2016 MERCEDES-BENZ C-Class SEDAN page 50

GWARNING
Adaptive Brake Assist does not react:
Rto people or animals
Rto oncoming vehicles
Rto crossing traffic
Rwhen 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.
Due to the nature of the system, particularly
complicated but non-critical driving conditions
may also cause Brake Assist to intervene.
If adaptive Brake Assist is not available due to a
malfunction in the radar sensor system, the
brake system remains available with full brake
boosting effect and BAS.
ESP®(Electronic Stability Program)
General notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Ypage 68).
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 vehi-
cle 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/4ETS (Electronic Traction System)
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Ypage 68).
ETS traction control is part of ESP
®. On vehicles
with 4MATIC, 4ETS is part of ESP®.
Traction control brakes the drive wheels indi-
vidually 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 transfer-
red to the wheel or wheels with traction.
Traction control remains active, even if you
deactivate ESP
®.
Important safety notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Ypage 68).
GWARNING
If ESP
®is malfunctioning, ESP®is unable to
stabilize the vehicle. Additionally, further driv-
ing safety systems are deactivated. This
increases the risk of skidding and an accident.
Drive on carefully. Have ESP
®checked at a
qualified specialist workshop.
When towing the vehicle with the rear axle
raised, observe the notes on ESP
®
(Ypage 355).
If the å ESP®OFF warning lamp lights up
continuously, ESP®is deactivated.
If the ÷ ESP®warning lamp lights up contin-
uously, ESP®is not available due to a malfunc-
tion.
Observe the information on warning lamps
(
Ypage 290) and display messages which may
be shown in the instrument cluster
(
Ypage 256).
Only use wheels with the recommended tire
sizes. Only then will ESP
®function properly.
Characteristics of ESP®
General information
If the ÷ ESP warning lamp goes out before
beginning the journey, ESP®is automatically
active.
If ESP
®intervenes, the ÷ESP®warning lamp
flashes in the instrument cluster.
If ESP
®intervenes:
XDo not deactivate ESP®under any circum-
stances.
XOnly depress the accelerator pedal as far as
necessary when pulling away.
XAdapt your driving style to suit the prevailing
road and weather conditions.
Driving safety systems73
Safety
Z

ECO start/stop function
The ECO start/stop function switches the
engine off automatically when the vehicle stops
moving. The engine starts automatically when
the driver wants to pull away again. ESP
®
remains in its previously selected status.Exam-
ple: if ESP®was deactivated before the engine
was switched off, ESP®remains deactivated
when the engine is switched on again.
Deactivating/activating ESP®(except
Mercedes ‑AMG vehicles)
Important safety notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Ypage 68).
You can select between the following statuses
of ESP:
RESP®is activated.
RESP®is deactivated.
GWARNING
If you deactivate ESP
®, ESP®no longer sta-
bilizes the vehicle. There is an increased risk
of skidding and an accident.
Only deactivate ESP
®in the situations descri-
bed in the following.
It may be best to deactivate ESP
®in the follow-
ing situations:
Rwhen using snow chains
Rin deep snow
Ron sand or gravel
iActivate ESP®as soon as the situations
described above no longer apply. ESP®will
otherwise not be able to stabilize the vehicle if
the vehicle starts to skid or a wheel starts to
spin.
!Avoid spinning the driven wheels for an
extended period with ESP®deactivated. You
could otherwise damage the drivetrain.
Deactivating/activating ESP®
You can deactivate or activate ESP®via the on-
board computer (Ypage 247).
ESP®deactivated:
The å ESP®OFF warning lamp in the instru-
ment cluster lights up. ESP
®activated:
The å ESP®OFF warning lamp in the instru-
ment cluster goes out.
Characteristics when ESP®is deactivated
If ESP®is deactivated and one or more wheels
start to spin, the ÷ESP®warning lamp in the
instrument cluster flashes. In such situations,
ESP
®will not stabilize the vehicle.
If you deactivate ESP®:
RESP®no longer improves driving stability.
REngine torque is no longer limited and the
drive wheels are able to spin.
The spinning of the wheels results in a cutting
action for better traction on loose surfaces.
RTraction control is still activated.
RCOLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST is no longer
available; nor is it activated if you brake firmly
with assistance from ESP
®.
RPRE-SAFE®is no longer available, nor is it
activated if you brake firmly and ESP®inter-
venes.
RPRE-SAFE®Brake is no longer available, it is
also not activated if you brake firmly and ESP®
intervenes.
RESP®still provides support when you brake
firmly.
Deactivating/activating ESP®
(Mercedes ‑AMG vehicles)
Important safety notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Ypage 68).
You can select between the following states of
ESP
®:
RESP®is activated.
RSPORT handling mode is activated.
RESP®is deactivated.
GWARNING
When SPORT handling mode is activated,
there is a greater risk of skidding and acci-
dents.
Only activate SPORT handling mode in the sit-
uations described in the following.
74Driving safety systems
Safety

