parking brake MERCEDES-BENZ E350 4MATIC 2006 W211 User Guide

98 Safety and SecurityDriving safety systems
The electrohydraulic brake system is auto-
matically activated when you

unlock the vehicle with the SmartKey
or the KEYLESS-GO*


open the driver’s or passenger door


turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position1


in vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*, press
the start/stop button on the gear se-
lector lever once


depress the brake pedal


release the parking brake
Warning!
G
The electrohydraulic brake system requires
electrical power to operate.
A malfunction in the vehicle’s power supply
or electrical system may impair brake sys-
tem operation and switch it into its emer-
gency operation mode. In such a case, the
red brake warning lamp (
page 376) and
warning messages in the instrument cluster
(
page 386) come on while driving. To
brake, the driver must then apply signifi-
cantly greater brake pedal pressure and de-
press the pedal much further to obtain the
expected braking effect. If necessary, apply
full pressure to the brake pedal. Brakes may
only be applied to the front wheels. Stop-
ping distance is increased!
If there is a malfunction in the electrohy-
draulic brake system, we recommend that
the vehicle be transported with all wheels
off the ground using flatbed or appropriate
wheel lift/dolly equipment.
A tow bar must be used if circumstances do
not permit the use of the recommended
towing methods and the vehicle requires
towing with all four wheels on the ground.
Towing the vehicle with all four wheels on
the ground is only permissible for distances
u p t o 3 0 m i l e s ( 5 0 k m ) a n d a t a s p e e d n o t t o
exceed 30 mph (50 km/h). For more infor-
mation, refer to “Towing the vehicle”
(page 457).
iIf the electrohydraulic brake system is
activated as the brake pedal is first de-
pressed, you may feel a reduced pedal
resistance and longer pedal travel than
normal. When releasing the pedal, you
may also feel the brake pedal pulsate
and you may hear a sound which is
caused by the activation of the electro-
hydraulic brake system pump. This is
normal and not an indication of a mal-
function. Pedal travel returns to normal
when you release the brake pedal and
the sound soon ceases.
If you experience the above while driv-
ing and the red brake warning lamp
(page 376) illuminates and/or warn-
ing messages appear in the instrument
cluster (
page 386), the brake system
is malfunctioning. Follow the instruc-
tions of the warning message(s) and
have the brake system checked imme-
diately.

99 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
The electrohydraulic brake servo assis-
tance switches off automatically

approximately 2 minutes after you
turned the SmartKey in the starter
switch to position0 or removed the
SmartKey


approximately 2 minutes after you
pressed the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop
button to turn off the engine or power
supply and opened the driver’s door
(with driver’s door open, the starter
switch is set to position 0, same as
SmartKey removed from starter
switch)


approximately 20 seconds after you
locked the vehicle from outside.Note on driving with the electrohydrau-
lic brake system


Following extended periods of only mi-
nor loads to your brake system, you
should occasionally apply the brakes
when traveling at high speeds. This im-
proves the grip of the brake pads.


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 range1, 2, or 3) to
prevent the brakes from overheating
and to reduce brake wear.
Warning!
G
Have brake pad replacement and other work
on the electrohydraulic brake system car-
ried out by qualified technicians only. Con-
tact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
for further information. The electrohydraulic
brake system must be deactivated prior to
working on the system. High pressure is in-
termittently built up in the system as part of
its automatic self-test. In addition, the sys-
tem is automatically activated when the ve-
hicle is unlocked by SmartKey, when the
driver or passenger door is opened, when
the starter switch is turned to position
1,
when the brake pedal is depressed or when
the parking brake is released. Failure to de-
activate the system prior to maintenance
will cause brake pistons to extend and brake
fluid to leak, which may result in injuries
(contusions and acid burns). Extended
brake pistons may also cause injury.
Warning!
G
Be very careful not to endanger other road
users when you apply the brakes.

