
Switching on/off
X
Turn the key to position 0in the ignition
lock or remove it (Y page 159).
X To activate: press theÌbutton.
The indicator lamp in the Ìbutton lights
up.
X To deactivate: press theÌbutton.
The indicator lamp in the Ìbutton goes
out.
i Residual heat is deactivated automati-
cally:
R after approximately 30 minutes
R when the ignition is switched on
R if the battery voltage drops
R when the auxiliary heating is switched on Auxiliary heating
Important safety notes G
DANGER
If the exhaust pipe is blocked or sufficient
ventilation is not possible, toxic exhaust
fumes can enter the vehicle, especially car-
bon monoxide. This is the case, e.g. in
enclosed spaces, or if the vehicle is stuck in
snow. There is a risk of fatal injuries.
You should switch off the auxiliary heating in
enclosed spaces which do not have an extrac- tion system, e.g. a garage. If the vehicle is
stuck in snow and you must leave the auxiliary
heating running, keep the exhaust pipe and
the area around the vehicle clear of snow. To guarantee a sufficient supply of fresh air, open
a window on the side of the vehicle away from the wind. G
WARNING
When the auxiliary heating is switched on,
parts of the vehicle can become very hot. Flammable materials such as leaves, grass or
twigs may ignite if they come into contact
with:
R hot parts of the exhaust system
R the exhaust gas itself
There is a risk of fire.
When the auxiliary heating is switched on,
make sure that:
R no flammable materials come into contact
with hot vehicle components
R the exhaust gas can escape from the
exhaust pipe unhindered
R the exhaust gas does not come into contact
with flammable materials.
The auxiliary heating and the exhaust gas out-
let are situated in front of the right-hand front
wheel.
! Operating the auxiliary heating/ventila-
tion draws on the vehicle battery. After you
have heated or ventilated the vehicle a
maximum of two times, drive for a longer
distance.
Switch the auxiliary heating on regularly once
a month for about ten minutes.
The auxiliary heating heats the air in the vehi- cle interior to the set temperature. This
occurs without using the heat of the running
engine. The auxiliary heating is operated
directly using the vehicle's fuel. For this rea-
son, the fuel tank must be at least Õfull to
ensure that the auxiliary heating functions.
The auxiliary heating/ventilation automati-
cally adjusts to changes in temperature and
weather conditions. For this reason, the aux-
iliary heating could switch from ventilation
mode to heating mode or from heating mode to ventilation mode.
The auxiliary heating switches off when the
engine is switched off. The auxiliary ventila-
tion switches off when you turn the key to key
position 2(Y page 159).
The auxiliary heating switches off automati-
cally after 30 minutes. 150
Operating the climate control systemClimate control

Setting the departure time
Make sure that the time set in the vehicle is
correct before setting the departure time (see the separate operating instructions). Other-
wise, the auxiliary heating may switch on at
the wrong time and at an unsuitable location.
When setting the departure time, observe the
important safety notes (Y page 150).
X Briefly press the ubutton.
X Press the ,or. button repeatedly
until the time to be changed appears in the display.
X Press the uand^ button simulta-
neously.
The Îsymbol in the remote control dis-
play flashes.
X Press the ,or. button to set the
desired departure time.
i The longer you press the
,or.
button, the faster the time changes.
X Press the uand^ button simulta-
neously.
The new departure time is stored.
Activating the set departure time X Briefly press the ubutton.
X Press the ,or. button repeatedly
until the desired departure time appears in the display.
X Press the ubutton.
The Ísymbol, the departure time and,
depending on the selected departure time, the letter A, BorCappear in the display.
Deactivating the set departure time
X Briefly press the ubutton.
The status of the auxiliary heating is shown in the display.
X Press the .button.
The first departure time stored appears in
the display.
X Press the ^button.
OFF
OFF is shown in the remote control display. Replacing the remote control battery Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Batteries contain toxic and corrosive substan- ces. If batteries are swallowed, it can result in
severe health problems. There is a risk of fatal injury.
Keep batteries out of the reach of children. If
a battery is swallowed, seek medical attention immediately. H
Environmental note Batteries contain pollutants.
It is illegal to dispose of them
with the household rubbish.
They must be collected sep-
arately and disposed of in anenvironmentally responsible
recycling system. Dispose of batteries in an
environmentally responsible
manner. Take discharged
batteries to a qualified spe-
cialist workshop or to a col-
lection point for used batter-
ies.
Replacing the battery If the battery needs to be replaced, the bat-
tery symbol on the left of the display is shown
as empty. A CR2450 lithium battery is
required when replacing the battery. Operating the climate control system
153Climate control Z

