Wet road surfaces
If you have been driving for a long time in heavy
rain without braking, there may be a delayed
response when you first apply the brakes. This
may also occur after driving through a car wash
or deep water.
You must depress the brake pedal more firmly.
Maintain a longer distance to the vehicle in
front.
While paying attention to the traffic conditions,
you should brake the vehicle firmly after driving
on a wet road surface or through a car wash. This
heats the brake discs, so that they dry more
quickly, which protects them against corrosion.
Limited braking performance on salt-
treated roads
When driving on salted roads, salt may start to
build up on the brake disks and brake pads. Thiscan increase braking distances considerably.
Maintain a greater distance to the vehicle in
front.
To remove any build-up of salt that may have
formed:
XApply the brakes at the start of the journey,
occasionally during journey and at the end of
the journey. Make sure that you do not endan-
ger other road users when doing so.
Checking the brake pad thickness
In addition to monitoring using the brake pad
wear sensor, regularly monitor and check all of
the brake pads by performing a visual inspection
to look for pad material wear.
If you are unable to check the brake wear on the
inside of the wheels, remove the wheels with the tools provided.
Make sure that the brake pad material thickness
never falls below 0.12 in (3 mm). Have the brake pads checked and replaced at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop, if necessary.
Do not solely rely on the brake pad wear sensor.
It is strongly recommended that you have the
brake pads checked at a qualified specialist
workshop at every service displayed in the main-
tenance interval indicator, prior to long journeys
and whenever the wheels are removed.
New brake discs and brake pads/
linings
New brake pads and brake discs only reach their
optimal braking effect after a few
100 kilometers. Until then, compensate for this
by applying greater force to the brake pedal.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends only installing the following brake discs
and brake pads/linings:
Rbrake discs that have been approved by
Mercedes-Benz
Rbrake pads/linings that have been approved
by Mercedes-Benz or are of an equivalent
standard of quality
Other brake discs or brake pads/linings can
compromise the safety of your vehicle.
Always replace all brake discs and brake pads/
linings on an axle at the same time. Always
install new brake pads/linings when replacing
brake discs.
Parking brake
GWARNING
If you must brake the vehicle with the parking brake, the braking distance is considerably
longer and the wheels could lock. There is an
increased danger of skidding and accidents.
Only use the parking brake to brake the vehi-
cle when the service brake is faulty. Do not
apply the parking brake too firmly. If the
wheels lock, release the parking brake until
the wheels begin turning again.
When driving on wet roads or dirt-covered sur-
faces, road salt and/or dirt may get into the
parking brake. This causes corrosion and a
reduction of braking force.
In order to prevent this, drive with the parking
brake lightly applied from time to time. When
doing so, drive for a distance of approximately
110 yds (100 m) at a maximum speed of 12 mph
(20 km/h).
The brake lamps are not illuminated when you
brake the vehicle using the parking brake.
Driving tips133
Driving and parking
Z
XCheck the wheels and tires and wheel archesfor trapped foreign objects and remove them.
Trapped foreign objects can damage the
wheels and tires or may beflung out from the
veh icle when you continue driving.
XCheck the underbo dyfor trapped branches or
other parts of plants and remove them.
XClean the brake disks, brake padsand axle
jo ints, particular lyafter operation insand,
mud, grit and gravel, water or similarly dirt y
conditions.
XCheck the entire floor assembly, the tires,
wheels, bodywork structure, brakes, steering,
chassis and exhaust system for any damage.
XCheck the service brake for operating safety,
e.g. carry out a brake test.
XIf you notice strong vibrations after driving off-
road, check the wheels and drive train for for-
eign objects again. Remove any foreign
objects which can lead to imbalances and
thus cause vibrations.
Driving systems
Cruise control
General notes
Cruise control maintains the speed of the veh i-
cle for you.
Use cruise control ifroad and traff icconditions
make itappropriate to maintain a steady speed
for a prolonged period. You can set any speed
from 20 mph upwards inincrements of 1 mph.
iIfyou have set km /has the unit for the dig-
ital speedometer (Ypage 167), you can set
any speed from 30 km /hupwards inincre-
ments of 1 km/h.
Cruise control should not beactivated when
driv ing off-road or on construction sites.
Cruise control may not be ableto maintain the
stored speed on uphillordownhill gradients. If
the gradient evens out and the veh icle's speed
does not fall below 20 mph (30 km/h), the
stored speed is resumed.
iThe speed shown in the speedometer may
differ slightly from the speed stored by cruise
control.
