2016 MERCEDES-BENZ S-Class SEDAN towing

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

Sports tuning
The firmer setting of the suspension tuning in
SPORT mode ensures the best possible contact
with the road. Select this mode when employinga sporty driving style, e.g. on winding country
roads.
All vehicles except Mercedes-AMG vehicles:
XIf indicator lamp ;is not lit:press but-
ton :.
Indicator lamp ;lights up. Sports suspen-
sion tuning is selected. The vehicle is lowered by 0.4 in (10 mm) compared to the normal
level.
The AIRMATIC
SPORTmessage appears in the
multifunction display.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles:
XIf indicator lamp ;is not lit:press but-
ton :.
Indicator lamp ;lights up. If the driving
speed is higher than 75 mph (120 km/h), the
vehicle is automatically lowered by another
0.4 in (10 mm) compared to the normal level
in sport mode.
The AMG Suspension System SPORT
mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
Comfort tuning
In comfort mode, the driving characteristics of
your vehicle are more comfortable. Therefore,
select this mode if you favor a more comfortable
driving style. Select comfort mode also when
driving fast on straight roads, e.g. on straight
stretches of highway.
XIf indicator lamp ;is not lit:press but-
ton :.
Indicator lamp ;lights up. Comfort tuning is
selected. All vehicles except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles:
theAIRMATIC COMFORT
message
appears in the multifunction display.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: theAMG Suspen‐
sion System COMFORTmessage appears in
the multifunction display.
If the driving speed is higher than 75 mph
(120 km/h), the vehicle is automatically low-
ered in comfort mode by 0.4 in (10 mm) com-
pared to the normal level.
Load compensation
The vehicle can compensate differences in the
vehicle level by raising or lowering the axles.
4MATIC (permanent four-wheel drive)
4MATIC ensures that all four wheels are perma-
nently driven. Together with ESP®, it improves
the traction of your vehicle whenever a drive
wheel spins due to insufficient grip.
If you fail to adapt your driving style, 4MATIC can
neither reduce the risk of accident nor override
the laws of physics. 4MATIC cannot take
account of road, weather and traffic conditions. 4MATIC 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.
If a drive wheel spins due to insufficient grip:
ROnly depress the accelerator pedal as far as
necessary when pulling away.
RAccelerate less when driving.
!Never tow the vehicle with one axle raised.
This may damage the transfer case. Damage
of this sort is not covered by the Mercedes-
Benz Limited Warranty. All wheels must
remain either on the ground or be fully raised.
Observe the instructions for towing the vehi-
cle with all wheels in full contact with the
ground.
iIn wintry driving conditions, the maximum
effect of 4MATIC can only be achieved if you
use winter tires (M+S tires), with snow chains
if necessary.
Driving systems213
Driving and parking
Z

Display messagesPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
OnlyE-MODE Availa ‐ble Power Limite dRefuel Immediately
PLUG-INHYBRID vehicles:
The fuel tan khas been run dry and th ecombustion engin ehas been
switched off .
A warning tone also sounds.
The vehicl ewill be powered by electrical energ yonly. Performance is
restricted and th evehicl emay accelerate mor eslowly than normal.
XRefue lat th eneares tgas station without fail .
In th e"Total range and electric range" menu, you can display th e
approximat erange of th evehicl e (
Ypage 248).
Engine wil lnotrestar tServic erequired
You canno tstart th eengin eagain due to amalfunction .
A warning tone also sounds.
If th eengin eis running:
XVisit aqualified specialist workshop .
If you switch off th eengine:
XSecur eth evehicl eagainst rollin gaway (Ypage 189).
XNotify aqualified specialist workshop or breakdown service.
á
Towing Not Permit ‐ted See Operator'sManual
The hybrid drive system is faulty.
XHaveth evehicl etransporte don atransporte ror trailer to th enear-
est qualified specialist workshop .
Û
MalfunctionServiceRequired
The hybrid drive system is faulty.
XVisitaqualified specialist workshop .
Û
Malfunction
The hybrid drive system is faulty.
XHaveth evehicl etowed away by aprofessional recovery compan yto
th eneares tqualified specialist workshop .
d
Malfunction
The hybrid drive system is faulty.
The ECO start/stopfunction may be malfunctioning .
The drive powe ris restricted.
XVisit aqualified specialist workshop .
ï
ChargerCable Con ‐nected
PLUG-INHYBRID vehicles:
The charging cable connecto ris connecte dto th evehicl esocket.
You canno tdrive off as lon gas th echarging cable connecto ris still
connected.
Befor eyou drive off :
XRemove thecharging cable connecto rfrom th evehicl esocke t
(Ypage 185).
298Display messages
On-board computer and displays

