2011 MERCEDES-BENZ C-CLASS SALOON tow bar

(12-button multifunction steering
wheel)
............................................ 241
Activating/deactivating the Intel-
ligent Ligh tSystem ........................ 240
Activating/deactivating the inte-
rior lighting delayed switch-off
(12-button multifunction steering
wheel) ............................................ 241
Active light function .......................121
Automatic headlamp mode ............119
Cornering light function .................121
Dipped-bea mheadlamps ............... 119
Driving abroad ............................... 118
Foglamps ....................................... 119
Foglamps (extended range) ...........122
Hazard warning lamps ...................121
Headlamp flasher ........................... 121
Headlamp range ............................ 120
Ligh tswitc h................................... 118
Main-beam headlamps ................... 120
Motorway mode ............................. 122
Parking lamps ................................ 118
Rea rfoglamp ................................. 119
Switching Adaptive Highbeam
Assist on/off ................................. 240
Switching the daytime driving
lights on/off (12-button multi-
function steering wheel) ................239
Switching the daytime driving
lights on/off (4-button multifunc-
tion steering wheel) .......................226
Switching the daytime driving
lights on/off (switch) .....................119
Switching the surround lighting
on/off (12-button multifunction
steering wheel) .............................. 241
Turn signals ................................... 120
see Changing bulbs
see Interior lighting
Light sensor
Display message (12-button mul-
tifunctio nsteering wheel) ..............267
Display message (4-button multi-
function steering wheel) ................264
LIM indicator lamp
Cruise control ................................ 178
DISTRONI CPLUS ........................... 184
Variabl eSPEEDTRONIC .................181Limiting the speed
see SPEEDTRONIC
Loading guidelines ............................302
Locking see Centra llocking
Locking (doors)
Automatic ........................................ 90
Emergency locking ........................... 91
From inside (central locking but-
ton) .................................................. 90
Locking centrally
see Centra llocking
Locking verification signal (on-
board computer) ............................... 242
Luggage compartment floor opening/closing ............................ 312
stowage well, unde r....................... 312
Luggage cover ................................... 308
Luggage holder (EASY-PACK load-
securing kit) ....................................... 311
Luggage net ....................................... 304
Lumbar support Adjusting ....................................... 109
Adjusting the 4-way lumba rsup-
por t................................................ 109
Luxu ry head restraint .......................107
Luxury multifunction steering
wheel
see 12-button multifunction
steering wheel M
M+S tyres ........................................... 360
Main beam Display message (4-button multi-
function steering wheel) ................262
Main-beam headlamps
Changing bulbs .............................. 127
Display message (12-button mul-
tifunctio nsteering wheel) ..............266
Switching Adaptive Highbeam
Assist on/off ................................. 122
Switching on/off ........................... 120
Maintenance
see ASSYST PLUS service interval
display Index
15

Only attach the side head restraint to the
intended anchor points on the rear head
restraint.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only use side head restraints
which have been approved by Mercedes-Benz
for your vehicle.
Fitting side head restraints
X Slide head restraint ;upwards and posi-
tion it upright.
X Slide side head restraints Bfrom the front
to the centre of both head restraint bars
until they engage.
The right- and left-hand lock verification
indicators =must be folded in. The red
surfaces should no longer be visible.
X Make sure that side head restraint Bis
engaged in both head restraint bars.
X Slide head restraint ;downwards
(Y page 107) until it rests on the upper
edge of side head restraints B.
X Guide the seat belt through seat belt guide
A on the door side on side head restraint
B.
X Secure the child (Y page 64).
Removing the side head restraints
X Take the seat belt out of seat belt guide
A.
X Move head restraint ;upwards.
X Press left or right release button ?and pull
side head restraint Bforward to remove
it.
The left and right lock verification indica-
tors :fold out briefly.
X Adjust head restraint ;(Ypage 107).
Storing the padded table and the side
head restraints G
WARNING
Secure the ICS padded play table and the side
head restraints in the vehicle as specified; otherwise, they may come loose. In the event
of an accident, sudden braking or abrupt
change in direction, they could injure vehicle
occupants or cause damage to the vehicle.
When you are not using the ICS padded play
table and the side head restraints, store these
in a suitable place, such as the boot.
For example, on vehicles with TIREFIT, you
can store the side head restraints in the stow-
age compartment under the boot/luggage
compartment floor (Y page 312)/
(Y page 312). Children in the vehicle
67Safety Z

