2011 MERCEDES-BENZ B-CLASS HATCHBACK Owners Manual

You secure each door individually with the
child-proof locks on the rear doors
.Adoor
secured with a child-proof lock cannot be
opened from inside the vehicle. When the
vehicle is unlocked, the door can be opened
from the outside.
X To activate: press the child-proof lock
lever up in the direction of arrow :.
X Make sure that the child-proof locks are
working properly.
X To deactivate: press the child-proof lock
lever down in the direction of arrow ;.
Override feature for the rear side win-
dows X
To activate/deactivate: press switch:.
Switch :is pushed in or extended. If the
switch has engaged, operation of the rear
side windows is disabled. Operation is then
only possible using the switches in the driv-
er's door. Driving safety systems
Driving safety systems overview
In this section, you will find information about
the following driving safety systems:
R ABS (Anti-lock BrakingSystem)
R BAS (Brake AssistSystem)
R COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST (BAS
PLUS and distance warning signal)
R Adaptive brake lamps
R ESP ®
(Electronic StabilityProgram) R
EBD ( electronic brake force distribution)
R STEER CONTROL Important safety notes
G
WARNING
The risk of an accident is significantly
increased by driving too fast. This is particu-
larly the case when cornering as well as on
wet or slippery roads or when driving too close
to the vehicle in front.
The driving safety systems described in this
section can neither reduce this risk nor over-
ride the laws of physics.
For this reason, always adapt your driving
style to the prevailing road and weather con-
ditions. Maintain sufficient distance from
other road users and objects on the road.
If you fail to adapt your driving style, the driv-
ing safety systems can neither reduce the risk
of accident nor override the laws of physics.
Driving safety systems are merely aids
designed to assist driving. You are responsi-
ble for the distance to the vehicle in front, for
vehicle speed and for braking in good time.
Always adapt your driving style to suit the
prevailing road and weather conditions as
well as the traffic conditions, and maintain a
safe distance from the vehicle in front. Drive
carefully.
i Please note that the driving safety sys-
tems described only work as effectively as
possible when there is adequate contact
between the tyres and the road surface.
Pay particular attention to the information
regarding tyres, recommended minimum
tyre tread depths etc. in the "Wheels and
tyres" section (Y page 292).
In wintry driving conditions, always use
winter tyres (M+S tyres) and if necessary,
snow chains. Only in this way will the driv-
ing safety systems described in this section
work as effectively as possible. 62
Driving safety systemsSafety

ABS (Anti-lock Braking System)
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If AB Sis faulty, the wheels could lock when
braking. This limits the steerability of the vehi-
cle when braking and the braking distance
may increase.
If ABS is deactivated due to a malfunction,
then BAS and ESP are also deactivated. There
is an increased risk of your vehicle skidding in
certain situations.
You should always adapty our driving style to
suit the prevailing road and weather condi-
tions.
ABS regulates brake pressure in such a way
that the wheels do not lock when you brake.
This allows you to continue steering the vehi-
cle when braking.
ABS works from a speed of about 8 km/h
upwards, regardless of road-surface condi-
tions. ABS works on slippery surfaces, even
when you only brake gently.
The yellow !ABS warning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up when the ignition
is switched on. It goes out when the engine is
running.
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 62).
Brakes G
WARNING
Do not depress the brake pedal several times
in quick succession (pumping). Pumping the
brake pedal reduces the braking effect .You
might otherwise not be able to stop the vehi-
cle in time and could cause an accident.
Depress the brake pedal firmly and smoothly.
X If ABS intervenes: continue to depress the
brake pedal with force until the braking sit-
uation is over.
X To make a full brake application:
depress the brake pedal with full force. If ABS intervenes when braking, you will feel
a pulsing in the brake pedal.
The pulsating brake pedal can be an indica-
tion of hazardous road conditions and func-
tions as a reminder to take extra care while
driving.
BAS (Brake Assist)
G
WARNING
If BAS has malfunctioned, the braking system
remains available with full brake boosting
effect. However, braking force is not auto-
matically increased in emergency braking sit-
uations and the stopping distance may
increase.
X Keep the brake pedal firmly depressed until
the emergency braking situation is over.
ABS prevents the wheels from locking.
BAS operates in emergency braking situa-
tions. If you depress the brake pedal quickly,
BAS automatically boosts the braking force,
thus shortening the stopping distance.
The brakes will function as usual once you
release the brake pedal. BAS is deactivated.
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 62). COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST
General notes COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST consists of
the BAS PLUS system and the distance warn-
ing signal, which are described in the follow-
ing.
Distance warning
G
WARNING
The distance warning signal cannot always
clearly identify objects and complex traffic
situations. Driving safety systems
63Safety
Z

