
The electric parking brake is applied if
the trans‐
mission is in position jand one of thefo llow‐
ing conditions is fulfilled:
R The engine is switched off.
R The seat belt tongue is not inser ted in the
seat belt buckle of the driver's seat and the
driver's door is opened.
% Toprev ent application: pull the handle of the
electric parking brake.
In thefo llowing situations, the electric parking
brake is also engaged:
R Distance‑Pil otDISTRONIC brings theve hicle
to ast andstill.
R The HOLD function is keeping theve hicle sta‐
tionar y.
R Parking Pilot is keeping theve hicle station‐
ar y.
This is only the case if one of thefo llowing con‐
ditions is also fulfilled:
R The engine is switched off. R
The seat belt tongue is not inser ted in the
seat belt buckle of the driver's seat and the
driver's door is opened.
R There is a sy stem malfunction.
R The po wer supply is insuf ficient.
R The vehicle is stationary for a lengt hyperiod.
When the electric parking brake is applied,
th e! indicator lamp lights up in the instru‐
ment clus ter.
The electric parking brake is not automatically
applied if the engine is switched off bythe ECO
st art/ stop function.
Re leasing the electric pa rking brake auto‐
matically
Ve hicles with manual transmission:
The electric parking brake is released when the
fo llowing conditions are fulfilled:
R The driver's door is closed.
R The engine is running.
R Age ar has been selec ted, youre lease the
clutch pedal and dep ress the accelera tor
pedal. R
When there ve rsege ar k is selec ted, the
boot lid must be closed.
If th e electric parking brake is released,
th e! indicator lamp in the instrument clus‐
te r goes out.
Ve hicles with automatic transmission:
The electric parking brake is released when the
fo llowing conditions are fulfilled:
R The engine is running.
R The seat belt tongue is inser ted into the seat
belt buckle of the driver's seat.
R The transmission is in position hork and
yo u depress the accelera tor pedal or you
shift from transmission position jtoh or
k.
R Ifth e transmission is in position k,the boot
lid must be closed.
If th e seat belt tongue is not inser ted into the
seat belt buckle of the driver's seat, thefo llow‐
ing conditions must be fulfilled:
R The driver's door is closed. 16 6
Driving and pa rking

R
The forc e of the impact
The following situations can lead toinadver tent
acti vation:
R The pa rked vehicle is mo ved, forex ample in a
double-de cker garage
% Deactivate tow- aw ay protection in order to
pr eve nt inadver tent acti vation. If you deacti‐
va te tow- aw ay protection, damage de tection
will also be deactivated.
Sy stem limitations
De tection may be restricted if:
R The vehicle is damaged without impact, for
ex ample if an outside mir ror is torn off or the
paint is damaged byakey.
R Impact occurs at low speed.
R The electric parking brake is not applied.
Information on Mercedes me connect and other
services: http://www.mercedes.me. Pa
rking up theve hicle If
yo u lea vetheve hicle par ked up for longer than
fo ur we eks, the battery may be damaged.
If yo u lea vetheve hicle par ked up for longer than
six weeks, it may suf fer dama geas a result of
lack of use.
Information on parking up your vehicle can be
obtained at a qualified specialist workshop. St
andby mode (extension of the star ter bat‐
te ry 's period out of use) St
andby mode function
All vehicles except E 350:
If standby mode is activated, theve hicle can be
par kedfo r an extended pe riod of time without
losing po wer.
St andby mode is characterised bythefo llowing:
R thest ar ter battery is preser ved.
R the maximum period out of use is displa yed
in the multimedia sy stem displa y.
R functions such as interior pr otection or tow-
aw ay protection are not available. R
the connection toonline services is inter rup‐
te d.
If th efo llowing conditions are fulfilled, standby
mode can be activated or deactivated using the
multimedia sy stem:
R the engine is switched off.
R the ignition is switched on.
Exceeding theve hicle's displa yed period out of
use may cause incon venience, i.e. it cannot be
guaranteed that thest ar ter battery will reliably
st art the engine.
The star ter battery must be charge dfirs t in the
fo llowing situations:
R theve hicle's period out of use must be
ex tended.
R theBattery charge insufficient for standby
mode message appears in the multimedia
sy stem displa y.
% Standby mode is automatically deactivated
when the ignition is switched on.
Ac tivating or deactivating standby mode
All vehicles except E 350: 16 8
Driving and pa rking

