2011 MERCEDES-BENZ S-Class ESP

Problems with PARKTRONICProblemPossible causes/consequences and M SolutionsOnly the red segments
in the PARKTRONIC
warning displays are lit.
You also hear a warning
tone for approximately
two seconds.
PARKTRONIC is
deactivated after
approximately
20 seconds, and the
indicator lamp in the
PARKTRONIC button
lights up.PARKTRONIC has malfunctioned and has switched off.XIf problems persist, have PARKTRONIC checked at a qualified
specialist workshop.Only the red segments
in the PARKTRONIC
warning displays are lit.
PARKTRONIC is
deactivated after
approximately 20
seconds.The PARKTRONIC sensors are dirty or there is interference.XClean the PARKTRONIC sensors ( Y page 456).XSwitch the ignition back on.The problem may be caused by an external source of radio or
ultrasound waves.XSee if PARKTRONIC functions in a different location.Parking Guidance
Important safety notes
Parking Guidance is an electronic parking aid
with ultrasound. Ultrasound is used to
measure the road on both sides of the vehicle.
A suitable parking space is indicated by the
parking symbol. You receive steering
instructions when parking. You may also use
PARKTRONIC ( Y page 339).
GWarning
Parking Guidance is merely an aid and may
display parking spaces that are not suitable
for parking, for example:
R no-parking areas
R parking spaces with unsuitable surfaces
(road surface)
R driveways
R entrances and exits
Parking Guidance detects and measures
potential parking spaces while driving past.
Changes to the parking space after this point
are not taken into account, for example if the
vehicle in front of or behind the parking space
changes position or objects in the parking
space are moved.
Even when using Parking Guidance, you are
still responsible for driving carefully. If you
rely on Parking Guidance alone, you could
cause an accident and injure yourself and
others.
Safety always remains your responsibility and
you must continue paying careful attention to
your immediate surroundings when parking
and maneuvering.342Driving systemsDriving and parking

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. If a parking space is detected, parking
symbol ; changes to blue. Additionally, an
arrow pointing right = or left : is shown.
Parking Guidance will only detect parking
spaces:
Rthat are closed in at the back
Rthat are parallel to the direction of travel
Rthat are at least 5 ft (1.5 m) wide
Rthat are at least 4.3 ft (1.3 m) longer than
your vehicle
A parking space is displayed while you are
driving past it, and until you are
approximately 50 ft (15 m) away from it.
Parking
The following instructions refer to parking in
a space on the front-passenger side. To park
in a space on the driver's side, mirror the
instructions.
GWarning!
The Parking Guidance is only an aid and may
not detect all obstacles. The Parking
Guidance does not relieve you of the
responsibility to pay attention. You are always
responsible for safety and must continue to
pay attention to your immediate surroundings
when parking and maneuvering. Otherwise,
you could endanger yourself and others.
XStop the vehicle when the blue parking
space symbol shows the desired parking
space in the instrument cluster.
XEngage reverse gear.
The multifunction display shows the
message: Check surroundings
Confirm with OK.
XPress a on the multifunction steering
wheel to confirm.
The display in the instrument cluster
switches to Parking Guidance.
:Green lane;White bracket marking the target positionXDepending on the distance, you may have
to reverse along the lane towards the
parking space. This is indicated by green
lane :.
Continue backing up until you hear a tone.
Stop; the parking position has been
reached and is marked by white
bracket ; with an arrow for the target
position.
Steering tips
:Red lane indicating the route the vehicle
will take with the steering wheel in its
current position
;Yellow lane indicating the route the
vehicle will take when you have turned the
steering wheel in the required direction
XTurn the steering wheel while the vehicle is
stationary until red lane : and yellow
lane ; overlap.
Lane ; is then marked in green and you
hear a tone. If the parking space is inside
the area displayed, the end of the green
344Driving systemsDriving and parking

