
Driving in mountainous terrain
Approach/departure angle ............ 202
Driving off-road
see Off-road driving
Driving safety system
BAS PLUS with Cross-Traffic
Assist .............................................. .71
COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST
PLUS ................................................ 73
EBD (electronic brake force distri- bution ) ............................................. 78
Recuperative Brake Syste m .............43
STEER CONTROL ............................. 80
Driving safety systems
ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) ....... 70
ADAPTIVE BRAK E............................. 78
Adaptive Brake Assist ...................... 74
Adaptive brake lights ....................... 75
BAS (Brake Assist System) .............. 71
Distance warning function ............... 73
ESP ®
(Electronic Stability Pro-
gram) ............................................... 75
Important safety guidelines ............. 70
Overview .......................................... 70
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake ............................. 78
Driving system
ADS ............................................... 221
AIRMATIC package ........................ 220
DISTRONIC PLUS with Steering
Assist and Stop&Go Pilot ............... 214
Driving systems
360°camera .................................. 236
Active Blind Spot Assist ................. 247
Active Curve System ...................... 222
Active Driving Assistance pack-
age ................................................. 247
Active Lane Keeping Assist ............ 250
Active Parking Assist ..................... 228
AMG RIDE CONTROL sports sus-
pension .......................................... 224
ATTENTION ASSIST ........................ 240
Blind Spot Assist ............................ 244
Cruise control ................................ 203
Display message ............................ 322
Distronic Plus ................................ 207
HOLD function ............................... 219
Lane Keeping Assist ...................... 246 Level control (vehicle with the Off-
Road Engineering package) ........... 216
PARKTRONIC ................................. 225
Reversing camera .......................... 232
SPEEDTRONIC ............................... 205
Traffic Sign Assist .......................... 242
Driving tips
Aquaplaning ................................... 197
Automatic transmission ................. 170
Brakes ........................................... 196
DISTRONIC PLUS ........................... 213
Downhill gradient ........................... 196
Driving abroad ............................... 121
Driving in winter ............................. 198
Driving on flooded roads ................ 197
Driving on sand .............................. 201
Driving on wet roads ...................... 197
Driving over obstacles ................... 201
Fuel ................................................ 194
General .......................................... 194
Icy road surfaces ........................... 198
Limited braking efficiency on sal-
ted roads ....................................... 197
New brake pads/linings ................ 197
Off-road driving .............................. 199
Off-road fording ............................. 198
Running-in tip s............................... 157
Snow chains .................................. 408
Symmetrical dipped beam ............. 121
Towing a trailer .............................. 273
Travelling uphill .............................. 202
Tyre ruts ........................................ 201
Wet road surface ........................... 196
DSR (Downhill Speed Regulation)
Display message ............................ 324
Function/note s............................. 252
DVD video
Operating (on-board computer) ..... 288
DYNAMIC SELECT controller
Automatic transmission ................. 166
PLUG-IN HYBRID operation ............ 267 E
EASY-ENTRY feature Activating/deactivating ................. 296
Function/note s............................. 116 Index
9 

Useful information
i This Owner's Manual describes all models,
series and optional equipment for your vehi-
cle that were available at the time of going to
press. National variations are possible. Note
that your vehicle may not be equipped with all
of the functions described. This is also the
case for systems and functions relevant to
safety.
i Read the information on qualified specialist
workshops: (Y page 28). Running-in notes
Important safety notes
In certain driving and driving safety systems, the
sensors adjust automatically while a certain dis- tance is being driven after the vehicle has beendelivered or after repairs. Full system effective-
ness is not reached until the end of this teach-in process.
Brake pads/linings and discs that are either new
or have been replaced only achieve optimum
braking effect after several hundred kilometres
of driving. Compensate for the reduced braking
effect by applying greater force to the brake
pedal. The first 1,500 km
If you treat the engine with sufficient care from
the very start, you will be rewarded with excel-
lent performance for the remainder of the
engine's life.
R Drive at varying vehicle speeds and engine
speeds for the first 1500 km.
R Avoid overstraining the vehicle during this
period, e.g. driving at full throttle.
R Change gear in good time, before the rev
counter needle is Ôof the way to the red area
of the rev counter.
R Do not shift down a gear manually in order to
brake.
