parking brake MERCEDES-BENZ E-CLASS COUPE 2015 Service Manual

right angles to the direction of travel. You will
need to judge whether your vehicle will fit in
the parking space.
When driving at speeds below 30 km/h, you will
see parking symbol ;as a status indicator in
the instrument cluster. When a parking space
has been detected, an arrow towards the right or the left also appears. Active Parking Assist 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. When parking on
the driver's side, this must remain activated
until you confirm the use of Active Parking Assist by pressing the abutton on the multifunc-
tion steering wheel. The system automatically
determines whether the parking space is paral-
lel or at right angles to the direction of travel.
A parking space is displayed while you are driv-
ing past it, and until you are approximately 15 m away from it.
Parking G
WARNING
If you leave the vehicle when it is only being
braked by Active Parking Assist it could roll
away if:
R there is a malfunction in the system or in
the voltage supply.
R the electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses are tam-
pered with.
R the battery is disconnected.
R the vehicle is accelerated, e.g. by a vehicle
occupant.
There is a risk of an accident.
Before leaving the vehicle, always secure it
against rolling away.
i Vehicles with automatic transmission:
When PARKTRONIC detects obstacles, Active Parking Assist brakes automatically during
the parking process. You are responsible for
braking in good time. X
Stop the vehicle when the parking symbol
shows the desired parking space in the instru-
ment cluster.
X Vehicles with manual transmission: shift to
reverse gear.
Vehicles with automatic transmission: shift to
position R.
The Start Park Assist? Yes: OK No: Start Park Assist? Yes: OK No:
% message appears in the multifunction
display.
X To cancel the procedure: press the%
button on the multifunction steering wheel or
pull away.
or X To park using Active Parking Assist: press
the a button on the multifunction steering
wheel.
The Park Assist active Accelerate Park Assist active Accelerate
and brake Observe surroundings
and brake Observe surroundings mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
X Release the multifunction steering wheel.
X Reverse the vehicle, being ready to brake at
all times. When reversing, drive at a speed
below 10 km/h. Otherwise, Active Parking
Assist will be cancelled.
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
Active Parking Assist brakes the vehicle to a
standstill when the vehicle approaches the
rear border of the parking space.
Manoeuvring may be required in tight parking
spaces.
X Vehicles with manual transmission: stop
as soon as PARKTRONIC sounds the contin-
uous warning tone, if not before.
Manoeuvring may be required in tight parking
spaces.
Vehicles with manual transmission: the
Park Assist active Engage forward
Park Assist active Engage forward
gear Observe surroundings
gear Observe surroundings message
appears in the multifunction display
Vehicles with automatic transmission: the
Park Assist active Select D Observe Park Assist active Select D Observe
surroundings
surroundings message appears in the multi-
function display
X Vehicles with manual transmission: shift
to first gear while the vehicle is stationary.
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
select transmission position Dwhile the vehi-
cle is stationary.
Active Parking Assist immediately steers in
the other direction. 178
Driving systemsDriving and parking

The
Park Assist active Accelerate
Park Assist active Accelerate
and brake Observe surroundings
and brake Observe surroundings mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
i You will achieve the best results by waiting
for the steering procedure to complete before
pulling away.
X Drive forwards and be ready to brake at all
times.
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
Active Parking Assist brakes the vehicle to a
standstill.
X Vehicles with manual transmission: stop,
at the latest when PARKTRONIC sounds the
continuous warning tone.
Vehicles with manual transmission: the
Park Assist active Engage reverse
Park Assist active Engage reverse
gear Observe surroundings gear Observe surroundings message
appears in the multifunction display.
Vehicles with automatic transmission: the
Park Assist active Select R Observe Park Assist active Select R Observe
surroundings surroundings message appears in the multi-
function display.
Additional transmission shifts may be neces-
sary.
As soon as the parking procedure is complete,
the Park Assist switched off Park Assist switched off message
appears in the multifunction display and you will hear a tone. The vehicle is now parked. The
vehicle is kept stationary without the driver hav- ing to depress the brake pedal. The braking
effect is cancelled when you depress the accel-
erator pedal.
Active Parking Assist no longer supports you
with steering interventions and brake applica-
tions. When Active Parking Assist is finished,
you must steer and brake again yourself.
