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collision with the vehicle in front, you will be
warned visually and audibly.
Important safety notes i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion for driving safety systems (Y page 68).G
WARNING
The distance warning function does not react:
R to people or animals
R to oncoming vehicles
R to crossing traffic
R when cornering
The distance warning function may not give
warnings in all critical situations. There is a
risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit-
uation and be ready to brake.
Always adapt your speed to suit the prevailing
road and traffic conditions. G
WARNING
The distance warning function cannot always
clearly identify objects and complex traffic
situations.
In such cases, the distance warning function
may:
R give an unnecessary warning
R not give a warning
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit-
uation; do not rely on the distance warning
function alone.
Function The distance warning function issues a warning at speeds:
R of approximately 30 km/h or more if, over
several seconds, the distance to the vehicle
travelling in front is insufficient for the driving
speed. The ·distance warning lamp will
then light up on the instrument cluster.
R of approximately 7 km/h or more if you rap-
idly approach a vehicle in front. An intermit-
tent warning tone will then sound and the
· distance warning lamp will light up on
the instrument cluster. X
Brake immediately to increase the distance
from the vehicle in front.
or X Take evasive action provided it is safe to do
so.
Due to the nature of the system, certain com-
plex but non-critical driving conditions may also cause the system to display a warning.
With the help of the radar sensor system, the
distance warning function can detect obstacles
that are in the path of your vehicle for an exten-
ded period of time.
Up to a speed of approximately 70 km/h, the
distance warning function can also react to sta-
tionary obstacles, such as stopped or parked
vehicles.
Autonomous braking function If the driver does not react to the distance warn-
ing signal in a critical situation, Active Brake
Assist can assist the driver with the autonomous
braking function.
The autonomous braking function:
R gives the driver more time to react to critical
driving situations
R can help the driver to avoid an accident or
R reduces the effects of an accident
Vehicles without Distance Pilot DISTRONIC:
the autonomous braking function is available in the following speed ranges:
R 7 - 105 km/h for moving objects
R 7 - 50 km/h for stationary objects
Vehicles with Distance Pilot DISTRONIC: the
autonomous braking function is available in the following speed ranges:
R 7 - 200 km/h for moving objects
R 7 - 50 km/h for stationary objects
Due to the nature of the system, complex but
non-critical driving conditions may also cause
the autonomous braking function to engage.
If the autonomous braking function demands
particularly high braking force, preventative
passenger protection measures (PRE-SAFE ®
)
are activated simultaneously (Y page 55).70
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Situation-dependent braking assis-
tance
General information
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 68).
With the help of the radar sensor system, Adap- tive Brake Assist 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
brake pressure necessary to avoid a collision. If
you apply the brakes forcefully, the situation-
dependent braking assistance automatically
increases the brake pressure to a degree appro- priate to the traffic situation.
Situation-dependent braking assistance pro-
vides braking assistance in hazardous situations at speeds above 7 km/h. It uses the radar sen-
sor system to assess the traffic situation.
Situation-dependent braking assistance is capa-
ble of reacting to moving objects which have
already been recognised as such at least once
over the period of observation, up to a speed of around 250 km/h.
Situation-dependent braking assistance can
also detect stationary objects, up to a speed of
around 70 km/h.
If situation-dependent braking assistance
demands particularly high brake pressure, pre-
ventative passenger protection measures (PRE-
SAFE ®
) are triggered simultaneously
(Y page 55).
X Keep the brake pedal depressed until the
emergency braking situation is over.
ABS prevents the wheels from locking.
The brakes will work normally again if: R you release the brake pedal
R a danger of collision with the vehicle in front
no longer exists
R no obstacle is detected in front of your vehicle
Situation-dependent braking assistance is then
deactivated.
