2011 MERCEDES-BENZ E-CLASS SALOON warning light

could be injured by objects being thrown
around if you:
R
brake sharply
R change direction suddenly
R are involved in an accident
If the rea rseat backrest is not engaged, this
will be shown in the multifunction display in
the instrument cluster.
X Adjust the head restraints if necessary
(Y page 108).
X Move the driver's or front-passenger seat
back if necessary. Securing
aload
Plastic hooks (Saloon) On vehicles without a through-loading feature
in the rear bench seat, six plastic hooks are
fitted to the boot floor. You can use these to
attach the luggage securing fixture, which is
available as an accessory.
Lashing eyelets
G
WARNING
Distribute the load on the lashing eyelets
evenly.
Otherwise, vehicle occupants could be
injured by objects being thrown around if you:
R brake sharply
R change directio nsuddenly
R are involved in an accident Please observe the loading guidelines.
Observe the following notes on securing
loads:
R secure the load using the lashing eyelets.
R do no tuse elastic straps or nets to secure
a load, as these are only intended as an
anti-slip protection for light loads.
R do not route lashing materials across sharp
edges or corners.
R pad sharp edges for protection.
There are six lashing eyelets in the boot/lug-
gage compartment. Saloon
:
Lashing eyelets Estate
:
Lashing eyelets 298
Stowage areasStowing and features

Bag hooks in the boot/luggage com-
partment Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Only hang light loads on the bag holders. Do
not use them to transport heavy, sharp-edged
or fragile objects. Whe nbraking sharply,
changing direction quickly or in the event of
an accident, the bag hooks will not secure the
items sufficiently. This could resul tininjury to
yoursel forothers.
! The bag hoo kcan bear a maximum load
of 3 kg. Do not use it to secure a load.
Saloon X
Pull bag hook ;down by tab :.
Estate X
To open: press bag hook :(arrow).
Bag hook :slides out.
X To close: press bag hook :until it
engages. EASY-PACK luggage compartment
cover
Important safety notes G
WARNING
The luggage compartmen tcover is not a
restraint system. Secure the load under the
luggage compartment cover by suitable
means. Make sure that the luggage compart-
ment cover is engaged securely. If luggage is
not sufficiently secured, it can be thrown over
the backrest into the passenger compart-
ment, for instance during heavy braking, sud-
den changes of direction or in the event of an
accident .You could cause an accident or
cause injury to yourself and others.
! When loading the vehicle, make sure that
you do not stack the load in the luggage
compartment higher than the lower edge of
the side windows. Do not place heavy
objects on top of the luggage compartment
cover.
The luggage compartment cover and the
safety net are attached to anchorages on the
right and left in the luggage compartment as
a combined luggage cover and net.
When the tailgate is opened, the luggage
compartment cover is automatically raised to
make loading easier. It is automatically low-
ered again when the tailgate is closed.
When the luggage compartment cover is clip-
ped in, there should be no objects obstructing
the downwards movemen tofthe cover in the
luggage compartmentw hen the tailgate is
closed. The luggage compartmentc over will
otherwise be raised again. Stowage areas
299Stowing and features Z

Attaching the combined luggage cover
and net to the rear seat backrest
X
Fold the left and right seat backrest for-
wards . X
Inser tcombined luggage cover and net ;
into the two guides :and push it up to the
stop in the direction of the arrow.
! If you have attached the combined lug-
gage cover and net to arear seat backrest
that is folded forwards, do not fold the
backrest back. Safety net (Estate)
Important safety notes G
WARNING
The safety net cannot secure heavy loads. You
should therefore always lash down the load.
You could otherwise be injured by objects
which have not been sufficiently secured
being thrown around in the event of sharp
braking, a sudden change of direction or an
accident. G
WARNING
In the event of sharp braking, a sudden
change of direction, or an accident, light loads
can be thrown about.
This could result in injury to yourself or others.
Therefore, if you are transporting light loads,
use the safety net. Safety net without luggage compart-
ment enlargement
X
Pull the safety net up by tab :and hook it
into eyelets ;.
Safety net with luggage compartment
enlargement X
Make sure that the safety net is attached
to the rear seat backrest (Y page 300).
X Guide the safety net up by tab :and hook
it into eyelets ;. Coat hooks on the tailgate
G
WARNING
The tailgate may close if too great a load is
placed on the coat hooks.
This could cause you or others to be trapped
and injured.
If you use the coat hooks, only hang light
clothing on them. Make sure that nobody can
become trapped. Stowage areas
301Stowing and features Z