PARKTRONIC is still available.
X Manoeuvre if necessary.
X Always observe the warning messages dis-
played by PARKTRONIC (Y page 174).
Parking tips:
R The way your vehicle is positioned in the park-
ing space after parking is dependent on vari-
ous factors. These include the position and
shape of the vehicles parked in front and
behind it and the conditions of the location. It
may be the case that Active Parking Assist
guides you too far into a parking space, or not far enough into it. In some cases, it may also
lead you across or onto the kerb. If necessary, you should cancel the parking procedure with
Active Parking Assist.
R You can also preselect transmission position
D. The vehicle redirects and does not drive as
far into the parking space. Should a gear be
changed too early, the parking procedure will be cancelled. A sensible parking position can
no longer be achieved from this position.
Exiting a parking space In order that Active Parking Assist can support
you when exiting the parking space:
R the border of the parking space must be high
enough at the front and the rear. A kerb stoneis too small, for example.
R the border of the parking space must not be
too wide, as the position of the vehicle must
not exceed an angle of 45° to the starting
position as it is manoeuvred into the parking
space.
R a manoeuvring distance of at least 1.0 mmust
be available.
i Vehicles with automatic transmission:
If PARKTRONIC detects obstacles, Active
Parking Assist brakes automatically whilst the vehicle exits the parking space. You are
responsible for braking in good time.
Active Parking Assist can only assist you with
exiting a parking space if you have parked the
vehicle parallel to the direction of travel using
Active Parking Assist.
X Start the engine.
X Release the parking brake.
X Switch on the turn signal in the direction you
are pulling away.
X Vehicles with manual transmission:
engage first or reverse gear.
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
shift the transmission to position
Dor R.
The Start Park Assist? Yes: OK No:
Start Park Assist? Yes: OK No:
% message appears in the multifunction
display.
X To cancel the procedure: press the%
button on the multifunction steering wheel or
pull away.
or Driving systems
179Driving and parking Z

X
To exit a parking space using Active Park-
ing Assist: press theabutton on the mul-
tifunction steering wheel.
The Park Assist active Accelerate
Park Assist active Accelerate
and brake Observe surroundings and brake Observe surroundings mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
X Release the multifunction steering wheel.
X Pull away, being ready to brake at all times. Do
not exceed a maximum speed of approx-
imately 10 km/h when exiting a parking
space. Otherwise, Active Parking Assist will
be cancelled.
X Vehicles with manual transmission: stop,
at the latest when PARKTRONIC sounds the
continuous warning tone.
X Vehicles with manual transmission:
engage first gear or reverse gear when the
vehicle is stationary, depending on the mes-
sage or requirement.
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
shift the transmission to position Dor Rwhen
the vehicle is stationary, depending on the
message or requirement.
Active Parking Assist immediately steers in
the other direction. The Park Assist Park Assist
active
active Accelerate
Accelerate and
andbrake
brake Observe
Observe
surroundings
surroundings message appears in the mul-
tifunction display.
i You will achieve the best results by waiting
for the steering procedure to complete before
pulling away.
If you reverse after activation, the steering
wheel is moved to the straight-ahead posi-
tion.
X Drive forwards and reverse as prompted by
the PARKTRONIC warning displays, several
times if necessary.
X Vehicles with manual transmission: stop
as soon as PARKTRONIC sounds the contin-
uous warning tone, if not before.
Once you have exited the parking space com-
pletely, the steering wheel is moved to the
straight-ahead position. You hear a tone and the
Park Park Assist
Assist switched
switched off
offmessage appears
in the multifunction display. You will then have
to steer and merge into traffic on your own.
PARKTRONIC is still available. You can take over the steering before the vehicle has exited the
parking space completely. This is useful, for
example when you recognise that it is already
possible to pull out of the parking space. Cancelling Active Parking Assist You can cancel Active Parking Assist at any
time.
X Stop the movement of the multifunction
steering wheel or steer yourself.
Active Parking Assist will be cancelled at
once. The Park Assist cancelled
Park Assist cancelled mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display and you hear a tone.
or
X Press the PARKTRONIC button on the centre
console (Y page 174).
