parking sensors MERCEDES-BENZ E-CLASS CABRIOLET 2011 Owners Manual

Belt
see Sea tbelt
Belt force limiter s(activation) ...........39
Belt tensioner Activatio n......................................... 39
Function .......................................... .50
Blind Spo tAssist
Activating/deactivating .................224
Display message ............................ 246
Notes/function .............................. 196
Trailer towing ................................. 198
see Active Blind Spot Assist
Bonnet
Active bonnet (pedestrian protec-
tion) ............................................... 280
Closing .......................................... .282
Display message ............................ 250
Opening ......................................... 281
Boot
Emergency release ..........................81
Important safety guidelines .............79
Locking separatel y........................... 81
Opening (automatically from
inside) .............................................. 81
Opening (automatically from out-
side) ................................................ .80
Boo tlid
Display message ............................ 250
Opening/closing .............................. 79
Opening dimensions ......................343
Boot load (maximum)
see Technical data
Boot separator
Display message ............................ 251
General notes .................................. 92
Opening/closing .............................. 92
Brake Assist System
see BAS (Brake Assist System)
Brake fluid
Display message ............................ 235
Notes ............................................. 336
Brake lamps
Adaptive .......................................... .63
Display message ............................ 239
Brakes
ABS .................................................. 62
BAS .................................................. 62
BAS PLUS ........................................ 62Brake fluid (notes)
.........................336
Display message ............................ 233
Driving tips .................................... 167
Important safety notes ..................167
Parking brake ................................ 166
Warning lamp ................................. 257
Breakdown
see Flat tyre
see Towing away/tow-starting
Bulbs
see Changing bulbs C
Calling up afault
see Display messages
Capacities
see Technical data
Car
see Vehicle
Care
AIRCAP .......................................... 288
Automatic car wash .......................286
Cabriolet soft top ........................... 288
Display ........................................... 291
Draught stop .................................. 289
Exterior lighting ............................. 290
High-pressure cleaner .................... 287
Matt paintwork .............................. 287
Notes ............................................. 285
Paint .............................................. 287
Plastic trim .................................... 291
Reversing camera ..........................290
Seat bel t........................................ 292
Seat cover ..................................... 292
Sensors ......................................... 290
Tai lpipes ....................................... 291
Trim pieces .................................... 292
Wheels ........................................... 287
Wind deflector ............................... 288
Windows ........................................ 289
Wiper blades .................................. 290
Wooden trim .................................. 292
Car key
see Key
Car wash (care) ................................. 286
CD player/CD changer(on-board
computer) .......................................... 2206
Index

passenger protection measures (PRE-SAFE
®
)
are activated (Y page 45). If the risk of colli-
sion remains and you do not brake, tak eeva-
sive action or accelerate significantly, the
vehicle may perfor mautomatic emergency
braking .Automatic emergenc ybraking is not
performed until immediately prio rtoanacci-
dent that can no longer be avoided. G
WARNING
Even if PRE-SAFE ®
Brake slows the vehicle
before an imminent rear-end collision, the
system cannot avert acollision without the
intervention of the driver. There is arisk of an
accident .Brake according to the situation or
take evasive action. Delayed intervention by
the driver can lead to an accident. G
WARNING
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake cannot alwaysc learly iden-
tify object sand complex traffic conditions.
In these cases, PRE-SAFE ®
Brake may:
R give an unnecessary warning and then
brake the vehicle
R not give awarning or intervene
There is arisk of an accident .Always pay par-
ticular attention to the traffic situation and be
ready to brake, especially if PRE-SAFE ®
Brake
warns you. Terminat ethe intervention in a
non-critical drivin gsituation.
In particular, the detection of obstacles can
be impaired if there is:
R dirt on the sensors or anything else cover-
ing the sensors
R sno worh eavy rain
R interference by other radar sources
R the possibilit yofstrong radar reflections,
for example in multi-storey car parks
R an arrow vehicle travellin ginfront,e.g. a
motorbike
R av ehicle travellin ginfront on adifferent
line G
WARNING
PRE-SAFE ®
Brak edoes not react:
R to people or animals
R to oncomin gvehicles
R to crossin gtraffic
R when cornering
As aresult ,PRE-SAFE ®
Brak emay not give
warnings or intervene in critical situations.
