R
comfort-oriented engine settings.
R optimal fuel consumption resulting from
the automatic transmission shifting up
sooner.
R the vehicle pulling away more gently in
forward and reverse gears, unless the
accelerator pedal is depressed fully.
R increased sensitivity. This improves driving
stability on slippery road surfaces, for
example.
R the automatic transmission shifting up
sooner. This results in the vehicle being
driven at lower engine speeds and the
wheels being less likely to spin.
Automatic drive program S Drive program
Sis characterized by the fol-
lowing:
R sporty engine settings
R the vehicle pulling away in first gear
R the automatic transmission shifting up
later.
R the fuel consumption possibly being higher
as a result of the later automatic transmis- sion shift points.
Manual drive program M General notes
In this drive program, you can briefly change
gear yourself by using the steering wheel pad-
dle shifters. The transmission must be in posi- tion D.
You can activate manual drive program Min
the E(C in AMG vehicles) and Sautomatic
drive programs.
AMG vehicles: as well as temporary drive
program M, you can also activate permanent
drive program M. Further information about
permanent drive program M(Y page 161). Activating
X Shift the transmission to position D.
X Pull the left or right steering wheel paddle
shifter (Y page 159).
Manual drive program Mis temporarily acti-
vated.
All vehicles except AMG vehicles: M and
the selected gear appear in the multifunc-
tion display.
Shifting gears
If you pull on the left or right steering wheel
paddle shifter, the automatic transmission
switches to manual drive program Mfor a
limited amount of time. Depending on which
paddle shifter is pulled, the automatic trans-
mission immediately shifts into the next gear down or up, if permitted.
X To shift up: pull the right-hand steering
wheel paddle shifter (Y page 159).
The automatic transmission shifts up to the
next gear.
If the maximum engine speed on the cur-
rently engaged gear is reached and you
continue to accelerate, the automatic
transmission automatically shifts up in
order to prevent engine damage.
AMG vehicles: the automatic transmission
will not shift up to the next gear when the
engine speed is very low.
X To shift down: pull on the left-hand steer-
ing wheel paddle shifter (Y page 159).
The automatic transmission shifts down to
the next gear.
If the engine exceeds the maximum engine speed when shifting down, the automatic
transmission protects against engine dam- age by not shifting down.
Automatic down shifting occurs when
coasting. 160
Automatic transmissionDriving and parking
Shift recommendation
The gearshift recommendations assist you in
adopting an economical driving style. The rec- ommended gear is shown in the multifunction
display.
X Shift to recommended gear 0044according
to gearshift recommendation 0043when
shown in the multifunction display of the
instrument cluster.
Deactivating
If you have activated manual drive program
M, it will remain active for a certain amount of time. Under certain conditions the minimum
amount of time is extended, e.g. in the case oflateral acceleration, during an overrun phase
or when driving on steep terrain.
If manual drive program Mhas been deacti-
vated, the automatic transmission shifts into
the automatic drive program that was last
selected.
You can also deactivate manual drive pro-
gram Myourself:
X Pull on the right-hand steering wheel pad-
dle shifter and hold it in place (Y page 159).
or X Use the DIRECT SELECT lever to switch the
transmission position.
or
X Use the program selector button to change
the drive program (Y page 158).
Manual drive program Mis deactivated.
The automatic transmission switches to the previously activated drive program
E
(drive program Con AMG vehicles) or S. Manual drive program (AMG vehicles)
General information In this drive program, you can permanently
change gear yourself by using the steering
wheel paddle shifters. The transmission must
be in position D.
Manual drive program Mis different from
drive program Swith regard to spontaneity,
responsiveness and smoothness of gear
changes.
As well as this permanent drive program M,
you can also activate temporary drive pro-
gram M(Y page 160).
Switching on the manual drive program In manual drive program
M, you can change
gear using the steering wheel paddle shifters
if the transmission is in position D. You can
see the currently selected drive program and
which gear is engaged in the multifunction
display.
X Press the program selector button
(Y page 158) repeatedly until Mappears in
the multifunction display.
Upshifting !
In manual drive program
M, the automatic
transmission does not shift up automati-
cally even when the engine limiting speed
for the current gear is reached. When the
engine limiting speed is reached, the fuel
supply is cut to prevent the engine from
overrevving. Always make sure that the
engine speed does not reach the red area of
the tachometer. There is otherwise a risk of
engine damage. Automatic transmission
161Driving and parking Z
0043
Gear indicator
0044 Upshift indicator
Before the engine speed reaches the red area, an upshift indicator will be shown in the mul-
tifunction display.
X If the color in the speedometer multifunc-
tion display changes to red and the UP
UPdis-
play message is shown, shift up a gear
using the right-hand steering wheel paddle
shifter.
