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 to
a lower gear in good time. This allows you to
take advantage of the engine's braking
effect. For this, you need to have selected
manual drive program M. This helps you to
avoid overheating the brakes and wearing
them out excessively.
When you take advantage of the engine's
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.
Briefly depressing the accelerator pedal on
downhill gradients while the manual drive
program Mis temporarily activated: the auto-
matic transmission may switch to the last
active automatic drive program Eor S. The
automatic transmission may shift to a higher
gear. This can reduce the engine's braking
effect.
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.
Driving tips177
Driving an d parking
Z
Storing, maintaining and calling up a
speed
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.
Storing the current speed or calling up the
last stored speed
GWARNING
If you call up the stored speed and it differs
from the current speed, the vehicle acceler-
ates or decelerates. If you do not know the
stored speed, the vehicle could accelerate or brake unexpectedly. There is a risk of an acci-
dent.
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.
XBriefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you =.
XRemove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
The first time cruise control is activated, it
stores the current speed or regulates the
speed of the vehicle to the previously
stored speed.
Setting a speed
Keep in mind that it may take a brief moment
until the vehicle has accelerated or braked to
the speed set.
XPress the cruise control lever up :for a
higher speed or down ?for a lower speed.
XTo adjust the set speed in 1 mph incre-
ments (1 km/h increments): briefly
press the cruise control lever up :or
down ?to the pressure point.
The last stored speed increases or decrea-
ses in 1 mph (1 km/h) increments.
XTo adjust the set speed in 5 mph incre-
ments (10 km/h increments): briefly
press the cruise control lever up :or
down ?to the pressure point.
The last stored speed increases or decrea-
ses in 5 mph (10 km/h) increments.
iCruise control is not deactivated if you
depress the accelerator pedal. For exam-
ple, if you accelerate briefly to overtake,
cruise control adjusts the vehicle's speed
to the last speed stored after you have fin- ished overtaking.
Deactivating cruise control
There are several ways to deactivate cruise
control:
XBriefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards =.
or
XBrake.
Cruise control is automatically deactivated if:
Rthe vehicle is secured with the electric
parking brake
Ryou are driving at less than 20 mph
(30 km/h)
RESP®intervenes or you deactivate ESP®
Ryou shift the transmission to position N
while driving
If cruise control is deactivated, you will hear a
warning tone. You will see the Cruise con‐
Driving systems185
Driving and parking
Z
If these conditions are fulfilled, your vehicle is
accelerated. Acceleration will be interrupted
if changing lanes takes too long or if the dis-
tance between your vehicle and the vehicle in
front becomes too small.
Stopping
GWARNING
When leaving the vehicle, even if it is braked
only by DISTRONIC PLUS, it could roll away if:
Rthere is a malfunction in the system or in
the voltage supply.
RDISTRONIC PLUS has been deactivated
with the cruise control lever, e.g. by a vehi-
cle occupant or from outside the vehicle.
Rthe electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses have
been tampered with.
Rthe battery is disconnected.
Rthe accelerator pedal has been depressed, e.g. by a vehicle occupant.
There is a risk of an accident.
If you wish to exit the vehicle, always turn off
DISTRONIC PLUS and secure the vehicle
against rolling away.
For further information on deactivating
DISTRONIC PLUS (
Ypage 190).
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that the vehicle in
front is stopping, it brakes your vehicle until it is stationary.
Once your vehicle is stationary, it remains
stationary and you do not need to depress the
brake.
iAfter a time, the electric parking brake
secures the vehicle and relieves the service
brake.
iDepending on the specified minimum dis-
tance, your vehicle will come to a standstill
at a sufficient distance behind the vehicle in
front. The specified minimum distance is
set using the control on the cruise control
lever. When DISTRONIC PLUS is activated, the
transmission is shifted automatically to posi-
tion
Pif:
Rthe driver's seat belt is not fastened and the
driver's door is open.
Rthe engine is switched off, unless it is auto- matically switched off by the ECO start/
stop function.
The electric parking brake secures the vehicle
automatically if DISTRONIC PLUS is activated
when the vehicle is stationary and:
Ra system malfunction occurs.
Rthe power supply is not sufficient.
If a malfunction in the electric parking brake
occurs, then the transmission may also be
shifted into position Pautomatically.
Setting a speed
:To store the current speed or a higher
speed
;To store the current speed or a lower
speed
Keep in mind that it may take a brief moment
until the vehicle has accelerated or braked to
the speed set.
