2013 MERCEDES-BENZ S-Class warning

X
Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you 0025, or press it up 0002or down 0003.
DISTRONIC PLUS is selected.
X Press the cruise control lever repeatedly
up 0002 or down 0003until the desired speed
is set.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
You rvehicle adapts its speed to that of the
vehicle in front, but only up to the desired
stored speed.
i If you do not fully release the accelerator
pedal, the DISTRONIC PLUS Override message appears in the multifunction
display. The set distance to a slower-
moving vehicle in front will then not be
maintained. You will be driving at the speed
you determine by the position of the
accelerator pedal.
Activating when driving towards a
stationary vehicle
If the vehicle in fron tofyou is stationary, you
can only activate DISTRONIC PLUS once your
vehicle is stationary as well.
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you 0025, or press it up 0002or down 0003.
DISTRONIC PLUS is selected.
i DISTRONIC PLUS can only be activated at
under 20 mph (30km/h) if a vehicle in front
has been detected. Therefore, the
DISTRONIC PLUS distance display in the
instrumen tcluster should be activated
(Y page 385).
X Press the cruise control lever repeatedly
up 0002 or down 0003until the desired speed
is set.
i You can use the cruise control lever to set
the stored speed and the control on the
cruise control lever to set the specified
minimum distance (Y page 342). Pulling away
X
If the vehicle in front pulls away: remove
your foot fro mthe brake pedal.
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you 0025.
or
X Accelerate briefly.
Your vehicle pulls away and adapts its
speed to that of the vehicle in front.
Driving
If there is no vehicle in front, DISTRONIC
PLUS operates in the same way as cruise
control.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that the vehicle
in front has slowed down, it brakes your
vehicle. In this way, the distance you have
selected is maintained.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that the vehicle
in front is driving faster, it accelerates your
vehicle, but only up to the speed you have
stored. G
WARNING
If you depress the brake, DISTRONIC PLUS is
deactivated unless your vehicle is stationary.
DISTRONIC PLUS then no longer brakes your
vehicle. In such cases, control the distance
from vehicles travelling in front with the brake
alone. You could otherwise cause an accident
and thereby injure yourself and others. The
driver remains fully responsible for the
vehicle's distance from other vehicles, the
speed being driven and for braking in good
time.
Changing lanes
If you change to the passing lane, DISTRONIC
PLUS supports you when:
R you are driving faster than 40mph
(60 km/h).
R DISTRONIC PLUS is maintaining the
distance to a vehicle in front.
R you switch on the appropriate turn signal.
R DISTRONIC PLUS does not detect a danger
of collision. 340
Driving systemsDriving and parking

If these conditions are fulfilled, yourv
ehicle
is accelerated. Acceleration will be
interrupted if changing lanes takes too long
or if the distance between your vehicle and
the vehicle in fron tbecomes too small.
i When changing lanes, DISTRONIC PLUS
monitors the left lane on left-hand drive
vehicles and the right lane on right-hand
drive vehicles. G
WARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS and Active Blind Spot Assist
are only aids designed to assist driving.
They do not relieve you of the responsibility
of paying attention .The driver remains fully
responsible for the vehicle's distance from
other vehicles, the vehicle's speed and for
braking in good time. 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.
Stopping G
WARNING
Never get out of the vehicle when DISTRONIC
PLUS is activated.
DISTRONIC PLUS must also never be
operated, activated or deactivated by a
passenger or from outside the vehicle.
DISTRONIC PLUS does not replace the
electric parking brake and must not be used
for parking.
The DISTRONIC PLUS braking effect is
canceled and the vehicle can start moving if:
R DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated using the
cruise control lever.
R you accelerate.
R there is a malfunction in the system or an
interruption in the power supply, e.g.
battery failure.
R the electrical system in the engine
compartment, the battery or the fuses are
tampered with.
R the battery is disconnected. If you wish to leave the vehicle or park it,
deactivate DISTRONIC PLUS and secure the
vehicle against rolling away.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that the vehicle
in front is stopping, it brakes your vehicle until
it is stationary.
Once your vehicle is stationary, it remains
stationary and you do not need to depress the
brake.
i After a time, the electric parking brake
secures the vehicle and relieves the service
brake.
i Depending on the specified minimum
distance, your vehicle will come to a
standstill at a sufficient distance behind the
vehicle in front.T he specified minimum
distance is set using the control on the
cruise control lever.
Setting aspeed G
WARNING
Keep in mind tha titmay take a brie fmoment
until the vehicle has made the necessary
adjustments.
Increase or decrease the set vehicle speed to
a value that the prevailing road conditions and
legal speed limits permit. Otherwise, sudden
and unexpected acceleration or deceleration
of the vehicle could cause an accident and/
or serious injury to you and others.
X Press the cruise control lever up 0002for a
higher speed or down 0003for a lower speed.
X To adjust the speed in 1 mph
increments (1 km/h increments): briefly
press the cruise control lever up 0002or
down 0003to the pressure point.
The last speed stored is increased or
decreased every time the cruise control
lever is pushed up 0002or down 0003.
X To adjust the speed in 5 mph
increments (10 km/h increments):
briefly press the cruise control lever Driving systems
341Driving and parking Z

