2016 MERCEDES-BENZ C-Class SEDAN traction control

1, 2, 3 ...
4ETS (Electronic Traction System)see ETS/4ETS (Electronic Trac-
tion System)
4MATIC (permanent four-wheel
drive) .................................................. 198
12 V socket
see Socket (12 V)
360° camera
Cleaning .........................................3 39
Display in the multimedia system .. 212
Function/notes .............................2 10
A
ABS (Anti-lock Braking System)
Display message ............................ 256
Function/notes ................................ 68
Important safety notes .................... 68
Warning lamp ................................. 289
Accident
Automatic measures after an acci-
dent ................................................. 61
Activating media mode
General notes ................................ 306
Activating/deactivating cooling
with air dehumidification ................. 133
Active Blind Spot Assist
Activating/deactivating (on-
board computer) ............................ 248
Display message ............................ 276
Active Lane Keeping Assist
Activating/deactivating (on-
board computer) ............................ 248
Display message ............................ 275
Function/information .................... 222
Active Parking Assist
Canceling ....................................... 206
Detecting parking spaces .............. 203
Display message ............................ 276
Exiting a parking space .................. 205
Function/notes ............................. 202
Important safety notes .................. 202
Parking .......................................... 204
ADAPTIVE BRAKE ................................. 76
Adaptive Brake Assist
Function/notes ................................ 72 Adaptive Damping System
Function/notes ............................. 197
Adaptive Damping System (ADS) ..... 197
Adaptive Highbeam Assist
Display message ............................ 268
Function/notes ............................. 120
Switching on/off ........................... 121
Additional speedometer ................... 251
Additives (engine oil) ........................ 392
Address book
see also Digital Operator's Man-
ual .................................................. 298
Adjusting the volume
Multimedia system ........................ 299
Air bags
Deployment ..................................... 58
Display message ............................ 265
Front air bag (driver, front
passenger) ....................................... 52
Important safety notes .................... 51
Introduction ..................................... 51
Knee bag .......................................... 53
Occupant Classification System
(OCS) ............................................... 54
PASSENGER AIR BAG indi
cator
lamps ............................................... 47
Side impact air bag .......................... 53
Window curtain air bag .................... 54
Air vents
Important safety notes .................. 143
Rear ............................................... 144
Setting ........................................... 143
Setting the center air vents ........... 144
Setting the side air vents ............... 144
Air-conditioning system
see Climate control
AIRMATIC
Display message ............................ 274
Function/notes ............................. 196
AIRPANEL
Cleaning instructions ..................... 339
Alarm
ATA (Anti-Theft Alarm system) ......... 79
Switching off (ATA) .......................... 79
Switching the function on/off
(ATA) ................................................ 79
Alarm system
see ATA (Anti-Theft Alarm system)
Index3

Sidewall (definition) ....................... 379
Snow chains .................................. 363
Speed rating (definition) ................ 378
Storing ........................................... 380
Structure and characteristics
(definition) ..................................... 377
Summer tires in winter .................. 362
Temperature .................................. 374
TIN (Tire Identification Number)
(definition) ..................................... 379
Tire bead (definition) ...................... 379
Tire pressure (definition) ................ 379
Tire pressures (recommended) ...... 378
Tire size (data) ............................... 384
Tire size designation, load-bearing
capacity, speed rating .................... 374
Tire tread ....................................... 361
Tire tread (definition) ..................... 379
Total load limit (definition) ............. 379
Traction ......................................... 373
Traction (definition) ....................... 379
Tread wear ..................................... 373
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Standards ...................................... 373
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Standards (definition) .................... 378
Wear indicator (definition) ............. 379
Wheel and tire combination ........... 384
Wheel rim (definition) .................... 378
see Flat tire
Top Tether ............................................ 64
Touchpad
Changing the station/music
track .............................................. 301
Character suggestions ................... 300
Deleting characters ....................... 300
Entering a space ............................ 300
Entering characters ....................... 300
Gesture control .............................. 300
Handwriting recognition ................ 300
Operating the touchpad ................. 300
Overview ........................................ 300
Quick access for Audio .................. 301
Switching ....................................... 300
Switching input line ....................... 300
Tow-starting
Emergency engine starting ............ 357
Important safety notes .................. 354 Towing a trailer
ESP®(Electronic Stability Pro-
gram) ............................................... 76
Towing away
Important safety guidelines ........... 354
Insta

lling the towing eye ................ 355
Notes for 4MATIC vehicles ............ 356
Removing the towing eye ............... 355
Transporting the vehicle ................ 356
With both axles on the ground ....... 356
With the rear axle raised ................ 355
Towing eye ......................................... 343
Traffic reports
see also Digital Operator's Man-
ual .................................................. 298
Traffic Sign Assist
Display message ............................ 277
Function/notes ............................. 215
Important safety notes .................. 215
Instrument cluster display ............. 216
Transfer case ..................................... 164
Transmission
see Automatic transmission
Transmission position display ......... 157
Transmission position display
(DIRECT SELECT lever) ...................... 157
Transporting the vehicle .................. 356
Trim pieces (cleaning instruc-
tions) .................................................. 340
Trip computer (on-board com-
puter) .................................................. 240
Trip odometer
Calling up ....................................... 239
Resetting (on-board computer) ...... 241
Trunk
Important safety notes .................... 89
Locking separately ........................... 94
Opening/closing (automatically
from inside) ...................................... 93
Opening/closing (automatically
from outside) ................................... 91
Opening/closing (from outside,
HANDS-FREE ACCESS) .................... 92
Opening/closing (manually from
outside) ............................................ 90
Trunk lid
Display message ............................ 283
22Index

