
Shifting to neutralN
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 arisk 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.
XMake sure that the vehicle is stationary.
XDepress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
XDepending on the current transmission posi-
tion, press the selector lever forwards or
backwards to the first point of resistance.
The automatic transmission shifts into N.
If the engine has been switched off, the auto-
matic transmission automatically shifts to N.
If the vehicle is braked to astandstill in neutral
N,t he ECO start/stop function switches off the
engine automatically (
Ypage 106).
Remaining in neutra lN
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 arisk 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.
XMake sure that the vehicle is stationary.
XMake sure that the ignition is switched on.
XDepress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
XShift to neutral N.
XRelease the brake pedal.
XMake sure that the parking brake is released.
XSwitch off the ignition and leave the SmartKey
in the ignition lock.
Engaging drive position D
XMake sure that the vehicle is stationary.
XDepress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
XPush the selector lever back past the first
point of resistance.
The automatic transmission shifts into D.
If the vehicle is braked to astandstill in trans-
mission position D,the ECO start/stop function
switches off the engine automatically
(
Ypage 106).
Automatic transmission111
Driving and parking
Z

Transmission positions
BPark position
Thisprevents the vehicl efromr olling
away when stopped.
Onlys hift the transmission into posi-
tion Pwhen the vehicl eisstationary
(
Ypage 110). The parkin gloc k
shoul dnot be used as abrake when
parking. Alway sapply the parking
brake in additio ntothe parkin gloc k
in order to secur ethe vehicle.
The SmartKeyc an onlyberemove dif
the transmission is in position P.
When there is no SmartKeyint he
ignition lock, the selecto rlev er is
locked in position P.
CRevers egear
Onlys hift the transmission into posi-
tion Rwhen the vehicl eisstationary.
A!Coasting in neutral imay
cause damage to the drive train.
Neutral
Do not shift the transmission to N
whil edriving. Otherwise, the auto-
matic transmission could be dam-
aged.
No powe ristransmitted fromt he
engine to the drive wheels.
Releasing the brakes will allo wyouto
mov ethe vehicl efreely, e.g .topush
it or tow it.
If ESP
®is deactivated or faulty and
the vehicl eisindangerofs kidding
e.g .oni cy roads :shift the transmis-
sion to position N.
If yo uengag ethe transferc ase, shift
briefl yinto N(
Ypage 146).
7Drive
The automatic transmission changes
gear automatically. All forward gears
ar ea vailable.
Changin ggear
The automatic transmission shifts to the indi-
vidua lgears automaticall ywhenitisint rans-
mission position D.T hisa utomatic gear shifting
behavio risdetermine dby:
Rashift range restriction, if selected
Rthe positio nofthe transferc ase( HIGH
RANGE orLO WR ANGE )
Rthe positio nofthe accelerator pedal
Rthe roa dspeed
Driving tips
Accelerator peda lposition
Your style of drivin ginfluences how the auto-
matic transmission shifts gear:
Rlittle throttle :early upshifts
Rmor ethrottle :lat eu pshifts
Kickdown
Use kickdow nfor maximum acceleration.
XDepres sthe accelerator peda lbeyond the
pressure point.
The automatic transmission shifts to alower
gear depending on the engine speed.
XEas eoff the accelerator peda lonce the
desired spee disreached.
The automatic transmission shifts back up.
Kickdown is not availabl einthe permanent man-
ua ld rive programonM ercedes-AMG vehicles.
Rockin gthe vehicle free
Rocking freebys hifting back and forth between
transmission positions Dand Rcan help to free
the vehicl eifitgetss tuck. The vehicle's engine
management system limits the spee dtoamax-
imu mof5m ph (9 km/h )whens hifting back and
forth.
Shifting back and forth between transmission
positions Dand R:
XMovethe selecto rlev er forwards or back-
wards past the point of resistance.
