
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

Recognition by thecamera system is also
impaire din th eevent of:
Rdir ton th ecamera or if th ecamera is cov-
ere d
Rthere is glar eon th ecamera system, e.g.
from th esun bein glow in th esk y
Rdarkness
Rif:
-pedestrian smov equickly, e.g. into th e
pat hof th evehicl e
-thecamera system no longer recognizes
a pedestrian as aperson due to special
clothin gor other objects
-apedestrian is concealed by other
objects
-th etypical outlin eof aperson is no tdis-
tinguishable from th ebackgroun d
Followin gdamag eto th efron ten dof th evehi-
cle ,hav eth econfiguration and operation of
th eradar sensor schecke dat aqualified spe -
cialist workshop .This also applie sto colli-
sion sat low speeds wher ethere is no visible
damag eto th efron tof th evehicle.
Followin gdamag eto th ewindshield, hav eth e
configuration and operation of th ecamera
system checke dat aqualified specialist work-
shop.
Function
XTo activate/deactivate: activateor deac -
tivat ePRE-SAF E®Brake in th eon-boar d
computer (
Ypage 190).
If th ePRE-SAF E®Brake is no tactivated, th e
æ symbol appear sin th emultifunction
display.
Startin gat aspeed of around 4mph (7 km/h),
this function warn syou if you rapidly
approac h avehicl ein front. An intermittent
warnin gtone will then soun dand th e·
distanc ewarnin glamp will ligh tup in th e
instrumen tcluster.
XBrake immediately to defuse th esituation .
or
XTak eevasive action provided it is saf eto do
so.
If there is an increase dris kof collision ,pre -
ventive passenger protection measures (PRE -
SAFE
®) are activated.
If th eris kof collision wit hth evehicl ein fron t
remain sand you do no tbrake, tak eevasive
action or accelerate significantly, th evehicl e
may perfor mautomatic emergenc ybraking,
up to th epoin tof full brak eapplication .Auto-
matic emergenc ybrakin gis no tperformed
until immediately prior to an imminen tacci-
dent.
You can preven tth eintervention of th ePRE -
SAFE
®Brake at any time by:
Rdepressin gth eaccelerato rpedal further.
Ractivatin gkickdown .
Rreleasingth ebrak epedal .
The b
rakin gaction of PRE-SAF E®Brake is
ended automatically if:
Ryou maneuve rto avoid th eobstacle.
Rthere is no longer aris kof collision .
Rthere is no longer an obstacle detecte din
fron tof your vehicle.
STEER CONTROL
Genera linformation
STEE RCONTROL help syou by transmitting a
noticeable steerin gforce to th esteerin g
whee lin th edirection require dfor vehicl e
stabilization .
This steerin gassistanc eis provided in partic-
ular if:
Rbot hright wheels or bot hlef twheels are on
a slipper yroa dsurfac ewhen you brak e
heavily.
Rth evehicl estart sto skid.
86Driving safety systems
Safety

Switching Adaptive Highbeam Assist
on/off
:High-beam headlamps
;Turn signal, right
=High-beam flasher
?Turn signal, left
XTo switch on:turn the light switch to Ã.
XPress the combination switch beyond the
pressure point in the direction of arrow :.
The _ indicator lamp in the multifunc-
tion display lights up when it is dark and the
light sensor activates the low-beam head-
lamps.
If you are driving at speeds above approx-
imately 16 mph (25 km/h):
The headlamp range is set automatically
depending on the distance between the
vehicle and other road users.
If you are driving at speeds above approx-
imately 19 mph (30 km/h) and no other
road users have been detected:
The high-beam headlamps are switched on
automatically. The Kindicator lamp in
the instrument cluster also lights up.
If you are driving at speeds below approx-
imately 16 mph (25 km/h) or other road
users have been detected or the roads are
adequately lit:
The high-beam headlamps are switched off
automatically. The Kindicator lamp in
the instrument cluster goes out. The _indicator lamp in the multifunction display
remains lit.
XTo switch off:
move the combination
switch back to its normal position or move
the light switch to another position.
The _ indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster goes out.
Interior lighting
An overview of the interior lighting and the
overhead control panel can be found in the
"At a glance" section.
In the Digital Operator's Manual you will find
information on the following topics:
RAutomatic interior lighting control
RManual interior lighting control
RCrash-responsive emergency lighting
Replacing bulbs
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Bulbs, lamps and connectors can get very hot
when operating. If you change a bulb, you
could burn yourself on these components.
There is a risk of injury.
Allow these components to cool down before
changing a bulb.
Vehicles with static LED headlamps:
Do not use a bulb that has been dropped or if
its glass tube has been scratched.
The bulb may explode if:
Ryou touch it
Rit is hot
Ryou drop it
Ryou scratch it
Only operate bulbs in enclosed lamps
designed for that purpose. Only install spare
bulbs of the same type and the specified volt- age.
Replacing bulbs123
Lights and windshield wipers
Z

