2016 MERCEDES-BENZ S-Class SEDAN power steering

Brake Assistsee BAS (Brake Assist System)
Brake fluid
Display message ............................ 283
Notes ............................................. 430
Brake force distribution
see EBD (electronic brake force
distribution)
Brake lamps
Display message ............................ 291
Brake pedal
Pedal resistance/pedal travel .......... 44
Brakes
ABS .................................................. 68
Adaptive Brake Assist ...................... 72
BAS .................................................. 69
BAS PLUS with Cross-Traffic
Assist ............................................... 69
Brake fluid (notes) ......................... 430
Display message ............................ 278
EBD .................................................. 75
High-performance brake system .... 196
Hill start assist ............................... 165
HOLD function ............................... 208
Important safety notes .................. 194
Maintenance .................................. 195
Parking brake ................................ 190
RBS warning lamp .......................... 315
Recuperative Brake System ............. 44
Riding tips ...................................... 194
Warning lamp ................................. 315
Breakdown
Where will I find...? ........................ 367
see Flat tire
see Towing away
Brightness control (instrument
cluster lighting) ................................... 35
Buttons on the steering wheel ......... 257
C
California
Important notice for retail cus-
tomers and lessees .......................... 25
Calling up a malfunction
see Display messages
Camera
see 360° camera see Rear view camera
Car
see Vehicle
Care
360° camera ................................. 363
Car wash ........................................ 359
Carpets .......................................... 366
Display ........................................... 364
Exhaust pipe .................................. 363
Exterior lights ................................ 362
Gear or selector lever .................... 365
General notes ................................ 359
Interior ........................................... 364
Matte finish ................................... 361
Night View Assist Plus ................... 364
Paint .............................................. 361
Plastic trim .................................... 364
Power washer ................................ 360
Rear view camera .......................... 363
Roof lining ...................................... 366
Seat belt ........................................ 366
Seat cover ..................................... 365
Sensors ......................................... 362
Steering wheel ............................... 365
Trim pieces .................................... 365
Washing by hand ........................... 360
Wheels ........................................... 361
Windows ........................................ 362
Wiper blades .................................. 362
Wooden trim .................................. 365
CD player (on-board computer) ........ 266
Center console
Overview .......................................... 37
Stowage space .............................. 326
Center console in the rear com-
partment
Stowage compartment .................. 327
Central locking
Locking/unlocking (SmartKey) ........ 79
Changing the media source ............. 265
Charging
see Charging the high-voltage bat-
tery (important safety notes)
Charging cable
Connecting .................................... 185
Controls ......................................... 183
Important safety notes .................. 183
Indicator lamp ................................ 184
Index5

Control panel ...................................40
Display message ............................ 310
Emergency locking ........................... 88
Emergency unlocking ....................... 87
Important safety notes .................... 85
Opening (from inside) ...................... 86
Power closing .................................. 87
Drinking and driving ......................... 193
Drive program
Automatic ...................................... 174
Manual ........................................... 174
Manual (Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles) ............................................... 175
SETUP (on-board computer) .......... 276
Driver's door
see Doors
Driving abroad
Mercedes-Benz Service ................. 358
Driving Assistance package ............. 234
Driving on flooded roads .................. 196
Driving safety systems
ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) ....... 68
ADAPTIVE BRAKE ............................. 75
Adaptive Brake Assist ...................... 72
BAS (Brake Assist System) .............. 69
BAS PLUS with Cross-Traffic
Assist ............................................... 69
COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST
PLUS ................................................ 71
Distance warning function ............... 71
EBD (electronic brake force distri-
bution) ............................................. 75
ESP
®(Electronic Stability Pro-
gram) ............................................... 73
Important safety information ........... 68
Overview .......................................... 68
PRE-SAFE
®Brake ............................. 75
Recuperative Brake System ............. 44
STEER CONTROL ............................. 77
Driving systems
360°camera .................................. 224
Active Blind Spot Assist ................. 234
Active Body Control ABC ............... 210
Active Lane Keeping Assist ............ 237
Active Parking Assist ..................... 216
AIRMATIC ...................................... 212
ATTENTION ASSIST ........................ 228 Cruise control ................................ 197
Display message ............................ 299
DISTRONIC PLUS ........................... 199
DISTRONIC PLUS with Steering
Assist and Stop&Go Pilot ............... 207
Driving Assistance package
........... 234
HOLD fu

