2015 MERCEDES-BENZ B-CLASS SPORTS change time

Useful information
iThis Operator's Manual describes all
models and all standard and optional equip- ment of your vehicle available at the time of
publication of the Operator's Manual.
Country-specific differences are possible.
Please note that your vehicle may not be
equipped with all features described. This
also applies to safety-related systems and
functions.
iRead the information on qualified special-
ist workshops ( Ypage 24).
Notes on breaking-in a new vehicle
Important safety notes
The sensor system of some driving and driv-
ing safety systems adjusts automatically
while a certain distance is being driven after
the vehicle has been delivered or after
repairs. Full system effectiveness is not
reached until the end of this teach-in proce-dure.
New and replaced brake pads and discs only
reach their optimum braking effect after sev-
eral hundred kilometers of driving. Compen-
sate for this by applying greater force to the
brake pedal.
The first 1000 miles (1500 km)
The more you look after the engine when it is
new, the more satisfied you will be with its
performance in the future.
R You should therefore drive at varying vehi-
cle and engine speeds for the first
1000 miles (1500 km).
R Avoid heavy loads, e.g. driving at full throt-
tle, during this period.
R Change gear in good time, before the tach-
ometer needle is Ôof the way to the red
area of the tachometer. R
Do not manually shift to a lower gear to
brake the vehicle.
R Try to avoid depressing the accelerator
pedal beyond the point of resistance (kick-
down).
R Ideally, for the first 1000 miles (1500 km),
drive in program E.
After 1,000 miles (1,500 km), you can
increase the engine speed gradually and bring the vehicle to full speed.
You should also observe these notes on
breaking-in if the engine or parts of the drive
train on your vehicle have been replaced.
Always observe the respective speed limits.
Driving
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Objects in the driver's footwell can restrict the pedal travel or obstruct a depressed pedal.
The operating and road safety of the vehicle is
jeopardized. There is a risk of an accident.
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 and do not place floormats on
top of one another.
GWARNING
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.
134Driving
Driving and parking

You can only switch between Start/Stop but-
ton mode and SmartKey operation when the
vehicle is stationary.
You must also engage park position P.
X Remove Start/Stop button :from ignition
lock ;.
You do not have to remove the Start/Stop
button from the ignition lock when you leave
the vehicle. You should, however, always take the SmartKey with you when leaving the vehi- cle. As long as the SmartKey is in the vehicle:
R the vehicle can be started using the Start/
Stop button
R the electrically powered equipment can be
operated
Starting the engine
Important safety notes
GWARNING
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 shifting the automatic transmission out of
park position P
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.
GWARNING
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 with-
out sufficient ventilation.
GWARNING
Flammable materials introduced through
environmental influence or by animals can
ignite if in contact with the exhaust system or parts of the engine that heat up. There is a risk
of fire.
Carry out regular checks to make sure that
there are no flammable foreign materials in
the engine compartment or in the exhaust
system.
!Do not depress the accelerator when
starting the engine.
General notes
During a cold start, the engine runs at higher
speeds to enable the catalytic converter to
reach its operating temperature. The sound of
the engine may change during this time.
Automatic transmission
X Shift the transmission to position P
( Y page 143).
The transmission position display in the
multifunction display showsP (Y page 143).
When the transmission is in position N, you
can also start the engine with the brake pedal
depressed.
Starting procedure with the SmartKey
To start the engine using the SmartKey
instead of the Start/Stop button, pull the
Start/Stop button out of the ignition lock.
X Turn the SmartKey to position 3
( Y page 135) in the ignition lock and release
it as soon as the engine is running.
Driving137
Driving and parking
Z

Rocking the vehicle free
Shifting the transmission repeatedly between
gears Dand Rmay help to free the vehicle if it
has become stuck in slush or snow. The vehi- cle's engine management system limits the
speed to a maximum of 5 mph (9 km/h) when
shifting back and forth. To shift back and forth between transmission positions Dand R,
move the DIRECT SELECT lever up and down
past the point of resistance.
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 shifts to auto-
matic drive program Eeach time the engine is
started.
E EconomyComfortable, economical
driving
S SportSporty driving style
M ManualManual gear shifting
For further information on the automatic drive
program, see ( Ypage 147).
Steering wheel paddle shifters
:Left steering wheel paddle shifter (shifts
down)
;Right steering wheel paddle shifter (shifts
up)
In drive program M, you can change gear
yourself using the steering wheel paddle shift-
ers.
If you pull the left or right steering wheel pad- dle shifter when in automatic drive program E
or S, the automatic transmission shifts into
drive program Mfor a limited time. Depend-
ing on which paddle shifter is pulled, the auto- matic transmission immediately shifts into
the next gear down or up.
You can only change gear with the steering
wheel paddle shifters when the transmission
is in position D.
For further information on the manual drive
program, see ( Ypage 148).
Automatic drive program
Drive program Eis characterized 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
accelerator pedal is depressed fully.
Automatic transmission147
Driving and parking
Z

