2011 MERCEDES-BENZ S-Class engine

Changing lanes
If you wish to change to the passing lane (in
left-hand-drive vehicles, the passing lane is
the left-hand lane), DISTRONIC PLUS
supports you if:
R you are driving above 40 mph (60 km/h)
R DISTRONIC PLUS is maintaining the
distance to a vehicle in front
R you switch on the appropriate turn signals
R DISTRONIC PLUS does not detect a danger
of collision
If these conditions are met, your vehicle is
accelerated. Acceleration will be interrupted
if changing lanes takes too long or if the
distance between your vehicle and the
vehicle in front becomes too small.GWarning
DISTRONIC PLUS and Active Blind Spot Assist
are only aids designed to assist driving.
They do not relieve you of the responsibility
of paying attention. The driver remains fully
responsible for the vehicle's distance from
other vehicles, the vehicle's speed and for
braking in good time. Always pay attention to
traffic conditions and your surroundings.
Otherwise, you may fail to recognize dangers
in time, cause an accident and injure yourself
and others.
Stopping
GWarning
Never get out of the vehicle when DISTRONIC
PLUS is activated.
DISTRONIC PLUS must also never be
operated, activated or deactivated by a
passenger or from outside the vehicle.
DISTRONIC PLUS does not replace the
electric parking brake and must not be used
for parking.
The DISTRONIC PLUS braking effect is
canceled and the vehicle can start moving if:
R DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated using the
cruise control lever.
R you accelerate.
R
there is a malfunction in the system or an
interruption in the power supply, e.g.
battery failure.
R the electrical system in the engine
compartment, the battery or the fuses are
tampered with.
R the battery is disconnected.
If you wish to leave the vehicle or park it,
deactivate DISTRONIC PLUS and secure the
vehicle against rolling away.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that the vehicle
in front is stopping, it brakes your vehicle until
it is stationary.
Once your vehicle is stationary, it remains
stationary and you do not need to depress the
brake.
i After a time, the electric parking brake
secures the vehicle and relieves the service
brake.
i Depending on the specified minimum
distance, your vehicle will come to a
standstill at a sufficient distance behind the
vehicle in front. The specified minimum
distance is set using the control on the
cruise control lever.
Setting a speedGWarning
Keep in mind that it may take a brief moment
until the vehicle has made the necessary
adjustments.
Increase or decrease the set vehicle speed to
a value that the prevailing road conditions and
legal speed limits permit. Otherwise, sudden
and unexpected acceleration or deceleration
of the vehicle could cause an accident and/
or serious injury to you and others.
330Driving systemsDriving and parking

Deactivating DISTRONIC PLUS
There are several ways to deactivate
DISTRONIC PLUS:
XBriefly press the cruise control lever
forwards :.
or
XBrake, unless the vehicle is stationary.
iThe last speed stored remains stored until
you switch off the engine.
iDISTRONIC PLUS is not deactivated if you
depress the accelerator pedal. If you
accelerate to overtake, DISTRONIC PLUS
adjusts the vehicle's speed to the last
speed stored after you have finished
overtaking.
DISTRONIC PLUS is automatically
deactivated if:
Ryou engage the electric parking brake or if
the vehicle is automatically secured with
the electric parking brake.
Ryou are driving slower than
15 mph (25 km/h) and there is no vehicle
in front, or if the vehicle in front is no longer
detected.
RESP® intervenes or you deactivate ESP®.
Rthe transmission is in the P, R or N position.
Ryou switch off the radar sensor system
(Y page 378).
Ryou pull the cruise control lever towards
you in order to pull away and the front-
passenger door or one of the rear doors is
open.
Rthe vehicle has skidded.
If DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated, you will
hear a warning tone. You will see the
DISTRONIC PLUS off message in the
multifunction display for approximately five
seconds.
Tips for driving with DISTRONIC PLUS
Important safety guidelines
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.
GWarning!
The DISTRONIC PLUS works to maintain the
speed selected by the driver unless a moving
obstacle proceeding directly ahead of it in the
same travel direction is detected (e.g.
following another vehicle ahead of you at your
set distance).
This means that:
RYour vehicle can pass another vehicle after
you have changed lanes.
RWhile in a sharp turn or if the preceding
vehicle is in a sharp turn, the DISTRONIC
PLUS could lose sight of the preceding
vehicle. Your vehicle could then accelerate
to the previously selected speed.
The DISTRONIC PLUS regulates only the
distance between your vehicle and those
directly ahead of it. It may not register
stationary objects in the road, e.g.:
Ra stopped vehicle in a traffic jam
Ra disabled vehicle
Ran oncoming vehicle
The driver must always be alert, observe all
traffic and intercede as required by means of
steering or braking the vehicle.
Driving systems333Driving and parkingZ

