MERCEDES-BENZ E-CLASS ESTATE 2012 Owners Manual

X
Press the cruise control lever repeatedly
up : or down =until the desired speed
is set.
If the vehicle in frontofy ou is stationary, you
can only activate DISTRONIC PLUS once your
vehicle is stationary as well.
i DISTRONIC PLUS can only be activated at
under 30 km/hi favehicle in front has been
detected. Therefore, the DISTRONIC PLUS
distance display in the instrument cluster
should be activated (Y page 256).
i You can use the cruise control leve rto set
the stored speed and the control on the
cruise control lever to set the specified
minimum distance (Y page 201).
Pulling away and driving G
WARNING
If you depress the brake, DISTRONIC PLUS is
deactivated unless your vehicle is stationary.
DISTRONIC PLUS then no longer brakes your
vehicle. In such cases, control the distance
from vehicles travelling in front with the brake
alone. You could otherwise cause an accident
and thereby injure yourself and others. The
driver remains fully responsible for the vehi-
cle's distance from other vehicles, the speed
being driven and for braking in good time.
X If the vehicle in front pulls away: remove
your foot from the brake pedal.
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you ;, or press it up :or down =.
or
X Accelerate briefly.
Your vehicle pulls away and adapts its
speed to that of the vehicle in front.
If there is no vehicle in front, DISTRONIC
PLUS operates in the same way as cruise
control.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that the vehicle
in front has slowed down, it brakes your vehi-
cle. In this way, the distance you have selec-
ted is maintained. If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that the vehicle
in front is driving faster, it accelerates your
vehicle, but only up to the speed you have
stored.
Changing lanes G
WARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS and Active Blind Spot Assist
are only an aid designed to assist driving.
They do not relieve you of the responsibility
of paying attention. The driver remains fully
responsible for the vehicle's distance from
other vehicles, the vehicle's speed and for
braking in good time. Always pay attention to
traffic conditions and your surroundings. Oth-
erwise, you may fail to recognise dangers in
time, cause an accident and injure yourself
and others.
If you change to the overtaking lane, DIS-
TRONIC PLUS supports you if:
R you are driving faster than 60 km/h.
R DISTRONIC PLUS is maintaining the dis-
tance to a vehicle in front.
R you switch on the respective turn signals.
R DISTRONIC PLUS does not detect a danger
of collision.
If these conditions are met, your vehicle is
accelerated. Acceleration will be interrupted
if changing lanes takes too long or if the dis-
tance between your vehicle and the vehicle in
front becomes too small.
i When changing lanes, DISTRONIC PLUS
monitors the left lane for left-hand-drive
vehicles and the right lane for right-hand-
drive vehicles. 198
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Vehicles with COMAND APS/
Audio 50 APS
Example
:roundabout
i The following function is not operational
in all countries.
DISTRONIC PLUS uses additional information
from your navigation system so that it can
adapt to certain traffic situations. This is the
case if, while following a vehicle, DISTRONIC
PLUS is active and you:
R approach or drive around a roundabout
R approach a T-junction
R turn off at a motorway exit
Even if the vehicle in front leaves the detec-
tion range, DISTRONIC PLUS temporarily
maintains the current driving speed and does
not accelerate. This is based on the current
map data in the navigation system.
The current speed is maintained:
R approximately 10 seconds before the
roundabout/T-junction and approximately
1.5 seconds when driving on a roundabout
R approximately 12 seconds before reaching
a motorway exit and approximately
4s econds after the motorway exit
Afterwards, the vehicle accelerates back to
the set speed you specified.
Vehicles with COMAND Online
i The following function is not operational
in all countries. DISTRONIC PLUS uses additional information
from your navigation system so that it can
react appropriately to certain traffic situa-
tions. This is the case if, while following a
vehicle, DISTRONIC PLUS is active and you:
R
approach or drive around a roundabout
R approach a T-junction
R turn off at a motorway exit
Even if the vehicle in front leaves the detec-
tion range, DISTRONIC PLUS temporarily
maintains the curren tdriving speed and does
not accelerate. This is based on the current
map data in the navigation system. Example
:roundabout
The current speed is maintained:
R approximately ten seconds before the
roundabout/T-junction and for approx-
imately 1.5seconds when driving on the
roundabout
R approximately twelve seconds before
reaching a motorway exit and approx-
imately four seconds after the motorway
exit
Afterwards, the vehicle accelerates back to
the set speed you specified.
Stopping G
WARNING
Never get out of the vehicle when DISTRONIC
PLUS is activated.
DISTRONIC PLUS must also never be oper-
ated, activated or deactivated by a passenger
or from outside the vehicle. Driving systems
199Driving and parking
Z

