
Holding the vehicle stationary on uphill
gradients
GWARNING
If the clutch overheats, the electronic man-
agement system is automatically deactivated.
This interrupts the power transmission. The
vehicle may, for example, roll backwards on
gradients. There is a risk of an accident.
Never hold the vehicle stationary on uphill
gradients by depressing the accelerator.
The clutch may overheat if you hold the vehiclestationary on uphill gradients by depressing theaccelerator pedal. If the clutch overheats, awarning tone sounds.
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles):theStop Vehicle Shift to 'P'Stop Vehicle Shift to 'P'
Leave Engine RunningLeave Engine Runningdisplay messageappears in the multifunction display. You willonly be able to continue your journey once theclutch has cooled down and the display mes-sage in the multifunction display has disap-peared.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles:theTrans. OilTrans. Oil
Overheated Drive on with CareOverheated Drive on with Caredisplaymessage appears in the multifunction display.
Do not hold the vehicle stationary on uphill gra-dients by depressing the accelerator pedal.Instead, only ever hold the vehicle stationary onuphill gradients by:
Rdepressing the brake pedal
Ractivating the HOLD function
Rengaging the electric parking brake
Kickdown
Use kickdown for maximum acceleration.
XDepress the accelerator pedal beyond thepressure point.The automatic transmission shifts to a lowergear depending on the engine speed.
XEase off the accelerator pedal once thedesired speed is reached.The automatic transmission shifts back up.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles:it is only possible touse kickdown in the automatic drive programand the temporary manual drive programM.When manual drive programMis permanentlyactivated, kickdown is not possible.
For further information on kickdown in manualdrive programM(Ypage 139).
Rocking the vehicle free
Shifting back and forth between transmissionpositions [and ^can help to free up thevehicle if it gets stuck in mud or snow. The vehi-cle's engine management system limits thespeed to a maximum of 5 mph (9 km/h) whenshifting back and forth. To shift repeatedlybetween transmission positions [and ^,move the DIRECT SELECT lever up and downpast the point of resistance.
Drive programs
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG
vehicles)
Drive program C (Comfort)
Drive programCis characterized by the follow-ing:
Rthe vehicle delivers comfortable, economicalhandling characteristics.
Rthe vehicle pulls away more gently in forwardand reverse gears, unless the acceleratorpedal is depressed fully.
Rthe vehicle has improved driving stability, forexample on slippery road surfaces.
Roptimal fuel consumption resulting from theautomatic transmission shifting up sooner.The vehicle is driven in the low engine speedrange and the wheels are less likely to spin.
Drive program S (Sport)
Drive programSis characterized by the follow-ing:
Rsporty engine settings.
Rthe automatic transmission shifts up later.The fuel consumption possibly being higheras a result of the later automatic transmissionshift points.
Automatic transmission135
Driving and parking
Z

helps you to avoid overheating the brakes andwearing them out excessively.
When you take advantage of engine braking, itis possible that a drive wheel will not rotate forsome time, e.g. on a slippery road surface.This could cause damage to the drive train.This type of damage is not covered by theMercedes-Benz warranty.
Briefly depressing the accelerator pedal ondownhill gradients while the manual drive pro-gramMis temporarily activated: the automatictransmission may switch to the last active auto-matic drive programEorS. The automatic trans-mission may shift to a higher gear. This canreduce the engine's braking effect.
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 constantlyresults in excessive and premature wear tothe brake pads.
If the brakes have been subjected to a heavyload, do not stop the vehicle immediately. Driveon for a short while. This allows the airflow tocool the brakes more quickly.
Wet roads
If you have driven for a long time in heavy rainwithout braking, there may be a delayed reac-tion from the brakes when braking for the firsttime. This may also occur after the vehicle hasbeen washed or driven through deep water.
You have to depress the brake pedal morefirmly. Maintain a greater distance from thevehicle in front.
After driving on a wet road or having the vehiclewashed, brake firmly while paying attention tothe traffic conditions. This will warm up thebrake discs, thereby drying them more quicklyand 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 brakepads. This can result in a significantly longerbraking distance.
RIn order to prevent any salt build-up, apply thebrakes occasionally while paying attention tothe traffic conditions.
RCarefully depress the brake pedal and thebeginning and end of a journey.
RMaintain a greater distance to the vehicleahead.
Servicing the brakes
!The brake fluid level may be too low, if:
Rif the red brake warning lamp lights up inthe instrument cluster and
Ryou hear a warning tone while the engine isrunning
Observe additional warning messages in themultifunction display.
The brake fluid level may be too low due tobrake pad wear or leaking brake lines.
Have the brake system checked immediately.Consult a qualified specialist workshop toarrange this.
!A function or performance test should onlybe carried out on a 2-axle dynamometer. Ifyou wish to operate the vehicle on such adynamometer, please consult a qualified spe-cialist workshop in advance. You could oth-erwise damage the drive train or the brakesystem.
!As the ESP®system operates automatically,the engine and the ignition must be switchedoff (the SmartKey must be in position

