
XMake sure that the automatic transmission
is set to position P.XApply the vehicle's parking brake.XStart the engine.XVehicles with the AIRMATIC package:
select highway level.XVehicles with the adaptive damping
system: set ADS to AUTO or COMF .XSwitch off the engine.XClose all doors and the tailgate.XCouple up the trailer.XEstablish all electrical connections.
i
Vehicles with the AIRMATIC package:
with a trailer attached, the vehicle will
always remain at highway level. When
coupling up a trailer, please observe the
following:
R if highway level has not been set
manually, the vehicle will automatically
sink to highway level as soon as it
reaches a speed of 5 mph (8 km/h).
R high-speed level is not available.
These restrictions apply to all accessories
powered through a connection to the trailer
power socket of your vehicle, e.g. a bicycle
carrier.
Towing a trailer
There are numerous legal requirements
concerning the towing of a trailer, e.g. speed
restrictions. Make sure that your vehicle/
trailer combination complies with the local
requirements not only in your area of
residence but also at any location to which
you are traveling. The police and local
authorities can provide reliable information.
Please observe the following when towing a
trailer:
R To acquaint yourself with driving with a
trailer and with the resulting changes to
handling, you should practice cornering,
stopping and reversing in a traffic-free
location.
R Before driving, check:
- the trailer coupling
- the safety switch for braked trailers
- the safety chains
- the electrical connections
- the lights
- the wheels
R Adjust the exterior mirrors to provide an
unobstructed view of the rear section of the
trailer.
R If the trailer features electronically
controlled brakes, pull away the vehicle/
trailer combination carefully, manually
brake using the brake controller, and check
the brakes for correct function.
R Secure any objects on the trailer to prevent
the cargo from slipping when the vehicle is
in motion.
R If you couple up a trailer, regularly check
the cargo for secure fastening and make
sure that the trailer lamps and (if
applicable) the trailer brakes are
functioning correctly.
R Bear in mind that the handling will be less
stable when towing a trailer than when
driving without one. Avoid sudden steering
movements.
R The vehicle/trailer combination is heavier,
accelerates more slowly, has a decreased
gradient climbing capability and a longer
braking distance.
It is more susceptible to side winds and
requires more careful steering.
R If possible, avoid abrupt braking. Depress
the brake pedal moderately at first, so that
the trailer can activate its own brakes. Then
increase the pressure on the brake pedal.
R If the automatic transmission continues to
shift back and forth between two gears
when driving up or downhill, restrict the
shift range. Select shift range 4, 3, 2, or 1.
A lower gear and lower speed reduce the
risk of engine failure.Towing a trailer199Driving and parkingBA 164.1 USA, CA Edition B 2011; 1; 2, en-USd2mskotVersion: 3.0.3.52010-04-21T17:25:06+02:00 - Seite 199Z

ROn long and steep gradients that are
difficult to drive down in shift range 1,
switch to the off-road drive program.
R When driving downhill, shift to a lower gear
to utilize the engine's braking effect.
Avoid continuous brake application as this
may overheat the vehicle brakes and, if
installed, the trailer brakes.
R If the coolant temperature increases
dramatically while the air-conditioning
system is switched on, switch off the air-
conditioning system.
Coolant heat can additionally be dissipated
by opening the windows and by setting the
blower fan and the interior temperature to
maximum.
R When overtaking, pay particular attention
to the extended length of your vehicle/
trailer combination.
Due to the length of your vehicle/trailer
combination, you will have to travel an
additional distance beyond the vehicle you
are overtaking before returning to the
previous lane.
Decoupling a trailer
GWarning!
Vehicles with air suspension program: While
you are coupling or decoupling a trailer, make
sure nobody locks or unlocks the vehicle and/
or opens or closes doors or the tailgate.
The vehicle’s level could change and you
could endanger yourself and/or others as a
result.
Make sure that you do not operate the ADS
switch or the vehicle level control system
when coupling/decoupling the trailer.
XMake sure that the automatic transmission
is set to position P.XApply the vehicle's parking brake.XStart the engine.XClose all doors and the tailgate.XApply the trailer's parking brake.GWarning!
