
Off-road 4ETS (Electronic Traction Sys-
tem) A 4ETS system specifically suited to off-road
terrain is activated automatically once the off-
road program is activated (Y page 251).
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If ESP ®
is malfunctioning, ESP ®
is unable to
stabilize the vehicle. Additionally, further driv- ing safety systems are deactivated. This
increases the risk of skidding and an accident.
Drive on carefully. Have ESP ®
checked at a
qualified specialist workshop.
! Vehicles with 4MATIC: only operate the
vehicle for a maximum of ten seconds on a
brake test dynamometer. Switch off the
ignition.
Application of the brakes by ESP ®
may oth-
erwise destroy the brake system.
! Vehicles with 4MATIC: function or per-
formance tests may only be carried out on
a 2-axle dynamometer. Before you operate the vehicle on such a dynamometer, please
consult a qualified workshop. You could
otherwise damage the drive train or the
brake system.
ESP ®
is deactivated if the 00BBwarning lamp
in the instrument cluster lights up continu-
ously when the engine is running.
If the 00E5 warning lamp and the 00BBwarn-
ing lamp are lit continuously, ESP ®
is not
available due to a malfunction.
Observe the information on warning lamps
(Y page 323) and display messages which
may be shown in the instrument cluster
(Y page 285).
i Only use wheels with the recommended
tire sizes. Only then will ESP ®
function
properly. Characteristics of ESP
® General information
If the
00E5 ESP warning lamp goes out before
beginning the journey, ESP ®
is automatically
active.
If ESP ®
intervenes, the 00E5ESP®
warning
lamp flashes in the instrument cluster.
If ESP ®
intervenes:
X Do not deactivate ESP ®
under any circum-
stances.
X Only depress the accelerator pedal as far as
necessary when pulling away.
X Adapt your driving style to suit the prevail-
ing road and weather conditions.
ECO start/stop function
The ECO start/stop function switches the
engine off automatically when the vehicle
stops moving. The engine starts automati-
cally when the driver wants to pull away again. ESP ®
remains in its previously selected sta-
tus. Example: if ESP®
was deactivated before
the engine was switched off, ESP ®
remains
deactivated when the engine is switched on
again.
Deactivating/activating ESP ® Important safety notes
You can select between the following states
of ESP
®
:
R ESP ®
is activated.
R ESP ®
is deactivated. G
WARNING
If you deactivate ESP ®
, ESP ®
no longer sta-
bilizes the vehicle. There is an increased risk
of skidding and an accident.
Only deactivate ESP ®
in the situations descri-
bed in the following. Driving safety systems
73Safety Z

It may be best to deactivate ESP
®
in the fol-
lowing situations:
R when using snow chains
R in deep snow
R on sand or gravel
i Activate ESP ®
as soon as the situations
described above no longer apply. ESP ®
will
otherwise not be able to stabilize the vehi-
cle if the vehicle starts to skid or a wheel
starts to spin.
! Avoid spinning the driven wheels for an
extended period with ESP ®
deactivated.
You could otherwise damage the drivetrain.
Deactivating/activating ESP ®X
To switch off: press button0043.
The 00BB ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up.
X To switch on: press button0043.
The 00BB ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster goes out.
Characteristics when ESP ®
is deactivated
If ESP ®
is deactivated and one or more wheels
start to spin, the 00E5ESP®
warning lamp in
the instrument cluster flashes. In such situa-
tions, ESP ®
will not stabilize the vehicle.
If you deactivate ESP ®
:
R ESP ®
no longer improves driving stability.
R engine torque is no longer limited and the
drive wheels are able to spin. The spinning of the wheels results in a cut-
ting action for better traction on loose sur- faces.
R traction control is still activated.
R ESP ®
still provides support when you
brake.
Off-road ESP ®
(vehicles with Off-Road
Engineering package) An ESP
®
system specifically suited to off-road
terrain is activated automatically once the off-
road program is activated (Y page 251).
Off-road ESP ®
intervenes with a delay if there
is oversteering or understeering, thus improv-
ing traction.
ESP ®
trailer stabilization General information
ESP
®
trailer stabilization is not available in
AMG vehicles.
If your vehicle/trailer combination begins to
swerve, ESP ®
assists you in this situation.
ESP ®
slows the vehicle down by braking and
limiting the engine output until the vehicle/
trailer combination has stabilized.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If road and weather conditions are poor,
trailer stabilization will not be able to prevent the vehicle/trailer combination from swerv-
ing. Trailers with a high center of gravity can
tip over before ESP ®
can detect this. There is
a risk of an accident.
Always adapt your driving style to the prevail- ing road and weather conditions.
If your vehicle with trailer (vehicle/trailer
combination) begins to lurch, you can only
stabilize the vehicle/trailer combination by
depressing the brake firmly.
Trailer stabilisation is active above speeds of
about 37 mph (60 km/h). 74
Driving safety systemsSafety

