MERCEDES-BENZ C-CLASS SALOON 2012 Owners Manual

R
ABS pr events the wheels from locking.
The brakes will function as usual once you
re lease the brake pedal. BAS is deactivated. Fu
nction of ESP ®
(Electronic Stability Pro‐
gr am) &
WARNING Risk of skidding if ESP ®
is
deactivated
If yo u deactivate ESP ®
, ESP ®
cannot car ry
out vehicle stabilisation. #
ESP ®
should on lybe deactivated in the
fo llowing situations. *
NO
TEMercedes-AMG vehicles #
Obser vethe no tes in the Supplement.
Yo u could otherwise failto recognise
dangers. ESP
®
can moni tor and impr ovedriving stability
and traction in thefo llowing situations, within
ph ysical limits:
R When pulling away on wet or slippe rycar ria‐
ge wa ys.
R When braking.
If th eve hicle deviates from the direction desired
by the driver, ESP ®
can stabilise theve hicle by
inter vening in thefo llowing ways:
R One or more wheels are braked.
R The engine output is adap ted according to
th e situation.
When ESP ®
is deactivated, theå warning
lamp lights up continuously:
R Driving stability will no lon ger be impr oved.
R The drive wheels could spin.
R ETS/4ETS traction control is still active.
% When ESP ®
is deactivated, you are still assis‐
te dby ESP ®
when braking. When
the÷ warning lamp flashes, one or
se veral wheels has reached its grip limit:
R Adapt your driving style to suit the cur rent
ro ad and weather conditions.
R Do not deactivate ESP ®
.
R Only depress the accelerator pedal as far as
is necessary when pulling away.
Deactivate ESP ®
in thefo llowing situations to
impr ovetraction:
R When using snow chains.
R In deep snow.
R On sand or gr avel.
% Spinning the wheels results in a cutting
action, which enhances traction.
If th e÷ ESP®
wa rning lamp lights up continu‐
ousl y,ESP ®
is not available due toa malfunction.
Obse rveth efo llowing information:
R Warning and indicator lamps (/ page 498)
R Display messages (/ page445) 18 8
Driving and pa rking
Internal use only

ETS/4ETS (Electronic
Traction Sy stem)
ETS/4ETS traction control is pa rtof ESP ®
and
makes it possible topull away and accelerate on
a slippe rycar riag ewa y.
ETS/4ETS can impr ovetheve hicle's traction by
inter vening in thefo llowing ways:
R The drive wheels are braked individually if
they spin.
R More drive torque is transferred tothe wheel
or wheels with traction.
Influence of drive prog rams on ESP ®
The drive prog rams enable ESP ®
to adapt todif‐
fe re nt we ather and road conditions as well as
th e driver's prefer red driving style. Depending on
th e selected drive program, the appropriate
ESP ®
mode will be activated. You can select the
drive prog rams using theDY NA MIC SELECT
switch (/ page166). Fu
nction of ESP ®
Crosswind Assist ESP
®
Crosswind Assist de tects sudden gu sts of
side wind and helps the driver tokeep theve hi‐
cle in the lane:
R ESP ®
Crosswind Assist is active at vehicle
speeds between appr ox.75 km/h and
200 km/h when driving stra ight ahead or
cornering slight ly.
R The vehicle is stabilised bymeans of individ‐
ual brake application on one side. Fu
nction of ESP ®
trailer stabilisation &
WARNING Risk of accident in poor road
and weather conditions
In poor road and weather conditions, the
trailer stabilisation cannot pr event lu rching of
th eve hicle/trailer combination. Trailers with
a high centre of gr avity may tip over before
ESP ®
de tects this. #
Alw ays adapt your driving style to suit
th e cur rent road and weather condi‐
tions. When driving with a trailer, ESP
®
can stabilise
yo ur vehicle if the trailer begins toswer vefrom
side toside:
R ESP ®
trailer stabilisation is active abo ve
speeds of 65 km/h.
R Slight swerving is reduced bymeans of a tar‐
ge ted, individual brake application on one
side.
R Intheeve nt of se vere swerving, the engine
output is also reduced and all wheels are
braked.
ESP ®
trailer stabilisation may be impaired or
may not function if:
R The trailer is not connec ted cor rectly or is
not de tected properl yby theve hicle. Driving and parking
18 9
Internal use only