R Try to avoid depressing the accelerator pedal
beyond the point of resistance (kickdown). Additional notes on running in Mercedes-AMG
vehicles:
R For the first 1,500 km do not drive at speeds
above 140 km/ h.
R Only allow the engine to reach a maximum
engine speed of 4,500 rpm briefly.
R Ideally, for the first 1,500 km, drive in the
Comfort drive program.
After 1,500 km, you may gradually accelerate
the vehicle to full road and engine speeds.
You should also observe these notes on running-
in if the engine or parts of the drive train on your vehicle have been replaced.
Always observe the maximum permissible
speed. Driving
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Objects in the driver's footwell may restrict
the clearance around the pedals or block a
depressed pedal. This jeopardises the oper-
ating and road safety of the vehicle. There is a risk of an accident.
Stow all objects securely in the vehicle so that
they do not get into the driver's footwell.
Always fit the floormats securely and as pre-
scribed in order to ensure that there is always sufficient room for the pedals. Do not use
loose floormats and do not place several floor- mats on top of one another. G
WARNING
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. Driving
157Driving and parking Z 

In addition to driving style, the actual consump-
tion is affected by other factors, such as:
R load
R tyre pressure
R cold start
R choice of route
R the use of electrical consumers
These factors are not included in the ECO dis-
play.
An economical driving style involves driving at a
moderate engine speed.
To achieve a higher value in the categories
"Acceleration" and "Constant":
R observe the gearshift recommendation
R drive the vehicle in the Comfortdrive pro-
gram.
On long journeys at a constant speed, e.g. on the motorway, only the outer area for "Constant"
will change.
The ECO display summarises the driving style
from the start of the journey to its completion.
Therefore, there are more marked changes in
the outer areas at the start of a journey. During
a prolonged driving time, these changes are
smaller. For more marked changes, perform a
manual reset (Y page 285).
Further information on the ECO display
(Y page 285). Braking
Important safety notes G
WARNING
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.
This increases the risk of skidding and having
an accident.
Do not shift down for additional engine brak-
ing on a slippery road surface.
Downhill gradients Do not depress the brake pedal continuously
while the vehicle is in motion, e.g. never cause
the brakes to rub by constantly applying light
pressure to the pedal. This results in excessive
and premature wear to the brake pads. Use the left-hand gearshift paddle to shift to a
lower gear on long and steep downhill gradients.
Take particular note of this when driving a laden vehicle.
i 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 sys-
tem and prevents the brakes from overheating
and wearing too quickly.
Heavy and light loads G
WARNING
The braking system can overheat if you leave your foot on the brake pedal while driving.
This increases the braking distance and could
even cause the braking system to fail. There is
a risk of an accident.
Never use the brake pedal as a footrest. Do
not simultaneously depress both the brake
pedal and the accelerator pedal while driving.
! Depressing the brake pedal constantly
results in excessive and premature wear to
the brake pads.
If heavy demands are made on the brakes, do
not park the vehicle immediately. Drive on for a
short while. This allows the airflow to cool the
brakes more quickly.
If the brakes have been used only moderately,
you should occasionally test their effectiveness.
To do this, brake more firmly from a higher
speed. This improves the grip of the brakes.
Wet road surfaces If you have driven for a long time in heavy rain
without braking, there may be a delayed reac-
tion from the brakes when braking for the first
time. This may also occur after a car wash or
after driving through deep water.
You will have to depress the brake pedal more
firmly. Maintain a greater distance to the vehicle in front.
After driving on a wet road or having the vehicle
washed, brake firmly while paying attention to
the traffic conditions. This will warm up the
brake discs, thereby drying them more quickly
and protecting them against corrosion. 196
Driving tipsDriving and parking 

Limited braking performance on salt-
treated roads If you drive on salt-treated roads, a layer of salt
may form on the brake discs and pads. This can increase the braking distance considerably.
R Apply the brakes occasionally in order to pre-
vent any salt build-up. Ensure that you do not
endanger other road users when doing so.
R Carefully depress the brake pedal at the end
of the journey and when starting the next
journey.
R Maintain a much greater distance to the vehi-
cle in front.
New brake pads/linings Brake pads/linings and discs that are either new
or have been replaced only achieve optimum
braking effect after several hundred kilometres
of driving. Compensate for the reduced braking
effect by applying greater force to the brake
pedal.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only have brake pads/linings
fitted to your vehicle which have been approved
for Mercedes-Benz vehicles or which corre-
spond 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 vehicle's
operating safety.
