2014 MERCEDES-BENZ C-CLASS SALOON Owners Manual

G
WARNING
The distance warning function does not react:
R to people or animals
R to oncoming vehicles
R to crossing traffic
R when cornering
Thus, the distance warning function cannot
provide a warning in all critical situations.
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit-
uation and be ready to brake. G
WARNING
The distance warning function cannot always
clearly identify objects and complex traffic
situations.
In such cases, the distance warning function
may:
R give an unnecessary warning
R not give a warning
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit-
uation; do not rely on the distance warning
function alone.
Function X To activate/deactivate: activate or deac-
tivate the distance warning function in the
on-board computer (Y page 308).
If the distance warning function is deactiva-
ted, the æsymbol appears in the assis-
tance graphics display.
The distance warning function can help you to
minimise the risk of a collision with the vehi-
cle in front or reduce the effects of such a
collision. If the distance warning function
detects that there is a risk of a collision, you
will be warned visually and acoustically.
The distance warning function issues a warn- ing at speeds:
R of approximately 30 km/h or more, if, over
several seconds, the distance maintained
to the vehicle travelling in front is insuffi- cient. The
·distance warning lamp
then lights up in the instrument cluster.
R of approximately 7 km/h or more, if you
rapidly approach a vehicle in front. An inter-
mittent warning tone will then sound and
the · distance warning lamp will light
up in the instrument cluster.
X Brake immediately in order to increase the
distance from the vehicle in front.
or
X Take evasive action provided it is safe to do
so.
Due to the nature of the system, particularly
complicated but non-critical driving condi-
tions may also cause the system to display a
warning.
With the help of the radar sensor system, the distance warning function can detect obsta-
cles that are in the path of your vehicle for an
extended period of time.
Up to a speed of approximately 70 km/h, the
distance warning function can also react to
stationary obstacles, such as stopped or
parked vehicles.
If you approach an obstacle and the distance
warning function detects a risk of a collision,
the system will alert you both visually and
acoustically.
Autonomous braking function If the driver does not react to the distance
warning signal in a critical situation, COLLI-
SION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS can assist
with the autonomous braking function.
The autonomous braking function:
R gives the driver more time to react to criti-
cal driving situations
R can help the driver to avoid an accident or
R reduces the effects of an accident
Vehicles without DISTRONIC PLUS: the
autonomous braking function is available in
the following speed ranges:
R 7 - 105 km/h for moving objects
R 7 - 50 km/h for stationary objects 78
Driving safety systemsSafety

Vehicles with DISTRONIC PLUS:
the auton-
omous braking function is available in the fol- lowing speed ranges:
R 7 - 200 km/h for moving objects
R 7 - 50 km/h for stationary objects
If the autonomous braking function demands particularly high braking force, preventative
passenger protection measures (PRE-SAFE ®
)
are activated simultaneously.
Adaptive Brake Assist i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 74).
Adaptive Brake Assist provides braking assis- tance in hazardous situations at speeds
above 7 km/h. It uses radar sensor technol-
ogy to assess the traffic situation. G
WARNING
Adaptive Brake Assist cannot always clearly
identify objects and complex traffic situa-
tions.
In such cases, Adaptive Brake Assist can:
R intervene unnecessarily
R not intervene
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit- uation and be ready to brake. Terminate the
intervention in a non-critical driving situation. G
WARNING
Adaptive Brake Assist does not react:
R to people or animals
R to oncoming vehicles
R to crossing traffic
R when cornering
As a result, the Adaptive Brake Assist may not intervene in all critical conditions. There is a
risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit- uation and be ready to brake.
Due to the nature of the system, particularly
complicated but non-critical driving condi- tions may also cause Brake Assist to inter-
vene.
If adaptive Brake Assist is not available due to a malfunction in the radar sensor system, thebrake system remains available with full
brake boosting effect and BAS.
With the help of adaptive Brake Assist, the
distance warning signal can detect obstacles
that are in the path of your vehicle for an
extended period of time.
If adaptive Brake Assist detects a risk of col-
lision with the vehicle in front, it calculates
the braking force necessary to avoid a colli-
sion. If you apply the brakes forcefully, adap-
tive Brake Assist will automatically increase
the braking force to a level suitable for the
traffic conditions.
X Keep the brake pedal depressed until the
emergency braking situation is over.
ABS prevents the wheels from locking.
The brakes will work normally again if:
R you release the brake pedal
R there is no longer any danger of a collision
R no obstacle is detected in front of your
vehicle
Adaptive Brake Assist is then deactivated.
If adaptive Brake Assist demands particularly
high braking force, preventative passenger
protection measures (PRE-SAFE ®
) are activa-
ted simultaneously.
Up to a speed of approximately 250 km/h,
adaptive Brake Assist is capable of reacting to
moving objects that have already been detec- ted as such at least once over the period of
observation.
Up to a speed of approximately 70 km/h
adaptive Brake Assist reacts to stationary
obstacles. Driving safety systems
79Safety Z

