2012 MERCEDES-BENZ C-CLASS SALOON Owners Manual

This also applies when
the engine or parts of the
driv etra in ha vebeen replaced.
Please also obser vethefo llowing running-in
no tes:
R in cer tain driving and driving saf ety sy stems,
th e sensors adjust automatically while a cer‐
ta in dis tance is being driven af terth eve hicle
has been delivered or af terre pairs. Full sys‐
te m ef fectiveness is not reached until the
end of this teach-in process.
R brakepads, brake discs and tyres that are
either new or ha vebeen replaced only ach‐
ie ve optimum braking ef fect and grip af ter
se veral hundred kilom etre s of driving. Com‐
pensate forth ere duced braking ef fect by
applying greater forc eto the brake pedal. Note
s on optimised acceleration If all necessary
requirements and activation con‐
ditions are fulfilled, the best possible accelera‐
tion can be achie ved from a standstill.
Do not use the optimised acceleration on public
ro ads. Individual wheels could spin and youcould lose control of
theve hicle. There is an
increased risk of skidding and/or accident.
Be sure toobser vethe saf ety no tes and informa‐
tion on ESP ®
(/ page 188). Moving
away with optimised acceleration &
WARNING Risk of skidding and having
an accident from wheels spinning
When you use optimised acceleration, indi‐
vidual wheels could spin and you could lose
cont rol of theve hicle.
If ESP ®
is deactivated, there is a risk of skid‐
ding and accident! #
Make sure that no persons or obstacles
are in the close vicinity of your vehicle. Re
quirements:
R theve hicle is run in (/ page 157).
R theve hicle and tyres are in good condition.
R you are on a high-g rip ro adw ay.
R the engine and transmission are at normal
operating temp erature. *
NO
TEIncreased wear due tooptimised
acceleration When pulling
away with optimised accelera‐
tion, all components of the driv etra in are
subjected toave ry high load.
This can lead toinc reased component wear. #
Do not alw ays pull away with optimised
acceleration. #
Engage theh drive position (/ page169). #
Movethesteering wheel tothest ra ight-
ahead position. #
Select the sportiest available drive program
B orC(/ page166). #
Deactivating ESP ®
(/ page 190). #
Dep ress and hold the brake pedal firm ly wi th
yo ur left foot. #
With your right foot , fully depress the accel‐
erator pedal. 15 8
Driving and pa rking
Internal use only

#
After no more than five seconds, take your
left foot quickly off the brake, but keep the
accelerator pedal depressed.
The vehicle pulls away at maximum accelera‐
tion. #
Swit chon ESP ®
once the acceleration proce‐
dure is comple te.
Ending optimised acceleration #
Remo veyour foot from the accelerator pedal. #
Reactivate the ESP ®
.
% Afteryo u pull away with optimised accelera‐
tion, components of the driv etra in can
become very hot, which means that opti‐
mised acceleration values may be reached
again on lyafte r a few minutes. Note
s on driving &
WARNING Risk of accident due to
objects in the driver's foot we ll
Objects in the driver's foot we ll may impede
pedal tr avel or block a depressed pedal. This jeopardises
the operating and road
saf ety of theve hicle. #
Stow all objects in theve hicle securely
so that they cannot getinto the driver's
fo ot we ll. #
Alw aysfit th efloor mats securely and
as prescribed in order toensure that
th ere is alw ays suf ficient room forthe
pedals. #
Do not use loose floor mats and do not
place floor mats on top of one ano ther. &
WARNING Risk of accident due toincor‐
re ct foot we ar
Incor rect foot we ar includes, forex ample:
R shoes with plat form soles
R shoes with high heels
R slippers #
Alw ayswe ar suitable foot we ar so that
yo u can operate the pedals safel y. &
WARNING Risk of accident if the ignition
is switched off while driving
If yo u swit choff the ignition while driving,
saf ety functions are restricted or no longer
av ailable.
Yo u will then need, forex ample, touse con‐
siderably more forc eto steer and brake. #
Do not switch off the ignition while driv‐
ing. &
DANG ER Risk of death caused by
ex haust gases
Combustion engines emit poisonous exhaust
ga ses such as carbon monoxide. Inhaling
th ese exhaust gases is hazardous tohealth
and leads topoisoning. #
Never lea vethe engine or, if present,
th e auxiliary heating running in an
enclosed space wi thout suf ficient venti‐
lation. Driving and pa
rking 15 9
Internal use only

