!
Vehicles with 4MATIC:
as the ESP®
sys-
tem operates automatically, the engine and
the ignition system must be switched off
(SmartKey in position 0or 1in the ignition
lock or Start/Stop button in position 0or 1)
when:
R testing the parking brake on a brake
dynamometer.
R you intend to have the vehicle towed with
one of the axles raised.
Braking maneuvers triggered automatically
by ESP ®
may seriously damage the brake
system.
All checks and maintenance work on the
brake system must be carried out at a quali-
fied specialist workshop. Consult a qualified
specialist workshop to arrange this.
Have brake pads installed and brake fluid
replaced at a qualified specialist workshop.
If the brake system has only been subject to
moderate loads, you should test the function-
ality of your brakes at regular intervals. To do so, press firmly on the brake pedal when driv-
ing at a high speed. This improves the grip of
the brake pads.
You can find a description of Brake Assist
(BAS) at (Y page 70) or of BAS PLUS with
Intersection Assist at (Y page 70).
The braking characteristics of the vehicle can be seriously impaired if:
R brake pads other than those recommended
are installed
R the recommended brake fluid is not used
Safe braking can no longer be guaranteed.
AMG high-performance and ceramic
brakes The high-performance brake system is only
available on AMG vehicles. The AMG brake systems are designed for
heavy loads. This may lead to noise when
braking. This will depend on:
R speed
R braking force
R environmental conditions, such as temper-
ature and humidity
The wear of individual components of the
brake system, such as the brake pads/linings
or brake discs, depends on the individual driv-
ing style and operating conditions.
For this reason, it is impossible to state a
mileage that will be valid under all circum-
stances. An aggressive driving style will lead
to high wear. You can obtain further informa- tion about this from your authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
New and replaced brake pads and discs only
reach their optimum braking effect after sev-
eral hundred kilometers of driving. Compen-
sate for this by applying greater force to the
brake pedal. Keep this in mind, and adapt
your driving and braking accordingly during
this break-in period.
Excessive heavy braking results in corre-
spondingly high brake wear. Observe the
brake wear warning lamp in the instrument
cluster and note any brake status messages
in the multifunction display. Especially for
high performance driving, it is important to
maintain and have the brake system checked regularly. Driving on wet roads
Hydroplaning If water has accumulated to a certain depth
on the road surface, there is a danger of
hydroplaning occurring, even if:
R
you drive at low speeds.
R the tires have adequate tread depth. Driving tips
185Driving and parking Z
For this reason, in the event of heavy rain or in
conditions in which hydroplaning may occur,
you must drive in the following manner:
R lower your speed.
R avoid ruts.
R avoid sudden steering movements.
R brake carefully.
Driving on flooded roads !
Do not drive through flooded areas.
Check the depth of any water before driving
through it. Drive slowly through standing
water. Otherwise, water may enter the
vehicle interior or the engine compartment.
This can damage the electronic compo-
nents in the engine or the automatic trans- mission. Water can also be drawn in by the engine's air suction nozzles and this can
cause engine damage. Winter driving
G
WARNING
If you shift down on a slippery road surface in an attempt to increase the engine's braking
effect, the drive wheels could lose their grip.
There is an increased danger of skidding and
accidents.
Do not shift down for additional engine brak-
ing on a slippery road surface. G
DANGER
If the exhaust pipe is blocked or adequate
ventilation is not possible, poisonous gases
such as carbon monoxide (CO) may enter the vehicle. This is the case, e.g. if the vehicle
becomes trapped in snow. There is a risk of
fatal injury.
If you leave the engine or the auxiliary heating
running, make sure the exhaust pipe and area
around the vehicle are clear of snow. To
ensure an adequate supply of fresh air, open a window on the side of the vehicle that is not
facing into the wind. Have your vehicle winter-proofed at a quali-
fied specialist workshop at the onset of win-
ter.
Drive particularly carefully on slippery road
surfaces. Avoid sudden acceleration, steering and braking maneuvers. Do not use the cruise
control or DISTRONIC PLUS.
