!
Do not warm up the engine while stationary.
Pull away immediately. Avoid high engine
speeds and full throttle until the engine has
reached its operating temperature.
In vehicles with automatic transmission,
engage positions P and R only when the vehi-
cle is stationary.
Where possible, avoid spinning the drive
wheels when pulling away on slippery roads.
You could otherwise damage the drive train.
! Mercedes-AMG vehicles:
at low engine oil
temperatures below 68 ‡ (+20 †), the max-
imum engine speed is restricted in order to
protect the engine. To protect the engine and
maintain smooth engine operation, avoid driv-
ing at full throttle when the engine is cold.
Plug-in hybrid: be sure to read the separate
Operator's Manual. Otherwise, you may not rec-
ognize dangers. Key positions
SmartKey 005A
To remove the SmartKey
0047 Power supply for some consumers, such as
the windshield wipers
0048 Ignition (power supply for all consumers)
and drive position
0049 To start the engine
As soon as the ignition is switched on, all the
indicator lamps in the instrument cluster light
up. Further information on situations where an
indicator lamp either fails to go out after starting the engine or lights up while driving
(Y page 276).
If the SmartKey is in position 0092in the ignition
lock for a longer period, it can no longer be
turned in the ignition lock. The steering is then locked. To unlock, remove the SmartKey and
reinsert it into the ignition lock.
The steering is locked when you remove the
SmartKey from the ignition lock.
X Remove the SmartKey when the engine is
switched off.
The starter battery could otherwise be dis-
charged.
If you cannot turn the SmartKey in the ignition
lock, the starter battery may not be charged
sufficiently.
X Check the starter battery and charge it if nec-
essary (Y page 342).
or
X Jump-start the vehicle (Y page 343).
i The SmartKey can be turned in the ignition
lock even if it is not the correct SmartKey for
the vehicle. The ignition is not switched on.
The engine cannot be started.
KEYLESS-GO General notes
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO are equipped with a
SmartKey featuring an integrated KEYLESS-GO
function and a detachable Start/Stop button.
A check which periodically establishes a radio
connection between the vehicle and the Smart-
Key determines whether a valid SmartKey is in
the vehicle. This occurs, for example, when
starting the engine.
When you insert the Start/Stop button into the ignition lock, the system needs approximately
two seconds recognition time. You can then usethe Start/Stop button.
Pressing the Start/Stop button several times in
succession corresponds to the different Smart-
Key positions in the ignition lock. This is only the
case if you are not depressing the brake pedal.
If you depress the brake pedal and press the
Start/Stop button, the engine starts immedi-
ately.
To start the vehicle without actively using the
SmartKey:
R the Start/Stop button must be inserted in the
ignition lock
R the SmartKey must be in the vehicle
R the vehicle must not be locked with the
SmartKey or KEYLESS-GO (Y page 78). Driving
135Driving and parking Z
Additionally, children could set the vehicle in
motion if, for example, they:
R release the parking brake.
R shifting the automatic transmission out of
park position P
R Start 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. G
WARNING
Combustion engines emit poisonous exhaust
gases such as carbon monoxide. Inhaling
these exhaust gases leads to poisoning. There is a risk of fatal injury. Therefore never leave
the engine running in enclosed spaces with-
out sufficient ventilation. G
WARNING
Flammable materials introduced through
environmental influence or by animals can
ignite if in contact with the exhaust system or parts of the engine that heat up. There is a risk
of fire.
Carry out regular checks to make sure that
there are no flammable foreign materials in
the engine compartment or in the exhaust
system.
General notes Vehicles with a gasoline engine:
the catalytic
converter is preheated for up to 30 seconds
after a cold start. The sound of the engine may
change during this time.
Automatic transmission X
Shift the transmission to position 005D
(Y page 144).
The transmission position indicator on the
multifunction display shows 005D
(Y page 145). i
You can start the engine in transmission
position 005Dand 005C.
Starting procedure with the SmartKey X
To start a diesel engine: turn the SmartKey
to position 0048in the ignition lock
(Y page 135).
The 0028 indicator lamp on the instrument
cluster lights up.
X Turn the SmartKey to position 0049in the igni-
tion lock (Y page 135) and release it as soon
as the engine is running.
i Vehicles with a diesel engine:
you can
start the engine without preglow if the engine
is warm.
Using KEYLESS-GO to start the engine The Start/Stop button can be used to start the
vehicle without inserting the SmartKey into the
ignition lock. The Start/Stop button must be
inserted in the ignition lock and the SmartKey
must be in the vehicle. This mode for starting the engine operates independently of the ECO
start/stop automatic engine start function.
X Depress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
X Press the Start/Stop button once
(Y page 135).
Vehicles with a gasoline engine: the engine
starts.
Vehicles with a diesel engine: preglow is
activated and the engine starts.
