
This helps you to avoid overheating the
brakes and wearing them out excessively.
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.
Do not depress the brake pedal continuously
while the vehicle is in motion, e.g. causing the
brakes to rub by constantly applying light pres-
sure to the pedal. This results in excessive and
premature wear to the brake pads.
Use the left-hand steering wheel paddle shifter
to shift into a lower gear in good time on long
and steep downhill gradients. This is especially
important if the vehicle is laden.
This also applies if you have activated cruise
control, the speed limiter or Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC.
This will use the braking effect of the engine, so
that less braking will be required to maintain the
speed. This relieves the load on the brake sys-
tem and prevents the brakes from overheating
and wearing too quickly.
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 then 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.
RBrake occasionally to remove any possible
salt residue. Make sure that you do not
endanger other road users when doing so.
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.
!A function or performance test should only
be carried out on a 2-axle dynamometer. If
you wish to operate the vehicle on such a
dynamometer, please consult a qualified spe-
cialist workshop in advance. You could oth-
erwise damage the drive train or the brake
system.
!Because ESP®is an automatic system, the
engine and ignition must be switched off
(SmartKey in position 0or 1or Start/Stop
button in position 0or 1) when the electric
Driving tips151
Driving and parking
Z

speed. However, the vehicle is only accelerated
up to the speed you have stored.
Selecting the drive program
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC supports a sporty
driving style if you have selected theSportor
Sport Plus drive program (
Ypage 135). Accel-
eration behind the vehicle in front or to the set
speed is then noticeably more dynamic. If you
have selected the Comfortdrive program, the
vehicle accelerates more gently. This setting is
recommended in stop-and-start traffic.
Changing lanes
If you change to the overtaking lane, Distance
Pilot DISTRONIC supports you if:
Ryou are driving faster than 45 mph (70 km/h)
Ryou switch on the appropriate turn signal
RDistance Pilot DISTRONIC does not currently
detect a danger of collision
If these conditions are fulfilled, your vehicle is
accelerated. Acceleration will be interrupted if
changing lanes takes too long or if the distance
between your vehicle and the vehicle in front
becomes too small.
iWhen you change lanes, Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC monitors the right lane (in left-
side traffic) or the left lane (in right-side traf-
fic).
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.
If Distance Pilot DISTRONIC detects that the
vehicle in front is stopping, it brakes your vehicle
to a stop.
Once your vehicle is stationary, it remains sta-
tionary and you do not need to depress the
brake.
After a time, the electric parking brake secures
the vehicle and relieves the service brake.
Depending on the specified minimum distance,
your vehicle will come to a standstill at a suffi-
cient distance behind the vehicle in front. The
specified minimum distance is set using the
control on the cruise control lever.
The transmission is shifted automatically to
position P if, with Distance Pilot DISTRONIC
activated and the vehicle stationary:
Rthe driver's door is open and the driver's seat
belt is unfastened.
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, with Distance Pilot DISTRONIC
activated and the vehicle stationary:
Ra system malfunction occurs.
Rthe power supply is not sufficient.
On steep uphill or downhill inclines or if there is
a malfunction, the transmission may also be
automatically shifted into position P.
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 Afor a lower speed
XTo adjust the set speed in1 mphincre-
ments (1 km/hincrements): briefly press
the cruise control lever up :or down ;to
the pressure point.
Every time the cruise control lever is pressed
up : or down ;the last speed stored is
increased or reduced.
XTo adjust the set speed in5 mphincre-
ments (10 km/hincrements): briefly press
162Driving systems
Driving and parking

When Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is deactivated
or not available, Steering Pilot is deactivated
automatically.
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.
iDo not use the HOLD function when driving
off-road, on steep uphill or downhill gradients
or on slippery or loose surfaces. The HOLD
function cannot hold the vehicle on such sur-
faces.
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.
!When DISTRONIC PLUS or the HOLD func-
tion is activated, the vehicle brakes automat-
ically in certain situations. To avoid damage to the vehicle, deactivate
DISTRONIC PLUS and the HOLD function in
the following or similar situations:
Rwhen towing the vehicle
Rin the car wash
Deactivating the HOLD function (
Ypage 167).