DISTRONIC PLUS does not replace the park-
ing brake and must not be used for parking.
The DISTRONIC PLUS braking effect is can-
celled and the vehicle can start moving if:
R
DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated using the
cruise control lever.
R you accelerate.
R there is a malfunction in the system or an
interruption in the powe rsupply, 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 wish to leave th evehicle or park it,
deactivate DISTRONIC PLUS and secure the
vehicle against rolling away. G
WARNING
Hybrid vehicles: ensure that you read the
"HYBRID" supplement .You could otherwise
fail to recognise dangers.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that the vehicle
in front is stopping, it brakes your vehicle until
it is stationary.
Once your vehicle is stationary, it remains
stationary and you do not need to depress the
brake.
i Depending on the specified minimum dis-
tance, your vehicle will come to a standstill
at a sufficient distance behind the vehicle
in front.T he specified minimum distance is
set using the control on the cruise control
lever.
Vehicles featuring automatic transmis-
sion with aselector lever
Select Park (P) X
Shift the transmission to position Pto pre-
ven tthe vehicle from rolling away.
DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated. The warn-
ing message in the multifunction display
disappears. You will see a warning message in the multi-
function display if DISTRONIC PLUS 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.
The horn will also sound at regular intervals if
DISTRONIC PLUS 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 DIS-
TRONIC PLUS is still activated. The sound
becomes louder if you attempt to lock the
vehicle. The vehicle is not locked until DIS-
TRONIC PLUS is deactivated.
i If the engine has been switched off, it
cannot be started again until DISTRONIC
PLUS has been deactivated.
If DISTRONIC PLUS is activated and a fault
occurs in the system or if there is a disruption
in the power supply, the Brake immedi‐ ately message is shown in the multifunction
display. Immediately depress the brake firmly
until the warning message in the multifunc-
tion display goes out or shift the transmission
to position P. DISTRONIC PLUS is deactiva-
ted.
Vehicles featuring automatic transmis-
sion with aDIRECT SELECT lever
When DISTRONIC PLUS is activated, the
transmission is shifted automatically to posi-
tion Pif:
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 bonne tis opened. 200
Driving systemsDriving and parking

R
a system fault occurs.
R the power supply is no tsufficient.
Setting aspeed X
Press the cruise control lever up :for a
highe rspeed or down ;for a lower speed.
X Keep the cruise control lever pressed until
the desired speed is reached.
X Release the cruise control lever.
The new speed is stored. DISTRONIC PLUS
is activated and adjusts the vehicle's speed
to the new speed stored.
X To adjust the set speed in 1 km/h incre-
ments: briefly press the cruise control
lever up :or down ;to the pressure
point.
The last stored speed increases or decrea-
ses in 1 km/h increments.
X To adjust the set speed in 10 km/h
increments: press the cruise control lever
briefly up :or down ;beyond the pres-
sure point.
The last stored speed increases or decrea-
ses in 10 km/h increments.
i DISTRONIC PLUS is not deactivated if you
depress the accelerator pedal. If you accel-
erate to overtake, DISTRONIC PLUS
adjusts the vehicle's speed to the last
speed stored after you have finished over-
taking. Storing the current speed or calling up
the stored speed G
WARNING
Only call up a stored speed if you know what
that speed is and if it is suitable for the current
traffic and driving situation. You can other-
wise endanger yourself or others by uninten-
tionally triggering sudden acceleration or
braking. X
Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you :.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
DISTRONIC PLUS is activated. The first
time it is activated, the curren tspeed is
stored. Otherwise, it sets the vehicle cruise
speed to the previously stored value.
Setting the specified minimum distance You can set the specified minimum distance
for DISTRONIC PLUS by varying the time span
between one and two seconds. With this func-
tion, you can set the minimum distance that Driving systems
201Driving and parking Z

