Notes on breaking-in a new vehicle
Important safety notes
The sensor system of some driving and driving
safety systems adjusts automatically while a
certain distance is being driven after the vehiclehas been delivered or after repairs. Full system
effectiveness is not reached until the end of this
teach-in procedure.
New and replaced brake pads and discs only
reach their optimum braking effect after several hundred kilometers of driving. Compensate for
this by applying greater force to the brake pedal.
The first 1000 miles (1500 km)
The more you look after the engine when it is
new, the more satisfied you will be with its per-
formance in the future.
RYou should therefore drive at varying vehicle
and engine speeds for the first 1000 miles
(1500 km).
RIdeally, for the first 1,000 miles (1,500 km),
drive in program C.
RDo not drive faster than 85 mph (140 km/h)
for the first 1,000 miles (1,500 km).
ROnly allow the engine to reach a maximum
engine speed of 4,500 rpm briefly.
RAvoid heavy loads, e.g. driving at full throttle,
during this period.
RDo not exceed Ôof the maximum permitted
engine speed for each gear.
RShift up into manual mode Mand temporary
manual drive program in good time.
RDo not carry out a RACE START.
RDo not manually shift to a lower gear to brake
the vehicle.
RTry to avoid depressing the accelerator pedal
beyond the point of resistance (kickdown).
After 1000 miles (1500 km), you can increase
the engine speed gradually and accelerate the
vehicle to full speed.
You should also observe these notes on break-
ing in if the engine or parts of the drive train on
your veh icle h
ave been replaced.
Always observe the respective speed limits.
Driving
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Objects in the driver's footwell can restrict the pedal travel or obstruct a depressed pedal.
The operating and road safety of the vehicle is
jeopardized. There is a risk of an accident.
Make sure that all objects in the vehicle are
stowed correctly, and that they cannot enter
the driver's footwell. Install the floormats
securely and as specified in order to ensure
sufficient clearance for the pedals. Do not use
loose floormats and do not place floormats on
top of one another.
GWARNING
Unsuitable footwear can hinder correct usage of the pedals, e.g.:
Rshoes with thick soles
Rshoes with high heels
Rslippers
There is a risk of an accident.
Wear suitable footwear to ensure correct
usage of the pedals.
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. You will require considerably
more effort to steer and brake. There is a risk
of an accident.
Do not switch off the ignition while driving.
GWARNING
If the parking brake has not been fully
released when driving, the parking brake can:
Roverheat and cause a fire
Rlose its hold function.
There is a risk of fire and an accident. Release
the parking brake fully before driving off.
Driving101
Dr iving an d parking
Z
Certain engine systems are designed to keep
the level ofpoisonous components inexhaust
fumes within legal limits.
These systems only work at peak efficiency if
they are serviced exact ly inaccordance with the
manufacturer's specific ations.Always have
work on the engine carried out at a qualified
specialist workshop. Mercedes-Benz recom-
men dsthat you use an authorized Mercedes-
Benz Center for th ispurpose. Inparticular, work
relevant to safety or on safety-related systems
must becarried out at a qualified specialist
workshop.
The engine settings must not bechanged under
any circumstances. Furthermore, all specific
service work must becarried out at regular
intervals and inaccordance with the Mercedes-
Benz service requirements. Details can befound
in the Maintenance Booklet.
Brakes
Important safety notes
GWAR NING
If you shift downon aslippery road surface in
an attempt to increase the engine's braking
effect, the drive wheels could lose their grip.
There isan increased danger of skiddin g and
acc iden ts.
Do not shift downforaddit ional engine brak-
ing on a slippery road surface.
Downhill gradients
!On long and steep gradients, you must
reduce the load on the brakes byshifting to a
lower gear ingood time. This allowsyou to
take advantage of the engine's braking effect.
This helps you to avoid overheating the
brakes and wearing them out excessively.
When you take advantage of engine braking, a
driv e wheel may not turn for some time, e.g.
on a slippery road surface. This could cause
damage to the drive train. This type of damage
is not covered bythe Mercedes-Benz war-
ranty.
This also appliesif cruise control, DI STRONIC
PLUS or SPEEDTRONIC are activated.
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 inexcessive 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 allowsthe airflow to
cool the brakes more quickly.
Wet roads
If you have driven for a long time inheavy rain
wit hout 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 vehicle
washed, brake firmly while paying attention to
the traffic conditions. This willwarm up the
brake discs, thereby drying them more quickly
and protecting them against corrosion.
Limited braking performance on salt-
treated roads
If you drive on salted roads, a layer of salt resi-
due 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 attention to
the traffic conditions.
