manual transmission MERCEDES-BENZ E-CLASS ESTATE 2012 Owner's Manual

X
Accelerate the vehicle to the desired
speed.
X Briefly press the cruise control lever
up : or down ;.
X Remove your foo tfrom the accelerator
pedal.
Cruise control is activated .The vehicle
automatically maintains the stored speed.
i Cruise control may be unable to maintain
the stored speed on uphill gradients. The
stored speed is resumed when the gradient
evens out. Cruise control maintains the
stored speed on downhill gradients by
automatically applying the brakes.
i Vehicles with manual transmission:
R always drive at adequate, but not exces-
sive, engine speeds.
R change gear in good time.
R if possible, do not change down several
gears at a time.
Storing the current speed and calling up
the last 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.
The first time cruise control is activated, it
stores the current speed or regulates the
speed of the vehicle to the previously
stored speed.
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.
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 Cruise control is not deactivated if you
depress the accelerator pedal. For exam-
ple, if you accelerate briefly to overtake,
cruise control adjusts the vehicle's speed
to the last speed stored after you have fin-
ished overtaking. Driving systems
191Driving and parking Z

Deactivating cruise control
There are several ways to deactivate cruise
control:
X
Briefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards =.
or
X Brake
or
X Briefly press the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow ;.
Variable SPEEDTRONIC is selected. LIM
indicator lamp :in the cruise contro llever
lights up.
Cruise control is automatically deactivated if:
R you depress the parking brake.
R you are driving at less than 30 km/h.
R ESP ®
intervenes or you deactivate ESP ®
.
R you shift into neutral in a vehicle with man-
ual transmission while driving or depress
the clutch pedal for longer than six sec-
onds.
R on vehicles with manual transmission, you
shift to a gear that is too high, and as a
result the engine speed is too low.
R on vehicles with automatic transmission,
you shift into position Nwhile driving.
If cruise control is deactivated, you will hear
a warning tone. You will see the Cruisecontrol off message in the multifunction
display for approximately five seconds.
i The last speed stored is cleared when you
switch off the engine. SPEEDTRONIC
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Never depress the brake pedal continuously
while the vehicle is in motion, e.g. never cause
the brakes to rub by applying constan tslight
pedal pressure. This causes the brake system
to overheat, increases the braking distance
and can lead to the brakes failing completely. G
WARNING
Do not change down for additional engine
braking on a slippery road surface. This could
cause the drive wheels to lose their grip and
the vehicle could skid. G
WARNING
SPEEDTRONIC is only an aid designed to
assist driving. You are responsible for the
vehicle's speed and for braking in good time.
SPEEDTRONIC brakes automatically so that
you do not exceed the set speed. On long and
steep downhill gradients, especially if the
vehicle is laden or towing a trailer, you must
selec tshift range 1,2or 3in good time. By
doing so, you will make use of the braking
effect of the engine. This relieves the load on
the brake system and prevents the brakes
from overheating and wearing too quickly. If
you need additional braking, depress the
brake pedal repeatedly rather than continu-
ously.
You can set a variable or permanent limit
speed:
R variable for speed limits, e.g. in built-up
areas
R permanent for long-term speed restric-
tions, e.g. when driving with winter tyres
fitted (Y page 195)
i The speed indicated in the speedometer
may differ slightly from the limit speed
stored. 192
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Cruise control or DISTRONIC PLU
Sis selec-
ted.
Variable SPEEDTRONIC is automatically
deactivated if:
R you depress the accelerator pedal beyond
the pressure point (kickdown), but only if
your current speed does not differ by more
than 20 km/h from the stored speed. You
will hear a warning tone if this is the case.
R on vehicles with manual transmission, if
you shift to a higher gear and as a result,
the engine speed is too low.
i The last speed stored is cleared when you
switch off the engine.
Permanent SPEEDTRONIC You can use the on-board computer to limit
the speed permanently to avalue between
160 km/h(e.g. for driving on winter tyres) and
the maximum speed ( Ypage 261).
Shortly before the store dspeed is reached, it
appears in the multifunction display.
Permanent SPEEDTRONIC remains active,
even if variable SPEEDTRONIC is deactivated.
You cannot exceed the stored limit speed,
even if you depress the accelerator pedal
beyond the pressure point (kickdown). DISTRONIC PLUS
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Hybrid vehicles: ensure that you read the
"HYBRID" supplement .You could otherwise
fail to recognise dangers. G
WARNING
Do not change down for additional engine
braking on a slippery 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 crossin gtraffic
DISTRONIC PLUS may not detect narrow vehi-
cles driving in front, e.g. motorcycles, or vehi-
cles driving on a different line. Therefore,
always pay attention to traffic conditions even
when DISTRONIC PLUS is activated. Other-
wise, you may fail to recognise dangers in
time, cause an accident and injure yourself
and others. G
WARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS cannot take account of road
and traffic conditions. If DISTRONIC does not
recognise or no longer recognises the vehicle
in front, do not 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 a lane with faster moving
traffic
R in comple xdriving situations or where lanes
are diverted, e.g. at roadworks on a motor-
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 Driving systems
195Driving 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

