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Transmission positions
BPark position
Thisprevents the vehicl efromr olling
away when stopped. Do not shift the
transmission into position Punless
the vehicl eisstationary.
The automatic transmission shifts to P automaticall yifyou:
Rremove the key
Ropen the driver's door whil ethe
vehicl eisstationar yortraveling at
ver ylow speeds and the transmis-
sion is in position Dor R.
The parkin gloc ks houl dnot be used
as ab rake when parking. Always
appl ythe parkin gbrake as well once
yo uh avep arked the vehicle.
CRevers egear
Onlys hift the transmission to Rwhen
the vehicl eisstationary.
ANeutral
No powe ristransmitted fromt he
engine to the drive wheels .Releasi ng
the brakes will allo wyouto mov ethe
vehicl efreely, e.g .byp ushing or tow-
ing.
If ESP
®is deactivated or faulty: shift
the transmission to position Nif the
vehicl eisind angerofs kidding,e.g.
on icy roads.
When yo uswitch off the engine ,the
automatic transmission automati-
cally shifts into neutral N.
!If the engine is switched off ,roll-
ing in neutral Ncan damage the
powe rtransmission and resul tin
transmission damage.
7Drive
The automatic transmission changes
gear itself. All forward gear sareavail-
able.
Yo uc an influence gearshifts with
your choice of transmission program.
Yo uc an also restric tthe shift range.
Transmission position and transmis-
sion program display
:Transmission program
;Current transmission positio nor
current gear in transmission program M
=Shift range,ifrestricted
The transmission positions and current trans-
mission program :ares hown at the bottom of
the instrument cluster display. The current
transmission positio nish ighlighted.
In transmission program M,the transmission
positio nindicator shows the current gear
(
Ypage 130 )inposition D.
If yo urestric tthe shift range ,the transmission
positio nindicator shows the current transmis-
sion positio nplusr estricted shift range =,e.g.
D2 (
Ypage 128).
The arrow sinthe transmission positio ndisplay
sho whow and into which transmission positions
yo uc an change using the DIRECT SELECTl ever.
Changin ggear
The 7-spee dautomatic transmission adapts to
your individual drivin gstyle by continuously
adjusting its shift points .These shift point
adjustments take into account the current oper-
ating and drivin gconditions. If the operating or
drivin gconditions change ,the automatic trans-
mission reacts by adjusting the gearshift pro-
gram.
The 7-spee dautomatic transmission shifts to
the individual gear sautomaticall ywhenitisi n
transmission position D.T hisd epen ds on:
Rthe selecte dtransmission program
(Ypage 129)
Rany restrictio ninthe shift range
(Ypage 128)
Rthe positio nofthe accelerator pedal
Rthe roa dspeed
Yo uc an also change gear manuall yifyouselect
transmission program M(
Ypage 130).
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Shift ranges
:To shift down and restrict the shift range
;To shift up and derestrict the shift range
In transmission position Dand transmission
programs Eand C,you can use the steering
wheel paddle shifters to change gear yourself
and restrict or derestrict the shift range of the
automatic transmission.
XTo shift down/restrict the shift range:
briefly pull left steering wheel paddle
shifter :.
The automatic transmission shifts to the next gear down, depending on the gear currently
engaged. The shift range is also restricted.
The transmission position indicator also
shows the set shift range, e.g. D2.The auto-
matic transmission shifts only as far as the
relevant gear.
or
XPull and hold left steering wheel paddle
shifter :.
The automatic transmission will shift to a
range which allowse asy acceleration and
deceleration. To do this, the automatic trans-
mission shifts down one or more gears and
restrictst he shift range.
The transmission position indicator also
shows the set shift range, e.g. D2.The auto-
matic transmission shifts only as far as the
relevant gear.
The automatic transmission does not shift
down if you pull the left steering wheel paddle
shifter whilst traveling at too high aspeed. If
the maximum engine speed for the restricted
shift range is reached and you continue to
depress the accelerator pedal, the automatic
transmission will shift up automatically. This
protectst he engine from overrevving.
XTo shift up/extend the shift range: briefly
pull right steering wheel paddle shifter ;.
The automatic transmission shifts to the next
gear up, depending on the gear currently
engaged. This derestrict sthe shift range at
the same time.
If the display shows only transmission posi-
tion D,the shift range restriction is canceled.
XTo derestrict the shift range: pull and hold
right steering wheel paddle shifter ;.
The automatic transmission shifts up one or
more gears depending on the gear currently
engaged. At the same time, the shift range
restriction is canceled and the display shows
transmission position D.
Shift ranges and driving situations
=Use the engine's braking effect.
