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Problems with the engine
ProblemPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
The engine does not
start. The starter motor
can be heard.RThere is a malfunction in the engine electronics.
RThere is a malfunction in the fuel supply.
Before attempting to start the engine again:
XTurn the Smartkey back to position 0in the ignition lock.
or
XPress the Start/Stop button repeatedly until all indicator lamps in
the instrument cluster go out.
XTry to start the engine again (Ypage 123). Avoid excessively long
and frequent attempts to start the engine as these will drain the
battery.
If the engine does not start after several attempts:
XConsult a qualified specialist workshop.
The engine does not
start. You cannot hear
the starter motor.The on-board voltage is too low because the battery is too weak or
discharged.
XJump-start the vehicle (Ypage 274).
If the engine does not start despite attempts to jump-start it:
XConsult a qualified specialist workshop.
The starter motor was exposed to a thermal load that was too high.
XAllow the starter motor to cool down for approximately two minutes.
XTry to start the engine again.
If the engine still does not start:
XConsult a qualified specialist workshop.
The engine is not running
smoothly and is misfir-
ing.There is a malfunction in the engine electronics or in a mechanical
component of the engine management system.
XOnly depress the accelerator pedal slightly.
Otherwise, non-combusted fuel may get into the catalytic converter
and damage it.
XHave the cause rectified immediately at a qualified specialist work-
shop.
The coolant temperature
gauge shows a value
above 248 ‡ (120 †).The coolant level is too low. The coolant is too hot and the engine is no
longer being cooled sufficiently.
XStop as soon as possible and allow the engine and the coolant to
cool down.
XCheck the coolant level (Ypage 256). Observe the warning notes
as you do so and add coolant if necessary.
Driving127
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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
kReverse gear
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 posi-
tion P,R,N or Dappear sin th etransmission position display in th
emultifunction display
(
Ypage 128).
Trans mission position and drive pr o-
gram display
!If th etransmission position display in th e
multifunction display is no tworking ,you
should pull away carefully to chec kwhether
th edesired transmission position is engaged.
Ideally, you should select transmission posi-
tion Dand drive program Eor S.
The curren ttransmission position and drive pro -
gram appear in th emultifunction display.
The arrows in th etransmission position display
sho whow and int owhic htransmission position s
you can chang eusin gth eDIRECT SELECT lever.
:Transmission position display
;Drive program display
Engaging pa rkposition P
!If th eengin espee dis to ohigh or th evehicl e
is moving ,do no tshif tth eautomatic trans -
mission directl yfrom Dto R,from Rto Dor
directl yto P. The automatic transmission
could otherwise be damaged.
XPush th eDIRECT SELECT lever in th edirection
of arrow P.
Transmission position display Pis shown in
th emultifunction display.
Depressing th ebrak eand pushing th eDIRECT
SELECT lever up or down disengages th epark -
ing lock. The transmission is in Nneutral.
In order to shif tfrom park position Pdirectl yint o
R or D:
Rdepress th ebrak epedal and
Rpush th eDIRECT SELECT lever up or down
past th efirst poin tof resistanc e
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Engaging park position P automatically
Park positionPis automatically engaged if:
Ryou switch off the engine using the Smartkey
and remove the Smartkey
Ryou switch off the engine using the Smartkeyor using the Start/Stop button and open the
driver's door or front-passenger door
Rthe driver's door is opened when the vehicle is
stationary or driving at very low speed and the transmission is in position Dor R
Under certain conditions, the automatic trans-
mission shifts automatically to transmission
position Pif the HOLD function or DISTRONIC
PLUS is activated. Observe the information on
the HOLD function (
Ypage 156) and on
DISTRONIC PLUS (Ypage 150).
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 informa-
tion on the ECO start/stop function
(
Ypage 125).
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 resist-
ance.
If you switch the engine off with the transmis-
sion in position Ror D, the automatic transmis-
sion shifts to Nautomatically.
With the Smartkey: if you then open the driv-
er's door or the front-passenger door or remove
the Smartkey from the ignition, the automatic
transmission shifts to Pautomatically.
With KEYLESS-GO: if you then open the driver's
or front-passenger door, the automatic trans-
mission shifts to P.
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:
XVehicles with KEYLESS-GO: remove the
Start/Stop button from the ignition lock.
XInsert the Smartkey into the ignition lock.
XAll vehicles: switch the ignition on.
