2018 MERCEDES-BENZ S-CLASS SEDAN engine

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RCrosswind Assist is no longer active.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

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

Information on HillStart Assist
Hill Start Assist holds theve hicle for a short
time when pulling away on a hill under thefo l‐
lowing conditions:
RThe transmission is in position hork.
RThe elect ric park ing brake is released.
This gives you enough time tomo veyour foot
from the brake pedal tothe accelera tor pedal
and depress it before theve hicle begins toroll.
&
WARNING Risk of accident and injury
caused bytheve hicle rolling away
Af ter a short time, Hill Start Assist no longe r
holds theve hicle and it can rollaw ay.
#Therefore, swiftly mo veyour foot from
th e brake pedal tothe accelerator
pedal. Ne ver attem pttolea vetheve hi‐
cle if it is being held byHill Start Assist.
HOLD function
HOLD function
The HOLD function holds theve hicle at a stand‐
st ill without requ iring youto depress the brake
pedal, e.g. when pulling away on steep slopes.
Sy stem limitations
RThe incline must not be greaterth an 30%.
Ac tivating/deactivating the HOLD function
&
WARNING Risk of an accident due tothe
HOLD function being activated when you
lea vetheve hicle
If yo u lea vetheve hicle while only the HOLD
function is braking theve hicle, theve hicle
can rollaw ay inthefo llowing situations:
RIf th ere is a malfunction in the sy stem or
in the po wer supply.
RIfth e HOLD function is deactivated by
depressing the accelera tor pedal or the
brake pedal, e.g. byave hicle occupant.
RIfth e electrics in the engine compart‐
ment, the battery or the fuses are tam‐
pered with or if the battery is disconnec‐
te d.
#Alw ays deactivate the HOLD function
and secure theve hicle against rolling
aw ay before leaving theve hicle.
* NO
TEDama gefrom au tomatic braking
When Active Brake Assi st,Ac tive Dis tance
Assist DISTRONIC or the HOLD function are
activated, theve hicle brakes autonomously
in cer tain situations.
To avo id damage totheve hicle, deactivate
th ese sy stems in thefo llowing or similar sit‐
uations:
#During towing
#In a car wash
Requirements:RThe vehicle is stationar y.
RThe driver's door is closed or the seat belt on
th e driver's side is fastened.
210
Driving and pa rking

RThe engine isrunning or has been au tomati‐
cally switched off bythe ECO start/ stop
function.
RThe electric parking brake is released.
RAc tive Dis tance Assist DISTRONIC is deacti‐
va ted.
RThe transmission is in position h,kori.
Ac tivating the HOLD function
#Dep ress the brake pedal and af ter a short
time quickly depress fur ther until theë
display appears in the multifunction displa y.
#Release the brake pedal.
Deactivating the HOLD function
#Depress the accelerator pedal topull away.
or
#Depress the brake pedal until theë dis‐
play disappears from the multifunction dis‐
pla y. The HOLD function is deactivated in
thefo llow‐
ing situations:
RAc tive Dis tance Assist DISTRONIC is acti va‐
te d.
RThe transmission is switched toposition j.
RThevehicle is secured with the electric park‐
ing brake.
In thefo llowing situations, theve hicle is held by
th e transmission position jorby the electric
parking brake:
RThe seat belt is unfas tened and the driver's
door is opened.
RThe engine is switched off.
RThere is a malfunction in the sy stem or the
po we r supply is insuf ficient.
AIR BODY CONT ROL
AIR BODY CONT ROL function
AIR BODY CONTROL is an air suspension sy stem
with variable damping for impr oved driving com‐ fo
rt. The all-round le vel control sy stem ensures
th e best possible suspension and const ant
ground clearance, even wi tha laden vehicle.
When driving at speed, theve hicle is lo wered
automatically toimpr ovedriving saf etyand to
re duce fuel consum ption. The option of manually
adjusting theve hicle le vel is also available.
AIR BODY CONTROL comprises:
RAir suspension with automatic all-round le vel
control
RSpeed-dependent lo wering toreduce fuel
consum ption
RManual le vel adjustment
RADS PLUS (Adaptive Damping Sy stem with
const ant damping forc e adjustment)
RDY NA MIC SELECT switch and le vel button
Driving and parking 21
1

