
R
engage neutral N(follow gearshift instruc-
tion ;to engage neutral N, if necessary)
X release the clutch pedal
The engine is switched off automatically.
The engine is only switched off automatically
if certain conditions relating to safety and
comfort are fulfilled.
The engine is not switched off by the ECO
Start/Stop function if:
R the outside temperature is not within the
range which is suitable for the system
R the engine has not yet reached its normal
operating temperature
R the interior temperature has not yet
reached the temperature set
R the battery needs to be charged
R the air conditioning is switched on and
moisture is building up on the windscreen
R the bonnet is open
R the driver's door or the belt buckle is open
R the system detects that you are manoeu-
vring the vehicle
R the reverse gear is engaged
Automatic engine start The ECO Start/Stop function ensures that an
engine which has been stopped automatically
starts again when you:
R
depress the clutch pedal or
R depress the accelerator pedal The engine is started automatically during the
automatic stop phase if:
R
the system is deactivated using the ECO
button
R the vehicle is rolling
R the brake system requires this
R the air conditioning is switched on and the
system detects moisture on the wind-
screen
R the battery's charge status is too low
R the driver's seat belt is removed or the driv-
er's door is opened
! Do not engage the gear without depress-
ing the clutch pedal. For reasons of safety
and comfort the engine will then not be
started automatically.
Activating/deactivating the ECO Start/
Stop function :
To activate/deactivate the ECO Start/
Stop function
; Indicator lamp
If indicator lamp ;is off, the ECO Start/Stop
function has been deactivated manually or as
the result of a malfunction. The engine will
then not be switched off automatically when
the vehicle stops.
When the ECO Start/Stop function is deacti-
vated, the engine can only be switched on and
off with the key.
i The next time the engine is started using
the key, the ECO Start/Stop function is
automatically reactivated. Driving and parking
109Controls
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G
Risk of accident
Distronic Plus cannot take account of road
and traffic conditions. If Distronic does not
recognise or no longer recognises the vehicle
in front, do not activate Distronic or, if it is
already active, deactivate it. This is especially
the case:
R before corners
R in filter lanes
R when changing to a lane with faster moving
traffic
R in complex driving situations or where the
lanes are diverted, e.g. at motorway/road-
way construction sites
Otherwise, Distronic Plus maintains the cur-
rent speed or accelerates up to the set speed.
Distronic Plus cannot take account of weather
conditions. Deactivate, or do not activate,
Distronic Plus:
R if the roads are slippery, snow-covered or
icy. The wheels could lose their grip when
braking or accelerating. The vehicle could
start to skid.
R if the sensors are dirty or there is poor vis-
ibility, e.g. due to snow, rain or fog. Dis-
tance control may be impaired.
Always pay attention to traffic conditions
even when Distronic Plus is activated. Other-
wise, you may fail to recognise dangers in
time, cause an accident and injure yourself
and others.
The radar sensor system is automatically
deactivated near radio telescope facilities
(Y page 362).
If you want Distronic Plus to assist you, the
radar sensor system must be activated and
operational.
If no car is driving in front of you, Distronic
Plus works like cruise control in the speed
range between 30 km/h and 200 km/h. If a
vehicle is driving in front of you, Distronic Plus
works in the speed range between 0 km/h
and 200 km/h. Do not use Distronic Plus while driving on
roads with steep gradients. G
Risk of accident
Distronic Plus brakes your vehicle at a maxi-
mum of 4m/s2
depending on its speed. This
corresponds to approximately 40% of your
vehicle's maximum brake force. You must
also apply the brakes yourself if this braking
power is not sufficient.
If Distronic Plus detects a risk of collision with
a vehicle in front, an intermittent warning tone
sounds. In addition, the ·distance warn-
ing lamp in the instrument cluster lights up.
Brake to avoid a collision.
Cruise control lever With the cruise control lever you can operate
Distronic Plus and variable Speedtronic.
