warning MERCEDES-BENZ V-CLASS 2021 Manual Online

Limited braking e.ect on salt-treated
roads:
R a layer of salt on the brake disks or brakepads
can increase braking distances considerabl y,
or braking may happen on only one side
R maintain an especially lar gesafe dis tance to
th eve hicle in front
To remo vethe la yer of salt:
R apply the brakes from time totime, paying
attention totra1c conditions
R careful lydepress the brake pedal at the end of
a journey and aTer the start of a new journey
N
N e
ew br
w br ak
ak e disk
e disk s and br
s and br ak
akepads
epads
Ne w brakepads and brake disks only reach their
optimal braking e.ect aTer appr oximately 100 km.
Until then, compensate forth ere duced braking
e.ect byapplying greater pressure tothe brake
pedal. For saf etyre asons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only ha vebrakepads and brake
disks which are appr ovedby Mercedes-Benz instal-
led on your vehicle.
Other brake disks or brakepads may compromise
th e saf ety of your vehicle.
Alw aysre place all brake disks and brakepads on
an axle at the same time. Alw ays /t new brakepads
when replacing brake disks.
Inf
Inf or
ormation about dr
mation about dr iving onwe
iving on wet r
t roads
oads
Not
Not es on aq
es on aq uaplaning
uaplaning
Aq uaplaning can take place once a cer tain amount
of wa ter has accumulate d onthero ad sur face.
Obser vethefo llowing no tes during heavy precipi-
ta tion or in conditions in whi chaquaplaning may
occur:
R reduce your speed
R avoid tyre ruts
R avoid sudden steering mo vements
R brake careful ly
Also obser vethe no tes on regular lyinspecting
wheels and tyres (/ page 252).
Not
Not es on dr
es on dr iving t
iving thr
hrough w
ough w at
ater on r
er on r oads
oads
Wa ter which has entered theve hicle can damage
th e engine, electrics and transmission.
Wa ter can also enter the air intake /tting of the
engine and cause engine damage. Obser
vethefo llowing if you must drive thro ugh
wa ter:
R The water,when calm, may only reach the
lo we r edge of theve hicle body.
R Drive at walking pace at most; water can other-
wise enter theve hicle interior or engine com-
partment.
R Vehicles tr avelling in front, or oncoming vehi-
cles, can create waves which may exceed the
maximum permissible height of thewa ter
The braking e.ect of the brakes is reduced aTer
fo rd ing. Brake carefully while paying attention to
th e tra1c conditions until braking po wer has been
fully restored.
N
No ot
tes on dr
es on dr iving in mount
iving in mountainous ar ainous areas
eas
V
V ehicles wit
ehicles wit h diesel engines:
h diesel engines: the operating saf ety
of the diesel engine is guaranteed up toan ele va-
tion of 2,500 m abo vesea le vel.Yo u may exceed
th is ele vation for a short time, e.g. in mountainous
te rrain. Do not drive continuously at ele vations
abo ve2,500 m. Otherwise, you may damage the
diesel engine.
When driving in mountainous areas, no tethat
engine output, and therefore start-o. gradeability,
will decrease with increasing ele vation. The ECO
start/stop function is no longer available when
driving at ele vations higher than 2,500 m abo ve
sea le vel. Obser vethe no tes on braking on down-
hill gradients (/ page 138).
