MERCEDES-BENZ E-CLASS SALOON 2008 Owners Manual

Driving sys
tems 148
Adjustment in 10 km/h increments X
Briefly press the cruise control lever up
1 for a higher speed or down 4for a
lower speed.
The last speed stored is increased or
reduced.
Making fine adjustments in 1 km/h
increments X
For a higher speed: briefly pull the cruise
control lever towards you 3.
or
X Keep the cruise control lever pulled
towards you 3until the desired speed is
reached.
Selecting the current or last stored
speed G
Risk of accident
Only select a stored speed if you know what
that speed is and whether it is suitable for
the current situation. Otherwise, sudden
acceleration or braking could endanger you
or others. X
Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you 3.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
Distronic is activated and accepts the cur-
rent speed if it is activated for the first time,
or adjusts the vehicle's speed to the last
speed stored.
Setting the specified minimum distance
for Distronic You can set the specified minimum distance
for Distronic by varying the time span
between one and two seconds. This time span
determines the distance that Distronic should
maintain from the vehicle in front, depending
on the road speed. You can read this distance
in the multi-function display (Y page 149). 1
To activate/deactivate the distance warn-
ing function
2 Indicator lamp
3 To adjust the set distance
Adjusting the set distance
X To increase: turn thumbwheel 3towards
¯.
Distronic then maintains a greater distance
between your vehicle and the vehicle in
front.
X To decrease: turn thumbwheel 3towards
®.
Distronic then maintains a shorter distance
between your vehicle and the vehicle in
front. Controls
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Driving sys
tems 149
i
Make sure that you maintain the mini-
mum distance to the vehicle in front
required by law. Adjust the distance to the
vehicle in front if necessary.
Distance warning function Even if Distronic is deactivated, this function
warns you at speeds above 30 km/h if:
R
the distance to the vehicle in front is too
short for the speed you are driving at for
several seconds. The ldistance warn-
ing lamp in the instrument cluster then
lights up.
R you are approaching a vehicle in front at too
great a speed. You then hear an intermit-
tent warning tone, and the ldistance
warning lamp in the instrument cluster
lights up.
You must apply the brakes yourself in order
to maintain the correct distance to the vehicle
and to avoid a collision. G
Risk of accident
Be especially observant of traffic condi-
tions when the ldistance warning lamp
in the instrument cluster lights up or an
intermittent warning tone sounds. Brake or take evasive action as necessary.
i Distronic does not always clearly recog-
nise complex road and traffic conditions.
You may then receive a false distance warn-
ing tone or none at all.
X To activate/deactivate: press button1.
When the function is activated, indicator
lamp 2in the button lights up and a loud-
speaker symbol appears in the display.
When the function is deactivated, indicator
lamp 2in the button goes out and the
loudspeaker symbol disappears from the
multi-function display.
Distronic displays in the speedometer 1
Stored speed When Distronic is activated, one or two seg-
ments in the set speed range light up.
i For design reasons, the speed displayed
in the speedometer may differ slightly from
the speed set for Distronic. 1
Segments
If Distronic detects a vehicle in front, the seg-
ments between the speed of the vehicle in
front and the stored speed light up.
Distronic menu in the on-board com-
puter You can read the current Distronic settings in
the Distronic menu. The reading in the multi-
function display depends on whether Dis-
tronic and the distance warning function are
activated or deactivated. Controls
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Driving sys
tems 150
X
Press the èorÿ button repeatedly
until one of the following two displays
appears in the multi-function display.
Distronic deactivated
When Distronic is deactivated you will see the
standard Distronic display in the multi-func-
tion display. 1
Vehicle in front, if detected
2 Distance indicator, displaying current dis-
tance to the vehicle in front
3 Specified minimum distance to the vehi-
cle in front, adjustable
4 Own vehicle
5 Symbol for activated distance warning
function
Distronic activated
When Distronic is activated, the stored speed
appears in the multi-function display for
approximately five seconds. With Distronic activated, you will see the following in the
multi-function display:
1
Display for activated Distronic
Deactivating Distronic 1
To deactivate Distronic
2 LIM indicator lamp
3 To switch between Distronic and variable
Speedtronic There are several ways to deactivate Dis-
tronic:
X
Briefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards 1.
or
X Brake.
or
X Briefly press the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow 3.
