2017 MERCEDES-BENZ C-Class COUPE brake light

The ECO display consistsofthree sections, with
an inner and outer area. The section scorre-
spond to the following three categories:
:Acceleration (evaluation of all accel-
eration processes):
Rthe outer area fills up and the inner area lights up green: moderate
acceleration ,especially at higher
speeds
Rthe outer area empties and the
inner area is gray: sporty acceler-
ation
;Coasting (evaluation of all decelera-
tion processes):
Rthe outer area fills up and the inner area lights up green: anticipatory
driving, keeping your distance and
early release of the accelerator.
The vehicle can coast without use
of the brakes.
Rthe outer area empties and the
inner area is gray: frequent heavy
braking
=Constant (continuous evaluation
over the entir ejourney):
Rthe outer area fills up and the inner
area lights up green: constant
speed and avoidance of unneces-
sary acceleration and deceleration
Rthe outer area empties and the
inner area is gray: fluctuations in
speed
The three inner areas display the current driving
style and light up green as aresult of aparticu-
larly economical driving style. Dependin gonthe
driving situation, up to two areas may light up
simultaneously.
At the beginning of the journey, the three outer
areas are empty and fill up as aresult of eco-
nomical driving. Ahigher level indicates amore
economical driving style. If the three outer areas
are completely filled at the same time, the driver
has adopted the most economical driving style
for the selected settings and prevailing condi-
tions. The ECO display border lights up.
The ECO display does not indicate the actual fuel consumption. The additionally achieved range
displayed under Bonus fr. Start
does not
indicate afixed consumption reduction. In addition to driving style, the actual consump-
tion is affected by other factors, such as:
Rload
Rtire pressure
Rcold start
Rchoice of route
Relectrical consumer
sswitched on
These factor sare not included in the ECO dis-
play.
An economical driving style specially requires
driving at moderate engine speeds.
Achievingah igher value in the categories
"Acceleration" and "Constant":
Robserve the gearshift recommendations.
Rdrive in drive program E.
On long journeys at aconstant speed, e.g. on the
highway, only the outer area for "constant" will
change.
The ECO display summarizes the driving style
from the start of the journey to its completion.
Therefore, there are more marked changes in
the outer areas at the start of ajourney. On lon-
ger journeys, there are fewer changes. For more
marked changes, perform amanual rest
(
Ypage 206).
For further information on the ECO display,s ee
(
Ypage 205).
Braking
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If you shift down on aslippery road surface in
an attempt to increase the engine's braking
effect,t he drive wheels could lose their grip.
There is an increased danger of skidding and
accidents.
Do not shift down for additional engine brak-
ing on aslippery road surface.
Downhill gradients
!On long and steep gradients, you must
reduce the load on the brakes by shiftin gtoa
lower gear in good time. This allows you to
take advantage of the engine's braking effect.
This helps you to avoid overheating the
brakes and wearing them out excessively.
Driving tips157
Driving and parking
Z

When you take advantage of engine braking, a
drive wheel may not turn for some time, e.g.
on aslippery road surface. This could cause
damage to the drive train. This type of damage is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz war-
ranty.
Heavy and light loads
GWARNING
If you rest your foot on the brake pedal while
driving, the braking system can overheat. This increases the stoppin gdistanc eand can even
cause the braking system to fail. There is a
risk of an accident.
Never use the brake pedal as afootrest. Never
depress the brake pedal and the accelerator
pedal at the same time.
!Depressin gthe brake pedal constantly
results in excessive and premature wear to
the brake pads.
If the brakes have been subjected to aheavy
load, do not stop the vehicle immediately. Drive
on for ashort while. This allows the airflow to
cool the brakes more quickly.
Wet roads
If you have driven for along time in heavy rain
without braking, there may be adelayed reac-
tion from the brakes when braking for the first
time. This may also occur after the vehicle has
been washed or driven through deep water.
You have to depress the brake pedal more
firmly. Maintain agreater distanc efrom the
vehicle in front.
After driving on awet road or having the vehicle
washed, brake firmly while paying attention to
the traffic conditions. This will warm up the
brake discs, thereby drying them more quickly
and protecting them against corrosion.
Limited braking performance on salt-
treated roads
If you drive on salted roads, alayer of salt resi-
due may form on the brake discs and brake
pads. This can result in asignificantly longer
braking distance.
RIn order to prevent any salt build-up, apply the
brakes occasionally while paying attention to
the traffic conditions.
RCarefully depress the brake pedal and the
beginnin gand end of ajourney.
RMaintain agreater distanc etothe vehicle
ahead.
Servicing the brakes
!The brake fluid level may be too low, if:
Rif the red brake warning lamp lights up in
the instrument cluster and
Ryou hear awarning ton ewhile the engine is
running
Observe additional warning messages in the
multifunction display.
The brake fluid level may be too low due to
brake pad wear or leaking brake lines.
Have the brake system checked immediately. Consult aqualified specialist workshop to
arrange this.
!Vehicles with 4MATIC: function or per-
formance test smay only be carried out on a2-
axle dynamometer. If you wish to operate the
vehicle on such adynamometer, please con-
sult aqualified specialist workshop in
advance. You could otherwise damage the
drive train or the brake system.
!Vehicles with 4MATIC: the ESP®system
operates automatically. The engine and the
ignition must therefore be switched off (the
SmartKey must be in position 0or 1in the
ignition lock or the Start/Stop button must be
in position 0or 1)ift he electric parking brake
is tested on abrake dynamometer.
Brakin gtriggered automatically by ESP
®may
cause severe damage to the brake system.
All checksa nd maintenance work on the brake
system must be carried out at aqualified spe-
cialist workshop.
Have brake pads installed and brake fluid
replaced at aqualified specialist workshop.
If the brake system has only been subject to
moderate loads, you should test the functional-
ity of your brakes at regular intervals.
Information on BAS (Brake Assist )(
Ypage 62)
and BAS PLUS (Brake Assist PLUS) (Ypage 62).
158Driving tips
Driving and parking

