2008 MERCEDES-BENZ E-CLASS ESTATE service

Driving
tips 236 Driving tips
Rolling with the engine switched off
G
Risk of accident
Do not switch off the engine while the vehi-
cle is in motion.
There is no power assistance for the steer-
ing or the service brake when the engine is
not running.
Steering and braking require significantly
more effort and you could lose control of
the vehicle and cause an accident as a
result. Braking
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. G
Risk of accident
Make sure that other road users are not
endangered by your braking. Downhill gradients On long and steep downhill stretches, espe-
cially if the vehicle is laden or towing a trailer,
you must shift to a lower gear in good time or,
on vehicles with automatic transmission*,
select shift range
1,2or 3.
i This also applies if you have activated
cruise control, Speedtronic or Distronic*.
This uses the braking effect of the engine and
you will not have to brake to such an extent
to maintain the same speed. This 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.
Heavy and light loads If the brakes have been subjected to a heavy
load, do not stop the vehicle immediately, but
drive on for a short while. This allows the air-
flow to cool the brakes more quickly.
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.
If the brakes have been used only moderately,
you should occasionally test their effective-
ness. To do this, brake more firmly from a
higher speed. This improves the grip of the
brakes.
Wet roads If driving in heavy rain for a prolonged period
of time without braking, there may be a
delayed reaction from the brakes, when brak-
ing for the first time. You must brake harder.
You must therefore maintain a greater dis-
tance from the vehicle in front.
Brake firmly after driving on a wet road. This
way the brake discs will become warm, drying
more quickly, which will protect them against
corrosion. Operation
* optional
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Driving ab
road 238 Driving on wet roads
If water has accumulated to a certain depth
on the road surface, there is a danger of aqua-
planing occurring, even if:
R you drive at low speeds
R the tyres have adequate tread depth
For this reason, do not drive in tyre ruts, and
brake carefully. Driving on flooded roads
If you have to drive on stretches of road on
which water has collected, please bear in
mind that:
R the maximum permitted still water depth is
25 cm.
R you should drive no faster than at walking
pace.
! Note that vehicles in front or oncoming
vehicles create waves. This could mean
that the maximum permitted water depth
is exceeded.
You must observe these notes, otherwise
damage may occur to the engine, electrics
or transmission. Driving abroad
Points to remember
An extensive Mercedes-Benz Service network
is also available in other countries. You can
obtain the relevant workshop directories
from any Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.
Only low-octane fuel is available in certain
countries.
You can find further information about fuel
grades on (Y page 218). Symmetrical dipped beam
If your journey takes you to countries where
vehicles are driven on the opposite side of the
road to the country in which the vehicle is
registered, your headlamps must be switched
to symmetrical dipped beam. Oncoming traf-
fic will be dazzled less. G
Risk of injury
Vehicles with xenon headlamps*:
Xenon bulbs are under high voltage. You
could get an electric shock and be seriously
or even fatally injured if you touch the elec-
tric contacts on xenon bulbs. Do not, there-
fore, remove the cover on xenon bulbs. Do not change xenon headlamps yourself,
but have them replaced at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop which has the necessary
specialist knowledge and tools to carry out
the work required.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you use
a Mercedes-Benz Service Centre for this
purpose. In particular, work relevant to
safety or on safety-related systems must be
carried out at a qualified specialist work-
shop.
1
Protective cap
X Turn cap 1anti-clockwise and remove it. Operation
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Trailer towing
2421
Telescopic lever
2 Indicator lamp
X Place the protective cap on the ball cou-
pling. G
Risk of injury
Make sure that no persons or animals are
in the pivoting range of the ball coupling.
Otherwise, they could be injured.
X Pull telescopic lever 1out forwards.
X Pull telescopic lever 1upwards.
The ball coupling disengages and folds
down under the rear bumper. Indicator
lamp 2flashes.
X Guide telescopic lever 1back again. X
Press the ball coupling in the direction of
the arrow by hand until it engages behind
the bumper.
Indicator lamp 2goes out and the mes-
sage in the multi-function display disap-
pears. Trailer power supply
The trailer socket of your vehicle is equipped
at the factory with a permanent power supply.
The permanent power supply is supplied via
trailer socket pin 9.
! You can connect accessories with a max-
imum power consumption of 240 W to the
permanent power supply.
You must not charge a trailer battery using
the power supply.
