2015 MERCEDES-BENZ B-CLASS HATCHBACK Owners Manual

Driving on wet roads
Aquaplaning If water has accumulated to a certain depth on
the road surface, there is a danger of aquaplan- ing 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
R avoid sudden steering movements
R brake carefully
Driving on flooded roads !
Bear in mind that vehicles travelling in front
or in the opposite direction create waves. This may cause the maximum permissible water
depth to be exceeded.
These notes must be observed under all cir-
cumstances. You could otherwise damage
the engine, the electronics or the transmis-
sion.
If you must drive on stretches of road on which
water has collected, please bear in mind that:
R in the case of standing water, the water level
must be no higher than the lower edge of the
vehicle body
R you should drive no faster than walking pace Winter driving
G
WARNING
If you increase the recuperation level on slip- pery road surfaces, the drive wheels may lose
their traction. This increases the risk of skid-
ding and having an accident.
Do not increase the recuperation level on slip-
pery road surfaces.
Have your vehicle winterproofed at a qualified
specialist workshop at the onset of winter.
You should drive particularly carefully on slip-
pery road surfaces. Avoid sudden acceleration, steering and braking manoeuvres. Do not use
cruise control.
If the vehicle threatens to skid or cannot be
stopped when moving at low speed:
X Shift the DIRECT SELECT lever to position N.
X Try to bring the vehicle under control by using
corrective steering.
The outside temperature indicator is not
designed to serve as an ice-warning device and
is therefore unsuitable for that purpose.
Changes in the outside temperature are dis-
played after a short delay.
Indicated temperatures just above the freezing
point do not guarantee that the road surface is
free of ice. The road may still be icy, especially in
wooded areas or on bridges.
You should pay special attention to road condi-
tions when temperatures are around freezing
point.
Further information on driving with snow chains (Y page 269).
Further information on driving with summer
tyres (Y page 268).
Observe the notes in the "Winter operation" sec-
tion (Y page 268). Driving systems
Cruise control
General notes Cruise control maintains a constant road speed
for you. It brakes automatically in order to avoid
exceeding the set speed. Change into transmis-
sion position D-
(Y page 132) on long and steep
downhill gradients. This increases recuperation
in overrun mode. This relieves the load on the
brake system and prevents the brakes from
overheating and wearing too quickly.
Use cruise control only if road and traffic con-
ditions are appropriate for maintaining a steady
speed for a prolonged period. You can store any road speed above 30 km/h.
The speed indicated in the speedometer may
differ slightly from the speed stored. 150
Driving syste
msDriving and parking

Important safety notes
If you fail to adapt your driving style, cruise con-
trol can neither reduce the risk of an accident
nor override the laws of physics. Cruise control
cannot take into account road, weather or traffic
conditions. Cruise control is only 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 lane.
Do not use cruise control:
R in road and traffic conditions which do not
allow you to maintain a constant speed, e.g. in
heavy traffic or on winding roads
R on smooth or slippery roads. Braking or accel-
erating can cause the drive wheels to lose
traction and the vehicle could then skid
R when there is poor visibility, e.g. due to fog,
heavy rain or snow
If there is a change of drivers, advise the new
driver of the speed stored.
Cruise control lever :
To activate or increase speed
; LIM indicator lamp
= To activate at the current speed/last stored
speed
? To activate or reduce speed
A To switch between cruise control and varia-
ble SPEEDTRONIC
B To deactivate cruise control
You can operate cruise control and variable
SPEEDTRONIC with the cruise control lever.
The LIM indicator lamp on the cruise control
lever indicates which system you have selected:
R LIM indicator lamp off: cruise control is
selected
R LIM indicator lamp on: variable SPEED-
TRONIC is selected When you activate cruise control, the stored
speed is shown in the multifunction display for
five seconds.
Selecting cruise control X
To select cruise control: check whether LIM
indicator lamp ;is on or off.
If it is off, cruise control is already selected.
X If it is not, press the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow A.
LIM indicator lamp ;in the cruise control
lever goes out. Cruise control is selected.
Activation conditions To activate cruise control, all of the following
activation conditions must be fulfilled:
R the electric parking brake must be released.
R you are driving faster than 30 km/h.
R ESP ®
must be switched on, but not interven-
ing.
R the transmission must be in position D.
R cruise control must be selected.
