2011 MERCEDES-BENZ E-CLASS CABRIOLET light

Vehicles with automatic transmission
X
Apply the parking brake firmly.
X Shift the transmission to position P.
Usin gthe key
X Turn the key to position 0in the ignition
lock and remove it.
The immobiliser is activated.
i The key can onl yberemove difthe trans-
mission is in position P.
Usin gKEYLESS -GO
X Press the Start/Sto pbutton (Y page 147).
The engine stop sand al lthe indicator
lamps in the instrument cluster go out.
i Whe nthe driver's door is closed, this cor-
responds to key position 1.When the driv-
er's door is open, this corresponds to key
position 0,i.e. key removed.
i The engine can be turned off while the
vehicle is in motion by pressing and holding
the Start/Stop button for three seconds.
This function operates independently of the
ECO start/stop automatic engine switch-
off function. Parking brake X
To apply: depress parking brake ;firmly.
The J indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up if the engine is running.
X To release: depress the brake pedal and
keep it depressed.
X Pull release handle :.
The J indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster goes out. Parking up the vehicle
If you leave the vehicle parked up for longer
than four weeks, the battery may be damaged
by exhaustive discharge.
X Disconnect the battery (Y page 307) or
connect it to atrickle charger.
i You can obtain information about trickle
chargers from aqualified specialist work-
shop, e.g. aMercedes-Ben zService
Centre.
If you leave the vehicle parked up for longer
than six weeks, the vehicle may suffer dam-
age as aresult of lack of use.
X Visit aqualified specialist worksho pand
seek advice. Driving tips
General driving tips
Rolling with the engine switched off G
WARNING
Never switch the engin eoff while the vehicle
is in motion.
There is no power assistanc efor the steering
and the service brake when the engine is not
running.
You will require considerably more effort to
steer and brake, and you could therefor elose
control of the vehicle and cause an accident. 166
Driving tipsDriving and parking

Engine oil
! Vehicles with adiesel particle filter:
If the vehicle is mostly driven for short dis-
tances, it is possible that malfunctions may
occur during the automatic cleaning of the
diesel particle filter. This can lead to engine
damage. Therefore, if you frequently drive
short distances, make sure to drive on
motorways or countr yroads for 20 minutes
at least every 500 km. Brakes
Important safet ynotes G
WARNING
Do not change down for additional engine
brakin gonas lippery road surface. This could
cause the drive wheels to lose their grip and
the vehicle could skid. G
WARNING
Make sure that other road users are not
endangered by your braking.
Downhill gradients On long and steep downhill gradients, espe-
cially if the vehicle is laden or towin gatrailer,
you must shift to alower gear in good tim eor,
on vehicles with automatic transmission,
select shift range 1,2or 3.
i This also applies if you have activated
cruise control, SPEEDTRONIC or DIS-
TRONIC PLUS.
This will use the brakin geffect of the engine,
so less brakin gwill be required to maintain
the speed. This relieves the load on the brake
syste mand prevent sthe brake sfrom over-
heatin gand wearing too quickly. Heavy and light loads G
WARNING
Never depress the brake pedal continuously
while the vehicle is in motion, e.g. never cause
the brake storub by applying constan tslight
pedal pressure. This causes the brak esystem
to overheat, increases the braking distance
and can lead to the brakes failing completely.
If the brakes have been subjected to aheavy
load, do not sto pthe vehicle immediately, but
drive on for ashor twhile. This allowst he air-
flow to cool the brakes more quickly.
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 road surface If driving in heavy rain for
aprolonged period
of time without braking, there may be a
delayed reaction from the brakes when brak-
ing for the first time. This may also occur after
the vehicle has been washed.
You have to depress the brake pedal more
firmly. Maintain agreater distance from the
vehicle in front.
After driving on awet road or having the vehi-
cle washed, brake firmly while paying atten-
tion to the traffic conditions. This will warm
up the brake discs, thereby drying them more
quickly and protecting them against corro-
sion.
Limited braking performance on salt
treated roads G
WARNING
The layerofs alt on thebrake discs and the
brake pads/linings may caus eadelay in the
brakin geffect, resultin ginasignificantly lon-
ger brakin gdistance, which could lead to an
accident.
To avoid this danger, you should: Driving tips
167Driving and parking
Z