There is arisk of an accident .Always pay
careful attention to the traffic situation and be
ready to brake.
In order to maintain the appropriate distance
to the vehicle in front and thus prevent acol-
lision ,you must apply the brakes yourself.
X To activate/deactivate: activate or deac-
tivate PRE-SAFE ®
Brak eint he on-board
computer (Y page 223).
The Ä symbol appears in the multifunc-
tion display as long as the HOL Dfunction
is no tactivated (Y page 184).
On vehicles wit hparking guidance, the
Ä symbol is displayed when Pis
engaged or you are driving faste rthan
35 km/h.
The radar sensor system is switched off auto-
matically in the vicinity of radio telescope
facilities (Y page 345).
Vehicles without COMAND and anavigation
system and vehicles for Australia: the radar
sensor system and on-board computer must
be switched off in the vicinity of radio tele-
scope facilities (Y page 229).
For PRE-SAFE ®
Brake to assist you when driv-
ing, the radar sensor system must be
switched on (Y page 229) and be opera-
tional.
Following damage to the front end of the vehi-
cle, have the configuration and operation of
the radar sensors checked at aqualified spe-
cialist workshop. This also applies to colli-
sions at slow speeds where there is no visible
damage to the front of the vehicle. Driving safety systems
67Safety Z

On long and steep downhill gradients, espe-
cially if the vehicle is laden or towing atrailer,
you must select shift range 1,2or 3in good
time. By doing so, you will make use of the
braking effect of the engine, which relieves
the load on the brake system and prevents
the brakes from overheating and wearing too
quickly.
If as lower-moving vehicle is detected in front,
DISTRONIC PLUS causes your vehicle to
brake and maintain apreset distance to the
vehicle in front. G
WARNING
Do not change down for additional engine
braking on aslippery road surface. This could
cause the drive wheels to lose their grip and
the vehicle could skid. G
WARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS is only an aid designed to
assist driving. The driver remains fully respon-
sible for the vehicle's distance from other
vehicles, the vehicle's speed and for braking
in good time.
DISTRONIC PLUS does not react in particular
to:
R pedestrians
R stationary obstacles on the road, e.g. stop-
ped or parked vehicles
R oncoming and crossing traffic
DISTRONIC PLUS may not detect narrow vehi-
cles driving in front,e .g. motorcycles, or vehi-
cle sd riving on adifferent line. Therefore,
always pa yattention to traffic conditions even
when DISTRONIC PLU Sisactivated. Other-
wise, yo umay fai ltorecognis edanger sin
time ,cause an accident and injure yourself
and others. G
WARNING
DISTRONIC PLU Scanno ttake account of road
and traffic conditions .IfDISTRONIC doe snot
recognise or no longer recognises the vehicle
in front,don ot activate DISTRONIC or, if it is
already active, deactivate it. This is especially
the case:
R before corners
R on filter lanes
R when changing to alane with faster moving
traffic
R in complex driving situations or where lanes
are diverted, e.g. at roadworks on amotor-
way
DISTRONIC PLUS otherwise maintains the
current speed set by you or accelerates up to
the set speed.
DISTRONIC PLUS cannot take account of
weather conditions. Deactivate, or do not
activate, DISTRONIC PLUS:
R if the roads are slippery, snow-covered or
icy. The wheels could lose their grip when
braking or accelerating. The vehicle could
start to skid.
R if the sensors are dirty or there is poor vis-
ibility, e.g. due to snow, rain or fog. Dis-
tancec ontrol may be impaired.
Always pay attention to traffic conditions
even when DISTRONIC PLUS is activated.
Otherwise, you may fail to recognise dangers
in time, cause an accident and injure yourself
and others.
! You must deactivate the radar sensor sys-
tem in certain countries and near radio
telescope facilities. You will find further
information under "Radar sensor system"
in the index.
The radar sensor system is automatically
deactivated near radio telescope facilities
(Y page 345).
If you want DISTRONIC PLUS to assist you,
the radar sensor system must be activated
(Y page 229) and operational. 172
Driving systemsDriving and 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 pedal or the
brake pedal.
R there is amalfunction 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.
