2018 MERCEDES-BENZ C-CLASS CABRIOLET ESP

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Methodofoperation
During th efirst stage of acollision ,th erestrain t
system control uni tevaluate simportant physi-
cal dat arelating to vehicl edeceleration or accel-
eration ,suc has:
Rduration
Rdirection
Rintensit y
Based on th eevaluation of this data, th e
restrain tsystem control uni ttriggers th eEmer-
gency Tensioning Devices during afrontal or
rear collision .
An Emergency Tensioning Devic ecan only be
triggered ,if:
Rth eignition is switched on
Rth ecomponent sof th erestrain tsystem are
operational. You can fin dfurther information
under "Restrain tsystem warning lamp "
(
Ypage 44 )
Rtheseat belt buckl etongue has engage din
th ebelt buckl eof th erespective fron tseat
The Emergency Tensioning Devices in th erear
compartmen tare triggered independentl yof th e
loc kstatus of th eseat belts.
If th erestrain tsystem control uni tdetects a
mor esevere accident, further component sof
th erestrain tsystem are activated independ-
entl yof eac hother in certain frontal collision
situations:
RFron tair bags as well as driver's and front-
passenger knee bags
RHea dbag, if th esystem determine sthat
deployment can offer additional protection to
tha
t provided by th eseat belt
The front-passenger fron tair bag is activated or
deactivated depending on th eperson on th e
front-passenger seat .The front-passenger fron t
air bag can only deploy in an acciden tif th e
PASSENGER AI RBA GOF Findicator lamp is off .
Observ eth einformation on th ePASSENGER AI R
BA Gindicator lamp s (
Ypage 44).
Your vehicl ehas two-stag efron tair bags .In th e
first deployment stage, th efron tair bag is filled
wit hpropellan tgas. The fron tair bag is fully
deployed wit hth emaximum amount of propel-
lan tgas if asecon ddeployment threshold is
reached within afew milliseconds. The activation threshold of th
eEmergency Ten -
sioning Devices and th eair bags is determine d
by evaluating th erat eof vehicl edeceleration or
acceleration whic hoccur sat various points in
th evehicle. This process is pre-emptive in
nature. Deploymen tshould tak eplac ein goo d
time at th estart of th ecollision .
The rat eof vehicl edeceleration or acceleration
and th edirection of th eforce are essentially
determine dby:
Rth edistribution of force sduring th ecollision
Rth ecollision angle
Rth edeformation characteristics of th evehicl e
Rthecharacteristics of th eobjec twit hwhic h
th evehicl ehas collide d
Factors whic hcan only be see nand measured
after acollision has occurred do no tplay adeci-
siv erol ein th edeployment of an air bag. Nor do
they provid ean indication of air bag deploy-
ment.
The vehicl ecan be deformed considerably, with-
out an air bag bein gdeployed. This is th ecas eif
only part swhic hare relativel yeasil ydeformed
are affecte dand th erat eof deceleration is no t
high .Conversely, air bags may be deployed eve n
though th evehicl esuffer sonly minor deforma-
tion .This is th ecas eif, for example, ver yrigid
vehicl epart ssuc has longitudinal body mem -
ber sare hit ,and sufficien tdeceleration occur s
as aresult .
If th erestrain tsystem control uni tdetects aside
impact or if th evehicl erolls over, th eapplicable
component sof th erestrain tsystem are activa-
te dindependentl yof eac hother depending on
th eapparen ttyp eof accident.
RSid eimpact air bags on th eside of impact ,
independentl yof th eEmergency Tensioning
Devic eand th euse of th eseat belt on th e
driver's seat and in th erear compartmen t
seat s
The side impact air bag on th efront-
passenger side deploys und er th
efo
llowin g
conditions:
-th eOCS system detects that th efront-
passenger seat is occupied or
-th eseat belt buckl etongue is engage din
th ebelt buckl eof th efront-passenger seat
RHea dbag on th eside of impact ,independ-
entl yof th euse of th eseat belt and inde-
pendentl yof whether th efront-passenger
seat is occupied
Occupant safety57
Safety
Z

REmergency Tensioning Devices, if the systemdetermines that deployment can offer addi-
tional protection in this situation
RHead bags on the driver's and front-
passenger side in certain situations when the
vehicle rolls over, if the system determines
that deployment can offer additional protec-
tion to that provided by the seat belt
iNot all air bags are deployed in an accident.
