brake MERCEDES-BENZ E-CLASS SALOON 2015 Workshop Manual

Brakes
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If yo ushift down on aslipper yroads urface in
an attempt to increas ethe engine's braking
effect, the drive wheels could lose thei rgrip.
Thi sincreases the ris kofskidding and having
an accident.
Do not shift down for additional engine brak-
ing on aslipper yroads urface.
Downhil lgradients Do not depress the brake peda
lcontinuously
whil ethe vehicl eisinmotion, e.g .never
cause the brakes to ru bbyconstantly apply-
ing light pressure to the pedal. Thi sresults in
excessive and premature wear to the brake
pads.
Chang einto alower gearing oodtime on long
and stee pdownhil lgradients.
Take particula rnote of thi swhend riving a
lade nvehicl eand when towing atrailer.
i Thi
salsoa pplies if youhavea ctivated
cruis econtrol, SPEEDTRONIC or
DISTRONIC PLUS.
Thi sw illu se the braking effect of the engine,
so less braking will be required to maintain
vehicl espeed .Thisr elieves the load on the
brake system and prevents the brakes from
overheating and wearing too quickly.
Heavy and light loads G
WARNING
The braking system can overheat if yo ulea ve
your foo tonthe brake peda lwhile driving.
Thi sincreases the braking distance and could
eve ncause the braking system to fail. There is
ar iskofana ccident.
Never us ethe brake peda lasafootrest. Do
not simultaneousl ydepress both the brake
peda land the accelerato rpedal whiledriving. !
Depressing the brake peda
lconstantly
results in excessive and premature wear to
the brake pads.
If the brakes have been subjected to aheavy
load ,don ot stop the vehicl eimmediately, but
drive on for ashort while. Thi sallow sthe air-
flo wtoc ool the brakes more quickly.
If the brakes have been used onl ymoderately,
yo us houl doccasionall ytest thei reffective-
ness .Todot his, brake more firmly from a
highe rspeed whil epayin gattentio ntothe
traffic conditions. Thi simprove sthe gri pof
the brakes.
Wet road surfaces If yo
uhaved riven for alon gtime in heavy rain
withou tbraking ,ther em aybe adelayed reac-
tio nfrom the brakes when braking for the first
time .Thism ayalso occu rafte rac ar wash or
afte rdriving throug hdeepw ater.
Yo uw illh av etod epress the brake peda lmore
firmly .Maintain agreate rdistance to the vehi-
cle in front.
After driving on awetroa dorh aving the vehi-
cle washed, brake firmly whil epayin gatten-
tio ntot he traffic conditions. Thi swillw armup
the brake discs, thereb ydrying them more
quickl yand protecting them against corro-
sion.
Limite dbraking performanc eonsalt-
treate droads If yo
udrive on salt-treate droads, alayer of
salt ma yform on the brake discs and pads.
Thi scan increas ethe braking distance con-
siderably.
R In order to prevent any salt build-up, apply
the brakes occasionall ywhile paying atten-
tio ntot he traffic conditions.
R Carefull ydepress the brake peda latthe
end of the journey and when starting the
next journey.
R Maintain amuchg reate rdistance to the
vehicl einfront. Driving tips
209Driving andparking Z

New brak
epads/linings Brake pads/lining
sand discs tha tare either
new or have been replaced onl yachieve opti-
mu mb raking effect after several hundred kil-
ometres of driving. Compensate for the
reduced braking effect by applying greater
force to the brake pedal.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mend stha tyou onl yhaveb rake pads/linings
fitted to your vehicl ewhich have been
approved for Mercedes-Benz vehicles or
which correspond to an equivalent quality
standard. Brake pads/lining swhich have not
been approved for Mercedes-Benz vehicles or
which ar enot of an equivalent quality could
affec tyou rv ehicle' soperating safety.
AM Gh igh-performanc eand ceramic
brakes Th
eh igh- performance brake syste misonly
availabl eonAMG vehicles.
