Sy
stem limitations
R ABS is active from speeds of appr ox.
8 km/h.
R ABS may be impai red or may not function if a
malfunction has occur red and theye l‐
low ! ABSwarning lamp lights up contin‐
uously in the instrument clus ter af terthe
engine is star ted. Fu
nction of BAS (Brake Assist Sy stem) &
WARNING Risk of an accident caused by
a malfunction in BAS (Brake Assi stSys‐
te m)
If BA S is malfunctioning, the braking dis tance
in an emergency braking situation is
increased. #
Dep ress the brake pedal with full force
in emer gency braking situations. ABS
pr eve nts the wheels from locking. BA
S suppo rts yo ur eme rgency braking situation
with additional brake forc e. If
yo u depress the brake pedal quickl y,BA S is
acti vated:
R BAS au tomatical lyboosts the brake pres‐
sure.
R BAS can sho rten the braking dis tance.
R ABS pr events the wheels from locking.
The brakes will function as usual once you
re lease the brake pedal. BAS is deactivated. Fu
nction of ESP ®
(Electronic Stability Pro‐
gr am) &
WARNING Risk of skidding if ESP ®
is
malfunctioning
If ESP ®
is malfunctioning, ESP ®
cannot car ry
out vehicle stabilisation. In addition, other
driving saf ety sy stems are switched off. #
Drive on carefull y. #
Have ESP ®
ch ecked at a qualified spe‐
cialist workshop. Yo
u can select between thefo llowing modes of
ESP ®
:
R ESP ®
on
R SPO RThandling mode on
R ESP ®
off
Characteristics when ESP ®
is activated
ESP ®
monitors and impr oves driving stability and
traction, particular lyin thefo llowing situations:
R When pulling away on wet or slippe rycar ria‐
ge wa ys.
R When braking.
R Instro ng sidewinds when you are driving
fast erthan 70 km/h.
ESP ®
can stabilise theve hicle byinter vening in
th efo llowing ways:
R One or more wheels are braked.
R The engine output is adap ted according to
th e situation.
ESP ®
is activated everytime the engine is star‐
te d, rega rdless of whe ther ESP ®
wa s in SPORT 13 2
Driving and pa rking
handling mode or
was deactivated before the
engine was switched off.
ESP ®
is inter vening if the ESP ®
÷ warning
lamp flashes in the instrument clus ter:
R Do not deacti vate ESP ®
.
R Only depress the accelera tor pedal as far as
is necessar y.
R Adapt your driving style to suit the cur rent
ro ad and weather conditions.
Cha racteristics of activated SPORT handling
mode &
WARNING Risk of skidding due toincor‐
re ct application of SPORT handling mode
When you activate SPORT handling mode,
th ere is an increased risk of skidding and
having an accident. #
Only activate SPORT handling mode in
th e circums tances described as follo ws. Select SPORT handling mode when
theve hicle's
ow nov ersteering and under steering characteris‐ tics are desired,
forex ample when driving on
specially designated roads.
On lya high ly qualified and experienced driver
should drive in SPORT handling mode or with
ESP ®
deactivated.
If SPORT handling mode is activated and one or
more wheels start tospin, the÷ ESP®
wa rn‐
ing lamp in the instrument clus terflashes. ESP ®
th en only stabilises theve hicle toa limited
deg ree.
If SPORT handling mode is activated:
R ESP ®
only impr oves driving stability toa limi‐
te d deg ree.
R ETS/4ETS traction control is still active.
R The engine's torque is on lyrestricted to a
limited degree and the drive wheels can spin.
The spinning of the wheels results in a cut‐
ting action for better traction on loose sur fa‐
ces.
R ESP ®
continues toprov ide assis tance when
th e brakes are firm lyapplied. Cha
racteristics when ESP ®
is deactivated &
WARNING Risk of skidding if ESP ®
is
deactivated
If yo u deactivate ESP ®
, ESP ®
cannot car ry
out vehicle stabilisation. #
ESP ®
should on lybe deactivated in the
fo llowing situations. ESP
®
is deactivated if theå ESP®
OFF warn‐
ing lamp lights up continuously in the instrument
clus ter:
R Driving stability will no lon ger be impr oved.
R Crosswind Assist is no longer active.
R The drive wheels could spin.
