GWarning!
If the ABS malfunctions, other driving safety
systems such as the BAS or the ESC are also
switched off. Observe indicator and warning
lamps that may come on as well as messages
in the multifunction display that may appear.
If the ABS malfunctions, the wheels may lock
during hard braking, reducing steering
capability and extending the braking distance.
BAS
GObserve Safety notes, see page 62.
The Brake Assist System (BAS) operates in
emergency situations. If you apply the brakes
very quickly, the BAS provides full brake
boost automatically, thereby potentially
reducing the braking distance.
XApply continuous full braking pressure until
the emergency braking situation is over.
The ABS will prevent the wheels from
locking.
When you release the brake pedal, the brakes
function again as normal. The BAS is then
deactivated.
GWarning!
If the BAS malfunctions, the brake system still
functions, but without the additional brake
boost available that the BAS would normally
provide in an emergency braking maneuver.
Therefore, the braking distance may increase.
BAS PLUS
The Brake Assist System PLUS (BAS PLUS)
operates in emergency braking situations and
uses radar sensors to assess the traffic
situation. BAS PLUS assists you in braking at
speeds above approximately 20 mph
(30 km/h).
When traveling in Canada in a vehicle not
registered in Canada, you must switch off the
radar sensor system ( Y page 144). Canadian
law does not permit the use of the radar
sensor system for vehicles from outside of
Canada.
When you switch off the radar system, the
following functions are deactivated:
R BAS PLUS
R PRE-SAFE ®
Brake ( Y page 69)
R DISTRONIC PLUS ( Y page 149)GWarning!
BAS PLUS is a convenience system designed
to assist the driver during vehicle operation.
The responsibility for the vehicle speed and
the distance to the vehicle ahead, including
most importantly brake operation to assure
safe stopping distance, always remains with
the driver.
Always pay attention to traffic conditions
even while BAS PLUS is switched on.
Otherwise, you may not be able to recognize
dangerous situations until it is too late and
could cause an accident. Personal or fatal
injury to you or others may be the result.
i 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 device 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.
BAS PLUS detects obstacles that are in your
driving path for a sufficient period of time to
permit the system to recognize these
obstacles. If you approach the detected
obstacle quickly, BAS PLUS calculates the
level of brake power boost appropriate for the
circumstance to supply when the driver
applies the brakes.
When you step quickly on the brake pedal in
an emergency braking situation, BAS PLUS
automatically regulates the brake power
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boost to a level that is suitable for the traffic
situation.
If BAS PLUS requires a particularly high brake
power boost, PRE-SAFE ®
is activated at the
same time.XKeep constant pressure on the brake pedal
until the emergency braking situation is
over.
During this process, the ABS prevents the
wheels from locking up.
The brakes will resume normal operation
after
R the brake pedal is released
R no obstacles are detected in your path
R the system no longer senses a risk of a
collision
BAS PLUS is then deactivated.
BAS PLUS can react to stationary obstacles
such as standing or parked vehicles at road
speeds of up to approximately 40 mph
(70 km/h).
BAS PLUS can only assist you when the radar
sensors are switched on and functional. You
can check whether the sensors are active by
switching on DISTRONIC PLUS
( Y page 149) or using the Radar sensors
function in the instrument cluster control
system.
GWarning!
BAS PLUS will only respond with brake
assistance if it has clearly detected an object.
Detection can be impeded by
R dirty or covered sensors
R snowfall or heavy rain
R disturbance from other radar sources
R strong radar reflection such as in parking
garages
BAS PLUS uses radar signals that are not
reflected well by narrow objects and
absorptive materials. For this reason BAS
PLUS will not react to persons, animals, and
approaching traffic or cross-traffic.
BAS PLUS may not detect narrow vehicles
driving in front of you, such as motorcycles
and vehicles driving offset from your vehicle
center.
After a hard collision or damage to the front
of the vehicle from an accident, have the
adjustment and operation of the radar
sensors checked by an authorized Mercedes-
Benz Center.
If BAS PLUS is not available due to a radar
sensor malfunction, the braking system will
continue to function normally with full brake
boost and full standard BAS function.
Adaptive Brake
Adaptive Brake provides a high level of
braking safety as well as increased braking
comfort. Adaptive Brake takes driver and
vehicle characteristics into consideration,
thus achieving an optimal braking effect.
In addiditon, Adaptive Brake provides the
HOLD function (Y page 161) and the hill-start
assist system ( Y page 160).
