Contents
Safety and Security........................... 58
Occupant safety................................... 60
Air bags .......................................... 62
Occupant Classification System ..... 67
Seat belts ....................................... 71
Children in the vehicle .................... 75
Panic alarm .......................................... 80
Activating ....................................... 80
Deactivating ................................... 80
Driving safety systems ......................... 81
ABS ................................................ 81
BAS ................................................ 83
ESP
®............................................... 83
Electro-hydraulic brake system ...... 86
Performance enhancement system ..... 89
Airbrake.......................................... 89
Anti-theft systems................................ 92
Immobilizer..................................... 92
Anti-theft alarm system .................. 92
Tow-away alarm ............................. 94
Controls in detail............................... 96
Locking and unlocking ......................... 98
SmartKey ....................................... 98
Opening the doors ....................... 101
Opening the trunk ........................ 102
Closing the trunk lid ..................... 103
Trunk emergency release ............. 104
Automatic locking ........................ 104
Locking and unlocking from
the inside ..................................... 105
Lighting.............................................. 106
Exterior lamp switch..................... 106
Combination switch ..................... 110
Hazard warning flasher ................ 111
Interior lighting............................. 112
Courtesy lighting .......................... 113
Trunk lamp ................................... 113
Instrument cluster ............................. 114
Adjusting instrument cluster
illumination .................................. 114
Coolant temperature gauge ......... 115
Resetting trip odometer ............... 115
Tachometer .................................. 116
Outside temperature indicator ..... 116Control system .................................. 117
Multifunction display.................... 117
Multifunction steering wheel........ 118
Menus .......................................... 120
Standard display menu ................ 122
722 Edition menu......................... 123
AUDIO menu ................................ 126
Vehicle status message memory
menu............................................ 128
Settings menu .............................. 129
Trip computer menu..................... 139
TEL menu ..................................... 141
Audio system ..................................... 145
Audio and telephone, operation ... 145
Operating safety .......................... 145
Location of the audio system ....... 145
Operating and display elements... 146
Button and soft key operation...... 148
Operation ..................................... 148
Radio operation ........................... 151
Cassette operation ...................... 154
CD changer operation .................. 158
Telephone operation .................... 162
Automatic transmission ..................... 169
Gear selector lever....................... 169
Shifting procedure ....................... 170
Contents
At the gas station............................... 247
Refueling ...................................... 247
Check regularly and before
a long trip .................................... 248
Engine compartment.......................... 250
Hood ............................................ 250
Engine oil...................................... 253
Transmission fluid level ................ 254
Coolant......................................... 255
Trunk ................................................. 256
Batteries....................................... 256
Windshield washer system and
headlamp cleaning system ........... 257
Tires and wheels ................................ 258
Important guidelines .................... 258
Tire care and maintenance ........... 259
Direction of rotation ..................... 261
Loading the vehicle ...................... 261
Recommended tire inflation
pressure ....................................... 267
Checking tire inflation pressure ... 268
Tire labeling .................................. 274
Load identification........................ 278
DOT, Tire Identification Number
(TIN) ............................................. 279
Maximum tire load ....................... 280Maximum tire inflation pressure .. 281
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Standards (U.S. vehicles) ............. 281
Tire ply material ........................... 283
Tire and loading terminology ........ 284
Rotating tires ............................... 287
Anti-theft wheel nuts .................... 288
Winter driving .................................... 290
Winter tires* ................................ 290
Snow chains ................................. 291
Maintenance ...................................... 292
Clearing the maintenance
service indicator message............ 292
Maintenance service term
exceeded ..................................... 293
Calling up the maintenance
service due date........................... 293
Resetting the maintenance
service indicator........................... 294
Vehicle care ....................................... 295
