Stopping
GWARNING
When leaving the vehicle, even if it is braked
only by DISTRONIC PLUS, it could roll away if:
Rthere is a malfunction in the system or in
the voltage supply.
RDISTRONIC PLUS has been deactivated
with the cruise control lever, e.g. by a vehi-
cle occupant or from outside the vehicle.
Rthe electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses have
been tampered with.
Rthe battery is disconnected.
Rthe accelerator pedal has been depressed, e.g. by a vehicle occupant.
There is a risk of an accident.
If you wish to exit the vehicle, always turn off
DISTRONIC PLUS and secure the vehicle
against rolling away.
For further information on deactivating
DISTRONIC PLUS (
Ypage 161).
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that the vehicle in
front is stopping, it brakes your vehicle until it is
stationary.
Once your vehicle is stationary, it remains sta-
tionary and you do not need to depress the
brake.
Depending on the specified minimum distance,
your vehicle will come to a standstill at a suffi-
cient distance behind the vehicle in front. The
specified minimum distance is set using the
control on the cruise control lever.
When DISTRONIC PLUS is activated, the trans-
mission is shifted automatically to position Pif:
Rthe driver's door is open and the driver's seat
belt is unfastened.
Rthe engine is switched off, unless it is auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/stop
function.
Ra system malfunction occurs.
Rthe power supply is not sufficient.
Setting a speed
XPress the cruise control lever up :for a
higher speed or down ;for a lower speed.
XTo adjust the set speed in 1 mph incre-
ments (1 km/h increments): briefly press
the cruise control lever up :or down ;to
the pressure point.
Every time the cruise control lever is pressed
up : or down ;, the last speed stored is
increased or reduced.
XTo adjust the set speed in 5 mph incre-
ments (10 km/h increments): briefly press
the cruise control lever up :or down ;to
the pressure point.
Every time the cruise control lever is pressed up : or down ;, the last speed stored is
increased or reduced.
iIf you accelerate to overtake, DISTRONIC
PLUS adjusts the vehicle's speed to the last
speed stored after you have finished overtak-
ing.
Setting a specified minimum distance
You can set the specified minimum distance for
DISTRONIC PLUS by varying the time span
between one and two seconds. With this func-
tion, you can set the minimum distance that
DISTRONIC PLUS keeps to the vehicle in front,
dependent on vehicle speed. You can see this
distance in the multifunction display
(
Ypage 160).
iMake sure that you maintain a sufficient
distance to the vehicle in front and comply
with the minimum distance as required by
law. Adjust the distance to the vehicle in front
if necessary.
Driving systems159
Driving and parking
Z
You can set the specified minimum distance for
DISTRONIC PLUS by varying the time span
between one and two seconds. With this func-
tion, you can set the minimum distance that
DISTRONIC PLUS keeps to the vehicle in front,
dependent on vehicle speed. You can see this
distance in the multifunction display
(
Ypage 160).
XTo increase:turn control;in direction =.
DISTRONIC PLUS then maintains a greater
distance between your vehicle and the vehicle
in front.
XTo decrease: turn control;in direction :.
DISTRONIC PLUS then maintains a shorter
distance between your vehicle and the vehicle
in front.
DISTRONIC PLUS displays in the speed-
ometer
When DISTRONIC PLUS is activated, one or two
segments ;in the set speed range light up.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects a vehicle in front,
segments ;between speed of the vehicle in
front :and stored speed =light up.
iFor design reasons, the speed displayed in
the speedometer may differ slightly from the
speed set for DISTRONIC PLUS.
DISTRONIC PLUS displays in the multi-
function display
General notes
In the Assistance menu (Ypage 203) of the on-
board computer, you can select the assistance
display.
Display when DISTRONIC PLUS is deacti-
vated
:Vehicle in front, if detected
;Distance indicator, current distance to the
vehicle in front
=Specified minimum distance to the vehicle
in front; adjustable
?Own vehicle
XSelect the Assist. Graphicfunction using
the on-board computer (Ypage 203).
