
DEF (BlueTEC vehicles only)
Important notes on use To function properly, BlueTEC exhaust gas
aftertreatment must be operated with the
reducing agent DEF. Adding DEF is one of the
tasks performed during maintenance. Under
normal operating conditions, a tank of DEF
lasts until the next service due date.
When the supply of DEF is almost used up,
the Check Additive See Operator's
Check Additive See Operator's
Manual
Manual message is shown in the
multifunction display.
If you drive the vehicle faster than 10 mph
(16 km/h), the Check Additive See
Check Additive See
Operator's
Operator's Manual Manualmessage goes out after
approximately one minute.
When the supply of DEF is down to a reserve
of approximately 1 gal (3.8 l) the Refill Refill
AdBlue/DEF See Operator's Manual
AdBlue/DEF See Operator's Manual
message is shown in the multifunction
display.
When the DEF supply drops to a minimum, the
Remaining Starts: 16
Remaining Starts: 16 message is shown
in the multifunction display.
If the Refill AdBlue/DEF No Start in
Refill AdBlue/DEF No Start in
XXXX km
XXXX km message is shown in the
multifunction display, you can still drive the
vehicle over the distance shown. If DEF is not
refilled, you will subsequently be unable to
start the engine. If the Refill AdBlue/
Refill AdBlue/
DEF Eng. Start Not Poss
DEF Eng. Start Not Poss message
appears in the multifunction display and the
engine does not start, you must add DEF.
X Add at least 1 gal (3.8l) of DEF.
X Switch on the ignition for at least 60
seconds.
X Start the engine.
i Have the DEF tank refilled at a qualified
specialist workshop.
Use the special DEF refill bottle when adding
DEF between maintenance intervals. Contact
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center with
any questions or, if necessary, contact
Roadside Assistance (Y page 25).If the outside temperature is below 12 ‡
(Ò11 †) it may be difficult to top up. If DEF is
frozen and there is an active warning
indicator, it may not be possible to add DEF.
Park the vehicle in a warmer place, e.g. in a
garage, until DEF has become fluid again. It
will then be possible to add DEF again.
Alternatively, have the DEF tank refilled at a
qualified specialist workshop.
Further information about BlueTEC exhaust
gas aftertreatment and DEF is available at any
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Important safety notes on the refilling
procedure
DEF is a water-soluble fluid for the exhaust
gas aftertreatment of diesel engines. It is:
R not poisonous
R colorless and odorless
R not flammable
When you open the DEF container, small
amounts of ammonia vapor may be released.
Ammonia vapors have a pungent odor and are
particularly irritating to the skin, to mucous
membranes and to the eyes. You may
experience a burning sensation in your eyes,
nose and throat. Coughing and watering of
the eyes are possible.
Do not inhale ammonia vapors. Fill the DEF
tank only in well-ventilated areas.
DEF must not come into contact with your
skin, eyes or clothing and must not be
swallowed. Keep DEF away from children.
If you or other persons come into contact with
DEF, observe the following:
R Rinse DEF from your skin immediately with
soap and water.
R If DEF comes into contact with your eyes,
immediately rinse them thoroughly with
clean water. Seek medical assistance
without delay.
R If DEF has been swallowed, rinse your
mouth out immediately. Drink plenty of 186
RefuelingDriving and parking

