Driving safety sys
tems 67vehicle is in motion, injuring themselves
and others . 1
Indicator lamp
2 Button
X To activate :press button 2.
Indicator lamp 1lights up. The rear side
windows can only be operated using the
switches on the driver's door.
X To deactivate :press button 2.
Indicator lamp 1goes out. You can oper-
ate the rear side windows using the
switches in the rear compartment. Driving safety systems
In this section, you will find information about
the following driving safety systems:
R ABS ( Anti-lock Braking System)
R BAS ( Brake Assist System)
R Adaptive brake lamps
R ESP ®
( Electronic Stability Program)
R EBV (electronic brake-power distribution)
i In wintry road conditions, use winter tyres
(M+S tyres) and snow chains if necessary. . G
Risk of accident
The risk of an accident is significantl y
increased by driving too fast. This is partic-
ularly the case when cornering on wet and
slippery roads and when driving too clos e
to the vehicle in front.
The driving safety systems described in thi s
section cannot reduce this risk or override
the laws of physics.
For this reason, always adapt your driving
style to suit the prevailing road and weather
conditions. Maintain sufficient distance
from other road users and objects on the
road. ABS (Anti-lock Braking System)
ABS regulates brake pressure in such a way
that the wheels do not lock when you brake.
This allows you to continue steering the vehi-
cle when braking.
ABS works from a speed of about 8 km/h
upwards, regardless of road surface condi-
tions. ABS works on slippery surfaces, even
when you only brake gently. G
Risk of accident
Do not depress the brake pedal severa l
times in quick succession (pumping) .
Depress the brake firmly and evenly. Pump-
ing the brake pedal reduces the braking
effect.
Braking If ABS intervenes when braking, you will fee
l
a pulsing in the brake pedal.
If ABS intervenes:
X Continue to depress the brake pedal wit h
force until the braking situation is over.
For full braking application:
X Depress the brake pedal with maximum
force. Safety
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Driving safety sys
tems68 G
Risk of accident
If ABS is faulty, the wheels could lock when
braking. This limits the steerability of the
vehicle when braking and the braking dis-
tance may increase.
If ABS is deactivated due to a malfunction,
then BAS and ESP are also deactivated. BAS (Brake Assist)
BAS operates in emergency braking situa-
tions. If you depress the brake pedal quickly,
BAS automatically boosts the braking force ,
thus shortening the stopping distance.
X Keep the brake pedal firmly depressed until
the emergency braking situation is over.
ABS prevents the wheels from locking.
The brakes will function as usual once you
release the brake pedal. BAS is deactivated. G
Risk of accident
If BAS has malfunctioned, the braking sys-
tem remains available with full brake boost-
ing effect. However, braking force is not
automatically increased in emergency
braking situations and the stopping dis-
tance may increase. Adaptive brake lamps
i Adaptive brake lamps are only available in
certain countries.
If you brake sharply from a speed of mor e
than 50 km/h or if braking is assisted by BAS,
the brake lamps flash rapidly. In this way,
traffic travelling behind you is warned in an
even more noticeable manner .
If you brake from a speed of more than
70 km/h and bring the vehicle to a halt, the
hazard warning lamps switch on automati-
cally once the vehicle is stationary and the
brake lamps light up constantly if you depres s
the brake pedal again. The hazard warning
lamps switch off automatically if you travel
faster than 10 km/h again. ES
P®
(Electronic Stability Program)
ES P®
monitors driving stability and traction,
i.e. power transmission between the tyres
and the road surface.
If ESP ®
detects that the vehicle is deviatin g
from the direction desired by the driver, one
or more wheels are braked to stabilise the
vehicle. The engine output is also modified, if
necessary, to keep the vehicle on the desired
course within the laws of physics. ESP assists
the driver when pulling away on wet or slip-
pery roads. ESP ®
can also stabilise the vehi-
cle during braking.
When ESP ®
intervenes, the vwarning
lamp flashes in the instrument cluster. G
Risk of accident
If the v warning lamp in the instrumen t
cluster flashes, proceed as follows:
R Do not deactivate ESP ®
under any cir -
cumstances .
R Only depress the accelerator pedal as far
as necessary when pulling away.
R Adapt your driving style to suit the pre -
vailing road and weather conditions.
The vehicle could otherwise go into a skid. Safety
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Driving sys
tems 14
5
X
Press %or$ to select Reset all
settings? SelectNoorYes .
X Select Yesif you want to reset all the set-
tings .
X Press #to confirm the selection.