For more information on the brake system,
see ( Y page 254).
EBP
GObserve Safety notes, see page 62.
The Electronic Brake Proportioning (EBP)
enhances braking effectiveness by allowing
the rear brakes to supply a greater proportion
of the braking effort in straight-line braking
without a loss of vehicle stability.
GWarning!
If the EBP malfunctions, the brake system will
still function with full brake boost. However,
the rear wheels could lock up during
emergency braking situations, for example.
You could lose control of the vehicle and
cause an accident.
Adapt your driving style to the changed
driving characteristics.
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ESC SPORT switches off automatically when
you turn off the engine. When starting the
engine, the ESC is activated automatically.
Switching the ESC off or on
GWarning!
The ESC should not be switched off during
normal driving.
Disabling of the system will result in the
following:
Rno restriction to engine torque
Rloss of system-supported traction control
“ESC OFF” is designed for driving on closed
tracks when the vehicle’s natural oversteer
and understeer characteristics are desired
and requires a highly skilled and experienced
driver able to handle these critical driving
situations.
You could lose control of your vehicle and
cause an accident.
Please be aware of these limits when you
switch off the ESC.
Do not switch off the ESC when a spare wheel
is mounted.
To improve the vehicle’s traction, switch off
the ESC. This allows the drive wheels to spin
and thus cut into surfaces for better grip, for
example
Rwhen driving with snow chains
Rin deep snow
Rin sand or gravel
GWarning!
Switch on the ESC immediately if the
aforementioned circumstances do not apply
anymore. Otherwise the ESC will not stabilize
the vehicle when it is starting to skid or a
wheel is spinning.
When you switch off the ESC,
Rthe ESC will not stabilize the vehicle
Rthe engine output is not limited, which
allows the drive wheels to spin and thus cut
into surfaces for better grip
Rthe ETS will still apply the brakes to a
spinning wheel
Rthe ESC continues to operate when you are
braking hard
Rthe PRE-SAFE® system is not available,
even when you are braking hard supported
by the ESC
Rthe PRE-SAFE® Brake is not available, even
when you are braking hard supported by
the ESC
Rthe cruise control or the DISTRONIC PLUS
cannot be activated
Rthe cruise control or the DISTRONIC PLUS
switch off if activated
iWhen ESC is switched off and one or more
drive wheels are spinning, the ESC warning
lamp ä in the instrument cluster does
not flash. The ESC will not stabilize the
vehicle.
XSwitching off: With the engine running,
press ESC switch : until the ESC OFF
warning lamp å in the instrument
cluster comes on.
The message ESC-OFF appears in the
multifunction display.
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GWarning!
When the ESC OFF warning lamp å is on,
the ESC is switched off.
When the ESC warning lamp ä and the
ESC OFF warning lamp å are on
continuously, the ESC is not operational due
to a malfunction.
When the ESC is switched off or not
operational, vehicle stability in standard
driving maneuvers is reduced.
Adapt your speed and driving to the prevailing
road conditions and to the non-operating
status of the ESC.
! Avoid spinning of a drive wheel for an
extended period with the ESC switched off.
This may cause serious damage to the
drivetrain which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
XSwitching on: With the engine running,
press ESC switch : briefly.
The ESC OFF warning lamp å in the
instrument cluster goes out. The message
ESC-ON appears in the multifunction
display.
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake
The PRE-SAFE ®
Brake is available in vehicles
equipped with DISTRONIC PLUS. The PRE-
SAFE ®
Brake can assist you in minimizing the
risk of a rear-end collision with a vehicle in
front of you. The PRE-SAFE ®
Brake may also
reduce the severity of an accident. At speeds
above approximately 20 mph (30 km/h) it will
issue a warning when your vehicle is
approaching the preceding vehicle very
quickly. An intermittent acoustic warning
sounds and the distance warning lamp ·
in the instrument cluster comes on.
Due to the system characteristics, warnings
could be issued without cause in complex
driving situations.
When the driver and front passenger have
fastened their seat belts, the PRE-SAFE ®
Brake can also
R brake the vehicle within a speed range of
up to 124 mph (200 km/h) automatically
R activate preventative occupant safety
measures (PRE-SAFE ®
) ( Y page 53)GWarning!
