Driving on flooded roads
!
Do not drive through flooded areas. Check
the depth of any water before driving
through it. Drive slowly through standing
water. Otherwise, water could enter the
vehicle interior or engine compartment. It
can then damage the engine's or automatic
transmission's electronic components. It
can also be sucked in by the engine's air
intake connection and cause engine dam-
age.
If you have to drive on stretches of road on
which water has collected, please bear in mind
that: R the water level of standing water should not
be above the lower edge of the front
bumper
R you must not drive faster than walking
speed Driving in winter
G
WARNING
If you shift down on a slippery road surface
in an attempt to increase the engine's brak-
ing effect, the drive wheels could lose their
grip. There is an increased danger of skid-
ding and accidents.
Do not shift down for additional engine brak-
ing on a slippery road surface.
! An accumulation of snow and ice, particu-
larly when frozen, caught in the area around
the air intake slots, moving parts, the axles
and the wheel arches may:
R restrict air intake
R damage vehicle parts
R cause malfunctions by restricting the
mobility intended by the design (e.g.
reduced possible steering input).
Regularly check the vehicle and remove
snow or ice when traveling in wintry condi-
tions.
If there is any damage, inform a qualified
specialist workshop.
! Vehicles with automatic transmission may
only briefly coast in neutral position N.
Extended coasting of the wheels, e.g. when
towing, results in transmission damage. Have your vehicle winterized at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop at the onset of winter.
Drive particularly carefully on slippery roads.
Avoid sudden acceleration, steering and brak-
ing maneuvers. Do not use cruise control.
If the vehicle threatens to skid or cannot be
stopped when moving at low speed:
X Shift the transmission to position i.
X Try to maintain control of the vehicle using
corrective steering.
The outside temperature indicator is not
designed to serve as an ice-warning device
and is therefore unsuitable for that purpose.
Changes in the outside temperature are dis-
played after a short delay.
Indicated temperatures just above the freezing
point do not guarantee that the road surface is
free of ice. The road may still be icy, especially
in wooded areas or on bridges. If you do not
adjust your driving style, the vehicle may start
to skid. Always adapt your driving style and
drive at a speed to suit the prevailing weather
conditions.
You should pay special attention to road con-
ditions when temperatures are around freezing
point.
You can find further information under:
R "M+S tires" ( Y page
280)
R "Snow chains" (Y page 281)
R "Driving with summer tires" (Y page 280)
Also observe the notes under "Winter opera-
tion" (Y page 280). Driving off-road
Important safety notes G
WARNING
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. 144
Driving tips
Driving and parking
When you deactivate PARKTRONIC, Active
Parking Assist will also be deactivated.
For vehicles with a trailer coupling installed,
the minimum length for parking spaces will be
slightly increased.
If you have attached a trailer to your vehicle,
you should not use Active Parking Assist. Once
the electrical connection is established
between your vehicle and the trailer, Active
Parking Assist is no longer available.
PARKTRONIC is then deactivated for the rear
area.
G
WARNING
While parking or pulling out of a parking
space, the vehicle swings out and can drive
onto areas of the oncoming lane. This could
result in a collision with another road user.
There is a risk of an accident.
Pay attention to other road users. Stop the
vehicle if necessary or cancel the Active
Parking Assist parking procedure.
! If they cannot be avoided, drive over
obstacles such as curbs slowly and at an
obtuse angle. Otherwise, you may damage
the wheels or tires.
Active Parking Assist may also display spaces
not suitable for parking, e.g.:
R in a zone where parking or stopping is pro-
hibited
R in front of driveways or entrances and exits
R on unsuitable surfaces
Parking tips:
R on narrow roads, drive as closely as possible
past the parking space.
R parking spaces that are littered or over-
grown might be identified or measured
incorrectly.
R parking spaces that are partially occupied
by trailer drawbars might not be identified
as such or be measured incorrectly.
R snowfall or heavy rain may lead to a parking
space being measured inaccurately.
