If COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS is
deactivated, theæsymbol appears in the
assistance graphics display.
Distance warning function
General information
The distance warning function can help you to
minimize the risk of a front-end collision with
a vehicle ahead or reduce the effects of such
a collision. If the distance warning function
detects that there is a risk of a collision, you
will be warned visually and acoustically.
Important safety notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion for driving safety systems (
Ypage 67).
GWARNING
The distance warning function does not react:
Rto people or animals
Rto oncoming vehicles
Rto crossing traffic
Rwhen cornering
Thus, the distance warning function cannot
provide a warning in all critical situations.
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit-
uation and be ready to brake.
GWARNING
The distance warning function cannot always
clearly identify objects and complex traffic
situations.
In such cases, the distance warning function
may:
Rgive an unnecessary warning
Rnot give a warning
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit-
uation and do not rely solely on the distance
warning function.
Function
Starting at a speed of approximately 4 mph
(7 km/h), the distance warning function
warns you if you rapidly approach a vehicle in
front. An intermittent warning tone will then
sound, and the ·distance warning lamp
will light up in the instrument cluster.
XBrake immediately in order to increase the distance from the vehicle in front.
or
XTake evasive action, provided it is safe to do
so.
Due to the nature of the system, particularly
complicated but non-critical driving condi-
tions may also cause the system to display a warning.
With the help of the radar sensor system, the
distance warning function can detect obsta-
cles that are in the path of your vehicle for an
extended period of time.
Up to a speed of approximately 44 mph
(70 km/h), the distance warning function can
also react to stationary obstacles, such as
stopped or parked vehicles.
Autonomous braking function
If the driver does not react to the distance
warning signal in a critical situation, COLLI-
SION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS can assist
with the autonomous braking function.
The autonomous braking function:
Rgives the driver more time to react to criti-
cal driving situations
Rcan help the driver to avoid an accident or
Rreduces the effects of an accident
Vehicles without DISTRONIC PLUS: the
autonomous braking function is available in
the following speed ranges:
R4 - 65 mph (7 - 105 km/h) for moving
objects
R4 - 31 mph (7 - 50 km/h) for stationary
objects
Driving safety systems71
Safety
Z
Vehicles with DISTRONIC PLUS:the auton-
omous braking function is available in the fol- lowing speed ranges:
R4 - 124 mph (7 - 200 km/h) for moving
objects
R4 - 31 mph (7 - 50 km/h) for stationary
objects
Due to the nature of the system, particularly
complicated but non-critical driving condi-
tions may also cause the Autonomous Brak-
ing Function to intervene.
If the autonomous braking function requires a
particularly high braking force, preventative
passenger protection measures (PRE-SAFE
®)
are activated simultaneously (
Ypage 59).
Adaptive Brake Assist
General information
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (
Ypage 67).
With the help of adaptive Brake Assist, the
distance warning signal can detect obstacles
that are in the path of your vehicle for an
extended period of time.
If adaptive Brake Assist detects a risk of col-
lision with the vehicle in front, it calculates
the braking force necessary to avoid a colli-
sion. If you apply the brakes forcefully, adap-
tive Brake Assist will automatically increase
the braking force to a level suitable for the
traffic conditions.
Adaptive Brake Assist provides braking assis-
tance in hazardous situations at speeds
above 4 mph (7 km/h). It uses radar sensor
technology to assess the traffic situation.
Up to a speed of approximately 155 mph
(250 km/h), adaptive Brake Assist is capable
of reacting to moving objects that have
already been detected as such at least once
over the period of observation.
Up to a speed of approximately 44 mph
(70 km/h), adaptive Brake Assist reacts to
stationary obstacles. If the autonomous braking function requires a
particularly high braking force, preventative
passenger protection measures (PRE-SAFE
®)
are activated simultaneously (
Ypage 59). On
vehicles with the Driving Assistance package,
preventive passenger pro tection me
asures
(PRE-SAFE®PLUS) are triggered (Ypage 59).
XKeep the brake pedal depressed until the
emergency braking situation is over.
ABS prevents the wheels from locking.
The brakes will work normally again if:
Ryou release the brake pedal.
Rthere is no longer any danger of a collision.
Rno obstacle is detected in front of your
vehicle.
Adaptive Brake Assist is then deactivated.
Important safety notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion for driving safety systems (
Ypage 67).
GWARNING
Adaptive Brake Assist cannot always clearly
identify objects and complex traffic situa-
tions.
In such cases, Adaptive Brake Assist can:
Rintervene unnecessarily
Rnot intervene
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit- uation and be ready to brake. Terminate the
intervention in a non-critical driving situation.
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.
72Driving safety systems
Safety
Due to the nature of the system, particularly
complicated but non-critical driving condi-
tions may also cause Brake Assist to inter-
vene.
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 67).
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 vehicle 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 67).
ETS traction control is part of ESP
®. On vehi-
cles 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 trans-
ferred 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 67).
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.
If the å ESP®OFF warning lamp lights up
continuously, ESP®is deactivated.
