brake MERCEDES-BENZ E-CLASS SALOON 2011 Workshop Manual

Example: vehicles featuring automatic transmis-
sion with a DIRECT SELECT lever
: Vehicle in front, if detected
; Distance indicator: current distance to
the vehicle in front
= Specified minimu mdistance to the vehi-
cle in front; adjustable
? Own vehicle
Displa ywhen DISTRONIC PLUS is activa-
ted
You will see the stored speed for about five
seconds whe nyou activate DISTRONIC PLUS.
After this time, you will see the following in
the multifunction display while DISTRONIC
PLUS is activated: Example: vehicles featuring automatic transmis-
sion with a DIRECT SELECT lever
: DISTRONIC PLUS activated
; Own vehicle
= Specified minimum distance to the vehi-
cle in front; adjustable
? Vehicle in front, if detected 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
indicator lamp ;in the cruise control lever
lights up.
When you deactivate DISTRONIC PLUS, the
DISTRONIC PLUS off message is shown in
the multifunction display for approximately
five seconds.
i The last speed stored remains stored until
you switch off the engine.
DISTRONIC PLUS is automatically deactiva-
ted if:
R you engage the parking brake.
R you are driving slower than 25 km/h and
there is no vehicle in front, or if the vehicle
in front is no longer detected.
R ESP ®
intervenes or if you deactivate ESP ®
.
R the transmission is in the P,Ror Nposition.
R the vehicle is near a radio telescope facility
(Y page 398).
R you switch off the radar sensor system
(Y page 247). 192
Driving systemsDriving and parking

R
you pull the cruise control lever towards
you in order to pull away, and the front-
passenger doo rorone of the rea rdoors is
open.
R the vehicle has skidded.
If DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated, you will
hear a warning tone. The DISTRONIC PLUSoff message is shown in the multifunction
display for approximately five seconds.
Vehicles featuring automatic transmission
with a selector lever: if the vehicle has been
stopped by DISTRONIC PLUS and a fault
occurs in the system the Brake immedi‐ately message appears in the multifunction
display .Depress the brake pedal immediately
so that the vehicle does not roll away. DIS-
TRONIC PLUS is then deactivated, and the
message disappears.
Tips for driving with DISTRONIC PLUS General notes
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, going into and coming out of a
bend The ability of DISTRONIC PLUS to detec
tvehi-
cles when cornering is limited. Your vehicle
may brake unexpectedly or late. Vehicles travelling on
adifferent line DISTRONIC PLUS may not detect vehicles
travelling on a different line. The distance to
the vehicle in fron
twill be too short.
Other vehicles changing lane DISTRONIC PLUS has not detected the vehi-
cle cutting in yet. The distance to this vehicle
will be too short.
Narrow vehicles
DISTRONIC PLUS has not yet detected the
vehicle in front on the edge of the carriage- Driving systems
193Driving and parking Z

way, because of its narrow width. The dis-
tance to the vehicle in front will be too short.
Obstructions and stationar
yvehicles DISTRONIC PLUS does not brake for obsta-
cles or stationary vehicles
.If, for example, the
detected vehicle turns a corner and reveals
an obstacle or stationary vehicle, DISTRONIC
PLUS will not brake for these.
Crossing vehicles DISTRONIC PLUS may detect vehicles that
are crossing you
rlane by mistake. Activating
DISTRONIC PLUS at traffic lights with cross-
ing traffic, for example, could cause your vehi-
cle to pull away unintentionally. HOLD function
General notes The HOLD function can assis
tthe driver in the
following situations:
R when pulling away, especially on steep
slopes
R when manoeuvring on steep slopes
R when waiting in traffic
The vehicle is kept stationary without the
driver having to depress the brake pedal.
The braking effect is cancelled and the HOLD
function is deactivated when you depress the
accelerator pedal to pull away.
Activation conditions You can activate the HOLD function if:
R
the vehicle is stationary.
R the engine is running or if it has been auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/
stop function.
R the driver's door is closed or if your seat
belt is fastened.
R the parking brake is released.
R the bonnet is closed.
R the selector lever is in position D,Ror Non
vehicles with automatic transmission.
R DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated.
Activating the HOLD function X
Make sure that the activation conditions
are met.
X Depress the brake pedal.
X Quickly depress the brake pedal further
until ë appears in the multifunction dis-
play.
The HOLD function is activated. You can
release the brake pedal.
i If depressing the brake pedal the first
time does not activate the HOLD function,
wait briefly and then try again. 194
Driving systemsDriving and parking