up
0002 or down 0003beyond the pressure
point.
The last speed stored is increased or
decreased every time the cruise control
leve ris pushed up 0002or down 0003.
i DISTRONIC PLUS is not deactivated if you
depress the accelerator pedal.Ify ou
accelerate to overtake, DISTRONIC PLUS
adjusts the vehicle's speed to the last
speed stored after you have finished
overtaking.
Storing the current speed or calling up
a stored speed G
WARNING
The set speed stored in memory should only
be set again if prevailing road conditions and
legal speed limits permit. Possible
acceleration or deceleration differences
arising from returning to the preset speed
could cause an accident and/or serious injury
to you and others.
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you 0025.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
DISTRONIC PLUS is activated. The first
time it is activated, the current speed is
stored. Otherwise, it sets the vehicle cruise
speed to the previously stored value.
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 343). G
WARNING
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.
X
To increase: turn control0003in direction
0026.
DISTRONIC PLUS then maintains a greater
distance between your vehicle and the
vehicle in front.
X To decrease: turn control0003in
direction 0002.
DISTRONIC PLUS then maintains a shorter
distance between your vehicle and the
vehicle in front.
i Make sure that you maintain a sufficiently
safe distance from the vehicle in front.
Adjust the distance to the vehicle in front if
necessary.
DISTRONIC PLUS displays in the
speedometer When you switch on DISTRONIC PLUS,
triangle
0003shows the stored speed. 342
Driving systemsDriving and parking

When you deactivate DISTRONIC PLUS, the
DISTRONIC PLUS Off
message is shown in
the multifunction display for approximately
five seconds.
i The last speed stored remains stored until
you switch off the engine.
DISTRONIC PLUS is automatically
deactivated if:
R you engage the electric parking brake or if
the vehicle is automatically secured with
the electric parking brake
R you are driving slower than 15 mph
(25km/h) and there is no vehicle in front,
or if the vehicle in front is no longer
detected.
R ESP ®
intervenes or you deactivate ESP ®
.
R the transmission is in the P,Ror Nposition.
R you switch off the radar sensor system
(Y page 389).
R you pull the cruise control lever towards
you in order to pull away and the front-
passenger door or one of the rear doors is
open.
R the vehicle has skidded.
If DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated, you will
hear a warning tone. The DISTRONIC PLUSOff message is shown in the multifunction
display for approximately five seconds. G
WARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated and releases
the brakes if the vehicle is slowed down to a
speed below 20 mph (30km/h) by the system,
provided that DISTRONIC PLUS does not
detec tavehicle directly in front. At this point,
the driver must apply the brakes in order to
slow down further and bring the vehicle to a
standstill.
Tips for driving with DISTRONIC PLUS Important safety notes
The following contains descriptions of certain
road and traffic conditions in which you must
be particularly attentive. In such situations, brake if necessary. DISTRONIC PLUS is then
deactivated. G
WARNING
The DISTRONIC PLUS works to maintain the
speed selected by the driver unless a moving
obstacle proceeding directly ahead of it in the
same travel directio nis detected (e.g.
following another vehicle ahead of you at your
set distance).
This means that:
R Your vehicle can pass another vehicle after
you have changed lanes.
R While in a sharp turn or if the preceding
vehicle is in a sharp turn, the DISTRONIC
PLUS could lose sight of the preceding
vehicle. Your vehicle could then accelerate
to the previously selected speed.
The DISTRONIC PLUS regulates only the
distance between your vehicle and those
directly ahead of it. It may not register
stationary objects in the road, e.g.:
R a stopped vehicle in a traffic jam
R a disabled vehicle
R an oncoming vehicle
The driver must always be alert, observe all
traffic and intercede as required by means of
steering or braking the vehicle. G
WARNING
The DISTRONIC PLUS should not be used in
snowy or icy road conditions.
Cornering, going into and coming out of a
bend 344
Driving systemsDriving and parking