100 Safety and SecurityDriving safety systems

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.
Four wheel electronic traction system
(4MATIC) with the ESP
®
Models with all-wheel-drive only.
The 4MATIC improves vehicle’s ability to
use available traction, e.g. during winter
operation in mountains under snowy
conditions, by applying power to all four
wheels.
Warning!
G
If you see the ESP
® warning lampv
flashing in the speedometer, proceed as fol-
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.
!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 con-
ducted on a two-axle dynamometer.
Otherwise the transfer case can be
damaged, which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.!Because of the ESP’s
® automatic oper-
ation, 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.
Active braking action through ESP
®
may otherwise seriously damage the
front or rear axle brake system.
Operational tests with the engine
running can only be conducted on a
two-axle dynamometer.

184 Controls in detailAutomatic transmission1Current gear range/gear selector lever
position
2Current program mode
The current gear range/gear selector lever
position and program mode (
C/S) or
(
M/C/S) (E 55 AMG only) appear in the mul-
tifunction display.An additional indication of the current gear
selector lever position can be found on the
cover of the shifting-gate.
The indicators come on when you activate
a switch (e.g. unlocking the vehicle or
opening a door) and go out after approxi-
mately 15 minutes.
When the gear selector lever is in
positionD, you can influence transmission
shifting by:


limiting the gear range


changing gears manually
Warning!
G
It is dangerous to shift the gear selector
lever out ofP orN if the engine speed is
higher than idle speed. If your foot is not
firmly on the brake pedal, the vehicle could
accelerate quickly forward or reverse. You
could lose control of the vehicle and hit
someone or something. Only shift into gear
when the engine is idling normally and when
your right foot is firmly on the brake pedal.
!Allow engine to warm up under low
load use. Do not place full load on the
engine until the operating temperature
has been reached.
Shift into reverse gear R or parking
positionP only when the vehicle is
stopped.
Avoid spinning of a drive wheel for an
extended period when driving off on
slippery road surfaces. This may cause
serious damage to the drivetrain which
is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.

185 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Gear selector lever position
Effect
ì
Park position
Gear selector lever position
when the vehicle is parked. Place
gear selector lever in positionP
only when vehicle is stopped.
The park position is not intended
to serve as a brake when the
vehicle is parked. Rather, the
driver should always set the
parking brake in addition to
placing the gear selector lever in
positionP to secure the vehicle.
EffectThe SmartKey can only be
removed from the starter switch
with the gear selector lever in
positionP. With the SmartKey
removed, the gear selector lever
is locked in positionP.
If the vehicle’s electrical system
is malfunctioning, the gear
selector lever could remain
locked in positionP
(page 428).
í
Reverse gear
Place gear selector lever in
positionR only when vehicle is
stopped.
Effect
ë
Neutral
No power is transmitted from the
engine to the drive axle. When
the brakes are released, the
vehicle can be moved freely
(pushed or towed).
To avoid damage to the trans-
mission, never engageN while
driving.
If the ESP
® is deactivated or
malfunctioning:
Move gear selector lever toN
only if the vehicle is in danger of
skidding, e.g. on icy roads.
ê
Drive
The transmission shifts
automatically. All forward gears
are available.

186 Controls in detailAutomatic transmission
Driving tips
Accelerator position
Your driving style influences the
transmission’s shifting behavior:
Less throttle Earlier upshifting
More throttle Later upshifting
Kickdown
Use kickdown when you want maximum
acceleration.
Press the accelerator past the point of
resistance.
The transmission shifts into a lower
gear.

Ease on the accelerator when you have
reached the desired speed.
The transmission shifts up again.
!Coasting the vehicle, or driving for any
other reason with gear selector lever
inN can result in transmission damage
that is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.Warning!
G
Getting out of your vehicle with the gear
selector lever not fully engaged in positionP
is dangerous. Also, positionP alone is not
intended to or capable of preventing your
vehicle from moving, possibly hitting people
or objects.
Always set the parking brake in addition to
shifting to positionP (
page 61).
When parked on an incline, turn the front
wheels towards the road curb.
Do not park this vehicle in areas where com-
bustible materials such as grass, hay or
leaves can come into contact with the hot
exhaust system, as these materials could be
ignited and cause a vehicle fire.
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey or the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* from the starter switch, take
it with you, and lock the vehicle. Do not
leave children unattended in the vehicle, or
w i t h a c c e s s t o a n u n l o c k e d v e h i c l e . C h i l d r e n
could move the gear selector lever from
positionP, which could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury.

187 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Stopping
When you stop briefly, e.g. at traffic lights:
Leave the transmission in gear.