G
WARNING
The vehicle's brakes are applied when the
HOLD function is activated. For this reason,
deactivate the HOLD function if the vehicle is
to be set in motion by other means (e.g. in a
car wash or by towing).
Deactivating the HOLD function 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 apply the brakes again with a certain
amount of pressure until ëdisappears
from the multifunction display.
R you activate DISTRONIC PLUS. G
WARNING
Never get out of the vehicle when the HOLD
function is activated.
The HOLD function must never be operated
or deactivated by a passenger or from outside
the vehicle.
The HOLD function does not replace the park-
ing brake and must not be used for parking.
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 peda lorthe
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. 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
Move the selector lever to Pto prevent 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 Driving systems
195Driving and parking Z

to lock the vehicle, the tone becomes louder.
The vehicle is not locked until the HOL Dfunc-
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 immediately message is shown in
the multifunction display. Immediately
depress the brake firmly until the warning
message in the multifunction display goes
out.
On vehicles with automatic transmission, you
can also shif tinto position P.This deactivates
the HOLD function. RACE START
Important safety notes i
RACE START is only available in AMG vehi-
cles.
RACE START enables optimal acceleration
from a standing start. The precondition for
this is a suitable high-grip road surface. 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. Activation conditions RACE START can be activated when:
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 73)
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 168) until the RSlamp lights up.
The multifunction display shows the RACE START Confirm: Paddle UP Cancel:
Paddle DOWN message.
i If the activation conditions are no longer
fulfilled, RACE START is cancelled. The mul-
tifunction display shows the RACE START cancelled message.
X To cancel: pull the left steering wheel shift
paddle (Y page 169).
or
X To confirm:p ull the right steering wheel
shif tpaddle (Y page 169).
The multifunction display shows the RACE START available Depress accelera‐
tor. message.
i If you do no tdepress the accelerator
pedal fully within two seconds, RACE
START is cancelled. The multifunction dis-
play shows the RACE START not possi‐ ble See Owner's Manual message.196
Driving systemsDriving and parking

X
Depress the accelerator pedal fully.
The engine speed rises to approximately
3500 rpm.
The multifunctio ndisplay shows the RACE START Release brake to start. mes-
sage.
i If you do not release the brake pedal
within five seconds, RACE START is cancel-
led. The multifunction display shows the
RACE START cancelled message.
X Take your foot off the brake, but keep the
accelerator pedal depressed.
The vehicle pulls away at maximum accel-
eration.
The multifunction display shows the RACESTART active message.
RACE START is deactivated when the vehicle
reaches a speed of approximately 50 km/h.
Drive program S+is activated. SPORT han-
dling mode remains activated.
RACE START is deactivated immediately if
you release the accelerator pedal during
RACE START or if any of the activation condi-
tions are no longer fulfilled .The multifunction
display shows the RACE START not possi‐ ble See Owner's Manual message.
i If RACE START is used repeatedly in a
short period of time, it is only available
again after having driven the vehicle a cer-
tain distance. AIRMATIC
Vehicle level Important safety notes
Your vehicle regulates its height automati-
cally. All-round level control ensures the best
possible suspension and constant ground
clearance, even with a laden vehicle. When
you drive fast, the vehicle is lowered auto-
matically to improve driving safety and to
reduce fuel consumption. The following vehicle levels are possible:
R
normal
R raised (vehicles without 4MATIC): the vehi-
cle is raised by about 25 mm when com-
pared with the normal level.
R raised (vehicles with 4MATIC): the vehicle
is raised by about 35 mm when compared
with the normal level.
R lowered: the vehicle is lowered by about
10 mm when compared with the normal
level.
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"
(Y page 198)
Setting the vehicle level
Select the "Normal" setting for normal road
surfaces and "Raised" for driving with snow
chains or on particularly poor road surfaces.
Your selection remains stored even if you
remove the key from the ignition lock. G
WARNING
Make sure that nobody is in the vicinity of the
wheel housing or under the vehicle while low-
ering the vehicle when it is stationary. Other-
wise, limbs could become trapped. Driving systems
197Driving and parking Z

