2011 MERCEDES-BENZ E-CLASS SALOON brake light

The course-correcting brake application is
available in the range between 30 km/ha nd
200 km/h.
If a course-correcting brake application
occurs, red warning lamp :flashes in the
exterio rmirro rand the following is shown in
the multifunctio ndisplay, for example: Example: vehicles featuring automatic transmis-
sion with a DIRECT SELECT lever G
WARNING
Active Blind Spot Assist is only an aid
designed to assist driving. It is not a substitute
for attentive driving. Automatic braking by the
system may not always be sufficien tto avoid
a collision. In such cases, you need to steer,
brake or accelerate yourself.
In very rare cases, the system may detect a
risk of collision where there is none and brake
in error near crash barriers or similar road
boundaries. Active Blind Spot Assist cannot
detect all traffic situations and road users.
Ensure at all times that there is sufficient lat-
eral distance between you and other road
users or obstacles. You can, for example,
countersteer gently or depress the accelera-
tor pedal at any time to cancel inappropriate
braking action.
You are responsible for the vehicle's speed,
correc tsteering and for braking in good time.
Always adap tyour 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 others. Either a very slight course-correcting brake
application, or none at all, may occur if:
R
there are vehicles or obstacles, e.g. crash
barriers, on both sides of your vehicle.
R a vehicle approaches too closely on the
side.
R you have adopted a sporty driving style with
high cornering speeds.
R you brake or accelerate decisively.
R a driving safety system intervenes, such as
ESP ®
or PRE-SAFE ®
Brake.
R ESP ®
is deactivated.
R a loss of tyre pressure or a defective tyre is
detected.
Activating Active Blind Spot Assist
X Make sure that the radar sensor system
(Y page 247) and Active Blind Spot Assist
(Y page 242) are activated in the on-board
computer.
X Turn the key to position 2in the ignition
lock.
Warning lamps :in the exterior mirrors
light up red for approximately
1.5 seconds and then turn yellow.
Trailer towing
If you attach a trailer, make sure that you have
correctly established the electrical connec-
tion. This can be accomplished by checking
the trailer lighting. Active Blind Spot Assist is
then deactivated. The indicator lamp in the
exterior mirrors lights up yellow, and the
Active Blind Spot Assist currently unavailable See Owner's Manual mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
Active Lane Keeping Assist Important safety notes
Active Lane Keeping Assist monitors the area
in front of your vehicle by means of a camera
mounted at the top of the windscreen. Active
Lane Keeping Assist detect slane markings on
the road and warns you before you leave your
lane unintentionally. If you do no treact to the 218
Driving systemsDriving and parking

R
a driving safety system intervenes, such as
ABS, BAS or ESP ®
.
R you have switched on the tur nsignals .In
this event, the warnings are suppressed for
a certai nperiod of time.
Lane-correcting brake application
If you leave your lane under certain circum-
stances, the vehicle will brake briefly on one
side. This is designed to help you bring the
vehicle back into the original lane.
This function is available in the range between
60 km/h and 200 km/h.
A lane-correcting brake application can only
be made after driving over a solid, recognis-
able lane marking. Befor ethis, a warning
must be emitted by means of intermittent
vibration in the steering wheel. In addition, a
lane with lane markings on both sides must
be recognised. The brake application also
slightly reduces driving speed.
If a lane-correcting brake application occurs,
the following appears in the multifunction dis-
play: Example: vehicles featuring automatic transmis-
sion with a DIRECT SELECT lever
i
A further lane-correcting brake applica-
tion can only occur after your vehicle has
returned to the original lane. G
WARNING
Active Lane Keeping Assist does not keep
your vehicle in its lane. It is only an aid
designed to assist driving. It is not a substitute
for attentive driving. Corrective braking may
not always be sufficient to return your vehicle
to its original lane. In such cases, you must
steer the vehicle yourself to ensure that it
does not leave the lane. Active Lane Keeping Assist cannot detect the
current traffic situation or other road users.
Ensure at all times that there is sufficient lat-
eral distance between you and other road
users or obstacles. In rare cases, broken lines
or certain structures on the road surface may
be detected by the system as solid lane mark-
ings. You can, for example, countersteer gen-
tly at any time to cancel inappropriate braking
action, e.g. if you intentionally drive across a
solid lane marking.
Active Lane Keeping Assist cannot take
weather conditions into account.
You are responsible for the vehicle's speed,
correct steering and for braking in good time.
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 others.
No lane-correcting brake application occurs
if:
R you clearly and actively steer, brake, or
accelerate.
R you cut the corner on a sharp bend.
R you have switched on the turn signals.
R a driving safety system intervenes, such as
ESP ®
, PRE-SAFE ®
Brake or Active Blind
Spot Assist.
R you have adopted a sporty driving style with
high cornering speeds or high rates of
acceleration.
R on vehicles with a trailer tow hitch, the
electrical connection to the trailer has been
correctly established.
R ESP ®
is deactivated.
R the transmission is not in position D.
R a loss of tyre pressure or a defective tyre
has been detected and displayed. 220
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Active Lane Keeping Assist does not detect
road and traffic conditions. An inappropriate
brake applicatio nmay be interrupted at any
time if:
R you steer slightly in th eopposite direction.
R you use a turn signal.
R you clearly brake or accelerate.
Al ane-correcting brake applicatio nis inter-
rupted automatically if:
R a driving safety system intervenes, such as
ESP ®
, PRE-SAFE ®
Brake or Active Blind
Spot Assist.
R lane markings can no longer be recognised.
Activating Active Lane Keeping Assist Example: vehicles featuring automatic transmis-
sion with a DIRECT SELECT lever
X Activate Active Lane Keeping Assist using
the on-board computer (Y page 242).
Symbol :appears in the multifunction
display.
If you drive at speeds above 60 km/h and
lane markings are detected, symbol :is
highlighted. Active Lane Keeping Assist is
ready for use.
Trailer towing
If you attach a trailer, make sure that you have
correctly established the electrical connec-
tion. This can be accomplished by checking
the trailer lighting. Towing
atrailer Notes on towing
atrailer
Important safety notes G
WARNING
When reversing the vehicle towards the
trailer, make sure there is nobody between
the trailer and the vehicle.
Couple and uncouple the trailer carefully .If
you do no tcouple the trailer to the towing
vehicle correctly, the trailer could become
detached.
Make sure that the following values are not
exceeded:
R the permissible trailer drawbar noseweight
R the permissible trailer load
R the permissible rear axle load of the towing
vehicle
R the maximum permissible gross vehicle
weight of both the towing vehicle and the
trailer
You will find the applicable permissible val-
ues, which must not be exceeded, in the vehi-
cle documents.
You will find the values approved by the man-
ufacturer on the vehicle identification plates
and those for the towing vehicle in the "Tech-
nical data" section. G
WARNING
If the Check trailer hitch locking mechanism message appears in the multi-
function display while the vehicle is in motion,
pull over immediately and check whether the
ball coupling is correctly engaged. G
WARNING
When towing a trailer, your vehicle's handling
characteristics will be different in comparison
to when driving without a trailer. Towing
atrailer
221Driving an d 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