PARKTRONIC is switched off and Active Park-
ing Assist is immediately cancelled. The
Park Assist cancelled Park Assist cancelled message appears
in the multifunction display and you hear a
tone.
Active Parking Assist is cancelled automatically
if:
R the transmission is shifted too early
R transmission position Pis selected
R parking using Active Parking Assist is no lon-
ger possible
R you are driving faster than 10 km/h
R a wheel spins and ESP ®
intervenes or fails. In
such cases the ÷warning lamp lights up in
the instrument cluster.
A warning tone sounds. The parking symbol dis-
appears and the multifunction display shows the
Park Assist cancelled
Park Assist cancelled message.
When Active Parking Assist is cancelled, you
must steer and brake again yourself.
Vehicles with automatic transmission: if a
system malfunction occurs, the vehicle is
braked to a standstill. To drive on, depress the
accelerator pedal again.
Towing a trailer For vehicles with a trailer tow hitch, the mini-
mum length for parking spaces is slightly
increased.
If you have attached a trailer to your vehicle, you
should not use Active Parking Assist. Once the
electrical connection is established between
your vehicle and the trailer, Active Parking
Assist is no longer available. PARKTRONIC is
deactivated for the rear area. 180
Driving systemsDriving an
d parking

Activating Blind Spot Assist
X Make sure that Blind Spot Assist
(Y page 215) is activated in the on-board
computer.
X Turn the key to position 2in the ignition lock.
Warning lamps :in the exterior mirrors light
up red for approximately 1.5 seconds and
then turn yellow.
Towing a trailer
If you couple up a trailer, make sure that you
have correctly established the electrical con-
nection. This can be accomplished by checking
the trailer lighting. Blind Spot Assist is then
deactivated. The indicator lamps in the exterior
mirrors light up yellow and the Blind Spot
Blind Spot
Assist not available when towing a
Assist not available when towing a
trailer See Owner's Manual
trailer See Owner's Manual message
appears in the multifunction display.
i You can deactivate the indicator lamps in
the exterior mirrors.
To do so, you will need to deactivate 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 General notes
Lane Keeping Assist monitors the area in front of
your vehicle by means of camera :at the top of
the windscreen. Lane Keeping Assist detects
lane markings on the road and can warn you
before you leave your lane unintentionally.
This function is available within a speed range
between 60 km/h and 200 km/h. A warning may be given if a front wheel passes
over a lane marking. It will warn you by means of
intermittent vibration through the steering
wheel for up to 1.5 seconds.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Lane Keeping Assist cannot always clearly
identify lane markings.
In these cases, Lane Keeping Assist may:
R give an unnecessary warning
R not give a warning
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay particular attention to the traffic
situation and keep in lane, especially if Lane
Keeping Assist alerts you. G
WARNING
The Lane Keeping Assist warning does not
return the vehicle to the original lane. There is a risk of an accident.
Always steer, apply the brakes or accelerate
the vehicle yourself, especially if Lane Keep-
ing Assist alerts you.
If you fail to adapt your driving style, Lane Keep-
ing Assist can neither reduce the risk of an acci-
dent nor override the laws of physics. Lane
Keeping Assist cannot take into account road,
weather or traffic conditions. Lane Keeping
Assist is only an aid. You are responsible for the distance to the vehicle in front, for vehicle
speed, for braking in good time, and for staying
in lane.
Lane Keeping Assist does not keep your vehicle in its lane.
The system may be impaired or may not functionif:
R there is poor visibility, e.g. due to insufficient
illumination of the road, or due to snow, rain, fog or spray
R there is glare, e.g. from oncoming traffic, the
sun or reflection from other vehicles (e.g. if
the road surface is wet)
R the windscreen is dirty, misted up, damaged
or covered, for instance by a sticker, in the
vicinity of the camera
R no or several, unclear lane markings are pres-
ent for one lane, e.g. in a construction area Driving systems
195Driving and parking Z

R
the lane markings are worn away, dark or cov-
ered 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 detec-
ted
R the lane markings change quickly, e.g. lanes
branch off, cross one another or merge
R the road is narrow and winding
R there are highly variable shade conditions on
the road
Activating Lane Keeping Assist X Activate Lane Keeping Assist using the on-
board computer; to do so, select Standard Standardor
Adaptive
Adaptive (Ypage 215).
