2012 MERCEDES-BENZ C-CLASS SALOON ESP

proper
lyde tected bythe sy stem. The maximum
permissible speed applying toave hicle with a
trailer is not de tected bythe sy stem.
Ad just the speed in these situations. &
WARNING Risk of accident due toActive
Speed Limit Assi stadapting theve hicle's
speed
The speed adop tedby Active Speed Limit
Assi stmay be too high or incor rect in some
individual cases, su chas:
R at speed limits below 20 km/h
R inwe t conditions or in fog
R when towing a trailer #
Ensure that the driven speed complies
with traf fic re gulations. #
Adjust the driving speed tosuit cur rent
traf fic and weather conditions. Fu
nction of route-based speed adaptation
When Active Dis tance Assi stDISTRONIC is acti‐
va ted, theve hicle speed will be adap ted accord‐
ingly tothero ute events ahead. Depending on th
e drive prog ram selected, theve hicle negoti‐
ates a route event ahead in an economical, com‐
fo rtable or dynamic manner. When thero ute
eve nt has been passed, theve hicle accelerates
again tothestored speed. The set dis tance to
th eve hicle in front, vehicles de tected ahead and
speed restrictions ahead are take n into account.
Yo u can activate and deactivate route-based
speed adap tation in the multimedia sy stem
(/ page 203).
The following route events are take n into
account:
R Bends
R T-junctions, roundabouts and tollst ations
R Turns and exits
R Traf fic jams ahead (only wi thLive Traf fic
Information (/ page 304))
% When theto llst ation is reached, Active Dis‐
ta nce Assi stDISTRONIC adopts the speed as
th estored speed. Also,
the speed is reduced if the turn signal indi‐
cator tochange lanes is swit ched on and one of
th efo llowing situations is de tected:
R Turning off at junctions
R Driving on slowing-down lanes
R Driving on lanes adjacent toslowing-down
lanes
The driver is responsible forch oosing theright
speed and observing other road users. This
applies in particular tojunctions, roundabouts
and traf fic lights, as route-based speed adap ta‐
tion does not brake theve hicle toast andstill.
When route guidance is active, thefirs t speed
adjustment is car ried out automatically. If the
turn signal indica tor is switched on, the selected
ro ute is confirmed and fur ther speed adjustment
is activated.
Speed adap tation is cancelled in thefo llowing
cases:
R Ifth e turn signal indicator is switched off
before thero ute event.
R Ifth e driver depresses the accelerator or
brake pedal during the process. 202
Driving and parking
Internal use only

Sy
stem limits
Ro ute-based speed adap tation does not take
ri ght of wayre gulations into account. The driver
is responsible for complying with road traf fic
re gulations and driving at a suitable speed.
The speed adap tation made bythe sy stem may
not alw ays be suitable, particular lyin thefo llow‐
ing situations:
R thero ad's course not clear lyvisible
R road nar rowing
R varying maximum permissible speeds in indi‐
vidual lanes, forex ample at tollst ations
R wetro ad sur faces, snow or ice
R when towing a trailer
In these situations the driver must inter vene
acco rding ly. &
WARNING Risk of accident in spite of
ro ute-based speed adap tation
Ro ute-based speed adap tation can malfunc‐
tion or be temp orarily una vailable in thefo l‐
lowing situations: R
Ifth e driver does not follow the calcula‐
te dro ute
R If map data is not up-to-date or available
R Intheeve nt of roadwor ks
R In bad weather or road conditions
R Ifth e accelera tor pedal is depressed
R Intheeve nt of electronical lydispla yed
speed limitations #
Adapt the speed tothe traf fic situation. Setting
route-based speed adjustment
Re quirements:
R Active Dis tance Assi stDISTRONIC is acti va‐
te d.
Multimedia sy stem:
4 Vehicle 5
k Assistance
5 Speed adjustment #
Activate Oor deacti vate ª the function. Ac
tive Steering Assist Fu
nction of Active Steering Assist
Ac tive Steering Assist is only available up to a
speed of 210 km/h. The sy stem helps youto
st ay inthe cent reofthe lane bymeans of mod‐
erate steering inter ventions. Depending on the
speed driven, Active Steering Assist uses the
ve hicles ahead and lane markings as a refer‐
ence.
% Depending on the count ry, in the lo wer
speed range Active Steering Assist can use
th e sur rounding traf fic as a refere nce. If nec‐
essar y,Ac tive Steering Assist can then also
pr ov ide assis tance when driving outside the
centre of the lane, forex ample, toform a
re scue lane.
If th e de tection of lane markings and vehicles
ahead is impaired, Active Steering Assist
switches topassive mode. The sy stem pr ovides
no support in this case.
St atus display of Active Steering Assist in
th e multifunction display
R Ø (gre y): activated and passive
R Ø (gre en): activated and active Driving and parking
203
Internal use only

