The electric parking brake can only be
released:
Rwhen the SmartKey is in position1or 2in
the ignition lock (
Ypage 131) or
Rif the ignition was switched on using the
Start/Stop button
Applying automatically
When the vehicle's HOLD function is holding
the vehicle at a standstill, the electric parking
brake is engaged automatically.
In addition, at least one of the following con-
ditions must be fulfilled:
Rthe drive system is switched off.
Rthe driver's door is open and the seat belt is
not fastened.
Rthere is a system malfunction.
Rthe power supply is insufficient.
Rthe vehicle is stationary for a lengthy
period.
The red F(USA only) or !(Canada
only) indicator lamp in the instrument cluster
lights up.
Releasing automatically
Your vehicle's electric parking brake is auto-
matically released if all of the following con-
ditions are met:
Rthe vehicle has been started.
Rthe transmission is in position Dor R.
Rthe seat belt has been fastened.
Ryou depress the accelerator pedal.
If the transmission is in position R, the tailgate
must be closed.
If your seat belt is not fastened, the following
conditions must be fulfilled to automatically
release the electric parking brake:
Rthe driver's door is closed.
Ryou 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.
XWhile driving, push handle :of the electric
parking brake (
Ypage 155).
The vehicle is braked as long as you keep
handle :of the electric parking brake
pressed. The longer the electric parking
brake handle :is depressed, the greater
the braking force.
During braking:
Ra warning tone sounds
Rthe Please Release Parking Brake
message appears
Rthe red F(USA only) or !(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 applied.
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.
If you leave the vehicle parked for longer than six weeks, the vehicle may suffer damage as a
result of lack of use.
XVisit a qualified specialist workshop and
seek advice.
iYou can obtain information about trickle
chargers from a qualified specialist work-
shop.
156Parking
Driving and parking
Drivingtips
General notes
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If you switch off the ignition while driving,
safety-relevant functions are only available
with limitations, or not at all. This could affect, fo r example, the power steering and thebrake
boosting effect. You will require considerably
more effort to steer and brake. There is a risk
of an accident.
Do no t switch off the ignition while driving.
GWARNING
If you operate mobile communication equip-
ment while driving, you will be distracted from traffic conditions. You could also lose control
of the vehicle. There is a risk of an accident.
Only operate this equipment when the vehicle
is stationary.
Observe the legal requirements fo rth ecoun-
tr y in which you are driving. Some jurisdic-
tion s prohibit the driver from usingamobile
phone while drivin gavehicle.
If you makeacall while driving, always use
hands-free mode. Only operate the telephone
when the traffic situation permits. If you are
unsure, pull over to a safe location and stop
before operating the telephone.
Bear in mind that at a speed of only 30 mph
(approximately 50 km/h), the vehicle covers
a distance of 44 ft (approximately 14 m) per
second.
Drive sensibly – save energy
Observe the following tips to save energy:
RThe tires should always be inflated to the
recommended tire pressure.
RRemove unnecessary loads.
RRemove roof racks when they are not nee-
ded.
RAvoid frequent acceleration or braking. Energ
y consumption also increases when
driving in low or high outside temperatures, in
stop-start traffic, on short journeys and in
hilly terrain .
Drinking and driving
GWARNING
Drinking and drivin gand/o rtaking drugs and
driving are very dangerous combinations.
Even a small amount of alcohol or drugs can
affect your reflexes, perceptions and judg-
ment.
The possibility of a serious or even fatal acci-
dent is greatly increased when you drink or
take drugs and drive.
Do no t drink or take drugs and drive or allow
anyone to drive who has been drinkingor tak-
ing drugs.
ECO display
The ECO display provides feedback on how
economical your driving characteristics are.
The ECO display assists you in achieving the
most economical driving style for the selec-
te d settings and prevailing conditions. Your
driving style can significantly influence the
vehicle's consumption .
The ECO display consists of three bars:
RAcceleration
RConstant
RCoasting
The percent value is the average value of the
three bars. The three bars and the mean value
begin at the value of 50%. A higher percent-
age indicates a more economical driving
style.
Driving tips157
Driving and parking
Z
The ECO display does not indicate the actual
fuel consumption. A fixed percentage count
in the ECO display does not indicate a fixed
consumption.
Apart from driving style, consumption is
dependent on many factors such as, e.g.:
Rload
RTire pressure
Rcold start
Rchoice of route
Relectrical consumers switched on
These factors are not included in the ECO dis-
play.