Adaptive brake lamps
The adaptive brake lights warn following traf- fic in an emergency braking situation:
R by flashing brake lamps
R by activating the hazard warning lamps
If you brake sharply from a speed of more
than 50 km/h or if braking is assisted by BAS
or BAS PLUS, the brake lamps flash rapidly. In this way, traffic travelling behind you is
warned in an even more noticeable manner.
If you brake sharply from a speed of more
than 70 km/h to a standstill, the hazard warn-
ing lamps are activated automatically. If the
brakes are applied again, the brake lamps
light up continuously. The hazard warning
lamps switch off automatically if you travel
faster than 10 km/h. You can also switch off the hazard warning lamps using the hazard
warning button (Y page 137).ESP
®
(Electronic Stability Program)
General notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 74).
ESP ®
monitors driving stability and traction,
i.e. power transmission between the tyres
and the road surface.
If ESP ®
detects that the vehicle is deviating
from the direction desired by the driver, one
or more wheels are braked to stabilise the
vehicle. The engine output is also modified to keep the vehicle on the desired course within
physical limits. ESP ®
assists the driver when
pulling away on wet or slippery roads. ESP ®
can also stabilise the vehicle during braking.
ETS/4ETS (Electronic Traction System) i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 74).
ETS traction control is part of ESP ®
. On vehi-
cles with 4MATIC, 4ETS is a component of
ESP ®
. Traction control brakes the drive wheels indi-
vidually 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. In addition, more drive torque is trans-
ferred to the wheel or wheels with traction.
Traction control remains active if you deacti-
vate ESP ®
.
Important safety notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 74). G
WARNING
If ESP ®
is malfunctioning, ESP ®
is unable to
stabilise the vehicle. In addition, other driving
safety systems are switched off. This increa-
ses the risk of skidding and an accident.
Drive on carefully. Have ESP ®
checked at a
qualified specialist workshop.
! If you test the parking brake using a brake
dynamometer, switch the ignition off.
Application of the brakes by ESP ®
may oth-
erwise destroy the brake system.
When towing your vehicle with the rear axle
raised, observe the notes on ESP ®
(Y page 422).
ESP ®
is deactivated if the åwarning lamp
in the instrument cluster lights up and:
R the vehicle is moving
R the ECO start/stop function is activated
If the ÷ warning lamp lights up continu-
ously, ESP ®
is not available due to a malfunc-
tion.
Observe the information on warning lamps
(Y page 357) and display messages which
may be shown in the instrument cluster
(Y page 315).
Only use wheels with the recommended tyre
sizes. Only then will ESP ®
function properly. 80
Driving safety systemsSafety

Characteristics of ESP
®General notes
If the
÷ ESP warning lamp goes out before
beginning the journey, ESP ®
is automatically
active.
If ESP ®
intervenes, the ÷ESP®
warning
lamp flashes in the instrument cluster.
If ESP ®
intervenes:
X Do not deactivate ESP ®
under any circum-
stances.
X When pulling away, only depress the accel-
erator pedal as far as is necessary.
X Adapt your driving style to suit the prevail-
ing road and weather conditions.
ECO start/stop function
The ECO start/stop function switches the
engine off automatically if the vehicle stops
moving. When pulling away again, the engine
starts automatically. ESP ®
remains in its pre-
viously selected status. Example:if ESP®
was deactivated before the engine was
switched off, ESP ®
remains deactivated when
the engine is switched on again.
Deactivating/activating ESP ®Important safety notes
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 74).
You can select between the following states
of ESP ®
:
R ESP ®
is activated
R ESP ®
is deactivated G
WARNING
If you deactivate ESP ®
, ESP ®
no longer sta-
bilises the vehicle. There is an increased risk
of skidding and an accident.
Only deactivate ESP ®
in the situations descri-
bed in the following. It may be best to deactivate ESP
®
in the fol-
lowing situations:
R when using snow chains
R in deep snow
R on sand or gravel
Activate ESP ®
as soon as the situations
described above no longer apply. ESP ®
will
otherwise not be able to stabilise the vehicle if the vehicle starts to skid or a wheel starts to
spin.
Deactivating/activating ESP ®
You can deactivate or activate ESP ®
via the
on-board computer.
X To deactivate: (Ypage 307).
The å ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up.
X To activate: (Ypage 307).
The å ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster goes out.
Characteristics when ESP ®
is deactivated
If ESP ®
is deactivated and one or more wheels
start to spin, the ÷ESP®
warning lamp in
the instrument cluster does not flash. In such
situations, ESP ®
will not stabilise the vehicle.
If you deactivate ESP ®
:
R ESP ®
no longer improves driving stability
R the driven wheels can spin
The spinning of the wheels results in a cut-
ting action for better traction on loose sur-faces.
R traction control is still activated
R PRE-SAFE ®
is no longer available; nor is it
activated if you brake firmly with assis-
tance from ESP ®
R PRE-SAFE ®
Brake is no longer available; it
is also not activated if you brake firmly with
assistance from ESP ®
R ESP ®
still provides support when you brake
firmly. Driving safety systems
81Safety Z