nction ............................... 208
Night View Assist Plus ................... 230
PARKTRONIC ................................. 214
Rear view camera .......................... 220
Traffic Sign Assist .......................... 229
Driving tips
AMG ceramic brakes ..................... 196
Automatic transmission ................. 173
Brakes ........................................... 194
Break-in period .............................. 161
DISTRONIC PLUS ........................... 205
Downhill gradient ........................... 194
Drinking and driving ....................... 193
Driving in winter ............................. 196
Driving on flooded roads ................ 196
Driving on wet roads ...................... 196
Exhaust check ............................... 193
Fuel ................................................ 192
General .......................................... 192
Hydroplaning ................................. 196
Icy road surfaces ........................... 196
Limited braking efficiency on sal-
ted roads ....................................... 195
Snow chains .................................. 386
Subjecting brakes to a load ........... 194
The first 1000 miles (1500 km) ..... 161
Wet road surface ........................... 194
DVD video
Operating (on-board computer) ..... 267
E
EASY-ENTRY featureFunction/notes ............................. 122
EASY-EXIT feature
Crash-responsive ........................... 123
Function/notes ............................. 122
EBD (electronic brake force distri-
bution)
Display message ............................ 280
Function/notes ................................ 75
8Index

Warning and indicator lamps
FunctionPage
:!ABS316
;åESP®OFF317
÷ESP®317
=#Turn signal, left131
?LLow-beam headlamps131
AKHigh-beam headlamps132
BTParking lamps, license
plate and instrument cluster
lighting
131
C! Turn signal, right131
D·Distance warning322
E!Electric parking brake
(yellow)319
FunctionPage
FElectric parking brake (red)319
F USA only
!Canada only
G;Engine diagnostics320
HÐ Power steering324
IBrakes (red)315
$USA only
JCanada only
JéRBS (Recuperative
Brake System)315
Kü Seat belts313
L6Restraint system45
MhTire pressure monitor323
iInformation on additional indicator and
warning lamps for PLUG-IN vehicles can be
found in the "PLUG-IN HYBRID operation"
section (
Ypage 242).
34Instrument cluster
At a glance

