Braking
X
If ABS intervenes: continue to depress the
brake pedal vigorously 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 System)
General information 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 69). 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 PLUS) with
Cross-Traffic Assist
General information i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 69).
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 by using typi-
cal 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
brake system is still available with complete
brake boosting effect and BAS.
i Observe the restrictions described in the
"Important safety notes" sec-
tion“ (Y page 70).
BAS PLUS can help you to minimize the risk of a collision with a vehicle or a pedestrian and
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. 70
Driving safety systemsSafety
Up to a speed of approximately 44 mph
(70 km/h), BAS PLUS may 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 objects crossing your path and that are
recognized in the detection range of the
sensors
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, 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 information 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 minimize the risk of a front-end
collision with a vehicle ahead 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 system PLUS adaptive
Brake Assist assists you.
Important safety notes In particular, the detection of obstacles can
be impaired if:
R there is dirt on the sensors or anything else
covering 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
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 156).
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.
Distance warning function Important safety notes
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion for driving safety systems (Y page 69). 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. 72
Driving safety systemsSafety
Adaptive Brake Assist provides braking assis-
tance in hazardous situations at speeds
above 4 mph (7 km/h). It uses radar sensor
technology 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 may:
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, 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 has detected that
there is a risk of a collision, it calculates the
braking force necessary to avoid a collision.
Should you apply the brakes vigorously, Adaptive 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 vehicle speeds of around 155 mph
(250 km/h), adaptive Brake Assist is capable
of reacting to moving objects that have
already been recognized as such at least once
over the period of observation.
Up to a speed of approximately 44 mph
(70 km/h), adaptive Brake Assist reacts to
stationary obstacles. ESP
®
(Electronic Stability Program)
General notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 69).
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. 74
Driving safety systemsSafety
ETS/4ETS (Electronic Traction System)
ETS traction control is part of ESP
®
. On vehi-
cles with 4MATIC, 4ETS is part 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, even if you
deactivate ESP ®
.
Important safety notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 69). 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.
! Vehicles with 4MATIC: switch off the igni-
tion when the 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.
! 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. Vehicles without 4MATIC: observe the notes
on ESP ®
(Y page 357) when towing the vehi-
cle with a raised rear axle.
ESP ®
is deactivated if the 00BBwarning lamp
in the instrument cluster lights up continu-
ously when the engine is running.
If the 00E5 warning lamp and the 00BBwarn-
ing lamp are lit continuously, ESP ®
is not
available due to a malfunction.
Observe the information on warning lamps
(Y page 283) and display messages which
may be shown in the instrument cluster
(Y page 252).
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-
cally when the driver wants to pull away again.
ESP ®
remains in its previously selected sta-
tus. Example: if ESP®
was deactivated before
the engine was switched off, ESP ®
remains
deactivated when the engine is switched on
again. Driving safety systems
75Safety Z
Deactivating/activating ESP
®
(except
AMG vehicles) Important safety notes
You can select between the following sta-
tuses of ESP:
R ESP ®
is activated.
R ESP ®
is deactivated. G
WARNING
If you deactivate ESP ®
, ESP ®
no longer sta-
bilizes the vehicle. There is an increased risk
of skidding and an accident.
Only deactivate ESP ®
in the situations descri-
bed in the following.
! Avoid spinning the driven wheels for an
extended period with ESP ®
deactivated.
You could otherwise damage the drivetrain.
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
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.
Deactivating/activating ESP ®
X To deactivate: (Ypage 241).
The 00BB ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up.
X To activate: (Ypage 241).
The 00BB 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 00E5ESP®
warning lamp in
the instrument cluster flashes. In such situa-
tions, 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 cut- ting action for better traction on loose sur-faces.
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 between the following sta-
tuses 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 acci-
dents.
Only activate SPORT handling mode in the sit- uations described in the following. G
WARNING
If you deactivate ESP ®
, ESP ®
no longer sta-
bilizes the vehicle. There is an increased risk
of skidding and an accident.
Only deactivate ESP ®
in the situations descri-
bed in the following.
! Avoid spinning the driven wheels for an
extended period with ESP ®
deactivated.
You could otherwise damage the drivetrain.
It may be best to activate SPORT handling
mode in the following situations:
R when using snow chains
R in deep snow 76
Driving safety syste
msSafety
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.
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
OFF message 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 00E5ONON
message appears in the multifunction dis-
play. 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.
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 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 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. Driving safety systems
77Safety Z
EBD (electronic brake force distribu-
tion)
General information EBD monitors and controls the brake pres-
sure on the rear wheels to improve driving
stability while braking.