Variable Speedtronic is selected. LIM indi-
cator lamp 2in the cruise control lever
lights up.
i You will see the Distronic off message
in the multi-function display for approxi-
mately five seconds.
The last speed stored is cleared when you
switch off the engine.
i Distronic is not deactivated if you depress
the accelerator pedal. If you accelerate
briefly to overtake, Distronic adjusts the
vehicle's speed to the last speed stored
after you have finished overtaking.
Distronic is automatically deactivated if:
R you depress the parking brake
R you are driving at less than 30 km/h Controls
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Driving sys
tems 151
R
ESP ®
is intervening or you deactivate
ESP ®
R you move the selector lever* to Nwhile
driving
If Distronic is deactivated, you will hear a
warning tone. You will see the Distronic
off message in the multi-function display for
approximately five seconds.
Tips for driving with Distronic The following contains descriptions of certain
road and traffic conditions in which you must
be particularly attentive. In such situations,
brake if necessary. Distronic is then deacti-
vated. Cornering, going into and coming out of a
bend The ability of Distronic to detect vehicles
when cornering is limited. Your vehicle may
brake unexpectedly or belatedly.
Vehicles travelling on a different line Distronic may not detect vehicles travelling
on a different line. The distance to the vehicle
in front will be too short.
Other vehicles changing lane
Distronic has not yet detected the vehicle
cutting in. The distance to this vehicle will be
too short. Controls
* optional
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Driving sys
tems 152
Narrow vehicles
Distronic has not yet detected the vehicle in
front on the edge of the carriageway, because
of its relatively narrow width. The distance to
the vehicle in front will be too short. Speedtronic
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
shift to a lower gear in good time or select
shift range 1,2or 3in vehicles with automatic
transmission*. By doing so you will make use
of the braking effect of the engine, which
relieves the load on the brake system and
prevents the brakes from overheating and wearing too quickly. If you need additional
braking, depress the brake pedal repeatedly
rather than continuously. G
Risk of accident
Never depress the brake pedal continu-
ously while the vehicle is in motion, e.g.
never cause the brakes to rub by applying
constant slight pedal pressure. This causes
the brake system to overheat, increases
the braking distance and can lead to the
brakes failing completely. G
Risk of accident
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.
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. for driving on winter tyres
(Y page 154) G
Risk of accident
Speedtronic is only an aid designed to
assist driving. You are responsible for the vehicle's speed and for braking in good
time.
i The speed indicated in the speedometer
may differ slightly from the limit speed
stored.
Variable Speedtronic With the cruise control lever, you can operate
cruise control, Distronic* and variable
Speedtronic.
The LIM indicator lamp on the cruise control
lever indicates which system you have selec-
ted:
R LIM indicator lamp off:
cruise control or Distronic* is selected
R LIM indicator lamp lit:
variable Speedtronic is selected
You can use the cruise control lever to limit
the speed to any speed above 30 km/ hwhile
the engine is running. Controls
* optional
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Driving sys
tems 1531
To store the current speed or a higher
speed
2 LIM indicator lamp
3 To store the current speed or call up the
last stored speed or to make fine adjust-
ments in 1 km/h increments
4 To store the current speed or a lower
speed
5 To switch between cruise control, Dis-
tronic* and variable Speedtronic
6 To deactivate variable Speedtronic
Selecting variable Speedtronic X
Check whether LIM indicator lamp 2is on.
If it is on, variable Speedtronic is already
selected. If it is not, press the cruise control lever in
the direction of arrow
5.
LIM indicator lamp 2in the cruise control
lever lights up. Variable Speedtronic is
selected. G
Risk of accident
If there is a change of drivers, advise the
new driver of the limit speed stored.
Only use Speedtronic if you will not have to
accelerate suddenly to a speed above that
stored as the limit speed. You could other-
wise cause an accident.