High-performance brake system
(Mercedes-AMG vehicles) The high-performance brake system is designed
for high loads. This may lead to noise when
braking. This is dependent on:
R speed
R braking force
R environmental conditions, such as tempera-
ture and humidity
The wear of individual brake system compo-
nents such as the brake pads/linings or brake
discs depends on individual driving style and
operating conditions.
For this reason, it is impossible to state a mile-
age (service life) that will be valid under all cir-
cumstances. An aggressive driving style will
lead to high wear. You can obtain further infor-
mation about this from your Mercedes-Benz
Service Centre. Brake pads/linings and discs that are either new
or have been replaced only achieve optimum
braking effect after several hundred kilometres
of driving. Compensate for the reduced braking
effect by applying greater force to the brake
pedal. Always be aware of this and adapt your
driving and braking accordingly during the run-
ning-in period.
Excessive heavy braking results in correspond-
ingly high brake wear. Observe the #brake
wear warning lamp in the instrument cluster and
note any brake status messages in the multi-
function display. If you regularly drive at high
speeds, it is particularly important to have the
brake system checked and maintained regu-
larly. Driving on wet roads
Aquaplaning If water has accumulated to a certain depth on
the road surface, there is a danger of aquaplan-
ing occurring, even if:
R you are driving at low speeds
R the tyres have adequate tread depth
For this reason, drive in the following manner in the event of heavy rain or in conditions in whichaquaplaning can occur:
R lower your speed
R avoid tyre ruts
R avoid sudden steering movements
R brake carefully
Driving on flooded roads !
Bear in mind that vehicles travelling in front
or in the opposite direction create waves. This
may cause the maximum permissible water
depth to be exceeded.
These notes must be observed under all cir-
cumstances. You could otherwise damage
the engine, the electronics or the transmis-
sion.
If you must drive on stretches of road on which
water has collected, please bear in mind that:
R in the case of standing water, the water level
must be no higher than the lower edge of the
vehicle body
R you should drive no faster than walking pace Driving tips
197Driving and parking Z 

reduce the risk of an accident to yourself and
other road users.
X If the Off-road orOff-road Plus drive pro-
gram is selected: select the Individual,
Sport, Comfort orSlippery drive program
(Y page 166).
X Deactivate the LOW RANGE offroad gear
(Y page 255).
X Deactivate DSR (Y page 252).
X Lower the vehicle level again to a level suita-
ble to the road conditions, e.g. to the normal
level.
X Clean the headlamps and rear lights and
check for damage.
X Clean the front and rear licence plates.
X Clean the wheels and tyres with a water jet
and remove any foreign objects.
X Clean the wheels, wheel arches and the vehi-
cle underside with a water jet; check for any
foreign objects and damage.
X Check whether twigs or other parts of plants
have become trapped. These increase the risk
of fire and can damage fuel pipes, brake
hoses or the rubber bellows of the axle joints
and propeller shafts.
X After the trip, examine without fail the entire
undercarriage, wheels, tyres, brakes, body-
work structure, steering, chassis and exhaust system for damage.
X After driving for extended periods across
sand, mud, gravel, water or in similarly dirty
conditions, have the brake discs, wheels,
brake pads/linings and axle joints checked
and cleaned.
X If you detect strong vibrations after driving
off-road, check for foreign objects in the
wheels and drive train and remove them if
necessary. Foreign objects can disturb the
balance and cause vibrations.
Driving on sand Observe the following rules when driving on
sand:
R Select the Offroaddrive program (vehicles
with Off-Road Engineering package)
(Y page 254).
R Select the Offroaddrive program (vehicles
without Off-Road Engineering package)
(Y page 254).
R Select a higher vehicle level. R
Avoid high engine speeds.
R Use the left-hand steering wheel gearshift
paddle to shift to a lower gear appropriate to the terrain.
R Drive quickly to overcome the rolling resist-
ance. Otherwise, the vehicle could dig itself
into the sand.
R Drive in the tracks of other vehicles if possi-
ble. Make sure that:
- the tyre ruts are not too deep
- the sand is firm enough
- your vehicle has sufficient ground clear-
ance
Tyre ruts and gravel roads !
