2008 MERCEDES-BENZ B-CLASS HATCHBACK parking brake

Driving and pa
rking 86 Driving and parking
Starting the engine
G
Risk of accident
Do not keep any objects in the driver's foot-
well. If you use a floormat or carpet in the
driver's footwell, make sure that they are
correctly secured and that there is suffi-
cient clearance for the pedals.
Objects could otherwise get between the
pedals in the event of sudden braking or
acceleration. You may then no longer be
able to brake, change gear or accelerate as
intended. This may result in an accident and
injury. G
Risk of poisoning
Never leave the engine running in enclosed
spaces. The exhaust gases contain carbon
monoxide. Inhaling exhaust fumes consti-
tutes a health hazard and could lead to loss
of consciousness or even death.
! Do not depress the accelerator pedal
when starting the engine. i
If you depress the brake when starting the
engine, pedal travel will be unusually long
and there will be less pedal resistance.
Manual transmission Vehicles without ECO Start-Stop-Function*
Vehicles with ECO Start-Stop-Function* X
Depress the brake pedal.
X Depress the clutch pedal.
X Shift to neutral.
X Start the engine.
Further information about the manual trans-
mission (Y page 91). Cont
rols
* optional
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Driving and pa
rking 87
AUTOTRONIC*
P
Park position with selector lever lock
R To select reverse gear
N To select neutral
D Drive position
X Before starting, make sure Pis selected.
i The engine can also be started when the
selector lever is in position N.
Further information about AUTOTRONIC
(Y page 92).
Starting the engine i
Vehicles with AUTOTRONIC*:
You can also use the touch-start function.
To do this, turn the key to position 3and release it immediately. The engine then
starts automatically.
X To start a petrol engine: turn the key to
position 3in the ignition lock (Y page 62)
and release it as soon as the engine is run-
ning.
X To start a diesel engine: turn the key to
position 2in the ignition lock (Y page 62).
The q preglow indicator lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up.
X When the qpreglow indicator lamp
goes out, turn the key to position 3and
release it as soon as the engine is running.
i You can start the engine without preglow
if the engine is warm.
X Release the parking brake (Y page 89). Automatic engine start (ECO start/
stop function*)
The ECO start/stop function automatically
switches on the engine as soon as you pre-
pare to pull away, e.g. by engaging a gear.
X Depress the clutch pedal.
The engine starts automatically.
X Shift to either first or reverse gear and pull
away.
! Do not engage a gear without depressing
the clutch as this disables the automatic
engine start function. As a result, the bat-
tery cannot be recharged and the demister
function of Thermotronic* is not available.
i When manoeuvring in and out of parking
spaces, the ECO start/stop function will
not automatically switch off the vehicle's
engine. The engine will only be switched off
automatically if the vehicle has reached a
speed of at least 15 km/h before coming
to a standstill again.
i The system can differentiate between
starting the engine with the key and the
automatic engine start via the ECO start/
stop function. Controls
* optional
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Driving and pa
rking 88 Pulling away
! Warm up the engine quickly. Do not use
the engine's full performance until it has
reached operating temperature.
Only shift into reverse gear when the vehi-
cle is stationary.
Where possible, avoid spinning the drive
wheels when pulling away on slippery
roads. Otherwise, you could damage the
drive train.
i The vehicle locks centrally once you have
pulled away. The locking knobs in the doors
drop down.
You can open the doors from the inside at
any time.
You can also deactivate the automatic lock-
ing feature (Y page 110).
Manual transmission X
Depress the brake pedal.
X Depress the clutch pedal.
X Shift to either first or reverse gear.
X Release the parking brake (Y page 89).
X Slowly release the clutch pedal and
depress the accelerator pedal. !
Change gear in good time and avoid spin-
ning the wheels. Otherwise, you could dam-
age the vehicle.
AUTOTRONIC* i
It is only possible to move the selector
lever to the desired position if you depress
the brake pedal. Only then is the selector
lever lock released.
X Depress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
The selector lever lock is released.
X Release the parking brake.
X Move the selector lever to position Dor R.
i Wait until the shift process is completed
before pulling away.
X Release the brake pedal.
X Carefully depress the accelerator pedal.
i Upshifts take place at higher engine
speeds after a cold start. This helps the
catalytic converter to reach its operating
temperature more quickly. Hill start assist Hill start assist helps you when pulling away
on uphill gradients. It holds the vehicle for a
short time after you have removed your foot
from the brake pedal. This gives you enough
time to move your foot from the brake pedal
to the accelerator pedal and depress it before
the vehicle begins to roll.