You can only exceed the limit speed stored
if you deactivate variable Speedtronic:
R using the cruise control lever.
R by depressing the accelerator pedal
beyond the pressure point (kickdown).
It is not possible to deactivate variable
Speedtronic by braking.
Storing the current speed You can use the cruise control lever to limit
the speed to any speed above 30 km/h while
the engine is running. X
Briefly press the cruise control lever up
1 or down 4.
The current speed is stored. The stored
speed, e.g. LIM km/h, appears in the multi-
function display.
The segments in the speedometer from the
start of the scale up to the stored speed
light up.
Storing the current speed or calling up
the last stored speed G
Risk of accident
Only select a stored speed if you know what
that speed is and whether it is suitable for
the current driving and traffic situation.
Otherwise, sudden braking could endanger
you or others.
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you 3. Controls
* optional
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Driving sys
tems 154
Making adjustments in 10 km/h incre-
ments X
Briefly press the cruise control lever up
1 for a higher speed or down 4for a
lower speed.
or
X Keep the cruise control lever pressed until
the desired speed is set. Press the cruise
control lever, up 1for a higher speed or
down 4for a lower speed.
Making fine adjustments in 1 km/h
increments X
For a higher speed: briefly pull the cruise
control lever towards you 3.
or
X Keep the cruise control lever pulled
towards you 3until the desired speed is
set.
Deactivating variable Speedtronic There are several ways to deactivate variable
Speedtronic:
X Briefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards 6.
or X
Briefly press the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow 5.
LIM indicator lamp 2in the cruise control
lever goes out. Variable Speedtronic is
deactivated.
Cruise control or Distronic* is selected.
Variable Speedtronic is deactivated automat-
ically when 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. G
Risk of accident
It is not possible to deactivate variable
Speedtronic by braking.
i The last speed stored is cleared when you
switch off the engine.
Permanent Speedtronic i
Permanent Speedtronic is only available
for certain countries.
You can use the on-board computer to limit
the speed permanently to a value between
160 km/h (e.g. for driving with winter tyres)
and the maximum speed. Shortly before the stored speed is reached it
is shown in the multi-function display.
You cannot exceed the stored limit speed,
even if you depress the accelerator pedal
beyond the pressure point (kickdown).
Setting permanent Speedtronic
X
Press èor· to select the Set-
tings... menu (Ypage 131).
X Press the jbutton to call up the selec-
tion of submenus.
X Press the æorç button to select the
Vehicle submenu.
X Press jto select Speed limit (win-
ter tyres) . X
Press the æorç button to select the
desired setting.
The following settings can be selected:
R Off Controls
* optional
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Driving sys
tems 155
Permanent Speedtronic is deactivated.
R A limit speed between 240 km/hand
160 km/h in increments of 10 km/h.
X To select a different display, press the
j, èorÿ button. HOLD
HOLD relieves the strain on the driver:
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 effect is cancelled and HOLD
deactivated when you depress the accelera-
tor pedal to pull away.
Activation conditions You can activate HOLD if:
R
the vehicle is stationary
R the engine is running
R the driver's door is closed
R the parking brake is not applied R
the bonnet is closed
R on vehicles with automatic transmission*,
the selector lever is in position D,Ror N
Activating HOLD X
Make sure that the activation conditions
are met.
X Depress the brake.
X Depress the brake again quickly until
HOLD appears in the display.
HOLD is activated. You can release the
brake pedal.
i If depressing the brake pedal the first
time does not activate HOLD, wait briefly
and then try again. G
Risk of accident
The vehicle's brakes are applied when
HOLD is activated. For this reason, deacti-
vate HOLD if the vehicle is to be set in
motion by other means (e.g. in a car wash
or by towing). Deactivating HOLD HOLD is deactivated if:
R
you accelerate. On vehicles with automatic
transmission*, only if the selector lever is
in position Dor R.
R the selector lever is moved to Pon vehicles
with automatic transmission*
R you release the brakes completely and
apply them again with a certain amount of
pressure until the HOLDmessage in the
multi-function display goes out G
Risk of accident
Never get out of the vehicle when HOLD is
activated.
