trailer MERCEDES-BENZ E-CLASS CABRIOLET 2011 Owner's Manual

X
To revers eintot he parking space: main-
tai nt he steering wheel angle and reverse
carefully.
X Stop as soon as you hear awarning tone,
at the latest when PARKTRONIC sounds the
continuous warning tone.
The Parking Guidance finished mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display
and awarning tone sounds. You may be
asked to steer in adifferen tdirection and
the nchange gear. In this case, further dis-
playsint he multifunction displayw ill direct
you to the final position.
X Manoeuvre if necessary.
X Always observe the warning messages dis-
played by PARKTRONIC (Y page 187).
Cancelling Parking Guidance X
Press the PARKTRONIC button on the
centre console (Y page 188).
Parking Guidance is cancelled immediately
and PARKTRONIC is deactivated.
Parking Guidance is cancelled automatically
if it is no longer possible to guide you into the
parking space, or if amalfunction occurs.
The parking space symbol goes out and a
warning tone sounds. The Parking Guid‐ance cancelled message appears in the
multifunction display.
Trailer towing For vehicles with
atrailer tow hitch, the min-
imum length for parking spaces is slightly
increased.
If you have attached atrailer to your vehicle,
you should not use Parking Guidance. When
the electrical connection is established
between your vehicle and the trailer, Parking
Guidance ceases to be available. PARK-
TRONIC is deactivated for the rear area. Reversing camera
Important safety notes The reversing camera is an optical parking
aid. It shows the area behind your vehicle in
the COMAND APS display.
G
WARNING
Make sure that no persons or animals are in
the manoeuvring range. Otherwise, they
could be injured.
The reversing camera is located in the handle
strip of the boot lid. Example: Coupé
:
Reversing camera
View through the camera The area behind the vehicle is displayed as a
mirror image, as in the rear-view mirror.
G
WARNING
The reversing camera is only an aid and may
display obstacles in adistorted or incorrect
manner, or may not even display them at all.
The reversing camera does not relieve you of
the responsibility to pay attention. The cam-
era cannot show objects:
R very near to the rear bumper
R below the rear bumper
R in the area immediately above the boot lid
handle
You are always responsible for safety and
must continue to pay attention to your imme-
diate surroundings when parking and 192
Driving systemsDriving and parking

manoeuvring. This appliestot
he areas
behind, in front of and next to the vehicle. You
could otherwise endange ryourself and oth-
ers. G
WARNING
Under the following circumstances, the
reversing camera will not function, or will
function in alimited manner:
R if the boot lid is open
R in heavy rain, snow or fog
R at night or in very dark places
R if the camera is exposed to very bright light
R if the area is lit by fluorescent light (the dis-
play may flicker)
R if there is asudden change in temperature,
e.g. when driving into aheated garage in
winter
R if the camera lens is dirty or obstructed
R if the rear of your vehicle is damaged. In this
event,h ave the camera position and setting
checked at aqualified specialist workshop.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you use
aM ercedes-Benz Service Centre for this
purpose.
Do not use the reversing camera in these
types of situation. You could otherwise injure
others or damage object sand your vehicle
while you are parking.
Activating the reversing camera X
Make sure that the key is in position 2in
the ignition lock.
X Make sure that the "Reversing camera"
function is selected in COMAND APS (see
the separate operating instructions for
COMAND APS).
X Engage reverse gear.
The area behind the vehicle is shown in the
COMAND APS display. Guide lines in the COMAND APS display Depending on the date of manufacture of the
vehicle, the guide lines are shown in the
COMAND APS display.
G
WARNING
Using the reversing camera can be dangerous
if you are colour blind or if your ability to dis-
tinguish colours is impaired.
Only use the reversing camera if you can see
and distinguish between all the coloured
guide lines that are displayed by the reversing
camera in the COMAND APS display. G
WARNING
Please note that object snot at ground level
may appear to be further away than they
actually are. These include:
R the bumper of avehicle that is parked
behind your vehicle
R at railer drawbar
R the ball coupling of atrailer tow hitch
R the tail-end of alorry
R slanted posts
The lines are only guides, not accurate meas-
urements of the distance to an obstacle.
Therefore, you should never pass the red line
when approaching an obstacle. You could oth-
erwise cause an accident and injure yourself
and others. Information in the COMAND APS display (example)
Guide lines
;and =show the approximate
distance to the rear area. Yellow guide
line ;indicates adistance of approximately Driving systems
193Driving and parking Z