Useful information
i This Owner's Manual describes all mod-
els, series and optional equipment for your
vehicle that were available at the time of
going to press. National variations are pos- sible. Note that your vehicle may not be
equipped with all of the functions descri-
bed. This is also the case for systems and
functions relevant to safety.
i Read the information on qualified special-
ist workshops: (Y page 24). Running-in notes
Important safety notes
In certain driving and driving safety systems,
the sensors adjust automatically while a cer-
tain distance is being driven after the vehicle has been delivered or after repairs. Full sys-
tem effectiveness is not reached until the end
of this teach-in process.
Brake pads/linings and discs that are either
new or have been replaced only achieve opti- mum braking effect after several hundred kil-
ometres of driving. Compensate for the
reduced braking effect by applying greater
force to the brake pedal. The first 1500 km
If you treat the engine with sufficient care
from the very start, you will be rewarded with excellent performance for the remainder of
the engine's life.
R Drive at varying vehicle speeds and engine
speeds for the first 1500 km.
R Avoid overstraining the vehicle during this
period, e.g. driving at full throttle.
R Change gear in good time, before the rev
counter needle is Ôof the way to the red
area of the rev counter. R
Do not shift down a gear manually in order
to brake.
R Vehicles with automatic transmission:
try to avoid depressing the accelerator
pedal beyond the point of resistance (kick- down).
After 1500 km, you may gradually bring the
vehicle up to full road and engine speeds.
You should also observe these notes on run-
ning-in if the engine or parts of the drive train
on your vehicle have been replaced. Driving
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Objects in the driver's footwell may restrict
the clearance around the pedals or block a
depressed pedal. This jeopardises the oper-
ating and road safety of the vehicle. There is a risk of an accident.
Stow all objects securely in the vehicle so that
they do not get into the driver's footwell.
Always fit the floormats securely and as pre-
scribed in order to ensure that there is always sufficient room for the pedals. Do not use
loose floormats and do not place several floor-mats on top of one another. G
WARNING
Unsuitable footwear can hinder correct usage of the pedals, e.g.:
R shoes with thick soles
R shoes with high heels
R slippers
There is a risk of an accident.
Wear suitable footwear to ensure correct
usage of the pedals. G
WARNING
If you switch off the ignition while driving,
safety-relevant functions are only available
with limitations, or not at all. This could affect, for example, the power steering and the brake 158
DrivingDriving and parking

When the transmission is in position
N, you
can also start the engine with the brake pedal
depressed.
Starting procedure with the key To start the engine using the key instead of
the Start/Stop button, pull the Start/Stop
button out of the ignition lock.
X To start a petrol engine: turn the key to
position 3in the ignition lock (Y page 159)
and release it as soon as the engine is run-
ning.
X To start a diesel engine: turn the key to
position 2in the ignition lock (Y page 159).
The % preglow indicator lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up.
X When the %preglow indicator lamp
goes out, turn the key to position 3
(Y page 159) and release it as soon as the
engine is running.
You can start the engine without preglow if
the engine is warm.
Starting procedure using the Start/
Stop button The Start/Stop button can be used to start
the vehicle manually without inserting the key into the ignition lock. The key must be in the
vehicle and the Start/Stop button must be
inserted in the ignition lock. This mode for
starting the engine operates independently of
the ECO start/stop automatic engine start
function.
You can start the engine if a valid key is in the vehicle. Switch off the engine and always take
the key with you when leaving the vehicle,
even if you only leave it for a short time. Pay
attention to the important safety notes.
X Vehicles with automatic transmission:
depress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
X Vehicles with manual transmission:
depress the clutch pedal and keep it
depressed. X
To start a petrol engine: press the Start/
Stop button once (Y page 159).
The engine starts.
X To start a diesel engine: press the Start/
Stop button once (Y page 159).
Preglow is activated and the engine starts. Pulling away
Manual transmission !
Change gear in good time and avoid spin-
ning the wheels. Otherwise, you could dam- age the vehicle.
Depress the accelerator carefully when pull-
ing away.
The vehicle locks centrally once you have
pulled away. The locking knobs in the doors
drop down.
You can open the doors from the inside at any time.
You can also deactivate the automatic lockingfeature (Y page 247).
Automatic transmission G
WARNING
If the engine speed is above the idling speed
and you engage transmission position Dor R,
the vehicle could pull away suddenly. There is a risk of an accident.
When engaging transmission position Dor R,
always firmly depress the brake pedal and do not simultaneously accelerate.
Depress the accelerator carefully when pull-
ing away.
The vehicle locks centrally once you have
pulled away. The locking knobs in the doors
drop down.
You can open the doors from the inside at any
time.
You can also deactivate the automatic locking feature (Y page 247). 162
DrivingDriving and parking

