For certain Mercedes-Benz vehicles, the maxi-
mum permissible rear axle load is increased
when towing a trailer. See "Technical data" to
find out whether this applies to your vehicle
(
Ypage 361). If you utilize any of the added
maximum rear axle load when towing a trailer,
the vehicle/trailer combination may not exceed
a maximum speed of 60 mph (100 km/h) for
reasons concerning the operating permit. This
also applies in countries in which the permissi-
ble maximum speed for vehicle/trailer combi-
nations is above 60 mph (100 km/h).
When towing a trailer, your vehicle's handling
characteristics will be different in comparison
with when driving without a trailer.
Use the left-hand steering wheel paddle shifter
to shift into a lower gear in good time on long
and steep downhill gradients.
This also applies if you have activated cruise
control 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. If you need additional
braking, depress the brake pedal repeatedly
rather than continuously.
Driving tips
If the trailer swings from side to side:
XDo not accelerate.
XDo not counter-steer.
XBrake if necessary.
RMaintain a greater distance from the vehicle
in front than when driving without a trailer.
RAvoid braking abruptly. If possible, brake gen-tly at first to allow the trailer to run on. Then,
increase the braking force rapidly.
RThe values given for gradient-climbing capa-
bilities from a standstill refer to sea level.
When driving in mountainous areas, note that
the power output of the engine and, conse-
quently, the vehicle's gradient-climbing capa-
bility, decreases with increasing altitude.
Installing the ball coupling
GWARNING
If the ball coupling is not correctly installed
and secured, it can come loose during the
journey and endanger other road users. There is a risk of an accident and injury.
Always install and secure the ball coupling as
described. Before every journey, ensure that
the ball coupling is secured with the bolt and
the corresponding spring cotter.
GWARNING
If the ball coupling is not installed correctly or not secured with the bolt provided and the
corresponding spring cotter, the trailer may
come loose. There is a risk of an accident.
Always install and secure the ball coupling as
described. Before every journey, ensure that
the ball coupling is secured with the bolt and
the corresponding spring cotter.
GWARNING
If the ball coupling is not installed and secured
correctly the trailer may come loose. There is
a risk of an accident.
Install and secure the ball coupling as descri-
bed in the ball coupling installation instruc-
tions. Make sure that the ball coupling is
installed and secured correctly before every
journey.
XPull protective cap :in the direction of the
arrow, out of the ball coupling recess.
XStow protective cap :so that it cannot be
thrown around.
Observe the loading guidelines (
Ypage 270)
and the safety notes regarding stowage
spaces (
Ypage 270).
Towing a trailer201
Driving and parking
Z
XEstablish the electrical connection between
the vehicle and the trailer.
XCheck that the trailer lighting system is work-
ing.
XPush the combination switch upwards/down-wards and check whether the corresponding
turn signal on the trailer flashes.
A trailer that is connected is recognized only
when the electrical connection is established
correctly and when the lighting system is work-
ing properly. The function of other systems also
depends on this, for example:
RESP®
RParking Assist PARKTRONIC
RParking Pilot
RActive Blind Spot Assist
RActive Lane Keeping Assist
iVehicles with the AIRMATIC package: if you
couple up a trailer, the vehicle always remains
at normal level. When coupling up a trailer,
please observe the following:
RIf the normal level has not been set man-
ually, the vehicle is automatically lowered
to normal level. This is the case if a speed of
5 mph (8 km/h) is reached.
RThe Sport drive program is not available.
These restrictions apply to all accessories
powered through a connection to the trailer
power socket of your vehicle, e.g. a bicycle
carrier.
Observe the maximum permissible trailer
dimensions (wi
dth and length).
Most U.S. states and all Canadian provinces
require by law:
RSafety chains between the towing vehicle and
the trailer. The chains should be cross-wound
under the trailer drawbar. They must be fas-
tened to the vehicle's trailer coupling, not to
the bumper or the axle.
