1, 2, 3 ...
4-ETS see ETS/4-ETS
4MATIC
see All-wheel drive (4MATIC)
A
ABS (Antilock Brake System) ............. 62
Indicator lamp ................................ 305
Messages in the multifunction
display ................................... 288, 289
Accessory weight .............................. 249
Accidents ........................................... 112
Air bags ........................................... 37
Emergency calls (Tele Aid) .............208
NECK-PRO active front head
restraints ........................................ 54
Active Bi-Xenon headlamps
see Headlamps
Adaptive Brake .................................... 64
Adaptive Highbeam Assist ............... 100
Switching on or off ......................... 142
AdBlue ®
...................................... 333, 364
Refilling ......................................... 334
Additives
Engine oil ....................................... 362
Gasoline ......................................... 364
Address change ................................... 21
Advanced Tire Pressure
Monitoring System (Advanced
TPMS) ................................................. 233
Messages in the multifunction
display ........................................... 285
Air bags ................................................ 37
Emergency call upon deployment ..208
Front, driver and passenger .............40
Front passenger front air bag off
indicator lamp (Canada
only) ........................................ 46, 313
Front passenger front air bag off
indicator lamp (USA only) ........43, 314
Knee bag .......................................... 40
Messages in the multifunction
display ........................................... 276
OCS (Occupant Classification
System) ........................................... 43
Pelvis ............................................... 42
Safety guidelines ............................. 39
Side impact ...................................... 41
Window curtain ................................ 42
Air conditioning refrigerant and
lubricant ............................................. 362
Air distribution .................................. 189
Air filter .............................................. 299
AIRMATIC
Damping system ............................ 163
Introduction ................................... 163
Messages in the multifunction
display ........................................... 292
Vehicle level control ......................163
Air pressure
see Tire inflation pressure
Air pressure (tires) ............................ 250
Air pump (electric) ............................ 327
Air recirculation mode ...................... 190
Air volume .......................................... 189
Alarm system see Anti-theft systems
Alignment bolt (vehicle tool kit) ...... 326
All-wheel drive (4MATIC) .................. 161
Alternator
Messages in the multifunction
display ................................... 284, 297
Alternator (Technical data)
see Vehicle specification
AMG adaptive sport suspension
system (E 63 AMG) ............................ 164
AMG menu ......................................... 131
Anticorrosion/antifreeze .................. 365
Antilock Brake System see ABS
Anti-theft systems ............................... 71
Anti-theft alarm system ...................72
Immobilizer ...................................... 71
Aquaplaning
see Hydroplaning
Armrest, front
Storage compartment ....................202
Armrest, rear
Storage compartment ....................202
Ashtrays ............................................. 206
Aspect ratio (tires) ............................ 250
Assistance menu ............................... 1374Index212_AKB; 2; 41, en-USd2ureepe,Version: 2.11.8.12009-07-17T09:14:21+02:00 - Seite 4
V
Valet locking ........................................ 85
Vehicle
Battery ........................................... 336
Care ............................................... 260
Control system .............................. 126
Identification Number (VIN) ...........346
Locking/unlocking ........................... 76
Lowering (wheel change) ...............328
Modifications and alterations,
Operating safety .............................. 22
Towing ........................................... 340
Unlocking/locking manually ..........314
Vehicle dimensions
see Vehicle specification
Vehicle Identification Number
(VIN) ................................................... 346
Vehicle jack see Jack
Vehicle level control
see AIRMATIC
Vehicle lighting .................................... 97
Vehicle loading
Cargo tie-down rings ...................... 199
Instructions .................................... 197
Load limit ....................................... 238
Roof rack ....................................... 198
Split rear seat bench .....................199
Terminology ................................... 249
Vehicle maximum load on the tire ... 252
Vehicle specification
E 350 ............................................. 348
E 350 4MATIC ................................ 349
E 350 BlueTEC ............................... 348
E 550 ............................................. 350
E 550 4MATIC ................................ 351
E 63 AMG ...................................... 352
Vehicle status message memory .... 139
Vehicle tool kit .................................. 268
Vehicle washing see Vehicle care
Vehicle weights
see Vehicle specification W
Warning sounds
DISTRONIC PLUS ........................... 151
Driver’s or passenger’s seat belt .....52
Parking brake ................................ 289
Parking Guidance ........................... 170
Parktronic system ..........................168
Seat belt telltale ............................ 307
Warranty coverage ............................ 346
Washer and headlamp cleaning
system ................................................ 367
Washer fluid
Messages in the multifunction
display ........................................... 294
Mixing ratio .................................... 367
Refilling .......................................... 227
Washing the vehicle .......................... 260
Wear pattern (tires) .......................... 244
Weights (vehicle) see Vehicle specification
Wheel
Changing ....................................... 323
Removing ....................................... 326
Spare ............................................. 323
Tightening torque ........................... 328
Wheels, sizes ..................................... 353
Wheels, Tires and .............................. 228
Window curtain air bags ..................... 42
Windows see Power windows
Windows, cleaning ............................ 264
Windshield
Cleaning wiper blades .................... 264
Washer fluid ................................... 367
Wipers ........................................... 104
Windshield wipers
Replacing wiper blades ..................322
Winter cover .............................. 224, 252
Winter driving
Instructions .................................... 253
Radiator cover ............................... 252
Snow chains .................................. 252
Tires ............................................... 252
Winter tires ................................ 252, 353
Wood trims, cleaning ........................ 266Index19212_AKB; 2; 41, en-USd2ureepe,Version: 2.11.8.12009-07-17T09:14:21+02:00 - Seite 19
whether or not your vehicle is equipped with
air bags.
