2018 MERCEDES-BENZ C-CLASS CABRIOLET air condition

Winter driving
GWARNING
If you shift down on a slippery road surface in an attempt to increase the engine's braking
effect, the drive wheels could lose their grip.
There is an increased danger of skidding and
accidents.
Do not shift down for additional engine brak-
ing on a slippery road surface.
GDANGER
If the exhaust pipe is blocked or adequate
ventilation is not possible, poisonous gases
such as carbon monoxide (CO) may enter the vehicle. This is the case, e.g. if the vehicle
becomes trapped in snow. There is a risk of
fatal injury.
If you leave the engine or the auxiliary heating
running, make sure the exhaust pipe and area
around the vehicle are clear of snow. To
ensure an adequate supply of fresh air, open a
window on the side of the vehicle that is not
facing into the wind.
Have your vehicle winter-proofed at a qualified
specialist workshop at the onset of winter.
Drive particularly carefully on slippery road sur-
faces. Avoid sudden acceleration, steering and
braking maneuvers. Do not use cruise control or
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC.
If the vehicle threatens to skid or cannot be
stopped when moving at low speed:
XShift the transmission to position i.
The outside temperature indicator is not
designed to serve as an ice-warning device and is therefore unsuitable for that purpose.
Changes in the outside temperature are dis-
played after a short delay.
Indicated temperatures just above the freezing
point do not guarantee that the road surface is
free of ice. The road may still be icy, especially in
wooded areas or on bridges. The vehicle could
skid if you fail to adapt your driving style. Always
adapt your driving style and drive at a speed to
suit the prevailing weather conditions.
You should pay special attention to road condi-
tions when temperatures are around freezing
point. For more information on driving with snow
chains, see (
Ypage 315).
For more information on driving with summer
tires, see (
Ypage 314).
Observe the notes i n the "Winter operation" sec-
tion (
Ypage 314).
Driving systems
Mercedes-Benz Intelligent Drive
Mercedes-Benz Intelligent Drive stands for inno-
vative driver assistance and safety systems
which enhance comfort and support the driver in
critical situations. With these intelligent co-ordi- nated systems Mercedes-Benz has set a mile-
stone on the path towards autonomous driving.
Mercedes-Benz Intelligent Drive embraces all
elements of active and passive safety in one well thought out system – for the safety of the vehi-
cle occupants and that of other road users.
Further information on driving safety systems
(
Ypage 64).
Cruise control
General notes
Cruise control maintains a constant road speed
for you. It brakes automatically in order to avoid
exceeding the set speed. Change into a lower
gear in good time on long and steep downhill
gradients. This is especially important if the
vehicle is laden. By doing so, you will make use
of the braking effect of the engine. This relieves
the load on the brake system and prevents the
brakes from overheating and wearing too
quickly.
Use cruise control only if road and traffic con-
ditions make it appropriate to maintain a steady
speed for a prolonged period. You can store any
road speed above 20 mph (30 km/h).
Important safety notes
Cruise control can neither reduce the risk of an
accident if you fail to adapt your driving style nor
override the laws of physics. Cruise control can-
not take into account the road, traffic and
weather conditions. Cruise control is only an
aid. You are responsible for maintaining a safe
distance to the vehicle in front, for vehicle
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Any unauthorized modification to this device
could void the user's authority to operate the
equipment.
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC does not react to:
Rpeople or animals
Rstationary objects on the road, e.g. stopped
or parked vehicles
Roncoming vehicles and crossing traffic
As a result, Distance Pilot DISTRONIC may
neither give warnings nor intervene in such
situations. There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit- uation and be ready to brake.
GWARNING
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC cannot always
clearly identify other road users and complex
traffic situations.
In such cases, Distance Pilot DISTRONIC may:
Rgive an unnecessary warning and then
brake the vehicle
Rneither give a warning nor intervene
Raccelerate or brake unexpectedly
There is a risk of an accident.
Continue to drive carefully and be ready to
brake, especially if Distance Pilot DISTRONIC
warns you.
