2016 MERCEDES-BENZ S CLASS steering

cle occupants. There is a risk of an accident
and injury.
Never leave animals unattended in the vehi-
cle. Always secure animals properly during
the journey, e.g. use a suitable animal trans-
port box.
Driving safety systems
Overview of driving safety systems In this section, you will find information about
the following driving safety systems: R
ABS ( A nti-lock B raking S ystem)
( Y
page 68)R
BAS ( B rake A ssist S ystem) ( Y
page 69)R
BAS PLUS ( B rake A ssist S ystem PLUS) with
Cross-Traffic Assist ( Y
page 69)R
COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS
( Y
page 71)R
ESP ®
( E lectronic S tability P rogram)
( Y
page 73)R
EBD ( E lectronic B rake force D istribution)
( Y
page 75)R
ADAPTIVE BRAKE ( Y
page 75)R
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake ( Y
page 75)R
STEER CONTROL ( Y
page 77)
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 only work
as effectively as possible when there is ade-
quate contact between the tires and the road
surface. Pay particular attention to the informa-
tion regarding tires, recommended minimum
tire tread depths etc. in the "Wheels and tires"
section ( Y
page 384). In wintry driving conditions, always use winter
tires (M+S tires) and if necessary, snow chains.
Only in this way will the driving safety systems
described in this section work as effectively as
possible.
ABS (Anti-lock Braking System)
General information 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 5 mph
(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 68).
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.
When ABS is malfunctioning, other systems,
including driving safety systems, will also
become inoperative. Observe the information
on the ABS warning lamp ( Y
page 316) and dis-
play messages which may be shown in the
instrument cluster ( Y
page 278).
Braking X
If ABS intervenes: continue to depress the
brake pedal vigorously until the braking sit-
uation is over. X
To make a full brake application: depress
the brake pedal with full force.68
Driving safety systems
Safety

Useful information
i This Operator's Manual describes all models
and all standard and optional equipment of
your vehicle available at the time of publica-
tion of the Operator's Manual. Country-spe-
cific 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.
i Read the information on qualified specialist
workshops ( Y
page 28).
Correct driver's seat position
G WARNING
You could lose control of your vehicle if you do
the following while driving: R
adjust the driver's seat, head restraint,
steering wheel or mirrors R
fasten the seat belt
There is a risk of an accident.
Adjust the driver's seat, head restraint, steer-
ing wheel and mirror and fasten your seat belt
before starting the engine.
X
Observe the safety guidelines on seat adjust-
ment ( Y
page 105).X
Check whether you have adjusted seat

Seats
Important safety notes
G WARNING
Children could become trapped if they adjust
the seats, particularly when unattended.
There is a risk of injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children unsupervised in the vehicle.
The seats can still be adjusted when there is no
SmartKey in the ignition lock.
G WARNING
When you adjust a seat, you or other vehicle
occupants could become trapped, e.g. on the
seat guide rail. There is a risk of injury.
Make sure when adjusting a seat that no one
has any body parts in the sweep of the seat.
Observe the safety notes on "Air bags"
( Y
page 50) and "Children in the Vehicle"
( Y
page 61).
G WARNING
You could lose control of your vehicle if you do
the following while driving: R
adjust the driver's seat, head restraint,
steering wheel or mirrors R
fasten the seat belt
There is a risk of an accident.
Adjust the driver's seat, head restraint, steer-
ing wheel and mirror and fasten your seat belt
before starting the engine.
G WARNING
If you adjust the seat height carelessly, you or
other vehicle occupants could be trapped and
thereby injured. Children in particular could
accidentally press the electrical seat adjust-
ment buttons and become trapped. There is a
risk of injury.
While moving the seats, make sure that your
hands or other body parts do not get under the
lever assembly of the seat adjustment sys-
tem. G WARNING
If the head restraints are not installed or not
adjusted correctly, they cannot provide pro-
tection as intended. There is an increased risk
of injury in the head and neck area, e.g. in the
event of an accident or when braking.
Always drive with the head restraints instal-
led. Before driving off, make sure for every
vehicle occupant that the center of the head
restraint supports the back of the head at
about eye level.
G WARNING
The seat belt does not offer the intended level
of protection if you have not moved the back-
rest to an almost vertical position. When brak-
ing or in the event of an accident, you could
slide underneath the seat belt and sustain
abdomen or neck injuries, for example. This
poses an increased risk of injury or even fatal
injury.
Adjust the seat properly before beginning
your journey. Always ensure that the backrest
is in an almost vertical position and that the
shoulder section of your seat belt is routed
across the center of your shoulder.
! To avoid damage to the seats and the seat
heating, observe the following information: R
keep liquids from spilling on the seats. If
liquid is spilled on the seats, dry them as
soon as possible. R
if the seat covers are damp or wet, do not
switch on the seat heating. The seat heat-
ing should also not be used to dry the seats. R
clean the seat covers as recommended;
see "Interior care". R
do not transport heavy loads on the seats.
Do not place sharp objects on the seat
cushions, e.g. knives, nails or tools. The
seats should only be occupied by passen-
gers, if possible. R
when the seat heating is in operation, do
not cover the seats with insulating materi-
als, e.g. blankets, coats, bags, seat covers,
child seats or booster seats.
! Make sure that there are no objects in the
footwell under or behind the seats when mov- Seats 105
Seats, steering wheel and mirrors Z