Storing, maintaining and calling up a
speed Storing and maintaining the current
speed
You can store the current speed if you are driv-
ing faster than 30 km/h.
X Accelerate the vehicle to the desired speed.
X Briefly press the cruise control lever up :or
down ?.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator pedal.
Cruise control is activated. The vehicle auto-
matically maintains the speed.
i Cruise control may be unable to maintain
the stored speed on uphill gradients. The
stored speed is resumed when the gradient
evens out. Cruise control maintains the
stored speed on downhill gradients by auto-
matically braking the vehicle.
Storing the current speed or calling up the
last stored speed G
WARNING
If you call up a stored speed and this is dif-
ferent from the current speed, the vehicle Driving systems
151Driving and parking
Z

accelerates or brakes. If you do not know
what the stored speed is, the vehicle may
accelerate or brake unexpectedly. There is a
risk of an accident.
Take the traffic conditions into account
before calling up the stored speed. If you do
not know what the stored speed is, store the
desired speed again.
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you =.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator pedal.
The first time cruise control is activated, it
stores the current speed or regulates the
speed of the vehicle to the previously stored
speed.
Setting a speed Bear in mind that it may take a brief moment
until the vehicle has accelerated or braked to
the set speed.
X Press the cruise control lever up :for a
higher speed or down ?for a lower speed.
X Keep the cruise control lever pressed until the
desired speed is reached.
X Release the cruise control lever.
The new speed is stored.
X To adjust the set speed in 1 km/h incre-
ments: briefly press the cruise control lever
up : or down ?to the pressure point.
The last stored speed increases or decreases
in 1 km/h increments.
X To adjust the set speed in 10 km/h incre-
ments: briefly press the cruise control lever
up : or down ?beyond the pressure point.
The last stored speed increases or decreases
in 10 km/h increments.
i Cruise control is not deactivated if you
depress the accelerator pedal. For example, if
you accelerate briefly to overtake, cruise con-
trol adjusts the vehicle's speed to the last
speed stored after you have finished overtak-
ing. Deactivating cruise control There are several ways to deactivate cruise con-
trol:
X Briefly press the cruise control lever forwards
B.
or X Brake.
or X Briefly press the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow A.
Variable SPEEDTRONIC is selected. LIM indi-
cator lamp ;in the cruise control lever lights
up.
Cruise control is automatically deactivated if:
R the vehicle is secured with the electric park-
ing brake
R you are driving at less than 30 km/h
R ESP ®
intervenes or you deactivate ESP ®
R you shift the transmission to position Nwhile
driving
If cruise control is deactivated, you will hear a
warning tone. You will see the Cruise con‐ Cruise con‐
trol off
trol off message in the multifunction display
for approximately five seconds.
i The last speed stored is cleared when you
switch off the engine. SPEEDTRONIC
General notes SPEEDTRONIC brakes automatically so that you
do not exceed the set speed. Change into trans-
mission position D-
(Y page 132) on long and
steep downhill gradients. This increases recu-
peration in overrun mode. This relieves the load on the brake system and prevents the brakes
from overheating and wearing too quickly. If youneed additional braking, depress the brake
pedal repeatedly rather than continuously.
i The speed indicated in the speedometer
may differ slightly from the limit speed stored.
Important safety notes If you fail to adapt your driving style, SPEED-
TRONIC can neither reduce the risk of an acci-
dent nor override the laws of physics. SPEED-
TRONIC cannot take into account road, weather152
Driving systemsDriving and parking

or traffic conditions. SPEEDTRONIC is only 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 lane.
If there is a change of drivers, advise the new
driver of the speed stored.
Variable SPEEDTRONIC General notes
:
To activate or increase speed
; LIM indicator lamp
= To activate at the current speed/last stored
speed
? To activate or reduce speed
A To switch between cruise control and varia-
ble SPEEDTRONIC
B To deactivate cruise control
You can operate cruise control and variable
SPEEDTRONIC with the cruise control lever.
The LIM indicator lamp on the cruise control
lever indicates which system you have selected:
R LIM indicator lamp off: cruise control is
selected
R LIM indicator lamp on: variable SPEED-
TRONIC is selected
When the engine is running, you can use the
cruise control lever to limit the speed to any
speed between 30 km/h and the technically
permitted maximum speed of the vehicle.
Selecting variable SPEEDTRONICX Check whether LIM indicator lamp ;is on.