You can obtain further information about
installing the trailer electrics from a qualified
specialist workshop, e.g. a Mercedes-Benz
Service Centre. Trailer with 7-pin connector
If your trailer has a 7-pin connector, you can
connect it to the 13-pin socket on the ball
coupling using an adapter or, if necessary, an
adapter cable. Both of these can be obtained
at a qualified specialist workshop, e.g. at a
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre. Operation
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Service
243
Fitting the adapter
1
Connector with lug
2 Socket with groove
X Open the socket cover.
X Insert the connector with lug 1into
groove 2on the socket and turn the con-
nector clockwise to the stop.
X Make the cover engage.
X If you are using an adapter cable, secure
the cable to the trailer with cable ties.
! Make sure that there is sufficient cable
play so that the cable cannot become
detached when cornering. Service
Active Service System PLUS
ASSYST PLUS, the Active Service System,
tells you when the next service is due. When-
ever a service is due, this is shown in the
multi-function display:
Service A due in .. days
Service A due in .. km
Service A due now The letter indicates how much time the work-
shop will require to carry out the service work.
The letters displayed range from
Afor a short
service duration to Hfor a long service dura-
tion.
ASSYST PLUS does not record any periods of
time during which the battery is disconnec-
ted. In order to maintain the time-dependent
service schedule, you should call up the
service due date and make a note of it before
you disconnect the battery. The alternative is to subtract the battery-disconnection periods
from the service date shown on the display. Fading out the service message
1
Reset button
X Press reset button 1. Operation
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Care
244 Exceeding the service due date
One of the following messages appears in the
multi-function display:
Service A overdue by .. days
Service A overdue by .. km
You will also hear a warning tone.
A qualified specialist workshop, e.g. a
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre, will reset the
service indicator when it carries out the nec-
essary service work.
i If you fail to have the service performed
by the specified date, you may be contra-
vening the relevant laws, your warranty
may be invalidated and ex gratia claims
may be refused. Calling up the service due date
Use the buttons on the multi-function steer-
ing wheel.
X Switch on the ignition.
X Press èorÿ to select the Basic
display menu (Y page 125).
X Press jork to select the service
information.
The 9 service symbol and the service
due date are displayed.
X To select a different display, press j,
è orÿ. Care
Notes on care
Regular and proper care maintains the value
of your vehicle.
i It is advisable to use Mercedes-Benz care
products.
Scratches, corrosive deposits, areas affected
by corrosion and damage caused by inade-
quate care cannot always be completely
repaired. In such cases, visit a qualified spe-
cialist workshop immediately, e.g. a
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.
Repair damage caused by loose chippings
and remove the following substances imme-
diately, whilst avoiding rubbing too hard:
R Soak insect remains with insect remover
and rinse off afterwards.
R Soak bird droppings with water and rinse
off afterwards.
R Remove tree resin, oils, fuels and greases
by rubbing gently with a cloth soaked in
petroleum ether or lighter fluid.
R Use silicone remover to remove wax.
R Use tar remover to remove tar stains. Operation
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Care
246R
battery
R connectors
R lights
R seals
Damaged seals or electrical components
can lead to failures or leaks.
Cleaning the wiper blades and the out-
side of the windscreen G
Risk of injury
Turn the key to position 0in the ignition
lock before cleaning the windscreen or the
wiper blades. There is otherwise a risk of
the windscreen wipers being set in motion
and causing injury.
X Turn the key to position 1in the ignition
lock (Y page 76).
X Set the windscreen wipers to position
u on the combination switch
(Y page 105).
X Turn the key to position 0or remove it when
the wiper arms are vertical (Y page 76).!
Only fold the wiper arms away from the
windscreen when they are in a vertical posi-
tion, otherwise you will damage the bonnet.
X Fold the wiper arms away from the wind-
screen until you feel them engage.
X Clean the windscreen and the wiper blades.
X Fold the windscreen wipers back again
before the ignition is switched on.
! Do not clean the wiper blades too often,
otherwise the rubber may become porous,
resulting in wiper noise.
Cleaning the windows !
Do not use dry cloths, abrasive products,
solvents or cleaning agents containing sol-
vents to clean the inside of the windows.
Clean the insides of the windows with a
damp cloth or commercially-available glass
cleaner. Avoid touching the inside of the
rear windscreen and the side windows with
hard objects, e.g. ice scrapers or rings. You
could otherwise cause damage to the win-
dows, rear window heating or aerial on the
rear window. i
Anti-glare film retrofitted to the insides of
the windows could interfere with radio or
mobile phone reception, especially if it is
conductive or metal-coated film. Informa-
tion about anti-glare film can be obtained
from any Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.