Cup holder in the folding bench seat
X
To open: press the fron tofcup holder :.
Cup holder :is released.
X Pull cup holder :out to the stop. Bottle holders
G
WARNING
Do no ttransport heavy, sharp-edged and frag-
ile bottles in the bottle holder. In the event of
an accident, the bottle holder can not secure
the bottles adequately.
! Make sure that any bottles weighing more
than 0.5 kg that are stored in the bottle
holder rest on the vehicle floor. The bottle
holder could otherwise be damaged.
The bottle holder is suitable for bottles with a
capacity from 0.7 l to 1.5 l.
The bottle holder does not secure bottles; it
merely prevents them from tipping over. X
Press the outer edge of button :and slide
in the direction of the arrow until the bottle
fits into the opening.
X Insert the bottle into the bottle holder. Sun visors
Sun viso roverview G
WARNING
Keep the vanity mirrors in the sun visors cov-
ered while driving. You could otherwise be
dazzled, which may impair your view of traffic
conditions and as a result could cause an
accident. :
Mirror light
; Additional sun visor
= Bracket
? Retaining clip, e.g. for a car park ticket
A Vanity mirror
B Mirror cover
Vanity mirror in the sun visor Mirror light
:only functions if the sun visor
is clipped into retainer =and mirror cover
B has been folded up. Features
309Stowing and features Z

X
To open: slide cover :forwards until it
engages.
X To remove the insert: hold insert=by
the ribbing at the sides and lift it up ;and
out.
X To refi tthe insert: press insert =into the
holder until it engages.
X To close: press cover :briefly at the
front.
The cover moves back.
Ashtray in the rear-compartment centre
console X
To open: briefly press cover ;at the top.
The ashtray opens.
X To remove the insert: press release but-
ton =and lift the insert up and out.
X To fit the insert: fit insert:from above
into the holder and press dow ninto the
holde runtil it engages. Cigarette lighter
G
WARNING
Only hold the hot cigarette lighte rby its knob.
Otherwise, you might burn yourself.
Make sure that children travelling in the vehi-
cle are no table to injure themselves on the
hot cigarette lighter or cause a fire with it. X
Turn the key to position 2in the ignition
lock.
X To open: slide cover :forwards until it
engages.
X Press in cigarette lighter ;.
Cigarette lighter ;will pop out automati-
cally when the heating element is red-hot.
X To close: press cover :briefly at the
front.
The cover moves back. 12
Vsockets
Points to observe before use The sockets can be used for accessories with
a maximum draw of 180 W (15 A). Accesso-
ries include such items as lamps or chargers
for mobile phones.
If you use the sockets for long periods when
the engine is switched off
,the battery may
discharge.
X Turn the key to position 1in the ignition
lock. Features
311Stowing and features Z

X
Pull release lever :on the bonnet.
The bonnet is released.
! Make sure that the windscreen wipers are
not folded away from the windscreen .Oth-
erwise, you could damage the windscreen
wipers or the bonnet. X
Reach into the gap, pull bonnet catch han-
dle ;up and lift the bonnet.
If you lift the bonnet by approximately
40 cm, the bonnet is opened and held open
automatically by the gas-filled strut.
Closing the bonnet G
WARNING
Make sure tha tnobody can become trapped
as you close the bonnet. X
Lower the bonnet and let it fall from a
height of approximately 20 cm.
X Check that the bonnet has engaged prop-
erly.
If the bonnet can be raised slightly, it is not
properly engaged. Open it again and close
it with a little more force. Radiator
i Vehicles with adiesel engine: do not
cover the radiator. Do not use thermal
mats, insect protection covers or anything
similar. Doing so can cause the Onboard
Diagnostics System to display inaccurate
values. Some of these values are legally
required and must be correct. Engine oil
Notes on oil level Depending on driving style, the vehicle con-
sumes up to 0.
8lof oil per 1,000 km .The oil
consumption may be higher than this when
the vehicle is new or if you frequently drive at
high engine speeds.
Depending on the engine, the oil dipstick may
be installed at a different location.
When checking the oil level:
R park the vehicle on a level surface.
R the engine should be switched off for
approximately five minutes if the engine is
at normal operating temperature.
R if the engine is not at normal operating
temperature, e.g. if the engine was only
started briefly: wait about 30 minutes
before carrying out the measurement. 322
Engine compartmentMaintenance and care