It is important to your safety and that of your
passengers to have deployed air bags
replaced and to have any malfunctioning air
bags repaired. This will help to make sure the
air bags will continue to provide supplemental
crash protection for occupants.
Safety guidelines for the seat belt,
Emergency Tensioning Device (ETD)
and air bag GWarning!
R Damaged seat belts or seat belts that have
been subjected to stress in an accident
must be replaced. Their anchoring points
must also be checked. Only use seat belts
installed or supplied by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
R Air bags and pyrotechnic Emergency
Tensioning Devices (ETDs) contain
perchlorate material, which may require
special handling and regard for the
environment. Check with your local
government’s disposal guidelines.
California residents, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/HazardousWaste/
Perchlorate/index.cfm .
R Air bags and ETDs are designed to function
on a one-time-only basis. An air bag or ETD
that has deployed must be replaced. PRE-
SAFE ®
has electrically operated reversible
pre-tensioners in addition to the
pyrotechnic ETDs.
R Do not pass seat belts over sharp edges.
They could tear.
R Do not make any modification that could
change the effectiveness of the seat belts.
R Do not bleach or dye seat belts as this may
severely weaken them. In a crash they may
not be able to provide adequate protection.
R No modifications of any kind may be made
to any components or wiring of the SRS.
R Do no change or remove any component or
part of the SRS.
R Do not install additional trim material, seat
covers, badges, etc. over the steering
wheel hub, front passenger front air bag
cover, outboard sides of the seat
backrests, door trim panels, or door frame
trims.
R Do not install additional electrical/
electronic equipment on or near SRS
components and wiring.
R Keep area between air bags and occupants
free of objects (e.g. packages, purses,
umbrellas, etc.).
R Do not hang items such as coat hangers
from the coat hooks or handles over the
door. These items may be thrown around in
the vehicle and cause head and other
injuries when the window curtain air bag is
deployed.
R Air bag system components will be hot after
an air bag has inflated. Do not touch them.
R Never place your feet on the instrument
panel, dashboard, or on the seat. Always
keep both feet on the floor in front of the
seat.
R Improper repair work on the SRS creates a
risk of rendering the SRS inoperative or
causing unintended air bag deployment.
Work on the SRS must therefore only be
performed by qualified technicians.
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
R For your protection and the protection of
others, when scrapping the air bag unit or
ETD, our safety instructions must be
followed. These instructions are available
from any authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
R Given the considerable deployment speed,
required inflation volume, and the material
of the air bags, there is the possibility ofOccupant safety39Safety and security212_AKB; 2; 41, en-USd2ureepe,Version: 2.11.8.12009-07-17T09:14:21+02:00 - Seite 39Z
Children in the vehicle
Safety notes
If an infant or child is traveling with you in the
vehicle:
XSecure the child using an infant or child
restraint appropriate to the age and size of
the child.XMake sure the infant or child is properly
secured at all times while the vehicle is in
motion.GWarning!
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch. Always
take the SmartKey with you and lock the
vehicle. Do not leave children unattended in
the vehicle, even if they are secured in a child
restraint system, or with access to an
unlocked vehicle. A child’s unsupervised
access to a vehicle could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury. The children
could
R injure themselves on parts of the vehicle
R be seriously or fatally injured through
excessive exposure to extreme heat or cold
R injure themselves or cause an accident with
vehicle equipment that can be operated
even if the SmartKey is removed from the
starter switch or removed from the vehicle,
such as seat adjustment, steering wheel
adjustment, or the memory function
If children open a door, they could injure other
persons or get out of the vehicle and injure
themselves or be injured by following traffic.
Do not expose the child restraint system to
direct sunlight. The child restraint system’s
metal parts, for example, could become very
hot, and the child could be burned by these
parts.
GWarning!
Do not carry heavy or hard objects in the
passenger compartment or trunk unless they
are firmly secured in place.
