2014 MERCEDES-BENZ C-CLASS SALOON trailer

A Neutral
Do not shift the transmission to
N
while driving. Otherwise, the auto-
matic transmission could be dam-
aged.
No power is transmitted from the
engine to the drive wheels.
Releasing the brakes will allow you
to move the vehicle freely, e.g. to
push it or tow it.
If ESP ®
is deactivated or faulty:
shift the transmission to position N
if the vehicle is in danger of skid-
ding, e.g. on icy roads.
If you switch off the engine using
the key or the Start/Stop button,
the automatic transmission shifts
to neutral Nautomatically.
! Rolling in neutral
Ncan lead to
damage to the transmission. 7 Drive
The automatic transmission
changes gear automatically. All
forward gears are available.
Driving tips
Changing gear The automatic transmission shifts to the indi-
vidual gears automatically when it is in trans-
mission position D. Gearshifting is deter-
mined by:
R the selected drive program (Y page 197)
R the position of the accelerator pedal
R the road speed
Accelerator pedal position Your style of driving influences how the auto-
matic transmission shifts gear:
R little throttle: early upshifts
R more throttle: late upshifts Double-clutch function When shifting down, the double-clutch func-
tion is active regardless of the currently selec-
ted drive program. The double-clutch functionreduces load change reactions and is condu-cive to a sporty driving style. The sound gen-
erated by the double-clutch function depends
on the drive program selected.
Kickdown Use kickdown for maximum acceleration.
X Depress the accelerator pedal beyond the
pressure point.
The transmission shifts to a lower gear
depending on the engine speed.
X Ease off the accelerator pedal once the
desired speed is reached.
The automatic transmission shifts back up.
Rocking the vehicle free Rocking the vehicle free by shifting the trans-
mission repeatedly between transmission
positions Dand Rmay help to free the vehicle
if it has become stuck in mud or snow.
The vehicle's engine management restricts
repeated shifting between gears Dand Rup
to a maximum speed of 9 km/h.
To shift back and forth between transmission
positions Dand R, move the DIRECT SELECT
lever up and down past the point of resist-
ance.
Towing a trailer Towing a trailer is not possible with all mod-
els. For further information, see
(Y
page 284).
X Drive in the middle of the engine speed
range on uphill gradients.
X Manual shifting: depending on the uphill
or downhill gradient, shift into a gear
(Y page 198 )in which the engine will run in
the middle of the engine speed range. 196
Automatic transmissionDriving an
d parking

time, the driver has adopted the most eco-
nomical driving style for the selected settings
and prevailing conditions. The ECO display
border lights up.
The ECO display does not indicate the actual fuel consumption. The additionally achieved
range displayed under Bonus fr. start Bonus fr. start
does not indicate a fixed consumption reduc-
tion.
In addition to driving style, the actual con-
sumption is affected by other factors, such
as:
R load
R tyre pressure
R cold start
R choice of route
R the use of electrical consumers
These factors are not included in the ECO dis-
play.
An economical driving style involves driving at a moderate engine speed.
To achieve a higher value in the categories
"acceleration" and "smooth driving":
R observe the gearshift recommendation
R drive the vehicle in drive program E(vehi-
cles with the AGILITY SELECT switch)
On long journeys at a constant speed, e.g. on the motorway, only the outer area for "con-
stant" will change.
The ECO display summarises the driving style
from the start of the journey to its completion. Therefore, there are more marked changes in
the outer areas at the start of a journey. Dur- ing a prolonged driving time, these changes
are smaller. For more marked changes, per-
form a manual rest (Y page 299).
Further information on the ECO display
(Y page 298). Brakes
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If you shift down on a slippery road surface in an attempt to increase the engine's braking
effect, the drive wheels could lose their grip.
This increases the risk of skidding and having
an accident.
Do not shift down for additional engine brak-
ing on a slippery road surface.
Downhill gradients Change into a lower gear in good time on long
and steep downhill gradients. Take particular note of this when driving a laden vehicle and
when towing a trailer.
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.
Heavy and light loads G
WARNING
The braking system can overheat if you leave your foot on the brake pedal while driving.
This increases the braking distance and could
even cause the braking system to fail. There is
a risk of an accident.
Never use the brake pedal as a footrest. Do
not simultaneously depress both the brake
pedal and the accelerator pedal while driving.
! Depressing the brake pedal constantly
results in excessive and premature wear to
the brake pads.
If heavy demands are made on the brakes, do not park the vehicle immediately. Drive on for
a short while. This allows the airflow to cool
the brakes more quickly. Driving
tips
213Driving an d parking Z

