
GWARNING
Driving when your engine is overheated can cause some fluids which may have leaked into the
engine compartment to catch fire. You could be seriously burned.
Steam from an overheated engine can cause serious burns which can occur just by opening the
engine hood. Stay away from the engine if you see or hear steam coming from it.
Stop the vehicle in a safe location away from other traffic. Turn off the engine, get out of the
vehicle and do not stand near the vehicle until the engine has cooled down.
! If the coolant temperature exceeds 248 ‡(120 †) do not continue driving. The engine will
otherwise be damaged.
Driving systems
ProblemPossible causes/consequences and M Solutions·
The red distance
warning lamp lights up
while the vehicle is in
motion. A warning tone
also sounds.GRisk of accident
The warning is issued if you approach a stationary vehicle or a
vehicle driving ahead of you at too high a speed.
XBe prepared to brake immediately.XPay careful attention to the traffic situation. You may have to
brake or take evasive action.
More information about DISTRONIC PLUS ( Y page 157) and
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake ( Y page 67).
Warning and indicator lamps in the instrument cluster251On-board computer and displaysZ

XTo open: pull handle : upwards.
The armrest folds out.
Stowage compartment under the front
seats
XTo open: pull handle : up and fold
cover ; forwards.
Stowage compartments in the rear
Stowage compartment in the rear seat
armrest
! Do not sit or lean your bodyweight on the
armrests when they are folded out as you
could damage them.
! Close the cover of the stowage
compartment before folding the rear seat
armrest back into the seat backrest.
XTo open: fold down seat armrest ;.XFold cover : of the armrest upwards.
Stowage pockets
GWARNING
Storage bags are intended for storing light-
weight items only.
Heavy objects, objects with sharp edges or
fragile objects may not be transported in the
storage bag. In an accident, during hard
braking, or sudden maneuvers, they could be
thrown around inside the vehicle and cause
injury to vehicle occupants.
Storage bags cannot protect transported
goods in the event of an accident.
Storage bags are located in the rear
compartment on the driver's and front-
passenger seat backrests.
Parcel nets
GWARNING
Parcel nets are intended for storing light-
weight items only, such as road maps, mail,
etc.
Heavy objects, objects with sharp edges, or
fragile objects may not be transported in the
parcel nets. In an accident, during hard
braking, or sudden maneuvers, they could be
thrown around inside the vehicle and cause
injury to vehicle occupants.
Parcel nets cannot protect transported goods
in the event of an accident.
258Stowage areasStowing and features

Parcel nets are located in the front-passenger
footwell and on the left and right-hand sides
of the trunk.
Rear bench seat through-loading
feature
Important safety notes
GWARNING
When expanding the cargo volume, always
fold the seat backrests fully forward.
Unless you are transporting cargo, the seat
backrests must remain properly locked in the
upright position.
In an accident, during hard braking or sudden
maneuvers, loose items will be thrown around
inside the vehicle. This can cause injury to
vehicle occupants unless the items are
securely fastened in the vehicle.
Always use the cargo tie-down rings.
The left-hand and right-hand rear seat
backrests can be folded down separately to
increase the trunk capacity.
Folding the seat backrest forward
i Vehicles with memory function: when you
fold one or both parts of the rear seat
backrest forwards, the respective front
seat moves forward slightly, when
necessary, in order to avoid contact.
XVehicles without memory function: if
necessary, move the driver's or front-
passenger seat forwards.XOpen the trunk.XPull right-hand or left-hand rear seat
backrest release handle :.
The corresponding rear seat backrest is
released.XFold rear seat backrest ; forwards.XMove the driver's or front-passenger seat
back if necessary.
Folding the seat backrest back
XMove the driver's or front-passenger seat
forward if necessary.
! Make sure that the seat belt does not
become trapped when folding the rear seat
backrest back. Otherwise, it could be
damaged.
XFold rear seat backrest : back until it
engages.Stowage areas259Stowing and featuresZ

GWARNING
Always lock the seat backrest in its upright
position when the rear seat bench is
occupied, or the extended cargo volume is not
in use.
Check for secure locking by pushing and
pulling on the seat backrest.
In an accident, during hard braking or sudden
maneuvers, loose items will be thrown around
inside the vehicle. This can cause injury to
vehicle occupants unless the items are
securely fastened in the vehicle.
To help avoid personal injury during a collision
or sudden maneuver, exercise care when
transporting cargo.
i You should always engage the rear seat
backrests if you do not need the through-
loading feature. This will prevent
unauthorized access to the trunk from the
vehicle interior.
XMove the driver's or front-passenger seat
back if necessary.
Securing loads
Cargo tie-down rings
Observe the following notes on securing
loads:
R secure the load using the cargo tie down
rings.
R do not use elastic straps or nets to secure
a load, as these are only intended as an
anti-slip protection for light loads.
R do not route tie downs across sharp edges
or corners.
R pad sharp edges for protection.
There are six cargo tie down rings in the trunk.
:Cargo tie down rings
Bag hooks
! The bag hook can bear a maximum load
of 6.6 lbs (3 kg). Do not use it to secure a
load.
XPull bag hook ; down by tab :.
Stowage well under the trunk floor
The TIREFIT kit, the vehicle tool kit, etc. are
located in the stowage compartment.
XTo open: pull handle : upwards.260Stowage areasStowing and features

