light MERCEDES-BENZ E-CLASS SALOON 2011 Manual Online

Problem Possible causes/consequences and
M Solutions
Vehicles with a petrol
engine:
The engine is not run-
ning smoothly and is
misfiring. There is a malfunction in the engine electronics or in a mechanical
component of the engine management system.
X
Only depress the accelerator pedal slightly.
Otherwise, non-combusted fuel may get into the catalytic con-
verter and damage it.
X Have the cause rectified immediately at a qualified specialist
workshop. The coolant tempera-
ture display is showing
more than 120 †. The
coolant warning lamp
may also be lit and a
warning tone may
sound. The coolant level is too low. The coolant is too hot and the engine
is no longer being cooled sufficiently.
X Stop as soon as possible and allow the engine and the coolant
to cool down.
X Check the coolant level (Y page 324). Observe the warning
notes as you do so and top up the coolant if necessary. If the coolant level is correct, the engine radiator fan may be faulty.
The coolant is too hot and the engine is no longer being cooled
sufficiently.
X If the coolant temperature is less than 120 †, you can continue
driving to the nearest qualified specialist workshop.
X Avoid heavy loads on the engine as you do so, e.g. driving on
mountain roads and stop-start traffic. Manual transmission
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
The movement of the pedals must not be
impaired in any way. Do not keep any objects
in the driver's footwell. Make sure that floor-
mats or carpets are correctly secured and
that there is sufficient clearance for the ped-
als.
Do not place several floormats on top of one
another. 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. This could cause you to lose control of your vehicle and cause an
accident.
Gear lever
Gear lever
!
Only engage gear when the clutch pedal
is depressed. Manual transmission
163Driving and parking Z

S+
SportPlus Extremely sporty driving
style
M
Manual Manual gearshifting
RS
RACE
START Optimal vehicle accelera-
tion from a standstill
i
For further information on the automatic
drive program, see (Y page 169).
X Turn drive program selector :until the
desired drive program appears in the mul-
tifunction display in the speedometer.
The drive program indicator on drive pro-
gram selector :lights up in red.
i The automatic transmission switches to
automatic drive program Ceach time the
engine is started.
i RScannot be selected during normal driv-
ing. For further information on RACE
START, see (Y page 196). Steering wheel gearshift paddles
:
Left-hand steering wheel gearshift paddle
; Right-hand steering wheel gearshift pad-
dle
In the automatic drive program, you can
restrict or derestrict the shift range by using
the steering wheel gearshift paddles or the
selector lever (Y page 169).
In the manual drive program, you can change
gear using the steering wheel gearshift pad-
dles or the selector lever (Y page 170).i
You can only change gear with the steer-
ing wheel gearshift paddles when the trans-
mission is in position D. Automatic drive program
Drive program E(drive program Con AMG
vehicles) is characterised by the following:
R comfort-oriented engine settings.
R optimal fuel consumption resulting from
the automatic transmission shifting up
sooner.
R the vehicle pulling away more gently in
forward and reverse gears, unless the
accelerator pedal is depressed fully.
R increased sensitivity. This improves driving
stability on slippery road surfaces, for
example.
R the automatic transmission shifting up
sooner. This results in the vehicle being
driven at lower engine speeds and the
wheels being less likely to spin.
Drive program S(or, in the case of AMG vehi-
cles, drive programs Sand S+) is character-
ised by the following:
R sporty engine and automatic transmission
settings
R the vehicle pulling away in first gear
R the automatic transmission shifting up
later
R as a result of the later automatic transmis-
sion shift points, the fuel consumption pos-
sibly being higher Shift ranges
Introduction i
OnAMG vehicles andvehicles with
steering wheel gearshift paddles, you
can restrict or derestrict the shift range
using the steering wheel gearshift paddles.
On standard vehicles with aselector
lever , you can also restric torderestrict the
shift range using the selector lever. Automatic transmission
169Driving and parking Z

