2011 MERCEDES-BENZ E-CLASS CABRIOLET trailer

Other vehicles changing lane
DISTRONIC PLUS has not detected the vehi-
cle cutting in yet. The distanc
etothis vehicle
will be too short.
Narrow vehicles DISTRONIC PLUS has not yet detected the
vehicle in fron
tonthe edge of the carriage-
way,b ecause of its narrow width. The dis-
tance to the vehicle in front will be too short.
Obstructions and stationary vehicles DISTRONIC PLUS does not brake for obsta-
cles or stationary vehicles. If, for example, the detected vehicle turns
acorner and reveals
an obstacle or stationary vehicle, DISTRONIC
PLUS will not brake for these.
Crossing vehicles DISTRONIC PLUS may detect vehicles that
are crossing your lane by mistake. Activating
DISTRONIC PLUS at traffic lights with cross-
ing traffic, for example, could cause your vehi-
cle to pull away unintentionally.
SPEEDTRONIC
Important safety notes SPEEDTRONIC brakes automatically so that
you do not exceed the set speed. On long and
steep downhill gradients, especiallyift
he
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. If you need addi-
tional braking, depress the brake pedal
repeatedly rather than continuously. G
WARNING
Never depress the brake pedal continuously
while the vehicle is in motion, e.g. never cause
the brakes to rub by applying constant slight
pedal pressure. This causes the brake system
to overheat, increases the braking distance
and can lead to the brakes failing completely. 180
Driving systemsDriving and parking

PARKTRONIC is activated automatically when
you:
R switch on the ignition
R shift to position D,Ror Non vehicles with
automatic transmission
R release the parking brake
PARKTRONIC is deactivated at speeds above
18 km/h. It is reactivated at lower speeds.
PARKTRONIC monitors the area around your
vehicle using six sensors in the frontb umper
and four sensor sintherear bumper. :
Sensors in th efront bumper, left-hand
side (example)
Range of th esensors General notes
The sensor
smust be free of dirt ,ice and
slush ;otherwise, they may no tfunction cor-
rectly. Clean th esensor sregularly, taking
care not to scratch or damage them
(Y page 290). Example: side view (Coupé) Example; top view (Coupé)
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 drawbars. PARK-
TRONIC does not detec tsuch objects when
they are in th eimmediat evicinity of the
vehicle. You could damage the vehicle or
the objects.
The sensors may not detect sno wand
object swhich absorb ultrasonic sources.
Ultrasonic sources, such as an automatic
car wash, alorry's compressed-air brakes
or ap neumatic drill, could cause PARK-
TRONI Ctom alfunction.
PARKTRONI Cmay not function correctly on
uneven terrain.
Minimum distance Centre approximately 20 cm
Corners approximately 15 cm
If there is an obstacle within this range, the
relevant warnin
gdisplays light up and awarn-
ing ton esounds. If the distanc efalls below 186
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Deactivating/activating PARKTRONIC
:
Indicator lamp
; To deactivate/activat ePARKTRONIC
If indicator lamp :lights up, PARKTRONIC is
deactivated. Parking Guidance is also deacti-
vated.
i PARKTRONIC is automatically activated
when you turn th ekeyto position 2in the
ignition lock.
Trailer towing PARKTRONIC is deactivated fo
rthe rear area
when you establish an electrical connection
between your vehicle and atrailer.
! Fold in the ball coupling if the trailer tow
hitch is not required. PARKTRONIC meas-
ures the minimum detection range to an
obstacle from the bumper, not the ball cou-
pling. 188
Driving systemsDriving and parking

might therefore issu
esteering instructions
too soon. This may leadtoac ollision. For this
reason, you should avoi dusing Parking Guid-
ance in such situations. G
WARNING
Make sure that no persons or animals are in
the manoeuvring range. Otherwise, they
could be injured.
When PARKTRONIC is deactivated, Parking
Guidance is alsou navailable.
Use Parking Guidance for parking spaces:
R that are paralleltot he directionoftravel
R that are on straight roads, not bends
R that are on the same leve lasthe road ,i.e.
not on the pavement, for example. Parking
Guidance may not detect flat kerbs
Parking tips:
R on narrow roads, drive pastt he parking
space as close as possible.
R parking spaces that are littered, overgrown
or partially occupied by trailer drawbars
might be identified incorrectly or not at all.
R snowfall or heavy rain may lead to aparking
space being measured inaccurately.
R pay attention to the PARKTRONIC
(Y page 187) warning messages during the
parking procedure.
R when transporting aload which protrudes
from your vehicle, you must not use Parking
Guidance.
R never use Parking Guidance with snow
chains or an emergency spare wheel fitted.
R make sure that the tyre pressures are
always correct.T his hasadirec teffect on
the steering instructions.
R the wayy ourv ehicle is positioned in the
parkin gspace after parkin gisdependent
on various factors. These include the posi-
tion and shape of the vehicles parked in
front and behind it and the conditions of the
location. In some cases, Parking Guidance
may guide you too far or not far enough into
ap arking space. In some cases, it may also lead you across or onto the kerb. If neces-
sary, cancel the parking procedure with
Parking Guidance.
! If unavoidable, you should drive over
obstacles such as kerbs slowly and not at
as harp angle. Otherwise, you may damage
the wheels or tyres.
Detecting parking spaces Example: vehicles with automatic transmission
:
Detected parking space on the left
; Parking symbol
= Detected parking space on the right
Parking Guidance is automaticallya ctivated
when you drive forwards. The system is
operational at speeds of up to approximately
35 km/h. While in operation, the system inde-
pendently locates and measures parking
spaces on both sides of the vehicle. When
driving at speeds below 30 km/h ,you will see
parking symbol ;asastatus indicator in the
instrument cluster.
When aparking space has been detected, an
arrow towards the right =or the left :also
appears. Parking Guidance only displays
parking spaces on the front-passenger side
as standard. Parking spaces on the driver's
side are displayed as soon as the turn signal
on the driver's side is activated. To park on
the driver's side, you must leave the driver's
side turn signal switched on until you have
engaged reverse gear. 190
Driving systemsDriving and parking

