
Switching the ESC off or on
(except E 63 AMG)
GWarning!
The ESC should not be switched off during
normal driving other than in the
circumstances described below. Disabling
the system will reduce vehicle stability in
driving maneuvers.
Do not switch off the ESC when a spare wheel
is mounted.
To improve the vehicle’s traction, switch off
the ESC. This allows the drive wheels to spin
and thus cut into surfaces for better grip, for
example
Rwhen driving with snow chains
Rin deep snow
Rin sand or gravel
GWarning!
Switch on the ESC immediately if the
aforementioned circumstances do not apply
anymore. Otherwise the ESC will not stabilize
the vehicle when it is starting to skid or a
wheel is spinning.
When you switch off the ESC,
Rthe ESC does not stabilize the vehicle
Rthe engine output is not limited, which
allows the drive wheels to spin and thus cut
into surfaces for better grip
Rthe ETS/4-ETS will still apply the brakes to
a spinning wheel
Rthe ESC continues to operate when you are
braking
Rthe cruise control or the DISTRONIC PLUS
cannot be activated
Rthe cruise control or the DISTRONIC PLUS
switch off if activated
iWhen the ESC is switched off and one or
more drive wheels are spinning, the ESC
warning lamp ä in the instrument
cluster flashes. However, the ESC will then
not stabilize the vehicle.
XSwitching off: With the engine running,
press ESC switch : until the ESC OFF
warning lamp å in the instrument
cluster comes on.
The ESC is switched off.
GWarning!
When the ESC OFF warning lamp å is on,
the ESC is switched off.
When the ESC warning lamp ä and the
ESC OFF warning lamp å are on
continuously, the ESC is not operational due
to a malfunction.
When the ESC is switched off or not
operational, vehicle stability in standard
driving maneuvers is reduced.
Adapt your speed and driving to the prevailing
road conditions and to the non-operating
status of the ESC.
! Avoid spinning of a drive wheel for an
extended period with the ESC switched off.
This may cause serious damage to the
drivetrain which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
XSwitching on: Press ESC switch : until
the ESC OFF warning lamp å in the
instrument cluster goes out.
You are now again in normal driving mode
with the ESC switched on.
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the driver’s door with the ignition switched
off.
When the parking lamps or the rear fog
lamp are switched on and you remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch and open
the driver’s door, an acoustic signal
sounds.
In addition the message Switch Off
Lights appears in the multifunction
display.
Switch off the parking lamps or the rear fog
lamp manually.
! Failure to switch off the parking lamps
when leaving the vehicle may result in a
discharged battery.
i Vehicles without front fog lamps: For
better detection of the vehicle, the LED
daytime running lamps are dimmed to
parking lamp level when the low-beam
headlamps are switched on.
Low-beam headlamps
The low-beam headlamps can be switched on
and off with the exterior lamp switch.
XSwitch on the ignition.XSwitching on: Turn the exterior lamp
switch to position L.
The following lamps come on:
R Low-beam headlamps
R Parking lamps 5
R Green indicator lamp L in the
instrument cluster
Automatic headlamp mode
GWarning!
If the exterior lamp switch is set to c, the
headlamps will not automatically come on
under foggy conditions.
To minimize risk to you and to others, activate
headlamps by turning exterior lamp switch to
L when driving or when traffic and/or
ambient lighting conditions require you to do
so.
In low ambient lighting conditions, only switch
from position c to L with the vehicle
at a standstill in a safe location. Switching
from c to L will briefly switch off the
headlamps. Doing so while driving in low
ambient lighting conditions may result in an
accident.
The automatic headlamp feature is only an aid
to the driver. The driver is responsible for the
operation of the vehicle’s lights at all times.XSwitching on: Turn the exterior lamp
switch to position c.
When ambient light is low: When the
SmartKey is in starter switch position 1 or
when the KEYLESS-GO start/stop button has
been pressed once, the parking lamps 5
come
on automatically.
When the engine is running, the low-beam
headlamps come on additionally.
When ambient light is bright: When the
SmartKey is in starter switch position 1 or
when the KEYLESS-GO start/stop button has
been pressed once, all lamps are off.
When the engine is running, the daytime
running lamps 6
come on automatically.
When the low-beam headlamps are switched
on, the green indicator lamp L in the
instrument cluster comes on.
Once the low-beam headlamps are on, the
high-beam headlamps are also available.
Daytime running lamp mode
In Canada, the daytime running lamp mode is
mandatory and therefore in a constant mode.
In the USA, the daytime running lamp mode
is deactivated by default.
5 When the parking lamps are on, the tail lamps, the license plate lamps, the side marker lamps, and the
instrument cluster illumination are also on.
6 USA only: The daytime running lamp mode must be activated via the control system.98LightingControls in detail
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XActivate the daytime running lamp mode
using the control system, see “Switching
daytime running lamp mode on or off (USA
only)” ( Y page 141).XTurn the exterior lamp switch to position
c .
When the engine is running and the
ambient light is bright, the daytime running
lamps come on.