R
The windscreen is dirty, mis ted up, damaged
or co vered in the vicinity of the camera, e.g.
by ast icke r.
R No, or se veral, unclear lane markings are
present for one lane, or the markings change
qu ickl y,forex ample, in a con stru ction area
or junctions.
R The lane markings are wornaw ay, dark or
co vered up, e.g. bydirt or sno w.
R Ifth e dis tance totheve hicle in front is too
short and thus the lane markings cann otbe
de tected.
R The road is nar row and winding.
R There are obs tacles on the lane or projecting
out into the lane, such as object mar kers.
The sy stem does not pr ovide assis tance in the
fo llowing conditions:
R On tight bends and when turning.
R When crossing junctions.
R Atroundabouts or tollst ations.
R When towing a trailer.
R When the tyre pressure is too lo w. &
WARNING Risk of accident if Active
St eering Assist unexpectedly stops func‐
tioning
If th e sy stem limits of Active Steering Assist
are reached there is no guarantee that the
sy stem will remain active or will keep the
ve hicle in lane. #
Alw ayske ep your hands on thesteering
wheel and obser vethe tra ffic carefull y. #
Alw aysst eer theve hicle paying atten‐
tion totraf fic conditions. &
WARNING Risk of accident if Active
St eering Assist unexpectedly inter venes
The de tection of lane markings and objects
may malfunction and cause unexpected
st eering inter ventions. #
Steer according totraf fic conditions. Ac
tivating Active Steering Assist
Re quirements:
R ESP ®
must be activated, but not inter vening. R
Active Dis tance Assi stDISTRONIC is acti va‐
te d. #
If indicator lamp 1is off: press button 2. Driving and parking
205
Internal use only

Fu
nction of Active Eme rgency Stop Assist If
th e sy stem de tects that the driver has not
st eered theve hicle for a considerable period of
time or has remo vedth eir hands from thesteer‐
ing wheel, display 1appears in the multifunc‐
tion displa y.Ifth e driver still does not steer the
ve hicle, or gives no confirmation tothe sy stem,
a wa rning tone sounds in addition tothe visual
wa rning message.
If th e driver still does not respond tothewa rn‐
ing, theBeginning emergency stop message
appears in the multifunction displa y.Ifth e driver
st ill does not respond, Active Dis tance Assi st DISTRONIC
reduces the speed. The vehicle is
decelerated in stages toast andstill.
Depending on the count ry, at speeds below
60 km/h the hazard warning lights switch on
automaticall y.
When theve hicle is stationar y,thefo llowing
actions are car ried out:
R The vehicle is secured with the electric park‐
ing brake.
R Active Dis tance Assi stDISTRONIC is ended
R The vehicle is unloc ked.
R If possible, an emer gency call is placed to
th e Mercedes-Benz emer gency call centre
The driver can cancel the deceleration at any
time byper form ing one of thefo llowing actions:
R Steering
R Braking or accelerating
R Deactivating Active Dis tance Assi st
DISTRONIC Ac
tive Brake Assi st Fu
nction of Active Brake Assi st
Ac tive Brake Assi stconsi sts of thefo llowing
functions:
R Distance warning function
R Autonomous braking function
R Situation-dependent braking assi stance
R Vehicles with Driving Assistance Pack‐
age: Evasi veSteering Assist and cornering
function
Ac tive Brake Assi stcan help youto minimise the
ri sk of a collision with vehicles, cyclists or
pedestrians or toreduce the ef fects of such a
collision.
If Ac tive Brake Assi sthas de tected a risk of colli‐
sion, a warning tone sounds and theL dis‐
ta nce warning lamp lights up in the instrument
clus ter.
If yo u do not react tothewa rning, autonomous
braking can be initiated in critical situations.
In especially critical situations, Active Brake
Assi stcan initia teautonomous braking direct ly.206
Driving and parking
Internal use only