Vehicles with air suspension program: As
soon as you disconnect the electrical
connection between the trailer and the
vehicle, the vehicle will lower. To help avoid
personal injury, make sure no one is near the
wheel housing or underneath the vehicle
before the electrical connection is
disconnected.
When you decouple the trailer, the vehicle is
temporarily raised because the springs are
relieved of load. Be especially careful during
this process, as you could otherwise injure
yourself and/or others. Make sure that any
persons remaining in the vehicle do not press
the switches for vehicle level control or the
ADS.
XDetach the trailer cable and decouple the
trailer.XDetach the trailer cable and decouple the
trailer.XSwitch off the engine.
Permissible trailer load and drawbar
noseweight
Weight specifications
The Gross Trailer Weight (GTW) is the
combined weight of the trailer together with
the cargo and equipment loaded on the
trailer. Permissible gross weight:
R Vehicles with 4MATIC: 7200 lb (3265 kg)
R Vehicles without 4MATIC: 4630 lb
(2100 kg)
The permissible Trailer drawbar Weight
Rating (TWR) is the maximum weight
permitted on the trailer drawbar:
R Vehicles with 4MATIC: 576 lb (261 kg) limit
for Mercedes-Benz-approved trailer
couplings
R Vehicles without 4MATIC: 370 lb (168 kg)
limit for Mercedes-Benz-approved trailer
couplings
200Towing a trailerDriving and parking
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Vehicle equipment
i This manual describes all the standard
and optional equipment of your vehicle
which was available at the time of
purchase. Country-specific differences are
possible. Bear in mind that your vehicle
may not feature all functions described
here. This also refers to safety-related
systems and functions.
Important safety guidelines
You will find an illustration of the instrument
cluster in the "At a glance" section
( Y page 28).
GWarning
A driver's attention to the road and traffic
conditions must always be his/her primary
focus when driving.
For your safety and the safety of others,
selecting features through the multifunction
steering wheel should only be done by the
driver when traffic and road conditions permit
it to be done safely.
Bear in mind that at a speed of just 30 mph
(approximately 50 km/h ), your vehicle is
covering a distance of 44 feet (approximately
14 m) every second.
GWarning!
No messages will be displayed if either the
instrument cluster or the multifunction
display is inoperative.
As a result, you will not be able to see
information about your driving conditions,
such as
R speed
R outside temperature
R warning/indicator lamps
R malfunction/warning messages
R failure of any systems
Driving characteristics may be impaired.
If you must continue to drive, do so with added
caution. Contact an authorized Mercedes-
Benz Center as soon as possible.GWarning!
HYBRID vehicles: It is imperative that you read
the HYBRID Supplemental Operating
Instructions included in your vehicle literature
portfolio. You may otherwise not receive all
necessary safety information and warning for
the operation of your vehicle.
GWarning
Malfunction and warning messages are only
indicated for certain systems and are
intentionally not very detailed. The
malfunction and warning messages are
simply a reminder with respect to the
operation of certain systems. They do not
replace the owner's and/or driver's
responsibility to maintain the vehicle's
operating safety. Have all required
maintenance and safety checks performed on
the vehicle. Bring the vehicle to an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center to address the
malfunction and warning messages.
Displays and operation
Tachometer
The red band in the tachometer indicates the
engine's overrevving range.
! Do not drive in the overrevving range, as
this could damage the engine.
The fuel supply is interrupted to protect the
engine when the red band is reached.
Outside temperature display
The outside temperature display is in the
multifunction display.
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:RACETIMER overall evaluation;Total time driven=Top speed?Distance coveredAAverage speed
Lap evaluation
This function is only available if you have
stored at least two laps and have stopped the
RACETIMER.
XPress V or U on the steering wheel
to select the AMG menu.XPress the & button repeatedly until the
lap evaluation is shown.
Each lap is shown in a separate submenu.
