play messages which may be shown in the
instrument cluster (Ypage 170).
Brakes
XIf ABS intervenes:continue to depress the
brake pedal vigorously until the braking sit-
uation is over.
XTo make a full brake application: depress
the brake pedal with full force.
If ABS intervenes when braking, you will feel a
pulsing in the brake pedal.
The pulsating brake pedal can be an indication
of hazardous road conditions, and functions as a reminder to take extra care while driving.
BAS (Brake Assist System)
General information
BAS operates in emergency braking situations.
If you depress the brake pedal quickly, BAS
automatically boosts the braking force, thus
shortening the stopping distance.
Important safety notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Ypage 57).
GWARNING
If BAS is malfunctioning, the braking distance
in an emergency braking situation is
increased. There is a risk of an accident.
In an emergency braking situation, depress
the brake pedal with full force. ABS prevents
the wheels from locking.
Braking
XKeep the brake pedal firmly depressed until
the emergency braking situation is over.
ABS prevents the wheels from locking.
The brakes will function as usual once you
release the brake pedal. BAS is deactivated.
Active Brake Assist
General information
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Ypage 57).
Active Brake Assist consists of a distance warn-
ing function with an autonomous braking func-
tion and situation-dependent braking assis-
tance.
Active Brake Assist can help you to minimize the
risk of a collision with the vehicle traveling in
front or reduce the effects of such a collision.
If Active Brake Assist detects that there is a risk
of collision, you will be warned visually and
acoustically. If you do not react to the visual and audible collision warning, autonomous braking
can be initiated in critical situations. If you apply
the brake yourself in a critical situation, Active
Brake Assist supports you with situation-
dependent braking assistance.
Important safety notes
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
Ra narrow vehicle is traveling in front, e.g. a
motorbike
Ra vehicle is traveling in front on a different line
Ryou are driving a new vehicle or servicing on
the Active Brake Assist system has just been
carried out
Observe the important safety notes in the
"Breaking-in notes" section (
Ypage 104).
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
Active Brake Assist is automatically active after
switching on the ignition.
58Driving safety systems
Safety
You can activate or deactivate Active Brake
Assist (Ypage 163) in the on-board computer.
When deactivated, the distance warning func-
tion and the autonomous braking function are
also deactivated.
If Active Brake Assist is deactivated, the æ
symbol appears in the assistance graphic dis-
play.
Distance warning function
General information
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. If the distance warning function
detects that there is a risk of a collision, you will
be warned visually and acoustically.
Important safety notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion for driving safety systems (Ypage 57).
GWARNING
The distance warning function does not react:
Rto people or animals
Rto oncoming vehicles
Rto crossing traffic
Rwhen cornering
The distance warning function may not give
warnings in all critical situations. There is a
risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit-
uation and be ready to brake.
Always adapt your speed to suit the prevailing
road and traffic conditions.
GWARNING
The distance warning function cannot always
clearly identify objects and complex traffic
situations.
In such cases, the distance warning function
may:
Rgive an unnecessary warning
Rnot give a warning
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit- uation and do not rely solely on the distance
warning function.
Function
Starting at a speed of approximately 4 mph
(7 km/h), the distance warning function warns
you if you rapidly approach a vehicle in front. Anintermittent warning tone will then sound, and
the · distance warning lamp will light up in
the instrument cluster.
XBrake immediately in order to increase the
distance from the vehicle in front.
or
XTake evasive action provided it is safe to do
so.
Due to the nature of the system, particularly
complicated but non-critical driving conditions
may also cause the system to display a 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 approximately 44 mph
(70 km/h), the distance warning function can
also react to stationary obstacles, such as stop-
ped or parked vehicles.
Autonomous braking function
If the driver does not react to the distance warn-
ing signal in a critical situation, Active Brake
Assist can assist the driver with the autonomous
braking function.
