HOLD function
The HOLD function can assist you
R when driving off, especially on steep slopes
R when maneuvering on steep slopes
R when waiting in traffic
The vehicle is kept stationary without the
driver having to depress the brake pedal.
Upon depressing the accelerator pedal, the
braking effect is canceled and the HOLD
function is deactivated.
Activation conditions You can activate the HOLD function when
R
the vehicle is stationary
R the engine is running
R your seat belt is fastened or the driver’s
door is closed
R the electronic parking brake is released
R the hood is closed
R the automatic transmission is in neutral
position N, drive position D, or reverse gear
R
When the automatic transmission is in
reverse gear R, the trunk lid must be
closed.
R the DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated
(Y page 312).
Activating HOLD X
Make sure the activation conditions are
met.
X Depress the brake pedal.
X Continue to depress the brake pedal with
increased pedal pressure until the message
HOLD appears in the multifunction display.
The HOLD function is activated. You can
now release the brake pedal. HOLD function activated
i
The brake pedal does not return to the
rest position completely while the HOLD
function is activated.
i If the HOLD function is not activated when
depressing the brake pedal, wait briefly and
repeat the above steps. G
Warning!
The vehicle’s brakes are applied when the
HOLD function is activated. Therefore,
deactivate the HOLD function, for example,
when the vehicle is pulled through an
automatic car wash or being towed.
Deactivating HOLD The HOLD function is switched off when
R
you depress the accelerator pedal with the
automatic transmission in drive position D
or reverse gear R
R you shift the automatic transmission into
park position P
R you depress the brake pedal fully again
until the message HOLD in the multifunction
display disappears
R you engage the electronic parking brake
R you activate the DISTRONIC PLUS
i After a while, the vehicle will be secured
by the electronic parking brake to relieve
the service brake. 316
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Warning!
The braking effect of the HOLD function is
canceled and the vehicle can start to roll if
R the HOLD function is deactivated by
depressing the accelerator pedal or the
brake pedal
R the HOLD function or the power supply is
malfunctioning, e.g. due to battery failure
R the electrical components in the engine
compartment or the fuses have been
manipulated
R the battery is disconnected G
Warning!
Never get out of the vehicle while the HOLD
function is activated!
The HOLD function must never be operated
or deactivated by passengers or from outside
the vehicle.
The HOLD function does not replace the
electronic parking brake. It must not be used
to secure the vehicle when parking.
Deactivate the HOLD function when leaving
or parking the vehicle. Use the electronic
parking brake to secure the vehicle.
When the HOLD function is activated, the
automatic transmission shifts into park
position P automatically when
R opening the driver’s door and releasing the
seat belt
R turning off the engine
R opening the hood
R a system malfunction occurs
R the on-board voltage is insufficient
The HOLD function is deactivated. AIRMATIC
Introduction The AIRMATIC lets you select the chassis and
suspension setup. The chassis and suspension setup adjusts the damping
behavior and the ride height for your vehicle.
The AIRMATIC consists of two components.
The Adaptive Damping System (ADS)
(Y page 317) and the vehicle level control
(Y page 318).
Adaptive Damping System (ADS)
The Adaptive Damping System (ADS) is
controlled electronically and operates
continuously. It adjusts the damping
characteristics to the current operating and
driving conditions. The damping is adjusted
individually for each wheel. Driving safety and
tire comfort are increased.
The fine tuning of the damping is dependent
on
R your driving style
R road surface conditions
R your personal settings
The selected setting remains stored in
memory even if the SmartKey is removed
from the starter switch. X
Start the engine.
Sporty damping adjustment
The firmer suspension tuning in sport driving
mode provides enhanced road contact.
Select this mode for example, on winding
highways. Driving systems
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X
If indicator lamp ; is not lit: Press ADS
switch :.
Indicator lamp ; comes on. The sport
driving mode with a firmer suspension
tuning is selected. The message
AIRMATIC SPORT appears in the
multifunction display.
Comfort damping adjustment
Vehicle handling in comfort driving mode is
softer. Select this mode when you prefer a
more comfortable driving style on straight
freeways.
