
#
Pull release handle 1forth e seat backrest
upwards and hold it in position. #
Movethe seat backrest tothe desired posi‐
tion. #
Let go of release handle 1forth e seat back‐
re st and mo vethe seat backrest slightl y.
The seat backrest engages in position. Head
restra ints Ad
justing the head restra ints manually &
WARNING Risk of inju ryfrom adju sting
th eve hicle settings while theve hicle is in
motion
Yo u could lose control of theve hicle in the
fo llowing situations:
R ifyo u adjust the driver's seat, the head
re stra int, thesteering wheel or the mir ror
while theve hicle is in motion
R ifyo ufast enyour seat belt while theve hi‐
cle is in motion #
Before starting the engine: adjust the
driver's seat, the head restra int, the
st eering wheel or the mir ror and fasten
yo ur seat belt. &
WARNING Risk of inju rydue tohead
re stra ints which are not ins talled or are
adjus ted incor rectly
If head restra ints are not ins talled or are
adjus ted incor rectly, the head restra ints can‐
not pr ovide pr otection as intended.
There is an increased risk of injury in the
head and neck area, e.g. in theeve nt of an
accident or when braking. #
Always drive with the head restra ints
ins talled. #
Before driving off, make sure forev ery
ve hicle occupant that the center of the
head restra int supports the back of the
head at about eye le vel. Do not swap
the head restra ints of the front and
re ar seats. Otherwise, you will not be able toset
th e height and inclination of the head restra ints
to the cor rect position.
Using the head restra int fore /aft adjustment,
adjust the head restra int in such a wayth at it is
as close tothe back of the head as possible. Head
restra int (e xamp le of com fort head restra int
on the driver's seat) #
Toraise: pullthe head restra int upwards into
th ere qu ired position and ensure that the
head restra int is engaged.
Only use the head restra int in the engaged
st ate. #
Tolowe r:push release button 1and slide
th e head restra int down wards into the
re qu ired position and ensure that the head
re stra int is engaged.
Only use the head restra int in the engaged
st ate. #
Tomo veforw ards: pushrelease button 2
and pull the head restra int forw ards until it
engages in there qu ired position. #
Tomo vebackwards: pushrelease button 2
and slide the head restra int backwards into
th ere qu ired position.
% Depending on
the head restra int model, indi‐
vidual adjustment options may be omit ted. Switching
the seat heating on and off &
WARNING Risk of bu rns due torepeat‐
edly switching on the seat heating
Re peatedly switching on the seat heating can
cause the seat cushion and seat backrest
padding tobecome very hot.
The health of persons with limited temp era‐
ture sensitivity or a limited ability toreact to
high temp eratures may be af fected or they
may even su ffer burn-like injuries. #
Do not repeatedly switch on the seat
heating. 70
Seats and stowage

To
protect against overheating, the seat heating
may be temp orarily deactivated af ter it is
switched on repeatedly.
* NO
TEDama getothe seats caused by
objects or documents when the seat
heater is switched on When
the seat heater is switched on, over‐
heating can occur due toobjects or docu‐
ments placed on the seats e.g. seat cushions
or child seats. This could cause damage to
th e seat sur face. #
Make sure that no objects or docu‐
ments are on the seats when the seat
heater is switched on. Re
quirements:
R The po wer supp lyhas been switched on. #
Toswitch on: press button 1.
All indicator lamps on the button light up. #
Tolowe r the le vel:press button 1until the
re qu ired heating le vel is reached.
Depending on the heating le vel, one tothree
indicator lamps light up. #
Toswitch off: press button 1until all indi‐
cator lamps are off.
