2017 MERCEDES-BENZ S-Class CABRIOLET air condition

The ECO display summarizes the driving char-
acteristics from the start of the journey to its
completion. For this reason, the bars change
dynamically at the beginning of the journey. On
longer journeys, there are fewer changes. For
more dynamic changes, carry out a manual
reset.
Show the ECO display (
Ypage 191).
Braking
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If you shift down on a slippery road surface in an attempt to increase the engine's braking
effect, the 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 a slippery road surface.
Downhill gradients
!On long and steep gradients, you must
reduce the load on the brakes by shifting to a
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.
When you take advantage of engine braking, a
drive wheel may not turn for some time, e.g.
on a slippery 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 stopping distance and can even
cause the braking system to fail. There is a
risk of an accident.
Never use the brake pedal as a footrest. Never
depress the brake pedal and the accelerator
pedal at the same time.
!Depressing the brake pedal constantly
results in excessive and premature wear to
the brake pads.
If the brakes have been subjected to a heavy
load, do not stop the vehicle immediately. Drive
on for a short while. This allows the airflow to
cool the brakes more quickly.
Wet roads
If you have driven for a long time in heavy rain
without braking, there may be a delayed 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 a greater distance from the
vehicle in front.
After driving on a wet 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, a layer of salt resi-
due may form on the brake discs and brake
pads. This can result in a significantly 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
beginning and end of a journey.
RMaintain a greater distance to the 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 a warning tone while 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.
146Driving tips
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Excessive heavy braking results in correspond-
ingly high brake wear. Observe the brake wear
warning lamp in the instrument cluster and note
any brake status messages in the multifunction
display. Especially for high performance driving,it is important to maintain and have the brake
system checked regularly.
Driving on wet roads
Hydroplaning
If water has accumulated to a certain depth on
the road surface, there is a danger of hydro-
planing occurring, even if:
Ryou drive at low speeds
Rthe tires have adequate tread depth
For this reason, in the event of heavy rain or in
conditions in which hydroplaning may occur,
you must drive in the following manner:
Rlower your speed
Ravoid ruts
Ravoid sudden steering movements
Rbrake carefully
Driving on flooded roads
!Do not drive through flooded areas. Check
the depth of any water before driving through
it. Drive slowly through standing water. Oth-
erwise, water may enter the vehicle interior or
the engine compartment. This can damage
the electronic components in the engine or
the automatic transmission. Water can also
be drawn in by the engine's air suction nozzles
and this can cause engine damage.
Winter driving
GWARNING
If you shift down on a slippery road surface in an attempt to increase the engine's braking
effect, the 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 a slippery road surface.
GDANGER
If the exhaust pipe is blocked or adequate
ventilation is not possible, poisonous gases
such as carbon monoxide (CO) may enter the vehicle. This is the case, e.g. if the vehicle
becomes trapped in snow. There is a risk of
fatal injury.
If you leave the engine or the auxiliary heating
running, make sure the exhaust pipe and area
around the vehicle are clear of snow. To
ensure an adequate supply of fresh air, open a
window on the side of the vehicle that is not
facing into the wind.
Have your vehicle winter-proofed at a qualified
specialist workshop at the onset of winter.
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 position N.
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
po int d
o 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 304).
For more information on driving with summer
tires, see (
Ypage 304).
Observe the notes in the "Winter operation" sec-
tion (
Ypage 304).
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
148Driving system s
Driving an d parking

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 harmful inter-
ference, and
2. This device must accept any interference
received, including interference that may
cause undesired operation of the device.
Removal, tampering, or altering of the device
will void any warranties, and is not permitted. 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.
Important safety notes
GWARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS does not react to:
Rpeople or animals
Rstationary obstacles on the road, e.g. stop- ped or parked vehicles
Roncoming and crossing traffic
As a result, DISTRONIC PLUS may neither give
warnings nor intervene in such situations.
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit- uation and be ready to brake.
GWARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS cannot always clearly iden-
tify other road users and complex traffic sit-
uations.
In such cases, DISTRONIC PLUS may:
Rgive an unnecessary warning and then
brake the vehicle
Rneither give a warning nor intervene
Raccelerate or brake unexpectedly
There is a risk of an accident.
Continue to drive carefully and be ready to
brake, in particular when warned to do so by
DISTRONIC PLUS.
GWARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS brakes your vehicle with up to 50% of the maximum possible deceleration.
If this braking force is insufficient, DISTRONIC
PLUS warns you visually and audibly. There isa risk of an accident.
In such cases, apply the brakes yourself and
try to take evasive action.
!When DISTRONIC PLUS or the HOLD func-
tion is activated, the vehicle brakes automat-
ically in certain situations.
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
DISTRONIC PLUS can neither reduce the risk of
an accident if you fail to adapt your driving style
nor override the laws of physics. DISTRONIC
PLUS cannot take account of road, weather and traffic conditions. DISTRONIC PLUS is only an
aid. You 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.
Do not use DISTRONIC PLUS:
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 ski
d
Rwhen there is poor visibility, e.g. due to fog,
heavy rain or snow
DISTRONIC PLUS may not detect narrow vehi-
cles driving in front, e.g. motorcycles, or vehi-
cles driving on a different line.
In particular, the detection of obstacles can be
impaired if:
Rthere is dirt on the sensors or anything else
covering the sensors
Rthere is snow or heavy rain
Driving systems151
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Z

cle speed, for braking in good time and for stay-
ing in your 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 building site huts on the lane
or projecting out into the lane are not detected.
An inappropriate steering intervention, e.g. afterintentionally 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 support provided by the system can be
impaired 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
cove
red, 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 strong shadows cast on the road 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
Rtake 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 change 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 151).
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
ha nds off the ste

ering 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
Driving systems157
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Activating the HOLD function
XMakesur ethat th eactivation condition sare
met .
XDepress th ebrak epedal .
XQuickl ydepress th ebrak epedal further
until :appear sin th emultifunction display.
The HOLD function is activated. You can
release th ebrak epedal .
If depressing th ebrak epedal th efirst time does
no tactivat eth eHOLD function ,wait briefl yand
then tr yagain .
Deactivating the HOLD function
The HOLD function is deactivated automatically
if:
Ryou accelerate and th etransmission is in
position Dor R.
Ryou shif tth etransmission to position P.
Ryou depress thebrak epedal again wit h acer-
tai namount of pressur euntil ë disap-
pear sfrom th emultifunction display.
Ryou secure th evehicl eusin gth eelectric park -
ing brake.
Ryou activat eDISTRONI CPLUS.
Afte r atime, th eelectric parking brak esecures
th evehicl eand relieves th eservic ebrake. The
HOLD function is then deactivated.
When th eHOLD function is activated, th etrans -
mission is shifte dautomatically to position Pif:
Rth edriver's seat belt is no tfastene dand th e
driver's door is open .
Rtheengin eis switched off ,unless it is auto -
matically switched off by th eECO start/sto p
function . The electric parking brak
esecures th evehicl e
automatically if th eHOLD function is activated
when th evehicl eis stationary and :
Rasystem malfunction occurs.
Rth epowe rsupply is no tsufficient.
If amalfunction in th eelectric parking brak e
occurs, then th etransmission may also be shif -
te dint oposition Pautomatically.
AIRMATIC
Gene ral notes
AIRMATIC is an air suspension wit hvariable
damping for improve ddrivin gcomfort .All-roun d
level control ensures th ebest possibl esuspen -
sion and constan tground clearance ,eve nwit h a
laden vehicle. When you drive fast, th evehicl eis
lowered automatically to improve drivin gsafet y
and to reduce fuel consumption .There is also
th eoption to manually adjust th evehicl elevel.
