2012 MERCEDES-BENZ C-Class SEDAN park assist

Setting the specified minimum distance
You can set the specified minimum distance
for DISTRONIC PLUS by varying the time span
between one and two seconds. With this
function, you can set the minimum distance
that DISTRONIC PLUS keeps to the vehicle in
front, dependent on vehicle speed. You can
see this distance in the multifunction display
( Y page 168).
GWARNING
It is up to the driver to exercise discretion to
select the appropriate setting given road
conditions, traffic, driver's preferred driving
style and applicable laws and driving
recommendations for safe following distance.
XTo increase: turn control ; in direction
= .
DISTRONIC PLUS then maintains a greater
distance between your vehicle and the
vehicle in front.XTo decrease: turn control ; in
direction :.
DISTRONIC PLUS then maintains a shorter
distance between your vehicle and the
vehicle in front.
i Make sure that you maintain a sufficient
and safe distance from the vehicle in front.
Adjust the distance to the vehicle in front if
necessary.
DISTRONIC PLUS displays in the
speedometer
When DISTRONIC PLUS is activated, one or
two segments ; in the set speed range light
up.
i For design reasons, the speed displayed
in the speedometer may differ slightly from
the speed set for DISTRONIC PLUS.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects a vehicle in front,
segments ; between speed of the vehicle in
front : and stored speed = light up.
DISTRONIC PLUS displays in the
multifunction display
General notes
You can select the distance display in the
Assistance menu ( Y page 204) of the on-
board computer.
Display when DISTRONIC PLUS is
deactivated
XSelect the Distance Display function
using the on-board computer
( Y page 204).
When DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated, you
will see the following in the multifunction
display:
168Driving systemsDriving and parking

The calibration of the suspension depends
on:
R your driving style
R the road surface conditions
R your individual selection; see the following
description
If your vehicle is equipped with automatic
transmission, the dynamic handling package
with sports mode also includes steering
wheel paddle shifters ( Y page 145) with a
manual drive program ( Y page 147).
Example: position of dynamic handling package
with sports mode button
XStart the engine.
Sports tuning
The firmer setting of the suspension tuning in
sports mode ensures even better contact
with the road. Select this mode when
employing a sporty driving style, e.g. on
winding country roads.
Your selection remains stored until you
switch off the engine.
XPress button ;.
Indicator lamp : lights up. Sports
suspension tuning is selected. Depending
on the engine output, the accelerator pedal
is more responsive. On vehicles with
automatic transmission, drive program S is
selected.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.
XPress button ;.
Indicator lamp : goes out. Comfortable
suspension tuning is selected. On vehicles
with automatic transmission, drive
program E is selected.
HOLD function
General notes
The HOLD function can assist the driver in the
following situations:
R when pulling away, especially on steep
slopes
R when maneuvering on steep slopes
R when waiting in traffic
The vehicle is kept stationary without the
driver having to depress the brake pedal.
The braking effect is canceled and the HOLD
function deactivated when you depress the
accelerator pedal to pull away.
Activation conditions
You can activate the HOLD function if:
R the vehicle is stationary.
R the engine is running.
R the driver's door is closed or your seat belt
is fastened.
R the parking brake is not applied.
R the hood is closed.
R the transmission is in position D, R or N.
R DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated.
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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 will not function or will
not fully function if:
R the trunk lid is open
R it is raining or snowing strongly or if it is
foggy
R it is night or if you are parking/
maneuvering your vehicle in a very dark
area
R a very bright white light is affecting the
camera
R the immediate vicinity is illuminated with
fluorescent light (the display of the
COMAND system can flicker)
R temperature changes abruptly, for example
if you drive out of the cold into a heated
garage (condensation on the lens)
R the camera lens is dirty or covered
R the rear of your vehicle is damaged
In this case, have the position and the
setting of the camera checked at a
specialist workshop. Mercedes-Benz
recommends that you consult a Mercedes-
Benz Center for this purpose.
Do not use the rear view camera in these
situations. You could otherwise injure
yourself and other people and/or cause
damage - including damage to your vehicle -
while parking/maneuvering.
Activating the rear view camera
XMake sure that the SmartKey is in position
2 in the ignition lock.XMake sure that the "rear view camera"
function is selected in COMAND (see theseparate operating instructions for
COMAND).XEngage reverse gear.
The area behind the vehicle is shown in the
COMAND display.
ATTENTION ASSIST
Important safety notes
ATTENTION ASSIST helps you during long,
monotonous journeys such as on freeways
and interstate highways. It is active in the
range between 50 mph (80 km/h) and
112 mph (180 km/h).
If ATTENTION ASSIST detects typical
indicators of fatigue or increasing lapses in
concentration on the part of the driver, it
suggests you take a break.
GWARNING
ATTENTION ASSIST is only an aid and may
detect your tiredness or lapses in
concentration too late or not at all. It is not a
substitute for a well-rested and attentive
driver.
Fatigue may cause you to recognize
hazardous situations too late, misjudge a
situation or react more slowly. For this
reason, make sure you feel rested before you
begin driving and during your journey. Make
sure that you take regular breaks in time,
particularly on long journeys. Otherwise, you
may fail to recognize dangers in time, cause
an accident and injure yourself and others.
ATTENTION ASSIST assesses your level of
fatigue or lapses in concentration by taking
the following criteria into account:
R your personal driving style, e.g. steering
characteristics
R driving conditions, e.g. time, driving time
182Driving systemsDriving and parking

