ESP MERCEDES-BENZ S-Class 2015 W222 Owner's Guide

If the autonomous braking function requires a
particularly high braking force, preventative
passenger protection measures (PRE-SAFE ®
)
are activated simultaneously.
Adaptive Brake Assist i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 76).
Adaptive Brake Assist provides braking assis-
tance in hazardous situations at speeds
above 4 mph (7 km/h). It uses radar sensor
technology to assess the traffic situation. G
WARNING
Adaptive Brake Assist cannot always clearly
identify objects and complex traffic situa-
tions.
In such cases, Adaptive Brake Assist can:
R intervene unnecessarily
R not intervene
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit- uation and be ready to brake. Terminate the
intervention in a non-critical driving situation. G
WARNING
Adaptive Brake Assist does not react:
R to people or animals
R to oncoming vehicles
R to crossing traffic
R when cornering
As a result, the Adaptive Brake Assist may not intervene in all critical conditions. There is a
risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit- uation and be ready to brake.
Due to the nature of the system, particularly
complicated but non-critical driving condi-
tions may also cause Brake Assist to inter-
vene.
If adaptive Brake Assist is not available due to a malfunction in the radar sensor system, the brake system remains available with full
brake boosting effect and BAS.
With the help of adaptive Brake Assist, the
distance warning signal can detect obstacles
that are in the path of your vehicle for an
extended period of time.
If adaptive Brake Assist detects a risk of col-
lision with the vehicle in front, it calculates
the braking force necessary to avoid a colli-
sion. If you apply the brakes forcefully, adap-
tive Brake Assist will automatically increase
the braking force to a level suitable for the
traffic conditions.
X Keep the brake pedal depressed until the
emergency braking situation is over.
ABS prevents the wheels from locking.
The brakes will work normally again if:
R you release the brake pedal.
R there is no longer any danger of a collision.
R no obstacle is detected in front of your
vehicle.
Adaptive Brake Assist is then deactivated.
If adaptive Brake Assist demands particularly
high braking force, preventative passenger
protection measures (PRE-SAFE ®
) are activa-
ted simultaneously.
Up to a speed of approximately 155 mph
(250 km/h), adaptive Brake Assist is capable
of reacting to moving objects that have
already been detected as such at least once
over the period of observation.
Up to a speed of approximately 44 mph
(70 km/h), adaptive Brake Assist reacts to
stationary obstacles. ESP
®
(Electronic Stability Program)
General notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 76).
ESP ®
monitors driving stability and traction,
i.e. power transmission between the tires and
the road surface. Driving safety systems
81Safety Z

If ESP
®
detects that the vehicle is deviating
from the direction desired by the driver, one
or more wheels are braked to stabilize the
vehicle. 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 slippery roads. ESP ®
can also stabilize the vehicle during braking.
ETS/4ETS (Electronic Traction System) i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 76).
ETS traction control is part of ESP ®
. On vehi-
cles with 4MATIC, 4ETS 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. In addition, more drive torque is trans-
ferred to the wheel or wheels with traction.
Traction control remains active, even if you
deactivate ESP ®
.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If ESP ®
is malfunctioning, ESP ®
is unable to
stabilize the vehicle. Additionally, further driv- ing safety systems are deactivated. This
increases the risk of skidding and an accident.
Drive on carefully. Have ESP ®
checked at a
qualified specialist workshop.
Vehicles without 4MATIC: observe the notes
on ESP ®
(Y page 437) when towing the vehi-
cle with a raised rear axle.
ESP ®
is only deactivated if the åwarning
lamp is lit continuously.
If the ÷ warning lamp lights up continu-
ously, ESP ®
is not available due to a malfunc-
tion.
Observe the information on warning lamps
(Y page 360) and display messages which
may be shown in the instrument cluster
(Y page 317). Only use wheels with the recommended tire
sizes. Only then will ESP ®
function properly.
Characteristics of ESP ® General information
If the
÷ ESP warning lamp goes out before
beginning the journey, ESP ®
is automatically
active.
If ESP ®
intervenes, the ÷ESP®
warning
lamp flashes in the instrument cluster.
If ESP ®
intervenes:
X Do not deactivate ESP ®
under any circum-
stances.
X Only depress the accelerator pedal as far as
necessary when pulling away.
X Adapt your driving style to suit the prevail-
ing road and weather conditions.
ECO start/stop function
The ECO start/stop function switches the
engine off automatically when the vehicle
stops moving. The engine starts automati-
cally when the driver wants to pull away again. ESP ®
remains in its previously selected sta-
tus. Example: if ESP®
was deactivated before
the engine was switched off, ESP ®
remains
deactivated when the engine is switched on
again.
Deactivating/activating ESP ® Important safety notes
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 76).
You can select between the following states
of ESP ®
:
R ESP ®
is activated.
R ESP ®
is deactivated. G
WARNING
If you deactivate ESP ®
, ESP ®
no longer sta-
bilizes the vehicle. There is an increased risk
of skidding and an accident. 82
Driving safety systemsSafety

