
Brake force distribution, elec-
tronic
see EBD (electronic brake force
distribution)
Brake lamps
Display message ............................ 334
Brake pedal
Pedal resistance/pedal travel .......... 48
Brakes
ABS .................................................. 76
Adaptive Brake Assist ...................... 81
BAS .................................................. 77
BAS PLUS with Cross-Traffic
Assist ............................................... 77
Brake fluid (notes) ......................... 492
Display message ............................ 317
EBD .................................................. 83
High-performance brake system .... 227
Hill start assist ............................... 192
HOLD function ............................... 242
Important safety notes .................. 226
Maintenance .................................. 226
Parking brake ................................ 222
RBS warning lamp .......................... 366
Recuperative Brake System ............. 48
Riding tips ...................................... 226
Warning lamp ................................. 357
Breakdown
see Flat tire
see Towing away
Brightness control (instrument
cluster lighting) ................................... 37
Buttons on the steering wheel ......... 295C
California Important notice for retail cus-
tomers and lessees .......................... 26
Calling up a malfunction
see Display messages
Camera
see 360° camera
Car
see Vehicle
Car key
see SmartKey Care
360° camera ................................. 416
Car wash ........................................ 411
Carpets .......................................... 419
Display ........................................... 417
Exhaust pipe .................................. 417
Exterior lights ................................ 415
Gear or selector lever .................... 418
Interior ........................................... 417
Matte finish ................................... 414
Night View Assist Plus ................... 417
Note s............................................. 411
Paint .............................................. 413
Plastic trim .................................... 418
Power washer ................................ 413
Rear view camera .......................... 416
Roof lining ...................................... 419
Seat belt ........................................ 419
Seat cove r..................................... 418
Sensors ......................................... 415
Steering wheel ............................... 418
Trim pieces .................................... 418
Washing by hand ........................... 413
Wheels ........................................... 414
Windows ........................................ 415
Wiper blades .................................. 415
Wooden trim .................................. 418
CD player/CD changer (on-board
computer) .......................................... 304
Center console
Overview .......................................... 39
Stowage space .............................. 373
Center console in the rear com-
partment
Stowage compartment .................. 375
Central locking
Locking/unlocking (SmartKey )........ 91
Charging
see Charging the high-voltage bat-tery (important safety notes)
Charging cable
Connecting .................................... 214
Controls ......................................... 213
Important safety notes .................. 212
Indicator lamp ................................ 214
Removing ....................................... 215
Storing ........................................... 212
Warming up ................................... 211 6
Index

In situations like this, the body, the under-
carriage, chassis parts, wheels or tires
could be damaged without the damage
being visible. Components damaged in this way can unexpectedly fail or, in the case of
an accident, no longer withstand the strain
they are designed to.
If the underbody paneling is damaged,
combustible materials such as leaves,
grass or twigs can gather between the
underbody and the underbody paneling. If
these materials come in contact with hot
parts of the exhaust system, they can catch fire.
In such situations, have the vehicle
checked and repaired immediately at a
qualified specialist workshop. If on con-
tinuing your journey you notice that driving
safety is impaired, pull over and stop the
vehicle immediately, paying attention to
road and traffic conditions. In such cases,
consult a qualified specialist workshop.
Hybrid vehicles have a combustion engine
and an electric motor. The voltage supply for
operating the vehicle electrically is provided
by the vehicle's high-voltage electrical sys-
tem. G
DANGER
The vehicle's high voltage electrical system is under high voltage. If you modify components
in the vehicle's high-voltage electrical system or touch damaged components, you may be
electrocuted. The components in the vehi-
cle's high-voltage electrical system may be
damaged in an accident, although the damage
is not visible. There is a risk of fatal injury.
Following an accident, do not touch any high- voltage components and never modify the
vehicle's high-voltage electrical system. Have
the vehicle towed away after an accident and the vehicle's high-voltage electrical system
checked by a qualified specialist workshop.
The components of the vehicle's high-voltage electrical system are marked with yellow
warning stickers. The cables of the vehicle's high-voltage electrical system are orange in
color.
Vehicles with an electric motor generate
much less driving noise than vehicles with
internal combustion engines. As a result, your
vehicle may not be heard by other road users
in certain situations. This can happen, for
example, when you are parking and your vehi- cle is not seen by other road users. This
requires you to adopt a particularly anticipa-
tory driving style, as it is necessary to allow
for the possibility that other road users may
behave erratically. Declarations of conformity
Vehicle components which receive
and/or transmit radio waves USA:
"The wireless devices of this vehicle
comply with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Oper-
ation is subject to the following two condi-
tions: 1) These devices may not cause harm-
ful interference, and 2) These devices must
accept any interference received, including
interference that may cause undesired oper-
ation. Changes or modifications not expressly
approved by the party responsible for com-
pliance could void the user’s authority to
operate the equipment."
Canada: "The wireless devices of this vehicle
comply with Industry Canada license-exempt
RSS standard(s). Operation is subject to the
following two conditions: (1) These devices
may not cause interference, and (2) These
devices must accept any interference, includ- ing interference that may cause undesired
operation of the device." Diagnostics connection
The diagnostics connection is only intended
for the connection of diagnostic equipment at a qualified specialist workshop. 28
Introduction