&
WARNING Risk of skidding and of an
accident due toshifting down on slippery
ro ad sur faces
If yo u shift down on slippery road sur faces to
inc rease the engine braking ef fect, the drive
wheels may lose traction. #
Do not shift down on slippery road sur‐
fa ces toinc rease the engine braking
ef fect. &
DANG ER Risk of fata l injury due topoi‐
sonous exhaust gases
If th eta ilpipe is bloc ked or suf ficient ventila‐
tion is not possible, poisonous exhaust gases
such as carbon monoxide may enter theve hi‐
cle. This is the case when theve hicle
becomes stuck in sn ow,fo rex ample. #
Keep theta ilpipe and the area around
th eve hicle free from snow when the
engine or thest ationary heater are run‐
ning. #
Open a window on the side of theve hi‐
cle facing away from the wind toensure
an adequate supply of fresh air. &
WARNING Risk of accident due tothe
brake sy stem overheating
If yo u lea veyour foot on the brake pedal
when driving, the brake sy stem may over‐
heat.
This increases the braking dis tance and the
brake sy stem may evenfa il. #
Never use the brake pedal as a foot re st. #
Do not depress the brake pedal and the
accelerator pedal at the same time
while driving. *
NO
TEEngine damage duetoexcessively
high engine speeds The engine will be damaged if
you drive with
th e engine in theov errevving range. #
Do not drive wi th the engine in theove r‐
re vving range. *
NO
TECausing wearto the brake linings
by permanently depressing the brake
pedal #
Do not permanently depress the brake
pedal while driving. #
Touse braking ef fect of the engine,
shift toa lo werge ar in good time. *
NO
TEDama getothe driv etra in and
engine when pulling away #
Do not warm upthe engine while the
ve hicle is stationar y.Pull away immedi‐
atel y. #
Avoid high engine speeds and driving at
full thro ttle until the engine has reached
its operating temp erature. *
NO
TEDama getothe catalytic con verter
due tonon-combu sted fuel The engine is not
running smo othly and is
misfiring. 16 0
Driving and pa rking
Internal use only

Non-combus
ted fuel may get into the cata‐
lytic con verter. #
Only depress the accelera tor pedal
slightl y. #
Have the cause rectified immediately at
a qu alified specialist workshop. Note
s on driving on salt-treated roads
The braking ef fect is limited on salt-trea ted
ro ads.
Therefore, obse rveth efo llowing no tes:
R due tosalt build-up on the brake disks and
brakepads, the braking dis tance can increase
considerably orresult in braking only on one
side
R maintain a much greater safe dis tance tothe
ve hicle in front
To remo vesalt build-up:
R brake occasionally while paying attention to
th e tra ffic conditions
R carefully depress the brake pedal at the end
of the journey and when starting the next
journey Note
s on aquaplaning
Aq uaplaning can take place once a cer tain
amount of water has accumulated on thero ad
sur face.
Obser vethefo llowing no tes during heavy precip‐
itation or in conditions in which aquaplaning may
occur:
R reduce speed
R avoid tyre ruts
R avoid sudden steering mo vements
R brake carefully
% Also obser vethe no tes on regular lych ecking
wheels and tyres (/ page410).
Note s on driving through water on the road
sur face
Wa ter which has entered into theve hicle can
damage the engine, electrics and transmission.
Wa ter can also enter the air intake of the engine
and cause engine damage. Obser
vethefo llowing if you must drive thro ugh
wate r:
R The water,when calm, may only reach the
lo we r edge of theve hicle body.
R Drive at a maximum speed of 10km/h;
wate r can otherwise enter theve hicle interior
or engine compartment.
R Vehicles tr avelling in front, or oncoming vehi‐
cles, can create waves which may exceed the
maximum permissible dep thofthewate r.
The braking ef fect of the brakes is reduced af ter
fo rd ing. Brake carefully while paying attention to
th e tra ffic conditions until braking po wer has
been fully restored. ECO
start/s top function Ope
ration of the ECO start/s top function
% The ECO start/ stop function is not available
in all drive prog rams, depending on the
engine. Obser vethest atus display in the
multifunction display forth is. Driving and parking
161
Internal use only

