Mercedes-Benz E-Class Quiz
Driving and parking

Active Driving Assistance Package

In this manual: Driving and parking
Introduction — 5At a glance — 6Safety — 25Opening and Closing — 17Seats, steering wheel and mirrors — 12Lights and windshield wipers — 11Climate Control — 11Driving and parking — 44On-board computer and displays — 29Stowing and Useful Information. Good to Know — 1Stowing and Useful Information. Storage Options — 10Stowage and convenience features. Convenience features — 7Maintenance and care — 11Roadside assistance — 13Wheels and tires — 13Technical data — 13
~11min read

The Active Driving Assistance Package of the Mercedes E-Class (4th generation, W212, 2009–2016) combines modern assistance systems such as Active Blind Spot Assist and Active Lane Keeping Assist. These support the driver with warnings and, where necessary, with targeted braking interventions to avoid collisions. Information on system function and operating limits helps you use the systems responsibly.

General Notes

The Active Driving Assistance Package consists of DISTRONIC PLUS , Active Blind Spot Assist and Active Lane Keeping Assist .

Active Blind Spot Assist

General Notes

Active Blind Spot Assist uses two radar sensors pointing rearward to the sides to monitor the areas beside the vehicle that are not visible to the driver. A warning indicator in the exterior mirrors alerts you to a detected vehicle in the monitored area. If you then switch on the corresponding turn signal to change lanes, you will also receive a visual and audible warning. If a lateral collision risk is detected, a corrective braking intervention can assist you in avoiding a collision. Before a corrective braking intervention, Active Blind Spot Assist evaluates the free space ahead and to the side. For this purpose, Active Blind Spot Assist uses the forward-facing radar sensors.

Active Blind Spot Assist supports you from a speed of approx. 30 km/h.

Important Safety Notes

Active Blind Spot Assist is only an aid and cannot replace your attention.

WARNING

Active Blind Spot Assist does not respond to vehicles,
  • that you pass at a small lateral distance and that are then in the blind spot area
  • that approach with a large speed difference and overtake you.
As a result, Active Blind Spot Assist cannot warn or intervene in these situations. There is a risk of an accident!

Always observe the traffic situation carefully and keep a sufficient lateral safety distance.

Radar sensors

The radar sensors of Active Blind Spot Assist are integrated in the front and rear bumpers and behind a cover in the radiator grille. Make sure the bumpers and the cover in the radiator grille are free of dirt, ice or slush. Do not cover the rear sensors, e.g. with bicycle racks or protruding cargo. After a severe impact or damage to the bumper, have the function of the radar sensors checked at a qualified specialist workshop. In these cases, Active Blind Spot Assist may not function correctly.

Monitoring area

WARNING

Active Blind Spot Assist does not detect all traffic situations and road users. There is a risk of an accident!

Always maintain sufficient lateral clearance from other road users or obstacles.Überwachungsbereich

Sedan (example)

Active Blind Spot Assist monitors the area shown in the illustration up to 3.0 m behind and directly beside your vehicle.

Vehicle detection may be limited in

  • dirty or covered sensors
  • poor visibility, e.g. due to rain, snow or spray
Vehicles located in the monitored area will then not be displayed, or will be displayed late.

Active Blind Spot Assist may not detect narrow vehicles or may detect them too late, e.g. motorcycles or bicycles.

On narrow lanes, especially when driving with a pronounced lateral offset, vehicles in the lane beyond the adjacent one may be displayed. This can occur when vehicles drive at the edge of their lane.

Due to system design, it can

  • unnecessary warnings may occur near guardrails or similar structural boundaries.
  • during longer drives alongside long vehicles, e.g. trucks, the warning may be interrupted.

Warning display

Warnanzeige
Warning display
Active Blind Spot Assist is not active below a speed of approx. 30 km/h. Vehicles located in the monitored area will then not be displayed.

When Active Blind Spot Assist is switched on, the indicator lampin the exterior mirrors lights up yellow up to a vehicle speed of 30 km/h. Above a speed of 30 km/h the indicator lamp goes out and Active Blind Spot Assist is ready for operation.

If a vehicle is detected in the blind spot monitoring area at a speed of approximately 30 km/h or above, the warning lamplights up red on the corresponding side. The warning is always given when a vehicle enters the blind spot monitoring area from behind or from the side. When overtaking a vehicle, the warning is only given if the differential speed is less than 12 km/h.

When you engage reverse gear, the yellow indicator lamp goes out. Active Blind Spot Assist is then not ready for operation.

The brightness of the warning lamps is adjusted automatically to the ambient brightness.

