174Driving and operatingRide control systems
Traction Control system
The Traction Control system (TC) is a component of the Electronic Stability
Control (ESC).
TC improves driving stability when
necessary, regardless of the type of
road surface or tyre grip, by
preventing the drive wheels from
spinning.
As soon as the drive wheels starts to
spin, engine output is reduced and
the wheel spinning the most is braked
individually. This considerably
improves the driving stability of the
vehicle on slippery road surfaces.
TC is operational after each engine
start as soon as the control indicator
b extinguishes.
When TC operates b flashes.
9 Warning
Do not let this special safety
feature tempt you into taking risks
when driving.
Adapt speed to the road
conditions.
Control indicator b 3 108.
Deactivation
TC can be switched off when spinning of drive wheels is required: press t
briefly.
Control indicator k illuminates.
A status message appears in the
Driver Information Centre when TC is
deactivated.
When TC is deactivated, ESC
remains active but with higher control threshold.
TC is reactivated by pressing t again.
A status message pops up in the
Driver Information Centre when TC is
reactivated.
TC is also reactivated the next time
the ignition is switched on.
Fault
If there is a fault in the system the
control indicator b illuminates
continuously and a message appears
in the Driver Information Centre. The
system is not operational.
Driving and operating175Have the cause of the fault remedied
by a workshop.
Electronic Stability Control
Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
improves driving stability when
necessary, regardless of the type of
road surface or tyre grip.
As soon as the vehicle starts to
swerve (understeer / oversteer),
engine output is reduced and the
wheels are braked individually.
ESC operates in combination with the Traction Control system (TC). It
prevents the drive wheels from
spinning.
Torque distribution is a special
feature that allocates the torque to the drive wheels before the ESC
intervenes. When cornering, the
wheels on the inner curve are braked
individually. Additionally, engine
torque will be delivered to the drive
wheel on the outer curve. This
reduces the tendency of
understeering and improves traction
when cornering fast.
ESC is operational after each engine
start as soon as the control indicator
b extinguishes.
When ESC operates b flashes.
9 Warning
Do not let this special safety
feature tempt you into taking risks
when driving.
Adapt speed to the road
conditions.
Control indicator b 3 108.
Deactivation
ESC and TC can be deactivated:
● hold t pressed for a minimum of
five seconds: ESC and TC are
both deactivated. k and t
illuminate and status messages appear in the Driver Information Centre.
178Driving and operatingSettings
The settings of drive modes can be
changed in the vehicle
personalisation menu in the Info
Display 3 123.Driver assistance
systems9 Warning
Driver assistance systems are
developed to support the driver
and not to replace the driver's
attention.
The driver stays in full control of
the vehicle and accepts full
responsibility when driving the
vehicle.
When using driver assistance
systems, always take care
regarding the current traffic
situation and follow applicable
traffic rules.
Cruise control
The cruise control can store and
maintain speeds of approx. 30 km/h
to maximum vehicle speed.
Deviations from the stored speeds
may occur when driving uphill or
downhill.
Activating in first gear is not possible.
Do not use the cruise control if it is not advisable to maintain a constant
speed.
Control indicator m 3 110.
Switching on the system
Press m; control indicator m in
instrument cluster illuminates white.
182Driving and operatingAdaptive cruise control uses radar
and camera sensors to detect the
vehicles ahead. If no vehicle is
detected in the driving path, the
adaptive cruise control will behave
like a conventional cruise control
3 178.
For additional information including a
video, visit us online.
Adaptive cruise control is mainly
advised to be used on long straight
roads like highways or country roads
with steady traffic. Do not use the
system if it is not advisable to
maintain a constant speed.
Control indicator A 3 111, C 3 110.
Additionally, the status of the
adaptive cruise control is indicated on
the Driver Assistance page in the
Driver Information Center 3 111.9 Warning
The complete driver attention is
always required while driving with
adaptive cruise control. The driver stays fully in control of the vehicle
because the brake pedal, the
accelerator pedal and the cancel
switch have priority over any
adaptive cruise control operation.
Switching on the system
Press v to switch on adaptive cruise
control. C appears in the Driver
Information Centre.
Indication on Driver Assistance page
If the system is switched on but
inactive, a white bar in the set gap
position appears in front of the vehicle symbol.
Activation of the functionality by
setting the speed
Adaptive cruise control can be
activated at speeds above 25 km/h on
vehicles with automatic transmission
or 30 km/h on vehicles with manual
transmission. The upper speed limit is 180 km/h.
Driving and operating183Accelerate to the desired speed and
move thumb wheel to SET/-, the
current speed is stored and
maintained.
The adaptive cruise control symbol
C , the following distance setting and
set speed are indicated in the Driver
Information Centre.
The accelerator pedal can be
released. Adaptive cruise control
remains activated during gear
shifting.
Overriding set speed
It is always possible to drive faster
than the selected set speed by
depressing the accelerator pedal.