If the vehicle threatens to skid or cannot be
stopped when moving at low speed:
X Shift the transmission to position N.
i Vehicles with a diesel engine:
do not
cover the radiator, e.g. with a protective
cover. The measuring function of the
onboard diagnosis system may otherwise
provide inaccurate values. Some of these
values are required by law and must there- fore always be accurate.
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 freez-
ing point do not guarantee that the road sur-
face is free of ice. The road may still be icy,
especially in wooded areas or on bridges. The vehicle could skid if you fail to adapt your
driving style. Always adapt your driving style
and drive at a speed to suit the prevailing
weather conditions.
You should pay special attention to road con-
ditions when temperatures are around freez-
ing point.
For more information on driving with snow
chains, see (Y page 365).
For more information on driving with summer
tires, see (Y page 364).
Observe the notes in the "Winter operation"
section (Y page 364). 186
Driving tipsDriving and parking
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.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Hybrid vehicles: be sure to read the "HYBRID" supplement. Otherwise, you could fail to rec-
ognize dangers. G
WARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS does not react to:
R people or animals
R stationary obstacles on the road, e.g. stop-
ped or parked vehicles
R oncoming and crossing traffic
As a result, DISTRONIC PLUS may neither give
warnings nor intervene in such situations.
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit- uation and be ready to brake. G
WARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS cannot always clearly iden- tify other road users and complex traffic sit-
uations.
In such cases, DISTRONIC PLUS may:
R give an unnecessary warning and then
brake the vehicle
R neither give a warning nor intervene
R accelerate or brake unexpectedly
There is a risk of an accident.
Continue to drive carefully and be ready to
brake, in particular when warned to do so by
DISTRONIC PLUS. G
WARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS brakes your vehicle with up to 50% of the maximum possible deceleration.
If this braking force is insufficient, DISTRONIC
PLUS warns you visually and audibly. There is a risk of an accident.
In such cases, apply the brakes yourself and
try to take evasive action.
! If DISTRONIC PLUS or the HOLD function
is activated, the vehicle brakes automati-
cally in certain situations. To prevent dam-
age to the vehicle, deactivate DISTRONIC
PLUS and the HOLD function in the follow- ing or other similar situations:
R when towing the vehicle
R in the car wash
If you fail to adapt your driving style,
DISTRONIC PLUS can neither reduce the risk
of accident nor override the laws of physics.
DISTRONIC PLUS cannot take into account
the road, traffic and weather conditions.
DISTRONIC PLUS 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 your lane.
Do not use DISTRONIC PLUS:
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 slippery road surfaces. Braking or accel-
erating could 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
DISTRONIC PLUS may not detect narrow
vehicles driving in front, e.g. motorcycles, or
vehicles driving on a different line.
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 190
Driving systemsDriving and parking
DISTRONIC PLUS with Steering Assist
and Stop&Go Pilot General notes
DISTRONIC PLUS with Steering Assist and
Stop&Go Pilot aids you in keeping the vehicle in the center of the driving lane by means of
moderate steering interventions in the speed
range from 0 - 125 mph (0 - 200 km/h).
It monitors the area in front of your vehicle by means of multifunction camera 0043, at the top
of the windshield.
At speeds of 0 - 37 mph (0 - 60 km/h),
Stop&Go Pilot focuses on the vehicle in front,
taking into account lane markings, e.g. when following vehicles in a traffic jam.
At speeds of more than 37 mph (60 km/h)
Steering Assist focuses on detected lane
markings (left and right), and only on the vehi- cle in front if lane markings are missing.
If these conditions are not present, Steering
Assist and Stop&Go Pilot cannot provide
assistance.
DISTRONIC PLUS must be active in order for
the function to be available.
Important safety notes
If you fail to adapt your driving style,
DISTRONIC PLUS with Steering Assist and
Stop&Go Pilot can neither reduce the risk of
an accident nor override the laws of physics.
It cannot take account of road, weather and
traffic conditions. DISTRONIC PLUS with
Steering Assist and Stop&Go Pilot 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 your
lane.
DISTRONIC PLUS with Steering Assist and
Stop&Go Pilot does not detect road and traf-
fic conditions. If you are following a vehicle
which is driving towards the edge of the road,
your vehicle could come into contact with the
curb or other road boundaries. Be particularly aware of other road users, e.g. cyclists, that
are directly next to your vehicle.
