2011 MERCEDES-BENZ E-CLASS CABRIOLET tow

Useful information
............................146
Running-in notes ............................... 146
Driving ............................................... 146
Manual transmission ........................153
Automatic transmission ...................154
Refuelling ........................................... 160
Parking ............................................... 165
Driving tips ........................................ 166
Driving systems ................................ 169
Trailer towing .................................... 204 145Driving and parking

Problem Possible causes/consequences and
M Solutions
Vehicles with
apetrol
engine:
The engine is not run-
ning smoothly and is
misfiring. There is
amalfunction in the engine electronics or in amechanical
componentoft he engine management system.
X Only depress the accelerator pedal slightly.
X Have the cause rectified immediately at aqualified specialist
workshop, e.g. aMercedes-Benz Service Centre.
Otherwise, non-combusted fuel may get into the catalytic con-
verter and damage it. The coolant tempera-
ture display is showing
more than 120 †. The
coolant warning lamp
may also be lit and a
warning tone may
sound. The coolant level is too low. The coolant is too hot and the engine
is no longer being cooled sufficiently.
X
Stop as soon as possible and allow the engine and the coolant
to cool down.
X Check the coolant level (Y page 283). Observe the warning
notes as you do so and top up the coolant if necessary. If the coolant level is correct, the engine radiator fan may be faulty.
The coolant is too hot and the engine is no longer being cooled
sufficiently.
X
At coolant temperatures under 120 †, drive on to the nearest
qualified specialist workshop, e.g. to aMercedes-Benz Service
Centre.
X Avoid heavy loads on the engine as you do so, e.g. driving on
mountain roads and stop/start driving. Manual transmission
Gear lever
Gear lever
!
Only engage gear when the clutch pedal
is depressed.
! When shifting between 5thand 6thgear,
you should always push the gear lever all the way to the right. Otherwise, you could
shift unintentionally into
3rdor4th gear
and damage the transmission.
If you shift down at too high aspeed (trans-
mission braking), this can cause the engine
to overrev, leading to engine damage.
Do not use the clutch bite point to keep the
vehicle stationary on uphill gradients.
There is otherwise arisk of damaging the
clutch.
! On long and steep downhill gradients,
especially if the vehicle is laden or towing
at railer, you must shift into gear 1, 2or3
in good time. This uses the engine's braking
effect.T his relieves the load on the brake
system and prevents the brakes from over-
heating and wearing too quickly. Manual transmission
153Driving and parking Z

Transmission position and driv
epro-
gram display :
Transmission positio ndisplay
; Drive program display
The current transmission position and drive
program appear in the multifunction display. Transmission positions
B
Par
kposition
Prevent sthe vehicle fro mrolling
away when stopped. Do not shift
the transmission into position P
(Y page 165) unless the vehicle is
stationary.
The key can only be removed if the
transmission is in position P.Ifthe
key is removed from the ignition
lock, the selector lever is locked. C
Reverse gear
Only shift the transmission to
R
when the vehicle is stationary. A
Neutral
Do not shift the transmission to
N
while driving. Otherwise, the auto-
matic transmission could be dam-
aged.
Releasing the brakes will allow you
to move the vehicle freely, e.g. to
push it or tow it.
If ESP ®
is deactivated or faulty:
only shift the transmission to posi-
tion Nif the vehicle is in danger of
skidding, e.g. on icy roads.
! Rolling in neutral Ncan lead to
damage to the transmission. 7
Drive
The automatic transmission
changes gear automatically. All
forward gears are available.
Changing gear
The automatic transmission shifts to the indi-
vidual gears automatically when it is in trans-
mission position D.This automatic gearshift-
ing behaviourisd etermined by:
R as hift range restriction, if selected
R the selected drive program
E/S, E/S/M orM(Y page 156)
R the position of the accelerator pedal
R the road speed Driving tips
Accelerator pedal position Your style of driving influences how the auto-
matic transmission shifts gear:
R
little throttle: early upshifts
R more throttle: late upshifts Automatic transmission
155Driving and parking Z

Double-clutch function
E3
50 an dE500 only: when shifting down,
the double-clutch function is activ eregard-
less of the currently selected drive program.
The double-clutch function reduces load
chang ereactions and is conducive to asporty
driving style. The sound generated by the
double-clutch function depends on the drive
program selected.
Kickdown Use kickdown for maximum acceleration.
X
Depres sthe accelerator pedal beyond the
pressure point.
The transmission shift stoalower gear
dependin gonthe engin espeed.
X Ease off the accelerator pedal onc ethe
desired speed is reached.
The automatic transmission shift sback up.
Trailer towing X
Driv eint he middle of the engin espeed
range on uphill gradients.
X Shift down to shift range 3or
2(Y page 157 )dependin gonthe uphill or
downhill gradient ,even if cruise control,
DISTRONIC PLUS or SPEEDTRONIC is acti-
vated. Program selector button
General notes The program selector butto
nallows you to
choose between differen tdriving character-
istics. Progra
mselector button Program selecto
rbutton on vehicle swithout the
"dynamic handlin gpackage with sports mode" Program selecto
rbutton on vehicle swith the
"dynamic handlin gpackage with sports mode" E
Economy Comfortable, economical
driving
S
Sport Sport
ydriving style M
Manual Manual gearshifting
i
Further informatio nontheautomatic
driv eprogram . 156
Automatic transmissionDriving and parking