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

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.
!Avoid spinning the driven wheels for an
extended period with ESP®deactivated. You
could otherwise damage the drivetrain.
In the following situations, it may be better to
activate SPORT handling mode or deactivate
ESP
®:
Rwhen using snow chains
Rin deep snow
Ron sand or gravel
Ron specially designated roads when the vehi-
cle's own oversteering and understeering
characteristics are desired
Driving in SPORT handling mode or without
ESP
®requires an extremely qualified and expe-
rienced driver.
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.
Deactivating/activating ESP®
XTo activate SPORT handling mode: briefly
press button :.
The M SPORT handling mode warning
lamp in the instrument cluster lights up. The SPORT handling mode
message appears in
the multifunction display.
XTo deactivate SPORT handling mode:
briefly press button :.
The M SPORT handling mode warning
lamp in the instrument cluster goes out.
XTo deactivate ESP®: press button :until
the å ESP®OFF warning lamp lights up in
the instrument cluster.
The ÷ OFF
message appears in the multi-
function display.
XTo activate ESP®: briefly press button :.
The å ESP®OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster goes out. The ÷ON
message appears in the multifunction display.
Characteristics of activated SPORT han-
dling mode
If SPORT handling mode is activated and one or
more wheels start to spin, the ÷ESP®warn-
ing lamp in the instrument cluster flashes. ESP®
only stabilizes the vehicle to a limited degree.
When SPORT handling mode is activated:
RESP®only improves driving stability to a limi-
ted degree.
RTraction control is still activated.
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.
RESP®still provides support when you brake
firmly.
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 does not flash. In such situa-
tions, 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
®.
Driving safety systems75
Safety
Z

For more information on driving with snow
chains, see (Ypage 363).
For more information on driving with summer
tires, see (
Ypage 362).
Observe the notes in the "Winter operation" sec-
tion (
Ypage 362).
Driving systems
Mercedes-Benz Intelligent Drive
Mercedes-Benz Intelligent Drive stands for inno-
vative driver assistance and safety systems
which enhance comfort and support the driver in
critical situations. With these intelligent co-ordi- nated systems Mercedes-Benz has set a mile-
stone on the path towards autonomous driving.
Mercedes-Benz Intelligent Drive embraces all
elements of active and passive safety in one well thought out system – for the safety of the vehi-
cle occupants and that of other road users.
Further information on driving safety systems
(
Ypage 67).
Cruise control
General notes
Cruise control maintains a constant road speed
for you. It brakes automatically in order to avoid
exceeding the set speed. Change into a lower
gear in good time on long and steep downhill
gradients. This is especially important if the
vehicle is laden. By doing so, you will make use
of the braking effect of the engine. This relieves
the load on the brake system and prevents the
brakes from overheating and wearing too
quickly.
Use cruise control only if road and traffic con-
ditions make it appropriate to maintain a steady
speed for a prolonged period. You can store any
road speed above 20 mph (30 km/h).
Important safety notes
If you fail to adapt your driving style, cruise con-
trol can neither reduce the risk of an accident
nor override the laws of physics. Cruise control
cannot take into account the road, traffic and
weather conditions. Cruise control is only an
aid. You are responsible for the distance to the vehicle in front, for vehicle speed, for braking in
good time and for staying in your lane.
Do not use cruise control:
Rin road and traffic conditions which do not
allow you to maintain a constant speed, e.g. in
heavy traffic or on winding roads
Ron slippery road surfaces. Braking or accel-
erating could cause the drive wheels to lose
traction and the vehicle could then skid
Rwhen there is poor visibility, e.g. due to fog,
heavy rain or snow
If there is a change of drivers, advise the new
driver of the speed stored.
iThe speed indicated in the speedometer
may differ slightly from the speed stored.
Cruise control lever
:Activates or increases speed
;Activates or reduces speed
=Deactivates cruise control
?Activates at the current speed/last stored
speed
When you activate cruise control, the stored
speed is shown in the multifunction display for
five seconds. In addition, the ésymbol
appears in the multifunction display.
Speedometer with segments: when cruise
control is activated, the segments from the
stored speed to the maximum permitted speed
light up.
Storing and maintaining the current
speed
You can store the current speed if you are driv-
ing faster than 20 mph (30 km/h).
Driving systems185
Driving and parking
Z

