PRE-SAFE®takes the following measures
depending on the hazardous situation detected:
Rthe front seat belts are pre-tensioned.
Rif the vehicle skids, the side windows and the
panorama roof with power tilt/sliding panel
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-
tion 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.
Important safety notes
The intervention of PRE-SAFE®PLUS cannot
prevent an imminent collision.
The driver is not warned about the intervention
of PRE-SAFE
®PLUS.
PRE-SAFE®PLUS does not intervene if the vehi-
cle is backing up.
When driving, or when parking or exiting a park-
ing space with assistance from Parking Pilot,
PRE-SAFE
®PLUS will not apply the brakes.
Function
PRE-SAFE®PLUS intervenes in certain situa-
tions if the radar sensor system detects an
imminent head-on or rear-end collision.
PRE-SAFE
®PLUS takes the following measures
depending on the hazardous situation detected:
Rif the radar sensor system detects that a
head-on collision is imminent, the seat belts
are pre-tensioned.
Rif the radar sensor system detects that a rear-
end collision is imminent:
-the brake pressure is increased if the driver
applies the brakes when the vehicle is sta- tionary.
-the seat belts are pre-tensioned.
The PRE-SAFE®PLUS braking application is can-
celed:
Rif the accelerator pedal is depressed when a
gear is engaged
Rif the risk of a collision passes or is no longer
detected
Rif Distance Pilot DISTRONIC indicates an
intention to pull away
If the hazardous situation passes without result-
ing in an accident, the original settings are
restored.
Automatic measures after an acci-
dent
Immediately after an accident, the following
measures are implemented, depending on the
type and severity of the impact:
Rthe hazard warning lamps are activated
Rthe emergency lighting is activated
Rthe vehicle doors are unlocked
Rthe front side windows are lowered
Rvehicles with a memory function: the electri-
cally adjustable steering wheel is raised
Rthe engine is switched off and the fuel supply
is cut off
Rvehicles with mbrace: automatic emergency
call
58Occupant safety
Safety
Important safety notes
In particular, thedetection of obstacles can be
impaired if:
Rthere is dirt on th esensor sor anythin gelse
covering th esensor s
Rthere is snow or heav yrain
Rthere is interferenc eby other radar source s
Rthere are strongradar reflections, for exam-
ple in parking garages
Ra narrow vehicl eis traveling in front, e.g. a
motorbike
Ra vehicl eis traveling in fron ton adifferen tlin e
Ryou are driving ane wvehicl eor servicing on
th eActive Brake Assist system has jus tbeen
carried out
Observ eth eimportant safet ynote sin th e
"Breaking-in notes" section (
Ypage 125).
Followin gdamag eto th efron ten dof th evehicle,
have th econfiguration and operation of th e
radar sensor checke dat aqualified specialist
workshop. This also applie sto collision sat slow
speeds wher ethere is no visible damag eto th e
fron tof th evehicle.
Activating/deactivating
Active Brake Assist is automatically active after
switching on th eignition .
You can activat eor deactivat eActive Brake
Assist (
Ypage 208) in th eon-board computer.
When deactivated, th edistanc ewarning func-
tion and th eautonomous braking function are
also deactivated.
If Active Brake Assist is deactivated, th eæ
symbol appear son th eassistant display.
Distance warning function
Gene ral inform ation
The distanc ewarning function can help you to
minimiz eth eris kof afront-en dcollision wit h a
vehicl eahead or reduce th eeffects of suc h a
collision .If th edistanc ewarning function
detects that there is aris kof acollision ,you will
be warned visually and acoustically.
Import ant safety notes
iObserveth e"Importan tsafet ynotes" sec -
tion for driving safet ysystems (Ypage 63).
GWARNIN G
The distanc ewarning function does no treact:
Rto people or animals
Rto oncomin gvehicles
Rto crossing traffic
Rwhen cornering
The distanc ewarning function may no tgiv e
warning sin all critical situations. Ther eis 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.
GWARNIN G
The distanc ewarning function canno talways
clearly identify objects and comple xtraffic
situations.
