Rthe transmission must be in position D.
R the hood must be closed.
R the driver's door must be closed when you
shift from P to D or your seat belt must be
fastened.
R the front-passenger door and rear doors
must be closed.
R the vehicle must not skid.
Activating while driving
When driving at speeds below 20 mph
(30 km/h), you can only activate DISTRONIC
PLUS if the vehicle in front has been detected
and is shown in the multifunction display. If
the vehicle in front is no longer detected and displayed, DISTRONIC PLUS switches off anda tone sounds.
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you ?, or press it up : or down ;.
DISTRONIC PLUS is selected.
X Press the cruise control lever repeatedly
up : or down ; until the desired speed is
set.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
Your vehicle adapts its speed to that of the
vehicle in front, but only up to the desired
stored speed.
iIf you do not fully release the accelerator
pedal, the
DISTRONIC PLUS Override
message appears in the multifunction dis-
play. The set distance to a slower-moving
vehicle in front will then not be maintained. You will be driving at the speed you deter-
mine by the position of the accelerator
pedal.
Pulling away X If the vehicle in front pulls away: remove
your foot from the brake pedal. X
Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you ?.
or X Accelerate briefly.
Your vehicle pulls away and adapts its
speed to that of the vehicle in front.
Driving
If there is no vehicle in front, DISTRONIC
PLUS operates in the same way as cruise
control.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that the vehicle in front has slowed down, it brakes your vehicle.
In this way, the distance you have selected is maintained.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that the vehicle infront is driving faster, it accelerates your vehi-
cle, but only up to the speed you have stored.
Changing lanes
If you change to the passing lane, DISTRONIC
PLUS supports you when: R you are driving faster than 40 mph
(60 km/h)
R DISTRONIC PLUS is maintaining the dis-
tance to a vehicle in front
R you switch on the appropriate turn signal
R DISTRONIC PLUS does not detect a danger
of collision
If these conditions are fulfilled, your vehicle is
accelerated. Acceleration will be interrupted
if changing lanes takes too long or if the dis-
tance between your vehicle and the vehicle in front becomes too small.
iWhen changing lanes, DISTRONIC PLUS
monitors the left lane on left-hand drive
vehicles and the right lane on right-hand
drive vehicles.
Driving systems179
Driving and parking
Z
Stopping
GWARNING
When leaving the vehicle, even if it is braked
only by DISTRONIC PLUS, it could roll away if:R there is a malfunction in the system or in
the voltage supply.
R DISTRONIC PLUS has been deactivated
with the cruise control lever, e.g. by a vehi-
cle occupant or from outside the vehicle.
R the electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses have
been tampered with.
R the battery is disconnected.
R the accelerator pedal has been depressed,
e.g. by a vehicle occupant.
There is a risk of an accident.
If you wish to exit the vehicle, always turn off
DISTRONIC PLUS and secure the vehicle
against rolling away.
Deactivating DISTRONIC PLUS ( Y page 182).
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that the vehicle in front is stopping, it brakes your vehicle until it
is stationary.
Once your vehicle is stationary, it remains
stationary and you do not need to depress the
brake.
iDepending on the specified minimum dis-
tance, your vehicle will come to a standstill
at a sufficient distance behind the vehicle in
front. The specified minimum distance is
set using the control on the cruise control
lever.
When DISTRONIC PLUS is activated, the
transmission is shifted automatically to posi- tion P if:
R the driver's door is open and the driver's
seat belt is unfastened.
R the engine is switched off, unless it is auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/
stop function.
R the hood is opened.
R a system malfunction occurs.
R the power supply is not sufficient.
Setting a speed
XPress the cruise control lever up : for a
higher speed or down ; for a lower speed.
X To adjust the set speed in 1 mph incre-
ments (1 km/h increments): briefly
press the cruise control lever up : or
down ; to the pressure point.
Every time the cruise control lever is
pressed up : or down ; the last speed
stored is increased or reduced.
X To adjust the set speed in 5 mph incre-
ments (10 km/h increments): briefly
press the cruise control lever up : or
down ; beyond the pressure point.
