ESP MERCEDES-BENZ E-CLASS SALOON 2011 Owner's Manual

switched off, ESP
®
remains deactivated
when the engine is switched on again.
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 G
WARNING
Activate ESP ®
as soon as the situations
described above no longer apply.E SP®
will
otherwise not be able to stabilise the vehicle
if the vehicle starts to skid or a wheel starts
to spin.
If you deactivate ESP ®
:
R ESP ®
no longer improves driving stability.
R the engine's torque is no longer limited, and
the drive wheels can spin. The spinning of
the wheels results in a cutting action, which
provides bette rgrip.
R traction control is still activated.
R ESP ®
still provides support when you
brake.
If ESP ®
is deactivated and one or more wheels
start to spin, the ÷ESP®
warning lamp in
the instrument cluster flashes. In such situa-
tions, ESP ®
will not stabilise the vehicle.
X To deactivate:(Y page 241).
The å ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up. G
WARNING
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 åwarning
lamp are lit continuously, ESP ®
is not availa-
ble due to a malfunction.
There is an increased risk of yourv ehicle skid-
ding in certain situations.
You should always adapt your driving style to
suit the prevailing road and weather condi-
tions. X
To activate:(Y page 241).
The å ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster goes out.
Deactivating/activating ESP ®
(AMG
vehicles) Activating/deactivating SPORT handling
mode
ESP
®
is activated automatically when the
engine is started.
i Vehicles with 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.
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
Otherwise, you should only use SPORT han-
dling mode on designated race circuits. G
WARNING
Deactivate SPORT handling mode and acti-
vate ESP ®
as soon as the situations described
above no longer apply. Otherwise, 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.
When SPORT handling mode is activated:
R ESP ®
only improves driving stability to a
limited degree.
R the engine's torque is restricted to a limited
degree and the drive wheels can spin. The
spinning of the wheels results in a cutting
action, which provides better grip. Driving safet
ysystems
73Safety Z

R
traction control is still activated.
R ESP ®
still provides support when you brake
firmly.
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. X
To activate: briefly press button :.
The M SPORT handling mode warning
lamp in the instrument cluste rlights up.
The SPORT handling mode message
appears in the multifunction display.
X To deactivate: briefly press button :.
The M SPORT handling mode warning
lamp in the instrumen tcluster goes out.
Deactivating/activating ESP ®
ESP ®
is activated automatically when the
engine is started.
i Vehicles with 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. 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 G
WARNING
Activate ESP ®
as soon as the situations
described above no longer apply. ESP ®
will
otherwise not be able to stabilise the vehicle
if the vehicle starts to skid or a wheel starts
to spin.
If you deactivate ESP ®
:
R ESP ®
no longer improves driving stability.
R the engine's torque is no longer limited and
the drive wheels are able to spin .The spin-
ning of the wheels results in a cutting
action, which provides better grip.
R traction control is still activated.
R PRE-SAFE ®
is no longer available; it is also
not activated if you brake firmly and ESP ®
intervenes.
R PRE-SAFE ®
Brake is no longer available;
nor is it activated if you brake firmly and
ESP ®
intervenes.
R ESP ®
still provides support when you brake
firmly.
If ESP ®
is deactivated and one or more wheels
start to spin, the ÷ESP®
warning lamp in
the instrumentc luster does not flash. In such
situations, ESP ®
will not stabilise the vehicle. 74
Driving safety systemsSafety

X
To deactivate: press button:until the
å ESP®
OFF warning lamp lights up in
the instrument cluster.
The ÷OFF message appears in the mul-
tifunctio ndisplay. G
WARNING
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 åwarning
lamp are lit continuously, ESP ®
is not availa-
ble due to a malfunction.
There is an increased risk of your vehicle skid-
ding in certain situations.
You should always adapt your driving style to
suit the prevailing road and weathe rcondi-
tions.
X To activate: briefly press button :.
The å ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster goes out. The ÷ONmessage appears in the multifunction dis-
play.
ESP ®
trailer stabilisation If your vehicle/trailer combination begins to
lurch, you can only stabilise the vehicle/
trailer combination by depressing the brake
firmly.
In this situation, ESP ®
assists you and can
detect if the vehicle/trailer combination
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. G
WARNING
If road and weather conditions are poor,
trailer stabilisation will not be able to prevent
the trailer from swerving and will thus be
unable to reduce the risk of an accident .Trail- ers with a high centre of gravity can tip over
before ESP
®
can detect this.
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 69).
EBD monitors and controls the brake pres-
sure on the rear wheels to improve driving
stability while braking. G
WARNING
If EBD has malfunctioned, the braking system
remains available with full brake boosting
effect. However, the rear wheels can still lock,
e.g. under full braking. This could cause you
to lose control of yourv ehicle and cause an
accident. You should therefore adapt your
driving style to the differen thandling charac-
teristics. ADAPTIVE BRAKE
ADAPTIVE BRAKE enhances braking safety
and offers increased braking comfort. In addi-
tion to th ebraking function, ADAPTIVE BRAKE
also has the HOLD function (Y page 194) and
hill start assist (Y page 158). For further
information, see Driving tips (Y page 178). PRE-SAFE
®
Brake
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake is only available in vehicles
with DISTRONIC PLUS.
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 69).
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake can help you to minimise
the risk of a frontal collision with a vehicle
ahead or reduce the effects of such a colli-
sion. If PRE-SAFE ®
Brake has detected a risk Driving safety systems
75Safety Z