RPRE-SAFE®is no longer available, nor is it
activated if you brake firmly and ESP®inter-
venes.
RPRE-SAFE®Brake is no longer available, it is
also not activated if you brake firmly and ESP®
intervenes.
RESP®still provides support when you brake
firmly.
ESP®trailer stabilization
General information
ESP®trailer stabilization is not available in
Mercedes-AMG vehicles.
If your vehicle/trailer combination begins to
swerve, ESP
®assists you in this situation. ESP®
slows the vehicle down by braking and limiting
the engine output until the vehicle/trailer com-
bination has stabilized.
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If road and weather conditions are poor,
trailer stabilization will not be able to prevent
the vehicle/trailer combination from swerv-
ing. Trailers with a high center of gravity can
tip over before ESP
®can detect this. There is
a risk of an accident.
Always adapt your driving style to the prevail-
ing road and weather conditions.
If your vehicle with trailer (vehicle/trailer com-
bination) begins to lurch, you can only stabilize
the vehicle/trailer combination by depressing
the brake firmly.
ESP
®trailer stabilization is active above speeds
of about 65 km/h.
ESP
®trailer stabilization does not work if ESP®
is deactivated or disabled because of a malfunc-
tion.
Crosswind Assist
General information
Strong crosswinds can cause your vehicle to
deviate from a straight course. The crosswind
driving assistance function integrated in ESP
®
noticeably reduces these impairments. ESP
®intervenes automatically according to the
direction and intensity of the crosswinds affect- ing your vehicle.
ESP intervenes with stabilizing braking to assist
you in keeping the vehicle in the lane.
Crosswind Assist is active at vehicle speeds
above 50 mph (80 km/ h)when driving straight
ahead or cornering gently.
Important safety notes
Crosswind Assist does not work if ESP®is deac-
tivated or disabled because of a malfunction.
EBD (electronic brake force distribu-
tion)
General information
EBD monitors and controls the brake pressure
on the rear wheels to improve driving stability
while braking.
Important safety notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Ypage 68).
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. Have
the brake system checked at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
Observe information regarding indicator and
warning lamps (
Ypage 289) as well as display
messages (Ypage 258).
ADAPTIVE BRAKE
ADAPTIVE BRAKE enhances braking safety and
offers increased braking comfort. In addition to
the braking function, ADAPTIVE BRAKE also has
the HOLD function (
Ypage 194) and hill start
assist (Ypage 150).
76Driving safety systems
Safety