R ETS/4ETS traction control is still active.
% Even when ESP ®
is deactivated, you are still
assis tedby ESP ®
when braking ha rd.
In thefo llowing situations, it may be better to
activate SPO RThandling mode or deactivate
ESP ®
:
R When using snow chains. Driving and parking
13 3
R
In deep sno w.
R On sand or gra vel.
% Spinning the wheels results in a cutting
action which pr ovides better grip.
% Activate ESP ®
as soon as the situations
described abo veno longer apply. ESP ®
will
ot herwise not be able tostabilise theve hicle
if th eve hicle starts toskid or a wheel starts
to spin.
If th e÷ ESP®
wa rning lamp lights up continu‐
ousl y,ESP ®
is not available due toa malfunction.
Obse rve any information which may be displa yed
in the instrument clus ter:
R Warning and indicator lamps (/ page411)
R Displ aymessa ges (/ page 369)
ETS/4ETS (Electronic Traction Sy stem)
ETS/4E TStraction control is pa rtof ESP ®
.
ETS/4ETS can impr oveth eve hicle's traction by
inter vening in thefo llowing ways:
R The drive wheels are braked individually if
th ey spin. R
More drive torque is transferred tothe wheel
or wheels with traction. Ac
tivating/deactivating ESP ®
(Electronic Sta‐
bility Prog ram) #
Toactivate ESP ®
SPORT: press and hold
display button 1until thero ad in button
symbol 2lights up yello w.
The ESP SPORT message is shown in the
instrument clus ter and theå and
ESP SPORT warning lamps light up. #
Todeactivate ESP ®
:press and hold displ ay
button 1until thero ad in button symbol 2
lights up red.
The ESP OFF message is shown in the instru‐
ment clus ter and theå andESP OFF
wa rning lamps light up. #
Toactivate ESP ®
:press and hold display
button 1until thero ad in button symbol 2
lights up blue.
The å andESP OFF orESP SPORT warn‐
ing lamps in the instrument clus ter go out.
When the÷ symbol 2is shown with a red!
on display button 1, ESP®
is malfunctioning.
Obser vethe information on warning lamps and
display messages which may be shown in the
instrument clus ter. 134
Driving and pa rking
Fu
nction of ESP ®
Crosswind Assist ESP
®
Crosswind Assist de tects sudden gu sts of
side wind and helps the driver tokeep theve hi‐
cle in the lane:
R ESP ®
Crosswind Assist is active at vehicle
speeds between 80 km/h and 200 km/h
when driving stra ight ahead or cornering
slightly.
R The vehicle is stabilised bymeans of individ‐
ual brake application on one side. Fu
nction of EBD (Electronic Brake forc e Dis‐
tribution) EBD is
characterised bythefo llowing:
R Monitoring and regulating the brake pressure
on there ar wheels.
R Impr oved driving stability when braking,
especially on bends. Fu
nction of Active Brake Assi st Ac
tive Brake Assi stconsi sts of:
R Distance warning function
R Autonomous braking function
R Situation-dependent braking assi stance
Ac tive Brake Assi stcan help youto minimise the
ri sk of a collision with vehicles or toreduce the
ef fects of su cha collision.
If Ac tive Brake Assi sthas de tected a risk of colli‐
sion, a warning tone sounds and theL dis‐
ta nce warning lamp lights up in the instrument
clus ter.
If yo u do not react tothe visual or acoustic warn‐
ing, autonomous braking can be initiated in criti‐
cal situations.
In especially critical situations, Active Brake
Assi stcan initia teautonomous braking direct ly.
In this case, thewa rning lamp and warning tone
occur simultaneously wi th the braking applica‐
tion.
If yo u apply the brake yourself in a situation
de tected as critical byActive Brake Assi st, or apply
the brake during autonomous braking, sit‐
uation-dependent braking assis tance occu rs.
The brake pressure increases up tomaximum
full-s top braking if necessar y.
If th e autonomous braking function or the situa‐
tion-dependent braking assis tance is trig gered,
additional pr eventive measures for occupant
pr otection (PRE-SAFE ®
) may also be initiated, if
th eve hicle is equipped with these. &
WARNING Risk of an accident caused by
limited de tection per form ance of Active
Brake Assi st
Ac tive Brake Assi stcannot al ways clearly
identify objects and compl extraf fic situa‐
tions.