Starting procedure via smartphone Observe the important safety notes on starting
the engine (Y
page 136).
You can also start your engine via your smart-
phone from outside the vehicle. In this case, the previously selected climate control setting is
activated. In this way you can cool or heat the
interior of the vehicle before starting the jour-
ney.
Only start the engine via your smartphone if it is
safe to start and run the engine where your vehi-
cle is parked.
Observe the legal stipulations in the area where your vehicle is parked. Engine start via smart-
phone may be limited to certain countries or
regions. Driving
137Driving an d parking Z
You can execute a maximum of two consecutive
starting attempts via your smartphone. If you
insert the SmartKey into the ignition lock, you
can carry out two more starting attempts.
Once you have started the engine, you can
switch the engine off via your smartphone at any time.
You can only start the engine via your smart-
phone if:
R the SmartKey is in the ignition lock
R park position 005Dis selected
R the accelerator pedal is not depressed
R the anti-theft alarm system is not activated
R the panic alarm is not activated
R the hazard warning lamps are switched off
R the hood is closed
R the doors are closed and locked
R the windows and sliding sunroof are closed
Also make sure that:
R the fuel tank is sufficiently filled
R the starter battery has been sufficiently
charged G
WARNING
Limbs could be crushed or trapped if the
engine is started unintentionally during ser-
vice or maintenance work. There is a risk of
injury.
Always secure the engine against uninten-
tional starting before carrying out mainte-
nance or repair work.
Make sure that the engine cannot be started via
your smartphone before carrying out mainte-
nance or repairs. You can prevent an engine
start via your smartphone if you:
R switch on the hazard warning lamps
R do not lock the doors
R open the hood Pulling away
General notes G
WARNING
If the engine speed is above the idling speed
and you engage transmission position 003A or
0046, the vehicle could pull away sud-
denly. There is a risk of an accident.
When engaging transmission position 003Aor
0046, always firmly depress the brake pedal
and do not simultaneously accelerate.
Depress the accelerator carefully when pulling
away.
The vehicle locks centrally once you have pulled away. The locking knobs in the doors drop down.
You can open the doors from the inside at any
time.
You can also deactivate the automatic locking
feature (Y page 240).
It is possible to shift the transmission from posi-
tion 005Dto the desired position only if you
depress the brake pedal. Only then is the park-
ing lock released. If you do not depress the
brake pedal, the DIRECT SELECT lever can still
be moved but the parking lock remains
engaged.
i Upshifts take place at higher engine speeds
after a cold start. This helps the catalytic con- verter to reach its operating temperature
more quickly.
Information on the automatic release of the
electric parking brake (Y page 158).
Pulling away with a trailer To ensure that you do not roll backwards when
pulling away on an uphill slope, engage the elec-
tric parking brake.
X Press and hold handle 0043.
The electric parking brake continues to brake
and prevent the vehicle from rolling back-
wards. 138
DrivingDriving and parking
The red
0049(USA only) or 0024(Canada
only) indicator lamp in the instrument cluster
remains on.
X Depress the accelerator pedal.
X As soon as the vehicle/trailer combination is
held by the driving force of the engine, release lever 0043.
the electric parking brake is released.
The red 0049(USA only) or 0024(Canada
only) indicator lamp in the instrument cluster
goes out.
Hill start assist Hill start assist helps you when pulling away
forward or in reverse on an uphill gradient. It
holds the vehicle for a short time after you have removed your foot from the brake pedal. This
gives you enough time to move your foot from
the brake pedal to the accelerator pedal and to
depress it before the vehicle begins to roll. G
WARNING
After a short time, hill start assist will no lon-
ger brake your vehicle and it could roll away.
There is a risk of an accident and injury.
Therefore, quickly move your foot from the
brake pedal to the accelerator pedal. Never
leave the vehicle when it is held by hill start
assist.
Hill start assist is not active if:
R you are pulling away on a level road or on a
downhill gradient.
R the transmission is in position 005C.
R the electric parking brake is applied.
R ESP ®
is malfunctioning. ECO start/stop function
Introduction Plug-in hybrid:
observe the notes on the ECO
start/stop function in the separate operating
instructions.
The ECO start/stop function switches the
engine off automatically if the vehicle is stopped
under certain conditions.
The engine starts automatically when the driver
wants to pull away again. The ECO start/stop function thereby helps you to reduce the fuel
consumption and emissions of your vehicle.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If the engine is switched off automatically and you exit the vehicle, the engine is restarted
automatically. The vehicle may begin moving. There is a risk of accident and injury.
If you wish to exit the vehicle, always turn off
the ignition and secure the vehicle against
rolling away.
General notes 0043
ECO start/stop display
The ECO start/stop function is activated when-
ever you start the engine using the SmartKey or the Start/Stop button.
