trailer MERCEDES-BENZ C-CLASS SALOON 2012 Owners Manual

1
#! Turn signal lights →
127
2 R Rear fog light →
12 6
3 K High beam →
127
L Low beam →
12 5
T Standing lights →
12 5
4 ÿ Coolant temp erature →
502
5 Coolant temp erature display →
24 5
6 L Distance warning →
507
7 ü Seat belt →
500
8 h Tyre pressure monitoring sy stem →
511
9 Ù Powe rst eering →
501
A ! Electric pa rking brake (yellow) →
505
B ! Electric parking brake (red) →
505
C 6 Restra int sy stem →
500 D
ï Trailer hit ch →
501
E J Brakes (red) →
505
F 8 Reser vefuel with fuel filler flap location
indicator →
502
G Fuel le vel →
24 5
H ä Suspension →
507
I J Brakes (yellow) →
505
J # Electrical fault →
502
K ; Engine diagnostics →
502
L % Diesel engine: preglow
M ! ABS →
508
N å ESP®
OFF →
508
÷ ESP®
→
508 At
aglance – Indicator and warning lamps (widesc reen cockpit) 13
Internal use only

Yo
u will need toper form certain settings your‐
self. #
Ifth e seat belt pre-tensioning is not reduced,
mo vethe seat backrest back slightl y.
The locking mechanism releases. Fu
nction of PRE-SAFE ®
PLUS (anticipatory
occupant pr otection plus) PRE-
SAFE®
PLUS can de tect cer tain impacts,
particular lyan imminent rear impact, and take
pre-em ptive measures toprotect theve hicle
occupants. These measures cannot necessarily
pr eve nt an imminent impact.
PRE-SAFE ®
PLUS can implement thefo llowing
measures independently of each other:
R Tightening the seat belts on the driver's seat
and front passenger seat.
R Activating there ar hazard warning lights at a
higher flashing frequenc y.
R Increasing brake pressure when theve hicle
is stationar y.This brake application is cancel‐
led automatically when theve hicle pulls
aw ay. If an accident did not occur,
the pre-em ptive
measures that we retake n are reve rsed.
Sy stem limits
The sy stem will not initiate any action in thefo l‐
lowing situations:
R when reve rsing
or
R when theve hicle is towing a trailer and there
is a risk of a rear impact
The sy stem will not initiate any braking applica‐
tion in thefo llowing situations:
R whilst driving
or
R when entering or exiting a parking space
while using Active Parking Assist Safely transporting
children in theve hicle Alw
ays obser vewhen children are tr avelling
in theve hicle %
Also strictly obser vethe saf ety no tesfo rthe
specific situation. In this wa yyo u can recog‐ nise po
tential risks and avoid dangers if chil‐
dren are tr avelling in theve hicle
(/ page 53).
Be diligent
Bear in mind that negligence when securing a
ch ild in thech ild restra int sy stem may ha veseri‐
ous consequences. Alw ays be diligent in secur‐
ing a child carefully before everyjou rney.
To impr oveprotection forch ildren younger than
12 years old or under 1.50 m in height,
Mercedes-Benz recommends you obse rvethe
fo llowing information:
R Alw ays secure thech ild in a child restra int
sy stem suitable forth is Mercedes-Benz vehi‐
cle.
R The child restra int sy stem must be appropri‐
ate tothe age, weight and size of thech ild.
R The vehicle seat must be suitable forfitting a
ch ild restra int sy stem (/ page57).
Ac cident statistics show that children secured
on there ar seats are general lysafer than chil‐
dren secured on the front seats. Forth is reason, 52
Occupant saf ety
Internal use only

The boot lid could be opened or closed uninten‐
tionall
y,in thefo llowing situations:
R A person's arms or legs are moving in the
sensor de tection range, e.g. when polishing
th eve hicle or picking up objects.
R Objects are mo ved or placed behind theve hi‐
cle, e.g. tensioning stra ps or luggage.
R Clamping stra ps, tarp aulins or other co ver‐
ings are pulled overth e bumper.
R A pr otective mat with a length reaching over
th e boot sill down into the de tection range of
th e sensors is used.
R The pr otective mat is not secured cor rectly.
R Workis being done on the trailer hitch, trail‐
ers or rear bicycle rack s.
Deactivate theke y functions (/ page74) or do
not car rytheke y about your person in such sit‐
uations. Swit
ching separate boot locking on or off If
yo u centrally unlo ck theve hicle while separate
locking is activated, the boot will remain loc ked. #
Toswitch on: slidethe switch toposition
1. #
Toswitch off: slidethe switch toposition
2.
% If an accident has been de tected, the boot
will unlock even if separate lo cking is
switched on. Ac
tivating/deactivating the bo otlid opening
limiter Multimedia sy
stem:
4 Vehicle 5
î Vehicle settings
5 Boot lid open. limiter
This function allo wsyouto avoid bumping the
boot lid on a low garage ceiling, forex ample. #
Activate Oor deacti vate ª the function. Side windo
ws Opening and closing
the side windo ws &
WARNING Risk of becoming trapped
when opening a side window
When you open a side wind ow, parts of the
body could be dr awn in or become trapped
between the side window and window frame. #
When opening, make sure that nobody
is touching the side windo w. Opening and closing
85
Internal use only

