
between your vehicle and the vehicle in front
becomes too small.
When you change lanes, DISTRONIC PLUS mon-
itors the left lane (on left-hand-drive vehicles) or
the right lane (on right-hand-drive vehicles).
Stopping
GWARNING
When leaving the vehicle, even if it is braked
only by DISTRONIC PLUS, it could roll away if:
Rthere is a malfunction in the system or in
the voltage supply.
RDISTRONIC PLUS has been deactivated
with the cruise control lever, e.g. by a vehi-
cle occupant or from outside the vehicle.
Rthe electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses have
been tampered with.
Rthe battery is disconnected.
Rthe accelerator pedal has been depressed, e.g. by a vehicle occupant.
There is a risk of an accident.
If you wish to exit the vehicle, always turn off
DISTRONIC PLUS and secure the vehicle
against rolling away.
For further information on deactivating
DISTRONIC PLUS (
Ypage 169).
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that the vehicle in
front has stopped, it will cause your vehicle to
brake and come to a halt.
Once your vehicle is stationary, it remains sta-
tionary and you do not need to depress the
brake.
After a time, the electric parking brake secures
the vehicle and relieves the service brake.
Depending on the specified minimum distance,
your vehicle will come to a standstill at a suffi-
cient distance behind the vehicle in front. The
specified minimum distance is set using the
control on the cruise control lever. When DISTRONIC PLUS is activated, the trans-
mission is shifted automatically to position
j,
if:
Rthe driver's seat belt is not fastened and the
driver's door is open.
Rthe engine is switched off, unless it is auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/stop
function.
The electric parking brake secures the vehicle
automatically if DISTRONIC PLUS is activated
when the vehicle is stationary and:
Ra system malfunction occurs.
Rthe power supply is insufficient.
If a malfunction occurs, the transmission may
also be shifted to position jautomatically.
Setting a speed
XPush the cruise control lever up :for a
higher speed or down ;for a lower speed.
XTo adjust the set speed in 1 mph incre-
ments (1 km/h increments): briefly push
the cruise control lever up :or down ;to
the pressure point.
Every time the cruise control lever is pressed
up : or down ;the last speed stored is
increased or reduced.
XTo adjust the set speed in 5 mph incre-
ments (10 km/h increments): briefly push
the cruise control lever up :or down ;
beyond the pressure point.
Every time the cruise control lever is pressed
up : or down ;, the last speed stored is
increased or reduced.
iIf you accelerate to overtake, DISTRONIC
PLUS adjusts the vehicle's speed back to the
last speed stored after you have finished over-
taking.
Setting a specified minimum distance
You can set the specified minimum distance for
DISTRONIC PLUS by varying the time span
between one and two seconds. With this func-
tion, you can set the minimum distance that
DISTRONIC PLUS maintains to the vehicle in
front, depending on the driving speed. You can
see this distance in the multifunction display
(
Ypage 168).
Make sure that you maintain the minimum dis-
tance to the vehicle in front as required by law.
Driving systems167
Driving and parking
Z 

Adjust the distance to the vehicle in front if nec-
essary.
XTo increase:turn control;in direction =.
DISTRONIC PLUS then maintains a greater
distance between your vehicle and the vehicle
in front.
XTo decrease: turn control;in direction :.
DISTRONIC PLUS then maintains a shorter
distance between your vehicle and the vehicle
in front.
DISTRONIC PLUS displays in the instru-
ment cluster
Displays in the speedometer
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects a vehicle in front,
the segments between the speed of the vehicle
in front :and stored speed ;light up.
Vehicles with the Driving Assistance Plus
package: the segments likewise light up if a
vehicle in front is detected in the fast lane.
For design reasons, the speed displayed in the
speedometer may differ slightly from the speed
set for DISTRONIC PLUS.
Displays in the assistance graphic
Display when DISTRONIC PLUS is deac-
tivated
:Vehicle in front, if detected
;Distance indicator, current distance to the
vehicle in front
=Specified minimum distance to the vehicle
in front; adjustable
?Own vehicle
Display when DISTRONIC PLUS is activa-
ted
:DISTRONIC PLUS active (text only appears
when the cruise control lever is actuated)
;Vehicle in front, if detected
=Specified minimum distance to the vehicle
in front; adjustable
?Own vehicle
XTo call up the assistance graphic:select the
Assistance Graphic
function using the on-
board computer (Ypage 219).
The multifunction display will show the stored speed for about five seconds when you acti-
vate DISTRONIC PLUS.
168Driving systems
Driving an d parking 

