2014 MERCEDES-BENZ C-CLASS SALOON ECO mode

If the brakes have been used only moderately,
you should occasionally test their effective-
ness. To do this, brake more firmly from a
higher speed while paying attention to the
traffic conditions. This improves the grip of
the brakes.
Wet road surfaces If you have driven for a long time in heavy rain
without braking, there may be a delayed reac-
tion from the brakes when braking for the first time. This may also occur after a car wash orafter driving through deep water.
You will have to depress the brake pedal more
firmly. Maintain a greater distance to the vehi-
cle in front.
After driving on a wet road or having the vehi- cle washed, brake firmly while paying atten-
tion to the traffic conditions. This will warm up
the brake discs, thereby drying them more
quickly and protecting them against corro-
sion.
Limited braking performance on salt-
treated roads If you drive on salt-treated roads, a layer of
salt may form on the brake discs and pads.
This can increase the braking distance con-
siderably.
R In order to prevent a layer of salt forming,
apply the brakes occasionally while paying
attention to the traffic conditions.
R Carefully depress the brake pedal at the
end of the journey and when starting the
next journey.
R Maintain a much greater distance to the
vehicle in front.
New brake discs and brake pads/
linings Brake pads/linings and discs that are either
new or have been replaced only achieve opti-
mum braking effect after several hundred kil-
ometres of driving. Compensate for the reduced braking effect by applying greater
force to the brake pedal.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends only fitting the following brake discs
and brake pads/linings:
R brake discs that have been approved by
Mercedes-Benz
R brake pads/linings that have been
approved by Mercedes-Benz or that are of
an equivalent standard of quality
Other brake discs or brake pads/linings can
compromise the safety of your vehicle.
Always replace all brake discs and brake
pads/linings on an axle at the same time.
Always fit new brake pads/linings when
replacing brake discs.
The vehicle is equipped with lightweight
brake discs to which the wheel assembly with
rim and threaded connection is matched.
The use of brake discs other than those
approved by Mercedes-Benz may alter track
width and is subject to approval, if applicable.
Shock-type loads when handling the brake
discs, such as when changing wheels, can
lead to a reduction in comfort when driving
with lightweight brake discs. Avoid shock-
type loads on the lightweight brake discs,
particularly on the brake plate. Driving on wet roads
Aquaplaning If water has accumulated to a certain depth
on the road surface, there is a danger of aqua- planing occurring, even if:
R you are driving at low speeds
R the tyres have adequate tread depth
For this reason, drive in the following manner in the event of heavy rain or in conditions in
which aquaplaning can occur:
R lower your speed
R avoid tyre ruts 214
Driving tipsDriving and parking

Also observe the important safety notes for
DISTRONIC PLUS (Y page 222).
The steering interventions are carried out
with a limited steering moment. The system
requires the driver to keep his hands on the
steering wheel and to steer himself.
If you do not steer yourself or if you take your hands off the steering wheel for a prolonged
period of time, the system will first alert you
with a visual warning. A steering wheel sym-
bol appears in the multifunction display. If youhave still not started to steer and have not
taken hold of the steering wheel after five
seconds at the latest, a warning tone also
sounds to remind you to take control of the
vehicle. Steering Assist and Stop&Go Pilot
switch to passive mode. DISTRONIC PLUS
remains active.
Activating Steering Assist and Stop&Go
Pilot X
Press button ;.
Indicator lamp :lights up. The DTR+: DTR+:
steering assist. on
steering assist. onmessage appears
in the multifunction display. Steering Assist and Stop&Go Pilot are activated. Information in the multifunction display If Steering Assist and Stop&Go Pilot are acti-
vated but is not ready for a steering interven- tion, steering wheel symbol :appears in
grey. If the system provides you with support
by means of steering interventions, sym-
bol :is shown in green.
Deactivating Steering Assist and Stop&Go Pilot
X Press button ;.
Indicator lamp :goes out. The DTR+: DTR+:
steering assist. off
steering assist. off message appears
in the multifunction display. Steering Assist
and Stop&Go Pilot are deactivated.
When DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated, Steer- ing Assist and Stop&Go Pilot are deactivatedautomatically. HOLD function
General notes The HOLD function can assist the driver in the
following situations:
R when pulling away, especially on steep
slopes
R when manoeuvring on steep slopes
R when waiting in traffic
The vehicle is kept stationary without the
driver having to depress the brake pedal.
The braking effect is cancelled and the HOLD function is deactivated when you depress theaccelerator pedal to pull away. 232
Driving systemsDriving an
d parking