Cleaning and care of the vehicle .. 295
Vehicle washing ........................... 296
Practical hints................................. 298
What to do if ... .................................. 300
Lamps in instrument cluster ........ 300
Lamp in center console................ 312
Vehicle status messages in the
multifunction display.................... 314
Symbol messages ........................ 327
Where will I find ...? ........................... 353
First aid kit ................................... 353
TIREFIT kit, electric air pump,
towing eye bolt and vehicle
literature portfolio ........................ 353
Compact guide (Canada only) ...... 354
Unlocking in an emergency ............... 355
Unlocking the vehicle................... 355
Replacing SmartKey batteries ........... 357
Replacing bulbs ................................. 359
Front lamps.................................. 360
Rear lamps ................................... 360
Replacing wiper blades ...................... 361
Removing wiper blades ................ 361
Installing wiper blades ................. 361
29 At a glance
Instrument cluster
ItemPage
1Coolant temperature gauge
with115
DCoolant temperature
warning lamp306
2Speedometer with
;Brake warning lamp,
USA only303
3Brake warning lamp,
Canada only303
vABS/ESP® warning
lamp300
>Gearshift indicator
lamp307
indicator lamp
KRight turn signal
indicator lamp
ItemPage
3Left multifunction display
with
Outside temperature116
Main odometer 117
4Reset button114
5Tachometer with116
AHigh beam headlamp
indicator110
?Engine malfunction in-
dicator lamp, USA only304
±Engine malfunction in-
dicator lamp, Canada
only304
-Antilock Brake System
(ABS) indicator lamp302
XLow tire pressure
telltale311
ItemPage
1Supplemental
Restraint System (SRS)
indicator lamp310
with
Current gear selector lever
position/gear range117,
171,
174
Trip odometer117
Automatic transmission
shift program mode117,
175
Clock133
=Engine oil temperature
indicator307
7Fuel gauge with
AFuel reserve warning
lamp 307
51 Getting started
Driving
Switching on headlamps
Low beam headlamps
The exterior lamp switch is located on the
dashboard to the left of the steering wheel.
Exterior lamp switch
1Off
2Low beam headlamps on
Turn the exterior lamp switch to
positionB.
The low beam headlamps come on.High beam
The combination switch is located on the
left of the steering column.
Combination switch
1High beam
2High beam flasher
Push combination switch in direction of
arrow1.
The high beam headlamps and high
beam headlamp indicator lampA in
the instrument cluster come on
(
page 29).
For more information on headlamps, see
“Lighting” (
page 106).
Turn signals
The combination switch is located on the
left of the steering column.
Combination switch
1Turn signals, right
2Turn signals, left
Press the combination switch up 1 or
down 2.
The corresponding turn signal indicator
lampL orK in the instrument
cluster flashes (
page 29).
The combination switch resets automati-
cally after major directional changes.
64 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Safety guidelines for the seat belt,
emergency tensioning device and air
bagiAir bags are designed to activate only in cer-
tain frontal impacts (front air bags, knee air
bags) and side impacts (head-thorax air bags)
which exceed preset thresholds. Only during
these types of impacts will they provide their
supplemental protection.
The driver and passenger should always wear
their seat belts. Otherwise it is not possible for
the air bags to provide their supplemental
protection.
In cases of other types of impacts and impacts
below air bag deployment thresholds, air bags
will not deploy. The driver and passenger will
then be protected to the extent possible by a
properly fastened seat belt. A properly fastened
seat belt is also needed to provide the best pos-
sible protection in a rollover.
We caution you not to rely on the presence of the
air bags in order to avoid wearing your seat belt.
It is important to your safety and that of your pas-
senger that you replace deployed air bags and
repair any malfunctioning air bags to ensure that
the vehicle will continue to provide supplemental
crash protection for occupants.
Warning!G
Damaged seat belts or seat belts that
were highly stressed in an accident
must be replaced and their anchoring
points must also be checked. Only use
seat belts installed or supplied by an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Air bags and Emergency Tensioning
Devices (ETDs) are designed to function
on a one-time-only basis. An air bag or
ETD that was activated must be
replaced.
Do not pass seat belts over sharp edges.
They could tear.
Do not make any modification that could
change the effectiveness of the seat
belts.
Do not bleach or dye seat belts as this
may severely weaken them. In a crash,
they may not be able to provide
adequate protection.
No modifications of any kind may be
made to any components or wiring of
the SRS. This includes changing or
removing any component or part of the
SRS, the installation of additional trim
material, badges, etc. over the steering
wheel hub, passenger front air bag cov-
er, outboard sides of the front seat
backrests, door trim panels, or door trim
panels, and installation of additional
electrical/electronic equipment on or
near SRS components and wiring. Keep
area between air bags and occupants
free from objects (e.g. packages,
purses, umbrellas, etc.).
