MERCEDES-BENZ S-Class 2013 W221 Owner's Manual

ATTENTION ASSIST
Important safety notes ATTENTION ASSIST helps you during long,
monotonous journeys such as on freeways
and interstate highways. It is active in the
range between 50 mph (80 km/h) and
112 mph (180 km/h).
If ATTENTION ASSIST detects typical
indicators of fatigue or increasing lapses in
concentration on the part of the driver, it
suggests you take a break. G
WARNING
ATTENTION ASSIST is only an aid and may
detec tyour tiredness or lapses in
concentration too late or not at all. It is not a
substitute for a well-rested and attentive
driver.
Fatigue may cause you to recognize
hazardous situations too late, misjudge a
situation or react more slowly. For this
reason, make sure you feel rested before you
begin driving and during your journey. Make
sure that you take regular breaks in time,
particularly on long journeys. Otherwise, you
may fail to recognize dangers in time, cause
an accident and injure yourself and others.
ATTENTION ASSIST assesses your level of
fatigue or lapses in concentration by taking
the following criteria into account:
R your personal driving style, e.g. steering
characteristics
R driving conditions, e.g. time, driving time
The functionality of ATTENTION ASSIST is
restricted and warnings may be delayed or
not occur at all:
R if the road condition is poor, e.g. if the
surface is uneven or if there are potholes
R if there is a strong side wind
R if you have adopted a sporty driving style
with high cornering speeds or high rates of
acceleration R
if you are predominantly driving slower
than 50 mph (80 km/h) or faster than
112 mph (180 km/h)
R if you are currently using COMAND or
making a telephone call with it
R if the time has been set incorrectly
R in active driving situations, such as when
you change lanes or change your speed
Warning and display messages in the
multifunction display X
Activate ATTENTION ASSIST using the on-
board computer (Y page 386).
Symbol 0002appears in the multifunction
display.
If ATTENTION ASSIST is active, you will be
warned no sooner than 20 minutes after your
journey has begun. You will then hear an
intermittent warning tonet wice, and the
Attention Assist: Drowsiness Detected message appears in the
multifunction display.
X If necessary, take a break.
X Press 0011to confirm the message.
On long journeys, take regular breaks in good
time to allow yourself to rest properly. If you
do not take a break, you will be warned again
after 15 minutes at the earliest. The
preconditio nfor this is that
ATTENTION ASSIST still detects typical
indicators of fatigue or increasing lapses in
concentration. Driving systems
359Driving and parking Z

ATTENTION ASSIST is reset when you
continue your journey and starts assessing
your tiredness agai
nif:
R you switch off the engine.
R you take off you rseat belt and open the
driver's door, e.g. for a change of drivers or
to take a break. Night View Assist Plus
Important safety notes In addition to the illumination provided by the
normal headlamps, Night View Assist Plus
uses infrared light to illuminate the road. The
Night View Assist Plus camera picks up the
infrared light and shows a black-and-white
image in the multifunction display. The image
shown in the multifunction display
corresponds to a road lit up by high-beam
headlamps. This enables you to see the road's
course and any obstacles in good time. If
pedestrian recognition is activated,
pedestrians recognized by the system are
highlighted in the Night View Assist Plus
display. G
WARNING
Night View Assist Plus is only an aid designed
to assist driving. It is not a substitute for
attentive driving. Do not rely solely on the
Night View Assist Plus display. Continue to
look through the windshield. You are
responsible for safety and must drive in
accordance with traffic conditions .You could
otherwise put yourself and others in danger.
The system may be impaired or unavailable if:
R there is poor visibility, e.g. due to snow,
rain, fog or heavy spray.
R the windshield is dirty, fogged up or
covered, for instance by a sticker, in the
vicinity of the camera.
R you are driving on bends, uphill gradients
or downhill gradients.
Light from the headlamps of oncoming
vehicles does not affect the Night View Assist Plus display in the multifunction display
.This
is also the case if you cant switch on the high-
beam headlamps due to oncomingt raffic. G
WARNING
The Night View Assist Plus cannot record
objects immediately in front of or next to the
vehicle. When maneuvering, continue to look
through the windshield. Make sure no
persons or animals are in the area in which
you are maneuvering. You could otherwise
injure them.
i Infrared light is not visible to the human
eye and therefore does not glare. Night
View Assist Plus can therefore remain
switched on even if there is oncoming
traffic. 0002
Night View Assist Plus camera
Switching on Night View Assist Plus 360
Driving systemsDriving and parking

You can only activate Night View Assist Plus
if:
R the SmartKey is in position 2in the ignition
lock.
