warning lights MERCEDES-BENZ E-CLASS ESTATE 2012 User Guide

Problems with child seat recognition
Problem Possible causes/consequences and
M Solutions
The
4 PASSENGER
AIRBAG OFF indicator
lamp on the centre con-
sole is lit. As
pecial Mercedes-Benz child seat with a transponder for auto-
matic child seat recognition has been fitted to the front-passenger
seat. The front-passenger fron tairbag has therefore been disabled
as desired. The
4 PASSENGER
AIRBAG OFF indicator
lamp on the centre con-
sole is lit.
or
The 6 warning lamp
lights up and/or the
4 PASSENGER AIR-
BAG OFF indicator
lamp does not light up
briefly when you switch
the ignition on. G
Risk of injury
There is no child seat fitted to the front-passenger seat .Automatic
child seat recognition is malfunctioning.
X Remove electronic equipmen tfrom the front-passenge rseat,
e.g.:
R laptop
R mobile phone
R cards with transponders, such as ski passes or access cards
If the 4 PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp is still lit:
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop. Integrated child seat
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
To reduce the risk of serious or even fatal
injury to the child in the event of a sudden
change in direction, braking or an accident:
R you must follow the manufacturer's instal-
lation instructions for the child seat when
fitting the integrated child seat (ICS) pad-
ded play table and side head restraint and
when fastening the seat belt.
R do not modify the integrated child seat, the
ICS padded play table or the side head
restraint. Do not use protective covers.
R make sure that the ICS padded play table
and the side head restraints do not become trapped or damaged. This could happen
when you
- close the doors
- adjust the seat
- store the ICS padded play table and the
side head restraints
- transport heavy objects
R replace the integrated child seat, the pad-
ded play table and the side head restraints
if these were damaged or subjected to
heavy loads during an accident.
R note: children who weigh less than
12.5 kg require a different child restraint
system. Information about other child
restraint systems is available from any
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.
R the vehicle's rear seat backrest must be
locked in position.
The child seats are integrated into the right
and left-hand rear seat cushions. In conjunc-
tion with the componentsl isted in the follow-
ing table, they comply with the legal require-
ments of ECE R 44.04. Children in the vehicle
61Safety Z

atio
nis possible using the switches in the
rear compartment. Driving safety systems
Driving safety systems overview
In this section, you will find information about
the following driving safety systems:
R ABS ( Anti-lock BrakingSystem)
(Y page 70)
R BAS ( Brake Assist System) (Y page 71)
R BAS PLUS(Brake AssistSystem PLUS)
(Y page 71)
R Adaptive brake lamps (Y page 72)
R ESP ®
(Electronic StabilityProgram)
(Y page 72)
R EBD ( electronic brake force distribution)
(Y page 76)
R ADAPTIVE BRAKE (Y page 76)
R PRE-SAFE ®
Brake (Y page 76) Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Hybrid vehicles: ensure that you read the
"HYBRID" supplement. You could otherwise
fail to recognise dangers.
If you fail to adapty our driving style or if you
are inattentive, the driving safety systems can
neither reduce the risk of accident nor over-
ride the laws of physics. Driving safety sys-
tems are merely aids designed to assist driv-
ing. You are responsible for the distance to
the vehicle in front, for vehicle speed and for
braking in good time. Always adapt your driv-
ing style to suit the prevailing road and
weather conditions and maintain a safe dis-
tance from the vehicle in front. Drive care-
fully.
i The driving safety systems described only
work as effectively as possible when there
is adequate contact between the tyres and the road surface. Please pay special atten-
tion to the notes on tyres, recommended
minimum tyre tread depths, etc.
(Y
page 380).
In wintry driving conditions, always use
winter tyres (M+S tyres) and, if necessary,
snow chains. Only in this way will the driv-
ing safety systems described in this section
work as effectively as possible. ABS (Anti-lock Braking System)
Important safety notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 70). G
WARNING
If ABS is faulty, the wheels could lock when
braking. The steerability and braking charac-
teristics may be severely impaired. Addition-
ally, further driving safety systems are deac-
tivated. There is an increased danger of skid-
ding and accidents.
Drive on carefully. Have ABS checked imme-
diately at a qualified specialist workshop.
When ABS is malfunctioning, other systems,
including driving safety systems, will also
become inoperative. Observe the information
on the ABS warning lamp (Y page 301) and
display messages which may be shown in the
instrument cluster (Y page 269).
ABS regulates brake pressure in such a way
that the wheels do not lock when you brake.
This allows you to continue steering the vehi-
cle when braking.
ABS works from a speed of about 8 km/h
upwards, regardless of road-surface condi-
tions. ABS works on slippery surfaces, even
when you only brake gently.
The yellow !ABS warning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up when the ignition
is switched on. It goes out when the engine is
running. 70
Driving safety systemsSafety