If the ÷ ESP
®warning lamp lights up con-
tinuously, ESP®is not available due to a mal-
function.
Observe the information on warning lamps
(
Ypage 296) and display messages which
may be shown in the instrument cluster
(
Ypage 258).
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 prevail-
ing road and weather conditions.
ECO start/stop function
The ECO start/stop function switches the
engine off automatically when the vehicle
stops moving. The engine starts automati-
cally when the driver wants to pull away again.
Driving safet ysystem s73
Safety
Z
collision. If PRE-SAFE®Brake has detected a
risk of collision, you will be warned visually
and acoustically as well as by automatic brak-
ing.
iPay attention to the important safety
notes in the "Driving safety systems" sec-
tion (
Ypage 67).
PRE‑SAFE
®Brake is only available in vehicles
with the Driving Assistance Plus package.
For PRE-SAFE
®Brake to assist you when driv-
ing, the radar sensor system and the camera system must be switched on and be opera-
tional.
With the help of the radar sensor system and
the camera system, PRE-SAFE
®Brake can
detect obstacles that are in front of your vehi-
cle for an extended period of time.
In addition, pedestrians in the path of your
vehicle 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 76).
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 col-
lision, 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.
76Driving safety systems
Safety
Recognition by theradar sensor system is
also impaire din th eevent of:
Rthere is dir ton th esensor sor anythin gelse
coverin gth esensor s
Rthere is interferenc eby other radar source s
Rthere are strongradar reflections, for
exampl ein parkin ggarages
Ranarrow vehicl etravelin gin front, e.g. a
motorbik e
Ravehicl etravelin gin 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:
Rdir ton th ecamera or if th ecamera is cov-
ere d
Rthere is glar eon th ecamera system, e.g.
from th esun bein glow in th esk y
Rdarkness
Rif:
-pedestrian smov equickly, e.g. into th e
pat hof th evehicl e
-thecamera system no longer recognizes
a pedestrian as aperson due to special
clothin gor other objects
-apedestrian is concealed by other
objects
-th etypical outlin eof aperson is no tdis-
tinguishable from th ebackgroun d
Followin gdamag eto th efron ten dof th evehi-
cle ,hav eth econfiguration and operation of
th eradar sensor schecke dat aqualified spe -
cialist workshop .This also applie sto colli-
sion sat low speeds wher ethere is no vis ible
d
amag eto th efron tof th evehicle.
Followin gdamag eto th ewindshield, hav eth e
configuration and operation of th ecamera
system checke dat aqualified specialist work-
shop.
Function
XTo activate/deactivate: activateor deac -
tivat ePRE-SAF E®Brake in th eon-boar d
computer (
Ypage 253).
If th ePRE-SAF E®Brake is no tactivated, th e
æ symbol appear sin th emultifunction
display.
Startin gat aspeed of around 4mph (7 km/h),
this function warn syou if you rapidly
approac h avehicl ein front. An intermittent
warnin gtone will then soun dand th e·
distanc ewarnin glamp will ligh tup in th e
instrumen tcluster.
XBrake immediately to defuse th esituation .
or
XTak eevasive action provided it 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 espeed is between approx -
imately 4mph (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 vehi-
cle ,e.g. stoppe dor parked vehicles
Rpedestrian sin th epat hof your vehicl e
iIf there is an increase dris kof acollision ,
preventive passenger protection measures
(PRE-SAF E
®)are activated (Ypage 59).
If th eris kof collision wit hth eve
hicl ein fron t
remain 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 .Auto-
matic emergenc ybrakin gis no tperformed
until immediately prior to an imminen tacci-
dent.
Driving safety systems77
Safety
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 27).
Notes on breaking-in a new vehicle
Important safety notes
The sensor system of some driving and driv-
ing safety systems adjusts automatically
while a certain distance is being driven after
the vehicle has been delivered or after
repairs. Full system effectiveness is not
reached until the end of this teach-in proce-
dure.
New and replaced brake pads and discs only
reach their optimum braking effect after sev-
eral hundred kilometers of driving. Compen-
sate for this by applying greater force to the
brake pedal.
The first 1000 miles (1500 km)
The more you look after the engine when it is
new, the more satisfied you will be with its
performance in the future.
RYou should therefore drive at varying vehi-
cle and engine speeds for the first
1000 miles (1500 km).
RAvoid heavy loads, e.g. driving at full throt-
tle, during this period.
RWhen changing gears manually, change up
in good time, before the tachometer needle
reaches Ôof the way to the red area of the
tachometer.
RDo not manually shift to a lower gear to
brake the vehicle.
RTry to avoid depressing the accelerator
pedal beyond the point of resistance (kick-
down).
RIdeally, for the first 1,000 miles (1,500 km),
drive in program E.
After 1000 miles (1500 km), you can increase
the engine speed gradually and accelerate
the vehicle to full speed.
You should also observe these notes on
breaking in if the engine or parts of the drive
train on your vehicle have been replaced.
Always observe the maximum permissible
speed.
Driving
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Objects in the driver's footwell can restrict the pedal travel or obstruct a depressed pedal.
