2018 MERCEDES-BENZ S-CLASS SEDAN wheel

Manualgear shifting
&
WARNING Risk of skidding and of an
accident due toshifting down on slippery
ro ad sur faces
If yo u shift downonslipp eryroad sur faces to
inc rease the engine braking ef fect, the drive
wheels may lose traction.
#Do not shift down on slippery road sur‐
fa ces toinc rease the engine braking
ef fect.
#To activate: pullsteering wheel paddle
shif ter1 or2.
Manual gearshifting is activated for a short
time. The cur rent gear is displa yed in the
multifunction displa y.
#Toshift up: pullsteering wheel paddle
shif ter2.
#To shift down: pullsteering wheel paddle
shif ter1.
#To deactivate: pullsteering wheel paddle
shif ter2 and hold it in place.
The transmission position
h appears in the multifunction displa y.
% Ifyo u select theManual drive setting in
drive prog ram I, manual gearshifting is per‐
manent lyactivated.
Plug-in hybrid: be sure toobser vethe no tes in
th e Supplement. Otherwise, you may not recog‐
nize dangers.
Mercedes -AMG vehicles: be sure toobser ve
th e no tes in the Supplement. Otherwise, you
may not recognize dangers.
Gearshift recommendation
Mercedes -AMG vehicles: observeth e no tes in
th e Supplement. Otherwise, you may not recog‐
nize dangers.
The gearshift recommendations assist you in
adopting an economical driving style.
#If ge arshift recommendation message 1is
shown in the multifunction displa y,shift to
th ere commended gear.
17 6
Driving and pa rking

Using kickdown
Mercedes-AMGvehicles: be sure toobser ve
th e no tes in the Supplement. Otherwise, you
may not recognize dangers.
#Maximum acceleration: depress the accel‐
erator pedal be yond the pressure point.
During kickdown, you cannot shift gears using
th esteering wheel paddle shif ters. The au to‐
matic transmission shifts up tothe next gear
when the maximum engine speed is reached to
pr otect the engine from overrev ving.
#Ease off the accelera tor pedal once the
desired speed is reached.
Glide mode function
Plug-in hybrid: be sure toobser vethe no tes in
th e Supplement. Otherwise, you may not recog‐
nize dangers.
Mercedes -AMG vehicles: be sure toobser ve
th e no tes in the Supplement. Otherwise, you
may not recognize dangers. Wi
th an anticipatory driving style, glide mode
helps youto reduce fuel consum ption.
Glide mode is characterized bythefo llowing:
RThe combustion engine is disconnected from
th e driv etra in and theve hicle continues to
ro ll in neut ral.
RThe transmission position his displa yed in
green in the multifunction displa y.
Glide mode is activated if thefo llowing condi‐
tions are me t:
RDrive program Eis selected.
RThe speed is wi thin a suitable range.
RThe cours e ofthero ad is suitable, e.g. no
st eep uphill or downhill gradients or tight
bends.
RYo udo not depress the accelera tor or brake
pedal.
% Glide mode can also be activated if you ha ve
selected the "Eco" setting forth e drive
(engine management) when in drive program
I. Glide mode is deactivated again if one of
the
conditions is no longer met.
Ve hicles with Active Di stance Assistant
DI STRO NIC:When Active Dis tance Assist ant
DI STRO NIC is active, theglide mode function is
re stricted.
Re fueling
Refueling theve hicle
&
WARNING Risk offire and explosion
caused byfuel
Fu els are highly inflammable.
#You must avoidfire , open flames, creat‐
ing spar ksand smoking.
#Before refueling, switch off the engine
and, if ins talled in your vehicle, thest a‐
tionary heater.
& WARNING Risk of injury from fuel
Fu els are poisonous and harmful to your
health
Driving and parking 17
7