Multifunction steering wheel
Function Page
:
Multifunction display 296
;
Sets the brightness of the
instrument cluster lighting
and the COMAND display
=
COMAND display; see the
separate COMAND operat-
ing instructions
?
CD and DVD player/
changer; see the separate
COMAND operating
instructions
A
COMAND controller and
buttons; see the separate
COMAND operating
instructions Function Page
B ~
Rejects or ends a call 305
Exits phone book/redial
memory
6
Makes or accepts a call
Switches to the redial mem-
ory WX
Adjusts the volume
8
Mute
ó
Switches on the Voice Con-
trol System; see the sepa-
rate operating instructions Multifunction steering wheel
37At a glance

R
the exterior mirrors fold in automatically as
soon as you lock the vehicle from the out-
side.
R the exterior mirrors fold out automatically
again as soon as you unlock the vehicle.
i If the exterior mirrors have been folded in
manually, they do not fold out.
Exterior mirror pushed out of position This function is only available in vehicles for
Canada.
If an exterior mirror has been pushed out of
position, proceed as follows:
X Press and hold button :until you hear a
click and the mirror engages audibly into
position (Y page 141).
The mirror housing is engaged again and
you can adjust the exterior mirrors as usual
(Y page 141). Automatic anti-glare mirrors
G
WARNING
Electrolyte may escape if the glass in an auto- matic anti-glare mirror breaks. The electrolyte
is harmful and causes irritation. It must not
come into contact with your skin, eyes, res-
piratory organs or clothing or be swallowed.
There is a risk of injury.
If you come into contact with the electrolyte,
observe the following:
R Rinse off the electrolyte from your skin
immediately with water.
R Immediately rinse the electrolyte out of
your eyes thoroughly with clean water.
R If the electrolyte is swallowed, immediately
rinse your mouth out thoroughly. Do not
induce vomiting.
R If electrolyte comes into contact with your
skin or hair or is swallowed, seek medical
attention immediately. R
Immediately change out of clothing which
has come into contact with electrolyte.
R If an allergic reaction occurs, seek medical
attention immediately.
The rear-view mirror and the exterior mirror
on the driver's side automatically go into anti- glare mode if the following conditions are met simultaneously:
R the ignition is switched on
R incident light from headlamps strikes the
sensor in the rear-view mirror.
The mirrors do not go into anti-glare mode if
reverse gear is engaged or if the interior light-
ing is switched on. Parking position for the exterior mir-
ror on the front-passenger side
Setting and storing the parking position Using reverse gear
:
Memory button M
; Adjustment button
= Button for the front-passenger side exte-
rior mirror
? Button for the driver's side exterior mirror
You can position the front-passenger side
exterior mirror in such a way that you can see
the rear wheel on that side as soon as you
engage reverse gear. You can store this posi-
tion. 142
MirrorsSeats, steering
wheel and mirrors

