2012 MERCEDES-BENZ E-CLASS CABRIOLET Owners Manual

Problem Possible causes/consequences and
M Solutions
Vehicles with a petrol
engine:
The engine is not run-
ning smoothly and is
misfiring. There is a malfunction in the engine electronics or in a mechanical
component of the engine management system.
X
Only depress the accelerator pedal slightly.
Otherwise, non-combusted fuel may get into the catalytic con-
verter and damage it.
X Have the cause rectified immediately at a qualified specialist
workshop. The coolant tempera-
ture display is showing
more than 120 †. The
coolant warning lamp
may also be lit and a
warning tone may
sound. The coolant level is too low. The coolant is too hot and the engine
is no longer being cooled sufficiently.
X
Stop as soon as possible and allow the engine and the coolant
to cool down.
X Check the coolant level (Y page 310). Observe the warning
notes as you do so and top up the coolant if necessary. If the coolant level is correct, the engine radiator fan may be faulty.
The coolant is too hot and the engine is no longer being cooled
sufficiently.
X
If the coolant temperature is below 120 †, you can continue
driving to the nearest qualified specialist workshop.
X Avoid heavy loads on the engine as you do so, e.g. driving in
mountainous terrain and stop-start traffic. Manual transmission
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
The movement of the pedals must not be
impaired in any way. Do not keep any objects
in the driver's footwell. Make sure that floor-
mats or carpets are correctly secured and
that there is sufficient clearance for the ped-
als.
Do not place several floormats on top of one
another. 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. This could cause you to lose control of your vehicle and cause an
accident.
Gear lever
! Only engage gear when the clutch pedal
is depressed.
! When shifting between 5thand 6thgear,
you should always push the gear lever all
the way to the right. Otherwise, you could
shift unintentionally into 3rdor4th gear
and damage the transmission.
If you shift down at too high a speed (trans-
mission braking), this can cause the engine
to overrev, leading to engine damage.
Do not use the clutch bite point to keep the
vehicle stationary on uphill gradients.
There is otherwise a risk of damaging the
clutch. 166
Manual transmissionDriving and parking

!
On long and steep downhill gradients,
especially if the vehicle is ladenort owing
a trailer, you must shift into gear 1, 2or3
in good time. This uses the engine's braking
effect .This relieves the load on the brake
system and prevents the brakes from over-
heating and wearing too quickly. Gear lever
Neutral N with ECO start/stop func-
tion activated
The engine is switched off, if:
R in neutral N, the vehicle speed is below a
certain threshold and
R the clutch pedal is not depressed.
For further information on the ECO start/stop
function, see (Y page 162). Engaging reverse gear
! Only shift into reverse gear Rwhen the
vehicle is stationary. Otherwise, you could
damage the transmission.
X Move the gear lever firmly to the left
beyond the point of resistance and then
forwards.
i The ECO start/stop function is not avail-
able when reverse gear is engaged.
Further information on the ECO start/stop
function (Y page 162). Gearshift recommendation
X
Shift gear according to gearshift recom-
mendation :shown in the multifunction
display of the instrumentc luster.
The gearshift recommendations assist you in
adopting an economical driving style. The rec-
ommended gear is shown in the multifunction
display. Automatic transmission
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
If the engine speed is above the idling speed
and you engage transmission position Dor
R, the vehicle could pull away suddenly. There
is a risk of an accident.
When engaging transmission position Dor R,
always firmly depress the brake pedal and do
not simultaneously accelerate. Automatic transmission
167Driving and parking Z

Selector lever
Overview of transmission positions Selector lever
j
Park position with selector lever lock
k Reverse gear
i Neutral
h Drive
Transmission position and drive pro-
gram display :
Transmission position display
; Drive program display
The current transmission position and drive
program appear in the multifunction display. Transmission positions
B
Park position
This prevents the vehicle from roll-
ing away when stopped. Do not
shift the transmission into position
P(Y
page 177) unless the vehicle
is stationary.
The key can only be removed if the
transmission is in position P. If the
key is removed from the ignition
lock, the selector lever is locked. C
Reverse gear
Only shift the transmission to
R
when the vehicle is stationary. A
Neutral
Do not shift the transmission to
N
while driving. Otherwise, the auto-
matic transmission could be dam-
aged.
Releasing the brakes will allow you
to move the vehicle freely, e.g. to
push it or tow it.
If ESP ®
is deactivated or faulty:
only shift the transmission to posi-
tion Nif the vehicle is in danger of
skidding, e.g. on icy roads.
! Rolling in neutral Ncan lead to
damage to the transmission. 7
Drive
The automatic transmission
changes gear automatically. All
forward gears are available.
Changing gear
The automatic transmission shifts to the indi-
vidual gears automatically when it is in trans-
mission position D.Gearshifting is deter-
mined by:
R a shift range restriction, if selected
R the selected drive program
E/S, E/S/M orM(Y page 169) 168
Automatic transmissionDriving and parking

