ANeutral
Do not shift the transmission toN
while driving. Otherwise, the auto-
matic transmission could be dam-
aged.
No power is transmitted from the
engine to the drive wheels.
Releasing the brakes will allow you to
move the vehicle freely, e.g. to push
it or tow it.
If ESP
®is deactivated or faulty: shift
the transmission to position Nif the
vehicle is in danger of skidding, e.g.
on icy roads.
If you switch the engine off with the
transmission in position Ror D, the
automatic transmission shifts to N
automatically.
!Rolling in neutral Ncan damage
the drive train.
7Drive
The automatic transmission changes
gear automatically. All forward gears
are available.
Driving tips
Changing gear
The automatic transmission shifts to the indi-
vidual gears automatically when it is in trans-
mission position D. This automatic gear shifting
behavior is determined by:
Rthe selected drive program
Rthe position of the accelerator pedal
Rthe road speed
Accelerator pedal position
Your style of driving influences how the auto-
matic transmission shifts gear:
Rlittle throttle: early upshifts
Rmore throttle: late upshifts
Kickdown
Use kickdown for maximum acceleration.
XDepress the accelerator pedal beyond the
pressure point.
The automatic transmission shifts to a lower
gear depending on the engine speed.
XEase off the accelerator pedal once the
desired speed is reached.
The automatic transmission shifts back up.
Rocking the vehicle free
Shifting the transmission repeatedly between
gears Dand Rmay help to free the vehicle if it
has become stuck in slush or snow. The vehi-
cle's engine management system limits the
speed to a maximum of 5 mph (9 km/h) when
shifting back and forth. To shift back and forth
between transmission positions Dand R, move
the DIRECT SELECT lever up and down past the
point of resistance.
Gliding mode
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles)
Gliding mode is characterized by the following:
Rthe combustion engine is disconnected from
the drive train.
Rthe engine speed corresponds to the idling
speed.
Rthe gear indicated after the transmission
position Ddisappears in the multifunction
display (
Ypage 154).
Gliding mode can be activated under the follow-
ing conditions:
Ryou select the "ECO" setting for the drive sys-
tem within the Individualdrive program. You
can find information about this in the Digital
Operator's Manual.
Rthe speed is within a suitable range.
Rthe course of the road is suitable, e.g. there
are no steep up or downhill gradients.
Ryou are no longer depressing the accelerator
pedal.
Gliding mode is deactivated under the following conditions:
Ryou depress the accelerator pedal.
Ryou depress the brake pedal.
Automatic transmission157
Driving an d parking
Z
Ryou use theDIRECT SELECT lever to switch
th etransmission position (Ypage 154).
Ruse theDYNAMIC SELECT controller to
chang eth edrive progra m (Ypage 152).
Ryou activatemanual gearshiftin g
(Ypage 159).
Ryou leav eth esuitable speed range.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles
Glidin gmod eis characterized by th efollowing:
Rth ecombustion engin eis disconnected from
th edrive train .
Rtheengin espeed corresponds to th eidlin g
speed.
Rin th emultifunction display, th eglidin gsym -
bol appears in th edrive progra mdisplay.
Glidin gmod ecan be activated under th efollow-
in g conditions:
Rth eComfor tdrive progra mis activated or you
select th e"Comfort" setting for th edrive sys-
te m within th eIndividua ldrive program. You
can fin dinformation about this in th eDigital
Operator' sManual.
Rth eECO start/sto pfunction is activated.
Ryou are drivin gcarefully wit hlow acceleration
of th evehicle.
Rth eengin eis at normal operating tempera-
ture.
Rth espeed is within asuitable range.
Rth ecours eof th eroa dis suitable, e.g. there
are no steep up or downhill gradients .
Ryou are no longer depressingth eaccelerato r
pedal .
Glidin gmod eis d
eactivated under th
efollowin g
conditions:
Ryou hav edeactivated th eECO start/sto p
function .
Ryou depress th eaccelerato rpedal .
Ryou depress th ebrak epedal .
Ryou use th eDIRECT SELECT lever to switch
th etransmission position (Ypage 154).
Ruse theDYNAMIC SELECT controller to
chang eth edrive progra m (Ypage 152).
Ryou activatemanual gearshiftin g
(Ypage 159).
