Transporting children safelyVehicle equipmentAll standard, country-specific and optional
equipment that is offered in the model series is
described in this chapter. Therefore, equip‐
ment is also described that is not available in a
vehicle, e. g., because of the selected optional
equipment or country variant. This also applies
for safety-related functions and systems.
The right place for children Note Children in the vehicle
Do not leave children unattended in the
vehicle; otherwise, they could endanger them‐
selves and other persons, e.g., by opening the
doors.◀
Children should always be in the rear
Accident research shows that the safest place
for children is in the back seat.
Transporting children in the rear
Only transport children younger than
13 years of age or shorter than 5 ft/150 cm in
the rear in child restraint fixing systems pro‐
vided in accordance with the age, weight and
size of the child; otherwise, there is an in‐
creased risk of injury in an accident.
Children 13 years of age or older must wear a
safety belt as soon as a suitable child restraint
fixing system can no longer be used, due to
their age, weight and size.◀
Children on the front passenger seat
Should it ever be necessary to use a child re‐
straint fixing system in the front passenger
seat, make sure that the front, knee and side
airbags on the front passenger side are deacti‐vated. Automatic deactivation of front passen‐
ger side airbags, refer to page 103.
Note Deactivated front passenger airbags
If a child restraint fixing system is used in
the front passenger seat, the front passenger
airbags must be deactivated; otherwise, there
is an increased risk of injury to the child when
the airbags are triggered, even with a child re‐
straint fixing system.◀
Installing child restraint
fixing systems
Before mounting
If the rear seat backrests are adjustable or can
be folded down:
Lock the rear seat backrests in position
Before mounting child restraint fixing
systems, place the seat backrest as far as pos‐
sible at an angle at which the child seat is rest‐
ing firmly against the backrest and all back‐
rests can be locked securely in place.
Otherwise, the child seat will not be as stable
as it should be, and there is increased danger
of injury due to unexpected movement of the
seat backrest.◀
Hints Manufacturer's information for child re‐
straint fixing systems
To select, mount and use child restraint fixing
systems, observe the information provided by
the system manufacturer; otherwise, the pro‐
tective effect can be impaired.◀Seite 59Transporting children safelyControls59
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Sport program and manual mode
Activating the sport program
Push the selector lever to the left out of trans‐
mission position D.
The engaged gear is displayed in the instru‐
ment cluster, e.g., S1.
The sport program of the transmission is acti‐
vated.
Activating the M/S manual mode
1.Push the selector lever to the left out of
transmission position D.2.Push the selector lever forward or pull it
backward.
Manual mode becomes active and the gear is
changed.
The engaged gear is displayed in the instru‐
ment cluster, e.g., M1.
Once maximum engine speed is attained, M/S
manual mode is automatically upshifted as
needed.
Switching to manual mode
▷To shift down: press the selector lever for‐
ward.▷To shift up: pull the selector lever rear‐
wards.
Gears will only be shifted at appropriate engine
and road speeds, e.g., downshifting is not pos‐
sible if the engine speed is too high.
The selected gear is briefly displayed in the in‐
strument cluster, followed by the current gear.
Not M550d xDrive: Sport automatic
transmission: prevent automatic
upshifting in M/S manual mode
For vehicles with Sport automatic transmis‐
sions, automatic shift operations are not per‐
formed, at maximum engine speed for exam‐
ple, if one of the following conditions is met:▷DSC deactivated.▷TRACTION activated.▷SPORT+ activated.
In addition, the kickdown is deactivated.
M550d xDrive: prevent automatic
upshifting in M/S manual mode
Once maximum engine speed is attained, up‐
shifting is not automatically performed in M/S
manual mode.
In addition, the kickdown is deactivated.
The lowest possible gear is selected by simul‐
taneously operating the kickdown and the left
shift paddle.
However, this effect is not produced via the
shift paddles when switching briefly from
transmission position D to manual mode.
Ending the sport program/manual
mode
Push the selector lever to the right.
D is displayed in the instrument cluster.
Shift paddles
The shift paddles on the steering wheel allow
you to shift gears quickly while keeping both
hands on the steering wheel.
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If the shift paddles on the steering wheel are
used to shift gears in automatic mode, the
transmission temporarily switches to manual
mode.