In
this case, thewa rning lamp and warning tone
occur simultaneously wi th the braking applica‐
tion.
If yo u apply the brake yourself in a critical situa‐
tion or apply the brake during autonomous brak‐
ing, situation-dependent braking assis tance
occu rs. The brake pressure increases up tomax‐
imum full-s top braking if necessar y.
Obser vethe no tes on driving sy stems and your
re sponsibility; you may otherwise failto recog‐
nise dangers (/ page 185). If autonomous braking or situation-dependent
braking assi
stance has occur red, display 1 appears in
the multifunction display and then
automatically goes out af ter a short time. &
WARNING Risk of accident due tolimi‐
te d de tection per form ance of Active
Brake Assi st
Ac tive Brake Assi stcannot al ways clear ly
identify objects and complex traf fic situa‐
tions.
Ac tive Brake Assi stis only an aid. The driver
is responsible for maintaining a suf ficiently
safe di stance totheve hicle in front, vehicle
speed and for braking in good time. #
Alw ays pay careful attention tothe traf‐
fi c situation; do not rely on Active Brake
Assi stalone. #
Be prepared tobrake or swer veif nec‐
essar y. Also obser
vethe sy stem limits of Active Brake
Assi st. The individual subfunctions are
available in
va rious speed ranges:
The dis tance warning function can issue a warn‐
ing in thefo llowing situations:
R From appr oximately 30 km/h, if over se veral
seconds the dis tance maintained totheve hi‐
cle tr avelling in front is insuf ficient forthe
driven speed, theL distance warning
lamp lights up in the instrument clus ter.
R From appr oximately 7 km/h, if your vehicle
is critically close toave hicle, cyclist or
pedestrian, you will hear an intermit tent
wa rning tone and theL distance warning
lamp lights up in the instrument clus ter.
Brake immediately or take evasive action, pr ovi‐
ded it is safe todo so and the traf fic situation
allo wsthis. Driving and parking
207
Internal use only

speeds below
15km/h be fore you ha veleft the
lane in which you are driving. &
WARNING Risk of accident despite Eva‐
si ve Steering Assist
Evasive Steering Assist cann otalw aysre cog‐
nise objects or compl extraf fic situations
clear ly.
Moreo ver,th esteering support pr ovided by
Evasive Steering Assist is not suf ficient to
avo id a collision. #
Alw ays pay careful attention tothe traf‐
fi c situation; do not rely on Ev asive
St eering Assist alone. #
Be prepared tobrake or swer veif nec‐
essar y. #
End the support byactively steering in
non-critical situations. #
Drive at an appropriate speed if there
are pedestrians close tothe path of
yo ur vehicle. Sy
stem limits
Fu ll sy stem per form ance is not available for a
fe w seconds af ter switching on the ignition or
af te r driving off.
If Ac tive Brake Assi stis impaired or inopera tive
due toa malfunction, theÄ warning lamp
appears in the multifunction displa y.
The sy stem may be impaired or may not func‐
tion, particular lyin thefo llowing situations:
R In sno w,rain, fog, heavy spr ay, if there is
gl are, in direct sunlight or in greatlyvarying
light conditions.
R Ifth e sensors are dirty, mis ted up, damaged
or co vered.
R Ifth e sensors are impaired due tointer fer‐
ence from other radar sources, e.g. strong
ra dar reflections in multi-s torey car par ks.
R If a loss of tyre pressure or a defective tyre
has been de tected and displaye d.
R In complex tra ffic situations where objects
cannot alw ays be clear lyidentified.
R If pedestrians or vehicles mo vequickly into
th e sensor de tection range. R
If pede strians are hidden by other objects.
R Ifth e typical outline of a pedestrian cann ot
be distinguished from the bac kground.
R If a pedestrian is not de tected as such , e.g.
due tospecial clo thing or other objects.
R Ifth e driver's seat belt is not fastened.
R On bends with a tight radius.
% The Active Brake Assi stsensors adjust auto‐
matically while a cer tain dis tance is being
driven af terth eve hicle has been delivered.
Ac tive Brake Assi stis una vailable or only
partially available during thete ach-in proc‐
ess.
Setting Active Brake Assi st
Multimedia sy stem:
4 Vehicle 5
k Assistance
5 Active Brake Assist
The settings can be adjus ted when the ignition is
switched on. #
Select Early,Medium orLate.
% Your selection is retained when theve hicle is
next star ted. 210
Driving and pa rking
Internal use only