When the accelerator pedal is
released, the vehicle returns to the
desired distance if a slower vehicle is ahead. Otherwise it returns to the
stored speed.
Once the system is activated,
adaptive cruise control decelerates or
brakes if it detects a vehicle ahead,
which is slower or closer than the
desired following distance.9 Warning
Accelerating by the driver
deactivates automatic braking by
the system. This is indicated as a
pop-up warning in the Driver
Information Centre or by the
adaptive cruise control symbol
turning blue.
Indication on Driver Assistance page
As long as the set speed is
overridden, the bars in front of the
vehicle symbol appear blue.
Increase or reduce speed The preset speed can be changed by
moving thumb wheel to RES/+ to
increase or SET/- to decrease the
speed. Move thumb wheel repeatedly to change speed in small steps, move
and hold to change speed in large
steps.
Resume stored speed
If the system is switched on but
inactive and a speed was stored
before, turn thumb wheel to RES/+ at
a speed above 5 km/h (with automatic
transmission) or above 30 km/h (with
manual transmission) to resume the stored speed.
184Driving and operatingFull speed range adaptive cruise
control on vehicles with automatic
transmission
Full speed range adaptive cruise
control will maintain a following
distance behind a detected vehicle
and slow your vehicle to a stop behind
that vehicle.
When the vehicle ahead accelerates
after a brief stop, the adaptive cruise
control will drive off automatically
without driver action. If necessary,
press RES/+ or the accelerator pedal
to resume adaptive cruise control.
Pressing the accelerator pedal allows
more control over the acceleration
after driving off. Note that automatic
braking is disabled during usage of
the accelerator pedal.
If the stopped vehicle ahead was
stopped for a longer time and then
begins to move forward, the green
illuminated vehicle ahead control
indicator A will flash and a warning
chime will sound as a reminder to
check traffic before proceeding.9 Warning
When full speed range adaptive
cruise control is deactivated or
cancelled, the vehicle will no
longer be held at a stop and can
start moving. Always be prepared
to manually apply the brake pedal
to hold the vehicle stationary.
Do not leave the vehicle while it is being held at a stop by the full
speed range adaptive cruise
control. Always move selector
lever to park position P and switch
off the ignition before leaving the
vehicle.
Setting the following distance
When adaptive cruise control detects a slower moving vehicle in the drivingpath, it will adjust the vehicle speed to
maintain the following distance
selected by the driver.
The following distance can be set to
near, medium or far.
Press K, the current setting is shown
in the Driver Information Centre.
Press K again to change the
following distance. The setting is also
displayed in the Driver Information
Centre.
Driving and operating185
The selected following distance is
indicated by filled distance bars in the
adaptive cruise control page.
Note that the following distance
setting is shared with the sensitivity
setting of forward collision alert
3 190.
Example: If setting 3 (far) is selected,
then the driver is warned sooner
before a possible collision, also if
adaptive cruise control is inactive or
switched off.
9 Warning
The Driver accepts full
responsibility to drive with the
appropriate following distance
based on traffic, weather, visibility and regional regulation. Followingdistance must be adjusted or the
system switched off when required by the prevailing conditions.
Indication on Driver Assistance page
Adaptive cruise control in Sport
mode
On vehicles with Flex Ride driving
modes, the driver can slightly
increase the Adaptive cruise control
acceleration when Sport mode is
selected. This function can be
deactivated in the Flex Ride
visualisation menu 3 176.
Driving and operating187Additionally, the system is
automatically deactivated on vehicles
with automatic transmission (full
speed range adaptive cruise control)
when:
● The incline uphill or downhill is greater than 20%.
● The electric parking brake is applied.
● The vehicle is being held to a stop
by the system for more than
5 minutes.
● The vehicle stops, the driver's seat belt is unbuckled and thedriver's door is opened.
When adaptive cruise control is
deactivated, the control indicator C
changes from green to white and a
pop-up message is displayed in the
Driver Information Centre.
The stored speed is maintained.The stored speed is indicated in
brackets in the Driver Information
Centre when the system is
deactivated but not switched off.
The adaptive cruise control symbol
C changes from green to white when
the system is deactivated but not
switched off.9 Warning
When adaptive cruise control is
deactivated, the driver must take
over full brake and engine control
immediately.
Switching off the system
Press v to switch off adaptive cruise
control. The control indicator C
extinguishes in the Driver Information Centre. The stored speed is deleted.
Switching off the ignition also
switches off adaptive cruise control
and deletes the stored speed.
Driver's attention
● Use adaptive cruise control carefully on bends or mountain
roads, as it can lose the vehicle
ahead and needs time to detect it again.
● Do not use the system on slippery roads as it can create
rapid changes in tyre traction
(wheel spinning), so that you
could lose control of the vehicle.
● Do not use adaptive cruise control during rain, snow or
heavy dirt, as the radar sensor
can be covered by a water film,
dust, ice or snow. This reduces or suppresses completely the
visibility. In case of sensor
blockage, clean the sensor
cover.