Cleaning the headlamps X
Clean the headlamp lenses with a wet
sponge.
! Only use washer fluid which is suitable
for plastic lenses. Unsuitable washer fluid
could damage the plastic lenses of the
headlamps.
Do not use the following:
R dry cloths
R abrasive cleaning agents
R solvents
R cleaning agents containing solvent
You could otherwise scratch or damage the
surface of the lenses. Operation
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Care
247
Plastic trim !
Do not use dry, coarse or hard cloths and
do not scrub. Doing so will scratch or dam-
age the surfaces.
X Wipe plastic parts with a damp, lint-free
cloth (e.g. a microfibre cloth).
X Light soiling: use a low-foaming soap (e.g.
a light liquid hand soap) diluted in water.
X Heavy soiling: use a cleaning agent that is
solvent-free and non-corrosive. Mercedes-
Benz recommends that you use a
Mercedes-Benz cleaning product for this
purpose.
Cleaning the steering wheel boss and
dashboard X
Moisten a clean lint-free cloth with water.
X Clean the plastic parts and the dashboard.
X If particularly dirty, use a mild detergent. G
Risk of injury
Do not use cleaners and cockpit care
sprays containing solvents to clean the
cockpit and steering wheel boss. Cleaners
containing solvents cause the surface to
become porous and in the event of an air- bag being triggered, plastic parts that have
become loose could cause considerable
injuries.
Leather upholstery* !
Cleaning
R Clean genuine leather covers using a
damp cloth, then wipe the covers down
using a dry cloth. When doing this, make
sure that the leather does not become
soaked. For leather care, you should use
leather care foam A 001 986 59 71 10.
You can purchase this from any
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.
R Clean artificial leather covers with a cloth
moistened with a solution containing 1%
detergent (e. g. washing up liquid).
R Clean fabric covers with a microfibre
cloth moistened with a solution contain-
ing 1% detergent (e. g. washing up liquid).
When cleaning, take care not to rub too
vigorously and always wipe entire seat
sections to avoid leaving visible lines.
Leave the seat to dry afterwards. Clean- ing results depend on the type of dirt and
how long it has been there.
R Clean Alcantara covers with a damp
cloth. Make sure you wipe entire seat
sections to avoid leaving visible lines.
i Note that leather covers are a natural
product and as such are subject to a natural
ageing process and may react differently
(e.g. increased formation of wrinkles) to
certain environmental influences (such as
high humidity, intense heat).
Note that regular care is essential to ensure
that the quality (both appearance and com-
fort) of the covers is retained over time.
Care of exhaust tail pipes (AMG vehi-
cles) Impurities combined with the effects of road
grit and corrosive environmental factors may
cause flash rust to form on the surface.
Regular care of the exhaust tail pipes will
ensure that their original shine is restored.
!
Do not clean exhaust tail pipes with alka-
line-based cleaning agents such as wheel
cleaner. Operation
* optional
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Care
248Use the chrome cleaning agent recommen-
ded by Mercedes-Benz for cleaning. Infor-
mation about chrome cleaning agents can
be obtained from any Mercedes-Benz
Service Centre.
Cleaning Distronic* 1
Distronic* cover
X Turn the key to position 0in the ignition
lock.
X Clean cover 1in the radiator grille with
water, car shampoo and a soft cloth.
! Do not use dry, coarse or hard cloths and
do not scrub. Doing so will scratch or dam-
age the surfaces. Cleaning Parktronic* The sensors are located in the front and rear
bumpers.
1
Parktronic* sensors in the front bumper
(left-hand side)
X Clean sensors 1in the bumper with water,
car shampoo and a soft cloth.
! Do not use dry, coarse or hard cloths and
do not scrub. You will otherwise scratch or
damage the sensors. If you intend to use a
high-pressure cleaner or a steam cleaner to
clean the sensors, observe the instructions
issued by the equipment manufacturer
concerning the distance to be maintained
between the nozzle of the high-pressure
cleaner and the vehicle. Trailer coupling*
The ball coupling must be cleaned if it
becomes dirty or corroded.
X Remove any rust using a wire brush.
X Remove dirt with a clean, lint-free cloth or
a brush.
! Do not clean the ball coupling with a high-
pressure cleaner. Do not use solvents. 1
Ball neck head
X After cleaning, lightly oil or grease ball cou-
pling 1.
X Check that the vehicle's trailer coupling is
working properly. Operation
* optional
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