Important safety notes
If you fail to adapt your driving style or if you are
inattentive, cruise control can neither reduce
the risk of an accident nor override the laws of
physics. Cruise control cannot take road,
weather and traffic conditions into account.
Cruise control is only an aid. You are responsible
for the distance to the vehicle in front, for vehi-
cle speed, for braking in good time and for stay-
ing in lane.
Do not use cruise control:
Rin traffic conditions that are unsuitable for
driving at a constant speed, e.g. in heavy traf-
fic, on winding roads or off-road.
Ron slippery roads. Braking or accelerating
may 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.
If there is a change of drivers, make sure that
you inform the new driver about the set cruise
speed.
Cruise control lever
Operating cruise control
:To activate and store the current speed or a
higher speed
;To activate at the last stored speed
=To activate and store the current speed or a
lower speed
?To deactivate cruise control
The cruise control lever is the upper lever on the
left of the steering column.
Displaying the cruise control speed
Vehicles with steering wheel buttons: when
you activate cruise control, the text field in the
display briefly shows the speed
limitmessage
Driving systems137
Driving and parking
Z
Cruise controlisdeactivated automatically
when:
Ryou apply the brakes
Ryouapply the parking brake and the c
indicator lamp inthe instrument cluster lights
up
Ryou are driving slower than 20 mph (30 km/h)
Ryou shift the automat ictransmission to neu-
tral position Nwhile the vehicle is inmotion
RESP®or ASR intervenes
Rthere isa malfunction inthe ESP®, ASR or ABS
system
Problems with cruise control
ProblemPossible causes/consequences and MSolutions
On vehicleswit h steering
wheel buttons, the
speed cannot beset
when cruise control is
activated.The displ ay shows a high-priority message. Thus a change in speed is
not possible.
XProceed as instructed by the message inthe display.
XDeactivate cruise control
COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST
General notes
COLL ISION PREVENTION AS SISTcomprises the
dist ance warning function and adaptive Brake
Assist.
Distance warning function
Important safety notes
iNote the section on 'Important safety notes'
(Ypage 53).
GWAR NING
The distance warning function does not react:
Rto people or animals
Rto oncoming veh icles
Rto crossing traff ic
Rwhen cornering
Thus, the distance warning function cannot
provide a warning inall critical situations.
There isa risk of an acc ident.
Alwa ys pay careful attention to the traff icsit-
uation and beready to brake.
GWAR NING
The distance warning function cannot always
clearly identify objects and co mplex traff ic
situations.
In such cases, the distance warning function
may:
Rgive an unnecessary warning
Rnot give a warning
There is a risk of an accident.
Alwa ys pay careful attention to the traff icsit-
uation and donot rely solely on the distance
warning function.
Operation
The distance warning function can help you to
minimize the risk of a front-end collision with a
vehicle ahead or reduce the effects of such a
collision. Ifthe distance warning function
detects that there isa risk of a collision, you will
be warned visually and acoustically. Without
your intervention, the distance warning function
cannot prevent a collision.
The distance warning function willissue a warn-
ing at speeds of around 20 mph (30 km/h)or
more if:
Ryou approach a vehicle ahead of you very
quickly. You will then hear an intermittent
warning tone and the red ·warning lamp
in the instrument cluster flashes.
XBrake immediately in order to increase the
distance from the vehicle in front.
or
XTake evasive action provided it is safe to do
so.
Driving systems139
Driving and parking
Z
If you want the distance warning function to
assist you, the function must be activated and
operational.
Due to the nature of the system, particularly
complicated driving conditions may cause the
system to display an unnecessary warning.
With the help of the radar sensor system, the
distance warning function can detect obstacles
that are in the path of your vehicle for an exten-
ded period of time.
Up to a speed of around 45 mph (70 km/h), the
distance warning function can also react to sta-
tionary obstacles, such as stopped or parked
vehicles.
If you approach an obstacle and the distance
warning function detects a risk of a collision, the
system will alert you both visually and acousti-
cally.
In particular, the detection of obstacles can be
impaired in the case of:
Rdirt on the sensors or anything else covering
the sensors
Rsnow or heavy rain
Rinterference from other radar sources
Rthere are strong radar reflections, for exam-
ple in parking garages
Ra narrow vehicle traveling in front, e.g. a
motorbike
Ra vehicle traveling in front on a different line
Following damage to the front end of the vehicle,
have the configuration and operation of the
radar sensor checked at a qualified specialist
workshop. This also applies to collisions at slow
speeds where there is no visible damage to the
front of the vehicle.