If the shift paddles are not used and the vehicle
is not accelerated for a certain time, the sys‐
tem switches back into automatic mode if the
selector lever is in transmission position D.▷Shift up: pull right shift paddle.▷Shift down: pull left shift paddle.
Gears will only be shifted at appropriate engine
and road speeds, e.g., downshifting is not pos‐
sible if the engine speed is too high.
The selected gear is briefly displayed in the in‐
strument cluster, followed by the current gear.
Shift lights in the instrument display
The concept Shift lights display the optimum shift point for
sport displays in the multifunction instrument
display. Thus, with a sporty driving style, the
best possible vehicle acceleration is achieved.
Display in the instrument display
▷Current engine speed is displayed in the
tachometer.▷Arrow 1: successive yellow illuminated
fields indicate the upcoming upshift mo‐
ment.▷Arrow 2: fields are illuminated in red. Do
not wait any further to shift.
When the maximum possible speed is
reached, the entire display flashes. When the
maximum speed is exceeded, the supply of
fuel is interrupted in order to protect the en‐
gine. Speeds in this range must be avoided.
Displays in the instrument cluster The transmission position is dis‐
played, e.g.: P.
Sport automatic transmission: launch
Control
The concept
Launch Control enables optimum acceleration
on surfaces with good traction.
Hints Component wear
Do not use Launch Control too often;
otherwise, this may result in premature wear of
components due to the high stress placed on
the vehicle.◀
Did not use Launch Control during the break-
in, refer to page 184, period.
To increase vehicle stability, activate DSC
again as soon as possible.
Requirements
Launch Control is available when the engine is
warmed up, that is, after uninterrupted driving
of at least 6 miles/10 km.
To start with Launch Control do not steer the
steering wheel.
Start with launch controlWhile the engine is running:1. Press button or select with the
Driving Dynamics Control Sport+.
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At a glance1Fuel gauge 862Indicator/warning lamps 843Speedometer4Variable displays5Tachometer 86Selection lists 91
ECO PRO displays 1926Oil temperature 867Computer 928Reset miles 87
Switching the change of display on and off
You can set whether the instrument display
automatically changes to the ECO PRO or
SPORT in the display when you switch driving
modes.1."Settings"2."Info display"3."ECO PRO Info"
or"Driving mode view"With Professional Navigation System:
switching zoom function on/off
Switching
You can program whether the current speed is
to appear enlarged in the speedometer.1."Settings"2."Info display"3."Magnifier function"Seite 82ControlsDisplays82
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Sport displays1Speedometer2Tachometer3Transmission display 764Shift lights, when appropriately equipped5Performance display6Variable displaysIn the Sport and Sport+ modes, the instrument
display switches to the sport displays. This
display supports a sporty driving style with
more prominent representation of the tachom‐
eter, the transmission displays, and the vehicle
speed.
Check Control
The concept The Check Control system monitors functions
in the vehicle and notifies you of malfunctions
in the monitored systems.
A Check Control message is displayed as a
combination of indicator or warning lamps and
text messages in the instrument cluster and in
the Head-up Display.In addition, an acoustic signal may be output and a text message may appear on the Control
Display.
Indicator/warning lamps
The indicator and warning lamps in the instru‐
ment cluster can light up in a variety of combi‐
nations and colors.
Several of the lamps are checked for proper
functioning and light up temporarily when the
engine is started or the ignition is switched on.Seite 84ControlsDisplays84
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Operating the programsPress the buttonProgramDSC OFF
TRACTIONSPORT+
SPORT
COMFORT
COMFORT+
ECO PRO
Automatic program change
The system may automatically switch to COM‐
FORT in the following situations:
▷Failure of Integral Active Steering.▷Failure of Dynamic Damping Control.▷The vehicle has a flat tire.
DSC OFF
When DSC OFF, refer to page 127, is active,
driving stability is limited during acceleration
and when driving in bends.
TRACTION When TRACTION is active, the vehicle has
maximum traction on loose road surfaces. DTC
Dynamic Traction Control, refer to page 127, is
activated. Driving stability is limited during ac‐
celeration and when driving in bends.
SPORT+
Sporty driving with optimized chassis and
adapted engine control with limited driving sta‐
bilization.
Dynamic Traction Control is switched on.
The driver handles several of the stabilization
tasks.
Activating SPORT+
Press the button repeatedly until
SPORT+ appears in the tachometer
and the DSC OFF indicator lamp lights up in
the instrument cluster.
