2014 MERCEDES-BENZ C-Class SEDAN Owner's Manual

Vehicles with rear-seat through-loading facility
X Install the LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child
restraint system. Comply with the
manufacturer's instructions when
installing the LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child
restraint system.
Top Tether G
WARNING
Always lock the rear seat backrests in their
upright position when the rear seats are
occupied by passengers. Lock the rear seat
backrests in their upright position before
installing the Top Tether straps or when the
cargo compartment is not in use. Make sure
that rear seat backrests are secured properly
by pushing and pulling on the seat backrests.
If the seat backrest is not locked properly, the
seat backrest could fold forward. The child
restraint system is no longer supported
properly or held in position and can no longer
fulfill its function. This could cause serious or
even fatal injuries.
Top Tether provides an additional connection
between a child restraint system, secured
with a LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child seat mount,
and the rear seat. This helps reduce the risk
of injury even further.
The Top Tether anchorages are located in the
rear compartment behind the head restraints. X
Move head restraint 0002upwards.
X Fold up cover 0003of Top Tether anchorage
0022.
X Route Top Tether belt 001Funder head
restraint 0002between the two head restraint
bars.
X Hook Top Tether hook 0021into Top Tether
anchorage 0022.
X Make sure that Top Tether belt 001Fis not
twisted.
X Fold down cover 0003of Top Tether
anchorage 0022.
X Move head restraint 0002back down again
slightly if necessary (Y page 102). Make
sure that you do not interfere with the
correct routing of Top Tether belt 001F.
X Install the LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child
restraint system with Top Tether. Comply
with the manufacturer's installation
instructions when doing so. Make sure that
Top Tether belt 001Fis tight. Children in the vehicle
63Safety Z

Child-proof locks
Important safety notes G
WARNING
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the ignition lock. Always take
the SmartKey with you and loc kthe vehicle.
Do not leave children unattended in the
vehicle, even if they are secured in a child
restraint system, or with access to an
unlocked vehicle. Achild's unsupervised
access to a vehicle could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury. The children
could:
R injure themselves on parts of the vehicle
R be seriously or fatally injured through
excessive exposure to extreme heat or cold
R injure themselves or cause an accident with
vehicle equipment that can be operated
even if the SmartKey is removed from the
ignition lock or removed from the vehicle,
such as seat adjustment, steering wheel
adjustment, or the memory function
If children open a door, they could injure other
persons or get out of the vehicle and injure
themselves or be injured by following traffic.
Do not expose the child restraint system to
direct sunlight. The child restraint system's
metal parts, for example, could become very
hot, and the child could be burned on these
parts.
Child-proof locks for the rear doors G
WARNING
Children could open a rear door from inside
the vehicle. This could result in serious
injuries or an accident. Therefore, when
children ride in the rear always secure the rear
doors with the child-proof locks.
You secure each door individually with the
child-proof locks on the rear doors. Adoor
secured with a child-proof lock cannot be
opened from inside the vehicle. When the vehicle is unlocked, the door can be opened
from the outside.
X
To activate: press the child-proof lock
lever up in the direction of arrow 0002.
X Make sure that the child-proof locks are
working properly.
X To deactivate: press the child-proof lock
lever down in the direction of arrow 0003.
Override feature for the rear side
windows G
WARNING
When children ride on the vehicle's rear seats,
activate the override switch. Otherwise, the
children could be injured, e.g. by trapping
themselves in the rear side window. X
To activate/deactivate: press button0003.
If indicator lamp 0002is lit, operation of the
rear side windows is disabled. Operation is
only possible using the switches in the
driver's door. If indicator lamp 0002is off, 64
Children in the vehicleSafety