For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends only installing the following brake disks
and brake pads/linings:
Rbrake disks that havebeena pproved by
Mercedes-Benz
Rbrake pads/lining sthat hav ebeena pproved
by Mercedes-Benz or that are of an equivalent
standard of quality
Other brake disks or brake pads/lining scan
compromise the safety of your vehicle.
Alway sreplace al lbrake disks and brake pads/
linings on an axl eatthe sam etime. Always
install new brake pads/lining swhenr eplacing
brake disks.
The vehicle is equipped with lightweight brake
disks to which the wheel assembly with rim and
threaded connectio nismatched.
The use of brake disks other than those
approved by Mercedes-Benz can chang ethe
track width and is subject to approval ,ifappli-
cable.
Shock-typ eloads whe nhandling the brake
discs, such as whe nchanging wheels ,can lead
to areduction in comfortw hend riving with light-
weigh tbrake discs. Avoid shock-type loads on
the lightweight brake disks, particularly on the
brake plate.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that yo uonly use
brake fluid that has bee nspeciall yapproved for
your vehicle by Mercedes-Benz, or which corre-
sponds to an equivalent quality standard .Brake
fluid which has not bee napproved for
Mercedes-Benz vehicles or which is not of an
equivalent quality could affect your vehicle's
operating safety.
High-performance and ceramic brakes
(Mercedes AMG vehicles)
The AMG brake systems are designe dfor heavy
loads. Thism ay leadtonoisew henb raking. This
will depend on:
RSpeed
RBraking force
REnvironmental conditions, such as tempera-
ture and humidity
The wear of individua lcomponents of the brake
system, such as the brake pads/lining sorbrake
discs, depends on the individua ldriving style
and operating conditions.
For this reason, it is impossible to state amile-
ag ethat will be valid under al lcircumstances. An aggressive driving styl
ewilll ea dtoh ighw ear.
You can obtain more information on this from a
qualified specialist workshop.
New and replaced brake pads and discs only
reach thei roptimum braking effect afte rseveral
hundred kilometers of driving. Compensate for
this by applying greater force to the brake pedal.
Kee pthis in mind ,and adap tyou rd riving and
braking accordingly during this break-in period.
Excessive heavy braking results in correspond-
ingl yhighb rake wear. Observe the brake wear
warning lamp in the instrument cluster and note
any brake statu smessages in the multifunction
display. Especiall yfor hig hperformance driving,
it is important to maintain and hav ethe brake
system checked regularly.
Drivin gonw etroads
Hydroplaning
If water has accumulated to acertain depth on
the roads urface,there is adanger of hydro-
planing occurring, even if:
Ryo ud rive at low speeds.
Rthe tires hav eadequate treadd epth.
For this reason, in the event of heavy rai norin
conditions in which hydroplaning may occur,
yo um ustd rive in the following manner:
Rlower your speed.
Ravoid ruts.
Ravoid sudden steering movements.
Rbrake carefully.
Drivin gonfloodedroads
!Bearinm ind that vehicles traveling in front
or in the opposite directio ncreate waves. This
may cause the maximum permissibl ewater
depth to be exceeded.
Failure to observe these notes may result in
damag etothe engine, electricals ystems and
transmission.
If yo uhavetod rive on stretche sofroadonw hich
water has collected ,please bea rinmind that:
Rin the case of standing water, the water level
may be no higher than the lower edg eofthe
vehicle body
Ryo us hould drive no faster than at awalking
pace
Drivin gtips159
Drivin gand parking
Z