You will see awarning message in the multi-
function display if the HOLD function 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.
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.
On vehicles with automatic transmission:
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. The tone
becomes louder if you attempt to lock the
vehicle. The vehicle is not locked until the
HOLD function 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 afault 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 alsos hift into position P.This deactivates
the HOLD function. PARKTRONIC
Important safety notes G
WARNING
PARKTRONIC is only an aid and may not
detect all obstacles. It is not asubstitute 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. It indicates visuallya nd
audibly the distance between your vehicle
and an object. Driving systems
185Driving and parking Z

PARKTRONIC is activated automatically when
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 six sensors in the frontb umper
and four sensor sintherear bumper. :
Sensors in th efront bumper, left-hand
side (example)
Range of th esensors General notes
The sensor
smust be free of dirt ,ice and
slush ;otherwise, they may no tfunction cor-
rectly. Clean th esensor sregularly, taking
care not to scratch or damage them
(Y page 290). Example: side view (Coupé) Example; top view (Coupé)
Front sensors
Centre approximately 100 cm
Corners approximately 60 cm
Rear sensors
Centre approximately 120 cm
Corners approximately 80 cm
!
When parking, pay particular attention to
objects above or below the sensors, such
as flower pots or trailer drawbars. PARK-
TRONIC does not detec tsuch objects when
they are in th eimmediat evicinity of the
vehicle. You could damage the vehicle or
the objects.
The sensors may not detect sno wand
object swhich absorb ultrasonic sources.
Ultrasonic sources, such as an automatic
car wash, alorry's compressed-air brakes
or ap neumatic drill, could cause PARK-
TRONI Ctom alfunction.
PARKTRONI Cmay not function correctly on
uneven terrain.
Minimum distance Centre approximately 20 cm
Corners approximately 15 cm
If there is an obstacle within this range, the
relevant warnin
gdisplays light up and awarn-
ing ton esounds. If the distanc efalls below 186
Driving systemsDriving and parking

the minimum
,the distance ma ynolongerbe
shown.
Warning displays The warning displays show the distance
between the sensors and the obstacle. The
warning displayf or the front area is located
on the dashboard above the centre air vents.
The warning displayf or the rear area in the
Coupéisl ocated on the roof lining in the rear
compartment;int he Cabriolet, it is between
the rear seats. Warning displayf
or the front area
: Segmentsont he left-hand side of the
vehicle
; Segmentsont he right-hand side of the
vehicle
= Segmentss howing operational readiness
The warning displayf or 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 gear lever position or the transmission
position of the automatic transmission deter-
mines which warning displayisa ctive when
the engine is running. Manual transmission: Gear lever posi-
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 from the 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. Driving systems
187Driving and parking Z

Problems with PARKTRONIC
Problem Possible causes/consequences and
M Solutions
Only the red segments
in the PARKTRONIC
warning displaysa
re lit.
You also hear awarning
tone for approximately
two seconds.
PARKTRONIC is deacti-
vated after approx-
imately 20 seconds,
and the indicator lamp
in the PARKTRONIC
button lights up. PARKTRONIC has malfunctioned and has switched off.
X
If problems persist, have PARKTRONIC checked at aqualified
specialist workshop. Only the red segments
in the PARKTRONIC
warning displaysa
re lit.
PARKTRONIC is deacti-
vated after approx-
imately 20 seconds. The PARKTRONIC sensors are dirty or there is interference.
X
Cleant he PARKTRONIC sensors (Y page 290).
X Switch the ignition back on. The problem may be caused by an external source of radio or
ultrasound waves.
X
See if PARKTRONIC functions in adifferent location. Parking Guidance
Important safety notes Parking Guidance is an electronic parking aid
with ultrasound. Ultrasound is used to meas-
ure the road on both sides of the vehicle. A
suitable parking space is indicated by the
parking symbol. You receive steering instruc-
tions when parking. You may also use PARK-
TRONIC (Y page 185). G
WARNING
Parking Guidance is merely an aid and may
recommendp arking spaces that are not suit-
able for parking. For example, these might be
spaces where parking is prohibited, drive-
ways, unsuitable surfaces, etc.