XDepress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
XShift to neutral N.
XRelease the brake pedal.
XRelease the parking brake.
XSwitch off the ignition and leave the Smartkey
in the ignition lock.
Engaging drive position D
XIf the transmission is in position Ror N: push
the DIRECT SELECT lever down past the first
point of resistance.
XIf the transmission is in position P: depress
the brake pedal and push the DIRECT SELECT lever down past the first point of resistance.
Automatic transmission129
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Transmission positions
BPark position
Only shift the transmission into posi-
tionPwhen the vehicle is stationary
(
Ypage 138). The parking lock
should not be used as a brake when
parking. Always apply the parking
brake in addition to the parking lock
in order to secure the vehicle.
If the vehicle electronics are malfunc-
tioning, the transmission may be
locked in position P. Have the vehicle
electronics checked immediately at a
qualified specialist workshop.
Park position Pis automatically
engaged if:
Ryou switch off the engine using the
Smartkey and remove the Smart-
key
Ryou switch off the engine using the
Smartkey or using the Start/Stop
button and open the driver's door
or front-passenger door
Rthe driver's door is opened when
the vehicle is stationary or driving
at very low speed and the trans-
mission is in position Dor R
CReverse gear
Only shift the transmission into posi-
tion Rwhen the vehicle is stationary.
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 only 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 (Ypage 131)
Rthe position of the accelerator pedal
(Ypage 130)
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
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Page 133 of 318

Kickdown
Use kickdown for maximum acceleration:
XDepress theaccelerato rpedal beyon dth e
pressur epoint.
The automatic transmission shift sto alower
gear depending on th eengin espeed.
XEas eoff th eaccelerato rpedal once th e
desire dspeed is reached.
The automatic transmission shift sbac kup.
Rocking the vehicle free
Rocking th evehicl efree by shifting bac kand
forth between transmission position sD and R
can help to free avehicl ethat has become stuck
in mud or snow. The vehicle's engin emanage-
men trestrict sswitching between transmission
position sD and Rto speeds up to amaximum of
5 mph (9 km/h). To shift bac kand forth between
transmission position sD and R,mov eth e
DIRECT SELECT lever up and down past th e
poin tof resistance.
Program selector button
The programselector butto nallows you to
choos ebetween differen tdrivin gcharacteris -
tics .
Allvehicles (except vehicles wit hdynamic han -
dlin gpackag eor th eAM Gsport spackage)
XPress progra mselector butto n:.
The selected drive progra mappear sin th e
multifunction display.
Vehicles wit hdynamic handlin gpackag eor th e
AM Gsport spackag e
XPress progra mselector butto n:.
The selected drive progra mappear sin th e
multifunction display.
iThe permanen tdrive progra mM is available
on th efollowin gvehicles:
RVehicles wit hth edynamic handlin gpack-
age
RVehicles wit hth eAM GSport spackag e
Further information about permanen tdrive
progra mM (
Ypage 133).
As well as this permanen tdrive progra mM,
you can also activat etemporar ydrive pro -
gra mM (
Ypage 132).
EEconomyComfortable, economical
drivin g
SSportSport ydrivin gstyle
M ManualManual gear shifting
iForfurther information on th eautomatic
drive program, see (Ypage 132).
iThe automatic transmission shift sto auto -
matic drive progra mEeac htime th eengin eis
started.
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Steering wheel paddle shifters
In the manual drive program, you can change
gears manually using steering wheel paddle
shifters:and ;.
Further information about permanent drive pro-
gram M(
Ypage 133).
Further information about temporary drive pro-
gram M(
Ypage 132).
iYou can only change gear with the steering
wheel paddle shifters when the transmission
is in position D.
Automatic drive program
Automatic drive program E
Drive program Eis characterized by the follow-
ing:
Rcomfort-oriented engine settings.
Roptimal fuel consumption resulting from the
automatic transmission shifting up sooner.
Rthe vehicle pulling away more gently in
forward and reverse gears, unless the accel-
erator pedal is depressed fully.
Rincreased sensitivity. This improves driving
stability on slippery road surfaces, for exam-
ple.
Rthe automatic transmission shifting up
sooner. This results in the vehicle being driven
at lower engine speeds and the wheels being
less likely to spin.
Automatic drive program S
Drive program Sis characterized by the follow-
ing:
Rsporty engine settings.
