longed rolling of the wheels, e.g. when being
towed, will result in transmission damage.
If the vehicle threatens to skid or cannot be
stopped when moving at low speed:
XShift the transmission to neutral position N.
XTry to maintain control of the vehicle using
corrective steering.
Drive particularly carefully on slippery roads.
Avoid sudden acceleration, steering and braking
maneuvers. Do not use cruise control.
You can find further information on winter tires
and snow chains in the "Winter operation" sec-
tion (
Ypage 250).
Driving off-road
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If you drive on a steep incline at an angle or
turn when driving on an incline, the vehicle
could slip sideways, tip and rollover. There is a risk of an accident.
Always drive on a steep incline in the line of
fall (straight up or down) and do not turn the
vehicle.
GWARNING
When driving off-road, your body is subject to
forces from all directions, due to the uneven
surface. You could be thrown from your seat,
for instance. There is a risk of injury.
Always wear a seat belt, even when driving off-
road.
GWARNING
If you drive over obstacles or in ruts, the steer-
ing wheel may jerk out of your grip, causing
injury to your hands.
Always hold the steering wheel firmly with
both hands. When driving over obstacles, you
must expect steering forces to increase
briefly and suddenly.
GWARNING
Flammable material such as leaves, grass or
twigs may ignite if they come into contact with
hot parts of the exhaust system. There is a risk of fire.
When driving off road or on unpaved roads,
check the vehicle's underside regularly. In
particular, remove parts of plants or other
flammable materials which have become
trapped. In the case of damage, contact a
qualified specialist workshop.
!When driving off-road or on unpaved surfa-
ces, check the underside of the vehicle and
the wheels and tires at regular intervals. In
particular, remove any trapped foreign
objects, e.g. stones and branches.
Such foreign objects may:
Rdamage the chassis, the fuel tank or the
brake system
Rcause imbalances and thus vibrations
Rbe flung out when you continue driving
If there is any damage, inform a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
When driving off-road and on construction sites,
sand, mud and water mixed with oil, for exam-
ple, may get into the brakes. This may lead to a
reduction in braking performance or total brake
failure, also as a result of increased wear. The
braking characteristics will vary depending on
the material that has got into the system. Clean
the brakes after driving off-road. If you then
notice reduced braking performance or hear
scraping noises, have the brake system checked
at a qualified specialist workshop. Adjust your
driving style to the changed braking character-
istics.
Driving off-road or on construction sites increa-
ses the possibility of vehicle damage which may
in turn lead to the failure of certain assemblies
and systems. Adapt your driving style to the off- road driving c
onditions. Drive carefully. Have
any vehicle damage rectified at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop as soon as possible.
When driving on rough terrain, do not shift the
transmission into the neutral position. You could
lose control when attempting to brake the vehi-
cle with the service brake. If your vehicle cannot
manage an uphill slope, drive back down the
slope in reverse gear.
Driving tips137
Driving and parking
Z
XCheck the wheels and tires and wheel archesfor trapped foreign objects and remove them.
Trapped foreign objects can damage the
wheels and tires or may beflung out from the
veh icle when you continue driving.
XCheck the underbo dyfor trapped branches or
other parts of plants and remove them.
XClean the brake disks, brake padsand axle
jo ints, particular lyafter operation insand,
mud, grit and gravel, water or similarly dirt y
conditions.
XCheck the entire floor assembly, the tires,
wheels, bodywork structure, brakes, steering,
chassis and exhaust system for any damage.
XCheck the service brake for operating safety,
e.g. carry out a brake test.
XIf you notice strong vibrations after driving off-
road, check the wheels and drive train for for-
eign objects again. Remove any foreign
objects which can lead to imbalances and
thus cause vibrations.
Driving systems
Cruise control
General notes
Cruise control maintains the speed of the veh i-
cle for you.
Use cruise control ifroad and traff icconditions
make itappropriate to maintain a steady speed
for a prolonged period. You can set any speed
from 20 mph upwards inincrements of 1 mph.
iIfyou have set km /has the unit for the dig-
ital speedometer (Ypage 168), you can set
any speed from 30 km /hupwards inincre-
ments of 1 km/h.
Cruise control should not beactivated when
driv ing off-road or on construction sites.
Cruise control may not be ableto maintain the
stored speed on uphillordownhill gradients. If
the gradient evens out and the veh icle's speed
does not fall below 20 mph (30 km/h), the
stored speed is resumed.
iThe speed shown in the speedometer may
differ slightly from the speed stored by cruise
control.
