engine MERCEDES-BENZ S-Class 2013 W221 Manual Online

When you deactivate DISTRONIC PLUS, the
DISTRONIC PLUS Off
message is shown in
the multifunction display for approximately
five seconds.
i The last speed stored remains stored until
you switch off the engine.
DISTRONIC PLUS is automatically
deactivated if:
R you engage the electric parking brake or if
the vehicle is automatically secured with
the electric parking brake
R you are driving slower than 15 mph
(25km/h) and there is no vehicle in front,
or if the vehicle in front is no longer
detected.
R ESP ®
intervenes or you deactivate ESP ®
.
R the transmission is in the P,Ror Nposition.
R you switch off the radar sensor system
(Y page 389).
R you pull the cruise control lever towards
you in order to pull away and the front-
passenger door or one of the rear doors is
open.
R the vehicle has skidded.
If DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated, you will
hear a warning tone. The DISTRONIC PLUSOff message is shown in the multifunction
display for approximately five seconds. G
WARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated and releases
the brakes if the vehicle is slowed down to a
speed below 20 mph (30km/h) by the system,
provided that DISTRONIC PLUS does not
detec tavehicle directly in front. At this point,
the driver must apply the brakes in order to
slow down further and bring the vehicle to a
standstill.
Tips for driving with DISTRONIC PLUS Important safety notes
The following contains descriptions of certain
road and traffic conditions in which you must
be particularly attentive. In such situations, brake if necessary. DISTRONIC PLUS is then
deactivated. G
WARNING
The DISTRONIC PLUS works to maintain the
speed selected by the driver unless a moving
obstacle proceeding directly ahead of it in the
same travel directio nis detected (e.g.
following another vehicle ahead of you at your
set distance).
This means that:
R Your vehicle can pass another vehicle after
you have changed lanes.
R While in a sharp turn or if the preceding
vehicle is in a sharp turn, the DISTRONIC
PLUS could lose sight of the preceding
vehicle. Your vehicle could then accelerate
to the previously selected speed.
The DISTRONIC PLUS regulates only the
distance between your vehicle and those
directly ahead of it. It may not register
stationary objects in the road, e.g.:
R a stopped vehicle in a traffic jam
R a disabled vehicle
R an oncoming vehicle
The driver must always be alert, observe all
traffic and intercede as required by means of
steering or braking the vehicle. G
WARNING
The DISTRONIC PLUS should not be used in
snowy or icy road conditions.
Cornering, going into and coming out of a
bend 344
Driving systemsDriving and parking

R
the electrical syste minthe engine
compartment, the battery or the fuses are
tampered with.
R the battery is disconnected.
If you leave the vehicle or park it, deactivate
the HOLD function and secure the vehicle
against rolling away. AIRMATIC
Vehicle level Important safety notes
Your vehicle regulates its height
automatically
.All-round level control ensures
the best possible suspension and constant
ground clearance, even with a laden vehicle.
When you drive fast, the vehicle is lowered
automatically to improve driving safety and to
reduce fuel consumption.
The following vehicle levels are possible on
vehicles without 4MATIC:
R Normal
R raised: the vehicle is raised by about 1in
(25 mm) when compared with the normal
level
R lowered: the vehicle is lowered by about
0.60 in (15 mm) when compared with the
normal level
The following vehicle levels are possible on
vehicles with 4MATIC:
R normal: in Comfor tmode, the vehicle is
raised by about 0.40i n (10mm) when
compared with Sport mode
R raised: in Comfort mode, the vehicle is
raised by about 0.60 in (15 mm) and in
Sport mode by about 1 in (25 mm) when
compared with normal level
R lowered: the vehicle is lowered by about
0.40 in (10mm) when compared with the
normal level
The "Normal" and "Raised" vehicle levels can
be set manually. The "Lowered” vehicle level is set
automatically:
R
in vehicles withou t4MATIC at speeds
above 60 mph (100 km/h)
R in vehicles with 4MATIC at speeds above
50 mph (80 km/h).
Setting the vehicle level
Select the "Normal" setting for normal road
surfaces and "Raised" for driving with snow
chains or on particularly poor road surfaces.
Your selection remains stored even if you
remove the SmartKey from the ignition lock. G
WARNING
To help avoid personal injury, keep hands and
feet away from wheel housing area, and stay
away from under the vehicle when lowering
the vehicle chassis. Setting raised level
X
Start the engine.
If indicator lamp 0003is not lit:
X Press button 0002.
Indicator lamp 0003lights up. The vehicle
height is adjusted to raised level.
The Vehicle Rising message appears in
the display.
The "Raised level" setting is canceled if you:
R drive at speeds above 75 mph (120 km/h)
R drive for about three minutes at speeds
above 50 mph (80 km/h).
The "Raised level" remains active whe nyou
are not driving within these speed ranges. Driving systems
347Driving and parking Z