The different air bag systems work independ-
ently of each other.
How the air bag system works is determined
by the severity of the accident detected,
especially the vehicle deceleration or accel-
eration and the apparent type of accident:
RFrontal collision
RSide impact
RRollover
PRE-SAFE®(anticipatory occupant
protection system)
Introduction
In certain hazardous situations, PRE-SAFE®
takes pre-emptive measures to protect the vehi-
cle occupants.
Important safety notes
!Make sure that there are no objects in the
footwell or behind the seats. There is a danger that the seats and/or objects could be dam-
aged when PRE-SAFE
®is activated.
Despite your vehicle being equipped with the
PRE-SAFE
®system, the possibility of personal
injuries occurring as a result of an accident can-
not be eliminated. Always adapt your driving
style to suit the prevailing road and weather
conditions and maintain a safe distance from
the vehicle in front. Drive carefully.
Function
PRE-SAFE®intervenes:
Rin emergency braking situations, e.g. when
BAS is activated
Rin critical driving situations, e.g. when physi-
cal limits are exceeded and the vehicle under-
steers or oversteers severely
Rvehicles with the Driving Assistance package:
when a driver assistance system intervenes
powerfully or the radar sensor system detects
an imminent danger of collision in certain sit- uations
PRE-SAFE
®takes the following measures
depending on the hazardous situation detected:
Rthe front seat belts are pre-tensioned.
Rif the vehicle skids, the front side windows are
closed.
Rvehicles with the memory function for the
front-passenger seat: the front-passenger
seat is adjusted if it is in an unfavorable posi-
tion.
If the hazardous situation passes without result-
ing in an accident, PRE-SAFE
®slackens the belt
pre-tensioning. All settings made by PRE-SAFE®
can then be reversed.
If the seat belt pre-tensioning is not reduced:
XMove the seat backrest or seat back slightly
when the vehicle is stationary.
The seat belt pre-tensioning is reduced and
the locking mechanism is released.
The seat-belt adjustment is an integral part of
the PRE-SAFE
®convenience function. Informa-
ti
on about the convenience function can be
found under "Belt adjustment" (
Ypage 48).
PRE-SAFE®PLUS (anticipatory occu-
pant protection system PLUS)
Introduction
PRE-SAFE®PLUS is only available in vehicles
with the Driving Assistance package.
Using the radar sensor system, PRE-SAFE
®
PLUS is able to detect that a head-on or rear-end
collision is imminent. In certain hazardous sit-
uations, PRE-SAFE
®PLUS takes pre-emptive
measures to protect the vehicle occupants.
58Occupant safety
Safety

GWARNING
If the child restraint system is installed incor-
rectly on a suitable seat, it cannot protect as
intended. The child cannot then be restrained
in the event of an accident, heavy braking or
sudden changes of direction. There is an
increased risk of injury, possibly even fatal.
Make sure that you observe the child restraint
system manufacturer's installation instruc-
tions and the notes on use. Please ensure,
that the base of the child restraint system is
always resting completely on the seat cush-
ion. Never place objects, e.g. cushions, under or behind the child restraint system. Only use
child restraint systems with the original cover
designed for them. Only replace damaged
covers with genuine covers.
GWARNING
If the child restraint system is installed incor-
rectly or is not secured, it can come loose in
the event of an accident, heavy braking or a
sudden change in direction. The child
restraint system could be thrown about, strik-
ing vehicle occupants. There is an increased
risk of injury, possibly even fatal.
Always install child restraint systems prop-
erly, even if they are not being used. Make
sure that you observe the child restraint sys-
tem manufacturer's installation instructions.
You will find further information on stowing
objects, luggage or loads under "Loading guide-
lines" (
Ypage 263).
GWARNING
Child restraint systems or their securing sys-
tems which have been damaged or subjected
to a load in an accident can no longer protect
as intended. The child cannot then be
restrained in the event of an accident, heavy
braking or sudden changes of direction. There is an increased risk of injury, possibly even
fatal.