bow wave could cause water to enter and
damage the engine and other assemblies.
! Do not open any of the vehicle's doors
while fording. Otherwise, water could get
into the vehicle interior and damage the
vehicle's electronics and interior
equipment.
R Establish how deep the water is and the
characteristics of the body of water before
fording.
R Vehicles with the AIRMATIC package:
select the highest possible vehicle level.
R Shift to a lower gear using the left-hand
steering wheel paddle shifter.
R Avoid high engine speeds.
R Enter and exit the water at a flat place and
at a steady walking pace.
R Drive slowly and at an even speed through
the water.
R Do not stop.
R Water offers a high degree of resistance,
and the ground is slippery and in some
cases unstable. Therefore, it is difficult and
dangerous to pull away in the water.
R Ensure that a bow wave does not form as
you drive.
R Clean any mud from the tire tread after
fording.
R Apply the brakes to dry them after fording.
Always observe the fording depth values
(Y page 454). Winter driving
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.
There is an increased danger of skidding and
accidents.
Do not shift down for additional engine
braking on a slippery road surface. G
DANGER
If the exhaust pipe is blocked or adequate
ventilation is not possible, poisonous gases
such as carbon monoxide (CO) may enter the
vehicle. This is the case, e.g. if the vehicle
becomes trapped in snow. There is a risk of
fatal injury.
If you leave the engine or the auxiliary heating
running, make sure the exhaust pipe and area
around the vehicle are clear of snow. To
ensure an adequate supply of fresh air, open
a window on the side of the vehicle that is not
facing into the wind.
Have your vehicle winterproofed at a qualified
specialist workshop at the onset of winter.
Drive particularly carefully on slippery road
surfaces. Avoid sudden acceleration, steering
and braking maneuvers. Do not use the cruise
control or DISTRONIC PLUS.
If the vehicle threatens to skid or cannot be
stopped when moving at low speed:
X Shift the transmission to position N.
Vehicles with the ON&OFFROAD
package: if driving in snow or with snow
chains, select the snow program
(Y page 255) with the off-road program
selector wheel in the center console.
i Vehicles with a diesel engine: do not
cover the radiator, e.g. with a protective
cover. The measuring function of the
onboard diagnosis system may otherwise
provide inaccurate values. Some of these
values are required by law and must
therefore always be accurate.
The outside temperature indicator is not
designed to serve as an ice-warning device
and is therefore unsuitable for that purpose.
Changes in the outside temperature are
displayed after a short delay.
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. You
should pay special attention to road 196
Driving tipsDriving and parking

because of its narrow width. The distance to
the vehicle in front will be too short.
Obstructions and stationary vehicles DISTRONIC PLUS does not brake for
obstacles or stationary vehicles. If, for
example, the detected vehicle turns a corner
and reveals an obstacle or stationary vehicle,
DISTRONIC PLUS will not brake for these.
Crossing vehicles DISTRONIC PLUS may mistakenly detect
vehicles that are crossing your lane.
Activating DISTRONIC PLUS at traffic lights
with crossing traffic, for example, could cause
your vehicle to pull away unintentionally. Level control (vehicles with the
ON&OFFROAD package)
Important safety notes Level control adapts the vehicle level
automatically to the current operating and
driving situation. This results in reduced fuel
consumption and improved handling. Make changes to the vehicle level while the
vehicle is in motion. This enables the vehicle
to adjust to the new level as quickly as
possible.
The vehicle level may change visibly if you
park the vehicle and the outside temperature
changes. If the temperature drops, the
vehicle level is lower; with an increase in
temperature, the vehicle level rises.
If you unlock the vehicle or open a door, the
vehicle begins to compensate for load
discrepancies while still parked. However, for
significant level changes, such as after the
vehicle has been stationary for a long period,
the engine must be on. For safety reasons,
the vehicle is only lowered when the doors are
closed. Lowering is interrupted if a door is
opened, and it continues once the door has
been closed.
For information about driving off-road, see
(Y
page 197). G
WARNING
When the vehicle is being lowered, people
could become trapped if their limbs are
between the vehicle body and the wheels or
underneath the vehicle. There is a risk of
injury.
Make sure no one is underneath the vehicle
or in the immediate vicinity of the wheel
arches when the vehicle is being lowered. G
WARNING
When you drive with the vehicle raised, the
driving characteristics could be impaired by
the vehicle's raised center of gravity. The
vehicle could rollover more easily, for
example on a bend. There is a risk of an
accident.
Always select as low a vehicle level as
possible and adjust your driving style. G
WARNING
When you drive with the chassis lowered or
raised, the vehicle's braking and driving
characteristics can be significantly impaired.
You could also exceed the permissible vehicle 212
Driving systemsDriving and parking