The automatic transmission shifts up to the
next gear if this is permissible.
Downshifting X
Pull the left-hand steering wheel paddle
shifter (Y page 159).
The automatic transmission shifts down to
the next gear if this is permissible.
Maximum acceleration X Pull the left-hand steering wheel paddle
shifter until the transmission selects the
optimum gear according to the speed.
If you slow down or stop without shifting
down, the automatic transmission automati-
cally shifts down.
Switching off the manual drive program X
Press the program selector button
(Y page 158) repeatedly until Cor S
appears in the multifunction display. 162
Automatic transmissionDriving and pa
rking
Problems with the transmission
Problem
Possible causes/consequences and
0050
0050Solutions 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 the vehicle.
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. Transfer case
! Performance tests may only be carried
out on a 2-axle dynamometer. The brake
system or transfer case could otherwise be
damaged. Contact a qualified specialist
workshop for a performance test.
! To prevent ESP ®
from intervening, the
ignition must be switched off (SmartKey or
the Start/Stop button in position 0or 1) if:
R the electric parking brake is being tested
on 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 either the front or the rear axle raised,
as doing so will damage the transmission.
This section is only valid for vehicles with 4-
wheel drive (4MATIC). Power is always trans- mitted to both axles. Refueling
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, open flames, creating
sparks and smoking. Switch off the engine
and, if applicable, the auxiliary heating before refueling. G
WARNING
Fuel is poisonous and hazardous to health.
There is a risk of injury.
You must make sure that fuel does not come into contact with your skin, eyes or clothing
and that it is not swallowed. Do not inhale fuel
vapors. Keep fuel away from children. Refueling
163Driving and parking
Z
Problems with fuel and the fuel tank
Problem
Possible causes/consequences and
0050
0050Solutions Fuel is leaking from the
vehicle. G
WARNING
The fuel line or the fuel tank is faulty.
Risk of explosion or fire.
X Apply the electric parking brake.
X Switch off the engine.
X Open the driver's door.
The on-board electronics now have status 0. This is the same as
the SmartKey having been removed.
or, if the SmartKey is inserted in the ignition lock:
X Remove the SmartKey from the ignition lock.
X Do not restart the engine under any circumstances.
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. The fuel filler flap can-
not be opened. The fuel filler flap is not unlocked.
or
The SmartKey battery is discharged.
X Unlock the vehicle (Y page 79).
or X Unlock the vehicle using the mechanical key (Y page 81).The fuel filler flap is unlocked, but the opening mechanism is jam-
med.
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. Parking
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Flammable material such as leaves, grass or
twigs may ignite if they come into contact with hot parts of the exhaust system or exhaust
gas flow. There is a risk of fire.
Park the vehicle so that no flammable mate-
rials come into contact with parts of the vehi- cle which are hot. Take particular care not to
park on dry grassland or harvested grain
fields. G
WARNING
If you leave children unsupervised in the vehi- cle, they could set it in motion by, for example:
R release the parking brake.
R shift the automatic transmission out of the
parking position P.
R start the engine.
In addition, they may operate vehicle equip-
ment and become trapped. There is a risk of
an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children unsupervised in the vehicle. 166
ParkingDriving and parking
!
Always secure the vehicle correctly
against rolling away. Otherwise, the vehicle
or its drivetrain could be damaged.
To ensure that the vehicle is secured against rolling away unintentionally:
R the electric parking brake must be applied.
R the transmission must be in position Pand
the SmartKey must be removed from the
ignition lock.
R the front wheels must be turned towards
the curb on steep uphill or downhill gradi-
ents.
R the empty vehicle must be secured at the
front axle with a wheel chock or similar, for example, on uphill or downhill gradients.
R a laden vehicle must also be secured at the
rear axle with a wheel chock or similar, for
example, on uphill or downhill gradients. Switching off the engine
Important safety notes 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.
If the engine cannot be switched off as descri-
bed here, see "Emergency engine cutoff"
(Y page 353).
Using the SmartKey X
Apply the electric parking brake.
X Shift the transmission to position P.
X Turn the SmartKey to position 0in the igni-
tion lock and remove it.
The immobilizer is activated. If you switch the engine off with the trans-
mission in position Ror D, the automatic
transmission shifts to Nautomatically.
If you then open the driver's door or the
front-passenger door or remove the Smart-
Key from the ignition, the automatic trans-
mission shifts to Pautomatically.
If you shift the automatic transmission to N
before switching off the engine, the auto-
matic transmission remains in Neven if the
driver's door or the front-passenger door is opened.
Using the Start/Stop button X
Apply the electric parking brake.
X Shift the transmission to position P.
X Press the Start/Stop button (Y page 147).
The engine stops and all the indicator
lamps in the instrument cluster go out.