Deactivating DISTRONICPLUS
There are severa lways to deactivat e
DISTRONIC PLUS:
XBriefly push th ecruise contro llever
forwar d:.
or
XBrake, unless th evehicle is stationary
Whe nyou deactivat eDISTRONIC PLUS, th e
DISTRONIC PLU SOff
messag ewill appear in
th emultifunction display fo rapproximately fiv e
seconds.
The last speed stored remain sstored until you
switch of fth eengine.
DISTRONIC PLU Sis no tdeactivated if you
depress th eaccelerator pedal.
DISTRONIC PLU Sis automatically deactivated
if:
Ryou engage th eelectric parking brake or if th e
vehicle is automatically secure dwit hth eelec -
tric parking brake
RES P®intervenes or you deactivat eES P®
Ryou shift th etransmissio nto position j,k
or i
Ryou pull th ecruise contro llever toward syou
in order to pull away and th efront-passenger
doo ror on eof th erea rdoors is ope n
Rthevehicle slip s
RYou activat eActive Parking Assis t
If ,under these circumstances, DISTRONIC
PLU Sis deactivated, awarnin gtone sounds. The
DISTRONIC PLU SOff
messag ethen appears
on th emultifunction display fo rapproximately
fiv eseconds.
Tips for drivin gwit hDISTRONI CPLUS
General notes
Pay particular attention in th efollowin gtraffic
situations:
RCornering, enterin gand exitin g abend: th e
ability of DISTRONIC PLU Sto detec tvehicles
when cornering is limited. Your vehicle may
brake unexpectedly or late.
RDriving on adifferen tline: DISTRONIC PLU S
may no tdetec tvehicles whic hare no tdrivin g
in th emiddle of their lane. The distanc eto th e
vehicle in fron twill be to oshort .
ROther vehicles changin glane: DISTRONIC
PLU Shas no tdetecte dth evehicle cutting in
yet .The distanc eto this vehicle will be to o
short .
RNarro wvehicles :DISTRONIC PLU Sdoe sno t
detec tth evehicle in fron ton th eedg eof th e
road because of it snarro wwidth. The dis -
tanc eto th evehicle in fron twill be to oshort .
RObstacles and stationary vehicles :
DISTRONIC PLU Sdoe sno tbrake fo robsta -
cles or stationary vehicles .If ,fo rexample, th e
detecte dvehicle turn s acorner and reveals an
obstacl eor stationary vehicle, DISTRONIC
PLU Swill no tbrake fo rthese .
RCrossing vehicles :DISTRONIC PLU Smay mis -
takenl ydet ectvehicles that are crossin gyour
lane. Activatin gDISTRONIC PLU Sat traffic
lights wit hcrossin gtraffic ,fo rexample, could
cause your vehicle to pull away unintention -
ally.
In suc hsituations, brake if necessary.
DISTRONIC PLU Sis then deactivated.
DISTRONI CPLUS wit hSteering Assis t
an dStop&Go Pilo t
General notes
Driving systems169
Driving an d parking
Z 

DISTRONIC PLUS with Steering Assist and
Stop&Go Pilot helps you keep the vehicle in the
center of the lane by means of moderate steer-
ing interventions in a speed range from
0–125 mph (0–200 km/h).
It monitors the area in front of your vehicle by
means of multifunction camera:, at the top of
the windshield.
In a speed range from 0 - 37 mph (0 - 60 km/h),
Stop&Go Pilot focuses on the vehicle in front,
taking into account lane markings, e.g. when
you are following vehicles in a traffic jam.
At speeds of more 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.
If these conditions are not present, Steering
Assist and Stop&Go Pilot cannot provide assis-
tance.
DISTRONIC PLUS must be active in order for the
function to be available.
Important safety notes
If you fail to adapt your driving style, DISTRONIC
PLUS with Steering Assist and Stop&Go Pilot
can neither reduce the risk of an accident nor
override the laws of physics. It cannot take
account of road, weather and traffic conditions.
DISTRONIC PLUS with Steering Assist and
Stop&Go Pilot is only an ai d. Y
ou are responsible
for maintaining a safe distance to the vehicle in front, for vehicle speed, for braking in good time
and for staying in lane.
DISTRONIC PLUS with Steering Assist and
Stop&Go Pilot does not detect road and traffic
conditions and does not detect all road users. If
you are following a vehicle which is driving
towards the edge of the road, your vehicle 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 your vehicle.
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 a lane marking, can be
corrected at any time if you steer slightly in theopposite direction.
DISTRONIC PLUS with Steering Assist and
Stop&Go Pilot cannot continuously keep your
vehicle in lane. In some cases, steering inter-
vention 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
illumination of the road, or due to snow, rain,
fog or spray
Rthere is glare, e.g. from oncoming traffic, the
sun or reflection from other vehicles (e.g. if
the road surface is wet)
Rthe windshield is dirty, fogged up, damaged or
covered, for instance by a sticker, in the vicin-
ity of the camera
Rthere are no, several or unclear lane markings
for a lane, e.g. in areas with 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 highly variable shade conditions on the roadway
The system is switched to passive and no longer
assists you by performing steering interventions
if:
Ryou actively change lane
Ryou switch on the turn signal
Ryou take your hands off the steering wheel or do not steer for a prolonged period of time
Steering Assist and Stop&Go Pilot are activated
again automatically after a lane chang
e is com-
pleted.
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 164).
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
170Driving system s
Driving an d parking 