Ryou leav eth esuitable speed range.
Towing a trailer
XDrive in th emiddle of th eengin espeed range
on uphil lgradients .
XDependin gon th euphil lor downhill gradient,
use left-han dsteerin gwhee lpaddl eshifter
(
Ypage 159) to select alower gear ,eve nif
cruise control or DISTRONI CPLU Sare acti-
vated.
Drive programs
Slippery drive program
The Slipper ydrive progra mhas th efollowin g
characteristics :
Rreducedengin eand transmission setting sfor
optimum propulsion on slipper yor snow-cov-
ere droads.
Roptimized ES P®stabilitycontrol on slipper yor
snow-covered roads.
Rth evehicl ehas improved drivin gstabilit yon
slipper yor snow-covered roads, for example.
Comfort drive program
The Comfor tdrive progra mhas th efollowin g
characteristics :
Rcomfort-oriented engin eand transmission
settings.
Roptimal fuel consumption resultin gfrom th e
automati ctransmission shiftin gup sooner.
Rth evehicl epullin gaway mor egentl yin
forward and revers egears, unless th eaccel-
erator pedal is depressed fully.
Rth eautomati ctransmission shiftin gup
sooner. This result sin th evehicl ebein gdriven
at lower engin espeeds and th ewheels bein g
less likely to spin .
Sport drive program
TheSport drive progra mhas th efollowin gchar-
acteristics :
Rsportyengin eand transmission settings.
Rth eautomati ctransmission shiftin gup later.
th efuel consumption possibl ybein ghigher as
a result of th elater automati ctransmission
shift points .
Rthesuspension exhibits sport ydampin g(vehi-
cle swit hAIRMATIC) .
158Automatic transmission
Driving an d parking
Drive program SportPlu s(Mercedes-
AMG vehicles )
TheSpor tPlu sdrive program has th efollowin g
characteristics :
Rthevehicle exhibits particularly sport ydrivin g
characteristics .
Rthevehicle pulling away in first gear .
Rtheautomatic transmissio nshiftin gup later.
th efue lconsumption possibly bein ghigher as
a result of th elater automatic transmissio n
shift points .
Rthesuspensio nexhibits particularly fir m
springin gand dampin gsetting s(vehicles wit h
AIRMATIC).
Rth eEC Ostart/sto pfunction is deactivated, it
can ,however, be activated again usin gth e
EC Obutto n (
Ypage 151).
Individua ldrive program
In th eIndividua ldrive program, th efollowin g
properties of th edrive program can be selected:
Rth edrive (engin eand transmissio nmanage-
ment)
Rth etransmissio n
Rthesuspensio n
Rall vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehicles):
thesteerin g
Rall vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehicles):
availabilit yof th eEC Ostart/sto pfunction
To selec tth egear sin th eIndividua ldrive pro -
gram permanentl yusin gth esteerin gwhee lpad-
dle shifters ,selec tth epermanen tmanual gear -
shift program.
Information about configurin gth eIndividua l
drive program wit hth emultimedia syste mcan
be found in th eDigital Operator's Manual.
Manual gea rshifting
General notes
You can chang egear yoursel fusin gth esteerin g
whee lpaddle shifters .The transmissio nmus tbe
in position D.
Dependin gon whic hpaddle shifter is pulled, th e
automatic transmissio nimmediately shift sinto
th enext gear down or up, if permitted. To use manual shifting, you hav
etw ooptions:
Rtemporar ysetting
Rpermanen tsetting
If you activat emanual gearshifting, th emulti-
function display will sho wthecurren tgear
instead of transmissio nposition D.
If manual gearshiftin gis deactivated, th egear s
will be selecte dautomatically.
Temporar ysetting
XTo activate :shift th eDIREC TSELECT lever to
position D.
XPull steerin gwhee lpaddle shifter :or;.
Further information on activatin gmanual gear -
shiftin gon PLUG-I NHYBRID vehicles
(
Ypage 251).
Temporary setting will be active fo r acertain
amount of time. Under certain condition sth e
minimum amount of time is extended, e.g. in th e
cas eof latera lacceleration ,durin gan overrun
phas eor when drivin gon steep terrain .