X If indicator lamp ; is lit: Press ADS
switch :.
Indicator lamp ; goes out. The comfort
driving mode is selected. The message
AIRMATIC COMFORT appears in the
multifunction display.
Vehicle level control Your vehicle automatically adjusts its ride
height.
The all-around vehicle level control provides
best possible suspension and constant
ground clearance. The vehicle lowers at high
speed automatically in order to increase
driving safety and to reduce fuel
consumption.
The following vehicle levels are available:
R
normal
R raised; the vehicle is raised by
approximately 1.0 in (25 mm) compared to
normal level
R lowered; the vehicle is lowered by
approximately 0.4 in (10 mm) compared to
normal level
You can choose between normal or raised
level when the vehicle is stationary and the
engine is running.
The vehicle chassis ride height is raised or
lowered according to the selected level
setting and to the vehicle speed. With
increasing speed, ride height is reduced by up to approximately 0.8 in (20 mm). With
decreasing speed, the ride height is again
raised to the selected vehicle level.
i
These height adjustments are so small
that you may not notice any change.
Adjusting vehicle level manually G
Warning!
To help avoid personal injury, keep hands and
feet away from wheel housing area, and stay
away from under the vehicle when lowering
the vehicle chassis.
Select the normal level for driving on normal
roads. Select the raised level for driving on
rough roads or with snow chains. Select the
raised level only when required by current
driving conditions. Otherwise, the handling
may be impaired and the fuel consumption
may increase.
The selected vehicle level setting remains
stored in memory even if the SmartKey is
removed from the starter switch. Selecting raised level
X
Start the engine.
When indicator lamp ; is off:
X Briefly press vehicle level control
switch :.
Indicator lamp ; comes on. The vehicle
adjusts from normal level to raised level.
The message: Vehicle Rising appears in
the multifunction display when adjusting
from normal level to raised level. The 318
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message disappears when the vehicle is
raised. Indicator lamp
; is then lit.
When the
vehicle is in raised level, pressing
vehicle level control switch : will return
the vehicle to normal level.
The vehicle is lowered to the normal level
automatically when
R the vehicle speed is above 75 mph
(120 km/h)
R the vehicle speed stays between 50 mph
(80 km/h) and 75 mph (120 km/h) for
approximately 3 minutes.
Indicator lamp
; in
vehicle level control switch : goes out.
If you do not drive in this speed range, the
selected vehicle level setting remains stored
in memory even if the SmartKey is removed
from the starter switch.
Selecting normal level
X Start the engine.
When indicator lamp ; is on:
X Briefly press vehicle level control
switch :.
Indicator lamp ; goes out. The vehicle
adjusts from raised level to normal level. ABC
The ABC system is an active, computer-
controlled system that adjusts the
suspension hydraulically at all four wheels in
response to various driving situations. It
selects the optimum suspension tuning and
ride height for your vehicle automatically.
Vehicle level control Your vehicle adjusts its ride height
automatically to increase vehicle safety and
to reduce fuel consumption.
The vehicle chassis ride height is raised or
lowered according to the selected level
setting and to the vehicle speed. With increasing speed, the ride height is reduced
by up to approximately 0.4 in
(10 mm). With
decreasing speed, the ride height is again
raised to the selected vehicle level.
These height adjustments are so small that
you may not notice any change. G
Warning!
When you turn off the engine, the entire
vehicle is
lowered. You should therefore make
sure that no one is near the wheel housing or
under the vehicle when you turn off the
engine. Otherwise, parts of the individuals
body could be trapped.
! When you turn off the engine, the entire
vehicle is lowered. When parking, position
your vehicle in such a way that it will not
scrape against a curb, for example, when it
is lowered. Your vehicle could otherwise be
damaged.
i CL 63 AMG and CL 65 AMG only:
When you turn off the engine, the entire
vehicle is lowered by 0.2 in (5 mm).
Setting the vehicle level G
Warning!
To help avoid personal injury, keep hands and
feet away from wheel housing area, and stay
away from under the vehicle when lowering
the vehicle chassis. Driving systems
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The following vehicle level settings can be
selected when the vehicle is stationary and
the engine is running:
Level Use for Indicator
lamp
Normal
For driving on
normal roads. The
indicator
lamp is off.
