Mercedes-Benz S 430 4MATIC 2003, S 55 AMG 2003, S 600 2003, S 500 2003, S-Class 2003 User Manual

S430
S 430 4MATIC
S500
S 500 4MATIC
S55 AMG
S600

Our company and staff congratulate you
on the purchase of your new
Mercedes-Benz.

Your selection of our product is a demon­stration of your trust in our company
name. Further, it exemplifies your desire to
own an automobile that will be as easy as
possible to operate and provide years of
service.

Your Mercedes-Benz represents the ef­forts of many skilled engineers and crafts­men. To help assure your driving pleasure,
and also the safety of you and your passen­gers, we ask you to make a small invest­ment of time:

앫 Please read this manual carefully be-

fore putting it aside. Then return it to
your vehicle where it will be handy for
your reference.

앫 Please follow the recommendations

contained in this manual. They are de­signed to acquaint you with the opera­tion of your Mercedes-Benz.

앫 Please pay attention to the warnings

and cautions contained in this manual.
They are designed to help improve the
safety of the vehicle operator and oc­cupants.

We extend our best wishes for many miles
of safe, pleasurable driving.

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC
A DaimlerChrysler Company

Introduction.......................................... 9

Product information ................................ 9

Operator’s Manual ............................... 10

Service and warranty information .. 10
Important notice for California
retail buyers and lessees of

Mercedes-Benz automobiles .......... 11

Maintenance .................................. 12

Roadside Assistance ...................... 12

Change of address or ownership.... 12

Operating your vehicle outside the

USA or Canada............................... 13

Where to find it .................................... 14

Symbols............................................... 15

Operating safety .................................. 16

Proper use of the vehicle ............... 16

Problems with your vehicle .................. 17

Reporting safety defects...................... 18

Reporting safety defects ................ 18

At a glance ......................................... 19

Cockpit ................................................ 20

Instrument cluster ............................... 22

Multifunction steering wheel ............... 24

Center console ..................................... 25

Upper part ...................................... 25

Lower part ...................................... 26

Overhead control panel ........................ 27

Door control panel................................ 28

Getting started................................... 29

Unlocking ............................................. 30

Unlocking with the SmartKey.......... 30

Unlocking with KEYLESS-GO*......... 32

Adjusting .............................................. 34

Seats............................................... 34

Steering wheel ................................ 37

Mirrors ............................................ 38

Driving .................................................. 40

Fastening the seat belts.................. 40

Starting the engine ......................... 42

Switching on headlamps ................. 46

Turn signals and high beam ............ 46

Windshield wipers ........................... 47

Problems while driving.................... 48

Parking and locking .............................. 50

Parking brake.................................. 50

Switching off headlamps................. 51

Turning off engine ........................... 52

Contents

Safety and Security ........................... 55

Occupant safety ................................... 56

Airbags ........................................... 57

Seat belts ....................................... 62

Preventive occupant safety

(PRE-SAFE) ..................................... 66

Children in the vehicle .................... 67

Override switch for rear passenger

compartment .................................. 74

Panic alarm .......................................... 75

Activating........................................ 75

Deactivating.................................... 75

Driving safety systems ......................... 76

ABS................................................. 76

BAS................................................. 78

ESP ................................................. 78

Four wheel electronic traction system

(4MATIC) with the ESP.................... 81

Anti-theft systems ................................ 82

Immobilizer ..................................... 82

Anti-theft alarm system .................. 82

Tow-away alarm .............................. 84

Contents

Controls in detail ............................... 85

Locking and unlocking ......................... 86

SmartKey ....................................... 86

KEYLESS-GO card*......................... 89

Opening the doors from the

inside ............................................. 94

Opening the trunk lid...................... 95

Opening the trunk from the

inside ............................................. 96

Trunk lid emergency release .......... 96

Closing the trunk lid ....................... 97

Separately locking the trunk .......... 98

Separately unlocking the trunk ...... 98

Trunk lid opening/closing

ystem* ........................................... 99

Power closing assist for doors

and trunk lid ................................. 102

Automatic central locking ............ 102

Locking and unlocking from

the inside ..................................... 103

Seats.................................................. 104

Lumbar support ............................ 104

Easy-entry/exit feature ................ 104

Head restraints............................. 105

Multicontour seat* ....................... 107

Drive-dynamic seat* .................... 109

Seat ventilation* .......................... 110

Seat heating* ............................... 111

Rear seats .................................... 113

Memory function ............................... 117

Storing positions into memory ..... 118

Recalling positions from

memory........................................ 118

Storing exterior rear view mirror

parking position ........................... 118

Lighting.............................................. 120

Exterior lamp switch..................... 120

Combination switch ..................... 123

Hazard warning flasher ................ 124

Interior lighting............................. 124

Courtesy lighting .......................... 126

Instrument cluster ............................. 127

Instrument cluster illumination .... 127

Coolant temperature gauge ......... 128

Trip odometer .............................. 128

Tachometer .................................. 129

Outside temperature indicator ..... 129

Control system .................................. 130

Multifunction display .................... 130

Multifunction steering wheel ........ 131

Menus .......................................... 133

Standard display menu ................ 135

AUDIO menu ................................ 135

CD changer* operating mode ...... 137

TEL menu* ................................... 139

NAVI menu................................... 142

Distronic* menu .......................... 142

Trip computer menu..................... 143

Malfunction memory menu .......... 145

Settings menu.............................. 146

Automatic transmission ..................... 160

One-touch gearshifting ................ 161

Gear ranges ................................. 162

Gear selector lever position ......... 163

Program mode selector switch .... 164

Accelerator position..................... 165

Emergency operation (Limp home

mode) .......................................... 165

Steering wheel gearshift control
(Speedshift) and manual shift

program S 55 AMG ...................... 166

Good visibility .................................... 168

Rear view mirror .......................... 168

Electrically folding exterior rear

view mirrors ................................. 170

Windshield wipers ........................ 171

Headlamp cleaning system .......... 171

Contents

Sun visors .................................... 172

Rear window sunshade* .............. 173

Rear door window sunshade* ...... 173

Automatic climate control ................. 174

Setting the temperature............... 177

Adjusting air distribution .............. 178

Adjusting air volume .................... 179

Maximum cooling MAXCOOL ....... 179

Defrosting .................................... 180

Air recirculation mode.................. 180

Charcoal filter .............................. 182

Rear window defroster ................. 183

Deactivating the climate control

system ......................................... 183

Air conditioning ............................ 184

Storage compartment ventilation. 184

Residual heat and ventilation ....... 185

Rear passenger compartment

adjustable air vents...................... 186

Rear passenger compartment

climate control* ........................... 187

Power windows.................................. 188

Opening and closing the windows 188

Synchronizing power windows ..... 191

Sliding/pop-up roof ............................ 192

Opening and closing the slid-

ing/pop-up roof ............................ 192

Synchronizing the sliding/pop-up

roof .............................................. 195

Driving systems .................................. 196

Cruise control ............................... 196

Distronic* ..................................... 199

AIRMATIC...................................... 211

Active Body Control (ABC)* .......... 213

Parktronic system* (Parking

assist) ........................................... 218

Loading............................................... 222

Roof rack* .................................... 222

Loading instructions ..................... 222

Cargo tie-down hooks ................... 223

Useful features ................................... 224

Interior storage spaces ................. 224

Ashtrays........................................ 232

Cigarette lighters .......................... 233

Heated steering wheel* ................ 235

Telephone* ................................... 236

Tele Aid ......................................... 237

Garage door opener ...................... 245

Infrared reflecting windshield ....... 248

Operation.......................................... 249

The first 1000 miles (1500 km) .......... 250

Driving instructions ............................ 251

Drive sensibly – save fuel ............. 251

Drinking and driving...................... 251

Pedals........................................... 251

Power assistance.......................... 251

Brakes .......................................... 252

Driving off ..................................... 253

Parking ......................................... 253

Tires.............................................. 254

Hydroplaning ................................ 255

Tire traction .................................. 255

Tire speed rating ........................... 255

Winter driving instructions ............ 256

Standing water ............................. 257

Passenger compartment............... 258

Driving abroad .............................. 258

Control and operation of radio

transmitters .................................. 258

Catalytic converter ....................... 259

Emission control ........................... 259

Coolant temperature .................... 260

Contents

At the gas station............................... 261

Check regularly and before a

long trip........................................ 262

Engine compartment.......................... 263

Hood ............................................ 263

Engine oil...................................... 264

Transmission fluid level ................ 268

Active Body Control* (ABC*)

fluid level ...................................... 268

Coolant......................................... 268

Battery ......................................... 270

Windshield washer system and

headlamp cleaning system* ......... 271

Tires and wheels ................................ 272

Important guidelines .................... 272

Life of tires ................................... 273

Direction of rotation ..................... 273

Checking tire inflation pressure ... 273

Rotating wheels............................ 277

Winter driving..................................... 278

Winter tires................................... 278

Block heater* ............................... 279

Snow chains ................................. 279

Maintenance...................................... 280

Clearing the service indicator....... 280

Service term exceeded ................ 280

Calling up the service indicator .... 281

Resetting the service indicator..... 281

Vehicle care ....................................... 282

Cleaning and care of vehicle ........ 282

Practical hints.................................. 289

What to do if …?................................. 290

Lamps in instrument cluster......... 290

Lamp in center console ................ 295

Messages in the display ............... 296

Where will I find ...? ........................... 322

First aid kit ................................... 322

Vehicle jack, vehicle tool kit,

luggage bowl, spare wheel ........... 322

Unlocking/locking in an emergency .. 326

Unlocking the vehicle ................... 326

Locking the vehicle ...................... 327

Changing batteries ....................... 328

Fuel filler flap ............................... 329

Opening/closing in an emergency..... 330

Sliding/pop-up roof ..................... 330

Replacing bulbs ................................. 331

Bulbs............................................ 331

Replacing bulbs for front lamps ... 333

Replacing bulbs for rear lamps .... 336

Replacing wiper blades...................... 337

Removing ..................................... 337

Installing ...................................... 338

Flat tire .............................................. 339

Preparing the vehicle ................... 339

Mounting the spare wheel............ 339

Battery............................................... 344

Disconnecting the battery............ 345

Removing the battery................... 345

Charging and reinstalling

battery ......................................... 345

Reconnecting the battery............. 345

Jump starting ..................................... 347

Towing the vehicle ............................. 349

Installing towing eye bolt ............. 351

Fuses................................................. 353

Fuse boxes in passenger

compartment ............................... 353

Fuse boxes in engine

compartment ............................... 354

Emergency engine shut-down ...... 355

Technical data ................................. 357

Spare parts service ............................ 358

Warranty coverage............................. 359

Loss of Service and Warranty

Information Booklet ..................... 359

Identification labels ........................... 360

Layout of poly-V-belt drive ................. 361

S 430 / S 500.............................. 361

S 55 AMG..................................... 361

S 600 ........................................... 361

Engine................................................ 362

Rims and tires.................................... 364

Same size tires............................. 365

Mixed size tires ............................ 366

Spare wheel ................................. 367

Electrical system ............................... 368

Main dimensions ............................... 369

Weights.............................................. 370

Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc. .......... 371

Capacities .................................... 371

Engine oils.................................... 373

Engine oil additives ...................... 373

Air conditioning refrigerant .......... 373

Brake fluid.................................... 373

Premium unleaded gasoline ......... 374

Contents

Fuel requirements ......................... 374

Gasoline additives......................... 374

Coolants ....................................... 375

Windshield and headlamp washer

system .......................................... 377

Consumer information ........................ 378

Uniform tire quality grading .......... 378

Technical terms................................ 381

Index.................................................. 387

Contents

Product information

Please observe the following in your own
best interest:

We recommend using Mercedes-Benz orig­inal parts as well as conversion parts and
accessories explicitly approved by us for
your vehicle model.

We have tested these parts to determine
their reliability, safety and their special
suitability for Mercedes-Benz vehicles.

We are unable to make an assessment for
other products and therefore cannot be
held responsible for them, even if in indi­vidual cases an official approval or authori­zation by governmental or other agencies
should exist. Use of such parts and acces­sories could adversely affect the safety,
performance or reliability of your vehicle.
Please do not use them.

Introduction

Product information

Mercedes-Benz original parts as well as
conversion parts and accessories ap­proved by us are available at your autho­rized Mercedes-Benz Center where you will
receive comprehensive information, also
on permissible technical modifications,
and where proper installation will be per­formed.

9

Introduction

Operator’s Manual

Operator’s Manual

This Operator’s Manual contains a great
deal of useful information. We urge you to
read it carefully and familiarize yourself
with the vehicle before driving.

For your own safety and longer service life
of the vehicle, we urge you to follow the in­structions and warnings contained in this
manual. Ignoring them could result in dam­age to the vehicle or personal injury to you
or others. Vehicle damage caused by fail­ure to follow instructions is not covered by
the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.

Your vehicle may have some or all of the
equipment described in this manual.
Therefore, you may find explanations for
optional equipment not installed in your
vehicle. If you have any questions about
the operation of any equipment, your au­thorized Mercedes-Benz Center will be
glad to demonstrate the proper proce­dures.

We continuously strive to improve our
product, and ask for your understanding
that we reserve the right to make changes
in design and equipment. Therefore, infor­mation, illustrations and descriptions in
this Operator’s Manual might differ from
your vehicle.

Optional equipment is also described in
this manual, including operating instruc­tions wherever necessary. Since they are
special-order items, the descriptions and
illustrations herein may vary slightly from
the actual equipment of your vehicle.

If there are any equipment details that are
not shown or described in this Operator’s
Manual, your authorized Mercedes-Benz
Ce nter w ill be glad to in form you o f corr ect
care and operating procedures.

The Operator’s Manual and Service Book­let are important documents and should be
kept with the vehicle.

Service and warranty information

The Service and Warranty Information
Booklet contains detailed information
about the warranties covering your
Mercedes-Benz, including:

앫 New Car Limited Warranty

앫 Emission System Warranty

앫 Emission Performance Warranty

앫 California, Maine, Massachusetts, and

Vermont Emission Control System
Warranty
(California, Maine, Massachusetts, and
Vermont only)

앫 State Warranty Enforcement Laws

(Lemon Laws)

10

Introduction

Operator’s Manual

Important notice for California retail buyers and lessees of Mercedes-Benz automobiles

Under California law you may be entitled to
a replacement of your vehicle or a refund
of the purchase price or lease price, if
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC and/or its au­thorized repair or service facilities fail to fix
one or more substantial defects or mal­functions in the vehicle that are covered by
its express warranty after a reasonable
number of repair attempts. During the pe­riod of 18 months from original delivery of
the vehicle or the accumulation of
18,000 miles (approx. 29,000 km) on the
odometer of the vehicle, whichever occurs
first, a reasonable number of repair at­tempts is presumed for a retail buyer or
lessee if one or more of the following oc­curs:

(1) the same substantial defect or mal-

function results in a condition that is
likely to cause death or serious bodily
injury if the vehicle is driven, that de­fect or malfunction has been subject to
repair two or more times, and you have
directly notified Mercedes-Benz USA,
LLC in writing of the need for its repair,

(2) the same substantial defect or mal-

function of a less serious nature than
category (1) has been subject to repair
four or more times and you have direct­ly notified us in writing of the need for
its repair, or

(3) the vehicle is out of service by reason

of repair of the same or different sub­stantial defects or malfunctions for a
cumulative total of more than
30 calender days. Written notification
should be sent to us, not a dealer, at
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC, Customer
Assistance Center, One Mercedes
Drive, Montvale, NJ 07645-0350.

