
Notes on towing a trailer
General notes Trailer towing is not permissible on the fol-
lowing models:
R
A 250 Sport
R A 250 Sport 4MATIC
R Mercedes‑AMG A 45 4MATIC
R A 180 d BlueEFFICIENCY Edition
R Vehicles with AMG Line
When towing a trailer, set the tyre pressure on the rear axle of the towing vehicle for the
maximum load. Further information on the
tyre pressure table in the fuel filler flap
(Y page 362).
Please note that when towing a trailer, the
following driving systems have limited avail-
ability or are not available at all.
R PARKTRONIC (Y page 209)
R Blind Spot Assist (Y page 226)
The height of the ball coupling changes with
the load of the vehicle. If necessary, use a
trailer with a height-adjustable drawbar.
You will find fitting dimensions and loads
under "Technical data" (Y page 405).
Driving tips Observe the notes on ESP
®
trailer stabilisa-
tion (Y page 76).
The maximum permissible speed for vehicle/ trailer combinations depends on the type of
trailer. Before beginning the journey, check
the trailer's documents to see what the max-imum permitted speed is. Observe the legally
prescribed maximum speed in the relevant
country.
For certain Mercedes-Benz vehicles, the max-
imum permissible rear axle load is increased
when towing a trailer. See the "Technical
data" section to find out whether this applies
to your vehicle. If you utilise any of the added maximum rear axle load when towing a trailer,
the vehicle/trailer combination may not
exceed a maximum speed of 100 km/h for reasons concerning the operating permit.
This also applies in countries in which the
permissible maximum speed for vehicle/
trailer combinations is above 100 km/h.
When towing a trailer, your vehicle's handling characteristics will be different in comparison
to when driving without a trailer and it will
consume more fuel.
Change into a lower gear in good time on long
and steep downhill gradients. For vehicles
with automatic transmission, you need to
have selected manual drive program M
(Y page 177).
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. If you
need additional braking, depress the brake
pedal repeatedly rather than continuously.
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.
Driving tips If the trailer swings from side to side:
X Do not accelerate.
X Do not countersteer.
X Brake if necessary.
R Maintain a greater distance to the vehicle in
front than when driving without a trailer.
R Avoid braking abruptly. If possible, brake
gently at first to allow the trailer to run on.
Then, increase the braking force rapidly.
R The values given for gradient-climbing
capabilities from a standstill refer to sea
level. When driving in mountainous areas, Towing a trailer
231Driving and parking Z

Service menu
Depending on the equipment fitted in the
vehicle, you have the following options in the
Serv.
Serv. menu:
R Calling up display messages in the mes-
sage memory (Y page 257)
R Restarting the tyre pressure loss warning
system (Y page 364)
R Calling up the service due date
(Y page 328) Settings menu
Introduction Depending on the equipment fitted in the
vehicle, In the
Settings Settingsmenu you have the
following options:
R Changing the instrument cluster settings
R Changing the light settings
R Changing the vehicle settings
R Changing the heating settings
R Changing the convenience settings
R Restoring the factory settings
Instrument cluster Selecting the distance unit
The
Display unit Speed-/odometer: Display unit Speed-/odometer:
function allows you to choose whether cer- tain displays appear in kilometres or miles in
the multifunction display.
X Press the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the Settings
Settings menu.
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
Display unit Speed-/odometer
Display unit Speed-/odometer func-
tion.
You will see the selected setting: km kmor
miles
miles.
X Press the abutton to save the setting.
The selected unit of measurement for dis-
tance applies to the: R digital speedometer in the Trip Tripmenu
R total distance recorder and the trip meter
R trip computer
R current fuel consumption and approximate
range
R navigation instructions in the Navi
Navimenu
R cruise control
R SPEEDTRONIC
R DISTRONIC PLUS
R ASSYST PLUS service interval display
Switching the additional speedometer
on/off
United Kingdom: this function is unavailable.
If the additional speedometer is switched on,
the speed is shown in the status bar of the
multifunction display instead of the outside
temperature.
The speed display is inverse to your speed-
ometer.
X Press the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the Settings Settingsmenu.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Instrument cluster
Instrument cluster submenu.
X Press ato confirm. 250
Menus and submenusOn-board computer/Displays