multifunction display. The audio output is
muted.
If a connection can be made, the Call Con‐
nectedmessage appears in the multifunction
display.
If a mobile phone network and GPS reception
are available, the system transfers data to the
Mercedes-Benz Customer Assistance Center,
for example:
Rcurrent location of the vehicle
Rvehicle identification number
The multimedia system display indicates that a
call is active. During the call, you can change to
the navigation menu by pressing the NAVI but-
ton on the multimedia system, for example.
Voice output is not available in this case.
A voice connection is established between the
Mercedes-Benz Customer Assistance Center
and the vehicle occupants.
From the remote malfunction diagnosis, the
Mercedes-Benz Customer Assistance Center
can ascertain the nature of the problem
(
Ypage 346).
The Mercedes-Benz Customer Assistance Cen-
ter either sends a qualified Mercedes-Benz tech-
nician or makes arrangements for your vehicle
to be transported to the nearest authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
You may be charged for services such as repair
work and/or towing.
You can find more information in the separate
mbrace manual.
The system has not been able to initiate a Road-
side Assistance call, if:
Rthe indicator lamp for Roadside Assistance
call button Fis flashing continuously.
Rno voice connection to the Mercedes-Benz
Customer Assistance Center was estab-
lished.
This can occur if the relevant mobile phone net-
work is not available, for example.
The Call Failed
message appears in the mul-
tifunction display.
XTo end a call: press the~button on the
multifunction steering wheel.
or
XPress the corresponding multimedia system
button for ending a phone call.
MB Info call button
XTo call MB Info: press MB Info call button :.
This initiates a call to the Mercedes-Benz Cus-
tomer Assistance Center.
The indicator lamp in MB Info call button :
flashes while the connection is being made.
The Connecting Call
message appears in
the multifunction display. The audio output is
muted.
If a connection can be made, the Call Con‐
nectedmessage appears in the multifunction
display.
If a mobile phone network and GPS reception
are available, the system transfers data to the
Mercedes-Benz Customer Assistance Center,
for example:
Rcurrent location of the vehicle
Rvehicle identification number
The multimedia system display indicates that a
call is active. During the call, you can change to
the navigation menu by pressing the NAVI but-
ton on COMAND, for example.
Voice output is not available in this case.
A voice connection is established between the
Mercedes-Benz Customer Assistance Center
and the vehicle occupants.
You receive information about operating your
vehicle, about the nearest authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center and about other prod-
ucts and services from Mercedes-Benz.
You can find further information on the mbrace
system under "Owners Online" at http://
www.mbusa.com.
Features343
Stowage and features
Z

Care
General notes
HEnvironmental note
Dispose of empty packaging and cleaning
cloths in an environmentally responsible man- ner.
!For cleaning your vehicle, do not use any of
the following:
Rdry, rough or hard cloths
Rabrasive cleaning agents
Rsolvents
Rcleaning agents containing solvents
Do not scrub.
Do not touch the surfaces or protective films
with hard objects, e.g. a ring or ice scraper.
You could otherwise scratch or damage the
surfaces and protective film.
!Do not park the vehicle for an extended
period straight after cleaning it, particularly
after having cleaned the wheels with wheel
cleaner. Wheel cleaners could cause
increased corrosion of the brake discs and
brake pads/linings. For this reason, you
should drive for a few minutes after cleaning.
Braking heats the brake discs and the brake
pads/linings, thus drying them. The vehicle
can then be parked.
Regular care of your vehicle is a condition for
retaining the quality in the long term.
Use care products and cleaning agents recom-
mended and approved by Mercedes-Benz.
Washing the vehicle and cleaning the
paintwork
Automatic car wash
GWARNING
Braking efficiency is reduced after washing
the vehicle. There is a risk of an accident.
After the vehicle has been washed, brake
carefully while paying attention to the traffic
conditions until full braking power is restored.
!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
!Never clean your vehicle in a Touchless
Automatic Car Wash as these use special
cleaning agents. These cleaning agents can
damage the paintwork or plastic parts.
!Make sure that:
Rthe side windows and the sliding sunroof
are fully closed.
Rthe ventilation/heating is switched off (the
OFF button has been pressed).
Rthe windshield wiper switch is at position 0.
Rthe 360° camera or rear view camera is
switched off.
The vehicle may otherwise be damaged.
!If the SmartKey is within the rear detection
range of KEYLESS-GO, the following situa-
tions, for example, could lead to the uninten-
tional opening of the trunk:
Rusing a car wash
Rusing a power washer
Make sure that the SmartKey is at least 10 ft
(3 m

