2004 MERCEDES-BENZ E320 tow

82 Safety and SecurityDriving safety systemsFour 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 flash-
ing in the speedometer, 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 resulting
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 opera-
tion, the engine and 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.

85 Safety and Security
Anti-theft systems
Canceling the alarm
With the SmartKey
Insert the SmartKey in the starter
switch.
or

Press the Œ or ‹ button on the
SmartKey.
The alarm is canceled.
With KEYLESS-GO*

Grasp the outside door handle.
or

Press the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop
button.
The alarm is canceled.
Tow-away alarm
Once the tow-away alarm is armed, a visual
and audible alarm will be triggered when
someone attempts to raise the vehicle.Arming the tow-away alarm
When you lock your vehicle, the tow-away
alarm is automatically armed after about
30 seconds.
When you unlock your vehicle, the
tow-away protection disarms automatical-
ly.
Disarming the tow-away alarm
To prevent triggering the tow-away alarm
feature, switch off the tow-away alarm be-
fore towing the vehicle, or when parking on
a surface subject to movement, such as a
ferry or auto train.
The button is located on the overhead con-
trol panel.
iThe tow-away protection alarm is trig-
gered, for example, if the vehicle is lift-
ed on one side.
If the alarm stays on for more than
20 seconds, an emergency call is initi-
ated automatically by the Tele Aid sys-
tem* (
page 250), provided that the
Tele Aid service was subscribed to and
properly activated, and that necessary
cellular service and GPS coverage are
available.

86 Safety and SecurityAnti-theft systems1Tow-away alarm off button
Switch off the ignition and remove the
SmartKey.

Press button1.
The indicator lamp in the button comes
on briefly.

Exit and lock your vehicle with the
SmartKey or (vehicles with KEY-
LESS-GO*) the lock button at each
door handle.
The tow-away alarm remains disarmed un-
til you lock your vehicle again.Canceling tow-away alarm
To cancel the alarm:
With the SmartKey

Insert the SmartKey in the starter
switch.
or

Press the Œ or ‹ button on the
SmartKey.
With KEYLESS-GO*

Grasp the outside door handle.
or

Press the KEYLESS-GO start/stop but-
ton.
iYou cannot disarm the tow-away alarm
when the ignition is switched on.

106 Controls in detailLocking and unlockingSeparately unlocking the trunk
Pull the mechanical key out of the
SmartKey (
page 353).

Insert the mechanical key in the trunk
lid lock.

Turn the mechanical key completely to
the left to position2, (
page 105).
You can now open the trunk (page 97).
A minimum height clearance of 5.90 ft
(1.80 m) is required to open the trunk lid.
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 9mph (15km/h) or more.
You can open a locked door from the in-
side. Open door only when conditions are
safe to do so.Information on towing the vehicle can be
found in the “Practical hints” section
(
page 381).
You can deactivate the automatic locking
mode over the control system
(page 149).
iUnlocking the trunk with the mechani-
cal key will trigger the anti-theft alarm
system. To cancel the alarm, do one of
the following:

Press button Œ or ‹ on the
SmartKey.


Insert the SmartKey in the starter
switch.
iThe doors unlock automatically after an
accident if the force of the impact ex-
ceeds a preset threshold.
The vehicle automatically locks when
the ignition is switched on and the
wheels are turning at vehicle speeds of
approximately 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

161 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 357).
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.

162 Controls in detailAutomatic transmission
Steering wheel gearshift control (Speedshift) E 55 AMG
You can change the gears manually on the
steering wheel or by using the gear
selector lever (
page 159).
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 only when
the vehicle is stopped.
!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 51).
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, hey 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 from the starter switch, take the
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* with you and
lock the vehicle. Do not leave children unat-
tended in the vehicle, or with access to an
unlocked vehicle. Children could move the
gear selector lever from positionP, which
could result in an accident and/or serious
personal injury.
!Avoid spinning of a drive wheel for an
extended period when driving off on
slippery road surfaces. This may cause
serious damage to the drive train which
is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.

222 Controls in detailDriving systems1Distance warning function on / off
switch
2Control lamp
3Thumbwheel for setting distance
Increasing distance
Increasing the distance setting tells
Distronic to maintain a greater following
distance to the vehicle ahead.
Turn thumbwheel3 towards¯.Decreasing distance
Decreasing the distance setting tells
Distronic to maintain a shorter following
distance to the vehicle ahead.

Turn thumbwheel3 towards®.
Distance warning function
When Distronic is deactivated, this func-
tion will continue to warn you when recog-
nizing a stationary obstacle or a slower
vehicle moving in the vehicle’s path and
the danger of a collision exists:


The distance warning lampl in the
instrument cluster comes on.


An intermittent warning sounds.
If these warnings are issued, you must
brake manually to maintain a safe distance
and avoid a collision with the vehicle
ahead.
When pressing the brake pedal, the warn-
ing sound stops. The warning sound also
stops when the distance to the vehicle ahead is sufficient again without applying
the brake pedal. In this case the distance
warning lamp also extinguishes.
Warning!
G
If the DTR warning lampl in the instru-
ment cluster comes on while driving and / or
an intermittent warning sounds, immediate
attention on the part of the driver is re-
quired.
As required by the traffic situation, apply the
brakes and navigate around a possible ob-
stacle. However, do not drive by relying on
the distance warning function, as this will re-
sult in an emergency braking application.
Especially depending on road surface condi-
tions and driver reaction, this will not always
enable you to avoid a collision.iComplex driving situations are not al-
ways fully recognized by Distronic. This
could result in wrong or missing dis-
tance warnings.

240 Controls in detailLoadingLoading instructions
The total load weight including vehicle oc-
cupants and luggage / cargo should not ex-
ceed the vehicle capacity weight indicated
on the certification tag which can be found
on the left door pillar.The handling characteristics of a fully load-
ed vehicle depend greatly on the load dis-
tribution. It is therefore recommended to
load the vehicle according to the illustra-
tions shown, with the heaviest items being
placed towards the front of the vehicle.
Always place items being carried against
front or rear seat backrests, and fasten
them as securely as possible.
The heaviest portion of the cargo should al-
ways be kept as low as possible since it in-
fluences the handling characteristics of
the vehicle.
Warning!
G
Always fasten items being carried as secure-
ly as possible.
In an accident, during hard braking or sud-
den maneuvers, loose items will be thrown
around inside the vehicle and can cause in-
jury to vehicle occupants unless the items
are securely fastened in the vehicle.
To help avoid personal injury during a colli-
sion or sudden maneuver, exercise care
when transporting cargo. Put luggage or car-
go in the trunk if possible. Do not pile lug-
gage or cargo higher than the seat backs.
Do not place anything on the rear-window
shelf.
Never drive vehicle with trunk open. Deadly
carbon monoxide (CO) gases may enter ve-
hicle interior resulting in unconsciousness
and death.