In su chcases, Active Brake Assi stmight:
R Give a warning or brake without reason
R Not give a warning or not brake #
Alw ays pay careful attention tothe traf‐
fi c situation; do not rely on Active Brake
Assi stalone. Active Brake Assi stis only
an aid. The driver is responsible for Driving and pa
rking 13 5
This pr
ovides traf fic tr ave lling behind you with an
eve n more noticeable warning.
If th eve hicle is tr avelling at speeds of more than
70 km/h at the beginning of the brake applica‐
tion, the hazard warning lights switch on once
th eve hicle is stationar y.When you pull away
again, the hazard warning lights will switch off
automatically at appr oximately 10km/h. Yo u
can also switch off the hazard warning lights
using the hazard warning button. Cruise control and limiter
Fu
nction of cruise control
Cruise cont rolre gulates the speed totheva lue
selec tedby the driver.
If yo u accelerate toove rtake, forex ample, the
st ored speed is not dele ted. If youre mo veyour
fo ot from the accelerator pedal af terove rtaking,
cruise control will resume speed regulation back
to thestored speed.
Cruise contro l is operated using the cor respond‐
ing steering wheel buttons. You can store any
speed abo ve30 km/h up tothe maximum speed
or up tothe set winter tyre limit. If
yo ufa ilto adapt your driving style, cruise con‐
trol can neither reduce therisk of an accident
nor override the la wsof ph ysics. It cannot take
into account road, weather or traf fic conditions.
Cruise control is only an aid. You are responsible
fo r maintaining a safe dis tance totheve hicle in
front, forve hicle speed, for braking in good time
and forst ay ing in lane.
Displa yson the multifunction display
The status of cruise control and thestored
speed are shown in the multifunction displa y. 1
Cruise cont rol is selec ted
2 Speed is sa ved, cruise control is deactivated
3 Speed is sa ved, cruise control is activated %
The segments extending from the cur rent
st ored speed tothe end of the scale, or to
th e set winter tyre limit, light up in the
speedome ter.
Sy stem limitations
Cruise control may be unable tomaintain the
st ored speed on uphill gradients. The stored
speed is resumed when the gradient evens out.
Change into a lo werge ar in good time on long
and steep downhill gradients. Take particular
no te ofthis when driving a laden vehicle. By
doing so, you will make use of the engine's brak‐
ing ef fect. This relie vesth e load on the brake
sy stem and pr events the brakes from overheat‐
ing and wearing tooqu ickl y.
Do not use cruise control in thefo llowing situa‐
tions:
R In traf fic situations whi chrequ ire frequent
ch anges of speed, e.g. in heavy traf fic, on
winding roads.
R On slippe ryroads. Accelerating can cause
th e drive wheels tolose traction and the
ve hicle could then skid.
R Ifyo u are driving when visibility is poor. 13 8
Driving and pa rking
Fu
nction of the limiter
The limiter restricts the speed of theve hicle. To
re duce the speed tothe set speed, the limiter
applies the brakes automaticall y.
Yo u can limit the speed as follo ws:
R Variable: for speed limits, e.g. in built-up
areas.
R Perm anen t:for long-term speed restrictions,
e.g. when driving in winter tyre mode.
The variable limiter is operated using the cor re‐
sponding steering wheel buttons. You can store
any speed from 30 km/h to250 km/h or up to
th e set winter tyre limit. You can also per form
settings while theve hicle is stationary if the
ve hicle has been star ted.
If yo ufa ilto adapt your driving style, the limiter
can neither reduce therisk of an accident nor
ove rride the la wsof ph ysics. It cannot take into
account road, weather or traf fic conditions. The
limiter is only an aid. You are responsible for
maintaining a safe dis tance totheve hicle in
front, forve hicle speed, for braking in good time
and forst ay ing in lane. Displa
ysinthe instrument display
The status of the limiter and thestored speed
are shown in the multifunction displa y. 1
Limiter is selected
2 Speed is stored, limiter is deactivated
3 Speed is stored, limiter is activated
% The segments in the speedome ter light up,
up tothe cur rently stored speed.
% When the driving speed is greater than the
st ored speed, display 3flashes.