Setting the normal level
X
Start the engine.
If indicator lamp 0003is lit:
X Press button 0002.
Indicator lamp 0003goes out. The vehicle is
adjusted to normal level.
Suspension tuning General notes
The Adaptive Damping System (ADS)
automatically controls the calibration of the
dampers and springs.
The damping is tuned individually to each
wheel and depends on:
R your driving style, e.g. sporty
R the road surface condition ,e.g. bumps
R your individual selection, i.e .sports or
comfort
Your selection remains stored even if you
remove the SmartKey from the ignition lock. Sports tuning
The firmer suspension tunin
ginSport mode
ensures even better contact with the road.
Select this mode when employing a sporty
driving style, e.g. on winding country roads.
X If indicator lamp 0003 is not lit:
press
button 0002.
Indicator lamp 0003lights up. Sports
suspension tuning is selected.
The AIRMATIC SPORT message appears in
the multifunction display. Comfort tuning
In Comfort mode, the driving characteristics
of your vehicle are more comfortable.
Therefore, select this mode if you favor a
more comfortable driving style. Select
comfort mode also when driving fast on
straight roads, e.g. on straight stretches of
freeway.
X
If indicator lamp 0003 is lit:
press
button 0002.
Indicator lamp 0003goes out. Comfort tuning
is selected.
The AIRMATIC COMFORT message appears
in the multifunction display. Active Body Control (ABC)
Vehicle level Your vehicle automatically adjusts its ride
height to improve driving safety and reduce
fuel consumption.
Depending on the vehicle height that has
been set, the vehicle automatically adjusts its
height dependen
tonthe current speed. As
speed increases, the vehicle is lowered by up
to 0.6 in (15 mm). As the speed is reduced,
the vehicle is raised up to the set vehicle
height. G
WARNING
The vehicle is lowered when the engine is
switched off. Therefore, make sure that
nobody is in the vicinity of the wheel housing
or under the vehicle when you switch off the
engine. Otherwise, limbs could become
trapped.
! The vehicle is lowered when the engine is
switched off. When parking, position your
vehicle so that it does not make contact
with the curb as the vehicle is lowered. Your
vehicle could otherwise be damaged.
i For AMG vehicles: when the engine is
switched off, the vehicle is lowered by
approx. 0.4 in (10 mm). 348
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Setting the vehicle level
Select the "Normal" setting for normal road
surfaces and "Raised" for driving with snow
chains or on particularly poor road surfaces. G
WARNING
To help avoid personal injury, keep hands and
feet away from wheel housing area, and stay
away from under the vehicle when lowering
the vehicle chassis.
Your selection remains stored even if you
remove the SmartKey from the ignition lock. Setting raised level
X
Start the engine.
If indicator lamp 0003is not lit:
X Press button 0002.
Indicator lamp 0003lights up. The vehicle
height is adjusted to raised level.
Setting the normal level
X Start the engine.
If indicator lamp 0003is lit:
X Press button 0002.
Indicator lamp 0003goes out. The vehicle is
adjusted to normal level.
Suspension tuning The electronically controlled ABC suspension
system works continuously.T
his improves
driving safety and comfort. The ABC suspension system is tuned
individually to each wheel and depends on:
R
your driving style, e.g. sporty
R the road surface condition,e .g. bumps
R your individual selection, i.e .sports or
comfort
R the vehicle load
Your selection remains stored even if you
remove the SmartKey from the ignition lock. Sports tuning
The firmer suspension tunin
ginSport mode
ensures even better contact with the road.
Select this mode when employing a sporty
driving style, e.g. on winding country roads.
X If indicator lamp 0003 is not lit:
press
button 0002.
Indicator lamp 0003lights up. You have
selected the suspension for a sporty driving
style.
The ABC Active Body Control SPORT message appears in the multifunction
display.
Comfort tuning
In Comfort mode, the driving characteristics
of your vehicle are more comfortable.
Therefore, select this mode if you favor a
more comfortable driving style.
X If indicator lamp 0003 is lit:
press
button 0002.
Indicator lamp 0003goes out. You have
selected the suspension for acomfortable
driving style. Driving systems
349Driving and parking Z

