2013 MERCEDES-BENZ S-Class lights

General notes
i
Vehicles with agasoline engine: the
engine runs at a higher engine speed during
a cold start so that the catalytic converter
can reach operating temperature more
quickly. The sound of the engine may
change during this time.
Automatic transmission X
Shift the transmission to position P.
The transmission position displa yinthe
multifunction display shows P.
i You can also start the engine when the
transmission is in position N.
Starting procedure with the SmartKey i
To start the engine using the SmartKey
instead of KEYLESS-GO, pull the Start/
Stop button out of the ignition lock.
X To startag asoline engine: turn the
SmartKey to position 3in the ignition lock
(Y page 307) and release it as soon as the
engine is running.
X To start adiesel engine: turn the
SmartKey to position 2in the ignition lock
(Y page 307).
The 000E preglow indicator lamp in the
instrumen tcluster lights up.
X When the 000Epreglow indicator lamp
goes out, tur nthe SmartKey to position
3(Y page 307) and release it as soon as the
engine is running.
i You can start the engine without preglow
if the engine is warm.
Using KEYLESS-GO to startt he engineG
WARNING
As long as the SmartKey is in you rvehicle, the
vehicle can be started. Therefore, never leave
children unattended in the vehicle, as they
could otherwise accidentally start the engine. When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Do
not leave children unattended in the vehicle,
or with access to an unlocked vehicle. A
child's unsupervised access to a vehicle could
result in an acciden
tand/o rserious personal
injury.
i The Start/Stop button can be used to
start the vehicle manually without inserting
the SmartKey into the ignition lock. The
Start/Stop button must be inserted into
the ignition lock and the SmartKey must be
in the vehicle. This mode for starting the
engine operates independently of the ECO
start/stop automatic engine start function.
X Depress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
X To star tagasoline engine: press the
Start/Stop button (Y page 307) once.
The engine starts.
X To start adiesel engine: press the Start/
Stop button (Y page 307) once.
Preglow is activated and the engine starts.
i If the engine is warm, the preglow time is
shortened. Pulling away
Automatic transmission G
WARNING
It is dangerous to shift the automatic
transmission out of parkin gposition Por
neutral position Nif the engine speed is
higher than idle speed. If your foot is not firmly
on the brake pedal, the vehicle could
accelerate quickly forward or in reverse. You
could lose control of the vehicle and hit
someone or something. Only shift into gear
when the engine is idling normally and when
your right foot is firmly on the brake pedal.
i It is only possible to shift the transmission
from position Pto the desired position if
you depress the brake pedal. Only then is Driving
309Driving and parking Z

i
If you cannot turn off the engine as
described here, see "Engine emergency
stop" (Y page 495).
Vehicles with automatic transmission X
Apply the electric parking brake.
X Shift the transmission to position P.
Using the SmartKey
X Turn the SmartKey to position 0in the
ignition lock and remove it.
The immobilizer is activated.
i If you turn off the engine with the
SmartKey and then remove it from the
ignition lock or open a front door, the
automatic transmission shifts to P
automatically.
Using KEYLESS-GO
X Press the Start/Stop button (Y page 307).
The engine stops and all the indicator
lamps in the instrument cluster go out.
i When the driver's door is closed, this
corresponds to SmartKey position 1.When
the driver's door is open, it corresponds to
SmartKey position 0or "SmartKey
removed".
i If you use the Start/Stop button to switch
off the engine, the automatic transmission
shifts to Nautomatically .Ifyou then open
the driver's or front-passenger door, the
automatic transmission shifts to P.
i In an emergency, the engine can be
turned off while the vehicle is in motion by
pressing and holding the Start/Stop button
for 3seconds. This function operates
independently from the ECO start/stop
automatic engine switch-off function. Electric parking brake
General notes G
WARNING
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch ,take it with
you, and loc kthe vehicle. Do not leave
children unattended in the vehicle, or with
access to an unlocked vehicle. Children could
release the parking brake and/or shift the
automatic transmission out of park position
P, either of which could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury. Applying/releasing manually
X
To engage: push handle 0002.
When the electric parking brake is
engaged, the 0005(USA only) or 000A
(Canada only) red indicator lamp lights up
in the instrument cluster.
i The electric parking brake can also be
applied when the SmartKey is removed.
X To release: switch on the ignition.
X Pull handle 0002.
The red 0005(USA only) or 000A(Canada
only) indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster goes out.
i The electric parking brake can only be
released:
R if the SmartKey is in position 1in the
ignition lock or
R if the ignition was switched on using the
Start/Stop button. 328
ParkingDriving and parking