Kickd own
If yo u depress the accelerator pedal be yond the
pressure point (kickdown), the limiter switches to
passive mode. The Limiter passivemessage
appears on the multifunction displa y.
Af ter completion of kickdown, theva riable lim‐
iter is activated again in thefo llowing situations:
R Ifth e driven speed drops below thestored
speed.
R Ifth estored speed is called up.
R Ifyo ustore a new speed.
Operating cruise control or theva riable lim‐
iter &
WARNING Risk of accident due tostored
speed
If yo u call up thestored speed and this is
lo we rth an your cur rent speed, theve hicle
decelerates. #
Take into account the tra ffic situation
before calling up thestored speed. Re
quirements:
Cruise control
R Cruise control is selected. Driving and parking
13 9
R
ESP ®
mu stbe activated, but not inter vening.
R The driven speed is at least 30 km/h.
R The transmission is in position h.
Va riable limiter:
R The vehicle has been star ted.
R The variable limiter is selec ted. Switching between cruise control and
the
va riable limi ter #
Toselect cruise control: pressrocker
switch 1up. #
Toselect theva riable limi ter: press rocker
switch 1down. %
Vehicles with Active Dis tance Assi st
DISTRONIC: theva riable limiter is selec ted
by a dif fere nt button (/ page 143).
Ac tivating cruise control or the variable lim‐
iter #
Press rocker switch 2up (SET+) or down
(SET-).
The cur rent speed is stored and maintained
by theve hicle (cruise contro l) or limited (vari‐
able limiter) when you take your foot off the
accelerator pedal.
or #
Press rocker switch 3up (RES).
The last stored speed is called up and the
ve hicle maintains this speed (cruise control)
or does not exceed it (limiter).
If th e last stored speed has pr eviously been
dele ted, the cur rently driven speed is stored.
% When you swit choff theve hicle, the last
speed stored is cleared.
When you activate cruise cont rol or Active
Dis tance Assi stDISTRONIC, the last speed
st ored forth eva riable limiter is cleared. 14 0
Driving and pa rking
Increasing/decreasing
thesto red speed #
Press rocker switch 2up/down tothe pres‐
sure point.
The stored speed is increased or reduced by
1 km/h.
or #
Press and hold rocker switch 2up/down to
th e pressure point.
The stored speed is increased or reduced in
increments of 1 km/h.
or #
Press rocker switch 2beyond the pressure
point.
The stored speed is increased or reduced by
10 km/h.
or #
Press and hold rocker switch 2beyond the
pressure point.
The stored speed is increased or reduced in
increments of 10km/h.
or #
Accelerate theve hicle tothe desired speed. #
Press rocker switch 2up. Ad
opting the de tected speed
If cruise control/ variable limiter is activated and
Tr af fic Sign Assi sthas de tected a speed restric‐
tion sign wi tha maximum permissible speed and
th is is displa yed in the instrument clus ter: #
Press rocker switch 3up.
The maximum permissible speed shown by
th e traf fic sign is stored and theve hicle
maintains or does not exceed this speed.
Deactivating cruise control or theva riable
limi ter #
Press rocker switch 3down (CNCL).
% Ifyo u brake, deactivate ESP ®
or if ESP ®
inter venes, cruise control is deacti vated. The
va riable limiter is not deactivated.
% When you swit choff theve hicle, the last
speed stored is cleared.
When you select cruise cont rol or Active Dis‐
ta nce Assi stDISTRONIC, the last speed
st ored forth eva riable limiter is cleared. Pe
rm anent limi ter
If th eve hicle should ne verexc eed a specific
speed (e.g. for driving in winter tyre mode), you
can set this speed with the permanent limiter.
Yo u do this by limiting the speed toava lue
between 160 km/h and 240 km/h in the multi‐
media sy stem (/ page141).
Shortly before the set speed is reached, it
appears in the multifunction displa y.When you
confirm the message with %, display mes‐
sages no longer appear until you swit choff the
ve hicle. The speed will only be displa yed again
once theve hicle has been restar ted or if the set
speed is changed.
The permanent limiter does not swit chtopas‐
sive mode even du ring kickdown and the driven
speed remains below the set speed.
Setting the speed limitation for winter tyres
Multimedia sy stem:
4 Vehicle 5
î Vehicle settings
5 Winter tyres limit #
Select a speed or deactivate the function. Driving and parking
141