Driving systems
Active Blind Spot Assist ................ .214
Active Body Control (AMG vehi-
cles) ............................................... 197
Active Body Control (except AMG
vehicles) ........................................ 194
Active Driving Assistance pack-
age ................................................. 214
Active Lane Keeping Assist ............ 217
Active Parking Assist ..................... 202
Adaptive Damping System ............. 193
ATTENTION ASSIST ........................ 209
Cruise control ................................ 180
Display message ............................ 257
DISTRONIC PLUS ........................... 182
HOLD function ............................... 191
Night View Assist Plus ................... 210
PARKTRONIC ................................. 199
RACE START (AMG vehicles) .......... 192
Rear view camera .......................... 206
Driving tips
AMG ceramic brakes ..................... 177
Automatic transmission ................. 162
Brakes .......................................... .176
Break-in period .............................. 150
Checking brake lining thickness .... 178
DISTRONIC PLUS ........................... 190
Downhill gradient ........................... 176
Drinking and driving ....................... 174
Driving abroad ............................... 122
Driving in winter ............................ .179
Driving on flooded roads ................ 179
Driving on wet roads ..................... .179
Exhaust check ............................... 175
Fuel ................................................ 174
General .......................................... 174
Hydroplaning ................................. 179
Icy road surfaces ........................... 179
Limited braking efficiency on sal-
ted roads ....................................... 177
Snow chains .................................. 571
Symmetrical low bea m.................. 122
Wet road surface ........................... 176
DVD
Copy protection ............................. 452
Inserting ........................................ 444
Inserting/loading (Rear Seat
Entertainment System) .................. 489 Notes on discs ............................... 452
Removing/ejecting (Rear Seat
Entertainment System) .................. 489
Sound settings (balance, bass,
treble) ............................................ 296
DVD video
Operating (on-board computer) ..... 229
Rear Seat Entertainment System ... 492 E
EASY-ENTRY feature Activating/deactivating ................. 235
Function/note s............................. 115
EASY-EXIT feature
Crash-responsive ........................... 116
Function/note s............................. 115
Switching on/of f........................... 235
EBD (electronic brake force distri-
bution)
Display message ............................ 242
Function/note s................................ 77
ECO display
Function/note s............................. 175
On-board computer ....................... 226
ECO start/stop function
Automatic engine start .................. 156
Automatic engine switch-off .......... 155
Deactivating/activating ................. 156
General information ....................... 155
Important safety notes .................. 155
Introduction ................................... 155
Electronic Stability Program
see ESP ®
(Electronic Stability Program)
Emergency
Automatic measures after an acci-
dent ................................................. 68
Emergency release
Driver's door .................................... 90
Trunk ............................................... 96
Vehicle ............................................. 90
Emergency Tensioning Devices
Activation ......................................... 64
Emissions control
Service and warranty information .... 31 Index
11
Loss .................................................87
Mechanical key ................................ 84
Opening/closing the roof .............. 102
Overview .......................................... 82
Positions (ignition lock) ................. 151
Problem (malfunction) ..................... 87
Starting the engine ........................ 154
Snow chains ...................................... 571
Sockets Front-passenger footwell ............... 519
General notes ................................ 518
Trunk ............................................. 519
Under the armrest .........................5 19
Sound
Switching on/off ........................... 295
Sound menu ....................................... 296
Sound mode ....................................... 298
Sound settings Calling up the sound menu ............ 296
Surround sound ............................ .297
Treble and bas s............................. 296
Specialist workshop ............................ 35
Special seat belt retractor .................. 69
Speed, controlling see Cruise control
Speed dial list
Storing a phone book entry in the
speed dial list ................................ 397
Speedometer
Digital ............................................ 226
In the Instrument cluster ................. 41
Segments ...................................... 223
Selecting the unit of measure-
ment .............................................. 232
SPLITVIEW ......................................... 303
SPORT handling mode Activating/deactivating (AMG
vehicles) .......................................... 76
Warning lamp ................................. 274
Standing lamps
Display message ............................ 252
Switching on/of f........................... 124
Start/stop function
see ECO start/stop function
Starting (engine) ................................ 153
Station search ................................... 436
STEER CONTROL .................................. 79 Steering (display message)
.............. 266
Steering assistant STEER CON-
TROL see STEER CONTROL
Steering wheel
Adjusting (electrically) ................... 114
Button overview ............................... 43
Buttons (on-board computer) ......... 223
Cleaning ......................................... 545
Important safety notes .................. 114
Paddle shifters ............................... 164
Storing settings (memory func-
tion) ............................................... 119