Every time the cruise control lever is
pressed up : or down ;, the last speed
stored is increased or reduced.
iDISTRONIC PLUS is not deactivated if you
depress the accelerator pedal. If you accel-
erate to overtake, DISTRONIC PLUS
adjusts the vehicle's speed to the last
speed stored after you have finished over-
taking.
Storing the current speed or calling up a
stored speed
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you ?.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
DISTRONIC PLUS is activated. The first
time it is activated, the current speed is
stored. Otherwise, it sets the vehicle cruise
speed to the previously stored value.
Setting the specified minimum distance
You can set the specified minimum distance
for DISTRONIC PLUS by varying the time span between one and two seconds. With this func-
tion, you can set the minimum distance that
DISTRONIC PLUS keeps to the vehicle in
front, dependent on vehicle speed. You can
see this distance in the multifunction display
( Y page 181).
180Driving systems
Driving and parking
the multifunction display while DISTRONIC
PLUS is activated:
:Vehicle in front, if detected
;Specified minimum distance to the vehi-
cle in front; adjustable
=Own vehicle
?DISTRONIC PLUS activated
Deactivating DISTRONIC PLUS
There are several ways to deactivate
DISTRONIC PLUS:
X Briefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards :.
or
X Brake, unless the vehicle is stationary.
When you deactivate DISTRONIC PLUS, you
will see the
DISTRONIC PLUS Off message in
the multifunction display for approximately
five seconds.
iThe last speed stored remains stored until
you switch off the engine. DISTRONIC PLUS is automatically deactiva-
ted if:
R you engage the parking brake
R you are driving slower than 15 mph
(25 km/h) and there is no vehicle in front,
or if the vehicle in front is no longer detec-
ted
R ESP ®
intervenes or you deactivate ESP ®
R the transmission is in the P, R or N position
R you pull the cruise control lever towards
you in order to pull away and the front-
passenger door or one of the rear doors is
open
R the vehicle has skidded
If DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated, you will
hear a warning tone. You will see the
DISTRONIC PLUS Off message in the multi-
function display for approximately five sec-
onds.
If the vehicle has been stopped by DISTRONIC PLUS and a malfunction occurs in the system,
the
Brake Immediately message appears in
the multifunction display. Depress the brake
pedal immediately so that the vehicle does
not roll away. DISTRONIC PLUS is then deac-
tivated, and the message disappears.
Tips for driving with DISTRONIC PLUS
General notes
The following contains descriptions of certain
road and traffic conditions in which you must
be particularly attentive. In such situations,
brake if necessary. DISTRONIC PLUS is then
deactivated.
182Driving systems
Driving and parking
When towing a trailer, your vehicle's handling
characteristics will be different in comparison with when driving without a trailer.
Use the left-hand paddle shifter to shift into a
lower gear in good time on long and steep
downhill gradients.
iThis also applies if you have activated
cruise control.
This will use the braking effect of the engine,
so that less braking will be required to main-
tain the speed. This relieves the load on the
brake system and prevents the brakes from
overheating and wearing too quickly. If you
need additional braking, depress the brake
pedal repeatedly rather than continuously.
Driving tips
R Maintain a greater distance from the vehi-
cle in front than when driving without a
trailer.
R Avoid braking abruptly. If possible, brake
gently at first to allow the trailer to run on.
Then, increase the braking force rapidly.
R The values given for gradient-climbing
capabilities from a standstill refer to sea
level. When driving in mountainous areas,
note that the power output of the engine
and, consequently, the vehicle's gradient-
climbing capability, decreases with
increasing altitude.
If the trailer swings from side to side:
X Do not accelerate.
X Do not counter-steer.
X Brake if necessary.
Installing the ball coupling
GWARNING
If the ball coupling is not installed and secured
correctly the trailer may come loose. There is
a risk of an accident.
Install and secure the ball coupling as descri-
bed in the ball coupling installation instruc-
tions. Make sure that the ball coupling is
installed and secured correctly before every
journey.