Leave enough play in the chains to make tight
cornering possible.
RA separate brake system for certain types of
trailer.
RSafety switch for braked trailers. Check the
specific legal requirements applicable to your
state.
If the trailer becomes detached from the tow-
ing vehicle, the safety switch applies the
trailer brakes.
Towing a trailer
There are numerous legal requirements con-
cerning the towing of a trailer, e.g. speed restric- tions. Make sure that your car/trailer combina-
tion complies with the local regulations:
Rin your place of residence
Rin the location to which you are driving
The police and local authorities can provide reli- able information.
Observe the following when towing a trailer:
RTo gain driving experience and to become
accustomed to the new handling characteris-
tics, you should practice the following in a
traffic-free location:
-cornering
-stopping
-backing up
RBefore driving, check:
-trailer tow hitch
-safety switch for braked trailers
-safety chains
-electrical connections
-lights
-wheels
RAdjust the exterior mirrors to provide an
unobstructed view of the rear section of the
trailer.
RIf the trailer has electronically controlled
brakes, pull away carefully. Brake manually
using the brake controller and check whether
the brakes function correctly.
RSecure any objects on the trailer to prevent
the cargo from slipping when the vehicle is in
motion.
RWhen you couple up a trailer, check at regular
intervals that the load is firmly secured. If the
tra
iler is equipped with trailer lights and
brakes, check the trailer to ensure that these
are working.
RBear in mind that the handling will be less
stable when towing a trailer than when driving
without one. Avoid sudden steering move-
ments.
RThe vehicle/trailer combination is heavier,
accelerates more slowly, has a decreased
gradient climbing capability and a longer
braking distance.
It is more susceptible to side winds and
requires more careful steering.
Towing a trailer203
Driving an d parking
Z
RIf possible, do not brake suddenly, but insteaddepress the brake pedal moderately at first so
that the trailer can activate its brakes. Then
increase the pressure on the brake pedal.
RIf the automatic transmission repeatedly
shifts between gears on uphill or downhill gra-
dients, shift to a lower gear using the left-hand
steering wheel paddle shifter.
A lower gear and lower speed reduce the risk
of engine failure.
RWhen driving downhill, shift to a lower gear toutilize the engine's braking effect.
Avoid continuous brake application as this
may overheat the vehicle brakes and, if instal-
led, the trailer brakes.
RIf the coolant temperature increases dramat-
ically while the air-conditioning system is
switched on, switch off the air-conditioning
system.
Coolant heat can also be dissipated by open-
ing the windows and switching the ventilation blower and the interior temperature to the
highest level.
RWhen overtaking, pay particular attention to
the extended length of your vehicle/trailer
combination.
Due to the length of the vehicle/trailer com-
bination, you require additional road space in
relation to the vehicle you are overtaking
before you can change back to the original
lane.
Decoupling a trailer
GWARNING
If you uncouple a trailer with the overrun
brake engaged, you could trap your hand
between the vehicle and the trailer drawbar.
There is a risk of injury.
Do not uncouple a trailer if the overrun brake
is engaged.
GWARNING
Vehicles with level control:
The vehicle is lowered as soon as you discon-
nect the trailer cable. This could result in your
limbs or those of other people that are
between the vehicle body and tires or under-
neath the vehicle being trapped. There is a
risk of injury.
Make sure that nobody is in the immediate
vicinity of the wheel housings or under the
vehicle when you disconnect the trailer cable.
!Do not disconnect a trailer with an engaged
overrun brake. Otherwise, your vehicle could
be damaged by the rebounding of the overrun brake.
XShift the transmission to position P.
XApply the vehicle's electric parking brake.
XStart the engine.
XClose the doors and tailgate.
XApply the trailer's parking brake.
XDetach the trailer cable and decouple the
trailer.
XSwitch off the engine.