Display messages
Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions SPEEDTRONIC sus‐
SPEEDTRONIC sus‐
pended pended If you depress the accelerator pedal beyond the pressure point
(kickdown), SPEEDTRONIC is switched to passive mode.
The speed limitation is not active.
X Drive slower than the stored speed and without kickdown.
X Call up the last speed stored again.
or
X Set a new speed.
When the display message disappears, the speed limitation is
active. Cruise control Cruise control
- - - km/h - - - km/h R
A condition for activating cruise control has not been met.
You have tried to store a speed below 30 km/h, for example.
R ESP ®
is deactivated The yellow ESP ®
OFF warning lamp is lit.
X If conditions permit, drive faster than 30 km/h and store the
speed.
or
X Check the activation conditions for cruise control (Y page 191).
or
X Reactivate ESP ®
(Y page 248). 120 km/h!
120 km/h!
Maximum speed Maximum speed
exceeded exceeded Only for certain countries: the maximum speed has been excee-
ded.
In addition, the multifunction display shows
120 km/h! 120 km/h!.
X Drive more slowly. 282
Display
messagesOn-board computer/Displays

Tyres
Display messages
Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions Tyre pressure
Tyre pressure
Check tyre(s) Check tyre(s) The tyre pressure loss warning system has detected a significant
loss in pressure.
A warning tone also sounds.
Possible causes:
R you have changed the positions of the wheels and tyres or fitted
new wheels and tyres
R the tyre pressure in one or more tyres has dropped
G WARNING
Underinflated tyres pose the following risks:
R the tyres may burst, especially as the load and vehicle speed
increase
R the tyres may wear excessively and/or unevenly, which may
greatly impair tyre traction
R the driving characteristics, as well as steering and braking, may
be greatly impaired
There is a risk of an accident.
X Stop the vehicle without making any sudden steering or braking
manoeuvres. Pay attention to the traffic conditions as you do so.
X Safeguard the vehicle against rolling away (Y page 184).
X Check the tyres and, if necessary, follow the instructions for a
flat tyre (Y page 340).
X Check the tyre pressures and, if necessary, correct the tyre
pressure.
X Restart the tyre pressure loss warning system when the tyre
pressure is correct (Y page 364).Check tyre pres‐ Check tyre pres‐
sures sures
then
thenrestart
restart
Run Flat Indicator
Run Flat Indicator The tyre pressure loss warning system generated a display mes-
sage and has not been restarted since.
X Set the correct tyre pressure in all four tyres.
X Restart the tyre pressure loss warning system (Y page 364).Run Run
Flat
Flat Indicator
Indicator
inoperative
inoperative The tyre pressure loss warning system is faulty.
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. Rectify tyre pres‐
Rectify tyre pres‐
sure sure The tyre pressure is too low in at least one of the tyres, or the tyre
pressure difference between the wheels is too great.
X Check the tyre pressures at the next opportunity (Y page 364).
X If necessary, correct the tyre pressure.
X Restart the tyre pressure monitor (Y page 366). Display
messages
283On-board computer/Displays Z

Display messages
Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions Check tyre(s)
Check tyre(s) The tyre pressure in one or more tyres has dropped significantly.
The wheel position appears in the multifunction display.
A warning tone also sounds.
G WARNING
Underinflated tyres pose the following risks:
R the tyres may burst, especially as the load and vehicle speed
increase
R the tyres may wear excessively and/or unevenly, which may
greatly impair tyre traction
R the driving characteristics, as well as steering and braking, may
be greatly impaired
There is a risk of an accident.
X Stop the vehicle without making any sudden steering or braking
manoeuvres. Pay attention to the traffic conditions as you do so.
X Safeguard the vehicle against rolling away (Y page 184).
X Check the tyres and, if necessary, follow the instructions for a
flat tyre (Y page 340).
X Check the tyre pressure (Y page 364).
X If necessary, correct the tyre pressure. Warning Warning
tyre
tyredefect
defect The tyre pressure in one or more tyres has dropped suddenly. The
wheel position appears in the multifunction display.
G WARNING
If you drive with a flat tyre, there is a risk of the following hazards:
R a flat tyre affects the ability to steer or brake the vehicle
R you could lose control of the vehicle
R continued driving with a flat tyre will cause excessive heat build-
up and possibly a fire
There is a risk of an accident.
X Stop the vehicle without making any sudden steering or braking
manoeuvres. Pay attention to the traffic conditions as you do so.
X Safeguard the vehicle against rolling away (Y page 184).
X Check the tyres and, if necessary, follow the instructions for a
flat tyre (Y page 340).284
Display
messagesOn-board computer/Displays