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

catalytic converter to reach its operating
temperature more quickly.
Hill start assist
Hill start assist helps you when pulling away
forwards 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 to depress it before the vehicle begins toroll.
GWARNING
After a short time, hill start assist will no lon-
ger brake your vehicle and it could 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.
Hill start assist is not active if:
Ryou are pulling away on a level road or on a downhill gradient.
Rthe transmission is in position N.
Rthe parking brake is applied.
RESP®is malfunctioning.
ECO start/stop function
Introduction
The ECO start/stop function switches the
engine off automatically if the vehicle is stop-
ped under certain conditions.
The engine starts automatically when the
driver wants to pull away again. The ECO
start/stop function thereby helps you to
reduce the fuel consumption and emissions
of your vehicle.
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If the engine is switched off automatically and
you exit the vehicle, the engine is restarted
automatically. The vehicle may begin moving.
There is a risk of accident and injury.
If you wish to exit the vehicle, always turn off
the ignition and secure the vehicle against
rolling away.
General notes
:ECO start/stop display
Hybrid vehicles: observe the notes on the
ECO start/stop function in the "HYBRID" sup-
plement.
The ECO start/stop function is activated
whenever you start the engine using the
SmartKey or the Start/Stop button.
If the engine has been switched off automat-
ically by the ECO start/stop function, the
¤ symbol is shown in the multifunction
display.
AMG vehicles: the AMG menu in the multi-
function display additionally shows the Stop/
Start activemessage.
AMG vehicles: the ECO start/stop function
is only available in drive program C.
Information in the Digital Operator's
Manual
In the Digital Operator's Manual you will find
information on the following topics:
RAutomatic engine switch-off
RAutomatic engine start
RDeactivating or activating the ECO start/
stop function
Driving141
Driving and parking
Z

The DIRECT SELECT lever is on the right of the
steering column.
The DIRECT SELECT lever always returns to
its original position. The current transmission
positionP,R, Nor Dappears in the transmis-
sion position display in the multifunction dis-
play. You can find information about this in
the Digital Operator's Manual.
Information in the Digital Operator's
Manual
In the Digital Operator's Manual you will find
information on the following topics:
RTransmission position and drive program
display
REngaging park position P
REngaging park position P automatically
REngaging reverse gear R
REngaging drive position D
Shifting to neutral N
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.
XIf the transmission is in position Dor R:
push the DIRECT SELECT lever up or down to the first point of resistance.
XIf the transmission is in position P: depress
the brake pedal and push the DIRECT
SELECT lever up or down to the first point of
resistance.
If you switch the engine off with the trans-
mission in position Ror D, the automatic
transmission shifts to Nautomatically.
With the SmartKey: if you then open the
driver's door or the front-passenger door or
remove the SmartKey from the ignition, the
automatic transmission shifts to Pautomati-
cally.
With KEYLESS-GO: if you then open the driv-
er's or front-passenger door, the automatic
transmission shifts to P.
If you want the automatic transmission to
remain in neutral N, e.g. when having the
vehicle cleaned in an automatic car wash with
a towing system:
Using the SmartKey:
XSwitch on the ignition.
XDepress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
XShift to neutral N.
XRelease the brake pedal.
XRelease the parking brake.
XSwitch off the ignition and leave the Smart-
Key in the ignition lock.
Using KEYLESS-GO:
XRemove the Start/Stop button from the
ignition lock.
XInsert the SmartKey into the ignition lock.
XSwitch on the ignition.
XDepress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
XShift to neutral N.
XRelease the brake pedal.
Automatic transmission143
Driving and parking
Z