#
Ifth ege arshift recommendation 1appea rs
next tothe transmission position displa y,
shift tothere commended gear. Using kickd
own #
Maximum acceleration: depressthe accel‐
erator pedal be yond the pressure point.
To protect against engine overrev ,th e automatic
transmission shifts up tothe next gear when
maximum engine speed has been reached. Glide mode function
*
NO
TEMercedes-AMG vehicles #
Obser vethe no tes in the Supplement.
Yo u could otherwise failto recognise
dangers. *
NO
TEPlug-in hybrid #
Obser vethe no tes in the Supplement.
Yo u could otherwise failto recognise
dangers. Wi
th an anticipatory driving style, Glide mode
helps youto reduce fuel consum ption.
Glide mode is characterised bythefo llowing:
R The combustion engine is disconnected from
the driv etra in and continues torun in neutral.
R The transmission position displ ayh is
shown in green.
R Vehicles with 48 V on-board electrical
sy stem (EQ-Boost technology): The com‐
bustion engine can be switched off. All of the
ve hicle functions remain active. Glide mode is activated if
thefo llowing condi‐
tions are me t:
R Drive prog ram ; is selected.
R The speed is within a suitable range.
R The road's course is suitable, e.g. no steep
uphill or downhill inclines or tight bends.
R There is no trailer hitched up tothe trailer
hitch, and no bicycle rack Fitted.
R You do not depress the accelera tor or brake
pedal (e xcept for light brake applications).
% Glide mode can also be activated if you ha ve
selected the "Eco" setting forth e drive in the
drive prog ram =.
Glide mode is deactivated again if one of the
conditions is no longer met.
Glide mode can also be pr evented bythefo llow‐
ing parame ters:
R Incline
R Downhill gradient
R Temp erature
R Height Driving and parking
171
Internal use only

Information on
vehicle sensors and cameras Some driving and driving saf
ety sy stems use
cameras as well as radar or ultrasonic sensors
to monitor the area in front of, behind or next to
th eve hicle. %
The radar sensors are integ rated behind the
bumpers and/or behind the Mercedes star.
1 Cameras in the outside mir rors 2
Multifunction camera
3 Front camera
4 Ultrasonic sensors
5 Reversing camera &
WARNING Risk of accident due to
re stricted de tection per form ance of vehi‐
cle sensors and cameras
If th e area around vehicle sensors or cam‐
eras is co vered, damaged or dirty, cer tain
driving and saf ety sy stems cann otfunction
cor rectly. The reis a risk of an accident. #
Keep the area around vehicle sensors
or cameras clear of any obstructions
and clean. #
Have damage tothe bumper, radiator
grille or stone chipping in the area of
th e front and rear wind owsrepaired at
a qu alified specialist workshop. Pa
rticular ly,ke ep the areas around the sensors
and cameras free of dirt, ice or slush
(/ page 384). The sensors and cameras must not be co
vered and the de tection ranges around
th em must be kept free. Do not attach additional
license plate brackets, ad vertisements, sticke rs,
fo ils or foils toprotect against stone chippings in
th e de tection range of the sensors and cameras.
Make sure that there are no overhanging loads
pr otru ding into the de tection range.
If th ere is damage toa bumper or thera diator
grille, or af ter an impact, ha vethe function of
th e sensors checked at a qualified specialist
wo rkshop. Ha vedamage or stone chipping in the
area of the cameras on the front and rear win‐
do ws repaired at a qualified specialist workshop. Overview of driving sy
stems and driving
saf ety sy stems R
ABS (Anti-lo ckBra king System)
(/ page 187)
R BAS (Bra keAssist System) (/ page187)
R ESP ®
(Electronic Stability Program)
(/ page 188)
R ESP ®
Crosswind Assi st (/ page 189)
R ESP ®
trailer stabilisation (/ page189) 18 6
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