XFold down the rear seat armrest.XTo open: raise the rear seat armrest cover.XPress release catch :.
Cup holder ; folds out forwards.XSwing the rear seat armrest cover back
down, if necessary.XTo close: raise the rear seat armrest cover.
Swing cup holder ; back until it engages.
Bottle holder
GWARNING
Do not transport heavy, sharp-edged, or
fragile bottles in the bottle holder.
In the event of an accident, the bottle holder
cannot secure a bottle sufficiently. You and/
or vehicle occupants could be injured.
! Make sure that any bottles weighing more
than 0.5 kg that are stored in the bottle
holder rest on the vehicle floor. The bottle
holder could otherwise be damaged.
The bottle holder is suitable for bottles sized
between 25 fl. oz. (0.7 l) and 54 fl. oz. (1.5 l).
The bottle holder does not secure the bottles;
it merely prevents them from tipping over.
XPress the outer edge of button : and slide
in the direction of the arrow until the bottle
fits into the opening.XInsert the bottle into the bottle holder.Sun visors
Overview of sun visorsGWARNING
Do not use the vanity mirror while driving.
Keep the vanity mirrors in the sun visors
closed while the vehicle is in motion.
Reflected glare can endanger you and others.
:Mirror light;Bracket=Retaining clip, e.g. for a car park ticket?Vanity mirrorAMirror cover
Vanity mirror in the sun visor
Mirror light : only functions if the sun visor
is clipped into retainer ; and mirror cover
A has been folded up.
Glare from the side
Features263Stowing and featuresZ

XFold down sun visor :.XPull sun visor : out of retainer ;.XSwing sun visor : to the side.XSlide sun visor : forwards and back as
required.
Rear window roller sunblind
GWARNING
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the ignition lock. 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
ignition lock 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 on these
parts.
GWARNING
When adjusting a roller sunblind, the roller
blind moves up or down. You might become
trapped in the process.
In the event of danger, briefly press the button
for the roller sunblind to change the roller
blind's direction of movement.
! Make sure that the roller sunblind can
move freely. Otherwise, the roller sunblind
or other objects could be damaged.XTurn the SmartKey to position 2 in the
ignition lock.XTo extend or retract: briefly press
button :.
The roller sunblind fully extends or fully
retracts.
Ashtray
Ashtray in the front-compartment
center console
i You can remove the ashtray insert and
use the resulting compartment for
stowage.
! The stowage space under the ashtray is
not heat resistant. Before placing lit
cigarettes in the ashtray, make sure that
the ashtray is properly engaged. Otherwise,
the stowage space could be damaged.
All vehicles (except AMG)
264FeaturesStowing and features

XTo open: slide cover : forwards until it
engages.XTo remove insert: hold insert = by the
ribbing at the sides and lift it up ; and out.XTo re-install the insert: press insert =
into the holder until it engages.XTo close: press cover : briefly at the
front.
The cover moves back.
AMG vehicles
XTo open: press on trim :.
The stowage compartment opens.
You can now see the ashtray.
Ashtray in the rear-compartment center
console
XTo open: slide cover ; forwards until it
engages.XTo remove the insert: pull insert : up
and out.XTo install the insert: install insert : from
above into the holder and press down into
the holder until it engages.
Cigarette lighter
GWARNING
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the ignition lock. 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
ignition lock 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 on these
parts.
GWARNING
Never touch the heating element or sides of
the lighter; they are extremely hot. Hold the
knob only.
Features265Stowing and featuresZ

Make sure any children traveling with you do
not injure themselves or start a fire with the
hot cigarette lighter.
All vehicles (except AMG)
XTurn the SmartKey to position 2 in the
ignition lock.XTo open: slide cover : forwards until it
engages.XPress in cigarette lighter ;.
Cigarette lighter ; will pop out
automatically when the heating element is
red-hot.
AMG vehicles
XTo open: press on trim :.
The stowage compartment opens.
You can now see the cigarette lighter.XPress in cigarette lighter.
The cigarette lighter will pop out
automatically when the heating element is
red-hot.12 V sockets
Points to observe before use
! If you are using all sockets in the vehicle,
make sure that you do not exceed the
maximum current draw of 55 A. Otherwise,
you will overload the fuses.
The sockets can be used for accessories, e.g.
lamps or mobile phone chargers with a
maximum current draw of 180 W (15 A).
If you use the sockets for long periods when
the engine is switched off, the battery may
discharge.
XTurn the SmartKey to position 1 in the
ignition lock.
i An emergency cut-out ensures that the
on-board voltage does not drop too low. If
the on-board voltage is too low, the power
to the sockets is automatically cut. This
ensures that there is sufficient power to
start the engine.
Socket under the armrest
XOpen the stowage space under the armrest
( Y page 257).XLift up the cover of socket :.
On vehicles without ashtrays or lighters, there
is an additional socket in the center console.
266FeaturesStowing and features