Canceling Parking GuidanceXPress the PARKTRONIC button on the
dashboard (Y page 341).
Parking Guidance is canceled immediately
and PARKTRONIC is deactivated.
Parking Guidance is canceled automatically if
it is no longer possible to guide you into the
parking space or if a malfunction occurs.
The parking space symbol disappears and the
Parking Guidance canceled message
appears in the multifunction display.
Rear view camera
Important safety guidelines
The rear view camera is an optical parking aid.
It shows the area behind your vehicle in the
COMAND display.
GWarning!
Make sure no persons or animals are in or
near the area in which you are parking/
maneuvering. Otherwise, they could be
injured.
The rear view camera is located in the handle
strip of the trunk lid.
:Rear view camera
View through the camera
The area behind the vehicle is displayed as a
mirror image, as in the rear-view mirror.
GWarning!
The rear view camera is only an aid and may
display obstacles
Rfrom a distorted perspective
Rinaccurately
Rmay not display obstacles at all
The rear view camera does not relieve you of
the responsibility to be cautious. Take care
and pay careful attention. The rear view
camera may not show objects which are
Rvery close to the rear bumper
Runder the rear bumper
Rabove the trunk handle
You are responsible for safety at all times and
must continue to pay attention to the
immediate surroundings when parking and
maneuvering. This includes the area behind,
in front of, and beside the vehicle. Otherwise
you could endanger yourself and/or others.
GWarning!
The rear view camera either will not function
or will not function to its full capability if
Rthe trunk lid is open
Rit is raining very hard, snowing or foggy
Rit is night or you are parking/maneuvering
your vehicle in an area where it is very dark
Rthe camera is exposed to a very bright white
light
Rthe immediate surroundings are
illuminated with fluorescent light (the
COMAND system display can flicker)
Rthere is a sudden change in temperature,
e.g. if you drive into a heated garage from
the cold (lens condensation)
Rthe camera lens is dirty or covered
Rthe rear of your vehicle is damaged
In this case, have the position and setting
of the camera checked by a qualified
specialist workshop. Mercedes-Benz
recommends that you contact a Mercedes-
Benz Center for this purpose.
346Driving systemsDriving and parking

Do not use the rear view camera in these
situations. Otherwise you could injure
yourself or others and/or damage property
including your vehicle while parking/
maneuvering.
Activating the rear view camera
XMake sure that the SmartKey is in
position 2 in the ignition lock.
XEngage reverse gear.
The area behind the vehicle is shown in the
COMAND display with guide lines.
Guide lines in the COMAND display
GWarning!
Use of rear view camera can be dangerous if
you are color-blind or have impaired color
vision.
Only use rear view camera if you can see and
distinguish all colored guidelines shown by
rear view camera on the COMAND system
display.
GWarning
Please note that objects that do not touch the
ground may appear to be further away than
they actually are, for example:
Rthe bumper of a vehicle parked behind you
Rthe trailer drawbar
Rthe ball coupling of a trailer tow hitch
Rthe rear end of a truck
Ra slanted post
In such cases, you should not use the guide
lines to judge the distance. You may misjudge
the distance, which increases the risk of
impacting the objects.
Even if the object you approach is directly on
the ground, do not approach the object any
closer than the red guide line.
Guide lines ; and = show the approximate
distance to the rear area. Yellow guide
line ; indicates a distance of approximately
3 ft (1 m) and red guide line = indicates a
distance of approximately 10 in (0.25 m). The
distances only apply to objects at ground
level. Blue guide line : depicts the width
required for the vehicle. It is used to align the
vehicle with the edge of the road, e.g. the
curb.
ATTENTION ASSIST
Important safety guidelines
ATTENTION ASSIST helps you during long,
monotonous journeys such as on highways
and trunk roads. It is active in the range
between 50 mph (80 km/h) and 112 mph
(180 km/h).
If ATTENTION ASSIST detects fatigue or
increasing lapses in concentration on the part
of the driver, it suggests you take a break.
GWarning!
The ATTENTION ASSIST is only an aid to the
driver. It might not recognize fatigue or
increasing inattentiveness in time or fail to
recognize them at all. The system cannot
substitute a rested and attentive driver.
Fatigue can cause you to recognize dangers
too late, to misjudge potential dangers, or to
react slower. Therefore, make sure to be
rested before and during your trip. Take rests
early enough and regularly, especially during
long trips. Failure to do so could cause you to
Driving systems347Driving 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

