2014 MERCEDES-BENZ C-CLASS SALOON wheel

Objects in the vehicle interior may pre-
vent the airbag from functioning cor-
rectly. Before starting your journey and to
avoid risks resulting from the speed of the
airbag as it deploys, make sure that:
R there are no people, animals or objects
between the vehicle occupants and an air-
bag.
R there are no objects between the seat, door
and B-pillar.
R no hard objects, e.g. coat hangers, hang on
the grab handles or coat hooks.
R no accessories, such as cup holders, are
attached to the vehicle within the deploy-
ment area of an airbag, e.g. to doors, side
windows, rear side trim or side walls.
R no heavy, sharp-edged or fragile objects
are in the pockets of your clothing. Store
such objects in a suitable place. G
WARNING
If you modify an airbag cover or affix objects
such as stickers to it, the airbag can no longer function correctly. There is an increased risk
of injury.
Never modify an airbag cover or affix objects
to it. G
WARNING
Sensors to control the airbags are located in
the doors. Modifications or work not per-
formed correctly to the doors or door panel-
ling, as well as damaged doors, can lead to the function of the sensors being impaired. The
airbags might therefore not function properly any more. Consequently, the airbags cannot
protect vehicle occupants as they are
designed to do. This poses an increased risk
of injury.
Never modify the doors or parts of the doors.
Always have work on the doors or door pan-
elling carried out at a qualified specialist
workshop. Front airbags !
Do not place heavy objects on the front-
passenger seat. This could cause the sys-
tem to identify the seat as being occupied. In the event of an accident, the restraint
systems on the front-passenger side may
be triggered and have to be replaced. Driver's airbag
:deploys in front of the
steering wheel; front-passenger front air-
bag ;deploys in front of and above the glove
compartment.
When deployed on the front seats, the front
airbags offer additional protection for the
head and thorax.
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF and
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON indicator lamps
inform you about the status of the front-
passenger front airbag (Y page 46).
Front-passenger front airbag ;will only
deploy if:
R the automatic front-passenger front airbag
deactivation system has detected that the
front-passenger seat is occupied
(Y page 54). The PASSENGER AIR BAG
ON indicator lamp lights up (Y page 54)
R the restraint system predicts a high
severity of an accident 52
Occupant safetySafety

Function
PRE-SAFE
®
PLUS intervenes in certain situa-
tions if the radar sensor system detects an
imminent head-on or rear-end collision.
PRE-SAFE ®
PLUS takes the following meas-
ures depending on the hazardous situation
detected:
R If the radar sensor system detects that a
head-on collision is imminent, the seat
belts are pre-tensioned.
R If the radar sensor system detects that a
rear-end collision is imminent:
- the rear hazard warning lamps are acti-
vated and flash at a higher frequency.
- the brake pressure is increased if the
driver applies the brakes when the vehi-
cle is stationary.
- the seat belts are pre-tensioned.
The PRE-SAFE ®
PLUS braking application is
cancelled:
R if the accelerator pedal is depressed when
a gear is engaged
R if the risk of a collision passes or is no lon-
ger detected
R if DISTRONIC PLUS indicates an intention
to pull away
If the hazardous situation passes without
resulting in an accident, the original settings
are restored. Automatic measures after an acci-
dent
Immediately after an accident, the following
measures are implemented, depending on
the type and severity of the impact:
R the hazard warning lamps are activated
R the emergency lighting is activated
R the vehicle doors are unlocked
R the front side windows are lowered
R vehicles with a memory function: the elec-
trically adjustable steering wheel is raised
R the engine is switched off R
vehicles with the Mercedes-Benz emer-
gency call system: automatic emergency
call
R vehicles with the hybrid drive system: the
hybrid system is deactivated Children in the vehicle
Important safety notes
Accident statistics show that children
secured in the rear seats are safer than chil-
dren secured in the front-passenger seat. For this reason, Mercedes-Benz strongly advises
that you install a child restraint system on a
rear seat. Children are generally better pro-
tected there.
If a child younger than 12 years old and under 1.50 m in height is travelling in the vehicle:
R always secure the child in a child restraint
system suitable for Mercedes-Benz vehi-
cles. The child restraint system must be
appropriate to the age, weight and size of
the child
R be sure to observe the instructions and
safety notes in this section in addition to
the child restraint system manufacturer's
installation instructions
R always pay attention to the instructions
and safety notes on the automatic front-
passenger front airbag deactivation system
(Y page 54) G
WARNING
If you leave children unattended in the vehi-
cle, they may be able to set the vehicle in
motion if, for example, they:
R release the parking brake
R shift the automatic transmission out of park
position Por shift manual transmission into
neutral
R start the engine
In addition, they may operate vehicle equip-
ment and become trapped. There is a risk of
an accident and injury. Children in the vehicle
63Safety
Z

