The hazard warning lamps still operate if the
ignition is switched off. They switch on auto-
matically if an airbag is deployed or if you
brake sharply and bring the vehicle to a halt
from a speed of more than 70 km/h.
X To switch on: press button:.
All turn signals flash. If you now switch on
a turn signal using the combination switch
(Y page 196), only the turn signal lamp on
the corresponding side of the vehicle will
flash.
X To switch off: press button:. Headlamp cleaning system
The headlamps are cleaned automatically if
the "Wipe with washer fluid" function is oper-
ated five times while the lights are on and the
engine is running. When you switch off the
ignition, the automatic headlamp cleaning
system is reset and counting is resumed
from 0. Intelligent Light System
The Intelligent Light System is a system which
adjusts the headlamps automatically to suit
the prevailing driving and weather conditions.
The bi-xenon headlamps offer enhanced func-
tions to improve illumination of the road sur-
face, e.g. depending on the vehicle speed or
weather conditions. The system includes the
active light system, cornering light function,
motorway mode and extended range fog-
lamps. The system is only active when it is
dark. Active light system The active light function is a system that
moves the headlamps according to the steer-
ing movements of the front wheels. In this
way, relevant areas remain illuminated while
driving. This allows you to recognise pedes-
trians, cyclists and animals.
Cornering light
The cornering light function improves the illu-
mination of the road surface in the broad
direction you are turning, e.g. making it easier
to see in tight corners. It can only be activated
when the dipped-beam headlamps are
switched on.
Active:
R
if you are driving at speeds below
40 km/h, the cornering light function is
activated either by the turn signal or by the
steering wheel being turned.
R if you are driving at speeds between
40 km/h and 70 km/h, the cornering light Lights
197Controls
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Electric parking brake
Releasing the electric parking brake man-
ually
X
Pull handle :.
The ! red warning lamp in the instru-
ment cluster goes out.
The electric parking brake can only be
released when the key in the ignition lock is
in position 1or the ignition is switched on
using the Start/Stop button.
Releasing the electric parking brake auto-
matically
The electric parking brake is released auto-
matically when the following conditions are
fulfilled:
R the engine is running
R the automatic transmission is in position
D or R.
R the bonnet is closed.
R your seat belt is fastened.
R you depress the accelerator pedal.
If the automatic transmission is in position
R, the boot lid must be closed.
For the parking brake to be released auto-
matically if your seat belt is not fastened, the
following conditions must be fulfilled:
R the driver's door is closed.
R you shift out of Por you have previously
driven faster than 3 km/h. Engaging the electric parking brake man-
ually
X
Push handle :.
The ! red warning lamp in the instru-
ment cluster lights up.
i The electric parking brake can also be
applied when the key is removed.
Engaging the electric parking brake auto-
matically
The electric parking brake of your vehicle is
automatically engaged if HOLD
(Y page 245) or Distronic
Plus* ( Ypage 235) brakes your vehicle until
it is stationary and at least one of the follow-
ing conditions is fulfilled:
R the engine is switched off.
R the driver's door is opened and the seat
belt is not fastened.
R the bonnet is released.
R the boot lid is opened while the automatic
transmission is in position R.
R the vehicle is stationary for a lengthy
period.
The ! red warning lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up.
i In addition to the electric parking brake,
P may also be engaged automatically.
Emergency braking with the electric park-
ing brake
The vehicle can also be braked during an
emergency using the electric parking brake.
X While driving, push the handle of the elec-
tric parking brake (Y page 205).
i The vehicle is braked as long as the elec-
tric parking brake lever is depressed. The
longer you apply the electric parking brake
handle, the stronger the vehicle is braked.
The ! red indicator lamp flashes in the
instrument cluster during braking. The
Release parking brake message appears Driving and parking
205Controls
* option al
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X
Press the =or; button to select the
Assistance menu.
X Press the 9or: button to select
Distance display.
X Press the abutton.
The multi-function display shows the Dis-
tronic* or Distronic Plus* distance display.
Activating/deactivating ESP ®G
Risk of accident
If the ÷ warning lamp in the instrument
cluster flashes, proceed as follows:
R Under no circumstances should you deac-
tivate ESP ®
.
