2014 MERCEDES-BENZ SL-Class Owner's Manual

In addition, thermal imaging camera
0043is
integrated in the radiator grill. The camera
helps detect pedestrians and animals.
Observe the notes on cleaning the thermal
imaging camera and cleaning the windshield
(Y page 552).
Important safety notes Night View Assist Plus is only an aid and is not
a substitute for attentive driving. Do not rely
on the Night View Assist Plus display. You are
responsible for the distance to the vehicle in
front, for vehicle speed and for braking in
good time. Drive carefully and always adapt
your driving style to suit the prevailing road
and traffic conditions.
The system may be impaired or may not
function if:
R if there is poor visibility, e.g. due to snow,
rain, fog or spray
R if the windshield is dirty, fogged up or
covered, for instance by a sticker, in the
vicinity of the camera
R if the thermal imaging camera in the
radiator grill is dirty, fogged up or covered
R on bends, hilltops or downhill gradients
R at high outside temperatures
Night View Assist Plus cannot display objects
directly in front of or beside the vehicle. The
actual distance to objects and pedestrians
cannot be gaged accurately by looking at a
screen.
It may be the case that other objects are
marked or highlighted as well as pedestrians
and animals. Pedestrian and animal recognition General notes
Pedestrian or animal recognition may be
impaired or inoperative if:
R
pedestrians or animals are partially or
entirely obscured by other objects, e.g.
parked vehicles
R the silhouette of the pedestrian or of the
animal in the Night View Assist Plus display
is incomplete or interrupted, e.g. by
powerful light reflections
R pedestrians or animals do not contrast with
the surroundings
R the camera system no longer recognizes
pedestrians as persons due to special
clothing or other objects
R pedestrians are not in an upright position,
e.g. sitting, squatting or lying
R animals are not recognized by the system,
e.g. because of their size or shape
The pedestrian and animal recognition is
deactivated at temperatures above 90 ‡
(32 †). The spotlight function and automatic
delayed switch-off are then no longer active.
Pedestrian recognition 0043
Night View Assist Plus display in the
COMAND display
0044 Readiness symbol for active pedestrian
recognition
0087 Highlighting
0085 Pedestrian recognized
Night View Assist Plus can recognize
pedestrians using typical characteristics, e.g. Driving systems
215Driving and parking Z

the body contours and posture of a person
standing upright.
Pedestrian recognition is then switched on
automatically if:
R Night View Assist Plus is activated.
R you are driving faster than approximately
6 mph (10 km/h).
R it is dark.
If pedestrian recognition is active,
symbol 0044appears. Persons who are
detected are highlighted by framing 0087. If the
pedestrian recognition system has brought a
pedestrian to your attention, look through the
windshield to evaluate the situation.
Animal recognition
Animals can be recognized in the following
situations:
R darkness
R outside built-up areas
R below an outside temperature of 90 ‡
(32 †)
Night View Assist Plus can recognize larger
animals such as deer, cows or horses using
typical characteristics.
The system does not detect:
R smaller animals, e.g. dogs and cats
R animals whose silhouette is not clearly
recognizable.
When detected, animals are marked with
small color frame corners. In contrast to
pedestrian recognition, there is no separate
standby symbol in the multifunction display. Activating/deactivating Night View
Assist Plus Activation conditions
You can only activate Night View Assist Plus
if all of the following conditions are met:
R
the ignition is switched on (Y page 155) or
the engine has been started.
R the light switch is in the 0058or0058
position.
R reverse gear has not been engaged.
Activating Night View Assist Plus X
Press button 0043.
The Night View Assist Plus display appears
in the COMAND display.
i The infrared headlamps only switch on in
the dark from speeds of approximately
6 mph (10 km/h). This means that you do
not have the full visual range while the
vehicle is stationary and cannot check
whether Night View Assist Plus is working.
The infrared headlamps are deactivated at
speeds below 3 mph (5 km/h). The Night
View image continues to be displayed.
Automatic activation
You can use COMAND to select the Night
Night
View Assist Automatic Activation View Assist Automatic Activation
option. The pedestrian and animal search
function remains active even when the Night
View image is not displayed. In the dark, in
unlit surroundings and at speeds of more than
60 km/h, the Night View image is
automatically displayed in the COMAND 216
Driving systemsDriving an
d parking