Display when DISTRONIC PLUS is activa-
ted
:Vehicle in front, if detected
;Specified minimum distance to the vehicle
in front; adjustable
=Own vehicle
?DISTRONIC PLUS active (text only appears
when the cruise control lever is actuated)
XSelect the Assist. Graphicfunction using
the on-board computer (Ypage 203).
iYou will see the stored speed for about five
seconds when you activate DISTRONIC PLUS.
160Driving systems
Driving and parking
Deactivating DISTRONICPLUS
There are severa lways to deactivat e
DISTRONIC PLUS:
XBriefly press th ecruise contro llever for-
ward s:.
or
XBrake, unless th evehicle is stationary
Whe nyou deactivat eDISTRONIC PLUS, you will
see th eDISTRONIC PLU SOff
messag ein th e
multifunction display fo rapproximately fiv esec -
onds.
iThe last speed stored remain sstored until
you switch of fth eengine.
iDISTRONIC PLU Sis no tdeactivated if you
depress th eaccelerator pedal.
DISTRONIC PLU Sis automatically deactivated
if:
Ryou engage th eparking brake
RES P®intervenes or you deactivat eES P®
Rthetransmissio nis in th eP, Ror Nposition
Ryou pull th ecruise contro llever toward syou
in order to pull away and th efront-passenger
doo ror on eof th erea rdoors is ope n
Rthevehicle is skidding
Ryou activat eActive Parking Assis t
If DISTRONIC PLU Sis deactivated, you will hear
a warnin gtone .You will see th eDISTRONIC
PLU SOffmessag ein th emultifunction display
fo rapproximately fiv eseconds.
Tips for drivin gwit hDISTRONI CPLUS
General notes
Pay particular attention in th efollowin gtraffic
situations:
RCornering, going into and comin gout of a
ben d
RVehicles travelin gon adifferen tlin e
ROther vehicles changin glanes
RNarro wvehicles
RObstruction sand stationary vehicles
RCrossing vehicles
In suc hsituations, brake if necessary.
DISTRONIC PLU Sis then deactivated.
Cornering, goin gint oan dcoming out of a
bend
The ability of DISTRONIC PLU Sto detec tvehi-
cles when cornering is limited. Your vehicle may
brake unexpectedly or late.
Vehicles travelin gon adifferent line
DISTRONIC PLU Smay no tdetec tvehicles trav-
elin gon adifferen tline. The distanc eto th e
vehicle in fron twill be to oshort .
Driving systems161
Driving an d parking
Z
ings (left and right), and only on the vehicle in
front if lane markings are missing.
If these conditions are not present, Steering
Assist and Stop&Go Pilot cannot provide assis-
tance.
DISTRONIC PLUS must be active in order for the
function to be available.
Important safety notes
If you fail to adapt your driving style, DISTRONIC
PLUS with Steering Assist and Stop&Go Pilot
can neither reduce the risk of an accident nor
override the laws of physics. It cannot take
account of road, weather and traffic conditions.
DISTRONIC PLUS with Steering Assist and
Stop&Go Pilot is only an aid. You are responsible
for the distance to the vehicle in front, for vehi-
cle speed, for braking in good time and for stay-
ing in your lane.
DISTRONIC PLUS with Steering Assist and
Stop&Go Pilot does not detect road and traffic
conditions. If you are following a vehicle which is
driving towards the edge of the road, your vehi-
cle could come into contact with the curb or
other road boundaries. Be particularly aware of
other road users, e.g. cyclists, that are directly
next to your vehicle.
Obstacles such as building site huts on the lane
or projecting out into the lane are not detected.
An inappropriate steering intervention, e.g. afterintentionally driving over a lane marking, can be
corrected at any time if you steer slightly in the
opposite direction.
DISTRONIC PLUS with Steering Assist and
Stop&Go Pilot cannot continuously keep your
vehicle in lane. In some cases, the steering
intervention is not sufficient to bring the vehicle
back to the lane. In such cases, you must steerthe vehic le yourself t
o ensure that it does not
leave the lane.