R
HOLD function (→ page 193)
R STEER CONTROL (→ page 175)
R Steering Pilot (→ page190)
R Limi ter (→ page 181)
R Parking Pilot (→ page 207)
R Parking Assist PARKTRONIC( →page 198)
R Reversing camera (→ page 201)
R Cruise control (→ page180)
R Blind Spot Assist and Active Blind Spot Assi st
( → page 222)
R Traf fic Sign Assi st (→page 219) Fu
nctions of ABS (anti-lock braking sy stem) ABS
regulates the brake pressure in critical driv‐
ing situations:
R During braking, the wheels are pr evented
from blocking, e.g. due tomaximum full-s top
braking or insuf ficient traction of the tyres.
R Vehicle steerability while braking is ensured.
If ABS inter venes when braking, you will feel a
pulsing in the brake pedal. The pulsating brake pedal can be an indication of hazardous
road
conditions and can ser veas a reminder totake
ex tra care while driving.
Sy stem limitations
R ABS is active from speeds of appr ox.
8 km/h.
R ABS may be impai red or may not function if a
malfunction has occur red and theye l‐
low ! ABSwarning lamp lights up contin‐
uously in the instrument clus ter af terthe
engine is star ted. Fu
nction of BAS (Brake Assist Sy stem) &
WARNING Risk of an accident caused by
a malfunction in BAS (Brake Assi stSys‐
te m)
If BA S is malfunctioning, the braking dis tance
in an emergency braking situation is
increased. #
Dep ress the brake pedal with full force
in emer gency braking situations. ABS
pr eve nts the wheels from locking. BA
S suppo rts yo ur eme rgency braking situation
with additional brake forc e.
If yo u depress the brake pedal quickl y,BA S is
acti vated:
R BAS au tomatical lyboosts the brake pres‐
sure.
R BAS can sho rten the braking dis tance.
R ABS pr events the wheels from locking.
The brakes will function as usual once you
re lease the brake pedal. BAS is deactivated. Fu
nctions of ESP ®
(Electronic Stability Pro‐
gr am) &
WARNING Risk of skidding if ESP ®
is
malfunctioning
If ESP ®
is malfunctioning, ESP ®
cannot car ry
out vehicle stabilisation. In addition, other
driving saf ety sy stems are switched off. #
Drive on carefull y.17 0
Driving and pa rking

#
Have ESP ®
ch ecked at a qualified spe‐
cialist workshop. &
WARNING Risk of skidding if ESP ®
is
deactivated
If yo u deactivate ESP ®
, ESP ®
cannot car ry
out vehicle stabilisation. #
ESP ®
should on lybe deactivated in the
fo llowing situations. ESP
®
monitors and impr oves driving stability and
traction, particular ly inthefo llowing situations:
R When pulling away on wet or slippe ryroads.
R When braking.
R Vehicles with trailer hitch: In trailer opera‐
tion from speeds of 65 km/h, if theve hicle/
trailer combination begins tosw ay from side
to side.
R Instro ng sidewinds when you are driving
fa ster than 80 km/h. ESP
®
can stabilise theve hicle byinter vening in
th efo llowing ways:
R One or more wheels are braked.
R The engine output is adap ted according to
th e situation.
ESP ®
is deactivated if the ESP ®
OFF å warn‐
ing lamp lights up continuously in the instrument
clus ter:
R Driving stability will no lon ger be impr oved.
R Vehicles with trailer hitch: Stabilisation of
th eve hicle/trailer combination is no longer
active.
R Crosswind Assist is no longer active.
R The drive wheels could spin.
R ETS/4ETS traction control is still active.
% Even when ESP ®
is deactivated, you are still
assis tedby ESP ®
when braking.
ESP ®
is inter vening if the ESP ®
÷ warning
lamp flashes in the instrument clus ter:
R Do not deacti vate ESP ®
. R
Only depress the accelera tor pedal as far as
is necessar y.
R Adapt your driving style to suit the cur rent
ro ad and weather conditions.
Deactivate ESP ®
in thefo llowing situations to
impr ovetraction:
R When using snow chains
R In deep sn ow
R On sand or gr avel
% Spinning the wheels results in a cutting
action which pr ovides better grip.
ESP ®
is deactivated if theå ESP®
OFF warn‐
ing lamp lights up continuously in the instrument
clus ter.
If th e ESP ®
÷ warning lamp lights up continu‐
ousl y,ESP ®
is not available due toa malfunction.
Obse rve any information which may be displa yed
in the instrument clus ter:
R Warning and indicator lamps (→ page 480)
R Display messages (→ page 423) Driving and parking
171