The evaluation of your driving style is carried out using the following three categories:
RAcceleration(evaluation of all accelera-
tion processes):
-The bar fills up: moderate acceleration,
especially at higher speeds
-The bar empties: sporty acceleration
RConstant(assessment of driving behavior
at all times)
-The bar fills up: constant speed and
avoidance of unnecessary acceleration
and deceleration
-The bar empties: fluctuations in speed
RCoasting(assessment of all deceleration
processes)
-The bar fills up: anticipatory driving,
keeping your distance and early release
of the accelerator. The vehicle can coast
without use of the brakes.
-The bar empties: frequent braking
To achieve a higher value in the categories
Acceleration
and Constant, drive the vehi-
cle in drive program E+orE.
On long journeys at a constant speed, e.g. on
the highway, only the bar for Constant
will
change.
The ECO display summarizes the driving char-
acteristics from the start of the journey to its
completion. For this reason, the bars change
dynamically at the beginning of the journey.
On longer journeys, there are fewer changes. For more dynamic changes, carry out a man-
ual reset.
For further information on the ECO display,
see (
Ypage 187).
Braking
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If you increase the recuperation level on slip-
pery road surfaces, the drive wheels may lose
their traction. There is an increased danger of
skidding and accidents.
Do not increase the recuperation level on slip-
pery road surfaces.
The braking performance of the electric
motor using recuperative braking is, in some
operating modes, either reduced or not effec- tive:
Rwhen the condition of charge of the high-
voltage battery increases
Rif the high-voltage battery is not yet at a
normal operating temperature
Rwhen driving close to the maximum speed
Rwhen the vehicle is almost stationary
Rin transmission position N
Rduring and after ESP stability control
If you do not make an additional effort to
apply the brake yourself, the braking effect
may not be sufficient. If necessary, counter-
act the reduced regenerative braking effect
by applying the brake yourself.
Downhill gradients
On long, steep gradients, you must reduce the
load on the brakes by selecting maximum
recuperation. This helps you to avoid over-
heating the brakes and wearing them out
excessively.
Recuperation allows the vehicle to be decel-
erated without placing a load on the braking
system.
158Driving tips
Driving and parking
Do not depress the brake pedal continuously
while the vehicle is in motion, e.g. causing the
brakes to rub by constantly applying light
pressure to the pedal. This results in exces-
sive and premature wear to the brake pads.
Heavy and light loads
GWARNING
If you rest your foot on the brake pedal while
driving, the braking system can overheat. This increases the stopping distance and can even
cause the braking system to fail. There is a
risk of an accident.
Never use the brake pedal as a footrest. Never
depress the brake pedal and the accelerator
pedal at the same time.
!Depressing the brake pedal constantly
results in excessive and premature wear to
the brake pads.
If the brakes have been subjected to a heavy
load, do not stop the vehicle immediately.
Drive on for a short while. This allows the air-
flow to cool the brakes more quickly.
Wet roads
If you have driven for a long time in heavy rain
without braking, there may be a delayed reac-
tion from the brakes when braking for the first
time. This may also occur after the vehicle has
been washed or driven through deep water.
You have to depress the brake pedal more
firmly. Maintain a greater distance from the
vehicle in front.
After driving on a wet road or having the vehi-
cle washed, brake firmly while paying atten-
tion to the traffic conditions. This will warm up
the brake discs, thereby drying them more
quickly and protecting them against corro-
sion.
Limited braking performance on salt-
treated roads
If you drive on salted roads, a layer of salt
residue may form on the brake discs and brake pads. This can result in a significantly
longer braking distance.
RIn order to prevent any salt build-up, apply
the brakes occasionally while paying atten-
tion to the traffic conditions.
RCarefully depress the brake pedal and the
beginning and end of a journey.
RMaintain a greater distance to the vehicle
ahead.
Servicing the brakes
!The brake fluid level may be too low, if:
Rif the red brake warning lamp lights up in
the instrument cluster and
Ryou hear a warning tone while the engineis running
Observe additional warning messages in
the multifunction display.
The brake fluid level may be too low due to
brake pad wear or leaking brake lines.
Have the brake system checked immedi-
ately. Consult a qualified specialist work-
shop to arrange this.
!A function or performance test should
only be carried out on a 2-axle dynamom-
eter. If you wish to operate the vehicle on
such a dynamometer, please consult a
qualified specialist workshop in advance.
You could otherwise damage the drive train
or the brake system.
!As the ESP®system operates automati-
cally, the engine and the ignition must be
switched off (the SmartKey must be in posi-
tion 0or 1in the ignition lock) if:
Rthe electric parking brake is tested on a
brake dynamometer (for a maximum of
ten second s)
Rthe vehicle is towed with the front axle
raised.
Braking triggered automatically by ESP
®
may seriously damage the brake system.
Driving tips159
Driving and parking
Z
XHold test gageAvertically on brake
disc :and slide measuring pin ;onto
brake disc :.
