2023 MERCEDES-BENZ S CLASS Owners Manual

Select the C drive program (  page 220).Deactivating ESP n
( page 257).Depress and hold the brake pedal "Nrmly with
your le"s foot.With your right foot, fully depress the acceler-
ator pedal.A"ser no more than "Nve seconds, take your le"s
foot quickly o"M the brake, but keep the accel-
erator pedal depressed.
The vehicle will pull away at maximum acceler-
ation.Switch on ESP n
once the acceleration proce-
dure is complete.
Ending optimized acceleration
Remove your foot from the accelerator pedal.Reactivate ESP n
.\bA"ser you pull away with optimized accelera-
tion, components of the drivetrain can
become very hot, which means that optimized
acceleration values may only be reached again a"ser a few minutes.Notes on driving&WARNING Risk of accident due to objects
in the driver\bs footwell
Objects in the driver\bs footwell may impede
pedal travel or block a depressed pedal.
This jeopardizes the operating and road safety
of the vehicle.
Stow all objects in the vehicle securely so that they cannot get into the driver\bs
footwell.Always install the "Ooor mats securely
and as prescribed in order to ensure that
there is always su"Pcient room for the
pedals.Do not use loose "Ooor mats and do not
place "Ooor mats on top of one another.&WARNING Risk of accident due to incor-
rect footwear
Incorrect footwear includes, for example:
= Shoes with platform soles
= Shoes with high heels
= Slippers
There is a risk of an accident.
Always wear suitable footwear so that
you can operate the pedals safely.&WARNING Risk of accident if the vehicle is
switched o"M while driving
If you switch o"M the vehicle while driving,
safety functions are restricted or no longer
available.
This may a"Mect the power steering system and
the brake force boosting, for example.
You will need to use considerably more force
to steer and brake, for example.
Do not switch o"M the vehicle while driv-
ing.Driving and parking207

&DANGER Risk of death caused by exhaust
gases
Combustion engines emit poisonous exhaust
gases such as carbon monoxide. Inhaling
these exhaust gases is hazardous to health
and leads to poisoning.
Never leave the engine or, if present, the
auxiliary heating running in an enclosed
space without su"Pcient ventilation.&WARNING Risk of skidding and of an acci-
dent due to shi"sing down on slippery road
surfaces
If you shi"s down on slippery road surfaces to
increase the engine braking e"Mect, the drive
wheels may lose traction.
Do not shi"s down on slippery road surfa-
ces to increase the engine braking
e"Mect.&DANGER Risk of fatal injury due to poison-
ous exhaust gases
If the tailpipe is blocked or su"Pcient ventila-
tion is not possible, poisonous exhaust gases
such as carbon monoxide may enter the vehi- cle. This is the case, for example, if the vehicle
gets stuck in the snow.
Keep the tailpipe and the area around
the vehicle free from snow when the
engine or the stationary heater is run-
ning.Open a window on the side of the vehicle
facing away from the wind to ensure an
adequate supply of fresh air.&WARNING Risk of accident and injury due
to being under the in"Ouence of alcohol
and drugs while driving
Drinking and driving and/or taking drugs and
driving are very dangerous combinations. Even a small amount of alcohol or drugs can a"Mect
your re"Oexes, perceptions and judgment.
The possibility of a serious or even fatal acci-
dent are greatly increased when you drink or
take drugs and drive.Do not drink or take drugs and drive or
allow anyone to drive who has been
drinking or taking drugs.&WARNING Risk of accident due to the
brake system overheating
If you leave your foot on the brake pedal when
driving, the brake system may overheat.
This increases the braking distance and thebrake system can even fail.
Never use the brake pedal as a footrest.Do not depress the brake pedal and the
accelerator pedal at the same time while
driving.*NOTE Engine damage due to excessively
high engine speeds
The engine will be damaged if you drive with
the engine in the overrevving range.
208Driving and parking

Do not drive with the engine in the over-revving range.*NOTE Wearing out the brake linings by
continuously depressing the brake pedalDo not depress the brake pedal continu-
ously whilst driving.To use the braking e"Mect of the engine,
shi"s to a lower gear in good time.*NOTE Damage to the drivetrain and
engine when pulling awayDo not warm up the engine while the
vehicle is stationary. Pull away immedi-
ately.Avoid high engine speeds and driving at
full throttle until the engine has reached
its operating temperature.*NOTE Damage to the catalytic converter
due to non-combusted fuel
The engine is not running smoothly and is mis-
"Nring.
Non-combusted fuel may get into the catalytic
converter.
Only depress the accelerator pedal
slightly.Have the cause recti"Ned immediately at
a quali"Ned specialist workshop.*NOTE Reduced battery life due to frequent
short-distance trips
The 12 V battery may not be su"Pciently
charged when the vehicle is used only for
short-distance trips. This reduces the life of
the battery.
Drive longer distances regularly to
charge the battery.*NOTE Damage to the vehicle due to not
observing the maximum permitted head-
room clearance
If the vehicle height is greater than the maxi- mum permitted headroom clearance, the roof
and other parts of the vehicle may be dam-
aged.
Observe the signposted headroom clear- ance.If the vehicle height is greater than the permitted headroom clearance, do not
enter.Observe the changed vehicle height with add-on roof equipment.\bPlease bear in mind that all the speed values
stated in this Operator\bs Manual are approxi-
mate and are subject to a certain tolerance.
Notes on driving with a roof load, trailer or fully laden vehicle
When driving with a loaded roof luggage rack or trailer as well as with a fully laden or fully occu-
Driving and parking209