112Automati ctransmission
Driving an dparking

Problems with the fuel and fuel tank
ProblemPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
Fuel is leaking from the
vehicle.GWARNING
The fuel line or the fuel tank is defective.
There is arisk of fire or explosion.
XApply the parking brake.
XTurn the SmartKey to position g(Ypage 104) immediately and
remove it.
XDo not restart the engine under any circumstances.
XConsult aqualified specialist workshop.
The fuel filler flap cannot
be opened.The fuel filler flap is not unlocked.
XUnlock the vehicle (Ypage 63).
XOpen the rear door.
XManually unlock the fuel filler flap using the emergency release
(Ypage 119).
The SmartKey battery is discharged or nearly discharged.
XUnlock the vehicle using the mechanical key (Ypage 64).
The fuel filler flap is unlocked, but the opening mechanism is jammed.
XManually unlock the fuel filler flap using the emergency release
(Ypage 119).
XConsult aqualified 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 arisk 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 arisk 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.
120Parking
Driving and parking

To ensure that the vehicle is safeguarded
against rolling away unintentionally:
Rthe parking brake must be applied.
Rthe transmission must be in positionPand the
SmartKey must be removed from the ignition
lock
Rthe transfer case must not be in the neutral
position
Rthe front wheels must be turned towards the
curb on steep uphill or downhill gradients
Rthe empty vehicle must be secured at the
front axle with awheel chock or similar
object ,for example, on uphill or downhill gra-
dients
Ral aden vehicle must also be secured at the
rear axle with awheel chock or similar object,
for example, on uphill or downhill gradients
Switching off the engine
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, alwayss witch
to parking position P.Prevent the parked vehi-
cle from rolling away by applying the parking
brake.
XShift the automatic transmission to position
P.
XTurn the SmartKey to position 0in the ignition
lock and remove it.
The immobilizer is activated.
XApply the parking brake firmly.
XTurn the steerin gwheel until the steering
wheel lock engages.
If you switch the engine off with the transmis-
sion in position Ror D,t he automatic transmis-
sion shifts to Nautomatically.
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 Pautomatically.
If you switch off the engine while the transmis-
sion is in position N,t he automatic transmission
remains in Neven if adoor is opened. The auto-
matic transmission only automatically shifts into neutral
Nwhen you switch off the engine
using the SmartKey.
Parking brake
GWARNING
If you must brake the vehicle with the parking brake, the braking distance is considerably
longer and the wheels could lock. There is an
increased danger of skidding 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. If the
wheels lock, release the parking brake until
the wheels begin turnin gagain.
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 arisk of
an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, alwayst ake the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children unsupervised in the vehicle.
If you brake the vehicle with the parking brake,
the brake lamps will not light up.
If you pull away with the parking brake applied,
aw arning ton esounds.
Parking121
Driving and parking
Z

XTo apply:pull parking brake lever ;up
firmly.
Whe nthe ignition is switched on, the F
(US Aonly) or J(Canada only) indicator
lamp in the instrument cluster lights up.
XTo release: pull parking brake lever ;
slightly.
XPress release button :and guid eparking
brake ;down to the stop.
The F (USAonly) or !(Canada only)
indicator lamp in the instrument cluster goes
out.
The vehicl ecan also be braked during an emer-
genc ybyu sing the parking brake.
XTo brake in an emergency: press and hold
release button :and carefull ypullp arking
brake lever ;upwards.
If yo udrive on we troads or dirt-covered surfa-
ces, roads alta nd/or dirt could get into the
parking brake.
In order to prevent corrosion and areduction in
the braking powe rofthe parking brake, observe
the following:
Rpull the parking brake up with release but-
ton :depressedf rom time to time before
beginning ajourney.
Rdrive for approximately1 10 yds(100 m) at a
maximu mspeed of 12 mph (20 km/h)
Parking the vehicle for alon gp eriod
If yo uleave the vehicl eparked for longer than
fourw eeks, the battery maybed amaged by
exhaustive discharging.