AIRMATIC consist sof level setting ,level control
and th eAdaptive Dampin gSyste mAD SPLUS.
Import ant safety notes
GWARNIN G
When th evehicl eis bein glowered, people
could become trapped if their limb sare
between th evehicl ebody and th ewheels or
underneat hth evehicle. There is aris kof
injury.
Mak esur eno on eis underneat hth evehicl eor
in th eimmediat evicinity of th ewhee larches
when th evehicl eis bein glowered.
Driving systems159
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All othermodels:
XIfindicat orlamp ;is not lit: press but-
ton :.
Indic ator lamp ;lights up. Sports suspen-
sion tuning is selected.
The AIRMATIC
SPORTmessage appears inthe
multifunction display.
All vehicles except Mercedes-AMG vehicles:
if the driving speed ishigher than 40 mph
(70 km /h), the veh icle isautomatically lowered
by 0.6 in(15 mm).
Comfort tuning
In comfort mode, the driving characteristics of
your veh icleare more comfortable. Therefore,
select th ismode ifyou favor a more comfort able
driv ing style. Select comfort mode also when
driv ing fast on straight roads, e.g. on straight
stretches of highway.
XIf indicat orlamp ;is not lit: press but-
ton :.
Indic ator lamp ;lights up. Comfort tuning is
selected.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: theAMG Suspen‐
sion System COMFORTmessage appears in
the multifunction display.
All other models:theAIRMATIC COMFORT
message appears on the multifunction dis-
play.
If the driving speed ishigher than 75 mph
(12 0km/ h), the vehicle is automatically low-
ered by another 0.4 in (10 mm) compared to the
normal level in comfort mode.
All vehicles except Mercedes-AMG vehicles:
if the driving speed is higher than 100 mph
(160 km/h) and "Comfort" mode is activated,
the vehicle is automatically lowered by 0.4 in
(20 mm).
Load compensation
The vehicle can compensate differences in the
vehicle level by raising or lowering the axles.
4MATIC (permanent four-wheel drive)
4MATIC ensures that all four wheels are perma-
nently driven. Together with ESP®, it improves
the traction of your vehicle whenever a drive
wheel spins due to insufficient grip.
If you fail to adapt your driving style, 4MATIC can
neither reduce the risk of accident nor override
the laws of physics. 4MATIC cannot take
account of road, weather and traffic conditions. 4MATIC 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.
If a drive wheel spins due to insufficient grip:
ROnly depress the accelerator pedal as far as
necessary when pulling away.
RAccelerate less when driving.
!Never tow the vehicle with one axle raised.
This may damage the transfer case. Damage
of this sort is not covered by the Mercedes-
Benz Limited Warranty. All wheels must
remain either on the ground or be fully raised.
Observe the instructions for towing the vehi-
cle with all wheels in full contact with the
ground.
In wintry driving conditions, the maximum effect
of 4MATIC can only be achieved if you use winter
tires (M+S tires), with snow chains if necessary.
PARKTRONIC
Important safety notes
PARKTRONIC is an electronic parking aid with
ultrasonic sensors. It monitors the area around
your vehicle using six sensors in the front
bumper and six sensors in the rear bumper.
PARKTRONIC indicates visually and audibly the
distance between your vehicle and an object.
PARKTRONIC is only an aid. It is not a replace-
ment for your attention to your immediate sur-
roundings. You are always responsible for safe
maneuvering, parking and exiting a parking
space. When maneuvering, parking or pulling
out of a parking space, make sure that there are
Driving systems161
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When ATTENTION ASSIST is deactivated, the
ésymbol appears in the multifunction dis-
play in the assistance graphic display.
When ATTENTION ASSIST has been deactivated,
it is automatically reactivated after the engine
has been stopped. The sensitivity selected cor-
responds to the last selection activated ( Stand‐
ard/Sensitive).
Warning in the multifunction display
If fatigue or increasing lapses in concentration
are detected, a warning appears in the multi-
function display:ATTENTION
ASSIST:TakeaBreak!.