Steering wheel paddle shifters ........ 164
Stop function Video DVD ..................................... 475
Stopwatch (RACETIMER) ................... 237
Storing stations Radi o............................................. 437
Stowage areas ................................... 512
Stowage compartments Armrest (under) ............................. 513
Center console .............................. 513
Center console (rear) ..................... 514
Cup holders ................................... 516
Eyeglasses compartment ............... 513
Glove box ....................................... 512
Important safety information ......... 512
Rear ............................................... 514
Stowage net ................................... 514
Stowage net ....................................... 514
Stowage space Umbrella holde r............................. 513
Stowage well beneath the trunk
floor .................................................... 516
Street View ........................................ 331
Summer tires ..................................... 570
Sun visor ............................................ 517
Surround lighting (on-board com-
puter) .................................................. 233
Surround sound ................................. 297
Surround sound (harman/kardon ®
surround sound system) Notes ............................................. 297
Switching on/of f........................... 297 Index
23
Winter driving
Important safety notes .................. 570
Slippery road surfaces .................. .179
Snow chains .................................. 571
Winter operation
Overview ........................................ 570
Winter tires
M+S tires ....................................... 570
Wiper blades
Cleaning ......................................... 543
Important safety notes .................. 131
Replacing ....................................... 131
Wooden trim (cleaning instruc-
tions) ................................................. .545
Workshop see Qualified specialist workshop Z
ZAGAT ®
rating service ......................338
ZONE function Switching on/off ........................... 143 Index
29
cushion of the front-passenger seat. The
backrest of the child restraint system must,
as far as possible, lie flat against the backrest
of the front-passenger seat. The child
restraint system must not touch the roof or be
put under strain by the head restraint. Adjust the angle of the seat backrest and the head
restraint position accordingly. Always make
sure that the shoulder belt strap is correctly
routed from the front-passenger seat belt
guide to the shoulder belt guide on the child
restraint system. The shoulder belt strap
must be routed forwards and downwards
from the front-passenger seat belt guide. If
necessary, adjust the front-passenger seat
accordingly.
Always observe the child restraint system
manufacturer's installation and operating
instructions. Pets in the vehicle
G
WARNING
If you leave animals unattended or unsecured in the vehicle, they could press buttons or
switches, for example.
As a result, they could:
R activate vehicle equipment and become
trapped, for example
R activate or deactivate systems, thereby
endangering other road users
Unsecured animals could also be flung around
the vehicle in the event of an accident or sud- den steering or braking, thereby injuring vehi-
cle occupants. There is a risk of an accident
and injury.
Never leave animals unattended in the vehi-
cle. Always secure animals properly during
the journey, e.g. use a suitable animal trans-
port box. Driving safety systems
Overview of driving safety systems
In this section, you will find information about the following driving safety systems:
R ABS ( Anti-lock BrakingSystem)
(Y page 72)
R BAS ( Brake Assist System) (Y page 72)
R BAS PLUS ( BrakeAssist System Plus)
(Y page 72)
R ESP ®
(E lectronic StabilityProgram)
(Y page 74)
R EBD ( Electronic Brake force Distribution)
(Y page 77)
R ADAPTIVE BRAKE (Y page 77)
R PRE-SAFE ®
Brake (Y page 77)
R STEER CONTROL (Y page 79) Important safety notes
If you fail to adapt your driving style or
become distracted, the driving safety sys-
tems can neither reduce the risk of accident
nor override the laws of physics. Driving
safety systems are merely aids designed to
assist driving. You are responsible for the dis-
tance to the vehicle in front, for vehicle speed and for braking in good time. Always adapt
your driving style to suit the prevailing road
and weather conditions and maintain a safe
distance from the vehicle in front. Drive care-
fully.
i The driving safety systems described only
work as effectively as possible when there
is adequate contact between the tires and
the road surface. Please pay special atten- tion to the notes on tires, recommended
minimum tire tread depths, etc.
(Y page 568).
In wintry driving conditions, always use
winter tires (M+S tires) and if necessary,
snow chains. Only in this way will the driv-
ing safety systems described in this section
work as effectively as possible. Driving safety systems
71Safety Z
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 ®
(except
AMG vehicles) Important safety notes
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 71).
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. 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. Driving safety systems
75Safety Z
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.
Deactivating/activating ESP ®
(AMG
vehicles) Important safety notes
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 71).
You can select between the following states
of ESP ®
:
R ESP ®
is activated.
R SPORT handling mode is activated.
R ESP ®
is deactivated. G
WARNING
When SPORT handling mode is activated,
there is a greater risk of skidding and acci-
dents.
Only activate SPORT handling mode in the sit- uations described in the following. 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.
In the following situations, it may be better to activate SPORT handling mode or deactivate
ESP ®
:
R when using snow chains
R in deep snow
R on sand or gravel
R on designated roads when the vehicle's
own oversteering and understeering char-
acteristics are desired Driving in SPORT handling mode or without
ESP
®
requires an extremely qualified and
experienced driver.