Only deactivate ESP
®
in the situations descri-
bed in the following.
It may be best to deactivate ESP ®
in the fol-
lowing situations:
R when using snow chains
R in deep snow
R on sand or gravel
i Activate ESP ®
as soon as the situations
described above no longer apply. ESP ®
will
otherwise not be able to stabilize the vehi-
cle if the vehicle starts to skid or a wheel
starts to spin.
! Avoid spinning the driven wheels for an
extended period with ESP ®
deactivated.
You could otherwise damage the drivetrain.
Deactivating/activating ESP ®
You can deactivate or activate ESP ®
via the
on-board computer.
X To deactivate: (Ypage 82).
The å ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up.
X To activate: (Ypage 82).
The å ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster goes out.
Characteristics when ESP ®
is deactivated
If ESP ®
is deactivated and one or more wheels
start to spin, the ÷ESP®
warning lamp in
the instrument cluster flashes. In such situa-
tions, ESP ®
will not stabilize the vehicle.
If you deactivate ESP ®
:
R ESP ®
no longer improves driving stability.
R engine torque is no longer limited and the
drive wheels are able to spin.
The spinning of the wheels results in a cut- ting action for better traction on loose sur-faces.
R traction control is still activated.
R ESP ®
still provides support when you
brake. Crosswind Assist (vehicles without
MAGIC BODY CONTROL) General information
Vehicles with MAGIC BODY CONTROL: infor-
mation on stabilizing the vehicle in the event
of crosswind (Y
page 243).
Strong crosswinds can cause your vehicle to
deviate from a straight course. The crosswind
driving assistance function integrated into
ESP ®
significantly reduces these effects.
ESP ®
intervenes automatically according to
the direction and intensity of the crosswinds
affecting your vehicle.
ESP intervenes with stabilizing braking to
assist you in keeping the vehicle in the lane.
Crosswind Assist is active at vehicle speeds
above 50 mph (80 km/h) when driving
straight ahead or cornering gently.
Important safety notes
Crosswind Assist does not work if ESP ®
is
deactivated or disabled because of a mal-
function. EBD (electronic brake force distribu-
tion)
General information EBD monitors and controls the brake pres-
sure on the rear wheels to improve driving
stability while braking.
Important safety notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 76). G
WARNING
If EBD is malfunctioning, the rear wheels can
lock, e.g. under full braking. This increases the risk of skidding and an accident.
You should therefore adapt your driving style
to the different handling characteristics. Have the brake system checked at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop. Driving safety systems
83Safety Z

