1, 2, 3 ...
4ETS see ETS/4ETS (Electronic Trac-
tion System)
4ETS (Electronic Traction System) .... 68
4MATIC (permanent all-wheel
drive)
Display message ............................ 260
4MATIC (permanent four-wheel
drive) .................................................. 188
12 V socket
see Sockets A
ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) Display message ............................ 235
Function/notes ................................ 64
Important safety notes .................... 64
Warning lamp .................................2 65
Activating/deactivating air-recir-
culation mode ................................... .136
Activating/deactivating cooling
with air dehumidification ................. 130
Active light function ......................... 114
Active Parking Assist
Cancelling ...................................... 196
Detecting parking spaces .............. 193
Display message ............................ 253
Exiting a parking space .................. 195
Function/notes ............................ .192
Important safety notes .................. 192
Parking .......................................... 194
Towing a trailer .............................. 197
ADAPTIVE BRAKE ................................. 72
Adaptive Brake Assist
Display message ............................ 243
Function/notes ................................ 66
Adaptive brake lights .......................... 68
Adaptive Highbeam Assist
Display message ............................ 248
Function/notes ............................ .115
Switching on/off ........................... 116
Additional speedometer ................... 226
Additives (engine oil) ........................ 360
Adjusting the headlamp range ......... 112
Air filter (white display message) .... 251Air pressure
see Tyre pressure
Air vents
Important safety notes .................. 143
Rear ............................................... 144
Setting .......................................... .143
Setting the centre air vents ........... 143
Setting the side air vents .............. .144
Air-conditioning system
see Climate control
Airbags
Front airbag (driver, front
passenger) ....................................... 43
Important safety guidelines ............. 42
Kneebag .......................................... .44
Sidebag ............................................ 44
Triggering ......................................... 41
Windowba g...................................... 45
Alarm
ATA (Anti-Theft Alarm system )......... 73
Switching off (ATA) .......................... 73
Switching the function on/off
(ATA) ................................................ 73
Alarm system
see ATA (Anti-Theft Alarm system)
Ambient lighting
Setting the brightness (on-board
computer) ...................................... 227
AMG
Performance Seat .......................... 103
AMG menu (on-board computer) ..... 231
Anti-glare film .................................... 287
Anti-lock braking system
see ABS (Anti-lock Braking System)
Anti-Theft Alarm system
see ATA (Anti-Theft Alarm system)
Aquaplaning ....................................... 172
Ashtray ............................................... 284
Assistance display (on-board com-
puter) .................................................. 223
Assistance menu (on-board com-
puter) .................................................. 223
ASSYST PLUS
Displaying a service message ........ 296
Hiding a service message .............. 296
Notes ............................................. 295 4
Index
Drive program
Automatic ...................................... 160
Display .......................................... .157
Display (DIRECT SELECT lever) ...... 156
Manual .......................................... .160
Driver's door
see Door
Driving abroad
Mercedes-Benz Service ................. 297
Symmetrical dipped bea m............. 110
Driving on flooded roads .................. 172
Driving safety system
COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST
PLUS ................................................ 67
EBD (electronic brake force distri-bution) ............................................. 72
Driving safety systems
4ETS (Electronic Traction Sys-
tem) ................................................. 68
ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) ....... 64
ADAPTIVE BRAK E............................. 72
Adaptive Brake Assist ...................... 66
Adaptive brake lights ....................... 68
BAS (Brake Assist System) .............. 64
COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST .... 65
Distance warning function ............... 65
ESP® (Electronic Stability Pro-
gram) ............................................... 68
ETS (Electronic Traction System) ..... 68
ETS/4ETS (Electronic Traction
System) ........................................... 68
Important safety guidelines ............. 64
Overview .......................................... 63
STEER CONTROL ............................. 72
Driving systems
Active Parking Assist ..................... 192
ATTENTION ASSIST ........................ 201
Blind Spot Assist ............................ 203
Cruise control ................................ 173
Display message ............................ 251
