148Driving and operating9Warning
Always apply parking brake firmly
without operating the release
button, and apply as firmly as
possible on a downhill or uphill
slope.
To release the parking brake, pull
the lever up slightly, press the
release button and fully lower the
lever.
To reduce the operating forces of
the parking brake, depress the
brake pedal at the same time.
Control indicator R 3 92.
Brake assist
If the brake pedal is depressed
quickly and forcefully, maximum
brake force is automatically applied
(full braking).
Maintain steady pressure on the
brake pedal for as long as full braking is required. Maximum brake force is
automatically reduced when the
brake pedal is released.
Hill start assist
The system helps prevent unintended movement when driving away on
inclines.
When releasing the brake pedal after
stopping on an incline, the brakes
remain on for a further two seconds.
The brakes release automatically as
soon as the vehicle begins to
accelerate.
The hill start assist is not active during
an Autostop.
Stop-start system 3 137.Ride control systems
Traction Control system The Traction Control system (TC) is a component of the Electronic Stability
Control (ESC) 3 149.
TC improves driving stability when necessary, regardless of the type of
road surface or tyre grip, by
preventing the drive wheels from
spinning.
As soon as the drive wheels starts to spin, engine output is reduced and
the wheel spinning the most is braked
individually. This considerably
improves the driving stability of the
vehicle on slippery road surfaces.
TC is operational after each engine
start as soon as the control indicator
b extinguishes.
When TC operates b flashes.
Driving and operating1499Warning
Do not let this special safety
feature tempt you into taking risks
when driving.
Adapt speed to the road
conditions.
Control indicator b 3 93.
Deactivation
TC can be switched off when spinning of drive wheels is required: press b
briefly.
Control indicator k illuminates.
A status message appears in the
Driver Information Centre when TC is
deactivated.
When TC is deactivated, ESC
remains active but with higher control threshold.
TC is reactivated by pressing b
again. A status message pops up in the Driver Information Centre when
TC is reactivated.
TC is also reactivated the next time
the ignition is switched on.
Fault
If there is a fault in the system the
control indicator b illuminates
continuously and a message appears in the Driver Information Centre. The
system is not operational.
Have the cause of the fault remedied
by a workshop.
Electronic Stability Control
Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
improves driving stability when
necessary, regardless of the type of
road surface or tyre grip.
As soon as the vehicle starts to
swerve (understeer/oversteer),
engine output is reduced and the wheels are braked individually.
ESC operates in combination with the Traction Control system (TC). It
prevents the drive wheels from
spinning.
ESC is operational after each engine
start as soon as the control indicator
b extinguishes.
When ESC operates b flashes.
150Driving and operating9Warning
Do not let this special safety
feature tempt you into taking risks
when driving.
Adapt speed to the road
conditions.
Control indicator b 3 93.
Deactivation
ESC can be deactivated: press and
hold t for approx. five seconds.
Control indicators k and n illuminate.
ESC is reactivated by pressing t
again. If the TC system was
previously disabled, both TC and
ESC are reactivated.
ESC is also reactivated the next time
the ignition is switched on.
Fault
If there is a fault in the system the
control indicator b illuminates
continuously and a message appears
in the Driver Information Centre. The
system is not operational.
Have the cause of the fault remedied
by a workshop.
Descent control system The Descent control system (DCS)
allows the vehicle to travel at a low
speed without depressing the brake
pedal. The vehicle will automatically
decelerate to a low speed and remain
at that speed when the system is
activated. Some noise or vibration
from the brake system may be
apparent when the system is active.Caution
Use only when descending steep
grades while driving off-road. Do
not use when driving on normal
road surfaces. Unnecessary
usage of the DCS function, such
as while driving on normal roads,
may damage the brake system
and the ESC function.
Activation
At speeds below approx. 25 mph,
press u. The green control indicator
u flashes in the instrument cluster, to
Driving and operating151show DCS is in operation. DCS will
not activate at speeds above
30 mph, even if the button is pressed.
Deactivation Press u again. The green control
indicator u extinguishes. Depressing
the foot brake or accelerator will also
cause the system to be deactivated.
Fault If the green control indicator u does
not illuminate or flash after pressing
the button, there is a fault in the
system.
Seek the assistance of a workshop.
DSC control indicators u 3 93.Driver assistance
systems9 Warning
Driver assistance systems are
developed to support the driver
and not to replace the driver's
attention.
The driver accepts full
responsibility when driving the
vehicle.
When using driver assistance
systems, always take care
regarding the current traffic
situation.
Cruise control
The Cruise control can store and
maintain speeds of approx. 20 to
120 mph. Deviations from the stored
speeds may occur when driving uphill or downhill.
For safety reasons, the cruise control cannot be activated until the brake
pedal has been operated once.
Activating in first gear is not possible.
Do not use the cruise control if it is not advisable to maintain a constant
speed.
With automatic transmission, only
activate cruise control in automatic
mode.
Control indicator m 3 95.
Switching on
154Driving and operatingExceeding the speed limitWhen exceeding the limited speed
without driver input, the speed will
flash in the Driver Information Centre
and a chime sounds during this
period.
In the event of an emergency, it is
possible to exceed the speed limit by
depressing the accelerator pedal
firmly nearly to the final point. In this
case no chime appears.
Release the accelerator pedal and
the speed limiter function is
reactivated once a speed lower than
the limit speed is obtained.