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 from a speed of up to
approximatel 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. To end this,
you can eithe rdepress the accelerator pedal
further, activate kickdown or release the
brake pedal.
The braking action of PRE-SAFE ®
Brake is
ended automatically if:
R you manoeuvre to avoid the obstacle.
R there is no longer any danger of a rear-end
collision.
R there is no longer an obstacle detected in
front of your vehicle.
With the help of the radar sensor system,
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake can detect obstacles that are in front of your vehicle for an extended
period of time.
At speeds up to approximately 70 km/h, PRE-
SAFE
®
Brake can also detect stationary
obstacles, for example, stopped or parked
vehicles.
If you approach an obstacle and PRE-SAFE ®
Brake detects a risk of a collision, the system
will initially alert you both visually and acous-
tically. If you do not brake or take evasive
action, the system will warn you by automat-
ically braking the vehicle gently. If there is an
increased risk of collision, preventative
passenger protection measures (PRE-SAFE ®
)
are activated (Y page 48). If, at speeds over
30 km/h, a risk of collision remains and you
do not brake, take evasive action or signifi-
cantly accelerate, automatic braking may be
performed up to a level of automatic emer-
gency braking. Automatic emergency braking
is not performed until immediately prior to an
acciden tthat can no longer be avoided. G
WARNING
Even if PRE-SAFE ®
Brake slows the vehicle
before an imminent rear-end collision, the
system cannot avert a collision without the
intervention of the driver. There is a risk of an
accident. Brake according to the situation or
take evasive action. Delayed intervention by
the driver can lead to an accident. G
WARNING
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake cannot always clearly iden-
tify objects and complex traffic conditions.
In these cases, PRE-SAFE ®
Brake may:
R give an unnecessary warning and then
brake the vehicle
R not give a warning or intervene
There is a risk of an accident. Always pay par-
ticular attention to the traffic situation and be
ready to brake, especially if PRE-SAFE ®
Brake
warns you. Terminate the intervention in a
non-critical driving situation. 76
Driving safety systemsSafety

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-
cialist workshop or to a col-
lection point for used batter-
ies.
Checking the battery X
Press the &or% button.
The battery is working properly if the bat-
tery check lamp :lights up briefly
If battery check lamp :does not light up
briefly during the test, the battery is dis-
charged.
X Changing the battery (Y page 85)
i If the key battery is checked within the
signal receptio nrange of the vehicle, press- ing the
&or% button locks or
unlocks the vehicle.
Changing the battery You require a CR 2025 3 V cell battery.
X
Take the emergency key elemen tout of the
key (Y page 84). X
Press emergency key element ;into the
opening in the key in the direction of the
arrow until battery tray cover :opens.
When doing so, do no thold cover :shut.
X Remove battery tray cover :. X
Repeatedly tap the key against your palm
until battery =falls out.
X Insert the new battery with the positive ter-
minal facing upwards. Use a lint-free cloth
to do so.
X Make sure that the surface of the battery is
free from lint, grease and all other forms of
contamination.
X Insert the front tabs of battery tray
cover :and then press to close it. Key
85Opening and closing Z

