GWARNING
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.
GWARNING
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.
!Do not warm up the engine with the vehi-
cle stationary. Drive off immediately. Avoid high engine speeds and driving at full throt-
tle until the engine has reached its operat-
ing 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.
SmartKey positions
SmartKey
gTo remove the SmartKey
(shift the transmission to position P)
1Power supply for some consumers, such
as the windshield wipers
2Ignition (power supply for all consumers)
and drive position
3To start the engine
iThe SmartKey can be turned in the igni-
tion lock even if it is not the correct Smart- Key for the vehicle. The ignition is not
switched on. The engine cannot be started.
Start/Stop button
General notes
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO are equipped with
SmartKeys featuring the integrated KEYLESS-
GO function and a detachable Start/Stop but-
ton.
A check which periodically establishes a radio connection between the vehicle and the
SmartKey determines whether a valid Smart-Key is in the vehicle. This occurs, for example,
when starting the engine.
When you insert the Start/Stop button into
the ignition lock, the system needs approx-
imately two seconds recognition time. You
can then use the Start/Stop button.
Pressing the Start/Stop button several times
in succession corresponds to the different
key positions in the ignition lock. This is only
Driving135
Driving and parking
Z
ANeutral
Do not shift the transmission toN
while driving. Otherwise, the auto-
matic transmission could be dam-
aged.
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.
If ESP ®
is deactivated or faulty:
shift the transmission to position N
if the vehicle is in danger of skid-
ding, e.g. on icy roads.
If you switch the engine off with the transmission in position Ror D, the
automatic transmission shifts to N
automatically.
!Rolling in neutral Ncan damage
the drive train.
7Drive
The automatic transmission
changes gear automatically. All
forward gears are available.
Driving tips
Changing gear
The automatic transmission shifts to the indi- vidual gears automatically when it is in trans-
mission position D. This automatic gear shift-
ing behavior is determined by:
R the selected drive program ( Ypage 147)
R the position of the accelerator pedal (Y page 146)
R the road speed
Accelerator pedal position
Your style of driving influences how the auto-
matic transmission shifts gear:
R little throttle: early upshifts
R more throttle: late upshifts
Holding the vehicle stationary on uphill
gradients
GWARNING
If the clutch overheats, the electronic man-
agement system is automatically deactivated. This interrupts the power transmission. The
vehicle may, for example, roll backwards on
gradients. There is a risk of an accident.
Never hold the vehicle stationary on uphill
gradients by depressing the accelerator.
The clutch may overheat if you hold the vehi- cle stationary on uphill gradients by depress- ing the accelerator pedal. If the clutch over-
heats, a warning tone sounds.
The
Stop Vehicle Shift to P Leave
EngineRunningdisplay message appears in
the multifunction display. You will only be
able to continue your journey once the clutch
has cooled down and the display message in
the multifunction display has disappeared.
Never hold the vehicle stationary on uphill
gradients by depressing the accelerator.
Instead, only ever hold the vehicle stationary
on uphill gradients by:
R depressing the brake pedal
R activating the HOLD function
R engaging the electric parking brake
Kickdown
Use kickdown for maximum acceleration.
X Depress the accelerator pedal beyond the
pressure point.
The automatic transmission shifts to a
lower gear depending on the engine speed.
X Ease off the accelerator pedal once the
desired speed is reached.
The automatic transmission shifts back up.
For further information on kickdown in man-
ual drive program M(Y page 148).
146Automatic transmission
Driving an d parking
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
Shift recommendation
The gearshift recommendations assist you inadopting an economical driving style. The rec-
ommended gear is shown in the multifunction display.
X Shift to recommended gear ;according
to gearshift recommendation :when
shown in the multifunction display of the
instrument cluster.
Downshifting
X Pull the left-hand steering wheel paddle
shifter ( Ypage 147).
The automatic transmission shifts down to
the next gear.
If you slow down or stop without shifting
down, the automatic transmission automati-
cally shifts down.
