Tips for driving with Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC
Pay particular attention in the following traffic
situations:
RCornering, entering and exiting a bend: the
ability of Distance Pilot DISTRONIC to detect
vehicles during cornering is limited. Your vehi-
cle may brake unexpectedly or late.
RDriving on a different line: Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC may not detect vehicles which are
not driving in the middle of their lane. The dis-
tance to the vehicle in front will be too short.
ROther vehicles changing lanes: Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC has not detected the vehicle cut-
ting in yet. The distance to this vehicle will be
too short.
RNarrow vehicles: Distance Pilot DISTRONIC
has not yet detected the vehicle in front on
the edge of the road because of its narrow
width. The distance to the vehicle in front will
be too short.
RObstacles and stationary vehicles: Distance
Pilot DISTRONIC does not brake for obstacles
or stationary vehicles. If, for example, the
detected vehicle turns a corner and an obsta-
cle or stationary vehicle is then revealed, Dis-
tance Pilot DISTRONIC will not brake for
them.
RCrossing traffic: Distance Pilot DISTRONIC
may mistakenly detect vehicles that are
crossing your lane. Activating Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC a
t, for example, a traffic light with
crossing traffic, could cause your vehicle to
pull away at the wrong time.
In such situations, brake if necessary. Distance
Pilot DISTRONIC will then be deactivated.
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC with Steering
Pilot
General notes
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC with Steering Pilot
aids you in keeping the vehicle in the middle of
the lane by means of moderate steering inter-
ventions in a speed range from 0 – 125 mph
(0 - 200 km/h).
It monitors the area in front of your vehicle by
means of multifunction camera :, fixed at the
top of the windshield.
In a speed range from 0 - 37 mph (0 - 60 km/h),
Steering Pilot focuses on the vehicle in front,
taking into account lane markings, e.g. when
following vehicles in a traffic jam.
At speeds of more than 37 mph (60 km/h),
Steering Pilot focuses on clear lane markings
(left and right), focusing on the vehicle in front
only if clear lane markings are not present.
If these conditions are not present, Steering
Pilot cannot provide assistance.
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC must be active in
order for the function to be available.
Important safety notes
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC and Steering Pilot can neither reduce the risk of an accident if you fail
to adapt your driving style nor override the laws
of physics. Distance Pilot DISTRONIC with
Steering Pilot cannot take into account road,
weather or traffic conditions. Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC with Steerin g P
ilot is only an aid.
You are responsible for maintaining a safe dis-
tance to the vehicle in front, for vehicle speed,
for braking in good time and for staying in lane.
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC with Steering Pilot
does not detect road and traffic conditions and
does not detect all road users. If you are follow-
ing a vehicle which is driving towards the edge of
the road, your vehicle could come into contact
Driving system s159
Driving an d parking
Z
with the curb or other road boundaries. Be par-
ticularly aware of other road users, e.g. cyclists,
that are directly next to your vehicle.
Obstacles such as traffic markers on a con-
struction site that are on the lane or projecting
out into the lane are not detected.
An inappropriate steering intervention, e.g. afterintentionally driving over a lane marking, can be
corrected at any time if you steer slightly in theopposite direction.
DISTRONIC PLUS with Steering Pilot cannot
continuously keep your vehicle in lane. In some
cases, steering intervention is not sufficient to
bring the vehicle back to the lane. In such cases,
you must steer the vehicle yourself to ensure
that it does not leave the lane.
The system may be impaired or may not function
if:
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
Rthere are no or several unclear lane markings
for one lane, e.g. roadworks
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 short
and thus the lane markings 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 roadway
The system is switched to passive and no longer
assists you by performing steering interventions
if:
Ryou actively change lane
Ryou switch on the turn signal
Ryou take your hands off the steering wheel or
do not steer for a prolonged period of time
After you have finished changing lanes, Steering
Pilot is automatically active once more. Steering Pilot cannot provide assistance:
Ron very sharp corners
Rwhen a loss of tire pressure or a defective tire
has been detected and displayed
Pay attention also to the important safety notes
on Distance Pilot DISTRONIC (
Ypage 154).
The steering interventions are carried out with a
limited steering moment. The system requires
the driver to keep his hands on the steering
wheel and to steer himself.
If you do not steer yourself or if you take your
hands off the steering wheel for a prolonged
period of time, the system will first alert you with
a visual warning. A steering wheel symbol
appears in the multifunction display. If you have still not started to steer and have not taken hold
of the steering wheel, a warning tone also
sounds to remind you to take control of the
vehicle after five seconds at the latest. Steering
Pilot is then switched to passive. Distan ce Pilot
D
ISTRONIC remains active.