the warning onl
yoccurs if the differenc ein
spee dislesst han1 2km/h.
The yellow indicator lamp goes out if reverse
gearise ngaged. Blind Spot Assist is then
deactivated.
The brightness of the indicator/warning
lamps is adjusted automaticallya ccording to
the ambient light. G
WARNING
Blind Spot Assist is not active at speeds below
30 km/h, and the indicator lamps in the exte-
rior mirrors are yellow. Vehicles in the moni-
toring 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 yourselfa nd others.
Collisio nwarning
If av ehicl eisd etected in the monitoring range
of Blind Spo tAssist and you switch on the turn
signal, adoublew arning tone sounds. Red
warning lamp :flashes. If the turn signal
remains on, detected vehicles are indicated
by the flashing of red warning lamp :.There
are no further warning tones.
Switching on Blind Spot Assist
X Make sure that the radar sensor system
(Y page 229) and Blind Spot Assist
(Y page 224) are activated in the on-board
computer.
X Turn the key to position 2in the ignition
lock.
Warning lamps :light up red in the exte-
rior mirrors for approximately 1.5 seconds
and then turn yellow.
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. In this event, Blind Spot
Assist is deactivated. The indicator lamp in
the exterior mirrors lights up yellow, and the
Blind Spot Assist currently unavail‐ able See Owner's Manual message
appears in the multifunction display.
i You can deactivate the indicator lamps in
the exterior mirrors.
To do so, switch off Blind Spot Assist if:
R the key is in position 2in the ignition
lock.
R the engine is not running.
R the electrical connection to the trailer
has been established.
Lane Keeping Assist Important safety notes
Lane Keeping Assist monitors the area in
front of your vehicle by means of
acamera at
the top of the windscreen. Lane Keeping
Assist detectsl ane markings on the road and
warns you before you leave your lane unin-
tentionally.
If you have chosen the (Y page 225) function
in the on-board computer and select km as
the unit of measurement, Active Lane Keep-
ing Assist is active from speeds of 60 km/h.
If the displayu nit is selected, the assistance
range begins at 40 mph. G
WARNING
Lane Keeping Assist does not keep your vehi-
cle in its lane. It is only an aid and may detect
the lane markings on the road incorrectly or
not at all.
The system may be impaired or may not func-
tion if:
R there is poor visibility, e.g. due to insuffi-
cient illumination of the road, or due to
snow, rain, fog or spray.
R there is glare, e.g. from oncomingt raffic,
the sun, or reflection from other vehicles.
R the windscreen is dirty, misted up or cov-
ered, for instancebyas ticker, in the vicinity
of the camera
R several or no lane markings for asingle lane
are present. 198
Driving systemsDriving and parking

R
ad riving safety system intervenes, suc has
ESP ®
or PRE-SAFE ®
Brake.
R ESP ®
is deactivated.
R al oss of tyr epressure or adefective tyr eis
detected.
Activating Activ eBlind Spot Assist
X Mak esure that th eradar sensor system
(Y page 229) and Activ eBlindS potA ssist
(Y page 224) are activated in th eon-bo ard
computer.
X Turn th ekeyto position 2in th eignition
lock.
Warning lamps :light up red in th eexte-
rior mirror sfor approximately 1. 5seconds
and then tur nyellow.
Trailer towing
If you attac hatrailer, make sure you have
correctly established the electrical connec-
tion .This can be accomplished by checking
the trailer lighting. Active Blind Spot Assist is
then deactivated. The indicator lamp in the
exterior mirrors lights up yellow, and the
Active Blind Spot Assist currently unavailable See Owner's Manual mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
Active Lane Keeping Assist Important safety notes
Active Lane Keeping Assist monitors the area
in front of your vehicle by means of
acamera
at the top of the windscreen. Active Lane
Keeping Assist detectsl ane markings on the
road and warns you before you leave your
lane unintentionally. If you do not react to the
warning, alane-correcting application of the
brakes can bring the vehicle back into the
original lane. :
Active Lane Keeping Assist camera
If you have selected the Display unit Speed-/odometer: (Y
page 225) function in
the on-board computer and select kmkm as
the unit of measurement, Active Lane Keep-
ing Assist is active from speeds of 60 km/h.
If the miles displayu
nit is selected, the assis-
tance range begins at 40 mph. G
WARNING
Active Lane Keeping Assist does not keep
your vehicle in its lane. It is only an aid and
may detect the lane markings on the road
incorrectly or not at all.
The system may be impaired or may not func-
tion if:
R several or no lane markings for asingle lane
are present.
R there is poor visibility, e.g. due to insuffi-
cient illumination of the road, or due to
snow, rain, fog or spray.
R there is glare, e.g. from oncomingt raffic,
the sun, or reflection from other vehicles.
R the windscreen is dirty, misted up or cov-
ered, for instancebyas ticker, in the vicinity
of the camera.
R the lane markings are worn away,d ark or
covered up, e.g. by dirt or snow.
R the distance to the vehicle in front is too
small and the lane markings thus cannot be
detected.
R the lane markings on the road are unclear,
e.g. near roadworks. 202
Driving systemsDriving and parking