In suc hcases, th edistanc ewarning function
may:
Rgiv ean unnecessary warning
Rno tgiv e a warning
Ther eis aris kof an accident.
Always pay careful attention to th etraffic sit -
uation and do no trel ysolely on th edistanc e
warning function .
Function
Starting ataspee dof approximately 4mph
(7 km/h), th edistanc ewarning function warn s
you if you are rapidly approachin g avehicl ein
front. An intermittent warning tone will then
sound, and th e· distanc ewarning lamp will
ligh tup in th einstrumen tcluster.
XBrake immediately in order to increas eth e
distanc efrom th evehicl ein front.
or
XTak eevasive action ,provide dit is saf eto do
so.
Due to th enature of th esystem, particularly
complicated but non-critical driving condition s
may also caus eth esystem to display awarning .
Wit hth ehelp of th eradar sensor system, th e
distanc ewarning function can detec tobstacles
that are in th epat hof your vehicl efor an exten-
ded period of time.
Driving safety systems65
Safety
Z
Up to a speed of approximately 44 mph
(70 km/h), the distance warning function can
also react to stationary obstacles, such as stop-
ped or parked vehicles.
Autonomous braking function
If the driver does not react to the distance warn-ing signal in a critical situation, Active Brake
Assist can assist the driver with the autonomous
braking function.
Vehicles without Distance Pilot DISTRONIC:
the autonomous braking function is available in
the following speed ranges:
R4–65 mph (7–105 km/h) for moving objects
R4–31 mph (7–50 km/h) for stationary objects
Vehicles with Distance Pilot DISTRONIC: the
autonomous braking function is available in the
following speed ranges:
R4–124 mph (7–200 km/h) for moving objects
R4–31 mph (7–50 km/h) for stationary objects
Due to the nature of the system, particularly
complicated but non-critical driving conditions
may also cause the Autonomous Braking Func-
tion to intervene.
If the autonomous braking function requires a
particularly high braking force, preventative
passenger protection measures (PRE-SAFE
®)
are activated simultaneously (Ypage 57).
Adaptive Brake Assist
General information
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Ypage 63).
With the help of adaptive Brake Assist, the dis-
tance warning signal can detect obstacles that
are in the path of your vehicle for an extended
period of time.
If adaptive Brake Assist detects a risk of colli-
sion with the vehicle in front, it calculates the
braking force necessary to avoid a collision. If
you apply the brakes forcefully, adaptive Brake
Assist will automatically increase the braking
force to a level suitable for the traffic conditions.
Adaptive Brake Assist provides braking assis-
tance in hazardous situations at speeds above
4 mph (7 km/h). It uses radar sensor technology
to assess the traffic situation.
Up to a speed of approximately 155 mph
(250 km/h), Adaptive Brake Assist is capable of reacting to moving objects that have already
been detected as such at least once over the
period of observation.
Up to a speed of approximately 44 mph
(70 km/h), Adaptive Brake Assist reacts to sta-
tionary obstacles.
If adaptive Brake Assist demands particularly
high braking force, preventative passenger pro-
tection measures (PRE-SAFE
®) are activated
simultaneously (Ypage 57).
XKeep the brake pedal depressed until the
emergency braking situation is over.
ABS prevents the wheels from locking.
The brakes will work normally again if:
Ryou release the brake pedal.
Rthere is no longer any danger of a collision.
Rno obstacle is detected in front of your vehi-
cle.
Adaptive Brake Assist is then deactivated.
Important safety notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion for driving safety systems (Ypage 63).
GWARNING
Adaptive Brake Assist cannot always clearly
identify objects and complex traffic situa-
tions.
In such cases, Adaptive Brake Assist can:
Rintervene unnecessarily
Rnot intervene
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit- uation and be ready to brake. Terminate the
intervention in a non-critical driving situation.
GWARNING
Adaptive Brake Assist does not react:
Rto people or animals
Rto oncoming vehicles
Rto crossing traffic
Rwhen cornering
As a result, the Adaptive Brake Assist may not
intervene in all critical conditions. There is a
risk of an accident.