G
WARNING
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake does not react:
R to people or animals
R to oncoming vehicles
R to crossing traffic
R when cornering
As a result, PRE-SAFE ®
Brake may neither
give warnings nor intervene in all critical sit-
uations. There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit-
uation and be ready to brake.
In the event of snowfall or heavy rain, the rec-
ognition can be impaired.
Recognition by the radar sensor system is
also impaired in the event of:
R dirt on the sensors or anything else cover-
ing the sensors
R interference by other radar sources
R strong radar reflections, for example in
parking garages
R a narrow vehicle traveling in front, e.g. a
motorbike
R a vehicle traveling in front on a different line
relative to the center of your vehicle
Following damage to the front end of the vehi-
cle, have the configuration and operation of
the radar sensors checked at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop. This also applies to colli-
sions at low speeds where there is no visible
damage to the front of the vehicle.
Function X
To activate/deactivate: activate or deac-
tivate PRE-SAFE ®
Brake in the on-board
computer (Y page 276).
If the PRE-SAFE ®
Brake is not activated, the
00D4 symbol appears in the multifunction
display.
Starting at a speed of around 4 mph (7 km/h),
this function warns you if you rapidly
approach a vehicle in front. An intermittent
warning tone will then sound and the 00BAdistance warning lamp will light up in the
instrument cluster.
X Brake immediately to defuse the situation.
or
X Take evasive action provided it is safe to do
so.
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake can also brake the vehicle
automatically under the following conditions:
R the driver and front-passenger have their
seat belts fastened
and
R the vehicle speed is between approx-
imately 4 mph (7 km/h) and 124 mph
(200 km/h)
At speeds of up to approximately 40 mph
(70 km/h) PRE-SAFE ®
Brake can also detect
stationary objects. Examples of stationary
objects are stopped or parked vehicles.
i If there is an increased risk of collision,
preventive passenger protection measures
(PRE-SAFE ®
) are activated.
If the risk of collision with the vehicle in front
remains and you do not brake, take evasive
action or accelerate significantly, the vehicle
may perform automatic emergency braking,
up to the point of full brake application. Auto- matic emergency braking is not performed
until immediately prior to an imminent acci-
dent.
You can prevent the intervention of the PRE-
SAFE ®
Brake at any time by:
R depressing the accelerator pedal further.
R activating kickdown.
R releasing the brake pedal.
The braking action of PRE-SAFE ®
Brake is
ended automatically if:
R you maneuver to avoid the obstacle.
R there is no longer any danger of a collision.
R there is no longer an obstacle detected in
front of your vehicle.
If you have activated DSR (Y page 250), PRE-
SAFE ®
Brake is deactivated. 76
Driving safety systemsSafety