Check that the ruts are not too deep and
that your vehicle has sufficient clearance.
Otherwise, your vehicle could be damaged or bottom out and get stuck.
Observe the following rules when driving along
ruts in off-road terrain or on roads with loose
gravel: R Select the Offroaddrive program (vehicles
with Off-Road Engineering package)
(Y page 254).
R Select the Offroaddrive program (vehicles
without Off-Road Engineering package)
(Y page 254).
R Select a higher vehicle level.
R Avoid high engine speeds.
R Shift to a lower gear using the left-hand steer-
ing wheel gearshift paddle.
R Drive slowly.
R Where ruts are too deep, drive with the
wheels on one side on the middle section of
turf if possible.
Driving over obstacles !
Obstacles could damage the floor of the
vehicle or components of the chassis. Ask
passengers for guidance when driving over
large obstacles. Any damage to the vehicle
always increases the risk of an accident. Driving tips
201Driving and parking Z 

Display messages
Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions !
Parking brake inop‐ Parking brake inop‐
erative erative The yellow
!warning lamp lights up. The red !indicator lamp
flashes for about ten seconds after the electric parking brake has been applied or released. It then goes out or remains lit.
The electric parking brake is malfunctioning, e.g. because of over-
voltage or undervoltage.
X Rectify the cause of the overvoltage or undervoltage, e.g. by charg-
ing the battery or restarting the engine.
X Apply or release the electric parking brake.
If the electric parking brake still cannot be applied or released: X Switch off the ignition and turn it back on.
X Apply or release the electric parking brake.
If the electric parking brake still cannot be released: X Consult a qualified specialist workshop.
If it is still not possible to apply the electric parking brake:
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. The yellow
!warning lamp lights up and the red !indicator
lamp flashes.
It is not possible to apply the electric parking brake manually.
X Shift the transmission to position P.
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. J
Check brake fluid Check brake fluid
level level There is insufficient brake fluid in the brake fluid reservoir. In addition,
the J warning lamp in the instrument cluster lights up and a warn-
ing tone sounds.
G WARNING
Braking efficiency may be impaired.
There is a risk of an accident.
X Pull over and stop the vehicle safely as soon as possible, paying
attention to road and traffic conditions. Do not continue driving
under any circumstances.
X Safeguard the vehicle against rolling away (Y page 191).
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop.
X Do not top up the brake fluid. This does not correct the fault. #
Check Check
brake
brakepad
padwear
wear The brake pads/linings have reached their wear limit.
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. G
Inoperative
Inoperative One or more main features of the Mercedes-Benz Contact system are
malfunctioning.
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. 306
Display
messagesOn-board computer and displays 

!
For cleaning your vehicle, do not use any of
the following:
R dry, rough or hard cloths
R abrasive cleaning agents
R solvents
R cleaning agents containing solvents
Do not scrub.
Do not touch the surfaces or protective films
with hard objects, e.g. a ring or ice scraper.
You could otherwise scratch or damage the
surfaces and protective film.
! Do not park up the vehicle for an extended
period straight after cleaning it, particularly
after having cleaned the wheels with wheel
cleaner. Wheel cleaners could cause
increased corrosion of the brake discs and
brake pads/linings. For this reason, you
should drive for a few minutes after cleaning. Braking heats the brake discs and the brake
pads/linings, thus drying them. The vehicle
can then be parked up.
Regular care of your vehicle is a condition for
retaining the quality in the long term.
Use care products and cleaning agents recom-
mended and approved by Mercedes-Benz. Washing the vehicle and cleaning the
paintwork
Automatic car wash G
WARNING
Braking efficiency is reduced after the vehicle has been washed. There is a risk of an acci-
dent.
After washing the vehicle, brake carefully
while paying attention to the traffic conditions in order to restore full braking efficiency. !
Before driving into an automatic car wash,
make sure that it is suitable for the dimen-
sions of the vehicle. In particular, make sure
that:
R there is enough ground clearance between
the vehicle underbody and the guide rails of the automatic car wash.
R the clearance width of the automatic car
wash is sufficient, particularly the width of
the guide rails
R you enter the automatic car wash straight
and in the centre of the guide rails in order
to avoid damaging the tyres or wheel rims.
