2012 MERCEDES-BENZ E-CLASS CABRIOLET brake

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

On long and steep downhill gradients, espe-
cially if the vehicle is laden or towing a trailer,
you must 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 prevent the
vehicle from gaining speed. This relieves the
load on the brake system and prevents the
brakes from overheating and wearing too
quickly. If you need additional braking,
depress the brake pedal repeatedly rather
than continuously.
Driving tips If the trailer swings from side to side:
X
Do not accelerate.
X Do not countersteer.
X Brake if necessary.
R Maintain a greater distance from the vehi-
cle in front than when driving without a
trailer.
R Avoid braking abruptly. If possible, brake
gently at first to allowt he trailer to run on.
Then, increase the braking force rapidly.
R The values given for gradient-climbing
capabilities from a standstill refer to sea
level. When driving in mountainous areas,
note that the power output of the engine,
and consequently the vehicle's gradient-
climbing capability, decrease with increas-
ing altitude. Folding out the ball coupling
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. G
WARNING
If you release the ball coupling or it does not
engage correctly when folding in, it will swing
out. Within pivoting range of the ball coupling,
there is an increased risk of an accident and
injury.
Only release the ball coupling if the pivoting
range is unobstructed. Always make sure that
the ball coupling engages when folding in. Before you can tow a trailer with your vehicle,
you must fold out the ball coupling.
The release wheel is located behind the left-
hand side trim panel in the boot.
To open the cover:
X
Turn handle :anti-clockwise and fold
down cover ;. To release and fold out the ball coupling:
X Pull out release wheel ?.
X Turn release wheel ?anti-clockwise until
the ball coupling releases and folds out
from under the rear bumper. Indicator lamp
= flashes. 222
Towing
atrailerDriving an d parking

X
Pull the ball coupling in the direction of the
arrow until it engages in a vertical position.
Indicator lamp =goes out. The power
socket folds down automatically.
The multifunction display shows the
Trailer hitch Check lock mech. dis-
play message until the ball coupling is
engaged.
X Remove the protective covering from the
ball coupling and store it in a safe place.
X Make sure that the ball of the ball coupling
is clean and greased. Coupling up a trailer
G
WARNING
If you uncouple a trailer with an engaged over-
run brake, you could trap your hand between
the vehicle and the trailer drawbar. This poses
a risk of injury.
Do not uncouple a trailer with an engaged
overrun brake.
X Make sure that the transmission is in posi-
tion P.
X Apply the parking brake.
X Position the trailer level behind the vehicle.
X Couple up the trailer.
X Establish the electrical connection
between the vehicle and the trailer.
X Check that the trailer lighting system is
working. Uncoupling
atrailer G
WARNING
If you uncouple a trailer with an engaged over-
ru nb rake, you could trap yourh and between
the vehicle and the trailer drawbar .This poses
a risk of injury.
Do not uncouple a trailer with an engaged
overrun brake. G
WARNING
Vehicles with level control:
If you disconnectt he trailer cable, the vehicle
is lowered. This can cause you or others to
become trapped between the vehicle body
and tyres, or underneath the vehicle. This
poses a risk of injury.
Make sure that no-one is in the immediate
vicinity of the wheel arch or underneath the
vehicle when disconnecting the trailer cable.
! Do not disconnect a trailer with an
engaged overrun brake. Otherwise, your
vehicle could be damaged by the rebound-
ing of the overrun brake.
X Make sure that the transmission is in posi-
tion P.
X Apply the parking brake.
X Secure the trailer against rolling away.
X Remove the trailer cable and decouple the
trailer. Folding in the ball coupling
G
WARNING
If you release the ball coupling or it does not
engage correctly when folding in, it will swing
out. Within pivoting range of the ball coupling,
there is an increased risk of an accident and
injury.
Only release the ball coupling if the pivoting
range is unobstructed. Always make sure that
the ball coupling engages when folding in. Towing
atrailer
223Driving an d parking Z

Menu bar
;disappears after a few seconds.
Text field :shows the selected menu or
submenu as well as display messages.
The following messages can appearint he
multifunction display:
Z Shift recommendation
(Ypage 167)
XjY Parking Guidance (Y page 203)
¯ Cruise control (Y page 182)
È SPEEDTRONIC (Y page 185)
_ Adaptive Highbeam Assist
(Ypage 130)
À ATTENTION ASSIST
(Ypage 208)
¤ ECO start/stop function
(Ypage 162)
Ä Speed Limit Assist
(Ypage 209)
à Lane Keeping Assist
(Ypage 212)
à Active Lane Keeping Assist
(Ypage 217)
ë HOLD function (Y page 198)
Ä PRE-SAFE®
Brake (Y page 69)
120 km/h! Maximum permissible speed
exceeded (only for certain coun-
tries)
Menus and submenus
Menu overview
Press the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to call up the menu bar and select
a menu.
Operating the on-board computer
(Y page 231).
Depending on the equipment fitted in the
vehicle, you can call up the following menus:
R Trip menu (Y
page 233)
R Navi menu (navigation instructions)
(Y page 235)
R Audio menu (Y
page 236) R
Tel menu (telephone) (Y
page 238)
R Assist. menu (assistance) (Y
page 239)
R Serv. menu (Y
page 241)
R Settings menu (Y
page 242)
The Audio ,
Navi and
Tel menus differ slightly
in vehicles with an audio system and in vehi-
cles with COMAND Online. The examples
given in this Owner's Manual apply to vehicles
equipped with COMAND Online. Trip menu
Standard display X
Press and hold the %button on the
steering wheel until the Trip menu with
trip meter :and total distance
recorder ;is shown.
Trip computer "From start" or "From
reset" Example: "From start" trip computer
:
Distance
; Time
= Average speed
? Average fuel consumption
X Press the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the Trip menu.
X Press the 9or: button to select
From start or
From reset .Menus and submenus
233On-board computer and displays Z