11

Introduction

Operator’s Manual

Maintenance

The Service Booklet describes all the nec­essary maintenance work which should be
performed at regular intervals.

Always have the Service Booklet with you
when you take the vehicle to your autho­rized Mercedes-Benz Center for service.
The service advisor will record each ser­vice in the booklet for you.

Roadside Assistance

The Mercedes-Benz Roadside Assistance
Program provides factory trained technical
help in the event of a breakdown. Calls to
the toll-free Roadside Assistance number

1-800-FOR-MERCedes (in the USA)
1-800-387-0100 (in Canada)

will be answered by Mercedes-Benz
Customer Assistance Representatives
24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

For additional information refer to the
Mercedes-Benz Roadside Assistance Pro­gram Brochure in your glove box.

Change of address or ownership

If you change your address, be sure to
send in the “Change of Address Notice”
found in the Service and Warranty Informa­tion Booklet, or simply call the
Mercedes-Benz Customer Assistance
Center (in the USA) at
1-800-FOR-MERCedes, or Customer Ser­vice (in Canada) at 1-800-387-0100. It is in
your own interest that we can contact you
should the need arise.

If you sell your Mercedes, please leave all
literature with the vehicle to make it avail­able to the next operator.

If you bought this vehicle used, be sure to
send in the “Notice of Purchase of Used
Car” found in the Service and Warranty In­formation Booklet, or call the
Mercedes-Benz Customer Assistance Cen­ter (in the USA) at 1-800-FOR-MERCedes,
or Customer Service (in Canada) at
1-800-387-0100.

12

Introduction

Operator’s Manual

Operating your vehicle outside the USA
or Canada

If you plan to operate your vehicle in for­eign countries, please be aware that:

앫 service facilities or replacement parts

may not be readily available,

앫 unleaded gasoline for vehicles with cat-

alytic converters may not be available;

the use of leaded fuels will damage the

catalysts,

앫 gasoline may have a considerably low-

er octane rating, and improper fuel can

cause engine damage.

Certain Mercedes-Benz models are avail­able for delivery in Europe under our Euro­pean Delivery Program. For details, consult
your authorized Mercedes-Benz Center or
write to:

In the USA:

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC
European Delivery Department
One Mercedes Drive
Montvale, NJ 07645-0350

In Canada:

Mercedes-Benz Canada, Inc.
European Delivery Department
849 Eglinton Avenue East
Toronto, Ontario M4G 2L5

13

Introduction

Where to find it

Where to find it

This Operator’s Manual is designed to pro­vide comprehensive support information
for you, the vehicle operator. For you to
find information quickly each section has
its own reference color:

At a glance

Here you will find an overview of all the
controls that can be operated from the
driver’s seat.

Getting started

Here you will find all the information you
need for your first drive. You should read
this section first if this is your first
Mercedes-Benz vehicle or if you are rent­ing or borrowing this vehicle.

Safety and Security

Her e yo u w il l f ind de sc rip ti on s of th e s afe ty
features of your vehicle.

Controls in detail

Here you will find detailed information
about the equipment installed in your vehi­cle. This section expands on the “Getting
started” section and also describes techni­cal innovations. If you are already familiar
with the basic functions of your vehicle,
this section will be of particular interest to
you.

Operation

Here you will find all the information you
need for the proper operation of your vehi­cle.

Practical hints

This section provides fast assistance for
dealing with problems you may encounter.

Technical data

All important technical data for your vehi­cle can be found in this section.

Indexes

The glossary provides explanations of the
most important technical terms.

The table of contents and the index are de­signed to help you find information quickly
and easily.

The following publications are part of your
vehicle documentation:

앫 this Operator’s Manual

앫 the Service Booklet

Separate operating instructions will be
provided as required depending on the
equipment options installed in your vehi­cle.

14

Symbols

The following symbols are found in this
Operator’s Manual:

Warning! G

Introduction

Symbols

왘 This symbol points to instructions for

you to follow.

* Optional equipment is identified

with an asterisk. Since standard
equipment varies between models,
the descriptions and illustrations in
this manual may differ slightly from
the actual equipment of your vehi­cle.

Warning notices draw your attention to haz­ards that may endanger your health or life,
or the health or life of others.

!

Highlights hazards that may result in
damage to your vehicle.

i

Helpful hints or further information you
may find useful.

왘 A number of these symbols appearing

in succession indicates a multiple-step
procedure.

컄 Page This symbol tells you where to

look for further information on a
topic.

컄컄 This continuation symbol marks

an interrupted procedure which
will be continued on the next
page.

-> In the glossary of technical
terms, this symbol is used to
cross-reference term defini­tions.

DISPLAY

Words appearing in the multi­function display are printed in
the type shown here.

15

Introduction

Operating safety

Operating safety

Warning! G

Work improperly carried out on electronic
components and associated software could
cause them to cease functioning. Because
the vehicle’s electronic components are in­terconnected, any modification made may
produce an undesired effect on other sys­tems.

Electronic system malfunctions could seri­ously impair the operating safety of your ve­hicle.

Ensure that any repairs or modifications to
electronic components are carried out by an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.

Other improper work or modifications on the
vehicle could also have a negative impact on
the operating safety of the vehicle.

Some safety systems only function while the
engine is running. You should therefore nev­er turn off the engine while driving.

Proper use of the vehicle

Proper use of the vehicle requires that you
are familiar with the following information
and rules:

앫 The safety precautions in this manual

앫 The “Technical data” section in this

manual

앫 Traffic rules and regulations

앫 Motor vehicle laws and safety stan-

dards

16

Introduction

Problems with your vehicle

Problems with your vehicle

If you should experience a problem with your vehicle, particularly one that you believe may affect its safe operation, we urge you to
immediately contact your authorized Mercedes-Benz Center to have the problem diagnosed and corrected if required. If the matter is
not handled to your satisfaction, please discuss the problem with the Mercedes-Benz Center management, or if necessary contact us
at one of the following addresses:

In the USA:

Customer Assistance Center
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC
One Mercedes Drive
Montvale, NJ 07645-0350

In Canada:

Customer Relations Department
Mercedes-Benz Canada, Inc.
849 Eglinton Avenue East
Toronto, Ontario, M4G 2L5

17

Introduction

Reporting safety defects

Reporting safety defects

For the USA only:
The following text is published as required of manufacturers under Title 49, Code of U.S. Federal Regulations, Part 575 pursuant to the
“National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966.”

Reporting safety defects

If you believe that your vehicle has a defect which could cause a crash or could cause injury or death, you should immediately inform
the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in addition to notifying Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC.

If NHTSA receives similar complaints, it may open an investigation, and if it finds that a safety defect exists in a group of vehicles, it
may order a recall and remedy campaign. However, NHTSA cannot become involved in individual problems between you, your dealer,
or Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC.

To contact NHTSA, you may either call the Auto Safety Hotline toll-free at 1-888-327-4236 (or 366-0123 in Washington, D.C. area) or
write to: NHTSA, U.S. Department of Transportation, Washington, D.C. 20590. You can also obtain other information about motor ve­hicle safety from the Hotline.

18

At a glance

Cockpit

Instrument cluster

Multifunction steering wheel

Center console

Overhead control panel

Door control panel

19

At a glance

Cockpit

Cockpit

20

At a glance

Cockpit

Item Page

1 Combination switch

앫 Turn signals

앫 Windshield wipers

앫 High beam

2 Cruise control lever

앫 Cruise control

앫 Distronic*

46

47

123

203

196

199

3 Instrument cluster 22

4 Multifunction steering

24

wheel

Item Page

5 Gear range indicator, clock 22

6 Lever for voice control sys-

tem*, see separate operat­ing instructions

7 Front Parktronic* warning

220

indicator

8 Overhead control panel 27

9 Glove box lock 224

10 Glove box lid release 224

11 Glove box 224

12 Center console 25

13 Starter switch 31

Item Page

14 Horn

15 Steering wheel adjustment

38

stalk

Heated steering wheel*

235

16 Parking brake pedal 44

17 Hood lock release 263

18 Parking brake release 44

19 Door control panel 28

20 Exterior lamp switch 120

21 Headlamp washer button 171

22 Front Parktronic* warning

220

indicator

21

At a glance

Instrument cluster

Instrument cluster

22

At a glance

Instrument cluster

Item Page

1 Coolant temperature

gauge

2 Fuel gauge with:

Fuel reserve warning lamp 294

3 L Left turn signal

indicator lamp

K Right turn signal

indicator lamp

4 Speedometer with:

v Electronic Stability

Program (ESP)
warning lamp

l Distance* warning

1

lamp

5 Tachometer 129

1

Vehicles without Distronic*: Warning lamp without
function. It illuminates with SmartKey in starter
switch position 2. It should go out when the engine
is running.

128

46

290

Item Page

6 Right display with:

- Antilock Brake Sys-

290
tem (ABS) malfunc­tion indicator lamp

A High beam head-

46

lamp indicator

< Seat belt nonusage

289
warning lamp

7 J Reset button 127

8 Display with:

Program mode 164

Gear range

162
indicator

Digital clock (see
COMAND operat­ing instructions)

9 Multifunction display

with:

Trip odometer 130

Main odometer 130

Item Page

Stored speed for:

Cruise control 196

Distronic* 142

10 Outside temperature in-

dicator

11 Left display with:

1 Supplemental

restraint system
indicator lamp

; Brake warning

lamp, except
Canada

3 Brake warning

lamp, Canada only

? Engine malfunction

indicator lamp

12 Knob for instrument

cluster illumination

129

292

293

293

294

127

23

At a glance

Multifunction steering wheel

Multifunction steering wheel

Item Page

1 Multifunction display 130

Operating control
system

2 Selecting the submenu or

setting the volume

ç down / to decrease

æ up / to increase

3 Telephone*: Press button 131

í to take a call

to dial a call

ì to end a call

to reject an in­coming call

130

131

Item Page

4 Menu systems: Press

button

è for next system

ÿ for previous system

5 Moving within a menu:

Press button

j for next display

k for previous display

131

131

24

Center console

Upper part

Item Page

1 Switch for rear window

sunshade

2 Parking assist (Parktronic*

system) deactivation
switch

3 Airmatic or ABC* switch 213

4 Level control switch 216

5 Central locking switch

Anti-theft alarm system in­dicator lamp

6 Hazard warning flasher

on/off switch

173

221

103

83

124

At a glance

Center console

Item Page

7 Central unlocking switch 103

8 ESP (Electronic Stability

Program) control switch

9 Rear seat head restraints,

switch for folding down

10 Tow-away alarm switch 84

11 COMAND system (see sep-

arate operating instruc­tions)

12 Automatic climate control 187

13 Ashtray

Lighter

80

106

232
233

25

At a glance

Center console

Lower part

Item Page

1 KEYLESS-GO* start / stop

button

2 Selector lever for

automatic transmission

3 PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF

indicator lamp

4 Thumbwheel for setting

distance in Distronic*

33

43

69

206

Item Page

5 Distance warning func-

tion* on/off switch

6 Lower storage space 225

7 Program mode selector for

automatic transmission

206

164

26

Overhead control panel

Item Page

1 Left reading lamp on/off 126

2 Rear interior lighting

on/off

3 Right reading lamp on/off 126

4 Interior lighting control 125

5 Sliding/pop-up roof 192

6 Hands-free microphone for

Tele Aid (emergency call
system), telephone*, and
voice control system* (see
separate operating instruc­tions)

7 Rear view mirror 38

8 Garage door opener 245

9 Tele Aid (emergency call

system) button

126

237

240

At a glance

Overhead control panel

27

At a glance

Door control panel

Door control panel

Item Page

1 Door handle 94

2 Memory function (for stor-

ing seat, mirror, and steer­ing wheel settings)

3 Seat heating*

Seat ventilation*

4 Seat adjustment 35

5 Exterior mirror adjustment 39,

6 Switches for opening/clos-

ing front door windows

7 Rear window override

switch

8 Switches for opening/clos-

ing rear windows

9 Remote trunk lid release

switch

117

111

110

168

188

74

188

96

28

Trunk lid opening/closing
system* switch

99

Getting started

Unlocking

Adjusting

Driving

Parking and locking

29

Getting started

Unlocking

The “Getting started” section provides an
overview of the vehicle’s most basic func­tions. First-time Mercedes-Benz owners
should pay special attention to the infor­mation given here.

If you are already familiar with the basic
functions described here, the “Controls in
detail” section will help you with further in­formation. The corresponding page refer­ences are at the end of each segment.

Unlocking

Unlocking with the SmartKey

Your vehicle comes equipped with two
SmartKeys with integrated remote con­trols and removable mechanical key.

The locking tabs for the mechanical key
portion of the two SmartKeys are a differ­ent color to help distinguish each
SmartKey unit.

SmartKey with remote control

1 ‹ Lock button
2

Š Unlock button for trunk lid

3

ΠUnlock button

4

 Panic button

왘 Press unlock button Œ on the

SmartKey.

All turn signal lamps blink once. The
locking knobs in the doors move up.

왘 Get in the vehicle and insert the

SmartKey in the starter switch.

30

Getting started

Unlocking

Starter switch positions

Starter switch

0 For removing SmartKey
1 Power supply to some electrical con-

sumers, such as seat adjustment

2 Ignition (power supply for all electrical

consumers) and driving position

3 Starting position

Warning! G

When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch, take the
KEYLESS-GO* card (if so equipped) with you
and lock the vehicle. Do not leave children
unattended in the vehicle, or with access to
an unlocked vehicle. Unsupervised use of
vehicle equipment may cause an accident
and/or serious personal injury.

i

The SmartKey can only be removed
from the starter switch with the gear
selector lever in position P.

!

If the SmartKey is left in starter switch
position 0 for an extended period of
time, it can no longer be turned in the
starter switch.

왘 Remove the SmartKey from the

starter switch and reinsert.