Driving systems
Mercedes-Benz Intelligent Drive
Mercedes-Benz Intelligent Drive stands for
innovative driver assistance and safety sys-
tems which enhance comfort and support the
driver in critical situations. With these intelli-
gent co-ordinated systems Mercedes-Benz
has set a milestone on the path towards
autonomous driving.
Mercedes-Benz Intelligent Drive embraces all elements of active and passive safety in one
well thought-out system – for the safety of thevehicle occupants and that of other road
users.
Further information on driving safety systems
(Y page 74). Cruise control
General notes Cruise control maintains a constant road
speed for you. It brakes automatically in order to avoid exceeding the set speed. Change into
a lower gear in good time on long and steep
downhill gradients. Take particular note of
this when driving a laden vehicle and when
towing a trailer. By doing so, you will make
use of the braking effect of the engine. This
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 con- ditions are appropriate for maintaining a
steady speed for a prolonged period. You can store any road speed above 30 km/h.
Important safety notes If you fail to adapt your driving style, cruise
control can neither reduce the risk of an acci-
dent nor override the laws of physics. Cruise
control cannot take into account road,
weather or traffic conditions. Cruise control is
only an aid. You are responsible for the dis-
tance to the vehicle in front, for vehicle speed, for braking in good time, and for staying in
lane.
Do not use cruise control:
R in road and traffic conditions which do not
allow you to maintain a constant speed
(e.g. in heavy traffic or on winding roads)
R on smooth or slippery roads. Braking or
accelerating can cause the drive wheels to
lose traction and the vehicle could then
skid
R when there is poor visibility, e.g. due to fog,
heavy rain or snow
If there is a change of drivers, advise the new
driver of the speed stored.
Cruise control lever :
To store the current speed or a higher
speed
; LIM indicator lamp
= To store the current speed and to call up
the last stored speed
? To store the current speed or a lower
speed
A To switch between cruise control and var-
iable SPEEDTRONIC
B To deactivate cruise control
You can operate cruise control and variable
SPEEDTRONIC with the cruise control lever. 216
Driving syste
msDriving and parking

At speeds of more than 60 km/h Steering
Assist focuses on clear lane markings (left
and right).
In a speed range from 0 - 60 km/h Stop&Go
Pilot focuses on the vehicle in front, taking
into account lane markings, e.g. when follow- ing vehicles in a traffic jam.
If these conditions are not present, Steering
Assist and Stop&Go Pilot cannot provide
assistance.
DISTRONIC PLUS must be active in order for
the function to be available.
Important safety notes
If you fail to adapt your driving style,
DISTRONIC PLUS with Steering Assist and
Stop&Go Pilot can neither reduce the risk of
an accident nor override the laws of physics.
It cannot take into account road, weather or
traffic conditions. DISTRONIC PLUS with
Steering Assist and Stop&Go Pilot is only an
aid. You are responsible for the distance to
the vehicle in front, for vehicle speed, for
braking in good time, and for staying in lane.
DISTRONIC PLUS with Steering Assist and
Stop&Go Pilot does not detect road and traf-
fic conditions and does not detect all road
users. If you are following a vehicle which is
driving towards the edge of the carriageway,
your vehicle could come into contact with the
kerb or other road boundaries. In the case of deviations in road markings, beware of other
road users, e.g. cyclists, that are directly next to your vehicle.
Obstacles such as traffic pylons on the lane or
projecting out into the lane are not detected.
An inappropriate steering intervention, e.g.
after intentionally driving over a lane marking, can be corrected at any time if you steer
slightly in the opposite direction.
DISTRONIC PLUS with Steering Assist and
Stop&Go Pilot cannot continuously keep your
vehicle in lane. In some cases, the steering
intervention is not sufficient to bring the vehi-
cle back to the lane. In such cases, you must steer the vehicle yourself to ensure that it
does not leave the 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
The system is switched to passive and no lon- ger assists you by performing steering inter-
ventions if:
R you actively change lane
R you switch on the turn signal
R you take your hands off the steering wheel
or do not steer for a prolonged period of
time
i After you have finished changing lanes,
Steering Assist and Stop&Go Pilot are auto- matically active again.
Steering Assist and Stop&Go Pilot cannot
provide assistance: R on very sharp corners
R when towing a trailer
R a loss of tyre pressure or a defective tyre
has been detected and displayed Driving systems
231Driving and parking Z

