
Driving with Distance Pilot DISTRONIC
Pulling away and driving
X If you want to pull away with Distance
Pilot DISTRONIC:
remove your foot from the
brake pedal.
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you ?.
or X Accelerate briefly.
Your vehicle pulls away and adapts its speed
to that of the vehicle in front. If no vehicle is
detected in front, your vehicle accelerates to the set speed.
The vehicle can also pull away when it is facing
an unidentified obstacle or is driving on a differ-
ent line from another vehicle. The vehicle then
brakes automatically.
If there is no vehicle in front, Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC operates in the same way as cruise control.
If Distance Pilot DISTRONIC detects a slower-
moving vehicle in front, it brakes your vehicle. In this way, the distance you have selected is main-
tained.
If Distance Pilot DISTRONIC detects a faster-
moving vehicle in front, it increases the driving
speed. However, the vehicle is only accelerated
up to the speed you have stored.
Selecting the drive programDistance Pilot DISTRONIC supports a sporty
driving style if you have selected the Sportor
Sport Plus drive program (Y page 159). Accel-
eration behind the vehicle in front or to the set
speed is then noticeably more dynamic. If you
have selected the Comfortdrive program, the
vehicle accelerates more gently. This setting is
recommended in stop-start traffic.
Changing lanes
If you change to the overtaking lane, Distance
Pilot DISTRONIC supports you if:
R you are driving faster than 70 km/h
R you switch on the respective turn signal
R Distance Pilot DISTRONIC does not currently
detect a danger of collision
If these conditions are met, your vehicle accel-
erates. Acceleration will be interrupted if chang-
ing lanes takes too long or if the distance
between your vehicle and the vehicle in front
becomes too small. i
Vehicles with multimedia system:
when
you change lanes, Distance Pilot DISTRONIC
monitors the right lane (on left-side traffic) or
the left lane (on right-side traffic).
Vehicles with COMAND Online i
The following function is available only in
vehicles with the Driving Assistance Plus
package.
The function is not operational in all coun-
tries.
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC uses additional infor- mation from your navigation system so that it
can adapt to certain traffic situations. This is the
case while following a vehicle and Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC is activated and you:
R approach or drive around a roundabout
R approach a T-junction
R turn off at a motorway exit
R approach a tollgate
Even if the vehicle in front leaves the detection
range, Distance Pilot DISTRONIC temporarily
maintains the current driving speed and does
not accelerate. This is based on the current map
data in the navigation system.
Afterwards, the vehicle accelerates back to the
set speed you specified.
The system takes into account the fact that
overtaking on the right is not permitted on
motorways or high-speed major roads at speeds
of more than 80 km/h. The driving speed is
adjusted to the speed of the queue of vehicles in the adjacent lane to the left.
i Prevention of overtaking on the right applies
to countries where traffic drives on the right.
In countries where traffic drives on the left,
overtaking on the left is prevented accord-
ingly. Driving syste
ms
187Driving an d parking Z

i
For design reasons, the speed displayed in
the speedometer may differ slightly from the
speed stored for Distance Pilot DISTRONIC.
Display in the assistance graphic when
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is deactivated :
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
X Select the Assistance graphic
Assistance graphic function
using the on-board computer (Y page 249).
Display in the assistance graphic when
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is activated :
Vehicle in front, if detected
; Specified minimum distance to the vehicle
in front; adjustable
= Own vehicle
? Distance Pilot DISTRONIC activated
X Select the Assistance graphic
Assistance graphic function
using the on-board computer (Y page 249).
You will see the stored speed for approximately five seconds when you activate Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC. Tips for driving with Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC General notes
Pay particular attention in the following traffic
situations:
R Cornering, entering and exiting a bend: the
ability of Distance Pilot DISTRONIC to detect
vehicles during cornering is limited. Your vehi-
cle may brake unexpectedly or late.
R Driving on a different line: Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC may not detect vehicles which are
not driving in the middle of their lane. The dis-
tance to the vehicle in front becomes too
short.
R Other vehicles changing lanes: Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC has not detected the vehicle cut- ting in yet. The distance to this vehicle
becomes too short.
R Narrow vehicles: Distance Pilot DISTRONIC
has not yet detected the vehicle in front on
the edge of the carriageway because of its
narrow width. The distance to the vehicle in
front becomes too short.
R Obstacles and stationary vehicles: Distance
Pilot DISTRONIC does not brake for obstacles
or stationary vehicles. If, for example, the
detected vehicle turns a corner and an obsta-
cle or stationary vehicle is revealed, Distance Pilot DISTRONIC will not brake for them.
