2009 MERCEDES-BENZ E-CLASS SALOON brake light

Parking
G
Risk of accident
Only remove the key from the ignition lock
when the vehicle is stationary, as you cannot
steer the vehicle with the key removed.
Never leave children unsupervised in the vehi-
cle. 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. Otherwise, the flammable material
may ignite and set the vehicle on fire.
To ensure that the vehicle is secured against
rolling away unintentionally:
R the parking brake must be applied
R on vehicles with manual transmission,
engage first gear or reverse gear
R on vehicles with automatic transmission*,
the transmission must be in position Pand
the key must be removed from the ignition
lock
R on steep uphill or downhill gradients, turn
the front wheels towards the kerb
Parking brake X
To apply: depress parking brake ;firmly.
The J warning lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up if the engine is running. X
To release: depress the brake pedal and
keep it depressed.
On vehicles with automatic transmission*,
the selector lever/parking lock is released.
X Pull release handle :.
The J warning lamp in the instrument
cluster goes out. Switching off the engine
G
Risk of accident
If the engine is not running, there is no power
assistance for the steering and brakes. Steer-
ing and braking will then require significantly
greater effort.
As a result, you might lose control of the vehi-
cle, cause an accident and injure yourself and
others.
Therefore, do not switch off the engine while
you are driving.
Vehicles with manual transmission X
Shift to either first or reverse gear.
X Turn the key to position 0(Y page 75) in
the ignition lock and remove it.
The immobiliser is activated.
Vehicles with automatic transmission* X
Standard vehicles: shift the transmission
to position P. X
AMG vehicles: press thePbutton :. Driving and parking
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Downshifting
G
Risk of accident
Do not shift down to brake on a slippery road
surface. This could cause the drive wheels to
lose their grip, and the vehicle could skid.
X Pull the left-hand paddle ( Ypage 114).
The automatic transmission shifts down to
the next gear.
i For maximum acceleration, pull the left-
hand steering wheel gearshift paddle until
the transmission selects the optimum gear
for the current speed.
Kickdown
i On vehicles with AMG engines, it is not
possible to use kickdown in manual drive
program M. Instrument cluster
Points to remember
You will find an illustration of the instrument
cluster in the "At a glance" section
(Y page 27). G
Risk of accident
If the instrument cluster or the multi-function
display fails, then no display messages can be
shown.
You will not then be able to see information
about the vehicle status, such as speed and
outside temperature, warning and indicator
lamps, display messages or the failure of sys-
tems. The vehicle’s handling characteristics
may be affected. Adapt your driving style and
speed accordingly.
Immediately consult a qualified specialist
workshop which has the necessary specialist
knowledge and tools to carry out the work
required. Mercedes-Benz recommends that
you use a Mercedes-Benz Service Centre for
this purpose. In particular, work relevant to
safety or on safety-related systems must be
carried out at a qualified specialist workshop. Coolant temperature display
The coolant temperature gauge is in the
instrument cluster on the right-hand side.
Under normal operating conditions and with
the specified coolant level, the coolant tem-
perature may rise to 120 †. The coolant tem-
perature may rise to the top end of the scale
at high outside temperatures and on long
uphill stretches. Speedometer with segments
The segments in the speedometer indicate
which speed range is available.
Cruise control mode:
The segments light up from the stored speed
to the maximum speed.
Variable Speedtronic mode:
The segments light up from the start of the
scale to the selected limit speed.
Distronic Plus* mode:
One or two segments around the stored
speed light up. Rev counter
The red band in the rev counter indicates the
engine's overrevving range. The fuel supply is
interrupted to protect the engine when the
red band is reached.
! Do not drive in the overrevving range.
Doing so will damage the engine. Outside temperature display
G
Risk of accident
At temperatures just above freezing point, the
road could be icy, particularly in wooded areas
or on bridges. The vehicle could start skidding
if you fail to adapt your driving style. You
should therefore always adapt your driving
style and speed to suit the weather condi-
tions. Inst
rument cluster
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X
Press the abutton to confirm.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Automatic door locks: function.
You will see the selected setting: onor
off.
X Press the abutton to save the setting.
Activating/deactivating the radar sensor
system*
i You must deactivate the radar sensor sys-
tem in certain countries and near radio
telescope facilities. You will find further
information under "Radar sensor system"
in the index.
Vehicles with a navigation system*: the radar
sensor system is deactivated automatically if
you are close to radio telescope facilities.
The following systems are switched off when
the radar sensor system is deactivated:
R Distronic Plus* (Y page 140)
R BAS PLUS* (Y page 59)
R PRE-SAFE ®
Brake* (Y page 63)
R Blind Spot Assist* (Y page 167)
X Press the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the Settingsmenu.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Vehicle submenu.
X Press the abutton to confirm.
X Press the 9or: button to select the
Radar sensor (See Owner's Man.):
You will see the selected setting: onor
off.
