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
Problems with the engine
You can find information about this in the
Digital Operator's Manual.
Automatic transmission
Important safety 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.
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.
HYBRID vehicles: make sure that you read
the "HYBRID" supplement included in the
vehicle literature. Otherwise, you may not
recognize dangers.
Selector lever (AMG vehicles)
Overview of transmission positions
jPark position with parking lock
kReverse gear
iNeutral
hDrive
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
DIRECT SELECT lever
Overview of transmission positions
jPark position with parking lock
kReverse gear
iNeutral
hDrive
142Automatic transmission
Driving and parking
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
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
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
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
front, for vehicle speed, for braking in good
time and for staying in your lane.
Do not use DISTRONIC PLUS:
Rin road and traffic conditions which do not
allow you to maintain a constant speed, e.g.
in heavy traffic or on winding roads
Ron slippery road surfaces. Braking or accel-
erating could cause the drive wheels to lose
traction and the vehicle could then skid
Rwhen there is poor visibility, e.g. due to fog,
heavy rain or snow
DISTRONIC PLUS may not detect narrow
vehicles driving in front, e.g. motorcycles, or
vehicles driving on a different line.
In particular, the detection of obstacles can
be impaired if:
Rthere is dirt on the sensors or anything else covering the sensors
Rthere is snow or heavy rain
Rthere is interference by other radar sources
Rthere are strong radar reflections, for
example, in parking garages
If DISTRONIC PLUS no longer detects a vehi- cle in front, DISTRONIC PLUS may unexpect-
edly accelerate the vehicle to the stored
speed.
This speed may:
Rbe too high if you are driving in a filter lane
or an exit lane
Rbe so high in the right lane that you pass
vehicles driving on the left (left-hand drive
countries)
Rbe so high in the left lane that you pass
vehicles driving on the right (right-hand
drive countries)
If there is a change of drivers, advise the new
driver of the speed stored.
Cruise control lever
:To store the current speed or a higher
speed
;To store the current speed or a lower
speed
=To deactivate DISTRONIC PLUS
?To store the current speed or call up the
last stored speed
ATo set the specified minimum distance
Activating DISTRONIC PLUS
Activation conditions
In order to activate DISTRONIC PLUS, the fol-
lowing conditions must be fulfilled:
Rthe engine must be started. It may take up
to two minutes after pulling away before
DISTRONIC PLUS is operational.
Rthe parking brake must be released.
RESP®must be active, but not intervening.
RActive Parking Assist must not be activa-
ted.
Rthe transmission must be in position D.
Rthe driver's door must be closed when you
shift from Pto Dor your seat belt must be
fastened.
Rthe front-passenger door and rear doors
must be closed.
Rthe vehicle must not skid.
158Driving systems
Driving and parking
When DISTRONIC PLUS is activated, the
transmission is shifted automatically to posi-
tionPif:
Rthe driver's door is open and the driver's
seat belt is unfastened.
Rthe engine is switched off, unless it is auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/
stop function.
Ra system malfunction occurs.
Rthe power supply is not sufficient.
Information in the Digital Operator's
Manual
In the Digital Operator's Manual you will find
information on the following topics:
RSetting a speed
RSetting the specified minimum distance
RDISTRONIC PLUS displays in the instru-
ment cluster
Deactivating DISTRONIC PLUS
There are several ways to deactivate
DISTRONIC PLUS:
XBriefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards :.
or
XBrake, unless the vehicle is stationary
When you deactivate DISTRONIC PLUS, you
will see the DISTRONIC
PLUSOffmessage in
the multifunction display for approximately
five seconds.
iThe last speed stored remains stored until
you switch off the engine.
iDISTRONIC PLUS is not deactivated if you
depress the accelerator pedal.
DISTRONIC PLUS is automatically deactiva-
ted if:
Ryou engage the parking brake
RESP®intervenes or you deactivate ESP®
Rthe transmission is in the P,Ror Nposition
Ryou 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
Rthe vehicle is skidding
Ryou activate Active Parking Assist
If DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated, you will
hear a warning tone. You will see the
DISTRONIC PLUS Off
message in the multi-
function display for approximately five sec-
onds.
Tips for driving with DISTRONIC PLUS
General notes
Pay particular attention in the following traffic
situations:
RCornering, going into and coming out of a
bend
RVehicles traveling on a different line
ROther vehicles changing lanes
RNarrow vehicles
RObstructions and stationary vehicles
RCrossing vehicles
In such situations, brake if necessary.
DISTRONIC PLUS is then deactivated.
Driving systems161
Driving and parking
Z