sonous carbon monoxide (CO) may enter the
vehicle, resulting in loss of consciousness and
even death.
To assure sufficient fresh air ventilation, open
aw indow slightly on the side of the vehicle
not facing the wind.
At the onset of winter, have your vehicle win-
terproofed at aqualified specialist workshop,
e.g. at aMercedes-Benz Service Centre.
Observe the notes in the "Winter operation"
section (Y page 319).
Driving with summer tyres Observe the notes in the "Winter operation"
section (Y
page 319).
Slippery road surfaces G
WARNING
Do not shift down for additional engine brak-
ing on aslippery road surface. This could
cause the drive wheels to lose their grip and
the vehicle could skid.
You should drive particularlyc arefully 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 transmission to position N.
X Try to bring the vehicle under control by
using corrective steering.
i For more information on driving with
snow chains, see (Y page 320). Driving systems
Cruise control
Important safety notes Cruise control maintains
aconstant road
speed for you. It brakes automaticallyino rder
to avoid exceeding the set speed. On long and
steep downhill gradients, especially if the
vehicle is laden or towing atrailer, you must
shift to alower gear in good time or select
shift range 1,2or 3on vehicles with auto-
matic transmission. 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
WARNING
Do not change down for additional engine
braking on aslippery road surface. This could
cause the drive wheels to lose their grip and
the vehicle could skid.
Use cruise control only if road and traffic con-
ditions make it appropriate to maintain a
steady speed for aprolonged period. You can
store any road speed above 30 km/h. G
WARNING
Cruise control cannot take account of road
and traffic conditions.
Always pay attention to traffic conditions
even when cruise control is activated.
Cruise control is only an aid designed to assist
driving. You are responsible for the vehicle's
speed and for braking in good time. G
WARNING
Do not use cruise control
R in traffic conditions that do not allow you to
drive at aconstant speed (e.g. heavy traffic Driving systems
169Driving and parking
Z

or winding roads). You may otherwise
cause an accident.
R on slippery roads. The drive wheels may
lose their grip when braking or accelerating
and the vehicle may skid.
R when there is low visibility, e.g. due to fog,
heavy rain or snow.
Cruise control lever You can operate cruise control and variable
SPEEDTRONIC with the cruise control lever.
The LIM indicator lamp on the cruise control
lever indicates which system you have selec-
ted:
R LIM indicator lamp off: cruise control is
selected.
R LIM indicator lamp on: variable SPEED-
TRONIC is selected. :
To store the current speed or ahigher
speed
; LIM indicator lamp
= To store the current speed or call up the
last stored speed
? To store the current speed or alower
speed
A To switch between cruise control and var-
iable SPEEDTRONIC
B To deactivate cruise control
When you activate cruise control, the stored
speed is shown in the multifunction display
for five seconds. In the multifunction display,
the segment sbetween 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,p ress the cruise control lever in
the direction of arrow A.
LIM indicator lamp ;in the cruise control
lever goes out. Cruise control is selected.
Storing and maintaining the current
speed You can store the current speed if you are
driving faster than 30 km/h.
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.
i 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 atime.
Storing the current speed or calling up
the last stored speed G
WARNING
Only call up astored speed if you know what
that speed is and if it is suitable for the current
traffic and driving situation. You can other-
wise endanger yourself or others by uninten-
tionally triggerin gsudden acceleration or
braking. 170
Driving systemsDriving and parking

X
Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you =.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
The firs ttime cruise control is activated, it
stores the current speed or regulates the
speed of the vehicle to the previously
stored speed.
Setting aspeed X
Press the cruise control lever to the pres-
sure point, up :for ahighe rs peed or
down ?for alower speed.
X Keep the cruise contro llever pressed until
the desired speed is reached.
X Release the cruise contro llever.
The new speed is stored.
i Cruise contro lisnot deactivated if you
depress the accelerator pedal. For exam-
ple, if you accelerate briefly to overtake,
cruise contro ladjusts the vehicle's speed
to the last speed stored after you have fin-
ished overtaking.
Making adjustments in 1km/h incre-
ments X
Briefly press the cruise contro llever to the
pressure point ,up:for ahigher speed or
down ?for alower speed.
The last speed stored is increased or
reduced.
Making adjustments in 10 km/h incre-
ments X
Briefly press the cruise contro llever
beyond the pressure point ,up:for a
higher speed or down ?for alower 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 contro llever for-
wards B.
or
X Brake.
or
X Briefly press the cruise contro llever in the
direction of arrow A.
Variable SPEEDTRONIC is selected. LIM
indicator lamp ;in the cruise contro llever
lights up.
Cruise control is automatically deactivated if:
R you depress the parkin gbrake.
R you are driving at less than 30 km/h.
R ESP ®
intervenes or if you deactivat eESP®
.
R you shift inton eutral inavehicle with man-
ual transmission while driving or depress
the clutc hpedal for longer than six sec-
onds.
R on vehicles with manual transmission ,you
shift to agear that is too high and as aresult
the engin espeed is too low.
R on vehicles with automatic transmission,
you shift intop ositionNwhile driving.
If cruise control is deactivated, you will hear
aw arning tone. You will see the Cruise control off message in the multifunction
display for approximately five seconds.
i The last speed stored is cleared when you
switch off the engine. DISTRONIC PLUS
Important safet ynotes DISTRONIC PLUS regulates the speed and
automatically helps you maintain the dis-
tanc
etot he vehicle detected in front. It
brakes automatically in order to avoid
exceeding the set speed. Driving systems
171Driving and parking Z

