2017 MERCEDES-BENZ S CLASS level

Memory function
Important safety notes
G WARNING
If you use the memory function on the driver's
side while driving, you could lose control of
the vehicle as a result of the adjustments
being made. There is a risk of an accident.
Only use the memory function on the driver's
side when the vehicle is stationary.
G WARNING
When the memory function adjusts the seat or
steering wheel, you and other vehicle occu-
pants – particularly children – could become
trapped. There is a risk of injury.
While the memory function is making adjust-
ments, make sure that no one has any body
parts in the sweep of the seat or steering
wheel. If somebody becomes trapped, imme-
diately release the memory function position
button. The adjustment process is stopped.
G WARNING
Children could become trapped if they acti-
vate the memory function, particularly when
unattended. There is a risk of injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children unsupervised in the vehicle.
The memory function can be used at any time,
even if the power supply is switched off.
Storing settings The memory function is only available in vehicles
with the memory package.
With the memory function, you can store up to
three different settings, e.g. for three different
people. The following settings are stored as a single
memory preset: R
seat, backrest, head restraint position and
contour of the backrest in the lumbar region R
active multicontour seat: side bolsters of the
backrest, shoulder of the backrest, contour of
the backrest, dynamic function level R
seat heating: distribution of the heated sec-
tions of the seat cushion and backrest R
driver's side: position of the exterior mirrors
on the driver's and front-passenger sides R
position of the head-up display
X
Adjust the seat accordingly ( Y
page 101).X
On the driver's side, adjust the steering wheel
( Y
page 115) and the exterior mirrors
( Y
page 117). X
Press memory button M and then press one of
the memory position buttons 1 , 2 or 3 within
three seconds.
The settings are stored in the selected preset
position. A tone sounds when the settings
have been completed.
Calling up a stored setting X
Press and hold the relevant memory position
button 1 , 2 or 3 until the following compo-
nents are in the saved position: R
Seat R
Steering wheel R
Exterior mirrors R
Head-up Display
i If you release the storage position button,
the seat, steering wheel and mirror setting
functions stop immediately. Adjustment of
the active multicontour seat or the 4-way lum-
bar support is still carried out.120
Memory function
Seats, steering wheel and mirrors

Activating/deactivating X
To activate: press th e V rocke r switch up
or down .
The indicator lamp abov e th e rocke r switch
lights up. X
To deactivate: press th e V rocke r switch
up or down .
The indicator lamp abov e th e rocke r switch
goe s out .
Problems with the "Cooling with air dehumidification" function Problem
Possible causes/consequences and P Solutions
The indicator lamp in th e
V butto n flashes
three times or remain s
off . Cooling wit h air
dehumidification can
also no longer be activa-
te d usin g th e multimedia
system; see th e Digital
Operator' s Manual. Cooling wit h air dehumidification has been deactivated due to a mal-
function . X
Visit a qualified specialis t workshop .
Setting climate cont rol to automatic
Gene ra l notesIn automatic mode, th e set temperature is main -
taine d automatically at a constan t level. The
system automatically regulates th e temperature
of th e dispensed air, th e airflow and th e air dis-
tribution .
During automatic controlling, th e "Cooling wit h
air dehumidification " function is activated.
Cont rol ling front climate cont rol auto-
ma tically using the front cont rol panelX
Turn th e SmartKey to position 2 in th e ignition
loc k ( Y
page 145).X
Se t th e desired temperature usin g th e