Important safety notes i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion for driving safety systems (Y page 68). G
WARNING
Adaptive Brake Assist does not react:
R to people or animals
R to oncoming vehicles
R to crossing traffic
R when cornering
As a result, Adaptive Brake Assist may not
intervene in all critical conditions. The risk of
an accident remains.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit- uation and be ready to brake. G
WARNING
Adaptive Brake Assist cannot always clearly
identify objects and complex traffic situa-
tions.
In such cases, Adaptive Brake Assist might:
R intervene unnecessarily
R not intervene
The risk of an accident remains.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit- uation and be ready to brake. Terminate the
intervention in a non-critical driving situation.
Due to the nature of the system, complex but
non-critical driving conditions may also cause
Active Brake Assist to intervene.
Even if Active Brake Assist is not available due to a malfunction in the radar sensor system, the
brake system is still available with full brake
boosting effect and BAS. Adaptive brake lights
The adaptive brake lights warn following traffic
in an emergency braking situation by: R flashing brake lamps
R the hazard warning lamps are activated
If you brake sharply from a speed of more than
50 km/h or if braking is assisted by BAS or BAS
PLUS, the brake lamps flash rapidly. In this way,
traffic travelling behind you is warned in an even more noticeable manner.
If you brake sharply from a speed of more than
70 km/h to a standstill, the hazard warning
lamps are switched on automatically. If the Driving safety systems
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brakes are applied again, the brake lamps light
up continuously. The hazard warning lamps
switch off automatically if you travel faster than
10 km/ h.You can also switch off the hazard
warning lamps using the hazard warning button (Y page 118). ESP
®
(Electronic Stability Program)
General notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 68).
ESP ®
monitors driving stability and traction, i.e.
power transmission between the tyres 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 stabilise 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 stabilise
the vehicle during braking.
ETS/4ETS (Electronic Traction System) i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 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, e.g. if the road surface is slippery on one side. In addi-
tion, more drive torque is transferred to the
wheel or wheels with traction.
Traction control remains active if you deactivate
ESP ®
.
Off-road 4ETS (Electronic Traction Sys-
tem) A 4ETS system specifically suited to off-road
terrain is activated automatically once the off-
road program is activated (Y page 192).
Important safety notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 68). G
WARNING
If ESP ®
is malfunctioning, ESP ®
is unable to
stabilise the vehicle. In addition, other driving
safety systems are switched off. This increa-
ses the risk of skidding and an accident.
Drive on carefully. Have ESP ®
checked at a
qualified specialist workshop.
Vehicles without 4MATIC: when towing your
vehicle with the front axle raised, it is important
that you observe the notes on ESP ®
(Y page 329).
If the å ESP®
OFF warning lamp lights up
continuously, ESP ®
is deactivated.
If the ÷ ESP®
warning lamp and the å
warning lamp are lit continuously, ESP ®
is not
available due to a malfunction.
Read the information on warning lamps
(Y page 269) and display messages that may be
shown in the instrument cluster (Y page 235).
Use only wheels with the recommended tyre
sizes. Only then will ESP ®
function properly.
Characteristics of ESP ® General information
If the ÷ ESP warning lamp goes out before
you begin the journey, ESP ®
is automatically
active.
If ESP ®
intervenes, the ÷ESP®
warning lamp
flashes on the instrument cluster.
If ESP ®
intervenes:
X Do not deactivate ESP ®
under any circum-
stances.
X When pulling away, depress the accelerator
pedal only as far as is necessary.
X Adapt your driving style to suit the prevailing
road and weather conditions.
ECO start/stop function
The ECO start/stop function switches the
engine off automatically if the vehicle stops
moving. When pulling away again, the engine
starts automatically. ESP ®
remains in its previ-
ously selected status. Example:if ESP®
was
deactivated before the engine was switched off,
ESP ®
remains deactivated when the engine is
switched on again. 72
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Activating/deactivating ESP
®
(except
Mercedes ‑AMG vehicles) Important safety notes
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 68).
