2016 MERCEDES-BENZ S-Class SEDAN traction control

1, 2, 3 ...
4ETS (Electronic Traction System)see ETS/4ETS (Electronic Trac-
tion System)
4MATIC (permanent four-wheel
drive) .................................................. 213
12 V socket
see Sockets
115 V socket ...................................... 337
360° camera
Cleaning ........................................ .363
Function/notes .............................2 24
A
ABS (Anti-lock Braking System)
Display message ............................ 278
Function/notes ................................ 68
Warning lamp ................................. 316
Accident
Automatic measures after an acci-
dent ................................................. 61
Activating/deactivating cooling
with air dehumidification ................. 146
Activating/deactivating Night
View Assist Plus
With spotlight function ................... 232
Active Blind Spot Assist
Activating/deactivating (on-
board computer) ............................ 271
Display message ............................ 301
Function/information .................... 234
Active Body Control (ABC)
Display message ............................ 300
Function/notes ............................. 210
Active Lane Keeping Assist
Activating/deactivating (on-
board computer) ............................ 271
Display message ............................ 301
Function/information .................... 237
Active multicontour seat .................. 117
Active Parking Assist
Detecting parking spaces .............. 217
Display message ............................ 302
Exiting a parking space .................. 219
Function/notes ............................. 216
Important safety notes .................. 216 Parking .......................................... 218
ADAPTIVE BRAKE ................................. 75
Adaptive Brake Assist
Function/notes ................................ 72
Adaptive Damping System (ADS) ..... 212
Adaptive Highbeam Assist Plus
Display message ............................ 293
Function/notes ............................. 133
Switching on/off ........................... 133
Additional speedometer ................... 274
Additives (engine oil) ........................ 430
Air bags
Belt bags .......................................... 48
Cushion air bags .............................. 53
Deployment ..................................... 57
Display message ............................ 289
Front air bag (driver, front
passenger) ....................................... 52
Important safety notes .................... 50
Introduction ..................................... 50
Knee bag .......................................... 52
Occupant Classification System
(OCS) ............................................... 53
PASSENGER AIR BAG i
ndicator
lamps ............................................... 46
Side impact air bag .......................... 52
Window curtain air bag .................... 53
Air vents
Glove box ....................................... 159
Important safety notes .................. 158
Rear ............................................... 160
Setting ........................................... 158
Setting the center air vents ........... 159
Setting the side air vents ............... 159
Air-conditioning system
see Climate control
AIRMATIC
Display message ............................ 299
Function/notes ............................. 212
Alarm
ATA (Anti-Theft Alarm system) ......... 78
Switching off (ATA) .......................... 78
Switching the function on/off
(ATA) ................................................ 78
Alarm system
see ATA (Anti-Theft Alarm system)
Anti-lock braking system
see ABS (Anti-lock Braking System)
Index3

ECO displayFunction/notes ............................ .193
On-board computer ....................... 262
ECO start/stop function
Automatic engine start .................. 167
Automatic engine switch-off .......... 166
Deactivating/activating ................. 167
General information ....................... 166
Important safety notes .................. 166
Introduction ................................... 166
Electronic Stability Program
see ESP
®(Electronic Stability Program)
Emergency
Automatic measures after an acci-
dent ................................................. 61
Emergency release
Driver's door ....................................8 7
Trunk ............................................... 94
Vehicle ............................................. 87
Emergency Tensioning Devices
Activation ......................................... 57
Emissions control
Service and warranty information ....2 5
Engine
Check Engine warning lamp .......... .320
Display message ............................ 294
ECO start/stop function ................ 166
Engine number ............................... 427
Irregular running ............................ 169
Jump-starting ................................. 376
Starting (important safety notes) ... 164
Starting problems .......................... 169
Starting the engine with the
SmartKey ....................................... 164
Starting via smartphone ................ 164
Starting with the Start/Stop but-
ton ................................................. 164
Switching off .................................. 190
Switching off with the Start/Stop
button ............................................ 190
Switching off with the vehicle key .. 190
Tow-starting (vehicle) ..................... 381
Engine electronics
Problem (malfunction) ................... 169
Engine oil
Adding ...........................................3 55
Additives ........................................ 430
Checking the oil leve l ..................... 353 C
hecking the oil level using the
dipstick .......................................... 353
Checking the oil level using the
on-board computer ........................ 355
Display message ............................ 296
Filling capacity ............................... 430
General notes ................................ 429
Notes about oil grades ................... 429
Notes on oil level/consumption .... 353
Temperature (on-board computer,
Mercedes-AMG vehicles) ...............2 75
Viscosity ........................................ 430
ESP
®(Electronic Stability Pro-
gram)
AMG menu (on-board computer) ... 276
Characteristics ................................. 73
Deactivating/activating ................. 269
Deactivating/activating (notes) ....... 74
Display message ............................ 278
Function/notes ................................ 73
General notes .................................. 73
Important safety information ........... 73
Trailer stabilization ........................... 74
Warning lamp ................................. 317
ETS/4ETS (Electronic Traction Sys-
tem) ...................................................... 73
Exhaust
see Exhaust pipe
Exhaust check ................................... 193
Exhaust pipe
Cleaning ......................................... 363
Exhaustive discharging (high-volt-
age battery) ....................................... 374
Exterior lighting
Cleaning ......................................... 362
see Lights
Exterior mirrors
Adjusting ....................................... 123
Dipping (automatic) ....................... 124
Folding in/out (automatically) ....... 124
Folding in/out (electrically) ........... 124
Out of position (troubleshooting) ... 124
Setting ........................................... 124
Storing settings (memory func-
tion) ............................................... 126
Storing the parking position .......... 125
Eyeglasses compartment ................. 326
Index9

