ETS/4ETS (Electronic Traction System)
i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 66).
ETS traction control is part of ESP ®
. On vehicles
with 4MATIC, 4ETS is part of ESP ®
.
Traction control brakes the drive wheels indi-
vidually if they spin. This enables you to pull
away and accelerate on slippery surfaces, e.g. if
the road surface is slippery on one side. In addi-
tion, more drive torque is transferred to the
wheel or wheels with traction.
Traction control remains active if you deactivate
ESP ®
.
Important safety notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 66). G
WARNING
If ESP ®
is malfunctioning, ESP ®
is unable to
stabilise the vehicle. In addition, other driving
safety systems are switched off. This increa-
ses the risk of skidding and an accident.
Drive on carefully. Have ESP ®
checked at a
qualified specialist workshop.
Vehicles without 4MATIC: when towing your
vehicle with the front axle raised, it is important
that you observe the notes on ESP ®
(Y page 306).
If the å ESP®
OFF warning lamp lights up
continuously, ESP ®
is deactivated.
If the ÷ ESP®
warning lamp and the å
warning lamp are lit continuously, ESP ®
is not
available due to a malfunction.
Read the information on warning lamps
(Y page 252) and display messages that may be
shown in the instrument cluster (Y page 217).
Use only wheels with the recommended tyre
sizes. Only then will ESP ®
function properly.
Characteristics of ESP ®General information
If the ÷ ESP warning lamp goes out before
you begin the journey, ESP ®
is automatically
active. If ESP
®
intervenes, the ÷ESP®
warning lamp
flashes on the instrument cluster.
If ESP ®
intervenes:
X Do not deactivate ESP ®
under any circum-
stances.
X When pulling away, depress the accelerator
pedal only as far as is necessary.
X Adapt your driving style to suit the prevailing
road and weather conditions.
ECO start/stop function
The ECO start/stop function switches the
engine off automatically if the vehicle stops
moving. When pulling away again, the engine
starts automatically. ESP ®
remains in its previ-
ously selected status. Example:if ESP®
was
deactivated before the engine was switched off,
ESP ®
remains deactivated when the engine is
switched on again.
Activating/deactivating ESP ®
(except
Mercedes ‑AMG vehicles) Important safety notes
i Read the "Important safety notes" section
(Y page 66).
You can select between the following ESP ®
sta-
tuses:
R ESP ®
is activated
R ESP ®
is deactivated G
WARNING
If you deactivate ESP ®
, ESP ®
no longer sta-
bilises the vehicle. There is an increased risk
of skidding and an accident.
Only deactivate ESP ®
in the situations descri-
bed in the following.
The spinning of the wheels results in a cut for
better traction on loose surfaces.
It may be best to deactivate ESP ®
in the follow-
ing situations:
R when snow chains are used
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 stabilise the vehicle 70
Driving safety systemsSafety
if the vehicle starts to skid or a wheel starts to
spin.
Activating/deactivating ESP ®
You can deactivate or activate ESP ®
via the on-
board computer (Y page 209).
ESP ®
deactivated:
The å ESP®
OFF warning lamp on the instru-
ment cluster lights up.
ESP ®
activated:
The å ESP®
OFF warning lamp on the instru-
ment cluster goes out.
Characteristics when ESP ®
is deactivated
If ESP ®
is deactivated and one or more wheels
start to spin, the ÷ESP®
warning lamp in the
instrument cluster flashes. In such situations,
ESP ®
will not stabilise the vehicle.
If you deactivate ESP ®
:
R ESP ®
no longer improves driving stability
R engine torque is no longer limited and the
drive wheels may start to spin
R traction control is still activated
R PRE-SAFE ®
is no longer available; it is not
activated even if you brake firmly with assis-
tance from ESP ®
R STEER CONTROL is no longer active
R ESP ®
still provides support when you brake
firmly.
Deactivating/activating ESP ®
(Mercedes ‑AMG vehicles) Important safety notes
i Read the "Important safety notes" section
(Y page 66).
You can select between the following ESP ®
sta-
tuses:
R ESP ®
is activated
R SPORT handling mode is activated
R ESP ®
is deactivated
ESP ®
is activated every time the engine is star-
ted, regardless of whether ESP ®
was deactiva-
ted before the engine was switched off. 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-
bilises 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 snow chains are used
R in deep snow
R on sand or gravel
R on specially designated roads when the vehi-
cle's own oversteering and understeering
characteristics are desired
Driving in SPORT handling mode or without
ESP ®
requires a highly qualified and experi-
enced driver.
i Activate ESP ®
as soon as the situations
described above no longer apply. ESP ®
will
otherwise not be able to stabilise the vehicle
if the vehicle starts to skid or a wheel starts to spin.