The functionality of ATTENTION ASSIST is
restricted and warnings may be delayed or
not occur at all:
R if the road condition is poor, e.g. if the
surface is uneven or if there are potholes
R if there is a strong side wind
R if you have adopted a sporty driving style
with high cornering speeds or high rates of
acceleration
R if you predominantly drive at speeds under
50 mph (80 km/h) or over 112 mph
(180 km/h)
R if you are currently using COMAND or
making a telephone call with it
R if the time has been set incorrectly
R in active driving situations, such as when
you change lanes or change your speed
Warning and display messages in the
multifunction displayXActivate ATTENTION ASSIST using the on-
board computer ( Y page 205).
Symbol : appears in the multifunction
display.
If ATTENTION ASSIST is active, you will be
warned no sooner than 20 minutes after your
journey has begun. You will then hear an
intermittent warning tone twice, and the
Attention Assist: Drowsiness
Detected 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 typical indicators of 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 starts assessing
your tiredness again if:
R you switch off the engine.
R you take off your seat belt and open the
driver's door, e.g. for a change of drivers or
to take a break.
Lane Tracking package
General notes
The Lane Tracking package consists of Blind
Spot Assist ( Y page 183) and Lane Keeping
Assist ( Y page 185).
Blind Spot Assist
Important safety notes
Blind Spot Assist uses a radar sensor system
to monitor the areas on both sides of your
vehicle. It supports you from speeds of
approximately 20 mph (30 km/h). A warning
display in the exterior mirrors draws your
attention to vehicles detected in the
monitored area. If you then switch on the
corresponding turn signal to change lane, you
will also receive an optical and audible
collision warning. Blind Spot Assist uses
sensors in the rear bumper for monitoring
purposes.
GWARNING
Blind Spot Assist is only an aid designed to
assist driving. It may fail to detect some
vehicles and is no substitute for attentive
driving.
Blind Spot Assist cannot detect road and
traffic conditions. It may fail to detect narrow
vehicles, such as motorcycles or bicycles, or
may only detect them too late.
Monitoring may be affected by dirty sensors,
strong spray or poor visibility caused by snow,
Driving systems183Driving and parkingZ

rain or mist, for example. In this case, vehicles
are detected late or not at all.
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.
i USA only:
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. Removal, tampering, or
altering of 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 208) and operational.
Monitoring range of the sensors
Blind Spot Assist monitors the area shown in
the figure up to 10 ft (3 m) behind and
immediately adjacent to your vehicle.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, vehicles driving in the
lane beyond the lane next to your vehicle may
be indicated, especially if the vehicles are not
driving in the middle of their lane. This may
be the case if the vehicles are driving on the
inner side of their lane.
Due to the nature of the system:
R warnings may be issued in error when
driving close to crash barriers or similar
solid lane borders.
R warnings may be interrupted when driving
alongside long vehicles, such as trucks, 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 from dirt,
ice or slush around the sensors. The rear
sensors must not be covered, for example by
bicycle 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.184Driving systemsDriving and parking