R When pulling away, only depress the accel-
erator pedal as far as is necessary.
R Adapt your driving style to the prevailing
road and weather conditions.
The vehicle may otherwise begin to skid.
If you drive too fast, ESP ®
cannot reduce the
risk of an accident. ESP ®
cannot override the
laws of physics.
Further information about ESP ®
(Y page 50)
X Start the engine.
X Press the =or; button to select the
Assistance menu.
X Press the 9or: button to select
ESP.
X Press the abutton.
X To deactivate: pressaagain.
The å warning lamp in the instrument
cluster comes on. G
Risk of accident
If the å warning lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up when the engine is running,
ESP ®
is deactivated or is unavailable due to a
malfunction. The risk that your vehicle may
start to skid then increases in certain situa-
tions. Always adapt your driving style to the prevail-
ing road and weather conditions.
X To activate: pressaagain.
The å warning lamp in the instrument
cluster goes out.
Activating/deactivating the distance
warning function* This function is only available with Dis-
tronic*.
X
Press the =or; button to select the
Assistance menu.
X Press the 9or: button to select
Distance warning.
X Press the abutton.
X To activate/deactivate: pressa
again.
Activating/deactivating PRE-SAFE ®
Brake* This function is only available with Distronic
Plus*.
X
Press the =or; button to select the
Assistance menu.
X Press the 9or: button to select
PRE-SAFE Brake.
X Press the abutton.
X To activate or deactivate: pressa
again.
When PRE-SAFE ®
Brake is activated, the
multi-function display shows the Äsym-
bol.
Activating/deactivating Blind Spot
Assist* X
Press the =or; button to select the
Assistance menu.
X Press the 9or: button to select
Blind Spot Assist 224
On-board computerControls
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cal beam is activated, the edge of the carria-
geway is no longer illuminated as wide and
high. Note that not all light functions are avail-
able when tourist mode is activated.
When you again drive on the same side of the
road as in the country of registration, have
tourist mode deactivated at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop, e.g. a Mercedes-Benz
service centre, as soon as possible after
crossing the border.
Showing/hiding the additional speed-
ometer The additional speedometer can be shown in
the multi-function display.
Vehicles with a kilometre speedometer: the
additional speedometer has mph units.
Vehicles with a miles speedometer: the addi-
tional speedometer has km/h units.
X Press the =or; button to select the
Settings menu.
X Press 9or: to select Dig.
speedo.
X Press the abutton.
X To activate/deactivate: pressa
again.
Selecting the units for speed/distance The
Display unit Speed-/odometer:
function allows you to choose whether the
multi-function display shows km/h or mph in
certain cases.
The selected units apply to:
R the analogue speedometer
R the total distance recorder and the trip
meter
R the trip computer
R the digital speedometer in the Tripmenu
R the distance values in the navigation sys-
tem*
R cruise control R
Speedtronic
R Distronic*
R Distronic Plus*
R the ASSYST PLUS service interval display
The digital speedometer shows alternative
speed units (Y page 226).
X Press the =or; button to select the
Settings menu.
X Press 9or: to select Units.
X Press the abutton.
X To select a different display unit: press
a again.
The unit switches km/handmph.
Activating/deactivating the radar sen-
sor system* !
You must deactivate the radar sensor sys-
tem in certain countries and near radio
telescope facilities. Further information
can be found in the index under "Radar
sensor system".
Vehicles with a navigation system*: the radar
sensor system is deactivated automatically if
you are close to radio telescope facilities.
The following systems are switched off when
the radar sensor system is deactivated:
R Distronic Plus* (Y page 235)
R BAS PLUS* (Y page 49)
R Park Assist* (Y page 251) and Parking
Guidance*(Y page 254)
R PRE-SAFE ®
Brake* (Y page 52)
R Blind Spot Assist* (Y page 260)
X Press the =or; button to select the
Settings menu.
X Press 9or: to select Radar sen‐
sor system. 226
On-board computerControls
* optional
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X
Press the abutton.