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

Make sure that the following values are not
exceeded:
R the permissible trailer drawbar noseweight
R the permissible trailer load
R the permissible rear axle load of the towing
vehicle
R the maximum permissible gross vehicle
weight of both the towing vehicle and the
trailer
You will find the applicable permissible val-
ues, which must not be exceeded, in the vehi-
cle documents.
You will find the values approved by the man-
ufacturer on the vehicle identification plates
and those for the towing vehicle in the "Tech-
nical data" section. G
WARNING
If the Check trailer hitch locking mechanism message appears in the multi-
function display while the vehicle is in motion,
pull over immediately and check whether the
ball coupling is correctly engaged. G
WARNING
Always observe the maximum speed permit-
ted in Germany for vehicle/trailer combina-
tions, even in countries where higher speeds
are permitted. This lowers the risk of an acci-
dent. G
WARNING
Never depress the brake pedal continuously
while the vehicle is in motion, e.g. never cause
the brakes to rub by applying constant slight
pedal pressure. This causes the brake system
to overheat, increases the braking distance
and can lead to the brakes failing completely. G
WARNING
On no account should you attempt to draw the
vehicle/trailer combination out by increasing
speed. General information i
When towing atrailer, set the tyre pres-
sure on the rear axle of the towing vehicle
for am aximum load; see the tyre pressure
table in the fuel filler flap (Y page 321).
You will find installation dimensions and loads
in the "Technical data" section
(Y page 343).
The maximum permissible trailer drawbar
noseweight on the ball coupling is 75 kg.
However, the actual noseweight must not
exceed the value given on the trailer tow hitch
and trailer identification plates. The lowest
weight applies.
! Use anoseweight as close as possible to
the maximum permissible noseweight. Do
not use anoseweight of less than 50 kg,
otherwise the trailer may come loose.
Bear in mind that the payload and the rear
axle load are reduced by the actual nose-
weight.
Please note that when towing atrailer, PARK-
TRONIC (Y page 185) and parking guidance
(Y page 189) are only available with limita-
tions, or not at all.
i The height of the ball coupling changes
with the load of the vehicle. If necessary,
use atrailer with aheight-adjustable draw-
bar.
Driving tips i
Observe the notes on ESP ®
trailer stabi-
lisation (Y page 65).
In Germany, the maximum permissible speed
for vehicle/trailer combinations depends on
the type of trailer, and is either 80 km/h or
100 km/h. In some countries, higher maxi-
mum speeds are permissible for vehicle/
trailer combinations. Before beginning the
journey, check the trailer's documents to see
what the maximum permitted speed is.
For certain Mercedes-Ben zvehicles, the max-
imum permissible rear axle load is increased
when towing atrailer. Refer to the "Technical Trailer towing
205Driving and parking Z

data" section to find out whether this applies
to your vehicle. If you utilise any of the added
maximum rear axle load when towin gatrailer,
the vehicle/trailer combination may not
exceed amaximum speed of 100 km/ hfor
reasons concerning the operatin gpermit.
This also applies in countries in which the
permissible maximum speed for vehicle/
trailer combinations is above 100 km/h.
When towin gatrailer, your vehicle's handling
characteristic swill be differen tincomparison
to when driving without atrailer.
The vehicle/trailer combination:
R is heavier
R is restricted in its acceleration and gradi-
ent-climbing capability
R has an increased braking distance
R is affected more by strongc rosswinds
R demands more sensitive steering
R consumes more fuel
On long and steep downhill gradients, you
must shift to alower gear in good time, or on
vehicles with automatic transmission, select
the shift range 1,2or 3.
i This also applies if you have activated
cruise control, SPEEDTRONIC or DIS-
TRONIC PLUS.
This will use the braking effect of the engine,
so less braking will be required to maintain
the speed. This relieves the load on the brake
system and prevent sthe brakes from over-
heating and wearing too quickly. If you need
additional braking, depress the brake pedal
repeatedly rather than continuously.
Driving tips R
Maintain agreater distance from the vehi-
cle in front than when driving without a
trailer.
R Avoid braking abruptly. If possible, brake
gently at first to allow the trailer to run on.
Then, increase the braking force rapidly.
R The values given for gradient-climbing
capabilities from astandstill refer to sea level. When driving in mountainous areas,
notet hat the power output of the engine,
and consequently the vehicle's gradient-
climbing capability, decrease with increas-
ing altitude.
If the trailer swings from side to side:
X Do not accelerate.
X Do not counter-steer.
X Brake if necessary. Folding out the ball coupling
Before you can tow atrailer with your vehicle,
you must fold out the ball coupling.
The release wheel is located behind the left-
hand side trim panel in the boot. G
WARNING
Make sure that the ball coupling is engaged,
either in its folded-out or folded-in position,
and that the indicator lamp is off.
Do not turn the release wheel when atrailer
is coupled up. Otherwise, the trailer might
detach. X
To open the cover: turn handle:anti-
clockwise and fold down cover ;.206
Trailer towingDriving and parking