clearance. You will otherwise damage the
vehicle.
! When you raise the vehicle in such a way
that not all wheels have contact with the
ground, remove the SmartKey from the
ignition lock.
R Utility vehicles have a significantly higher
rollover rate than other types of vehicles.
Failure to operate this vehicle safely may
result in an accident, rollover of the vehicle,
and severe or fatal injury.
R In a rollover crash, an unbelted person is
significantly more likely to die than a
person wearing a seat belt.
You and all vehicle occupants should
always wear your seat belts.
General notes
Further information about "Driving off-road"
(Y page 197).
Level control adapts the vehicle level
automatically to the current operating and
driving situation. This results in reduced fuel
consumption and improved handling.
If you select ADS comfort mode
(Y page 217), the vehicle is lowered to high-
speed level as the speed increases. As the
vehicle speed decreases, the vehicle is raised
back up to highway level.
If you select ADS sport mode (Y page 217),
the vehicle skips highway level and lowers
directly to high-speed level depending on the
basic setting (Y page 219).
Make changes to the vehicle level while the
vehicle is in motion. This enables the vehicle
to adjust to the new level as quickly as
possible.
The vehicle level may change visibly if you
park the vehicle and the outside temperature
changes. If the temperature drops, the
vehicle level is lower; with an increase in
temperature, the vehicle level rises.
If you unlock the vehicle or open a door, the
vehicle begins to compensate for load
discrepancies while still parked. However, for significant level changes, such as after the
vehicle has been stationary for a long period,
the engine must be on. For safety reasons,
the vehicle is only lowered when the doors are
closed. Lowering is interrupted if a door is
opened, and it continues once the door has
been closed.
Basic settings (excluding AMG vehicles)
The extent to which the vehicle is raised or
lowered depends on the basic setting
selected. Select raised level for off-road
driving or highway/high-speed level for
normal roads.
The individual vehicle levels differ from
highway level as follows:
R
highway level: +/–0 in (+/–0 mm)
R high-speed level: –0.6 in (–15 mm)
R raised level: +2.3 in (+60 mm)
Basic settings for AMG vehicles
The extent to which the vehicle is raised or
lowered depends on the AMG adaptive sport
suspension setting selected. Select the
raised level for off-road driving or highway/
high-speed level for normal roads.
The raised level corresponds to a vehicle level
raised by 50 mm when compared with
highway level in comfort mode.
Raised level Only select raised level if this is appropriate
for the road conditions. Otherwise, fuel
consumption may increase and handling may
be affected.
X
Start the engine. Driving systems
219Driving and parking Z

The vehicle automatically adjusts to highway
level when you:
R drive faster than 50 mph (80 km/h).
R drive between 40 mph (64 km/h) and
50 mph (80 km/h) for approximately
20 seconds.
Depending on the ADS mode selected
(Y page 217), the vehicle is lowered to high-
speed level at high speeds. AMG adaptive sport suspension
system
Important safety notes G
WARNING
When the vehicle is being lowered, people
could become trapped if their limbs are
between the vehicle body and the wheels or
underneath the vehicle. There is a risk of
injury.
Make sure no one is underneath the vehicle
or in the immediate vicinity of the wheel
arches when the vehicle is being lowered. G
WARNING
The vehicle is lowered if:
R you have selected the Comfort or Sport
suspension tuning and
R lock the vehicle after switching off the
engine
Persons in the vicinity of the wheel arch or the
underbody may thus become trapped. There
is a risk of injury.
Make sure that nobody is in the vicinity of the
wheel arch or the underbody when you switch
off the engine.
! The vehicle is lowered by approximately
10 mm if:
R you have selected the Sport or Comfort
suspension tuning and
R you switch off the engine and then
R lock the vehicle When parking, position your vehicle so that
it does not make contact with the curb as
the vehicle is lowered. Your vehicle could
otherwise be damaged.
Vehicle level Level control adapts the vehicle level
automatically to the current operating and
driving situation. Level control ensures the
best possible suspension and constant
ground clearance, even with a laden vehicle.
This improves driving safety and fuel
consumption.
The AIRMATIC package and ACTIVE CURVE
SYSTEM are always components of AMG
adaptive suspension system (Y
page 217).
Due to the sportier suspension settings
compared to standard vehicles, the levels and
speed thresholds for sinking and raising the
vehicle are different.
In Comfort and Sport driving modes, after
locking the vehicle it lowers to the Sport+
level. When locking the vehicle at the raised
level, the vehicle does not lower.
The settings will remain stored after you
switch off the engine. When starting the
engine, the selected setting, e.g. AMG
adaptive suspension system Comfort, is
restored.
i The vehicle level may change visibly if you
park the vehicle and the outside
temperature changes. If the temperature
drops, the vehicle level lowers; with an
increase in temperature, the vehicle level
rises.
Suspension tuning General notes
The electronically controlled damping system
works continuously. This improves driving
safety and ride comfort. Driving systems
221Driving and parking Z