If you drive at speeds above 60 km/h and lane
markings are detected, the lines in the assis- tance graphic display (Y page 213) are
shown in green. Lane Keeping Assist is ready for use.
Standard
If Standard
Standard is selected, no warning vibration
occurs if:
R you have switched on the turn signals. In this
case, the warnings are suppressed for a cer-
tain period of time.
R a driving safety system intervenes, such as
ABS, BAS or ESP ®
.
Adaptive
When Adaptive
Adaptive is selected, no warning vibra-
tion occurs if:
R you have switched on the turn signals. In this
case, the warnings are suppressed for a cer-
tain period of time.
R a driving safety system intervenes, such as
ABS, BAS or ESP ®
.
R you accelerate hard, e.g. kickdown.
R you brake hard.
R you steer actively, e.g. swerve to avoid an
obstacle or change lane quickly.
R you cut the corner on a sharp bend.
In order that you are warned only when neces-
sary and in good time if you cross the lane mark-
ing, the system detects certain conditions and
warns you accordingly. The warning vibration occurs earlier if:
R you approach the outer lane marking on a
bend
R the road has very wide lanes, e.g. a motorway
R the system detects solid lane markings
The warning vibration occurs later if:
R the road has narrow lanes
R you cut the corner on a bend Active Driving Assistance package
General notes The Active Driving Assistance package consists
of DISTRONIC PLUS (Y page 161), Active Blind
Spot Assist (Y page 196)and Active Lane Keep-
ing Assist (Y page 199).
Active Blind Spot Assist General notes
Active Blind Spot Assist monitors the areas on
either side of the vehicle that are not visible to
the driver with two lateral, rear-facing radar sen-
sors. A warning display in the exterior mirrors
draws your attention to vehicles detected in the monitored area. If you then switch on the cor-
responding turn signal to change lanes, you will also receive a visual and audible collision warn-
ing. If a risk of side impact is detected, correc-
tive braking may help you avoid a collision.
Active Blind Spot Assist evaluates the free
space in the direction of travel and to the side
before making a course-correcting brake appli-
cation. For this, Active Blind Spot Assist uses
the forward-facing radar sensors.
Active Blind Spot Assist supports you from a
speed of approximately 30 km/h.
Important safety notes Active Blind Spot Assist is only an aid and is not
a substitute for attentive driving. G
WARNING
Active Blind Spot Assist does not react to
vehicles:
R overtaking too closely on the side, placing
them in the blind spot area
R if the difference in the speed of approach
and overtaking is too great 196
Driving systemsDriving an
d parking

The yellow indicator lamp goes out if reverse
gear is engaged. Active Blind Spot Assist is not
operational.
The brightness of the warning lamps is auto-
matically adapted to the brightness of the sur-
roundings.
Visual and acoustic collision warning
If you switch on the turn signals to change lanes
and a vehicle is detected in the side monitoring range, you receive a visual and acoustic collision
warning. You then hear a double warning tone
and red warning lamp :flashes. If the turn sig-
nal remains on, detected vehicles are indicated
by the flashing of red warning lamp :. There are
no further warning tones.
Course-correcting brake application
If Active Blind Spot Assist detects a risk of a side
impact in the monitoring range, a course-cor-
recting brake application is carried out. This is
designed to help you avoid a collision. G
WARNING
A course-correcting brake application cannot always prevent a collision. There is a risk of an
accident.
Always steer, brake or accelerate yourself,
especially if Active Blind Spot Assist warns
you or makes a course-correcting brake appli-
cation. Always maintain a safe distance at the sides. If a course-correcting brake application occurs,
red warning lamp :flashes in the exterior mir-
ror and a dual warning tone sounds. In addition, display ;underlining the danger of a side col-
lision appears in the multifunction display.
In very rare cases, the system may make an
inappropriate brake application. A course-cor-
recting brake application may be interrupted at
any time if you steer slightly in the opposite
direction or accelerate. The course-correcting brake application is avail-
able in the speed range between 30 km/h and
200 km/h.
