The HOLD function must never be operated
or deactivated by a passenger or from outside
the vehicle.
The HOLD function does not replace the park-
ing brake and must not be used for parking.
The braking effect of the HOLD function is
cancelled and the vehicle could roll away if:
R the HOLD function 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 tam-
pered with.
R the battery is disconnected. G
Risk of accident
If you leave the vehicle or park it, deactivate
the HOLD function and secure the vehicle
against rolling away.
In vehicles with automatic transmission and
a DIRECT SELECT lever*, the transmission is
automatically shifted to Pif the HOLD func-
tion is activated and:
R the driver's door is opened and you release
the seat belt.
R the engine is switched off, unless it is auto-
matically switched off by the ECO Start/
Stop function.
R the bonnet is opened.
R a system fault occurs.
R the power supply is not sufficient. In vehicles with manual transmission or auto-
matic transmission* with a selector lever, you
see a warning message in the multi-function
display if the HOLD function is activated and:
R
the driver's door is opened and you release
the seat belt.
R the engine is switched off, unless it is auto-
matically switched off by the ECO Start/
Stop function.
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
the HOLD function.
On vehicles with automatic transmission*
with a selector lever:
Select Park (P)
X Move the selector lever to Pto prevent the
vehicle from rolling away.
The HOLD function is deactivated. The
warning message in the multi-function dis-
play disappears.
A horn will also sound at regular intervals if
the HOLD function is activated and you:
R switch off the engine, open the driver's
door and remove your seat belt.
R open the bonnet.
The sounding of the horn alerts you to the fact
that the vehicle has been parked while the
HOLD function is still activated. The tone
becomes louder if you attempt to lock the
vehicle. The vehicle is not locked until the
HOLD function is deactivated.
i If the ignition has been switched off, the
engine cannot be started again until the
HOLD function has been deactivated.
If there is a fault in the system or power supply
while the HOLD function is activated, the
Brake immediately message is shown in
the multi-function display. Immediately
depress the brake firmly until the warning 152
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message in the multi-function display goes
out. On vehicles with automatic transmis-
sion*, you can also select
P. This deactivates
the HOLD function. RACE START (E 63 AMG)
RACE START enables optimal acceleration
from a standing start with suitable high-grip
road surface conditions. G
Risk of accident
RACE START is only available when ESP ®
Sports mode is activated. ESP ®
Sport stabil-
ises the vehicle in a limited manner if the vehi-
cle starts to skid or when a wheel is spinning.
RACE START should only be used on closed
off circuits. Always adapt your driving style to
suit the prevailing road and weather condi-
tions.
Conditions for activation RACE START can be activated when:
R
the doors are closed
R the engine is running and it has reached an
operating temperature of approximately
80 †. This is the case when the engine oil
temperature lamp in the multi-function dis-
play stops flashing.
R ESP ®
Sport is activated (Y page 62)
R the steering wheel is in the straight-ahead
position
R the vehicle is at rest and the brake pedal is
depressed (left foot)
R the transmission is in position DActivating RACE START X
Depress the brake pedal with your left foot,
and keep it depressed.
X Turn the program selector switch clock-
wise (Y page 116), until the RSlamp lights
up.
The multi-function display shows the RACE
START Confirm: Paddle UP Cancel:
Paddle DOWN message.
i If the conditions for activation are no lon-
ger fulfilled, RACE START is cancelled. The
multi-function display shows the RACE
START cancelled message.
X To cancel: pull the left paddle
(Y page 114).
or
X To confirm: pull the right paddle
(Y page 114).
The multi-function display shows the RACE
START available Depress accelera‐
tor message.
i If you do not depress the accelerator
pedal fully within two seconds, RACE
START is cancelled. The multi-function dis-
play shows the RACE START not possi‐
ble See Owner's Manual message.
X Depress the accelerator pedal fully.
The engine speed rises to approximately
4,000 rpm.
The multi-function display shows the RACE
START Release brake to start mes-
sage.
i If you do not release the brake pedal
within seven seconds, RACE START is can-
celled. The multi-function display shows
the RACE START cancelled message.
X Take your foot off the brake, but keep the
accelerator pedal depressed.
The vehicle pulls away at maximum accel-
eration.
The multi-function display shows the RACE
START active message. 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
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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
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Front sensors
Centre Approximately 100 cm
Corners Approximately 60 cm
Rear sensors
Centre Approximately 120 cm
Corners Approximately 80 cm
!
When parking, pay particular attention to
objects above or below the sensors, such
as flower pots or trailer towbars. PARK-
TRONIC 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 PARK-
TRONIC to malfunction.
