2011 MERCEDES-BENZ E-CLASS ESTATE ECO mode

to lock the vehicle, the tone becomes louder.
The vehicle is not locked until the HOL Dfunc-
tion is deactivated.
i If the engine has been switched off, it
cannot be started again until the HOLD
function has been deactivated.
If there is a fault in the system or power supply
while the HOLD function is activated, the
Brake immediately message is shown in
the multifunction display. Immediately
depress the brake firmly until the warning
message in the multifunction display goes
out.
On vehicles with automatic transmission, you
can also shif tinto position P.This deactivates
the HOLD function. RACE START
Important safety notes i
RACE START is only available in AMG vehi-
cles.
RACE START enables optimal acceleration
from a standing start. The precondition for
this is a suitable high-grip road surface. G
WARNING
RACE START is only available when SPORT
handling mode is activated. SPORT handling
mode will only be able to stabilise the vehicle
to a limited degree if the vehicle starts to skid
or a wheel starts to spin. The vehicle is there-
fore harder to control at the threshold range.
You could lose control of the vehicle and
cause an accident.
RACE START should only be used on closed
off circuits. Always adapt your driving style to
suit the prevailing road and weather condi-
tions. Activation conditions RACE START can be activated when:
R
the doors are closed.
R the engine is running and it has reached an
operating temperature of approximately
80 †. This is the case when the engine oil
temperature in the multifunction display
stops flashing.
R SPORT handling mode is activated.
(Y page 73)
R the steering wheel is in the straight-ahead
position.
R the vehicle is stationary and the brake
pedal is depressed (left foot).
R the transmission is in position D.
Activating RACE START X
Depress the brake pedal with your left foot,
and keep it depressed.
X Turn the drive program selector clockwise
(Y page 168) until the RSlamp lights up.
The multifunction display shows the RACE START Confirm: Paddle UP Cancel:
Paddle DOWN message.
i If the activation conditions are no longer
fulfilled, RACE START is cancelled. The mul-
tifunction display shows the RACE START cancelled message.
X To cancel: pull the left steering wheel shift
paddle (Y page 169).
or
X To confirm:p ull the right steering wheel
shif tpaddle (Y page 169).
The multifunction display shows the RACE START available Depress accelera‐
tor. message.
i If you do no tdepress the accelerator
pedal fully within two seconds, RACE
START is cancelled. The multifunction dis-
play shows the RACE START not possi‐ ble See Owner's Manual message.196
Driving systemsDriving and parking

X
Depress the accelerator pedal fully.
The engine speed rises to approximately
3500 rpm.
The multifunctio ndisplay shows the RACE START Release brake to start. mes-
sage.
i If you do not release the brake pedal
within five seconds, RACE START is cancel-
led. The multifunction display shows the
RACE START cancelled message.
X Take your foot off the brake, but keep the
accelerator pedal depressed.
The vehicle pulls away at maximum accel-
eration.
The multifunction display shows the RACESTART active message.
RACE START is deactivated when the vehicle
reaches a speed of approximately 50 km/h.
Drive program S+is activated. SPORT han-
dling mode remains activated.
RACE START is deactivated immediately if
you release the accelerator pedal during
RACE START or if any of the activation condi-
tions are no longer fulfilled .The multifunction
display shows the RACE START not possi‐ ble See Owner's Manual message.
i If RACE START is used repeatedly in a
short period of time, it is only available
again after having driven the vehicle a cer-
tain distance. AIRMATIC
Vehicle level Important safety notes
Your vehicle regulates its height automati-
cally. All-round level control ensures the best
possible suspension and constant ground
clearance, even with a laden vehicle. When
you drive fast, the vehicle is lowered auto-
matically to improve driving safety and to
reduce fuel consumption. The following vehicle levels are possible:
R
normal
R raised (vehicles without 4MATIC): the vehi-
cle is raised by about 25 mm when com-
pared with the normal level.
R raised (vehicles with 4MATIC): the vehicle
is raised by about 35 mm when compared
with the normal level.
R lowered: the vehicle is lowered by about
10 mm when compared with the normal
level.
The "Normal" and "Raised" vehicle levels can
be set manually.
The "Lowered” vehicle level is set automati-
cally:
R at speeds above 140 km/h
R if you have selected "Sports tuning"
(Y page 198)
Setting the vehicle level
Select the "Normal" setting for normal road
surfaces and "Raised" for driving with snow
chains or on particularly poor road surfaces.
Your selection remains stored even if you
remove the key from the ignition lock. G
WARNING
Make sure that nobody is in the vicinity of the
wheel housing or under the vehicle while low-
ering the vehicle when it is stationary. Other-
wise, limbs could become trapped. Driving systems
197Driving and parking Z

