
G
Risk of accident
Distronic Plus cannot take account of road
and traffic conditions. If Distronic does not
recognise or no longer recognises the vehicle
in front, do not activate Distronic or, if it is
already active, deactivate it. This is especially
the case:
R before corners
R in filter lanes
R when changing to a lane with faster moving
traffic
R in complex driving situations or where the
lanes are diverted, e.g. at roadworks on a
motorway
Otherwise, Distronic Plus maintains the cur-
rent speed or accelerates up to the set speed.
Distronic Plus cannot take account of weather
conditions. Deactivate, or do not activate,
Distronic Plus:
R if the roads are slippery, snow-covered or
icy. The wheels could lose their grip when
braking or accelerating. The vehicle could
start to skid.
R if the sensors are dirty or there is poor vis-
ibility, e.g. due to snow, rain or fog. Dis-
tance control may be impaired.
Always pay attention to traffic conditions
even when Distronic Plus is activated. Other-
wise, you may fail to recognise dangers in
time, could cause an accident and injure your-
self and others.
! You must deactivate the radar sensor sys-
tem in certain countries and near radio
telescope facilities. Further information
can be found in the index under "Radar
sensor system".
Vehicles with COMAND and navigation sys-
tem*: you must deactivate the radar sensor
system near radio telescope facilities
(Y page 411). If you want Distronic Plus to assist you, the
radar sensor system must be activated and
operational.
If no car is driving in front of you, Distronic
Plus works like cruise control in the speed
range between 30 km/h and 200 km/h. If a
vehicle is driving in front of you, Distronic Plus
works in the speed range between 0 km/h
and 200 km/h.
Do not use Distronic Plus while driving on
roads with steep gradients.
G
Risk of accident
Distronic Plus brakes your vehicle at a maxi-
mum of 4m/s2
depending on its speed. This
corresponds to approximately 40% of your
vehicle's maximum brake force. You must
also apply the brakes yourself if this braking
power is not sufficient.
If Distronic Plus detects a risk of collision with
a vehicle in front, an intermittent warning tone
sounds. In addition, the ·distance warn-
ing lamp in the instrument cluster lights up.
Brake to avoid a collision.
Cruise control lever With the cruise control lever you can operate
Distronic Plus and variable Speedtronic.
The LIM indicator lamp on the cruise control
lever indicates which system you have selec-
ted:
R
LIM indicator lamp off:
Distronic Plus is selected.
R LIM indicator lamp lit:
Variable Speedtronic is selected. 236
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Deactivating Distronic Plus
There are several ways to deactivate Dis-
tronic Plus:
X
Briefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards :.
or
X Brake, unless the vehicle is stationary.
or
X Briefly press the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow =.
Variable Speedtronic is selected. LIM indi-
cator lamp ;in the cruise control lever
lights up.
i The last speed stored remains stored until
you switch off the engine.
i Distronic Plus is not deactivated if you
depress the accelerator pedal. If you accel-
erate briefly to overtake, Distronic Plus
adjusts the vehicle's speed to the last
speed stored after you have finished over-
taking.
Distronic Plus is automatically deactivated if:
R you engage the electric parking brake or if
the vehicle is automatically secured with
the electric parking brake
R you are driving slower than 25 km/h and
there is no vehicle in front, or the vehicle in
front is no longer detected
R ESP ®
intervenes or you deactivate ESP ®R
you shift the automatic transmission to N,
P or R
R the vehicle is near a radio telescope facility:
only vehicles with COMAND and a naviga-
tion system* (Y page 411).
If Distronic Plus is deactivated, you will hear
a warning tone. You will see the DISTRONIC
PLUS off message in the multi-function dis-
play for approximately five seconds
Tips for driving with Distronic Plus The following contains descriptions of certain
road and traffic conditions in which you must
be particularly attentive. In such situations,
brake if necessary. Distronic Plus is then
deactivated.
Cornering, entering and exiting a bend The ability of Distronic Plus to detect vehicles
when cornering is limited. Your vehicle may
brake unexpectedly or too late.
Vehicles travelling on a different line Driving syste
ms
241Controls
* option al
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Sports tuning
The firmer suspension tuning in sports mode
ensures even better contact with the road.
Select this mode if you prefer firm suspension
tuning.
X
If indicator lamp ;
; is off: press but-
ton :.
Indicator lamp ;lights up. You have selec-
ted the suspension for a sporty driving
style.
The ABC Active Body Control SPORT
message appears in the multi-function dis-
play.
Comfort tuning
In comfort mode, the driving characteristics
of your vehicle are more comfortable. Select
this mode if you prefer comfortable handling.