X
To display: briefly press AMG button ;.
Your selection appears in the multifunction
display. 4MATIC (permanent all-wheel drive)
4MATIC ensures tha tall four wheels are per-
manently driven. Together with ESP ®
, it
improves the traction of your vehicle when-
ever a drive wheel spins due to insufficient
grip. G
WARNING
4MATIC cannot reduce the risk of an accident
if you drive too fast.
If a drive wheel spins due to insufficient grip:
R only depress the accelerator pedal as far as
necessary when pulling away.
R accelerate less when driving.
R adapt your driving style to suit road and
traffic conditions.
! Neve rtow the vehicle with one axle
raised. This may damage the transfer case.
Damage of this sort is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz implied warranty. All
wheels must remain either on the ground
or be fully raised. Observe the instructions
for towing the vehicle with all wheels in full
contact with the ground.
i In wintry driving conditions, the maximum
effect of 4MATIC can only be achieved if
you use winter tyres (M+ Styres), with snow
chains if necessary. PARKTRONIC
Important safety notes G
WARNING
PARKTRONIC is only an aid and may not
detec tall obstacles. It is not a substitute for
attentive driving.
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.
G
WARNING
Make sure that no persons or animals are in
the manoeuvring range. Otherwise, they
could be injured.
PARKTRONIC is an electronic parking aid with
ultrasonic sensors .Itindicates visually and
audibly the distance between your vehicle
and an object.
PARKTRONIC is activated automatically if
you:
R switch on the ignition
R shift to position D,Ror Non vehicles with
automatic transmission
R release the parking brake
PARKTRONIC is deactivated at speeds above
18 km/h. It is reactivated at lower speeds.
PARKTRONIC monitors the area around your
vehicle using si xsensors in the fron tbumper
and four sensors in the rear bumper. :
Example: sensors in the front bumper,
left-hand side
Range of the sensors General notes
The sensors must be free of dirt, ice and
slush
.Otherwise, they may not functio ncor-
rectly. Clean the sensors regularly, taking
care not to scratch or damage them
(Y page 330). 200
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Example: side view (Saloon)
Example: top view (Saloon)
Front sensors
Centre approximately 100 cm
Corners approximately 60 cm
Rea
rsensors Centre approximately 12
0cm Corners approximately 80 cm
!
When parking, pay particula rattention to
objects above or below the sensors, such
as flower pots or trailer drawbars. PARK-
TRONIC does not detect such objects when
they are in the immediate vicinity of the
vehicle. You could damage the vehicle or
the objects.
The sensors may not detect snow and
objects which absorb ultrasonic sources.
Ultrasonic sources, such as an automatic
car wash, a lorry's compressed-air brakes
or a pneumati cdrill, coul dcause PARK-
TRONIC to malfunction. PARKTRONIC may no
tfunction correctly on
uneven terrain.
Minimum distance Centre approximately 20 cm
Corners approximately 15 cm
If there is an obstacle within this range, the
relevan
twarning displays light up and a warn-
ing tone sounds. If th edistance falls below
the minimum, the distanc emay no longer be
shown.
Warning displays The warning displays show the distance
between the sensors and th
eobstacle. The
warning display for the fron tarea is located
on the dashboard above the centre air vents.
The warning display for the rear area is loca-
ted on the roof lining in the rear compart-
ment. 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 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 gearl ever position or the transmission
position of the automatic transmission deter- Driving systems
201Driving and parking Z

