Notes on breaking-in a new vehicle
Important safety notes
The sensor system of some driving and driving
safety systems adjusts automatically while a
certain distance is being driven after the vehiclehas been delivered or after repairs. Full system
effectiveness is not reached until the end of this
teach-in procedure.
New and replaced brake pads and discs only
reach their optimum braking effect after several hundred kilometers of driving. Compensate for
this by applying greater force to the brake pedal.
The first 1000 miles (1500 km)
The more you look after the engine when it is
new, the more satisfied you will be with its per-
formance in the future.
RYou should therefore drive at varying vehicle
and engine speeds for the first 1000 miles
(1500 km).
RAvoid heavy loads, e.g. driving at full throttle,during this period.
RWhen shifting gears manually, upshift in good
time, before the tachometer needle reaches
Ô of the way to the red area of the tachom-
eter.
RDo not manually shift to a lower gear to brake
the vehicle.
RTry to avoid depressing the accelerator pedal
beyond the point of resistance (kickdown).
RAll vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles): ideally, for the first 1,000 miles
(1,500 km), drive in drive program E.
Additional breaking-in notes for Mercedes-AMG vehicles:
RDo not drive faster than 85 mph (140 km/h)
for the first 1,000 miles (1,500 km).
ROnly allow the engine to reach a maximum
engine speed of 4,500 rpm briefly.
RChange gear in good time.
RIdeally, for the first 1,000 miles (1,500 km),
drive in program C.
After 1000 miles (1500 km),you can incre
ase
th eengin espeed gradually and accelerate th e
vehicl eto full speed.
You should also observ ethese note son break-
in g in if th eengin eor part sof th edrive train on
your vehicl ehav ebeen replaced. Always observ
eth emaximum permissibl e
speed.
Driving
Imp ortant safety notes
GWARNIN G
Objects in th edriver's footwell can restrict th e
pedal travel or obstruct adepressed pedal .
The operating and roa dsafet yof th evehicl eis
jeopardized. There is aris kof an accident.
Mak esur ethat all objects in th evehicl eare
stowed correctly, and that they canno tente r
th edriver's footwell. Install th efloormats
securel yand as specified in order to ensur e
sufficien tclearance for th epedals. Do no tuse
loos efloormats and do no tplac efloormats on
to pof on eanother.
GWARNIN G
Unsuitable footwear can hinder correc tusage
of th epedals, e.g. :
Rshoes withthick sole s
Rshoes withhigh heels
Rslipper s
There is aris kof an accident.
Wear suitable footwear to ensur ecorrec t
usage of th epedals.
GWARNIN G
If you switch off th eignition while driving,
safety-relevant function sare only available
wit hlimitations, or no tat all. This could affect,
for example, th epowe rsteerin gand th ebrak e
boostin geffect. You will require considerably
mor eeffort to steer and brake. There is aris k
of an accident.
Do no tswitch off th eignition while driving.
GWARNIN G
If th eparkin gbrak ehas no tbeen full y
release dwhen driving, th eparkin gbrak ecan :
Roverheat and caus e afire
Rlose it shold function .
144Driving
Driving and parking
RESP®intervenes or you deactivate ESP®
Ryou shift the transmission to positionNwhile
driving.
If cruise control is deactivated, you will hear a
warning tone. You will see the Cruise Con‐
trol Offmessage in the multifunction display
for approximately five seconds.
When you switch off the engine, the last speed
stored is cleared.
DISTRONIC PLUS
General notes
DISTRONIC PLUS regulates the speed and auto-
matically helps you maintain the distance from
the vehicle detected in front. Vehicles are detec-
ted with the aid of the radar sensor system.
DISTRONIC PLUS brakes automatically so that
the set speed is not exceeded.
Change into a lower gear in good time on long
and steep downhill gradients. This is especially
important if the vehicle is laden. By doing so, you
will make use of the braking effect of the engine.
This relieves the load on the brake system and
prevents the brakes from overheating and wear-
ing too quickly.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that there is a risk of a collision, you will be warned visually and
acoustically. DISTRONIC PLUS cannot prevent a
collision without your intervention. An intermit-
tent warning tone will then sound and the dis-
tance warning lamp will light up in the instru-
ment cluster. Brake immediately in order to
increase the distance to the vehicle in front or
take evasive action provided it is safe to do so.
DISTRONIC PLUS operates in the speed range
between 0 mph (0 km/h) and 120 mph
(200 km/h).