The multi-function display shows a confir -
mation message. Driving systems
Your vehicle's driving systems are described
on the following pages:
R Cruise control* and Speedtronic*, whic h
you can use to control the speed of th e
vehicl e
R Hill start assist, which makes pulling away
on steep uphill gradients easie r
R ADVANCED AGILITY package with sports
mode*
R 4MATIC* (permanent four-wheel drive )
R Parktronic*, which assists you in parking
and manoeuvrin g
The ABS, BAS, adaptive brake lights, ESP ®
and EBV (electronic brake-power distribution )
driving safety systems are described in the
"Driving safety systems" section
( Y page 67). Cruise control*
Cruise control maintains a constant road
speed for you. It brakes automatically in order
to avoid exceeding the set speed. On long and
steep downhill gradients, especially if the
vehicle is laden or towing a trailer, you must
shift to a lower gear in good time or select
shift range 1,2 or 3in vehicles with automatic
transmission*. In this way you will make use
of the braking effect of the engine, which
relieves the load on the brake system and
prevents the brakes from overheating and
wearing too quickly. G
Risk of accident
Do not change down for additional engine
braking on a slippery road surface. Thi s
could cause the drive wheels to lose thei r
grip and the vehicle could skid.
Use cruise control only if road and traffic con-
ditions make it appropriate to maintain a
steady speed for a prolonged period. You can
store any road speed above 30 km/h. G
Risk of accident
Cruise control cannot take account of roa d
and traffic conditions. Controls
* optional
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Tyres and wheels
21
0
X
Replace cap 1and tighten all the way to
the stop.
You will find further information about coolan t
in the "Technical data" section
( Y page 368). Windscreen washer system/head-
lamp cleaning system
*
The washer fluid reservoir is located in the
engine compartment on the left-hand side of
the vehicle. The headlamp cleaning system*
is also supplied from the washer fluid reser-
voir. 1
Cove r
X Add windscreen washer concentrate to the
washer fluid all year round. G
Risk of fire
Windscreen washer concentrate is highly
flammable. Fire, naked flames and smoking
are prohibited when windscreen washe r
concentrate is being handled.
Use :
R a windscreen washer fluid additive
such as MB Summerwash to preven t
smearing (for temperatures above freez-
ing).
R a windscreen washer fluid additive wit h
antifreeze properties such as MB Winter-
wash (if there is a risk of frost).
X Mix the windscreen washer fluid in a con-
tainer beforehand. Adapt the mixing ratio
to the outside temperatures.
! Only use windscreen washer fluid which
is suitable for plastic lamp lenses. Unsuit-
able windscreen washer fluid could dam-
age the plastic lamp lenses of the head-
lamps.
X To open: pull cap1upwards by the tab .
X To close: press cap 1onto the filler neck
until it clicks into place. Tyres and wheels
Points to remember
! For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz rec-
ommends that you only use tyres and
wheels which have been approved by
Mercedes-Benz specifically for your vehi-
cle. These tyres have been specially adap-
ted for use with the control systems, such
as ABS or ESP, and are marked as follows:
R MO = Mercedes-Benz Original
R MOE = Mercedes-Benz Original Extended
(with run-flat characteristics)
Mercedes-Benz Original Extended tyres
should only be used on wheels that have
been specifically approved by Mercedes-
Benz.
If you use other tyres and wheels,
Mercedes-Benz cannot accept any respon-
sibility for damage that may result from
this. Further information about tyres,
wheels and approved combinations can be
obtained from any Mercedes-Benz Service
Centre.
If you use tyres other than those tested and
recommended for Mercedes-Benz vehi-
cles, characteristics such as handling, vehi-
cle noise emissions and fuel consumption Operation
* optional
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Winter driving
216
The wear patterns on the front and rear tyres
differ depending on the operating conditions.
Interchange the wheels before a clear wea
r
pattern has formed on the tyres. The fron t
tyres typically wear more on the shoulders
and the rear tyres in the centre.
Clean the contact surfaces of the wheel and
the brake disc thoroughly every time a whee l
is interchanged. Check the tyre pressure and,
if necessary, restart the tyre pressure loss
warning system*. Winter driving
Have your vehicle winterproofed at a qualified
specialist workshop, e.g. at a Mercedes-Ben z
Service Centre, at the onset of winter. Winter tyres
Use winter tyres at temperatures below +7 °
C and on snow or ice-covered roads. Only
then can the effect of the ABS, ESP ®
and
4MATIC* driving systems be ensured in win-
ter too.
