
Displays and operation
Instrument cluster
:
Fuel gauge
; Time
= Speedometer with segments (Y page 214)
? Multifunction display ( Y page 215)
A Tachometer (Y page 214)
B Coolant temperature ( Y page 213)
C Instrument cluster lighting (Y page 213)
i You can set the time using COMAND; see the separate Operating Instructions. Instrument lighting
The lighting in the instrument cluster, in the
displays and the controls in the vehicle
interior
can be adjusted using the brightness
control knob.
The brightness control knob is located on the
bottom left of the instrument cluster
(Y page 29).
X Turn the brightness control knob clockwise
or counter-clockwise.
If the light switch is set to Ã, T or
L, the brightness is dependent upon
the brightness of the ambient light. i
The light sensor in the instrument cluster
automatically controls the brightness of
the multifunction display.
In daylight, the displays in the instrument
cluster are not illuminated. Coolant temperature display
G
WARNING
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. Displays and operation
213
On-board computer and displays
Z

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.
! A display message is shown if the coolant
temperature is too high.
If the coolant temperature is over
248 ‡(120 †), do not continue driving. The
engine will otherwise be damaged.
The coolant temperature gauge is in the
instrument cluster on the right-hand side
(Y page 29).
Under normal operating conditions and with
the specified coolant level, the coolant
temperature may rise to 248 ‡ (120 †). Tachometer
! Do not drive in the overrevving range, as
this could damage the engine.
The
red band in the tachometer indicates the
engine's overrevving range.
The fuel supply is interrupted to protect the
engine when the red band is reached. Outside temperature display
G
WARNING
The outside temperature indicator is not
designed to serve as an ice-warning device
and is therefore unsuitable for that purpose.
Indicated temperatures just above the
freezing
point do not guarantee that the road
surface is free of ice. The road may still be icy,
especially in wooded areas or on bridges.
The outside temperature display is in the
multifunction display ( Y page 215).
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.
R Cruise control activated ( Y page 174):
The segments light up from the stored
speed to the maximum speed.
R DISTRONIC PLUS activated (Y page 177):
One or two segments in the set speed
range light up.
R DISTRONIC
PLUS 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
Overview :
Multifunction display
; Switches on the Voice Control System;
see the separate operating instructions
= Right control panel
? Left control panel
A Back button
X To activate the on-board computer:
turn
the SmartKey to position 1 in the ignition
lock. 214
Displays and operation
On-board computer and displays

Deactivating/activating ESP
®G
WARNING
If you deactivate ESP ®
, ESP ®
no longer
stabilizes the vehicle. There is an increased
risk of skidding and an accident.
Only deactivate ESP ®
in the situations
described in the following.
For further information about ESP ®
, see
(Y page 66).
X Start the engine.
X Press = or ; on the steering wheel
to select the DriveAssist menu.
X Press 9 or : to select ESP.
X Press the a button.
The current selection is displayed.
X To activate/deactivate: press the a
button again.
ESP ®
is deactivated if the å warning lamp
in the instrument cluster lights up
continuously when the engine is running.
If the ä warning lamp and the å
warning lamp are lit continuously, ESP ®
is not
available due to a malfunction.
It may be best to deactivate ESP ®
in the
following situations:
R when using snow chains
R in deep snow
R on sand or gravel
Observe the information on warning lamps
(Y page 259).
Observe the information on display messages
(Y page 229). Activating/deactivating PRE-SAFE
®
Brake PRE-SAFE
®
Brake is only available in vehicles
with DISTRONIC PLUS.
X Press = or ; on the steering wheel
to select the DriveAssist menu.
X Press the 9 or : button to select
PRE-SAFE Brake.
X Press the a button.
The current selection is displayed.
X To activate/deactivate: press the a
button again.
When PRE-SAFE ®
Brake is activated, the
multifunction
display shows the Ä symbol
as long as the HOLD function is not activated
(Y page 189).
Vehicles with Parking Guidance: if
PARKTRONIC is activated and you are driving
at a speed under 22 mph (35km/h) the j
symbol for Parking Guidance is displayed
instead of the Ä symbol ( Y page 194)
If the PRE-SAFE Brake: Sensors
Deactivated message appears, the radar
sensor system is deactivated.
X Switch on the radar sensor system
(Y page 226).
For more information on PRE-SAFE ®
Brake,
see ( Y page 67).
Activating/deactivating ATTENTION
ASSIST X
Press = or ; on the steering wheel
to select the DriveAssist menu.
X Press 9 or : to select Attention
Assist.
X Press the a button.
The current selection is displayed.
X To activate/deactivate: press the a
button again.
When ATTENTION ASSIST is activated, the
À symbol appears in the multifunction
display when the ignition is on. 222
Menus and submenus
On-board computer and displays

