2013 MERCEDES-BENZ S-Class traction control

Driving tip
s.................................... 344
Function/notes ............................. 336
Important safety notes ..................336
Setting the specified minimum
distance ......................................... 342
Warning lamp ................................. 435
Dolby ®
Digital .................................... 140
Doors Automatic locking (switch) .............. .89
Central locking/unlocking
(SmartKey) ...................................... .82
Control panel ................................... 43
Display message ............................ 424
Emergency locking ........................... 91
Emergency unlocking .......................90
Important safety notes ....................88
Opening (from inside) ......................89
Power closing feature ......................90
Drinking and driving .........................330
Drinks holder see Cuph older
Drive program
Automatic ...................................... 318
Manual .......................................... .319
Driver's door
see Doors
Driver's seat
see Seats
Driving abroad
Mercedes-Benz Service .................470
Symmetrical low bea m.................. 280
Driving Assistance package .............363
Driving lamps see Daytime running lamps
Driving safety systems
ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) .......73
ADAPTIVE BRAKE ............................. 77
BAS (Brake Assist System) ..............74
BAS PLUS (Brake Assist System
PLUS) .............................................. .74
Electroni cbrake force distribution ...76
ESP ®
(Electronic Stability
Program) .......................................... 75
ETS/4ETS (Electronic Traction
System) ........................................... 76
Important safety information ...........73 Overview
.......................................... 72
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake ............................ .77
Driving systems
Active Blind Spot Assis t................. 367
Active Body Control .......................348
Active Driving Assistance
package ......................................... 366
Active Lane Keeping Assist ............369
AIRMATIC ...................................... 347
ATTENTION ASSIST ........................359
Blind Spot Assist ............................ 363
Cruise control ................................ 334
Display message ............................ 412
DISTRONI CPLUS ........................... 336
Driving Assistance package ...........363
HOLD function ............................... 346
Lane Keeping Assist ......................365
Nigh tView Assist Plus ...................360
Parking Guidance ........................... 353
PARKTRONI C................................. 350
Rea rview camera .......................... 357
Driving tips
Automatic transmission .................317
Brakes ........................................... 331
Break-in period .............................. 306
DISTRONI CPLUS ........................... 344
Downhill gradient ........................... 331
Drinking and driving .......................330
Driving abroad ............................... 280
Driving in winter ............................ .333
Driving on flooded road s................ 333
Driving on wet road s...................... 333
Exhaust check ............................... 331
Fuel ................................................ 330
General .......................................... 330
Hydroplaning ................................. 333
Icy road surfaces ........................... 334
Limited braking efficiency on
salted road s................................... 332
Pedals. ........................................... 330
Snow chains .................................. 501
Symmetrical low bea m.................. 280
Wet road surface ........................... 331
DVD
Changer ......................................... 225
Cop yprotection ............................. 234
Fast forward/fast rewind ...............230
Handling ........................................ 19310
Index

Inserting
........................................ 225
Inserting/loading (Rear Seat
Entertainment System) ..................255
Notes on discs ............................... 234
Removing/ejecting (Rear Seat
Entertainment System) ..................256
Selecting amedia type .................. 228
Selecting atrack ............................ 229
Sound settings (balance, bass,
fader, treble ).................................. 139
DVD audio
Operating (on-board computer) .....381
DVD video
Operating (on-board computer) .....381 E
EASY-ENTRY feature Activating (COMAND) ....................266
Function/notes ............................. 115
EASY-EXIT feature
Activating (COMAND) ....................266
Crash-responsive ........................... 115
Function/notes ............................. 115
EBD (electronic brake force
distribution)
Display message ............................ 395
Function/notes ................................ 76
ECO function ...................................... 265
ECO start/stop function Deactivating/activating .................311
General information .......................310
Electrical fuses
see Fuses
Electronic brake force distribution
see EBD (electronic brake force
distribution)
Electronic Stability Program
see ESP ®
(Electroni cStability Program)
Electronic Traction System
see ETS/4ETS (Electronic
Tractio nSystem)
Emergency release
Driver' sdoor .................................... 90
Trunk ......................................... 94, 95
Vehicle ............................................. 90
Emergency spare wheel
Storage location ............................ 478Emergency Tensioning Devices
Function .......................................... .65
Safety guideline s............................. 49
Emissions control
Service and warranty information ....28
Engine
Check Engine warning lamp ........... 434
Display message ............................ 408
ECO start/stop function ................310
Engine number ............................... 530
Irregularr unning............................ 313
Jump-starting ................................. 488
Starting problems ..........................313
Starting the engine with the
SmartKey ....................................... 309
Starting with KEYLESS-GO .............309
Switching off .................................. 327
Tow-starting (vehicle) ..................... 492
Engine electronics
Problem (malfunction) ...................313
Engine emergency stop ....................495
Engine oil Adding ........................................... 466
Additives ........................................ 535
Checking the oil level ..................... 463
Checking the oil level using the
dipstick .......................................... 464
Checking the oil level using the
on-board computer ........................464
Display message ............................ 410
Filling capacity ............................... 535
Notes about oil grades ................... 534
Notes on oil level/consumption ....463
Temperature (on-board computer) .381
Viscosity ........................................ 535
Entering the frequency .....................217
Entry Deleting ......................................... 135
Saving ............................................ 137
ESP ®
(Electronic Stability
Program) Deactivating/activating .................386
Deactivating/activating (notes) .......76
Display message ............................ 391
ETS/4ETS ........................................ 76
Function/notes ................................ 75 Index
11

