i
All of the vehicle's systems remain active
when the engine is switched off automati-
cally.
i The engine can be switched off automati-
cally a maximum of four times (initial stop,
then three subsequent stops) in succession.
The ¤ symbol is shown in yellow in the
multifunction display after the engine has
been started automatically for the fourth
time. When the ¤symbol is shown in
green in the multifunction display, automatic
engine switch-off is again possible.
Vehicles with manual transmission The ECO start/stop function switches off the
engine automatically at low speeds.
X Brake the vehicle.
X Shift to neutral N(follow gearshift instruc-
tion :to engage neutral N, if necessary).
X Release the clutch pedal.
The engine is switched off automatically.
Vehicles with automatic transmission
If the vehicle is braked to a standstill with the
transmission in Dor N, the ECO start/stop func-
tion switches off the engine automatically.
i The HOLD function can be activated if the
engine has been switched off automatically. It
is then not necessary to continue applying the brakes during the automatic stop phase.
When you depress the accelerator pedal, the
engine starts automatically and the braking
effect of the HOLD function is deactivated.
Automatic engine start General notes
The engine is started automatically if:
R you switch off the ECO start/stop function by
pressing the ECO button
R you engage reverse gear R
R you unfasten your seat belt or open the driv-
er's door R
the vehicle starts to roll
R the brake system requires this
R the temperature in the vehicle interior devi-
ates from the set range
R the system detects moisture on the wind-
screen when the air-conditioning system is
switched on
R the battery's charge status is too low
Vehicles with manual transmission
! Only engage gear when the clutch pedal is
depressed.
The engine is started automatically if you:
R depress the clutch pedal fully
R depress the accelerator pedal
Vehicles with automatic transmission The engine is started automatically if you:
R release the brake pedal in transmission posi-
tion Dor Nwhen the HOLD function is not
active
R depress the accelerator pedal
R move the transmission out of position P
i Shifting the transmission to position
Pdoes
not start the engine.
i If you shift the transmission from
Rto D, the
ECO start/stop function is available again
once the ¤symbol reappears in green in
the multifunction display.
Deactivating/activating the ECO start/
stop function 136
DrivingDriving an
d parking
Problem
Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions The coolant temperature
display is showing more
than 120 †. The coolant warning lamp may also
be on and a warning tone
may sound. The coolant level is too low. The coolant is too hot and the engine is no
longer being cooled sufficiently.
X Stop as soon as possible and allow the engine and the coolant to
cool down.
X Check the coolant level (Y page 286). Observe the warning notes
as you do so and top up the coolant if necessary. If the coolant level is correct, the engine radiator fan may be faulty. The
coolant is too hot and the engine is no longer being cooled sufficiently.
X If the coolant temperature is below 120 †, you can continue driving
to the nearest qualified specialist workshop.
X Avoid heavy loads on the engine as you do so, e.g. driving in moun-
tainous terrain and stop-start traffic. Manual transmission
Gear lever
! Only engage gear when the clutch pedal is
depressed.
! When shifting between
5thand 6thgear,
you should always push the gear lever all the way to the right. Otherwise, you could shift
unintentionally into 3rdor4th gear and dam-
age the transmission.
If you shift down at too high a speed (trans-
mission braking), this can cause the engine to
overrev, leading to engine damage.
Do not use the clutch bite point to keep the
vehicle stationary on uphill gradients. There is otherwise a risk of damaging the clutch.
! On long and steep downhill gradients, espe-
cially if the vehicle is laden or towing a trailer, you must shift into gear 1, 2or3in good time.
This uses the engine's braking effect. This
relieves the load on the brake system and
prevents the brakes from overheating and
wearing too quickly. k
Reverse gear
1 -6
Forward gears Engaging reverse gear
! Only shift into reverse gear
Rwhen the vehi-
cle is stationary. Otherwise, you could dam-
age the transmission.
X Move the gear lever firmly to the left, beyond
the point of resistance, then forwards.
The ECO start/stop function is not available
when reverse gear is engaged. For further infor-
mation on the ECO start/stop function; see
(Y page 135). Manual transmission
139Driving and parking Z
Double-clutch function
E 500 only:
when shifting down, the double-
clutch function is active regardless of the cur-
rently selected drive program. The double-
clutch function reduces load change reactions
and is conducive to a sporty driving style. The
sound generated by the double-clutch function
depends on the drive program selected.
Kickdown Use kickdown for maximum acceleration:
X Depress the accelerator pedal beyond the
pressure point.
The 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.
Towing a trailer Towing a trailer is not possible with all models.
For further information, see (Y page 202).
X Drive in the middle of the engine speed range
on uphill gradients.
