Driving tips
General driving tips
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Always remember that you must concentrate
primarily on driving the vehicle. The driver's
concentration must always be directed
primarily at road traffic. For your own safety
and that of others, we recommend that you
stop the vehicle at a safe place and in
accordance with the traffic conditions before
making or accepting a phone call.
Comply with all legal requirements if you use
the telephone while driving. Use the hands-
free system and only use the telephone when
road, weather and traffic conditions permit. In
some jurisdictions, it is forbidden for drivers
to use mobile phones while driving.
Only operate COMAND (Cockpit Management
and Data System) in compliance with all legal
requirements and when the road, weather and
traffic conditions permit. You may otherwise
not be able to observe the traffic conditions,
endangering yourself and others.
Remember that your vehicle covers a distance
of 44 feet (approximately 14 m) a second
when it is traveling at only 30 mph
(approximately 50 km/h).
Drive sensibly – save fuel
Observe the following tips to save fuel:
XThe tires should always be inflated to the
recommended tire pressure.XRemove unnecessary loads.XRemove roof carriers when they are not
needed.XWarm up the engine at low engine speeds.XAvoid frequent acceleration or braking.XHave all maintenance work carried out as
indicated by the service intervals in the
Service Booklet or by the service interval
display.Fuel consumption also increases when
driving in cold weather, in stop-and-go traffic
and in mountainous terrain.
Drinking and drivingGWARNING
Drinking and driving and/or taking drugs and
driving are very dangerous combinations.
Even a small amount of alcohol or drugs can
affect your reflexes, perceptions and
judgment.
The possibility of a serious or even fatal
accident are greatly increased when you drink
or take drugs and drive.
Do not drink or take drugs and drive or allow
anyone to drive who has been drinking or
taking drugs.
Pedals
GWARNING
Make sure absolutely no objects are
obstructing the pedals' range of movement.
Keep the driver's footwell clear of all
obstacles. If there are any floormats or
carpets in the footwell, make sure that the
pedals still have sufficient clearance.
During sudden driving or braking maneuvers,
the objects could get caught between the
pedals. You could then no longer brake or
accelerate. This could lead to accidents and
injury.
Rolling with the engine switched off
GWARNING
There is no power assistance for the steering
and the brake when the engine is not running.
Steering and braking requires significantly
more effort and you could lose control of the
vehicle and cause an accident as a result.
Do not turn off the engine while the vehicle is
in motion.
Driving tips165Driving and parkingZ
surface is free of ice. The road may still be icy,
especially in wooded areas or on bridges.
Changes in the outside temperature are
displayed after a short delay.
Speedometer with segments
The segments in the speedometer indicate
which speed range is available.
DISTRONIC ( Y page 173) activated:
One or two segments in the set speed range
light up.
DISTRONIC detects a vehicle in front:
The segments between the speed of the
vehicle in front and the stored speed light up.
Operating the on-board computer
The on-board computer is activated as soon
as you turn the SmartKey to position 1 in the
ignition lock.
You can control the multifunction display and
the settings in the on-board computer using
the buttons on the multifunction steering
wheel.
:Multifunction display;~
Rejects or ends a call
Exits phone book/redial memory
6
Makes or accepts a call
Switches to the redial memory
WX
Selects submenus in the Settings
menu
Changes values
Adjusts the volume
?
Switches on the Voice Control
System; see the separate operating
instructions=VU
Selects a menu: scrolls back and
forth
A
Switches off the Voice Control
System; see the separate operating
instructions&*
Press briefly:
Scrolls back and forth within a menu
In the Audio menu: selects a stored
station, an audio track or a video
scene
In the Telephone menu: switches to
the phone book and selects a name
or a telephone number&*
Press and hold:
In the Audio menu: selects the
previous/next station or selects an
audio track using rapid scrolling
In the Telephone menu: starts rapid
scrolling through the phone bookDisplays and operation199On-board computer and displaysZ
FunctionETrip computer menu (Y page 210)FTelephone menu (Y page 211)Standard display menu
Standard displayXPress the V or U button on the
steering wheel to select the standard
display.
Standard display
:Trip odometer;Odometer
You can select the following functions in the
Standard display menu using the & or
* button:
R tire pressure loss warning system
( Y page 329) (Canada only)
R tire pressure monitor ( Y page 331) (USA
only)
R coolant temperature ( Y page 202)
R digital speedometer or outside
temperature ( Y page 202)
R ASSYST PLUS service interval display
( Y page 287)
XTo reset the trip odometer: press and
hold the . reset button in the instrument
cluster until the trip odometer is reset.
Displaying the coolant temperature
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.XPress the V or U button on the
steering wheel to select the standard
display.XPress the & or * button to select the
coolant temperature.
Under normal driving conditions, with the
correct anti-corrosion and antifreeze additive
concentration, the reading may rise to
248 ‡(120 †).
! If the coolant temperature exceeds
248 ‡(120 †) do not continue driving. The
engine will otherwise be damaged.
Displaying the digital speedometer or
outside temperature
If you have selected the digital speedometer
for the status bar ( Y page 206), the outside
temperature is displayed here.
202Menus and submenusOn-board computer and displays
When 9,999 hours or 99,999 miles have been
exceeded, the trip computer is automatically
reset From Reset .