Obstacles such as building site huts on the
lane or projecting out into the lane are not
detected.
An inappropriate steering intervention, e.g.
after intentionally driving over a lane marking,
can be corrected at any time if you steer
slightly in the opposite direction.
DISTRONIC PLUS with Steering Assist and
Stop&Go Pilot cannot continuously keep your vehicle in lane. In some cases, the steering
intervention is not sufficient to bring the vehi-
cle back to the lane. In such cases, you must
steer the vehicle yourself to ensure that it
does not leave the lane.
The support provided by the system can be
impaired if:
R there is poor visibility, e.g. due to insuffi-
cient 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 no, or several, unclear lane markings are
present for one lane, e.g. in a construction
area
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 198
Driving systemsDriving and parking
The "Raised level" remains active when you
are not driving within these speed ranges.
Setting the normal level
X Start the engine.
If indicator lamp 0043is lit:
X Press button 0044.
Indicator lamp 0043goes out. The vehicle is
adjusted to normal level.
Suspension tuning General notes
The electronically controlled damping system
works continuously. This improves driving
safety and ride comfort.
The damping is tuned individually to each
wheel and depends on:
R your driving style, e.g. sporty
R the road surface condition, e.g. bumps
R your individual selection, i.e. sports or com-
fort
Your selection remains stored even if you
remove the SmartKey from the ignition lock.
Sports tuning The firmer suspension tuning in Sport mode
ensures even better contact with the road.
Select this mode when employing a sporty
driving style, e.g. on winding country roads.
X Press button 0043.
Indicator lamp 0044lights up. Sports suspen-
sion tuning is selected. The
AIRMATIC SPORT
AIRMATIC SPORT message appears in
the multifunction display.
Comfort tuning
In comfort mode, the driving characteristics
of your vehicle are more comfortable. There-
fore, select this mode if you favor a more
comfortable driving style. Select comfort
mode also when driving fast on straight roads, e.g. on straight stretches of highway.
X Press button 0043.
Indicator lamp 0087lights up. Comfort tuning
is selected.
The AIRMATIC COMFORT AIRMATIC COMFORT message appears
in the multifunction display. AMG adaptive sport suspension sys-
tem
Important safety notes G
WARNING
When the vehicle is being lowered, people
could become trapped if their limbs are
between the vehicle body and the wheels or
underneath the vehicle. There is a risk of
injury.
Make sure no one is underneath the vehicle or in the immediate vicinity of the wheel arches
when the vehicle is being lowered. G
WARNING
Vehicles with level control:
The vehicle is slightly lowered if:
R you have selected comfort suspension tun-
ing and
R you lock the vehicle within approximately
60 seconds of switching off the engine
You and people in the vicinity of the wheel
arch or the underbody may thus become trap- ped. There is a risk of injury.
Make sure that nobody is in the vicinity of thewheel arch or the underbody when you lock
the vehicle. Driving systems
203Driving and parking Z
!
Never tow the vehicle with one axle
raised. This may damage the transfer case.
Damage of this sort is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty. All
wheels must remain either on the ground or be fully raised. Observe the instructions for
towing the vehicle with all wheels in full
contact with the ground.
i In wintry driving conditions, the maximum
effect of 4MATIC can only be achieved if
you use winter tires (M+S tires), with snow
chains if necessary.
4MATIC ensures that all four wheels are per-
manently driven. Together with ESP ®
, it
improves the traction of your vehicle when-
ever a drive wheel spins due to insufficient
grip. 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 replace-
ment for your attention to your immediate
surroundings. You are always responsible for
safe maneuvering, parking and exiting a park-
ing space. When maneuvering, parking or
pulling out of a parking space, make sure that there are no persons, animals or objects in
the area in which you are maneuvering.
! 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 other
objects that absorb ultrasonic waves. Ultrasonic sources such as an automatic
car wash, the compressed-air brakes on a
truck or a pneumatic drill could cause
PARKTRONIC to malfunction.
PARKTRONIC may not function correctly on
uneven terrain.
