
You must depress the brake pedal more
firmly. Maintain a longer distance to the vehi- cle in front.
While paying attention to the traffic condi-
tions, you should brake the vehicle firmly
after driving on a wet road surface or through
a car wash. This heats the brake discs, so that they dry more quickly, which protects them
against corrosion.
Limited braking performance on salt-
treated roads When driving on salted roads, salt may start
to build up on the brake disks and brake pads.
This can increase braking distances consid-
erably.
Maintain a greater distance to the vehicle in
front.
To remove any build up of salt that may have
formed:
X Apply the brakes at the start of the journey,
occasionally during journey and at the end
of the journey. Make sure that you do not
endanger other road users when doing so.
Parking brake G
WARNING
If you must brake the vehicle with the parking brake, the braking distance is considerably
longer and the wheels could lock. There is an
increased danger of skidding and accidents.
Only use the parking brake to brake the vehi- cle when the service brake is faulty. Do not
apply the parking brake too firmly. If the
wheels lock, release the parking brake until
the wheels begin turning again.
When driving on wet roads or dirt-covered
surfaces, road salt and/or dirt may get into
the parking brake. This causes corrosion and a reduction of braking force.
In order to prevent this, drive with the parking
brake lightly applied from time to time. When
doing so, drive for a distance of approximately 110 yds (100 m) at a maximum speed of
12 mph (20 km/h).
The brake lamps are not illuminated when you
brake the vehicle using the parking brake. Driving in wet conditions
Hydroplaning G
WARNING
There is a danger of hydroplaning occurring,
even if you are driving slowly and your tires
have sufficient tread depth, depending on the depth of water on the road. There is a risk of
an accident.
For this reason, avoid tire ruts and brake care- fully.
Therefore, in heavy rain or other conditions in which hydroplaning can occur, drive as fol-
lows:
R reduce your speed
R avoid tire ruts
R apply the brakes with care
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.
If you have to drive on stretches of road on
which water has collected, please bear in
mind that:
R the water level of standing water should not
be above the lower edge of the front
bumper
R do not drive faster than walking speed Driving tips
155Driving and parking Z

Driving in winter
General notes 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 winterproofed at a qualified specialist workshop in good time at the onset of winter.
i Do not cover the radiator, e.g. with a win-
ter cover. The measurements of the on-
board diagnostic system may otherwise
return inaccurate values. Some of these
values are legally prescribed and must
therefore always be exact.
Observe the notes in the "Winter operation"
section (Y page 286).
Slippery road surfaces 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
WARNING
The outside temperature indicator is not
designed to serve as an ice-warning device
and is therefore unsuitable for that purpose.
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.
! Vehicles with automatic transmission
may roll only briefly in the neutral position
N. Prolonged rolling of the wheels, e.g.
when being towed, will result in transmis-
sion damage.
If the vehicle threatens to skid or cannot be
stopped when moving at low speed:
X Shift the transmission to neutral position
N.
X Try to maintain control of the vehicle using
corrective steering.
Drive particularly carefully on slippery roads.
Avoid sudden acceleration, steering and
braking maneuvers. Do not use cruise con-
trol.
You can find further information on winter
tires and snow chains in the "Winter opera-
tion" section (Y page 286). Driving off-road
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If you drive on a steep incline at an angle or
turn when driving on an incline, the vehicle
could slip sideways, tip and rollover. There is a risk of an accident.
Always drive on a steep incline in the line of
fall (straight up or down) and do not turn the
vehicle. 156
Driving tipsDriving and pa
rking

G
WARNING
When driving off-road, your body is subject to forces from all directions, due to the uneven
surface. You could be thrown from your seat,
for instance. There is a risk of injury.
Always wear a seat belt, even when driving off-
road. G
WARNING
If you drive over obstacles or in ruts, the steer- ing wheel may jerk out of your grip, causing
injury to your hands.