Fold in the exterior mirrors before the vehicle is washed. The exterior mirrors could other-
wise be damaged.
! When DISTRONIC PLUS or the HOLD func-
tion is activated, the vehicle brakes automat- ically in certain situations.
To avoid damage to the vehicle, deactivate
DISTRONIC PLUS and the HOLD function in
the following or similar situations:
R when towing away
R in a car wash
! Make sure that:
R the side windows and sliding sunroof are
closed completely.
R the blower for the ventilation/heating is
switched off (OFF button is depressed).
R the windscreen wiper switch is at position
0.
The vehicle could otherwise be damaged.
! In car washes with a towing mechanism,
make sure that the automatic transmission is in transmission position N, otherwise the
vehicle could be damaged.
R Vehicles with a key:
do not remove the key from the ignition
lock. Do not open the driver's door or front-
passenger door when the engine is
switched off. Otherwise, the automatic
transmission selects park position Pauto-
matically and locks the wheels. You can
prevent this by shifting the automatic trans- mission to Nbeforehand.
R Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO:
do not open the driver's door or front-
passenger door when the engine is
switched off. Otherwise, the automatic Care
379Maintenance and care Z 

X
Remove impurities immediately, where pos-
sible, whilst avoiding rubbing too hard.
X Soak insect remains with insect remover and
rinse off the treated areas afterwards.
X Soak bird droppings with water and rinse off
the treated areas afterwards.
X Remove coolant, brake fluid, tree resin, oils,
fuels and greases by rubbing gently with a
cloth soaked in petroleum ether or lighter
fluid.
X Use tar remover to remove tar stains.
X Use silicone remover to remove wax.
Care and treatment of matt paintwork !
Never polish the vehicle or the light alloy
wheels. Polishing makes the paintwork shiny.
! The following may cause the paint to
become shiny and thus reduce the matt
effect:
R vigorous rubbing with unsuitable materials
R frequent use of car washes
R washing the vehicle in direct sunlight
! Never use paint cleaner, buffing or polishing
products, or gloss preserver, e.g. wax. These
products are only suitable for high-gloss sur-
faces. Their use on vehicles with matt paint-
work leads to considerable surface damage
(shiny, spotted areas).
Always have paintwork repairs carried out at a
qualified specialist workshop.
! Do not use wash programs with a hot wax
treatment under any circumstances.
Observe these notes if your vehicle has a clear
matt finish. This will help you to avoid damage to the paintwork due to incorrect treatment.
These notes also apply to light-alloy wheels with a clear matt finish.
i The vehicle should preferably be washed by
hand using a soft sponge, car shampoo and
plenty of water.
i Use only insect remover and car shampoo
from the range of recommended and
approved Mercedes-Benz care products. Cleaning vehicle parts
Cleaning the wheels G
WARNING
The water jet of circular-jet nozzles (dirt grind- ers) can cause damage not visible from the
outside to tyres or chassis components. Com-
ponents damaged in this way can unexpect-
edly fail. There is a risk of an accident.
Do not use high-pressure cleaners with circu-
lar-jet nozzles to clean the vehicle. Have dam- aged tyres or chassis components replaced
immediately.
! Do not use acidic wheel cleaning products
to remove brake dust. This could damage
wheel bolts and brake components.
! Do not park up the vehicle for an extended
period straight after cleaning it, particularly
after having cleaned the wheels with wheel
cleaner. Wheel cleaners could cause
increased corrosion of the brake discs and
brake pads/linings. For this reason, you
should drive for a few minutes after cleaning. Braking heats the brake discs and the brake
pads/linings, thus drying them. The vehicle
can then be parked up.
Cleaning the windows G
WARNING
If the windscreen wipers are set in motion
when cleaning the windscreen or wiper
blades, you could become trapped. There is a danger of injury.
Always switch off the windscreen wipers and
the ignition before cleaning the windscreen orwiper blades.
! Do not use dry cloths, abrasive products,
solvents or cleaning agents containing sol-
vents to clean the inside of the windows. Do
not touch the insides of the windows with
hard objects, e.g. an ice scraper or ring. There is otherwise a risk of damaging the windows.
! Clean the water drainage channels of the
windscreen and the rear window at regular
intervals. Deposits such as leaves, petals and pollen may under certain circumstances pre- Care
381Maintenance and care Z