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 s177
Driving an d parking
Z
with the curb or other road boundaries. Be par-
ticularly aware of other road users, e.g. cyclists,
that are directly next to your vehicle.
Obstacles such as traffic markers on a con-
struction site that are on the lane or projecting
out into the lane are not detected.
An inappropriate steering intervention, e.g. afterintentionally driving over a lane marking, can be
corrected at any time if you steer slightly in theopposite direction.
DISTRONIC PLUS with Steering Pilot cannot
continuously keep your vehicle in lane. In some
cases, steering intervention is not sufficient to
bring the vehicle back to the lane. In such cases,
you must steer the vehicle yourself to ensure
that it does not leave the lane.
The system may be impaired or may not function
if:
Rthere is poor visibility, e.g. due to insufficient
illumination of the road, or due to snow, rain,
fog or spray
Rthere is glare, e.g. from oncoming traffic, the
sun or reflection from other vehicles (e.g. if
the road surface is wet)
Rthe windshield is dirty, fogged up, damaged or
covered, for instance by a sticker, in the vicin-
ity of the camera
Rthere are no or several unclear lane markings
for one lane, e.g. roadworks
Rthe lane markings are worn away, dark or cov-
ered up, e.g. by dirt or snow
Rthe distance to the vehicle in front is too short
and thus the lane markings cannot be detec-
ted
Rthe lane markings change quickly, e.g. lanes
branch off, cross one another or merge
Rthe road is narrow and winding
Rthere are highly variable shade conditions on the roadway
The system is switched to passive and no longer
assists you by performing steering interventions
if:
Ryou actively change lane
Ryou switch on the turn signal
Ryou take your hands off the steering wheel or
do not steer for a prolonged period of time
After you have finished changing lanes, Steering
Pilot is automatically active once more. Steering Pilot cannot provide assistance:
Ron very sharp corners
Rwhen a loss of tire pressure or a defective tire
has been detected and displayed
Pay attention also to the important safety notes
on Distance Pilot DISTRONIC (
Ypage 172).
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.
178Driving systems
Driving and parking
XPress button:repeatedly until indicator
lamps ;and =go out.
You have selected Comfort mode.
The AMG
SuspensionSystemCOMFORTmes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
4MATIC (permanent four-wheel drive)
4MATIC ensures permanent drive for all four
wheels. Together with ESP®, it improves the
traction of your vehicle whenever a drive wheel
spins due to insufficient grip.
If you fail to adapt your driving style or if you are inattentive, 4MATIC can neither reduce the risk
of an accident nor override the laws of physics.
4MATIC does not take into account
Rthe road and weather conditions
Rthe traffic situation
4MATIC is only an aid. You are responsible for
the distance to the vehicle in front, for vehicle
speed, for braking in good time and for staying in
your lane.
If a drive wheel spins due to insufficient grip:
ROnly depress the accelerator pedal as far as
necessary when pulling away.
RAccelerate less when driving.
!Never tow the vehicle with one axle raised.
This may damage the transfer case. Damage
of this sort is not covered by the Mercedes-
Benz Limited Warranty. All wheels must
remain either on the ground or be fully raised.
Observe the instructions for towing the vehi-
cle with all wheels in full contact with the
ground.
iIn wintry driving conditions, the maximum
effect of 4MATIC can only be achieved if you
use winter tires (M+S tires), with snow chains
if necessary.
Parking Pilot
General notes
Parking Pilot is an electronic parking aid with
ultrasound. It measures the road on both sides
of the vehicle. A parking symbol indicates a suit-
able parking space. Active steering intervention
and brake application can assist you during
parking and when exiting a parking space. You can also still use Parking Assist PARKTRONIC
(
Ypage 188).
Important safety notes
Parking Pilot is only an aid. It is not a replace-
ment for your attention to your immediate sur-
roundings. You are always responsible for safe
maneuvering, parking and exiting a parking
space. Make sure that no persons, animals or
objects are in the maneuvering range.
When Parking Assist PARKTRONIC is deactiva-
ted, Parking Pilot is also unavailable.
GWARNING
While parking or pulling out of a parking
space, the vehicle swings out and can drive
onto areas of the oncoming lane. This could
result in a collision with another road user.