If there is no vehicle in front, DISTRONIC
PLUS operates in the same way as cruise
control in the speed range between
30 km/h and 200 km/h. If avehicle is driving
in fron tofyou, DISTRONIC operates in the
speed range between 0km/h and
200 km/h.
Do not use DISTRONIC PLUS while driving on
road swith steep gradients. G
WARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS brakes yourv ehicle up to a
maximum of 4m/s2
depending on its speed.
This corresponds to approximately 40% of
your vehicle's maximum braking power. You
must also apply the brakes yourself if this
braking power is not sufficient.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detect sarisk of collision
with avehicle in front, an intermittent warning
tones ounds. In addition, the ·distance
warning lamp in the instrument cluster lights
up. Brak etoavoidacollision.
Cruise control lever With the cruise control lever, you can operate
DISTRONIC PLUS and variable SPEED-
TRONIC.
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 on: variable SPEED-
TRONIC is selected. :
To stor ethe curren tspeed or ahigher
speed
; To set the specified minimum distance
= LIM indicator lamp
? To stor ethe curren tspeed or call up the
last stored speed
A To stor ethe curren tspeed or alower
speed
B To switc hbetween DISTRONIC PLUS and
variable SPEEDTRONIC
C To deactivate DISTRONIC PLUS
Selecting DISTRONIC PLUS X
Check whether LIM indicator lamp =is off.
If it is off, DISTRONIC PLUS is already selec-
ted.
If it is not ,press the cruise contro llever in
the direction of arrow B.
LIM indicator lamp =in the cruise control
lever goes out. DISTRONIC PLUS is selec-
ted.
Switching on DISTRONIC PLUS, storing
the current speed and maintaining it Important safet
ynotes G
WARNING
The vehicle can be braked when DISTRONIC
PLUS is activated. For this reason, deactivate
DISTRONIC PLUS if the vehicle is to be set in
motion by other means (e.g. in acar wash or
by towing). Driving systems
173Driving and parking Z

Making adjustments in 10 km/h incre-
ments X
Briefl ypress the cruis econtrol lever
beyond the pressure point, up :for a
higher spee dordownAfor alower speed.
The lasts peed stored is increased or
reduced.
Storing the current speed or calling up
the stored speed G
WARNING
Only call up astored speed if you know what
that speed is and if it is suitable for the current
traffic and drivin gsituation .You can other-
wise endanger yourself or other sbyuninten-
tionally triggering sudden acceleration or
braking.
X Briefly pull the cruise contro llever towards
you ?.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
DISTRONIC PLUS is activated. The first
time it is activated, the curren tspeed is
stored. Otherwise, it sets the vehicle cruise
speed to the previously stored value.
Setting the specified minimum distance 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, dependen tonvehicle speed. You can
see this distanc einthe multifunction display
(Y page 178). X
To increase: turn control;in direction
=.
DISTRONIC PLUS then maintains agreater
distanc ebetween your vehicle and the
vehicle in front.
X To decrease: turn control;in direc-
tion :.
DISTRONIC PLUS then maintains ashorter
distanc ebetween your vehicle and the
vehicle in front.
i Make sure that you maintain asufficient
and safe distanc efrom the vehicle in front.
Adjust the distanc etothe vehicle in fron tif
necessary.
DISTRONIC PLUS display sinthe speed-
ometer Whe
nDISTRONI CPLUSisa ctivated ,one or
two segments ;in the set speed range light
up.
i For design reasons ,the speed displayed
in the speedometer ma ydiffe rs lightly from
the speed set for DISTRONIC PLUS. Driving systems
177Driving and parking Z

If DISTRONIC PLUS detects
avehicle in front,
segments ;between speed of the vehicle in
front :and stored speed =light up.
DISTRONIC PLUS displays in the multi-
function display General notes
In the Assistance menu (Y
page 222)ofthe
on-board computer, you can select the dis-
tanc edisplay and activat eordeactivat ePRE-
SAFE ®
Brake.
Display when DISTRONIC PLUS is deacti-
vated
X Select the Distancedisplay function
using the on-board computer
(Y page 223).
When DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated, you
will see the following in the multifunction dis-
play: :
Symbol for activated PRE-SAFE ®
Brake
; Vehicle in front, if detected
= Distance indicator: curren tdistanc eto
the vehicle in front
? Specified minimum distanc etothe vehi-
cle in front; adjustable
A Own vehicle
Display when DISTRONIC PLUS is activa-
ted
X Select the Distancedisplay function
using the on-board computer
(Y page 223). You will see the stored speed for about five
seconds when you activat
eDISTRONIC PLUS.
After this time, you will see the following in
the multifunction display while DISTRONIC
PLUS is activated: :
DISTRONIC PLUS activated
; Own vehicle
= Specified minimum distanc etothe vehi-
cle in front; adjustable
? Vehicle in front, if detected
Deactivating DISTRONIC PLUS There are several ways to deactivat
eDIS-
TRONIC PLUS:
X Briefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards :.
or
X Brake, unless the vehicle is stationary. 178
Driving systemsDriving and parking