Vehicle level
The vehicle automatically sets the vehicle
level at the rea raxle .Rear axle level control
ensures the best possible suspension and
that the ground clearance remains constant
even when the vehicle is loaded. This
improves driving safety and fuel consump-
tion.
Suspension tuning General notes
The electronically controlled damping system
works continuously. This 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 of Sport, Sport +
or Comfort
If you select Sport or Sport + mode and
restart the engine, the suspension setting
reverts to Comfort mode. Sport mode
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 :once.
Indicator lamp ?lights up. You have selec-
ted Sport mode. The
AMG Ride Control SPORT message
appears in the multifunction display.
Sport + mode
The very firm setting of the suspension tuning
in Sport +mode ensures the best possible
contact with the road. Select this mode only
when driving on race circuits.
If indicator lamps =and ?are off:
X Press button :twice.
Indicator lamps =and ?light up. You
have selected Sport +mode.
The AMG Ride Control SPORT + message
appears in the multifunction display.
If indicator lamp ?lights up:
X Press button :once.
Second indicator lamp =lights up. You
have selected Sport +mode.
The AMG Ride Control SPORT + message
appears in the multifunction display.
Comfort mode
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 :repeatedly until indicator
lamps =and ?go out.
You have selected Comfort mode.
The AMG Ride Control COMFORT mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
Storing and calling up settings
Once the suspension tuning and drive pro-
gram have been selected, you can store and
call up your settings using AMG button ;.
X To store: press AMG button ;until you
hear a tone.
X To call up: press AMG button ;.
The stored suspension tuning and drive
program are selected. Driving systems
199Driving and parking Z

The vehicle/trailer combination:
R
is heavier
R is restricted in its acceleration and gradi-
ent-climbing capability
R has an increased braking distance
R is affected more by strong crosswinds
R demands more sensitive steering
R has a larger turning circle
As a result, the handling characteristics may
be impaired and you may lose control of the
vehicle. This could lead to an accident with
serious or even fatal injuries.
When towing a trailer, always adjust your
speed to the current road and weather con-
ditions. Do not exceed the maximum permis-
sible speed for your vehicle/trailer combina-
tion. 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. G
WARNING
On no account should you attempt to draw the
vehicle/trailer combination out by increasing
speed. G
WARNING
If you exceed the maximum noseweight when
using a carrier system on the ball coupling:
R the carrier system may be thrown around.
R the ball coupling and the carrier system
may become detached from the vehicle.
As a result, you may injure others or cause an
accident.
Do not exceed the maximum noseweight.
When driving with a loaded carrier system,
always adjust your driving style to the prevail- ing road, traffic and weather conditions and
drive particularly carefully.
You can use carrier systems, e.g. bicycle
racks or load-bearing implements, on the ball
coupling. The maximum noseweight of
75 kg applies when using carrier systems on
the ball coupling.
General notes i
When towing a trailer, set the tyre pres-
sure on the rear axle of the towing vehicle
for a maximum load; see the tyre pressure
table in the fuel filler flap (Y page 365).
You will find installation dimensions and loads
in the "Technical data" section
(Y page 395).
The maximum noseweight of the trailer draw-
bar on the ball coupling is 84 kg 21
. However,
the actual noseweight must not exceed the
value given on the trailer tow hitch or trailer
identification plates. The lowest weight
applies.
! Use a drawbar noseweight as close as
possible to the maximum permissible nose-
weight. Do not use a noseweight of less
than 50kg, otherwise the trailer may come
loose.
Note that the payload and the rear axle load
are reduced by the actual payload.
Please note that when towing a trailer, PARK-
TRONIC (Y page 200), parking guidance
(Y page 203) and Blind Spot Assist
(Y page 212) are only available with limita-
tions, or not at all.
i On vehicles without level control, the
height of the ball coupling will alter accord-
ing to the load placed on the vehicle. If nec-
essary, use a trailer with a height-adjusta-
ble drawbar.
21 Missing values for the E300 model were not available at the time of going to print. 222
Towing
atrailerDriving an d parking

