2016 MERCEDES-BENZ S-Class SEDAN brake sensor

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.
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 conditions
may also cause the system to display a warning.
Autonomous braking function
If the driver does not react to the distance warn-
ing signal in a critical situation, COLLISION PRE-
VENTION ASSIST PLUS can assist with the
autonomous braking function.
The autonomous braking function:
Rgives the driver more time to react to critical
driving situations
Rcan help the driver to avoid an accident or
Rreduces the effects of an accident
The autonomous braking function is available in
the following speed ranges:
Rfrom 4 mph (7 km/h) to approx. 65 mph
(105 km/h) for moving objects
Rfrom 4 mph (7 km/h) to approx. 31 mph
(50 km/h) for stationary objects
Due to the nature of the system, particularly
complicated but non-critical driving conditions
may also cause the Autonomous Braking Func-
tion 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 68).
With the help of adaptive Brake Assist, the dis-
tance 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 colli-
sion with the vehicle in front, it calculates the
braking force necessary to avoid a collision. If
you apply the brakes forcefully, adaptive 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 sta-
tionary obstacles.
If adaptive Brake Assist demands particularly
high braking force, preventative passenger pro-
tection measures (PRE-SAFE
®) are activated
simultaneously (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 vehi-
cle.
Adaptive Brake Assist is then deactivated.
Important safety notes
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
72Driving safety systems
Safety

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

For PRE-SAFE®Brake to assist you when driving,
the radar sensor system and the camera system
must be switched on and be operational.
With the help of the radar sensor system and the
camera system, PRE-SAFE
®Brake can detect
obstacles that are in front of your vehicle for an
extended period of time.
In addition, pedestrians in the path of your vehi-
cle 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" sec-
tion“ (
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 collision,
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.
Recognition by the radar sensor system is also
impaired in the event of:
Rthere is dirt on the sensors or anything else
covering the sensors
Rthere is interference by other radar sources
Rthere are strong radar reflections, for exam-
ple in parking garages
Ra narrow vehicle traveling in front, e.g. a
motorbike
Ra vehicle traveling in front on a different line
relative to the center of your vehicle
Recognition by the camera system is also
impaired in the event of:
Rdirt on the camera or if the camera is covered
Rthere is glare on the camera system, e.g. from
the sun being low in the sky
76Driving safety systems
Safety

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

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.
iRead the information on qualified specialist
workshops (Ypage 28).
Notes on breaking-in a new vehicle
Important safety notes
The sensor system of some driving and driving
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 procedure.
New and replaced brake pads and discs only
reach their optimum braking effect after several hundred kilometers of driving. Compensate 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 per-
formance in the future.
RYou should therefore drive at varying vehicle
and engine speeds for the first 1000 miles
(1500 km).
RAvoid heavy loads, e.g. driving at full throttle,during this period.
RWhen shifting gears manually, upshift in good
time, before the tachometer needle reaches
Ô of the way to the red area of the tachom-
eter.
RDo not manually shift to a lower gear to brake
the vehicle.
RTry to avoid depressing the accelerator pedal
beyond the point of resistance (kickdown).
RAll vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles): ideally, for the first 1,000 miles
(1,500 km), drive in drive program E.Additional breaking-in notes for Mercedes-AMG
vehicles:
RDo not drive faster than 85 mph (140 km/h)
for the first 1,000 miles (1,500 km).
ROnly allow the engine to reach a maximum
engine speed of 4,500 rpm briefly.
RChange gear in good time.
RIdeally, for the first 1,000 miles (1,500 km),
drive in program C.
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 break-
ing 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.
Driving161
Driving and parking
Z

iCruise controlisnot deactivated ifyou
depr ess the accelerator pedal. Ifyou acceler-
ate to overtake, cruise control adjusts the
veh icle's speed to the last speed stored after
you have finished overtaking.
Deactivating cruise control
There are several ways to deactivate cruise con-
trol:
XBriefly press cruise the control lever for-
wards :.
or
XBrake.
Cruise control isautomatically deactivated if:
Ryou engage the electr icparking brake
Ryou are driving at less than 20 mph (30 km/h)
RESP®intervenes or you deactivate ESP®
Ryou shift the transmission to position Nwhile
driv ing
If cruise control isdeactivate d,you willhear a
warning tone. You willsee the Cruise Con‐
trol Offmessage inthe multifunction display
for approximate lyfive seconds.
iWhen you switch off the engine, the last
speed stored iscleared.
DISTRONIC PLUS
General notes
DI ST RONIC PLUS regulates the speed and auto-
matically helps you maintain the distance to the
veh icle detected infront. Vehicle s are detected
wit h the aid of the radar sensor system.
DI ST RONIC PLUS brakes automatically so that
the set speed is not excee ded.Change into a lower gear in good time on long
and steep
downhillgradients. This isespecially
important ifthe 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 wear-
ing too quickly.
If DI ST RONIC PLUS detects that there isa risk of
a collision, you will bewarned visually and
acoustically. DI STRONIC PLUS cannot prevent a
collision without your intervention. An intermit-
tent warning tone will then sound and the dis-
tance warning lamp willlight up in the instru-
ment cluster. Brake immediately inorder to
increase the distance to the vehicle in front or
take evasive action provided it issafe to doso.
DISTRONIC PLUS operates inrange between
0 mph (0 km/ h)and 120 mph (200km/ h).
Do not use DISTRONIC PLUS while driving on
roads with steep gradients.
As DISTRONIC PLUS transmits radar waves, it
can resemble the radar de tectors o
f the respon-
sible authorities. You can refer to the relevant
chapter in the 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 is intended for use in an auto-
motive radar system only. Removal, tamper-
ing, or altering of the device will void any war-
ranties, 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 complies with
RSS-210 of Industry Canada. Operation is
subject to the following two conditions:
1. This device may not cause harmful inter-
ference, and
2. This device must accept any interference
received, including interference that may
cause undesired operation of the device.
Removal, tampering, or altering of the device
will void any warranties, and is not permitted.
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.
Driving system s199
Driving an d parking
Z