If the engine has been switched off automati-
cally by the ECO start/stop function, the 00D6
ECO symbol is shown in the multifunction dis-
play.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: the ECO start/stop
function is only available in drive programs
Comfort andSlippery .
Automatic engine switch-off If the vehicle is braked to a standstill with the
transmission in
005Bor005C, the ECO start/stop
function will switch off the engine automatically.
The ECO start/stop function is operational
when:
R the indicator lamp in the ECO button is lit
green
R the Sport Plus drive program is not selected
(Mercedes-AMG GLE 43 4MATIC)
R the Sport Plus orSport drive program is not
selected (Mercedes-AMG vehicles)
R no Off-road program has been selected Driving
139Driving and parking Z
R
the outside temperature and the atmospheric
air pressure is within the range that is suitablefor the system
R the engine is at normal operating temperature
R the set temperature for the vehicle interior
has been reached
R the battery is sufficiently charged
R the system detects that the windshield is not
fogged up when the air-conditioning system is
switched on
R the hood is closed
R the driver's door is closed and the driver's
seat belt is fastened
All of the vehicle's systems remain active when
the engine is stopped automatically.
The HOLD function can also be activated if the
engine has been switched off automatically. It is then not necessary to continue applying the
brakes during the automatic stop phase. When
you depress the accelerator pedal, the engine
starts automatically and the braking effect of
the HOLD function is deactivated.
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles): automatic engine switch-off can take
place a maximum of four times in a row (initial
stop, then three subsequent stops).
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: the number of con-
secutive automatic engine switch-offs is unlimi- ted.
Automatic engine start The engine starts automatically if:
R you switch off the ECO start/stop function by
pressing the ECO button
R in transmission position 005Bor005C, the brake
pedal is released and the HOLD function is not
active
R you depress the accelerator pedal
R you engage reverse gear 005E
R you move the transmission out of position 005D
R you switch to the Sport Plusdrive program
(Mercedes-AMG GLE 43 4MATIC)
R you switch to the Sport PlusorSport drive
program (Mercedes-AMG vehicles)
R you activate manual gearshifting (Mercedes-
AMG vehicles)
R you switch to the Offroaddrive program
(vehicles without Off-road Engineering Pack-
age) R
you switch to the OffroadorOffroad Plus
drive program (vehicles with Off-road Engi-
neering Package)
R you unfasten your seat belt or open the driv-
er's door
R the vehicle starts to roll
R the brake system requires this
R the temperature in the vehicle interior devi-
ates from the set range
R the system detects moisture on the wind-
shield when the air-conditioning system is
switched on
R the battery's condition of charge is too low
Shifting the transmission to position 005Ddoes
not start the engine.
Deactivating or activating the ECO
start/stop function All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles)
X
To deactivate: press ECO button 0043.
Indicator lamp 0044goes out.
X To activate: press ECO button 0043.
Indicator lamp 0044lights up.
If indicator lamp 0044is off, the ECO start/stop
function has been deactivated manually or as
the result of a malfunction. 140
DrivingDriving an
d parking
Slippery
Optimal driving characteris-
tics on slippery or snow-
covered roads Off-road
Optimal driving characteris-
tics for easily negotiable off-
road terrain Off-road Plus
(vehicles with
Off-road Engi-
neering Pack-
age) Optimal driving characteris-
tics for rough terrain Further information on:
R the Individual, Sport,Comfort andSlippery
drive programs (Y page 146)
R the Off-road drive program (vehicles without
Off-road Engineering Package)
(Y page 215)
R the Off-road andOff-road Plus drive pro-
grams (vehicles with Off-road Engineering
Package) (Y page 216) X
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: turn DYNAMIC
SELECT controller 0043as many times as nec-
essary until the desired drive program is
selected.
The selected drive program appears in the
multifunction display. After five seconds, this information disappears from the display.
In addition, the current drive program settings
are displayed in the multimedia system dis-
play.
Drive programs available (Mercedes-AMG
vehicles): Individual
Individual settings
Comfort
Comfortable and economi-
cal driving characteristics Sport
Sporty driving characteris-
tics
Sport Plus
Particularly sporty driving
characteristics
Slippery
Optimal driving characteris-
tics on slippery or snow-
covered roads Additional information for drive programs
(Y
page 146). Automatic transmission
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
The automatic transmission switches to neu-
tral position Nwhen 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 position P. Prevent the parked vehi-
cle from rolling away by applying the parking
brake.
Plug-in hybrid: be sure to read the separate
Operator's Manual. Otherwise, you may not rec- ognize dangers. DIRECT SELECT lever
Overview of transmission positions 005D
Park position with parking lock
005E Reverse gear Automatic transmission
143Driving and parking Z
005C
Neutral
005B Drive
The DIRECT SELECT lever is on the right of the
steering column.