RCaref ullydepress the brake pedal and the
beginning and end of a journey.
RMaintain a greater distance to the vehicle
ahead.
124Driving tips
Driving and parking
Drivingsystems
Cruis econtro l
General notes
Cruise contro lmaintain s aconstant road speed
fo ryou. It brake sautomatically in order to avoid
exceedin gth eset speed. Change into alowe r
gear in goo dtime on lon gand steep downhill
gradients. Thi sis especially important if th e
vehicle is laden. By doin gso, you will mak euse
of th ebraking effect of th eengine. Thi srelieves
th eload on th ebrake syste mand prevents th e
brake sfrom overheatin gand wearin gto o
quickly.
Use cruise contro lonly if road and traffic con-
dition smak eit appropriat eto maintain asteady
speed fo r aprolonged period. You can stor eany
road speed abov e20 mph (30 km/ h).
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 addition, the ésymbol
appears in the multifunction display. In the
speedometer, the segments 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 driv-
ing 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 auto-
matically 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 auto-
matically applying the brakes.
Storing, maintaining and calling up a
speed
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.
Driving systems127
Driving and parking
Z
Change into a lower gearingood time on long
and steep downhillgradients. This isespecially
impo rtant ifthe veh icle isladen. 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 wear-
ing too quickly.
If DI ST RONIC PLUS detects that there isa risk of
a co llisio n, you will be warned visually and
acoustically. DI STRONIC PLUS cannot prevent a
co llisio nwit hout your intervention. An intermit-
tent warning tone willthen sound and the dis-
tance warning lamp willlight up inthe instru-
ment cluster. Brake immediately inorder to
increase the distance to the veh icle infront or
take evasive action pro videdit is safe to doso.
DI ST RONIC PLUS operates inrange between
0 mph (0 km/h) and 120 mph (200 km/h).
Do not use DI STRONIC PLUS while driving on
roads with steep gradients.
As DI STRONIC PLUS transmits radar waves, it
can resemble the radar detectors of the respon-
sible authorities. You can refer to the relevant
chapter inthe Operator's Manual ifquestions
are asked about this.
iUSA only: This device has been approved by
the FCC as a "Vehicular Radar System". The
radar sensor isintended for use inan auto-
motive radar system only. Removal, tamper-
in
g, or altering of the device willvoid any war-
ranties, and isnot permitted bythe FCC. Do
not tamper with, alter, or use inany non-
approved way.
Any unauthorized mod ification to th isdevice
could void the user's authority to operate the
equipm ent.
iCanada only: This device co mplieswit h
RSS -210 of Industry Canada. Operation is
subject to the foll owing two conditions:
1. This device may not cause harmful inter-
ference, and
2. This device must accept any interference
receive d,inc ludin g interference that may
cause undesired operation of the device.
Removal, tampering, or altering of the device
will void any warranties, and isnot permitte d.
Do not tamper with, alter, or use inany non-
approved way.
Any unauthorized mod ification to th isdevice
could void the user's authority to operate the
equipm ent.
Important safety notes
GWARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS does not react to:
Rpeople or animals
Rstationary obstacles on the road, e.g. stop- ped or parked vehicles
Roncoming and crossing traffic
As a result, DI STRONIC PLUS may neither give
warnings nor intervene insuch situations.
There is a risk of an accident.
Alwa ys pay careful attention to the traff icsit-
uation and be ready to brake.
GWARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS cannot always clearly iden-
tify other road users and co mplex traffic sit-
uations.
In such cases, DI STRONIC PLUS may:
Rgive an unnecessary warning and then
brake the vehicle
Rneither givea warning nor intervene
Raccelerate or brake unexpect edly
There isa risk of an accident.
Continue to drive carefully and be ready to
brake, in particular when warned to do so by
DISTRONIC PLU S.
GWARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS brakes your vehicle with up to 50 %of the maximum possible deceleration.
If this braking force is insufficient, DISTRONIC
PLUS warns you visually and audibly. There is a risk of an accident.
In such cases, apply the brakes yourself and
try to take evasive action.
!If DISTRONIC PLUS or the HOLD function is
activated, the vehicle brakes automatically in
certain situations.
To prevent damage to the vehicle, deactivate
DISTRONIC PLUS and the HOLD function in
the following or other similar situations:
Rwhen towing the vehicle
Rin the car wash
Driving systems129
Driving and parking
Z
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If you operate information systems and com-
munication equipmen tintegrate din th evehi-
cle while driving ,you will be distracte dfrom
traffic conditions. You could also lose control
of th evehicle. Ther eis aris kof an accident.