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 33).
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
You should pay special attention to road
conditions when temperatures are around
freezing point.
The outside temperature display is in the
multifunction display (Y page 274).
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 201):
The segments light up from the stored
speed to the maximum speed.
R DISTRONIC PLUS activated (Y page 203):
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 1in the ignition
lock.
You can control the multifunction display and
the settings in the on-board computer using
the buttons on the multifunction steering
wheel. Displays and operation
273On-board computer and displays Z

Left control panel
=
; R
Calls up the menu and menu bar 9
:
Press briefly:
R
Scrolls in lists
R Selects a submenu or function
R In the Audio Audio menu: selects a
stored station, an audio track or
a video scene
R In the Tel Tel(telephone) menu:
switches to the phone book and
selects a name or telephone
number 9
:
Press and hold:
R
In the Audio Audio menu: selects the
previous/next station or selects
an audio track or a video scene
using rapid scrolling
R In the Tel Tel(Telephone) menu:
starts rapid scrolling if the phone
book is open a R
Confirms a selection/display
message
R In the Tel Tel(telephone) menu:
switches to the telephone book
and starts dialing the selected
number
R In the Audio Audio menu: stops the
station search function at the
desired station Right control panel
~ R
Rejects or ends a call
R Exits phone book/redial
memory 6 R
Makes or accepts a call
R Switches to the redial memory W
X R
Adjusts the volume 8 R
Mute Back button
%
Press briefly:
R
Back
R Switches off the Voice Control
System; see the separate
operating instructions
R Hides display messages/calls
up the last Trip Tripmenu function
used
R Exits the telephone book/redial
memory %
Press and hold:
R
Calls up the standard display in
the Trip Trip menu Multifunction display
:
Time
; Permanent display: outside temperature
or speed (Y page 283)
= Text field
? Menu bar 274
Displays and operationOn-board computer and displays

The selected unit of measurement for
distance applies to:
R Digital speedometer in the Trip
Trip menu
R Odometer and the trip odometer
R Trip computer
R Current consumption and the range
R Navigation instructions in the Navi
Navi menu
R Cruise control
R DISTRONIC PLUS
R ASSYST PLUS service interval display
Selecting the permanent display function
You can determine whether the multifunction
display permanently shows your speed or the
outside temperature.
X Press the =or; button on the
steering wheel to select the Sett Settmenu.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Instrument Cluster
Instrument Cluster submenu.
X Press ato confirm.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Permanent Display:
Permanent Display: function.
You will see the selected setting Outside
Outside
Temperature
Temperature orAdditional
Additional
Speedometer [km/h]
Speedometer [km/h] (USA)/
Additional Speedometer [mph]
Additional Speedometer [mph]
(Canada).
X Press the abutton to save the setting.
i The speed is shown in km/h (USA)/mph
(Canada).
Light submenu Setting the daytime running lamps
i This function is not available in Canada.
X Press the =or; button on the
steering wheel to select the Sett. Sett.menu.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Light
Light submenu.
X Press ato confirm. X
Press :or9 to select the Daytime
Daytime
Running Lights
Running Lights function.
If the Daytime Running Lights
Daytime Running Lights function
has been switched on, the cone of light and
the W symbol in the multifunction
display are shown in orange.
X Press the abutton to save the setting.
Further information on daytime running
lamps (Y page 128).
Setting the brightness of the ambient
lighting
X Press the =or; button on the
steering wheel to select the Sett
Sett menu.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Light Light submenu.
X Press ato confirm.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Amb. Light +/-.
Amb. Light +/-. function.
You will see the selected setting.
X Press ato confirm.
X Press the :or9 button to adjust the
brightness to any level from Off
Off toLevel
Level
5
5 (bright).
X Press the aor% button to save the
setting.
Setting the ambient lighting color
X Press the =or; button on the
steering wheel to select the Sett.
Sett. menu.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Lights Lights submenu.
X Press ato confirm.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Ambient Light Color
Ambient Light Color function.
X Press ato confirm.
X Press the :or9 button to set the
color to SOLAR
SOLAR, NEUTRAL
NEUTRAL orPOLAR
POLAR.
X Press the aor% button to save the
setting. Menus and submenus
283On-board computer and displays Z