2014 MERCEDES-BENZ C-CLASS SALOON warning lights

er's door. If indicator lamp
:is off, oper-
ation is possible using the switches in the
rear compartment. Pets in the vehicle
G
WARNING
If you leave animals unsupervised or unse-
cured in the vehicle, they may push a button
or a switch, for example.
They could:
R activate vehicle equipment and become
trapped, for example
R switch vehicle systems on or off, thus
endangering other road users
In the event of an accident, sudden braking or
abrupt changes of direction, unsecured ani-
mals could be flung around the vehicle, injur-
ing the vehicle occupants. There is a risk of an accident and injury.
Never leave animals unattended in the vehi-
cle. Always secure animals correctly during a
journey, e.g. in an animal transport box. Driving safety systems
Driving safety systems overview
In this section, you will find information about the following driving safety systems:
R ABS ( Anti-lock BrakingSystem)
(Y page 74)
R BAS ( Brake Assist System) (Y page 75)
R BAS PLUS with Cross-Traffic Assist ( Brake
Assist System PLUS with Cross-Traffic
Assist) (Y page 75)
R COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS
(distance warning function and adaptive
Brake Assist) (Y page 77)
R Adaptive brake lamps (Y page 80)
R ESP ®
(Electronic StabilityProgram)
(Y page 80) R
EBD ( electronic brake force distribution)
(Y page 82)
R ADAPTIVE BRAKE (Y page 82)
R PRE-SAFE ®
Brake (Y page 82)
R STEER CONTROL (Y page 85) Important safety notes
If you fail to adapt your driving style or if you
are inattentive, the driving safety systems can neither reduce the risk of an accident nor
override the laws of physics. Driving safety
systems are merely aids designed to assist
driving. You are responsible for the distance
to the vehicle in front, for vehicle speed and
for braking in good time. Always adapt your
driving style to suit the prevailing road,
weather and traffic conditions and maintain a
safe distance from the vehicle in front. Drive
carefully.
The driving safety systems described only
work as effectively as possible when there is
adequate contact between the tyres and the
road surface. Please pay special attention to
the notes on tyres, recommended minimum
tyre tread depths etc. (Y page 428).
In wintry driving conditions, always use winter
tyres (M+S tyres) and, if necessary, snow
chains. Only in this way will the driving safety systems described in this section work as
effectively as possible. ABS (Anti-lock Braking System)
General notes ABS regulates brake pressure in such a way
that the wheels do not lock when you brake.
This allows you to continue steering the vehi-
cle when braking.
The ! ABS warning lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up when the ignition is switched on. It goes out when the engine is running. 74
Driving safety systemsSafety

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

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

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

3
T
Side lamps, licence plate and instru-
ment cluster lighting
4 Ã
Automatic headlamp mode, control-
led by the light sensor
5 L
Dipped-beam/main-beam head-
lamps
B R
Rear foglamp
If you hear a warning tone when you leave the
vehicle, the lights may still be switched on.
X Turn the light switch to Ã.
The exterior lighting (except the side lamps/
parking lamps) switches off automatically if
you:
R remove the key from the ignition lock
R open the driver's door with the key in posi-
tion 0
Automatic headlamp mode G
WARNING
When the light switch is set to Ã, the
dipped-beam headlamps may not be switched on automatically if there is fog, snow or othercauses of poor visibility due to the weather
conditions such as spray. There is a risk of an
accident.
In such situations, turn the light switch to
L.
The automatic headlamp feature is only an
aid. The driver is responsible for the vehicle
lighting at all times.
The daytime driving lights improve the detect- ability of your vehicle during the day.
When the side lamps and dipped-beam head-lamps are switched on, the green T(side
lamps) and L(dipped-beam headlamps)
indicator lamps in the instrument cluster light
up. Ã
is the preferred light switch setting. The
light setting is automatically selected accord- ing to the brightness of the ambient light
(exception: poor visibility due to weather con-
ditions such as fog, snow or spray):
R key in position 1in the ignition lock: the
side lamps are switched on or off automat- ically depending on the brightness of the
ambient light
R with the engine running: depending on the
ambient light conditions, the daytime driv-
ing lights or the parking and dipped-beam
headlamps are switched on or off automat-
ically
X To switch on automatic headlamp
mode: turn the light switch to Ã.
Dipped-beam headlamps
When the ignition is switched on and the light switch is in position L, the side lamps and
dipped-beam headlamps are switched on
even if the light sensor does not sense dark
ambient light conditions. This is advanta-
geous when there is fog or rain.
X To switch on the dipped-beam head-
lamps: turn the key in the ignition lock to
position 2or start the engine.
X Turn the light switch to L.
The green Lindicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster lights up.
Rear foglamp
The rear foglamp improves the visibility of
your vehicle in heavy fog for the following
traffic. Please observe the country-specific
laws on the use of rear foglamps.
X To switch on the rear foglamp: turn the
key in the ignition lock to position 2or start
the engine.
X Turn the light switch to LorÃ. Exterior lighting
135Lights and windscreen wipers Z