The autonomous braking function:
Rgives the driver more time to react to critical
driving situations
Rcan help the driver to avoid an accident or
Rreduces the effects of an accident
Vehicles without Distance Pilot DISTRONIC: the autonomous braking function is available in
the following speed ranges:
R4 - 65 mph (7 - 105 km/h) for moving objects
R4 - 31 mph (7 - 50 km/h) for stationary
objects
Driving safety systems59
Safety
Z
Vehicles with Distance Pilot DISTRONIC:the
autonomous braking function is available in the
following speed ranges:
R4 - 124 mph (7 - 200 km/h) for moving
objects
R4 - 31 mph (7 - 50 km/h) for stationary
objects
Due to the nature of the system, particularly
complicated but non-critical driving conditions
may also cause the Autonomous Braking Func-
tion to intervene.
If the autonomous braking function requires a
particularly high braking force, preventative
passenger protection measures (PRE-SAFE
®)
are activated simultaneously (Ypage 53).
Situation-dependent braking assis-
tance
General information
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Ypage 57).
With the help of the radar sensor system, Active Brake Assist can detect obstacles that are in the
path of your vehicle for an extended period of
time.
If Active Brake Assist detects a risk of collision
with the vehicle in front, it calculates the brake
pressure necessary to avoid a collision. If you
apply the brakes forcefully, situation-dependent
braking assistance adapts to the situation and
automatically increases the brake pressure to a
degree appropriate to the traffic situation.
Situation-dependent braking assistance pro-
vides braking assistance in hazardous situations
at speeds above 4 mph (7 km/h). It uses radar
sensor technology to assess the traffic situa-
tion.
Situation-dependent braking assistance is capa-
ble of reacting to moving objects that have
already been detected as such at least once
over the period of observation, up to vehicle
speeds of around 155 mph (250 km/h).
Situation-dependent braking assistance reacts
to stationary obstacles up to a speed of approx-
imately 44 mph (70 km/h).
If situation-dependent braking assistance
demands particularly high brake pressure, pre-
ventative passenger protection measures (PRE-
SAFE
®) are triggered simultaneously
(Ypage 53).
XKeep the brake pedal depressed until the
emergency braking situation is over.
ABS prevents the wheels from locking.
The brakes will work normally again if:
Ryou release the brake pedal
Rthere is no longer any danger of a collision
Rno obstacle is detected in front of your vehicle
Situation-dependent braking assistance is then
deactivated.
Important safety notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion for driving safety systems (Ypage 57).
GWARNING
Adaptive Brake Assist does not react:
Rto people or animals
Rto oncoming vehicles
Rto crossing traffic
Rwhen cornering
As a result, 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.
GWARNING
Adaptive Brake Assist cannot always clearly
identify objects and complex traffic situa-
tions.
In such cases, Adaptive Brake Assist might:
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.
Due to the nature of the system, complex but
non-critical driving conditions may also cause
Active Brake Assist to intervene.
Even if Active Brake Assist is not available due to
a malfunction in the radar sensor system, the
brake system is still available with full brake
boosting effect and BAS.
60Driving safety systems
Safety
ESP®(Electronic Stability Program)
General notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Ypage 57).
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 (Electronic Traction System)
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Ypage 57).
ETS traction control 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
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Ypage 57).
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.
ESP
®is only deactivated if the åwarning
lamp is lit continuously.
When SPORT handling mode is activated, the
M warning lamp lights up in the instrument
panel. When the
åandh warning lamps light up
continuously, ESP
®is not available due to a mal-
function.
Observe the information on warning lamps
(
Ypage 196) and display messages which may
be shown in the instrument cluster
(
Ypage 170).
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. Exam-
ple: if ESP®was deactivated before the engine
was switched off, ESP®remains deactivated
when the engine is switched on again.
Deactivating/activating ESP®
Important safety notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Ypage 57).
You can select between the following states of
ESP
®:
RESP®is activated
RSPORT handling mode is activated
RESP®is deactivated
Driving safety systems61
Safety
Z
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.
GWARNING
When SPORT handling mode is activated,
there is a greater risk of skidding and acci-
dents.
Only activate SPORT handling mode in the sit-
uations described in the following.
In the following situations, it may be better to
activate SPORT handling mode or deactivate
ESP
®:
Rwhen using snow chains
Rin deep snow
Ron sand or gravel
Ron specially designated roads when the vehi-
cle's own oversteering and understeering
characteristics are desired
Driving in SPORT handling mode or without
ESP
®requires an extremely qualified and expe-
rienced driver.
Activate ESP
®as soon as the situations descri-
bed 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®
XTo activate SPORT handling mode: briefly
press button :.