If yo ulea ve the vehicl eparked for longer thans ix
weeks, the vehicl emaysuffer damage as a
resul toflackofu se.
XVisit aquali fied specialist workshop and seek
advice.
iYo uc an obtai ninformatio nabout trickle
chargers from aquali fied specialist work-
shop.
Driving tips
General driving tips
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If yo uswitch off the ignition whil edriving,
safety-relevant functions are onlya vailable
with limitations, or not at all. Thi scould affect,
for example, the powe rsteering and the brake
boosting effect. Yo uwillr equire considerably
more effort to steera nd brake. There isarisk
of an accident.
Do not switch off the ignition whil edriving.
GWARNING
If yo uoperate mobil ecommunication equip-
ment whil edriving ,you will be distracted from
traffic conditions. Yo ucould also lose control
of the vehicle. There is ariskofana ccident.
Onlyo perate thise quipment when the vehicle
is stationary.
Observe the legalr equirements for the country
in which yo uare driving .Some jurisdictions pro-
hibi tthe driver from using amobilephone while
driving avehicle.
If yo umakeac allw hile driving ,alway suse
hands-free mode. Onlyo perate the telephone
when the traffic situatio npermits. If yo uare
unsure, pull overtoas afel oc ation and stop
before operating the telephone.
Bea rinm ind thatata speed of only30m ph
(approximately50k m/h), the vehiclecovers a
distance of 44 ft (approximately1 4m)per sec-
ond.
Drive sensibly –save fuel
Observe the following tips to save fuel:
XThe tires should always be inflated to the rec-
ommended tire pressure.
XRemove unnecessary loads.
XRemove roof carriersw hen they are not nee-
ded.
XWarm up the engin eatlow engin espeeds.
XAvoid frequenta cceleration or braking.
XHave all servicea nd maintenancework car-
ried out at the specified intervals.
122Driving tips
Driving and parking

Fuelconsumptio nalsoi ncreases whe ndriving in
cold weather, in stop-start traffi cand in hilly ter-
rain.
Drinking and driving
GWARNING
Drinking and driving and/o rtaking drugs and
driving are very dangerous combinations.
Even asmall amount of alcoholord rugs can
affect your reflexes,p erceptions and judg-
ment.
The possibility of aseriousore ven fatalacci-
dent is greatly increased whe nyou drink or
take drugs and drive.
Do not drink or take drugs and drive or allow
anyone to drive who has bee ndrinking or tak-
ing drugs.
Emissionc ontrol
GWARNING
Combustio nengines emitp oisonousexhaust
gases such as carbon monoxide. Inhaling
these exhaust gases leads to poisoning. There
is ar isk of fata linjury. Therefore never leave
the engine running in enclosed spaces with-
outs ufficient ventilation.
Certai nengine systems are designe dtokeep
the level of poisonousc omponents in exhaust
fume swithin legal limits.
These systems only wor katpeakefficiency if
they are serviced exactl yinaccordance with the
manufacturer's specifications. Alway shave
wor kont he engine carried outata qualified
specialist workshop.M ercedes-Benz recom-
mends that yo uuse an authorized Mercedes-
Benz Center for this purpose. In particular, work
relevant to safety or on safety-related systems
mus tbec arried outata qualified specialist
workshop.
The engine setting smustn ot be changed under
any circumstances. Furthermore,a llspecific
service wor kmustb ec arried outatr egular
intervals and in accordance with the Mercedes-
Benz service requirements. You can obtain cur-
rent information concerning the servicing of
your vehicle at any time from aquali fied spe-
cialist workshop.T hiscould be an overvie wof the maintenance wor
korany additional main-
tenance work, for example.
Brakes
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If yo ushift downonaslippery roads urface in
an attemp ttoincrease the engine's braking
effect, the drive wheels could los etheirg rip.
There is an increased danger of skidding and
accidents.
Do not shift downf or additional engine brak-
ing on aslippery roads urface.
