R
the availability of the ECO start/stop function
R the climate control
Information on configuring drive program Iwith
the multimedia system can be found in the Dig-
ital Owner's Manual.
i To permanently shift the gears manually in
drive program Iusing the steering wheel gear-
shift paddles, select the M(Manual) setting
for the drive.
Drive program E (Economy)
Drive program Eis characterised by the follow-
ing:
R comfort-oriented engine settings.
R optimal fuel consumption resulting from the
automatic transmission shifting up sooner.
R the vehicle pulls away more gently in forward
and reverse gears unless the accelerator
pedal is depressed fully.
R the vehicle has improved driving stability, e.g.
on slippery road surfaces.
R the automatic transmission shifts up sooner.
This results in the vehicle being driven at
lower engine speeds and the wheels being
less likely to spin.
R gliding mode is activated automatically when
engine-internal conditions are fulfilled and
the accelerator is not depressed. At the same
time the transmission’s clutch opens and the
vehicle rolls freely using its kinetic energy. As a result great distances can be completed
without the engine brake and fuel consump-
tion reduced.
i The availability of gliding mode depends on
various factors, including the following:
R the engine and transmission temperature
R the downhill gradient
R the vehicle speed
R performing regular adaptation functions
When you depress the brake pedal, gliding
mode is deactivated, depending on pedal
pressure.
When you activate cruise control or Distance Pilot DISTRONIC, gliding mode is not availa-
ble. Mercedes-AMG vehicles Drive program I (Individual)
In drive program I, the following properties of
the drive program can be selected:
R the drive (engine management)
R the transmission management
R the suspension (vehicles with AMG RIDE
CONTROL)
R ESP ®
Information on configuring drive program Iwith
the multimedia system can be found in the Dig-
ital Owner's Manual.
Drive program C (Comfort)Drive program Cis characterised by the follow-
ing:
R the vehicle exhibits comfortable, economical
driving characteristics.
R the vehicle pulls away more gently in forward
and reverse gears unless the accelerator
pedal is depressed fully.
R the vehicle has improved driving stability, e.g.
on slippery road surfaces.
R optimal fuel consumption resulting from the
automatic transmission shifting up sooner.
The vehicle is driven in the low engine speed
range and the wheels are less likely to spin.
R gliding mode is available.
R the ECO start/stop function is available.
Drive program S (Sport)
Drive program Sis characterised by the follow-
ing:
R the vehicle exhibits sporty driving character-
istics.
R the automatic transmission shifts up later.
Fuel consumption may be higher as a result of the later automatic transmission shift points.
R the suspension exhibits stiff springing and
damping settings (vehicles with AIR RIDE
CONTROL).
R gliding mode is not available.
R the ECO start/stop function is not available. Automatic transmission
149Driving and parking Z
Take particular note of this when driving a laden
vehicle and when towing a trailer.
This also applies if you have activated cruise
control, the speed limiter or Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC.
This will use the braking effect of the engine, so
less braking will be required to maintain the
vehicle speed. This relieves the load on the
brake system and prevents the brakes from
overheating and wearing too quickly.
Briefly depressing the accelerator pedal on
downhill gradients while the manual drive pro-
gram Mis temporarily activated (vehicles with
automatic transmission): the automatic trans-
mission may switch back to the last active auto-
matic drive program Eor S. The automatic trans-
mission may shift to a higher gear. This can
reduce the engine's braking effect.
Heavy and light loads G
WARNING
The braking system can overheat if you leave your foot on the brake pedal while driving.
This increases the braking distance and could
even cause the braking system to fail. There is
a risk of an accident.
Never use the brake pedal as a footrest. Do
not simultaneously depress both the brake
pedal and the accelerator pedal while driving.
! Depressing the brake pedal constantly
results in excessive and premature wear to
the brake pads.
If heavy demands are made on the brakes, do
not park the vehicle immediately. Drive on for a
short while. This allows the airflow to cool the
brakes more quickly.
If the brakes have been used only moderately,
you should occasionally test their effectiveness.
To do this, brake more firmly from a higher
speed, paying attention to traffic conditions.
This improves the grip of the brakes.
Wet road surfaces 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 a car wash or
after driving through deep water. You will have to depress the brake pedal more
firmly. Maintain a greater distance to the vehicle
in front.