Permissible trailer loads and drawbar
loads
Weight specifications
Maximum allowable gross mass
The gross vehicle weight of the trailer is calcu-
lated by adding the weight of the trailer to the
weight of the load and equipment on the trailer. You will find installing dimensions and loads
under "Technical data" (
Ypage 361).
Permissible noseweight
You will find installing dimensions and loads
under "Technical data" (Ypage 361).
Loading a trailer
RWhen loading the trailer, make sure that nei-
ther the permissible gross weight of the trailer
nor the gross vehicle weight are exceeded.
The permissible gross vehicle weight is indi-
cated on the identification plate located on
the B-pillar on the driver's side of the vehicle.
You can find the maximum permissible values
on the type plates of your vehicle and the
trailer. When calculating how much weight
204Towing a trailer
Driving and parking
There is a short delay before a change in outside
temperature appears in the multifunction dis-
play.
Coolant temperature gauge
GWARNING
Opening the hood when the engine is over-
heated or when there is a fire in the engine
compartment could expose you to hot gases
or other service products. There is a risk of
injury.
Let an overheated engine cool down before
opening the hood. If there is a fire in the
engine compartment, keep the hood closed
and contact the fire department.
!A display message is shown if the coolant
temperature is too high.
If the coolant temperature is over 248 ‡
(120 †), do not continue driving. The engine
will otherwise be damaged.
The coolant temperature gage is in the instru-
ment cluster on the right-hand side (
Ypage 33).
Under normal operating conditions and with the
specified coolant level, the coolant temperature
may rise to 248 ‡ (120 †).
Operating the on-board computer
Overview
:Multifunction display
;Right control panel
=Left control panel
XTo activate the on-board computer: turn
the SmartKey to position 1in the ignition lock.
You can control the multifunction display and
the settings in the on-board computer using the
buttons on the multifunction steering wheel.
Vehicles with the COMAND multimedia system:
you can find further information on the Voice
Control System in the separate operating
instructions.
Vehicles with the Audio 20 multimedia system:
you can find further information on voice-oper-
ated navigation in the manufacturer's operating
instructions.
Displays and operation207
On-board computer and displays
Z
Left control panel
=
;RCalls up the menu and menu bar
9
:Press briefly:
RScrolls in lists
RSelects a submenu or function
RIn theAudiomenu: selects the
previous or next station, when the
preset list or station list is active,
or an audio track or video scene
RIn the Tel(telephone) menu:
switches to the phone book and
selects a name or telephone num-
ber
9
:Press and hold:
RIn the Audiomenu: selects a pre-
set list or a station list in the
desired frequency range, or an
audio track or video scene using
rapid scrolling
RIn the Tel(Telephone) menu:
starts rapid scrolling if the phone
book is open
aRConfirms the selection or display
message
RIn the Tel(Telephone) menu:
switches to the phone book and
starts dialing the selected number
%Press briefly:
RBack
RSwitches off voice-operated navi-
gation or the Voice Control System
RHides display messages or calls up
the last Tripmenu function used
RExits the telephone book/redial
memory
%Press and hold:
RCalls up the standard display in the
Tripmenu
Right control panel
~RRejects or ends a call
RExits the telephone book/redial
memory
6RMakes or accepts a call
RSwitches to the redial memory
W
XRAdjusts the volume
8RMute
?RSwitches on voice-operated navi-
gation or the Voice Control System
Multifunction display
:Permanent display: outside temperature or
speed (Ypage 215)
;Time
=Text field
?Menu bar
ADrive program (Ypage 134)
BTransmission position (Ypage 134)
XTo display menu bar ?: press the=
or ; button on the steering wheel.
If you do not press any other button, menu
bar ?fades out after a few seconds.
Text field =shows the selected menu or sub-
menu as well as display messages.
iSet the time using the multimedia system;
see the Digital Operator's Manual.