PRE-SAFE®Brake
General information
PRE-SAFE®Brake can help you to minimize the
risk of a collision with a vehicle ahead or a
pedestrian, 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.
iPay attention to the important safety notes
in the "Driving safety systems" section
(
Ypage 68).
PRE‑SAFE
®Brake is only available in vehicles
with the Driving Assistance Plus package.
For PRE-SAFE
®Brake to assist you when driving,
the radar sensor system and the camera system
must be switched on and be operational.
With the help of the radar sensor system and the
camera system, PRE-SAFE
®Brake can detect
obstacles that are in front of your vehicle for an
extended period of time.
In addition, pedestrians in the path of your vehi- cle can be detected.
PRE-SAFE
®Brake detects pedestrians using
typical characteristics such as the body con-
tours and posture of a person standing upright.
iObserve the restrictions described in the
"Important safety notes" section
(
Ypage 77).
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 brake yourself. Even
after subsequent full application of the brakes
a collision cannot always be avoided, partic-
ularly when approaching at too high a speed.
There is a risk of an accident.
Always apply the brakes yourself and try to
take evasive action, provided it is safe to do
so.
In the event of a partial application of the brakes,
the vehicle is braked with up to 50% of the full
braking pressure.
GWARNING
PRE-SAFE
®Brake cannot always clearly iden-
tify objects and complex traffic conditions.
In these cases, PRE-SAFE
®Brake may:
Rgive an unnecessary warning and then
brake the vehicle
Rnot 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.
GWARNING
PRE-SAFE
®Brake cannot always clearly iden-
tify people, especially if they are moving. In
these cases, PRE-SAFE
®Brake cannot inter-
vene. 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.
In order to maintain the appropriate distance to
the vehicle in front and thus prevent a collision,
you must apply the brakes yourself.
GWARNING
PRE-SAFE
®Brake does not react:
Rto small people, e.g. children
Rto animals
Rto oncoming vehicles
Rto crossing traffic
Rwhen 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.
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.
Driving safety systems77
Safety
Z

Recognition by theradar sensor system is also
impaire dif:
Rthere is dirt on th esensor sor anythin gelse
covering th esensor s
Rthere is interferenc eby other radar source s
Rthere are strongradar reflections, for exam-
ple in parking garages
Ra narrow vehicl eis traveling in front, e.g. a
motorbike
Ra vehicl eis traveling in fron ton adifferen tlin e
relative to th ecenter of your vehicl e
Recognition by th ecamera system is also
impaire din th eevent of:
Rdirt on th ecamera or if th ecamera is covered
Rglar eon th ecamera system, e.g. from th esun
bein glow in th esk y
Rdarkness
Ror if:
-pedestrian smov equickly, e.g. int oth epat h
of th evehicl e
-thecamera system no longer recognizes a
pedestrian as aperson due to special cloth -
ing or other objects
-a pedestrian is concealed by other objects
-th etypical outlin eof aperson is no tdistin-
guishable from th ebackgroun d
Followin gdamag eto th efron ten dof th evehicle,
hav eth econfiguration and operation of th e
radar sensor schecke dat aqualified specialist
workshop. This also applie sto collision sat slow
speeds wher ethere is no visible damag eto th e
fron tof th evehicle.
Followin gdamag eto th
ew
indshield, hav eth e
configuration and operation of th ecamera sys-
te m checke dat aqualified specialist workshop.
Function
XTo activate/deactivate: activateor deacti -
vat ePRE-SAF E®Brake in th eon-board com-
puter (Ypage 247).
If th ePRE-SAF E®Brake is no tactivated, th e
æ symbol appear sin th emultifunction dis-
play.
Starting at aspee dof aroun d 4mph (7 km/h),
this function warn syou if you rapidly approac h a
vehicl ein front. An intermittent warning tone
will then soun dand th e· distanc ewarning
lamp will ligh tup in th einstrumen tcluster.
XBrake immediately to defuse th esituation .
or
XTak eevasive action provide dit is saf eto do
so.
PRE-SAF E
®Brake can also brak eth evehicl e
automatically under th efollowin gconditions:
Rth edriver and front-passenger hav etheir seat
belt sfastene d
and
Rth evehicl espee dis between approximately
4 mph (7 km/h) and 12 4mph (20 0km/h)
At speeds of up to approximately 44 mph
(70 km/h) PRE-SAF E
®Brake can also detect:
Rstationary objects in th epat hof your vehicle,
e.g. stoppe dor parked vehicles
Rpedestrian sin th epat hof your vehicl e
iIf there is an increased ris kof acollision ,
preventive passenger protection measures
(PRE-SAF E
®)are triggered (Ypage 60).
If th eris kof collision wit hth evehicl ein fron t
re

