brake light MERCEDES-BENZ S-CLASS SEDAN 2012 Owner's Manual

Warning display for the front area
:Segments on the left-hand side of the
vehicle;Segments on the right-hand side of the
vehicle=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 = light up.
The selected transmission position
determines which warning display is active
when the engine is running.
Transmission
positionWarning displayDFront area activatedRRear and front areas
activatedNIf the electric parking
brake is engaged: no
areas are activated
If the electric parking
brake is released:
rear and front areas
are activatedPNo 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 minimum distance.
Deactivating/activating PARKTRONIC:To deactivate/activate PARKTRONIC;Indicator lamp
If indicator lamp ; lights up, PARKTRONIC is
deactivated.
i PARKTRONIC is automatically activated
when you turn the SmartKey to position 2
in the ignition lock.
352Driving systemsDriving and parking

The system may be impaired or may not
function if:
R there is poor visibility, e.g. due to
insufficient illumination 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 1.5 seconds.
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 AssistXActivate Lane Keeping Assist using the on-
board computer ( Y page 387).
Symbol : appears in the multifunction
display.
If your speed exceeds 40 mph (60 km/h)
and lane markings are detected,
symbol : is 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),
366Driving systemsDriving and parking

audible warnings are emitted and the system
does not brake 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 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.
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:Yellow indicator lamp/red warning lamp
When Active Blind Spot Assist is activated,
indicator lamp : in 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 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 (30 km/h), warning lamp : on 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 7 mph (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.
GWARNING
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.
368Driving systemsDriving and parking

Visual and audible collision warnings
If a vehicle is detected in the side monitoring
range and you switch on the respective turn
signals, you will receive a collision warning.
You will hear a double warning tone and red
warning lamp : flashes. If the turn signal
remains on, vehicles detected are indicated
by the flashing of red warning lamp :. There
are no further warning tones.
Course-correcting brake application
If Active Blind Spot Assist detects a risk of a
lateral collision in the monitoring range, a
course-correcting brake application is carried
out. This is meant to assist you in avoiding a
collision.
The course-correcting brake application is
available in the speed range between 20 mph
(30 km/h) and120 mph (200km/h).
If a course-correcting brake application
occurs, red warning lamp : flashes in the
exterior mirror and the following is shown in
the multifunction display, for example:GWARNING
Active Blind Spot Assist is only an aid
designed to assist driving. It is not a substitute
for attentive driving. In some cases, the
course-correcting brake application is not
sufficient to avoid a collision. In such a case,
you must steer, brake or accelerate.
In very rare cases, the system may
erroneously detect a danger of collision in the
area of crash barriers or similar lane borders
and apply the brakes. Active Blind Spot Assist
does not detect all traffic situations and road
users. Always make sure that there is
sufficient distance on the side for other traffic
or obstacles. An inappropriate brake
application may be interrupted at any time if
you steer slightly in the opposite direction or
accelerate.
You are responsible for driving at appropriate
speeds, 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.
There will be either no or only a weak course-
correcting brake application if:
R there are vehicles or obstacles, e.g. crash
barriers, located on both sides of your
vehicle.
R a vehicle approaches you too closely at the
side.
R you have adopted a sporty driving style with
high cornering speeds.
R you clearly brake or accelerate.
R a driving safety system intervenes, e.g.
ESP ®
or PRE-SAFE ®
Brake.
R ESP ®
is switched off.
R a loss of tire pressure or a defective tire is
detected.
Switching on Active Blind Spot AssistXMake sure that the radar sensor system
( Y page 389) and Active Blind Spot Assist
( Y page 387) are activated in the on-board
computer.XTurn the SmartKey to position 2 in the
ignition lock.
Warning lamps : light up red in the
exterior mirrors for approximately
1.5 seconds and then turn yellow.
Active Lane Keeping Assist
Important safety notes
Active Lane Keeping Assist monitors the area
in front of your vehicle by means of a camera
behind the top of the windshield. Active Lane
Keeping Assist detects lane markings on the
Driving systems369Driving and parkingZ