Rincreased 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 characterized by the fol-
lowing:
R sporty engine settings.
R the automatic transmission shifting up
later.
R the fuel consumption possibly being higher
as a result of the later automatic transmis- sion shift points.
Manual drive program
General information
In manual drive program M, you can change
gear yourself by using the steering wheel pad- dle shifters. For this, the transmission must
be in position D. The gear currently selected
and engaged is shown in the multifunctiondisplay.
Manual drive program Mdiffers from drive
programs Eand Swith regard to spontaneity,
responsiveness and smoothness of gear
changes.
GearDriving situations
=You can use the engine's braking
effect
5You can 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
4To use the braking effect of the
engine on extremely steep downhill
gradients and on long downhill
stretches
Switching on the manual drive program
Activating permanently X Press the program selector button (Y page 147) 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 paddle
shifter ( Ypage 147).
Manual drive program Mis temporarily
active. Depending on which paddle shifter
is pulled, the automatic transmission
immediately shifts into the next gear down
or up.
When manual drive program Mis activated via
the steering wheel paddle shifters, 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 paddle
shifter ( Ypage 147).
The automatic transmission shifts up to the
next gear.
To prevent engine damage the automatic
transmission shifts up automatically: R if the maximum engine speed on the cur-
rently engaged gear is reached and
R you continue to accelerate.
148Automatic transmission
Driving and parking

Apart from driving style, consumption is
dependent on many factors such as, e.g.: Rload
R tire pressure
R cold start
R choice of route
R electrical consumers switched on
These factors are not included in the ECO dis-
play.
The evaluation of your driving style is carried
out using the following three categories:
R
Acceleration(evaluation of all accelera-
tion processes):
- The bar fills up: moderate acceleration,
especially at higher speeds
- The bar empties: sporty acceleration
R
Constant(assessment of driving behavior
at all times)
- The bar fills up: constant speed and
avoidance of unnecessary acceleration
and deceleration
- The bar empties: fluctuations in speed
R
Coasting(assessment of all deceleration
processes) - The bar fills up: anticipatory driving,
keeping your distance and early release
of the accelerator. The vehicle can coast
without use of the brakes.
- The bar empties: frequent braking
An economical driving style specially requires
driving at moderate engine speeds.
To achieve a higher value in the categories
AccelerationandConstant:
R observe the gearshift recommendations.
R drive in drive program E.
On long journeys at a constant speed, e.g. on
the highway, only the bar for
Constantwill
change.
The ECO display summarizes the driving char- acteristics from the start of the journey to its completion. For this reason, the bars change
dynamically at the beginning of the journey.
On longer journeys, there are fewer changes. For more dynamic changes, carry out a man-
ual reset.
For further information on the ECO display,
see ( Ypage 196).
Braking
Important safety notes
GWARNING
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 brak-
ing on a slippery road surface.
Downhill gradients
!On long and steep gradients, you must
reduce the load on the brakes by shifting to
a lower gear in good time. This allows you to
take advantage of the engine's braking
effect. For this, you need to have selected
manual drive program M. This helps you to
avoid overheating the brakes and wearing
them out excessively.
When you take advantage of the engine's
braking effect, a drive wheel may not turn
for some time, e.g. on a slippery road sur-
face. This could cause damage to the drive train. This type of damage is not covered bythe Mercedes-Benz warranty.
Briefly depressing the accelerator pedal on
downhill gradients while the manual drive
program Mis temporarily activated: the auto-
matic transmission may switch 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 tips157
Driving an d parking
Z

You should pay special attention to road con-
ditions when temperatures are around freez-
ing point.
For more information on driving with snow
chains, see ( Ypage 305).
For more information on driving with summer tires, see ( Ypage 304).
Observe the notes in the "Winter operation"
section ( Ypage 304).
Driving systems
Cruise control
General notes
Cruise control maintains a constant road
speed for you. It brakes automatically in order
to avoid exceeding the set speed. On long and
steep downhill gradients, especially if the
vehicle is laden, you must select a low gear in good time. For this, you will need to have
selected manual drive program M
( Y page 148). By doing so, you will make use
of the braking effect of the engine. This
relieves the load on the brake system and
prevents the brakes from overheating and
wearing too quickly.
Use cruise control only if road and traffic con- ditions make it appropriate to maintain a
steady speed for a prolonged period. You canstore any road speed above 20 mph
(30 km/h).
The speed indicated in the speedometer may differ slightly from the speed stored.
Important safety notes
If you fail to adapt your driving style, cruise
control can neither reduce the risk of an acci- dent nor override the laws of physics. Cruise
control cannot take into account the road,
traffic and weather conditions. Cruise control
is only an aid. You are responsible for the dis-
tance to the vehicle in front, for vehicle speed, for braking in good time and for staying in
your lane. Do not use cruise control: R
in road and traffic conditions which do not
allow you to maintain a constant speed e.g.
in heavy traffic or on winding roads
R on slippery road surfaces. Braking or accel-
erating could cause the drive wheels to lose
traction and the vehicle could then skid
R when there is poor visibility, e.g. due to fog,
heavy rain or snow
If there is a change of drivers, advise the new
driver of the speed stored.
Cruise control lever
:To activate or increase speed
;To activate or reduce speed
=Deactivating cruise control
?To activate at the current speed/last
stored speed
When you activate cruise control, the stored
speed is shown in the multifunction display
for five seconds.
Activation conditions
To activate cruise control, all of the following activation conditions must be fulfilled:
R the electric parking brake must be released.
R ESP ®
must be active, but not intervening.
R the transmission must be in position D.
Driving systems161
Driving and parking
Z

