2008 MERCEDES-BENZ E-CLASS ESTATE brake

Driving sys
tems 149
i
Make sure that you maintain the mini-
mum distance to the vehicle in front
required by law. Adjust the distance to the
vehicle in front if necessary.
Distance warning function Even if Distronic is deactivated, this function
warns you at speeds above 30 km/h if:
R
the distance to the vehicle in front is too
short for the speed you are driving at for
several seconds. The ldistance warn-
ing lamp in the instrument cluster then
lights up.
R you are approaching a vehicle in front at too
great a speed. You then hear an intermit-
tent warning tone, and the ldistance
warning lamp in the instrument cluster
lights up.
You must apply the brakes yourself in order
to maintain the correct distance to the vehicle
and to avoid a collision. G
Risk of accident
Be especially observant of traffic condi-
tions when the ldistance warning lamp
in the instrument cluster lights up or an
intermittent warning tone sounds. Brake or take evasive action as necessary.
i Distronic does not always clearly recog-
nise complex road and traffic conditions.
You may then receive a false distance warn-
ing tone or none at all.
X To activate/deactivate: press button1.
When the function is activated, indicator
lamp 2in the button lights up and a loud-
speaker symbol appears in the display.
When the function is deactivated, indicator
lamp 2in the button goes out and the
loudspeaker symbol disappears from the
multi-function display.
Distronic displays in the speedometer 1
Stored speed When Distronic is activated, one or two seg-
ments in the set speed range light up.
i For design reasons, the speed displayed
in the speedometer may differ slightly from
the speed set for Distronic. 1
Segments
If Distronic detects a vehicle in front, the seg-
ments between the speed of the vehicle in
front and the stored speed light up.
Distronic menu in the on-board com-
puter You can read the current Distronic settings in
the Distronic menu. The reading in the multi-
function display depends on whether Dis-
tronic and the distance warning function are
activated or deactivated. Controls
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Driving sys
tems 150
X
Press the èorÿ button repeatedly
until one of the following two displays
appears in the multi-function display.
Distronic deactivated
When Distronic is deactivated you will see the
standard Distronic display in the multi-func-
tion display. 1
Vehicle in front, if detected
2 Distance indicator, displaying current dis-
tance to the vehicle in front
3 Specified minimum distance to the vehi-
cle in front, adjustable
4 Own vehicle
5 Symbol for activated distance warning
function
Distronic activated
When Distronic is activated, the stored speed
appears in the multi-function display for
approximately five seconds. With Distronic activated, you will see the following in the
multi-function display:
1
Display for activated Distronic
Deactivating Distronic 1
To deactivate Distronic
2 LIM indicator lamp
3 To switch between Distronic and variable
Speedtronic There are several ways to deactivate Dis-
tronic:
X
Briefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards 1.
or
X Brake.
or
X Briefly press the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow 3.
Variable Speedtronic is selected. LIM indi-
cator lamp 2in the cruise control lever
lights up.
i You will see the Distronic off message
in the multi-function display for approxi-
mately five seconds.
The last speed stored is cleared when you
switch off the engine.
i Distronic is not deactivated if you depress
the accelerator pedal. If you accelerate
briefly to overtake, Distronic adjusts the
vehicle's speed to the last speed stored
after you have finished overtaking.
Distronic is automatically deactivated if:
R you depress the parking brake
R you are driving at less than 30 km/h Controls
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Driving sys
tems 151
R
ESP ®
is intervening or you deactivate
ESP ®
R you move the selector lever* to Nwhile
driving
If Distronic is deactivated, you will hear a
warning tone. You will see the Distronic
off message in the multi-function display for
approximately five seconds.
Tips for driving with Distronic The following contains descriptions of certain
road and traffic conditions in which you must
be particularly attentive. In such situations,
brake if necessary. Distronic is then deacti-
vated. Cornering, going into and coming out of a
bend The ability of Distronic to detect vehicles
when cornering is limited. Your vehicle may
brake unexpectedly or belatedly.
Vehicles travelling on a different line Distronic may not detect vehicles travelling
on a different line. The distance to the vehicle
in front will be too short.
