
These systems only work at peak efficiency if
they are serviced exactly in accordance with
the manufacturer's specifications. For this
reason, all work on the engine must be carried
out by qualified and authorized Mercedes-
Benz technicians.
The engine settings must not be changed
under any circumstances. Furthermore, all
specific service work must be carried out at
regular intervals and in accordance with the
Mercedes-Benz service requirements. Details
can be found in the Maintenance Booklet.
ECO display
The ECO display provides feedback on how
economical your driving characteristics are.
The ECO display assists you in achieving the
most economical driving style for the selec-
ted settings and prevailing conditions. Your
driving style can significantly influence the
vehicle's consumption.
The ECO display consists of three bars:
RAccel.
RConstant
RCoasting
The percent value is the average value of the
three bars. The three bars and the mean value
begin at the value of 50%. A higher percent-
age indicates a more economical driving
style.
The ECO display does not indicate the actual
fuel consumption. A fixed percentage count
in the ECO display does not indicate a fixed
consumption. Apart from driving style, consumption is
dependent on many factors such as, e.g.:
Rload
Rtire pressure
Rcold start
Rchoice of route
Relectrical consumers switched on
These factors are not included in the ECO dis-
play.
The evaluation of your driving style is carried
out using the following three categories:
RAccel.(evaluation of all acceleration pro-
cesses)
-The bar fills up: moderate acceleration,
especially at higher speeds
-The bar empties: sporty acceleration
RConstant(assessment of driving behavior
at all times)
-The bar fills up: constant speed and
avoidance of unnecessary acceleration
and deceleration
-The bar empties: fluctuations in speed
RCoasting(assessment of all deceleration
processes)
-The bar fills up: anticipatory driving,
keeping your distance and early release
of the accelerator. The vehicle can coast
without use of the brakes.
-The bar empties: frequent braking
An economical driving style specially requires driving at moderate engine speeds.
To achieve a higher value in the categories
Accel.
and Constant,
Robserve the gearshift recommendations.
Rdrive in drive program E.
On long journeys at a constant speed, e.g. on
the highway, only the bar for Constant
will
change.
The ECO display summarizes the driving char-
acteristics from the start of the journey to its
completion. For this reason, the bars change
dynamically at the beginning of the journey.
On longer journeys, there are fewer changes.
Driving tips175
Driving and parking
Z

For more dynamic changes, carry out a man-
ual reset.
For further information on the ECO display,
see (
Ypage 236).
Braking
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If you shift down on a slippery road surface in an attempt to increase the engine's braking
effect, the drive wheels could lose their grip.
There is an increased danger of skidding and
accidents.
Do not shift down for additional engine brak-
ing on a slippery road surface.
Downhill gradients
!On long and steep gradients, you must
reduce the load on the brakes by shifting
early to a lower gear. This allows you to take
advantage of the engine braking effect and
helps avoid overheating and excessive
wear of the brakes.
When you take advantage of the engine
braking effect, a drive wheel may not turn
for some time, e.g. on a slippery road sur-
face. This could cause damage to the drive
train. This type of damage is not covered by
the Mercedes-Benz warranty.
Heavy and light loads
GWARNING
If you rest your foot on the brake pedal while
driving, the braking system can overheat. This increases the stopping distance and can even
cause the braking system to fail. There is a
risk of an accident.
Never use the brake pedal as a footrest. Never
depress the brake pedal and the accelerator
pedal at the same time.
!Depressing the brake pedal constantly
results in excessive and premature wear to
the brake pads.
If the brakes have been subjected to a heavy
load, do not stop the vehicle immediately.
Drive on for a short while. This allows the air-
flow to cool the brakes more quickly.
Wet roads
If you have driven for a long time in heavy rain
without braking, there may be a delayed reac-
tion from the brakes when braking for the first
time. This may also occur after the vehicle has
been washed or driven through deep water.
You have to depress the brake pedal more
firmly. Maintain a greater distance from the
vehicle in front.
After driving on a wet road or having the vehi-
cle washed, brake firmly while paying atten-
tion to the traffic conditions. This will warm up
the brake discs, thereby drying them more
quickly and protecting them against corro-
sion.
Limited braking performance on salt-
treated roads
If you drive on salted roads, a layer of salt
residue may form on the brake discs and
brake pads. This can result in a significantly
longer braking distance.
RIn order to prevent any salt build-up, apply
the brakes occasionally while paying atten-
tion to the traffic conditions.
RCarefully depress the brake pedal and the
beginning and end of a journey.
RMaintain a greater distance to the vehicle
ahead.
Servicing the brakes
!If the red brake warning lamp lights up in
the instrument cluster and you hear a warn-
ing tone while the engine is running, the
brake fluid level may be too low. Observe
176Driving tips
Driving and parking

