
As a result, they could:
R activate vehicle equipment and become
trapped, for example
R activate or deactivate systems, thereby
endangering other road users
Unsecured animals could also be flung around the vehicle in the event of an accident or sud-
den steering or braking, thereby injuring vehi- cle occupants. There is a risk of an accident
and injury.
Never leave animals unattended in the vehi-
cle. Always secure animals properly during
the journey, e.g. use a suitable animal trans-
port box. Driving safety systems
Overview
In this section, you will find information about the following driving safety systems:
R ABS ( Anti-lock BrakingSystem)
R ASR (A cceleration SkidControl)
R BAS (B rakeAssist System)
R EBD ( Electronic Brake Force Distribution)
R ESP ®
(E lectronic StabilityProgram) Important safety notes
If you fail to adapt your driving style or if you
are inattentive, the driving safety systems can
neither reduce the risk of accident nor over-
ride the laws of physics. Driving safety sys-
tems are merely aids designed to assist driv- ing. You are responsible for the distance to
the vehicle in front, for vehicle speed, braking in good time and for staying in your lane.
Always adapt your driving style to the prevail-
ing road and weather conditions and maintain a sufficient, safe distance from other road
users. Drive carefully.
The driving safety systems described can only
attain their maximum effectiveness when
there is optimum contact between the tires and the road can. Pay particular attention to
the information regarding tires, recommen-
ded minimum tire tread depth etc. under
"Wheels and tires" (Y page 284).
In wintry driving conditions, always use winter
tires (M+S tires) and if necessary, snow
chains. This is the only way to get the full
benefit from the driving safety systems
described. ABS (Anti-lock Braking System)
Important safety notes Observe the important safety guidelines for
the driving safety system (Y
page 57). G
WARNING
If ABS is faulty, the wheels could lock when
braking. The steerability and braking charac-
teristics may be severely impaired. Addition-
ally, further driving safety systems are deac-
tivated. There is an increased danger of skid- ding and accidents.
Drive on carefully. Have ABS checked imme-
diately at a qualified specialist workshop.
If ABS is malfunctioning, other systems will
also fail, including driving safety systems.
Observe the information relating to the 0025
warning lamp (Y page 218).
ABS regulates brake pressure in such a way
that the wheels do not lock when you brake.
This allows you to continue steering the vehi-
cle when braking.
ABS works from a speed of about 5 mph
(8 km/h), regardless of road-surface condi-
tions. ABS works on slippery surfaces, even
when you only brake gently.
The yellow 0025warning lamp in the instru-
ment cluster lights up when the ignition is
switched on. The lamp goes out when the
engine starts running. Driving safety systems
57Safety Z

Braking
If ABS intervenes when braking, you will feel a
pulsating in the brake pedal.
The pulsating brake pedal can be an indica-
tion of hazardous road conditions and func-
tions as a reminder to take extra care while
driving.
X If ABS intervenes: continue to depress the
brake pedal with force until the braking sit-
uation is over.
X To make a full brake application:
depress the brake pedal with full force. ASR (acceleration skid control)
General notes Important safety notes
Observe the important safety guidelines for
the driving safety system (Y
page 57).
ASR can neither reduce the risk of an accident nor suspend the laws of physics if the driver
does not pay attention when pulling away or
accelerating. ASR is only an aid. Always adapt
your driving style to suit the prevailing road
and weather conditions.
Vehicles without steering wheel buttons: if
ASR is malfunctioning, the 003Dindicator
lamp lights up while the engine is running and the engine power may be reduced
(Y page 218).
ASR significantly improves traction, i.e. the
transmission of power from the tires to the
road surface, and thus increases the vehicle's driving stability. If the driving wheels start to
spin, ASR brakes individual drive wheels and
limits the engine torque. ASR thus signifi-
cantly assists you when pulling away and
accelerating, especially on wet or slippery
roads.
If traction on the road surface is not sufficient,
even ASR will not allow you to pull away with- out difficulty. The type of tires and total
weight of the vehicle as well as the gradient of
the road also play a crucial role. If ASR intervenes, the
0072warning lamp in
the instrument cluster flashes.
Activating/deactivating ASR G
WARNING
If deactivated, ASR will not attempt to stabi-
lize the vehicle during pulling away and accel- eration. There is an increased risk of skiddingand of an accident.
Only deactivate ASR in the situations descri-
bed in the following.
! If you deactivate ASR, ESP ®
will still inter-
vene to stabilize the vehicle. Frequent brak-
ing automatically triggered by ESP ®
can
damage the brake system.
For this reason, deactivate ASR only briefly and when absolutely necessary. When ESP
®
is intervening and the 0072warn-
ing lamp in the instrument cluster is flashing,
leave ASR on. In this case, only depress the
accelerator pedal as far as required when
pulling away.
X Press the 00E3button.
If ASR is deactivated, the 0072warning
lamp in the instrument cluster lights up.
ASR is automatically activated when the
engine is started.
It may be best to deactivate ASR briefly in the
following situations:
R when using snow chains
R in deep snow
R on sand or gravel 58
Driving safety systemsSafety