i
Only use wheels with the recommended
tire sizes. Only then will ESP ®
function
properly.
ETS/4ETS (Electronic Traction System) Traction control is part of ESP
®
.
Traction control brakes the drive wheels
individually if they spin. This enables you to
pull away and accelerate on slippery surfaces,
for example if the road surface is slippery on
one side. On vehicles with 4MATIC, more
drive torque is also transferred to the wheel
or wheels with traction.
Traction control remains active if you
deactivate ESP ®
.
Deactivating/activating ESP ®i
Observe the "Important safety notes"
section (Y page 73). G
WARNING
If you deactivate ESP ®
, ESP ®
no longer
stabilizes the vehicle. There is an increased
risk of skidding and an accident.
Only deactivate ESP ®
in the situations
described in the following.
! Avoid spinning the driven wheels for an
extended period with ESP ®
deactivated.
You could otherwise damage the drivetrain.
X To deactivate:(Y page 386).
The 0013 ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up.
S 63 AMG: deactivate ESP ®
when driving
on designated roads when the vehicle's
own oversteering and understeering
characteristics are desired. Driving without
ESP ®
requires an extremely qualified and
experienced driver who is able to cope with
these critical driving conditions.
X To activate:(Y page 386).
The 0013 ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster goes out. ESP
®
is activated automaticallyw hen the
engine is started.
If ESP ®
is deactivated and one or more wheels
start to spin, the 000CESP®
warning lamp in
the instrument cluster flashes. In such
situations, ESP ®
will not stabilize the vehicle.
It may be best to deactivate ESP ®
in the
following situations:
R when using snow chains
R in deep snow
R on sand or gravel
If you deactivate ESP ®
:
R ESP ®
no longer improves driving stability.
R traction control is still activated.
R ESP ®
still provides support when you
brake.
R the engine's torque is no longer limited, and
the drive wheels can spin. The spinning of
the wheels results in a cutting action, which
provides better grip.
Vehicles with ECO start/stop function: the
ECO start/stop function switches the engine
off automatically when the vehicle comes to
a stop. The engine starts automatically when
the driver wants to pull away again. ESP ®
remains in its previously selected status.
Example: if ESP ®
was deactivated before the
engine was switched off, ESP ®
remains
deactivated when the engine is switched on
again. EBD (electronic brake force
distribution)
i Observe the "Important safety notes"
section (Y page 73). G
WARNING
If EBD has malfunctioned, the rear wheels can
still lock, e.g. under full braking. This
increases the risk of skidding and an accident.
You should therefore adapt your driving style
to the different handling characteristics. Have 76
Driving safety systemsSafety

