2011 MERCEDES-BENZ E-CLASS SALOON steering wheel

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

Tyre traction
G
WARNING
Whereas the vehicle can be fully controlled at
a certain speed on dry roads, you must reduce
your speed on we toricy roads to achieve the
same road safety .You could otherwise cause
an accident.
Pay particular attention to the road conditions
at temperatures around freezing point.
If ice has formed on the road surface (e.g.
from fog), a thin film of water rapidly forms on
the ice when you brake, considerably reduc-
ing tyre traction. Drive with particular care in
such weather conditions. Driving on wet roads
Aquaplaning If water has accumulated to a certain depth
on the road surface, there is a danger of aqua-
planing occurring, even if:
R
you are driving at low speeds.
R the tyres have adequate tread depth.
For this reason, do not drive in tyre ruts, and
brake carefully.
Driving on flooded roads If you have to drive on stretches of road on
which water has collected, please bear in
mind that:
R the maximum permissible still water depth
is 25 cm.
R you should drive no faster than at walking
pace.
! Bear in mind that vehicles travelling in
front or in the opposite direction create
waves. This may cause the maximum per-
missible water depth to be exceeded.
These notes must be observed under all
circumstances. You could otherwise dam-
age the engine, the electronics or the trans-
mission. Winter driving
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If the vehicle becomes trapped in snow,
ensure that snow is kept away from the
exhaust pipe and from around the vehicle as
long as the engine is running. Otherwise, poi-
sonous carbon monoxide (CO) may enter the
vehicle, resulting in loss of consciousness and
even death.
To assure sufficient fresh air ventilation, open
a window slightly on the side of the vehicle
not facing the wind.
Have your vehicle winterproofed at a qualified
specialist workshop at the onset of winter.
Driving with summer tyres Observe the notes in the "Winter operation"
section (Y
page 364).
Slippery road surfaces G
WARNING
Do not shift down for additional engine brak-
ing on a slippery road surface. This could
cause the drive wheels to lose their grip and
the vehicle could skid.
You should drive particularly carefully on slip-
pery road surfaces. Avoid sudden accelera-
tion, steering and braking manoeuvres.
If the vehicle threatens to skid or cannot be
stopped when moving at low speed:
X Vehicles with manual transmission:
shift to neutral.
X Vehicles with automatic transmission:
shift the transmission to position N.
X Try to bring the vehicle under control by
using corrective steering.
i For more information on driving with
snow chains, see (Y page 365).180
Driving tipsDriving and parking

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

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

X
To reverse into the parking space: main-
tai nt he steering wheel angle and reverse
carefully.
X Stop as soon as you hear a warning tone,
at the latest when PARKTRONIC sounds the
continuous warning tone.
The Parking Guidance finished mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display
and a warning tone sounds. You may be
asked to steer in adifferent direction and
the nchange gear. In this case, further dis-
plays in the multifunction display will direct
you to the final position.
X Manoeuvre if necessary.
X Always observe the warning messages dis-
played by PARKTRONIC (Y page 201).
Cancelling Parking Guidance X
Press the PARKTRONIC button on the
centre console (Y page 202).
Parking Guidance is cancelled immediately
and PARKTRONIC is deactivated.
Parking Guidance is cancelled automatically
if it is no longer possible to guide you into the
parking space, or if a malfunction occurs.
The parking space symbol goes out and a
warning tone sounds. The Parking Guid‐ance cancelled message appears in the
multifunction display.
Towing atrailer For vehicles with a trailer tow hitch, the min-
imum length for parking spaces is slightly
increased.
If you have attached a trailer to your vehicle,
you should not use Parking Guidance. When
the electrical connectio
nis established
between your vehicle and the trailer, Parking
Guidance ceases to be available. PARK-
TRONIC is deactivated for the rear area. Reversing camera
Important safety notes The reversing camera is an optical parking
aid. It shows the area behind your vehicle in
the COMAND display.
G
WARNING
Make sure that no persons or animals are in
the manoeuvring range. Otherwise, they
could be injured.
The reversing camera is located in the handle
strip of the boot lid/tailgate. Example: Saloon
:
Reversing camera
View through the camera The area behind the vehicle is displayed as a
mirror image, as in the rear-view mirror.
G
WARNING
The reversing camera is only an aid and may
display obstacles in a distorted or incorrect
manner, or may not even display them at all.
The reversing camera does not relieve you of
the responsibility to pay attention. The cam-
era cannot show objects:
R very near to the rear bumper
R below the rear bumper
R in the area immediately above the boot lid
handle/tailgate handle recess
You are always responsible for safety and
must continue to pay attention to your imme-
diate surroundings when parking and 206
Driving systemsDriving and parking