The maximum permissible trailer loads are valid for
journe ysat ele vations up to1,000 m abo vesea
le ve l with gradients up to12% (/ page 279). EC EC
O st
O st ar
art/st
t/st op function
op function Oper
Oper
ation of t
ation of t he EC
he ECO st
O star
art/st
t/st op function
op function &
W
WARNING
ARNING Risk of accident and injury due
to automatic engine starting
If th e engine was switched o. automatically
and youth en get out, it star ted again automati-
call y.The vehicle could pull away. #
Before leaving theve hicle, alw ays switch
o. theve hicle and secure theve hicle
against rolling away. Driving and parking
139
139

Manual tr
Manual tr
ansmission
ansmission Using t
Using t
he
heg
gear
ear shiT
shiT lev
lever
er *
N
NOOTE
TE Damage tothe engine and transmis-
sion byshiTing toage ar that is too low #
When changing between gears 5and
6 push thege arshiT le verto theright. #
Do not shiT down at high speeds. *
N
NOOTE
TE Damage tothe transmission by
shiTing toreve rsege ar k while theve hi-
cle is in motion #
Only shiT into reve rsege ar k when the
ve hicle is stationar y. *
N
NO
OTE
TE Damage tothe coupling due to
improper use Holding
theve hicle on inclines with a slipping
coupling can damage it. #
Do not allow the coupling toslip in order
to hold theve hicle on inclines. k
Reversege ar
1 -6
Forw ard gears
7 Reversege ar pull ring
i Neutral #
Fully depress the clutch pedal and shiT the
ge arshiT le verto the desired position. Gear
Gear
shiT
shiT r
recommendation
ecommendation The
gearshiT recommendations assist you in
adopting an economical driving style. Depending on
the equipment, these will appear at theto p or
bottom of the inst rument cluster displa y. #
Ifge arshiT recommendation 1appears, shiT
to there commended gear.
% Invehicles with an ECO start/stop function, a
ge arshiT recommendation toshiT toneutral
i will be displa yed as well. A
A
ut
ut omatic tr
omatic tr ansmission
ansmission DIRECT SELECT lev
DIRECT SELECT lev
er
er F
F
unction of t
unction of t he DIRECT SELECT lev
he DIRECT SELECT lev er
er &
W
WARNING
ARNING Risk of accident and injury due
to leaving children unattended in theve hi-
cle
If ch ildren are leT unattended in theve hicle,
th ey could, in particular:
R open doors, thereby endangering other
persons or road users.
R getout and be struck byoncoming tra1c.
R operate vehicle equipment and become
trapped, forex ample.
In addition, thech ildren could also set the
ve hicle in motion by,fo rex ample:
R releasing the parking brake.
R changing the transmission position.
R starting theve hicle. #
Never lea vechildren unattended in the
ve hicle. #
When leaving theve hicle, alw aysta ke the
ke y with you and lock theve hicle. #
Keep theve hicle key out of there ach of
ch ildren. Driving and parking
141
141

&
W
WARNI NG
ARNI NGRisk of accident due toincor-
re ct gearshiTing
If th e engine speed is higher than the idle
speed and you engage the transmission posi-
tion hork, theve hicle may accelerate
sharpl y. #
Ifyo u engage the transmission position
h ork when theve hicle is at a stand-
still, alw ays depress the brake pedal
/rmly and do not accelerate at the same
time. V
V
ehicles wit
ehicles wit h 7-speed aut
h 7-speed aut omatic tr
omatic transmission:
ansmission: &
W
WARNING
ARNING Risk of accident due tothe
ve hicle rolling away
When theve hicle is switched o., the automatic
transmission shiTs into neutral position i.#
Always shiT topark position jaTer
switching o. theve hicle. #
Secure against rolling away with the
parking brake. *
N
NOOTE
TE Transmission damage due toshiTing
at high engine speed or when theve hicle
is rolling Yo
u can damage the automatic transmission if
yo u shiT from htok , from ktoh or
directly toj when the engine speed is too
high or theve hicle is rolling. #
Only change the transmission position
when theve hicle is stationar y. Depending on
the transmission, the automatic
transmission switches totransmission position j
(9-speed automatic transmission) or i(7-speed
automatic transmission) when switching o. the
ve hicle. The po wer transmission between the
engine and transmission is inter rupted in transmis-
sion position i. Inthis case, shiT the automatic
transmission totransmission position jbefore
switching o. theve hicle when theve hicle is sta-
tionar y.Obser vethe messages in the display of the
inst rument cluster. Apply the parking brake topre-
ve nt theve hicle from rolling away.
Yo u use the DIRECT SELECT le verto switch the
transmission position. The cur rent transmission
position appears in the display of the inst rument
cluster (/ page 183). j
Park position
k Reversege ar
i Neutral
h Drive position
Eng
Eng aging rev
aging rever
erse g
se g ear R
ear R #
Depress the brake pedal and push the DIRECT
SELECT le ver upwards past the /r stpoint of
re sis tance.
