acoustic signal sounds three
times.
The locking knobs in the doors
move down.
The anti-theft alarm system is
armed.
For more information, see “SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO*” (
page 113).
i
If you hear a warning signal you have forgot-
ten to switch off the headlamps before opening
the driver’s door.
In addition the message
Switch off lights
appears in the multifunction display.
Switch off the headlamps.
87 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
In such cases, the following systems are
automatically activated:
The front seat belts are pre-tensioned
electrically.
If the vehicle is in a severe skid or is
spinning, the door windows and the
tilt/sliding sunroof close until a small
gap remains.
Vehicles with front passenger seat memo-
ry function*:
If seat is in an unfavorable position, it
will be adjusted to a better position.If the seat belts do not release:
Adjust the backrest or seat slightly to
the rear until the seat belt tension is di-
minished.
The locking mechanism releases.
Active head restraints
The active head restraints offer the driver
and front passenger increased protection
from whiplash type injuries. In the event of
a rear-end collision, the head restraints on
the driver’s and front passenger’s seats
are designed to move forward in the direc-
tion of travel, providing the head with in-
creased support earlier on in the collision sequence. The active head restraints move
forward whether the seat is occupied or
not.
i
If the closing procedure of the tilt/sliding
sunroof or door window is blocked, the tilt/slid-
ing sunroof or door window will stop and open
slightly.
i
The PRE-SAFE
® system is activated in the
previously described circumstances only at
speeds exceeding 20 mph (30 km/h).
When the critical driving dynamic situation has
passed without an accident occurring, the
pre-tensioning on the seat belts is deactivated.
You can then adjust the seat, the door windows
and the tilt/sliding sunroof to their previous po-
sition.
Warning!
G
Do not attach any objects (e.g. hangers) to
the head restraint posts. Otherwise, the ac-
tive head restraints may not function prop-
erly or offer the degree of protection they
were designed for in the event of a collision.Warning!
G
Only use seat or head restraint covers which
have been tested and approved by
Mercedes-Benz for your vehicle model. Us-
ing other seat or head restraint covers may
interfere with or prevent the activation of
the active head restraints. Contact your au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center for availabil-
ity.
89 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Infant and child restraint systems
We recommend all infants and children be
properly restrained at all times while the
vehicle is in motion.
Canada only:
Use only a BabySmart
TM compatible child
restraint for the front passenger seat in
this vehicle.
All lap-shoulder belts except the driver’s
seat belt have special seat belt retractors
for secure fastening of child restraints.
To fasten a child restraint, follow child
restraint instructions for mounting. Then
pull the shoulder belt out completely and
let it retract. During seat belt retraction, a
ratcheting sound can be heard to indicate
that the special seat belt retractor is acti-
vated. The seat belt is now locked. Push
down on child restraint to take up any
slack.To deactivate, release seat belt buckle and
let seat belt retract completely. The seat
belt can again be used in the usual man-
ner.
The use of infant or child restraints is
required by law in all 50 states, the District
of Columbia, the U.S. territories and all
Canadian provinces.
Infants and small children should be
seated in an appropriate infant or child
restraint system properly secured in
accordance with the manufacturer’s
instructions for the child restraint, that
complies with U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle
Do not expose the child restraint system to
direct sunlight. The child restraint system’s
metal parts, for example, could become very
hot, and the child could be burned on these
parts.
If children open a door, they could
injure other persons
get out of the car and injure themselves
or be injured by following traffic
Do not carry heavy or hard objects in the
passenger or cargo compartment unless
they are firmly secured in place. For more in-
formation, see “Loading” (
page 266) and
“Useful features” (
page 280).
Unsecured or improperly positioned cargo
increases a child’s risk of injury in the event
of
strong braking maneuvers
sudden changes of direction
an accident
Warning!
G
Never release the seat belt buckle while the
vehicle is in motion, since the special seat
belt retractor will be deactivated.i
Information on child seats with mounting fit-
tings for tether anchorages (
page 92).
For information on LATCH-type child seat an-
chors (
page 94).