Engaging the electric parking brake
automatically If the HOLD function or DISTRONIC PLUS
brake the vehicle until it is stationary, the
electric parking brake is automatically
applied .Additionally, at least one of the
following conditions must be fulfilled:
R the engine is switched off.
R the driver's door is open and the seat belt
is not fastened.
R the hood is released.
R the trun klid is opened while the automatic
transmission is in position R.
R the vehicle is stationary for a lengthy
period.
The red 0005(USA only) or 000A(Canada
only) indicator lamp in the instrumen tcluster
lights up.
i In addition to the electric parking brake,
P may also be engaged automatically.
Releasing the electric parking brake
automatically The electric parking brake is released
automatically when the following conditions
are simultaneously fulfilled:
R the engine is running.
R the automatic transmission is in position
D or R.
R the hood is closed.
R your seat belt is fastened.
R you accelerate.
If the automatic transmission is in position
R, the trunk lid must be closed. If your seat belt is not fastened, the following
conditions must be fulfilled to automatically
release the electric parking brake:
R
the driver's door is closed.
R you have shifted out of Por you have
previously driven faster than 3 km/h.
R you have shifted out of Por you have
previously drive nfaster than 2mph
(3 km/h).
Emergency braking The vehicle can also be braked during an
emergency by using the electric parking
brake.
X
While driving, push handle 0002of the electric
parking brake (Y page 328).
i The vehicle is braked as long as you keep
the handle of the electric parking brake
pressed. The longer the electric parking
brake handle is depressed, the greater the
braking force.
During braking:
R a warning tone sounds.
R the Please Release Parking Brake message appears
R the red 0005(USA only) or 000A(Canada
only) indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster appears.
When the vehicle has been braked to a
standstill, the electric parking brake is
engaged. Parking the vehicle for
along period
If you leave the vehicle parked for longer than
four weeks, the battery may be damaged by
exhaustive discharging.
X Connecting a trickle charger.
i You can obtain information about trickle
chargers from a qualified specialist
workshop. Parking
329Driving and parking Z

more firmly. Maintain a safe distance from
vehicles in front.
After driving on a wet road or having the
vehicle washed, brake firmly while paying
attention to the traffic conditions. This will
warm up the brake discs, thereby drying them
more quickly and protecting them against
corrosion.
Limited braking performance on salt-
treated roads G
WARNING
The layer of saltont he brake discs and the
brake pads/linings may cause a delay in the
braking effect, resulting in a significantly
longer braking distance, which could lead to
an accident.
To avoid this danger, you should:
R occasionally brake carefully, without
putting other road users at risk, when you
are driving on salted roads. This helps to
remove any salt that may have started to
build up on the brake discs and the brake
pads/linings.
R maintain a greater distance to the vehicle
ahead and drive with particular care.
R carefully apply the brakes at the end of a
trip and immediately after commencing a
new trip, so that salt residues are removed
from the brake discs.
Servicing the brakes !
If the red brake warning lamp lights up in
the instrumentc luster and you hear a
warning tone while the engine is running,
the brake fluid level may be too low.
Observe additional warning messages in
the multifunction display.
The brake fluid level may be too low due to
brake pad wear or leaking brake lines.
Have the brake system checked
immediately. This work should be carried
out at a qualified specialist workshop. All checks and maintenance work on the
brake system must be carried out at a
qualified specialist workshop. Consult a
qualified specialist workshop to arrange this.
Have brake pads installed and brake fluid
replaced at a qualified specialist workshop. G
WARNING
If brake pads or brake fluid other than those
recommended are used, the braking
properties of the vehicle can be degraded to
an extent that safe braking is substantially
impaired. This could result in an accident.
! Vehicles with 4MATIC: function or
performance tests may only be carried out
on a 2-axle dynamometer. If you are
planning to have the vehicle tested on such
a dynamometer, contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center to obtain further
information first. Otherwise, you could
damage the drive train or the brake system.
! Vehicles with 4MATIC: as the ESP®
system operates automatically, the engine
and the ignition must be switched off
(SmartKey in position 0or 1in the ignition
lock or Start/Stop button in position 0or
1) when the electric parking brake is being
tested on a brake dynamometer.
Braking maneuvers triggere dautomatically
by ESP ®
may seriously damage the brake
system.
! Vehicles with 4MATIC: as the ESP®
system operates automatically, the engine
and the ignition system must be switched
off (SmartKey in position 0or 1in the
ignition lock or Start/Stop button in
position 0or 1) when:
R testing the electric parking brake on a
brake dynamometer.
R you intend to have the vehicle towed with
one of the axles raised.
Braking maneuvers triggered automatically
by ESP ®
may seriously damage the brake
system. 332
Driving tipsDriving and pa
rking

