
X
Insert the front tabs of battery tray
cover :and then press to close it.
X Insert the mechanical key into the
SmartKey.
X Check the function of all SmartKey buttons
on the vehicle. Problems with the SmartKey
You can find information about this in the
Digital Operator's Manual. Doors
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the ignition lock. Always take
the SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle.
Do not leave children unsupervised in the
vehicle, even if they are secured in a child
restraint system, and do not give them access
to an unlocked vehicle. A child's unsupervised
access to a vehicle could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury. They could:
R injure themselves on vehicle parts
R be seriously or fatally injured by extreme
heat or cold
R injure themselves or have an accident with
vehicle equipment that may still be in
operation even after the SmartKey has
been removed from the ignition, such as the
seat adjustment, steering wheel
adjustment or memory function.
If children open a door, they could cause
severe or even fatal injury to other persons; if
they get out of the vehicle, they could injure
themselves when doing so or be seriously or
even fatally injured by any passing traffic.
Do not expose the child restraint system to
direct sunlight. The child restraint system's
metal parts, for example, could become very
hot, and a child could be burned on these
parts. G
WARNING
Do not carry heavy or hard objects in the
passenger compartment or cargo
compartment unless they are firmly secured
in place.
Unsecured or improperly positioned cargo
increases a child's risk of injury in the event
of
R strong braking maneuvers
R sudden changes of direction
R an accident 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 park
position P or shift manual transmission into
neutral.
R start 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. Information in the Digital Operator's
Manual
In the Digital Operator's Manual you will find
information on the following topics:
R Unlocking and opening doors from the
inside
R Centrally locking and unlocking the vehicle
from the inside
R Automatic locking feature Doors
69Opening and closing Z

!
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 105).
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 144).
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)
In the Digital Operator's Manual, you will find
general notes on and information about:
R Deactivating/activating the ECO start/
stop function
R Automatic engine switch-off/engine start Automatic transmission
Important safety notes
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. G
WARNING
The automatic transmission switches to
neutral position Nwhen you switch off the Automatic transmission
99Driving and parking
Z

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
vehicle from rolling away by applying the
parking brake.
i Bear in mind that the power transmission
between the engine and the transmission
is interrupted when the engine is switched
off. For this reason, shift the automatic
transmission to Pwhen the engine is
switched off and the vehicle is at a
standstill. Apply the parking brake to
prevent the vehicle from rolling away. Selector lever
Overview of transmission positions !
If the engine speed is too high or if the
vehicle is rolling, do not shift the
transmission directly from Dto R, from R
to Dor directly to P.
Do not open the driver's door while the
vehicle is in motion. At low speeds in
transmission position Dor R, park position
P is otherwise engaged automatically.
The transmission could be damaged. Selector lever
j
Park position
k Reverse gear
i Neutral
h Drive In the Digital Operator's Manual you will find
information on the following topics:
R
Engaging parking position P
R Engaging reverse gear R
R Engaging neutral N
R Neutral Nin the ECO start/stop function
(AMG vehicles)
R Shifting to transmission position D
R Transmission position Din the ECO start/
stop function (AMG vehicles)
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. :
Transmission position
; Drive program
Current transmission position :and current
drive program ;appear 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 100
Automatic transmissionDriving and parking