GWARNING
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC brakes your vehicle with up to 50% of the maximum possible
deceleration. If this deceleration is not suffi-
cient, Distance Pilot DISTRONIC alerts you
with a visual and acoustic warning. There is a
risk of an accident.
Apply the brakes yourself in these situations
and try to take evasive action.
!When Distance Pilot DISTRONIC or the
HOLD function are activated, the vehicle
brakes automatically in certain situations. To avoid damage to the vehicle, deactivate
these systems in the following or similar sit-
uations:
Rwhen towing the vehicle
Rin the car wash
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC 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 cannot take into
account road, weather or traffic conditions. Dis-
tance Pilot DISTRONIC is only an aid. You are
responsible for maintaining a safe distance to
the vehicle in front, for vehicle speed, for brak-
ing in good time and for staying in lane.
Do not use Distance Pilot DISTRONIC:
Rin road and traffic conditions which do not
allow you to maintain a constant speed, e.g. in
heavy traffic or on winding roads
Ron slippery road surfaces. Braking or accel-
erating could cause the drive wheels to lose
traction and the vehicle could then skid
Rin poor visibility, e.g. due to fog, heavy rain or
snow
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC may not detect nar-
row vehicles driving in front, e.g. motorcycles, or
vehicles driving on a different line.
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
If Distance Pilot DISTRONIC no longer detects a
vehicle in front, it may unexpectedly accelerate
to the speed stored.
This speed may:
Rbe too high if you are driving in a turning lane
or an exit lane
Rbe so high in the right lane that you pass vehi- cles driving on the left (in countries where
they drive on the right)
Rbe so high in the left lane that you pass vehi-
cles driving on the right (in countries where
they drive on the left)
If there is a change of drivers, advise the new
driver of the speed stored.
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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.
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Rthe vehicle is stationary and the brake pedal is
depressed (left foot).
Rthe transmission is in positionh
Activating RACE START
iWhen manual mode (Ypage 138) is active,
the transmission automatically shifts up to
RACE START in the drive program. This func-
tion supports maximum acceleration with
RACE START. After going through an acceler-
ating process once from a stationary position, this function is automatically deactivated.
XDepress the brake pedal with your left foot
and keep it depressed.
XPull and hold both steering wheel paddle shift-
ers (Ypage 138).
The RACE START Confirm: Paddle UP
Cancel: Paddle DOWNmessage appears in
the multifunction display.
XRelease both steering wheel paddle shifters
(Ypage 138).
iIf the activation conditions are no longer ful-
filled, RACE START is canceled. The RACE
START Canceledmessage appears in the
multifunction display.
XTo cancel: pull the left steering wheel paddle
shifter (Ypage 138).
or
XTo confirm: pull the right steering wheel pad- dle shifter (Ypage 138).
The RACESTARTAvailableDepressgaspedal.message appears in the multifunction
display.
iIf you do not depress the accelerator pedal
fully within two seconds, RACE START is can-
celed. The RACE
STARTNotPossibleSeeOperator'sManualmessage appears in the
multifunction display.
XDepress the accelerator pedal completely,
until the engine speed stops increasing.
The RACE
STARTReleasebraketostartmessage appears in the multifunction display.
iIf you do not release the brake pedal within
five seconds, RACE START is canceled. The
RACE START Canceled
message appears in
the multifunction display.
XTake your foot off the brake, but keep the
accelerator pedal depressed.
The vehicle pulls away at maximum acceler-
ation. The
RACE
STARTActivemessage appears in
the multifunction display.
RACE START is deactivated when the vehicle
reaches a speed of approximately 30 mph (Can-
ada: 50 km/h).
RACE START is deactivated immediately if you
release the accelerator pedal during RACE
START or if any of the activation conditions are
no longer fulfilled. The RACE START Not Pos‐
sible See Operator's ManualorRACESTART Canceledmessage appears in the mul-
tifunction display.
iIf RACE START is used repeatedly within a
short period of time, it is only available again
after the vehicle has been driven a certain
distance.