XPress the cruise control lever up :for a
higher speed or down ;for a lower speed.
XTo adjust the set speed in 1 mph incre-
ments (1 km/h increments): briefly
Driving systems189
Driving and parking
Z
press the cruise control lever up:or
down ?to the pressure point.
The last stored speed increases or decrea-
ses in 1 mph (1 km/h) increments.
XTo adjust the set speed in 5 mph incre-
ments (10 km/h increments): briefly
press the cruise control lever up :or
down ?to the pressure point.
The last stored speed increases or decrea-
ses in 5 mph (10 km/h) increments.
iDISTRONIC PLUS is not deactivated if you
depress the accelerator pedal. If you accel-
erate 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 191).
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 direc-
tion ;.
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.
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
If 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. DISTRONIC PLUS
is not deactivated if you depress the accel-
erator 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
190Driving systems
Driving and parking
detected vehicle turns a corner and reveals
an obstacle or stationary vehicle, DISTRONIC
PLUS will not brake for these.
Crossing vehicles
DISTRONIC PLUS may detect vehicles that
are crossing your lane by mistake. Activating
DISTRONIC PLUS at traffic lights with cross-
ing traffic, for example, could cause your vehi-
cle to pull away unintentionally.
HOLD function
General notes
The HOLD function can assist the driver in the
following situations:
Rwhen pulling away, especially on steep
slopes
Rwhen maneuvering on steep slopes
Rwhen waiting in traffic
The vehicle is kept stationary without the
driver having to depress the brake pedal.
The braking effect is canceled and the HOLD
function deactivated when you depress the
accelerator pedal to pull away.
Important safety notes
GWARNING
When leaving the vehicle, it can still roll away despite being braked by the HOLD function if:
Rthere is a malfunction in the system or in
the voltage supply.
Rthe HOLD function has been deactivated by
pressing the accelerator pedal or the brake
pedal, e.g. by a vehicle occupant.
Rthe electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses have
been tampered with.
Rthe battery is disconnected
There is a risk of an accident.
If you wish to exit the vehicle, always turn off the HOLD function and secure the vehicle
against rolling away.
!If DISTRONIC PLUS or the HOLD function
is activated, the vehicle brakes automati-
cally in certain situations.
To prevent damage to the vehicle, deacti-
vate DISTRONIC PLUS and the HOLD func-
tion in the following or other similar situa-
tions:
Rwhen towing the vehicle
Rin the car wash
Deactivating the HOLD function
(
Ypage 194).
Activation conditions
You can activate the HOLD function if:
Rthe vehicle is stationary
Rthe engine is running or if it has been auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/
stop function
Rthe driver's door is closed or your seat belt
is fastened
Rthe electric parking brake is released
RDISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated
Rthe transmission is in position D,Ror Non
vehicles with automatic transmission
Driving systems193
Driving and parking
Z
Activating the HOLD function
XMakesur ethat th eactivation condition s
are met .
XDepress th ebrak epedal .
XQuickl ydepress th ebrak epedal further
until :appear sin th emultifunction dis-
play.
The HOLD function is activated. You can
release th ebrak epedal .
iIf depressing th ebrak epedal th efirst
time does no tactivat eth eHOLD function ,
wait briefly and then tr yagain .
Deactivating the HOLD function
The HOLD function is deactivated automati-
callyif:
Ryou accelerate . Onvehicles wit hautomatic
transmission :only when th etransmission
is in position Dor R.
Rth etransmission is in position Pon vehicles
wit hautomatic transmission .
Ryou depress thebrak epedal again wit h a
certain amoun tof pressur euntil :disap -
pear sfrom th emultifunction display.
Ryou activat eDISTRONI CPLUS.
Ryou secure th evehicl eusin gth eelectric
parking brake.
iAfte r atime, th eelectric parking brak e
secures th evehicl eand relieves th eservic e
brake. When th
e HOLD function is activated, th e
transmission is shifte dautomatically to posi-
tion Pif:
Rthedriver' sseat belt is no tfastene dand th e
driver' sdoor is open .
Rtheengin eis switched off ,unless it is auto -
matically switched off by th eECO start/
stop function .
The electric parking brak esecures th evehicl e
automatically if th e HOLD function is activa-
te dwhen th evehicl eis stationary and :
Rasystem malfunction occur s.
Rthepower suppl yis no tsufficient.