You can select between the following ESP ®
sta-
tuses:
R ESP ®
is activated
R ESP ®
is deactivated. G
WARNING
If you deactivate ESP ®
, ESP ®
no longer sta-
bilises the vehicle. There is an increased risk
of skidding and an accident.
Only deactivate ESP ®
in the situations descri-
bed in the following.
The spinning of the wheels results in a cut for
better traction on loose surfaces.
It may be best to deactivate ESP ®
in the follow-
ing situations:
R when snow chains are used
R in deep snow
R on sand or gravel
i Activate ESP ®
as soon as the situations
described above no longer apply. ESP ®
will
otherwise not be able to stabilise the vehicle
if the vehicle starts to skid or a wheel starts to
spin.
Deactivating/activating ESP ®
You can deactivate or activate ESP ®
via the on-
board computer(Y page 227) .
ESP ®
deactivated:
The å ESP®
OFF warning lamp on the instru-
ment cluster lights up.
ESP ®
activated:
The å ESP®
OFF warning lamp on the instru-
ment cluster goes out.
Characteristics when ESP ®
is deactivated
If ESP ®
is deactivated and one or more wheels
start to spin, the ÷ESP®
warning lamp in the
instrument cluster flashes. In such situations,
ESP ®
will not stabilise the vehicle. If you deactivate ESP
®
:
R ESP ®
no longer improves driving stability
R engine torque is no longer limited and the
drive wheels may start to spin
R traction control is still activated
R Active Brake Assist is not available; it is not
activated even if you brake firmly with assis-
tance from ESP ®
R PRE-SAFE ®
is not available; it is not activated
even if you brake firmly with assistance from
ESP ®
R STEER CONTROL is no longer active
R ESP ®
still provides support when you brake
firmly
Deactivating/activating ESP ®
(Mercedes ‑AMG vehicles) Important safety notes
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 68).
You can select between the following ESP ®
sta-
tuses:
R ESP ®
is activated
R SPORT handling mode is activated
R ESP ®
is deactivated
ESP ®
is activated every time the engine is star-
ted, regardless of whether ESP ®
was deactiva-
ted before the engine was switched off. G
WARNING
When SPORT handling mode is activated,
there is a greater risk of skidding and acci-
dents.
Only activate SPORT handling mode in the sit- uations described in the following. G
WARNING
If you deactivate ESP ®
, ESP ®
no longer sta-
bilises the vehicle. There is an increased risk
of skidding and an accident.
Only deactivate ESP ®
in the situations descri-
bed in the following. Driving safety systems
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In the following situations, it may be better to
activate SPORT handling mode or deactivate
ESP ®
:
R when snow chains are used
R in deep snow
R on sand or gravel
R on specially designated roads when the vehi-
cle's own oversteering and understeering
characteristics are desired
Driving in SPORT handling mode or without
ESP ®
requires a highly qualified and experi-
enced driver.
i Activate ESP ®
as soon as the situations
described above no longer apply. ESP ®
will
otherwise not be able to stabilise the vehicle
if the vehicle starts to skid or a wheel starts to
spin.
Deactivating/activating ESP ®X
To activate SPORT handling mode: briefly
press button :.
The M SPORT handling mode warning
lamp on the instrument cluster lights up. The
SPORT handling mode SPORT handling mode message appears in
the multifunction display.
X To deactivate SPORT handling mode:
briefly press button
:.
The M SPORT handling mode warning
lamp on the instrument cluster goes out.
X To deactivate ESP ®
:press button :until
the å ESP®
OFF warning lamp lights up in
the instrument cluster.
The ÷ OFF
OFF message appears in the multi-
function display.
X To activate ESP ®
:briefly press button :.
The å ESP®
OFF warning lamp on the
instrument cluster goes out. The ÷ESP® ON
ON message appears in the multifunction dis-
play.
Characteristics when SPORT handling
mode is activated
If SPORT handling mode is activated and one or more wheels start to spin, the ÷ESP®
warn-
ing lamp on the instrument cluster flashes. In
such situations, ESP ®
will stabilise the vehicle
only to a limited degree.