The support provided by the system can be
impaired if:
Rthere is poor visibility, e.g. due to insufficient
illumination of the road, or due to snow, rain,
fog or spray
Rthere is glare, e.g. from oncoming traffic, the
sun or reflection from other vehicles (e.g. if
the road surface is wet)
Rthe windshield is dirty, fogged up, damaged or
covered, for instance by a sticker, in the vicin-
ity of the camera
Rno, or several, unclear lane markings are pres-
ent for one lane, e.g. in a construction area
Rthe lane markings are worn away, dark or cov-
ered up, e.g. by dirt or snow
Rthe distance to the vehicle in front is too small
and the lane markings thus cannot be detec-
ted
Rthe lane markings change quickly, e.g. lanes
branch off, cross one another or merge
Rthe road is narrow and winding
Rthere are strong shadows cast on the road
The system is switched to passive and no longer
assists you by performing steering interventions
if:
Ryou actively change lanes
Ryou switch on the turn signal
Rtake your hands off the steering wheel or do
not steer for a prolonged period of time
iAfter you have finished changing lanes,
Steering Assist and Stop&Go Pilot are auto-
matically active again.
DISTRONIC PLUS Steering Assist does not pro-
vide assistance:
Ron very sharp corners
Rwhen a loss of tire pressure or a defective tire
has been detected and displayed
Pay attention also to the important safety notes for DISTRONIC PLUS (
Ypage 156).
The steering intervent ions are c
arried out with a
limited steering moment. The system requires
the driver to keep his hands on the steering
wheel and to steer himself.
If you do not steer yourself or if you take your
hands off the steering wheel for a prolonged
period of time, the system will first alert you with
a visual warning. A steering wheel symbol
appears in the multifunction display. If you have
still not started to steer and have not taken hold
of the steering wheel after five seconds at the
latest, a warning tone also sounds to remind you
to take control of the vehicle. Steering Assist
and Stop&Go Pilot are switched to passive.
DISTRONIC PLUS remains active.
Activating Steering Assist and Stop&Go
Pilot
XActivate the DISTRONIC PLUS with Steering
Assist and Stop&Go Pilot function using the
on-board computer (
Ypage 204).
The DTR+: Steering Assistant Onmes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
Steering Assist and Stop&Go Pilot are active.
Driving systems163
Driving and parking
Z
Information in the multifunction display
If Steering Assist and Stop&Go Pilot are activa-
ted but not ready for a steering intervention,
steering wheel symbol :appears ingray. Ifthe
system pro vides you with support bymeans of
steering interventions, symbol :isshown in
green.
Deactivating Steering Assist and Stop&Go
Pilot
XDeactivate the DI STRONIC PLUS withSt eer-
ing Assist and Stop&Go Pilot function using
the on-board computer (
Ypage 204).
The DTR+: Steering Assistant Offmes-
sage appears inthe multifunction display.
St eering Assist and Stop&Go Pilot are deac-
tivate d.
When DI STRONIC PLUS isdeactivated or not
available, Steering Assist and Stop&Go Pilot are
deactivated automatically.
HOLD function
General notes
The HOLD function can assist the driverinthe
fol lowin g situations:
Rwhen pulling away, especial lyon steep slopes
Rwhen maneuvering on steep slopes
Rwhen waitingintraff ic
The veh icle iskept stationary without the driver
having to depress the brake pedal.
The braking effect iscanceled and the HOLD
function deactivated when you depress the
accelerator pedal to pullaway.
Important safety notes
GWARNING
When leaving the vehicle, it can still roll away despite being braked by the HOLD function if:
Rthere is a malfunction inthe system or in
the voltage supply.
Rthe HOLD function has been deactivated by
pressing the accelerator pedal or the brake
pedal, e.g. by a vehicle occupant.
Rthe electrical system inthe engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses have
been tampered with.
Rthe battery is disconnected
There is a risk of an accident.
If you wish to exit the vehicle, always turn off
the HOLD function and secure the vehicle
against rolling away.
!If DI ST RONIC PLUS or the HOLD function is
activated, the vehicle brakes automatically in
certain situations.
