2013 MERCEDES-BENZ S-Class ignition

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. G
WARNING
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
X
Start the engine.
If indicator lamp 0003is not lit:
X Press button 0002.
Indicator lamp 0003lights up. The vehicle
height is adjusted to raised level.
Setting the normal level
X Start the engine.
If indicator lamp 0003is lit:
X Press button 0002.
Indicator lamp 0003goes out. The vehicle is
adjusted to normal level.
Suspension tuning The electronically controlled ABC suspension
system works continuously.T
his improves
driving safety and comfort. The ABC suspension system is tuned
individually to each wheel and depends on:
R
your driving style, e.g. sporty
R the road surface condition,e .g. bumps
R your individual selection, i.e .sports or
comfort
R the vehicle load
Your selection remains stored even if you
remove the SmartKey from the ignition lock. Sports tuning
The firmer suspension tunin
ginSport mode
ensures even better contact with the road.
Select this mode when employing a sporty
driving style, e.g. on winding country roads.
X If indicator lamp 0003 is not lit:
press
button 0002.
Indicator lamp 0003lights up. You have
selected the suspension for a sporty driving
style.
The ABC Active Body Control SPORT message appears in the multifunction
display.
Comfort tuning
In Comfort mode, the driving characteristics
of your vehicle are more comfortable.
Therefore, select this mode if you favor a
more comfortable driving style.
X If indicator lamp 0003 is lit:
press
button 0002.
Indicator lamp 0003goes out. You have
selected the suspension for acomfortable
driving style. Driving systems
349Driving and parking Z

The
ABC Active Body Control COMFORT message appears in the
multifunction display. 4MATIC (permanent four-wheel drive)
4MATIC ensures that all four wheels are
permanently driven. Together with ESP ®
, it
improves the traction of your vehicle
whenever a drive wheel spins due to
insufficien tgrip. G
WARNING
If a drive wheel is spinning due to insufficient
traction:
R While driving off, apply as little throttle as
possible.
R While driving, ease up on the accelerator
pedal.
R Adapt yours peed and driving style to the
prevailing road conditions.
Failure to observe these guidelines could
cause the vehicle to skid.
4MATIC cannot prevent accidents resulting
from excessive speed.
! Never tow the vehicle with one axle
raised. This may damage the transfer case.
Damage of this sort is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty. All
wheels must remain either on the ground
or be fully raised. Observe the instructions
for towing the vehicle with all wheels in full
contact with the ground.
i In wintry driving conditions, the maximum
effect of 4MATIC can only be achieved if
you use winter tires (M+S tires), with snow
chains if necessary. PARKTRONIC
Important safety notes G
WARNING
The PARKTRONIC is a supplemental system.
It is not intended to, nor does it replace, the
need for extreme care. The responsibility
during parking and other critical maneuvers
always remains with the driver. G
WARNING
Make sure no persons or animals are in or
near the area in which you are parking/
maneuvering .Otherwise, they could be
injured.
PARKTRONIC is an electronic parking aid with
ultrasoni csensors. It indicates visually and
audibly the distance between your vehicle
and an object.
PARKTRONIC is activated automatically when
you:
R switch on the ignition
R shift the transmission to position D,Ror N
R release the electric parkin gbrake
PARKTRONIC is deactivated at speeds above
11 mph (18km/h). It is reactivated at lower
speeds.
PARKTRONIC monitors the area around your
vehicle using six sensors in the front and four
sensors in the rear. 0002
Example: sensors in the front bumper,
left-hand side 350
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Warning display for the fron
tarea
0002 Segments on the left-hand side of the
vehicle
0003 Segments on the right-hand side of the
vehicle
0026 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 0026light up.
The selected transmission position
determines which warning display is active
when the engine is running. Transmission
position Warning display
D
Front area activated
R
Rear and front areas
activated
N
If the electric parking
brake is engaged: no
areas are activated
If the electric parking
brake is released:
rear and front areas
are activated
P
No 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 minimu
mdistance.
Deactivating/activating PARKTRONIC 0002
To deactivate/activate PARKTRONIC
0003 Indicator lamp
If indicator lamp 0003lights up, PARKTRONIC is
deactivated.
i PARKTRONIC is automatically activated
when you tur nthe SmartKey to position 2
in the ignition lock. 352
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Problems with PARKTRONIC
Problem Possible causes/consequences and
0004 Solutions
Only 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.
X
If 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.
X
Cleant he PARKTRONIC sensors (Y page 474).
X Switch the ignition back on. The problem may be caused by an external source of radio or
ultrasound waves.
X See 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.
As uitable parking space is indicated by the
parking symbol. You receive steering
instructions when parking .You may also use
PARKTRONIC (Y page 350). G
WARNING
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. Driving systems
353Driving and parking Z

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 displa yofthe
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 X
Make sure tha tthe SmartKey is in position
2 in the ignition lock.
X Engage reverse gear.
The area behind the vehicle is shown in the
COMAND display with guide lines.
Guide lines in the COMAND display G
WARNING
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. G
WARNING
Please note that objects that do not touch the
ground may appear to be further away than
they actually are, for example:
R the bumper of a vehicle parked behind you
R the trailer drawbar
R the ball coupling of a trailer tow hitch
R the rear end of a truck
R a 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. Example: information in the COMAND display
Guide lines
0003and 0026show the approximate
distance to the rear area. Yellow guide
line 0003indicates a distance of approximately
3 ft (1 m) and red guide line 0026indicates a
distance of approximately 10 in (0.25 m).The
distances only apply to objects that are at
ground level. Blue guide lines 0002depict the
width required for the vehicle. They are used
to align the vehicle with the edge of the road,
e.g. the curb. 358
Driving systemsDriving and parking