5Use the braking effect of the engine
on steep downhill gradients and for
driving:
Ron steep mountain roads
Rin mountainous terrain
Rin arduous conditions
4Use the braking effect of the engine
on extremely steep downhill gradi-
ents and long downhill stretches.
Transmission programs
General notes
For the automatic transmission, you can use the
program selector button to select between dif-
ferent transmission programs. The gearshifting
characteristics of the automatic transmission,
and the engine management, change depending
on which transmission program is selected. As a
result, either amore comfort-oriented or amore
economical driving style is supported, depend-
ing on what the driver wishes. If you select
transmission program M,you deactivate auto-
matic gearshifting and have to change gear
manually.
The automatic transmission automatically
switches to transmission program C(Comfort)
after startin gthe engine for acomfort-oriented
and economical driving style.
128Automatic transmission
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Program selector button
XPress theÉprogram selector button
repeatedly until the desired transmission pro-
gram is selected.
The display shows the letter of the selected
transmission program at the top of the trans-
mission position indicator (
Ypage 127).
M ManualManual gearshifting
CComfortComfortable, economical
driving style
EEcoParticularly economical
driving style
Transmission programM
The Manual transmission program has the fol-
lowing characteristics:
RThe automatic transmission must be shifted
manually at all times. The automatic trans-
mission does not shift up automatically even
when the maximum engine speed is reached
(
Ypage 130).
RThe ECO start/stop function must be activa-
ted manually.
Transmission programC
The Comfort transmission program has the fol-
lowing characteristics:
Rthe vehicle delivers comfortable, economical
handling characteristics.
Roptimal fuel consumption resulting from the
automatic transmission shifting up sooner.
Rincreased sensitivity. This improves driving
stability on slippery road surfaces, for exam-
ple.
Rthe automatic transmission shifts up sooner.
The vehicle thus maintains lower engine
speeds.
Transmission programE
The Eco transmission program has the following
characteristics:
Rthe vehicle exhibits particularly economical
handling characteristics.
Rthe maximum available engine torque is
reduced.
Roptimal fuel consumption resulting from the
automatic transmission shifting down signifi-
cantly later and up significantly sooner, even
at full-load operation.
No shift point adjustment for adapting to indi-
vidual, dynamic driving styles.
In kickdown, the automatic transmission
automatically shifts to transmission program
C.
Rincreased sensitivity. This improves driving
stability on slippery road surfaces, for exam-
ple.
Driving tips
Accelerator pedal position
Your style of driving influences how the auto-
matic transmission shifts gear:
Rlittle throttle: early upshifts
Rlots of throttle: later upshifts
Kickdown
Use kickdown for maximum acceleration:
XDepress the accelerator pedal beyond the
pressure point.
The automatic transmission shifts to the next
gear down, depending on the engine speed.
XEase off on the accelerator pedal once the
desired speed is reached.
The automatic transmission shifts up again.
Automatic transmission129
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Rockingthe vehicle free
At speeds up to 5mph (9 km/h )you can switch
back and forth between drive position Dand
reverse gear Rwithou tapplyin gthe brakes. This
helps when rocking the vehicl eoutof snow or
slush.
XPush the DIREC TSELECT lever alternately up
and dow nbeyond the firs tpoint of resistance.
Towin gatrailer
XDepending on the downhil lgradient, limit the
shift rang e(Ypage 128 )orshift manually into
al ower gear (Ypag e130) in which the engine
wil loperate in the middle of the engine speed
range. This als oapplie sifcruise control is
activated.
Manual gearshifting
General notes
If you select transmission program M,automatic
gearshifting is deactivated and manua lgear-
shifting is automatically activated .You must
then permanently change geary ourself for as
long as the transmission programiss elected.
Permanent manua lgearshifting is deactivated
automatically when you switch from transmis-
sion program Mto another transmission pro-
gram. The automatic transmission then shifts
gears automatically. The display shows the
selected transmission programa nd transmis-
sion position Dagain.
Shifting gears
:To shift down
;To shift up The transmission programd
isplay showsMand
the transmission position indicator shows the
selected gear.
XTo shift up: brieflypullr ight-hand steering
whee lpaddle shifter ;.
If the engine speediss ufficient, the automatic
transmission shifts up to the next gear.
If the maximu mengine speedisr eachedin
the currently engage dgear and you continue
to accelerate, the automatic transmission will
not shift up automatically. Always make sure
that the engine speedd oes not reach the red
area of the tachometer. Observe the gearshift
recommendation in the display (
Ypag e130).
When the engine reache sits maximu mspeed,
the fuel supply is cut to prevent the engine
from overrevving.