with snow chains or on particularly poor road
surfaces. Your selection remains stored even
if you remove the key from the ignition lock.
X Start the engine.
If indicator lamp ;is not lit:
X Press button :.
Indicator lamp ;lights up. The vehicle is
raised by 25 mm compared to the normal
level.
The Vehicle rising Vehicle rising message appears in
the multifunction display.
i The message disappears after ten sec-
onds, irrespective of the level reached. If
necessary, the vehicle is raised further.
The "Raised level" setting is cancelled if you:
R drive faster than 120 km/h
R drive for approximately three minutes at a
speed over 80 km/h.
The "Raised level" remains saved when you
are not driving within these speed ranges.
Setting the normal vehicle level
X Start the engine.
If indicator lamp ;is lit:
X Press button :.
Indicator lamp ;goes out. The vehicle is
adjusted to the height of the currently
selected drive program (Y page 197).
Suspension setting General notes
The Adaptive Damping System automatically
controls the calibration of the dampers.
The damping is tuned individually to each
wheel and depends on:
R your driving style, e.g. sporty
R the road surface condition, e.g. bumps
R your individual selection, i.e. sport or com-
fort
Your selection remains stored even if you
remove the key from the ignition lock. Sport mode
In the "Sport" and "Sport Plus" drive pro-
grams, the firmer suspension setting ensures even better contact with the road. Select this
mode when employing a sporty driving style,
e.g. on winding country roads.
X Vehicles with automatic transmission:
select the Sor S+ drive program with the
AGILITY SELECT switch (Y page 197).
Vehicles with manual transmission:
select the Sor S+ drive program with the
AGILITY SELECT switch (Y page 191).
The vehicle is lowered by 15 mm compared to the normal level.
Comfort mode
In the "Eco" and "Comfort" drive programs,
the driving characteristics of your vehicle are
more comfortable. Therefore, select this
mode if you prefer a more comfortable driving
style. Select Comfort mode also when driving
fast on straight roads, e.g. on straight
stretches of motorway.
X Vehicles with automatic transmission:
select the Eor Cdrive program with the
AGILITY SELECT switch (Y page 197).
Vehicles with manual transmission:
select the Eor Cdrive program with the
AGILITY SELECT switch (Y page 191).
The vehicle is raised to the normal level.
When driving at speeds above 125 km/h, the
vehicle is automatically lowered by 15 mm in the Eand Cdrive programs. When driving at
speeds below 80 km/h, the vehicle is raised
again. 4MATIC (permanent all-wheel drive)
4MATIC ensures that all four wheels are per-
manently driven. Together with ESP ®
, it
improves the traction of your vehicle when-
ever a drive wheel spins due to insufficient
grip.
If you fail to adapt your driving style, 4MATIC
can neither reduce the risk of an accident nor Driving systems
235Driving and parking Z