Parking Guidance measures the parking
space as you drive past it. Any later changes
to the parking space are not taken into
account. For instance, this may be the case when the vehicle parked in front of or behind
the space changes its position or when an
obstacle is moved into the parking space.
Parking Guidance does not relieve you of the
responsibility for paying attention. If you rely
solely on Parking Guidance, you could cause
an accident and injure yourself and others.
You are always responsible for safety and
must continue to pay attention to your imme-
diate surroundings when parking and
manoeuvring.
G
WARNING
Objectsl ocated above the height range of
Parking Guidance will not be detected when
the parking space is measured. These are not
taken into account when the parking proce-
dure is calculated, e.g. overhanging loads, tail
sections or loading ramps of goods vehicles.
In some circumstances, Parking Guidance Driving systems
189Driving and parking
Z

Briefly showing detecte
dtraffi csigns in
the multifunction display
When yo uactivate the Speed Limi tAssist
warning function,at raffic sign indicating the
speed limit or end of speed limit zone :may
appearint he multifunction display. The traffic
sign appears for approximately five seconds
as soon as it is detected. Any other informa-
tion in the multifunction displayish idden for
this period.
X Activate the Speed Limit Assist warning
function using the on-board computer
(Y page 222).
Symbol ;appears.
Permanently showing detected traffic
signs in the multifunction display
If Speed Limit Assist is selected in the on-
board computer, atraffic sign indicating the
speed limit or end of aspeed limit zone :
appears in the multifunction displayass oon
as it is detected.
Traffic sign indicating aspeed limit :is gen-
erally displayed until:
R at raffic sign indicating the end of the speed
limit is detected.
R you make aturn.
R you leave or enter acityort own.
R the road type changes (e.g. motorway,
country road).
R you have travelled acertain minimum dis-
tanc ewithout the traffic sign being repea-
ted or detected again.
X Display Speed Limit Assist using the on-
board computer (Y page 222).Lane Tracking package
Genera lnotes The Lane Tracking package consists of Blind
Spot Assist (Y page 196)and Lane Keeping
Assist (Y page 198). Blind Spot Assist Important safet
ynotes
Blind Spot Assist uses aradar senso rsystem
to monitor th eareas on bot hside sofy our
vehicle. Blind Spot Assis tprovide sassistance
at speeds higher than 30 km/h. Awarning
display in the exterior mirrors draw syour
attention to detected vehicles in the moni-
tored area .Ifyou then switch on the corre-
sponding turn signa ltochange lane, you will
alsor eceive avisual and acoustic collision
warning. The Blind Spot Assist monitoring
system usess ensors in the rear bumper. G
WARNING
Blind Spot Assist is only an aid designed to
assist driving. It may fail to detect some vehi-
cles and is no substitute for attentive driving.
Blind Spot Assist cannot detect road and traf-
fic conditions. It may fail to detect narrow
vehicles, such as motorcycle sorbicycles, or
only detect them too late.
Monitoring may be affected by dirty sensors,
strong spray or poor visibility caused by snow,
rain or mist, for example. In this case, vehicles
are detected late or not at all.
Always pay attention to traffic conditions and
yours urroundings. Otherwise, you may fail to
recognise danger sintime, caus eanaccident
and injure yourself and others.
The radar sensor system is automatically
deactivate dnearradio telescope facilities
(Y page 345).
For Blin dSpotA ssist to assist you when driv-
ing, the radar sensor system must be activa-
ted (Y page 229) and operational.
Monitoring range of the sensors
Blind Spot Assist monitors the area up to
three metres behind your vehicle and directly
next to your vehicle, as shown in the diagram. 196
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Example: Coupé
G
WARNING
Blind Spo tAssist monitors certain areas in the
immediate vicinity of your vehicle. Vehicles
that approach and drive past at high speeds
are not detected. There is no displaya nd no
warning.
If the lanes are very wide, it may not be pos-
sible to monitor the complete width of the
neighbouring lane. For this reason, vehicles in
the next lane may not be detected, especially
if they are driving in astaggered formation in
different lanes. This may be the case if vehi-
cles are driving at the edge of their lane that
is furthest awayf rom your vehicle.
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.