operation is possible using the switches in
the rear compartment. Driving safety systems
Overview of driving safety systems
In this section, you will find information about
the following driving safety systems:
R ABS (Anti-lock BrakingSystem)
R BAS (Brake AssistSystem)
R BAS PLUS ( BrakeAssist System Plus)
R ESP ®
(Electronic StabilityProgram)
R EBD ( Electronic Brake force Distribution)
R ADAPTIVE BRAKE
R PRE-SAFE ®
Brake Important safety notes
If you fail to adapt your driving style or
become distracted, the driving safety
systems can neither reduce the risk of
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 asafe distance from
the vehicle in front. Drive carefully.
i The driving safety systems described only
work as effectively as possible when there
is adequate contact between the tires and
the road surface. Please pay special
attention to the note son tires,
recommended minimu mtire tread depths,
etc. (Y page 314).
In wintry driving conditions, always use
winter tires (M+S tires) 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 information AB
Sr egulates brake pressure in such a way
that the wheels do not lock when you brake.
This allows you to continue steering the
vehicle when braking.
The yellow 0018ABS warning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up when the ignition
is switched on. It goes out when the engine is
running.
Important safety notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes"
section (Y page 65). G
WARNING
If ABS is faulty, the wheels could lock when
braking. The steerability and braking
characteristics may be severely impaired.
Additionally, further driving safety systems
are deactivated. There is an increased danger
of skidding and accidents.
Drive on carefully. Have ABS checked
immediately at a qualified specialist
workshop.
When ABSi s malfunctioning, other systems,
including driving safety systems, will also
become inoperative. Observe the information
on the ABS warning lamp (Y page 250) and
display messages which may be shown in the
instrument cluster (Y page 223).
ABS works from a speed of about 5 mph
(8 km/h), regardless of road-surface
conditions. ABS works on slippery surfaces,
even if you only brake gently.
Braking X
If ABS intervenes: continue to depress the
brake pedal vigorously until the braking
situation is over.
X To make a full brake application:
depress the brake pedal with full force. Driving safety systems
65Safety Z

If ABS intervenes when braking, you will feel
a pulsing in the brake pedal.
The pulsating brake pedal can be an
indicatio nofhazardous road conditions, and
functions as a reminder to take extra care
while driving. BAS (Brake Assist System)
General information BAS operates in emergency braking
situations
.Ifyou 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"
section (Y page 65). G
WARNING
If BAS is malfunctioning, the braking distance
in an emergency braking situation is
increased. There is a risk of an 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 firmly depressed 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 System
PLUS)
General information i
Observe the "Important safety notes"
section (Y page 65).
BAS PLUS is only available in vehicles
equipped with DISTRONIC PLUS. For BAS PLUS to assist you, the radar sensor
system must be operational.
With the help of the radar sensor system, BAS
PLUS can detect obstacles that are in the
path of your vehicle for an extended period of
time.
If the radar sensor system is malfunctioning,
BAS PLUS will not be available. The brake
system is still available with complete brake
boosting effect and BAS.
BAS PLUS can help you to minimize the risk
of a collision with a vehicle or reduce the
effects of such a collision. If BAS PLUS
detects a danger of collision, you are assisted
when braking.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
BAS PLUS cannot always clearly identify
objects and complex traffic situations.
In such cases, BAS PLUS may:
R intervene unnecessarily
R not intervene
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic
situation and be ready to brake. Terminate the
intervention in a non-critical driving situation. G
WARNING
BAS PLUS does not react:
R to people or animals
R to oncoming vehicles
R to crossing traffic
R when cornering
As aresult, BAS PLUS may not intervene in all
critical situations. There is a risk of an
accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic
situation and be ready to brake.
In the event of snowfall or heavy rain, the
recognition can be impaired. 66
Driving safet
ysystemsSafety