Rdarkness
Rif:
-pedestrians move quickly, e.g. into the path
of the vehicle
-the camera system no longer recognizes a
pedestrian as a person due to special cloth- ing or other objects
-a pedestrian is concealed by other objects
-the typical outline of a person is not distin-
guishable from the background
Following damage to the front end of the vehicle,
have the configuration and operation of the
radar sensors checked at a qualified specialist
workshop. This also applies to collisions at slow
speeds where there is no visible damage to the
front of the vehicle.
Following damage to the windshield, have the
configuration and operation of the camera sys-
tem checked at a qualified specialist workshop.
Function
XTo activate/deactivate: activate or deacti-
vate PRE-SAFE®Brake in the on-board com-
puter (Ypage 271).
If the PRE-SAFE®Brake is not activated, the
æ symbol appears in the multifunction dis-
play.
Starting at a speed of around 4 mph (7 km/h),
this 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 to defuse the situation.
or
XTake evasive action provided it is safe to do
so.
PRE-SAFE
®Brake can also brake the vehicle
automatically under the following conditions:
Rthe driver and front-passenger have their seat
belts fastened
and
Rthe vehicle speed is between approximately
4 mph (7 km/h) and 124 mph (200 km/h)
At speeds of up to approximately 44 mph
(70 km/h) PRE-SAFE
®Brake can also detect:
Rstationary objects in the path of your vehicle,
e.g. stopped or parked vehicles
Rpedestrians in the path of your vehicle
iIf there is an increased risk of a collision,
preventive passenger protection measures
(PRE-SAFE
®) are triggered (Ypage 59).
If the risk of collision with the vehicle in front
remains and you do not brake, take evasive
action or accelerate significantly, the vehicle
may perform automatic emergency braking, up
to the point of full brake application. Automatic emergency braking is not performed until imme-
diately prior to an imminent accident.
You can prevent the intervention of the PRE-
SAFE
®Brake at any time by:
Rdepressing the accelerator pedal further.
Ractivating kickdown.
Rreleasing the brake pedal.
The braking action of PRE-SAFE®Brake is ended
automatically if:
Ryou maneuver to avoid the obstacle.
Rthere is no longer a risk of collision.
Rthere is no longer an obstacle detected in
front of your vehicle.
STEER CONTROL
General information
STEER CONTROL helps you by transmitting a
noticeable steering force to the steering wheel
in the direction required for vehicle stabilization.
This steering assistance is provided in particular if:
Rboth right wheels or both left wheels are on a
wet or slippery road surface when you brake.
Rthe vehicle starts to skid.
Important safety notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Ypage 68).
No steering support is provided from STEER
CONTROL, if:
RESP®is deactivated
RESP®is malfunctioning.
Rthe lighting is faulty.
Power steering will, however, continue to func-
tion.
Driving safety systems77
Safety
Z

Problems with "Pre-entry climate control via SmartKey"
ProblemPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
"Pre-entry climate con-
trol via SmartKey" can-
not be switched on or
has switched itself off.The condition of charge of the high-voltage battery is under the speci-
fied minimum condition of charge.
XStart the engine when the vehicle is at a standstill.
The engine powers the electric motor. The electric motor operates
as a generator. The high-voltage battery is being charged.
Further information on charging the high-voltage battery via:
Ra mains socket (Ypage 183)
Ra charging station (Ypage 186)
Ra wallbox (Ypage 185)
"Pre-entry climate control via SmartKey" has been started more than
twice with the engine switched off.
XSwitch on the engine and let it run for more than ten seconds.
XTry again to switch on "Pre-entry climate control via SmartKey".
Pre-entry climate control at time of
departure
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If persons, particularly children are subjected to prolonged exposure to extreme heat or
cold, there is a risk of injury, possibly even
fatal. Never leave children unattended in the
vehicle.
General notes
The "Pre-entry climate control at departure
time" function is only available in PLUG-IN
HYBRID vehicles.
You can use the "Pre-entry climate control at
departure time" function to cool or heat the
vehicle interior if the engine is not running.
The "Pre-entry climate control at departure
time" function can be activated regardless of
whether or not the vehicle is connected to an
electric power supply. The condition of charge of
the high-voltage battery must be higher than the
specified minimum condition of charge, how-
ever.
When the vehicle is connected to an electric
power supply, priority is given to charging the
high-voltage battery to the specified minimum charge. "Pre-entry climate control at departure
time" is only activated subsequently.
The running time of the "Pre-entry climate con-
trol at departure time" function may be reduced
if:
Rthe vehicle is not connected to an electric
power supply and
Rthe high-voltage battery is not fully charged
With active "Pre-entry climate control at depar-
ture time" the condition of charge of the high-
voltage battery can be reduced, even if the
charge cable connector is connected.
When the vehicle is cooled, the following func-
tions are activated if required:
RClimate control system
RBlower
RSeat ventilation
When the vehicle is heated, the following func-
tions are activated if required:
RClimate control system
RBlower
RSeat heating
RSteering wheel heating
RArmrest heating
RExterior mirror heating
RRear window defroster
If you have switched on the perfume atomizer or the ionization using the multimedia system,
Operating the climate control systems157
Climate control
Z

