The pulsating brake pedal can be an indica-
tion of hazardous road conditions, and func-
tions as a reminder to take extra care whiledriving.
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
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion ( Ypage 61).
GWARNING
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 System PLUS)
General information
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion ( Ypage 61).
BAS PLUS is only available in vehicles equip-
ped with DISTRONIC PLUS.
For BAS PLUS to assist you, the radar sensor system must be operational. With the help of the radar sensor system, BAS
PLUS can detect obstacles that are in the
path of your vehicle for an extended period of
time.
If the radar sensor system is malfunctioning,
BAS PLUS will not be available. The brake
system is still available with complete brake
boosting effect and BAS.
BAS PLUS can help you to minimize the risk of a collision with a vehicle or reduce the effects
of such a collision. If BAS PLUS detects a
danger of collision, you are assisted whenbraking.
Important safety notes
GWARNING
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.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit- uation and be ready to brake. Terminate the
intervention in a non-critical driving situation.
GWARNING
BAS PLUS does not react:
R to people or animals
R to oncoming vehicles
R to crossing traffic
R when cornering
As a result, BAS PLUS may not intervene in all
critical situations. There is a risk of an acci- dent.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit-
uation and be ready to brake.
In the event of snowfall or heavy rain, the rec-
ognition can be impaired.
62Driving safety systems
Safety
Recognition by the radar sensor system is
also impaired in the event of:R there is dirt on the sensors or anything else
covering the sensors
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
relative to the center of your vehicle
Following damage to the front end of the vehi-
cle, have the configuration and operation of
the radar sensors 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.
Function
To avoid a collision, BAS PLUS calculates the
brake force necessary if:
R you approach an obstacle, and
R BAS PLUS has detected a risk of collision
When driving at a speed under 20 mph
(30 km/h) : if you depress the brake pedal,
BAS PLUS is activated. The increase in brake pressure will be carried out at the last possi-
ble moment.
When driving at a speed above 20 mph
(30 km/h) : if you depress the brake pedal
sharply, BAS PLUS automatically raises the
brake pressure to a value adapted to the traf-
fic situation.
BAS PLUS provides braking assistance in haz-
ardous situations with vehicles in front within a speed range between 4 mph (7 km/h) and
155 mph (250 km/h).
At speeds of up to approximately 40 mph
(70 km/ h), BAS PLUS can also react to sta-
tionary objects. Examples of stationary
objects are stopped or parked vehicles.
iIf 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 again, 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.
ESP®(Electronic Stability Program)
General notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion ( Ypage 61).
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.
ETS (Electronic Traction System)
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion ( Ypage 61).
ETS 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.
Driving safety systems63
Safety
Z
Important safety notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion for driving safety systems ( Ypage 61).
GWARNING
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. Havethe brake system checked at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
Observe information regarding indicator and
warning lamps ( Ypage 246) as well as dis-
play messages ( Ypage 215).
ADAPTIVE BRAKE
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion ( Ypage 61).
ADAPTIVE BRAKE enhances braking safety
and offers increased braking comfort. In addi-
tion to the braking function, ADAPTIVE BRAKE
also has the HOLD function ( Ypage 180) and
hill start assist ( Ypage 143).
PRE-SAFE®Brake
General information
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion ( Ypage 61).
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake is only available in vehicles
with DISTRONIC PLUS.
For PRE-SAFE ®
Brake to assist you when driv-
ing, the radar sensor system must be opera-
tional.
With the help of the radar sensor system,
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake can detect obstacles that
are in front of your vehicle for an extended
period of time.
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake can help you to minimize
the risk of a collision with a vehicle ahead, 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 braking. PRE-SAFE ®
Brake cannot prevent a collision without your intervention.
Important safety notes
GWARNING
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 also brake. Automatic
emergency braking cannot prevent a colli-
sion. There is a risk of an accident.
Always apply the brakes yourself and try to
take evasive action.
GWARNING
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake cannot always clearly iden-
tify objects and complex traffic conditions.
In these cases, PRE-SAFE ®
Brake may:
R give an unnecessary warning and then
brake the vehicle
R not give a warning or intervene
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay particular attention to the traffic
situation and be ready to brake, especially if
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake warns you. Terminate the
intervention in a non-critical driving situation.
In order to maintain the appropriate distance
to the vehicle in front and thus prevent a col- lision, you must apply the brakes yourself.