Combination switch
Turn signals :
Main-beam headlamps
; Turn signal, right
= Headlamp flasher
? Turn signal, left
X To indicate briefly: press the combination
switch briefly to the pressure point in the
direction of arrow ;or?.
The corresponding turn signal flashes three
times.
X To indicate: press the combination switch
beyond the pressure point in the direction
of arrow ;or?.
Main-beam headlamps X
To switch on the main-beam head-
lamps: turn the key in the ignition lock to
position 2or start the engine.
X Turn the light switch to LorÃ.
X Press the combination switch beyond the
pressure point in the direction of arrow :.
In the Ãposition, the main-beam head-
lamps are only switched on when it is dark
and the engine is running.
The blue Kindicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster lights up when the main-beam headlamps are switched on.
X To switch off the main-beam head-
lamps: move the combination switch back
to its normal position.
The blue Kindicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster goes out. If Adaptive Highbeam Assist is active, it con-
trols activation and deactivation of the main-
beam headlamps (Y page 139).
Headlamp flasher X
To switch on: turn the key in the ignition
lock to position 1or 2, or start the engine.
X Pull the combination switch in the direction
of arrow =. Hazard warning lamps
X
To switch on the hazard warning lamps:
press button :.
All turn signals flash. If you now switch on a turn signal using the combination switch,
only the turn signal lamp on the corre-
sponding side of the vehicle will flash.
X To switch off the hazard warning lamps:
press button :.
The hazard warning lamps switch on auto-
matically if:
R an airbag is deployed or
R the vehicle decelerates rapidly from a
speed of above 70 km/h and comes to a
standstill
The hazard warning lamps switch off auto-
matically if the vehicle reaches a speed of
above 10 km/h again after a full brake appli- cation.
The hazard warning lamps continue to oper-
ate even if the ignition is switched off. Exterior lighting
137Lights and windscreen wipers Z

Not active:
if you are driving at speeds below
80 km/h following activation
Extended range foglamps The extended range foglamps reduce the
glare experienced by the driver and improve
the illumination of the edge of the carriage-
way.
Active: if you are driving at speeds below
70 km/h and you switch on the rear foglamp
Not active: if, following activation, you are
driving at speeds above 100 km/h or if you
switch off the rear foglamp Adaptive Highbeam Assist Plus
General notes With Adaptive Highbeam Assist Plus, you can
automatically switch between dipped-beam,
partial main-beam and main-beam head-
lamps.
Partial main-beam illumination is a form of
illumination whereby the main beam is direc-
ted past other road users. Other road users
are kept out of the main-beam. This prevents
glare. If there is a vehicle in front, for example, the main-beam headlamps illuminate the
areas to its right and left, and the vehicle in
front is illuminated by the dipped-beam head-
lamps.
The system automatically adapts the dipped-
beam headlamp range depending on the dis-
tance to the other vehicle. Once the system
no longer detects any other vehicles, it
switches on the main-beam headlamps again.
If the main-beam or partial main-beam head-
lamps are causing too much reflection from
traffic signs, the lights are automatically dim- med and glare for the driver caused by the
reflections is thus avoided.
The system's optical sensor is located behind
the windscreen near the overhead control
panel.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Adaptive Highbeam Assist Plus does not rec-
ognise road users:
R who have no lights, e.g. pedestrians
R who have poor lighting, e.g. cyclists
R whose lighting is blocked, e.g. by a barrier
In very rare cases, Adaptive Highbeam Assist
Plus may not recognise road users who do
have lights, or may recognise them too late. In this, or in similar situations, the automatic
main-beam headlamps will not be deactivated
or will be activated despite the presence of
other road users. There is a risk of an acci-
dent.
Always carefully observe the traffic conditions and switch off the main-beam headlamps in
good time. Exterior lighting
139Lights andwindscreen wipers Z