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 and do not rely solely on the distance
warning function.
Function X To activate/deactivate: activate or deac-
tivate the distance warning function in the
on-board computer (Y page 205).
If the distance warning function is activated,
the 00C7 symbol appears in the assistance
graphics display.
The distance warning function can help you to
minimize the risk of a collision with a vehicle
ahead or reduce the effects of such a colli-
sion. If the distance warning function detects that there is a risk of a collision, you will be
warned visually and acoustically. Without
your intervention, the distance warning func- tion cannot prevent a collision.
Starting at a speed of around 4 mph (7 km/h),
the distance warning function warns you if
you rapidly approach a vehicle in front. An
intermittent warning tone will then sound, and the
00BAdistance 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 about 40 mph (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 initially alert you both visually
and acoustically.
In particular, the detection of obstacles can
be impaired if:
R dirt on the sensors or anything else cover-
ing the sensors
R there is snow or heavy rain
R there is 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
R new vehicles or after a service on the COL-
LISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS system
Observe the notes in the section on break-
ing-in (Y page 140).
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- Driving safety systems
65Safety Z
R
there is 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
R new vehicles or after a service on the COL-
LISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS system
Observe the notes in the section on break-
ing-in (Y page 140).
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 low speeds where there is no visible
damage to the front of the vehicle.
COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS General information
COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS is
only available on vehicles with DISTRONIC.
COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS
extends the functionality of COLLISION PRE-
VENTION ASSIST with an automatic braking
function. COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST
PLUS can help you to minimize the risk of a
front-end collision with a vehicle ahead or
reduce the effects of such a collision. If COL-
LISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS detects
that there is a risk of a collision, you will be
warned visually and acoustically. In critical
situations COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST
PLUS also initiates automatic braking.
Function X To activate/deactivate: activate or deac-
tivate COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST
PLUS in the on-board computer
(Y page 206).
If COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS is
activated, the 00C7symbol appears in the
assistance graphics display.
If the driver's seat belt is fastened, COLLI-
SION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS can brake automatically within a speed range of
between 4 mph (7 km/h) and 124 mph
(200 km/h).
COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS can
also react to stationary obstacles with auto-
matic braking within a speed range of
between 4 mph (7 km/h) and 19 mph
(30 km/h).
In particular, the detection of obstacles can
be impaired if:
R dirt on the sensors or anything else cover-
ing the sensors
R there is snow or heavy rain
R there is 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
R new vehicles or after a service on the COL-
LISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS system
Observe the notes in the section on break-
ing-in (Y page 140).
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 low speeds where there is no visible
damage to the front of the vehicle. ESP
®
(Electronic Stability Program)
General notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 63).
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 Driving safety systems
67Safety Z
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" sec-
tion (Y page 63).
ETS/4ETS traction control is part of ESP ®
.
ETS 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.
ETS remains active when you deactivate
ESP ®
.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If ESP ®
is malfunctioning, ESP ®
is unable to
stabilize the vehicle. Additionally, further driv- ing 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 with 4MATIC: switch off the igni-
tion when the electric parking brake is
being tested on a brake dynamometer.
Application of the brakes by ESP ®
may oth-
erwise destroy the brake system.
! Vehicles with 4MATIC: function or per-
formance 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. !
Do not tow vehicles with 4MATIC with the
front or rear axle raised.
Vehicles without 4MATIC: when towing your
vehicle with the front axle raised, it is impor-
tant that you observe the notes on ESP ®
(Y page 309).
Vehicles with 4MATIC: when towing your
vehicle with both axles on the ground, it is
important that you observe the notes on ESP ®
(Y page 309).
ESP ®
is deactivated if the 00BBESP®
OFF
warning lamp in the instrument cluster lights
up continuously when the engine is running.
If the 00E5 ESP®
warning lamp and the 00BB
ESP ®
OFF warning lamp are lit continuously,
ESP ®
is not available due to a malfunction.
Observe the information on warning lamps
(Y page 247) and display messages which
may be shown in the instrument cluster
(Y page 214).
i Only use wheels with the recommended
tire sizes. Only then will ESP ®
function
properly.
Characteristics of ESP ® General information
If the
00E5 ESP warning lamp goes out before
beginning the journey, ESP ®
is automatically
active.