Useful information
i This Owner's Manual describes all models
and all standard and optional equipment
available to your vehicle at the time of pub-
lication of the Owner's Manual. Country-
specific deviations are possible. Please
note that your vehicle may not be equipped
with all features described. This also
applies to safety-relevan tsystems and
functions.
i Please read the information on qualified
specialist workshops (Y page 25).Important safety notes
You will find an illustration of the instrument
cluster in the "At a glance" section
(Y page 30). G
WARNING
Only use the on-board computer when road
and traffic conditions permit .You would oth-
erwise be distracted and unable to concen-
trate properly on driving, and could cause an
accident. G
WARNING
No messages will be displayed if either the
instrument cluster or the multifunction dis-
play is inoperative.
As a result, you will not be able to see infor-
mation about your driving conditions, such as
speed, outside temperature, warning and indi-
cator lamps, display messages or system fail-
ures. Driving characteristics may be impaired.
Adjust your driving style and vehicle speed
accordingly.
Contact a qualified specialist workshop
immediately. G
WARNING
The on-board computer only records and dis-
plays malfunctions and warnings from certain
systems. For this reason, you should always make sure that your vehicle is safe to use. You
could otherwise cause an accident by driving
an unsafe vehicle.
G
WARNING
The operating safety of your vehicle could be
impaired if maintenance work is carried out
incorrectly. This could cause you to lose con-
trol of your vehicle and cause an accident.
Moreover, the safety systems may no longer
be able to protect you or others as they are
designed to do.
Always have service work carried out at a
qualified specialist workshop. Displays and operation
Coolant temperature gauge
The coolant temperature gauge is in the
instrument cluster on the right-hand side.
The reading may rise up to 120 †undernor-
mal driving conditions if the coolant has been
filled correctly.
At high outside temperatures and when driv-
ing uphill, the coolant temperature may rise
to the end of the scale. Rev counter
The red band in the rev counter indicates the
engine's overrevving range.
! Do not drive in the overrevving range.
Doing so will damage the engine.
The fuel supply is interrupted to protec tthe
engine when the red band is reached. Outside temperature display
The outside temperature displayi s in the mul-
tifunction display (Y page 232). G
WARNING
At temperatures just above freezing point, the
street may be icy, especially in wooded areas 230
Displays and operationOn-board computer and displays

to the top of the display as you approach the
point of the announced change of direction.
Change of direction announced with a
lane recommendation
Lane recommendations are only displayed if
the relevant data is availabl eonthe digital
map. :
Road to which the change of direction
leads
; Distance to change of direction and visual
distance display
= Lane recommendation
? Change-of-direction icon
On multi-lane roads, lane recommendation
= may be shown for the next change of
direction. During the change of direction,
additional lanes may be displayed. Example: lane recommendation display
:
Lane continues through change of direc-
tion
; New lane during a change of direction
Other status indicators of the naviga-
tion system R
O:y ou have reached the destination or an
intermediate destination.
R New route... or
Calculating route : a
new route is being calculated. R
Off map or
Off road :t
he vehicle position
is outside the area of the digital map (off-
map position).
R No route :n
o route could be calculated to
the selected destination. Audio menu
Selecting aradio station You can only change the waveband and store
new stations using the audio system or
COMAND Online.
X
Switch on the audio system or COMAND
APS and select Radio (see the separate
operating instructions).
X Press the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the Audio menu.
:
Waveband
; Station 22
X To selectas toredstation: briefly press
the 9 or: button.
X To select a station from the station
list: press and briefly hold the 9
or : button.
X To select astation using station
search 23
:press and briefly hold the 9
or : button.
i DAB radio mode ( DigitalAudioBroadcast-
ing); see the separate operating instruc-
tions.
22 If the statio nhas been stored, the memory position will also be displayed.
23 Only if no statio nlist is received. Menus and submenus
237On-board computer and displays Z