R it is dark.
R the light switch is in the 000Dor000A
position.
R reverse gear has not been engaged.
X Press button 0002.
The Night View Assist Plus display appears
in the multifunction display. 0002
Night View Assist Plus display
0003 Pedestrian recognized
0026 Framing
0025 Symbol for active pedestrian recognition
0023 Speed display
i The infrared lamps switch on
automatically fro maspeed of about
6 mph (10 km/h). This means that you do
not have the full visual range while the
vehicle is stationary and cant check
whether Night View Assist Plus is working.
When you activate Night View Assist Plus,
speed display 0023in the multifunction display
changes. Speed display 0023is shown as a bar
at the bottom edge of the multifunction
display. This line is no longer available for
basic menus. You have to deactivate Night
View Assist Plus if you want to change a
setting using the buttons on the multifunction
steering wheel. Pedestrian recognition G
WARNING
Pedestrian recognition may be impaired or
inoperative if:
R pedestrians are partially or entirely
obscured by objects, e.g. parked vehicles.
R the silhouette of the pedestrian in the Night
View Assist Plus display is incomplete or
interrupted, e.g. by powerful light
reflections.
R pedestrians do not contrast with the
surroundings.
R pedestrians are not standing upright, for
example, if they are sitting, crouching or
lying down.
i Animals are not recognized by pedestrian
recognition.
Night View Assist Plus is able to recognize
pedestrians by typical characteristics, e.g. a
silhouette in the shape of aperson.
Pedestrian recognition is then switched on
automatically if:
R Night View Assist Plus is activated.
R you are driving faster than 6 mph
(10 km/h).
R the surroundings are dark, e.g. when
driving outside built-up areas without
street lighting.
If pedestrian recognition is active,
symbol 0025appears. If pedestrians are
recognized, they are framed 0026and thereby
highlighted. If the pedestrian recognition
system has brought a pedestrian to your
attention, look through the windshield to
evaluate the situation .The actual distance to
objects and pedestrians cant be gauged
accurately by looking at a screen.
It may be the case that objects are highlighted
as well as pedestrians. Driving systems
361Driving and parking Z

Setting the brightness of the
multifunction display
X
To make brighter or dimmer : make sure
that Night View Assist Plus is activated.
X Turn control 0002counterclockwise or
clockwise.
Foggedupord irtyw indshield If the windshield in front of the camera is
fogged up or dirty on the inside or outside, the
Night View Assist Plus display is affected.
G
WARNING
Always remember that you must concentrate
primarily on driving the vehicle. A driver's
attention to the road must always be his/her
primary focus when driving. For your safety
and the safety of others: stop the vehicle
before attempting to clean fogged up
windows or the windshield area in fron tofthe
Night View Assist Plus camera.
Please remember that when your vehicle is
traveling at a speed of only 30 mph
(approximately 50 km/h) it covers a distance
of 44 ft (approximately 14 m) per second.
X To defrost: check the automatic air
conditioning settings (Y page 300) and fold
down the camera cover (Y page 475).
X To defrost the inside of the windshield:
fold down the camera cover (Y page 475)
and clean the windshield (Y page 473).362
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Problems with Night View Assist Plus
Problem Possible causes/consequences and
0004 Solutions
The picture quality of
Night View Assist Plus
has deteriorated. The windshield wipers are smearing the windshield.
X
Replace the wiper blades (Y page 289). The windshield is smeared after the vehicle has been cleaned in a
car wash.
X
Cleant he windshield (Y page 473). There is windshield chip damage in the camera's field of vision.
X
Replace the windshield. The windshield is fogged up on the inside.
X
Defrost the windshield (Y page 300). The windshield is iced up.
X
De-ice the windshield (Y page 300). There is dirt on the inside of the windshield.
X
Cleant he inside of the windshield (Y page 473).Driving Assistance package
General notes i
The Driving Assistance package is only
available on vehicles with HYBRID.
The Driving Assistance package consists of
DISTRONIC PLUS (Y page 336), Blind Spot
Assist (Y page 363) and Lane Keeping Assist
(Y page 365).