DISTRONIC PLUS keeps to the vehicle in
front, dependent on vehicle speed. You can
see this distance in the multifunctio
ndisplay
(Y page 202).
X To increase: turn control;in direction
=.
DISTRONIC PLUS the nmaintains a greater
distance between your vehicle and the
vehicle in front.
X To decrease: turn control;in direc-
tion :.
DISTRONIC PLU Sthen maintains a shorter
distance between your vehicle and the
vehicle in front.
i Make sure that you maintain a sufficient
and safe distance from the vehicle in front.
Adjust the distance to the vehicle in front if
necessary.
Displaying DISTRONIC PLUS in the
speedometer Example: vehicles featuring automatic transmis-
sion with a DIRECT SELECT lever
When DISTRONIC PLUS is activated, one or
two segments
;in the set speed range light
up.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detectsav ehicle in front,
segments ;between speed of the vehicle in
front :and stored speed =light up.
i For design reasons, the speed displayed
in the speedometer may differ slightly from
the speed set for DISTRONIC PLUS. Displaying DISTRONIC PLUS in the mul-
tifunction display General notes
In the Assistance menu (Y
page 256) of the
on-board computer, you can select the dis-
tance display.
Display when DISTRONIC PLUS is deacti-
vated Example: vehicles featurin
gautomatic transmis-
sion with a DIRECT SELECT lever
: Vehicle in front, if detected
; Distance indicator: current distance to
the vehicle in front
= Specified minimum distance to the vehi-
cle in front; adjustable
? Own vehicle
X Select the Distance display function
using the on-board computer
(Y page 256). 202
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Display when DISTRONIC PLUS is activa-
ted Example: vehicles featurin
gautomatic transmis-
sion with a DIRECT SELECT lever
: DISTRONIC PLUS activated
; Own vehicle
= Specified minimum distance to the vehi-
cle in front; adjustable
? Vehicle in front, if detected
X Select the Distance display function
using the on-board computer
(Y page 256).
i You will see the stored speed for about
five seconds when you activate DISTRONIC
PLUS.
Deactivating DISTRONIC PLUS There are several ways to deactivate DIS-
TRONIC PLUS:
X Briefly press the cruise control leve rfor-
wards :.
or X
Brake, unless the vehicle is stationary.
or
X Briefly press the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow =.
Variable SPEEDTRONIC is selected. LIM
indicator lamp ;in the cruise control lever
lights up.
When you deactivate DISTRONIC PLUS, you
will see the DISTRONIC PLUS off message
in the multifunction display for approximately
five seconds.
i The last speed stored remains stored until
you switch off the engine.
DISTRONIC PLUS is automatically deactiva-
ted if:
R you engage the parking brake.
R you are driving slower than 25 km/h and
there is no vehicle in front, or if the vehicle
in front is no longer detected.
R ESP ®
intervenes or you deactivate ESP ®
.
R the transmission is in the P,Ror Nposition.
R the vehicle is near a radio telescope facility
(Y page 451).
R you switch off the radar sensor system
(Y page 262).
R you pull the cruise control lever towards
you in order to pull away, and the front-
passenger door or one of the rear doors is
open.
R the vehicle has skidded.
If DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated, you will
hear a warning tone. You will see the DIS‐ TRONIC PLUS off message in the multifunc-
tion display for approximately five seconds.
Vehicles with automatic transmission with
selector lever: if the vehicle has been stopped
by DISTRONIC PLUS and a fault occurs in the
system, the Brake immediately message
appears in the multifunction display .Depress
the brake pedal immediately so that the vehi-
cle does not roll away. DISTRONIC PLUS is
then deactivated, and the message disap-
pears. Driving systems
203Driving and parking Z

Tips fo
rdriving with DISTRONIC PLUS General notes
The following contains descriptions of certain
road and traffi
cconditions in which you must
be particularly attentive. In such situations,
brake if necessary. DISTRONIC PLUS is then
deactivated.
Cornering, going into and coming out of a
bend The ability of DISTRONIC PLUS to detect vehi-
cles when cornering is limited. Your vehicle
may brake unexpectedly or late.
Vehicles travelling on
adifferent line DISTRONIC PLUS may not detect vehicles
travelling on a different line. The distance to
the vehicle in fron
twill be too short. Other vehicles changing lane DISTRONIC PLUS has not yet detected the
vehicle cutting in. The distance to this vehicle
will be too short.
Narrow vehicles DISTRONIC PLUS has not yet detected the
vehicle in front on the edge of the carriage-
way, because of its narrow width
.The dis-
tance to the vehicle in front will be too short.
Obstructions and stationary vehicles DISTRONIC PLUS does not brake for obsta-
cles or stationary vehicles. If, for example, the 204
Driving systemsDriving and parking