Important safety notes
GWARNING
DISTRONI CPLU Sdoes no treac tto :
Rpeople or animals
Rstationary obstacles on 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 attention to th etraffic sit -
uation and be read yto brake.
GWARNIN G
DISTRONI CPLU Scanno talways clearly iden -
tify other road user sand comple xtraffic sit -
uations.
In suc hcases, DISTRONI CPLU Smay:
Rgiv ean unnecessary warning and then
brak eth evehicl e
Rneither giv e awarning no rinterven e
Raccelerate or brak eunexpectedly
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.
!If DISTRONIC PLUS or the HOLD function is
activated, the vehicle brakes automatically in
certain situations.
To prevent damage to the vehicle, deactivate
DISTRONIC PLUS and the HOLD function in
the following or other similar situations:
Rwhen towing the vehicle
Rin the car wash If you fail to adapt your driving style, DISTRONIC
PLUS can neither reduce the risk of accident nor
override the laws of physics. DISTRONIC PLUS
cannot take into account the road, traffic and
weather conditions. DISTRONIC PLUS 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 DISTRONIC PLUS:
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
DISTRONIC PLUS may not detect narrow vehi-
cles driving in front, e.g. motorcycles, or vehi-
cles driving on a different line.
In particular, the detection of obstacles can be
impaired if:
Rthere is dirt on the sensors or anything else
covering the sensors
Rthere is snow or heavy rain
Rthere is interference by other radar sources
Rthere are strong radar reflections, for exam-
ple, in parking gara ges
If DISTR
ONIC PLUS no longer detects a vehicle
in front, DISTRONIC PLUS may unexpectedly
accelerate the vehicle to the stored speed.
This speed may:
Rbe too high if you are driving in a filter lane or an exit lane
Rbe so high in the right lane that you pass vehi-cles driving on the left (left-hand drive coun-
tries)
Rbe so high in the left lane that you pass vehi-
cles driving on the right (right-hand drive
countries)
If there is a change of drivers, advise the new
driver of the speed stored.
200Driving systems
Driving and parking

PARKTRONIC
Important safety notes
PARKTRONIC is an electronic parking aid with
ultrasonic sensors. It monitors the area around
your vehicle using six sensors in the front
bumper and six sensors in the rear bumper.
PARKTRONIC indicates visually and audibly the
distance between your vehicle and an object.
PARKTRONIC is only an aid. It is not a replace-
ment for your attention to your immediate sur-
roundings. You are always responsible for safe
maneuvering, parking and exiting a parking
space. When maneuvering, parking or pulling
out of a parking space, make sure that there are
no persons, animals or objects in the area in
which you are maneuvering.
!When parking, pay particular attention to
objects above or below the sensors, such as
flower pots or trailer drawbars. PARKTRONIC
does not detect such objects when they are in
the immediate vicinity of the vehicle. You
could damage the vehicle or the objects.
The sensors may not detect snow and other
objects that absorb ultrasonic waves.
Ultrasonic sources such as an automatic car
wash, the compressed-air brakes on a truck
or a pneumatic drill could cause PARKTRONIC
to malfunction.
PARKTRONIC may not function correctly on
uneven terrain.
PARKTRONIC is activated automatically when
you:
Rswitch on the ignition
Rshift the transmission to position D,Ror N
PARKTRONIC is deactivated at speeds above
11 mph (18 km/h). It is reactivated at lower
speeds.
Range of the sensors
General notes
PARKTRONIC does not take objects into con-
sideration that are:
Rbelow the detection range, e.g. people, ani-
mals or objects.
Rabove the detection range, e.g. overhanging
loads, truck overhangs or loading ramps.
:Sensors in the front bumper, left-hand side
(example)
The sensors must be free from dirt, ice or slush.
They can otherwise not function correctly. Clean
the sensors regularly, taking care not to scratch
or damage them (
Ypage 362).
Front sensors
CenterApprox. 40 in (approx.
100 cm)
CornersApprox. 24 in (approx.
60 cm)
214Driving systems
Driving and parking