The system may be impaired or may not func-
tion if:
R there is poor visibility, e.g. due to insuffi-
cient illumination of the road, or due to
snow, rain, fog or spray.
R there is glare, e.g. from oncoming traffic,
the sun, or reflection from other vehicles.
R the windscreen is dirty, misted up or cov-
ered, for instance by a sticker, in the vicinity
of the camera
R several or no lane markings for a single lane
are present.
R the lane markings are worn away, dark or
covered up, e.g. by dirt or snow.
R the distance to the vehicle in front is too
small and the lane markings thus cannot be
detected.
R the lane markings on the road are unclear,
e.g. near roadworks.
R the lane markings change quickly, e.g.
lanes branch off, cross one another or
merge.
R the road is narrow and winding.
Lane Keeping Assist cannot detect road and
traffic conditions. It is not a substitute for
attentive driving. You are responsible for the
vehicle's speed, braking in good time, and
steering correctly. Always adapt your driving
style to suit the prevailing road and weather
conditions. Always pay attention to traffic
conditions and your surroundings. Otherwise,
you may fail to recognise dangers in time,
cause an accident and injure yourself and oth-
ers.
A warning may be given if a front wheel
passes over a lane marking .Itwill warn you
by means of intermittent vibration in the
steering wheel for up to 1. 5seconds.
In order that you are warned only when nec-
essary and in good time if you cross the lane
marking, the system recognises certain con-
ditions and warns you accordingly. The warning vibration occurs earlier if:
R
you approach the outer lane marking on a
bend.
R the road has very wide lanes, e.g. a motor-
way.
R the system recognises solid lane markings.
The warning vibration occurs later if:
R the road has narrow lanes.
R you cut the corner on a bend.
No warning vibration occurs if:
R you clearly and actively steer, brake, or
accelerate.
R you cut the corner on a sharp bend.
R a driving safety system intervenes, such as
ABS, BAS or ESP ®
.
R you have switched on the turn signals. In
this event, the warnings are suppressed for
a certain period of time.
Activating Lane Keeping Assist Example: vehicles featurin
gautomatic transmis-
sion with a DIRECT SELECT lever
X Activate Lane Keeping Assist using the on-
board compute r(Ypage 242).
Symbol :appears in the multifunction
display.
If you drive at speeds above 60 km/h and
lane markings are detected, symbol :is
highlighted. Lane Keeping Assist is ready
for use. Active Driving Assistance package
General notes The Active Driving Assistance package con-
sists of DISTRONIC PLUS (Y
page 185), Active Driving systems
215Driving and parking Z

Blind Spot Assist (Y
page 216) and Active
Lane Keeping Assist (Y page 218).
Active Blind Spot Assist Important safety notes
Active Blind Spot Assist uses a radar sensor
system to monitor the side areas of your vehi-
cle which are behind the driver.
Awarning
display in the exterior mirrors draws your
attentio nto vehicles detected in the moni-
tored area. If you then switch on the corre-
sponding turn signal to change lane, you will
also receive an optical and audible collision
warning. If a risk of lateral collision is detec-
ted, corrective braking may help you avoid a
collision. To support the course-correcting
brake application, Active Blind Spot Assist
also uses the forward-facing radar sensor sys-
tem. Active Blind Spot Assist supports you
from a speed of approximately 30 km/h. G
WARNING
Active Blind Spot Assist is only an aid and may
detect vehicles/obstacles incorrectly or not
at all.
The system may be impaired or may not func-
tion if:
R there is poor visibility, e.g. due to snow,
rain, fog or spray.
R the rear and/or front sensors are dirty.
Active Blind Spot Assist may not detect nar-
row vehicles, such as motorcycles or bicycles,
or only detect them too late. It cannot detect
vehicles which are overtaken at a small dis-
tance and then enter the blind spot area.
Active Blind Spot Assist cannot detect road
and traffic conditions. It is not a substitute for
attentive driving. You are responsible for the
vehicle's speed, braking in good time, and
steering correctly. Always adapt your driving
style to suit the prevailing road and weather
conditions. Always pay attention to traffic
conditions and your surroundings. Otherwise,
you may fail to recognise dangers in time,
cause an accident and injure yourself and oth-
ers. The radar sensor system is automatically
deactivated near radio telescope facilities
(Y
page 398).
For Active Blind Spot Assist to assist you
when driving, the radar sensor system must
be activated (Y page 247) and operational.
Monitoring range
Active Blind Spot Assist monitors the area up
to three metres behind your vehicle and
directly next to your vehicle as shown in the
diagram. For this purpose, Active Blind Spot
Assist uses radar sensors in the rear bumper. Example: Saloon
G
WARNING
Active Blind Spot Assist monitors certain
areas in the immediate vicinity of your vehicle.
Vehicles that approach and drive past at high
speeds are not detected. No visual nor audi-
ble warnings are emitted and the system does
not brake the vehicle to correct your course.
If the lanes are very wide, it may not be pos-
sible to monitor the complete width of the
neighbouring lane. For this reason, vehicles in
the next lane may not be detected, especially
if they are driving in a staggered formation.
This may be the case if vehicles are driving at
the edge of their lane that is furthest away
from your vehicle. 216
Driving systemsDriving and parking