ESP®assists the driver when pulling away on
wet or slippery roads. ESP®can also stabilize
the vehicle during braking.
ETS (Electronic Traction System)
ETS traction control 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, for
example if the road surface is slippery on one
side. In addition, more drive torque is transfer-
red to the wheel or wheels with traction.
Traction control remains active, even if you
deactivate ESP
®.
Important safety notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Ypage 61).
GWARNING
If ESP
®is malfunctioning, ESP®is unable to
stabilize the vehicle. Additionally, further driv-
ing safety systems are deactivated. This
increases the risk of skidding and an accident.
Drive on carefully. Have ESP
®checked at a
qualified specialist workshop.
When towing the vehicle with the rear axle
raised, observe the notes on ESP
®
(Ypage 282).
If the å ESP®OFF warning lamp lights up
continuously, then ESP®is deactivated.
If the ÷ ESP®warning lamp and the å
ESP®OFF warning lamp are lit continuously,
ESP®is not available due to a malfunction.
Observe the information on warning lamps
(
Ypage 227) and display messages which may
be shown in the instrument cluster
(
Ypage 203).
iOnly use wheels with the recommended tire
sizes. Only then will ESP®function properly.
Characteristics of ESP®
General information
If the ÷ ESP warning lamp goes out before
beginning the journey, ESP®is automatically
active. If ESP
®intervenes, the
÷ESP®warning lamp
flashes in the instrument cluster.
If ESP
®intervenes:
XDo not deactivate ESP®under any circum-
stances.
XOnly depress the accelerator pedal as far as
necessary when pulling away.
XAdapt 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 when the vehicle stops
moving. The engine starts automatically when
the driver wants to pull away again. ESP
®
remains in its previously selected status. Exam-
ple: if ESP®was deactivated before the engine
was switched off, ESP®remains deactivated
when the engine is switched on again.
Deactivating/activating ESP®
Important safety notes
You can select between the following states of
ESP®:
RESP®is activated.
RESP®is deactivated.
GWARNING
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 follow-
ing situations:
Rwhen using snow chains
Rin deep snow
Ron sand or gravel
iActivate ESP®as soon as the situations
described above no longer apply. ESP®will
otherwise not be able to stabilize the vehicle 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.
Driving safet ysystem s67
Safety
Z
Deactivating/activating ESP®
You can deactivateor activat eES P®via th eon -
boar dcomputer (Ypage 196).
ESP®deactivated :
The å ESP®OF Fwarnin glamp in th einstru-
men tcluster lights up.
ESP
®activated :
The å ESP®OF Fwarnin glamp in th einstru-
men tcluster goe sout .
Characteristics when ESP®is deactivate d
If ESP®is deactivated and on eor mor ewheels
start to spin ,th e÷ ESP®warnin glamp in th e
instrumen tcluster flashes .In suc hsituations,
ES P
®will no tstabiliz eth evehicle.
If you deactivat eES P®:
RESP®no longer improves drivin gstability.
REngin etorque is no longer limite dand th e
drive wheels are able to spin .
The spinning of th ewheels result sin acutting
action fo rbette rtraction on loos esurfaces.
RTraction control is still activated.
RCOLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST is no longer
available; no ris it activated if you brak efirmly
wit hassistanc efrom ES P
®.
RPRE-SAF E®is no longer available, no ris it
activated if you brak efirmly and ES P®inter-
venes.
RPRE-SAF E®Brake is no longer available, it is
also no tactivated if you brak efirmly and ES P®
intervenes.
RESP®still provides support when you brak e
firmly.
ESP®trailer stabilization
General information
If your vehicle/trailer combination begin sto
swerve, ES P®assistsyou in this situation .ES P®
slows th evehicl edown by brakin gand limiting
th eengin eoutput until th evehicle/trailer com-
bination has stabilized.
Important safet ynotes
GWARNIN G
If roa dand weather condition sare poor,
trailer stabilization will no tbe able to preven t
th evehicle/trailer combination from swerv-
ing. Trailer swit h a highcenter of gravit ycan
ti p ove rbefore ES P®can detec tthis. There is
a ris kof an accident.
Always adapt your drivin gstyle to th eprevail -
in g roa dand weather conditions.
If your vehicl ewit htrailer (vehicle/trailer com-
bination )begin sto lurch, you can only stabiliz e
th evehicle/trailer combination by depressin g
th ebrak efirmly.
ES P
®trailer stabilization is active abov espeeds
of about 65 km/h.