pied vehicle, the vehicle\bs driving and steering
characteristics change.
You should therefore bear the following in mind: = Do not exceed the permissible roof load and
towing capacity. Also observe the information
in the Technical Data.
= Distribute the roof load and the load inside the
vehicle evenly, placing heavy objects at the
bottom. Also comply with the notes on loading the vehicle (  page 142).
= Drive attentively, and avoid abrupt starts, brak-
ing and steering as well as rapid cornering.
Advice on driving on salt-strewn roads
The braking e"Mect is limited on salt-strewn road
surfaces.
Therefore, observe the following notes:
= Due to salt build-up on the brake disks and
brake pads, the braking distance can increaseconsiderably or result in one-sided braking.
= Maintain a much greater safety distance to the
vehicle traveling in front.Remove salt build-up as follows:
= Brake occasionally, paying attention to the
tra"Pc conditions
= Carefully depress the brake pedal at the end
of the journey and when starting the next jour-
ney
Notes on hydroplaning Hydroplaning can take place if a certain depth of
water has built up on the road surface.
Observe the following notes during heavy precipi-
tation or in conditions in which hydroplaning may occur:
= Reduce speed
= Avoid tire ruts
= Avoid sudden steering movements
= Brake carefully\bAlso observe the notes on regularly checking
wheels and tires (  page 444).
Notes on driving through water on the road
Water ingress can damage the engine, electrics
and transmission.
Water can also enter the air intake of the engine and cause engine damage.
Observe the following if you have to drive through
water:
= The water, when calm, may reach no higher
than the lower edge of the vehicle body.
= Drive at a walking pace at most; water can
otherwise enter the vehicle interior or engine
compartment.
= Vehicles traveling in front, or oncoming vehi-
cles, can create waves which may exceed themaximum permissible depth of water.
The braking e"Mect of the brakes is reduced a"ser
fording. Brake carefully, paying attention to the tra"Pc conditions until braking power has been
fully restored.
Function of rear axle steering
The rear axle steering is an electromechanical
auxiliary steering on the rear axle which adjusts the steering of the rear wheels according to theposition of the front wheels, depending on the
210Driving and parking

speed. This results in greater maneuverability andimproved driving stability, e.g. when cornering.
Rear axle steering has the following characteris-
tics:
= reduced steering e"Mort and turning circle
resulting in reduced parking e"Mort
= improved driving stability, e.g. when cornering
= more direct steering resulting in improved
handling of the vehicle
Observe the notes on snow chains and snow
chain mode (  page 445).
ECO start/stop function

qECO start/stop function
\bDepending on the engine, the ECO start/stop
function is not available in all drive programs.
Observe the status display on the driver\bs dis- play concerning this.\bPlug-in hybrid: this function is not available.The engine will be switched o"M automatically in
the following situations if all vehicle conditions for
an automatic engine stop are met:
= You brake the vehicle to a standstill in trans-
mission position [ or \\.
= Vehicles with a 48 V on-board electrical sys-
tem: you depress the brake pedal when travel-
ing at a low speed.
If the system has detected one of the following situations, the engine will not stop:
= You stop at a stop sign and there is no vehicle
in front of you.
= The vehicle that stopped in front of you starts
up again.
= You maneuver, turn the steering wheel sharply
or engage reverse gear.\bIf the system detects an intelligent stop inhibi-
tor, e.g. a stop sign, the engine will not stop.
If you activate the HOLD function or engage
park position ], the engine can be switched
o"M in spite of an intelligent stop inhibitor.The engine will restart automatically in the follow-
ing cases:
= You engage transmission position [ or ^.
= You depress the accelerator pedal.
= The vehicle requires an automatic engine
start.
= You release the brake pedal.
= Vehicles with a 48 V on-board electrical sys-
tem:
- You release the brake pedal on a downhill
gradient and the vehicle does not roll.
- The vehicle rolls on a downhill gradient and
does not automatically enter glide mode at
15 mph (20 km/h).
ECO start/stop function symbols on the driver\bs display:
= The