Th eA MG brake systems ar edesig nedf or
heav yloads .Thism aylead to noise when
braking .Thisisd ependent on:
R speed
R braking force
R environmenta lconditions ,suc hast emper-
ature and humidity
Th ew earofi ndividua lcomponents of the
brake system, such as the brake pads/linings
or brake discs ,depen ds on the individua ldriv-
ing style and operating conditions.
For thi sreason, it is impossibl etostate a
mileag e(service life) tha twillbev alidunder
al lc ircumstances .Anaggressive driving style
will lead to high wear .You can obtai nfurther
information abou tthisf romy ourM ercedes-
Benz Service Centre.
Brake pads/lining sand discs tha tare either
new or have been replaced onl yachieve opti-
mu mb raking effect after several hundred kil-
ometres of driving. Compensate for the
reduced braking effect by applying greater
force to the brake pedal. Alway sbeawareofthi
sa nd adap tyou rd riving and braking
accordingly during the running-in period.
Excessive heav ybraking results in corre-
spondingly high brake wear .Obser ve the
brake wear warning lamp in the instrument
cluste rand note any brake status messages
in the multifunctio ndisplay .Ifyouregularly
drive at high speeds ,itisparticularl yimpor-
tant to have the brake syste mchecked and
maintaine dregularly. Driving on we
troads
Aquaplaning If water ha
saccumulate dtoacertaindepth
on the roa dsurface, there is adangerofa qua-
planing occurring, eve nif:
R yo ua redriving at lo wspeeds
R the tyres have adequate trea ddepth
For thi sreason, drive in the following manner
in the event of heav yrainorinc onditions in
which aquaplaning can occur:
R lowe ryours peed
R avoi dtyrer uts
R avoi dsudde nsteering movements
R brake carefully
Driving on flooded roads !
Bea
rinm indt hatv ehicles travelling in
front or in the opposite directio ncreate
waves .Thism aycause the maximum per-
missibl ewater depth to be exceeded.
Thes enote sm ustbeo bservedu nder all
circumstances .You could otherwis edam-
ag et he engine ,the electronics or the trans-
mission. 210
Driving
tipsDriving an dparking

vehicl
eoccupants and that of other road
users.
Further information on driving safety systems (Y page7 7). Cruise control
General notes Cruise control maintains
aconstant road
spee dfor you.Itb rakes automatically in order
to avoi dexceeding the set speed. You must
select alow gearing ood time on long and
steep downhill gradients, especially if the
vehicl eisladen or towing atrailer. By doing
so, you willm ake use of the braking effect of
the engine. This relieves the loadont he brake
system and prevents the brakes from over-
heating and wearing too quickly.
Use cruise control only if road and traffic con- ditions are appropriate for maintaining a
stead yspee dfor ap rolonged period. You can
store any road spee dabove 30 km/h.
Important safety notes If you fail to adapt yourd
riving style,cruise
control can neither reduce the risk of an acci-
dent nor overrid ethe lawsofp hysics. Cruise
control cannot take into account road,
weather or traffic conditions. Cruise control is only an aid.Y ou are responsibl efor the dis-
tance to the vehicl einfront, for vehicl espeed,
for braking in good time, and for staying in the lane.
Do not use cruise control:
R in road and traffic conditions which do not
allow you to maintai naconstant speed
(e.g. in heavy traffic or on winding roads)
R on smooth or slippery roads. Braking or
accelerating can caus ethe drive wheels to
lose traction and the vehicl ecouldt hen
skid
R when there is poor visibility, e.g. due to fog,
heavy rain or snow If there is
achange of drivers, advise the new
drive rofthe spee dstored.
Cruise control lever :
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
You can operate cruise control and variable
SPEEDTRONIC with the cruise control lever.
The LIM indicator lamp on the cruise control
leve rindicates which system you have selec-
ted:
R LIMi ndicator lamp off: cruise control is
selected.
