2015 MERCEDES-BENZ S-Class ECO mode

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 dis-
play.
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 automati-
cally if:
R you accelerate and the transmission is in
position Dor R.
R you shift the transmission to position P.
R you depress the brake pedal again with a
certain amount of pressure until ëdis-
appears from the multifunction display.
R you secure the vehicle using the electric
parking brake.
R you activate DISTRONIC PLUS.
i After a time, the electric parking brake
secures the vehicle and relieves the service
brake. The HOLD function is then deacti-
vated. When the HOLD function is activated, the
transmission is shifted automatically to posi-
tion Pif:
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
The electric parking brake secures the vehicle automatically if DISTRONIC PLUS is activated
when the vehicle is stationary and:
R a system malfunction occurs.
R the power supply is not sufficient.
If a malfunction in the electric parking brake
occurs, then the transmission may also be
shifted into position Pautomatically. Magic Body Control
General notes MAGIC BODY CONTROL consists of Active
Body Control (ABC), ROAD SURFACE SCAN
as well as automatic vehicle stabilization in
the event of a crosswind.
Your vehicle automatically adjusts its ride
height to improve driving safety and reduce
fuel consumption. The suspension mode is
adjusted according to your selection (sports
or comfort), the road surface conditions and
the vehicle load. A multifunction camera
detects bumps in the road surface before the
vehicle drives over them. This reduces chas-
sis movements.
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. Driving systems
243Driving and parking
Z

The ROAD SURFACE SCAN function monitors
the road in front of the vehicle using multi-
function camera :at the top of the wind-
shield. This function is automatically active if you select comfort suspension tuning. The
system is operational at speeds of up to
81 mph (130 km/h).
This function allows bumps in the road sur-
face to be detected before the vehicle drives
over them. The spring struts are then actu-
ated, with the result that chassis movements
are significantly reduced when driving over
bumps.
The system is deactivated when you select
the raised vehicle level or sports mode.
The system may be impaired or may not func-
tion if:
R the road surface is insufficiently lit
R there is poor visibility, e.g. snow, rain, fog or
spray
R there is glare, e.g. from the sun or from
oncoming traffic
R the windshield is dirty, fogged up or cov-
ered, for instance by a sticker, in the vicinity
of the camera
R the road surface has no texture or is reflec-
tive, e.g. in the case of newly laid asphalt,
concrete slabs or puddles
R the distance to the vehicle in front is too
short
R sections of the route have a very small
radius of curvature
R you accelerate hard or brake sharply AIRMATIC
General notes AIRMATIC is an air suspension with variable
damping for improved driving comfort. All-
round level control ensures the best possible suspension and constant ground clearance,
even with a laden vehicle. When you drive
fast, the vehicle is lowered automatically to
improve driving safety and to reduce fuel con- sumption. There is also the option to manually
adjust the vehicle level. AIRMATIC consists of
level setting, level control and the Adaptive
Damping System ADS PLUS.
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.
Vehicle level Setting the raised vehicle level
It is possible to choose between the "Normal"
and "Raised" vehicle levels. Select the "Nor-
mal" setting for normal road surfaces and
"Raised" for driving with snow chains or on
particularly poor road surfaces. Your selec-
tion remains stored even if you remove the
SmartKey from the ignition lock.
X Start the engine.
If indicator lamp ;is not lit:
X Press button :.
Indicator lamp ;lights up. The vehicle is
raised by 1.0 in (25 mm) compared to the
normal level. 246
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Top view with image from the side cam-
eras :
Symbol for the top view and forward-
facing side camera setting
; Yellow guide line for the vehicle width
including the exterior mirrors (right side of vehicle)
= Yellow guide line for the vehicle width
including the exterior mirrors (left side of
vehicle)
i You can also select the side camera set-
ting for the rear-facing view.
Wide-angle function :
Symbol for the full screen setting with rear
view camera image
; Own vehicle
= PARKTRONIC warning displays
If the vehicle is equipped with PARKTRONIC
and the function is active (Y page 250), warn-
ing displays =in the COMAND display are
also active or light up accordingly. PARKTRONIC appears:
R in split screen view as red or yellow brack-
ets around the vehicle icon in the top view, or
R in the full screen view, on the right-hand
side at the bottom as red or yellow brackets
around the vehicle icon
i The full screen display can also be selec-
ted as front view.
Select this view when you are driving out of an exit and the view of crossing traffic is restric-
ted, for example.
i If you select the
%symbol in the dis-
play and confirm with the controller, the
split-screen view appears.
Exiting 360° camera display mode The 360° camera display is stopped
R when you select transmission position P, or
R when you are driving at moderate speeds
The view which was active before the 360°
camera was displayed appears in the
COMAND display. You can also stop the 360° camera display split-screen view by selecting
the % symbol in the display and then con-
firming with the COMAND controller. ATTENTION ASSIST
General notes ATTENTION ASSIST helps you during long,
monotonous journeys, such as on highways.
It is active in the 37 mph (60 km/h) to
125 mph (200 km/h) range. If ATTEN-
TION ASSIST detects typical indicators of fati-
gue or increasing lapses in concentration on
the part of the driver, it suggests taking a
break.
Important safety notes ATTENTION ASSIST is only an aid to the
driver. It might not always recognize fatigue
or increasing inattentiveness in time or fail to264
Driving systemsDriving an
d parking