X To activate/deactivate: pressa
again. Driving systems
Overview of driving systems
The vehicle's driving systems are described
on the following pages:
R cruise control, Distronic*, Distronic Plus*
and Speedtronic, which are used to control
the speed of the vehicle
R HOLD, which makes pulling away easier,
particularly on steep uphill gradients
R AIRMATIC* and Active Body Control (ABC),
which is used to adjust the vehicle’s sus-
pension system
R 4MATIC* (permanent four-wheel drive), for
optimum traction
R PARKTRONIC and Park Assist*, which
assist you when parking
R reversing camera*, which assists you when
parking
R Night View Assist*, which assists you when
driving in the dark
R Parking Guidance*, which assists you when
looking for a parking space and assists you
when parking
R Blind Spot Assist*, which assists you when
changing lanes
The ABS, BAS, BAS PLUS*, adaptive brake
lights, ESP ®
, EBV, ADAPTIVE BRAKE, distance
warning function* and PRE-SAFE ®
Brake*
driving systems are described in the "Driving
safety systems" section (Y page 48).Cruise control
Cruise control maintains a constant road
speed for you. It brakes automatically in order
to avoid exceeding the set speed. On long and steep downhill gradients, especially if the
vehicle is laden, you must select shift range
1,
2or 3in good time. By doing so, you will
make use of the braking effect of the engine,
which relieves the load on the brake system
and prevents the brakes from overheating
and wearing too quickly. G
Risk of accident
Do not change down for additional engine
braking on a slippery road surface. This could
cause the drive wheels to lose their grip and
the vehicle could skid.
Use cruise control only if road and traffic con-
ditions make it appropriate to maintain a
steady speed for a prolonged period. You can
store any road speed above 30 km/h. G
Risk of accident
Cruise control cannot take account of road
and traffic conditions.
Always pay attention to traffic conditions
even when cruise control is activated.
Cruise control is only an aid designed to assist
driving. You are responsible for the vehicle's
speed and for braking in good time. G
Risk of accident
Do not use cruise control:
R in road and traffic conditions which do not
allow you to maintain a constant speed (e.g.
heavy traffic or winding roads). You could
otherwise cause an accident.
R on slippery roads. Braking or accelerating
could cause the drive wheels to lose trac-
tion and the vehicle could then skid.
R when there is poor visibility, e.g. due to fog,
heavy rain or snow
Cruise control lever You can operate cruise control and variable
Speedtronic with the cruise control lever. Driving systems
227Controls
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The LIM indicator lamp on the cruise control
lever indicates which system you have selec-
ted:
R
LIM indicator lamp off:
Cruise control is selected.
R LIM indicator lamp lit:
Variable Speedtronic is selected. :
To store the current speed or a higher
speed
; LIM indicator lamp
= To store the current speed or to call up
the last stored speed
? To store the current speed or a lower
speed
A To switch between cruise control and var-
iable Speedtronic
B To deactivate cruise control
When you switch on cruise control, the stored
speed appears in the multi-function display
for five seconds and is then indicated in the
speedometer by a triangle. The speedometer
dial lights up between the set speed and the
maximum speed.
Selecting cruise control X
Check whether LIM indicator lamp ;is off.
If it is off, cruise control is already selected.
If it is not, press the cruise control lever in
the direction of arrow A.
LIM indicator lamp ;in the cruise control
lever goes off. Cruise control is selected. G
Risk of accident
The brake pedal is retracted when cruise con-
trol brakes. Do not restrict the freedom of
movement of the pedal in any way.
R Do not put any objects in the footwell.
R Ensure that floor mats and carpets are fixed
securely.
R Do not place your foot under the brake
pedal as it could become trapped.
You could otherwise cause an accident and
injure yourself and others.
Storing and maintaining the current
speed You can store the current speed if you are
driving faster than 30 km/ha nd ESP®
is acti-
vated (Y page 50).
X Accelerate the vehicle to the desired
speed.
X Briefly press the cruise control lever
up : or down ?to the pressure point.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
Cruise control is activated. The vehicle
automatically maintains the stored speed.
i Cruise control may be unable to maintain
the stored speed on uphill gradients. The
stored speed is resumed when the gradient
evens out. Cruise control maintains the
stored speed on downhill gradients by
automatically applying the brakes.