For this reason, in the event of heavy rain or inconditions in which hydroplaning may occur,you must drive in the following manner:
Rlower your speed
Ravoid ruts
Ravoid sudden steering movements
Rbrake carefully
Driving on flooded roads
!Do not drive through flooded areas. Checkthe depth of any water before driving throughit. Drive slowly through standing water. Oth-erwise, water could enter the vehicle interioror engine compartment. It can then damagethe engine's or automatic transmission'selectronic components. It can also be suckedin by the engine's air intake connection andcause engine damage.
Winter driving
GWARNING
If you shift down on a slippery road surface in
an attempt to increase the engine's braking
effect, the drive wheels could lose their grip.
There is an increased danger of skidding and
accidents.
Do not shift down for additional engine brak-
ing on a slippery road surface.
GDANGER
If the exhaust pipe is blocked or adequate
ventilation is not possible, poisonous gases
such as carbon monoxide (CO) may enter the
vehicle. This is the case, e.g. if the vehicle
becomes trapped in snow. There is a risk of
fatal injury.
If you leave the engine or the auxiliary heating
running, make sure the exhaust pipe and area
around the vehicle are clear of snow. To
ensure an adequate supply of fresh air, open a
window on the side of the vehicle that is not
facing into the wind.
Have your vehicle winter-proofed at a qualifiedspecialist workshop at the onset of winter.
Drive particularly carefully on slippery road sur-faces. Avoid sudden acceleration, steering andbraking maneuvers. Do not use cruise control orActive Distance Assist DISTRONIC.
If the vehicle threatens to skid or cannot bestopped when moving at low speed:
XShift the transmission to position \\.
XTry to bring the vehicle under control usingcorrective steering.
The outside temperature indicator is notdesigned to serve as an ice-warning device andis therefore unsuitable for that purpose.Changes in the outside temperature are dis-played after a short delay.
Indicated temperatures just above the freezingpoint do not guarantee that the road surface isfree of ice. The road may still be icy, especially inwooded areas or on bridges.
You should pay special attention to road condi-tions when temperatures are around freezingpoint.
For more information on driving with snowchains, see (Ypage 293).
For more information on driving with summertires, see (Ypage 292).
Observe the notes in the "Winter operation" sec-tion (Ypage 292).
Driving systems
Cruise control
General notes
Cruise control maintains a constant road speedfor you. It brakes automatically in order to avoidexceeding the set speed. On long and steepdownhill gradients, especially if the vehicle isladen, you must select a low gear in good time.You need to shift manually using the steeringwheel paddle shifters beforehand. By doing so,you will make use of the braking effect of theengine. This relieves the load on the brake sys-tem and prevents the brakes from overheatingand wearing too quickly.
When the engine is running, you can use thecruise control lever to limit the speed to anyspeed between 20 mph (30 km/h) and the tech-nically permitted maximum speed of the vehicle.
Use cruise control if road and traffic conditionsmake it appropriate to maintain a steady speedfor a prolonged period.
150Driving systems
Driving and parking

There is a short delay before a change in outsidetemperature 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 coolanttemperature is too high.
If the coolant temperature is over 248 ‡(120 †), do not continue driving. The enginewill otherwise be damaged.
The coolant temperature gage is in the instru-ment cluster on the right-hand side (Ypage 33).
TheHmarking in the coolant temperature gaugecorresponds to a coolant temperature ofapproximately 248 ‡ (120 †).
Under normal operating conditions and at thecorrect coolant level, the coolant temperaturegauge may rise to theHmarking.
Operating the on-board computer
Overview
CMultifunction display
DRight control panel