Selecting neutr
Selecting neutr al N
al N &
W
WARNI NG
ARNI NGRisk of accident and injury
when neutral position is engaged
If yo u park theve hicle with the transmission in
neutral position iand the parking brake is
not engaged, theve hicle may rollawa y.
There is a risk of accident and injury! #
Before parking theve hicle, apply the
parking brake. #
Press the brake pedal and the DIRECT SELECT
le ve r upwards or down wardsto the /rst point
of resis tance.
% When you switch o. theve hicle, the 7-speed
automatic transmission automatically shiTs
into neutral i.
Subsequently releasing the brake pedal will allow
yo uto mo vetheve hicle freel y,e.g. topush it or
to w it away.
If t If t he aut
he aut omatic tr
omatic tr ansmission should also sta
ansmission should also sta y in
y in
neutr
neutr al
ali
i when t
when t he v
he vehicle is switc
ehicle is switc hed
hedo.,
o.,pr
pro-
o-
ceed as f
ceed as f ollow
ollows:
s: #
7-speed aut
7-speed aut omatic tr
omatic transmission:
ansmission: Leavethekey
in the ignition loc k. 142
142
Driving and parking

drive at speed,
theve hicle is lo wered automatically
to impr ovedriving saf ety and toreduce fuel con-
sum ption. There is also the option of raising the
ve hicle le vel while driving slo wly, e.g. for driving o.
public roads. The AIRMATIC settings are depend-
ent on the drive prog ram selection.
AIRM ATIC consists of thefo llowing functions and
components:
R all-round air suspension
R speed-dependent lo wering toreduce fuel con-
sum ption
R high le velfo rgr eater ground clearance when
driving slo wly,fo rex ample o. public roads, set
with the LiTLiT F/¦ drive program
R DYNAMIC SELECT switch
% Forth e LiTLiT drive prog ram, the inst rument clus-
te r sho ws th eF symbol next tothe trans-
mission position displa y.The media display
sh ow sth e¦ menu.
V
V ehicle lev
ehicle lev els per dr
els per dr iv
ive pr
e pr ogr
ogram
am
Drive prog rams A and¥:
R theve hicle is set tonormal le vel
R at speeds abo veappr ox. 110 km/h, theve hi-
cle is lo wered
R at speeds below appr ox. 75 km/h, theve hicle
is raised again
Drive prog ram C:
R theve hicle is set tolow le vel
R at higher speeds, theve hicle le vel does not
continue tolower
Drive prog ram F/¦:
R theve hicle is set tohigh le vel
R at speeds abo veappr ox. 30 km/h, theve hicle
le ve l lo wersto the normal le vel
R at speeds below appr ox. 10 km/h, theve hicle
is raised again
R at speeds abo veappr ox. 100 km/h, theve hi-
cle switches todrive prog ram A
% Ifth eve hicle is raised in the LiTLiT drive prog ram
or lo wered when changing from the LiTLiT drive
prog ram to ano ther drive prog ram, occasional
creaking noises may occur at the brake.
% Oper
Oper ation wit
ation wit h a tr
h a trailer or bicy
ailer or bicy cle r
cle rac
ack:
k: ifthe
electrical connection has been cor rectly
es tablished, theve hicle remains on normal
le ve lre ga rdless of speed. Syst
Syst em limits
em limits
If ove rheating pr otection has been activated due to
se veral le velch anges in a short period of time,
AIRMATIC will not function or its availability will be
limi ted. The Compressor is cooling message is
shown in the multifunction displa y.
ATer the cooling phase, AIRMATIC is again availa-
ble without restrictions. R
R
efuelling
efuelling R
R
efuelling t
efuelling t he v
he vehicle
ehicle &
W
WARNING
ARNING Risk of/re orexplosion from
fuel
Fu els are highly 0ammable. #
Fire, naked 0ames, smoking and creating
spar ksmust be avoided. #
Before refuelling, switch o. theve hicle
and, if /tted, the stationary heater and
ke ep switched o. during /lling. &
W
WARNING
ARNING Risk of injury from fuels
Fu els are poisonous and hazardous toyour
health. #
Do not swallow fuel or let it come into
contact with skin, eyes or clo thing. #
Do not inhale fuel vapour. #
Keep children away from fuel. #
Keep doors and windo wsclosed during
th ere fuelling process.