X Manual drive program: depending on the
uphill or downhill gradient, shift into a gear
(Y page 144) in which the engine will run in
the middle of the engine speed range. This
also applies if cruise control, DISTRONIC
PLUS or SPEEDTRONIC are activated. Program selector button
The program selector button allows you to
choose between different driving characteris-
tics. All vehicles (except vehicles with dynamic han-
dling package or the AMG sports package):
X Press program selector button :.
The selected drive program appears in the
multifunction display. Vehicles with dynamic handling package or the
AMG sports package:
X Press program selector button :.
The selected drive program appears in the
multifunction display.
i The permanent drive program Mis available
on the following vehicles:
R vehicles with the dynamic handling pack-
age
R vehicles with the AMG Sport package
Further information about permanent drive
program M(Y page 145).
As well as this permanent drive program M,
you can also activate temporary drive pro-
gram M(Y page 144). E
Economy Comfortable, economical
driving
S
Sport Sporty driving style
M
Manual Manual gearshifting
i
Further information on the automatic drive
program (Y page 144).
i The automatic transmission switches to
automatic drive program Eeach time the
engine is started. Automatic transmission
143Driving and parking Z
Steering wheel gearshift paddles
In the manual drive program, you can change
gears manually using steering wheel gearshift
paddles :and ;.
Further information about permanent drive pro-
gram M(Y page 145).
Further information about temporary drive pro-
gram M(Y page 144).
i You can only change gear with the steering
wheel gearshift paddles when the transmis-
sion is in position D. Automatic drive program
Automatic drive program E Drive program
Eis characterised by the follow-
ing:
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 accel-
erator pedal is depressed fully.
R increased sensitivity. This improves driving
stability on slippery road surfaces, for exam-
ple.
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. Automatic drive program S Drive program
Sis characterised by the follow-
ing:
R sporty engine settings.
R the automatic transmission shifting up later,
as a result of the later automatic transmission
shift points, the fuel consumption possibly
being higher.
Manual drive program M General notes
In this drive program, you can briefly change
gear yourself by using the steering wheel gear-
shift paddles. The transmission must be in posi-
tion D.
You can activate manual drive program Min
automatic drive programs Eand S.
i As well as temporary drive program
M, you
can also activate permanent drive program M
(Y page 143).
Further information about permanent drive
program M(Y page 145).
Activating X Shift the transmission to position D.
X Pull the left or right steering wheel gearshift
paddle (Y page 144).
Manual drive program Mis temporarily acti-
vated. The selected gear and Mappear in the
multifunction display.
Shifting gears
If you pull on the left or right-hand steering
wheel gearshift paddle, the automatic transmis- sion switches to manual drive program Mfor a
limited amount of time. Depending on which
gearshift paddle is pulled, the automatic trans-
mission immediately shifts into the next gear up
or down, if permitted.
X To shift up: pull the right-hand steering wheel
gearshift paddle (Y page 144).
The automatic transmission shifts up to the
next gear.
i If the maximum engine speed on the cur-
rently engaged gear is reached and you con-
tinue to accelerate, the automatic transmis- 144
Automatic transmissionDriving and parking
sion automatically shifts up in order to pre-
vent engine damage.
X To shift down: pull on the left-hand steering
wheel gearshift paddle (Y page 144).
The automatic transmission shifts down to
the next gear.
i If the engine exceeds the maximum engine
speed when shifting down, the automatic
transmission protects against engine damage
by not shifting down.
i Automatic downshifting occurs when coast-
ing.
Gearshift recommendation The gearshift recommendations assist you in
adopting 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.
Deactivating If you have activated manual drive program M, it
will remain active for a certain amount of time.
Under certain conditions the minimum amount
of time is extended, e.g. in the case of lateral
acceleration, during an overrun phase or when
driving on steep terrain.
When manual drive program Mis deactivated,
the automatic transmission shifts into the auto- matic drive program that was last selected.
You can also deactivate manual drive program
M yourself:
X Pull on the right-hand steering wheel gearshift
paddle and hold it in place (Y page 144).
or X Use the DIRECT SELECT lever to shift the
transmission position (Y page 140).or
X Use the program selector button to change
the drive program (Y page 143).
Manual drive program Mis deactivated. The
automatic transmission switches into the
automatic drive program that was last selec-
ted. Manual drive program
General notes In this drive program, you can permanently
change gear yourself by using the steering
wheel gearshift paddles. The transmission must
be in position D.
i As well as this permanent drive program
M,
you can also activate temporary drive pro-
gram M(Y page 144).
Activating the manual drive program X
Press the program selector button
(Y page 143) repeatedly until Mappears in
the multifunction display.
The manual drive program is only available on
vehicles with the dynamic handling package or
AMG Sports package.
Manual drive program Mdiffers from drive pro-
gram Swith regard to spontaneity, responsive-
ness and the smoothness of the gear changes.
