2008 MERCEDES-BENZ S-Class sensor

480 Controls in detailDriving systems

Front area:
As soon as the first red segment lights
up, you will hear an intermittent warn-
ing tone for approximately two sec-
onds. Once the second red segment
lights up, you will hear a continuous
warning tone. You have reached the
minimum distance.


Rear area:
As soon as the first red segment lights
up, you will hear an intermittent warn-
ing tone for approximately two sec-
onds. Once the second red segment
lights up, you will hear a continuous
warning tone. You have reached the
minimum distance.Collision warning
Park Assist can detect obstacles from a
considerable distance. If you drive in re-
verse towards an obstacle, you will hear a
warning tone. You must then brake in or-
der to avoid a collision. The warning tone
for a collision will not sound when the vehi-
cle is at a standstill very close to the obsta-
cle. In this case, you will hear a
corresponding tone for the warning indica-
tor in the rear area.Switching Park Assist system on/off
The Park Assist system can be switched off
manually.
The Park Assist button with the indicator
lamp is located on the control panel on the
right-hand side of the instrument cluster.
1Park Assist button
2Indicator lamp
i
During strong rainfall, the warning indicators
and warning tones may be triggered, for exam-
ple, by water splashing into the area of the sen-
sors.
i
During strong rainfall, the collision warning
may be triggered, for example, by water splash-
ing into the area of the sensors.
i
When the indicator lamp is on, the Park
Assist system is switched off.

481 Controls in detail
Driving systems

Switching off Park Assist system:
Press button 1.
Indicator lamp 2 comes on.

Switching on Park Assist system:
Press button 1 again.
Indicator lamp 2 goes out.
Advanced Parking Guidance*
Advanced Parking Guidance is an electron-
ic parking aid equipped with radar sensors
that scan the area on both sides of vehicle.
When suitable parking space is found it is
shown in the display and you receive steer-
ing instructions for parking in that space.
i
The Park Assist system is automatically
switched on when the ignition (
page 370) and
radar sensors are switched on (page 307).
Warning!
G
Advanced Parking Guidance is only an aid
and may display parking spaces that are not
suitable e.g. due to parking regulations, un-
suitable road/ground surfaces, driveways,
entrances/exits, etc.
Advanced Parking Guidance only shows a
representation of the parking space in the
instrument cluster display as parking space
is first initially measured when driving past.
Subsequent changes to the parking space
are not taken into account, e.g. if the posi-
tion of the vehicle parked in front of or be-
hind the space changes or objects in the
parking space are moved. Moving objects
are not shown, e.g. pedestrians or vehicles
driving past. Advanced Parking Guidance
does not relieve you of the responsibility to
pay attention. If you only rely on Advanced
Parking Guidance, you may cause an acci-
dent and injure yourself and others.
You are always responsible for safety and
must continue to pay attention to your im-
mediate surroundings when parking and
maneuvering.

482 Controls in detailDriving systems
Use Advanced Parking Guidance for park-
ing spaces that are

parallel to the direction of travel


located on straight streets, i.e. not in
curves


on the same level as the street, i.e. not
on sidewalks, for example. Flat curbs
may possibly not be detected by Ad-
vanced Parking Guidance.
Parking instructions:


On narrow streets, drive by the parking
space as close as possible.


Parking spaces that are dirty, over-
grown or located in front of trailers may
not be detected correctly.


Also observe the Park Assist warning
indicator (
page 479) while Advanced
Parking Guidance is active.
Warning!
G
Make sure no persons or animals are in the
area in which you are maneuvering. You
could otherwise injure them.!
Special attention must be paid to objects
with smooth surfaces or low silhouettes (e.g.
trailer couplings, painted posts, elevated cross-
bars or road curbs). Such objects may not be de-
tected by the system and can damage the
vehicle.
i
USA only:
This device has been approved by the FCC as a
“Vehicular Radar System”. The radar sensor is
intended for use in an automotive radar system
only. Removal, tampering, or altering of the de-
vice will void any warranties, and is not permitted
by the FCC. Do not tamper with, alter, or use in
any non-approved way.
Any unauthorized modification to this device
could void the user’s authority to operate the
equipment.
i
Canada only:
This device complies with RSS-210 of Industry
Canada. Operation is subject to the following
two conditions:
(1) This device may not cause interference, and
(2) this device must accept any interference re-
ceived, including interference that may
cause undesired operation of the device.
Removal, tampering, or altering of the device will
void any warranties, and is not permitted. Do not
tamper with, alter, or use in any non-approved
way.
Any unauthorized modification to this device
could void the user’s authority to operate the
equipment.
!
The operation and functionality of the Ad-
vanced Parking Guidance* can be affected or im-
paired by dirty sensors, especially at times of
snow and ice.
Make sure that the area on the bumpers around
the sensors is free of dirt, ice and/or slush, oth-
erwise Advanced Parking Guidance* may not
function properly, see “Cleaning the driving sys-
tems sensors” (
page 620).