R when transporting a load which protrudes
from your vehicle, you should not use Active
Parking Assist.
R never use Active Parking Assist when snow
chains are installed. R
always ensure that the tire pressure is cor-
rect This has a direct influence on the park-
ing characteristics of the vehicle.
R if you mount wheels with a different wheel
size, this will have a direct influence on the
parking result.
R if you mount tires from another manufac-
turer, this may have an influence on the
parking result.
R if you drive slowly past the parking space, a
better parking result is achieved.
R pay attention to the PARKTRONIC warning
messages ( Y page
158) during the parking
procedure.
R you can intervene in the steering procedure
to correct it at any time. Parking assistance
will then be canceled and Active Parking
Assist stopped.
Use Active Parking Assist for parking spaces
that are:
R parallel or at right angles to the direction of
travel.
R on straight roads, not bends.
R on the same level as the road, e.g. not on
the pavement.
Detecting parking spaces G
WARNING
If there are objects above the detection
range:
R Active Parking Assist may steer too early
R the vehicle may not stop in front of these
objects
This could cause a collision. There is a risk
of an accident.
If objects are located above the detection
range, stop and deactivate Active Parking
Assist.
Objects located above the detection range of
Active Parking Assist will not be detected
when the parking space is measured. These
are not taken into account when the parking
procedure is calculated, e.g. overhanging
loads, overhangs or truck loading ramps.
Further information about the detection range
(Y page
157).160
Driving systems
Driving and parking
Use the buttons in the instrument cluster.
X Press È to select the ? coolant temper-
ature bar display.
Under normal driving conditions and at the
correct coolant level, the display may rise to
the letter H. Settings menu
Introduction Settings menu start screen
The vehicle must be stationary. Use the but-
tons in the instrument cluster. X To display: press È to select the Set‐
tings menu.
The Settings menu is only displayed when
the vehicle is stationary. You can think of the
order of the submenus and functions as a cir-
cle. Press 3 on the instrument cluster to
scroll through the menu and select its subme-
nus or functions successively.
If you scroll forward using 3, the setting from
the previous submenu or function is adopted.
If you press È in a submenu, the submenu or
function is exited without adopting the setting.
The display then shows the start screen of the
Settings menu.
Depending on the vehicle’s equipment, you
have the following options in the Settings
menu:
R Setting the language for the display mes-
sages and displays
(Y page 179)
R Deactivating and activating ESP ®
( Y page 179) R
Setting the sensitivity of the rain sensor
( Y page
180)
R Activating and deactivating ATTENTION
ASSIST (Y page 180)
R Selecting the permanent display in the
header of the display ( Y page 180)
R Setting the unit for distance, consumption
and speed displays (Y page 180)
R Setting the time and date ( Y page 181)
X To reset settings to the factory settings:
turn the key to position 1 in the ignition lock
and press and hold 3 in the Settings
menu for at least five seconds.
For safety reasons, not all functions are reset.
Setting the display language The vehicle must be stationary. Use the but-
tons in the instrument cluster.
X Press È to select the Settings menu.
X Press 3 to select the Language submenu.
The display shows the current language
selection.
X Press f or g to set the language for all
display messages.
X Press 3 to confirm.
The next submenu is shown in the display.
Deactivating/activating ESP ® This menu is only available on vehicles without
the å button on the center console.
Please observe the important safety notes
under "ESP ®
(Electronic Stability Program)"
(Y page
68). G
WARNING
If you deactivate ESP ®
, ESP ®
no longer sta-
bilizes the vehicle. There is an increased risk
of skidding and an accident.
Only deactivate ESP ®
in the situations
described in the following.
It may be best to deactivate ESP ®
in the fol-
lowing situations:
R when using snow chains
R in deep snow
R on sand or gravel On-board computer (vehicles without steering wheel buttons)
179
On-board computer and displays Z
You can also have the ATTENTION ASSIST
assessment or the attention level displayed
in the Status Overview.