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
Rthe transmission is in position D,Ror N
RDistance Pilot DISTRONIC is deactivated
Activating the HOLD function
XMake sure that the activation conditions are
met.
XDepress the brake pedal.
XQuickly depress the brake pedal further
until :appears in the multifunction display.
The HOLD function is activated. You can
release the brake pedal.
iIf depressing the brake pedal the first time
does not activate the HOLD function, wait
briefly and then try again.
Deactivating the HOLD function
The HOLD function is deactivated automatically
if:
Ryou accelerate and the transmission is in
position Dor R.
Ryou shift the transmission to position P.
Driving systems167
Driving and parking
Z

If you press the%ora button on the
multifunction steering wheel, the message will
disappear.
The raised level setting is canceled if you:
Rdrive at speeds above 50 mph (80 km/h) (all
vehicles except Mercedes-AMG vehicles)
Rdrive at speeds above 43 mph (70 km/h)
(Mercedes-AMG vehicles)
Rdrive at speed s between 40 mph (64 km/h)
and 50 mph (80 km/h) for approximately 20
seconds (all vehicles except Mercedes-AMG
vehicles)
Rdrive at speeds between 40 mph (64 km/h)
and 43 mph (70 km/h) for approximately 20
seconds (Mercedes-AMG vehicles)
Rdrive at speeds above 19 mph (30 km/h) with
a trailer
The raised vehicle level remains saved when you
are not driving within these speed ranges.
Setting the normal vehicle level
!Make sure that there is enough ground
clearance when the vehicle is being lowered.
It could otherwise hit the ground, damaging
the underbody.
XStart the engine.
If indicator lamp ;is lit:
XPress button :.
Indicator lamp ;flashes while the vehicle is
being lowered, and goes out as soon as the
desired vehicle level is reached.
Vehicles with no trailer coupled: the vehi-
cle is adjusted to the height of the selected
drive program (
Ypage 132).
Vehicles with a trailer coupled: the vehicle
is adjusted to normal level regardless of the
drive program selected (
Ypage 132). The
vehicle remains at the normal level, even if the
drive program is changed.
During the adjustment, the Lowering
mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
If you press the %ora button on the
multifunction steering wheel, the message will
disappear.
AMG adaptive sport suspension sys-
tem
General notes
iThe AMG adaptive sport suspension system
is available for Mercedes-AMG vehicles and
for the Mercedes-AMG GLE 43 4MATIC.
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 can be adjusted using
the corresponding button in the center console
or the DYNAMIC SELECT controller
(
Ypage 132).
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 126).
Sport mode
The firmer setting of the suspension tuning in
Sport mode ensures even better contact with
the road. Select this mode when employing a
sporty driving style, e.g. on winding country
roads.
XPress button :repeatedly until indicator
lamp =lights up.
You have selected Sport mode.
The AMG Suspension System SPORT
mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
Driving systems173
Driving and parking
Z

Rthat are parallel to the direction of travel andat least 39.5 in (1.0 m)longer than your vehi-
cle
Rthat are at right angles to the direction of
travel and at least 39.5 in (1.0 m) wider than
your vehicle
iNote that Parking Pilot PARKTRONIC cannot
measure the depth of parking spaces if they
are at right angles to the direction of travel.
You need to judge whether your vehicle will fit
into the parking space.
When driving at speeds below 19 mph
(30 km/h), you will see parking symbol ;as a
status indicator in the instrument cluster. When
a parking space has been detected, an arrow
towards the right or the left also appears. Park-
ing Pilot displays only parking spaces on the
front-passenger side as standard. Parking
spaces on the driver's side are displayed as
soon as the turn signal on the driver's side is
activated. When parking on the driver's side,
this must remain activated until you confirm the use of Parking Pilot by pressing the abutton
on the multifunction steering wheel. The system
automatically determines whether the parking
space is parallel or at right angles to the direc-
tion of travel.
A parking space is displayed while you are driv- ing past it, and until you are approximately 50 ft
(15 m) away from it.
