2011 MERCEDES-BENZ E-CLASS SALOON instrument cluster

Activating when driving towards
asta-
tionary vehicle
If the vehicle in front of you is stationary, you
can only activate DISTRONIC PLU Sonce your
vehicle is stationary as well.
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you ?or press it up :or down A.
DISTRONIC PLU Sis selected.
i DISTRONIC PLUS can only be activated at
under 30 km/h if a vehicle in front has been
detected. Therefore, the DISTRONIC PLUS
distance display in the instrument cluster
should be activated (Y page 241).
X Keep the cruise control lever pressed
up : or down Auntil the desired speed
is set.
i You can use the cruise control lever to set
the stored speed and the control on the
cruise control lever to set the specified
minimum distance (Y page 191).
Pulling away
X If the vehicle in front pulls away: remove
your foot from the brake pedal.
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you ?.
or
X Accelerate briefly.
Your vehicle pulls away and adapts its
speed to that of the vehicle in front.
Driving
If there is no vehicle in front, DISTRONIC
PLUS operates in the same way as cruise
control.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that the vehicle
in front has slowed down, it brakes your vehi-
cle. In this way, the distance you have selec-
ted is maintained.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that the vehicle
in front is driving faster, it accelerates your
vehicle, but only up to the speed you have
stored. G
WARNING
If you depress the brake, DISTRONIC PLUS is
deactivated unless your vehicle is stationary.
DISTRONIC PLUS then no longer brakes your
vehicle. In such cases, control the distance
from vehicles travelling in front with the brake
alone. You could otherwise cause an accident
and thereby injure yourselfa nd others. The
driver remains fully responsible for the vehi-
cle's distance from othe rvehicles, the speed
being driven and for braking in good time.
Changing lane
If you change to the passing lane, DISTRONIC
PLUS supports you when:
R you are driving faster than 60 km/h.
R DISTRONIC PLUS is maintaining the dis-
tance to a vehicle in front.
R you switch on the appropriate turn signals.
R DISTRONIC PLUS does not detec tadanger
of collision.
If these conditions are met, your vehicle is
accelerated. Acceleration will be interrupted
if changing lanes takes too long or if the dis-
tance between your vehicle and the vehicle in
fron tbecomes too small.
i When changing lanes, DISTRONIC PLUS
monitors the left lane on left-hand drive
vehicles and the right lane on right-hand
drive vehicles. G
WARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS and Active Blind Spot Assist
are only an aid designed to assist driving.
They do not relieve you of the responsibility
of paying attention .The driver remains fully
responsible for the vehicle's distance from
other vehicles, the vehicle's speed and for
braking in good time. 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. 188
Driving systemsDriving and parking