=Neither the

The ECO display assesses the following criteria for
an economical driving style:
= Coasting at the right times
= Consistent speed
= Moderate acceleration
The overall assessment of your driving style "from start" is indicated using stars 1. It starts with
"Nve empty stars, which you can "Nll one a"ser the
other if you drive e"Pciently. When all "Nve stars are
"Nlled, a glow will appear in the background.\bYou can call up the ECO Display function via
the Classic and Exclusive menus
(  page 322).
ECO Assist function (vehicles with 48 V on-board
electrical system)
For plug-in hybrids, note the ECO Assist informa-
tion (  page 216).
\bECO Assist is active only in drive pro-
grams  and A .
ECO Assist analyzes data for the vehicle\bs expec-
ted route. This allows the system to optimally
adjust the driving style for the route ahead, save
fuel and recuperate. If the system detects an
event ahead and the vehicle nears the event, ECO
Assist will calculate the optimum speed for maxi- mum fuel economy and recuperative energy
based on the distance, speed and downhill gradi-
ent.
If the deceleration provided by ECO Assist is not
su"Pcient, you must also brake with the service
brake. This is especially the case if, for example,
you pull away again in slow-moving tra"Pc and the
distance to the vehicle in front is very short.1"Foot o"M the accelerator" recommendation2Route event aheadIf a route event ahead or a vehicle driving in front
is detected which requires an adjustment to your driving style to ensure greater e"Pciency, corre-
sponding symbol 2 and the ý symbol (gray)
will be displayed.
If you release the accelerator pedal, the ý
symbol will turn green and recuperation in over- run mode will be initiated. If the deceleration is
not su"Pcient, also apply the service brake. If ECO
Assist intervenes for a route event ahead (not for
a vehicle in front) and you then press the acceler-
ator pedal again, you end ECO Assist\bs control.
The ECO Assist display is hidden again in the fol-lowing cases:
= You do not react to the ECO Assist recommen-
dation for a long time.
= You press the accelerator pedal while ECO
Assist is intervening for a route event ahead
(not for a vehicle in front).
= ECO Assist cannot identify any further recom-
mendations from the route ahead.Driving and parking213

In addition to a vehicle in front ¥, ECO Assist
can detect the following route events 2 depend-
ing on the vehicle\bs equipment:cTra"Pc circle¡S-curve¢Sharp curve£T-intersection¤Downhill gradient¦Speed limit\bIn drive program A, ECO Assist only reacts
to the route event "Vehicle in front".
System limits
If the calculated route is adhered to when route guidance is active, ECO Assist will operate with greater accuracy. The basic function is also availa-ble without active route guidance. Not all informa-
tion and tra"Pc situations can be foreseen. The
quality depends on the map data.
ECO Assist is only an aid. The driver is responsible
for keeping a safe distance from the vehicle in
front, for vehicle speed and for braking in good
time.
The system may be impaired or may not function in the following situations:
= If there is poor visibility, e.g. due to insu"Pcient
illumination of the road, highly variable shade
conditions, rain, snow, fog or heavy spray.
= If there is glare, e.g. from oncoming tra"Pc,
direct sunlight or re"Oections.
= If the windshield is dirty in the vicinity of the
multifunction camera.
= If the multifunction camera is fogged up, dam-
aged or obscured.
= If road signs are hard to detect, e.g. due to
dirt, snow or insu"Pcient lighting, or because
they are obscured.
= If the information in the navigation system\bs
digital map is incorrect or out of date.
= If signs are ambiguous, e.g. road signs in road-
works or in adjacent lanes.
= If the radar sensors are dirty or obscured.
= When you drive on roads with steep uphill or
downhill gradients.
= If there are narrow vehicles in front, such as
bicycles or motorcycles.Regenerative brake system (plug-in hybrid)

q Function of the recuperative brake system
Depending on the selected recuperation level, the electric motor will be operated as an alternator
when in overrun mode and during braking in order
to charge the high-voltage battery during driving.
As soon as you take your foot o"M the accelerator
pedal when the vehicle is in motion and in trans-
mission position [, recuperation in overrun
mode will be initiated.
The higher the recuperation, the stronger the
braking e"Mect will be during coasting and the
more electrical energy will be fed into the high- voltage battery.
The deceleration in overrun mode may not be suf-
"Ncient depending on the driving conditions. Decel-
erating to a standstill is not possible. Also brake with the service brake if necessary. Always adaptyour speed to the driving conditions and keep asu"Pcient distance.
The recuperative brake system has the following
characteristics:
= supports braking with electronically controlled
brake force boosting
214Driving and parking