Problems with the rear window defroster Problem
Possible causes/consequences and P Solutions
The rear window
defroster has deactiva-
ted prematurely or can-
not be activated. The battery has not been sufficiently charged. X
Switch off any consumers that are not required, e.g. reading lamps,
interior lighting or the seat heating.
When the battery is sufficiently charged, the rear window defroster
can be activated again.
Switching air-recirculation mode
on/off
General notes You can also temporarily deactivate the flow of
fresh air manually if unpleasant odors are enter-
ing the vehicle from outside. The air already
inside the vehicle will then be recirculated.
If you switch on air-recirculation mode, the win-
dows can fog up more quickly, in particular at
low temperatures. Only use air-recirculation
mode briefly to prevent the windows from fog-
ging up.
Activating/deactivating X
Turn the SmartKey to position 2 in the ignition
lock ( Y
page 145).X
To activate: press the r rocker switch up
or down.
The indicator lamp in the r rocker switch
lights up.
Air-recirculation mode switches on automati-
cally: R
at high outside temperatures R
at high levels of pollution R
in a tunnel
The indicator lamp in the r rocker switch is
not lit when automatic air-recirculation mode is
activated. Outside air is added after about
30 minutes. X
To deactivate: press the r rocker switch
up or down.
The indicator lamp in the r rocker switch
goes out. Air-recirculation mode deactivates automati-
cally: R
after approximately five minutes at outside
temperatures below approximately 41 ‡
(5 †) R
after approximately five minutes if cooling
with air dehumidification is deactivated R
after approximately 30 minutes at outside
temperatures above approximately 41 ‡
(5 †) if the "Cooling with air dehumidifica-
tion" function is activated
Switching the residual heat on or off
General notes Vehicles with rear-compartment climate
control: once the engine is switched off, it is
possible to make use of the residual heat of the
engine to continue heating or ventilating the
rear and front compartment of the vehicle for
approximately 15 minutes. If the "Residual heat"
function is set for only the front or only the rear
compartment, it is possible to continue heating
or ventilating for approximately 30 minutes.
Vehicles without rear-compartment climate
control: once the engine is switched off, it is
possible to make use of the residual heat of the
engine to continue heating or ventilating the
front compartment of the vehicle for approx-
imately 30 minutes.
The heating or ventilation time depends on the
temperature that has been set.140
Operating the climate control systems
Climate control

R
the panic alarm is not activated R
the hazard warning lamps are switched off R
the hood is closed. R
the doors are closed and locked R
the windows and sliding sunroof are closed
Also make sure that: R
the fuel tank is sufficiently filled R
the starter battery is sufficiently charged
G WARNING
Limbs could be crushed or trapped if the
engine is started unintentionally during ser-
vice or maintenance work. There is a risk of
injury.
Always secure the engine against uninten-
tional starting before carrying out mainte-
nance or repair work.
Make sure that the engine cannot be started via
your smartphone before carrying out mainte-
nance or repairs. You can prevent an engine
start via your smartphone, for example, if you: R
switch on the hazard warning lamps R
do not lock the doors R
open the hood
Pulling away
General notes
G WARNING
If the engine speed is above the idling speed
and you engage transmission position D or R ,
the vehicle could pull away suddenly. There is
a risk of an accident.
When engaging transmission position D or R ,
always firmly depress the brake pedal and do
not simultaneously accelerate.
Depress the accelerator carefully when pulling
away.
The vehicle locks centrally once you have pulled
away. The locking knobs in the doors drop down.
You can open the doors from the inside at any
time.
You can also deactivate the automatic locking
feature ( Y
page 84). It is only possible to shift the transmission from
position P to the desired position if you depress
the brake pedal. Only then is the parking lock
released.
If you do not depress the brake pedal, the
DIRECT SELECT lever can still be moved but the
parking lock remains engaged.
i Upshifts take place at higher engine speeds
after a cold start. This helps the catalytic con-
verter to reach its operating temperature
more quickly.
Information on the automatic release of the
electric parking brake ( Y
page 164).
Hill start assist Hill start assist helps you when pulling away for-
wards or in reverse on an uphill gradient. It holds
the vehicle for a short time after you have
removed your foot from the brake pedal. This
gives you enough time to move your foot from
the brake pedal to the accelerator pedal and to
depress it before the vehicle begins to roll.
G WARNING
After a short time, hill start assist will no lon-
ger brake your vehicle and it could roll away.
There is a risk of an accident and injury.
Therefore, quickly move your foot from the
brake pedal to the accelerator pedal. Never
leave the vehicle when it is held by hill start
assist.
Hill start assist is not active if: R
you are pulling away on a level road or on a
downhill gradient. R
the transmission is in position \\ .R
the electric parking brake is applied. R
ESP ®
is malfunctioning.
ECO start/stop function
Introduction
Hybrid vehicles: observe the notes on the ECO
start/stop function in the separate operating
instructions.
The ECO start/stop function switches the
engine off automatically if the vehicle is stopped
under certain conditions.148
Driving
Dr ivi ng an d parking

