
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
* optional
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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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Other vehicles changing lane
Distronic has not yet detected the vehicle
cutting in. The distance to this vehicle will be
too short.
Narrow vehicles
Distronic has not yet detected the vehicle in
front on the edge of the carriageway, because
of its narrow width. The distance to the vehi-
cle in front will be too short. Distronic Plus*
i Distronic Plus is not available in all coun-
tries.
Distronic Plus regulates the speed and auto-
matically maintains the distance to the vehi-
cle 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. G
Risk of accident
The brake pedal is retracted when Distronic
Plus brakes. Do not restrict the 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. 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. G
Risk of accident
Distronic Plus is only an aid designed to assist
driving. The driver remains fully responsible
for the vehicle's distance from other vehicles,
the vehicle's speed and for braking in good
time.
Distronic Plus does not react to:
R pedestrians
R stationary obstacles on the road, e.g. sta-
tionary or parked vehicles
R oncoming and crossing traffic
Distronic Plus may not detect narrow vehicles
driving in front, e.g. motorcycles, or vehicles
driving on a different line. Therefore, always
pay attention to traffic conditions even when
Distronic Plus is activated. Otherwise, you
may fail to recognise dangers in time, could
cause an accident and injure yourself and oth-
ers.
If a slower-moving vehicle is detected in front,
Distronic Plus causes your vehicle to brake
and maintain a preset distance to the vehicle
in front. Driving systems
235Controls
* optional
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Distronic Plus may not detect vehicles trav-
elling on a different line. The distance to the
vehicle in front will be too short.
Other vehicles changing lane Distronic Plus has not detected the vehicle
cutting in yet. The distance to this vehicle will
be too short.
Narrow vehicles Distronic Plus does not detect the vehicle in
front on the edge of the carriageway, because
of its narrow width. The distance to the vehi-
cle in front will be too short. Obstructions and stationary vehicles Distronic Plus does not brake for obstacles or
stationary vehicles. For example, if the detec-
ted vehicle turns a corner and reveals an
obstacle or stationary vehicle, Distronic Plus
will not brake for these.
Crossing vehicles Distronic Plus may detect vehicles that are
crossing your lane by mistake. Activating Dis-
tronic Plus at traffic lights with crossing traf-
fic, for example, could cause your vehicle to
pull away unintentionally.
Speedtronic
Speedtronic brakes automatically so that you
do not exceed 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. If you need addi- 242
Driving systemsControls
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tional braking, depress the brake pedal
repeatedly rather than continuously.
G
Risk of accident
Never depress the brake pedal continuously
while the vehicle is in motion, e.g. never cause
the brakes to rub by applying constant slight
pedal pressure. This causes the brake system
to overheat, increases the braking distance
and can lead to the brakes failing completely. 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.
You can set a variable or permanent limit
speed:
R variable for speed limits, e.g. in built-up
areas
R permanent for long-term speed restric-
tions, e.g. for driving on winter tyres
(Y page 245) G
Risk of accident
Speedtronic is only an aid designed to assist
driving. You are responsible for the vehicle's
speed and for braking in good time.
i The speed indicated in the speedometer
may differ slightly from the limit speed
stored.
Variable Speedtronic With the cruise control lever, you can operate
cruise control or Distronic*/Distronic Plus*
and variable Speedtronic.
The LIM indicator lamp on the cruise control
lever indicates which system you have selec-
ted:
R LIM indicator lamp off:
Cruise control or Distronic*/Distronic
Plus* is selected.
R LIM indicator lamp lit: Variable Speedtronic is selected.
You can use the cruise control lever to limit
the speed to any speed above 30 km/h while
the engine is running. :
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 or Dis-
tronic*/Distronic Plus* and variable
Speedtronic
B To deactivate variable Speedtronic
Selecting variable Speedtronic X
Check whether LIM indicator lamp ;is on.
If it is on, variable Speedtronic 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 lights up. Variable Speedtronic is
selected. G
Risk of accident
If there is a change of drivers, advise the new
driver of the limit speed stored.