Other vehicles changing lane
Distronic has not yet detected the vehicle
cutting in. The distance to this vehicle will be
too short. Controls
* optional
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Driving sys
tems 152
Narrow vehicles
Distronic has not yet detected the vehicle in
front on the edge of the carriageway, because
of its relatively narrow width. The distance to
the vehicle in front will be too short. Speedtronic
Speedtronic brakes automatically so that you
do not exceed the set speed. On long and
steep downhill gradients, especially if the
vehicle is laden or towing a trailer, you must
shift to a lower gear in good time or select
shift range 1,2or 3in vehicles with automatic
transmission*. By doing so you will make use
of the braking effect of the engine, which
relieves the load on the brake system and
prevents the brakes from overheating and wearing too quickly. If you need additional
braking, depress the brake pedal repeatedly
rather than continuously. G
Risk of accident
Never depress the brake pedal continu-
ously while the vehicle is in motion, e.g.
never cause the brakes to rub by applying
constant slight pedal pressure. This causes
the brake system to overheat, increases
the braking distance and can lead to the
brakes failing completely. G
Risk of accident
Do not change down for additional engine
braking on a slippery road surface. This
could cause the drive wheels to lose their
grip and the vehicle could skid.
You can set a variable or permanent limit
speed:
R Variable for speed limits, e.g. in built-up
areas
R Permanent for long-term speed restric-
tions, e.g. for driving on winter tyres
(Y page 154) G
Risk of accident
Speedtronic is only an aid designed to
assist driving. You are responsible for the vehicle's speed and for braking in good
time.
i The speed indicated in the speedometer
may differ slightly from the limit speed
stored.
Variable Speedtronic With the cruise control lever, you can operate
cruise control, Distronic* and variable
Speedtronic.
The LIM indicator lamp on the cruise control
lever indicates which system you have selec-
ted:
R LIM indicator lamp off:
cruise control or Distronic* is selected
R LIM indicator lamp lit:
variable Speedtronic is selected
You can use the cruise control lever to limit
the speed to any speed above 30 km/ hwhile
the engine is running. Controls
* optional
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Driving sys
tems 155
Permanent Speedtronic is deactivated.
R A limit speed between 240 km/hand
160 km/h in increments of 10 km/h.
X To select a different display, press the
j, èorÿ button. HOLD
HOLD relieves the strain on the driver:
R when pulling away, especially on steep
slopes
R when manoeuvring on steep slopes
R when waiting in traffic
The vehicle is kept stationary without the
driver having to depress the brake pedal.
The braking effect is cancelled and HOLD
deactivated when you depress the accelera-
tor pedal to pull away.
Activation conditions You can activate HOLD if:
R
the vehicle is stationary
R the engine is running
R the driver's door is closed
R the parking brake is not applied R
the bonnet is closed
R on vehicles with automatic transmission*,
the selector lever is in position D,Ror N
Activating HOLD X
Make sure that the activation conditions
are met.
X Depress the brake.
X Depress the brake again quickly until
HOLD appears in the display.
HOLD is activated. You can release the
brake pedal.
i If depressing the brake pedal the first
time does not activate HOLD, wait briefly
and then try again. G
Risk of accident
The vehicle's brakes are applied when
HOLD is activated. For this reason, deacti-
vate HOLD if the vehicle is to be set in
motion by other means (e.g. in a car wash
or by towing). Deactivating HOLD HOLD is deactivated if:
R
you accelerate. On vehicles with automatic
transmission*, only if the selector lever is
in position Dor R.
R the selector lever is moved to Pon vehicles
with automatic transmission*
R you release the brakes completely and
apply them again with a certain amount of
pressure until the HOLDmessage in the
multi-function display goes out G
Risk of accident
Never get out of the vehicle when HOLD is
activated.
HOLD must never be operated or deactiva-
ted by a passenger or from outside the
vehicle.
HOLD does not replace the parking brake
and must not be used for parking.
The HOLD braking effect is cancelled and
the vehicle can start moving if: Controls
* optional
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Driving sys
tems 156 R
HOLD is deactivated by depressing the
accelerator pedal or the brake pedal
R there is a malfunction in the system or an
interruption in the power supply, e.g. bat-
tery failure
R the electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses are
tampered with
R the battery is disconnected G
Risk of accident
If you wish to leave the vehicle or park it,
deactivate HOLD and secure the vehicle
against rolling away.
You will see a warning message in the multi-
function display if HOLD is activated and:
R the driver's door is opened and you release
the seat belt
R the ignition is switched off
R the bonnet is opened
Vehicles with manual transmission:
Brake immediately
X Immediately depress the brake pedal firmly
until the warning message in the multi-
function display goes out. This deactivates
HOLD. Vehicles with automatic transmission*:
Selector lever in park position
X Move the selector lever to Pto prevent the
vehicle from rolling away.