% The seat heating automatically switches back
out of
theth re e heating le vels af ter 8, 10and
20 minutes until the seat heating switches
off. Ad
justing the steering wheel &
WARNING Risk of inju ryfrom adju sting
th eve hicle settings while theve hicle is in
motion
Yo u could lose control of theve hicle in the
fo llowing situations:
R ifyo u adjust the driver's seat, the head
re stra int, thesteering wheel or the mir ror
while theve hicle is in motion
R ifyo ufast enyour seat belt while theve hi‐
cle is in motion #
Before starting the engine: adjust the
driver's seat, the head restra int, the
st eering wheel or the mir ror and fasten
yo ur seat belt. &
WARNING Risk of entrapment forch il‐
dren when adjusting thesteering wheel
Children could injure themselves if they
adjust thesteering wheel. #
Never lea vechildren unat tended in the
ve hicle. #
When leaving theve hicle, alw aysta ke
th e SmartK eywith you and lock the
ve hicle. 1
Lever
2 Steering column height
3 Steering column fore -and-aft adjustment #
Toadjust thest eering wheel: swing lever
1 down as far as it will go.
The steering wheel is unloc ked. Seats and
stowage 71

Information about transport
byrail
Tr ansporting your vehicle byrail may be subject
to cer tain restrictions or requ ire special meas‐
ures tobe take n in some countries due tovarying
tunnel heights and loading standards.
Yo u can obtain information about this from any
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Note s on brakes &
WARNING Risk of skidding and of an
accident due toshifting down on slippery
ro ad sur faces
If yo u shift down on slippery road sur faces to
inc rease the engine braking ef fect, the drive
wheels may lose traction. #
Do not shift down on slippery road sur‐
fa ces toinc rease the engine braking
ef fect. &
WARNING Risk of accident due tothe
brake sy stem overheating
If yo u lea veyour foot on the brake pedal
when driving, the brake sy stem may overheat.
This increases the braking dis tance and the
brake sy stem may evenfa il. #
Never use the brake pedal as a foot re st. #
Do not depress the brake pedal and the
accelerator pedal at the same time
while driving. Downhill
gradients
On long and steep downhill gradients you should
obse rveth efo llowing instructions:
R invehicles with an automatic transmission,
shift down toshift ranges 2or 1in good time
so that the engine is running at a medium to
high engine speed (/ page117).
% Cha
nge the shift range in good time when
cruise control is acti vated. Obser vethe driv‐
ing tips (/ page105).
Yo uth ereby make use of the braking ef fect of the
engine and do not ha vetobrake as of tento main‐
tai nth e speed. This relie vesth e load on the
service brake and pr events the brakes from over‐
heating and wearing tooqu ickl y. Heavy and light loads &
WARNING Risk of accident due tothe
brake sy stem overheating
If yo u lea veyour foot on the brake pedal
when driving, the brake sy stem may overheat.
This increases the braking dis tance and the
brake sy stem may evenfa il. #
Never use the brake pedal as a foot re st. #
Do not depress the brake pedal and the
accelerator pedal at the same time
while driving. If
th e brakes ha vebeen subjected toa heavy
load, do not stop theve hicle immediately. Drive
on for a short while. The brakes cool down more
qu ickly in the air flow.
If th e brakes ha vebeen used only moderatel y,
yo u should occasionally test their ef fectiveness.
To do this, brake more firm lyfrom a higher speed
while paying attention tothe tra ffic conditions.
The brakes will grip better as a result.
We tro ad sur faces
If yo u ha vebeen driving for a long time in heavy
ra in without braking, there may be a dela yed
re sponse when youfirs t apply the brakes. This
may also occur af ter driving thro ugh a car wash
or deep water.Yo u must depress the brake pedal
more firm ly. Main tain a longer di stance tothe
ve hicle in front.
While paying attention tothe tra ffic conditions,
yo u should brake theve hicle firm ly af ter driving
on a wetro ad sur face or thro ugh a car wash. This
heats the brake discs so that they dry more
qu ickl y,which pr otects them against cor rosion.
Limited braking ef fect on salt-trea tedro ads:
R a layer of salt on the brake discs or brakepads
can increase braking dis tances conside rably,
or braking may happen on only one side
R maintain an especially lar gesafe dis tance to
th eve hicle in front
To remo vethe la yer of salt:
R apply the brakes from time totime, paying
attention totraf fic conditions
R carefully dep ress the brake pedal at the end
of a journey and af terth est art of a new jour‐
ney
Checking the brakepad thickness
In addition tomonitoring using the brakepad wear
sensor, regular lymonitor and check all of the 108
Driving and pa rking

The jack may tip.
#
Press the Service button on the air sus‐
pension remo tecontrol before raising
th eve hicle.
