ground clearance MERCEDES-BENZ E-Class SEDAN 2012 W212 Owner's Manual

compartment unless they are firmly secured
in place.
Unsecured or improperly positioned cargo
increases a child's risk of injury in the event
of
R strong braking maneuvers
R sudden changes of direction
R an accidentGWARNING
Ensure that the trunk/tailgate is closed when
the engine is running and the vehicle is in
motion. Among other dangers, deadly carbon
monoxide (CO) may enter the vehicle interior
and cause unconsciousness and even death.
! The trunk lid/tailgate swings upwards
and to the rear when opened. Therefore,
make sure that there is sufficient clearance
above and behind the trunk lid/tailgate.
Sedan: to open the trunk lid completely, a
minimum clearance of 5.78 ft (1.76 m) above
the ground is necessary.
Wagon: to open the tailgate completely, a
minimum clearance of 6.36 ft (1.94 m) above
the ground is necessary.
Sedan without trunk lid remote closing
feature: the trunk lid can be:
R opened and closed manually from outside
R opened automatically from outside
R opened automatically from inside
R locked separately
R opened with the emergency release button
R unlocked with the mechanical key
Sedan with trunk lid remote closing
feature: the trunk lid can be:
R opened and closed manually from outside
R opened and closed automatically from
outside
R opened and closed automatically from
inside
R locked separately
Ropened with the emergency release button
R unlocked with the mechanical key
Wagon: you can:
R open and close the tailgate manually from
outside
R open the tailgate manually from inside
(Wagon with a folding bench seat)
R open and close the tailgate automatically
from outside
R open and close the tailgate automatically
from inside
R limit the opening angle of the tailgate
R unlock the tailgate using the mechanical
key.
Opening and closing manually
Opening
XPress the % button on the SmartKey.
Handle (example: Sedan)
XSedan: pull handle :.XRaise the trunk lid.
Wagon: if you pull handle : and keep it in
this position, you can open the tailgate
manually. If you release the handle, the
tailgate opens automatically.
Closing
GWARNING
To prevent possible personal injury, always
keep hands and fingers away from the trunk/
Trunk/cargo compartment85Opening/closingZ

cargo compartment opening when closing the
trunk lid/tailgate. Be especially careful when
small children are around.
Recess (example: Sedan)
XPull the trunk lid/tailgate down using
recess :.XWagon: push the tailgate closed from
outside the vehicle.XIf necessary, lock the vehicle with
the & button on the SmartKey
( Y page 74) or with KEYLESS-GO
( Y page 75).
i
If a KEYLESS-GO key is detected in the
trunk/cargo compartment, the trunk lid/
tailgate will not lock.
Sedan: the trunk lid then opens again.
Opening the tailgate from inside the
vehicle (Wagon with a folding bench
seat)
Inside of tailgate
XTo unlock the tailgate: slide locking
catch ; to the right.XTo open: pull the top of handle :.XSwing the tailgate upwards.XTo lock the tailgate: slide locking
catch ; to the left.
Opening/closing automatically from
outside
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Ensure that the trunk lid/tailgate is closed
when the engine is running and the vehicle is
in motion. Among other dangers, deadly
carbon monoxide (CO) may enter the vehicle
interior and cause unconsciousness and even
death.
! The trunk lid/tailgate swings upwards
and to the rear when opened. Therefore,
make sure that there is sufficient clearance
above and behind the trunk lid/tailgate.
Sedan: to open the trunk lid completely, a
minimum clearance of 5.78 ft (1.76 m) above
the ground is necessary.
Wagon: to open the tailgate completely, a
minimum clearance of 6.36 ft (1.94 m) above
the ground is necessary.
Opening
You can open the trunk lid/tailgate
automatically using the SmartKey or the
handle in the trunk lid/tailgate.
XPress and hold the F button on the
SmartKey until the trunk lid/tailgate
opens.
or
XWhen the trunk lid/tailgate is unlocked,
pull the trunk lid/tailgate handle and let it
go again immediately.86Trunk/cargo compartmentOpening/closing

