Sport MERCEDES-BENZ E-CLASS CABRIOLET 2011 User Guide

Permanent SPEEDTRONIC
You can use the on-board computer to limit
the speed permanently to avalue between
16 0k m/ h(e.g. for driving on winter tyres)
and th emaximum spee d(Ypage 228).
Shortly before th estoreds peed is reached, it
appears in the multifunction display.
Permanent SPEEDTRONIC remains active,
even if variable SPEEDTRONIC is deactivated.
You cannot exceed the stored limit speed,
even if you depress the accelerator pedal
beyond the pressure point (kickdown). Dynamic handling package with
sports mode
General notes The most important part of the dynamic han-
dling package with sport smode is the adjust-
able suspension system. This automatically
controls and adapts the suspension to the
respective drivin gsituation.
The calibration of the suspension depends
on:
R your drivin gstyle
R the road surface conditions
R your individual selection; see the following
description
If your vehicle is equipped with automatic
transmission ,the dynamic handling package
with sport smode also includes steering
wheel gearshift paddles (Y page 157)with a
manual drive program (Y page 158). Example: position of dynamic handling package
with sport smode button
X Start the engine.
Sports tuning The firmer setting of the suspension tunin
gin
sport smode ensures even better contact
with the road. Select this mode when employ-
ing asport ydrivin gstyle, e.g. on winding
country roads.
Your selection remains stored until you
switc hoff the engine.
X Press button ;.
Indicator lamp :lights up. Sport ssuspen-
sion tunin gisselected. Depending on the
engin eoutput, the accelerator pedal is
more responsive. On vehicles with auto-
matic transmission ,drive program Sis
selected.
Comfor ttuning In comfort mode, the drivin
gcharacteristics
of your vehicle are more comfortable. Select
this mode if you prefer amore comfortable
drivin gstyle, but also when drivin gfast on
straight roads, e.g. motorways.
X Press button ;.
Indicator lamp :goes out. Comfortable
suspension tunin gisselected. On vehicles
with automatic transmission ,drive pro-
gram Eis selected. Driving systems
183Driving and parking Z

might therefore issu
esteering instructions
too soon. This may leadtoac ollision. For this
reason, you should avoi dusing Parking Guid-
ance in such situations. G
WARNING
Make sure that no persons or animals are in
the manoeuvring range. Otherwise, they
could be injured.
When PARKTRONIC is deactivated, Parking
Guidance is alsou navailable.
Use Parking Guidance for parking spaces:
R that are paralleltot he directionoftravel
R that are on straight roads, not bends
R that are on the same leve lasthe road ,i.e.
not on the pavement, for example. Parking
Guidance may not detect flat kerbs
Parking tips:
R on narrow roads, drive pastt he parking
space as close as possible.
R parking spaces that are littered, overgrown
or partially occupied by trailer drawbars
might be identified incorrectly or not at all.
R snowfall or heavy rain may lead to aparking
space being measured inaccurately.
R pay attention to the PARKTRONIC
(Y page 187) warning messages during the
parking procedure.
R when transporting aload which protrudes
from your vehicle, you must not use Parking
Guidance.
R never use Parking Guidance with snow
chains or an emergency spare wheel fitted.
R make sure that the tyre pressures are
always correct.T his hasadirec teffect on
the steering instructions.
R the wayy ourv ehicle is positioned in the
parkin gspace after parkin gisdependent
on various factors. These include the posi-
tion and shape of the vehicles parked in
front and behind it and the conditions of the
location. In some cases, Parking Guidance
may guide you too far or not far enough into
ap arking space. In some cases, it may also lead you across or onto the kerb. If neces-
sary, cancel the parking procedure with
Parking Guidance.
! If unavoidable, you should drive over
obstacles such as kerbs slowly and not at
as harp angle. Otherwise, you may damage
the wheels or tyres.
Detecting parking spaces Example: vehicles with automatic transmission
:
Detected parking space on the left
; Parking symbol
= Detected parking space on the right
Parking Guidance is automaticallya ctivated
when you drive forwards. The system is
operational at speeds of up to approximately
35 km/h. While in operation, the system inde-
pendently locates and measures parking
spaces on both sides of the vehicle. When
driving at speeds below 30 km/h ,you will see
parking symbol ;asastatus indicator in the
instrument cluster.
When aparking space has been detected, an
arrow towards the right =or the left :also
appears. Parking Guidance only displays
parking spaces on the front-passenger side
as standard. Parking spaces on the driver's
side are displayed as soon as the turn signal
on the driver's side is activated. To park on
the driver's side, you must leave the driver's
side turn signal switched on until you have
engaged reverse gear. 190
Driving systemsDriving and parking