Observe information regarding indicator and
warning lamps (Y page 358) as well as dis-
play messages (Y page 320).ADAPTIVE BRAKE
ADAPTIVE BRAKE enhances braking safety
and offers increased braking comfort. In addi-
tion to the braking function, ADAPTIVE BRAKE
also has the HOLD function (Y page 242) and
hill start assist (Y page 192). PRE-SAFE
®
Brake
General information i
Pay attention to the important safety
notes in the "Driving safety systems" sec-
tion (Y page 76).
PRE‑SAFE ®
Brake is only available for vehi-
cles with the Driving Assistance package.
For PRE-SAFE ®
Brake to assist you when driv-
ing, the radar sensor system and the camera
system must be switched on and be opera-
tional.
With the help of the radar sensor system and
the camera system, PRE-SAFE ®
Brake can
detect obstacles that are in front of your vehi-
cle for an extended period of time.
In addition, pedestrians in the path of your
vehicle can be detected.
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake detects pedestrians using
typical characteristics such as the body con-
tours and posture of a person standing
upright.
Observe the restrictions described in the
"Important safety notes" sec-
tion“ (Y page 84).
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake can help you to minimize
the risk of a collision with a vehicle ahead or a pedestrian, and reduce the effects of such a
collision. If PRE-SAFE ®
Brake has detected a
risk of collision, you will be warned visually
and acoustically as well as by automatic brak- ing. Important safety notes G
WARNING
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake will initially brake your vehi-
cle by a partial application of the brakes if a
danger of collision is detected. There may be
a collision unless you brake yourself. Even
after subsequent full application of the brakes
a collision cannot always be avoided, partic-
ularly when approaching at too high a speed.
There is a risk of an accident.
Always apply the brakes yourself and try to
take evasive action, provided it is safe to do
so. G
WARNING
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake cannot always clearly iden-
tify objects and complex traffic conditions.
In these cases, PRE-SAFE ®
Brake may:
R give an unnecessary warning and then
brake the vehicle
R not give a warning or intervene
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay particular attention to the traffic
situation and be ready to brake, especially if
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake warns you. Terminate the
intervention in a non-critical driving situation.
In order to maintain the appropriate distance
to the vehicle in front and thus prevent a col- lision, you must apply the brakes yourself.
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake can also brake the vehicle
automatically under the following conditions:
R the driver and front-passenger have their
seat belts fastened
and
R the vehicle speed is between approx-
imately 4 mph (7 km/h) and 124 mph
(200 km/h)
At a speed of up to approximately 44 mph
(70 km/h), PRE-SAFE ®
Brake can also detect:
R stationary objects in the path of your vehi-
cle, e.g. stopped or parked vehicles
R pedestrians in the path of your vehicle 84
Driving safety systemsSafety

The braking action of PRE-SAFE
®
Brake is
ended automatically if:
R you maneuver to avoid the obstacle.
R there is no longer a risk of collision.
R there is no longer an obstacle detected in
front of your vehicle. STEER CONTROL
General information STEER CONTROL helps you by transmitting a
noticeable steering force to the steering
wheel in the direction required for vehicle
stabilization.
This steering assistance is provided in partic-
ular if:
R both right wheels or both left wheels are on
a wet or slippery road surface when you
brake.
R the vehicle starts to skid.
Important safety notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 76).
No steering support is provided from STEER
CONTROL, if: R ESP ®
is malfunctioning.
R the lighting is faulty.
Power steering will, however, continue to
function. Protection against theft
Immobilizer
The immobilizer prevents your vehicle from
being started without the correct SmartKey. X To activate with the SmartKey: remove
the SmartKey from the ignition lock.
X To activate with KEYLESS-GO: switch the
ignition off and open the driver's door.
X To deactivate: switch on the ignition. When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Any-
one can start the engine if a valid SmartKey
has been left inside the vehicle.
i The immobilizer is always deactivated
when you start the engine.
In the event that the engine cannot be star- ted (yet the vehicle's battery is charged),
the system is not operational. Contact an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center or call
1-800-FOR-MERCedes (in the USA) or
1-800-387-0100 (in Canada). ATA (anti-theft alarm system)
X
To arm: lock the vehicle with the SmartKey
or KEYLESS-GO.
Indicator lamp :flashes. The alarm sys-
tem is armed after approximately
15 seconds.
X To disarm: unlock the vehicle with the
SmartKey or KEYLESS-GO.
or X Insert the SmartKey into the ignition lock.
A visual and audible alarm is triggered if the
alarm system is armed and you open:
R a door
R the vehicle with the mechanical key
R the trunk lid
R the hood 86
Protection against theftSafety

