2011 MERCEDES-BENZ E-CLASS SALOON service

Interior lighting control
Important notes In order to preven
tthe vehicle's battery from
discharging, the interior lighting functions are
automatically deactivated after some time
except for when the key is in position 2in the
ignition lock.
The colour and brightness of the ambient
lighting may be set using the on-board com-
puter (Y page 245).
Automatic interior lighting control X
To switch on/off: press the|button.
When the automatic interior lighting con-
trol is activated, the button is flush with the
overhead control panel.
The interior lighting automatically switches
on if you:
R unlock the vehicle
R open a door
R remove the key from the ignition lock
The interior light is activated for a short while
when the key is removed from the ignition
lock. You can activate this delayed switch-off
using the on-board computer (Y page 246).
Manual interior lighting control X
To switch the front interior lighting on/
off: press the cbutton.
X To switch the rear interior lighting on/
off: press the ubutton.
X To switch the reading lamps on/off:
press the pbutton. Crash-responsive emergency lighting
The interior lighting is activated automatically
if the vehicle is involved in an accident. X
To switch off the crash-responsive
emergency lighting: press the hazard
warning lamp button.
or
X Lock and then unlock the vehicle using the
key. Changing bulbs
Important safety notes
Xenon bulbs G
DANGER
Xenon bulbs are under high voltage. If you
touch the electrical contacts of a xenon bulb,
you could suffer an electric shock and be seri-
ously or even fatally injured. For this reason,
do not remove the cover of xenon bulbs.
Do not change the xenon bulbs yourself, but
have them replaced at a qualified workshop.
If your vehicle is equipped with xenon bulbs,
you can recognise this by the following: the
cone of light from the xenon bulbs moves
from the top to the bottom and back again
when you start the engine. For this to be
observed, the lights must be switched on
before starting the engine.
Bulbs and lamps are an important aspect of
vehicle safety. You must therefore make sure
that these function correctly at all times.
Have the headlamp setting checked regularly.
Other bulbs There are bulbs other than the xenon bulbs
that you cannot replace. Replace only the
bulbs listed (Y
page 130). Have the bulbs that
you cannot replace yourself changed at a
qualified specialist workshop.
If you require assistance changing bulbs, con-
sult a qualified specialist workshop.
Do not touch the glass tube of new bulbs with
your bare hands. Even minor contamination
can burn into the glass surface and reduce
the service life of the bulbs. Always use a lint- Changing bulbs
129Lights and windscreen wipers Z

free cloth or only touch the base of the bulb
whe
nfitting.
Only use bulbs of the correc ttype.
If the new bulb still does no tlight up, consult
a qualified specialist workshop.
Bulbs and lamps are an importan taspect of
vehicle safety. You must therefore make sure
that these function correctly at all times.
Have the headlamp setting checked regularly. G
WARNING
Bulbs and lamps can be very hot. You should
therefore allow them to cool down before you
change them. Otherwise, you could be burned
if you touch them.
Keep bulbs out of the reach of children. Oth-
erwise, they could damage the bulbs, for
example, and injure themselves.
Never use a bulb which has been dropped.
Such a bulb may break or even explode and
injure you.
Halogen bulbs are pressurised and can
explode when you change them, particularly
if they are very hot. You should therefore wear
eye protection and gloves when you are
changing them. Overview of bulb replacement
–bulbs
You can replace the following bulbs. The
details for the bulb type can be found in the
legend. Halogen headlamps
:
Dipped-bea mheadlamps 14
: H7 55 W
; Main-beam headlamp: H7 55 W
= Side lamp/parking lamp: W5W
? Turn signal lamp 14
: PY 21 W Bi-xenon headlamps
:
Cornering lamp: H7 55 W
; Infrared light (Night View Assist Plus):
H11 55 W
14 Due to their location, have the bulbs in the left-hand headlamp replaced at a qualified specialist workshop,
e.g. a Mercedes-Benz Service Centre. 130
Changing bulbsLights and windscreen wipers

Changing the front bulbs
Dipped-beam headlamps (halogen
headlamps) Due to their location, have the bulbs in the
left-hand headlamp changed at a qualified
specialist workshop, e.g .aMercedes-Benz
Service Centre.
X Switch off the lights.
X Open the bonnet.
X Turn housing cover :anti-clockwise and
pull it out.
X Turn bulb holder ;anti-clockwise and pull
it out.
X Take the bulb out of bulb holder ;.
X Inser tthe new bulb into bulb holder ;.
X Insert bulb holder ;into the lamp and turn
it clockwise.
X Align housing cover :and turn it clock-
wise until it engages. Main-beam headlamps (halogen head-
lamps)/cornering lamps (Intelligent
Light System) X
Switch off the lights.
X Open the bonnet.
X Turn housing cover :anti-clockwise and
pull it out.
X Turn bulb holder ;anti-clockwise and pull
it out.
X Take the bulb out of bulb holder ;.
X Insert the new bulb into bulb holder ;.
X Insert bulb holder ;into the lamp and turn
it clockwise.
X Align housing cover :and turn it clock-
wise until it engages.
Side lamps/parking lamps (halogen
headlamps) X
Switch off the lights.
X Open the bonnet.
X Turn housing cover :anti-clockwise and
pull it out. Changing bulbs
131Lights and windscreen wipers Z