GWARNING
If you switch off the ignition while driving,
safety-relevant functions are only available
with limitations, or not at all. This could affect, for example, the power steering and the brake
boosting effect. You will require considerably
more effort to steer and brake. There is a risk
of an accident.
Do not switch off the ignition while driving.
GWARNING
If the parking brake has not been fully
released when driving, the parking brake can:
Roverheat and cause a fire
Rlose its hold function.
There is a risk of fire and an accident. Release
the parking brake fully before driving off.
!Do not warm up the engine with the vehicle
stationary. Drive off immediately. Avoid high
engine speeds and driving at full throttle until
the engine has reached its operating temper-
ature.
Only shift the automatic transmission to the
desired drive position when the vehicle is sta-
tionary.
Where possible, avoid spinning the drive
wheels when pulling away on slippery roads.
You could otherwise damage the drive train.
!Mercedes-AMG vehicles: at low engine oil
temperatures below 68 ‡ (+20 †), the max-
imum engine speed is restricted in order to
protect the engine. To protect the engine and
maintain smooth engine operation, avoid driv-
ing at full throttle when the engine is cold.
Observe the important safety notes for PLUG-IN
HYBRID vehicles (
Ypage 42).
SmartKey positions
SmartKey
gTo remove the SmartKey
1Power supply for some consumers, such as
the windshield wipers
2Ignition (power supply for all consumers)
and drive position
3To start the engine
The SmartKey can be turned in the ignition lock
even if it is not the correct SmartKey for the
vehicle. The ignition is not switched on. The
engine cannot be started.
Start/Stop button
General notes
All vehicles are equipped with a removable
Start/Stop button.
The Start/Stop button must be inserted in the
ignition lock and the Smartkey must be in the
vehicle.
When you insert the Start/Stop button into the
ignition lock, the system needs approximately
two seconds recognition time. You can then use
the Start/Stop button.
Pressing the Start/Stop button several times in
succession corresponds to the different key
positions in the ignition lock. This is only the
case if you are not depressing the brake pedal.
If you depress the brake pedal and press the
Start/Stop button, the engine starts immedi-
ately.
A check which periodically establishes a radio
connection between the vehicle and the Smart-
Key determines whether a valid SmartKey is in
the vehicle. This occurs, for example, when
starting the engine.
162Driving
Driving and parking

Rthe seat belt has been fastened
Ryou depress the accelerator pedal
If the automatic transmission is in position R,
the trunk lid must be closed.
If your seat belt is not fastened, the following
conditions must be fulfilled to automatically
release the electric parking brake:
Rthe driver's door is closed.
Ryou have shifted out of transmission position
P or you have previously driven faster than
2 mph (3 km/h).
Ensure that you do not depress the accelerator
pedal unintentionally. Otherwise the parking
brake will be released and the vehicle will start
to move.
Emergency braking
The vehicle can also be braked during an emer-
gency by using the electric parking brake.
XWhile driving, push handle :of the electric
parking brake (Ypage 190).
The vehicle is braked as long as you keep
handle :of the electric parking brake
pressed. The longer electric parking brake
handle :is depressed, the greater the brak-
ing force.
During braking:
Ra warning tone sounds
Rthe Please Release Parking Brakemes-
sage appears
Rthe red F(USA only) or !(Canada
only) indicator lamp in the instrument cluster flashes
When the vehicle has been braked to a stand-
still, the electric parking brake is engaged.
Parking the vehicle for a long period
If you leave the vehicle parked for longer than
four weeks, the battery may be damaged by
exhaustive discharging.
If you leave the vehicle parked for longer than six
weeks, the vehicle may suffer damage as a
result of lack of use.
XVisit a qualified specialist workshop and seek
advice.
PLUG-IN HYBRID vehicles: observe the impor-
tant safety notes for the high-voltage battery
(
Ypage 374).
Driving tips
General driving tips
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If you switch off the ignition while driving,
safety-relevant functions are only available
with limitations, or not at all. This could affect, for example, the power steering and the brake
boosting effect. You will require considerably
more effort to steer and brake. There is a risk
of an accident.
Do not switch off the ignition while driving.
GWARNING
If you operate mobile communication equip-
ment while driving, you will be distracted from traffic conditions. You could also lose control
of the vehicle. There is a risk of an accident.
Only operate this equipment when the vehicle
is stationary.
Observe the legal requirements for the country
in which you are driving. Some jurisdictions pro-
hibit the driver from using a mobile phone while
driving a vehicle.
If you make a call while driving, always use
hands-free mode. Only operate the telephone
when the traffic situation permits. If you are
unsure, pull over to a safe location and stop
before operating the telephone.
Bear in mind that at a speed of only 30 mph
(approximately 50 km/h), the vehicle covers a
distance of 44 ft (approximately 14 m)per sec-
ond.
Drive sensibly – save fuel
Observe the following tips to save fuel:
XThe tires should always be inflated to the rec-
ommended tire pressure.
XRemove unnecessary loads.
XRemove roof racks when they are not needed.
XWarm up the engine at low engine speeds.
XAvoid frequent acceleration or braking.
XHave all maintenance work carried out as
indicated by the service intervals in the Main-
192Driving tips
Driving and parking