If the SmartKey can still not be turned,
the battery may not be sufficiently
charged.

왘 Check the battery and charge it

if necessary (

왘 Get a jump start (컄 page 347).

To prevent accelerated battery dis­charge or a completely discharged bat­tery, always remove the SmartKey from
the starter switch.

컄 page 344).

31

Getting started

Unlocking

Unlocking with KEYLESS-GO*

Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*: In addition to
the two SmartKeys with remote controls
and removable mechanical key, your vehi­cle comes equipped with two
KEYLESS-GO* cards.

The function of the SmartKey overrules the
KEYLESS-GO function.

If you have the KEYLESS-GO function, your
vehicle checks whether the KEYLESS-GO
card is valid when you grasp the door han­dle. If your KEYLESS-GO card is valid, the
doors will unlock, and you can open them.

i

To unlock the vehicle, the KEYLESS-GO
card must be outside the vehicle, no
further than approximately 3 feet
(1 meter) away from the door.

왘 Grasp the door handle.

All turn signal lamps blink once. The
locking knobs in the doors move up.

Pressing the KEYLESS-GO start/stop but­ton on the selector lever corresponds to
turning the key to the various starter
switch positions.

Warning! G

When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey and the KEYLESS-GO card with
you, and lock the vehicle. Do not leave chil­dren unattended in the vehicle, or with ac­cess to an unlocked vehicle. Unsupervised
use of vehicle equipment may cause an ac­cident and/or serious personal injury.

32

Getting started

Unlocking

1 KEYLESS-GO start/stop button

Before you press the KEYLESS-GO
start/stop button, the vehicle’s on-board
electronics have status 0 (as with
SmartKey removed).

Make sure the gear selector lever is set
to P.

Do not depress the brake pedal.

Position 1

왘 Press the KEYLESS-GO start/stop but-

ton once.

This supplies power to some electrical
consumers, such as seat adjustment.

i

If you now press the KEYLESS-GO
start/stop button twice, the power
supply is again switched off.

Ignition (or position 2)

왘 Press the KEYLESS-GO start/stop but-

ton twice in immediate succession.

This supplies power to all electrical
consumers. All the lights in the instru­ment cluster light up.

i

If you now press the KEYLESS-GO
start/stop button once, the power sup­ply is again switched off.

More information can be found in the
“Controls in detail” section (
For information on starting the engine us­ing the KEYLESS-GO start/stop button,
see “Starting with KEYLESS-GO*”
(

컄 page 43).

컄 page 85).

33

Getting started

Adjusting

Adjusting

Warning! G

Seats

Warning! G

All seat, head restraint, steering wheel, and
rear view mirror adjustments, as well as fas­tening of seat belts, must be done before
the vehicle is put into motion.

Warning! G

Do not adjust the driver’s seat while driving.
Adjusting the seat while driving could cause
the driver to lose control of the vehicle.

Never ride in a moving vehicle with the seat
back reclined. Sitting in an excessively re­clined position can be dangerous. You could
slide under the seat belt in a collision. If you
slide under it, the belt would apply force at
the abdomen or neck. That could cause se­rious or fatal injuries. The seat backrest and
seat belts provide the best restraint when
the wearer is in an upright position and belts
are properly positioned on the body.

Your seat must be adjusted so that you can
correctly fasten your seat belt.

Never place hands under the seat or near
any moving parts while a seat is being ad­justed.

When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch, take the
KEYLESS-GO* card (if so equipped) with
you, and lock your vehicle.

The power seats can also be operated with
the driver’s or passenger door open. Do not
leave children unattended in the vehicle, or
with access to an unlocked vehicle. Unsu­pervised use of vehicle equipment may
cause an accident and/or serious personal
injury.

34

Getting started

Adjusting

Warning! G

Children 12 years old and under must never
ride in the front seat, except in a
Mercedes-Benz authorized BabySmart
compatible child seat, which operates with
the BabySmart
hicle to deactivate the front passenger air­bag when it is properly installed. Otherwise
they will be struck by the airbag when it in­flates in a crash. If this happens, serious or
fatal injury will result.

TM

system installed in the ve-

TM

According to accident statistics, children
are safer when properly restrained in the
rear seating positions than in the front seat­ing positions. Infants and small children
must ride in back seats and be seated in an
appropriate infant or child restraint system,
which is properly secured with the vehicle's
seat belt and top tether strap, or secured via
lower anchors and top tether strap, fully in
accordance with the child seat manufactur­er’s instructions.

A child’s risk of serious or fatal injuries is
significantly increased if the child restraints
are not properly secured in the vehicle and
the child is not properly secured in the child
restraint.

Seat adjustment

The seat adjustment switches are located
on the front doors.

1 Head restraint height
2 Seat height
3 Seat cushion tilt
4 Seat cushion depth
5 Seat fore and aft adjustment
6 Seat backrest tilt

35

Getting started

Adjusting

왘 Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch

to position 1 or 2.
or

왘 Press the KEYLESS GO* start/stop

button once or twice.
or

왘 Open the respective driver’s or passen-

ger door.

Seat height

왘 Press the switch up or down in the di-

rection of arrow 2.

Seat cushion tilt

왘 Press the switch up or down in the di-

rection of arrow 3 until your upper legs
are lightly supported.

Seat cushion depth

왘 Press the switch forward or backward

in the direction of arrow 4 until your
legs are supported comfortably.

Seat fore and aft adjustment

왘 Press the switch forward or backward

in the direction of arrow 5.

Adjust to a comfortable seating posi­tion that still allows you to reach the
accelerator/brake pedal safely. The
position should be as far to the rear as
possible, consistent with ability to
properly operate controls.

i

When moving the seat, be sure that
there are no items in the footwell or be­hind the seats. Otherwise you could
damage the seats.

Seat backrest tilt

왘 Press the switch forward or backward

in the direction of arrow 6 until your
arms are slightly angled when holding
the steering wheel.

36

Getting started

Adjusting

Head restraint height

Warning! G

For your protection, drive only with properly
positioned head restraints.

Adjust head restraint to support the back of
the head approximately at ear level.

Do not drive the vehicle without the seat
head restraints. Head restraints are intend­ed to help reduce injuries during an acci­dent.

왘 Press the switch up or down in the di-

rection of arrow 1.

Head restraint tilt

왘 Manually adjust the angle of the head

restraint. Push or pull on the lower
edge of the head restraint cushion.

i

The front passenger seat head restraint
automatically lowers after a few sec­onds when the front passenger seat is
not occupied. This improves the driv­er’s outward view as well as the for­ward view from the rear passenger
compartment.

When the front passenger seat is occu­pied again, the front passenger seat
head restraint returns to the last set
position within a few seconds.

If the front passenger seat was moved
fore or aft while not being occupied,
the front passenger seat head restraint
returns to a position that corresponds
best with the seat’s axial position when
the seat is occupied again.

For more information, see “Front seat head
restraints” (

컄 page 105).

Steering wheel

Warning! G

Do not adjust the steering wheel while driv­ing. Adjusting the steering wheel while driv­ing could cause the driver to lose control of
the vehicle.

When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch, and take
the KEYLESS-GO
you.

The steering wheel adjustment feature can
also be operated with the driver’s door
open. Do not leave children unattended in
the vehicle, or with access to an unlocked
vehicle. Unsupervised use of vehicle equip­ment may cause an accident and/or serious
personal injury.

* card (if so equipped) with

37

Getting started

Adjusting

Steering wheel adjustment

The stalk is located on the steering column
(lower left).

1 Steering column, lengthen or shorten
2 Steering column, height

왘 Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch

to position 1 or 2.
or

왘 Press the KEYLESS GO* start/stop

button once or twice.
or

왘 Open the driver’s or passenger door.

Steering column, lengthen or shorten

왘 Move stalk forward or backward in the

direction of arrows 1 until a comfort­able steering wheel position is reached
with your arms slightly bent at the el­bow.

Steering column, height

왘 Move the stalk up or down in the direc-

tion of arrows 2. Make sure that your
legs can move freely and that all of the
displays (including malfunction and in­dicator lamps) on the instrument clus­ter are clearly visible.

Mirrors

Adjust the inside and exterior rear view
mirrors before driving so that you have a
good view of the road and traffic condi­tions.

Warning! G

In the case of an accident liquid electrolyte
may escape the mirror housing if the mirror
glass breaks.

Electrolyte has an irritating effect. Do not al­low the liquid to come into contact with
eyes, skin, clothing, or respiratory system.
In case it does, immediately flush affected
area with water, and seek medical help if
necessary.

Inside rear view mirror

왘 Manually adjust the inside rear view

mirror.

38

Getting started

Adjusting

Exterior rear view mirror The buttons are located on the driver’s

door.

Warning! G

Exercise care when using the passenger
side exterior rear view mirror. The mirror
surface is convex (outwardly curved surface
for a wider field of view). Objects in mirror
are closer than they appear. Check your in­side rear view mirror or glance over your
shoulder before changing lanes.

1 Driver’s side mirror

!

Electrolyte drops coming into contact
with the vehicle paint finish can only be
completely removed while in their liq­uid state and by applying plenty of wa­ter.

2 Passenger side mirror
3 Adjustment button

왘 Make sure that the ignition is switched

on.

All the lights in the instrument cluster
light up.

왘 Press button 1 for the left mirror or

button 2 for the right mirror.

왘 Push adjustment button 3 up, down,

left, or right according to the desired
setting.

!

For information on how to reposition
the exterior mirror housing when it was
forcibly pushed forward (hit from the
rear) or forcibly pushed rearward (hit
from the front), see “Folding the exteri­or mirrors in and out manually”
(

컄 page 170).

i

At low ambient temperatures, the mir­rors will be heated automatically.

For information on the electrically folding
exterior rear view mirrors, see “Folding the
exterior mirrors in and out automatically”
(

컄 page 170).

39

Getting started

Driving

Driving

Warning! G

Do not lay any objects in the driver’s foot­well. Be careful that floor mats or carpets in
the driver’s footwell have sufficient clear­ance for the pedals.

During sudden driving or braking maneuvers
the objects could get caught between the
pedals. You could then no longer brake or
accelerate.

Fastening the seat belts

Warning! G

Always fasten your seat belt before driving
off. Always make sure your passengers are
properly restrained, even those sitting in the
rear and pregnant women.

Failure to wear and properly fasten and po­sition your seat belt greatly increases your
risk of injuries and their likely severity in an
accident. You and your passenger should al­ways wear seat belts.

If you are ever in an accident, your injuries
can be considerably more severe without
your seat belt properly buckled. Without
your seat belt buckled, you are much more
likely to hit the interior of the vehicle or be
ejected from it. You can be seriously injured
or killed.

In the same crash, the possibility of injury or
death is lessened if you are wearing your
seat belt. The airbags can only protect as ex­pected if the occupants are using their seat
belts (

컄 page 56).

Warning! G

Children 12 years old and under must never
ride in the front seat, except in a
Mercedes-Benz authorized BabySmart
compatible child seat, which operates with
the BabySmart
hicle to deactivate the front passenger air­bag when it is properly installed. Otherwise
they will be struck by the airbag when it in­flates in a crash. If this happens, serious or
fatal injury will result.

TM

system installed in the ve-

TM

컄컄

40

Getting started

Driving

According to accident statistics, children
are safer when properly restrained in the
rear seating positions than in the front seat­ing positions. Infants and small children
must ride in back seats and be seated in an
appropriate infant or child restraint system,
which is properly secured with the vehicle's
seat belt and top tether strap, or secured via
lower anchors and top tether strap, fully in
accordance with the child seat manufactur­er’s instructions.

A child’s risk of serious or fatal injuries is
significantly increased if the child restraints
are not properly secured in the vehicle and
the child is not properly secured in the child
restraint.

Warning! G

Never let more people ride in the vehicle
than there are seat belts available. Be sure
everyone riding in the vehicle is correctly re­strained with a separate seat belt.

Warning! G

Never ride in a moving vehicle with the seat
backrest reclined. Sitting in an excessively
reclined position can be dangerous. You
could slide under the seat belt in a collision.
If you slide under it, the belt would apply
force at the abdomen or neck. That could
cause serious or even fatal injuries. The seat
backrest and seat belt provide the best re­straint when the wearer is in an upright po­sition and the belt is properly positioned on
the body.

Warning! G

Read and observe the additional warning no­tices printed in the “Safety and Security”
section (

컄 page 60).

1 Release button
2 Buckle
3 Latch plate

왘 Pull the seat belt smoothly from the

seat belt presenter.

왘 Place the belt over your shoulder.

왘 Push latch plate 3 into buckle 2 until it

clicks.

왘 If necessary, tighten the lap portion to

a snug fit by pulling shoulder portion
up.

41

Getting started

Driving

Proper use of seat belts

앫 Do not twist the belt when fastening.

앫 Adjust seat belt so that the shoulder

portion is located as close as possible
to the middle of the shoulder (it should
not touch the neck or pass under the
arm).

앫 Position the lap belt as low as possible

on your hips (over hip joint) and not
across the abdomen.

앫 Place the seat backrest in a nearly up-

right position.

앫 Never use a seat belt for more than one

person at a time.

앫 Do not fasten a seat belt around a per-

son and another object at the same
time.

앫 Check your seat belt during travel to

ensure that it is properly positioned.

앫 Ensure that the seat belt is always fit-

ted snugly. You should avoid wearing
bulky clothing, such as winter coats,
when traveling in the vehicle.

Warning! G

Do not pass belts over sharp edges. They
could tear.

Do not allow the belt to get caught in the
door or in the seat adjustment mechanism.
This could damage the belt.

Never attempt to make modifications to
seat belts. This could impair the effective­ness of the belts.

Damaged seat belts or belts that were highly
stressed in an accident must be replaced by
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.

Starting the engine

Warning! G

Inhalation of exhaust gas is hazardous to
your health. All exhaust gas contains carbon
monoxide, and inhaling it can cause uncon­sciousness and lead to death.

Do not run the engine in confined areas
(such as a garage) which are not properly
ventilated. If you think that exhaust gas
fumes are entering the vehicle while driving,
have the cause determined and corrected
immediately. If you must drive under these
conditions, drive with at least one window
fully open.

42

Getting started

Driving

Automatic transmission

Gearshift pattern for automatic
transmission

P Park position with selector lever lock

R Reverse gear
N Neutral
D Drive position

왘 Make sure that the gear selector lever

is set to P.

Starting with the SmartKey

왘 Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch

to position 3 and hold until the engine
starts (

컄 page 31).

i

You can also use the “touch-start”
function. Turn the SmartKey to
position 3 and release it again immedi­ately. The engine then starts automati­cally.

왘 Firmly depress the brake pedal.

