Electric parking brake
General notes
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.
The function of the electric parking brake is
dependent on the on-board voltage. If the on-
board voltage is low or there is a malfunction
in the system, it may not be possible to apply
the released parking brake.
XIf this is the case, only park the vehicle on
level ground and secure it to prevent it roll-
ing away.
XShift the automatic transmission to posi-
tion P.
It may not be possible to release an applied
parking brake if the on-board voltage is low or
there is a malfunction in the system. Contact a qualified specialist workshop.
The electric parking brake performs a func-
tion test at regular intervals while the engine
is switched off. The sounds that can be heard
while this is occurring are normal.
Applying or releasing manually
XTo engage: push handle :.
When the electric parking brake is applied, the red F(USA only) or !(Canada
only) indicator lamp lights up in the instru-
ment cluster.
The electric parking brake can also be
applied when the SmartKey is removed.
XTo release: pull handle:.
The red F(USA only) or !(Canada
only) indicator lamp in the instrument clus-
ter goes out.
The electric parking brake can only be
released:
Rwhen the SmartKey is in position 1or 2in
the ignition lock (
Ypage 149) or
Rif the ignition was switched on using the
Start/Stop button
Applying automatically
The electric parking brake is automatically
applied when the transmission is in position P
and:
Rthe engine is switched off or
Rthe driver is not wearing a seat belt and the
driver's door is opened.
To prevent the electric parking brake from
being automatically applied, pull handle :.
Parking173
Driving and parking
Z
Servicing the brakes
!The brake fluid level may be too low, if:
Rif the red brake warning lamp lights up inthe instrument cluster and
Ryou hear a warning tone while the engineis running
Observe additional warning messages in
the multifunction display.
The brake fluid level may be too low due to
brake pad wear or leaking brake lines.
Have the brake system checked immedi-
ately. Consult a qualified specialist work-
shop to arrange this.
!A function or performance test should
only be carried out on a 2-axle dynamom-
eter. If you wish to operate the vehicle on
such a dynamometer, please consult a
qualified specialist workshop in advance.
You could otherwise damage the drive train
or the brake system.
!As the ESP®system operates automati-
cally, the engine and the ignition must be
switched off (the SmartKey must be in posi-
tion 0or 1in the ignition lock) if:
Rthe electric parking brake is tested on a
brake dynamometer (for a maximum of
ten seconds)
Rthe vehicle is towed with the front axle
raised.
Braking triggered automatically by ESP
®
may seriously damage the brake system.
All checks and maintenance work on the
brake system must be carried out at a quali-
fied specialist workshop.
Have brake pads installed and brake fluid
replaced at a qualified specialist workshop.
If the brake system has only been subject to
moderate loads, you should test the function-
ality of your brakes at regular intervals.
You can find a description of Brake Assist
(BAS) on (
Ypage 66).
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you only
have brake pads/linings installed on your vehicle which have been approved for
Mercedes-Benz vehicles or which correspond
to an equivalent quality standard. Brake
pads/linings which have not been approved
for Mercedes-Benz vehicles or which are not
of an equivalent quality could affect your vehi-
cle's operating safety.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you only
use brake fluid that has been specially
approved for your vehicle by Mercedes-Benz,
or which corresponds to an equivalent quality
standard. Brake fluid which has not been
approved for Mercedes-Benz vehicles or
which is not of an equivalent quality could
affect your vehicle's operating safety.
Checking brake lining thickness
You can measure the break pad/lining thick- ness using a test gage. Color-coding (green or
red) on the test gage allows you to determine
whether the brake pad/lining thickness is still
sufficient. The test gage is in the vehicle docu-
ment wallet in the glove box.
Front wheel
178Driving tips
Driving and parking
GDANGER
If th eexhaust pipe is blocke dor adequate
ventilation is no tpossible, poisonous gase s
suc has carbon monoxide (CO) may ente rth e
vehicle. This is th ecase, e.g. if th evehicl e
become strapped in snow. There is aris kof
fatal injury.
If you leav eth eengin eor th eauxiliary heating
running, mak esur eth eexhaust pipe and area
around th evehicl eare clear of snow. To
ensur ean adequate supply of fresh air, open a
window on th eside of th evehicl ethat is no t
facing int oth ewind.
Hav eyour vehicl ewinter-proofe dat aquali-
fie dspecialist workshop at th eonset of win -
ter.