main sand you do no tbrake, tak eevasive
action or accelerate significantly, th evehicl e
may perfor mautomatic emergenc ybraking ,up
to th epoin tof full brak eapplication .Automatic
emergenc ybraking is no tperformed until imme-
diately prio rto an imminent accident.
You can preven tth eintervention of th ePRE -
SAFE
®Brake at any time by:
Rdepressing th eaccelerato rpedal further.
Ractivating kickdown .
Rreleasingth ebrak epedal .
The braking action of PRE-SAF E®Brake is ended
automatically if:
Ryou maneuve rto avoi dth eobstacle.
Rthere is no longer aris kof collision .
Rthere is no longer an obstacle detecte din
fron tof your vehicle.
STEER CONTROL
General information
STEE RCONTROL help syou by transmitting a
noticeable steering force to th esteering whee l
in th edirection require dfor vehicl estabilization .
78Driving safety systems
Safety

This steering assistance is provided in particular
if:
Rboth right wheels or both left wheels are on awet or slippery road surface when you brake.
Rthe vehicle starts to skid.
Important safety notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Ypage 68).
No steering support is provided from STEER
CONTROL, if:
RESP®is deactivated
RESP®is malfunctioning.
Rthe lighting is faulty.
If ESP®is malfunctioning, you will be assisted
further by the electrical power steering.
Protection against theft
Immobilizer
The immobilizer prevents your vehicle from
being started without the correct SmartKey.
XTo activate with the SmartKey: remove the
SmartKey from the ignition lock.
XTo activate with KEYLESS-GO start-func-
tion or KEYLESS-GO: switch the ignition off
and open the driver's door.
XTo deactivate: switch on the ignition.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Anyone
can start the engine if a valid SmartKey has been
left inside the vehicle.
iThe immobilizer is always deactivated when
you start the engine.
In the event that the engine cannot be started
(yet the vehicle's battery is charged), the sys- tem is not operational. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center or call
1-800-FOR-MERCedes (in the USA) or
1-800-387-0100 (in Canada).
ATA (anti-theft alarm system)
XTo arm: lock the vehicle with the SmartKey or
KEYLESS-GO.
Indicator lamp :flashes. The alarm system
is armed after approximately 10 seconds.
XTo disarm: unlock the vehicle with the Smart-
Key or KEYLESS-GO.
or
XInsert the SmartKey into the ignition lock.
A visual and audible alarm is triggered if the
alarm system is armed and you open:
Ra door
Rthe vehicle with the mechanical key
Rthe trunk lid
Rthe hood
XTo turn the alarm off with the SmartKey:
press the %or& button on the Smart-
Key.
The alarm is switched off.
or
XVehicles with KEYLESS-GO start-function
or KEYLESS-GO: remove the Start/Stop but-
ton from the ignition lock (
Ypage 146).
XInsert the SmartKey into the ignition lock.
The alarm is switched off.
XTo stop the alarm using KEYLESS-GO:
grasp the outside door handle. The SmartKey
must be outside the vehicle.
The alarm is switched off.
or
XPress the Start/Stop button on the dash-
board. The SmartKey must be inside the vehi- cle.
The alarm is switched off.
The alarm is not switched off, even if you close
the open door that triggered it, for example.
Protection against theft79
Safety
Z