R LIMi ndicator lamp on: variable SPEED-
TRONIC is selected.
When you activate cruise control, the stored
spee diss hownint he multifunction display
for five seconds. 212
Driving systemsDriving and parking

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 ;.
LIM indicator lamp :in the cruise control
lever goes out. Cruise control is selected.
Activation conditions To activate cruise control, all of the following
activation condition smust be fulfilled:
R the parking brake must be released.
R you are driving faster than 30 km/h.
R ESP ®
must be switched on, but not inter-
vening.
R the transmission must be in position D.
R the cruise control function must be selec-
ted (Y page 213).
Storing and maintaining the current
speed You can accept the current speed if you are
driving faster than 30 km/h.
X Accelerate the vehicl etothe desired
speed.
X Briefl ypress the cruis econtro llev er up :
or down ;.
X Remov eyourfoo tfromt he accelerator
pedal.
Cruise contro lisactivated .The vehicle
automaticall ymaintains the stored speed.
i Cruise contro
lmaybe unabl etomaintain
the stored spee donuphillgradients. The
stored spee disresumed when the gradient
evens out. Cruise contro lmaintains the
stored spee dondownhil lgradients by
automaticall ybraking the vehicle.
i Vehicles with manua ltransmission:
R always drive at adequate, bu tnot exces-
sive, engine speeds
R change gear in goo dtime.
R if possible, do not change down several
gear satat ime
Storin gthe curren tspeed or callin gup
the las tstored speed G
WARNING
If yo ucallupt he stored speed and it is lower
tha nthe current speed ,the vehicl edeceler-
ates. If yo udonot know the stored speed ,the
vehicl ecould decelerate unexpectedly .There
is ar iskofana ccident.
Pa ya ttentio ntothe roa dand traffi ccondi-
tions befor ecalling up the stored speed .Ifyou
do not know the stored speed ,stor ethe
desired speed again. Dr
ivin gsystems
213Driving an dparking Z

X
Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you :.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
The firs ttime cruise control is activated, it
store sthe current speed or regulates the
speed of the vehicle to the previously
store dspeed.
Setting aspeed X
Press the cruise control lever up :for a
higher speed or down ;for alower speed.
X Kee pthe cruise control lever presse duntil
the desire dspeed is reached.
X Releas ethe cruise control lever.
The new speed is stored.
X To adjust the se tspeed in 1km/h incre-
ments: brieflypress the cruise control
lever up :or down ;to the pressure
point.
The last store dspeed increases or decrea-
ses in 1km/h increments.
X To adjust the se tspeed in 10 km/h
increments: brieflypress the cruise con- trol lever up
:or down ;beyond the
pressure point.
The last store dspeed increases or decrea-
ses in 10 km/h increments.
i Cruise control is not deactivated if you
depress the accelerato rpedal .For exam-
ple, if yo uaccelerate briefl ytoovertake,
cruise control adjusts the vehicle's speed
to the last speed store dafteryou have fin-
ished overtaking.
Deactivatin gcruise control There are several ways to deactivate cruise
control:
X Briefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards :.
or
X Brake.
or X Briefly press the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow =.
Variabl eSPEEDTRONIC is selected .LIM
indicator lamp ;in the cruise control lever
lights up.
Cruise control is automaticall ydeactivated if:
R yo ud epress the parking brake
R yo ua re driving at less than 30 km/h
R ESP ®
intervenes or yo udeactivate ESP ®
R on vehicle swithm anual transmission, you
shift into neutral while driving or depress
the clutch pedal for longer than six seconds 214
Drivin
gsystemsDrivin gand parking

R
on vehicles with manual transmission, you
shift to agear that is too high, and as a
result the engine speed is too low
R on vehicles with automatic transmission,
you shift to position Nwhile driving
If cruise control is deactivated, you will hear a warning tone. You will see the Cruise con‐
Cruise con‐
trol off
trol off message in the multifunction dis-
play 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. Change into
al ower gear in good time on long and steep
downhill gradients. Take particular noteof
this when driving aladen vehicle. By doing so,
you will make use of the braking effect of the engine. This relieves the load on the brake
system and prevent sthe brakes from over-
heating and wearing too quickly. If you need
additional braking, depress the brake pedal
repeatedly rather than continuously.