Start-off assist (except Mercedes-
AMG vehicles)
Import ant safety notes
GWARNIN G
If you use start-off assist ,individual wheels
may start to spin and th evehicl emay skid. If
ES P
®is deactivated, there is agreate rdanger
of skiddin gand having an accident. Mak esur e
that no person sor obstacles are in th evicinity
of th evehicle.
Start-off assistenables optimum acceleration
from a standstill. Fo rthis, asuitably high-grip
road surfac eis required, alon gwit hth etires
and vehicl ebein gin proper operating condi-
tion .
Do no tactivat e start-off assiston public
road s.
Observ eth esafet ynote son driving safety
systems (
Ypage 65).
Be sure to read th e safetynote sand informa-
tion on ES P
®(Ypage 69).
Activating start-off assist
XDeactivat eES P®(Ypage 227).
XTurn th e steering whee lto th e straight -
ahead position .
194Driving systems
Driving and parking
Chassis with adaptive adjustable
damping
General notes
Suspension with the Adaptive Damping Sys-
tem provides improved driving comfort and
continuously controls the calibration of the
dampers. The damping characteristics adapt
to the current operating and driving situation.
The damping is tuned individually to each
wheel and depends on:
Ryour driving style, e.g. sporty
Rthe road surface conditions
Rthe drive program selected
Rthe vehicle level setting
The drive program can be set using the
DYNAMIC SELECT button (
Ypage 157).
Selecting Comfort mode
In the Comfort drive program, the driving
characteristics of your vehicle are more com-
fortable. Therefore, select this mode if you
favor a more comfortable driving style. Also
select the Comfortdrive program when driv-
ing fast on straight roads, e.g. on straight
stretches of highway.
XPress DYNAMIC SELECT button :
(
Ypage 157) as many times as necessary
until the Comfort drive program is selec-
ted.
Selecting Sport mode
The firmer setting of the suspension tuning in
the Sport drive program ensures even better
contact with the road. Select this drive pro- gram when employing a sporty driving style,
e.g. on winding country roads.
DSR is not available in the
Sportdrive pro-
gram. For further information on DSR, see
(
Ypage 197).
XPress DYNAMIC SELECT button :
(
Ypage 157) as many times as necessary
until the Sportdrive program is selected.
Selecting Off-road mode
iThe Off-road program is only available on
vehicles with the Off-road package.
The engine’s performance characteristics
and the gearshifting characteristics of the
automatic transmission are adapted for the
Off-road drive program. ABS, ESP
®and ETS
programs especially adapted to off-road driv-
ing are also activated. Select this drive pro-
gram when driving in easily negotiable off-
road terrain, e. g. dirt tracks.
Do not use the off-road program on roads that
are snow-covered or icy or if you have moun- ted snow chains on your vehicle.
XPress DYNAMIC SELECT button :
(
Ypage 157) as many times as necessary
until the Off-road drive program is selec-
ted.
Status icon :of the off-road program is
shown in the multifunction display.
Driving systems199
Driving and parking
Z
The sensors may not detect snow and other
objects that absorb ultrasonic waves.
Ultrasonic sources such as an automatic
car wash, the compressed-air brakes on a
truck or a pneumatic drill could cause
PARKTRONIC to malfunction.
PARKTRONIC may not function correctly on
uneven terrain.
PARKTRONIC is activated automatically when
you:
Rswitch on the ignition
Rshift the transmission to position D,Ror N
Rrelease the electric parking brake
Range of the sensors
General notes
PARKTRONIC does not take objects into con-
sideration that are:
Rbelow the detection range, e.g. people, ani-
mals or objects.
Rabove the detection range, e.g. overhang-
ing loads, truck overhangs or loading
ramps.
:Sensors in the front bumper, left-hand
side (example)
The sensors must be free from dirt, ice or
slush. They can otherwise not function cor-
rectly. Clean the sensors regularly, taking
care not to scratch or damage them
(
Ypage 317). Range
Front sensors
CenterApprox. 40 in (approx.
100 cm)
CornersApprox. 24 in (approx.
60 cm)
Rear sensors
CenterApprox. 48 in (approx.
120 cm)
CornersApprox. 32 in (approx.
80 cm)
Minimum distance
CenterApprox. 8 in (approx.
20 cm)
CornersApprox. 6 in (approx.
15 cm)
If there is an obstacle within this range, the
relevant warning displays light up and a warn-
ing tone sounds. If the distance falls below
the minimum, the distance may no longer be
shown.
Driving systems201
Driving and parking
Z