Restricting the shift range
X
Press the selector lever to the left towards
D–.
or
X Pull the left-hand steering wheel gearshift
paddle.
The automatic transmissio nshifts down
one gear and restrictst he shift range to the
relevant gear.
i If the engine exceeds the maximum
engine speed when shifting down, the auto-
matic transmission protectsa gainst engine
damage by not shifting down.
i If the maximum engine speed for the shift
range is reached and you continue to accel-
erate, the automatic transmission shifts up
in order to prevent the engine from over-
revving, even if the shift range is restricted.
Derestricting the shift range X
Briefly press the selector lever to the right
towards D+.
or
X Pull the right-hand steering wheel gearshift
paddle.
The shift range is derestricted.
Clearing the shift range restriction X
Press and hold the selector lever towards
D+ until Dis shown once more in the mul-
tifunction display.
or
X Pull and hold the right-hand steering wheel
gearshift paddle until Dis shown again in
the multifunction display.
The automatic transmission shifts from the
current shift range directly to D.
Selecting the ideal shift range X
Press the selector lever to the left towards
D– and hold it in position. or
X
Pull the left-hand steering wheel gearshift
paddle and hold it in position.
The automatic transmission shifts to the
gear which allowso ptimum acceleration
and deceleration. To do this, the automatic
transmission shifts down one or more
gears. Manual drive program
Switching on the manuald rive program Manual drive program
Mcan be selected
using the program selector button. You can
change gears using the steering wheel gear-
shift paddlesort he selector lever in manual
drive program Mif the transmission is in posi-
tion D.The gear selected is shown in the mul-
tifunction display.
X Press the program selector button
(Y page 156) repeatedly until Mappears in
the multifunction display.
Upshifting X
Briefly press the selector lever to the right
towards D+.
or
X Pull the right-hand steering wheel gearshift
paddle (Y page 157).
The automatic transmission shifts up to the
next gear.
Downshifting X
Briefly press the selector lever to the left
towards D–.
or
X Pull the left-hand steering wheel gearshift
paddle (Y page 157).
The automatic transmission shifts down to
the next gear.
i If you desire maximum acceleration, push
the selector lever to the left or pull and hold 158
Automatic transmissionDriving and parking

Problems with the transmission
Problem Possible causes/consequences and
M Solutions
The transmission has
problems shifting gear. The transmission is losing oil.
X
Have the transmission checked at aqualified specialist work-
shop, e.g. aMercedes-Benz Service Centre, immediately. The acceleration ability
is deteriorating.
The transmission no
longer changes gear. The transmission is in emergency mode.
It is only possible to shift into
secondgear and reverse gear.
X Stop the vehicle.
X Shift the transmission to position P.
X Switch off the engine.
X Wait at least 10 seconds before restarting the engine.
X Shift the transmission to position Dor R.
If D is selected, the transmission shifts into secondgear; ifRis
selected, the transmission shifts into reverse gear.
X Have the transmission checked at aqualified specialist work-
shop, e.g. aMercedes-Benz Service Centre, immediately. Releasing the parking lock manually
In the event of an electrical fault, it is possible
to release the selector lever lock manually to
move it out of position P,e.g. if you wish to
tow the vehicle away. !
Do not use any sharp-edged objectstol ift
up the selector lever cover in the centre
console. Otherwise, the selector lever
cover could be damaged.
X Engage the parking brake.
X Prise out selector lever gaiter :with aflat,
blunt object,( e.g.ascrewdriver wrappe dincloth
)from the right-hand edge, pulling it
up and out.
X Press release button ;dow nand simul-
taneousl ymovet he selecto rlever out of
position P.
The selector lever can now be moved freely
until it is returned to position P. Refuelling
Important safet
ynotes G
WARNING
Fuel is highly flammable. Fire, naked flames
and smoking are therefore prohibited when
handling fuels.
Switc hoff the engin eand the auxiliary heating
before refuelling. G
WARNING
Do not come into contact with fuels.
It is hazardous to your health if your skin
comes into direct contact with fuels or you
breathe in fuel vapours. 160
RefuellingDriving and parking

Problem Possible causes/consequences and
M Solutions
The fuel filler flap can-
not be opened. The fuel filler flap is not unlocked.
or
The key battery is discharged.
X
Unlock the vehicle (Y page 72).
or
X Unlock the vehicle using the emergency key element
(Y page 74). The fuel filler flap is unlocked, but the opening mechanism is jam-
med.
X
Consult aqualified specialist workshop. Parking
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Only remove the key from the ignition lock
when the vehicle is stationary, as you cannot
steer the vehicle when the key is removed.
Never leave children unsupervised in the vehi-
cle. They could release the parking brake. This
could lead to aserious or fatal accident. G
WARNING
Under no circumstances should the exhaust
system come into contact with flammable
materials such as dry grass or petrol, for
example. Do not park the vehicle on dry grass-
land or harvested grain fields. The hot exhaust
system could otherwise ignite the flammable
material 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. Switching off the engine
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If the engine is not running, there is no power
assistance for the steering and brakes. Steer-
ing and braking then requires significantly
greater effort.
As aresult, 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 manualt ransmission X
Shift to either first gear or reverse gear R.
X Turn the key to position 0in the ignition
lock and remove it.
The immobiliser is activated.
X Apply the parking brake firmly. Parking
165Driving and parking Z

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