Important safety notes
If you fail to adapt your driving style or if you are
inattentive, cruise control can neither reduce
the risk of an accident nor override the laws of
physics. Cruise control cannot take road,
weather and traffic conditions into account.
Cruise control is only an aid. You are responsible
for the distance to the vehicle in front, for vehi-
cle speed, for braking in good time and for stay-
ing in lane.
Do not use cruise control:
Rin traffic conditions that are unsuitable for
driving at a constant speed, e.g. in heavy traf-
fic, on winding roads or off-road
Ron slippery roads. Braking or accelerating can
cause the drive wheels to lose traction and
the vehicle could then skid
Rwhen visibility is poor, e.g. due to fog, heavy
rain or snow
If there is a change of drivers, make sure that
you inform the new driver about the set cruise
speed.
Cruise control lever
Operating cruise control
:To activate and store the current speed or a
higher speed
;To activate at the last stored speed
=To activate and store the current speed or a
lower speed
?To deactivate cruise control
The cruise control lever is the upper lever on the
left of the steering column.
Displaying the cruise control speed
Vehicles with steering wheel buttons: when
you activate cruise control, the text field in the
display briefly shows the Cr.
controlmessage
Driving systems139
Driving and parking
Z
and the stored speed. The status area of the
display then shows theVsymbol and the
stored speed.
Vehicles without steering wheel buttons:
when you activate cruise control, the display
briefly shows the Vsymbol and the stored
speed.
Activation conditions
To activate cruise control, all of the following
activation conditions must be fulfilled:
Rthe parking brake must be released. The c
indicator lamp in the instrument cluster is off
Ryou are driving faster than 20 mph (30 km/h)
Rneither the brake or clutch pedal is depressed
iOther drive and brake systems not descri-
bed in this Operator's Manual, such as a
retarder, may affect cruise control. You can
find information on this in the separate oper-
ating instructions provided by the body man-
ufacturer.
Storing and maintaining the current
speed
XAccelerate the vehicle to the desired speed
above 20 mph (30 km/h).
XBriefly push the cruise control lever up :or
down ?.
XRelease the accelerator pedal.
Cruise control is activated. The current speed
is stored.
The display shows the Vsymbol and the
stored speed.
Resuming the 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 =.
XRelease the accelerator pedal.
Cruise control is activated and resumes the
vehicle's speed to the last speed stored.
The display shows the Vsymbol and the
stored speed.
iWhen you pull the cruise control lever
towards you for the first time after starting the
engine, cruise control adopts the current
speed.
Setting the speed
It may be a moment before the vehicle starts to
accelerate or brake to the set speed. Take this
delay into account when setting the speed.
XBriefly push the cruise control lever up :to
increase the speed or down =to reduce the
speed.
The last stored speed increases or decreases
in 1 mph increments (1 km/h increments).
or
XPress and hold the cruise control lever up :
or down =until the desired speed has been
reached.
XRelease the cruise control lever.
The current speed is stored.
The display shows the Vsymbol and the
stored speed.
iCruise control is not deactivated if you
depress the accelerator pedal. If you acceler-
ate briefly to overtake, for example, cruise
control resumes the vehicle’s speed to the
last speed stored after you have finished over-
taking.
Deactivating cruise control
There are various ways to deactivate cruise con- trol:
XBriefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards ?.
or
XApply the brakes.
The last speed set remains stored. The last
speed stored is deleted when you switch off the
engine.
140Driving systems
Driving and parking
Cruise controlisdeactivated automatically
when:
Ryou apply the brakes
Ryouapply the parking brake and the c
indicator lamp inthe instrument cluster lights
up
Ryou are driving slower than 20 mph (30 km/h)
Ryou shift the automat ictransmission to neu-
tral position Nwhile the vehicle is inmotion
RESP®or ASR intervenes
Rthere isa malfunction inthe ESP®, ASR or ABS
system
Problems with cruise control
ProblemPossible causes/consequences and MSolutions
On vehicleswit h steering
wheel buttons, the
speed cannot beset
when cruise control is
activated.The displ ay shows a high-priority message. Thus a change in speed is
not possible.
XProceed as instructed by the message inthe display.
XDeactivate cruise control
COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST
General notes
COLL ISION PREVENTION AS SISTcomprises the
dist ance warning function and adaptive Brake
Assist.
