exiting a parking space. Make sure that thereare no persons, animals or objects in themaneuvering area when you are maneuveringor parking.
!When parking, pay particular attention toobjects above or below the sensors, such asflower pots or trailer drawbars.PARKTRONIC does not detect such objectswhen they are in the immediate vicinity ofthe vehicle. You could damage the vehicleor the objects.
The sensors may not detect snow and otherobjects that absorb ultrasonic waves.
Ultrasonic sources such as an automatic carwash, the compressed-air brakes on a truckor a pneumatic drill could causePARKTRONIC to malfunction.
PARKTRONIC may not function correctly onuneven terrain.
Parking Assist PARKTRONIC is activated auto-matically when you:
Rswitch on the ignition
Rshift the transmission to position [, ^or \\
Rrelease the electric parking brake
Parking Assist PARKTRONIC is deactivated atspeeds above 11 mph (18 km/h). It is reacti-vated at lower speeds.
Range of the sensors
General notes
Parking Assist PARKTRONIC does not take intoaccount obstacles located:
Rbelow the detection range, such as persons,animals or objects
Rabove the detection range, e.g. overhangingloads, tail sections or loading ramps oftrucks
CSensors in the front bumper, left-hand side(example)
The sensors must be free from dirt, ice orslush. They can otherwise not function cor-rectly. Clean the sensors regularly, taking carenot to scratch or damage them (Ypage 275).
Range
Front sensors
CenterApprox. 40 in (approx.100 cm)
CornersApprox. 24 in (approx.60 cm)
Driving systems173
Driving and parking
Z
parking procedure with the Parking Package
with rear view camera.
!If they cannot be avoided, drive overobstacles such as curbs slowly and at anobtuse angle. Otherwise, you may damagethe wheels or tires.
Active Parking Assist may also show parkingspaces which are not suitable for parking, forexample:
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 park-ing space as possible
Rparking spaces that are littered or over-grown might be identified or measuredincorrectly
Rparking spaces that are partially occupiedby trailer drawbars might not be identifiedas such or be measured incorrectly
Rsnowfall or heavy rain may lead to a parkingspace being measured inaccurately
Rpay attention to the warning messages ofParking Assist PARKTRONIC during theparking procedure (Ypage 174)
Ryou can intervene in the steering procedureto correct it at any time. Active ParkingAssist will then be canceled
Rwhen transporting a load which protrudesfrom your vehicle, you should not use ActiveParking Assist
Rnever use Active Parking Assist when snowchains are installed
Rmake sure that the tire pressures are alwayscorrect. This has a direct influence on theparking characteristics of the vehicle
Use Active Parking Assist for parking spaces:
Rparallel or at right angles to the direction oftravel
Ron straight roads, not bends
Ron the same level as the road, e.g. not onthe pavement
Detecting parking spaces
Objects located above the detection range ofActive Parking Assist will not be detectedwhen the parking space is measured. These
are not taken into account when the parkingprocedure is calculated, e.g. overhangingloads, tail sections or loading ramps of trucks.Active Parking Assist may therefore guide youinto the parking space too early.
GWARNING
If there are objects above the detection
range:
Rthe Parking Package with rear view cam-
era may steer too early
Rthe vehicle may not stop in front of these
objects
This could cause a collision. There is a risk
of an accident.
If objects are located above the detection
range, stop and deactivate the Parking Pack-
age with rear view camera.
Further information about the detection range(Ypage 173).
Active Parking Assist does not assist you park-ing in spaces at right angles to the direction oftravel if:
Xtwo parking spaces are located directly nextto one another
Xthe parking space is directly next to a lowobstacle such as a low curb
Xyou park forwards
Active Parking Assist does not assist you park-ing in spaces that are parallel or at right anglesto the direction of travel if:
Rthe parking space is on a curb
Rthe system reads the parking space as beingblocked, for example by foliage or grasspaving blocks
Rthe area is too small for the vehicle tomaneuver into
Rthe parking space is bordered by an obsta-cle, e.g. a tree, a post or a trailer
GWARNING
If there are objects above the detection
range:
RActive Parking Assist may steer too early
Rthe vehicle may not stop in front of these
objects
176Driving systems
Driving and parking
Under the following circumstances, the rearview camera will not function, or will functionin a limited manner:
Rif the trunk lid is open
Rin heavy rain, snow or fog
Rat night or in very dark places
Rif the camera is exposed to very bright light
Rif the area is lit by fluorescent bulbs or LEDlighting (the display may flicker)
Rif there is a sudden change in temperature,e.g. when driving into a heated garage inwinter
Rif the camera lens is dirty or obstructed.Observe the notes on cleaning(Ypage 275)
Rif the rear of your vehicle is damaged. In thiscase, have the camera position and settingchecked at a qualified specialist workshop.
The field of vision and other functions of therear view camera may be restricted due toadditional accessories on the rear of the vehi-cle (e.g. license plate holder, bicycle rack).
On vehicles with height-adjustable chassis,leaving the standard height can result in inac-curacies in the guide lines, depending on tech-nical conditions.
iThe contrast of the display may be affec-ted by the sudden presence of sunlight orother light sources, e.g. when exiting agarage. Pay particular attention in this situa-tion.
iIf usability is severely restricted, e.g. dueto pixel errors, have the display repaired orreplaced.