vehicleinfront, for vehicl espeed, for braking in
good time and for staying in you rlane.
Do not use cruise control:
Rin road and traffic conditions which do not
allow you to maintai naconstant speed, e.g. in
heavy traffic or on winding roads
Ron slippery road surfaces. Braking or accel-
erating could caus ethe drive wheels to lose
traction and the vehicl ecould then skid
Rwhen there is poor visibility, e.g. due to fog,
heavy rain or snow
If there is achange of drivers ,advise the new
driver of the speeds tored.
iThe speedindicated in the speedometer
may differ slightly from the speeds tored.
Cruise control lever
:Activates or increasesspeed
;Activates or reduces speed
=Deactivates cruise control
?Activates at the current speed/last stored
speed
When you activate cruise control, the stored
speediss howninthe multifunction display for
five seconds. In addition, the ésymbol
appears in the multifunction display.
Speedometer with segments: when cruise
control is activated ,the segments from the
stored speedtot he maximumpermitted speed
light up.
Storing and maintainingt he current
speed
You can store the current speedify ou are driv-
ing faster than 20 mph (30 km/h).
XAccelerate the vehicl etothe desired speed.
XBriefly press the cruise control lever up :or
down ;.
XRemove you rfoot from the accelerator pedal.
Cruise control is activated .The vehicl eauto-
matically maintains the stored speed.
iCruise control may be unable to maintain
the stored speedonu phill gradients. The
stored speedisr esumedwhen the gradient
evens out. Cruise control maintains the
stored speedond ownhill gradients by auto-
matically applying the brakes.
Storing the current spee dorcalling up
the last stored speed
GWARNING
If you call up the stored speeda nd it is lower
than the current speed, the vehicl edeceler-
ates. If you do not know the stored speed, the vehicl ecould decelerate unexpectedly. There
is ar isk of an accident.
Pay attention to the road and traffic condi-
tions before calling up the stored speed. If you
do not know the stored speed, store the
desired speeda gain.
XBriefly pullthe cruise control lever towards
you ?.
XRemove you rfoot from the accelerator pedal.
The first time cruise control is activated ,it
stores the current speedorr egulates the
speedoft he vehicletothe previousl ystored
speed.
Setting aspeed
Keep in mind that it may take abrief moment
until the vehicl ehas accelerated or braked to
the speeds et.
XPress the cruise control lever up :for a
highers peedord own;for alower speed.
XTo adjust the set spee din1 mph incre-
ments (1 km/h increments): brieflypress
Driving systems161
Driving and parking
Z

