2008 MERCEDES-BENZ E-CLASS SALOON automatic transmission

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 160
If there is an obstacle within this range, all
warning displays light up and a tone sounds.
If the distance falls below the minimum clear-
ance, it may no longer be shown.
Warning displays The warning displays show the distance
between the sensors and the obstacle. The
warning display for the front area is located
on the dashboard above the centre air vents.
The warning display for the rear area is in the
roof trim at the rear. Front area warning display
1
Left-hand side of the vehicle
2 Right-hand side of the vehicle
3 Indicator segments The warning display for each side of the vehi-
cle is divided into five yellow and two red
segments. Parktronic is operational if yellow
indicator segments
3light up.
The gear lever or selector lever position*
determines which warning display is active:
Manual transmission: Gear lever in Warning display
Forwards gear
or
Neutral Front area activated
Reverse gear Rear and front areas
activated
Automatic transmission*:
Selector lever at Warning display
D Front area activated
R
or N Rear and front areas
activated
P No areas activated One or more segments light up as the vehicle
approaches an obstacle, depending on the
vehicle's distance from the obstacle.
From the:
R
sixth segment onwards, you will hear an
intermittent warning tone for approxi-
mately two seconds.
R seventh segment onwards, you will hear a
warning tone for approximately two sec-
onds. You have reached the minimum dis-
tance.
Deactivating/activating Parktronic 1
To deactivate/activate Parktronic
2 Indicator lamp
If indicator lamp 2is on, Parktronic is deac-
tivated. Controls
* optional
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Air conditioning
178
Button on the centre console
Centre console (manual transmission)
1
Auxiliary heating/ventilation Centre console (automatic transmission*)
1 Auxiliary heating/ventilation The indicator lamps in the button may light up
in blue, red or yellow.
R
Blue: auxiliary ventilation activated
R Red: auxiliary heating activated
R Yellow: departure time preselected
Activating the auxiliary heating/ventila-
tion
If the key is in position 1or 2:
X Press and hold button 1for at least two
seconds.
The red or blue indicator lamp in button
1 lights up.
If the key is removed or in position 0:
X Briefly press button 1.
The red or blue indicator lamp in button
1 lights up.
Deactivating the auxiliary heating/venti-
lation
X Briefly press button 1.
The red or blue indicator lamp in button
1 goes out. Remote control
Your vehicle comes with one remote control.
You may use two additional remote controls
for your vehicle. For further information, con-
sult a qualified specialist workshop, e.g. a
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.
The remote control has a maximum range of
approximately 300 metres. This range may be
reduced by:
R sources of radio interference
R solid objects between the remote control
and the vehicle
R the remote control being in an unfavoura-
ble position in relation to the vehicle
R transmitting from an enclosed space
i The optimum range can be achieved if you
hold the remote control vertically, pointing
upwards when you press one of the but-
tons.
i A battery symbol appears in the display
when the batteries in the remote control
are low. Replace the remote control bat-
teries (Y page 311). Controls
* optional
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Refuelling
218 Running-in notes
The first 1,500 km
If you treat the engine with sufficient care
from the very start, it will reward you with
excellent performance for a very long period
afterwards.
R You should therefore drive at varying road
and engine speeds for the first 1,500 km.
R Avoid heavy loads, e.g. driving at full throt-
tle, during this time. Do not exceed 2
/ 3 of
the maximum permissible engine speed for
each gear.
R Change gear in good time.
R Do not shift down a gear manually in order
to brake.
Vehicles with automatic transmission*:
R Try to avoid depressing the accelerator
pedal beyond the pressure point (kick-
down).
R Only use ranges 3,2or 1for slow driving,
e.g. in mountainous terrain.
After 1,500 km you may gradually bring the
vehicle up to full road and engine speeds.
Additional driving tips for AMG vehicles: R
Do not drive faster than 140 km/h for the
first 1,500 km.
R Only bring the engine up to a maximum
speed of 4,500 rpm for a brief period.
i You should also observe these notes if the
engine or rear axle transmission on your
vehicle has been replaced. AMG vehicles with a rear axle differ-
ential lock*
Your vehicle is equipped with a self-locking
differential on the rear axle. To better protect
the differential gear on the rear axle, you
should perform an oil change after a running-
in phase of 3,000 km. This oil change will
increase the service life of your differential.
Have the oil change performed at a qualified
specialist workshop. Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you use a Mercedes-Benz Service
Centre for this purpose. Refuelling
Refuelling
G
Risk of explosion
Fuel is highly flammable. Fire, naked flames
and smoking are therefore prohibited when
handling fuels.
Switch off the engine and the auxiliary heat-
ing* before refuelling. G
Risk of injury
Do not come into direct contact with fuel.
