MERCEDES-BENZ E-CLASS SALOON 2009 Owners Manual

Brake* are described in the "Driving safety
systems" section (Y page 58). Cruise control
Cruise control maintains a constant road
speed for you. It brakes automatically in order
to avoid exceeding 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 3on vehicles with auto-
matic 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. 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.
Use cruise control only if road and traffic con-
ditions make it appropriate to maintain a
steady speed for a prolonged period. You can
store any road speed above 30 km/h. G
Risk of accident
Cruise control cannot take account of road
and traffic conditions.
Always pay attention to traffic conditions
even when cruise control is activated.
Cruise control is only an aid designed to assist
driving. You are responsible for the vehicle's
speed and for braking in good time. G
Risk of accident
Do not use cruise control:
R in road and traffic conditions which do not
allow you to maintain a constant speed (e.g. heavy traffic or winding roads). You could
otherwise cause an accident.
R on slippery roads. Braking or accelerating
could cause the drive wheels to lose trac-
tion and the vehicle could then skid.
R when there is poor visibility, e.g. due to fog,
heavy rain or snow
Cruise control lever You can operate cruise control and variable
Speedtronic with the cruise control lever.
The LIM indicator lamp on the cruise control
lever indicates which system you have selec-
ted:
R LIM indicator lamp off:
Cruise control is selected.
R LIM indicator lamp lit:
Variable Speedtronic is selected. :
To store the current speed or a higher
speed
; LIM indicator lamp
= To store the current speed or to call up
the last stored speed
? To store the current speed or a lower
speed
A To switch between cruise control and var-
iable Speedtronic
B To deactivate cruise control
When cruise control is activated, the stored
speed is displayed in the multi-function dis-
play for five seconds. In the multi-function 138
Driving systemsControls
* optional
212_AKB; 2; 4, en-GB
mkalafa
,V ersion: 2.11.8.1
2009-05-05T14:17:16+02:00 - Seite 138
Dateiname: 6515346702_buchblock.pdf; erzeugt am 07. May 2009 14:16:17; WK

display, the segments between the stored
speed and the maximum speed light up.
Selecting cruise control
X
Check whether LIM indicator lamp ;is off.
If it is off, cruise control is already selected.
If it is not, press the cruise control lever in
the direction of arrow A.
LIM indicator lamp ;in the cruise control
lever goes off. Cruise control is selected.
Storing and maintaining the current
speed You can store the current speed if you are
driving faster than 30 km/
hand ESP ®
is acti-
vated (Y page 60).
X Accelerate the vehicle to the desired
speed.
X Briefly press the cruise control lever
up : or down ?to the pressure point.
X Remove your foot from 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.
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 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 situation. Otherwise, sudden acceler-
ation or braking could endanger you or others.
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 a speed X
Press the cruise control lever to the pres-
sure point, up :for a higher speed 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.
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.
Making fine adjustments in 1 km/h
increments X
Briefly press the cruise control lever to the
pressure point, up :for a higher speed or
down ?for a lower speed.
The last speed stored is increased or
reduced. Driving systems
139Controls
212_AKB; 2; 4, en-GB
mkalafa, Version: 2.11.8.1 2009-05-05T14:17:16+02:00 - Seite 139 Z
Dateiname: 6515346702_buchblock.pdf; erzeugt am 07. May 2009 14:16:17; WK

