instrument cluster MERCEDES-BENZ E-Class SEDAN 2012 W212 Owner's Guide

remove any salt that may have started to
build up on the brake discs and the brake
pads/linings.
R maintain a greater distance to the vehicle
ahead and drive with particular care.
R carefully apply the brakes at the end of a
trip and immediately after commencing a
new trip, so that salt residues are removed
from the brake discs.
Servicing the brakes
! If the red brake warning lamp lights up in
the instrument cluster and you hear a
warning tone while the engine is running,
the brake fluid level may be too low.
Observe additional warning messages in
the multifunction display.
The brake fluid level may be too low due to
brake pad wear or leaking brake lines.
Have the brake system checked
immediately. This work should be carried
out at an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
All checks and maintenance work on the
brake system must be carried out at a
qualified specialist workshop. This work
should be carried out at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Have the brake pads replaced and the brake
fluid renewed at a qualified specialist
workshop, e.g. an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
GWARNING
If brake pads or brake fluid other than those
recommended are used, the braking
properties of the vehicle can be degraded to
an extent that safe braking is substantially
impaired. This could result in an accident.
! Vehicles with 4MATIC: function or
performance tests may only be carried out
on a 2-axle dynamometer. If you are
planning to have the vehicle tested on such
a dynamometer, contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center to obtain further
information first. Otherwise, you could
damage the drive train or the brake system.
! Vehicles with 4MATIC: as the ESP®
system operates automatically, the engine
and the ignition must be switched off
(SmartKey in position 0 or 1 in the ignition
lock or Start/Stop button in position 0 or
1 ) while the parking brake is being tested
on a brake dynamometer.
Braking maneuvers triggered automatically
by ESP ®
may seriously damage the brake
system.
! Vehicles with 4MATIC: as the ESP®
system operates automatically, the engine
and the ignition system must be switched
off (SmartKey in position 0 or 1 in the
ignition lock or Start/Stop button in
position 0 or 1) when:
R testing the parking brake on a brake
dynamometer.
R you intend to have the vehicle towed with
one of the axles raised.
Braking maneuvers triggered automatically
by ESP ®
may seriously damage the brake
system.
If your brake system is subject only to
moderate loads, you should test the
functionality of your brakes at regular
intervals by pressing firmly on the brake pedal
at high speeds. This improves the grip of the
brake pads.GWARNING
Make sure that you do not endanger other
road users when you apply the brakes.
You can find a description of Brake Assist
(BAS) on ( Y page 64) or of BAS PLUS on
( Y page 64).
172Driving tipsDriving and parking

AMG high-performance and ceramic
brakesGWARNING
New vehicle brake pads and discs, and
replacement brake pads and discs may take
several hundred miles of driving until they
provide optimum braking efficiency. Until that
time, you may need to use increased brake
pedal pressure while braking. Please be aware
of this and adjust your driving and braking
accordingly during this break-in period.
Excessive high-demand braking will cause
correspondingly high brake wear. Please be
attentive to the brake warning lamp in the
instrument cluster and brake condition
messages in the multifunction display.
Especially for high performance driving, it is
important to maintain and have the brake
system checked regularly.
The AMG brake systems are designed for
heavy loads. This may lead to noise when
braking. This will depend on:
R speed
R braking force
R environmental conditions, such as
temperature and humidity
The wear of individual components of the
brake system, such as the brake pads/linings
or brake discs, depends on the individual
driving style and operating conditions.
For this reason, it is impossible to state a
mileage that will be valid under all
circumstances. An aggressive driving style
will lead to high wear. You can obtain further
information about this from your authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Driving on wet roads
Hydroplaning
If water has accumulated to a certain depth
on the road surface, there is a danger of
hydroplaning occurring, even if:
R you drive at low speeds.
R the tires have adequate tread depth.
For this reason, in the event of heavy rain or
in conditions in which hydroplaning can occur
you must drive in the following manner:
R reduce your speed
R avoid ruts
R brake carefully
Driving on flooded roads
! Do not drive through flooded areas.
Check the depth of any water before driving
through it. Drive slowly through standing
water. Otherwise, water may enter the
vehicle interior or the engine compartment.
This can damage the electronic
components in the engine or the automatic
transmission. Water can also be drawn in
by the engine's air suction nozzles and this
can cause engine damage.
Winter driving
Important safety notes
GWARNING
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,
poisonous 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.
At the onset of winter, have your vehicle
winterproofed at a qualified specialist
Driving tips173Driving and parkingZ

