2011 MERCEDES-BENZ E-CLASS ESTATE air condition

G
WARNING
If the engine is switched off and the ECO sym-
bol is show ningreen in the multifunction dis-
play, the engine has been switched off auto-
matically. All of the vehicle's systems remain
active. If you open the door, unfasten your
seat belt or remove your foot from the brake
pedal, the engine will automatically start. The
vehicle may begi nmoving. You could suffer
serious or even fatal injury or cause an acci-
dent resulting in injury or death.
Never leave the vehicle while the ECO symbol
in the multifunction display is shown in green
or yellow .Always secure the vehicle against
rolling away before leaving it.
! Always switch the ignition off and take the
key with you when leaving the vehicle.
Automatic engine switch-off The engine is only switched off if:
R
the outside temperature is within the range
that is suitable for the system.
R the engine is at normal operating temper-
ature.
R there are no active engine-related diagno-
ses.
R the set temperature for the vehicle interior
has been reached.
R the battery is sufficiently charged.
R the system detects that the windscreen is
not misted up when the air-conditioning
system is switched on.
R the bonnet is closed.
R there are no active engine-related diagno-
ses.
R the vehicle is not being steered.
R the front door is close dand the sea tbelt is
fastened.
i During automatic engine switch-off, the
climate control system only operates at a
reduced capacity. If you require full climate
control capacity, the ECO start/stop func- tion can be deactivated by pressing the
ECO button (Y
page 160).
Vehicles with manual transmission The ECO start/stop function switches off the
engine automatically at low speeds.
X
Brake the vehicle until it comes to a stand-
still.
X Engage neutral N(Ypage 164) (follow
gearshift instruction :to engage neutral
N, if necessary).
X Release the clutch pedal.
The engine is switched off automatically.
Vehicles with automatic transmission
If the vehicle is braked to a standstill and the
brake remains depressed with the transmis-
sion in position Dor N, the ECO start/stop
function switches the engine off automati-
cally.
i You can still activate the HOLD function
when the vehicle is stationary, even if the
engine has been switched off automati-
cally. It is then not necessary to continue
applying the brakes during the automatic
stop phase. When you depress the accel-
erator pedal, the engine starts automati-
cally and the braking effect of the HOLD
function is deactivated. Depress the accel-
erator pedal carefully, as the engine must
be started first. Driving
159Driving and parking Z

Automatic engine start
The engine is started automatically if:
R
the ECO start/stop function is deactivated
by pressing the ECO button.
R the drive program is switched to S,S+ or
M (AMG vehicles).
R the vehicle starts to roll.
R the brake system requires this.
R the system detects moisture on the wind-
scree nwhen the air-conditioning system is
switched on.
R the battery's charge status is too low.
R the driver's seat belt is removed or the driv-
er's door is opened.
R you steer the vehicle (except AMG vehi-
cles).
Vehicles with manual transmission
The engine is started automatically if you:
R depress the clutch pedal
R depress the accelerator pedal.
! Only engage gear when the clutch pedal
is depressed.
Vehicles with automatic transmission
The engine is started automatically if you:
R release the brakes when in transmission
position Dor N, unless the HOLD function
is activated or
R engage reverse gear Ror
R depress the accelerator pedal.
i Shifting the transmission to position P
does not start the engine. Deactivating/activating the ECO start/
stop function Example: ECO button
i
If indicator lamp ;is off, the ECO start/
stop function has been deactivated man-
ually or as the result of a malfunction. The
engine will then not be switched off auto-
matically when the vehicle stops.
i The ECO start/stop function is activated
every time you restart the engine, and the
automatic transmission switches into auto-
matic drive program E(AMG vehicles: drive
program C).
Deactivating (except for AMG vehicles)
X Press button :.
Indicator lamp ;on button :and the
¤ symbol in the multifunction display go
out.
Deactivating (AMG vehicles)
X Press button :in drive program C.
or
X Switch to drive program S,S+ orM
(Y page 168).
Indicator lamp ;on button :and the
¤ symbol in the multifunction display go
out.
The Stop/Start active or
Stop/Start inactive message in the AMG menu in the
multifunction display goes out. 160
DrivingDriving and parking