dles or the selector lever in manual drive pro-
gram Mif the transmission is in position D.
X Press the program selector button
(Y page 168 )repeatedly until Mappears in
the multifunction display.
X AMG vehicles: turn the drive program
selector (Y page 168)u ntilMappears in the
multifunctio ndisplay.
The indicator Mon the drive program selec-
tor lights up in red.
Upshifting X
Briefly press the selector lever to the right
towards D+.
or
X Pull the right-hand steering wheel gearshift
paddle (Y page 169).
The automatic transmission shifts up to the
next gear.
Vehicles with AMG engines
! In manual gearshift program M, the auto-
matic transmission does not shift up auto-
matically even when the engine limiting
speed for the current gear is reached.
When the engine limiting speed is reached,
the fuel supply is cut to prevent the engine
fro mo verrevving. You must make sure that
the engine speed does not reach the red
area of the rev counter. Otherwise, there is
a risk of engine damage.
X Shift up a gearift he colour in the multi-
function display in the speedometer
changes to red and the UP display message
is shown.
Downshifting X
Briefly press the selector lever to the left
towards D–.
or
X Pull the left-hand steering wheel gearshift
paddle (Y page 169).
The automatic transmission shifts down to
the next gear. i
If you desire maximum acceleration, push
the selector lever to the left or pull and hold
the left-hand steering wheel gearshift pad-
dle until the transmission shifts to the opti-
mal gear for the current speed.
Kickdown i
Vehicles with an AMG engine: it is not
possible to use kickdown in manual drive
program M.
You can also use kickdown for maximum
acceleration in manual drive program M.
X Depress the accelerator pedal beyond the
pressure point.
The transmission shifts to a lower gear
depending on the engine speed.
Switching off the manuald rive program X
Standard vehicles with aselector lever
and vehicles with aDIRECT SELECT
lever: press the program selector button
(Y page 168) until Eor Sappears in the
multifunction display.
X AMG vehicles: turn the drive program
selector (Y page 168) until C,Sor S+
appears in the multifunction display. Automatic transmission
171Driving and parking Z

G
WARNING
Do not use petrol to refuel a diesel tank. Never
mix diesel with petrol. Doing so could damage
the fuel system and the engine. The vehicle
could also catch fire.
! Do not use petrol to refuel vehicles with a
diesel engine. Do not use diesel to refuel
vehicles with a petrol engine. Even small
amounts of the wrong fuel result in damage
to the fuel system and the engine.
! Do not switch on the ignition if you acci-
dentally refuel with the wrong fuel .Other-
wise, the fuel will ente rthe fuel lines. Notify
a qualified specialist workshop and have
the fuel tank and fuel lines drained com-
pletely.
! Overfilling the fuel tank could damage the
fuel system.
! Take care not to spill any fuel on painted
surfaces. You could otherwise damage the
paintwork.
! Use a filter when adding fuel from a fuel
can. The fuel lines and/or the diesel injec-
tion system could otherwise be blocked by
particles from the fuel can.
Further information on fuel and on fuel grades
can be found in the "Fuel" section
(Y page 384). Refuelling
Fuel filler flap :
To open the fuel filler flap
; To insert the fuel filler cap
= Tyre pressure table
? Fuel type
The fuel filler flap is unlocked or locked auto-
matically when you open or close the vehicle
with the key or using KEYLESS-GO.
The position of the fuel filler cap is displayed
8 in the instrument cluster. The arrow
next to the filling pump indicates the side of
the vehicle.
Opening X
Switch off the engine.
X Remove the key from the ignition lock.
X KEYLESS-GO: open the driver’s door.
This corresponds to key position 0: "key
removed".
The driver’s door can be closed again.
X Press the fuel filler flap in the direction of
arrow :.
The fuel filler flap opens slightly.
X Open the fuel filler flap fully.
X Turn the fuel filler flap anti-clockwise and
remove it. Refuelling
173Driving and parking Z