Manual drive program Mcan be selected using
the program selector button. In manual drive
program M, you can change gear yourself using
the steering wheel gearshift paddles if the trans- mission is in position D. The gear selected is
shown in the multifunction display.
Upshifting X
Pull the right-hand steering wheel gearshift
paddle.
The automatic transmission shifts up to the
next gear. Automatic transmission
145Driving and parking Z
Gearshift recommendation
The gearshift recommendations assist you in
adopting an economical driving style. The rec-
ommended gear is shown in the multifunction
display.
X If relevant gearshift recommendation :
appears in the multifunction display on the
instrument cluster, pull on the right-hand
steering wheel gearshift paddle (Y page 144).
The automatic transmission shifts to recom-
mended gear ;.
Downshifting X
Pull the left-hand steering wheel gearshift
paddle.
The automatic transmission shifts down to
the next gear.
i For maximum acceleration, pull the left-
hand steering wheel gearshift paddle until the
transmission selects the optimum gear for
the current speed.
Kickdown You can also use kickdown for maximum accel-
eration in manual drive program M.
X Depress the accelerator pedal beyond the
pressure point.
The transmission shifts to a lower gear
depending on the engine speed.
Deactivating the manual drive program X
Press the program selector button
(Y page 143). 146
Automatic transmissionDriving and parking
G
WARNING
If you leave children unattended in the vehi-
cle, they may be able to set the vehicle in
motion if, for example, they:
R release the parking brake
R shift the automatic transmission out of park
position Por shift manual transmission into
neutral
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 key with you and lock the vehicle. Never leave
children unattended in the vehicle.
! Always secure the vehicle correctly against
rolling away. Otherwise, the vehicle or its driv-
etrain could be damaged.
To ensure that the vehicle is safeguarded
against rolling away unintentionally:
R the parking brake must be applied
R on vehicles with manual transmission, engage
1st gear or reverse gear
R on vehicles with automatic transmission, the
transmission must be in position Pand the
key must be removed from the ignition lock
R the front wheels must be turned towards the
kerb on steep uphill or downhill gradients Switching off the engine
Important safety notes G
WARNING
The automatic transmission switches to neu-
tral 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 vehi-
cle from rolling away by applying the parking
brake. Vehicles with manual transmission X
Shift to either 1st gear or reverse gear R.
X Turn the key to position 0in the ignition lock
and remove it.
The immobiliser is activated.
X Firmly depress the parking brake.
Vehicles with automatic transmission X
Firmly depress the parking brake.
X Shift the transmission to position P.
X With the key: turn the key to position 0in the
ignition lock and remove it.
The immobiliser is activated.
X With KEYLESS-GO: press the Start/Stop
button (Y page 132).
The engine stops and all the indicator lamps in the instrument cluster go out.
When the driver's door is closed, this corre-
sponds to key position 1. When the driver's
door is open, this corresponds to key position
0: "key removed".
If you switch the engine off with the transmis-
sion in position Ror D, the automatic transmis-
sion shifts to Nautomatically.
With the key: if you then open the driver's door
or the front-passenger door or remove the key
from the ignition, the automatic transmission
shifts to Pautomatically.
With KEYLESS-GO: if you then open the driver's
or front-passenger door, the automatic trans-
mission shifts to P.
If you want the automatic transmission to
remain in neutral N, e.g. when having the vehicle
cleaned in an automatic car wash with a towing
system:
X Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO: remove the
Start/Stop button from the ignition lock.
X Insert the key into the ignition lock.
X All vehicles: switch the ignition on.
X Depress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
X Shift to neutral N.
X Release the brake pedal.
X Release the parking brake.
X Switch off the ignition and leave the key in the
ignition lock. Parking
151Driving and parking Z
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. This increa-
ses the risk of skidding and an accident.
Only use the parking brake to brake the vehi- cle 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 unattended in the vehi-
cle, they may be able to set the vehicle in
motion if, for example, they:
R release the parking brake
R shift the automatic transmission out of park
position Por shift manual transmission into
neutral
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 key with you and lock the vehicle. Never leave
children unattended in the vehicle. The brake lights do not light up when you brake
the vehicle with the parking brake. X
To apply: depress parking brake ;firmly.
The J indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up if the engine is running.
X To release: depress the brake pedal and keep
it depressed.
X Pull release handle :.
The J indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster goes out. Parking up the vehicle
If you leave the vehicle parked up for longer than
four weeks, the battery may be damaged by
exhaustive discharging.
If you leave the vehicle parked up for longer than six weeks, it may suffer from lack of use.
X Contact a qualified specialist workshop and
seek advice.
i You can obtain information about trickle
chargers from a qualified specialist work-
shop. Driving tips
General 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. ECO display
The ECO display provides feedback on how eco-
nomical your driving characteristics are. The 152
Driving tipsDriving and parking