In such cases, the distance warning signal
may:
R
give an unnecessary warning
R not give a warning
There is a risk of an accident. Always pay par-
ticula rattention to the traffi csituation and be
ready to brake, especially if the distance
warning signal alerts you. G
WARNING
The distance warning signal does not react:
R to people or animals
R to oncoming vehicles
R to crossing traffic
R when cornering
Thus, the distance warning signal cannot pro-
vide a warning in all critical situations .There
is a risk of an accident. Always pay careful
attention to the traffic situation and be ready
to brake.
X To activate/deactivate: activate or deac-
tivate the distance warning signal in the on-
board computer (Y page 199).
When the distance warning signal is activa-
ted, the multifunction display shows the
Ä symbol as long as the HOLD function is
not activated (Y page 162). On vehicles with
Active Parking Assist, the Äsymbol is dis-
played when position Pis engaged or you are
driving faster than 35 km/h.
The distance warning signal can help you to
minimise the risk of a front-end collision with
a vehicle ahead or reduce the effects of such
a collision. If the distance warning signal
detects that there is a risk of a collision, you
will be warned visually and acoustically .The
distance warning signal cannot prevent a col-
lision without your intervention.
The distance warning signal will issue a warn-
ing at speeds of around 30 km/h or more if:
R the distance to the vehicle in front is too
short for the speed you are driving at for
several seconds. The ·distance warn- ing lamp then lights up in the instrument
cluster.
R you are rapidly approaching the vehicle in
front. An intermittent warning tone will
then sound and the ·distance warning
lamp will light up in the instrumentc luster.
X Brake immediately in order to increase the
distance from the vehicle in front.
or
X Take evasive action provided it is safe to do
so.
For the distance warnin gsignal to assist you
when driving, the function must be activated
in the on-board computer (Y page 199) and
be operational.
Due to the nature of the system, particularly
complicated driving conditions may cause the
system to display an unnecessary warning.
With the help of the radar sensor system, the
distance warning signal can detect obstacles
that are in the path of your vehicle for an
extended period of time.
At speeds up to approximately 70 km/h, the
distance warning signal may also detect sta-
tionary obstacles, for example, stopped or
parked vehicles.
If you approach an obstacle and the distance
warning signal detects a risk of a collision, the
system will initially alert you both visually and
acoustically.
In particular, the detection of obstacles can
be impaired if there is:
R dirt on the sensors or anything else cover-
ing the sensors
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
R a narrow vehicle travelling in front, e.g. a
motorbike
R a vehicle travelling in front on a different
line
Following damage to the front end of the vehi-
cle, have the configuration and operation of 64
Driving safety systemsSafety