X If indicator lamp ; ;is on: press but-
ton :.
Indicator lamp ;goes out. You have selec-
ted the suspension for a comfortable driv-
ing style.
The ABC Active Body Control COM‐
FORT message appears in the multi-func-
tion display. 4MATIC* (permanent four-wheel
drive)
4MATIC ensures that all four wheels are per-
manently driven. Together with ESP ®
, it
improves the traction of your vehicle when- ever a drive wheel spins due to insufficient
grip. G
Risk of accident
4MATIC cannot reduce the risk of an accident
if you drive too fast.
If a drive wheel spins due to insufficient grip:
R only depress the accelerator pedal as far as
necessary when pulling away.
R accelerate less when driving.
R adapt your driving style to suit road and
traffic conditions.
i In wintry driving conditions, the maximum
effect of 4MATIC can only be achieved if
you use winter tyres (M+S tyres), with snow
chains if necessary. PARKTRONIC
G
Risk of accident
PARKTRONIC is only an aid and may not
detect all obstacles. It does not relieve you of
the responsibility of paying attention.
You are always responsible for safety and
must continue to pay attention to your imme-
diate surroundings when parking and
manoeuvring. You could otherwise endanger
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 with
ultrasound. It assists you when parking by
displaying the distance between your vehicle
and an obstacle. It also emits a warning tone
when you approach an obstacle.
PARKTRONIC is activated automatically when
you switch on the ignition, release the electric
parking brake or start the engine and shift the
automatic transmission to D,Ror N. Driving systems
249Controls
* optional
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PARKTRONIC is deactivated at speeds above
18 km/h. PARKTRONIC is reactivated at
lower speeds. PARKTRONIC is deactivated
when you shift the automatic transmission to
P or engage the electric parking brake and
switch off the engine.
PARKTRONIC monitors the area around your
vehicle using six sensors in the front bumper
and four sensors in the rear bumper. :
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. Side view Top view
Front sensors
Centre Approximately 100 cm
Corners Approximately 60 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. PARK-
TRONIC 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.250
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Warning displays
The warning displays show the distance
between the sensors and the obstacle. The
warning display for the front area is in the
instrument cluster. The warning display for
the rear area is located on the roof lining in
the rear compartment.
Warning display for front area
:
Left-hand side of the vehicle
; Right-hand side of the vehicle
= Operational readiness symbols
The warning display for each side of the vehi-
cle is divided into five yellow and two red seg-
ments. PARKTRONIC is operational if the yel-
low operational readiness symbols =light
up.
The automatic transmission position deter-
mines which warning display is active when
the engine is running: Automatic trans-
mission position Warning display
D
Front area activated
R
Rear and front areas
activated
N
If electric parking
brake is engaged:
none
If electric parking
brake is released:
rear and front areas
are activated
P
No areas activated One or more segments light up as the vehicle
approaches an obstacle, depending on the
vehicle's distance to the obstacle. When the
first red segment lights up, you hear an inter-
mittent warning for about two seconds. From
the second red segment, you hear a continu-
ous warning. You have reached the minimum
distance.
Activating/deactivating PARKTRONIC
:
To deactivate/activate PARKTRONIC
; Indicator lamp
PARKTRONIC is deactivated if indicator
lamp ;is lit. Park Assist*
G
Risk of accident
Park Assist is only an aid and may not detect
all obstacles. Park Assist may not be able to
detect objects in corners or on smooth surfa-
ces. Park Assist does not relieve you of the
responsibility to pay attention.
You are always responsible for safety and
must continue to pay attention to your imme-
diate surroundings when parking and
manoeuvring. Otherwise, you could endanger
yourself and others. G
Risk of injury
Make sure that no persons or animals are in
the manoeuvring range. Otherwise, they
could be injured. Driving systems
251Controls
* optional
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the area around the sensors, as Park Assist
may not work properly otherwise.
Warning displays The warning displays show the distance
between the sensors and the obstacle. The
warning display for the front area is in the
instrument cluster. The warning display for
the rear area is in the roof trim at the rear. Front area warning display
1
Left-hand side of the vehicle
2 Right-hand side of the vehicle
3 Operational readiness symbols
The warning display for each side of the vehi-
cle is divided into five yellow and two red seg-
ments. Park Assist is operational when yellow
operational readiness symbols 3light up.
The automatic transmission position deter-
mines which warning display is active: Automatic
transmis-
sion position Display range
D
Front area warning display
activated
R
Front and rear areas acti-
vated
N
If electric parking brake is
engaged: none
If electric parking brake is
released: front and rear
areas are activated P
No areas activated One or more segments light up as the vehicle
approaches an obstacle, depending on the
vehicle's distance to the obstacle. When the
first red segment lights up, you hear an inter-
mittent warning for about two seconds. From
the second red segment, you hear a continu-
ous warning. You have reached the minimum
distance.
i
In heavy rain, the warning displays and
tones can be triggered by, for example,
water running past the sensors.