Indicator and warning display:Yellow indicator lamp/red warning lamp
When Blind Spot Assist is activated, indicator
lamp : lights up yellow in the exterior
mirrors up to a vehicle speed of 20 mph
(30 km/h). When the vehicle speed exceeds
20 mph (30 km/h), the indicator lamp goes
out and Blind Spot Assist is ready for use.
When your speed exceeds approximately
20 mph (30 km/h), warning lamp : lights up
red on the corresponding side whenever a
vehicle is detected in the blind spot
monitoring range. This warning is always
given when a vehicle enters the blind spot
monitoring range from behind or from the
side. When you are passing another vehicle,
the warning is emitted only 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 AssistXMake sure that the radar sensor system
( Y page 208) and Blind Spot Assist
( Y page 205) 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 have chosen the Display Unit
Speed-/Odometer (Y page 206) 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
Driving systems185Driving and parkingZ

the miles 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.
The system may be impaired or may not
function if:
R there is poor visibility, e.g. due to
insufficient illumination of the road, or due
to snow, rain, fog or spray.
R there is glare, e.g. from oncoming traffic,
the sun, or reflection from other vehicles.
R the windshield is dirty, fogged up or
covered, for instance by a sticker, in the
vicinity of the camera.
R several or no lane markings for a single lane
are present.
R the lane markings are worn away, dark or
covered up, e.g. by dirt or snow.
R the distance to the vehicle in front is too
small and the lane markings thus cannot be
detected.
R the lane markings on the road are unclear,
e.g. near roadworks.
R the lane markings change quickly, e.g.
lanes branch off, cross one another or
merge.
R the road is narrow and winding.
Lane Keeping Assist cannot detect road and
traffic conditions. It is not a substitute for
attentive driving. You are responsible for the
vehicle's speed, braking in good time, and
steering correctly. 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 recognize dangers in time,
cause an accident and injure yourself and
others.
A warning can be given when a front wheel
passes over a lane marking. It will warn you
by means of intermittent vibration in the
steering wheel for up to 1.5 seconds.
In order that you are warned only when
necessary and in good time if you cross the
lane marking, the system recognizes certain
conditions and warns you accordingly.
The warning vibration occurs earlier if:
R you approach the outer lane marking on a
bend.
R the road has very wide lanes, e.g. a
freeway.
R the system recognizes solid lane markings.
The warning vibration occurs later if:
R the road has narrow lanes.
R you cut the corner on a bend.
No warning vibration occurs if:
R you clearly and actively steer, brake or
accelerate.
R you cut the corner on a sharp bend.
R a driving safety system intervenes, e.g.
ABS, BAS or ESP ®
.
R you switch on the turn signals. In this event,
the warnings are suppressed for a certain
period of time.
Switching on Lane Keeping AssistXActivate Lane Keeping Assist using the on-
board computer ( Y page 205).
Symbol : appears in the multifunction
display.
If your speed exceeds 40 mph (60 km/h)
and lane markings are detected,
symbol : is shown in green. Lane Keeping
Assist is ready for use.186Driving systemsDriving and parking

Active Driving Assistance package
General notes
The Active Driving Assistance package
consists of DISTRONIC PLUS ( Y page 161),
Active Blind Spot Assist ( Y page 187) and
Active Lane Keeping Assist ( Y page 190).
Active Blind Spot Assist
Important safety notes
Active Blind Spot Assist uses a radar sensor
system to monitor the side areas of your
vehicle which are in back of the driver. A
warning display in the exterior mirrors draws
your attention to vehicles detected in the
monitored area. If you then switch on the
corresponding turn signal to change lane, you
will also receive an optical and audible
collision warning. If a risk of lateral collision
is detected, corrective braking may help you
avoid a collision. To support the course-
correcting brake application, Active Blind
Spot Assist also uses the forward-facing radar
sensor system. Active Blind Spot Assist
supports you from speeds of approximately
20 mph (30 km/h).
GWARNING
Active Blind Spot Assist is only an aid, and
may detect vehicles/obstacles incorrectly or
not at all.
The system may be impaired or may not
function if:
R there is poor visibility, e.g. due to snow,
rain, fog or spray.
R the rear and/or front sensors are dirty.
Active Blind Spot Assist may not detect
narrow vehicles, such as motorcycles or
bicycles, or may only detect them too late. It
cannot detect vehicles that are overtaken at
a small distance and then enter the blind spot
area.
Active Blind Spot Assist cannot detect road
and traffic conditions. It is not a substitute for
attentive driving. You are responsible for the
vehicle's speed, braking in good time, and
steering correctly. 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 recognize dangers in time,
cause an accident and injure yourself and
others.
i USA only:
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. Removal, tampering, or
altering of 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 Active Blind Spot Assist to assist you
when driving, the radar sensor system must
be activated ( Y page 208) and operational.
Monitoring area
Active Blind Spot Assist monitors the area
shown in the figure up to 10 ft (3 m) behind
and immediately adjacent to your vehicle. For
this purpose, Active Blind Spot Assist uses
radar sensors in the rear bumper.Driving systems187Driving and parkingZ