Do not depress the brake pedal continuously
while the vehicle is in motion, e.g. causing the
brakes to rub by constantly applying light
pressure to the pedal. This results in exces-
sive and premature wear to the brake pads.
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 or driven through deep water.
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.
RIn order to prevent any salt build-up, apply
the brakes occasionally while paying atten-
tion to the traffic conditions.
RCarefully depress the brake pedal and the
beginning and end of a journey.
RMaintain a greater distance to the vehicle
ahead.
Servicing the brakes
!The brake fluid level may be too low, if:
Rif the red brake warning lamp lights up in
the instrument cluster and
Ryou hear a warning tone while the engineis running
Observe additional warning messages in
the multifunction 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. Consult a qualified specialist work-
shop to arrange this.
!A function or performance test should
only be carried out on a 2-axle dynamom-
eter. If you wish to operate the vehicle on
such a dynamometer, please consult a
qualified specialist workshop in advance.
You could otherwise damage the drive train
or the brake system.
!As the ESP®system operates automati-
cally, the engine and the ignition must be
switched off (the SmartKey must be in posi-
tion 0or 1in the ignition lock) if:
Rthe electric parking brake is tested on a
brake dynamometer (for a maximum of
ten second s)
Rthe vehicle is towed with the front axle
raised.
Braking triggered automatically by ESP
®
may seriously damage the brake system.
Driving tips159
Driving and parking
Z
:Sensors in the front bumper, left-hand
side (example)
The sensors must be free from dirt, ice or
slush. They can otherwise not function cor-
rectly. Clean the sensors regularly, taking
care not to scratch or damage them
(
Ypage 277).
Range
Front sensors
CenterApprox. 40 in (approx.
100 cm)
CornersApprox. 24 in (approx.
60 cm)
Rear sensors
CenterApprox. 48 in (approx.
120 cm)
CornersApprox. 32 in (approx.
80 cm)
Minimum distance
CenterApprox. 8 in (approx.
20 cm)
CornersApprox. 6 in (approx.
15 cm)
If there is an obstacle within this range, the
relevant warning displays light up and a warn-
ing tone sounds. If the distance falls below
the minimum, the distance may no longer be
shown.
Warning displays
:Segments on the left-hand side of the
vehicle
;Segments on the right-hand side of the
vehicle
=Segments showing operational readiness
The warning displays show the distance
between the sensors and the obstacle. The
warning display for the front area is located
on the dashboard above the center air vents.
The warning display for the rear area is loca-
ted on the headliner in the rear compartment. The warning display for each side of the vehi-
cle is divided into five yellow and two red seg-
166Driving systems
Driving and parking
ments. PARKTRONIC is operational if yellow
segments showing operational readiness=
light up.
The transmission position of the automatic
transmission and the direction in which the
vehicle is rolling determine which warning
display is active when the engine is running.
Transmission
positionWarning display
DFront area activated
R, Nor 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:
Rsixth segment onwards, you will hear an
intermittent warning tone for approx-
imately two seconds.
Rseventh 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
:Indicator lamp
;Deactivating/activating PARKTRONIC
If indicator lamp :lights up, PARKTRONIC is
deactivated.
iPARKTRONIC is automatically activated
when you turn the SmartKey to position 2in
the ignition lock.
Driving systems167
Driving and parking
Z
Problems with PARKTRONIC
ProblemPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
Only the red segments
in the PARKTRONIC
warning displays are lit.
You also hear a warning
tone for approximately
two seconds.
PARKTRONIC is then
deactivated and the
indicator lamp on the
PARKTRONIC button
lights up.PARKTRONIC has malfunctioned and has switched off.
XIf problems persist, have PARKTRONIC checked at a qualified
specialist workshop.
Only the red segments
in the PARKTRONIC
warning displays are lit.
PARKTRONIC is then
deactivated.The PARKTRONIC sensors are dirty or there is interference.
XClean the PARKTRONIC sensors (Ypage 277).
XSwitch 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
General notes
Active Parking Assist is an electronic parking
aid with ultrasound. It measures the road on
both sides of the vehicle. A parking symbol
indicates a suitable parking space. Active
steering intervention can assist you during
maneuvering and parking. You may also use
PARKTRONIC (
Ypage 165).
Important safety notes
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.
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 may possibly indicate
parking spaces which are not suitable for
parking, for example:
RWhere parking or stopping is prohibited
RIn front of driveways or entrances and exits
ROn unsuitable surfaces
168Driving systems
Driving and parking
XDrive forwards and back up as prompted bythe PARKTRONIC warning displays, several
times if necessary.
XStop when PARKTRONIC sounds the con-
tinuous warning tone, if not before.
Once you have exited the parking space com-
pletely, the steering wheel is moved to the
straight-ahead position. You hear a tone and
the Park Assist Finished
message
appears in the multifunction display. You will
then have to steer and merge into traffic on
your own. PARKTRONIC is still available. You
can take over the steering, before the vehicle
has exited the parking space completely. This
is useful, for example when you recognize
that it is already possible to pull out of the
parking space.
Canceling Active Parking Assist
XStop 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
XPress the PARKTRONIC button
(
Ypage 167).