Vehicles without 360° Camera
1Parking Assist PARKTRONI Cis on ly oper a‐
tional in the front and rear
2Pa rking Assist PARKTRONI Cis operational
and can also warnthe driver about obs tacles
at the side of theve hicle
3Obs tacles de tected at the front right
(orange) and rear (red)
Ve hicles with 360° Camera
1Parking Assist PARKTRONI Cis on ly oper a‐
tional in the front and rear
2Pa rking Assist PARKTRONI Cis operational
and can also warnthe driver about obs tacles
at the side of theve hicle
3Obs tacles de tected at the front right
(orange) and rear (red)
Sa ved obs tacles are del eted in thefo llowing sit‐
uations, forex ample:
RYo u switch offtheve hicle
RYo u open the doors Af
terth e engine is restar ted, obs tacles must be
de tected again, before a new warning can be
issued.
Sy stem limitations
The sy stem limitations forPa rking Assist
PA RKTRONI Cappl yfo r passive side impact pro‐
te ction.
The following objects are not de tected, forex am‐
ple:
RPe destrians who approach theve hicle from
th e side
RObjects placed next totheve hicle
Deactivating/activating Parking Assist
PA RKTRONIC
* NO
TERisk of an accident from objects
at close range
Pa rking Assist PARKTRONI Cma yno tde tect
cer tain objects at close range.
#When pa rking or maneuvering theve hi‐
cle, pay particular attention toany
objects which are abo veor below the
sensors, e.g. flowe r pots or dr awbars.
220
Driving and parking

Deactivating/activating maneuvering assis‐
tance
Multimedia sy stem:
,9HKLFOH.k $VVLVWDQFH.&DPHUD
3DUNLQJ.0DQHXYHULQJ $VVLVW
#Switch the function on Oor off ª.
ATTENTION ASSIST
Fu nction of ATTENTION ASSIST
AT TENTION ASSIST assists you on long, mon oto‐
nous journe ys, e.g. on free ways and trunk roads.
If AT TENTION ASSIST de tects indicators of fati‐
gue or increasing lapses in concentration on the
part of the driver, it suggests taking a brea k.
AT TENTION ASSIST is only an aid. It cann ot
alw ays de tect fatigue or lapses in concentration
until too late. The sy stem is not a substitute for a
we ll-res ted and attentive driver. On long jour‐
ne ys,tak ere gular breaks in good time that allow
fo r ade quate recuperation.
Yo u can choose between two settings.
RStandard: normal sy stem sensitivity.
RSensitive: higher system sensitivity. The
driver is warned earlier and the attention
le ve l de tected byATTENTION ASSIST is adap‐
te d according ly.
If dr owsiness or increasing lapses in concentra‐
tion are de tected, the$77(17,21 $66,67 7DNH
D %UHDN warning appears in the Instrument Dis‐
pla y.Yo u can ackn owledge the message and
tak e a break where necessar y.Ifyo udo not take
a break and ATTENTION ASSIST continues to
de tect increasing lapses in concentration, you
will be warned again af ter a minimum of
15 minutes.You can ha vethefo llowing status information for
AT TENTION ASSIST displa yed in the assis tance
menu of the on-board computer:
RThe length of the journey since the last
break.
RThe attention le vel de term ined byATTENTION
ASSIS T.
If AT TENTION ASSIST is unable tocalculate the
attention le vel and cannot issue a warning, the
6\VWHP 6XVSHQGHG messageappears.
If a warning is given in the Instrument Displa y,
th e multimedia sy stem of fers to sear chfor a rest
area. You can select a rest area and start naviga‐
tion tothis rest area. This function can be activa‐
te d and deactivated in the multimedia sy stem.
If AT TENTION ASSIST is deactivated, theé
symbol appears in the assis tance graphic in the
Instrument Display when the engine is running.
AT TENTION ASSIST is activated automatically
when the engine is re-sta rted. The last selected
sensitivity le velre mains stored.
232
Driving and parking