Problems with the engine Problem
Possible causes/consequences and P Solutions
The engine does not
start. The starter motor
can be heard. R
There is a malfunction in the engine electronics. R
There is a malfunction in the fuel supply.
Before attempting to start the engine again: X
Turn the SmartKey back to position Z in the ignition lock.
or X
Press the Start/Stop button repeatedly until all indicator lamps in
the instrument cluster go out. X
Try to start the engine again ( Y
page 146). Avoid excessively long
and frequent attempts to start the engine as these will drain the
battery.
If the engine does not start after several attempts: X
Consult a qualified specialist workshop.
The engine does not
start. You cannot hear
the starter motor. The on-board voltage is too low because the battery is too weak or
discharged. X
Jump-start the vehicle ( Y
page 335).
If the engine does not start despite attempts to jump-start it: X
Consult a qualified specialist workshop.
The starter motor was exposed to a thermal load that was too high. X
Try to start the engine again.
If the engine still does not start: X
Consult a qualified specialist workshop.
The engine is not running
smoothly and is misfir-
ing. There is a malfunction in the engine electronics or in a mechanical
component of the engine management system. X
Only depress the accelerator pedal slightly.
Otherwise, non-combusted fuel may get into the catalytic converter
and damage it. X
Have the cause rectified immediately at a qualified specialist work-
shop.
The coolant temperature
gauge shows a value
above 248 ‡ (120 †). The coolant level is too low. The coolant is too hot and the engine is no
longer being cooled sufficiently. X
Stop as soon as possible and allow the engine and the coolant to
cool down. X
Check the coolant level ( Y
page 316). Observe the warning notes
as you do so and add coolant if necessary. Driving 151
Driving and parking Z

X
Releas e th e electric parking brake.X
Switc h off th e ignition and leav e th e SmartKey
in th e ignition lock.
The engin e can be switched off in an emergenc y
while th e vehicl e is in motion by pressin g and
holding th e Start/Sto p butto n for three sec -
onds. This function operate s independentl y of
th e ECO start/sto p automatic engin e switch-off
function .
Electric parking brake
General notes
G WARNIN G
If you leav e children unsupervised in th e vehi-
cle , they could set it in motion by, for example: R
release th e parking brake.R
shif t th e automatic transmission out of th e
parking position P .R
start th e engine.
In addition , they may operate vehicl e equip-
men t and become trapped . There is a ris k of
an acciden t and injury.
When leaving th e vehicle, always tak e th e
SmartKey wit h you and loc k th e vehicle. Never
leav e children unsupervised in th e vehicle.
The function of th e electric parking brak e is
dependen t on th e on-board voltage. If th e on -
boar d voltag e is low or there is a malfunction in
th e system, it may no t be possibl e to apply th e
release d parking brake.X
If this is th e case, only park th e vehicl e on
level ground and secure it to preven t it rollin g
away. X
Shift th e automatic transmission to position
P .
It may no t be possibl e to release an applie d
parking brak e if th e on-board voltag e is low or
there is a malfunction in th e system. Contac t a
qualified specialist workshop.
The electric parking brak e performs a function
test at regular intervals while th e engin e is
switched off . The sounds that can be hear d while
this is occurrin g are normal. Applying or releasing manually X
To engage: push handle C .
When th e electric parking brak e is applied,
th e red I (US A only) or $ (Canada
only) indicator lamp lights up in th e instru-
men t cluster.
The electric parking brak e can also be applie d
when th e SmartKey is removed. X
To release: pull handle C .
The red I (US A only) or $ (Canada
only) indicator lamp in th e instrumen t cluste r
goes out .
The electric parking brak e can only be released:R
when th e SmartKey is in position 1 or 2 in th e
ignition loc k ( Y
page 145) or R
if th e ignition was switched on usin g th e
Start/Sto p butto n
Applying automatically The electric parking brak e is automatically
applie d when th e transmission is in position P
and : R
th e engin e is switched off or R
th e driver is no t wearing a seat belt and th e
driver' s door is opened
To preven t th e electric parking brak e from bein g
automatically applied, pull handle C .
The electric parking brak e is also engage d auto -
matically if: R
DISTRONI C PLU S brings th e vehicl e to a
standstill or R
th e HOLD function is keepin g th e vehicl e sta-
tionary R
Active Parking Assis t is keepin g th e vehicl e
stationary Parking 163
Driving and parking Z