AIRMATIC
General notes
AIRMATIC is an air suspension with variable
damping for improved driving comfort. All-round
level control ensures the best possible suspen-
sion and constant ground clearance, even with a
laden vehicle. When you drive fast, the vehicle is
lowered automatically to improve driving safety
and to reduce fuel consumption. There is also
the option to manually adjust the vehicle level.
AIRMATIC consists of level setting, level control
and ADS PLUS (Adaptive Damping System with
continuous damping adjustment).
The vehicle level can be set using the DYNAMIC
SELECT switch (
Ypage 130) or the level button
(Ypage 164). The setting always corresponds
to the last selected function.
Important safety notes
GWARNING
When the vehicle is being lowered, people
could become trapped if their limbs are
between the vehicle body and the wheels or
underneath the vehicle. There is a risk of
injury.
Make sure no one is underneath the vehicle or
in the immediate vicinity of the wheel arches
when the vehicle is being lowered.
iIf one of the doors is open, the vehicle is not
lowered.
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Traffic Sign Assist
General notes
Traffic Sign Assist displays the maximum speed
permitted to the driver in the instrument cluster.
The data and general traffic regulations stored in
the navigation system are used to determine the
current speed limit.
Traffic Sign Assist is a map-based system, and
for this reason, traffic signs put up temporarily
(e.g. near roadworks) are not detected. There is also no display for changing traffic signs.
Traffic signs with a restriction indicated by an
additional sign (e.g. in wet conditions) are also
shown.
The sign indicating the end of a restriction only
appears with the restriction in the instrument
cluster when:
RThe regulation must be observed with the
restriction, or
RTraffic Sign Assist is unable to determine
whether the restriction applies
If Traffic Sign Assist is unable to determine a
maximum permitted speed from any of the avail-
able sources, no speed limit appears in the
instrument cluster either.
Traffic Sign Assist is not available in all coun-
tries. In this case, display :appears in the
assistance graphic (
Ypage 203).
Important safety notes
Traffic Sign Assist is only an aid and is not always
able to correctly display speed limits. Traffic
signs always have priority over the Traffic Sign
Assist display.
The system may be either functionally impaired
or temporarily unavailable if the information in
the digital street map of the navigation system is
incorrect or out of date.
Instrument cluster display
Displaying the assistance graphic
XCall up the assistance graphic display func-
tion using the on-board computer
(
Ypage 203).
Detected traffic signs appear in the instru-
ment cluster.
Speed limit with unknown restriction
:Maximum permitted speed
;Maximum permitted speed for vehicles for
which the restriction in the additional sign is relevant
=Additional sign for unknown restriction
A maximum permitted speed of 80 mph
(80 km/h) and a speed limit of 60 mph
(60 km/h) with an unknown restriction apply.
The unit for the speed limit (km/h or mph)
depends on the country in which you are driving. It is generally neither shown on the traffic sign
nor on the instrument cluster but must be taken
into account when observing the maximum per-
mitted speed.
Lane Tracking package
General notes
The Lane Tracking package consists of Blind
Spot Assist (Ypage 182) and Lane Keeping
Assist (Ypage 184).
Blind Spot Assist
General notes
Blind Spot Assist monitors the areas on either
side of the vehicle that are not visible to the
driver with two lateral, rear-facing radar sen-
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sors. A warning lamp lights up in the exterior
mirrors and draws your attention to vehicles
detected in the monitored area. If you then
switch on the corresponding turn signal to
change lane, you will also receive an optical and
audible warning.
Blind Spot Assist supports you from a speed of
approximately 20 mph (30 km/h).
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Blind Spot Assist does not react to:
Rvehicles overtaken too closely on the side,
placing them in the blind spot area
Rvehicles which approach with a large speed
differential and overtake your vehicle
As a result, Blind Spot Assist may not give
warnings in such situations. There is a risk of
an accident.
Always observe the traffic conditions care-
fully, and maintain a safe lateral distance.