If you fail to adapt your driving style, DISTRONIC
PLUS can neither reduce the risk of accident nor
override the laws of physics. DISTRONIC PLUS
cannot take into account the road, traffic and
weather conditions. DISTRONIC PLUS is only an aid. You are responsible for the distance to the
vehicle in front, for vehicle speed, for braking in
good time and for staying in your lane.
Do not use DISTRONIC PLUS:
Rin road and traffic conditions which do not
allow you to maintain a constant speed e.g. in
heavy traffic or on winding roads
Ron slippery road surfaces. Braking or accel-
erating could cause the drive wheels to lose
traction and the vehicle could then skid
Rwhen there is poor visibility, e.g. due to fog,
heavy rain or snow
DISTRONIC PLUS may not detect narrow vehi-
cles driving in front, e.g. motorcycles, or vehi-
cles driving on a different line.
In particular, the detection of obstacles can be
impaired if:
Rthere is dirt on the sensors or anything else
covering the sensors
Rthere is snow or heavy rain
Rthere is interference by other radar sources
Rthere are strong radar reflections, for exam-
ple, in parking garages
If DISTRONIC PLUS no longer detects a vehicle
in front, DISTRONIC PLUS may unexpectedly
accelerate the vehicle to the stored speed.
This speed may:
Rbe too high if you are driving in a filter lane or an exit lane
Rbe so high in the right lane that you pass vehi-cles driving on the left (left-hand drive coun-
tries)
Rbe so high in the left lane that you pass vehi-
cles driving on the right (right-hand drive
countries)
If there is a change of drivers, advise the new
driver of the speed stored.
Cruise control lever
:To activate or increase speed
;To activate or reduce speed
=To deactivate DISTRONIC PLUS
?To activate at the current speed/last stored
speed
ATo set the specified minimum distance
Activating DISTRONIC PLUS
Activation conditions
In order to activate DISTRONIC PLUS, the fol-
lowing conditions must be fulfilled:
Rthe engine must be started. It may take up to two minutes after pulling away before
DISTRONIC PLUS is operational.
Rthe electric parking brake must be released.
RESP®must be active, but not intervening.
RActive Parking Assist must not be activated.
Rthe transmission must be in position D.
Rthe driver's door must be closed when you
shift from Pto Dor your seat belt must be
fastened.
Rthe front-passenger door and rear doors must
be closed.
Switching on
XBriefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you ?, up :or down ;.
DISTRONIC PLUS is selected.
XRemove your foot from the accelerator pedal.
Your vehicle adapts its speed to that of the
vehicle in front, but only up to the desired
stored speed.
iIf you do not fully release the accelerator
pedal, the DISTRONICPLUSSuspendedmes-
sage appears in the multifunction display. The set distance to a slower-moving vehicle in
188Driving systems
Driving and parking

Display messagesPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
Check TiresThe tire pressurein on eor mor etires has dropped significantly. The
whee lposition is displayed in th emultifunction display.
A warning tone also sounds.
GWARNIN G
Tir epressures that are to olow pos eth efollowin ghazards :
Rthey may burst, especially as th eload and vehicl espeed increase.
Rthey may wear excessivel yand/o runevenly, whic hmay greatl y
impair tire traction .
Rthedrivin gcharacteristics ,as well as steering and braking ,may be
greatl yimpaired.
There is aris kof an accident.
XStop th evehicl ewithout making any sudden steering or braking
maneuvers .Pay attention to th etraffic condition sas you do so.
XSecur eth evehicl eagainst rollin gaway (Ypage 177).
XCheckth etires and ,if necessary, follow th einstruction sfor aflat
tire (Ypage 343).
XChec kth etire pressur e (Ypage 367).
XIf necessary, correc tth etire pressure.
Warnin gTir eMal ‐functionThe tire pressur ein on eor mor etires has dropped suddenly. The whee l
position is shown in th emultifunction display.
GWARNIN G
Drivin gwit h a flat tire poses aris kof th efollowin ghazards :
Raflat tire affects th eabilit yto steer or brak eth evehicle.
Ryou could lose control of th evehicle.
Rcontinued drivin gwit h a flat tire will caus eexcessive heat build-up
and possibl y afire.
There is aris kof an accident.
XStop th evehicl ewithout making any sudden steering or braking
maneuvers .Pay attention to th etraffic condition sas you do so.
XSecur eth evehicl eagainst rollin gaway (Ypage 177).
XCheckth etires and ,if necessary, follow th einstruction sfor aflat
tire (Ypage 343).
TirePress.Monito rCurrently Unavaila‐ble
Becausethere is interferenc efrom astron gsource of radi owaves, no
signals from th etire pressur esensor sare detected. The tire pressur e
monitor is temporarily malfunctioning .
XDrive on.
The tire pressur emonitor restarts automatically as soo nas th e
problem has been resolved.
TirePress .Sen ‐sor(s) Missin gThere is no signal from th etire pressur esensor of on eor several
wheels. The pressur eof th eaffecte dtire is no tdisplayed in th emul-
tifunction display.
XHav eth efault ytire pressur esensor replace dat aqualified special -
ist workshop .
Display messages281
On-board computer and displays
Z