wheel MERCEDES-BENZ E320 BLUETEC 2007 W211 Owner's Guide

100 Safety and SecurityDriving safety systems

After driving on wet or snow-covered
roads, you should apply your brakes
firmly before parking your vehicle. This
produces heat which serves to dry the
brake disks and help prevent corro-
sion.


On long and steep grades, shift to a
lower gear (gear range 1, 2, or 3) to
prevent the brakes from overheating
and to reduce brake wear.


After hard braking, it is advisable to
drive on for some time so that the air
stream will cool down the brakes fast-
er.


Only Mercedes-Benz approved compo-
nents (e.g. brake pads) should be in-
stalled on your vehicle. Brake pads not
approved by Mercedes-Benz may im-
pair the safety of your vehicle.
EBP
The Electronic Brake Proportioning (EBP)
enhances braking effectiveness by allow-
ing the rear brakes to supply a greater pro-
portion of the braking effort in straight line
breaking without a loss of vehicle stability.
ESP
®
The Electronic Stability Program (ESP
®) is
operational as soon as the engine is run-
ning and monitors the vehicle’s traction
(force of adhesive friction between the
tires and the road surface) and handling.
The ESP
® recognizes when a wheel is spin-
ning or if the vehicle starts to skid. By ap-
plying the brakes to the appropriate wheel
and by limiting engine output, the ESP
®
works to stabilize the vehicle. The ESP® is
especially useful while driving off and on
wet or slippery road surfaces. The ESP®
also stabilizes the vehicle during braking
and steering maneuvers.
The ESP
® warning lamp v in the
instrument cluster flashes when the ESP
®
is engaged.
The ESP
® warning lamp v in the
instrument cluster comes on when you
switch on the ignition. It goes out when the
engine is running.
Warning!
G
When the EBP is malfunctioning, the ABS,
BAS, and ESP
® are also switched off.
If the EBP is malfunctioning, the brake sys-
tem will still function with full brake boost.
However, the rear wheels could lock up dur-
ing emergency braking situations, for exam-
ple. You could lose control of the vehicle and
cause an accident. Adapt your driving style
to the changed driving characteristics.

101 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
For more information, see the “Practical
hints” section (
page 381) and
(
page 402).
Warning!
G
Never switch off the ESP
® when you see the
ESP
® warning lamp v flashing in the in-
s t r u m e n t c l u s t e r . I n t h i s c a s e p r o c e e d a s f o l -
lows:


While driving off, apply as little throttle
as possible.


While driving, ease up on the accelera-
tor.


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 result-
ing from excessive speed.
Warning!
G
The ESP
® cannot prevent the natural laws of
physics from acting on the vehicle, nor can
it increase the traction afforded. The ESP
®
cannot prevent accidents, including those
resulting from excessive speed in turns, or
hydroplaning. Only a safe, attentive, and
skillful driver can prevent accidents. The ca-
pabilities of an ESP
® equipped vehicle must
never be exploited in a reckless or danger-
ous manner which could jeopardize the us-
er’s safety or the safety of others.
!
The ESP
® will only function properly if you
use wheels of the recommended tire size
(
page 481).
!
Vehicles without 4MATIC:
Because the ESP
® operates automatically, the
engine and the ignition must be shut off
(SmartKey in starter switch position0 or1 or
KEYLESS-GO start/stop button* in position0
or1) when:


the parking brake is being tested on a brake
test dynamometer


the vehicle is being towed with the front axle
raised
Active braking action through the ESP
® may oth-
erwise seriously damage the brake system.
For information on vehicles with 4MATIC, see
“Four wheel electronic traction system (4MATIC)
with the ESP
®” (page 105).

102 Safety and SecurityDriving safety systemsSwitching off the ESP
®
Switching off the ESP
®
(except E 63 AMG)
To improve the vehicle’s traction, switch
off the ESP
® in driving situations where it
would be advantageous to have drive
wheels spin and thus cut into surfaces for
better grip such as:


when driving with snow chains


in deep snow


in sand or gravelWhen you switch off the ESP
®


the ESP
® does not stabilize the vehicle


the engine output is not limited, which
allows the drive wheels to spin and
thus cut into surfaces for better grip


the traction control will still apply the
brakes to a spinning wheel


the ESP
® continues to operate when
you are braking


you cannot activate the cruise control
or the Distronic*


the cruise control or Distronic* switch
off if currently activatedThe switch is located on the center con-
sole.
1ESP
® switch