They could otherwise open doors or side win-
dows while the vehicle is in motion and
thereby injure themselves or others.
Opening and closing the side win-
dows
:
Front left
; Front right
= Rear right
? Rear left
The switches for all side windows are located
on the driver's door. There is also a switch on
each door for the corresponding side window.
The switches on the driver's door take prec-
edence.
i The side windows cannot be operated
from the rear when the override feature for
the side windows is activated (Y page 69).
X Turn the key to position 1or 2in the ignition
lock.
X To open: press the corresponding switch.
X To close: pull the corresponding switch.
i If you press the switch beyond the point
of resistance, an automatic opening/clos-
ing process is started in the corresponding
direction .You can stop automatic opera-
tion by pressing again.
i You can continue to operate the side win-
dows after switching off the engine or
removing the key. This function remains
active for five minutes or until the driver's
or front-passenger door is opened. Convenience opening feature
You can ventilate the vehicle before you start
driving. To do this, the key is used to carry out
the following functions simultaneously:
R unlock the vehicle
R open the side windows
R open the sliding sunroof or the panorama
sliding sunroof and the roller sunblinds
R switch on the seat ventilation for the driv-
er's seat
i The convenience opening feature can
only be operated using the key. The key
must be close to the driver's door handle.
X Point the tip of the key at the driver's door
handle.
X Press and hold the %button until the
side windows and the sliding sunroof or the
panorama sliding sunroof are in the desired
position.
If the roller sunblinds of the panorama sliding
sunroof are closed, the roller sunblinds are
opened first.
X Press and hold the %button again until
the panorama sliding sunroof is in the
desired position.
X To interrupt convenience opening:
release the %button. Convenience closing feature
General notes When you lock the vehicle, you can simulta-
neously:
R
close the side windows
R close the sliding sunroof or the panorama
sliding sunroof
On vehicles with a panorama sliding sunroof,
you can then close the roller sunblinds. G
WARNING
When using the convenience closing feature,
make sure that nobody can become trapped. 96
Side windowsOpening and closing

Proceed as follows if there is a risk of entrap-
ment:
With the key:
R release the &button.
R press and hold the %button until the
side windows and the sliding sunroof or the
panorama sliding sunroof open again.
With KEYLESS-GO:
R release the sensor surface on the door han-
dle.
R pull the door handle immediately and hold
it.
The side windows and the sliding sunroof
or the panorama sliding sunroof open.
Using the key i
The key must be close to the driver's door
handle.
X Point the tip of the key at the driver's door
handle.
X Press and hold the &button until the
side windows and the sliding sunroof or the
panorama sliding sunroof are fully closed.
X Make sure that all the side windows and the
sliding sunroof or panorama sliding sunroof
are closed.
On vehicles with a panorama sliding sunroof:
X Press and hold the &button again until
the roller sunblinds of the panorama sliding
sunroof close.
X To interrupt convenience closing:
release the &button.
Using KEYLESS-GO The KEYLESS-GO key must be outside the
vehicle. All the doors must be closed. X
Touch recessed sensor surface :on the
door handle until the side windows and the
sliding sunroof or the panorama sliding
sunroof are fully closed.
i Make sure you only touch recessed sen-
sor surface :.
X Make sure that all the side windows and the
sliding sunroof or panorama sliding sunroof
are closed.
On vehicles with a panorama sliding sunroof:
X Touch recessed sensor surface :on the
door handle again until the roller sunblinds
of the panorama sliding sunroof close.
X To interrupt convenience closing:
release recessed sensor surface :on the
door handle. Resetting the side windows
You must reset each side window if a side
window can no longer be closed fully.
X Close all the doors.
X Turn the key to position 1or 2in the ignition
lock.
X Pull the corresponding switch on the door
control panel until the side window is com-
pletely closed. (Y page 96).
X Hold the switch for an additional second. Side windows
97Opening and closing Z

If the side window opens again slightly:
X
Immediately pull the corresponding switch
on the door control panel until the side win-
dow is completely closed (Y page 96).
X Hold the switch for an additional second.
X If the corresponding side window remains
closed after the button has been released,
the side window has been reset correctly.
If this is not the case, repeatt he steps
above again. Problems with the side windows
Problem: aside window cannot be closed
because it is blocked by objects, e.g.
leaves in the window guide.
X Remove the objects.
X Close the side window.
Problem :aside window cannot be closed
and you cannot see the cause. G
WARNING
Closing the side windows with increased force
or without the anti-entrapment feature could
lead to serious or even fatal injury. Make sure
that nobody can become trapped when clos-
ing the side windows.
If a side window is obstructed during closing
and reopens again slightly:
X Immediately afte rthe window blocks, pull
the corresponding switch again until the
side window has closed.
The side window is closed with increased
force.
If a side window is obstructed again during
closing and reopens again slightly:
X Immediately after the window blocks, pull
the corresponding switch again until the
side window has closed.
The side window is closed without the anti-
entrapment feature. Sliding sunroof
Important safety notes
Your vehicle may be fitted with a sliding sun-
roof or a panorama sliding sunroof. In the fol-
lowing section, the term "sliding sunroof"
refers to both types of sliding sunroof. G
WARNING
Make sure that nobody can become trapped
when opening and closing the sliding sunroof.
If there is a risk of entrapment, release the
switch immediately. During automatic opera-
tion, push the switch briefly in any direction
to stop the sliding sunroof. G
WARNING
Children could injure themselves if they oper-
ate the sliding sunroof.
Never leave children unsupervised in the vehi-
cle. Always take the key with you when leaving
the vehicle, even if you are only leaving it for
a short time. G
WARNING
The glass in the panorama sunroof could
break in an accident. If you are not wearing a
seat belt, there is a risk that you could be
thrown through the opening in the event of the
vehicle overturning. Therefore, always wear a
seat belt to reduce the risk of injuries.
! Only open the panorama sliding sunroof
if it is free of snow and ice. Otherwise, mal-
functions may occur.
Do not allow anything to protrude from the
sliding sunroof. Otherwise, the seals could
be damaged.
i Resonance noises can occur in addition
to the usual airflow noises when the sliding
sunroof is open. They are caused by minor
pressure fluctuations in the vehicle interior.
Change the position of the sliding sunroof
or open a side window slightly to reduce or
eliminate these noises. 98
Sliding sunroofOpening and closing