X Press the abutton to save the setting.
Heating* Auxiliary heating* departure time
Only vehicles with auxiliary heating have this
submenu.
In the
Heating submenu, you can select a
stored departure time or change a departure time, at which the vehicle is preheated by the
auxiliary heating.
The auxiliary heating timer function calcu-
lates the switch-on time according to the out-
side temperature so that the vehicle is pre-
heated by the departure time. When the
departure time is reached, the auxiliary heat-
ing continues to heat for a further five
minutes and then switches off. The auxiliary
heating adopts the 2-zone Thermatic or the
3-zone Thermotronic *temperature settings.
You can switch off the auxiliary heating by
using the remote control or the auxiliary heat-
ing button on the centre console. G
Risk of poisoning
Exhaust fumes are produced when the auxili-
ary heating is in operation. Inhaling these
exhaust fumes can be poisonous. You should
therefore switch off the auxiliary heating in
confined spaces without an extraction sys-
tem, e.g. a garage. G
Risk of fire
When the auxiliary heating is in operation,
parts of the vehicle can become very hot.
Make sure that the exhaust system does
not under any circumstances come into con-
tact with highly flammable materials such as
dry grass or fuels. The highly flammable mate-
rial could otherwise ignite and set the vehicle
alight. Select your parking space accordingly.
Operating the auxiliary heating is therefore
prohibited at filling stations or when your vehi-
cle is being refuelled. Always switch off the
auxiliary heating at filling stations.
Selecting the departure time or deactivat-
ing a selected departure time
X Press the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the Settingsmenu.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Heating submenu.
X Press the abutton to confirm.
You will see the selected setting.
X Press the abutton to confirm. On-board computer
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X
Press the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the Settingsmenu.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Convenience submenu.
X Press the abutton to confirm.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Fold in mirrors when locking: func-
tion.
You will see the selected setting: onor
off.
X Press the abutton to save the setting.
Restoring the factory settings For safety reasons, not all functions are reset:
the Limit Speed (winter tyres): func-
tion in permanent Speedtronic can only be set
in the Vehicle submenu. If you want to reset
the Daytime driving lamps: in theLight
submenu, you must turn the key in the igni-
tion lock to position 1.
X Press the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the Settingsmenu.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Factory setting submenu.
X Press the abutton to confirm.
The Reset all settings? message
appears.
X Press the :or9 button to select
Yes orNo.
X Press the abutton to confirm the selec-
tion.
If you have selected Yes, the multi-function
display shows a confirmation message. Driving systems
Overview of driving systems
The vehicle's driving systems are described
on the following pages:
R cruise control, Distronic Plus* and Speed-
tronic, which are used to control the speed
of the vehicle
R HOLD function, which makes pulling away
easier, particularly on steep uphill gradi-
ents
R RACE START (E 63 AMG), which makes pull-
ing away on race tracks easier
R AIRMATIC* (except E 63 AMG), which is
used to adjust the vehicle's suspension
system
R AMG RIDE CONTROL sports suspension
(E 63 AMG), which is used to adjust the
vehicle's suspension system
R 4MATIC* (permanent four-wheel drive), for
optimum traction
R PARKTRONIC* and Parking Guidance*,
which assist you in finding a parking space,
as well as when manoeuvring and parking
R reversing camera*, which assists you when
parking and manoeuvring
R ATTENTION ASSIST, which helps you
detect tiredness or increasing lapses in
concentration
R Speed Limit Assist*, which shows you
speed limits that are detected in the multi-
function display
R Night View Assist Plus*, which assists you
when driving in the dark
R lane package*, which assists you with Blind
Spot Assist when changing lanes and warns
you against leaving your lane unintention-
ally with Lane Keeping Assist
The ABS, BAS, BAS PLUS*, adaptive brake
lights, ESP ®
, EBV and ADAPTIVE BRAKE driv-
ing safety systems and the PRE-SAFE ® Driving systems
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display, the segments between the stored
speed and the maximum speed light up.
Selecting cruise control
X
Check whether LIM indicator lamp ;is off.
If it is off, cruise control is already selected.
If it is not, press the cruise control lever in
the direction of arrow A.
LIM indicator lamp ;in the cruise control
lever goes off. Cruise control is selected.
Storing and maintaining the current
speed You can store the current speed if you are
driving faster than 30 km/
hand ESP ®
is acti-
vated (Y page 60).
X Accelerate the vehicle to the desired
speed.
X Briefly press the cruise control lever
up : or down ?to the pressure point.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
Cruise control is activated. The vehicle
automatically maintains the stored speed.
i Cruise control may be unable to maintain
the stored speed on uphill gradients. The
stored speed is resumed when the gradient
evens out. Cruise control maintains the
stored speed on downhill gradients by
automatically applying the brakes.
