warning MERCEDES-BENZ E-CLASS SALOON 2011 Owners Manual

Activating when driving towards
asta-
tionary vehicle
If the vehicle in front of you is stationary, you
can only activate DISTRONIC PLU Sonce your
vehicle is stationary as well.
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you ?or press it up :or down A.
DISTRONIC PLU Sis selected.
i DISTRONIC PLUS can only be activated at
under 30 km/h if a vehicle in front has been
detected. Therefore, the DISTRONIC PLUS
distance display in the instrument cluster
should be activated (Y page 241).
X Keep the cruise control lever pressed
up : or down Auntil the desired speed
is set.
i You can use the cruise control lever to set
the stored speed and the control on the
cruise control lever to set the specified
minimum distance (Y page 191).
Pulling away
X If the vehicle in front pulls away: remove
your foot from the brake pedal.
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you ?.
or
X Accelerate briefly.
Your vehicle pulls away and adapts its
speed to that of the vehicle in front.
Driving
If there is no vehicle in front, DISTRONIC
PLUS operates in the same way as cruise
control.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that the vehicle
in front has slowed down, it brakes your vehi-
cle. In this way, the distance you have selec-
ted is maintained.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that the vehicle
in front is driving faster, it accelerates your
vehicle, but only up to the speed you have
stored. G
WARNING
If you depress the brake, DISTRONIC PLUS is
deactivated unless your vehicle is stationary.
DISTRONIC PLUS then no longer brakes your
vehicle. In such cases, control the distance
from vehicles travelling in front with the brake
alone. You could otherwise cause an accident
and thereby injure yourselfa nd others. The
driver remains fully responsible for the vehi-
cle's distance from othe rvehicles, the speed
being driven and for braking in good time.
Changing lane
If you change to the passing lane, DISTRONIC
PLUS supports you when:
R you are driving faster than 60 km/h.
R DISTRONIC PLUS is maintaining the dis-
tance to a vehicle in front.
R you switch on the appropriate turn signals.
R DISTRONIC PLUS does not detec tadanger
of collision.
If these conditions are met, your vehicle is
accelerated. Acceleration will be interrupted
if changing lanes takes too long or if the dis-
tance between your vehicle and the vehicle in
fron tbecomes too small.
i When changing lanes, DISTRONIC PLUS
monitors the left lane on left-hand drive
vehicles and the right lane on right-hand
drive vehicles. G
WARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS and Active Blind Spot Assist
are only an aid designed to assist driving.
They do not relieve you of the responsibility
of paying attention .The driver remains fully
responsible for the vehicle's distance from
other vehicles, the vehicle's speed and for
braking in good time. Always pay attention to
traffic conditions and your surroundings. Oth-
erwise, you may fail to recognise dangers in
time, cause an accident and injure yourself
and others. 188
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Vehicles with COMAND APS/
Audio 50 APS
i
The following function is not operational
in all countries.
DISTRONIC PLU Suses additional information
from your navigation system so that it can
adaptt o certain traffic situations. This is the
case if, while following a vehicle, DISTRONIC
PLUS is active and you:
R approach or drive around a roundabout
R approach a T junction
R turn off at a motorway exit
Even if the vehicle in front leaves the detec-
tion range, DISTRONIC PLUS temporarily
maintains the current driving speed and does
not accelerate. This is based on the current
map data in the navigation system. Example: roundabout
The current speed is maintained:
R
approximately 10 seconds before the
roundabout/T junction and approximately
1.5 seconds when driving on a roundabout.
R approximately 12 seconds before reaching
a motorway exit and approximately
4 seconds after the motorway exit.
Afterwards, the vehicle accelerates back to
the set speed you specified.
Stopping G
WARNING
Never get out of the vehicle when DISTRONIC
PLUS is activated. DISTRONIC PLUS must also never be oper-
ated, activated or deactivated by a passenger
or from outside the vehicle.
DISTRONIC PLUS does not replace the park-
ing brake and must not be used for parking.
The DISTRONIC PLUS braking effect is can-
celled and the vehicle can start moving if:
R
DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated using the
cruise control lever.
R you accelerate.
R there is a malfunction in the system or an
interruption in the power supply, e.g. bat-
tery failure.
R the electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses are tam-
pered with.
R the battery is disconnected.
