
of the towing vehicle, as the latter is equip-
ped with an anti-lock brake system. Doing
so will result in a loss of function of the
brake systems of both the vehicle and the
trailer.
X Make sure that the automatic transmission
is set to position P.
X Apply the vehicle's electric parking brake.
X Start the engine.
X Vehicles with the AIRMATIC package:
select highway level.
X Vehicles with ADS: set ADS toAUTOor
COMF.
X Switch off the engine.
X Close all doors and the tailgate.
X Couple up the trailer.
X Establish all electrical connections.
X Check that the trailer lighting system is
working.
i Vehicles with the AIRMATIC package:
with a trailer attached, the vehicle will
always remain at highway level. When cou-
pling up a trailer, please observe the fol-
lowing:
R Unless highway level has been set man-
ually, the vehicle is automatically low-
ered to highway level. This is the case if a
speed of 5 mph (8 km/h) is reached.
R High-speed level is not available.
These restrictions apply to all accessories
powered through a connection to the trailer power socket of your vehicle, e.g. a bicycle
carrier.
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 be fastened to the vehicle's trailer cou-
pling, not to the bumper or the axle. Leave enough play in the chains to make
tight cornering possible.
R A separate brake system for certain types
of trailer.
R A safety switch for braked trailers. Check
the specific legal requirements applicable
to your state.
If the trailer detaches from the towing vehi- cle, the safety switch applies the trailer's
brakes. Towing a trailer
There are numerous legal requirements con-
cerning the towing of a trailer, e.g. speed
restrictions. Make sure that your car/trailer
combination complies with the local regula-
tions: R in your place of residence
R in the location to which you are driving
The police and local authorities can provide
reliable information.
Observe the following when towing a trailer:
R To gain driving experience and to become
accustomed to the new handling charac-
teristics, you should practice the following
in a traffic-free location:
- cornering
- stopping
- backing up
R Before driving, check:
- trailer tow hitch
- safety switch for braked trailers
- safety chains
- electrical connections
- lights
- wheels
R Adjust the exterior mirrors to provide an
unobstructed view of the rear section of the trailer.
R If the trailer has electronically controlled
brakes, pull away carefully. Brake manually 260
Towing a trailerDriving and parking

using the brake controller and check
whether the brakes function correctly.
R Secure any objects on the trailer to prevent
the cargo from slipping when the vehicle is
in motion.
R When you couple up a trailer, check at reg-
ular intervals that the load is firmly secured.If the trailer is equipped with trailer lights
and brakes, check the trailer to ensure that
these are working.
R Bear in mind that the handling will be less
stable when towing a trailer than when driv- ing without one. Avoid sudden steering
movements.
R The vehicle/trailer combination is heavier,
accelerates more slowly, has a decreased
gradient climbing capability and a longer
braking distance.
It is more susceptible to side winds and
requires more careful steering.
R If possible, do not brake suddenly, but
instead depress the brake pedal moder-
ately at first so that the trailer can activate its brakes. Then increase the pressure on
the brake pedal.
R If the automatic transmission repeatedly
shifts between gears on uphill or downhill
gradients, shift to a lower gear using the
left-hand steering wheel paddle shifter.
A lower gear and lower speed reduce the
risk of engine failure.
R When driving downhill, shift to a lower gear
to utilize the engine's braking effect.
Avoid continuous brake application as this
may overheat the vehicle brakes and, if
installed, the trailer brakes.
R If the coolant temperature increases dra-
matically while the air-conditioning system
is switched on, switch off the air-condition-
ing system.
Coolant heat can also be dissipated by
opening the windows and switching the ventilation blower and the interior temper-
ature to the highest level.
R When overtaking, pay particular attention
to the extended length of your vehicle/
trailer combination.
Due to the length of the vehicle/trailer
combination, you require additional road
space in relation to the vehicle you are
overtaking before you can change back to
the original lane. Decoupling a trailer
G
WARNING
If you uncouple a trailer with the overrun
brake engaged, you could trap your hand
between the vehicle and the trailer drawbar.
There is a risk of injury.
Do not uncouple a trailer if the overrun brake is engaged. G
WARNING
Vehicles with level control:
The vehicle is lowered as soon as you discon-
nect the trailer cable. This could result in your limbs or those of other people that are
between the vehicle body and tires or under-
neath the vehicle being trapped. There is a
risk of injury.
Make sure that nobody is in the immediate
vicinity of the wheel housings or under the
vehicle when you disconnect the trailer cable.
! Do not disconnect a trailer with an
engaged overrun brake. Otherwise, your
vehicle could be damaged by the rebound- ing of the overrun brake.
X Make sure that the automatic transmission
is set to position P.
X Apply the vehicle's electric parking brake.
X Start the engine.
X Close all doors and the tailgate.
X Apply the trailer's parking brake. Towing a trailer
261Driving and parking Z

