
Switching off the engine
Important safety notes
GWARNING
The automatic transmission switches to neu-
tral position Nwhen you switch off the engine.
The vehicle may roll away. There is a risk of an
accident.
After switching off the engine, always switch
to parking position P. Prevent the parked vehi-
cle from rolling away by applying the parking
brake.
Vehicles with automatic transmission
XApply the electric parking brake.
XShift the transmission to position j.
XWith the SmartKey:turn the SmartKey to
position uin the ignition lock and remove it.
The immobilizer is activated.
XWith the Start/Stop button: press the
Start/Stop button (Ypage 133).
The engine stops and all the indicator lamps in
the instrument cluster go out.
When the driver's door is closed, this corre-
sponds to key position 1. When the driver's
door is open, this corresponds to key position
u, "Key removed".
If you switch the engine off with the transmis-
sion in position korh the automatic trans-
mission shifts to iautomatically.
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 jautomatically.
With the Start/Stop button: if you then open
the driver's door or the front-passenger door,
the automatic transmission shifts to jauto-
matically.
If you want the automatic transmission to
remain in neutral i, for example, when having
the vehicle cleaned in an automatic car wash
with a towing system:
XVehicles with KEYLESS-GO or KEYLESS-
GO start function: 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.
XEngage neutral i.
XRelease the brake pedal.
XRelease the electric parking brake.
XSwitch off the ignition and leave the SmartKey
in the ignition lock.
The engine can be switched off in an emergency
while the vehicle is in motion by pressing and
holding the Start/Stop button for three sec-
onds. This function operates independently of
the ECO start/stop automatic engine switch-off
function.
Electric parking brake
General notes
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 a risk 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.
The function of the electric parking brake is
dependent on the on-board voltage. If the on-
board voltage is low or there is a malfunction in
the system, it may not be possible to apply the
released parking brake.
XIf this is the case, only park the vehicle on
level ground and secure it to prevent it rolling
away.
XShift the transmission to position j.
It may not be possible to release an applied
parking brake if the on-board voltage is low or
there is a malfunction in the system. Contact a
qualified specialist workshop.
The electric parking brake performs a function
test at regular intervals while the engine is
Parking155
Driving and parking
Z 

switched off. The sounds that can be heard while
this is occurring are normal.
Applying or releasing manually
XTo apply:push handle :.
When the electric parking brake is applied,
the red F(USA only) or !(Canada
only) indicator lamp lights up in the instru-
ment cluster.
The electric parking brake can also be applied
when the SmartKey is removed.
XTo release: pull handle:.
The red F(USA only) or !(Canada
only) indicator lamp in the instrument cluster goes out.
The electric parking brake can only be released:
Rif the SmartKey is in position 1or2 in the
ignition lock (Ypage 132) or
Rif the ignition was switched on using the
Start/Stop button
Applying automatically
The electric parking brake is automatically
applied when the transmission is in position j
and:
Rthe engine is switched off or
Rthe driver is not wearing a seat belt and the
driver's door is opened
To prevent the electric parking brake from being
automatically applied, pull handle :.The electric parking brake is also engaged auto-
matically if:
RDISTRONIC PLUS brings the vehicle to a
standstill or
Rthe HOLD function is keeping the vehicle sta-
tionary
RActive Parking Assist is keeping the vehicle
stationary
In addition, at least one of the following condi-
tions must be fulfilled:
Rthe engine is switched off
Rthe driver is not wearing a seat belt and the
driver's door is opened
Rthere is a system malfunction
Rthe power supply is insufficient
Rthe vehicle is stationary for a lengthy period
The red !indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up.
The electric parking brake is not automatically
engaged if the engine is switched off by the ECO start/stop function.
Releasing automatically
Your vehicle's electric parking brake is auto-
matically released if all of the following condi-
tions are met:
Rthe seat belt has been fastened.
Rthe engine is running.
Rthe transmission is in position hork and
you accelerate.
or
you shift from transmission position jto
position hork. You will need to accelerate
more on steeper gradients.
If the transmission is in position kthe tailgate
must be closed.
If your seat belt is not fastened, the following
conditions must be fulfilled to automatically
release the electric parking brake:
Rthe driver's door is closed.
Ryou are shifting out of transmission position
j or you have previously driven faster than
2 mph (3 km/h).
Ensure that you do not depress the accelerator
pedal unintentionally. Otherwise the parking
brake will be released and the vehicle will start
to move.
156Parking
Driving and parking 