Air bag system components will be hot
after an air bag has inflated. Do not
touch.
Never place your feet on the instrument
panel, dashboard, or on the seat. Always
keep both feet on the floor in front of the
seat.
65 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
When you sell your vehicle, we strongly
urge you to give notice to the subsequent
owner that it is equipped with an SRS by
alerting them to the applicable section in
the Operator’s Manual.Front air bags
1Driver air bag
2Passenger air bag
Driver and passenger air bags are
deployed:
in the event of certain frontal impacts
if impact exceeds a preset deployment
threshold
independently of the head-thorax air
bagsThe air bags will not deploy in impacts
which do not exceed the system’s
deployment thresholds. You will then be
protected by the fastened seat belts.
In addition, improper repair work on the
SRS creates a risk of rendering the SRS
inoperative or causing unintended air
bag deployment. Work on the SRS must
therefore only be performed by qualified
technicians. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
For your protection and the protection
of others, when scrapping the air bag
unit or emergency tensioning device,
our safety instructions must be fol-
lowed. These instructions are available
from your authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
Given the considerable deployment
speed, required inflation volume, and
the textile structure of the air bags,
there is the possibility of abrasions or
other, potentially more serious injuries
resulting from air bag deployment.
iThe front air bags in this vehicle have been
designed to inflate in two stages. This allows
the air bag to have different rates of inflation that
are based on the rate of relevant vehicle deceler-
ation as assessed by the air bag control unit.
On the passenger side, the front air bag
deployment is additionally influenced by the
passenger’s weight category as identified by the
Occupant Classification System (OCS)
(
page 67).
The lighter the passenger side occupant, the
higher the vehicle deceleration rate required for
the second stage inflation of the air bag.
66 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
The passenger air bag will only be de-
ployed if:
the system, based on the OCS weight
sensor readings, senses that the pas-
senger seat is occupied
the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp in the lower part of the center
console is not lit (
page 70)
the impact exceeds a preset
deployment thresholdKnee air bags
1Knee air bag, driver’s side
2Knee air bag, passenger side
The knee air bags are located on the lower
instrument panel. They are designed to op-
erate together with the front air bags in
certain frontal impacts exceeding a preset
threshold. The knee air bags operate best
in conjunction with a properly positioned
and fastened seat belts and when the foot-
well is kept clear of objects.Head-thorax air bags
1Head-thorax air bag
The head-thorax air bags are deployed:
in impacts exceeding a preset deploy-
ment threshold
on the impacted side of the vehicle
independently of the front air bags
The head-thorax air bags are not deployed
in impacts which do not exceed the
system’s deployment threshold.
68 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
When the OCS senses that the passenger
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 PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indi-
cator lamp will illuminate when the engine is
started and remain illuminated, indicating
that the passenger front air bag and passen-
ger knee air bag are deactivated.
When the OCS senses that the passenger
seat is classified as being empty, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
will illuminate when the engine is started
and remain illuminated, indicating that the
passenger front air bag and the passenger
knee air bag are deactivated. When the OCS senses that the passenger
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 PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF 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
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
illuminated, the passenger front air bag and
the passenger knee air bag are deactivated.
With the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp out, the passenger front air bag and
the passenger knee air bag are activated.
When the OCS senses that the passenger
seat occupant is classified as an adult or
someone larger than a small individual, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
will illuminate for approximately 6 seconds
when the engine is started and then go out,
indicating that the passenger front air bagand the passenger knee air bag are
activated.
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp is illuminated, the passenger front air
bag and the passenger knee air bag are
deactivated and will not be deployed.
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp is not illuminated, the passenger front
air bag and the passenger knee air bag are
activated and will be deployed:
in the event of certain frontal impacts
if impact exceeds a preset deployment
threshold
independently of the head-thorax air
bags
If the passenger front air bag and the pas-
senger knee air bag are deployed, the rate of
inflation will be influenced by:
the rate of relevant vehicle deceleration
as assessed by the air bag control unit
passenger’s weight category as identi-
fied by the Occupant Classification
System (OCS)