When SPORT handling mode is activated:
R ESP ®
improves driving stability only to a limi-
ted degree
R traction control is still activated
R the engine's torque is only restricted to a limi-
ted degree and the drive wheels may start to spin
The spinning of the wheels results in a cut for better traction on loose surfaces.
R ESP ®
still provides support when you brake
firmly
Characteristics when ESP ®
is deactivated
If ESP ®
is deactivated and one or more wheels
start to spin, the ÷ESP®
warning lamp in the
instrument cluster does not flash. In such situa-
tions, ESP ®
will not stabilise the vehicle.
If you deactivate ESP ®
:
R ESP ®
no longer improves driving stability
R engine torque is no longer limited and the
drive wheels may start to spin
The spinning of the wheels results in a cut for
better traction on loose surfaces.
R traction control is still activated
R Active Brake Assist is no longer available; it is
not activated even if you brake firmly with
assistance from ESP ®
R PRE-SAFE ®
is no longer available; it is not
activated even if you brake firmly with assis-
tance from ESP ®
R ESP ®
still provides support when you brake
firmly
Off-road ESP ® An ESP
®
system specifically suited to off-road
terrain is activated automatically once the off-
road program is activated (Y page 192).74
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Off-road ESP
®
intervenes with a delay if there is
oversteering or understeering, thus improving
traction.
ESP ®
trailer stabilisation General notes
If your vehicle/trailer combination begins to
lurch, ESP ®
assists you in this situation. ESP ®
slows the vehicle down by braking and limiting
the engine output until the vehicle/trailer com- bination has stabilised.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If road and weather conditions are poor,
trailer stabilisation will not be able to prevent the vehicle/trailer combination from swerv-
ing. Trailers with a high centre of gravity can
tip over before ESP ®
can detect this. There is
a risk of an accident.
Always adapt your driving style to the prevail-
ing road and weather conditions.
If your vehicle/trailer combination begins to
lurch, you can only stabilise the vehicle/trailer
combination by depressing the brake firmly.
ESP ®
trailer stabilisation is active above speeds
of approximately 65 km/h.
ESP ®
trailer stabilisation does not work if ESP ®
is deactivated or disabled because of a malfunc- tion. EBD (electronic brake force distribu-
tion)
General information EBD monitors and controls the brake pressure
on the rear wheels to improve driving stability
while braking.
Important safety notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 68). G
WARNING
If EBD is malfunctioning, the rear wheels can
lock, e.g. under full braking. This increases the risk of skidding and an accident.
You should therefore adapt your driving style
to the different handling characteristics. Have the brake system checked at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
Please observe the information on warning and
indicator lamps (Y page 267)
(Y page 267) as well as on display messages
(Y page 237). ADAPTIVE BRAKE
ADAPTIVE BRAKE enhances braking safety and
offers increased braking comfort. In addition to
the braking function, ADAPTIVE BRAKE also has the HOLD function (Y page 186) and hill start
assist (Y page 147). STEER CONTROL
General information STEER CONTROL helps you by transmitting a
noticeable steering force to the steering wheel
in the direction required for vehicle stabilisation.
This steering support is provided in particular if:
R both right wheels or both left wheels are on a
wet or slippery road surface when you brake
R the vehicle begins to skid
Important safety notes i
Read the "Important safety notes" section
(Y page 68).
No steering support is provided from STEER
CONTROL, if:
R ESP ®
is malfunctioning
R the steering is malfunctioning
If ESP ®
is malfunctioning, you will be assisted
further by the electrical power steering. Driving safety systems
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Protection against theft
Immobiliser
The immobiliser prevents your vehicle from
being started without the correct key.
X To activate with the key: remove the key
from the ignition lock.
X To activate with KEYLESS-GO start func-
tion or KEYLESS-GO:
switch the ignition off
and open the driver's door.