G
Risk of accident
Never leave the vehicle when it is held by
hill start assist. After approximately one
second, hill start assist will no longer brake
your vehicle and it could roll away.
X Remove your foot from the brake pedal.
i Once you have taken your foot off the
brake pedal, the vehicle is held for around
one second.
X Pull away.
Hill start assist does not function if:
R you are pulling away on a level road or a
downhill gradient.
R on vehicles with AUTOTRONIC *,the selec-
tor lever is in the Nposition. Controls
* optional
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Driving and pa
rking 89
R
the vehicle is secured with the parking
brake.
R ESP ®
is malfunctioning. Parking
G
Risk of accident
Only remove the key from the ignition lock
when the vehicle is stationary, as you can-
not steer the vehicle with the key removed.
Never leave children unsupervised in the
vehicle. They could release the parking
brake. This could lead to a serious or fatal
accident. G
Risk of fire
Make sure that the exhaust system does
not under any circumstances come into
contact with easily ignitable material such
as dry grass or petrol. The material could
otherwise ignite and set the vehicle on fire. Parking brake 1
Parking brake
2 Release button
X To apply: pull parking brake 1up firmly.
The 3 warning lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up if the engine is running.
i On steep slopes, turn the front wheels
towards the kerb. X
To release: depress the brake pedal and
keep it depressed.
On vehicles with AUTOTRONIC*, the selec-
tor lever lock is released.
X Press release button 2on parking brake
1 and move the parking brake down to the
stop.
The 3 warning lamp in the instrument
cluster goes out. Switching off the engine
G
Risk of accident
If the engine is not running, there is no
power assistance for the steering and
brakes. Steering and braking will then
require significantly greater effort.
As a result, you might lose control of the
vehicle, cause an accident and injure your-
self and others.
Do not switch off the engine while driving.
Vehicles with manual transmission X
Shift to either first or reverse gear.
X Turn the key to position 0(Y page 62) in
the ignition lock and remove it.
The immobiliser is activated. Controls
* optional
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Driving sys
tems 114 Driving systems
Overview of driving systems
The vehicle's driving systems are described
on the following pages:
R Cruise control* and Speedtronic*, which
are used to control the speed of the vehicle
R Parktronic* and active parking assist*,
which can help you to find a parking space,
to manoeuvre and park
R ECO Start-Stop function*, helps you to
save fuel
The ABS, BAS, adaptive brake lights, ESP ®
and STEER CONTROL driving safety systems
are described in the "Driving safety systems"
section ( Ypage 55). Cruise control*
Cruise control maintains a constant road
speed for you. You must select a low gear in
good time on long and steep downhill gradi-
ents, especially if the vehicle is laden or tow-
ing a trailer. By doing so 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
Never depress the brake pedal continu-
ously while the vehicle is in motion, e.g.
never cause the brakes to rub by applying
constant slight pedal pressure. This causes
the brake system to overheat, increases
the braking distance and can lead to the
brakes failing completely. G
Risk of accident
Do not change down for additional engine
braking on a slippery road surface. This
could cause the drive wheels to lose their
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 road
and traffic conditions.
Always pay attention to traffic conditions
even when cruise control is activated.
Cruise control is only an aid designed to
assist driving. You are responsible for the
vehicle's speed and for braking in good
time. G
Risk of accident
Do not use cruise control:
R in road and traffic conditions which do
not allow you to maintain a constant
speed (e.g. heavy traffic or winding
roads). You could otherwise cause an
accident.
R on slippery roads. Braking or accelerat-
ing could cause the drive wheels to lose
traction and the vehicle could then skid.
R when there is poor visibility, e.g. due to
fog, heavy rain or snow
Cruise control lever You can operate cruise control and variable
Speedtronic with the cruise control lever.Controls
* optional
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Driving sys
tems 119
Permanent Speedtronic* You can use the on-board computer to limit
the speed permanently to a value between
160 km/h (e.g. for driving with winter tyres)
and the maximum speed.
Just before the stored speed is reached, it
appears in the multi-function display.
You cannot exceed the stored limit speed,
even if you depress the accelerator pedal
beyond the pressure point (kickdown).
Setting permanent Speedtronic
X Press èor· to select the Set-
tings menu (Y page 105).