This pr events au tomatic readjustment
of theve hicle le vel and pr events it from
being raised or lo wered manually. &
WARNING Risk of accident due tolow‐
ered or raised chassis
Driving with a lo wered or raised chassis may
greatly impair braking and handling charac‐
te rist ics. You may also exceed the permissible
ve hicle height when thech assis is raised. #
Set the driving le vel before pulling away. &
WARNING Risk of accident from mal‐
function of electronic le vel control
If elect ronic le vel control is malfunctioning,
th eve hicle le vel may be asymmetrical, too
high or too lo w.
The driving and steering characteristics of the
ve hicle may be noticeably dif fere nt. #
Adapt your driving style according lyand
drive carefull y. #
Stop, paying attention toroad and traf‐
fi c conditions. #
Consult a qualified specialist workshop. *
NO
TERisk of damage tothech assis from
lo we redve hicle le vel If electronic le
vel control is malfunctioning or
re adjusts while you are driving, theve hicle
le ve l may be lo wered. #
Pay attention tothero ad conditions and
ensure there is suf ficient ground clear‐
ance. #
Drive carefully. The le
vel of theve hicle depends on vehicle load
and the load distribution. Elect ronic le vel control
adjusts the le vel of there ar axle automatically on
ve hicles with an air-sprung rear axle. The vehicle
le ve l is thereby alw ays maintained at the driving
le ve l,re ga rdless of vehicle load. Driving dynamics
re main unaf fected. The height dif fere nce
between the sides of theve hicle may be up to
0.4 in (1 cm). Electronic le
vel control is not engine-dependent
and is only operational when the ignition is
switched on. The electronic le vel control com‐
pressor works audibl y.
% If
th e compressor works cons tantly or starts
up se veral times per minute, elect ronic le vel
control is malfunctioning.
Depending on theve hicle equipment, electronic
le ve l control switches between manual and auto‐
matic mode depending on either theve hicle
speed or the position of the parking brake.
If electronic le vel control switches depending on
ve hicle speed, manual operation is automatically
activated when theve hicle is stationar y.Yo u may
ra ise or lo werth eve hicle le vel. If you subse‐
qu ently drive faster than 6 mph (10 km/h), man‐
ual mode is automatically deactivated and auto‐
matic mode sets theve hicle le vel.
If elect ronic le vel control switches depending on
th e parking brake position, manual mode is auto‐
matically activated when the parking brake is
applied. You may raise or lo werth eve hicle le vel
to load and unload. If youre lease the parking
brake, manual mode is automatically deactivated
and automatic mode sets the driving le vel.
When working on theve hicle or changing a
wheel, you can deactivate electronic le vel control
(/ page 123).
If electronic le vel control is malfunctioning or the
ve hicle le vel is too high or too lo w,an audible sig‐
nal sounds.
The driving and steering characteristics of the
ve hicle will be noticeably dif fere nt. Electronic
le ve l control adjusts theve hicle le velto the nor‐
mal le vel as soon as possible. Continue driving
carefully until the audible signal stops. Only then
is theve hicle at normal le vel.
Au tomatic mode and electronic le vel control
automatically switch on again torestore theve hi‐
cle le vel, depending on the option selected:
R when the parking brake is released
R from speeds of appr oximately 6 mph
(10 km/h)
If th e electronic le vel control compressor thre at‐
ens to ov erheat, e.g. due torepeated raising or
lo we ring wi thin a short period, elect ronic le vel
control is deactivated. You can raise or lo werthe
ve hicle le vel again af ter appro ximately
one minu te. 12 2
Driving and pa rking

Ra
ising and lo weringtheve hicle le vel Using
there mo tecontrol
The remo tecontrol is loca ted in a holder on the
B‑pillar on the driver's side. Remo vethere mo te
control from the holder before use. Elect
ronic le vel control per form s a self-check reg‐
ularly when it is activated and while in use. Indi‐
cator lamp 1onthere mo tecontrol lights up for
appr oximately one second when you swit chon
either the ignition or electronic le vel control with
button 4.