&WARNING Risk of accident and injury
due tochildren left unatte nded inthe
ve hicle
If yo u lea vechildren unaccompanied in the
ve hicle, they may be able toset theve hicle in
motion, forex ample by:
RRe leasing the parking brake.
RShifting the transmission out of park
position j.
RStarting the engine.
In addition, they may operate vehicle equip‐
ment.
#Ne ver lea vechildren and animals unat‐
te nded in theve hicle.
#When leaving theve hicle, alw aysta ke
th e SmartK eywith you and lock the
ve hicle.
* NO
TEDama getotheve hicle or the driv‐
et ra in caused bytheve hicle rolling away
#Alw ays proper lysecure theve hicle
against rolling away.
#On uphill or downhill inclines, turn the front
wheels towa rdsth e curb.
#Select transmission position j.
#Applythe electric parking brake.
#Press button 1(USA) or 2(Canada) once.
% When you switch offtheve hicle, you can still
opera tethe side windo wsand the panoramic
sliding sunroof forfive minutes.
Garage door opener
Prog ramming buttons for the garage door
opener
& WARNING Risk ofexhaust gas poisoning
Combustion engines emit poisonous exhaust
ga ses such as carbon monoxide. Inhaling
th ese exhaust gases causes poisoning.
#Ne ver lea vethe engine running in an
enclosed space wi thout suf ficient venti‐
lation.
18 0
Driving and pa rking

Functions of ABS (anti-lock braking sy stem)
ABS regulates the brake pressure in critical driv‐
ing situations:
RDuring braking, e.g. at maximum full-s top
braking or insuf ficient traction of the tires,
th e wheels are pr evented from blocking.
RVe hicle steerability while braking is ensured.
If ABS inter venes when braking, youwill feel a
pulsing in the brake pedal. The pulsating brake
pedal can be an indication of hazardous road
conditions and can ser veas a reminder totake
ex tra care while driving.
Sy stem limitations
RABS is active from speeds of appr ox. 5 mph
(8 km/h).
RABS may be impaired or may not function if a
malfunction has occur red and theye l‐
low ! ABSwarning lamp lights up contin‐
uously in the instrument clus ter af terth e
engine is star ted.
Fu nction of BAS (Brake Assist Sy stem)
&
WARNING Risk of an accident caused by
a malfunction in BAS (Brake Assist Sys‐
te m)
If BA S is malfunctioning, the braking dis tance
in an emergency braking situation is
increased.
#Depre ssthe brake pedal with full forc e
in emer gency braking situations. ABS
pr eve nts the wheels from locking.
BA S suppo rts yo ur eme rgency braking situation
with additional brake forc e.
If yo u depress the brake pedal quickl y,BA S is
acti vated:
RBA S au tomatical lyboosts the brake pres‐
sure.
RBA S can short enthe braking dis tance.
RABS pr events the wheels from locking.
The brakes will function as usual once you
re lease the brake pedal. BAS is deactivated.
Functions of ESP®(Electronic Stability Pro‐
gr am)
&
WARNING Risk of skidding if ESP®is
malfunctioning
If ESP
®is malfunctioning, ESP®cannot car ry
out vehicle stabilization. In addition, other
driving saf etysy stems are switched off.
#Drive on carefull y.
#Have ESP®checked at a qualified spe‐
cialist workshop.
&
WARNING Risk of skidding if ESP®is
deactivated
If yo u deactivate ESP
®, ESP®cannot car ry
out vehicle stabilization.
#ESP®should only be deactivated in the
fo llowing situations.
Mercedes‑AMG vehicles: observeth e no tes in
th e Supplement. Otherwise, you may not recog‐
nize dangers.
Driving and park ing18
9

