2018 MERCEDES-BENZ C-CLASS CABRIOLET ESP

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.
154Driving systems
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Cruise control lever
:Activates or increases speed
;Activates or reduces speed
=Deactivates Distance Pilot DISTRONIC
?Activates at the current speed/last stored
speed
ASets a specified minimum distance
When you activate Distance Pilot DISTRONIC,
the stored speed will appear on the multifunc-
tion display for five seconds.
Speedometer with segments: when Distance
Pilot DISTRONIC is activated, the segments of
the stored speed light up to the end of the scale
or to a permanently set speed limit.
Activating Distance Pilot DISTRONIC
Activation conditions
To activate Distance Pilot DISTRONIC, the fol-
lowing conditions must be fulfilled:
Rthe engine must be started. It may take up to
two minutes of driving before Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC is ready for use.
Rthe electric parking brake must be released.
RESP®must be activated, but not intervening
at present.
RParking Pilot must not be activated.
Rthe transmission must be in position h.
Rthe driver's door must be closed when you
shift the transmission from positionjtoh
or your seat belt must be fastened.
Rthe front-passenger door and rear doors must
be closed.
Rthe vehicle must not slide.
Activating
XBriefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you ?or push it up :or down ;.
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is activated.
XRemove your foot from the accelerator pedal.
The vehicle adapts its speed to that of the
vehicle in front, but only up to the desired
stored speed.
If you do not fully release the accelerator
pedal, the Distance
PilotSuspendedmes-
sage appears on the multifunction display.
The set distance to a slower-moving vehicle in
front will then not be maintained. You will be
driving at the speed you determine by the
position of the accelerator pedal.
You can also activate Distance Pilot DISTRONIC
when stationary. The lowest speed that can be
set is 20 mph (30 km/h).
XBriefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you ?or push it up :or down ;.
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is activated.
Activating at the current speed/last
stored speed
GWARNING
If you call up the stored speed and it differs
from the current speed, the vehicle acceler-
ates or decelerates. If you do not know the
stored speed, the vehicle could accelerate or brake unexpectedly. There is a risk of an acci-
dent.
Pay attention to the road and traffic condi-
tions before calling up the stored speed. If you
do not know the stored speed, store the
desired speed again.
XBriefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you ?.
XRemove your foot from the accelerator pedal.
The first time Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is
activated, it stores the current speed or reg-
ulates the speed of the vehicle to the previ-
ously stored speed.
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Driving and parking
Z

Drivingwit hDistance Pilo tDISTRONI C
Pullingawa yan ddrivin g
XTo pull awa ywit hDistance Pilo t
DISTRONIC: removeyour foot from th ebrake
pedal.
XBriefly pull th ecruise contro llever toward s
you ?.
or
XAccelerat ebriefly.
The vehicle pulls away and adapt sits speed to
that of th evehicle in front. If no vehicle is
detecte din front, your vehicle accelerates to
th estored speed.
The vehicle can also pull away when it is facin g
an unidentifie dobstacl eor is drivin gon adiffer-
en tlin efrom another vehicle. The vehicle then
brake sautomatically.
If Distanc ePilo tDISTRONIC doe sno tdetec t a
vehicle in front, th esyste moperates lik ecruise
control.
If Distanc ePilo tDISTRONIC detects that th e
vehicle in fron thas slowed down ,it brake sth e
vehicle. In this way, th especifie dminimum dis -
tanc eyou hav eselecte dis maintained.
If Distanc ePilo tDISTRONIC detects afaster-
movin gvehicle in front, it increase sth edrivin g
speed to th eset speed.
Selecting th edrive program
Distanc ePilo tDISTRONIC supports asport y
drivin gstyle when you hav eselecte dth eS or S+
drive program (
Ypage 136). Acceleration
behin dth evehicle in fron tor to th eset speed is
then noticeably more dynamic .If you hav e
selecte dth eC or Edrivin gprogram, th evehicle
accelerates more gently. Thi ssetting is recom -
mended in stop-and-start traffic .
Changinglanes
If you chang eto th eovertakin glane, Distanc e
Pilo tDISTRONIC supports you if:
Ryou are drivin gfaste rthan 45 mph (70 km/h)
Ryou switch on th eappropriat etur nsignal
RDistanc ePilo tDISTRONI Cdoes no tcurrentl y
detec t adanger of collision
If these condition sare fulfilled ,your vehicl eis
accelerated. Acceleration will be interrupted if
changin glanes takes to olon gor if th edistanc e
between your vehicl eand th evehicl ein fron t
become sto osmall. Whe
nyou chang elanes, Distanc ePilo t
DISTRONI Cmonitors th elef tlan e(on left-hand-
drive vehicles) or th eright lan e(on right-hand -
drive vehicles).
Stopping
GWARNIN G
If you leav eth evehicl ewhen it is only bein g
braked by Distanc ePilo tDISTRONIC, it could
rol laway if:
Rthere is amalfunction in th esystem or in
th evoltag esupply.
RDistanc ePilo tDISTRONI Cis switched off
usin gth ecruise control lever, e.g. by avehi-
cle occupant or from outside th evehicl e
Rtheelectrica lsystem in th eengin ecom-
partment, th ebattery or th efuses are tam -
pered with.
Rth ebattery is disconnected
Rth evehicl eis accelerated, e.g. by avehicl e
occupant .
There is aris kof an accident.
Befor eleavin gth evehicle, always deactivat e
Distanc ePilo tDISTRONI Cand secure th e
vehicl eagainst rollin gaway.
Further information on deactivatin gDistanc e
Pilo tDISTRONI C (
Ypage 158).
If Distanc ePilo tDISTRONI Cdetects that th e
vehicl ein fron tis stopping ,it brakes your vehicl e
to astop.
Once your vehicl eis stationary, it remain ssta-
tionary and you do no tneed to depress th e
brake.
Afte r atime, th eelectric parkin gbrak esecures
th evehicl eand relieves th eservic ebrake.
Dependin gon th especified minimum distance,
your vehicl ewill come to astandstill at asuf fi-
ci