X
To display the attention level: press :
and 9 to switch between the status
overview and the ATTENTION ASSIST
assessment.
The ATTENTION ASSIST assessment shows
the length of the journey since the last
break as well as the attention level detected
(Y page
155).
Deactivating/activating ESP ®This menu is only available on vehicles without
the å button on the center console.
Please observe the important safety notes
under "ESP ®
(Electronic Stability Program)"
(Y page
68). G
WARNING
If you deactivate ESP ®
, ESP ®
no longer sta-
bilizes the vehicle. There is an increased risk
of skidding and an accident.
Only deactivate ESP ®
in the situations
described in the following.
It may be best to deactivate ESP ®
in the fol-
lowing situations:
R when using snow chains
R in deep snow
R on sand or gravel
Further information can be found under "ESP ®
(Electronic Stability Program)"
(Y page 69).
X Start the engine. Using the steering wheel buttons
X Press = or ; to select the Assist.
menu.
X Press : or 9 to select ESP.
X Press a to confirm.
The current status is shown.
X To activate/deactivate: press a again.
If the å warning lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up when the vehicle is ready to
drive, ESP ®
is deactivated.
If the ÷ warning lamp lights up continu-
ously, ESP ®
is not available due to a malfunc-
tion.
Observe the information on warning lamps
(Y page
230) and display messages
(Y page 214).
Activating/deactivating the distance
warning function Using the steering wheel buttons
X Press = or ; to select the Assist.
menu.
X Press 9 or : to select Distance
Warning.
X Press a to confirm.
The current status is shown.
X To activate/deactivate: press the a
button again.
If the distance warning function of COLLI-
SION PREVENTION ASSIST is activated, the
display shows the Ä symbol in the
header.
At speeds up to approx 20 mph (30 km/h
),
the display in vehicles with Active Parking
Assist first shows the í status indicator.
Only up to a speed of about 20 mph
(30 km/h) does the display show the Ä
symbol instead of the í status indicator.
Further information can be found under "COL-
LISION PREVENTION ASSIST"
(Y page 149).
Setting ATTENTION ASSIST Using the steering wheel buttons
X Press = or ; to select the Assist.
menu.
X Press : or 9 to select Attention
Assist. 190
On-board computer (vehicles with steering wheel buttons)
On-board computer and displays
R
Break in new tires at moderate speeds for
the first
65 miles (100 km).
R Do not drive with tires which have too little
tread depth, as this significantly reduces the
traction on wet roads (hydroplaning).
R Replace the tires after six years at the lat-
est, regardless of wear. This also applies to
the spare wheel. Operation in winter
General notes
Have your vehicle winterized at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop at the onset of winter.
Only use wheels with tire sizes approved for
Mercedes-Benz.
Prior to the onset of winter, ensure that snow
chains are stowed in the vehicle
(Y page
281). Snow chains cannot be moun-
ted on all wheel/tire combinations. Observe
the restrictions on the use of snow chains
under "Wheel/tire combinations"
(Y page 302).
Also observe the notes in the "Changing a
wheel" section ( Y page 297).Driving with summer tires
At temperatures below 45 ‡
(+7 †), summer
tires lose elasticity and therefore traction and
braking power. Change the tires on your vehi-
cle to M+S tires. Using summer tires at very
cold temperatures could cause tears to form,
thereby damaging the tires permanently.
Mercedes-Benz cannot accept responsibility
for this type of damage. M+S tires
G
WARNING
Wheel and tire dimensions as well as the
type of tire can vary between the spare
wheel and the wheel to be replaced. When
the spare wheel is mounted, driving charac-
teristics may be severely affected. There is a
risk of an accident. In order to reduce risks:
R you should therefore adapt your driving
style and drive carefully.
R never mount more than one spare wheel
that differs from the wheel to be replaced.
R only use a spare wheel that differs from
the wheel to be replaced for a short time.
