
Braking
Important safety notes
GWARNING
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.
Downhill gradients
! On long and steep gradients, you must
reduce the load on the brakes by shifting
early to a lower gear. This allows you to take advantage of the engine braking effect and
helps avoid overheating and excessive
wear of the brakes.
When you take advantage of the engine
braking effect, a drive wheel may not turn
for some time, e.g. on a slippery road sur-
face. This could cause damage to the drive train. This type of damage is not covered bythe Mercedes-Benz warranty.
Heavy and light loads
GWARNING
If you rest your foot on the brake pedal while
driving, the braking system can overheat. This increases the stopping distance and can even
cause the braking system to fail. There is a
risk of an accident.
Never use the brake pedal as a footrest. Never
depress the brake pedal and the accelerator
pedal at the same time.
! Depressing the brake pedal constantly
results in excessive and premature wear to
the brake pads.
If the brakes have been subjected to a heavy load, do not stop the vehicle immediately.
Drive on for a short while. This allows the air-
flow to cool the brakes more quickly.
Wet roads
If you have driven for a long time in heavy rain without braking, there may be a delayed reac-
tion from the brakes when braking for the first time. This may also occur after the vehicle has
been washed.
You have to depress the brake pedal more
firmly. Maintain a greater distance from the
vehicle in front.
After driving on a wet road or having the vehi- cle washed, brake firmly while paying atten-
tion to the traffic conditions. This will warm up
the brake discs, thereby drying them more
quickly and protecting them against corro-
sion.
Limited braking performance on salt-
treated roads
If you drive on salted roads, a layer of salt
residue may form on the brake discs and
brake pads. This can result in a significantly
longer braking distance. R Brake occasionally to remove any possible
salt residue. Make sure that you do not
endanger other road users when doing so.
R Carefully depress the brake pedal and the
beginning and end of a journey.
R Maintain a greater distance to the vehicle
ahead.
Servicing the brakes
! If the red brake warning lamp lights up in
the instrument cluster and you hear a warn-
ing tone while the engine is running, the
brake fluid level may be too low. Observe
additional warning messages in the multi-
function display.
The brake fluid level may be too low due to brake pad wear or leaking brake lines.
Have the brake system checked immedi-
ately. This work should be carried out at a
qualified specialist workshop.
All checks and maintenance work on the
brake system must be carried out at a quali-
172Driving tips
Driving and parking

Crossing vehicles
DISTRONIC PLUS may mistakenly detect
vehicles that are crossing your lane. Activat-
ing DISTRONIC PLUS at traffic lights with
crossing traffic, for example, could cause
your vehicle to pull away unintentionally.
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 maneuvering 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 canceled and the HOLD
function deactivated when you depress the
accelerator pedal to pull away.
iDo not use the HOLD function when driv-
ing off-road, on steep uphill or downhill gra-
dients or on slippery or loose surfaces. The HOLD function cannot hold the vehicle on
such surfaces.
Important safety notes
GWARNING
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 has been deactivated by
pressing the accelerator pedal or the brake
pedal, e.g. by a vehicle occupant.
R the electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses have
been tampered with.
R the battery is disconnected
There is a risk of an accident.
If you wish to exit the vehicle, always turn off the HOLD function and secure the vehicle
against rolling away.
! 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
Deactivating the HOLD function
( Y page 185).
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 your seat belt
is fastened
R the parking brake is released
R the hood is closed.
R the transmission is in position D, R or N
R DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated
184Driving systems
Driving and parking

Transmission
positionWarning display
DFront area activated
R, N or the vehicle
is rolling back-
wardsRear and front areas
activated
PNo areas activated
One or more segments light up as the vehicle
approaches an obstacle, depending on the
vehicle's distance from the obstacle.
From the:
R sixth segment onwards, you will hear an
intermittent warning tone for approx-
imately two seconds.
R seventh segment onwards, you will hear a
warning tone for approximately two sec-
onds. This indicates that you have now
reached the minimum distance.
Deactivating/activating PARKTRONIC
:Deactivating/activating PARKTRONIC
;Indicator lamp
If indicator lamp ; lights up, PARKTRONIC is
deactivated.
iPARKTRONIC is automatically activated
when you turn the SmartKey to position 2 in
the ignition lock.
Towing a trailer
! Fold in the ball coupling if the trailer tow
hitch is not required. PARKTRONIC meas-
ures the minimum detection range to an
obstacle from the bumper, not the ball cou- pling.
PARKTRONIC is deactivated for the rear area
when you establish an electrical connection
between your vehicle and a trailer.
188Driving systems
Driving and parking