For further information about ATTENTION
ASSIST, see (
Y page 199).
Activating/deactivating Blind Spot
Assist X
Press = or ; on the steering wheel
to select the DriveAssist menu.
X Press the 9 or : button to select
Blind Spot Asst..
X Press the a button.
The current selection is displayed.
X To activate/deactivate: press the a
button again.
If the Blind Spot Assist Sensors
Deactivated or Act. Blind Spot Asst.
Sensors Deactivated message appears,
the radar sensor system is deactivated.
X Switch on the radar sensor system
(Y page 226).
For further information about Blind Spot
Assist, see (Y page 200).
For further information about Active Blind
Spot Assist, see (Y page 204).
Activating/deactivating Lane Keeping
Assist X
Press = or ; on the steering wheel
to select the DriveAssist menu.
X Press the 9 or : button to select
Lane Keep. Asst.
X Press the a button.
The current selection is displayed.
X Press a to confirm.
When Lane Keeping Assist or Active Lane
Keeping Assist is activated, the à symbol
appears in the multifunction display when the
ignition is on.
For further information about Active Lane
Keeping Assist, see ( Y page 207). Service menu
In the
Serv. menu, you have the following
options:
R calling up display messages in message
memory ( Y page 228)
R restarting the tire pressure loss warning
system (Y page 329)
R checking the tire pressure electronically
(Y page 330)
R calling up when a service is due
(Y page 298) Settings menu
Introduction In the
Sett. menu, you have the following
options:
R change the instrument cluster settings
(Y page 224)
R change the light settings ( Y page 224)
R change the vehicle settings ( Y page 225)
R change the convenience settings
(Y page 226)
R restore the factory settings
(Y page 227) Menus and submenus
223
On-board computer and displays Z

X
Press : or 9 to select the Auto.
Door Locks function.
When
the Automatic Door Lock function
is activated, the vehicle doors are displayed
in red in the multifunction display.
X Press the a button to save the setting.
If you activate the Automatic Door Lock
function,
the vehicle is centrally locked above
a speed of around 9 mph (15 km/h).
For further information on the automatic
locking feature, see ( Y page 80).
Activating/deactivating the acoustic
locking verification signal
If you switch on the Acoustic Lock function,
an acoustic signal sounds when you lock the
vehicle.
X Press the = or ; button on the
steering wheel to select the Sett. menu.
X Press : or 9 to select the Vehicle
submenu.
X Press a to confirm.
X Press the :
or 9 button to select the
Acoustic Lock function.
If the Acoustic Lock function is activated,
the & symbol in the multifunction
display lights up red.
X Press the a button to save the setting.
Activating/deactivating the radar sensor
system
X Press the = or ; button on the
steering wheel to select the Sett. menu.
X Press : or 9 to select the Vehicle
submenu.
X Press a to confirm.
X Press the 9 or : button to select
Radar Sensor (See Oper. Manual):.
You will see the selected setting: On or
Off.
X Press the a button to save the setting. The following systems are switched off when
the radar sensor system is deactivated:
R
DISTRONIC PLUS (Y page 177)
R BAS PLUS
(Y page 65)
R PRE-SAFE ®
Brake (Y page 67)
R Blind Spot Assist (Y page 200)
R Active Blind Spot Assist (Y page 204)
Convenience Activating/deactivating the EASY-
ENTRY/EXIT feature
G
WARNING
You must make sure no one can become
trapped or injured by the moving steering
wheel when the easy-entry/exit feature is
activated.
To stop steering wheel movement, move
steering
wheel adjustment lever or press one
of the memory position buttons.
Do not leave children unattended in the
vehicle, or with access to an unlocked vehicle.
Children could open the driver's door and
unintentionally activate the easy-entry/exit
feature, which could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury.
X Press the = or ; button on the
steering wheel to select the Sett. menu.
X Press the :
or 9 button to select the
Convenience submenu.
X Press a to confirm.
X Press : or 9 to select the Easy
Entry/Exit: function.
If the Easy Entry/Exit function is
activated, the vehicle steering wheel is
displayed in red in the multifunction
display.
X Press the a button to save the setting.
Further information on the EASY-ENTRY/EXIT
feature ( Y page 114).226
Menus and submenus
On-board computer and displays