There is a malfunction if indicator lamp 1
beha ves in thefo llowing ways:
R the indicator lamp does not light up when you
switch on the ignition or electronic le vel con‐
trol
or
R the indicator lamp does not go out af ter one
second
or
R the indicator lamp then lights up again or
fl ashes
In addition, a warning tone is emitted from the
re mo tecontrol for appro ximately 30 seconds.
The fault that has been de tected can be shown
using the indicator lamps (signaling of fault
codes). #
Park theve hicle, leaving the ignition switched
on. #
Toraise or lo wer the vehicle le vel:press
and hold button 2or3 until theve hicle
le ve lre aches therequ ired height.
The indicator lamp on button 2or3
fl ashes as long as theve hicle le vel is being
ch anged. When theve hicle le vel has been set,
th e indicator lamp on button 2or3 lights
up. #
Tolowe r automatical ly:brie fly press but ton
3 .
Electronic le vel control automatically lo wers
th eve hicle down tothe lo west position.
The indicator lamp on button 3flashes as
long as theve hicle le vel is being changed.
When theve hicle le vel has been set, the indi‐
cator lamp on button 3lights up. #
Tostop the mo vement, brief lypress button
2. #
Toraise or lo werto driving le vel:brief ly
press button 2or3.
Elect ronic le vel control automatically raises or
lo we rstheve hicle todriving le vel.
The indicator lamp on button 2or3
fl ashes as long as theve hicle le vel is being
ch anged. When theve hicle le vel has been set,
th e indicator lamp on button 2or3 lights
up. #
Tostop the mo vement, brief lypress theot her
button. #
Tosave the set vehicle le vel:set the
re qu ired vehicle le vel. #
Press and hold button 5or6 until you hear
a to ne.
The vehicle le vel set has been sa ved on cor re‐
sponding button 5or6. #
Tocall up the sa vedve hicle le vel:briefly
press button 5or6.
Electronic le vel control automatically raises or
lo we rstheve hicle tothe sa ved driving le vel.
The indicator lamp on button 5or6
fl ashes as long as theve hicle le vel is being
ch anged. When theve hicle le vel has been set,
th e indicator lamp on button 5or6 lights
up. #
Tostop the mo vement, brief lypress button
2 or3. #
Toswitch on automaticall y:drive at over
6.2 mph (10 km/h) or release the parking
brake.
Elect ronic le vel control controls theve hicle
le ve l automaticall y. #
Tostop the mo vement, brief lypress button
2 or3.
Switching electronic le vel control off/on #
Toswitch electronic le vel control off:
press button 4.
The indicator lamp on button 4lights up. Driving and parking
12 3

In trailer mode,
the guide lines are shown at
th e le vel of the trailer hitch.
Vi ew of trailer (if trailer hit chis installed) Vi
ew of trailer (if trailer hitch is ins talled)
1 Yellow guide line, locating aid
2 Red guide line at a dis tance of appr oximately
1. 0 in (0.3 m) from the ball head of the trailer
hitch
3 Ball head of the trailer hitch
Side view of the mir ror came ras
The sides of theve hicle can be seen in this vie w. 1
Lane indicating thero ute theve hicle will take
with thesteering wheel in its cur rent position
2 Yellow warning display of Parking Assist
PA RKTRONIC: obstacles at a dis tance of
appr oximately 3.3 ft(1.0 m) or less
3 Your vehicle from abo ve
4 Marker of the wheel contact points
5 Guide line of extern al vehicle dimensions
with outside mir rors folded out
If th e dis tance tothe object lessens, the color of
wa rning display 2changes.
Sy stem failure
If th ere is no operational readiness, thefo llowing
message appears in the multimedia sy stem: Sy
stem limitations
The 360° Camera will not function or will only
partially function in thefo llowing situations:
R The front doors are open.
R The side mir rors are folded in.
R There is heavy rain, snow or fog.
R The ambient light is poor, e.g. at night.
R The area is lit byfluorescent light (the displ ay
may flic ke r).
R Ifth ere is a sudden change in temp erature,
e.g. when driving into a heated garage in win‐
te r.
R The ambient temp erature is very high.
R The camera lens is obstructed, dirty or fogged
up.
