
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

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

play. Steering Assist and Stop&Go Pilot are
deactivated.
When DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated or not
available, Steering Assist and Stop&Go Pilot
are deactivated automatically.
HOLD function
General notes
The HOLD function can assist the driver in the
following situations:
Rwhen pulling away, especially on steep
slopes
Rwhen maneuvering on steep slopes
Rwhen waiting in traffic
The vehicle is kept stationary without the
driver having to depress the brake pedal.
The braking effect is canceled and the HOLD
function deactivated when you depress the
accelerator pedal to pull away.
Important safety notes
GWARNING
When leaving the vehicle, it can still roll away despite being braked by the HOLD function if:
Rthere is a malfunction in the system or in
the voltage supply.
Rthe HOLD function has been deactivated by
pressing the accelerator pedal or the brake
pedal, e.g. by a vehicle occupant.
Rthe electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses have
been tampered with.
Rthe battery is disconnected
There is a risk of an accident.
If you wish to exit the vehicle, always turn off the HOLD function and secure the vehicle
against rolling away.
!If DISTRONIC PLUS or the HOLD function
is activated, the vehicle brakes automati-
cally in certain situations. To prevent damage to the vehicle, deacti-
vate DISTRONIC PLUS and the HOLD func-
tion in the following or other similar situa-
tions:
Rwhen towing the vehicle
Rin the car wash
Activation conditions
You can activate the HOLD function if:
Rthe vehicle is stationary
Rthe engine is running or if it has been auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/
stop function
Rthe driver's door is closed or your seat beltis fastened
Rthe parking brake is released
Rthe transmission is in position D,Ror N
RDISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated
Activating the HOLD function
XMake sure that the activation conditions
are met.
XDepress the brake pedal.
XQuickly depress the brake pedal further
until ë :appears in the multifunction
display.
The HOLD function is activated. You can
release the brake pedal.
iIf depressing the brake pedal the first
time does not activate the HOLD function,
wait briefly and then try again.
Driving systems165
Driving and parking
Z

there are no persons, animals or objects in
the area in which you are maneuvering.
!When parking, pay particular attention to
objects above or below the sensors, such
as flower pots or trailer drawbars.
PARKTRONIC does not detect such objects
when they are in the immediate vicinity of
the vehicle. You could damage the vehicle
or the objects.
The sensors may not detect snow and other
objects that absorb ultrasonic waves.
Ultrasonic sources such as an automatic
car wash, the compressed-air brakes on a
truck or a pneumatic drill could cause
PARKTRONIC to malfunction.
PARKTRONIC may not function correctly on
uneven terrain.
PARKTRONIC is activated automatically when
you:
Rswitch on the ignition
Rshift the transmission to position D,R or N
Rrelease the parking brake
PARKTRONIC is deactivated at speeds above
11 mph (18 km/h). It is reactivated at lower
speeds.
Range of the sensors
General notes
PARKTRONIC does not take objects into con-
sideration that are:
Rbelow the detection range, e.g. people, ani-
mals or objects.
Rabove the detection range, e.g. overhang-
ing loads, truck overhangs or loading
ramps.
:Sensors in the front bumper, left-hand
side (example)
The sensors must be free from dirt, ice or
slush. They can otherwise not function cor-
rectly. Clean the sensors regularly, taking
care not to scratch or damage them
(
Ypage 268).
Range
Example: top view
Driving system s169
Driving an d parking
Z