If yo u or other people come into contact with
fuel, obser vethefo llowing: #
Immediate lyrinse fuel o. your skin with
soap and water. #
If fuel comes into contact with your eyes,
immediately rinse them thoroughly with
clean water. Seek medical at tention
immedia tely. #
Ifyo u swallow fuel, seek medical atten-
tion immediatel y.Do not induce vomiting. #
Change immediately out of clo thing that
has come into contact with fuel. &
W
WARNING
ARNING Risk of /re and explosion due to
electrostatic charge
Electrostatic charge can ignite fuel vapour. 146
146
Driving and parking

#
Before you open the fuel /ller cap or take
hold of the pump nozzle, touch the met-
allic vehicle body. #
Toavo id creating ano ther electrostatic
ch arge , do not get into theve hicle again
during there fuelling process. &
W
WARNING
ARNING Risk of /re from fuel mixtu re
Ve hicles with a diesel engine:
If yo u mix diesel fuel with petrol, the 0ash point
of the fuel mixture is lo werth an that of pure
diesel fuel.
While theve hicle is running, component parts
in theex haust system may overheat without
wa rning. #
Neverre fuel using petrol. #
Never mix petrol with diesel fuel. *
N NOOTE
TE Do not use diesel torefuel vehicles
with a petrol engine If
yo u ha veacciden tally refuelled wi th the
wrong fuel:
R Do not switch on theve hicle. Otherwise
fuel can enter the engine.
Even small amounts of the wrong fuel
could result in damage tothe fuel system
and the engine. The repair costs are high. #
Consult a quali/ed specialist workshop. #
Have the fuel tank and fuel lines drained
comple tely. *
N
NO
OTE
TE Do not use petrol torefuel vehicles
with a diesel engine If
yo u ha veacciden tally refuelled wi th the
wrong fuel:
R Do not switch on theve hicle. Otherwise,
fuel can enter the fuel system.
Even small amounts of the wrong fuel
could result in damage tothe fuel system
and the engine. The repair costs are high. #
Consult a quali/ed specialist workshop. #
Have the fuel tank and fuel lines drained
comple tely. *
N
NO
OTE
TE Damage tothe fuel system caused
by ove r/lled fuel tanks #
Only /ll the fuel tank until the pump noz-
zle switches o.. R
R
eq
eq uir
uir ements:
ements:
R The vehicle is unloc ked and switched o..
R The auxiliary heating is switched o..
R The front leT-hand door is open.
% Do not getback into theve hicle during the
re fuelling process. Othe rwise, electrostatic
ch arge could build up again.
Obser vethe no tes on operating 0uids
(/ page 271). #
Open fuel /ller 0ap 1. #
Turn fuel /ller cap 2anti-clockwise and
re mo veit. #
Close all vehicle doors topreve nt fuel vapours
from entering theve hicle interior. #
Comple tely slide the /ller neck of the pump
nozzle into theta nk, hook in place and refuel. #
Fillth e fuel tank only until the pump nozzle
switches o.. #
Replace fuel /ller cap 2and turn it clockwise.
Yo u will hear a click when the fuel /ller cap is
closed full y. #
Open the front leT-hand door. #
Close fuel /ller 0ap 1.
% V
Vehicles wit
ehicles wit h a diesel engine and incorr
h a diesel engine and incorr ect
ect
fuelling pr ot
fuelling prot ect
ector ag
or ag ains
ainst rt refuelling wit
efuelling wit h pe
h pet-
t-
r
r ol:
ol: the /ller neck is designed forre fuelling at
diesel /lling pumps for passenger vehicles. Driving and parking
147
147

P
P
ar
ar king
king P
P
ar
ar king t
king t he v
he vehicle
ehicle &
W
WARNING
ARNING Risk of /re caused byhot
ex haust system parts
Flammable materials such as lea ves, grass or
twigs may ignite. #
Park theve hicle so that no 0ammable
material can come into contact with hot
ve hicle components. #
In particular, do not park on dry grass-
land or har vested grain /elds. &
W
WARNING
ARNING Risk of accident and injury due
to leaving children unattended in theve hi-
cle
If ch ildren are leT unattended in theve hicle,
th ey could, in particular:
R open doors, thereby endangering other
persons or road users.