If it is on, variable SPEEDTRONIC is already
selected. If it is not, press the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow A.
LIM indicator lamp ;in the cruise control
lever lights up. Variable SPEEDTRONIC is
selected.
Storing the current speed You can use the cruise control lever to limit the
speed to any speed above 30 km/h while the
engine is running.
X Briefly press the cruise control lever up :or
down ?.
The current speed is stored and shown in the multifunction display.
Storing or calling up the speed G
WARNING
If you call up the stored speed and it is lower
than the current speed, the vehicle deceler-
ates. If you do not know the stored speed, the vehicle could decelerate unexpectedly. There
is a risk of an accident.
Pay attention to the road and traffic condi-
tions before calling up the stored speed. If you do not know the stored speed, store the
desired speed again.
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you =.
Setting a speed
X To adjust the set speed in 10 km/h incre-
ments: briefly press the cruise control lever
up : beyond the pressure point for a higher
speed, or down ?for a lower speed.
or X Keep the cruise control lever pressed beyond
the pressure point until the desired speed is
set. Press the cruise control lever up :for a
higher speed or down ?for a lower speed.
X To adjust the set speed in 1 km/h incre-
ments:
briefly press the cruise control lever
up : to the pressure point for a higher speed
or down ?for a lower speed.
or X Keep the cruise control lever pressed to the
pressure point until the desired speed is set.
Press the cruise control lever up :for a
higher speed or down ?for a lower speed. Driving systems
153Driving and parking Z

Switching SPEEDTRONIC to passive
If you depress the accelerator pedal beyond the
pressure point (kickdown), SPEEDTRONIC is
switched to passive mode. The following mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display:
SPEEDTRONIC passive SPEEDTRONIC passive.
You can then exceed the stored speed. SPEED-
TRONIC is activated again if you:
R drive slower than the stored speed without
kickdown
R set a new speed or
R call up the last speed stored again
The SPEEDTRONIC passive SPEEDTRONIC passive message in the
multifunction display disappears.
Deactivating variable SPEEDTRONIC
It is not possible to deactivate variable SPEED-
TRONIC by braking.
There are several ways to deactivate variable
SPEEDTRONIC:
X Briefly press the cruise control lever forwards
B.
or X Briefly press the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow A.
LIM indicator lamp ;in the cruise control
lever goes out. Variable SPEEDTRONIC is
deactivated.
Cruise control is selected.
i The last speed stored is cleared when you
switch off the engine. 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 the
accelerator pedal to pull away. Important safety notes G
WARNING
When leaving the vehicle, it can still roll away despite being braked by the HOLD function if:
R there is a malfunction in the system or in
the voltage supply
R the HOLD function is deactivated by the
accelerator pedal being depressed, e.g. by
a vehicle occupant
R the electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses are tam-
pered with
R the battery is disconnected
There is a risk of an accident.
Before leaving the vehicle, always deactivate
the HOLD function and secure the vehicle
from rolling away.
! When the HOLD function is activated, the
vehicle brakes automatically in certain situa-
tions.
To avoid damage to the vehicle, deactivate
the HOLD function in the following or similar
situations:
R when towing away
R in a car wash
Deactivating the HOLD function (Y page 155).
Activation conditions You can activate the HOLD function if:
R
the vehicle is stationary
R the engine is running or if it has been auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/stop
function
R the driver's door is closed or if your seat belt
is fastened
R the electric parking brake is released
R the transmission is in position D,Ror N 154
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Activating the HOLD function
X
Make sure that the activation conditions are
met.
X Depress the brake pedal.
X Quickly depress the brake pedal further
until :appears in the multifunction display.
The HOLD function is activated. You can
release the brake pedal.
i If depressing the brake pedal the first time
does not activate the HOLD function, wait
briefly and then try again.
Deactivating the HOLD function The HOLD function is deactivated automatically
if:
R you accelerate. On vehicles with automatic
transmission: only when the transmission is in
position Dor R.
R the transmission is in position P.
R you depress the brake pedal again with a cer-
tain amount of pressure until :disappears
from the multifunction display.
R you secure the vehicle using the electric park-
ing brake.
i After a short period, the vehicle is secured
by the electric parking brake, thus relieving
the service brake.