Warning displays
Warning display for the front area
:
Segments on the left-hand side of the
vehicle
; Segments on the right-hand side of the
vehicle
= Segments showing operational readiness
The warning displays show the distance
between the sensors and the obstacle. The
warning display for the front area is located
on the dashboard above the centre airv ents.
The warning display for the rear area is loca-
ted on the roof lining in the rear compart-
ment.
The warning display for 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 display is active 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 segmen tonwards, you will hea ran
intermittent warning ton efor 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.
Deactivating/activating PARKTRONIC :
Indicator lamp
; To deactivate/activate PARKTRONIC
If indicator lamp :lights up, PARKTRONIC is
deactivated. Parking Guidance is also deacti-
vated.
i PARKTRONIC is automatically activated
when you turn the key to position 2in the
ignition lock. Driving systems
213Driving and parking Z

side turn signal switched on until you have
engaged reverse gear.
Parking Guidance will only detect parking
spaces:
R that are parallel to the direction of travel
R that are at least 1.5 m wide
R that are at least 1.3 m longer than your
vehicle
Ap arking space is displayed while you are
driving past it and until you are approximately
15 m away from it.
Parking Important safety notes
G
WARNING
PARKTRONIC and Parking Guidance are
merely parking aids and may no tdetec tall
obstacles. They do not relieve you of the
responsibility of paying attention.
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.
Moving the vehicle to th eparking position Example: vehicles featuring automatic transmis-
sion with a DIRECT SELECT lever
X Stop the vehicle whe nthe parking space
symbol shows the desired parking space in
the instrument cluster.
X Vehicles with manual transmission: shift to
reverse gear. Vehicles with automatic transmission: shift
into position
R.
The multifunction display shows the
Check vehicle surroundings Con‐ firm with OK message.
X Press the abutton on the multifunction
steering wheel to confirm.
The multifunction display switches to Park-
ing Guidance.
Depending on your distance from the park-
ing space, the Please drive backwards message will appearint
he multifunction
display.
X If necessary, reverse towards the parking
space. This is indicated by an arrow point-
ing backwards.
Continue reversing until you hear a tone.
Stop –the parking position has been
reached. The arrow is white.
The Please steer to the right or
Please steer to the left message
appears in the multifunction display.
Reversing the vehicle into aparking space Example: vehicles featuring automatic transmis-
sion with a DIRECT SELECT lever
X
While the vehicle is stationary, turn the
steering wheel in the specified direction
until the arrow is white and a warning tone
sounds.
X To reverse into the parking space: main-
tain the steering wheel angl eand reverse
carefully.
X Stop as soo nas you hear a warning tone,
The vehicle has reached the position in
which you need to countersteer.
The Please steer to the left or
Please steer to the right message
appears in the multifunction display. Driving systems
217Driving and parking Z

In the
Serv. menu, you have the following
options:
R call up display messages in the message
memory (Y page 268)
R restart the tyre pressure loss warning sys-
tem (Y page 385)
R check the tyre pressure electronically
(Y page 386)
R call up when a service is due
(Y page 349) Settings menu
Introduction In the
Settings menu, you have the following
options:
R change the instrument cluster settings
(Y page 258)
R change the lights ettings (Ypage 259)
R change the vehicle settings (Y page 261)
R change the auxiliary heating settings
(Y page 262)
R change the convenience settings
(Y page 263)
R restore the factory settings (Y page 264)
Instrument cluster Selecting the unit of measurement for dis-
tance
The
Display unit Speed-/odometer: function allows you to choose whether cer-
tain displays appear in kilometres or miles in
the multifunction display. You can determine whether the multifunction
display shows some messages in miles or kil-
ometres.
X
Press the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the Settings menu.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Inst. cluster submenu.
X Press ato confirm.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Display unit Speed-/odometer: func-
tion.
You will see the selected setting: km or
miles .
X Press the abutton to save the setting.
The selected unit of measuremen tfor dis-
tance applies to:
R the digital speedometer in the Trip menu
R total distance recorder and the trip meter
R trip computer
R current consumption and the range
R the navigation instructions in the Navi menu
R cruise control
R SPEEDTRONIC
R DISTRONIC PLUS
R ASSYST PLUS service interval display
Switching the additional speedometer
on/off
Only vehicles with manual transmission have
this function.
The Addit. speedo [mph] function allows
you to choose whether the status area in the
multifunction display always shows the speed
in mph instead of the outside temperature.
You can determine whether the multifunction
display permanently shows your speed or the
outside temperature.
X Press the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the Settings menu.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Inst. cluster submenu.
X Press ato confirm. 258
Menus and submenusOn-board computer and displays