R getout and be struck byoncoming tra1c.
R operate vehicle equipment and become
trapped, forex ample.
In addition, thech ildren could also set the
ve hicle in motion by,fo rex ample:
R releasing the parking brake.
R changing the transmission position.
R starting theve hicle. #
Never lea vechildren unattended in the
ve hicle. #
When leaving theve hicle, alw aysta ke the
ke y with you and lock theve hicle. #
Keep theve hicle key out of there ach of
ch ildren. *
N
NOOTE
TE Damage totheve hicle or the drive-
train due torolling away #
Always park your vehicle safely and
according tolegal requ irements. #
Always proper lysecure theve hicle
against rolling away. *
N
NO
OTE
TE Transmission damage due torollers
in neutral position If
th eve hicle is switched o. and rolling in neu-
tral position (e.g. when towing), this can dam- age
the driv etra in and lead totransmission
damage. #
Only allow theve hicle toroll in neutral
position for a short time. Depending on
the transmission, the automatic
transmission switches totransmission position j
(9-speed automatic transmission) or i(7-speed
automatic transmission) when switching o. the
ve hicle. The po wer transmission between the
engine and transmission is inter rupted in transmis-
sion position i. Inthis case, shiT the automatic
transmission totransmission position jbefore
switching o. theve hicle when theve hicle is sta-
tionar y.Obser vethe messages in the display of the
inst rument cluster. Apply the parking brake topre-
ve nt theve hicle from rolling away.
Obser vethefo llowing points toensure that the
ve hicle is proper lysecured against rolling away
unintentionall y. #
Always apply the parking brake. #
On uphill or do
On uphill or do wnhill inclines:
wnhill inclines: Turn the front
wheels towa rdsth eke rb. #
V
Vehicles wit
ehicles wit h manual tr
h manual tr ansmission:
ansmission: Engage
/rst or reve rsege ar. #
V
Vehicles wit
ehicles wit h aut
h aut omatic tr
omatic tr ansmission:
ansmission: Engage
transmission position j. #
Turn theke yto position g. Electr
Electr
ic par
ic parking br
king br ake
ake Inf
Inf
or
ormation on t
mation on t he electr
he electric par
ic parking br
king br ake
ake &
W
WARNING
ARNING Risk of accident and injury due
to leaving children unattended in theve hi-
cle
If ch ildren are leT unattended in theve hicle,
th ey could, in particular:
R open doors, thereby endangering other
persons or road users.
R getout and be struck byoncoming tra1c.
R operate vehicle equipment and become
trapped, forex ample.
In addition, thech ildren could also set the
ve hicle in motion by,fo rex ample:
R releasing the parking brake.
R changing the transmission position.
R starting theve hicle. 150
150
Driving and parking

Emerg
Emerg
ency br
ency br aking
aking
If, in exceptional cases, the service brake fails, you
can use the parking brake toper form emer gency
braking. The braking distance is then considerably
gr eater. #
While driving, press switch 1ofthe electric
parking brake.
The vehicle is braked as long as youke ep
switch 1ofthe electric parking brake
depressed.
The vehicle's brake lights light up.
The lon ger electric parking brake switch 1is
depressed, thegr eater the braking forc e.
During the braking procedure, you will receive the
fo llowing feedback from theve hicle:
R Awa rning tone sounds.
R The Release parking brake messageappears
in the inst rument cluster.
R The red! indicator lamp 0ashes in the
inst rument cluster.
When theve hicle has been braked toa standstill,
th e electric parking brake is applied. P P
ar
ar king up t
king up t he v
he vehicle
ehicle P
P
ar
ar king up t
king up t he v
he vehicle f
ehicle f or long
or longer t
er than f
han f our w
our w eeks
eeks #
Connect the star ter battery toa trickle charger
via a jump-start connection (/ page 240).
or #
Disconnect all bat teries (/ page 242).
P
P ar
ar king up t
king up t he v
he vehicle f
ehicle f or long
or longer t
er than six w
han six w eeks
eeks #
Contact a quali/ed specialist workshop and
seek advice.