Blind Spot Assist is only an aid. It may fail to
detect some vehicles and is no substitute for
attentive driving. Always ensure that there is
sufficient distance to the side for other road
users and obstacles.
iUSA only:
This device has been approved by the FCC as
a "Vehicular Radar System". The radar sensor
is intended for use in an automotive radar
system only. Removing, tampering with, or
altering the device will void any warranties,
and is not permitted by the FCC. Do not tam-
per with, alter, or use in any non-approved
way.
Any unauthorized modification to this device
could void the user’s authority to operate the
equipment.
Radar sensors
The radar sensors for Blind Spot Assist are inte-
grated into the rear bumper. Make sure that the bumpers are free from dirt, ice or slush. The
sensors must not be covered, for example by
cycle racks or overhanging loads. Following a
severe impact or in the event of damage to the
bumpers, have the function of the radar sensors
checked at a qualified specialist workshop.
Blind Spot Assist may no longer work properly.
Monitoring area
In particular, the detection of obstacles can be
impaired if:
Rthere is dirt on the sensors or anything else
covering the sensors
Rthere is poor visibility, e.g. due to fog, heavy
rain, snow or spray
Rthere are narrow vehicles, e.g. motorcycles or
bicycles
Rthe road has very wide lanes
Rthe road has narrow lanes
Ryou are not driving in the middle of the lane
Rthere are barriers or other road boundaries
Vehicles in the monitoring range are then not
indicated.
At a distance of around 1.6 ft (0.5 m) ;from the
vehicle, Blind Spot Assist monitors the area up
to 10 ft (3 m) next to =and behind :your
vehicle, as shown in the picture.
If the lanes are narrow, vehicles driving in the
lane beyond the lane next to your vehicle may be
indicated, especially if the vehicles are not driv-
ing in the middle of their lane. This may be the
case if there are vehicles driving at the inner
edge of their lanes.
Due to the nature of the system:
Rwarnings may be issued in error when driving
close to crash barriers or similar solid lane
borders.
Rwarnings may be interrupted when driving
alongside long vehicles, e.g. trucks, for a pro-
longed time.
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Important safety notes
GWARNING
Lane Keepin g Assist cannot always clearly
detect lane markings.
In such cases, Lane Keepin g Assist can:
Rgive an unnecessary warning
Rnot give a warning
There isa risk of an acc ident.
Always pay particular attention to the traff ic
situation and keep within the lane, especial ly
if Lane Keepin g Assist alerts you.
GWARNING
The Lane Keepin g Assist warning does not
return the veh icleto the original lane. There is
a risk of an acc ident.
You should always steer, brake or accelerate
yourself, inparticular ifwarned byLane Keep-
ing Assist.
Lane Keepin g Assist can neither reduce the risk
of an acc identif you fail to adapt your driving
style nor overr idethe laws of physics. Lane
Keepin g Assist cannot take into account the
road, traff icand weather conditions. Lane Keep-
ing Assist ismerely an aid.You are responsible
for the distance to the veh icle infront, for veh i-
cle speed, for braking ingood time and for stay-
ing inyour lane.
The Lane Keepin g Assist does not keep the veh i-
cle inthe lane.
The system may beimpaired or may not function
if:
Rthere ispoor vis ibility, e.g. due to insuff icient
illumi nation of the road, or due to snow, rain,
fog or spray
Rthere isglare, e.g. from oncoming traffic, the
sun or reflection from other veh icles (e.g. if
the road surface iswet)
Rthe windshield is dirty, fogged up, damaged or
covered, for instance bya sticker, inthe vicin-
ity of the camera
Rthere are no, several or unclear lane markings
for a lane, e.g. inareas with road construction
work
Rthe lane markings are worn away, dark or cov-
ered up, e.g. by dirtor snow
Rthe distance to the vehicle infront is too small
and the lane markings thus cannot be detec-
ted
Rthe lane markings change quickly, e.g. lanes
branch off, cross one another or merge
Rthe road isnarrow and winding
Rthere are highly variable shade conditions on
the roadway
Activating/deactivating Lane Keeping
Assist
XTo activate: press button ;.
