Instrument cluster, miles
Function Page
:
Fuel gauge
;
Speedometer 117
=
Segments 117
?
Multi-function display 119
A
Coolant temperature gauge
117 Function Page
B
Rev counter 117
C
Clock 132
D
Instrument cluster lighting
brightness control: turn
clockwise or anti-clockwise28
Instrument clusterAt a glance
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Indicator and warning lamps
Function Page
:
ESP
®
OFF 282
;
Diesel engine: preglow 105
=
Front foglamps 94
?
Rear foglamp 95
A
Turn signal lamp 96
B
ESP
® 282
C
Distance warning lamp* 281
D
Turn signal lamp 96
E
Seat belt 286
F
SRS
283 Function Page
G
Engine diagnostics 285
H
Brakes (red) 284
I
Tyre pressure* 286
J
Coolant 284
K
ABS 281
L
Dipped-beam headlamps 94
M
Main-beam headlamps 95
N
Brakes (yellow) 283
O
E 63 AMG: ESP
®
Sport 283
P
Reserve fuel 287Instrument cluster
29At a glance
* optional
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Never tamper with electronic components
and their software.
SRS (Supplemental Restraint System)
The SRS reduces the risk of occupants com-
ing into contact with the vehicle's interior in
the event of an accident. It can also reduce
the forces to which occupants are subjected
during an accident.
The SRS consists of:
R The 6 SRS warning lamp
R belt tensioners
R belt force limiters
R airbags
The 6 6 SRS warning lamp The SRS functions are checked regularly
when you turn on the ignition and when the
engine is running. Therefore, malfunctions
can be detected in good time.
The
6 SRS warning lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up when the ignition is switched
on. It goes out no later than a few seconds
after the engine is started. G
Risk of injury
If SRS is malfunctioning, individual systems
may be activated unintentionally or not be
deployed in the event of an accident with
heavy braking.
A malfunction has occurred if the 6SRS
warning lamp:
R does not light up when you switch on the
ignition
R does not go out after the engine has been
running for a few seconds
R lights up again once the engine is running
In this case, have SRS checked immediately
at a qualified specialist workshop. Triggering of belt tensioners, belt force
limiters and airbags In the event of a collision, the airbag control
unit evaluates important physical data such
as duration, direction and force of the vehicle
deceleration or acceleration. Based on the
evaluation of this data and in the event of lon-
gitudinal deceleration in a collision, the airbag
control unit pre-emptively triggers the belt
tensioners, depending on the rate of deceler-
ation, in the first stage.
i
The front belt tensioners can only be trig-
gered if the belt tongue is correctly
engaged in the seat belt buckle.
The front airbags are only deployed if there is
an even higher rate of vehicle deceleration in
a longitudinal direction.
Your vehicle has adaptive, dual stage front
airbags. When the first activation threshold is
reached, the front airbag is filled with enough
propellant gas to reduce the risk of injuries.
The front airbag is only fully inflated if a sec-
ond threshold is reached within a few milli-
seconds, due to the control unit having detec-
ted further deceleration.
Criteria for triggering belt tensioners and
airbags
In the first stage of a collision, the airbag con-
trol unit evaluates the duration and direction
of vehicle acceleration or deceleration in
order to determine whether it is necessary to
trigger the belt tensioner and/or airbag.
The belt tensioner and airbag triggering
thresholds are variable and are adapted to the
rate of deceleration of the vehicle. This proc-
ess is pre-emptive in nature as the airbag
must be deployed during – and not at the end
of – the collision.
i Airbags are not deployed in all types of
accidents. They are controlled by complex
sensor technology and evaluation logic.
This process is pre-emptive in nature as
airbag deployment must take place during
the impact and must be adapted to provide Occupant safety
37Safety
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R
interference by other radar sources
R strong radar reflections, for example in
multi-storey garages
BAS PLUS does not react to people or ani-
mals, oncoming vehicles and crossing traffic.
BAS PLUS may not detect narrow vehicles
such as motorcycles and vehicles driving on
a different line.