The selector lever lock is released.

For information on turning off the engine
with the SmartKey, see “Turning off engine
with the SmartKey” (

Starting with KEYLESS-GO*

You can start your vehicle without a
SmartKey using the KEYLESS-GO
start/stop button on the gear selector le­ver.

컄 page 52).

1 KEYLESS-GO start/stop button

왘 Firmly depress the brake pedal during

the starting procedure. Do not depress
accelerator.

The selector lever lock is released.

왘 Press KEYLESS-GO start/stop

button 1 once.

The engine starts automatically.

For information on turning off the engine
with KEYLESS-GO, see “Turning off engine
with KEYLESS-GO*” (

컄 page 53).

43

Getting started

Driving

Starting difficulties

If the engine does not start as described,
carry out the following steps:

왘 If you are starting the engine with the

SmartKey, turn SmartKey in starter
switch to position 0 and repeat starting
procedure.

왘 If you are starting the engine with

KEYLESS-GO: Close any doors that
may be open to allow for better detec­tion of the KEYLESS-GO card.
or:
Start the engine with the SmartKey as
radio signals from another source may
be interfering with the KEYLESS-GO
card.

왘 Repeat the starting procedure

(

컄 page 42). Remember that extended

starting attempts can drain the battery.

왘 Get a jump start (컄 page 347).

If the engine does not start after several
starting attempts, there could be a mal­function in the engine electronics or in the
fuel supply system.

왘 Notify an authorized Mercedes-Benz

Center.

Parking brake

1 Parking brake pedal
2 Parking brake release handle

Warning! G

When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch, take the
KEYLESS-GO* card (if so equipped) with you
and lock the vehicle. Do not leave children
unattended in the vehicle, or with access to
an unlocked vehicle. Children could release
the parking brake, which could result in an
accident and/or serious injury.

왘 Release the parking brake by pulling

handle 2.

The indicator lamp

; (USA only) or

3 (Canada only) in the instrument

cluster goes out.

44

Getting started

Driving

Driving

왘 Firmly depress the brake pedal.

왘 Move selector lever to position D or R.

왘 Release the brake pedal.

왘 Carefully depress the accelerator

pedal.

Once the vehicle is in motion, the automat­ic central locking system engages and the
locking knobs drop down.

i

You can open a locked door from the
inside. Open door only when conditions
are safe to do so.

!

If you hear a warning signal when driv­ing off, you have forgotten to release
the parking brake.

Release the parking brake.

After a cold start the automatic transmis­sion engages at a higher revolution. This al­lows the catalytic converter to reach its
operating temperature earlier.

i

Wait for the gear selection process to
complete before setting the vehicle in
motion.

Warning! G

It is dangerous to shift the selector lever out
of P or N if the engine speed is higher than
idle speed. If your foot is not firmly on the
brake pedal, the vehicle could accelerate
quickly forward or in reverse. You could lose
control of the vehicle and hit someone or
something. Only shift into gear when the en­gine is idling normally and when your right
foot is firmly on the brake pedal.

!

Simultaneously depressing the acceler­ator pedal and applying the brake re­duces engine performance and causes
premature brake and drivetrain wear.

Warning! G

On slippery road surfaces, never downshift
in order to obtain braking action. This could
result in drive wheel slip and reduced vehi­cle control. Your vehicle’s ABS will not pre­vent this type of loss of control.

45

Getting started

Driving

Switching on headlamps

Exterior lamp switch

1 Off
2 Low beam headlamps on

왘 Turn the switch to B.

For more information, see “Lighting”
(

컄 page 120).

Turn signals and high beam

The combination switch is located on the
left of the steering column.

Combination switch

1 Turn signals, right
2 Turn signals, left

왘 Press the combination switch up 1 or

down 2.

i

To signal minor directional changes,
move combination switch to point of
resistance only and release. The turn
signal blinks three times.

High beam

왘 Push the combination switch forward.

The high beam headlights are switched
on.
The high beam symbol

A in the

tachometer lights up.

For more information, see “High beam
flasher” (

컄 page 123).

46

Getting started

Driving

Windshield wipers

The combination switch is located on the
left of the steering column.

Combination switch

1 Single wipe

2 Switching on windshield wipers

왘 Make sure that the ignition is switched

on.

Switching on windshield wipers

왘 Turn the combination switch to the de-

sired position depending on the inten­sity of the rain.

0 Windshield wipers off

I Intermittent wiping

II Normal wiper speed

III Fast wiper speed

i

The intermittent wiping interval is de­pendent on wetness of windshield.
Wiping will not occur with a door open.

!

Do not leave windshield wipers in inter­mittent setting when vehicle is taken to
an automatic car wash or during wind­shield cleaning. Wipers will operate in
the presence of water sprayed on the
windshield, and wipers may be dam­aged as a result.

The switch should not be left in inter­mittent setting as the wipers will wipe
the windshield once every time the en­gine is started. Dust that accumulates
on the windshield might scratch the
glass when wiping occurs on a dry
windshield.

Single wipe

왘 Press switch briefly in the direction of

arrow 1.

The windshield wipers wipe one time
without washer fluid.

47

Getting started

Driving

Wiping with windshield washer fluid

왘 Push switch in the direction of arrow 1

past the resistance point.

The windshield wiper operates with
washer fluid.

!

If leaves, snow, etc. block the wind­shield wipers, switch off the wipers.

앫 For safety reasons, withdraw

SmartKey from starter switch. Re­move blockage.

앫 Turn the windshield wipers on

again.

If windshield wipers fail to function at
all in switch position I:

앫 Set the combination switch to the

next highest wiper speed.

앫 Have the windshield wipers

checked at the nearest authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.

Problems while driving

The engine runs erratically and misfires

앫 An ignition cable may be damaged.

앫 The engine electronics may not be op-

erating properly.

앫 Unburned gasoline may have entered

the catalytic converter and damaged it.

왘 Give very little gas.

왘 Have the problem repaired by an au-

thorized Mercedes-Benz Center as
soon as possible.

The coolant temperature is over 248°F
(120°C)

The coolant is too hot and is no longer
cooling the engine.

왘 Stop the vehicle as soon as possible

and turn off the engine. Allow engine
and coolant to cool.

왘 Check the coolant level and add cool-

ant if necessary (

컄 page 268).

48

In case of accident

If the vehicle is leaking gasoline:

왘 Do not start the engine under any cir-

cumstances.

왘 Notify local fire and/or police authori-

ties.

If the extent of the damage cannot be de­termined:

왘 Notify an authorized Mercedes-Benz

Center.

Start the engine in the usual manner if no
damage can be determined on the follow­ing:

앫 Major assemblies

앫 Fuel system

앫 Engine mount

Getting started

Driving

49

Getting started

Parking and locking

Parking and locking

You have now completed your first drive.
You have properly stopped and parked
your vehicle. End your drive as follows.

Warning! G

Wait until the vehicle is stationary before re­moving the SmartKey from the starter
switch. The vehicle cannot be steered when
the SmartKey is removed.

Warning! G

With the engine not running, there is no
power assistance for the brake and steering
systems. In this case, it is important to keep
in mind that a considerably higher degree of
effort is necessary to brake or steer the ve­hicle.

Warning! G

Do not park this vehicle in areas where com­bustible materials such as grass, hay, or
leaves can come into contact with the hot
exhaust system, as these materials could be
ignited and cause a vehicle fire.

To reduce the risk of personal injury as a re­sult of vehicle movement, before turning off
the engine and leaving the vehicle always:

앫 Keep right foot on brake pedal.
앫 Firmly depress parking brake pedal.
앫 Move the selector lever to position P.
앫 Slowly release brake pedal.
앫 When parked on an incline, turn front

wheel towards the road curb.

앫 Turn the SmartKey to starter switch

position 0 and remove, or press
start- / stop button (vehicles with KEY­LESS-GO*).

앫 Take the SmartKey or the KEYLESS-GO*

card (if so equipped) and lock vehicle
when leaving.

Parking brake

1 Parking brake
2 Release handle

왘 Step firmly on parking brake 1.

When the engine is running, the
indicator lamp

; (USA only) or

3 (Canada only) in the instrument

cluster illuminates.

50

Warning! G

When leaving the vehicle, always remove the

SmartKey from the starter switch, take the

KEYLESS-GO* card (if so equipped) with you

and lock the vehicle. Do not leave children

unattended in the vehicle, or with access to

an unlocked vehicle. Children could release

the parking brake and/or move the gear se-

lector lever from position P, either of which

could result in an accident and/or serious

injury.

Warning! G

Getting out of your vehicle with the selector
lever not fully engaged in position P is dan­gerous. Also, when parked on an incline,
position P alone may not prevent your vehi­cle from moving, possibly hitting people or
objects.

Always set the parking brake in addition to
shifting to position P (

When parked on an incline, turn front wheels
towards the road curb.

컄 page 162).

Getting started

Parking and locking

Switching off headlamps

왘 Turn the exterior lamp switch to M.

For more information, see “Lighting”
(

컄 page 120).

51

Getting started

Parking and locking

Turning off engine

왘 Place the gear selector lever in

position P.

i

Always set the parking brake in addi­tion to shifting to position P.

On steep slopes, turn the front wheels
towards the curb.

Turning off engine with the SmartKey

왘 Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch

(

컄 page 31) to position 0 and remove

it.
The immobilizer is activated.

왘 Press the seat belt release button

(

컄 page 41).

i

The SmartKey can only be removed
from the starter switch with the gear
selector lever in position P.

!

With the SmartKey removed and the
driver’s door open, a warning sounds if
the vehicle’s exterior lamps are not
switched off.

Warning! G

To prevent possible personal injury, always
keep hands and fingers away from the door
openings when closing the doors. Be espe­cially careful when small children are
around.

Before closing doors, make sure that there
is no possibility of someone getting caught
in a door during closing.

왘 After exiting the vehicle press the lock

button

‹ on the SmartKey

(

컄 page 30).

The locking knobs on the doors move
down. The turn signal indicators light
up briefly.

Warning! G

When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch and lock
the vehicle. Do not leave children unattend­ed in the vehicle, or with access to an un­locked vehicle. Unsupervised use of vehicle
equipment may cause an accident and/or
serious injury.

For more information, see “Locking and
unlocking” (

컄 page 86).

52

Getting started

Parking and locking

Turning off engine with KEYLESS-GO*

왘 Place the gear selector lever in P.

왘 Press and hold the KEYLESS-GO

start/stop button until the engine
shuts off.

With the driver's door closed, the start­er switch is now in position 1. With the
driver’s door opened, the starter switch
is set to position 0, same as SmartKey
removed from starter switch
(

컄 page 31).

왘 Press the seat belt release button

(

컄 page 41).

!

If you hear a warning signal you have ei­ther:

앫 forgotten to turn off the lights, or

앫 not put the gear selector lever in P

before opening the driver’s door

Turn off the lights or place the gear se­lector lever in P.

Warning! G

To prevent possible personal injury, always
keep hands and fingers away from the door
openings when closing the doors. Be espe­cially careful when small children are
around.

Before closing doors, make sure that there
is no possibility of someone getting caught
in a door during closing.

1 Lock button on the door handle

왘 After exiting the vehicle, press lock

button 1 on the door handle or on the
trunk lid.

The locking knobs on the doors move
down. The turn signal indicators light
up briefly.

Warning! G

When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch, take the
KEYLESS-GO* card (if so equipped) with
you, and lock your vehicle. Do not leave chil­dren unattended in the vehicle, or with ac­cess to an unlocked vehicle. Unsupervised
use of vehicle equipment may cause an ac­cident and/or serious personal injury.

For more information, see “Controls in de­tail” (

컄 page 85).

53

54

Safety and Security

Occupant safety

Panic alarm

Driving safety systems

Anti-theft systems

55

Safety and Security

Occupant safety

In this section you will learn the most im­portant facts about the restraint systems
of the vehicle.

The restraint systems are:

앫 Seat belts

앫 Emergency tensioning device

앫 Airbags

앫 Child seats

앫 Child seat recognition

앫 Lower anchors and tethers for children

(LATCH)

As independent systems their protective
effects work in conjunction with each oth­er.

i

For information on infants and children
traveling with you in the vehicle and re­straint systems for infants and chil­dren, see “Children in the vehicle”
(

컄 page 67).

Occupant safety

The

1 indicator lamp in the instrument

cluster lights up

앫 for about four seconds when you turn

the key in the starter switch to
position 1 or press the KEYLESS-GO*
start/stop button once. It then goes
out briefly, lights up again and remains
lit until you start the engine.

앫 for about four seconds when you start

the engine by turning the key or press­ing the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop but­ton.

i

The 1 indicator lamp lights up and
remains lit if the key is turned to posi­tion 2 and left there or the
KEYLESS-GO* start/stop button is
pressed twice. The indicator lamp will
go out when you start the engine.

The restraint systems are fully operational
if the 1 indicator lamp is not lit when the
engine is running.

A malfunction in the system has been de­tected, if the 1 indicator lamp:

앫 fails to go out after approximately four

seconds.

앫 does not come on at all.

앫 comes on after the engine was started

or while driving.

For safety reasons, we strongly recom­mend that you visit an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center immediately to
have the system checked.

More information can be found in the
“Practical hints” section (

컄 page 289).

56

Warning! G

Safety and Security

Occupant safety

Airbags

Warning! G

In the event that the 1 indicator lamp lights

up during driving or does not come on at all,

the SRS may not be operational. For your

safety, we strongly recommend that you vis-

it an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center im-

mediately to have the system checked;

otherwise the SRS may not be activated

when needed in an accident, which could re-

sult in serious or fatal injury, or it might de-

ploy unexpectedly and unnecessarily which

could also result in injury.

Improper work on the restraint systems, in-

cluding incorrect installation and removal,

can lead to possible injury through an unin-

tended activation of the SRS.

In addition, through improper work there is

a risk of rendering the SRS inoperative or

causing unintended airbag deployment.

Wo rk o n the SRS must the ref ore only be pe r-

formed by an authorized Mercedes-Benz

Center.

Warning! G

Airbags are designed to reduce the potential
of injury and fatality in certain frontal im­pacts (front airbags), side impacts (side im­pact airbags and head protection window
curtain airbags) or rollovers (head protec­tion window curtain airbags). However, no
system available today can totally eliminate
injuries and fatalities.

The activation of the SRS temporarily releas­es a small amount of dust from the airbags.
This dust, however, is neither injurious to
your health, nor does it indicate a fire in the
vehicle. The dust might cause some tempo­rary breathing difficulty for people with asth­ma or other breathing trouble. To avoid this,
you may wish to get out of the vehicle as
soon as it is safe to do so. If you have any
breathing difficulty but cannot get out of the
vehicle after the airbag inflates, then get
fresh air by opening a window or door.

