2014 MERCEDES-BENZ C-CLASS ESTATE towing

the case if there are vehicles at the edge of
their lane nearest your vehicle.
Due to the nature of the system:
R warnings may be issued in error when driv-
ing close to crash barriers or similar solid
lane borders
R warnings may be interrupted when driving
alongside long vehicles, for example lor-
ries, for a prolonged time
The two radar sensors for Blind Spot Assist
are integrated into the sides of the rear
bumper. Make sure that the bumper is free of dirt, ice or slush in the vicinity of the sensors.
The sensors must not be covered, for exam-
ple by cycle racks or overhanging loads. Fol-
lowing a severe impact or in the event of dam- age to the bumpers, have the function of the
sensors checked at a qualified specialist
workshop. Blind Spot Assist may otherwise
not work properly.
Warning display :
Warning display
Blind Spot Assist is not active at speeds below approximately 30 km/h. Vehicles in the mon-itoring range are then not indicated.
If a vehicle is detected within the monitoring
range of Blind Spot Assist at speeds above
30 km/h, warning lamp :on the corre-
sponding side lights up red. This warning lamp
always lights up 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 12 km/h. If you select the reverse gear, Blind Spot
Assist is not operational.
The brightness of the warning lamps is auto-
matically adapted to the brightness of the
surroundings.
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 :flashes. If
the turn signal remains on, detected vehicles
are indicated by the flashing of red warning
lamp :. There are no further warning tones.
Activating Blind Spot Assist X Make sure that Blind Spot Assist
(Y page 311) is activated in the on-board
computer.
X Turn the key to position 2in the ignition
lock.
Warning lamps :in the exterior mirrors
light up red until the engine is started.
Display in the assistance graphic When Blind Spot Assist is activated, grey
radar waves propagating backwards appear
next to the vehicle in the assistance display in
the multifunction display. Above a speed of
30 km/h, the colour of the radar waves in the
assistance display changes to green ;. Blind
Spot Assist is then ready for use.
Towing a trailer
If you couple up a trailer, make sure that you
have correctly established the electrical con- nection. This can be accomplished by check- 264
Driving systemsDriving an
d parking

ing the trailer lighting. Blind Spot Assist is
then deactivated. The Blind Spot Assist
Blind Spot Assist
not
not available
available when
whentowing
towing a
atrailer
trailer
See Owner's Manual
See Owner's Manual message appears in
the multifunction display.
Lane Keeping Assist General notes
Lane Keeping Assist monitors the area in
front of your vehicle by means of camera :
at the top of the windscreen. Lane Keeping
Assist detects lane markings on the road and
can warn you before you leave your lane unin-
tentionally.
This function is available within a speed range between 60 km/h and 200 km/h.
A warning may be given if a front wheel
passes over a lane marking. It will warn you by
means of intermittent vibration through the
steering wheel for up to 1.5 seconds.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Lane Keeping Assist cannot always clearly
identify lane markings.
In these cases, Lane Keeping Assist may:
R give an unnecessary warning
R not give a warning
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay particular attention to the traffic
situation and keep in lane, especially if Lane
Keeping Assist alerts you. G
WARNING
The Lane Keeping Assist warning does not
return the vehicle to the original lane. There is a risk of an accident.
Always steer, apply the brakes or accelerate
the vehicle yourself, especially if Lane Keep-
ing Assist alerts you.
If you fail to adapt your driving style, Lane
Keeping Assist can neither reduce the risk of
an accident nor override the laws of physics. Lane Keeping Assist cannot take into account
road, weather or traffic conditions. Lane
Keeping Assist is only an aid. You are respon- sible for the distance to the vehicle in front,
for vehicle speed, for braking in good time,
and for staying in lane.
Lane Keeping Assist does not keep your vehi-
cle in its lane.
The system may be impaired or may not func-
tion if:
R there is poor visibility, e.g. due to insuffi-
cient illumination of the road, or due to
snow, rain, fog or spray
R there is glare, e.g. from oncoming traffic,
the sun or reflection from other vehicles
(e.g. if the road surface is wet)
R the windscreen is dirty, misted up, dam-
aged or covered, for instance by a sticker,
in the vicinity of the camera
R no or several, unclear lane markings are
present for one lane, e.g. in a construction
area
R the lane markings are worn away, dark or
covered up, e.g. by dirt or snow
R the distance to the vehicle in front is too
small and the lane markings thus cannot be
detected
R the lane markings change quickly, e.g.
lanes branch off, cross one another or
merge
R the road is narrow and winding
R there are highly variable shade conditions
on the road Driving systems
265Driving and parking Z