Useful information
i This Operator's Manual describes all
models and all standard and optional
equipment of your vehicle available at the
time of publication of the Operator's
Manual. Country-specific differences are
possible. Please note that your vehicle may
not be equipped with all features
described. This also applies to safety-
related systems and functions.
i Please read the information on qualified
specialist workshops (Y page 31).Introduction
Operating safety
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Vehicles with HYBRID :ensure tha tyou read
the "HYBRID" supplement. You may otherwise
fail to recognize dangers. G
WARNING
Making alterations to electronic components
can cause malfunctions.
Radio, satellite radio, amplifier, DVD changer,
navigation module, phone and voice control
are networked. If one component is not
functional or if it has been incorrectly
removed/replaced, this could impair the
operation of other components.
This could seriously jeopardize the
operational safety of your vehicle.
We recommend that you always have
maintenance work on electronic components
carried out at an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center. G
WARNING
In order to avoid distraction which could lead
to an accident, the driver should enter system
settings while the vehicle is at a standstill, and operate the system only when permitted by
road, weather and traffic conditions.
Bear in mind that at a speed of just 30 mph
(approximately 50 km/h), your car covers a
distance of 44 feet (approximately 14 m) every
second.
COMAND supplies you with information to
help you select your route more easily and
guide you conveniently and safely to your
destination
.For safety reasons, we
encourage the driver to stop the vehicle in a
safe place before answering or placing a call,
or consulting the COMAND screen to read
navigational maps, instructions, or
downloaded information. G
WARNING
While the navigation system provides
directional assistance, the driver must remain
focused on safe driving behavior, especially
attention to traffic and street signs, and
should utilize the system's audio cues while
driving.
The navigation system does not supply any
information on stop signs, yield signs, traffic
regulations or traffic safety rules. Their
observance always remains in the driver's
personal responsibility. DVD maps do not
cover all areas nor all routes within an area. G
WARNING
This equipment complies with FCC radiation
exposure limits set forth for uncontrolled
equipment and meets the FCC radio
frequency (RF) Exposure Guidelines in
Supplement C to OET65.
This equipment has very low levels of RF
energy that is deemed to comply without
maximum permissive exposure evaluation
(MPE). But it is desirable that it should be
installed and operated with at least 8inches
(20 cm) and more between the radiator and a
person's body (excluding extremities: hands,
wrists, fee tand legs.) 120
IntroductionCOMAND

exhaust pipe and from around the vehicle as
long as the engine is running. Otherwise,
poisonous carbon monoxide (CO) may enter
the vehicle, resulting in loss of consciousness
and even death.
To assure sufficien
tfresh air ventilation, open
a window slightly on the side of the vehicle
not facing the wind.
Have yourv ehicle winterproofed at a qualified
specialist workshop at the onset of winter.
Observe the notes in the "Winter operation"
section (Y page 500).
Driving with summer tires Observe the notes in the "Winter operation"
section (Y page 500).
Slippery road surfaces G
WARNING
The outside temperature indicator is not
designed to serve as an ice-warning device
and is therefore unsuitable for that purpose.
Indicated temperatures just above the
freezing point do not guarantee that the road
surface is free of ice. The road may still be icy,
especially in wooded areas or on bridges. G
WARNING
On slippery road surfaces, never downshift in
order to obtain braking action .This could
result in drive wheel slip and reduced vehicle
control. Your vehicle's ABS will not prevent
this type of loss of control.
Drive particularly carefully on slippery road
surfaces. Avoid sudden acceleration, steering
and braking maneuvers. Do not use the cruise
control or DISTRONIC PLUS.
If the vehicle threatens to skid or cannot be
stopped when moving at low speed:
X Shift the transmission to position N.
i For more information on driving with
snow chains, see (Y page 501). G
WARNING
Make sure that you do not endanger other
road users when you apply the brakes. Driving systems
Cruise control
Important safety notes Cruise control maintains a constant road
speed for you. It brakes automatically in order
to avoid exceeding the set speed. On long and
steep downhill gradients, especially if the
vehicle is laden, you must select shift range
1, 2or 3in good time. By doing so, you will
make use of the braking effect of the engine,
which relieves the load on the brake system
and prevents the brakes from overheating
and wearing too quickly.
Use cruise control only if road and traffic
conditions make it appropriate to maintain a
steady speed for a prolonged period. You can
store any road speed above 20 mph
(30 km/h). G
WARNING
The cruise control is a convenience system
designed to assist the driver during vehicle
operation. The driver is and must always
remain responsible for the vehicle's speed
and for safe brake operation.
Only use the cruise control if the road, traffic,
and weather conditions make it advisable to
travel at a constant speed.
R The use of the cruise control can be
dangerous on winding roads or in heavy
traffic because conditions do not allow safe
driving at a constant speed.
R The use of the cruise control can be
dangerous on slippery roads. Rapid
changes in tire traction can result in wheel
spin and loss of control.
R Deactivate the cruise control when driving
in fog. 334
Driving systemsDriving and parking