Distronic Plus ................................ 178
HOLD function ............................... 186
Lane Keeping Assist ...................... 205
Lane package ................................ 203
PARKTRONIC ................................. 188
RACE START (AMG vehicles) .......... 187
Reversing camera .......................... 197
Speed Limit Assist ......................... 202 SPEEDTRONIC ............................... 175
Driving tips
Aquaplaning ................................... 172
Automatic transmission ................. 158
Brakes ........................................... 171
DISTRONIC PLUS ........................... 184
Downhill gradient ........................... 171
Driving abroad ............................... 110
Driving in winter ............................. 172
Driving on flooded roads ................ 172
Driving on wet roads ...................... 172
General .......................................... 170
Icy road surfaces ........................... 172
Limited braking efficiency on sal-
ted roads ....................................... 172
New brake pads/linings ................ 172
Running-in tips ............................... 146
Snow chains .................................. 329
Symmetrical dipped beam ............. 110
Towing a traile r.............................. 207
Wet road surface ........................... 171
DVD audio (on-board computer) ...... 221 E
EASY-VARIO-PLUS system Luggage compartment enlarge-
ment .............................................. 279
EBD (electronic brake force distri-
bution)
Display message ............................ 237
Function/note s................................ 72
ECO display
Function/note s............................. 170
On-board computer ....................... 218
ECO start/stop function
Automatic engine start .................. 151
Automatic engine switch-off .......... 150
Deactivating/activating ................. 151
General information ....................... 150
Important safety notes .................. 150
Introduction ................................... 150
Electrical fuses
see Fuses
Electromagnetic compatibility
Declaration of conformity ................ 23
Electronic Stability Program
see ESP® (Electronic Stability Program) Index
9
ASSIST PLUS intervenes powerfully, preven-
tive passenger protection measures (PRE-
SAFE ®
) are deployed simultaneously.
In particular, the detection of obstacles can
be impaired in the case of:
R dirt on the sensors or obscured sensors
R snow or heavy rain
R interference by other radar sources
R strong radar reflections, for example, in
multi-storey car parks
R a narrow vehicle travelling in front, e.g. a
motorcycle
R a vehicle travelling in front on a different
line
R new vehicles or after a service on the COL-
LISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS system
Please observe the information in the sec-
tion on running-in the vehicle
(Y page 146).
Following damage to the front end of the vehi- cle, have the configuration and operation of
the radar sensor checked at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop. This also applies to colli-
sions at slow speeds where there is no visible
damage to the front of the vehicle. Adaptive brake lamps
The adaptive brake lights warn following traf- fic in an emergency braking situation:
R by means of flashing brake lamps
R the hazard warning lamps are activated
If you brake sharply from a speed of more
than 50 km/h or if braking is assisted by BAS
or BAS PLUS, the brake lamps flash rapidly. In this way, traffic travelling behind you is
warned in an even more noticeable manner.
If you brake sharply from a speed of more
than 70 km/h to a standstill, the hazard warn-
ing lamps are activated automatically. If the
brakes are applied again, the brake lamps
light up continuously. The hazard warning
lamps switch off automatically if you travel
faster than 10 km/h. You can also switch off the hazard warning lamps using the hazard
warning button (Y
page 113). ESP
®
(Electronic Stability Program)
General notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 64).
ESP ®
monitors driving stability and traction,
i.e. power transmission between the tyres
and the road surface.
If ESP ®
detects that the vehicle is deviating
from the direction desired by the driver, one
or more wheels are braked to stabilise the
vehicle. The engine output is also modified to keep the vehicle on the desired course within
physical limits. ESP ®
assists the driver when
pulling away on wet or slippery roads. ESP ®
can also stabilise the vehicle during braking.
ETS/4ETS (Electronic Traction System) i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 64).
ETS/4ETS traction control is part of ESP ®
.
ETS brakes the drive wheels individually if
they spin. This enables you to pull away and
accelerate on slippery surfaces, for example
if the road surface is slippery on one side. In
addition, more drive torque is transferred to
the wheel or wheels with traction.
ETS remains active when you deactivate
ESP ®
.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If ESP ®
is malfunctioning, ESP ®
is unable to
stabilise the vehicle. In addition, other driving
safety systems are switched off. This increa-
ses the risk of skidding and an accident.
