Product Information
Please observe the following in your own best
interest:
We recommend using Genuine Mercedes-
Benz Parts as well as conversion parts and
accessories explicitly approved by us for your
vehicle model.
We have tested these parts to determine their
reliability, safety and special suitability for
Mercedes-Benz vehicles.
We are unable to make an assessment for
other products and therefore cannot be held
responsible for them, even if in individual
cases an official approval or authorization by
governmental or other agencies should exist.
Use of such parts and accessories could
adversely affect the safety, performance or
reliability of your vehicle. Please do not use
them.
Genuine Mercedes-Benz Parts and pre-
approved conversion parts and accessories
are available at any authorized Mercedes-
Benz Center. In addition, you will receive
comprehensive information on permissible
technical modifications and expert
installations.
Operator’s Manual
Notes
This Operator’s Manual contains a great deal
of useful information. We urge you to read it
carefully and familiarize yourself with the
vehicle before driving.
For your own safety and longer service life of
the vehicle, we urge you to follow the
instructions and warnings contained in this
Operator’s Manual. Ignoring them could
result in damage to the vehicle or personal
injury to you or others. Vehicle damage
caused by failure to follow instructions is not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
We continuously strive to improve our
product and ask for your understanding that
we reserve the right to make changes in
design and equipment. Therefore,
information, illustrations, and descriptions in
this Operator’s Manual might differ from your
vehicle.
Vehicle equipment
Your vehicle may have some or all of the
equipment described in this manual.
Therefore, you may find explanations for
optional equipment not installed in your
vehicle. If you have any questions about
operating particular equipment, any
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center will be glad
to demonstrate the proper procedures.
Optional equipment is also described in this
manual, including operating instructions
wherever necessary. Since they are special-
order items, the descriptions and illustrations
herein may vary slightly from the actual
equipment of your vehicle.
If there are any equipment details that are not
shown or described in this Operator’s
Manual, any authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center will be glad to inform you of correct
care and operating procedures. The
Operator’s Manual and Maintenance Booklet
are important documents and should be kept
with the vehicle.
Service and warranty information
The Service and Warranty Information
booklet contains detailed information about
the warranties covering your Mercedes-Benz,
including:
R New Vehicle Limited Warranty
R Emission System Warranty
R Emission Performance Warranty
R California, Connecticut, Maine,
Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania,
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Lower part FunctionPage:Ashtray with storage
compartment196
Cigarette lighter196;Cup holder194=Front armrest storage
compartment192
?Removable card/ticket
holder194Overhead control panelFunctionPage:Left front reading lamp on/
off97
;Automatic interior lighting97=Rear interior lighting on/off97?Front interior lighting on/
off97
ARight reading lamp on/off97BFront right interior lamp97CPower tilt/sliding sunroof
switch184
DSOS button (Tele Aid
system)201
EInterior rear view mirror89FReading lamps97GGarage door opener 20432Overhead control panelAt a glance
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Front air bags GObserve Safety notes, see page 37.
Driver’s front air bag : and front passenger
front air bag ; are designed to provide
increased protection for the driver and front
passenger against the risk of injuries to the
head and thorax.
Driver and front passenger front air bags are
deployed
Rin the event of certain frontal impacts
Rif the system determines that air bag
deployment can offer additional protection
to that provided by the seat belt
Rdepending on whether the respective seat
belt is in use
Rindependently of the side impact air bags
and/or the window curtain air bags
The front air bags in this vehicle have been
designed to inflate in two stages. This allows
the air bags to have different rates of inflation.
The rate of inflation is based on the vehicle
deceleration rate as assessed by the air bag
control unit.
Vehicles with OCS, USA only: The front
passenger front air bag deployment is
additionally influenced by the passenger’s
weight category as identified by the Occupant
Classification System (OCS) (Y page 42).
Vehicles with OCS, USA only: The lighter the
front passenger-side occupant, the higher the
vehicle deceleration rate required for second
stage inflation of the front passenger front air
bag.
The air bags will not deploy in impacts which
do not exceed the system’s preset
deployment thresholds. You will then be
protected by the fastened seat belts.