If you deactivate ASR:
R engine torque is not limited and the drive
wheels are able to spin. The spinning
wheels will then achieve a cutting effect for
better traction.
R traction control remains active through
brake intervention. If a drive wheel attains
its tire traction limit because one side of the
road is slippery, for example, that wheel is
braked. The traction is then increased in
this situation.
R active brake intervention by ESP ®
to
increase driving stability remains active.
The 0072 warning lamp in the instrument
cluster flashes when ESP ®
is intervening. BAS (Brake Assist System)
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.
Vehicles without steering wheel buttons: if
the BAS driving safety system is malfunction-
ing, the 003Dwarning lamp lights up while the
engine is running (Y page 218).
BAS operates in emergency braking situa-
tions. If you depress the brake quickly, BAS
automatically increases the brake pressure,
thereby reducing the stopping distance.
The brakes will function as usual once you
release the brake pedal. BAS is deactivated. EBD (electronic brake force distribu-
tion) G
WARNING
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. Have
the brake system checked at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
EBD monitors and controls the brake pres-
sure to the rear wheels. This enables EBD to
improve handling during braking.
Observe the information on warning and indi- cator lamps (Y page 218). ESP
®
(Electronic Stability Program)
Important safety notes Observe the important safety guidelines for
the driving safety system (Y
page 57). G
WARNING
If ESP ®
is malfunctioning it will not provide
any vehicle stabilization. There is an increased
risk of skidding or of an accident.
Exercise caution when continuing to drive.
Have ESP ®
checked at a qualified specialist
workshop.
! Do not run the vehicle on a roller dyna-
mometer (e.g. for performance tests). If
you must operate the vehicle on a roller
dynamometer, please consult a qualified
specialist workshop in advance. You could
otherwise damage the drive train or the
brake system.
If ESP ®
is malfunctioning, the 0089warning
lamp lights up while the engine is running and
the engine power may be reduced
(Y page 218).
Only use wheels with the recommended tire
sizes. Only then will ESP ®
function properly.
Crosswind Assist Crosswind Assist does not work if ESP
®
is
deactivated or disabled because of a mal-
function. Driving safety systems
59Safety Z

Battery isolating switch
Important safety notes !
Make sure that the key is in position
0in
the ignition lock and wait at least 20 sec-
onds before disconnecting or connecting
the battery isolating switch. You could oth-
erwise damage electrical system compo-
nents.
You can use the battery isolating switch to
disconnect the power supply to all your vehi- cle's consumers. This will prevent uncontrol-
led battery discharge caused by off-load cur-
rent consumption.
If your vehicle is equipped with an auxiliary
battery in the engine compartment, you will
need to disconnect both batteries. Only then
is the electrical system fully disconnected
from the power supply.
i Only switch the vehicle to de-energized
using the battery main switch if:
R the vehicle is stationary for a lengthy
period
R it is absolutely necessary
After the power supply has been activated,
you will need to reset the side windows
(Y page 79).
Switching off the power supply !
When you clamp the connector under the
accelerator pedal, make sure that the con- nector does not become damaged or dirty.
It may otherwise not be possible to restore
the electrical connection when the parts
are reassembled. Battery isolating switch in the driver's footwell, on
the right-hand side next to the accelerator pedal
X Remove the key from the ignition lock and
wait for about 20 seconds.
X Press button 0044in the direction of the
arrow and hold.
X Pull connector 0043from the earth pin.
X Clamp connector 0043under the accelerator
pedal so that it cannot make contact with
the earth pin.
All starter battery consumers are discon-
nected from the power supply.
Switching on the power supply X
Insert the key into the ignition lock.
X Press connector 0043onto earth pin 0044until
you feel it engage and the lock inhibitor is
released.
Connector 0043must be in full contact with
earth pin 0044.
All consumers are reconnected to the DC
power supply. Driving
137Driving an d parking Z

Activation conditions
To activate cruise control, all of the following
activation conditions must be fulfilled:
R the parking brake must be released. The
0066 indicator lamp in the instrument clus-
ter is off
R you are driving faster than 20 mph
(30 km/h)
R neither the brake or clutch pedal is
depressed
i Other drive and brake systems not descri-
bed in this Operator's Manual, such as a
retarder, may affect cruise control. You can
find information on this in the separate
operating instructions provided by the
body manufacturer.
Storing and maintaining the current
speed X
Accelerate the vehicle to the desired speed
above 20 mph (30 km/h).
X Briefly push the cruise control lever up 0043
or down 0087.
X Release the accelerator pedal.
Cruise control is activated. The current
speed is stored.
Setting the speed It may be a moment before the vehicle starts
to accelerate or brake to the set speed. Take
this delay into account when setting the
speed.
X Briefly push the cruise control lever up 0043
to increase the speed or down 0087to reduce
the speed.
The last stored speed increases or decrea- ses in 1 mph increments (1 km/h incre-
ments).
or
X Press and hold the cruise control lever
up 0043 or down 0087until the desired speed
has been reached. X
Release the cruise control lever.
The current speed is stored.
i Cruise control is not deactivated if you
depress the accelerator pedal. If you accel- erate briefly to overtake, for example,
cruise control resumes the vehicle’s speed
to the last speed stored after you have fin- ished overtaking.
Deactivating cruise control There are various ways to deactivate cruise
control:
X Briefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards 0085.
or
X Apply the brakes.
The last speed set remains stored. The last
speed stored is deleted when you switch off
the engine.
Cruise control is deactivated automatically
when: R you apply the brakes
R you apply the parking brake and the 0066
indicator lamp in the instrument cluster
lights up
R you are driving slower than 20 mph
(30 km/h)
R you shift the automatic transmission to
neutral position Nwhile the vehicle is in
motion
R ESP ®
or ASR intervenes
R there is a malfunction in the ESP ®
, ASR or
ABS system 160
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