Collision warning Park Assist detects obstacles from some dis-
tance. If you reverse towards an obstacle you
will hear a warning tone. You must brake to
avoid a collision. The collision warning tone
does not sound if you are very close to the
obstacle. Instead, you will hear the corre-
sponding warning tone for the rear area warn-
ing indicator.
i In heavy rain, the collision warning can be
triggered by, for example, water running
past the sensors.
Deactivating and activating X
Press button 1.
Park Assist is deactivated if indicator lamp
2 is lit. Driving systems
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Information and warning display
:
Yellow indicator lamp/red warning lamp
When you turn the key to position 2in the
ignition lock, warning lamps :in the exterior
mirrors light up red.
If Blind Spot Assist is switched on and the
engine is running, indicator lamps :in the
exterior mirrors light up yellow up to a speed
of 30 km/h. At speeds above 30 km/h, the
indicator lamp goes out and Blind Spot Assist
is operational.
If a vehicle is detected within the monitoring
range of Blind Spot Assist at speeds above
30 km/h, warning lamp :on the corre-
sponding side lights up red.
The yellow indicator lamp goes out three sec-
onds after reverse gear is engaged. In this
event, Blind-Spot Assist is no longer active.
The brightness of the indicator/warning
lamps is adjusted automatically according to
the ambient light. G
Risk of accident
Blind Spot Assist is not active at speeds below
30 km/h, and the indicator lamps in the exte-
rior mirrors are yellow. Vehicles in the moni-
toring range are then not indicated.
Always pay attention to traffic conditions and
your surroundings. Otherwise, you may fail to
recognise dangers in time, could cause an
accident and injure yourself and others. Collision warning If a vehicle is detected in the monitoring range
of Blind Spot Assist and you switch on the turn
signal, a double warning tone sounds. Red
warning lamp
:flashes. If the turn signal
remains on, detected vehicles are indicated
by the flashing of red warning lamp :. There
are no further warning tones.
Activating X
Make sure that the radar sensor system
(Y page 226) and Blind Spot Assist
(Y page 224) are activated in the on-board
computer.
X Turn the key to position 2in the ignition
lock.
Red warning lamps :in the exterior mir-
rors are lit.
X Start the engine.
Warning lamps :in the exterior mirrors
now light up yellow. Air conditioning
General notes
The automatic air conditioning controls the
temperature and the humidity of the vehicle
interior and filters out undesirable substan-
ces from the air.
The automatic air conditioning is only opera-
tional when the engine is running. 31
Optimum
operation is only achieved when you drive
with the side windows and sliding/tilting sun-
roof closed.
i Ventilate the vehicle for a brief period
during warm weather, e.g. using the con-
venience opening feature (Y page 201).
This will speed up the cooling process and
the desired vehicle interior temperature
will be reached more quickly.
31 The "residual heat" function can only be switched on/off if the ignition is switched off. 262
Air conditioningCont
rols
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Display messages
Possible causes/consequences and
X
X Solutions # The alternator or vehicle's electrical system is faulty.
The battery is not being charged.
X
Pull over and stop the vehicle safely, paying attention to
road and traffic conditions and leave the engine running.
X Open the bonnet.
X Check whether the poly-V-belt is torn.
If the poly-V-belt is torn:
! Do not continue driving. The engine could otherwise over-
heat.
X Switch off the engine.
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop.
If the poly-V-belt is intact:
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop. ? The engine fan is faulty.
X
Make sure that the coolant temperature does not exceed
120 †.
X Avoid subjecting the engine to heavy loads (e.g. driving in
mountainous terrain) and stop-and-go driving.
X Drive to the nearest qualified specialist workshop. J ABS and
ESP inop‐
erative
See Own‐
er's Man‐
ual
G
Risk of accident
ABS (Anti-lock Braking System), ESP ®
(Electronic Stability
Program), BAS (Brake Assist), PRE-SAFE ®
, HOLD, hill start
assist, the adaptive brake lights and ESP ®
trailer stabilisation
are unavailable due to a malfunction. In addition, the ÷,
å and! warning lamps light up in the instrument clus-
ter. The brake system continues to function normally, but
without the functions listed above.
BAS PLUS* (Brake Assist PLUS) and PRE-SAFE ®
Brake *may
be inoperative as well.
X Drive on carefully.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop. Display messages
331Practical advice
* optional
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