2016 MERCEDES-BENZ S-Class SEDAN Steering control

High-beam headlamps
XTo activate manually:turn the SmartKey in
the ignition lock to position 2or start the
engine.
XVehicles without Adaptive Highbeam Assist
Plus: turn the light switch to position Lor
Ã.
XVehicles with Adaptive Highbeam Assist Plus:
turn the light switch to the Lposition.
XPress the combination switch beyond the
pressure point in the direction of arrow :.
In the Ãposition, the high-beam head-
lamps are only switched on when it is dark and
the engine is running.
The blue Kindicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster lights up when the high-beam
headlamps are switched on.
XTo switch off: move the combination switch
back to its normal position.
The blue Kindicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster goes out.
Vehicles with Adaptive Highbeam Assist
Plus: if Adaptive Highbeam Assist Plus is acti-
vated, it automatically controls activation and
deactivation of the high-beam headlamps
(
Ypage 133).
High-beam flasher
XTo switch on: turn the SmartKey in the igni-
tion lock to position 1or 2, or start the engine.
XPull the combination switch in the direction of
arrow =.
Hazard warning lamps
XTo switch on the hazard warning lamps:
press button :.
All turn signals flash. If you now switch on a
turn signal using the combination switch, only
the turn signal lamp on the corresponding
side of the vehicle will flash.
XTo switch off the hazard warning lamps:
press button :.
The hazard warning lamps automatically switch
on if:
Ran air bag is deployed or
Rthe vehicle decelerates rapidly from a speed
of above 45 mph (70 km/h) and comes to a
standstill
The hazard warning lamps switch off automati-
cally if the vehicle reaches a speed of above
6 mph (10 km/h) again after a full brake appli-
cation.
The hazard warning lamps still operate if the
ignition is switched off.
Cornering light function
The cornering light function improves the illu-
mination of the road over a wide angle in the
direction you are turning, enabling better visi-
bility in tight bends, for example. It can only be
activated when the low-beam headlamps are
switched on.
Active:
Rif you are driving at speeds below 25 mph
(40 km/h) and switch on the turn signal or
turn the steering wheel
Rif you are driving at speeds between 25 mph
(40 km/h) and 45 mph (70 km/h) and turn
the steering wheel
The cornering lamp may remain lit for a short
time, but is automatically switched off after no
more than three minutes.
132Exterior lighting
Lights and windshield wipers

Problems with the perfume atomizer
ProblemPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
The vehicle interior is not
perfumed although the
perfume atomizer is acti-
vated.The perfume vial has not been pushed into the holder as far as it will
go.
XSlide the perfume vial into the holder as far as it will go.
The perfume vial is not filled sufficiently.
XPre-filled vials:dispose of the empty vial.
XUse a new pre-filled vial.
XRefillable vials: fill the perfume vial with a maximum of 0.5 fl. oz.
(15 ml) of the same perfume.
The perfume atomizer is faulty.
XHave the perfume atomizer checked at a qualified specialist work-
shop.
Ionization
You can use the "Ionization" function to purify
the air in the vehicle interior and attain an
improved interior climate.
The ionization of the interior air is odorless and
cannot be perceived directly in the vehicle inte-
rior.
You can switch ionization on or off using the
multimedia system (see the separate operating
instructions).
Ionization can only be switched on if the front
climate control system is activated. The side air
vent on the driver's side must be open.
Pre-entry climate control via Smart-
Key
General notes
The "Pre-entry climate control via SmartKey"
function is only available in PLUG-IN HYBRID
vehicles.
Before getting in, the driver's seat area or the
whole interior can be briefly warmed or ventila-
ted in advance with the air from the air vents
being pre-cooled.
The high-voltage battery must be sufficiently
charged before "Pre-entry climate control via
SmartKey" can be activated. When the vehicle is pre-cooled, the following
functions are activated if required:
RClimate control system
RBlower
RSeat ventilation
When the vehicle is pre-heated, the following
functions are activated if required:
RClimate control system
RBlower
RSeat heating
RSteering wheel heating
RExterior mirror heating
RRear window defroster
If you have activated the following functions
using the multimedia system, they are activated
together with the "Pre-entry climate control via
SmartKey" function:
RArmrest heating
RPerfume atomizer
RIonization
Activating the perfume atomizer or ionization
(see separate operating instructions).
Activating or deactivating "Pre-entry
climate control via SmartKey"
Before "Pre-entry climate control via SmartKey"
can be activated, you must activate the function
via the multimedia system (see separate oper-
ating instructions).
Operating the climate control systems155
Climate control
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