There is a risk of an accident.
Pay attention to other road users. Stop the
vehicle if necessary or cancel the Parking Pilot
parking procedure.
!If unavoidable, you should drive over obsta-
cles such as curbs slowly and not at a sharp
angle. Otherwise, you may damage the
wheels or tires.
Parking Pilot may also display spaces not suita-
ble for parking, e.g.:
Rwhere parking or stopping is prohibited
Rin front of driveways or entrances and exits
Ron unsuitable surfaces
Parking tips:
ROn narrow roads, drive as close to the parking
space as possible.
RParking spaces that are littered or overgrown
might be identified or measured incorrectly.
RParking spaces that are partially occupied by
trailer drawbars might not be identified as
such or be measured incorrectly.
RSnowfall or heavy rain may lead to a parking
space being measured inaccurately.
RPay attention to the warning messages of
Parking Assist PARKTRONIC during the park-
ing procedure (
Ypage 189).
RYou can intervene in the steering procedure
to correct it at any time. Parking Pilot is then
canceled.
184Driving systems
Driving and parking
Multimedia display
The rear view camera may show a distorted view
of obstacles, show them incorrectly or not at all.
The rear view camera does not show objects in
the following positions:
Rvery close to the rear bumper
Runder the rear bumper
Rin close range above the handle on the trunk
lid
!Objects not at ground level may appear to
be further away than they actually are, e.g.:
Rthe bumper of a parked vehicle
Rthe drawbar of a trailer
Rthe ball coupling of a trailer tow hitch
Rthe rear section of an HGV
Ra slanted post
Use the guidelines only for orientation.
Approach objects no further than the bottom-
most guideline.
:Yellow guide line at a distance of approx-
imately 13 ft (4.0 m) from the rear of the
vehicle
;White guide lines without steering input,
vehicle width including the exterior mirrors
(static)
=Yellow guide lines for vehicle width including
the exterior mirrors, for current steering
input (dynamic)
?Yellow lanes marking the course the tires
will take at the current steering wheel angle
(dynamic)
AYellow guide line at a distance of approx-
imately 3 ft (1.0 m) from the rear of the vehi-
cle
BVehicle center axle (marker assistance)
CBumper
DRed guide line at a distance of approximately
12 in (0.30 m) from the rear of the vehicle
When the transmission is shifted to position k,
guide lines appear in the camera image.
The distance specifications only apply to
objects that are at ground level.
EFront warning display
FRear warning display
GAdditional vehicle icon as Parking Assist
PARKTRONIC measurement operational
readiness indicator
Vehicles with Parking Assist PARKTRONIC:
When Parking Assist PARKTRONIC is opera-
tional, vehicle icon (
Ypage 189), appears on the
multimedia system display G. If the Parking
Assist PARKTRONIC warning displays are active
or light up, warning displays Eand Fare also
active or light up correspondingly on the multi-
media system display.
192Driving systems
Driving and parking
Rif you have adopted a sporty driving style withhigh cornering speeds or high rates of accel-
eration
Rif you are predominantly driving at a speed
below 37 mph (60 km/h) or above 124 mph
(200 km/h)
Rif you are driving with the Steering Pilot of
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC activated
Rif the time has been set incorrectly
Rin active driving situations, such as when you
change lanes or change your speed
The ATTENTION ASSIST tiredness assessment
is deleted and restarted when continuing the
journey, if:
Ryou switch off the engine
Ryou take off your seat belt and open the driv-
er's door, e.g. for a change of drivers or to
take a break
Displaying the attention level
In the Assistance menu (Ypage 222) of the on-
board computer, you can call up the current sta-
tus information.
XSelect the Assistance display for ATTENTION
ASSIST using the on-board computer
(
Ypage 221).
The following information appears:
RThe length of the journey since the last break.
Rthe attention level determined by ATTENTION ASSIST (Attention Level), displayed in a
bar display in five levels from high to low.
Rif ATTENTION ASSIST is unable to calculate
the attention level and cannot issue a warn-
ing, the System Suspended
message
appears. The bar display then changes the
display, e.g. if you are driving at a speed below
37 mph (60 km/h) or above 124 mph
(200 km/h).