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 recognises certain con-
ditions 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 recognises 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 requirements are low. When power output
requirements are low, the electric motor pow-
ers the vehicle. When power output require-
ments are high, the combustion engine is
switched on, even during a journey. When the vehicle is stationary, the combustion engine
is usually switched off. Consequently, there is
usually no engine idling as with combustion
engine vehicles.
For pulling away and accelerating, the electric motor supports the internal combustion
engine using the power stored in the high-
voltage battery. In addition, the power is used
for partially electric driving, operation of the
electric coolant compressor and to support
the 12 V on-board electrical system. In this
way the hybrid drive helps to reduce your
vehicle's fuel consumption.
Observe the driving tips on hybrid operation
(Y page 278).
RBS (Recuperative Brake System) If you release the accelerator pedal when the
vehicle is in motion, overrun recuperation is
initiated. The electric motor is operated as a
generator when in overrun mode and when
you brake. Hybrid technology converts the
kinetic energy of the vehicle into electricity
and stores it in the high-voltage battery. Important safety notes
All of the vehicle's systems remain active, if: R the vehicle is stationary,
R the combustion engine is switched off and
R the READY-indicator in the instrument clus-
ter is lit.
If you remove your foot from the brake pedal
while in transmission position D or R, the
vehicle could pull away automatically.
Observe the notes on the READY display of
the ECO start/stop function (Y page 279).
Vehicles with an electric motor generate sig-
nificantly less noise than vehicles with inter-
nal combustion engines. As a result, in certain Hybrid operation
269Driving and parking Z

X
Observe the notes on starting the engine
(Y page 183).
X Turn the key to position 3in the ignition
lock (Y page 183) or press the Start/Stop
button once (Y page 184).
The vehicle is operational when READY indi-
cator :lights up.
Noiseless start The vehicle starts in electric mode without the
internal combustion engine. The internal
combustion engine starts only after the
power demanded by the driver exceeds the
available power that the electric motor can
currently provide.
Noiseless start operation is dependent on the
outside temperature and the operating tem-
perature of the internal combustion engine.
The vehicle is operational when READY indi-
cator :lights up. Pulling away
X Depress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
X Shift the transmission to position Dor R.
X Release the brake pedal.
Further information on pulling away
(Y page 184). Driving
AGILITY SELECT switch Driving programs
Use the AGILITY SELECT switch to change the
drive program. Depending on the drive pro-
gram selected, the following vehicle charac-
teristics will change:
R the drive (engine and transmission man-
agement)
R the suspension
R the steering R
the availability of the ECO start/stop func-
tion (Y page 279)
R the climate control settings
- THERMATIC (Y page 153)
- THERMOTRONIC (Y page 156)
R the rear window heating operation period
(Y page 164)
R the performance of the seat heating
(Y page 123)
If the ignition is switched off for less than four
hours, the previously selected drive program
is activated when the engine is next started. If the ignition is switched off for more than four
hours, drive program Cis activated when the
engine is next started. X
Push AGILITY SELECT switch :up or down
until the desired drive program is selected. The selected drive program appears in the
multifunction display. After five seconds
the display goes out and the status icon of
the selected drive program appears.
In addition, the current drive program set-
tings are displayed in the Audio 20/
COMAND Online display.
Available drive programs: I
Individual Individual settings
S+
Sport Plus R
Extremely sporty driving
style with boost mode
R Electric-only drive is not
possible
R The ECO start/stop
function is not available Hybrid operation
277Driving and parking Z