Safety systems
Display messages Possible causes/consequences and
M Solutions!÷
Currently
Unavailable See
Operator's Manual ABS (Anti-lock Braking System), ESP
®
(Electronic Stability
Program), BAS (Brake Assist), PRE-SAFE ®
, the HOLD function and
hill start assist are temporarily unavailable.
BAS PLUS and PRE-SAFE ®
Brake may also have failed.
In addition, the ä, å and ! warning lamps light up in
the instrument cluster.
ATTENTION ASSIST is deactivated.
For example, the on-board voltage may be insufficient.
G WARNING
The brake system continues to function normally, but without the
functions listed above. The wheels could therefore lock if you
brake hard, for example.
The steerability and braking characteristics may be severely
affected. The braking distance in an emergency braking situation
can increase.
If ESP ®
is not operational, ESP ®
is unable to stabilize the vehicle.
There is an increased risk of skidding and an accident.
X Drive on carefully.
If the display message disappears, the functions mentioned
above are available again.
If the display message continues to be displayed:
X Drive on carefully.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop. !÷
Inoperative See
Operator's Manual ABS, ESP
®
, BAS, PRE-SAFE ®
, the HOLD function and hill start
assist are unavailable due to a malfunction.
BAS PLUS and PRE-SAFE ®
Brake may also have failed.
The $ (USA only)/J (Canada only), ä, å and !
warning lamps in the instrument cluster also light up.
ATTENTION ASSIST is deactivated.
G WARNING
The brake system continues to function normally, but without the
functions listed above. The wheels could therefore lock if you
brake hard, for example.
The steerability and braking characteristics may be severely
affected. The braking distance in an emergency braking situation
can increase.
If ESP ®
is not operational, ESP ®
is unable to stabilize the vehicle. Display messages
229
On-board computer and displays Z

Display messages Possible causes/consequences and
M SolutionsThere is an increased risk of skidding and an accident.
X
Drive on carefully.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop immediately. ÷
Inoperative See
Operator's Manual ESP
®
, BAS, PRE-SAFE ®
, the HOLD function and hill start assist are
unavailable due to a malfunction.
BAS PLUS and PRE-SAFE ®
Brake may also have failed.
In addition, the ä and å warning lamps light up in the
instrument cluster.
The self-diagnosis function might not be complete, for example.
ATTENTION ASSIST is deactivated.
G WARNING
The brake system continues to function normally, but without the
functions listed above.
The braking distance in an emergency braking situation can thus
increase.
If ESP ®
is not operational, ESP ®
is unable to stabilize the vehicle.
There is an increased risk of skidding and an accident.
X Drive on carefully.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop. T!
÷
Inoperative See
Operator's Manual EBD (electronic brake force distribution), ABS, ESP
®
, BAS, PRE-
SAFE ®
,
the HOLD function and hill start assist are unavailable due
to a malfunction.
BAS PLUS and PRE-SAFE ®
Brake may also have failed.
In addition, the ä, å and ! warning lamps light up in
the instrument cluster and a warning tone sounds.
G WARNING
The brake system continues to function normally, but without the
functions listed above. The front and rear wheels could therefore
lock if you brake hard, for example.
The steerability and braking characteristics may be severely
affected. The braking distance in an emergency braking situation
can increase.
If ESP ®
is not operational, ESP ®
is unable to stabilize the vehicle.
There is an increased risk of skidding and an accident.
X Drive on carefully.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop immediately.230
Display messages
On-board computer and displays

Display messages Possible causes/consequences and
M SolutionsF(USA
only)J(Canada
only)
Please Release
Parking Brake You are driving with the parking brake applied. A warning tone also
sounds.
X
Release the parking brake. $(USA
only)J(Canada
only)
Brake Immediately A malfunction has occurred while the HOLD function or
DISTRONIC PLUS is active.
A
tone may also sound at regular intervals. If you attempt to lock
the vehicle, the tone becomes louder.
You cannot start the engine.
X Paying attention to the traffic situation, immediately depress the
brake pedal firmly and hold until the display message
disappears.
X Secure the vehicle against rolling away ( Y page 167).
You can restart the engine. $(USA
only)J(Canada
only)
Check Brake Fluid
Level There is not enough brake fluid in the brake fluid reservoir.
In addition, the $ (USA only)/J (Canada only) warning
lamp lights up in the instrument cluster and a warning tone
sounds.
G WARNING
The braking effect may be impaired.
There is a risk of an accident.
X Pull over and stop the vehicle safely as soon as possible, paying
attention
to road and traffic conditions. Do not continue driving
under any circumstances.
X Secure the vehicle against rolling away ( Y page 167).
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop.
X Do not add brake fluid. This does not correct the malfunction. #
Check Brake Pad
Wear The brake pads/linings have reached their wear limit.
X
Visit a qualified specialist workshop. G
mbrace Inoperative One or more main features of the mbrace system are
malfunctioning.
X
Have the mbrace system checked immediately at a qualified
specialist workshop. Display messages
231
On-board computer and displays Z