Warning display for the fron
tarea
0002 Segments on the left-hand side of the
vehicle
0003 Segments on the right-hand side of the
vehicle
0026 Segments showing operational readiness
The warning display for each side of the
vehicle is divided into five yellow and two red
segments. PARKTRONIC is operational if
yellow segments showing operational
readiness 0026light up.
The selected transmission position
determines which warning display is active
when the engine is running. Transmission
position Warning display
D
Front area activated
R
Rear and front areas
activated
N
If the electric parking
brake is engaged: no
areas are activated
If the electric parking
brake is released:
rear and front areas
are activated
P
No areas activated
One or more segments light up as the vehicle
approaches an obstacle, depending on the
vehicle's distance from the obstacle.
When the first red segment lights up, you hear
an intermittent warning for about two
seconds. From the second red segment, you hear a continuous warning. This indicates that
you have now reached the minimu
mdistance.
Deactivating/activating PARKTRONIC 0002
To deactivate/activate PARKTRONIC
0003 Indicator lamp
If indicator lamp 0003lights up, PARKTRONIC is
deactivated.
i PARKTRONIC is automatically activated
when you tur nthe SmartKey to position 2
in the ignition lock. 352
Driving systemsDriving and parking

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

Useful information
i This Operator's Manual describes all
models and all standard and optional
equipment of your vehicle available at the
time of publication of the Operator's
Manual. Country-specific differences are
possible. Please note that your vehicle may
not be equipped with all features
described. This also applies to safety-
related systems and functions.
i Please read the information on qualified
specialist workshops (Y page 31).Important safety notes
You will find an illustration of the instrument
cluster in the "At a glance" section
(Y page 37). G
WARNING
The driver's concentration must always be
directed primarily at road traffic.
For your safety and the safety of others,
selecting features through the multifunction
steering wheel should only be done by the
driver when traffic and road conditions permit
it to be done safely.
Bear in mind that at a speed of only 30 mph
(approximately 50 km/h), the vehicle covers
a distance of 44 feet (approximately 14 m) per
second. G
WARNING
No messages will be displayed if either the
instrument cluster or the multifunction
display is inoperative.
As a result, you will not be able to see
information about your driving conditions,
such as
R speed
R outside temperature
R warning/indicato rlamps R
malfunction/warning messages
R failure of any systems
Driving characteristics may be impaired.
If you must continue to drive, do so with added
caution .Contactana uthorized Mercedes-
Ben zCenter as soon as possible. G
WARNING
HYBRID vehicles: It is imperative that you read
the HYBRID Supplemental Operating
Instructions included in your vehicle literature
portfolio. You may otherwise not receive all
necessary safety information and warning for
the operation of your vehicle. G
WARNING
Malfunction and warning messages are only
indicated for certain systems and are
intentionally not very detailed. The
malfunction and warning messages are
simply a reminder with respect to the
operation of certain systems. They do not
replace the owner's and/or driver's
responsibility to maintain the vehicle's
operating safety. Have all required
maintenance and safety checks performed on
the vehicle. Bring the vehicle to an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center to address the
malfunction and warning messages. Displays and operation
Coolant temperature display
G
WARNING
Driving when your engine is overheated can
cause some fluids which may have leaked into
the engine compartment to catch fire. You
could be seriously burned.
Steam from an overheated engine can cause
serious burns which can occur just by opening
the engine hood. Stay away from the engine
if you see or hear steam coming from it.
Stop the vehicle in a safe location away from
other traffic. Turn off the engine, get out of the 374
Displays and operationOn-board computer and displays

vehicle and do not stand near the vehicle until
the engine has cooled down.
The coolant temperature gauge is in the
instrument cluster on the left-hand side.
Under normal operating conditions and with
the specified coolant level, the coolant
temperature may rise to 248 ‡ (120 †).
! Adisplay message is shown if the coolant
temperature is too high.
If the coolant temperature is over
248 ‡(120 †), do not continue driving. The
engine will otherwise be damaged. Tachometer
The red band in the tachometer indicates the
engine's overrevving range.
! Do not drive in the overrevving range, as
this could damage the engine.
The fuel supply is interrupted to protect the
engine when the red band is reached. Outside temperature display
The outside temperature display is in the
multifunction display (Y page 376).G
WARNING
The outside temperature indicator is not
designed to serve as an ice-warning device
and is therefore unsuitable for that purpose.
Indicated temperatures just above the
freezing point do not guarantee that the road
surface is free of ice. The road may still be icy,
especially in wooded areas or on bridges.
Changes in the outside temperature are
displayed after a shor tdelay. Operating the on-board computer
The on-board computer is activated as soon
as you turn the SmartKey to position 2in the
ignition lock. You can control the multifunction display and
the settings in the on-board computer using
the buttons on the multifunction steering
wheel.
0002
Multifunction display
0003
001F
Rejects or ends a call
Exits phone book/redial memory
0027
Makes or accepts a call
Switches to the redial memory
000F0010
Adjusts the volume or operates the
RACETIMER in AMG vehicles
0029
Mute
0026
001B
Switches on the Voice Control
System; see the separate operating
instructions Displays and operation
375On-board computer and displays Z

