Important safety notes
If you fail to adapt your driving style or if you are
inattentive, the driving safety systems can nei-
ther reduce the risk of an accident nor override the laws of physics. Driving safety systems are
merely aids designed to assist driving. You are
responsible for maintaining the distance to the
vehicle in front, for vehicle speed, for braking in
good time and for staying in lane. Always adapt your driving style to suit the prevailing road and
weather conditions and maintain a safe distance from the vehicle in front. Drive carefully.
The driving safety systems described work as
effectively as possible only when there is ade-
quate contact between the tyres and the road
surface. Please pay special attention to the
notes on tyres, recommended minimum tyre
tread depths etc. (Y page 310).
In wintry driving conditions, always use winter
tyres (M+S tyres) and, if necessary, snow
chains. Only in this way will the driving safety
systems described in this section work as effec-
tively as possible. ABS (Anti-lock Braking System)
General notes ABS regulates brake pressure in such a way that
the wheels do not lock when you brake. This
allows you to continue steering the vehicle when braking.
The ! ABS warning lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up when the ignition is switched
on. It goes out when the engine is running.
ABS works from a speed of about 8 km/h,
regardless of road-surface conditions. ABS
works on slippery surfaces, even when you only
brake gently.
Important safety notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 66). 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, includ-
ing driving safety systems, will also become
inoperative. Observe the information on the ABS warning lamp (Y page 250) and display mes-
sages which may be shown in the instrument
cluster (Y page 217).
Braking 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.
If ABS intervenes when braking, you will feel a
pulsing in the brake pedal.
The pulsating brake pedal can be an indication
of hazardous road conditions; this serves as a
reminder to take extra care while driving. BAS (Brake Assist)
General notes BAS operates in emergency braking situations.
If you depress the brake pedal quickly, BAS
automatically boosts the braking force, thus
shortening the stopping distance.
Important safety notes i
Read the "Important safety notes" section
(Y page 66). G
WARNING
If BAS is malfunctioning, the braking distance
in an emergency braking situation is
increased. There is a risk of accident.
In an emergency braking situation, depress
the brake pedal with full force. ABS prevents
the wheels from locking. 66
Driving safety systemsSafety
Safety systems
Display messages
Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions !÷
currently unavaila‐
currently unavaila‐
ble ble See
SeeOwner's
Owner's Man‐
Man‐
ual
ual ABS (Anti-lock Braking System), BAS (Brake Assist System), ESP
®
(Electronic Stability Program), ESP ®
trailer stabilisation, the HOLD
function, hill start assist and PRE-SAFE ®
are temporarily unavailable.
Adaptive brake lights and Active Brake Assist may have also failed.
In addition, the !,÷andå warning lamps may light up in
the instrument cluster.
ATTENTION ASSIST is deactivated.
Possible causes:
R Self-diagnosis is not yet complete.
R The on-board voltage may be insufficient.
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.
The steerability and braking characteristics may be severely affected. The braking distance may increase in an emergency braking situation.
If ESP ®
is not operational, ESP ®
is unable to stabilise the vehicle.
Increased risk of skidding and/or accident!
X Carefully drive on a suitable stretch of road, making slight steering
movements, at a speed above 20 km/h.
If the display message disappears, the functions mentioned above
are available again.
If the multifunction display still shows the display message:
X Drive on carefully.
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop immediately. !÷
inoperative inoperative See
See Own‐
Own‐
er's Manual
er's Manual ABS, BAS, ESP
®
, ESP ®
trailer stabilisation, the HOLD function, hill
start assist and PRE-SAFE ®
are unavailable due to a malfunction.
Adaptive brake lights and Active Brake Assist may have also failed.
The !, ÷,åandJ warning lamps may also light up in the
instrument cluster.
ATTENTION ASSIST is deactivated.
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.
The steerability and braking characteristics may be severely affected. The braking distance may increase in an emergency braking situation.
If ESP ®
is not operational, ESP ®
is unable to stabilise the vehicle.
Increased risk of skidding and/or accident!
X Drive on carefully.
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop immediately. Display messages
217On-board computer and displays Z
Display messages
Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions ÷
currently unavaila‐ currently unavaila‐
ble ble
See
SeeOwner's
Owner's Man‐
Man‐
ual
ual ESP
®
, ESP ®
trailer stabilisation, BAS, the HOLD function, hill start
assist and PRE-SAFE ®
are temporarily unavailable.
Adaptive brake lights and Active Brake Assist may have also failed.
In addition, the ÷andå warning lamps may light up in the
instrument cluster.
ATTENTION ASSIST is deactivated.
The self-diagnosis function, for example, may not be complete.
G WARNING
The brake system continues to function normally, but without the
functions listed above.
The braking distance may thus increase in an emergency braking sit-
uation.
If ESP ®
is not operational, ESP ®
is unable to stabilise the vehicle.
Increased risk of skidding and/or accident!
X Carefully drive on a suitable stretch of road, making gentle steering
movements at speeds of above 20 km/h.
If the display message disappears, the functions mentioned above
are available again.
If the multifunction display still shows the display message:
X Drive on carefully.
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop immediately. ÷
inoperative inoperative
See
SeeOwn‐
Own‐
er's Manual
er's Manual ESP
®
, ESP ®
trailer stabilisation, BAS, the HOLD function, hill start
assist and PRE-SAFE ®
are unavailable due to a malfunction.
Adaptive brake lights and Active Brake Assist may have also failed.
In addition, the ÷andå warning lamps may light up in the
instrument cluster.
ATTENTION ASSIST is deactivated.
G WARNING
The brake system continues to function normally, but without the
functions listed above.
The braking distance may thus increase in an emergency braking sit-
uation.
If ESP ®
is not operational, ESP ®
is unable to stabilise the vehicle.
