2017 MERCEDES-BENZ S-Class MAYBACH steering wheel

XMercedes-AMG vehicles:press program
selector button :repeatedly until the letter
for the desired drive program appears in the
multifunction display.
The program selector button influences:
Rthe drive program (Ypage 156)
Rthe engine management
On Mercedes-AMG vehicles, drive program Eis
called drive program C.
The automatic transmission switches to auto-
matic drive program E(drive program Cin
Mercedes-AMG vehicles).
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles)
E EconomyComfortable, economical
driving
S SportSporty driving style
You can also activate manual drive program M
using the steering wheel paddle shifters
(
Ypage 157). In manual drive program M, you
can briefly change gear yourself by using the
steering wheel paddle shifters.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles
C Controlled
EfficiencyComfortable, economical
driving
S SportSporty driving style
M ManualManual gear shifting
Permanent drive program Mis only available for
Mercedes-AMG vehicles.
Further information about permanent drive pro-
gram M(
Ypage 158).
You can also activate manual drive program M
using the steering wheel paddle shifters (
Ypage 157). In manual drive program
M, you
can briefly change gear yourself by using the
steering wheel paddle shifters.
For further information on the automatic drive
program, see (
Ypage 156).
Steering wheel paddle shifters
You can activate manual drive program Min the
E (C in AMG vehicles) and Sautomatic drive
programs using steering wheel paddle shift-
ers :and ;(
Ypage 157). In manual drive
program M, you can briefly change gear yourself
by using the steering wheel paddle shifters.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: you can also activate
manual drive program Mwith the program
selector button (
Ypage 158). In manual drive
program M, you can permanently change gear
yourself by using the steering wheel paddle
shifters.
Automatic drive program
Automatic drive program E
Drive program E(drive program Con Mercedes-
AMG vehicles) is characterized by the following:
Rcomfort-oriented engine settings.
Roptimal fuel consumption resulting from the
automatic transmission shifting up sooner.
Rthe vehicle pulls away more gently in forward
and reverse gears, unless the accelerator
pedal is depressed fully.
Rthe vehicle has improved driving stability, for
example on slippery road surfaces.
Rthe automatic transmission shifting up
sooner. This results in the vehicle being driven
at lower engine speeds and the wheels being
less likely to spin.
156Automatic transmission
Driving and parking

Automa tic drive program S
Drive program Sis characterized by th efollow-
ing :
Rsport yengin esettings.
Rth evehicl epulls away in first gear .
Rtheautomatic transmission shifts up later.
The fuel consumption possibl ybein ghigher
as aresult of th elater automatic transmission
shif tpoints .
Manual drive program M
Genera lnotes
In this drive program ,you can briefl ychang e
gear yourself by usin gth esteering whee lpaddl e
shifters. The transmission mus tbe in position D.
You can activat emanual drive program Min th e
E (C in Mercedes-AM Gvehicles) and Sauto -
matic drive programs.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: as well as temporary
drive program M,you can also activat eperma-
nent drive program M.Further information
about permanen tdrive program M
(
Ypage 158).
Acti vating
XShift th etransmission to position D.
XPull thelef tor right steering whee lpaddl e
shifte r (Ypage 156).
Manual drive program Mis temporarily acti-
vated.
All vehicles (excep tMercedes-AMG vehi-
cles: )Mand the selected gear appear in the
multifunction display.
Shifting gears
If you pull on the left or right steering wheel
paddle shifter, the automatic transmission
switches to manual drive program Mfor a limi-
ted amount of time. Depending on which steer-
ing wheel paddle shifter is pulled, the automatic
transmission immediately shifts into the next
gear down or up, if permitted.
XTo shift up: pull the right-hand steering wheel
paddle shifter (Ypage 156).
The automatic transmission shifts up to the
next gear.
If the maximum engine speed on the currently
engaged gear is reached and you c
ontinue to
accelerate, the automatic transmission auto- matically shifts up in order to prevent engine
damage.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles:
the automatic
transmission will not shift up to the next gear when the engine speed is very low.
XTo shift down: pull on the left-hand steering
wheel paddle shifter (Ypage 156).
The automatic transmission shifts down to
the next gear.
If the engine exceeds the maximum engine
speed when shifting down, the automatic
transmission protects against engine damage
by not shifting down.
Automatic down shifting occurs when coast-
ing.
Shift recommendation
The gearshift recommendations assist you in
adopting an economical driving style. The mul-
tifunction display shows the recommended
gear.
XShift to recommended gear ;according to
gearshift recommendation :when shown in
the multifunction display of the instrument
cluster.
Deactivating
If you have activated manual drive program M, it
will remain active for a certain amount of time.
Under certain conditions the minimum amount
of time is extended, e.g. in the case of lateral
acceleration, during an overrun phase or when
driving on steep terrain.
If manual drive program Mhas been deactiva-
ted, the automatic transmission shifts into the
automatic drive program that was last selected.
Automatic transmission157
Driving and parking
Z