The DIRECT SELECT lever always returns to its
original position. The current transmission posi- tion 005D,005E,005Cor005B is shown on the trans-
mission position display on the multifunction
display (Y page 145).
Engaging park position P !
If the engine speed is too high or the vehicle
is coasting, do not shift the automatic trans-
mission directly from 005Bto005E, from 005Eto005B
or directly to 005D. Otherwise, the automatic
transmission may be damaged.
X Push the DIRECT SELECT lever switch in the
direction of arrow 005D.
Engaging park position P automatically Park position
005Dis automatically engaged if:
R you switch off the engine using the SmartKey
and remove the SmartKey
R you switch off the engine using the SmartKey
or using the Start/Stop button and open the
driver's door or front-passenger door
R you open the driver's door when the vehicle is
stationary or when driving at a very low speed
and the transmission is in position 005Bor005E
Under certain conditions, the automatic trans-
mission will shift automatically to transmission
position 005Dif the HOLD function or Active Dis-
tance Assist DISTRONIC is activated. Observe
the information on the HOLD function
(Y page 183) and on Active Distance Assist
DISTRONIC (Y page 174).
Engaging reverse gear R !
Only move the automatic transmission to
005E when the vehicle is stationary.
X If the transmission is in position 005Bor005C:
push the DIRECT SELECT lever up past the
first point of resistance.
X If the transmission is in position 005D: depress
the brake pedal and push the DIRECT SELECT lever up past the first point of resistance. Shifting to neutral N G
WARNING
If children are left unsupervised in the vehicle, they could:
R open the doors, thus endangering other
people or road users.
R get out and disrupt traffic.
R operate the vehicle's equipment.
Additionally, children could set the vehicle in
motion if, for example, they:
R release the parking brake.
R shifting the automatic transmission out of
park position P
R Start 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.
X If the transmission is in position 005Bor005E:
push the DIRECT SELECT lever up or down to the first point of resistance.
X If the transmission is in position 005D: depress
the brake pedal and push the DIRECT SELECT
lever up or down to the first point of resist-
ance.
If you switch the engine off with the transmis-
sion in position 005Eor005B, the automatic trans-
mission shifts to 005Cautomatically.
With the SmartKey: if you then open the driv-
er's door or the front-passenger door or remove
the SmartKey from the ignition lock, the auto-
matic transmission shifts to 005Dautomatically.
With the Start/Stop button: if you then open
the driver's door or the front-passenger door,
the automatic transmission shifts automatically to 005D.
If you want the automatic transmission to
remain in neutral 005C, e.g. when having the vehi-
cle cleaned in an automatic, tow-through car
wash: 144
Automatic transmissionDriving and parking
With the SmartKey:
X Switch on the ignition.
X Depress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
X Shift to neutral 005C.
X Release the brake pedal.
X Release the electric parking brake.
X Switch off the ignition and leave the SmartKey
in the ignition lock.
With the Start/Stop button: X Remove the Start/Stop button from the igni-
tion lock.
X Insert the SmartKey into the ignition lock.
X Switch on the ignition.
X Depress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
X Shift to neutral 005C.
X Release the brake pedal.
X Release the electric parking brake.
X Switch off the ignition and leave the SmartKey
in the ignition lock.
Engaging drive position D X
If the transmission is in position 005Eor005C:
push the DIRECT SELECT lever down past the first point of resistance.
X If the transmission is in position 005D: depress
the brake pedal and push the DIRECT SELECT lever 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. 0043
Transmission position
0044 Gear
0087 Drive program The arrows in the transmission position display
show how and into which transmission positions
you can shift using the DIRECT SELECT lever.
If the transmission position display on the mul-
tifunction display is not working, you should pull away carefully to check whether the desired
transmission position is engaged. Ideally, you
should select transmission position 005B. Transmission positions
0045 Park position
Only shift the transmission into posi-
tion 005D(Ypage 156) when the vehi-
cle is stationary. The parking lock
should not be used as a brake when
parking. Always apply the electronic
parking brake in addition to the park-
ing lock in order to secure the vehi-
cle.
In the event of a malfunction of the
vehicle's electronics, the transmis-
sion may lock in position 005D. Have
the vehicle electronics checked
immediately at a qualified specialist
workshop.
Park position 005Dis automatically
engaged if:
R you switch off the engine using the
SmartKey and remove the Smart-
Key
R you switch off the engine using the
SmartKey or using the Start/Stop
button and open the driver's door
or front-passenger door
R you open the driver's door when
the vehicle is stationary or when
driving at a very low speed and the
transmission is in position 005Bor
005E 0046 Reverse gear
Shift the transmission into position
005E only when the vehicle is station-
ary. Automatic transmission
145Driving and parking Z