X
To revers eintot he parking space: main-
tai nt he steering wheel angle and reverse
carefully.
X Stop as soon as you hear awarning tone,
at the latest when PARKTRONIC sounds the
continuous warning tone.
The Parking Guidance finished mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display
and awarning tone sounds. You may be
asked to steer in adifferen tdirection and
the nchange gear. In this case, further dis-
playsint he multifunction displayw ill direct
you to the final position.
X Manoeuvre if necessary.
X Always observe the warning messages dis-
played by PARKTRONIC (Y page 187).
Cancelling Parking Guidance X
Press the PARKTRONIC button on the
centre console (Y page 188).
Parking Guidance is cancelled immediately
and PARKTRONIC is deactivated.
Parking Guidance is cancelled automatically
if it is no longer possible to guide you into the
parking space, or if amalfunction occurs.
The parking space symbol goes out and a
warning tone sounds. The Parking Guid‐ance cancelled message appears in the
multifunction display.
Trailer towing For vehicles with
atrailer tow hitch, the min-
imum length for parking spaces is slightly
increased.
If you have attached atrailer to your vehicle,
you should not use Parking Guidance. When
the electrical connection is established
between your vehicle and the trailer, Parking
Guidance ceases to be available. PARK-
TRONIC is deactivated for the rear area. Reversing camera
Important safety notes The reversing camera is an optical parking
aid. It shows the area behind your vehicle in
the COMAND APS display.
G
WARNING
Make sure that no persons or animals are in
the manoeuvring range. Otherwise, they
could be injured.
The reversing camera is located in the handle
strip of the boot lid. Example: Coupé
:
Reversing camera
View through the camera The area behind the vehicle is displayed as a
mirror image, as in the rear-view mirror.
G
WARNING
The reversing camera is only an aid and may
display obstacles in adistorted or incorrect
manner, or may not even display them at all.
The reversing camera does not relieve you of
the responsibility to pay attention. The cam-
era cannot show objects:
R very near to the rear bumper
R below the rear bumper
R in the area immediately above the boot lid
handle
You are always responsible for safety and
must continue to pay attention to your imme-
diate surroundings when parking and 192
Driving systemsDriving and parking

manoeuvring. This appliestot
he areas
behind, in front of and next to the vehicle. You
could otherwise endange ryourself and oth-
ers. G
WARNING
Under the following circumstances, the
reversing camera will not function, or will
function in alimited manner:
R if the boot lid is open
R in heavy rain, snow or fog
R at night or in very dark places
R if the camera is exposed to very bright light
R if the area is lit by fluorescent light (the dis-
play may flicker)
R if there is asudden change in temperature,
e.g. when driving into aheated garage in
winter
R if the camera lens is dirty or obstructed
R if the rear of your vehicle is damaged. In this
event,h ave the camera position and setting
checked at aqualified specialist workshop.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you use
aM ercedes-Benz Service Centre for this
purpose.
Do not use the reversing camera in these
types of situation. You could otherwise injure
others or damage object sand your vehicle
while you are parking.
Activating the reversing camera X
Make sure that the key is in position 2in
the ignition lock.
X Make sure that the "Reversing camera"
function is selected in COMAND APS (see
the separate operating instructions for
COMAND APS).
X Engage reverse gear.
The area behind the vehicle is shown in the
COMAND APS display. Guide lines in the COMAND APS display Depending on the date of manufacture of the
vehicle, the guide lines are shown in the
COMAND APS display.
G
WARNING
Using the reversing camera can be dangerous
if you are colour blind or if your ability to dis-
tinguish colours is impaired.
Only use the reversing camera if you can see
and distinguish between all the coloured
guide lines that are displayed by the reversing
camera in the COMAND APS display. G
WARNING
Please note that object snot at ground level
may appear to be further away than they
actually are. These include:
R the bumper of avehicle that is parked
behind your vehicle
R at railer drawbar
R the ball coupling of atrailer tow hitch
R the tail-end of alorry
R slanted posts
The lines are only guides, not accurate meas-
urements of the distance to an obstacle.
Therefore, you should never pass the red line
when approaching an obstacle. You could oth-
erwise cause an accident and injure yourself
and others. Information in the COMAND APS display (example)
Guide lines
;and =show the approximate
distance to the rear area. Yellow guide
line ;indicates adistance of approximately Driving systems
193Driving and parking Z

