2012 MERCEDES-BENZ E-CLASS CABRIOLET Owners Manual

R
you have switched on the tur nsignals .In
this case, the warnings ar esuppressed for
a certain period of time.
R a driving safety system intervenes, such as
ABS, BAS or ESP ®
.
R you accelerate hard, e.g. kickdown.
R you brake hard.
R you steer actively, e.g. swerve to avoid an
obstacle or change lane quickly.
R you cut the corner on a sharp bend.
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. Active Driving Assistance package
General notes The Active Driving Assistance package con-
sists of DISTRONIC PLU
S(Ypage 188), Active
Blind Spot Assist (Y page 214) and Active
Lane Keeping Assist (Y page 218).
Active Blind Spot Assist Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Active Blind Spot Assist is only an aid and may
detec tvehicles/obstacles incorrectly or not
at all. The system may be impaired or may not func-
tion if:
R there is poor visibility, e.g. due to snow,
rain, fog or spray.
R the rear and/or front sensors are dirty.
Active Blind Spot Assist may not detect nar-
row vehicles, such as motorcycles or bicycles,
or only detect them too late. It cannot detect
vehicles which are overtaken at a small dis-
tance and then enter the blind spot area.
Active Blind Spot Assist cannot detect road
and traffic conditions .Itis not a substitute for
attentive driving. You are responsible for the
vehicle's speed, braking in good time, and
steering correctly. Always adapty our 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.
General notes
Active Blind Spot Assist uses a radar sensor
system to monitor the area to the sides of
your vehicle which are behind the driver. A
warning display in the exterior mirrors draws
your attention to vehicles detected in the
monitored area. If you then switch on the cor-
responding turn signal to change lane, you
will also receive an optical and audible warn-
ing. If a risk of lateral collision is detected,
corrective braking may help you avoid a col-
lision. To support the course-correcting brake
application, Active Blind Spot Assist uses the
forward-facing radar sensor system. The free
space in the direction of travel is then evalu-
ated.
Active Blind Spot Assist supports you from a
speed of approximately 30 km/h.
The radar sensor system is switched off auto-
matically in the vicinity of radio telescope
facilities (Y page 382).
For Active Blind Spot Assist to assist you
when driving, the radar sensor system must
be activated (Y page 245) and operational.214
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Monitoring range
G
WARNING
Active Blind Spot Assist monitors certain
areas in the immediate vicinity of yourv ehicle.
Vehicles that approach and drive past at high
speeds are not detected. No visual nor audi-
ble warnings are emitted and the system does
not brake the vehicle to correct your course.
If the lanes are very wide, it may not be pos-
sible to monitor the complete width of the
neighbouring lane. For this reason, vehicles in
the nextl ane may no tbe detected, especially
if they are driving in a staggered formation.
This may be the case if vehicles are driving at
the edge of their lane that is furthest away
from your vehicle.
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 others. Example: Coupé
Active Blind Spot Assist monitors the area up
to 3.0 m behind your vehicle and directly next
to your vehicle, as shown in the diagram. For
this purpose, Active Blind Spot Assist uses
radar sensors in the rear bumper.
If the lanes are narrow, vehicles driving in the
lane beyond the lane nextt o your vehicle may
be indicated, especially if the vehicles are not
driving in the middle of their lane. This may be the case if there are vehicles at the inner
edge of your lane.
Due to the nature of the system:
R
warnings may be issued in error when driv-
ing close to crash barriers or similar solid
lane borders.
R warnings may be interrupted when driving
alongside long vehicles, for example lor-
ries, for a prolonged time.
The Active Blind Spot Assist radar sensors are
integrated into the front and rear bumpers
and behind a cover in the radiator grille. Make
sure that the bumpers and the cover in the
radiator grille are free of dirt, ice or slush. The
rear sensors must not be covered, e.g. by
bicycle racks or overhanging loads. Following
a severe impact or in the event of damage to
the bumpers, have the function of the radar
sensors checked at a qualified specialist
workshop. Active Blind Spot Assist may oth-
erwise no longer work properly.
Indicator and warning display G
WARNING
Active Blind Spot Assist is not active at speeds
below 30 km/h. The indicator lamps in the
exterior mirrors are yellow .Vehicles in the
monitoring range are then not indicated.