To reduce the risk of injury when the front
airbags inflate, it is very important for the
driver and front passenger to always be in a
properly seated position and to wear your
seat belts.

For maximum protection in the event of a
collision always be in normal seated position
with your back against the seat backrest.
Fasten your seat belt and ensure that it is
properly positioned on your body.

Since the airbag inflates with considerable
speed and force, a proper seating and hands
on steering wheel position will help to keep
you at a safe distance from the airbag. Oc­cupants who are unbelted, out of position or
too close to the airbag can be seriously in­jured by an airbag as it inflates with great
force in the blink of an eye:

앫 Sit properly belted in an upright position

with your back against the seat back­rest.

57

Safety and Security

Occupant safety

앫 Adjust the driver seat as far as possible

rearward, still permitting proper opera­tion of vehicle controls. The distance
from the center of the driver’s breast­bone to the center of the airbag cover on
the steering wheel must be at least ten
inches (25 cm) or more. You should be
able to accomplish this by a combina­tion of adjustments to the seat and
steering wheel. If you have any prob­lems, please see your authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.

앫 Do not lean with your head or chest

close to the steering wheel or dash­board.

앫 Keep hands on the outside of steering

wheel rim. Placing hands and arms in­side the rim can increase the risk and
potential severity of hand/arm injury
when driver front airbag inflates.

앫 Adjust the front passenger seat as far as

possible rearward from the dashboard
when the seat is occupied.

앫 Occupants, especially children, should

never lean their heads in the area of the
door where the side airbag inflates. This
could result in serious injuries or death
should the airbag be triggered. Always
sit upright, properly use the seat belts
and appropriate size infant or child re­straint system.

앫 Children 12 years old and under must

never ride in the front seat, except in a
Mercedes-Benz authorized
BabySmart
which operates with the BabySmart

TM

compatible child seat,

TM

system installed in the vehicle to deacti­vate the passenger front airbag when it
is properly installed. Otherwise they will
be struck by the airbag when it inflates
in a crash. If this happens, serious or fa­tal injury will result.

Failure to follow these instructions can re­sult in severe injuries to you or other occu­pants.

If you sell your vehicle you are responsible
to make the buyer aware of these points. Be
sure to give the buyer this Operator’s Manu­al.

Warning! G

Accident research shows that the safest
place for children in an automobile is in the
rear seat. Should you choose to place a child
12 years old or under in the front passenger
seat of your vehicle, you must properly use
a BabySmart
turn off the passenger front airbag.
BabySmart
side impact airbag.

It should be noted that with respect to both
front and rear side impact airbags there is a
possibility for a side airbag related injury if
occupants, especially children, are not prop­erly seated or restrained when next to a side
airbag which needs to deploy rapidly in a
side impact in order to do its job.

To help avoid the possibility of injury, please
follow these guidelines:

(1) Occupants, especially children, should

never place their bodies or lean their
heads in the area of the door where the
side airbag inflates. This could

TM

child restraint which will

TM

will not, however, turn off any

58

Safety and Security

Occupant safety

result in serious injuries or death should
the side airbag be activated.

(2) Always sit upright, properly use the seat

belts and use an appropriately sized in­fant or child restraint system for all chil­dren 12 years old or under.

(3) Always wear seat belts properly.

If you believe that, even with the use of

these guidelines, it would be safer for your

rear seat occupants to have both rear door

mounted side airbags deactivated, then de-

activation can be accomplished upon your

written request to do so at your authorized

Mercedes-Benz Center at an additional cost.

Please contact your local authorized

Mercedes-Benz Center or call our Customer

Assistance Center at 1-800-FOR-MERCedes

(1-800-367-6372) for details.

i

Airbags are designed to activate only in
certain frontal impacts (front airbags),
side impacts (side impact and head
protection window curtain airbags)
which exceed preset thresholds, and in
certain rollovers (head protection win­dow curtain airbags). Only during these
events will they provide their supple­mental protection.

The driver and passengers should al­ways wear their seat belts. Otherwise it
is not possible for the airbags to pro­vide their supplemental protection.

In cases of other types of impacts and
impacts below airbag deployment
thresholds, the airbags will not be acti­vated. The driver and passengers will
then be protected to the extent possi­ble by a properly fastened seat belt. A
properly fastened seat belt is also
needed to provide the best possible
protection in a rollover.

We caution you not to rely on the pres­ence of the airbags in order to avoid
wearing your seat belt.

Your vehicle was originally equipped
with airbags that are designed to acti­vate in certain impacts exceeding a
preset threshold to reduce the poten­tial and severity of injury. It is important
for your safety and that of your passen­ger that you replace deployed airbags
and repair any malfunctioning airbags
to ensure that the vehicle will continue
to provide supplemental crash protec­tion for occupants.

59

Safety and Security

Occupant safety

Safety guidelines for the seat belt,
emergency tensioning device and
airbag

Warning! G

앫 Damaged seat belts or belts that were

highly stressed in an accident must be
replaced and their anchoring points
must also be checked. Use only belts in­stalled or supplied by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.

앫 Airbags and ETDs are designed to func-

tion on a one-time-only basis. An airbag
or emergency tensioning device (ETD)
that was activated must be replaced.

앫 No modifications of any kind may be

made to any components or wiring of
the SRS. This includes changing or re­moving any component or part of the
SRS, the installation of additional trim
material, badges etc. over the steering
wheel hub, front passenger airbag cov­er, door trim panels, or door frame
trims, and installation of additional elec­trical/electronic equipment on or near
SRS components and wiring. Keep area
between airbags and occupants free
from objects (e.g. packages, purses,
umbrellas, etc.).

앫 Do not pass belts over sharp edges.

They could tear.

앫 Do not make any modification that could

change the effectiveness of the belts.

앫 Do not hang items such as coat hangers

from the coat hooks or handles over the
door. These items may turn into projec­tiles and cause head and other injuries
when curtain airbag is deployed.

앫 An airbag system component within the

steering wheel gets hot after the airbag
has inflated. Do not touch.

앫 Improper work on the system, including

incorrect installation and removal, can
lead to possible injury through an unin­tended activation of the SRS.

앫 In addition, through improper work

there is a risk of rendering the SRS inop­erative or causing unintended airbag de­ployment. Work on the SRS must
therefore only be performed by an au­thorized Mercedes-Benz Center.

앫 For your protection and the protection

of others, when scrapping the airbag
unit or emergency tensioning device,
our safety instructions must be fol­lowed. These instructions are available
from your authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.

앫 Given the considerable deployment

speed and the textile structure of the
airbags, there is the possibility of abra­sions or other injuries resulting from air­bag deployment.

60

Safety and Security

Occupant safety

When you sell your vehicle we strongly
urge you to give notice to the subsequent
owner that it is equipped with an SRS by
alerting them to the applicable section in
the Operator’s Manual.

Front airbags

Driver and passenger airbags are de­ployed:

앫 in the event of a frontal impact

앫 if impact exceeds a preset deployment

threshold

앫 independently of the side impact air-

bags

The airbags will not deploy in impacts
which do not exceed the system’s deploy­ment thresholds. You will then be protect­ed by the fastened seat belts.

The front passenger airbag will only be de­ployed if:

앫 the front passenger seat is occupied

앫 the PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator

lamp in the center console is not lit
(

컄 page 69)

앫 the impact exceeds a preset deploy-

ment threshold

1 Driver’s airbag
2 Front passenger airbag

!

Do not place objects heavier than 20
lbs (9 kg) on the front passenger seat.
This could cause the front or side im­pact airbag on the front passenger side
to deploy in a crash which exceeds the
system's deployment threshold.

Side impact airbags, window curtain
airbags

The side impact airbags and window cur­tain airbags are deployed:

앫 on the impacted side of the vehicle

앫 in impacts exceeding a preset deploy-

ment threshold

앫 independently of the front airbags

In addition, the window curtain airbags 3
are deployed:

앫 in certain vehicle rollovers

The side impact airbags 4 are not deployed
in impacts which do not exceed the sys­tem’s deployment threshold.

61

Safety and Security

Occupant safety

The front passenger side impact airbag 2
will only deploy if the system senses that
the front passenger seat is occupied.

The window curtain airbags fill up the area
between the A and C pillars (see arrows).

3 Window curtain airbag
4 Side impact airbags

Seat belts

The seat belt nonusage warning lamp
in the instrument cluster lights up and a
warning sounds for a short time when you
turn the SmartKey in the starter switch to
position 2 or press the KEYLESS-GO* (if so
equipped) start/stop button twice and the
driver’s seat belt is not fastened.

After starting the engine, the seat belt non­usage warning lamp blinks for a brief peri­od to remind the driver and passengers to
fasten their seat belts.

The use of seat belts and infant and child
restraint systems is required by law in
most states and all Canadian provinces.
Even where this is not the case, all vehicle
occupants should have their seat belts fas­tened whenever the vehicle is in motion.

For information on fastening seat belts,
see “Getting started” (

컄 page 29).

<

i

For information on infants and children
traveling with you in the vehicle and re­straint systems for infants and chil­dren, see “Children in the vehicle”
(

컄 page 67).

62

Safety and Security

Occupant safety

Warning! G

Always fasten your seat belt before driving

off. Always make sure your passengers are

properly restrained, even those sitting in the

rear and pregnant women.

Failure to wear and properly fasten and po-

sition your seat belt greatly increases your

risk of injuries and their likely severity in an

accident. You and your passengers should

always wear seat belts.

If you are ever in an accident, your injuries

can be considerably more severe without

your seat belt properly buckled. Without

your seat belt buckled, you are much more

likely to hit the interior of the vehicle or be

ejected from it. You can be seriously injured

or killed.

In the same crash, the possibility of injury or

death is lessened if you are properly wearing

your seat belt. Airbags can only protect as

they are designed if the occupants are prop-

erly wearing their seat belts.

Warning! G

Never ride in a moving vehicle with the seat
backrest reclined. Sitting in an excessively
reclined position can be dangerous. You
could slide under the seat belt in a collision.
If you slide under it, the belt would apply
force at the abdomen or neck. That could
cause serious or even fatal injuries. The seat
backrest and seat belt provide the best re­straint when the wearer is in an upright po­sition and the belt is properly positioned on
the body.

Warning! G

Never let more people ride in the vehicle
than there are seat belts available. Be sure
everyone riding in the vehicle is correctly re­strained with a separate seat belt.

Warning! G

Damaged seat belts or belts that were highly
stressed in an accident must be replaced
and their anchoring points must also be
checked.

Only use seat belts which have been ap­proved by Mercedes-Benz.

Do not make any modifications to the seat
belts. This can lead to unintended activation
or to failure.

Have all work carried out only by an autho­rized Mercedes-Benz Center.

63

Safety and Security

Occupant safety

Warning! G

USE SEAT BELTS PROPERLY

앫 Seat belts can only work when used

properly. Never wear seat belts in any
other way than as described in this sec­tion, as that could result in serious inju­ries in case of an accident.

앫 Each occupant should wear their seat

belt at all times, because seat belts help
reduce the likelihood of and potential
severity of injuries in accidents, includ­ing rollovers. The integrated restraint
system includes SRS (driver airbag,
front passenger airbag, side impact air­bags, head protection window curtain
airbags for side windows), ETD (seat belt
emergency tensioning device), and front
seat knee bolsters. The system is de­signed to enhance the protection of­fered to properly belted occupants in
certain frontal (front airbags) and side
(side impact and window curtain air­bags) impacts which exceed preset de­ployment thresholds and in certain
rollovers (window curtain airbags).

앫 Never wear the shoulder belt under your

arm, against your neck or off your shoul­der. In a crash, your body would move
too far forward. That would increase the
chance of head and neck injuries. The
belt would also apply too much force to
the ribs or abdomen, which could se­verely injure internal organs such as
your liver or spleen.

앫 Never wear belts over rigid or breakable

objects in or on your clothing, such as
eyeglasses, pens, keys etc., as these
might cause injuries.

앫 Position the lap belt as low as possible

on your hips and not across the abdo­me n. If the be lt is positio ne d a cross y ou r
abdomen, it could cause serious injuries
in a crash.

앫 Never use a seat belt for more than one

person at a time. Do not fasten a seat
belt around a person and another per­son or other objects.

앫 Belts should not be worn twisted. In a

crash, you wouldn’t have the full width
of the belt to manage impact forces. The
twisted belt against your body could
cause injuries.

앫 Pregnant women should also use a

lap-shoulder belt. The lap belt portion
should be positioned as low as possible
on the hips to avoid any possible pres­sure on the abdomen.

앫 Never place your feet on the instrument

panel or on the seat. Always keep both
feet on the floor in front of the seat.

64

Safety and Security

Occupant safety

Emergency tensioning device (ETD),
seat belt force limiter

The seat belts for the front and rear outer
seats are equipped with emergency ten­sioning devices and belt force limiters.

The ETD is designed to activate in the fol­lowing cases when the seat belts are fas­tened:

앫 in front-end or rear-end collisions

where the force of impact exceeds a
predetermined level

앫 in certain vehicle rollovers

앫 if the restraint systems are operational

and are functioning correctly, see

1

indicator lamp (컄 page 56)

In an impact, emergency tensioning devic­es remove slack from the belts in such a
way that the seat belts fit more snugly
against the body. Belt force limiters reduce
the force exerted by the seat belts on oc­cupants during a crash.

Warning! G

An emergency tensioning device (ETD) that
was activated must be replaced.

When scrapping the emergency tensioning
device, our safety instructions must be fol­lowed. These are available at your autho­rized Mercedes-Benz Center.

!

Do not place objects heavier than 20
lbs (9 kg) on the front passenger seat.
This could cause the front or side im­pact airbag on the front passenger side
to deploy in a crash which exceeds the
system's deployment threshold.

Automatic comfort-fit feature*
seat belt

An automatic comfort-fit feature* for front
seats and for the rear outer seats (only for
vehicles with electrically adjustable rear
bench seat* or with individual seats* in the
rear) reduces the retracting force of the
seat belts when they are in normal use.

65

Safety and Security

Occupant safety

Preventive occupant safety (PRE-SAFE)

Warning G

The PRE-SAFE system is intended to reduce
the effects of an accident on properly seat
belted vehicle occupants. Despite having
the PRE-SAFE systems in your car, the pos­sibility of injuries occurring as a result of an
accident cannot be totally eliminated.
Therefore you should always drive carefully
and adjust your driving to the prevailing
road, weather, and traffic conditions.

Your vehicle automatically takes preven­tive measures to better protect the occu­pants in the following hazardous
situations:

앫 You execute an emergency braking ma-

neuver and the Brake Assist System
(

컄 page 78) is activated.