X
Press the 9or: button to select the
desired name.
or
X To begin rapid scrolling: press and hold
the 9 or: button for longer than
one second.
Rapid scrolling stops when you release the
button or reach the end of the list.
X If only one telephone number is stored
for a name: press the6ora button
to start dialling.
or
X If there is more than one number for a
particular name: press the6ora
button to display the numbers.
X Press the 9or: button to select the
number you want to dial.
X Press the 6ora button to start dial-
ling.
or
X To exit the telephone book: press the
~ or% button.
Redialling The on-board computer saves the last names
or numbers dialled in the redial memory.
X Press the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the Tel menu.
X Press the 6button to switch to the
redial memory.
X Press the 9or: button to select the
desired name or number.
X Press the 6ora button to start dial-
ling.
or
X To exit the redial memory: press the
~ or% button. Assistance menu
Introduction In the
Assist. menu, you have the following
options:
R show Speed Limit Assist and activate/
deactivate its message function
(Y page 239)
R show the distance display ( Ypage 240)
R activate/deactivate ESP ®
(Y page 240)
R activate/deactivate the PRE-SAFE ®
Brake
(Y page 240)
R activate/deactivate ATTENTION ASSIST
(Y page 241)
R activate/deactivate Blind Spot Assist or
Active Blind Spot Assist (Y page 241)
R activate/deactivate Lane Keeping Assist or
Active Lane Keeping Assist (Y page 241)
Speed Limit Assist Displaying Speed Limit Assist
X
Press the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the Assist. menu.
X Press the 9or: button to select
Speed Lim. Asst. .
X Press the abutton.
Under certain conditions, detected speed
limits are shown in the multifunction dis-
play (Y page 209).
Activating/deactivating the Speed Limit
Assist message function
X Press the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the Assist. menu.
X Press the 9or: button to select
Speed Lim. Asst. .Menus and submenus
239On-board computer and displays Z

X
Press the abutton.
The multifunction display shows Speed
Limit Assist.
X Press the :button.
The curren tselection is displayed.
X To activate or deactivate: pressa.
If the Speed Limit Assist message function
is activated, a detected speed limit is auto-
matically displayed for five seconds. Other
items in the multifunction display are not
shown during this time.
If Speed Limit Assist is operational and the
message function is activated, the multifunc-
tion display shows the Äsymbol when the
ignition is switched on.
Showing the distance display X
Press the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the Assist. menu.
X Press the 9or: button to select
Distance display .
X Press the abutton.
The DISTRONIC PLUS distance display
appears in the multifunction display
(Y page 195).
If the Sensors deactivated message
appears, the radar sensor system is deacti-
vated.
X Check whether or not the radar sensor sys-
tem is permitted to be activated
(Y page 382).
X Switch on the radar sensor system
(Y page 245).
Deactivating/activating ESP ®G
WARNING
If you deactivate ESP ®
, ESP ®
no longer sta-
bilises the vehicle. There is an increased risk
of skidding and an accident.
Only deactivate ESP ®
in the situations descri-
bed in the following. For further information about ESP
®
, see
(Y page 67).
X Start the engine.
X Press the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the Assist. menu.
X Press the 9or: button to select
ESP .
X Press the abutton.
The curren tselection is displayed.
X To activate/deactivate: press thea
button again.
ESP ®
is deactivated if the åwarning lamp
in the instrument cluster lights up continu-
ously when the engine is running.
If the ä warning lamp and the åwarn-
ing lamp are lit continuously, ESP ®
is not
available due to a malfunction.
It may be best to deactivate ESP ®
in the fol-
lowing situations:
R when using snow chains
R in deep snow
R on sand or gravel
Observe the information on warning lamps
(Y page 278).
Observe the information on display messages
(Y page 250).
Activating/deactivating the PRE-SAFE ®
Brake PRE-SAFE
®
Brake is only available in vehicles
with DISTRONIC PLUS.
X Press the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the Assist. menu.
X Press the 9or: button to select
PRE-SAFE Brake .
X Press the abutton.
The curren tselection is displayed.
X To activate/deactivate: press thea
button again.
When PRE-SAFE ®
Brake is activated, the mul-
tifunction display shows the Äsymbol as 240
Menus and submenusOn-board computer and displays