If a course-correcting brake application
occurs, red warning lamp :flashes in the
exterior mirror and a dual warning tone
sounds. In addition, display ;underlining
the danger of a side collision appears in the
multifunction display.
In very rare cases, the system may make an
inappropriate brake application. A course-
correcting brake application may be interrup-
ted at any time if you steer slightly in the
opposite direction or accelerate.
The course-correcting brake application is
available in the speed range between
30 km/h and 200 km/h.
Either a course-correcting brake application
appropriate to the driving situation, or none at all, may occur if:
R there are vehicles or obstacles, e.g. crash
barriers, on both sides of your vehicle
R a vehicle approaches too closely on 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, such as
ESP ®
or PRE-SAFE ®
Brake
R ESP ®
is deactivated
R a loss of tyre pressure or a defective tyre is
detected Activating Active Blind Spot Assist
X Make sure that Active Blind Spot Assist is
activated in the on-board computer
(Y page 311).
X Turn the key to position 2in the ignition
lock.
Warning lamps :in the exterior mirrors
light up red for approximately 1.5 seconds. Grey radar waves propagating backwards
appear next to the vehicle in the assistance
display in the multifunction display.
Towing a trailer
If you couple up a trailer, make sure that you have correctly established the electrical con-
nection. This can be accomplished by check- ing the trailer lighting. Active Blind Spot Assist
is then deactivated. The radar waves next to
the vehicle are hidden in the assistance dis-
play. The Active
Active Blind BlindSpot
SpotAssist
Assist not
not
available
available when
whentowing
towing a
atrailer
trailer See
See
Owner's Manual
Owner's Manual message appears in the
multifunction display.
Active Lane Keeping Assist General notes
Active Lane Keeping Assist monitors the area
in front of your vehicle by means of camera
system :at the top of the windscreen. Var-
ious different areas to the front, rear and side
of your vehicle are also monitored with the aid
of the radar sensor system. Active Lane Keep-
ing Assist detects lane markings on the road
and can warn you before you leave your lane
unintentionally. If you do not react to the Driving systems
269Driving and parking Z

Activating Active Lane Keeping Assist
X
Press button ;.
Indicator lamp :lights up. The Lane
Lane
Keeping Assist on
Keeping Assist on message appears in
the multifunction display. If all conditions
have been satisfied, a warning or steering
intervention may be made.
If you drive at speeds above 60 km/h and
lane markings are detected, the lines in the assistance graphic display (Y page 308)
are shown in green. Active Lane Keeping
Assist is ready for use.
X To deactivate: press button;.
Indicator lamp :goes out. Active Lane
Keeping Assist is deactivated. The Lane Lane
Keeping
Keeping Assist
Assistoff
offmessage appears in
the multifunction display.
Selecting Standard or Adaptive setting X In the Assistance
Assistance menu on the on-board
computer, select the Active Lane Keep‐
Active Lane Keep‐
ing Assist
ing Assist function (Ypage 311).
X Select Standard
Standard orAdaptive
Adaptive.
When Standard
Standard is selected, no warning
vibration occurs if:
R you have switched on the turn signals. In
this event, the warnings are suppressed
for a certain period of time.
R a driving safety system intervenes, such
as ABS, BAS or ESP ®
.
When Adaptive
Adaptive is selected, no warning
vibration occurs if: R
you have switched on the turn signals. In
this event, the warnings are suppressed
for a certain period of time.
R a driving safety system intervenes, such
as ABS, BAS or ESP ®
.
R you accelerate hard, e.g. kickdown.
R you brake hard.
R you steer actively, e.g. swerve to avoid an
obstacle or change lane quickly.
R you cut the corner on a sharp bend.
In order that you are warned only when nec-
essary and in good time if you cross the lane marking, the system detects certain condi-
tions and warns you accordingly.
The warning vibration occurs earlier if:
R you approach the outer lane marking on a
bend
R the road has very wide lanes, e.g. a motor-
way
R the system detects solid lane markings
The warning vibration occurs later if:
R the road has narrow lanes
R you cut the corner on a bend
Towing a trailer
If you couple up a trailer, make sure that you have correctly established the electrical con- nection. This can be accomplished by check-
ing the trailer lighting. Hybrid operation
Points to remember
General notes Hybrid technology combines a fuel efficient
internal combustion engine with a powerful
electric motor. The hybrid system automati-
cally selects the most efficient operating
mode for every driving situation. Drive the
vehicle in the usual manner.
To save fuel, the hybrid system switches off
the combustion engine as often as possible
during the journey when power output 272
Hybrid operationDriving and pa
rking

