2011 MERCEDES-BENZ B-CLASS HATCHBACK light

Problem Possible causes/consequences and
M Solutions
Vehicles with a petrol
engine:
The engine is not run-
ning smoothly and is
misfiring. There is a malfunction in the engine electronics or in a mechanical
component of the engine management system.
X
Only depress the accelerator pedal slightly.
Otherwise, non-combusted fuel may get into the catalytic con-
verter and damage it.
X Have the cause rectified immediately at a qualified specialist
workshop. The coolant tempera-
ture display is showing
more than 120 †. The
coolant warning lamp
may also be lit and a
warning tone may
sound. The coolant level is too low. The coolant is too hot and the engine
is no longer being cooled sufficiently.
X Stop as soon as possible and allow the engine and the coolant
to cool down.
X Check the coolant level (Y page 265). Observe the warning
notes as you do so and top up the coolant if necessary. If the coolant level is correct, the engine radiator fan may be faulty.
The coolant is too hot and the engine is no longer being cooled
sufficiently.
X If the coolant temperature is less than 120 †, you can continue
driving to the nearest qualified specialist workshop.
X Avoid heavy loads on the engine as you do so, e.g. driving on
mountain roads and stop-start traffic. Manual transmission
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
The movement of the pedals must not be
impaired in any way. Do not keep any objects
in the driver's footwell. Make sure that floor-
mats or carpets are correctly secured and
that there is sufficient clearance for the ped-
als.
Do not place several floormats on top of one
another. G
WARNING
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. This could cause you to lose control of your vehicle and cause an
accident.
Gear lever
! Only engage gear when the clutch pedal
is depressed.
! When shifting between 5thand 6thgear,
you should always push the gear lever all
the way to the right. Otherwise, you could
shift unintentionally into 3rdor4th gear
and damage the transmission.
If you shift down at too high a speed (trans-
mission braking), this can cause the engine
to overrev, leading to engine damage.
Do not use the clutch bite point to keep the
vehicle stationary on uphill gradients.
There is otherwise a risk of damaging the
clutch. Manual transmission
133Driving and parking Z

Vehicles with automatic transmission
X
Apply the electri cparking brake.
X Shift the transmission to position P.
X Turn the key to position 0in the ignition
lock and remove it.
The immobiliser is activated.
i If you switch the engine off with the trans-
mission in position Ror D, the automatic
transmission shifts to Nautomatically.
If you then open the driver's door or the
front-passenger door or remove the key
from the ignition, the automatic transmis-
sion shifts to P.
If you shift the automatic transmission to
N before switching off the engine, the auto-
matic transmission remains in Neven if a
door is opened. Electric parking brake
General notes i
The electric parking brake carries out a
function check at regular intervals when
the engine is switched off .Noises that
occur are normal.
Engaging/releasing manually Engaging
X
Push handle :.
The red !indicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster lights up. i
The electric parking brake can also be
applied when the key is removed.
Releasing
X Turn the key to position 1in the ignition
lock.
X Pull handle :.
The red !indicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster goes out.
i You can only release the electric parking
brake when the key is at position 1in the
ignition lock.
Engaging automatically The electric parking brake of your vehicle is
automatically applied if DISTRONIC PLUS
(only for vehicles with automatic transmis-
sion) or the HOLD function brakes the vehicle
until it is stationary or keeps the vehicle sta-
tionary. In addition, at least one of the follow-
ing conditions must be fulfilled:
R
the engine is switched off.
R the driver's door is open and the seat belt
is not fastened.
R there is a system malfunction.
R the power supply is insufficient.
R the vehicle is stationary for a lengthy
period.
The red !indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up.
i The electric parking brake is not automat-
ically engaged if the engine is switched off
by the ECO start/stop function.
Releasing automatically i
The electric parking brake can only be
released automatically in vehicles with
automatic transmission.
The electric parking brake of your vehicle is
released automatically when all of the follow-
ing conditions are fulfilled:
R the engine is running.
R the transmission is in position Dor R. Parking
145Driving and parking Z

