2017 MERCEDES-BENZ S-Class MAYBACH traction control

1, 2, 3 ...
4ETS (Electronic Traction System)see ETS/4ETS (Electronic Trac-
tion System)
4MATIC (permanent four-wheel
drive) .................................................. 183
12 V socket
see Sockets
115 V socket ...................................... 297
360° camera
Cleaning ........................................ .323
Function/notes .............................1 94
A
ABS (Anti-lock Braking System)
Display message ............................ 228
Function/notes ................................ 66
Warning lamp ................................. 261
Accident
Automatic measures after an acci-
dent ................................................. 58
Activating media mode
General notes ................................ 278
Activating/deactivating cooling
with air dehumidification ................. 135
Activating/deactivating Night
View Assist Plus
With spotlight function ................... 202
Active Blind Spot Assist
Activating/deactivating (on-
board computer) ............................ 223
Display message ............................ 247
Function/information .................... 204
Active Body Control (ABC)
Display message ............................ 246
Function/notes ............................. 180
Active Lane Keeping Assist
Activating/deactivating (on-
board computer) ............................ 223
Display message ............................ 246
Function/information .................... 206
Active multicontour seat .................. 112
Active Parking Assist
Detecting parking spaces .............. 187
Display message ............................ 247
Exiting a parking space .................. 189 Function/notes ............................. 186
Important safety notes .................. 186
Parking .......................................... 188
ADAPTIVE BRAKE ................................. 73
Adaptive Brake Assist
Function/notes ................................ 70
Adaptive Damping System (ADS) ..... 182
Adaptive Highbeam Assist Plus
Display message ............................ 241
Function/notes ............................. 126
Switching on/off ........................... 127
Additional speedometer ................... 225
Additives (engine oil) ........................ 374
Address book
see also Digital Operator's Man-
ual .................................................. 269
Adjusting the volume
Multimedia system ........................ 270
Air bags
Belt bags .......................................... 46
Cushion air bags .............................. 50
Deployment ..................................... 55
Display message ............................ 239
Front air b
ag (driver, front
passenger) ....................................... 49
Important safety notes .................... 48
Introduction ..................................... 48
Knee bag .......................................... 49
Occupant Classification System
(OCS) ............................................... 51
PASSENGER AIR BAG indicator
lamps ............................................... 43
Side impact air bag .......................... 50
Window curtain air bag .................... 50
Air vents
Glove box ....................................... 143
Important safety notes .................. 143
Rear ............................................... 143
Setting ........................................... 143
Setting the center air vents ........... 143
Setting the side air vents ............... 143
Air-conditioning system
see Climate control
AIRMATIC
Display message ............................ 245
Function/notes ............................. 182
Alarm
ATA (Anti-Theft Alarm system) ......... 76
4Index

Traction (definition) ....................... 362
Tread wear .....................................356
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Standards ...................................... 356
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Standards (definition) .................... 360
Wear indicator (definition) ............. 362
Wheel and tire combination ........... 367
Wheel rim (definition) .................... 361
see Flat tire
Top Tether ............................................ 62
Touchpad
Changing the station/music
track .............................................. 272
Character suggestions ................... 271
Deleting characters ....................... 272
Entering a space ............................ 272
Entering characters ....................... 271
Gesture control .............................. 271
Handwriting recognition ................ 272
Operating the touchpad ................. 271
Overview ........................................ 271
Quick access for Audio .................. 272
Quick access for telephone ........... 272
Switching ....................................... 271
Switching input line ....................... 272
Tow-starting
Emergency engine starting ............ 340
Important safety notes .................. 338
Towing a trailer
ESP
®(Electronic Stability Pro-
gram) ............................................... 72
Towing away
Important safety guidelines ........... 338
Installing the towing eye ................ 339
Notes for 4MATIC vehicles ............ 340
Removing the towing eye ...............3 39
Transporting the vehicle ................ 340
With both axles on the ground ....... 339
Towing eye ......................................... 327
Traffic reports
see also Digital Operator's Man-
ual ..................................................2 69
Traffic Sign Assist
Activating ....................................... 200
Display message ............................ 249
Function/notes .............................1 99
Important safety notes .................. 200 Instrument cluster display .............
200
Sw

itching on/off ........................... 222
Transfer case ..................................... 159
Transmission
see Automatic transmission
Transporting the vehicle .................. 340
Trim pieces (cleaning instruc-
tions) ..................................................3 25
Trip computer (on-board com-
puter) ..................................................2 15
Trip odometer
Calling up ....................................... 214
Resetting (on-board computer) ...... 215
Trunk
Emergency release .......................... 90
Emergency release button ...............9 0
Important safety notes .................... 85
Locking separately ........................... 89
Opening/closing (automatically
from inside) ...................................... 89
Opening/closing (automatically
from outside) ................................... 86
Opening/closing (from outside,
HANDS-FREE ACCESS) .................... 87
Opening/closing (manually from
outside) ............................................ 86
Power closing .................................. 84
Trunk lid
Display message ............................ 255
Obstacle recognition ........................ 85
Opening dimensions ...................... 376
Opening/closing .............................. 85
Trunk load (maximum) ...................... 376
Turn signals
Display message ............................ 241
Switching on/off ........................... 125
Two-way radio
Frequencies ................................... 369
Installation ..................................... 369
Transmission output (maximum) .... 369
Windshield (infrared reflective) ...... 311
Type identification plate
see Vehicle identification plate
U
UnlockingEmergency unlocking ....................... 84
22Index