Problems with PARKTRONIC
ProblemPossible causes/consequences and M Solutions
Only the red segments
in the PARKTRONIC
warning displays are lit.
You also hear a warning
tone for approximately
two seconds.
PARKTRONIC is deacti-
vated after approx-
imately five seconds,
and the indicator lamp
in the PARKTRONIC
button lights up.PARKTRONIC has malfunctioned and has switched off.
X If problems persist, have PARKTRONIC checked at a qualified
specialist workshop.
Only the red segments
in the PARKTRONIC
warning displays are lit.
PARKTRONIC is deacti-
vated after approx-
imately five seconds.The PARKTRONIC sensors are dirty or there is interference. X Clean the PARKTRONIC sensors ( Y page 309).
X Switch the ignition back on.
The problem may be caused by an external source of radio or
ultrasound waves. XSee if PARKTRONIC functions in a different location.
Active Parking Assist
Important safety notes
Active Parking Assist is an electronic parking
aid with ultrasound. Ultrasound is used to
measure the road on both sides of the vehicle. A parking symbol indicates a suitable parking
space. Active steering intervention can assist you during parking. You may also use
PARKTRONIC ( Y page 186).
GWARNING
While parking or pulling out of a parking
space, the vehicle swings out and can drive
onto areas of the oncoming lane. This could
result in a collision with another road user.
There is a risk of an accident.
Pay attention to other road users. Stop the
vehicle if necessary or cancel the Active Park-
ing Assist parking procedure.
! If unavoidable, you should drive over
obstacles such as curbs slowly and not at a sharp angle. Otherwise, you may damage
the wheels or tires.
Active Parking Assist is merely an aid. It is not
a replacement for your attention to your
immediate surroundings. You are always
responsible for safe maneuvering, parking
and exiting a parking space. Make sure that
no persons, animals or objects are in the
maneuvering range.
When PARKTRONIC is switched off, Active
Parking Assist is also unavailable.
Active Parking Assist may possibly indicate
parking spaces which are not suitable for
parking, for example:
R where parking or stopping is prohibited
R in front of driveways or entrances and exits
R on unsuitable surfaces
Driving systems189
Driving and parking
Z

then have to steer and merge into traffic on
your own. PARKTRONIC is still available.
Canceling Active Parking Assist
You can cancel Active Parking Assist at any
time.
X Stop the movement of the multifunction
steering wheel or steer yourself.
Active Parking Assist will be canceled at
once. The
Park Assist Canceled mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
or
X Press the PARKTRONIC button on the cen-
ter console ( Y page 188).
PARKTRONIC is switched off and Active
Parking Assist is immediately canceled.
The
Park Assist Canceled message
appears in the multifunction display.
Active Parking Assist is canceled automati-
cally if: R transmission position P is selected
R parking using Active Parking Assist is no
longer possible
R you are driving faster than 6 mph (10 km/h)
R a wheel spins, ESP ®
intervenes or fails. The
÷ warning lamp lights up in the instru-
ment cluster.
A warning tone sounds. The parking symbol
goes out and the
Park Assist Canceled
message appears in the multifunction dis-
play.
If Active Parking Assist is canceled, you must
steer again yourself.
Towing a trailer
For vehicles with a trailer tow hitch, the min-
imum length for parking spaces is slightly
increased.
If you have attached a trailer to your vehicle,
you should not use Active Parking Assist.
Once the electrical connection is established between your vehicle and the trailer, Active
Parking Assist is no longer available.
PARKTRONIC is deactivated for the rear area.
Rear view camera
General notes
:Rear view camera
Rear view camera : is located in the handle
strip of the tailgate.
Rear view camera : is an optical parking and
maneuvering aid. It uses guide lines to show
the area behind your vehicle in the Audio/
COMAND display.
The area behind the vehicle is displayed as a
mirror image, as in the rear view mirror.
iThe text of messages shown in the
COMAND display depends on the language
setting. The following are examples of rear view camera messages in the COMAND
display.
Important safety notes
The rear view camera is only an aid. It is not a
replacement for your attention to your imme- diate surroundings. You are always responsi-
ble for safe maneuvering and parking. When
maneuvering or parking, make sure that there are no persons, animals or objects in the area
in which you are maneuvering.
Under the following circumstances, the rear
view camera will not function, or will function
in a limited manner:
R if the tailgate is open
R in heavy rain, snow or fog
R at night or in very dark places
R if the camera is exposed to very bright light
Driving systems193
Driving and parking
Z