Rthe automatic transmission shifting up later.
the fuel consumption possibly being higher as
a result of the later automatic transmission
shift points.
Manual drive program M
General notes
In this drive program, you can briefly change
gear yourself by using the steering wheel paddle
shifters. The transmission must be in position D.
You can activate manual drive program Min the
E and Sautomatic drive programs.
iAs well as temporary drive program M, you
can also activate permanent drive program M
(
Ypage 131).
Further information about permanent drive
program M(
Ypage 133).
Activating
XShift the transmission to position D.
XPull the left or right steering wheel paddle
shifter (Ypage 132).
Manual drive program Mis temporarily acti-
vated. The selected gear and Mappear in the
multifunction display.
Shifting gears
If you pull on the left or right steering wheel
paddle shifter, the automatic transmission
switches to manual drive program Mfor a limi-
ted amount of time. Depending on which paddle
shifter is pulled, the automatic transmission
immediately shifts into the next gear down or
up, if permitted.
XTo shift up: pull the right-hand steering wheel
paddle shifter (Ypage 132).
The automatic transmission shifts up to the
next gear.
iIf the maximum engine speed on the cur-
rently engaged gear is reached and you con-
tinue to accelerate, the automatic transmis-
132Automatic transmission
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sion automatically shifts up in order to pre-
vent engine damage.
XTo shift down:pull on the left-hand steering
wheel paddle shifter (Ypage 132).
The automatic transmission shifts down to
the next gear.
iIf the engine exceeds the maximum engine
speed when shifting down, the automatic
transmission protects against engine damage
by not shifting down.
iAutomatic down shifting occurs when
coasting.
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.
Deactivating
If you have activated manual drive program M, it
will remain active for a certain amount of time.
Under certain conditions the minimum amount
of time is extended, e.g. in the case of lateral
acceleration, during an overrun phase or when
driving on steep terrain.
If manual drive program Mhas been deactiva-
ted, the automatic transmission shifts into the
automatic drive program that was last selected.
You can also deactivate manual drive program
M yourself:
XPull on the right-hand steering wheel paddle
shifter and hold it in place (Ypage 132).
or
XUse the DIRECT SELECT lever to switch the
transmission position (Ypage 128). or
XUse the program selector button to change
the drive program (Ypage 131).
Manual drive program Mis deactivated. The
automatic transmission switches into the
automatic drive program that was last selec-
ted.
Manual drive program
General information
In this drive program, you can permanently
change gear yourself by using the steering
wheel paddle shifters. The transmission must be
in position D.
iAs well as this permanent drive program M,
you can also activate temporary drive pro-
gram M(
Ypage 132).
Switching on the manual drive program
XPress the program selector button
(Ypage 131) repeatedly until Mappears in
the multifunction display.
The manual drive program is only available on
vehicles with the dynamic handling package or
AMG sports package.
Manual drive program Mis different from drive
program Swith regard to spontaneity, respon-
siveness and smoothness of gear changes.
Manual drive program Mcan be selected using
the program selector button. In manual drive
program M, you can change gear using the
steering wheel paddle shifters if the transmis-
sion is in position D. The gear selected is shown
in the multifunction display.
Upshifting
XPull the right-hand steering wheel paddle
shifter.
The automatic transmission shifts up to the
next gear.
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Shift recommendation
The gearshift recommendations assist you in
adopting an economical driving style. The rec-
ommended gear is shown in the multifunction
display.
XIf corresponding gearshift recommenda-
tion:appears in the multifunction display
on the instrument cluster, pull on the right-
hand steering wheel paddle shifter
(
Ypage 132).
The automatic transmission shifts to recom-
mended gear ;.
Downshifting
XPull the left-hand steering wheel paddle
shifter.
The automatic transmission shifts down to
the next gear.
iIf you brake the vehicle or stop without shift-
ing down, the automatic transmission will
shift down to a gear that will allow the vehicle to accelerate or pull away again.
iTo avoid overrevving the engine when down-
shifting, the automatic transmission does not
shift to a lower gear if this would result in the
maximum engine speed being exceeded.
Kickdown
You can also use kickdown for maximum accel- eration in manual drive program M.
XDepress the accelerator pedal beyond the
pressure point.
The automatic transmission shifts to a lower
gear depending on the engine speed.
Switching off the manual drive program
XPress the program selector button
(Ypage 131).
134Automatic transmission
Driving and parking