Adjusting the front-passenger seat
fr om the driver’s seat
Import ant safety notes
G WARNIN G
When you adjust a seat , you or other vehicl e
occupant s could become trapped , e.g. on th e
seat guide rail. There is a ris k of injury.
Mak e sur e when adjusting a seat that no on e
has any body part s in th e swee p of th e seat .
Observ e th e safet y note s on "Ai r bags "
( Y
page 50 ) and "Children in th e vehicle"
( Y
page 61) .
G WARNIN G
The front-air bags for could also injure th e
vehicl e occupant s in th e fron t If th e fron t
seat s are positioned to o close to th e dash -
boar d or steering wheel. This poses an
increased ris k of injury or eve n fatal injury.
Always adjust th e fron t seat s so that they are
as far from th e fron t air bags as possible. Als o
observ e th e note s on th e correc t adjustmen t
of th e seats.
G WARNIN G
Children could become trapped if they adjust
th e seats, particularly when unattended.
There is a ris k of injury.
When leaving th e vehicle, always tak e th e
SmartKey wit h you and loc k th e vehicle. Never
leav e children unsupervised in th e vehicle.
! Do no t mov e th e front-passenger seat fully
forward s if there are objects in th e parcel ne t
in th e front-passenger footwell. The objects
could otherwise be damaged. Adjusting the front-passenger seat
The SmartKey mus t be in th e ignition loc k and in
position 1 or 2 , in order for th e front-passenger
seat to be selected ( Y
page 162).X
To select th e front-passenger seat: press
butto n C repeatedly until th e indicator lamp
in th e butto n lights up.
When th e indicator lamp in butto n C lights up,
for th e front-passenger seat you can adjust :R
adjust th e seat ( Y
page 106)R
seat heating ( Y
page 118) R
seat ventilation ( Y
page 119)R
th e memory function to call up or sav e set -
ting s ( Y
page 126).
Adjusting the front-passenger seat
fr om the rear
Imp ort ant safety notes
G WARNIN G
Children could become trapped if they adjust
th e seats, particularly when unattended.
There is a ris k of injury.
When leaving th e vehicle, always tak e th e
SmartKey wit h you and loc k th e vehicle. Never
leav e children unsupervised in th e vehicle.
The seat s can still be adjusted when there is no
SmartKey in th e ignition lock.
G WARNIN G
When you adjust a seat , you or other vehicl e
occupant s could become trapped , e.g. on th e
seat guide rail. There is a ris k of injury.108
Seats
Seats, steering wheel and mirrors

Make sure when adjusting a seat that no one
has any body parts in the sweep of the seat.
Observe the safety notes on "Air bags"
( Y
page 50) and "Children in the vehicle"
( Y
page 61).
G WARNING
The front-air bags for could also injure the
vehicle occupants in the front If the front
seats are positioned too close to the dash-
board or steering wheel. This poses an
increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Always adjust the front seats so that they are
as far from the front air bags as possible. Also
observe the notes on the correct adjustment
of the seats.
! Do not move the front-passenger seat fully
forwards if there are objects in the parcel net
in the front-passenger footwell. The objects
could otherwise be damaged.
i You can use the rear-compartment override
button to disable the setting of the front-
passenger seat from the rear ( Y
page 67).
Adjusting the rear seat
C
Selects rear-compartment seat
D
Head restraint height