Recognition by the radar sensor system is
also impaired in the event of:
R dir tont he sensors or anything else
covering the sensors
R interference by other radar sources
R there are strong radar reflections, for
example in parking garages
R a narrow vehicle traveling in front, e.g. a
motorbike
R a vehicle traveling in front on a different line
relative to the center of your vehicle
Following damage to the front end of the
vehicle, have the configuration and operation
of the radar sensors checked at a qualified
specialist workshop. This also applies to
collisions at low speeds where there is no
visible damage to the front of the vehicle.
Function To avoid a collision, BAS PLUS calculates the
brake force necessary if:
R you approach an obstacle, and
R BAS PLUS has detected arisk of collision
When driving at a speed under 20 mph
(30 km/h):ify ou depress the brake pedal,
BAS PLUS is activated. The increase in brake
pressure will be carried out at the last
possible moment.
When driving at a speed above 20 mph
(30 km/h) :ifyou depress the brake pedal
sharply, BAS PLUS automatically raises the
brake pressure to a value adapted to the
traffic situation.
BAS PLUS provides braking assistance in
hazardous situations with vehicles in front
within a speed range between 4mph
(7 km/h) and 155 mph (250 km/ h).
At speeds of up to approximately 40 mph
(70 km/h), BAS PLUS can also react to
stationary objects. Examples of stationary
objects are stopped or parked vehicles.
i If BAS PLUS demands particularly high
braking force, preventative passenger protection measures (PRE-SAFE
®
) are
activated simultaneously.
X Keep the brake pedal depressed until the
emergency braking situatio nis over.
ABS prevents the wheels from locking.
BAS PLUS is deactivated and the brakes
function 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 ESP
®
(Electronic Stability Program)
General notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes"
section (Y page 65).
ESP ®
monitors driving stability and traction,
i.e. power transmission between the tires 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 stabilize 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 stabilize the vehicle during braking.
ETS/4ETS (Electronic Traction System) i
Observe the "Important safety notes"
section (Y page 65).
ETS/4ETS traction control is part of ESP ®
.
Traction control brakes the drive wheels
individually 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
transferred to the wheel or wheels with
traction.
Traction control remains active, even if you
deactivate ESP ®
. Driving safety systems
67Safety Z

Important safety notes
i
Observe the "Importan tsafety notes"
sectio n(Ypage 65). G
WARNING
If ESP ®
is malfunctioning, ESP ®
is unable to
stabilize the vehicle. Additionally, further
driving safety systems are deactivated. This
increases the risk of skidding and an accident.
Drive on carefully. Have ESP ®
checked at a
qualified specialist workshop.
! When testing the electric parking brake
on a braking dynamometer, switch off the
ignition. Application of the brakes by
ESP ®
may otherwise destroy the brake
system.
Vehicles without 4MATIC: observe the notes
on ESP ®
(Y page 309) when towing the
vehicle with a raised rear axle.
! Vehicles with 4MATIC: function or
performance tests may only be carried out
on a 2-axle dynamometer. Before you
operate the vehicle on such a
dynamometer, please consult a qualified
workshop. You could otherwise damage
the drive train or the brake system.
ESP ®
is deactivated if the 0015warning lamp
in the instrument cluster lights up
continuously when the engin eis running.
If the 000D warning lamp and the 0015
warning lamp are lit continuously, ESP ®
is not
available due to a malfunction.
Observe the information on warning lamps
(Y page 252) and displaym essages which
may be shown in the instrument cluster
(Y page 223).
i Only use wheels with the recommended
tire sizes. Only then will ESP ®
function
properly. Characteristics of ESP General information
If the
000D ESP warning lamp goes out before
beginning the journey, ESP ®
is automatically
active.
If ESP ®
intervenes, the 000DESP®
warning
lamp flashes in the instrument cluster.
If ESP ®
intervenes:
X Do not deactivate ESP ®
under any
circumstances.
X Only depress the accelerator pedal as far
as necessary when pulling away.
X Adapt your driving style to suit the
prevailing road and weather conditions.
ECO start/stop function
The ECO start/stop function switches the
engine off automatically when the vehicle
stops moving. The engine starts
automatically when the driver wants to pull
away again. ESP ®
remains in its previously
selected status. Example:if ESP®
was
deactivated before the engin ewas switched
off, ESP ®
remains deactivated when the
engine is switched on again.
Deactivating/activating ESP ®
(except
AMG vehicles) Important safety notes
i
Observe the "Important safety notes"
sectio n(Ypage 65).
You can select between the following
statuses of ESP:
R ESP ®
is activated.
R ESP ®
is deactivated. G
WARNING
If you deactivate ESP ®
, ESP ®
no longer
stabilizes the vehicle. There is an increased
risk of skidding and an accident.
Only deactivate ESP ®
in the situations
described in the following. 68
Driving safet
ysystemsSafety