앫 The PRE-SAFE system detects a critical

driving dynamics situation.

In such cases, the following systems are
automatically activated:

앫 The front seat belts are pre-tensioned.

앫 If the front passenger seat or rear seats

are in an unfavorable position, they are
adjusted to a better position. Rear seat
adj us tme nt oc cur s o nly in ve hi cl es w ith
individual seats* in the rear.

앫 The sliding/pop-up roof closes if the

vehicle is in a severe skid or is spin­ning.

i

The PRE-SAFE systems are activated at
speeds exceeding 22 mph (35 km/h).

When the driving dynamic situation has
passed without an accident occurring,
the pre-tensioning on the seat belts is
deactivated.

You can then adjust the seats and the
sliding sunroof to their previous posi­tion.

If the seat belts do not release:

왘 Adjust the backrest or seat slightly to

the rear until the seat belt tension is di­minished.

The locking mechanism releases.

66

Safety and Security

Occupant safety

Children in the vehicle

If an infant or child is traveling with you in
the vehicle:

앫 Secure the child using an infant or child

restraint appropriate for the age and
size of the child and recommended for
use by Mercedes-Benz.

앫 Ensure that the infant or child is prop-

erly secured at all times while the vehi­cle is in motion.

Infant and child restraint seats and infor­mation on choosing an appropriate re­straint system can be obtained from any
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.

Infant and child restraint systems

Use only a BabySmart

TM

compatible child
restraint for the front passenger seat in
this vehicle.

We recommend all infants and children be
properly restrained at all times while the
vehicle is in motion.

All lap-shoulder belts except the driver’s
seat belt have special seat belt retractors
for secure fastening of child restraints.

To fasten a child restraint, follow child re­straint instructions for mounting. Then pull
the shoulder belt out completely and let it
retract. During seat belt retraction, a ratch­eting sound can be heard to indicate that
the special seat belt retractor is activated.
The belt is now locked. Push down on child
restraint to take up any slack.

To deactivate, release seat belt buckle and
let seat belt retract completely. The seat
belt can again be used in the usual man­ner.

i

Information on child seats with mount­ing fittings for tether anchorages
(

컄 page 71).

For information on “LATCH”-type child
seat mounts (

BabySmart

Automotive Corp.

TM

컄 page 72).

is a trademark of Siemens

67

Safety and Security

Occupant safety

Warning! G

Never release the seat belt buckle while the
vehicle is in motion, since the special seat
belt retractor will be deactivated.

!

The use of infant or child restraints is
required by law in all 50 states, the Dis­trict of Columbia, the U.S. territories,
and all Canadian provinces.

Infants and small children should be
seated in an appropriate infant or child
restraint system properly secured by a
lap-shoulder belt or, if so equipped, a
child restraint lower anchorage system
that complies with U.S. Federal Motor
Vehicle Safety Standards 213 and 225
and Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards 213 and 210.2.

A statement by the child restraint man­ufacturer of compliance with this stan­dard can be found on the instruction
label on the restraint and in the instruc­tion manual provided with the restraint.

When using any infant or child restraint
system, be sure to carefully read and
follow all manufacturer’s instructions
for installation and use.

Please read and observe warning labels
affixed to inside of vehicle and to infant
or child restraints.

Warning! G

Children 12 years old and under must never
ride in the front seat, except in a
Mercedes-Benz authorized BabySmart
compatible child seat, which operates with
the BabySmart
hicle to deactivate the passenger front air­bag when it is properly installed. Otherwise
they will be struck by the airbag when it in­flates in a crash. If this happens, serious or
fatal injury will result.

According to accident statistics, children
are safer when properly restrained in the
rear seating positions than in the front seat­ing positions. Infants and small children
must ride in back seats and be seated in an
appropriate infant or child restraint system,
which is properly secured with the vehicle's
seat belt and top tether strap, or secured via
lower anchors and top tether strap, fully in
accordance with the child seat manufactur­er’s instructions.

TM

system installed in the ve-

TM

68

Safety and Security

Occupant safety

Infants and small children should never
share a seat belt with another occupant.
During an accident, they could be crushed
between the occupant and seat belt.

Children too big for child restraint systems
must ride in back seats using regular seat
belts. Position shoulder belt across chest
and shoulder, not face or neck. A booster
seat may be necessary to achieve proper
belt positioning for children from 41 lbs. un­til they reach a height where a lap/shoulder
belt fits properly without a booster.

A child’s risk of serious or fatal injuries is
significantly increased if the child restraints
are not properly secured in the vehicle and
the child is not properly secured in the child
restraint.

When the child restraint is not in use, re­move it from the vehicle or secure it with the
seat belt to prevent the child restraint from
becoming a projectile in the event of an ac­cident.

Do not leave children, unattended in the ve­hicle, even if the children are secured in a
child restraint system. Unsupervised chil­dren in a child restraint system may use ve­hicle equipment and may cause an accident
and/or serious personal injury.

BabySmartTM airbag deactivation
system

1 Indicator lamp

Special BabySmart

TM

compatible child
seats, designed for use with the
Mercedes-Benz system and available at
any authorized Mercedes-Benz Center are
required for use with the BabySmart

TM

air­bag deactivation system. With the special
child seat properly installed, the passenger
front airbag will not deploy.

The “PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF” indicator
lamp 1 located in the center console will
be illuminated, except with the SmartKey
removed or in starter switch position 0.

i

The system does not deactivate the
side impact airbag or the emergency
tensioning device.

BabySmart

Automotive Corp.

TM

is a trademark of Siemens

69

Safety and Security

Occupant safety

Self-test BabySmartTM without special
child seat installed

Warning! G

Warning! G

After turning the SmartKey in the starter
switch to position 1 or 2 or pressing the
KEYLESS-GO* (if so equipped) start/stop
button once or twice, the
“PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF” indicator
lamp 1 located in the center console lights
up for approximately 6 seconds and then
goes out.

If the indicator lamp should not come on or
is continuously lit, the system is not func­tioning. You must see an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center before seating any
child on the passenger seat.

For more information see (

컄 page 294).

The BabySmartTM airbag deactivation sys­tem will ONLY work with a special child seat
designed to operate with it. It will not work
with child seats which are not BabySmart
compatible.

Never place anything between seat cushion
and child seat (e.g. pillow), since it reduces
the effectiveness of the deactivation sys­tem. The bottom of the child seat must
make full contact with the passenger seat
cushion. An incorrectly mounted child seat
could cause injuries to the child in case of an
accident, instead of protecting the child.

Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for
installation of special child seats.

TM

When using a BabySmartTM compatible
child seat on the front passenger seat, the
passenger front airbag will not deploy only if
the PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp
remains illuminated.

Please be sure to check the indicator every
time you use the special system child seat.
Should the light go out while the restraint is
installed, please check installation. If the
light remains out, do not use the
BabySmart
on the front passenger seat until the system
has been repaired.

Do not place powered-on laptops, cell
phones and like electronic devices on the
front passenger seat. Signals from such de­vices may interfere with the BabySmart
system. Such signal interference may cause
the PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp
not to come on during self-test or be contin­uously lit, indicating that the system is not
functioning.

TM

restraint to transport children

TM

70

Safety and Security

Occupant safety

Installation of infant and child restraint
systems

This vehicle is equipped with tether an­chorages for a top tether strap at each of
the rear seating positions.

1 Cover of top anchorage ring

왘 Remove cover 1 from anchorage ring.

왘 Store cover 1 in a convenient place

(e.g. glove box).

왘 Guide tether strap between head re-

straint and top of seat back.

Head restraints must be positioned such
that the top tether strap can pass freely
between the head restraint and top of seat
back.

Make sure that the tether strap is not
twisted.

2 Hook
3 Anchorage ring

왘 Securely fasten hook 2, which is part of

the tether strap, to anchorage ring 3.

i

For safety reasons, please make sure
that the hook has attached to the ring
beyond the safety catch, as illustrated.

왘 Reinstall cover after removing the

tether strap.

Warning! G

Vehicles with adjustable rear seats/bench*:
Never adjust the rear seat position after in­stalling the child restraint. Adjusting the rear
seat position after installing the child re­straint could damage the child restraint
and/or introduce undesirable slack into the
webbing and loosen or misposition the child
restraint, lessening the effectiveness of the
child restraint and thus increasing the
chance or severity of injury in an accident.

71

Safety and Security

Occupant safety

Child seat anchors – “LATCH” type

This vehicle is equipped with two “LATCH”
(L

ower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren)
type anchors (at each of the outer rear
seats) for the installation of a “LATCH”
child seat with the matching anchor fit­tings.

If you have not installed a child seat, the
“LATCH” anchor fittings are covered with
an upholstery blend.

1 Indicates the position of the anchors
2 Anchors
3 Upholstery blend
4 Installation device

왘 Move rear power seats*/bench* to the

rearmost position (

왘 Fold upholstery blend 3 upward.

컄 page 113).

왘 Turn installation device 4 to a vertical

position so that upholstery blend 3
does not fold down.

왘 Install child seat according to the man-

ufacturer’s instructions.

A solid connection is established be­tween the child seat and the body of
the vehicle.

Do not adjust rear power seat*/bench*
position after installing child restraint.

72

Safety and Security

Occupant safety

Warning! G

Vehicles with adjustable rear seats/bench*:
Never adjust the rear seat position after in­stalling the child restraint. Adjusting the rear
seat position after installing the child re­straint could damage the child restraint
and/or introduce undesirable slack into the
webbing and loosen or misposition the child
restraint, lessening the effectiveness of the
child restraint and thus increasing the
chance or severity of injury in an accident.

i

The child seat must be firmly attached
in the right and left side anchor fittings.

Make sure that the seat belt for the
center seat can operate freely with a
child seat installed.

Non-“LATCH” type child seats may also
be used and can be installed using the
vehicle’s seat belt system. Install child
seat according to the manufacturer’s
instructions.

Warning! G

Children too big for child restraint systems
must ride in back seats using regular seat
belts. Position shoulder belt across chest
and shoulder, not face or neck. A booster
seat may be necessary to achieve proper
belt positioning for children from 41 lbs. un­til they reach a height where a lap/shoulder
belt fits properly without a booster.

Install child seat according to manufactur­er’s instructions.

The child seat must be firmly attached in
right and left side anchor fittings 2.

An incorrectly mounted child seat may come
loose during an accident which could result
in serious injury or death to your child.

Damaged or impact damaged child seats or
child seat mounting fittings must be re­placed.

Do not leave children unattended in the ve­hicle, even if the children are secured in a
child restraint system.

73

Safety and Security

Occupant safety

Override switch for rear passenger
compartment

You can disable select functions in the rear
passenger compartment for added safety
(for instance when you have children riding
in the rear passenger compartment).

You can disable the following functions in
the rear passenger compartment:

앫 rear door window operation

(

컄 page 188)

앫 adjustment of front passenger seat

from the rear* (

앫 cigarette lighter in rear (컄 page 234)

컄 page 115)

The switch is located on the driver’s door.

1 Override switch

Activating override switch

왘 Slide override switch 1 to the right.

The functions in the rear are disabled.

Deactivating override switch

왘 Slide override switch 1 to the left.

The functions in the rear are enabled
again.

!

The rear door windows can still be op­erated with the switches located in the
driver’s door.

Warning! G

Activate the override switch when children
are riding in the back seats of the vehicle.
The children may otherwise injure them­selves, e.g. by becoming trapped in the win­dow opening.

When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch, take the
KEYLESS-GO* card (if so equipped) with
you, and lock your vehicle. Do not leave chil­dren unattended in the vehicle, or with ac­cess to an unlocked vehicle. Unsupervised
use of vehicle equipment may cause an ac­cident and/or serious personal injury.

74

Panic alarm

An audible alarm and blinking exterior
lamps will operate for approximately

1

2

/2minutes.

Activating

왘 Press and hold button 1 for at least one

second.

Deactivating

왘 Press button 1 again.

or

왘 Insert SmartKey in starter switch.

Safety and Security

Panic alarm

i

For operation in the USA only: This de­vice complies with Part 15 of the
FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the
following two conditions:

(1) This device may not cause harmful

interference, and

(2) this device must accept any inter-

ference received, including interfer­ence that may cause undesired
operation.

 button

1

Any unauthorized modification to this
device could void the user’s authority
to operate the equipment.

75

Safety and Security

Driving safety systems

Driving safety systems

In this section you will find information on
the following driving safety systems:

ABS

Warning! G

앫 ABS (Antilock Brake System)

앫 BAS (Brake Assist System)

앫 ESP (Electronic Stability Program)

앫 4MATIC (Four Wheel Electronic Trac-

tion System)

i

In winter operation, the maximum ef­fectiveness of the ABS, ESP and the
4MATIC is only achieved with winter
tires (M+S tires) or snow chains as re­quired.

The following factors increase the risk of ac­cidents:

앫 Excessive speed, especially in turns
앫 Wet and slippery road surfaces
앫 Following another vehicle too closely

The ABS, BAS, ESP, and 4MATIC cannot re­duce this risk.

Always adjust your driving style to the pre­vailing road and weather conditions.

Warning! G

Do not pump the brake pedal. Use firm,
steady brake pedal pressure instead. Pump­ing the brake pedal defeats the purpose of
the ABS and significantly reduces braking
effectiveness.

The ABS regulates the brake pressure so
that the wheels do not lock during braking.
This allows you to maintain the ability to
steer your vehicle.

The ABS is functional above a speed of ap­proximately 5 mph (8 km/h) independent
of road surface conditions.

At the instant one of the wheels is about to
lock up, a slight pulsation can be felt in the
brake pedal, indicating that the ABS is in
the regulating mode. Keep firm and steady
pressure on the brake pedal while experi­encing the pulsation.

76

Safety and Security

Driving safety systems

Continuous, steady brake pedal pressure
yields the advantages provided by the ABS,
namely braking power and the ability to
steer the vehicle.

On slippery road surfaces, the ABS will re­spond even with light brake pressure. The
pulsating brake pedal can be an indication
of hazardous road conditions and func­tions as a reminder to take extra care while
driving.

i

To alert following vehicles to slippery
road conditions you discover, operate
your hazard warning flashers as appro­priate.

Warning! G

The ABS cannot prevent the natural laws of
physics from acting on the vehicle, nor can
it increase braking or steering efficiency be­yond that afforded by the condition of the
vehicle brakes and tires or the traction. The
ABS cannot prevent accidents, including
those resulting from excessive speed in
turns, following another vehicle too closely,
or hydroplaning. Only a safe, attentive, and
skillful driver can prevent accidents. The ca­pabilities of an ABS equipped vehicle must
never be exploited in a reckless or danger­ous manner which could jeopardize the us­er’s safety or the safety of others.