Blind Spot Assist Important safety notes
Blind Spot Assist uses a radar sensor system
to monitor the areas on both sides of your
vehicle. It supports you from speeds of
approximately 20 mph (30 km/h). A warning
display in the exterio rmirrors draws your
attention to vehicles detected in the
monitored area. If you then switch on the
corresponding tur nsignal to change lane, you
will also receive an optical and audible
collision warning. Blind Spot Assist uses sensors in the rear bumper for monitoring
purposes. G
WARNING
Blind Spot Assist is only an aid designed to
assist driving. It may fail to detect some
vehicles and is no substitut efor attentive
driving.
Blind Spot Assist cannot detect road and
traffic conditions. It may fail to detect narrow
vehicles, such as motorcycles or bicycles, or
may only detect them too late.
Monitoring may be affected by dirty sensors,
strong spray or poor visibility caused by snow,
rain or mist, for example. In this case, vehicles
are detected late or not at all.
Always pay attention to traffic conditions and
your surroundings. Otherwise, you may fail to
recognize dangers in time, cause an accident
and injure yourself and others.
i USA only: Driving systems
363Driving and parking Z

This device has been approved by the FCC
as a “Vehicular RadarS
ystem”.The radar
sensor is intended for use in an automotive
radar system only. Removal, tampering, or
altering of the device will void any
warranties, and is not permitted by the
FCC. Do not tamper with, alter, or use in
any non-approved way.
Any unauthorized modification to this
device could void the user’s authority to
operate the equipment.
For Blind Spot Assist to assist you when
driving, the radar sensor system must be
activated (Y page 389) and operational.
Monitoring range of the sensors
Active Blind Spot Assist monitors the area up
to 10 ft (3 m) behind your vehicle and directly
next to your vehicle, as shown in the diagram. G
WARNING
Blind Spot Assist monitors certain areas in the
immediate vicinity of your vehicle. Vehicles
that approach and drive past at high speeds
are not detected. There is no display and no
warning.
If the lanes are very wide, it may not be
possible to monitor the complete width of the
neighboring lane. For this reason, vehicles in
the next lane may not be detected, especially
if they are driving in a staggered formation. This may be the case if vehicles are driving at
that edge of their lane which is furthest away
from your vehicle.
Always pay attention to traffic conditions and
your surroundings. Otherwise, you may fail to
recognize dangers in time, cause an accident
and injure yourself and others.
If the lanes are narrow, vehicles driving in the
lane beyond the lane next to your vehicle may
be indicated, especially if the vehicles are not
driving in the middle of their lane. This may
be the case if there are vehicles driving at the
inner edge of their lanes.
Due to the nature of the system:
R warnings may be issued in error when
driving close to crash barriers or similar
solid lane borders.
R warnings may be interrupted when driving
alongside long vehicles, for example
trucks, for a prolonged time.
The two radar sensors for Blind Spot Assist
are integrated into the sides of the rear
bumper. Make sure that the bumper is free
from dirt, ice or slush around the sensors. The
sensors must not be covered, for example by
cycle racks or overhanging loads. Following a
severe impact or in the event of damage to
the bumpers, have the function of the sensors
checked at a qualified specialist workshop.
Blind Spot Assist may otherwise not work
properly.
Indicator and warning display 0002
Yellow indicator lamp/red warning lamp 364
Driving systemsDriving and parking

When Blind Spot Assist is activated, indicator
lamp 0002in the exterior mirrors lights up
yellow at speeds of up to 20 mph(30 km/h).
At speeds above 20 mph (30 km/h), the
indicato rlamp goes out and Blind Spo tAssist
is operational.
If a vehicle is detected within the monitoring
range of Blind Spot Assist at speeds above
20 mph (30km/h), warning lamp 0002on the
corresponding side lights up red. This warning
is always emitted when a vehicle enters the
blind spot monitoring range from behind or
from the side. When you overtake a vehicle,
the warning only occurs if the difference in
speed is less than 7mph (12km/h).
The yellow indicator lamp goes out if reverse
gear is engaged. In this event, Blind Spot
Assist is no longer active.
The brightness of the indicator/warning
lamps is adjusted automatically according to
the ambient light. G
WARNING
Blind Spot Assist is not active at speeds below
approximately 20 mph (30 km/h). The
indicator lamps in the exterior mirrors are
yellow. Vehicles in the monitoring range are
then not indicated.
Always pay attention to traffic conditions and
your surroundings. Otherwise, you may fail to
recognize dangers in time, cause an accident
and injure yourself and others.
Collision warning
If a vehicle is detected in the monitoring range
of Blind Spot Assist and you switch on the
corresponding turn signal, a double warning
tone sounds. Red warning lamp 0002flashes. If
the turn signal remains on, detected vehicles
are indicated by the flashing of red warning
lamp 0002.There are no further warning tones.