66Driving safety systems
Safety
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit-uation and be ready to brake.
Always adapt your speed to suit the prevailing
road and traffic conditions.
Due to the nature of the system, particularly
complicated but non-critical driving conditions
may also cause Brake Assist to intervene.
If adaptive Brake Assist is not available due to a
malfunction in the radar sensor system, the
brake system remains available with full brake
boosting effect and BAS.
ESP®(Electronic Stability Program)
General notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Ypage 63).
ESP
®monitors driving stability and traction, i.e.
power transmission between the tires and the
road surface.
If ESP
®detects that the vehicle is deviating from
the direction desired by the driver, one or more
wheels are braked to stabilize the vehicle. The
engine output is also modified to keep the vehi-
cle on the desired course within physical limits.
ESP
®assists the driver when pulling away on
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 63).
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 63).
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 311).
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 247) and display messages which may
be shown in the instrument cluster
(
Ypage 217).
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.
Driving safety systems67
Safety
Z
the effects of such a collision. If the Active Brake
Assist with cross-traffic function detects a risk
of collision, you will be warned visually and
acoustically and, if necessary, your brake appli-
cation will be assisted according to the situa-
tion. If you do not react, the system can also
react by braking automatically. In the event of a
detected risk of collision due to crossing traffic,
you will also be visually and acoustically warned
as well as assisted by the brake boosting effect according to the situation.
Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function is
only available in vehicles with the Driving Assis-
tance Plus package.
For Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic func-
tion to assist you when driving, the radar sensor
system and the camera system must be opera-
tional.
If the radar sensor system or the camera system
is malfunctioning, Active Brake Assist with
cross-traffic function is restricted or no longer
available. The brake system is still available with
complete brake boosting effect and BAS.
The radar sensor system and camera system
help Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic func-
tion to detect obstacles tha t a
re in the path of
your vehicle for an extended period of time.
In addition, pedestrians in the path of your vehi- cle can be detected.
Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function
detects pedestrians using typical characteris-
tics such as body contours and the posture of a
person standing upright.
iObserve the restrictions described in the
"Important safety notes" section
(
Ypage 71).
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function will initially brake your vehicle by a partial
application of the brakes if a danger of colli-
sion is detected. There may be a collision
unless you brake yourself. Even after subse-
quent full application of the brakes a collision
cannot always be avoided, particularly when
approaching at too high a speed. There is a
risk of an accident.
Always apply the brakes yourself and try to
take evasive action, provided it is safe to do
so.
In the event of a partial application of the brakes,
the vehicle is braked with up to 50% of the full
braking pressure.
GWARNING
Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function cannot always clearly identify objects and
complex traffic situations.
In such cases, Active Brake Assist with cross-
traffic function might:
Rissue an unnecessary warning or engage
Rneither give a warning nor intervene
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay particular attention to the traffic
situation and be prepared to brake, especially
if Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic func-
tion alerts you. Terminate the intervention in a
non-critical driving situation.
GWARNING
Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function cannot always clearly identify people, partic-
ularly if they are moving. Active Brake Assist
with cross-traffic function cannot intervene in
these cases. There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay particular attention to the traffic
situation and be prepared to brake, especially
if Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic func-
tion alerts you.
In order to maintain the appropriate distance to
the vehicle in front and thus prevent a collision,
you must apply the brakes yourself.
GWARNING
Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function does not react:
Rto small people, e.g. children
Rto animals
Rto oncoming vehicles
Rwhen cornering
As a result, Active Brake Assist with cross-
traffic function may not warn you or engage in
Driving safet ysystem s71
Safety
Z
all critical situations. There is a risk of an acci-dent.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit-
uation and be ready to brake.
In the event of snowfall or heavy rain, the rec-
ognition can be impaired.