The vehicle can otherwise su.er damage as a
re sult of lack of use. Dr Dr
iving and dr
iving and dr iving safe
iving safe ty syst
ty systems
ems N
No
ot
t es on dr
es on dr iving syst
iving syst ems and y
ems and y our r
our responsibility
esponsibility Yo
ur vehicle is equipped with driving systems
which assist you in driving, parking and manoeu-
vring theve hicle. The driving systems are only
aids. They are not a substitute foryo u paying
attention toyour sur roundings and do not relie ve
yo u of your responsibility per taining toroad tra1c
la w. The driver is alw aysre sponsible for maintain-
ing a safe distance totheve hicle in front, forve hi-
cle speed, for braking in good time and for st aying
in lane. Alw ays pay attention tothe tra1c and inter
vene if necessar y.Be awa reofthe limitations
re ga rding the safe use of these systems.
Driving systems can neither reduce therisk of
accident if youfa ilto adapt your driving style nor
ove rride the la wsof ph ysics. They cannot alw ays
ta ke into account road, weather or tra1c condi-
tions. Inf
Inf
or
ormation on v
mation on v ehicle sensor
ehicle sensor s and camer
s and cameras
as Some driving and driving saf
ety systems use cam-
eras and radar or ultrasonic sensors tomonitor the
area in front of, behind or next totheve hicle. 1
Cameras in the outside mir rors
2 Multifunction camera
3 Front camera
4 Ultrasonic sensors
5 Reversing camera
% Depending on theve hicle's equipment, the
ra dar sensors are integ rated on the side of the
re ar bumpers and/or behind the Mercedes
star in thera diator grille. &
W
WARNING
ARNING Risk of accident due torestric-
te d de tection per form ance of vehicle sen-
sors and cameras
If th e area around vehicle senso rsor cameras
is co vered, damaged or dirty, cer tain driving
and saf ety systems cann otfunction co rrectl y.
There is a risk of an accident. #
Keep the area around vehicle senso rsor
cameras clear of any obstructions and
clean. #
Have damage tothe bumper, radiator
gr ille or stone chipping in the area of the 152 152
Driving and parking

front and
rear wind owsre paired at a
qu ali/ed specialist workshop. Ke
ep the areas of the cameras and sensors free of
dirt, ice and slush (/ page 232). The sensors and
cameras must not be co vered and the de tection
ra nges around them must be kept free. Do not
attach additional license pla tebrac kets, advertise-
ments, stic kers,fo ils or foils toprotect against
stone chippings in the de tection range of the sen-
sors and cameras. Make sure that there are no
ove rhanging loads pr otru ding into the de tection
ra nge.
In theev ent of damage, or following a se vere
impact, ha vethe function of the sensors checked
at a quali/ed specialist workshop. Ha vedamage or
stone chipping in the area of the cameras repaired
at a quali/ed specialist workshop. Ov
Ov
er
ervie
vie w of dr
w of dr iving syst
iving syst ems and dr
ems and dr iving safe
iving safety sy
ty sys-
s-
t
t ems
ems In
this section, you will /nd information about the
fo llowing driving systems and driving saf ety sys-
te ms:
R ABS (A Anti-lock B Braking S System) (/ page 153)
R BAS (BB ra ke A Assist S System) (/ page 153)
R ESP ®
(EElectronic S Stability P Program)
(/ page 153)
R EBD (E Electronic B Brakeforc e DDistribution)
(/ page 155)
R Active Brake Assist (/ page 155)
R Adaptive brake lights (/ page 157)
R Cruise cont rol (/ page 157) and limiter
(/ page 157)
R Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC
(/ page 161)
R Hill start assist (/ page 164)
R HOLD function (/ page 164)
R Parking Assist PARKTRONIC (/ page 165)
R Reversing camera (/ page 166)
R 360° Camera (/ page 168)
R Active Parking Assist (/ page 170)
R ATTENTION ASSIST (/ page 173)
R Tra1c Sign Assist (/ page 174)
R Blind Spot Assist (/ page 174)
R Lane Keeping Assist (/ page 176) F
F
unction of ABS (Anti-loc
unction of ABS (Anti-loc k Br
k Braking Syst
aking Syst em)
em) ABS controls
the brake pressure in critical situa-
tions:
R the wheels are pr evented from locking during
braking, forex ample at maximum full-stop
braking or when there is insu1cient tyre trac-
tion
R the steerability of theve hicle in term s of ph ysi-
cal possibilities is ensured when braking
If ABS inter venes, you will feel pulsations in the
brake pedal. The pulsating brake pedal may be an
indication of hazardous road conditions and func-
tions as a reminder totake extra care while driving. F
F
unction of B
unction of B AS (Br
AS (Brak
ake Assis
e Assist Syst t System)
em) BAS
supports you with additional braking forc e in
an emer gency braking situation.
