
Activating/deactivating air-
recirculation mode
G
WARNING
Fogged windows impair visibility,
endangering you and others. If the windows
begin to fog on the inside, switching off the
air recirculation mode immediately should
clear interior window fogging. If interior
window fogging persists, make sure the air
conditioning is activated, or press the 0064
button.
X Turn the SmartKey to position
2(Y page 139) in the ignition lock.
X To switch on: press the0089button.
The indicator lamp in the 0089button lights
up.
i Air-recirculation mode is automatically
activated at high levels of pollution or at
high outside temperatures. When air-
recirculation mode is activated
automatically, the indicator lamp in the
0089 button is not lit.
Outside air is added after approximately
30 minutes.
X To deactivate: press the0089button.
The indicator lamp in the 0089button goes
out.
i Air-recirculation mode switches off
automatically:
R after approximately five minutes at
outside temperatures below
approximately 41 ‡
R after approximately five minutes if
cooling with air dehumidification is
deactivated
R after approximately 30 minutes at
outside temperatures above
approximately 41 ‡ (5 †) Activating/deactivating the residual
heat function
The "residual heat" function is only available
in Canada.
It is possible to make use of the residual heat
of the engine to continue heating the
stationary vehicle for up to 30 minutes after
the engine has been switched off. The heating
time depends on the coolant temperature and
on the interior temperature that has been set.
i The blower will run at a low speed
regardless of the airflow setting.
i If you activate the residual heat function
at high temperatures, only the ventilation
will be activated.
X Turn the SmartKey to position
0(Y page 139) in the ignition lock or
remove it.
X To activate: press the0056button.
The indicator lamp in the 0056button lights
up.
X To deactivate: press the0056button.
The indicator lamp in the 0056button goes
out.
i Residual heat is deactivated
automatically:
R after approximately 30 minutes
R when the ignition is switched on
R if the battery voltage drops
R if the coolant temperature is too low Setting the air vents
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
When operating the climate control, the air
that enters the passenger compartment
through the air vents can be very hot or very
cold (depending on the set temperature). This
could cause burns or frostbite to unprotected
skin in the immediate area of the air vents. 134
Setting the air ventsClimate cont
rol

Make sure that all objects in the vehicle are
stowed correctly, and that they cannot enter
the driver's footwell. Install the floormats
securely and as specified in order to ensure
sufficient clearance for the pedals. Do not use
loose floormats. 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
boosting effect. You will require considerably
more effort to steer and brake. There is a risk
of an accident.
Do not switch off the ignition while driving. G
WARNING
If the parking brake has not been fully
released when driving, the parking brake can:
R overheat and cause a fire
R lose its hold function.
There is a risk of fire and an accident. Release
the parking brake fully before driving off.
! Warm up the engine quickly. Do not use
the engine's full performance until it has
reached operating temperature.
Only shift the automatic transmission to
the desired drive position when the vehicle
is stationary.
Where possible, avoid spinning the drive
wheels when pulling away on slippery
roads. You could otherwise damage the
drive train. !
Avoid high engine speeds when the
engine is cold. The engine's service life
could otherwise be significantly shortened.
Do not use the engine's full performance
until it has reached operating temperature.
! AMG vehicles: at low engine oil
temperatures below 68 ‡ (+20 †), the
maximum engine speed is restricted in
order to protect the engine. To protect the
engine and maintain smooth engine
operation, avoid driving at full throttle when
the engine is cold. Key positions
005A
To remove the SmartKey
0047 Power supply for some consumers, such
as the windshield wipers
0048 Ignition (power supply for all consumers)
and drive position
0049 To start the engine
As soon as the ignition is switched on, all the
indicator lamps in the instrument cluster light
up. If an indicator lamp does not go out after
starting the engine or lights up while driving,
see (Y page 244).
If the SmartKey is in position 0in the ignition
lock for an extended period of time, it can no
longer be turned in the ignition lock. The
steering is then locked. To unlock, remove the
SmartKey and reinsert it into the ignition lock.
The steering is locked when you remove the
SmartKey from the ignition lock. Driving
139Driving and parking Z