XTo shift down: pullbriefl yonl eft-hand steer-
ing whee lpaddle shifter :.
Provided that the engine wil lnot exceed its
maximu mspeedw hen shifting down, the
automatic transmission shifts down to the
next gear.
or
XPul lthe left-hand steering whee lpaddle
shifter until the automatic transmission
selects the optimumg ear for the current
speed.
iWhen coasting, the automatic transmission
shifts down automatically.
Gearshift recommendation
:Gearshift direction
;Recommended gear
The gearshift recommendations assist you in
adopting an economicald riving style.
XWhen the display shows the gearshift recom-
mendation, shift to recommended gear ;.
130Automatic transmission
Driving and parking
Page 133 of 310

Problems with the transmission
ProblemPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
The transmission is
locked in positionP.The vehicle electronics are malfunctioning.
XHave the vehicle electronics checked immediately at aqualified
specialist workshop.
The acceleration charac-
teristicsh ave deteriora-
ted noticeably.
The transmission does
not shift.The transmission is in emergency mode.
It is only possible to shift into second gear or reverse gear R.
XStop the vehicle.
XDepress the brake pedal.
XMove the selector lever to positionP.
XSwitch off the engine.
XWait at least 10 seconds before restarting the engine.
XDepress the brake pedal.
XMove the selector lever to positionDor R.
In position D,the transmission shifts into second gear; in position R,
the transmission shifts into reverse gear.
XHave the transmission checked immediately at aqualified specialist
workshop.
Refueling
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Fuel is highly flammable. Improper handling of
fuel creates arisk of fire and explosion.
Avoid fire, open flames, smoking and creating
sparks under all circumstances. Switch off the
engine and, if applicable, the auxiliary heating
before refueling.
GWARNING
Fuel is poisonous and hazardous to health.
There is arisk 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.
RIf fuel is swallowed, seek medical assis-
tance without delay.Don ot induce vomit-
ing.
RImmediately change out of clothing which
has come into contact with fuel.
GWARNING
Electrostatic buildupc an create sparks and
ignite fuel vapors. There is arisk of fire and
explosion.
Always touch the vehicle body before opening
the fuel filler flap or touching the fuel pump
nozzle. Any existing electrostatic buildupi s
thereby discharged.
Refueling131
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Do not getinto the vehicl eagain durin gthe refu-
eling process. Otherwise, electrostatic charge
could buil dupagain.
HEnvironmental note
If fuel sarehandled improperly, theyp osea
dange rtopersons and the environment. Do
not allo wfuels to runi nto the sewag esystem,
the surface waters ,the ground water or into
the ground.
!Do not switch on the ignition if yo uacciden-
tally refue lwitht he wrong fuel .Otherwise, the
fuel will ente rthe fuel lines .Notify aquali fied
specialis tworkshop and have the fuel tank
and fuel lines draine dcompletely.
!Overfilling the fuel tank could damage the
fuel system.
!Take car enot to spil lany fuel on painted
surfaces .You could otherwis edamag ethe
paintwork.
!Use afilter when refueling fromaf uelcan.
Otherwise, the fuel lines and/or injectio nsys-
tem could be blocke dbyparticle sfromt he
fuel can.
Yo uw illf ind furthe rinformatio nabout fuel and
fuel grade sunder "Service products and capaci-
ties" (
Ypage 296).
Refueling procedure
:Fue lfille rflap
;Fue lfille rcap
=Tire pressure plate (Ypage 270)
?Fue lfille rneck
Fue lfille rflap :is on the left side of the vehicle
behind the front door. It is onl ypossibl etoo pen
fuel fille rflap :when the front door is open.
XRemov ethe key fromt he ignition lock.
XOpen the front left-hand door first, and then
fuel fillerflap :.
XClose al lvehicl edoors to prevent fuel vapors
frome nteringthe vehicl einterior.
XTurn fuel fille rcap ; counter-clockwise,
remove it and le tithangf romt he strap.
XCompletely insert the fille rneck of the fuel
pump nozzl einto tank ?and refuel.
XOnlyf illt he tank unti lthe pump nozzle
switches off .Fuelm ayotherwis elea ko ut.
XReplace tank fille rcap ; on tank ?and turn
clockwise.
Yo uw illh ea rac lick when the fuel fille rcap is
closed fully.
XOpen the front left-hand door first, and then
close fille rflap :.
Problems with the fuela nd fueltank
If your vehicl eislosingfuel, the fuel lines or the
fuel tank ar edefective.
XTurn the key immediatel ytoposition0in the
ignition lock and remove it.
