Driving safety systems
Overview of driving safety systems
In this section, you will find information about
the following driving safety systems:
R ABS (Anti-lock BrakingSystem)
(Y page 64)
R BAS (Brake AssistSystem) (Y page 65)
R Active Brake Assist (Y page 65)
R ESP ®
(E lectronic StabilityProgram)
(Y page 68)
R EBD (Electronic Brake forceDistribution)
(Y page 69)
R ADAPTIVE BRAKE (Y page 70)
R Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function
(Y page 70)
R Active Steering Assist STEER CONTROL
(Y page 72) Important safety notes
If you fail to adapt your driving style or if you are
inattentive, the driving safety systems can nei-
ther reduce the risk of an accident nor override the laws of physics. Driving safety systems are
merely aids designed to assist driving. You are
responsible for maintaining the distance to the
vehicle in front, for vehicle speed, for braking in
good time, and for staying in lane. Always adapt your driving style to suit the prevailing road and
weather conditions and maintain a safe distance from the vehicle in front. Drive carefully.
The driving safety systems described only work
as effectively as possible when there is ade-
quate contact between the tires and the road
surface. Pay particular attention to the informa- tion regarding tires, recommended minimum
tire tread depths etc. in the "Wheels and tires"
section (Y page 327).
In wintry driving conditions, always use winter
tires (M+S tires )and if necessary, snow chains.
Only in this way will the driving safety systems
described in this section work as effectively as
possible. ABS (Anti-lock Braking System)
General information ABS regulates brake pressure in such a way that
the wheels do not lock when you brake. This
allows you to continue steering the vehicle when braking.
The 0025 ABS warning lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up when the ignition is switched
on. It goes out when the engine is running.
ABS works from a speed of about 5 mph
(8 km/h), regardless of road-surface conditions.
ABS works on slippery surfaces, even when you only brake gently.
Important safety notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 64). G
WARNING
If ABS is faulty, the wheels could lock when
braking. The steerability and braking charac-
teristics may be severely impaired. Addition-
ally, further driving safety systems are deac-
tivated. There is an increased danger of skid- ding and accidents.
Drive on carefully. Have ABS checked imme-
diately at a qualified specialist workshop.
When ABS is malfunctioning, other systems,
including driving safety systems, will also
become inoperative. Observe the information
on the ABS warning lamp (Y page 254) and dis-
play messages which may be shown in the
instrument cluster (Y page 224).
Brakes X
If ABS intervenes: continue to depress the
brake pedal vigorously until the braking sit-
uation is over.
X To make a full brake application: depress
the brake pedal with full force.
If ABS intervenes when braking, you will feel a
pulsing in the brake pedal.
The pulsating brake pedal can be an indication
of hazardous road conditions, and functions as a
reminder to take extra care while driving. 64
Driving safety systemsSafety
Important safety notes
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion for driving safety systems (Y page 64).G
WARNING
The distance warning function does not react:
R to people or animals
R to oncoming vehicles
R to crossing traffic
R when cornering
The distance warning function may not give
warnings in all critical situations. There is a
risk of an accident.
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. G
WARNING
The distance warning function cannot always
clearly identify objects and complex traffic
situations.
In such cases, the distance warning function
may:
R give an unnecessary warning
R not give a warning
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit-
uation and do not rely solely on the distance
warning function.
Function Starting at a speed of approximately 4 mph
(7 km/h), the distance warning function warns
you if you rapidly approach a vehicle in front. An
intermittent warning tone will then sound, and
the 00BA distance warning lamp will light up in
the instrument cluster.
X Brake immediately in order to increase the
distance from the vehicle in front.
or X Take evasive action, provided it is safe to do
so.
Due to the nature of the system, particularly
complicated but non-critical driving conditions
may also cause the system to display a warning. With the help of the radar sensor system, the
distance warning function can detect obstacles
that are in the path of your vehicle for an exten-
ded period of time.
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 Active Distance Assist
DISTRONIC: the autonomous braking function
is available in the following speed ranges:
R 4 - 65 mph (7 - 105 km/ h)for moving objects
R 4 - 31 mph (7 - 50 km/h) for stationary
objects
Vehicles with Active Distance Assist
DISTRONIC: the autonomous braking function
is available in the following speed ranges:
R 4 - 124 mph (7 - 200 km/h) for moving
objects
R 4 - 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 (Y page 56).