might therefore issue steering instructions
too soon. This may lead to a collision. For this
reason, you should avoid using Parking Guid-
ance in such situations.
G
WARNING
Make sure that no persons or animals are in
the manoeuvring range. Otherwise, they
could be injured.
When PARKTRONIC is deactivated, Parking
Guidance is also unavailable.
Use Parking Guidance for parking spaces:
R that are parallel to the directio noftravel
R that are on straight roads, not bends
R that are on the same level as the road, i.e.
not on the pavement, for example. Parking
Guidance may not detect flat kerbs
Parking tips:
R on narrow roads, drive as closely as possi-
ble pastt he parking space.
R parking spaces that are littered, overgrown
or partially occupied by trailer drawbars
might be identified incorrectly or not at all.
R snowfall or heavy rain may lead to a parking
space being measured inaccurately.
R pay attention to the PARKTRONIC
(Y page 197) warning messages during the
parking procedure.
R when transporting a load which protrudes
from your vehicle, you must not use Parking
Guidance.
R never use Parking Guidance with snow
chains or an emergency spare wheel fitted.
R make sure that the tyre pressures are
always correct.T his hasadirec teffect on
the steering instructions.
R the way you rvehicle is positioned in the
parking space after parkin gis dependent
on various factors. These include the posi-
tion and shape of the vehicles parked in
front and behind it and the conditions of the
location. In some cases, Parking Guidance
may guide you too far or not far enough into
a parking space. In some cases, it may also lead you across or onto the kerb. If neces-
sary, cancel the parking procedure with
Parking Guidance.
! If unavoidable, you should drive over
obstacles such as kerbs slowly and not at
a sharp angle. Otherwise, you may damage
the wheels or tyres.
Detecting parking spaces Example: vehicles with automatic transmission
:
Detected parking space on the left
; Parking symbol
= Detected parking space on the right
Parking Guidance is automatically activated
when you drive forwards. The system is
operational at speeds of up to approximately
35 km/h. While in operation, the system inde-
pendently locates and measures parking
spaces on both sides of the vehicle. When
driving at speeds below 30 km/h, you will see
parking symbol ;as a status indicator in the
instrument cluster.
When a parking space has been detected, an
arrow towards the right =or the left :also
appears. Parking Guidance only displays
parking spaces on the front-passenger side
as standard. Parking spaces on the driver's
side are displayed as soon as the turn signal
on the driver's side is activated. To park on
the driver's side, you must leave the driver's
side turn signal switched on until you have
engaged reverse gear. 200
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Due to the nature of the system:
R
warnings may be issued in error when driv-
ing close to crash barriers or simila rsolid
lane borders.
R warnings may be interrupted when driving
alongside long vehicles, such as lorries, for
a prolonged time.
The two sensors for Blind Spot Assist are
integrated into the sides of the rear bumper.
Make sure that the bumper is free of dirt, ice
or slush in the vicinit yofthe sensors. The
radar sensors must not be covered, for exam-
ple by cycle racks or overhanging loads. Fol-
lowing a severe impact or in the event of dam-
age to the bumpers, have the function of the
radar sensors checked at aqualified special-
ist workshop, e.g. a Mercedes-Ben zService
Centre. Blind Spot Assist may otherwise not
work properly.
Indicator and warning display :
Yellow indicator lamp/red warning lamp
If Blind Spot Assist is switched on, indicator
lamp :in the exterior mirrors lights up yel-
low 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 in red. This warning is
always emitted when a vehicle enters the
blind spot monitoring range from behind or
from the side. When you overtake a vehicle, the warning only occurs if the difference in
speed is less than 12 km/h.
The yellow indicator lamp goes out if reverse
gear is engaged. Blind Spot Assist is then
deactivated.
The brightness of the indicator/warning
lamps is adjusted automatically according to
the ambient light.
G
WARNING
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, 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 tones ounds. 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.
Switching on Blind Spot Assist
X On vehicles without a navigation system,
make sure that the Becker ®
MAP PILOT is
connected; see the separate operating
instructions for Audio 20.
X Make sure that the radar sensor system
(Y page 242) and Blind Spot Assist
(Y page 238) are activated in the on-board
computer.
X Turn the key to position 2in the ignition
lock.
Warning lamps :light up red in the exte-
rior mirrors for approximately 1.5 seconds
and then turn yellow.
Trailer towing
If you attach a trailer, make sure that you have
correctly established the electrical connec-
tion. This can be accomplished by checking Driving systems
207Driving and parking Z