System limitations
AT TENTION ASSIST is active in the37 mph
(60 km/h) to124mp h(2 00 km/h) speed range.
The functionality of ATTENTION ASSIST is
re stricted, and warnings may be dela yed or not
occur at all in thefo llowing situations:
RIf yo u ha vebeen driving for less than 30
minutes.
RIf th ero ad condition is poor (une venro ad
sur face or po tholes).
RIfth ere is a strong side wind.
RIfyo u adopt a sporty drivingst yle (high cor‐
nering speeds or high rates of acceleration).
RIfth eSt eering Assist function of Active Dis‐
ta nce Assist DISTRONIC is acti ve.
RIfth e time has been set incor rectly.
RIn acti vedriving situations, if youch ange
lanes and vary your speed frequentl y.
The ATTENTION ASSIST tiredness or alertness
assessment is dele ted and restar ted when con‐
tinuing the journey in thefo llowing situations:
RIf yo uswit choff the engine.
RIfyo u unfas tenyo ur seat belt and open the
driver's door (e.g. change drivers or take a
break).
Setting ATTENTION ASSIST
Multimedia sy stem:
,9HKLFOH.k $VVLVWDQFH.$77(1
7,21 $66,67
Setting options
#Select 6WDQGDUG, 6HQVLWLYHor2II.
Suggesting a rest area
#Select 6XJJHVW 5HVW $UHD .
#Activate Oor deacti vate the function ª.
If AT TENTION ASSIST de tects fatigue or
increasing la ckof attention, it suggests a
re st area in the vicinity.
#Selecting a sugges tedre st area.
Yo u are guided tothe selected rest area.
Traf fic Sign Assist
Fu nction of Traf fic Sign Assist
Tr af fic Sign Assist detects traf fic signs wi thmul‐
tifunction camera 1and assist syo uby display‐
ing de tected speed limits and overtaking restric‐
tions in the instrument clus ter.The camera also
de tects traf fic signs wi thare striction indicated
by an additional sign (e.g. in wet conditions).
Driving and pa rking 233

Instrument Displayoverview
&
WARNING Risk of accident due toan
instrument display malfunction
If th e instrument display has failed or mal‐
functioned, you cannot recognize function
re strictions applying tosaf etyre leva nt sys‐
te ms.
The operating saf etyof your vehicle may be
impaired.
#Drive on carefull y.
#Have theve hicle checked immediately
at a qualified specialist workshop.
Mercedes‑AMG vehicles: observeth e no tes in
th e Supplement. Otherwise, you may not recog‐
nize dangers.
Plug-in hybrid: obser vethe no tes in the Supple‐
ment. Otherwise, you may not recognize dan‐
ge rs.
If th e operating saf etyof your vehicle is
impaired, park theve hicle safely as soon as pos‐
sible. Contact a qualified specialist workshop. Instrument display
1Speedome
ter
2Multifunction display
3Ta ch ome ter
4Coolant temp erature gauge
5Fu el le vel and fuel filler flap location indica‐
to r
% This display is an example. Inst ead oftach ‐
ome ter3 other displa ysare also possible.
The segments in speedome ter1 indica tethe
sy stem status forth efo llowing:
RCruise control (→page 196)
RAc tive Dis tance Assist DISTRONIC
(→pa ge 199)
Ve hicles with Traf fic Sign Assis t:de tected
instructions and traf fic signs appear in the
speedome ter (
→page 233).
* NO
TEEngine damage duetoexc essively
high engine speeds
The engine will be damaged if you drive with
th e engine in theov errevving range.
#Do not drive wi th the engine in theove r‐
re vving range.
In tach ome ter3 theove rrev ving range is
shown in red. When theove rrev ving range is
re ached, the fuel supply is inter rupted toprotect
th e engine.
During normal operating conditions, coolant
te mp erature display 4may rise to248°F
(120°C).
24 4
Instrument Display and on-board computer