cause the drive wheels to los
etheir grip and
the vehicle could skid. G
WARNING
Make sure that other road users are not
endangered by your braking.
Downhill gradients You must select a lower gear in good time on
long and steep downhill gradients, especially
if the vehicle is laden or towing a trailer. To
do so in vehicles with an automatic transmis-
sion, you will need to select the manual drive
program Min advance (Y page 139).
i This also applies if you have activated
cruise control, SPEEDTRONIC or DIS-
TRONIC PLUS.
This will use the braking effect of the engine,
so less braking will be required to prevent the
vehicle from gaining speed. This relieves the
load on the brake system and prevents the
brakes from overheating and wearing too
quickly.
i Vehicles with automatic transmis-
sion: if the accelerator pedal is depressed
briefly on downhill gradients while the man-
ual drive program Mis temporarily activa-
ted, the automatic transmission may
switch back to the last active automatic
drive program Eor S.T he automatic trans-
mission may shift to a higher gear. This can
reduce the engine's braking effect.
Heavy and light loads G
WARNING
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 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.
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 road surfaces
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. This may also occur after
the vehicle has been washed.
You have to depress the brake pedal more
firmly. Maintain a greater distance from the
vehicle in front.
After driving on a wet road or having the vehi-
cle washed, brake firmly while paying atten-
tion to the traffic conditions. This will warm
up the brake discs, thereby drying them more
quickly and protecting them against corro-
sion.
Limited braking performance on salt-
treated roads
G
WARNING
The layerofs alt on thebrake discs and the
brake pads/linings may caus eadelay 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
build up on the brake discs and the brake
pads/linings.
R maintain a greater distanc eto the vehicle
ahead and drive with particular care.
R carefully apply the brakes at the end of a
trip and immediately after commencing a
new trip, so that salt residues are removed
from the brake discs. Driving tips
147Driving and parking Z

New brake pads/linings
G
WARNING
New brake pads/linings onl yreach their opti-
mum braking effec tafter several hundred kil-
ometres of driving. Before this optimu mbrak-
ing effect is reached, you should compensate
for the reduced braking effect by applying
greater pressure when braking. This also
applies after the brake discs or the brake
pads/linings have been replaced.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only have brake pads/linings
fitted to yourv ehicle which have been
approved for Mercedes-Benz vehicles or
which correspond to an equivalent quality
standard. Brake pads/linings which have not
been approved for Mercedes-Benzv ehicles or
which are not of an equivalent quality could
affect your vehicle's operating safety. Tyre traction
G
WARNING
Whereas the vehicle can be fully controlled at
a certain speed on dry roads, you must reduce
your speed on wet or icy roads to achieve the
same road safety. You could otherwise cause
an accident.
Pay particular attention to the road conditions
at temperatures around freezing point.
If ice has formed on the road surface (e.g.
from fog), a thin film of water rapidly forms on
the ice when you brake, considerably reduc-
ing tyre traction. Drive with particular care in
such weather conditions. Driving on wet roads
Aquaplaning If water has accumulated to a certain depth
on the road surface, there is a danger of aqua-
planing occurring, even if:
R you are driving at low speeds.
R the tyres have adequate tread depth.
For this reason, do not drive in tyre ruts, and
brake carefully.
Driving on flooded roads !
Bear in mind that vehicles travelling in
front or in the opposite direction create
waves. This may cause the maximum per-
missible water depth to be exceeded.
These notes must be observed under all
circumstances. You could otherwise dam-
age the engine, the electronics or the trans-
mission.
If you have to drive on stretches of road on
which water has collected, please bear in
mind that:
R the maximum permissible still water depth
is 25 cm.
R you should drive no faster than at walking
pace. Winter driving
General notes G
WARNING
If the vehicle becomes trapped in snow,
ensure that snow is kept away from the
exhaust pipe and from around the vehicle as
long as the engine is running. Otherwise, poi-
sonous carbon monoxide (CO) may enter the
vehicle, resulting in loss of consciousness and
even death.
To assure sufficien tfresh air ventilation, open
a window slightly on the side of the vehicle
not facing the wind. 148
Driving tipsDriving and parking