Information in the Digital Operator's
Manual
In the Digital Operator's Manual you will find
information on the following topics:
R Transmission position and drive program
display
R Transmission positions
R Changing gear
R Driving tips
R Program selector button
R Steering wheel paddle shifters
R Automatic drive program
R Manual drive program
R Shift ranges
R Problems with the transmission Manual drive program
Introduction In drive program
M, you can change gear
manually using the steering wheel paddle
shifters. For this, the transmission must be in
position D. The gear currently selected and
engaged is shown in the multifunction
display.
Manual drive program Mdiffers from drive
programs Eand Swith regard to spontaneity,
responsiveness and smoothness of gear
changes.
Switching on the manual drive program X
Press the program selector button until the
multifunction display Mappears, see
Digital Operator's Manual.
Upshifting (except AMG vehicles) X
Pull the right-hand paddle ( Ypage 101).
Pull the right-hand paddle; see the Digital
Operator's Manual
The automatic transmission shifts up to the
next gear. Shifting up (AMG vehicles) !
In manual drive program M, the automatic
transmission does not shift up
automatically even when the engine
limiting speed for the current gear is
reached. When the engine limiting speed is
reached, the fuel supply is cut to prevent
the engine from overrevving. Always make
sure that the engine speed does not reach
the red area of the tachometer. There is
otherwise a risk of engine damage.
X Pull the right-hand paddle ( Ypage 101).
Pull the right-hand paddle; see the Digital
Operator's Manual
The automatic transmission shifts up to the
next gear.
Before the engine speed reaches the red area,
an upshift indicator will be shown in the
multifunction display.
X If the color in the speedometer
multifunction display changes to red and
the UP
UP display message is shown, shift up
a gear.
Information in the Digital Operator's
Manual In the Digital Operator's Manual you will find
information on the following topics:
R
Downshifting
R Selecting the optimal gear for maximum
acceleration
R Kickdown
R Switching off the manual drive program Refueling
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Gasoline is highly flammable and poisonous.
It burns violently and can cause serious
personal injury. Refueling
101Driving and pa rking
Z

Problems with the fuel and fuel tank
Problem Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions Fuel is leaking from the
vehicle.
G
Risk of explosion or fire
The fuel line or the fuel tank is defective.
X Turn the SmartKey to position 0(Ypage 97) in the ignition lock
immediately and remove it.
X Do not restart the engine under any circumstances.
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. The fuel filler flap
cannot be opened. The fuel filler flap is not unlocked.
or
The SmartKey batteries are discharged.
X
Unlock the vehicle (Y page 66).
or
X Unlock the vehicle using the mechanical key (Y page 67).
X Open the rear door.
X Manually unlock the fuel filler flap using the emergency release
(Y page 103). The fuel filler flap is unlocked, but the opening mechanism is
jammed.
X
Manually unlock the fuel filler flap using the emergency release
(Y page 103).
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. Parking
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
If you leave children unsupervised in the
vehicle, they could set it in motion by, for
example:
R release the parking brake.
R shift the automatic transmission out of the
parking position P.
R start the engine.
In addition, they may operate vehicle
equipment and become trapped. 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 unsupervised in the vehicle.
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
materials come into contact with parts of the
vehicle which are hot. Take particular care not
to park on dry grassland or harvested grain
fields. 104
ParkingDriving and parking

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. Switching off the engine
Important safety notes 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
The automatic transmission switches to
neutral 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
vehicle from rolling away by applying the
parking brake.
Information in the Digital Operator's
Manual A description of how to switch off the engine
can be found in the Digital Operator's Manual.
Parking brake
G
WARNING
If you must brake the vehicle with the parking
brake, the braking distance is considerably longer and the wheels could lock. There is an
increased danger of skidding and accidents.
Only use the parking brake to brake the
vehicle when the service brake is faulty. Do
not apply the parking brake too firmly. If the
wheels lock, release the parking brake until
the wheels begin turning again.
G
WARNING
If you leave children unsupervised in the
vehicle, they could set it in motion by, for
example:
R releasing the parking brake
R shifting the automatic transmission out of
the parking position P
R starting the engine.
They could also operate the vehicle's
equipment. 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 unsupervised in the vehicle. i
When you apply parking brake ;to brake
the vehicle, the brake lamps do not light up.
X To apply: pull parking brake ;up firmly.
Parking brake ;is applied.
When the ignition is switched on or the
engine is running, the F(USA only) or
J (Canada only) indicator lamp is lit in
the instrument cluster. Parking
105Driving and parking Z

