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 66)
R BAS (Brake AssistSystem) (Y page 67)
R Active Brake Assist (Y page 67)
R ESP ®
(E lectronic StabilityProgram)
(Y page 70)
R EBD (Electronic Brake forceDistribution)
(Y page 72)
R ADAPTIVE BRAKE (Y page 72)
R Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function
(Y page 72)
R Active Steering Assist STEER CONTROL
(Y page 75) 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 351).
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 66). 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 277) and dis-
play messages which may be shown in the
instrument cluster (Y page 245).
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. 66
Driving safety systemsSafety
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 thefront 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 238).
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 214), 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. Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function
can also brake the vehicle automatically under
the following conditions:
R the driver and front-passenger have their seat
belts fastened
and
R the 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:
R stationary objects in the path of your vehicle,
e.g. stopped or parked vehicles
R pedestrians in the path of your vehicle
i If there is an increased risk of a collision,
preventive passenger protection measures
(PRE-SAFE ®
) are triggered (Y page 58).
If the risk of collision with the vehicle in front
remains and you do not brake, take evasive
action or accelerate significantly, the vehicle
may 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, braking
assistance is provided according to the situa-
tion. If necessary, this increases the brake pres- sure up to full brake application.
To avoid a collision, Active Brake Assist with
cross-traffic function calculates the brake force
necessary if:
R you approach an obstacle, and
R Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function
has detected a risk of a collision
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). 74
Driving safety systemsSafety
Correct driver's seat position
G
WARNING
You could lose control of your vehicle if you do the following while driving:
R adjust the driver's seat, head restraint,
steering wheel or mirrors
R fasten the seat belt
There is a risk of an accident.
Adjust the driver's seat, head restraint, steer-
ing wheel and mirror and fasten your seat belt before starting the engine. Observe the following when adjusting steering
wheel
0043, seat belt 0044and driver's seat 0087:
R you are as far away from the driver's air bag as
possible
R you are sitting in a normal upright position
R your thighs are slightly supported by the seat
cushion
R your legs are not entirely stretched and you
can depress the pedals properly
R the back of your head is supported at eye level
by the center of the head restraint
R you can hold the steering wheel with your
arms slightly bent
R you can move your legs freely
R you can see all the displays in the instrument
cluster clearly R
you should have a good overview of traffic
conditions
R the seat belt is pulled snugly against the body
and is routed across the center of your shoul-
der and across your hips in the pelvic area
Further related subjects:
R Electrical seat adjustment (Y page 98)
R Adjusting the steering wheel mechanically
(Y page 103) or electrically (Y page 104)
R Fastening the seat belt correctly (Y page 48).
R Adjusting the rear-view mirror and exterior
mirrors (Y page 105).
R Vehicles with memory function: storing the
seat, steering wheel, exterior mirror and
Head-up display settings with the memory
function (Y page 108) Seats
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Children could become trapped if they adjust the seats, particularly when unattended.
There is a risk of injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Neverleave children unsupervised in the vehicle.
The seats can still be adjusted when there is no
SmartKey in the ignition lock. G
WARNING
When you adjust a seat, you or other vehicle
occupants could become trapped, e.g. on the seat guide rail. There is a risk of injury.
Make sure when adjusting a seat that no one
has any body parts in the sweep of the seat.
Observe the safety notes on "Air bags"
(Y page 49) and "Children in the Vehicle"
(Y page 59). Seats
97Seats, steering wheel and mirrors Z
Exterior mirror pushed out of position
If an exterior mirror has been pushed out of
position, proceed as follows:
X
Vehicles without electrically folding exte-
rior mirrors: move the exterior mirror into
the correct position manually.
X Vehicles with electrically folding exterior
mirrors: press and hold mirror-folding but-
ton 0043until you hear a click and the mirror
engages in position audibly.
The mirror housing is engaged again and you can adjust the exterior mirrors as usual
(Y page 105). Automatic anti-glare mirrors
G
WARNING
Electrolyte may escape if the glass in an auto- matic anti-glare mirror breaks. The electrolyte
is harmful and causes irritation. It must not
come into contact with your skin, eyes, res-
piratory organs or clothing or be swallowed.
There is a risk of injury.
If you come into contact with the electrolyte,
observe the following:
R Rinse off the electrolyte from your skin
immediately with water.