!
Never open the bonnet if a windscreen
wiper arm has been folded away from the
windscreen.
Never fold a windscreen wiper arm without
a wiper blade back onto the windscreen/
rear window.
Hold the windscreen wiper arm firmly when
you change the wiper blade. If you release
the windscreen wiper arm without a wiper
blade and it falls onto the windscreen, the
windscreen may be damaged by the force
of the impact.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you have
the wiper blades replaced by aqualified
specialist workshop, e.g. at a Mercedes-
Benz Service Centre. Problems with the windscreen wipers
The windscreen wipers are obstructed Leaves or snow, for example, may be
obstructing the windscree nwiper movement.
The wiper motor has been deactivated.
X For safety reasons, you should remove the
key from the ignition lock.
or
X Switch off the engine using the Start/Stop
button and open the driver's door.
X Remove the cause of the obstruction.
X Switch the windscreen wipers back on.
The windscreen wipers are inoperative The windscreen wiper drive is malfunctioning.
X
Selec tanothe rwiper speed on the combi-
nation switch.
X Have the windscreen wipers checked at a
qualified specialist workshop.
The spray nozzles are misaligned The windscreen washer fluid fro
mthe spray
nozzles no longer hits the centre of the wind-
screen. The spray nozzles are misaligned. X
Have the spray nozzles adjusted at a quali-
fied specialist workshop. 134
Windscreen wipersLights and windscreen wipers

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).Overview of climate control systems
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Observe the settings recommended on the
following pages. The windows could other-
wise mis tup. This may preven tyou from
observing the traffic conditions, thereby caus-
ing an accident.
THERMATIC/THERMOTRONIC automatic cli-
mate control controls the temperature and
the humidity of the vehicle interior and filters
out undesirable substances from the air.
THERMATIC/THERMOTRONIC automatic cli-
mate control is only operational when the
engine is running 17
.O ptimum operation is
only achieved if you drive with the side win-
dows and sliding sunroof/panorama sliding
sunroof closed.
i Ventilate the vehicle for a brief period
during warm weather, e.g. using the con-
venience opening feature (Y page 96). This
will speed up the cooling process and the
desired vehicle interior temperature will be
reached more quickly.
i The integrated filter can filter out most
particles of dust and completely filters out pollen.
Aclogged filter reduces the amount
of air supplied to the vehicle interior .For
this reason, you should always observe the
interval for replacing the filter, which is
specified in the Service Booklet .As it
depends on environmental conditions, e.g.
heavy air pollution, the interval may be
shorter than stated in the Service Booklet.
i It is possible that the residual heat func-
tion may be activated automatically an hour
after the key has been removed. The vehi-
cle is then ventilated for 30 minutes to dry
the air-conditioning system.
17 THERMOTRONIC automatic climate control: the residual heat function can only be activated/deactivated
when the ignition is switched off. 136
Overview of climate control systemsClimate control

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).Running-in notes
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
New brake pads/linings only have optimal
braking performance after several hundred
kilometres .Until then, compensate for this by
applying greate rforce to the brake pedal. This
also applies when brake pads/linings or
brake discs have been changed. The first 1,500 km
If you treat the engine with sufficient care
from the very start,y ou will be rewarded with
excellent performance for the remainder of
the engine's life.
R Drive at varying vehicle speeds and engine
speeds for the first 1,500 km.
R Avoid overstraining the vehicle during this
period, e.g. driving at full throttle.
R Change gear in good time, before the rev
counter needle is Ôof the way to the red
area of the rev counter.
R Do not shift down a gear manually in order
to brake. Vehicles with automatic transmission:
R
Try to avoid depressing the accelerator
pedal beyond the point of resistance (kick-
down).
R The shift ranges 3,2or 1should only be
engaged when driving slowly, e.g. when
driving in mountainous terrain.
After 1,500 km, you may gradually bring the
vehicle up to full road and engine speeds.
Additional running-in notes for AMG vehicles:
R Do not drive at speeds above 140 km/h for
the first 1,500 km.
R Only allow the engine to reach a maximum
engine speed of 4,500 rpm briefly.
i You should also observe these notes on
running in if the engine or parts of the drive
train on your vehicle have been replaced. AMG vehicles with rear axle locking
differential
Your vehicle is fitted with a self-locking dif-
ferential on the rear axle. Change the oil after
a running-in period of 3,000 km to improve
protection of the rear axle differential. This oil
change extends the service life of the differ-
ential. Have the oil change carried out at a
qualified specialist workshop. Driving
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Do not place any objects in the driver's foot-
well. If you use a floormat or carpet in the
driver's footwell, make sure that it is correctly
secured and that there is sufficient clearance
for the pedals.
Do not place several floormats on top of one
another.
Loose objects or the floormats could other-
wise get caught between the pedals if you
accelerate or brake suddenly. You will then 154
DrivingDriving and parking