Adjustment in 10 km/h increments
X
Briefly press the cruise control lever
beyond the pressure point, up :for a
higher speed or down ?for a lower speed.
The last speed stored is increased or
reduced.
Deactivating cruise control There are several ways to deactivate cruise
control:
X
Briefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards B.
or
X Brake.
or
X Briefly press the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow A.
Variable Speedtronic is selected. LIM indi-
cator lamp ;in the cruise control lever
lights up.
Cruise control is automatically deactivated if:
R you depress the parking brake.
R you drive at less than 30 km/h
R ESP ®
intervenes or you deactivate ESP ®
R you change into neutral in a vehicle with
manual transmission while driving or if the
clutch is depressed for longer than 6 sec-
onds
R on vehicles with manual transmission, you
shift to a higher gear and as a result the
engine speed is too low
R you move the selector lever to Non vehi-
cles with automatic transmission* while
driving
If cruise control is deactivated, you will hear
a warning tone. You see the Cruise con‐
trol off message in the multi-function dis-
play for approximately five seconds.
i The last speed stored is cleared when you
switch off the engine. Distronic Plus*
i Distronic Plus is not available in all coun-
tries.
Distronic Plus regulates the speed and auto-
matically maintains the distance to the vehi-
cle in front. It brakes automatically in order
to avoid exceeding the set speed. On long and
steep downhill gradients, especially if the
vehicle is laden or towing a trailer, you must
select shift range 1,2or 3in good time. 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. 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. G
Risk of accident
Distronic Plus is only an aid designed to assist
driving. The driver is fully responsible for the
vehicle's distance from other vehicles, the
vehicle's speed and for braking in good time.
Distronic Plus does not react to:
R pedestrians
R stationary obstacles on the road, e.g. stop-
ped or parked vehicles
R oncoming and crossing traffic
Distronic Plus may not detect narrow vehicles
driving in front, e.g. motorcycles, or vehicles
driving on a different line. Therefore, always
pay attention to traffic conditions even when
Distronic Plus is activated. Otherwise, you
may fail to recognise dangers in time, cause
an accident and injure yourself and others.
If a slower-moving vehicle is detected in front,
Distronic Plus causes your vehicle to brake
and maintain a preset distance to the vehicle
in front. 140
Driving systemsCont
rols
* optional
212_AKB; 2; 4, en-GB
mkalafa
,V ersion: 2.11.8.1
2009-05-05T14:17:16+02:00 - Seite 140
Dateiname: 6515346702_buchblock.pdf; erzeugt am 07. May 2009 14:16:17; WK

G
Risk of accident
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 in filter lanes
R when changing to a lane with faster moving
traffic
R in complex driving situations or where the
lanes are diverted, e.g. at motorway/road-
way construction sites
Otherwise, Distronic Plus maintains the cur-
rent speed 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
braking or accelerating. The vehicle could
start to skid.
R if the sensors are dirty or there is poor vis-
ibility, e.g. due to snow, rain or fog. Dis-
tance control may be impaired.
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.
The radar sensor system is automatically
deactivated near radio telescope facilities
(Y page 362).
If you want Distronic Plus to assist you, the
radar sensor system must be activated and
operational.
If no car is driving in front of you, Distronic
Plus works like cruise control in the speed
range between 30 km/h and 200 km/h. If a
vehicle is driving in front of you, Distronic Plus
works in the speed range between 0 km/h
and 200 km/h. Do not use Distronic Plus while driving on
roads with steep gradients. G
Risk of accident
Distronic Plus brakes your vehicle at a maxi-
mum of 4m/s2
depending on its speed. This
corresponds to approximately 40% of your
vehicle's maximum brake force. You must
also apply the brakes yourself if this braking
power is not sufficient.
If Distronic Plus detects a risk of collision with
a vehicle in front, an intermittent warning tone
sounds. In addition, the ·distance warn-
ing lamp in the instrument cluster lights up.
Brake to avoid a collision.
Cruise control lever With the cruise control lever you can operate
Distronic Plus and variable Speedtronic.
The LIM indicator lamp on the cruise control
lever indicates which system you have selec-
ted:
R
LIM indicator lamp off:
Distronic Plus is selected.
R LIM indicator lamp lit:
Variable Speedtronic is selected. :
To store the current speed or a higher
speed
; To adjust the specified distance
= LIM indicator lamp
? To store the current speed or call up the
last stored speed
A To store the current speed or a lower
speed Driving systems
141Controls
212_AKB; 2; 4, en-GB
mkalafa,V ersion: 2.11.8.1
2009-05-05T14:17:16+02:00 - Seite 141 Z
Dateiname: 6515346702_buchblock.pdf; erzeugt am 07. May 2009 14:16:17; WK