R
you switch 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.
The warning vibration occurs earlier if:
R you approach the outer lane marking on a
bend.
R the road has very wide lanes, e.g. a high-
way.
R the system recognizes solid lane markings.
The warning vibration occurs later if:
R the road has narrow lanes.
R you cut the corner on a bend. PLUG-IN HYBRID operation
Points to remember
General notes Hybrid technology combines a fuel efficient
internal combustion engine with a powerful
electric motor. In HYBRIDmode, the hybrid
system automatically selects the most effi-
cient operating mode for every driving situa-
tion. Drive the vehicle in the usual manner.
To save fuel, in HYBRIDmode, the hybrid
system switches off the combustion engine
as often as possible during the journey when power output requirements are low. When
power output requirements are low, the elec-
tric motor powers the vehicle. The engine is
switched on, even while the vehicle is in
motion, when a higher power output is
required. The engine is usually switched off when the vehicle is stationary. Consequently,
there is usually no engine idling as with com-
bustion engine vehicles.
For pulling away and accelerating, the electric motor supports the internal combustion
engine using the power stored in the high-
voltage battery. This energy is also used for
driving in partially electric mode, to operate
the electric refrigerant compressor and sup-
port the 12 V on-board electrical system. In
this way the hybrid drive helps to reduce your
vehicle's fuel consumption.
Observe the driving tips on PLUG-IN HYBRID
operation (Y page 287).
Recuperative Brake System If you release the accelerator pedal when the
vehicle is in motion, overrun recuperation is
initiated. The electric motor is operated as a
generator when in overrun mode and when
you brake. Hybrid technology converts the
kinetic energy of the vehicle into electricity
and stores it in the high-voltage battery.
Observe the important safety notes for the
Recuperative Brake System (Y page 48). Important safety notes
If the engine is switched off by the ECO start/
stop function and you open the driver's door:
R a message appears in the multifunction dis-
play and
R a warning tone sounds
Further information (Y page 340).
All of the vehicle's systems remain active, if:
R the vehicle is stationary
R the combustion engine is switched off and
R the READY indicator in the instrument clus-
ter lights up
If you remove your foot from the brake pedal
while in transmission position D or R, the
vehicle may pull away automatically.
Observe the notes on the READY display of
the ECO start/stop function (Y page 288).276
PLUG-IN HYBRID operationDriving and pa
rking