XTo deactivate:pull steerin gwhee lpaddle
shifter ;and hol dit in place.
or
XUse th eDIREC TSELECT lever to switch th e
transmissio nposition .
or
XUse th eDYNAMI CSELECT controller to
chang eth edrive program.
Automatic transmission159
Driving and parking
Z
Permanent setting (all vehicles except
Mercedes-AMG vehicles)
XTo activate:shift the DIRECT SELECT lever to
position D.
XPress button :.
XTo deactivate: press button:.
or
XUse the DYNAMIC SELECT controller to
change the drive program.
Permanent setting (Mercedes-AMG
vehicles)
XTo activate: shift the DIRECT SELECT lever to
position D.
XPress button :.
Indicator lamp ;lights up.
XTo deactivate: press button:.
or
XUse the DYNAMIC SELECT controller to
switch to the Individualdrive program.
Indicator lamp ;goes out.
Shifting gears
!Mercedes-AMG vehicles: the automatic
transmission does not shift up automatically
even when the engine limiting speed for the
current gear is reached. When the engine lim-
iting speed is reached, the fuel supply is cut to
prevent the engine from overrevving. Always
make sure that the engine speed does not
reach the red area of the tachometer. There is
otherwise a risk of engine damage.
XTo shift up: pull steering wheel paddle
shifter ;.
The automatic transmission shifts up to the
next gear.
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles): if the maximum engine speed on the
currently engaged gear is reached and you
continue to accelerate, the automatic trans-
mission automatically shifts up in order to
prevent engine damage.
XTo shift down: pull steering wheel paddle
shifter :.
The automatic transmission shifts down to
the next gear.
Automatic down shifting occurs when coast-
ing.
If the engine exceeds the maximum engine
speed when shifting down, the automatic
transmission protects against engine damage
by not shifting down.
160Automatic transmission
Driving and parking
Shift recommendation
The gearshift recommendations assist you in
adopting an economical driving style. The rec-
ommended gear is shown in the multifunction
display.
XShift to recommended gear;according to
gearshift recommendation :when shown in
the multifunction display of the instrument
cluster.
Upshifting (Mercedes-AMG vehicles)
!The automatic transmission does not shift
up automatically even when the engine limit-
ing speed for the current gear is reached.
When the engine limiting speed is reached,
the fuel supply is cut to prevent the engine
from overrevving. Always make sure that the
engine speed does not reach the red area of
the tachometer. There is otherwise a risk of
engine damage.
:Gear indicator
;Upshift indicator
Before the engine speed reaches the red area,
an upshift indicator will be shown in the multi-
function display.
XWhen the UPmessage appears in the multi-
function display, pull on the right-hand steer-
ing wheel paddle shifter.
Kickdown
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: kickdown is only
possible in the temporary setting.
XFor maximum acceleration, depress the
accelerator pedal beyond the pressure point.
The automatic transmission shifts to a lower
gear depending on the engine speed.
XShift back up once the desired speed is
reached.
During kickdown, you cannot shift gears using
the steering wheel paddle shifters.
If you apply full throttle, the automatic trans-
mission shifts up to the next gear when the
maximum engine speed is reached. This pre-
vents the engine from overrevving.
Automatic transmission161
Driving and parking
Z
Problems with the transmission
ProblemPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
The transmission has
problems shifting gear.The transmission is losing oil.
XHave the transmission checked at a qualified specialist workshop
immediately.
7G-TRONIC:
The acceleration ability
is deteriorating.
The transmission no lon-
ger changes gear.The transmission is in emergency mode.
It is only possible to shift intosecondgear and reverse gear.
XStop the vehicle.
XShift the transmission to position P.
XSwitch off the engine.
XWait at least ten seconds before restarting the engine.
XShift the transmission to positionDor R.
If D is selected, the transmission shifts into secondgear; ifRis
selected, the transmission shifts into reverse gear.
XHave the transmission checked at a qualified specialist workshop
immediately.
9G-TRONIC:
The acceleration ability
is deteriorating.
The transmission no lon-
ger changes gear.The transmission is in emergency mode.
It is only partly possible to engage the gears or the transmission is in
position N.
XStop the vehicle.
XShift the transmission to position P.
XSwitch off the engine.
XWait at least ten seconds before restarting the engine.
XShift the transmission to positionDor R.