Ryou 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.
Blind Spot Assist monitors the area up to 10 ft
(3 m) behind your vehicle and directly next toyour 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.
Indicator and warning display
Blind Spot Assist is not active at speeds below
approximately 20 mph (30 km/h). Vehicles in the monitoring range are then not indicated.
:Yellow indicator lamp/red warning lamp
When Blind Spot Assist is activated, indicator
lamp : in the exterior mirrors lights up yel-
low at speeds of up to 20 mph (30 km/h). At speeds above 20 mph (30 km/h), the indica-
tor lamp goes out and 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 : on the corre-
sponding side lights up red. This warning is
always emitted 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, Blind Spot
Assist is no longer active.
The brightness of the indicator/warning
lamps is adjusted automatically according to
the ambient light.
Collision warning
If a vehicle is detected in the monitoring range of Blind Spot Assist and you switch on the
corresponding turn signal, a double warning
tone sounds. Red warning lamp : flashes. If
the turn signal remains on, vehicles detected
204Driving systems
Driving and parking

are indicated by the flashing of red warning
lamp :. There are no further warning tones.
Switching on Blind Spot Assist X Make sure that Blind Spot Assist
(Y page 229) is activated in the on-board
computer.
X Turn the SmartKey to position 2 in the igni-
tion lock.
Warning lamps : in the exterior mirrors
light up red for approximately 1.5 seconds
and then turn yellow.
Towing a trailer
When you attach a trailer, make sure you have
correctly established the electrical connec-
tion. This can be accomplished by checking
the trailer lighting. In this event, Blind Spot
Assist is deactivated. The indicator lamp
lights up yellow in the exterior mirrors and the
Blind Spot Assist Currently UnavailZ
able See Operator's Manual message
appears in the multifunction display.
iYou can deactivate the indicator lamps in
the exterior mirrors.
To do so, switch off Blind Spot Assist when:
R the SmartKey is in position 2 in the igni-
tion lock
R the engine is not running
R the electrical connection to the trailer
has been established
Lane Keeping Assist
General notes
Lane Keeping Assist monitors the area in
front of your vehicle with camera :, which is
mounted at the top of the windshield. Lane
Keeping Assist detects lane markings on the
road and warns you before you leave your
lane unintentionally.
:Active Lane Keeping Assist camera
If you select
km on the on-board computer in
the
Display Unit Speed-/Odometer func-
tion ( Y page 230), Lane Keeping Assist is
active starting at a speed of 60 km/h. If the
miles display unit is selected, the assistance
range begins at 40 mph.
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 steer-
ing wheel for up to 1.5 seconds.
Important safety notes
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 accountthe 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.
GWARNING
Lane Keeping Assist may not always clearly
recognize lane markings.
In this case, Lane Keeping Assist may:
R give an unnecessary warning
R not give a warning
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.
Driving systems205
Driving and parking
Z

In particular, the detection of obstacles can
be impaired if:R dirt on the sensors or anything else cover-
ing the sensors
R poor visibility, e.g. due to rain, snow or
spray
Vehicles in the monitoring range are then not
indicated.
Active Blind Spot Assist may not detect nar-
row vehicles, such as motorcycles or bicy-
cles, or may only detect them too late.
Active 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.
For this purpose, Active Blind Spot Assist
uses radar sensors in the rear bumper.
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. Two Active Blind Spot Assist radar sensors
are integrated into the front and rear bumpers
respectively. An additional radar sensor is
located behind the cover in the radiator grill.
Make sure that the sensors and areas around
them 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 sensors checked at a qualified specialist workshop.
Blind Spot Assist may otherwise not work
properly.
Indicator and warning display
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.
:Yellow indicator lamp/red warning lamp
When Active Blind Spot Assist is activated,
indicator lamp : in 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 : on the corre-
sponding side lights up red. This warning is
always emitted 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).
208Driving systems
Driving and parking