After driving on a wet road or having the vehicle washed, brake firmly while paying attention to
the traffic conditions. This will warm up the
brake discs, thereby drying them more quickly
and protecting them against corrosion.
Limited braking performance on salt-
treated roads If you drive on salt-treated roads, a layer of salt
may form on the brake discs and pads. This can increase the braking distance considerably.
R In order to prevent any salt build-up, apply the
brakes occasionally while paying attention to the traffic conditions.
R Carefully depress the brake pedal at the end
of the journey and when starting the next
journey.
R Maintain a much greater distance to the vehi-
cle in front.
New brake pads/linings Brake pads/linings and discs that are either new
or have been replaced only achieve optimum
braking effect after several hundred kilometres
of driving. Compensate for the reduced braking effect by applying greater force to the brake
pedal.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only have brake pads/linings
fitted to your vehicle which have been approved
for Mercedes-Benz vehicles or which corre-
spond to an equivalent quality standard. Brake
pads/linings which have not been approved for
Mercedes-Benz vehicles or which are not of an
equivalent quality could affect your vehicle's
operating safety. Driving on wet roads
Aquaplaning If water has accumulated to a certain depth on
the road surface, there is a danger of aquaplan-
ing occurring, even if:
R you are driving at low speeds
R the tyres have adequate tread depth Driving tips
161Driving and parking Z
For this reason, drive in the following manner in
the event of heavy rain or in conditions in which aquaplaning can occur:
R lower your speed
R avoid tyre ruts
R avoid sudden steering movements
R brake carefully
Driving on flooded roads !
Bear in mind that vehicles travelling in front
or in the opposite direction create waves. This may cause the maximum permissible water
depth to be exceeded.
These notes must be observed under all cir-
cumstances. You could otherwise damage
the engine, the electronics or the transmis-
sion.
If you must drive on stretches of road on which
water has collected, please bear in mind that:
R in the case of standing water, the water level
must be no higher than the lower edge of the
vehicle body
R you should drive no faster than walking pace Winter driving
G
WARNING
If you shift down on a slippery road surface in an attempt to increase the engine's braking
effect, the drive wheels could lose their grip.
This increases the risk of skidding and having
an accident.
Do not shift down for additional engine brak-
ing on a slippery road surface. G
DANGER
If the exhaust pipe is blocked or adequate
ventilation is not possible, poisonous gases
such as carbon monoxide (CO) may enter the vehicle. This is the case, e.g. if the vehicle
becomes trapped in snow. There is a risk of
fatal injury.
If you leave the engine or the auxiliary heating
running, make sure the exhaust pipe and area
around the vehicle are clear of snow. To
ensure an adequate supply of fresh air, open a window on the side of the vehicle that is not
facing into the wind.
Have your vehicle winterproofed at a qualified
specialist workshop at the onset of winter.
You should drive particularly carefully on slip-
pery road surfaces. Avoid sudden acceleration,
steering and braking manoeuvres. Do not use
cruise control or Distance Pilot DISTRONIC.
If the vehicle threatens to skid or cannot be
stopped when moving at low speed:
X Vehicles with manual transmission: shift
to neutral.
X Vehicles with automatic transmission:
shift the transmission to position
N.
X Try to bring the vehicle under control by using
corrective steering.
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 freezing
point do not guarantee that the road surface is
free of ice. The road may still be icy, especially in wooded areas or on bridges.
You should pay special attention to road condi-
tions when temperatures are around freezing
point.
Further information on driving with snow chains
(Y page 313).
Further information on driving with summer
tyres (Y page 312).
Observe the notes in the "Winter operation" sec-
tion (Y page 312). 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. You must select a
lower gear in good time on long and steep down-
hill gradients, especially if the vehicle is laden or towing a trailer. On vehicles with automatic
transmission, you need to have selected the
manual drive program M(Y page 150). By doing
so, you will make use of the braking effect of the 162
Driving systemsDriving and parking
engine. This relieves the load on the brake sys-
tem and prevents the brakes from overheating
and wearing too quickly.
When the engine is running, you can use the
cruise control lever to limit the speed to any
speed between 30 km/h and the technically
permitted maximum speed of the vehicle. If the
set value of the permanent limiter is lower, then this value applies (Y page 166).