If ESP ®
intervenes, the 00E5ESP®
warning
lamp flashes in the instrument cluster.
If ESP ®
intervenes:
X Do not deactivate ESP ®
under any circum-
stances.
X Only depress the accelerator pedal as far as
necessary when pulling away.
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 when the vehicle
stops moving. The engine starts automati- 68
Driving safety systemsSafety
Only deactivate ESP
®
in the situations descri-
bed in the following.
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 char-
acteristics 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. ESP ®
will
otherwise not be able to stabilize the vehi-
cle if the vehicle starts to skid or a wheel
starts to spin.
! Avoid spinning the driven wheels for an
extended period with ESP ®
deactivated.
You could otherwise damage the drivetrain.
Deactivating/activating ESP ®X
To activate SPORT handling mode:
briefly press button 0043.
The 0074 SPORT handling mode warning
lamp in the instrument cluster lights up. The
SPORT handling mode SPORT handling mode message
appears in the multifunction display.
X To deactivate SPORT handling mode:
briefly press button 0043.
The 0074 SPORT handling mode warning
lamp in the instrument cluster goes out.
X To deactivate ESP ®
:press button 0043until
the 00BB ESP®
OFF warning lamp lights up
in the instrument cluster.
The 00E5 OFF OFFmessage appears in the mul-
tifunction display.
X To activate ESP ®
:briefly press button 0043.
The 00BB ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster goes out. The 00E5
ESP ®
ON
ON message appears in the multifunc-
tion display.
Characteristics of activated SPORT han-
dling mode
If SPORT handling mode is activated and one
or more wheels start to spin, the 00E5ESP®
warning lamp in the instrument cluster
flashes. ESP ®
only stabilizes the vehicle to 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 cut- ting action for better traction on loose sur-
faces.
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 00E5ESP®
warning lamp in
the instrument cluster does not flash. In such
situations, ESP ®
will not stabilize the vehicle. 70
Driving safety systemsSafety
Useful information
i This Operator's manual describes all
models and all standard and optional equip- ment of your vehicle available at the time of
publication of the Operator's manual.
Country-specific differences are possible.
Please note that your vehicle may not be
equipped with all features described. This
also applies to safety-related systems and
functions.
i Read the information on qualified special-
ist workshops (Y page 26). Correct driver's seat position
G
WARNING
You could lose control of your vehicle if you do the following while driving:
R adjust the driver's seat, head restraint,
steering wheel or mirrors
R fasten the seat belt
There is a risk of an accident.
Adjust the driver's seat, head restraint, steer-
ing wheel and mirror and fasten your seat belt before starting the engine. Observe the safety guidelines on seat adjust-
ment (Y page 97). X
Make sure that seat 0087is adjusted prop-
erly.
Manual seat adjustment (Y page 98)
Electrical seat adjustment (Y page 99)
When adjusting the seat, make sure that:
R you are as far away from the driver's air
bag as possible.
R you are sitting in a normal upright posi-
tion.
R you can fasten the seat belt properly.
R you have moved the backrest to an
almost vertical position.
R you have set the seat cushion angle so
that your thighs are gently supported.
R you can depress the pedals properly.
X Check whether the head restraint is adjus-
ted properly (Y page 99).
When doing so, make sure that you have
adjusted the head restraint so that the back
of your head is supported at eye level by the center of the head restraint.
Observe the safety guidelines on steering
wheel adjustment (Y page 102).
X Make sure that steering wheel 0043is adjus-
ted properly.
Adjusting the steering wheel
(Y page 102)
When adjusting the steering wheel, make
sure that:
R you can hold the steering wheel with your
arms slightly bent.
R you can move your legs freely.
R you can see all the displays in the instru-
ment cluster clearly.
Observe the safety guidelines for seat belts
(Y page 52).
X Check whether you have fastened seat
belt 0044properly (Y page 53). 96
Correct driver's seat positionSeats, steering wheel and mirrors
In particular, the detection of obstacles can
be restricted if there is:
R poor visibility, e.g. due to fog, heavy rain or
snow
R dirt on the sensors or the sensors are
obscured
Switching Adaptive Highbeam Assist
on/off X
To switch on: turn the light switch to 0058.
X Press the combination switch beyond the
pressure point in the direction of arrow 0043.
The 00CE indicator lamp in the multifunc-
tion display lights up when it is dark and the
light sensor activates the low-beam head-
lamps.
