the radar sensor checked at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop. This also applies to colli-
sions at low speeds where there is no visible
damage to the front of the vehicle.
Distance warning function
General information
The distance warning function can help you to
minimize the risk of a front-end collision with
a vehicle ahead or reduce the effects of such
a collision. If the distance warning function
detects that there is a risk of a collision, you
will be warned visually and acoustically.
Important safety notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion for driving safety systems (
Ypage 75).
GWARNING
The distance warning function does not react:
Rto people or animals
Rto oncoming vehicles
Rto crossing traffic
Rwhen cornering
Thus, the distance warning function cannot
provide a warning in all critical situations.
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit-
uation and be ready to brake.
GWARNING
The distance warning function cannot always
clearly identify objects and complex traffic
situations.
In such cases, the distance warning function
may:
Rgive an unnecessary warning
Rnot give a warning
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit-
uation and do not rely solely on the distance
warning function.
Function
Starting at a speed of around 4 mph (7 km/h),
the distance warning function warns you if
you rapidly approach a vehicle in front. An
intermittent warning tone will then sound,
and the ·distance warning lamp will light
up in the instrument cluster.
XBrake immediately in order to increase the distance from the vehicle in front.
or
XTake evasive action, provided it is safe to do so.
Due to the nature of the system, particularly
complicated but non-critical driving condi-
tions may also cause the system to display a
warning.
With the help of the radar sensor system, the
distance warning function can detect obsta-
cles that are in the path of your vehicle for an extended period of time.
Up to a speed of around 44 mph (70 km/h),
the distance warning fu nction ca
n also react
to stationary obstacles, such as stopped or
parked vehicles.
Autonomous braking function
If the driver does not react to the distance
warning signal in a critical situation, COLLI-
SION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS can assist
with the autonomous braking function.
The autonomous braking function:
Rgives the driver more time to react to criti-
cal driving situations
Rcan help the driver to avoid an accident or
Rreduces the effects of an accident
The autonomous braking function is available in the following speed ranges:
Rfrom 4 mph (7 km/h) to approx. 65 mph
(105 km/h) for moving objects
Rfrom 4 mph (7 km/h) to approx. 31 mph
(50 km/h) for stationary objects
If the autonomous braking function requires a
particularly high braking force, preventative
Driving safet ysystem s79
Safety
Z
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.
!Avoid spinning the driven wheels for an
extended period with ESP®deactivated.
You could otherwise damage the drivetrain.
It may be best to deactivate ESP
®in the fol-
lowing 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 vehi-
cle if the vehicle starts to skid or a wheel
starts to spin.
Deactivating/activating ESP
®
You can deactivate or activate ESP®via the
on-board computer (
Ypage 190).
ESP
®deactivated:
The å ESP
®OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up.
ESP
®activated:
The å ESP
®OFF warning lamp in the
instrument 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 situa-
tions, ESP
®will not stabilize the vehicle. If you deactivate ESP
®:
RESP®no longer improves driving stability.
Rengine torque is no longer limited and the
drive wheels are able to spin.
The spinning of the wheels results in a cut-
ting action for better traction on loose sur-
faces.
Rtraction control is still activated.
RESP®still provides support when you
brake.
Deactivating/activating ESP®(AMG
vehicles)
Important safety notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (
Ypage 75).
You can select between the following states
of ESP
®:
RESP®is activated.
RSPORT handling mode is activated.
RESP®is deactivated.
GWARNING
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.
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.
!Avoid spinning the driven wheels for an
extended period with ESP®deactivated.
You could otherwise damage the drivetrain.
82Driving safety systems
Safety
In the following situations, it may be better to
activate SPORT handling mode or deactivate
ESP
®:
Rwhen using snow chains
Rin deep snow
Ron sand or gravel
Ron specially designated roads when the
vehicle's own oversteering and understeer- ing characteristics are desired
Driving in SPORT handling mode or without
ESP
®requires an extremely qualified and
experienced driver.
iActivate ESP®as soon as the situations
described above no longer apply. ESP®will
otherwise not be able to stabilize the vehi-
cle if the vehicle starts to skid or a wheel
starts to spin.