Activating/deactivating the distance
warning function
When you switch on the engine, the distance
warning function switches on after a few sec-
onds.
XTo deactivate: press theæbutton
(Ypage 36).
Vehicles without steering wheel buttons:
the Ä warning lamp in the instrument clus-
ter lights up and the OFF
message flashes. The
message then disappears and the Äindi-
cator lamp remains lit.
Vehicles with steering wheel buttons: the
Ä warning lamp in the instrument cluster
flashes and the Distance
warningsystemdeactivatedmessage appears .The mes- sage then disappears and the
Äwarning
lamp remains lit.
XTo activate: press theæbutton again
(Ypage 36).
Vehicles without steering wheel buttons:
the Ä warning lamp in the instrument clus-
ter lights up and the on
message flashes. The
message then disappears and the Äindi-
cator lamp goes out.
Vehicles with steering wheel buttons: the
Ä warning lamp in the instrument cluster
flashes and the Distance
warningsystemactivatedmessage appears in the multi-
function display. The message then disap-
pears and the indicator lamp Ägoes out.
Adaptive Brake Assist
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion for driving safety systems (Ypage 53).
GWARNING
Adaptive Brake Assist cannot always clearly
identify objects and complex traffic situa-
tions.
In such cases, Adaptive Brake Assist can:
Rintervene unnecessarily
Rnot intervene
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit- uation and be ready to brake. Terminate the
intervention in a non-critical driving situation.
GWARNING
Adaptive Brake Assist does not react:
Rto people or animals
Rto oncoming vehicles
Rto crossing traffic
Rto stationary obstacles
Rwhen cornering
As a result, the Adaptive Brake Assist may not
intervene in all critical conditions. There is a
risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit- uation and be ready to brake.
Adaptive Brake Assist aids you when braking
during hazardous situations at speeds above
140Driving systems
Driving and parking
Monitoring range of the sensors
In particular, the detection of obstacles can be
impaired in the case of:
Rdirt on the sensors or anything else covering
the sensors
Rpoor visibility, e.g. due to fog, heavy rain or
snow
Rnarrow and short vehicles, e.g. motorcycles
or bicycles
Rvery wide lanes
Rnarrow lanes
Rvehicles not driving in the middle of their lane
Rbarriers or other road boundaries
Vehicles in the monitoring range are then not
indicated.
Blind Spot Assist monitors the area approx-
imately 10 ft (3.0 m) behind your vehicle and
approximately 1.6 ft (0.5 m) to 11.5 ft (3.5 m)
each side of it. The monitoring range behind the
vehicle may also be larger depending on the sit-
uation.
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 the vehicles are driving on the inner side
of their 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, for exam-
ple trucks, for a prolonged time.
The two sensors for Blind Spot Assist are inte-
grated into the sides of the rear bumper. Make
sure that the bumper is free of dirt, ice or slush
in the vicinity of the sensors. The radar sensors
must not be covered, for example by rear-moun- ted cycle racks or overhanging loads. Following
a severe impact or in the event of damage to the
bumper, have the function of the radar sensors
checked at a qualified specialist workshop.
Blind Spot Assist may otherwise not work prop- erly.
Indicator and warning display
Blind Spot Assist is not active at speeds below
approximately 20 mph (30 km/h). Vehicles in
the monitoring range are then not indicated.
:Yellow indicator lamp and red warning lamp
If yellow indicator lamp :lights up:
Ryou are driving at less than 20 mph (30 km/h)
RBlind Spot Assist is deactivated
RBlind Spot Assist is malfunctioning
Blind Spot Assist is active from a speed of
20 mph (30 km/h). If a vehicle is detected in the
blind spot monitoring range, red warning
lamp :on the corresponding side lights up.
This warning occurs when a vehicle enters the
blind spot monitoring range from behind or from
the side. When you overtake a vehicle, the warn- ing only occurs if the difference in speed is less
than 14 mph (22 km/h).
Yellow indicator lamp :goes out if reverse gear
is engaged. Blind Spot Assist is then deactiva-
ted.
142Driving systems
Driving and parking
The brightness of the indicator/warning lamps
is adjusted automatically according to the
brightness of the ambient light.
Collision warning
If a vehicle is detected in the monitoring range of
Blind Spot Assist and you switch on the corre-
sponding turn signal, a double warning tone
sounds once. Red warning lamp:flashes. If
the turn signal remains on, detected vehicles
are indicated by the flashing of red warning
lamp :. There are no further warning tones.