The

- indicator lamp in the instrument

cluster lights up when you turn the
SmartKey in the starter switch to
position 2 or press the KEYLESS-GO* (if so
equipped) start/stop button twice. It goes
out when the engine is running.

For more information, see “Practical hints”
(

컄 page 289).

77

Safety and Security

Driving safety systems

BAS

The Brake Assist System (BAS) operates in
emergency situations. If you apply the
brakes very quickly, the BAS automatically
provides full brake boost, thereby poten­tially reducing the braking distance. Apply
continuous full braking pressure until the
emergency braking situation is over. The
ABS will prevent the wheels from locking.

When you release the brake pedal, the
brakes function again as normal. The BAS
is then deactivated.

For more information see “Practical hints”
(

컄 page 289).

Warning! G

The BAS cannot prevent the natural laws of
physics from acting on the vehicle, nor can
it increase braking efficiency beyond that af­forded by the condition of the vehicle brakes
and tires or the traction. The BAS cannot
prevent accidents, including those resulting
from excessive speed in turns, following an­other vehicle too closely, or hydroplaning.
Only a safe, attentive, and skillful driver can
prevent accidents. The capabilities of a BAS
equipped vehicle must never be exploited in
a reckless or dangerous manner which
could jeopardize the user’s safety or the
safety of others.

ESP

The Electronic Stability Program (ESP)
monitors the vehicle's traction (force of
adhesive friction between the tires and the
road surface) and handling.

The ESP recognizes when a wheel is spin­ning or if the vehicle starts to skid. By ap­plying brakes to the appropriate wheel and
by limiting engine output, the ESP works to
stabilize the vehicle. The ESP is especially
useful while driving off and on wet or slip­pery road surfaces.

The ESP warning lamp

v in the instru-

ment cluster flashes when the ESP is en­gaged.

The ESP warning lamp

v in the instru-

ment cluster lights up when you turn the
SmartKey in the starter switch to
position 2 or press the KEYLESS-GO* (if so
equipped) start/stop button twice. It goes
out when the engine is running.

78

Safety and Security

Driving safety systems

Warning! G

Never switch off the ESP when you see the
ESP warning lamp
strument cluster. In this case proceed as fol­lows:

앫 While driving off, apply as little throttle

as possible.

앫 While driving, ease up on the accelera-

tor.

앫 Adapt your speed and driving style to

the prevailing road conditions.

Failure to observe these guidelines could
cause the vehicle to skid.

The ESP cannot prevent accidents resulting
from excessive speed.

v flashing in the in-

Warning! G

The ESP cannot prevent the natural laws of
physics from acting on the vehicle, nor can
it increase the traction afforded. The ESP
cannot prevent accidents, including those
resulting from excessive speed in turns, or
hydroplaning. Only a safe, attentive, and
skillful driver can prevent accidents. The ca­pabilities of an ESP equipped vehicle must
never be exploited in a reckless or danger­ous manner which could jeopardize the us­er’s safety or the safety of others.

i

Distronic* is switched off when ESP is
activated.

!

Because of the ESP’s automatic opera­tion, the engine must be shut off
(SmartKey in starter switch position 0
or 1) when:

앫 the parking brake is being tested on

a brake test dynamometer

앫 the vehicle is being towed with the

front/rear axle raised

Active braking action through the ESP
may otherwise seriously damage the
brake system.

The ESP will only function properly if
you use wheels of the recommended
tire size.

For more information see “Practical hints”
(

컄 page 289).

79

Safety and Security

Driving safety systems

Switching off the ESP

Warning! G

The ESP should not be switched off during
normal driving other than in the circum­stances described below. Disabling of the
system will reduce vehicle stability in stan­dard driving maneuvers.

To improve the vehicle's traction, turn off
the ESP in driving situations where it would
be advantageous to have the drive wheels
spin and thus cut into surfaces for better
grip such as:

앫 starting out on slippery surfaces and in

deep snow in conjunction with snow
chains

앫 sand or gravel

i

Distronic* cannot be activated when
ESP has been deactivated.

The switch is located on the center con­sole.

1 ESP off/on

왘 Press ESP switch 1 until the ESP warn-

ing lamp

v in the speedometer

lights up.

ESP is deactivated.

If one or more wheels are spinning, the
ESP warning lamp

v in the speedome-

ter flashes, regardless of the speed.

Traction control brakes a spinning wheel
even when ESP is deactivated.

ESP always operates when you are brak­ing, even when it has been deactivated.

!

Avoid spinning of a drive wheel for an
extended period with the ESP switched
off. This may cause serious damage to
the drivetrain which is not covered by
the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.

Warning! G

When the ESP warning lamp v is
illuminated continuously, the ESP is
switched off.

Adapt your speed and driving to the prevail­ing road conditions and to the non-operating
status of the ESP.

Switching on ESP

왘 Press switch 1.

The ESP warning lamp
strument cluster goes out. You are now
again in normal driving mode.

v in the in-

80

Safety and Security

Driving safety systems

Four wheel electronic traction system
(4MATIC) with the ESP

Models with all-wheel drive only:

The 4MATIC improves the vehicle’s ability
to use available traction, e.g. during winter
operation in mountains under snowy con­ditions, by applying power to all four
wheels.

Warning! G

If you see the ESP warning lamp v flash­ing in the speedometer dial, proceed as fol­lows:

앫 While driving off, apply as little throttle

as possible

앫 While driving, ease up on the accelera-

tor

앫 Adapt your speed and driving style to

the prevailing road conditions

Failure to observe these guidelines could
cause the vehicle to skid.

The ESP cannot prevent accidents resulting
from excessive speed.

!

Do not tow with one axle raised.

Otherwise the transfer case can be
damaged, which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.

!

Performance testing must only be con­ducted on a 2-axle dynamometer.

Otherwise the transfer case can be
damaged, which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.

!

Because of the ESP’s automatic opera­tion, the engine must be shut off
(SmartKey in starter switch position 0
or 1) when the parking brake is being
tested on a brake test dynamometer.

Active braking action through the ESP
may otherwise seriously damage the
front or rear axle brake system.

Operational tests with the engine run­ning can only be conducted on a 2-axle
dynamometer.

81

Safety and Security

Anti-theft systems

Anti-theft systems

Immobilizer

Deactivating

Anti-theft alarm system

The immobilizer prevents unauthorized
persons from starting your vehicle.

Activating

앫 With the SmartKey: Removing the

SmartKey from the starter switch acti­vates the immobilizer.

앫 With KEYLESS-GO*: Turning off the en-

gine by means of the KEYLESS-GO
start/stop button on the gear selector
lever activates the immobilizer.

앫 With the SmartKey: Inserting the

SmartKey in the starter switch deacti­vates the immobilizer.

앫 With KEYLESS-GO*: Starting the en-

gine by means of the KEYLESS-GO
start/stop button on the gear selector
lever deactivates the immobilizer.

i

In case the engine cannot be started
(yet the vehicle’s battery is charged),
the system is not operational. Contact
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
or call 1-800-FOR-MERCedes (in the
USA), or 1-800-387-0100 (in Canada).

Once the alarm system has been armed, a
visual and audible alarm is triggered when
someone opens

앫 a door

앫 the trunk

앫 the hood

The alarm will stay on even if the activating
element (a door, for example) is immedi­ately closed.

The alarm system will also be triggered
when

앫 someone attempts to raise the vehicle

앫 the vehicle is opened with the mechan-

ical key

82

Safety and Security

Anti-theft systems

i

If the alarm stays on for more than
20 seconds, an emergency call is initi­ated automatically by the Tele Aid sys­tem provided that Tele Aid service was
subscribed to and properly activated,
and that necessary cellular service and
GPS coverage are available.

Arming the alarm system

The alarm system is armed after locking
the vehicle with the SmartKey or KEY­LESS-GO*. The turn signal lamps blink
three times to indicate that the alarm sys­tem is activated. The indicator lamp in the
central locking switch (
blink after approximately 10 seconds
when the alarm system is completely
armed.

컄 page 25) will

i

If the turn signal lamps do not blink
three times, a door or the hood may not
be closed properly.

Close the respective element and lock
the vehicle again.

Disarming the alarm system

The alarm system is disarmed when you
unlock your vehicle with the SmartKey or
KEYLESS-GO*. The turn signal lamps blink
once to indicate that the alarm system is
deactivated

Canceling the alarm

To cancel the alarm:

With the SmartKey

왘 Insert the SmartKey in the starter

switch.

or

왘 Press the Œ or ‹ button.

With KEYLESS-GO*

왘 Grasp the outside door handle.

or

왘 Press the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop

button.

83

Safety and Security

Anti-theft systems

Tow-away alarm

Once the tow-away alarm is armed, a visual
and audible alarm will be triggered when
someone attempts to raise the vehicle.

i

The tow-away protection alarm is trig­gered, for example, if the vehicle is lift­ed on one side.

If the alarm stays on for more than
20 seconds, an emergency call is initi­ated automatically by the Tele Aid sys­tem, provided Tele Aid service was
subscribed to and properly activated
and that necessary cellular service and
GPS coverage are available.

Arming tow-away alarm

When you lock your vehicle, the tow-away
alarm is automatically armed after about
30 seconds.

When you unlock your vehicle, the
tow-away protection disarms automatical­ly.

Disarming tow-away alarm

To prevent triggering the tow-away alarm
feature, switch off the tow-away alarm be­fore towing the vehicle, or when parking on
a surface subject to movement, such as a
ferry or auto train.

The switch is located on the center con­sole.

1 Tow-away alarm off switch
2 Indicator lamp

왘 Turn off the ignition and remove the

SmartKey.

i

You cannot disarm the tow-away alarm
if the ignition is turned on.

왘 Press switch 1.

Indicator lamp 2 in the switch lights up
briefly.

왘 Exit vehicle and lock your vehicle with

the SmartKey or (vehicles with
KEYLESS-GO*) the lock button at each
door handle.

The tow-away alarm remains disarmed un­til you lock your vehicle again.

84

Controls in detail

Locking and unlocking

Seats

Memory function

Lighting

Instrument cluster

Control system

Automatic transmission

Good visibility

Automatic climate control

Power windows

Sliding/pop-up roof

Driving systems

Loading

Useful features

85

Controls in detail

Locking and unlocking

In the “Controls in detail” section you will
find detailed information on how to oper­ate the equipment installed on your vehi­cle. If you are already familiar with the
basic functions of your vehicle, this section
will be of particular interest to you.

To quickly familiarize yourself with the ba­sic functions of the vehicle, see “Getting
started” (
page numbers are given at the beginning of
each segment.

For information on locking and unlocking,
refer to the Getting started section on
(

컄 page 30) and (컄 page 50).

컄 page 29). The corresponding

Locking and unlocking

SmartKey

Your vehicle comes supplied with two
SmartKeys with remote controls and a re­movable mechanical key. The locking tabs
for the mechanical key portion of the two
SmartKeys are a different color to help dis­tinguish each SmartKey unit.

The SmartKey provides an extended oper­ating range. To prevent theft, however, it is
advisable to only unlock the vehicle when
you are in close proximity to it.

!

To prevent possible malfunction, avoid
exposing the SmartKey to high levels of
electromagnetic radiation.

SmartKey with remote controls

1 ‹ Lock button
2

Š Unlock button for trunk lid

3 Mechanical key locking tab
4

ΠUnlock button

5 Battery check lamp
6

 Panic button (컄 page 75)

86

The SmartKey centrally locks and unlocks:

앫 the doors

앫 the trunk

앫 the fuel filler flap

i

You can also open and close the power
windows (
ing/pop-up roof (
the SmartKey.

컄 page 190) and slid-

컄 page 194) using

Controls in detail

Locking and unlocking

Factory setting

Global unlocking

왘 Press button Œ.

All turn signal lamps blink once. The
locking knobs in the doors move up.

The anti-theft alarm system is switched
off. If it is dark, the locator lighting
switches on.

The vehicle will lock again automatically
within approximately 40 seconds of un­locking if:

앫 neither door nor trunk is opened

앫 the SmartKey is not inserted in the

starter switch

앫 the central locking switch is not acti-

vated

Global locking

왘 Press button ‹.

All turn signal lamps blink three times.
The locking knobs in the doors move
down.

The anti-theft alarm system is activat­ed.

Selective setting

If you frequently travel alone, you may wish
to reprogram the SmartKey so that
pressing

Œ only unlocks the driver’s

door and the fuel filler flap.

왘 Press and hold buttons Œ and ‹

simultaneously for about five seconds
until battery check lamp 5 blinks twice.

The SmartKey will then function as fol­lows:

Unlocking driver’s door and fuel filler
flap

왘 Press button Œ once.

Global unlocking

왘 Press button Œ twice.

Global locking

왘 Press button ‹.

87

Controls in detail

Locking and unlocking

Restoring to factory setting

왘 Press and hold buttons Œ and ‹

simultaneously for about six seconds
until battery check lamp 5 blinks twice.

Warning! G

When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch, take the
KEYLESS-GO* card (if so equipped) with you
and lock the vehicle. Do not leave children
unattended in the vehicle, or with access to
an unlocked vehicle. It is possible for chil­dren to open a locked door from the inside,
which could result in an accident and/or se­rious injury.

!

If you can no longer lock or unlock the
vehicle with the SmartKey, then either
the batteries in the SmartKey are dis­charged or the SmartKey is malfunc­tioning.

앫 Check the batteries in the

SmartKey and replace them if nec­essary (

or

앫 Use the mechanical key to unlock

the doors (
(
vehicle using the mechanical key
(

If the SmartKey is malfunctioning, con­tact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Cen­ter.

컄 page 328).

컄 page 326) and trunk

컄 page 327) as required. Lock the

컄 page 327).

Checking the batteries

왘 Press button ‹ or Œ.

Battery check lamp 5 lights up briefly
to indicate that the SmartKey batteries
are in order.

!

If battery check lamp 5 does not light
up briefly during check, the SmartKey
batteries are discharged.

Replace the batteries (

You can obtain the required batteries
at any authorized Mercedes-Benz Cen­ter.

컄 page 328).

88

Controls in detail

Locking and unlocking

Unlocking the trunk lid

You can unlock the trunk separately.

왘 Press and hold button Š until trunk

unlocks.

!

The trunk lid swings open upwards au­tomatically. Always make sure that
there is sufficient overhead clearance.
A minimum height clearance of 6 ft.
(1.85 m) is required to open the trunk
lid.

i

If the vehicle was previously centrally
locked with the SmartKey, the trunk lid
will lock automatically after closing it.
The turn signals will flash three times to
confirm locking.

If the trunk lid was previously locked
separately (
locked.