PARKTRONIC is activated automatically when you:
R switch on the ignition
R shift the transmission to position D,Ror N
R release the parking brake
PARKTRONIC is deactivated at speeds above
11 mph (18 km/h). It is reactivated at lower
speeds.
Range of the sensors General notes
PARKTRONIC does not take objects into con-
sideration that are:
R below the detection range, e.g. people, ani-
mals or objects.
R above the detection range, e.g. overhang-
ing loads, truck overhangs or loading
ramps. 0043
Sensors in the front bumper, left-hand
side (example)
The sensors must be free from dirt, ice or
slush. They can otherwise not function cor-
rectly. Clean the sensors regularly, taking
care not to scratch or damage them
(Y page 340). 206
Driving systemsDriving and parking
As a result, Blind Spot Assist may not give
warnings in such situations. There is a risk of an accident.
Always observe the traffic conditions care-
fully, and maintain a safe lateral distance.
Blind Spot Assist is only an aid. It may fail to
detect some vehicles and is no substitute for attentive driving. Always ensure that there is
sufficient distance to the side for other road
users and obstacles.
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. Removing, tampering
with, or altering 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.
Monitoring range of the sensors
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 poor visibility, e.g. due to fog, heavy
rain, snow or spray
R there are narrow vehicles, e.g. motorcycles
or bicycles
R the road has very wide lanes
R the road has narrow lanes
R you are not driving in the middle of the lane
R there are barriers or similar lane borders
Vehicles in the monitoring range are then not indicated. Example: Sedan
Blind Spot Assist monitors the area up to 10 ft
(3 m) behind your vehicle and directly next to your vehicle, as shown in the diagram.
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.
Due to the nature of the system:
R warnings may be issued in error when driv-
ing close to crash barriers or similar solid
lane borders.
R the warning is canceled when driving for an
extended period next to long vehicles, such
as trucks.
The two radar sensors for Blind Spot Assist
are integrated into the sides of the rear
bumper. Make sure that the bumper is free of dirt, ice or slush in the vicinity of the sensors.
The sensors must not be covered, for exam-
ple by cycle racks or overhanging loads. Fol-
lowing a severe impact or in the event of dam- age to the bumpers, have the function of the
sensors checked at a qualified specialist
workshop. Blind Spot Assist may otherwise
not work properly. Driving systems
221Driving and parking Z
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay particular attention to the traffic
situation and stay in lane, in particular if
warned by Lane Keeping Assist. G
WARNING
The Lane Keeping Assist warning does not
return the vehicle to the original lane. There is a risk of an accident.
You should always steer, brake or accelerate
yourself, in particular if warned by Lane Keep-ing Assist.
If you fail to adapt your driving style, Lane
Keeping Assist can neither reduce the risk of
an 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.
The Lane Keeping Assist does not keep the
vehicle in the lane.
The system may be impaired or may not func- tion if:
R there is poor visibility, e.g. due to insuffi-
cient 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 mark-
ings for a lane, e.g. in areas with road con-
struction 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 road
Switching on Lane Keeping Assist
X Switch on Active Lane Keeping Assist using
the on-board computer; to do so, select
Standard
Standard orAdaptive Adaptive (Ypage 242).
If you drive at speeds above 40 mph
(60 km/h) and lane markings are detected, the lines in the assistance graphics display(Y page 241) are shown in green. Lane
Keeping Assist is ready for use.
Standard
If Standard Standard is selected, no warning vibration
occurs if:
R you have switched on the turn signals. In
this event, the warnings are suppressed for
a certain period of time.
R a driving safety system intervenes, such as
ABS, BAS or ESP ®
.
Adaptive
When Adaptive Adaptive is selected, no warning vibra-
tion occurs if:
R you have switched on the turn signals. In
this event, the warnings are suppressed for a certain period of time.
R a driving safety system intervenes, e.g.
ABS, BAS or ESP ®
.
R you accelerate hard, e.g. kickdown.
R you brake hard.
R you steer actively, e.g. swerve to avoid an
obstacle or change lanes quickly.
R you cut the corner on a sharp bend.
In order that you are warned only when nec-
essary and in good time if you cross the lane marking, the system recognizes certain con-
ditions and warns you accordingly. Driving systems
223Driving and parking Z