ESP
®
trailer stabilisation General notes
If your vehicle/trailer combination begins to
lurch, ESP
®
assists you in this situation. ESP ®
slows the vehicle down by braking and limit-
ing the engine output until the vehicle/trailer combination has stabilised.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If road and weather conditions are poor,
trailer stabilisation will not be able to prevent the vehicle/trailer combination from swerv-
ing. Trailers with a high centre of gravity can
tip over before ESP ®
can detect this. There is
a risk of an accident.
Always adapt your driving style to the prevail-
ing road and weather conditions.
If your vehicle/trailer combination begins to
lurch, you can only stabilise the vehicle/
trailer combination by depressing the brake
firmly.
ESP ®
trailer stabilisation is active above
speeds of approximately 65 km/h.
ESP ®
trailer stabilisation does not work if
ESP ®
is deactivated or disabled because of a
malfunction.
Crosswind Assist General notes
Strong crosswind gusts can impair the road-
holding of your vehicle when driving straight
ahead. The crosswind driving assistance
function integrated in ESP ®
noticeably
reduces these impairments.
Depending on the direction and intensity of
the side wind, ESP ®
is activated automati-
cally.
ESP intervenes with stabilising braking to
assist you in keeping the vehicle in the lane.
Crosswind Assist is active at vehicle speeds
above 80 km/h when driving straight ahead
or cornering gently. Important safety notes
Crosswind Assist does not work if ESP
®
is
deactivated or disabled because of a mal-
function. EBD (electronic brake force distribu-
tion)
General notes EBD monitors and controls the brake pres-
sure on the rear wheels to improve driving
stability while braking.
Important safety notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 74). G
WARNING
If EBD is malfunctioning, the rear wheels can
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 the brake system checked at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
Observe information regarding indicator and
warning lamps (Y page 355) as well as dis-
play messages (Y page 318). ADAPTIVE BRAKE
ADAPTIVE BRAKE enhances braking safety
and offers increased braking comfort. In addi- tion to the braking function, ADAPTIVE BRAKE
also has the HOLD function (Y page 232) and
hill start assist (Y page 185). PRE-SAFE
®
Brake
General notes i
Pay attention to the important safety
notes in the "Driving safety systems" sec-
tion (Y page 74). 82
Driving safety systemsSafety

PRE‑SAFE
®
Brake is only available for vehi-
cles with the Driving Assistance package.
For PRE-SAFE ®
Brake to assist you when driv-
ing, the radar sensor system and the camera
system must be switched on and operational.
With the help of the radar sensor system and the camera system, PRE-SAFE ®
Brake can
detect obstacles that are in front of your vehi-
cle for an extended period of time.
In addition, pedestrians in the path of your
vehicle can be detected.
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake detects pedestrians using
typical characteristics such as the body con-
tours and posture of a person standing
upright.
Observe the restrictions described in the
"Important safety notes" sec-
tion“ (Y page 83).
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake can help you to minimise
the risk of a collision with a vehicle ahead or a pedestrian, and reduce the effects of such a
collision. If PRE-SAFE ®
Brake has detected a
risk of collision, you will be warned visually
and acoustically as well as by automatic brak- ing.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake will initially brake your vehi-
cle by a partial application of the brakes if a
danger of collision is detected. There may be
a collision unless you brake yourself. Even
after subsequent full application of the brakes
a collision cannot always be avoided, partic-
ularly when approaching at too high a speed.
There is a risk of an accident.
Always apply the brakes yourself and try to
take evasive action, provided it is safe to do
so. G
WARNING
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake cannot always clearly iden-
tify objects and complex traffic conditions. In these cases, PRE-SAFE
®
Brake may:
R give an unnecessary warning and then
brake the vehicle
R neither give a warning nor intervene
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay particular attention to the traffic
situation and be ready to brake, especially if
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake warns you. Terminate the
intervention in a non-critical driving situation.
In order to maintain the appropriate distance
to the vehicle in front and thus prevent a col- lision, you must apply the brakes yourself.
The PRE-SAFE ®
Brake function can also brake
the vehicle automatically under the following
conditions:
R the driver and front passenger have their
seat belts fastened
and
R the vehicle speed is between approx-
imately 7 km/h and 200 km/h
At a speed of up to approximately 70 km/h,
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake can also detect:
R stationary objects in the path of your vehi-
cle, e.g. stopped or parked vehicles
R pedestrians in the path of your vehicle G
WARNING
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake does not react:
R to small people, e.g. children
R to animals
R to oncoming vehicles
R to crossing traffic
R when cornering
As a result, PRE-SAFE ®
Brake may neither
give warnings nor intervene in all critical sit-
uations. There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit- uation and be ready to brake.
In the event of snowfall or heavy rain, detec-
tion can be impaired. Driving safety systems
83Safety Z

