
Riding tips ...................................... 176
Warning lamp ................................
.271
Breakdown
see Flat tire
see Towing away
Brightness, setting (TV, video) ......... 473
Brightness control (instrument
cluster lighting) ................................... 41
Buttons on the COMAND control-
ler ........................................................ 293 C
California Important notice for retail cus-
tomers and lessees .......................... 32
Call
Accepting/ending/rejecting .......... 387
see Telephone
Calling up a malfunction
see Display messages
Call lists
Displaying details ........................... 395
Opening and selecting an entry ..... 395
Saving an entry in the address
book .............................................. 395
Car
see Vehicle
Care
Carpets .......................................... 546
Car wash ........................................ 540
Display .......................................... .544
Exhaust pipe .................................. 544
Exterior lights ................................ 543
Gear or selector lever .................... 545
Interior .......................................... .544
Matte finish ................................... 542
Night View Assist Plus ................... 544
Notes ............................................. 539
Paint .............................................. 541
Plastic trim ................................... .545
Power washer ................................ 541
Rear view camera .......................... 543
Roof lining ...................................... 546
Seat belt ........................................ 546
Seat cover ..................................... 545
Sensors ......................................... 543
Steering wheel ............................... 545 Trim pieces ...................................
.545
Washing by hand ........................... 540
Wheels .......................................... .542
Windows ........................................ 542
Wiper blades .................................. 543
Wooden trim .................................. 545
Car key
see SmartKey
Car pool lanes ................................... .321
Car wash (care) ................................. 540
Category list (music search) ............ 452
CD Copy protection ............................ .452
Fast forward/fast rewind .............. .448
General information ....................... 452
Inserting ........................................ 444
Inserting/loading (Rear Seat
Entertainment System) .................. 489
Mode, switching to ........................ 446
Multisession .................................. 451
Notes on discs ............................... 452
Pause function ............................... 447
Removing/ejecting (Rear Seat
Entertainment System) .................. 489
Safety notes .................................. 444
Selecting a media type .................. 447
Selecting a track ............................ 447
Sound settings (balance, bass,
treble) ............................................ 296
CD/DVD
Inserting ........................................ 445
Removing ....................................... 445
CD mode
Playback options ........................... 450
CD player/CD changer (on-board
computer) .......................................... 228
Center console Lower section .................................. 45
Lower section (AMG vehicles) .......... 46
Upper section .................................. 44
Central locking
Automatic locking (on-board com-puter) ............................................. 234
Locking/unlocking (SmartKey) ....... .82 Index
7

If you make any changes to the vehicle elec-
tronics, the general operating permit is ren-
dered invalid.
! There is a risk of damage to the vehicle if:
R the vehicle becomes stuck, e.g. on a high
curb or an unpaved road
R you drive too fast over an obstacle, e.g. a
curb or a hole in the road
R a heavy object strikes the undercarriage
or parts of the chassis
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,
visit a qualified specialist workshop. 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. G
WARNING
If you connect equipment to the diagnostics
connection in the vehicle, it may affect the
operation of the vehicle systems. As a result, the operating safety of the vehicle could be
affected. There is a risk of an accident.
Do not connect any equipment to a diagnos-
tics connection in the vehicle. G
WARNING
Objects in the driver's footwell can restrict the pedal travel or obstruct a depressed pedal.
The operating and road safety of the vehicle is
jeopardized. There is a risk of an accident.
Make sure that all objects in the vehicle are
stowed correctly, and that they cannot enter
the driver's footwell. Install the floormats
securely and as specified in order to ensure
sufficient clearance for the pedals. Do not use loose floormats and do not place floormats on
top of one another.
! If the engine is switched off and equip-
ment on the diagnostics connection is
used, the starter battery may discharge.
Connecting equipment to the diagnostics
connection can lead to emissions monitoring information being reset, for example. This
may lead to the vehicle failing to meet the 34
Introduction

The exterior mirrors are automatically heated
after starting the vehicle if the rear window
defroster is switched on and the outside tem-
perature is low. Mirror heating lasts up to 10
minutes.
i You can also heat up the exterior mirrors
manually by switching on the rear window
defroster.
Folding the exterior mirrors in or out
electrically X
Make sure that the SmartKey is in position
1 or 2in the ignition lock.
X Briefly press button 0043.
Both exterior mirrors fold in or out.
i Make sure that the exterior mirrors are
always folded out fully while driving. They
could otherwise vibrate.
Exterior mirror pushed out of position If an exterior mirror has been pushed out of
position, proceed as follows:
X Move the exterior mirror into the correct
position manually.
The mirror housing is engaged again and
you can adjust the exterior mirrors as usual
(Y page 116). 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 and
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. Mirrors
117Seats, steering wheel and mirrors Z

Active light function
The active light function is a system that
moves the headlamps according to the steer-
ing movements of the front wheels. In this
way, relevant areas remain illuminated while
driving. This allows you to identify pedes-
trians, cyclists and animals.
Active: when the lights are switched on. Adaptive Highbeam Assist
General notes You can use this function to set the head-
lamps to change between low beam and high beam automatically. The system recognizes
vehicles with their lights on, either approach-
ing from the opposite direction or traveling in front of your vehicle, and consequently switches the headlamps from high beam to
low beam.
The system automatically adapts the low-
beam headlamp range depending on the dis-
tance to the other vehicle. Once the system
no longer detects any other vehicles, it reac-
tivates the high-beam headlamps.
The system's optical sensor is located behind
the windshield near the overhead control
panel.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Adaptive Highbeam Assist does not recognize road users:
R who have no lights, e.g. pedestrians
R who have poor lighting, e.g. cyclists
R whose lighting is blocked, e.g. by a barrier
In very rare cases, Adaptive Highbeam Assist
may fail to recognize other road users that
have lights, or may recognize them too late. In this or similar situations, the automatic high-
beam headlamps will not be deactivated or
activated regardless. There is a risk of an acci-
dent.
Always carefully observe the traffic conditions and switch off the high-beam headlamps in
good time.
Adaptive Highbeam Assist cannot take into
account road, weather or traffic conditions.
Adaptive Highbeam Assist is only an aid. You are responsible for adjusting the vehicle's
lighting to the prevailing light, visibility and
traffic conditions.
In particular, the detection of obstacles can
be restricted if there is:
R poor visibility, e.g. due to fog, heavy rain or
snow
R dirt on the sensors or the sensors are
obscured Exterior lighting
127Lights and windshield wipers Z