Recognition by the radar sensor system is also
impaired if:
Rthere is dirt on the sensors or anything else
covering the sensors
Rthere is interference by other radar sources
Rthere are strong radar reflections, for exam-
ple in parking garages
Ra narrow vehicle is traveling in front, e.g. a
motorbike
Ra vehicle is traveling in front on a different line
Rvehicles moving quickly into the radar sensor system detection range
Recognition by the camera system is also
impaired in the event of:
Rdirt on the camera or if the camera is covered
Rglare on the camera system, e.g. from the sun
being low in the sky
Rdarkness
Ror if:
-pedestrians move quickly, e.g. into the path
of the vehicle
-the camera system no longer recognizes a
pedestrian as a person due to special cloth-
ing or other objects
-a pedestrian is concealed by other objects
-the typical outline of a pedestrian is not
distinguishable from the background
Following damage to the front end of the vehicle,
have the configuration and operation of the
radar sensors c
hecked at a qualified specialist
workshop. This also applies to collisions at slow
speeds where there is no visible damage to the
front of the vehicle.
Following damage to the windshield, have the
configuration and operation of the camera sys-
tem checked at a qualified specialist workshop.
Function
XTo activate or deactivate: activate or deac-
tivate Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function using the on-board computer
(
Ypage 209).
If Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic func-
tion is deactivated, the æsymbol appears
on the multifunction display.
Starting at a speed of around 4 mph (7 km/h),
this function warns you if you are rapidly
approaching a vehicle in front. An intermittent
warning tone will then sound and the ·dis-
tance warning lamp will light up in the instru-
ment cluster.
XBrake immediately to defuse the situation.
or
XTake evasive action provided it is safe to do
so.
Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function
can also brake the vehicle automatically under
the following conditions:
Rthe driver and front passenger have their seat
belts fastened
Rthe vehicle speed is between approximately
4 mph (7 km/ h) and 124 mph (200 km/h)
Up to a speed of approximately 44 mph
(70 km/h), Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic
function may react to:
Rstationary objects in the path of your vehicle,
e.g. stopped or parked vehicles
Rpedestrians in the path of your vehicle
iIf there is an increased risk of a collision,
preventive passenger protection measures
(PRE-SAFE
®) are triggered (Ypage 57).
If the risk of collision with the vehicle in front
remains and you do not brake, take evasive
action or accelerate significantly, the vehi cle
ma
y perform automatic emergency braking, up
to the point of full brake application. Automatic emergency braking is not performed until imme-
diately prior to an imminent accident.
If you apply the brake yourself in a critical sit-
uation or during autonomous braking, situation-
dependent braking assistance is implemented.
If necessary, this increases the brake pressure
up to full brake application.
To avoid a collision, Active Brake Assist with
cross-traffic function calculates the brake force necessary if:
Ryou approach an obstacle, and
RActive Brake Assist with cross-traffic functionhas detected a risk of a collision
72Driving safety systems
Safety
When driving at a speed under 20 mph
(30 km/h): if you depress the brake pedal,
Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function is
activated. The increase in brake pressure from
Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function is
carried out at the last possible moment.
When driving at a speed above 20 mph
(30 km/h): if you depress the brake pedal
sharply, Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic
function automatically increases the brake pres-
sure to a degree suited to the traffic situation.
Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function
provides braking assistance in hazardous situa-
tions with vehicles in front within a speed range
between 4 mph (7 km/h) and 155 mph
(250 km/h).
Up to a speed of approximately 44 mph
(70 km/h) the Active Brake Assist with cross-
traffic function assists you with braking in haz-
ardous situations with:
Rstationary obstacles in the path of the vehicle,
e.g. stopped or parked vehicles
Rstationary pedestrians in the path of the vehi-
cle
Robstacles crossing your path that move in the detection range of the sensors and are detec-
ted
XKeep the brake pedal depressed until the
emergency braking situation is over.
ABS prevents the wheels from locking.
You can prevent the intervention of Active Brake
Assist with cross-traffic function at any time by:
Rdepressing the accelerator pedal further.
Ractivating kickdown.
Rreleasing the brake pedal
The braking application of Active Brake Assist
with cross-traffic function is ended automati-
cally if:
Ryou maneuver to avoid the obstacle.
Rthere is no longer a risk of collision.
Ran obstacle is no longer detected in front of
your vehicle.