Tyre traction
G
WARNING
Whereas the vehicle can be fully controlled at
a certain speed on dry roads, you must reduce
your speed on we toricy roads to achieve the
same road safety .You could otherwise cause
an accident.
Pay particular attention to the road conditions
at temperatures around freezing point.
If ice has formed on the road surface (e.g.
from fog), a thin 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 a certain depth
on the road surface, there is a danger of aqua-
planing occurring, even if:
R
you are driving 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 permissible 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
Important safety 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-
sonous carbon monoxide (CO) may enter the
vehicle, resulting in loss of consciousness and
even death.
To assure sufficient fresh air ventilation, open
a window slightly on the side of the vehicle
not facing the wind.
Have your vehicle winterproofed at a qualified
specialist workshop at the onset of winter.
Driving with summer tyres Observe the notes in the "Winter operation"
section (Y
page 364).
Slippery road surfaces G
WARNING
Do not shift down for additional engine brak-
ing on a slippery road surface. This could
cause the drive wheels to lose their grip and
the vehicle could skid.
You should drive particularly carefully 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:
shift to 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 365).180
Driving tipsDriving and parking

vehicles, the vehicle's speed and for braking
in good time.
DISTRONIC PLUS does not react in particular
to:
R pedestrians
R stationary obstacles on the road, e.g. stop-
ped or parked vehicles
R oncoming and crossing traffic
DISTRONIC PLUS may not detect narrow vehi-
cles driving in front, e.g. motorcycles, or vehi-
cles driving on a different line. Therefore,
always pay attention to traffic conditions even
when DISTRONIC PLUS is activated. Other-
wise, you may fail to recognise dangers in
time, cause an accident and injure yourself
and others. G
WARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS cannot take account of road
and traffic conditions. If DISTRONIC does not
recognise or no longer recognises the vehicle
in front, do not activate DISTRONIC or, if it is
already active, deactivate it. This is especially
the case:
R before corners
R on filter lanes
R when changing to a lane with faster moving
traffic
R in comple xdriving situations or where lanes
are diverted, e.g. at roadworks on a motor-
way
DISTRONIC PLUS otherwise maintains the
current speed set by you or accelerates up to
the set speed.
DISTRONIC PLUS cannot take account of
weather conditions. Deactivate, or do not
activate, DISTRONIC PLUS:
R if the roads are slippery, snow-covered or
icy. The wheels could lose their grip when
braking or accelerating. The vehicle could
start to skid.
R if the sensors are dirty or there is poor vis-
ibility, e.g. due to snow, rain or fog. Dis-
tance control may be impaired. Always pay attention to traffic conditions
even when DISTRONIC PLUS is activated.
Otherwise, you may fail to recognise dangers
in time, cause an accident and injure yourself
and others.
The rada rsensor system is automatically
deactivated near radio telescope facilities
(Y page 398).
If you want DISTRONIC PLUS to assist you,
the radar sensor system must be activated
(Y page 247) and operational.
If there is no vehicle in front, DISTRONIC
PLUS operates in the same way as cruise
control in the speed range between
30 km/ha nd 200 km/h. If avehicle is driving
in front of you, DISTRONIC operates in the
speed range between 0km/h and
200 km/h.
Do not use DISTRONIC PLUS on roads with
steep gradients. G
WARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS brakes yourv ehicle up to a
maximum of 4 m/s 2
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 detects a risk of collision
with avehicle in front, an intermittent warning
tone sounds. In addition, the ·distance
warning lamp in the instrument cluster lights
up. Brake to avoid a collision.
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. 186
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Setting raised level
X
Start the engine.
If indicator lamp ;is not lit:
X Press button :.
Indicator lamp ;lights up. The vehicle
height is adjusted to raised level.
The Vehicle rising message appears in
the display.
The "Raised Level" setting is cancelled if you:
R drive at a speed over approximately
120 km/h
R drive for approximately three minutes at a
speed over 80 km/h.
The "Raised Level" remains saved when you
are not driving within these speed ranges.
Setting the normal level
X Start the engine.
If indicator lamp ;is lit:
X Press button :.
Indicator lamp ;goes out. The vehicle is
adjusted to normal level.
Suspension tuning General notes
The electronically controlled damping system
works continuously.T
his improves driving
safety and ride comfort.
The damping is tuned individually to each
wheel and depends on:
R your driving style, e.g. sporty
R the road surface condition,e .g. bumps
R your individual selection, i.e .sports or com-
fort
Your selection remains stored even if you
remove the key from the ignition lock. Sports tuning
The firmer suspension tunin
ginSport mode
ensures even better contact with the road.
Select this mode when employing a sporty
driving style, e.g. on winding country roads.
X Press button :.
Indicator lamp ;lights up. You have selec-
ted "Sports tuning".
The AIRMATIC SPORT message appears in
the multifunction display.
Comfort tuning
In comfort mode, the driving characteristics
of your vehicle are more comfortable. There-
fore, select this mode if you prefer a more
comfortable driving style. Select comfort
mode also when driving fast on straight roads,
e.g. on straight stretches of motorway.
X Press button :.
Indicator lamp =lights up. You have selec-
ted "Comfort tuning".
The AIRMATIC COMFORT message appears
in the multifunction display. AMG RIDE CONTROL sports suspen-
sion
General notes i
AMG RIDE CONTROL sports suspension
is available for the E63AMG model. 198
Driving systemsDriving and parking