Only operate th eequipmen twhen th etraffic
situation permits. If you are no tsur ethat this
is possible ,park th evehicl epayin gattention
to traffic condition sand operate th eequip-
men twhen th evehicl eis stationary.
You must observ eth elegal requirements for th e
country in whic hyou are currentl ydriving when
operating th eon-board computer.
GWARNIN G
If th einstrumen tcluste rhas faile dor mal-
functioned, you may no trecognize function
restriction sin systems relevan tto safety. The
operating safet yof your vehicl emay be
impaired .Ther eis aris kof an accident.
Drive on carefully. Hav eth evehicl echecke d
at aqualified specialist workshop immedi-
ately.
The on-board computer only shows message sor
warning sfrom certain systems in th emultifunc-
tion display. You should therefor emak esur e
your vehicl eis operating safely at all times .
If th eoperating safet yof your vehicl eis
impaired ,pull ove ras soo nas it is saf eto do so.
Contac t aqualified specialist workshop.
Fo ran overview, see th einstrumen tpanel illus-
tration (
Ypage 30).
Displays and operation
Speedometer with segments
The segments in th espeedometer indicat e
whic hspee drange is available.
RCruis econtrol activated (Ypage 127):
The segments ligh tup from th estore dspee d
to th etype-tested maximum speed.
RDISTRONI CPLU Sactivated (Ypage 128): On
eor two segments in th eset spee drange
ligh tup.
RDISTRONI CPLU Sdetects avehicl ein fron t
that is driving at aslower spee dthan th e
store dspeed:
The segments between th espee dof th evehi-
cle in fron tand th estore dspee dligh tup.
Tachometer
!
Do no tdriv ein th eoverrevving range, as this
could damag eth eengine.
The red ban din th etachometer indicates th e
engine's overrevving range.
The fuel suppl yis interrupted to protect th e
engin ewhen th ered ban dis reached.
Outside temperature display
You should pay special attention to road condi-
tion swhen temperatures are aroun dfreezing
point.
Bea rin min dthat th eoutside temperature dis-
play indicates th etemperature measured and
does no trecord th eroad temperature.
The outside temperature display is in th emulti-
function display (
Ypage 153).
Changes in th eoutside temperature are dis-
played after ashort delay.
Coolant temperature display
GWARNIN G
Opening th ehoo dwhen th eengin eis over-
heated or when there is afir ein th eengin e
compartmen tcould expos eyou to hot gase s
or other servic eproducts .Ther eis aris kof
injury.
Let an overheate dengin ecool down before
opening th ehood. If there is afir ein th e
engin ecompartment, keep th ehoo dclosed
and contact th efir edepartment.
!A display message is shown if th ecoolan t
temperature is to ohigh .
If th ecoolan ttemperature is ove r24 8 ‡
(12 0†), do no tcontinue driving .The engin e
will otherwise be damaged.
Displays and operation151
On-board computer and displays
Z
Engine
Display messagesPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
+
CheckCoolantLevelSee Operator's Man‐ual
The coolant level is too low.
!Avoid making long journeys with too little coolant in the engine
cooling system. The engine will otherwise be damaged.
XAdd coolant, observing the warning notes before doing so
(Ypage 231).
XIf coolant needs to be added more often than usual, have the engine coolant system checked at a qualified specialist workshop.
?The fan motor is faulty.
XAt coolant temperatures below 248 ‡(120 †), drive to the nearest
qualified specialist workshop.
XAvoid heavy loads on the engine as you do so, e.g. driving in moun-
tainous terrain and stop-and-go traffic.
?
Coolant Too HotStop Vehicle TurnEngine Off
The coolant is too hot.
A warning tone also sounds.
GWARNING
Do not drive when your engine is overheated. This can cause some
fluids which may have leaked into the engine compartment to catch
fire.
Steam from the overheated engine can also cause serious burns which
can occur just by opening the hood.
There is a risk of injury.
XPull over and stop the vehicle safely and switch off the engine, pay- ing attention to road and traffic conditions.
XSecure the vehicle against rolling away (Ypage 119).
XWait until the engine has cooled down.
XMake sure that the air supply to the engine radiator is not blocked,e.g. by snow, slush or ice.
XDo not start the engine again until the display message goes out and
the coolant temperature is below 248 ‡ (120 †). Otherwise, the
engine could be damaged.
XPay attention to the coolant temperature display.
XIf the temperature increases again, visit a qualified specialist work-
shop immediately.
Under normal operating conditions and with the specified coolant
level, the coolant temperature may rise to 248 ‡ (120 †).
178Display messages
On-board computer and displays
Display messagesPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
#
See Operator'sMan ‐ual
The battery is no tbein gcharged.