G
WARNING
If ESP ®
is malfunctioning, ESP ®
is unable to
stabilise the vehicle. In addition, other driving
safety systems are switched off. This increa-
ses the risk of skidding and an accident.
Drive on carefully. Have ESP ®
checked at a
qualified specialist workshop.
! Vehicles with 4MATIC: switch off the igni-
tion when the parking brake is being tested
using a dynamometer.
Application of the brakes by ESP ®
may oth-
erwise destroy the brake system.
Vehicles without 4MATIC: observe the notes
on ESP ®
if the vehicle is being towed with the
rear axle raised (Y page 373).
ESP ®
is deactivated if the åwarning lamp
in the instrument cluster lights up continu-
ously when the engine is running.
If the ÷ warning lamp and the åwarn-
ing lamp are lit continuously, ESP ®
is not
available due to a malfunction.
Observe the information on warning lamps
(Y page 302) and display messages which
may be show ninthe instrumentc luster
(Y page 269).
If ESP ®
detects that the vehicle is deviating
fro mt he direction desired by the driver, one
or more wheels are braked to stabilise the
vehicle. The engine output is also modified to
keep the vehicle on the desired course within
physical limits. ESP ®
assists the driver when
pulling away on wet or slippery roads. ESP ®
can also stabilise the vehicle during braking.
If ESP ®
intervenes, the ÷ESP®
warning
lamp flashes in the instrumentc luster.
If ESP ®
intervenes:
X Do not deactivate ESP ®
under any circum-
stances.
X When pulling away, only depress the accel-
erator pedal as far as is necessary.
X Adapt your driving style to suit the prevail-
ing road and weathe rconditions. i
Only use wheels with the recommended
tyre sizes. Only then will ESP ®
function
properly.
ETS/4ETS (Electronic Traction System) Traction control is part of ESP
®
.
Traction control brakes the drive wheels indi-
vidually if they spin. This enables you to pull
away and accelerate on slippery surfaces, for
example if the road surface is slippery on one
side. On vehicles with 4MATIC, more drive
torque is also transferred to the wheel or
wheels with traction.
Traction control remains active if you deacti-
vate ESP ®
.
Deactivating/activating ESP ®
(except
AMG vehicles) G
WARNING
If you deactivate ESP ®
, ESP ®
no longer sta-
bilises the vehicle. There is an increased risk
of skidding and an accident.
Only deactivate ESP ®
in the situations descri-
bed in the following.
X To deactivate: (Ypage 256).
The å ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up.
X To activate: (Ypage 256).
The å ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster goes out.
ESP ®
is activated automatically when the
engine is started.
The ECO start/stop function switches the
engine off automatically if the vehicle stops
moving. When pulling away again, the engine
starts automatically. ESP ®
remains in its pre-
viously selected status. Example: if ESP ®
was
deactivated before the engine was switched
off, ESP ®
remains deactivated when the
engine is switched on again.
If ESP ®
is deactivated and one or more wheels
start to spin, the ÷ESP®
warning lamp in Driving safety systems
73Safety Z