Unsecured or improperly positioned cargo
increases a child’s risk of injury in the event
of
R strong braking maneuvers
R sudden changes of direction
R an accident
Infant and child restraint systemsGObserve Safety notes, see page 56.
We recommend all infants and children be
properly restrained at all times while the
vehicle is in motion.
Canada only:
Only use a BabySmart™ compatible child
restraint for the front passenger seat in this
vehicle.
All lap/shoulder belts except the driver’s seat
belt have special seat belt retractors for
secure fastening of child restraints.
To fasten a child restraint, follow the child
restraint manufacturer’s instructions for
mounting.
To activate the special seat belt retractor:
XPull the shoulder belt out completely and
let it retract.
During seat belt retraction, a ratcheting
sound can be heard to indicate that the
special seat belt retractor is activated.
The seat belt is now locked.XPush down on child restraint to take up any
slack.
To deactivate the special seat belt retractor:
XRelease the seat belt buckle and let the
seat belt retract completely.
The seat belt can then again be used in the
usual manner.
To deactivate the special seat belt retractor
for the front passenger seat, the front
passenger seat must be in the most backward
position.
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boost to a level that is suitable for the traffic
situation.
If BAS PLUS requires a particularly high brake
power boost, PRE-SAFE ®
is activated at the
same time.XKeep constant pressure on the brake pedal
until the emergency braking situation is
over.
During this process, the ABS prevents the
wheels from locking up.
The brakes will resume normal operation
after
R the brake pedal is released
R no obstacles are detected in your path
R the system no longer senses a risk of a
collision
BAS PLUS is then deactivated.
BAS PLUS can react to stationary obstacles
such as standing or parked vehicles at road
speeds of up to approximately 40 mph
(70 km/h).
BAS PLUS can only assist you when the radar
sensors are switched on and functional. You
can check whether the sensors are active by
switching on DISTRONIC PLUS
( Y page 149) or using the Radar sensors
function in the instrument cluster control
system.
GWarning!
BAS PLUS will only respond with brake
assistance if it has clearly detected an object.
Detection can be impeded by
R dirty or covered sensors
R snowfall or heavy rain
R disturbance from other radar sources
R strong radar reflection such as in parking
garages
BAS PLUS uses radar signals that are not
reflected well by narrow objects and
absorptive materials. For this reason BAS
PLUS will not react to persons, animals, and
approaching traffic or cross-traffic.
BAS PLUS may not detect narrow vehicles
driving in front of you, such as motorcycles
and vehicles driving offset from your vehicle
center.
After a hard collision or damage to the front
of the vehicle from an accident, have the
adjustment and operation of the radar
sensors checked by an authorized Mercedes-
Benz Center.
If BAS PLUS is not available due to a radar
sensor malfunction, the braking system will
continue to function normally with full brake
boost and full standard BAS function.
Adaptive Brake
Adaptive Brake provides a high level of
braking safety as well as increased braking
comfort. Adaptive Brake takes driver and
vehicle characteristics into consideration,
thus achieving an optimal braking effect.
In addiditon, Adaptive Brake provides the
HOLD function (Y page 161) and the hill-start
assist system ( Y page 160).
For more information on the brake system,
see ( Y page 254).
EBP
GObserve Safety notes, see page 62.
The Electronic Brake Proportioning (EBP)
enhances braking effectiveness by allowing
the rear brakes to supply a greater proportion
of the braking effort in straight-line braking
without a loss of vehicle stability.
GWarning!
If the EBP malfunctions, the brake system will
still function with full brake boost. However,
the rear wheels could lock up during
emergency braking situations, for example.
You could lose control of the vehicle and
cause an accident.
Adapt your driving style to the changed
driving characteristics.
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XSwitching on rear fog lamp: Press switch
N (Y page 97).
The rear fog lamp, the front fog lamps, the
green N and the yellow indicator lamp
R in the instrument cluster come on.
XSwitching off rear fog lamp: Press switch
N (Y page 97).
The rear fog lamp, the front fog lamps, the
green N and the yellow indicator lamp
R in the instrument cluster goes out.
Vehicles without front fog lamps
XSwitching on rear fog lamp: Press switch
R (Y page 97).
The rear fog lamp and the yellow indicator
lamp R in the instrument cluster come
on.
XSwitching off rear fog lamp: Press switch
R (Y page 97).
The rear fog lamp and the yellow indicator
lamp R in the instrument cluster goes
out.
Locator lighting
The locator lighting is described in the
“Control system” section, see “Switching
locator lighting on or off” (Y page 142).
Combination switch
Turn signals XPress the combination switch in direction
of arrow ; or ?.
The corresponding turn signal indicator
lamp ! or # in the instrument
cluster flashes.
The combination switch resets automatically
after major steering wheel movements.
To signal minor directional changes:
XPress the combination switch only to the
point of resistance in direction of
arrow ; or ? and release.
