tance Assist DISTRONIC is activated. Observethe information on the HOLD function(Ypage 170) and on Active Distance AssistDISTRONIC (Ypage 165).
Engaging reverse gear
!Only move the automatic transmission to ^when the vehicle is stationary.
XDepress the brake pedal.
XPush the DIRECT SELECT lever up past thefirst point of resistance.
The ECO start/stop function is not availablewhen reverse gear is engaged. Further informa-tion on the ECO start/stop function(Ypage 136).
Shifting to neutral
GWARNING
If children are left unsupervised in the vehicle,
they could:
Ropen the doors, thus endangering other
people or road users.
Rget out and disrupt traffic.
Roperate the vehicle's equipment.
Additionally, children could set the vehicle in
motion if, for example, they:
Rrelease the parking brake.
Rshifting the automatic transmission out of
park positionP
RStart the engine.
There is a risk of an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children or animals unattended in the
vehicle. Always keep the SmartKey out of
reach of children.
XIf the transmission is in position [or ^:push the DIRECT SELECT lever up or down tothe first point of resistance.
XIf the transmission is in position ]: depressthe brake pedal and push the DIRECT SELECTlever up or down to the first point of resist-ance.
If you switch the engine off with the transmis-sion in position ^or [, the automatic trans-mission shifts to \\automatically.
With the SmartKey:if you then open the driv-er's door or the front-passenger door or removethe SmartKey from the ignition lock, the auto-matic transmission shifts to ]automatically.
With the Start/Stop button:if you then openthe driver's door or the front-passenger door,the automatic transmission shifts to ]auto-matically.
If you want the automatic transmission toremain in neutral \\, e.g. when having the vehi-cle cleaned in an automatic, tow-through carwash:
XVehicles with KEYLESS-GO or KEYLESS-GO start function:remove the Start/Stopbutton from the ignition lock.
XInsert the SmartKey into the ignition lock.
XAll vehicles:switch the ignition on.
XDepress the brake pedal and keep itdepressed.
XShift to neutral \\.
XRelease the brake pedal.
XRelease the electric parking brake.
XSwitch off the ignition and leave the SmartKeyin the ignition lock.
Engaging the drive position
XIf the transmission is in position ^or \\:push the DIRECT SELECT lever down past thefirst point of resistance.
XIf the transmission is in position ]: depressthe brake pedal and push the DIRECT SELECTlever down past the first point of resistance.
Transmission position and drive pro-
gram display
The current transmission position and drive pro-gram appear in the multifunction display.
142Automatic transmission
Driving an d parking
GWARNING
If you leave children unsupervised in the vehi-
cle, they could set it in motion by, for example:
Rrelease the parking brake.
Rshift the automatic transmission out of the
parking positionP.
Rstart the engine.
In addition, they may operate vehicle equip-
ment and become trapped. There is a risk of
an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children unsupervised in the vehicle.
!Always secure the vehicle correctly againstrolling away. Otherwise, the vehicle or its driv-etrain could be damaged.
To ensure that the vehicle is secured againstrolling away unintentionally:
Rthe electric parking brake must be applied.
Rthe transmission must be in position ]andthe SmartKey must be removed from the igni-tion lock.
Rthe front wheels must be turned towards thecurb on steep uphill or downhill gradients.
Rthe empty vehicle must be secured at thefront axle with a wheel chock or similar, forexample, on uphill or downhill gradients.
Ron uphill or downhill gradients the laden vehi-cle must also be secured at the rear axle, forexample with a wheel chock or similar object.
Switching off the engine
Important safety notes
GWARNING
The automatic transmission switches to neu-
tral positionNwhen you switch off the engine.
The vehicle may roll away. There is a risk of an
accident.
After switching off the engine, always switch
to parking positionP. Prevent the parked vehi-
cle from rolling away by applying the parking
brake.
Vehicles with automatic transmission
XApply the electric parking brake.
XShift the transmission to position ].
XWith the SmartKey:turn the SmartKey toposition
Electric parking brake
General notes
GWARNING
If you leave children unsupervised in the vehi-
cle, they could set it in motion by, for example:
Rrelease the parking brake.
Rshift the automatic transmission out of the
parking positionP.
Rstart the engine.
In addition, they may operate vehicle equip-
ment and become trapped. There is a risk of
an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children unsupervised in the vehicle.