the instrument cluste
rflashes. In such situa-
tions, ESP ®
will not stabilise the vehicle.
It may be best to deactivate ESP ®
in the fol-
lowing situations:
R when using snow chains
R in deep snow
R on sand or gravel
If you deactivate ESP ®
:
R ESP ®
no longer improves driving stability.
R traction control is still activated.
R ESP ®
still provides support when you
brake.
R engine torque is not limited and the drive
wheels are able to spin .The spinning of the
wheels results in a cutting action for better
traction.
Deactivating/activating ESP ®
(AMG
vehicles) Activating/deactivating SPORT handling
mode G
WARNING
When SPORT handling mode is activated,
there is a greater risk of skidding and acci-
dents.
Only activate SPORT handling mode in the sit-
uations described in the following. X
To activate: briefly press button :.
The M SPORT handling mode warning
lamp in the instrumentc luster lights up.
The SPORT handling mode message
appears in the multifunction display. handling mode is designed for driving on
designated roads when the vehicle's own
oversteering and understeerin
gcharacter-
istics are desired. Driving in SPORT han-
dling mode requires an extremely qualified
and experienced driver who is able to cope
with these critical driving conditions.
X To deactivate: briefly press button :.
The M handling mode warning lamp in
the instrumentc luster goes out.
ESP ®
is activated automatically when the
engine is started.
It may be best to activate SPORT handling
mode in the following situations:
R when using snow chains
R in deep snow
R on sand or gravel
If SPORT handling mode is activated and one
or more wheels start to spin, the ÷ESP®
warning lamp in the instrument cluster
flashes .ESP ®
only stabilises the vehicle to a
limited degree.
If SPORT handling mode is activated:
R ESP ®
only improves driving stability to a
limited degree.
R traction control is still activated.
R ESP ®
still provides support when you
brake.
R engine torque is restricte dto a limited
degree and the drive wheels are able to
spin. The spinning of the wheels results in
a cutting action for better traction.
Vehicles with the ECO start/stop function:
the ECO start/stop function switches the
engine off automatically when the vehicle
comes to a stop. When pulling away again, the
engine starts automatically. ESP ®
remains in
its previously selected status. Example: if
ESP ®
was deactivated before the engine was
switched off, ESP ®
remains deactivated when
the engine is switched on again. 74
Driving safety systemsSafety

trailer combination by depressing the brake
firmly.
In this situation, ESP
®
assists you and can
detect if the vehicle/traile rcombination
begins to lurch. ESP ®
slows the vehicle down
by braking and limiting the engine output until
the vehicle/trailer combination has stabi-
lised.
Trailer stabilisation is active above speeds of
about 65 km/h.
Trailer stabilisation does not work if ESP ®
is
deactivated or disabled because of a mal-
function. EBD (electronic brake force distribu-
tion)
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 70). G
WARNING
If EBD has malfunctioned, the rear wheels can
still lock, e.g. under full braking. This increa-
ses the risk of skidding and an accident.
You should therefore adapt your driving style
to the different handling characteristics. Have
the brake system checked at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
Observe information regarding indicator and
warning lamps (Y page 301) as well as dis-
play messages (Y page 271).
EBD monitors and controls the brake pres-
sure on the rear wheels to improve driving
stability while braking. ADAPTIVE BRAKE
ADAPTIVE BRAKE enhances braking safety
and offers increased braking comfort. In addi-
tion to the braking function, ADAPTIVE BRAKE
also has the HOLD function (Y page 205) and
hill start assist (Y page 164). PRE-SAFE
®
Brake
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 70).
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake is only available in vehicles
with DISTRONIC PLUS.
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake can help you to minimise
the risk of a collision with a vehicle ahead or
reduce the effects of such a collision. If PRE-
SAFE ®
Brake detects a risk of collision, you
will be warned visually and acoustically as
well as by automatic braking. PRE-SAFE ®
Brake cannot prevent a collision without your
intervention.
This function will issue a warning if:
R at speeds of around 30 km/ho rmore, over
several seconds, the distance maintained
to the vehicle travelling in front is insuffi-
cient.
The · distance warning lamp then lights
up in the instrument cluster.
R at a speed of approximately 7km/h or
higher, you very quickly approach a vehicle
in front.
An intermittent warning tone will then
sound and the ·distance warning lamp
will light up in the instrument cluster.
X Brake immediately in order to increase the
distance from the vehicle in front.
or
X Take evasive action provided it is safe to do
so.
From a speed of approximately 7km/h, if the
driver and passengers have fastened their
seat belts, PRE-SAFE ®
Brake can brake the
vehicle automatically at speeds up to approx-
imatel y200 km/h.
Due to the nature of the system, particularly
complicated driving conditions may cause
unnecessary warnings or the unnecessary
intervention of PRE-SAFE ®
Brake. 76
Driving safety systemsSafety