R Immediately rinse the electrolyte out of
your eyes thoroughly with clean water.
R If the electrolyte is swallowed, immediately
rinse your mouth out thoroughly. Do not
induce vomiting.
R If electrolyte comes into contact with your
skin or hair or is swallowed, seek medical
attention immediately.
R Immediately change out of clothing which
has come into contact with electrolyte.
R If an allergic reaction occurs, seek medical
attention immediately. The rear-view mirror and the exterior mirror on
the driver's side automatically go into anti-glare
mode if the following conditions are met simul-
taneously:
R the ignition is switched on and
R incident light from headlamps strikes the sen-
sor in the rear-view mirror
The mirrors do not go into anti-glare mode if
reverse gear is engaged or if the interior lighting
is switched on. Parking position for the exterior mir-
ror on the front-passenger side
Setting and storing the parking position You can position the front-passenger side exte-
rior mirror in such a way that you can see the
rear wheel on that side as soon as you engage
reverse gear. You can store this position.
Using reverse gear 0043
Button for the driver's side exterior mirror
0044 Button for the front-passenger side exterior
mirror
0087 Switch
0085 Memory button M
X Bring the vehicle to a standstill.
X Turn the SmartKey to position 0048in the igni-
tion lock (Y page 135).
X Press button 0044. Mirrors
107Seats, steering wheel and mirrors 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 113).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 239).
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.
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
The cornering lamp may remain lit for a short
time, but is automatically switched off after no
more than three minutes.
Cornering light function with traffic circle
function: 112
Exterior lightingLights and windshield wipers
The cornering light function is activated on both
sides before entering a traffic circle through an
evaluation of the current GPS position of the
vehicle. It remains active until after the vehicle
has left the traffic circle. In this way, pedestrians
crossing the road, for example, are illuminated
by your vehicle in good time.
Highway mode Highway mode increases the range of the beam.
Active: if you are driving at a speed above
110 km/h and do not make any large steering
movements for at least 1,000 m or if you are
driving at a speed above 130 km/h.
Not active: if you are driving at speeds below
80 km/h following activation.
Extended range fog lamps The extended range fog lamps reduce the glare
experienced by the driver and improve the illu-
mination of the edge of the road.
Active: if you are driving at speeds below
40 mph (70 km/ h)and you switch on the rear
fog lamp.
Not active: if, following activation, you are driv-
ing at speeds above 60 mph (100 km/h)or if you
switch off the rear fog lamp
Off-road lights The off-road lights facilitate the early recogni-
tion of objects/obstacles when driving off-road thanks to a symmetrical, wider and brighter dis-
tribution of light from the low-beam headlamps.
Active: when driving at speeds no faster than
30 mph (50 km/h) and the off-road program
selector wheel is in position 1 or 2.
Not active: when driving at speeds above
30 mph (50 km/h).
When the off-road lights are switched on, the
cornering light function is permanently activa-
ted, the active light function is deactivated and
the headlamp range control is set to static
mode. Adaptive Highbeam Assist
General notes You can use this function to set the headlamps
to change between low beam and high beam
automatically. The system recognizes vehicles
with their lights on, either approaching from the
opposite direction or traveling in front of your
vehicle, and consequently switches the head-
lamps from high beam to low beam.
The system automatically adapts the low-beam
headlamp range depending on the distance to
the other vehicle. Once the system no longer
detects any other vehicles, it reactivates the
high-beam headlamps.
The system's optical sensor is located behind
the windshield near the overhead control panel.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Adaptive Highbeam Assist does not recognize road users:
R who have no lights, e.g. pedestrians
R who have poor lighting, e.g. cyclists
R whose lighting is blocked, e.g. by a barrier
On very rare occasions, Adaptive Highbeam
Assist may fail to recognize other road users
that have lights, or may recognize them too
late. In this, or in similar situations, the auto-
matic high-beam headlamps will not be deac-
tivated or will be activated regardless. There is a risk of an accident.
Always carefully observe the traffic conditionsand switch off the high-beam headlamps in
good time.
Adaptive Highbeam Assist cannot take into
account road, weather or traffic conditions.
Adaptive Highbeam Assist is only an aid. You are responsible for adjusting the vehicle's lighting
to the prevailing light, visibility and traffic con-
ditions.