Distance warning function
Important safety notes
iNote the section on 'Important safety notes'
(Ypage 54).
GWAR NING
The distance warning function does not react:
Rto people or animals
Rto oncoming veh icles
Rto crossing traff ic
Rwhen cornering
The distance warning function may not give
warnings inall critical situations. There isa
risk of an acc ident.
Alwa ys pay careful attention to the traff icsit-
uation and beready to brake.
Alwa ys adapt your speed to suit the pre vailing
road and traff icconditions.
GWARNING
The distance warning function cannot always
clearly identify objects and co mplex traffic
situations.
In such cases, the distance warning function
may:
Rgive an unnecessary warning
Rnot give a warning
There isa risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit-
uation and donot rely solely on the distance
warning function.
Operation
The distance warning function can help you to
minimize the risk of a front-end collision with a
vehicle ahead or reduce the effects of such a
collision. If the distance warning function
detects that there is a risk of a collision, you will
be warned visually and acoustically. Without
your intervention, the distance warning function
cannot prevent a collision.
The distance warning function willissue a warn-
ing at speeds of around 20 mph (30 km/h)or
more if:
Ryou approach a vehicle ahead of you very
quickly. You will then hear an intermittent
warning tone and the red ·warning lamp
in the instrument cluster flashes.
Driving systems141
Driving and parking
Z
XBrake immediately in order to increase the
distance from the vehicle in front.
or
XTake evasive action provided it is safe to do
so.
If you want the distance warning function to
assist you, the function must be activated and
operational.
Due to the nature of the system, particularly
complicated driving conditions may cause the
system to display an unnecessary warning.
With the help of the radar sensor system, the
distance warning function can detect obstacles
that are in the path of your vehicle for an exten-
ded period of time.
Up to a speed of 45 mph (70 km/h), the distance
warning function can also react to stationary
obstacles, such as stopped or parked vehicles.
If you approach an obstacle and the distance
warning function detects a risk of a collision, the
system will alert you both visually and acousti-
cally.
In particular, the detection of obstacles can be
impaired in the case of:
Rdirt, ice or anything else covering the sensors
Rsnow or heavy rain
Rinterference from other radar sources
Rthere are strong radar reflections, for exam-
ple in parking garages
Ra narrow vehicle traveling in front, e.g. a
motorbike
Ra vehicle traveling in front on a different line
Following damage to the front end of the vehicle,
have the configuration and operation of the
radar sensor checked at a qualified specialist
workshop. This also applies to collisions at slow
spe eds w
here there is no visible damage to the
front of the vehicle.
Activating/deactivating the distance
warning function
When you switch on the engine, the distance
warning function switches on after a few sec-
onds.
XTo deactivate: press theæbutton
(Ypage 37).
Vehicles without steering wheel buttons:
the Ä warning lamp in the instrument clus-
ter lights up and the OFF
message flashes. The
message then disappears and the Äindi-
cator lamp remains lit. Vehicles with steering wheel buttons:
the
Ä warning lamp in the instrument cluster
flashes and the Distance
WarningSystemDeactivatedmessage appears .The mes-
sage then disappears and the Äwarning
lamp remains lit.
XTo activate: press theæbutton again
(Ypage 37).
Vehicles without steering wheel buttons:
the Ä warning lamp in the instrument clus-
ter lights up and the on
message flashes. The
message then disappears and the Äindi-
cator lamp goes out.
Vehicles with steering wheel buttons: the
Ä warning lamp in the instrument cluster
flashes and the Distance
WarningSystemActivatedmessage appears in the multi-
function display. The message then disap-
pears and the indicator lamp Ägoes out.
Adaptive Brake Assist
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion for driving safety systems (Ypage 54).
GWARNING
Adaptive Brake Assist cannot always clearly
identify objects and complex traffic situa-
tions.
In such cases, Adaptive Brake Assist can:
Rintervene unnecessarily
Rnot intervene
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit- uation and be ready to brake. Terminate the
intervention in a non-critical driving situation.
GWARNING
Adaptive Brake Assist does not react:
Rto people or animals
Rto oncoming vehicles
Rto crossing traffic
Rto stationary obstacles
Rwhen cornering
As a result, the Adaptive Brake Assist may not
intervene in all critical conditions. There is a
risk of an accident.
142Driving systems
Driving and parking
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 once. Red warning lamp:flashes. If
the turn signal remains on, detected vehicles
are indicated by the flashing of red warning
lamp :. There are no further warning tones.
