2011 MERCEDES-BENZ E-CLASS CABRIOLET winter tyres

In wintry driving conditions, alwaysu
se
winter tyres (M+S tyres) and if necessary,
snow chains. Only in this way willt he driv-
ing safety systems describe dinthis section
work as effectively as possible. ABS (Anti-loc
kBraking System)
Important safety notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tio n(Ypage 61).
ABS regulate sbrake pressure in such away
tha tthe wheels do not lock when you brake.
This allowsy ou to continue steering the vehi-
cle when braking.
ABS works from aspeed of about 8km/h
upwards, regardless of road-surface condi-
tions. ABS works on slippery surfaces, even
when you only brake gently. G
WARNING
If ABS is faulty, the wheels could lock when
braking. This limits the steerability of the vehi-
cle when braking and the braking distance
may increase.
If ABS is deactivated due to amalfunction,
then BAS and ESP are also deactivated. There
is an increased risk of your vehicle skidding in
certain situations.
You should always adapt your driving style to
suit the prevailing road and weather condi-
tions.
Braking If ABS intervenes when braking, you will feel
ap ulsing in the brake pedal.
X If ABS intervenes: continue to depress the
brake pedal with force until the braking sit-
uation is over.
X To make afull brake application:
depress the brake pedal with full force.
The pulsating brake pedal can be an indica-
tion of hazardous road conditionsa nd func-tions as
areminder to take extrac are while
driving. G
WARNING
Do not depress the brake pedal several times
in quick succession (pumping). Pumping the
brake pedal reduces the braking effect.Y ou
might otherwise not be able to stop the vehi-
cle in time and could cause an accident.
Depress the brake pedal firmly and smoothly. BAS (Brake Assist)
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 61).
BAS operates in emergenc ybraking situa-
tions. If you depress the brake pedal quickly,
BAS automatically boosts the braking force,
thus shortening the stopping distance.
X Keep the brake pedal firmly depressed until
the emergenc ybraking situation is over.
ABS prevent sthe wheels from locking.
The brakes will function as usual once you
release the brake pedal. BAS is deactivated. G
WARNING
If BAS has malfunctioned, the braking system
remains available with full brake boosting
effect .However, braking force is not auto-
matically increased in emergenc ybraking sit-
uations and the stopping distance may
increase. BAS PLUS (Brake Assist System
PLUS)
BAS PLUS is only available on vehicles with
DISTRONIC PLUS.
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 61).
BAS PLUS provides braking assistance in haz-
ardous situations at speeds of over
30 km/ha nd uses rada rsensor technology
to assess the traffic situation. 62
Driving safet
ysystemsSafety

R
occasionally brake carefully, without put-
ting other road users at risk, when you are
driving on salted roads. This helps to
remove any salt that may have started to
build up on the brake discs and the brake
pads/linings.
R maintain agreater distance to the vehicle
ahead and drive with particular care.
R carefully apply the brakes at the end of a
trip and immediately after commencing a
new trip, so that salt residues are removed
from the brake discs.
New brake pads/linings G
WARNING
New brake pads/linings only reach their opti-
mum braking effect after several hundred kil-
ometres of driving. Before this optimum brak-
ing effect is reached, you should compensate
for the reduced braking effect by applying
greater pressure when braking. This also
applies after the brake discs or the brake
pads/linings have been replaced.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only have brake pads/linings
fitted to your vehicle which have been
approved for Mercedes-Benz vehicles or
which correspon dtoanequivalent quality
standard. Brake pads/linings which have not
been approved for Mercedes-Benz vehicles or
which are not of an equivalent quality could
affect your vehicle's operating safety. Tyret
raction G
WARNING
Whereas the vehicle can be fully controlled at
ac ertain speed on dry roads, you must reduce
your speed on wet or icy roads to achieve the
same road safety. You could otherwise cause
an accident.
Pay particular attention to the road conditions
at temperatures around freezin gpoint. If ice has formed on the road surface (e.g.
from fog),
athin film of water rapidly forms on
the ice when you brake, considerably reduc-
ing tyre traction. Drive with particular care in
such weather conditions. Driving on wet roads
Aquaplaning If water has accumulated to
acertain depth
on the road surface, there is adanger of aqua-
planing occurring, even if:
R you drive at low speeds
R the tyres have adequate tread depth
For this reason, do not drive in tyre ruts, and
brake carefully.
Driving on flooded roads If you have to drive on stretches of road on
which water has collected, please bear in
mind that:
R
the maximum permitted still water depth is
25 cm.
R you should drive no faster than at walking
pace.
! Bear in mind that vehicles travelling in
front or in the opposite direction create
waves. This may cause the maximum per-
missible water depth to be exceeded.
These notes must be observed under all
circumstances. You could otherwise dam-
age the engine, the electronics or the trans-
mission. Winter driving
General notes G
WARNING
If the vehicle becomes trapped in snow,
ensure that snow is kept away from the
exhaust pipe and from around the vehicle as
long as the engine is running. Otherwise, poi- 168
Driving tipsDriving and parking