Deactivating the HOLD function
The HOLD function is deactivated
automatically if:
R you accelerate and the transmission is in
position D or R.
R the transmission is in position P.
R you apply the brakes again with a certain
amount of pressure until HOLD disappears
from the instrument cluster.
R you secure the vehicle using the electric
parking brake.
R you activate DISTRONIC PLUS.
i After a time, the electric parking brake
secures the vehicle and relieves the service
brake.
GWarning
Never get out of the vehicle when the HOLD
function is activated.
The HOLD function must never be operated
or deactivated by a passenger or from outside
the vehicle.
The HOLD function does not replace the
electric parking brake and must not be used
for parking.
The braking effect of the HOLD function is
canceled and the vehicle could roll away if:
R the HOLD function is deactivated by
depressing the accelerator pedal or the
brake pedal.
R there is a malfunction in the system or an
interruption in the power supply, e.g.
battery failure.
R the electrical system in the engine
compartment, the battery or the fuses are
tampered with.
R the battery is disconnected.
AIRMATIC
Vehicle level
Your vehicle regulates its height
automatically. All-round self-leveling ensures
the best possible suspension and constant
ground clearance, even with a laden vehicle.
When you drive fast, the vehicle is lowered
automatically to improve driving safety and to
reduce fuel consumption.
The following vehicle levels are possible on
vehicles without 4MATIC:
R normal.
R raised: the vehicle is raised above the
normal level by 1.00 in (25 mm).
R lowered: the vehicle is lowered beyond the
normal level by 0.60 in (15 mm).
The following vehicle levels are possible on
vehicles with 4MATIC:
R normal: in comfort mode, the vehicle is
raised above Sport mode by 0.40 in
(10 mm).
R raised: in comfort mode, the vehicle is
raised by about 0.60 in (15 mm) and in
Sport mode by about 1.00 in (25 mm) over
the normal level.
R lowered: the vehicle is lowered beyond the
normal level by 0.40 in (10 mm).
The "Normal" and "Raised" vehicle levels can
be set manually.
The "Lowered” vehicle level is set
automatically:
R in vehicles without 4MATIC at speeds
above 60 mph (100 km/h)
R in vehicles with 4MATIC at speeds above
50 mph (80 km/h)
Setting the vehicle level
Select the "Normal" setting for normal road
surfaces and "Raised" for driving with snow
chains or on particularly poor road surfaces.
Your selection remains stored even if you
remove the SmartKey from the ignition lock.
336Driving systemsDriving and parking

GWarning!
To help avoid personal injury, keep hands and
feet away from wheel housing area, and stay
away from under the vehicle when lowering
the vehicle chassis.
Setting raised level
XStart the engine.
If indicator lamp ; is not lit:
XPress button :.
Indicator lamp ; lights up. The vehicle
height is adjusted to raised level.
The Vehicle rising message appears in
the multifunction display.
The "Raised Level" setting is canceled if you:
Rdrive at speeds above approximately
75 mph (120 km/h)
Rdrive about 3 minutes at speeds above
50 mph (80 km/h)
The "Raised Level" remains saved when you
are not driving within these speed ranges.
Setting the normal level
XStart the engine.
If indicator lamp ; is lit:
XPress button :.
Indicator lamp ; goes out. The vehicle is
adjusted to normal level.
Suspension tuning
The Adaptive Damping System (ADS)
automatically controls the calibration of the
dampers and springs.
The damping is tuned individually to each
wheel and depends on:
Ryour driving style, e.g. sporty
Rthe road surface condition, e.g. bumps
Ryour individual selection, i.e. sports or
comfort
Your selection remains stored even if you
remove the SmartKey from the ignition lock.
Sports tuning
The firmer suspension tuning in Sport mode
ensures even better contact with the road.
Select this mode when employing a sporty
driving style, e.g. on winding country roads.
XIf indicator lamp ; is not lit: press
button :.
Indicator lamp ; lights up. You have
selected the suspension for a sporty driving
style.
The AIRMATIC SPORT message appears in
the multifunction display.
Comfort tuning
In comfort mode, the driving characteristics
of your vehicle are more comfortable. Select
this mode if you prefer a more comfortable
driving style, but also when driving fast on
straight roads, e.g. highways.
Driving systems337Driving and parkingZ