If yo u depress the brake pedal quickl y,BAS is acti-
va ted:
R BAS automatically boosts the braking forc e of
th e brakes
R BAS can shor tenth e braking distance
R ABS pr events the wheels from locking
When youre lease the brake pedal, the brakes
function as usual again. BASis deactivated. F
F
unction of ESP
unction of ESP ®
®
(Electr
(Electr onicSt
onic Stability Pr
ability Pr ogr
ogram)
am) &
W
WARNING
ARNING Risk of skidding if ESP ®
is deac-
tivated
If yo u deactivate ESP ®
, ESP ®
cannot car ryout
ve hicle stabilisation. #
ESP ®
should only be deacti vated in the
fo llowing situations. ESP
®
can, within ph ysical limits, monitor and
impr ovedriving stability and traction in thefo llo w-
ing situations:
R when driving and pulling away on wet or slip-
pery road sur faces
R when braking Driving and parking
153
153

If
th eve hicle is deviating from the direction
desired bythe driver, ESP ®
can stabilise theve hi-
cle byper form ing thefo llowing actions:
R one or more wheels are braked
R the engine output is adap ted according tothe
situation
% Only use wheels with there commended tyre
sizes. Only then will ESP ®
function proper ly.
If th e÷ warning lamp 0ashes in the instrument
cluster, one or more wheels ha vereached their
traction limit:
R adapt your driving style tosuit the pr evailing
ro ad and weather conditions
R do not deacti vate ESP ®
under any circumstan-
ces
R only depress the accelerator pedal as far as is
necessary when pulling away
Deactivate ESP ®
in thefo llowing situations to
impr ovetraction:
R When using snow chains.
R In deep sno w.
R On sand or grav el.
% Spinning the wheels results in a cutting action,
which enhances traction.
If th e÷ warning lamp lights up continuousl y,
ESP ®
is not available due toa malfunction.
Obser vethe information on warning lamps and dis-
play message s (/page 304).
When ESP ®
is deacti vated, theå warning lamp
in the inst rument cluster lights up continuousl y.
Obser vethefo llowing points when ESP ®
is deacti-
va ted:
R vehicle stabilisation is dela yed and is signi/-
cant lyreduced in the lo wer speed range
R the drive wheels may start tospin
R traction cont rol is still active
% If ESP ®
is deactivated, ESP ®
will still support
yo u when braking. Deactiv
Deactiv
ating or activ
ating or activ ating ESP
ating ESP®
®
using t
using t he on-board
he on-board
com
com put
puter
er On-board computer:
4 ò 5
Settings 5
Assistance 5
ESP
Ad justing settings using the on-board computer is
only available on vehicles without theå button
on the centre console. #
T
To deactiv
o deactiv at
ate/activ
e/activ at
ate:
e: press thea button.
If ESP ®
is deactivated, theå warning lamp
in the inst rument cluster lights up.
% Obser vethe information on warning lamps and
display message s (/page 304). Deactiv
Deactiv
ating or activ
ating or activ ating ESP
ating ESP®
®
using t
using t he butt
he butt on
on #
Press button 1.
The å warning lamp in the instrument clus-
te r goes on when ESP ®
is deactivated.
% Obser vethe information on warning lamps and
display message s (/page 304). F
F
unction of ESP
unction of ESP ®
®
Cr
Cr osswind Assist
osswind Assist ESP
®
Crosswind Assist de tects sudden gusts of
side wind and helps the driver tokeep theve hicle
in the lane:
R ESP ®
Crosswind Assist is active at vehicle
speeds abo veappr ox. 80 km/h when driving
straight ahead or cornering slightl y.