X Press the jbutton to call up the selec-
tion of submenus.
X Press the æorç button to select the
Vehicle submenu.
X Press jto select Speed limit
(tyres). X
Press the æorç button to select the
desired setting.
The following settings can be selected:
R Off
Permanent Speedtronic is deactivated.
R A limit speed between 230 km/hand
160 km/h in increments of 10 km/h
X To select a different display, press the
j, èorÿ button. Parktronic*
G
Risk of accident
Parktronic is only an aid and may not detect
all obstacles. It is not a substitute for atten-
tive driving.
You are always responsible for safety and
must continue to pay attention to your
immediate surroundings when parking and
manoeuvring. You could, otherwise, endan-
ger yourself and others. G
Risk of injury
Make sure that no persons or animals are
in the manoeuvring range. Otherwise, they
could be injured.
Parktronic is an electronic parking aid using
ultrasound. It indicates visually and audibly
the distance between your vehicle and an
object.
Parktronic is automatically activated when
you switch on the ignition and release the
handbrake.
Parktronic is deactivated at speeds above
18 km/h. It is reactivated at lower speeds.
Parktronic monitors the area around your
vehicle using six sensors in the front bumper
and four sensors in the rear bumper. Controls
* optional
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Driving sys
tems 1201
Example: sensors in the front bumper,
left-hand side
Range of the sensors The sensors must be free of dirt, ice and
slush, otherwise they may not function cor-
rectly. Clean the sensors regularly, taking
care not to scratch or damage them
(Y page 196). Side view Top view
Front sensors
Centre Approximately 100 cm
Corners Approximately 80 cm
Rear sensors
Centre Approximately 120 cm
Corners Approximately 80 cm
!
When parking, pay particular attention to
objects above or below the sensors, such
as flower pots or trailer towbars. Parktronic
does not detect such objects when they are
in the immediate vicinity of the vehicle. You
could damage the vehicle or the objects. Ultrasonic sources such as an automatic
car wash, a lorry's compressed-air brake
system or a pneumatic drill could cause
Parktronic to malfunction.
Minimum distance Centre Approximately 20 cm
Corners Approximately 20 cm
If there is an obstacle within this range, all
warning displays light up and a tone sounds.
If the distance falls below the minimum clear-
ance, it may no longer be shown.
Warning displays
The warning displays show the distance
between the sensors and the obstacle. The
warning display for the front area is located
on the dashboard above the centre air vents.
The warning display for the rear area is loca-
ted on the roof lining in the rear compart-
ment.Controls
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Driving sys
tems 124Example: Parking space detected
1
Detected parking space on the left
2 Parking symbol
3 Detected parking space on the right
Active parking assist will only detect parking
spaces:
R that are parallel to the direction of travel.
R that are at least 1.5 m wide.
R that are at least 1.3 m longer than your
vehicle.
A parking space is displayed while you are
driving past it, and until you are approx. 15 m
away from it. Parking G
Risk of accident
Parktronic and Active parking assist are
merely parking aids and may not detect all
obstacles. They do not relieve you of the
responsibility of paying attention.
You are always responsible for safety and
must continue to pay attention to your
immediate surroundings when parking and
manoeuvring. You could otherwise endan-
ger yourself and others.
X Stop the vehicle when the parking space
symbol shows the desired parking space in
the instrument cluster.
X Vehicles with manual transmission: Shift to
reverse gear.
Vehicles with AUTOTRONIC*: move the
selector lever to position R.
On the multi-function display, the message:
Park Assist Activate? Check vehi-
cle surroundings Yes: No: appearsX
To cancel the procedure: press the k
button on the multi-function steering wheel
or pull away.
or
X To park using active parking assist: press
the j button on the multi-function
steering wheel.
On the multi-function display, the message:
Park Assist active Please acceler-
ate and brake the vehicle yourself
appears G
Risk of accident
When parking, you need to make sure that
no obstacles are located in the vicinity of
the vehicle during the entire operation.
Active parking assist does not relieve you
of the responsibility of paying attention. It
merely aids you by intervening actively in
the steering.
To stop the vehicle or avoid an accident you
need to apply the brakes yourself.
X Let go of the multi-function steering wheel.
X Reverse the car, being ready to brake at all
times. When reversing, do not exceed a
speed of approx.10 km/h, otherwise active
parking assist will be deactivated. Controls
* optional
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