If you fail to adapt your driving style, SPEED-
TRONIC can neither reduce the risk of an
accident nor override the laws of physics.
SPEEDTRONIC cannot take into account
road, weather or traffic conditions. SPEED-
TRONIC is only an aid. You are responsible for
the distance to the vehicle in front,f or vehicle
speed, for braking in good time, and for stay- ing in lane.
If there is achange of drivers, advise the new
driver of the speed stored.
You can set avariable 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 i
The speed indicated in the speedometer
may differ slightly from the limit speed
stored.
Variable SPEEDTRONIC General notes
:
To store the current speed or ahigher
speed
; LIM indicator lamp
= To store the current speed or calling up
the last stored speed
? To store the current speed or alower
speed
A To switch between cruise control or
DISTRONIC PLUS and variable SPEED-
TRONIC
B To deactivate variable SPEEDTRONIC
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
215Driving and parking Z

speed is set. Press the cruise control lever
up : for ahigher speed or down ;for a
lower speed.
X To adjust the set speed in 1km/h incre-
ments: briefly press the cruise control
lever up :to the pressure point for a
higher speed or down ;for alower 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
ah igher speed or down ;for alower
speed.
Switching SPEEDTRONIC to passive
If you depress the accelerator pedal beyond
the pressure point (kickdown), SPEED-
TRONIC is switched to passive mode. The fol-
lowing message appears in the multifunction
display: SPEEDTRONIC passive SPEEDTRONIC passive.
You can then exceed the stored speed.
SPEEDTRONIC is activated againify ou:
R drive slower than the stored speed without
kickdown
R set anew speed or
R call up the last speed stored again
The SPEEDTRONIC passive
SPEEDTRONIC passive message in the
multifunction displayd isappears.
Deactivating variable SPEEDTRONIC
It is not possible to deactivate variable
SPEEDTRONIC by braking. There are several waystod
eactivate variable
SPEEDTRONIC:
X Briefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards :.
or X Briefly press the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow =.
LIM indicator lamp ;in the cruise control
lever goes out. Variable SPEEDTRONIC is
deactivated.
Cruise control or DISTRONIC PLUS is selec-
ted.
i The last speed stored is cleared when you
switch off the engine.
Permanent SPEEDTRONIC You can use the on-board computer to limit
the speed permanently to
avalue between
160 km/h(e.g. for driving on winter tyres) and the maximum speed (Y page 292).
Shortly before the stored speed is reached, it appears in the multifunction display.
Permanent SPEEDTRONIC remains active,
even if variableS PEEDTRONIC is deactivated.
You cannot exceed the stored limit speed,
even if you depress the accelerator pedal
beyond the pressure point (kickdown). DISTRONIC PLUS
General notes DISTRONIC PLUS regulates the speed and
automaticallyh
elps you maintain the dis-
tance to the vehicle detected in front.V ehi-
cles are detected with the aid of the radar
sensor system. DISTRONIC PLUS brakes
automaticallysot hat the set speed is not
exceeded.
Change into alower gear in good time on long
and steep downhill gradients. Take particular note of this when driving aladen vehicle. By
doing so, you will make use of the braking
effect of the engine. This relieves the load on Driving systems
217Driving and parking Z

the brake syste
mand prevents the brakes
fro mo verheating and wearing too quickly.
If DISTRONIC PLU Sdetects tha tthere is arisk
of ac ollision, yo uwillbew arned visually and
acoustically. Without your intervention,
DISTRONIC PLU Scannot prevent acollision.