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 is 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.
Important safety notes
GWARNING
When leaving the vehicle, it can still roll away despite being braked by the HOLD function if:
Rthere is a malfunction in the system or in
the voltage supply.
Rthe HOLD function has been deactivated by
pressing the accelerator pedal or the brake
pedal, e.g. by a vehicle occupant.
Rthe electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses have
been tampered with.
Rthe battery is disconnected
There is a risk of an accident.
If you wish to exit the vehicle, always turn off the HOLD function and secure the vehicle
against rolling away.
!When DISTRONIC PLUS or the HOLD func-
tion is activated, the vehicle brakes automat-
ically in certain situations.
Driving systems171
Driving and parking
Z 

To avoid damage to the vehicle, deactivate
DISTRONIC PLUS and the HOLD function in
the following or similar situations:
Rwhen towing the vehicle
Rin the car wash
Deactivating the HOLD function (
Ypage 172).
Activation conditions
You can activate the HOLD function if all of the
following conditions are fulfilled:
Rthe vehicle is stationary.
Rthe engine is running or if it has been auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/stop
function.
Rthe driver's door is closed or your seat belt is
fastened.
Rthe electric parking brake is released.
Rthe transmission is in position h,kori.
RDISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated.
Activating the HOLD function
XMake sure that the activation conditions are
met.
XDepress the brake pedal.
XQuickly depress the brake pedal further
until :appears in the multifunction display.
The HOLD function is activated. You can
release the brake pedal.
If depressing the brake pedal the first time does not activate the HOLD function, wait briefly and
then try again.
Deactivating the HOLD function
The HOLD function is deactivated automatically
if:
Ryou depress the accelerator and the trans-
mission is in position hork
Rthe transmission is in position j
Ryou depress the brake pedal again with a cer-
tain amount of pressure until display ë
disappears from the multifunction display
Ryou secure the vehicle using the electric park- ing brake
Ryou activate DISTRONIC PLUS
After a time, the electric parking brake secures
the vehicle and relieves the service brake.
When the HOLD function is activated, the trans-
mission is shifted automatically to position j
if:
Rthe driver's seat belt is not fastened and the
driver's door is open.
Rthe engine is switched off, unless it is auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/stop
function.
The electric parking brake secures the vehicle
automatically if the HOLD function is activated
when the vehicle is stationary and:
Ra system malfunction occurs.
Rthe power supply is insufficient.
If a malfunction occurs, the transmission may
also be shifted to position jautomatically.
AIR BODY CONTROL
General notes
AIR BODY CONTROL is an air suspension system
with variable damping for improved driving com- fort. All-round level control ensures the best
possible suspension and constant ground clear-
ance, even with a laden vehicle. When you drive
fast, the vehicle is lowered automatically to
improve driving safety and to reduce fuel con-
sumption. There is also the option to manually
adjust the vehicle level. AIR BODY CONTROL
consists of level setting, level control and the
ADS Adaptive Damping System.
The vehicle level can be set using the DYNAMIC SELECT switch (
Ypage 139) or the level button
(Ypage 173). The setting always corresponds
to the last selected function.
172Driving systems
Driving and parking 