Always pay attention to traffic conditions and
your surroundings. Otherwise, you may fail to
recognise dangers in time and cause an acci-
dent and injure yourself and others. :
Yellow indicator lamp/red warning lamp Driving systems
215Driving and parking Z

If Active Blind Spot Assist is switched on,
indicator lamps :in the exterior mirrors light
up yellow up to a speed of 30 km/h. At
speeds above 30 km/h, the indicator lamp
goes out and Active Blind Spot Assist is
operational.
If a vehicle is detected within the monitoring
range of Blind Spot Assist at speeds above
30 km/h, warning lamp :on the corre-
sponding side lights up red. This warning
always occurs when a vehicle enters the
blind-spot monitoring range from behind or
from the side. When you overtake a vehicle,
the warning only occurs if the difference in
speed is less than 12 km/h.
The yellow indicator lamp goes out if reverse
gear is engaged. Active Blind Spot Assist is
then no longer active.
The brightness of the indicator/warning
lamps is adjusted automatically according to
the ambient light.
Visual and acoustic collision warning
When you switch on the turn signals to
change lanes and a vehicle is detected in the
side monitoring range, you receive a visual
and acoustic collision warning. You then hear
a double warning tone and red warning
lamp :flashes. If the turn signal remains on,
detected vehicles are indicated by the flash-
ing of red warning lamp :.There are no fur-
ther warning tones.
Course-correcting brake application G
WARNING
Active Blind Spot Assist is only an aid
designed to assist driving. It is not a substitute
for attentive driving. Automatic braking by the
system may not always be sufficient to avoid
a collision. In such cases, you need to steer,
brake or accelerate yourself.
In very rare cases, the system may detect a
risk of collision where there is none and brake
in error near crash barriers or similar road
boundaries. Active Blind Spot Assist cannot
detect all traffic situations and road users. Ensure at all times that there is sufficient lat-
eral distance between you and other road
users or obstacles. You can, for example,
countersteer gently or depress the accelera-
tor pedal at any time to cancel inappropriate
braking action.
You are responsible for the vehicle's speed,
correct steering and for braking in good time.
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 others.
Example: vehicles with automatic transmission
If Active Blind Spot Assist detects a risk of a
lateral collision in the monitoring range, a
course-correcting brake application is carried
out. This is designed to help you avoid a col-
lision.
If a course-correcting brake application
occurs, red warning lamp
:flashes in the
exterior mirror and a dual warning tone
sounds. The display shown in the illustration
also appears in the multifunction display.
The course-correcting brake application is
available in the speed range between
30 km/h and 200 km/h. 216
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Either no braking application, or a course-
correcting brake applicatio nadapted to the
driving situation occurs, if:
R there are vehicles or obstacles, e.g. crash
barriers, on both sides of your vehicle.
R a vehicle approaches too closely on the
side.
R you have adopted a sporty driving style with
high cornering speeds.
R you brake or accelerate decisively.
R a driving safety system intervenes, such as
ESP ®
or PRE-SAFE ®
Brake.
R ESP ®
is deactivated.
R a loss of tyre pressure or a defective tyre is
detected.
Activating Active Blind Spot Assist
X Make sure that the radar senso rsystem
(Y page 245) and Active Blind Spot Assist
(Y page 241) are activated in the on-board
computer.
X Tur nthe key to position 2in the ignition
lock.
Warning lamps :in the exterior mirrors
light up red for approximately
1.5 seconds and then turn yellow.
Towing atrailer
If you attach a trailer, make sure tha tyou have
correctly established the electrical connec-
tion. This can be accomplished by checking
the trailer lighting. Active Blind Spot Assist is
then deactivated. The indicator lamp lights up
yellow in the exterior mirrors and the ActiveBlind Spot Assist currently unavail‐
able See Owner's Manual message
appears in the multifunction display.
Active Lane Keeping Assist Important safety notes
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
there is poor visibility, e.g. due to inade-
quate illumination of the road surface,
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, fogged 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 as a result the lane markings can-
not be recognised.
R the lane markings on the road are unclear,
e.g. near roadworks.
R the lane markings change quickly, e.g.
branch off, cross, 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. Driving systems
217Driving and parking Z

General notes
Active Lane Keeping Assist monitors the area
in front of your vehicle by means of a cam-
era
:at the top of the windscreen. Active
Lane Keeping Assist detects lane markings on
the road and warns you before you leave your
lane unintentionally. If you do not react to the
warning, a lane-correcting application of the
brakes can bring the vehicle back into the
original lane.
If you have chosen the function Displayunit Speed-/odometer: (Y
page 242) in
the on-board computer and selected km as
the unit of measurement, Active Lane Keep-
ing Assist is active from speeds of 60 km/h.