You can only activate Night View Assist Plus
if:
R the SmartKey is in position 2in the ignition
lock.
R it is dark.
R the light switch is in the 000Dor000A
position.
R reverse gear has not been engaged.
X Press button 0002.
The Night View Assist Plus display appears
in the multifunction display. 0002
Night View Assist Plus display
0003 Pedestrian recognized
0026 Framing
0025 Symbol for active pedestrian recognition
0023 Speed display
i The infrared lamps switch on
automatically fro maspeed of about
6 mph (10 km/h). This means that you do
not have the full visual range while the
vehicle is stationary and cant check
whether Night View Assist Plus is working.
When you activate Night View Assist Plus,
speed display 0023in the multifunction display
changes. Speed display 0023is 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 want to change a
setting using the buttons on the multifunction
steering wheel. Pedestrian recognition G
WARNING
Pedestrian recognition may be impaired or
inoperative if:
R pedestrians are partially or entirely
obscured by objects, e.g. parked vehicles.
R the silhouette of the pedestrian in the Night
View Assist Plus display is incomplete or
interrupted, e.g. by powerful light
reflections.
R pedestrians do not contrast with the
surroundings.
R pedestrians are not standing upright, for
example, if they are sitting, crouching or
lying down.
i Animals are not recognized by pedestrian
recognition.
Night View Assist Plus is able to recognize
pedestrians by typical characteristics, e.g. a
silhouette in the shape of aperson.
Pedestrian recognition is then switched on
automatically if:
R Night View Assist Plus is activated.
R you are driving faster than 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 0025appears. If pedestrians are
recognized, they are framed 0026and 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 cant be gauged
accurately by looking at a screen.
It may be the case that objects are highlighted
as well as pedestrians. Driving systems
361Driving and parking Z

When Blind Spot Assist is activated, indicator
lamp 0002in the exterior mirrors lights up
yellow at speeds of up to 20 mph(30 km/h).
At speeds above 20 mph (30 km/h), the
indicato rlamp goes out and Blind Spo tAssist
is operational.
If a vehicle is detected within the monitoring
range of Blind Spot Assist at speeds above
20 mph (30km/h), warning lamp 0002on the
corresponding side lights up 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 7mph (12km/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. G
WARNING
Blind Spot Assist is not active at speeds below
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
corresponding turn signal, a double warning
tone sounds. Red warning lamp 0002flashes. If
the turn signal remains on, detected vehicles
are indicated by the flashing of red warning
lamp 0002.There are no further warning tones.
Switching on Blind Spot Assist
X Make sure that the radar sensor system
(Y page 389) and Blind Spot Assist (Y
page 387) are activated in the on-board
computer.
X Turn the SmartKey to position 2in the
ignition lock.
Warning lamps 0002light 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.
0002
Lane Keeping Assist camera
If you have chosen the Display unit Speed-/odometer (Y
page 388) function in
the on-board computer and select km as the
unit of measurement, Lane Keeping Assist is
active from speeds of 60 km/h. If the miles display unit is selected, the assistance range
begins at 40 mph.
G
WARNING
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. Driving systems
365Driving and parking
Z

Visual and audible collision warnings
If a vehicle is detected in the side monitoring
range and you switch on the respective turn
signals, you will receive a collision warning.
You will hea radouble warning tone and red
warning lamp 0002flashes. If the turn signal
remains on, vehicles detected are indicated
by the flashing of red warning lamp 0002.There
are no further warning tones.
Course-correcting brake application
If Active Blind Spot Assist detects a risk of a
lateral collision in the monitoring range, a
course-correcting brake application is carried
out. This is meant to assist you in avoiding a
collision.
The course-correcting brake application is
available in the speed range between 20 mph
(30 km/h) and120 mph (200km/h).
If a course-correcting brake application
occurs, red warning lamp 0002flashes in the
exterior mirror and the following is shown in
the multifunction display, for example: G
WARNING
Active Blind Spot Assist is only an aid
designed to assist driving. It is not a substitute
for attentive driving. In some cases, the
course-correcting brake application is not
sufficient to avoid a collision. In such a case,
you must steer, brake or accelerate.
In very rare cases, the system may
erroneously detect a danger of collision in the
area of crash barriers or similar lane borders
and apply the brakes. Active Blind Spot Assist
does not detect all traffic situations and road
users. Always make sure that there is
sufficient distance on the side for other traffic
or obstacles. An inappropriate brake
application may be interrupted at any time if you steer slightly in the opposite direction or
accelerate.
You are responsible for driving at appropriate
speeds, 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.
There will be either no or only a weak course-
correcting brake application if:
R there are vehicles or obstacles, e.g. crash
barriers, located on both sides of your
vehicle.
R a vehicle approaches you too closely at the
side.
R you have adopted a sporty driving style with
high cornering speeds.
R you clearly brake or accelerate.
R a driving safety system intervenes, e.g.
ESP ®
or PRE-SAFE ®
Brake.
R ESP ®
is switched off.
R a loss of tire pressure or a defective tire is
detected.
Switching on Active Blind Spot Assist
X Make sure that the radar sensor system
(Y page 389) and Active Blind Spot Assist
(Y page 387) are activated in the on-board
computer.
X Turn the SmartKey to position 2in the
ignition lock.
Warning lamps 0002light up red in the
exterior mirrors for approximately
1.5 seconds and then turn yellow.
Active Lane Keeping Assist Important safety notes
Active Lane Keeping Assist monitors the area
in front of your vehicle by means of a camera
behind the top of the windshield. Active Lane
Keeping Assist detects lane markings on the Driving systems
369Driving and parking Z