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

G
WARNING
Do not change downf or additional engine
braking on aslippery road surface. This could
cause the drive wheels to lose their grip and
the vehicle could skid.
You can set avariable or permanent limit
speed:
R variable for speed limits, e.g. in built-up
areas
R permanent for long-term speed restric-
tions, e.g. when driving with winter tyres
fitted (Y page 183) G
WARNING
Speedtronic is only an aid designed to assist
driving. You are responsible for the vehicle's
speed and for braking in good time.
i The speed indicated in the speedometer
may differ slightly from the limit speed
stored.
Variable SPEEDTRONIC General notes
With the cruise control lever, you can operate
cruise control or DISTRONIC PLUS and vari-
able SPEEDTRONIC.
The LIM indicator lamp on the cruise control
lever indicates which system you have selec-
ted:
R LIM indicator lamp off: cruise control or
DISTRONIC PLUS is selected.
R LIM indicator lamp on: variable SPEED-
TRONIC is selected.
You can use the cruise control lever to limit
the speed to any speed above 30 km/hw hile
the engine is running. :
To store the current speed or ahigher
speed
; LIM indicator lamp
= To store the current speed or to call up
the last stored speed
? To store the current speed or alower
speed
A To switch between cruise control or DIS-
TRONIC PLUS and variable SPEEDTRONIC
B To deactivate variable SPEEDTRONIC
Selecting variable SPEEDTRONIC
X Check whether LIM indicator lamp ;is on.
If it is on, variable SPEEDTRONIC 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 lights up. VariableS PEEDTRONIC is
selected. G
WARNING
If there is achange of drivers, advise the new
driver of the limit speed stored.
Only use variable SPEEDTRONIC if you will not
have to accelerate suddenly to aspeed above
that stored as the limit speed. You could oth-
erwise cause an accident.
You can only exceed the limit speed stored if
you deactivate variable SPEEDTRONIC:
R using the cruise control lever
R by depressing the accelerator pedal
beyond the pressure point (kickdown) Driving systems
181Driving and parking
Z

Permanent SPEEDTRONIC
You can use the on-board computer to limit
the speed permanently to avalue between
16 0k m/ h(e.g. for driving on winter tyres)
and th emaximum spee d(Ypage 228).
Shortly before th estoreds peed is reached, it
appears in the multifunction display.
Permanent SPEEDTRONIC remains active,
even if variable SPEEDTRONIC is deactivated.
You cannot exceed the stored limit speed,
even if you depress the accelerator pedal
beyond the pressure point (kickdown). Dynamic handling package with
sports mode
General notes The most important part of the dynamic han-
dling package with sport smode is the adjust-
able suspension system. This automatically
controls and adapts the suspension to the
respective drivin gsituation.
The calibration of the suspension depends
on:
R your drivin gstyle
R the road surface conditions
R your individual selection; see the following
description
If your vehicle is equipped with automatic
transmission ,the dynamic handling package
with sport smode also includes steering
wheel gearshift paddles (Y page 157)with a
manual drive program (Y page 158). Example: position of dynamic handling package
with sport smode button
X Start the engine.
Sports tuning The firmer setting of the suspension tunin
gin
sport smode ensures even better contact
with the road. Select this mode when employ-
ing asport ydrivin gstyle, e.g. on winding
country roads.
Your selection remains stored until you
switc hoff the engine.
X Press button ;.
Indicator lamp :lights up. Sport ssuspen-
sion tunin gisselected. Depending on the
engin eoutput, the accelerator pedal is
more responsive. On vehicles with auto-
matic transmission ,drive program Sis
selected.
Comfor ttuning In comfort mode, the drivin
gcharacteristics
of your vehicle are more comfortable. Select
this mode if you prefer amore comfortable
drivin gstyle, but also when drivin gfast on
straight roads, e.g. motorways.
X Press button ;.
Indicator lamp :goes out. Comfortable
suspension tunin gisselected. On vehicles
with automatic transmission ,drive pro-
gram Eis selected. Driving systems
183Driving and parking Z