Automatic program change
When switching on the adjustable speed limit
or activating cruise control, the program auto‐
matically switches to SPORT mode.
Indicator/warning lamps
SPORT+ is displayed in the instrument cluster.
The DSC OFF indicator lamp lights up:
Dynamic Traction Control is activated.
SPORT Consistently sporty tuning of the suspension
and engine control for greater driving agility
with maximum driving stabilization.
The program can be configured to individual
specifications.
The configuration is stored for the remote con‐
trol currently in use.
Activating SPORT Press the button repeatedly untilSPORT appears in the tachometer.
Configuring SPORT When the display is activated on the ControlDisplay, refer to page 132, the SPORT driving
mode can be set.
After the SPORT driving mode is activated, se‐
lect "Configure SPORT" on the displayed
panel and configure the program.
SPORT can also be configured before it is acti‐
vated:1."Settings"2."SPORT mode" or: "Driving mode"Seite 131Driving stability control systemsControls131
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3.Configure driving mode.
This configuration is retrieved when the
SPORT driving mode is activated.
COMFORT For a balanced tuning with maximum driving
stabilization.
Activating COMFORT Press the button repeatedly until the
program display in the tachometer
goes out.
In certain situations, the system automatically
changes to the NORMAL program, automatic
program change, refer to page 131.
COMFORT+
Comfort-oriented tuning of the shock absorb‐ ers and adapted engine control for optimal
traveling comfort with maximum driving stabili‐
zation.
Activating COMFORT+ Press the button repeatedly until
COMFORT+ appears in the tachome‐
ter.
ECO PRO ECO PRO, refer to page 192, provides consis‐
tent tuning to minimize fuel consumption for
maximum range with maximum driving stabili‐
zation.
Comfort functions and the engine controller
are adjusted.
The program can be configured to individual
specifications.
Activating ECO PRO Press button repeatedly until ECO
PRO is displayed in the instrument
cluster.
Configuring ECO PRO1.Activate ECO PRO.2."Configure ECO PRO"
Make the desired settings.
Configure driving mode
Settings can be made for the following driving
modes in Driving mode:
▷SPORT mode, refer to page 131.▷ECO PRO mode, refer to page 193.
Displays in the instrument cluster
Selected program The selected program is dis‐
played in the tachometer.
Program selection Pressing the button displays a
list of the selectable programs.
Display on the Control Display Program changes can be displayed briefly on
the Control Display.
To do so, make the following settings:
1."Settings"2."Driving mode"3."Driving mode info"Seite 132ControlsDriving stability control systems132
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LoadingVehicle equipment
All standard, country-specific and optional
equipment that is offered in the model series is
described in this chapter. Therefore, equip‐
ment is also described that is not available in a
vehicle, e. g., because of the selected optional
equipment or country variant. This also applies
for safety-related functions and systems.
Hints Overloading the vehicle
To avoid exceeding the approved carry‐
ing capacity of the tires, never overload the ve‐
hicle. Overloading can lead to overheating and
increases the rate at which damage develops
inside the tires. This could result in a sudden
loss of tire inflation pressure.◀
No fluids in the trunk
Make sure that fluids do not leak into the
trunk; otherwise, the vehicle may be dam‐
aged.◀
Determining the load limit1.Locate the following statement on your ve‐
hicle’s placard:▷The combined weight of occupants
and cargo should never exceed XXX kg
or YYY lbs. Otherwise, damage to thevehicle and unstable driving situations
may result.2.Determine the combined weight of the
driver and passengers that will be riding in
your vehicle.3.Subtract the combined weight of the driver
and passengers from XXX kilograms or
YYY pounds.4.The resulting figure equals the available
amount of cargo and luggage load ca‐
pacity.
For example, if the YYY amount equals
1,000 lbs and there will be four 150 lbs
passengers in your vehicle, the amount of
available cargo and luggage load capacity
is 400 lbs: 1,000 lbs minus 600 lbs =
400 lbs.5.Determine the combined weight of lug‐
gage and cargo being loaded on the vehi‐
cle. That weight may not safely exceed the
available cargo and luggage load capacity
calculated in Step 4.
Load
The maximum load is the sum of the weight of
the occupants and the cargo.
The greater the weight of the occupants, the
less cargo that can be transported.
Seite 188Driving tipsLoading188
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