the rada
rsensor checked at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop. This also applies to colli-
sions at slow speeds where there is no visible
damage to the fron tofthe vehicle.
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 62).
BAS PLUS (Brake Assist System Plus) G
WARNING
BAS PLUS cannot always clearly identify
objects and complex traffic situations. BAS
PLUS cannot intervene in these cases.
There is a risk of an accident. Always pay
careful attention to the traffic situation and be
ready to brake. G
WARNING
BAS PLUS does not react:
R to people or animals
R to oncoming vehicles
R to crossing traffic
R to stationary obstacles
R when cornering
As a result, BAS PLUS may not intervene in
critical situations. There is a risk of an acci-
dent. Always pay careful attention to the traf-
fic situation and be ready to brake.
BAS PLUS assists you in braking during haz-
ardous situations at speeds above 30 km/h
and uses the radar sensor system to evaluate
the traffic situation.
With the help of the radar sensor system, BAS
PLUS can detect obstacles that are in the
path of your vehicle for an extended period of
time.
Should you approach an obstacle and BAS
PLUS has detected a risk of collision, BAS
PLUS calculates the braking force necessary
to avoid a rear-end collision. Should you apply
the brakes forcefully, BAS PLUS will automat-
ically increase the braking force to a level
suitable for the traffic conditions. X
Keep the brake pedal depressed until the
emergency braking situation is over.
ABS prevents the wheels from locking.
The brakes will work normally again if:
R you release the brake pedal.
R there is no longer any danger of a rear-end
collision.
R no obstacle is detected in front of your
vehicle.
BAS PLUS is then deactivated.
Vehicles with PRE-SAFE ®
:if BAS PLUS
requires particularly high brake pressure, pre-
ventative passenger protection measures
(PRE-SAFE ®
) are deployed simultaneously.
Up to vehicle speeds of around 250 km/h,
BAS PLUS is capable of reacting to moving
objects that have already been recognised as
such at least once over the period of obser-
vation. BAS PLUS does not react to stationary
obstacles.
If BAS PLUS is not available due to a malfunc-
tion in the radar sensor system, the brake
system remains available with full brake
boosting effect and BAS.
In particular, the detection of obstacles can
be impaired if there is:
R dirt on the sensors or anything else cover-
ing the sensors
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
R a narrow vehicle travelling in front, e.g. a
motorbike
R a vehicle travelling in front on a different
line
Following damage to the front end of the vehi-
cle, have the configuration and operation of
the radar sensor checked at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop. This also applies to colli-
sions at slow speeds where there is no visible
damage to the front of the vehicle.
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 62). Driving safety systems
65Safety Z

Adaptive brake lamps
If you brake sharply from a speed of more
than 50 km/h or if braking is assisted by BAS
or BA SPLUS, 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
lightu p 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 99).
i Adaptive brake lamps are only available in
certain countries. ESP
®
(Electronic Stability Program)
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If the ÷ 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 weathe rconditions.
Otherwise, the vehicle could go into a skid.
ESP ®
cannot reduce the risk of an accident if
you drive too fast. ESP ®
cannot override the
laws of physics.
! Switch the ignition off when:
R the electric parking brake is being tested
using a brake dynamometer.
R the vehicle is being towed with the front/
rear axle raised.
Application of the brakes by ESP ®
may oth-
erwise destroy the brake system. 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.
If ESP ®
intervenes, the ÷ESP®
warning
lamp flashes in the instrument cluster.
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 62).
i Only use wheels with the recommended
tyre sizes. Only then will ESP ®
function
properly.
Traction control 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 if you deacti-
vate ESP ®
.
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 62).
Deactivating/activating ESP ® G
WARNING
ESP ®
is deactivated if the åwarning lamp
in the instrument cluster lights up continu-
ously when the engine is running.
If the ÷ warning lamp and åwarning
lamp are lit continuously, ESP ®
is not availa-
ble due to a malfunction.
There is an increased risk of your vehicle skid-
ding in certain situations.
You should always adapt your driving style to
suit the prevailing road and weather condi-
tions. 66
Driving safety systemsSafety

ESP
®
is activated automaticall ywhen the
engine is started.
If ESP ®
is deactivated and one or more wheels
start to spin, the ÷ESP®
warning lamp in
the instrumentc luster flashes.Insuch situa-
tions, ESP ®
will no tstabilise the vehicle.
X To deactivate:( Ypage 198).
The å ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluste rlights up.
X To activate:(Y page 198).
The å ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrumen tcluster goes out.
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
WARNING
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 the engine's torque is no longer limited, and
the drive wheels can spin .The spinning of
the wheels results in a cutting action, which
provides better grip.
R traction control is still activated.
R ESP ®
still provides support when you
brake.
i Vehicles with ECO start/stop function:
the ECO start/stop function switches the
engine off automatically when the vehicle
comes to a stop. When pulling away again,
the engine starts automatically .ESP ®
remains in its previously selected status.
Example: if ESP ®
was deactivated before
the engine was switched off, ESP ®
remains deactivated when the engine is switched on
again.
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 62).
ESP ®
trailer stabilisation G
WARNING
If road and weather conditions are poor,
traile rstabilisation will not be able to prevent
the trailer fro mswerving 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.
If your vehicle/trailer combination 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 if the vehicle/trailer combination
begins to lurch. ESP ®
slows the vehicle down
by braking and limiting the engine output until
the vehicle/trailer combination has stabi-
lised.
Trailer stabilisation is active above speeds of
about 65 km/h.
Trailer stabilisation does not work if ESP ®
is
deactivated or disabled because of a mal-
function. EBD (electronic brake force distribu-
tion)
G
WARNING
If EB Dhas malfunctioned, the braking system
remains 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
accident .You should therefore adapt your
driving style to the different handling charac-
teristics. Driving safety systems
67Safety Z

