MERCEDES-BENZ E350 4MATIC WAGON 2007 S211 Owner's Manual

260 Controls in detailDriving systemsThe most likely cause for a malfunctioning
system is a dirty sensor (located behind
the hood grille), especially at times of snow
and ice or heavy rain. In such a case,
Distronic will switch off, and the message DISTRONIC
currently unavailable
See Operator’s Manualappears in the multifunction display.
For cleaning and care of the Distronic sen-
sor, see “Cleaning the Distronic* system
sensor cover” (
page 372).Turns and bends
In turns or bends, Distronic may not detect
a moving vehicle in front, or it may detect
one too soon. This may cause your vehicle
to brake late or unexpectedly.Offset driving
A vehicle traveling in your lane but offset
from your direct line of travel may not be
detected by Distronic. There will be insuffi-
cient distance to the vehicle ahead.
i
If the message
DISTRONIC
currently unavailable
See Operator’s Manualdisappears during driving and the last speed
stored flashes for approximately 5 seconds, the
dirt (e.g. slush) has dissolved; Distronic works
again.

261 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Lane changing
Distronic has not yet detected the vehicle
changing lanes. There will be insufficient
distance to the lane-changing vehicle.Narrow vehicles
Because of their narrow profile, the
vehicles traveling near the outer edges of
the lane have not yet been detected by
Distronic. There will be insufficient
distance to the vehicles ahead.Airmatic DC (Dual Control)
(only available on E 63 AMG)
Airmatic automatically selects the opti-
mum suspension tuning and ride height for
your vehicle. The Airmatic consists of two
components:

Adaptive Damping System (ADS)


Vehicle level control
The ADS automatically selects the opti-
mum damping for the respective driving
conditions. At the same time the suspen-
sion is set to either Sport 1, Sport 2 or
Comfort.

262 Controls in detailDriving systemsSuspension tuning
The suspension tuning is set according to:

Your driving style


Road surface conditions


Your choice of suspension style,
Sport 1, Sport 2 or Comfort, which you
select using the damping button1
The following suspension styles are
available:

Comfort
Both indicator lamps2 are off.


Sport 1
One indicator lamp2 is on.


Sport 2
Both indicator lamps2 are on.1Damping button
2Indicator lamps

Start the engine.

Press the damping button1 until the
desired suspension style is set.Vehicle level control
Your vehicle automatically adjusts its ride
height to


increase vehicle safety


reduce fuel consumption
The following vehicle chassis ride heights
can be selected:


Normal


Raised
The vehicle chassis ride height is raised or
lowered according to the selected level
setting and to the vehicle speed:


At a speed exceeding approximately
68 mph (110 km/h) with normal level
set or exceeding 75 mph (120 km/h)
with raised level set, the ride height is
reduced automatically. The table on
the next page provides an overview of
the vehicle levels.


With decreasing speed, the ride height
is again raised to the normal level.
!
If you have selected the Comfort suspen-
sion tuning, the vehicle lowers slightly when you
lock it within approximately 60 seconds after
switching off the engine. When parking, make
sure that your vehicle cannot come into contact
with other objects, such as a curb, while lower-
ing. Your vehicle could otherwise be damaged.
i
The selected suspension style is stored in
memory, even after the SmartKey is removed
from the starter switch.

263 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Select the “Raised” level only when re-
quired by current driving conditions. Oth-
erwise

handling may be impaired


fuel consumption may increase
i
These height adjustments are so small that
you may not notice any change.
Warning!
G
To help avoid personal injury, keep hands
and feet away from wheel housing area, and
stay away from under the vehicle when low-
ering the vehicle chassis.

264 Controls in detailDriving systemsThe following vehicle level settings can be
selected when the vehicle is stationary and
the engine is running:Vehicle level
when stationary
Indicator lamp
Suspension
tuning
Use for
Ride height increase
over normal
Automatic lowering
Normal
Lamp off
Comfort
For driving on normal
roads
None
Max. approx. 0.4 in (10 mm)
Normal
Lamp off
Sport 1 or 2
For driving on normal
roads
None
Max. approx. 0.6 in (15 mm)
Raised
Lamp on
Comfort
For driving on rough
roads or with snow
chains
Approx. 0.8 in (20 mm)
Max. approx. 1.2 in (30 mm)
Raised
Lamp on
Sport 1 or 2
For driving on rough
roads or with snow
chains
Approx. 0.8 in (20 mm)
Max. approx. 1.4 in (35 mm)

265 Controls in detail
Driving systems
The button is located in the lower section
of the center console.
1Vehicle level control button
2Indicator lamp 
Start the engine (
page 52).