users or obstacles. You can, for example,
countersteer gently or depress the accelera-
to
rp edal at any time to cancel inappropriate
braking action.
You are responsible for the vehicle's speed,
correct steering and for braking in good time.
Always adapt your driving style to suit the
prevailing road and weather conditions.
Always pay attention to traffic conditions and
your surroundings. Otherwise, you may fail to
recognise dangers in time, cause an accident
and injure yourself and others.
Either a very slight course-correcting brake
application, or none at all, may occur if:
R there are vehicles or obstacles, e.g. crash
barriers, on both sides of your vehicle.
R a vehicle approaches too closely on the
side.
R you have adopted a sporty driving style with
high cornering speeds.
R you brake or accelerate decisively.
R a driving safety system intervenes, such as
ESP ®
or PRE-SAFE ®
Brake.
R ESP ®
is deactivated.
R a loss of tyre pressure or a defective tyre is
detected.
Activating Active Blind Spot Assist
X On vehicles without a navigation system,
make sure that the Becker ®
MAP PILOT is
connected; see the separate operating
instructions for Audio 20.
X Make sure that the radar sensor system
(Y page 242) and Active Blind Spot Assist
(Y page 238)a re activated in the on-board
computer.
X Turn the key to position 2in the ignition
lock.
Warning lamps :light up red in the exte-
rior mirrors for approximately 1.5 seconds
and then turn yellow. Trailer towing
If you attach a trailer, make sure that you have
correctly established the electrical connec-
tion. This can be accomplished by checking
the trailer lighting. Active Blind Spot Assist is
then deactivated. The indicator lamp in the
exterior mirrors lights up yellow, and the
Active Blind Spot Assist currently unavailable See Owner's Manual mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
Active Lane Keeping Assist Important safety notes
Active Lane Keeping Assist monitors the area
in front of yourv
ehicle by means of a camera
at the top of the windscreen. Active Lane
Keeping Assist detects lane markings on the
road and warns you before you leave your
lane unintentionally. If you do not react to the
warning, a lane-correcting application of the
brakes can bring the vehicle back into the
original lane. :
Active Lane Keeping Assist camera
If you have selected the Display unit Speed-/odometer (Y
page 239) function in
the on-board computer and select km as the
unit of measurement, Active Lane Keeping
Assist is active from speeds of 60 km/h. If
the miles display unit is selected, the assis-
tance range begins at 40 mph. G
WARNING
Active Lane Keeping Assist does not keep
your vehicle in its lane. It is only an aid and 212
Driving systemsDriving and parking

X
Activate Active Lane Keeping Assist using
the on-board compute r(Ypage 238).
Symbol :appears in the multifunction
display.
If you drive at speeds above 60 km/h and
lane markings are detected, symbol :is
shown in green .Active Lane Keeping Assist
is ready for use.
Trailer towing
If you attach a trailer, make sure that you have
correctly established the electrical connec-
tion. This can be accomplished by checking
the traile rlighting. Towing
atrailer Notes on towing
atrailer
Important safety notes G
WARNING
When reversing the vehicle towards the
trailer, make sure there is nobody between
the trailer and the vehicle.
Couple and uncouple the trailer carefully .If
you do no tcouple the trailer to the towing
vehicle correctly, the trailer could become
detached.
Make sure that the following values are not
exceeded:
R the permissible trailer drawbar noseweight
R the permissible trailer load
R the permissible rear axle load of the towing
vehicle
R the maximum permissible gross vehicle
weight of both the towing vehicle and the
trailer
You will find the applicable permissible val-
ues, which must not be exceeded, in the vehi-
cle documents.
You will find the values approved by the man-
ufacturer on the vehicle identification plates
and those for the towing vehicle in the "Tech-
nical data" section. G
WARNING
If the Check trailer hitch locking mechanism message appears in the multi-
function display while the vehicle is in motion,
pull over immediately and check whether the
ball coupling is correctly engaged. G
WARNING
Always observe the maximum speed permit-
ted in Germany for vehicle/trailer combina-
tions, even in countries where higher speeds
are permitted. This lowers the risk of an acci-
dent. G
WARNING
Never depress the brake pedal continuously
while the vehicle is in motion, e.g. never cause
the brakes to rub by applying constant slight
pedal pressure. This causes the brake system
to overheat, increases the braking distance
and can lead to the brakes failing completely. G
WARNING
On no account should you attempt to draw the
vehicle/trailer combination out by increasing
speed. G
WARNING
If you exceed the maximum noseweight when
using a carrier system on the ball coupling:
R the carrier system may be thrown around.
R the ball coupling and the carrier system
may become detached from the vehicle.
As a result, you may injure others or cause an
accident.
Do not exceed the maximum noseweight.
When driving with a loaded carrier system,
always adjust your driving style to the prevail-
ing road, traffic and weather conditions and
drive particularly carefully.
You can use carrier systems, e.g. bicycle
racks or load-bearing implements on the ball
coupling. The maximum noseweight of 75 kg
applies when using carrier systems on the ball
coupling. Towing
atrailer
215Driving an d parking Z