Activating/deactivating ESP ® X
To activate SPORT handling mode: briefly
press button :.
The M SPORT handling mode warning
lamp on the instrument cluster lights up. The Driving safety systems
71Safety Z
SPORT handling mode
SPORT handling mode
message appears in
the multifunction display.
X To deactivate SPORT handling mode:
briefly press button :.
The M SPORT handling mode warning
lamp on the instrument cluster goes out.
X To deactivate ESP ®
:press button :until
the å ESP®
OFF warning lamp lights up in
the instrument cluster.
The ÷ OFF
OFF message appears in the multi-
function display.
X To activate ESP ®
:briefly press button :.
The å ESP®
OFF warning lamp on the
instrument cluster goes out. The ÷ESP®
ON
ON message appears in the multifunction dis-
play.
Characteristics when SPORT handling
mode is activated
If SPORT handling mode is activated and one or
more wheels start to spin, the ÷ESP®
warn-
ing lamp on the instrument cluster flashes. In
such situations, ESP ®
will stabilise the vehicle
only to a limited degree.
When SPORT handling mode is activated:
R ESP ®
improves driving stability only to a limi-
ted degree
R traction control is still activated
R the engine's torque is only restricted to a limi-
ted degree and the drive wheels may start to spin
The spinning of the wheels results in a cut for better traction on loose surfaces.
R ESP ®
still provides support when you brake
firmly.
Characteristics when ESP ®
is deactivated
If ESP ®
is deactivated and one or more wheels
start to spin, the ÷ESP®
warning lamp in the
instrument cluster does not flash. In such situa-
tions, ESP ®
will not stabilise the vehicle.
If you deactivate ESP ®
:
R ESP ®
no longer improves driving stability
R engine torque is no longer limited and the
drive wheels may start to spin
The spinning of the wheels results in a cut for
better traction on loose surfaces.
R traction control is still activated R
Active Brake Assist is no longer available; it is
not activated even if you brake firmly with
assistance from ESP ®
R PRE-SAFE ®
is no longer available; it is not
activated even if you brake firmly with assis-
tance from ESP ®
R ESP ®
still provides support when you brake
firmly.
ESP ®
trailer stabilisation General notes
If your vehicle/trailer combination begins to
lurch, ESP ®
assists you in this situation. ESP ®
slows the vehicle down by braking and limiting
the engine output until the vehicle/trailer com- bination has stabilised.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If road and weather conditions are poor,
trailer stabilisation will not be able to prevent the vehicle/trailer combination from swerv-
ing. Trailers with a high centre of gravity can
tip over before ESP ®
can detect this. There is
a risk of an accident.
Always adapt your driving style to the prevail-
ing road and weather conditions.
If your vehicle/trailer combination begins to
lurch, you can only stabilise the vehicle/trailer
combination by depressing the brake firmly.
ESP ®
trailer stabilisation is active above speeds
of approximately 65 km/h.
ESP ®
trailer stabilisation does not work if ESP ®
is deactivated or disabled because of a malfunc- tion. EBD (electronic brake force distribu-
tion)
General notes EBD monitors and controls the brake pressure
on the rear wheels to improve driving stability
while braking. 72
Driving safety systemsSafety
Correct driver's seat position
G
WARNING
You could lose control of the vehicle while
driving if you:
R adjust the driver's seat, steering wheel or
mirrors
R fasten the seat belt
There is a risk of an accident.
Adjust the driver's seat, head restraint, steer-
ing wheel and mirrors and fasten your seat
belt before starting the engine. Observe the following when adjusting steering
wheel
:, seat belt ;and driver's seat =:
R you are as far away from the driver's airbag as
possible
R you are sitting in an upright position
R your thighs are slightly supported by the seat
cushion
R your legs are not entirely stretched and you
can depress the pedals properly
R the back of your head is supported at eye level
by the centre of the head restraint
R you can hold the steering wheel with your
arms slightly bent
R you can move your legs freely
R you can see all the displays in the instrument
cluster clearly R
you have a good overview of traffic conditions
R the seat belt is pulled snugly against the body
and must be routed across the centre of your
shoulder and across your hips in the pelvic
area
Further related subjects:
R Adjusting the seats manually (Y page 98)
R Adjusting the seats electrically
(Y page 99)
R Adjusting the steering wheel manually
(Y page 102)
R Fastening the seat belt correctly
(Y page 43)
R Adjusting the rear-view mirror and exterior
mirrors (Y page 103)
R Vehicles with a memory function: save the
seat, steering wheel and exterior mirror set-
tings using the memory function
(Y page 106) Seats
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
If children adjust the seats, they could
become trapped, especially if they are unat-
tended. There is a risk of injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the key with you and lock the vehicle. Never leave
children unattended in the vehicle.