override the laws of physics. 4MATIC cannot
take account of road, weather and traffic con-
ditions. 4MATIC is only an aid. You are
responsible for the distance to the vehicle in
front, for vehicle speed, for braking in good
time and for staying in the lane.
If a drive wheel spins due to insufficient grip:
R when pulling away, only depress the accel-
erator pedal as far as is necessary
R accelerate less when driving
! 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 implied 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 tyres (M+S tyres), with snow
chains if necessary. PARKTRONIC
Important safety notes PARKTRONIC is an electronic parking aid with
ultrasonic sensors. It monitors the area
around your vehicle using six sensors in the
front bumper and six sensors in the rear
bumper. PARKTRONIC indicates visually and
audibly the distance between your vehicle
and an object.
PARKTRONIC is only an aid. It is not a substi- tute for your attention to the immediate sur-
roundings. The responsibility for safe
manoeuvring and parking remains with you.
Make sure that there are no persons, animals
or objects in range while manoeuvring and
parking.
! When parking, pay particular attention to
objects above or below the sensors, such
as flower pots or trailer drawbars.
PARKTRONIC does not detect such objects when they are in the immediate vicinity of
the vehicle. You could damage the vehicle
or the objects.
The sensors may not detect snow and
objects which absorb ultrasonic sources.
Ultrasonic sources, such as an automatic
car wash, a lorry's compressed-air brakes
or a pneumatic drill, could cause
PARKTRONIC to malfunction.
PARKTRONIC may not function correctly on uneven terrain.
! Fold in the ball coupling if the trailer tow
hitch is not required. PARKTRONIC meas-
ures the minimum detection range to an
obstacle from the bumper, not the ball cou-
pling.
PARKTRONIC is activated automatically if
you: R switch on the ignition
R shift the transmission to position D,Ror N
PARKTRONIC is deactivated at speeds above
18 km/h. It is reactivated at lower speeds.
PARKTRONIC is deactivated for the rear area when you establish an electrical connection
between your vehicle and a trailer.
Range of the sensors General notes
PARKTRONIC does not take into account
obstacles located:
R below the detection range, e.g. persons,
animals or objects
R above the detection range, e.g. overhang-
ing loads, tail sections or loading ramps of
goods vehicles 236
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Problems with PARKTRONIC
Problem
Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions Only the red segments
in the PARKTRONIC
warning displays are lit.
You also hear a warning
tone for approximately
two seconds.
PARKTRONIC is then
deactivated and the
indicator lamp on the
PARKTRONIC button
lights up. PARKTRONIC has malfunctioned and has been deactivated.
X If problems persist, have PARKTRONIC checked at a qualified
specialist workshop. Only the red segments
in the PARKTRONIC
warning displays are lit.
PARKTRONIC is then
deactivated. The PARKTRONIC sensors are dirty or there is interference.
X Clean the PARKTRONIC sensors (Y page 401).
X Switch the ignition back on. The problem may be caused by an external source of radio or
ultrasound waves.
X See if PARKTRONIC functions in a different location. Active Parking Assist
General notes Active Parking Assist is an electronic parking
aid with ultrasound. It measures the road on
both sides of the vehicle. A parking symbol
indicates a suitable parking space. Active
steering intervention and brake application
can assist you during parking and when exit-
ing a parking space. You may also use
PARKTRONIC (Y page 236).
Important safety notes Active Parking Assist is only an aid. It is not a
substitute for your attention to the immediate
surroundings. The responsibility for safe
manoeuvring and parking remains with you.
Make sure that no persons, animals or
objects are in the manoeuvring range.
When PARKTRONIC is switched off, Active
Parking Assist is also unavailable. For vehicles with the trailer tow hitch folded
out, the minimum length for parking spaces is
slightly longer.
If you have attached a trailer to your vehicle,
you should not use Active Parking Assist.
Once the electrical connection is established
between your vehicle and the trailer, Active
Parking Assist is no longer available.
PARKTRONIC is deactivated for the rear area. G
WARNING
While parking or pulling out of a parking
space, the vehicle swings out and can drive
onto areas of the oncoming lane. This could
cause you to collide with other road users.
There is a risk of an accident.
Pay attention to other road users. Stop the
vehicle if necessary or cancel the Active Park- ing Assist parking procedure.
! If unavoidable, you should drive over
obstacles such as kerbs slowly and not at a Driving systems
239Driving and parking Z