495 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Blind Spot Assist*
Blind Spot Assist uses radar sensors to
monitor the area on both sides of your ve-
hicle. It will assist you when you change
lanes driving at speeds of above 20 mph
(30 km/h). A warning will appear on the
outside rear view mirror as soon as anoth-
er vehicle is detected in the area being
monitored. If you then activate the corre-
sponding turn signals to change lanes, you
will see and hear a collision warning. Blind
Spot Assist operates using two sensors in
the front bumper and four sensors in the
rear bumper.In order for Blind Spot Assist to function,
the radar sensors must be switched on and
operational.
When travelling in Canada in a vehicle not
registered in Canada, you must switch off
the radar sensor system. Canadian law
does not permit the use of the radar sensor
system for vehicles from outside of Cana-
da. When you switch off the radar sensor
system, the following functions are deacti-
vated:


BAS Plus* (
page 70)


PRE-SAFE
® Brake* (
page 77)


DISTRONIC Plus* (
page 451)


Park Assist* (
page 476)


Advanced Parking Guidance*
(page 481)


Blind Spot Assist* (
page 495)
Warning!
G
Blind Spot Assist is only a driving aid and
may not detect all vehicles. It is the driver’s
responsibility at all times to be attentive to
road, weather and traffic conditions and to
provide the steering, braking and other driv-
ing inputs necessary to retain control of the
vehicle. Failure to do so could result in
recognizing dangers too late, possibly re-
sulting in an accident and serious injury to
yourself and others.
Warning!
G
Blind Spot Assist cannot detect road and
traffic conditions.
Blind Spot Assist may not be able to detect
narrow vehicles such as motorcycles or bi-
cycles, or it may not detect them until it is
too late.
The monitoring function may be impaired if
your sensors are dirty, subject to heavy
spray, or if visibility is poor due to e.g. snow,
rain, or fog. This can result in vehicles not
being detected or being detected too late.
It is the driver’s responsibility at all times to
be attentive to road, weather and traffic con-
ditions and to provide the steering, braking
and other driving inputs necessary to retain
control of the vehicle. Failure to do so could
result in recognizing dangers too late, possi-
bly resulting in an accident and serious inju-
ry to yourself and others.

496 Controls in detailDriving systemsSensor monitoring range
Blind Spot Assist is able to monitor a range
up to three meters to the rear and both
sides of the vehicle.
The Blind Spot Assist sensors are built into
t h e f r o n t a n d r e a r b u m p e r s . M a k e s u r e t h a t
the area of the bumpers around the sen-
sors is free of dirt, ice and snow. The radar
sensors must not be obstructed, for exam-
ple, by bicycle carriers or overhanging lug-
gage.
Warning!
G
Blind Spot Assist monitors certain areas in
the immediate vicinity of your vehicle. Vehi-
cles approaching and passing at increased
speeds will not be detected. There will be no
warning display and no audible warning.
When driving in a very wide lane, the sensors
may not be able to cover the entire width of
the neighboring lane. Vehicles driving on the
outside of the neighboring lane may not be
detected.
It is the driver’s responsibility at all times to
be attentive to road, weather and traffic con-
ditions and to provide the steering, braking
and other driving inputs necessary to retain
control of the vehicle. Failure to do so could
result in recognizing dangers too late, possi-
bly resulting in an accident and serious inju-
ry to yourself and others.
When driving in a very narrow lane, the sen-
sors may detect and display vehicles in the
second lane over. This will be the case if
there are vehicles driving on the inside edge
of their lane.!
In the event of a significant impact or dam-
age affecting the bumpers, have the radar sen-
sors checked by a qualified specialist workshop
such as a Mercedes-Benz Center. Failure to do
this can result in Blind Spot Assist not function-
ing correctly.