X
Remove the SmartKey when the engine is
switched off.
The starter battery could otherwise be
discharged.
If you cannot turn the SmartKey in the ignition
lock, the starter battery may not be charged
sufficiently.
X Check the starter battery and charge it if
necessary (Y page 301).
or
X Jump-start the vehicle (Y page 303).
i You can only remove the SmartKey if:
R the SmartKey is in position 0in the
ignition lock.
R the automatic transmission selector
lever is in P. Starting the engine
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Combustion engines emit poisonous exhaust
gases such as carbon monoxide. Inhaling
these exhaust gases leads to poisoning. There
is a risk of fatal injury. Therefore never leave
the engine running in enclosed spaces
without sufficient ventilation. G
WARNING
Inhalation of exhaust gas is hazardous to your
health. All exhaust gas contains carbon
monoxide (CO), and inhaling it can cause
unconsciousness and possible death.
Do not run the engine in confined areas (such
as a garage) which are not properly ventilated.
If you think that exhaust gas fumes are
entering the vehicle while driving, have the
cause determined and corrected
immediately. If you must drive under these
conditions, drive only with at least one
window fully open at all times.
! Do not depress the accelerator pedal
when starting the engine. Starting procedure X
Shift the automatic transmission to
position P.
The transmission position display in the
multifunction display shows P.
i For further information about the
automatic transmission, see
(Y page 145).
i If you depress the brake when starting the
engine, pedal travel is unusually long and
there is less pedal resistance.
X Make sure that the parking brake is
applied.
X Turn the SmartKey to position 3in the
ignition lock (Y page 139) and release it as
soon as the engine is running.
i You can also use the touch-start function.
To do this, turn the SmartKey to position 3
(Y page 139) and release it immediately.
The engine then starts automatically. Pulling away
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.
! Only shift the automatic transmission to
reverse gear Ror park position Pwhen the
vehicle is stationary. Otherwise, the
automatic transmission could be damaged.
! Do not depress the accelerator pedal
while depressing the brake pedal. This
impairs engine performance and results in
premature wear on the brake system and
drivetrain. 140
DrivingDriving and pa
rking

!
If a warning tone sounds and the
Release Park. Brake
Release Park. Brake message appears
in the multifunction display, the parking
brake is still applied. Release the parking
brake.
X Depress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
X Shift the automatic transmission to
position Dor R.
i Before driving off, wait until the gear
change is fully completed.
X Release the parking brake (Y page 157).
X Release the brake pedal.
X Carefully depress the accelerator pedal.
i It is only possible to shift the automatic
transmission from position Pto a different
position if you depress the brake pedal.
Only then is the selector lever lock
released.
i 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 216).
i Upshifts take place at higher engine
speeds after a cold start. This helps the
catalytic converter to reach its operating
temperature more quickly.
Hill start assist G
WARNING
After a short time, hill start assist will no
longer brake your vehicle and it could roll
away. There is a risk of an accident and injury.
Therefore, quickly move your foot from the
brake pedal to the accelerator pedal. Never
leave the vehicle when it is held by hill start
assist.
Hill start assist helps you when pulling away
forwards or in reverse on an uphill gradient. It holds the vehicle for a short time after you
have removed your foot from the brake pedal.
This gives you enough time to move your foot
from the brake pedal to the accelerator pedal
and to depress it before the vehicle begins to
roll.
X
Take your foot off the brake pedal.
i Once you have taken your foot off the
brake pedal, the vehicle is held for around
one second.
X Pull away.
Hill start assist will not function if:
R you are pulling away on a level road or on
a downhill gradient.
R the transmission is in position N.
R the parking brake is applied.
R ESP ®
is malfunctioning. ECO start/stop function (AMG
vehicles)
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If the engine is switched off automatically and
you exit the vehicle, the engine is restarted
automatically. The vehicle may begin moving.
There is a risk of accident and injury.
If you wish to exit the vehicle, always turn off
the ignition and secure the vehicle against
rolling away.
General notes The ECO start/stop function is only available
for the G 63 AMG.
The ECO start/stop function switches the
engine off automatically when the vehicle
stops moving.
The engine starts automatically when the
driver wants to pull away again. The ECO
start/stop function thereby helps you to
reduce the fuel consumption and emissions
of your vehicle. Driving
141Driving and parking Z

Problems with the engine
Problem Possible causes/consequences and
0050
0050Solutions The engine does not
start. The starter motor
can be heard. R
There is a malfunction in the engine electronics.
R There is a malfunction in the fuel supply.
X Turn the SmartKey back to position 0in the ignition lock before
attempting to start the engine again.
X Try to start the engine again (Y page 140). Avoid excessively
long and frequent attempts to start the engine, as this
(Y page 139) will drain the battery.
If the engine does not start after several attempts:
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. The engine does not
start. The starter motor
can be heard. The
yellow reserve fuel
warning lamp is lit and
the needle of the fuel
gauge display shows
0. The fuel tank is empty.
X
Refuel the vehicle. The engine does not
start. You cannot hear
the starter motor. The on-board voltage is too low because the battery is too weak
or discharged.
X
Jump-start the vehicle (Y page 303).
If the engine does not start despite attempts to jump-start it:
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. The starter motor was exposed to a thermal load that was too high.
X
Allow the starter motor to cool down for approximately two
minutes.
X Try to start the engine again.
If the engine still does not start:
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. The engine is not
running smoothly and
is misfiring. There is a malfunction in the engine electronics or in a mechanical
component of the engine management system.
X
Only depress the accelerator pedal slightly.
Otherwise, non-combusted fuel may get into the catalytic
converter and damage it.
X Have the cause rectified immediately at a qualified specialist
workshop. 144
DrivingDriving and parking

