
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.
The brightness of indicator lamps/warning
lamps : is controlled automatically
depending on the brightness of the ambient
light.
GWarning!
The Blind Spot Assist is not active at speeds
below approximately 20 mph (30 km/h). The
yellow indicator lamps in the exterior rear
view mirrors are illuminated. You will not be
alerted to the presence of vehicles in the
monitored area at these speeds.
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.
Collision warning
If a vehicle is detected in the Blind Spot Assist
range and you activate the turn signal, a two-
tone warning will sound once. Red warning
lamp : on the corresponding side of the
vehicle will flash.
GWarning!
Do not change lanes or make turns, while red
warning lamp : is flashing. Doing so could
result in an accident and serious injury to
yourself and others.
XRemain on the lane that you are currently
on until traffic conditions permit to change.
If the turn signal remains on, red warning
lamp : will flash to indicate that vehicles
have been detected. No further audible
warnings will sound.
Lane Keeping Assist
The Lane Keeping Assist supports you at a
vehicle speed of above 40 mph when you
have set the display unit to miles in the
Display Unit Speed-/Odometer: menu in
the control system (Y page 141). When you
have set the display unit to km, the system
supports you at a vehicle speed of above
60 km/h. When the Lane Keeping Assist
detects lane markings, the system is
designed to alert you in case you leave your
lane unintentionally. A warning is usually
issued when a front wheel is on the lane
marking. An interval vibration in the steering
wheel that lasts for up to 1.5 seconds will
then alert you.
The Lane Keeping Assist monitors the area in
front of your vehicle via camera :.
The system can distinguish various
conditions in order to alert you early enough
and to avoid unnecessary warnings when
crossing lane markings.
The warning is issued sooner when
Rcutting a curve on the outside of the turn
Rdriving on very wide lanes such as highway
lanes
Rthe system recognizes dividing lines
because crossing them is often crucial due
to soft shoulders or guardrails behind for
example
The warning is issued later however when
Rdriving on narrow lanes
Rcutting a curve on the inside of the turn
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control. Other settings may result in
damage to your vehicle.
!  Some tire sizes do not leave adequate
clearance for snow chains. To help avoid
serious damage to your vehicle or tires,
make sure the use of snow chains is
permissible as specified in the “Technical
data” section of this Operator’s Manual.
Snow chains should only be driven on snow-
covered roads at speeds not to exceed
30 mph (50 km/h). Remove chains as soon
as possible when driving on roads without
snow.
Observe the following guidelines when using
snow chains:
R Use of snow chains is not permissible with
all wheel/tire combinations ( Y page 353).
R Use snow chains in pairs and on rear
wheels only. Follow the manufacturer’s
mounting instructions.
!  If snow chains are mounted to the front
wheels, they may scrape against the body
or axle components. The tires or the vehicle
could be damaged as a result.
R Only use snow chains that are approved by
Mercedes-Benz. Any authorized Mercedes-
Benz Center will be glad to advise you on
this subject.
R Use of snow chains may be prohibited
depending on location. Always check local
and state laws before installing snow
chains.
R Do not use snow chains on the spare wheel.
i When driving with snow chains, you may
wish to switch off the ESC ( Y page 66)
before setting the vehicle in motion. This
will improve the vehicle’s traction.Winter driving instructionsGWarning!
If the vehicle becomes stuck in snow, make
sure snow is kept clear of the exhaust pipe
and from around the vehicle with the engine
running. Otherwise, deadly carbon monoxide
(CO) gases may enter vehicle interior
resulting in unconsciousness and death.
To assure sufficient fresh air ventilation, open
a window slightly on the side of the vehicle
not facing the wind.
GWarning!
The outside temperature indicator is not
designed to serve as an ice-warning device
and is therefore unsuitable for that purpose.
Indicated temperatures just above the
freezing point do not guarantee that the road
surface is free of ice. The road may still be icy,
especially in wooded areas or on bridges.
GWarning!
On slippery road surfaces, never downshift in
order to obtain braking action. This could
result in drive wheel slip and reduced vehicle
control. Your vehicle’s ABS will not prevent
this type of loss of control.
The most important rule for slippery or icy
roads is to drive sensibly and to avoid abrupt
acceleration, braking and steering
maneuvers. Do not use the cruise control or
DISTRONIC PLUS system under such
conditions.
When the vehicle is in danger of skidding, shift
the automatic transmission to neutral
position  N. Try to keep the vehicle under
control by corrective steering action.
i For information on driving with snow
chains, see “Snow chains” ( Y page 252).
Road salts and chemicals can adversely
affect braking efficiency. Increased pedal
force may become necessary to produce the
normal brake effect.
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Depressing the brake pedal periodically when
traveling at length on salt-strewn roads can
bring road-salt-impaired braking efficiency
back to normal.
If the vehicle is parked after being driven on
salt-treated roads, the braking efficiency
should be tested as soon as possible after
driving is resumed.GWarning!
Make sure not to endanger any other road
users when carrying out these braking
maneuvers.
Driving instructions
Drive sensibly – save fuel
To save fuel you should:
R Keep tires at the recommended inflation
pressures.
R Remove unnecessary loads.
R Remove roof rack when not in use.
R Allow engine to warm up under low load
use.
R Avoid frequent acceleration and
deceleration.