Do not use DISTRONIC PLUS while driving on
roads with steep gradients.
As DISTR ONIC P
LUS transmits radar waves, it
can resemble the radar detectors of the respon- sible authorities. You can refer to the relevant
chapter in the Operator's Manual if questions
are asked about this.
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 voi d th
e 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.
Driving system s171
Driving an d parking
Z
Continue todrive carefully and beready to
brake, inparticular when warned to dosoby
DI ST RONIC PLU S.
GWARNING
DI ST RONIC PLUS brakes your veh icle with up
to 50 %of the maximum possible deceleration.
If this braking force is insufficient, DISTRONIC
PLUS warns you visually and audibly. There is a 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 skid
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
Rthere is interference by other radar sources
Rthere are strong radar reflections, for exam-
ple, in parking garages
If DISTR
ONIC PLUS no longer detects a vehicle
in front, DISTRONIC PLUS may unexpectedly
accelerate the vehicle to the stored speed.
This speed may:
Rbe too high if you are driving in a filter lane or an exit lane
Rbe so high in the right lane that you pass vehi-cles driving on the left (left-hand drive coun-
tries)
Rbe so high in the left lane that you pass vehi-
cles driving on the right (right-hand drive
countries)
If there is a change of drivers, advise the new
driver of the speed stored.
Cruise control lever
:Activates or increases speed
;Activates or reduces speed
=Deactivates DISTRONIC PLUS
?Activates at the current speed/last stored
speed
ASets a specified minimum distance
Activating DISTRONIC PLUS
Activation conditions
To activate DISTRONIC PLUS, the following con-
ditions must be fulfilled:
Rthe engine must be started. It may take up to two minutes after pulling away before
DISTRONIC PLUS is operational.
Rthe electric parking brake must be released.
RESP®must be activated, but not intervening
at present.
RActive Parking Assist must not be activated.
172Driving systems
Driving and parking
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
no persons, animals or objects in the area in
which you are maneuvering.
!When parking, pay particular attention to
objects above or below the sensors, such as
flower pots or trailer drawbars. PARKTRONIC
does not detect such objects when they are in
the immediate vicinity of the vehicle. You
could damage the vehicle or the objects.
The sensors may not detect snow and other
objects that absorb ultrasonic waves.
Ultrasonic sources such as an automatic car
wash, the compressed-air brakes on a truck
or a pneumatic drill could cause PARKTRONIC
to malfunction.
PARKTRONIC may not function correctly on
uneven terrain.
PARKTRONIC is activated automatically when
you:
Rswitch on the ignition
Rshift the transmission to position D,R or N
PARKTRONIC is deactivated at speeds above
11 mph (18 km/h). It i
s reactivated at lower
speeds.
Range of the sensors
PARKTRONIC does not take objects into con-
sideration that are:
Rbelow the detection range, e.g. people, ani-
mals or objects.
Rabove the detection range, e.g. overhanging
loads, truck overhangs or loading ramps.
:Sensors in the front bumper, left-hand side
(example)
:Approx. 24 in (approx. 60 cm) (corners)
;Approx. 32 in (approx. 80 cm) (corners)
=Approx. 48 in (approx. 120 cm) (center)
?Approx. 40 in (approx. 100 cm) (center)
The sensors must be free from dirt, ice or slush.
They can otherwise not function correctly. Clean
184Driving systems
Driving and parking
the sensors regularly, taking care not to scratch
or damage them (Ypage 323).
Minimum distance
CenterApprox. 8 in (approx. 20 cm)
CornersApprox. 6 in (approx. 15 cm)
If there is an obstacle within this range, the rel-
evant warning displays light up and a warning
tone sounds. If the distance falls below the min-
imum, the distance may no longer be shown.
Warning displays
:Segments on the left-hand side of the vehi-
cle
;Segments on the right-hand side of the vehi-
cle
=Segments showing operational readiness
The warning displays show the distance
between the sensors and the obstacle. The
warning display for the front area is in the instru-
ment cluster. The warning display for the rear
area is located on the headliner in the rear com- partment.
The warning display for each side of the vehicle
is divided into five yellow and two red segments.
PARKTRONIC is operational if operational read-
iness indicator =lights up.
The selected transmission position and the
direction in which the vehicle is rolling deter-
mine which warning display is active when the
engine is running.