Drive particularly carefully on slipper yroad
surfaces. Avoid sudde nacceleration ,steering
and brakin gmaneuvers .Do no tuse th ecruise
control or DISTRONI CPLUS.
If th evehicl ethreaten sto skid or canno tbe
stoppe dwhen moving at low speed:
XShift th etransmission to position N.
XTry to bring th evehicl eunder control usin g
corrective steering .
The outside temperature indicator is no t
designed to serve as an ice-warnin gdevice
and is therefor eunsuitable for that purpose .
Changes in th eoutside temperature are dis-
played after ashort delay.
Indicate dtemperatures jus tabov eth efreez -
in g p
oin tdo no tguarantee that th eroad sur -
fac eis free of ice .The road may still be icy,
especially in wooded areas or on bridges .
You should pay special attention to road con-
dition swhen temperatures are around freez -
in g point.
Fo rmor einformation on drivin gwit hsnow
chains, see (
Ypage 343).
Fo rmor einformation on drivin gwit hsummer
tires ,see (
Ypage 342).
Observ eth enote sin th e"Winte roperation "
section (
Ypage 342).
Off-road driving
Import ant safety notes
GWARNIN G
If you drive on asteep inclin eat an angle or
tur nwhen drivin gon an incline, th evehicl e
could slip sideways, ti pand rollover. There is a
ris kof an accident.
Always drive on asteep inclin ein th elin eof
fall (straight up or down )and do no ttur nth e
vehicle.
GWARNIN G
Flammabl ematerial suc has leaves, grass or
twigs may ignit eif they come int ocontact wit h
hot part sof th eexhaust system. There is aris k
of fire.
Whe ndrivin goff roa dor on unpaved roads,
chec kth evehicle's underside regularly. In
particular, remove part sof plants or other
flammabl ematerials whic hhav ebecome
trapped .In th ecas eof damage, contact a
qualified specialist workshop .
!There isaris kof damag eto th evehicl eif:
Rth evehicl ebecome sstuck ,e.g. on ahigh
cur bor an unpaved road
Ryou drive to ofas tove ran obstacle, e.g. a
cur bor ahole in th eroad
Raheav yobjec tstrikes th eundercarriage
or part sof th echassi s
In situation slik ethis, th ebody, th eunder-
carriage, chassi sparts, wheels or tires
could be damaged without th edamag e
bein gvisible. Components damaged in this
way can unexpectedly fail or, in th ecas eof
an accident, no longer withstand th estrain
they are designed to .
If th eunderbody panelin gis damaged,
combustible materials suc has leaves,
gras sor twigs can gather between th e
underbody and th eunderbody paneling. If
these materials come in contact wit hhot
part sof th eexhaust system, they can catch
fire.
180Driving tips
Driving and parking
RActivate DSR. If this is not sufficient, brake
gently. When doing so, make sure that the
vehicle is facing in the direction of the line
of fall.
RCheck that the brakes are working normally
after a long downhill stretch.
Off-road ABS is activated when the off-road
program is selected.
At speeds below 18 mph (30 km/h), the front
wheels lock cyclically during braking. The dig-
ging-in effect achieved in the process reduces the stopping distance on off-road terrain. The
steerability of the vehicle is considerably
reduced if the wheels lock.
Driving systems
Cruise Control
General notes
Cruise control maintains a constant road
speed for you. It brakes automatically in order to avoid exceeding the set speed. On long and
steep downhill gradients, especially if the
vehicle is laden, you must select a low gear in
good time. You need to have previously selec-
ted manual gearshifting M(
Ypage 166). By
doing so, you will make use of the braking
effect of the engine. This relieves the load on
the brake system and prevents the brakes
from overheating and wearing too quickly.
Use cruise control only if road and traffic con-
ditions make it appropriate to maintain a
steady speed for a prolonged period. You can
store any road speed above 20 mph
(30 km/h).
The speed indicated in the speedometer may
differ slightly from the speed stored.
Important safety notes
If you fail to adapt your driving style, cruise
control can neither reduce the risk of an acci-
dent nor override the laws of physics. Cruise
control cannot take into account the road,
traffic and weather conditions. Cruise control is only an aid. You are responsible for the dis-
tance to the vehicle in front, for vehicle speed,
for braking in good time and for staying in
your lane.
Do not use cruise control:
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
If there is a change of drivers, advise the new
driver of the speed stored.
Cruise control lever
:To activate or increase speed
;To activate or reduce speed
=To deactivate cruise control
?To activate at the current speed/last
stored speed
When you activate cruise control, the stored
speed is shown in the multifunction display
for five seconds.
