ESP MERCEDES-BENZ B-CLASS HATCHBACK 2011 User Guide

If you remove the warning stickers, you or
others could be injured by failing to recognise
certain dangers.
When driving yourv ehicle observe the follow-
ing information:
R the safety notes in this manual
R the "Technical data" section in this manual
R traffic rules and regulations
R laws and safety standards pertaining to
moto rvehicles Implied warranty
! Observe the notes in these Operating
Instructions about the correct operation of
your vehicle as well as about possible dam-
age to the vehicle. Damage to your vehicle
that arises from culpable contravention of
these instructions is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benzi mplied warranty of
Daimler AG. Data stored in the vehicle
Fault data
Components critical for vehicle operation are
equipped with fault data memories as stand-
ard. There are also data storage devices
which record the technical reactions of vehi-
cle components to certain driving situations
(e.g. airbag deployment or ESP ®
interven-
tion).
This data is used exclusively to:
R assist in the rectificatio noffaults and
defects
R help Mercedes-Ben zoptimise and develop
vehicle functions
The data cannot be used to trace the vehicle's
movements.
When your vehicle is serviced by Mercedes-
Benz, this technical information can be read
out from the fault memory. This is performed
by authorised employees of the Mercedes- Ben
zservice network using special diagnos-
tic computers.
After a fault has been rectified, the informa-
tion is deleted from the memory. Other mem-
ory data is constantly overwritten. Other devices that store data
Depending on the equipment level, your vehi-
cle may feature communications and/or
entertainment systems (e.g. navigation devi-
ces, telephone systems). These allow you to
save and edit data required for the operation
of the respective device.
Further information on operation (e.g. on
deleting data) can be found in the separate
operating instructions. Introduction
23 Z

Warning and indicator lamps
Function Page
:
L
Dipped-bea mhead-
lamps 97
;
÷
ESP® 235
=
K
Main-beam head-
lamps 99
?
!
Electric parkin gbrake
(red) 233
A
!
Electric parking brake
(yellow) 233
B
·
Distance warning 241
C
#!
Turn signals 98
D
6
SRS 238
E
ü
Seat belt 231 Function Page
F
%
Diesel engine: pre-
glow 127
G
?
Coolant 239
H
R
Rearf oglamp 98
I
N
Front foglamps 97
J
;
Engine diagnostics 238
K
æ
Reserve fuel 239
L
å
ESP®
OFF 235
M
!
ABS 233
N
J
Brakes 23330
Instrument clusterAt a glance

Useful information
i This Owner's Manual describes all models
and all standard and optional equipment
available to your vehicle at the time of pub-
lication of the Owner's Manual. Country-
specific deviations are possible. Please
note that your vehicle may not be equipped
with all features described. This also
applies to safety-relevan tsystems and
functions.
i Please read the information on qualified
specialist workshops (Y page 22).Occupant safety
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
If service wor kis not carried out correctly, the
operating safety of your vehicle may be affec-
ted. This could cause you to lose control of
your vehicle and cause an accident. More-
over, the safety systems may no longer be
able to protect you or others as they are
designed to do.
Always have service work carried out at a
qualified specialist workshop. G
WARNING
Modifications to or work performed incor-
rectly on the following parts can result in the
restraint systems not functioning as intended:
R the restraint system, consisting of seat
belts and their anchorage points, belt ten-
sioners, belt force limiters and airbags
R the wiring
R networked electronic systems
Airbags and belt tensioners could fail to
deploy or be triggered in an accident despite
the deceleration force being sufficient to trig-
ger the systems, or could be triggered unin-
tentionally. For this reason, never make any
modifications to the restraint systems. Therefore, you must not tamper with elec-
tronic components or their software.
The seat belts, together with SRS (Supple-
mental Restraint System), are complemen-
tary, co-ordinated restraint systems
(Y page 39). They reduce the risk of injury
in specific, pre-defined types of accident sit-
uations and thereby increase occupant
safety. However, seat belts and airbags gen-
erally do not protect against objects pene-
trating the vehicle from the outside.
To ensure that the restraint systems can
deliver their full potential protection, make
sure that:
R the seat and head restraint are adjusted
properly (Y page 86).
R the seat belt has been fastened properly
(Y page 45).
R the airbags can inflate unrestricted if
deployed (Y page 40).
R the steering wheel is adjusted properly
(Y page 91).
R the restraint systems have not been modi-
fied.
An airbag increases the protection of vehicle
occupants wearing a seat belt. However, air-
bags are only an additional restraint system
which complements, but does not replace,
the seat belt. All vehicle occupants must wear
their seat belt correctly at all times, even if
the vehicle is equipped with airbags. The air-
bags are not deployed in all types of acci-
dents. For example, if the protective capacity
of correctly fastened seat belts is not
increased by deploying the airbags, the air-
bags will not deploy.
Airbag deployment only provides increased
protection if the seat belt is worn correctly.
The seat belt helps, firstly, to keep the vehicle
occupant in the best position in relation to the
airbag. Secondly, in a head-on collision, for
example, the seat belt prevents the vehicle
occupant from being propelledt owards the
point of impact. 38
Occupant safetySafety