An intermittent warning tone will the nsound
and the distance warning lamp will ligh tupin
the instrument cluster. Brake immediatel yto
increase the distance to the vehicl edriving in
front, or take evasive action, provide ditis
safe to do so.
For DISTRONIC PLU Stoassistyou ,the radar
senso rsystemm ustbeo perational.
DISTRONIC PLU Soperates in the range
between 0km/h and 200 km/h.
Do not us eDISTRONIC PLU Swhile driving on
roads with steep gradients.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Hybri dvehicles :ensur ethaty ou rea dthe
"HYBRID" supplement. Yo ucould otherwise
fail to recognis edangers. G
WARNING
DISTRONIC PLU Sdoesn ot react to:
R people or animals
R stationar yobstacle sont he road, e.g .stop-
pe dorp arked vehicles
R oncoming and crossing traffic
As aresult, DISTRONIC PLU Smayneithe rgive
warnings nor intervene in such situations.
There is ariskofana ccident.
Alway spaycarefu lattentio ntothe traffi csit-
uatio nand be ready to brake. G
WARNING
DISTRONIC PLU Scannot always clearly rec-
ognis eother roa dusers and complex traffic
conditions. In such cases
,DISTRONIC PLU Smay:
R give an unnecessary warning and then
brake the vehicle
R neithe rgiveaw arning nor intervene
R accelerate or brake unexpectedly
There is ariskofana ccident.
Continu etodrive carefull yand be prepared to
brake, particularl yifDISTRONIC PLU Swarns
you. G
WARNING
DISTRONIC PLU Sbrakes your vehicl ewithup
to 50% of the maximum possibl edeceleration.
If thi sdeceleratio nisn ot sufficient,
DISTRONIC PLU Salerts yo uwithav isual and
acoustic warning. There is ariskofana cci-
dent.
Apply the brakes yourself in these situations
and try to take evasive action.
! When DISTRONIC PLU
Sorthe HOLD
functio nisa ctivated ,the vehicl ebrakes
automaticall yincertainsituations.
To avoi ddamag etothe vehicle, deactivate
DISTRONIC PLU Sand the HOL Dfunctio nin
the following or simila rsituations:
R when towing away
R in ac ar wash
If yo ufailtoa dapt your driving style,
DISTRONIC PLU Scan neithe rreduc ethe risk
of an accident nor override the laws of phys-
ics .D ISTRONIC PLU Scannot take roa dand
weather conditions or traffi cconditions into
account. DISTRONIC PLU Siso nlyana id.Y ou
ar er esponsibl efor the distance to the vehicle
in front, for vehicl espeed, for braking in good
time, and for staying in lane.
Do not us eDISTRONIC PLUS:
R in roa dand traffi cconditions which do not
allo wyouto maintain aconstant speed, e.g.
in heav ytraffi coronw inding roads
R on smooth or slippery roads .Braking or
accelerating can cause the drive wheels to 218
Driving systemsDriving an
dparking

Activating DISTRONIC PLUS
Activation conditions
To activat
eDISTR ONICPLUS, th efollowing
condition smustbef ulfilled:
R thee nginem ustber unning. It may tak eup
to two minute sofdriving before
DISTRONI CPLUSisr eadyfor use.
R thep arking brak emustber eleased.
R ESP ®
mus tbes witched on ,but no tinter-
vening.
R Active Parking Assis tmustn otbe activa-
ted.
R thet ransmission mus tbeinpositionD.
R thed river' sdoor mus tbeclosed when you
shif tfrom Pto Dor your seat belt mus tbe
fastened.
R thef ront-pa ssenger door and th erear
door smustbec losed.
R thev ehicl emustn otbe skidding.
R theD ISTR ONICPLUSfunction mus tbe
selected wit hthe cruise control lever
(Y page 219).