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

Important safety notes
i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 74). G
WARNING
If ABS is faulty, the wheels could lock when
braking. The steerability and braking charac-
teristics may be severely impaired. Addition-
ally, further driving safety systems are deac-
tivated. There is an increased danger of skid- ding and accidents.
Drive on carefully. Have ABS checked imme-
diately at a qualified specialist workshop.
If ABS is malfunctioning, other systems,
including driving safety systems, will also
become inoperative. Observe the information on the ABS warning lamp (Y page 355) and
display messages which may be shown in the
instrument cluster (Y page 315).
ABS works from a speed of about
8 km/hupwards, regardless of road-surface
conditions. ABS works on slippery surfaces,
even when you only brake gently.
Braking X
If ABS intervenes: continue to depress the
brake pedal with force until the braking sit-
uation is over.
X To make a full brake application:
depress the brake pedal with full force.
If ABS intervenes when braking, you will feel a pulsing in the brake pedal.
The pulsating brake pedal can be an indica-
tion of hazardous road conditions, and func-
tions as a reminder to take extra care while
driving. BAS (Brake Assist)
General notes BAS operates in emergency braking situa-
tions. If you depress the brake pedal quickly,
BAS automatically boosts the braking force,
thus shortening the stopping distance. Important safety notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 74). G
WARNING
If BAS is malfunctioning, the braking distance
in an emergency braking situation is
increased. There is a risk of accident.
In an emergency braking situation, depress
the brake pedal with full force. ABS prevents
the wheels from locking.
Braking X
Keep the brake pedal depressed firmly until
the emergency braking situation is over.
ABS prevents the wheels from locking.
The brakes will function as usual once you
release the brake pedal. BAS is deactivated. BAS PLUS (Brake Assist PLUS) with
Cross-Traffic Assist
General notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 74).
BAS PLUS is only available on vehicles with
the Driving Assistance package.
For BAS PLUS to assist you when driving, the radar sensor system and the camera system
must be operational.
With the help of a sensor system and a cam-
era system, BAS PLUS can detect obstacles:
R that are in the path of your vehicle for an
extended period of time
R that cross the path of your vehicle
In addition, pedestrians in the path of your
vehicle can be detected.
BAS PLUS detects pedestrians using typical
characteristics such as the body contours
and posture of a person standing upright.
If the radar sensor system or the camera sys- tem is malfunctioning, BAS PLUS functions
are restricted or no longer available. The Driving safety systems
75Safety Z

When driving at a speed above 30 km/h
: if
you depress the brake pedal sharply, BAS
PLUS automatically increases the brake pres- sure to a degree suited to the traffic situation.
BAS PLUS provides braking assistance in haz- ardous situations with vehicles in front within
a speed range between 7 km/h and
250 km/h.
At speeds of up to approximately 70 km/h,
BAS PLUS can react to:
R stationary objects in the path of your vehi-
cle, e.g. stopped or parked vehicles
R pedestrians in the path of your vehicle
R obstacles crossing your path, which move
in the detection range of the sensors and
are recognised by them
i If BAS PLUS demands particularly high
braking force, preventative passenger pro-
tection measures (PRE-SAFE ®
) are activa-
ted simultaneously.
X Keep the brake pedal depressed until the
emergency braking situation is over.
ABS prevents the wheels from locking.
BAS PLUS is deactivated and the brakes func-
tion as usual again if:
R you release the brake pedal
R there is no longer a risk of collision
R no obstacle is detected in front of your
vehicle
R you depress the accelerator pedal
R you activate kickdown COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST
PLUS
General notes COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS con-
sists of a distance warning function with an
autonomous emergency braking function and
adaptive Brake Assist.
COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS can
help you to minimise the risk of a collision with the vehicle in front or reduce the effects
of such a collision.
If COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS
detects that there is a risk of a collision, you
will be warned visually and acoustically. If you
do not react to the visual and audible collision warning, autonomous braking can be initiated
in critical situations. If you apply the brake
yourself in a critical situation, the COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS adaptive Brake
Assist assists you.
Important safety notes In particular, the detection of obstacles can
be impaired in the case of:
R dirt on the sensors or obscured sensors
R snow or heavy rain
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
R new vehicles or after a service on the COL-
LISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS system
Please observe the information in the sec-
tion on running-in the vehicle
(Y page 180).
Following damage to the front end of the vehi-
cle, have the configuration and operation of
the radar sensor checked at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop. This also applies to colli-
sions at slow speeds where there is no visible
damage to the front of the vehicle.
Distance warning function Important safety notes
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion for driving safety systems (Y page 74). Driving safety systems
77Safety Z

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