X
Push DYNAMIC SELECT switch :up or
down until the desired drive program is
selected.
The status icon of the selected drive pro-
gram is shown in the multifunction display.
In addition, the current drive program set-
tings are displayed briefly in the Audio 20 or COMAND Online display.
i In a few countries, the ECO start/stop
function is deactivated at the factory due to the quality of the available fuel. In this case,
the ECO start/stop function is not available in any drive program, regardless of the dis-
play in the Audio 20 or COMAND Online
display.
Available drive programs: I
Individual Individual settings
S+
Sport Plus Particularly sporty driving
characteristics
S
Sport Sporty driving character-
istics
C
Comfort Comfortable and econom-
ical driving characteristics E
Economy Particularly economical
driving characteristics
Additional information for drive programs
(Y page 200).
You can also change gear yourself using the
steering wheel gearshift paddles. Further
information on the manual drive program
(Y page 201). Vehicles with the Off-Road Engineering
package:
information on the off-road pro-
grams (Y page 250). Automatic transmission
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
If the engine speed is above the idling speed
and you engage transmission position Dor R,
the vehicle could pull away suddenly. There is a risk of an accident.
When engaging transmission position Dor R,
always firmly depress the brake pedal and do not simultaneously accelerate. 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.
Observe the important safety notes for PLUG-
IN HYBRID vehicles (Y page 44). DIRECT SELECT lever
Overview of transmission positions j
Park position with parking lock
k Reverse gear 196
Automatic transmissionDriving and parking
i
Neutral
h Drive
The DIRECT SELECT lever is on the right of the
steering column.
The DIRECT SELECT lever always returns to
its original position. The current transmission
position P,R, Nor Dappears in the transmis-
sion position display in the multifunction dis- play (Y page 198).
Engaging park position P !
If the engine speed is too high, do not shift
the automatic transmission directly from D
to R, from Rto Dor directly to P. Otherwise,
the automatic transmission could be dam-
aged. j
Park position with parking lock
k Reverse gear
i Neutral
h Drive
X Push the DIRECT SELECT lever in the direc-
tion of arrow P.
Engaging park position P automatically Park position
Pis automatically engaged if:
R you switch off the engine using the key and
remove the key
R you switch off the engine using the key or
using the Start/Stop button and open the
driver's door or front-passenger door
R you open the driver's door when the vehicle
is stationary or when driving at a very low speed and the transmission is in position
D
or R
Under certain conditions, the automatic
transmission shifts automatically to transmis-
sion position Pif the HOLD function or
DISTRONIC PLUS is activated. Observe the
information on the HOLD function
(Y page 248) and on DISTRONIC PLUS
(Y page 240).
Engaging reverse gear R !
Only shift the automatic transmission to
R
when the vehicle is stationary.
X If the transmission is in position Dor N:
push the DIRECT SELECT lever up past the first point of resistance.
X If the transmission is in position P: depress
the brake pedal and push the DIRECT
SELECT lever up past the first point of
resistance.
The ECO start/stop function is not available
when reverse gear is engaged. Further infor-
mation on the ECO start/stop function
(Y page 192).
Shifting to neutral N G
WARNING
If children are left unsupervised in the vehicle, they can:
R open doors and endanger other persons or
road users
R climb out and be injured by the traffic
R operate vehicle equipment and, for exam-
ple, trap themselves.
Children could also set the vehicle in motion, for example by:
R releasing the parking brake
R shifting the automatic transmission out of
park position P
R starting the engine.
There is a risk of an accident and injury. Automatic transmission
197Driving and parking
Z
When leaving the vehicle, always take the key
with you and lock the vehicle. Never leave
children unattended in the vehicle. Always
keep the key out of reach of children.
X If the transmission is in position Dor R:
push the DIRECT SELECT lever up or down
to the first point of resistance.
X If the transmission is in position P: depress
the brake pedal and push the DIRECT
SELECT lever up or down to the first point of resistance.
If you switch the engine off with the trans-
mission in position Ror D, the automatic
transmission 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 trans-
mission shifts to Pautomatically.
With the Start/Stop button: if you then
open the driver's door or the front-passenger door, the automatic transmission shifts to P
automatically.
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:
With the key:
X 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 electric parking brake.
X Switch off the ignition and leave the key in
the ignition lock.