GWARNING
If yo uselect the LOW RANG Eoff-roadg earon
as lippery roads urface,the wheels could lose
traction:
Rif yo uremove your foot from the accelera-
tor pedal whe ndriving
Rif off roadA BS intervenes whe nbraking
If the wheels los etraction. the vehicle can no
longer be steered. There is an increased dan-
ger of skidding and accidents.
Nevers elect the LOW RANG Eoff-roadg ear
whe ndriving on slippery roads urfaces.
Information on the parking brake (
Ypage 121).
Downhillg radients
!On long and steep gradients, yo umust
reduce the loa donthe brakes by shifting to a
lower gearing oodtime. Thisa llow syou to
take advantage of the engine's braking effect.
Thish elps yo utoavoid overheating the
brakes and wearing them oute xcessively.
Wheny outake advantage of engine braking, a
drive wheel may not turn for some time, e.g.
on aslippery roads urface.Thisc ould cause
damag etothe drive train. Thist ypeofd amage
is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz war-
ranty.
Thisa lsoa pplies if cruise control or DISTRONIC
PLUS is activated.
Drivin gtips123
Drivin gand parking
Z

Heavy and light loads
GWARNING
If you rest you rfoot on the brake pedalw hile
driving, the braking system can overheat. This increases the stopping distance and can even
caus ethe braking system to fail .There is a
risk of an accident.
Never use the brake pedalasaf ootrest. Never
depress the brake pedala nd the accelerator
pedalatt he same time.
!Depressing the brake pedalc onstantly
results in excessive and premature weart o
the brake pads.
If the brakes have been subjected to aheavy
load, do not stop the vehiclei mmediately. Drive
on for ashort while. This allows the airflow to
cool the brakes more quickly.
Wet roads
If driving in heavy rain for aprolonged period of
time without braking, there may be adelayed
reactio nfrom the brakes when braking for the
first time. This may als ooccur after the vehicle
has been washed.
You have to depress the brake pedalm ore
firmly.M aintainagreater distance from the
vehicleinf ront.
After driving on awet road or having the vehicle
washed, brake firmly while paying attention to
the traffic conditions. This wil lwarmupt he
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, alayer of sal tresi-
due may form on the brake discs and brake
pads. This can result in asignificantly longer
braking distance.
RIn order to prevent any sal tbuild-up, apply the
brakes occasionall ywhile paying attention to
the traffic conditions.
RCarefully depress the brake pedala nd the
beginning and end of ajourney.
RMaintain agreater distance to the vehicle
ahead.
Servicing the brakes
!The brake flui dlevelm ay be too low,i f:
Rif the red brake warning lamp lights up in
the instrument cluste rand
Ryou hearaw arning tone while the engine is
running
Observe additiona lwarning messages in the
multifunction display.
The brake flui dlevelm ay be too low due to
brake pad wearorl eaking brake lines.
Have the brake system checked immediately. Consult aqualified specialist workshopt o
arrange this.
!If the brake warning lamp lights up in the
instrument cluste rand you hearaw arning
tone even though the parking brake has been
released ,the brake flui dlevelm ay be too low.
Observe additionalw arning messages in the
multifunction display.
The brake flui dlevelm ay be too low due to
brake pad wearorl eaking brake lines.
Have the brake system checked immediately.
This work should be carrie dout at aqualified
specialist workshop.
!Af unction or performance test should only
be carrie dout on a2-axle dynamometer. If
you wis htooperate the vehicleons uch a
dynamometer, please consul taqualified spe-
cialist workshopina dvance. You couldoth-
erwise damage the drive train or the brake
system.
!The ESP®system operates automatically.I f
the parking brake is tested on abrake dyna-
mometer (for amaximu moften seconds),t he
engine and the ignitio nmust be switched off.
Braking triggereda utomatically by ESP
®may
otherwise caus esevere damage to the brake
system.