Drive on carefully. Have ESP ®
checked at a
qualified specialist workshop. 68
Driving safety systemsSafety
It may be best to deactivate ESP
®
in the fol-
lowing situations:
R when using snow chains
R in deep snow
R on sand or gravel
i Activate ESP ®
as soon as the situations
described above no longer apply. ESP ®
will
otherwise not be able to stabilise the vehi-
cle if the vehicle starts to skid or a wheel
starts to spin.
Deactivating/activating ESP ®
You can deactivate or activate ESP ®
via the
on-board computer.
X To deactivate: (Ypage 224).
The å ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up.
X To activate: (Ypage 224).
The å ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster goes out.
Characteristics when ESP ®
is deactivated
If ESP ®
is deactivated and one or more wheels
start to spin, the ÷ESP®
warning lamp in
the instrument cluster flashes. In such situa-
tions, ESP ®
will not stabilise the vehicle.
If you deactivate ESP ®
:
R ESP ®
no longer improves driving stability.
R engine torque is no longer limited and the
drive wheels are able to spin.
The spinning of the wheels results in a cut-
ting action for better traction on loose sur-faces.
R traction control is still activated.
R ESP ®
still provides support when you
brake. Deactivating/activating ESP
®
(AMG
vehicles) Important safety notes
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 64).
You can select between the following states
of ESP ®
:
R ESP ®
is activated.
R SPORT handling mode is activated.
R ESP ®
is deactivated. G
WARNING
When SPORT handling mode is activated,
there is a greater risk of skidding and acci-
dents.
Only activate SPORT handling mode in the sit- uations described in the following. G
WARNING
If you deactivate ESP ®
, ESP ®
no longer sta-
bilises the vehicle. There is an increased risk
of skidding and an accident.
Only deactivate ESP ®
in the situations descri-
bed in the following.
In the following situations, it may be better to activate SPORT handling mode or deactivate
ESP ®
:
R when using snow chains
R in deep snow
R on sand or gravel
R on specially designated roads when the
vehicle's own oversteering and understeer-
ing characteristics are desired
Driving in SPORT handling mode or without
ESP ®
requires an extremely qualified and
experienced driver.
i Activate ESP ®
as soon as the situations
described above no longer apply. ESP ®
will
otherwise not be able to stabilise the vehi-
cle if the vehicle starts to skid or a wheel
starts to spin. 70
Driving safety systemsSafety
Deactivating/activating ESP
®X
To activate SPORT handling mode:
briefly press button :.
The M handling mode warning lamp in
the instrument cluster lights up. The
SPORT handling mode
SPORT handling mode message appears
in the multifunction display.
X To deactivate SPORT handling mode:
briefly press button :.
The M handling mode warning lamp in
the instrument cluster goes out.
X To deactivate ESP ®
:press button :until
the å ESP®
OFF warning lamp lights up
in the instrument cluster.
The ÷ OFF
OFF message appears in the mul-
tifunction display.
X To activate ESP ®
:briefly press button :.
The å ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster goes out. The ÷
ESP ®
ON
ON message appears in the multifunc-
tion display.
Characteristics of activated SPORT han-
dling mode
If SPORT handling mode is activated and one or more wheels start to spin, the ÷ESP®
warning lamp in the instrument cluster
flashes. ESP ®
only stabilises the vehicle to a
limited degree.
When SPORT handling mode is activated:
R ESP ®
only improves driving stability to a
limited degree.
R traction control is still activated. R
engine torque is restricted to a limited
degree and the drive wheels are able to
spin.
The spinning of the wheels results in a cut-
ting action for better traction on loose sur- faces.
R ESP ®
still provides support when you
brake.
Characteristics when ESP ®
is deactivated
If ESP ®
is deactivated and one or more wheels
start to spin, the ÷ESP®
warning lamp in
the instrument cluster does not flash. In such
situations, ESP ®
will not stabilise the vehicle.
If you deactivate ESP ®
:
R ESP ®
no longer improves driving stability.
R engine torque is no longer limited and the
drive wheels are able to spin.
The spinning of the wheels results in a cut-
ting action for better traction on loose sur- faces.
R traction control is still activated.