1.0
mand red guid eline =indicates adis-
tance of approximatel y0.25 m. The distances
onl yapply to objects tha tare at ground level.
Blue guide lines :depict the width required
for the vehicle. They are usedtoa lign the
vehicl ewith the edge of the carriageway, e.g.
the kerb. ATTENTION ASSIST
Important safety notes ATTENTION ASSIST help
syou during long,
monotonous journey ssuch as on motorways
and trunk roads. It is active in the 80 km/h
to 180 km/h range.
If ATTENTION ASSIST detects typical indica-
tors of fatigu eorincreasing lapses in con-
centration on the part of the driver, it sug-
gests taking abreak. G
WARNING
ATTENTION ASSIST is only an aid and may
detect yourt iredness or lapses in concentra-
tion too late or not at all. It is not asubstitute
for aw ell reste dand attentiv edriver.
Fatigue may caus eyou to recognise hazard-
ous situations to olate ,misjudge asituation
or reac tslower. For this reason ,makes ure
you fee lreste dbefore you begin driving and
durin gyour journey. Always tak ebreaks in
good tim eand regularly, especiall yduring
lon gjou rneys. Otherwise, you may fail to rec-
ognise danger sintime, caus eanacciden tand
injure yoursel fand others.
ATTENTIO NASSIST assesses your level of
fatigu eorlapsesinc oncentration by taking
the following criteria into account:
R your persona ldriving style ,e.g. steering
characteristics
R driving conditions ,e.g. time ,driving time The functionality of ATTENTIO
NASSIST is
restricte dand warning smay be delaye dor
not occu ratall:
R if the roa dcondition is poor, e.g. if the sur-
face is uneven or if there are potholes
R if there is astrong sid ewind
R if you have adopted asport ydrivin gstyle
with high cornering speeds or high rates of
acceleration
R if you are predominantly drivin gslower
than 80 km/h or faster than 180 km/h
R if you are currently using COMAND APS or
making atelephon ecall with it
R if the tim ehas been set incorrectly
R in active drivin gsituations, such as when
you change lanes or change your speed
Warning and display messages in the
multifunction display Example: vehicles with automatic transmission
X
Activate ATTENTION ASSIS Tusing the on-
board computer (Y page 224).
Symbol :appears in the multifunction
display.
If ATTENTION ASSIS Tisactive, you will be
warne dnosooner than 20 minutes after your
journey has begun. You will the nhear an
intermittentw arning tonetwice, and the
Attention Assist :Timef orab reak? message appears in th
emultifunction dis-
play.
X If necessary, tak eabreak.
X Pres sthe a button to confir mthe mes-
sage.
On long journeys, take regula rbreaks in good
time to allow yourself to rest properly. If you
do not take abreak and ATTENTION ASSIST 194
Driving systemsDriving and parking

30 km/h, warning lamp
:on the corre-
sponding sid elights up red. Thi swarning is
always emitted whe navehicle enters the
blind spot monitoring range from behind or
from the side .When you overtake avehicle,
the warning only occurs if the difference in
speed is less than 12 km/h.
The yellow indicator lamp goes out if reverse
gear is engaged. Active Blind Spot Assist is
then no longer active.
The brightness of the indicator/warning
lamps is adjusted automatically according to
the ambient light. G
WARNING
Active Blind Spot Assist is not active at speeds
below 30 km/h. The indicator lamps in the
exterior mirrors are yellow.V ehicles in the
monitoring range are then not indicated.
Always pay attention to traffic conditions and
your surroundings. Otherwise, you may fail to
recognise dangers in time, cause an accident
and injure yourself and others.
Visua land acoustic collisio nwarning
If you switch on the appropriate turn signals
to change lanes, and avehicle is detected in
the side monitoring range of Active Blind Spot
Assist ,you will receive avisual and acoustic
collision warning. You will then hear adouble
warning tone, and red warning lamp :
flashes. If the turn signal remains on, detec-
ted vehicles are indicated by the flashing of
red warning lamp :.There are no further
warning tones.
Course-correcting brak eapplication
If Active Blind Spot Assist detects arisk of a
lateral collision in the monitoring range, a
course-correcting brake application is carried
out. This is designed to help you avoid acol-
lision.
The course-correcting brake application is
available in the range between 30 km/ha nd
200 km/h.
If ac ourse-correcting brake application
occurs, red warning lamp :flashe sinthe exterio
rmirro rand the following is shown in
the multifunctio ndisplay, for example: Example: vehicles with automatic transmission
G
WARNING
Activ eBlindS pot Assist is only an aid
designed to assist driving. It is not asubstitute
for attentive driving. Automatic braking by the
system may not always be sufficien ttoavoid
ac ollision. In such cases, you need to steer,
brake or accelerate yourself.
In very rare cases, the system may detect a
risk of collision where there is none and brake
in error near crash barriers or similar road
boundaries. Active Blind Spot Assist cannot
detect all traffic situations and road users.
Ensure at all times that there is sufficient lat-
eral distance between you and other road
users or obstacles. You can, for example,
countersteer gently or depress the accelera-
tor pedal at any time to cancel inappropriate
braking action.
You are responsible for the vehicle's speed,
correc tsteerin gand for braking in good time.
Alway sadapt your drivin gstyle to suit the
prevailing road and weather conditions.
Always pay attention to traffic conditions and
your surroundings. Otherwise, you may fail to
recognise dangers in time, cause an accident
and injure yourself and others.
Either avery slight course-correcting brake
application, or none at all, may occur if:
R there are vehicles or obstacles, e.g. crash
barriers, on both sides of your vehicle.
R av ehicle approaches too closely on the
side.
R you have adopted asporty driving style with
high cornering speeds.
R you brake or accelerate decisively. Driving systems
201Driving and parking Z