The engine is switched off automatically in
the
fo llowing situations if all vehicle conditions for
an automatic engine stop are me t:
R You brake theve hicle toast andstill in trans‐
mission position hori.
R Vehicles with a 48 V on-board electrical
sy stem: You depress the brake pedal when
tra velling at a low speed.
If th e sy stem has de tected one of thefo llowing
situations, the engine will not stop:
R Youstop at a stop sign and there is no vehi‐
cle in front of you.
R The vehicle that stopped in front of you
st arts up again.
R You manoeuv re, turn thesteering wheel
sharply or engage reve rsege ar.
% Ifth e sy stem de tects an intellige ntstop
inhibitor, forex ample, a stop sign, the engine
will not stop.
If yo u activate the HOLD function or engage
th e park position j,the engine can be
switched off in spite of an intelligent stop
inhibitor. The engine is
restar ted automatically if:
R You en gage transmission position hork.
R You depress the accelerator pedal.
R An automatic engine start is requiredbythe
ve hicle.
R Youre lease the brake pedal.
R Vehicles with a 48 V on-board electrical
sy stem:
- Youre lease the brake pedal on a downhill
gradient and theve hicle does not roll.
- The vehicle rolls on a downhill gradient
and does not automatically enter glide
mode at 20 km/h.
ECO start/ stop function symbols in the multi‐
function display:
R The symbol è(green) appears when the
ve hicle is at a standstill: the engine was
switched off bythe ECO start/ stop function.
R The symbol ç(yellow) appears when the
ve hicle is at a standstill: not all vehicle condi‐
tions for an engine stop ha vebeen met. R
Neither the symbol ènorç appears
when theve hicle is at a standstill: an intelli‐
ge nt stop inhibitor was de tected, forex am‐
ple, a stop sign.
If th e engine was switched off bythe ECO start/
st op function and you lea vetheve hicle, a warn‐
ing tone sounds and the engine is not restar ted.
In addition, thefo llowing display message
appears in the multifunction display:
Vehicle is operational Switch off ignition before
exiting
If yo u do not swit choff the ignition, it is auto‐
matically switched off af terth re e minutes. 16 2
Driving and pa rking
Internal use only

Deactivating or activating
the ECO start/
sto p function #
Press button 1.
If indicator lamp 2lights up, the ECO start/
st op function is activated.
% Depending on the model and theve hicle
equipment, the button may also be located
at a dif fere nt position in the cent reconsole. ECO displ
ayfunction The ECO display summa
rises your driving char‐
acteristics from thest art of the journey toits
completion and assists you in achieving the
most economical driving style.
Yo u can influence consum ption bydoing thefo l‐
lowing:
R Driving with particular care
R Driving theve hicle in drive program ;
R Observing thege arshift recommendations The inner segment will light up and
the outer
segment will fill up when thefo llowing driving
st yle is adop ted:
R 1 Moderate acceleration
R 2 Gentle deceleration and rolling
R 3 Consis tent speed
The inner segment will not light up and the outer
segment will em pty when thefo llowing driving
st yle is adop ted:
R 1 Sporty acceleration
R 2 Heavy braking
R 3 Fluctuations in speed
The ECO display will show you when you ha ve
driven economically:
R The thre e outer segments are comple tely fil‐
led simultaneousl y.
R The ECO display lights up.
The additional range achi eved as a result of your
driving style in comparison with a driver with a
ve ry sporty driving style is shown under Bonus Driving and parking
16 3
Internal use only