Ra 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.
Lane-correcting brake application
If you leave your lane under certain
circumstances the vehicle will brake briefly
on one side. This is meant to assist you in
bringing the vehicle back to the original lane.
This function is available in the range between
40 mph and 120 mph (60 km/h and
200 km/h).
A lane-correcting brake application can only
be made after driving over a solid,
recognizable lane marking. Before this, a
warning must be given by means of
intermittent vibration in the steering wheel.
In addition, a lane with lane markings on both
sides must be recognized. The brake
application also slightly reduces vehicle
speed.
If a lane-correcting brake application occurs,
the following, for example, appears in the
multifunction display:
i A further lane-correcting brake
application can only occur after your
vehicle has returned to the original lane.
GWARNING
Active Lane Keeping Assist does not keep
your vehicle in its lane. It is only an aid
designed to assist driving. It is not a substitute
for attentive driving. In some cases, the lane-
correcting brake application is not sufficient
to bring your vehicle back to the original lane.
In such cases, you must steer the vehicle
yourself to ensure that it does not leave the
lane.
Active Lane Keeping Assist does not detect
road and traffic conditions. Always make sure
that there is sufficient distance to the side for
other traffic or obstacles. In rare cases,
unclear markings or particular structures on
the roadway can be recognized as solid lane
markings. An inappropriate brake application,
e.g. after intentionally driving over a solid lane
marking, may be interrupted at any time by
steering slightly in the opposite direction.
Active Lane Keeping Assist cannot take
weather conditions into account.
You are responsible for the driving at
appropriate speeds, 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.
No lane-correcting brake application occurs
if:
R you clearly and actively steer, brake or
accelerate.
R you cut the corner on a sharp bend.
R you switch on the turn signals.
R a driving safety system intervenes, e.g.
ESP ®
, PRE-SAFE ®
Brake or Active Blind
Spot Assist.
R you have adopted a sporty driving style with
high cornering speeds or high rates of
acceleration.
R ESP ®
is switched off.
R the transmission is not in position D.
R a loss of tire pressure or a defective tire has
been detected and displayed.Driving systems371Driving and parkingZ

Active Lane Keeping Assist does not detect
traffic situations or road users. An
inappropriate brake application may be
interrupted at any time if you:
R steer slightly in the opposite direction.
R use a turn signal.
R clearly brake or accelerate.
A lane-correcting brake application is
interrupted automatically if:
R a driving safety system intervenes, e.g.
ESP ®
, PRE-SAFE ®
Brake or Active Blind
Spot Assist.
R lane markings can no longer be recognized.
Switching on Active Lane Keeping AssistXSwitch on Active Lane Keeping Assist using
the on-board computer ( Y page 387).
Symbol : appears in the instrument
cluster.
If your speed exceeds 40 mph (60 km/h)
and lane markings are detected,
symbol : is highlighted in green. Active
Lane Keeping Assist is ready for use.372Driving systemsDriving and parking

Safety systemsDisplay messagesPossible causes/consequences and M Solutions!÷
Currently
Unavailable See
Oper. ManualGRisk of accident
ABS (Anti-lock Braking System), ESP ®
(Electronic Stability
Program), BAS (Brake Assist), PRE-SAFE ®
, the HOLD function and
hill start assist are temporarily unavailable.
BAS PLUS and PRE-SAFE ®
Brake may also have failed.
In addition, the ÷, å and ! warning lamps light up in
the instrument cluster.
The self-diagnosis function might not be complete, for example.
ATTENTION ASSIST 19
is deactivated.
The brake system continues to function normally, but without the
functions listed above. The wheels could therefore lock if you
brake hard, for example.
XCarefully drive a short distance on a suitable stretch of road,
making slight steering movements at a speed above 12 mph
(20 km/h).
If the display message disappears, the functions mentioned
above are available again.
If the display message continues to be displayed:
XDrive on carefully.XVisit a qualified specialist workshop.GRisk of accident
ABS, ESP ®
, BAS, PRE-SAFE ®
, the HOLD function and hill start
assist are temporarily unavailable.
BAS PLUS and PRE-SAFE ®
Brake may also have failed.
In addition, the ÷, å and ! warning lamps light up in
the instrument cluster.
For example, the on-board voltage may be insufficient.
ATTENTION ASSIST 19
is deactivated.
The brake system continues to function normally, but without the
functions listed above. The wheels could therefore lock if you
brake hard, for example.
XDrive on carefully.
If the display message disappears, the functions mentioned
above are available again.19 Not available on hybrid vehicles.Display messages391On-board computer and displaysZ