R Cameras, or vehicle components in which the
came ras are ins talled, are damaged. In this
eve nt, ha vethe cameras, their positions and
th eir setting checked at a qualified specialist
wo rkshop.
Do not use the 360° Camera under such circum‐
st ances. You could otherwise injure others or col‐
lide with objects when parking theve hicle.
On vehicles with height-adjus table suspension or
if th eve hicle is car rying a heavy load, leaving the
st andard height can result in inaccuracies in the
guide lines and in the display of thege nerated
ima ges, depending on tech nical conditions.
The field of vision and other functions of the cam‐
era sy stem may be restricted due toadditional
attachments on theve hicle (e.g. loading tailgate).
% The contrast of
the display may be impaired
by abrupt direct sunlight or by other light
sources, e.g. when driving out of a garage . In
th is case, pay particular attention.
% Ha
ve the display repaired or replaced if, for
ex ample, pixel er rors considerably restrict its
use. 15 0
Driving and pa rking

R
The vehicle/trailer combination will ha vean
inc reased braking dis tance.
R The vehicle/trailer combination will be more
susceptible tocrosswind gu sts.
R The vehicle/trailer combination will requ ire
more sensitive steering.
R The vehicle/trailer combination will ha ve a
lar ger turning radius.
This may impair theve hicle's driving characteris‐
tics.
When driving with a vehicle/trailer combination,
alw ays adapt your speed tothe cur rent road and
we ather conditions. Drive carefull y.Ke ep a suf fi‐
cient safe dis tance.
Co mply withthe maximum speed of 49 mph
(80 km/h) or 62 mph (100 km/h), even in coun‐
tries in which higher speeds are permitted for
ve hicle/trailer combinations.
Comply with the legally prescribed maximum
speed forve hicle/trailer combinations in forc e in
th e count ry,st ate or Canadian pr ovince in ques‐
tion. Before driving, consult the trailer's vehicle
documents tosee the maximum permissible
speed foryo ur trailer.
At tach only an appr oved trailer hitch to yourvehi‐
cle. Use only a ball neck that has been appr oved
fo ryo ur vehicle. Further information about availa‐
bility and ins tallation of the trailer electrical sys‐
te m is available from any qualified specialist
wo rkshop.
The trailer hitch is one of the most impor tant
ve hicle parts forro ad saf ety. Comply with the
instructions on operating, maintaining and servic‐
ing in the manufacturer's operating instructions.
% Yo
ur vehicle's bumpers are not suitable for
ins talling de tach able trailer tow hit ches.
Do not attach any rented trailer tow hit ches or
any other de tach able trailer tow hit ches tothe
bumpers.
% When using a trailer,
remember that
PA RKTRONIC is available only toa limited
ex tent, if at all.
% The ball head height will
change depending
on theve hicle's load. In this case, use a
trailer with a height-adjus table dr awbar.
Driving no tes
The maximum permissible speed forve hicle/
trailer combinations depends on the type of
trailer. Before driving, consult the trailer's vehicle documents
tosee the maximum permissible
speed foryo ur trailer.
Yo ur vehicle will act dif fere ntly wi tha trailer rela‐
tive towithout a trailer, and will consume more
fuel. In the case of a long and steep descent, you
must select shift range 3,2or 1in good time.
% This also applies if
the cruise cont rol is
switched on.
Yo u will thereby make use of the engine's braking
ef fect and will not ha vetobrake as of tento con‐
trol the speed. This will take some of thest ra in
off the brake sy stem and pr event the brakes from
ove rheating and wearing tooqu ickl y.Ifyo u need
additional braking, depress the brake pedal inter‐
mittently rath er than continuousl y.
Driving tips
If th e trailer sw ays, remember thefo llowing
points:
R Do not accelerate under any circums tances.
R Do not counter steer.
R If necessar y,apply the brakes.
% Yo
u can pr eventthe trailer from sw aying and
rock ingbyretrofitting stabilizer bars or trailer
st ability programs. You can obtain fur ther
information from an authorized Mercedes-
Benz Center.
R Maintain a lar ger dis tance than when driving
without a trailer.
R Avoid braking abruptl y.If possible, brake gen‐
tly firs t of all so that the trailer closes up
behind your vehicle. Then, increase the brak‐
ing forc era pidl y.