If you rapidly depress the accelerator, the
electric motor supports the internal combus-
tion engine by providing additional torque.
The arrows for the energy flow are shown in
red.
Driving using the engine plus energy
recovery The engine powers the vehicle. The electric
motor is operating as a generator, e.g. in
overrun mode and when braking
(Y page 289). The kinetic energy of the vehi-
cle is converted into electrical energy. The
high-voltage battery is being charged.
The arrows for the energy flow are shown in
green.
Driving using the internal combustion
engine and charging the high-voltage bat-
tery The engine powers the vehicle. The engine
also powers the electric motor. The electric
motor operates as a generator. The high-volt-
age battery is being charged. The arrows for the energy flow are shown in
white.
Driving using the internal combustion
engine and discharging the high-voltage
battery The engine powers the vehicle. If the vehicle
is approaching a downhill gradient with a high
potential for energy recuperation, the condi-
tion of charge of the high-voltage battery is
intentionally kept low or intentionally
reduced.
The arrows for the energy flow are shown in
white.
Further information about map-based energy
management (Y page 289).
Electric operation mode The electric motor powers the vehicle. The
high-voltage battery supplies energy to the
electric motor.
The arrows for the energy flow are shown in
green. PLUG-IN HYBRID operation
283Driving and parking Z

X
Press program selector button :to
change the drive program.
The selected drive program appears in the
multifunction display.
The program selector button allows you to
choose between different driving character-
istics. E
Economy R
Comfortable, economi-
cal driving
R Electric operation mode
is used as often as pos-
sible
R The ECO start/stop
function is available S
Sport R
Sporty driving style with
boost mode
R The internal combus-
tion engine is always
switched on E+
Economy
Plus R
Comfortable, economi-
cal driving
R Electric operation mode
is used as often as pos-
sible
R The ECO start/stop
function is available
R Double pulses in the
haptic accelerator
pedal, as an indication
to release the accelera-
tor pedal (Y page 286)
R After the accelerator
pedal has been
released, the coasting
characteristics of the
vehicle are adapted to
the traffic conditions. For further information on the automatic drive
program, see (Y page 202). Manual drive program M
In addition to automatic drive programs
Eand
S, you can switch to manual drive program M
using the steering wheel paddle shifters.
In manual drive program M, you can briefly
change gear yourself by using the steering
wheel paddle shifters. The transmission must be in position D. In manual drive program M
the internal combustion engine is always
switched on.
Activating when driving with the electric
motor:
X Pull the left or right steering wheel paddle
shifter (Y page 201).
The combustion engine is switched on.
Manual drive program Mis temporarily acti-
vated. The selected gear and Mappear in
the multifunction display.
Activating when driving with the combustion
engine:
X Pull the left or right steering wheel paddle
shifter (Y page 201).
Manual drive program Mis temporarily acti-
vated. The selected gear and Mappear in
the multifunction display.
The ECO start/stop function is not available
in manual drive program M.
Haptic accelerator pedal General notes
The haptic accelerator pedal helps you to
reduce the fuel consumption and emissions
of your vehicle.
There are two different functions available for this purpose:
R an additional point of resistance in E-MODE
operating mode (Y page 280)
R a double impulse in E+operating mode
(Y page 285) 286
PLUG-IN HYBRID operationDriving and parking