these will be activated together with the "Pre-
entry climate control at departure time".
Activating the perfume atomizer or ionization
(see separate operating instructions).
Setting the departure time
You can set the departure time using the on-
board computer or via the My Mercedes Electric
– Vehicle Homepage. The activation of the "Pre-
entry climate control at departure time" func-
tion can be linked to this departure time. Your
vehicle will then be cooled or heated until the
desired temperature is reached in time for the
set departure time. "Pre-entry climate control at departure time" will be activated a maximum of
55 minutes before departure. If the departure is
delayed, the vehicle will be heated or cooled for
another five minutes.
XTo set the departure time: set the departure
time using the on-board computer
(
Ypage 272). Set the departure time via the
My Mercedes Electric – Vehicle Homepage
(
Ypage 189).
XTo activate or deactivate "Pre-entry cli-
mate control at departure time": activate
or deactivate "Pre-entry climate control at
departure time" via the multimedia system
(see the separate operating instructions).
Activate or deactivate "Pre-entry climate con-
trol at departure time" via the My Mercedes
Electric – Vehicle Homepage (
Ypage 189).
When activating the "Pre-entry climate control
at departure time" function: you can sele ct
w

hether only the driver's area or the whole vehi-
cle interior should be heated or cooled.
The "Pre-entry climate control at departure
time" function switches off automatically when
the vehicle is started. The following functions
remain active:
RSeat heating
RSeat ventilation
RArmrest heating
RSteering wheel heating
RPerfume atomizer
RIonization
Switching off "Pre-entry climate control at
departure time": the activated "Pre-entry cli-
mate control at departure time" can be switched
off using the rocker switch (
Ypage 158).
Activating or deactivating "Immediate
pre-entry climate control" using the
rocker switch
You can activate "Immediate pre-entry climate
control" even if the vehicle interior is already at
the desired temperature. This means that the
vehicle interior continues to be cooled or
heated, e.g. if the journey is interrupted for up to 50 minutes, and the interior temperature is kept
constant.
XTo activate or deactivate "Immediate pre-
entry climate control": press rocker
switch :up or down.
The blue or red indicator lamp on the rocker
switch lights up or goes out.
The colors of the indicator lamps on rocker
switch :have the following meanings:
Rblue: cooling activated
Rred: heating activated
Ryellow: departure time is preselected
Setting the air vents
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Very hot or very cold air can flow from the air
vents. This could result in burns or frostbite in
the immediate vicinity of the air vents. There
is a risk of injury.
Make sure that all vehicle occupants always
maintain a sufficient distance to the air out-
lets. If necessary, redirect the airflow to
another area of the vehicle interior.
158Setting the air vents
Climate control