How the airbag system works is deter-
mined by predicting the severity of the acci-
dent, especially vehicle deceleration or
acceleration, and the type of accident:
R
head-on collision
R side impact
The rate of vehicle deceleration or accelera-
tion and the directio nofthe force are essen-
tially determined by:
R the distribution of forces during the colli-
sion
R the collision angle
R the deformation characteristics of the vehi-
cle
R the characteristics of the object with which
the vehicle has collided
Factors which can only be seen and measured
after a collision has occurred do not play a
decisive role in the deployment of an airbag,
nor do they provide an indication of airbag
deployment.
The vehicle may be deformed significantly,
e.g. the bonnet or the wing, without an airbag
being deployed. This is the case if only parts
which are relatively easily deformed are affec-
ted and the rate of deceleration is not high.
Conversely, airbags may be deployed even
though the vehicle suffers only minor defor-
mation. This is the case if, for example, very
rigid vehicle parts such as longitudinal body
members are hit, and sufficient deceleration
occurs as a result. Airbags
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Airbags provide additional protection; they
are not, however, a substitute for seat belts. Observe the following notes to reduce the risk
of serious or even fatal injury caused by airbag
deployment:
R
all vehicle occupants –inparticular, preg-
nant women – must wear their seat belt
correctly at all times and lean back against
the backrest, which should be positioned
as close to the vertical as possible. The
head restraint must support the back of the
head at about eye level.
R always secure childre nless than
1.50mt all or unde r12years of age in suit-
able child restraint systems.
R all vehicle occupants must select a seat
position that is as far away from the airbag
as possible. The driver's seat position must
allow the vehicle to be driven safely. The
driver's chest should be as far away from
the centre of the driver's airbag cover as
possible.
R move the front-passenger seat as far back
as possible. This is especially important if
you have secured a child in a child restraint
system on the front-passenger seat.
R vehicle occupants –inparticular, children
–m ust no tlean their heads into the area of
the window in which the sidebag/window-
bag is deployed.
R rearward-facing child restraint systems
must not be fitted to the front-passenger
seat unless the front-passenger airbag has
been disabled. On the front-passenger
seat, the front-passenger airbag is disabled
if a child restraint system with a trans-
ponder for automatic child seat recognition
is fitted to the front-passenger seat in a
vehicle equipped with automatic child seat
recognition. The 4PASSENGER AIRBAG
OFF indicator lamp must be continuously
lit.
If the front-passenger seat of your vehicle
does not have automatic child seat recog-
nition, or your rearward-facing child
restraint system does not have automatic
child seat recognition, children must be
secured in a child restraint system on a 40
Occupant safetySafety