The front air bags will not deploy in the event
of a rollover unless the vehicle’s rate of
longitudinal deceleration or acceleration
exceeds the preset deployment threshold for
the front air bags.
The front passenger front air bag will only be
deployed if
Rvehicles with OCS, USA only: the system,
based on OCS weight sensor readings,
detects that the front passenger seat is
occupied
Rthe 42 indicator lamp in the
center console is not lit
(USA only: (Y page 42),
Canada only: (Y page 46))
Rthe impact exceeds a preset deployment
threshold
! Vehicles with BabySmart™ air bag
deactivation system (Canada only): Do not
place objects heavier than 20 lb (9 kg) on
the front passenger seat. This could cause
the front or side impact air bag on the front
passenger side to deploy in a crash which
exceeds the system’s deployment
threshold.
Side impact air bags
GObserve Safety notes, see page 37.GWarning!
The pressure sensors for side impact air bag
control are located in the doors. Do not
modify any components of the doors or door
trim panels including, for example, the
addition of door speakers.
Improper repair work on the doors or the
modification or addition of components to the
doors create a risk of rendering the side
impact air bags inoperative or causing
unintended air bag deployment. Work on the
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Seat belt outlet height adjustmentXRaising: Slide the seat belt outlet height
adjuster upward.
The seat belt outlet height adjuster
engages in different positions.
XLowering: Press and hold release
button :.
XSlide the seat belt outlet height adjuster
downward.
XRelease button : and make sure the seat
belt outlet height adjuster engages into
place.
Seat belt adjustment function
The seat belt adjustment function adjusts the
seat belts on both front seats to the upper
body of the respective vehicle occupant. The
seat belt will be pulled slightly tighter for that
purpose when
Ryou engage the latch plate into the buckle
and then turn the SmartKey in the starter
switch to position 2
Rthe SmartKey in the starter switch is in
position 2 and you then engage the latch
plate in the buckle
The seat belt adjustment function takes place
with a certain amount of retracting force
when the system senses slack between the
vehicle occupant and the seat belt. Do not
retain the seat belt during this procedure. You
can activate or deactivate the seat belt
adjustment function via the control system
(Y page 136).
Releasing the seat beltsXPress seat belt release button ?
(Y page 50).
Allow the retractor to completely rewind
the seat belt by guiding latch plate ;
(Y page 50).
! Make sure the seat belt retracts
completely. Otherwise the seat belt and/or
latch plate could get caught or pinched in
the door or in the seat mechanism. This can
damage the seat belt and impair its
effectiveness, and/or cause damage to the
door and/or door trim panel. Such damage
is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.
Damaged seat belts must be replaced.
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
Enhanced seat belt reminder system
When the engine is started, the seat belt
telltale 7 will always illuminate for
6 seconds to remind you and your passengers
to fasten your seat belts.
If the driver’s seat belt is not fastened when
the engine is started, an additional warning
chime will sound. The warning chime goes out
after approximately 6 seconds or once the
driver’s seat belt is fastened.
If after these 6 seconds the driver’s or the
front passenger’s seat belt (with the front
passenger seat occupied) is not fastened with
front doors closed,
Rthe seat belt telltale 7 remains
illuminated for as long as either the driver’s
or front passenger’s seat belt is not
fastened.
Rand if the vehicle speed once exceeds
15 mph (25 km/h), the seat belt telltale
7 starts flashing and a warning chime
sounds with increasing intensity for a
maximum of 60 seconds or until the
driver’s and front passenger’s seat belt are
fastened.
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The PRE-SAFE®
system takes preventive
measures to better protect the occupants
from the possibility of personal injuries in the
following hazardous situations:
R emergency braking maneuvers with the
Brake Assist System (BAS) ( Y page 63)
activated
R critical dynamic driving situations, e.g.
when the vehicle has been caused to
understeer or oversteer because it has
exceeded its physical limitations or in case
of evasive steering maneuvers at speeds
above approximately 85 mph (140 km/h)
PRE-SAFE ®
takes the following measures
when it is activated:
R The front seat belts are pre-tensioned
automatically.
R Vehicles with front passenger seat memory
function: If the passenger seat is in an
unfavorable position, the seat will be
adjusted to a position that seeks to better
protect the occupant.