Activating/deactivating Blind Spot Assist
iBlind Spot Assist is activated when you
switch on the ignition.
XTurn the key to position 2in the ignition lock.
Warning lamps :in the exterior mirrors light
up red for approximately 1.5 seconds and
then turn yellow.
XTo deactivate: press thekbutton in the
center console (Ypage 37).
The yellow indicator lamp in exterior mirror :
first flashes and then lights up continuously.
XTo activate: press thekbutton in the
center console again (Ypage 37).
The yellow indicator lamp in exterior mirror :
flashes initially. If you exceed 20 mph
(30 km/h) while driving, the yellow indicator
lamp in exterior mirror :goes out.
Towing a trailer
If you attach a trailer, make sure that you have
correctly established the electrical connection.
This can be accomplished by checking the trailer
lighting. Blind Spot Assist is deactivated as a
result. The indicator lamp in the exterior mirrors
lights up yellow.
On veh icles wit
h steering wheel buttons, the
Blind Spot Assist Deactivatedmessage
also appears in the display.
Lane Keeping Assist
General notes
Lane Keeping Assist monitors the area in front of
your vehicle by means of a camera at the top of
the windshield. Lane Keeping Assist detects
lane markings on the road and warns you before
you leave your lane unintentionally.
:Lane Keeping Assist camera
Lane Keeping Assist supports you from speeds
of approximately 40 mph(60 km/h).
If Lane Keeping Assist detects lane markings,
the à indicator lamp in the instrument clus-
ter lights up green. Lane Keeping Assist is opera-
tional.
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Lane Keeping Assist may not always clearly
recognize lane markings.
In this case, Lane Keeping Assist may:
Rgive an unnecessary warning
Rnot give a warning
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay particular attention to the traffic
situation and stay in lane, in particular if
warned by Lane Keeping Assist.
GWARNING
The Lane Keeping Assist warning does not
return the vehicle to the original lane. There is
a risk of an accident.
You should always steer, brake or accelerate
yourself, in particular if warned by Lane Keep-
ing Assist.
If you fail to adapt your driving style, Lane Keep-
ing Assist can neither reduce the risk of accident
nor override the laws of physics. Lane Keeping
Assist cannot take into account road, weather or traffic conditions. Lane Keeping Assist is only an
aid. You are responsible for the distance to the
vehicle in front, for vehicle speed, braking in
good time and for staying in your lane.
Driving systems145
Driving and parking
Z
Lane Keeping Assist does not keep your vehicle
in its lane.
The system may be impaired or may not function
if:
Rif the vehicle is incorrectly loaded
(Ypage 213)
Rthere is poor visibility, e.g. due to insufficient
illumination of the road, or due to snow, rain,
fog or spray
Rthere is glare, e.g. from oncoming traffic, the
sun or reflection from other vehicles (e.g. if
the road surface is wet)
Rthe windshield is dirty, fogged up, damaged or
covered, for instance by a sticker, in the vicin-
ity of the camera
Rno, or several, unclear lane markings are pres-
ent for one lane, e.g. in a construction area
Rthe lane markings are worn away, dark or cov-
ered up, e.g. by dirt or snow
Rthe distance to the vehicle in front is too small
and the lane markings thus cannot be detec-
ted
Rthe lane markings change quickly, e.g. lanes
branch off, cross one another or merge
Rthe road is narrow and winding
Rthere are highly variable shade conditions on
the road
A warning may be given if a front wheel passes
over a lane marking. In addition, a warning tone
sounds and the Ãindicator lamp in the
instrument cluster flashes red.
Activating/deactivating Lane Keeping
Assist
Lane Keeping Assist is automatically activated
when you start the engine.
XTo deactivate: press thejbutton in the
center console (Ypage 37).
On vehicles without steering wheel but-
tons:
OFF
flashes briefly in the display and the Ã
indicator lamp in the instrument cluster
flashes yellow and then lights up continu-
ously.
On vehicles with steering wheel buttons:
The Lane
Keep.AssistDeactivatedmes-
sage appears in the display and the Ã
indicator lamp in the instrument cluster
flashes yellow and then lights up continu-
ously. Lane Keeping Assist is deactivated.
XTo activate:
press thejbutton in the
center console again (Ypage 37).
On vehicles without steering wheel but-
tons:
on
flashes briefly in the display and the Ã
indicator lamp in the instrument cluster goes
out. If a lane marking is detected, the Ã
indicator lamp lights up green.