B
To switch between Distronic Plus and var-
iable Speedtronic
C To deactivate Distronic Plus
Selecting Distronic Plus X
Check whether LIM indicator lamp =is off.
If it is off, Distronic Plus is already selected.
If it is not, press the cruise control lever in
the direction of arrow B.
LIM indicator lamp =in the cruise control
lever goes off. Distronic Plus is selected.
Switching on Distronic, storing the cur-
rent speed and maintaining it G
Risk of accident
The vehicle can be braked when Distronic Plus
is activated. For this reason, deactivate Dis-
tronic Plus if the vehicle is to be set in motion
by other means (e.g. in a car wash or by tow-
ing).
You can activate Distronic Plus in the follow-
ing circumstances:
R after the engine has been running for about
two minutes
R if the parking brake is not applied
R if ESP ®
is activated
R if the automatic transmission* is in position
D
R if the bonnet is closed
R if the driver's door is closed and you switch
from Pto Dor your seat belt is fastened.
R if the front-passenger door and the rear
doors are closed
Activating while driving
When driving at speeds below 30 km/h, you
can only activate Distronic Plus if the vehicle
in front has been detected and is shown in the
multi-function display. If the vehicle in front is
not shown in the multi-function display and is
no longer being detected, because it has changed lanes, for example, Distronic Plus is
deactivated and a tone sounds.
X
Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you ?or press it up :or down Ato the
pressure point.
Distronic Plus is selected.
X Keep the cruise control lever pressed
up : or down Auntil the desired speed
is set.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
Your vehicle adapts its speed to that of the
vehicle in front, but only up to the stored
speed.
i If you do not fully release the accelerator
pedal, the DISTRONIC PLUS suspended
message appears in the multi-function dis-
play. The set distance to a slower-moving
vehicle in front will then not be maintained.
You will be driving at the speed you deter-
mine by the position of the accelerator
pedal.
Activating when driving towards a sta-
tionary vehicle
If the vehicle in front of you is stationary, you
can only activate Distronic Plus once your
vehicle is stationary as well.
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you ?.
Distronic Plus is selected.
i Distronic Plus can only be activated at
under 30 km/hi f a vehicle in front has been
detected. Therefore, the Distronic Plus dis-
tance display in the instrument cluster
should be activated.
X Keep the cruise control lever pressed
up : or down Auntil the desired speed
is set.
i You can use the cruise control lever to set
the stored speed and the thumbwheel on
the cruise control lever to set the specified
minimum distance (Y page 145).142
Driving systemsControls
* optional
212_AKB; 2; 4, en-GB
mkalafa,
Version: 2.11.8.1 2009-05-05T14:17:16+02:00 - Seite 142
Dateiname: 6515346702_buchblock.pdf; erzeugt am 07. May 2009 14:16:17; WK