The system may be impaired or may not func-
tion if:
R there is poor visibility, e.g. due to insuffi-
cient illumination of the road, or due to
snow, rain, fog or spray.
R there is glare, e.g. from oncoming traffic,
the sun, or reflection from other vehicles.
R the windscreen is dirty, misted up or cov-
ered, for instance by a sticker, in the vicinity
of the camera
R several or no lane markings for a single lane
are present.
R the lane markings are worn away, dark or
covered up, e.g. by dirt or snow.
R the distance to the vehicle in front is too
small and the lane markings thus cannot be
detected.
R the lane markings on the road are unclear,
e.g. near roadworks.
R the lane markings change quickly, e.g.
lanes branch off, cross one another or
merge.
R the road is narrow and winding.
Lane Keeping Assist cannot detect road and
traffic conditions. It is not a substitute for
attentive driving. You are responsible for the
vehicle's speed, braking in good time, and
steering correctly. 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 oth-
ers.
A warning may be given if a front wheel
passes over a lane marking .Itwill warn you
by means of intermittent vibration in the
steering wheel for up to 1. 5seconds.
In order that you are warned only when nec-
essary and in good time if you cross the lane
marking, the system recognises certain con-
ditions and warns you accordingly. The warning vibration occurs earlier if:
R
you approach the outer lane marking on a
bend.
R the road has very wide lanes, e.g. a motor-
way.
R the system recognises solid lane markings.
The warning vibration occurs later if:
R the road has narrow lanes.
R you cut the corner on a bend.
No warning vibration occurs if:
R you clearly and actively steer, brake, or
accelerate.
R you cut the corner on a sharp bend.
R a driving safety system intervenes, such as
ABS, BAS or ESP ®
.
R you have switched on the turn signals. In
this event, the warnings are suppressed for
a certain period of time.
Activating Lane Keeping Assist Example: vehicles featurin
gautomatic transmis-
sion with a DIRECT SELECT lever
X Activate Lane Keeping Assist using the on-
board compute r(Ypage 242).
Symbol :appears in the multifunction
display.
If you drive at speeds above 60 km/h and
lane markings are detected, symbol :is
highlighted. Lane Keeping Assist is ready
for use. Active Driving Assistance package
General notes The Active Driving Assistance package con-
sists of DISTRONIC PLUS (Y
page 185), Active Driving systems
215Driving and parking Z

warning, a lane-correcting applicatio
nofthe
brakes can bring the vehicle back into the
original lane. :
Active Lane Keeping Assist camera
If you have selected the Display unitSpeed-/odometer (Y
page 243) function in
the on-board computer and select km as the
unit of measurement, Active Lane Keeping
Assist is active from speeds of 60 km/h. If
the miles display unit is selected, the assis-
tance range begins at 40 mph. G
WARNING
Active Lane Keeping Assist does not keep
your vehicle in its lane. It is only an aid and
may detect the lane markings on the road
incorrectly or not at all.
The system may be impaired or may not func-
tion if:
R several or no lane markings for a single lane
are present.
R there is poor visibility, e.g. due to insuffi-
cient illumination of the road, or due to
snow, rain, fog or spray.
R there is glare, e.g. from oncoming traffic,
the sun, or reflection from other vehicles.
R the windscreen is dirty, misted up or cov-
ered, for instance by a sticker, in the vicinity
of the camera.
R the lane markings are worn away, dark or
covered up, e.g. by dirt or snow.
R the distance to the vehicle in front is too
small and the lane markings thus cannot be
detected. R
the lane markings on the road are unclear,
e.g. near roadworks.
R the lane markings change quickly, e.g.
lanes branch off, cross one another or
merge.
R the road is narrow and winding.
Active Lane Keeping Assist cannot detect
road and traffic conditions. It is not a substi-
tute for attentive driving. You are responsible
for the vehicle's speed, braking in good time,
and steering correctly. Always adapt your
driving style to suit the prevailing road and
weather conditions. 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.
Warning vibration in the steering wheel
A warning may be given if a front wheel
passes over a lane marking. It will warn you
by means of intermittent vibration in the
steering wheel for up to 1.5 seconds.
In order that you are warned only when nec-
essary and in good time if you cross the lane
marking, the system recognises certain con-
ditions and warns you accordingly.
The warning vibration occurs earlier if:
R you approach the outer lane marking on a
bend.
R the road has very wide lanes, e.g. a motor-
way.
R the system recognises solid lane markings.
The warning vibration occurs later if:
R the road has narrow lanes.
R you cut the corner on a bend.
No warning vibration occurs if:
R you clearly and actively steer, brake, or
accelerate.
R you cut the corner on a sharp bend. Driving systems
219Driving and parking Z