ES P
®trailer stabilization doe sno twor kif ES P®
is deactivated or disabled because of amalfunc -
tion .
EBD (electronic brak eforce distribu-
tion)
General information
EB Dmonitors and control sth ebrak epressur e
on th erea rwheels to improv edrivin gstabilit y
while braking.
Important safet ynotes
iObserv eth e"Importan tsafet ynotes" sec -
tion fo rdrivin gsafet ysystems (Ypage 61).
GWARNIN G
If EB Dis malfunctioning, th erea rwheels can
lock, e.g. under full braking. This increase sth e
ris kof skiddin gand an accident.
You should therefore adapt your drivin gstyle
to th edifferen thandlin gcharacteristics .Hav e
th ebrak esystem checke dat aqualified spe -
cialist workshop .
Observ einformation regarding indicato rand
warnin glamp s (
Ypage 227) as well as display
message s (Ypage 204).
ADAPTIVE BRAKE
i
Observ eth e"Importan tsafet ynotes" sec -
tion (Ypage 61).
ADAPTIV EBRAKE enhance sbrakin gsafet yand
offer sincrease dbrakin gcomfort .In addition to
68Driving safety systems
Safety
STEER CONTROL
General information
STEER CONTROL helps you by transmitting a
noticeable steering force to the steering wheel
in the direction required for vehicle stabilization.
This steering assistance is provided in particular
if:
RESP®is deactivated
Rboth right wheels or both left wheels are on a
slippery road surface when you brake heavily
Rthe vehicle starts to skid
Important safety notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Ypage 61).
No steering support is provided by STEER CON- TROL, if:
RESP®is malfunctioning.
Rthe lighting is faulty.
Power steering will, however, continue to func-
tion.
Protection against theft
Immobilizer
The immobilizer prevents your vehicle from
being started without the correct SmartKey.
XTo activate with the SmartKey: remove the
SmartKey from the ignition lock.
XTo activate with KEYLESS-GO: switch the
ignition off and open the driver's door.
XTo deactivate: switch on the ignition.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Anyone
can start the engine if a valid SmartKey has been
left inside the vehicle.
iThe immobilizer is always deactivated when
you start the engine.
In the event that the engine cannot be started
(yet the vehicle's battery is charged), the sys-
tem is not operational. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center or call
1-800-FOR-MERCedes (in the USA) or
1-800-387-0100 (in Canada).
ATA (anti-theft alarm system)
XTo arm: lock the vehicle with the SmartKey or
KEYLESS-GO.
Indicator lamp :flashes. The alarm system
is armed after approximately 15 seconds.
XTo deactivate: unlock the vehicle with the
SmartKey or KEYLESS-GO.
or
XInsert the SmartKey into the ignition lock.
A visual and audible alarm is triggered if the
alarm system is armed and you open:
Ra door
Rthe vehicle with the mechanical key
Rthe trunk lid
Rthe hood
XTo switch the alarm off with the Smart-
Key: press the %or& button on the
SmartKey.
The alarm is switched off.
or
XRemove the Start/Stop button from the igni-
tion lock.
XInsert the SmartKey into the ignition lock.
The alarm is switched off.
XTo stop the alarm using KEYLESS-GO:
grasp the outside door handle. The SmartKey
must be outside the vehicle.
The alarm is switched off.
or
XPress the Start/Stop button on the dash-
board. The SmartKey must be inside the vehi-
cle.
The alarm is switched off.
The alarm is not switched off, even if you close
the open door that triggered it, for example.
Protection against theft71
Safety
Z
XTo unlock a front door:pull door handle;.
Locking knob :pops up.
The door is unlocked and can be opened.
XTo open a front door: pull door handle;.
XTo unlock a rear door: pull up locking
knob :.
The door is unlocked and can be opened.
XTo open a rear door: pull door handle;.
When a door is opened, the side window on that
side opens slightly. When the door is closed, the
side window closes again.
Centrally locking and unlocking the
vehicle from the inside
You can centrally lock or unlock the vehicle from
the inside. The switches are on the driver’s door.
XTo unlock: press button :.
XTo lock:press button ;.
If all the doors are closed, the vehicle locks.
Meanwhile, the fuel filler flap will not be locked
or unlocked.
If the vehicle has been locked from the outside,
it cannot be centrally unlocked from the inside. You can open a door from inside the vehicle
even if it has been locked.
