2011 MERCEDES-BENZ E-CLASS SALOON automatic transmission

R
the engine is not running.
R there is a brake syste mmalfunction.
R there is a malfunctio ninthe power supply
or the vehicle's electrical system.
The power assistance for the steering and the
brake force booster do not work when the
engine is not running. You will need more
force to steer and brake, you may have to
depress the brake pedal with maximum force.
Before towing away, make sure that the steer-
ing can be moved and is not locked.
If you tow or tow-start another vehicle, its
weight must not exceed the maximum per-
missible gross vehicle weight of your vehicle. G
WARNING
The vehicle is braked when the HOLD function
or DISTRONIC PLUS is activated. Therefore,
deactivate HOLD and DISTRONIC PLUS if the
vehicle is to be towed.
It is better to have the vehicle transported
than to have it towed.
! You may tow the vehicle for a maximum
of 50km. A towing speed of 50 km/h must
not be exceeded.
For towing distances over 50 km, the entire
vehicle must be lifted up and transported.
! Only secure the tow rope or towing bar to
the towing eyes. The vehicle may otherwise
be damaged.
! Do not use the towing eye for recovery,
as this could damage the vehicle. If in
doubt, recover the vehicle with a crane.
! Pull away smoothly when towing away or
tow-starting a vehicle. If the tractive power
is too high, the vehicles could be damaged.
! To tow vehicles with KEYLESS-GO, use
the key instead of the Start/Stop button.
The automatic transmission may otherwise
switch to position Pwhen you open the
driver's or front-passenger door which
could damage the transmission. When towing a vehicle with an automatic
transmission, the transmission must be in
position
N.
The battery must be connected and charged.
Otherwise, you:
R cannot turn the key in the ignition lock to
position 2
R cannot shift the transmission to position
N on vehicles with automatic transmission
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
release the selector lever lock manually to
move it out of position P(Y page 172).
i Before the vehicle is towed, switch off the
automatic locking feature (Y page 89). You
could otherwise be locked out when push-
ing or towing the vehicle.
Deactivate tow-away protection
(Y page 78) before the vehicle is towed. Fitting/removing the towing eye
Fitting the towing eye Vehicles with a trailer tow hitch: if you intend
to use the vehicle for towing, fold out the ball
coupling and connect the towbar to it
(Y page 223).
X Remove the towing eye from the vehicle
tool kit (Y page 337). G
WARNING
The exhaust tail pipe may be hot. You could
burn yourself if you touch the tail pipe. Be
particularly careful when removing the rear
cover.
The mountings for the removable towing eyes
are located in the bumpers. They are at the
front and at the rear, under the covers. 356
Towing and tow-startingBreakdown assistance

Example: Saloon
X
Press the mark on cover :inwards in the
direction of the arrow.
X Take cover :off the opening.
X Screw the towing eye in clockwise to the
stop and tighten it.
Removing the towing eye X
Loosen the towing eye and unscrew it.
X Attach cover :to the bumpe rand press
until it engages.
X Place the towing eye in the vehicle tool kit. Towing the vehicle with the rear axle
raised
Only possible on vehicles without
4MATIC.
Whe ntowing your vehicle with the rear axle
raised, it is important that you observe the
safety instructions (Y page 355).
! The ignition must be switched off if you
are towing the vehicle with the rear axle
raised. Intervention by ESP ®
could other-
wise damage the brake system. X
Switch on the hazard warning lamps
(Y page 125).
X Turn the key in the ignition lock to position
0and remove the key from the ignition
lock.
X When leaving the vehicle, take the key or
the KEYLESS-GO key with you. Towing the vehicle with both axles on
the ground
It is important that you observe the safety
instructions when towing away your vehicle
(Y page 355). G
WARNING
The power assistance for the steering and the
brake force booster do not work when the
engine is not running. You will then need
much more effort to brake and steer the vehi-
cle. Adapt your style of driving accordingly.
The automatic transmission automatically
shifts to position Pwhen you open the driver's
or front-passenger door or when you remove
the key from the ignition lock. In order to
ensure that the automatic transmission stays
in position Nwhen towing the vehicle, you
must observe the following points:
X Make sure that the vehicle is stationary and
that the key in the ignition lock is in position
0.
X Turn the key to position 2in the ignition
lock.
On vehicles with KEYLESS-GO, use the key
instead of the Start/Stop button
(Y page 155).
X Depress and hold the brake pedal.
X Shift the automatic transmission to posi-
tion N.
X Vehicles with manual transmission:
depress the clutch pedal.
X Engage neutral.
X Release the brake pedal.
X Release the parking brake. Towing and tow-starting
357Breakdown assistance Z