Use winter tyres of the same make and tread
on all wheels to maintain safe handling char-
acteristics. G
Risk of accident
You must replace winter tyres with a trea d
depth of less than 4 mm immediately. They
are no longer suitable for winter use, in par-
ticular because they do not provide suffi-
cient grip. This could cause you to lose
control of your vehicle and cause an acci-
dent .
Always observe the maximum permitted
speed specified for the winter tyres you have
fitted. If you fit winter tyres which have a
lower maximum permitted speed than that of the vehicle, affix an appropriate warning sign
in the driver's field of vision. This can be
obtained at a qualified specialist workshop,
e.g. from a Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.
In such circumstances, you should also use
permanent Speedtronic *15
to restrict the
maximum speed of the vehicle to the maxi-
mum permissible speed for winter tyres
( Y page 148). G
Risk of accident
If you fit the spare wheel* when driving with
winter tyres, bear in mind that driving sta-
bility will be impaired owing to unstable
cornering characteristics caused by the dif-
ferent tyres. You should therefore adap t
your driving style and drive carefully.
Have the spare wheel* replaced at th e
nearest qualified specialist workshop
which has the necessary specialist knowl-
edge and tools to carry out the work
required. Mercedes-Benz recommends
that you use a Mercedes-Benz Service
Centre for this purpose. In particular, work
relevant to safety or on safety-related sys-
tems must be carried out at a qualified
specialist workshop .
15 Only available for certain countries. Operation
* optional
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Display
messages 23
8 Display messages Possible cause/consequence Possible solution
Max. speed
120km/
h
Only for certain
countries You have exceeded the speed limit. X
Drive more slowly . ABS and ESP
inoperative
G
Risk of accident
ABS, ESP ®
, BAS, PRE–SAFE ®
*, hill start
assist and ESP ®
trailer stabilisation ar e
temporarily unavailable. It is possible tha t
the self diagnosis is not yet complete. Th e
v warning lamp also lights up in th e
instrument cluster.
The brake system continues to function
normally, but without the functions listed
above. X
Drive a short distance with gentle bends at a
speed above 20 km/h.
The display message disappears when ABS,
ESP ®
, BAS, PRE-SAFE ®
*, hill start assist and
ESP ®
trailer stabilisation are available again. ABS and ESP
inoperative
G
Risk of accident
ABS, ESP ®
, BAS, PRE–SAFE ®
*, hill start
assist and ESP ®
trailer stabilisation ar e
unavailable due to undervoltage. The
v warning lamp also lights up in th e
instrument cluster.
The brake system continues to function
normally, but without the functions listed
above. X
Drive on carefully.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop. Practical advice
* optional
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Display
messages 23
9 Display messages Possible cause/consequence Possible solution
ABS and ESP
inoperative
G
Risk of accident
ABS, ESP ®
, BAS, PRE–SAFE ®
*, hill start
assist and ESP ®
trailer stabilisation ar e
unavailable due to a malfunction. The
v warning lamp also lights up in th e
instrument cluster.
The brake system continues to function
normally, but without the functions listed
above. X
Drive on carefully.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop. EBV, ABS, ESP
inoperative
G
Risk of accident
EBV, ABS, ESP ®
, BAS, PRE–SAFE ®
*, hill
start assist and ESP ®
trailer stabilisatio n
are unavailable due to a malfunction. In
addition, the vwarning lamp in th e
instrument cluster lights up and a warnin g
tone sounds.
The brake system continues to functio n
normally, but without the functions listed
above . X
Drive on carefully.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop immedi-
ately. Practical advice
* optional
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Display
messages 24
0 Display messages Possible cause/consequence Possible solution
ESP inoperative ESP inoperative
See Owner's Manual
G
Risk of accident
ESP ®
, BAS, PRE–SAFE ®
*, hill start assist
and ESP ®
trailer stabilisation are unavail -
able due to a malfunction. The vwarn-
ing lamp also lights up in the instrumen t
cluster.
The brake system continues to function
normally, but without the functions listed
above . X
Drive on carefully.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop. ESP inoperative ESP currently
unavail. See Own-
er's Manual
G
Risk of accident
ESP ®
, BAS, PRE–SAFE ®
*, hill start assist
and ESP ®
trailer stabilisation are tempo-
rarily unavailable. It is possible that the
self diagnosis is not yet complete. Th e
v warning lamp also lights up in th e
instrument cluster. The brake system con -
tinues to function normally, but without
the functions listed above . X
Drive a short distance with gentle bends at a
speed above 20 km/h.
The display message disappears when ESP ®
,
ABS, BAS, PRE–SAFE ®
*, hill start assist and
ESP ®
trailer stabilisation are available again. Practical advice
* optional
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