! Mercedes-Benz recommends that you
only use ball couplings that have been tes- ted and approved by Mercedes-Benz. This
helps to avoid damage to the vehicle.
Cover cap
X Pull protective cap : in the direction of the
arrow, out of ball coupling recess ;.
X Store protective cap : in a safe place.
X Observe the manufacturer's installation
instructions.
GWARNING
If the ball coupling is not correctly installed
and secured, it could come loose while driving
and endanger other road users. There is a risk
of an accident and injury.
Install and secure the ball coupling as descri-
bed in the ball coupling manufacturer's instal- lation instructions. Make sure that the ball
coupling is correctly installed and secured
before every journey.
Coupling up a trailer
Observe the maximum permissible trailer
dimensions (width and length).
Most U.S. states and all Canadian provinces
require by law:
R safety chains between the towing vehicle
and the trailer. The chains should be cross-
wound under the trailer drawbar. They must
214Towing a trailer
Driving and parking
Outside temperature display
You should pay special attention to road con-
ditions when temperatures are around freez-
ing point.
Bear in mind that the outside temperature
display indicates the temperature measured
and does not record the road temperature.
The outside temperature display is in the mul- tifunction display ( Y page 222).
Changes in the outside temperature are dis-
played after a short delay.
Speedometer with segments
The segments in the speedometer indicate
which speed range is available.
R Cruise control activated ( Y page 175):
The segments light up from the stored
speed to the maximum speed.
R DISTRONIC PLUS activated ( Y page 176):
One or two segments in the set speed
range light up.
R DISTRONIC PLUS detects a vehicle in front
that is driving at a slower speed than the
stored speed:
The segments between the speed of the
vehicle in front and the stored speed light
up.
Operating the on-board computer
Overview
:Multifunction display
;Switches on the Voice Control System
(see the separate operating instructions)
=Right control panel
?Left control panel
ABack button
X To activate the on-board computer: turn
the SmartKey to position 1 in the ignition
lock.
You can control the multifunction display and
the settings in the on-board computer using
the buttons on the multifunction steering
wheel.
Displays and operation221
On-board computer and displays
Z
XTo display menu bar ;: press the =
or ; button on the steering wheel.
Menu bar ; disappears after a few sec-
onds.
Text field : shows the selected menu or
submenu as well as display messages.
iYou can set the time using the Audio sys-
tem or COMAND (see the separate operat-
ing instructions).
The following messages may appear in the
multifunction display: Z Gearshift recommendation when
shifting manually ( Y page 160)
X j Y
Active Parking Assist ( Y page 189)
CRUISECruise control ( Y page 175)
¤ ECO start/stop function
(Y page 152)
ë HOLD function ( Y page 184)
Menus and submenus
Menu overview
Operating the on-board computer
(Y page 221).
Depending on the equipment installed in the
vehicle, you can call up the following menus:
R
Trip menu ( Y page 223)
R
Navi menu (navigation instructions)
( Y page 225)
R
Audio menu ( Y page 226)
R
Tel menu (telephone) ( Y page 227)
R
DriveAssist menu (assistance)
( Y page 228)
R
Serv. menu ( Y page 230)
R
Sett. menu (settings) ( Y page 230)
The
Audio, Navi and Tel menus differ slightly
in vehicles with an audio system and in vehi-
cles with COMAND. The examples given in
this Operator's Manual apply to vehicles
equipped with COMAND.
Trip menu
Standard display
X Press and hold the % button on the
steering wheel until the
Trip menu with
trip odometer : and odometer ; is
shown.
Trip computer "From Start" or "From
Reset"
Example: trip computer "From Start" :
Distance
;Driving time
=Average speed
?Average fuel consumption
X Press the = or ; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the
Trip menu.
X Press the 9 or : button to select
From Start or From Reset.
The values in the
From Start submenu are
calculated from the start of a journey,
whereas the values in the
From Reset sub-
menu are calculated from the last time the
submenu was reset ( Y page 224).