Pulling away
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
X Accelerate briefly.
Your vehicle pulls away and adapts its
speed to that of the vehicle in front.
Driving
If there is no vehicle in front, Distronic Plus
operates in the same way as cruise control.
If a slower-moving vehicle is detected in front,
Distronic Plus causes your vehicle to brake
and maintain a preset distance to the vehicle
in front.
If Distronic Plus detects a faster-moving vehi-
cle in front, it increases the driving speed, but
only up to the stored speed. G
Risk of accident
If you depress the brake, Distronic Plus is
deactivated unless your vehicle is stationary.
Distronic Plus then no longer brakes your
vehicle. The driver is fully responsible for the
vehicle's distance from other vehicles, its
speed and for braking in good time.
Stopping G
Risk of accident
The Distronic Plus braking effect is cancelled
and the vehicle can start moving if:
R Distronic Plus is deactivated using the
cruise control lever
R you accelerate
R the system or the power supply is disrup-
ted, e.g. due to battery failure
R the electrical system in the engine com-
partment or the fuses have been tampered
with
R the battery is disconnected G
Risk of accident
Never get out of the vehicle when Distronic
Plus is activated.
Distronic Plus must never be operated or
deactivated by a passenger or from outside
the vehicle.
Distronic Plus does not replace the parking
brake and must not be used for parking.
If you wish to leave the vehicle or park it,
deactivate Distronic Plus and secure the vehi-
cle against rolling away.
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. The specified minimum distance is
set using the thumbwheel on the cruise-
control lever.
Vehicles with automatic transmission
with selector lever
When Distronic Plus is activated and the vehi-
cle is at a standstill, a warning message
appears in the multi-function display if:
R the driver's door is opened and you release
the seat belt.
R the engine is switched off, unless it is auto-
matically switched off by the ECO Start/
Stop function.
R the bonnet is opened.
Select Park (P)
X Move the selector lever to Pto prevent the
vehicle from rolling away.
Distronic Plus is deactivated. The warning
message in the multi-function display dis-
appears. Driving systems
143Controls
212_AKB; 2; 4, en-GB
mkalafa, Version: 2.11.8.1 2009-05-05T14:17:16+02:00 - Seite 143 Z
Dateiname: 6515346702_buchblock.pdf; erzeugt am 07. May 2009 14:16:18; WK

The horn will also sound at regular intervals if
Distronic Plus is activated and you:
R
switch off the engine, open the driver's
door and remove 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 ignition has been switched off, the
engine cannot be started again until Dis-
tronic Plus has been deactivated.
If Distronic Plus is activated and a fault occurs
in the system or there is a disruption in the
power supply while the vehicle is stationary,
the Brake immediately message is shown
in the multi-function display. Immediately
depress the brake firmly until the warning
message in the multi-function display goes
out or move the selector lever to P. Distronic
Plus is deactivated.
Vehicles with automatic transmission
with the DIRECT SELECT lever*
When the vehicle is stationary and Distronic
Plus is switched on, Pis automatically selec-
ted if:
R the driver's door is opened and you release
the seat belt.
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. Setting a speed X
Press the cruise control lever to the pres-
sure point, up :for a higher speed or
down Afor 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.
Making adjustments in 1 km/h incre-
ments X
Briefly press the cruise control lever to the
pressure point, up :for a higher speed or
down Afor a lower speed.
The last speed stored is increased or
reduced.
Making adjustments in 10 km/h incre-
ments X
Briefly press the cruise control lever
beyond the pressure point, up :for a
higher speed or down Afor a lower speed.
The last speed stored is increased or
reduced.
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 situation. Otherwise, sudden acceler-
ation or braking could endanger you or others.
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 current speed is stored.
Otherwise, it sets the vehicle cruise speed
to the previously stored value. 144
Driving systemsControls
* optional
212_AKB; 2; 4, en-GB
mkalafa,
Version: 2.11.8.1 2009-05-05T14:17:16+02:00 - Seite 144
Dateiname: 6515346702_buchblock.pdf; erzeugt am 07. May 2009 14:16:18; WK

Setting the specified minimum dis-
tance for Distronic Plus 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
Distronic Plus keeps to the vehicle in front,
dependent on vehicle speed. You can see this
distance in the multi-function display
(Y page 145). X
To increase: turn thumbwheel ;towards
=.
Then, Distronic Plus maintains a greater
distance between your vehicle and the
vehicle in front.
X To decrease: turn thumbwheel ;
towards :.
Then, Distronic Plus maintains a shorter
distance between your vehicle and the
vehicle in front.
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. Distronic Plus displays in the speedom-
eter When Distronic Plus is activated, one or two
segments
;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 Plus.
If Distronic Plus detects a vehicle in front,
segments ;between speed of the vehicle in
front :and stored speed =light up.
Distronic Plus displays in the multi-
function display In the Assistance menu (Y
page 130) of the
on-board computer, you can select the dis-
tance display and activate or deactivate the
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake*.
Display when Distronic Plus is switched
off
X Select the Distance display function
using the on-board computer
(Y page 130).
When Distronic Plus is deactivated, you will
see the following in the multi-function display: Driving systems
145Controls
* optional
212_AKB; 2; 4, en-GB
mkalafa,
Version: 2.11.8.1 2009-05-05T14:17:16+02:00 - Seite 145 Z
Dateiname: 6515346702_buchblock.pdf; erzeugt am 07. May 2009 14:16:18; WK