R Have all maintenance work performed at
the intervals specified in the Maintenance
Booklet and as required by the
Maintenance system. Contact an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Fuel consumption is also increased by driving
in cold weather, in stop-and-go traffic, on
short trips and in mountainous areas.
Drinking and driving
GWarning!
Drinking and driving and/or taking drugs and
driving are very dangerous combinations.
Even a small amount of alcohol or drugs can
affect your reflexes, perceptions and
judgment.
The possibility of a serious or even fatal
accident are greatly increased when you drink
or take drugs and drive.
Do not drink or take drugs and drive or allow
anyone to drive who has been drinking or
taking drugs.
Pedals
GWarning!
Make sure absolutely no objects are
obstructing the pedals’ range of movement.
Keep the driver’s footwell clear of all
obstacles. If there are any floormats or
carpets in the footwell, make sure that the
pedals still have sufficient clearance.
During sudden driving or braking maneuvers,
the objects could get caught between the
pedals. You could then no longer brake or
accelerate. This could lead to accidents and
injury.
Power assistance
GWarning!
There is no power assistance for the steering
and the brake when the engine is not running.
Steering and braking requires significantly
more effort and you could lose control of the
vehicle and cause an accident as a result.
Do not turn off the engine while the vehicle is
in motion.
Brakes
Downhill grades
!  When driving down long and steep
grades, relieve the load on the brakes by
shifting into a lower gear to use the
engine’s braking power. This helps prevent
overheating of the brakes and reduces
wear.
254Driving instructionsOperation
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Flat tire
Safety notes
Your vehicle may be equipped with:
R a Minispare wheel
R a spare wheel with collapsible tire
R an MOExtended system (your vehicle does
not have a spare wheel or a TIREFIT kit)
R a TIREFIT kit 19
 (your vehicle does not have
a spare wheel)
GWarning!
The dimensions of the spare wheel are
different from those of the road wheels. As a
result, the vehicle handling characteristics
change when driving with a spare wheel
mounted. Adapt your driving style
accordingly.
The spare wheel is for temporary use only.
When driving with a spare wheel mounted,
ensure proper tire inflation pressure and do
not exceed a vehicle speed of 50 mph
(80 km/h).
Contact the nearest authorized Mercedes-
Benz Center as soon as possible to have the
spare wheel replaced with a regular road
wheel.
Never operate the vehicle with more than one
spare wheel mounted.
Do not switch off the ESC when a spare wheel
is mounted.
Preparing the vehicle
XVehicles with AIRMATIC:
Make sure the vehicle level is set to normal
level ( Y page 163).XWhenever possible, park the vehicle in a
safe distance from moving traffic on a hard,
flat surface.XTurn on the hazard warning flasher.XTurn the steering wheel so that the front
wheels are in a straight-ahead position.XEngage the parking brake.XShift the automatic transmission into park
position  P.XTurn off the engine.XRemove the SmartKey from the starter
switch.
or
XVehicles with KEYLESS-GO: Open the
driver’s door (this puts the starter switch in
position  0, same as with the SmartKey
removed from the starter switch). The
driver’s door can then be closed again.
Open doors only when conditions are safe
to do so.XVehicles with KEYLESS-GO: Remove the
KEYLESS-GO start/stop button from the
starter switch.XHave any passenger exit the vehicle at a
safe distance from the roadway. Open
doors only when conditions are safe to do
so.
Mounting the spare wheel
Introduction
XPrepare the vehicle as described
( Y  page 323).XTake the following out of the vehicle:
R spare wheel
R jack
R vehicle tool kit
R collapsible wheel chock
R electric air pump (required for vehicles
with spare wheel with collapsible tire
only)
For information on where to find the
respective items, see “Where will I find ...?”
( Y  page 268) and ( Y page 271).
19
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Removing towing eye boltXLoosen towing eye bolt ; by turning it
counterclockwise.XUnscrew towing eye bolt  ;.XReinstalling cover:  Fit cover :
( Y  page 341) and snap it into place.XStore the towing eye bolt  ; and wheel
wrench back into the vehicle tool kit.
Towing with one 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).
!  Vehicles with 4MATIC: 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.
XMake sure the ignition is switched on.XWith the vehicle at a standstill, depress the
brake pedal and keep it pressed.XRelease the brake pedal.XIf engaged, release the parking brake.XSwitch off the automatic central locking
( Y  page 144).XSwitch off the ignition and leave the
SmartKey in the starter switch.XSwitch on the hazard warning flasher
( Y  page 101).
! 
Because the ESC operates automatically,
the engine and ignition must be shut off
(SmartKey in starter switch position  0 or
1  or KEYLESS-GO start/stop button in
position  0 or  1) when the vehicle is being
towed with one axle raised.
Active braking action through the ESC may
otherwise seriously damage the brake
system which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Towing with all wheels on the groundGWarning!
If circumstances require towing the vehicle
with all wheels on the ground, always tow with
a tow bar if:
R the engine will not run
R there is a malfunction in the brake system
R 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 position  2.
If the SmartKey is left in the starter switch
position  0 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.
GWarning!
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.
XMake sure the ignition is switched on.XWith the vehicle at a standstill, depress the
brake pedal and keep it pressed.XShift the automatic transmission into
neutral position  N.XRelease the brake pedal.XIf engaged, release the parking brake.XSwitch on the hazard warning flasher
( Y  page 101).
! 
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).
342Towing the vehiclePractical hints
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