Situation-dependent braking assis-
tance General information
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 64).
With the help of the radar sensor system, Active
Brake Assist can detect obstacles that are in the path of your vehicle for an extended period of
time.
If Active Brake Assist detects a risk of collision
with the vehicle in front, it calculates the brake
pressure necessary to avoid a collision. If you
apply the brakes forcefully, situation-dependent 66
Driving safety systemsSafety
!
Avoid spinning the driven wheels for an
extended period with ESP ®
deactivated. You
could otherwise damage the drivetrain.
Deactivating/activating ESP ®ESP
®
OFF button (except Mercedes‑AMG vehicles) ESP
®
OFF button (Mercedes-AMG vehicles)
X To deactivate: press button0043.
The 00BB ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up.
X To activate: press button 0043.
The 00BB ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster goes out.
Characteristics when ESP ®
is deactivated
If ESP ®
is deactivated and one or more wheels
start to spin, the 00E5ESP®
warning lamp in the
instrument cluster flashes. In such situations,
ESP ®
will not stabilize the vehicle.
If you deactivate ESP ®
:
R ESP ®
no longer improves driving stability.
R Engine torque is no longer limited and the
drive wheels are able to spin.
R Traction control is still activated. R
Active Brake Assist is no longer available; nor
is it activated if you brake firmly with assis-
tance from ESP ®
R PRE-SAFE ®
is no longer available, nor is it
activated if you brake firmly and ESP ®
inter-
venes.
R Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function
is no longer available; nor is it activated if you
brake firmly with assistance from ESP ®
R ESP ®
still provides support when you brake
firmly.
Crosswind Assist General information
Strong crosswind gusts can impair the ability of
your vehicle to drive straight ahead. The cross-
wind driving assistance function integrated in
ESP ®
noticeably reduces these impairments.
ESP ®
intervenes automatically according to the
direction and intensity of the crosswinds affect-
ing your vehicle.
ESP ®
intervenes with stabilizing braking to
assist you in keeping the vehicle in the lane.
Crosswind Assist is active at vehicle speeds
above 50 mph (80 km/h) when driving straight
ahead or cornering gently.
Important safety notes
Crosswind Assist does not work if ESP ®
is
switched off or deactivated because of a mal-
function. EBD (electronic brake force distribu-
tion)
General information EBD monitors and controls the brake pressure
on the rear wheels to improve driving stability
while braking.
Important safety notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion for driving safety systems (Y page 64). Driving safety systems
69Safety Z
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. G
WARNING
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. G
WARNING
Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function does not react:
R to small people, e.g. children
R to animals
R to oncoming vehicles
R when cornering
As a result, Active Brake Assist with cross-
traffic function may not warn you or engage in
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:
R there is dirt on the sensors or anything else
covering the sensors
R there is interference by other radar sources
R there are strong radar reflections, for exam-
ple in parking garages
R a narrow vehicle is traveling in front, e.g. a
motorbike R
a vehicle is traveling in front on a different line
relative to the center of your vehicle
R vehicles quickly move into the radar sensor
system detection range
Recognition by the camera system is also
impaired in the event of:
R dirt on the camera or if the camera is covered
R glare on the camera system, e.g. from the sun
being low in the sky
R darkness
R or 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 person is not distin-
guishable from the background
Following damage to the front end of the vehicle, have the configuration and operation of the
radar sensors checked 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 X
To activate or deactivate: activate or deac-
tivate Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic
function using the on-board computer
(Y page 216).
If the Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic
function is deactivated, the 00D4symbol
appears in the multifunction display.
If you have activated DSR (Y page 167), the
Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function is
deactivated.
Starting at a speed of around 4 mph (7 km/h),
this function warns you if you rapidly approach a
vehicle in front. An intermittent warning tone
will then sound and the 00BAdistance warning
lamp will light up in the instrument cluster.
X Brake immediately to defuse the situation.
or
X Take evasive action provided it is safe to do
so. Driving safety systems
71Safety Z
The blue
0057indicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster lights up when the high-beam
headlamps are switched on.
X To switch off the high-beam headlamps:
move the combination switch back to its nor- mal position.
The blue 0057indicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster goes out.