HOLD is deactivated. The warning message
in the multi-function display goes out.
A horn will also sound at regular intervals if
HOLD is activated and you:
R stop the engine and open the driver's door
R open the bonnet
The horn draws your attention to the fact that
the vehicle has been parked while HOLD is
still activated. The sound becomes louder if
you attempt to lock the vehicle. The vehicle
is not locked until HOLD is deactivated.
i If the ignition has been switched off, the
engine cannot be restarted until HOLD is
deactivated.
If there is a fault in the system or power supply
while HOLD is activated, the Brake immedi-
ately message appears in the multi-function
display. Immediately depress the brake firmly
until the warning message disappears from
the multi-function display, or in vehicles with
automatic transmission*, move the selector
lever to P. This deactivates HOLD. AIRMATIC DC*
Vehicle level Your vehicle automatically adjusts its ride
height to reduce petrol consumption and
improve driving safety.
The following vehicle levels are possible:
R
Normal
R Raised
R Lowered
The "Normal" and "Raised" vehicle levels can
be set manually.
The "Lowered" vehicle level is set automati-
cally:
R at speeds above 140 km/h
R if you have selected "Sports tuning I or
II" (Y page 157)
Setting the vehicle level manually
Select the "Normal" setting for normal road
surfaces and "Raised" for driving with snow
chains or on particularly poor road surfaces. G
Risk of injury
Make sure that nobody is in the vicinity of
the wheel housing or under the vehicle Controls
* optional
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Driving sys
tems 158
Sports tuning II
X
Press button 1twice.
Two indicator lamps 2light up.
The vehicle level is lowered by 15 mm.
Comfort tuning
X Press button 1repeatedly until indicator
lamps 2go out.
Multi-function display
A message appears in the multi-function dis-
play for approximately five seconds once you
have selected a damping program, for exam-
ple: 4MATIC* (permanent four-wheel
drive)
4MATIC ensures that all four wheels are per-
manently driven. Together with ESP ®
, it
improves the traction of your vehicle when-
ever a drive wheel spins due to insufficient
grip. G
Risk of accident
4MATIC cannot reduce the risk of an acci-
dent if you drive too fast.
If a drive wheel spins due to insufficient
grip:
R Only depress the accelerator pedal as far
as necessary when pulling away.
R Accelerate less when driving.
R Adapt your driving style to suit road and
traffic conditions.
i In wintry driving conditions, the maximum
effect of 4MATIC can only be achieved if
you use winter tyres (M+S tyres), with snow
chains if necessary. Parktronic*
G
Risk of accident
Parktronic is only an aid and may not detect
all obstacles. It is not a substitute for atten-
tive driving.
You are always responsible for safety and
must continue to pay attention to your
immediate surroundings when parking and
manoeuvring. You could otherwise endan-
ger yourself and others. G
Risk of injury
Make sure that no persons or animals are
in the manoeuvring range. Otherwise, they
could be injured.
Parktronic is an electronic parking aid. It indi-
cates visually and audibly the distance
between your vehicle and an object.
Parktronic is automatically activated when
you switch on the ignition and release the
parking brake.
Parktronic is deactivated at speeds above
18 km/h. It is reactivated at lower speeds.
Parktronic monitors the area around your
vehicle using six sensors in the front bumper
and four sensors in the rear bumper. Controls
* optional
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Driving sys
tems 1591
Sensors in the front bumper
Range of the sensors The sensors must be free of dirt, ice and
slush, otherwise they may not function cor-
rectly. Clean the sensors regularly, taking
care not to scratch or damage them. Side view: Saloon shown as an example
Top view: Saloon shown as an exampleFront sensors Centre Approximately 100 cm
Corners Approximately 60 cm
Rear sensors
Centre Approximately 120 cm
Corners Approximately 80 cm
!
Pay particular attention to objects above
or below the sensors when parking, such
as flower pots or trailer towbars. Parktronic
does not detect such objects when they are
in the immediate vicinity of the vehicle. You
could damage the vehicle or the objects.
Ultrasonic sources such as an automatic
car wash, a lorry's compressed-air brakes
or a pneumatic drill could cause Parktronic
to malfunction.
Minimum distance Centre Approximately 20 cm
Corners Approximately 15 cm Controls
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