The seats can still be adjusted when there is no
key in the ignition lock. G
WARNING
When adjusting a seat, you or another vehicle occupant could become trapped by the guiderail of the seat, for instance. There is a risk of
injury.
Make sure that no one has any part of their
body within the sweep of the seat when
adjusting it.
Observe the safety notes on "Airbags"
(Y page 44) and "Children in the Vehicle"
(Y page 54). Seats
97Seats, steering wheel and mirrors Z
(side lamps) and
L(dipped-beam head-
lamps) in the instrument cluster light up.
Dipped-beam headlamps When the ignition is switched on and the light
switch is in the Lposition, the side lamps
and dipped-beam headlamps are switched on
even if the light sensor does not sense dark
ambient light conditions. This is advantageous
when there is fog or rain.
X To switch on the dipped-beam headlamps:
turn the key in the ignition lock to position 2
or start the engine.
X Turn the light switch to L.
The green Lindicator lamp on the instru-
ment cluster lights up.
Rear foglamp The rear foglamp improves the visibility of your
vehicle in heavy fog for the following traffic.
Please observe the country-specific laws on the
use of rear foglamps.
X To switch on the rear foglamp: turn the key
in the ignition lock to position 2or start the
engine.
X Turn the light switch to LorÃ.
X Press the Rbutton.
The yellow Rindicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster lights up.
X To switch off the rear foglamp:press the
R button.
The yellow Rindicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster goes out.
i When the rear foglamp is switched on, the
centre brake lamp in the tail lamp switches off
due to a legal requirement.
Side lamps ! When the battery is discharged heavily, the
side lamps or parking lamps are automatically
switched off to facilitate an engine start.
Always park your vehicle safely and in a well lit area, in accordance with the relevant legal
stipulations. Avoid using the Tside lamps
for periods lasting several hours. Where pos-
sible, switch on the right Xor left W
parking lamp.
X To switch on: turn the light switch to T.
The green Tindicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster lights up. Parking lamps
Switching on the parking lamps ensures that the
corresponding side of the vehicle is illuminated.
X To switch on the parking lamps: the key
should not be in the ignition lock or it should
be in position 0.
X Turn the light switch to W(left-hand side of
the vehicle) or X(right-hand side of the
vehicle).
Adjusting the headlamp range (halogen
headlamps) g
Driver's seat and front-passenger seat
occupied
1 Driver's seat, front-passenger seat and rear
seats occupied
2 Driver's seat, front-passenger seat and rear
seats occupied, luggage compartment
laden
3 Driver's and front-passenger seat occupied
and maximum permissible rear axle load uti-
lised, e.g. when towing a trailer
The headlamp range controller allows you to
adjust the cone of light from the headlamps to
suit the vehicle load.
X Start the engine.
X Turn the headlamp range controller to the
position that corresponds to the load in your
vehicle. 108
Exterior lightingLights and windscreen wipers
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Adaptive Highbeam Assist does not recognise 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
On very rare occasions, Adaptive Highbeam
Assist may fail to recognise other road users
that have lights, or may recognise them too
late. In this, or in similar situations, the auto-
matic main-beam headlamps will not be deac-
tivated or will be activated despite the pres-
ence of other road users. There is a risk of an accident.
Always carefully observe the traffic conditionsand switch off the main-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 con-
ditions.
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 if the sensors are
obscured
Switching Adaptive Highbeam Assist
on/off X
To switch on: turn the light switch to Ã.
X Press the combination switch beyond the
pressure point in the direction of arrow :.
The _ indicator lamp in the multifunction
display lights up when it is dark and the light
sensor switches on the dipped-beam head-
lamps.
If you are driving at speeds above approx-
imately 30 km/h and no other road users are recognised:
The main-beam headlamps are switched on
automatically. The Kindicator lamp in the
instrument cluster also lights up. If you are driving at speeds below 25 km/h or
other road users are recognised or the roads
are adequately lit:
the main-beam headlamps are switched off
automatically The Kindicator lamp in the
instrument cluster goes out. The _indi-
cator lamp in the multifunction display
remains lit.
X To deactivate:move the combination switch
back to its normal position.
The _ indicator lamp in the multifunction
display goes out. Headlamps misted up on the inside
Certain climatic and physical conditions may
cause moisture to form in the headlamp. This
moisture does not affect the functionality of the headlamp. Interior lighting
Overview of interior lighting
Front overhead control panel :
p Switches the left-hand front reading
lamp on or off
; c Switches the front interior lighting on
= v Switches the rear interior lighting on/
off
? | Switches the front interior lighting/
automatic interior lighting control off
A p Switches the right-hand front reading
lamp on or off
B Switches the automatic interior lighting con-
trol on 110
Interior lightingLights and windscreen wipers
If you lock the vehicle centrally using the button
on the front door (Y page 84), you can continue
to start the engine with the Start/Stop button.