GWARNING
The "Resume" function should only be
operated if the driver is fully aware of the
previously set speed and wishes to resume
this particular preset speed.
GWARNING
Your undivided attention to street and traffic
conditions is necessary at all times whether
DISTRONIC PLUS is active or not.
The use of DISTRONIC PLUS can be
dangerous on winding roads or in heavy traffic
because conditions do not allow safe driving
at a constant speed.
DISTRONIC PLUS does not react to stationary
objects on the road (for example, a vehicle
stopped in traffic or an abandoned vehicle).
DISTRONIC PLUS likewise does not react to
oncoming vehicles.
Deactivate DISTRONIC PLUS:
R when changing to the right lane, if the
vehicles in the left lane are driving slower
R when driving into a filter lane or an
expressway exit
R in complex driving situations, for example
in construction sites on an expressway
In these situations DISTRONIC PLUS will
maintain the set speed if it is not deactivated.
DISTRONIC PLUS is intended only for
maintaining a set speed and a set distance
from the objects moving in front of the
vehicle.
GWARNING
An intermittent warning sounds and the
distance warning lamp · in the instrument
cluster is illuminated if the DISTRONIC PLUS
system calculates that the distance to the
vehicle ahead and your vehicle's current
speed indicate that the DISTRONIC PLUS will
not be capable of slowing the vehicle
sufficiently to maintain the preset following
distance, which creates a danger of a
collision.
Immediately brake the vehicle to increase
your distance to the preceding vehicle. The
warning sound is intended as a final caution
in which you should intercede with your own
braking inputs to avoid a potentially
dangerous situation. Do not wait for the
operation of the warning signal to intercede
with your own braking. This will result in
potentially dangerous emergency braking
which will not always result in an impact being
avoided.
Tailgating increases the risk of an accident.GWARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS brakes your vehicle with a
maximum deceleration of 13 ft/s 2
(4 m/s 2
).
This is equivalent to approximately 40 % of
your vehicle's maximum possible
deceleration.
You need to brake yourself to prevent a
collision. DISTRONIC PLUS brakes the vehicle
to restore the set distance from the vehicle
ahead or the set speed.
GWARNING
If you do not receive visual or acoustic
warning signals during a critical traffic
situation, DISTRONIC PLUS has either not
recognized the collision risk, has been
deactivated or is malfunctioning.
Remember, whether or not DISTRONIC PLUS
is operating, it is ultimately always the drivers
responsibility to apply the brakes in order to
control the vehicle and avoid a collision.
Driving systems179Driving and parkingZ