aroun
dthe vehicle are displayed in red in
th em ultifunction display.
X Press the abuttontos ave th esetting.
Deactivating delayed switch-off of th eexte-
rior lighting temporarily:
X Before leaving th evehicle ,turn th ekeyto
position 0in th eignition lock.
X Turn th ekeyto position 2in th eignition
loc ka nd back to position 0.
The exterio rlighting delayed switch-off is
deactivated.
Delayed switch-off of the exterior lighting is
reactivated the nex ttim ey ou start the
engine.
Activating/deactivating th einterior light-
ing delayed switch-off
If you activat ethe Light. delay function,
the interior lighting remain sonfor 20 sec-
onds after you remove the key fro mthe igni-
tion lock.
X Press the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to selec tthe Settings menu.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Light submenu.
X Press the abutton to confirm.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Light. delay function.
When the Light. delay function is acti-
vated, the vehicle interior is displayed in
red in the multifunction display.
X Press the abutton to save the setting.
Vehicle Setting permanent SPEEDTRONIC
You can set permanent SPEEDTRONIC
(Y page 183) using the Limit speed (win‐ter tyres) function.
X Press the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the Settings menu.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Vehicle submenu. X
Press the abutton to confirm.
X Press :or9 to select the Limit speed (winter tyres): function.
You will see the current setting.
X Press the abutton to confirm.
X Press :or9 to adjust permanent
SPEEDTRONIC in increments of 10
(240 km/h to
160 km/h ). The
Off setting
switches permanent SPEEDTRONIC off.
X Press the abutton to store the entry.
Switching the automatic locking feature
on/off
If you select the Automatic door lock func-
tion, the vehicle is centrally locked above a
speed of around 15 km/h.
i For further information on the automatic
locking feature, see (Y page 78).
X Press the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the Settings menu.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Vehicle submenu.
X Press the abutton to confirm.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Automatic door lock function.
When the Automatic door locks func-
tion is activated, the vehicle doors are dis-
played in red in the multifunction display.
X Press the abutton to save the setting.
Activating/deactivating the acoustic
locking confirmation
If you activate the Acoustic Lock function,
an audible signal sounds when the vehicle is
locked or unlocked. When unlocking, the sig-
nal sounds once. When locking, it sounds
three times.
X Press the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the Settings menu.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Vehicle submenu.
X Press the abutton to confirm. 228
Menus and submenusOn-board computer and displays

open
adoor, the exterior mirrors fold out
again.
If you have switched the function on and you
fold the exterior mirrors in using the button
on the door (Y page 110), they will not fold
out automatically. The exterior mirrors can
then only be folded out using the button on
the door.
X Press the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the Settings menu.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Convenience submenu.
X Press the abutton to confirm.
X Press the :or9 to select the
Auto. fold in function.
If the Auto. fold in function is activated,
the vehicle's exterior mirror is displayed in
red in the multifunction display.
X Press the abutton to save the setting.
Resetting to factory settings For safety reasons, not all functions are reset:
the Limit speed (winter tyres) function
in permanent SPEEDTRONIC can only be set
in the Vehicle submenu. If you want to reset
the Daytime driving lights function in
the Light submenu, you must turn the key in
the ignition lock to position 1.
X Press the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the Settings menu.
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
No or
Yes .
X Press the abutton to confirm the selec-
tion.
If you select Yes ,t
he multifunction display
shows aconfirmation message. Menus and submenus
231On-board computer and displays Z

R
Jack
R Centrin gpin
R On ep air of gloves
R Whee lwrench
R Towin geye "Minispare" emergency spare wheel
The "Minispare" emergency spar ewheel can
be foun dinthestowage well unde rthe boot
floor.
X Lift the boot floor upwards (Y page 268).X
Remove vehicle tool kit tray ;.
X Turn stowage well =anti-clockwise and
remove it.
X Remove "Minispare" emergency spare
wheel :.
For further information on changing awheel
and fittingt he spare wheel, see
(Y page 296). Flat tyre
Preparing the vehicle
Your vehicle may be equipped with:
R aT IREFIT kit
R an emergency spare wheel
R MOExtended tyres (tyres with run-flat char-
acteristics) (Y page 305)
i Vehicle preparation is not necessary on
vehicles with MOExtended tyres. i
Vehicles with MOExtended tyres are not
equipped with aTIREFIT kit at the factory.
It is therefore recommended that you addi-
tionally equip your vehicle with aTIREFIT kit
if you fit tyres that do not feature run-flat
properties, e.g. winter tyres. ATIREFIT kit
can be obtained from aMercedes-Benz
Service Centre.
X Stop the vehicle as far away as possible
from traffic on solid, non-slippery and level
ground.
X Switch on the hazard warning lamps.
X Firmly depress the parking brake.
X Bring the front wheels into the straight-
ahead position.
X Vehicles with manualt ransmission:
engage first or reverse gear.
X Vehicles with automatic transmission:
move the selector lever to P.
X Switch off the engine.
X Vehicles without KEYLESS-GO: remove
the key from the ignition lock.
X Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO: open the
driver's door.
The on-board electronicsh ave status0,
which is the same as the key having been
removed.
X Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO: remove the
Start/Stop button from the ignition lock
(Y page 147).
X All occupants must get out of the vehicle.
Make sure that they are not endangered as
they do so.
X Make sure that no one is near the danger
area whilst awheel is being changed. Any-
one who is not directly assisting in the
wheel change should, for example, stand
behind the barrier.
X Get out of the vehicle. Pay attention to traf-
fic conditionsw hen doing so.296
Flat tyreBreakdown assistance