X
Disconnect the battery ( Ypage 352) or
connect it to a trickle charger.
i You can obtain information about trickle
chargers fro maqualified specialist work-
shop.
If you leave the vehicle parked up for longer
than six weeks, the vehicle may suffer dam-
age as a result of lack of use.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop and
seek advice. Driving tips
General driving tips
Rolling with the engine switched off G
WARNING
Never switch the engine off while the vehicle
is in motion.
There is no power assistance for the steering
and the service brake when the engine is not
running.
You will require considerably more effor tto
steer and brake, and you could therefore lose
control of the vehicle and cause an accident. Driving short distances
! Vehicles with adiesel particle filter: if
the vehicle is mostly driven for short dis-
tances, it is possible that malfunctions may
occur during the automatic cleaning of the
diesel particle filter. This may lead to fuel
collecting in the engine oil and cause
engine failure. Therefore, if you frequently
drive short distances, you should take a 20
minute trip on a motorway or rural road at
least every 500km. Brakes
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Do not change down for additional engine
braking on a slippery road surface. This could
cause the drive wheels to lose their grip and
the vehicle could skid. G
WARNING
Make sure that other road users are not
endangered by your braking.
Downhill gradients On long and steep downhill gradients, espe-
cially if the vehicle is laden or towing a trailer,
you must shift to a lower gear in good time or,
on vehicles with automatic transmission,
select shift range 1,2or 3.
i This also applies if you have activated
cruise control, SPEEDTRONIC or DIS-
TRONIC PLUS.
This will use the braking effect of the engine,
so less braking will be required to maintain
the speed. This relieves the load on the brake
system and prevents the brakes from over-
heating and wearing too quickly.
Heavy and light loads G
WARNING
Never depress the brake pedal continuously
while the vehicle is in motion, e.g. never cause
the brakes to rub by applying constan tslight
pedal pressure. This causes the brake system
to overheat, increases the braking distance
and can lead to the brakes failing completely.
If the brakes have been subjected to a heavy
load, do not stop the vehicle immediately, but
drive on for a shor twhile. This allows the air-
flow to cool the brakes more quickly.
If the brakes have been used only moderately,
you should occasionally test their effective-
ness. To do this, brake more firmly from a 178
Driving tipsDriving and parking

higher speed. This improves the grip of the
brakes.
Wet road surfaces If driving in heavy rain for a prolonged period
of time without braking, there may be a
delayed reaction from the brakes when brak-
ing for the first time. This may also occur after
the vehicle has been washed.
You have to depress the brake pedal more
firmly. Maintain a greater distance from the
vehicle in front.
After driving on a wet road or having the vehi-
cle washed, brake firmly while paying atten-
tion to the traffic conditions. This will warm
up the brake discs, thereby drying them more
quickly and protecting them against corro-
sion.
Limited braking performance on salt-
treated roads G
WARNING
The layerofs alt on thebrake discs and the
brake pads/linings may caus eadelay in the
braking effect, resulting in a significantly lon-
ger braking distance, which could lead to an
accident.
To avoid this danger, you should:
R occasionally brake carefully, without put-
ting other road users at risk, when you are
driving on salted roads. This helps to
remove any salt that may have started to
build up on the brake discs and the brake
pads/linings.
R maintain a greater distanc eto the vehicle
ahead and drive with particular care.
R carefully apply the brakes at the end of a
trip and immediately after commencing a
new trip, so that salt residues are removed
from the brake discs. New brake pads/linings G
WARNING
New brake pads/linings only reach their opti-
mum braking effect after several hundred kil-
ometres of driving. Before this optimum brak-
ing effect is reached, you should compensate
for the reduced braking effect by applying
greater pressure when braking. This also
applies after the brake discs or the brake
pads/linings have been replaced.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only have brake pads/linings
fitted to your vehicle which have been
approved for Mercedes-Benz vehicles or
which correspond to an equivalent quality
standard. Brake pads/linings which have not
been approved for Mercedes-Benz vehicles or
which are not of an equivalent quality could
affect your vehicle's operating safety.
AMG high-performance and ceramic
brakes The AMG brake systems are designed for
heavy loads. This may lead to noise when
braking. This will depend on:
R
speed
R braking force
R environmental conditions, such as temper-
ature and humidity
The wear of individual components of the
brake system, such as the brake pads/linings
or brake discs, depends on the individual driv-
ing style and operating conditions.
For this reason, it is impossible to state a
mileage that will be valid under all circum-
stances. An aggressive driving style will lead
to high wear. You can obtain further informa-
tion about this from your Mercedes-Benz
Service Centre. Driving tips
179Driving and parking Z