ings
.You can, for example, countersteer gen-
tly at any time to cancel inappropriate braking
action, e.g. if you intentionally drive across a
solid lane marking.
Active Lane Keeping Assist cannot take
weather conditions into account.
You are responsible for the vehicle's speed,
correc tsteerin gand for braking in good time.
Alway sadapt your drivin gstyle to suit the
prevailing road and weather conditions.
Always pay attention to traffic conditions and
your surroundings. Otherwise, you may fail to
recognise 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 asharp bend.
R you have switched on the turn signals.
R ad riving safety system intervenes, such as
ESP ®
,P RE-SAFE ®
Brake or Active Blind
Spot Assist.
R you have adopted asporty driving style with
high cornering speeds or high rates of
acceleration.
R on vehicles with atrailer tow hitch, the
electrical connection to the trailer has been
correctly established.
R ESP ®
is deactivated.
R the transmission is not in position D.
R al oss of tyre pressure or adefective tyre
has been detected and displayed.
Active Lane Keeping Assist does not detect
road and traffic conditions. An inappropriate
brake application may be interrupted at any
time if:
R you steer slightly in the opposite direction.
R you use aturn signal.
R you clearly brake or accelerate. Al
ane-correcting brak eapplicatio nisinter-
rupted automaticallyi f:
R ad riving safety system intervenes, such as
ESP ®
,P RE-SAFE ®
Brake or Active Blind
Spot Assist.
R lane markings can no longer be recognised.
Activating Active Lane Keeping Assist Example: vehicles with automatic transmission
X
Activate Active Lane Keeping Assist using
the on-board computer (Y page 224).
Symbol :appears in the multifunction
display.
If you drive at speeds above 60 km/h and
lane markings are detected, symbol :is
displayed with inverse highlighting. Active
Lane Keeping Assist is ready for use.
Trailer towing
If you attach atrailer, make sure you have
correctly established the electrical connec-
tion. This can be accomplished by checking
the trailer lighting. Trailer towing
Notes on towing
atrailer
Important safety notes G
WARNING
When reversing the vehicl etowards the
trailer, make sure there is nobod ybetween
the trailer and the vehicle.
Couple and uncoupl ethe trailer carefully .If
you do no tcouple the trailer to the towing
vehicle correctly, the trailer could become
detached. 204
Trailer towingDriving and parking