Display when in transmission position D
and drive program M 0043
Gear
0044 Drive program (M) Transmission positions
0045 Park position
Do not shift the transmission into
position P(Y page 159) unless the
vehicle is stationary. The parking
lock should not be used as a brake when parking. Always apply the
electronic parking brake in addi-
tion to the parking lock in order to
secure the vehicle.
If the SmartKey is removed from
the ignition lock, the transmission
is locked.
The automatic transmission shifts
into Pautomatically:
R when the SmartKey is removed
from the ignition lock
R when the engine is switched off
with the transmission in position
R or Dand one of the doors is
opened
If the vehicle electronics are mal-
functioning, the transmission may
be locked in position P.
Have the vehicle electronics
checked immediately at a qualified
specialist workshop, e.g. an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center. 0046 Reverse gear
Only shift the transmission to R
when the vehicle is stationary. 0044 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 brake pedal will allow
you to move the vehicle freely, e.g. to push it or tow it.
If ESP ®
is deactivated or faulty:
only shift the transmission to posi-
tion Nif the vehicle is in danger of
skidding, e.g. on icy roads.
! Rolling in neutral
Ncan damage
the drive train. 003A 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 163)
R the position of the accelerator pedal
(Y page 162)
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 162
Automatic transmissionDriving and pa
rking

R
M Manual: manual gearshifting
R RS driving mode RACE START: optimum
acceleration dynamics from a standstill (SL 63 AMG only)
i Further information about permanent
drive program M(Y page 166).
As well as this permanent drive program M,
you can also activate temporary drive pro-
gram M(Y page 165).
i The automatic transmission shifts to
automatic drive program Ceach time the
engine is started.
i RS
cannot be selected during normal driv-
ing. For further information on RACE
START, see (Y page 192).
AMG button (SETUP) You can save and call up the following pre-
settings with the AMG button:
R Drive program (Y page 163)
R Suspension tuning X
To store: press and hold AMG button 0043
until you hear a tone.
X To call up: press AMG button 0043.
The stored drive program is selected.
X To display: briefly press AMG button 0043.
The multifunction display shows the SETUP in the AMG menu (Y page 236). Steering wheel paddle shifters
0043
Left-hand steering wheel paddle shifter
0044 Right-hand steering wheel paddle shifter
In the manual drive program, you can change
gear yourself by using the steering wheel pad- dle shifters (Y page 165).
Further information about permanent drive
program M(Y page 166).
Further information about temporary drive
program M(Y page 165).
i The full range of functions for the steering
wheel paddle shifters is available only once operating temperature has been reached.
i You can only change gear with the steer-
ing wheel paddle shifters when the trans-
mission is in position D. Automatic drive program
Automatic drive programs E and S Drive program
Eis characterized by the fol-
lowing:
R comfort-oriented engine and transmission
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 164
Automatic transmissionDriving and parking

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
Drive program Sis characterized by the fol-
lowing:
R sporty engine and transmission 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 Eand Sautomatic drive programs.
i As well as temporary drive program
M,
you can also activate permanent drive pro-
gram M(Y page 163).
Further information about permanent drive program M(Y page 166).
Activating
X Shift the transmission to position D.
X Pull the left or right steering wheel paddle
shifter (Y page 164).
Manual drive program Mis temporarily acti-
vated. The selected gear and Mappear in
the multifunction 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 164).
The automatic transmission shifts up to the
next gear.
i 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.
X To shift down: pull on the left-hand steer-
ing wheel paddle shifter (Y page 164).
The automatic transmission shifts down to
the next gear.
i If the engine exceeds the maximum
engine speed when shifting down, the auto- matic transmission protects against engine
damage by not shifting down.
i 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 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 of Automatic transmission
165Driving and parking Z

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, i.e. Eor S.
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 164).
or
X Use the lever to switch the transmission
position.
or
X Use the program selector button to change
the drive program (Y page 163).
Manual drive program Mis deactivated.
The automatic transmission switches into
the automatic drive program that was last
selected, i.e. Eor S. Manual drive program
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.
i As well as this permanent drive program
M, you can also activate temporary drive
program M(Y page 165).
Switching on the manual drive program Manual drive program
Mis different from
drive program Swith regard to spontaneity,
responsiveness and smoothness of gear
changes.
You can select manual drive program Mwith
the program selector button or the drive pro- gram selector ( AMG vehicles). In manual
drive program M, you can change gear using
the steering wheel paddle shifters if the trans- mission is in position
D. The selected gear
appears in the multifunction display.
X Press the program selector button repeat-
edly until M(Y page 163) appears in the
multifunction display.
X AMG vehicles: turn the drive program
selector until M(Y page 163) appears in the
multifunction display.
Upshifting X
Pull the right-hand steering wheel paddle
shifter (Y page 164).
The automatic transmission shifts up to the
next gear.
Before the engine speed reaches the red
area, an upshift indicator will be shown in
the multifunction display.
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.
AMG vehicles !
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 166
Automatic transmissionDriving and parking