) away from the vehicle.
!Make sure that the automatic transmission
is in neutral position Nwhen washing your
vehicle in a tow-through car wash. The vehicle
may otherwise be damaged.
ROperating with the SmartKey:
Do not remove the SmartKey from the igni-
tion lock. Do not open the driver's door
when the engine is switched off or at very
low speeds. Otherwise, when in transmis-
sion position Dor Rthe automatic trans-
mission will automatically switch to park
position Pand block the wheels.
ROperating with the Start/Stop button:
Do not open the driver's door when the
engine is switched off or at very low
speeds. Otherwise, when in transmission
position Dor Rthe automatic transmission
will automatically switch to park position P
and block the wheels.
Care359
Maintenance and care
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).
Where will I find...?
Vehicle tool kit
General notes
The towing eye is located in the stowage well
under the trunk floor.
Some tools for changing a wheel are specific to
the vehicle. For more information on which tire
changing tools are required and approved to
perform a wheel change on your vehicle, consult a qualified specialist workshop.
Tools required for changing a wheel may
include, for example:
RJack
RWheel chock
RLug wrench
RRatchet wrench
RAlignment bolt
Vehicles with a TIREFIT kit
:Tire sealant filler bottle
;Tire inflation compressor
=Towing eye
XOpen the trunk lid.
XLift the trunk floor upwards (Ypage 329).
XUse the TIREFIT kit (Ypage 369).
Mercedes-AMG vehicles
:Tire sealant filler bottle
;Jack
=Ratchet
?Alignment bolt
AJacking support
BSocket
CLug wrench
DTowing eye
EFolding wheel chock
FTire inflation compressor
The tire-change tool kit is in a tray in the stowage
well under the trunk floor.
XOpen the trunk lid.
XLift the trunk floor upwards (Ypage 329).
iExample: equipment and country-specific
variations possible.
Flat tire
Preparing the vehicle
Your vehicle may be equipped with:
Rtires with run-flat characteristics
(MOExtended tires) (Ypage 368)
Vehicle preparation is not necessary on vehi-
cles with MOExtended tires
Ra TIREFIT kit (Ypage 367)
Vehicles equipped with MOExtended tires are
not equipped with a TIREFIT kit at the factory. It
is therefore recommended that you additionally
equip your vehicle with a TIREFIT kit if you mount
tires that do not feature run-flat properties, e.g.
Flat tire367
Breakdown assistance