R If the vehicle is in a critical dynamic driving
situation, the door windows close, except
for a minimal gap that remains open.
R Vehicles with power tilt/sliding sunroof: If
the vehicle is in a critical dynamic driving
situation, the tilt/sliding sunroof also
closes, except for a minimal gap that
remains open.
If the closing procedure of any of these
elements is blocked, it will stop and open
slightly.
Once the hazardous situation no longer exists
and an accident has been avoided, the seat
belt pre-tensioning is deactivated. All of the
PRE-SAFE ®
settings can be re-adjusted
following the critical driving event.
If the seat belts do not release:XAdjust the seat backrest or seat slightly to
the rear until the seat belt tension is
reduced.
The locking mechanism releases.! When moving the seats, make sure there
are no items in the footwell or behind the
seats. Otherwise, you could damage the
seats and/or the items.
For information on the seat belt adjustment
function as an integrated comfort feature of
PRE-SAFE ®
, see ( Y page 51).
NECK-PRO active front head
restraints
The NECK-PRO active front head restraints
are intended to offer the driver and front
passenger increased protection from
whiplash-type injuries. In the event of a rear-
end collision, the NECK-PRO active front head
restraints on the front seats are designed to
move forward in the direction of travel. They
thus provide the head with increased support
earlier on in the collision sequence. The
NECK-PRO active front head restraints will
move forward whether the seats are occupied
or not.
GWarning!
Do not attach any objects (e.g. hangers) to the
head restraint posts. Otherwise, the NECK-
PRO active front head restraints may not be
able to function properly or offer the intended
degree of protection they were designed for
in the event of a rear-end collision.
GWarning!
Only use seat or head restraint covers which
have been tested and approved by Mercedes-
Benz for your vehicle model.
Using other seat or head restraint covers may
interfere with or prevent the activation of the
NECK-PRO active front head restraints and/
or the deployment of the front side impact air
bags.
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
for availability.
When the NECK-PRO active front head
restraints have been triggered in an accident,
the NECK-PRO active front head restraints
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must be reset. Otherwise, the NECK-PRO
active front head restraints cannot offer any
additional protection in the event of another
rear-end collision.
For information on resetting the activated
NECK-PRO active front head restraints, see
“Resetting activated head restraints”
(Y page 309).
You cannot remove the NECK-PRO active
front head restraints.
GWarning!
For your protection, drive only with properly
positioned head restraints.
Adjust the head restraint so that it is as close
to the head as possible and the center of the
head restraint supports the back of the head
at eye level. This will reduce the potential for
injury to the head and neck in the event of an
accident or similar situation.
For information on head restraint adjustment,
see “Head restraint height” (Y page 83), or
see “Head restraint fore and aft adjustment”
(Y page 83).
Correct driver seat adjustment
GWarning!
In order to avoid possible loss of vehicle
control the following must be done before the
vehicle is put into motion:
Rseat adjustment
Rhead restraint adjustment
Rsteering wheel adjustment
Rrear view mirror adjustment
Rfastening of seat belts
Steering wheel
GObserve Safety notes, see page 86.XPosition steering wheel : properly. See
(Y page 87) for manual adjustment and
(Y page 87) for electrical adjustment.
Make sure:
RYou can reach the steering wheel with your
arms slightly bent at the elbows.
RYou can move your legs freely.
RAll displays (including malfunction and
indicator lamps) on the instrument cluster
are clearly visible.
Seat belt
GObserve Safety notes, see page 48.XFasten and position your seat belt ;
correctly (Y page 50).
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Make sure:
R The seat belt is always fitted snugly.
R Adjust the seat belt so that the shoulder
section is located as close as possible to
the middle of the shoulder.
R Place the lap portion of the seat belt as low
as possible on your hips.
Seat and head restraintGObserve Safety notes, see page 81.XPosition seat = and head restraint
properly. See ( Y page 82) for seat and
head restraint adjustment.
Observe the following points:
R Always be in a properly seated position.
R The position should be as far rearward from
the front air bag in the steering wheel as
possible, while still permitting proper
operation of vehicle controls.