X
Switch on the hazard warning lamps
(Y page 125).
X Leave the key in position 2in the ignition
lock.
i Whe ntowing with the hazard warning
lamps switched on, use the combination
switch as usual to signal achange of direc-
tion. In this case, only the turn signals for
the desired direction flash. When the com-
bination switch is reset, the hazard warning
lamps start flashing again. Transporting the vehicle
The towing eyes or trailer tow hitch can be
used to pull the vehicle onto a trailer or trans-
porter if you wish to transport it.
X Vehicles with manual transmission:
shift to neutral.
X Vehicles with automatic transmission:
turn the key to position 2in the ignition
lock.
X Shift the automatic transmission to posi-
tion N.
As soon as the vehicle is loaded:
X Prevent the vehicle from rolling away by
applying the parking brake.
X Vehicles with manual transmission:
shift to first gear or reverse gear.
X Vehicles with automatic transmission:
shift the automatic transmission to posi-
tion P.
X Turn the key in the ignition lock to position
0and remove the key from the ignition
lock.
X Secure the vehicle.
! Only lash the vehicle down by the wheels
or wheel rims, not by parts of the vehicle
such as axle or steering components. Oth-
erwise, the vehicle could be damaged. Notes for 4MATIC vehicles
! Vehicles with 4MATIC must not be towed
with the front or rear axle raised; otherwise,
the transmission may be damaged.
If the vehicle has transmission damage or
damage to the front or rear axle, have it trans-
ported on a transporter or trailer.
In the event of damage to the electrical
system
If the battery is defective, the automatic
transmission will be locked in position P. To
shift the automatic transmission to position
N, you must provide power to the vehicle's
electrical system in the same way as when
jump-starting (Y page 354).
Have the vehicle transported on a transporter
or trailer. Tow-starting (emergency engine
starting)
When tow-starting, it is important that you
observe the safety instructions (Y page 355)
and the legal requirements in each respective
country.
! Vehicles with automatic transmission
must not be tow-started. The transmission
may otherwise be damaged.
You can find information on "Jump-starting"
at (Y page 354).
Before tow-starting the following conditions
must be fulfilled:
R the battery is connected.
R the engine has cooled down.
R the catalytic converters have cooled down.
X Switch on the hazard warning lamps
(Y page 125).
X Fit the towing eye (Y page 356).
X Secure the rigid towing bar or the towing
rope.
X Depress and hold the brake pedal.
X Turn the key to position 2in the ignition
lock. 358
Towing and tow-startingBreakdown assistance

Trailer loads
i The E63A MG model cannot be used to tow a trailer. Permissible trailer load, braked
52 Saloon Estate
Manual trans-
mission Automatic
transmission Manual trans-
mission Automatic
transmission E 200
53 1700 kg 1900 kg 1900 kg 2100 kg
E 250
53 – 1900 kg – 2100 kg
E 300
54 –
–
55 –
–
55 E 300
53 – 2100 kg – 2100 kg
E 300 4MATIC
53 – 2100 kg – 2100 kg
E 350
53 – 2100 kg – 2100 kg
E 350 4MATIC
53 – 2100 kg – 2100 kg
E 500
53 – 2100 kg – 2100 kg
E 500 4MATIC
53 – 2100 kg – 2100 kg
E 200 CDI
53 1900 kg 1900 kg 1900 kg 2100 kg
E 220 CDI
53 1900 kg 2000 kg 1900 kg 2100 kg
E 250 CDI
53 1900 kg 2000 kg 1900 kg 2100 kg
E 250 CDI 4MATIC
53 – 2100 kg – 2100 kg
E 300 CDI
53 – 2100 kg – 2100 kg
E 350 CDI
53 – 2100 kg – 2100 kg
E 350 CDI 4MATIC
53 – 2100 kg – 2100 kg
E 350 BlueTEC
– 2100 kg – 2100 kg
52
At a minimum gradient-climbing capability of 12 % from a standstill.
53 BlueEFFICIENCY
54 Only available in certain countries.
55 Missing values for the E300 model were not available at the time of going to print. 396
Trailer tow hitchTechnical data

All models
56 Permissible traile
rload ,unbraked 750 kg
Maximum drawbar noseweight
57 84 kg
Permissible rear axle load when towing
atrailer Saloon Estate
Manual trans-
mission Automatic
transmission Manual trans-
mission Automatic
transmission E 200
58 1265 kg 1265 kg 1465 kg 1465 kg
E 250
58 – 1265 kg – 1465 kg
E 300
59 –
–
60 –
–
60 E 300
58 – 1335 kg – 1505 kg
E 300 4MATIC
58 – 1340 kg – 1515 kg
E 350
58 – 1335 kg – 1505 kg
E 350 4MATIC
58 – 1355 kg – 1520 kg
E 500
58 – 1445 kg – 1560 kg
E 500 4MATIC
58 – 1405 kg – 1520 kg
E 200 CDI
58 1265 kg 1265 kg 1480 kg 1480 kg
E 220 CDI
58 1265 kg 1265 kg 1480 kg 1480 kg
E 250 CDI
58 1265 kg 1265 kg 1480 kg 1480 kg
E 250 CDI 4MATIC
58 – 1325 kg – 1500 kg
E 300 CDI
58 – 1350 kg – 1520 kg
E 350 CDI
58 – 1350 kg – 1520 kg
E 350 CDI 4MATIC
58 – 1345 kg – 1515 kg
E 350 BlueTEC
– 1265 kg – 1550 kg
56
Except E 300 model.
57 The drawbar noseweigh tis not included in the trailer load.
58 BlueEFFICIENCY
59 Only available in certain countries.
60 Missing values for the E300 model were not available at the time of going to print. Trailer tow hitch
397Technical data Z