You can also deactivate manual drive program
Myourself:
XPull on the right-hand steering wheel paddle
shifter and hold it in place (Ypage 156).
or
XUse the DIRECT SELECT lever to switch the
transmission position.
or
XUse the program selector button to change
the drive program (Ypage 155).
Manual drive program Mis deactivated. The
automatic transmission switches to the pre-
viously activated drive program E(drive pro-
gram Con Mercedes-AMG vehicles) or S.
Manual drive program (Mercedes-
AMG vehicles)
General information
In this drive program, you can permanently
change gear yourself by using the steering
wheel paddle shifters. The transmission must be
in position D.
Manual drive program Mis different from drive
program Swith regard to spontaneity, respon-
siveness and smoothness of gear changes.
As well as this permanent drive program M, you
can also activate temporary drive program
M (
Ypage 157).
Switching on the manual drive program
In manual drive program M, you can change gear
using the steering wheel paddle shifters if the
transmission is in position D. You can see the
currently selected drive program and which gear
is engaged in the multifunction display.
XPress the program selector button
(Ypage 155) repeatedly until Mappears in
the multifunction display.
Upshifting
!In manual drive program M, the automatic
transmission does not shift up automatically even when the engine limiting speed for the
current gear is reached. When the engine lim-
iting speed is reached, the fuel supply is cut to
prevent the engine from overrevving. Always
make sure that the engine speed does not
reach the red area of the tachometer. There is
otherwise a risk of engine damage.
:Gear indicator
;Upshift indicator
Before the engine speed reaches the red area,
an upshift indicator will be shown in the multi-
function display.
XWhen message ;appears in the multifunc-
tion display, pull on the right-hand steering
wheel paddle shifter.
Downshifting
XPull the left-hand steering wheel paddle
shifter (Ypage 156).
The automatic transmission shifts down to
the next gear if this is permissible.
Maximum acceleration
XPull the left-hand steering wheel paddle
shifter until the transmission selects the opti-
mum gear according to the speed.
If you slow down or stop without shifting down,
the automatic transmission automatically shifts
down.
Switching off the manual drive program
XPress the program selector button
(Ypage 155) repeatedly until Cor Sappears
in the multifunction display.
158Automatic transmission
Driving and parking

Always replace all brake disks and brake pads/
linings on an axle at the same time. Always
install new brake pads/linings when replacing
brake disks.
The vehicle is equipped with lightweight brake
disks to which the wheel assembly with rim and
threaded connection is matched.
The use of brake disks other than those
approved by Mercedes-Benz can change the
track width and is subject to approval, if appli-
cable.
Shock-type loads when handling the brake
discs, such as when changing wheels, can lead
to a reduction in comfort when driving with light-
weight brake discs. Avoid shock-type loads on
the lightweight brake disks, particularly on the
brake plate.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you only use
brake fluid that has been specially approved for
your vehicle by Mercedes-Benz, or which corre-
sponds to an equivalent quality standard. Brake
fluid which has not been approved for
Mercedes-Benz vehicles or which is not of an
equivalent quality could affect your vehicle's
operating safety.
AMG high-performance and ceramic
brakes
The high-performance brake system is only
available on Mercedes-AMG vehicles.
The AMG brake systems are designed for heavy
loads. This may lead to noise when braking. This
will depend on:
RSpeed
RBraking force
REnvironmental conditions, such as tempera-
ture and humidity
The wear of individual components of the brake
system, such as the brake pads/linings or brake
discs, depends on the individual driving style
and operating conditions.
For this reason, it is impossible to state a mile-
age that will be valid under all circumstances. An aggressive driving style will lead to high wear.
You can obtain more information on this from a
qualified specialist workshop.
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.
Keep this in mind, and adapt your driving and
braking accordingly during this break-in period. 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 performa
nce d
riving,
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.
168Driving tips
Driving an d parking