Activating ATTENTION ASSIST
XActivate ATTENTION ASSIST using the on-
board computer (Ypage 223).
The system determines the attention level of
the driver depending on the setting selected:
Selection Standard
: the sensitivity with which
the system determines the attention level is set
to normal.
Selection Sensitive
: the sensitivity is set
higher. The attention level detected by Attention
Assist is adapted accordingly and the driver is
warned earlier.
When ATTENTION ASSIST is deactivated, the
é symbol appears in the multifunction dis-
play in the assistance graphic display.
When ATTENTION ASSIST has been deactivated,
it is automatically reactivated after the engine
has been stopped. The sensitivity selected cor-
responds to the last selection activated (stand-
ard/sensitive).
Warning in the multifunction display
If fatigue or increasing lapses in concentration
are detected, a warning appears in the multi-
function display: ATTENTION ASSIST
Take aBreak!.
In addition to the message shown in the multi-
function display, you will then hear a warning
tone.
XIf necessary, take a break.
XConfirm the message by pressing the a
button on the steering wheel.
On long journeys, take regular breaks in good
time to allow yourself to rest properly. If you do
not take a break and ATTENTION ASSIST con-
tinues to detect increasing lapses in concentra-
tion, you will be warned again after 15 minutes
at the earliest. This will only happen if ATTEN-
TION ASSIST still detects typical indicators of
fatigue or increasing lapses in concentration.
Vehicles with COMAND multimedia system:
if a warning appears in the multifunction display, a service station search is performed in the mul-
timedia system. You can select a service station
and navigation to this service station will then
begin. This function can be activated and deac-
tivated in the COMAND multimedia system (see
the Digital Operator's Manual).
Driving systems199
Driving and parking
Z
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 221).
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 221).
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 200) and Lane Keeping
Assist (Ypage 202).
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-
200Driving system s
Driving an d parking
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.
Driving systems201
Driving and parking
Z
Warning lamp
:Warning lamp
Blind Spot Assist is not active at speeds below
approximately 20 mph (30 km/h). Vehicles in
the monitoring range are then not indicated.
If a vehicle is detected within the blind spot
monitoring range at speeds above 20 mph
(30 km/h), warning lamp :on the correspond-
ing side lights up red. This warning is always
emitted when a vehicle enters the blind spot
monitoring range from behind or from the side.
When you overtake a vehicle, the warning only
occurs if the difference in speed is less than
7 mph (12 km/h).
If you select the reverse gear, Blind Spot Assist is not operational.
The brightness of the warning lamps is auto-
matically adapted to the brightness of the sur-
roundings.
Collision warning
If a vehicle is detected in the monitoring range of
Blind Spot Assist and you switch on the corre-
sponding turn signal, a double warning tone
sounds. The red warning lamp flashes on the
relevant exterior mirror. If the turn signal
remains on, detected vehicles are indicated by
the flashing of the red warning lamp on the exte-
rior mirror. There are no further warning tones.
Switching on Blind Spot Assist
XMake sure that Blind Spot Assist is activated
in the on-board computer (Ypage 223).
XTurn the SmartKey to position 2in the igni-
tion lock.
The red warning lamps on the exterior mirrors
light up until the engine is started.
Display in the assistance graphic
When Blind Spot Assist is activated, gray radar
waves propagating backwards appear next to
the vehicle in the assistance display in the mul-
tifunction display (
Ypage 221). Above a speed
of 20 mph (30 km/h), the color of the radar
waves in the assistance graphic changes to
green :. Blind Spot Assist is then ready for use.
Lane Keeping Assist
General notes
Lane Keeping Assist monitors the area in front of
your vehicle by means of multifunction cam-
era:which is attached behind the top of the
windshield. Active Lane Keeping Assist detects
lane markings on the road and can warn you
before you leave your lane unintentionally.
This function is available in the range between
40 mph and 120 mph (60 km/h and 200 km/h).
A warning may be given if a front wheel passes
over a lane marking. It will warn you by means of
intermittent vibration in the steering wheel for
up to 1.5 seconds.
202Driving systems
Driving and parking