Increased risk of skidding and/or accident!
X Drive on carefully.
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop immediately. 218
Display
messagesOn-board computer and displays
Display messages
Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions T!
÷
inoperative inoperative See
SeeOwn‐
Own‐
er's Manual
er's Manual EBD (electronic brake force distribution), ABS, BAS, ESP
®
, ESP ®
trailer
stabilisation, the HOLD function, hill start assist and PRE-SAFE ®
are
unavailable due to a malfunction.
Adaptive brake lights and Active Brake Assist may have also failed.
A warning tone sounds.
In addition, the ÷,åand! warning lamps may light up in
the instrument cluster.
G WARNING
The brake system continues to function normally, but without the
functions listed above. The front and rear wheels could therefore lock
if you brake hard, for example.
The steerability and braking characteristics may be severely affected. The braking distance may increase in an emergency braking situation.
If ESP ®
is not operational, ESP ®
is unable to stabilise the vehicle.
Increased risk of skidding and/or accident!
X Drive on carefully.
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop immediately. !
Turn on the igni‐ Turn on the igni‐
tion tion
to
torelease
release the
the
parking brake
parking brake The red
!indicator lamp lights up.
You attempted to release the electric parking brake while the ignition
was switched off.
X Key: turn the key to position 1in the ignition lock.
X KEYLESS-GO: switch on the ignition. !
Release parking Release parking
brake brake The red
!indicator lamp flashes and a warning tone sounds. A
condition for automatic release of the electric parking brake is not
fulfilled (Y page 157).
You are driving with the electric parking brake applied.
X Release the electric parking brake manually. The red
!indicator lamp flashes and a warning tone sounds.
You are making an emergency stop using the electric parking brake
(Y page 157). !
Parking brake See Parking brake See
Owner's Manual Owner's Manual The yellow
!warning lamp lights up.
The electric parking brake is malfunctioning.
To apply:
X Switch the ignition off.
X Press the electric parking brake lever for at least ten seconds.
X Vehicles with manual transmission: engage first gear.
X Vehicles with automatic transmission: shift the transmission to
position P.
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. Display
messages
219On-board computer and displays Z
Display messages
Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions You inadvertently touched the multifunction steering wheel while
steering intervention was active.
X While steering intervention is active, make sure not to touch the
multifunction steering wheel. The vehicle has started to skid and ESP
®
has intervened.
X Use Parking Pilot again later (Y page 180).Parking Pilot inop‐ Parking Pilot inop‐
erative erative You have just carried out a large number of turning or parking manoeu-
vres.
Parking Pilot will become available again after approximately ten
minutes (Y page 180).
X Stop the vehicle, paying attention to road and traffic conditions.
X Switch off and restart the engine.
If the multifunction display still shows the display message:
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. Parking Assist PARKTRONIC is faulty.
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. Parking Pilot ended Parking Pilot ended The vehicle is parked. A warning tone also sounds.
The display message disappears automatically. Traffic
Traffic
Sign
Sign Assist
Assist
currently unavaila‐
currently unavaila‐
ble ble See
SeeOwner's
Owner's Man‐
Man‐
ual
ual Traffic Sign Assist is temporarily inoperative.
Possible causes:
R The windscreen is dirty in the camera's field of vision.
R Visibility is impaired due to heavy rain, snow or fog.
X Clean the windscreen.
If the system detects that the camera is fully operational, the display message disappears.
Traffic Sign Assist is operational again. Traffic Traffic
Sign
Sign Assist
Assist
inoperative
inoperative Traffic Sign Assist is faulty.
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. Distance Pilot off
Distance Pilot off Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is deactivated (Y
page 167).
If it was not deactivated by the driver, a warning tone also sounds. Distance Pilot
Distance Pilot
available again available again Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is operational again after having been tem-
porarily unavailable. You can now reactivate Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC (Y page 167).236
Display
messagesOn-board computer and displays
Tyres
Display messages
Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions Tyre
Tyre
pressure
pressure Check
Check
tyre(s)
tyre(s) The tyre pressure loss warning system has detected a significant loss
in pressure.
A warning tone also sounds.
Possible causes:
R you have changed the positions of the wheels and tyres or fitted new
wheels and tyres
R the tyre pressure in one or more tyres has dropped
G WARNING
Underinflated tyres pose the following risks:
R the tyres may burst, especially as the load and vehicle speed
increase
R the tyres may wear excessively and/or unevenly, which may greatly
impair tyre traction
R the driving characteristics, as well as steering and braking, may be
greatly impaired
There is a risk of an accident.
X Stop the vehicle without making any sudden steering or braking
manoeuvres. Pay attention to the traffic conditions as you do so.
X Secure the vehicle against rolling away (Y page 155).
X Check the tyres and, if necessary, follow the instructions for a flat
tyre (Y page 294).
X Check and, if necessary, correct the tyre pressures.
X Restart the tyre pressure loss warning system when the tyre pres-
sure is correct (Y page 315). Check tyre pres‐ Check tyre pres‐
sures then restart sures then restart
Run Flat Indicator Run Flat Indicator The tyre pressure loss warning system generated a display message
and has not been restarted since.
X Set the correct tyre pressure in all four tyres.
X Restart the tyre pressure loss warning system (Y page 315).Run Flat Indicator Run Flat Indicator
inoperative inoperative The tyre pressure loss warning system is faulty.
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. Rectify tyre pres‐
Rectify tyre pres‐
sure sure The tyre pressure is too low in at least one of the tyres, or the tyre
pressure difference between the wheels is too great.
X Check the tyre pressures at the next opportunity (Y page 315).
X If necessary, correct the tyre pressure.
X Restart the tyre pressure monitor (Y page 317). Display
messages
239On-board computer and displays Z