R The vehicle is stabilised bymeans of individual
brake application on one side. The instrument
cluster displa ysa message with the tra1c sign
fo r a strong crosswind. 154 154
Driving and parking

ESP
®
Crosswind Assist does not react under the
fo llowing conditions:
R The vehicle is subjected tosevere jolts and
vibrations, e.g. as a result of une ven sur faces
or po tholes.
R The vehicle loses traction, e.g. on snow or ice
or when aquaplaning. F
F
unction of ESP
unction of ESP ®
®
tr
trailer st
ailer st abilisation
abilisation &
W
WARNING
ARNING Risk of accident in poor road
and weather conditions
In poor road and weather conditions, the trailer
stabilisation cannot pr event lur ching of the
ve hicle/trailer combination. Trailers with a high
cent reofgrav ity may tip over before ESP ®
de tects this. #
Always adapt your driving style tosuit the
cur rent road and weather conditions. When
you are driving with a trailer, ESP ®
trailer
stabilisation can stabilise your vehicle if it begins
to swer vefrom side toside:
R Ifth e system de tects the trailer, ESP ®
trailer
stabilisation is active at speeds abo veappr ox-
imately 65 km/h.
R Minor swerving is reduced byatarg eted, indi-
vidual brake application on one side.
R Intheev ent of se vere swerving, the engine
output is also reduced and all wheels are
braked. F
F
unction of EBD (Electr
unction of EBD (Electr onic Br
onic Brak
akef
efor
or ce Dis
ce Distr tribu-
ibu-
tion)
tion) EBD has
thefo llowing characteristics:
R moni toring and controlling the braking forc e on
th ere ar wheels
R impr oving driving stabilisation when braking,
especially on bends F
F
unction of A
unction of A ctiv
ctive Br
e Br ak
ake Assist
e Assist Ac
tive Brake Assist consists of thefo llowing func-
tions:
R Distance warning function
R Autonomous braking function
R Situation-dependent brake forc e boosting Ac
tive Brake Assist can help youto minimise the
ri sk of a collision with vehicles, cyclists or pedes-
trians, or reduce the e.ects of such a collision.
If Ac tive Brake Assist has de tected a risk of colli-
sion, a warning tone sounds and theL warning
lamp lights up in the instrument cluster.
If yo u do not react tothewa rning, autonomous
braking can be initiated in critical situations. In
especially critical situations, Active Brake Assist
can initiate autonomous braking directl y.In this
case, thewa rning lamp and warning tone are acti-
va ted simultaneously with the braking application.
If yo u apply the brake yourself in a situation de tec-
te d as critical byActive Brake Assist, or app lythe
brake during autonomous braking, situation-
dependent brake forc e boosting occurs. The brake
pressure increases up tomaximum full-s top brak-
ing if necessar y.
If autonomous braking or a situation-dependent
braking boosting e.ect has occur red, theL
wa rning lamp 0ashes brie0y and then goes out.
V
V ehicles wit ehicles wit h PRE-S
h PRE-S AFE
AFE®
®
:
:if th e autonomous brak-
ing function or the situation-dependent brake force
boosting is triggered, additional pr eventive meas-
ures for occupant pr otection (PRE-SAFE) may also
be initiated (/ page 38). &
W
WARNING
ARNING Risk of an accident caused by
limited de tection per form ance of Active
Brake Assist
Ac tive Brake Assist cannot alw ays clear lyiden-
tify objects and complex tra1c situations.
In such cases, Active Brake Assist might:
R Give a warning or brake without reason
R Not give a warning or not brake
Ac tive Brake Assist is only an aid. The driver is
re sponsible for maintaining a su1ciently safe
distance totheve hicle in front, vehicle speed
and for braking in good time. #
Always pay careful attention tothe tra1c
situation; do not relyonActive Brake
Assist alone. #
Be prepared tobrake or swer veif neces-
sar y. Obser
vethe system limitations of Active Brake
Assist. Due tothe nature of the system, complex
but non-critical driving conditions may also cause
Ac tive Brake Assist tointer vene during braking. Driving and parking
155
155