EBD monitors and controls the brake pres-
sure on the rea rwheels to improve driving
stability while braking.
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 62). ADAPTIVE BRAKE
ADAPTIVE BRAKE enhances braking safety
and offers increased braking comfort.Ina ddi-
tion to the brakin gfunction ,ADAPTIVE BRAKE
also has the HOLD functio n(Ypage 162 )and
hill start assist (Y page 129). For further
information, see Driving tips (Y page 146).STEER CONTROL
G
WARNING
If there is an ESP ®
malfunction, you will not
receive any steering assistance from the
STEER CONTROL. The steering continues to
functio nwith power assistance.
STEER CONTROL helps you by transmitting a
noticeable steering force to the steering
wheel in the direction required for vehicle
stabilisation.
This steering assistance is provided in partic-
ular if:
R both right wheels or both left wheels are on
a wet or slippery road surface when you
brake.
R the vehicle starts to skid.
You have control over the steering at all
times. Anti-theft systems
Immobiliser
X To activate: remove the key fro mthe igni-
tion lock.
X To deactivate: switch on the ignition. The immobiliser prevents your vehicle from
being started without the correct key.
i
The immobiliser is always deactivated
when you start the engine. ATA (Anti-Theft Alarm system)
X
To prime: lock the vehicle with the key.
Indicator lamp :flashes. The alarm sys-
tem is primed after approximately
15 seconds.
X To deactivate: unlock the vehicle with the
key.
X To stop the alarm: insert the key into the
ignition lock.
The alarm is switched off.
or
X Press the %or& button on the key.
The alarm is switched off.
Av isual and audible alarm is triggered if the
alarm system is primed and you open:
R a door
R the vehicle with the emergency key ele-
ment
R the tailgate
R the bonnet
The alarm is not switched off, even if you
close the open door that has triggered it, for
example. 68
Anti-theft systemsSafety

Tow-away protection
An audible and visual alar mis triggered if your
vehicle's angle of inclination is altered while
tow-away protection is primed. This occurs if
the vehicle is jacked up on one side, for exam-
ple.
To activate:
X Lock the vehicle with the key.
Tow-away protection is primed after
approximately 30 seconds.
To deactivate:
X Unlock the vehicle with the key.
Tow-away protection is switched off auto-
matically. Deactivating:
X
Remove the key from the ignition lock.
X Press button :.
Indicator lamp ;lights up briefly.
X Lock the vehicle with the key.
Tow-away protection is deactivated.
Tow-away protection remains deactivated
until:
R the vehicle is unlocked again.
R a door is opened and closed again.
R the vehicle is locked again. To prevent a false alarm, deactivate tow-away
protection manually if your vehicle:
R
is being transported
R is being loaded onto a ferry or car trans-
porter, for example
R is parked on a movable surface, e.g. in a
split-level garage Interior motion sensor
When the interior motion sensor is primed, a
visual and audible alarm is triggered if move-
ment is detected in the vehicle interior. This
occurs if someone reaches into the vehicle
interior, for example.
To activate:
X Make sure that:
R
the side windows are closed.
R the panorama sliding sunroof is closed.
This will prevent false alarms.
X Lock the vehicle with the key.
The interior motion sensor is primed after
approximately 30 seconds.
To deactivate:
X Unlock the vehicle with the key.
The interior motion sensor is switched off
automatically. Anti-theft systems
69Safety Z