might therefore issue steering instructions
too soon. This may lead to a collision. For this
reason, you should avoid using Parking Guid-
ance in such situations.
G
WARNING
Make sure that no persons or animals are in
the manoeuvring range. Otherwise, they
could be injured.
When PARKTRONIC is deactivated, Parking
Guidance is also unavailable.
Use Parking Guidance for parking spaces:
R that are parallel to the directio noftravel
R that are on straight roads, not bends
R that are on the same level as the road, i.e.
not on the pavement, for example. Parking
Guidance may not detect flat kerbs
Parking tips:
R on narrow roads, drive as closely as possi-
ble pastt he parking space.
R parking spaces that are littered, overgrown
or partially occupied by trailer drawbars
might be identified incorrectly or not at all.
R snowfall or heavy rain may lead to a parking
space being measured inaccurately.
R pay attention to the PARKTRONIC
(Y page 201) warning messages during the
parking procedure.
R when transporting a load which protrudes
from your vehicle, you must not use Parking
Guidance.
R never use Parking Guidance with snow
chains or an emergency spare wheel fitted.
R make sure that the tyre pressures are
always correct.T his hasadirec teffect on
the steering instructions.
R the way you rvehicle is positioned in the
parking space after parkin gis dependent
on various factors. These include the posi-
tion and shape of the vehicles parked in
front and behind it and the conditions of the
location. In some cases, Parking Guidance
may guide you too far or not far enough into
a parking space. In some cases, it may also lead you across or onto the kerb. If neces-
sary, cancel the parking procedure with
Parking Guidance.
! If unavoidable, you should drive over
obstacles such as kerbs slowly and not at
a sharp angle. Otherwise, you may damage
the wheels or tyres.
Detecting parking spaces Example: vehicles featuring automatic transmis-
sion with a DIRECT SELECT lever
:
Detected parking space on the left
; Parking symbol
= Detected parking space on the right
Parking Guidance is automatically activated
when you drive forwards. The system is
operational at speeds of up to approximately
35 km/h. While in operation, the system inde-
pendently locates and measures parking
spaces on both sides of the vehicle. When
driving at speeds below 30 km/h, you will see
parking symbol ;as a status indicator in the
instrument cluster.
When a parking space has been detected, an
arrow towards the right =or the left :also
appears. Parking Guidance only displays
parking spaces on the front-passenger side
as standard. Parking spaces on the driver's
side are displayed as soon as the turn signal
on the driver's side is activated. To park on
the driver's side, you must leave the driver's
side turn signal switched on until you have
engaged reverse gear. 204
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Parking Guidance will only detect parking
spaces:
R
that are parallel to the direction of travel
R that are at least 1.5 m wide
R that are at least 1.3 m longer than your
vehicle
Ap arking space is displayed while you are
driving past it, and until you are approx-
imately 15 m away from it.
Parking G
WARNING
PARKTRONIC and Parking Guidance are
merely parking aids and may no tdetec tall
obstacles. They do not relieve you of the
responsibility of paying attention.
You are always responsible for safety and
must continue to pay attention to your imme-
diate surroundings when parking and
manoeuvring. You could otherwise endanger
yourself and others.
X Stop the vehicle when the parking space
symbol shows the desired parking space in
the instrument cluster.
X Vehicles with manual transmission :shift to
reverse gear.
Vehicles with automatic transmission: shift
into position R.
The following message appears in the mul-
tifunction display: Check vehicle sur‐ roundings Confirm with OK .
X Press the abutton on the multifunction
steering wheel to confirm.
The multifunction display switches to Park-
ing Guidance.
Depending on your distance from the park-
ing space, the Please drive backwards message appears in the multifunction dis-
play. Example: vehicles featuring automatic transmis-
sion with a DIRECT SELECT lever
X
If necessary, reverse towards the parking
space. This is indicated by an arrow point-
ing backwards.
Continue reversing until you hear a tone.
Stop –the parking position has been
reached. The arrow is white.
The Please steer to the right or
Please steer to the left message
appears in the multifunction display. Example: vehicles featuring automatic transmis-
sion with a DIRECT SELECT lever
X
While the vehicle is stationary, turn the
steering wheel in the specified direction
until the arrow is white and a warning tone
sounds.
X To reverse into the parking space: main-
tain the steering wheel angle and reverse
carefully.
X Stop as soon as you hear a warning tone,
The vehicle has reached the position in
which you need to countersteer.
The Please steer to the left or
Please steer to the right message
appears in the multifunction display.
X Countersteering: while the vehicle is sta-
tionary, turn the steering wheel in the
specified direction until the arrow is white
and a warning tone sounds. Driving systems
205Driving and parking Z

Useful information
............................230
Important safety notes ....................230
Displays and operation ....................230
Menus and submenus ......................234
Display messages ............................. 253
Warning and indicator lamps in the
instrument cluster ............................280 229On-board computer and displays

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

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

Settings menu
Introduction The
Settings menu can be used for:
R changing the instrument cluster settings
R changing the time/date settings 24
R changing the light settings
R changing the vehicle settings
R changing the auxiliary heating settings
R changing the convenience settings
R restoring the factory settings
Instrument cluster Selecting the unit of measurement for dis-
tance
The
Display unit Speed-/odometer: function allows you to choose whether cer-
tain displays appear in kilometres or miles.
The selected unit of measurement for dis-
tance applies to:
R digital speedometers in the Trip menu
R total distance recorder and the trip meter
R trip computer
R current consumption and the range
R navigation instructions in the Navi menu
R cruise control
R SPEEDTRONIC
R DISTRONIC PLUS
R ASSYST PLUS service interval display
X Press the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the Settings menu.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Inst. cluster submenu.X
Press the abutton to confirm.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Display unit Speed-/odometer func-
tion.
You will see the selected setting: km or
miles .
X Press the abutton to save the setting.
Switching the additional speedometer
on/off
Only vehicles with manual transmission have
this function.
i Vehicles for the United Kingdom: this
function is not available.
The Dig. speedom [mph]: function allows
you to choose whether the status area in the
multifunction display always shows the speed
in mph instead of the outside temperature.
X Press the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the Settings menu.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Inst. cluster submenu.
X Press the abutton to confirm.
X Press :or9 to select the Dig. speedo [mph]: function.
You will see the selected setting: on or
off .
X Press the abutton to save the setting.
Selecting the permanent display function
Only vehicles with automatic transmission
have this function.
i Vehicles for the United Kingdom: this
function is not available.
The Permanent display: function allows
you to choose whether the multifunction dis-
play always shows the outside temperature
or the speed in mph.
X Press the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the Settings menu.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Inst. cluster submenu.
24 This function is not available on vehicles with Audio 50 APS, Audio 55 APS or COMAND APS. Menus and submenus
243On-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