You can switch off the engine while the vehicle is
in motion by pressing and holding the Start/
Stop button for around three seconds. This func-
tion operates independently of the ECO start/
stop automatic engine switch-off function.
Key positions with the Start/Stop button :
Start/Stop button
; Ignition lock
When you switch on the ignition, all of the indi-
cator lamps in the instrument cluster light up.
For further information on situations in which an indicator lamp either fails to go out after the
engine is started or lights up while driving,
please refer to "Warning and indicator lamps in
the instrument cluster" (Y page 249).
If Start/Stop button :has not yet been
pressed, this corresponds to the key being
removed from the ignition.
X To switch on the power supply: press
Start/Stop button :once.
The power supply is switched on. You can now activate the windscreen wipers, for example.
The power supply is switched off again if:
R the driver's door is opened and
R you press Start/Stop button :twice when in
this position
X To switch on the ignition: press Start/Stop
button :twice.
The ignition is switched on.
If you press Start/Stop button :once when
in this position, the ignition is deactivated
again. Removing the Start/Stop button
You can remove the Start/Stop button from the
ignition lock and start the vehicle as normal
using the key.
You can only switch between Start/Stop button
mode and key operation when the vehicle is sta- tionary.
You must also engage park position P(vehicles
with automatic transmission).
X Remove Start/Stop button :from ignition
lock ;.
You do not have to remove the Start/Stop but-
ton from the ignition lock when you leave the
vehicle. You should, however, always take the
key with you when leaving the vehicle. As long as
the key is in the vehicle:
R the vehicle can be started using the Start/
Stop button
R the electrically powered equipment can be
operated Starting the vehicle
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If children are left unsupervised in the vehicle, they could:
R open doors, thereby endangering other per-
sons or road users
R get out and be struck by oncoming traffic
R operate vehicle equipment and become
trapped, for example
In addition, the children could also set the
vehicle in motion, for example, if they:
R release the parking brake
R shift the automatic transmission out of park
position P or shift manual transmission into
neutral
R start the engine
There is a risk of an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the key with you and lock the vehicle. Never leave
children and animals unattended in the vehi-
cle. Keep the keys out of the reach of children. 134
DrivingDriving and parking
position
Dor R, the vehicle may accelerate
suddenly. There is a risk of an accident.
When engaging transmission position Dor R,
always keep the brake pedal firmly depressed
and do not depress the accelerator pedal at
the same time.
! Vehicles with manual transmission:
change gear in good time and avoid spinning
the wheels. You could otherwise damage the
vehicle.
Depress the accelerator carefully when pulling
away.
The vehicle automatically locks centrally once
you have pulled away. The locking knobs in the
doors drop down.
You can open the doors from the inside at any
time.
You can also deactivate the automatic door
locking system (Y page 211).
Vehicles with automatic transmission: it is
only possible to shift the transmission from posi-
tion Pto the desired position if you depress the
brake pedal. Only then can the parking lock be
deactivated.
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles): if you do not depress the brake pedal, the
DIRECT SELECT lever can still be moved but the
parking lock remains engaged.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: if you do not depress
the brake pedal, the selector lever can still be
moved but the parking lock remains engaged.
Vehicles with automatic transmission: at
transmission fluid temperatures below Ò20 †,
you can only shift out of position Pinto another
transmission position when the engine is run-
ning.
i Vehicles with automatic transmission:
upshifts take place at higher engine speeds
after a cold start. This helps the catalytic con- verter to reach its operating temperature
more quickly.
Vehicles with automatic transmission: infor-
mation on automatically releasing the electric
parking brake (Y page 158). Pulling away with a trailer
To ensure that you do not roll backwards when
pulling away on an uphill slope, apply the electric
parking brake.
X Press and hold handle :.
The electric parking brake continues to brake
and prevents the vehicle from rolling back-
wards.
The red !indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster remains lit.
X Depress the accelerator pedal.
X As soon as the vehicle/trailer combination is
held by the driving force of the engine, release
handle :.
The electric parking brake is released
The red !indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster goes out.
Further information on the electric parking
brake (Y page 157).
Hill start assist Hill start assist helps you when pulling away for-
wards or in reverse on an uphill gradient. It holds the vehicle for a short time after you have
removed your foot from the brake pedal. This
gives you enough time to move your foot from
the brake pedal to the accelerator pedal and
depress it before the vehicle begins to roll. G
WARNING
After a while, hill start assist no longer holds
the vehicle and it may roll away. There is a risk of an accident and injury.
Therefore, quickly move your foot from the
brake pedal to the accelerator pedal. Never
leave the vehicle when it is held by hill start
assist. 136
DrivingDriving and parking