It may be best to deactivate ESP
®
in the
following situations:
R when using snow chains
R in deep snow
R on sand or gravel
i Activate ESP ®
as soon as the situations
described above no longer apply. ESP ®
will
otherwise not be able to stabilize the
vehicle if the vehicle starts to skid or a
wheel starts to spin.
Deactivating/activating ESP ®
You can activate and deactivate ESP ®
using
the on-board computer.
X To deactivate: (Ypage 213).
The 0015 ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up.
X To activate: (Ypage 213).
The 0015 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 000DESP®
warning lamp in
the instrument cluster flashes. In such
situations, ESP ®
will not stabilize the vehicle.
If you deactivate ESP ®
:
R ESP ®
no longer improves driving stability.
R engine torque is no longer limited and the
drive wheels are able to spin.
The spinning of the wheels results in a
cutting action for better traction on loose
surfaces.
R traction control is still activated.
R ESP ®
still provides support when you
brake. Deactivating/activating ESP
®
(AMG
vehicles) Important safety notes
You can select betwee
nthe following
statuses of ESP:
R ESP ®
is activated.
R SPORT handling mode is activated.
R ESP ®
is deactivated. G
WARNING
When SPORT handling mode is activated,
there is a greater risk of skidding and
accidents.
Only activate SPORT handling mode in the
situations described in the following. G
WARNING
If you deactivate ESP ®
, ESP ®
no longer
stabilizes the vehicle. There is an increased
risk of skidding and an accident.
Only deactivate ESP ®
in the situations
described in the following.
! Avoid spinning the driven wheels for an
extended period with ESP ®
deactivated.
You could otherwise damage the drivetrain.
In the following situations, it may be better to
activate SPORT handling mode or deactivate
ESP ®
:
R when using snow chains
R in deep snow
R on sand or gravel
R on designated roads when the vehicle's
own oversteering and understeering
characteristics are desired
Driving in SPORT handling mode or without
ESP ®
requires an extremely qualified and
experienced driver.
i Activate ESP ®
as soon as the situations
described above no longer apply.E SP®
will
otherwise not be able to stabilize the
vehicle if the vehicle starts to skid or a
wheel starts to spin. Driving safety systems
69Safety Z

Deactivating/activating ESP
®X
To activate SPORT handling mode:
briefly press button 0002.
The 0003 SPORT handling mode warning
lamp in the instrumen tcluster lights up.
The SPORT handling mode message
appears in the multifunction display.
X To deactivate SPORT handling mode:
briefly press button 0002.
The 0003 SPORT handling mode warning
lamp in the instrumen tcluster goes out.
X To deactivate ESP ®
:press button 0002until
the 0015 ESP®
OFF warning lamp lights up
in the instrument cluster.
The 000DOFF message appears in the
multifunction display.
X To activate ESP ®
:briefly press button 0002.
The 0015 ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrumen tcluster goes out. The 000D
ESP ®
ON message appears in the
multifunction display.
Characteristics of activated SPORT
handling mode
If SPORT handling mode is activated and one
or more wheels start to spin, the 000DESP®
warning lamp in the instrument cluster
flashes .ESP ®
only stabilizes the vehicl eto a
limited degree.
When SPORT handling mode is activated:
R ESP ®
only improves driving stability to a
limited degree.
R traction control is still activated. R
engine torque is only restricted to a limited
degree, and the drive wheels are able to
spin.
The spinning of the wheels results in a
cutting action for better traction on loose
surfaces.
R ESP ®
still provides support when you
brake.
Characteristics when ESP ®
is deactivated
If ESP ®
is deactivated and one or more wheels
start to spin, the 000DESP®
warning lamp in
the instrument cluster does not flash. In such
situations, ESP ®
will not stabilize the vehicle.
If you deactivate ESP ®
:
R ESP ®
no longer improves driving stability.
R engine torque is restricted to a limited
degree and the drive wheels are able to
spin.
The spinning of the wheels results in a
cutting action for better traction on loose
surfaces.
R traction control is still activated.
R PRE-SAFE ®
is no longer available, nor is it
activated if you brake firmly and ESP ®
intervenes.
R PRE-SAFE ®
Brake is no longer available, it
is also not activated if you brake firmly and
ESP ®
intervenes.
R ESP ®
still provides support when you
brake. EBD (electronic brake force
distribution)
General information EBD monitors and controls the brake
pressure on the rear wheels to improve
driving stability while braking.
Important safety notes
i
Observe the "Important safety notes"
section (Y page 65). 70
Driving safety systemsSafety