proper
lyde tected bythe sy stem. The maximum
permissible speed applying toave hicle with a
trailer is not de tected bythe sy stem.
Ad just the speed in these situations. &
WARNING Risk of accident due toActive
Speed Limit Assi stadapting theve hicle's
speed
The speed adop tedby Active Speed Limit
Assi stmay be too high or incor rect in some
individual cases, su chas:
R at speed limits below 20 km/h
R inwe t conditions or in fog
R when towing a trailer #
Ensure that the driven speed complies
with traf fic re gulations. #
Adjust the driving speed tosuit cur rent
traf fic and weather conditions. Fu
nction of route-based speed adaptation
When Active Dis tance Assi stDISTRONIC is acti‐
va ted, theve hicle speed will be adap ted accord‐
ingly tothero ute events ahead. Depending on th
e drive prog ram selected, theve hicle negoti‐
ates a route event ahead in an economical, com‐
fo rtable or dynamic manner. When thero ute
eve nt has been passed, theve hicle accelerates
again tothestored speed. The set dis tance to
th eve hicle in front, vehicles de tected ahead and
speed restrictions ahead are take n into account.
Yo u can activate and deactivate route-based
speed adap tation in the multimedia sy stem
(/ page 203).
The following route events are take n into
account:
R Bends
R T-junctions, roundabouts and tollst ations
R Turns and exits
R Traf fic jams ahead (only wi thLive Traf fic
Information (/ page 304))
% When theto llst ation is reached, Active Dis‐
ta nce Assi stDISTRONIC adopts the speed as
th estored speed. Also,
the speed is reduced if the turn signal indi‐
cator tochange lanes is swit ched on and one of
th efo llowing situations is de tected:
R Turning off at junctions
R Driving on slowing-down lanes
R Driving on lanes adjacent toslowing-down
lanes
The driver is responsible forch oosing theright
speed and observing other road users. This
applies in particular tojunctions, roundabouts
and traf fic lights, as route-based speed adap ta‐
tion does not brake theve hicle toast andstill.
When route guidance is active, thefirs t speed
adjustment is car ried out automatically. If the
turn signal indica tor is switched on, the selected
ro ute is confirmed and fur ther speed adjustment
is activated.
Speed adap tation is cancelled in thefo llowing
cases:
R Ifth e turn signal indicator is switched off
before thero ute event.
R Ifth e driver depresses the accelerator or
brake pedal during the process. 202
Driving and parking
Internal use only

Sy
stem limits
Ro ute-based speed adap tation does not take
ri ght of wayre gulations into account. The driver
is responsible for complying with road traf fic
re gulations and driving at a suitable speed.
The speed adap tation made bythe sy stem may
not alw ays be suitable, particular lyin thefo llow‐
ing situations:
R thero ad's course not clear lyvisible
R road nar rowing
R varying maximum permissible speeds in indi‐
vidual lanes, forex ample at tollst ations
R wetro ad sur faces, snow or ice
R when towing a trailer
In these situations the driver must inter vene
acco rding ly. &
WARNING Risk of accident in spite of
ro ute-based speed adap tation
Ro ute-based speed adap tation can malfunc‐
tion or be temp orarily una vailable in thefo l‐
lowing situations: R
Ifth e driver does not follow the calcula‐
te dro ute
R If map data is not up-to-date or available
R Intheeve nt of roadwor ks
R In bad weather or road conditions
R Ifth e accelera tor pedal is depressed
R Intheeve nt of electronical lydispla yed
speed limitations #
Adapt the speed tothe traf fic situation. Setting
route-based speed adjustment
Re quirements:
R Active Dis tance Assi stDISTRONIC is acti va‐
te d.
Multimedia sy stem:
4 Vehicle 5
k Assistance
5 Speed adjustment #
Activate Oor deacti vate ª the function. Ac
tive Steering Assist Fu
nction of Active Steering Assist
Ac tive Steering Assist is only available up to a
speed of 210 km/h. The sy stem helps youto
st ay inthe cent reofthe lane bymeans of mod‐
erate steering inter ventions. Depending on the
speed driven, Active Steering Assist uses the
ve hicles ahead and lane markings as a refer‐
ence.
% Depending on the count ry, in the lo wer
speed range Active Steering Assist can use
th e sur rounding traf fic as a refere nce. If nec‐
essar y,Ac tive Steering Assist can then also
pr ov ide assis tance when driving outside the
centre of the lane, forex ample, toform a
re scue lane.
If th e de tection of lane markings and vehicles
ahead is impaired, Active Steering Assist
switches topassive mode. The sy stem pr ovides
no support in this case.
St atus display of Active Steering Assist in
th e multifunction display
R Ø (gre y): activated and passive
R Ø (gre en): activated and active Driving and parking
203
Internal use only