XIf indicator lamp ; is lit: press
button :.
Indicator lamp ; goes out. You have
selected the suspension for a comfortable
driving style.
The AIRMATIC COMFORT message appears
in the multifunction display.
Active Body Control (ABC)
Vehicle level
Your vehicle automatically adjusts its ride
height to improve driving safety and reduce
fuel consumption.
Depending on the vehicle height that has
been set, the vehicle automatically adjusts its
height, depending on the current speed. As
the speed is increased, the vehicle is lowered
up to 0.6 in (15 mm). As the speed is reduced,
the vehicle is raised up to the set vehicle
height.
GWarning
The vehicle is lowered when the engine is
switched off. Therefore, make sure that
nobody is in the vicinity of the wheel housing
or under the vehicle when you switch off the
engine. Otherwise, limbs could become
trapped.
! The vehicle is lowered when the engine is
switched off. Make sure when parking that
you position your vehicle so that it does not
make contact with the curb as the vehicle
is lowered. Your vehicle could otherwise be
damaged.
iAMG vehicles: the vehicle is lowered by
about 0.4 in (10 mm) when the engine is
switched off.
Setting the vehicle level
Select the "Normal" setting for normal road
surfaces and "Raised" for driving with snow
chains or on particularly poor road surfaces.
GWarning!
To help avoid personal injury, keep hands and
feet away from wheel housing area, and stay
away from under the vehicle when lowering
the vehicle chassis.
Your selection remains stored even if you
remove the SmartKey from the ignition lock.
Setting raised level
XStart the engine.
If indicator lamp ; is not lit:
XPress button :.
Indicator lamp ; lights up. The vehicle
height is adjusted to raised level.
Setting the normal level
XStart the engine.
If indicator lamp ; is lit:
XPress button :.
Indicator lamp ; goes out. The vehicle is
adjusted to normal level.
Suspension tuning
The electronically controlled ABC suspension
system works continuously. This improves
driving safety and comfort.
The ABC suspension system is tuned
individually to each wheel and depends on:
Ryour driving style, e.g. sporty
Rthe road surface condition, e.g. bumps
338Driving systemsDriving and parking

Minimum distanceCenterApprox. 8 in (20 cm)CornersApprox. 8 in (20 cm)
If there is an obstacle within this range, all
warning displays light up and a warning tone
sounds. If the distance falls below the
minimum, the distance may no longer be
shown.
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 headliner in the
rear compartment.
Warning display for the front area
:Segments on the left-hand side of the
vehicle;Segments on the right-hand side of the
vehicle=Segments showing operational readiness
The warning display for each side of the
vehicle is divided into five yellow and two red
segments. PARKTRONIC is operational if
yellow segments showing operational
readiness = light up.
The selected transmission position
determines which warning display is active
when the engine is running.
Transmission
positionWarning displayDFront area activatedRRear and front areas
activatedNIf the electric parking
brake is engaged: no
areas activated
If the electric parking
brake is released:
rear and front areas
are activatedPNo areas activated
One or more segments light up as the vehicle
approaches an obstacle, depending on the
vehicle's distance from the obstacle.
When the first red segment lights up, you hear
an intermittent warning for about two
seconds. From the second red segment, you
hear a continuous warning. This indicates that
you have now reached the minimum distance.
Deactivating/activating PARKTRONIC
:To deactivate/activate PARKTRONIC;Indicator lamp
If indicator lamp ; lights up, PARKTRONIC is
deactivated.
Driving systems341Driving and parkingZ