All checks and maintenance work on the brake
system must be carrie dout at aqualified spe-
cialist workshop.
Have brake pad sinstalled and brake fluid
replaced at aqualified specialist workshop.
If the brake system has only been subject to
moderate loads, you shoul
d test the functional-
ity of you rbrakes at regular intervals.
Informatio nonBAS (Brake Assist) (
Ypage5 8).
124Driving tips
Driving and parking

For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends only installing the following brake disks
and brake pads/linings:
Rbrake disks that havebeena pproved by
Mercedes-Benz
Rbrake pads/lining sthat hav ebeena pproved
by Mercedes-Benz or that are of an equivalent
standard of quality
Other brake disks or brake pads/lining scan
compromise the safety of your vehicle.
Alway sreplace al lbrake disks and brake pads/
linings on an axl eatthe sam etime. Always
install new brake pads/lining swhenr eplacing
brake disks.
The vehicle is equipped with lightweight brake
disks to which the wheel assembly with rim and
threaded connectio nismatched.
The use of brake discs other than those
approved by Mercedes-Benz may alter track
width and is subject to approval ,ifapplicable.
Shock-typ eloads whe nhandling the brake
discs, such as whe nchanging wheels ,can lead
to areduction in comfortw hend riving with light-
weigh tbrake discs. Avoid shock-type loads on
the lightweight brake disks, particularly on the
brake plate.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that yo uonly use
brake fluid that has bee nspeciall yapproved for
your vehicle by Mercedes-Benz, or which corre-
sponds to an equivalent quality standard .Brake
fluid which has not bee napproved for
Mercedes-Benz vehicles or which is not of an
equivalent quality could affect your vehicle's
operating safety.
High-performance brake (Mercedes-
AMG vehicles)
The AMG brake systems are designe dfor heavy
loads. Thism ay leadtonoisew henb raking.
Thisw illd epend on:
RSpeed
RBraking force
RAmbient conditions, e.g. temperature and
humidity
The wear of individua lbrake system compo-
nents such as the brake pads/lining sorbrake
discs depends on individua ldriving styl eand
operating conditions.
For this reason, it is impossible to state amile-
ag ethat will be valid under al lcircumstances. An
aggressive driving styl ewilll ea dtoh ighw ear. You can obtain more information on this from a
qualified specialist workshop.
New and replaced brake pads and discs only
reach theiro
ptimum braking effect afte rseveral
hundred kilometers of driving. Compensate for
this by applying greater force to the brake pedal. Keept his in mind ,and adap tyou rd riving and
braking accordingly during this break-in period.
Excessive heavy braking results in correspond-
ingl yhighb rake wear. If the brake pads/linings
hav ereached theirw earlim it, the multifunction
displa yshowsac orresponding message. Espe-
ciall yfor hig hperformance driving, it is impor-
tant to maintain and hav ethe brake system
checked regularly.
Drivingons lippery surfaces
!
Where possible, avoid spinning the drive
wheels whe npulling away on slippery roads.
You could otherwise damag ethe drive train.
Thist ypeofd amageisn ot covered by the
terms of the Mercedes-Benz warranty.
!If possible, do not let the drive wheels spin.
Otherwise ,you could damag ethe drive train.
XEngag ethe differential locks if necessary
(Ypage 148).
Drivingonw etroads
Hydroplaning
If water has accumulated to acertain depth on
the roads urface,there is adanger of hydro-
planing occurring, even if:
Ryo ud rive at low speeds
Rthe tires hav eadequate treadd epth
For this reason, in the event of heavy rai norin
conditions in which hydroplaning may occur,
yo um ustd rive in the following manner:
Rlower your speed
Ravoid ruts
Ravoid sudden steering movements
Rbrake carefully
Drivingonf loodedroads
!Do not drive through floodeda reas. Check
the depth of any water before driving through
it. Drive slowl ythrough standing water. Oth-
Drivin gtips125
Drivin gand parking
Z