In particular, the detection of obstacles can be
impaired if:
R poor visibility, e.g. due to fog, heavy rain or
snow
R dirt on the sensors or the sensors are
obscured Exterior lighting
113Lights and windshield wipers Z
Overview of climate control systems
General notes
Observe the settings recommended on the fol-
lowing pages. The windows could otherwise fog up.
To prevent the windows from fogging up:
R Switch off climate control only briefly
R Switch on air-recirculation mode only briefly
R Switch on the cooling with air dehumidifica-
tion function
R Activate the "Windshield defrosting" function
briefly, if required
Climate control regulates the temperature and
the humidity in the vehicle interior and filters
undesirable substances out of the air.
The "Cooling with air dehumidification" function
is only available when the engine is running.
Optimum climate control is only achieved with
the side windows and roof closed.
The residual heat function can only be activated or deactivated with the ignition switched off
(Y page 131).
i Ventilate the vehicle for a brief period during
warm weather, e.g. using the convenience
opening feature (Y page 89). This will speed
up the cooling process and the desired inte-
rior temperature will be reached more
quickly. If you start the engine using your smartphone,
the last selected climate control setting is reac-
tivated (Y page 137).
i The integrated filter filters out most parti-
cles of dust and soot and completely filters
out pollen. It also reduces gaseous pollutants and odors. A clogged filter reduces the
amount of air supplied to the vehicle interior.
Depending on the operating conditions and
environmental influences, the interval for
replacing the filter may be shorter than speci- fied.
i Vehicles with ionization of the interior
air with air filter: in addition to ionization,
the vehicle has an air filter with anti-allergenic properties that contribute to improved air fil-
tration.
i It is possible that under certain circumstan-
ces the residual heat function may be activa-
ted automatically an hour after the SmartKey has been removed in order to dry the auto-
matic climate control. The vehicle is then ven-tilated for 30 minutes.
i Plug-in hybrid vehicles:
observe the notes
on climate control in the separate operating
instructions. 122
Overview of climate control systemsClimate control
R
the outside temperature and the atmospheric
air pressure is within the range that is suitablefor the system
R the engine is at normal operating temperature
R the set temperature for the vehicle interior
has been reached
R the battery is sufficiently charged
R the system detects that the windshield is not
fogged up when the air-conditioning system is
switched on
R the hood is closed
R the driver's door is closed and the driver's
seat belt is fastened
All of the vehicle's systems remain active when
the engine is stopped automatically.
The HOLD function can also be activated if the
engine has been switched off automatically. It is then not necessary to continue applying the
brakes during the automatic stop phase. When
you depress the accelerator pedal, the engine
starts automatically and the braking effect of
the HOLD function is deactivated.
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles): automatic engine switch-off can take
place a maximum of four times in a row (initial
stop, then three subsequent stops).
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: the number of con-
secutive automatic engine switch-offs is unlimi- ted.
Automatic engine start The engine starts automatically if:
R you switch off the ECO start/stop function by
pressing the ECO button
R in transmission position 005Bor005C, the brake
pedal is released and the HOLD function is not
active
R you depress the accelerator pedal
R you engage reverse gear 005E
R you move the transmission out of position 005D
R you switch to the Sport Plusdrive program
(Mercedes-AMG GLE 43 4MATIC)
R you switch to the Sport PlusorSport drive
program (Mercedes-AMG vehicles)
R you activate manual gearshifting (Mercedes-
AMG vehicles)
R you switch to the Offroaddrive program
(vehicles without Off-road Engineering Pack-
age) R
you switch to the OffroadorOffroad Plus
drive program (vehicles with Off-road Engi-
neering Package)
R you unfasten your seat belt or open the driv-
er's door
R the vehicle starts to roll
R the brake system requires this
R the temperature in the vehicle interior devi-
ates from the set range
R the system detects moisture on the wind-
shield when the air-conditioning system is
switched on
R the battery's condition of charge is too low
Shifting the transmission to position 005Ddoes
not start the engine.
Deactivating or activating the ECO
start/stop function All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles)
X
To deactivate: press ECO button 0043.
Indicator lamp 0044goes out.
X To activate: press ECO button 0043.
Indicator lamp 0044lights up.
If indicator lamp 0044is off, the ECO start/stop
function has been deactivated manually or as
the result of a malfunction. 140
DrivingDriving an
d parking