61 Getting started
Parking and locking
Turning off with the SmartKey
Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
(
page 38) to position0.
Remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch.
The immobilizer is activated.
Turning off with KEYLESS-GO*
Press the KEYLESS-GO start/stop
button (
page 39) to turn off the en-
gine.
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 49).
Allow the retractor to completely
rewind the seat belt by guiding the
latch plate.
Locking
Exit the vehicle and close all doors and
the trunk.iIf you hear a warning signal you have tried to
turn off the engine while the gear selector lever
was not inP.
In addition, the message
Gear Selector Le-
ver In P Position
appears in the multifunc-
tion 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 especially 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 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.
76 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Self-test Occupant Classification
System
After turning the SmartKey in the starter
switch to position1 or2 or pressing the
KEYLESS-GO* start/stop button once or
twice, the 75 indicator lamp
located in the center console illuminates. If
an adult occupant is properly sitting on the
front passenger seat and the system sens-
es the occupant as being an adult, the
75 indicator lamp will illumi-
nate and go out after approximately
6 seconds.
If the seat is not occupied and the system
senses the front passenger seat as being
empty, the 75 indicator lamp
will illuminate and not go out. For more information, see the “Practical
hints” section (
page 356).
Seat belts
The use of seat belts and infant and child
restraint systems is required by law in all
50 states, the District of Columbia, the
U.S. territories and all Canadian provinces.
Even where this is not the case, all vehicle
occupants should have their seat belts fas-
tened whenever the vehicle is in motion.
For more information, see “Fastening the
seat belts” (
page 48).
Warning!G
If the 75 indicator lamp should
not illuminate, the system is not functioning.
You must see an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center before seating any child on the front
passenger seat.
Warning!G
Never place anything between seat cushion
and child seat (e.g. pillow), since it reduces
the effectiveness of the Occupant Classifi-
cation System. The bottom of the child seat
must make full contact with the passenger
seat cushion. An incorrectly mounted child
seat could cause injuries to the child in case
of an accident, instead of increasing protec-
tion for the child.
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for
installation of child seats.
iFor information on infants and children trav-
eling with you in the vehicle and restraint sys-
tems for infants and children, see “Children in
the vehicle” (
page 82).
88 Safety and Security
Panic alarm
An audible alarm and flashing exterior
lamps will operate briefly.
1Â buttonActivating
Press and hold  button for at least
1 second.
Deactivating
Press  button again.
or
Insert SmartKey or the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* in starter switch.
or
Press the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop
button (
page 39).
The SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* must
be inside the vehicle.
iUSA only:
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC
Rules. Operation is subject to the following two
conditions:
(1) This device may not cause harmful interfer-
ence, and
(2) this device must accept any interference re-
ceived, including interference that may
cause undesired operation.
Any unauthorized modification to this device
could void the user’s authority to operate the
equipment.
iCanada only:
This device complies with RSS-210 of Industry
Canada. Operation is subject to the following
two conditions:
(1) This device may not cause interference, and
(2) this device must accept any interference re-
ceived, including interference that may
cause undesired operation of the device.
Any unauthorized modification to this device
could void the user’s authority to operate the
equipment.
93 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
For more information, see the “Practical
hints” section (
page 345) and
(
page 363).Electronic traction system
The electronic traction system is a
component of ESP
®.
The electronic traction system improves
the vehicle’s ability to utilize available
traction, especially under slippery road
conditions by applying the brakes to a
spinning wheel.
Except CLS 63 AMG:
When you switch off the ESP
®, the
electronic traction system is still enabled.
Warning!G
The ESP® cannot prevent the natural laws of
physics from acting on the vehicle, nor can
it increase the traction afforded. The ESP
®
cannot prevent accidents, including those
resulting from excessive speed in turns, or
hydroplaning. Only a safe, attentive, and
skillful driver can prevent accidents. The ca-
pabilities of an ESP
® equipped vehicle must
never be exploited in a reckless or danger-
ous manner which could jeopardize the us-
er’s safety or the safety of others.
!The ESP® will only function properly if you
use wheels of the recommended tire size
(
page 438).
!Because the ESP® operates automatically,
the engine and the ignition must be shut off
(SmartKey in starter switch position0 or1 or
KEYLESS-GO start/stop button* in position0
or1) when:
the parking brake is being tested on a brake
test dynamometer
the vehicle is being towed with the front axle
raised
Active braking action through the ESP
® may oth-
erwise seriously damage the brake system.
Warning!G
If you are driving too fast, the electronic
traction system cannot reduce the risk of an
accident.
The electronic traction system cannot pre-
vent the natural laws of physics from acting
on the vehicle.
97 Safety and Security
Anti-theft systems
Anti-theft systems
Immobilizer
The immobilizer prevents unauthorized
persons from starting your vehicle.
Activating
With the SmartKey
Remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch.
The immobilizer is activated.
With KEYLESS-GO*
Press the KEYLESS-GO start/stop but-
ton once.