If the lanes ar enarrow ,the system may be
unable to distinguish the neighbouring lane
from the one beyond it. For this reason, vehi-
cles in the farther lane may be indicated,
especiallyift he vehicles are driving in astag-
gered formation in different lanes. In particu-
lar, this may be the case if the vehicles are
driving at the edge of their lane nearest your
vehicle. Due to the nature of the system:
R
warnings may be issued in error when driv-
ing close to crash barriers or similar solid
lane borders.
R warnings may be interrupted when driving
alongside particularly long vehicles, for
example lorries, for aprolonged time.
The two sensors for Blind Spot Assist are
integrated into the sides of the rear bumper.
Make sure that the bumper is free of dirt, ice
or slush around the sensors. For example, the
radar sensors must not be covered by cycle
racks or overhanging loads. Following a
severe impact or in the event of damage to
the bumpers, have the function of the radar
sensors checked at aqualified specialist
workshop, e.g. aMercedes-Ben zService
Centre. Blind Spot Assist may otherwise not
work properly.
Indicator and warning display :
Yellow indicator lamp/red warning lamp
If Blind Spot Assist is switched on, indicator
lamp :in the exterior mirror slights up yel-
low up to aspeed of 30 km/h. At speeds
above 30 km/h, the indicator lamp goes out
and Blind Spot Assist is operational.
If av ehicle is detected within the monitoring
range of Blind Spot Assist at speeds above
30 km/h, warning lamp :on the corre-
spondin gside lights up in red. This warning is
alway semitted when avehicle enters the
blind spot monitoring range from behind or
from the side. When you overtake avehicle, Driving systems
197Driving and parking Z

R
the lane markings ar eworna way, dark or
covered up ,e.g.byd irtors now.
R the distance to the vehicl einfront is too
small and the lane marking sthu sc anno tbe
detected.
R the lane markings on the road are unclear,
e.g. near roadworks.
R the lane markings chang equickly, e.g.
lanes branc hoff, cros sone another or
merge.
R the road is narro wand winding.
Lane Keeping Assist cannot detec troad and
traffic conditions. It is not asubstitute for
attentive driving .You are responsible for the
vehicle's speed, braking in good time, and
steering correctly. Always adapt your driving
style 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 oth-
ers.
Aw arning may be given if afront wheel
passes over alane marking. It will warn you
by means of intermittentv ibration in the
steering wheel for up to 1.5 seconds.
Activating Lane Keeping Assist
X Symbol :appears in the multifunction
display. Active Driving Assistance package
General notes The Active Drivin
gAssistance package con-
sists of DISTRONIC PLUS (Y page 171), Active
Blind Spot Assist (Y page 199) and Active
Lane Keeping Assist (Y page 202).
Active Blind Spot Assist Important safety notes
Active Blind Spot Assist uses
aradar sensor
system to monitor the side areas of your vehi- cle that are behind the driver.
Awarning dis-
play in th eexteri or mirror sdraws your atten-
tio ntod etected vehicles in the monitored
area. If you then switch on the corresponding
turn signal to change lane, you will also
receive avisual and acoustic collision warn-
ing. If arisk of lateral collision is detected,
corrective braking may help you avoid acol-
lision. To support the course-correcting brake
application, Active Blind Spot Assist also uses
the forward-facin gradar sensor system.
Active Blind Spot Assist provides assistance
at speeds higher than about 30 km/h. G
WARNING
Active Blind Spot Assist is only an aid and may
detect vehicles/obstacles 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 snow,
rain, fog or spray.
R the rear and/or front sensors are dirty.
Active Blind Spot Assist may not detect nar-
row vehicles, such as motorcycles or bicycles,
or only detect them too late. It cannot detect
vehicles which are overtaken at asmall dis-
tancea nd then enter the blind spot area.
Active Blind Spot Assist cannot detect road
and traffic conditions. It is not asubstitute for
attentive driving. You are responsible for the
vehicle's speed, braking in good time, and
steering correctly. Always adapt your driving
style 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 oth-
ers.
The radar sensor system is automatically
deactivated near radio telescope facilities
(Y page 345).
For Active Blind Spot Assist to assist you
when driving, the radar sensor system must
be activated (Y page 229) and operational. Driving systems
199Driving and parking Z