Hold the vehicle with the brake.
When you stop longer with the engine
idling and/or on a hill:

Set the parking brake.

Move the gear selector lever to
positionP.Maneuvering
When you maneuver in tight areas,
e.g. when pulling into a parking space:

Control the vehicle speed by gradually
releasing the brakes.

Accelerate gently.

Never abruptly step on the accelerator.Working on the vehicle
Warning!
G
When working on the vehicle, set the
parking brake and move gear selector lever
to positionP. Otherwise the vehicle could
roll away.

243 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Driving systems
The driving systems of your vehicle are de-
scribed on the following pages:

Cruise control and Distronic*, with
which the vehicle can maintain a preset
speed


Airmatic DC* adjusts the vehicle sus-
pension characteristics automatically
and controls the vehicle level


Parktronic system*, which assists the
driver during parking maneuvers
For information on BAS, ABS, electrohy-
draulic brake system and ESP
® driving sys-
tems, see “Driving safety systems”
(
page 92).
Cruise control
The cruise control automatically maintains
the speed you set for your vehicle.
Use of cruise control is recommended for
driving at a constant speed for extended
periods of time. You can set or resume
cruise control at any speed above 20 mph
(30 km/h).
The cruise control function is operated by
means of the cruise control lever.
The cruise control lever is the uppermost
lever on the left-hand side of the steering
column (
page 22).
Warning!
G
The cruise control is a convenience system
designed to assist the driver during vehicle
operation. The driver is and must remain at
all times responsible for the vehicle speed
and for safe brake operation.
Only use the cruise control if the road, traffic
and weather conditions make it advisable to
travel at a steady speed.

The use of cruise control can be danger-
ous on winding roads or in heavy traffic
because conditions do not allow safe
driving at a steady speed.


The use of cruise control can be danger-
ous on slippery roads. Rapid changes in
tire traction can result in wheel spin and
loss of control.


Deactivate the cruise control when driv-
ing in fog.
The “Resume” function should only be oper-
ated if the driver is fully aware of the previ-
ously set speed and wishes to resume this
particular preset speed.

245 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Canceling cruise control
There are several ways to cancel the cruise
control:
Step on the brake pedal.
The cruise control is canceled. The last
speed set is stored for later use.
or

Briefly push the cruise control lever in
direction of arrow3 (
page 244).
The cruise control is canceled. The last
speed set is stored for later use.
iThe last stored speed is canceled when
you turn off the engine.
iThe cruise control switches off auto-
matically if

you step on the brake pedal.


you depress the parking brake
pedal.
In this case the segments in the
multifunction display (
page 249)
go out and no warning sounds.


the vehicle speed is below 20 mph
(30 km/h).


the ESP
® is in operation or
switched off with the ESP
® switch
(
page 96).


you move the gear selector lever to
position N while driving.
The segments in the multifunction dis-
play (page 249) go out, and an
acoustic warning sounds.
!Moving gear selector lever to
positionN while driving also cancels
the cruise control. However, the gear
selector lever should not be moved to
positionN while driving except to coast
when the vehicle is in danger of skid-
ding (e.g. on icy roads).iDepressing the accelerator pedal does
not deactivate the cruise control. After
brief acceleration (e.g. for passing), the
cruise control will resume the last
speed set.

252 Controls in detailDriving systemsDistronic activated
If you turn Distronic on, you will see the set
speed in the multifunction display for
about 5 seconds. When Distronic is
activated, you will see the following display
in the multifunction display.
1Distronic activatedCruise control lever
The Distronic system is operated by means
of the cruise control lever.
The cruise control lever is the uppermost
lever on the left-hand side of the steering
column.
1Set current or higher speed
2Set current or lower speed
3Deactivate Distronic
4Resume at last set speedActivating Distronic
You can activate Distronic if


you are driving between 20 mph
(30km/h) and 110mph (180km/h)


the ESP
® is activated (
page 94)
If Distronic has not been activated after
pressing the cruise control lever you will
see the message
---
in the multifunction
display.
In the following cases you cannot activate
Distronic


up to 2 minutes after starting the en-
gine


when you brake


if you have set the parking brake


if the gear selector lever is in
positionP, R or N


if the ESP
® is switched off