컄 page 98), it will remain

Loss of SmartKey or mechanical key

If you lose a SmartKey or mechanical key,
you should do the following:

왘 Have the SmartKey deactivated by an

authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.

왘 Report the loss of the SmartKey or the

mechanical key immediately to your
car insurance company.

왘 If necessary, have the mechanical lock

replaced.

Your authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
will be glad to supply you with a replace­ment.

KEYLESS-GO card*

Specially equipped vehicles come with two
KEYLESS-GO cards. On these vehicles, the
validity of the KEYLESS-GO card is
checked every time you grasp a door
handle.

If the card is valid, your vehicle unlocks:

앫 the doors

앫 the trunk lid

앫 the fuel filler flap

89

Controls in detail

Locking and unlocking

Warning! G

When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch, take the
KEYLESS-GO card (if so equipped) with you
and lock the vehicle. Do not leave children
unattended in the vehicle, or with access to
an unlocked vehicle. Unsupervised use of
vehicle equipment may cause an accident
and/or serious personal injury.

!

To prevent possible malfunction, avoid
exposing the KEYLESS-GO card to high
levels of electromagnetic radiation.

Important notes on using KEYLESS-GO

앫 Always carry the KEYLESS-GO card

with you.

앫 Never store the KEYLESS-GO card to-

gether with:

앫 Electronic items such as a cellular

phone or another KEYLESS-GO card

앫 Metallic objects such as coins or

metal foil

Doing so could impair the function of
the KEYLESS-GO system.

앫 Always take a SmartKey with you in

case of a malfunction in the
KEYLESS-GO system.

앫 To lock or unlock the vehicle, the card

must be located outside the vehicle
within approximately 3 ft. (1 m) of a
door or the trunk lid.

앫 In order to start the engine with the

KEYLESS-GO card:

앫 The KEYLESS-GO card must be lo-

cated in the vehicle.

앫 All doors must be closed.

앫 If you have started the engine with the

KEYLESS-GO start/stop button, you
can only turn it off again with this but­ton, even if you have put the SmartKey
in the starter switch in the meantime.

앫 This does not apply if, after starting, the

selector lever is still in position P. The
SmartKey will then have priority over
the card and the vehicle’s electrical
system will operate according to the
position of the SmartKey in the starter
switch, even stopping the engine.

90

Controls in detail

Locking and unlocking

앫 If the KEYLESS-GO card is positioned

farther away from the vehicle (e.g. in­side clothing or briefcase) and can no
longer be recognized by the system,
the vehicle cannot be locked or the en­gine started via the KEYLESS-GO sys­tem.

앫 If the KEYLESS-GO card is removed

from the vehicle while the ignition is
switched on (e.g. if passenger exits the
vehicle with the card), the message

CHIP CARD NOT RECOGNIZED!

will ap-

pear in the multifunction display.

Find the card or change its present lo­cation immediately (e.g. place it on the
front passenger seat or insert it in shirt
pocket).

앫 Remember that the engine can be

started by anyone with a KEYLESS-GO
card that is left inside the vehicle. If you
leave the card behind when exiting and
locking the vehicle, the message

CARD DETECTED IN VEHICLE!

CHIP

will ap-

pear in the multifunction display.

Factory setting

Global unlocking

왘 Grasp the door handle.

The vehicle will lock again automatically
within approximately 40 seconds of un­locking if neither door nor trunk is opened.

i

The vehicle could inadvertently be un­locked if the KEYLESS-GO card is with­in 3 ft. (1 m) of the vehicle and:

앫 the door handle is splashed with

water, or

앫 you attempt to clean the door

handle

Global locking

왘 Press lock button at door handle

(

컄 page 53) or trunk (컄 page 93).

Individual setting

If you frequently travel alone, you may wish
to reprogram the KEYLESS-GO card so that
grasping a door handle only unlocks the
driver’s door, interior lockable storage
compartments and the fuel filler flap.

1 Programming button
2 “Driver’s door” symbol
3 “Global unlock” symbol

91

Controls in detail

Locking and unlocking

왘 Press and hold programming button 1

until “Driver’s door” symbol 2 lights up.

The KEYLESS-GO card will then func­tion as follows:

Unlocking the driver’s door

왘 Grasp the driver’s door handle.

Global unlocking

왘 Grasp the door handle on the pas-

senger side.

Global locking

왘 Press lock button at door handle or

trunk lid.

Restoring to factory setting

왘 Press and hold programming button 1

until “Central unlock” symbol 3 lights
up.

!

If you cannot lock or unlock the vehicle
with the KEYLESS-GO card, then either
the batteries of the KEYLESS-GO card
are discharged or the KEYLESS-GO
card is malfunctioning.

앫 Check the batteries of the

KEYLESS-GO card (
replace them if necessary
(

컄 page 328).

or

앫 Use the SmartKey to unlock the

doors (

컄 page 30) and trunk

(

컄 page 98) as required. Lock the

vehicle using the SmartKey
(

컄 page 93).

If your KEYLESS-GO card is malfunc­tioning, contact your authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.

컄 page 89) and

Checking the batteries

왘 Briefly press programming button 1.

The KEYLESS-GO card batteries are in
order if the indicator lamp for either
“Driver’s door” 2 or “Central unlock” 3
comes on red or green.

!

If symbols 2 or 3 do not light up during
the check, then the batteries of the
KEYLESS-GO card are discharged.

앫 Change the batteries (컄 page 328).

You can obtain the batteries at any au­thorized Mercedes-Benz Center.

92

Controls in detail

Locking and unlocking

Checking vehicle lock status

If you cannot remember whether you have
locked the vehicle, you can check the lock
status using the KEYLESS-GO card.

왘 Briefly press programming button 1.

The indicator lamp for “Driver’s door” 2
or “Central unlock” 3 lights up in red or
green.

Vehicle lock status:

Red: Vehicle is locked

Green: Vehicle is unlocked

i

When the vehicle is unlocked and the
anti-theft alarm system is switched off,
the turn signals illuminate briefly. If it is
dark, the locator lighting also switches
on (

컄 page 122).

When the vehicle is locked and the an­ti-theft alarm system is activated, the
turn signals flash three times.

Locking the vehicle

1 Trunk lock button

왘 Press the lock button at door

(

컄 page 53) or trunk 1.

Closing the side windows and
sliding/pop-up roof

왘 Press and hold lock button at the door

(

컄 page 53) until the side windows and

the sliding/pop-up roof are closed.

Warning! G

When closing the windows and the slid­ing/pop-up roof, be sure that there is no
danger of anyone being harmed by the clos­ing procedure.

If potential danger exists, proceed as fol­lows:

앫 Release the lock button.
앫 Pull on the door handle and hold firmly.

The side windows and the slid­ing/pop-up roof will open for as long as
the door handle is held but the door is
not opened.

93

Controls in detail

Locking and unlocking

Unlocking the trunk lid

You can unlock the trunk separately.

왘 Press trunk lid button 1 (컄 page 95)

until trunk unlocks.

!

The trunk lid swings open upwards au­tomatically. Always make sure that
there is sufficient overhead clearance.
A minimum height clearance of 6 ft.
(1.85 m) is required to open the trunk
lid.

i

If the vehicle was previously centrally
locked with the SmartKey, the trunk lid
will lock automatically after closing it.
The turn signals will flash three times to
confirm locking.

If the trunk lid was previously locked
separately (
locked.

컄 page 98), it will remain

Loss of the KEYLESS-GO card

If you lose your KEYLESS-GO card, you
should do the following:

왘 Have the KEYLESS-GO card deactivat-

ed by an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.

왘 Report the loss immediately to your car

insurance company.

왘 Have the mechanical lock replaced if

necessary.

Your authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
will be glad to supply you with a replace­ment.

Opening the doors from the inside

You can open a locked door from the in­side. Open door only when conditions are
safe to do so.

1 Locking knob
2 Inside door handle

왘 Pull on door handle 2.

If door was locked, locking knob 1 will
move up.

94

Controls in detail

Locking and unlocking

i

If the vehicle has previously been
locked from the outside with the
SmartKey, opening a door from the in­side will trigger the alarm.

To cancel the alarm, do one of the follow­ing:

왘 Press button ‹ or Œ on the

SmartKey.

왘 Insert the SmartKey in the starter

switch.

Opening the trunk lid

The trunk lid lock is located in the rear li­cense plate recess.

왘 Press the outer left-hand side of trunk

lid button 1.

The trunk lid swings open upwards. Always
make sure that there is sufficient overhead
clearance.

A minimum height clearance of 6 ft.
(1.85 m) is required to open the trunk lid.

i

The vehicle must be unlocked.

The trunk can also be opened from the in­side in an emergency, see “Trunk lid emer­gency release” (

컄 page 96).

95

Controls in detail

Locking and unlocking

Opening the trunk from the inside

When the vehicle is stationary, you can
open the trunk from the inside using the
trunk lid release switch located on the driv­er’s door control panel.

A minimum height clearance of 6 ft.
(1.85 m) is required to open the trunk lid.

1 Indicator lamp
2 Remote trunk lid switch

왘 Pull remote trunk lid switch 2.

The trunk opens. Indicator lamp 1
comes on. It remains lit until you close
the trunk again.

!

The trunk lid swings open upwards au­tomatically. Always make sure that
there is sufficient overhead clearance.

If the trunk lid does not open, it is still
locked separately (

컄 page 98).

Trunk lid emergency release

The emergency release button is located in
the trunk lid.

1 Handle

Illumination of the emergency release but­ton:

앫 The button will blink for 30 minutes af-

ter opening the trunk.

앫 The button will blink for 60 minutes af-

ter closing the trunk.

96

Controls in detail

Locking and unlocking

왘 Briefly press the emergency release

button.

The trunk unlocks and the trunk lid
opens.

!

The emergency release button does
not open the trunk lid if the vehicle bat­tery is discharged or disconnected.

i

If the emergency release button is
pressed and the vehicle was centrally
locked, the exterior lamps will flash and
the alarm will sound as the trunk lid
opens.

To cancel the alarm, insert the
SmartKey in the starter switch or press
button

Œ or ‹ on the SmartKey.

Closing the trunk lid

왘 Lower trunk lid by pulling firmly on

handle 1 (

컄 page 96).

2 Extending handle

왘 Push the trunk lid down gently at the

extending handle 2 until it engages into
the lock.

The power closing assist automatically en­sures that the lid is pulled closed com­pletely (

컄 page 102).

The extending handle 2 is retracted after a
few seconds.

Warning! G

To prevent possible personal injury, always
keep hands and fingers away from the trunk
lid opening when closing the trunk. Be espe­cially careful when small children are
around.

Warning! G

Only drive with the trunk closed as, among
other dangers such as visibility blockage,
exhaust fumes may enter the vehicle interi­or.

97

Controls in detail

Locking and unlocking

i

To prevent an inadvertent lockout, do
not place the SmartKey in the trunk.

Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*: To pre­vent a possible inadvertent lockout, the
trunk lid will open automatically if a
KEYLESS-GO card is recognized in the
area of the rear shelf or inside the
trunk.

Separately locking the trunk

1 Locked
2 Unlocked

왘 Close the trunk lid (컄 page 97)

왘 Pull the mechanical key out of the

SmartKey (

컄 page 326).

왘 Insert the mechanical key into the

trunk lid lock.

왘 Turn the mechanical key completely to

the right to position 1.

The trunk remains locked even when the
vehicle is centrally unlocked.

i

You can only cancel the separate trunk
locking mode by means of the mechan­ical key.

Separately unlocking the trunk

왘 Turn the mechanical key completely to

the left to position 2.

You can now open the trunk.

A minimum height of 6 ft. (1.85 m) is re­quired to open the trunk lid.

98

Controls in detail

Locking and unlocking

Trunk lid opening/closing system*

You can open or close the trunk lid from
the inside if the vehicle is stationary.

A minimum height clearance of 6 ft.
(1.85 m) is required to open the trunk lid.

Opening from the inside

You can open the trunk using the trunk lid
release switch.

A minimum height of 6 ft. (1.85 m) is re­quired to open the trunk lid.

1 Indicator lamp
2 Remote trunk lid switch

왘 Pull remote trunk lid switch 2.

The trunk opens. Indicator lamp 1
comes on. It remains lit until you close
the trunk again.

!

The trunk lid swings open upwards au­tomatically. Always make sure that
there is sufficient overhead clearance.

i

The vehicle must be unlocked.

If the trunk lid does not open, it is still
locked separately (

The trunk can also be opened from the in­side in an emergency, see “Trunk lid emer­gency release” (

You can stop the opening process of the
trunk lid.

왘 Press the remote trunk lid switch 2.

The trunk lid remains in the current po­sition.

컄 page 98).

컄 page 96).

Closing from the inside

왘 Press remote trunk lid switch 2

(

컄 page 96) until the trunk lid is closed

and indicator lamp 1 goes out.

To interrupt the closing procedure:

왘 Release remote trunk lid switch 2. The

trunk lid stops moving.

Warning! G

Maintain sight of trunk area while operating
door mounted switch. Monitor the closing
procedure carefully to ensure that no one is
in danger of being injured. To interrupt the
closing procedure, release the door mount­ed remote trunk lid switch.

If the trunk lid comes into contact with an
object while closing (e.g. luggage that has
been piled too high) in the upper motion
sequence, the closing procedure is
stopped and the trunk re-opens slightly.

99

Controls in detail

Locking and unlocking

Trunk lid closing switch in trunk

1 Trunk lid closing switch

왘 Press closing switch 1.

The trunk lid closes automatically.

If the trunk lid comes into contact with an
object while closing (e.g. luggage that has
been piled too high) in the upper motion
sequence, the closing procedure is
stopped and the trunk re-opens slightly.

Warning! G

Monitor the closing procedure carefully to
ensure that no one is in danger of being in­jured. To prevent possible personal injury,
always keep hands and fingers away from
the trunk opening when closing the trunk.
Be especially careful when small children
are around. To stop the closing procedure,
press the remote trunk lid switch (on driv­er’s door control panel), the trunk lid closing
switch 1, or the
SmartKey.

Š button on the

i

Do not place the SmartKey in the open
trunk. You may lock yourself out.

Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*: To pre­vent a possible inadvertent lockout, the
trunk lid will open automatically if a
KEYLESS-GO card is recognized in the
area of the rear shelf or inside the
trunk.

Closing and locking the trunk with
KEYLESS-GO*

On vehicles with trunk lid opening/closing
system and KEYLESS-GO, you can close
the trunk lid and lock the vehicle simulta­neously.

1 Trunk lid closing switch
2 KEYLESS-GO switch

왘 Make sure that you have the SmartKey

and the KEYLESS-GO card with you.

100