An intermittent warning sounds and the
distance warning lamp · in the instrument
cluster is illuminated if the PRE-SAFE ®
Brake
calculates that the distance to the vehicle
ahead and your vehicle’s current speed
indicate that the PRE-SAFE ®
Brake will not be
capable of slowing the vehicle sufficiently to
maintain the preset following distance, which
creates a danger of a collision.
Immediately brake your vehicle to increase
the distance between your vehicle and the
vehicle driving in front of you. The warning
sound is intended as a final caution that you
have not interceded with your own braking
inputs to avoid a potentially dangerous
situation. Do not wait for the operation of the
warning signal to intercede with your own
braking, as that will result in potentially
dangerous emergency braking which will not
always result in an impact being avoided.
Tailgating increases the risk of an accident.
GWarning!
The PRE-SAFE ®
Brake is a convenience
system designed to assist the driver during
vehicle operation. The responsibility for the
vehicle speed and the distance to the vehicle
ahead, including most importantly brake
operation to assure safe stopping distance,
always remains with the driver.
Always pay attention to traffic conditions
even while the PRE-SAFE ®
Brake is switched
on. Otherwise, you may not be able to
recognize dangerous situations until it is too
late and could cause an accident resulting in
personal or fatal injury to you or others.
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iUSA 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 device 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 received, 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.
Using the radar sensors, the PRE-SAFE ®
Brake detects obstacles that are in your
driving path for a sufficient period of time for
the system to recognize it. If you approach a
vehicle and the PRE-SAFE ®
Brake has
established that the distance to the vehicle
ahead at your current speed is so close that
the PRE-SAFE ®
Brake will not be capable of
slowing the vehicle sufficiently, the system
will initially warn you visually and acoustically.
If you do not apply the brakes yourself or
maneuver around a sensed obstacle, the
vehicle will brake lightly automatically. The
PRE-SAFE ®
system ( Y page 53) is activated
when the distance to the vehicle ahead atyour current speed is so close that the PRE-
SAFE ®
Brake will not be capable of slowing
the vehicle sufficiently.
When the danger of a collision still persists
and you do not brake or accelerate
significantly, the PRE-SAFE ®
Brake may
initiate full application of the brakes
automatically.GWarning!
The PRE-SAFE ®
Brake will only respond with
brake assistance if it has clearly detected an
object. Detection can be impeded by
R dirty or covered sensors
R snowfall or heavy rain
R disturbance from other radar sources
R strong radar reflection such as in parking
garages
The PRE-SAFE ®
Brake uses radar signals that
are not reflected well by narrow objects and
absorptive materials. For this reason the PRE-
SAFE ®
Brake will not react to persons,
animals, and approaching traffic or cross-
traffic.
The PRE-SAFE ®
Brake may not detect narrow
vehicles driving in front of you, such as
motorcycles and vehicles driving offset from
your vehicle center.
GWarning!
Depending on the vehicle speed, the
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake brakes your vehicle with a
maximum of 13 ft/s 2
(4 m/s 2
) before a
possible hard stop. This corresponds to about
40% of the maximum deceleration ability of
your vehicle. The driver must apply the brakes
additionally in order to prevent a collision. The
self-acting hard stop will be initiated when the
imminent danger of a collision exists, e.g.
when an evasive driving maneuver cannot
avoid an accident.
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To maintain the proper distance to the vehicle
in front of you and thus prevent a rear-end
collision, you must apply the brakes yourself.XBrake the vehicle immediately to avoid a
collision.
Under no circumstances should the driver
await the intermittent warning sound
before braking. Observe the following
warning note.
The intermittent warning sound ceases and
the distance warning lamp · goes out
when the necessary distance to the vehicle
ahead is again established.
The PRE-SAFE ®
Brake can react to stationary
obstacles such as standing or parked vehicles
at road speeds of up to approximately 40 mph
(70 km/h).
GWarning!
If you do not receive visual or acoustic
warning signals, the PRE-SAFE ®
Brake may
R not have recognized the collision risk
R have been deactivated
R be malfunctioning
Apply the brakes yourself to avoid a collision.
The PRE-SAFE ®
Brake does not always clearly
interpret complex traffic situations. If a visual
and/or acoustic warning is issued in an
uncritical driving situation, or if the vehicle
brakes lightly, you can interrupt the PRE-
SAFE ®
Brake maneuver by pressing down all
the way on the accelerator pedal, using
kickdown, or releasing the brake pedal.