Ac
tivating/deactivating ESP ®
(Electronic Sta‐
bility Prog ram) Multimedia sy
stem:
, Vehicle .
k Assistance .
ESP #
Activate Oor deacti vate ª the function.
ESP ®
is deactivated if theå ESP®
OFF warn‐
ing lamp lights up continuously in the instrument
clus ter.
Obser vethe information on warning lamps and
display messages which may be shown in the
instrument clus ter. Fu
nctions of ESP ®
Crosswind Assist ESP
®
Crosswind Assist de tects sudden gu sts of
side wind and helps the driver tokeep theve hi‐
cle in the lane:
R ESP ®
Crosswind Assist is active at vehicle
speeds between 80 km/h and 200 km/h
when driving stra ight ahead or cornering
slight ly. R
The vehicle is stabilised bymeans of individ‐
ual brake application on one side. Fu
nctions of ESP ®
trailer stabilisation &
WARNING Risk of accident in poor road
and weather conditions
In poor road and weather conditions, the
trailer stabilisation cannot pr event lu rching of
th eve hicle/trailer combination. Trailers with
a high centre of grav ity may tip over before
ESP ®
de tects this. #
Alw ays adapt your driving style to suit
th e cur rent road and weather condi‐
tions. When driving with a trailer, ESP
®
can stabilise
yo ur vehicle if the trailer begins toswer vefrom
side toside:
R ESP ®
trailer stabilisation is active abo ve
speeds of 65 km/h. R
Slight swerving is reduced bymeans of a tar‐
ge ted, individual brake application on one
side.
R Intheeve nt of se vere swerving, the engine
output is also reduced and all wheels are
braked.
ESP ®
trailer stabilisation may be impaired or
may not function if:
R The trailer is not connec ted cor rectly or is
not de tected prope rly by theve hicle. Fu
nction of EBD (Electronic Brake forc e Dis‐
tribution) EBD is
characterised bythefo llowing:
R Monitoring and regulating the brake pressure
on there ar wheels.
R Impr oved driving stability when braking,
especially on bends. 174
Driving and pa rking

Fu
nction of Adaptive Brake Lights Ad
aptive Brake Lights warnfollowing traf fic in an
emergency braking situation:
R byflashing brake lamps
R byactivating the hazard warning lights
The vehicle is braked considerably when moving
fast erthan 50 km/h:
R Brake Assist Sy stem (BAS) and Active Brake
Assi stsupport you during braking.
R Brake Assist activates theAd aptive Brake
Lights.
R The brake lamps flash rapidl y.This pr ovides
traf fic tr ave lling behind you with an even
more noticeable warning.
The vehicle is braked considerably when moving
fast erthan 70 km/h:
R The hazard warning lights switch on automat‐
ically once theve hicle is stationar y.
R The hazard warning lights switch off auto‐
matically when you drive fasterthan
10 km/h. R
You can also swit choff the hazard warning
lights using the hazard warning button.
R The brake lamps light up again con stant ly
when you depress the brake pedal. Cruise control and limiter
Fu
nction of cruise control
Cruise cont rol accelerates and brakes theve hi‐
cle automatically in order tomaintain a pr evi‐
ously stored speed.
If yo u accelerate toove rtake, forex ample, the
st ored speed is not dele ted. If youre mo veyour
fo ot from the accelera tor pedal af terove rtaking,
cruise control will resume speed regulation back
to thestored speed.
Yo u can operate cruise cont rol with the cruise
control le ver.
If yo ufa ilto adapt your driving style, cruise con‐
trol can neither reduce therisk of an accident
nor override the la wsof ph ysics. It cannot take
into account road, weather or traf fic conditions.
Cruise control is only an aid. You are responsible
fo rth e dis tance totheve hicle in front, forve hi‐ cle speed,
for braking in good time and forst ay‐
ing in lane.
Sy stem limitations
Cruise control may be unable tomaintain the
st ored speed on uphill gradients. The stored
speed is resumed when the gradient evens out.
Change into a lo werge ar in good time on long
and steep downhill gradients. Take particular
no te ofthis when driving a laden vehicle. By
doing so, you will make use of the braking ef fect
of the engine. This relie vesth e load on the brake
sy stem and pr events the brakes from overheat‐
ing and wearing tooqu ickl y.
Do not use cruise control in thefo llowing situa‐
tions:
R In traf fic situations whi chrequ ire frequent
ch anges of speed, e.g. in heavy traf fic, on
winding roads
R On slippe ryroads. Accelerating can cause
th e drive wheels tolose traction and the
ve hicle could then skid
R When visibility is poor 18 0
Driving and pa rking