display as soon as pedestrians or animals are
detected.
X In COMAND, select automatic activation of
Night View Assist Plus ( Ypage 322)
Deactivating Night View Assist Plus X
Press button 0043.
The Night View Assist Plus display goes off
in the COMAND display. Night View Assist
Plus is deactivated.
Spotlight function General notes
i
The function described below is not
available in all countries.
Under certain conditions, the spotlight
function uses the headlamps to flash at
detected pedestrians.
The spotlight function is only active if:
R pedestrian recognition is active
R the road surface is not lit
R the driving speed is at least 60 km/h
R the "Adaptive Highbeam Assist"
(Y page 132 )or "Adaptive Highbeam Assist
PLUS" function is activated
R reverse gear has not been engaged.
The spotlight function is not active or is active
only to a limited extent if:
R you are driving in city traffic
R there are pedestrians located in the area of
an oncoming vehicle or a vehicle in front Activating the spotlight function
The pedestrian detection with spotlight
function is running in the background. If the
prerequisites are met, the spotlight function
uses the headlamps to flash four short pulses
at a pedestrian detected on or near to the
road surface.
X
In the light menu, select the spotlight
function of Night View Assist Plus
(Y page 237).
The spotlight function does not flash at
animals.
Display in the assistance graphic Pedestrian symbol
0043in the assistance
graphic indicates the status of the spotlight
function. If the symbol is displayed not filled
in, the function is switched on. If the symbol
is displayed filled in, the conditions for the
spotlight function are met.
Displaying the assistance graphic
X Select the Assistance Graphic Assistance Graphic from the
DriveAssist
DriveAssist menu (Ypage 234). Driving systems
217Driving and parking Z

Problems with Night View Assist Plus
Problem Possible causes/consequences and
0050
0050Solutions The picture quality of
Night View Assist Plus
has deteriorated. The windshield is fogged up on the inside.
X Fold down camera cover (Y page 552).
X Defrost the windshield (Y page 148). The windshield is iced up.
X
De-ice the windshield (Y page 147). The windshield wipers are smearing the windshield.
X
Replace the wiper blades (Y page 135). The windshield is smeared after the vehicle has been cleaned in a
car wash.
X
Clean the windshield (Y page 550). There is windshield chip damage in the camera's field of vision.
X Replace the windshield. The pedestrian and
animal recognition is
not available. The infrared camera in the radiator grill is dirty.
X
Use a soft cloth and water to clean the infrared camera. Active Driving Assistance package
General notes The Active Driving Assistance package
consists of DISTRONIC PLUS (Y
page 186),
Active Blind Spot Assist (Y page 218) and
Active Lane Keeping Assist (Y page 221).
Active Blind Spot Assist General notes
Active Blind Spot Assist uses a radar sensor
system to monitor the side areas of your
vehicle which are behind the driver. A warning
display in the exterior mirrors draws your
attention to vehicles detected in the
monitored area. If you then switch on the
corresponding turn signal to change lanes,
you will also receive an optical and audible
collision warning. If a risk of lateral collision
is detected, corrective braking may help you avoid a collision. To support the course-
correcting brake application, Active Blind
Spot Assist also uses the forward-facing radar
sensor system.
Active Blind Spot Assist supports you from a
speed of approximately 20 mph (30 km/h).
For Active Blind Spot Assist to assist you
when driving, the radar sensor system must
be operational.
Important safety notes
Active Blind Spot Assist is only an aid. It may
fail to detect some vehicles and is no
substitute for attentive driving. G
WARNING
Active Blind Spot Assist does not react to:
R vehicles overtaken too closely on the side,
placing them in the blind spot area
R vehicles which approach with a large speed
differential and overtake your vehicle 218
Driving systemsDriving and parking

