The ECO display consists of three sections, with
an inner and outer area. The sections corre-
spond to the following three categories: :
Acceleration
(evaluation of the
acceleration processes):
R the outer area fills up and the inner
area lights up green: moderate
acceleration, especially at higher
speeds
R the outer area empties and the
inner area is grey: sporty acceler-
ation ;
Coasting
(evaluation of all decelera-
tion processes):
R the outer area fills up and the inner
area lights up green: anticipatory
driving, keeping your distance and
early release of the accelerator.
The vehicle can coast without use
of the brakes.
R the outer area empties and the
inner area is grey: frequent heavy
braking =
Constant
(continuous evaluation
over the entire journey):
R the outer area fills up and the inner
area lights up green: constant
speed and avoidance of unneces-
sary acceleration and deceleration
R the outer area empties and the
inner area is grey: fluctuations in
speed The three inner areas display the current driving
style and light up green as a result of a particu-
larly economical driving style. Depending on the driving situation, up to two areas may light up
simultaneously.
At the beginning of the journey, the three outer
areas are empty and fill up as a result of eco-
nomical driving. A higher level indicates a more
economical driving style. If the three outer areas
are completely filled at the same time, the driver
has adopted the most economical driving style
for the selected settings and prevailing condi-
tions. The ECO display border lights up.
The ECO display does not indicate the actual fuel consumption. The additionally achieved range
displayed under Bonus from start
Bonus from start does not
indicate a fixed consumption reduction. In addition to driving style, the actual consump-
tion is affected by other factors, such as:
R load
R tyre pressure
R cold start
R choice of route
R the use of electrical consumers
These factors are not included in the ECO dis-
play.
An economical driving style involves driving at a moderate engine speed.
To achieve a higher value in the categories
"Acceleration" and "Constant":
R observe the gearshift recommendation.
R drive the vehicle in drive program Cor E
(vehicles with DYNAMIC SELECT button).
On long journeys at a constant speed, e.g. on the motorway, only the outer area for "Constant"
will change.
The ECO display summarises the driving style
from the start of the journey to its completion.
Therefore, there are more marked changes in
the outer areas at the start of a journey. During
a prolonged driving time, these changes are
smaller. For more marked changes, perform a
manual reset (Y page 204).
Further information on the ECO display
(Y page 204). Brakes
Important safety notes 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.
Downhill gradients Change into a lower gear in good time on long
and steep downhill gradients. For vehicles with
automatic transmission, you need to activate
manual gearshifting beforehand (Y page 150).160
Driving tipsDriving and parking
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
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
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC
General notes Distance Pilot DISTRONIC regulates the speed
and automatically helps you maintain the dis-
tance to the vehicle detected in front. The sys-
tem detects vehicles using the radar sensor sys-
tem. Distance Pilot DISTRONIC brakes automat- ically to avoid exceeding the set speed or to
maintain the designated distance from the vehi- cle in front.
If Distance Pilot DISTRONIC detects that there is
a risk of a collision, you will be warned visually
and acoustically. Without your intervention, Dis- tance Pilot DISTRONIC cannot prevent a colli-
sion. An intermittent warning tone will then
sound and the distance warning lamp will light
up in the instrument cluster. Brake immediately
to increase the distance to the vehicle in front,
or take evasive action, provided it is safe to do
so.
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC operates in the range between 0 km/h and 200 km/h.
Shift into a lower gear in good time on long andsteep downhill gradients. Take particular note of
this when driving a laden vehicle. By doing so,
you will make use of the braking effect of the
engine. This relieves the load on the brake sys-
tem and prevents the brakes from overheating
and wearing too quickly.
Do not use Distance Pilot DISTRONIC on roads
with steep gradients.
For Distance Pilot DISTRONIC to assist you
when driving, the radar sensor system must be
operational.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC does not recognise
R people or animals
R stationary objects on the road, e.g. stopped
or parked vehicles
R oncoming vehicles or crossing traffic
As a result, Distance Pilot DISTRONIC may
neither give warnings nor intervene in such
situations. There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit-
uation and be ready to brake. G
WARNING
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC cannot always
clearly identify other road users and complex
traffic situations.
In such cases, Distance Pilot DISTRONIC may:
R give an unnecessary warning and then
brake the vehicle
R neither give a warning nor intervene
R accelerate or brake unexpectedly
There is a risk of an accident.
Continue to drive carefully and be ready to
brake, especially if Distance Pilot DISTRONIC
warns you. G
WARNING
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC brakes your vehicle with up to 50% of the maximum possible
deceleration. If this deceleration is not suffi-
cient, Distance Pilot DISTRONIC alerts you
with a visual and acoustic warning. There is a
risk of an accident.
Apply the brakes yourself in these situations
and try to take evasive action.