the cruisecontro llev er up :or down ;to
the pressure point.
Ever ytim et he cruis econtro llev er is pressed
up : or down ;the last spee dstored is
increasedorr educed.
XTo adjustthe setspeed in 5mph incre-
ments (10k m/h increments): briefly press
the cruise control lever up :or down ;to
the pressure point.
Ever ytime the cruise control lever is pressed
up : or down ;the last speed stored is
increased or reduced.
iCruise control is not deactivated if you
depress the accelerator pedal. If you acceler-
ate to overtake, cruise control adjusts the
vehicle'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 the cruise control lever forwards
=.
or
XBrake.
Cruise control is automatically deactivated if:
Ryou engage the electric parkin gbrake
Ryou are driving at less than 20 mph (30 km/ h)
RESP®intervenes or youdeactivate ESP®
Ryous hift the transmission to position Nwhile
driving
If cruis econtro lisdeactivated ,you will hear a
warning tone .You will see the Cruise Con‐
trolOffmessage in the multifunctio ndisplay
for approximately fiv eseconds.
iWhen yo uswitch off the engine ,the last
spee dstored is cleared.
DISTRONIC PLUS
General notes
DISTRONI CPLUSregulate sthe spee dand auto-
maticall yhelps youm aintain the distance to the
vehicl edetecte dinf ront. Vehicles ar edetected
with the ai dofthe rada rsensor system.
DISTRONI CPLUSb rakes automaticall ysothat
the set spee disnot exceeded. Chang
einto alower gear in good time on long
and stee pdownhil lgradients .Thisise specially
important if the vehicl eisladen .Byd oing so, you
will make us eofthe braking effect of the engine.
Thi srelieves the load on the brake system and
prevents the brakes fromo verheating and wear-
ing too quickly.
If DISTRONI CPLUSd etects thatt here isarisko f
ac ollision, yo uwillbew arned visuall yand
acoustically. DISTRONI CPLUSc anno tprevent a
collision withou tyou rintervention. An intermit-
tent warning tone will thens ound and the dis-
tance warning lamp will light up in the instru-
ment cluster .Brake immediatel yinorder to
increase the distance to the vehicl einfront or
take evasive action provided it is safe to do so.
DISTRONI CPLUSo perates in range between
0m ph (0 km/h )and 120 mph (20 0km/h).
Do not us eDISTRONI CPLUSw hile drivin gon
roads with stee pgradients.
As DISTRONI CPLUSt ransmits ra da
rw ave
s ,it
can resemble the rada rdetectors of the respon-
sibl eauthorities. Yo ucan refer to the relevant
chapte rinthe Operator' sManualifq uestions
ar ea sked abou tthis.
iUSA only: Thi sdeviceh asbeen approved by
the FCC as a"Vehi cularRadar System" .The
rada rsensor is intende dfor us einana uto-
motive rada rsystem only. Removal ,tamper-
ing ,ora ltering of the devic ewillv oida ny war-
ranties, and is not permitted by the FCC .Do
not tampe rwith, alter, or us einany non-
approved way.
Any unauthorized modification to thisd evice
could voi dthe user' sauthority to operate the
equipment.
iCanad aonly: Thi sdevicec omplies with
RSS-210 of Industry Canada. Operatio nis
subject to the following two conditions:
1. Thi sdevicem aynot cause harmfu linter-
ference ,and
2. Thi sdevicem usta ccep tany interference
received, including interferenc ethatm ay
cause undesired operatio nofthe device.
Removal ,tampering, or altering of the device
will voi dany warranties, and is not permitted.
Do not tampe rwith, alter, or us einany non-
approved way.
Any unauthorized modification to thisd evice
could voi dthe user' sauthority to operate the
e

quipment.
162Driving system s
Driving an dparking

obstacle or stationary vehicle, DISTRONIC
PLUS will not brake for these.
RCrossing vehicles: DISTRONIC PLUS may mis-
takenly detect vehicles that are crossingyour
lane. Activating DISTRONIC PLUS at traffic
lights with crossingt raffic,for example, could
cause your vehicle to pull away unintention-
ally.
In such situations, brake if necessary.
DISTRONIC PLUS is then deactivated.
DISTRONIC PLUS with Steering Assist
and Stop&GoP ilot
General notes
DISTRONIC PLUS with Steering Assist and
Stop&Go Pilot aids you in keeping the vehicle in
the center of the driving lane by means of mod-
erate steering intervention satspeeds of
0-1 25 mph (0 -200 km/h) .
It monitors the area in front of you rvehicle by
means of multifunction camera :,atthe top of
the windshield.
In as peed range from 0-37mph (0-60km/h),
Stop&Go Pilotf ocuses on the vehicle in front,
taking into account lane markings, e.g. when
following vehiclesinat raffic jam.
At speedsofm ore than 37 mph (60 km/h),
Steering Assist focuses on clear lane markings
(left and right), only focusing on the vehicle in
front if clear lane markings are not present.
Steering Assist and Stop&Go Pilotdon ot pro-
vide any support if these conditions do not exist.
DISTRONIC PLUS must be active in order for the
function to be available.
Important safety notes
If you fail to adapt you rdriving style, DISTRONIC
PLUS with Steering Assist and Stop&Go Pilot
can neither reduce the risk of an accident nor override the law
sofphysics. It cannot take
account of road, weather and traffic conditions.
DISTRONIC PLUS with Steering Assist and
Stop&Go Pilotiso nly an aid.You are responsible
for the distance to the vehicle in front, for vehi-
cle speed,f or braking in good time and for stay-
ing in you rlane.
DISTRONIC PLUS with Steering Assist and
Stop&Go Pilotd oes not detect road and traffic
conditions. If you are following avehicle which is
driving towards the edge of the road, you rvehi-
cle could come into contact with the curb or
other road boundaries. Be particularly aware of
other road users, e.g. cyclists, that are directly
next to you rvehicle.
Obstacles such as traffic pylons on the lane or
projecting out into the lane are not detected.
An inappropriate steering intervention, e.g. after
intentionally driving over alane marking, can be
corrected at any time if you steer slightly in the
opposite direction.
DISTRONIC PLUS with Steering Assist and
Stop&Go Pilotc annot continuously keep your
vehicle in la
ne. In some cases, the steering
intervention is not sufficient to bring the vehicle
back to the lane. In such cases, you must steer
the vehicle yourself to ensure that it does not
leave the lane.
The system may be impaired or may not function
if:
Rthere is poor visibility, e.g. due to insufficient
illuminatio nofthe road, or due to snow, rain,
fog or spray
Rthere is glare ,e.g. from oncoming traffic, the
sun or reflections (e.g. when the road surface
is wet)
Rthe windshield is dirty, fogged up, damaged or
covered, for instance by asticker, in the vicin-
ity of the camera
Rthere are no, several or unclea rlane markings
for alane, e.g. in area swith road construction
work
Rthe lane markings are worn away, dark or cov-
ered up, e.g. by dirt or snow
Rthe distance to the vehicle in front is too small
and the lane markings thus cannot be detec-
ted
Rthe lane markings change quickly, e.g. lanes
branch off, cross one another or merge
Rthe road is narrow and winding
Rthere are strong shadows cast on the road
168Driving systems
Driving and parking