You can also activate manual drive programM
using the steering wheel paddle shifters
(
Ypage 174). In manual drive program M, you
can briefly change gear yourself by using the
steering wheel paddle shifters.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles
C Controlled
EfficiencyComfortable, economical
driving
S SportSporty driving style
M ManualManual gear shifting
Permanent drive program Mis only available for
Mercedes-AMG vehicles.
Further information about permanent drive pro-
gram M(
Ypage 175).
You can also activate manual drive program M
using the steering wheel paddle shifters
(
Ypage 174). In manual drive program M, you
can briefly change gear yourself by using the
steering wheel paddle shifters.
For further information on the automatic drive
program, see (
Ypage 174).
Steering wheel paddle shifters
You can activate manual drive program Min the
E (C in AMG vehicles) and Sautomatic drive
programs using steering wheel paddle shift-
ers :and ;(
Ypage 174). In manual drive
program M, you can briefly change gear yourself
by using the steering wheel paddle shifters.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: you can also activate
manual drive program Mwith the program
selector button (
Ypage 175). In manual drive
program M, you can permanently change gear
yourself by using the steering wheel paddle
shifters.
Automatic drive program
Automatic drive program E
Drive program E(drive program Con Mercedes-
AMG vehicles) is characterized by the following:
Rcomfort-oriented engine settings.
Roptimal fuel consumption resulting from the
automatic transmission shifting up sooner.
Rthe vehicle pulling away more gently in
forward and reverse gears, unless the accel-
erator pedal is depressed fully.
Rthe vehicle having improved driving stability,
for example on slippery road surfaces.
Rthe automatic transmission shifting up
sooner. This results in the vehicle being driven
at lower engine speeds and the wheels being
less likely to spin.
Automatic drive program S
Drive program Sis characterized by the follow-
ing:
Rsporty engine settings.
Rthe vehicle pulling away in first gear.
Rthe automatic transmission shifting up later.
the fuel consumption possibly being higher as
a result of the later automatic transmission
shift points.
Manual drive program M
General notes
In this drive program, you can briefly change
gear yourself by using the steering wheel paddle
shifters. The transmission must be in position D.
You can activate manual drive program Min the
E (C in Mercedes-AMG vehicles) and Sauto-
matic drive programs.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: as well as temporary
drive program M, you can also activate perma-
nent drive program M. Further information
about permanent drive program M
(
Ypage 175).
Activating
XShift the transmission to position D.
XPull the left or right steering wheel paddle
shifter (Ypage 174).
Manual drive program Mis temporarily acti-
vated.
174Automatic transmission
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

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

iSteering Assist and Stop&Go Pilot are acti-
vated again automatically after a lane change
is completed.
Steering Assist and Stop&Go Pilot do not pro-
vide any support:
Ron very sharp corners
Rwhen a loss of tire pressure or a defective tire
has been detected and displayed
Pay attention also to the important safety notes
for DISTRONIC PLUS (
Ypage 200).
The steering interventions are carried out with a
limited steering moment. The system requires
the driver to keep his hands on the steering
wheel and to steer himself.
If you do not steer yourself or if you take your
hands off the steering wheel for a prolonged
period of time, the system will first alert you with
a visual warning. A steering wheel symbol
appears in the multifunction display. If you have
still not started to steer and have not taken hold
of the steering wheel after five seconds at the
latest, a warning tone also sounds to remind you
to take control of the vehicle. Steering Assist
and Stop&Go Pilot are switched to passive.
DISTRONIC PLUS remains active.
Activating Steering Assist and Stop&Go
Pilot
XPress button ;.
Indicator lamp :lights up. The DTR+:
Steering Assist. Onmessage appears in
the multifunction display. Steering Assist and
Stop&Go Pilot are activated.
Information in the multifunction display
If Steering Assist and Stop&Go Pilot are activa-
ted but not ready for a steering intervention,
steering wheel symbol :appears in gray. If the
system provides you with support by means of
steering interventions, symbol :is shown in
green.
Deactivating Steering Assist and Stop&Go
Pilot
XPress button ;.
Indicator lamp :goes out. The DTR+:
SteeringAssist.Offmessage appears in
the multifunction display. Steering Assist and
Stop&Go Pilot are deactivated.
When DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated or not
available, Steering Assist and Stop&Go Pilot are deactivated automatically.
HOLD function
General notes
The HOLD function can assist the driver in the
following situations:
Rwhen pulling away, especially on steep slopes
Rwhen maneuvering on steep slopes
Rwhen waiting in traffic
The vehicle is kept stationary without the driver having to depress the brake pedal.
The braking effect is canceled and the HOLD
function deactivated when you depress the
accelerator pedal to pull away.
208Driving systems
Driving and parking