The "Resume" function should only be
operated if the driver is fully aware of the
previously set speed and wishes to resume
this particular preset speed.
Cruise control lever 0002
To activate or increase speed
0003 To activate or reduce speed
0026 To deactivate cruise control
0025 To activate at the curren tspeed/last
stored speed
When you activate cruise control, the stored
speed is shown in the multifunction display
for five seconds. Atriangle is also show nin
the speedometer. The speedomete rdial
lights up between the set speed and the
maximum speed.
Storing and maintaining th ecurrent
speed You can store the current speed if you are
driving faster than 20 mph (30 km/h).
X Accelerate the vehicle to the desired
speed.
X Briefly press the cruise control lever
up 0002 or down 0003.
X Remove you rfoot from the accelerator
pedal.
Cruise control is activated. The vehicle
automatically maintains the stored speed.
i Cruise control may be unable to maintain
the stored speed on uphill gradients. The
stored speed is resumed when the gradient evens out. Cruise control maintains the
stored speed on downhill gradients by
automatically applying the brakes.
Storing the current speed or calling up
the last 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.
The first time cruise control is activated, it
stores the current speed or regulates the
speed of the vehicle to the previously
stored speed.
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 Driving systems
335Driving and parking Z

i
For design reasons, the speed displayed
in the speedometer may differ slightly from
the speed set for DISTRONIC PLUS.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects avehicle in front,
the speedometer dial lights up between
speed of the vehicle in front 0002and stored
speed 0003.
DISTRONIC PLUS displays in the
multifunction display General notes
You can select the distanc
edisplay in the
Assistance menu (Y page 385) of the on-
board computer.
Displa ywhen DISTRONIC PLUS is
deactivated
X Select the Distance Display function
using the on-board computer
(Y page 385).
When DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated, you
will see the following in the multifunction
display: 0002
Symbol for activated PRE-SAFE ®
Brake
0003 Vehicle in front, if detected
0026 Distance indicator, current distance to
the vehicle in front
0025 Specified minimu mdistance to the
vehicle in front; adjustable
0023 Own vehicle Displa
ywhen DISTRONIC PLUS is
activated
X Select the Distance display function
using the on-board computer
(Y page 385).
You will see the stored speed for about five
seconds whe nyou activate DISTRONIC PLUS.
After this time, you will see the following in
the multifunction display while DISTRONIC
PLUS is activated: 0002
DISTRONIC PLUS activated
0003 Own vehicle
0026 Specified minimum distance to the
vehicle in front; adjustable
0025 Vehicle in front, if detected
Deactivating DISTRONIC PLUS There are several ways to deactivate
DISTRONIC PLUS:
X
Briefly press the cruise control lever
forwards 0002.
or
X Brake, unless the vehicle is stationary. Driving systems
343Driving and parking Z

The ability of DISTRONIC PLUS to detect
vehicles when cornering is limited. Your
vehicle may brake unexpectedly or late.
Vehicles traveling on adifferent line DISTRONIC PLUS may not detect vehicles
traveling on a different line. The distance to
the vehicle in fron twill be too short.
Other vehicles changing lane DISTRONIC PLUS has not detected the
vehicle cutting in yet. The distance to this
vehicle will be too short.
Narrow vehicles DISTRONIC PLUS has not yet detected the
vehicle in front on the edge of the road,
because of its narrow width
.The distance to
the vehicle in front will be too short.
Obstructions and stationary vehicles DISTRONIC PLUS does not brake for
obstacles or stationary vehicles. If, for
example, the detected vehicle turns a corner
and reveals an obstacle or stationary vehicle,
DISTRONIC PLUS will not brake for these.
Crossing vehicles
DISTRONIC PLUS may mistakenly detect
vehicles that are crossing your lane.
Activating DISTRONIC PLUS at traffic lights
with crossing traffic, for example, could cause
your vehicle to pull away unintentionally. Driving systems
345Driving and parking Z

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