If you are driving at speeds above approx-
imately 16 mph (25 km/h):
The headlamp range is set automatically
depending on the distance between the
vehicle and other road users.
If you are driving at speeds above approx-
imately 19 mph (30 km/h) and no other
road users have been detected:
The high-beam headlamps are switched on automatically. The 0057indicator lamp in
the instrument cluster also lights up.
If you are driving at speeds below approx-
imately 16 mph (25 km/h) or other road
users have been detected or the roads are
adequately lit:
The high-beam headlamps are switched off
automatically. The 0057indicator lamp in
the instrument cluster goes out. The 00CE
indicator lamp in the multifunction display
remains lit.
X To switch off: move the combination
switch back to its normal position or move
the light switch to another position.
The 00CE indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster goes out. Headlamps fogged up on the inside
Certain climatic and physical conditions may
cause moisture to form in the headlamp. This moisture does not affect the functionality of
the headlamp. Interior lighting
Overview of interior lighting
Front overhead control panel
0043
003D To switch the left-hand front reading
lamp on/off
0044 004A To switch the front interior lighting
on
0087 0043 To switch the on/off
0085 0033 To switch the front interior lighting/
automatic interior lighting control off
0083 003D To switch the right-hand front read-
ing lamp on/off
0084 To switch the automatic interior lighting
control on Interior lighting
113Lights and windshield wipers Z
0085
To activate/deactivate air-recirculation mode (Y page 135)
0083 To set the airflow (Y page 132)
0084 To switch cooling with air dehumidification on/off (Y page 129)
006B To switch the rear window defroster on/off (Y page 134)Optimum use of climate control
Automatic climate control The following contains notes and recommen-
dations on optimum use of climate control.
R Switch on the air-conditioning system by
turning control knob 0083clockwise to the
desired position (except position 0).
R Set the temperature to 72 ‡ (22 †).
R Recommendation for avoiding misted
windows at low exterior temperatures
or in rain: switch on the 005Acooling with
dehumidification function (Y page 129).
Set air distribution to 0061and if possible
switch off 009Cand009B (Ypage 132).
In air-recirculation mode, switch 008Aoff
(Y page 135).
Set airflow control 0083to a setting between
3 and 6(Y page 132).
R Recommendation for rapid cooling or
heating of the vehicle interior: briefly set
airflow control 0083to a setting between 3
and 6(Y page 132).
R Recommendation for a constant vehi-
cle interior temperature: set airflow con-
trol 0083to a setting between 1and 3
(Y page 132).
R Recommendation for air distribution in
the winter: set009B and0061
(Y page 132).
Recommendation for air distribution in
the summer: set009C or009C and0061
(Y page 132).
R Only use the "Windshield defrosting" func-
tion briefly until the windshield is clear
again.
R Only use air-recirculation mode briefly, e.g.
if there are unpleasant outside odors or when in a tunnel. The windows could oth-
erwise fog up, since no fresh air is drawn
into the vehicle in air-recirculation mode.
R Vehicles with COMAND: if you change the
settings of the climate control system, the
climate status display appears for three
seconds at the bottom of the screen in the
COMAND display. See also the separate
COMAND operating instructions. You will
see the current settings of the various cli-
mate control functions.
ECO start/stop function During automatic engine switch-off, the cli-
mate control system only operates at a
reduced capacity. If you require the full cli-
mate control output, you can switch off the
ECO start/stop function by pressing the ECO
button (Y page 144). 126
Overview of climate control systemsClimate control
Control panel for dual-zone automatic climate control
USA only
0043
To set the temperature, left (Y page 131)
0044 To set climate control to automatic (Y page 131)
0087 To defrost the windshield (Y page 133)
0085 To increase the airflow (Y page 132)
0083 To set the air distribution (Y page 132)
0084 Display
006B To activate/deactivate air-recirculation mode (Y page 135)
006C To switch climate control on/off (Y page 129)
006D To set the temperature, right (Y page 131)
006E To activate/deactivate maximum cooling (Y page 133)
006F To switch cooling with air dehumidification on/off (Y page 129)
0070 To reduce the airflow (Y page 132)
0071 To switch the rear window defroster on/off (Y page 134)
0072 To switch the ZONE function on/off (Y page 132) Overview of climate control systems
127Climate control