R
The windscreen is dirty, mis ted up, damaged
or co vered in the vicinity of the camera, e.g.
by ast icke r.
R No, or se veral, unclear lane markings are
present for one lane, or the markings change
qu ickl y,forex ample, in a con stru ction area
or junctions.
R The lane markings are wornaw ay, dark or
co vered up, e.g. bydirt or sno w.
R Ifth e dis tance totheve hicle in front is too
short and thus the lane markings cann otbe
de tected.
R The road is nar row and winding.
R There are obs tacles on the lane or projecting
out into the lane, such as object mar kers.
The sy stem does not pr ovide assis tance in the
fo llowing conditions:
R On tight bends and when turning.
R When crossing junctions.
R Atroundabouts or tollst ations.
R When towing a trailer.
R When the tyre pressure is too lo w. &
WARNING Risk of accident if Active
St eering Assist unexpectedly stops func‐
tioning
If th e sy stem limits of Active Steering Assist
are reached there is no guarantee that the
sy stem will remain active or will keep the
ve hicle in lane. #
Alw ayske ep your hands on thesteering
wheel and obser vethe tra ffic carefull y. #
Alw aysst eer theve hicle paying atten‐
tion totraf fic conditions. &
WARNING Risk of accident if Active
St eering Assist unexpectedly inter venes
The de tection of lane markings and objects
may malfunction and cause unexpected
st eering inter ventions. #
Steer according totraf fic conditions. Ac
tivating Active Steering Assist
Re quirements:
R ESP ®
must be activated, but not inter vening. R
Active Dis tance Assi stDISTRONIC is acti va‐
te d. #
If indicator lamp 1is off: press button 2. Driving and parking
205
Internal use only

Obser
vethe no tes on driving sy stems and your
re sponsibility; you may otherwise failto recog‐
nise dangers (/ page 185).
Exit warning
The exitwa rning is an additional function of
Blind Spot Assist and can warnvehicle occu‐
pants about approaching vehicles when leaving
th eve hicle when stationar y. &
WARNING Risk of accident despite exit
wa rning
The exitwa rning neither reacts tostationary
objects nor tovehicles approaching you at a
great lydif fering speed.
The exitwa rning cannot warndrivers in these
situations. #
Alw ays pay particular attention tothe
traf fic situation when opening the doors
and make sure there is suf ficient clear‐
ance. If
th ere is a vehicle in the monitoring range, this
is indicated in the outside mir ror.If a vehicle
occupant opens the door on the side with thewa
rning, a warning tone sounds and thewa rning
lamp in the outside mir rorst arts toflash.
This additional function is on lyavailable when
Blind Spot Assist is active. When theex itwa rn‐
ing is activated, it can warnvehicle occupants
fo r up tothre e minutes af ter switching the igni‐
tion off. The exitwa rning is no longer available
once thewa rning lamp in the outside mir ror
fl ashes thre e times.
The exitwa rning is only an aid and not a substi‐
tute forth e attention of vehicle occupants. The
re sponsibility for opening and closing the doors
and for leaving theve hicle remains with theve hi‐
cle occupants.
Sy stem limits
Blind Spot Assist and Active Blind Spot Assi st
may be limi ted in thefo llowing situations, in par‐
ticular:
R ifth ere is dirt on the sensors or the sensors
are obscured
R in poor visibility, e.g. due tofog, heavy rain or
snow R
ifth ere are nar row vehicles, e.g. bicycles or
mo torbikes
R ifth ero ad has very wide or nar rowlanes
R ifve hicles are not driving in the middle of
th eir lane
Wa rnings may be issued in er ror when driving
close tocrash barr iers or similar continuous lane
borders. Alw ays make sure that there is suf fi‐
cient dist ancetothe side forot her traf fic or
obs tacles.
Wa rnings may be inter rupte d when driving along‐
side long vehicles, forex ample lor ries, for a pro‐
longed time.
Blind Spot Assist is not operational when reve rse
ge ar is engaged.
Blind Spot Assist and theex itwa rning are not
operational when a trailer is coupled totheve hi‐
cle and the electrical connection has been cor‐
re ctly es tablished.
The exitwa rning may be limited in thefo llowing
situations:
R when the sensors are co veredby adjacent
ve hicles in nar row parking spaces 214
Driving and pa rking
Internal use only