Useful information
i This Owner's Manual describes all models
and all standard and optional equipment
available to your vehicle at the time of pub-
lication of the Owner's Manual. Country-
specific deviation sare possible. Please
not ethat your vehicle may not be equipped
with all feature sdescribed. This also
applies to safety-relevan tsystems and
functions.
i Pleas ereadt he information on qualified
specialist workshop s(Ypage 22). Loading guidelines (Coupé)
G
WARNING
Secur eand position th eload as described in
th el oadin gguidelines.
Otherwise ,vehicl eoccupant scould
be injured by th eload bein gthrow na round in
the event of sharp braking, asudden change
in directio noranaccident.
You willf ind further informatio ninthe "Secur-
ing aload" section.
Even if you follow all the loading guidelines,
the load will increase the risk of injury in the
event of an accident. G
WARNING
Keep the boot lid closed while the vehicle is
in operation. Otherwise, you could be pois-
oned by exhaust fumes enteringt he vehicle.
The handling characteristics of aladen vehi-
cle are dependent on the distribution of the
load within the vehicle. For this reason, you
should observe the following notes when
transporting aload:
R when transporting aload, never exceed the
maximum permissible gross vehicle weight or the permissible axle loads for the vehicle
(including occupants).
R position heavy loads as far forwards as pos-
sible and as low down in the boot as pos-
sible.
R the load must not protrude above the upper
edge of the seat backrests.
R always place the load against the rear or
front seat backrests. Make sure that the
seat backrests are securely locked into
place.
R always place the load behind unoccupied
seats if possible.
R secure the load with sufficiently stronga nd
wear-resistant lashing material. pad sharp
edges for protection.
i Load restraintsa re available at any quali-
fied specialist workshop, e.g. aMercedes-
Benz Service Centre. Stowage areas
Stowage compartments
Important safety notes G
WARNING
The stowage compartments must be closed
when items are stored in them. Luggage nets
are not designed to secure heavy items of
luggage.
You or other vehicle occupants could be
injured by objectsb eing thrown around if you:
R brake sharply
R change direction suddenly
R are involved in an accident
Sharp-edged and fragile objectsm ust not be
placed in the luggagen et.
Do not place hard objectsint he map pockets.
Objectsm ust not protrude from the map
pockets. 264
Stowage areasStowing and features

Luggage nets
G
WARNING
Only place lightweight object sinthe luggage
net. Do not use it to transport heavy, sharp-
edged or fragile objects. The luggagen et can-
not secure the objectss ufficiently in the event
of an accident.
Luggage nets are located in the front-
passenger footwell and on the left-hand side
of the boot (Coupé) or left and right-hand
sides of the boot (Cabriolet). Through-loading facility in the rear
compartment X
Fold down rear seat armrest =.
X Pull handle :and fold cover ;down-
wards. Through-loading facility in the rear
bench seat (Coupé)
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Do not carry heavy or hard objectsi nside the
vehicle or in the boot unless they are secured.
Otherwise, you and other vehicle occupants
could be injured by objects being thrown
around the vehicle in the event of sharp brak-
ing, asudden change in direction or an acci-
dent. G
WARNING
Always drive with the boot lid closed. Exhaust
fumes could otherwise enter the vehicle inte-
rior.
The left-hand and right-hand rear seat backr-
ests can be folded down separately to
increase the boot capacity.
Folding the seat backrest forwards i
Vehicles with memory function :when you
fold one or both parts of the rear seat back-
rest forwards, the respective front seat
moves forward slightly, when necessary, in
order to avoid contact.
X Vehicles without memory function: if nec-
essary, move the driver's or front-
passenger seat forwards.
X Open the boot.
X Pull right-hand or left-hand rear seat back-
rest release handle :.
The corresponding rear seat backrest is
released. 266
Stowage areasStowing and features

Bag hook
G
WARNING
Onl yhanglight load sonthe bagholders. Do
not us ethem to transport heavy ,sharp-edged
or fragile objects. Whe nbraking sharply,
changing directio nquickly or in the event of
an accident, the bag hooks willn ot secure the
items sufficiently. This could resul tininjury to
yoursel forothers.
! Theb aghoo kcan bear amaximum load
of 3k g.Do no tuse it to secure aload. :
Bag hook Stowage well under th
eboot floor
The TIREFI Tkit,t he vehicle tool kit ,etc. are
locate dinthe stowage compartment. X
To open: pull handle :upwards. Example: Coupé
X
Coupé: hook handle :into rain
trough ;.
X Cabriolet: pull the boot floo rslightly
towards you and the nhook handle :into
rain trough ;.
! Remove the handle again before closing
the boot lid and snap it in tightly to prevent
the handle flap from protruding. Otherwise,
you could damage the handle. Roof carrier (Coupé)
Important safety notes G
WARNING
An incorrectly secured roof carrier, ski rack or
load could become detached from the vehi-
cle. These object smight then be thrown
around and could injure you or others or
cause an accident .Follow the roof carrier/ski
rack manufacturer' sinstallation instructions
and special instructions for use.
The roof load raises the vehicle's centre of
gravity, thereby affecting vehicle handling.
You must alwayso bserve the maximum roof
load of 100 kg. Always adapt your driving style
to the prevailing road, traffic and weather
conditions and drive with particular care if the
roof is laden. G
WARNING
Only use the roof carrier when the roof is
closed. The roof carrier or the load could 268
Stowage areasStowing and features