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.
Due to the nature of the system, particularly
complicated but non-critical driving conditions
may also cause Adaptive 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 68).
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 vehi-
cle 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 68).
ETS traction control is part of ESP
®. On vehicles
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 transfer-
red to the wheel or wheels with traction.
Traction control remains active, even if you
deactivate ESP
®.
Important safety notes
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, then ESP®is deactivated.
If the ÷ ESP®warning lamp lights up contin-
uously, ESP®is not available due to a malfunc-
tion.
Observe the information on warning lamps
(
Ypage 317) and display messages which may
be shown in the instrument cluster
(
Ypage 278).
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.
Driving safety systems73
Safety
Z

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 prevailing
road and weather conditions.
ECO start/stop function
The ECO start/stop function is not available for
PLUG-IN HYBRID vehicles.
The ECO start/stop function switches the
engine off automatically when the vehicle stops
moving. The engine starts automatically when
the driver wants to pull away again. ESP
®
remains in its previously selected status. Exam-
ple: if ESP®was deactivated before the engine
was switched off, ESP®remains deactivated
when the engine is switched on again.
Deactivating/activating ESP®
Important safety notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Ypage 68).
You can select between the following states of
ESP
®:
RESP®is activated.
RESP®is deactivated.
GWARNING
If you deactivate ESP
®, ESP®no longer sta-
bilizes the vehicle. There is an increased risk
of skidding and an accident.
Only deactivate ESP
®in the situations descri-
bed in the following.
It may be best to deactivate ESP
®in the follow-
ing situations:
Rwhen using snow chains
Rin deep snow
Ron sand or gravel
iActivate ESP®as soon as the situations
described above no longer apply. ESP®will
otherwise not be able to stabilize the vehicle if
the vehicle starts to skid or a wheel starts to
spin.
!Avoid spinning the driven wheels for an
extended period with ESP®deactivated. You
could otherwise damage the drivetrain.
Deactivating/activating ESP®
You can deactivate or activate ESP®via the on-
board computer (Ypage 269).
ESP®deactivated:
The å ESP®OFF warning lamp in the instru-
ment cluster lights up.
ESP
®activated:
The å ESP®OFF warning lamp in the instru-
ment cluster goes out.
Characteristics when ESP®is deactivated
If ESP®is deactivated and one or more wheels
start to spin, the ÷ESP®warning lamp in the
instrument cluster flashes. In such situations,
ESP
®will not stabilize the vehicle.
If you deactivate ESP®:
RESP®no longer improves driving stability.
REngine torque is no longer limited and the
drive wheels are able to spin.
The spinning of the wheels results in a cutting
action for better traction on loose surfaces.
RTraction control is still activated.
RCOLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST is no longer
available; nor is it activated if you brake firmly
with assistance from ESP
®.
RPRE-SAFE®is no longer available, nor is it
activated if you brake firmly and ESP®inter-
venes.
RPRE-SAFE®Brake is no longer available, it is
also not activated if you brake firmly and ESP®
intervenes.
RESP®still provides support when you brake
firmly.
ESP®trailer stabilization
General information
ESP®trailer stabilization is not available in
Mercedes-AMG vehicles.
If your vehicle/trailer combination begins to
swerve, ESP
®assists you in this situation. ESP®
slows the vehicle down by braking and limiting
the engine output until the vehicle/trailer com-
bination has stabilized.
74Driving safety systems
Safety