Towing a trailer
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
You could lose control of the vehicle/trailer
combination if it begins to swerve. The vehi-
cle/trailer combination could even overturn.
There is a risk of an accident.
On no account should you attempt to
straighten out the vehicle/trailer combina-
tion by increasing speed. Decrease your
speed and do not countersteer. Brake if nec-
essary. G
WARNING
If the maximum the permissible load for a car- rier system is exceeded, the carrier could
come loose from the vehicle and endanger
other road users. There is a risk of an accident and injury.
Never exceed the permissible noseweight
when using a carrier.
Exceeding the maximum permissible nose-
weight of the trailer drawbar on the ball cou-
pling may cause damage to the following: R your vehicle
R the trailer
R the ball coupling
R the trailer tow hitch
The vehicle/trailer combination could
become unstable.
If the noseweight used is lower than the min- imum permissible noseweight, the vehicle/
trailer combination could also become unsta- ble.
To avoid hazardous situations:
R make sure to check the noseweight before
each journey
R use a drawbar noseweight as close as pos-
sible to the maximum noseweight R
do not exceed the maximum permissible
noseweight
R do not use a noseweight lower than the
minimum noseweight
Make sure that the following values are not
exceeded:
R the permissible trailer drawbar noseweight
R the permissible trailer load
R the permissible rear axle load of the towing
vehicle
R the maximum permissible gross vehicle
weight of both the towing vehicle and the
trailer
The applicable permissible values, which
must not be exceeded, can be found:
R in your vehicle documents
R on the identification plates of the trailer tow
hitch and the trailer
R on the vehicle identification plate
If the values differ, the lowest value applies.
You will find the values approved by the man-
ufacturer on the vehicle identification plates
and those for the towing vehicle under "Tech- nical data" (Y page 480). G
WARNING
If you release the ball coupling or it does not
engage correctly when folding in, it will swing out. Within pivoting range of the ball coupling,
there is an increased risk of an accident and
injury.
Only release the ball coupling if the pivoting
range is unobstructed. Always make sure that the ball coupling engages when folding in.
When reversing the vehicle towards the
trailer, make sure there is nobody between
the trailer and the vehicle.
Couple and uncouple the trailer carefully. If
you do not couple the trailer to the towing
vehicle correctly, the trailer could become
detached.
When towing a trailer, your vehicle's handling
characteristics will be different in comparison to when driving without a trailer. 286
Towing a trailerDriving an
d parking

The vehicle/trailer combination:
R is heavier
R is restricted in its acceleration and gradi-
ent-climbing capability
R has an increased braking distance
R is affected more by strong crosswinds
R demands more sensitive steering
R has a larger turning circle
This can impair the vehicle's handling char-
acteristics. Adapt your driving style accord-
ingly. Maintain a safe distance. Drive care-
fully.
When towing a trailer, always adjust your
speed to the current road and weather con-
ditions. Do not exceed the maximum permis-
sible speed for your vehicle/trailer combina-
tion. Notes on towing a trailer
General notes When towing a trailer, set the tyre pressure on
the rear axle of the towing vehicle for a max-
imum load; see the tyre pressure table in the
fuel filler flap (Y page 436).
On vehicles without level control, the height
of the ball coupling will alter according to the load placed on the vehicle. If necessary, use a
trailer with a height-adjustable drawbar.
You will find fitting dimensions and loads
under "Technical data" (Y page 478).
When towing a trailer, the ECO start/stop
function is deactivated. The èECO sym-
bol appears yellow in the multifunction dis-
play. For further information on the ECO
start/stop function; see (Y page 190).
Driving tips Observe the notes on ESP
®
trailer stabilisa-
tion (Y page 83).
The maximum permissible speed for vehicle/ trailer combinations depends on the type of
trailer. Before beginning the journey, check the trailer's documents to see what the max-
imum permitted speed is. Observe the legally
prescribed maximum speed in the relevant
country.
For certain Mercedes-Benz vehicles, the max-
imum permissible rear axle load is increased
when towing a trailer. See the "Technical
data" section to find out whether this applies
to your vehicle (Y page 480). If you utilise any
of the added maximum rear axle load when
towing a trailer, the vehicle/trailer combina-
tion may not exceed a maximum speed of
100 km/h for reasons concerning the oper-
ating permit. This also applies in countries in
which the permissible maximum speed for
vehicle/trailer combinations is above
100 km/h.
When towing a trailer, your vehicle's handling
characteristics will be different in comparison to when driving without a trailer and it will
consume more fuel.
Change into a lower gear in good time on long
and steep downhill gradients.
This also applies if cruise control, DISTRONIC
PLUS or SPEEDTRONIC are activated.
This will use the braking effect of the engine,
so less braking will be required to maintain
vehicle speed. This relieves the load on the
brake system and prevents the brakes from
overheating and wearing too quickly. If you
need additional braking, depress the brake
pedal repeatedly rather than continuously.
Driving tips If the trailer swings from side to side:
X Do not accelerate.
X Do not countersteer.
X Brake if necessary.
R Maintain a greater distance to the vehicle in
front than when driving without a trailer.
R Avoid braking abruptly. If possible, brake
gently at first to allow the trailer to run on. Then, increase the braking force rapidly.
R The values given for gradient-climbing
capabilities from a standstill refer to sea Towing a trailer
287Driving and parking Z