When the driver's door is closed, this cor-
responds to key position 1. When the driv-
er's door is open, this corresponds to key
position 0: "Key removed".
If you turn off the engine with the Start/
Stop button, the automatic transmission
shifts to N. If you then open one of the front
doors, the automatic transmission shifts to P.
If you drive through a car wash with a con-
veyor, you can:
R switch on the ignition using the Start/
Stop button and shift the transmission to
N
R insert the SmartKey into the ignition
lock, switch on the ignition and shift the
transmission to N
In the event of an emergency, the engine can
be turned off while the vehicle is in motion by
pressing and holding the Start/Stop button
for three seconds. This function operates
independently of the ECO start/stop auto-
matic engine switch-off function. Parking
167Driving and parking Z
Electric parking brake
General notes G
WARNING
If you leave children unsupervised in the vehi- cle, they could set it in motion by, for example:
R release the parking brake.
R shift the automatic transmission out of the
parking position P.
R start the engine.
In addition, they may operate vehicle equip-
ment and become trapped. There is a risk of
an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children unsupervised in the vehicle.
The function of the electric parking brake is
dependent on the on-board voltage. If the on-
board voltage is low or there is a malfunction in the system, it may not be possible to apply
the released parking brake.
X If this is the case, only park the vehicle on
level ground and secure it to prevent it roll- ing away.
X Shift the automatic transmission to posi-
tion P.
It may not be possible to release an applied
parking brake if the on-board voltage is low or
there is a malfunction in the system. Contact a qualified specialist workshop.
The electric parking brake performs a func-
tion test at regular intervals while the engine
is switched off. The sounds that can be heard
while this is occurring are normal. Applying/releasing manually X
To engage: push handle 0043.
When the electric parking brake is applied, the red 0049(USA only) or 0024(Canada
only) indicator lamp lights up in the instru-
ment cluster.
The electric parking brake can also be
applied when the SmartKey is removed.
X To release: pull handle0043.
The red 0049(USA only) or 0024(Canada
only) indicator lamp in the instrument clus-
ter goes out.
The electric parking brake can only be
released:
R when the SmartKey is in position 1or 2in
the ignition lock (Y page 147) or
R if the ignition was switched on using the
Start/Stop button.
Applying automatically The electric parking brake is automatically
applied when the transmission is in position
P
and:
R the engine is switched off or
R the driver is not wearing a seat belt and the
driver's door is opened.
To prevent the electric parking brake from
being automatically applied, pull handle 0043.168
ParkingDriving and parking
The electric parking brake is also engaged
automatically if:
R DISTRONIC PLUS brings the vehicle to a
standstill or
R the HOLD function is keeping the vehicle
stationary
R Active Parking Assist is holding the vehicle
at a standstill
In addition, at least one of the following con-
ditions must be fulfilled:
R there is a system malfunction.
R the power supply is insufficient.
R the vehicle is stationary for a lengthy
period.
The red 0049(USA only) or 0024(Canada
only) indicator lamp in the instrument cluster
lights up.
The electric parking brake is not automati-
cally engaged if the engine is switched off by the ECO start/stop function.
Releasing automatically The electric parking brake is released auto-
matically when all of the following conditions
are fulfilled:
R the engine is running.
R the transmission is in position Dor R.
R the seat belt has been fastened.
R you depress the accelerator pedal.
If the automatic transmission is in position R,
the trunk lid must be closed.
If your seat belt is not fastened, the following conditions must be fulfilled to automatically
release the electric parking brake:
R the driver's door is closed.
R you have shifted out of transmission posi-
tion Por you have previously driven faster
than 2 mph (3 km/h).
Ensure that you do not depress the acceler-
ator pedal unintentionally. Otherwise the
parking brake will be released and the vehicle
will start to move. Emergency braking The vehicle can also be braked during an
emergency by using the electric parking
brake.
X While driving, push handle 0043of the electric
parking brake (Y page 168).
The vehicle is braked as long as you keep
handle 0043of the electric parking brake
pressed. The longer electric parking brake
handle 0043is depressed, the greater the brak-
ing force.
During braking:
R a warning tone sounds
R the Release parking brake Release parking brake message
appears
R the red 0049(USA only) or 0024(Canada
only) indicator lamp in the instrument clus- ter flashes
When the vehicle has been braked to a stand- still, the electric parking brake is engaged. Parking the vehicle for a long period
If you leave the vehicle parked for longer than
four weeks, the battery may be damaged by
exhaustive discharging and further damaged
in the event of this occurring again.
X Connect a trickle charger.
i You can obtain information about trickle
chargers from a qualified specialist work-
shop.
If you leave the vehicle parked for longer than
six weeks, the vehicle may suffer damage as a result of lack of use.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop and
seek advice. Parking
169Driving and parking Z