Important safety notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion for driving safety systems (Y page 69).G
WARNING
If EBD is malfunctioning, the rear wheels can
lock, e.g. under full braking. This increases the risk of skidding and an accident.
You should therefore adapt your driving style
to the different handling characteristics. Have the brake system checked at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
Observe information regarding indicator and
warning lamps (Y page 282) as well as dis-
play messages (Y page 254).ADAPTIVE BRAKE
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 69).
ADAPTIVE BRAKE enhances braking safety
and offers increased braking comfort. In addi-
tion to the braking function, ADAPTIVE BRAKE
also has the HOLD function (Y page 200) and
hill start assist (Y page 161). PRE-SAFE
®
Brake
General information i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 69).
PRE ‑SAFE ®
Brake is only available for vehi-
cles with the Driving Assistance package.
For PRE-SAFE ®
Brake to assist you when driv-
ing, the radar sensor system and the camera system must be switched on and be opera-
tional.
With the help of the radar sensor system and
the camera system, PRE-SAFE ®
Brake can
detect obstacles that are in front of your vehi-
cle for an extended period of time.
In addition, pedestrians in the path of your
vehicle can be detected.
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake detects pedestrians using
typical characteristics such as the body con-
tours and posture of a person standing
upright.
i Observe the restrictions described in the
"Important safety notes" sec-
tion“ (Y page 78).
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake can help you to minimize
the risk of a collision with a vehicle ahead or a pedestrian, and reduce the effects of such a
collision. If PRE-SAFE ®
Brake has detected a
risk of collision, you will be warned visually
and acoustically as well as by automatic brak- ing.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake will initially brake your vehi-
cle by a partial application of the brakes if a
danger of collision is detected. There may be
a collision unless you brake yourself. Even
after subsequent full application of the brakes
a collision cannot always be avoided, partic-
ularly when approaching at too high a speed.
There is a risk of an accident.
Always apply the brakes yourself and try to
take evasive action, provided it is safe to do
so. G
WARNING
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake cannot always clearly iden-
tify objects and complex traffic conditions. 78
Driving safety systemsSafety
X
Brake immediately to defuse the situation.
or X Take evasive action provided it is safe to do
so.
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake can also brake the vehicle
automatically under the following conditions:
R the driver and front-passenger have their
seat belts fastened
and
R the vehicle speed is between approx-
imately 4 mph (7 km/h) and 124 mph
(200 km/h)
At a speed of up to approximately 44 mph
(70 km/h), PRE-SAFE ®
Brake can also detect:
R stationary objects in the path of your vehi-
cle, e.g. stopped or parked vehicles
R pedestrians in the path of your vehicle
i If there is an increased risk of collision,
preventive passenger protection measures
(PRE-SAFE ®
) are activated.
If the risk of collision with the vehicle in front
remains and you do not brake, take evasive
action or accelerate significantly, the vehicle
may perform automatic emergency braking,
up to the point of full brake application. Auto- matic emergency braking is not performed
until immediately prior to an imminent acci-
dent.
You can prevent the intervention of the PRE-
SAFE ®
Brake at any time by:
R depressing the accelerator pedal further.
R activating kickdown.
R releasing the brake pedal.
The braking action of PRE-SAFE ®
Brake is
ended automatically if:
R you maneuver to avoid the obstacle.
R there is no longer a risk of collision.
R there is no longer an obstacle detected in
front of your vehicle. STEER CONTROL
General information STEER CONTROL helps you by transmitting a
noticeable steering force to the steering
wheel in the direction required for vehicle
stabilization.
This steering assistance is provided in partic-
ular if:
R both right wheels or both left wheels are on
a slippery road surface when you brake
heavily.
R the vehicle starts to skid.
Important safety notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 69).
No steering support is provided from STEER
CONTROL, if:
R ESP ®
is malfunctioning.
R the lighting is faulty.
Power steering will, however, continue to
function. Protection against theft
Immobilizer
The immobilizer prevents your vehicle from
being started without the correct SmartKey.
X To activate with the SmartKey: remove
the SmartKey from the ignition lock.
X To activate with KEYLESS-GO: switch the
ignition off and open the driver's door.
X To deactivate: switch on the ignition.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Any-
one can start the engine if a valid SmartKey
has been left inside the vehicle.
i The immobilizer is always deactivated
when you start the engine.
In the event that the engine cannot be star- ted (yet the vehicle's battery is charged), 80
Protection against theftSafety