The operating and road safety of the vehicle is
jeopardized. There is a risk of an accident.
Make sure that all objects in the vehicle are
stowed correctly, and that they cannot enter
the driver's footwell. Install the floormats
securely and as specified in order to ensure
sufficient clearance for the pedals. Do not use
loose floormats and do not place floormats on
top of one another.
GWARNING
Unsuitable footwear can hinder correct usage of the pedals, e.g.:
Rshoes with thick soles
Rshoes with high heels
Rslippers
There is a risk of an accident.
Wear suitable footwear to ensure correct
usage of the pedals.
152Driving
Driving and parking
XBriefly pull the cruise control lever towardsyou :.
XRemove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
The first time cruise control is activated, it
stores the current speed or regulates the
speed of the vehicle to the previously
stored speed.
Setting a speed
Keep in mind that it may take a brief moment
until the vehicle has accelerated or braked to
the speed set.
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.
iCruise control is not deactivated if you
depress the accelerator pedal. If you accel- erate to overtake, cruise control adjusts
the vehicle's speed to the last speed stored
after you have finished overtaking.
Deactivating cruise control
There are several ways to deactivate cruise
control:
XBriefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards :.
or
XBrake.
Cruise control is automatically deactivated if:
Ryou engage the electric parking brake
Ryou are driving at less than 20 mph
(30 km/h)
RESP®intervenes or you deactivate ESP®
Ryou shift the transmission to position N
while driving
If cruise control is deactivated, you will hear a
warning tone. You will see the Cruise Con‐
trol Offmessage in the multifunction dis-
play for approximately five seconds.
iWhen you switch off the engine, the last
speed stored is cleared.
DISTRONIC PLUS
General notes
DISTRONIC PLUS regulates the speed and
automatically helps you maintain the dis-
tance to the vehicle detected in front. Vehi-
cles are detected with the aid of the radar
sensor system. DISTRONIC PLUS brakes
automatically so that the set speed is not
exceeded.
Driving systems183
Driving and parking
Z
Change into a lower gear in good time on long
and steepdownhill gradients. This isespe-
cial ly impo rtantifthe vehicle is laden. By
doin g so, you willmake 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.
If DI ST RONIC PLUS detects that there isa risk
of a co llision, you will be warned visually and
acoustically. DI STRONIC PLUS cannot pre-
vent a co llisionwit hout your intervention. An
interm ittent warning tone will then sound and
the distance warning lamp will light up inthe
instrument cluster. Brake immediately in
order to increase the distance to the vehicle
in front or take evasive action provided it is
safe to doso.
DI ST RONIC PLUS operates inrange between
0 mph (0 km/h) and 120 mph (200 km/h).
Do not use DI STRONIC PLUS while driving on
roads with steep gradients.
As DI STRONIC PLUS transmits radar waves, it
can resemb lethe radar detectors of the
responsible authorities. You can refer to the
relevant chapter inthe Operator's Manual if
questions are asked about this.
iUSA only: This device has been approved
by the FCC as a "Vehicular Radar System".
The radar sensor isintended for use inan
automotive radar system on ly. Rem
oval,
tampering, or altering of the device willvoid
any warranties, and is not permitted by the
FCC. Do not tamper with, alter, or use in
any non- approved way.
Any unauthorized modification to this
device could void the user's authority to
operate the equipment.
iCanada only: This device co mplieswit h
RSS -210 of Industry Canada. Operation is
subject to the fol lowing two cond itions:
1. This device may not cause harmful inter-
ference, and
2. This device must accept any interference
receive d,inc ludin g interference that may
cause undesired operation of the device. Remo
val,tampering, or altering of the
device willvoid any warranties, and isnot
permitte d.Do not tamper with, alter, or use
in any non-approved way.
Any unauthorized mod ification to th is
device could void the user's authority to
operate the equipment.
Important safety notes
GWARNIN G
DISTRONI CPLU Sdoes no treac tto :
Rpeople or animals
Rstationary obstacle son th eroad ,e.g. stop-
ped or parked vehicles
Roncomin gand crossing traffic
As aresult ,DISTRONI CPLU Smay neither giv e
warning sno rinterven ein suc hsituations.
Ther eis aris kof an accident.
Always pay careful attentio nto th etraffic sit -
uation and be read yto brake.
GWARNIN G
DISTRONI CPLU Scanno talways clearly iden -
tif yother road user sand comple xtraffic sit -
uations.
In suc hcases, DISTRONI CPLU Smay:
Rgiv ean unnecessar ywarning and then
brak eth evehicl e
Rneither giv e awarning no rinterven e
Raccelerate or brak eune xpectedly
Ther eis aris kof an accident.
Continue to driv ecarefully and be read yto
brake, in particular when warned to do so by
DISTRONI CPLUS.
GWARNIN G
DISTRONI CPLU Sbrakes your vehicl ewit hup
to 50 %of the maximum possible deceleration.
If this braking force is insufficient, DISTRONIC
PLUS warns you visually and audibly. There is a risk of an accident.
In such cases, apply the brakes yourself and
try to take evasive action.
184Driving systems
Driving and parking