The
From Start trip computer is automati-
cally reset if:
R the ignition has been switched off for more
than four hours.
R 999 hours have been exceeded.
R 9,999 miles have been exceeded.
Menus and submenus223
On-board computer and displays
Z
XPress the : or 9 button to select the
Display Unit Speed-/Odometer func-
tion.
You will see the selected setting:
km or
miles.
X Press the a button to save the setting.
The selected unit of measurement for dis-
tance applies to:
R Digital speedometer in the
Trip menu
R Odometer and the trip odometer
R Trip computer
R Current consumption and the range
R Navigation instructions in the
Navi menu
R Cruise control
R DISTRONIC PLUS
R ASSYST PLUS service interval display
Selecting the permanent display function
You can determine whether the multifunction
display permanently shows your speed or the outside temperature.
X Press the = or ; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the
Settings menu.
X Press the : or 9 button to select the
Instrument Cluster submenu.
X Press a to confirm.
X Press the : or 9 button to select the
Permanent Display: function.
You will see the selected setting
Outside
Temperature or Additional SpeedomeZ
ter [km/h]/Additional Speedometer
[mph].
X Press the a button to save the setting.
iThe speed is highlighted in km/h or in
mph conversely to your speedometer.
Lights
Switching the daytime running lamps on/
off
Daytime running lamps are required by law
(Canada only). You cannot set the "daytime
running lamps" function via the on-board
computer. X
Press the = or ; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the
Sett. menu.
X Press the : or 9 button to select the
Lights submenu.
X Press a to confirm.
X Press the : or 9 button to select the
Day Lights function.
If the
Day Lights function has been
switched on, the cone of light and the W
symbol in the multifunction display are
shown in orange.
X Press the a button to save the setting.
Further information on daytime running
lamps ( Y page 116).
Setting the brightness of the display/
switch X Press the = or ; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the
Sett. menu.
X Press the : or 9 button to select the
Lights submenu.
X Press a to confirm.
X Press the : or 9 button to select the
Brightness Display/Switches: func-
tion.
You will see the selected setting.
X Press a to confirm.
X Press the : or 9 button to adjust the
brightness to any level from
Level 1 to
Level 5 (bright).
X Press the a or % button to save the
setting.
Activating/deactivating surround light-
ing and exterior lighting delayed switch-
off
X Press the = or ; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the
Sett. menu.
X Press the : or 9 button to select the
Lights submenu.
X Press a to confirm.
X Press the : or 9 button to select the
Surround Lighting function.
When the
Surround Lighting function is
activated, the light cone and the area
Menus and submenus231
On-board computer and displays
Z
ProblemPossible causes/consequences and M Solutions
֊
The yellow ESP®
warn-
ing lamp flashes while
the vehicle is in motion.ESP ®
or traction control has intervened because there is a r isk of
skidding or at least one wheel has started to spin.
Cruise control or DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated.
X When pulling away, only depress the accelerator pedal a s far as
necessary.
X Ease off the accelerator pedal while the vehicle is in motion.
X Adapt your driving style to suit the road and weather c onditions.
X Do not deactivate ESP ®
.
In rare cases ( Y page 71) , it may be best to deactivate ESP ®
.
Observe the important safety notes on ESP ®
(Y page 71).
å
The yellow ESP ®
OFF
warning lamp is lit while the engine is running.ESP ®
is deactivated.
GWARNING
If ESP ®
is switched off, ESP ®
is unable to stabilize the vehicle.
There is an increased risk of skidding and an accident.
X Reactivate ESP ®
.
In rare cases ( Y page 71) , it may be best to deactivate ESP ®
.
Observe the important safety notes on ESP ®
(Y page 71).
X Adapt your driving style to suit the road and weather c onditions.
If ESP ®
cannot be activated:
X Drive on carefully.
X Have ESP ®
checked at a qualified specialist workshop.
÷ä å
The yellow ESP ®
and
ESP ®
OFF warning
lamps are lit while the
engine is running.ESP ®
, BAS, BAS PLUS, PRE