Raised
For driving on
rough roads or
with snow chains
(Y page 396). The
indicator
lamp is on.
Select the “Raised” level setting only when
required by current driving conditions.
Otherwise the fuel consumption may
increase and/or the handling may be
impaired.
i
The selected setting remains stored in
memory, even when the engine is turned
off and restarted. X
Start the engine.
Selecting a higher level
If indicator lamp ; is off:
X Press vehicle level control switch :.
Indicator lamp ; comes on. The vehicle is
raised to a higher level. Selecting a normal level
If indicator lamp ; is on:
X
Press vehicle level control switch :.
Indicator lamp ; goes out. The vehicle is
adjusted to a normal level.
Suspension tuning The suspension tuning of the ABC system is
adjusted for each wheel individually and
depends on:
R
your driving style
R the road condition, such as bumps etc.
R your individual selection, sporty or
comfortable
R the vehicle loading
i The selected setting remains stored in
memory, even when the engine is turned
off and restarted. X
Start the engine.
Sporty suspension tuning
The firmer chassis and suspension setup in
sport driving mode provides enhanced road
contact. Select this mode when you prefer a
firmer chassis and suspension setup.
X When indicator lamp ; is off: Press
button :.
Indicator lamp ; comes on. The sporty
chassis and suspension setup is selected.
The message ABC Active Body Control
SPORT appears in the multifunction display. 320
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Comfort suspension tuning
Vehicle handling in comfort driving mode is
softer. Select this mode when you prefer a
more comfortable driving style.
X
When indicator lamp ; is on: Press
button :.
Indicator lamp ; goes out. The
comfortable chassis
and suspension setup
is selected.
The message ABC Active Body Control
COMFORT appears in the multifunction
display. All-wheel drive (4MATIC)
In vehicles with all-wheel drive (4MATIC),
both axles
are powered at all times when the
vehicle is being operated. The 4MATIC
improves traction in conjunction with the ESC
(Y page 59) and the Electronic Traction
System (ETS/4-ETS) (Y page 60). G
Warning!
If a drive wheel is spinning due to insufficient
traction:
R While driving off, apply as little throttle as
possible.
R While driving, ease up on the accelerator
pedal.
R Adapt your speed and driving style to the
prevailing road conditions.
Failure to observe these guidelines could
cause the vehicle to skid.
The 4MATIC cannot prevent accidents
resulting from excessive speed.
! Do not
tow with one axle raised. Doing so
could damage the transfer case, which is
not covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty. All wheels must be on or off the
ground. Observe instructions for towing the
vehicle with all wheels on the ground. !
Only conduct
operational or performance
tests on a two-axle dynamometer. If such
tests are necessary, contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center. You could
otherwise seriously damage the brake
system and/or the transfer case which is
not covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
i In winter operation, the maximum
effectiveness of the 4MATIC is only
achieved with winter tires ( Y page 395) or
snow chains as required. Parktronic system
The Parktronic system is an electronic
parking aid with ultrasonic sensors designed
to assist
the driver during parking maneuvers.
The Parktronic system indicates the relative
distance between the vehicle and an obstacle
visually and audibly.
The Parktronic system is activated
automatically when
R you switch on the ignition
and
R you release the electronic parking brake
or
R you start the engine
and
R shift the automatic transmission into drive
position D, reverse gear R, or neutral
position N
The Parktronic system deactivates at speeds
above approximately 11 mph (18 km/h). At
lower speeds, the Parktronic system
activates again.
The Parktronic system also deactivates when
you shift the automatic transmission into
park position P or engage the electronic
parking brake and turn off the engine.
The Parktronic system monitors the
surroundings of your vehicle with six sensors Driving systems
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permitted. Do not tamper with, alter, or use
in any non-approved way.
Any unauthorized modification to this
device could void the user’s authority to
operate the equipment.