Vehicles with automatic transmission
X
Standard vehicles: shift the transmission
to P. Selecto
rlever in AMG vehicles with P button
X AMG vehicles: pressPbutton :.
Using the key
X Turn the key to position 0in the ignition
lock and remove it.
The immobiliser is activated.
X Apply the parking brake firmly.
i Standard vehicles with aselector
lever: you can only remove the key if the
transmission is in position P.
i Vehicles with aDIRECT SELECT lever
and AMG vehicles: if you switch off the
engine with the transmission in position R
or D, the automatic transmission shifts to
N automatically.
If you then open the driver's door or the
front-passenger door or remove the key
from the ignition, the automatic transmis-
sion shifts to P.
If you shift the automatic transmission to
N before switching off the engine, the auto-
matic transmission remains in Neven if a
door is opened.
Using KEYLESS-GO
X Press the Start/Stop butto n(Ypage 155).
The engine stops and all the indicator
lamps in the instrument cluster go out.
X Apply the parking brake firmly. i
Vehicles with aDIRECT SELECT lever
and AMG vehicles: if you switch off the
engine using the Start/Stop button, the
automatic transmission shifts to Nauto-
matically. If you then open the driver's or
front-passenger door, th eautomatic trans-
mission shifts to P.
i The engine can be turned off while the
vehicle is in motion by pressing and holding
the Start/Stop button for three seconds.
This function operates independently of the
ECO start/stop automatic engine switch-
off function. Parking brake
X
To apply: depress parking brake ;firmly.
The J indicator lamp in the instrument
cluste rlights up if the engine is running.
X To release: depress the brake pedal and
keep it depressed.
X Pull release handle :.
The J indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster goes out. Parking up the vehicle
If you leave the vehicle parked up for longer
than four weeks, the battery may be damaged
by exhaustive discharge. Parking
177Driving and parking Z

X
Disconnect the battery ( Ypage 352) or
connect it to a trickle charger.
i You can obtain information about trickle
chargers fro maqualified specialist work-
shop.
If you leave the vehicle parked up for longer
than six weeks, the vehicle may suffer dam-
age as a result of lack of use.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop and
seek advice. Driving tips
General driving tips
Rolling with the engine switched off G
WARNING
Never switch the engine off while the vehicle
is in motion.
There is no power assistance for the steering
and the service brake when the engine is not
running.
You will require considerably more effor tto
steer and brake, and you could therefore lose
control of the vehicle and cause an accident. Driving short distances
! Vehicles with adiesel particle filter: if
the vehicle is mostly driven for short dis-
tances, it is possible that malfunctions may
occur during the automatic cleaning of the
diesel particle filter. This may lead to fuel
collecting in the engine oil and cause
engine failure. Therefore, if you frequently
drive short distances, you should take a 20
minute trip on a motorway or rural road at
least every 500km. Brakes
Important safety notes 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
Make sure that other road users are not
endangered by your braking.
Downhill gradients On long and steep downhill gradients, espe-
cially if the vehicle is laden or towing a trailer,
you must shift to a lower gear in good time or,
on vehicles with automatic transmission,
select shift range 1,2or 3.
i This also applies if you have activated
cruise control, SPEEDTRONIC or DIS-
TRONIC PLUS.
This will use the braking effect of the engine,
so less braking will be required to maintain
the speed. This relieves the load on the brake
system and prevents the brakes from over-
heating and wearing too quickly.
Heavy and light loads 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.
If the brakes have been subjected to a heavy
load, do not stop the vehicle immediately, but
drive on for a shor twhile. This allows the air-
flow to cool the brakes more quickly.
If the brakes have been used only moderately,
you should occasionally test their effective-
ness. To do this, brake more firmly from a 178
Driving tipsDriving and parking

Tyre traction
G
WARNING
Whereas the vehicle can be fully controlled at
a certain speed on dry roads, you must reduce
your speed on we toricy roads to achieve the
same road safety .You could otherwise cause
an accident.
Pay particular attention to the road conditions
at temperatures around freezing point.
If ice has formed on the road surface (e.g.
from fog), a thin film of water rapidly forms on
the ice when you brake, considerably reduc-
ing tyre traction. Drive with particular care in
such weather conditions. Driving on wet roads
Aquaplaning If water has accumulated to a certain depth
on the road surface, there is a danger of aqua-
planing occurring, even if:
R
you are driving at low speeds.
R the tyres have adequate tread depth.
For this reason, do not drive in tyre ruts, and
brake carefully.
Driving on flooded roads If you have to drive on stretches of road on
which water has collected, please bear in
mind that:
R the maximum permissible still water depth
is 25 cm.
R you should drive no faster than at walking
pace.
! Bear in mind that vehicles travelling in
front or in the opposite direction create
waves. This may cause the maximum per-
missible water depth to be exceeded.
These notes must be observed under all
circumstances. You could otherwise dam-
age the engine, the electronics or the trans-
mission. Winter driving
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If the vehicle becomes trapped in snow,
ensure that snow is kept away from the
exhaust pipe and from around the vehicle as
long as the engine is running. Otherwise, poi-
sonous carbon monoxide (CO) may enter the
vehicle, resulting in loss of consciousness and
even death.
To assure sufficient fresh air ventilation, open
a window slightly on the side of the vehicle
not facing the wind.
Have your vehicle winterproofed at a qualified
specialist workshop at the onset of winter.
Driving with summer tyres Observe the notes in the "Winter operation"
section (Y
page 364).
Slippery road surfaces G
WARNING
Do not shift down for additional engine brak-
ing on a slippery road surface. This could
cause the drive wheels to lose their grip and
the vehicle could skid.
You should drive particularly carefully on slip-
pery road surfaces. Avoid sudden accelera-
tion, steering and braking manoeuvres.
If the vehicle threatens to skid or cannot be
stopped when moving at low speed:
X Vehicles with manual transmission:
shift to neutral.
X Vehicles with automatic transmission:
shift the transmission to position N.
X Try to bring the vehicle under control by
using corrective steering.
i For more information on driving with
snow chains, see (Y page 365).180
Driving tipsDriving and parking