the warning onl
yoccurs if the differenc ein
spee dislesst han1 2km/h.
The yellow indicator lamp goes out if reverse
gearise ngaged. Blind Spot Assist is then
deactivated.
The brightness of the indicator/warning
lamps is adjusted automaticallya ccording to
the ambient light. G
WARNING
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 yourselfa nd others.
Collisio nwarning
If av ehicl eisd etected in the monitoring range
of Blind Spo tAssist and you switch on the turn
signal, adoublew arning 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 229) and Blind Spot Assist
(Y page 224) are activated in the on-board
computer.
X Turn the key to position 2in the ignition
lock.
Warning lamps :light up red in the exte-
rior mirrors for approximately 1.5 seconds
and then turn yellow.
Trailer towing
If you attach atrailer, make sure you have
correctly established the electrical connec-
tion. This can be accomplished by checking
the trailer lighting. In this event, Blind Spot
Assist is deactivated. The indicator lamp in
the exterior mirrors lights up yellow, and the
Blind Spot Assist currently unavail‐ able See Owner's Manual message
appears in the multifunction display.
i You can deactivate the indicator lamps in
the exterior mirrors.
To do so, switch off Blind Spot Assist if:
R the key is in position 2in the ignition
lock.
R the engine is not running.
R the electrical connection to the trailer
has been established.
Lane Keeping Assist Important safety notes
Lane Keeping Assist monitors the area in
front of your vehicle by means of
acamera at
the top of the windscreen. Lane Keeping
Assist detectsl ane markings on the road and
warns you before you leave your lane unin-
tentionally.
If you have chosen the (Y page 225) function
in the on-board computer and select km as
the unit of measurement, Active Lane Keep-
ing Assist is active from speeds of 60 km/h.
If the displayu nit is selected, the assistance
range begins at 40 mph. G
WARNING
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 insuffi-
cient illumination of the road, or due to
snow, rain, fog or spray.
R there is glare, e.g. from oncomingt raffic,
the sun, or reflection from other vehicles.
R the windscreen is dirty, misted up or cov-
ered, for instancebyas ticker, in the vicinity
of the camera
R several or no lane markings for asingle lane
are present. 198
Driving systemsDriving and parking

R
ad riving safety system intervenes, suc has
ESP ®
or PRE-SAFE ®
Brake.
R ESP ®
is deactivated.
R al oss of tyr epressure or adefective tyr eis
detected.
Activating Activ eBlind Spot Assist
X Mak esure that th eradar sensor system
(Y page 229) and Activ eBlindS potA ssist
(Y page 224) are activated in th eon-bo ard
computer.
X Turn th ekeyto position 2in th eignition
lock.
Warning lamps :light up red in th eexte-
rior mirror sfor approximately 1. 5seconds
and then tur nyellow.
Trailer towing
If you attac hatrailer, make sure you have
correctly established the electrical connec-
tion .This can be accomplished by checking
the trailer lighting. Active Blind Spot Assist is
then deactivated. The indicator lamp in the
exterior mirrors lights up yellow, and the
Active Blind Spot Assist currently unavailable See Owner's Manual mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
Active Lane Keeping Assist Important safety notes
Active Lane Keeping Assist monitors the area
in front of your vehicle by means of
acamera
at the top of the windscreen. Active Lane
Keeping Assist detectsl ane markings on the
road and warns you before you leave your
lane unintentionally. If you do not react to the
warning, alane-correcting application of the
brakes can bring the vehicle back into the
original lane. :
Active Lane Keeping Assist camera
If you have selected the Display unit Speed-/odometer: (Y
page 225) function in
the on-board computer and select kmkm as
the unit of measurement, Active Lane Keep-
ing Assist is active from speeds of 60 km/h.
If the miles displayu
nit is selected, the assis-
tance range begins at 40 mph. G
WARNING
Active Lane Keeping Assist does not keep
your vehicle 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 several or no lane markings for asingle lane
are present.
R there is poor visibility, e.g. due to insuffi-
cient illumination of the road, or due to
snow, rain, fog or spray.
R there is glare, e.g. from oncomingt raffic,
the sun, or reflection from other vehicles.
R the windscreen is dirty, misted up or cov-
ered, for instancebyas ticker, in the vicinity
of the camera.
R the lane markings are worn away,d ark or
covered up, e.g. by dirt or snow.
R the distance to the vehicle in front is too
small and the lane markings thus cannot be
detected.
R the lane markings on the road are unclear,
e.g. near roadworks. 202
Driving systemsDriving and parking