2008 MERCEDES-BENZ E-CLASS SALOON trailer

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 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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Driving sys
tems 161
i
Parktronic is automatically activated
when you turn the key to position 2in the
ignition lock.
Trailer towing* Parktronic is deactivated for the rear area
when you establish an electrical connection
between your vehicle and the trailer.
!
Fold in the ball coupling if the trailer tow
hitch is not required. Parktronic measures
the minimum detection range to an obsta-
cle from the bumper, not the ball coupling. Controls
* optional
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217
Running-in notes
............................... 218
Refuelling ........................................... 218
Engine compartment ........................222
Tyres and wheels .............................. 227
Winter driving ................................... 234
Driving tips ........................................ 236
Driving abroad ................................... 238
Trailer towing .................................... 239
Service ............................................... 243
Care .................................................... 244 Operation
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Tyres and wheels
231pressure, e.g. if the tyre is penetrated by a
foreign object.
In the event of a sudden loss of pressure,
bring the vehicle to a halt by braking care-
fully. Do not make any sudden steering
movements when doing so.
While the vehicle is in motion, the tyre pres-
sure loss warning system monitors the set
tyre pressure using the rotational speed of
the wheels. This enables the system to detect
significant pressure loss in a tyre. If the speed
of rotation of a wheel changes as a result of
a loss of pressure, a corresponding warning
message will appear in the multi-function dis-
play.
The function of the tyre pressure loss warning
system is limited or delayed if:
R snow chains are fitted to your vehicle's
tyres
R road conditions are wintry
R you are driving on sand or gravel
R you adopt a very sporty driving style (cor-
nering at high speeds or driving with high
rates of acceleration)
R you are towing a very heavy or large trailer
R you are driving with a heavy load (in the
vehicle or on the roof) Restarting the tyre pressure loss warn-
ing system Restart the tyre pressure loss warning system
if you have:
R
changed the tyre pressure
R changed the wheels or tyres
R fitted new wheels or tyres
X Before restarting, consult the table of tyre
pressures on the inside of the fuel filler flap
to ensure that the tyre pressure in all four
tyres is set correctly for the operating con-
ditions concerned.
X Also observe the notes in the section on
tyre pressures (Y page 229). G
Risk of accident
The tyre pressure loss warning system can
only give reliable warnings if you have set
the correct tyre pressure.
If an incorrect tyre pressure is set, these
incorrect values will be monitored.
A tyre with insufficient pressure results in
an instability of the vehicle when driving,
thus increasing the risk of an accident. X
Make sure that the key is in position 2in
the ignition lock.
The standard display appears in the multi-
function display (Y page 125).
X Press korj to select the tyre pres-
sure function:
Run Flat Indicator active
Menu: R-Button æ
X Press the reset button on the left of the
instrument cluster.
The following message appears in the
multi-function display:
Restart Run Flat Indicator?
Yes Cancel
If you wish to confirm the restart:
X Press the æbutton.
The following message appears in the
multi-function display:
Run Flat Indicator restarted
After a teach-in period, the tyre pressure
loss warning system will monitor the set
tyre pressures of all four tyres.
If you wish to cancel the restart:
X Press the çbutton.
or
X Wait until the message Operation
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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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Trailer towing
2391
Switchover lever
X Switch lever 1over.
X Replace the cap. G
Risk of accident
Have your headlamps switched back to
asymmetrical dipped beam if you visit a
country in which traffic drives on the same
side of the road as in the country in which
your vehicle was registered. You may oth-
erwise dazzle the oncoming traffic and
could cause an accident. Trailer towing
Folding out the ball coupling
Before you can tow a trailer with your vehicle,
you must fit the ball coupling.
i In vehicles with a folding bench seat, first
remove the folding bench seat cushion
(Y page 86) and fold up the luggage com-
partment floor ( Ypage 195).
The telescopic lever is under the boot/lug-
gage compartment mat on the left-hand side. 1
Telescopic lever
2 Indicator lamp G
Risk of accident
Make sure that the ball coupling is fully
engaged both when it is folded in and when
it is folded out. The indicator lamp is not lit.
Do not pull the telescopic lever if a trailer
is attached. The trailer could otherwise
come loose.
X Pull telescopic lever 1out forwards.
X Pull telescopic lever 1upwards.
The ball coupling disengages and folds out
from under the rear bumper.
Indicator lamp 2flashes. The trailer power
socket folds away automatically.
X Guide telescopic lever 1back again. Operation
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Trailer towing
240
X
Press the ball coupling in the direction of
the arrow by hand until it engages in a ver-
tical position.
Indicator lamp 2goes out.
The message Trailer tow hitch
Check locking mech. is shown in the
multi-function display until the ball cou-
pling is engaged.
X Remove the protective cap from the ball
coupling. Notes on towing a trailer
G
Risk of accident
When reversing the vehicle towards the
trailer, make sure there is nobody between
the trailer and the vehicle.
Couple and uncouple the trailer carefully. If
you do not couple the trailer to the towing
vehicle correctly, the trailer could become
detached.
Make sure that the following values are not
exceeded:
R The permitted trailer drawbar nose-
weight
R The permitted trailer load R
The permitted rear axle load of the towing
vehicle
R The maximum permissible gross vehicle
weight of both the towing vehicle and the
trailer
You will find the applicable permissible val-
ues which must not be exceeded in the
vehicle documents.
You will find the values approved by the
manufacturer on the vehicle identification
plates and those for the towing vehicle in
the “Technical data” section.
You will find installation dimensions and loads
in the "Technical data" section
(Y page 375).
The maximum permissible trailer drawbar
noseweight on the ball coupling is 76 kg
(Saloon) or 84 kg (Estate). However, the
actual noseweight must not exceed the value
given on the trailer coupling and trailer iden-
tification plates. The lowest weight applies.
! Use a noseweight as close as possible to
the maximum permissible noseweight. Do
not use a noseweight of less than 50 kg,
otherwise the trailer may come loose. Bear in mind that the payload and the rear
axle load are reduced by the actual nose-
weight.
i On vehicles without level control, the
height of the ball coupling will alter accord-
ing to the load placed on the vehicle. In this
case, you should use a trailer with a height-
adjustable drawbar.
Coupling up a trailer G
Risk of injury
Do not connect a trailer with an engaged
overrun brake. Otherwise, your hand could
become trapped between the bumper and
drawbar.
! Do not uncouple a trailer with overrun
brake between the bumper and drawbar,
otherwise your vehicle could be damaged
by the spring action of the overrun brake.
X Position the trailer level behind the vehicle.
X Couple up the trailer.
X Establish the electrical connection
between the vehicle and the trailer. Operation
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