If the Miles display unit is selected, the assis-
tance range begins at 40 mph.
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.
Lane-correcting brake application G
WARNING
Active Lane Keeping Assist does not keep
yourv ehicle in its lane. It is only an aid
designed to assist driving. It is not a substitute
for attentive driving. Corrective braking may
not always be sufficien tto return your vehicle
to its original lane. In such cases, you must
steer the vehicle yourself to ensure that it
does not leave the lane.
Active Lane Keeping Assist cannot detect the
current traffic situation or other road users.
Ensure at all times that there is sufficient lat-
eral distance between you and other road
users or obstacles. In rare cases, broken lines
or certain structures on the road surface may
be detected by the system as solid lane mark-
ings. You can, for example, countersteer gen-
tly at any time to cancel inappropriate braking
action, e.g. if you intentionally drive across a
solid lane marking.
Active Lane Keeping Assist cannot take
weather conditions into account.
You are responsible for the vehicle's speed,
correc tsteering and for braking in good time.
Always adap tyour 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 others. Example: vehicles with automatic transmission218
Driving systemsDriving and parking

If a lane-correcting brake application occurs,
the display shown in the illustration appears
in the multifunction display.
If you leave your lane under certain circum-
stances, the vehicle will brake briefly on one
side. This is designed to help you bring the
vehicle back into the original lane.
This function is available in the range between
60 km/h and 200 km/h.
A lane-correcting brake application can only
be made after driving over a solid, recognis-
able lane marking. Before this, a warning
must be emitted by means of intermittent
vibration in the steering wheel. In addition, a
lane with lane markings on both sides must
be recognised. The brake application also
slightly reduces driving speed.
i A further lane-correcting brake applica-
tion can only occur after your vehicle has
returned to the original lane.
No lane-correcting brake application occurs
if:
R you clearly and actively steer, brake, or
accelerate.
R you cut the corner on a sharp bend.
R you have switched on the turn signals.
R a driving safety system intervenes, such as
ESP ®
, PRE-SAFE ®
Brake or Active Blind
Spot Assist.
R you have adopted a sporty driving style with
high cornering speeds or high rates of
acceleration.
R on vehicles with a traile rtow hitch, the
electrical connection to the trailer has been
correctly established.
R ESP ®
is deactivated.
R the transmission is not in position D.
R a loss of tyre pressure or a defective tyre
has been detected and displayed. Active Lane Keeping Assist does not detect
road and traffic conditions. An inappropriate
brake application may be interrupted at any
time if:
R
you steer slightly in the opposite direction.
R you use a turn signal.
R you clearly brake or accelerate.
Al ane-correcting brake applicatio nis inter-
rupted automatically if:
R a driving safety system intervenes, such as
ESP ®
, PRE-SAFE ®
Brake or Active Blind
Spot Assist.
R lane markings can no longer be recognised.
Activating Active Lane Keeping Assist Example: vehicles with automatic transmission
X
Switch on Active Lane Keeping Assist using
the on-board computer; to do so, select
Standard or
Adaptive (Y
page 241).
Symbol :appears in the multifunction
display.
If you are driving faster than 60km/h and
lane markings are detected, symbol :is
highlighted. Active Lane Keeping Assist is
ready for use.
If Standard is selected, no warning vibra-
tion occurs if:
R you have switched on the turn signals. In
this case, the warnings are suppressed
for a certain period of time.
R a driving safety system intervenes, such
as ABS, BAS or ESP ®
.
If Adaptive is selected, no warning vibra-
tion occurs if: Driving systems
219Driving and parking Z

R
you have switched on the tur nsignals .In
this case, the warnings ar esuppressed
for a certain period of time.
R a driving safety system intervenes, such
as ABS, BAS or ESP ®
.
R you accelerate hard, e.g. kickdown.
R you brake hard.
R you steer actively, e.g. swerve to avoid
an obstacle or change lane quickly.
R you cut the corner on a sharp bend.
Towing atrailer
If you attach a trailer, make sure tha tyou have
correctly established the electrical connec-
tion. This can be accomplished by checking
the trailer lighting. Towing
atrailer Important safety notes
G
WARNING
The braking syste mcan 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. G
WARNING
You could lose control of the vehicle/trailer
combination if it begins to swerve. The vehi-
cle/trailer combination could even overturn.
There is a risk of an accident.
