Page 177 of 405

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
Page 178 of 405

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
Page 179 of 405

Gearshift recommendation
The gearshift recommendations assist you in
adopting an economical driving style. The rec- ommended gear is shown in the multifunctiondisplay.
X Shift to recommended gear ;according
to gearshift recommendation :when
shown in the multifunction display of the
instrument cluster.
Downshifting X
Pull the left-hand steering wheel gearshift
paddle (Y page 174).
The automatic transmission shifts down to
the next gear.
If you slow down or stop without shifting
down, the automatic transmission automati-
cally shifts down.
For maximum acceleration, pull the left-hand
steering wheel gearshift paddle until the
transmission selects the optimum gear for
the current speed.
If the engine exceeds the maximum engine
speed when shifting down, the automatic
transmission protects against engine damage by not shifting down.
Kickdown You can also use kickdown for maximum
acceleration in manual drive program
M.
X Depress the accelerator pedal beyond the
pressure point.
The transmission shifts to a lower gear
depending on the engine speed.
X Shift back up once the desired speed is
reached. During kickdown, you cannot shift gears
using the steering wheel gearshift paddles.
If you apply full throttle, the automatic trans- mission shifts up to the next gear when the
maximum engine speed is reached. This pre-
vents the engine from overrevving.
Deactivating the manual drive program X
Press the program selector button
(Y page 174) repeatedly until Eor S
appears in the multifunction display.
Deactivating the temporary manual drive program
X Pull and hold the right steering wheel gear-
shift paddle until the automatic transmis-
sion shifts into the last active automatic
drive program Eor S.
When manual drive program Mis deactivated,
the automatic transmission in automatic
drive program Eor Smay shift from the cur-
rent gear into a higher or lower gear. This is
dependent on the position of the accelerator
pedal, speed and load. 176
Automatic transmissionDriving and parking
Page 180 of 405

Problems with the transmission
Problem
Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions The transmission has
problems shifting gear. The transmission is losing oil.
X Have the transmission checked at a qualified specialist work-
shop immediately. The acceleration ability
is deteriorating.
The transmission no
longer shifts into all of
the gears.
Reverse gear can no
longer be engaged. The transmission is in emergency mode.
X Stop.
X Shift the transmission to position P.
X Switch off the engine.
X Wait at least ten seconds before restarting the engine.
X Shift the transmission to position D.
X Have the transmission checked at a qualified specialist work-
shop immediately. Refuelling
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Fuel is highly flammable. If you handle fuel
incorrectly, there is a risk of fire and explo-
sion.
You must avoid fire, naked flames, creating
sparks and smoking. Switch off the engine
and, if applicable, the auxiliary heating before refuelling. G
WARNING
Fuels are poisonous and hazardous to health. There is a danger of injury.
Do not swallow fuel or let it come into contact
with skin, eyes or clothing. Do not inhale fuel
vapours. Keep fuels out of the reach of chil-
dren.
If you or others come into contact with fuel,
observe the following:
R Wash the fuel off any affected areas of skin
with water and soap immediately.
R If you get fuel in your eyes, rinse them thor-
oughly with clean water immediately. Seek immediate medical attention. R
If fuel is swallowed, seek immediate medi-
cal attention. Do not induce vomiting.
R Change any clothing that has come into
contact with fuel immediately. G
WARNING
Electrostatic charge can cause sparks and
thereby ignite fuel vapours. There is a risk of
fire and explosion.
Always touch the vehicle body before opening the fuel filler flap or touching the fuel pump
nozzle. This discharges any electrostatic
charge that may have built up. G
WARNING
Vehicles with a diesel engine:
If you mix diesel fuel with petrol, the flash
point of this fuel mixture is lower than that of pure diesel fuel. When the engine is running,
components in the exhaust system may over-
heat unnoticed. There is a risk of fire.
Never refuel with petrol. Never add petrol to
diesel fuel.
! Do not use diesel to refuel vehicles with a
petrol engine. Do not switch on the ignition if you accidentally refuel with the wrong Refuelling
177Driving and parking Z
Page 181 of 405