Transmission posi-
tionWarning display
DFront area activated
R, Nor the vehicle is
rolling backwardsRear and front areas
activated
PNo areas activated
One or more segments light up as the vehicle
approaches an obstacle, depending on the vehi-
cle's distance from the obstacle.
From the:
Rsixth segment onwards, you will hear an inter-
mittent warning tone for approximately two
seconds.
Rseventh segment onwards, you will hear a
warning tone for approximately two seconds.
This indicates that you have now reached the minimum distance.
Deactivating/activating PARKTRONIC
:Indicator lamp
;Deactivates/activates PARKTRONIC
If indicator lamp :is on then PARKTRONIC is
deactivated. Active Parking Assist is then also
deactivated.
iPARKTRONIC is activated automatically
when you switch on the ignition.
Driving system s185
Driving an d parking
Z
Problems with PARKTRONIC
ProblemPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
Only the red segments in
the PARKTRONIC warn-
ing displays are lit. You
also hear a warning tone
for approximately two
seconds.
PARKTRONIC is then
deactivated and the indi-
cator lamp on the
PARKTRONIC button
lights up.PARKTRONIC has malfunctioned and has switched off.
XIf problems persist, have PARKTRONIC checked at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
Only the red segments in
the PARKTRONIC warn-
ing displays are lit.
PARKTRONIC is then
deactivated.The PARKTRONIC sensors are dirty or there is interference.
XClean the PARKTRONIC sensors (Ypage 323).
XSwitch the ignition back on.
The problem may be caused by an external source of radio or ultra-
sound waves.
XSee if PARKTRONIC functions in a different location.
Active Parking Assist
General notes
Active Parking Assist is an electronic parking aid
with ultrasound. It measures the road on both
sides of the vehicle. A parking symbol indicates a suitable parking space. Active steering inter-
vention and brake application can assist you
during parking and when exiting a parking
space. You may also use PARKTRONIC
(
Ypage 184).
Important safety notes
Active Parking Assist is merely an aid. It is not a
replacement for your attention to your immedi-
ate surroundings. You are always responsible
for safe maneuvering, parking and exiting a
parking space. Make sure that no persons, ani-
mals or objects are in the maneuvering range.
When PARKTRONIC is switched off, Active Park-
ing Assist is also unavailable.
For vehicles with the trailer tow hitch folded out,the minimum length for parking spaces is
slightly longer.
If you have attached a trailer to your vehicle, you
should not use Active Parking Assist. Once the
electrical connection is established between your vehicle and the trailer, Active Parking
Assist is no longer available. PARKTRONIC is
deactivated for the rear area.
GWARNING
While parking or pulling out of a parking
space, the vehicle swings out and can drive
onto areas of the oncoming lane. This could
result in a collision with another road user.
There is a risk of an accident.
Pay attention to other road users. Stop the
vehicle if necessary or cancel the Active Park- ing Assist parking procedure.
!If unavoidable, you should drive over obsta-
cles such as curbs slowly and not at a sharp
angle. Otherwise, you may damage the
wheels or tires.
Active Parking Assist may possibly indicate
parking spaces which are not suitable for park-
ing, for example:
Rwhere parking or stopping is prohibited
Rin front of driveways or entrances and exits
Ron unsuitable surfaces
186Driving systems
Driving and parking
DrivingAssistance PLUS package
General notes
The Driving Assistanc ePLU Spackage consist s
of DISTRONIC PLU S (Ypage 171), Active Blin d
Spot Assis t (Ypage 204) and Active Lan eKeep-
in g Assis t (Ypage 206).
Active Blind Spot Assist
General notes
Active Blin dSpot Assis tuses aradar sensor
system, pointe dtoward th erea rof th evehicle,
to monito rth eare ato th esides of th evehicle
whic hth edriver is unable to see . Awarnin gdis -
play in th eexterio rmirrors draws your attention
to vehicles detecte din th emonitored area. If
you then switch on th ecorrespondin gturn sig -
nal to chang elane, you will also receiv ean opti-
cal and audible warning. If aris kof latera lcolli-
sio nis detected, corrective braking may hel p
you avoid acollision .Before acourse-correcting
brake application ,Active Blin dSpot Assis teval-
uates th espac ein th edirection of trave land at
th esides of th evehicle. Fo rthis, Active Blin d
Spot Assis tuses th eforward-facin gradar sen -
sors.
Active Blin dSpot Assis tsupports you from a
speed of approximately 20 mph (30 km/h).
Important safet ynotes
Active Blin dSpot Assis tis only an aid and is no t
a substitute fo rattentive driving.