Driving systems
Cruise control
Important safety notes Cruise control maintains a constant road
speed fo ryou. It brakes automatically in order
to avoid exceeding the set speed. You must
select a low gear in good time on long and
steep downhill gradients, especially if the
vehicle is laden or towing a trailer. On vehicles
with automatic transmission, select shift
range 1,2or 3.B y doing so, you will make
use of the braking effec tofthe engine. This
relieves the load on the brake system and
prevents the brakes from overheating and
wearing too quickly. 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.
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
WARNING
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
WARNING
Do not use cruise control
R in traffic conditions that do not allow you to
drive at a constant speed (e.g. heavy traffic or winding roads). You may otherwise
cause an accident.
R on slippery roads. The drive wheels may
lose their grip when braking or accelerating
and the vehicle may skid.
R when there is low 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 on: variable SPEED-
TRONIC is selected. :
To activate or increase speed
; LIM indicator lamp
= To activate at the current speed/last
stored speed
? To activate or reduce speed
A To switch between cruise control and var-
iable SPEEDTRONIC
B To deactivate cruise control
When you activate cruise control, the stored
speed is shown in the multifunction display
for five seconds. In the multifunction display,
the segments between the stored speed and
the maximum speed light up. Driving systems
181Driving and parking Z

or
X
Briefly press the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow A.
Variable SPEEDTRONIC is selected. LIM
indicator lamp ;in the cruise control lever
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 if 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 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 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. If you need addi-
tional braking, depress the brake pedal
repeatedly rather than continuously. G
WARNING
Never depress the brake pedal continuously
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
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.
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 185) 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.
i The speed indicated in the speedometer
may differ slightly from the limit speed
stored.
Variable SPEEDTRONIC General notes
With the cruise control lever, you can operate
cruise control or DISTRONIC PLUS and vari-
able 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 PLUS is selected.
R LIM indicator lamp on: variable SPEED-
TRONIC is selected. Driving systems
183Driving and parking Z

You can use the cruise control lever to limit
the speed to any speed above 30 km/h while
the engine is running. :
To store the current speed or a higher
speed
; LIM indicator lamp
= To store the current speed or call up the
last stored speed
? To store the current speed or a lower
speed
A To switch between cruise control or DIS-
TRONIC PLUS and variable SPEEDTRONIC
B To deactivate variable SPEEDTRONIC
Selecting variable SPEEDTRONIC
X Check whether LIM indicator lamp ;is on.
If it is on, variable SPEEDTRONIC 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 lights up. Variable SPEEDTRONIC is
selected. G
WARNING
If there is a change of drivers, advise the new
drive rofthe limit speed stored.
Only use variable SPEEDTRONIC if you will not
have to accelerate suddenly to a speed above
that stored as the limit speed. You could oth-
erwise 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 : or down ?.
The current speed is stored and shown in
the multifunction display.
The segments in the multifunction display
light up from the start of the scale up to the
stored speed.
Storing the current speed or calling up the
last stored speed G
WARNING
Only select a stored speed if you know what
that speed is and whether it is suitable for the
current driving and traffic situation. Other-
wise, sudden braking could endanger you or
others.
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you =.
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 ?for a lower speed.
or
X Keep the cruise control lever pressed to the
pressure point until the desired speed is
set. Press the cruise control lever up :for
a higher speed or down ?for a lower
speed. 184
Driving systemsDriving and parking