2013 MERCEDES-BENZ S-Class tow

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

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

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

Guidance only shows parking spaces on the
passenger side in the default setting. Parking
spaces on the driver's side are displayed as
soo nas the turn signal on the driver's side is
activated. To park on the driver's side, you
must leave the driver's side turn signal
switched on until you have engaged reverse
gear. If a parking space is detected, parking
symbol 0003changes to blue. Additionally, an
arrow pointing to the right 0026or left 0002is
shown.
Parking Guidance will only detect parking
spaces:
R that are closed in at the back
R that are parallel to the direction of travel
R that are at least 5 ft (1.5 m) wide
R that are at least 4.3 ft (1.3 m) longer than
your vehicle.
Ap arking space is displayed while you are
driving past it, and until you are
approximately 50 ft (15 m) away from it.
Parking The following instructions refer to parking in
a space on the front-passenger side. To park
in a space on the driver's side, mirror the
instructions. G
WARNING
The Parking Guidance is only an aid and may
no td etec tall obstacles. The Parking
Guidance does not relieve you of the
responsibility to pay attention. You are always
responsible for safety and must continue to
pay attention to your immediate surroundings
when parking and maneuvering. Otherwise,
you could endanger yourself and others. X
Stop the vehicle when the blue parking
space symbol shows the desired parking
space in the instrument cluster.
X Engage reverse gear.
The multifunction display shows the
message: Check surroundings Confirm with OK .
X Press 0011on the multifunction steering
wheel to confirm.
The display in the instrumen tcluster
switches to Parking Guidance. 0002
Green lane
0003 White bracket marking the target position
X Depending on the distance, you may have
to reverse along the lane towards the
parking space. This is indicated by green
lane 0002.
Continue backing up until you hear a tone.
Stop; the parking position has been
reached and is marked by white
bracket 0003with an arrow for the target
position. Driving systems
355Driving and parking Z

Final position
Depending on the size of the parking space,
you may now be in an angled positio ninthe
parking space. If possible, Parking Guidance
will guide you as far back as possible towards
the rear limit of the parking space.
X Maneuver to the final position if necessary.
X Always observe the warning messages
displayed by PARKTRONIC (Y page 351).
Canceling Parking Guidance X
Press the PARKTRONIC button on the
dashboard (Y page 352).
Parking Guidance is canceled immediately
and PARKTRONIC is deactivated.
Parking Guidance is canceled automatically if
it is no longer possible to guide you into the
parking space, or if a malfunction occurs.
The parking space symbol goes out and a
warning tone sounds. The ParkingGuidance Canceled message appears in the
multifunction display. Rear view camera
Important safety notes The rear view camera is an optical parking aid.
It shows the area behind your vehicle in the
COMAND display. G
WARNING
Make sure that no persons or animals are in
the maneuvering range. Otherwise, they
could be injured. The rear view camera is located in the handle
strip of the trunk lid.
0002
Rear view camera
View through the camera The area behind the vehicle is displayed as a
mirror image, as in the rear view mirror.
G
WARNING
The rear view camera is only an aid and may
display obstacles
R from a distorted perspective
R inaccurately
R may not display obstacles at all
The rear view camera does not relieve you of
the responsibility to be cautious. Take care
and pay careful attention. The rear view
camera may not show objects which are
R very close to the rear bumper
R under the rear bumper
R above the trunk handle
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. G
WARNING
The rear view camera will not function or will
not fully function if: Driving systems
357Driving 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