The fastest lap is indicated by flashing
symbol :.:Lap;Lap time=Top speed during lap?Lap lengthAAverage lap speedXPress the & or * button to select a
different lap evaluation.Off-road mode menu in AMG vehicles
In the Off-road Mode menu you can switch
the off-road drive program (Y page 193) on or
off.XPress the V or U button on the
steering wheel to select the Off-road
Mode menu.XPress the W or X button to switch
Off-road Mode on or off.
i
The setting will remain stored after you
switch off the engine.
If the off-road drive program is switched on,
you will see off-road display : in the
multifunction display.
:Off-road display
Audio menu
Selecting a radio station
i SIRIUS XM satellite radio acts like a
normal radio.
For more information on satellite radio
operation, see the separate operating
instructions.
You can only change the waveband and store
new stations using COMAND APS.
XSwitch on COMAND APS and select Radio
(see the separate operating instructions).XPress V or U on the steering wheel
to select the Audio menu.Menus and submenus211On-board computer and displaysBA 164.1 USA, CA Edition B 2011; 1; 2, en-USd2mskotVersion: 3.0.3.52010-04-21T17:25:06+02:00 - Seite 211Z

XPress the . reset button again.
The settings of most functions are restored
to the factory settings.
or
XIf you want to retain the settings, do not
press the . reset button a second time.
After approximately five seconds, the
Settings menu appears again.XPress V or U to select a different
menu.
Instrument cluster
Selecting the unit of measurement for
distance
This function is only available in Canada.
The Display Unit Speedometer/
Odometer function allows you to choose
whether certain displays appear in km/h or
mph.
The selected unit of measurement for
distance applies to:
R the analog speedometer
R the odometer and the trip odometer
R the trip computer
R the navigation instruction in the
Navigation menu
R DISTRONIC
XPress V or U on the steering wheel
to select the Settings menu.XPress & to call up the selection of
submenus.XPress W or X to select the
Instrument Cluster submenu.XPress & to select Display Unit
Speedometer/Odometer .XPress the W or X button to select
Km or Miles as the unit of measurement for
distance.XPress the &, V or U button to
select a different display.Selecting the unit of distance for the
digital speedometerXPress V or U on the steering wheel
to select the Settings menu.XPress & to call up the selection of
submenus.XPress the W or X button to select the
Instrument Cluster submenu.XPress the & button to display Display
Unit Digital speedometer .XPress the W or X button to select
Km or Miles as the unit of measurement for
distance.XPress the &, V or U button to
select a different display.
Selecting the language
The Language function allows you to select
the language for the instrument cluster.
XPress V or U on the steering wheel
to select the Settings menu.XPress & to call up the selection of
submenus.XPress W or X to select the
Instrument Cluster submenu.XPress the & button to select Language.XPress the W or X button to select the
desired language.XPress the &, V or U button to
select a different display.
Selecting the status line display
XPress V or U on the steering wheel
to select the Settings menu.XPress & to call up the selection of
submenus.XPress W or X to select the
Instrument Cluster submenu.XPress & to select Status Line
Display .214Menus and submenusOn-board computer and displays
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Additional functions menu
Switching the distance warning
function on/off
This function is only available with
DISTRONIC.
XPress V or U on the steering wheel
to select the Additional functions menu.XPress the & or * button to select the
Distance Warning function.XPress the W or X button to activate
or deactivate the Distance Warning
system.
When the distance warning function
( Y page 69) is activated, the Ä symbol
is shown in the lower multifunction display.XPress the &, V or U button to
select a different display.
Activating/deactivating Blind Spot
Assist
Further information about Blind Spot Assist
( Y page 189).
XPress V or U on the steering wheel
to select the Additional functions menu.XPress the & or * button to select the
Blind Spot Assist function.XPress W or X to switch the Blind
Spot Assist function on or off.XPress the &, V or U button to
select a different display.
Setting DSR
The DSR Speed function allows you to set the
threshold speed (vehicle speed for driving
downhill) of the DSR ( Y page 192) to a value
between 3 mph (Canada: 4 km/h) and
10 mph (Canada: 18 km/h). The adjustment
is carried out in increments of 1 mph (Canada:
2 km/h).
XPress V or U on the steering wheel
to select the Additional functions menu.XPress the & or * button to select the
DSR Speed function.XPress the W or X button to set the
desired threshold speed.XPress the &, V or U button to
select a different display.
