
Automa tic trans mission
Import ant safety notes
GWARNIN G
If th eengin espee dis abov eth eidlin gspee d
and you engage transmission position Dor R,
th evehicl ecould pull away suddenly. There is
a ris kof an accident.
When engagin gtransmission position Dor R,
always firmly depress th ebrak epedal and do
no tsimultaneously accelerate .
GWARNING
The automatic transmission switches to neu-
tral position Nwhen you switch off th eengine.
The vehicl emay rol laway. There is aris kof an
accident.
Afte rswitching off th eengine, always switch
to parking position P.Preven tth eparked vehi-
cle from rollin gaway by applyin gth eparking
brake.
DIRECT SELECT lever
Overview oftrans mission positions
jPark position wit hparking loc k
kReversegear
iNeutral
hDrive
The DIRECT SELECT lever is on th eright of th e
steering column .
The DIRECT SELECT lever always return sto
it s original position .The curren ttransmission position
P,R ,N or Dappear sin th etransmis -
sion position display (
Ypage 161) in themul-
tifunction display.
Engaging pa rkposition P
!If th eengin espee dis to ohigh or th evehi-
cle is moving ,do no tshif tth eautomatic
transmission directly from Dto R,from Rto
D or directly to P.The automatic transmis -
sion could otherwise be damaged.
jPark position wit hparking loc k
kReversegear
iNeutral
hDrive
XPush th eDIRECT SE LECT lever in th edirec-
tion of arrow P.
Engaging parkposition P automatically
Park position Pis automatically engage dif:
Ryou switch off th eengin eusin gth eSmart -
Key and remove th eSmartKey
Ryou switch off th eengin eusin gth eSmart -
Key or usin gth eStart/Sto pbutto nand
open th edriver' sdoor or front-passenger
door
Rth edriver' sdoor is opened when th evehi-
cle is stationary or driving at ver ylow spee d
and th etransmission is in position Dor R
Under certain conditions, th eautomatic
transmission shifts automatically to transmis -
sion position Pif th eHO LD function or
DISTRONI CPLU Sis activated. Observeth e
information on th e HOLD function
Automatic transmission159
Driving an d parking
Z 

(Ypage 193) and on DISTRONIC PLUS
(
Ypage 186).
Engaging reverse gear R
!Only shift the automatic transmission to R
when the vehicle is stationary.
XIf the transmission is in position Dor N:
push the DIRECT SELECT lever up past the
first point of resistance.
XIf the transmission is in position P: depress
the brake pedal and push the DIRECT
SELECT lever up past the first point of
resistance.
The ECO start/stop function is not available
when reverse gear is engaged. Further infor-
mation on the ECO start/stop function
(
Ypage 155).
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 the Start/Stop button: if you then
open the driver's door or the front-passenger door, the automatic transmission shifts to P
automatically.
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 electric parking brake.
XSwitch off the ignition and leave the Smart-
Key in the ignition lock.
With the Start/Stop button:
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.
160Automatic transmission
Driving and parking 

XReleaseth eelectric parkin gbrake.
XSwitc hoff th eignition and leav eth eSmart -
Key in th eignition lock.
Engaging dr iveposition D
XIf thetransmission is in position Ror N:
push th eDIRECT SELECT lever down past
th efirst poin tof resistance.
XIf th etransmission is in position P:depress
th ebrak epedal and push th eDIRECT
SELECT lever down past th efirst poin tof
resistance.
Transmission position displa y
All vehicles (excep tMercedes-AMG
vehicles)
The curren ttransmission position and drive
progra mappear in th emultifunction display.
:Transmission position
;Gear
=Drive progra m
The arrows in th etransmission position dis-
play sho whow and into whic htransmission
position syou can shift usin gth eDIRECT
SELECT lever.
If th etransmission position display in th emul-
tifunction display is no tworking ,you should
pull away carefully to chec kwhether th e
desire dtransmission position is engaged.
Ideally, you should select transmission posi-
tion Dand drive progra mEor S.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles
The currenttransmission position and drive
progra mappear in th emultifunction display.
:Transmission position
;Drive progra m
The arrows in th etransmission position dis-
play sho whow and into whic htransmission
position syou can shift usin gth eDIRECT
SELECT lever.
If th etransmission position display in th emul-
tifunction display is no tworking ,you should
pull away carefully to chec kwhether th e
desire dtransmission position is engaged.
Ideally, you should select transmission posi-
tion Dand drive progra mCor S.
Automatic transmission16 1
Driving an d parking
Z 

Transmission positions
BPark position
Only shift the transmission into
positionPwhen the vehicle is sta-
tionary (
Ypage 170). The parking
lock should not be used as a brake
when parking. Always apply the
electronic parking brake in addi-
tion to the parking lock in order to
secure the vehicle.
If the vehicle electronics are mal-
functioning, the transmission may
be locked in position P. Have the
vehicle electronics checked imme-
diately at a qualified specialist
workshop.
CReverse gear
Only shift the transmission into
position Rwhen the vehicle is sta-
tionary.
ANeutral
Do not shift the transmission to N
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 N
if the vehicle is in danger of skid-
ding, e.g. on icy roads.
!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 shift-
ing behavior is determined by:
Rthe selected drive program (Ypage 163)
Rthe position of the accelerator pedal
(
Ypage 162)
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
Rocking the vehicle free by shifting back and
forth between transmission positions Dand R
can help to free a vehicle that has become
stuck in mud or snow. The vehicle's engine
management restricts switching between
transmission positions Dand Rto speeds up
to a maximum of 5 mph (9 km/h). To shift
back and forth between transmission posi-
tions Dand R, move the DIRECT SELECT lever
up and down past the point of resistance.
162Automatic transmission
Driving an d parking 