497 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Indicator and warning lamps
1Yellow indicator lamp/red warning
lamp
Switching on: Make sure that the ra-
dar sensors (
page 307) and Blind
Spot Assist (
page 304) are switched
on.
With the ignition switched on, the warn-
ing lamp1 in the exterior mirror lights
up red.
With the engine running, the indicator
lamp1 in the exterior mirror lights up
yellow up to a speed of 20 mph
(30 km/h).Once a speed above 20 mph (30 km/h)
has been reached and


Blind Spot Assist detects no vehicle in
its range, the indicator lamp1 goes
out


Blind Spot Assist detects another vehi-
cle in its range, the warning lamp1 on
the corresponding side of the vehicle
turns red.Collision warning
If a vehicle is detected in the Blind Spot As-
sist range and you activate the turn signal,
a two-tone warning will sound and the red
warning lamp1 will flash.

Remain on the lane that you are cur-
rently on until traffic conditions permit
to change.
If the turn signal remains on, the red warn-
ing lamp1 will flash to indicate that vehi-
cles have been detected. No further
audible warnings will sound.
Warning!
G
Blind Spot Assist is not active at speeds be-
low approximately 20 mph (30 km/h). You
will not be alerted to the presence of vehi-
cles in the monitored area at these speeds.
It is the driver’s responsibility at all times to
be attentive to road, weather and traffic con-
ditions and to provide the steering, braking
and other driving inputs necessary to retain
control of the vehicle. Failure to do so could
result in recognizing dangers too late, possi-
bly resulting in an accident and serious inju-
ry to yourself and others.
Warning!
G
Do not change lanes or make turns, while
the red warning lamp
1
is flashing. Doing
so could result in an accident and seroius in-
jury to yourself and others.

556 Controls in detailUseful featuresInfrared reflecting windshield
Infrared reflecting glass reduces the
amount of radiated heat entering the vehi-
cle interior through the windows.
The infrared reflecting glass also prevents
the transmission of signals through the
glass by in-vehicle electronic devices
(e.g. electronic toll collection devices).
To allow the use of these devices in the ve-
hicle, transparent areas 1 and 3 are
placed in the windshield.
You can see them from certain angles
when ambient light condition permit.
Vehicles without Night View Assist*1Transparent area (located left and right
to the cover of the rain light sensor)
2Cover of the rain light sensor
3Transparent area
Vehicles with Night View Assist*1Transparent area (located left to the
cover of the rain light sensor)
2Cover of the rain light sensor
3Transparent area

568 OperationDriving instructionsCatalytic converter
Your Mercedes-Benz is equipped with
monolithic-type catalytic converters, an
important element in conjunction with the
oxygen sensors to achieve substantial con-
trol of the pollutants in the exhaust emis-
sions. Keep your vehicle in proper
operating condition by following our rec-
ommended maintenance instructions as
outlined in your Maintenance Booklet.
Emission control
Certain systems of the engine and the
emission control system serve to keep the
toxic components of the exhaust gases
within permissible limits required by law.
These systems will function properly only
when maintained strictly according to fac-
tory specifications. Any adjustments on
the engine should, therefore, be carried
out only by qualified Mercedes-Benz Cen-
ter authorized technicians.
Engine adjustments should not be altered
in any way. The specified service proce-
dures must be carried out regularly accord-
ing to Mercedes-Benz servicing
requirements. For details please refer to
the Maintenance Booklet.
!
To prevent damage to the catalytic convert-
ers, only use premium unleaded gasoline in this
vehicle.
Any noticeable irregularities in engine operation
should be repaired promptly. Otherwise, exces-
sive unburned fuel may reach the catalytic con-
verter, causing it to overheat and potentially
start a fire.
Warning!
G
As with any vehicle, do not idle, park or op-
erate this vehicle in areas where combusti-
ble 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.