Care of the exterior
Automatic car wash G
WARNING
Braking efficiency is reduced after washing
the vehicle .This could cause an accident. For
this reason, following a car wash, drive with
particular care until the brakes are dry. G
WARNING
The vehicle is braked when the HOLD function
or DISTRONIC PLUS is activated. Therefore,
deactivate the HOLD function and DISTRONIC
PLUS before the vehicle is washed in an auto-
matic car wash.
You can wash the vehicle in an automatic car
wash from the very start.
Wash off excess dirt before cleaning the vehi-
cle in an automatic car wash.
! In car washes with a towing mechanism,
make sure that the automatic transmission
is in transmission position N; otherwise,
the vehicle could be damaged.
R Vehicles with DIRECT SELECT lever and
key:
do not remove the key from the ignition
lock. Do not open the driver's door or
front-passenger door when the engine is
switched off. Otherwise, the automatic
transmission selects park position P
automatically and locks the wheels. You
can prevent this by shifting the auto-
matic transmission to Nbeforehand.
R Vehicles with DIRECT SELECT lever and
KEYLESS-GO:
do not open the driver's door or front-
passenger door when the engine is
switched off. Otherwise, the automatic
transmission selects park position P
automatically and locks the wheels.
Observe the following to make sure that the
automatic transmission on vehicles with
DIRECT SELECT stays in position N:X
Make sure the vehicle is stationary and the
ignition is switched off.
X Turn the key to position 2(Ypage 155) in
the ignition lock.
Use the key instead of the Start/Stop but-
ton on vehicles with KEYLESS-GO.
X Depress and hold the brake pedal.
X Shift the automatic transmission to posi-
tion N.
X Release the brake pedal.
X Release the parking brake.
X Switch off the ignition and leave the key in
the ignition lock.
! Make sure that:
R the side windows and sliding sunroof are
closed completely.
R the blower for the ventilation/heating is
switched off (OFF button is depressed).
R the windscreen wiper switch is at posi-
tion 0.
The vehicle could otherwise be damaged.
After using an automatic car wash, wipe off
wax from the windscreen and the wiper
blades. This will prevent smears and reduce
wiping noises caused by residue on the wind-
screen.
Washing by hand In some countries, washing by hand is only
allowed at specially equipped washing bays.
Observe the legal requirements for each indi-
vidual country.
X
Do not use hot water and do not wash the
vehicle in direct sunlight.
X Use a soft sponge to clean.
X Use a mild cleaning agent, such as a car
shampoo approved by Mercedes-Benz.
X Thoroughly hose down the vehicle with a
gentle jet of water.
X Do not point the water jet directly towards
the air inlet.
X Use plenty of water and rinse out the
sponge frequently. Care
327Maintenance and care Z

X
Rinse the vehicle with clean water and dry
thoroughly with a chamois.
X Do not let the cleaning agent dry on the
paintwork.
Whe nusing the vehicle in winter, remove all
traces of road salt deposits carefully and as
soon as possible.
High-pressure cleaning equipment G
WARNING
Do not use high-pressure cleaners with circu-
lar-jet nozzles (dirt grinders) to clean your
vehicle, in particular the tyres. You could oth-
erwise damage the tyres and cause an acci-
dent.
! Always maintain a distance of at least
30 cm between the vehicle and the high-
pressure cleaner nozzle. Information about
the correct distance is available from the
equipment manufacturer.
Move the high-pressure cleaner nozzle
around when cleaning your vehicle.
Do not aim directly at any of the following:
R tyres
R door gaps, roof gaps, joints etc.
R electrical components
R battery
R connectors
R lights
R seals
R trim elements
R ventilation slots
Damaged seals or electrical components
can lead to leaks or failures.
Cleaning the wheels !
Do not use acidic wheel cleaning products
to remove brake dust. This could damage
wheel bolts and brake components.
! Do not park up the vehicle for an extended
period straight after cleaning it, particularly
after having cleaned the wheels with wheel cleaner. Wheel cleaners could cause
increased corrosion of the brake discs and
brake pads/linings. For this reason, you
should drive for a few minutes after clean-
ing. Braking heats the brake discs and the
brake pads/linings, thus drying them. The
vehicle can then be parked up.
Cleaning the paintwork Scratches, corrosive deposits, areas affected
by corrosion and damage caused by inade-
quate care cannot always be completely
repaired. In such cases, visit a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
X
Remove impurities immediately,w here
possible, whilst avoiding rubbing too hard.
X Soak insect remains with insect remover
and rinse off the treated areas afterwards.
X Soak bird droppings with water and rinse
off the treated areas afterwards.
X Remove coolant, brake fluid, tree resin,
oils, fuels and greases by rubbing gently
with a cloth soaked in petroleum ether or
lighter fluid.
X Use tar remover to remove tar stains.
X Use silicone remover to remove wax.
! Do not affix:
R stickers
R films
R magnetic plates or similar items
to painted surfaces. You could otherwise
damage the paintwork.
Care and treatment of matt paintwork If your vehicle has a clear matt finish, observe
the following instructions in order to avoid
damage to the paintwork due to incorrect
care.
These notes also apply to light-alloy wheels
with a clear matt finish.
!
Never polish the vehicle or the light alloy
wheels. Polishing makes the paintwork
shiny. 328
CareMaintenance and care