Always hold the steering wheel firmly with
both hands. When driving over obstacles, you must expect steering forces to increase
briefly and suddenly. G
WARNING
Flammable material such as leaves, grass or
twigs may ignite if they come into contact with hot parts of the exhaust system. There is a risk of fire.
When driving off road or on unpaved roads,
check the vehicle's underside regularly. In
particular, remove parts of plants or other
flammable materials which have become
trapped. In the case of damage, contact a
qualified specialist workshop.
! When driving off-road or on unpaved sur-
faces, check the underside of the vehicle
and the wheels and tires at regular inter-
vals. In particular, remove any trapped for- eign objects, e.g. stones and branches.
Such foreign objects may:
R damage the chassis, the fuel tank or the
brake system
R cause imbalances and thus vibrations
R be flung out when you continue driving
If there is any damage, inform a qualified
specialist workshop.
When driving off-road and on construction
sites, sand, mud and water mixed with oil, for
example, may get into the brakes. This may
lead to a reduction in braking performance or total brake failure, also as a result of
increased wear. The braking characteristics
will vary depending on the material that has
got into the system. Clean the brakes after
driving off-road. If you then notice reduced
braking performance or hear scraping noises,
have the brake system checked at a qualified specialist workshop. Adjust your driving style
to the changed braking characteristics.
Driving off-road or on construction sites
increases the possibility of vehicle damage
which may in turn lead to the failure of certain assemblies and systems. Adapt your driving
style to the off-road driving conditions. Drive
carefully. Have any vehicle damage rectified
at a qualified specialist workshop as soon as
possible.
When driving on rough terrain, do not shift the transmission into the neutral position. You
could lose control when attempting to brake
the vehicle with the service brake. If your
vehicle cannot manage an uphill slope, drive
back down the slope in reverse gear.
When loading your vehicle for driving off-road or on a construction site, keep the vehicle's
center of gravity as low as possible.
Checklist before driving off-road X
Check the fuel and DEF levels (Y page 181)
and top up (Y page 148).
X Engine: check the oil level (Y page 250)
and add oil (Y page 252).
Before driving up or down steep gradients,
fill the oil to the maximum level.
i If you drive up or down steep gradients,
the 00B2 symbol may appear in the display.
The engine operating safety is not put at
risk if you have filled the engine oil to the
maximum level before the journey.
X Vehicle tool kit: check that the jack is
working (Y page 274).
X Make sure that a lug wrench (Y page 274),
wooden underlay for the jack, a robust tow Driving tips
157Driving and parking Z

Problems with cruise control
Problem
Possible causes/consequences and
0050
0050Solutions On vehicles with steer-
ing wheel buttons, the
speed cannot be set
when cruise control is
activated. The display shows a high-priority message. Thus a change in speed
is not possible.
X Proceed as instructed by the message in the display.
X Deactivate cruise control COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST
General notes COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST comprises
the distance warning function and adaptive
Brake Assist.
Distance warning function Important safety notes
i Note the section on 'Important safety
notes' (Y page 57). 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. G
WARNING
The distance warning function cannot always
clearly identify objects and complex traffic
situations.
In such cases, the distance warning function
may:
R give an unnecessary warning
R not give a warning
There is a risk of an accident. Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit-
uation and do not rely solely on the distance
warning function.
Operation
The distance warning function 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 the distance warning function
detects that there is a risk of a collision, you
will be warned visually and acoustically. With-out your intervention, the distance warning
function cannot prevent a collision.
The distance warning function will issue a
warning at speeds of around 20 mph
(30 km/h) or more if:
R you approach a vehicle ahead of you very
quickly. You will then hear an intermittent
warning tone and the 00C7warning lamp in
the instrument cluster flashes.
X Brake immediately in order to increase the
distance from the vehicle in front.
or
X Take evasive action provided it is safe to do
so.
If you want the distance warning function to
assist you, the function must be activated and operational.