XCheck which color field ?the arrow on
measuring pin ;is pointing to.
Green: the brake pad/lining thickness is
sufficient.
Red: the brake pad/lining thickness is not
sufficient. Have the brake pads/lining
checked at a qualified specialist workshop.
To avoid an inaccurate measurement:
Rmake sure you position the wheels suitably
Rdo not put the measuring pin on a recess in
the brake disc
Driving on wet roads
Hydroplaning
If water has accumulated to a certain depth
on the road surface, there is a danger of
hydroplaning occurring, even if:
Ryou drive at low speeds.
Rthe tires have adequate tread depth.
For this reason, in the event of heavy rain or in conditions in which hydroplaning may occur,
you must drive in the following manner:
Rlower your speed.
Ravoid ruts.
Ravoid sudden steering movements.
Rbrake carefully.
Driving on flooded roads
!Do not drive through flooded areas.
Check the depth of any water before driving through it. Drive slowly through standing
water. Otherwise, water may enter the
vehicle interior or the engine compartment.
This can damage the electronic compo-
nents in the engine or the automatic trans-
mission. Water can also be drawn in by the
engine's air suction nozzles and this can
cause engine damage.
Winter driving
GWARNING
If you increase the recuperation level on slip-
pery road surfaces, the drive wheels may lose
their traction. There is an increased danger of
skidding and accidents.
Do not increase the recuperation level on slip-
pery road surfaces.
Have your vehicle winter-proofed at a quali-
fied specialist workshop at the onset of win-
ter.
Drive particularly carefully on slippery road
surfaces. Avoid sudden acceleration, steering and braking maneuvers. Do not use cruise
control.
If the vehicle threatens to skid or cannot be
stopped when moving at low speed:
XShift the DIRECT SELECT lever to position
N.
The outside temperature indicator is not
designed to serve as an ice-warning device
and is therefore unsuitable for that purpose.
Changes in the outside temperature are dis-
played after a short delay.
Indicated temperatures just above the freez-
ing point do not guarantee that the road sur-
face is free of ice. The road may still be icy,
especially in wooded areas or on bridges.
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 (
Ypage 305).
For more information on driving with summer
tires, see (
Ypage 304).
Observe the notes in the "Winter operation"
section (
Ypage 304).
Driving tips161
Driving and parking
Z
iCruise control may be unable to maintain
the stored speed on uphill gradients. The
stored speed is resumed when the gradient
evens out. Cruise control maintains the
stored speed on downhill gradients by
automatically applying the brakes.
Storing the current speed or calling up the
last stored speed
GWARNING
If you call up the stored speed and it differs
from th e current speed, the vehicle acceler-
ates or decelerates. If you do not know the
stored speed, the vehicle could accelerate or brake une xpectedly. There is a risk of an acci-
dent.
Pay attention to the road and traffic condi-
tions before calling up the stored speed. If you
do not know th e stored speed, store the
desired speed again.
XBriefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you =.
XRemove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
The first time cruise control is activated, it
stores the current speed or regulates the
speed of the vehicle to the previously
stored speed.
Setting a speed
Keep in mind that it may take a brief moment
until the vehicle has accelerated or braked to
the speed set.
XPress the cruise control lever up :for a
higher speed or down ?for a lower speed.
XTo adju stthe set speed in 1 mph incre-
ments (1 km/h increments): briefly
press the cruise control lever up :or
down ?to the pressure point.
The last stored speed increases or decrea-
ses in 1 mph (1 km/h) increments.
XTo adju st the set speed in 5 mph incre-
ments (10 km/h increments): brieflypress the cruise control lever up
:or
down ?to the pressure point.
The last stored speed increases or decrea-
ses in 5 mph (10 km/h)increments.
iCruise control is not deactivated if you
depress the accelerator pedal. For exam-
ple, if you accelerate briefly to overtake,
cruise control adjusts the vehicle's speed
to the last speed stored after you have fin- ished overtaking.
Deactivating cruise control
There are several ways to deactivate cruise
control:
XBriefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards =.
or
XBrake.
Cruise control is automatically deactivated if:
Rthe vehicle is secured with the electric
parking brake
Ryou are driving at less than 20 mph
(30 km/h)
RESP®intervenes or you deactivate ESP®
Ryou shift the transmission to position N
while driving
If cruise control is deactivated, you will hear a
warning tone. You will see the Cruise con‐
trol Offmessage in the multifunction dis-
play for approximately five seconds.
iWhen you switch off the engine, the last
speed stored is cleared.