additional warning messages in the multi-
function 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. This work should be carried out at a
qualified specialist workshop.
!Vehicles with 4MATIC:function or per-
formance tests may only be carried out on
a 2-axle dynamometer. If you wish to oper-
ate the vehicle on such a dynamometer,
please consult an authorized Mercedes-
Benz Center in advance. You could other-
wise damage the drive train or the brake
system.
!Vehicles with 4MATIC: the ESP®system
operates automatically. The engine and the
ignition must therefore be switched off (the
SmartKey must be in position 0or 1in the
ignition lock or the Start/Stop button must
be in position 0or 1) if the electric parking
brake is tested on a brake dynamometer.
Braking triggered automatically by ESP
®
may cause severe damage to the brake
system.
!Vehicles without 4MATIC: the ESP®
system operates automatically. The engine
and the ignition must therefore be switched
off (the SmartKey must be in position 0or 1
in the ignition lock or the Start/Stop button
must be in position 0or 1) if:
Rthe electric parking brake is tested using
a brake dyn
amometer.
Rthe vehicle is towed with one axle raised.
Braking triggered automatically by ESP
®
may cause severe damage to the brake
system.
All checks and maintenance work on the
brake system must be carried out at a quali-
fied specialist workshop. Consult a qualified
specialist workshop to arrange this.
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.
Information on BAS (Brake Assist) (
Ypage 68)
and BAS PLUS (Brake Assist PLUS)
(
Ypage 69).
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends only installing the following brake
disks and brake pads/linings:
Rbrake disks that have been approved by
Mercedes-Benz
Rbrake pads/linings that have been
approved by Mercedes-Benz or that are of
an equivalent standard of quality
Other brake disks or brake pads/linings can
compromise the safety of your vehicle.
Always replace all brake disks and brake
pads/linings on an axle at the same time.
Always install new brake pads/linings when
replacing brake disks.
The vehicle is equipped with lightweight
brake disks to which the wheel assembly with rim and threaded connection is matched.
The use of brake disks other than th ose
appr
oved by Mercedes-Benz can change the
track width and is subject to approval, if appli-
cable.
Shock-type loads when handling the brake
disks, such as when changing wheels, can
lead to a reduction in comfort when driving
with lightweight brake disks. Avoid shock-
type loads on the lightweight brake disks,
particularly on the brake plate.
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.
Driving tips177
Driving and parking
Z