S
Sport R
Sporty driving style with
boost mode
R Electric-only drive is not
possible
R The ECO start/stop
function is not available C
Comfort R
Comfortable, economi-
cal driving style
R Electric-only drive is
possible
R The ECO start/stop
function is available E
Eco R
Particularly economical
driving style
R Electric operation mode
is used as often as pos-
sible
R The ECO start/stop
function is available Additional information for drive programs
(Y page 197).
Using the steering wheel gearshift paddles,
you can temporarily change gear yourself.
Further information on the manual drive pro-
gram (Y page 278).
Manual gearshifting
Using the steering wheel gearshift paddles,
you can temporarily change gear yourself.
The transmission must be in position D. Elec-
tric-only operation is not possible when man-
ually changing gear.
Activating when driving with the electric
motor:
X Pull the left-hand steering wheel gearshift
paddle (Y page 198).
The combustion engine is switched on.
Manual gearshifting is activated tempora-
rily. The selected gear and Mappear in the
multifunction display.
Pulling on the right-hand steering wheel
gearshift paddle when manual gear chang- ing is not active switches to overrun mode
(Y page 280).
Activating when driving with the combustion
engine:
X Pull the left-hand steering wheel gearshift
paddle (Y page 198).
Manual gearshifting is activated tempora-
rily. The selected gear and Mappear in the
multifunction display.
The ECO start/stop function is not available
when manually changing gear.
Further information on the manual drive pro-
gram (Y page 198).
Driving tips General driving tips
Drive carefully and maintain a suitable dis-
tance from the vehicle in front. Avoid frequent
and sudden acceleration as well as abrupt
braking.
During partially electric driving, pulling away
and acceleration, the electric motor supports the internal combustion engine.
During overrun in transmission position Dand
braking, the electric motor operates as an
alternator.
To reduce fuel consumption, use:
R recuperative braking (Y page 269)
R overrun mode (Y page 280) or extended
overrun mode (Y page 280)
For further information on the ECO start/stop
function; see (Y page 279).
Additional driving tips (Y page 211).
Stationary vehicle
If the vehicle is stopped, the combustion
engine is, for the most part, switched off.
Automatic climate control continues to func-
tion. The electro-mechanically assisted steer-
ing gear allows use of the power steering
without loss of comfort. 278
Hybrid operationDriving and parking

Acceleration
Depending on the operating mode, pulling
away and driving under low load conditions
are performed:
R entirely by electric propulsion
R in combination with the internal combus-
tion engine
When accelerating at an increased or full
load, boost mode is utilised. The electric
motor supports the internal combustion
engine by providing additional torque when
the accelerator is depressed rapidly.
Overrun mode or braking
There are three possible operating modes
when the hybrid vehicle is decelerating: R When coasting and decelerating, energy
recuperation is already taking place
(Y page 269). The electric motor functions
as an alternator and stores the recuperated
energy in the high-voltage battery.
R When braking gently, the electric motor
increases the deceleration of the vehicle.
Energy recuperation is increased
(Y page 269). The electric motor functions
as an alternator and stores the recuperated energy in the high-voltage battery.
R During heavy braking, the service brake is
also used to slow down the vehicle. Both
systems work together.
Driving in the city
Energy is recuperated during frequent decel-
eration and stopping in city traffic.
The vehicle can be driven by the electric
motor alone up to a speed of approximately
35 km/h, e.g.:
R while approaching a traffic light
R in stop-and-start traffic
The vehicle is driven by the electric motor
alone only when all conditions for the auto-
matic engine switch-off are fulfilled.
Further information on the automatic engine
switch-off (Y page 280). Driving on inter-urban roads
Three phases are possible when driving on
inter-urban roads:
R rapid acceleration (boost mode)
R constant energy consumption
R energy recuperation
Depending on the characteristics of the
route, there may be a lot of recuperated
energy available. This reduces consumption
and emissions.
Driving on the motorway
When driving on a motorway, the following
have a particularly positive effect on fuel con- sumption and emissions:
R the decrease in wasted power when using
recuperative braking
R the decrease in wasted power in overrun
mode when the combustion engine is
switched off
Manoeuvring and turning
The hybrid drive makes it possible to manoeu- vre and turn solely using the electric motor.
ECO start/stop function General notes
The ECO start/stop function switches the
internal combustion engine off automatically
when the vehicle stops moving and at high
speeds (Y page 280).
All vehicle systems remain active, e.g. the
automatic climate control.
The ECO start/stop function is only available in drive programs C,Eand I. Electric-only
operation is only possible in drive programs C
and E. Hybrid operation
279Driving and parking Z

!
Depressing the brake pedal constantly
results in excessive and premature wear to
the brake pads.
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.
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 Trailer towing is not permissible on the fol-
lowing models:
R C 180 BlueEFFICIENCY Edition
R C 220 BlueTEC BlueEFFICIENCY Edition
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 432). 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 477).
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 186).
Driving tips Observe the notes on ESP
®
trailer stabilisa-
tion (Y page 82).
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 478). 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 284
Towing a trailerDriving and parking