XDo not restar tthe engine under any circum-
stances.
XConsult aquali fied specialis tworkshop.
Parking
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Flammabl ematerial such as leaves, grass or
twigs mayi gnite if theyc ome into contact with
hot parts of the exhaust system or exhaust
gasf low. There is ariskoff ire.
Park the vehicl esothatnof lammabl emate-
rials come into contact with parts of the vehi-
cle which ar ehot. Take particular car enot to
park on dry grassland or harvested grain
fields.
132Parking
Driving an dparking
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GWARNING
If you leave children unsupervised in the vehi-
cle, they coul dset 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 vehiclee quip-
ment and become trapped. There is arisk of
an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, alway stake the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children unsupervised in the vehicle.
!Always secure the vehiclec orrectly against
rolling away. Otherwise, the vehicleori ts driv-
etrain coul dbedamaged.
!When the vehicleisp arked,alway sremove
the key to prevent the battery from becoming
discharged.
Always park you rvehicl esafel yand secure it
against rolling away. When parking, observe the
lega lrequirements of the country in which you
are currently driving.
To ensure that the vehicleisp roperly secured
against rolling awa yunintentionally:
Rthe parking brake must be firmly applied
Rthe transmission must be in position Pand the
key must be removed from the ignitio nlock
Ron steep uphill or downhill gradients, the front
wheels must be turned toward sthe curb
Parking brake
GWARNING
If you leave children unsupervised in the vehi-
cle, they coul dset 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 vehiclee quip-
ment and become trapped. There is arisk of
an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, alway stake the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children unsupervised in the vehicle.
GWARNING
If you must brake the vehiclew ith the parking
brake, the braking distance is considerably
longer and the wheels coul dlock. There is an
increased dange rofskidding 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 .Ifthe
wheels lock, release the parking brake until
the wheels begint urning again.
The brake lampsare not illuminated when you
brake the vehicleu sing the parking brake.
As arule ,you may only apply the parking brake
when the vehicleiss tationary.
XTo apply the parking brake: depress park-
ing brake pedal ;firmly.
The red F(only USA) or J(only Can-
ada )indicator lamp in the instrument cluster
lights up if the engine is running.
XTo release the parking brake: depress the
brake pedala nd keep it depressed.
XPullrelease handle :.
The parking brake is released abruptly.T he
red F (only USA) or J(only Canada)
indicator lamp in the instrument cluster goes
out.
Exceptionally,ift he service brake fails, the park-
ing brake can be used to brake the vehicleina n
emergency.
XEmergency braking: pullrelease handle :
and gradually depress parking brake
pedal ;.
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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.T here isarisk 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.
!If the coolant temperature is very high, e.g.
after driving on hilly roads, leave the engine
running at idle speed for about two minutes
before turning it off.
This allowst he coolant temperature to return
to normal.
Vehicles with automatic transmission
XStop the vehicle.
XShift the transmission to position P.
XApply the parking brake.
XTurn key to position0in the ignition lock and
remove it.
The immobilizer is activated.
If you switch the engine off with the trans-
mission in position Ror D,t he automatic
transmission shifts to Nautomatically.
If you then open one of the front doors or
remove the key from the ignition, the auto-
matic transmission automatically shifts to P.
If you shift the automatic transmission to N
before switching off the engine, the automatic
transmission remains in Neven if afront door
is opened.
XSecure the vehicle to prevent it from rolling
away (Ypage 132).
Parking the vehicle for along period
If you leave the vehicle parked for longer than
4w eeks, the battery may be damaged by
exhaustive discharging.
XDisconnect the battery (Ypage 250).
or
XConnect the battery to atrickle charger.
Be sure to observe the notes on charging the batteries (
Ypage 253).
You can obtain information about trickle
chargers from aqualified specialist work-
shop.
If you leave the vehicle parked for longer than
6w eeks, the vehicle may suffer damage as a
result of lack of use.
XVisit aqualified specialist workshop and seek
advice.
Driving tips
General notes
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If you switch off the ignition while driving,
safety-relevant functions are only available
with limitations, or not at all. This could affect, for example, the power steering and the brake
boosting effect.Y ou will require considerably
more effort to steer and brake. There is arisk
of an accident.
Do not switch off the ignition while driving.
GWARNING
If you operate mobile communication equip-
ment while driving, you will be distracted from traffic conditions. You could also lose control
of the vehicle. There is arisk of an accident.
Only operate this equipment when the vehicle
is stationary.
Observe the legal requirements of the countryi n
which you are driving. Some jurisdictions pro-
hibit the driver from using amobile phone while
driving avehicle.
134Driving tips
Driving and parking