Activation conditions
To activate cruise control, all of the following
activation conditions must be fulfilled:
Rthe electric parking brake must be
released.
RESP®must be active, but not intervening.
184Driving systems
Driving an d parking
Warning displays
:Segments on the left-hand side of the
vehicle
;Segments on the right-hand side of the
vehicle
=Segments showing operational readiness
The warning displays show the distance
between the sensors and the obstacle. The
warning display for the front area is located
on the dashboard above the center air vents.
The warning display for the rear area is loca-
ted on the headliner in the rear compartment. The warning display for each side of the vehi-
cle is divided into five yellow and two red seg-
ments. PARKTRONIC is operational if yellow
segments showing operational readiness =
light up.
Transmission
positionWarning display
DFront area activated
R, Nor the vehicle
is rolling back-
wardsRear and front areas
activated
PNo areas activated
One or more segments light up as the vehicle
approaches an obstacle, depending on the
vehicle's distance from the obstacle. From the:
Rsixth segment onwards, you will hear an
intermittent warning tone for approx-
imately two seconds.
Rseventh segment onwards, you will hear a
warning tone for approximately two sec-
onds. This indicates that you have now
reached the minimum distance.
Deactivating/activating PARKTRONIC
:Indicator lamp
;Deactivating/activating PARKTRONIC
If indicator lamp :lights up, PARKTRONIC is
deactivated.
iPARKTRONIC is automatically activated
when you turn the SmartKey to position 2in
the ignition lock.
202Driving systems
Driving and parking
Parking tips:
ROn narrow roads, drive as close to the park-
ing space as possible.
RParking spaces that are littered or over-
grown might be identified or measured
incorrectly.
RParking spaces that are partially occupied
by trailer drawbars might not be identified
as such or be measured incorrectly.
RSnowfall or heavy rain may lead to a parking
space being measured inaccurately.
RPay attention to the PARKTRONIC
(
Ypage 202) warning messages during the
parking procedure.
RYou can intervene in the steering procedure
to correct it at any time. Active Parking
Assist will then be canceled.
RWhen transporting a load which protrudes
from your vehicle, you should not use
Active Parking Assist.
RNever use Active Parking Assist when snow
chains are installed.
RMake sure that the tire pressures are
always correct. This has a direct influence
on the parking characteristics of the vehi-
cle.
Use Active Parking Assist for parking spaces:
Rthat are parallel or at right-angles to the
direction of travel
Rthat are on straight roads, not bends
Rthat are on the same level as the road, e.g. not on the pavement
Detecting parking spaces
Objects located above the height range of
Active Parking Assist will not be detected
when the parking space is measured. These
are not taken into account when the parking
procedure is calculated, e.g. overhanging
loads, tail sections or loading ramps of goodsvehicles.
GWARNING
If there are objects above the detection range:
RActive Park Assist may steer too early
Rthe vehicle may not stop in front of these
objects
You may cause a collision as a result. There is
a risk of an accident.
If objects are located above the detection
range, stop and deactivate Active Parking
Assist.
For further information on the detection
range (
Ypage 201).
Active Parking Assist does not assist you
parking in spaces at right angles to the direc-
tion of travel if:
Rtwo parking spaces are located directly
next to one another
Rthe parking space is directly next to a low
obstacle such as a low curb
Ryou park forwards
Active Parking Assist does not assist you
parking in spaces that are parallel or at right
angles to the direction of travel if:
Rthe parking space is on a curb
Rthe system reads the parking space as
being blocked, for example by foliage or
grass paving blocks
Rthe area is too small for the vehicle to
maneuver into
Rthe parking space is bordered by an obsta- cle, e.g. a tree, a post or a trailer
Example: parking symbol
:
Detected parking space on the left
;Parking symbol
=Detected parking space on the right
204Driving systems
Driving and parking
Rear view camera
General notes
Rear view camera :is an optical parking and
maneuvering aid. It uses guide lines to show
the area behind your vehicle in the Audio/
COMAND display.
The area behind the vehicle is displayed as a
mirror image, as in the rear view mirror.
iThe text shown in the Audio/COMAND
display depends on the language setting.
The following are examples of rear view
camera messages in the Audio/COMAND
display.
Observe the notes on cleaning (
Ypage 318).
