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
14 Introduction
Operator’s Manual
This Operator’s Manual contains a great
deal of useful information. We urge you to
read it carefully and familiarize yourself
with the vehicle before driving.
For your own safety and longer service life
of the vehicle, we urge you to follow the
instructions and warnings contained in this
manual. Ignoring them could result in
damage to the vehicle or personal injury to
you or others. Vehicle damage caused by
failure to follow instructions is not covered
by the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Your vehicle may have some or all of the
equipment described in this manual.
Therefore, you may find explanations for
optional equipment not installed in your
vehicle. If you have any questions about
the operation of any equipment, your
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center will be
glad to demonstrate the proper
procedures.We continuously strive to improve our
product, and ask for your understanding
that we reserve the right to make changes
in design and equipment. Therefore,
information, illustrations, and descriptions
in this Operator’s Manual might differ from
your vehicle.
Optional equipment is also described in
this manual, including operating instruc-
tions wherever necessary. Since they are
special-order items, the descriptions and
illustrations herein may vary slightly from
the actual equipment of your vehicle.
If there are any equipment details that are
not shown or described in this Operator’s
Manual, an authorized Mercedes-Benz
C e n t e r w i l l b e g l a d t o i n f o r m y o u o f c o r r e c t
care and operating procedures.
The Operator’s Manual and Maintenance
Booklet are important documents and
should be kept with the vehicle.Service and warranty information
The Service and Warranty Information
Booklet contains detailed information
about the warranties covering your
Mercedes-Benz, including:
New Car Limited Warranty,
Emission System Warranty,
Emission Performance Warranty,
California, Maine, Massachusetts and
Vermont1 Emission Control System
Warranty (California, Maine, Massa-
chusetts and Vermont
1 only),
State Warranty Enforcement Laws
(Lemon Laws).
1At time of printing, the decision regarding compli-
ance with Vermont certification regulations was
still pending. The vehicle may not be permitted to
be registered in Vermont. Check with an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center for details.
19 Introduction
Symbols
Symbols
Trademarks:
ESP® is a registered trademark of
DaimlerChrysler.
HomeLink® is a registered trademark
of Prince, a Johnson Controls
Company.The following symbols are found in this
Operator’s Manual:
* Optional equipment is identified
with an asterisk.
This symbol points to instructions for
you to follow.
A number of these symbols appearing
in succession indicates a multiple-step
procedure. page This symbol tells you where to
look for further information on a
topic.
This continuation symbol marks
a warning which is continued on
the next page.
This continuation symbol marks
a procedure which is continued
on the next page.
-> This symbol is used to indicate
cross-references to term
definitions.
DisplayWords appearing in the multi-
function display and audio dis-
play are printed in the type
shown here.
Warning!G
Warning notices draw your attention to haz-
ards that may endanger your health or life,
or the health or life of others.
!Highlights hazards that may result in dam-
age to your vehicle.
iHelpful hints or further information you may
find useful.
41 Getting started
Adjusting
Adjusting
Seats
Warning!G
All seat, steering wheel, and rear view mirror
adjustments, as well as fastening of seat
belts, must be done before the vehicle is put
into motion.
Warning!G
Do not adjust the driver’s seat while driving.
Adjusting the seat while driving could cause
the driver to lose control of the vehicle.
Never ride in a moving vehicle with the seat
back in an excessively reclined position as
this can be dangerous. You could slide un-
der the seat belt in a collision. If you slide
under it, the belt would apply force at the ab-
domen or neck. That could cause serious or
fatal injuries. The seat back and seat belts
provide the best restraint when the wearer
is in a nearly upright position and belts are
properly positioned on the body.
Warning!G
Your seat must be adjusted so that you can
correctly fasten your seat belt (
page 45).
Observe the following points:
Adjust the seat to a comfortable seating
position that still allows you to reach the
accelerator/brake pedal safely. The po-
s i ti on s ho ul d be as fa r t o t he r ea r a s po s -
sible, consistent with ability to properly
operate controls.
Adjust the seat until a comfortable
steering wheel position is reached with
your arms slightly bent at the elbow.
Never place hands under the seat or
near any moving parts while a seat is
being adjusted.
Failure to do so could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury.
Warning!G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch, take it
with you, and lock the vehicle.