Replace child restraint systems which have
been damaged or subjected to a load in an
accident as soon as possible. Have the secur-
ing systems on the child restraint system
checked at a qualified specialist workshop,
before you install a child restraint system
again.
The securing systems of child restraint systems
are:
Rthe seat belt system
Rthe LATCH-type (ISOFIX) securing rings
Rthe Top Tether anchorages
If it is absolutely necessary to carry a child on
the front-passenger seat, be sure to observe the
information on the "Occupant Classification
System (OCS)" (
Ypage 51). There you will also
find information on deactivating the front-
passenger front air bag.
All child restraint systems must meet the fol-
lowing standards:
RU.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards
213 and 225
RCanadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards
213 and 210.2
Confirmation that the child restraint system cor-
responds to the standards can be found on an
instruction label on the child restraint system.
This confirmation can also be found in the instal-
lation instructions that are included with the
child restraint system.
Observe the warning labels in the vehicle inte-
rior and on the child restraint system.
LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child seat secur-
ing system
GWARNING
LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child restraint systems
do not offer sufficient protection for children
whose weight combined with the child
restraint system is greater than 65 lbs (29 kg) and who are secured using the safety belt
integrated in the child restraint system. In the
event of an accident, a child might not be
restrained correctly. This poses an increased
risk of injury or even fatal injury.
If the child and the child restraint system
together weigh more than 65 lbs (29 kg), only
use LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child restraint sys-
tems with which the child is also secured with
Children in the vehicle61
Safety
Z

Pets in the vehicle
GWARNING
If you leave animals unattended or unsecured
in the vehicle, they could press buttons or
switches, for example.
As a result, they could:
Ractivate vehicle equipment and become
trapped, for example
Ractivate or deactivate systems, thereby
endangering other road users
Unsecured animals could also be flung around
the vehicle in the event of an accident or sud-
den steering or braking, thereby injuring vehi-
cle occupants. There is a risk of an accident
and injury.
Never leave animals unattended in the vehi-
cle. Always secure animals properly during
the journey, e.g. use a suitable animal trans-
port box.
Driving safety systems
Overview of driving safety systems
In this section, you will find information about
the following driving safety systems:
RABS (Anti-lock BrakingSystem)
(Ypage 64)
RBAS ( Brake Assist System) (Ypage 65)
RActive Brake Assist (Ypage 65)
RESP®(Electronic StabilityProgram)
(Ypage 67)
REBD ( Electronic Brake force Distribution)
(Ypage 71)
RADAPTIVE BRAKE (Ypage 71)
RActive Brake Assist with cross-traffic function (Ypage 71)
RSTEER CONTROL (Ypage 74)
Important safety notes
If you fail to adapt your driving style or if you are
inattentive, the driving safety systems can nei-
ther reduce the risk of an accident nor overridethe laws of physics. Driving safety systems are merely aids designed to assist driving. You are
responsible for maintaining the distance to the
vehicle in front, for vehicle speed, for braking in
good time, and for staying in lane. Always adapt
your driving style to suit the prevailing road and
weather conditions and maintain a safe distance
from the vehicle in front. Drive carefully.
The driving safety systems described only work
as effectively as possible when there is ade-
quate contact between the tires and the road
surface. Pay particular attention to the informa-
tion regarding tires, recommended minimum
tire tread depths etc. in the "Wheels and tires"
section (
Ypage 312).
In wintry driving conditions, always use winter
tires (M+S tires) and if necessary, snow chains.
Only in this way will the driving safety systems
described in this section work as effectively as
possible.
ABS (Anti-lock Braking System)
General information
ABS regulates brake pressure in such a way that
the wheels do not lock when you brake. This
allows you to continue steering the vehicle when
braking.
The ! ABS warning lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up when the ignition is switched
on. It goes out when the engine is running.
ABS works from a speed of about 5 mph
(8 km/h), regardless of road-surface conditions.
ABS works on slippery surfaces, even when you
only brake gently.
Important safety notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Ypage 64).