On no account should you attempt to
straighten out the vehicle/trailer combina-
tion by increasing speed. Decrease your
speed and do not countersteer. Brake if nec-
essary. G
WARNING
If you exceed the permissible noseweight
while carrying a load, the carrier system could detach from the vehicle and fall on the road.
There is a risk of an accident and injury.
Always maintain the permissible noseweight
when carrying loads. G
WARNING
If the ball coupling is not correctly engaged, it
could detach while driving and fall on the road.
There is a risk of an accident and injury.
Engage the ball coupling as described. G
WARNING
If the ball coupling is not correctly engaged,
the trailer can detach. There is a risk of an
accident.
Always engage the ball coupling as described.
! Depressing the brake pedal constantly
results in excessive and premature wear to
the brake pads.
You can use carrier systems, e.g. bicycle
racks or load-bearing implements, on the ball
coupling. The maximum noseweight of
75 kg applies when using carrier systems on
the ball coupling.
When reversing the vehicle towards the
trailer, make sure there is nobody between
the trailer and the vehicle.
Couple and uncouple the trailer carefully. If
you do not couple the trailer to the towing
vehicle correctly, the trailer could become
detached.
Make sure that the following values are not
exceeded:
R the permissible trailer drawbar noseweight
R the permissible trailer load
R the permissible rear axle load of the towing
vehicle
R the maximum permissible gross vehicle
weight of both the towing vehicle and the
trailer
You will find the applicable permissible val-
ues, which must not be exceeded, in the vehi-
cle documents. 220
Towing
atrailerDriving an d parking

You will find the values approved by the man-
ufacturer on the vehicle identification plates
and those for the towin
gvehicle in the "Tech-
nical data" section (Y page 381).
When towing a trailer, your vehicle's handling
characteristics will be differen tincomparison
to when driving without a trailer.
The vehicle/trailer combination:
R is heavier
R is restricted in its acceleration and gradi-
ent-climbing capability
R has an increased braking distance
R is affected more by strong crosswinds
R demands more sensitive steering
R has a larger turning circle
This could impair the handling characteris-
tics. Adapt your style of driving accordingly.
Maintain a safe distance. Drive carefully.
When towing a trailer, always adjust your
speed to the current road and weather con-
ditions. Do not exceed the maximum permis-
sible speed for your vehicle/trailer combina-
tion. Notes on towing
atrailer
General notes !
Use a drawbar noseweigh tas close as
possible to the maximum permissible nose-
weight. Do not use a noseweight of less
than 50kg, otherwise the trailer may come
loose.
Note that the payload and the rear axle load
are reduced by the actual payload.
i When towing a trailer, set the tyre pres-
sure on the rear axle of the towing vehicle
for a maximum load; see the tyre pressure
table in the fuel filler flap (Y page 343).
You will find installation dimensions and loads
in the "Technical data" section
(Y page 380).
The maximum permissible trailer drawbar
noseweight on the ball coupling is 75 kg. Missing values for the
E500 BlueEFFICIENCY
model were not available at the time of going
to print. However, the actual noseweight
must not exceed the value give nonthe trailer
tow hitch and trailer identification plates. The
lowest weight applies.
Please note that when towing a trailer, PARK-
TRONIC (Y page 200) and Parking Guidance
(Y page 203) are only available with limita-
tions, or not at all.
i The height of the ball coupling changes
with the load of the vehicle. If necessary,
use a trailer with a height-adjustable draw-
bar.
Driving tips i
Observe the notes on ESP ®
trailer stabi-
lisation (Y page 68).
The maximum permissible speed for vehicle/
trailer combinations depends on the type of
trailer. Before beginning the journey, check
the trailer's documents to see what the max-
imum permitted speed is. Observe the legally
prescribed maximum speed in the relevant
country.
For certain Mercedes-Ben zvehicles, the max-
imum permissible rear axle load is increased
when towing a trailer. Refer to the "Technical
data" section to find out whether this applies
to your vehicle. If you utilise any of the added
maximum rear axle load when towing a trailer,
the vehicle/trailer combination may not
exceed a maximum speed of 100 km/h for
reasons concerning the operating permit.
This also applies in countries in which the
permissible maximum speed for vehicle/
trailer combinations is above 100 km/h.
When towing a trailer, your vehicle's handling
characteristics will be differen tincomparison
to when driving without a trailer and it will
consume more fuel.
Change into a lower gear in good time on long
and steep downhill gradients. Towing
atrailer
221Driving an d parking Z