:
Symbol for activated PRE-SAFE ®
Brake
; Vehicle in front, if detected
= Distance indicator, displaying current dis-
tance to the vehicle in front
? Specified minimum distance to the vehi-
cle in front, adjustable
A Own vehicle
Display when Distronic Plus is switched
on
X Select the Distance display function
using the on-board computer
(Y page 130).
You will see the stored speed for about five
seconds when you activate Distronic Plus.
After this time you will see the following in the
multi-function display while Distronic Plus is
activated: :
Distronic Plus activated
; Own vehicle
= Specified minimum distance to the vehi-
cle in front, adjustable
? Vehicle in front, if detected Deactivating Distronic Plus
There are several ways to deactivate Dis-
tronic Plus:
X
Briefly press the cruise control lever for-
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 indi-
cator lamp ;in the cruise control lever
lights up.
i The last speed stored remains stored until
you switch off the engine.
i Distronic Plus is not deactivated if you
depress the accelerator pedal. If you accel-
erate briefly to overtake, Distronic Plus
adjusts the vehicle's speed to the last
speed stored after you have finished over-
taking.
Distronic Plus is automatically deactivated if:
R you depress the parking brake.
R you are driving slower than 25 km/h and
there is no vehicle in front, or the vehicle in
front is no longer detected.
R ESP ®
intervenes or you deactivate ESP ®
.
R you shift the automatic transmission* to
N, Por R. 146
Driving systemsControls
* optional
212_AKB; 2; 4, en-GB
mkalafa
,V ersion: 2.11.8.1
2009-05-05T14:17:16+02:00 - Seite 146
Dateiname: 6515346702_buchblock.pdf; erzeugt am 07. May 2009 14:16:19; WK

R
the vehicle is near a radio telescope facility
(Y page 362).
R you switch off the radar sensor system
(Y page 135).
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.
If Distronic Plus is deactivated, you will hear
a warning tone. You will see the DISTRONIC
PLUS off message in the multi-function dis-
play for approximately five seconds.
If the vehicle has been stopped by Distronic
Plus and a fault occurs in the system, the
Brake immediately message appears in the
multi-function display. Depress the brake
pedal immediately so that the vehicle does
not roll away. Distronic Plus is deactivated
and the message disappears.
Tips for driving with Distronic Plus The following contains descriptions of certain
road and traffic conditions in which you must
be particularly attentive. In such situations,
brake if necessary. Distronic Plus is then
deactivated.
Cornering, entering and exiting a bend
The ability of Distronic Plus to detect vehicles
when cornering is limited. Your vehicle may
brake unexpectedly or too late. Vehicles travelling on a different line
Distronic Plus may not detect vehicles trav-
elling on a different line. The distance to the
vehicle in front will be too short.
Other vehicles changing lane
Distronic Plus has not detected the vehicle
cutting in yet. The distance to this vehicle will
be too short.
Narrow vehicles
Distronic Plus does not detect the vehicle in
front on the edge of the carriageway, because Driving systems
147Controls
212_AKB; 2; 4, en-GB
mkalafa,V ersion: 2.11.8.1
2009-05-05T14:17:16+02:00 - Seite 147 Z
Dateiname: 6515346702_buchblock.pdf; erzeugt am 07. May 2009 14:16:19; WK