suitable seat in the rear. If you secure a
forward-facing child restraint system to the
front-passenger seat, you must move the
front-passenger seat as far back as possi-
ble.
R make sure there are no heavy or sharp-
edged objects in the pockets of clothing.
R do not lean forwards, e.g. over the cover of
the driver's/front-passenger front airbag,
particularly when the vehicle is in motion.
R do not put your feet on the dashboard.
R only hold the steering wheel on the outside.
This allows the airbag to be fully deployed.
You could be injured if the airbag is
deployed and you are holding the inside of
the steering wheel.
R do not lean on the doors from inside the
vehicle.
R make sure that there are no people, ani-
mals or objects between the vehicle occu-
pants and the area where the airbags are
deployed.
R do not place any objects between the seat
backrest and the door.
R do not hang any hard objects, for example,
coat hangers, on the grab handles or coat
hooks.
R do not attach accessories, e.g. cup holders,
to the doors.
It is not possible to rule out a risk of injury
being caused by an airbag, due to the high
speed at which the airbag must be deployed. G
WARNING
Airbag functionality can only be assured if the
following parts are not covered and no badges
or stickers are attached to them:
R padded steering wheel boss
R kneebag cover below the steering column
R front-passenger airbag cover
R outer side of front seat bolsters
R side trim next to the rear seat backrest
R roof frame cover between the front A-pillar
and the C-pillar in the rear compartment G
WARNING
As mall amount of powder is released when
an airbag is deployed. The powder could
cause short-term breathing difficulties in peo-
ple with asthma or other respiratory prob-
lems.
In order to prevent breathing difficulties, you
should leave the vehicle as soon as it is safe
to do so. You can also open the window to
allow fresh air to enter the interior. The pow-
der does not constitute ahealth hazard and
does not indicate that there is a fire in the
vehicle. G
WARNING
The airbag parts are hot after the airbag has
been deployed. Do not touch them as you
could burn yourself.
Have the airbags replaced at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop. Otherwise, occupants are
not protected by the airbags in the event of
another accident.
Airbag deployment slows down and restricts
the movement of the vehicle occupant, com-
plementing the restraint of the seat belt.
If the airbags are deployed, you will hear a
bang and a small amount of powder may also
be released. Only in rare cases will the bang
affect your hearing. The powder that is
released generally does not constitute a
health hazard. The 6SRS warning lamp
lights up.
The airbag installation locations are identified
by the AIRBAG symbol.
Front airbags !
Do not place heavy objects on the front-
passenger seat. The system may then
detec tthat the seat is occupied and if there
is an accident, the restraint systems on the
front-passenger side could be deployed.
Have restraint systems that have been trig-
gered replaced. Occupant safety
41Safety Z

Mercedes-Ben
zrecommends that you only
use the child restraint systems listed at
(Y page 60).
You can obtain further information about the
correct child restraint system from any
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.
i It is advisable to use Mercedes-Benzc are
products to clean child restraint systems.
You can obtain informatio nabout this at
any Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.
Child seat on the front-passenger seat G
WARNING
If the front-passenger airbag is not disabled:
R a child secured in a child restraint system
on the front-passenger seat could be seri-
ously and even fatally injured by the front-
passenger airbag deploying. This is espe-
cially a risk if the child is in the immediate
vicinity of the front-passenger airbag when
it deploys.
R never secure a child on the front-passenger
seat in a rearward-facing child restraint sys-
tem. Only secure a rearward-facing child
restraint system on a suitable rear seat.
R always move the front-passenger seat to
the rearmos tposition if you secure a child
in a forward-facing child restraint system
on the front-passenger seat.
The front-passenger airbag is not disabled:
R on vehicles without automatic child seat
recognition on the front-passenger seat
R in vehicles with automatic child seat rec-
ognition in the front-passenger seat, if no
special child restraint system with trans-
ponders for automatic child seat recogni-
tion in the front-passenger seat has been
fitted
R on vehicles with automatic child seat rec-
ognition on the front-passenger seat, if the
PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp
4 is not lit.
To make you aware of this danger, a corre-
sponding warning sticker has been affixed on the dashboard and on both sides of the sun
visor on the front-passenger side.
Information about recommended child
restraint systems is available at any
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.
Warning notice on the front-passenger sun visor
Warning symbol for a rearward-facing child
restraint system
Do not use a rearward-facing child restraint
system for a child on
aseat which is already
protected by an airbag.
Automatic child seat recognition on the
front-passenger seat G
WARNING
If the 4 PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indica-
tor lamp does not light up when the child
restraint system is fitted, the front-passenger
airbag has not been disabled. If the front-
passenger airbag deploys, the child could be
seriously or even fatally injured. Children in the vehicle
49Safety
Z