ESP®can monitor and impr ovedriving stability
and traction in thefo llowing situations, within
ph ysical limits:
RWhen pulling away on a wet or slippe ryroad.
RWhen braking.
RIn stro ng sidewinds when you are driving
fast erthan 50 mph (80 km/h).
If th eve hicle deviates from the direction desired
by the driver, ESP
®can stabilize theve hicle by
inter vening in thefo llowing ways:
ROne or more wheels are braked.
RThe engine output is adap ted according to
th e situation.
ESP
®is deactivated if the ESP®OFF å warn‐
ing lamp lights up continuously in the instrument
clus ter:
RDriving stability will no longe r be improved.
RCrosswind Assist is no longer active.
RThe drive wheels could spin.
RETS/4ETS traction control is still active.
% When ESP
®is deactivated, you are still assis‐
te dby ESP®when braking.
ESP
®is inter vening if the ESP®÷ warning
lamp flashes in the instrument clus ter:
RDo not deacti vate ESP®.
ROnly depress the accelera tor pedal as far as
is necessar y.
RAdapt your drivin gst yle to suit the cur rent
ro ad and weather conditions.
Deactivate ESP
®in thefo llowing situations to
impr ovetraction:
RWhen using snow chains
RIn deep snow
ROn sand or gr avel.
% Spinning the wheels results in a cutting
action which pr ovides better grip.
If th e ESP
®÷ warning lamp lights up continu‐
ousl y,ESP®is not available due toa malfunction. Observ
eth efo llowing information:
RWa rning and indicator lamps (→page 501)
RDisplay messages (→page 457)
ETS/4ETS (Electronic Traction Sy stem)
ETS/4ETS traction control is pa rtof ESP
®and
makes it possible topull away or accelerate on a
slippery sur face.
ETS/4ETS can impr oveth eve hicle's traction by
inter vening in thefo llowing ways:
RThe drive wheels are braked individually if
they spin.
RMore drive torque is transferred tothe wheel
or wheels with traction.
Influence of drive prog rams on ESP
®
The drive programs enable ESP®to adapt todif‐
fe re nt we ather and road conditions as well as
th e driver's prefer red driving style. You can
select the drive programs using theDY NA MIC
SELECT switch (
→page 173).
19 0
Driving and pa rking

125mp h(2 00 km/h) when driving stra ight
ahead or cornering slightly.
RThe vehicle is stabilized bymeans of individ‐
ual brake application on one side.
Fu nction of EBD (electronic brake forc e dis‐
tribution)
EBD is characterized bythefo llowing:
RMonitoring and regulating the brake pressure
on there ar wheels.
RImpr oved driving stability when braking,
especially on bends.
Fu nction of STEER CONT ROL
STEER CONTROL helps youby transmitting a
noticeable steering forc eto thesteering wheel in
th e direction requiredforve hicle stabilization.
This steering recommendation is given part icu‐
lar lyin thefo llowing situations:
RBo th right wheels or bo thleft wheels are on
a we t or slippe ryroad sur face when you
brake.
RThe vehicle starts toskid.
Sy stem limitations
ST EER CONTROL may be impaired or may not
function in thefo llowing situations:
RESP®is deactivated.
RESP®is malfunctioning.
RThe steering is malfunctioning.
If ESP
®is malfunctioning, youwill be assis ted
fur ther by the electric po werst eering.
Fu nction of Active Brake Assi st
Active Brake Assi stconsist s of:
RDistance warning function
RAu tonomous braking function
RSituation-dependent braking assist ance
RVehicles with Driving Assistance Pack‐
age: Evasi veSteering Assist
Ac tive Brake Assi stcan help youto minimize the
ri sk of a collision with vehicles or pedestrians or
to reduce the ef fects of such a collision. If
Ac tive Brake Assi sthas de tected a risk of colli‐
sion, you will be warned visually and acousti‐
cally.
If yo udo not react tothe visual or acoustic warn‐
ing, autonomous braking can be initiated in criti‐
cal situations.
In especially critical situations, Active Brake
Assi stcan initiate autonomous braking direct ly.
In this case, the visual and acoustic warning
occurs simultaneously with the braking applica‐
tion.
If yo uappl yth e brake yourself in a critical situa‐
tion or applyth e brake during autonomous brak‐
ing, situation-dependent braking assis tance
occurs . This increases the brake pressure up to
maximum full-s top braking if necessar y.
If th e autonomous braking function or the situa‐
tion-dependent braking assis tance is trig gered,
additional pr eventive measures for occupant
pr otection (PRE-SAFE®) may also be initiated, if
th eve hicle is equipped with these.
19 2
Driving and pa rking

