2008 MERCEDES-BENZ E-CLASS SALOON automatic transmission

Centre console
31Centre console
Lower section Function Page
1 Opens/closes the stowage
compartment
206
Opens/closes the ash-
tray*
209
2
KEYLESS GO* button 77
3 Manual transmission: gear
lever
115
Automatic transmission*:
selector lever
115
4 Vehicles with automatic
transmission*: switches
the auxiliary heating
*/ven-
tilation* on/off 177
5
Deactivates Parktronic* 160
6
Sets AIRMATIC DC* 157
Vehicles with manual trans-
mission: switches the aux-
iliary heating*/ventilation*
on/off
177 Function Page
7
Sets the vehicle level* 156
8
Distronic*: sets the speci-
fied distance
148
9
Distronic*: switches the
distance warning function
on/off
149
a
Automatic transmission*:
selects the gearshift pro-
gram
117At a glance
* optional
211_AKB; 2; 5, en-GB
mkalafa,
Version: 2.9.4 2008-02-29T16:57:07+01:00 - Seite 31Dateiname: 6515_3416_02_buchblock.pdf; preflight

Driving safety sys
tems60 ESP
®
(Electronic Stability Program)
ESP ®
monitors driving stability and traction,
i.e. power transmission between the tyres
and the road surface.
If ESP ®
detects that the vehicle is deviating
from the direction desired by the driver, one
or more wheels are braked to stabilise the
vehicle. The engine output is also modified, if
necessary, to keep the vehicle on the desired
course within physical limits. ESP ®
assists
the driver when pulling away on wet or slip-
pery roads. ESP ®
can also stabilise the vehi-
cle during braking.
When ESP ®
intervenes, the vwarning
lamp flashes in the instrument cluster. G
Risk of accident
If the v warning lamp in the instrument
cluster flashes, proceed as follows:
R Do not deactivate ESP ®
under any cir-
cumstances.
R Only depress the accelerator pedal as far
as necessary when pulling away.
R Adapt your driving style to suit the pre-
vailing road and weather conditions.
The vehicle could otherwise go into a skid. ESP
®
cannot reduce the risk of an accident
if you drive too fast. ESP ®
cannot override
the laws of physics.
! If the vehicle is to be towed with the front
or rear axle raised, the ignition must be
switched off (key in position 0or 1in the
ignition lock). Application of the brakes by
ESP ®
could otherwise destroy the brake
system on the front or rear axle.
! Vehicles with 4MATIC* may not be towed
with the front or rear axle raised.
i Only use wheels with the recommended
tyre sizes. Only then will ESP ®
function
properly.
Deactivating/activating ESP ® ESP
®
is activated automatically when the
engine is running.
It may be best to deactivate ESP ®
in the fol-
lowing situations:
R when using snow chains
R in deep snow
R on sand or gravel G
Risk of accident
Activate ESP ®
as soon as the situations
described above no longer apply. ESP ®
will
otherwise not be able to stabilise the vehi-
cle if the vehicle starts to skid or a wheel
starts to spin.
If you deactivate ESP ®
:
R ESP ®
no longer improves driving stability.
R engine torque is not limited and the drive
wheels are able to spin. The spinning
wheels produce a cutting effect for better
traction.
R traction control is still activated.
R ESP ®
still provides support when you
brake.
i If ESP ®
is deactivated and one or more
wheels start to spin, the vwarning lamp
in the instrument cluster flashes. In such
situations ESP ®
will not stabilise the vehi-
cle. Safety
* optional
211_AKB; 2; 5, en-GB
mkalafa
,V ersion: 2.9.4
2008-02-29T16:57:07+01:00 - Seite 60 Dateiname: 6515_3416_02_buchblock.pdf; preflight

Driving and pa
rking 111
Manual transmission
X
Shift to neutral.
X Depress the parking brake (Y page 113).
Further information about the manual trans-
mission (Y page 115). Automatic transmission* P
Park position with selector lever lock
R Reverse gear
N Neutral
D Drive position
X Before starting, make sure Pis selected.
i The engine can also be started when the
selector lever is in position N.
Further information about the automatic
transmission (Y page 115).
Starting the engine with the key i
Vehicles with automatic transmission*:
You can also use the "touch-start" function.
To do this, turn the key to position 3and release it immediately. The engine then
starts automatically.
X To start a petrol engine: turn the key to
position 3in the ignition lock (Y page 76)
and release it as soon as the engine is run-
ning.
X To start a diesel engine: turn the key to
position 2in the ignition lock (Y page 76).
The q preglow indicator lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up.
X When the qpreglow indicator lamp
goes out, turn the key to position 3
(Y page 76) and release it.
The engine starts automatically.
i You can start the engine without preglow
if the engine is warm.
Starting the engine with KE YLESS GO* G
Risk of injury
Your vehicle can be started using a valid
KEYLESS GO key*. For this reason, children
should never be left unsupervised in the
vehicle. Always take the KEYLESS GO
key* with you when leaving the vehicle, Cont
rols
* optional
211_AKB; 2; 5, en-GB
mkalafa
,V ersion: 2.9.4
2008-02-29T16:57:07+01:00 - Seite 111 ZDateiname: 6515_3416_02_buchblock.pdf; preflight