Following a collision or crash-related damage
to the front end of the vehicle, have the con-
figuration and operation of the radar sensors
checked at a Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.
If BAS PLUS is not available due to a malfunc-
tion in the radar sensor system, the braking
system remains available with full brake
boosting effect and BAS. Adaptive brake lamps
i Adaptive brake lamps are only available in
certain countries.
If you brake sharply from a speed of more
than 50 km/h or if braking is assisted by BAS
or BAS PLUS *,the brake lamps flash rapidly.
In this way, traffic travelling behind you is
warned in an even more noticeable manner.
If you brake sharply from a speed of more
than 70 km/h to a standstill, the hazard warn-
ing lamps are activated automatically. If the
brakes are applied again, the brake lamps
light up continuously. The hazard warning
lamps switch off automatically if you travel
faster than 10 km/h. You can also switch off
the hazard warning lamps using the hazard
warning switch button (Y page 96).ESP
®
(Electronic Stability Program)
ESP ®
monitors driving stability and traction,
i.e. power transmission between tyres and
the road surface.
If ESP ®
detects that the vehicle is deviating
from the direction desired by the driver, one
or more wheels are braked to stabilise the vehicle. If necessary, the engine output is also
modified to keep the vehicle on the desired
course within physical limits. 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 äwarning
lamp flashes in the instrument cluster. G
Risk of accident
If the ä warning lamp in the instrument
cluster flashes, proceed as follows:
R do not deactivate ESP ®
under any circum-
stances.
R only depress the accelerator pedal as far as
necessary when pulling away.
R adapt your driving style to suit the prevail-
ing road and weather conditions.
Otherwise, the vehicle could skid.
ESP ®
cannot reduce the risk of an accident if
you drive too fast. ESP ®
cannot override the
laws of physics.
! If the vehicle is to be towed with the front
or rear axle raised, the ignition must be
switched off (key in position 0or 1in the
ignition lock). Application of the brakes by
ESP ®
could otherwise destroy the brake
system on the front or rear axle.
! Vehicles with 4MATIC* may not be towed
with the front or rear axle raised.
i Only use wheels with the recommended
tyre sizes. Only then will ESP ®
function
properly.
ESP ®
trailer stabilisation If your trailer begins to lurch, you can only
stabilise the vehicle/trailer combination by
depressing the brake firmly.
In this situation, ESP ®
assists you and can
detect when the trailer begins to lurch.
ESP ®
slows the vehicle down by braking and 60
Driving safety systemsSafety
* optional
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limiting the engine output until the vehicle/
trailer combination has stabilised.
Trailer stabilisation is active above speeds of
about 65 km/h. G
Risk of accident
If road and weather conditions are poor,
trailer stabilisation will not be able to prevent
the trailer from swerving and will thus be
unable to reduce the risk of an accident. Trail-
ers with a high centre of gravity can tip over
before ESP ®
can detect this.
Trailer stabilisation does not work if ESP ®
is
deactivated or disabled because of a mal-
function.
ETS (Electronic Traction Support) Traction control is part of ESP
®
.
Traction control brakes the drive wheels indi-
vidually if they spin. This enables you to pull
away and accelerate on slippery surfaces, for
example, if the road surface is slippery on one
side.
Traction control remains active when you
deactivate ESP ®
. G
Risk of accident
Traction control cannot reduce the risk of an
accident if you drive too fast. Traction control
cannot override the laws of physics.
Activating/deactivating ESP ®
(except
E 63 AMG) ESP
®
is activated automatically when the
engine is running.
It may be best to deactivate ESP ®
in the fol-
lowing situations:
R when using snow chains
R in deep snow
R on sand or gravel G
Risk of accident
Activate ESP ®
as soon as the situations
described above no longer apply. ESP ®
will
otherwise not be able to stabilise the vehicle
if the vehicle starts to skid or a wheel starts
to spin.
If you deactivate ESP ®
:
R ESP ®
no longer improves driving stability.