With the Start/Stop button:
X Remove the Start/Stop button from the
ignition lock.
X Insert the key into the ignition lock.
X 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 electric parking brake.
X Switch off the ignition and leave the key in
the ignition lock.
Engaging drive position D X
If the transmission is in position Ror N:
push the DIRECT SELECT lever down past
the first point of resistance.
X If the transmission is in position P: depress
the brake pedal and push the DIRECT
SELECT lever down past the first point of
resistance. Transmission position and drive pro-
gram display
The current transmission position and drive
program appear in the multifunction display. :
Status icon, drive program
; Transmission position
= Gear
The arrows in the transmission position dis-
play show how and into which transmission
positions you can shift using the DIRECT
SELECT lever.
If the transmission position display in the mul-
tifunction display is not working, you should
pull away carefully to check whether the
desired transmission position is engaged.
Ideally, you should select transmission posi-
tion Dand drive program Eor S. 198
Automatic transmissionDriving and parking
Transmission positions
B Park position
This prevents the vehicle from roll-
ing away when stopped.
Only shift the transmission into
position Pwhen the vehicle is sta-
tionary (Y page 197). The parking
lock should not be used as a brake when parking. In order to secure
the vehicle, always apply the elec-
tric parking brake in addition to the
parking lock.
Park position Pis automatically
engaged if:
R you switch off the engine using
the key and remove the key
R you switch off the engine using
the key or using the Start/Stop
button and open the driver's
door or front-passenger door
R you open the driver's door when
the vehicle is stationary or driv-
ing at very low speed and the
transmission is in position Dor R
In the event of a malfunction of the
vehicle's electronics, the transmis- sion may lock in position P. Have
the vehicle electronics checked
immediately at a qualified special-
ist workshop. C Reverse gear
Only shift the transmission into
position
Rwhen the vehicle is sta-
tionary. A Neutral
Do not shift the transmission to
N
while driving. Otherwise, the auto-
matic transmission could be dam-
aged.
No power is transmitted from the
engine to the drive wheels.
Releasing the brake pedal 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 lead to
damage to the transmission. 7 Drive
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. Gearshifting is deter-
mined by:
R the selected drive program
R the position of the accelerator pedal
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 Automatic transmission
199Driving and parking Z
Double-clutch function
When shifting down, the double-clutch func-
tion is active regardless of the currently selec-
ted drive program. The double-clutch function reduces load change reactions and is condu-cive to a sporty driving style. The sound gen-
erated 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.
Rocking the vehicle free Rocking the vehicle free by shifting the trans-
mission repeatedly between transmission
positions Dand Rmay help to free the vehicle
if it has become stuck in mud or snow.
The vehicle's engine management restricts
repeated shifting between transmission posi- tions Dand Rup to a maximum speed of
9 km/h.
To shift back and forth between transmission
positions Dand R, move the DIRECT SELECT
lever up and down past the point of resist-
ance.
Towing a trailer Towing a trailer is not possible with all mod-
els. For further information, see
(Y page 303).
X Drive in the middle of the engine speed
range on uphill gradients.
X Manual shifting: depending on the uphill
or downhill gradient, shift into a gear
(Y page 201) 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. Drive programs
Drive program I (Individual) In drive program
Ithe following properties of
the drive program can be selected:
R the drive (engine and transmission man-
agement)
R the suspension
R the steering
R the availability of the ECO start/stop func-
tion
R the climate control
i To permanently select the gears in drive
program Iusing the steering wheel pad-
dles, select the M(manual) setting for the
drive.
Drive program S+ (Sport Plus) Drive program
S+is characterised by the fol-
lowing:
R the vehicle exhibits particularly sporty driv-
ing characteristics.
R the vehicle pulling away in first gear.
R the automatic transmission shifting up
later.
R As a result of the later automatic transmis-
sion shift points, the fuel consumption pos-sibly being higher.
R the suspension exhibits particularly stiff
springing and damping settings (vehicles
with AIR BODY CONTROL)
R the ECO start/stop function is not availa-
ble. 200
Automatic transmissionDriving and pa
rking
Problems with the transmission
Problem
Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions The transmission has
problems shifting gear. The transmission is losing oil.
X Have the transmission checked at a qualified specialist work-
shop immediately. The acceleration ability
is deteriorating.
The transmission no
longer changes gear. The transmission is in emergency mode.