Useful information
i This Operator's Manual describes all
models and all standard and optional equip- ment of your vehicle available at the time of
publication of the Operator's Manual.
Country-specific differences are possible.
Please note that your vehicle may not be
equipped with all features described. This
also applies to safety-related systems and
functions.
i Read the information on qualified special-
ist workshops (Y page 29). Exterior lighting
General notes
For reasons of safety, Mercedes-Benz recom- mends that you drive with the lights switchedon even during the daytime. In some coun-
tries, operation of the headlamps varies due
to legal requirements and self-imposed obli-
gations. Driving abroad
Conversion to symmetrical low beam Switch the headlamps to symmetrical low
beam in countries in which traffic drives on
the opposite side of the road from the country
where the vehicle is registered. This prevents glare to oncoming traffic. When using sym-
metrical lights, the edge of the road is not lit
as widely and as far ahead as normal.
Have the headlamps converted at a qualified
specialist workshop as close to the border as
possible before driving in these countries.
Conversion to asymmetrical low beam
after returning Have the headlamps converted back to asym-
metrical low-beam headlamps at a qualified
specialist workshop as soon as possible after crossing the border again. Setting the exterior lighting
Setting options Exterior lighting can be set using:
R the light switch
R the combination switch (Y page 123)
R the on-board computer (Y page 277)
Light switch Operation
0047
0063
Left-hand standing lamps
0048 0064
Right-hand standing lamps
0049 0060
Parking lamps, license plate and
instrument cluster lighting
004A 0058
Automatic headlamp mode, control-
led by the light sensor
004B 0058
Low-beam/high-beam headlamps
0084 005E
Rear fog lamp
If you hear a warning tone when you leave the
vehicle, the lights may still be switched on.
X Turn the light switch to 0058.
The exterior lighting (except the parking/
standing lamps) switches off automatically if
you: R remove the SmartKey from the ignition lock
R open the driver's door with the SmartKey in
position 0.
Automatic headlamp mode G
WARNING
When the light switch is set to 0058, the low-
beam headlamps may not be switched on 120
Exterior lightingLights and windshield wipers

automatically if there is fog, snow or other
causes of poor visibility due to the weather
conditions such as spray. There is a risk of an
accident.
In such situations, turn the light switch to
0058.
The automatic headlamp feature is only an
aid. The driver is responsible for the vehicle's lighting at all times. 0047
0063
Left-hand standing lamps
0048 0064
Right-hand standing lamps
0049 0060
Parking lamps, license plate and
instrument cluster lighting
004A 0058
Automatic headlamp mode, control-
led by the light sensor
004B 0058
Low-beam/high-beam headlamps
0084 005E
Rear fog lamp
0058 is the favored light switch setting. The
light setting is automatically selected accord- ing to the brightness of the ambient light
(exception: poor visibility due to weather con-
ditions such as fog, snow or spray):
R SmartKey in position 1in the ignition lock:
the parking lamps are switched on or off
automatically depending on the brightness of the ambient light.
R With the engine running: if you have acti-
vated the daytime running lamps function
via the on-board computer, the daytime
running lamps or the low-beam headlamps and parking lamps are switched on or off
automatically depending on the brightnessof the ambient light. X
To switch on automatic headlamp
mode: turn the light switch to 0058.
Only for Canada:
The daytime running lamps improve the visi-
bility of your vehicle during the day. The day- time running lamps function is required by lawin Canada. It cannot therefore be deactivated.
When the engine is running and the vehicle is
stationary: if you move the selector lever from a drive position to P, the daytime running
lamps/low-beam headlamps go out after
three minutes.
When the engine is running, the vehicle is
stationary and in bright ambient light: if you
turn the light switch to 0060, the daytime
running lamps and parking lamps switch on.
If the engine is running and you turn the light
switch to 0058, the manual settings take
precedence over the daytime running lamps.
USA only:
The daytime running lamps improve the visi-
bility of your vehicle during the day. To do this,
the daytime running lamps function must be
switched on using the on-board computer
(Y page 277).
If the engine is running and you turn the light
switch to 0060or0058, the manual settings
take precedence over the daytime running
lamps.
i In the USA, the daytime running lamps are
deactivated upon delivery from the factory.
Low-beam headlamps G
WARNING
When the light switch is set to 0058, the low-
beam headlamps may not be switched on
automatically if there is fog, snow or other
causes of poor visibility due to the weather
conditions such as spray. There is a risk of an
accident.
In such situations, turn the light switch to
0058. Exterior lighting
121Lights and windshield wipers Z