Activating Steering Pilot
XPress button ;.
Indicator lamp :lights up. The Steering
PilotOnmessage appears on the multifunc-
tion display. Steering Pilot is activated.
160Driving systems
Driving and parking
Vehicle level
Setting the raised vehicle level
It is possible to choose between the "Normal"
and "Raised" vehicle levels below a speed of
50 mph (80 km/h). Select the "Normal" setting
for normal road surfaces and "Raised" for driving
with snow chains or on particularly poor road
surfaces. Your selection remains stored even if
you remove the SmartKey from the ignition lock.
XStart the engine.
If indicator lamp ;is not lit:
XPress button :.
Indicator lamp ;lights up. The vehicle is
raised by 0.6 in (15 mm) compared to the
normal level.
The Vehicle Rising
message appears on
the multifunction display.
iThe message disappears after ten seconds,
irrespective of the level reached. If necessary,
the vehicle is raised further.
The "Raised level" setting is canceled if you:
Rdrive faster than 75 mph (120 km/h).
Rdrive for approximately three minutes at a
speed over 50 mph (80 km/h).
The "Raised level" remains active when you are
not driving within these speed ranges.
Setting the normal vehicle level
XStart the engine.
If indicator lamp ;is lit:
XPress button :.
Indicator lamp ;goes out. The vehicle is
adjusted to the height of the currently selec-
ted drive program (
Ypage 130).
Suspension tuning
General notes
The Adaptive Damping System with continuous
damping adjustment (ADS PLUS) automatically
controls the calibration of the dampers.
The damping is tuned individually to each wheel
and depends on:
Ryour driving style, e.g. sporty
Rthe road surface condition, e.g. bumps
Ryour individual selection, i.e. sports or com-
fort
Your selection remains stored even if you
remove the SmartKey from the ignition lock.
Sports tuning
In the S(Sport) and S+(Sport Plus) drive pro-
grams, the firmer suspension tuning ensures
even better contact with the road. Select this
mode when employing a sporty driving style,
e.g. on winding country roads.
XSelect the Sor S+ drive program with the
DYNAMIC SELECT switch (Ypage 130).
The vehicle is lowered by 0.6 in (15 mm) com- pared to the normal level.
Comfort tuning
In the Eand Cdrive programs, the driving char-
acteristics of your vehicle are more comforta-
ble. Therefore, select this mode if you favor a
164Driving systems
Driving an d parking
more comfortable driving style. Select comfort
mode also when driving fast on straight roads,
e.g. on straight stretches of highway.
XSelect theEor Cdrive program with the
DYNAMIC SELECT switch (Ypage 130).
The vehicle is raised to the normal level.
When driving at speeds above 78 mph
(125 km/h), the vehicle is automatically low-
ered by 0.6 in (15 mm) in the Eand Cdrive pro-
grams. When driving at speeds below 50 mph
(80 km/h) the vehicle is raised again.
AMG adaptive sport suspension sys-
tem
General notes
The electronically controlled damping system
works continuously. This improves driving
safety and ride comfort.
The damping is tuned individually to each wheel
and depends on:
Ryour driving style, e.g. sporty
Rthe road surface condition, e.g. bumps
Ryour individual selection of Sport, Sport + or
Comfort
The suspension setting is adjusted using the
corresponding button in the center console.
iThe mode can also be set using the
DYNAMIC SELECT switch (Ypage 130).
This is only possible if:
Rusing the AMG adaptive sport suspension
system button on the center console, and
Rusing the DYNAMIC SELECT switch, the
same mode is selected for the chassis. This
is the case, for example, when both are set
to Comfort mode.
Each time you start the engine with the Smart-
Key or the Start/Stop button, Comfort mode is
activated. For further information about starting
the engine, see (
Ypage 125).
Sport mode
The firmer setting of the suspension tuning in
Sport mode ensures even better contact with
the road. Select this mode when employing a
sporty driving style, e.g. on winding country
roads.
XPress button :.
Indicator lamp =lights up. You have selected
Sport mode.
The AMG Suspension System SPORT
mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
Sport + mode
The very firm setting of the suspension setting in
Sport + mode ensures the best possible contact
with the road. Select this mode only when driv-
ing on race circuits.
If indicator lamps ;and =are off:
XPress button :twice.
Indicator lamps ;and =light up. You have
selected Sport + mode.
The AMG
SuspensionSystemSPORT +mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
If indicator lamp =lights up:
XPress button :once.
Second indicator lamp ;lights up. You have
selected Sport + mode.