Towing a trailer
Towing a trailer is not possible with all mod-
els. For further information, see
(Y
page 225).
X Drive in the middle of the engine speed
range on uphill gradients.
X Depending on the uphill or downhill gradi-
ent, select a lower gear (Y page 186), even
if cruise control, DISTRONIC PLUS, or
SPEEDTRONIC are activated. Program selector button
The program selector button allows you to
choose between drive programs with differ-
ent driving characteristics. X
Press program selector button :.
The selected drive program appears in the
multifunction display.
The automatic transmission switches to auto- matic drive program Eeach time the engine is
started. E
Economy Comfortable, economical
driving
S
Sport Sporty driving style
M
Manual Manual gearshifting
Further information on the automatic drive
program (Y page 174). Steering wheel gearshift paddles
:
Left steering wheel gearshift paddle
(shifts down)
; Right steering wheel gearshift paddle
(shifts up)
In drive program M, you can change gear
yourself using the steering wheel gearshift
paddles.
If you pull the left or right steering wheel gear- shift paddle when in automatic drive program
E or S, the automatic transmission shifts into
drive program Mfor a limited time. Depend-
ing on which gearshift paddle is pulled, the
automatic transmission immediately shifts
into the next gear down or up.
You can only change gear with the steering
wheel gearshift paddles when the transmis-
sion is in position D.
For further information on the manual drive
program, see (Y page 175). Automatic drive program
Drive program Eis characterised by the fol-
lowing:
R comfort-oriented engine settings.
R optimal fuel consumption resulting from
the automatic transmission shifting up
sooner.
R the vehicle pulling away more gently in
forward and reverse gears unless the accel- erator pedal is depressed fully. 174
Automatic transmissionDriving an
d parking

R
increased sensitivity. This improves driving
stability on slippery road surfaces, for
example.
R the automatic transmission shifting up
sooner. This results in the vehicle being
driven at lower engine speeds and the
wheels being less likely to spin.
Drive program Sis characterised by the fol-
lowing:
R sporty engine settings.
R the automatic transmission shifting up
later.
R as a result of the later automatic transmis-
sion shift points, the fuel consumption pos-sibly being higher. Manual drive program
General notes In manual drive program
M, you can change
gear yourself by using the steering wheel
gearshift paddles. For this, the transmission
must be in position D. The gear currently
selected and engaged is shown in the multi-
function display.
Manual drive program Mdiffers from drive
programs Eand Swith regard to spontaneity,
responsiveness and smoothness of gear
changes. Gear Driving situations
=
To use the engine's braking effect
5
To use the braking effect of the
engine on downhill gradients and
for driving:
R on steep mountain roads
R in mountainous terrain
R in arduous conditions 4
To use the braking effect of the
engine on extremely steep downhill
gradients and on long downhill
stretches Activating the manual drive program
Activating permanently
X Press the program selector button
(Y page 174) repeatedly until Mappears in
the multifunction display.
Manual drive program Mremains active
until drive program Eor Sis engaged.
Activating temporarily X Pull the right or left steering wheel gearshift
paddle (Y page 174).
Manual drive program Mis temporarily
active. Depending on which gearshift pad-
dle is pulled, the automatic transmission
immediately shifts into the next gear down
or up.
When manual drive program Mis activated via
the steering wheel gearshift paddles, the tem- porarily active manual drive program Mwill be
deactivated automatically after a limited
time, if the driving situation permits. In this
case, the automatic transmission shifts into
the automatic drive program that was last
engaged, i.e. Eor S. When driving on downhill
gradients, the temporarily active manual
drive program Mwill only be deactivated if the
accelerator pedal is depressed while the vehi-
cle is rolling downhill.
Upshifting X
Pull the right-hand steering wheel gearshift
paddle (Y page 174).
The automatic transmission shifts up to the next gear.
In order to prevent engine damage the auto-
matic transmission automatically shifts up:
R if the maximum engine speed on the cur-
rently engaged gear is reached and
R you depress the accelerator pedal Automatic transmission
175Driving and parking Z