Vehicles with manual transmission:
R always drive at adequate, but not exces-
sive, engine speeds.
R change gear in good time.
R if possible, do not change down several
gears at a time. Storing the current speed or calling up
the last stored speed G
Risk of accident
Only select a stored speed if you know what
that speed is and whether it is suitable for the
current situation. Otherwise, sudden acceler-
ation or braking could endanger you or others.
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you =.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
The first time cruise control is activated, it
stores the current speed or regulates the
speed of the vehicle to the previously
stored speed.
Setting a speed X
Press the cruise control lever to the pres-
sure point, up :for a higher speed or
down ?for a lower speed.
X Keep the cruise control lever pressed until
the desired speed is reached.
X Release the cruise control lever.
The new speed is stored.
i Cruise control is not deactivated if you
depress the accelerator pedal. For exam-
ple, if you accelerate briefly to overtake,
cruise control adjusts the vehicle's speed
to the last speed stored after you have fin-
ished overtaking.
Making fine adjustments in 1 km/h
increments X
Briefly press the cruise control lever to the
pressure point, up :for a higher speed or
down ?for a lower speed.
The last speed stored is increased or
reduced. Driving systems
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Adjustment in 10 km/h increments
X
Briefly press the cruise control lever
beyond the pressure point, up :for a
higher speed or down ?for a lower speed.
The last speed stored is increased or
reduced.
Deactivating cruise control There are several ways to deactivate cruise
control:
X
Briefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards B.
or
X Brake.
or
X Briefly press the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow A.
Variable Speedtronic is selected. LIM indi-
cator lamp ;in the cruise control lever
lights up.
Cruise control is automatically deactivated if:
R you depress the parking brake.
R you drive at less than 30 km/h
R ESP ®
intervenes or you deactivate ESP ®
R you change into neutral in a vehicle with
manual transmission while driving or if the
clutch is depressed for longer than 6 sec-
onds
R on vehicles with manual transmission, you
shift to a higher gear and as a result the
engine speed is too low
R you move the selector lever to Non vehi-
cles with automatic transmission* while
driving
If cruise control is deactivated, you will hear
a warning tone. You see the Cruise con‐
trol off message in the multi-function dis-
play for approximately five seconds.
i The last speed stored is cleared when you
switch off the engine. Distronic Plus*
i Distronic Plus is not available in all coun-
tries.
Distronic Plus regulates the speed and auto-
matically maintains the distance to the vehi-
cle in front. It brakes automatically in order
to avoid exceeding the set speed. On long and
steep downhill gradients, especially if the
vehicle is laden or towing a trailer, you must
select shift range 1,2or 3in good time. 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. 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
Distronic Plus is only an aid designed to assist
driving. The driver is fully responsible for the
vehicle's distance from other vehicles, the
vehicle's speed and for braking in good time.
Distronic Plus does not react to:
R pedestrians
R stationary obstacles on the road, e.g. stop-
ped or parked vehicles
R oncoming and crossing traffic
Distronic Plus may not detect narrow vehicles
driving in front, e.g. motorcycles, or vehicles
driving on a different line. Therefore, always
pay attention to traffic conditions even when
Distronic Plus is activated. Otherwise, you
may fail to recognise dangers in time, cause
an accident and injure yourself and others.
If a slower-moving vehicle is detected in front,
Distronic Plus causes your vehicle to brake
and maintain a preset distance to the vehicle
in front. 140
Driving systemsCont
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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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Setting the specified minimum dis-
tance for Distronic Plus You can set the specified minimum distance
for Distronic Plus by varying the time span
between one and two seconds. With this func-
tion, you can set the minimum distance that
Distronic Plus keeps to the vehicle in front,
dependent on vehicle speed. You can see this
distance in the multi-function display
(Y page 145). X
To increase: turn thumbwheel ;towards
=.
Then, Distronic Plus maintains a greater
distance between your vehicle and the
vehicle in front.
X To decrease: turn thumbwheel ;
towards :.
Then, Distronic Plus maintains a shorter
distance between your vehicle and the
vehicle in front.
i Make sure that you maintain the mini-
mum distance to the vehicle in front
required by law. Adjust the distance to the
vehicle in front if necessary. Distronic Plus displays in the speedom-
eter When Distronic Plus is activated, one or two
segments
;in the set speed range light up.
i For design reasons, the speed displayed
in the speedometer may differ slightly from
the speed set for Distronic Plus.
If Distronic Plus detects a vehicle in front,
segments ;between speed of the vehicle in
front :and stored speed =light up.
Distronic Plus displays in the multi-
function display In the Assistance menu (Y
page 130) of the
on-board computer, you can select the dis-
tance display and activate or deactivate the
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake*.
Display when Distronic Plus is switched
off
X Select the Distance display function
using the on-board computer
(Y page 130).
When Distronic Plus is deactivated, you will
see the following in the multi-function display: Driving systems
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