X
Push release catch :in the direction of
the arrow and at the same time, remove
emergency key element ;from the key. Battery of the key
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Batteries are toxic and contain caustic sub-
stances. For this reason, keep batteries out of
the reach of children.
If a battery has been swallowed, visit a doctor
immediately. H
Environmental note Batteries contain pollutants.
It is illegal to dispose of them
with the household rubbish.
They must be collected sep-
arately and disposed of in an
environmentally responsible
recycling system.
Dispose of batteries in an
environmentally responsible
manner
.Take discharged
batteries to a qualified spe-
cialis tworkshop or to a col-
lection point for used batter-
ies.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you have
the batteries replaced at a qualified specialist
workshop. Checking the battery X
Press the &or% button.
The battery is working properly if battery
check lamp :lights up briefly.
The battery is discharged if battery check
lamp :does not light up briefly.
X Change the battery (Y page 85).
i If the key battery is checked within the
signal reception range of the vehicle, press-
ing the &or% button:
R locks or
R unlocks the vehicle
i You can get a battery in any qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
Replacing the battery You require a CR 2025 3 V cell battery.
X
Take the emergency key element out of the
key (Y page 84). :
Battery compartment cover
; Emergency key element Key
85Opening and closing Z

Steering wheel
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Do not adjust the steering wheel while driving.
Adjusting the steering wheel while driving, or
driving without the steering wheel adjustment
feature locked could cause the driver to lose
control of the vehicle.
The electrical steering wheel adjustment fea-
ture can be operated at any time. Therefore,
do not leave children unattended in the vehi-
cle, or with access to an unlocked vehicle. A
child's unsupervised access to a vehicle could
result in an accident and/or serious personal
injury. Adjusting the steering wheel man-
ually
:
Release lever
; To adjust the steering wheel height
= To adjust the steering wheel position
(fore-and-aft adjustment)
X Push release lever :down completely.
The steering column is unlocked.
X Adjust the steering wheel to the desired
position.
X Push release lever :up completely.
The steering column is locked.
X Check if the steering column is locked.
When doing so, try to push the steering
wheel up or down or try to move it in the
fore-and-aft direction. Adjusting the steering wheel electri-
cally
:
To adjust the steering wheel height
; To adjust the steering wheel position
(fore-and-aft adjustment)
i Further related subjects:
R EASY-ENTRY/EXIT feature
(Y page 118)
R Storing settings (Y page 121) Steering wheel heating
Switching on/off X
Make sure that the key is in position 2in
the ignition lock.
X To switch on/off: turn the lever in the
direction of arrow :or;.
Indicator lamp =lights up or goes out.
Vehicles without KEYLESS-GO: when you
remove the key from the ignition lock, the
steering wheel heating is switched off. Steering wheel
117Seats, steering wheel and mirrors Z

opened. This occurs irrespective of the posi-
tion of the key in the ignition lock. This makes
it easier to exit the vehicle and rescue the
occupants.
The crash-responsive EASY-EXIT feature is
only operational if the EASY-EXIT/ENTRY fea-
ture is activated in the on-board computer. Mirrors
Rear-view mirror
X
Anti-dazzle mode: flick anti-dazzle
switch :forwards or back. Exterior mirrors
Adjusting the exterior mirrors G
WARNING
The exterior mirrors reduce the size of the
image. Objects are actually closer than they
appear. You could misjudge the distance from
vehicles driving behind and cause an acci-
dent, e.g. when changing lane. For this rea-
son, make sure of the actual distance from the
vehicle driving behind by glancing over your
shoulder. X
Make sure that the key is in position 1or
2 in the ignition lock.
X Press button :for the left-hand exterior
mirror or button ;for the right-hand exte-
rior mirror.
The indicator lamp in the corresponding
button lights up in red.
The indicator lamp goes out again after
some time. You can adjust the selected
mirror using adjustment button =as long
as the indicator lamp is lit.
X Press adjustmen tbutton =up, down, or
to the left or right until you have adjusted
the exterior mirror to the correct position.
You should have a good overview of traffic
conditions.
The convex exterio rmirrors provide a larger
field of vision.
The exterior mirrors are automatically heated
if the rear window heatin gis switched on and
the outside temperature is low.
Folding the exterior mirrors in or out
electrically Mirrors
119Seats, steering wheel and mirrors Z