Either a course-correcting brake application
appropriate to the driving situation, or none at
all, may occur if:
R there are vehicles or obstacles, e.g. crash
barriers, on both sides of your vehicle
R a vehicle approaches too closely on the side
R you have adopted a sporty driving style with
high cornering speeds
R you clearly brake or accelerate
R a driving safety system intervenes, such as
ESP ®
or PRE-SAFE ®
Brake
R ESP ®
is deactivated
R a loss of tyre pressure or a defective tyre is
detected
Activating Active Blind Spot Assist
X Make sure that Active Blind Spot Assist is
activated in the on-board computer
(Y page 215).
X Turn the key to position 2in the ignition lock.
Warning lamps :in the exterior mirrors light
up red for approximately 1.5 seconds and
then turn yellow.
Towing a trailer
If you couple up a trailer, make sure that you
have correctly established the electrical con-
nection. This can be accomplished by checking
the trailer lighting. Active Blind Spot Assist is
then deactivated. The indicator lamps in the
exterior mirrors light up yellow and the Active Active
Blind Spot Assist not available when
Blind Spot Assist not available when
towing a trailer See Owner's Manual towing a trailer See Owner's Manual
message appears in the multifunction display. 198
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Active Lane Keeping Assist
General notes
Active Lane Keeping Assist monitors the area in
front of your vehicle by means of multifunction
camera :at the top of the windscreen. Various
different areas to the front, rear and side of your vehicle are also monitored with the aid of the
radar sensor system. Active Lane Keeping
Assist detects lane markings on the road and
can warn you before you leave your lane unin-
tentionally. If you do not react to the warning, a
lane-correcting application of the brakes can
bring the vehicle back into the original lane.
This function is available in a speed range
between 60 km/h and 200 km/h.
For Active Lane Keeping Assist to assist you
when driving, the radar sensor system must be
operational.
Important safety notes If you fail to adapt your driving style, Active Lane Keeping Assist can neither reduce the risk of an
accident nor override the laws of physics. Active Lane Keeping Assist cannot take account of
road and weather conditions. It may not detect
traffic situations. Active Lane Keeping Assist is
only an aid. You are responsible for the distanceto the vehicle in front, for vehicle speed, for
braking in good time and for staying in lane.
Active Lane Keeping Assist cannot continuously
keep your vehicle in its lane. G
WARNING
Active Lane Keeping Assist cannot always
clearly detect lane markings. In such cases, Active Lane Keeping Assist
can:
R give an unnecessary warning and then
make a course-correcting brake application
to the vehicle
R neither give a warning nor intervene
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay particular attention to the traffic
situation and keep within the lane, especially
if Active Lane Keeping Assist alerts you. Ter-
minate the intervention in a non-critical driv-
ing situation.
The system may be impaired or may not function if:
R there is poor visibility, e.g. due to insufficient
illumination of the road, or due to snow, rain,fog or spray
R there is glare, e.g. from oncoming traffic, the
sun or reflection from other vehicles (e.g. if
the road surface is wet)
R the windscreen is dirty, misted up, damaged
or covered, for instance by a sticker, in the
vicinity of the camera
R the radar sensors in the front or rear bumpers
or the radiator trim are dirty, e.g. obscured by snow
R no or several, unclear lane markings are pres-
ent for one lane, e.g. in a construction area
R the lane markings are worn away, dark or cov-
ered 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 detec-
ted
R the lane markings change quickly, e.g. lanes
branch off, cross one another or merge
R the road is narrow and winding
R there are highly variable shade conditions on
the road
If no vehicle is detected in the adjacent lane and broken lane markings are detected, no lane-cor-
recting brake application is made.
Warning vibration through the steering
wheel A warning may be given if a front wheel passes
over a lane marking. It will warn you by means of intermittent vibration in the steering wheel for
up to 1.5 seconds. Driving systems
199Driving and parking Z

Lane-correcting brake application
G
WARNING
A lane-correcting brake application cannot
always bring the vehicle back into the original lane. There is a risk of an accident.
Always steer, brake or accelerate yourself,
especially if Active Lane Keeping Assist warns
you or makes a lane-correcting brake appli-
cation. G
WARNING
Active Lane Keeping Assist only detects traf-
fic conditions or road users to a limited
extent. In very rare cases, the system may
make an inappropriate brake application, e.g. after intentionally driving over a solid lane
marking. There is a risk of an accident.