GDANGER
If th eexhaust pipe is blocke dor adequate
ventilation is no tpossible, poisonous gase s
suc has carbon monoxide (CO) may ente rth e
vehicle. This is th ecase, e.g. if th evehicl e
become strapped in snow. There is aris kof
fatal injury.
If you leav eth eengin eor th eauxiliary heating
running, mak esur eth eexhaust pipe and area
around th evehicl eare clear of snow. To
ensur ean adequate supply of fresh air, open a
window on th eside of th evehicl ethat is no t
facing int oth ewind.
Hav eyour vehicl ewinter-proofe dat aqualified
specialist workshop at th eonset of winter.
Drive particularly carefully on slipper yroa dsur -
faces. Avoid sudden acceleration ,steering and
braking maneuvers .Do no tuse th ecruise con-
trol or DISTRONI CPLUS.
If th evehicl ethreaten sto skid or canno tbe
stoppe dwhen moving at low speed:
XShift th etransmission to position N.
The outside temperature indicator is no t
designed to serve as an ice-warning device and
is therefor eunsuitable for that purpose .
Changes in th eoutside temperature are dis-
played after ashort delay.
Indicate dtemperatures jus tabov eth efreezing
poin tdo no tguarantee that th eroa dsurfac eis
free of ice .The roa dmay s
till be icy, especially in
wooded area sor on bridges .
You should pay special attention to roa dcondi-
tion swhen temperatures are around freezing
point.
Fo rmor einformation on drivin gwit hsnow
chains, see (
Ypage 345).
Fo rmor einformation on drivin gwit hsummer
tires ,see (
Ypage 345).
Observ eth enote sin th e"Winte roperation "sec -
tion (
Ypage 345).
Driving systems
Mercedes-Benz Intelligent Drive
Mercedes-Ben zIntelligent Drive stand sfor inno-
vative driver assistanc eand safet ysystems
whic henhance comfort and support th edriver in critical situations. Wit
hthese intelligen tco-ordi -
nated systems Mercedes-Ben zhas set amile -
ston eon th epat htoward sautonomous driving.
Mercedes-Ben zIntelligent Drive embraces all
elements of active and passive safet yin on ewell
though tout system –for th esafet yof th evehi-
cle occupant sand that of other roa dusers.
Further information on drivin gsafet ysystems
(
Ypage 65).
Cruise control
Gene ral notes
Cruis econtrol maintains aconstan troa dspeed
for you. It brakes automatically in order to avoid
exceedin gth eset speed. Change int o alower
gear in goo dtime on lon gand steep downhill
gradients .This is especially important if th e
vehicl eis laden .By doin gso, you will mak euse
of th ebraking effec tof th eengine. This relieves
th eload on th ebrak esystem and prevents th e
brakes from overheating and wearing to o
quickly.
You can use cruise control if you wan tto drive at
a steady speed for aprolonged period of time.
You can store any roa dspeed abov e20 mph
(30 km/h).
Import ant safety notes
If you fail to adapt your drivin gstyle, cruise con-
trol can neither reduce th eris kof an acciden t
no roverride th elaws of physics .Cruis econtrol
canno ttak eint oaccoun tth eroad, traffic and
weather conditions. Cruis econtrol is only an
aid. You are responsibl efor maintainin g asafe
distanc eto th evehicl ein front, for vehicl e
speed, for braking in goo dtime and for stayin gin
lane.
Do no tuse cruise control :
Rin roadand traffic condition swhic hdo no t
allow you to maintai n aconstan tspeed, e.g. in
heav ytraffic or on windin groads
Ron slipper yroa dsurfaces. Braking or accel-
erating could caus eth edrive wheels to lose
traction and th evehicl ecould then skid
Rwhen there is poor visibility, e.g. due to fog ,
heav yrain or snow
If there is achang eof drivers, advise th ene w
driver of th espeed stored.
Driving systems169
Driving and parking
Z

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 171).
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
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 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.
178Driving systems
Driving and parking