In low ambient lighting conditions, the
following lamps will come on additionally:
R Low-beam headlamps
R Parking lamps 5
R green indicator lamp L in the
instrument cluster
You can only switch on the high-beam
headlamps when the low-beam headlamps
are on.
The high-beam flasher is available at all times.
Canada only
When the engine is running, and you
R shift from a driving position to park
position P with the vehicle at a standstill,
the daytime running lamps or the low-beam
headlamps will go out with a delay of
3 minutes
R turn the exterior lamp switch to position
T , the daytime running lamps and the
parking lamps 5
come on in bright ambient
lighting conditions.
R turn the exterior lamp switch to position
L , the manual headlamp mode has
priority over the daytime running lamp
mode
The corresponding exterior lamps come on
( Y page 97).
USA only
When the engine is running, and you turn the
exterior lamp switch to position T or
L, the manual headlamp mode has
priority over the daytime running lamp mode.
The corresponding exterior lamps come on
( Y page 97).
Fog lamps GWarning!
In low ambient lighting or foggy conditions,
only switch from position c to L with
the vehicle at a standstill in a safe location.
Switching from c to L will briefly
switch off the headlamps. Doing so while
driving in low ambient lighting conditions may
result in an accident.
Front fog lamps will operate with the parking
lamps and/or the low-beam headlamps on.
The rear fog lamp can only be switched on
with the exterior lamp switch in position
L . Fog lamps should only be used in
conjunction with low-beam headlamps.
Consult your State or Province Motor Vehicle
Regulations regarding permissible lamp
operation.
XSwitch on the ignition.XTurn the exterior lamp switch to position
T , or L , or c (Y page 97).
Vehicles with front fog lamps
XSwitching on front fog lamps: Press
switch N (Y page 97).
The green indicator lamp N in the
instrument cluster comes on.XSwitching off front fog lamps: Press
switch N (Y page 97).
The green indicator lamp N in the
instrument cluster goes out.5 When the parking lamps are on, the tail lamps, the license plate lamps, the side marker lamps, and the
instrument cluster illumination are also on.Lighting99Controls in detail212_AKB; 2; 41, en-USd2ureepe,Version: 2.11.8.12009-07-17T09:14:21+02:00 - Seite 99Z

The switches for the respective door windows
are located on the front passenger door and
on the rear doors.
i Operating the rear door windows from
the rear is not possible when you activate
the override switch (Y page 60).
GObserve Safety notes, see page 56.GWarning!
When opening or closing the door windows,
make sure there is no danger of anyone being
harmed by the opening/closing procedure.
The door windows are equipped with the
express operation and automatic reversal
function. If in express operation mode a door
window encounters an obstruction that
blocks its path, the automatic reversal
function will stop the door window and open
it slightly.
The door windows operate differently when
the switch is pulled and held. See the “Closing
when a door window is blocked” section in
this chapter for details.
The closing of the door windows can be
immediately halted by releasing the switch or,
if the switch was pulled past the resistance
point and released, by either pressing or
pulling the respective switch.
If a door window encounters an obstruction
that blocks its path in a circumstance where
you are closing the door windows by pressing
and holding button & on the SmartKey or
by touching and holding the sensor surface
(vehicles with KEYLESS-GO) on an outside
door handle, the automatic reversal function
will not operate.
Activate the override switch when children
are riding in the back seats of the vehicle. The
children may otherwise injure themselves,
e.g. by becoming trapped in the door window
opening.
GWarning!
Do not keep any part of your body up against
the window pane when opening a window. The
downward motion of the pane may pull that
part of your body down between the window
pane and the door frame and trap it there. If
there is a risk of entrapment, release the
switch and pull it to close the window.
iYou can also open or close the door
windows using the SmartKey, see
“Summer opening feature” (Y page 107)
and “Convenience closing feature”
(Y page 108).
iAfter switching off the ignition or
removing the SmartKey from the starter
switch, you can operate the door windows
until you open the driver’s or front
passenger door. If no door was opened you
can operate the door windows for up to
5 minutes.
XSwitch on the ignition.XOpening/closing: Press or pull and hold
switch : to ? to the resistance point.
The corresponding door window moves
downward or upward until you release the
switch.
XExpress operation: Press or pull
switch : to ? past the resistance point
and release.
The corresponding door window opens or
closes completely.
XStopping during express operation:
Press or pull the respective switch again.
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DownshiftingGWarning!
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.
XBriefly pull left gearshift control :
( Y page 122).
The automatic transmission shifts into the
next lower gear.
i When you brake or stop, the automatic
transmission shifts down into a gear from
which you can easily accelerate or take off.
Kickdown
Using the kickdown while driving in manual
program mode M is not possible.
Deactivating manual shift program
XTurn the program mode selector dial until
C or S appears in the multifunction display.
or
XRestart the engine.
The automatic transmission will go to
automatic program mode C.
Manual program mode M is not stored.
Emergency operation (limp-home
mode)
If vehicle acceleration becomes less
responsive or sluggish or the automatic
transmission no longer shifts, the automatic
transmission is most likely operating in limp-
home (emergency operation) mode. In this
mode only second gear and reverse gear R
can be selected.