Activating/deactivating the rear view
camera
XTo activate:make sure that the SmartKeyis in position Hin the ignition lock.
XMake sure that theActivation by R gearActivation by R gearfunction is selected in the multimedia sys-tem; see the Digital Operator's Manual.
XEngage reverse gear.The multimedia system shows the areabehind the vehicle with guide lines.
The image from the rear view camera isavailable throughout the maneuvering proc-ess.
To deactivate:the rear view camera deacti-vates if you shift the transmission to position ], or after driving forwards a short distance.
The inner segments of the warning indicatorare displayed in red if there is a complete sys-tem failure. The indicator lamp in thePARKTRONIC button lights up.
If the system fails at the rear of the vehicle:
Rthe rear segments are shown in red whenbacking up.
Rthe rear segments are hidden when drivingforwards.
Displays in the multimedia system
The rear view camera may show a distortedview of obstacles, show them incorrectly ornot at all. The rear view camera does not showobjects in the following positions:
Rvery close to the rear bumper
Runder the rear bumper
Rin close range above the handle on the trunklid
!Objects not at ground level may appear tobe 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 bot-tom-most guideline.
CYellow guide line at a distance of approx-imately 13 ft (4.0 m) from the rear area
DWhite guide line without steering input –vehicle width including the exterior mirrors(static)
180Driving systems
Driving and parking
iJumper cables and further information regarding jump-starting can be obtained at any quali-fied specialist workshop.
Towing and tow-starting
Important safety notes
GWARNING
When towing or tow-starting another vehicle
and its weight is greater than the permissi-
ble gross weight of your vehicle, the:
Rthe towing eye could detach itself
Rthe vehicle/trailer combination could roll-
over.
There is a risk of an accident.
When towing or tow-starting another vehi-
cle, its weight should not be greater than
the permissible gross weight of your vehicle.
Details on the permissible gross vehicle weightof your vehicle can be found on the vehicleidentification plate (Ypage 320).
!When Active Brake Assist, Active DistanceAssist DISTRONIC or the HOLD function isactivated, the vehicle brakes automaticallyin certain situations.
To avoid damage to the vehicle, deactivatethese systems in the following or similar sit-uations:
Rwhen towing the vehicle
Rin the car wash
!Only secure the tow rope or tow bar at thetowing eyes. Otherwise, the vehicle could bedamaged.
!Do not use the towing eye for recovery,this could damage the vehicle. If in doubt,recover the vehicle with a crane.
!When towing, pull away slowly andsmoothly. If the tractive power is too high,the vehicles could be damaged.
!Do not tow with sling-type equipment. Thiscould damage the vehicle.
!When towing away vehicles with KEYLESS-GO, use the key instead of the Start/Stopbutton. The automatic transmission mayotherwise shift to position ]when you
open the driver's or front-passenger door,which could damage the transmission.
!Make sure that the electric parking brakeis released. If the electric parking brake isfaulty, visit a qualified specialist workshop.
!You may tow the vehicle for a maximumdistance of 30 miles (50 kilometers). A tow-ing speed of 30 mph (50 km/h) must not beexceeded.
For towing distances over 30 miles(50 kilometers), the entire vehicle must beraised and transported.
!When you are tow-starting or towinganother vehicle, its weight must not exceedthe maximum permissible gross weight ofyour vehicle.
It is better to have the vehicle transportedthan to have it towed away.
The automatic transmission must be in posi-tion \\when the vehicle is being towed away.
The battery must be connected and charged.Otherwise, you:
Rcannot turn the SmartKey to position Hinthe ignition lock
Rcannot shift the automatic transmission toposition \\
Deactivate the automatic locking featurebefore the vehicle is towed (Ypage 201). Youcould otherwise be locked out when pushingor towing the vehicle.
Installing/removing the towing eye
Installing the towing eye
GWARNING
The exhaust tail pipe may be very hot. There
is a risk of burns when removing the rear
cover.
Do not touch the exhaust pipe. Take particu-
lar care when removing the rear cover.
288Towing and tow-starting
Breakdown assistance
When towing away, use a towing rope or atowing bar with both axles on the ground. Donot use any tow bar systems.
Towing the vehicle with the rear axle
raised
!The ignition must be switched off if youare towing the vehicle with the rear axle
raised. Intervention by ESP®could other-wise damage the brake system.
!Vehicles with automatic transmission mustnot be towed with the rear axle raised. Thevehicle/trailer combination may otherwiseswerve or even roll over.
Transporting the vehicle
Vehicles with automatic transmission
!When the vehicle is loaded for transport,the front and rear axles must be stationaryand on the same transportation vehicle.Positioning over the connection point of thetransport vehicle is not permitted. The drivetrain may otherwise be damaged.
All vehicles
!You may only secure the vehicle by thewheels, not by parts of the vehicle such asaxle or steering components. Otherwise, thevehicle could be damaged.
The towing eye can be used to pull the vehicleonto a trailer or transporter for transportingpurposes.
XTurn the SmartKey to position Hin the igni-tion lock.
XShift the transmission to position \\.
As soon as the vehicle has been loaded:
XPrevent the vehicle from rolling away byapplying the electric parking brake.
XShift the transmission to position ].
XTurn the SmartKey to position