2017 MERCEDES-BENZ S CLASS brake sensor

Important safety notes
G WARNIN G
PRE-SAF E ®
Brake will initially brak e your vehi-
cle by a partial application of th e brakes if a
danger of collision is detected. Ther e may be
a collision unless you brak e yourself . Even
after subsequen t full application of th e brakes
a collision canno t always be avoided, partic-
ularly when approachin g at to o high a speed.
Ther e is a ris k of an accident.
Always apply th e brakes yourself and tr y to
tak e evasive action , provide d it is saf e to do
so.
In th e event of a partial application of th e brakes,
th e vehicl e is braked wit h up to 50 % of th e full
braking pressure.
G WARNIN G
PRE-SAF E ®
Brake canno t always clearly iden -
tify objects and comple x traffic conditions.
In these cases, PRE-SAF E ®
Brake may:R
giv e an unnecessary warning and then
brak e th e vehicl eR
no t giv e a warning or interven e
Ther e is a ris k of an accident.
Always pay particular attention to th e traffic
situation and be read y to brake, especially if
PRE-SAF E ®
Brake warn s you. Terminate th e
intervention in a non-critical driving situation .
G WARNIN G
PRE-SAF E ®
Brake canno t always clearly iden -
tify people, especially if they are moving . In
these cases, PRE-SAF E ®
Brake canno t inter-
vene. Ther e is a ris k of an accident.
Always pay particular attention to th e traffic
situation and be read y to brake, especially if
PRE-SAF E ®
Brake warn s you.
In order to maintai n th e appropriat e distanc e to
th e vehicl e in fron t and thus preven t a collision ,
you must apply th e brakes yourself . G WARNIN G
PRE-SAF E ®
Brake does no t react:R
to small people, e.g. children R
to animals R
to oncomin g vehicles R
to crossing traffic R
when cornering
As a result , PRE-SAF E ®
Brake may neither
giv e warning s no r interven e in all critical sit -
uations. Ther e is a ris k of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to th e traffic sit -
uation and be read y to brake.
In th e event of snowfall or heav y rain , th e rec -
ognition can be impaired.
Recognition by th e radar sensor system is also
impaire d if: R
there is dirt on th e sensor s or anythin g else
covering th e sensor sR
there is interferenc e by other radar source sR
there are stron g radar reflections, for exam-
ple in parking garages R
a narrow vehicl e is traveling in front, e.g. a
motorbike R
a vehicl e is traveling in fron t on a differen t lin e
relative to th e center of your vehicl e
Recognition by th e camera system is also
impaire d in th e event of: R
dirt on th e camera or if th e camera is coveredR
glar e on th e camera system, e.g. from th e sun
bein g low in th e sk yR
darkness R
or if: -
pedestrian s mov e quickly, e.g. int o th e pat h
of th e vehicl e -
th e camera system no longer recognizes a
pedestri an as a p erson due to special cloth -
ing or other objects -
a pedestrian is concealed by other objects -
th e typical outlin e of a person is no t distin-
guishable from th e backgroun d
Followin g damag e to th e fron t en d of th e vehicle,
hav e th e configuration and operation of th e
radar sensor s checke d at a qualified specialist
workshop. This also applie s to collision s at slow
speeds wher e there is no visible damag e to th e
fron t of th e vehicle.74
Driving safety systems
Safety

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 vehicle
has 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. R
You should therefore drive at varying vehicle
and engine speeds for the first 1000 miles
(1500 km). R
Avoid heavy loads, e.g. driving at full throttle,
during this period. R
When shifting gears manually, upshift in good
time, before the tachometer needle reaches

R
ESP ®
intervenes or you deactivate ESP ®
R
you shift the transmission to position N while
driving.
If cruise control is deactivated, you will hear a
warning tone. You will see the Cruise Con‐
trol Off message 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
ca
n 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.
i USA 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.
i Canada 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
e
quipment.
Important safety notes
G WARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS does not react to: R
people or animals R
stationary obstacles on the road, e.g. stop-
ped or parked vehicles R
oncoming 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.
G WARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS cannot always clearly iden-
tify other road users and complex traffic sit-
uations.
In such cases, DISTRONIC PLUS may: R
give an unnecessary warning and then
brake the vehicle R
neither give a warning nor intervene R
accelerate or brake unexpectedly
There is a risk of an accident.Driving system s 171
Dr ivi ng an d parking Z