X
Establish the electrical connection
between the vehicle and the trailer.
X Check tha tthe trailer lighting system is
working. Decoupling
atrailer G
WARNING
As soon as you raise the trailer drawbar, the
unladen vehicle rises slightly. The vehicle then
lowers to driving level.
Make sure tha tnobody is in the vicinity of the
wheel arch or the underbody. You could oth-
erwise trap yourself or others. G
WARNING
The vehicle is lowered as soon as you discon-
nect the trailer cable. Make sure that nobody
is in the vicinity of the wheel arch or the
underbody. You could otherwise trap yourself
or others.
As soon as you decouple the trailer, the unla-
den vehicle rises slightly. Make sure that you
or others are not injured in the process.
! Do not disconnect a trailer with an
engaged overrun brake. Otherwise, your
vehicle could be damaged by the rebound-
ing of the overrun brake.
X Make sure that the transmission is in posi-
tion P.
X Apply the parking brake.
X Secure the trailer against rolling away.
X Remove the trailer cable and decouple the
trailer. Folding in the ball coupling
i Fold the ball coupling back in if you are
not using the trailer tow hitch. G
WARNING
Make sure that no persons or animals are in
the pivoting range of the ball coupling. Other-
wise, they could be injured. X
Place the protective cap on the ball cou-
pling.
The release wheel is located behind the left-
hand side trim panel in the boot/luggage
compartment. Saloon
Estate
X
To open the cover (Saloon): push down
luggage net ;.
X Turn handle :anti-clockwise and fold
down cover =.
X To open the cover (Estate): pull han-
dle :in the direction of the arrow and fold
down cover ;. Towing
atrailer
225Driving an d parking Z