To prevent damage to the vehicle, deactivate
DISTRONIC PLUS and the HOLD function in
the following or other similar situations:
Rwhen to wing the vehicle
Rinthe car wash
Activation conditions
You can activate the HOLD function if:
Rthe vehicle isstationary
Rthe engine is running or if ithas been auto-
matical ly switched off by the ECO start/stop
function
Rthe driver's door isclosed or your seat belt is
fastened
Rthe parking brake isreleased
Rthe transmission isin position D,Ror N
RDIST RONIC PLUS is deactivated
164Driving systems
Driving and parking
Activating the HOLD function
XMakesur ethat th eactivation condition sare
met .
XDepress th ebrak epedal .
XQuickl ydepress th ebrak epedal further until
ë :appear sin th emultifunction display.
The HOLD function is activated. You can
release th ebrak epedal .
iIf depressing th ebrak epedal th efirst time
does no tactivat eth eHOLD function ,wait
briefl yand then tr yagain .
Deactivating the HOLD function
The HOLD function is deactivated automatically
if:
Ryou accelerate and th etransmission is in
position Dor R.
Ryou shif tth etransmission to position P.
Ryou depress thebrak epedal again wit h acer-
tai namount of pressur euntil ë disap-
pear sfrom th emultifunction display.
Ryou activat eDISTRONI CPLUS.
When th eHOLD function is activated, th etrans -
mission is shifte dautomatically to position Pif:
Rth edriver's door is open and th edriver's seat
belt is unfastened.
Rth eengin eis switched off ,unless it is auto -
matically switched off by th eECO start/sto p
function .
Rthehoo dis opened.
Rasystem malfunction occurs.
Rth epowe rsupply is no tsufficient.
RACE START
Import ant safety notes
iObserveth esafet ynote sfor th eSPORT
handlin gmod e (Ypage 71). RACE START is intended solely for activation on
dedicate
drac ecircuits.
RACE START enables optimal acceleration from
a standing start .The precondition for this is a
suitable high-grip road surface.
iRACE START is only available in AM Gvehi-
cles.
Conditions for activati on
You can activateRACE START if:
Rth edoor sare closed.
Rth eengin eis runnin gand it has reached an
operating temperature of approximately
17 6 ‡ (80 †) .This is the case when the oil
temperature gauge in the multifunction dis-
play is shown in white.
RSPORT handling mode is activated.
(Ypage 71)
Rthe steering wheel is in the straight-ahead
position.
Rthe vehicle is stationary and the brake pedal is
depressed (left foot).
Rthe transmission is in position D.
Activating RACE START
XDepress the brake pedal with your left foot
and keep it depressed.
XTurn the drive program selector clockwise
(Ypage 139) until theRSlamp lights up.
The RACE START Confirm: Paddle UP
Cancel: Paddle DOWNmessage appears in
the multifunction display.
iIf the activation conditions are no longer ful-
filled, RACE START is canceled. The RACE
START Canceledmessage appears in the
multifunction display.
XTo cancel: pull the left steering wheel paddle
shifter (Ypage 139).
or
XTo confirm: pull the right steering wheel pad- dle shifter (Ypage 139).
The RACESTARTAvailableDepressgaspedalmessage appears in the multifunction
display.
iIf you do not depress the accelerator pedal
fully within two seconds, RACE START is can-
celed. The RACE
STARTNotPossibleSeeOperator'sManualmessage appears in the
multifunction display.
Driving systems165
Driving and parking
Z
XFully depress the accelerator pedal.
The engine speed rises to approximately
3,500 rpm.
TheRACE
STARTReleasebraketostartmessage appears in the multifunction display.
iIf you do not release the brake pedal within
five seconds, RACE START is canceled. The
RACE START Canceled
message appears in
the multifunction display.
XTake your foot off the brake, but keep the
accelerator pedal depressed.
The vehicle pulls away at maximum acceler-
ation.
The RACE
STARTActivemessage appears in
the multifunction display.