A warning tone also sounds.
Possibl ecauses are:
Radefective alternato r
Ratorn poly-V-belt
Ramalfunction in th eelectronics
!Do no tcontinu edriving. The engin ecould otherwise overheat.
XPull ove rand stop th evehicl esafely and switch off th eengine, pay-
ing attention to roa dand traffic conditions.
XSecur eth evehicl eagainst rollin gaway (Ypage 119).
XConsult aqualified specialist workshop .
#
StopVehicl eSeeOperator' sManual
The battery is no longer bein gcharged and th econdition of charg eis
to olow.
A warning tone also sounds.
XPull ove rand stop th evehicl esafely and switch off th eengine, pay-
ing attention to roa dand traffic conditions.
XSecur eth evehicl eagainst rollin gaway (Ypage 119).
XObserv eth einstruction sin th e# See Operator' sManualdisplay message .
XConsultaqualified specialist workshop .
#
Start Engine SeeOperator'sManual
The engin eis off and th ebattery condition of charg eis to olow.
XSwitc hoff electrical consumer sthat you do no tneed, suc has th e
rear window defroste rand interior lighting .
XLeaveth eengin erunnin gfor afew minute sor drive alon gdistance.
The battery is bein gcharged.
4
Check Engine OilLevel (Ad d 1quart)
The engin eoil level has dropped to th eminimum level.
!Avoid lon gjourneys wit hto olittl eengin eoil. The engin ewill oth-
erwise be damaged.
XChec kth eoil level when next refueling, at th elatest (Ypage 228).
XIf necessary, add engin eoil (Ypage 230).
XHav eth eengin echecke dat aqualified specialist workshop if engin e
oil needs to be added mor eoften than usual.
Information on approve dengin eoils can be obtained from aqualified
specialist workshop or on th eInternet at http://bevo.mercedes -
benz.co m.
4
Engine Oil LevelLow Stop VehicleTurn Engine Off
The engine oil level is too low. There is a risk of engine damage.
XPull over and stop the vehicle safely and switch off the engine, pay-
ing attention to road and traffic conditions.
XSecure the vehicle against rolling away (Ypage 119).
XCheck the engine oil level (Ypage 228).
XIf necessary, add engine oil (Ypage 230).
Display messages179
On-board computer and displays
Z
Display messagesPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
Transmission Mal‐function StopAmalfunction has occurred in th emechanical transmission compo -
nents.
A warning tone also sounds. The gearbox automatically shift sto posi-
tion N.
XPull ove rand stop th evehicl esafely as soo nas possible, payin g
attention to roa dand traffic conditions.
XShift th eselector lever to position P.
XSecureth evehicl eagainst rollin gaway (Ypage 119).
XNotify aqualified specialist workshop or breakdown service.
Depres sBrake toStart EngineYou canno tstart th eengine. The engin ewas switched off in position D
or R.
XDepress th ebrak epedal and start th eengine.
Onl yShift to 'P'whe nVehicl eisSta‐tionar y
The vehicl eis moving .
XPull overand stop th evehicl esafely as soo nas possible, payin g
attention to roa dand traffic conditions.
XShift th etransmission to position P.
j
ParkingLoc kMal ‐funct. Apply Park‐ing Brake
Transmission position Pcanno tbe selected.
XMak esur ethat th eelectric parking brak eis applied.
XPreven tth evehicl efrom rollin gaway before you leav eit
(Ypage 273).
XVisit aqualified specialist workshop .
d
Transmission OilCoolingMalfunction
The transmission coolan tpump is faulty. The transmission may over-
heat .
XIn th eon-boar dcomputer, select th eAMGmen uand chec kth e
transmission oil temperature (Ypage 162).
XAvoid excessive loading,e.g. due to dynamic driving.
XIf th etransmission oil temperature is less than 24 8‡( 120 †), you
can continue driving to the nearest qualified specialist workshop.
d
Trans. Oil Overhea‐ted Drive on withCare
The transmission oil has overheated.
Manual mode Mand temporary manual drive program are no longer
available. Only the Comfort setting is available for the transmission.
The engine output is reduced according to the degree of overheating.
XAllow the transmission oil to cool by adopting a defensive driving
style.
Electronic RearAxle DifferentialLock Inoperative
The electronic rear axle differential lock is inoperative.
XVisit a qualified specialist workshop.
Electronic RearAxle DifferentialLock CurrentlyUnavailable
The electronic rear axle differential lock motor has overheated.
XAllow electronic rear axle differential lock to cool by adopting a
defensive driving style.
186Display messages
On-board computer and displays