Fuel consumption also increases when driv-
ing in cold weather, in stop-start traffic, on
short journeys and in hilly terrain. ECO display
The ECO display provides feedback on how
economical your driving characteristics are.
The ECO display assists you in achieving the
most economical driving style for the selec-
ted settings and prevailing conditions. Con-
sumption can be significantly influenced by
your driving style.
The ECO display consists of three bars:
R Acceleration
Acceleration
R Constant Constant
R Coasting
Coasting
The percentage count is the mean value of the three bar values. The three bars and the mean
value begin at the value of 50%. A higher per- centage count indicates a more economical
driving style.
The ECO display does not indicate the actual
fuel consumption. A fixed percentage count
in the ECO display does not indicate a fixed
consumption.
In addition to driving style, the consumption is
affected by many other factors, such as:
R load
R tyre pressure
R cold start
R choice of route
R the use of electrical consumers
These factors are not included in the ECO dis-
play.
The evaluation of your driving style takes the following three categories into consideration: R
Acceleration
Acceleration (evaluation of all accelera-
tion processes):
- the bar fills up: moderate acceleration,
especially at higher speeds
- the bar empties: sporty acceleration
R Constant Constant (assessment of driving behav-
iour at all times)
- the bar fills up: constant speed and
avoidance of unnecessary acceleration
and deceleration
- the bar empties: fluctuations in speed
R Coasting Coasting (assessment of all deceleration
processes)
- the bar fills up: anticipatory driving, keep-
ing your distance and early release of the
accelerator. The vehicle can coast with-
out use of the brakes.
- the bar empties: frequent braking
An economical driving style involves driving at a moderate engine speed.
To achieve a higher value in the categories
Acceleration Acceleration andConstant
Constant :
R observe the gearshift recommendation
R drive the vehicle in drive program E(vehi-
cles with automatic transmission)
On long journeys at a constant speed, e.g. on the motorway, only the bar for Constant
Constantwill
change.
The ECO display summarises the driving char-
acteristics from the start of the journey to its completion. Therefore, there are dynamic
changes in the bars at the start of a journey.
During a prolonged driving time, these
changes are smaller. For more dynamic
changes, perform a manual reset.
Further information on the ECO display
(Y page 236). Driving tips
185Driving and parking Z

Brakes
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If you shift down on a slippery road surface in an attempt to increase the engine's braking
effect, the drive wheels could lose their grip.
This increases the risk of skidding and having
an accident.
Do not shift down for additional engine brak-
ing on a slippery road surface.
Downhill gradients Change into a lower gear in good time on long
and steep downhill gradients. Take particular note of this when driving a laden vehicle and
when towing a trailer. For vehicles with auto-
matic transmission, you need to have selec-
ted manual drive program M(Y page 175).
This also applies if you have activated cruise
control, SPEEDTRONIC or DISTRONIC PLUS.
This will use the braking effect of the engine,
so less braking will be required to maintain
vehicle speed. This relieves the load on the
brake system and prevents the brakes from
overheating and wearing too quickly.
Briefly depressing the accelerator pedal on
downhill gradients while the manual drive
program Mis temporarily activated (vehicles
with automatic transmission): the automatic
transmission may switch back to the last
active automatic drive program Eor S. The
automatic transmission may shift to a higher
gear. This can reduce the engine's braking
effect.
Heavy and light loads G
WARNING
The braking system can overheat if you leave your foot on the brake pedal while driving.
This increases the braking distance and could
even cause the braking system to fail. There is
a risk of an accident. Never use the brake pedal as a footrest. Do
not simultaneously depress both the brake
pedal and the accelerator pedal while driving.
! Depressing the brake pedal constantly
results in excessive and premature wear to
the brake pads.
If heavy demands are made on the brakes, do not park the vehicle immediately. Drive on for
a short while. This allows the airflow to cool
the brakes more quickly.
If the brakes have been used only moderately, you should occasionally test their effective-
ness. To do this, brake more firmly from a
higher speed, paying attention to traffic con-
ditions. This improves the grip of the brakes.
Wet road surfaces If you have driven for a long time in heavy rain
without braking, there may be a delayed reac- tion from the brakes when braking for the first
time. This may also occur after a car wash or after driving through deep water.
You will have to depress the brake pedal more
firmly. Maintain a greater distance to the vehi-
cle in front.
After driving on a wet road or having the vehi- cle washed, brake firmly while paying atten-
tion to the traffic conditions. This will warm up
the brake discs, thereby drying them more
quickly and protecting them against corro-
sion.
Limited braking performance on salt-
treated roads If you drive on salt-treated roads, a layer of
salt may form on the brake discs and pads.
This can increase the braking distance con-
siderably.186
Driving tipsDriving an
d parking