Fu
nction of the limiter
The limiter restricts the speed of theve hicle. To
re duce the speed swiftly tothe set speed, the
limiter applies the brakes automaticall y.
Yo u can limit the speed as follo ws:
R Variable: for speed limits, e.g. in built-up
areas.
R Perm anen t:for long-term speed restrictions,
e.g. when driving wi thwinter tyres fitted.
If yo ufa ilto adapt your driving style, the limiter
can neither reduce therisk of an accident nor
ove rride the la wsof ph ysics. It cannot take into
account road, weather or traf fic conditions. The
limiter is only an aid. You are responsible forthe
dis tance totheve hicle in front, forve hicle
speed, for braking in good time and forst ay ing
in lane.
Yo u can operate theva riable limiter with the
cruise control le ver.Yo u can store any road
speed abo ve20 km/h. You can also per form
settings while theve hicle is stationary if the
ve hicle has been star ted. Kickdown
If
yo u depress the accelerator pedal be yond the
pressure point (kickdown), the limiter is
switched topassive mode. The Limiter passive
message appears in the multifunction displa y.
Af ter completion of kickdown, theva riable lim‐
iter is activated again in thefo llowing situations:
R ifth e driven speed drops below thestored
speed.
R ifth estored speed is called up.
R ifyo ustore a new speed.
Operating cruise control or theva riable lim‐
iter &
WARNING Risk of accident due to
unknown stored speed
If yo u call up thestored speed and this is
lo we rth an your cur rent speed, theve hicle
decelerates.
If yo u do not kn owthestored speed, the
ve hicle could decelerate unexpectedly. #
Take into account the tra ffic situation
before calling up thestored speed. #
Ifth estored speed is not known, store
th e desired speed again. Change into a lo
werge ar in good time on long
and steep downhill gradients. Take particular
no te ofthis when driving a laden vehicle. By
doing so, you will make use of the braking ef fect
of the engine. This relie vesth e load on the brake
sy stem and pr events the brakes from overheat‐
ing and wearing tooqu ickl y.
Re quirements:
Cruise control
R Cruise control is selected.
R ESP ®
must be switched on, but not inter ven‐
ing.
R The driving speed mu stbe at least 20 km/h.
Va riable Limiter
R The vehicle has been star ted.
R The variable limiter is selec ted. Driving and parking
181

#
Toswitch between cruise contro l andvaria‐
ble limiter 1.
R LIM indicator lamp 3off: cruise control
is selec ted.
R LIM indicator lamp 3on: theva riable
limiter is selec ted. #
Tostore cur rent speed 4(once af terst art‐
ing theve hicle).
or #
Tocall up la stspeed stored 4. #
Todeactivate cruise control or variable lim‐
iter 2. #
Press the le ver brief ly:st ored speed is
increased 5orreduced 6by1 km/h.
or #
Press and hold the le ver:stored speed is
increased 5orreduced
6 in 1 km/h increments.
or #
Press the le ver be yond the pressure point:
st ored speed is increased 5orreduced
6 by10 km/h.
or #
Press and hold the le ver be yond the pressure
point: stored speed is increased 5or
re duced 6in10 km/h increments.
If cruise control or theva riable limiter has been
deactivated, the cur rent speed is stored with 5
or 6.
% Vehicles with manual transmission: if the
engine speed is very low, cruise control or
th e limiter is deactivated. When the engine
speed approaches the maximum engine
speed, or neutral is engaged or the clutch
pedal is depressed for longer than six sec‐
onds, cruise control is deactivated. 18 2
Driving and pa rking