Display messages Possible causes/consequences and
M Solutions
T!
÷
inoperative See
Owner's Manual EBD (electronic brake force distribution), ABS, ESP
®
, BAS, PRE-
SAFE ®
, the HOLD function ,hill start assist and ESP ®
trailer stabi-
lisatio nare unavailable due to a malfunction.
The adaptive brake lights, BAS PLUS and PRE-SAFE ®
Brake may
also have failed.
In addition, the ä,åand! warning lamps light up in
the instrument cluster and a warning tone sounds.
G WARNING
The brake system continues to function normally, but withou tthe
functions listed above. The front and rear wheels could therefore
lock if you brake hard, for example.
The steerability and braking characteristics may be severely affec-
ted. The braking distance in an emergency braking situation can
increase.
If ESP ®
is not operational, ESP ®
is unable to stabilise the vehicle.
The danger of skidding and having an accident increases.
X Drive on carefully.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop immediately. J
Release parking
brake You are driving with the parking brake applied.
Awarning tone also
sounds.
X Release the parking brake. J
Brake immediately or
Vehicles with manual transmission
:with the HOL Dfunction acti-
vated, you have either:
R opened the driver's door and released the seat belt or
R switched off the engine or
R opened the bonnet.
At one may also sound at regular intervals. If you attempt to lock
the vehicle, the tone becomes louder.
You cannot start the engine.
X Paying attention to the traffic situation, immediately depress the
brake pedal firmly and hold until the display message disap-
pears.
X Secure the vehicle against rolling away (Y page 183).
You can restart the engine. Display messages
271On-board computer and displays Z

Jump-starting
G
WARNING
Hybrid vehicles: it is imperative that you read the "HYBRID" supplement. Otherwise, you may not
recognise dangers. G
WARNING
There is a risk of acid burns when jump-starting a vehicle due to the gases which escape from
the battery. Do not lean over the battery while the engine is being jump-started. G
WARNING
Gases escaping from the battery during jump-starting may cause minor explosions. Avoid cre-
ating sparks. Keep naked flames away from the battery, and do not smoke.
Comply with the important safety precautions when handling batteries. You will find these under
"Battery (vehicle) -important safety notes" in the index. G
WARNING
Non-combusted fuel can collect in the exhaust system and ignite. There is a risk of fire. Avoid
repeated and lengthy starting attempts.
! Vehicles with apetrol engine: avoid repeated and lengthy starting attempts. Otherwise,
the non-combusted fuel may damage the catalytic converter.
Do not use a rapid charging device to start th evehicle. If your vehicle's battery is discharged,
the engine can be jump-started from another vehicle or from a second battery using jump
leads. Observe the following points:
R The battery is not accessible in all vehicles. If the other vehicle's batter yis not accessible,
jump-start the vehicle using a second battery or ajump-starting device.
R vehicles with apetrol engine: only jump-star tthe vehicle when the engine and exhaust
system are cold.
R do not start the engine if the battery is frozen. Let the battery thaw first.
R jump-starting may only be performed from batteries with a nominal voltage of 12 V.
R only use jump leads that have a sufficient cross-section and insulated terminal clamps.
R if the battery is fully discharged, leave the battery that is being used to jump-start connected
for a few minutes before attempting to start. This charges the empty battery a little.
R make sure that the two vehicles do not touch.
Make sure that:
R The jump leads are not damaged.
R Non-insulated parts of the terminal clamps do not come into contact with other metal parts
while the jump leads are connected to the battery.
R the jump leads cannot come into contact with parts such as the V-belt pulley or the fan.
These parts move when the engine is started and while it is running.
X Firmly depress the parking brake.
X Manual transmission: engage neutral.370
Jump-startingBreakdown assistance