In addition to the message shown in the multi-
function display, you will then hear a warning
tone.
XIf necessary, take a break.
XConfirm the message by pressing the a
button on the steering wheel.
On long journeys, take regular breaks in good
time to allow yourself to rest properly. If you do
not take a break and ATTENTION ASSIST con-
tinues to detect increasing lapses in concentra-
tion, you will be warned again after 15 minutes
at the earliest. This will only happen if ATTEN-
TION ASSIST still detects typical indicators of
fatigue or increasing lapses in concentration.
If a warning is given in the multifunction display,
the multimedia system offers a service station
search. You can select a service station and
navigation to this service station will then begin.
This function can be activated and deactivated
in the multimedia system.
Traffic Sign Assist
General notes
Traffic Sign Assist displays the maximum speed
permitted to the driver in the instrument cluster.
The data and general traffic regulations stored in
the navigation system are used to determine the
current speed limit.
Traffic Sign Assist is a map-based system, and
for this reason, traffic signs put up temporarily
(e.g. near roadworks) are not detected. There is also no display for changing traffic signs.
Traffic signs with a restriction indicated by an
additional sign (e.g. in wet conditions) are also
shown. The sign indicating the end of a restriction only
appears with the restriction in the instrument
cluster when:
Rthe regulation must be observed with the
restriction, or
RTraffic Sign Assist is unable to determine
whether the restriction applies
If Traffic Sign Assist is unable to determine a
maximum permitted speed from any of the avail-
able sources, no speed limit appears in the
instrument cluster either.
Traffic Sign Assist is not available in all coun-
tries. In this case, display :appears in the
assistance graphic (
Ypage 198).
Important safety notes
Traffic Sign Assist is only an aid and is not always
able to correctly display speed limits. Traffic
signs always have priority over the Traffic Sign
Assist display.
The system may be either functionally impaired
or temporarily unavailable if the information in
the digital street map of the navigation system is
incorrect or out of date.
Activating Traffic Sign Assist
XActivate the Traffic Sign Assist display using
the on-board computer (Ypage 199).
If you have activated the Traffic Sign Assist dis-
play in the on-board computer, the traffic regu-
lations (speed limits and overtaking restrictions)
appear in the instrument cluster for five seconds in each case. The wrong-way warning and the
traffic sign display for speed limits and overtak-
ing restrictions remain active even when the
display has been deactivated.
Driving systems177
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sion is detected, corrective braking may help
you avoid a collision. Before a course-correcting
brake application, Active Blind Spot Assist eval-
uates 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 sen-
sors.
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 harmful inter-
ference, and
2. This device must accept any interference
received, including interference that may
cause undesired operation of the device.
Removal, tampering, or altering of the device
will void any warranties, and is not permitted. 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.
Radar sensors
The Active Blind Spot Assist radar sensors are
integrated into the front and rear bumpers and
behind a cover in the radiator trim. Make sure
that the bumpers and the cover in the radiator
grill are free of dirt, ice or slush. The rear sensors
must not be covered, for example by cycle racks
or overhanging cargo. Following a severe impact
or in the event of damage to the bumpers, have
the function of the radar sensors checked at a
qualified specialist workshop. Active Blind Spot
Assist may otherwise no longer work properly.
Monitoring area
GWARNING
Active Blind Spot Assist does not detect all
traffic situations and road users. There is a
risk of an accident.
Always make sure that there is sufficient dis-
tance on the side for other traffic or obstacles.
At a distance of approximately 1.6 ft (0.5 m);
from the vehicle, Active Blind Spot Assist mon-
itors the area up to 10 ft (3 m) next to =and
behind :your vehicle, as shown in the picture.
The detection of obstacles can be impaired in
the case of:
Rthere is dirt on the sensors or anything else
covering the sensors
Rpoor visibility, e.g. due to rain, snow or spray
182Driving systems
Driving and parking