Ac
tivating/deactivating ESP ®
(Electronic Sta‐
bility Prog ram) Multimedia sy
stem:
4 Vehicle 5
k Assistance 5
ESP
Mercedes‑AMG vehicles: observeth e no tes in
th e Supplement. Otherwise, you may failto rec‐
ognise dangers. #
Activate Oor deacti vate ª the function.
ESP ®
is deactivated if theå ESP®
OFF warn‐
ing lamp lights up continuously in the instrument
clus ter.
Obser vethe information on warning lamps and
display messages which may be shown in the
instrument clus ter. Fu
nction of EBD Elect
ronic Breakforce Distribution (EBD) is char‐
acterised bythefo llowing:
R Monitoring and regulating the brake pressure
on there ar wheels. R
Impr oved driving stability when braking,
especially on bends. Fu
nction of STEER CONT ROL ST
EER CONTROL helps youby transmitting a
noticeable steering forc eto thesteering wheel in
th e direction requiredforve hicle stabilisation.
This steering recommendation is given in thefo l‐
lowing situations:
R both right wheels or bo thleft wheels are on a
we t or slippe ryroad sur face when you brake
R theve hicle starts toskid
Sy stem limits
ST EER CONTROL may be impaired or may not
function in thefo llowing situations:
R ESP ®
is deactivated.
R ESP ®
is malfunctioning.
R The steering is malfunctioning.
If ESP ®
is malfunctioning, you will be assis ted
fur ther by the electric po werst eering. HOLD function
HOLD function
The HOLD function holds
theve hicle at a stand‐
st ill without requ iring youto depress the brake
pedal, e.g. while waiting in traf fic.
The HOLD function is only an aid. The responsi‐
bility forth eve hicle safely standing still remains
with the driver.
Sy stem limits
The HOLD function is only intended toprov ide
assis tance when driving and is not a su fficient
means of safeguarding theve hicle against rolling
aw ay when stationar y.
R The incline must not be greater than 30%. 19 0
Driving and pa rking
Internal use only

Ac
tivating/deactivating the HOLD function &
WARNING Risk of an accident due tothe
HOLD function being active when you
lea vetheve hicle
If th eve hicle is only braked with the HOLD
function it could, in thefo llowing situations,
ro llaw ay:
R Ifth ere is a malfunction in the sy stem or
in the po wer supply.
R Ifth e HOLD function is deactivated by
depressing the accelerator pedal or brake
pedal, e.g. byave hicle occupant. #
Alw ays secure theve hicle against roll‐
ing away before you lea veit. Re
quirements:
R The vehicle is stationar y.
R The driver's door is closed or the seat belt on
th e driver's side is fastened.
R The engine is running or has been au tomati‐
cally switched off bythe ECO start/ stop
function. R
The electric parking brake is released.
R Active Dis tance Assi stDISTRONIC is deacti‐
va ted.
R The transmission is in position h,kori.
Ac tivating the HOLD function #
Dep ress the brake pedal, and af ter a short
time quickly depress fur ther until theë
display appears in the multifunction displa y. #
Release the brake pedal.
Deactivating the HOLD function #
Depress the accelerator pedal topull away.
or #
Depress the brake pedal until theë dis‐
play disappears from the multifunction dis‐
pla y.
The HOLD function is deactivated in thefo llow‐
ing situations:
R Active Dis tance Assi stDISTRONIC is acti va‐
te d.
R The transmission is shif tedto position j. R
The vehicle is secured with the electric park‐
ing brake.
In thefo llowing situations, theve hicle is held by
transmission position jand/or bythe electric
parking brake:
R The seat belt is unfas tened and the driver's
door is opened.
R The vehicle is switched off.
R There is a malfunction in the sy stem or the
po we r supp lyis insuf ficient. Fu
nction of Hill Start Assist Hill
Start Assist holds theve hicle for a short
time when pulling away on a hill under thefo l‐
lowing conditions:
R Vehicles with automatic transmission: the
transmission is in position hork.
R The electric pa rking brake is released.
This gives you enough time tomo veyour foot
from the brake pedal tothe accelera tor pedal
and depress it before theve hicle begins toroll
aw ay. Driving and pa
rking 191
Internal use only