R Crossing traffic: Distance Pilot DISTRONIC
may mistakenly detect vehicles that are
crossing your lane. Activating Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC at, for example, a traffic light with
crossing traffic, could cause your vehicle to
pull away at the wrong time.
In such situations, brake if necessary. Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is then switched off. 190
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Distance Pilot DISTRONIC with Steering
Pilot General notes
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC with Steering Pilot
aids you in keeping the vehicle in the centre of
the driving lane by means of moderate steering
interventions in a speed range from
0 - 200 km/h.
It monitors the area in front of your vehicle by
means of camera system :at the top of the
windscreen.
In a speed range from 0 - 60 km/h, the advanced automatic pulling away function focuses on thevehicle in front, taking into account lane mark-
ings, e.g. when following vehicles in a traffic jam.
At speeds of more than 60 km/h, Steering Pilot
focuses on detected lane markings (left and
right), only focusing on the vehicle in front if
detected lane markings are not present.
If these conditions are not present, Steering
Pilot cannot provide assistance.
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC must be active in
order for the function to be available.
Important safety notes If you fail to adapt your driving style, Distance
Pilot DISTRONIC and Steering Pilot can neither
reduce the risk of an accident nor override the
laws of physics. It cannot take into account
road, weather or traffic conditions. Distance
Pilot DISTRONIC with Steering Pilot 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 lane.
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC with Steering Pilot
does not detect road and traffic conditions and
does not detect all road users. If you are follow-
ing a vehicle that is driving towards the edge of the carriageway, your vehicle could come into
contact with the kerb or other road boundaries. Be particularly aware of other road users, e.g.
cyclists, that are directly next to your vehicle.
Obstacles such as traffic pylons on the lane or
projecting out into the lane are not detected.
An inappropriate steering intervention, e.g. after you have intentionally driven over a lane mark-
ing, can be corrected at any time if you steer
slightly in the opposite direction.
DISTRONIC PLUS with Steering Pilot cannot
continuously keep your vehicle in lane. In somecases, the steering intervention is not sufficientto bring the vehicle back to the lane. In such
cases, you must steer the vehicle yourself to
ensure that it does not leave the lane.
The support offered by the system may be
impaired if:
R visibility is poor, e.g. due to insufficient illu-
mination of the road, or due to snow, rain, fog
or spray
R there is glare, e.g. from oncoming traffic, the
sun or reflection from other vehicles (e.g. if
the road surface is wet)
R the windscreen is dirty, misted up, damaged
or covered, for instance by a sticker, in the
vicinity of the camera
R no or several, unclear lane markings are pres-
ent for one lane, e.g. in a construction area
R the lane markings are worn away, dark or cov-
ered up, e.g. by dirt or snow
R the distance to the vehicle in front is so small
that the lane markings cannot be detected
R the lane markings change quickly, e.g. lanes
branch off, cross one another or merge
R the road is narrow and winding
R there are highly variable shade conditions on
the road
The system is switched to passive and no longer assists you by performing steering interventions
if:
R you actively change lane
R you switch on the turn signal
R you take your hands off the steering wheel or
do not steer for a prolonged period of time
i After you have finished changing lanes,
Steering Pilot is automatically active once
more. Driving syste
ms
191Driving an d parking Z

Parking Pilot
General notes Parking Pilot is an electronic parking aid with
ultrasound. It measures the road on both sides
of the vehicle. A parking symbol indicates a suit-
able parking space. Active steering intervention
and brake application can assist you during
parking. Parking Assist PARKTRONIC is also
available (Y page 201).
Important safety notes Parking Pilot is only an aid. It is not a substitute
for your attention to the immediate surround-
ings. The responsibility for safe manoeuvring
and parking remains with you. Make sure that no
persons, animals or objects are in the manoeu-
vring range.
When Parking Assist PARKTRONIC is deactiva-
ted, Parking Pilot is also unavailable. G
WARNING
While parking or pulling out of a parking
space, the vehicle swings out and can drive
onto areas of the oncoming lane. This could
cause you to collide with other road users.
There is a risk of an accident.
Pay attention to other road users. Stop the
vehicle if necessary or cancel the Active Park- ing Assist parking procedure.
! If unavoidable, you should drive over obsta-
cles such as kerbs slowly and not at a sharp
angle. Otherwise, you may damage the
wheels or tyres.