The PRE-SAFE ®
Brake maneuver is
terminated immediately when
R you avoid the obstacle by evasive steering
R you drive less than 9 mph (15 km/h)
R an obstacle can no longer be identified
ahead of you
R the system no longer senses the risk of a
collision
i The PRE-SAFE ®
Brake will remain passive
while DISTRONIC PLUS is switched on
( Y page 149).
After a hard collision or damage to the front
of the vehicle from an accident, have the
settings and operation of the radar sensors
checked by an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.XActivating and deactivating: Activate or
deactivate the PRE-SAFE ®
Brake using the
instrument cluster control system
( Y page 137).
After the function has been activated, the
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake indicator Ä appears
in the instrument cluster. When the HOLD
function is switched on, the PRE-SAFE ®
Brake indicator Ä will not appear.
In vehicles with Parking Guidance, the
automatic transmission must be in park
position P for the PRE-SAFE ®
Brake
indicator Ä to be displayed.
The PRE-SAFE ®
Brake is deactivated when
the radar system is switched off. When you
switch off the radar system, the following
functions are deactivated:
R PRE-SAFE ®
Brake
R BAS PLUS ( Y page 63)
R DISTRONIC PLUS ( Y page 149)
R Blind Spot Assist ( Y page 175)
Anti-theft systems
Immobilizer
The immobilizer prevents unauthorized
persons from starting your vehicle.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. The
engine can be started by anyone with a valid
SmartKey that is left inside the vehicle.
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Example illustration
:Selected name from the phone bookXIf the Symbol G appears on the right-hand
side of the name several entries are
present for the same name: Press button
6 or a and select the desired entry.
XPress button 6 or a.
The control system dials the selected
phone number.
If the connection is successful and this
feature is supported by your network
provider, the name of the party (if stored in
your phone book) you are calling will
appear in the multifunction display.
The control system stores the dialed
number in the redial memory.
or
XPress button ~ or % if you do not
want to make the call.
Redialing
The control system stores the most recently
dialed phone numbers. This eliminates the
need to search through your entire phone
book.
XPress button = or ; to select the
Tel menu.
XPress button 6.XPress button : or 9 to select the
desired number or name.
XPress button 6 or a.
The control system dials the selected
phone number.
Assistance menu
In the DriveAssist menu, you can change
the settings of your driving systems.
The following functions are available:
RDisplaying distance graphic, DISTRONIC
PLUS (Y page 152)
RActivating/deactivating PRE-SAFE® Brake
(vehicles with DISTRONIC PLUS only)
(Y page 137)
RSwitching ATTENTION ASSIST on or off
(Y page 138)
RSwitching Blind Spot Assist on or off
(Y page 138)
RSwitching Lane Keeping Assist on or off
(Y page 138)
Activating/deactivating PRE-SAFE®
Brake (vehicles with DISTRONIC PLUS
only)
XPress button = or ; to select the
DriveAssist menu.
XPress button : or 9 to select the
PRE-SAFE Brake function.
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XPress button a again if you would like
to change the current status.
After the function has been activated, the
PRE-SAFE® Brake indicator Ä appears
in the lower part of the multifunction
display. When the HOLD function is
switched on, the PRE-SAFE® Brake
indicator Ä will not appear.
For more information on PRE-SAFE® Brake,
see (Y page 69).
Switching ATTENTION ASSIST on or off
XPress button = or ; to select the
DriveAssist menu.
XPress button : or 9 to select the
Attention Asst. function
XPress button a.XPress button a again if you would like
to change the current status.
After the function has been activated, the
ATTENTION ASSIST indicator À appears
on the left-hand side of the multifunction
display.
For more information on ATTENTION ASSIST,
see (Y page 178).
Switching Blind Spot Assist on or off
XPress button = or ; to select the
DriveAssist menu.
XPress button : or 9 to select the
Blind Spot Asst. function
XPress button a.XPress button a again if you would like
to change the current status.
Depending on the previous status, Blind
Spot Assist: will be Enabled or
Disabled.
For more information on Blind Spot Assist,
see (Y page 175).
Switching Lane Keeping Assist on or off
XPress button = or ; to select the
DriveAssist menu.
XPress button : or 9 to select the
Lane Keep. Asst. function
XPress button a.XPress button a again if you would like
to change the current status.
After the function has been activated, the
Lane Keeping Assist indicator Ã
appears in the lower part of the
multifunction display.
For more information on Lane Keeping
Assistance, see (Y page 177).
Service menu
In the Serv. menu the following functions are
available:
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