Activating/deactivating Blind Spot Assist
iBlind Spot Assist is activated when you
switch on the ignition.
XTurn the SmartKey to position 2in the ignition
lock.
Warning lamps :in the exterior mirrors light
up red for approximately 1.5 seconds and
then turn yellow.
XTo deactivate: press thekbutton in the
center console (Ypage 36).
The yellow indicator lamp in exterior mirror :
first flashes and then lights up continuously.
XTo activate: press thekbutton in the
center console again (Ypage 36).
The yellow indicator lamp in exterior mirror :
flashes initially. If you exceed 20 mph
(30 km/h) while driving, the yellow indicator
lamp in exterior mirror :goes out.
Towing a trailer
If you attach a trailer, make sure that you have
correctly established the electrical connection.
This can be accomplished by checking the trailer
lighting. Blind Spot Assist is deactivated as a
result. The indicator lamp in the exterior mirrors
lights up yellow.
On vehicles with steering wheel buttons, the
Blind Spot Assist Deactivated
message
also appears in the display.
Lane Keeping Assist
General notes
Lane Keeping Assist monitors the area in front of
your vehicle by means of a camera at the top of
the windshield. Lane Keeping Assist detects
lane markings on the road and warns you before
you leave your lane unintentionally.
:Lane Keeping Assist camera
Lane Keeping Assist supports you from speeds
of approximately 40 mph(60 km/h).
If Lane Keeping Assist detects lane markings,
the à indicator lamp in the instrument clus-
ter lights up green. Lane Keeping Assist is opera-
tional.
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Lane Keeping Assist may not always clearly
recognize lane markings.
In this case, Lane Keeping Assist may:
Rgive an unnecessary warning
Rnot give a warning
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay particular attention to the traffic
situation and stay in lane, in particular if
warned by Lane Keeping Assist.
GWARNING
The Lane Keeping Assist warning does not
return the vehicle to the original lane. There is
a risk of an accident.
You should always steer, brake or accelerate
yourself, in particular if warned by Lane Keep-
ing Assist.
If you fail to adapt your driving style, Lane Keep-
ing Assist can neither reduce the risk of accident
nor override the laws of physics. Lane Keeping
Assist cannot take into account road, weather or traffic conditions. Lane Keeping Assist is only an
aid. You are responsible for the distance to the
vehicle in front, for vehicle speed, braking in
good time and for staying in your lane.
Driving systems143
Driving and parking
Z
Lane Keeping Assist does not keep your vehicle
in its lane.
The system may be impaired or may not function
if:
Rif the vehicle is incorrectly loaded
(Ypage 208)
Rthere is poor visibility, e.g. due to insufficient
illumination of the road, or due to snow, rain,
fog or spray
Rthere is glare, e.g. from oncoming traffic, the
sun or reflection from other vehicles (e.g. if
the road surface is wet)
Rthe windshield is dirty, fogged up, damaged or
covered, for instance by a sticker, in the vicin-
ity of the camera
Rno, or several, unclear lane markings are pres-
ent for one lane, e.g. in a construction area
Rthe lane markings are worn away, dark or cov-
ered up, e.g. by dirt or snow
Rthe distance to the vehicle in front is too small
and the lane markings thus cannot be detec-
ted
Rthe lane markings change quickly, e.g. lanes
branch off, cross one another or merge
Rthe road is narrow and winding
Rthere are highly variable shade conditions on
the road
A warning may be given if a front wheel passes
over a lane marking. In addition, a warning tone
sounds and the Ãindicator lamp in the
instrument cluster flashes red.
Activating/deactivating Lane Keeping
Assist
Lane Keeping Assist is automatically activated
when you start the engine.
XTo deactivate: press thejbutton in the
center console (Ypage 36).
On vehicles without steering wheel but-
tons:
OFF
flashes briefly in the display and the Ã
indicator lamp in the instrument cluster
flashes yellow and then lights up continu-
ously.
On vehicles with steering wheel buttons:
The Lane
Keep.AssistDeactivatedmes-
sage appears in the display and the Ã
indicator lamp in the instrument cluster
flashes yellow and then lights up continu-
ously. Lane Keeping Assist is deactivated.
XTo activate:
press thejbutton in the
center console again (Ypage 36).
On vehicles without steering wheel but-
tons:
on
flashes briefly in the display and the Ã
indicator lamp in the instrument cluster goes
out. If a lane marking is detected, the Ã
indicator lamp lights up green.