Positioning the front-passenger seat for
chauffeur mode General notes Pay attention to the important safety notes
( Y
page 111). Adjust the seat for chauffeur
mode before the journey ( Y
page 112). Do not
remove the front-passenger seat head restraint
during the journey.
Adjusting from the rear compartment
You can use the override button to disable this
function ( Y
page 67).
In order for the front-passenger seat to be posi-
tioned in chauffeur mode: R
the SmartKey must be in the ignition lock and
in position 1 or 2 ( Y
page 162)R
the front-passenger seat may not be occupied R
the front-passenger seat belt must not be
inserted into the buckle X
To select the front-passenger seat: press
button C repeatedly until the indicator lamp
in the button lights up.
The front-passenger seat is selected if the
indicator lamp in the button lights up. X
Press button D forwards and hold it in this
position.
The seat moves forward.
The seat stops at the threshold of the area for
chauffeur mode. X
Release button D .X
Press and hold button D again until the front-
passenger seat is in position for chauffeur
mode.
The head restraint on the front-passenger
seat folds forwards. The seat moves forward.
The To view the ext. mirror, adjust
front-passenger seat or remove the head restraint. message appears in the
multifunction display ( Y
page 310).
i If the front-passenger seat is already at the
threshold to the area for the chauffeur mode,
the position for the chauffeur mode is set
immediately.
i The position for chauffeur mode can be
saved or set using the memory function of the
rear seat ( Y
page 127). For this the indicator
lamp on button C must be lit.
Adjusting from the driver's seat
In order for the front-passenger seat to be posi-
tioned in chauffeur mode: R
the SmartKey must be in the ignition lock and
in position 1 or 2 ( Y
page 162)R
the front-passenger seat may not be occupied R
the front-passenger seat belt must not be
inserted into the buckle X
To select the front-passenger seat: press
button C repeatedly until the indicator lamp
in the button lights up.
The front-passenger seat is selected if the
indicator lamp in the button lights up. X
Press button D forward and hold it.
The seat moves forward.
The seat stops at the threshold of the area for
chauffeur mode. X
Release button D .X
Press and hold button D again until the front-
passenger seat is in position for chauffeur
mode.
The head restraint on the front-passenger
seat folds forwards. The seat moves forward.
The To view the ext. mirror, adjust
front-passenger seat or remove the
head restraint. ( Y
page 310)message
appears in the multifunction display.112
Seats
Seats, steering wheel and mirrors

X
To adjust the side bolsters of the head
restraint: push or pull right and/or left-hand
side bolster C into the desired position.
i The fore-and-aft position of the head
restraint is adjusted automatically when you
adjust the seat backrest angle using the seat
switch.
Adjusting the front head restraints elec-
trically The height and fore-and-aft position of the front
head restraints can be adjusted with the seat
adjustment switch ( Y
page 106).
Adjusting the rear seat head restraints Lowering the rear seat head restraints
electrically from the front
X
Turn the SmartKey to position 1 or 2 in the
ignition lock ( Y
page 162).X
Briefly press button C .
The head restraints lower.
i If all of the rear seat head restraints are low-
ered and button C is pressed again, the outer
rear head restraints move into the last stored
position.
Extending the outer rear seat head
restraints from the front electrically
This function is available on vehicles with elec-
trically adjustable rear seats. X
Turn the SmartKey to position 1 or 2 in the
ignition lock ( Y
page 162).X
Press and hold button C until the head
restraints have extended upwards. Extending the outer rear head restraints
into the last stored position This function is available on vehicles with elec-
trically adjustable rear seats. X
Turn the SmartKey to position 1 or 2 in the
ignition lock ( Y
page 162). X
Briefly press button C .
The head restraints lower. X
Briefly press button C again.
The head restraints move to the last stored
position.
Adjusting the luxury head restraint in the
rear compartment mechanically
X
To adjust the side bolsters of the head
restraint: push or pull right and/or left-hand
side bolster C into the desired position. X
To adjust the angle of the head restraint:
push or pull the head restraint in the direction
of arrow D .
Adjusting the rear head restraints electri-
cally
The height and fore-and-aft position of the rear
head restraints can be adjusted with the seat
adjustment switch ( Y
page 107).
Supplementary cushion for luxury head
restraints
The supplementary cushion is available on vehi-
cles with electrically adjustable rear seats.
Only use the supplementary cushion when the
vehicle is stationary.116
Seats
Seats, steering wheel an d mirrors

The supplementary cushion is located in the
vehicle.
The supplementary cushion is attached to the
head restraint by three press studs.
Installing the supplementary cushion: X
Position the head restraint as far forwards as
possible ( Y
page 107).X
Hold supplementary cushion D against the
head restraint and push press studs C into
the counterpieces.
Removing the supplementary cushion: X
Position the head restraint as far forwards as
possible ( Y
page 107).X
Release press studs C and remove supple-
mentary cushion D .
Adjusting the rear center head
restraints
Retracting and extending electrically
X
Press and hold button C until the head
restraint has fully extended or retracted. Folding into position mechanically X
Pull the head restraint up until it engages.
Adjusting the multicontour seat The settings for the multicontour seat are only
activated if: R
the seat is occupied R
the seat belt is fastened
The multicontour seat can be adjusted via the
multimedia system (see the separate operating
instructions).
Adjusting the active multicontour
seat The settings for the active multicontour seat are
only activated if: R
the seat is occupied R
the seat belt is fastened
Vehicles installed with the Seat Comfort
package: you can adjust the active multicon-
tour seat for the driver and front passenger via
the multimedia system (see the separate oper-
ating instructions).
Multicontour seat in the rear You can adjust the multicontour seats for the
outer seats using the remote control (see the
separate operating instructions). Seats 117
Seats, steering wheel and mirrors Z