Resetting valuesXPress the V or U button on the
steering wheel to select the trip
computer menu.XPress the & or * button 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 left in
the fuel tank, the display shows a vehicle
being refueled C 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.Telephone menu
Introduction
You can establish a Bluetooth ®
connection to
COMAND (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
(see the separate operating instructions).XPress the V or U button 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, or the
mobile phone is searching for a network.
Accepting a call
If someone calls you when you are in the
Telephone menu, a display message appears
in the multifunction display, for example:
Menus and submenus211On-board computer and displaysZ
XPress the 6 button on the steering
wheel to accept an incoming call.
If you are not in the Telephone menu, you can
still accept a call.
Rejecting or ending a call
XPress the ~ button on the steering
wheel.
If you are not in the Telephone menu, you can
still accept a call.
Dialing a number from the phone book
You can enter new telephone numbers into
the phone book via the mobile phone (see the
separate operating instructions). If your
mobile phone is operational, you can select
and dial a number from the phone book at any
time.
XPress the V or U button on the
steering wheel to select the Telephone
menu.XPress the & or * button to select the
desired name.
To start scrolling rapidly, press and hold the
& or * button for longer than one
second.XPress 6 to start dialing.
or
XIf you do not want to make a call, press the
~ button.
Redialing
The on-board computer saves the last names
or numbers dialed in the redial memory.
XPress the V or U button on the
steering wheel to select the Telephone
menu.XPress the 6 button to switch to the
redial memory.XPress the & or * button to select the
desired name or number.XPress the 6 button to start dialing.
or
XIf you do not want to make a call: press
the ~ or % button.212Menus and submenusOn-board computer and displays
Display messagesPossible causes/consequences and M SolutionsDrive to workshop
without shifting
gears.You cannot change the transmission position due to a malfunction.
If transmission position D is selected:XDrive to a qualified specialist workshop without shifting the
transmission from position D.
If transmission position R, N or P is selected:
XNotify a qualified specialist workshop or breakdown service.Only shift to P
when vehicle is at
a standstill.The vehicle is moving.XPull over and stop the vehicle safely as soon as possible, paying
attention to road and traffic conditions.XShift the transmission to position P.EGRisk of accident
The hood or the tailgate is open.
XPull over and stop the vehicle safely as soon as possible, paying
attention to road and traffic conditions.XEngage the parking brake.XClose the hood or tailgate.You have attempted to lock the vehicle with KEYLESS-GO while
the tailgate or door is open.XClose all the doors and/or the tailgate.;At least one door is open.XClose all the doors.D
Power Steering
Malfunction See
Operator's ManualGRisk of accident
The power steering assistance is defective.
You will need to use more force to steer.
XCheck whether you are able to apply the extra force required.XIf you are able to steer safely: carefully drive on to a qualified
specialist workshop.XIf you are unable to steer safely: do not drive on. Contact the
nearest qualified specialist workshop.No ServiceYour vehicle is outside the network provider's transmitter/
receiver range.XWait until the mobile phone operational readiness symbol
appears in the multifunction display.Display messages235On-board computer and displaysZ
Display messagesPossible causes/consequences and M Solutions~
Bluetooth readyThe Bluetooth ®
connection between your mobile phone and
COMAND is not activated.XIf desired, activate the Bluetooth ®
connection between your
mobile phone and COMAND (see the separate Operator's
Manual).¥
Top Up Washer FluidThe washer fluid level has dropped to approximately ⅓ of the total
reservoir capacity.XAdd washer fluid ( Y page 285).
SmartKey
Display messagesPossible causes/consequences and M Solutions+
Key Does Not
Belong to VehicleYou have put the wrong SmartKey in the ignition lock.XUse the correct SmartKey.+
Remove KeyThe SmartKey is in the ignition lock.XRemove the SmartKey.+
You need a new key.The SmartKey needs to be replaced.XVisit a qualified specialist workshop.+
Change Key
BatteriesThe batteries of the KEYLESS-GO key are discharged.XChange the batteries ( Y page 76).+
Don't Forget Your
KeyThe display message is shown for a maximum of 60 seconds and
is only a reminder.
You have opened the driver's door with the engine switched off.
The KEYLESS-GO key is not in the ignition lock.XRemember to take the KEYLESS-GO key with you when you
leave the vehicle.236Display messagesOn-board computer and displays
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.
Make sure any children traveling with you do
not injure themselves or start a fire with the
hot cigarette lighter.
! The 12 V socket in the cigarette lighter
can be used for accessories (up to a
maximum of 85 W) as long as they have the
standard socket type for cigarette lighters.
Note that the socket in the cigarette lighter
can be damaged when connecting
accessories, for example by frequent
insertion and removal or by sockets that do
not fit correctly. A damaged socket can
cause the cigarette lighter to stop working.
! The cigarette lighter in the center console
in the front compartment is not intended
for operating the tire inflation compressor.
XTurn the SmartKey to position 2 in the
ignition lock.XTo open: open cover : (Y page 249).XPress in cigarette lighter ;.
Cigarette lighter ; will pop out
automatically when the heating element is
red-hot.
12 V sockets
Points to observe before use
! The socket in the center console and the
socket in the cargo compartment are not
intended for operating the tire inflation
compressor.
The sockets can be used for accessories, e.
g. lamps or mobile phone chargers with a
maximum current draw of 240 W (20 A).
If you use the sockets for long periods when
the engine is switched off, the battery may
discharge.
XTurn the SmartKey to position 2 in the
ignition lock.
i You can also use the power sockets when
the SmartKey is in position 1 in the ignition
lock.
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.
Features267Stowing and featuresZ