With the engine running, press ESP
®
switch1 until the ESP
® warning
lampv in the instrument cluster
comes on.
The ESP
® is switched off.
Warning!
G
The ESP
® should not be switched off during
normal driving other than in the circum-
stances described below. Disabling of the
system will reduce vehicle stability in driving
maneuvers.
Do not switch off the ESP
® when a spare
wheel is mounted.
Warning!
G
Switch on the ESP
® immediately if the afore-
mentioned circumstances do not apply any-
more. Otherwise the ESP
® will not stabilize
the vehicle when it is starting to skid or a
wheel is spinning.
i
When the ESP
® is switched off and one or
more drive wheels are spinning, the ESP
® warn-
ing lamp v in the instrument cluster flashes.
However, the ESP
® will then not stabilize the ve-
hicle.

103 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
Switching off the ESP
® (E 63 AMG only)When you switch off the ESP
®


the ESP
® does not stabilize the vehicle


the engine output is not limited, which
allows the drive wheels to spin


the traction control will still apply the
brakes to a spinning wheel


the ESP
® operates while you are brak-
ing


you cannot activate the cruise control
or the Distronic*


the cruise control or Distronic* switch
off if currently activated
Warning!
G
When the ESP
® warning lamp v is
illuminated continuously, the ESP
® is
switched off or is not operational due to a
malfunction. Vehicle stability in standard
driving maneuvers is reduced.
Adapt your speed and driving to the prevail-
ing road conditions and to the non-operating
status of the ESP
®.
!
Avoid spinning of a drive wheel for an ex-
tended period with the ESP
® switched off. This
may cause serious damage to the drivetrain
which is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.
Warning!
G
The ESP
® should not be switched off during
normal driving. Disabling of the system will
result in the following:


no restriction to engine torque


loss of system supported traction
control
“ESP® O F F ” i s d e s i g n e d f or driving on closed
tracks when the vehicle’s natural oversteer
and understeer characteristics are desired
and requires a highly skilled and experi-
enced driver able to handle these critical
driving situations.
You could lose control of your vehicle and
cause an accident.
Please be aware of these limits when you
switch off the ESP
®.
Do not switch off the ESP
® when a spare
wheel is mounted.
i
When the ESP
® is switched off and one or
more drive wheels are spinning, the ESP
® warn-
ing lamp v in the instrument cluster flashes.
However, the ESP
® will then not stabilize the ve-
hicle.

104 Safety and SecurityDriving safety systemsThe switch is located on the center con-
sole.
1ESP
® switch

With the engine running, press ESP
®
switch1 until the ESP
® warning
lampv in the instrument cluster
comes on.
The ESP
® is switched off.Switching on the ESP
®

Press ESP
® switch1 until the ESP
®
warning lamp v in the instrument
cluster goes out.
You are now again in normal driving
mode with the ESP
® switched on.
Warning!
G
When the ESP
® warning lamp v is
illuminated continuously, the ESP
® is
switched off or is not operational due to a
malfunction. Vehicle stability in standard
driving maneuvers is reduced.
Adapt your speed and driving to the prevail-
ing road conditions and to the non-operating
status of the ESP
®.
!
Avoid spinning of a drive wheel for an ex-
tended period with the ESP
® switched off. This
may cause serious damage to the drivetrain
which is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.

105 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
Four wheel electronic traction system (4MATIC) with the ESP
®
Models with all-wheel-drive only.
The 4MATIC improves the vehicle’s ability
to use available traction, e.g. during winter
operation in mountains under slippery road
conditions, by applying power to all four
wheels.Warning!
G
If you see the ESP
® warning lampv
flashing in the instrument cluster, proceed
as follows:


While driving off, apply as little throttle
as possible.


While driving, ease up on the accelera-
tor.


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 result-
ing from excessive speed.
!
Do not tow with one axle raised.
Otherwise the transfer case can be damaged,
which is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.
!
Performance testing must only be conduct-
ed on a two-axle dynamometer.
Otherwise the transfer case can be damaged,
which is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.
!
Because the ESP
® operates automatically,
the engine and the ignition must be shut off
(SmartKey in starter switch position0 or 1 or
KEYLESS-GO start/stop button* in position0
or1) when the parking brake is being tested on a
brake test dynamometer.
Active braking action through the ESP
® may oth-
erwise seriously damage the brake system.
Operational tests with the engine running can
only be conducted on a two-axle dynamometer.

127 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking

Turn the mechanical key clockwise to
position2 to lock the trunk.
The trunk remains locked even when the
vehicle is centrally unlocked.