R The values given forst art-off gradeability
re ferto sea le vel. When driving in moun tain‐
ous areas, no tethat engine output, and there‐
fo re start-off gradeability, will dec rease with
inc reasing altitude. Coupling/uncoupling a trailer
Coupling a trailer
* NO
TEDama getotheve hicle battery due
to full discharge Charging
the trailer battery using the po wer
supply of the trailer can damage theve hicle
batter y. #
Do not use theve hicle's po wer supply
to charge the trailer batter y. Driving and pa
rking 15 9

#
Shift the selector le verto position 005D. #
Apply theve hicle's parking brake. #
Close all the doors. #
Position the trailer on a le vel sur face behind
th eve hicle.
% The ball head height
changes depending on
th eve hicle's load. In this case, use a trailer
with a height-adjus table trailer dr awbar. #
Couple up the trailer. #
Establish all electrical and other connections
to the trailer. #
Remo veobjects or devices which pr eventthe
trailer from rolling, e.g. wheel choc ks. #
Release the trailer's parking brake.
% The
vehicle harness has a cable connection
to the brake light indicator lamp.
Obser vethe maximum permissible trailer dimen‐
sions (width and length).
Most US states and all Canadian pr ovinces pre‐
scribe thefo llowing points, and you are ur gently
re commended tocomply wi th these:
R Safetych ains between theto wing vehicle and
th e trailer. The chains should be routed in a
criss-cross pat tern under the trailer dr awbar.
They must be connected tothe trailer tow
hitch and not tothe bumper or totheve hicle
axle.
Lea vesuf ficient sla ckinthech ains. This
allo wsforeve n sha rpcornering.
R A separate brake sy stem is requ ired for cer‐
ta in trailers.
R A saf etyfe ature is requ ired for braked trailers.
De term ine the specific requ irements acco rd‐
ing tothere leva nt la ws.
If th e trailer becomes de tach ed from theto w‐
ing vehicle, the saf etyfe ature triggers the
trailer brakes and can thus reduce the danger.
Un coupling a trailer &
WARNING Risk of being crushed and
becoming trapped when uncoupling a
trailer
When uncoupling a trailer wi than engaged
ine rtia-activated brake, your hand may
become trapped between theve hicle and the
trailer dr awbar. #
Do not uncouple trailers with an
engaged overrun brake. Do not uncouple a trailer with an
overrun brake in
a st ate of overrun. Otherwise, there bound of the
ove rrun brake can damage your vehicle. #
Shift the selector le verto position 005D. #
Apply theve hicle's parking brake. #
Close all the doors. #
Apply the trailer's parking brake. #
Secure the trailer against rolling away with a
wheel chock or similar object. #
Remo vethe trailer cables and saf etych ains. #
Uncou plethe trailer. Information about
towing a trailer Operating a trailer is subject
tomany statutory
re gulations such as speed restrictions.
Many states also requ ire an auxiliary separate
functional braking sy stem when towing a weight
th at exc eeds a cer tain limit. Foryo ur saf ety, it is
re commended touse a separate functional brak‐
ing sy stem on any towe dve hicle.
Make sure that your trailer combination meets
local regulations. This not only applies to your
place of residence, but also to your destination.
In fo rm ation on this can be obtained from the
police and local authorities.
Comply with thefo llowing when driving with a
trailer:
R Practice cornering, stopping and backing up
in a traf fic-free location. In this wa y,yo u will
ga in driving experience and become accus‐
to med tothe new handling characteristics.
R Before driving, check thefo llowing:
- that the trailer tow hit chand ball coupling
are secure
- that the saf ety swit chfor braked trailers is
functioning cor rectly
- that the saf etych ains are secure and
undamaged
- that the electrical connections are secure
- that the lights are functioning cor rectly
- the wheels for dama geand cor rect tire
pressure (/ page 232)
R Adjust the outside mir rors so that you ha ve a
clear view of there ar section of the trailer.
R Ifth e trailer is equipped with an individual
braking sy stem, check before each journey
whe ther the brakes are functioning cor rectl y. 16 0
Driving and pa rking