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 oncoming traffic,
the sun, or reflection from other vehicles.
R the windscreen is dirty, misted up or cov-
ered, for instance by a sticker, in the vicinity
of the camera
R several or no lane markings for a single lane
are present.
R the lane markings are worn away, dark 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.
R the lane markings change quickly, e.g.
lanes branch off, cross one another or
merge.
R the road is narrow and winding.
Lane Keeping Assist cannot detect road and
traffic conditions. It is not a substitute for
attentive driving. You are responsible for the
vehicle's speed, braking in good time, and
steering correctly. Always adapt your driving
style to suit the prevailing road and weather
conditions. Always pay attention to traffic
conditions and your surroundings. Otherwise,
you may fail to recognise dangers in time,
cause an accident and injure yourself and oth-
ers.
A warning may be given if a front wheel
passes over a lane marking .Itwill warn you
by means of intermittent vibration in the
steering wheel for up to 1. 5seconds.
In order that you are warned only when nec-
essary and in good time if you cross the lane
marking, the system recognises certain con-
ditions and warns you accordingly. The warning vibration occurs earlier if:
R
you approach the outer lane marking on a
bend.
R the road has very wide lanes, e.g. a motor-
way.
R the system recognises solid lane markings.
The warning vibration occurs later if:
R the road has narrow lanes.
R you cut the corner on a bend.
No warning vibration occurs if:
R you clearly and actively steer, brake, or
accelerate.
R you cut the corner on a sharp bend.
R a driving safety system intervenes, such as
ABS, BAS or ESP ®
.
R you have switched on the turn signals. In
this event, the warnings are suppressed for
a certain period of time.
Activating Lane Keeping Assist Example: vehicles featurin
gautomatic transmis-
sion with a DIRECT SELECT lever
X Activate Lane Keeping Assist using the on-
board compute r(Ypage 242).
Symbol :appears in the multifunction
display.
If you drive at speeds above 60 km/h and
lane markings are detected, symbol :is
highlighted. Lane Keeping Assist is ready
for use. Active Driving Assistance package
General notes The Active Driving Assistance package con-
sists of DISTRONIC PLUS (Y
page 185), Active Driving systems
215Driving and parking Z