Continue to driv e carefully and be ready to
brake, in particular when warned to do so by
DI ST RONIC PLU S.
G WAR NING
DI ST RONIC PLUS brakes your veh icle wit h up
to 50 %o f 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: R
when towing the vehicle R
in 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: R
in road and traffic conditions which do not
allow you to maintain a constant speed, e.g. in
heavy traffic or on winding roads R
on slippery road surfaces. Braking or accel-
erating could cause the drive wheels to lose
traction and the vehicle could then skid R
when 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: R
there is dirt on the sensors or anything else
covering the sensors R
there is snow or heavy rain R
there is interference by other radar sources R
there 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: R
be too high if you are driving in a filter lane or
an exit lane R
be so high in the right lane that you pass vehi-
cles driving on the left (left-hand drive coun-
tries) R
be 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
C
Activates or increases speed D
Activates or reduces speed

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: R
switch on the ignition R
shift the transmission to position D , R or N
PARKTRONIC is deactivated at speeds above
11 mph (18 km/h). It is reactivated at lower
sp eeds. Range of the sensors PARKTRONIC does not take objects into con-
sideration that are: R
below the detection range, e.g. people, ani-
mals or objects. R
above the detection range, e.g. overhanging
loads, truck overhangs or loading ramps.
C
Sensors in the front bumper, left-hand side
(example)
C
Approx. 24 in (approx. 60 cm) (corners)
D
Approx. 32 in (approx. 80 cm) (corners)

Problems with PARKTRONIC Problem
Possible causes/consequences and P Solutions
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. X
If 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. X
Clean the PARKTRONIC sensors ( Y
page 323).X
Switch the ignition back on.
The problem may be caused by an external source of radio or ultra-
sound waves. X
See 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
( Y
page 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.
G WARNING
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: R
where parking or stopping is prohibited R
in front of driveways or entrances and exits R
on unsuitable surfaces186
Driving systems
Driving and parking

Drivin g Assistance PLUS package
General notes The Driving Assistanc e PLU S package consist s
of DISTRONIC PLU S ( Y
page 171), Active Blin d
Spot Assis t ( Y
page 204) and Active Lan e Keep-
in g Assis t ( Y
page 206).
Active Blind Spot Assist General notes Active Blin d Spot Assis t uses a radar sensor
system, pointe d toward th e rea r of th e vehicle,
to monito r th e are a to th e sides of th e vehicle
whic h th e driver is unable to see . A warnin g dis -
play in th e exterio r mirrors draws your attention
to vehicles detecte d in th e monitored area. If
you then switch on th e correspondin g turn sig -
nal to chang e lane, you will also receiv e an opti-
cal and audible warning. If a ris k of latera l colli-
sio n is detected, corrective braking may hel p
you avoid a collision . Before a course-correcting
brake application , Active Blin d Spot Assis t eval-
uates th e spac e in th e direction of trave l and at
th e sides of th e vehicle. Fo r this, Active Blin d
Spot Assis t uses th e forward-facin g radar sen -
sors.
Active Blin d Spot Assis t supports you from a
speed of approximately 20 mph (30 km/h).
Important safet y notesActive Blin d Spot Assis t is only an aid and is no t
a substitute fo r attentive driving.
G WARNING
Active Blin d Spot Assis t doe s no t react to :R
vehicles overtaken to o closely on th e side,
placin g them in th e blin d spo t are aR
vehicles whic h approac h wit h a larg e speed
differential and overtak e your vehicle
As a result , Active Blin d Spot Assis t may nei-
ther giv e warnings no r interven e in suc h sit -
uations. There is a ris k of an accident.
Always observ e th e traffic condition s care-
fully, and maintain a saf e latera l distance.
i US A only: Thi s devic e has bee n approved by
th e FCC as a "Vehicular Radar System". The
radar sensor is intended fo r use in an auto-
motive radar syste m only. Removal, tamper-
ing, or altering of th e devic e will void any war- ranties, and is no t permitte d by th e FCC. Do
no t tampe r with, alter, or use in any non-
approved way.
An y unauthorized modification to this devic e
could void th e user's authorit y to operat e th e
equipment.
i Canada only: Thi s devic e complies wit h
RSS-210 of Industry Canada. Operation is
subjec t to th e followin g tw o conditions:
1. Thi s devic e may no t cause harmful inter-
ference , and
2. Thi s devic e mus t accept any i nterferenc e
re
ceived, includin g interferenc e that may
cause undesired operation of th e device.
Removal, tampering, or altering of th e devic e
will void any warranties , and is no t permitted.
Do no t tampe r with, alter, or use in any non-
approved way.
An y unauthorized modification to this devic e
could void th e user's authorit y to operat e th e
equipment.
Rada r sensor sThe Active Blind Spot Assis t radar sensor s are
integrated into th e fron t and rea r bumper s and
behin d a cover in th e radiator trim. Mak e sur e
that th e bumper s and th e cover in th e radiator
grill are free of dirt, ic e or slush. The rea r sensor s
mus t no t be covered, fo r example by cycle racks
or overhangin g cargo. Followin g a severe impact
or in th e event of damage to th e bumpers, hav e
th e function of th e radar sensor s checke d at a
qualified specialis t workshop . Active Blin d Spot
Assis t may otherwise no longer wor k properly.
Monitoring area
G WARNING
Active Blind Spot Assis t doe s no t detec t all
traffic situation s and road users. There is a
ris k of an accident.
Always mak e sur e that there is sufficien t dis -
tanc e on th e sid e fo r other traffic or obstacles.204
Driving systems
Driving an d parking