If you wish to leave the vehicle or park it,
deactivate DISTRONIC PLUS and secure the
vehicle against rolling away.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that the vehicle
in front is stopping, it brakes your vehicle until
it is stationary.
Once your vehicle is stationary, it remains
stationary and you do not need to depress the
brake.
i Depending on the specified minimum dis-
tance, your vehicle will come to a standstill
at a sufficient distance behind the vehicle
in front.T he specified minimum distance is
set using the control on the cruise control
lever.
Vehicles featuring automatic transmis-
sion with aselector lever
You will see a warning message in the multi-
function display if DISTRONIC PLUS is acti-
vated and:
R the driver's door is open and the driver's
seat belt is unfastened.
R the engine is switched off, unless it is auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/
stop function.
R the bonnet is opened. Driving systems
189Driving and parking Z

Select Park (P)
X
Shift the transmission to position Pto pre-
vent the vehicle from rolling away.
DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated. The warn-
ing message in the multifunction display
disappears.
The horn will also sound at regulari ntervals if
DISTRONIC PLUS is activated and you:
R switch the engine off, open the driver's
door and take off your sea tbelt
R open the bonnet
The sounding of the horn alerts you to the fact
that the vehicle has been parked while DIS-
TRONIC PLUS is still activated. The sound
becomes louder if you attempt to lock the
vehicle. The vehicle is not locked until DIS-
TRONIC PLUS is deactivated.
i If the engine has been switched off, it
cannot be started again until DISTRONIC
PLUS has been deactivated.
If a fault occurs in the system or the power
supply when DISTRONIC PLUS is activated,
the Brake immediately message appears in
the multifunction display. Depress the brake
firmly immediately until the warning message
disappears from the multifunction display or
move the selector lever to P. DISTRONIC
PLUS is deactivated.
Vehicles featuring automatic transmis-
sion with aDIRECT SELECT lever
When DISTRONIC PLUS is activated, the
transmission is shifted automatically to posi-
tion Pif:
R the driver's door is open and the driver's
seat belt is unfastened.
R the engine is switched off, unless it is auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/
stop function.
R the bonne tis opened.
R a system fault occurs.
R the power supply is not sufficient. Setting
aspeed X
Press the cruise control lever up :for a
highe rspeed or down Afor a lower speed.
X Keep the cruise control lever pressed until
the desired speed is reached.
X Release the cruise control lever.
The new speed is stored. DISTRONIC PLUS
is activated and adjusts the vehicle's speed
to the new speed stored.
X Setting in 1-km/h increments: press the
cruise control lever briefly up :or
down ;to the pressure point.
The last stored speed increases or decrea-
ses in 1 km/h increments.
X Setting in 10-km/h increments: press
the cruise control lever briefly up :or
down ;beyond the pressure point.
The last stored speed increases or decrea-
ses in 10 km/h increments.
i DISTRONIC PLUS is not deactivated if you
depress the accelerator pedal. If you accel-
erate to overtake, DISTRONIC PLUS
adjusts the vehicle's speed to the last
speed stored after you have finished over-
taking.
Storing the current speed or calling up
the stored speed G
WARNING
Only call up a stored speed if you know what
that speed is and if it is suitable for the current
traffic and driving situation. You can other-
wise endanger yourself or others by uninten-
tionally triggering sudden acceleration or
braking.
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you ?.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
DISTRONIC PLUS is activated. The first
time it is activated, the curren tspeed is
stored. Otherwise, it sets the vehicle cruise
speed to the previously stored value. 190
Driving systemsDriving and parking

R
you pull the cruise control lever towards
you in order to pull away, and the front-
passenger doo rorone of the rea rdoors is
open.
R the vehicle has skidded.
If DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated, you will
hear a warning tone. The DISTRONIC PLUSoff message is shown in the multifunction
display for approximately five seconds.
Vehicles featuring automatic transmission
with a selector lever: if the vehicle has been
stopped by DISTRONIC PLUS and a fault
occurs in the system the Brake immedi‐ately message appears in the multifunction
display .Depress the brake pedal immediately
so that the vehicle does not roll away. DIS-
TRONIC PLUS is then deactivated, and the
message disappears.
Tips for driving with DISTRONIC PLUS General notes
The following contains descriptions of certain
road and traffic conditions in which you must
be particularly attentive. In such situations,
brake if necessary. DISTRONIC PLUS is then
deactivated.