Due to the nature of the system, particularly
complicated driving conditions may cause thesystem to display an unnecessary warning.
With the help of the radar sensor system, the
distance warning function can detect obsta-
cles that are in the path of your vehicle for an
extended period of time. Driving systems
161Driving and parking Z

Up to a speed of about 45 mph (70 km/h), the
distance warning function can also react to
stationary obstacles, such as stopped or
parked vehicles.
If you approach an obstacle and the distance
warning function detects a risk of a collision,
the system will alert you both visually and
acoustically.
In particular, the detection of obstacles can
be impaired in the case of:
R there is dirt on the sensors or anything else
covering the sensors
R it is snowing or raining heavily
R there is interference from other radar sour-
ces
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
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 slow speeds where there is no visible
damage to the front of the vehicle.
Activating/deactivating the distance
warning function
When you switch on the engine, the distance
warning function switches on after a few sec-
onds.
X To deactivate: press the00D4button
(Y page 37).
Vehicles without steering wheel but-
tons: the00C7 warning lamp in the instru-
ment cluster lights up and the OFF
OFF message
flashes.
Vehicles with steering wheel buttons:
the 00C7 warning lamp in the instrument cluster lights up and the
Distance Warn‐ Distance Warn‐
ing Deactivated
ing Deactivated message appears.
X To activate: press the00D4button again
(Y page 37).
Vehicles without steering wheel but-
tons: the00C7 warning lamp in the instru-
ment cluster goes out and the ON
ON message
flashes.
Vehicles with steering wheel buttons:
the 00C7 warning lamp in the instrument
cluster goes out and the Distance Warn‐ Distance Warn‐
ing Activated
ing Activated message appears in the
multifunction display.
Adaptive Brake Assist i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion for driving safety systems (Y page 57). G
WARNING
Adaptive Brake Assist cannot always clearly
identify objects and complex traffic situa-
tions.
In such cases, Adaptive Brake Assist can:
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 to stationary obstacles
R when cornering
As a result, the 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. 162
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Adaptive Brake Assist aids you when braking
during hazardous situations at speeds above
20 mph (30 km/h). 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.
When you approach an obstacle and adaptive Brake Assist detects that there is a risk of a
collision, adaptive Brake Assist calculates the
braking force necessary to avoid a collision.
Should you apply the brakes forcefully, adap- tive Brake Assist will automatically increase
the braking force to the calculated level.
X Keep the brake pedal depressed until the
emergency braking situation is over.
ABS prevents the wheels from locking.
The brakes function as usual 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.
Up to the maximum vehicle speed, adaptive
Brake Assist can react to moving obstacles
that have already been recognized as such at least once over the period of observation.
Adaptive Brake Assist does not react to sta-
tionary obstacles.
In particular, the detection of obstacles can
be impaired if:
R there is dirt on the sensors or anything else
covering the sensors
R it is snowing or raining heavily
R there is interference from other radar sour-
ces
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
If adaptive Brake Assist is not available due to a malfunction in the radar sensor system, thefull brake boosting effect with the help of BAS
remains available. 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 slow speeds where there is no visible damage to the front of the vehicle. Lane Tracking package
Blind Spot Assist General notes
Blind Spot Assist uses a radar sensor system
to monitor the areas on both sides of your
vehicle. It supports you from speeds of
approximately 20 mph (30 km/h). A warning
display in the exterior mirrors draws your
attention to vehicles detected in the moni-
tored area. If you then switch on the corre-
sponding turn signal to change lane, you will
also receive an optical and audible collision
warning. For this purpose, Blind Spot Assist
uses sensors in the rear bumper and behind
the protective strips of the B-pillars.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Blind Spot Assist does not react to:
R vehicles overtaken too closely on the side,
placing them in the blind spot area
R vehicles which approach with a large speed
differential and overtake your vehicle
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.