Insert the mechanical key in the trunk
lid lock.

Turn the mechanical key counterclock-
wise to neutral position1 to unlock the
trunk.
You can now open the trunk
(page 120).
Automatic central locking
The doors and the trunk automatically lock
when the ignition is switched on and the
wheels are turning at vehicle speeds of ap-
proximately 9 mph (15 km / h) or more.
The locking knobs in the doors move down.
You can open a locked door from the in-
side. Open door only when conditions are
safe to do so.
You can deactivate the automatic locking
mode using the control system
(page 176).
Locking and unlocking from the inside
You can lock or unlock the doors and the
trunk from inside using the central locking
switch. This can be useful, for example, if
you want to lock the vehicle before starting
to drive.
The fuel filler flap cannot be locked or un-
locked with the central locking switch.
i
You can only cancel the separate trunk lock-
ing mode by means of the mechanical key.
i
The doors are designed to unlock automati-
cally after an accident if the force of the impact
exceeds a preset threshold. The vehicle locks au-
tomatically when the ignition is switched on and
the wheels are turning at vehicle speeds of ap-
proximately 9 mph (15 km/h) or more. You could
therefore lock yourself out when the vehicle


is pushed or towed


is on a test stand
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey or SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
from the starter switch, take it with you, and
lock the vehicle. Do not leave children unat-
tended in the vehicle, or with access to an
unlocked vehicle. A child’s unsupervised ac-
cess to a vehicle could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury.

134 Controls in detailMemory functionPrior to operating the vehicle, the driver
should check and adjust the seat height,
seat position fore and aft, and seat back-
rest angle if necessary, to ensure adequate
control, reach and comfort. The head re-
straint should also be adjusted for proper
height. See also the section on air bags
(page 70) for more information on prop-
er seat positioning.
In addition, adjust the steering wheel to
ensure adequate control, reach, operation
and comfort. Both the interior and exterior
rear view mirrors should be adjusted for
adequate rear vision.
Fasten seat belts. Infants and small chil-
dren should be seated in a properly se-
cured restraint system that complies with
U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Stan-
dards 213 and 225 and Canadian Motor
Vehicle Safety Standards 213 and 210.2.With the memory function you can store up
to three different settings.
Each stored position on the driver’s side
includes the following settings:


Driver’s seat, backrest, head restraint
position


Multicontour seat*: previously saved
setting


Steering wheel position


Exterior rear view mirrors’ positionEach stored position on the front
passenger side includes the following
settings:


Front passenger seat, backrest, head
restraint position


Multicontour seat*: previously saved
setting
Warning!
G
Do not activate the memory function while
driving. Activating the memory function
while driving could cause the driver to lose
control of the vehicle.

135 Controls in detail
Memory function
MMemory button
1, 2, 3Memory position button
Switch on the ignition (
page 37).
or

Open the respective door.
Storing positions into memory
Adjust the seats, steering wheel and
exterior rear view mirrors to the de-
sired position (
page 41).

Press memory buttonM.

Release memory buttonM and press
memory position button 1, 2 or 3 with-
in 3 seconds.
All the settings are stored to the select-
ed position.
Recalling positions from memory
Press and hold memory position
button1, 2 or3 until the seat, steering
wheel and exterior rear view mirrors
have completely moved to the stored
positions.
!
Do not operate the power seats using the
memory button if the seat backrest is in an ex-
cessively reclined position. Doing so could cause
damage to front or rear seats.
First move seat backrest to an upright position.
i
Releasing the memory position button stops
movement to the stored positions immediately.
The multicontour seat* will continue to be ad-
justed.

136 Controls in detailMemory functionStoring exterior rear view mirror park-ing position
For easier parking, you can adjust the pas-
senger-side exterior rear view mirror so
that you can see the right rear wheel as
soon as you engage reverse gearR.
For information on activating the parking
position, see “Activating exterior rear view
mirror parking position” (
page 200).
1Driver’s side exterior rear view mirror
button
2Passenger side exterior rear view mir-
ror button
3Adjustment button
4Memory button M

Stop the vehicle.

Switch on the ignition (
page 37).

Press button2.
The passenger-side exterior rear view
mirror is selected.

Adjust the exterior rear view mirror
with adjustment button3 so that you
see the rear wheel and the road curb.

Press memory button M 4.

Within 3 seconds, press bottom of ad-
justment button3.
The parking position is stored if the
mirror does not move.
i
If the mirror does move, repeat the above
steps. After the setting is stored, you can move
the mirror again.