General information
i
When towing a trailer, set the tyre pres-
sure on the rear axle of the towing vehicle
for a maximu mload; see the tyre pressure
table in the fuel filler flap (Y page 361).
You will find installation dimensions and loads
in the "Technical data" section
(Y page 387).
The maximum permissible trailer drawbar
noseweight on the ball coupling is 75 kg.
However, the actual noseweight must not
exceed the value given on the trailer tow hitch
and trailer identification plates. The lowest
weight applies.
! Use a noseweight as close as possible to
the maximum permissible noseweight. Do
not use a noseweight of less than 50 kg,
otherwise the trailer may come loose.
Bear in mind that the payload and the rear
axle load are reduced by the actual nose-
weight.
Please note that when towing a trailer, PARK-
TRONIC (Y page 196), parking guidance
(Y page 199) and Blind Spot Assist
(Y page 205) are only available with limita-
tions, or not at all.
i The height of the ball coupling changes
with the load of the vehicle. If necessary,
use a trailer with a height-adjustable draw-
bar.
Driving tips i
Observe the notes on ESP ®
trailer stabi-
lisation (Y page 77).
In Germany, the maximum permissible speed
for vehicle/trailer combinations depends on
the type of trailer, and is either 80 km/h or
100 km/h. In some countries, higher maxi-
mum speeds are permissible for vehicle/
trailer combinations. Before beginning the
journey, check the trailer's documents to see
what the maximum permitted speed is.
For certain Mercedes-Benz vehicles, the max-
imum permissible rear axle load is increased when towing a trailer. Refer to the "Technical
data" section to find out whether this applies
to your vehicle. If you utilise any of the added
maximum rear axle load when towing a trailer,
the vehicle/trailer combination may not
exceed a maximum speed of 100 km/h for
reasons concerning the operating permit.
This also applies in countries in which the
permissible maximum speed for vehicle/
trailer combinations is above 100 km/h.
When towing a trailer, your vehicle's handling
characteristics will be different in comparison
to when driving without a trailer.
The vehicle/trailer combination:
R is heavier
R is restricted in its acceleration and gradi-
ent-climbing capability
R has an increased braking distance
R is affected more by strong crosswinds
R demands more sensitive steering
R consumes more fuel
On long and steep downhill gradients, you
must shift to a lower gear in good time, or on
vehicles with automatic transmission, select
the shift range 1,2or 3.
i This also applies if you have activated
cruise control, SPEEDTRONIC or DIS-
TRONIC PLUS.
This will use the braking effect of the engine,
so less braking will be required to maintain
the speed. This relieves the load on the brake
system and prevents the brakes from over-
heating and wearing too quickly. If you need
additional braking, depress the brake pedal
repeatedly rather than continuously. 216
Towing
atrailerDriving an d parking

X
Pull the ball coupling in the direction of the
arrow until it engages in a vertical position.
Indicator lamp ?goes out. The power
socket folds down automatically.
Vehicles with a4-button multifunction
steering wheel: theTrailer hitch Check lock mech. message is show
nin
the multifunctio ndisplay until the ball cou-
pling has engaged.
Vehicles with a 12-button multifunc-
tion steering wheel: theTrailer hitch
Check lock mech. message is shown in
the multifunction display until the ball cou-
pling has engaged.
X Remove the protective cap fro mthe ball
coupling and store it in a safe place.
X Make sure that the ball of the ball coupling
is clean and that, depending on the trailer
specification, it is greased or dry (without
grease) when used. Coupling up a trailer
G
WARNING
Do not disconnect a trailer with an engaged
overrun brake. Otherwise, your hand could
become trapped between the bumper and
trailer drawbar.
X Make sure that the transmission is in posi-
tion P.
X Apply the parking brake.
X Position the trailer level behind the vehicle.
X Couple up the trailer. X
Establish the electrical connection
between the vehicle and the trailer.
X Check that the trailer lighting system is
working. Decoupling
atrailer G
WARNING
As soon as you raise the trailer drawbar, the
unladen vehicle rises slightly. The vehicle then
lowers to driving level.
Make sure tha tnobody is in the vicinity of the
wheel arch or the underbody. You could oth-
erwise trap yourself or others. G
WARNING
The vehicle is lowered as soon as you discon-
nect the trailer cable. Make sure that nobody
is in the vicinity of the wheel arch or the
underbody. You could otherwise trap yourself
or others.
As soon as you decouple the trailer, the unla-
den vehicle rises slightly. Make sure that you
or others are not injured in the process.
! Do not disconnect a trailer with an
engaged overrun brake. Otherwise, your
vehicle could be damaged by the rebound-
ing of the overrun brake.
X Make sure that the transmission is in posi-
tion P.
X Apply the parking brake.
X Secure the trailer against rolling away.
X Remove the trailer cable and decouple the
trailer. Folding in the ball coupling
i Fold the ball coupling back in if you are
not using the trailer tow hitch. G
WARNING
Make sure that no persons or animals are in
the pivoting range of the ball coupling. Other-
wise, they could be injured. 218
Towing
atrailerDriving an d parking