trol Offtrol Offmessage in the multifunction dis-
play for approximately five seconds.
iWhen you switch off the engine, the last
speed stored is cleared.
DISTRONIC PLUS
General notes
DISTRONIC PLUS regulates the speed and
automatically helps you maintain the dis-
tance to the vehicle detected in front. Vehi-
cles are detected with the aid of the radar
sensor system. DISTRONIC PLUS brakes
automatically to avoid exceeding the set
speed or to maintain the designated distance
from the vehicle in front.
Change into a lower gear in good time on long
and steep downhill gradients. This is espe-
cially important if the vehicle is laden. By
doing so, you will make use of the braking
effect of the engine. This relieves the load on
the brake system and prevents the brakes
from overheating and wearing too quickly.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that there is a risk of a collision, you will be warned visually and
acoustically. DISTRONIC PLUS cannot pre-
vent a collision without your intervention. An
intermittent warning tone will then sound and the distance warning lamp will light up in theinstrument cluster. Brake immediately in
order to increase the distance to the vehicle
in front or take evasive action provided it is
safe to do so.
DISTRONIC PLUS operates in range between0 mph (0 km/h) and 120 mph (200 km/h).
Do not use DISTRONIC PLUS while driving on
roads with steep gradients.
Important safety notes
GWARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS does not react to:
R people or animals
R stationary obstacles on the road, e.g. stop-
ped or parked vehicles
R oncoming and crossing traffic
As a result, DISTRONIC PLUS may neither give
warnings nor intervene in such situations.
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit- uation and be ready to brake.
GWARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS cannot always clearly iden-tify other road users and complex traffic sit- uations.
In such cases, DISTRONIC PLUS may:
R give an unnecessary warning and then
brake the vehicle
R neither give a warning nor intervene
R accelerate or brake unexpectedly
There is a risk of an accident.
Continue to drive carefully and be ready to
brake, in particular when warned to do so by
DISTRONIC PLUS.
GWARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS brakes your vehicle with up to 50% of the maximum possible deceleration.
If this braking force is insufficient, DISTRONIC
PLUS warns you visually and audibly. There is a risk of an accident.
In such cases, apply the brakes yourself and
try to take evasive action.
!If DISTRONIC PLUS or the HOLD function
is activated, the vehicle brakes automati-
cally in certain situations.
Driving systems163
Driving and parking
Z

To prevent damage to the vehicle, deacti-
vate DISTRONIC PLUS and the HOLD func-tion in the following or other similar situa-tions:
R when towing the vehicle
R in the car wash
If you fail to adapt your driving style,
DISTRONIC PLUS can neither reduce the risk
of accident nor override the laws of physics.
DISTRONIC PLUS cannot take into account
the road, traffic and weather conditions.
DISTRONIC PLUS is only an aid. You are
responsible for the distance to the vehicle in
front, for vehicle speed, for braking in good
time and for staying in your lane.
Do not use DISTRONIC PLUS:
R in road and traffic conditions which do not
allow you to maintain a constant speed e.g.
in heavy traffic or on winding roads
R on slippery road surfaces. Braking or accel-
erating could cause the drive wheels to lose
traction and the vehicle could then skid
R when there is poor visibility, e.g. due to fog,
heavy rain or snow
DISTRONIC PLUS may not detect narrow
vehicles driving in front, e.g. motorcycles, or
vehicles driving on a different line.
In particular, the detection of obstacles can
be impaired if:
R there is dirt on the sensors or anything else
covering the sensors
R there is snow or heavy rain
R there is interference by other radar sources
R there are strong radar reflections, for
example, in parking garages
If DISTRONIC PLUS no longer detects a vehi- cle in front, DISTRONIC PLUS may unexpect-
edly accelerate the vehicle to the storedspeed. This speed may:
R be too high if you are driving in a filter lane
or an exit lane
R be so high when driving in the right-hand
lane that you overtake vehicles in the left-
hand lane
R be so high when driving in the left-hand lane
that you overtake vehicles in the right-hand
lane
If there is a change of drivers, advise the new
driver of the speed stored.
Cruise control lever
:To activate or increase speed
;To activate or reduce speed
=Deactivating DISTRONIC PLUS
?To activate at the current speed/last
stored speed
ASetting the specified minimum distance
Activating DISTRONIC PLUS
Activation conditions
To activate DISTRONIC PLUS, all of the fol-
lowing activation 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 electric parking brake must bereleased.
R ESP ®
must be active, but not intervening.
R Active Parking Assist must not be activa-ted.
R the transmission must be in position D.
164Driving systems
Driving and parking