ESP®(Electronic Stability Program)
General notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Ypage 66).
ESP
®monitors driving stability and traction, i.e.
power transmission between the tires and the
road surface.
If ESP
®detects that the vehicle is deviating from
the direction desired by the driver, one or more
wheels are braked to stabilize the vehicle. The
engine output is also modified to keep the vehi-
cle on the desired course within physical limits.
ESP
®assists the driver when pulling away on
wet or slippery roads. ESP®can also stabilize
the vehicle during braking.
ETS/4ETS (Electronic Traction System)
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Ypage 66).
ETS traction control is part of ESP
®. On vehicles
with 4MATIC, 4ETS is part of ESP®.
Traction control brakes the drive wheels indi-
vidually if they spin. This enables you to pull
away and accelerate on slippery surfaces, for
example if the road surface is slippery on one
side. In addition, more drive torque is transfer-
red to the wheel or wheels with traction.
Traction control remains active, even if you
deactivate ESP
®.
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If ESP
®is malfunctioning, ESP®is unable to
stabilize the vehicle. Additionally, further driv-
ing safety systems are deactivated. This
increases the risk of skidding and an accident.
Drive on carefully. Have ESP
®checked at a
qualified specialist workshop.
If the å ESP
®OFF warning lamp lights up
continuously, then ESP®is deactivated.
If the ÷ ESP®warning lamp lights up contin-
uously, ESP®is not available due to a malfunc-
tion.
Observe the information on warning lamps
(
Ypage 261) and display messages which may be shown in the instrument cluster
(
Ypage 228).
Only use wheels with the recommended tire
sizes. Only then will ESP
®function properly.
Characteristics of ESP®
General information
If the ÷ ESP warning lamp goes out before
beginning the journey, ESP®is automatically
active.
If ESP
®intervenes, the ÷ESP®warning lamp
flashes in the instrument cluster.
If ESP
®intervenes:
XDo not deactivate ESP®under any circum-
stances.
XOnly depress the accelerator pedal as far as
necessary when pulling away.
XAdapt your driving style to suit the prevailing
road and weather conditions.
ECO start/stop function
The ECO start/stop function switches the
engine off automatically when the vehicle stops
moving. The engine starts automatically when
the driver wants to pull away again. ESP
®
remains in its previously selected status, e.g. if
ESP®was deactivated before the engine was
automatically switched off.
Deactivating/activating ESP®
Important safety notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Ypage 66).
You can select between the following states of
ESP
®:
RESP®is activated.
RESP®is deactivated.
GWARNING
If you deactivate ESP
®, ESP®no longer sta-
bilizes the vehicle. There is an increased risk
of skidding and an accident.
Only deactivate ESP
®in the situations descri-
bed in the following.
Driving safety systems71
Safety
Z

It may be best to deactivate ESP®in the follow-
ing situations:
Rwhen using snow chains
Rin deep snow
Ron sand or gravel
Spinning the wheels results in a cutting action
which provides better grip.
iActivate ESP®as soon as the situations
described above no longer apply. ESP®will
otherwise not be able to stabilize the vehicle if the vehicle starts to skid or a wheel starts to
spin.
!Avoid spinning the driven wheels for an
extended period with ESP®deactivated. You
could otherwise damage the drivetrain.
Deactivating/activating ESP®
You can deactivate or activate ESP®via the on-
board computer (Ypage 221).
ESP®deactivated:
The å ESP®OFF warning lamp in the instru-
ment cluster lights up.
ESP
®activated:
The å ESP®OFF warning lamp in the instru-
ment cluster goes out.
Characteristics when ESP®is deactivated
If ESP®is deactivated and one or more wheels
start to spin, the ÷ESP®warning lamp in the
instrument cluster flashes. In such situations,
ESP
®will not stabilize the vehicle.
If you deactivate ESP®:
RESP®no longer improves driving stability.
REngine torque is no longer limited and the
drive wheels are able to spin.
RTraction control is still activated.
RCOLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST is no longer
available; nor is it activated if you brake firmly
with assistance from ESP
®.
RPRE-SAFE®is no longer available, nor is it
activated if you brake firmly and ESP®inter-
venes.
RPRE-SAFE®Brake is no longer available, it is
also not activated if you brake firmly and ESP®
intervenes.
RESP®still provides support when you brake
firmly.
ESP®trailer stabilization
General information
ESP®trailer stabilization is not available in
Mercedes-AMG vehicles.
If your vehicle/trailer combination begins to
swerve, ESP
®assists you in this situation. ESP®
slows the vehicle down by braking and limiting
the engine output until the vehicle/trailer com-
bination has stabilized.
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If road and weather conditions are poor,
trailer stabilization will not be able to prevent
the vehicle/trailer combination from swerv-
ing. Trailers with a high center of gravity can
tip over before ESP
®can detect this. There is
a risk of an accident.
Always adapt your driving style to the prevail-
ing road and weather conditions.
If your vehicle with trailer (vehicle/trailer com-
bination) begins to lurch, you can only stabilize
the vehicle/trailer combination by depressing
the brake firmly.
ESP
®trailer stabilization is active above speeds
of approximately 40 mph (65 km/h).
ESP
®trailer stabilization does not work if ESP®
is deactivated or malfunctioning.
Crosswind Assist (vehicles without
MAGIC BODY CONTROL)
General information
Vehicles with MAGIC BODY CONTROL: informa-
tion on stabilizing the vehicle in the event of
crosswind (
Ypage 180).
Strong crosswind gusts can impair the ability of
your vehicle to drive straight ahead. The cross-
wind driving assistance function integrated in
ESP
®noticeably reduces these impairments.
ESP®intervenes automatically according to the
direction and intensity of the crosswinds affect-
ing your vehicle.
ESP
®intervenes with stabilizing braking to
assist you in keeping the vehicle in the lane.
Crosswind Assist is active at vehicle speeds
above 50 mph (80 km/h) when driving straight
ahead or cornering gently.
72Driving safety systems
Safety