R PRE-SAFE ®
is no longer available; nor is it
activated if you brake firmly with assis-
tance from ESP ®
.
R COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST is no lon-
ger available; nor is it activated if you brake
firmly with assistance from ESP ®
.
R ESP ®
still provides support when you
brake.
ESP ®
trailer stabilisation General notes
If your vehicle/trailer combination begins to
lurch, ESP
®
assists you in this situation. ESP ®
slows the vehicle down by braking and limit-
ing the engine output until the vehicle/trailer
combination has stabilised.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If road and weather conditions are poor,
trailer stabilisation will not be able to prevent Driving safety syste
ms
71Safety
Z
If you leave the engine or the auxiliary heating
running, make sure the exhaust pipe and area
around the vehicle are clear of snow. To
ensure an adequate supply of fresh air, open a window on the side of the vehicle that is not
facing into the wind.
Have your vehicle winterproofed at a qualified specialist workshop at the onset of winter.
You should drive particularly carefully on slip-
pery road surfaces. Avoid sudden accelera-
tion, steering and braking manoeuvres. Do
not use cruise control or DISTRONIC PLUS.
If the vehicle threatens to skid or cannot be
stopped when moving at low speed:
X Vehicles with manual transmission:
shift to neutral.
X Vehicles with automatic transmission:
shift the transmission to position N.
X Try to bring the vehicle under control by
using corrective steering.
The outside temperature indicator is not
designed to serve as an ice-warning device
and is therefore unsuitable for that purpose.
Changes in the outside temperature are dis-
played after a short delay.
Indicated temperatures just above the freez-
ing point do not guarantee that the road sur-
face is free of ice. The road may still be icy,
especially in wooded areas or on bridges.
You should pay special attention to road con-
ditions when temperatures are around the
freezing point.
For more information on driving with snow
chains, see (Y page 329).
For more information on driving with summer tyres, see (Y page 328).
Observe the notes in the "Winter operation"
section (Y page 328). Driving systems
Cruise control
General notes Cruise control maintains a constant road
speed for you. It brakes automatically in order to avoid exceeding the set speed. 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. For vehi-
cles with automatic transmission, you need to
have selected manual drive program M
(Y page 160). By doing so, you will make use
of the braking effect of the engine. This
relieves the load on the brake system and
prevents the brakes from overheating and
wearing too quickly.
Use cruise control only if road and traffic con-
ditions are appropriate for maintaining a
steady speed for a prolonged period. You can store any road speed above 30 km/h.
Important safety notes If you fail to adapt your driving style, cruise
control can neither reduce the risk of an acci- dent nor override the laws of physics. Cruise
control cannot take into account road,
weather or traffic conditions. Cruise control is
only an aid. You are responsible for the dis-
tance to the vehicle in front, for vehicle speed, for braking in good time, and for staying in thelane.
Do not use cruise control:
R in road and traffic conditions which do not
allow you to maintain a constant speed
(e.g. in heavy traffic or on winding roads).
R on smooth or slippery roads. Braking or
accelerating can cause the drive wheels to
lose traction and the vehicle could then
skid.
R when there is poor visibility, e.g. due to fog,
heavy rain or snow.
If there is a change of drivers, advise the new driver of the speed stored. Driving systems
173Driving and parking Z
!
If DISTRONIC PLUS or the HOLD function
is activated, the vehicle brakes automati-
cally in certain situations. To prevent dam-
age to the vehicle, deactivate DISTRONIC
PLUS and the HOLD function in the follow-
ing or other similar situations:
R when towing the vehicle
R in the car wash
If you fail to adapt your driving style, DIS-
TRONIC PLUS can neither reduce the risk of
an accident nor override the laws of physics.
DISTRONIC PLUS cannot take road and
weather conditions or traffic conditions into
account. DISTRONIC PLUS is only an aid. You are responsible for the distance to the vehicle
in front, for vehicle speed, for braking in good time, and for staying in the lane.
Do not use DISTRONIC PLUS:
R in road and traffic conditions which do not
allow you to maintain a constant speed
(e.g. in heavy traffic or on winding roads)
R on smooth or slippery roads. Braking or
accelerating can cause the drive wheels to lose traction and the vehicle could then
skid
R when there is poor visibility, e.g. due to fog,
heavy rain or snow
DISTRONIC PLUS may not detect narrow
vehicles driving in front, e.g. motorcycles, or
vehicles driving on a different line.