Deactivating/activating ESP
®
XTo activate SPORT handling mode:
briefly press button :.
The M SPORT handling mode warning
lamp in the instrument cluster lights up.
The SPORT handling mode
message
appears in the multifunction display.
XTo deactivate SPORT handling mode:
briefly press button :.
The M SPORT handling mode warning
lamp in the instrument cluster goes out.
XTo deactivate ESP®: press button :until
the å ESP®OFF warning lamp lights up
in the instrument cluster.
The ÷ OFF
message appears in the mul-
tifunction display.
XTo activate ESP®: briefly press button :.
The å ESP®OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster goes out. The ÷ON
message appears in the multifunction dis-
play.
Characteristics of activated SPORT han-
dling mode
If SPORT handling mode is activated and one
or more wheels start to spin, the ÷ESP
®
warning lamp in the instrument cluster
flashes. ESP®only stabilizes the vehicle to a
limited degree.
When SPORT handling mode is activated:
RESP®only improves driving stability to a
limited degree.
Rtraction control is still activated.
Rengine torque is restricted to a limited
degree and the drive wheels are able to
spin.
The spinning of the wheels results in a cut-
ting action for better traction on loose sur-
faces.
RESP®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
situations, ESP
®will not stabilize the vehicle.
If you deactivate ESP
®:
RESP®no longer improves driving stability.
Rengine torque is restricted to a limited
degree and the drive wheels are able to
spin.
The spinning of the wheels results in a cut-
ting action for better traction on loose sur-
faces.
Rtraction control is still activated.
RPRE-SAFE®is no longer available, nor is it
activated if you brake firmly and ESP®
intervenes.
Driving safety systems83
Safety
Z
ProblemPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
You have lost the
mechanical key.XReport the loss immediately to the vehicle insurers.
XIf necessary, have the locks changed as well.
The engine cannot be
started using the
SmartKey.the on-board voltage is too low.
XSwitch off non-essential consumers, e.g. seat heating or interior
lighting, and try to start the engine again.
If this does not work:
XCheck the starter battery and charge it if necessary
(
Ypage 278).
or
XJump-start the vehicle (Ypage 279).
or
XConsult a qualified specialist workshop.
The engine cannot be
started using KEYLESS-
GO. The SmartKey is in
the vehicle.The vehicle is locked.
XUnlock the vehicle and try to start the vehicle again.
There is interference from a powerful source of radio waves.
XStart your vehicle with the SmartKey in the ignition lock.
Doors
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If children are left unsupervised in the vehicle,
they could:
Ropen the doors, thus endangering other
people or road users.
Rget out and disrupt traffic.
Roperate the vehicle's equipment.
Additionally, children could set the vehicle in
motion if, for example, they:
Rrelease the parking brake.
Rshifting the automatic transmission out of
park position P
RStart the engine.
There is a risk of an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children or animals unattended in the
vehicle. Always keep the SmartKey out of
reach of children.
Ideally, place luggage or loads in the trunk/
cargo compartment. Observe the loading
guidelines (
Ypage 238).
Information in the Digital Operator's
Manual
In the Digital Operator's Manual you will find
information on the following topics:
RUnlocking and opening doors from the
inside
RCentrally locking and unlocking the vehicle
from the inside
RAutomatic locking feature
Doors95
Opening and closing
Z
iThe SmartKey can be turned in the igni-
tion lock even if it is not the correct Smart- Key for the vehicle. The ignition is not
switched on. The engine cannot be started.
KEYLESS-GO
General notes
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO are equipped with
SmartKeys featuring the integrated KEYLESS-GO function and a detachable Start/Stop but-
ton.
The Start/Stop button must be inserted in the
ignition lock and the SmartKey must be in the vehicle.
When you insert the Start/Stop button into
the ignition lock, the system needs approx-
imately two seconds recognition time. You
can then use the Start/Stop button.
Pressing the Start/Stop button several times
in succession corresponds to the different
key positions in the ignition lock. This is only
the case if you are not depressing the brake
pedal.
If you depress the brake pedal and press the
Start/Stop button, the engine starts immedi-
ately.