On vehicles with steering wheel buttons:
The Lane Keep. Assist Activated
mes-
sage appears in the display and the Ã
indicator lamp in the instrument cluster goes
out. If a lane marking is detected, the Ã
indicator lamp lights up green.
Lane Keeping Assist is activated.
A Lane Keeping Assist warning is suppressed if:
Ra driving safety system intervenes, such as
ABS, BAS or ESP®.
Ryou have set the turn signal and a lane change is detected. In this case, the warnings are
suppressed for a certain period of time.
Ryou accelerate hard, e.g. kickdown on vehi-
cles with an automatic transmission.
Ryou brake hard.
Ryou steer actively, e.g. swerve to avoid an
obstacle or change lane quickly.
Ryou cut the corner on a sharp bend.
In order that you are warned only when neces-
sary and in good time if you cross the lane mark-
ing, the system recognizes certain conditions
and warns you accordingly.
Lane Keeping Assist warns you earlier if:
Ryou approach the outer lane marking on a
bend.
Rthe road has very wide lanes, e.g. a freeway.
Rthe system recognizes solid lane markings.
Warnings are given later if:
Rthe road has narrow lanes.
Ryou cut the corner on a bend.
All-wheel drive
Important safety notes
!Never tow the vehicle with one axle raised.
This may damage the transfer case. Damage
of this sort is not covered by the Mercedes-
Benz Limited Warranty. All wheels must
144Driving systems
Driving and parking
remain either on the ground or be fully raised.
Observe the instructions for towing the vehi-
cle with all wheels in full contact with the
ground.
!A function or performance test should only
be carried out on a two-axle dynamometer.
Before you operate the vehicle on such a
dynamometer, please consult a qualified
workshop. You could otherwise damage the
drive train or the brake system.
If you fail to adapt your driving style or if you are
inattentive, the all-wheel drive system can nei-
ther reduce the risk of an accident nor override
the laws of physics. The all-wheel drive system
cannot take road, weather and traffic conditions
into account. The all-wheel drive system is only
an aid. You are responsible for the distance to
the vehicle in front, for vehicle speed and for
braking in good time.
4ETS ensures permanent drive for all four
wheels, and together with ESP
®it improves the
vehicle's traction.
If a driven wheel spins due to lack of traction:
RWhen pulling away, make use of the traction
control integrated in ESP®. Depress the
accelerator pedal as far as necessary.
RWhile driving, slowly take your foot off the
accelerator pedal
In wintry driving conditions, always use winter
tires (M+S tires) and if necessary, snow chains
(
Ypage 246). This is the only way to get the full
benefit from the all-wheel drive system.
For information on "Driving off-road", see
(
Ypage 135).
Engaging all-wheel drive
Conditions for engaging/disengaging
All-wheel drive can only be engaged or disen-
gaged if:
Rthe engine is running
Rthe vehicle is stationary
If it is not possible to engage all-wheel-drive:
Rmove the selector lever to position N
Rrelease the brake pedal
Rpress the;button
Rmove the selector lever from Nto Dor R
Engaging/disengaging all-wheel drive
XTo engage/disengage: press the;but-
ton.
The indicator lamp in the ;button flashes.
The h and: indicator lamps light up in
the instrument cluster. ESP
®and ASR are
deactivated for the duration of the engaging/ disengaging process.
If the engaging/disengaging process is suc-
cessful, the hand: indicator lamps in
the instrument cluster go out and ESP
®and
ASR are reactivated.
If the indicator lamp in the ;button is lit,
all-wheel drive is engaged. On vehicles with
steering-wheel buttons, the display then
shows the following message: Four-wheel
drive active.
If the engaging/disengaging process fails, the indicator lamp in the ;button flashes
three times briefly. One of the gear change
conditions was not fulfilled.
As long as the indicator lamp in the ;button
is flashing, you can cancel the engaging/disen-
gaging process by pressing the ;again.
iIf the LOW RANGE transmission ratio
(Ypage 145) is engaged, all-wheel drive can-
not be disengaged.
LOW RANGE transmission ratio
General notes
The LOW RANGE transmission ratio assists you
when driving on difficult terrain. If you engage
LOW RANGE, the engine's performance charac-
teristics and the automatic transmission's shift-
ing characteristics are adjusted accordingly.
The transmission ratio from the engine to the
wheels is around 40% lower than in the on-road position. This increases the drive torque.
Driving systems145
Driving and parking
Z