Shift recommendation
The gearshift recommendations assist you in
adopting an economical driving style. The rec-
ommended gear is shown in the multifunction
display.
XIf relevant gearshift recommendation :
appears in the multifunction display on the
instrument cluster, pull on the right-hand
steering wheel paddle shifter (see the Dig-
ital Operator's Manual).
The automatic transmission shifts to rec-
ommended gear ;.
Information in the Digital Operator's
Manual
In the Digital Operator's Manual you will find
information on the following topics:
RDownshifting
RKickdown
RSwitching off the manual drive program
Transfer case
This section is only valid for vehicles with 4-
wheel drive (4MATIC). Power is always trans-
mitted to both axles.
!Performance tests may only be carried
out on a 2-axle dynamometer. The brake
system or transfer case could otherwise be
damaged. Contact a qualified specialist
workshop for a performance test.
!To prevent ESP®from intervening, the
ignition must be switched off (SmartKey or
the Start/Stop button in position 0or 1) if:
Rthe parking brake is being tested on a
brake dynamometer.
Rthe vehicle is being towed with only one
axle raised (not permitted for vehicles
with 4MATIC).
The brake system could otherwise be dam-
aged.
!Vehicles with 4MATIC must not be towed
with either the front or the rear axle raised,
as doing so will damage the transmission.
Refueling
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Fuel is highly flammable. If you handle fuel
incorrectly, there is a risk of fire and explo-
sion.
You must avoid fire, open flames, creating
sparks and smoking. Switch off the engine
and, if applicable, the auxiliary heating before refueling.
GWARNING
Fuel is poisonous and hazardous to health.
There is a risk of injury.
You must make sure that fuel does not come into contact with your skin, eyes or clothing
and that it is not swallowed. Do not inhale fuel
vapors. Keep fuel away from children.
If you or others come into contact with fuel,
observe the following:
RWash away fuel from skin immediately
using soap and water.
RIf fuel comes into contact with your eyes,
immediately rinse them thoroughly with
clean water. Seek medical assistance with-
out delay.
Refueling145
Driving and parking
Z

=Tire pressure table
?Instruction label for fuel type to be refu-
eled
XSwitch off the engine.
XRemove the SmartKey from the ignition
lock.
or, on vehicles with KEYLESS‑ GO:
XOpen the driver's door.
The on-board electronics now have status
0. This is the same as the SmartKey having
been removed.
The driver’s door can be closed again.
XPress the fuel filler flap in the direction of
arrow:.
The fuel filler flap opens slightly.
XOpen the fuel filler flap fully.
XTurn the fuel filler cap counterclockwise
and remove it.
XSedan: insert the fuel filler cap into the
bracket on the inside of fuel filler flap ;.
or
XWagon: insert the fuel filler cap into the
recesses in the fuel filler flap hinge arm
horizontally from above.
XCompletely insert the filler neck of the fuel pump nozzle into the tank, hook in place
and refuel.
XOnly fill the tank until the pump nozzle
switches off.
Do not add any more fuel after the pump
stops filling for the first time. Otherwise, fuel
may leak out.
Vehicles with a diesel engine: the filler neck is designed for refueling at diesel filling pumps.
Closing the fuel filler flap
XReplace the cap on the filler neck and turn
clockwise until it engages audibly.
XPress the fuel filler flap closed until it
engages audibly.
Close the fuel filler flap before locking the
vehicle. Otherwise, the locking pin of the cen- tral locking prevents the fuel filler flap from
closing.
If you are driving with the fuel filler cap open,
the
8 reserve fuel warning lamp flashes. A
message appears in the multifunction display
(
Ypage 191).
Fuel filler flap emergency release
XSedan: open the trunk lid.
XSlide down the parcel net.
XOpen the right-hand side trim panel.
XDetach the emergency release from
retainer :.
XPull the emergency release in the direction
of arrow ;.
The fuel filler flap is unlocked.
XOpen the fuel filler flap.
XWagon: open the tailgate.
XOpen the right-hand side trim panel.
XFold down the paneling.
Refueling147
Driving and parking
Z