ent distanc ebehind th evehicl ein front. The
specified minimum distanc eis set usin gth e
control on th ecruise control lever.
156Driving systems
Driving and parking

Displaysin th eassistanc egraphic
Display when Distanc ePilo tDISTRONIC
is deactivated
:Vehicl ein front, if detecte d
;Distanceindicator, curren tdistanc eto th e
vehicl ein fron t
=Specified minimum distanc eto th evehicl e
in front; adjustable
?Your vehicl e
Display when Distanc ePilo tDISTRONIC
is activated
:Distanc ePilo tDISTRONIC active (tex tonly
appears when th ecruise control lever is
actuated)
;Vehicl ein front, if detecte d
=Specified minimum distanc eto th evehicl e
in front; adjustable
?Your vehicl e
XTo call up th eassistanc egraphic: select
th eAssistanc eGraphi c
function usin gth e
on-boar dcomputer (Ypage 203).
The multifunction display shows th estore d
speed fo rapproximately fiv eseconds when
you activat eDistanc ePilo tDISTRONIC.
Deactivating Distanc ePilot DISTRONIC
There are severa lways to deactivat eDistanc e
Pilo tDISTRONIC:
XBriefly push cruise control lever forwar d:.
or
XBrake ,unless th evehicl eis stationary
Whe nyou deactivat eDistanc ePilo tDISTRONIC,
th eDistance Pilot Off
message will appear
on th emultifunction display fo rapproximately
fiv eseconds.
The last speed store dremain sstore duntil you
switch of fth eengine.
Distanc ePilo tDISTRONIC is no tdeactivated if
you depress th eaccelerato rpedal.
Distanc ePilo tDISTRONIC is automatically deac -
tivated if:
Ryou engage th eelectric parkin gbrak eor if th e
vehicl eis automatically secured wit hth eelec -
tric parkin gbrak e
RESP®intervenes or you deactivat eES P®
Ryou shift th etransmissio nto position j,k
or i
Ryou pull th ecruise control lever toward syou
in order to pull away and th efront-passenger
doo ror on eof th erea rdoors is ope n
Rthevehicl eslip s
Ryou activat eParking Pilo t
If ,in these cases, Distanc ePilo tDISTRONIC is
deactivated, awarnin gtone sounds. The Dis‐
tancePilotOffmessage will then be shown
on th emultifunction display fo rapproximately
fiv eseconds.
158Driving systems
Driving an d parking

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

Information in the multifunction display
If Steering Pilot isactivated but not ready for a
steering intervention, steering wheel symbol :
appears ingray. Ifthe system provide s youwith
support bymeans of steering interventions,
symbol :isshown in green.
Deactivating Steering Pilot
XPress button ;.
Indic ator lamp :goes out. The Steering
Pilot Offmessage appears on the mult i-
function display.Steering pilot is deactivate d.
When Distance Pilot DI STRONIC isdeactivated
or not available, Steering Pilot isdeactivated
automatically.
HOLD function
General notes
The HOLD function can assist the driverinthe
fol lowin g situations:
Rwhen pulling away, especial lyon steep slopes
Rwhen maneuvering on steep slopes
Rwhen waitingintraff ic
The veh icle iskept stationary without the driver
having to depress the brake pedal.
The braking effect iscanceled and the HOLD
function deactivated when you depress the
accelerator pedal to pullaway.
Important safety notes
GWARNING
When leaving the vehicle, it can still roll away despite being braked bythe HOLD function if:
Rthere isa malfunction inthe system or in
the voltage supply.
Rthe HOLD function has been deactivated by
pressing the accelerator pedal or the brake
pedal, e.g. by a vehicle occupant.
Rthe electrical system inthe engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses have
been tampered with.
Rthe battery is disconnected
There isa risk of an accident.
If you wish to exit the vehicle, always turn off
the HOLD function and secure the vehicle
against rolling away.
!When DISTRONIC PLUS or the HOLD func-
tion isactivated, the vehicle brakes automat-
ically incertain situations.
To avoid damage to the vehicle, deactivate
DI ST RONIC PLUS and the HOLD function in
the fol lowing or similar situations:
Rwhen to wing the vehicle
Rinthe car wash
Deactivating the HOLD function (
Ypage 162).
Activation conditions
You can activate the HOLD function ifall of the
fol lowin g conditions are fulfilled:
Rthe vehicle isstationary.
Rthe engine is running or if ithas been auto-
matical ly switched off by the ECO start/stop
function.
Rthe driver's door isclosed or your seat belt is
fastened.
Rthe electr icparking brake isreleased.
Rthe transmission isin position h,kori.
RDIST RONIC PLUS is deactivate d.
Driving systems161
Driving and parking
Z

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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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