HOLD function
General notes
The HOLD function can assist the driver in the
following situations:
Rwhen pulling away, especially on steep
slopes
Rwhen maneuvering on steep slopes
Rwhen waiting in traffic
Driving systems163
Driving and parking
Z
The vehicle is kept stationary without the
driver having to depress the brake pedal.
The braking effect is canceled and the HOLD
function deactivated when you depress the
accelerator pedal to pull away.
Important safety notes
GWARNING
When leaving the vehicle, it can still roll away despite being braked by the HOLD function if:
Rthere is a malfunction in the system or in
the voltage supply.
Rthe HOLD function has been deactivated by
pressing the accelerator pedal or the brake
pedal, e.g. by a vehicle occupant.
Rthe electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses have
been tampered with.
Rthe battery is disconnected
There is a risk of an accident.
If you wish to exit the vehicle, always turn off the HOLD function and secure the vehicle
against rolling away.
!If the HOLD function is activated, the vehi-
cle brakes automatically in certain situa-
tions.
To prevent damage to the vehicle, deacti-
vate the HOLD function in the following or
other similar situations:
Rwhen towing the vehicle
Rin the car wash
Deactivating the HOLD function
(
Ypage 164).
Activation conditions
You can activate the HOLD function if:
Rthe vehicle is stationary
Rthe engine is running or if it has been auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/
stop function
Rthe driver's door is closed or your seat belt
is fastened
Rthe electric parking brake is released
Rthe transmission is in position D,Ror N
Activating the HOLD function
XMake sure that the activation conditions
are met.
XDepress the brake pedal.
XQuickly depress the brake pedal further
until :appears in the multifunction dis-
play.
The HOLD function is activated. You can
release the brake pedal.
iIf depressing the brake pedal the first
time does not activate the HOLD function,
wait briefly and then try again.
Deactivating the HOLD function
The HOLD function is deactivated automati-
cally if:
Ryou accelerate. On vehicles with automatic
transmission: only when the transmission
is in position Dor R.
Rthe transmission is in position P.
Ryou depress the brake pedal again with a
certain amount of pressure until :disap-
pears from the multifunction display.
Ryou secure the vehicle using the electric
parking brake.
iAfter a time, the electric parking brake
secures the vehicle and relieves the service
brake.
164Driving systems
Driving and parking
The electric parking brake secures the vehicle
automatically if the HOLD function is activa-
ted and:
Rthe driver's seat belt is not fastened and the
driver's door is open.
Rthe engine is switched off, unless it is auto- matically switched off by the ECO start/
stop function.
Ra system malfunction occurs.
Rthe power supply is not sufficient.
The Brake Immediately
message may also
appear in the multifunction display.
XImmediately depress the brake firmly until
the warning message in the multifunction
display goes out.
The HOLD function is deactivated. The horn
sounds at regular intervals if you have
switched off the engine, released the seat
belt and opened the driver's door with the
HOLD function activated. The sounding of the
horn alerts you to the fact that the HOLD
function is still activated. If you attempt to
lock the vehicle, the tone becomes louder.
The vehicle cannot be locked until you have
deactivated the HOLD function.
iAfter switching off the engine, it can only
be started again once you have deactivated
the HOLD function.
PARKTRONIC
Important safety notes
PARKTRONIC is an electronic parking aid with ultrasonic sensors. It monitors the area
around your vehicle using six sensors in the
front bumper and six sensors in the rear
bumper. PARKTRONIC indicates visually and
audibly the distance between your vehicle
and an object.
PARKTRONIC is only an aid. It is not a replace-
ment for your attention to your immediate
surroundings. You are always responsible for
safe maneuvering, parking and exiting a park-
ing space. When maneuvering, parking or pulling out of a parking space, make sure that
there are no persons, animals or objects in
the area in which you are maneuvering.
!When parking, pay particular attention to
objects above or below the sensors, such
as flower pots or trailer drawbars.
PARKTRONIC does not detect such objects
when they are in the immediate vicinity of
the vehicle. You could damage the vehicle
or the objects.
The sensors may not detect snow and other
objects that absorb ultrasonic waves.
Ultrasonic sources such as an automatic
car wash, the compressed-air brakes on a
truck or a pneumatic drill could cause
PARKTRONIC to malfunction.
PARKTRONIC may not function correctly on
uneven terrain.
PARKTRONIC is activated automatically when
you:
Rswitch on the ignition
Rshift the transmission to position D,Ror N
Rshift the transmission to position D,Ror N
Rrelease the electric parking brake
Range of the sensors
General notes
PARKTRONIC does not take objects into con-
sideration that are:
Rbelow the detection range, e.g. people, ani-
mals or objects.
Rabove the detection range, e.g. overhang-
ing loads, truck overhangs or loading
ramps.
Driving systems165
Driving and parking
Z