R Adjust the seat to a comfortable seating
position that still allows you to reach the
accelerator/brake pedal safely.
R The seat must be adjusted so that you can
correctly fasten and position your seat belt.
R The seat backrest must be in a position that
is as nearly upright as possible.
R Adjust the seat cushion so that the front
edge of the seat cushion lightly supports
your legs.
R Adjust the head restraint so that it is as
close to the head as possible and the
center of the head restraint supports the
back of the head at eye level.
R Never place hands under the seat or near
any moving parts while the seat is being
adjusted.
Children in the vehicle
Safety notes
If an infant or child is traveling with you in the
vehicle:
XSecure the child using an infant or child
restraint appropriate to the age and size of
the child.XMake sure the infant or child is properly
secured at all times while the vehicle is in
motion.GWarning!
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch. Always
take the SmartKey with you and lock the
vehicle. Do not leave children unattended in
the vehicle, even if they are secured in a child
restraint system, or with access to an
unlocked vehicle. A child’s unsupervised
access to a vehicle could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury. The children
could
R injure themselves on parts of the vehicle
R be seriously or fatally injured through
excessive exposure to extreme heat or cold
R injure themselves or cause an accident with
vehicle equipment that can be operated
even if the SmartKey is removed from the
starter switch or removed from the vehicle,
such as seat adjustment, steering wheel
adjustment, or the memory function
If children open a door, they could injure other
persons or get out of the vehicle and injure
themselves or be injured by following traffic.
Do not expose the child restraint system to
direct sunlight. The child restraint system’s
metal parts, for example, could become very
hot, and the child could be burned by these
parts.
GWarning!
Do not carry heavy or hard objects in the
passenger or cargo compartment unless they
are firmly secured in place.
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achieved with winter tires, or snow chains
as required.
Safety notesGWarning!
The following factors increase the risk of
accidents:
R Excessive speed, especially in turns
R Wet and slippery road surfaces
R Following another vehicle too closely
The driving safety systems described in this
section cannot reduce these risks or prevent
the natural laws of physics from acting on the
vehicle. They cannot increase braking or
steering efficiency beyond that afforded by
the condition of the vehicle brakes and tires
or the traction afforded.
Only a safe, attentive, and skillful driver can
prevent accidents.
The capabilities of a vehicle equipped with the
driving safety systems described in this
section must never be exploited in a reckless
or dangerous manner which could jeopardize
the user’s safety or the safety of others.
Always adjust your driving style to the
prevailing road and weather conditions and
keep a safe distance to other road users and
objects on the street.
If a driving system malfunctions, other driving
safety systems may also switch off. Observe
indicator and warning lamps that may come
on as well as messages in the multifunction
display that may appear.
GWarning!
HYBRID vehicles: It is imperative that you read
the HYBRID Supplemental Operating
Instructions included in your vehicle literature
portfolio. You may otherwise not recognize
potential danger.
ABSGObserve Safety notes, see page 62.GWarning!
Do not pump the brake pedal. Use firm, steady
brake pedal pressure instead. Pumping the
brake pedal defeats the purpose of the ABS
and significantly reduces braking
effectiveness.
The Antilock Brake System (ABS) regulates
the brake pressure so that the wheels do not
lock during braking. This allows you to
maintain the ability to steer your vehicle.
The ABS is functional above a speed of
approximately 5 mph (8 km/h) independent
of road surface conditions.
On slippery road surfaces, the ABS will
respond even to light brake pressure.
The ABS indicator lamp ! indicator lamp
in the instrument cluster comes on when you
switch on the ignition. It goes out when the
engine is running.
Braking
At the instant one of the wheels is about to
lock up, a slight pulsation can be felt in the
brake pedal. The pulsation indicates that the
ABS is in the regulating mode.
XKeep firm and steady pressure on the brake
pedal while you feel the pulsation.
Continuous, steady brake pedal pressure
yields the advantages provided by the ABS,
namely braking power and the ability to steer
the vehicle.
The pulsating brake pedal can be an
indication of hazardous road conditions and
functions as a reminder to take extra care
while driving.
Emergency brake maneuver
XKeep continuous full pressure on the brake
pedal.62Driving safety systemsSafety and security
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