The engine is turned off.
Open the driver’s door.Deactivating
With the SmartKey
Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position2 (
page 38).
With KEYLESS-GO*
Start the engine by means of the
start/stop button on the gear selector
lever.
Anti-theft alarm system
Once the alarm system has been armed, a
visual and audible alarm is triggered when
someone opens
a door
the trunk
the hood
The alarm will stay on, even if the activat-
ing element (a door, for example) is imme-
diately closed.
The alarm system will also be triggered
when
someone attempts to raise the vehicle
(only vehicles with tow-away alarm)
the vehicle is opened with the
mechanical key
someone opens a door from the inside
iIn case the engine cannot be started (yet the
vehicle’s battery is charged), the system is not
operational. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center or call
1-800-FOR-MERCedes (in the USA), or
1-800-387-0100 (in Canada).
98 Safety and Security
Anti-theft systems
Arming the alarm system
The indicator lamp located in the central
locking switch in the center console.
1Indicator lamp
Lock the vehicle with the SmartKey or
KEYLESS-GO*.
The turn signal lamps flash three times
to indicate that the alarm system is
armed. The indicator lamp1 begins to
flash after approximately 30 seconds
after arming the alarm system.
Disarming the alarm system
Unlock the vehicle with the SmartKey
or KEYLESS-GO*.
The turn signal lamps flash once to
indicate that the alarm system is
disarmed.Canceling the alarm
With the SmartKey
Insert the SmartKey in the starter
switch.
or
Press button Œ or ‹ on the
SmartKey.
With KEYLESS-GO*
Pull an outside door handle.
The SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* must
be within 3 ft (1 m) of the vehicle.
or
Press the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop
button (
page 39).
The SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* must
be inside the vehicle.
iIf the alarm stays on for more than
30 seconds, a call to the Response Center is ini-
tiated automatically by the Tele Aid system
(
page 256) provided Tele Aid service was sub-
scribed to and properly activated, and that nec-
essary cellular service and GPS coverage are
available.
iIf the turn signal lamps do not flash three
times, one of the following elements may not be
properly closed:
a door
the trunk
Close the respective element and lock the vehi-
cle again.
iThe alarm system will rearm automatically
after approximately 40 seconds if neither a door
nor the trunk was opened.
105 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Important notes on using KEYLESS-GO
You can also use the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO like a normal SmartKey
(
page 100).
You can combine KEYLESS-GO func-
tions with normal SmartKey functions
(e.g. unlocking with KEYLESS-GO and
locking with button ‹).
Always carry the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO with you.
Never store the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO together with:
Electronic items such as a cellular
phone or another SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO
Metallic objects such as coins or
metal foil
Doing so could impair the function of
the KEYLESS-GO system.
To lock or unlock the vehicle, the
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO must be
located outside the vehicle within ap-
proximately 3 ft (1 m) of a door or the
trunk lid.
In order to start the engine with the
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO:
The SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO
must be located in the vehicle.
The brake pedal must be firmly de-
pressed. Do not depress the accel-
erator.
If the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO is
positioned farther away from the vehi-
cle, the system may no longer recog-
nize the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO.
The vehicle cannot be locked or the
engine started via the KEYLESS-GO
system.
If the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO is re-
moved from the vehicle (e.g. if passen-
ger exits the vehicle with the SmartKey
with KEYLESS-GO)
when pressing the KEYLESS-GO
start/stop button or trying to lock
the vehicle with the outside door
handle the message
Key Not De-
tected
appears in the multifunc-
tion display
with the engine running, the mes-
sage
Key Not Detected appears in
the multifunction display while driv-
ing 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, you
can turn it off again with:
the KEYLESS-GO start/stop button
the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO in-
serted in the starter switch, when
the automatic transmission is in
positionP
109 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Front doors
Pull on door handle2 on the respec-
tive front door to open door.
If door was locked, locking knob1 will
move up.
Rear doors
Pull up locking knob1 on the
respective rear door to unlock door.
Pull on door handle2 on the
respective rear door to open door.
Opening the trunk
You can open the trunk if the vehicle is sta-
tionary.
A minimum height clearance of 5.90 ft
(1.80 m) is required to open the trunk lid.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:
Press button Œ or ‹ on the SmartKey
or SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*.
Insert the SmartKey or SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* in the starter switch.
In vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*
Press the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop button
(
page 39).
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.
iWhen you open a door, the side window on
that side lowers slightly. Once you close the
door, the window moves up again.
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
Switch Off Lights
appears in the multifunction display.
Switch off the headlamps.
!Failure to switch off the headlamps when
leaving the vehicle may result in a discharged
battery.
Warning!G
Make sure the trunk is closed when the en-
gine is running and while driving. Among
other dangers, such as blocked visibility, ex-
haust fumes may enter the vehicle interior.
These fumes are damaging to your health.
!The trunk lid swings open upwards automat-
ically. Always make sure there is sufficient over-
head clearance.