R
combination switch (Y page 128)
R on-board compute r(Ypage 259)
Light switch Operation
1W
Left-hand parking lamps
2X Right-hand parking lamps
3T Side lamps, licence plate and instru-
ment cluster lighting
4Ã Automatic headlamp mode, control-
led by the light sensor
5L Dipped-beam/main-beam head-
lamps
BR Rear foglamp
CN Foglamp (only vehicles with front
foglamps).
If you hear a warning tone when you leave the
vehicle, the lights may still be switched on.
X Turn the light switch to Ã.
The exterior lighting (except the side lamps/
parking lamps) switches off automatically if
you:
R remove the key from the ignition lock
R open the driver's door with the key in posi-
tion 0
Automatic headlamp mode G
WARNING
If the light switch is set to Ãand it is foggy,
snowing or there is poor visibility, the dipped-
beam headlamps will not come on automati- cally. This could endanger you and others. In
such situations turn the light switch to
L.
The automatic headlamp feature is only an
aid. The driver is responsible for the vehicle's
lighting at all times. 1W
Left-hand parking lamps
2X Right-hand parking lamps
3T Side lamps, licence plate and instru-
ment cluster lighting
4Ã Automatic headlamp mode, control-
led by the light sensor
5L Dipped-beam/main-beam head-
lamps
BR Rear foglamp
CN Foglamp (only vehicles with front
foglamps).
à is the preferred light switch setting. The
light setting is automatically selected accord-
ing to the brightness of the ambient light
(exception :poor visibility due to weather con-
ditions such as fog, snow or spray):
R Key in position 1in the ignition lock: the
side lamps are switched on or off automat-
ically depending on the brightness of the
ambient light.
R With the engine running: if you have acti-
vated the daytime driving lights function via
the on-board computer, the daytime driving
lights or the dipped-beam headlamps and
side lamps are switched on or off automat-
ically depending on the brightness of the
ambient light. Exterior lighting
125Lights and windscreen wipers Z

X
To switch on automatic headlamp
mode: turn the light switch to Ã.
The daytime driving lights improve the visibil-
ity of your vehicle during the day. Here, the
daytime driving lights functio nmust be
switched on via the on-board computer
(Y page 259).
When the dipped-beam headlamps are
switched on, the green Lindicator lamp
in the instrumen tcluster lights up and the
daytime driving lights go out or are dimmed.
Dipped-beam headlamps G
WARNING
If the light switch is set to Ãand it is foggy,
snowing or there is poor visibility, the dipped-
beam headlamps will not come on automati-
cally. This could endanger you and others. In
such situations tur nthe light switch to L.
The automatic headlamp feature is only an
aid. The driver is responsible for the vehicle's
lighting at all times. 1W
Left-hand parking lamps
2X Right-hand parking lamps
3T Side lamps, licence plate and instru-
ment cluster lighting
4Ã Automatic headlamp mode, control-
led by the light sensor
5L Dipped-beam/main-beam head-
lamps
BR Rear foglamp
CN Foglamp (only vehicles with front
foglamps). Even if the light sensor does not detect that
is dark, the side lamps and dipped-beam
headlamps switch on when the key is inserted
into the ignition lock and the light switch is
set to the
Lposition. This is a particularly
useful function in the event of rain and fog.
X To switch on the dipped-beam head-
lamps: turn the key in the ignition lock to
position 2or start the engine.
X Turn the light switch to L.
The green Lindicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster lights up.
Foglamps 1W
Left-hand parking lamps
2X Right-hand parking lamps
3T Side lamps, licence plate and instru-
ment cluster lighting
4Ã Automatic headlamp mode, control-
led by the light sensor
5L Dipped-beam/main-beam head-
lamps
BR Rear foglamp
CN Foglamp (only vehicles with front
foglamps).
In conditions where visibility is poor due to
fog, snow or rain, the foglamps improve visi-
bility as well as making it easier for other road
users to see you. They can be operated
together with the side lamps or together with
the side lamps and dipped-beamh eadlamps.126
Exterior lightingLights and windscreen wipers