When traveling in Canada in a vehicle not
registered in Canada, you must switch off the
radar sensor system ( Y page 216). Canadian
law does not permit the use of the radar
sensor system for vehicles from outside of
Canada. When you switch off the radar sensor
system, the following functions are
deactivated:
R Park Assist
R BAS PLUS (Y page 57)
R PRE-SAFE ®
Brake (Y page 62)
R DISTRONIC PLUS (Y page 304)
R Advanced Parking Guidance ( Y page 327)
R Blind Spot Assist (Y page 335)
! The operational function of the Park
Assist can be affected by dirty sensors,
especially at times of snow and ice.
Make sure that the area on the bumpers
around the sensors is free of dirt, ice and/
or slush, otherwise the Park Assist may not
function properly.
For cleaning the driving systems sensors, see
(Y page 406).
! High-frequency sources such as toll
stations, speed measuring systems, etc.
can cause the Park Assist to malfunction.
You can switch off the Park Assist using the
Park Assist button or switch off the radar
sensors with the instrument cluster control
system to prevent possible malfunction.
The Park Assist is an electronic parking aid
with radar sensors that helps you while
parking. It visually and audibly indicates the
relative distance between the vehicle and an
obstacle.
The Park Assist is automatically activated
when the engine is running and the automatic transmission is in drive position D, reverse
gear
R or neutral position N.
The Park Assist deactivates at speeds over
approximately 10 mph (16 km/h). At lower
speeds the Park Assist turns on again.
The Park Assist is also switched off when you
set the automatic transmission into park
position P or switch off the engine.
While the automatic transmission is in neutral
position N, the Park Assist is switched off if
you secure the vehicle in place with the
electronic parking brake.
The Park Assist monitors the surroundings of
your vehicle with four sensors in the front
bumper and two sensors in the rear bumper.
Range of the sensors The sensors of the Park Assist are integrated
in the front and rear bumpers. Make sure that
the bumpers are clear of dirt, ice and slush in
the area of the sensors, as otherwise, the
Park Assist may not function properly, see
(Y page 406). Driving systems
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Warning!
The Blind Spot Assist monitors certain areas
in the immediate vicinity of your vehicle.
Vehicles approaching and passing at speeds
that exceed the speed of your vehicle
significantly will not be detected. There will be
no warning display and no audible warning.
When driving in a very wide lane, the sensors
may not be able to cover the entire width of
the neighboring lane. Vehicles driving on the
outside of the neighboring lane may not be
detected.
It is the driver’s responsibility at all times to
be attentive to road, weather and traffic
conditions and to provide the steering,
braking and other driving inputs necessary to
retain control of the vehicle. Failure to do so
could result in recognizing dangers too late,
possibly resulting in an accident and serious
injury to yourself and others.
When driving in a very narrow lane, the
sensors may detect and display vehicles in the
second lane over. This will be the case if there
are vehicles driving on the inside edge of their
lane.
The system may issue causeless warnings in
the area of guardrails or similar structural
boundaries.
The Blind Spot Assist sensors are built into
the front and rear bumpers. Make sure that the area of the bumpers around the sensors
is free of dirt, ice and snow. The radar sensors
must not be obstructed, for example, by
bicycle carriers or overhanging luggage.
!
In the event of a significant impact or
damage affecting the bumpers, have the
radar sensors checked by a qualified
specialist workshop such as a Mercedes-
Benz Center. Failure to do this can result in
Blind Spot Assist not functioning correctly.
Indicator and warning lamps Exterior rear view mirror, driver’s side
X
Make sure that the radar sensors
(Y page 216) and Blind Spot Assist
(Y page 213) are switched on.
X Switch on the ignition.
Red warning lamps : in the exterior rear
view mirrors come on.
X Start the engine.
Yellow indicator lamps : in the exterior
rear view mirrors come on up to a speed of
20 mph (30 km/h).
Above a speed of 20 mph (30 km/h), yellow
indicator lamps : go out and the Blind Spot
Assist is active. If the Blind Spot Assist
detects a vehicle in its range, red warning
lamp : on the corresponding side of the
vehicle comes on.
When you shift the automatic transmission in
reverse gear R, yellow indicator lamps : in
the exterior rear view mirrors goes out after
approximately 3 seconds. The Blind Spot
Assist is then not active. Driving systems
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