If a locked door is opened from the inside, the
previous unlock status of the vehicle will be
taken into consideration if:
Rthe vehicle was locked using the locking but-
ton for the central locking, or
Rif the vehicle was locked automatically
The vehicle will be fully unlocked if it had previ-
ously been fully unlocked. If only the driver's
door had been previously unlocked, only the
door which has been opened from the inside is
unlocked.
Automatic locking feature
XTo deactivate: press and hold button :for
about five seconds until a tone sounds.
XTo activate: press and hold button ;for
about five seconds until a tone sounds.
If you press one of the two buttons and do not
hear a tone, the relevant setting has already
been selected.
The vehicle is locked automatically when the
ignition is switched on and the wheels are turn-
ing.
You could therefore lock yourself out if:
Rthe vehicle is being pushed.
Rthe vehicle is being towed.
Rthe vehicle is on a roller dynamometer.
You can also switch the automatic locking func-
tion on and off using the on-board computer
(
Ypage 200).
Doors79
Opening and closing
Z
Correct driver's seat position
GWARNING
You could lose control of your vehicle if you do the following while driving:
Radjust the driver's seat, head restraint,
steering wheel or mirrors
Rfasten the seat belt
There is a risk of an accident.
Adjust the driver's seat, head restraint, steer-
ing wheel and mirror and fasten your seat belt before starting the engine.
Observe the following when adjusting steering
wheel :, seat belt ;and driver's seat =:
Ryou are as far away from the driver's air bag as
possible.
Ryou are sitting in a normal upright position.
Ryour thighs are slightly supported by the seat
cushion.
Ryour legs are not entirely stretched and you
can depress the pedals properly.
Rthe back of your head is supported at eye level
by the center of the head restraint.
Ryou can hold the steering wheel with your
arms slightly bent.
Ryou can move your legs freely.
Ryou can see all the displays in the instrument
cluster clearly.
Ryou should have a good overview of traffic
conditions.
Rthe seat belt is pulled snugly against the bodyand is routed across the center of your shoul-
der and across your hips in the pelvic area.
Further related subjects:
RElectrical seat adjustment (Ypage 97)
RAdjusting the steering wheel (Ypage 103)
RFastening the seat belt correctly (Ypage 43).
RAdjusting the rear-view mirror and exterior
mirrors (Ypage 105).
RStoring the seat, steering wheel and exterior
mirror settings using the memory function
(
Ypage 108).
Seats
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Children could become trapped if they adjust
the seats, particularly when unattended.
There is a risk of injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children unsupervised in the vehicle.
The seats can still be adjusted when there is no
SmartKey in the ignition lock.
GWARNING
If the head restraints are not installed or not
adjusted correctly, they cannot provide pro-
tection as intended. There is an increased risk
of injury in the head and neck area, e.g. in the event of an accident or when braking.
Always drive with the head restraints instal-
led. Before driving off, make sure for every
vehicle occupant that the center of the head
restraint supports the back of the head at
about eye level.
Observe the safety notes on "Air bags"
(
Ypage 45) and "Children in the Vehicle"
(Ypage 57).
96Seats
Seats, steering wheel and mirrors
GWARNING
You could lose control of your vehicle if you do the following while driving:
Radjust the driver's seat, head restraint,
steering wheel or mirrors
Rfasten the seat belt
There is a risk of an accident.
Adjust the driver's seat, head restraint, steer-
ing wheel and mirror and fasten your seat belt before starting the engine.
GWARNING
If you adjust the seat height carelessly, you or
other vehicle occupants could be trapped and
thereby injured. Children in particular could
accidentally press the electrical seat adjust-
ment buttons and become trapped. There is a
risk of injury.
While moving the seats, make sure that your
hands or other body parts do not get under the
lever assembly of the seat adjustment sys-
tem.
GWARNING
When you adjust a seat, you or other vehicle
occupants could become trapped, e.g. on the seat guide rail. There is a risk of injury.
Make sure when adjusting a seat that no one
has any body parts in the sweep of the seat.
!To avoid damage to the seats and the seat
heating, observe the following information:
Rkeep liquids from spilling on the seats. If
liquid is spilled on the seats, dry them as
soon as possible.
Rif the seat covers are damp or wet, do not
switch on the seat heating. The seat heat-
ing should also not be used to dry the seats.
Rclean the seat covers as recommended;
see "Interior care".
Rdo not transport heavy loads on the seats.
Do not place sharp objects on the seat
cushions, e.g. knives, nails or tools. The
seats should only be occupied by passen-
gers, if possible.