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 work-
shop immediately.
The acceleration ability
is deteriorating.
The transmission no
longer 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 work-
shop immediately.
Transfer case
!
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 electric 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.
This section is only valid for vehicles with 4-
wheel drive (4MATIC). Power is always trans-
mitted to both axles.
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.
Refueling167
Driving and parking
Z 

Problems with fuel and the fuel tank
ProblemPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
Fuel is leaking from the
vehicle.GWARNING
The fuel line or the fuel tank is faulty.
Risk of explosion or fire.
XApply the electric parking brake.
XSwitch off the engine.
XOpen the driver's door.
The on-board electronics now have status 0. This is the same as
the SmartKey having been removed.
or, if the SmartKey is inserted in the ignition lock:
XRemove the SmartKey from the ignition lock.
XDo not restart the engine under any circumstances.
XConsult a qualified specialist workshop.
The fuel filler flap can-
not be opened.The fuel filler flap is not unlocked.
XUnlock the vehicle (Ypage 83).
The SmartKey battery is discharged or nearly discharged.
XUnlock the vehicle using the mechanical key (Ypage 85).
The fuel filler flap is unlocked, but the opening mechanism is jam-
med.
XConsult a qualified specialist workshop.
Parking
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Flammable material such as leaves, grass or
twigs may ignite if they come into contact with
hot parts of the exhaust system or exhaust
gas flow. There is a risk of fire.
Park the vehicle so that no flammable mate-
rials come into contact with parts of the vehi-
cle which are hot. Take particular care not to
park on dry grassland or harvested grain
fields.
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.
170Parking
Driving and parking 

!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 electric 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.
Rthe empty vehicle must be secured at the
front axle with a wheel chock or similar, for example, on uphill or downhill gradients.
Ra laden vehicle must also be secured at the
rear axle with a wheel chock or similar, for
example, on uphill or downhill gradients.
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.
Further information if the engine cannot be
switched off as described here (
Ypage 359).
Using the SmartKey
XApply the electric parking brake.
XShift the transmission to position P.
XTurn the SmartKey to position0in the igni-
tion lock and remove it.
The immobilizer is activated. If you switch the engine off with the trans-
mission in position
Ror D, the automatic
transmission shifts to Nautomatically.
If you then open the driver's door or the
front-passenger door or remove the Smart-
Key from the ignition, the automatic trans-
mission shifts to Pautomatically.
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:
XSwitch on the ignition.
XDepress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
XShift to neutral N.
XRelease the brake pedal.
XRelease the electric parking brake.
XSwitch off the ignition and leave the Smart-
Key in the ignition lock.
Using the Start/Stop button
XApply the electric parking brake.
XShift the transmission to position P.
XPress the Start/Stop button (Ypage 151)
The engine stops and all the indicator
lamps in the instrument cluster go out.
When the driver's door is closed, this cor-
responds to key position 1. When the driv-
er's door is open, this corresponds to key
position 0: "Key removed".
If you switch the engine off with the trans-
mission in position Ror D, the automatic
transmission shifts to Nautomatically.
If you then open the driver's or front-
passenger door, the automatic transmission
shifts to Pautomatically.
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:
XSwitch on the ignition.
XDepress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
Parking171
Driving and parking
Z 

XRemove theStart/Sto pbutto nfrom th e
ignition lock.
XInser tth eSmartKey into th eignition lock.
XShift to neutral N.
XReleas eth ebrak epedal .
XReleas eth eelectric parkin gbrake.
XSwitc hoff th eignition and leav eth eSmart -
Key in th eignition lock.
The engin ecan be switched off in an emer-
gency while th evehicl eis in motion by press-
in g and holdin gth eStart/Sto pbutto nfor
three seconds. This function operate sinde-
pendentl yof th eECO start/sto pautomatic
engin eswitch-off function .
Electricparking brak e
Genera lnotes
GWARNIN G
If you leav echildren unsupervised in th evehi-
cle ,they could set it in motion by, for example:
Rrelease th eparkin gbrake.
Rshift th eautomati ctransmission out of th e
parkin gposition P.
Rstart theengine.
In addition ,they may operate vehicl eequip -
men tand become trapped .There is aris kof
an acciden tand injury.
Whe nleavin gth evehicle, always tak eth e
SmartKey wit hyou and loc kth evehicle. Never
leav echildren unsupervised in th evehicle.
The function of th eelectric parkin gbrak eis
dependen ton th eon-boar dvoltage. If th eon -
boar dvoltag eis low or there is amalfunction
in th esystem, it may no tbe possibl eto apply
th erelease dparkin gbrake.
XIf this is th ecase, only park th evehicl eon
level ground and secure it to preven tit roll-
in g away.
XShift th eautomatic transmission to posi-
tion P. It may no
tbe possibl eto release an applie d
parkin gbrak eif th eon-boar dvoltag eis low or
there is amalfunction in th esystem. Contac t
a qualified specialist workshop .
The electric parkin gbrak eperforms afunc-
tion test at regular intervals while th eengin e
is switched off .The sounds that can be hear d
while th is i
s occurrin gare normal.
Applyin gor releasing manually
XTo engage: push handle :.
Whe nth eelectric parkin gbrak eis applied,
th ered F (USAonly) or !(Canada
only) indicato rlamp lights up in th einstru-
men tcluster.
The electric parkin gbrak ecan also be
applie dwhen th eSmartKey is removed.
XTo release: pull handle:.
The red F(USAonly) or !(Canada
only) indicato rlamp in th einstrumen tclus -
te rgoe sout .
The electric parkin gbrak ecan only be
released:
Rwhen th eSmartKey is in position 1or 2in
th eignition loc k (
Ypage 151) or
Rif theignition was switched on usin gth e
Start/Sto pbutto n
172Parking
Driving an d parking