Vehicles with Adaptive Highbeam Assist: if
Adaptive Highbeam Assist is activated, it auto-
matically controls activation and deactivation of
the high-beam headlamps (Y page 109).Hazard warning lamps
X
To switch on the hazard warning lamps:
press button
0043.
All turn signals flash. If you now switch on a
turn signal using the combination switch, only the turn signal lamp on the corresponding
side of the vehicle will flash.
X To switch off the hazard warning lamps:
press button
0043.
The hazard warning lamps automatically switch
on if:
R an air bag is deployed or
R the vehicle decelerates rapidly from a speed
of above 45 mph (70 km/h) and comes to a
standstill
The hazard warning lamps switch off automati-
cally if the vehicle reaches a speed of above
6 mph (10 km/h) again after a full brake appli-
cation.
i The hazard warning lamps still operate if the
ignition is switched off. Intelligent Light System
General notes The Intelligent Light System is a system that
adjusts the headlamps automatically to suit the
prevailing driving and weather conditions. It
offers advanced functions for improved illumi-
nation of the road surface, e.g. depending on the vehicle speed or weather conditions. The sys-
tem includes the active light function, corneringlight function, highway mode and extended
range fog lamps. The system is only active when it is dark.
You can activate or deactivate the "Intelligent
Light System" using the on-board computer
(Y page 218).
Active light function The active light function is a system that moves
the headlamps according to the steering move- ments of the front wheels. In this way, relevant
areas remain illuminated while driving. This
allows you to recognize pedestrians, cyclists
and animals sooner.
Active: when the lights are switched on.
Vehicles with Lane Keeping Assist: the active
light function evaluates the course of the lane in which you are driving and adjusts the light in
advance.
Vehicles with the drive program S+(Sport Plus):
when the drive program is activated, the active
light function headlamps swing in and out. This
shows that the light setting is in sport mode. The
dynamism of the active light function increases.
Cornering light function The cornering light function improves the illu-
mination of the road over a wide angle in the
direction you are turning, enabling better visi-
bility in tight bends, for example. It can only be
activated when the low-beam headlamps are
switched on.
Active:
R if you are driving at speeds below 25 mph
(40 km/h) and switch on the turn signal or
turn the steering wheel
R if you are driving at speeds between 25 mph
(40 km/h) and 45 mph (70 km/h) and turn
the steering wheel 108
Exterior lightingLights and windshield wipers
Always switch off the windshield wipers and
ignition before changing the wiper blades.
! Always position the windshield wiper arms
vertically before folding them away from the
windshield. By doing so, you will avoid dam-
age to the hood.
! To avoid damaging the wiper blades, make
sure that you touch only the wiper arm of the wiper.
! Never open the hood if a windshield wiper
arm has been folded away from the wind-
shield.
Never fold a windshield wiper arm without a
wiper blade back onto the windshield.
Hold the windshield wiper arm firmly when
you change the wiper blade. If you release the
windshield wiper arm without a wiper blade
and it falls onto the windshield, the windshield may be damaged by the force of the impact.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you have
the wiper blades changed at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
Replacing the wiper blades (standard
wiper blades) Moving the wiper arms to a vertical posi-
tion
On vehicles without KEYLESS-GO:
X Turn the SmartKey to position 0092in the igni-
tion lock (Y page 127).
X Set the windshield wiper to position 00AAon
the combination switch.
X Turn the SmartKey to position 0047in the igni-
tion lock (Y page 127).
X As soon as the wiper arms are vertical to the
hood, turn the SmartKey to position 0092in the
ignition lock (Y page 127).
X Remove the SmartKey.
X Fold the wiper arms away from the windshield
until you feel them snap into place.
On vehicles with KEYLESS-GO:
X Switch off the engine.
X Remove your foot from the brake pedal.
X Set the windshield wiper to the 00AAposition.
X Press the Start/Stop button repeatedly until
the windshield wiper starts. X
When the wiper arms are vertical to the hood,
press the Start/Stop button repeatedly until
the windshield wiper stops.
X Fold the wiper arms away from the windshield
until you feel them snap into place.
Removing the wiper blades X
Firmly press release knob 0043and pull wiper
blade 0044upwards from the wiper arm in the
direction of the arrow.