The LIM indicator lamp on the cruise control
lever indicates which system you have selec-
ted:
R LIM indicator lamp off: cruise control is
selected.
R LIM indicator lamp on: variable SPEED-
TRONIC is selected. :
To activate or increase speed
; LIM indicator lamp
= To activate the curren tspeed/last stored
speed
? To activate or reduce speed
A To switch between cruise control and var-
iable SPEEDTRONIC
B To deactivate cruise control
When you activate cruise control, the stored
speed is shown in the multifunction display
for five seconds. The segments between the
stored speed and the maximum speed then
light up in the multifunction display.
Activation conditions To activate cruise control, all of the following
activation conditions must be fulfilled:
R
the electric parking brake must be
released.
R you must be driving faster than 30 km/h.
R ESP ®
must be switched on, but not inter-
vening.
R on vehicles with automatic transmission,
the selector lever must be in position D.R
on vehicles with manual transmission, a
gear must be engaged.
R cruise control must be selected.
X To select cruise control: check that LIM
indicator lamp ;is off.
If it is off, cruise control 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 goes out. Cruise control is selected.
Storing, maintaining and calling up a
speed Storing and maintaining the current
speed
You can store the curren
tspeed if you are
driving faster than 30 km/h.
X Accelerate the vehicle to the desired
speed.
X Briefly press the cruise control lever
up : or down ?.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
Cruise control is activated. The vehicle
automatically maintains the speed.
i Cruise control may be unable to maintain
the stored speed on uphill gradients. The
stored speed is resumed when the gradient
evens out. Cruise contro lmaintains the
stored speed on downhill gradients by
automatically applying the brakes.
i Vehicles with manual transmission:
R always drive at adequate, but no texces-
sive, engine speeds.
R change gear in good time.
R if possible, do not change down several
gears at a time. 150
Driving systemsDriving an
d parking

Storing the current speed or calling up the
last stored speed
G
WARNING
Only call up a stored speed if you know what
that speed is and if it is suitable for the current
traffic and driving situation. You can other-
wise endanger yourself or others by uninten-
tionally triggering sudden acceleration or
braking.
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 aspeed X
Press the cruise control lever up :for a
highe rspeed 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.
X To adjust the set speed in 1 km/h incre-
ments: briefly press the cruise control
lever up :or down ?to the pressure
point.
The last stored speed increases or decrea-
ses in 1 km/h increments.
X To adjust the set speed in 10 km/h
increments: briefly press the cruise con-
trol lever up :or down ?beyond the
pressure point.
The last stored speed increases or decrea-
ses in 10 km/h increments.
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. 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
indicator lamp ;in the cruise contro llever
lights up.
Cruise control is automatically deactivated if:
R you engage the electric parking brake.
R you are driving at less than 30 km/h.
R ESP ®
intervenes or if you deactivate ESP ®
.
R while driving a vehicle with manual trans-
mission, you shift into neutral or depress
the clutch pedal for longer than six sec-
onds.
R on vehicles with manual transmission, you
shift to a gear that is too high, and as a
result the engine speed is too low.
R on vehicles with automatic transmission,
you shift into position Nwhile driving.
If cruise control is deactivated, you will hear
a warning tone. You will see the Cruise control off message in the multifunction
display for approximately five seconds.
i The last speed stored is cleared when you
switch off the engine. SPEEDTRONIC
General notes SPEEDTRONIC brakes automatically so that
you do not exceed the set speed. You must
select a low gear in good time on long and
steep downhill gradients, especially if the
vehicle is laden or towing a trailer. For vehi-
cles with automatic transmission, you need Driving systems
151Driving and parking Z