Additional point of resistance in the hap-
tic accelerator pedal
The maximum available electric performance is indicated by a tangible point of resistance
in the haptic accelerator pedal.
The additional point of resistance is available
in E-MODE operating mode (Y page 280)
If you depress the haptic accelerator pedal
beyond the pressure point, the combustion
engine is switched on.
Double pulses in the haptic accelerator
pedal
A tangible double pulse in the haptic acceler- ator pedal gives you a recommendation to
release the accelerator pedal. By this means, in HYBRID, E-MODEorE-SAVE operating
mode the combustion engine can be switched
off and disconnected from the power train
(overrun mode).
The double pulse is available in drive program
E+ (Ypage 285).
After the accelerator pedal has been
released, the coasting characteristics of the
vehicle are adapted to the traffic conditions.
To avoid getting too close to the vehicle in
front, you must apply the brakes manually
when necessary.
Driving tips General driving tips
Drive carefully and maintain a safe distance
from the vehicle in front. Avoid frequent and
sudden acceleration as well as abrupt brak-
ing.
During partial electric driving, pulling away
and acceleration, the electric motor supports
the internal combustion engine.
During overrun in transmission position Dand
braking, the electric motor will operate as a
generator.
Further information on the ECO start/stop
function (Y page 288).
Additional driving tips (Y page 224).Stationary vehicle
If the vehicle is stopped, the combustion
engine is, for the most part, switched off.
Automatic climate control continues to func-
tion. The electromechanically assisted steer-
ing gear allows you to use the power steering
without reduced comfort.
Acceleration
Depending on the operating mode, pulling
away and driving under low load conditions
are performed:
R entirely by electric propulsion
R in combination with the internal combus-
tion engine
When accelerating at an increased or full
load, boost mode is utilized. The electric
motor supports the internal combustion
engine by providing additional torque when
the accelerator is depressed rapidly.
Overrun mode or braking
There are three possible operating modes
when the hybrid vehicle is decelerating:
R energy recovery takes place even when the
vehicle is decelerating purely in overrun
mode (Y page 276). The electric motor
operates as a generator and stores the
recovered energy in the high-voltage bat-
tery.
R when the brakes are applied lightly, the
vehicle is slowed down further by the elec-
tric motor. This increases the energy recov- ery taking place (Y page 276). The electric
motor operates as a generator and stores
the recovered energy in the high-voltage
battery.
R when the brakes are applied with greater
force, the service brakes are also used to
slow the vehicle down. The two systems
work together.
Urban driving
Energy is recuperated during frequent decel-
eration and stopping in city traffic. PLUG-IN HYBRID operation
287Driving and parking Z

The vehicle can be driven by the electric
motor alone up to a speed of approximately
130 km/h.
The vehicle is driven by the electric motor
alone only when all conditions for the auto-
matic engine switch-off are fulfilled.
Further information on the automatic engine
switch-off (Y page 288).
Driving on inter-urban roads
The following phases are possible when driv-
ing on inter-urban roads: R rapid acceleration (boost mode)
R constant energy consumption
R energy recuperation
R electric operation mode
A great deal of recovered energy may be
available, depending on the route profile. This reduces consumption and emissions.
Highway driving
During highway driving, fuel consumption andemissions are favorably influenced in partic-
ular by reduced power losses.
The internal combustion engine will be
switched off automatically, if:
R the driver removes his foot from the accel-
erator pedal in drive program Eand a speed
of 130 km/h is not exceeded
R the driver removes his foot from the accel-
erator pedal in drive program E+and a
speed of 180 km/h is not exceeded.
Further information on the automatic engine
switch-off (Y page 288).
ECO start/stop function General notes
The ECO start/stop function switches the
internal combustion engine off automatically
when the vehicle stops moving and at high
speeds (Y
page 289).
All vehicle systems remain active, e.g. the
automatic climate control. The ECO start/stop function is only available
in drive programs Eand E+. Electric-only
operation is only possible in drive programs E
and E+. Additional information for drive pro-
grams Eand E+(Ypage 285).
Automatic engine switch-off
The engine is switched off automatically,
including when:
R the driver removes his foot from the accel-
erator in drive program Eand a speed of
130 km/h is not exceeded (Y page 289)
R the driver removes his foot from the accel-
erator in drive program E+and a speed of
180 km/h is not exceeded (Y page 289)
R the engine has reached its operating tem-
perature
R the driver’s seat belt is fastened and the
driver’s door is closed
R the driver only slightly depresses the accel-
erator pedal in order to, for example, main- tain the current speed for a limited distance
R the hood is closed and engaged properly
R the high-voltage battery is charged suffi-
ciently
R there are no malfunctions in the hybrid sys-
tem
The internal combustion engine will not be
switched off automatically, if:
R the self-diagnosis function of the engine
control unit is still active
R there is a malfunction in the hybrid system
R the climate control of the vehicle requires it
R the high-voltage battery is being charged
(Y page 282)
R automatic emissions tests are running 288
PLUG-IN HYBRID operationDriving and parking