When you take advantage of engine braking, a
drive 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 by the Mercedes-Benz war-
ranty.
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 airflow 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 vehicle
washed, brake firmly while paying attention to
the traffic conditions. This will warm 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.
RCarefully depress the brake pedal and the
beginning and end of a journey.
RMaintain a greater distance to the vehicle
ahead.
Servicing the brakes
!The brake fluid level may be too low, if:
Rif the red brake warning lamp lights up in
the instrument cluster and
Ryou hear a warning tone while the engine is
running
Observe additional warning messages in the
multifunction display.
The brake fluid level may be too low due to
brake pad wear or leaking brake lines.
Have the brake system checked immediately. Consult a qualified specialist workshop to
arrange this.
!Vehicles with 4MATIC: function or per-
formance tests may only be carried out on a 2-
axle dynamometer. If you wish to operate the
vehicle on such a dynamometer, please con-
sult a qualified specialist workshop in
advance. You could otherwise damage the
drive train or the brake system.
!Vehicles with 4MATIC: the ESP®system
operates automatically. If the electric parking
brake is tested on a brake dynamometer, the
engine and ignition must be switched off: turn
the SmartKey in the ignition lock to position
u or1 or press the Start/Stop button
repeatedly in accordance with the given
SmartKey positions.
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 qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
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 functional-
ity of your brakes at regular intervals.
Information on BAS (Brake Assist) (
Ypage 65)
and BAS PLUS (Brake Assist PLUS) (Ypage 66).
160Driving tips
Driving and parking 

Important safety notes
GWARNING
When th evehicl eis bein glowered, people
could become trapped if their limb sare
between th evehicl ebody and th ewheels or
underneat hth evehicle. Ther eis aris kof
injury.
Mak esur eno on eis underneat hth evehicl eor
in th eimmediat evicinity of th ewhee larches
when th evehicl eis bein glowered.
iIf on eof th edoor sis open ,th evehicl eis no t
lowered.
Vehicle level
Setting the raised vehicle level
It is possible to choos ebetween th e"Normal"
and "Raised "vehicl elevels belo w aspee dof
50 mph (80 km/h). Selec tth e"Normal" setting
for normal road surfaces and "Raised "for driving
wit hsnow chain sor on particularly poor road
surfaces. Your selection remain sstore deve nif
you remove th eSmartKey from th eignition lock.
XStart th eengine.
If indicator lamp ;is no tlit :
XPress butto n:.
Indicato rlamp ;lights up. The vehicl eis
raised by 0. 6in (15 mm )comp ared to the
normal level.
The Vehicle Rising
message appears on
the multifunction display.
iThe message disappears after ten seconds,
irrespective of the level reached. If necessary,
the vehicle is raised further. The "Raised level" setting is canceled if you:
Rdrive faster than 75 mph (120 km/h)
Rdrive for approximately three minutes at a
speed above 50 mph
(80 km/h)
The "Raised level" remains active when you are
not driving within these speed ranges.
Setting the normal vehicle level
XStart the engine.
If indicator lamp ;is lit:
XPress button :.
Indicator lamp ;goes out. The vehicle is
adjusted to the height of the currently selec-
ted drive program (
Ypage 139).
Suspension tuning
General notes
The Adaptive Damping System automatically
controls the calibration of the dampers.
The damping is tuned individually to each wheel
and depends on:
Ryour driving style, e.g. sporty
Rthe road surface condition, e.g. bumps
Ryour individual selection, i.e. sports or com-
fort
Your selection remains stored even if you
remove the SmartKey from the ignition lock.
Sports tuning
In the "Sport" and "Sport Plus" drive programs,
the firmer suspension setting ensures even bet-
ter contact with the road. Select this mode when
employing a sporty driving style, e.g. on winding country roads.
XSelect the Sor S+ drive program with the
DYNAMIC SELECT switch (Ypage 139).
The vehicle is lowered by 0.6 in (15 mm) com- pared to the normal level.
Each time you restart the engine, the vehicle is
raised to normal level again and drive program C
is activated. For further information about start-
ing the engine, see (
Ypage 133).
Comfort tuning
In the "Eco" and "Comfort" drive programs, the
driving characteristics of your vehicle are more
comfortable. Therefore, select this mode if you
favor a more comfortable driving style. Select
Driving systems173
Driving and parking
Z 