In particular, the detection of obstacles can
be impaired in the case of:
R dirt on the sensors or obscured sensors
R snow or heavy rain
R interference by other radar sources
R the possibility of strong radar reflections,
for example, in multi-storey car parks
If DISTRONIC PLUS no longer detects a vehi-
cle in front, it may unexpectedly accelerate to the speed stored. This speed can:
R be too high for a filter lane or a slip road
R be so high in the right lane that you pass
vehicles driving on the left
R be so high in the left lane that you pass
vehicles driving on the right
If there is a change of drivers, advise the new driver of the speed stored.
Cruise control lever You can operate DISTRONIC PLUS and varia-
ble SPEEDTRONIC with the cruise control
lever.
The LIM indicator lamp on the cruise control
lever indicates which system you have selec- ted:
R LIM indicator lamp off: DISTRONIC PLUS
is selected.
R LIM indicator lamp on: variable SPEED-
TRONIC is selected. :
To store the current speed or a higher
speed
; To set the specified minimum distance
= LIM indicator lamp
? To store the current speed and calling up
the last stored speed
A To store the current speed or a lower
speed
B To switch between DISTRONIC PLUS and
variable SPEEDTRONIC
C To deactivate DISTRONIC PLUS
Selecting DISTRONIC PLUS
X Check whether LIM indicator lamp =is off. Driving systems
179Driving and parking Z
R
you depress the brake pedal again with a
certain amount of pressure until :disap-
pears from the multifunction display.
R you secure the vehicle using the electric
parking brake.
R you activate DISTRONIC PLUS.
i After a short period, the vehicle is secured
by the electric parking brake, thus relieving
the service brake.
The electric parking brake secures the vehicle
automatically if the HOLD function is activa-
ted and:
R the driver's door is open and the driver's
seat belt is unfastened
R the engine is switched off, unless it is auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/
stop function
R a system fault occurs
R the power supply is not sufficient
Vehicles with automatic transmission
If a malfunction occurs, then the transmission may also be shifted into position Pautomat-
ically.
Vehicles with manual transmission
The Brake immediately Brake immediately message can also
appear in the multifunction display.
X Immediately depress the brake pedal firmly
until the warning message in the multifunc-
tion display goes out.
The HOLD function is deactivated.
A horn will sound at regular intervals if you
turn off the engine, take off your seat belt or
open the driver's door when the HOLD func-
tion is activated. The horn alerts you to the
fact that the HOLD function is still activated.
If you attempt to lock the vehicle, the tone
becomes louder. The vehicle cannot be
locked until you have deactivated the HOLD
function.
i Once you have switched off the engine,
you cannot restart it until you have deacti-
vated the HOLD function. RACE START
Important safety notes RACE START enables optimum acceleration
from a standing start. The precondition for
this is a suitable high-grip road surface.
Only activate RACE START on dedicated race
circuits.
i RACE START is only available in AMG vehi-
cles.
Activation conditions You can activate RACE START if:
R the doors, the bonnet and the boot lid are
closed
R the engine is running and the transmission,
traction control and engine are at operating temperature
R SPORT handling mode is activated
(Y page 70)
R the steering wheel is in the straight-ahead
position.
R the vehicle is stationary and the brake
pedal is depressed (left foot)
R the transmission is in position D
R drive program Mis selected (Y page 159).
Activating RACE START X
Depress the brake pedal with your left foot
and keep it depressed.
X Pull and hold both steering wheel gearshift
paddles.
X The RACE START Confirm: Paddle UP RACE START Confirm: Paddle UP
Cancel: Paddle DOWN
Cancel: Paddle DOWN message appears
in the multifunction display.
X Release both steering wheel gearshift pad-
dles.
i If the activation conditions are no longer
fulfilled, RACE START is cancelled. The
RACE START not possible See Own‐ RACE START not possible See Own‐
er's er's Manual
Manual message appears in the mul-
tifunction display. Driving syste
ms
187Driving an d parking Z