A Neutral
Do not shift the transmission to
N
while driving. Otherwise, the auto-
matic transmission could be dam-
aged.
No power is transmitted from the
engine to the drive wheels.
Releasing the brakes will allow you
to move the vehicle freely, e.g. to
push it or tow it.
If ESP ®
is deactivated or faulty:
shift the transmission to position N
if the vehicle is in danger of skid-
ding, e.g. on icy roads.
! Rolling in neutral
Ncan damage
the drive train. 7 Drive
The automatic transmission
changes gear automatically. All
forward gears are available.
Driving tips
Changing gear The automatic transmission shifts to the indi-
vidual gears automatically when it is in trans-
mission position D. This automatic gear shift-
ing behavior is determined by:
R the selected drive program (Y page 200)
R the position of the accelerator pedal
(Y page 200)
R the road speed
Accelerator pedal position Your style of driving influences how the auto-
matic transmission shifts gear:
R little throttle: early upshifts
R more throttle: late upshifts Kickdown Use kickdown for maximum acceleration.
X Depress the accelerator pedal beyond the
pressure point.
The automatic transmission shifts to a
lower gear depending on the engine speed.
X Ease off the accelerator pedal once the
desired speed is reached.
The automatic transmission shifts back up.
Rocking the vehicle free Rocking the vehicle free by shifting back and
forth between transmission positions Dand R
can help to free a vehicle that has become
stuck in mud or snow. The vehicle's engine
management restricts switching between
transmission positions Dand Rto speeds up
to a maximum of 5 mph (9 km/h). To shift
back and forth between transmission posi-
tions Dand R, move the DIRECT SELECT lever
up and down past the point of resistance. Program selector button
This section describes the program selector
button for all vehicles except PLUG-IN
HYBRID vehicles. Information on automatic
drive programs for PLUG-IN HYBRID vehicles (Y page 285). X
All vehicles (except AMG vehicles and
PLUG-IN HYBRID vehicles): press pro-200
Automatic transmissionDriving an
d parking

gram selector button
:to change the
drive program.
The selected drive program appears in the
multifunction display. X
AMG vehicles: press program selector
button :repeatedly until the letter of the
desired drive program appears in the mul-
tifunction display.
The program selector button influences: R the drive program (Y page 202)
R the engine management
In AMG vehicles, drive program Eis called
drive program C.
When the engine is started, the automatic
transmission always switches to automatic
drive program E(drive program Cin AMG
vehicles).
All vehicles (except AMG vehicles and
PLUG-IN HYBRID vehicles) E
Economy Comfortable, economical
driving
S
Sport Sporty driving style
You can also activate manual drive program
M
using the steering wheel paddle shifters
(Y page 202). In manual drive program M,
you can briefly change gear yourself by using the steering wheel paddle shifters. AMG vehicles C
Controlled
Efficiency Comfortable, economical
driving
S
Sport Sporty driving style
M
Manual Manual gear shifting
Permanent drive program
Mis only available
for AMG vehicles.
Further information about permanent drive
program M(Y page 203).
You can also activate manual drive program
M using the steering wheel paddle shifters
(Y page 202). In manual drive program M,
you can briefly change gear yourself by using
the steering wheel paddle shifters.
For further information on the automatic drive
program, see (Y page 202). Steering wheel paddle shifters
You can activate manual drive program
Min
the E(C in AMG vehicles) and Sautomatic
drive programs using steering wheel paddle
shifters :and ;(Ypage 202). In manual
drive program M, you can briefly change gear
yourself by using the steering wheel paddle
shifters.
AMG vehicles: you can also activate manual
drive program Mwith the program selector
button (Y page 203). In manual drive pro-
gram M, you can permanently change gear
yourself by using the steering wheel paddle
shifters. Automatic transmission
201Driving and parking Z

Automatic drive program
Automatic drive program E Drive program
E(drive program Con MAG
vehicles) is characterized by the following:
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 203).
Activating X Shift the transmission to position D.
X Pull the left or right steering wheel paddle
shifter (Y page 201).
Manual drive program Mis temporarily acti-
vated.
All vehicles except AMG vehicles: M and
the selected gear appear in the multifunc-
tion display.
Further information on activating manual
drive program Mon PLUG-IN HYBRID vehicles
(Y page 286).
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 201).
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 201).
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. 202
Automatic trans
missionDriving and parking

Automatic down shifting occurs when
coasting.
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 ;according
to gearshift recommendation :when
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 of lateral 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 201).
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 200).
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 202).
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 200) 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 Automatic transmission
203Driving and parking Z