Visual and audible collision warning

If a vehicle is detected in the lateral monitoring area when changing lanes with the turn signal on, you will receive a visual and audible collision warning. You will then hear a double warning tone once and the red warning lampflashes. If the turn signal remains switched on, detected vehicles are indicated by the red warning lamp flashing. No further audible warning is given.

Corrective braking intervention

If Active Blind Spot Assist detects a lateral collision risk in the monitoring area, a corrective braking intervention is carried out. This is intended to assist you in avoiding a collision.

WARNING

The corrective braking intervention cannot always prevent a collision. There is a risk of an accident!

Always steer, brake or accelerate yourself, especially when Active Blind Spot Assist warns you or brakes to correct your course. Always maintain sufficient lateral safety distance.

Kurskorrigierender Bremseingriff Kurskorrigierender Bremseingriff

Sedan (example)

When a corrective braking intervention takes place, the red warning lamp flashesin the exterior mirror and a double warning tone sounds. In addition, the displayappears in the multifunction display, emphasizing the lateral collision risk.

In very rare cases, the system may apply an inappropriate braking intervention. You can cancel a course-correcting braking intervention at any time, e.g. by steering slightly in the opposite direction or by accelerating.

The corrective braking intervention is available in the speed range between 30 km/h and 200 km/h.

No course-correcting braking intervention occurs, or it is adapted to the driving situation, if

  • there are vehicles or obstacles, e.g. guardrails, on both sides of your vehicle
  • a vehicle approaches you with a small lateral distance
  • you are driving sportily, at high cornering speeds
  • you brake or accelerate forcefully
  • a driving safety system intervenes, e.g. ESP or PRE-SAFE Brake
  • ESP is switched off
  • a loss of tire pressure or a defective tire has been detected.

Switching on Active Blind Spot Assist

Make sure that Active Blind Spot Assist is switched on in the on-board computer.Turn the key in the ignition lock to position 2.
  • The warning lightsin the exterior mirrors light up red for approx. 1.5 seconds, then yellow.

    Towing a trailer

    When you connect a trailer, make sure that the electrical connection is established correctly. This can be checked by inspecting the trailer lighting. Active Blind Spot Assist is then switched off. The indicator lamp in the exterior mirrors lights up yellow and the message Active Blind Spot Assist not available when towing a trailer, see Operator's Manual appears in the multifunction display.

    Active Lane Keeping Assist

    General Notes

    Aktiver Spurhalte-Assistent

    Active Lane Keeping Assist monitors the area in front of your vehicle with a multifunction camera, which is mounted at the top of the windshield. In addition, radar sensors monitor various areas in front of, behind and beside your vehicle. If Active Lane Keeping Assist detects lane boundary markings on the road, it can warn you before you leave your lane unintentionally. If you do not react to the warning, a lane-correcting braking intervention can steer the vehicle back into the original lane.

    The function is available in the speed range between 60 km/h and 200 km/h.

    For Active Lane Keeping Assist to assist you, the radar sensors must be operational

    Important Safety Notes

    Active Lane Keeping Assist cannot reduce the risk of accident caused by inappropriate driving, nor can it override physical limits. Active Lane Keeping Assist cannot take road and weather conditions into account. It may fail to detect traffic situations. Active Lane Keeping Assist is only an aid. You are responsible for maintaining safe distance, speed, timely braking and staying in your lane.

    Active Lane Keeping Assist cannot keep your vehicle in the lane permanently.

    WARNING

    Active Lane Keeping Assist may not always be able to clearly detect lane boundary markings.

    In these cases, Active Lane Keeping Assist may

    • issue an unjustified warning and then brake the vehicle to correct its lane
    • do not warn or intervene.
    There is a risk of accidents!

    Always watch the traffic situation attentively and keep your lane, especially when Active Lane Keeping Assist warns you. End the intervention in non-critical driving situations.

    The system may be impaired or inoperative

    • in poor visibility, e.g. with insufficient road lighting or due to snow, rain, fog or heavy spray
    • in glare, e.g. from oncoming traffic, direct sunlight or reflections (e.g. on wet roads)
    • if the windshield in the area of the camera is dirty, fogged, damaged or obstructed, e.g. by a sticker
    • if the radar sensors in the front or rear bumper or in the radiator trim are dirty, e.g. due to snow
    • when no or unclear lane markings are present for a lane, e.g. in construction areas
    • when the lane markings are worn, faded or covered, e.g. by dirt or snow
    • when the distance to the vehicle ahead is too small and the lane markings are therefore not detected
    • when lane markings change quickly, e.g. lanes branch off, cross or merge
    • on very narrow and winding roads
    • in strongly changing shadow conditions on the road.
    If no vehicle is detected in the adjacent lane, no lane-correcting braking intervention occurs when a dashed lane marking is detected.