The system is switched to passive and no longer
assists you by performingsteeringinterventions
if:
Ryou actively change lane
Ryou switch on the turn signal
Rtake your hands off the steerin gwheel or do
not steer for aprolonged period of time
iSteering Assist and Stop&Go Pilot are acti-
vated again automatically after alane change
is completed.
Steering Assist and Stop&Go Pilot do not pro-
vide any support:
Ron very sharp corners
Rwhen aloss of tire pressure or adefective tire
has been detected and displayed
Pay attention also to the important safety notes for DISTRONIC PLUS (
Ypage 163).
The steerin ginterventions are carried out with a
limited steerin gmoment.T he 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 steerin gwheel for aprolonged
period of time, the system will first alert you with
av isual warning. Asteerin gwheel symbol
appears in the multifunction display.Ify ou have
still not started to steer and have not taken hold
of the steerin gwheel after five seconds at the
latest, awarning ton ealso 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.S
teering Assist and
Stop&Go Pilot are activated.
Information in the multifunction display
If Steering Assist and Stop&Go Pilot are activa-
ted but is not ready for asteerin gintervention,
steerin gwheel symbol :appears in gray. If the
system provides you with support by means of
steerin ginterventions, 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.S teering 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,e specially 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.
Driving systems169
Driving and parking
Z

RACE START Canceledmessage appears in
the multifunction display.
XTake your foot off the brake, but keep the
accelerator pedal depressed.
The vehicle pullsa wayatmaximum acceler-
ation.
The RACE
STARTActivemessage appears in
the multifunction display.
RACE START is deactivated when the vehicle
reaches aspeed of approximately 30 mph (Can-
ada: 50 km/h).
RACE START is deactivated immediately if you
release the accelerator pedal during RACE
START or if any of the activation conditions are
no longer fulfilled. The RACE START Not Pos‐
sible See Operator's ManualorRACESTART Canceledmessage appears in the mul-
tifunction display.
iIf RACE START is used repeatedly within a
short period of time, it is only available again
after the vehicle has been driven acertain
distance.
AIRMATIC
General notes
AIRMATIC is an air suspension with variable
damping for improved driving comfort. All-round
level control ensures the best possible suspen-
sion and constant ground clearance, even with a
laden vehicle. When you drive fast, the vehicle is
lowered automaticallytoi mprove driving safety
and to reduce fuel consumption. There is also
the option to manuallya djust the vehicle level.
AIRMATIC consists of level setting, level control
and ADS (Adaptive Damping System).
The vehicle level can be set using the DYNAMIC
SELECT switch (
Ypage 139) or the level button
(Ypage 172). The setting always corresponds
to the last selected function.
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 arisk 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.
iIf one of the doors is open, the vehicle is not
lowered.
Vehicle level
Setting the raised vehiclel evel
It is possible to choose between the "Normal"
and "Raised" vehicle levels below aspeed of
50 mph (80 km/h). Select the "Normal" setting
for normal road surfaces and "Raised" for driving
with snow chains or on particularlyp oor road
surfaces. Your selection remains stored even if
you remove the SmartKey from the ignition lock.
XStart the engine.
If indicator lamp ;is not lit:
XPress button :.
Indicator lamp ;lights up. The vehicle is
raised by 0.6 in (15 mm) compared to the
normal level.
The Vehicle
Risingmessage appears in the
multifunction display.
iThe message disappears after ten seconds,
irrespective of the level reached. If necessary,
the vehicle is raised further.
The "Raised level" setting is canceled if you:
Rdrive faster than 75 mph (120 km/h).
Rdrive for approximately three minutes at a
speed over 50 mph (80 km/h).
The "Raised level" remains active when you are
not driving within these speed ranges.
172Driving systems
Driving and parking