2012 MERCEDES-BENZ E-CLASS CABRIOLET Owners Manual

G
WARNING
Avoid contact with fuels.
It is hazardous to yourh ealth if your skin
comes into direct contact with fuels or you
breathe in fuel vapours. G
WARNING
Do not use petrol to refuel a diesel tank .Never
mix diesel with petrol. Doing so could damage
the fuel system and the engine. The vehicle
could also catch fire.
! Do not use petrol to refuel vehicles with a
diesel engine. Do not use diesel to refuel
vehicles with a petrol engine. Even small
amounts of the wrong fuel result in damage
to the fuel system and the engine.
! Do not switch on the ignition if you acci-
dentally refuel with the wrong fuel. Other-
wise, the fuel will enter the fuel lines. Notify
a qualified specialist workshop and have
the fuel tank and fuel lines drained com-
pletely.
! Overfilling the fuel tank could damage the
fuel system.
! Take care not to spill any fuel on painted
surfaces. You could otherwise damage the
paintwork.
! Use a filter when adding fuel from a fuel
can. The fuel lines and/or the diesel injec-
tion system could otherwise be blocked by
particles from the fuel can.
Further information on fuel and on fuel grades
can be found in the "Fuel" section
(Y page 372). Refuelling
Opening/closing the fuel filler flap :
To open the fuel filler flap
; To insert the fuel filler cap
= Tyre pressure table
? Fuel type to be refuelled
The fuel filler flap is unlocked or locked auto-
matically when you open or close the vehicle
with the key or using KEYLESS-GO.
The position of the fuel filler cap is displayed
8 in the instrument cluster. The arrow
nextt o the filling pump indicates the side of
the vehicle.
Opening X
Switch off the engine.
X Remove the key from the ignition lock.
X KEYLESS-GO: open the driver's door.
This corresponds to key position 0: "key
removed".
The driver's door can be closed again.
X Press the fuel filler flap in the direction of
arrow :.
The fuel filler flap opens slightly.
X Open the fuel filler flap fully.
X Turn the fuel filler flap anti-clockwise and
remove it.
X Insert the fuel filler cap into the holder
bracket on the inside of filler flap ;.174
RefuellingDriving and parking

X
Completely insert the fille rneck of the fuel
pump nozzle into the tank and refuel.
X Only fill the tank until the pump nozzle
switches off.
i Do not add any more fuel after the pump
stops filling for the first time. Otherwise,
fuel may leak out.
Closing X
Replace the cap on the filler necka nd turn
clockwise until it engages audibly.
X Close the fuel fille rflap.
i Close the fuel filler flap before locking the
vehicle. Otherwise, the locking pin of the
central locking prevents the fuel filler flap
fro mc losing. Refuelling
175Driving and parking Z

Problems with the fuel and fuel tank
Problem Possible causes/consequences and
M Solutions
Fuel is leaking from the
vehicle.
G
Risk of explosion or fire
The fuel line or the fuel tank is faulty.
X Turn the key to position 0in the ignition lock immediately and
remove it (Y page 159).
X Do not restart the engine under any circumstances.
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. The engine does not
start. The fuel tank of a vehicle with a diesel engine has been run com-
pletely dry.
X
Refuel the vehicle with at least 5litres of diesel.
X Turn the ignition on for approximately ten seconds
(Y page 159).
X Start the engine continuously for up to ten seconds until it runs
smoothly.
or
X Start the engine using the touch-star tfunction .To do this, turn
the key to position 3in the ignition lock and then release it
immediately (Y page 159).
If the engine does not start:
X Turn the ignition on again for approximately ten seconds
(Y page 159).
X Start the engine again continuously for up to ten seconds until
it runs smoothly.
or
X Start the engine again via the touch-start function.
If the engine does not start after three attempts:
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. 176
RefuellingDriving and parking