Use cruise control only if road and traffic con-
ditions are appropriate for maintaining a steady speed for a prolonged period.
The speed indicated in the speedometer may
differ slightly from the speed stored.
Important safety notes If you fail to adapt your driving style, cruise con-
trol can neither reduce the risk of an accident
nor override the laws of physics. Cruise control
cannot take into account road, weather or traffic conditions. Cruise control is only an aid. You are
responsible for the distance 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 smooth or slippery roads. Braking or accel-
erating can cause the drive wheels to lose
traction and the vehicle could then skid.
R in poor visibility, e.g. due to fog, heavy rain or
snow.
If a new driver takes over, advise the new driver
of the speed stored.
Cruise control lever :
To activate or increase speed
; LIM indicator lamp =
To activate at the current speed/last stored
speed
? To activate or reduce speed
A To switch between cruise control and the
variable speed limiter
B To deactivate cruise control
You can operate cruise control and the variable speed limiter with the cruise control lever.
The LIM indicator lamp on the cruise control
lever indicates which system you have selected:
R LIM indicator lamp off: cruise control is
selected
R LIM indicator lamp on: variable limiter is
selected.
When you activate cruise control, the stored
speed is shown in the multifunction display for
five seconds.
Selecting cruise control X
To select cruise control: check whether LIM
indicator lamp ;is on or off.
If it is off, cruise control is already selected.
X If it is not, press the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow A.
LIM indicator lamp ;in the cruise control
lever goes out. Cruise control is selected.
Activation conditions To activate cruise control, all of the following
activation conditions must be fulfilled:
R the electric parking brake must be released.
R you are driving faster than 30 km/h.
R ESP ®
must be switched on, but not interven-
ing.
R on vehicles with automatic transmission, the
selector lever must be in position D.
R on vehicles with manual transmission, a gear
must be engaged.
R cruise control must be selected.
Storing, maintaining and calling up a
speed Storing and maintaining the current
speed
You can store the current speed if you are driv-
ing faster than 30 km/h. Driving systems
163Driving and parking Z
X
Accelerate the vehicle to the desired speed.
X Briefly press the cruise control lever up :or
down ?.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator pedal.
Cruise control is activated. The vehicle auto-
matically maintains the speed.
i Cruise 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 auto-
matically braking the vehicle.
i Vehicles with manual transmission:
R Always drive at adequate, but not exces-
sive, engine speeds.
R Change gear in good time.
R If possible, do not change down several
gears at a time.
Storing the current speed or calling up the
last stored speed G
WARNING
If you call up a stored speed and this is dif-
ferent from the current speed, the vehicle
accelerates or brakes. If you do not know
what the stored speed is, the vehicle may
accelerate or brake unexpectedly. There is a
risk of an accident.
Take the traffic conditions into account
before calling up the stored speed. If you do
not know what the stored speed is, store the
desired speed again.
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you =.
X Remove 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 Bear in mind that it may take a brief moment
until the vehicle has accelerated or braked to
the set speed.
X To adjust the set speed in10 km/hincre-
ments:
briefly press cruise control lever :up beyond the pressure point for a higher speed,
or down ?for a lower speed.
or X Keep the cruise control lever pressed beyond
the pressure point until the desired speed is
set. Press cruise control lever up :for a
higher speed or down ?for a lower speed.
X To adjust the set speed in1 km/hincre-
ments:
briefly press cruise control lever up :
to the pressure point for a higher speed or
down ?for a lower speed.
or X Keep the cruise control lever pressed to the
pressure point until the desired speed is set.
Press cruise control lever up :for a higher
speed or down ?for a lower speed.
i Cruise control is not deactivated if you
depress the accelerator pedal. For example, if
you accelerate briefly to overtake, cruise con-
trol adjusts the vehicle's speed to the last
speed stored after you have finished overtak-
ing.
Deactivating cruise control There are several ways to deactivate cruise con-
trol:
X Briefly press the cruise control lever forwards
B.
or X Brake.
or X Briefly press the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow A.
The variable limiter is selected. LIM indicator lamp ;in the cruise control lever lights up.