level. When driving in mountainous areas,
note that the power output of the engine,
and consequently the vehicle's gradient-
climbing capability, decrease with increas-
ing altitude. Folding out the ball coupling
G
WARNING
If the ball coupling is not correctly engaged,
the trailer can detach. There is a risk of an
accident.
Always engage the ball coupling as described. G
WARNING
If you release the ball coupling or it does not
engage correctly when folding in, it will swing out. Within pivoting range of the ball coupling,
there is an increased risk of an accident and
injury.
Only release the ball coupling if the pivoting
range is unobstructed. Always make sure that the ball coupling engages when folding in.
Before you can tow a trailer with your vehicle, you must fold out the ball coupling.
X Make sure that the vehicle is stationary. X
Open the tailgate.
X Pull release knob :until the ball coupling
unlocks.
The ball coupling folds out from under the
rear bumper. The indicator lamp on the release knob
flashes. The trailer socket folds away auto- matically. X
Press the ball coupling in the direction of
the arrow until it engages in a vertical posi-
tion.
The indicator lamp on the release knob
goes off.
The multifunction display shows the
Check trailer hitch lock Check trailer hitch lock message
until the ball coupling is engaged.
X Remove the protective covering from the
ball coupling and store it in a safe place.
Hybrid vehicles: observe the safety notes
for hybrid vehicles (Y page 273). Coupling up a trailer
X Make sure that the transmission is in posi-
tion P.
X Apply the electric parking brake.
X Position the trailer horizontally behind the
vehicle.
X Couple up the trailer.
X Establish the electric connection between
the vehicle and the trailer.
X Check that the trailer lighting system is
working.
X Push the combination switch upwards/
downwards and check whether the corre-
sponding turn signal on the trailer is flash-
ing. 288
Towing a trailerDriving and parking

A connected trailer is only recognised when
the electrical connection is established
correctly and when the lighting system is
working properly. The functioning of other
systems, e.g. ESP ®
, PARKTRONIC, Active
Parking Assist, Active Blind Spot Assist or
Lane Keeping Assist also depends on this. Uncoupling a trailer
G
WARNING
If you uncouple a trailer with an engaged over- run brake, you could trap your hand between
the vehicle and the trailer drawbar. This poses a risk of injury.
Do not uncouple a trailer with an engaged
overrun brake. G
WARNING
Vehicles with level control:
If you disconnect the trailer cable, the vehicle is lowered. This can cause you or others to
become trapped between the vehicle body
and tyres, or underneath the vehicle. This
poses a risk of injury.
Make sure that no-one is in the immediate
vicinity of the wheel arch or underneath the
vehicle when disconnecting the trailer cable.
! Do not disconnect a trailer with an
engaged overrun brake. Otherwise, your
vehicle could be damaged by the rebound- ing of the overrun brake.
! Remove the installed adapter cable
before folding in the ball coupling. Other-
wise, damage may occur to the rear
bumper and the adapter cable.
X Make sure that the transmission is in posi-
tion P.
X Apply the electric parking brake.
X Secure the trailer against rolling away.
X Remove the trailer cable and decouple the
trailer. Folding in the ball coupling
G
WARNING
If you release the ball coupling or it does not
engage correctly when folding in, it will swing out. Within pivoting range of the ball coupling,
there is an increased risk of an accident and
injury.
Only release the ball coupling if the pivoting
range is unobstructed. Always make sure that the ball coupling engages when folding in.
Fold the ball coupling back in if you are not
using the trailer tow hitch. X Make sure that the vehicle is stationary and
the trailer cables are disconnected.
X Place the protective covering on the ball
coupling.
X Open the tailgate. X
Pull release knob :until the ball coupling
unlocks.
The ball coupling folds down from under the rear bumper. The indicator lamp on the
release knob flashes.
Do not attempt to speed this process up by
applying additional pressure with your foot. The system could otherwise be mechani-
cally damaged. Towing a trailer
289Driving and parking Z