Rwhen the seat heating is in operation, do
not cover the seats with insulating materi- als, e.g. blankets, coats, bags, seat covers,
child seats or booster seats.
!Make sure that there are no objects in the
footwell under or behind the seats when mov-
ing the seats back. There is a risk that the
seats and/or the objects could be damaged.
iThe head restraints in the front seats are
installed with the NECK-PRO system
(
Ypage 55). For this reason, it is not possible
to remove the head restraints from the front
seats.
For more information, contact a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
Adjusting the seats
:Head restraint height
;Seat cushion angle
=Seat height
?Seat fore-and-aft adjustment
ABackrest angle
iIf PRE-SAFE®is activated and the front-
passenger seat is in an unfavorable position,
it is moved to a better position.
iYou can store the seat settings using the
memory function (Ypage 108).
iVehicles with the through-loading feature: if
you fold down a rear seat backrest, the
respective front seat is moved forwards
slightly if necessary. This prevents the seats
from colliding.
Seats97
Seats, steering wheel and mirrors
Z
Adjusting the head restraints
Import ant safety notes
GWARNIN G
You could lose control of your vehicl eif you do
th efollowin gwhile driving:
Radjust th edriver's seat ,head restraint,
steering whee lor mirror s
Rfastenth eseat belt
There is aris kof an accident.
Adjus tth edriver's seat ,head restraint, steer -
ing whee land mirror and faste nyour seat belt
before starting th eengine.
GWARNIN G
If th ehead restraints are no tinstalled or no t
adjusted correctly, they canno tprovid epro -
tection as intended. There is an increased ris k
of injury in th ehead and neck area, e.g. in th e
event of an acciden tor when braking .
Always drive wit hth ehead restraints instal -
led. Befor edrivin goff ,mak esur efor every
vehicl eoccupant that th ecenter of th ehead
restrain tsupport sth ebac kof th ehead at
about eye level.
Do no trotate th ehead restraints of th efron tand
rear seats. Otherwise ,you canno tadjust th e
height and angle of th ehead restraints to th e
correc tposition .
Using th efore-and-af tadjustment, adjust th e
head restrain tso that it is as close as possibl eto
your head .
Observ eth eimportant safet ynote sregarding
th eseat s (
Ypage 96).
Adjusting the head restraint height
electri cally
XSlide switch for head restrain theight adjust -
men t: up or down in th edirection of th e
arrow.
Adjusting the rear head restraints
XTurn th eSmartKey to position 2in th eignition
loc k (Ypage 128).
XTo lower :press butto n:.
The head restraints mov eto th elowes tposi-
tion .
XTo extend :press butto n: again .
The head restraints only mov eint oth ecentral
position if AIRCAP is activated and no rear
seat belt has been fastened.
iPleas esee further information on AIRCAP
(Ypage 92).
Manually lowering the rear head
restraints
If th ehead restraints in th erear compartmen t
are in th eupper position ,th esof tto pcanno tbe
closed fully.
98Seats
Seats, steering wheel and mirrors
Lower the head restraints in the rear compart-
ment manually if:
Rthe head restraint electronics are malfunc-
tioning.
Rthe opening or closing procedure of the soft
top is interrupted, leaving the soft top com-
partment cover open.
Cover;can only be released if:
Rthe soft top is interrupted during the opening
or closing procedure.
Rthe soft top compartment cover is left open.
XPush the mechanical key into two open-
ings :between the head restraints until
cover ;releases.
XTake off cover ;.
XLowering the head restraints: turn thumb-
wheel:in the direction of the front seats.
Folding the front seat backrests
forward/back
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If the backrest is not engaged, it could fold
forwards during a braking maneuver or in the
event of an accident, for example. The seat
backrest will then push the vehicle occupant
against the seat belt. The seat belt can no
longer offer the intended level of protection
and could even cause injuries. There is an
increased risk of injury.
Before each journey, make sure that the back-
rest engages fully as described.
GWARNING
You could lose control of your vehicle if you do the following while driving:
Radjust the driver's seat, steering wheel or
mirrors
Rfasten the seat belt
There is a risk of an accident.
Adjust the driver's seat, steering wheel or
mirrors and fasten your seat belt before start- ing the engine.
GWARNING
When you adjust a seat, you or other vehicle
occupants could become trapped, e.g. on the seat guide rail. There is a risk of injury.
Make sure when adjusting a seat that no one
has any body parts in the sweep of the seat.
Seats99
Seats, steering wheel and mirrors
Z