Problem Possible causes/consequences and
M Solutions
The fuel filler flap can-
not be opened. The fuel filler flap is not unlocked.
or
The key battery is discharged.
X
Unlock the vehicle (Y page 77).
or
X Unlock the vehicle using the emergency key element
(Y page 78). The fuel filler flap is unlocked, but the opening mechanism is jam-
med.
X
Consult a qualified specialist workshop. Parking
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
If flammable materials such as leaves, grass
or twigs are exposed to prolonged contact to
parts of the exhaust system that heat up, they
could ignite. There is a risk of fire.
Park the vehicle so that no flammable mate-
rials come into contact with parts of the vehi-
cle which are hot. Take particular care not to
park on dry grassland or harvested grain
fields. G
WARNING
If you switch off the ignition while driving,
safety-relevant functions are only available
with limitations, or not at all. This could affect,
for example, the power steering and the brake
boosting effect.Y ou will require considerably
more effort to steer and brake. There is a risk
of an accident.
Do not switch off the ignition while driving. G
WARNING
If you leave children unattended in the vehi-
cle, they could set the vehicle in motion by,
for example:
R releasing the parking brake
R shifting an automatic transmission out of
parking position P
R shifting a manual transmission into neutral
R starting the engine
They could also operate vehicle equipment.
There is a risk of an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the key
with you and lock the vehicle. Never leave
children unattended in the vehicle.
! Am oving vehicle can lead to damage to
the vehicle or damage to the drive train.
To ensure that the vehicle is secured against
rolling away unintentionally:
R the parking brake must be applied.
R on vehicles with manual transmission,
engage first gear or reverse gear.
R on vehicles with automatic transmission,
the transmission must be in position Pand
the key must be removed from the ignition
lock.
R on uphill or downhill gradients, the front
wheels must be turned towards the kerb. Parking
177Driving and parking Z

Switching off the engine
Vehicles with manual transmission X
Shift to either first gear or reverse gear R.
X Turn the key to position 0in the ignition
lock and remove it.
The immobiliser is activated.
X Firmly depress the parking brake.
Vehicles with automatic transmission X
Firmly depress the parking brake.
X Shift the transmission to position P.
Using the key
X Turn the key to position 0in the ignition
lock and remove it.
The immobiliser is activated.
i The key can only be removed if the trans-
mission is in position P.
Using KEYLESS-GO
X Press the Start/Stop button (Y page 159).
The engine stops and all the indicator
lamps in the instrumen tcluster go out.
i When the driver's door is closed, this cor-
responds to key position 1. When the driv-
er's door is open, this corresponds to key
position 0, i.e. key removed.
i The engine can be turned off while the
vehicle is in motion by pressing and holding
the Start/Stop button for about three sec-
onds .This function operates independently
of the ECO start/stop automatic engine
switch-off function. Parking brake
G
WARNING
If you must brake the vehicle with the parking
brake, the braking distance is considerably
longer and the wheels could lock. This increa-
ses the risk of skidding and an accident.
Only use the parking brake to brake the vehi-
cle when the service brake is faulty. Do not apply the parking brake too firmly. If the
wheels lock, release the parking brake until
the wheels begin turning again. G
WARNING
If you leave children unattended in the vehi-
cle, they could set the vehicle in motion by,
for example:
R releasing the parking brake
R shifting an automatic transmission out of
parking position P
R shifting a manual transmission into neutral
R starting the engine
They could also operate vehicle equipment.
There is a risk of an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the key
with you and lock the vehicle. Never leave
children unattended in the vehicle. When you apply the parking brake to brake
the vehicle, the brake lamps do not light up.
X
To apply: depress parking brake ;firmly.
The J indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up if the engine is running.
X To release: depress the brake pedal and
keep it depressed.
X Pull release handle :.
The J indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster goes out. 178
ParkingDriving and parking