X
Pull out release wheel ;.
X Turn release wheel ;anti-clockwise until
the ball coupling releases and folds out
from under the rear bumper. Indicator
lamp :flashes. X
Pull the ball coupling in the direction of the
arrow until it engages in avertical position.
Indicator lamp :goes out. The power
socket folds down automatically.
The multifunction display shows the
Trailer hitch Check lock mech. mes-
sage until the ball coupling is engaged.
X Remove the protective cap from the ball
coupling and store it in asafe place.
X Make sure that the ball of the ball coupling
is clean and that, depending on the trailer
specification, it is greased or dry (without
grease) when used. Coupling up
atrailer G
WARNING
Do not disconnect atrailer with an engaged
overrun brake. Otherwise, your hand could
become trapped between the bumper and
trailer drawbar.
X Make sure that the transmission is in posi-
tion P.
X Apply the parking brake.
X Position the trailer level behind the vehicle.
X Couple up the trailer.
X Establish the electrical connection
between the vehicle and the trailer.
X Check that the trailer lighting system is
working. Decoupling
atrailer G
WARNING
As soon as yo uraise the trailer drawbar ,the
unladen vehicl erises slightly. Th evehicl ethen
lowers to driving level.
Make sure tha tnobody is in the vicinit yofthe
wheel arch or the underbody. You could oth-
erwise trap yourself or others. G
WARNING
The vehicle is lowered as soon as you discon-
nect the trailer cable. Make sure that nobody
is in the vicinit yofthe wheel arch or the
underbody. You could otherwise trap yourself
or others.
As soon as you decouple the trailer, the unla-
den vehicle rises slightly. Make sure that you
or others are not injured in the process.
! Do not disconnect atrailer with an
engaged overrun brake. Otherwise, your
vehicle could be damaged by the rebound-
ing of the overrun brake.
X Make sure that the transmission is in posi-
tion P.
X Apply the parking brake. Trailer towing
207Driving and parking Z

X
Secure the traile ragainst rolling away.
X Remove the trailer cable and decouple the
trailer. Folding in the ball coupling
i Fold the ball coupling back in if you are
not using the trailer tow hitch. G
WARNING
Make sure that no persons or animals are in
the pivoting range of the ball coupling. Other-
wise, they could be injured.
X Place the protective cap on the ball cou-
pling.
The release wheel is located behind the left-
hand side trim panel in the boot. X
To open the cover: turn handle:anti-
clockwise and fold down cover ;. X
Pull out release wheel ;.
X Turn release wheel ;anti-clockwise.
The ball coupling unlocks and lowers. Indi-
cator lamp :flashes. X
Press the ball coupling in the direction of
the arrow until it engages behind the
bumper.
Indicator lamp :goes out and the mes-
sage in the multifunction display disap-
pears. Trailer power supply
When it leaves the factory, your vehicle's
trailer socket is equipped with apermanent
power supply and apower supply that is
switched on via the ignition lock.
The permanent power supply is supplied via
trailer socket pin 9.
The power supply that is switched on via the
ignition lock is supplied via trailer socket pin
10.
! You can connect consumers with apower
rating of up to 240 Wtothe permanent
power supply and up to 180 Wtothe power
supply that is switched on via the ignition
lock.
You must not charge atrailer battery using
the power supply.
The trailer's permanent power supply is
switched off in the event of low vehicle supply
voltage and after six hours at the latest. 208
Trailer towingDriving and parking

You can obtain further information about
installing the trailer electrics fro maqualified
specialist workshop, e.g. aMercedes-Benz
Service Centre.
X To switch the connected power supply
on or off: turn the key in the ignition lock
to position 2or 0respectively. Bulb failur
eindicator for LED lamps
i If LED lamps are fitted in the trailer, an
error message may appear in the multi-
function display even if ther eisnofault. The
reason for the error message may be that
the curren thas falle nbelow the minimum
of 50 milliamperes (mA).
To ensure reliable operation of the bulb failure
indicator, each LED chain in the trailer lighting
must be guaranteed aminimum curren tof
50 mA. Trailer with 7-pin connector
General information If your trailer has
a7-pin connector, you can
connectittot he 13-pin socket on the ball
coupling using an adapter or, if necessary, an
adapter cable. Bothoft hese can be obtained
at aq ualified specialist workshop, e.g. at a
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.
Fitting the adapter X
Open the socket cover.
X Inser tthe connector with lug :into
groove ;on the socket and turn the con-
nector clockwise to the stop.
X Let the cover engage.
X If you are using an adapter cable, secure
the cable to the trailer with cable ties.
! Make sure that ther eissufficien tcable
play so that th ecabl ecanno tbecome
detached when cornering. Trailer towing
209Driving and parking Z