Driving and pa
rking 112 even if you are only leaving it for a short
time.
The KEYLESS GO button can be used to start
the vehicle without inserting the key in the
ignition lock.
The KEYLESS GO button is on the selector
lever. 1
KEYLESS GO button X
Depress the brake pedal.
The selector lever lock is released.
X Petrol engine: press KEYLESS GO button
1 once.
The engine starts automatically.
X Diesel engine: press KEYLESS GO button
1 once.
Preglow is activated and the engine starts
automatically.
i You can start the engine without preglow
if the engine is warm:
XPress and hold KEYLESS GO button
1 until the engine is running. Pulling away
! Warm up the engine quickly. Do not use
the engine's full performance until it has
reached operating temperature.
Only shift into reverse gear when the vehi-
cle is stationary.
Where possible, avoid spinning the drive
wheels when pulling away on slippery
roads. You could otherwise damage the
drive train. !
AMG vehicles: at low engine tempera-
tures (below + 20 °C), the maximum engine
speed is limited in order to protect the
engine. Avoid driving at full throttle when
the engine is cold in order to protect the
engine and maintain smooth engine oper-
ation.
i The vehicle locks centrally once you have
pulled away. The locking knobs in the doors
drop down.
You can open the doors from the inside at
any time.
You can also deactivate the automatic lock-
ing feature (Y page 137).
Manual transmission X
Depress the clutch pedal.
X Shift to either first or reverse gear.
X Pull the parking brake release handle to
release the parking brake.
X Slowly release the clutch pedal and
depress the accelerator pedal.
! Change gear in good time and avoid spin-
ning the wheels. You could otherwise dam-
age the vehicle. Controls
211_AKB; 2; 5, en-GB
mkalafa
, Version: 2.9.4 2008-02-29T16:57:07+01:00 - Seite 112Dateiname: 6515_3416_02_buchblock.pdf; preflight

Driving and pa
rking 113
Automatic transmission* i
It is only possible to move the selector
lever to the desired position if you depress
the brake pedal. Only then is the selector
lever lock released.
X Depress the brake pedal and hold it down.
X Pull the parking brake release handle to
release the parking brake.
X Move the selector lever to position Dor R.
i Wait for the shift process to complete
before pulling away.
X Release the brake pedal.
X Carefully depress the accelerator pedal.
i Upshifts take place at higher engine
speeds after a cold start. This helps the
catalytic converter to reach its operating
temperature more quickly. Parking
G
Risk of accident
Only remove the key from the ignition lock
when the vehicle is stationary since you
cannot steer the vehicle with the key
removed.
Never leave children unsupervised in the
vehicle. They could release the parking
brake. This could lead to a serious or fatal
accident. G
Risk of fire
Make sure that the exhaust system does
not under any circumstances come into
contact with easily ignitable material such
as dry grass or petrol. The material could
otherwise ignite and set the vehicle on fire. Parking brake 1
Release handle
2 Parking brake
X To release: depress the brake pedal and
keep it depressed.
On vehicles with automatic transmission*,
the selector lever lock is released.
X Pull release handle 1.
X The 3 indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster goes out.
X To apply: depress parking brake 2firmly.
The 3 indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up if the engine is running.
i On steep slopes, turn the front wheels
towards the kerb. Controls
* optional
211_AKB; 2; 5, en-GB
mkalafa
,V ersion: 2.9.4
2008-02-29T16:57:07+01:00 - Seite 113 ZDateiname: 6515_3416_02_buchblock.pdf; preflight

