Contents
Safety and Security...........................  63
Occupant safety...................................  64
Air bags ..........................................  66
Occupant Classification System .....  71
Seat belts .......................................  76
Children in the vehicle ....................  79
Panic alarm ..........................................  83
Activating .......................................  83
Deactivating ...................................  83
Driving safety systems .........................  84
ABS ................................................  84
BAS ................................................  86
ESP
®...............................................  86
Anti-theft systems................................  90
Immobilizer.....................................  90
Anti-theft alarm system ..................  90
Tow-away alarm .............................  91
Controls in detail...............................  93
Locking and unlocking .........................  94
SmartKey .......................................  94
Opening the doors from the
inside .............................................  98
Opening the trunk ..........................  99
Closing the trunk..........................  100
Valet locking ................................  101
Trunk lid emergency release ........  102
Automatic central locking ............  102
Locking and unlocking from the 
inside ...........................................  103
Seats .................................................  104
Seat heating* ...............................  104
Lumbar support*..........................  105
AIRSCARF neck-level heating* .....  105
Memory function* .............................  107
Storing positions into memory .....  108
Recalling positions from
memory ........................................  108Lighting .............................................  109
Exterior lamp switch ....................  109
Combination switch .....................  113
Corner-illuminating front
fog lamps* ...................................  114
Hazard warning flasher ................  115
Interior lighting ............................  116
Door entry lamps .........................  117
Instrument cluster .............................  118
Adjusting instrument cluster 
illumination ..................................  118
Tachometer..................................  119
Outside temperature indicator .....  119
Resetting trip odometer ...............  120
Clock............................................  120 
428 Practical hints
Towing the vehicle
Mercedes-Benz recommends that the vehi-
cle be transported with all wheels off the 
ground using flatbed or appropriate wheel 
lift/dolly equipment.
When circumstances do not permit the 
recommended towing methods, the vehi-
cle may be towed with all wheels on the 
ground or front wheels raised only so far as 
necessary to have the vehicle moved to a 
safe location where the recommended 
towing methods can be employed.
!Vehicles with automatic transmission*: Do 
not tow-start vehicle.
!Use flatbed or wheel lift/dolly equipment 
with the SmartKey in the starter switch in 
position0.
Do not tow with sling-type equipment. Towing 
with sling-type equipment over bumpy roads will 
damage radiator and supports.
To prevent damage during transport, do not tie 
down vehicle by its chassis or suspension parts. 
Use the towing eyes.
Switch off the tow-away alarm (
page 91) and 
the automatic central locking (
page 102).
Warning!G
If circumstances require towing the vehicle 
with all wheels on the ground, always tow 
with a tow bar if:
the engine will not run
there is a malfunction in the brake 
system
there is a malfunction in the power 
supply or in the vehicle’s electrical 
system
This is necessary to adequately control the 
towed vehicle.
Prior to towing the vehicle with all wheels on 
the ground, make sure the SmartKey is in 
starter switch position2.
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 starter switch and 
reinsert.
Warning!G
With the engine not running, there is no 
power assistance for the brake and steering 
systems. 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. Adapt your driving accordingly.
!If the vehicle is towed with the front axle 
raised, the gear selector lever* must be in 
positionN (manual transmission: gear shift lever 
in neutral position) and the engine must be shut 
off (SmartKey in starter switch position0or1). 
Active braking action through the ESP
® may 
otherwise seriously damage the brake system.
When towing the vehicle with all wheels on the 
ground, the gear selector lever* must be in 
positionN (manual transmission: gear shift lever 
in neutral position) and the SmartKey must be in 
starter switch position2.
When towing the vehicle with all wheels on the 
ground or the front axle raised, the vehicle 
may be towed only for distances up to 
30 miles (50 km) and at a speed not to 
exceed 30 mph (50 km/h).