You will receive visual and acoustic locking con-
firmation if all components were able to be
locked.
When the locator lighting is activated via the
multimedia system, it lights up when it is dark
after the vehicle is unlocked with the SmartKey
(see the Digital Operator's Manual).
XTo open the trunk lid automatically from
outside the vehicle:press and hold theF
button until the trunk lid opens.
XTo open the trunk lid automatically from
outside the vehicle: if the SmartKey is loca-
ted in the immediate vicinity of the vehicle,
press the Fbutton on the SmartKey.
When the trunk lid closes you can then
release the button.
KEYLESS-GO
General notes
Bear in mind that the engine can be started by
any of the vehicle occupants if there is a Smart-
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 func-
tions of KEYLESS-GO with those of a conven-
tional SmartKey. Unlock the vehicle by using
KEYLESS-GO, for instance, and lock it using the
& button on the SmartKey.
The driver's door and the door at which the han-
dle is used, must both be closed. The SmartKey
must be outside the vehicle. When locking or
unlocking with KEYLESS-GO, the distance
between the SmartKey and the corresponding
door handle must not be greater than 3 ft (1 m).
A brief radio connection between the vehicle
and the key determines whether a valid Smart-
Key is in, or in the direct vicinity of, the vehicle.
This occurs, for example:
Rwhen starting the engine
Rwhile driving
Rwhen using HANDS-FREE ACCESS
Rwhen the external door handles are touched
Rduring convenience closing
XTo unlock the vehicle: touch the inner sur-
face of the door handle.
XTo lock the vehicle: touch sensor surface :
or ;.
Make sure that you do not touch the inner
surface of the door handle.
XConvenience closing feature: touch
recessed sensor surface ;for an extended
period.
Further information on the convenience clos-
ing feature (
Ypage 96).
XTo unlock the trunk lid: pull the handle on
the trunk lid.
Deactivating and activating
If you do not intend to use a key for an extended
period of time, you can deactivate the KEYLESS-
GO function of the SmartKey. The SmartKey will
then use very little power, thereby conserving
battery power. For the purposes of activation/
deactivation, the vehicle must not be nearby.
XTo deactivate: press the&button on the
SmartKey twice in rapid succession.
The battery check lamp of the SmartKey
flashes twice briefly and lights up once, then
KEYLESS-GO is deactivated (
Ypage 84).
XTo activate: press any button on the Smart-
Key.
or
XInsert the SmartKey into the ignition lock.
KEYLESS-GO and all of its associated features
are available again.
82SmartKey
Opening and closing

KEYLESS-GOstart function
Gene ral notes
Bear in min dthat th eengin ecan be started by
any of th evehicl eoccupant sif there is aSmart -
Key in th evehicle.
Changing the settings ofthe locking
system
You can chang eth esetting sof th elocking sys-
tem. This mean sthat only th edriver's door and
th efuel filler flap are unlocke dwhen th evehicl e
is unlocked. This is useful if you frequentl ytravel
on your own .
XTo change th esetting: press and hold down
th e% and& buttons simultaneousl y
for approximately six seconds until th ebat -
tery chec klamp flashes twice (
Ypage 84).
If th esetting of th elocking system is changed
within th esignal range of th evehicle, pressing
th e& or% button:
Rlocks or
Runlocks th evehicl e
The SmartKey no wfunction sas follows :
XTo unlock: press the% buttononce .
XTo unlock centrally: press the% button
twice .
XTo lock: press the& button.
The KEYLESS-GO function scan be changed as
follows :
XTo unlock th edriver's door :touch th einner
surfac eof th edoor handle on th edriver's
door .
XTo unlock centrally: touch theinner surfac e
of th edoor handle on th efront-passenger
door or th erear door .
XTo lock centrally: touch theouter sensor
surfac eon on eof th edoor handles .
XTo restoreth efactory settings: press and
hold th e% and& buttons sim ultane-
ousl yfor approximately six seconds until th e
battery chec klamp flashes twice
(
Ypage 84) .
Mechanical key
Gene ral notes
If th evehicl ecan no longer be locke dor
unlocke dwit hth eSmartKey or KEYLESS-GO ,
use th emechanical key.
If you use th emechanical ke yto unloc kand
open th edriver's door ,th eanti-thef talarm sys-
te m will be triggered .Switc hoff th ealarm
(
Ypage 79) .
If you unloc kth evehicl eusin gth emechanical
key, th efuel filler flap will no tbe unlocke dauto -
matically.
XTo unlock th efuel filler flap: insert the
SmartKey int oth eignition lock.
Removing the mechanical key
XPush release catch :in th edirection of th e
arrow and at th esam etime remove mechan -
ical ke y; from th eSmartKey.
Further information :
RUnlocking thedriver's door (Ypage 89)
RLocking th evehicl e (Ypage 89 )
Inserting the mechanical key
XPush mechanical ke y; completely int oth e
SmartKey until it engage sand release
catch :is bac kin it sbasic position .
SmartKey83
Opening and closing
Z