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

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

Display messagesPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
Check TiresThe tire pressurein on eor mor etires has dropped significantly. The
whee lposition is shown in th emultifunction display.
A warning tone also sounds.
GWARNIN G
Tir epressures that are to olow pos eth efollowin ghazards :
Rthey may burst, especially as th eload and vehicl espeed increase.
Rthey may wear excessivel yand/o runevenly, whic hmay greatl y
impair tire traction .
Rthedrivin gcharacteristics ,as well as steering and braking ,may be
greatl yimpaired.
There is aris kof an accident.
XStop th evehicl ewithout making any sudden steering or braking
maneuvers .Pay attention to th etraffic condition sas you do so.
XSecur eth evehicl eagainst rollin gaway (Ypage 162).
XCheckth etires and ,if necessary, follow th einstruction sfor aflat
tire (Ypage 327).
XChec kth etire pressur e (Ypage 349).
XIf necessary, correc tth etire pressure.
Warnin gTir eMal ‐functionThe tire pressur ein on eor mor etires has dropped suddenly. The whee l
position is shown in th emultifunction display.
GWARNIN G
Drivin gwit h a flat tire poses aris kof th efollowin ghazards :
Raflat tire affects th eabilit yto steer or brak eth evehicle.
Ryou could lose control of th evehicle.
Rcontinued drivin gwit h a flat tire will caus eexcessive heat build-up
and possibl y afire.
There is aris kof an accident.
XStop th evehicl ewithout making any sudden steering or braking
maneuvers .Pay attention to th etraffic condition sas you do so.
XSecur eth evehicl eagainst rollin gaway (Ypage 162).
XCheckth etires and ,if necessary, follow th einstruction sfor aflat
tire (Ypage 327).
TirePress.Monito rCurrently Unavaila‐ble
Becausethere is interferenc efrom astron gsource of radi owaves, no
signals from th etire pressur esensor sare detected. The tire pressur e
monitor is temporarily malfunctioning .
XDrive on.
The tire pressur emonitor restarts automatically as soo nas th e
problem has been resolved.
TirePress .Sen ‐sor(s) Missin gThere is no signal from th etire pressur esensor of on eor several
wheels. The pressur eof th eaffecte dtire is no tdisplayed in th emul-
tifunction display.
XHav eth efault ytire pressur esensor replace dat aqualified special -
ist workshop .
Display messages253
On-board computer and displays
Z

Warning/
indicator
lampNSignal type
Possible causes/consequences and M
Solutions
÷NThe yellow ESP®warning lamp flashes while the vehicle is in motion.
ESP®or traction control has intervened because there is a risk of skidding or at
least one wheel has started to spin.
Cruise control or DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated.
XWhen pulling away, only depress the accelerator pedal as far as necessary.
XEase off the accelerator pedal while the vehicle is in motion.
XAdapt your driving style to suit the road and weather conditions.
XDo not deactivate ESP®.
In exceptional cases, it may be better to deactivate ESP®:
Rwhen using snow chains
Rin deep snow
Ron sand or gravel
Observe the important safety notes on ESP®(Ypage 71).
÷N The yellow ESP®warning lamp is lit while the engine is running.
ESP®is malfunctioning.
Other driving systems and driving safety systems may also malfunction.
GWARNING
The brake system continues to function normally, but without the functions listed
above.
The braking distance in an emergency braking situation can thus increase.
If ESP
®is not operational, ESP®is unable to stabilize the vehicle.
There is an increased risk of skidding and an accident.
XObserve the additional display messages in the multifunction display.
XDrive on carefully.
XVisit a qualified specialist workshop immediately.
262Warning and indicator lamps in the instrument cluster
On-board computer and displays