The LIM indicator lamp on the cruise control
lever indicates which system you have selec-
ted:
R
LIM indicator lamp off:
Distronic Plus is selected.
R LIM indicator lamp lit:
Variable Speedtronic is selected. :
To store the current speed or a higher
speed
; To adjust the specified distance
= LIM indicator lamp
? To store the current speed or call up the
last stored speed
A To store the current speed or a lower
speed Driving systems
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RACE START is deactivated when the vehicle
reaches a speed of approximately 50 km/h.
Drive program S+is activated. ESP ®
Sport
remains activated.
RACE START is deactivated immediately if
you release the accelerator pedal during a
race start or if any of the activation conditions
are no longer fulfilled. The multi-function dis-
play shows the RACE START not possible
See Owner's Manual message.
i If RACE START is used repeatedly in a
short period of time, it is only available
again after having driven the vehicle a cer-
tain distance. AIRMATIC* (except E 63 AMG)
Vehicle level Your vehicle regulates its height automati-
cally. All-round self-levelling ensures the best
possible suspension and constant ground
clearance, even with a laden vehicle. When
you drive fast, the vehicle is lowered auto-
matically to improve driving safety and to
reduce fuel consumption.
The following vehicle levels are possible:
R normal
R raised: the vehicle is raised by about 25 mm
when compared with the normal level
R lowered: the vehicle is lowered by about
10 mm when compared with the normal
level
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"
(Y page 155) 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.
Your selection remains stored even if you
remove the key from the ignition lock. G
Risk of injury
Make sure that nobody is in the vicinity of the
wheel housing or under the vehicle while low-
ering the vehicle when it is stationary. Other-
wise, limbs could become trapped. Setting the raised level
X
Start the engine.
If indicator lamp ;is not lit:
X Press button :.
Indicator lamp ;lights up. The vehicle
height is adjusted to the raised level.
The message Vehicle rising appears in
the display.
Setting the normal level
X Start the engine.
If indicator lamp ;is lit:
X Press button :.
Indicator lamp ;goes out. The vehicle is
adjusted to the normal level. 154
Driving systemsCont
rols
* optional
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i
The "Raised Level" setting is cancelled if:
R you drive at a speed of more than
120 km/h
R you drive at a speed between 80 km/h
and 120 km/hf or three minutes or more
The "Raised Level" remains saved when you
are not driving within these speed ranges.
Suspension tuning The electronically controlled damping system
works continuously. This improves driving
safety and ride comfort.
The damping is tuned individually to each
wheel and depends on:
R your driving style, e.g. sporty
R the road surface condition, e.g. bumps
R your individual selection, i.e. sports or com-
fort
Your selection remains stored even if you
remove the key from the ignition lock. Sports tuning
The firmer suspension tuning in sports mode
ensures even better contact with the road.
Select this mode when employing a sporty
driving style, e. g. on winding country roads.
X
Press button :.
Indicator lamp ;lights up. You have selec-
ted the suspension for a sporty driving
style.
The AIRMATIC SPORT message appears in
the multi-function display. Comfort tuning
In comfort mode, the driving characteristics
of your vehicle are more comfortable. Select
this mode if you prefer a more comfortable
driving style, but also when driving fast on
straight roads, e.g. motorways.
X Press button :.
Indicator lamp =lights up. You have selec-
ted the suspension for a comfortable driv-
ing style.
The AIRMATIC COMFORT message appears
in the multi-function display. AMG RIDE CONTROL sports suspen-
sion* (E 63 AMG)
Vehicle level The vehicle automatically sets the vehicle
level at the rear axle. Rear axle self-levelling
ensures the best possible suspension and
that the ground clearance remains constant
even when the vehicle is loaded. This
improves driving safety and fuel consump-
tion.
Suspension tuning
The electronically controlled damping system
works continuously. This improves driving
safety and ride comfort.