Drive particularly carefully on slippery road sur-
faces. Avoid sudden acceleration, steering and
braking maneuvers. Do not use the cruise con-
trol or DISTRONIC PLUS.
If the vehicle threatens to skid or cannot be
stopped when moving at low speed:
XShift the transmission to positionN.
The outside temperature indicator is not
designed to serve as an ice-warning device and is therefore unsuitable for that purpose.
Changes in the outside temperature are dis-
played after a short delay.
Indicated temperatures just above the freezing
point do not guarantee that the road surface is
free of ice. The road may still be icy, especially in
wooded areas or on bridges.
You should pay special attention to road condi-
tions when temperatures are around freezing
point.
For more information on driving with snow
chains, see (
Ypage 386).
For more information on driving with summer
tires, see (
Ypage 386).
Observe the notes in the "Winter operation" sec-
tion (
Ypage 386).
Driving systems
Mercedes-Benz Intelligent Drive
Mercedes-Benz Intelligent Drive stands for inno-
vative driver assistance and safety systems
which enhance comfort and support the driver in
critical situations. With these intelligent co-ordi- nated systems Mercedes-Benz has set a mile-
stone on the path towards autonomous driving.
Mercedes-Benz Intelligent Drive embraces all
elements of active and passive safety in one well
thought out system – for the safety of the vehi-
cle occupants and that of other road users.
Further information on driving safety systems
(
Ypage 68).
Cruise control
General notes
Cruise control maintains a constant road speed
for you. It brakes automatically in order to avoid
exceeding the set speed. Change into a lower
gear in good time on long and steep downhill gradients. This is especially important if the
vehicle is laden. By doing so, you will make 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.
You can use cruise control if you want to drive at
a steady speed for a prolonged period of time.
You can store any road speed above 20 mph
(30 km/h).
Important safety notes
If you fail to adapt your driving style, cruise con-
trol can neither reduce the risk of an accident
nor override the laws of physics. Cruise control
cannot take into account the road, traffic and
weather conditions. Cruise control 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 your lane.
Do not use cruise control:
Rin road and traffic conditions which do not
allow you to maintain a constant speed, e.g. in
heavy traffic or on winding roads
Ron slippery road surfaces. Braking or accel-
erating could cause the drive wheels to lose
traction and the vehicle could then skid
Rwhen there is poor visibility, e.g. due to fog,
heavy rain or snow
If there is a change of drivers, advise the new
driver of the speed stored.
Cruise control lever
:To activate or increase speed
;To activate or reduce speed
=To deactivate cruise control
?To activate at the current speed/last stored
speed
Driving system s197
Driving an d parking
Z

Display messagesPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
Check TiresThe tire pressurein on eor mor etires has dropped significantly. The
whee lposition is shown in th emultifunction display.
A warning tone also sounds.
GWARNIN G
Tir epressures that are to olow pos eth efollowin ghazards :
Rthey may burst, especially as th eload and vehicl espeed increase.
Rthey may wear excessivel yand/o runevenly, whic hmay greatl y
impair tire traction .
Rthedrivin gcharacteristics ,as well as steering and braking ,may be
greatl yimpaired.
There is aris kof an accident.
XStop th evehicl ewithout making any sudden steering or braking
maneuvers .Pay attention to th etraffic condition sas you do so.
XSecur eth evehicl eagainst rollin gaway (Ypage 189).
XCheckth etires and ,if necessary, follow th einstruction sfor aflat
tire (Ypage 367).
XChec kth etire pressur e (Ypage 390).
XIf necessary, correc tth etire pressure.
Warnin gTir eMal ‐functionThe tire pressur ein on eor mor etires has dropped suddenly. The whee l
position is shown in th emultifunction display.
GWARNIN G
Drivin gwit h a flat tire poses aris kof th efollowin ghazards :
Raflat tire affects th eabilit yto steer or brak eth evehicle.
Ryou could lose control of th evehicle.
Rcontinued drivin gwit h a flat tire will caus eexcessive heat build-up
and possibl y afire.
There is aris kof an accident.
XStop th evehicl ewithout making any sudden steering or braking
maneuvers .Pay attention to th etraffic condition sas you do so.
XSecur eth evehicl eagainst rollin gaway (Ypage 189).
XCheckth etires and ,if necessary, follow th einstruction sfor aflat
tire (Ypage 367).
TirePress.Monito rCurrently Unavaila‐ble
Becausethere is interferenc efrom astron gsource of radi owaves, no
signals from th etire pressur esensor sare detected. The tire pressur e
monitor is temporarily malfunctioning .
XDrive on.
The tire pressur emonitor restarts automatically as soo nas th e
problem has been resolved.
TirePress .Sen ‐sor(s) Missin gThere is no signal from th etire pressur esensor of on eor several
wheels. The pressur eof th eaffecte dtire is no tdisplayed in th emul-
tifunction display.
XHav eth efault ytire pressur esensor replace dat aqualified special -
ist workshop .
Display messages307
On-board computer and displays
Z