A check which periodically establishes a radio
connection between the vehicle and the
SmartKey determines whether a valid Smart-
Key is in the vehicle. This occurs, for example,
when starting the engine.
To start the vehicle without actively using the
SmartKey:
Rthe Start/Stop button must be inserted in
the ignition lock.
Rthe SmartKey must be in the vehicle.
Rthe vehicle must not be locked with the
SmartKey or KEYLESS-GO (
Ypage 91).
Do not keep the KEYLESS-GO key:
Rwith electronic devices, e.g. a mobile
phone or another SmartKey.
Rwith metallic objects, e.g. coins or metal
foil.
Rinside metallic objects, e.g. a metal case. This can affect the functionality of KEYLESS-
GO.
If you lock the vehicle with the SmartKey's
remote control or with KEYLESS-GO, after a
short time:
Ryou will not be able to switch on the ignition
with the Start/Stop button.
Ryou will not be able to start the engine with
the Start/Stop button until the vehicle is
unlocked again.
If you lock the vehicle centrally using the but-
ton on the front door (
Ypage 95), you can
continue to start the engine with the Start/
Stop button.
The engine can be switched off while the vehi-
cle is in motion by pressing and holding the
Start/Stop button for three seconds. This
function operat
es independently of the ECO
start/stop automatic engine switch-off func-
tion.
Key positions with KEYLESS-GO
:Start/Stop button
;Ignition lock
As soon as the ignition is switched on, all the
indicator lamps in the instrument cluster light
up. Further information on situations where
an indicator lamp either fails to go out after
starting the engine or lights up while driving
(
Ypage 204).
If Start/Stop button :has not yet been
pressed, this corresponds to the key being
removed from the ignition.
138Driving
Driving and parking
General notes
iVehicles with a gasoline engine:the
catalytic converter is preheated for up to
30 seconds after a cold start. The sound of
the engine may change during this time.
Automatic transmission
XShift the transmission to position P.
The transmission position display in the
multifunction display shows P.
iYou can start the engine in transmission
position Pand N.
Starting procedure with the SmartKey
iTo start the engine using the SmartKey
instead of KEYLESS-GO, pull the Start/
Stop button out of the ignition lock.
XVehicles with diesel engine: turn the key
to position 2in the ignition lock
(
Ypage 137).
The % preglow indicator lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up.
XTurn the key to position 3in the ignition
lock and release it as soon as the engine is
running (
Ypage 137).
iVehicles with a diesel engine: you can
start the engine without preglow if the
engine is warm.
Using KEYLESS-GO to start the engine
iThe Start/Stop button can be used to
start the vehicle manually without inserting
the SmartKey into the ignition lock. The
Start/Stop button must be inserted in the
ignition lock and the SmartKey must be in
the vehicle. This mode for starting the
engine operates independently of the ECO
start/stop automatic engine start function.
XDepress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
XPress the Start/Stop button once
(
Ypage 138).
Vehicles with a gasoline engine: the
engine starts.
Vehicles with a diesel engine: preglow is
activated and the engine starts.
Pulling away
General notes
GWARNING
If the engine speed is above the idling speed
and you engage transmission position Dor R,
the vehicle could pull away suddenly. There is
a risk of an accident.
When engaging transmission position Dor R,
always firmly depress the brake pedal and do not simultaneously accelerate.
!If a warning tone sounds and the
Release Park. Brake
message appears
in the multifunction display, the parking
brake is still applied. Release the parking
brake.
Depress the accelerator carefully when pull-
ing away.
The vehicle 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 locking
feature (
Ypage 190).
It is only possible to shift the transmission
from position Pto the desired position if you
depress the brake pedal. If you do not
depress the brake pedal, the DIRECT SELECT
lever can still be moved but the parking lock
remains engaged.
iUpshifts take place at higher engine
speeds after a cold start. This helps the
140Driving
Driving and parking
XReleaseth eparkin gbrake.
XSwitc hoff th eignition and leav eth eSmart -
Key in th eignition lock.