Cornering, going into and coming out of a
bend The ability of DISTRONIC PLUS to detec
tvehi-
cles when cornering is limited. Your vehicle
may brake unexpectedly or late. Vehicles travelling on
adifferent line DISTRONIC PLUS may not detect vehicles
travelling on a different line. The distance to
the vehicle in fron
twill be too short.
Other vehicles changing lane DISTRONIC PLUS has not detected the vehi-
cle cutting in yet. The distance to this vehicle
will be too short.
Narrow vehicles
DISTRONIC PLUS has not yet detected the
vehicle in front on the edge of the carriage- Driving systems
193Driving and parking Z

G
WARNING
The vehicle's brakes are applied when the
HOLD function is activated. For this reason,
deactivate the HOLD function if the vehicle is
to be set in motion by other means (e.g. in a
car wash or by towing).
Deactivating the HOLD function The HOLD function is deactivated automati-
cally if:
R
you accelerate. On vehicles with automatic
transmission: only when the transmission
is in position Dor R.
R you shift the transmission to position Pon
vehicles with automatic transmission.
R you apply the brakes again with a certain
amount of pressure until ëdisappears
from the multifunction display.
R you activate DISTRONIC PLUS. G
WARNING
Never get out of the vehicle when the HOLD
function is activated.
The HOLD function must never be operated
or deactivated by a passenger or from outside
the vehicle.
The HOLD function does not replace the park-
ing brake and must not be used for parking.
The braking effect of the HOLD function is
cancelled and the vehicle could roll away if:
R the HOLD function is deactivated by
depressing the accelerator peda lorthe
brake pedal.
R there is a malfunction in the system or an
interruption in the power supply, e.g. bat-
tery failure.
R the electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses are tam-
pered with.
R the battery is disconnected.
If you leave the vehicle or park it, deactivate
the HOLD function and secure the vehicle
against rolling away. On vehicles with automatic transmission and
a DIRECT SELECT lever, the transmission is
automatically shifted to
Pif the HOLD func-
tion is activated and:
R the driver's door is open and the driver's
seat belt is unfastened.
R the engine is switched off, unless it is auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/
stop function.
R the bonnet is opened.
R a system fault occurs.
R the power supply is not sufficient.
In vehicles with manual transmission or auto-
matic transmission with a selector lever, you
see a warning message in the multifunction
display if the HOLD function is activated and:
R the driver's door is open and the driver's
seat belt is unfastened.
R the engine is switched off, unless it is auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/
stop function.
R the bonnet is opened.
For vehicles with manual transmission:
Brake immediately X
Immediately depress the brake pedal firmly
until the warning message in the multifunc-
tion display goes out. This deactivates the
HOLD function.
In vehicles featuring automatic transmission
with a gear selector lever: Select Park (P)
X
Move the selector lever to Pto prevent the
vehicle from rolling away.
The HOLD function is deactivated. The
warning message in the multifunction dis-
play disappears.
Ah orn will also sound at regular intervals if
the HOLD function is activated and you:
R switch the engine off, open the driver's
door and take off your seat belt
R open the bonnet
The sounding of the horn alerts you to the fact
that the vehicle has been parked while the
HOLD function is still activated. If you attempt Driving systems
195Driving and parking Z

to lock the vehicle, the tone becomes louder.
The vehicle is not locked until the HOL Dfunc-
tion is deactivated.
i If the engine has been switched off, it
cannot be started again until the HOLD
function has been deactivated.
If there is a fault in the system or power supply
while the HOLD function is activated, the
Brake immediately message is shown in
the multifunction display. Immediately
depress the brake firmly until the warning
message in the multifunction display goes
out.
On vehicles with automatic transmission, you
can also shif tinto position P.This deactivates
the HOLD function. RACE START
Important safety notes i
RACE START is only available in AMG vehi-
cles.
RACE START enables optimal acceleration
from a standing start. The precondition for
this is a suitable high-grip road surface. G
WARNING
RACE START is only available when SPORT
handling mode is activated. SPORT handling
mode will only be able to stabilise the vehicle
to a limited degree if the vehicle starts to skid
or a wheel starts to spin. The vehicle is there-
fore harder to control at the threshold range.
You could lose control of the vehicle and
cause an accident.