Only use Speedtronic when you do not have
to accelerate suddenly to a speed higher than
the stored limit speed allows. You could, oth-
erwise, cause an accident. Driving systems
243Controls
* optional
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Driving tips
Rolling with the engine switched off
G
Risk of accident
Never switch the engine off while the vehicle
is in motion.
There is no power assistance for the steering
and the service brake when the engine is not
running.
You will require considerably more effort to
steer and brake and you could therefore lose
control of the vehicle and cause an accident. Brakes
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. G
Risk of accident
Make sure that other road users are not
endangered by your braking.
Downhill gradients On long and steep downhill gradients, espe-
cially if the vehicle is laden, you must select
shift range 1,2or 3in good time.
i This also applies if you have activated
cruise control, Speedtronic, Distronic* or
Distronic Plus*.
This will use the braking effect of the engine,
so less braking will be required to maintain
the speed. This relieves the load on the brake
system and prevents the brakes from over-
heating and wearing too quickly. If you need
additional braking, depress the brake pedal
repeatedly rather than continuously.
Heavy and light loads If the brakes have been subjected to a heavy
load, do not stop the vehicle immediately, but drive on for a short while. This allows the air-
flow to cool the brakes more quickly. G
Risk of accident
Never depress the brake pedal continuously
while the vehicle is in motion, e.g. never cause
the brakes to rub by applying constant slight
pedal pressure. This causes the brake system
to overheat, increases the braking distance
and can lead to the brakes failing completely.
If the brakes have been used only moderately,
you should occasionally test their effective-
ness. To do this, brake more firmly from a
higher speed. This improves the grip of the
brakes.
Wet roads If driving in heavy rain for a prolonged period
of time without braking, there may be a
delayed reaction from the brakes when brak-
ing for the first time. You must brake harder.
You must therefore maintain a greater dis-
tance from the vehicle in front.
After driving on a wet surface, brake firmly
while paying attention to the traffic condi-
tions. This way the brake discs will become
warm, drying more quickly, which will protect
them against corrosion.
Limited braking performance on salted
roads G
Risk of accident
The layer of salt on the brake discs and the
brake pads/linings may cause a delay in the
braking effect, resulting in a significantly lon-
ger braking distance, which could lead to an
accident.
To avoid this danger, you should:
R occasionally brake carefully, without put-
ting other road users at risk, when you are
driving on salted roads. This helps to
remove any salt that may have started to 304
Driving
tipsOperati on
* optional
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Display messages
Possible causes/consequences and
X
X Solutions Cruise
control
- - - km/h A condition for activating cruise control has not been met.
X
Activate ESP ®
(Y page 51)
X If conditions permit, drive faster than 30 km/h and store
the speed (Y page 227). The system has overheated.
X
Wait until the system has cooled down. Apply
brake to
shift out of posi‐
tion P
X
Depress the brake pedal. To start
the
engine, shift to
either P
or N You attempted to start the engine while transmission position
R
or Dwas selected.
X Shift the transmission to Por N. Symbol messages
G
Risk of accident and injury
The operating safety of your vehicle may be affected if service work is carried out incorrectly.
You could lose control of your vehicle and cause an accident. In addition, the safety systems may
no longer be able to protect you or others as they are designed to do.
Always have service work performed at a qualified specialist workshop which has the necessary
specialist knowledge and tools to carry out the work required. Mercedes-Benz recommends that
you use a Mercedes-Benz Service Centre for this purpose. In particular, work relevant to safety
or on safety-related systems must be carried out at a qualified specialist workshop. Display messages
Possible causes/consequences and
X
X Solutions L G
Risk of accident
The bonnet is open.
X Stop immediately, paying attention to road and traffic con-
ditions.
X Close the bonnet. N The boot lid is open
X
Close the boot lid. C At least one door is open and you are driving at more than
6 km/h.
X
Close the doors. 330
Display
messagesPractical advice
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