Display messagesPossible causes/consequences and M SolutionsIf the display message continues to be displayed:XDrive on carefully.XVisit a qualified specialist workshop.!÷
Inoperative See
Oper. ManualGRisk of accident
ABS, ESP ®
, BAS, PRE-SAFE ®
, the HOLD function and hill start
assist are unavailable due to a malfunction.
BAS PLUS and PRE-SAFE ®
Brake may also have failed.
The $ (USA only)/ J (Canada only), ÷, å
and ! warning lamps in the instrument cluster also light up.
The brake system continues to function normally, but without the
functions listed above. The wheels could therefore lock if you
brake hard, for example.
ATTENTION ASSIST 19
is deactivated.
XDrive on carefully.XVisit a qualified specialist workshop immediately.÷
Currently
Unavailable See
Oper. ManualGRisk of accident
ESP ®
, BAS, PRE-SAFE ®
, the HOLD function and hill start assist are
temporarily unavailable.
BAS PLUS and PRE-SAFE ®
Brake may also have failed.
In addition, the ÷ and å warning lamps light up in the
instrument cluster.
The self-diagnosis function might not be complete, for example.
ATTENTION ASSIST 19
is deactivated.
The brake system continues to function normally, but without the
functions listed above.
XCarefully drive a short distance on a suitable stretch of road,
making slight steering movements at a speed above 12 mph
(20 km/h).
If the display message disappears, the functions mentioned
above are available again.
If the display message continues to be displayed:
XDrive on carefully.XVisit a qualified specialist workshop.19 Not available on hybrid vehicles.392Display messagesOn-board computer and displays

Display messagesPossible causes/consequences and M SolutionsGRisk of accident
If the display message is shown and the ÷ warning lamp flashes
at the same time, the Electronic Traction System is deactivated.
Otherwise, the brakes on the drive wheels could overheat.
XLet the brakes cool down until the display message disappears
and the ÷ warning lamp goes out.
The Electronic Traction System is activated again.÷
Inoperative See
Oper. ManualGRisk of accident
ESP ®
, BAS, PRE-SAFE ®
, the HOLD function and hill start assist are
unavailable due to a malfunction.
BAS PLUS and PRE-SAFE ®
Brake may also have failed.
In addition, the ÷ and å warning lamps light up in the
instrument cluster.
ATTENTION ASSIST 19
is deactivated.
The brake system continues to function normally, but without the
functions listed above.
XDrive on carefully.XVisit a qualified specialist workshop.å
System InoperativeGRisk of accident
ESP ®
, BAS, PRE-SAFE ®
, the HOLD function and hill start assist are
unavailable due to a malfunction. BAS PLUS and PRE-SAFE ®
Brake
may also have failed. In addition, the ÷ and å warning
lamps light up in the instrument cluster.
ATTENTION ASSIST 19
is deactivated.
XDrive on carefully.XVisit a qualified specialist workshop.19 Not available on hybrid vehicles.Display messages393On-board computer and displaysZ

Display messagesPossible causes/consequences and M SolutionsT !
÷
Inoperative See
Oper. Manual GRisk of accident
EBD (electronic brake force distribution), ABS, ESP ®
, BAS, PRE-
SAFE ®
, the HOLD function and hill start assist are unavailable due
to a malfunction.
BAS PLUS and PRE-SAFE ®
Brake may also have failed.
In addition, the ÷, å and ! warning lamps light up in
the instrument cluster and a warning tone sounds.
ATTENTION ASSIST 19
is deactivated.
The brake system continues to function normally, but without the
functions listed above. The wheels could therefore lock if you
brake hard, for example.
XDrive on carefully.XVisit a qualified specialist workshop immediately.#
Check Brake Pad
WearThe brake pads/linings have reached their wear limit.XVisit a qualified specialist workshop.F (USA only)
! (Canada only)
Please Release
Parking BrakeThe red F (USA only)/ ! (Canada only) indicator lamp
flashes and a warning tone sounds.
You are driving with the electric parking brake applied.XRelease the electric parking brake.
or
XPull away carefully ( Y page 328).The red F (USA only)/ ! (Canada only) indicator lamp
flashes and a warning tone sounds.
You are making an emergency stop using the electric parking
brake ( Y page 328).XAfter the emergency stop: release the electric parking brake
lever.19 Not available on hybrid vehicles.394Display messagesOn-board computer and displays