XStop the vehicle in a safe location.XShift the automatic transmission into park
position P.XTurn off the engine.XWait at least 10 seconds before restarting.XRestart the engine.XShift the automatic transmission into drive
position D (for second gear) or reverse gear
R .XHave the automatic transmission checked
at an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center as
soon as possible.
Transfer case
This section applies to vehicles equipped with
all-wheel drive (4MATIC) only. Both the front
and rear axles are powered at all times when
the vehicle is being operated.
! 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 or the transfer case which is not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
! 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
R the parking brake is being tested on a
brake test dynamometer
R towing the vehicle with the front or rear
axle raised (not permissible for vehicles
with 4MATIC)
Active braking action through the ESC may
otherwise seriously damage the brake
system which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
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Example illustration for FM radio
:Stored memory position;Station frequency=Wave band settingXSelecting next or previous stored
station: Press button : or 9 briefly
to select a stored station.
XSelecting next or previous station in
wave band: Press and hold button : or
9 to select a station.
You can only store new stations using the
corresponding feature on the radio. Refer to
separate COMAND system operating
instructions.
You can also operate the radio in the usual
manner.
Operating audio devices/audio media
XSwitch on the COMAND system and select
the audio device or audio media. Refer to
separate COMAND system operating
instructions.
XPress button = or ; to select the
Audio menu. The settings for the currently
being played audio device/audio media
appear in the multifunction display.
Example illustration
:Disc number;Current trackXSelecting next or previous track: Press
button : or 9 briefly.
XSelecting a track from the track list
(quick search): Press and hold
button : or 9.
The current track does not appear during
Audio AUX mode operation.
Operating video DVD
XSwitch on the COMAND system and select
DVD-Video. Refer to separate COMAND
system operating instructions.
XPress button = or ; to select the
Audio menu.
:Disc number;Current sceneXSelecting next or previous scene: Press
button : or 9 briefly.
XSelecting a scene from the scene list
(quick search): Press and hold
button : or 9.
Tel menu
GWarning!
A driver’s attention to the road must always
be his/her primary focus when driving. For
your safety and the safety of others, we
recommend that you pull over to a safe
location and stop before placing or taking a
telephone call. If you choose to use the
telephone while driving, please use the hands-
free device and only use the telephone when
weather, road and traffic conditions permit.
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XPress button a to change the current
status.
Depending on the previous status, the
Daytime Running Lamps: mode will be
Enabled or Disabled.
With Daytime Running Lamps mode
enabled and the exterior lamp switch at
position $ or c, the daytime running
lamps are switched on when the engine is
running.
In low ambient light conditions the following
lamps will come on additionally:
RLow-beam headlamps
RParking lamps
RTail lamps
RLicense plate lamps
RSide marker lamps
For more information on the daytime running
lamp mode, see (Y page 98).
iMake sure the exterior lamp switch is set
to M or c when you switch off the
daytime running lamps while driving at
night.
For safety reasons, resetting all the functions
of all submenus to the factory settings while
driving (Y page 139) will not deactivate the
daytime running lamp mode.
The following message appears in the
multifunction display:
Cannot Be Completely Reset to
Factory Settings while Driving..
Switching Adaptive Highbeam Assist on
or off
XPress button = or ; to select the
Sett. menu.
XPress button : or 9 to select the
Lights submenu.
XPress button a.XPress button : or 9 to select the
Adaptive Highbeam Assist: function.
The current setting Enabled or Disabled
is shown.
XPress button a to change the current
status.
Depending on the previous status, the
Adaptive Highbeam Assist: function
will be Enabled or Disabled.
For more information on the Adaptive
Highbeam Assist, see (Y page 100).
Switching locator lighting on or off
With the Locator Lighting: function
activated and the exterior lamp switch in
position c
Rthe exterior lamps will come on during
darkness when the vehicle is unlocked with
the SmartKey.
The lamps will go out when the driver’s door
is opened.
If you do not open the driver’s door after
unlocking the vehicle with the SmartKey,
the lamps will go out automatically after
approximately 40 seconds.
Rthe exterior lamps will remain on for
15 seconds during darkness after exiting
the vehicle and closing all doors.
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suspension setup adjusts the damping
behavior and the ride height for your vehicle.
The AIRMATIC consists of two components.
The electronically controlled damping system
(Y page 163) and the vehicle level control
(Y page 163).
Damping system
The damping system 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
Ryour driving style
Rroad surface conditions
Ryour personal settings
The selected setting remains stored in
memory even if the SmartKey is removed
from the starter switch.
XStart 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.
XPress damping system 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.
XPress damping system switch :.
Indicator lamp = comes on. 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:
Rnormal
Rraised; the vehicle is raised by
approximately 1.0 in (25 mm) compared to
normal level
Rlowered; the vehicle is lowered by
approximately 0.4 in (10 mm) compared to
normal level
You can choose between normal or raised
level.
The vehicle chassis ride height is reduced
automatically
Rat a speed exceeding approximately
93 mph (150 km/h)
Rwith the Sport driving mode (Y page 163)
set
With decreasing speed, the ride height is
again raised to the normal level.
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