The AMG
SuspensionSystemSPORT +mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
Comfort mode
In Comfort mode, the driving characteristics of
your vehicle are more comfortable. Select this
mode if you favor a comfortable driving style.
This mode is also suitable if you are driving fast
on straight roads, such as on straight stretches
of a highway.
Driving systems165
Driving and parking
Z
Canceling Active Parking Pilot
XStop the movement of the multifunction
steering wheel or steer yourself.
Parking Pilot is canceled immediately. The
Parking
PilotCanceledmessage appears
on the multifunction display.
or
XPress the Parking Assist PARKTRONIC button
(Ypage 172).
Parking Assist PARKTRONIC is switched off
and Parking Pilot is immediately canceled.
The Parking Pilot Canceled
message
appears on the multifunction display.
Parking Pilot is canceled automatically when:
Rthe electric parking brake is engaged
Rtransmission position jis selected
Rparking using Parking Pilot is no longer pos-
sible
Ryou are driving faster than 6 mph (10 km/h)
Ra wheel spins, ESP®intervenes or fails. In
such cases the ÷warning lamp lights up in
the instrument cluster
A warning tone sounds. The parking symbol dis-
appears and the multifunction display shows the
Parking Pilot Canceled
message.
When Parking Pilot is canceled, you must steer
and brake again yourself.
If a system malfunction occurs, the vehicle is
braked to a standstill. To drive on, depress the
accelerator again.
Parking Assist PARKTRONIC
Important safety notes
Parking Assist PARKTRONIC is an electronic
parking aid with ultrasound. It monitors the area
around your vehicle using six sensors in the
front bumper and six sensors in the rear
bumper. Parking Assist PARKTRONIC visually
and audibly indicates the distance between your
vehicle and an object.
Parking Assist PARKTRONIC is only an aid. It is
not a replacement for your attention to your
immediate surroundings. You are always
responsible for safe maneuvering, parking and
exiting a parking space. Make sure that there
are no persons, animals or objects in the maneu- vering area while maneuvering and parking in/
leaving parking spaces.
!When parking, pay particular attention to
objects above or below the sensors, such as
flower pots or trailer drawbars. Parking Assist PARKTRONIC does not detect such objects
when they are in the immediate vicinity of the
vehicle. You could damage the vehicle or the
objects.
The sensors may not detect snow and other
objects that absorb ultrasonic waves.
Ultrasonic sources such as an automatic car
wash, the compressed-air brakes of a truck or
a pneumatic drill could cause Parking Assist
PARKTRONIC to malfunction.
Parking Assist PARKTRONIC may not function
correctly on uneven terrain.
Parking Assist PARKTRONIC is activated auto-
matically when you:
Rswitch on the ignition
Rshift the transmission to position h,k or
i
Parking Assist PARKTRONIC is deactivated at
speeds above 11 mph (18 km/h). It is reactiva-
ted at lower speeds.
Range of the sensors
Parking Assist PARKTRONIC does not take into
account obstacles located:
Rbelow the detection range, e.g. people, ani-
mals or objects.
Rabove the detection range, e.g. overhanging
loads, tail sections or loading ramps of trucks.
:Sensors in the front bumper, left-hand side
(example)
170Driving systems
Driving and parking
:Approx. 24 in (approx. 60 cm) (corners)
;Approx. 32 in (approx. 80 cm) (corners)
=Approx. 48 in (approx. 120 cm) (center)
?Approx. 40 in (approx. 100 cm) (center)
The sensors must be free from dirt, ice or slush.
They can otherwise not function correctly. Clean
the sensors regularly, taking care not to scratch
or damage them (
Ypage 292).
Minimum distance
CenterApprox. 8 in (approx. 20 cm)
CornersApprox. 6 in (approx. 15 cm)
If there is an obstacle within this range, the rel-
evant warning displays light up and a warning
tone sounds. If the distance falls below the min-
imum, the distance may no longer be shown.
Warning displays
:Segments on the left-hand side of the vehi-
cle
;Segments on the right-hand side of the vehi- cle
=Segments showing operational readiness
The warning displays show the distance
between the sensors and the obstacle. The
warning display for the front area is in the instru-
ment cluster. The warning display for the rear
area is located on the headliner in the rear com-
partment.
The warning display for each side of the vehicle
is divided into five yellow and two red segments.
Parking Assist PARKTRONIC is operational if
operational readiness indicator =lights up.
The selected transmission position and the
direction in which the vehicle is rolling deter-
mine which warning display is active when the
engine is running.