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 activate SPORT handling mode:
briefly press button 0043.
The 0074 SPORT handling mode warning
lamp in the instrument cluster lights up.
The SPORT handling mode
SPORT handling mode message
appears in the multifunction display.
X To deactivate SPORT handling mode:
briefly press button 0043.
The 0074 SPORT handling mode warning
lamp in the instrument cluster goes out.
X To deactivate ESP ®
:press button 0043until
the 00BB ESP®
OFF warning lamp lights up
in the instrument cluster.
The 00E5 OFF OFFmessage appears in the mul-
tifunction display.
X To activate ESP ®
:briefly press button 0043.
The 00BB ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster goes out. The 00E5
ESP ®
ON
ON message appears in the multifunc-
tion display. 76
Driving safety systemsSafety
and drive at a speed to suit the prevailing
weather conditions.
You should pay special attention to road con-
ditions when temperatures are around freez-
ing point.
For more information on driving with snow
chains, see (Y page 571).
For more information on driving with summer tires, see (Y page 570).
Observe the notes in the "Winter operation"
section (Y page 570). Driving systems
Cruise control
General notes Cruise control maintains a constant road
speed for you. It brakes automatically in order
to avoid exceeding the set speed. On long and
steep downhill gradients, especially if the
vehicle is laden, you must select a lower gear in good time. By doing so, you will make use of the braking effect of the engine. This relievesthe load on the brake system and prevents
the brakes from overheating and wearing too
quickly.
Use cruise control only if road and traffic con- ditions make it appropriate to maintain a
steady speed for a prolonged period. You can store any road speed above 20 mph
(30 km/h).
Important safety notes If you fail to adapt your driving style, cruise
control can neither reduce the risk of an acci-
dent nor override the laws of physics. Cruise
control cannot take into account the road,
traffic and weather conditions. Cruise control
is only an aid. You are responsible for the dis-
tance to the vehicle in front, for vehicle speed, for braking in good time and for staying in
lane. Do not use cruise control:
R in road and traffic conditions which do not
allow you to maintain a constant speed e.g.
in heavy traffic or on winding roads
R on slippery road surfaces. Braking or accel-
erating could cause the drive wheels to lose
traction and the vehicle could then skid
R when there is poor visibility, e.g. due to fog,
heavy rain or snow
If there is a change of drivers, advise the new
driver of the speed stored.
Cruise control lever Cruise control lever
0043
To store the current speed or a higher
speed
0044 To store the current speed or call up the
last stored speed
0087 To store the current speed or a lower
speed
0085 To deactivate cruise control
When you activate cruise control, the stored
speed is shown in the status indicator of the
multifunction display:
R USA only: e.g. CRUISE 55 Miles
CRUISE 55 Miles
R Canada only: e.g. 00B290 Km/h 90 Km/h 180
Driving systemsDriving and parking
Selecting sports tuning
X
Make sure that the engine is running or that
it has been switched off by the ECO start/
stop function.
X If indicator lamp 0044
0044 is not lit: press but-
ton 0043.
Indicator lamp 0044lights up. You have selec-
ted the suspension for a sporty driving
style.
The message SPORT
SPORT appears in the multi-
function display.
The firmer setting of the suspension tuning in sports mode ensures even better contact
with the road. Select this mode if you want
more direct contact with the road when
employing a sporty driving style, e.g. on wind-
ing country roads.
Selecting comfort tuning X
Make sure that the engine is running or that
it has been switched off by the ECO start/
stop function.
X If indicator lamp 0044 0044is not lit: press but-
ton 0043.
Indicator lamp 0044lights up. You have selec-
ted the suspension for a comfortable driv-
ing style.
The message COMFORT COMFORTappears in the mul-
tifunction display.
In Comfort mode, the driving characteristics
of your vehicle are more comfortable. Select
this mode if you favor a more comfortable
driving style. Active Body Control (except AMG
vehicles)
Vehicle level General notes
In order to reduce fuel consumption and
improve the driving dynamics, the vehicle is
lowered as its speed increases. With the
SPORT suspension setting, it is lowered by up
to 0.5 in (13 mm), with COMFORT by up to
0.2 in (5 mm). As the speed is reduced, the
vehicle is raised up to the set vehicle height.
Select the "Normal" setting for normal road
surfaces and "Raised" for driving with snow
chains or on particularly poor road surfaces.
Your selection remains stored even if you
remove the SmartKey from the ignition lock.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
The vehicle is slightly lowered if you:
R have selected the SPORT suspension tun-
ing at normal level and
R switch off the engine
Persons in the vicinity of the wheel arch or the underbody may thus become trapped. There
is a risk of injury. 194
Driving systemsDriving and parking