An inappropriate brake application may be
interrupted at any time if you steer slightly in
the opposite direction. Always make sure that
there is sufficient distance to the side for
other traffic or obstacles. If you leave your lane under certain circumstan-
ces, the vehicle will brake briefly on one side.
This is intended to help you return the vehicle to
the original lane.
If a lane-correcting brake application occurs,
display :appears in the multifunction display.
A lane-correcting brake application can be made
after driving over a lane marking detected as
being solid or broken. Before this, a warning
must have been issued by means of intermittent
vibration through the steering wheel. In addi-
tion, a lane with lane markings on both sides
must be detected.
In the case of a broken lane marking being
detected, a lane-correcting brake application
can only be made if a vehicle has been detected
in the adjacent lane. The following vehicles can have an influence on brake application: oncom- ing traffic, vehicles that are overtaking and vehi-
cles that are driving parallel to your vehicle.
i A further lane-correcting brake application
can only occur after your vehicle has returned
to the original lane.
No lane-correcting brake application occurs if: R you clearly and actively steer, brake or accel-
erate
R you cut the corner on a sharp bend
R you have adopted a sporty driving style with
high cornering speeds or high rates of accel-
eration
R you have switched on the turn signal
R a driving safety system intervenes, such as
ESP ®
, PRE-SAFE ®
Brake or Active Blind Spot
Assist
R ESP ®
is deactivated
R the transmission is not in position D
R on vehicles with a trailer tow hitch, the elec-
trical connection to the trailer has been cor-
rectly established
R an obstacle has been detected in the lane in
which you are driving
R a loss of tyre pressure or a defective tyre has
been detected and displayed
There is a possibility that the Active Lane Keep-
ing Assist could misjudge the given traffic sit-
uation. An inappropriate brake application may
be interrupted at any time if:
R you steer slightly in the opposite direction
R you switch on the turn signal
R you clearly brake or accelerate
A lane-correcting brake application is interrup-
ted automatically if:
R a driving safety system intervenes, such as
ESP ®
, PRE-SAFE ®
Brake or Active Blind Spot
Assist
R lane markings are no longer detected
Activating Active Lane Keeping Assist
X Activate Active Lane Keeping Assist using the
on-board computer; to do so, select Stand‐
Stand‐
ard ard orAdaptive
Adaptive (Ypage 215).
If you drive at speeds above 60 km/h and lane
markings are detected, the lines in the assis- tance graphic display (Y page 213) are
shown in green. Active Lane Keeping Assist is
ready for use.
If Standard Standard is selected, no warning vibration
occurs if: 200
Driving systemsDriving and parking

R
you have switched on the turn signal. In this
case, the warnings are suppressed for a
certain period of time.
R a driving safety system intervenes, such as
ABS, BAS or ESP ®
.
When Adaptive Adaptive is selected, no warning vibra-
tion occurs if:
R you have switched on the turn signal. In this
case, the warnings are suppressed for a
certain period of time.
R a driving safety system intervenes, such as
ABS, BAS or ESP ®
.
R you accelerate hard, e.g. kickdown.
R you brake hard.
R you steer actively, e.g. swerve to avoid an
obstacle or change lane quickly.
R you cut the corner on a sharp bend.
In order that you are warned only when neces-
sary and in good time if you cross the lane mark-
ing, the system detects certain conditions and
warns you accordingly.
The warning vibration occurs earlier if:
R you approach the outer lane marking on a
bend
R the road has very wide lanes, e.g. a motorway
R the system detects solid lane markings
The warning vibration occurs later if:
R the road has narrow lanes
R you cut the corner on a bend
Towing a trailer If you couple up a trailer, make sure that you
have correctly established the electrical con-
nection. This can be accomplished by checking
the trailer lighting. Towing a trailer
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
You could lose control of the vehicle/trailer
combination if it begins to swerve. The vehi-
cle/trailer combination could even overturn.
There is a risk of an accident.
On no account should you attempt to
straighten out the vehicle/trailer combina-
tion by increasing speed. Decrease your speed and do not countersteer. Brake if nec-
essary.
G
WARNING
If the maximum permissible load for a carrier system is exceeded, the carrier could come
loose from the vehicle and endanger other
road users. There is a risk of an accident and injury.
Never exceed the maximum permissible load
when using a carrier.