Selector lever
005D
Park position
005E Reverse gear
005C Neutral
005B Drive
When you select a transmission position, the
selector lever subsequently returns to its
original position.
The current transmission position P,R, Nor
D appears in the transmission position
display in the multifunction display.
Transmission position and drive
program display !
If the transmission position display in the
multifunction display is not working, you
should pull away carefully to check whether
the desired transmission position is
engaged. Select transmission position D.
Do not restrict the shift range. 0043
Transmission position
0044 Drive program
Current transmission position 0043and current
drive program 0044appear in the multifunction
display. The current position of the selector lever is
shown by the indicators next to the selector
lever.
The indicators light up when the SmartKey is
inserted into the ignition lock. The indicators
go out when the SmartKey is removed from
the ignition lock.
When the selector lever is in position
D, you
can influence the gearshifts made by the
automatic transmission by:
R restricting the shift range
R changing gear yourself
Engaging park position P X
When the vehicle is stationary, depress the
brake pedal and keep it depressed.
X Press the Pbutton in the center console.
i If you depress the brake pedal and push
the selector lever forwards or back to the
first point of resistance, park position Pis
disengaged. The transmission shifts to
neutral N.
Park position Pis automatically engaged:
R if you remove the SmartKey from the
ignition lock
R if you open the driver's door while traveling
at low speed in transmission position Dor
R
R if DISTRONIC PLUS (Y page 176) brakes
your vehicle until it is stationary and at least
one of the following conditions is fulfilled:
- the engine is switched off.
- the driver's door is open and the seat belt
is not fastened.
- there is a system malfunction.
- the power supply is insufficient.
Engaging reverse gear R !
Only shift the automatic transmission to
R when the vehicle is stationary. 146
Automatic transmissionDriving and parking

X
When the vehicle is stationary, depress the
brake pedal and keep it depressed.
X Push the selector lever forwards past the
first point of resistance.
Transmission position Ris engaged.
i For AMG vehicles: when reverse gear is
engaged and the ECO start/stop function
is switched on, the engine starts up
automatically (Y page 141).
Shifting to neutral N G
WARNING
When leaving the SmartKey in the starter
switch, do not leave children unattended in
the vehicle. It is possible for children to switch
on the ignition which could result in
unsupervised use of vehicle equipment.
Unsupervised use of vehicle equipment could
result in an accident and/or serious personal
injury.
If the vehicle is stationary:
X Depress the brake pedal.
X Depending on the current transmission
position, press the selector lever forwards
or backwards to the first point of
resistance.
The automatic transmission shifts to N.
If the engine has been switched off, the
automatic transmission automatically shifts
to N.
i For AMG vehicles: the ECO start/stop
function switches the engine off
automatically if the vehicle is braked to a
standstill when in neutral Nand the brake
is still depressed (Y page 141). Remaining in neutral N G
WARNING
If children are left unsupervised in the vehicle,
they could:
R open the doors, thus endangering other
people or road users.
R get out and disrupt traffic.
R operate the vehicle's equipment.
Additionally, children could set the vehicle in
motion if, for example, they:
R release the parking brake.
R shift the automatic transmission out of
parking position P.
R starting the engine.
There is a risk of an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children or animals unattended in the
vehicle. Always keep the SmartKey out of
reach of children.
X Make sure that the ignition is switched on.
X When the vehicle is stationary, depress the
brake pedal and keep it depressed.
X Shift to neutral N.
X Release the brake pedal.
X If the parking brake is applied, release it.
X Switch off the ignition and leave the
SmartKey in the ignition lock.
Shifting to transmission position D X
When the vehicle is stationary, depress the
brake pedal and keep it depressed.
X Push the selector lever back past the first
point of resistance.
Transmission position Dis engaged.
i For AMG vehicles: the ECO start/stop
function switches the engine off
automatically if the vehicle is braked to a
standstill when in transmission position D
and the brake is still depressed
(Y page 141). Automatic transmission
147Driving and parking Z

Transmission positions
0045
Park position
Do not shift the transmission into
position P(Y page 145) unless the
vehicle is stationary. The parking
lock should not be used as a brake
when parking. In addition to
engaging the parking lock, you
must always apply the parking
brake to secure the vehicle.
i The SmartKey can only be
removed if the transmission is in
position P. When there is no
SmartKey in the ignition lock, the
selector lever is locked in
position P.
Have the vehicle electronics
checked immediately at a qualified
specialist workshop. 0046
Reverse gear
Only shift the transmission to R
when the vehicle is stationary. 0044
Neutral
No power is transmitted from the
engine to the drive wheels.
Releasing the brakes will allow you
to move the vehicle freely, e.g. to
push it or tow it.
Do not shift the transmission to
N
while driving. Otherwise, the
automatic transmission could be
damaged.
If ESP ®
is deactivated or faulty:
only shift the transmission to
position Nif the vehicle is in danger
of skidding, e.g. on icy roads.
If you want to engage the transfer
case, shift briefly into N
(Y page 194).
! Rolling in neutral Ncan damage
the drive train. 003A
Drive
The automatic transmission
changes gear automatically. All
forward gears are available.
Changing gear
The automatic transmission shifts to the
individual gears automatically when it is in
transmission position D. This automatic
gearshifting behavior is determined by:
R a shift range restriction, if selected
R the position of the transfer case ( HIGH
RANGE orLOW RANGE)
R the position of the accelerator pedal
R the road speed 148
Automatic transmissionDriving an
d parking