Cruise cont rol is operated using the cor respond‐
ing steering wheel buttons. You can store any
ro ad speed abo ve15 mp h (20 km/h).
If yo ufa ilto adapt your drivin gst yle, cruise con‐
trol can neither reduce therisk of an accident
nor override the la wsof ph ysics. It cannot take
into account road, weather or traf fic conditions.
Cruise control is only an aid. You are responsible
fo rth e dis tance totheve hicle in front, forve hi‐
cle speed, for braking in good time and forst ay ‐
ing in lane.
Displa ysinthe multifunction display
The status of cruise control and thestored
speed are shown in the multifunction displa y.
1Cruise control is selecte d
2Speed is sa ved, cruise control is deactivated
3Speed is sa ved, cruise control is activated
% The segments between thestored speed and
th e end of the segment display light up in
th e speedome ter.
Sy stem limitations
Cruise control may be unable tomaintain the
st ored speed on uphill gradients. The stored
speed is resumed when the gradient evens out.
Change into a lo werge ar in good time on long
and steep downhill gradients. Take particular
no te ofthis when driving a laden vehicle. By doing so,
youwill make use of the braking ef fect
of the engine. This relie vesth e load on the brake
sy stem and pr events the brakes from overheat‐
ing and wearing tooqu ickl y.
Do not use cruise control in thefo llowing situa‐
tions:
RIn traf fic situations whi chrequ ire frequent
ch anges of speed, e.g. in heavy traf fic, on
winding roads
ROn slippery roads. Accelerating can cause
th e drive wheels tolose traction and the
ve hicle could then skid
RWhen visibility is poor
Operating cruise control
& WARNING Risk of accident due tostored
speed
If yo u call up thestored speed and this is
lo we rth an your cur rent speed, theve hicle
decelerates.
#Ta ke into account the tra ffic situation
before calling up thestored speed.
Driving and parking 19
7

Active Di stance Assist DI STRONIC
Function of Active Di stance Assist
DI STRO NIC
Active Dis tance Assist DISTRONIC maintains the
set speed on free-flowing roads. If vehicles
ahead are de tected, the set dis tance is main‐
ta ined, if necessary until theve hicle comes toa
halt. The vehicle accelerates or brakes depend‐
ing on the dis tance totheve hicle in front and
th e set speed. Speed (in thera nge between
15 mp h(2 0 km/h) and 130mp h(210 km/h))
and the dis tance totheve hicle ahead are set
and sa ved on thesteering wheel. Other
features of Active Dis tance Assist
DISTRONIC:
RAd justs the driving style depending on the
selected drive program (fuel-saving, comfort‐
able or dynamic) (
→page 172)
RRe sponds in urban speed ranges tostation‐
ary vehicles (e xcept bicycles, mo torcyc les
and pedestrians) if conditions are suf ficient
to enable de tection.
RInitiates rapid acceleration tothestored
speed, if the turn signal indicator is switched
on tochange totheov ertak ing lane.
RTake s one-sided overtaking restrictions into
account on free ways or on multi-lane roads
with separate car riag ewa ys.
Ve hicles with Active Parking Assis t:ifth eve hicle
has been braked toast andstill on multi-lane,
separate car riag ewa ysby Active Dis tance Assist
DISTRONIC, it can au tomatically follow theve hi‐
cle in front driving off again, within 30 seconds.
If a crit

ical situation is de tected when driving off,
a visual and acoustic warning is given indicating
th at the driver must now take control of theve hi‐
cle. The vehicle is not accelerated any fur ther. Ac
tive Dis tance Assist DISTRONIC is only an aid.
The driver is responsible forth e dis tance tothe
ve hicle in front, forve hicle speed and for braking
in good time.
Sy stem limitations
The sy stem may be impaired or may not function
in thefo llowing ins tances, forex ample:
RIn snow ,ra in, fog, heavy spr ay, if there is
gl are, in direct sunlight or in greatly varying
ambient light.
RThe windshield in the area of the camera is
dirty, fogged up, damaged or co vered.
RIfth era dar sensors are dirty or co vered.
ROn slippery roads, braking or accelerating
can cause the drive wheels tolose traction
and theve hicle could then skid.
RIn parking garage s or on roads with steep
uphill or downhill gradients.
Do not use Active Dis tance Assist DISTRONIC in
th ese situations.
Driving and parking 19
9