The electric parking brake secures the vehicle
automatically if the HOLD function is activated
and:
R the driver's seat belt is not fastened and the
driver's door is open
R the engine is switched off, unless it is auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/stop
function
R a system fault occurs
R the power supply is insufficient
The Brake immediately Brake immediately message may also
appear in the multifunction display. X
Immediately depress the brake pedal firmly
until the warning message in the multifunc-
tion display goes out.
The HOLD function is deactivated. A horn will
sound at regular intervals if you turn off the
engine, take off your seat belt or open the driv-
er's door when the HOLD function is activated.
The horn alerts you to the fact that the HOLD
function is still activated. If you attempt to lock
the vehicle, the tone becomes louder. The vehi- cle cannot be locked until you have deactivated
the HOLD function.
i Once you have switched off the engine, you
cannot restart it until you have deactivated
the HOLD function. PARKTRONIC
Important safety notes PARKTRONIC is an electronic parking aid with
ultrasonic sensors. It monitors the area around
your vehicle using six sensors in the front
bumper and six sensors in the rear bumper.
PARKTRONIC indicates visually and audibly the
distance between your vehicle and an object.
PARKTRONIC is only an aid. It is not a substitute for your attention to the immediate surround-
ings. The responsibility for safe manoeuvring
and parking remains with you. Make sure that
there are no persons, animals or objects in
range while manoeuvring and parking.
! When parking, pay particular attention to
objects above or below the sensors, such as
flower pots or trailer drawbars. PARKTRONIC does not detect such objects when they are in
the immediate vicinity of the vehicle. You
could damage the vehicle or the objects.
The sensors may not detect snow and objects which absorb ultrasonic sources.
Ultrasonic sources, such as an automatic car
wash, a lorry's compressed-air brakes or a
pneumatic drill, could cause PARKTRONIC to
malfunction.
PARKTRONIC may not function correctly on
uneven terrain. Driving systems
155Driving and parking Z

PARKTRONIC is activated automatically when
you:
R switch on the ignition
R shift the transmission to position D,Ror N
R release the electric parking brake
PARKTRONIC is deactivated at speeds above
18 km/h. It is reactivated at lower speeds.
Range of the sensors General notes
PARKTRONIC does not take into account obsta-
cles located:
R below the detection range, e.g. persons, ani-
mals or objects
R above the detection range, e.g. overhanging
loads, tail sections or loading ramps of goods vehicles :
Example: sensors in the front bumper, left-
hand side
The sensors must be free of dirt, ice and slush.
Otherwise, they may not function correctly.
Clean the sensors regularly, taking care not to
scratch or damage them (Y page 245).Range Front sensors
Centre Approx. 100 cm
Corners Approx. 60 cm
Rear sensors
Centre Approx. 120 cm
Corners Approx. 80 cm
Minimum distance
Centre Approx. 20 cm
Corners Approx. 20 cm
If there is an obstacle within this range, the rel-
evant warning displays light up and a warning
tone sounds. If the distance falls below the min- imum, the distance may no longer be shown. 156
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Warning displays
:
Segments on the left-hand side of the vehi-
cle
; Segments on the right-hand side of the vehi-
cle
= Segments showing operational readiness
The warning displays show the distance
between the sensors and the obstacle. The
warning display for the front area is located on
the dashboard above the centre air vents. The
warning display for the rear area is located on
the roof lining in the rear compartment.
The warning display for each side of the vehicle
is divided into five yellow and two red segments.
PARKTRONIC is operational if yellow segments
showing operational readiness =light up.
The transmission position of the automatic
transmission and the direction in which the vehi-
cle is rolling determine which warning display is active when the engine is running. Transmission posi-
tion Warning display
D
Front area activated
R,
Nor the vehicle is
rolling backwards Rear and front areas
activated
P
No areas activated
One or more segments light up as the vehicle
approaches an obstacle, depending on the vehi-
cle's distance from the obstacle.
From the:
R sixth segment onwards, you will hear an inter-
mittent warning tone for approximately two
seconds.
R seventh segment onwards, you will hear a
warning tone for approximately two seconds. This indicates that you have now reached the
minimum distance.
Deactivating/activating PARKTRONIC :
Indicator lamp
; To deactivate/activate PARKTRONIC
If indicator lamp :lights up, PARKTRONIC is
deactivated.
i PARKTRONIC is automatically activated
when you turn the key to position 2in the
ignition lock. Driving systems
157Driving and parking Z