AMG high-performance and ceramic
brakes
The high-performanc ebrak esystem is only
available on Mercedes-AM Gvehicles.
The AM Gbrak esystems are designed for
heav yloads .This may lead to noise when
braking .This will depend on :
RSpeed
RBraking force
REnvironmental conditions, suc has temper-
atur eand humidit y
The wear of individual component sof th e
brak esystem, suc has th ebrak epads/lining s
or brak ediscs, depend son th eindividual driv -
ing style and operating conditions.
Fo rthis reason ,it is impossible to state a
mileage that will be valid under all circum -
stances. An aggressive driving style will lead
to high wear .You can obtain further informa-
tion about this from your authorize d
Mercedes-Benz Center.
New and replace dbrak epads and disc sonly
reac htheir optimum braking effec tafter sev -
eral hundre dkilometers of driving .Compen -
sat efor this by applyin ggreate rforce to th e
brak epedal .Kee pthis in mind, and adapt
your driving and braking accordingly during
this break-in period.
Excessive heav ybraking result sin corre-
spondingly high brak ewear . Observ eth e
brak ewear warning lamp in th einstrumen t
cluste rand note any brak estatus message s
in th emultifunction display. Especially for
high performance driving ,it is important to
maintai nand hav
eth eb
rak esystem checke d
regularly.
Driving onwet roads
Hydroplaning
If water has accumulated to acertain dept h
on th eroad surface, there is adanger of
hydroplaning occurring, eve nif:
Ryou driv eat low speeds.
Rth etires hav eadequat etread depth.
Fo rthis reason ,in th eevent of heav yrain or in
condition sin whic hhydroplaning may occur ,
you mus tdriv ein th efollowin gmanner:
Rlower your speed.
Ravoi druts.
Ravoi dsudde nsteering movement s.
Rbrakecarefully.
Driving onflooded roads
!Do no tdriv ethroug hflooded areas .
Chec kth edept hof any water before driving
throug hit.Drive slowly throug h standing
water. Otherwise, water may ente rth e
vehicl einterior or th eengin ecompartment.
This can damag eth eelectronic compo -
nent sin th eengin eor th eautomatic trans -
mission .Water can also be drawn in by th e
engine's air suction nozzles and this can
caus eengin edamage.
Winter driving
GWARNIN G
If you shif tdown on aslipper yroad surfac ein
an attemp tto increas eth eengine's braking
effect, th edrive wheels could lose their grip.
There is an increased danger of skiddin gand
accidents .
Do no tshif tdown for additional engin ebrak -
ing on aslipper yroad surface.
GDANGER
If th eexhaust pipe is blocke dor adequat e
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
178Driving tips
Driving and parking

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. In the speedometer, the seg- ments between the stored speed and the
maximum speed light up.
Storing and maintaining the current
speed
You can store the current speed if you are
driving faster than 20 mph (30 km/h).
XAccelerate the vehicle to the desired
speed.
XBriefly press the cruise control lever up :
or down ;.
XRemove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
Cruise control is activated. The vehicle
automatically maintains the stored speed.
iCruise control may be unable to maintain
the stored speed on uphill gradients. The
stored speed is resumed when the gradient
evens out. Cruise control maintains the
stored speed on downhill gradients by
automatically applying the brakes.
Calling up the last speed stored
GWARNING
If you call up the stored speed and it is lower
than the current speed, the vehicle deceler-
ates. If you do not know the stored speed, the vehicle could decelerate unexpectedly. There
is a risk of an accident.
Pay attention to the road and traffic condi-
tions before calling up the stored speed. If you
do not know the stored speed, store the
desired speed again.
180Driving system s
Driving an d parking