The function of the electric parking brake isdependent on the on-board voltage. If the on-board voltage is low or there is a malfunction inthe system, it may not be possible to apply thereleased parking brake.
XIf this happens, park the vehicle on levelground only and secure it to prevent it fromrolling away.
XShift the transmission to position ].
It may not be possible to release an appliedparking brake if the on-board voltage is low orthere is a malfunction in the system. Contact aqualified specialist workshop.
The electric parking brake performs a functiontest at regular intervals while the engine isswitched off. The sounds that can be heard whilethis is occurring are normal.
Applying or releasing manually
XTo apply:push handle C.When the electric parking brake is applied,the red I(USA only) or $(Canadaonly) indicator lamp lights up in the instru-ment cluster.
The electric parking brake can also be appliedwhen the SmartKey is removed.
XTo release:pull handle C.The red I(USA only) or $(Canadaonly) indicator lamp in the instrument clustergoes out.
The electric parking brake can only be released:
Rif the SmartKey is in position Gor Hin theignition lock (Ypage 131) or
Rif the ignition was switched on using theStart/Stop button
Applying automatically
The electric parking brake is automaticallyapplied when the transmission is in position ]and:
Rthe engine is switched off or
Rthe driver is not wearing a seat belt and thedriver's door is opened
To prevent the electric parking brake from beingautomatically applied, pull handle C.
The electric parking brake is also applied auto-matically if:
RActive Distance Assist DISTRONIC brings thevehicle to a standstill or
Rthe HOLD function is keeping the vehicle sta-tionary
RActive Parking Assist is keeping the vehiclestationary
In addition, at least one of the following condi-tions must be fulfilled:
Rthe engine is switched off
Rthe driver is not wearing a seat belt and thedriver's door is opened
Rthere is a system malfunction
Rthe power supply is insufficient
Rthe vehicle is stationary for a lengthy period
The red I(USA only) or $(Canada only)indicator lamp on the instrument cluster lightsup.
The electric parking brake is not automaticallyapplied if the engine is switched off by the ECOstart/stop function.
154Parking
Driving and parking
RMake sure that the positive terminal of a
connected battery does not come into con-
tact with vehicle parts.
RNever place metal objects or tools on a bat-
tery.
RIt is important that you observe the descri-
bed order of the battery terminals when
connecting and disconnecting a battery.
RWhen jump-starting, make sure that the
battery poles with identical polarity are
connected.
RIt is particularly important to observe the
described order when connecting and dis-
connecting the jumper cables.
RNever connect or disconnect the battery
terminals while the engine is running.
GWARNING
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.
All vehicles:
HEnvironmental note
Batteries contain dangerous
substances. It is against the
law to dispose of them with
the household rubbish. They
must be collected separately
and recycled to protect the
environment.
Dispose of batteries in an
environmentally friendly
manner. Take discharged
batteries to a qualified spe-
cialist workshop or a special
collection point for used bat-
teries.
!Have the battery regularly checked at aqualified specialist workshop.
Comply with the service intervals in the Main-tenance Booklet, or contact a qualified spe-cialist workshop for more information.
!Always have work on batteries carried out ata qualified specialist workshop.
Should it, in exceptional circumstances, beabsolutely necessary to disconnect the 12-volt battery yourself, please observe the fol-lowing:
RSecure the vehicle to prevent it from rollingaway.
RSwitch off the ignition.
RDisconnect the negative terminal first andthen the positive terminal.
The transmission is locked in position ]after disconnecting the battery.
After the work has been done, install the bat-tery and replace the cover of the positive ter-minal clamp firmly.
Comply with safety precautions and take pro-tective measures when handling batteries.
Risk of explosion.
Fire, open flames and smoking areprohibited when handling the bat-tery. Avoid creating sparks.
Electrolyte or battery acid is corro-sive. Avoid contact with skin, eyes orclothing. Wear suitable protectiveclothing, especially gloves, apronand faceguard. Immediately rinseelectrolyte or acid splashes off withclean water. Contact a physician ifnecessary.
Wear eye protection.
Keep children away.
Observe this Operator's Manual.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-mends that you only use batteries which havebeen tested and approved for your vehicle by
320Battery (vehicle)
Breakdown assistance