The M handling mode warning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up. The SPORT
han‐dling modemessage appears on the multi-
function display.
XTo deactivate SPORT handling mode:
briefly press button :.
The M handling mode warning lamp in the
instrument cluster goes out. ESP
®is activa-
ted
XTo deactivate ESP®: press button :.
The å ESP®OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up. The ÷OFF
message appears on the multifunction dis-
play.
XTo activate ESP®:when SPORT handling
mode is activated or ESP®is deactivated,
press button :.
The å ESP
®OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster goes out. The ÷ON
message appears on the multifunction dis-
play.
Characteristics of activated SPORT han-
dling mode
If SPORT handling mode is activated and one or
more wheels start to spin, the ÷ESP®warn-
ing lamp in the instrument cluster flashes. ESP®
only stabilizes the vehicle to a limited degree.
When SPORT handling mode is activated:
RESP®only improves driving stability to a limi-
ted degree
Rtraction control is still activated
Rengine torque is no longer limited and the
drive wheels are able to spin
The spinning of the wheels results in a cut for
better traction on loose surfaces.
RESP®still provides support when you brake
firmly
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
62Driving safety systems
Safety
The spinning of the wheels results in a cut for
better traction on loose surfaces.
Rtraction control is still activated
RAdaptive Brake Assist is unavailable
Active Brake Assist is also not activated if you
brake firmly with assistance from ESP
®.
RPRE-SAFE®is unavailable
PRE-SAFE®is also not activated if you brake
firmly with assistance from ESP®.
RESP®still provides support when you brake
firmly
EBD (electronic brake force distribu-
tion)
General information
EBD monitors and controls the brake pressure
on the rear wheels to improve driving stability
while braking.
Important safety notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Ypage 57).
GWARNING
If EBD is malfunctioning, the rear wheels can
lock, e.g. under full braking. This increases the
risk of skidding and an accident.
You should therefore adapt your driving style
to the different handling characteristics. Have
the brake system checked at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
Observe information regarding indicator and
warning lamps (
Ypage 196) as well as display
messages (Ypage 172).
ADAPTIVE BRAKE
ADAPTIVE BRAKE enhances braking safety and
offers increased braking comfort. In addition to
the braking function, ADAPTIVE BRAKE also fea-
tures the hill start assist function (
Ypage 107).
Protection against theft
Immobilizer
The immobilizer prevents your vehicle from
being started without the correct SmartKey.
XTo activate with KEYLESS-GO start-func-
tion or KEYLESS-GO: switch the ignition off
and open the driver's door.
XTo activate with the SmartKey: remove the
SmartKey from the ignition lock.
XTo deactivate: switch on the ignition.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Anyone
can start the engine if a valid SmartKey has been
left inside the vehicle.
iThe immobilizer is always deactivated when
you start the engine.
In the event that the engine cannot be started
(yet the vehicle's battery is charged), the sys-
tem is not operational. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center or call
1-800-FOR-MERCedes (in the USA) or
1-800-387-0100 (in Canada).
ATA (anti-theft alarm system)
XTo arm: lock the vehicle with the SmartKey or
KEYLESS-GO.
Indicator lamp :flashes. The alarm system
is armed after approximately 15 seconds.
XTo disarm: unlock the vehicle with the Smart-
Key or KEYLESS-GO.
or
XWith KEYLESS-GO start function or vehi-
cles with KEYLESS-GO: press the Start/
Stop button.
The SmartKey must be in the vehicle.
Protection against theft63
Safety
Z
SmartKey
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If children are left unsupervised in the vehicle,
they could:
Ropen the doors, thus endangering other
people or road users.
Rget out and disrupt traffic.
Roperate the vehicle's equipment.
Additionally, children could set the vehicle in
motion if, for example, they:
Rrelease the parking brake.
Rshifting the automatic transmission out of
park position P
RStart the engine.
There is a risk of an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children or animals unattended in the
vehicle. Always keep the SmartKey out of
reach of children.
GWARNING
If you attach heavy or large objects to the
SmartKey, the SmartKey could be uninten-
tionally turned in the ignition lock. This could
cause the engine to be switched off. There is a risk of an accident.
