2020 MERCEDES-BENZ METRIS tires

of the journey. Make sure that you do not
endanger other road users when doing so.
Checking the brake pad thickness In addition to monitoring using the brake pad
wear sensor, regularly monitor and check all of
the brake pads by performing a visual inspec-
tion to look for pad material wear.
If you are unable to check the brake wear on
the inside of the wheels, remove the wheels
with the tools provided.
Make sure that the brake pad material thick-
ness never falls below
0.12 in (3 mm). Have
the brake pads checked and replaced at a
qualified specialist workshop, if necessary.
Do not solely rely on the brake pad wear sen-
sor.
It is strongly recommended that you have the
brake pads checked at a qualified specialist
workshop at every service displayed in the
maintenance interval indicator, prior to long
journeys and whenever the wheels are
removed.
New brake discs and brake pads/
linings New brake pads and brake discs only reach
their optimal braking effect after about
60 miles

(100 kilometers). Until then, compen-
sate for this by applying greater force to the
brake pedal.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends only installing the following brake discs
and brake pads/linings:
R brake discs that have been approved by
Mercedes-Benz
R brake pads/linings that have been approved
by Mercedes-Benz or are of an equivalent
standard of quality
Other brake discs or brake pads/linings can
compromise the safety of your vehicle.
Always replace all brake discs or brake pads/
linings on an axle at the same time and only
have them replaced at a qualified specialist
workshop. When replacing the brake discs,
always have the brake pads/linings replaced
at the same time. Parking brake G
WARNING
If you must brake the vehicle with the park-
ing brake, the braking distance is considera-
bly longer and the wheels could lock. There
is an increased danger of skidding and acci-
dents.
Only use the parking brake to brake the
vehicle when the service brake is faulty. Do
not apply the parking brake too firmly. If the
wheels lock, release the parking brake until
the wheels begin turning again.
When driving on wet roads or dirt-covered sur-
faces, road salt and/or dirt may get into the
parking brake. This causes corrosion and a
reduction of braking force.
In order to prevent this, drive with the parking
brake lightly applied from time to time. When
doing so, drive for a distance of approximately
110 yds (100 m) at a maximum speed of
12 mph (20 km/h

).
The brake lamps are not illuminated when you
brake the vehicle using the parking brake. Driving in wet conditions
Hydroplaning G
WARNING
There is a danger of hydroplaning occurring,
even if you are driving slowly and your tires
have sufficient tread depth, depending on
the depth of water on the road. There is a
risk of an accident.
For this reason, avoid tire ruts and brake
carefully.
Therefore, in heavy rain or other conditions in
which hydroplaning can occur, drive as fol-
lows:
R reduce your speed
R avoid tire ruts
R apply the brakes with care Driving tips
143
Driving and parking Z

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

G
WARNING
When driving off-road, your body is subject
to forces from all directions, due to the
uneven surface. You could be thrown from
your seat, for instance. There is a risk of
injury.
Always wear a seat belt, even when driving
off-road. G
WARNING
If you drive over obstacles or in ruts, the
steering wheel may jerk out of your grip,
causing injury to your hands.
Always hold the steering wheel firmly with
both hands. When driving over obstacles,
you must expect steering forces to increase
briefly and suddenly. G
WARNING
Flammable material such as leaves, grass or
twigs may ignite if they come into contact
with hot parts of the exhaust system. There
is a risk of fire.
When driving on an unpaved road or off-
road, check the vehicle underside regularly.
In particular, remove trapped plant parts or
other flammable material. Contact a quali-
fied specialist workshop immediately if dam-
age is detected.
! When driving off-road or on unpaved surfa-
ces, check the underside of the vehicle as
well as the wheels and tires at regular inter-
vals. In particular, remove trapped foreign
objects, such as stones and branches.
Such foreign objects could:
R damage the chassis, the fuel tank or the
brake system
R cause imbalance and thereby vibrations
R be thrown out as you continue your jour-
ney
If there is any damage, inform a qualified
specialist workshop.
When driving off-road and on construction
sites, sand, mud and water mixed with oil, for
example, may get into the brakes. This may
lead to a reduction in braking performance or
total brake failure, also as a result of increased wear. The braking characteristics will vary
depending on the material that has got into
the system. Clean the brakes after driving off-
road. If you then notice reduced braking per-
formance or hear scraping noises, have the
brake system checked at a qualified specialist
workshop. Adjust your driving style to the
changed braking characteristics.
Driving off-road or on construction sites
increases the possibility of vehicle damage
which may in turn lead to the failure of certain
assemblies and systems. Adapt your driving
style to the off-road driving conditions. Drive
carefully. Have any vehicle damage rectified at
a qualified specialist workshop as soon as pos-
sible.
When loading your vehicle for driving off-road
or on a construction site, keep the vehicle's
center of gravity as low as possible.
Rules for driving off-road !
Always bear the vehicle's ground clear-
ance in mind and avoid obstacles, e.g. deep
ruts.
Obstacles may damage the following parts
of the vehicle:
R the chassis
R the drive train
R the fuel and supply tanks
For this reason, you should always drive
slowly when driving off-road. If you have to
drive over obstacles, have the front
passenger direct you.
i We recommend that you additionally carry
a shovel and a recovery rope with shackle in
the vehicle.
R Ensure that loads and items of luggage are
securely stowed or lashed down
(Y page
242).
R Before driving off-road, stop the vehicle and
shift to a low gear.
R If the surface requires, temporarily deacti-
vate ESP ®
when pulling away (Y page 69).
R Only drive off-road with the engine running
and a gear engaged.
R Drive slowly and smoothly. Walking pace is
necessary in many situations.
R Avoid spinning the drive wheels.
R Make sure that the wheels always remain in
contact with the ground. Driving tips
145
Driving and parking Z