It is only possible to shift into
secondgear and reverse gear.
X Stop.
X Shift the transmission to position P.
X Switch off the engine.
X Wait at least ten seconds before restarting the engine.
X Shift the transmission to position Dor R.
If D is selected, the transmission shifts into secondgear; ifRis
selected, the transmission shifts into reverse gear.
X Have the transmission checked at a qualified specialist work-
shop immediately. Problems with PLUG-IN HYBRID operation (Y
page 301).Transfer case
This section only applies to vehicles with all-
wheel drive (4MATIC). The front and rear
axles are constantly driven.
! Performance tests may only be carried
out on a two-axle roller dynamometer. Oth-
erwise, the braking system or the transfer
case could be damaged. Contact a qualified
specialist workshop for more information
on performance tests.
! Since ESP ®
engages automatically, the
ignition must be switched off (the key or
Start/Stop button must be in position 0or
1) if:
R the electric parking brake is being tested
using a brake dynamometer.
R the vehicle is being towed with only one
axle raised (not permitted for vehicles
with 4MATIC).
The brake system could otherwise be dam-
aged. !
Vehicles with 4MATIC must not be towed
with the front or rear axle raised; otherwise,
the transmission may be damaged. Refuelling
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Fuel is highly flammable. If you handle fuel
incorrectly, there is a risk of fire and explo-
sion.
You must avoid fire, naked flames, creating
sparks and smoking. Switch off the engine
and, if applicable, the auxiliary heating before refuelling. G
WARNING
Fuels are poisonous and hazardous to health. There is a danger of injury.
Do not swallow fuel or let it come into contact
with skin, eyes or clothing. Do not inhale fuel Refuelling
203Driving and parking
Z
Opening the fuel filler flap
:
To open the fuel filler flap
; To insert the fuel filler cap
= Tyre pressure table
? Instruction label on the fuel type to be
refuelled
X Switch off the engine.
X Remove the key from the ignition lock.
or, on vehicles with KEYLESS-GO start func-
tion or KEYLESS‑ GO:
X Open the driver's door.
The on-board electronics now have status
0. This is the same as the key having been
removed.
X Press the fuel filler flap in the direction of
arrow :.
The fuel filler flap swings up.
X Turn the fuel filler cap anti-clockwise and
remove it.
X Insert the fuel filler cap into the holder on
the inside of fuel filler flap ;.
X Completely insert the filler neck of the fuel
pump nozzle into the tank, hook in place
and refuel.
X Only fill the tank until the pump nozzle
switches off.
Do not add any more fuel after the pump
stops filling for the first time. Otherwise, fuel
may leak out.
Vehicles with a diesel engine: the filler neck is designed for refuelling at diesel filling pumps. Closing the fuel filler flap X
Replace the cap on the filler neck and turn
clockwise until it engages audibly.
X Close the fuel filler flap.
Close the fuel filler flap before locking the
vehicle. Refuelling
205Driving and parking Z
Right indi-
cator lamp
Ý Ý
Flashes
orange The connection between
the vehicle and the current
source is being established
before charging begins.
Flashes
green The high-voltage battery is
charging.
Flashes red A malfunction has occurred
while charging.
The indicator lamp goes out
after approximately
90 seconds. Lights up
orange Charging of the high-voltage
battery has been tempora-
rily interrupted.
The indicator lamp goes out
after approximately
90 seconds. Lights up
green The high-voltage battery is
fully charged.
The indicator lamp goes out
after approximately
90 seconds. i
If the indicator lamps are off, lock or
unlock the vehicle. The indicator lamps will then display the current status of the charg-ing process again. Connecting the charging cable
X
Shift the transmission to position P.
X Switch the ignition off.
X Press the charge socket flap in the direc-
tion of arrow :.
The charge socket flap swings up.
X Open socket cap ;.
X Insert the mains plug into the mains socket
to the stop.
X Insert the charging cable connector into
vehicle socket Ato the stop.
The high-voltage battery is charging.
The Ý right indicator lamp ?first
flashes orange and then green.
i If the charging cable is plugged in, you
cannot start the engine or move the vehi-
cle.
i Depending on the temperature, the cool-
ing fan and battery cooling system may
audibly switch on during the charging proc- ess. Charging the high-voltage battery (PLUG-IN HYBRID vehicles)
215Driving and parking Z