Cruise control is automatically deactivated if:
R the vehicle is secured with the electric park-
ing brake
R you are driving at less than 30 km/h
R ESP ®
engages or you deactivate ESP ®
R while driving a vehicle with manual transmis-
sion, you shift into neutral or depress the
clutch pedal for longer than six seconds
R on vehicles with manual transmission, you
shift to a gear that is too high, and as a result
the engine speed is too low
R on vehicles with automatic transmission, you
shift to position Nwhile driving 164
Driving systemsDriving an
d parking
If cruise control is deactivated, you will hear a
warning tone. You will see the Cruise con‐
Cruise con‐
trol off
trol off message in the multifunction display
for approximately five seconds.
i The last speed stored is cleared when you
switch off the engine. Speed limiter
General notes The limiter restricts the speed of the vehicle. The
limiter brakes automatically in order to adjust
the vehicle's speed to the stored speed.
You must select a lower gear in good time on
long and steep downhill gradients, especially if
the vehicle is laden or towing a trailer. On vehi-
cles with automatic transmission, you need to
have selected the manual drive program
M (Y page 150). By doing so, you will make use
of the braking effect of the engine. This relieves
the load on the brake system and prevents the
brakes from overheating and wearing too
quickly.
You can set a variable or permanent limit speed:
R Variable for maximum permissible speeds,
e.g. in built-up areas
R Permanent for a technically permitted max-
imum vehicle speed, e.g. when driving with
winter tyres fitted (Y page 166)
i The speed indicated in the speedometer
may differ slightly from the stored maximum
permissible speed.
Important safety notes If you fail to adapt your driving style, the speed
limiter can neither reduce the risk of an accident
nor override the laws of physics. The limiter can-
not take into account road, weather or traffic
conditions. The limiter is only an aid. You are
responsible for the distance to the vehicle in
front, for vehicle speed, for braking in good time
and for staying in lane.
If a new driver takes over, advise the new driver of the speed stored. Variable speed limiter General notes
:
Activates or increases speed
; LIM indicator lamp
= Activates at the current speed/last stored
speed
? Activates or reduces speed
A Switches between cruise control and the
variable speed limiter
B Switches off the speed limiter
With the cruise control lever, you can operate
cruise control or Distance Pilot DISTRONIC and
the variable speed limiter.
The LIM indicator lamp on the cruise control
lever indicates which system you have selected:
R LIM indicator lamp off: cruise control or Dis-
tance Pilot DISTRONIC is selected.
R LIM indicator lamp on: variable speed lim-
iter is selected.
When the engine is running, you can use the
cruise control lever to limit the speed to any
speed between 30 km/h and the maximum
design speed of the vehicle. If the set value of
the permanent limiter is lower then this value
applies (Y page 166).
Selecting the variable speed limiter
X Check whether LIM indicator lamp ;is on.
If it is on, the variable speed limiter is already
selected.
If it is not, press the cruise control lever in the direction of arrow A.
LIM indicator lamp ;in the cruise control
lever lights up. The variable limiter is selected. Driving systems
165Driving and parking Z
Storing the current speed
You can use the cruise control lever to limit the
speed to any speed above 30 km/h while the
engine is running.
X Briefly press the cruise control lever up :or
down ?.
The current speed is stored and shown in the
multifunction display.
Storing or calling up the speed G
WARNING
If you call up the stored speed and it is lower
than the current speed, the vehicle deceler-
ates. If you do not know the stored speed, the vehicle could decelerate unexpectedly. There
is a risk of an accident.
Pay attention to the road and traffic condi-
tions before calling up the stored speed. If you do not know the stored speed, store the
desired speed again.
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you =.
Setting a speed
X To adjust the set speed in10 km/hincre-
ments:briefly press the cruise control lever
up : beyond the pressure point for a higher
speed, or down ?for a lower speed.
or
X Keep the cruise control lever pressed beyond
the pressure point until the desired speed is
set. Press the cruise control lever up :for a
higher speed or down ?for a lower speed.
X To adjust the set speed in1 km/hincre-
ments:briefly press the cruise control lever
up : to the pressure point for a higher speed
or down ?for a lower speed.
or X Keep the cruise control lever pressed to the
pressure point until the desired speed is set.
Press the cruise control lever up :for a
higher speed or down ?for a lower speed.