Towing and tow-starting
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Functions relevant to safety are restricted or
no longer available if:
Rthe engine is not running.
Rthe brake system or the power steering is
malfunctioning.
Rthere is a malfunction in the voltage supply or the vehicle's electrical system.
If your vehicle is being towed, much more
force may be necessary to steer or brake.
There is a risk of an accident.
In such cases, use a tow bar. Before towing,
make sure that the steering moves freely.
GWARNING
When towing or tow-starting another vehicle
and its weight is greater than the permissible
gross weight of your vehicle, the:
Rthe towing eye could detach itself
Rthe vehicle/trailer combination could roll-
over.
There is a risk of an accident.
When towing or tow-starting another vehicle,
its weight should not be greater than the per- missible gross weight of your vehicle.
Details on the permissible gross vehicle weight
of your vehicle can be found on the vehicle iden-
tification plate (
Ypage 426).
!When COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST
PLUS, DISTRONIC PLUS or the HOLD function
is activated, the vehicle brakes automatically
in certain situations.
To avoid damage to the vehicle, deactivate
these systems in the following or similar sit-
uations:
Rwhen towing the vehicle
Rin the car wash
!Make sure that the electric parking brake is
released. If the electric parking brake is faulty,
visit a qualified specialist workshop.
!Secure the tow rope or tow bar to the towing
eye only. Otherwise, the vehicle could
become damaged.
!Do not use the towing eyes for recovery pur-
poses as this could damage the vehicle. If in
doubt, recove
r the vehicle with a crane.
!When towing, pull away slowly and
smoothly. If the tractive power is too high, the
vehicles could be damaged.
!Shift the automatic transmission to Nand
do not open the driver's or front passenger's
door during towing. The automatic transmis-
sion may otherwise shift to position P, which
could damage the transmission.
!Do not tow with sling-type equipment. This
could damage the vehicle.
!The vehicle can be towed a maximum of
30 miles (50km). The towing speed of 30 mph (50 km/h) must not be exceeded.
If the vehicle has to be towed more than
30 miles (50km), the entire vehicle must be
raised and transported.
It is better to have the vehicle transported than
to have it towed away.
If the vehicle has suffered transmission damage,
have it transported on a transporter or trailer.
The automatic transmission must be in position N when the vehicle is being towed.
If the automatic transmission cannot be shifted
to position N, have the vehicle transported on a
transporter or trailer.
The battery must be connected and charged.
Otherwise, you:
Rcannot turn the SmartKey to position 2in the
ignition lock
Rcannot release the electric parking brake
Rcannot shift the automatic transmission to
position N
Disarm the automatic locking feature before the vehicle is towed (
Ypage 87). You could other-
wise be locked out when pushing or towing the
vehicle.
PLUG-IN HYBRID vehicles:
Towing and tow-starting379
Breakdown assistance
Z

PLUG-IN HYBRID vehicles may not be towed
away but must instead be transported, if:
Rthe multifunction display is not working or
Rtheá Towing Not Permitted SeeOperator'sManualmessage appears in the
multifunction display.
If the vehicle is in a dangerous area, it can be
towed out of that area with both axles on the
ground. In this case, the towing distance must
not be greater than 165 ft (50 m)and must not
exceed a towing speed of 6 mph (10 km/h). For
longer distances, have the vehicle loaded and
transported.
Installing/removing the towing eye
Installing the towing eye
The brackets for the screw-in towing eye are
located in the bumpers. They are at the rear and
at the front, under covers :.
XRemove the towing eye from the vehicle tool
kit/stowage tray (Ypage 367).
XPress the mark on cover:inwards in the
direction of the arrow.
XRemove cover :from the opening.
XScrew in the towing eye clockwise as far as it
will go and tighten it.
Removing the towing eye
XUnscrew and remove the towing eye.
XAttach cover :to the bumper and press until
it engages.
XPlace the towing eye in the vehicle tool kit/
stowage tray.
Towing a vehicle with both axles on
the ground
It is important that you observe the safety
instructions when towing away your vehicle
(
Ypage 379).
The automatic transmission automatically shifts
to position Pwhen you open the driver's or front-
passenger door or when you remove the Smart-
Key from the ignition lock.
In order to ensure that the automatic transmis-
sion stays in position Nwhen towing the vehicle,
you must observe the following points:
XYou must use the SmartKey instead of the
Start/Stop button (Ypage 162).
XMake sure that the vehicle is stationary and
that the key is in position 0in the ignition lock.
XTurn the SmartKey to position 2in the ignition
lock.
XDepress and hold the brake pedal.
XShift the automatic transmission to position
N .
XRelease the brake pedal.
XRelease the electric parking brake.
XLeave the SmartKey in position 2in the igni-
tion lock.
XSwitch on the hazard warning lamps
(Ypage 132).
In order to signal a change of direction when
towing the vehicle with the hazard warning
lamps switched on, use the combination switch
as usual. In this case, only the indicator lamps
for the direction of travel flash. After resetting
the combination switch, the hazard warning
lamp starts f
lashing again.
380Towing and tow-starting
Breakdown assistance