from start
. Therange displ ayed does not indicate
a fixe dre duction in consum ption. ECO Assist function
*
NO
TEPlug-in hybrid #
Obser vethe no tes in the Supplement.
Yo u could otherwise failto recognise
dangers. ECO Assi
stanal yses data forth eve hicle's expec‐
te dro ute. This allo wsthe sy stem tooptimally
adjust the driving style fo rth ero ute ahead, sa ve
fuel and recuperate.
ECO Assi stis displa yed on theAssistance
menu(/ page246). 1
Event ahead
2 Distance displ ayforth eev ent ahead
3 "Foot off the accelerator" prom pt Displ
ayable route results 1 The segments of dis
tance displ ay2 show the
dis tance totheeve nt ahead as follo ws:
R Afew segments light up: theeve nt ahead is
nea r.
R Many segments light up: theeve nt ahead is
fur ther aw ay.
When theve hicle nears theeve nt, ECO Assi st
will calculate the optimal speed for maximum
fuel economy and recuperati veenergy based on
th e dis tance, speed and gradient. The Foot off
the accelerator 3message appea rsinthe multi‐
function displa y.The firs t segments in front of
th eve hicle will turn green. The remaining seg‐
ments will initially stay white. If youta ke your
fo ot off the accelerator pedal in good time, the
re maining segments on the display will succes‐
sively turn green until theeve nt shown is
re ached. The driv etra in will be set for maximum
fuel econom y.Re cuperation will charge the bat‐
te ry.Re cuperation will be adap tedto the selec‐
te d drive prog ram.
The event will be shown for a short time af ter it
has been passed. If there is no response tothe 16 4
Driving and pa rking
Internal use only

Foot off the accelerator
prompt,th e segments
will remain white.
If th eeve nt in volves a vehicle in front, all seg‐
ments will immediately turn green once there is
a re sponse totheFoot off the accelerator
prom pt.
Fo r active ECO Assist in drive program ;,
symbol 3will appear on the multifunction dis‐
play and on the head-up display beside transmis‐
sion position h. Symbol3will also appear
when the assis tant displ ayis not selec ted.
If th e sy stem does not inter vene du ring the
eve nt ahead, no thing will be displa yed. The sys‐
te m will be passive.
ECO Assist is active only in drive programs ;
and A.
Sy stem limits
ECO Assist can function even more precisely if
th ero ute is adhered towhen route guidance is
active. The basic function is also available with‐
out active route guidance. Notall information
and traf fic situations can be fore seen. The qual‐
ity depends on the map data. ECO Assist is only an aid. The driver is
responsi‐
ble forke eping a safe dis tance from theve hicle
in front, forve hicle speed and for braking in
good time. The driver must be ready tobrake at
all times ir respective of whe ther the sy stem
inter venes.
The sy stem may be impaired or may not function
in thefo llowing situations:
R If visibility is poor, e.g. due toinsuf ficient illu‐
mination of thero ad, high lyvariable shade
conditions, rain, sno w,fog or heavy spr ay.
R Ifth ere is glare, e.g. from oncoming traf fic,
di re ct sunlight or reflections.
R Ifth ere is dirt on the windscreen in the area
of the multifunction camera or the camera is
mis ted up, damaged or obscured.
R Ifro ad signs are hard todetect, e.g. due to
dirt, snow or insuf ficient lighting, or because
th ey are obscured.
R Ifth e information on the navigation sy stem's
digital map is incor rect or out of date.
R If signs are ambiguous, e.g. road signs in
ro adwor ksor in adjacent lanes. DY
NA MIC SELECT switch Fu
nction of theDY NA MIC SELECT switch *
NO
TEMercedes-AMG vehicles #
Obser vethe no tes in the Supplement.
Yo u could otherwise failto recognise
dangers. *
NO
TEPlug-in hybrid #
Obser vethe no tes in the Supplement.
Yo u could otherwise failto recognise
dangers. %
Depending on the engine and equipment,
th eve hicle has dif fere nt drive programs.
Use theDY NA MIC SELECT switch tochange
between thefo llowing drive programs.
The drive prog ram selected appears in the multi‐
function display of the on-board computer.
= Individual
R individual settings Driving and parking
16 5
Internal use only