detected vehicle turns a corner and reveals
an obstacle or stationary vehicle, DISTRONIC
PLUS will not brake for these.
Crossing vehicles DISTRONIC PLUS may mistakenly detect
vehicles that are crossing your lane. Activat-
ing DISTRONIC PLUS at traffic lights with
crossing traffic, for example, could cause
your vehicle to pull away unintentionally. HOLD function
General notes The HOLD function can assist the driver in the
following situations:
R when pulling away, especially on steep
slopes
R when manoeuvring on steep slopes
R when waiting in traffic
The vehicle is kept stationary without the
driver having to depress the brake pedal.
The braking effec tis cancelled and the HOLD
function is deactivated when you depress the
accelerator pedal to pull away.
Activation conditions You can activate the HOLD function if:
R
the vehicle is stationary.
R the engine is running or if it has been auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/
stop function. R
the driver's door is closed or if your seat
belt is fastened.
R the parking brake is released.
R the bonnet is closed.
R the selector lever is in position D,Ror Non
vehicles with automatic transmission.
R DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated.
Activating the HOLD function G
WARNING
The vehicle's brakes are applied when the
HOLD function is activated. For this reason,
deactivate the HOLD function if the vehicle is
to be set in motion by other means (e.g. in a
car wash or by towing).
X Make sure that the activation conditions
are met.
X Depress the brake pedal.
X Quickly depress the brake pedal further
until ë appears in the multifunction dis-
play.
The HOLD function is activated. You can
release the brake pedal.
i If depressing the brake pedal the first
time does not activate the HOLD function,
wait briefly and then try again.
Deactivating the HOLD function G
WARNING
Never get out of the vehicle when the HOLD
function is activated.
The HOLD function must never be operated
or deactivated by a passenger or from outside
the vehicle.
The HOLD function does not replace the park-
ing brake and must not be used for parking. Driving systems
205Driving and parking
Z

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 a malfunction 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.
The HOLD function is deactivated automati-
cally if:
R you accelerate. On vehicles with automatic
transmission: only when the transmission
is in position Dor R.
R you shift the transmission to position Pon
vehicles with automatic transmission.
R you depress the brake pedal again with a
certain amount of pressure until ëdis-
appears from the multifunction display.
R you activate DISTRONIC PLUS.
On vehicles with automatic transmission and
a DIRECT SELECT lever, the transmission is
automatically shifted to Pif the HOLD func-
tion is activated 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.
R a system fault occurs.
R the power supply is not sufficient. In vehicles with manual transmission or auto-
matic transmission with a selector lever, you
see a warning message in the multifunction
display if the HOLD function is activated 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.
In vehicles featuring automatic transmission
with a gear selector lever: Select Park (P)
X
Shift the transmission to position Pto pre-
vent 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. If you attempt
to lock the vehicle, the tone becomes louder.
The vehicle is not locked until the HOLD func-
tion 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 a fault in the system or power supply
while the HOLD function is activated, the
Brake immediatelyBrake immediately message is shown in the multifunction dis-
play. Immediately depress the brake firmly
until the warning message in the multifunc-
tion display goes out.206
Driving systemsDriving and parking

On vehicles with automatic transmission, you
can also shift into position
P.This deactivates
the HOLD function. RACE START
Important safety notes G
WARNING
RACE START is only available when SPORT
handling mode is activated. SPORT handling
mode will only be able to stabilise the vehicle
to a limited degree if the vehicle starts to skid
or a wheel starts to spin. The vehicle is there-
fore harder to control at the threshold range.
You could lose control of the vehicle and
cause an accident.
RACE START should only be used on closed
off circuits. Always adapt your driving style to
suit the prevailing road and weather condi-
tions.
i RACE START is only available in AMG vehi-
cles.
RACE START enables optimum acceleration
from a standing start. The precondition for
this is a suitable high-grip road surface.
Activation conditions You can activate RACE START if:
R
the doors are closed.
R the engine is running and it has reached an
operating temperature of approximately
80 †. This is the case when the engine oil
temperature in the multifunction display
stops flashing.
R SPORT handling mode is activated
(Y page 74).
R the steering wheel is in the straight-ahead
position.
R the vehicle is stationary and the brake
pedal is depressed (left foot).
R the transmission is in position D.Activating RACE START X
Depress the brake pedal with your left foot
and keep it depressed.
X Turn the drive program selector clockwise
(Y page 174) until the RSlamp lights up.
The RACE START Confirm: Paddle UP Cancel: Paddle DOWN message appears
in the multifunction display.
i If the activation conditions are no longer
fulfilled, RACE START is cancelled. The
RACE START cancelled message appears
in the multifunction display.
X To cancel: pull the left steering wheel shift
paddle (Y page 175).
or
X To confirm:p ull the right steering wheel
shif tpaddle (Y page 175).
The RACE START available Depress accelerator message appears in the mul-
tifunctio ndisplay.
i If you do not depress the accelerator
pedal fully within two seconds, RACE
START is cancelled. The RACE START not
possible See Owner's Manual message
appears in the multifunction display.
X Fully depress the accelerator pedal.
The engine speed rises to approximately
3500 rpm.
The RACE START Release brake to start message appears in the multifunc-
tion display.
i If you do not release the brake pedal
within five seconds, RACE START is cancel-
led. The RACE START cancelled message
appears in the multifunction display.
X Take your foot off the brake, but keep the
accelerator pedal depressed.
The vehicle pulls away at maximum accel-
eration.
The RACE START active message appears
in the multifunction display.
RACE START is deactivated when the vehicle
reaches a speed of approximately 50 km/h. Driving systems
207Driving and parking Z