STEER CONTROL
General information
STEER CONTROL helps you by transmitting a
noticeable steering force to the steering wheel
in the direction required for vehicle stabilization. This steering assistance is provided in particular
if:
Rboth right wheels or both left wheels are on a
wet or slippery road surface when you brake
Rthe vehicle begins to skid
Important safety notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Ypage 63).
No steering support is provided from STEER
CONTROL, if:
RESP®is deactivated
RESP®is malfunctioning
Rthe steering is malfunctioning
If ESP®is malfunctioning, you will be assisted
further by the electrical power steering.
Protection against theft
Immobilizer
The immobilizer prevents your vehicle from
being started without the correct SmartKey.
XTo activate with the SmartKey: remove the
SmartKey from the ignition lock.
XTo activate with KEYLESS-GO start-func-
tion or KEYLESS-GO: switch the ignition off
and open the driver's door.
XTo deactivate: switch on the ignition.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Anyone
can start the engine if a valid SmartKey has been
left inside the vehicle.
iThe immobilizer is always deactivated when
you start the engine.
In the event that the engine cannot be started
(yet the vehicle's battery is charged), the sys- tem is not operational. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center or call
1-800-FOR-MERCedes (in the USA) or
1-800-387-0100 (in Canada).
Protection against theft73
Safety
Z
multimedia system; see the Digital Operator's
Manual.
You will receive visual and acoustic locking con-
firmation if all components were able to be
locked.
When the locator lighting is activated via the
multimedia system, it lights up when it is dark
after the vehicle is unlocked with the SmartKey;
see the Digital Operator's Manual.
XTo open the trunk lid automatically from
outside the vehicle:press and hold theF
button until the trunk lid opens.
XTo open the trunk lid automatically from
outside the vehicle: if the SmartKey is loca-
ted in the immediate vicinity of the vehicle,
press the Fbutton on the SmartKey.
When the trunk lid closes you can then
release the button.
KEYLESS-GO
General notes
Bear in mind that the engine can be started by
any of the vehicle occupants if there is a Smart-
Key in the vehicle (
Ypage 128).
Locking/unlocking centrally
You can start, lock or unlock the vehicle using
KEYLESS-GO. To do this, you only need carry the
SmartKey with you. You can combine the func-
tions of KEYLESS-GO with those of a conven-
tional SmartKey. Unlock the vehicle by using
KEYLESS-GO, for instance, and lock it using the
& button on the SmartKey.
The driver's door and the door at which the han-
dle is used, must both be closed. The SmartKey
must be outside the vehicle. When locking or
unlocking with KEYLESS-GO, the distance
between the SmartKey and the corresponding
door handle must not be greater than 3 ft (1 m).
A brief radio connection between the vehicle
and the SmartKey determines whether a valid
SmartKey is in, or in the direct vicinity of, the
vehicle. This occurs, for example:
Rwhen starting the engine
Rwhile driving
Rwhen using HANDS-FREE ACCESS
Rwhen the external door handles are touched
Rduring convenience closing
XTo unlock the vehicle: touch the inner sur-
face of the door handle.
XTo lock the vehicle: touch sensor surface :
or ;.
Make sure that you do not touch the inner
surface of the door handle.
XConvenience closing feature: touch
recessed sensor surface ;for an extended
period.
Further information on the convenience clos-
ing feature (
Ypage 89).
Deactivating and activating
If you do not intend to use a SmartKey for an
extended period of time, you can deactivate the
KEYLESS-GO function of the SmartKey. The
SmartKey will then use very little power, thereby
conserving battery power. For the purposes of
activation/deactivation, the vehicle must not be
nearby.
XTo deactivate: press the&button on the
SmartKey twice in rapid succession.
The battery check lamp (
Ypage 78) of the
SmartKey flashes twice briefly and lights up
once, then KEYLESS-GO is deactivated.
XTo activate: press any button on the Smart-
Key.
or
XInsert the SmartKey into the ignition lock.
KEYLESS-GO and all of its associated features
are available again.
76SmartKey
Opening and closing