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 Driving systems
163Driving and parking Z

radar system only. Removal, tampering, or
altering of the device will void any warran-
ties, 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 in the case of:
R dirt on the sensors or anything else cover-
ing the sensors
R poor visibility, e.g. due to fog, heavy rain or
snow
R narrow and short vehicles, e.g. motorcy-
cles or bicycles
R very wide lanes
R narrow lanes
R vehicles not driving in the middle of their
lane
R barriers or other road boundaries
Vehicles in the monitoring range are then not
indicated. Blind Spot Assist monitors the area approx-
imately 10 ft (3.0 m)behind your vehicle and
approximately 1.6 ft (0.5 m) to 11.5 ft (3.5 m) each side of it. For this purpose, Blind Spot
Assist uses radar sensors in the rear bumper and behind the protective strips of the B-pil-
lars.
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 the vehicles are driving on the inner
side of their lane.
Due to the nature of the system:
R a clear warning situation may not occur.
The yellow indicator lamp on the relevant
side of the vehicle will then light up.
R warnings may be issued in error when driv-
ing close to crash barriers or similar solid
lane borders.
R warnings may be interrupted when driving
alongside particularly long vehicles, for
example trucks, for a prolonged time.
The four sensors of Blind Spot Assist are inte-
grated into the rear bumper and behind the
protective strips of the B-pillars. Make sure
that the bumper and protective stripping are
free of dirt, ice or slush in the vicinity of the
sensors. The radar sensors must not be cov-
ered, for example by cycle racks or overhang- ing loads.
Have the function of the radar sensors
checked at a qualified specialist workshop:
R after a severe impact
R after damage to the bumper
R after damage to the protective strips of the
B-pillars
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. 164
Driving systemsDriving and parking

0043
Yellow indicator lamp/red warning lamp
If yellow indicator lamp 0043lights up:
R you are driving at less than 20 mph
(30 km/h)
R Blind Spot Assist is deactivated
R Blind Spot Assist is malfunctioning
R there is no clear warning, depending on the
situation
Blind Spot Assist is active from a speed of
20 mph (30 km/h). If a vehicle is detected in
the blind spot monitoring range, red warning
lamp 0043on the corresponding side lights up.
This warning occurs 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 14 mph (22 km/h).
Yellow indicator lamp 0043goes out if reverse
gear is engaged. Blind Spot Assist is then
deactivated.
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 once. Red warning lamp 0043
flashes. If the turn signal remains on, detec-
ted vehicles are indicated by the flashing of
red warning lamp 0043. There are no further
warning tones. Activating/deactivating Blind Spot Assist
i Blind Spot Assist is activated when you
switch on the ignition.
X Turn the key to position 2in the ignition
lock.
Warning lamps 0043in the exterior mirrors
light up red for approximately 1.5 seconds
and then turn yellow.
X To deactivate: press the button in
the center console (Y page 37).
The yellow indicator lamp in exterior mir-
ror 0043first flashes and then lights up con-
tinuously.
X To activate: press the button in the
center console again (Y page 37).
The yellow indicator lamp in exterior mir-
ror 0043flashes initially. If you exceed
20 mph (30 km/h) while driving, the yellow
indicator lamp in exterior mirror 0043goes
out.
Towing a trailer
If you attach a trailer, make sure that you have
correctly established the electrical connec-
tion. This can be accomplished by checking
the trailer lighting. Blind Spot Assist is deac-
tivated as a result. The indicator lamp in the
exterior mirrors lights up yellow.
On vehicles with steering wheel buttons, the
Blind Spot Assist Deactivated
Blind Spot Assist Deactivated mes-
sage also appears in the display.
Lane Keeping Assist General notes
Lane Keeping Assist monitors the area in
front of your vehicle by means of a camera at
the top of the windshield. Lane Keeping Assist detects lane markings on the road and warns you before you leave your lane unintention-
ally. Driving systems
165Driving and parking Z