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:
Rthe electric parking brake is engaged
Rtransmission position Pis selected
Rparking using Active Parking Assist is no
longer possible
Ryou are driving faster than 6 mph (10 km/h)
Ra wheel spins, ESP®intervenes or fails. The
÷ warning lamp lights up in the instru-
ment cluster
A warning tone sounds. The parking symbol
disappears and the multifunction display shows the
Park Assist Canceled
mes-
sage.
When Active Parking Assist is canceled, you
must steer and brake again yourself.
If a system malfunction occurs, the vehicle is
braked to a standstill. To drive on, depress the
accelerator again.
Rear view camera
General notes
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 shown in the Audio/COMAND
display depends on the language setting.
The following are examples of rear view
camera messages in the Audio/COMAND
display.
Observe the notes on cleaning (
Ypage 278).
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.
172Driving systems
Driving and parking
AYellow guide line at a distance of approx-
imately 3 ft (1.0 m) from the rear of the
vehicle
BVehicle center axle (marker assistance)
CBumper
DRed guide line at a distance of approx-
imately 12 in (0.30 m) from the rear of the
vehicle
:Front warning display
;Additional PARKTRONIC measurement
operational readiness indicator
=Rear warning display
Vehicles with PARKTRONIC: when
PARKTRONIC is operational (
Ypage 166),
additional measurement operational readi-
ness indicator ;appears in the Audio 20/
COMAND display. If the PARKTRONIC warn-
ing displays are active or light up, warning
displays :and =are also active or light up
correspondingly in the Audio 20/COMAND
display.
"Reverse parking" function
Backing up straight into a parking space
without turning the steering wheel
:White guide line without turning the steer-
ing wheel, vehicle width including the
exterior mirrors (static)
;Yellow guide line for the vehicle width
including the exterior mirrors, for current
steering wheel angle (dynamic)
=Yellow guide line at a distance of approx-
imately 3 ft (1.0 m) from the rear of the
vehicle
?Red guide line at a distance of approx-
imately 12 in (0.30 m) from the rear of the
vehicle
XMake sure that the rear view camera is
switched on (
Ypage 173).
The lane and the guide lines are shown.
XWith the help of white guide line :, check
whether the vehicle will fit into the parking
space.
XUsing white guide line :as a guide, care-
fully back up until you reach the end posi-
tion.
Red guide line ?is then at the end of the
parking space. The vehicle is almost paral-
lel in the parking space.
174Driving systems
Driving and parking
Warning display
: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.
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
are indicated by the flashing of red warning
lamp :. There are no further warning tones.
Switching on Blind Spot Assist
XMake sure that Blind Spot Assist is activa-
ted in the on-board computer
(
Ypage 194).
XTurn the SmartKey to position 2in the igni-
tion lock.
Warning lamps :in the exterior mirrors
light up red for approximately 1.5 seconds
and then turn yellow.
Driving systems179
Driving and parking
Z
Useful information
i
This Operator's Manual describes all
models and all standard and optional equip-
ment of your vehicle available at the time of
publication of the Operator's Manual.
Country-specific differences are possible.
Please note that your vehicle may not be
equipped with all features described. This
also applies to safety-related systems and
functions.
iRead the information on qualified special-
ist workshops (
Ypage 26).
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If you operate information systems and com-
munication equipment integrated in the vehi-
cle while driving, you will be distracted from
traffic conditions. You could also lose control
of the vehicle. There is a risk of an accident.
Only operate the equipment when the traffic
situation permits. If you are not sure that this
is possible, park the vehicle paying attention
to traffic conditions and operate the equip-
ment when the vehicle is stationary.
You must observe the legal requirements for
the country in which you are currently driving
when operating the on-board computer.
GWARNING
If the instrument cluster has failed or mal-
functioned, you may not recognize function
restrictions in systems relevant to safety. The
operating safety of your vehicle may be
impaired. There is a risk of an accident.
Drive on carefully. Have the vehicle checked
at a qualified specialist workshop immedi-
ately.
The on-board computer only shows messages
or warnings from certain systems in the mul-
tifunction display. You should therefore make sure your vehicle is operating safely at all
times.
If the operating safety of your vehicle is
impaired, pull over as soon as it is safe to do
so. Contact a qualified specialist workshop.
For an overview, see the instrument panel
illustration (
Ypage 31).
Displays and operation
Instrument cluster lighting
The light sensor in the instrument cluster
automatically controls the brightness of the
multifunction display. In daylight, the displays
in the instrument cluster are not illuminated.
The lighting in the instrument cluster, in the
displays and the controls in the vehicle inte-
rior can be adjusted using the brightness con-
trol knob.
The brightness control knob is located on the
bottom left of the instrument cluster
(
Ypage 31).
XTurn the brightness control knob clockwise
or counter-clockwise.
If the light switch is set to the
Ã,Tor
L position, the brightness is dependent
upon the brightness of the ambient light.
READY indicator
When the drive system is started and the
vehicle is ready to drive, READY indicator :
appears in the multifunction display. This indi-
cates that the vehicle is operational.
182Displays and operation
On-board computer and displays