fuel. Otherwise, the fuel will enter the fuel
system. Even small amounts of the wrong
fuel can result in damage to the fuel system
and the engine. Notify a qualified specialist workshop and have the fuel tank and fuel
lines drained completely.
! Do not use petrol to refuel vehicles with a
diesel engine. Do not switch on the ignition if you accidentally refuel with the wrong
fuel. Otherwise, fuel can enter the fuel sys-tem. Even small amounts of the wrong fuel
could result in damage to the fuel system
and the engine. The repair costs are high.
Notify a qualified specialist workshop and
have the fuel tank and fuel lines drained
completely.
! Overfilling the fuel tank could damage the
fuel system.
! Take care not to spill any fuel on painted
surfaces. You could otherwise damage the
paintwork.
! Use a filter when adding fuel from a fuel
can. The fuel lines and/or the diesel injec-
tion system could otherwise be blocked by
particles from the fuel can.
Do not get into the vehicle again during the
refuelling process. Otherwise, electrostatic
charge could build up again.
If you overfill the fuel tank, some fuel may
spray out when you remove the fuel pump
nozzle.
Further information on fuel and fuel quality
(Y page 386). Refuelling
General notes The fuel filler flap is unlocked or locked auto-
matically when you unlock or lock the vehicle
with the key.
The position of the fuel filler cap is displayed
æ in the instrument cluster. The arrow
next to the filling pump indicates the side of
the vehicle. Opening the fuel filler flap
:
To open the fuel filler flap
; Tyre pressure table
= To insert the fuel filler cap
? Instruction label for fuel type to be refu-
elled
X Vehicles without KEYLESS-GO: remove
the key from the ignition lock.
X Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO start-func-
tion or KEYLESS-GO: open the driver's
door.
The on-board electronics now have status
0. This is the same as the key having been
removed.
X Press the fuel filler flap in the direction of
arrow :.
The fuel filler flap swings up.
X Turn the fuel filler cap anti-clockwise and
remove it.
X Insert the fuel filler cap into the holder on
the inside of fuel filler flap =.
X Completely insert the filler neck of the fuel
pump nozzle into the tank, hook in place
and refuel.
X Only fill the tank until the pump nozzle
switches off.
Vehicles with a diesel engine: the filler neck is
designed for refuelling at diesel filling pumps.
Do not add any more fuel after the pump
stops filling for the first time. Otherwise, fuel
may leak out. 178
RefuellingDriving and parking
Page 182 of 405
Closing the fuel filler flap
X
Replace the cap on the filler neck and turn
clockwise until it engages audibly.
X Close the fuel filler flap.
Close the fuel filler flap before locking the
vehicle. Refuelling
179Driving and parking Z
Page 183 of 405

Problems with the fuel and fuel tank
Problem
Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions Fuel is leaking from the
vehicle. The fuel line or the fuel tank is faulty.
G WARNING
There is a risk of fire or explosion. X Turn the key to position 0immediately and remove it
(Y page 159).
X Do not restart the engine under any circumstances.
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. The engine does not
start. The fuel tank of a vehicle with a diesel engine has been run com-
pletely dry.
X Refuel the vehicle with at least 5 litres of diesel.
X Turn the ignition on for approximately ten seconds
(Y page 159).
X Start the engine continuously for a maximum of ten seconds
until it runs smoothly.
If the engine does not start:
X Turn the ignition on again a maximum of ten seconds
(Y page 159).
X Start the engine again continuously for a maximum of ten sec-
onds until it runs smoothly.
If the engine does not start after three attempts:
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. The fuel filler flap can-
not be opened. The fuel filler flap is not unlocked.
X Unlock the vehicle (Y page 87). The key battery is discharged or nearly discharged.
X Unlock the vehicle using the emergency key element
(Y page 89). The fuel filler flap is unlocked, but the opening mechanism is jam-
med.
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. 180
RefuellingDriving and parking
Page 184 of 405

Parking
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Flammable material such as leaves, grass or
twigs may ignite if they come into contact with hot parts of the exhaust system or exhaust
gas flow. There is a risk of fire.
Park the vehicle so that no flammable mate-
rial can come into contact with hot vehicle
components. In particular, do not park on dry grassland or harvested grain fields. G
WARNING
If you leave children unattended in the vehi-
cle, they may be able to set the vehicle in
motion if, for example, they:
R release the parking brake
R shift the automatic transmission out of park
position Por shift manual transmission into
neutral
R start the engine
In addition, they may operate vehicle equip-
ment and become trapped. There is a risk of
an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the key with you and lock the vehicle. Never leave
children unattended in the vehicle.
! Always secure the vehicle correctly
against rolling away. Otherwise, the vehicle
or its drivetrain could be damaged.
To ensure that the vehicle is secured against
rolling away unintentionally:
R the electric parking brake must be applied.
R on vehicles with manual transmission,
engage 1st gear or reverse gear.
R on vehicles with automatic transmission,
the transmission must be in position Pand
the transmission position display must
show Pin the multifunction display. R
the key must be removed from the ignition
lock.
R on uphill or downhill gradients, the front
wheels must be turned towards the kerb. Switching off the engine
Important safety notes G
WARNING
The automatic transmission switches to neu-
tral position Nwhen you switch off the engine.
The vehicle may roll away. There is a risk of an
accident.
After switching off the engine, always switch
to parking position P. Prevent the parked vehi-
cle from rolling away by applying the parking
brake.
Vehicles with manual transmission X
Shift to either 1st gear or reverse gear R.
X With the key: turn the key to position 0in
the ignition lock and remove it.
The immobiliser is activated.
X With the Start/Stop button: press the
Start/Stop button (Y page 159).
The engine stops and all the indicator
lamps in the instrument cluster go out.
When the driver's door is closed, this cor-
responds to key position 1. When the driv-
er's door is open, this corresponds to key
position 0: "key removed".
X Apply the electric parking brake.
Vehicles with automatic transmission X
Apply the electric parking brake.
X Shift the transmission to position P. Parking
181Driving and parking Z