X
Press 0076to confirm.
X Press 0064or0063 to select the Daytime
Daytime
Running Lights
Running Lights function.
If the Daytime Running Lights
Daytime Running Lights function
has been switched on, the cone of light and
the 0086 symbol in the multifunction dis-
play are shown in orange.
X Press the 0076button to save the setting.
Further information on daytime running
lamps (Y page 120).
Setting the brightness of the ambient
lighting
X Press the 0059or0065 button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the Sett Settmenu.
X Press the 0064or0063 button to select the
Light
Light submenu.
X Press 0076to confirm.
X Press the 0064or0063 button to select the
Amb. Light +/-.
Amb. Light +/-. function.
You will see the selected setting.
X Press 0076to confirm.
X Press the 0064or0063 button to adjust the
brightness to any level from Off
OfftoLevel 5
Level 5
(bright).
X Press the 0076or0038 button to save the
setting.
Setting the ambient lighting color X Press the 0059or0065 button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the Sett.
Sett.menu.
X Press the 0064or0063 button to select the
Lights
Lights submenu.
X Press 0076to confirm.
X Press the 0064or0063 button to select the
Ambient Light Color
Ambient Light Color function.
X Press 0076to confirm.
X Press the 0064or0063 button to set the
color to SOLAR
SOLAR,NEUTRAL
NEUTRAL orPOLAR
POLAR.
X Press the 0076or0038 button to save the
setting. Surround lighting and exterior lighting
delayed switch-off
X Press the 0059or0065 button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the Sett.
Sett. menu.
X Press the 0064or0063 button to select the
Lights
Lights submenu.
X Press 0076to confirm.
X Press 0064or0063 to select the Sur‐
Sur‐
round Lighting
round Lighting function.
When the Surround Lighting
Surround Lighting function is
activated, the light cone and the area
around the vehicle are displayed in orange
in the multifunction display.
X Press the 0076button to save the setting.
Deactivating delayed switch-off of the exte-
rior lighting temporarily: X Before leaving the vehicle, turn the Smart-
Key to position 0in the ignition lock.
X Turn the SmartKey to position 2in the igni-
tion lock.
The exterior lighting delayed switch-off is
deactivated.
Delayed switch-off of the exterior lighting is
reactivated the next time you start the
engine.
If you have activated the Surround Light‐ Surround Light‐
ing
ing function and the light switch is set to
0058, the following functions are activated
when it is dark:
R surround lighting: the exterior lighting
remains lit for 40 seconds after unlocking
with the SmartKey. If you start the engine,
the surround lighting is switched off and
automatic headlamp mode is activated
(Y page 120).
R exterior lighting delayed switch-off: the
exterior lighting remains lit for 60 seconds
after the engine is switched off. If you close all the doors and the tailgate, the exterior
lighting goes off after 5 seconds.
i Depending on your vehicle's equipment,
when the surround lighting and delayed
switch-off exterior lighting are on, the fol-
lowing light up: 278
Menus and submenusOn-board computer and displays