Blind Spot Assist (Y
page 216) and Active
Lane Keeping Assist (Y page 218).
Active Blind Spot Assist Important safety notes
Active Blind Spot Assist uses a radar sensor
system to monitor the side areas of your vehi-
cle which are behind the driver.
Awarning
display in the exterior mirrors draws your
attentio nto vehicles detected in the moni-
tored area. If you then switch on the corre-
sponding turn signal to change lane, you will
also receive an optical and audible collision
warning. If a risk of lateral collision is detec-
ted, corrective braking may help you avoid a
collision. To support the course-correcting
brake application, Active Blind Spot Assist
also uses the forward-facing radar sensor sys-
tem. Active Blind Spot Assist supports you
from a speed of approximately 30 km/h. G
WARNING
Active Blind Spot Assist is only an aid and may
detect vehicles/obstacles 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 snow,
rain, fog or spray.
R the rear and/or front sensors are dirty.
Active Blind Spot Assist may not detect nar-
row vehicles, such as motorcycles or bicycles,
or only detect them too late. It cannot detect
vehicles which are overtaken at a small dis-
tance and then enter the blind spot area.
Active Blind Spot Assist cannot detect road
and traffic conditions. It is not a substitute for
attentive driving. You are responsible for the
vehicle's speed, braking in good time, and
steering correctly. Always adapt your driving
style to suit the prevailing road and weather
conditions. Always pay attention to traffic
conditions and your surroundings. Otherwise,
you may fail to recognise dangers in time,
cause an accident and injure yourself and oth-
ers. The radar sensor system is automatically
deactivated near radio telescope facilities
(Y
page 398).
For Active Blind Spot Assist to assist you
when driving, the radar sensor system must
be activated (Y page 247) and operational.
Monitoring range
Active Blind Spot Assist monitors the area up
to three metres behind your vehicle and
directly next to your vehicle as shown in the
diagram. For this purpose, Active Blind Spot
Assist uses radar sensors in the rear bumper. Example: Saloon
G
WARNING
Active Blind Spot Assist monitors certain
areas in the immediate vicinity of your vehicle.
Vehicles that approach and drive past at high
speeds are not detected. No visual nor audi-
ble warnings are emitted and the system does
not brake the vehicle to correct your course.
If the lanes are very wide, it may not be pos-
sible to monitor the complete width of the
neighbouring lane. For this reason, vehicles in
the next lane may not be detected, especially
if they are driving in a staggered formation.
This may be the case if vehicles are driving at
the edge of their lane that is furthest away
from your vehicle. 216
Driving systemsDriving and parking

warning, a lane-correcting applicatio
nofthe
brakes can bring the vehicle back into the
original lane. :
Active Lane Keeping Assist camera
If you have selected the Display unitSpeed-/odometer (Y
page 243) function in
the on-board computer and select km as the
unit of measurement, Active Lane Keeping
Assist is active from speeds of 60 km/h. If
the miles display unit 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 a single 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 oncoming traffic,
the sun, or reflection from other vehicles.
R the windscreen is dirty, misted up or cov-
ered, for instance by a sticker, in the vicinity
of the camera.
R the lane markings are worn away, dark 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.
R the lane markings change quickly, e.g.
lanes branch off, cross one another or
merge.
R the road is narrow and winding.
Active Lane Keeping Assist cannot detect
road and traffic conditions. It is not a substi-
tute for attentive driving. You are responsible
for the vehicle's speed, braking in good time,
and steering correctly. Always adapt your
driving style to suit the prevailing road and
weather conditions. Always pay attention to
traffic conditions and your surroundings. Oth-
erwise, you may fail to recognise dangers in
time, cause an accident and injure yourself
and others.
Warning vibration in the steering wheel
A warning may be given if a front wheel
passes over a lane marking. It will warn you
by means of intermittent vibration in the
steering wheel for up to 1.5 seconds.
In order that you are warned only when nec-
essary and in good time if you cross the lane
marking, the system recognises certain con-
ditions and warns you accordingly.
The warning vibration occurs earlier if:
R you approach the outer lane marking on a
bend.
R the road has very wide lanes, e.g. a motor-
way.
R the system recognises solid lane markings.
The warning vibration occurs later if:
R the road has narrow lanes.
R you cut the corner on a bend.
No warning vibration occurs if:
R you clearly and actively steer, brake, or
accelerate.
R you cut the corner on a sharp bend. Driving systems
219Driving and parking Z