The
Lane Keep. Assist Deactivated
Lane Keep. Assist Deactivated
message appears in the display and the
00B0 indicator lamp in the instrument clus-
ter flashes and then lights up continuously.
Lane Keeping Assist is deactivated.
X To activate: press thejbutton in the
center console again (Y page 37).
On vehicles without steering wheel but-
tons:
ON ON flashes briefly in the display and the
00B0 indicator lamp in the instrument clus-
ter flashes and then goes out.
On vehicles with steering wheel but-
tons:
The Lane Lane Keep.
Keep. Assist
Assist Activated
Activated mes-
sage appears in the display and the 00B0
indicator lamp in the instrument cluster
flashes and then goes out.
Lane Keeping Assist is activated.
A Lane Keeping Assist warning is suppressed if:
R a driving safety system intervenes, such as
ABS, BAS or ESP ®
.
R you have set the turn signal and a lane
change is detected. In this case, the warn-
ings are suppressed for a certain period of
time.
R you accelerate hard, e.g. kickdown on vehi-
cles with an automatic transmission.
R you brake hard.
R you steer actively, e.g. swerve to avoid an
obstacle or change lane 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.
Lane Keeping Assist warns you earlier if:
R you approach the outer lane marking on a
bend.
R the road has very wide lanes, e.g. a free-
way.
R the system recognizes solid lane markings. Warnings are given later if:
R the road has narrow lanes.
R you cut the corner on a bend. PARKTRONIC
General notes PARKTRONIC is an electronic parking aid. The
system is equipped with ultrasonic sensors inthe front and rear bumpers to monitor the
area around your vehicle. PARKTRONIC indi-
cates visually and audibly the distance
between your vehicle and an object.
Your vehicle features two separate sound
emitters with different frequencies for the
warning tones. The warning ranges in front of
and behind the vehicle are indicated by dif-
ferent warning tones.
PARKTRONIC is activated automatically when you:
R turn the key to position 2in the ignition lock
R release the parking brake and
R move the selector lever to D,Nor R
PARKTRONIC is deactivated at speeds above
11 mph (18 km/h) . PARKTRONIC is reactiva-
ted at speeds below 10 mph (16 km/h).
Important safety notes PARKTRONIC is only an aid. It cannot replace
your own awareness of the immediate sur-
roundings. You are responsible for safe
maneuvering, parking and pulling away. Whenmaneuvering, parking and pulling away, make
sure that there are no persons, animals or
objects in the maneuvering area.
! Pay particular attention to obstacles
above or below the sensors when parking,
such as flower pots or trailer towbars.
PARKTRONIC does not recognize such
objects when they are in the immediate
vicinity of the vehicle. You could damage
the vehicle or objects. Driving systems
167Driving and parking Z

Display messages on vehicles with steering wheel buttons
Safety systems Display messages
Possible causes/consequences and
0050
0050Solutions ABS
ABS
Visit workshop Visit workshop
ABS has been deactivated due to a malfunction. ESP
®
, ASR and
BAS, as well as cruise control, have also been deactivated as a
result.
G WARNING
The brake system continues to function normally, but without the functions listed above. The wheels could therefore lock if you
brake hard, for example.
This causes steerability and braking to be greatly impaired. The
braking distance can increase in emergency braking situations.
The driven wheels can spin when accelerating.
If ESP ®
is not operational, ESP ®
will not stabilize the vehicle.
There is an increased risk of skidding and accidents.
X Drive on with care.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop immediately. ABS ABS
Unavailable Unavailable ABS is temporarily unavailable or is deactivated due to undervolt-
age. ESP ®
, ASR and BAS, as well as cruise control, are also
unavailable as a result.
The battery may not be being charged.
G WARNING
The brake system continues to function normally, but without the functions listed above. The wheels could therefore lock if you
brake hard, for example.
This causes steerability and braking to be greatly impaired. The
braking distance can increase in emergency braking situations.
The driven wheels can spin when accelerating.
If ESP ®
is not operational, ESP ®
will not stabilize the vehicle.
There is an increased risk of skidding and accidents.
X Drive for a short distance at a speed of more than 13 mph
(20 km/ h).
If the display message disappears, the functions mentioned
above are available again.
If the display message continues to be displayed:
X Drive on with care.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop immediately. 204
Display messagesOn-board computer and displays