Transmission posi-
tionWarning display
hFront area activated
k, ior the vehicle
is rolling backwardsRear and front areas
activated
jNo areas activated
One or more segments light up as the vehicle
approaches an obstacle, depending on the vehi-
cle's distance from the obstacle. In addition,
warning tones are issued.
When the distance to the obstacle is sufficient,
you will hear an intermittent warning tone. The
shorter the distance to the obstacle, the shorter
the frequency of the intermittent warning tones
becomes. When the minimum distance is
reached, you hear a continuous warning tone.
Driving systems171
Driving an d parking
Z
Activating/deactivating Parking Assist
PARKTRONIC
dSwitc hon th edashboar d
eSwitchin th ecenter console
:Deactivates or activates Parking Assis t
PARKTRONI C
;Indicatorlamp
If indicator lamp ;lights up, Parking Assis t
PARKTRONI Cis deactivated. Parking Pilo tis
then also deactivated.
iParking Assis tPARKTRONI Cis automati-
call yactivated when you tur nth eSmartKey to
position 2in th eignition lock.
Problems with Park ing Assist PARKTRONIC
ProblemPossible causes/consequences and MSolutions
Only thered segments in
th eParking Assis t
PARKTRONI Cwarning
displays are lit .You also
hear awarning tone for
approximately two sec -
onds.
Parking Assis t
PARKTRONI Cis then
deactivated and th eindi-
cator lamp on th e
PARKTRONI Cbutto n
lights up.Parking Assis tPARKTRONI Chas malfunctioned and has been deacti -
vated.
XIf problem spersist, hav eParking Assis tPARKTRONI Cchecke dat a
qualified specialis tworkshop .
Only thered segments in
th eParking Assis t
PARKTRONI Cwarning
displays are lit .Parking
Assis tPARKTRONI Cis
then deactivated.The Parking Assis tPARKTRONI Csensor sare dirty or there is inter-
ference .
XClean th eParking Assis tPARKTRONI Csensor s (Ypage 292).
XSwitchth eignition bac kon .
The problem may be caused by an external source of radi oor ultra-
soun dwaves.
XChec kto see if Parking Assis tPARKTRONI Cworks at adifferen t
location .
172Driving systems
Driving and parking
Rear view camera
General notes
Rear view camera :is an optical parking and
maneuvering aid. It shows the area behind the
vehicle with guide lines in the multimedia sys-
tem.
The area behind the vehicle is displayed as a
mirror image, as in the rear view mirror.
iThe text shown in the multimedia system
depends on the language setting. The follow-
ing are examples of rear view camera displays
in the multimedia system.
Important safety notes
The rear view camera is only an aid. It is not a
replacement for your attention to your immedi-
ate surroundings. You are always responsible
for safe maneuvering and parking. Make sure
that there are no persons, animals or objects in
the maneuvering area while maneuvering and
parking in parking spaces.
Under the following circumstances, the rear
view camera will not function, or will function in
a limited manner:
Rif the trunk lid is open
Rin heavy rain, snow or fog
Rat night or in very dark places
Rif the camera is exposed to very bright light
Rif the area is lit by fluorescent bulbs or LED
lighting (the display may flicker)
Rif there is a sudden change in temperature,
e.g. when driving into a heated garage in win- ter
Rif the camera lens is dirty or obstructed.
Observe the notes on cleaning
(
Ypage 292)
Rif the rear of your vehicle is damaged. In this
case, have the camera position and setting
checked at a qualified specialist workshop
The field of vision and other functions of the rear
view camera may be restricted due to additional
accessories on the rear of the vehicle (e.g.
license plate holder, rear bicycle rack).
The rear view camera is protected from rain-
drops and dust by means of a flap. When the rear view camera is acti vated
, this flap opens.
The flap closes again when:
Ryou have finished the maneuvering process
Ryou switch off the engine
Ryou open the trunk
Observe the notes on cleaning (
Ypage 292).
For technical reasons, the flap may remain open
briefly after the rear view camera has been
deactivated.
Activating/deactivating the rear view
camera
XTo activate: make sure that the Activa‐
tion by R gearfunction is selected in the
multimedia system (see the Digital Operator's
Manual).
XEngage reverse gear.
The rear view camera flap opens. The multi-
media system shows the area behind the vehi-
cle with guide lines.
The image from the rear view camera is avail- able throughout the maneuvering process.
XTo deactivate: shift the transmission to posi-
tion j.
or
XTo deactivate: Drive forwards at a speed
greater than 7 mph (12 km/h).
Multimedia display
The rear view camera may show a distorted view
of obstacles, show them incorrectly or not at all.
The rear view camera does not show objects in
the following positions:
Rvery close to the rear bumper
Runder the rear bumper
Driving systems173
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