Fitting
anew wheel G
WARNING
Replac edamage dorcorrode dwheel bolts.
Never oil or greas ewheel bolts. This could
cause th eboltstol oosenint he wheel hub. G
WARNING
If aw heel hub thread is damaged, you must
not drive the vehicle any further. Consult a
qualified specialist workshop which has the
necessary specialist knowledge and tools to
carry out the work required. Mercedes-Benz
recommends that you use aMercedes-Benz
Service Centr eorService 24h for this pur-
pose. In particular, work relevant to safety or
on safety-related systems must be carried out
at aq ualified specialist workshop. G
WARNING
Only use wheel bolts that have been designed
for the wheel and the vehicle. For safety rea-
sons, Mercedes-Benz recommends that you
only use wheel bolts which have been
approved for Mercedes-Benz vehicles and the
respective wheel. Other wheel bolts could
work loose or damage the brake system.
Do not tighten the wheel bolts completely
while the vehicle is still jacked up. The vehicle
could topple off the jack.
X Clean the wheel and wheel hub contact
surfaces. X
Slide the emergency spare wheel ontot he
centring pin and push it on. X
Tighten the wheel bolts until they are fin-
ger-tight.
X Unscrew the centring pin.
X Tighten the last wheel bolt until it is finger-
tight.
Lowering the vehicle X
Turn the cran kofthe jack anti-clockwise
until the vehicle is oncea gain standing
firmly on the ground.
X Place the jack to one side. X
Tighten the wheel bolts evenly in across-
wise patter ninthe sequence indicated
(: toA ). The tightening torque must be
130 Nm. G
WARNING
Have the tightening torque checked immedi-
ately after awheel is changed. The wheels
could work loose if they are not tightened to
at orque of 130 Nm.
X Turn the jack back to its initial position and
store it together with the rest of the vehicle
tool kit in the stowage well under the boot
floor.
X Vehicles with AMG equipment: ifaf ront
wheel has been changed, insert the cover
into the outer sill.
Vehicles with an emergency spare wheel:
X Transport the faulty wheel in the boot.
i When you are driving with the emergency
spare wheel fitted, the tyre pressure loss 304
Flat tyreBreakdown assistance

R
the engine is not running.
R there is abrake syste mmalfunction.
R there is amalfunctio ninthe power supply
or the vehicle's electrical system.
The power assistance for the steering and the
brake force booster do not work when the
engine is not running. You will need more
force to steer and brake, you may have to
depress the brake pedal with maximum force.
Before towing away,m ake sure that the steer-
ing can be moved and is not locked.
If you tow or tow-start another vehicle, its
weight must not exceed the maximum per-
missible gross vehicle weight of your vehicle. G
WARNING
The vehicle is braked when the HOLD function
or DISTRONIC PLUS is activated. Therefore,
deactivate HOLD and DISTRONIC PLUS if the
vehicle is to be towed.
It is better to have the vehicle transported
than to have it towed.
! You may tow the vehicle for amaximum
of 50 km. Atowing speed of 50 km/h must
not be exceeded.
For towing distances over 50 km, the entire
vehicle must be lifted up and transported.
! Only secure the tow rope or towing bar to
the towing eyes. The vehicle may otherwise
be damaged.
! Do not use the towing eye for recovery,
as this could damage the vehicle. If in
doubt, recover the vehicle with acrane.
! Pull away smoothly when towing away or
tow-starting avehicle. If the tractive power
is too high, the vehicles could be damaged.
! On vehicles with KEYLESS-GO, use the
key instead of the Start/Stop button. Turn
the key to position 2in the ignition lock and
shift the automatic transmission to N.
Then, turn the key back to 0and leave it in
the ignition lock. When towing
avehicle with an automatic
transmission, the transmission must be in
position N.
The battery must be connected and charged.
Otherwise, you:
R cannot turn the key in the ignition lock to
position 2
R cannot shift the transmission to position
N on vehicles with automatic transmission
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
release the selector lever lock manually to
move it out of position P(Y page 160).
i Before the vehicle is towed, switch off the
automatic locking feature (Y page 78). You
could otherwise be locked out when push-
ing or towing the vehicle.
Deactivate tow-away protection
(Y page 68) before the vehicle is towed. Fitting/removing the towing eye
Fitting the towing eye Vehicles with
atrailer tow hitch: if you intend
to use the vehicle for towing, fold out the ball
coupling and connect the towbar to it
(Y page 206).
X Remove the towing eye from the vehicle
tool kit (Y page 295). G
WARNING
The exhaust tail pipe may be hot. You could
burn yourself if you touch the tail pipe. Be
particularly careful when removing the rear
cover.
The mountings for the removable towing eyes
are located in the bumpers. They are at the
front and at the rear, under the covers. Towing and tow-starting
311Breakdown assistance Z