instrument cluster should be activated
( Y page 224).XKeep the cruise control lever pressed
up : or down ; until the desired speed
is set.
i You can use the cruise control lever to set
the stored speed and the control on the
cruise control lever to set the specified
minimum distance ( Y page 183).
Pulling away
XIf the vehicle in front pulls away: remove
your foot from the brake pedal.XBriefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you ?.
or
XAccelerate briefly.
Your vehicle pulls away and adapts its
speed to that of the vehicle in front.
Driving
If there is no vehicle in front, DISTRONIC
PLUS operates in the same way as cruise
control.
If a slower-moving vehicle is detected in front,
DISTRONIC causes your vehicle to brake. This
maintains the preset distance to the vehicle
in front.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects a faster-moving
vehicle in front, it increases the driving speed
of your vehicle, but only up to the desired
speed you have stored.
GWARNING
If you depress the brake, DISTRONIC PLUS is
deactivated unless your vehicle is stationary.
DISTRONIC PLUS then no longer brakes your
vehicle. In such cases, control the distance
from vehicles travelling in front with the brake
alone. You could otherwise cause an accident
and thereby injure yourself and others. The
driver remains fully responsible for the
vehicle's distance from other vehicles, the
speed being driven and for braking in good
time.
Changing lanes
If you wish to change to the passing lane (in
left-hand-drive vehicles, the passing lane is
the left-hand lane), DISTRONIC PLUS
supports you if:
R you are driving faster than 40 mph
(60 km/h).
R DISTRONIC PLUS is maintaining the
distance to a vehicle in front.
R you switch on the appropriate turn signals.
R DISTRONIC PLUS does not detect a danger
of collision.
If these conditions are met, your vehicle is
accelerated. Acceleration will be interrupted
if changing lanes takes too long or if the
distance between your vehicle and the
vehicle in front becomes too small.GWARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS and Active Blind Spot Assist
are only aids designed to assist driving.
They do not relieve you of the responsibility
of paying attention. The driver remains fully
responsible for the vehicle's distance from
other vehicles, the vehicle's speed and for
braking in good time. Always pay attention to
traffic conditions and your surroundings.
Otherwise, you may fail to recognize dangers
in time, cause an accident and injure yourself
and others.
Stopping
GWARNING
Never get out of the vehicle when DISTRONIC
PLUS is activated.
DISTRONIC PLUS must also never be
operated, activated or deactivated by a
passenger or from outside the vehicle.
DISTRONIC PLUS does not replace the
parking brake and must not be used for
parking.
Driving systems181Driving and parkingZ

(30 km/h), you will see parking symbol ; as
a status indicator in the instrument cluster.
When a parking space has been detected, an
arrow towards the right = or the left : also
appears. Parking Guidance only displays
parking spaces on the front-passenger side
as standard. Parking spaces on the driver's
side are displayed as soon as the turn signal
on the driver's side is activated. To park on
the driver's side, you must leave the driver's
side turn signal switched on until you have
engaged reverse gear.
Parking Guidance will only detect parking
spaces:
R that are parallel to the direction of travel
R that are at least 5 ft (1.5 m) wide
R that are at least 4.3 ft (1.3 m) longer than
your vehicle
A parking space is displayed while you are
driving past it, and until you are
approximately 50 ft (15 m) away from it.
ParkingGWARNING
The Parking Guidance is only an aid and may
not detect all obstacles. The Parking
Guidance does not relieve you of the
responsibility to pay attention. You are always
responsible for safety and must continue to
pay attention to your immediate surroundings
when parking and maneuvering. Otherwise,
you could endanger yourself and others.
XStop the vehicle when the parking space
symbol shows the desired parking space in
the instrument cluster.XShift the transmission to position R.
The following message appears in the
multifunction display: Check vehicle
surroundings Confirm with OK .XPress the a button on the multifunction
steering wheel to confirm.
The multifunction display switches to
Parking Guidance.Depending on your distance from the
parking space, the Please drive
backwards message appears in the
multifunction display.XIf necessary, reverse towards the parking
space. This is indicated by an arrow
pointing backwards.
Continue backing up until you hear a tone.
Stop – the parking position has been
reached. The arrow is white.
The Please steer to the right or
Please steer to the left message
appears in the multifunction display.XWhile the vehicle is stationary, turn the
steering wheel in the specified direction
until the arrow is white and a warning tone
sounds.XTo reverse into the parking space:
maintain the steering wheel angle and
reverse carefully.XStop as soon as you hear a warning tone,
The vehicle has reached the position in
which you need to countersteer.
The Please steer to the left or
Please steer to the right message
appears in the multifunction display.XCountersteering: while the vehicle is
stationary, turn the steering wheel in the
specified direction until the arrow is white
and a warning tone sounds.Driving systems197Driving and parkingZ

Useful information ............................214
Important safety notes ....................214
Displays and operation ....................214
Menus and submenus ......................218
Display messages ............................. 234
Warning and indicator lamps in the
instrument cluster ............................261213On-board computer and displays