0002
Gear indicator
0003 Upshif tindicator
0026 Engine oil temperature
0025 Coolant temperature
Upshift indicator up 0003
indicates tha tthe
engine has reached the overrevving range
when in the manual gearshift program.
Upshift indicator up 0003
fades out other
messages until you have shifted up.
When the engine oil temperature is below
80 †, the oil temperature is shown in blue.
Avoid driving at full engine output during this
time.
i S 63 AMG: the status of the ECO start/
stop function (Y page 310) is also shown.
RACETIMER Displaying and starting RACETIMER
G
WARNING
The RACETIMER feature is only for use on
roads and in conditions where high speed
driving is permitted. Racing on publicr oads is
prohibited under all circumstances. The driver
is and must always remain responsible for
following posted speed limits.
You can use the RACETIMER to store lap
times.
With RACETIMER, you cannot use the 000F
and 0010 buttons on the steering wheel to
adjust the volume.
X Press the 0009or000C button on the
steering wheel to select the AMG menu.
X Press the 000Abutton repeatedly until the
RACETIMER is shown. 0002
Gear indicator
0003 Seconds indicator
0026 RACETIMER
0025 Lap
You can start the RACETIMER when the
engine is running or if the SmartKey is in
position 2in the ignition lock.
X To start: press the 000Fbutton to start the
RACETIMER.
X To display the intermediate time: press
the 0010 button to show the intermediate
time.
The intermediate time is displayed for five
seconds.
X To stop: press the 000Fbutton to stop the
RACETIMER.
The RACETIMER interrupts timing when you
stop the vehicle and turn the SmartKey to
position 1in the ignition lock. When you turn
the SmartKey to position 2or 3and then
press the 000Fbutton, timing is continued.
Storing the lap time and starting anew lap
It is possible to store a maximum of sixteen
laps.
X Press the 0010button on the steering
wheel to show the intermediate time during
timing.
The intermediate time is displayed for five
seconds.
X Press the 0010button again within five
seconds.
The displayed intermediate tim eis stored
as a lap time. 382
Menus and submenusOn-board computer and displays

Deactivating/activating ESP
®G
WARNING
Under no circumstances should you
deactivate ESP ®
when the 000CESP®
warning lamp in the instrument cluster
flashes .Proceed as follows:
R when driving off, apply as little throttle as
possible.
R while driving, ease up on the accelerator
pedal.
R adapt yours peed to suit the prevailing road
and weather conditions.
Failure to observe these guidelines could
cause the vehicle to skid. ESP ®
cannot
prevent accidents resulting from excessive
speed.
For further information about ESP ®
, see
(Y page 75).
X Start the engine.
X Press 0009or000C on the steering wheel
to select the Assistance menu.
X Press the 000Aor000B buttonto select
ESP .
X Press the 0011button.
X To deactivate: press0011again.
The 0013 warning lamp in the instrument
cluster comes on. G
WARNING
When the 0013ESP®
OFF warning lamp is lit,
ESP ®
is deactivated.
If the 000C ESP®
warning lamp and the
0013 ESP®
OFF warning lamp remain lit,
ESP ®
is not available due to amalfunction.
When ESP ®
is deactivated or no toperational,
vehicle stability in standard driving
maneuvers is reduced.
Adapt your speed and driving to the prevailing
road conditions and to the non-operating
status of the ESP ®
. X
To activate: press0011again.
The 0013 warning lamp in the instrument
cluster goes out.
Activating/deactivating PRE-SAFE ®
Brake PRE-SAFE
®
Brake is only available in vehicles
with DISTRONIC PLUS.
X Press the 0009or000C button on the
steering wheel to select the DriveAssist menu.
X Press 000Aor000B to select PRE-SAFE Brake .
X Press 0011.
The curren tselection is displayed.
X To activate/deactivate: press0011
again.
When PRE-SAFE ®
Brake (Y page 77) is
activated, the multifunction display shows
the 0001 symbol as long as the HOLD
function is not activated (Y page 346).
Activating/deactivating ATTENTION
ASSIST This function is not available in HYBRID
vehicles.
X
Press the 0009or000C button on the
steering wheel to select the DriveAssist menu.
X Press the 000Aor000B button to select
Attention Assist .
X Press 0011.
The curren tselection is displayed.
X To activate/deactivate: press0011
again.
When ATTENTION ASSIST( Ypage 359) is
activated, the 0004symbol appears in the
multifunction display when the ignition is on. 386
Menus and submenusOn-board computer and displays