The damping is tuned individually to each
wheel and depends on:
R
your driving style, e.g. sporty
R the road surface condition, e.g. bumps
R your individual selection of Sport, Sport +
or Comfort
If you select Sport or Sport + mode and
restart the engine, the suspension setting
reverts to Comfort mode. Driving systems
155Controls
* optional
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i
The infrared headlamps only switch on
when the vehicle is driving at speeds of at
least 10 km/h. This means that you do not
have the full visual range while stationary
and cannot check whether Night View
Assist Plus is working.
Pedestrian recognition The Night View Assist Plus recognises pedes-
trians using typical characteristics, i. e. a sil-
houette in the shape of a person.
Pedestrian recognition is activated, if:
R Night View Assist Plus is activated
R you are driving faster than about 10 km/h
R the surroundings are dark, e. g. when driv-
ing outside built-up areas without street
lighting
If pedestrian recognition is active, sym-
bol ?appears. If a pedestrian is now recog-
nised, they are framed =and thereby high-
lighted. If the pedestrian recognition system
has brought a pedestrian to your attention,
look through the windscreen to evaluate the
situation. The actual distance to objects and
pedestrians cannot be gauged accurately by
looking at a screen.
It may be the case that objects are highlighted
as well as pedestrians. G
Risk of accident
Pedestrian recognition may be impaired or
inoperative, if:
R pedestrians are partially or completely
obscured by objects, e. g. by parked vehi-
cles
R the silhouette in the Night View Assist Plus
display is incomplete or interrupted, e. g. by
powerful light reflections
R pedestrians do not contrast with the sur-
roundings
R pedestrians are not in an upright position,
e. g. sitting, squatting or lying i
Animals are not recognised by pedestrian
recognition.
Misted up or dirty windscreen If the windscreen in front of the camera is
misted up or dirty on the inside or outside, the
Night View Assist Plus display is affected.
X To demist: check the automatic air-condi-
tioning settings (Y page 179) and fold
down the camera cover (Y page 245).
X To demist the inside of the wind-
screen: fold down the camera cover and
clean the windscreen (Y page 242). Lane package*
The lane package consists of Blind Spot
Assist and Lane Keeping Assist.
Blind Spot Assist Blind Spot Assist uses a radar sensor system
to monitor the area on both sides of your
vehicle. It supports you when you change
lanes at speeds above 30 km/h. In each case,
a warning lamp appears in the exterior mirror
as soon as a vehicle is detected in the area
monitored. When you switch on the corre-
sponding turn signal prior to changing lanes,
you receive an optical and acoustic collision
warning. For this purpose, Blind Spot Assist
uses sensors in the rear bumper.
G
Risk of accident
Blind Spot Assist is only an aid and may not
detect all vehicles. Blind Spot Assist does not
relieve you of the responsibility of paying
attention.
Always pay attention to traffic conditions and
your surroundings. Otherwise, you may fail to
recognise dangers in time, cause an accident
and injure yourself and others.
The radar sensor system is automatically
deactivated near radio telescope facilities
(Y page 362). Driving systems
167Controls
* optional
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Lane Keeping Assist monitors the area in
front of your vehicle by means of a camera at
the top of the windscreen. :
Lane Keeping Assist camera
In order that you are warned only when nec-
essary and in good time if you cross the lane
marking, the system recognises certain con-
ditions and warns you accordingly.
The warning occurs earlier if:
R you cut a corner on the outside.
R the road has very wide lanes, e.g. a motor-
way.
R the system recognises solid lane markings,
as crossing these often results in a critical
situation, e.g. in the case of hard shoulders
or crash barriers.
The warning occurs later if:
R the road has narrow lanes.
R you cut a corner on the inside.
No warning occurs if:
R you actively steer, brake or depress the
accelerator pedal, e.g. when changing lane,
overtaking, accelerating or leaving the
motorway.
R you cut the corner on a sharp bend.
R you drive around a very sharp bend.
R you switch on the turn signals. In this event
the warnings are suppressed for a certain
period of time.
R a driving safety system intervenes, such as
ABS, BAS or ESP ®
. G
Risk of accident
Lane Keeping Assist does not keep your vehi-
cle in its lane. It is only an aid and may detect
the lane markings on the road incorrectly or
not at all.