As a result, Active Blind Spot Assist may
neither give warnings nor intervene in such
situations. There is a risk of an accident.
Always observe the traffic conditions
carefully, and maintain a safe lateral distance.
i USA only: This device has been approved
by the FCC as a "Vehicular Radar System".
The radar sensor is intended for use in an
automotive radar system only. Removal,
tampering, or altering of the device will void
any warranties, and is not permitted by the
FCC. Do not tamper with, alter, or use in
any non-approved way.
Any unauthorized modification to this
device could void the user's authority to
operate the equipment.
i Canada only: This device complies with
RSS-210 of Industry Canada. Operation is
subject to the following two conditions:
1. This device may not cause harmful
interference, and
2. this device must accept any interference
received, including interference that may
cause undesired operation of the device.
Removal, tampering, or altering of the
device will void any warranties, and is not
permitted. Do not tamper with, alter, or use
in any non-approved way.
Any unauthorized modification to this
device could void the user's authority to
operate the equipment.
Radar sensors
The Active Blind Spot Assist radar sensors are
integrated into the front and rear bumpers
and behind a cover in the radiator grill. Make
sure that the bumpers and the cover in the
radiator grill are free of dirt, ice or slush. The
rear sensors must not be covered, for
example by cycle racks or overhanging cargo.
Following a severe impact or in the event of
damage to the bumpers, have the function of
the radar sensors checked at a qualified
specialist workshop. Active Blind Spot Assist
may otherwise no longer work properly. Monitoring area G
WARNING
Active Blind Spot Assist does not detect all
traffic situations and road users. There is a
risk of an accident.
Always make sure that there is sufficient
distance on the side for other traffic or
obstacles. Active Blind Spot Assist monitors the area up
to 10 ft (3.0 m) behind your vehicle and
directly next to your vehicle, as shown in the
diagram.
The detection of obstacles can be impaired in
the case of:
R
dirt on the sensors or anything else
covering the sensors
R poor visibility, e.g. due to rain, snow or
spray
Vehicles in the monitoring range are then not
indicated or indicated with a delay.
Active Blind Spot Assist may not detect
narrow vehicles, such as motorcycles or
bicycles, or may only detect them too late.
If the lanes are narrow, vehicles driving in the
lane beyond the lane next to your vehicle may
be indicated, especially if the vehicles are not
driving in the middle of their lane. This may
be the case if there are vehicles driving at the
inner edge of their lanes. Driving systems
219Driving and parking Z

Due to the nature of the system:
R
warnings may be issued in error when
driving close to crash barriers or similar
solid lane borders.
R warnings may be interrupted when driving
alongside particularly long vehicles, e.g.
trucks, for a prolonged time.
Indicator and warning display 0043
Yellow indicator lamp/red warning lamp
Active Blind Spot Assist is not active at
speeds below approximately 20 mph
(30 km/h). Vehicles in the monitoring range
are then not indicated.
When Active Blind Spot Assist is activated,
indicator lamp 0043in the exterior mirrors lights
up yellow at speeds of up to
20 mph(30 km/h). At speeds above 20 mph
(30 km/h), the indicator lamp goes out and
Active Blind Spot Assist is operational.
If a vehicle is detected within the blind spot
monitoring range at speeds above 20 mph
(30 km/h), warning lamp 0043on the
corresponding side lights up red. This warning
is always given when a vehicle enters the
blind spot monitoring range from behind or
from the side. When you overtake a vehicle,
the warning only occurs if the difference in
speed is less than 7 mph (12 km/h).
The yellow indicator lamp goes out if reverse
gear is engaged. In this event, Active Blind
Spot Assist is no longer active.
The brightness of the indicator/warning
lamps is adjusted automatically according to
the ambient light. Visual and acoustic collision warning
When you switch on the turn signals to
change lanes and a vehicle is detected in the
side monitoring range, you receive a visual
and acoustic collision warning. You then hear
a double warning tone and red warning
lamp
0043flashes. If the turn signal remains on,
detected vehicles are indicated by the
flashing of red warning lamp 0043. There are no
further warning tones.
Course-correcting brake application G
WARNING
A course-correcting brake application cannot
always prevent a collision. There is a risk of
an accident.
Always steer, brake or accelerate yourself,
especially if Active Blind Spot Assist warns
you or makes a course-correcting brake
application. Always maintain a safe distance
at the sides. 220
Driving systemsDriving an
d parking