signal remains on, detected vehicles are indica-
ted by the flashing of red warning lamp . There
are no further warning tones.
Course-correcting brake application If Active Blind Spot Assist detects a risk of a lat-
eral collision in the monitoring range, a course-
correcting brake application is carried out. This
is meant to assist you in avoiding a collision.
G WARNING
A course-correcting brake application cannot
always prevent a collision. There is a risk of an
accident.
Always steer, brake or accelerate yourself,
especially if Active Blind Spot Assist warns
you or makes a course-correcting brake appli-
cation. Always maintain a safe distance at the
sides.
If a course-correcting brake application occurs,
the red warning lamp flashes in the exterior mir-
ror and a dual warning tone sounds. In addition,
a display underlining the danger of a side colli-
sion appears in the multifunction display.
In very rare cases, the system may make an
inappropriate brake application. A course-cor-
recting brake application may be interrupted at
any time by countersteering slightly or acceler-
ating.
The course-correcting brake application is avail-
able in the speed range between 20 mph
(30 km/h) and 120 mph (200 km/h).
Either no braking application, or a course-cor-
recting brake application adapted to the driving
situation occurs if: R
there are vehicles or obstacles, e.g. crash
barriers, located on both sides of your vehicle. R
a vehicle approaches you too closely at the
side. R
you have adopted a sporty driving style with
high cornering speeds. R
you clearly brake or accelerate. R
a driving safety system intervenes, e.g. ESP ®
or PRE-SAFE ®
Brake.R
ESP ®
is switched off.R
a loss of tire pressure or a defective tire is
detected. Switching on Active Blind Spot Assist X
Make sure that Active Blind Spot Assist is
activated in the on-board computer
( Y
page 223) X
Switch on the ignition.
Warning lamps in the exterior mirrors light up
red for approximately 1.5 seconds. Gray radar
waves propagating backwards appear next to
the vehicle in the assistance display on the
multifunction display.
Active Lane Keeping Assist General notes
Active Lane Keeping Assist monitors the area in
front of your vehicle by means of multifunction
camera C at the top of the windshield. Various
different areas to the front, rear and side of your
vehicle are also monitored with the aid of the
radar sensor system. Active Lane Keeping
Assist detects lane markings on the road and
can warn you before you leave your lane unin-
tentionally. If you do not react to the warning, a
lane-correcting application of the brakes can
bring the vehicle back into the original lane.
This function is available in a speed range
between 40 mph and 120 mph (60 km/h and
200 km/h).
Important safety notes
If you fail to adapt your driving style, Active Lane
Keeping Assist can neither reduce the risk of an
accident nor override the laws of physics. Active
Lane Keeping Assist cannot take account of
road and weather conditions. It may not recog-
nize traffic situations. Active Lane Keeping
Assist 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.206
Driving systems
Driving and parking