GWARNING
If ABS is faulty, the wheels could lock when
braking. The steerability and braking charac-
teristics may be severely impaired. Addition-
ally, further driving safety systems are deac-
tivated. There is an increased danger of skid-
ding and accidents.
Drive on carefully. Have ABS checked imme-
diately at a qualified specialist workshop.
64Driving safety systems
Safety

Adaptive Brake Assist
Generalinformation
iObserv eth e"Importan tsafet ynotes" sec -
tion (Ypage 64) .
Wit hth ehelp of adaptive Brake Assist, th edis-
tance warning signal can detec tobstacles that
are in th epat hof your vehicl efor an extended
period of time.
If adaptive Brake Assis tdetects aris kof colli-
sion wit hth evehicl ein front, it calculates th e
braking force necessar yto avoi d acollision .If
you apply th ebrakes forcefully, adaptive Brake
Assis twill automatically increas eth ebraking
force to alevel suitable for th etraffic conditions.
Adaptive Brake Assis tprovides braking assis-
tance in hazardous situation sat speeds abov e
4 mph (7 km/h). It uses radar sensor technology
to assess th etraffic situation .
Up to aspee dof approximately 15 5mph
(25 0km/h), Adaptive Brake Assis tis capable of
reacting to moving objects that hav ealready
been detecte das suc hat least once ove rth e
period of observation .
Up to aspee dof approximately 44 mph
(70 km/h), Adaptive Brake Assis treacts to sta-
tionary obstacles.
If adaptive Brake Assis tdemand sparticularly
high braking force ,preventative passenger pro -
tection measures (PRE-SAF E
®)are activated
simultaneously (Ypage 58).
XKeepth ebrak epedal depressed until th e
emergenc ybraking situation is over.
AB Sprevents th ewheels from locking .
The brakes will wor knormally again if:
Ryou release th ebrak epedal .
Rthere is no longer any danger of acollision .
Rno obstacle is detecte din fron tof your vehi-
cle .
Adaptive Brake Assis tis then deactivated.
Important safety notes
iObserv eth e"Importan tsafet ynotes" sec -
tion for drivin gsafet ysystems (Ypage 64).
GWARNIN G
Adaptive Brake Assis tcanno talways clearly
identify objects and complex traffic situa-
tions.
In suc hcases, Adaptive Brake Assis tcan :
Rinterven eunnecessarily
Rno tinterven e
There is aris kof an accident.
Always pay careful attention to th etraffic sit -
uation and be read yto brake. Terminate th e
intervention in anon-critical drivin gsituation .
GWARNIN G
Adaptive Brake Assis tdoes no treact:
Rto people or animals
Rto oncomin gvehicles
Rto crossing traffic
Rwhen cornering
As aresult ,th eAdaptive Brake Assis tmay no t
interven ein all critical conditions. There is a
ris kof an accident.
Always pay careful attention to th etraffic sit -
uation and be read yto brake.
Always adapt your spee dto suit th eprevailing
road and traffic conditions.
Due to th enature of th esystem, particularly
complicated but non-critical drivin gcondition s
may also caus eBrake Assis tto intervene.
If adaptive Brake Assis tis no tavailable due to a
malfunction in th eradar sensor system, th e
brak esystem remain savailable wit hfull brak e
boosting effec tand BAS.
ESP®(Electron ic Stability Program)
Gene ral notes
iObserv eth e"Importan tsafet ynotes" sec -
tion (Ypage 64) .
ES P
®monitors drivin gstabilit yand traction ,i.e .
powe rtransmission between th etires and th e
road surface.
If ES P
®detects that th evehicl eis deviating from
th edirection desired by th edriver ,on eor mor e
wheels are braked to stabiliz eth evehicle. The
engin eoutput is also modifie dto keep th evehi-
cle on th edesired cours ewithin physical limits .
ES P
®assist sth edriver when pullin gaway on
Driving safety systems67
Safety
Z

wet or slippery roads. ESP®can also stabilize
the vehicle during braking.
ETS/4ETS (Electronic Traction System)
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Ypage 64).
ETS traction control is part of ESP
®. On vehicles
with 4MATIC, 4ETS 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 64).
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.