Parking
GWARNING
If you leave the vehicle when it is only being
braked by Active Parking Assist it could roll
away if:
Rthere is a malfunction in the system or in
the voltage supply.
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.
Before leaving the vehicle, always secure it
against rolling away.
iIf Parking Assist PARKTRONIC detects
obstacles, Parking Pilot brakes automatically
whilst the vehicle is being parked. You are
responsible for braking in good time.
XStop the vehicle when the parking space sym- bol shows the desired parking space in the
instrument cluster.
XShift the transmission to position R.
The Start Parking Pilot? Yes: OK No:
% message appears in the multifunction
display.
XTo cancel the procedure: press the%
button on the multifunction steering wheel or
pull away.
or
XTo park using Parking Pilot: press thea
button on the multifunction steering wheel.
The Parking Pilot Active Accelerate
and Brake Observe Surroundingsmes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
XLet go of the multifunction steering wheel.
XBack up the vehicle, being ready to brake at all
times. When backing up, drive at a speed
below approximately 6 mph (10 km/h). Oth-
erwise, Parking Pilot will be canceled.
Parking Pilot brakes the vehicle to a standstill
when the vehicle approaches the rear border
of the parking space.
Maneuvering may be required in tight parking
spaces.
The Parking Pilot Active Select D
Observe Surroundingsmessage appears in
the multifunction display.
XShift the transmission to position Dwhile the
vehicle is stationary.
Parking Pilot immediately steers in the other
direction.
The Parking Pilot Active Accelerate
and Brake Observe Surroundingsmes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
iYou will achieve the best results by waiting
for the steering procedure to complete before
pulling away.
XDrive forwards and be ready to brake at all
times.
Parking Pilot brakes the vehicle to a standstill.
The Parking Pilot Active Select R
Observe Surroundingsmessage appears in
the multifunction display.
As soon as the parking procedure is complete,
the Parking Pilot Finished
message
Driving systems179
Driving and parking
Z

Exiting 360° camera display mode
The 360° camera display is stopped:
Rwhen you select transmission positionP, or
Rwhen you are driving at moderate speeds
The previous display appears in the multimedia
system. You can also switch the display by
selecting the &symbol in the display and
pressing the controller to confirm.
ATTENTION ASSIST
General notes
ATTENTION ASSIST helps you during long,
monotonous journeys, such as on highways. It is
active in the 37 mph (60 km/h) to 125 mph
(200 km/h) range. If ATTENTION ASSIST
detects typical indicators of fatigue or increas-
ing lapses in concentration on the part of the
driver, it suggests taking a break.
Important safety notes
ATTENTION ASSIST is only an aid to the driver. It
might not always recognize fatigue or increasing
inattentiveness in time or fail to recognize them
at all. The system is not a substitute for a well-
rested and attentive driver.
The functionality of ATTENTION ASSIST is
restricted and warnings may be delayed or not
occur at all:
Rif the length of the journey is less than approx-
imately 30 minutes
Rif the road condition is poor, e.g. if the surface
is uneven or if there are potholes
Rif there is a strong side wind
Rif you have adopted a sporty driving style with high cornering speeds or high rates of accel-
eration
Rif you are predominantly driving slower than
37 mph (60 km/ h)or faster than 125 mph
(200 km/h)
Rif you are driving with the Steering Pilot of
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC activated
Rif the time has been set incorrectly
Rin active driving situations, such as when you
change lanes or change your speed The attention level evaluation is deleted and
restarts when the journey is continued, if:
Ryou switch off the engine
Ryou take off your seat belt and open the driv-
er's door, e.g. for a change of drivers or to
take a break
Displaying the attention level
You can have current status information dis-
played in the assistance menu (Ypage 213) of
the on-board computer.
XSelect the Assistance display for ATTENTION
ASSIST using the on-board computer
(
Ypage 214).
The following information is displayed:
RLength of the journey since the last break.
Rthe attention level determined by ATTENTION
ASSIST, displayed in a bar display in five levels
from high to low.