The system may be impaired or may not func-
tion if:
R there is poor visibility, e.g. due to snow,
rain, fog or spray.
R there is glare, e.g. from the sun or from
oncoming traffic.
R the windscreen is dirty, misted up or cov-
ered, for instance by a sticker, in the vicinity
of the camera.
R there are no lane markings.
R the lane markings are worn away, dark or
covered up, e.g. by dirt or snow.
R the distance to the vehicle in front is too
short.
R there are ambiguous lane markings on the
road, e.g. near roadworks.
R there are short-term changes to the mark-
ings, e.g. filter lanes or motorway exits.
R the road is narrow and winding.
Lane Keeping Assist cannot detect road and
traffic conditions. It is not a substitute for
attentive driving.
Always pay attention to traffic conditions and
your surroundings. Otherwise, you may fail to
recognise dangers in time, cause an accident
and injure yourself and others.
Activating Lane Keeping Assist Example: vehicles with automatic transmission
with a selector lever* 170
Driving systemsControls
* optional
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X
Activate Lane Keeping Assist using the on-
board computer (Y page 130).
Symbol :appears. Air conditioning
Overview of air-conditioning systems
The vehicle is equipped with one of the following air-conditioning systems: Thermatic 2-zone automatic climate control
Front control unit Thermatic 2-zone automatic climate control
combines an automatic heating and ventila-
tion system with a cooling system. You can
control the temperature separately for the
driver's and front-passenger sides. Thermotronic 3-zone luxury automatic climate control*
Front control unit
Rear control panel Thermotronic 3-zone luxury automatic cli-
mate control combines an automatic heating
and ventilation system with a cooling sys-
tem. You can control the temperature sepa-
rately for the driver's and front-passenger
sides and the rear compartment. You can
control the airflow separately for the front
and rear compartments. General notes
Thermatic 2-zone automatic climate control/
Thermotronic luxury 3-zone automatic cli-
mate control* controls the temperature and the humidity of the vehicle interior and filters
out undesirable substances from the air.
Thermatic 2-zone automatic climate control/
Thermotronic luxury 3-zone automatic cli-
mate control* is only operational when the
engine is running. 35
Optimum operation is
35 Thermotronic luxury 3-zone automatic climate control*: the "residual heat" function can only be switched
on/off if the ignition is switched off. Air conditioning
171Controls
* optional
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only achieved when you drive with the side
windows and sliding/tilting sunroof*/pano-
rama sliding sunroof* closed.
i Ventilate the vehicle for a brief period
during warm weather, e.g. using the con-
venience opening feature (Y page 102).
This will speed up the cooling process and
the desired vehicle interior temperature
will be reached more quickly.
i The integrated filter can filter out most
particles of dust and completely filters out
pollen. A clogged filter reduces the amount of air supplied to the vehicle interior. For
this reason, you should always observe the
interval for replacing the filter, which is
specified in the Service Booklet. As it
depends on environmental conditions, e.g.
heavy air pollution, the interval may be
shorter than stated in the Service Booklet. G
Risk of accident
Observe the recommended settings on the
following pages. Otherwise, the windows
could mist up. This may prevent you from
observing the traffic conditions, thereby caus-
ing an accident. Overview of air-conditioning system functions
Thermatic 2-zone automatic climate control Function
:
Activates/deactivates air-recircu-
lation mode
;
Demists the windscreen
=
Switches the zone function on/off
?
Display
A
Sets the air-conditioning system to
automatic
B
Switches cooling with air dehumid-
ification on/off
C
Switches the rear window heating
on/off Function
D
Switches the air conditioning on/
off
E
Sets the temperature, right
F
Sets the air distribution
G
Sets the airflow
H
Sets the temperature, left
i
Instructions and recommendations for
optimum air conditioning:
R activate the air conditioning using
the à and¿ buttons. The indica- 172
Air conditioningControls
* optional
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