GWARNING
Active Blin dSpot Assis tdoe sno treact to :
Rvehicles overtaken to oclosely on th eside,
placin gthem in th eblin dspo tare a
Rvehicles whic happroac hwit h a larg espeed
differential and overtak eyour vehicle
As aresult ,Active Blin dSpot Assis tmay nei-
ther giv ewarnings no rinterven ein suc hsit -
uations. There is aris kof an accident.
Always observ eth etraffic condition scare-
fully, and maintain asaf elatera ldistance.
iUS Aonly: Thi sdevic ehas bee napproved by
th eFCC as a"Vehicular Radar System". The
radar sensor is intended fo ruse in an auto-
motive radar syste monly. Removal, tamper-
ing, or altering of th edevic ewill void any war- ranties, and is no
tpermitte dby th eFCC. Do
no ttampe rwith, alter, or use in any non-
approved way.
An yunauthorized modification to this devic e
could void th euser's authorit yto operat eth e
equipment.
iCanada only: Thi sdevic ecomplies wit h
RSS-210 of Industry Canada. Operation is
subjec tto th efollowin gtw oconditions:
1. Thi sdevic emay no tcause harmful inter-
ference ,and
2. Thi sdevic emus taccept any i
nterferenc
e
received, includin ginterferenc ethat may
cause undesired operation of th edevice.
Removal, tampering, or altering of th edevic e
will void any warranties ,and is no tpermitted.
Do no ttampe rwith, alter, or use in any non-
approved way.
An yunauthorized modification to this devic e
could void th euser's authorit yto operat eth e
equipment.
Rada rsensor s
The Active Blind Spot Assis tradar sensor sare
integrated into th efron tand rea rbumper sand
behin d acover in th eradiator trim. Mak esur e
that th ebumper sand th ecover in th eradiator
grill are free of dirt, ic eor slush. The rea rsensor s
mus tno tbe covered, fo rexample by cycle racks
or overhangin gcargo. Followin g asevere impact
or in th eevent of damage to th ebumpers, hav e
th efunction of th eradar sensor schecke dat a
qualified specialis tworkshop .Active Blin dSpot
Assis tmay otherwise no longer wor kproperly.
Monitoring area
GWARNING
Active Blind Spot Assis tdoe sno tdetec tall
traffic situation sand road users. There is a
ris kof an accident.
Always mak esur ethat there is sufficien tdis -
tanc eon th esid efo rother traffic or obstacles.
204Driving systems
Driving an d parking
At a distance of approximately 1.6 ft (0.5m);
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
Vehicles in the monitoring range are then not
indicated.
Active Blind Spot Assist may not detect narrow
vehicles, such as motorcycles or bicycles, or
may only detect them too late.
If the lanes are narrow, vehicles driving in the
lane beyond the lane next to your vehicle may be
indicated, especially if the vehicles are not driv-
ing in the middle of their lane. This may be the
case if there are vehicles at the inner edge of
your lane.
Due to the nature of the system:
Rwarnings may be issued in error when driving
close to crash barriers or similar solid lane
borders.
Rwarnings may be interrupted when driving
alongside particularly long vehicles, e.g.
trucks, for a prolonged time.
Warning lamp
Active Blind Spot Assist is not operational at
speeds below approximately 20 mph (30 km/h).
Vehicles in the monitoring range are then not
indicated.
If a vehicle is detected within the blind spot
monitoring range at speeds above 20 mph
(30 km/h), warning lamp :on the correspond-
ing side lights up red. This warning is always
emitted when a vehicle enters the blind spot
monitoring range from behind or from the side.
When you overtake a vehicle, the warning only
occurs if the difference in speed is less than
7 mph (12 km/h).
If you select the reverse gear, Active Blind Spot
Assist is not operational.
The brightness of the warning lamps is auto-
matically adapted to the brightness of the sur-
roundings.
When Active Blind Spot Assist is activated, gray
radar waves propagating backwards appear
next to the vehicle in the assistance display in
the multifunction display. Above a speed of
20 mph (30 km/h), the color of the radar waves
in the assistance display changes to green ;.
Active Blind Spot Assist is then ready for use.
Visual and acoustic collision warning
If you switch on the turn signals to change lanes and a vehicle is detected in the side monitoring
range, you receive a visual and acoustic collision warning. You will then hear a double warning
tone and red warning lamp flashes. If the turn
Driving systems205
Driving and parking
Z