Useful information
i This Operator's Manual describes all
models and all standard and optional
equipment of your vehicle available at the
time of publication of the Operator's
Manual. Country-specific differences are
possible. Please note that your vehicle may
not be equipped with all features
described. This also applies to safety-
related systems and functions.
i Please read the information on qualified
specialist workshops ( Y page 25).
Important safety notes
You will find an illustration of the instrument
cluster in the "At a glance" section
( Y page 29).
GWARNING
A driver's attention to the road and traffic
conditions must always be his/her primary
focus when driving.
For your safety and the safety of others,
selecting features through the multifunction
steering wheel should only be done by the
driver when traffic and road conditions permit
it to be done safely.
Bear in mind that at a speed of just 30 mph
(approximately 50 km/h ), your vehicle is
covering a distance of 44 feet (approximately
14 m) every second.
GWARNING
No messages will be displayed if either the
instrument cluster or the multifunction
display is inoperative.
As a result, you will not be able to see
information about your driving conditions,
such as
R speed
R outside temperature
R warning/indicator lamps
Rmalfunction/warning messages
R failure of any systems
Driving characteristics may be impaired.
If you must continue to drive, do so with added
caution. Contact an authorized Mercedes-
Benz Center as soon as possible.GWARNING
Malfunction and warning messages are only
indicated for certain systems and are
intentionally not very detailed. The
malfunction and warning messages are
simply a reminder with respect to the
operation of certain systems. They do not
replace the owner's and/or driver's
responsibility to maintain the vehicle's
operating safety. Have all required
maintenance and safety checks performed on
the vehicle. Bring the vehicle to an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center to address the
malfunction and warning messages.
Displays and operation
Coolant temperature display
GWARNING
Driving when your engine is overheated can
cause some fluids which may have leaked into
the engine compartment to catch fire. You
could be seriously burned.
Steam from an overheated engine can cause
serious burns which can occur just by opening
the engine hood. Stay away from the engine
if you see or hear steam coming from it.
Stop the vehicle in a safe location away from
other traffic. Turn off the engine, get out of the
vehicle and do not stand near the vehicle until
the engine has cooled down.
The coolant temperature gauge is in the
instrument cluster on the right-hand side.
Under normal operating conditions and with
the specified coolant level, the coolant
temperature may rise to 248 ‡ (120 †).
214Displays and operationOn-board computer and displays

Assistance menu
Introduction
In the DriveAssist. menu you can:
R show the distance display
R activate/deactivate ESP ®
R activate/deactivate PRE-SAFE ®
Brake
R activate/deactivate ATTENTION ASSIST
R activate/deactivate Blind Spot Assist or
Active Blind Spot Assist
R activate/deactivate Lane Keeping Assist or
Active Lane Keeping Assist
Showing the distance display
This function is only available with
DISTRONIC PLUS.
XPress the = or ; button on the
steering wheel to select the DriveAssist
menu.XPress the 9 or : button to select
Distance Display .XPress a.
The DISTRONIC PLUS distance display
( Y page 183) appears in the multifunction
display.Deactivating/activating ESP ®GWARNING
Never switch off the ESP when you see the
ESP warning lamp ä flashing in the
instrument cluster. In this case proceed as
follows:
R When driving off, apply as little throttle as
possible.
R While driving, ease up on the accelerator
pedal.
R Adapt your speed and driving style to the
prevailing road conditions.
Failure to observe these guidelines could
cause the vehicle to skid. The ESP cannot
prevent accidents resulting from excessive
speed.
Activating/deactivating ESP ®
on AMG
vehicles ( Y page 67).
For further information about ESP ®
, see
( Y page 66).
XStart the engine.XPress = or ; on the steering wheel
to select the DriveAssist menu.XPress the 9 or : button to select
ESP .XPress the a button.XTo deactivate: press a again.
The å warning lamp in the instrument
cluster comes on.GWARNING
When the å ESP OFF warning lamp lights
up, ESP is switched off.
When the ä ESP warning lamp and the
å ESP OFF warning lamp are on
continuously, ESP is not operational due to a
malfunction.
When ESP is switched off or not operational,
the vehicle's stability during standard driving
maneuvers is reduced.
Adapt your driving style to suit the prevailing
road conditions/weather conditions and to
the non-operating status of ESP.
224Menus and submenusOn-board computer and displays