    Vibration warning in the steering wheel

    If a front wheel crosses the lane marking, a warning may be issued. You will then be warned by an intermittent vibration in the steering wheel for up to 1.5 seconds.

    Lane-correcting braking intervention

    WARNING

    The lane-correcting braking intervention cannot always steer the vehicle back into the original lane. There is a risk of an accident!

    Always steer, brake or accelerate yourself, especially when Active Lane Keeping Assist warns you or brakes to correct your lane.

    WARNING

    Active Lane Keeping Assist has limited ability to detect traffic situations and road users. In very rare cases, the system may apply an inappropriate braking intervention, e.g. when you deliberately cross a solid lane boundary line. There is a risk of an accident!

    You can cancel a braking intervention at any time, e.g. by steering slightly in the opposite direction. Always keep sufficient lateral distance from other road users or obstacles.

    Spurkorrigierender Bremseingriff

    Sedan (example)

    When leaving your lane, a short, one-sided braking intervention is performed under certain conditions. It is intended to help you steer your vehicle back into the original lane.

    When a lane-correcting braking intervention occurs, the following message appears in the multifunction display.

    A lane-correcting braking intervention may occur when crossing a lane boundary marking detected as solid or dashed. Beforehand, a warning must have been issued by the intermittent vibration in the steering wheel. In addition, a lane with lane boundary markings on both sides must have been detected.

    If a dashed lane boundary marking is detected, a lane-correcting braking intervention can only occur if a vehicle has been detected in the adjacent lane. Vehicles that can influence the braking intervention are oncoming vehicles, vehicles overtaking you, or vehicles driving alongside.

    Info

    Another lane-correcting braking intervention can only occur if your vehicle was previously back in the original lane.

    No lane-correcting braking intervention occurs if

    • you are steering, braking or accelerating actively and forcefully
    • you cut a tight corner
    • you are driving sportily, at high cornering speeds or with strong acceleration
    • you have switched on the turn signal
    • a driving safety system intervenes, e.g. ESP, PRE-SAFE Brake or Active Blind Spot Assist
    • ESP is switched off
    • the transmission is not in position D
    • on vehicles with a tow hitch, the electrical connection to the trailer is correctly established
    • an obstacle is detected in your own lane
    • a loss of tire pressure or a defective tire has been detected and displayed.
    Active Lane Keeping Assist may not assess the current traffic situation correctly. You can cancel a possibly inappropriate braking intervention at any time if you
    • apply slight countersteering
    • switch on the turn signal
    • brake or accelerate firmly.
    A lane-correcting braking intervention is canceled automatically if
    • a driving safety system intervenes, e.g. ESP, PRE-SAFE Brake or Active Blind Spot Assist
    • no lane boundary markings are detected.

    Switch on Active Lane Keeping Assist

    Switch on Active Lane Keeping Assist with the on-board computer by selecting Standard or Adaptive .
  • If you drive faster than 60 km/h and lane boundary markings are detected, the lines in the assist graphic are displayed in green. Active Lane Keeping Assist is ready for use.

    With Standard selected, no vibration warning is given when

    • you have switched on the turn signal. The warnings are then suppressed for a certain period
    • a driving safety system intervenes, e.g. ABS, BAS or ESP.

  • With Adaptive selected, no vibration warning is given when
    • you have switched on the turn signal. The warnings are then suppressed for a certain period
    • a driving safety system intervenes, e.g. ABS, BAS or ESP
    • accelerate hard, e.g. with kickdown
    • you brake hard
    • you steer actively, e.g. during an evasive maneuver or a quick lane change
    • you cut a tight corner.

    So that you are warned in good time and not unnecessarily when you cross the lane marking, the system can distinguish between different conditions.

    The vibration warning is given earlier when

    • you approach the outer lane marking in bends
    • you drive on very wide lanes, e.g. on motorways
    • the system detects solid lane markings.
    The vibration warning is given later, however, when you
    • driving on narrow lanes
    • cut a tight corner.

    Towing a trailer

    When you couple a trailer, make sure that the electrical connection is correctly established. This can be checked by testing the trailer lighting.

    The Active Driving Assistance Package of the Mercedes E-Class W212 (model years 2009–2016) combines state-of-the-art driver assistance systems such as DISTRONIC PLUS, Active Blind Spot Assist and Active Lane Keeping Assist. It offers a maximum of safety and driving comfort.

    Thanks to precise sensors and intelligent assistance, the driver is relieved in critical situations – a clear gain in safety in road traffic.

    Question: When does Active Blind Spot Assist perform a course-correcting braking intervention?

    Answer: When a lateral collision risk is detected, provided the free space has been checked.

    Question: Can Active Lane Keeping Assist keep the vehicle in its lane permanently?

    Answer: No, it is an aid and does not replace the driver's attention.

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