&
WARNING Risk of accident and inju ry
due totheve hicle rolling away
Af ter a short time, Hill Start Assist no lon ger
holds theve hicle. #
Swiftly mo veyour foot from the brake
pedal tothe accelera tor pedal. Do not
lea vetheve hicle when it is being held
by Hill Start Assist. Fu
nction of Adaptive Brake Lights Ad
aptive Brake Lights warnfollowing traf fic in an
emergency braking situation with th efo llowing
actions:
R Byflashing the brake lamps
R By activating the hazard warning lights
If th eve hicle is braked sharply from speeds
abo ve50 km/h, the brake lamps flash rapidl y.
This pr ovides traf fic tr avelling behind you with an
ev en more noticeable warning.
If th eve hicle is tr avelling at speeds of more than
70 km/h at the beginning of the brake applica‐
tion, the hazard warning lights switch on once th
eve hicle is stationar y.When you pull away
again, the hazard warning lights will switch off
automatically at appr oximately 10km/h. Yo u
can also switch off the hazard warning lights
using the hazard warning button. AT
TENTION ASSI ST Fu
nction of ATTENTION ASSI ST
AT TENTION ASSIST assists you on long, mon oto‐
nous jou rney s, e.g. on mo torw ays and trunk
ro ads. If ATTENTION ASSIST de tects indicators
of fatigue or increasing lapses in concentration
on the part of the driver, it suggests taking a
brea k.
AT TENTION ASSIST is only an aid. It cannot
alw ays de tect fatigue or lapses in concentration
in time. The sy stem is not a substitute for a well-
re sted and attentive driver. On long journe ys,
ta ke regular breaks in good time that allow for
adequate recuperation.
Yo u can choose between two settings:
R Standard: normal sy stem sensitivity. R
Sensitive: higher system sensitivity. The
driver is warned earlier and the attention
le ve l de tected byATTENTION ASSIST is adap‐
te d accordingly.
If dr owsiness or inc reasing lapses in concentra‐
tion are de tected, theATTENTION ASSIST: Take
a break! warning appears in the Instrument Dis‐
pla y.Yo u can ackn owledge the message and
ta ke a break where necessar y.Ifyo u do not take
a break and ATTENTION ASSIST continues to
de tect increasing lapses in concentration, you
will be warned again af ter a minimum of
15 minutes. 19 2
Driving and pa rking
Internal use only

Yo
u can ha vethefo llowing status information for
AT TENTION ASSIST displa yed in the assis tance
menu of the on-board computer:
R The length of the journey since the last
break.
R The attention le vel de term ined byATTENTION
ASSIS T.
If AT TENTION ASSIST is unable tocalculate the
attention le vel and cannot issue a warning, the
System suspended messageappears.
If a warning is given in the Instrument Displa y,
th e multimedia sy stem of fers to sear chfor a rest
area. You can select a rest area and start naviga‐
tion tothis rest area. This function can be activa‐
te d and deactivated in the multimedia sy stem.
If AT TENTION ASSIST is deactivated, theÛ
symbol appears in the assis tance graphic in the
Instrument Display when the engine is running.
AT TENTION ASSIST is activated automatically
when the engine is re-sta rted. The last selected
sensitivity le velre mains stored. Sy
stem limits
AT TENTION ASSIST is active in the 60 km/h to
200 km/h speed range.
Pa rticularly in thefo llowing situations, ATTEN‐
TION ASSIST only functions in a restricted man‐
ner and warnings may be dela yed or not occur:
R Ifyo u ha vebeen driving for less than appr ox‐
imately 30 minutes.
R Ifth ero ad condition is poor (une venro ad
sur face or po tholes).
R Ifth ere is a strong side wind.
R Ifyo u adopt a sporty driving style (high cor‐
nering speeds or high rates of acceleration).
R Ifth eSt eering Assist function of Active Dis‐
ta nce Assi stDISTRONIC is acti ve.
R Ifth e time has been set incor rectly.
R Ifyo uch ange lanes and vary your speed fre‐
qu ently In active driving situations.
The ATTENTION ASSIST dr owsiness or alertness
assessment is reset and restar ted when continu‐
ing the journey in thefo llowing situations:
R Ifyo u swit choff the engine. R
Ifyo u unfas tenyo ur seat belt and open the
driver's door (e.g. tochange drivers or take a
break).
Setting ATTENTION ASSI ST
Multimedia sy stem:
4 Vehicle 5
k Assistance
5 ATTENTION ASSIST
Setting options #
Select Standard, SensitiveorOff.
Suggesting a rest area #
Select Suggest rest area . #
Activate Oor deacti vate the function ª.
If AT TENTION ASSIST de tects fatigue or
increasing la ckof attention, it suggests a
re st area in the vicinity. #
Select a sugges tedre st area: you are gui‐
ded tothe selected rest area. Driving and parking
19 3
Internal use only