R
Parking lamps
R Daytime running lamps
R Side marker lamps
R Surround lighting in the exterior mirrors
Activating/deactivating the interior light-
ing delayed switch-off
If you activate the Interior Lighting
Interior Lighting
Delay Delay function, the interior lighting remains
on for 20 seconds after you remove the
SmartKey from the ignition lock.
X Press the 0059or0065 button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the Sett
Sett menu.
X Press the 0064or0063 button to select the
Light Light submenu.
X Press 0076to confirm.
X Press the 0064or0063 button to select the
Interior Lighting Delay
Interior Lighting Delay function.
If the Interior
Interior Lighting
LightingDelay
Delayfunction
has been switched on, the vehicle interior is
displayed in orange in the multifunction
display.
X Press the 0076button to save the setting.
Vehicle submenu Activating/deactivating the automatic
door locking mechanism
If you activate the Automatic Door Lock Automatic Door Lock
function, the vehicle is centrally locked above
a speed of approximately 9 mph (15 km/h).
X Press the 0059or0065 button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the Sett
Settmenu.
X Press the 0064or0063 button to select the
Vehicle
Vehicle submenu.
X Press 0076to confirm.
X Press the 0064or0063 button to select the
Automatic Door Lock
Automatic Door Lock function.
When the Automatic
Automatic Door
DoorLock
Lockfunction
is activated, the vehicle doors are displayed
in orange in the multifunction display.
X Press the 0076button to save the setting.
For further information on the automatic lock- ing feature, see (Y page 88). Activating/deactivating the acoustic
locking verification signal
If you switch on the
Acoustic AcousticLock
Lockfunction,
an acoustic signal sounds when you lock the
vehicle.
X Press the 0059or0065 button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the Sett.
Sett. menu.
X Press 0064or0063 to select the Vehicle Vehicle
submenu.
X Press 0076to confirm.
X Press the 0064or0063 button to select the
Acoustic Lock
Acoustic Lock function.
If the Acoustic
Acoustic Lock
Lockfunction is activated,
the 0037 symbol in the multifunction dis-
play lights up orange.
X Press the 0076button to save the setting.
Activating/deactivating the radar sensor
system
X Press the 0059or0065 button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the Sett.
Sett. menu.
X Press 0064or0063 to select the Vehicle Vehicle
submenu.
X Press 0076to confirm.
X Press the 0063or0064 button to select
Radar Sensor (See Oper. Manual):
Radar Sensor (See Oper. Manual):.
You will see the selected setting: Enabled
Enabled
or Disabled Disabled.
X Press the 0076button to save the setting.
The following systems are switched off when the radar sensor system is deactivated:
R DISTRONIC PLUS (Y page 198)
R BAS PLUS (Y page 69)
R PRE-SAFE ®
Brake (Y page 75)
R Blind Spot Assist (Y page 237)
R Active Blind Spot Assist (Y page 241)
Convenience submenu Activating/deactivating the EASY-
ENTRY/EXIT feature
G
WARNING
When the EASY-ENTRY/EXIT feature adjusts
the steering wheel, you and other vehicle Menus and submenus
279On-board computer and displays
Z

Restoring the factory settings
X
Press the 0059or0065 button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the Sett.
Sett.menu.
X Press the 0064or0063 button to select the
Factory Setting
Factory Setting submenu.
X Press 0076to confirm.
The Reset All Settings?
Reset All Settings? message
appears.
X Press the 0064or0063 button to select No
No
or Yes
Yes.
X Press 0076to confirm the selection.
If you select Yes
Yes, the multifunction display
shows a confirmation message.
For safety reasons, the Daytime Running
Daytime Running
Lights
Lights function in the Lights
Lightssubmenu is
only reset if the vehicle is stationary. ON&OFFROAD menu
Example: multifunction display
X Press the 0059or0065 button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the ON&OFFROAD
ON&OFFROADmenu.
You can set the current settings to appear in
the ON&OFFROAD ON&OFFROAD menu:
R On-road program (Y page 247)
R Off-road program (Y page 251) AMG menu in AMG vehicles
AMG displays 0043
Digital speedometer
0044 Gear indicator
0087 Upshift indicator
0085 Engine oil temperature
0083 Coolant temperature
0084 Transmission fluid temperature
X Press 0059or0065 on the steering wheel
to select the AMG
AMGmenu.
Upshift indicator UP
UP0087 indicates that the
engine has reached the overrevving range
when in the manual gearshift program.
Upshift indicator UP UP0087 fades out other mes-
sages until you have shifted up.
If the engine oil temperature is below 176 ‡
(80 †), oil temperature 0085is shown in blue.
Avoid driving at full engine output during this time.
If the transmission fluid temperature is below
122 ‡(50 †), oil temperature 0084is shown in
blue. Avoid driving at full engine output during
this time.
SETUP 0043
Drive program (C C/SS/MM)
0044 ESP ®
mode (ON ON/OFFOFF)
0087 Suspension tuning (COMFORT COMFORT/SPORT SPORT/
SPORT+
SPORT+ ) Menus and submenus
281On-board computer and displays Z