Briefly press button1 to change from
normal level to raised level. When vehi-
cle is at raised level, pressing the but-
ton will return the vehicle to normal
level.
When raised level is set, indicator
lamp2 in the button comes on.
When normal level is set, indicator
lamp 2 in the button goes out.
i
At a speed of approximately above 75 mph
(120 km / h) or if the speed amounts to between
50 mph (80 km / h) and 75 mph (120 km / h) for
approximately 5 minutes, the setting raised is
canceled. The indicator lamp 2 in the button
goes out.
If you do not drive in this speed range, the raised
level remains stored even if the SmartKey is re-
moved from the starter switch.

266 Controls in detailLoadingSplit rear bench seat
To expand the cargo compartment, you
can fold down the left and right rear seat
backrests.
The two sections can be folded down sep-
arately to enlarge the cargo compartment.Folding the backrest forward
1Release catch
2Seat cushion

Pull release catch1 and use it to pull
seat cushion2 up.1Release catch
2Seat backrest

Pull release catch1 up.
The seat backrest is released and the
head restraints fold back.

Fold the seat backrest2 forward.
Warning!
G
When expanding the cargo compartment, al-
ways fold the seat cushions fully forward.
Unless you are transporting cargo, the back-
rests must remain properly locked in the up-
right position.
In an accident, during hard braking or sud-
den maneuvers, loose items will be thrown
around inside the vehicle, and cause injury
to vehicle occupants unless the items are
securely fastened in the vehicle.
Always use the cargo tie down rings
(page 270).
!
To prevent damage, the following must be
observed before folding the rear seat backrest
forward:


the head restraints must be folded back and
fully inserted


the front seat must be moved into its
front-most position


the seat cushions must be folded forward
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If the rear center seat is to be occupied
while driving, it may be necessary to fold the seat
belt buckle up again.

267 Controls in detail
Loading
Returning seat backrest to original po-
sition
1Seat cushion
2Seat backrest
Swing seat backrest2 to the rear until
it engages.

Swing seat cushion1 to the rear and
press down from the rear of the cush-
ion until it audibly engages.

Swing the head restraint forward by
hand until it engages.
Warning!
G
Always lock backrest in its upright position
when rear seat bench is occupied, or the ex-
tended cargo compartment is not in use.
Check for secure locking by pushing and
pulling on the backrest.
In an accident, during hard braking or sud-
den maneuvers, loose items will be thrown
around inside the vehicle, and cause injury
to vehicle occupants unless the items are
securely fastened in the vehicle.
To help avoid personal injury during a colli-
sion or sudden maneuver, exercise care
when transporting cargo.

268 Controls in detailLoadingAdjusting seat backrest position
1Release catch
2Seat backrest

Pull right seat release catch1 up and
fold seat backrest forward.

With the seat backrest released, pull
release catch1 up again.

Pull left seat release catch1 up and
fold seat backrest forward.

With the seat backrest released, pull
release catch1 up again.

Fold left seat backrest to the rear until
it engages.

Fold right seat backrest to the rear until
it engages.
The seat backrests are now in the alter-
native position.
Expanding the cargo compartment
Removing the rear seat cushions will pro-
vide you with a larger, flat cargo compart-
ment.
Fold the seat cushions forward
(page 266).
1Release lever

Pull seat cushion release lever1 and
remove the seat cushion by pulling it
upward.

Remove the head restraints
(page 130).
i
The seat backrests can be placed in an alter-
native upright position. This creates a larger car-
go compartment area or provides for improved
seating comfort on the folding bench seat, if re-
quired.

269 Controls in detail
Loading

Fold the seat backrest forward
(page 266).
Loading instructions
The total load weight including vehicle oc-
cupants and luggage/cargo should not ex-
ceed the load limit indicated on the
corresponding placard located on the driv-
er’s door B-pillar.The handling characteristics of a fully load-
ed vehicle depend greatly on the load dis-
tribution. It is therefore recommended to
load the vehicle according to the illustra-
tions shown, with the heaviest items being
placed towards the front of the vehicle.
Always place items being carried against
front or rear seat backrests, and fasten
them as securely as possible.
The heaviest portion of the cargo should al-
ways be kept as low as possible since it in-
fluences the handling characteristics of
the vehicle.
!
Leave the seat cushion hinge in this posi-
tion. The upholstery could be damaged if you fold
the hinge back.