On vehicles with steering wheel buttons:
The Lane Keep. Assist Activated
mes-
sage appears in the display and the Ã
indicator lamp in the instrument cluster goes
out. If a lane marking is detected, the Ã
indicator lamp lights up green.
Lane Keeping Assist is activated.
A Lane Keeping Assist warning is suppressed if:
Ra driving safety system intervenes, such as
ABS, BAS or ESP®.
Ryou have set the turn signal and a lane change is detected. In this case, the warnings are
suppressed for a certain period of time.
Ryou accelerate hard, e.g. kickdown on vehi-
cles with an automatic transmission.
Ryou brake hard.
Ryou steer actively, e.g. swerve to avoid an
obstacle or change lane quickly.
Ryou cut the corner on a sharp bend.
In order that you are warned only when neces-
sary and in good time if you cross the lane mark-
ing, the system recognizes certain conditions
and warns you accordingly.
Lane Keeping Assist warns you earlier if:
Ryou approach the outer lane marking on a
bend.
Rthe road has very wide lanes, e.g. a freeway.
Rthe system recognizes solid lane markings.
Warnings are given later if:
Rthe road has narrow lanes.
Ryou cut the corner on a bend.
All-wheel drive
Important safety notes
!Never tow the vehicle with one axle raised.
This may damage the transfer case. Damage
of this sort is not covered by the Mercedes-
Benz Limited Warranty. All wheels must
146Driving systems
Driving and parking
remain either on the ground or be fully raised.
Observe the instructions for towing the vehi-
cle with all wheels in full contact with the
ground.
!A function or performance test should only
be carried out on a two-axle dynamometer.
Before you operate the vehicle on such a
dynamometer, please consult a qualified
workshop. You could otherwise damage the
drive train or the brake system.
If you fail to adapt your driving style or if you are
inattentive, the all-wheel drive system can nei-
ther reduce the risk of an accident nor override
the laws of physics. The all-wheel drive system
cannot take road, weather and traffic conditions
into account. The all-wheel drive system is only
an aid. You are responsible for the distance to
the vehicle in front, for vehicle speed and for
braking in good time.
4ETS ensures permanent drive for all four
wheels, and together with ESP
®it improves the
vehicle's traction.
If a driven wheel spins due to lack of traction:
RWhen pulling away, make use of the traction
control integrated in ESP®. Depress the
accelerator pedal as far as necessary.
RWhile driving, slowly take your foot off the
accelerator pedal
In wintry driving conditions, always use winter
tires (M+S tires) and if necessary, snow chains
(
Ypage 251). This is the only way to get the full
benefit from the all-wheel drive system.
For information on "Driving off-road", see
(
Ypage 137).
Engaging all-wheel drive
Conditions for engaging/disengaging
All-wheel drive can only be engaged or disen-
gaged if:
Rthe engine is running
Rthe vehicle is stationary
If it is not possible to engage all-wheel-drive:
Rmove the selector lever to position N
Rrelease the brake pedal
Rpress the;button
Rmove the selector lever from Nto Dor R
Engaging/disengaging all-wheel drive
XTo engage/disengage: press the;but-
ton.
The indicator lamp in the ;button flashes.
The h and: indicator lamps light up in
the instrument cluster. ESP
®and ASR are
deactivated for the duration of the engaging/ disengaging process.
If the engaging/disengaging process is suc-
cessful, the hand: indicator lamps in
the instrument cluster go out and ESP
®and
ASR are reactivated.
If the indicator lamp in the ;button is lit,
all-wheel drive is engaged. On vehicles with
steering-wheel buttons, the display then
shows the following message: Four-wheel
drive active.
If the engaging/disengaging process fails, the indicator lamp in the ;button flashes
three times briefly. One of the gear change
conditions was not fulfilled.
As long as the indicator lamp in the ;button
is flashing, you can cancel the engaging/disen-
gaging process by pressing the ;again.
iIf the LOW RANGE transmission ratio
(Ypage 147) is engaged, all-wheel drive can-
not be disengaged.
LOW RANGE transmission ratio
General notes
The LOW RANGE transmission ratio assists you
when driving on difficult terrain. If you engage
LOW RANGE, the engine's performance charac-
teristics and the automatic transmission's shift-
ing characteristics are adjusted accordingly.
The transmission ratio from the engine to the
wheels is around 40% lower than in the on-road position. This increases the drive torque.
Driving systems147
Driving and parking
Z