X
Press =or; on the steering wheel
to select the Assist. menu.
X Press 9or: to select Speed Lim.
Asst. .
X Press a.
The multifunction display shows Speed
Limit Assist.
X Press :.
The curren tselection is displayed.
X To activate or deactivate: pressa.
If Speed Limit Assist is operational and the
message function is activated, the multifunc-
tion display shows the Äsymbol when the
ignition is switched on.
Showing the distance display This function is only available with DIS-
TRONIC PLUS.
X
Press =or; on the steering wheel
to select the Assist. menu.
X Press the 9or: button to select
Distance display .
X Press a.
The DISTRONIC PLUS distance display
(Y page 191) appears in the multifunction
display.
Deactivating/activating ESP ®G
WARNING
If the ä warning lamp in the instrument
cluster flashes, proceed as follows:
R do not deactivate ESP ®
under any circum-
stances.
R only depress the accelerator pedal as far as
necessary when pulling away.
R adapt your driving style to suit the prevail-
ing road and weather conditions.
Otherwise, the vehicle could skid.
ESP ®
cannot reduce the risk of an acciden tif
you drive too fast. ESP ®
cannot override the
laws of physics. Activating/deactivatin
gESP®
on AMG vehi-
cles (Y page 73).
For further information about ESP ®
, see
(Y page 72).
X Start the engine.
X Press =or; on the steering wheel
to select the Assist. menu.
X Press the 9or: button to select
ESP .
X Press the abutton.
X To deactivate: pressaagain.
The å warning lamp in the instrument
cluster comes on. G
WARNING
If the å warning lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up when the engine is running,
ESP ®
is deactivated or is unavailable due to a
malfunction. The risk that your vehicle may
start to skid then increases in certain situa-
tions.
Always adap tyour driving style to the prevail-
ing road and weather conditions.
X To activate: pressaagain.
The å warning lamp in the instrument
cluster goes out.
Activating/deactivating the PRE-SAFE ®
Brake PRE-SAFE
®
Brake is only available in vehicles
with DISTRONIC PLUS.
X Press =or; on the steering wheel
to select the Assist. menu.
X Press 9or: to select PRE-SAFE Brake .
X Press the abutton.
The current selection is displayed.
X To activate/deactivate: pressa
again.
When PRE-SAFE ®
Brake (Y page 75) is acti-
vated, the multifunction display shows the Menus and submenus
241On-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
Vehicle submenu.
X Press the abutton to confirm.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Auto. door lock function.
When the Auto. door locks function is
activated, the vehicle doors are displayed
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 depending on the
vehicle's date of manufacture:
R when locking
or
R once when unlocking and three times when
locking
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
Acoustic Lock function.
If the Acoustic Lock function is activated,
the & symbol in the multifunction dis-
play lights up red.
X Press the abutton to save the setting.
Activating/deactivating the radar sensor
system
i You must deactivate the radar sensor sys-
tem in certain countries and near radio
telescope facilities. For further informa-
tion, see (Y page 398).
Vehicles with a navigation system: the radar
sensor system is deactivated automatically if
you are close to radio telescope facilities. The following systems are switched off when
the radar sensor system is deactivated:
R
DISTRONIC PLUS (Y page 185)
R BAS PLUS (Y page 70)
R PRE-SAFE ®
Brake (Y page 75)
R Blind Spot Assist (Y page 212)
R Active Blind Spot Assist (Y page 216)
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 9or: button to select
Radar sensor (See Owner's Man.): .
You will see the selected setting: on or
off .
X Press the abutton to save the setting.
Heating menu Auxiliary heating departure time
This function is only available on vehicles with
auxiliary heating (Y
page 145).
In the Heating submenu, you can select a
stored departure time or change a departure
time.
The auxiliary heating timer function calcu-
lates the switch-on time according to the out-
side temperature so that the vehicle is pre-
heated by the departure time. When the
departure time is reached, the auxiliary heat-
ing continues to heat for a further five
minutes and then switches off. The auxiliary
heating adopts the THERMATIC or
THERMOTRONIC temperature setting.
You can switch off the auxiliary heating by
using the remote control or the auxiliary heat-
ing button on the centre console. G
WARNING
Exhaust fumes are produced when the auxili-
ary heating is in operation. Inhaling these
exhaust fumes can be poisonous. You should
therefore switch off the auxiliary heating in Menus and submenus
247On-board computer and displays
Z

Safety systems
Display messages Possible causes/consequences and
M Solutions
!÷
currently unavail‐
able See Owner's
Manual G
Risk of accident
ABS, ESP ®
, BAS, PRE-SAFE ®
, the HOLD function, hill start assist
and ESP ®
trailer stabilisation are temporarily not available.
The adaptive brake lights, BAS PLUS and PRE-SAFE ®
Brake may
also have failed.
In addition, the ä,åand! warning lamps light up in
the instrument cluster.
For example, the on-board voltage may be insufficient.
ATTENTION ASSIST is deactivated.
The brake system continues to function normally, but without the
functions listed above. The wheels could therefore lock if you
brake hard, for example.
X Drive on carefully.
If the display message disappears, the functions mentioned
above are available again.
If the display message continues to be displayed:
X Drive on carefully.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop. !÷
inoperative See
Owner's Manual G
Risk of accident
ABS, ESP ®
, BAS, PRE-SAFE ®
, the HOLD function, hill start assist
and ESP ®
trailer stabilisation are not available due to a malfunc-
tion.
The adaptive brake lights, BAS PLUS and PRE-SAFE ®
Brake may
also have failed.
In addition, the J,ä,åand! warning lamps light
up in the instrument cluster.
The brake system continues to function normally, but without the
functions listed above. The wheels could therefore lock if you
brake hard, for example.
ATTENTION ASSIST is deactivated.
X Drive on carefully.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop immediately. 254
Display messagesOn-board computer and displays