Even with the SmartKey removed from the
starter switch or the vehicle, the seats can
be operated. Therefore, do not leave chil-
dren unattended in the vehicle, or with ac-
cess to an unlocked vehicle. A child’s
unsupervised access to a vehicle could
result in an accident and/or serious
personal injury.
43 Getting started
Adjusting
The stalk for steering wheel adjustment is
located on the lower left of the steering
column.
1Adjusting steering column, in or out
2Adjusting steering column, up or downAdjusting steering column in or out
Move stalk forward or back in the
direction of arrow1 until a comfort-
able steering wheel position is reached
with your arms slightly bent at the
elbow.
Adjusting steering column up or down
Press the lever up or down in the direc-
tion of arrow 2. Make sure that you
can move your legs freely and that you
can see all the displays in the instru-
ment cluster clearly.
Mirrors
Adjust the interior and exterior rear view
mirrors before driving so that you have a
good view of the road and traffic
conditions.
Warning!G
In case of an accident, liquid electrolyte may
escape the mirror housing if the mirror glass
breaks.
Electrolyte has an irritating effect. Do not al-
low 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.
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.
49 Getting started
Driving
Starting difficulties
If the engine does not start as described,
carry out the following steps:
Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position0 and repeat starting
procedure (
page 48).
Remember that extended starting
attempts can drain the battery.
If the engine does not start after several
starting attempts, there could be a
malfunction in the engine electronics or in
the fuel supply system.
Notify an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
Parking brake
1Release button
2Parking brake leverPull lever2 upwards slightly, press
release button1 and move the lever
down to the stop.
The warning lamp; (USA only)
or3 (Canada only) in the
instrument cluster goes out.
Warning!G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch, take it
with you, and lock the vehicle. Do not leave
children unattended in the vehicle, or with
access to an unlocked vehicle. Children
could release the parking brake, which
could result in an accident and/or personal
serious injury.
55 Getting started
Parking and locking
Parking and locking
You have now completed your first drive.
You have properly stopped and parked
your vehicle. End your drive as follows.Parking brake
1Parking brake lever
Warning!G
With the engine not running, there is no
power assistance for the brake and steering
system. In this case, it is important to keep
in mind that a considerably higher degree of
effort is necessary to brake and steer the
vehicle.
Warning!G
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.
To reduce the risk of personal injury or dam-
age to the vehicle drivetrain as a result of ve-
hicle movement, before turning off the
engine and leaving the vehicle always:
Keep right foot on brake pedal.
Pull the parking brake lever up as many
notches as possible.
Move the gear selector lever to park
positionP.
Slowly release brake pedal.
When parked on an incline, turn front
wheels towards the road curb.
Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position0 and remove.
Take the SmartKey with you and lock
vehicle when leaving.
Warning!G
Engaging the parking brake while the vehicle
is in motion can cause the rear wheels to
lock up. You could lose control of the vehicle
and cause an accident. In addition, the
vehicle’s brake lights do not light up when
the parking brake is engaged.
56 Getting started
Parking and locking
Pull parking brake lever1 up a s m a ny
notches as possible.
When the engine is running, the
warning lamp; (USA only)
or3(Canada only) in the
instrument cluster comes on.
Switching off headlamps
Turn the exterior lamp switch
toM(
page 51).
For more information on headlamps, see
“Lighting” (
page 106).
Turning off the engine
Place the gear selector lever in
positionP.
Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position0 and remove the SmartKey
from the starter switch.
The immobilizer is activated.
Releasing seat belts
Press the seat belt release button
(
page 46).
Allow the retractor to completely
rewind the seat belt by guiding the
latch plate.
Warning!G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch, take it
with you, and lock the vehicle. Do not leave
children unattended in the vehicle, or with
access to an unlocked vehicle. Children
could release the parking brake and/or
move the gear selector lever from park
positionP, either of which could result in an
accident and/or serious personal injury.
Warning!G
Getting out of your vehicle with the gear se-
lector lever not fully engaged in park
positionP is dangerous. Also, when parked
on an incline, park positionP alone may not
prevent your vehicle from moving, possibly
hitting people or objects.
Always set the parking brake in addition to
shifting to park positionP (
page 48).
When parked on an incline, turn front wheels
towards the road curb.
iAlways set the parking brake in addition to
shifting automatic transmission to park
positionP.
When parked on an incline, turn front wheels
towards the road curb.
iThe SmartKey can only be removed from the
starter switch with the gear selector lever in park
positionP.