When towing the vehicle with the rear axle
raised, observe the notes on ESP
®
(Ypage 307).
If the å ESP®OFF warning lamp lights up
continuously, ESP®is deactivated.
If the ÷ ESP®warning lamp lights up contin-
uously, ESP®is not available due to a malfunc-
tion.
Observe the information on warning lamps
(
Ypage 244) and display messages which may
be shown in the instrument cluster
(
Ypage 213).
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, e.g. if
ESP®was deactivated before the engine was
automatically switched off.
Deactivating/activating ESP®(except
Mercedes ‑AMG vehicles)
Important safety notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Ypage 64).
You can select between the following states of
ESP
®:
RESP®is activated.
RESP®is deactivated.
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.
It may be best to deactivate ESP
®in the follow-
ing situations:
Rwhen using snow chains
Rin deep snow
Ron sand or gravel
68Driving safety systems
Safety

Spinning the wheels results in a cutting action
which provides better grip.
iActivate ESP®as soon as the situations
described 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®
You can deactivate or activate ESP®via the on-
board computer (Ypage 204).
ESP®deactivated:
The å ESP®OFF warning lamp in the instru-
ment cluster lights up.
ESP
®activated:
The å ESP®OFF warning lamp in the instru-
ment cluster goes out.
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.
RTraction control is still activated.
RActive Brake Assist is no longer available; nor
is it activated if you brake firmly with assis-
tance from ESP
®.
RPRE-SAFE®is no longer available, nor is it
activated if you brake firmly and ESP®inter-
ve
nes.
RPRE-SAFE®Brake is no longer available, it is
also not activated if you brake firmly and ESP®
intervenes.
RESP®still provides support when you brake
firmly.
Deactivating/activating ESP®
(Mercedes‑AMG vehicles)
Important safety notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Ypage 64).
You can select between the following states of
ESP
®:
RESP®is activated.
RSPORT handling mode is activated.
RESP®is deactivated.
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.
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.
!Avoid spinning the driven wheels for an
extended period with ESP®deactivated. You
could otherwise damage the drivetrain.
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
Spinning the wheels results in a cutting action
which provides better grip.
Driving in SPORT handling mode or without
ESP
®requires an extremely qualified and expe-
rienced driver.
iActivate ESP®as soon as the situations
described above no longer apply. ESP®will
otherwise not be able to stabilize the vehicle if
Driving safety systems69
Safety
Z

the vehicle starts to skid or a wheel starts to
spin.
Deactivating/activating ESP®
XTo activate SPORT handling mode:briefly
press button :.
The M SPORT handling mode warning
lamp in the instrument cluster lights up. The
SPORT
handlingmodemessage appears on
the multifunction display.
XTo deactivate SPORT handling mode:
briefly press button :.
The M SPORT handling mode warning
lamp in the instrument cluster goes out.
XTo deactivate ESP®: press button :until
the å ESP®OFF warning lamp lights up in
the instrument cluster.
The ÷ OFF
message appears on the mul-
tifunction display.
XTo activate ESP®: briefly 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.
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 does not flash. In such situa-
tions, 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.
RTraction control is still activated.
RActive Brake Assist is no longer available; nor
is it activated if you brake firmly with assis-
tance from ESP
®.
RPRE-SAFE®is no longer available, nor is it
activated if you brake firmly and ESP®inter-
venes.
RPRE-SAFE®Brake is no longer available, it is
also not activated if you brake firmly and ESP®
intervenes.
RESP®still provides support when you brake
firmly.
ESP®trailer stabilization
General information
ESP®trailer stabilization is not available in
Mercedes-AMG vehicles.
If your vehicle/trailer combination begins to
swerve, ESP
®assists you in this situation. ESP®
slows the vehicle down by braking and limiting
the engine output until the vehicle/trailer com-
bination has stabilized.
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If road and weather conditions are poor,
trailer stabilization will not be able to prevent
the vehicle/trailer combination from swerv-
ing. Trailers with a high center of gravity can
tip over before ESP
®can detect this. There is
a risk of an accident.
Always adapt your driving style to the prevail-
ing road and weather conditions.
70Driving safet ysystem s
Safety