stationary and cannot check whether Night
View Assist Plus is working.
When you activate Night View Assist Plus,
speed display A in the multifunction display
changes. Speed display A is shown as a bar
at the bottom edge of the multifunction
display. This line is no longer available for
basic menus. You have to deactivate Night
View Assist Plus if you wish to change a
setting using the buttons on the multifunction
steering wheel.
Pedestrian recognition
The Night View Assist Plus recognizes
pedestrians using typical characteristics, i.e.
a silhouette in the shape of a person.
Pedestrian recognition is then switched on
automatically if:
R Night View Assist Plus is activated.
R you are driving above
approximately 6 mph (10 km/h).
R the surroundings are dark, e.g. when
driving outside built-up areas without
street lighting.
If pedestrian recognition is active,
symbol ? appears. If a pedestrian is now
recognized, they are framed = and thereby
highlighted. If the pedestrian recognition
system has brought a pedestrian to your
attention, look through the windshield to
evaluate the situation. The actual distance to
objects and pedestrians cannot be gauged
accurately by looking at a screen.
It may be the case that objects are highlighted
as well as pedestrians.
GWarning!
The pedestrian detection may be impaired or
unavailable when
R pedestrians are obstructed fully or in part
by other objects such as parking vehicles
R the silhouette in the Night View Assist Plus
image is displayed incomplete or
interrupted, e.g. by significant light
reflection
R a pedestrian's silhouette is not rich enough
in contrast compared to the background
R pedestrians are not in erected position but,
for example, sit, crouch down, or lie
i Animals are not identified by pedestrian
recognition.
Setting the brightness of the
multifunction displayXTo make brighter or dimmer : make sure
that Night View Assist Plus is activated.XTurn control : counterclockwise or
clockwise.
Fogged up or dirty windshield
If the windshield in front of the camera is
fogged up or dirty on the inside or outside, the
Night View Assist Plus display is affected.
GWarning!
Please do not forget that your primary
responsibility is to drive the vehicle. A driver's
attention to the road must always be his/her
primary focus when driving. For your safety
and the safety of others, stop before trying to
remove window fogging or cleaning the
windshield in front of the Night View Assist
Plus camera.
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.
350Driving systemsDriving and parking

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. Removing, tampering
with, or altering 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.
For Blind Spot Assist to assist you when
driving, the radar sensor system must be
activated (Y page 378) and operational.
Monitoring range of the sensors
Blind Spot Assist monitors the area up to 10 ft
(3 m) behind your vehicle and directly next to
your vehicle as shown in the diagram.
GWarning
Blind Spot Assist monitors certain areas in the
immediate vicinity of your vehicle. Vehicles
that approach and drive past at high speeds
are not detected. There is no display and no
warning.
If the lanes are very wide, it may not be
possible to monitor the complete width of the
neighboring lane. For this reason, vehicles in
the next lane may not be detected, especially
if they are driving in a staggered formation.
This may be the case if vehicles are driving at
that edge of their lane which is furthest away
from your vehicle.
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.
If the lanes are narrow, the system may be
unable to distinguish the neighboring lane
from the one beyond it. For this reason,
vehicles in the farther lane may be indicated,
especially if the vehicles are driving in a
staggered formation in different lanes. In
particular, this may be the case if the vehicles
are driving at the edge of their lane nearest
your vehicle. Due to the nature of the system,
warnings may be issued in error when driving
close to crash barriers or similar solid lane
borders.
The two sensors for Blind Spot Assist are
integrated into the sides of the rear bumper.
Make sure that the bumper is free from dirt,
ice, or slush around the sensors. For example,
the radar sensors must not be covered by
cycle racks or overhanging loads. Following a
severe impact or in the event of damage to
the bumpers, have the function of the radar
sensors checked at a qualified specialist
workshop, e.g. an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center. Blind Spot Assist may otherwise not
work properly.
Information and warning display
:Yellow indicator lamp/red warning lampDriving systems353Driving and parkingZ

When Blind Spot Assist is activated, indicator
lamp : in the exterior mirrors lights up in
yellow at speeds of up to 20 mph (30 km/h).
At speeds above 20 mph (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
20 mph (30 km/h), warning lamp : on the
corresponding 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 7 mph
(12 km/h).
The yellow indicator lamp goes out if reverse
gear is engaged. In this event, Blind Spot
Assist is no longer active.
The brightness of the indicator/warning
lamps is adjusted automatically according to
the ambient light.
GWarning
Blind Spot Assist is not active at speeds under
approximately 20 mph (30 km/h). The
indicator lamps in the exterior mirrors are
yellow. Vehicles in the monitoring range are
then not indicated.
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.
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 tone sounds. 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
XMake sure that the radar sensor system
(Y page 378) and Blind Spot Assist
(Y page 376) are activated in the on-board
computer.
XTurn the SmartKey to position 2 in the
ignition lock.
Warning lamps : light up red in the
exterior mirrors for approximately 1.5
seconds and then turn yellow.
Lane Keeping Assist
Important safety notes
Lane Keeping Assist monitors the area in
front of your vehicle by means of a camera at
the top of the windshield. Lane Keeping Assist
detects lane markings on the road and warns
you before you leave your lane
unintentionally.
:Lane Keeping Assist camera
If you select km/h on the on-board computer
in the Display Unit Speed-/Odometer:
function (Y page 377), Lane Keeping Assist
is activated from speeds of 60 km/h. If the
mph display unit is selected, the assistance
range begins at 40 mph.
GWarning
Lane Keeping Assist does not keep your
vehicle in its lane. It is only an aid and may
detect the lane markings on the road
incorrectly or not at all.
354Driving systemsDriving and parking