Switching on Blind Spot Assist
X Make sure that the radar sensor system
(Y page 389) and Blind Spot Assist (Y
page 387) are activated in the on-board
computer.
X Turn the SmartKey to position 2in the
ignition lock.
Warning lamps 0002light up red in the
exterior mirrors for approximately
1.5 seconds and then turn yellow.
Lane Keeping Assist Important safety notes
Lane Keeping Assist monitors the area in
front of your vehicle by means of a camera at
the top of the windshield. Lane Keeping Assist
detects lane markings on the road and warns
you before you leave your lane
unintentionally.
0002
Lane Keeping Assist camera
If you have chosen the Display unit Speed-/odometer (Y
page 388) function in
the on-board computer and select km as the
unit of measurement, Lane Keeping Assist is
active from speeds of 60 km/h. If the miles display unit is selected, the assistance range
begins at 40 mph.
G
WARNING
Lane Keeping Assist does not keep your
vehicle in its lane. It is only an aid and may
detect the lane markings on the road
incorrectly or not at all. Driving systems
365Driving and parking
Z

The system may be impaired or may not
function if:
R
there is poor visibility, e.g. due to
insufficien tillumination of the road, or due
to snow, rain, fog or spray.
R there is glare, e.g. from oncoming traffic,
the sun, or reflection from other vehicles.
R the windshield is dirty, fogged up or
covered, for instance by a sticker, in the
vicinity of the camera.
R several or no lane markings for a single lane
are present.
R the lane markings are worn away, dark or
covered up, e.g. by dirt or snow.
R the distance to the vehicle in front is too
small and the lane markings thus cannot be
detected.
R the lane markings on the road are unclear,
e.g. near roadworks.
R the lane markings change quickly, e.g.
lanes branch off, cross one another or
merge.
R the road is narrow and winding.
Lane Keeping Assist cannot detect road and
traffic conditions. It is not a substitute for
attentive driving. You are responsible for the
vehicle's speed, braking in good time, and
steering correctly. Always adapt your driving
style to suit the prevailing road and weather
conditions. Always pay attention to traffic
conditions and your surroundings. Otherwise,
you may fail to recognize dangers in time,
cause an accident and injure yourself and
others.
A warning may be given if a front wheel
passes over a lane marking. It will warn you
by means of intermittent vibration in the
steering wheel for up to 1. 5seconds.
In order that you are warned only when
necessary and in good time if you cross the
lane marking, the system recognizes certain
conditions and warns you accordingly. The warning vibration occurs earlier if:
R
you approach the outer lane marking on a
bend.
R the road has very wide lanes, e.g. a
freeway.
R the system recognizes solid lane markings.
The warning vibration occurs later if:
R the road has narrow lanes.
R you cut the corner on a bend.
No warning vibration occurs if:
R you clearly and actively steer, brake or
accelerate.
R you cut the corner on a sharp bend.
R a driving safety system intervenes, e.g.
ABS, BAS or ESP ®
.
R you switch on the turn signals. In this event,
the warnings are suppressed for a certain
period of time.
Switching on Lane Keeping Assist X
Activate Lane Keeping Assist using the on-
board computer (Y page 387).
Symbol 0002appears in the multifunction
display.
If your speed exceeds 40 mph (60 km/h)
and lane markings are detected,
symbol 0002is highlighted in green. Lane
Keeping Assist is ready for use. Active Driving Assistance package
General notes i
The Active Driving Assistance package is
only available on vehicles without HYBRID.
The Active Driving Assistance package
consists of DISTRONIC PLUS (Y page 336),366
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Active Blind Spot Assist (Y
page 367) and
Active Lane Keeping Assist (Y page 369).
Active Blind Spo tAssist Important safety notes
Active Blind Spot Assist uses a radar sensor
system to monitor the side areas of your
vehicle which are in back of the driver. A
warning display in the exterior mirrors draws
your attention to vehicles detected in the
monitored area. If you then switch on the
corresponding turn signal to change lane, you
will also receive an optical and audible
collision warning. If a risk of lateral collision
is detected, corrective braking may help you
avoid a collision. To support the course-
correcting brake application, Active Blind
Spot Assist also uses the forward-facing radar
sensor system. Active Blind Spot Assist
supports you from a speed of approximately
20 mph (30 km/h). G
WARNING
Active Blind Spot Assist is only an aid, and
may detect vehicles/obstacles incorrectly or
not at all.