R engine torque is not limited and the drive
wheels are able to spin. The spinning
wheels produce a cutting effect for better
traction.
R traction control is still activated.
R ESP ®
still provides support when you
brake.
i If ESP ®
is deactivated and one or more
wheels start to spin, the äwarning lamp
in the instrument cluster flashes. In such
situations, ESP ®
will not stabilise the vehi-
cle. X
To deactivate: press button:.
The å warning lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up. G
Risk of accident
If the å warning lamp in the instrument
cluster is lit when the engine is running,
ESP ®
is deactivated or not available due to a
malfunction. There is an increased risk of your
vehicle skidding in certain situations. Driving safety systems
61Safety
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You should always adapt your driving style to
suit prevailing road and weather conditions.
X To activate: press button :.
The å warning lamp in the instrument
cluster goes out.
E 63 AMG Activating/deactivating ESP
®
Sport
ESP ®
is activated automatically when the
engine is running.
It may be best to activate ESP ®
Sport in the
following situations:
R when using snow chains
R in deep snow
R on sand or gravel
Otherwise, you should only use ESP ®
Sport
on designated race circuits. G
Risk of accident
Deactivate ESP ®
Sport and activate ESP ®
as
soon as the situations described above no
longer apply. Otherwise, ESP ®
Sport will only
be able to stabilise the vehicle to a limited
degree if the vehicle starts to skid or a wheel
starts to spin.
If you activate ESP ®
Sport:
R ESP ®
only improves driving stability to a
limited degree.
R engine torque is only restricted to a limited
degree and the drive wheels are able to
spin. The spinning wheels produce a cut-
ting effect for better traction.
R traction control is still activated.
R ESP ®
still provides support when you brake
firmly.
i If ESP ®
Sport is activated and one or more
wheels start to spin, the äwarning lamp
in the instrument cluster flashes. ESP ®
only
stabilises the vehicle to a limited degree. X
To activate: briefly press the :button.
The ì warning lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up. The message ESP-SPORT
appears in the multi-function display.
X To deactivate: briefly press the :button.
The ì warning lamp in the instrument
cluster goes out. The message ESP-ON
appears in the multi-function display.
Activating/deactivating ESP ®
ESP ®
is activated automatically when the
engine is running.
It may be best to deactivate ESP ®
in the fol-
lowing situations:
R when using snow chains
R in deep snow
R on sand or gravel G
Risk of accident
Activate ESP ®
as soon as the situations
described above no longer apply. ESP ®
will
otherwise not be able to stabilise the vehicle
if the vehicle starts to skid or a wheel starts
to spin.
If you deactivate ESP ®
:
R ESP ®
no longer improves driving stability.
R engine torque is no longer limited and the
drive wheels are able to spin. The spinning
wheels produce a cutting effect for better
traction.
R traction control is still activated. 62
Driving safety systemsSafety
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R
ESP ®
still provides support when you brake
firmly.
R PRE-SAFE ®
is not available. It will also not
be activated if you brake firmly with the
assistance of ESP.
R PRE-SAFE ®
Brake* is not available. It will
also not be activated if you brake firmly
with the assistance of ESP ®
.
i If ESP ®
is deactivated and one or more
wheels start to spin, the äwarning lamp
in the instrument cluster does not flash. In
such situations, ESP ®
will not stabilise the
vehicle. X
To deactivate: press button:until the
å warning lamp lights up in the instru-
ment cluster.
The message ESP-OFFappears in the multi-
function display. G
Risk of accident
ESP ®
is deactivated if the åwarning lamp
in the instrument cluster lights up continu-
ously when the engine is running. There is an
increased risk of your vehicle skidding in cer-
tain situations.
You should always adapt your driving style to
suit prevailing road and weather conditions.
X To activate: briefly press the :button.
The å warning lamp in the instrument
cluster goes out. The message ESP-ON
appears in the multi-function display. EBV (electronic brake force distribu-
tion)
EBV monitors and controls the brake pres-
sure on the rear wheels to improve driving
stability when braking. G
Risk of accident
If EBV is malfunctioning, the brake system is
still available with full brake boosting effect.