XInsert the mechanical key into the trunk lid
lock as far as the stop.XTurn the mechanical key clockwise from
position 1 to position 2.XRemove the mechanical key.XInsert the mechanical key into the
SmartKey.
Unlocking the trunk (Sedan)
! The trunk lid swings upwards when
opened. Therefore, make sure that there is
sufficient clearance above the trunk lid.
If the trunk cannot be unlocked with the
SmartKey or KEYLESS-GO, use the
mechanical key.
If you use the mechanical key to unlock and
open the trunk lid, the anti-theft alarm system
will be triggered ( Y page 72).
XTake the mechanical key out of the
SmartKey ( Y page 77).XInsert the mechanical key into the trunk lid
lock as far as the stop.XTurn the mechanical key counter-clockwise
from position 1 as far as it will go to
position 2.
The trunk is unlocked.XTurn the mechanical key back to position
1 and remove it.XInsert the mechanical key into the
SmartKey.Trunk emergency release (Sedan)
You can open the trunk lid from inside the
vehicle with the emergency release button.XBriefly press emergency release
button :.
The trunk lid unlocks and opens.
The trunk lid can be unlocked and opened
with the trunk lid emergency release when
the vehicle is stationary or while driving.
Trunk lid emergency release light:
R emergency release button : flashes for
30 minutes after the trunk lid is opened.
R emergency release button : flashes for
60 minutes after the trunk lid is closed.
The trunk lid emergency release does not
open the trunk lid if the battery is
disconnected or discharged.
Tailgate emergency release (Wagon)
If the tailgate can no longer be opened from
outside the vehicle, use the emergency
release on inside of the tailgate.
On vehicles with a folding bench seat you can
open the tailgate from inside the vehicle using
the handle.
XTake the mechanical key out of the
SmartKey ( Y page 77).
To open the tailgate completely, a minimum
clearance of 6.36 ft (1.94 m) above the
ground is necessary.
Trunk/cargo compartment89Opening/closingZ

XDepress the accelerator pedal fully.
The engine speed increases to
approximately 4000 rpm.
The multifunction display shows the RACE
START Release brake to start
message.
i If you do not release the brake pedal
within seven seconds, RACE START is
canceled. The multifunction display shows
the RACE START canceled message.
XTake your foot off the brake, but keep the
accelerator pedal depressed.
The vehicle pulls away at maximum
acceleration.
The multifunction display shows the RACE
START active message.
RACE START is deactivated when a speed of
approximately 30 mph (Canada: 50 km/h) is
reached. Drive program S+ is activated.
SPORT handling mode remains activated.
RACE START is deactivated immediately if
you release the accelerator pedal during
RACE START or if any of the activation
conditions are no longer fulfilled. The
multifunction display shows the RACE START
not possible See Operator's Manual
message.
i If RACE START is used repeatedly within
a short period of time, it is only available
again after the vehicle has been driven a
certain distance.
AIRMATIC
Vehicle level
Important safety notes
Your vehicle regulates its height
automatically. All-round self-leveling ensures
the best possible suspension and constant
ground clearance, even with a laden vehicle.
When you drive fast, the vehicle is lowered
automatically to improve driving safety and to
reduce fuel consumption.
The following vehicle levels are possible:
R normal
R raised: the vehicle is raised by about 0.80 in
(20 mm) when compared with the normal
level
R lowered: the vehicle is lowered by about
0.40 in (10 mm) when compared with the
normal level
The "Normal" and "Raised" vehicle levels can
be set manually.
The "Lowered” vehicle level is set
automatically:
R at speeds above 70 mph (113 km/h)
R if you have selected "Sports tuning"
( Y page 190)
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 SmartKey from the ignition lock.GWARNING
To help avoid personal injury, keep hands and
feet away from wheel housing area, and stay
away from under the vehicle when lowering
the vehicle chassis.
Setting raised level
XStart the engine.Driving systems189Driving and parkingZ

Rear axle level control
The vehicle automatically sets the vehicle
level at the rear axle. Rear axle level control
ensures the best possible suspension and
that the ground clearance remains constant
even when the vehicle is loaded. This
improves driving safety and fuel
consumption.
Suspension tuning
General notes
The electronically controlled damping system
works continuously. This improves driving
safety and ride comfort.
The damping is tuned individually to each
wheel and depends on:
R your driving style, e.g. sporty
R the road surface condition, e.g. bumps
R your individual selection of Sport, Sport +
or Comfort
If you select Sport or Sport + mode and
restart the engine, the suspension setting
reverts to Comfort mode.
Sport mode
The firmer suspension tuning in Sport mode
ensures even better contact with the road.
Select this mode when employing a sporty
driving style, e.g. on winding country roads.
XPress button : once.
Indicator lamp ? lights up. You have
selected Sport mode.The AMG Suspension System SPORT
message appears in the multifunction
display.
Sport + mode
The very firm setting of the suspension tuning
in Sport + mode ensures the best possible
contact with the road. Select this mode only
when driving on race circuits.
If indicator lamps = and ? are off:
XPress button : twice.
Indicator lamps = and ? light up. You
have selected Sport + mode.
The AMG Suspension System SPORT +
message appears in the multifunction
display.
If indicator lamp ? lights up:
XPress button : once.
The second indicator lamp = lights up. You
have selected Sport + mode.
The AMG Suspension System SPORT +
message appears in the multifunction
display.
Comfort mode
In Comfort mode, the driving characteristics
of your vehicle are more comfortable. Select
this mode if you prefer a more comfortable
driving style, but also when driving fast on
straight roads, e.g. highways.
XPress button : repeatedly until indicator
lamps = and ? go out.
You have selected Comfort mode.
The AMG Suspension System COMFORT
message appears in the multifunction
display.
Storing and calling up settings
Once the suspension tuning and drive
program have been selected, you can store
and call up your settings using AMG
button ;.
XTo store: press AMG button ; until you
hear a tone.Driving systems191Driving and parkingZ