X To deactivate: switch on the ignition.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the key
with you and lock the vehicle. Anyone can start
the engine if a valid key has been left inside the
vehicle.
i The immobiliser is always deactivated when
you start the engine. ATA (Anti-Theft Alarm system)
X
To prime: lock the vehicle with the key or
KEYLESS-GO.
Indicator lamp :flashes. The alarm system
is primed after approximately 15 seconds.
X To deactivate: unlock the vehicle with the
key or KEYLESS-GO.
or X Insert the key into the ignition lock.
A visual and audible alarm is triggered if the
alarm system is primed and you open: R a door
R the vehicle with the emergency key element
R the tailgate
R the bonnet X
To stop the alarm with the key: press the
% or& button on the key.
The alarm stops.
or X Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO start function
or KEYLESS-GO: remove the Start/Stop but-
ton from the ignition lock (Y page 144).
X Insert the key into the ignition lock.
The alarm stops.
X To stop the alarm using KEYLESS-GO:
grasp the outside door handle. The key must
be outside the vehicle.
The alarm stops.
or X Press the Start/Stop button on the dash-
board. The key must be inside the vehicle.
The alarm stops.
The alarm does not switch off, even if you close the open door that has triggered it, for example.
i If the alarm stays on for more than
30 seconds, the Mercedes‑Benz emergency
call system automatically sends a message to
the Customer Centre. This is done by means
of a text message or a data connection.
The emergency call system sends a message or establishes a data connection provided
that:
R you have subscribed to the Mercedes ‑Benz
emergency call system
R the Mercedes‑Benz emergency call system
has been activated properly
R the necessary mobile phone network is
available Tow-away protection
Function An audible and visual alarm is triggered if your
vehicle's angle of inclination is altered while
tow-away protection is primed. This can occur if
the vehicle is jacked up on one side, for exam-
ple.
Switching on X
Make sure that: 76
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R
the doors are closed
R the tailgate is closed
Only then is tow-away protection activated.
X Lock the vehicle with the key or KEYLESS-GO.
Tow-away protection is primed after approx-
imately 60 second s.
Switching off X
Unlo ck the vehicle with the key or KEYLESS-
GO.
or X Insert the key into the ignition lock.
Tow-away protection is switched off automat-
ically.
Deactivating X
Remove the key from the ignition lock.
or X Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO start function
or KEYLESS-GO: switch off the engine using
the Start/Stop button and open the driver's
door.
X Press button :.
Indicator lamp ;lights up briefly.
X Lock the vehicle with the key or KEYLESS-GO.
Tow-away protection is deactivated.
Tow-away protection remains deactivated until: R the vehicle is unlocked again
R a door is opened and closed again and
R the vehicle is locked again To prevent a false alarm, deactivate tow-away
protection if you lock your vehicle and it:
R is being transported
R is being loaded onto a ferry or car transporter,
for example
R is parked on a movable surface, e.g. in a split-
level garage Interior motion sensor
Function When the interior motion sensor is switched on,
a visual and audible alarm is triggered if move-
ment is detected in the vehicle interior. This can occur if someone reaches into the vehicle inte-
rior, for example.
Switching on X
Make sure that:
R the side windows are closed
R the panorama sliding sunroof is closed
R there are no objects, e.g. mascots, hanging
on the rear-view mirror or on the grab han-dles on the roof trim
This will prevent false alarms.
X Make sure that:
R the doors are closed
R the panorama sliding sunroof is closed
R the tailgate is closed
Only then is the interior motion sensor acti-
vated.
X Lock the vehicle with the key or KEYLESS-GO.
The interior motion sensor is primed after
approximately 30 seconds.
Switching off X
Unlock the vehicle with the key or KEYLESS-
GO.
or X Insert the key into the ignition lock.
or X Press the Start/Stop button.
The key must be in the vehicle.
The interior motion sensor is automatically
switched off. Protection against theft
77Safety Z