RACE START should only be used on closed
off circuits. Always adapt your driving style to
suit the prevailing road and weather condi-
tions. Activation conditions RACE START can be activated when:
R
the doors are closed.
R the engine is running and it has reached an
operating temperature of approximately
80 †. This is the case when the engine oil
temperature in the multifunction display
stops flashing.
R SPORT handling mode is activated.
(Y page 73)
R the steering wheel is in the straight-ahead
position.
R the vehicle is stationary and the brake
pedal is depressed (left foot).
R the transmission is in position D.
Activating RACE START X
Depress the brake pedal with your left foot,
and keep it depressed.
X Turn the drive program selector clockwise
(Y page 168) until the RSlamp lights up.
The multifunction display shows the RACE START Confirm: Paddle UP Cancel:
Paddle DOWN message.
i If the activation conditions are no longer
fulfilled, RACE START is cancelled. The mul-
tifunction display shows the RACE START cancelled message.
X To cancel: pull the left steering wheel shift
paddle (Y page 169).
or
X To confirm:p ull the right steering wheel
shif tpaddle (Y page 169).
The multifunction display shows the RACE START available Depress accelera‐
tor. message.
i If you do no tdepress the accelerator
pedal fully within two seconds, RACE
START is cancelled. The multifunction dis-
play shows the RACE START not possi‐ ble See Owner's Manual message.196
Driving systemsDriving and parking

X
Depress the accelerator pedal fully.
The engine speed rises to approximately
3500 rpm.
The multifunctio ndisplay shows the RACE START Release brake to start. mes-
sage.
i If you do not release the brake pedal
within five seconds, RACE START is cancel-
led. The multifunction display shows the
RACE START cancelled message.
X Take your foot off the brake, but keep the
accelerator pedal depressed.
The vehicle pulls away at maximum accel-
eration.
The multifunction display shows the RACESTART active message.
RACE START is deactivated when the vehicle
reaches a speed of approximately 50 km/h.
Drive program S+is activated. SPORT han-
dling mode remains activated.
RACE START is deactivated immediately if
you release the accelerator pedal during
RACE START or if any of the activation condi-
tions are no longer fulfilled .The multifunction
display shows the RACE START not possi‐ ble See Owner's Manual message.
i If RACE START is used repeatedly in a
short period of time, it is only available
again after having driven the vehicle a cer-
tain distance. AIRMATIC
Vehicle level Important safety notes
Your vehicle regulates its height automati-
cally. All-round level control ensures the best
possible suspension and constant ground
clearance, even with a laden vehicle. When
you drive fast, the vehicle is lowered auto-
matically to improve driving safety and to
reduce fuel consumption. The following vehicle levels are possible:
R
normal
R raised (vehicles without 4MATIC): the vehi-
cle is raised by about 25 mm when com-
pared with the normal level.
R raised (vehicles with 4MATIC): the vehicle
is raised by about 35 mm when compared
with the normal level.
R lowered: the vehicle is lowered by about
10 mm when compared with the normal
level.
The "Normal" and "Raised" vehicle levels can
be set manually.
The "Lowered” vehicle level is set automati-
cally:
R at speeds above 140 km/h
R if you have selected "Sports tuning"
(Y page 198)
Setting the vehicle level
Select the "Normal" setting for normal road
surfaces and "Raised" for driving with snow
chains or on particularly poor road surfaces.
Your selection remains stored even if you
remove the key from the ignition lock. G
WARNING
Make sure that nobody is in the vicinity of the
wheel housing or under the vehicle while low-
ering the vehicle when it is stationary. Other-
wise, limbs could become trapped. Driving systems
197Driving and parking Z

X
To display: briefly press AMG button ;.
Your selection appears in the multifunction
display. 4MATIC (permanent all-wheel drive)
4MATIC ensures tha tall four wheels are per-
manently driven. Together with ESP ®
, it
improves the traction of your vehicle when-
ever a drive wheel spins due to insufficient
grip. G
WARNING
4MATIC cannot reduce the risk of an accident
if you drive too fast.
If a drive wheel spins due to insufficient grip:
R only depress the accelerator pedal as far as
necessary when pulling away.
R accelerate less when driving.
R adapt your driving style to suit road and
traffic conditions.
! Neve rtow the vehicle with one axle
raised. This may damage the transfer case.