You secure each door individually with the
child-proof locks on the rear doors
.Adoor
secured with a child-proof lock cannot be
opened from inside the vehicle. When the
vehicle is unlocked, the door can be opened
from the outside.
X To activate: press the child-proof lock
lever up in the direction of arrow :.
X Make sure that the child-proof locks are
working properly.
X To deactivate: press the child-proof lock
lever down in the direction of arrow ;.
Override feature for the rear side win-
dows X
To activate/deactivate: press switch:.
Switch :is pushed in or extended. If the
switch has engaged, operation of the rear
side windows is disabled. Operation is then
only possible using the switches in the driv-
er's door. Driving safety systems
Driving safety systems overview
In this section, you will find information about
the following driving safety systems:
R ABS (Anti-lock BrakingSystem)
R BAS (Brake AssistSystem)
R COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST (BAS
PLUS and distance warning signal)
R Adaptive brake lamps
R ESP ®
(Electronic StabilityProgram) R
EBD ( electronic brake force distribution)
R STEER CONTROL Important safety notes
G
WARNING
The risk of an accident is significantly
increased by driving too fast. This is particu-
larly the case when cornering as well as on
wet or slippery roads or when driving too close
to the vehicle in front.
The driving safety systems described in this
section can neither reduce this risk nor over-
ride the laws of physics.
For this reason, always adapt your driving
style to the prevailing road and weather con-
ditions. Maintain sufficient distance from
other road users and objects on the road.
If you fail to adapt your driving style, the driv-
ing safety systems can neither reduce the risk
of accident nor override the laws of physics.
Driving safety systems are merely aids
designed to assist driving. You are responsi-
ble for the distance to the vehicle in front, for
vehicle speed and for braking in good time.
Always adapt your driving style to suit the
prevailing road and weather conditions as
well as the traffic conditions, and maintain a
safe distance from the vehicle in front. Drive
carefully.
i Please note that the driving safety sys-
tems described only work as effectively as
possible when there is adequate contact
between the tyres and the road surface.
Pay particular attention to the information
regarding tyres, recommended minimum
tyre tread depths etc. in the "Wheels and
tyres" section (Y page 292).
In wintry driving conditions, always use
winter tyres (M+S tyres) and if necessary,
snow chains. Only in this way will the driv-
ing safety systems described in this section
work as effectively as possible. 62
Driving safety systemsSafety

ABS (Anti-lock Braking System)
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If AB Sis faulty, the wheels could lock when
braking. This limits the steerability of the vehi-
cle when braking and the braking distance
may increase.
If ABS is deactivated due to a malfunction,
then BAS and ESP are also deactivated. There
is an increased risk of your vehicle skidding in
certain situations.
You should always adapty our driving style to
suit the prevailing road and weather condi-
tions.
ABS regulates brake pressure in such a way
that the wheels do not lock when you brake.
This allows you to continue steering the vehi-
cle when braking.
ABS works from a speed of about 8 km/h
upwards, regardless of road-surface condi-
tions. ABS works on slippery surfaces, even
when you only brake gently.
The yellow !ABS warning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up when the ignition
is switched on. It goes out when the engine is
running.
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 62).
Brakes G
WARNING
Do not depress the brake pedal several times
in quick succession (pumping). Pumping the
brake pedal reduces the braking effect .You
might otherwise not be able to stop the vehi-
cle in time and could cause an accident.
Depress the brake pedal firmly and smoothly.
X If ABS intervenes: continue to depress the
brake pedal with force 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 indica-
tion of hazardous road conditions and func-
tions as a reminder to take extra care while
driving.
BAS (Brake Assist)
G
WARNING
If BAS has malfunctioned, the braking system
remains available with full brake boosting
effect. However, braking force is not auto-
matically increased in emergency braking sit-
uations and the stopping distance may
increase.
X Keep the brake pedal firmly depressed until
the emergency braking situation is over.
ABS prevents the wheels from locking.
BAS operates in emergency braking situa-
tions. If you depress the brake pedal quickly,
BAS automatically boosts the braking force,
thus shortening the stopping distance.
The brakes will function as usual once you
release the brake pedal. BAS is deactivated.
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 62). COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST
General notes COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST consists of
the BAS PLUS system and the distance warn-
ing signal, which are described in the follow-
ing.
Distance warning
G
WARNING
The distance warning signal cannot always
clearly identify objects and complex traffic
situations. Driving safety systems
63Safety
Z