to have selected manual drive program
M(Y
page 147) .By doing so, you will make
use of the braking effec tofthe engine. This
relieves the load on the brake system and
prevents the brakes from overheating and
wearing too quickly. If you need additional
braking, depress the brake pedal repeatedly
rather than continuously.
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. when driving with winter tyres
fitted (Y page 154)
i The speed indicated in the speedometer
may differ slightly from the limit speed
stored.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
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
WARNING
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
WARNING
SPEEDTRONIC is only an aid designed to
assist driving. You are responsible for the
vehicle's speed and for braking in good time.
Variable SPEEDTRONIC General notes
With the cruise control lever, you can operate
cruise control or DISTRONIC PLUS and vari-
able 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 PLUS is selected.
R LIM indicator lamp on: variable SPEED-
TRONIC 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 call up the
last stored speed
? To store the current speed or a lower
speed
A To switch between cruise control or DIS-
TRONIC PLUS and variable SPEEDTRONIC
B To deactivate variable SPEEDTRONIC
Selecting variable SPEEDTRONIC G
WARNING
If there is a change of drivers, advise the new
driver of the limit speed stored.
Only use variable SPEEDTRONIC if you will not
have to accelerate suddenly to a speed above
that stored as the limit speed. You could oth-
erwise cause an accident.
You can only exceed the limit speed stored if
you deactivate variable SPEEDTRONIC:
R using the cruise control lever
R by depressing the accelerator pedal
beyond the pressure point (kickdown) 152
Driving systemsDriving and parking

It is not possible to deactivate variable
SPEEDTRONIC by braking.
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.
X Make sure that the accelerator pedal is not
depressed beyond the pressure point.
Storing the current speed
You can use the cruise control lever to limit
the speed to any speed above 30 km/h while
the engine is running.
X Briefly press the cruise control lever
up : or down ?.
The current speed is stored. For five sec-
onds, the multifunction display shows the
stored speed, e.g. Limit 100 km/h .
The segments in the speedometer lightup
from the start of the scale up to the stored
speed.
Storing the current spee dorcalling up the
last stored speed G
WARNING
Only select a stored speed if you know what
that speed is and whether it is suitable for the
current driving and traffic situation. Other-
wise, sudden braking could endanger you or
others.
X Briefly pull the cruise control leve rtowards
you =.
X To adjust the set speed in 1 km/h incre-
ments: briefly press the cruise control
lever up :to the pressure point for a
higher speed, or down ?for a lower speed.
or
X Keep the cruise control lever pressed to the
pressure point until the desired speed is set. Press the cruise control lever up
:for
a higher speed or down ?for a lower
speed.
X To adjust the set speed in 10 km/h
increments: briefly press the cruise con-
trol lever up :past the pressure point for
a higher speed, or down ?for a lower
speed.
or
X Keep the cruise control lever pressed
beyond the pressure point until the desired
speed is set. Press the cruise control lever
up : for a higher speed or down ?for a
lower speed.
Deactivating variable SPEEDTRONIC G
WARNING
It is not possible to deactivate variable Speed-
tronic by braking.
There are several ways to deactivate variable
SPEEDTRONIC:
X Briefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards B.
or
X Briefly press the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow A.
LIM indicator lamp ;in the cruise control
lever goes out. Variable SPEEDTRONIC is
deactivated.
Cruise control or DISTRONIC PLUS is selec-
ted.
Variable SPEEDTRONIC is automatically
deactivated if:
R you depress the accelerator pedal beyond
the pressure point (kickdown), but only if
your current speed does not differ by more
than 20 km/h from the stored speed. You
will hear a warning tone if this is the case.
R on vehicles with manual transmission, if
you shift to a higher gear and as a result,
the engine speed is too low.
i The last speed stored is cleared when you
switch off the engine. Driving systems
153Driving and parking Z