SmartKey functions
:
& To lock the vehicle
; F To open/close the trunk lid
= % To unlock the vehicle
X To unlock centrally: press button=.
If you do not open the vehicle within
approximately 40 seconds of unlocking:
R the vehicle is locked again.
R the anti-theft alarm system is armed
again.
X To lock centrally: press button:.
The SmartKey centrally locks/unlocks:
R the doors
R the trunk lid
R the fuel filler flap
The turn signals flash once when unlocking
and three times when locking.
i You can also set an audible signal to con-
firm that the vehicle has been locked. The
audible signal can be activated and deacti-
vated using COMAND (see the separate
operating instructions).
i When the surround lighting is activated in
COMAND, it comes on when it is dark after
the vehicle is unlocked using the remote
control. Information on activating and
deactivating the surround lighting can be
found in the separate operating instruc-
tions. X
To open the trunk lid automatically
from outside the vehicle: press and hold
button ;until the trunk lid opens. KEYLESS-GO
General notes Bear in mind that the engine can be started by
any of the vehicle occupants if there is a
SmartKey in the vehicle.
Locking/unlocking centrally You can start, lock or unlock the vehicle using
KEYLESS-GO. To do this, you only need carry
the SmartKey with you. You can combine the
functions of KEYLESS-GO with those of a con- ventional SmartKey. Unlock the vehicle by
using KEYLESS-GO, for instance, and lock it
using the &button on the SmartKey.
The driver's door and the door at which the
handle is used, must both be closed. The
SmartKey must be outside the vehicle. When
locking or unlocking with KEYLESS-GO, the
distance between the SmartKey and the cor-
responding door handle must not be greater
than 3 ft (1 m).
A check which periodically establishes a radio
connection between the vehicle and the
SmartKey determines whether a valid Smart- Key is in the vehicle. This occurs, for example:
R when starting the engine
R whilst driving
R when using HANDS-FREE ACCESS
R when the external door handles are
touched
R during convenience closing SmartKey
91Opening and closing Z

If somebody becomes trapped:
R press the Fbutton on the SmartKey, or
R pull or press the remote operating switch
on the driver's door or
R press the closing or locking button on the
trunk lid, or
R pull on the trunk lid handle Opening and closing manually
Opening X
Press the Fbutton on the SmartKey.
or X Pull handle :.
The trunk lid opens.
Closing X
Pull the trunk lid down using recess :.
Vehicles with trunk lid remote closing
feature or power closing: X
Lightly push the trunk lid closed.
The power closing function pulls the trunk
lid closed.
X Lock the vehicle if necessary with the &
button on the SmartKey or with KEYLESS-
GO (Y page 91).
i If KEYLESS-GO detects a SmartKey in the
trunk, the trunk lid cannot be locked. It then opens again. Opening/closing automatically from
outside
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Parts of the body could become trapped dur-
ing automatic closing of the trunk lid. More-
over, people, e.g. children, may be standing in the closing area or may enter the closing area
during the closing process. There is a risk of
injury.
Make sure that nobody is in the vicinity of the closing area during the closing process.
Use one of the following options to stop the
closing process:
R press the Fbutton on the SmartKey.
R pull or press the remote operating switch
on the driver's door.
R press the closing or locking button on the
trunk lid.
R pull the trunk lid handle. G
WARNING
Combustion engines emit poisonous exhaust
gases such as carbon monoxide. Exhaust
gases can enter the vehicle interior if the
trunk lid is open when the engine is running,
especially if the vehicle is in motion. There is a risk of poisoning.
Always switch off the engine before opening
the trunk lid. Never drive with the trunk lid
open. Trunk
101Opening and closing Z

close. Repeat the leg movement more
quickly if this occurs.
To stop the opening or closing procedure:
R kick with your leg in the sensor detection
range :under the bumper or
R pull the handle on the outside of the trunk
lid or
R press the closing button in the trunk lid or
R press the Fbutton on the SmartKey
If the trunk lid closing procedure has been
stopped:
R move your foot under the bumper again and
the trunk lid will open.
If the trunk lid opening procedure has been
stopped:
R move your foot under the bumper again and
the trunk lid will close. Opening/closing automatically from
inside
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Parts of the body could become trapped dur-
ing automatic closing of the trunk lid. More-
over, people, e.g. children, may be standing in the closing area or may enter the closing area
during the closing process. There is a risk of
injury.
Make sure that nobody is in the vicinity of the closing area during the closing process.
Use one of the following options to stop the
closing process:
R press the Fbutton on the SmartKey.
R pull or press the remote operating switch
on the driver's door.
R press the closing or locking button on the
trunk lid.
R pull the trunk lid handle. G
WARNING
Combustion engines emit poisonous exhaust
gases such as carbon monoxide. Exhaust
gases can enter the vehicle interior if the
trunk lid is open when the engine is running,
especially if the vehicle is in motion. There is a risk of poisoning.
Always switch off the engine before opening
the trunk lid. Never drive with the trunk lid
open.
! The trunk lid swings upwards when
opened. Therefore, make sure that there is
sufficient clearance above the trunk lid.
i The opening dimensions of the trunk lid
can be found in the "Vehicle data" section
(Y page 495).
Opening and closing You can open and close the trunk lid from the
driver's seat when the vehicle is stationary
and unlocked.
X To open: pull remote operating switch for
trunk lid :until the trunk lid opens.
X To close: press remote operating switch
for trunk lid :until the trunk lid is com-
pletely closed. Locking the trunk separately
You can lock the trunk separately. If you then
unlock the vehicle centrally, the trunk
remains locked and cannot be opened. 104
TrunkOpening and closing

