Activating RACE START X
Depress th e brak e pedal wit h your lef t foo t
and keep it depressed. X
Turn th e drive program selector clockwise
( Y
page 134) until th e RS lamp lights up.
The RAC E START Confirm: Paddle UP
Cancel : Paddle DOW N message appear s in
th e multifunction display.
i If th e activation condition s are no longer ful-
filled, RACE START is canceled. The RAC E
START Canceled message appear s in th e
multifunction display. X
To cancel: pull th e lef t steering whee l paddl e
shifte r ( Y
page 135).
or X
To confirm : pull th e right steering whee l pad-
dle shifte r ( Y
page 135).
The RAC E START available Depres s
accelerator message appear s in th e multi-
function display.
i If you do no t depress th e accelerato r pedal
fully within two seconds, RACE START is can -
celed. The RAC E START Not Possible See
Operator' s Manual message appear s in th e
multifunction display. X
Full y depress th e accelerato r pedal .
The engin e spee d rises to approximately
3,500 rpm.
The RAC E START Releas e brake to start
message appear s in th e multifunction display.
i If you do no t release th e brak e pedal within
fiv e seconds, RACE START is canceled. The
RAC E START Canceled message appear s in
th e multifunction display.X
Tak e your foo t off th e brake, but keep th e
accelerato r pedal depressed.
The vehicl e pulls away at maximum acceler -
ation .
The RAC E START active message appear s in
th e multifunction display.
RACE START is deactivated when th e vehicl e
reaches a spee d of approximately 30 mph (Can -
ada: 50 km/h). Drive program S+ is activated.
SPORT handlin g mod e remain s switched on .
RACE START is deactivated immediately if you
release th e accelerato r pedal during RACE
START or if any of th e activation condition s are
no longer fulfilled . The RAC E START Not Pos ‐
sible See Operator' s Manual message
appear s in th e multifunction display. i If RACE START is used repeatedly within a
short period of time, it is only available again
after th e vehicl e has been driven a certain
distance.
AIRMATIC
Vehicle level Important safety notes
G WARNIN G
When th e vehicl e is bein g lowered, people
could become trapped if their limb s are
between th e vehicl e body and th e wheels or
underneat h th e vehicle. There is a ris k of
injury.
Mak e sur e no on e is underneat h th e vehicl e or
in th e immediat e vicinity of th e whee l arches
when th e vehicl e is bein g lowered.
Your vehicl e regulates it s height automatically.
All-roun d level control ensures th e best possibl e
suspension and constan t ground clearance ,
eve n wit h a laden vehicle. When you drive fast,
th e vehicl e is lowered automatically to improve
drivin g safet y and to reduce fuel consumption .
The followin g vehicl e levels are possible:R
Normal R
Raised : th e vehicl e is raised by approximately
0.80 in (20 mm ) when compared with the nor-
mal level R
Lowered: the vehicle is raised by approx-
imately 0.40 in (10 mm ) when compared with
the normal level
i These changes in level are so slight that you
are hardly aware of them.
The "Normal" and "Raised" vehicle levels can be
set manually.
The "Lowered” vehicle level is set automatically: R
at speeds above 70 mph (113 km/h) R
if you have selected "Sports tuning"
( Y
page 160)
Setting the vehicle level
Select the "Normal" setting for normal road sur-
faces and "Raised" for driving with snow chains
or on particularly poor road surfaces. YourDriving systems 159
Driving and parking Z
Mercedes-Benz. These batteries provide
increased impact protection to prevent vehicle
occupants from suffering acid burns should the
battery be damaged in the event of an accident.
In order for the battery to achieve the maximum
possible service life, it must always be suffi-
ciently charged.
Like other batteries, the vehicle battery may
discharge over time if you do not use the vehicle.
In this case, have the battery disconnected at a
qualified specialist workshop. You can also
charge the battery with a charger recommended
by Mercedes-Benz. Contact a qualified special-
ist workshop for further information.
Have the battery condition of charge checked
more frequently if you use the vehicle mainly for
short trips or if you leave it standing idle for a
lengthy period. Consult a qualified specialist
workshop if you wish to leave your vehicle
parked for a long period of time.
Remove the SmartKey if you park the vehicle
and do not require any electrical consumers.
The vehicle will then use very little energy, thus
conserving battery power.
If the power supply has been interrupted, e.g. if
you reconnect the battery, you will have to: R
set the clock; see the Digital Operator's Man-
ual
On vehicles with a multimedia system, the
time is set automatically. R
reset the function for folding the exterior mir-
rors in/out automatically, by folding the mir-
rors out once ( Y
page 101).
Charging the battery
! Only use battery chargers with a maximum
charging voltage of 14.8 V.
G WARNING
During charging and jump-starting, explosive
gases can escape from the battery. There is a
risk of an explosion.
Particularly avoid fire, open flames, creating
sparks and smoking. Ensure there is sufficient
ventilation while charging and jump-starting.
Do not lean over a battery.
G WARNING
Battery acid is caustic. There is a risk of injury. Avoid contact with skin, eyes or clothing. Do
not inhale any battery gases. Do not lean over
the battery. Keep children away from batter-
ies. Wash away battery acid immediately with
plenty of clean water and seek medical atten-
tion.
G WARNING
A discharged battery can freeze at tempera-
tures below freezing point. When jump-start-
ing the vehicle or charging the battery, gases
can escape from the battery. There is a risk of
an explosion.
Allow the frozen battery to thaw out before
charging it or jump-starting.
! Only charge the battery using the jump-
starting connection point.
The jump-starting connection point is in the
engine compartment ( Y
page 285).X
Open the hood. X
Connect the battery charger to the positive
terminal and ground point in the same order
as when connecting the donor battery in the
jump-starting procedure ( Y
page 285).
Keep away from fire and open flames. Do not
lean over a battery. Never charge the battery if it
is still installed in the vehicle, unless you use a
battery charger which has been tested and
approved by Mercedes-Benz. A battery charger
unit specially adapted for Mercedes-Benz vehi-
cles and tested and approved by Mercedes-
Benz is available as an accessory. It permits the
charging of the battery in its installed position.
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
for further information and availability. Read the
battery charger's operating instructions before
charging the battery.
If the warning and indicator lamps do not light up
on the instrument cluster when temperatures
are low, it is probably because the discharged
battery has frozen. In this case, you may neither
charge the battery nor jump-start the vehicle.
The service life of a thawed-out battery may be
shorter. The starting characteristics can be
impaired, particularly at low temperatures. Have
the thawed-out battery checked at a qualified
specialist workshop.284
Battery (vehicle)
Breakdown assistance