RIf ATTENTION ASSIST is unable to calculate
the attention level and cannot output a warn-
ing, the System suspended
message
appears. The bar display then changes the
display, e.g. if you are driving at a speed below
37 mph (60 km/h) or above 125 mph
(200 km/h).
Activating ATTENTION ASSIST
XActivate ATTENTION ASSIST using the on-
board computer (Ypage 214).
The system determines the attention level of
the driver depending on the setting selected:
Standard selected: the sensitivity with which
the system determines the attention level is set
to normal.
Sensitive selected: the sensitivity is set higher.
The attention level detected by Attention Assist
Driving systems189
Driving and parking
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XInsert the ball coupling horizontally into ball
coupling recess;in the direction of the
arrow until the holes in ball coupling =are in
line with the holes in ball coupling recess ?.
XSlide boltAinto the hole in the ball coupling
recess and the ball coupling to the stop.
XSecure the bolt using spring cotter B.
XCheck the ball coupling, bolt and spring cotter
for correct installation.
If the ball coupling cannot be correctly mounted,
remove the ball coupling. Under these circum-
stances, the ball coupling must not be used for
trailer towing.
Have the entire trailer tow hitch checked at a
qualified specialist workshop.
Coupling up a trailer
!
Do not connect the trailer's brake system (if
featured) to the hydraulic brake system of the
towing vehicle, as the latter is equipped with
an anti-lock brake system. Doing so will result
in a loss of function of the brake systems of
both the vehicle and the trailer.
XShift the transmission to position P.
XApply the vehicle's electric parking brake.
XStart the engine.
XVehicles with AIRMATIC package: select
normal level and the Comfortdrive program.
XSwitch off the engine.
XClose the doors and tailgate.
XCouple up the trailer.
202Towing a trailer
Driving and parking

Possible displays in the multifunction dis-
play:
RZGearshift recommendation, when shifting
manually (Ypage 136)
Rj Parking Pilot (Ypage 177)
RCRUISECruise control (Ypage 157)
R_ Adaptive Highbeam Assist
(Ypage 108)
Rè ECO start/stop function (Ypage 129)
RëHOLD function (Ypage 167)
RaDistance Pilot DISTRONIC Steering Pilot
(Ypage 214)
RDSRDownhill Speed Regulation
(Ypage 168)
Menus and submenus
Menu overview
Press the =or; button on the steering
wheel to call up the menu bar and select a menu.
Operating the on-board computer (
Ypage 207).
Depending on the equipment installed in the
vehicle, you can call up the following menus:
RTripmenu (Ypage 209)
RNavimenu (navigation instructions)
(Ypage 210)
RAudiomenu (Ypage 211)
RTelmenu (telephone) (Ypage 212)
RDriveAssistmenu (assistance)
(Ypage 213)
RServ.menu (Ypage 213)
RSett.menu (settings) (Ypage 215)
RAMGmenu (Mercedes-AMG vehicles)
(Ypage 218)
Trip menu
Standard display
XPress and hold the %button on the steer-
ing wheel until the Tripmenu with trip odom-
eter :and odometer ;appears.
Trip computer "From Start" or "From
Reset"
:Distance
;Driving time
=Average speed
?Average fuel consumption
XPress the =or; button on the steering
wheel to select the Tripmenu.
XPress the9or: button to select
From startor From reset.
The values in the From
Startsubmenu are cal-
culated from the start of a journey, while the
values in the From Reset
submenu are calcu-
lated from the last time the submenu was reset
(
Ypage 210).
The From Start
trip computer is automatically
reset if:
Rthe ignition has been switched off for more
than four hours.
R999 hours have been exceeded.
R9,999 miles have been exceeded.
The From reset
trip computer is automatically
reset if the value exceeds 9,999 hours or
99,999 miles.
ECO display
The ECO display is not available for Mercedes-
AMG vehicles.
XPress the =or; button on the steering
wheel to select the Tripmenu.
XPress the9or: button to select ECODISPLAY.
If the ignition remains switched off for longer
than four hours, the ECO display will be auto-
matically reset.
For more information on the ECO display, see
(
Ypage 149).
Menus and submenus209
On-board computer and displays
Z