The corresponding turn signal lamps will
flash three times.
High beam
XTurn the exterior lamp switch to position
L (Y page 97).
XSwitching on: Push the combination
switch in direction of arrow :.
The high-beam headlamp indicator lamp
K in the instrument cluster comes on.
XSwitching off: Pull the combination switch
in direction of arrow = to its original
position.
iAlso note the information on high-beam
headlamps with activated automatic
headlamp mode (Y page 98) or the daytime
running lamp mode (Y page 98).
Adaptive Highbeam Assist
The Adaptive Highbeam Assist is only
available in vehicles with Bi-Xenon
headlamps.
Depending on the driving and traffic situation,
low-beam leveling and the high-beam
headlamps are controlled via an optical
sensor. The sensor is located on the front of
the overhead control panel. Glare for other
road users is reduced and the illumination of
road ahead is improved. The transitions
between low-beam and high-beam
headlamps take place without a sudden
change of light.
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Program mode selector dial on E 63 AMG
C ComfortFor standard drivingS SportFor sporty drivingS+ Sport PlusFor sporty driving with
shorter shift times
M ManualFor manual gearshifting
(Y page 122)
RS RACE STARTFor optimum
acceleration from a
standing start
iProgram mode RS cannot be selected
while driving. For more information, see
“RACE START (E 63 AMG)” (Y page 159).
The current program mode appears in the
multifunction display.
E 63 AMG
:Program mode indicator
iE 63 AMG: In addition, the currently
selected program mode is indicated in red
on the program mode selector dial.
You should only change the program mode
when the automatic transmission is in park
position P.
Automatic program mode S will not be stored.
When the engine is turned off with the
automatic program mode S selected, the
automatic transmission will go to the
automatic program mode C when the engine
is restarted.
E 63 AMG: Automatic program mode S+ will
not be stored. When the engine is turned off
with automatic program mode S+ selected,
the automatic transmission will go to
automatic program mode C when the engine
is restarted.
XAll models except E 63 AMG: Press the
program mode selector switch repeatedly
until the letter of the desired program mode
appears in the right multifunction display.
XE 63 AMG: Turn the program mode
selector dial until the letter of the desired
program mode appears in the right
multifunction display.
Selecting program mode C means:
RThe vehicle starts out more gentle, both
forward and reverse, except when driving
off with full throttle.
RTraction and driving stability are improved
on icy roads.
RUpshifts occur earlier even when you give
more gas. The engine then operates at
lower revolutions and the wheels are less
likely to spin.
Selecting program mode S means that
upshifts occur later.
One-touch gearshifting
With the automatic transmission in drive
position D, you can limit or extend the gear
range using the steering wheel gearshift
control.
E 63 AMG: You only can limit or extend the
gear range when driving in automatic
program mode C, S,or S+. For information on
using the steering wheel gearshift control in
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manual program mode M, see “Manual shift
program” (Y page 122).
E 63 AMG: For information on using the
steering wheel gearshift control in manual
program mode M, see “Manual shift program”
(Y page 122).
Steering wheel gearshift control (exampleillustration)
iYou cannot shift with the steering wheel
gearshift control when the automatic
transmission is in park position P, neutral
position N, or reverse gear R.
Limiting gear range
GWarning!
On slippery road surfaces, never downshift in
order to obtain braking action. This could
result in drive wheel slip and reduced vehicle
control. Your vehicle’s ABS will not prevent
this type of loss of control.
XBriefly pull left gearshift control :.
The automatic transmission will shift into
the next lower gear as permitted by the
shift program. This action simultaneously
limits the gear range of the automatic
transmission.
iTo avoid overrevving the engine when
downshifting, the automatic transmission
will not shift into a lower gear if the engine’s
maximum speed would be exceeded.
Extending gear rangeXBriefly pull right gearshift control ;.
The automatic transmission will shift into
the next higher gear as permitted by the
shift program. This action simultaneously
extends the gear range of the automatic
transmission.
iIf you press on the accelerator pedal
when the engine has reached the
revolution limit of the current gear range,
the automatic transmission will upshift
beyond any gear range limit selected.
Canceling gear range limit
XPull and hold right gearshift control ; until
the gear range indicator disappears from
the multifunction display.
The automatic transmission will shift from
the current gear range directly into drive
position D.
Shifting into optimal gear range
XPull and hold left gearshift control :.
The automatic transmission will select the
gear range suited for optimal acceleration
and deceleration automatically. This will
involve shifting down one or more gears.
Manual shift program
The manual shift program is available on
E 63 AMG only.
Manual program mode M differs with regard
to spontaneity, response time, and shifting
smoothness from automatic program modes
S or S+.
In manual program mode M, system-
controlled automatic gearshifting is switched
off. You need to change the gears by manually
upshifting or downshifting using the steering
wheel gearshift control.
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