recognize dangers too late which could result
in an accident and serious injury to you and/
or others.
ATTENTION ASSIST assesses your level of
fatigue or lapses in concentration by taking
the following criteria into account:
Ryour personal driving style, e.g. steering
characteristics
Rdriving conditions, e.g. time, driving time
The functionality of ATTENTION ASSIST is
restricted and warnings may be delayed or
not occur at all:
Rif the road condition is poor, e.g. if the
surface is uneven or if there are potholes
Rif there is a strong side wind
Rif you have adopted a sporty driving style
with high cornering speeds or high rates of
acceleration
Rif you are predominantly driving slower
than 50 mph (80 km/h) or faster than
112 mph (180 km/h)
Rif you are currently operating or making a
call using COMAND
Rif the time has been set incorrectly
Rin active driving situations, such as when
you change lanes or change your speed
Warning and display messages in the
multifunction display
XActivate ATTENTION ASSIST using the on-
board computer (Y page 376).
Symbol : appears in the multifunction
display.
If ATTENTION ASSIST is active, it will not warn
you until at least 20 minutes after your
journey has begun. You then hear an
intermittent warning tone twice and the
Attention Assist Time for a break?
message appears in the multifunction
display.
XIf necessary, take a break.XPress a to confirm the message.
On long journeys, take regular breaks in good
time to allow yourself to rest properly. If you
do not take a break and ATTENTION ASSIST
still detects fatigue or increasing lapses in
concentration, you will be warned again after
15 minutes at the earliest.
ATTENTION ASSIST is reset when you
continue your journey, and it starts assessing
your tiredness again if:
Ryou switch off the engine.
Ryou take off your seat belt and open the
driver's door, e.g. for a change of drivers or
to take a break.
Night View Assist Plus
Important safety notes
In addition to the illumination provided by the
normal headlamps, Night View Assist Plus
uses infrared light to illuminate the road. A
camera at the top of the windshield picks up
the infrared light and displays a black-and-
white image in the multifunction display. The
image shown in the multifunction display
corresponds to a road lit up by high-beam
headlamps. This enables you to see the road's
course and any obstacles in good time. If
pedestrian recognition is activated,
pedestrians recognized by the system are
highlighted in the Night View Assist Plus
display.
GWarning
Night View Assist Plus is only an aid designed
to assist driving. It is not a substitute for
attentive driving. Do not rely solely on the
Night View Assist Plus display. Continue to
look through the windshield. You are
responsible for safety and must drive in
348Driving systemsDriving and parking

Vehicle equipment
i This manual describes all the standard
and optional equipment of your vehicle
which was available at the time of
purchase. Country-specific differences are
possible. Bear in mind that your vehicle
may not feature all functions described
here. This also refers to safety-related
systems and functions.
Important safety notes
You will find an illustration of the instrument
cluster in the "At a glance" section
( Y page 32).
GWarning
A driver's attention to the road and traffic
conditions must always be his/her primary
focus when driving.
For your safety and the safety of others,
selecting features through the multifunction
steering wheel should only be done by the
driver when traffic and road conditions permit
it to be done safely.
Bear in mind that at a speed of just 30 mph
(approximately 50 km/h ), your vehicle is
covering a distance of 44 feet (approximately
14 m) every second.
GWarning!
No messages will be displayed if either the
instrument cluster or the multifunction
display is inoperative.
As a result, you will not be able to see
information about your driving conditions,
such as
R speed
R outside temperature
R warning/indicator lamps
R malfunction/warning messages
R failure of any systems
Driving characteristics may be impaired.
If you must continue to drive, do so with added
caution. Contact an authorized Mercedes-
Benz Center as soon as possible.GWarning!
HYBRID vehicles: It is imperative that you read
the HYBRID Supplemental Operating
Instructions included in your vehicle literature
portfolio. You may otherwise not receive all
necessary safety information and warning for
the operation of your vehicle.
GWarning
Malfunction and warning messages are only
indicated for certain systems and are
intentionally not very detailed. The
malfunction and warning messages are
simply a reminder with respect to the
operation of certain systems. They do not
replace the owner's and/or driver's
responsibility to maintain the vehicle's
operating safety. Have all required
maintenance and safety checks performed on
the vehicle. Bring the vehicle to an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center to address the
malfunction and warning messages.
Displays and operation
Coolant temperature gauge
GWarning
Driving when your engine is overheated can
cause some fluids which may have leaked into
the engine compartment to catch fire. You
could be seriously burned.
Steam from an overheated engine can cause
serious burns which can occur just by opening
the engine hood. Stay away from the engine
if you see or hear steam coming from it.
Stop the vehicle in a safe location away from
other traffic. Turn off the engine, get out of the
vehicle and do not stand near the vehicle until
the engine has cooled down.
364Displays and operationOn-board computer and displays