Direct skin contact with fuels or the inha-
lation of fuel vapours is a health hazard. G
Risk of fire
Do not use petrol to refuel vehicles with a
diesel engine. Never mix diesel with petrol.
This causes damage to the fuel system and
engine and could result in the vehicle catch-
ing fire.
! Do not use petrol to refuel vehicles with a
diesel engine. Do not use diesel to refuel
vehicles with a petrol engine. Even small
amounts of the wrong fuel will cause dam-
age to the injection system. Damage result-
ing from adding the wrong fuel is not
covered by the warranty. Operation
* optional
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Winter driving
235that you use a Mercedes-Benz Service
Centre for this purpose. In particular, work
relevant to safety or on safety-related sys-
tems must be carried out at a qualified
specialist workshop.
Snow chains
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only use snow chains which
have been specially approved for your vehicle
by Mercedes-Benz or are of a corresponding
standard of quality.
! Information about the use of snow chain-
compatible AMG winter tyres is applicable
for AMG tyres. Use of snow chains is only
permissible with these tyres.
If you intend to fit snow chains, please bear
the following points in mind:
R Snow chains cannot be fitted to all wheel/
tyre combinations.
R Snow chains must not be fitted to emer-
gency spare wheels, e.g. the "Minispare" or
collapsible emergency spare wheel.
R Always fit snow chains to both rear wheels,
even on vehicles with 4MATIC*. Comply with the manufacturer's installation
instructions.
! If snow chains are fitted to the front
wheels, they may come into contact with
the bodywork and axle components when
the vehicle is in motion and damage the
tyre or the vehicle.
On vehicles with AIRMATIC DC*, you must
only drive at raised vehicle level if snow
chains have been fitted (Y page 156).
Do not exceed the maximum permissible
speed of 50 km/h.
i You may wish to deactivate ESP ®
when
pulling away with snow chains fitted
(Y page 60). This way you can allow the
wheels to spin in a controlled manner, ach-
ieving an increased driving force (cutting
action). Winter driving
G
Risk of accident
Do not shift 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 should drive particularly carefully on slip-
pery road surfaces. Avoid sudden accelera-
tion, steering and braking manoeuvres.
If the vehicle threatens to skid or cannot be
stopped when moving at low speed:
X Vehicles with manual transmission: engage
neutral.
X Vehicles with automatic transmission*:
shift the selector lever to N.
X Try to bring the vehicle under control using
corrective steering. Operation
* optional
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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
241
Driving tips In Germany, the maximum permitted speed
for vehicle/trailer combinations is 80 km/h.
!
A maximum speed of 80 km/h should not
be exceeded, even in countries where
higher speeds are permitted for vehicle/
trailer combinations.
When towing a trailer, your vehicle's handling
characteristics will be different in comparison
to when driving without a trailer.
The vehicle/trailer combination:
R is heavier
R is restricted in its acceleration and gradi-
ent-climbing capability
R has an increased braking distance
R is affected more by strong crosswinds
R demands more sensitive steering
R consumes more fuel
On long and steep downhill gradients you
must select a lower gear in good time, or in
vehicles with automatic transmission*, select
shift range 1,2or 3.
i This also applies if you have activated
cruise control, Distronic* or Speedtronic. 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. 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.
Driving tips
R Maintain a greater distance from the vehi-
cle in front than when driving without a
trailer.
R Avoid braking abruptly. If possible, brake
gently at first to allow the trailer to run on.
Then increase the braking force rapidly.
R The values given for gradient-climbing
capabilities from a standstill refer to sea
level. When driving in mountainous areas,
note that the power output of the engine, and consequently the vehicle's gradient-
climbing capability, decrease with increas-
ing altitude.
If the trailer swings from side to side:
X Do not accelerate.
X Do not counter-steer.
X Brake if necessary. G
Risk of accident
On no account should you attempt to draw
the vehicle/trailer combination out by
increasing speed. Folding in the ball coupling
i Fold in the ball coupling when you are not
using the trailer tow hitch. Operation
* optional
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Troubleshooting
297Automatic transmission*
Problem Possible cause/consequence Suggested solutions
The transmission has problems
shifting gear The transmission is losing oil. X
Have the transmission checked at a qualified specialist workshop
immediately. The acceleration ability is deteri-
orating.
The transmission no longer
changes gear. The transmission is in emergency
mode.
It is only possible to shift into
2nd
gear and reverse gear. X
Stop the vehicle.
X Move the selector lever to P.
X Turn the key to position 0in the ignition lock.
X Wait at least 10 seconds before restarting the engine.
X Move the selector lever to position Dor R.
If D is selected, the transmission shifts into 2ndgear; if Ris selec-
ted, the transmission shifts into reverse gear.
X Have the transmission checked at a qualified specialist workshop
immediately. Practical advice
* optional
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