comfort mode also when driving fast on straight
roads, e.g. on straight stretches of highway.
XSelect theEor Cdrive program with the
DYNAMIC SELECT switch (Ypage 139).
The vehicle is raised to the normal level.
When driving at speeds above 80 mph
(125 km/h), the vehicle is automatically low-
ered by 0.6 in (15 mm) in the Eand Cdrive pro-
grams. When driving at speeds below 50 mph
(80 km/h), the vehicle is raised again.
Lowering the rear of the vehicle
Lowering using the button in the left-hand-
side cargo compartment trim
XApply the electric parking brake.
XShift the transmission to position j.
XPull switch:briefly.
Indicator lamp ;flashes until the vehicle has
been lowered.
The vehicle is lowered by 1.5 in (40 mm).
When the vehicle has been lowered, indicator
lamp ;remains lit.
Lowering is interrupted if:
Ra vehicle door is opened
Rbutton :was briefly pulled again
Rthe vehicle is moving faster than 1 mph
(2 km/h)
The vehicle is automatically set to the level of
the most recently selected drive program
(
Ypage 139) if you drive faster than 1 mph
(2 km/h).
Raising the rear of the vehicle
Raising using the button in the left-hand-
side cargo compartment trim
XPull switch :briefly.
Indicator lamp ;goes out. The vehicle is raised by 1.5 in (40 mm).
iThe vehicle is automatically set to the level
of the most recently selected drive program
(
Ypage 139) if you drive faster than 1 mph
(2 km/h).
XIf the vehicle can no longer be raised
when stationary: start the engine.
The process will then be continued.
If you drive off when the rear of the vehicle has
been lowered, the ÁVehicle Rising
Please Waitmessage may appear on the mul-
tifunction display.
AMG sports suspension based on AIR
BODY CONTROL (Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles)
General notes
The electronically controlled damping system
works continuously. This improves driving
safety and ride comfort.
The damping is tuned individually to each wheel
and depends on:
Ryour driving style, e.g. sporty
Rthe road surface condition, e.g. bumps
Ryour individual selection of Sport, Sport+ or
Comfort
The suspension setting is adjusted using the
corresponding button in the center console.
iThe mode can also be set using the
DYNAMIC SELECT switch (Ypage 139).
This is possible only if the same mode is
selected for the suspension by pressing the
button on the center console for AMG sports
suspension based on AIR BODY CONTROL
and the DYNAMIC SELECT switch. This is the
case, for example, when both are set to Com- fort mode.
Each time you start the engine with the Smart-
Key or the Start/Stop button, Comfort mode is
activated. For further information about starting
the engine, see (
Ypage 133).
174Driving systems
Driving and parking 

If there is an obstacle within this range, the rel-
evant warning displays light up and a warning
tone sounds. If the distance falls below the min-
imum, the distance may no longer be shown.
Warning displays
:Segments on the left-hand side of the vehi-
cle
;Segments on the right-hand side of the vehi-
cle
=Segments showing operational readiness
The warning displays show the distance
between the sensors and the obstacle. The
warning display for the front area is in the instru-
ment cluster. The warning display for the rear
area is located on the headliner in the rear com- partment.
The warning display for each side of the vehicle
is divided into five yellow and two red segments.
PARKTRONIC is operational if operational read-
iness indicator =lights up.
The selected transmission position and the
direction in which the vehicle is rolling deter-
mine which warning display is active when the
engine is running.
Transmission posi-
tionWarning display
hFront area activated
k, ior the vehicle
is rolling backRear and front areas
activated
jNo areas activated
One or more segments light up as the vehicle
approaches an obstacle, depending on the vehi-
cle's distance from the obstacle:
RFrom the sixth segment, you will hear an inter-
mittent warning tone for approximately two
seconds.
RFrom the seventh segment, you will hear a
warning tone for approximately two seconds. This indicates that you have now reached the
minimum distance.
Deactivating/activating PARKTRONIC
dSwitch on the dashboard
eSwitch in the center console
:Deactivates/activates PARKTRONIC
;Indicator lamp
If indicator lamp ;lights up, PARKTRONIC is
deactivated. Active Parking Assist is then also
deactivated.
iPARKTRONIC is automatically activated
when you turn the SmartKey to position 2in
the ignition lock.
Driving systems177
Driving and parking
Z 