Observe the legal requirements for the country
in which you are driving. Some jurisdictions pro-
hibit the driver from using a mobile phone while
driving a vehicle.
If you make a call while driving, always use
hands-free mode. Only operate the telephone
when the traffic situation permits. If you are
unsure, pull over to a safe location and stop
before operating the telephone.
Bear in mind that at a speed of only 30 mph
(approximately 50 km/h), the vehicle covers a
distance of 44 ft (approximately 14 m) per sec-
ond.
Drive sensibly – save fuel Observe the following tips to save fuel: X
The tires should always be inflated to the rec-
ommended tire pressure. X
Remove unnecessary loads. X
Remove roof racks when they are not needed. X
Warm up the engine at low engine speeds. X
Avoid frequent acceleration or braking. X
Have all maintenance work carried out as
indicated by the service intervals in the Main-
tenance Booklet or by the service interval dis-
play.
Fuel consumption also increases when driving in
cold weather, in stop-start traffic and in hilly ter-
rain.
Drinking and driving
G WARNING
Drinking and driving and/or taking drugs and
driving are very dangerous combinations.
Even a small amount of alcohol or drugs can
affect your reflexes, perceptions and judg-
ment.
The possibility of a serious or even fatal acci-
dent is greatly increased when you drink or
take drugs and drive.
Do not drink or take drugs and drive or allow
anyone to drive who has been drinking or tak-
ing drugs. Emission control
G WARNING
Combustion engines emit poisonous exhaust
gases such as carbon monoxide. Inhaling
these exhaust gases leads to poisoning. There
is a risk of fatal injury. Therefore never leave
the engine running in enclosed spaces with-
out sufficient ventilation.
Certain engine systems are designed to keep
the level of poisonous components in exhaust
fumes within legal limits.
These systems only work at peak efficiency if
they are serviced exactly in accordance with the
manufacturer's specifications. Always have
work on the engine carried out at a qualified
specialist workshop . Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you use an authorized Mercedes-
Benz Center for this purpose. In particular, work
relevant to safety or on safety-related systems
must be carried out at a qualified specialist
workshop.
The engine settings must not be changed under
any circumstances. Furthermore, all specific
service work must be carried out at regular
intervals and in accordance with the Mercedes-
Benz service requirements. Details can be found
in the Maintenance Booklet.
ECO display The ECO display provides feedback on how eco-
nomical your driving characteristics are. The
ECO display assists you in achieving the most
economical driving style for the selected set-
tings and prevailing conditions. Your driving
style can significantly influence the vehicle's
consumption. Driving tips 165
Driving and parking Z

! 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. R
In order to prevent any salt build-up, apply the
brakes occasionally while paying attention to
the traffic conditions. R
Carefully depress the brake pedal and the
beginning and end of a journey. R
Maintain a greater distance to the vehicle
ahead.
Servicing the brakes
! The brake fluid level may be too low, if: R
if the red brake warning lamp lights up in
the instrument cluster and R
you 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. Have the brake system checked immediately.
Consult a qualified specialist workshop to
arrange this.
! Vehicles with 4MATIC: function or per-
formance tests may only be carried out on a 2-
axle dynamometer. If you wish to operate the
vehicle on such a dynamometer, please con-
sult a qualified specialist workshop in
advance. You could otherwise damage the
drive train or the brake system.
! Vehicles with 4MATIC: the ESP ®
system
operates automatically. The engine and the
ignition must therefore be switched off (the
SmartKey must be in position 0 or 1 in the
ignition lock or the Start/Stop button must be
in position 0 or 1 ) if the electric parking brake
is tested on a brake dynamometer.
Braking triggered automatically by ESP ®
may
cause severe damage to the brake system.
! Vehicles without 4MATIC: the ESP ®
sys-
tem operates automatically. The engine and
the ignition must therefore be switched off
(the SmartKey must be in position 0 or 1 in the
ignition lock or the Start/Stop button must be
in position 0 or 1 ) if: R
the electric parking brake is tested using a
brake dynamometer. R
the vehicle is towed with one axle raised.
Braking triggered automatically by ESP ®
may
cause severe damage to the brake system.
All checks and maintenance work on the brake
system must be carried out at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
Have brake pads installed and brake fluid
replaced at a qualified specialist workshop.
If the brake system has only been subject to
moderate loads, you should test the functional-
ity of your brakes at regular intervals.
Information on BAS (Brake Assist) ( Y
page 66)
and BAS PLUS (Brake Assist PLUS) ( Y
page 67).
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends only installing the following brake disks
and brake pads/linings: R
brake disks that have been approved by
Mercedes-Benz R
brake pads/linings that have been approved
by Mercedes-Benz or that are of an equiva lent
standard of quality
Other brake disks or brake pads/linings can
compromise the safety of your vehicle. Driving tips 167
Driving and parking Z