WhenStandardis selected, no warning vibra-
tion occurs if:
Ryou switch on the turn signals. In this event,
the warnings are suppressed for a certain
period of time.
Ra driving safety system intervenes, e.g. ABS,
BAS or ESP®.
Adaptive
When Adaptive
is selected, no warning vibra-
tion occurs if:
Ryou switch on the turn signals. In this event,
the warnings are suppressed for a certain
period of time.
Ra driving safety system intervenes, e.g. ABS,
BAS or ESP®.
Ryou accelerate hard, e.g. kickdown.
Ryou brake hard.
Ryou steer actively, e.g. swerve to avoid an
obstacle or change lanes quickly.
Ryou cut the corner on a sharp bend.
In order that you are warned only when neces-
sary and in good time if you cross the lane mark-
ing, the system recognizes certain conditions
and warns you accordingly.
The warning vibration occurs earlier if:
Ryou approach the outer lane marking on a
bend.
Rthe road has very wide lanes, e.g. a highway.
Rthe system detects solid lane markings.
The warning vibration occurs later if:
Rthe road has narrow lanes.
Ryou cut the corner on a bend.
Driving Assistance PLUS package
General notes
The Driving Assistance PLUS package consists
of DISTRONIC PLUS (Ypage 164), Active Blind
Spot Assist (Ypage 197) and Active Lane Keep-
ing Assist (Ypage 200).
Active Blind Spot Assist
General notes
Active Blind Spot Assist uses a radar sensor
system, pointed toward the rear of the vehicle,
to monitor the area to the sides of the vehicle
which the driver is unable to see. A warning lamp lights up in the exterior mirrors and draws your
attention to vehicles detected in the monitored
area. If you then switch on the corresponding
turn signal to change lane, you will also receive
an optical and audible warning. If a risk of lateral
collision is detected, corrective braking may
help you avoid a collision. Before a course-cor-
recting brake application, Active Blind Spot
Assist evaluates the space in the direction of
travel and at the sides of the vehicle. For this,
Active Blind Spot Assist uses the forward-facing
radar sensors.
Active Blind Spot Assist supports you from a
speed of approximately 20 mph (30 km/h).
Important safety notes
Active Blind Spot Assist is only an aid and is not
a substitute for attentive driving.
GWARNING
Active Blind Spot Assist does not react to:
Rvehicles overtaken too closely on the side,
placing them in the blind spot area
Rvehicles which approach with a large speed
differential and overtake your vehicle
As a result, Active Blind Spot Assist may nei-
ther give warnings nor intervene in such sit-
uations. There is a risk of an accident.
Always observe the traffic conditions care-
fully, and maintain a safe lateral distance.
iUSA only: This device has been approved by
the FCC as a "Vehicular Radar System". The
radar sensor is intended for use in an auto-
motive radar system only. Removal, tamper-
ing, or altering of the device will void any war-
ranties, and is not permitted by the FCC. Do
not tamper with, alter, or use in any non-
approved way.
Any unauthorized modification to this device
could void the user's authority to operate the
equipment.
iCanada only: This device complies with
RSS-210 of Industry Canada. Operation is
subject to the following two conditions:
1. This device may not cause interference,
and
2. This device must accept any interference
received, including interference that may
cause undesired operation of the device.
Driving systems197
Driving and parking
Z 

which the maximum permissible speed for vehi-
cle/trailer combinations is above 60 mph
(100 km/h).
When towing a trailer, your vehicle's handling
characteristics will be different in comparison towhen driving without a trailer and it will con-
sume more fuel.
Shift to a lower gear on long and steep downhill
gradients.
This also applies to:
Ractivated DISTRONIC PLUS
Ractivated cruise control
This will use the braking effect of the engine, so that less braking will be required to maintain the
speed. This relieves the load on the brake sys-
tem and prevents the brakes from overheating
and wearing too quickly. If you need additional
braking, depress the brake pedal repeatedly
rather than continuously.
Driving tips
If the trailer swings from side to side:
XDo not accelerate.
XDo not counter-steer.
XBrake if necessary.
RMaintain a greater distance from the vehicle
in front than when driving without a trailer.
RAvoid braking abruptly. If possible, brake gen-tly at first to allow the trailer to run on. Then,
increase the braking force rapidly.
RThe values given for gradient-climbing capa-
bilities from a standstill refer to sea level.
When driving in mountainous areas, note that
the power output of the engine and, conse-
quently, the vehicle's gradient-climbing capa-
bility, decreases with increasing altitude.
Installing the ball coupling
GWARNING
If the ball coupling is not correctly installed
and secured, it could come loose while driving and endanger other road users. There is a risk
of an accident and injury.
Install and secure the ball coupling as descri-
bed in the ball coupling manufacturer's instal- lation instructions. Make sure that the ball
coupling is correctly installed and secured
before every journey.
GWARNING
If the ball coupling is not installed and secured
correctly the trailer may come loose. There is
a risk of an accident.
Install and secure the ball coupling as descri-
bed in the ball coupling installation instruc-
tions. Make sure that the ball coupling is
installed and secured correctly before every
journey.
XPull protective cap :in the direction of the
arrow, out of the ball coupling recess.
XStow protective cap :so that it cannot be
thrown around.
XObserve the manufacturer's installation
instructions.
Observe the loading guidelines (
Ypage 278)
and the safety notes regarding stowage
spaces (
Ypage 278).
Coupling up a trailer
!
Do not connect the trailer's brake system (if
featured) to the hydraulic brake system of the
towing vehicle, as the latter is equipped with
an anti-lock brake system. Doing so will result
in a loss of function of the brake systems of
both the vehicle and the trailer.
XApply the vehicle's electric parking brake
manually.
XStart the engine.
XShift the transmission to position j.
XVehicles with AIR BODY CONTROL: select
the Comfort drive program.
204Towing a trailer
Driving and parking