Cruise control and limiter
Fu
nction of cruise control
Cruise contro lre gulates the speed totheva lue
selec tedby the driver.
If yo u accelerate toove rtake, forex ample, the
st ored speed is not dele ted. If youre mo veyour
fo ot from the accelerator pedal af terove rtaking,
cruise control will resume speed regulation back
to thestored speed.
Yo u can store any speed abo ve20 km/h up to
th e maximum design speed or up tothe set win‐
te r tyre limit.
Obser vethe no tes on driving sy stems and your
re sponsibility; you may otherwise failto recog‐
nise dangers (/ page 185).
Me rcedes‑AMG vehicles: cruise control is avail‐
able up toa maximum speed of 250 km/h.
Displ ays on the multifunction display
R h (gre y): cruise contro l is selected but
not yet acti vated.
R h (green): cruise control is active. A
stored speed appears along with theh dis‐
pla y.
% The segments extending from the cur rent
st ored speed tothe end of the scale, or to
th e set winter tyre limit, light up in the
speedome ter.
Sy stem limits
Cruise control may be unable tomaintain the
st ored speed on uphill gradients. The stored
speed is resumed when the gradient evens out.
Change into a lo werge ar in good time on long
and steep downhill gradients. Take particular
no te ofthis when driving a laden vehicle. By
doing so, you will make use of the engine's brak‐
ing ef fect. This relie vesth e load on the brake
sy stem and pr events the brakes from overheat‐
ing and wearing tooqu ickl y.
Do not use cruise control in thefo llowing situa‐
tions:
R In traf fic situations whi chrequ ire frequent
ch anges of speed, e.g. in heavy traf fic, on
winding roads. R
On slippe ryroads. Accelerating can cause
th e drive wheels tolose traction and the
ve hicle could then skid.
R Ifyo u are driving when visibility is poor.
Fu nction of the limiter
The limiter restricts the speed of theve hicle. To
re duce the speed tothe set speed, the limiter
applies the brakes automaticall y.
Yo u can limit the speed as follo ws:
R Variable: for a short-term speed restriction,
e.g. in built-up areas
R Perm anen t:for a longer-term speed restric‐
tion, e.g. in winter tyre mode
Yo u can store any speed abo ve20 km/h up to
th e maximum design speed or up tothe set win‐
te r tyre limit. You can also per form settings
while theve hicle is stationary if theve hicle has
been star ted.
Obser vethe no tes on driving sy stems and your
re sponsibility; you may otherwise failto recog‐
nise dangers (/ page 185).
Mercedes‑AMG vehicles: the limiter is available
up toa maximum speed of 250 km/h. 194
Driving and pa rking
Internal use only

Displa
yson the multifunction display
R È (grey):va riable limiter is selec ted but
not yet acti vated.
R È (green): variable limiter is activated.
A stored speed appears along with theÈ dis‐
pla y.The segments in the speedome ter light up,
up tothe cur rently stored speed.
When the driving speed is greater than the
st ored speed, theÈ display flashes.
Kickd own
If yo u depress the accelera tor pedal be yond the
pressure point (kickdown), theva riable limiter
swit ches topassive mode. The Limiter passive
message appears in the multifunction displa y.
Af ter completion of kickdown, theva riable lim‐
iter is activated again in thefo llowing situations:
R Ifth eve hicle speed drops below thestored
speed.
R Ifth estored speed is called up.
R Ifyo ustore a new speed. Operating cruise control or
theva riable lim‐
iter &
WARNING Risk of accident due tostored
speed
If yo u call up thestored speed and this is
lo we rth an your cur rent speed, theve hicle
decelerates. #
Take into account the tra ffic situation
before calling up thestored speed. Re
quirements:
Cruise control
R Cruise control is selected.
R ESP ®
must be activated, but not inter vening.
R The vehicle speed is at least 20 km/h.
R The transmission is in position h.
Va riable limiter
R The variable limiter is selec ted. #
Tooperate cruise control or theva riable
limi ter: press thero ck er switch on thesteer‐
ing wheel control unit up or down tothe
desired position.
Switching between cruise control and the
va riable limi ter #
Toselect cruise control: selecthwith
th eright rock er switch. Driving and parking
19 5
Internal use only