Exceeding the maximum permissible nose-
weight of the trailer drawbar on the ball coupling
may cause damage to the following:
R your vehicle
R trailer
R the ball coupling
R trailer tow hitch
The vehicle/trailer combination could become
unstable.
If the noseweight used is lower than the mini-
mum permissible noseweight, the vehicle/
trailer combination could also become unstable.
To avoid hazardous situations:
R make sure to check the noseweight before
each journey
R use a drawbar noseweight as close as possi-
ble to the maximum noseweight
R do not exceed the maximum permissible
noseweight
R do not use a noseweight lower than the min-
imum noseweight
When reversing the vehicle towards the trailer,
make sure there is nobody between the trailer
and the vehicle.
Couple and uncouple the trailer carefully. If you do not couple the trailer to the towing vehicle
correctly, the trailer could become detached.
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 Towing a trailer
201Driving and parking Z

You will find the applicable permissible values,
which must not be exceeded, in the vehicle
documents.
You will find the values approved by the manu-
facturer on the vehicle identification plates and
those for the towing vehicle under "Technical
data" (Y page 336).
When towing a trailer, your vehicle's handling
characteristics will be different in comparison to
when driving without a trailer.
The vehicle/trailer combination:
R is heavier
R is restricted in its acceleration and gradient-
climbing capability
R has an increased braking distance
R is affected more by strong crosswinds
R demands more sensitive steering
R has a larger turning circle
This can impair the vehicle's handling charac-
teristics. Adapt your driving style accordingly.
Maintain a safe distance. Drive carefully.
When towing a trailer, always adjust your speed to the current road and weather conditions. Do
not exceed the maximum permissible speed for
your vehicle/trailer combination. Notes on towing a trailer
General notes The E 500 model cannot be used to tow a trailer.
i When towing a trailer, set the tyre pressure
on the rear axle of the towing vehicle for a
maximum load; see the tyre pressure table in
the fuel filler flap (Y page 316).
Please note that when towing a trailer, the fol-
lowing driving systems have limited availability
or are not available at all.
R PARKTRONIC (Y page 172)
R Active Parking Assist (Y page 176)
R Blind Spot Assist (Y page 193)
i The height of the ball coupling changes with
the load of the vehicle. If necessary, use a
trailer with a height-adjustable drawbar.
You will find fitting dimensions and loads under "Technical data" (Y page 335). Driving tips i
Observe the notes on ESP ®
trailer stabilisa-
tion (Y page 68).
The maximum permissible speed for vehicle/
trailer combinations depends on the type of
trailer. Before beginning the journey, check the
trailer's documents to see what the maximum
permitted speed is. Observe the legally prescri-
bed maximum speed in the relevant country.
For certain Mercedes-Benz vehicles, the maxi-
mum permissible rear axle load is increased
when towing a trailer. See the "Technical data"
section to find out whether this applies to your
vehicle (Y page 336). If you utilise any of the
added maximum rear axle load when towing a
trailer, the vehicle/trailer combination may not
exceed a maximum speed of 100 km/h for rea-
sons concerning the operating permit. This also applies in countries in which the permissible
maximum speed for vehicle/trailer combina-
tions is above 100 km/h.
When towing a trailer, your vehicle's handling
characteristics will be different in comparison to
when driving without a trailer and it will con-
sume more fuel.
Change into a lower gear in good time on long
and steep downhill gradients.
i This also applies if you have activated cruise
control, SPEEDTRONIC or DISTRONIC PLUS.
This will use the braking effect of the engine, so
less braking will be required to maintain vehicle speed. This relieves the load on the brake sys-
tem and prevents the brakes from overheating
and wearing too quickly. If you need additional
braking, depress the brake pedal repeatedly
rather than continuously.
Driving tips If the trailer swings from side to side:
X Do not accelerate.
X Do not countersteer.
X Brake if necessary.
R Maintain a greater distance to the vehicle in
front than when driving without a trailer.
R Avoid braking abruptly. If possible, brake gen-
tly at first to allow the trailer to run on. Then,
increase the braking force rapidly.
R The values given for gradient-climbing capa-
bilities from a standstill refer to sea level.
When driving in mountainous areas, note that 202
Towing a trailerDriving and parking