Important safety notes
i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 64). 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. 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 142).
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 64). 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. 66
Driving safety systemsSafety
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.
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.
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 detects a risk of col-
lision with the vehicle in front, adaptive Brake
Assist calculates the necessary brake pres-
sure to avoid this 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 64).
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. 68
Driving safety systemsSafety
ETS/4ETS (Electronic Traction System)
i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 64).
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 ®
.
Off-road 4ETS (Electronic Traction Sys-
tem) A 4ETS system specifically suited to off-road
terrain is activated automatically once the off-
road program is activated (Y page 186).
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.
! If you test the parking brake using a brake
dynamometer, switch the ignition off.
Application of the brakes by ESP ®
may oth-
erwise 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 319).
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 319).
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 256) and display messages which
may be shown in the instrument cluster
(Y page 222).
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. Driving safety systems
69Safety Z
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.
Deactivating/activating ESP ®
(except
AMG vehicles) Important safety notes
You can select between the following states
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.
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.
! Avoid spinning the driven wheels for an
extended period with ESP ®
deactivated.
You could otherwise damage the drivetrain.
Deactivating/activating ESP ®
You can deactivate or activate ESP ®
via the
on-board computer. X
To deactivate: (Ypage 213).
The 00BB ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up.
X To activate: (Ypage 213).
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
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 64).
You can select between the following states
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. 70
Driving safety systemsSafety
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.
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. Driving safety systems
71Safety Z
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 PRE-SAFE ®
is no longer available, nor is it
activated if you brake firmly and ESP ®
intervenes.
R COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST is no lon-
ger available; nor is it activated if you brake
firmly with assistance from ESP ®
.
R ESP ®
still provides support when you
brake.
Off-road ESP ® An ESP
®
system specifically suited to off-road
terrain is activated automatically once the off- road program is activated (Y page 186).
Off-road ESP ®
intervenes with a delay if there
is oversteering or understeering, thus improv-
ing traction. 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 64).G
WARNING
If EBD has malfunctioned, the rear wheels can still lock, e.g. under full braking. This increa-
ses 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 254) as well as dis-
play messages (Y page 224). ADAPTIVE BRAKE
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 181) and
hill start assist (Y page 144). For further
information, see Driving tips (Y page 164). 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 wet or slippery road surface when you
brake.
R the vehicle starts to skid.
Important safety notes 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. 72
Protection against theftSafety
You can open a door from inside the vehicle
even if it has been locked. You can open the
rear doors from inside the vehicle unless they
are secured by the child-proof lock
(Y page 64).
If the vehicle has previously been locked with
the SmartKey, opening a door from the inside will trigger the anti-theft alarm system.
Switch off the alarm (Y page 73).Centrally locking and unlocking the
vehicle from the inside
You can centrally lock or unlock the vehicle
from the inside. This can be useful if you wish to lock the vehicle before pulling away, for
example. X
To unlock: press button 0043.
X To lock: press button 0044.
The vehicle locks when all the doors and
the tailgate are closed.
Meanwhile, the fuel filler flap will not be
locked or unlocked.
You cannot unlock the vehicle centrally from
the inside if the vehicle has been locked with the SmartKey.
You can open a door from inside the vehicle
even if it has been locked. You can open the
rear doors from inside the vehicle unless they
are secured by the child-proof lock
(Y page 64).
If the vehicle has previously been locked with
the SmartKey, opening a door from the inside will trigger the anti-theft alarm system.
Switch off the alarm (Y page 73). If a locked door is opened from the inside, the
previous unlock status of the vehicle will be
taken into consideration if:
R the vehicle was locked using the locking
button for the central locking, or
R if the vehicle was locked automatically
The vehicle will be fully unlocked if it had pre- viously been fully unlocked. If only the driver's
door had been previously unlocked, only the
door which has been opened from the inside
is unlocked. Automatic locking feature
X
To disarm: press and hold button 0043for
about five seconds until a tone sounds.
X To arm: press and hold button 0044for about
five seconds until a tone sounds.
i If you press one of the two buttons and do
not hear a tone, the relevant setting has
already been selected.
The vehicle is locked automatically when the
ignition is switched on and the wheels are
turning.
You could therefore lock yourself out if:
R the vehicle is being pushed.
R the vehicle is being towed.
R the vehicle is on a roller dynamometer.
You can also switch the automatic locking
function on and off using the on-board com-
puter (Y page 217). 82
DoorsOpening and closing
Problems with the seat heating
Problem
Possible causes/consequences and
0050
0050Solutions The seat heating has
switched off prema-
turely or cannot be
switched on. The on-board voltage is too low because too many electrical con-
sumers are switched on.
X Switch off electrical consumers that you do not need, such as
the rear window defroster or interior lighting.
Once the battery is sufficiently charged, the seat heating will
switch back on automatically. Steering wheel
Important safety notes
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. G
WARNING
Children could injure themselves if they
adjust the steering wheel. There is a risk of
injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never leave children unsupervised in the vehicle. Adjusting the steering wheel
G
WARNING
If the steering wheel is unlocked while the
vehicle is in motion, it could change position
unexpectedly. This could cause you to lose
control of the vehicle. There is a risk of an
accident. Before starting off, make sure the steering
wheel is locked. Never unlock the steering
wheel while the vehicle is in motion. 0043
Release lever
0044 To adjust the steering wheel height
0087 To adjust the steering wheel position
(fore-and-aft adjustment)
X Push release lever 0043down completely.
The steering column is unlocked.
X Adjust the steering wheel to the desired
position.
X Push release lever 0043up completely.
The steering column is locked.
X Check if the steering column is locked.
When doing so, try to push the steering
wheel up or down or try to move it in the
fore-and-aft direction. 102
Steering wheelSeats, steering wheel and mirrors