R
the positio nofthe accelerator pedal
R the road speed Driving tips
Accelerator pedal position Your style of driving influences how the auto-
matic transmission shifts gear:
R little throttle: early upshifts
R more throttle: late upshifts
Double-clutch function E 350 BlueEFFICIENCY and E 500 BlueEF-
FICIENCY only:
when shifting down, the dou-
ble-clutch function is active regardless of the
currently selected drive program. The double-
clutch function reduces load change reac-
tions and is conducive to a sporty driving
style. The sound generated by the double-
clutch function depends on the drive program
selected.
Kickdown Use kickdown for maximum acceleration.
X
Depress the accelerator pedal beyond the
pressure point.
The transmission shifts to a lower gear
depending on the engine speed.
X Ease off the accelerator pedal once the
desired speed is reached.
The automatic transmission shifts back up.
Towing atrailer X
Drive in the middle of the engine speed
range on uphill gradients.
X Shift down to shift range 3or
2(Y page 170) depending on the uphill or
downhill gradient, eve nifcruise control,
DISTRONIC PLUS or SPEEDTRONIC is acti-
vated. Program selector button
General notes Progra
mselector button Program selecto
rbutton on vehicles without the
"dynamic handling package with sports mode" Program selecto
rbutton on vehicles with the
"dynamic handling package with sports mode"
X Press program selecto rbutton :repeat-
edly until the lette rfor the desired gearshift
program appears in the multifunction dis-
play. Automatic transmission
169Driving and parking Z

The program selector button allows you to
choose between different driving character-
istics. E
Economy Comfortable, economical
driving
S
Sport Sporty driving style
M
Manual Manual gearshifting
i
For further information on the automatic
drive program, see (Y page 170).
i The automatic transmission switches to
automatic drive program Eeach time the
engine is started. Steering wheel gearshift paddles
:
Left-hand steering wheel gearshift paddle
; Right-hand steering wheel gearshift pad-
dle
In the automatic drive program, you can
restrict or derestrict the shift range by using
the steering wheel gearshift paddles or the
selector lever (Y page 170).
In the manual drive program, you can change
gear using the steering wheel gearshift pad-
dles or the selector lever (Y page 171).
i You can only change gear with the steer-
ing wheel gearshift paddles when the trans-
mission is in position D. Automatic drive program
Drive program Eis characterised by the fol-
lowing:
R comfort-oriented engine settings
R optimal fuel consumption resulting from
the automatic transmission shifting up
sooner
R the vehicle pulling away more gently in
forward and reverse gears, unless the
accelerator pedal is depressed fully
R increased sensitivity. This improves driving
stability on slippery road surfaces, for
example
R the automatic transmission shifting up
sooner. This results in the vehicle being
driven at lower engine speeds and the
wheels being less likely to spin
Drive program Sis characterised by the fol-
lowing:
R sporty engine settings
R the vehicle pulling away in first gear
R the automatic transmission shifting up
later
R as a result of the later automatic transmis-
sion shift points, the fuel consumption pos-
sibly being higher Shift ranges
Introduction When the automatic transmission is in posi-
tion
D, it is possible to restrict or derestrict
the shift range (Y page 170).
The shift range selected is shown in the mul-
tifunction display .The automatic transmis-
sion shifts only as far as the selected gear. 170
Automatic transmissionDriving and parking