Transmission
114 Switching off the engine
G
Risk of accident
If the engine is not running, there is no
power assistance for the steering and
brakes. Steering and braking then takes
much more effort.
As a result, you might lose control of the
vehicle, cause an accident and injure your-
self and others.
Do not switch off the engine while driving.
Vehicles with manual transmission X
Shift to either first or reverse gear.
X Turn the key to position 0(Ypage 76) in the
ignition lock and remove it.
The immobiliser is activated.
Vehicles with automatic transmission* X
Move the selector lever to P.
Using the key
X Turn the key to position 0(Ypage 76) in the
ignition lock and remove it.
The immobiliser is activated. Using KEYLESS GO*
X
Press and hold the KEYLESS GO button
(Y page 77).
The engine stops and all the lamps in the
instrument cluster go out ( Ypage 26). Transmission
Introduction to the transmission
G
Risk of accident
The movement of the pedals must not be
impaired in any way. Do not keep any
objects in the driver's footwell. Make sure
that floormats or carpets are correctly
secured and that there is sufficient clear-
ance for the pedals. 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. This could
cause you to lose control of your vehicle
and cause an accident. Controls
* optional
211_AKB; 2; 5, en-GB
mkalafa
,V ersion: 2.9.4
2008-02-29T16:57:07+01:00 - Seite 114 Dateiname: 6515_3416_02_buchblock.pdf; preflight

Transmission
115Manual transmission
!
When shifting between 5thand 6thgear,
you must press the shift lever to the right.
You could otherwise shift unintentionally
into 3rdor4th gear and damage the trans-
mission.
Do not exceed the maximum speed for the
individual gears.
If you shift down at too high a speed (trans-
mission braking), this can cause the engine
to overspeed, leading to engine damage.
Engaging reverse gear !
Only engage reverse gear when the vehi-
cle is stationary, otherwise the transmis-
sion could be damaged. X
Move the gear lever firmly to the left
beyond the point of resistance and then
forwards. Automatic transmission*
1
Selector lever position
2 Gearshift program (S/C)or(S/C/M)*
The current shift range and gearshift program
(S/C) or(S/C/M)* appear in the display of
the speedometer. When the selector lever is in position
D, you
can influence the gearshifts made by the
automatic transmission by:
R restricting the shift range
R changing gear yourself
Selector lever positions ì Park position
Prevents the vehicle from rolling
away when stopped. Only move the
selector lever to
Pwhen the vehicle
is stationary.
i The key can only be removed
when the selector lever is in posi-
tion P. If the key is removed from
the ignition lock, the selector
lever is locked in position P. í Reverse gear
Only move the selector lever to
R
when the vehicle is stationary. Controls
* optional
211_AKB; 2; 5, en-GB
mkalafa
, Version: 2.9.4 2008-02-29T16:57:07+01:00 - Seite 115 ZDateiname: 6515_3416_02_buchblock.pdf; preflight

Transmission
116 ë Neutral
Releasing the brakes will allow you
to move the vehicle freely, e.g. to
push it or tow it.
Do not move the selector lever to
N while you are driving. The auto-
matic transmission could other-
wise be damaged.
If ESP ®
is deactivated or faulty:
only move the selector lever to Nif
the vehicle is in danger of skidding,
e.g. on icy roads. ê Drive
The automatic transmission
changes gear automatically. All
forward gears are available.
One-touch gearshifting
When the selector lever is in position
D, you
can perform gearshifts yourself, even on vehi-
cles with automatic transmission.
X To shift up: briefly press the selector lever
to the right towards D+.
The automatic transmission shifts up to the
next gear, depending on the gearshift pro- gram selected. This also extends the shift
range.
X To shift down: briefly press the selector
lever to the left towards D–.
The automatic transmission shifts down to
the next gear, depending on the gear cur-
rently selected. This also restricts the shift
range.
i To prevent the engine from overrevving,
the automatic transmission does not shift
down if you push the selector lever towards
D– while driving at too high a speed.
X To derestrict the shift range: press and
hold the selector lever towards D+until D
is shown once more in the display.
The automatic transmission shifts from the
current shift range directly to D.
X To select the most effective shift
range: press and hold the selector lever to
the left towards D–.
The automatic transmission will shift to a
range which allows ideal acceleration and
deceleration. To do this, the automatic
transmission will shift down one or more
gears. Shift ranges When the selector lever is in position
D, it is
possible to restrict or derestrict the shift
range for the automatic transmission.
X Briefly press the selector lever to the right
towards D+or to the left towards D–.
The shift range selected is shown in the
display. The automatic transmission shifts
only as far as the selected gear.
i If the maximum engine speed for the shift
range is reached and you continue to accel-
erate, the automatic transmission shifts up
in order to prevent the engine from over-
revving even if the shift range is restricted. Driving situation
è The braking effect of the engine can
be used in this position.Controls
211_AKB; 2; 5, en-GB
mkalafa
,V ersion: 2.9.4
2008-02-29T16:57:07+01:00 - Seite 116 Dateiname: 6515_3416_02_buchblock.pdf; preflight