R
Drive with extreme care over unknown ter-
rain where you can only see for a short dis-
tance. As a precaution, get out of the vehi-
cle to take a look at the route to be taken in
advance.
R Check the water depth before fording.
R Watch out for obstacles (e.g. rocks, holes,
tree stumps and ruts).
R Avoid edges where the surface could crum-
ble or break away.
Checklist after driving off-road !
If you detect damage to the vehicle after
driving off-road, have the vehicle checked
immediately at a qualified specialist work-
shop.
Off-road driving places a higher demand on
your vehicle than normal road operation.
Check your vehicle after driving on rough ter-
rain. By doing so you will notice any damage in
good time and reduce the risk of an accident
for yourself and other road users. Clean your
vehicle thoroughly before driving on public
roads.
Observe the following points after driving off-
road, on construction sites and before driving
on public roads:
X Activate ESP ®
(Y page 69).
X Clean the headlamps and tail lamps and
check them for damage.
X Clean the front and rear license plates.
X Clean the windshield, windows and exterior
mirrors.
X Clean the steps, door sills and grab handles.
This increases safety of footing.
X Clean the wheels/tires, wheel housings and
the underbody of the vehicle with a water
jet.
This increases road grip, especially on wet
road surfaces.
X Check the wheels/tires and wheel housings
for trapped foreign objects and remove
them.
Trapped foreign objects can damage the
wheels/tires and may be flung out from the
vehicle when you continue driving.
X Check the underbody for trapped branches
or other parts of plants and remove them.
Trapped branches or other parts of plants
increase the risk of fire and can cause dam- age to fuel lines, brake hoses and the rubber
bellows of axle joints and drive shafts.
X Clean the brake disks, brake pads and axle
joints, particularly after operation in sand,
mud, grit/gravel, water or similarly dirty
conditions.
X Check the entire floor assembly, the tires,
wheels, bodywork structure, brakes, steer-
ing, chassis and exhaust system for any
damage.
X Check the service brake for operating
safety, e.g. carry out a brake test.
X If you notice strong vibrations after driving
off-road, check the wheels and drive train
for foreign objects again. Remove any for-
eign objects which can lead to imbalances
and thus cause vibrations. Driving in mountainous areas
When driving in mountainous areas, note that
the power output of the engine, and with it its
gradient climbing capability, decrease with
increasing altitude. Please take note of this
particularly when driving with a trailer in moun-
tainous areas.
The maximum permissible trailer loads are
valid for journeys at altitudes up to

1100 yds
(1000 m) above sea level with gradients up to
12%.
Information on maximum permissible trailer
loads can be found in your vehicle registration
papers and on the vehicle identification plate
(Y page 304) or under "Trailer loads" ( Y page 315).
When driving at altitudes of 2700 yds
(2500 m) above sea level, the ECO start/stop
function is no longer available.
Notes on braking on downhill gradients can be
found in the "Braking" section (Y page 142). Driving systems
Cruise control
General notes Cruise control maintains the speed of the vehi-
cle for you. It brakes automatically in order to
avoid exceeding the set speed.146
Driving systems
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

Switching the rear view camera on or
off
X
To activate: make sure that the key is in
position 2 in the ignition lock.
X Shift the transmission to position k.
On vehicles with a tailgate, the rear view
camera flap opens. The audio display shows
the area behind the vehicle. The rear area
shown is divided by guide lines.
In vehicles with a trailer coupling installed, the
function mode of the rear view camera can be
switched over when the trailer is reached. The
rear view camera then changes the viewing
angle and shows a locating aid for the ball cou-
pling of the trailer tow hitch to help reach the
drawbar.
X To switch function mode: select and con-
firm "Reverse parking" function : or "Cou-
pling up a trailer“ function ; using the
audio system control knob.
Information on the audio system control
knob can be found in the separate operating
instructions.
The symbol of the selected function is high-
lighted.
X To switch off: shift the transmission to
position i or h.
The dynamic guide lines are hidden and
after about 15 seconds the rear view cam-
era switches itself off.
or X Drive forwards more than about 30 ft
(10 m).
or X Drive forwards faster than 6 mph
(10 km/h
).
or X Shift the automatic transmission to position
j. In vehicles with Active Parking Assist, the rear
view camera remains switched on after the ini-
tial shift to reverse gear for the whole duration
of active parking assistance. You can find
information on active parking assistance under
"Active Parking Assist“