The electric parking brake secures the vehicle
automatically if the HOLD function is activated
when the vehicle is stationary and:
Ra system malfunction occurs.
Rthe power supply is not sufficient.
If a malfunction in the electric parking brake
occurs, then the transmission may also be shif-
ted into position Pautomatically.
MAGIC BODY CONTROL
General notes
MAGIC BODY CONTROL consists of Active Body
Control (ABC), ROAD SURFACE SCAN as well as
automatic vehicle stabilization in the event of a
crosswind.
Your vehicle automatically adjusts its ride height
to improve driving safety and reduce fuel con-
sumption. The suspension mode is adjusted
according to your selection (sports or comfort),
the road surface conditions and the vehicle load. A multifunction camera detects bumps in the
road surface before the vehicle drives over
them. This reduces chassis movements.
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.
!The vehicle is lowered when the engine is
switched off. When parking, position your
vehicle so that it does not make contact with
the curb as the vehicle is lowered. Your vehi-
cle could otherwise be damaged.
Crosswind Assist
The crosswind stabilization operates by chang-
ing wheel loads through adjusting the ABC
spring struts. It reduces impairments in handling
when driving in a straight line and assists during
countersteering. Crosswind Assist is active in the speed range
between 50 mph (80 km/h)
and
130 mph (210 km/h) when driving straight
ahead or cornering gently.
Active Body Control ABC
Vehicle level
All vehicles except AMG vehicles: depending
on the vehicle level that has been set, the vehi-
cle automatically adjusts its height dependent
on the current speed. The vehicle is lowered by
up to 0.6 in (15 mm) as the speed increases. As
the speed is reduced, the vehicle is raised up to
the set vehicle height.
AMG vehicles: depending on the vehicle level
that has been selected, the vehicle automati-
cally adjusts its height dependent on the current
speed. The vehicle is lowered by up to 0.4 in
(10 mm) below the normal level as the speed
increases. As the speed is reduced, the vehicle
is raised up to the set vehicle height.
Select the "Normal" setting for normal road con-
ditions and "Raised" for driving with snow chains
or in particularly poor road conditions.
Setting the vehicle level
XTo raise the vehicle: press button:.
Indicator lamp ;lights up.
XTo lower the vehicle: press button:again.
Indicator lamp ;goes out.
Your selection remains stored even if you
remove the SmartKey from the ignition lock.
Suspension tuning
The electronically controlled ABC suspension
system detects the vehicle level and the vehicle
load and adjusts the setting accordingly. You
can also choose between a particularly sporty or
a comfortable tuning.
210Driving systems
Driving and parking