Parking Pilot may show parking spaces which
are not suitable for parking, e.g.:
R in a zone where parking or stopping is pro-
hibited
R in front of driveways or entrances and exits
R on unsuitable surfaces
Parking tips:
R on narrow roads, drive as closely as possible
past the parking space
R parking spaces that are littered or overgrown
may not be identified or may be measured
incorrectly
R parking spaces in front of parked trailers, the
trailer drawbars of which protrude into the parking space, might not be identified as such
or be measured incorrectly
R snowfall or heavy rain may lead to a parking
space being measured inaccurately
R pay attention to the warning messages of
Parking Pilot PARKTRONIC during the parking
procedure (Y page 201)
R you can intervene in the steering procedure to
correct it at any time. Parking Pilot will then be cancelled.
R when transporting a load that protrudes from
your vehicle, you must not use Parking Pilot
R never use Parking Pilot when snow chains are
fitted
R Make sure that the tyre pressures are always
correct. This has a direct influence on the
parking characteristics of the vehicle
Use Parking Pilot for parking spaces that are:
R parallel or at right angles to the direction of
travel
R on straight roads, not bends
R on the same level as the road, e.g. not on the
pavement
Detecting parking spaces Objects located above the detection range of
Parking Pilot will not be detected when the park-
ing space is measured. These are not taken into
account when the parking procedure is calcula-
ted, e.g. overhanging loads, tail sections or load-
ing ramps of goods vehicles. Parking Pilot may
therefore guide you into the parking space too
early. G
WARNING
If there are objects above the detection range:
R Active Park Assist may steer too early
R the vehicle may not stop in front of these
objects
This could cause a collision. There is a risk of
an accident.
If objects are located above the detection
range, stop and deactivate Active Parking
Assist.
Further information on the detection range
(Y page 201). 204
Driving systemsDriving and parking

!
Objects not at ground level may appear to
be further away than they actually are, e.g.:
R the bumper of a parked vehicle
R the drawbar of a trailer
R the ball coupling of a trailer tow hitch
R the rear section of an HGV
R a slanted post
Use the guidelines only for orientation.
Approach objects no further than the bottom- most guideline. :
Yellow guide line at a distance of approx-
imately 4.0 m from the rear of the vehicle
; White guide line without turning the steering
wheel, vehicle width including the exterior
mirrors (static)
= Yellow guide line for the vehicle width
including the exterior mirrors, for current
steering wheel angle (dynamic)
? Yellow lane marking the course the tyres will
take at the current steering wheel angle
(dynamic) A
Yellow guide line at a distance of approx-
imately 1.0 m from the rear of the vehicle
B Vehicle centre axis (locating aid)
C Bumper
D Red guide line at a distance of approximately
0.30 m from the rear of the vehicle The guide lines are shown when the transmis-
sion is in position R.
The distance specifications apply only to
objects that are at ground level. :
Front warning display
; Additional measurement operational readi-
ness indicator for Parking Assist
PARKTRONIC
= Rear warning display
Vehicles with Parking Assist PARKTRONIC:
when Parking Assist PARKTRONIC is opera-
tional (Y page 201), additional measurement
operational readiness indicator ;appears in
the multimedia system. If the Parking Assist
PARKTRONIC warning displays are active or
light up, warning displays :and =are also
active or light up correspondingly in the multi-
media system. Driving systems
209Driving and parking Z

The distance specifications apply only to
objects that are at ground level.
Top view with image from the front cam-
era :
Symbol for the split-screen setting with top
view and front camera image
; Yellow guide line at a distance of approx-
imately 4.0 m from the front of the vehicle
= Yellow guide line for the vehicle width
including the exterior mirrors, for current
steering wheel angle (dynamic)
? Yellow lane marking the course the tyres will
take at the current steering wheel angle
(dynamic)
A Red guide line at a distance of approximately
0.30 mfrom the front of the vehicle
B Yellow guide line at a distance of approx-
imately 1.0 m from the front of the vehicle
Top view and enlarged rear view :
Symbol for the split-screen setting with top
view and reversing camera image enlarged
; Red guide line at a distance of approximately
0.30 m from the rear of the vehicle
This view assists you in estimating the distance to the vehicle behind you. i
This setting can also be selected as an
enlarged front view.
Top view with image from the camera in
the exterior mirrors :
Symbol for setting the top view with image
from the forward camera in the exterior mir-
rors
; Yellow guide line for the vehicle width
including the exterior mirror (right side of
vehicle)
= Yellow guide line for the vehicle width
including the exterior mirror (left side of
vehicle)
i You can also select the camera setting in the
exterior mirrors for the rear-facing view.