XHave the transmission checked at a qualified specialist workshop
immediately.
Problems with PLUG-IN HYBRID operation (Ypage 255).
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.
!Because ESP®is an automatic system, the
engine and ignition must be switched off
(SmartKey in position 0or 1or Start/Stop
button in position 0or 1) when the electric
parking brake is being tested on a brake dyna-
mometer (maximum 10 seconds). Braking triggered automatically by ESP
®may
seriously damage the brake system.
!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.
162Refueling
Driving and parking
Indicator
lamp
Lights up
orangeA charging break for the high-
voltage battery is taking
place.
The indicator lamp goes out
after approximately
90 seconds.
Lights up
greenThe high-voltage battery is
fully charged.
The indicator lamp goes out
after approximately
90 seconds.
iIf the indicator lamp is off, lock or unlock the
vehicle. The indicator lamp then displays the
current status of the charging process again.
Connecting the charging cable
XShift the transmission to position P.
XSwitch the ignition off.
XPress the charge socket flap in the direction
of arrow:.
The charge socket flap swings up.
XPress fastener ;to the left.
Socket cap =is open.
XInsert the power supply plug into the electri-
cal outlet to the stop.
XInsert the charging cable connector into vehi-
cle socket ?to the stop.
Indicator lamp Afirst flashes orange and
then green.
The high-voltage battery is being charged.
If the charging cable is plugged in to the vehicle, you cannot start the engine or move the vehicle.
When the charging process begins, you can view
the charging prediction in the Settings
menu
of the on-board computer. The charging predic-
tion is either the anticipated condition of charge
at the programmed departure time or the time
when the high-voltage battery will be fully
charged (
Ypage 274).
iDepending on the temperature, the fan and
battery cooling system may audibly switch on
during the charging process.
Removing the charging cable
The high-voltage battery is fully charged when:
Rthe charge level display reaches 100% in the
multifunction display (Ypage 247)
Rthe indicator lamp in the vehicle socket lights up green after unlocking or locking the vehicle
XPress and hold button Bon the charging
cable connector and remove the charging
cable connector from the vehicle socket.
XClose socket cap =.
XClose charge socket flap :.
XRemove the mains plug from the mains
socket and safely stow away the charging
cable inside the vehicle (
Ypage 172).
174Charging the high-voltage battery
Driving and parking
Charging the high-voltage battery
from the wallbox
General notes
It is recommended that you charge your vehicle
using a wallbox or at a charging station.
Make sure that the maximum charging current is
not limited in the Settings
menu of the on-
board computer. You must select the maximum
value if charging at a wallbox or a charging sta-
tion (
Ypage 273).
Pay attention to the "Important safety notes"
(
Ypage 169).
Connecting the charging cable
XShift the transmission to position P.
XSwitch the ignition off.
XPress the charge socket flap in direction of
arrow:.
The charge socket flap swings up.
XPress fastener ;to the left.
Socket cap =is open.
XInsert the charging cable connector into vehi-
cle socket ?to the stop.
Indicator lamp Afirst flashes orange and
then green. The high-voltage battery is being charged.
If the charging cable is plugged in to the vehicle, you cannot start the engine or move the vehicle.
When the charging process begins, you can view
the charging prediction in the Settings
menu
of the on-board computer. The charging predic-
tion is either the anticipated condition of charge at the programmed departure time or the time
when the high-voltage battery will be fully
charged (
Ypage 274).
iDepending on the temperature, the fan and
battery cooling system may audibly switch on
during the charging process.
Removing the charging cable
The high-voltage battery is fully charged when:
Rthe charge level display reaches 100% in the
multifunction display (Ypage 247)
Rthe indicator lamp in the vehicle socket lights up green after unlocking or locking the vehicle
XPress and hold button Bon the charging
cable connector and remove the charging
cable connector from the vehicle socket.
XClose socket cap =.
XClose charge socket flap :.
Charging the high-voltage battery at
the charging station
Before beginning the charging process at a
charging station without communication capa-
bilities, you must first activate the station, e.g.
using an RFID card. Observe the on-site opera-
tor instructions for the charging station.
The connection for the vehicle at a charging sta-
tion is identical to the connection on a wallbox
(
Ypage 175).
Charging the high-voltage battery175
Driving and parking
Z