If a course-correcting brake application
occurs, red warning lamp 0043flashes in the
exterior mirror and a dual warning tone
sounds. In addition, display 0044appears in the
multifunction display.
If Active Blind Spot Assist detects a risk of a
lateral collision in the monitoring range, a
course-correcting brake application is carried
out. This is meant to assist you in avoiding a
collision.
The course-correcting brake application is
available in the speed range between
20 mph (30 km/h) and 120 mph (200 km/h).
Either a very slight course-correcting brake
application, or none at all, may occur if:
R there are vehicles or obstacles, e.g. crash
barriers, located on both sides of your
vehicle.
R a vehicle approaches you too closely at the
side.
R you have adopted a sporty driving style with
high cornering speeds.
R you clearly brake or accelerate. R
a driving safety system intervenes, e.g.
ESP ®
or PRE-SAFE ®
Brake.
R ESP ®
is switched off.
R a loss of tire pressure or a defective tire is
detected.
Switching on Active Blind Spot Assist X
Make sure that the radar sensor system
(Y page 239) and Active Blind Spot Assist
(Y page 235) are activated in the on-board
computer.
X Turn the SmartKey to position 2in the
ignition lock.
Warning lamps 0043in the exterior mirrors
light up red for approximately
1.5 seconds and then turn yellow.
Active Lane Keeping Assist General notes
Active Lane Keeping Assist monitors the area
in front of your vehicle by means of
camera
0043at the top of the windshield. Active
Lane Keeping Assist detects lane markings on Driving systems
221Driving and parking Z

the road and warns you before you leave your
lane unintentionally. If you do not react to the
warning, a lane-correcting application of the
brakes can bring the vehicle back into the
original lane.
If you select km
km on the on-board computer in
the Display Unit Speed-/Odometer
Display Unit Speed-/Odometer
function ( Ypage 236), Active Lane Keeping
Assist is activated starting at a speed of
60 km/h. If the miles
miles display unit is selected,
the assistance range begins at 40 mph.
Important safety notes
If you fail to adapt your driving style, Active
Lane Keeping Assist can neither reduce the
risk of accident nor override the laws of
physics. Lane Keeping Assist cannot take into
account the road, traffic and weather
conditions. Lane Keeping Assist is merely an
aid. You are responsible for the distance to
the vehicle in front, for vehicle speed, for
braking in good time and for staying in your
lane.
Active Lane Keeping Assist cannot
continuously keep your vehicle in its lane. G
WARNING
Active Lane Keeping Assist cannot always
clearly detect lane markings.
In such cases, Active Lane Keeping Assist
can:
R give an unnecessary warning and then
make a course-correcting brake application
to the vehicle
R not give a warning or intervene
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay particular attention to the traffic
situation and keep within the lane, especially
if Active Lane Keeping Assist alerts you.
Terminate the intervention in a non-critical
driving situation. The system may be impaired or may not
function if:
R
there is poor visibility, e.g. due to
insufficient illumination of the road, or due
to snow, rain, fog or spray
R there is glare, e.g. from oncoming traffic,
the sun or reflections (e.g. when the road
surface is wet)
R the windshield is dirty, fogged up, damaged
or covered, for instance by a sticker, in the
vicinity of the camera
R there are no, several or unclear lane
markings for a lane, e.g. in areas with road
construction work
R the lane markings are worn away, dark or
covered up, e.g. by dirt or snow
R the distance to the vehicle in front is too
small and the lane markings thus cannot be
detected
R the lane markings change quickly, e.g.
lanes branch off, cross one another or
merge
R the road is narrow and winding
R there are strong shadows cast on the lane
Warning vibration in the steering wheel
A warning may be given if a front wheel
passes over a lane marking. It will warn you
by means of intermittent vibration in the
steering wheel for up to 1.5 seconds.
In order that you are warned only when
necessary and in good time if you cross the
lane marking, the system recognizes certain
conditions 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
highway.
R the system recognizes solid lane markings.
The warning vibration occurs later if:
R the road has narrow lanes.
R you cut the corner on a bend. 222
Driving systemsDriving an
d parking