Minimum distance Centre Approximately 20 cm
Corners Approximately 15 cm
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 loca-
ted on the roof lining in the rear compart-
ment. Warning display for front area
:
Left-hand side of the vehicle
; Right-hand side of the vehicle
= Indicator segments
The warning display for each side of the vehi-
cle is divided into five yellow and two red seg-
ments. PARKTRONIC is operational if yellow
indicator segments =light up.
The gear lever position or, in the case of auto-
matic transmission*, the selector lever posi-
tion determines which warning display is
active when the engine is running:
Manual transmission: Selector lever
position Warning display
Forwards gear
or
Neutral
Front area activated
Reverse gear
Rear and front areas
activated
Automatic transmission*:
Selector lever
position Warning display
D
Front area activated
R
or N Rear and front areas
activated
P
No areas activated158
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Warning and display messages in the
multi-function display Example: vehicles with automatic transmission
with a selector lever*
X Activate ATTENTION ASSIST with the on-
board computer (Y page 130).
Symbol :appears in the multi-function
display.
If ATTENTION ASSIST is active, it will not warn
you until at least 20 minutes after your jour-
ney has begun. You then hear an intermittent
warning tone and the Attention Assist:
Time for a break? message appears in the
multi-function display.
X If necessary, take a break.
X Press ato confirm the message.
On long journeys, take regular breaks in good
time to allow yourself to rest properly. If you
do not take a break and ATTENTION ASSIST
still detects fatigue or increasing inattentive-
ness, you will see a warning again after
15 minutes at the earliest.
ATTENTION ASSIST is reset when you con-
tinue your journey and starts judging your
tiredness anew if:
R you switch off the engine.
R you take off your seat belt and open the
driver's door, e.g. for a change of drivers or
to take a break. Speed Limit Assist*
i Speed Limit Assist is not operational in all
countries.
Speed Limit Assist, in conjunction with your
navigation system*, shows you speed limits it has detected in the multi-function display.
The display appears when traffic signs stating
the speed limit have been detected.
Example
:
Traffic signs showing the speed limit
; End of speed limit zone
i Sign ;indicating the end of a speed limit
zone is detected, but is not shown in the
multi-function display.
Speed Limit Assist detects these signs with a
camera at the top of the windscreen. :
Speed Limit Assist camera G
Risk of accident
Speed Limit Assist is only an aid and may
detect speed limit signs 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. 164
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Information and warning display
:
Yellow indicator lamp/red warning lamp
When you turn the key to position 2in the
ignition lock, warning lamps :in the exterior
mirrors light up red.
If Blind Spot Assist is switched on and the
engine is running, indicator lamps :in the
exterior mirrors light up yellow up to a speed
of 30 km/h. At speeds above 30 km/h, the
indicator lamp goes out and Blind Spot Assist
is operational.
If a vehicle is detected within the monitoring
range of Blind Spot Assist at speeds above
30 km/h, warning lamp :on the corre-
sponding side lights up red. This warning is
always issued when a vehicle enters the blind
spot monitoring range from behind or from
the side. When you overtake a vehicle, the
warning only occurs if the difference in speed
is less than 12 km/h.
The yellow indicator lamp goes out after
reverse gear is engaged. In this event, Blind
Spot Assist is no longer active.
The brightness of the indicator/warning
lamps is adjusted automatically according to
the ambient light. G
Risk of accident
Blind Spot Assist is not active at speeds below
30 km/h, and the indicator lamps in the exte-
rior mirrors are yellow. Vehicles in the moni-
toring range are then not indicated.
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.
Collision warning
If a vehicle is detected in the monitoring range
of Blind Spot Assist and you switch on the turn
signal, a double warning tone sounds. Red
warning lamp :flashes. If the turn signal
remains on, detected vehicles are indicated
by the flashing of red warning lamp :. There
are no further warning tones.
Switching on Blind Spot Assist
X Make sure that the radar sensor system
(Y page 134) and Blind Spot Assist
(Y page 130) are activated in the on-board
computer.
X Turn the key to position 2in the ignition
lock.
Red warning lamps :in the exterior mir-
rors are lit.
X Start the engine.
Warning lamps :in the exterior mirrors
now light up yellow.
Trailer towing*
Blind Spot Assist is deactivated when you
connect the trailer to your vehicle electrically.
The Blind Spot Assist currently
unavailable See Owner's Manual mes-
sage appears in the multi-function display.
Lane Keeping Assist If you select
kmon the on-board computer in
the Speed-/odometer: function
(Y page 131), Lane Keeping Assist is activa-
ted starting at a speed of 60 km/h. If the
miles display unit is selected, the assistance
range begins at between 35 and 40 mph.
Lane Keeping Assist is designed to detect
lane markings on the road and warn you
before you leave your lane unintentionally.
Usually the warning is given when a front
wheel passes over a lane marking. It will warn
you by means of intermittent vibration in the
steering wheel for up to 1.5 seconds. Driving systems
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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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