However, the rear wheels can still lock, e.g.
under full braking. This could cause you to
lose control of your vehicle and cause an acci-
dent. You should therefore adapt your driving
style to the different handling characteristics. ADAPTIVE BRAKE
ADAPTIVE BRAKE enhances braking safety
and offers increased braking comfort. In addi-
tion to the braking function, ADAPTIVE BRAKE
also has the HOLD function (Y page 151) and
hill start assist (Y page 106). For further
information, see Driving tips (Y page 231). PRE-SAFE Brake
®
* (vehicles with Dis-
tronic Plus*)
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake can help you to minimise
the risk of a frontal collision with a vehicle
ahead or reduce the effects of such a colli-
sion.
This function will issue a warning at speeds of
around 30 km/h or more if:
R for a period of several seconds, the dis-
tance to the vehicle in front is too short for
the speed at which you are travelling. The
· distance warning lamp in the instru-
ment cluster lights up.
R you are approaching the vehicle in front too
rapidly. An intermittent warning tone
sounds and the ·distance warning
lamp lights up in the instrument cluster. Driving safety systems
63Safety
* optional
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Due to the nature of the system, particularly
complicated driving conditions may cause the
system to display an unnecessary warning. G
Risk of accident
Pay particular attention to the traffic condi-
tions if the ·distance warning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up or an intermittent
warning tone sounds. If necessary, brake or
manoeuvre to avoid an obstacle.
If the driver and passengers have fastened
their seat belts, PRE-SAFE ®
Brake can also
can also perform the following at speeds of
above approximately 30 km/h:
R brake the vehicle automatically from a
speed of up to around 200 km/h
R trigger preventative passenger protection
measures (PRE-SAFE ®
) G
Risk of accident
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake is only an aid to assist you
when driving. You are responsible for main-
taining a safe distance from other vehicles,
the vehicle's speed and for braking in good
time. Always pay attention to the traffic con-
ditions. Otherwise, you may recognise dan-
gers too late, cause an accident and injure
yourself and others.
With the help of the radar sensor system,
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake can detect obstacles that
are in front of your vehicle for an extended
period of time. If you approach an obstacle
and PRE-SAFE ®
Brake detects a risk of a col-
lision, the system will initially alert you both
visually and acoustically. If you do not brake
or steer, the vehicle will at first automatically
brake slightly. In the event of an increased
risk of a collision, PRE-SAFE ®
is activated
(Y page 42). If the risk of collision persists and
you do not brake, manoeuvre or accelerate
significantly yourself, an automatic full brake
application may be carried out. G
Risk of accident
Only clearly identified obstacles will trigger a
warning and initiate braking assistance by
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake.
In particular, the detection of obstacles can
be restricted if there is:
R dirt on the sensors or the sensors are cov-
ered
R snow or heavy rain
R interference by other radar sources
R the possibility of strong radar reflections,
for example in multi-storey car parks
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake does not react to persons,
animals, oncoming vehicles, crossing traffic
or when cornering.
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake may not detect narrow
vehicles such as motorcycles and vehicles
driving on a different line. G
Risk of accident
Depending on the current speed, PRE-SAFE ®
Brake decelerates your vehicle by up to
4 m/s 2
before performing possible emer-
gency braking. This is equivalent to approx-
imately 40 % of the maximum braking power
of the vehicle. You must also apply the brakes
yourself to limit the effects of the collision or
to avoid the collision. Automatic emergency
braking is not performed until immediately
prior to an accident in the event that you are
unable to avoid one by, for instance, taking
evasive action.
In order to maintain the appropriate distance
to the vehicle in front and thus prevent a
crash, you must apply the brakes yourself.
At speeds up to approximately 70 km/h,
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake can also detect stationary
obstacles, for example stopped or parked
vehicles. 64
Driving safety systemsSafety
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