G
WARNING
The DISTRONIC PLUS cannot take road and
traffic conditions into account. Only use the
DISTRONIC PLUS if the road, weather and
traffic conditions make it advisable to travel
at a constant speed. G
WARNING
Use of the DISTRONIC PLUS can be
dangerous on slippery roads. Rapid changes
in tire traction can result in wheel spin and
loss of control.
The DISTRONIC PLUS does not function in
adverse sight and distance conditions. Do not
use the DISTRONIC PLUS during conditions of
fog, heavy rain, snow or sleet. G
WARNING
The DISTRONIC PLUS cannot take weather
conditions into account. Switch off the
DISTRONIC PLUS or do not switch it on if:
R roads are slippery or covered with snow or
ice. The wheels could lose traction while
braking or accelerating, and the vehicle
could skid.
R the DISTRONIC PLUS system sensor covers
are dirty or visibility is diminished due to
snow, rain or fog, for example. The distance
control system functionality could be
impaired.
Always pay attention to surrounding traffic
conditions even while the DISTRONIC PLUS is
switched on. Otherwise, you may not be able
to recognize dangerous situations until it is
too late. This could caus eanaccident in which
you and/or others could be injured. G
WARNING
The "Resume" function should only be
operated if the driver is fully aware of the
previously set speed and wishes to resume
this particula rpreset speed. G
WARNING
Your undivided attention to street and traffic
conditions is necessary at all times whether
DISTRONIC PLUS is active or not.
The use of DISTRONIC PLUS can be
dangerous on winding roads or in heavy traffic
because conditions do not allow safe driving
at a constant speed.
DISTRONIC PLUS does not react to stationary
objects on the road (for example, a vehicle
stopped in traffic or an abandoned vehicle).
DISTRONIC PLUS likewise does not react to
oncoming vehicles.
Deactivate DISTRONIC PLUS:
R when changing to the right lane, if the
vehicles in the left lane are driving slower
R when driving into a filter lane or an
expressway exit
R in comple xdriving situations, for example
in construction sites on an expressway
In these situations DISTRONIC PLUS will
maintai nthe set speed if it is not deactivated.
DISTRONIC PLUS is intended only for
maintaining a set speed and a set distance
from the objects moving in front of the
vehicle. G
WARNING
An intermittent warning sounds and the
distance warning lamp 000Din the instrument
cluster is illuminated if the DISTRONIC PLUS
system calculates that the distance to the
vehicle ahead and your vehicle's current
speed indicate that the DISTRONIC PLUS will
not be capable of slowing the vehicle
sufficiently to maintain the preset following
distance, which creates a danger of a
collision.
Immediately brake the vehicle to increase
your distance to the preceding vehicle. The
warning sound is intended as a final caution
in which you should intercede with your own
braking inputs to avoid a potentially
dangerous situation. Do not wait for the
operation of the warning signal to intercede 338
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

Display messages Possible causes/consequences and
0004 Solutions
Check
tire(s) The tire pressure in one or more tires has dropped significantly.
The wheel position is displayed in the multifunction display.
Aw
arning tone also sounds.
G WARNING
With tire pressures which are too low, there is a ris kofthe
following hazards:
R they may burst, especially as the load and vehicle speed
increase.
R they may wear excessively and/or unevenly, which may greatly
impair tire traction.
R the driving characteristics, as well as steering and braking, may
be greatly impaired.
There is a risk of an accident.
X Stop the vehicle without making any sudden steering or braking
maneuvers. Pay attention to the traffic conditions as you do so.
X Secure the vehicle against rolling away (Y page 327).
X If there is a flat tire, inspect the tires (Y page 479).
X Check the tire pressure (Y page 505).
X If necessary, correct the tire pressure. Caution,
tire defect The tire pressure in one or more tires has dropped suddenly. The
wheel position is shown in the multifunction display.
G WARNING
If you drive with a flat tire, there is a risk of the following hazards:
R A flat tire affects the ability to steer or brake the vehicle.
R You could lose control of the vehicle.
R Continued driving with a flat tire will cause excessive heat build-
up and possibly a fire.
There is a risk of an accident.
X Stop the vehicle without making any sudden steering or braking
maneuvers. Pay attention to the traffic conditions as you do so.
X Secure the vehicle against rolling away (Y page 327).
X If there is a flat tire, inspect the tires (Y page 479).Please correct
tire pressure(s) The tire pressure is too low in at least one of the tires, or the tire
pressure difference between the wheels is too great.
X
Check the tire pressures at the next opportunity. If necessary,
correct the tire pressure (Y page 505).
X Restart the tire pressure monitor (Y page 507).420
Display messagesOn-board computer and displays