The trunk lid emergency release does not
unlock the trunk lid if the battery is discon-
nected or discharged.
Trunk lid emergency release light:
R emergency release button :flashes for
30 minutes after the trunk lid is opened
R emergency release button :flashes for
60 minutes after the trunk lid is closed Side windows
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
While opening the side windows, body parts
could become trapped between the side win- dow and the door frame as the side window
moves. There is a risk of injury.
Make sure that nobody touches the side win-
dow during the opening procedure. If some-
body becomes trapped, release the switch or pull the switch to close the side window again. G
WARNING
While closing the side windows, body parts in the closing area could become trapped. There is a risk of injury.
When closing make sure that no parts of the
body are in the closing area. If somebody
becomes trapped, release the switch or press
the switch to open the side window again. G
WARNING
If children operate the side windows they
could become trapped, particularly if they are left unsupervised. There is a risk of injury.
Activate the override feature for the rear side
windows. When leaving the vehicle, always
take the SmartKey with you and lock the vehi-
cle. Never leave children unsupervised in the
vehicle. Side window reversing feature
The side windows are equipped with an auto- matic reversing feature. If a solid object
blocks or restricts a side window from trav-
eling upwards during automatic operation,
the side window opens again automatically.
During the manual closing process, the side
window only opens again automatically after
the corresponding switch is released. The
automatic reversing feature is only an aid and
is no substitute for your attention when clos- ing a side window. G
WARNING
The reversing feature does not react:
R to soft, light and thin objects, e.g. small fin-
gers
R while resetting
This means that the reversing feature cannot
prevent someone being trapped in these sit-
uations. There is a risk of injury.
Make sure that no body parts are in close
proximity during the closing procedure. If
someone becomes trapped, press the switch
to open the side window again. Opening and closing the side win-
dows
The switches for all side windows are located on the driver's door. There is also a switch on
each door for the corresponding side window.
The switches on the driver's door take prec-
edence. 106
Side windowsOpening and closing

:
Front left
; Front right
= Rear right
? Rear left
X Turn the SmartKey to position 1or 2in the
ignition lock (Y page 189).
X To open manually: press and hold the cor-
responding switch.
X To open fully: press the switch beyond the
point of resistance and release it.
Automatic operation is started.
X To close manually: pull and hold the cor-
responding switch.
X To close fully: pull the corresponding
switch beyond the pressure point.
Automatic operation is started.
X To interrupt automatic operation:
press/pull the corresponding switch again.
i If you press the switch beyond the point of
resistance and release, automatic opera-
tion is started in the corresponding direc-
tion. You can stop automatic operation by
pressing/pulling the switch again.
i You can continue to operate the side win-
dows after you switch off the engine or
remove the SmartKey. This function
remains active for five minutes or until you
open a front door.
i When the override feature for the side
windows is activated (Y page 75), the side
windows cannot be operated from the rear. i
Before opening or closing the side win-
dows, a check is carried out to see whether a valid SmartKey is in the vehicle, if:
R a side window switch is pressed or pulled
and
R the Start/Stop button is used instead of
the SmartKey in the ignition lock
and
R the engine is not running
This is carried out by means of a brief radio connection between the vehicle and the
SmartKey.
i Information on opening and closing the
roller sunblinds on the rear side windows
(Y page 381). Convenience opening
General notes You can ventilate the vehicle before you start
driving.
If the SmartKey is in close proximity to the
vehicle, the convenience opening function is
available.
To do this, the SmartKey is used to carry out
the following functions simultaneously:
R unlock the vehicle
R open the side windows
R open the panorama roof with power tilt/
sliding panel and the roller sunblinds
R switch on the seat ventilation for the driv-
er's seat
Convenience opening X
Press and hold the %button until the
side windows and the panorama roof with Side windows
107Opening and closing Z