sharp angle. Otherwise, you may damage
the wheels or tyres.
Active Parking Assist may also display spaces not suitable for parking, e.g.:
R parking or stopping prohibitions
R in front of driveways or entrances and exits
R unsuitable surfaces
Parking tips:
R on narrow roads, drive as closely as possi-
ble past the parking space.
R parking spaces that are littered or over-
grown might be identified or measured
incorrectly.
R parking spaces that are partially occupied
by trailer drawbars might not be identified
as such or be measured incorrectly.
R snowfall or heavy rain may lead to a parking
space being measured inaccurately.
R pay attention to the PARKTRONIC
(Y page 237) warning messages during the
parking procedure.
R you can intervene in the steering procedure
to correct it at any time. Active Parking
Assist will then be cancelled.
R when transporting a load which protrudes
from your vehicle, you should not use
Active Parking Assist.
R never use Active Parking Assist when snow
chains are fitted.
R make sure that the tyre pressures are
always correct. This has a direct influence
on the parking characteristics of the vehi-
cle.
Use Active Parking Assist for parking spaces
that are:
R parallel or at right angles to the direction of
travel
R on straight roads, not bends
R on the same level as the road, e.g. not on
the pavement Detecting parking spaces Objects located above the height range of
Active Parking Assist will not be detected
when the parking space is measured. These
are not taken into account when the parking
procedure is calculated, e.g. overhanging
loads, tail sections or loading ramps of goods
vehicles. G
WARNING
If there are objects above the detection range:
R Active Park Assist may steer too early
R the vehicle may not stop in front of these
objects.
This could cause a collision. There is a risk of
an accident.
If objects are located above the detection
range, stop and switch off Active Parking
Assist.
Further information on the detection range
(Y page 236).
Active Parking Assist does not assist you
parking in spaces at right angles to the direc-
tion of travel if:
R two parking spaces are located directly
next to one another
R the parking space is directly next to a low
obstacle such as a low kerb
R you forward park
Active Parking Assist does not assist you
parking in spaces that are parallel or at right
angles to the direction of travel if:
R the parking space is on a kerb
R the system reads the parking space as
being blocked, for example by foliage or
grass paving blocks
R the area is too small for the vehicle to
manoeuvre into
R the parking space is bordered by an obsta-
cle, e.g. a tree, a post or a trailer 240
Driving systemsDriving and parking

R
if there is a sudden change in temperature,
e.g. when driving into a heated garage in
winter
R if the camera lens is dirty or obstructed.
Observe the notes on cleaning
(Y page 401)
R if the rear of your vehicle is damaged. In this
case, have the camera position and setting checked at a qualified specialist workshop.
The field of vision and other functions of the
reversing camera may be restricted due to
additional accessories on the rear of the vehi-
cle (e.g. licence plate holder, bicycle rack).
i The reversing camera is protected from
raindrops and dust by means of a flap.
When the reversing camera is activated,
this flap opens.
The flap closes again when:
R you have finished the manoeuvring proc-
ess
R you switch off the engine
R you open the boot
Observe the notes on cleaning
(Y page 401).
For technical reasons, the flap may remain
open briefly after the reversing camera has been deactivated.
Activating/deactivating the reversing
camera X
To activate: make sure that the key is in
position 2in the ignition lock.
X Make sure that the Activation by R Activation by R
gear
gear function is selected in Audio 20/
COMAND Online; see the Digital Owner's
Manual.
X Engage reverse gear.
The reversing camera flap opens. The area
behind the vehicle is shown with guide lines
in the Audio 20/COMAND Online display.
The image from the reversing camera is
available throughout the manoeuvring
process.
X To change the function mode for vehi-
cles with trailer tow hitch: using the
Audio 20/COMAND controller, select sym-
bol :for the "Reverse parking" function or
symbol ;for "Coupling up a trailer".
The symbol of the selected function is high-
lighted.
Further information on the Audio 20/
COMAND controller, see the Digital Owner's
Manual.
To deactivate: the reversing camera deacti-
vates if you shift the transmission to Por after
driving forwards a short distance.
Messages in the Audio 20/COMAND
Online display The reversing camera may show a distorted
view of obstacles or show them incorrectly or
not at all. Obstacles are not shown by the
reversing camera in the following locations:
R very close to the rear bumper
R under the rear bumper
R in the area immediately above the tailgate
handle
! Objects not at ground level may appear to
be further away than they actually are, e.g.:
R the bumper of a parked vehicle
R the drawbar of a trailer
R the ball coupling of a trailer tow hitch Driving systems
245Driving and parking Z