Warning/
indicator
lampNSignal type
Possible causes/consequences and M
Solutions
÷NThe yellow ESP®warning lamp flashes while the vehicle is in motion.
ESP®or traction control has intervened because there is a risk of skidding or at
least one wheel has started to spin.
Cruise control or DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated.
XWhen pulling away, only depress the accelerator pedal as far as necessary.
XEase off the accelerator pedal while the vehicle is in motion.
XAdapt your driving style to suit the road and weather conditions.
XDo not deactivate ESP®.
In rare cases (
Ypage 74), it may be best to deactivate ESP®.
Observe the important safety notes on ESP®(Ypage 73).
÷N The yellow ESP®warning lamp is lit while the engine is running.
ESP®, BAS, BAS PLUS with Cross-Traffic Assist, COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST
PLUS, PRE‑SAFE®, PRE‑SAFE®PLUS, PRE‑ SAFE®Brake, the HOLD function, Hill
Start Assist, Crosswind Assist, STEER CONTROL, Active Lane Keeping Assist and Active Blind Spot Assist are unavailable due to a malfunction.
ATTENTION ASSIST is deactivated.
GWARNING
The brake system continues to function normally, but without the functions listed
above.
The braking distance in an emergency braking situation can thus increase.
If ESP
®is not operational, ESP®is unable to stabilize the vehicle.
There is an increased risk of skidding and an accident.
XObserve the additional display messages in the multifunction display.
XDrive on carefully.
XVisit a qualified specialist workshop immediately.
318Warning and indicator lamps in the instrument cluster
On-board computer and displays

Regular checking of wheels and tires
GWARNING
Damaged tires can cause tire inflation pres-
sure loss. As a result, you could lose control of
your vehicle. There is a risk of accident.
Check the tires regularly for signs of damage
and replace any damaged tires immediately.
Check wheels and tires for damage at least once
a month. Check wheels and tires after driving
off-road or on rough roads. Damaged wheels
can cause a loss of tire pressure. Pay particular
attention to damage such as:
Rcuts in the tires
Rpunctures
Rtears in the tires
Rbulges on tires
Rdeformation or severe corrosion on wheels
Regularly check the tire tread depth and the
condition of the tread across the whole width of
the tire (
Ypage 385). If necessary, turn the
front wheels to full lock in order to inspect the
inner side of the tire surface.
All wheels must have a valve cap to protect the
valve against dirt and moisture. Do not mount
anything onto the valve other than the standard
valve cap or other valve caps approved by
Mercedes-Benz for your vehicle. Do not use any
other valve caps or systems, e.g. tire pressure
monitoring systems.
Regularly check the pressure of all the tires par-
ticularly prior to long trips. Adjust the tire pres-
sure as necessary (
Ypage 387).
The service life of tires depe
nds, among other
things, on the following factors:
Rdriving style
Rtire pressure
Rdistance covered
Notes on tire tread
GWARNING
Insufficient tire tread will reduce tire traction.
The tire is no longer able to dissipate water.
This means that on wet road surfaces, the risk
of hydroplaning increases, in particular where
speed is not adapted to suit the driving con-
ditions. There is a risk of accident.
If the tire pressure is too high or too low, tires may exhibit different levels of wear at differ-
ent locations on the tire tread. Thus, you
should regularly check the tread depth and
the condition of the tread across the entire
width of all tires.
Minimum tire tread depth for:
RSummer tires: âin (3 mm)
RM+S tires: ãin (4 mm)
For safety reasons, replace the tires before
the legally prescribed limit for the minimum
tire tread depth is reached.
Marking :shows where the bar indicator
(arrow) for tread wear is integrated into the tire
tread.
Treadwear indicators (TWI) are required by law. Six indicators are positioned on the tire tread.
They are visible once a tread depth of approx-
imately áin (1.6 mm) has been reached. If this
is the case, the tire is so worn that it must be
replaced.
Selecting, mounting and replacing
tires
ROnly mount tires and wheels of the same type
and make.
Exception: it is permissible to install a differ-
ent type or make in the event of a flat tire.
Observe the "MOExtended tires (tires with
run-flat characteristics" section (
Ypage 368).
ROnly mount tires of the correct size onto the
wheels.
Operation385
Wheels and tires
Z