HOLD must never be operated or deactiva-
ted by a passenger or from outside the
vehicle.
HOLD does not replace the parking brake
and must not be used for parking.
The HOLD braking effect is cancelled and
the vehicle can start moving if: Controls
* optional
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Driving sys
tems 156 R
HOLD 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
tampered with
R the battery is disconnected G
Risk of accident
If you wish to leave the vehicle or park it,
deactivate HOLD and secure the vehicle
against rolling away.
You will see a warning message in the multi-
function display if HOLD is activated and:
R the driver's door is opened and you release
the seat belt
R the ignition is switched off
R the bonnet is opened
Vehicles with manual transmission:
Brake immediately
X Immediately depress the brake pedal firmly
until the warning message in the multi-
function display goes out. This deactivates
HOLD. Vehicles with automatic transmission*:
Selector lever in park position
X Move the selector lever to Pto prevent the
vehicle from rolling away.
HOLD is deactivated. The warning message
in the multi-function display goes out.
A horn will also sound at regular intervals if
HOLD is activated and you:
R stop the engine and open the driver's door
R open the bonnet
The horn draws your attention to the fact that
the vehicle has been parked while HOLD is
still activated. The sound becomes louder if
you attempt to lock the vehicle. The vehicle
is not locked until HOLD is deactivated.
i If the ignition has been switched off, the
engine cannot be restarted until HOLD is
deactivated.
If there is a fault in the system or power supply
while HOLD is activated, the Brake immedi-
ately message appears in the multi-function
display. Immediately depress the brake firmly
until the warning message disappears from
the multi-function display, or in vehicles with
automatic transmission*, move the selector
lever to P. This deactivates HOLD. AIRMATIC DC*
Vehicle level Your vehicle automatically adjusts its ride
height to reduce petrol consumption and
improve driving safety.
The following vehicle levels are possible:
R
Normal
R Raised
R Lowered
The "Normal" and "Raised" vehicle levels can
be set manually.
The "Lowered" vehicle level is set automati-
cally:
R at speeds above 140 km/h
R if you have selected "Sports tuning I or
II" (Y page 157)
Setting the vehicle level manually
Select the "Normal" setting for normal road
surfaces and "Raised" for driving with snow
chains or on particularly poor road surfaces. G
Risk of injury
Make sure that nobody is in the vicinity of
the wheel housing or under the vehicle Controls
* optional
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Driving sys
tems 157while lowering the vehicle when it is sta-
tionary. Otherwise, limbs could become
trapped. 1
To set the vehicle level
2 Indicator lamp
Setting the raised level
X Start the engine.
If indicator lamp 2is not lit:
X Press button 1.
Indicator lamp 2lights up. The vehicle is
adjusted to the raised level.
The Vehicle rising message appears in
the multi-function display Setting the normal level
X
Start the engine.
If indicator lamp 2is lit:
X Press button 1.
Indicator lamp 2goes out. The vehicle is
adjusted to the normal level.
i The "Raised Level" setting is cancelled, if:
R you drive at a speed of more than
120 km/h
R you drive at a speed between 80 km/h
and 120 km/ hfor five minutes or more
If you do not drive at such speeds, the
raised level remains stored, even when the
key is removed from the ignition lock.
Comfort or sports tuning AIRMATIC DC (dual control) is comprised of
two components: the Adaptive Damping Sys-
tem (ADS) and spring stiffness adjustment.
ADS automatically regulates the suspension
as appropriate to particular driving condi-
tions. Parallel to this, the spring stiffness
switches between "comfort" and "sports" lev-
els.The damping/spring stiffness settings are
dependent on:
R
your driving style
R the road surface conditions
R your individual selection
Your selection remains stored even if you
remove the key from the ignition lock. 1
To select the damping program
2 Indicator lamps
X Start the engine.
Sports tuning I
X Press button 1once.
One indicator lamp 2lights up.
The vehicle level is lowered by 10 mm. Controls
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