Storing the current speed or calling up
the last stored speed G
Risk of accident
Only select a stored speed if you know what
that speed is and whether it is suitable for the
current situation. Otherwise, sudden acceler-
ation or braking could endanger you or others. 228
Driving systemsControls
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X
Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you =.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
The first time cruise control is activated, it
stores the current speed or regulates the
speed of the vehicle to the previously
stored speed.
Setting a speed X
Press the cruise control lever to the pres-
sure point, up :for a higher speed or
down ?for a lower speed.
X Keep the cruise control lever pressed until
the desired speed is reached.
X Release the cruise control lever.
The new speed is stored.
i Cruise control is not deactivated if you
depress the accelerator pedal. For exam-
ple, if you accelerate briefly to overtake,
cruise control adjusts the vehicle's speed
to the last speed stored after you have fin-
ished overtaking.
Making fine adjustments in 1 km/h
increments X
Briefly press the cruise control lever to the
pressure point, up :for a higher speed or
down ?for a lower speed.
The last speed stored is increased or
reduced.
Making adjustments in 10 km/h incre-
ments X
Briefly press the cruise control lever
beyond the pressure point, up :for a
higher speed or down ?for a lower speed.
The last speed stored is increased or
reduced. Deactivating cruise control There are several ways to deactivate cruise
control:
X
Briefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards B.
or
X Brake.
or
X Briefly press the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow A.
Variable Speedtronic is selected. LIM indi-
cator lamp ;in the cruise control lever
lights up.
Cruise control is automatically deactivated if:
R you engage the electric parking brake
R you drive at less than 30 km/h
R ESP ®
intervenes or you deactivate ESP ®
R you shift the automatic transmission to N
while driving
If cruise control is deactivated, you will hear
a warning tone. You will see the Cruise
control off message in the multi-function
display for approximately five seconds.
i The last speed stored is cleared when you
switch off the engine. Distronic*
i Distronic is only available for certain
countries.
Distronic regulates the speed and automati-
cally maintains the distance to the vehicle in
front. It brakes automatically in order to avoid
exceeding the set speed. On long and steep
downhill gradients, especially if the vehicle is
laden, you must select shift range 1,2or 3in
good time. By doing so, you will make use of
the braking effect of the engine, which
relieves the load on the brake system and
prevents the brakes from overheating and
wearing too quickly. Driving systems
229Controls
* optional
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If Distronic detects a risk of collision with a
vehicle in front, an intermittent warning tone
sounds. In addition, the ·distance warn-
ing lamp in the instrument cluster lights up.
Brake to avoid a collision.
Cruise control lever You can operate Distronic and variable
Speedtronic with the cruise control lever.
The LIM indicator lamp on the cruise control
lever indicates which system you have selec-
ted:
R
LIM indicator lamp off:
Distronic is selected.
R LIM indicator lamp lit:
Variable Speedtronic is selected. :
To store the current speed or a higher
speed
; To adjust the specified distance
= LIM indicator lamp
? To store the current speed or to call up
the last stored speed
A To store the current speed or a lower
speed
B To switch between Distronic and variable
Speedtronic
C To deactivate Distronic
Selecting Distronic X
Check whether LIM indicator lamp =is off.
If it is off, Distronic is already selected. If it is not, press the cruise control lever in
the direction of arrow
B.
LIM indicator lamp =in the cruise control
lever goes off. Distronic is selected.
Activating Distronic, storing and main-
taining the current speed If Distronic is not activated after the cruise
control lever is pressed, you will see the mes-
sage
DISTRONIC --- km/h in the multi-func-
tion display.
You can activate Distronic in the following
circumstances:
R about two minutes after the engine is star-
ted
R if you are driving faster than 30 km/h and
slower than 200 km/h
R if not braking
R if your vehicle is not secured by the electric
parking brake
R if ESP ®
is activated
R if the automatic transmission is in position
D
X Accelerate the vehicle to the desired
speed.
X Briefly press the cruise control lever
up : or down Ato the pressure point.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
Distronic is activated. The vehicle main-
tains the stored speed until the distance to
the vehicle in front becomes too small.
i If you do not fully release the accelerator
pedal, the DISTRONIC Override message
appears in the multi-function display. The
distance to a slower-moving vehicle in front
will then not be governed. You will be driv-
ing at the speed you determine by the posi-
tion of the accelerator pedal. Driving systems
231Controls
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