Shift range:
=
To use the engine's braking effect
5
To use the braking effect of the
engine on downhill gradients and
for driving:
R
on steep mountain roads
R in mountainous terrain
R in arduous conditions 4
To use the braking effect of the
engine on extremely steep downhill
gradients and on long downhill
stretches
Restricting the shift range
X
Press the selector lever to the left towards
D–.
or
X Pull the left-hand steering wheel gearshift
paddle.
The automatic transmission shifts down
one gear and restricts the shift range to the
relevant gear.
i If the engine exceeds the maximum
engine speed when shifting down, the auto-
matic transmission protects against engine
damage by not shifting down.
i If the maximum engine speed for the shift
range is reached and you continue to accel-
erate, the automatic transmission shifts up,
even if the shift range is restricted. This
prevents the engine from overrevving.
Extending the shift range X
Briefly press the selector lever to the right
towards D+.
or
X Pull the right-hand steering wheel gearshift
paddle.
The shift range is derestricted. Clearing the shift range restriction X
Press and hold the selector lever towards
D+ until Dis shown once more in the mul-
tifunction display.
or
X Pull and hold the right-hand steering wheel
gearshift paddle until Dis shown again in
the multifunction display.
The automatic transmission shifts from the
current shift range directly to D.
Selecting the ideal shift range X
Press the selector lever to the left towards
D– and hold it in position.
or
X Pull the left-hand steering wheel gearshift
paddle and hold it in position.
The automatic transmission shifts to the
gear which allows optimum acceleration
and deceleration. To do this, the automatic
transmission shifts down one or more
gears. Manual drive program
Activating the manual drive program X
Press the program selector button
(Y page 169) repeatedly until Mappears in
the multifunction display.
Manual drive program Mcan be selected
using the program selector button. If the
transmission is in position D, you can change
gear using the steering wheel gearshift pad-
dles or the selector lever in manual drive pro-
gram M.The gear selected is shown in the
multifunction display. Automatic transmission
171Driving and parking Z

Upshifting
X
Briefly press the selector lever to the right
towards D+.
or
X Pull the right-hand steering wheel gearshift
paddle.
The automatic transmission shifts up to the
next gear.
Downshifting X
Briefly press the selector lever to the left
towards D–.
or
X Pull the left-hand steering wheel gearshift
paddle.
The automatic transmission shifts down to
the next gear.
i If you desire maximum acceleration, push
the selector lever to the left or pull and hold
the left-hand steering wheel gearshift pad-
dle until the transmission shifts to the opti-
mal gear for the current speed.
Kickdown You can also use kickdown for maximum
acceleration in manual drive program M.
X Depress the accelerator pedal beyond the
pressure point.
The transmission shifts to a lower gear
depending on the engine speed.
Switching off the manual drive program X
Vehicles without the dynamic handling
package with sports mode: press the
program selector button (Y page 169)
repeatedly until Eor Sappears in the mul-
tifunction display.
X Vehicles with the dynamic handling
package with sports mode: press the
program selector button (Y page 169).M
is no longer shown in the multifunction dis-
play. 172
Automatic transmissionDriving and parking

Problems with the transmission
Problem Possible causes/consequences and
M Solutions
The transmission has
problems shifting gear. The transmission is losing oil.
X
Have the transmission checked at a qualified specialist work-
shop immediately. The acceleration ability
is deteriorating.
The transmission no
longer changes gear. The transmission is in emergency mode.
It is only possible to shift into secondgear and reverse gear.
X Stop.
X Shift the transmission to position P.
X Switch off the engine.
X Wait at least ten seconds before restarting the engine.
X Shift the transmission to position Dor R.
If D is selected, the transmission shifts into secondgear; ifRis
selected, the transmission shifts into reverse gear.
X Have the transmission checked at a qualified specialist work-
shop immediately. Releasing the parking lock manually
! Do not use any sharp-edged objects to
remove the selector lever gaiter from the
centre console. This could damage the
selector lever gaiter. X
Apply the parking brake.
X Prise out selector lever gaiter :with a flat,
blunt object (e.g. a screwdriver wrapped in cloth) from the right-hand edge. Pull selec-
tor lever gaiter
:up and out.
X Press release button ;down and simul-
taneously move the selector lever out of
position P.
The selector lever can now be moved freely
until it is returned to position P.
In the event of an electrical fault, it is possible
to release the selector lever lock manually to
move it out of position P. This occurs if the
vehicle is towed away, for example. Refuelling
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Fuel is highly flammable. Fire, naked flames
and smoking are therefore prohibited when
handling fuels.
Switch off the engine and the auxiliary heating
before refuelling. Refuelling
173Driving and parking Z