Activating X
Briefly pull th ecruise control lever towards
you ;,orp ress it up :or down =.
DISTRONI CPLUSisa ctivated.
X Press th ecruise control lever repeatedly
up : or down =until th edesired spee dis
set.
X Remove your foo tfromt heaccelerator
pedal.
Your vehicl eadapt sits spee dtot hatoft he
vehicl einfront,but only up to th edesired
store dspeed.
If th evehicl einf rontof you is stationary, you
can only activat eDISTR ONICPLUSo ncey our
vehicl eisstationary as well.
i If you do no
tfully release th eaccelerator
pedal ,the DISTRONIC PLU Ssuspended
DISTRONIC PLU Ssuspended
message appear sinthemultifunction dis-
play. The set distanc etoaslower-moving
vehicl einfrontwill then no tbemaintained.
You will be driving at th espee dyou deter-
min ebyt heposition of th eaccelerator
pedal.
You can also activat eDISTR ONICPLUSw hen
stationary. The lowes tspee dtha tcan be set is
30 km/h.
X Briefly pull th ecruise control lever towards
you ;,up:or down =.
DISTRONI CPLUSisa ctivated.
Activating at th ecurren tspeed/last
store dspeed G
WARNING
If you call up astoreds pee dand this is dif-
feren tfromt hecurren tspeed, th evehicle
accelerate sorbrakes. If you do no tknow
what th estoreds pee dis, th evehicl emay
accelerate or brak eunexpectedly. There is a
ris kofana ccident.
Tak ethe traffic condition sintoa ccount
before calling up th estoreds peed. If you do
no tk noww hat th estoreds pee dis, store the
desired spee dagain. 220
Driving systemsDriving and pa
rking

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 store dvalue.
Drivin gwithD ISTRONI CPLUS Pulling away and driving
X
If you wan ttopull away with
DISTRONI CPLUS: remove your foot from
the brake pedal.
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you :.
or
X Accelerate briefly.
You rvehicle pull sawaya nd adapts its
speed to that of the vehicle in front.
If no vehicle is detected in front, your vehi-
cle accelerate stothe set speed. i
The vehicle can also pull away whe
nitis
facing an unidentifie dobstacl eorisd riving
on adifferent line from another vehicle .The
vehicle then brakes automatically. There is
ar iskofana ccident. Be ready to brake at all
times.
If there is no vehicle in front, DISTRONIC
PLUS operate sinthe same wa yascruise
control.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that the vehicle in front ha sslowe ddown, it brakes your vehicle.
In this way, the distance yo uhaves elected is
maintained.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects afaster-moving
vehicle in front, it increases the driving speed.
However, the vehicle is only accelerate dupto
the speed yo uhaves tored.
Selecting the drive program
DISTRONIC PLUS supports asporty driving
styl ewheny ou have selected the Sor M(AMG
vehicles: S,S+ orM)d riving program
(Y page 194). Acceleration behind the vehicle
in front or to the set speed is then noticeably
more dynamic. If yo uhaves elected the Eor E
+ (AMG vehicles: C)driving program, the vehi-
cle accelerate smore gently. Thi ssetting is
recommende dinstop-and-start traffic.
Selecting the drive program
DISTRONIC PLUS supports asporty driving
styl ewheny ou have selected the Sor M(AMG
vehicles: S,S+ orM)d riving program
(Y page 194). Acceleration behind the vehicle
in front or to the set speed is then noticeably
more dynamic. If yo uhaves elected the Eor E
+ (AMG vehicles: C)driving program, the vehi-
cle accelerate smore gently. Thi ssetting is
recommende dinstop-and-start traffic.
Changing lanes
If yo uchange to the overtaking lane,
DISTRONIC PLUS supports yo uif:
R yo ua re driving faster than 70 km/h
R DISTRONIC PLUS is maintaining the dis-
tance to avehicle in front Drivin
gsystems
221Drivingand parking Z