! 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
If you fail to adapt your driving style, Distance
Pilot DISTRONIC can neither reduce the risk of
an accident nor override the laws of physics.
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC cannot take into
account road, weather or traffic conditions. Dis-
tance Pilot DISTRONIC 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. Driving syste
ms
167Driving an d parking Z
X
To increase: turn control=in direction ;.
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC then maintains a
greater distance between your vehicle and
the vehicle in front.
X To decrease: turn control=in direction :.
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC then maintains a
shorter distance between your vehicle and
the vehicle in front.
Deactivating Distance Pilot DISTRONIC There are several ways to deactivate Distance
Pilot DISTRONIC:
X Briefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards :.
or X Brake, unless the vehicle is stationary.
or X Briefly press the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow =.
The variable limiter is selected. LIM indicator lamp ;in the cruise control lever lights up.
When you deactivate Distance Pilot DISTRONIC,
the Distance Pilot off
Distance Pilot off message appears in
the multifunction display for approximately five
seconds.
i The last speed stored remains stored until
you switch off the engine. Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC is not deactivated if you depress
the accelerator pedal.
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is automatically deac- tivated if:
R You apply the electric parking brake or if the
vehicle is automatically secured with the elec-
tric parking brake
R ESP ®
engages or you deactivate ESP ®
R The transmission is in the P,Ror Nposition R
You pull the cruise control lever towards you
in order to pull away and the front-passenger
door or one of the rear doors is open
R The vehicle is skidding
R You activate Parking Pilot
If Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is deactivated auto- matically, you will hear a warning tone. The
Distance Pilot off
Distance Pilot off message will appear in
the multifunction display for approximately five
seconds.
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is automatically deac- tivated if you activate DSR. The ÃDSR sym-
bol appears in the multifunction display.
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC displays in
the instrument cluster Displays in the speedometer
When Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is activated and
there are no vehicles detected in front, one or
two segments ;in the speed range set light up.
If Distance Pilot DISTRONIC detects a vehicle in
front, segments ;between speed of the vehi-
cle in front =and stored speed :light up.
i For design reasons, the speed displayed in
the speedometer may differ slightly from the
speed set for Distance Pilot DISTRONIC.
Display when Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is
deactivated
In the Assistance menu (Y page 208) of the on-
board computer, you can select the assistance
graphic display. Driving systems
171Driving and parking Z
:
Sensors in the front bumper, left-hand side
(example)
The sensors must be free of dirt, ice and slush.
Otherwise, they may not function correctly.
Clean the sensors regularly, taking care not to
scratch or damage them (Y page 289).
Range :
Front sensors detection range
; Rear sensors detection range
Front sensors Centre Approx. 100 cm
Corners Approx. 60 cm
Rear sensors
Centre Approx. 120 cm
Corners Approx. 80 cm Minimum distance
Centre Approx. 20 cm
Corners Approx. 20 cm
If there is an obstacle within this range, the rel-
evant warning displays light up and a warning
tone sounds. If the distance falls below the min- imum, the distance may no longer be shown.
Warning displays :
Segments on the left-hand side of the vehi-
cle
; Segments on the right-hand side of the vehi-
cle
= Segments showing operational readiness
The warning displays show the distance
between the sensors and the obstacle. The
warning display for the front area is located on
the dashboard above the centre air vents. The
warning display for the rear area is located on
the roof lining in the rear compartment.
The warning display for each side of the vehicle
is divided into five yellow and two red segments. If yellow segments =showing operational read-
iness light up, Parking Assist PARKTRONIC is
operational.
The gear lever position or the transmission posi-
tion of the automatic transmission and the
direction in which the vehicle is rolling deter-
mine which warning display is active when the
engine is running. 178
Driving systemsDriving and parking
Manual transmission:
Gear lever position Warning display
Forward gear
or
Neutral
Front area activated
Reverse gear
or the
vehicle is rolling
backwards Rear and front areas
activated
Automatic transmission:
Transmission posi-
tion Warning display
D
Front area activated
R,
Nor the vehicle is
rolling backwards Rear and front areas
activated
P
No areas activated
One or more segments light up as the vehicle
approaches an obstacle, depending on the vehi-
cle's distance from the obstacle.
From the:
R sixth segment onwards, you will hear an inter-
mittent warning tone for approximately two
seconds.
R seventh segment onwards, you will hear a
warning tone for approximately two seconds. This indicates that you have now reached the
minimum distance.
Deactivating/activating Parking Assist
PARKTRONIC :
Indicator lamp
; Deactivates/activates Parking Assist
PARKTRONIC
If indicator lamp :lights up, Parking Assist
PARKTRONIC is deactivated.
i Parking Assist PARKTRONIC is automati-
cally activated when you turn the key to posi- tion 2in the ignition lock. Driving systems
179Driving and parking Z