X
Press the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the 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
Intell. Light Sys. function.
If the Intell. Light System function has
been switched on, the cone of light and the
L symbol in the multifunction display
are shown in red.
X Press the abutton to save the setting.
If you set the dipped-beam headlamps for
driving on the right/left (Y page 245), the
multifunction display shows the Systeminoperative display message under the
image of the vehicle for the Intell. Light
System function in the
Light submenu.
Setting the dipped-beam headlamps for
driving on the left/right
This function is only available on vehicles with
the Intelligent Light System.
You can use this function to switch between
symmetrical beam and asymmetrical dipped
beam (Y page 122).
If you set the dipped-beam headlamps for
driving on the right/left, then motorway
mode and the extended range foglamps are
not available.
X Press the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the Settings menu.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Light submenu.
X Press the abutton to confirm.
X Press :or9 to select the Dipped beams Setting for function.
You will see the selected setting: Right-side traffic or
Left-side traffic .
X Press the abutton to save the setting.
When you change the setting, conversion
does not take place until the next time the
vehicle is stationary. You can also have the dipped-beam head-
lamps set for driving on the right or left at a
qualified specialist workshop.
Switching Adaptive Highbeam Assist on/
off
X
Press the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the 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
Adapt. main beam function.
If the Adapt. main beam function has
been activated, the cone of light and the
_ symbol in the multifunction display
are shown in red.
X Press the abutton to save the setting.
Setting the brightness of the ambient
lighting
X Press the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the 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
Amb. light +/- .
X Press the abutton to confirm.
X Press the :or9 button to adjust the
brightness to any level from Off to
Level 5 (bright).
X Press the aor% button to save the
setting.
Activating/deactivating the surround
lighting and exterior lighting delayed
switch-off
If you have activated the Surround light‐ ing function and the light switch is set to
Ã, the following functions are activated
when it is dark:
R Surround lighting: the exterior lighting
remains lit for 40 secondsafter unlocking Menus and submenus
245On-board computer and displays Z

=
Upshift indicator
? Engine oil temperature
A Coolant temperature
Upshift indicator UP =
indicates that the
engine has reached the overrevving range
when in the manual gearshift program.
Upshift indicator UP =
fades out other mes-
sages until you have shifted up.
When the engine oil temperature is below
80 †, the oil temperature is shown in blue.
Avoid driving at full engine output during this
time.
SETUP SETUP shows the drive program, the ESP
®
(Electronic Stability Program) mode and the
SPORT handling mode.
X Press the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the AMG menu.
X Press the 9button repeatedly until
SETUP is displayed.
or
X Briefly press the AMG button on the centre
console. :
Drive program (C /SS+ /M )
; ESP ®
mode (ON /OFF ) or SPORT handling
mode (SPORT )
3 Suspension tuning (COMFORT /SPORT /
SPORT+ )
RACETIMER Displaying and starting the RACETIMER
You can use the RACETIMER to store lap
times. X
Press =or; on the steering wheel
to select the AMG menu.
X Press the 9button repeatedly until the
RACETIMER is shown.
i If the RACETIMER is selected, the =
and ; buttons cannot be used to call up
the menu bar. :
Lap
; RACETIMER
You can start the RACETIMER when the
engine is running or if the key is in position
2 in the ignition lock.
X To start: press the abutton to start the
RACETIMER.
Displaying the intermediate time X
Press the =or; button to select
Interm. Time .
X Press the abutton to confirm.
The intermediate time is displayed for five
seconds.
Starting a new lap
X Press ato confirm New Lap .250
Menus and submenusOn-board computer and displays