208Displays and operation
On-board computer and displays
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
Change of direction announced without a
lane recommendation
:Road into which the change of direction
leads
;Distance to change of direction and visual
distance display
=Change-of-direction symbol
When a change of direction is to be made, you
will see symbol =for the change of direction
and distance graphic ;. The distance indicator
shortens towards the top of the display as you
approach the point of the announced change of
direction. The change of direction starts once
the distance display reaches zero.
Change of direction announced with a
lane recommendation
:Road into which the change of direction
leads
;Distance to change of direction and visual
distance display
=Lanes not recommended
?Recommended lane and new lane during a
change of direction
AChange-of-direction symbol
On multilane roads, lane recommendations can
be displayed for the next change of direction if
the digital map supports this data. During the
change of direction, new lanes may be added.
Lane not recommended =: you will not be able
to complete the next change of direction if you
stay in this lane.
Recommended lane and new lane during a
change of direction ?: in this lane you will be
able to complete the next two changes of direc-
tion without changing lane.
Other status indicators of the naviga-
tion system
The navigation system displays additional infor-
mation and the vehicle status.
Possible displays:
RNew Route...or Calculating Route...
A new route is calculated.
RRoad Not Mapped
The vehicle position is inside the area of the
digital map but the road is not recognized, e.g.
newly built streets, car parks or private land.
RNo Route
No route could be calculated to the selected
destination.
RO
You have reached the destination or an inter-
mediate destination.
Audio menu
Selecting a radio station
:Active station list
;Station frequency with memory position
The multifunction display shows station ;with
station frequency or station name. The preset
position is only displayed along with station ;if
this has been stored. You can store TV chan-
nels ;in the multimedia system.
XSwitch on the multimedia system and select
radio; see the separate operating instruc-
tions.
XPress the =or; button on the steering
wheel to select the Audiomenu.
Menus and submenus211
On-board computer and displays
Z
XTo select a preset list or station list:press
and briefly hold the 9or: button until
the preset list or station list in the desired
frequency range is shown in the multifunction display.
XTo select a station: briefly press9
or :.
iSIRIUS XM satellite radio functions like a
normal radio.
For more information on radio operation, see
"Satellite radio" in the separate operating
instructions.
Operating an audio player or audio
media
Audio data from various audio devices or media
can be played, depending on the equipment
installed in the vehicle.
XSwitch on the multimedia system and select
audio CD or MP3 mode; see the separate
operating instructions.
XPress the =or; button on the steering
wheel to select the Audiomenu.
XTo select the next/previous track: briefly
press the 9or: button.
XTo select a track from the track list (rapid
scrolling): press and hold the 9or:
button until desired track :has been
reached.
If you press and hold 9or:, the rapid
scrolling speed is increased. Not all audio
drives or data carriers support this function.
If track information is stored on the audio device
or medium, the multifunction display will show
the number and title of the track.
Video DVD operation
XSwitch on the multimedia system and select
video DVD; see the separate operating
instructions.
XPress the =or; button on the steering
wheel to select the Audiomenu.
XTo select the next or previous scene:
briefly press the9or: button.
XTo select a scene from the scene list
(rapid scrolling): press and hold the 9
or : button until desired scene :has
been reached.
Telephone menu
Introduction
GWARNING
If you operate information systems and com-
munication equipment integrated in the vehi-
cle while driving, you will be distracted from
traffic conditions. You could also lose control
of the vehicle. There is a risk of an accident.
Only operate the equipment when the traffic
situation permits. If you are not sure that this
is possible, park the vehicle paying attention
to traffic conditions and operate the equip-
ment when the vehicle is stationary.
When telephoning, you must observe the legal
requirements for the country in which you are
currently driving.
XSwitch on the mobile phone (see the manu-
facturer’s operating instructions).
XSwitch on the multimedia system (see sepa-
rate operating instructions).
XEstablish a Bluetooth®connection to the mul-
timedia system; see the separate operating
instructions.
XPress the =or; button on the steering
wheel to select the Telmenu.
212Menus and submenus
On-board computer and displays