Any unauthorized modification to this
device could void the user’s authority to
operate the equipment.
i Canada only: This device complies with
RSS-210 of Industry Canada. Operation is
subject to the following two conditions:
1. This device may not cause interference,
and
2. this device must accept any interference
received, including interference that may
cause undesired operation of the device.
Removal, tampering, or altering of the
device will void any warranties, and is not
permitted. Do not tamper with, alter, or use
the device in any non-approved way.
Any unauthorized modification to this
device could void the user's authority to
operate the equipment.
Information in the Digital Operator's
Manual In the Digital Operator's Manual you will find
information on the following topics:
R Setting a speed
R Setting the specified minimum distance
R DISTRONIC PLUS displays in the
instrument cluster
Cruise control lever :
To activate or increase speed
; To set the specified minimum distance
= LIM indicator lamp ?
To activate at the current speed/last
stored speed
A To activate or reduce speed
B To switch between DISTRONIC PLUS and
variable SPEEDTRONIC
C To deactivate DISTRONIC PLUS
With the cruise control lever, you can operate
DISTRONIC PLUS and variable
SPEEDTRONIC.
X To switch between variable
SPEEDTRONIC and DISTRONIC PLUS:
press the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow B.
LIM indicator lamp =on the cruise control
lever indicates which function you have
selected:
R LIM indicator lamp =
= off: DISTRONIC
PLUS is selected.
R LIM indicator lamp = =on: variable
SPEEDTRONIC is selected.
Activating DISTRONIC PLUS Activation conditions
In order to activate DISTRONIC PLUS, the
following conditions must be fulfilled:
R the engine must be started. It may take up
to two minutes after pulling away before
DISTRONIC PLUS is operational.
R the parking brake must be released.
R the differential lock must be deactivated.
R ESP ®
must be active, but not intervening.
R the transmission must be in position D.
R the driver's door must be closed when you
shift from Pto Dor your seat belt must be
fastened.
R the front-passenger door and rear doors
must be closed.
R the vehicle must not skid.
R the DISTRONIC PLUS function must be
selected (Y page 116).
R the transfer case must be in the HIGH
RANGE transmission position. 116
Driving systemsDriving an
d parking

residence but also at any location to which
you are traveling. The police and local
authorities can provide reliable information.
Please observe the following when towing a
trailer:
R To acquaint yourself with driving with a
trailer and with the resulting changes to
handling, you should practice cornering,
stopping and backing up in a traffic-free
location.
R Before driving, check:
-Trailer tow hitch
- Safety switch for braked trailers
- Safety chains
- Electrical connections
- Lights
- Wheels
R Adjust the exterior mirrors to provide an
unobstructed view of the rear section of the
trailer.
R If the trailer features electronically
controlled brakes, pull away the vehicle/
trailer combination carefully, manually
brake using the brake controller, and check
the brakes for correct function.
R Secure any objects on the trailer to prevent
the cargo from slipping when the vehicle is
in motion.
R If you couple up a trailer, regularly check
the cargo for secure fastening and make
sure that the trailer lamps and (if
applicable) the trailer brakes are
functioning correctly.
R Bear in mind that the handling will be less
stable when towing a trailer than when
driving without one. Avoid sudden steering
movements.
R The vehicle/trailer combination is heavier,
accelerates more slowly, has a decreased
gradient climbing capability and a longer
braking distance.
It is more susceptible to side winds and
requires more careful steering. R
If possible, avoid abrupt braking. Depress
the brake pedal moderately at first, so that
the trailer can activate its own brakes. Then
increase the pressure on the brake pedal.
R If the automatic transmission continues to
shift back and forth between two gears
when driving up or downhill, restrict the
shift range. Select shift range 4, 3, 2,or1.
A lower gear and lower speed reduce the
risk of engine failure.
R When driving downhill, shift to a lower gear
to utilize the engine's braking effect.
Avoid continuous brake application as this
may overheat the vehicle brakes and, if
installed, the trailer brakes.
R If the coolant temperature increases
dramatically while the air-conditioning
system is switched on, switch off the air-
conditioning system.
Coolant heat can additionally be dissipated
by opening the windows and by setting the
blower fan and the interior temperature to
maximum.
R When overtaking, pay particular attention
to the extended length of your vehicle/
trailer combination.
Due to the length of your vehicle/trailer
combination, you will have to travel an
additional distance beyond the vehicle you
are overtaking before returning to the
previous lane. Decoupling a trailer
! Do not disconnect a trailer with an
engaged overrun brake. Otherwise, your
vehicle could be damaged by the
rebounding of the overrun brake.
X Make sure that the automatic transmission
is set to position P.
X Apply the parking brake.
X Start the engine. Towing a trailer
139Driving and parking Z