Installing the wiper blades X
Position new wiper blade 0043in the retainer on
the wiper arm and slide it into place in the
direction of the arrow.
The wiper blade audibly engages.
X Make sure that the wiper blade is seated cor-
rectly.
X Fold the wiper arm back onto the windshield. 112
Windshield wipersLights and
windshield wipers
Replacing the wiper blades (MAGIC
VISION CONTROL) Moving the wiper arms to a vertical posi-
tion
On vehicles without KEYLESS-GO:
X Turn the SmartKey to position 0092in the igni-
tion lock (Y page 127).
X Set the windshield wiper to position 00AAon
the combination switch.
X Turn the SmartKey to position 0047in the igni-
tion lock (Y page 127).
X As soon as the wiper arms are vertical to the
hood, turn the SmartKey to position 0092in the
ignition lock (Y page 127).
X Remove the SmartKey.
X Fold the wiper arms away from the windshield
until you feel them snap into place.
On vehicles with KEYLESS-GO:
X Switch off the engine.
X Remove your foot from the brake pedal.
X Set the windshield wiper to the 00AAposition.
X Press the Start/Stop button repeatedly until
the windshield wiper starts.
X When the wiper arms are vertical to the hood,
press the Start/Stop button repeatedly until
the windshield wiper stops.
X Fold the wiper arms away from the windshield
until you feel them snap into place.
Removing a wiper blade X
To bring the wiper blade into position to
be removed:
hold the wiper arm firmly with
one hand. With the other hand, turn the wiper blade in the direction of arrow 0043beyond the
point of resistance.
The wiper blade engages in the removal posi-
tion with an audible click.
X To remove a wiper blade: firmly press
release knob 0044and pull the wiper blade
upwards 0087.
Installing the wiper blades X
Push the new wiper blade in the direction of
arrow 0043onto the wiper arm until lug 0044
engages.
X Push the wiper blade out of the removal posi-
tion in the direction of arrow 0087beyond the
point of resistance.
The wiper blade disengages with an audible
click and is freely movable again.
X Make sure that the wiper blade is seated cor-
rectly.
X Fold the wiper arm back onto the windshield. Windshield wipers
113Lights and windshield wipers Z
Key positions with the Start/Stop button
0043
Start/Stop button
0044 Ignition lock
As soon as the ignition is switched on, all the
indicator lamps in the instrument cluster light
up. Further information on situations where an
indicator lamp either fails to go out after starting the engine or lights up while driving
(Y page 253).
If Start/Stop button 0043has not yet been
pressed, this corresponds to the SmartKey
being removed from the ignition.
X To switch on the power supply: press
Start/Stop button 0043once.
The power supply is switched on. You can now activate the windshield wipers, for example.
The power supply is switched off again if:
R the driver's door is opened and
R you press Start/Stop 0043button twice when in
this position
X To switch on the ignition: press Start/Stop
button 0043twice.
The ignition is switched on.
If you press Start/Stop button 0043once when
in this position, the ignition is deactivated
again.
Removing the Start/Stop button
You can remove the Start/Stop button from the
ignition lock and start the vehicle as normal
using the SmartKey.
It is possible to switch between Start/Stop but- ton mode and key operation only when the
transmission is in position 005D.
X Remove Start/Stop button 0043from ignition
lock 0044. You do not have to remove the Start/Stop but-
ton from the ignition lock when you leave the
vehicle. You should, however, always take the
SmartKey with you when leaving the vehicle. As
long as the SmartKey is in the vehicle:
R the vehicle can be started using the Start/
Stop button
R electrically powered equipment can be oper-
ated Starting the engine
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If children are left unsupervised in the vehicle, they could:
R open the doors, thus endangering other
people or road users.
R get out and disrupt traffic.
R operate the vehicle's equipment.
Additionally, children could set the vehicle in
motion if, for example, they:
R release the parking brake.
R shifting the automatic transmission out of
park position P
R Start the engine.
There is a risk of an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children or animals unattended in the
vehicle. Always keep the SmartKey out of
reach of children. G
DANGER
Combustion engines emit poisonous exhaust
gases such as carbon monoxide. Inhaling
these exhaust gases is hazardous to health
and can result in poisoning. There is a risk of
fatal injury. Therefore, never leave the engine running an enclosed space without adequate
ventilation. 128
DrivingDriving and pa
rking