Information in th eDigital Operator's
Manua l
In theDigital Operator' sManual you will fin d
information on th efollowin gtopics:
RTransmission position s
RDrivingtips
RProgra mselector butto n
RSteeringwhee lpaddl eshifters
RAutomati cdrive progra m
RProblemswit hth etransmission
Manua ldr ive program (AMG vehicles)
Genera linformation
In this drive program, you can permanentl y
chang egear yourself by usin gth esteerin g
whee lpaddl eshifters .The transmission mus t
be in position D.
iIn addition to permanen tdrive progra m
M ,you can also activat etemporar ydrive
progra mM;see th eDigital Operator' sMan -
ual.
Switchin gon th emanua ldr ive program
XTurn th edrive progra mselector
(
Ypage 144) until Mappear sin th emulti-
function display.
The indicato rM on th edrive progra mselec-
to rlights up in red .
The manual drive progra mis only available for
AM Gvehicles.
Manual drive progra mM is differen tfrom
drive programs Sand S+withregard to spon-
taneity, responsiveness and smoothness of
gear changes.
Manual drive progra mM can be selected
usin gth edrive progra mselector. In manual drive progra
mM,you can chang egear usin g
th esteerin gwhee lpaddl eshifters if th etrans -
mission is in position D.The gear currentl y
selected and engage dis shown in th emulti-
function display.
Upshi fting
XPull th eright-hand steerin gwhee lpaddl e
shifter.
The automatic transmission shift sup to th e
next gear .
AMGvehicles
!In manual drive progra mM,th eautomatic
transmission does no tshift up automati-
call yeve nwhen th eengin elimiting speed
for th ecurren tgear is reached. Whe nth e
engin elimiting speed is reached, th efuel
supply is cut to preven tth eengin efrom
overrevving. Always mak esur ethat th e
engin espeed does no treac hth ered area of
th etachometer. There is otherwise aris kof
engin edamage.
:Gear indicato r
;Upshiftindicato r
Befor eth eengin espeed reaches th ered area ,
an upshift indicato rwill be shown in th emul-
tifunction display.
XWhe nth eUPmessage appear sin th emul-
tifunction display, pull on th eright-hand
steerin gwhee lpaddl eshifter.
144Automatic transmission
Driving an d parking
GWARNING
If you leave children unsupervised in the vehi-
cle, they could set it in motion by, for example:
Rrelease the parking brake.
Rshift the automatic transmission out of the
parking position P.
Rstart the engine.
In addition, they may operate vehicle equip-
ment and become trapped. There is a risk of
an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children unsupervised in the vehicle.
!Always secure the vehicle correctly
against rolling away. Otherwise, the vehicle
or its drivetrain could be damaged.
To ensure that the vehicle is secured against
rolling away unintentionally:
Rthe parking brake must be applied.
Rthe transmission must be in position Pand
the SmartKey must be removed from the
ignition lock.
Rthe front wheels must be turned towards
the curb on steep uphill or downhill gradi-
ents.
Switching off the engine
Important safety notes
GWARNING
The automatic transmission switches to neu-
tral position Nwhen you switch off the engine.
The vehicle may roll away. There is a risk of an
accident.
After switching off the engine, always switch
to parking position P. Prevent the parked vehi-
cle from rolling away by applying the parking
brake.
Information in the Digital Operator's
Manual
A description of how to switch off the engine
can be found in the Digital Operator's Manual.
Parking brake
GWARNING
If you must brake the vehicle with the parking brake, the braking distance is considerably
longer and the wheels could lock. There is an
increased danger of skidding and accidents.
Only use the parking brake to brake the vehi-
cle when the service brake is faulty. Do not
apply the parking brake too firmly. If the
wheels lock, release the parking brake until
the wheels begin turning again.
GWARNING
If you leave children unsupervised in the vehi-
cle, they could set it in motion by, for example:
Rrelease the parking brake.
Rshift the automatic transmission out of the
parking position P.
Rstart the engine.
In addition, they may operate vehicle equip-
ment and become trapped. There is a risk of
an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children unsupervised in the vehicle.
If you brake the vehicle with the parking
brake, the brake lamps will not light up.
152Parking
Driving and parking