XTo activate: press a again.
The å warning lamp in the instrument
cluster goes out.
Activating/deactivating PRE-SAFE ®
Brake
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake is only available in vehicles
with DISTRONIC PLUS.
XPress the = or ; button on the
steering wheel to select the DriveAssist
menu.XPress 9 or : to select PRE-SAFE
Brake .XPress a.
The current selection is displayed.XTo activate/deactivate: press a
again.
When PRE-SAFE ®
Brake ( Y page 69) is
activated, the multifunction display shows
the Ä symbol as long as the HOLD
function is not activated ( Y page 187).
Vehicles with Parking Guidance: if
PARKTRONIC is activated and you are driving
at a speed under 22 mph (35 km/h) the j
symbol for Parking Guidance is displayed
instead of the Ä symbol.
Activating/deactivating ATTENTION
ASSIST
XPress the = or ; button on the
steering wheel to select the DriveAssist
menu.XPress the 9 or : button to select
Attention Asst. .XPress a.
The current selection is displayed.XTo activate/deactivate: press a
again.
When ATTENTION ASSIST ( Y page 199) is
activated, the À symbol appears in the
multifunction display when the ignition is on.
Activating/deactivating Blind Spot
Assist
You can use the Blind Spot Asst. function
to activate or deactivate Blind Spot Assist
( Y page 203) or Active Blind Spot Assist
( Y page 207).
XPress = or ; on the steering wheel
to select the DriveAssist menu.XPress 9 or : to select Blind Spot
Asst. .XPress a.
If the function is activated, the monitored
areas are shown in red in the multifunction
display.XTo activate/deactivate: press a
again.
Activating/deactivating Lane Keeping
Assist
You can use the Lane Keep. Asst. function
to activate/deactivate Lane Keeping Assist
( Y page 205) or Active Lane Keeping Assist
( Y page 210).
XPress the = or ; button on the
steering wheel to select the DriveAssist
menu.XPress the 9 or : button to select
Lane Keep. Asst. .XPress a.
If the function is activated, the road
markings are shown in red in the
multifunction display.XTo activate/deactivate: press a
again.
If Lane Keeping Assist or Active Lane keeping
Assist is activated, the multifunction display
shows the à symbol when the ignition is
switched on.
Menus and submenus225On-board computer and displaysZ

Service menu
In the Serv. menu you can:
R call up display messages ( Y page 234)
R restart the tire pressure loss warning
system (Canada only) ( Y page 353)
R check the tire pressure electronically
( Y page 355)
R call up the service due date ( Y page 312)
Settings menu
Introduction
The Sett. menu can be used for:
R changing the instrument cluster settings
R changing the light settings
R changing the vehicle settings
R changing the convenience settings
R restoring the factory settings
Instrument cluster
Selecting the unit of measurement for
distance
The Display Unit Speed-/Odometer:
function allows you to choose whether
certain displays appear in kilometers or miles.
The selected unit of measurement for
distance applies to:
R the digital speedometer in the Trip menu
R the odometer and the trip odometer
R the trip computer
R the current consumption and the range
R the navigation instruction in the Navi menu
R DISTRONIC PLUS
R ASSYST PLUS service interval displayXPress the = or ; button on the
steering wheel to select the Settings
menu.XPress the : or 9 button to select the
Instr. cluster submenu.XPress the a button to confirm.XPress the : or 9 button to select the
Display Unit Speed-/Odometer
function.
You will see the selected setting: km or
miles .XPress the a button to save the setting.
Selecting the permanent display function
The Permanent Display: function allows
you to choose whether the multifunction
display always shows the outside
temperature or the speed in km/h (USA) or
mph (Canada).
XPress the = or ; button on the
steering wheel to select the Settings
menu.XPress the : or 9 button to select the
Instr. cluster submenu.XPress the a button to confirm.XPress the : or 9 button to select the
Permanent display function.
You will see the selected setting Outside
Temperature or Speedometer [km/h]: .XPress the a button to save the setting.226Menus and submenusOn-board computer and displays