0047
0063
Left-hand standing lamps
0048 0064
Right-hand standing lamps
0049 0060
Parking lamps, license plate and
instrument cluster lighting
004A 0058
Automatic headlamp mode, control-
led by the light sensor
004B 0058
Low-beam/high-beam headlamps
0084 005E
Rear fog lamp
Even if the light sensor does not detect that it is dark, the parking lamps and low-beam
headlamps switch on when the ignition is
switched on and the light switch is set to the 0058 position. This is a particularly useful
function in the event of rain and fog.
X To switch on the low-beam headlamps:
turn the SmartKey in the ignition lock to
position 2or start the engine.
X Turn the light switch to 0058.
The green 0058indicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster lights up.
Rear fog lamp 0047
0063
Left-hand standing lamps
0048 0064
Right-hand standing lamps 0049
0060
Parking lamps, license plate and
instrument cluster lighting
004A 0058
Automatic headlamp mode, control-
led by the light sensor
004B 0058
Low-beam/high-beam headlamps
0084 005E
Rear fog lamp
The rear fog lamp improves visibility of your
vehicle for the traffic behind in the event of
thick fog. Please take note of the country-
specific regulations for the use of rear fog
lamps.
X To switch on the rear fog lamps: turn the
SmartKey in the ignition lock to position 2
or start the engine.
X Turn the light switch to 0058or0058.
X Press the 005Ebutton.
The yellow 005Eindicator lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up.
X To switch off the rear fog lamp: press the
005E button.
The yellow 005Eindicator lamp in the
instrument cluster goes out.
Parking lamps ! If the battery has been excessively dis-
charged, the parking lamps or standing
lamps are automatically switched off to
enable the next engine start. Always park
your vehicle safely and sufficiently lit
according to legal standards. Avoid the
continuous use of the 0060parking lamps
for several hours. If possible, switch on the
0064 right or the 0063left standing lamp. 122
Exterior lightingLights and windshield wipers

0047
0063
Left-hand standing lamps
0048 0064
Right-hand standing lamps
0049 0060
Parking lamps, license plate and
instrument cluster lighting
004A 0058
Automatic headlamp mode, control-
led by the light sensor
004B 0058
Low-beam/high-beam headlamps
0084 005E
Rear fog lamp
X To switch on: turn the light switch to 0060.
The green 0060indicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster lights up.
Standing lamps 0047
0063
Left-hand standing lamps
0048 0064
Right-hand standing lamps
0049 0060
Parking lamps, license plate and
instrument cluster lighting
004A 0058
Automatic headlamp mode, control-
led by the light sensor
004B 0058
Low-beam/high-beam headlamps
0084 005E
Rear fog lamp
Switching on the standing lamps ensures the corresponding side of the vehicle is illumina-
ted. X
To switch on the standing lamps: the
SmartKey is not in the ignition lock or it is in position 0.
X Turn the light switch to 0063(left-hand side
of the vehicle) or 0064(right-hand side of
the vehicle). Combination switch
Turn signal 0043
High-beam headlamps
0044 Turn signal, right
0087 High-beam flasher
0085 Turn signal, left
X To indicate briefly: press the combination
switch briefly to the pressure point in the
direction of arrow 0044or0085.
The corresponding turn signal flashes three
times.
X To indicate: press the combination switch
beyond the pressure point in the direction
of arrow 0044or0085. Exterior lighting
123Lights and windshield wipers Z

light sensor activates the low-beam head-
lamps.
If you are driving at speeds above approx-
imately 16 mph (25 km/h):
The headlamp range is set automatically
depending on the distance between the
vehicle and other road users.
If you are driving at speeds above approx-
imately 19 mph (30 km/h) and no other
road users have been detected:
The high-beam headlamps are switched on
automatically. The 0057indicator lamp in
the instrument cluster also lights up.
If you are driving at speeds below approx-
imately 16 mph (25 km/h) or other road
users have been detected or the roads are adequately lit:
The high-beam headlamps are switched off
automatically. The 0057indicator lamp in
the instrument cluster goes out. The 00CE
indicator lamp in the multifunction display
remains lit.
X To switch off: move the combination
switch back to its normal position or move the light switch to another position.
The 00CE indicator lamp in the multifunc-
tion display goes out. Headlamps fogged up on the inside
Certain climatic and physical conditions may
cause moisture to form in the headlamp. This moisture does not affect the functionality of
the headlamp. Interior lighting
Overview of interior lighting
Overhead control panel
0043
003D To switch the left-hand front reading
lamp on/off
0044 004A To switch the front interior lighting
on
0087 0043 To switch the on/off
0085 0033 To switch the front interior lighting/
automatic interior lighting control off
0083 003D To switch the right-hand front read-
ing lamp on/off
0084 To switch the automatic interior lighting
control on Interior lighting control
General notes In order to prevent the vehicle's battery from
discharging, the interior lighting functions are
automatically deactivated after some time
except for when the SmartKey is in position 2
in the ignition lock.
The color and brightness of the ambient light- ing can be adjusted using the on-board com-
puter (Y page 278). Interior lighting
127Lights and windshield wipers Z