rials, e.g. blankets, coats, bags, seat cov-
ers, child seats or booster seats.
! Make sure that there are no objects in the
footwell or behind the seats when moving
the seat back. There is a risk that the seats
and/or the objects could be damaged.
i The head restraints in the front seats are
fitted with the NECK-PRO system
(Y page 49). For this reason, it is not pos-
sible to remove the head restraints from
the front seats.
Vehicles without the through-loading fea-
ture: the head restraints cannot be
removed from the rear compartment seats.
For more information, contact a qualified
specialist workshop.
i Further related subjects:
R Through-loading feature in the rear
bench seat (Saloon)
R EASY-PACK through-loading feature in
the rear bench seat (Estate) Adjusting the seats manually and
electrically :
Seat cushion angle
; Seat height =
Backrest angle
? Seat fore-and-aft adjustment
i Adjust the seat cushion angle so that your
thighs are lightly supported.
Seat fore-and-aft adjustment X
Lift handle ?and slide the seat forwards
or backwards.
X Release lever ?again.
Make sure that you heart he seat engage in
position. Adjusting the seats electrically
:
Head restraint height
; Seat cushion angle
= Seat height
? Seat fore-and-aft adjustment
A Backrest angle
i Vehicles with memory function: if PRE-
SAFE ®
has been triggered, the front-
passenger seat will be moved to a better
position if it was previously in an unfavour-
able position.
i You can store the seat settings using the
memory function (Y page 119).
i Vehicles with the through-loading feature
and memory function: if you fold down a
rear seat backrest, the respective front
seat is moved forwards slightly if neces-
sary. 106
SeatsSeats, steering wheel and mirrors

You can activate and deactivate the EASY-
ENTRY/EXIT feature in the on-board com-
puter (Y
page 248). G
WARNING
Make sure that nobody can become trapped
when you activate the EASY-ENTRY/EXIT fea-
ture.
If there is a risk of someone becoming trap-
ped, stop the adjustmen tprocedure. To halt
the procedure:
R move the switch for steering wheel adjust-
ment in the opposite direction to that in
which the steering wheel is moving.
R press one of the memory function position
buttons.
Never leave children unsupervised in the vehi-
cle. They could open the driver's door and
thereby unintentionally activate the EASY-
ENTRY/EXIT feature and become trapped.
Position of the steering wheel when the
EASY-ENTRY/EXI Tfeatur eis active The steering wheel tilts upwards if you:
R
remove the key from the ignition lock
R open the driver's door and KEYLESS-GO is
in position 1
R open the driver's door and the key is in
position 0or 1in the ignition lock
i The steering wheel only moves upwards if
it has not already reached the upper end
stop.
If you insert the key into the ignition lock with
the driver's door closed, the steering wheel is
automatically moved to the previously set
position.
Position of the steering wheel for driv-
ing The steering wheel is moved to the previously
set position if:
R
the driver's door is closed
R you insert the key into the ignition lock or
R you press the Start/Stop button once on
vehicles with KEYLESS-GO.
If you close the driver's door with the key
inserted into the ignition lock, the steering
wheel is automatically moved to the previ-
ously set position.
The last position of the steering wheel is
stored after each manual setting or when you
store the setting with the memory function
(Y page 119).
Crash-responsive EASY-EXIT feature If the crash-responsive EASY-EXIT feature is
triggered in an accident, the steering column
will move upwards when the driver's door is
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
Rear-view mirror (manual anti-dazzle) X
Anti-dazzle mode: flick anti-dazzle
switch :forwards or back. 116
MirrorsSeats, steering wheel and mirrors