Top view with trailer view :
Symbol for the trailer view setting
; Trailer drawbar locating aid
= Ball coupling
? Red guide line at a distance of approximately
0.30 m from the ball coupling
The lines are shown at the level of the trailer
coupling. Driving systems
215Driving and parking Z

i
For technical reasons, the ball coupling of
the trailer tow hitch is only partially visible in
the multimedia system display.
180° view :
Symbol for the full-screen setting with the
reversing camera image
; Own vehicle
= Warning displays for Parking Assist
PARKTRONIC
i 180° view can also be selected as front
view.
Select this view when you are driving out of an
exit and the view of crossing traffic is restricted,
for example.
Stopping the 360° camera display The 360° camera display is stopped:
R
when you select transmission position P
R when you are driving at moderate speeds
The previous display appears in the multimedia
system. You can also switch the display by
selecting the &symbol in the display and
pressing the controller to confirm. ATTENTION ASSIST
General notes ATTENTION ASSIST helps you during long,
monotonous journeys such as on motorways
and trunk roads. It is active in the 60 km/h to
200 km/h speed range. If ATTENTION ASSIST
detects typical indicators of fatigue or increas-
ing lapses in concentration on the part of the
driver, it suggests taking a break. Important safety notes ATTENTION ASSIST is only an aid. It may not
always detect fatigue or lapses in concentration
until too late, or may not detect them at all. The system is not a substitute for a well-rested and
attentive driver.
The functionality of ATTENTION ASSIST is
restricted, and warnings may be delayed or not
occur at all:
R if the length of the journey is less than approx-
imately 30 minutes
R if the road condition is poor, e.g. if the surface
is uneven or contains potholes
R in case of strong side winds
R if you have adopted a sporty driving style with
high cornering speeds or high rates of accel-
eration
R if you are predominantly driving at a speed
below 60 km/h or above 200 km/h
R if you are driving with the Steering Pilot of
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC activated
R if the time has been set incorrectly
R in active driving situations, such as when you
change lanes or change your speed
The evaluation of your attention level is deleted
and restarted when continuing the journey, if:
R you switch off the engine
R you take off your seat belt and open the driv-
er's door, e.g. for a change of drivers or to
take a break
Displaying the attention level You can have current status information dis-
played in the assistance menu (Y
page 249) of
the on-board computer. 216
Driving systemsDriving and parking

applicable traffic regulation continues to be
shown in the assistance graphic display.
The camera also detects traffic signs with a
restriction indicated by an additional sign (e.g. in wet conditions).
The traffic signs are only displayed with the
restriction if:
R The regulation must be observed with the
restriction, or
R Traffic Sign Assist is unable to determine
whether the restriction applies
If Traffic Sign Assist is unable to determine a
maximum permitted speed from any of the avail- able sources, no speed limit is displayed in the
instrument cluster either. Traffic Sign Assist is not available in all coun-
tries. In this case, symbol :is shown in the
assistance graphic display (Y page 249).
Important safety notes Traffic Sign Assist is only an aid and is not always
able to correctly display speed limits and over-
taking restrictions. Traffic signs always have pri-
ority over the Traffic Sign Assist display.
The system may be either functionally impaired
or temporarily unavailable in the following sit-
uations:
R Visibility is poor, e.g. due to snow, rain, fog or
spray
R Glare, e.g. from the sun being low in the sky
R Dirt, ice or misting on the windscreen in the
vicinity of the camera
R Traffic signs are hard to detect (dirt, ice,
snow)
R The traffic signs are insufficiently lit at night
R Signs are ambiguous (e.g. traffic signs on con-
struction sites or in adjacent lanes)
R The information in the digital street map of the
navigation system is incorrect or out of date Switching the message function on/off If you have activated the Traffic Sign Assist dis-
play in the on-board computer, the traffic regu-
lations (speed limits and overtaking restrictions)
are displayed in the instrument cluster for five
seconds in each case. The wrong-way warning
and the traffic sign display for speed limits and
overtaking restrictions remain active even when the display has been deactivated.
X Switch on the Traffic Sign Assist message
function via the on-board computer
(Y page 250).
Instrument cluster display Showing the assistance graphic
X Call up the assistance graphic function using
the on-board computer (Y page 249).
X Select the Traffic Sign Assist display.
Detected traffic signs are displayed in the
instrument cluster.
Speed limit with unknown restriction :
Maximum permissible speed
; Maximum permissible speed for vehicles for
which the restriction in the additional sign is
relevant
= Additional sign for unknown restriction
A maximum permissible speed of 80 km/h
(80 mph) and a speed limit of 60 km/h (60 mph) with an unknown restriction apply. 218
Driving systemsDriving and parking