GWARNING
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake does not react:
R to people or animals
R to oncoming vehicles
R to crossing traffic
R when cornering
As a result, PRE-SAFE ®
Brake may neither
give warnings nor intervene in all critical sit-
uations. There is a risk of an accident.
Driving safety systems67
Safety
Z
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit-uation and be ready to brake.
In the event of snowfall or heavy rain, the rec-
ognition can be impaired.
Recognition by the radar sensor system is
also impaired in the event of:
R there is dirt on the sensors or anything else
covering the sensors
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
relative to the center of your vehicle
Following damage to the front end of the vehi-
cle, have the configuration and operation of
the radar sensors 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.
Function
X To activate/deactivate: activate or deac-
tivate PRE-SAFE ®
Brake in the on-board
computer ( Ypage 203).
When PRE-SAFE ®
Brake is deactivated, the
assistance graphic shows the æsymbol
in the multifunction display.
Starting at a speed of around 4 mph (7 km/h),
this function warns you if you rapidly
approach a vehicle in front. An intermittent
warning tone will then sound and the ·
distance warning lamp will light up in the
instrument cluster.
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 speeds of up to approximately 40 mph
(70 km/h) PRE-SAFE ®
Brake can also detect
stationary objects. Examples of stationary
objects are stopped or parked vehicles.
iIf 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 any danger of a collision.
R there is no longer an obstacle detected in
front of your vehicle.
Protection against theft
Immobilizer
XTo 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.
The immobilizer prevents your vehicle from
being started without the correct SmartKey.
68Protection against theft
Safety
The SmartKey centrally locks/unlocks:R the doors
R the trunk lid
R the stowage compartment in the center
console
R the fuel filler flap
The turn signals flash once when unlocking
and three times when locking.
You can also set an audible signal to confirm that the vehicle has been locked. The audible
signal can be activated and deactivated using the on-board computer ( Ypage 207).
When it is dark, the surround lighting also
comes on if it is activated in the on-board
computer ( Ypage 206).
KEYLESS-GO
General notes
Bear in mind that the engine can be started by
any of the vehicle occupants if there is a KEY- LESS-GO key in the vehicle.
Locking/unlocking centrally
You can start, lock or unlock the vehicle using
KEYLESS-GO. To do this, you only need carry
the SmartKey with you. You can combine the functions of KEYLESS-GO with those of a con-
ventional SmartKey. Unlock the vehicle by
using KEYLESS-GO, for instance, and lock it
using the &button on the SmartKey.
When locking or unlocking with KEYLESS-GO,
the distance between the key and the corre-
sponding door handle must not be greater
than 3 ft (1 m).
A check which periodically establishes a radio
connection between the vehicle and the
SmartKey determines whether a valid Smart- Key is in the vehicle. This occurs, for example:
R when the external door handles aretouched
R when starting the engine
R while the vehicle is in motion
X To unlock the vehicle: touch the inner
surface of the door handle.
X To lock the vehicle: touch sensor sur-
face :.
X Convenience closing feature: touch
recessed sensor surface ;for an exten-
ded period.
Further information on the convenience
closing feature ( Ypage 85).
X To unlock the trunk lid: pull the handle on
the trunk lid.
The vehicle only unlocks the trunk lid.
Changing the settings of the locking system
You can change the settings of the locking
system. This means only the driver's door, the
lockable stowage compartments in the vehi-
cle interior and the fuel filler flap are unlocked when the vehicle is unlocked. This is useful if
you frequently travel on your own.
X To change the setting: press and hold
down the %and& buttons simulta-
neously for approximately six seconds until the battery check lamp flashes twice( Y page 75).
iIf the setting of the locking system is
changed within the signal range of the vehi- cle, pressing the &or% button:
R locks or
R unlocks the vehicle
SmartKey73
Opening and closing
Z
The SmartKey now functions as follows:
X To unlock the driver's door: press the
% button once.
X To unlock centrally: press the%but-
ton twice.
X To lock centrally: press the&button.
The KEYLESS-GO function is changed as fol- lows: X To unlock the driver's door: touch the
inner surface of the door handle on the
driver's door.
X To unlock centrally: touch the inner sur-
face of the front-passenger door handle.
X To lock centrally: touch the outer sensor
surface on one of the door handles.
X To restore the factory settings: press
and hold down the %and& buttons
simultaneously for approximately six sec-
onds until the battery check lamp flashes
twice ( Ypage 75).