Damage of this sort is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz implied warranty. All
wheels must remain either on the ground
or be fully raised. Observe the instructions
for towing the vehicle with all wheels in full
contact with the ground.
i In wintry driving conditions, the maximum
effect of 4MATIC can only be achieved if
you use winter tyres (M+ Styres), with snow
chains if necessary. PARKTRONIC
Important safety notes G
WARNING
PARKTRONIC is only an aid and may not
detec tall obstacles. It is not a substitute for
attentive driving.
You are always responsible for safety and
must continue to pay attention to your imme- diate surroundings when parking and
manoeuvring. You could otherwise endanger
yourself and others.
G
WARNING
Make sure that no persons or animals are in
the manoeuvring range. Otherwise, they
could be injured.
PARKTRONIC is an electronic parking aid with
ultrasonic sensors .Itindicates visually and
audibly the distance between your vehicle
and an object.
PARKTRONIC is activated automatically if
you:
R switch on the ignition
R shift to position D,Ror Non vehicles with
automatic transmission
R release the parking brake
PARKTRONIC is deactivated at speeds above
18 km/h. It is reactivated at lower speeds.
PARKTRONIC monitors the area around your
vehicle using si xsensors in the fron tbumper
and four sensors in the rear bumper. :
Example: sensors in the front bumper,
left-hand side
Range of the sensors General notes
The sensors must be free of dirt, ice and
slush
.Otherwise, they may not functio ncor-
rectly. Clean the sensors regularly, taking
care not to scratch or damage them
(Y page 330). 200
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Example: side view (Saloon)
Example: top view (Saloon)
Front sensors
Centre approximately 100 cm
Corners approximately 60 cm
Rea
rsensors Centre approximately 12
0cm Corners approximately 80 cm
!
When parking, pay particula rattention to
objects above or below the sensors, such
as flower pots or trailer drawbars. PARK-
TRONIC does not detect such objects when
they are in the immediate vicinity of the
vehicle. You could damage the vehicle or
the objects.
The sensors may not detect snow and
objects which absorb ultrasonic sources.
Ultrasonic sources, such as an automatic
car wash, a lorry's compressed-air brakes
or a pneumati cdrill, coul dcause PARK-
TRONIC to malfunction. PARKTRONIC may no
tfunction correctly on
uneven terrain.
Minimum distance Centre approximately 20 cm
Corners approximately 15 cm
If there is an obstacle within this range, the
relevan
twarning displays light up and a warn-
ing tone sounds. If th edistance falls below
the minimum, the distanc emay no longer be
shown.
Warning displays The warning displays show the distance
between the sensors and th
eobstacle. The
warning display for the fron tarea is located
on the dashboard above the centre air vents.
The warning display for the rear area is loca-
ted on the roof lining in the rear compart-
ment. 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 vehi-
cle is divided into five yellow and two red seg-
ments. PARKTRONIC is operational if yellow
segments showing operational readiness =
light up.
The gearl ever position or the transmission
position of the automatic transmission deter- Driving systems
201Driving and parking Z

mines which warning display is active when
the engine is running.
Manual transmission:
Gear leve
rposi-
tion Warning display
Forwards gear
or
Neutral
Front area activated
Reverse gear
Rear and front areas
activated
Automatic transmission:
Transmission
position Warning display
D
Front area activated
R
or N Rear and front areas
activated
P
No areas activated
One or more segments light up as the vehicle
approaches an obstacle, depending on the
vehicle's distance fro mthe obstacle.
From the:
R sixth segment onwards, you will hear an
intermittent warning tone for approx-
imately two seconds.
R seventh segment onwards, you will hear a
warning tone for approximately two sec-
onds. This indicates that you have now
reached the minimum distance. Deactivating/activating PARKTRONIC :
Indicator lamp
; To deactivate/activate PARKTRONIC
If indicator lamp :lights up, PARKTRONIC is
deactivated. Parking Guidance is also deacti-
vated.
i PARKTRONIC is automatically activated
when you turn the key to position 2in the
ignition lock.
Towing atrailer PARKTRONIC is deactivated for the rea
rarea
when you establish an electrical connection
between yourv ehicle and a trailer.
! Fold in the ball coupling if the trailer tow
hitch is not required. PARKTRONIC meas-
ures the minimum detection range to an
obstacle from the bumper, not the ball cou-
pling. 202
Driving systemsDriving and parking