#
Activate Oor deacti vate ª the function.
The speed limits de tected byTraf fic Sign
Assi stare automatically adop tedby Active
Dis tance Assi stDISTRONIC.
Displ aying de tected traf fic signs in the
media display #
Select Display in COMAND. #
Activate Oor deacti vate ª the function.
% If one of thefo llowing sy stems is activated,
th e de tected speed can be manually adop ted
as the speed limit:
R Active Dis tance Assi stDISTRONIC
R Cruise control
R Variable limiter
Fu rther information (/ page199).
Ad justing the type of warning #
Select Visual & audible ,Visual orNone.
Ad justing the warning threshold
This value de term ines the speed at which a
wa rning is issued when exceeded. #
Select Warning threshold. #
Set the desired speed. Blind Spot Assist and
Active Blind Spot
Assi stwith exitwa rning Fu
nction of Blind Spot Assist and Active
Blind Spot Assi stwith exitwa rning
Blind Spot Assist and Active Blind Spot Assi st
use two lateral, rear-facing radar sensors to
monitor the area up to40 m behind and 3 m
next toyour vehicle.
If a vehicle is de tected at speeds abov e approx‐
imately 12km/h and this vehicle subsequently
enters the monitoring range di rectly next to your
ve hicle, thewa rning lamp in the outside mir ror
lights up red.
Pe rm anent status display in the instrument clus‐
te r:
R ¸ (gre y): sy stem is activated but inopera‐
tive
R ¸ (green): sy stem is activated and opera‐
tional If a
vehicle is de tected close toyour vehicle and
yo u swit chon the turn signal indicator in the cor‐
re sponding direction, a double warning tone
sounds and there dwa rning lamp in the outside
mir rorflashes. If the turn signal indicator
re mains switched on, all other de tected vehicles
are indicated only bytheflashing of thered
wa rning lamp.
If yo uove rtake a vehicle quickl y,no warning is
given. &
WARNING Risk of accident despite Blind
Spot Assi st
Blind Spot Assi stdoes not react tovehicles
approaching and overtaking you at a greatly
di fferent speed.
Blind Spot Assist cann otwa rndrivers in this
situation. #
Alw ays pay careful attention tothe traf‐
fi c situation and maintain a safe dis‐
ta nce at the side of theve hicle. Driving and parking
213
Internal use only

Obser
vethe no tes on driving sy stems and your
re sponsibility; you may otherwise failto recog‐
nise dangers (/ page 185).
Exit warning
The exitwa rning is an additional function of
Blind Spot Assist and can warnvehicle occu‐
pants about approaching vehicles when leaving
th eve hicle when stationar y. &
WARNING Risk of accident despite exit
wa rning
The exitwa rning neither reacts tostationary
objects nor tovehicles approaching you at a
great lydif fering speed.
The exitwa rning cannot warndrivers in these
situations. #
Alw ays pay particular attention tothe
traf fic situation when opening the doors
and make sure there is suf ficient clear‐
ance. If
th ere is a vehicle in the monitoring range, this
is indicated in the outside mir ror.If a vehicle
occupant opens the door on the side with thewa
rning, a warning tone sounds and thewa rning
lamp in the outside mir rorst arts toflash.
This additional function is on lyavailable when
Blind Spot Assist is active. When theex itwa rn‐
ing is activated, it can warnvehicle occupants
fo r up tothre e minutes af ter switching the igni‐
tion off. The exitwa rning is no longer available
once thewa rning lamp in the outside mir ror
fl ashes thre e times.
The exitwa rning is only an aid and not a substi‐
tute forth e attention of vehicle occupants. The
re sponsibility for opening and closing the doors
and for leaving theve hicle remains with theve hi‐
cle occupants.
Sy stem limits
Blind Spot Assist and Active Blind Spot Assi st
may be limi ted in thefo llowing situations, in par‐
ticular:
R ifth ere is dirt on the sensors or the sensors
are obscured
R in poor visibility, e.g. due tofog, heavy rain or
snow R
ifth ere are nar row vehicles, e.g. bicycles or
mo torbikes
R ifth ero ad has very wide or nar rowlanes
R ifve hicles are not driving in the middle of
th eir lane
Wa rnings may be issued in er ror when driving
close tocrash barr iers or similar continuous lane
borders. Alw ays make sure that there is suf fi‐
cient dist ancetothe side forot her traf fic or
obs tacles.
Wa rnings may be inter rupte d when driving along‐
side long vehicles, forex ample lor ries, for a pro‐
longed time.
Blind Spot Assist is not operational when reve rse
ge ar is engaged.
Blind Spot Assist and theex itwa rning are not
operational when a trailer is coupled totheve hi‐
cle and the electrical connection has been cor‐
re ctly es tablished.
The exitwa rning may be limited in thefo llowing
situations:
R when the sensors are co veredby adjacent
ve hicles in nar row parking spaces 214
Driving and pa rking
Internal use only