HOLD function
General notes The HOLD function can assist the drive
rinthe
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. G
WARNING
HYBRID vehicles: It is imperative that you read
the HYBRID Supplemental Operating
Instructions included in your vehicle literature
portfolio. You may otherwise not receive all
necessary safety information and warning for
the operation of your vehicle.
Activation conditions You can activate the HOLD function if:
R
the vehicle is stationary.
R the driver's door is closed or your seat belt
is fastened.
R the electric parking brake is released.
R the hood is closed.
R the transmission is in position R,Nor D.
The trunk lid must be closed in position R.
R DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated.
Activating the HOLD function X
Make sure that the activation conditions
are met.
X Depress the brake pedal.
X Quickly depress the brake pedal further
until 0002 appears in the instrument
cluster.
The HOLD function is activated. You can
release the brake pedal. i
If depressing the brake pedal the first
time does not activate the HOLD function,
wait briefly and then try again. G
WARNING
The vehicle's brakes are applied when the
HOLD function is activated. For this reason,
deactivate the HOLD function if the vehicle is
to be set in motion by other means (e.g. in a
car wash or by towing).
Deactivating the HOLD function The HOLD function is deactivated
automatically if:
R
you accelerate and the transmission is in
position Dor R.
R you shift the transmission to position P.
R you apply the brakes again with a certain
amount of pressure until 0002disappears
from the instrument cluster.
R you secure the vehicle using the electric
parking brake.
R you activate DISTRONIC PLUS.
i After a time, the electric parking brake
secures the vehicle and relieves the service
brake. G
WARNING
Never get out of the vehicle when the HOLD
function is activated.
The HOLD function must never be operated
or deactivated by a passenger or from outside
the vehicle.
The HOLD function does not replace the
electric parking brake and must not be used
for parking.
The braking effect of the HOLD function is
canceled and the vehicle could roll away if:
R the HOLD function is deactivated by
depressing the accelerator pedal or the
brake pedal.
R there is a malfunction in the system or an
interruption in the power supply, e.g.
battery failure. 346
Driving systemsDriving and parking

R
the electrical syste minthe engine
compartment, the battery or the fuses are
tampered with.
R the battery is disconnected.
If you leave the vehicle or park it, deactivate
the HOLD function and secure the vehicle
against rolling away. AIRMATIC
Vehicle level Important safety notes
Your vehicle regulates its height
automatically
.All-round level control ensures
the best possible suspension and constant
ground clearance, even with a laden vehicle.
When you drive fast, the vehicle is lowered
automatically to improve driving safety and to
reduce fuel consumption.
The following vehicle levels are possible on
vehicles without 4MATIC:
R Normal
R raised: the vehicle is raised by about 1in
(25 mm) when compared with the normal
level
R lowered: the vehicle is lowered by about
0.60 in (15 mm) when compared with the
normal level
The following vehicle levels are possible on
vehicles with 4MATIC:
R normal: in Comfor tmode, the vehicle is
raised by about 0.40i n (10mm) when
compared with Sport mode
R raised: in Comfort mode, the vehicle is
raised by about 0.60 in (15 mm) and in
Sport mode by about 1 in (25 mm) when
compared with normal level
R lowered: the vehicle is lowered by about
0.40 in (10mm) when compared with the
normal level
The "Normal" and "Raised" vehicle levels can
be set manually. The "Lowered” vehicle level is set
automatically:
R
in vehicles withou t4MATIC at speeds
above 60 mph (100 km/h)
R in vehicles with 4MATIC at speeds above
50 mph (80 km/h).
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.
Your selection remains stored even if you
remove the SmartKey from the ignition lock. 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. 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.
The Vehicle Rising message appears in
the display.
The "Raised level" setting is canceled if you:
R drive at speeds above 75 mph (120 km/h)
R drive for about three minutes at speeds
above 50 mph (80 km/h).
The "Raised level" remains active whe nyou
are not driving within these speed ranges. Driving systems
347Driving and parking Z

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 General notes
The Adaptive Damping System (ADS)
automatically controls the calibration of the
dampers and springs.
The damping 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
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. Sports
suspension tuning is selected.
The AIRMATIC 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. Select
comfort mode also when driving fast on
straight roads, e.g. on straight stretches of
freeway.
X
If indicator lamp 0003 is lit:
press
button 0002.
Indicator lamp 0003goes out. Comfort tuning
is selected.
The AIRMATIC COMFORT message appears
in the multifunction display. Active Body Control (ABC)
Vehicle level Your vehicle automatically adjusts its ride
height to improve driving safety and reduce
fuel consumption.
Depending on the vehicle height that has
been set, the vehicle automatically adjusts its
height dependen
tonthe current speed. As
speed increases, the vehicle is lowered by up
to 0.6 in (15 mm). As the speed is reduced,
the vehicle is raised up to the set vehicle
height. G
WARNING
The vehicle is lowered when the engine is
switched off. Therefore, make sure that
nobody is in the vicinity of the wheel housing
or under the vehicle when you switch off the
engine. Otherwise, limbs could become
trapped.
! The vehicle is lowered when the engine is
switched off. When parking, position your
vehicle so that it does not make contact
with the curb as the vehicle is lowered. Your
vehicle could otherwise be damaged.
i For AMG vehicles: when the engine is
switched off, the vehicle is lowered by
approx. 0.4 in (10 mm). 348
Driving systemsDriving and parking

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