Mechanical key
General notes
If the vehicle can no longer be locked or
unlocked with the SmartKey, use the
mechanical key.
If you use the mechanical key to unlock and
open the driver's door or the trunk lid, the
anti-theft alarm system will be triggered( Y page 69).
There are several ways to turn off the alarm:
X To turn the alarm off with the SmartKey:
press the %or& button on the
SmartKey.
or
X Insert the SmartKey into the ignition lock.
or
X To deactivate the alarm with KEYLESS- GO: press the Start/Stop button in the igni-
tion lock. The SmartKey must be in the vehicle. or
X Lock or unlock the vehicle using KEYLESS-
GO. The SmartKey must be outside thevehicle.
If you unlock the vehicle using the mechanical key, the fuel filler flap will not be unlockedautomatically. X To unlock the fuel filler flap: insert the
SmartKey into the ignition lock.
Removing the mechanical key
X Push release catch :in the direction of
the arrow and at the same time remove
mechanical key ;from the SmartKey.
For further information about: R unlocking the driver's door ( Ypage 80)
R unlocking the trunk ( Ypage 82)
R locking the vehicle ( Ypage 80)
Inserting the mechanical key
X
Push mechanical key ;completely into
the SmartKey until it engages and release
catch :is back in its basic position.
SmartKey battery
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Batteries contain toxic and corrosive substan- ces. If batteries are swallowed, it can result in
74SmartKey
Opening and closing
XTo open all side windows: press
switch :to the point of resistance.
X To open all side windows fully: press
switch :beyond the point of resistance.
All side windows open simultaneously.
iIf, after opening the windows, you then
close a side window using the switch on the door control panel, the other side windows
will remain open. To close the other side
windows, you must pull the switch on the
center console and hold it. The front side
window will close first, then the rear side
windows.
X To close all side windows: pull switch:.
The rear side windows close after the front
side windows.
X Make sure that all the side windows are
fully closed.
iWhen the roof is open, only the two front
side windows can be operated using the
switch on the center console.
Using the SmartKey
GWARNING
When using the convenience closing feature,
parts of the body could be trapped in the clos- ing area when a side window is being closed. There is a risk of injury.
Observe the complete closing procedure
when the convenience closing feature is oper-
ating. Make sure that no body parts are in
close proximity during the closing procedure.
If someone is trapped: X Release the &button immediately.
X Press and hold the %button until the
side windows open again.
You can use the SmartKey to open or close all
side windows simultaneously.
X Close the roof ( Ypage 88).
X Open the trunk partition ( Ypage 89).
X Point the tip of the SmartKey at the driver's
door handle. X
To open all side windows: press the%
button on the SmartKey until the side win-
dows are fully opened.
X To interrupt the opening procedure:
release the %button.
X To close all side windows: press the
& button on the SmartKey until the side
windows are fully closed.
X To interrupt the closing procedure:
release the &button.
Convenience closing with KEYLESS-GO
GWARNING
When using the convenience closing feature,
parts of the body could be trapped in the clos-
ing area when a side window is being closed. There is a risk of injury.
Observe the complete closing procedure
when the convenience closing feature is oper-
ating. Make sure that no body parts are in
close proximity during the closing procedure.
If someone is trapped: X Release the recessed sensor surface on the
door handle immediately.
X Pull the door handle immediately and hold
it until the side windows open again.
With KEYLESS-GO you can close all side win-
dows simultaneously. The KEYLESS-GO key
must be outside the vehicle. All the doors
must be closed.
Side windows85
Opening and closing
Z
XTouch recessed sensor surface :on the
door handle until the side windows are fully closed.
iMake sure you only touch recessed sen-
sor surface :.
X Make sure that all the side windows are closed.
X To interrupt convenience closing:
release recessed sensor surface :on the
door handle.
Resetting the side windows
If a side window can no longer be closed fully, you must reset it.
X Close all the doors.
X Turn the SmartKey to position 1or 2in the
ignition lock.
X Pull the corresponding switch on the door
control panel until the side window is com-
pletely closed. ( Ypage 84)
X Hold the switch for an additional second.
If the side window opens again slightly: X Immediately pull the corresponding switch
on the door control panel until the side win-
dow is completely closed ( Ypage 84).
X Hold the switch for an additional second.
X If the corresponding side window remains
closed after the button has been released,
the side window has been reset correctly. If
this is not the case, repeat the steps aboveagain.
86Side windows
Opening and closing