In such cases, the distance warning signal
may:
R
give an unnecessary warning
R not give a warning
There is a risk of an accident. Always pay par-
ticula rattention to the traffi csituation and be
ready to brake, especially if the distance
warning signal alerts you. G
WARNING
The distance warning signal does not react:
R to people or animals
R to oncoming vehicles
R to crossing traffic
R when cornering
Thus, the distance warning signal cannot pro-
vide a warning in all critical situations .There
is a risk of an accident. Always pay careful
attention to the traffic situation and be ready
to brake.
X To activate/deactivate: activate or deac-
tivate the distance warning signal in the on-
board computer (Y page 199).
When the distance warning signal is activa-
ted, the multifunction display shows the
Ä symbol as long as the HOLD function is
not activated (Y page 162). On vehicles with
Active Parking Assist, the Äsymbol is dis-
played when position Pis engaged or you are
driving faster than 35 km/h.
The distance warning signal can help you to
minimise the risk of a front-end collision with
a vehicle ahead or reduce the effects of such
a collision. If the distance warning signal
detects that there is a risk of a collision, you
will be warned visually and acoustically .The
distance warning signal cannot prevent a col-
lision without your intervention.
The distance warning signal will issue a warn-
ing at speeds of around 30 km/h or more if:
R the distance to the vehicle in front is too
short for the speed you are driving at for
several seconds. The ·distance warn- ing lamp then lights up in the instrument
cluster.
R you are rapidly approaching the vehicle in
front. An intermittent warning tone will
then sound and the ·distance warning
lamp will light up in the instrumentc luster.
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.
For the distance warnin gsignal to assist you
when driving, the function must be activated
in the on-board computer (Y page 199) and
be operational.
Due to the nature of the system, particularly
complicated driving conditions may cause the
system to display an unnecessary warning.
With the help of the radar sensor system, the
distance warning signal can detect obstacles
that are in the path of your vehicle for an
extended period of time.
At speeds up to approximately 70 km/h, the
distance warning signal may also detect sta-
tionary obstacles, for example, stopped or
parked vehicles.
If you approach an obstacle and the distance
warning signal detects a risk of a collision, the
system will initially alert you both visually and
acoustically.
In particular, the detection of obstacles can
be impaired if there is:
R dirt on the sensors or anything else cover-
ing the sensors
R snow or heavy rain
R interference by other radar sources
R the possibility of strong radar reflections,
for example, in multi-storey car parks
R a narrow vehicle travelling in front, e.g. a
motorbike
R a vehicle travelling in front on a different
line
Following damage to the front end of the vehi-
cle, have the configuration and operation of 64
Driving safety systemsSafety

Adaptive brake lamps
If you brake sharply from a speed of more
than 50 km/h or if braking is assisted by BAS
or BA SPLUS, the brake lamps flash rapidly.
In this way, traffic travelling behind you is
warned in an even more noticeable manner.
If you brake sharply from a speed of more
than 70 km/h to a standstill, the hazard warn-
ing lamps are activated automatically. If the
brakes are applied again, the brake lamps
lightu p continuously. The hazard warning
lamps switch off automatically if you travel
faster than 10 km/ h.You can also switch off
the hazard warning lamps using the hazard
warning switch button (Y page 99).
i Adaptive brake lamps are only available in
certain countries. ESP
®
(Electronic Stability Program)
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If the ÷ warning lamp in the instrument
cluster flashes, proceed as follows:
R do not deactivate ESP ®
under any circum-
stances.
R only depress the accelerator pedal as far as
necessary when pulling away.
R adapt your driving style to suit the prevail-
ing road and weathe rconditions.
Otherwise, the vehicle could go into a skid.
ESP ®
cannot reduce the risk of an accident if
you drive too fast. ESP ®
cannot override the
laws of physics.
! Switch the ignition off when:
R the electric parking brake is being tested
using a brake dynamometer.
R the vehicle is being towed with the front/
rear axle raised.
Application of the brakes by ESP ®
may oth-
erwise destroy the brake system. If ESP
®
detects that the vehicle is deviating
from the direction desired by the driver, one
or more wheels are braked to stabilise the
vehicle. If necessary, the engine output is also
modified to keep the vehicle on the desired
course within physical limits. ESP ®
assists
the driver when pulling away on wet or slip-
pery roads. ESP ®
can also stabilise the vehi-
cle during braking.
If ESP ®
intervenes, the ÷ESP®
warning
lamp flashes in the instrument cluster.
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 62).
i Only use wheels with the recommended
tyre sizes. Only then will ESP ®
function
properly.
Traction control Traction control is part of ESP
®
.
Traction control brakes the drive wheels indi-
vidually if they spin. This enables you to pull
away and accelerate on slippery surfaces, for
example if the road surface is slippery on one
side.
Traction control remains active if you deacti-
vate ESP ®
.
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 62).
Deactivating/activating ESP ® G
WARNING
ESP ®
is deactivated if the åwarning lamp
in the instrument cluster lights up continu-
ously when the engine is running.
If the ÷ warning lamp and åwarning
lamp are lit continuously, ESP ®
is not availa-
ble due to a malfunction.
There is an increased risk of your vehicle skid-
ding in certain situations.
You should always adapt your driving style to
suit the prevailing road and weather condi-
tions. 66
Driving safety systemsSafety