(Y page 159).
Messages in the multimedia system
display :
Yellow guide line at a distance of approx-
imately
13 ft (4.0 m) from the rear of the
vehicle
; White guide line without turning the steer-
ing wheel, vehicle width including the exte-
rior mirrors (static)
= Yellow guide line for the vehicle width
including the exterior mirrors, at the cur-
rent steering angle (dynamic)
? Yellow lane marking the course the tires
will take at the current steering angle
(dynamic) A
Yellow guide line at a distance of approx-
imately

3 ft (1.0 m) from the rear of the
vehicle
B Red guide line at a distance of approx-
imately

12 in (0.30 m) from the rear of the
vehicle
C Bumper
D Vehicle center axis (locating aid) Driving systems
165
Driving and parking Z

Tires
Display messages
Possible causes/consequences and
M SolutionsCorrect Tire Pres‐
sure The tire pressure is too low in at least one of the tires, or the tire
pressure difference between the wheels is too great.
X Check the tire pressure at the next opportunity (Y page 285).
X If necessary, correct the tire pressure.
X Restart the tire pressure monitor ( Y page
288).Check Tire Pres‐
sure Soon An additional warning tone sounds.
The tire pressure in one or more tires has dropped significantly.
G WARNING
Tire pressure that are too low pose the following hazards: R The tires may burst, especially as the load and vehicle speed
increase.
R The tires may wear excessively and/or unevenly, which may
greatly impair tire traction.
R The handling as well as steering and braking characteristics may
be severely affected.
There is a risk of an accident.
X Stop the vehicle without making any sudden steering or braking
maneuvers. Pay attention to the traffic conditions while doing so.
X Secure the vehicle to prevent it from rolling away (Y page
138).
X Check the tires and, if necessary, change the wheel
(Y page

297).
X Check the tire pressure (Y page
285).
X If necessary, correct the tire pressure. Caution! Tire Mal‐
func. The tire pressure in one or more tires has dropped suddenly.
G WARNING
Driving with a flat tire poses a risk of the following hazards: R A flat tire affects the ability to steer or brake the vehicle.
R You could then lose control of the vehicle.
R Continued driving with a flat tire will cause excessive heat build-
up and possibly a fire.
There is a risk of an accident.
X Stop the vehicle without making any sudden steering or braking
maneuvers. Pay attention to the traffic conditions while doing so.
X Secure the vehicle to prevent it from rolling away (Y page
138).
X Check the tires and, if necessary, change the wheel
(Y page

297). Display messages (vehicles without steering wheel buttons)
207
On-board computer and displays Z

Tires
Display messages
Possible causes/consequences and
M SolutionsAdjust Tire Pres‐
sure The tire pressure is too low in at least one of the tires, or the tire
pressure difference between the wheels is too great.
X Check the tire pressure at the next opportunity (Y page 285).
X If necessary, correct the tire pressure.
X Restart the tire pressure monitor ( Y page
288).Check Tires An additional warning tone sounds.
The tire pressure in one or more tires has dropped significantly. The
display shows the wheel position.
G WARNING
Underinflated tires pose the following risks:
R The tires may burst, especially as the load and vehicle speed
increase.
R The tires may wear excessively and/or unevenly, which may
greatly impair tire traction.
R The handling as well as steering and braking characteristics may
be severely affected.
There is a risk of an accident.
X Stop the vehicle without making any sudden steering or braking
maneuvers. Pay attention to the traffic conditions while doing so.
X Secure the vehicle to prevent it from rolling away (Y page
138).
X Check the tires and, if necessary, change the wheel
(Y page

297).
X Check the tire pressure (Y page
285).
X If necessary, correct the tire pressure. Warning Tire Mal‐
function The tire pressure in one or more tires has dropped suddenly. The
display shows the wheel position.
G WARNING
Driving with a flat tire poses a risk of the following hazards: R A flat tire affects the ability to steer or brake the vehicle.
R You could then lose control of the vehicle.
R Continued driving with a flat tire will cause excessive heat build-
up and possibly a fire.
There is a risk of an accident.
X Stop the vehicle without making any sudden steering or braking
maneuvers. Pay attention to the traffic conditions while doing so.
X Secure the vehicle to prevent it from rolling away (Y page
138).
X Check the tires and, if necessary, change the wheel
(Y page

297).224
Display messages (vehicles with steering wheel buttons)
On-board computer and displays