Display messages
Possible causes/consequences and
0050
0050Solutions 0049(USA
only)0024
(Canada
only)
Please Release Please Release
Parking Brake Parking Brake The red
0049(USA only)/0024 (Canada only) indicator lamp
flashes and a warning tone sounds. A condition for automatic
release of the electric parking brake is not fulfilled (Y page 184).
You are driving with the electric parking brake applied.
X Release the electric parking brake manually. The red
0049(USA only)/0024 (Canada only) indicator lamp
flashes and a warning tone sounds.
You are using the electric parking brake for emergency braking
(Y page 184). 0049(USA
only)0024
(Canada
only)
Parking Brake See Parking Brake See
Operator's Manual Operator's Manual The yellow
0024warning lamp lights up.
The electric parking brake is malfunctioning.
To apply:
X Switch the ignition off.
X Press the electric parking brake handle for at least ten seconds.
X Shift the transmission to P.
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. The yellow
0024warning lamp and the red 0049(USA only)/ 0024
(Canada only) indicator lamp lights up.
The electric parking brake is malfunctioning.
To release:
X Switch off the ignition and turn it back on.
X Release the electric parking brake manually.
or X Release the electric parking brake automatically (Y page 184).
If the electric parking brake still cannot be released: X Do not drive on.
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. 288
Display
messagesOn-board computer and displays

Display messages
Possible causes/consequences and
0050
0050Solutions The red
0049(USA only)/0024 (Canada only) indicator lamp
flashes and the yellow 0024warning lamp lights up.
The electric parking brake is malfunctioning.
To release:
X Switch off the ignition and turn it back on.
X Release the electric parking brake manually.
To apply: X Switch off the ignition and turn it back on.
X Apply the electric parking brake manually.
If the red 0049(USA only)/ 0024(Canada only) indicator lamp
continues to flash:
X Do not drive on.
X Secure the vehicle against rolling away (Y page 424).
X Shift the transmission to P.
X Turn the front wheels towards the curb.
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. The yellow
0024warning lamp lights up. The red 0049(USA
only)/ 0024(Canada only) 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.
X Switch off the ignition and turn it back on.
X Apply the electric parking brake.
If it is not possible to engage the electric parking brake:
X Shift the transmission to P.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop.
If it is not possible to release the electric parking brake:
X Release the electric parking brake automatically (Y page 184).
If the electric parking brake still cannot be released: X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. Display
messages
289On-board computer and displays Z

Display messages
Possible causes/consequences and
0050
0050Solutions The yellow
0024warning lamp lights up. If you manually apply or
release the electric parking brake, the red 0049(USA only)/ 0024
(Canada only) indicator lamp flashes.
The electric parking brake is malfunctioning. It is not possible to
apply the electric parking brake manually.
X Shift the transmission to P.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop. 0049(USA
only)0024
(Canada
only)
Parking Parking Brake
BrakeInop‐
Inop‐
erative
erative The yellow
0024warning lamp lights up. The red 0049(USA
only)/ 0024(Canada only) 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 Remove the cause for the overvoltage or undervoltage, e.g. by
charging the battery or restarting the engine.
X Engage or release the electric parking brake.
If it remains impossible to apply or release the electric parking
brake:
X Switch off the ignition and turn it back on.
X Engage or release the electric parking brake.
If the electric parking brake still cannot be released: X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. The yellow
0024warning lamp lights up and the red 0049(USA
only)/ 0024(Canada only) indicator lamp flashes.
It is not possible to apply the electric parking brake manually.
X Shift the transmission to P.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop. 0049(USA
only)0024
(Canada
only)
Turn On the Igni‐ Turn On the Igni‐
tion to Release tion to Release
the Parking Brake the Parking Brake The red
0049(USA only)/0024 (Canada only) indicator lamp lights
up.
You attempted to release the electric parking brake while the igni-
tion was switched off.
X SmartKey: turn the SmartKey to position 1in the ignition lock.
X KEYLESS-GO: switch on the ignition.290
Display
messagesOn-board computer and displays