Switching the speed limiter to passive If you depress the accelerator pedal beyond the
pressure point (kickdown), the limiter is
switched to passive mode. The Limiter pas‐
Limiter pas‐
sive sive message appears in the multifunction dis-
play. You can then exceed the stored speed. The lim-
iter is activated again if, without kickdown, you:
R drive more slowly than the stored speed
R set a new speed or
R call up the last speed stored again
The Limiter passive
Limiter passive message in the multi-
function display disappears.
Switching off the variable speed limiterYou cannot switch the variable speed limiter offby braking.
There are several ways to deactivate the varia-
ble speed limiter:
X Briefly press the cruise control lever forwards
B.
or X Briefly press the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow A.
LIM indicator lamp ;in the cruise control
lever goes out. The variable speed limiter is
switched off.
Cruise control or Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is selected.
Vehicles with manual transmission: the lim-
iter switches off if you shift to a higher gear and
as a result, the engine speed is too low.
i The last speed stored is cleared when you
switch off the engine.
Permanent limiter If you wish to restrict the maximum speed of the
vehicle for an extended period (e.g. when driving with winter tyres), the desired maximum speed
can be set with the permanent limiter.
You can use the on-board computer to limit the
speed to a value between 160 km/h and
240 km/h (Y page 211).
Shortly before the stored speed is reached, it
appears in the multifunction display. When you
confirm the message with aor%, the
display is suppressed until you next switch off
the engine. The speed will only be displayed
again once the engine has been restarted.
The permanent limiter remains active even if the variable limiter is deactivated. The driven speed will remain below the stored speed even in the
event of kickdown. 166
Driving systemsDriving and parking
Do not use Distance Pilot DISTRONIC:
R in road and traffic conditions that do not allow
you to maintain a constant speed, e.g. in
heavy traffic or on winding roads.
R on smooth or slippery roads. Braking or accel-
erating can cause the drive wheels to lose
traction and the vehicle could then skid.
R in poor visibility, e.g. due to fog, heavy rain or
snow.
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC may not detect nar-
row vehicles driving in front, e.g. motorcycles, or
vehicles driving on a different line.
In particular, the detection of obstacles can be
impaired in the following situations:
R dirt on the sensors or obscured sensors
R snow or heavy rain
R interference by other radar sources
R strong radar reflections, e.g. in multi-storey
car parks
If Distance Pilot DISTRONIC no longer detects a vehicle in front, Distance Pilot DISTRONIC may
unexpectedly accelerate to the speed stored.
This speed can:
R be too high for a filter lane or a slip road
R be so high on the right lane that you pass
vehicles driving in the left lane
R be so high in the left lane that you pass vehi-
cles driving in the right lane
If a new driver takes over, advise the new driver
of the speed stored.
Cruise control lever :
To store the current speed or a higher speed
; To set the specified minimum distance
= LIM indicator lamp
? To store the current speed or call up the last
stored speed
A To store the current speed or a lower speed B
To switch between Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC and the variable limiter
C To deactivate Distance Pilot DISTRONIC
With the cruise control lever, you can operate
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC and the variable lim-
iter.
LIM indicator lamp =on the cruise control lever
indicates which system you have selected:
R LIM indicator lamp= =off:distance Pilot
DISTRONIC is selected.
R LIM indicator lamp= =on:variable limiter is
selected.
Selecting Distance Pilot DISTRONIC X
Check whether LIM indicator lamp =is off.
If it is off, Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is already selected.
X If it is not, press the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow B.
LIM indicator lamp =in the cruise control
lever goes out. Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is
selected.
Activating Distance Pilot DISTRONIC Activation conditions
! When Distance Pilot DISTRONIC or the
HOLD function is activated, the vehicle
brakes automatically in certain situations.
To avoid damage to the vehicle, deactivate
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC and the HOLD
function in the following or similar situations:
R when towing away
R in a car wash
To activate Distance Pilot DISTRONIC, the fol-
lowing conditions must be fulfilled:
R The engine must be running. It may take up to
two minutes of driving before Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC is ready for use.
R The electric parking brake must be released.
R ESP ®
must be switched on, but not interven-
ing.
R Parking Pilot must not be activated.
R The transmission must be in position D.
R The driver's door must be closed when you
shift from Pto Dor your seat belt must be
fastened. 168
Driving systemsDriving an
d parking