Warning lamp
:Warning lamp
Blind Spot Assist is not active at speeds below
approximately 20 mph (30 km/h). Vehicles in
the monitoring range are then not indicated.
If a vehicle is detected within the blind spot
monitoring range at speeds above 20 mph
(30 km/h), warning lamp :on the correspond-
ing side lights up red. This warning is always
emitted when a vehicle enters the blind spot
monitoring range from behind or from the side.
When you overtake a vehicle, the warning only
occurs if the difference in speed is less than
7 mph (12 km/h).
If you select the reverse gear, Blind Spot Assist is not operational.
The brightness of the warning lamps is auto-
matically adapted to the brightness of the sur-
roundings.
Collision warning
If a vehicle is detected in the monitoring range of
Blind Spot Assist and you switch on the corre-
sponding turn signal, a double warning tone
sounds. The red warning lamp flashes on the
relevant exterior mirror. If the turn signal
remains on, detected vehicles are indicated by
the flashing of the red warning lamp on the exte-
rior mirror. There are no further warning tones.
Switching on Blind Spot Assist
XMake sure that Blind Spot Assist is activated
in the on-board computer (Ypage 221).
XTurn the SmartKey to position 2in the igni-
tion lock.
The red warning lamps on the exterior mirrors
light up until the engine is started.
Display in the assistance graphic
When Blind Spot Assist is activated, gray radar
waves propagating backwards appear next to
the vehicle in the assistance display in the mul-
tifunction display (
Ypage 219). Above a speed
of 20 mph (30 km/h), the color of the radar
waves in the assistance graphic changes to
green :. Blind Spot Assist is then ready for use.
Towing a trailer
When you attach a trailer, make sure you have
correctly established the electrical connection.
This can be accomplished by checking the trailer
lighting. In this event, Blind Spot Assist is deac-
tivated. The Blind
SpotAssistNotAvail‐able When Towing a Trailer See Opera‐tor's Manualmessage appears in the multi-
function display.
Lane Keeping Assist
General notes
Lane Keeping Assist monitors the area in front of
your vehicle by means of multifunction cam-
era :which is attached behind the top of the
windshield. Active Lane Keeping Assist detects
lane markings on the road and can warn you
before you leave your lane unintentionally.
Driving systems195
Driving and parking
Z 

SmartKey
Display messagesPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
Â
KeyDoesNotBelongto Vehicle
You have put the wrong SmartKey in the ignition lock.
XUse the correct SmartKey.
Â
Take Your Key fromIgnition
The SmartKey is in the ignition lock.
A warning tone sounds
XRemove the SmartKey.
Â
Obtain a New Key
The SmartKey needs to be replaced.
XVisit a qualified specialist workshop.
Â
Replace Key Battery
The SmartKey battery is discharged.
XChange the batteries (Ypage 80).
Â
Don't Forget YourKey
The SmartKey is not in the ignition lock. You have opened the driver's
door with the engine switched off. A warning tone sounds
This display message is displayed for a maximum of 60 seconds and is
simply a reminder.
XTake the SmartKey with you when you leave the vehicle.
Â
Key Not Detected(white display message)
The SmartKey is currently undetected.
XChange the location of the SmartKey in the vehicle.
If the SmartKey still cannot be detected:
XInsert the SmartKey into the ignition lock and turn it to the desired position.
Â
Key Not Detected(red display message)
The SmartKey is not in the vehicle.
A warning tone also sounds.
If the engine is switched off, you can no longer lock the vehicle cen-
trally or start the engine.
XPull over and stop the vehicle safely as soon as possible, paying
attention to road and traffic conditions.
XSecure the vehicle against rolling away (Ypage 154).
XLocate the SmartKey.
XPress aon the steering wheel to confirm the display message.
Display messages255
On-board computer and displays
Z