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 not sufficient.
If a malfunction in the electric parking brake
occurs, then the transmission may also be shif-
ted into position Pautomatically.
MAGIC BODY CONTROL
General notes
MAGIC BODY CONTROL consists of Active Body
Control (ABC), ROAD SURFACE SCAN as well as
automatic vehicle stabilization in the event of a
crosswind.
Your vehicle automatically adjusts its ride height
to improve driving safety and reduce fuel con-
sumption. The suspension mode is adjusted
according to your selection (sports or comfort),
the road surface conditions and the vehicle load. A multifunction camera detects bumps in the
road surface before the vehicle drives over
them. This reduces chassis movements.
Important safety notes
GWARNING
When the vehicle is being lowered, people
could become trapped if their limbs are
between the vehicle body and the wheels or
underneath the vehicle. There is a risk of
injury.
Make sure no one is underneath the vehicle or
in the immediate vicinity of the wheel arches
when the vehicle is being lowered.
!The vehicle is lowered when the engine is
switched off. When parking, position your
vehicle so that it does not make contact with
the curb as the vehicle is lowered. Your vehi-
cle could otherwise be damaged.
Crosswind Assist
The crosswind stabilization operates by chang-
ing wheel loads through adjusting the ABC
spring struts. It reduces impairments in handling
when driving in a straight line and assists during
countersteering. Crosswind Assist is active in the speed range
between 50 mph (80 km/h)
and
130 mph (210 km/h) when driving straight
ahead or cornering gently.
Active Body Control ABC
Vehicle level
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: depending on the
vehicle level that has been selected, the vehicle
automatically adjusts its height dependent on
the current speed. The vehicle is lowered by up
to 0.4 in (10 mm) below the normal level as the
speed increases. As the speed is reduced, the
vehicle is raised up to the set vehicle height.
All other models: depending on the vehicle
level that has been set, the vehicle automatically
adjusts its height dependent on the current
speed. The vehicle is lowered by up to 0.6 in
(15 mm) as the speed increases. As the speed is
reduced, the vehicle is raised up to the set vehi-
cle height.
Select the "Normal" setting for normal road con-
ditions and "Raised" for driving with snow chains
or in particularly poor road conditions.
Setting the vehicle level
XTo raise the vehicle: press button:.
Indicator lamp ;lights up.
XTo lower the vehicle: press button:again.
Indicator lamp ;goes out.
Your selection remains stored even if you
remove the SmartKey from the ignition lock.
Suspension tuning
The electronically controlled ABC suspension
system detects the vehicle level and the vehicle
load and adjusts the setting accordingly. You
can also choose between a particularly sporty or
a comfortable tuning.
180Driving systems
Driving and parking

The ABC suspension system is tuned individu-
ally to each wheel and depends on:
Ryour driving style, e.g. sporty
Rthe road surface condition, e.g. bumps
Ryour individual selection, i.e. sports or com-
fort
Rthe vehicle load
Rthe force of the side wind
Your selection remains stored even if you
remove the SmartKey from the ignition lock.
The firmer setting of the suspension tuning in
SPORT mode ensures even better contact with
the road. The steering response behavior is
sporty. Select this mode when employing a
sporty driving style on flat roads, e.g. on high-
ways.
Selecting the sports suspension setting
XWhen indicator lamp;is off: press but-
ton :repeatedly until only indicator lamp ;
is on.
Sports suspension tuning is selected.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: theAMG Suspen‐
sionSystemSPORTmessage appears in the
multifunction display.
All other models: theActive Body Con‐
trol SPORTmessage appears on the multi-
function display.
In COMFORT mode, the driving characteristics
of your vehicle are especially comfortable. The
steering response behavior is balanced. Select
this mode if you favor a comfortable driving
style.
Selecting the comfortable suspension setting
XWhen indicator lamp;is off: press but-
ton :repeatedly until only indicator lamp ;
is on.
Comfortable suspension tuning is selected. Mercedes-AMG vehicles:
theAMG Suspen‐
sion System COMFORTmessage appears in
the multifunction display.
All other models: theActive Body Con‐
trol COMFORTmessage appears on the mul-
tifunction display.
ROAD SURFACE SCAN
iThis function is not available in all countries.
The ROAD SURFACE SCAN function monitors
the road in front of the vehicle using multifunc-
tion camera :at the top of the windshield. This
function is automatically active if you select
comfort suspension tuning. The system is
operational at speeds of up to 81 mph
(130 km/h).
This function allows bumps in the road surface
to be detected before the vehicle drives over
them. The spring struts are then actuated, with
the result that chassis movements are signifi-
cantly reduced when driving over bumps.
The system is deactivated when you select the
raised vehicle level or sports mode.
The system may be impaired or may not function
if:
Rthe road surface is insufficiently lit
Rthere is poor visibility, e.g. snow, rain, fog or
spray
Rthere is glare, e.g. from the sun or from
oncoming traffic
Rthe windshield is dirty, fogged up or covered,
for instance by a sticker, in the vicinity of the
camera
Rthe road surface has no texture or is reflec-
tive, e.g. in the case of newly laid asphalt,
concrete slabs or puddles
Rthe distance to the vehicle in front is too short
Driving systems181
Driving and parking
Z