Parking up the vehicle
If you leave the vehicle parked up for longer
than four weeks, the battery may be damaged
by exhaustive discharging.
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.
i You can obtain information about trickle
chargers from a qualified specialist work-
shop. Driving tips
General notes
G
WARNING
If you switch off the ignition while driving,
safety-relevant functions are only available
with limitations, or not at all. This could affect,
for example, the power steering and the brake
boosting effect.Y ou will require considerably
more effort to steer and brake. There is a risk
of an accident.
Do not switch off the ignition while driving. ECO display
ECO display (example)
The ECO display gives you information on how
economical your driving style is. The ECO dis-
play assists you in achieving the optimum
driving style in terms of consumption, taking
the actual and selected conditions into con-
sideration. Your driving style can significantly
influence the vehicle's consumption. The ECO display consists of three bars:
R
Acceleration
R Constant
R Coasting
The percent value is the average value of the
three bars. The three bars and the average
value commence with a value of 50%. Ahigher
percentage indicates a mor eeconomical driv-
ing style.
The ECO display provides no information on
the actual fuel consumption. Afixed percent-
age value of the ECO display does not corre-
spond to a fixed consumption figure in
l/100km.
Apart from driving style, consumption is
dependent on many factors such as:
R load
R tyre pressure
R cold start
R selected route
R number of consumers that are switched on
These variable are not included in the ECO
display.
Your driving style is evaluated on the basis of
the following three categories:
Acceleration (evaluation of all accelera-
tion processes) The bar fills up: The bar depletes:
Moderate accelera-
tion, espeically at
higher speeds Sporty acceleration
Constant (evaluation of the driving style
at any point in time)
The bar fills up: The bar depletes:
Constan
tspeed and
avoidance of unnec-
essary acceleration
and deceleration
processes Fluctuations in
speed Driving tips
179Driving and parking Z

Coasting (evaluation of total decelera-
tion)
The bar fills up: The bar depletes:
Drive with care,
keep your distance
from the vehicle
ahead and remove
your foot from the
accelerato
rpedal in
good time: the vehi-
cle can coast with-
out braking Frequent braking
i
An economical driving style depends in
particular on driving at moderate speeds.
Achieving a higher value in the categories
"Acceleration" and "Constant":
R observe the gearshift recommendations.
R drive in drive program E(vehicles with
automatic transmission).
i On long journeys at constan tspeed, such
as on the motorway, only the "Constant"
category bar changes.
i The ECO display sums up the driving
behaviour from the start to the end of the
journey. As a result, the bars change
dynamically at the start of the journey. Dur-
ing long journeys there are fewer changes.
For more dynamic changes, perfor maman-
ual reset.
For further informatio nonECO display, see
(Y page 234). Short journeys
! 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. Braking
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If you shift down on a slippery road surface in
an attempt to increase the engine's braking
effect, the drive wheels could lose their grip.
This increases the risk of skidding and having
an accident.
Do not shift down for additional engine brak-
ing on a slippery road surface.
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
select shift range 1,2or 3on vehicles with
automatic transmission.
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 prevent the
vehicle from gaining speed. This relieves the
load on the brake syste mand prevents the
brakes from overheating and wearing too
quickly.
Heavy and light loads G
WARNING
The braking system can overheat if you leave
your foo tonthe brake pedal while driving.
This increases the braking distance and could
even cause the braking system to fail. There
is a risk of an accident.
Never use the brake pedal as a footrest.Do
not simultaneously depress both the brake
pedal and the accelerato rpedal while driving. 180
Driving tipsDriving and parking

!
Depressing the brake pedal constantly
results in excessive and premature wear to
the brake pads.
If the brakes have been subjected to a heavy
load, do not stop the vehicle immediately, but
drive on for a short while.T his 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
higher speed. This improves the grip of the
brakes.
Wet road surfaces If you have driven for a long time in heavy rain
without braking, there may be a delayed reac-
tion from the brakes when braking for the first
time. This may also occur after the vehicle has
been washed or driven through deep water.
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 If you drive on salted roads, a layer of salt
residue may form on the brake discs and
brake pads. This can result in a significantly
longer braking distance.
R Brake occasionally to remove any possible
salt residue. Make sure that you do not
endanger other road users when doing so.
R Carefully depress the brake pedal and the
beginning and end of a journey.
R Maintain a greater distance to the vehicle
ahead. New brake pads/linings New and replaced brake pads and discs only
reach their optimum braking effect after sev-
eral hundred kilometres of driving. Compen-
sate for this by applying greater force to the
brake pedal.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Ben
zrecom-
mends that you only have brake pads/linings
fitted to your vehicle which have been
approved for Mercedes-Benzv ehicles or
which correspond to an equivalent quality
standard. Brake pads/linings which have not
been approved for Mercedes-Benzv ehicles or
which are not of an equivalent quality could
affect your vehicle's operating safety. 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 !
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.
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. Driving tips
181Driving and parking Z