R have a spare wheel that differs from the
wheel that has been changed replaced at
the nearest qualified specialist workshop.
You must observe the correct wheel and
tire dimensions as well as the wheel type. G
WARNING
M+S tires with a tire tread depth of less than
ã in
(4 mm) are not suitable for use in win-
ter and do not provide sufficient traction.
There is a risk of an accident.
M+S tires with a tread depth of less than ã
in (4 mm) must be replaced immediately.
Use winter tires or all-season tires at tempera-
tures below 45 ‡ (+7 †). Both types of tire
are identified by the M+S marking.
Only winter tires bearing the i snowflake
symbol in addition to the M+S marking provide
the best possible grip in wintry road condi-
tions.
Only these tires will allow driving safety sys-
tems such as ABS and ESP ®
to function opti-
mally in winter. These tires have been devel-
oped specifically for driving in snow.
For safe driving, use M+S tires of the same
make and tread pattern on all wheels.
Always observe the maximum permissible
speed specified for the M+S tires you have
mounted.
If you mount M+S tires that have a lower maxi-
mum permissible speed than the maximum
design speed of the vehicle, affix a corre-
sponding warning label in the driver's field of
vision. You can obtain this at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
Once you have mounted the winter tires:
X Check the tire pressure (Y page
282).
X Restart the tire pressure monitor
(Y page
288).280
Operation in winter
Wheels and tires
Snow chains
G
WARNING
If snow chains are installed to the front
wheels, they may drag against the vehicle
body or chassis components. This could
cause damage to the vehicle or the tires.
There is a risk of an accident.
To avoid hazardous situations:
R never install snow chains to the front
wheels
R always install snow chains in pairs to the
rear wheels. G
WARNING
If you drive too fast with snow chains moun-
ted, they may snap. As a result, you could
injure others and damage the vehicle. There
is a risk of an accident.
Observe the maximum permissible speed for
operation with snow chains.
When driving with snow chains installed, do
not exceed the maximum permissible speed of
30 mph (50 km/h
). Observe the country-spe-
cific laws and regulations for operation with
snow chains.
! Check the snow chains for damage before
mounting them. Damaged or worn snow
chains may snap and damage the following
components:
R wheel
R wheel housing
R wheel suspension
For this reason, you must use only snow
chains that are free of defects. Observe the
manufacturer's mounting instructions.
! Vehicles with steel wheels:
if you mount
snow chains on steel wheels, you may dam-
age the hub caps. Remove the hub caps
from the relevant wheels before mounting
the snow chains.
Snow chains increase traction on roads in win-
try conditions.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only use snow chains or trac-
tion aids which have been approved for
Mercedes-Benz vehicles. The snow chains or traction aids must be of class U or meet the
SAE type U
specification.
Information about snow chains can be
obtained from any Mercedes-Benz Commercial
Van Center.
When mounting snow chains, please bear the
following points in mind:
R Snow chains cannot be mounted on all
wheel/tire combinations. When mounting
the snow chains, note the permissible tire
and snow chain dimensions. Observe the
restrictions on the use of snow chains under
"Wheel/tire combinations" (Y page 302).
R Mount snow chains only in pairs and only to
the rear wheels. Observe the manufacturer's
mounting instructions.
R Only use snow chains when the road is cov-
ered by a layer of snow. Remove the snow
chains as soon as possible when you come
to a road that is not snow-covered.
R The use of snow chains may be restricted by
local regulations. Observe the appropriate
regulations before mounting snow chains.
R When driving with snow chains installed, do
not exceed the maximum permissible speed
of 30 mph (50 km/h).
R Check the tension of the chains after a dis-
tance of approximately 0.5 miles (1.0 km)
and tighten the chains if required.
You may wish to deactivate ESP ®
when pulling
away with snow chains installed ( Y page 69).
This allows the wheels to spin in a controlled
manner, achieving an increased driving force
(cutting action). Operation in winter
281
Wheels and tires Z