RACE START is deactivated when the vehicle
reaches a speed of approximately 30 mph (Can-
ada: 50 km/h). Drive program S+is activated.
SPORT handling mode remains activated.
RACE START is deactivated immediately if you
release the accelerator pedal during RACE
START or if any of the activation conditions are
no longer fulfilled. The RACE START Not Pos‐
sible See Operator's Manualmessage
appears in the multifunction display.
iIf RACE START is used repeatedly within a
short period of time, it is only available again
after the vehicle has been driven a certain
distance.
AIRMATIC
Vehicle level
Important safety notes
GWARNING
When the vehicle is being lowered, people
could become trapped if their limbs are
between the vehicle body and the wheels or
underneath the vehicle. There is a risk of
injury.
Make sure no one is underneath the vehicle or
in the immediate vicinity of the wheel arches
when the vehicle is being lowered.
Your vehicle regulates its height automatically.
All-round level control ensures the best possible
suspension and constant ground clearance,
even with a laden vehicle. When you drive fast, the vehicle is lowered automatically to improve
driving safety and to reduce fuel consumption.
The following vehicle levels are possible:
RNormal
RRaised: the vehicle is raised by approximately
0.80 in (20 mm) when compared with the nor-
mal level
RLowered: the vehicle is raised by approx-
imately 0.40 in (10 mm) when compared with
the normal level
iThese changes in level are so slight that you
are hardly aware of them.
The "Normal" and "Raised" vehicle levels can be
set manually.
The "Lowered” vehicle level is set automatically:
Rat speeds above 70 mph (113 km/h)
Rif you have selected "Sports tuning"
(Ypage 167)
Setting the vehicle level
Select the "Normal" setting for normal road sur-
faces and "Raised" for driving with snow chains or on particularly poor road surfaces. Your
selection remains stored even if yo u remove the
Sma
rtKey from the ignition lock.
Setting raised level
XStart the engine.
If indicator lamp ;is not lit:
XPress the :button.
Indicator lamp ;lights up. The vehicle height
is adjusted to raised level.
The Vehicle
Risingmessage appears in the
display.
166Driving systems
Driving and parking
The "Raised level" setting is canceled if you:
Rdrive at a speed over approximately 75 mph
(120 km/h)
Rdrive for approximately three minutes at a
speed over 50 mph (80 km/h)
The "Raised level" remains active when you are
not driving within these speed ranges.
Setting the normal level
XStart the engine.
If indicator lamp ;is lit:
XPress button :.
Indicator lamp ;goes out. The vehicle is
adjusted to normal level.
Suspension tuning
General notes
The electronically controlled damping system
works continuously. This improves driving
safety and ride comfort.
The damping is tuned individually to each wheel
and depends on:
Ryour driving style, e.g. sporty
Rthe road surface condition, e.g. bumps
Ryour individual selection, i.e. sports or com-
fort
Your selection remains stored even if you
remove the SmartKey from the ignition lock.
Sports tuning
The firmer suspension tuning in Sport mode
ensures even better contact with the road.
Select this mode when employing a sporty driv-
ing style, e.g. on winding country roads.
XPress button :.
Indicator lamp ;lights up. Sports suspen-
sion tuning is selected. The
AIRMATIC
SPORTmessage appears in the
multifunction display.
Comfort tuning
In comfort mode, the driving characteristics of
your vehicle are more comfortable. Therefore,
select this mode if you favor a more comfortable
driving style. Select comfort mode also when
driving fast on straight roads, e.g. on straight
stretches of highway.
XPress button :.
Indicator lamp =lights up. Comfort tuning is
selected.
The AIRMATIC COMFORT
message appears in
the multifunction display.
AMG adaptive sport suspension sys-
tem
Important safety notes
GWARNING
When the vehicle is being lowered, people
could become trapped if their limbs are
between the vehicle body and the wheels or
underneath the vehicle. There is a risk of
injury.
Make sure no one is underneath the vehicle or
in the immediate vicinity of the wheel arches
when the vehicle is being lowered.
GWARNING
Vehicles with level control:
Driving systems167
Driving and parking
Z