For maximum acceleration, pull the left-hand
steering wheel paddle shifter until the trans-
mission selects the optimum gear for the cur- rent speed.
If the engine exceeds the maximum engine
speed when shifting down, the automatic
transmission protects against engine damage
by not shifting down.
Kickdown
You can also use kickdown for maximum
acceleration in manual drive program M.
X Depress the accelerator pedal beyond the
pressure point.
The automatic transmission shifts to a
lower gear depending on the engine speed.
X Shift back up once the desired speed isreached. During kickdown, you cannot shift gears
using the steering wheel paddle shifters.
If you apply full throttle, the automatic trans-
mission shifts up to the next gear when the
maximum engine speed is reached. This pre-
vents the engine from overrevving.
Switching off the manual drive program
X Press the program selector button (Y page 147) repeatedly until Eor S
appears in the multifunction display.
Deactivating the temporary manual drive program
X Pull and hold the right-hand steering wheel
paddle shifter until the automatic transmis- sion shifts into the last active automatic
drive program: Eor S.
If manual drive program Mis deactivated, the
automatic transmission in automatic driveprogram Eor Smay shift from the current
gear into a higher or lower gear. This is
dependent on the position of the accelerator
pedal, speed and load.
Automatic transmission149
Driving and parking
Z
Problems with fuel and the fuel tank
ProblemPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
Fuel is leaking from the
vehicle.The fuel line or the fuel tank is faulty.
GWARNING
Risk of explosion or fire.
X Turn the SmartKey to position 0immediately and remove it
( Y page 135).
X Do not restart the engine under any circumstances.
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop.
The fuel filler flap can-
not be opened.The fuel filler flap is not unlocked.
X Unlock the vehicle ( Ypage 70).
The SmartKey battery is discharged or nearly discharged.
X Unlock the vehicle using the mechanical key ( Ypage 72).
The fuel filler flap is unlocked, but the opening mechanism is jam- med.
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop.
Parking
Important safety notes
GWARNING
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 mate-
rials come into contact with parts of the vehi- cle which are hot. Take particular care not to
park on dry grassland or harvested grainfields.
GWARNING
If you leave children unsupervised in the vehi- cle, 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 equip-
ment 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.
!Always secure the vehicle correctly
against rolling away. Otherwise, the vehicle
or its drivetrain could be damaged.
To ensure that the vehicle is secured against
rolling away unintentionally:
R the electric parking brake must be applied.
R the transmission must be in position Pand
the transmission position display mustshow P.
R the SmartKey must be removed from the
ignition lock.
R on uphill or downhill gradients, the front
wheels must be turned towards the curb.
152Parking
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
Have brake pads installed and brake fluid
replaced at a qualified specialist workshop.
If the brake system has only been subject to
moderate loads, you should test the function-ality of your brakes at regular intervals.
You can find a description of Brake Assist
(BAS) on ( Ypage 61).
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you only
have brake pads/linings installed on your
vehicle which have been approved for
Mercedes-Benz vehicles or which correspond to an equivalent quality standard. Brake
pads/linings which have not been approved
for Mercedes-Benz vehicles or which are not
of an equivalent quality could affect your vehi-
cle's operating safety.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you only
use brake fluid that has been specially
approved for your vehicle by Mercedes-Benz,
or which corresponds to an equivalent quality standard. Brake fluid which has not been
approved for Mercedes-Benz vehicles or
which is not of an equivalent quality could
affect your vehicle's operating safety.
Checking brake lining thickness
You can measure the break pad/lining thick- ness using a test gage. Color-coding (green or
red) on the test gage allows you to determine whether the brake pad/lining thickness is still
sufficient. The test gage is in the vehicle docu-
ment wallet in the glove box.
Front wheel
Rear wheel
X Bring the vehicle and wheels into a suitable
position so that you can attach test gageA .
X Secure the vehicle against rolling away(Y page 152).
X Engage park position P.
X Switch off the engine.
X Place test gage Abetween the wheel's
spokes on brake pad/lining =.
Driving tips159
Driving and parking
Z