Do not attach any heavy or large objects to the
SmartKey. Remove any bulky key rings before
inserting the SmartKey into the ignition lock.
!Keep the SmartKey away from strong mag-
netic fields. Otherwise, the remote control
function could be affected.
Strong magnetic fields can occur in the vicin-
ity of powerful electrical installations.
Do not keep the SmartKey:
Rwith electronic devices, e.g. a mobile phone
or another SmartKey
Rwith metallic objects, e.g. coins or metal foil
Rinside metallic objects, e.g. a metal case
This can affect the functionality of the Smart-
Key. Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO start function:
do
not keep the SmartKey on the cargo compart-
ment cover or in the cargo compartment. Oth-
erwise, the SmartKey may not be detected, e.g.
when starting the engine using the Start/Stop
button.
A brief radio connection between the vehicle
and the SmartKey determines whether a valid
SmartKey is in, or in the direct vicinity of, the
vehicle. This occurs, for example:
Rwhen starting the engine
Rwhile driving
Rwhen using the tailgate unlocking sensor
Rwhen the external door handles are touched
Rduring convenience closing
SmartKey functions
:& Locks the vehicle
;FOpens the tailgate
=%Unlocks the vehicle
XTo unlock centrally: press the%button.
If you do not open the vehicle within approx-
imately 40 seconds of unlocking:
Rthe vehicle is locked again
Rthe anti-theft alarm system is armed again.
XTo lock centrally: press the&button.
The SmartKey centrally locks and unlocks the
doors and the fuel filler flap.
The turn signals flash once when unlocking and
three times when locking.
You can also set an audible signal to confirm
that the vehicle has been locked. The audible
signal can be activated and deactivated via the
multimedia system; see the Digital Operator's
Manual.
SmartKey65
Opening and closing
Z
Doors
Important safet ynotes
GWARNING
If children are lef tunsupervised in th evehicle,
they could:
Rope nth edoors ,thus endangerin gother
people or road users.
Rget out and disrup ttraffic .
Roperat eth evehicle' sequipment.
Additionally, children could set th evehicle in
motion if, fo rexample, they:
Rrelease th eparking brake .
Rshiftingth eautomatic transmissio nout of
par kposition P
RStart theengine.
There is aris kof an acciden tand injury.
Whe nleavin gth evehicle, always take th e
SmartKey wit hyou and loc kth evehicle. Never
leav echildren or animals unattended in th e
vehicle. Always keep th eSmartKey out of
reach of children .
Whe n adoo ris opened, th esid ewindow on that
sid eopens slightly. Whe nth edoo ris closed, th e
sid ewindow close sagain .
!The sid ewindows will no topen/close if th e
battery is discharged or if th esid ewindows
hav eiced up. It will then no tbe possible to
close th edoor. Do no tattempt to forc eth e
doo rclosed. You could otherwise damage th e
doo ror th esid ewindow.
Unlockin gan dopening doors from
th einside
You can ope n adoo rfrom insid eth evehicle
eve nif it has bee nlocked. If th evehicle has bee n
locke dwit hth eSmartKey or wit hKEYLESS-GO ,
opening adoo rfrom th einsid ewill trigger th e
anti-thef talar msystem. Switc hof fth ealar m
(
Ypage 63) .
XPull doorhandle ;.
If th edoo ris locked, locking knob :pop sup.
The doo ris unlocke dand opens .
Centrally locking an dunlocking th e
vehicle from th einside
You can centrall yloc kand unloc kth evehicle
from th einside. The buttons are on th edriver’s
door.
XTo unlock :press butto n:.
XTo lock :press butto n;.
If th efront-passenger doo ris closed, th evehi-
cl e locks .
Meanwhile, th efue lfiller flap will no tbe locke d
or unlocked.
You canno tunloc kth evehicle centrall yfrom th e
insid eif th evehicle has bee nlocke dwit hth e
SmartKey or KEYLESS-GO .
The doors can be opene dfrom th einside.
If th evehicle has bee nlocke dwit hth eSmartKey
or wit hKEYLESS-GO ,opening adoo rfrom th e
insid ewill trigger th eanti-thef talar msystem.
Switc hof fth ealar m (
Ypage 63).
Doors71
Opening and closing
Z