Detection by the radar sensor system is also
impaired in the event of:
R dirt on the sensors or obscured sensors
R interference by other radar sources
R strong radar reflections, for example, in
multi-storey car parks
R a narrow vehicle travelling in front, e.g. a
motorcycle
R a vehicle travelling in front on a different
line
Detection by the camera system is also
impaired in the event of:
R dirt on the camera or if the camera is cov-
ered
R glare on the camera system, e.g. from the
sun being low in the sky
R darkness
R if:
- pedestrians move quickly, e.g. into the
path of the vehicle
- the camera system no longer detects a
pedestrian as a person due to special
clothing or other objects
- a pedestrian is concealed by other
objects
- the typical outline of a person is not dis-
tinguishable from the background
Following damage to the front end of the vehi-
cle, have the radar sensor settings and oper- ation checked at a qualified specialist work-
shop. This also applies to collisions at slow
speeds where there is no visible damage to
the front of the vehicle.
Following damage to the windscreen, have
the configuration and operation of the cam-
era system checked at a qualified specialist
workshop. Function X
To activate/deactivate: activate or deac-
tivate PRE-SAFE ®
Brake in the on-board
computer (Y page 309).
If the PRE-SAFE ®
Brake is not activated, the
æ symbol appears in the multifunction
display.
This function will issue a warning if:
R at a speed of around 30 km/h or more, the
distance maintained to the vehicle travel-
ling in front is insufficient for several sec-
onds.
The · distance warning lamp then lights
up in the instrument cluster.
R at a speed of approximately 7 km/h or
higher, you very quickly approach a vehicle
in front or a pedestrian.
An intermittent warning tone will then
sound and the ·distance warning lamp
lights up in the instrument cluster.
X Brake immediately to defuse the situation.
or
X Take evasive action provided it is safe to do
so.
If there is an increased risk of collision, pre-
ventive passenger protection measures (PRE-
SAFE ®
) are activated.
If the risk of collision with the vehicle in front remains and you do not brake, take evasive
action or accelerate significantly, the vehicle
may perform automatic emergency braking,
up to the point of full brake application. Auto-
matic emergency braking is not performed
until immediately prior to an imminent acci-
dent.
You can prevent the intervention of PRE-
SAFE ®
Brake at any time by:
R depressing the accelerator pedal further
R activating kickdown
R releasing the brake pedal 84
Driving safety systemsSafety

The braking action of PRE-SAFE
®
Brake is
ended automatically if:
R you manoeuvre to avoid the obstacle
R there is no longer a risk of collision
R there is no longer an obstacle detected in
front of your vehicle STEER CONTROL
General notes STEER CONTROL is only available in vehicles
without 4MATIC.
STEER CONTROL helps you by transmitting a noticeable steering force to the steering
wheel in the direction required for vehicle
stabilisation.
This steering support is provided in particular
if:
R both right wheels or both left wheels are on
a wet or slippery road surface when you
brake
R the vehicle starts to skid
Important safety notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 74).
No steering support is provided from STEER
CONTROL, if:
R ESP ®
is malfunctioning
R the steering is faulty
If ESP ®
is malfunctioning, you will be assisted
further by the electrical power steering. Protection against theft
Immobiliser
The immobiliser prevents your vehicle from
being started without the correct key. X
To activate with the key: remove the key
from the ignition lock.
X To activate with KEYLESS-GO start-
function or KEYLESS-GO: switch the igni-
tion off and open the driver's door.
X To deactivate: switch on the ignition.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the key with you and lock the vehicle. Anyone can
start the engine if a valid key has been left
inside the vehicle.
i The immobiliser is always deactivated
when you start the engine. ATA (Anti-Theft Alarm system)
X
To prime: lock the vehicle with the key or
KEYLESS-GO.
Indicator lamp :flashes. The alarm sys-
tem is primed after approximately
15 seconds.
X To switch off: unlock the vehicle with the
key or KEYLESS-GO.
or X Insert the key into the ignition lock.
A visual and audible alarm is triggered if the
alarm system is primed and you open: R a door
R the vehicle with the emergency key ele-
ment
R the boot lid
R the bonnet Protection against theft
85Safety Z