The system may be impaired or may not
function if:
R there is poor visibility, e.g. due to snow,
rain, fog or spray.
R the rear and/or front sensors are dirty.
Active Blind Spot Assist may not detect
narrow vehicles, such as motorcycles or
bicycles, or may only detect them too late. It
cannot detect vehicles that are overtaken at
a small distance and then enter the blind spot
area.
Active Blind Spot Assist cannot detect road
and traffic conditions. It is not a substitute for
attentive driving. You are responsible for the
vehicle's speed, braking in good time, and
steering correctly. Always adapt your driving
style to suit the prevailing road and weather
conditions. Always pay attention to traffic
conditions and your surroundings. Otherwise,
you may fail to recognize dangers in time, cause an accident and injure yourself and
others.
i USA only:
This device has been approved by the FCC
as a “Vehicular Radar System”. The radar
sensor is intended for use in an automotive
radar system only. Removal, tampering, or
altering of the device will void any
warranties, and is not permitted by the
FCC. Do not tamper with, alter, or use in
any non-approved way.
Any unauthorized modification to this
device could void the user’s authority to
operate the equipment.
For Active Blind Spot Assist to assist you
when driving, the radar sensor system must
be activated (Y page 389) and operational.
Monitoring area
Active Blind Spot Assist monitors the area up
to 10 ft (3 m) behind your vehicle and directly
nextt o your vehicle, as shown in the diagram.
For this purpose, Active Blind Spot Assist
uses radar sensors in the rear bumper. G
WARNING
Active Blind Spot Assist monitors certain
areas in the immediate vicinity of your vehicle.
Vehicles that approach and drive past at high
speeds are not detected. No visual nor Driving systems
367Driving and parking
Z

audible warnings are emitted and the system
does no
tbrake the vehicle to correct your
course.
If the lanes are very wide, it may not be
possible to monitor the complete width of the
neighboring lane. For this reason, vehicles in
the next lane may not be detected, especially
if they are driving in a staggered formation.
This may be the case if vehicles are driving at
that edge of their lane which is furthest away
from yourv ehicle.
Always pay attention to traffic conditions and
your surroundings. Otherwise, you may fail to
recognize dangers in time, cause an accident
and injure yourself and others.
If the lanes are narrow, vehicles driving in the
lane beyond the lane nextt o your vehicle may
be indicated, especially if the vehicles are not
driving in the middle of their lane. This may
be the case if there are vehicles driving at the
inner edge of their lanes.
Due to the nature of the system:
R warnings may be issued in error when
driving close to crash barriers or similar
solid lane borders.
R warnings may be interrupted when driving
alongside long vehicles, for example
trucks, for a prolonged time.
Two Active Blind Spot Assist radar sensors
are integrated into the front and rear bumpers
respectively. An additional radar sensor is
located behind the cover in the radiator grill.
Make sure that the sensors and areas around
them are free of dirt, ice or slush. The rear
sensors must not be covered, for example by
cycle racks or overhanging cargo. Following
a severe impact or in the event of damage to
the bumpers, have the function of the sensors
checked at a qualified specialist workshop.
Blind Spot Assist may otherwise not work
properly. Indicator and warning display
0002
Yellow indicator lamp/red warning lamp
When Active Blind Spot Assist is activated,
indicator lamp 0002in the exterior mirrors lights
up yellow at speeds of up to
20 mph(30 km/h). At speeds above 20 mph
(30km/h), the indicator lamp goes out and
Active Blind Spot Assist is operational.
If a vehicle is detected within the monitoring
range of Blind Spot Assist at speeds above
20 mph (30km/h), warning lamp 0002on the
corresponding side lights up red. This warning
is always emitted when a vehicle enters the
blind spot monitoring range from behind or
from the side. When you overtake a vehicle,
the warning only occurs if the difference in
speed is less than 7mph (12km/h).
The yellow indicator lamp goes out if reverse
gear is engaged. In this event, Active Blind
Spot Assist is no longer active.
The brightness of the indicator/warning
lamps is adjusted automatically according to
the ambient light. G
WARNING
Active Blind Spot Assist is not active at speeds
below 20 mph (30km/h). The indicator lamps
in the exterior mirrors are yellow. Vehicles in
the monitoring range are then not indicated.
Always pay attention to traffic conditions and
your surroundings. Otherwise, you may fail to
recognize dangers in time, cause an accident
and injure yourself and others. 368
Driving systemsDriving and parking