In dicator lamp :lights up. The Lane Keep‐
ingAssistOnmessage appears in the mul-
tifunction display. If all conditions have been
satisfied, there may be a warning.
If you drive at speeds above 40 mph
(60 km/h) and lane markings are detected,
the lines inthe assistance graphics display
(
Ypage 203) are shown in green. Lane Keep-
ing Assist is ready for use.
XTo deactivate: press button;.
Indicator lamp :goes out. Lane Keeping
Assist is deactivate d.The Lane Keeping
Assist Offmessage appears inthe multi-
function display.
Selecting Standard or Adaptive setting
XIn the DriveAssistmenu on the on-board
computer, select the LaneKeepingAssistfunction (Ypage 205).
XSelectStandardorAdaptive.
Standard
When Standard
is selected, no warning vibra-
tion occurs if:
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Active Lane Keeping Assist
Generalnotes
Active Lan eKeepin gAssis tmonitors th earea in
fron tof your vehicl eby mean sof multifunction
camera :at th eto pof th ewindshield. Various
differen tareas to th efront, rear and side of your
vehicl eare also monitore dwit hth eaid of th e
radar sensor system. Active Lan eKeepin g
Assis tdetects lan emarking son th eroad and
can warn you before you leav eyour lan eunin-
tentionally. If you do no treac tto th ewarning , a
lane-correcting application of th ebrakes can
bring th evehicl ebac kint oth eoriginal lane.
This function is available in th erange between
40 mph and 12 0mph (60 km/h and 20 0km/h).
Important safety notes
If you fail to adapt your drivin gstyle, Active Lan e
Keepin gAssis tcan neither reduce th eris kof an
acciden tno roverride th elaws of physics .Active
Lan eKeepin gAssis tcanno ttak eaccoun tof
road and weather conditions. It may no trecog-
niz etraffic situations. Active Lan eKeepin g
Assis tis only an aid. You are responsibl efor th e
distanc eto th evehicl ein front, for vehicl e
speed, for braking in goo dtime and for stayin gin
your lane.
Active Lan eKeepin gAssis tcanno tcontinuously
keep your vehicl ein it slane.
GWARNIN G
Active Lan eKeepin gAssis tcanno talways
clearly detec tlan emarkings.
In suc hcases, Active Lan eKeepin gAssis t
can :
Rgivean unnecessary warning and then
mak e acourse-correcting brak eapplication
to th evehicl e
Rnotgiv e a warning or interven e
There is aris kof an accident.
Always pay particular attention to th etraffic
situation and keep within th elane, especially
if Active Lan eKeepin gAssis talerts you. Ter -
minate th eintervention in anon-critical driv-
ing situation .
The system may be impaire dor may no tfunction
if:
Rthere is poor visibility, e.g. due to insufficien t
illumination of th eroad ,or due to snow, rain ,
fog or spray
Rthere is glare, e.g. from oncomin gtraffic, th e
sun or reflection from other vehicles (e.g. if
th eroad surfac eis wet )
Rthewindshield is dirty, fogged up, damaged or
covered, for instance by asticker, in th evicin-
it y of th ecamera
Rth eradar sensor sin th efron tor rear bumpers
or th eradiato rtrim are dirty, e.g. obscured by
snow
Rthere are no ,several or unclear lan emarking s
for alane, e.g. in areas wit hroad construction
wor k
Rthelan emarking sare wor naway, dark or cov-
ere dup, e.g. by dir tor snow
Rth edistanc eto th evehicl ein fron tis to osmall
and th elan emarking sthus canno tbe detec -
te d
Rth elan emarking schang equickly, e.g. lanes
branch off ,cross on eanother or merge
Rth eroad is narrow and windin g
Rthere are highly variable shad econdition son
th eroadway
If no vehicl eis detecte din th eadjacent lan eand
broke nlan emarking sare detected, no lane-cor-
recting brak eapplication is made .
Warning vibration in th esteering wheel
A warning may be given if afron twhee lpasses
ove r alan emarking .It will warn you by mean sof
intermittent vibration in th esteering whee lfor
up to 1. 5seconds.
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