Display messages
Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions Tyre press. moni‐
Tyre press. moni‐
tor currently tor currently
unavailable unavailable No signals can be received from the tyre pressure sensors due to
strong RF interference. The tyre pressure monitor is temporarily
malfunctioning.
X Drive on.
The tyre pressure monitor restarts automatically as soon as the
cause has been rectified. Wheel sensor(s) Wheel sensor(s)
missing missing There is no signal from the tyre pressure sensor of one or several
wheels. The pressure of the affected tyre is not displayed in the
multifunction display.
X Have the faulty tyre pressure sensor replaced at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop. Tyre press. moni‐ Tyre press. moni‐
tor tor
inoperative
inoperative No
No
wheel sensors
wheel sensors The wheels fitted do not have suitable tyre pressure sensors. The
tyre pressure monitor is deactivated.
X Fit wheels with suitable tyre pressure sensors.
The tyre pressure monitor is activated automatically after driv-
ing for a few minutes. Tyre press. moni‐ Tyre press. moni‐
tor inoperative tor inoperative The tyre pressure monitor is faulty.
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. Vehicle
Display messages
Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions Depress brake to
Depress brake to
start engine start engine You have attempted to start the engine with the transmission in
position
Nwithout depressing the brake pedal.
X Depress the brake pedal. To shift out of P To shift out of P
or N, depress or N, depress
brake and start brake and start
engine engine You have attempted to shift the transmission to position
Ror D
without starting the engine.
X Start the engine.
X Depress the brake pedal.
i It is only possible to shift the transmission from position
Pto
the desired position if you depress the brake pedal. Only then
can the parking lock be deactivated. If you do not depress the
brake pedal, the DIRECT SELECT lever can still be moved but the parking lock remains engaged.
i At transmission fluid temperatures below
Ò20 † you can only
shift out of position Pinto another transmission position when
the engine is running. Display
messages
285On-board computer/Displays Z

Tyres
Problem
Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions h
The yellow tyre pres-
sure monitor warning
lamp (pressure loss/
malfunction) is lit.
The tyre pressure monitor has detected a loss of pressure in at
least one of the tyres.
G WARNING
Underinflated tyres pose the following risks:
R the tyres may burst, especially as the load and vehicle speed
increase
R the tyres may wear excessively and/or unevenly, which may
greatly impair tyre traction
R the driving characteristics, as well as steering and braking, may
be greatly impaired
There is a risk of an accident.
X Stop the vehicle without making any sudden steering or braking
manoeuvres. Pay attention to the traffic conditions as you do so.
X Secure the vehicle against rolling away (Y page 184).
X Observe the additional display messages in the multifunction
display.
X Check the tyres and, if necessary, follow the instructions for a
flat tyre (Y page 340).
X Check the tyre pressure (Y page 364).
X If necessary, correct the tyre pressure. h
The yellow tyre pres-
sure monitor warning
lamp (pressure loss/
malfunction) flashes for
approximately one
minute and then
remains lit. The tyre pressure monitor is faulty.
G WARNING
The system is possibly unable to detect or register low tyre pres-
sure.
There is a risk of an accident. X Observe the additional display messages in the multifunction
display.
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop immediately. 304
Warning and indicator lamps in the instrument clusterOn-board computer/
Displays

Damage to the engine or exhaust system is
caused by the following:
R using engine oils and oil filters that have
not been specifically approved for the
service system
R changing the engine oil and oil filter after
missing the change interval required by
the service system
R using engine oil additives
! Do not add too much oil. Topping up with
too much engine oil can result in damage to
the engine or to the catalytic converter.
Have excess engine oil siphoned off. Example: engine oil filler cap
X Turn cap :anti-clockwise and remove it.
X Top up the engine oil.
If the oil level is at or below the MIN mark on
the oil dipstick, top up with 1.0 lof engine
oil.
X Replace cap :on the filler neck and turn
clockwise.
Make sure that the cap locks securely into place.
X Check the oil level again with the oil dip-
stick (Y page 324).
For further information on engine oil, see
(Y page 400). Checking and adding other service
products
Checking the coolant level G
WARNING
The cooling system is pressurised, particu-
larly when the engine is warm. If you open the cap, you could be scalded if hot coolant
sprays out. There is a risk of injury.
Let the engine cool down before you open the
cap. Wear gloves and eye protection. Open
the cap slowly to release the pressure.
! The coolant level must only be checked
and corrected when the engine has cooled
down (coolant temperature under 40 †).
Checking the coolant level when the cool-
ant temperature is over 40 † can lead to
damage to the engine or engine cooling
system. Example
X Park the vehicle on a level surface.
Only check the coolant level if the vehicle is
on a level surface and the engine has
cooled down.
X Turn the key to position 2in the ignition
lock (Y page 157).
X Check the coolant temperature display in
the instrument cluster.
The coolant temperature must be below
40 †.
X Turn the key to position 0in the ignition
lock (Y page 157). 326
Engine compartmentMaintenance and care