Activating DISTRONIC PLUS
Activation conditions
In order to activat eDISTRONI CPLUS, th efol -
lowin gcondition smus tbe fulfilled :
Rtheengin emus tbe started. It may tak eup
to two minute safter pullin gaway before
DISTRONI CPLU Sis operational.
Rth eelectric parking brak emus tbe
released.
RES P®mus tbe active ,but no tintervening .
RActive Parking Assis tmus tno tbe activa-
ted.
Rth etransmission mus tbe in position D.
Rthedriver' sdoor mus tbe closed when you
shif tfrom Pto Dor your seat belt mus tbe
fastened.
Rth efront-passenger door and rear door s
mus tbe closed.
Acti vating
XBriefly pull th ecruise control lever towards
you ;,up: or down =.
DISTRONI CPLU Sis selected.
XTo adjust th eset speed in 1mp hincre-
ments (1 km/h increments): briefly
press th ecruise control lever up :to th e pressur
epoin tfor ahigher speed, or down
= for alower speed.
Every time th ecruise control lever is
pre ssed up or down ,th elast spee d stored
is increased or reduced.
or
XTo adjust th eset speed in 5mp hincre-
ments (10 km/h increments): briefly
press th ecruise control lever up :past
th epressur epoin tfor ahigher speed, or
down =for alower speed.
Every time th ecruise control lever is
pre ssed up or down ,th elast spee d stored
is increased or reduced.
XRemove your foo tfrom th eaccelerato r
pedal .
Your vehicl eadapt sits spee dto that of th e
vehicl ein front, but only up to th edesired
store dspeed.
iIf you do no tfully release th eaccelerato r
pedal ,th eDISTRONIC
PLU SPassiv emes-
sage appear sin th emultifunction display.
The setdistanc eto aslower-moving vehicl e
in fron twill then no tbe maintained. You will
be driving at th espee dyou determine by
th eposition of th eaccelerato rpedal.
You can also activat eDISTRONI C PLUSwhen
stationary. The lowes tspee dthat can be setis
20 mph (30 km/h).
XBriefly pull th ecruise control lever towards
you ;or pre ssit up :or down =.
DISTRONI CPLU Sis selected.
Acti vating at th ecurren tspeed/las t
store dspeed
GWARNIN G
If you call up th estore dspee dand it differ s
from th ecurren tspeed, th evehicl eacceler -
ate sor decelerates. If you do no tknow th e
store dspeed, th evehicl ecould accelerate or
brak eunexpectedly. There is aris kof an acci-
dent.
Pay attention to th eroad and traffic condi-
tion sbefore calling up th estore dspeed. If you
184Driving systems
Driving and parking

press the cruise control lever up:or
down ;to the pressure point.
Every time the cruise control lever is
pressed up :or down ;, the last speed
stored is increased or reduced.
iIf you accelerate to overtake, DISTRONIC
PLUS adjusts the vehicle's speed to the last
speed stored after you have finished over-
taking.
Setting the specified minimum distance
You can set the specified minimum distance
for DISTRONIC PLUS by varying the time span
between one and two seconds. With this func-
tion, you can set the minimum distance that
DISTRONIC PLUS keeps to the vehicle in
front, dependent on vehicle speed. You can
see this distance in the multifunction display
(
Ypage 187).
iMake sure that you maintain the mini-
mum distance to the vehicle in front as
required by law. Adjust the distance to the vehicle in front if necessary.
XTo increase: turn control;in direction
=.
DISTRONIC PLUS then maintains a greater
distance between your vehicle and the
vehicle in front.
XTo decrease: turn control;in direc-
tion :.
DISTRONIC PLUS then maintains a shorter
distance between your vehicle and the
vehicle in front.
DISTRONIC PLUS displays in the instru-
ment cluster
Displays in the speedometer
When you switch on DISTRONIC PLUS, trian-
gle ;shows the stored speed.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects a vehicle in front,
segments between the speed of the vehicle in
front :and stored speed ;light up. The
segments likewise light up if a vehicle in front
is detected in the fast lane.
iFor design reasons, the speed displayed
in the speedometer may differ slightly from
the speed set for DISTRONIC PLUS.
Display when DISTRONIC PLUS is deacti-
vated
:Vehicle in front, if detected
;Distance indicator, current distance to
the vehicle in front
=Specified minimum distance to the vehi-
cle in front; adjustable
?Own vehicle
Driving systems187
Driving and parking
Z

In the Assistance menu (Ypage 244) of the
on-board computer, you can select the assis- tance graphics display.
XSelect the Assistance Graphicfunction
using the on-board computer
(
Ypage 243).
Display when DISTRONIC PLUS is activa-
ted
:DISTRONIC PLUS active (text only
appears when the cruise control lever is
actuated)
;Vehicle in front, if detected
=Specified minimum distance to the vehi-
cle in front; adjustable
?Own vehicle
In the Assistance menu (
Ypage 244) of the
on-board computer, you can select the assis-
tance graphics display.
XSelect the Assistance Graphicfunction
using the on-board computer
(
Ypage 243).
You will see the stored speed for about five
seconds when you activate DISTRONIC PLUS.
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 electric parking brake or if
the vehicle is automatically secured with
the electric 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 has skidded
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-
188Driving systems
Driving and parking