Trip computer menu
Trip computer "From start" or "From
reset"
The values in the From Start submenu refer
to the start of your journey, while those in the
From Reset submenu refer to the last time
you reset this submenu.
XPress V or U on the steering wheel
to select the trip computer menu.XPress & or * to select From Start
or From Reset .
Trip computer "After start" (example)
:Distance;Time=Average speed?Average fuel consumption
The From Start trip computer is reset
automatically when
R the ignition has been switched off for more
than 4 hours.
R 999 hours have been exceeded.
R 9999 miles have been exceeded.
The From Reset trip computer is
automatically reset if the trip exceeds
9999 hours or 99,999 miles.
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You can select Km or Miles as the unit of
measurement for distance ( Y page 214).
Resetting valuesXPress V or U on the steering wheel
to select the trip computer menu. XPress & or * to select the function
that you wish to reset.XPress and hold the . reset button on the
instrument cluster until the values have
reverted to "0".
Calling up the range
XPress V or U on the steering wheel
to select the trip computer menu.XPress & or * to select Range:.
The multifunction display shows the
estimated range of the vehicle, based on
the current driving style and the fuel level.
If there is only a small amount of fuel
remaining in the fuel tank, a vehicle
refueling C appears instead of the
range.
Displaying the current fuel
consumption
XPress V or U on the steering wheel
to select the trip computer menu.XPress & or * to select
Consumption .
The current fuel consumption is
displayed 37
.Telephone menu
Introduction
You can establish a Bluetooth ®
wireless
connection to COMAND APS (see the
separate operating instructions).
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.
Some jurisdictions prohibit the driver from
using a mobile phone while driving a vehicle.
Bear in mind that at a speed of just 30 mph
(approximately 50 km/h ), your vehicle is
covering a distance of 44 feet (approximately
14 m) every second.
XSwitch on the mobile phone and COMAND
APS (see the separate operating
instructions).XPress V or U on the steering wheel
to select the Telephone menu.
You will see one of the following display
messages in the multifunction display:
R Ready or the name of the network provider:
the mobile phone has found a network and
is ready to receive.
R No Service : No network is available.
Accepting a call
If someone calls you when you are in the
Telephone menu, a display message appears
in the multifunction display, for example:
37 Not in AMG vehicles.220Menus and submenusOn-board computer and displays
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Safety systemsDisplay messagesPossible causes/consequences and M SolutionsESP
Unavailable See
Operator's ManualGRisk of accident
ESP ®
(Electronic Stability Program) and therefore also PRE-
SAFE ®
are temporarily unavailable. The self-diagnosis function
might not be complete, for example. BAS (Brake Assist System)
has also been deactivated.
The brake system continues to function normally, but without the
functions listed above.
XCarefully drive a short distance making slight steering
movements at a speed above 12 mph (20 km/h)
If the display message disappears, the functions mentioned
above are available again.
If the display message continues to be displayed:
XDrive on carefully.XVisit a qualified specialist workshop.ESP ®
and therefore also BAS and PRE-SAFE ®
are not available due
to undervoltage.
The brake system continues to function normally, but without the
functions listed above.XDrive on carefully.XVisit a qualified specialist workshop immediately.If the display message is shown during the journey and the ä
warning lamp is flashing, then 4ETS (Electronic Traction System)
is deactivated. The brakes on the drive wheels could otherwise
overheat.XLet the brakes cool down until the display message disappears
and the ä warning lamp goes out.
4ETS is activated again.ESP
Inoperative See
Operator's ManualGRisk of accident
ESP ®
and therefore also Brake Assist and PRE-SAFE ®
are not
available due to a malfunction. The d warning lamp also lights
up in the instrument cluster.
The brake system continues to function normally, but without the
functions listed above.
XDrive on carefully.XVisit a qualified specialist workshop immediately.Display messages223On-board computer and displaysBA 164.1 USA, CA Edition B 2011; 1; 2, en-USd2mskotVersion: 3.0.3.52010-04-21T17:25:06+02:00 - Seite 223Z