Important safety notes
The rear view camera is only an aid. It is not a
replacement for your attention to your imme-
diate surroundings. You are always responsi- ble for safe maneuvering and parking. When
maneuvering or parking, make sure that there
are no persons, animals or objects in the area
in which you are maneuvering.
Under the following circumstances, the rear
view camera will not function, or will function
in a limited manner:
Rif the tailgate is open
Rin heavy rain, snow or fog
Rat night or in very dark places
Rif the camera is exposed to very bright light
Rif the area is lit by fluorescent bulbs or LED
lighting (the display may flicker)
Rif there is a sudden change in temperature,
e.g. when driving into a heated garage in
winter
Rif the camera lens is dirty or obstructed
Observe the notes on cleaning
(
Ypage 318)
Rif the rear of your vehicle is damaged. In this
event, have the camera position and setting
checked at a qualified specialist workshop
The field of vision and other functions of the
rear view camera may be restricted due to
additional accessories on the rear of the vehi-
cle (e.g. license plate holder, bicycle rack).
Activating/deactivating the rear view
camera
XTo activate: make sure that the SmartKey
is in position 2in the ignition lock.
XMake sure that the Activation by R
gearfunction is selected in Audio 20/
COMAND; see the Digital Operator's Man-
ual.
XEngage reverse gear.
The area behind the vehicle is shown with
guide lines in the Audio 20/COMAND dis-
play.
The image from the rear view camera is
available throughout the maneuvering
process.
To deactivate: the rear view camera deacti-
vates if you shift the transmission to Por after
driving forwards a short distance.
Displays in the Audio 20/COMAND dis-
play
The rear view camera may show a distorted
view of obstacles, show them incorrectly or
not at all. The rear view camera does not show
objects in the following positions:
Rvery close to the rear bumper
Runder the rear bumper
Rin the area immediately above the tailgate
handle
208Driving systems
Driving and parking
Collision warning
If a vehicle is detected in the monitoring range
of Blind Spot Assist and you switch on the
corresponding turn signal, a double warning
tone sounds. Red warning lamp :flashes. If
the turn signal remains on, vehicles detected
are indicated by the flashing of red warning
lamp :. There are no further warning tones.
Switching on Blind Spot Assist
XMake sure that Blind Spot Assist is activa-
ted in the on-board computer
(
Ypage 228).
XTurn the SmartKey to position 2in the igni-
tion lock.
Warning lamps :in the exterior mirrors
light up red for approximately 1.5 seconds
and then turn yellow.
Lane Keeping Assist
General notes
Lane Keeping Assist monitors the area in
front of your vehicle by means of multifunc-
tion camera :which is attached behind the
top of the windshield. Active Lane Keeping
Assist detects lane markings on the road and
can warn you before you leave your lane unin- tentionally.
This function is available in the range between
40 mph and 120 mph (60 km/h and
200 km/h).
A warning may be given if a front wheel
passes over a lane marking. It will warn you by
means of intermittent vibration in the steer-
ing wheel for up to 1.5 seconds. Important safety notes
GWARNING
Lane Keeping Assist may not always clearly
recognize lane markings.
In this case, Lane Keeping Assist may:
Rgive an unnecessary warning
Rnot give a warning
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay particular attention to the traffic
situation and stay in lane, in particular if
warned by Lane Keeping Assist.
GWARNING
The Lane Keeping Assist warning does not
return the vehicle to the original lane. There is
a risk of an accident.
You should always steer, brake or accelerate
yourself, in particular if warned by Lane Keep-
ing Assist.
If you fail to adapt your driving style, Lane
Keeping Assist can neither reduce the risk of
an accident nor override the laws of physics.
Lane Keeping Assist cannot take into account
the road, traffic and weather conditions. Lane
Keeping Assist is merely an aid. You are
responsible for the distance to the vehicle in
front, for vehicle speed, for braking in good
time and for staying in your lane.
The Lane Keeping Assist does not keep the
vehicle in the lane.
The system may be impaired or may not func- tion if:
Rthere is poor visibility, e.g. due to insuffi-
cient illumination of the road, or due to
snow, rain, fog or spray
Rthere is glare, e.g. from oncoming traffic,
the sun or reflection from other vehicles
(e.g. if the road surface is wet)
Rthe windshield is dirty, fogged up, damagedor covered, for instance by a sticker, in the
vicinity of the camera
Rthere are no, several or unclear lane mark-
ings for a lane, e.g. in areas with road con-
struction work
Driving systems215
Driving and parking
Z