#
Toselect theva riable limi ter: select È
with theright rock er switch.
% Vehicles with Active Dis tance Assi st
DISTRONIC: theva riable limiter is selec ted
by a dif fere nt button (/ page 199).
Ac tivating cruise control or the variable lim‐
iter #
Press rocker switch 1upM or down
N.
The cur rent vehicle speed is stored and the
ve hicle maintains this speed (cruise control)
or does not exceed it (variable limiter).
or #
Select Jwiththe left rock er switch.
The last stored speed is called up and the
ve hicle maintains this speed (cruise control)
or does not exceed it (variable limiter).
If th e last stored speed has pr eviously been
dele ted, the cur rent vehicle speed is stored.
% When you swit choff theve hicle, the last
speed stored is dele ted. When
you activate cruise cont rol or Active
Dis tance Assi stDISTRONIC, the last speed
st ored forth eva riable limiter is dele ted.
Increasing/decreasing thesto red speed #
1 km/h: press rocker switch 1upM or
down Ntothe pressure point, or press
and hold (increments of 1 km/h).
or #
10km/h: press rock er switch 1upM or
down Nbeyond the pressure point, or
press and hold (increments of 10km/h).
or #
Accelerate theve hicle tothe desired speed
and press rocker switch 1upM.
Ad opting a de tected speed #
Activate cruise control or theva riable limiter. #
If a traf fic sign has been de tected and is dis‐
pl ay ed in the instrument clus ter: select J
with the left rocker switch.
The maximum permissible speed shown by
th e traf fic sign is stored and theve hicle
maintains or does not exceed this speed. Deactivating cruise control or
theva riable
limi ter #
Select Owith th e left rock er switch.
% Ifyo u brake, deactivate ESP ®
or if ESP ®
inter venes, cruise control is deacti vated. The
va riable limiter is not deactivated.
Information on the permanent limi ter
If th eve hicle should ne verexc eed a specific
speed (e.g. for driving in winter tyre mode), you
can set this speed with the permanent limiter.
Yo u do this by limiting the speed between
16 0 km/h and 240 km/h in the multimedia sys‐
te m (/ page197).
Shortly before the set speed is reached, it
appears in the multifunction displa y.When you
confirm the message, display messages no lon‐
ge r appear until you swit choff theve hicle. The
speed will only be displa yed again once theve hi‐
cle has been restar ted or if the set speed is
ch anged.
The permanent limiter does not swit chtopas‐
sive mode even du ring kickdown and the driven
speed remains below the set speed. 19 6
Driving and pa rking
Internal use only

Setting
the limit speed for winter tyres
Multimedia sy stem:
4 Vehicle 5
î Vehicle settings
5 Winter tyres limit #
Select a speed or deactivate the function. Ac
tive Di stance Assist DISTRO NICFu
nction of Active Di stance Assist
DISTRO NIC
Ac tive Dis tance Assi stDISTRONIC maintains the
set speed on free-flowing roads. If vehicles in
front are de tected, the set dis tance is main‐
ta ined, if necessar y,until theve hicle comes to a
halt. The vehicle accelerates or brakes depend‐
ing on the dis tance totheve hicle in front and
th e set speed. The speed and dis tance tothe
ve hicle in front are set and sa ved using the
st eering wheel.
Av ailable speed range:
R Vehicles without Driving Assistance Pack‐
age: 20 km/h - 200 km/h
R Vehicles with Driving Assistance Pack‐
age: 20 km/h - 210 km/h %
Plug-in hybrid: the adjus table set speed can
be reduced due tothe selected drive pro‐
gram. Obser vethere leva nt no tes in the Sup‐
plement.
Other features of Active Dis tance Assi st
DISTRONIC:
R Adjusts the driving style depending on the
selected drive program (fuel-saving, comfort‐
able or dynamic)
R Initiates acceleration tothestored speed if
th e turn signal indicator is switched on to
ch ange totheove rtaking lane
R Vehicles with Driving Assistance Pack‐
age:
- Reacts tostationary vehicles de tected in
urban speed ranges (e xcept bicycles and
mo torcyc les)
- Take s one-sided overtaking restrictions
into account on mo torw ays or on multi-
lane roads with separate car riag ew ays
(countr y-dependent)
Ve hicles with Driving Assistance Package
and Park ingPackage: ifth eve hicle has been braked
toast andstill on multi-lane, separate
car riag ewa ysby Active Dis tance Assi st
DISTRONIC, it can au tomatically follow theve hi‐
cle in front driving off again within 30 seconds. If
a critical situation is de tected when driving off, a
visual and acoustic warning is given indicating
th at the driver must now take control of theve hi‐
cle. The vehicle is not accelerated any fur ther.
Obser vethe no tes on driving sy stems and your
re sponsibility; you may otherwise failto recog‐
nise dangers (/ page 185). Driving and pa
rking 197
Internal use only