Deactivation Press y: speed limiter is deactivated
and the vehicle can be driven without
speed limit.On Midlevel display the stored limited
speed is indicated in brackets.
On Uplevel display L changes to
white.
Additionally, a corresponding
message appears.
Speed limiter is deactivated, but not
switched off. Last stored speed
remains in memory for later speed
resume.
Resume limit speed Turn thumb wheel to RES/+. The
stored speed limit will be obtained
and is indicated without brackets in the Driver Information Centre.
Switching off
Press L, the speed limit indication
extinguishes in the Driver Information Centre. The stored speed is deleted.
By pressing m to activate cruise
control, speed limiter is also
deactivated and the stored speed is
deleted.By switching off the ignition, speed
limiter is also deactivated, but the
speed limit will be stored for next
speed limiter activation.
Forward collision alert The forward collision alert may help to
avoid or reduce the harm caused by
front-end crashes.
A vehicle ahead is indicated by the
control indicator A.
If a vehicle directly ahead is
approached too quickly, a warning
chime is provided.
Driving and operating155Additionally the driver gets notified by
a flashing red LED stripe which is
projected on the windscreen in the
driver's field of view.
A precondition is that forward collision
alert is not deactivated by pressing
V on the steering wheel.
Activation Forward collision alert uses the front
camera system in the windscreen to
detect a vehicle directly ahead, in
your path, within a distance of approx.
60 metres.
Forward collision alert operates
automatically above 25 mph, if it is not
deactivated by pressing V, see
below.
Alerting the driver
The vehicle ahead control indicator A illuminates green in the instrument
cluster when the system has detected
a vehicle in the driving path.The control indicator A changes to
yellow when the distance to a
preceding moving vehicle gets too
small or when approaching another
vehicle too rapidly.Caution
The colour lighting of this control
indicator does not correspond to
local traffic laws on following
distance. The driver bears full
responsibility for maintaining safe
following distance according to
applicable traffic rules, weather
and road conditions etc. at all
times.
When the time to a potential collision
with a vehicle in front gets too small
and a collision is imminent, the driver
gets notified by a flashing red LED
stripe which is projected on the
windscreen in the driver's field of
view.
Simultaneously a warning chime
sounds. Depress the brake pedal and
steer the vehicle, if it is required by the
situation.
Selecting the alert sensitivity The alert sensitivity can be set to
near, medium or far.
156Driving and operating
Press V; the current setting is shown
in the Driver Information Centre.
Press V again to change the alert
sensitivity.
Dectivation
The system can be deactivated.
Press V repeatedly until Forward
Collision Alert Off appears in the
Driver Information Centre.
General information9 Warning
Forward collision alert is just a
warning system and does not
apply the brakes. When
approaching a vehicle ahead too
rapidly, it may not provide you
enough time to avoid a collision.
The driver accepts full
responsibility for the appropriate
following distance based on traffic, weather and visibility conditions.
The complete attention of the
driver is always required while
driving. The driver must always be
ready to take action and apply the
brakes.
System limitations
Forward collision alert is designed to warn on vehicles only, but may reactalso to other objects.
In the following cases, forward
collision alert may not detect a vehicle ahead or sensor performance is
limited:
● on winding roads
● when weather limits visibility, such as fog, rain, or snow
● when the sensor is blocked by snow, ice, slush, mud, dirt,
windscreen damage or affected
by foreign items, e.g. stickers
Following distance indication
The following distance indication
displays the distance to a preceding
moving vehicle. The system uses the
front camera in the windscreen to
detect the distance of a vehicle
directly ahead in your lane. It is active
at speeds above 25 mph.
158Driving and operatingIf r is pressed once within an
ignition cycle, the front parking assist
is reactivated if the vehicle speed
goes below a certain value and if the
vehicle speed has not exceeded 16 mph beforehand.
Deactivation
Deactivate the system by pressing
r .
The LED in the button will go out and
Park Assist Off will be displayed in the
Driver Information Centre.
The system is deactivated
automatically at a certain speed.
Fault
In the event of a fault in the system, a
vehicle message is displayed in the Driver Information Centre.
Additionally, a vehicle message is
displayed in the Driver Information
Centre if a malfunction of the system
due to temporary conditions, e.g.
snow covered sensors is detected.
Vehicle messages 3 102.Important hints for using the
parking assist systems9 Warning
Under certain circumstances,
various reflective surfaces on
objects or clothing as well as
external noise sources may cause the system to fail to detect
obstacles.
Special attention has to be paid to
low obstacles which can damage
the lower part of the bumper. If
such obstacles leave the detection area of the sensors during
approach of the vehicle, a
continuous warning tone will
sound.
Caution
Performance of the system can be reduced when sensors are
covered, e.g. by ice or snow.
Performance of the parking assist
system can be reduced due to
heavy loading.
Special conditions apply if there
are taller vehicles in the vicinity
(e.g. off-road vehicles, mini vans,
vans). Object identification and correct distance indication in the
upper part of these vehicles
cannot be guaranteed.
Objects with a very small reflection
cross-section, e.g. objects of
narrow size or soft materials, may
not be detected by the system.
Parking assist systems do not
detect objects outside the
detection range.
Notice
The parking assist system
automatically detects factory-fitted
towing equipment. It is deactivated
when the connector is plugged in.
The sensor may detect a non-
existent object (echo disturbance)
caused by external acoustic or
mechanical disturbances.
Notice
The parking assist is deactivated
when the rear carrier system is
extended.