2012 MERCEDES-BENZ E-CLASS COUPE towing

Cruise control lever
:
To store the curren tspeed or a higher
speed
; To set the specified minimum distance
= LIM indicator lamp
? To store the curren tspeed and call up the
last stored speed
A To store the curren tspeed or a lower
speed
B To switch between DISTRONIC PLUS and
variable SPEEDTRONIC
C To deactivate DISTRONIC PLUS
With the cruise control lever, you can operate
DISTRONIC PLUS and variable SPEED-
TRONIC.
The LIM indicator lamp on the cruise control
lever indicates which system you have selec-
ted:
R LIM indicator lamp off: DISTRONIC PLUS
is selected.
R LIM indicator lamp on: variable SPEED-
TRONIC is selected.
Activating DISTRONIC PLUS Important safety notes
G
WARNING
The vehicle can be braked when DISTRONIC
PLUS is activated. For this reason, deactivate
DISTRONIC PLUS if the vehicle is to be set in
motion by other means (e.g. in a car wash or
by towing). Activation conditions
To activate DISTRONIC PLUS, the following
conditions must be fulfilled:
R
the engine must be running. It may take up
to two minutes of driving before DIS-
TRONIC PLUS is ready for use.
R the parking brake must be released.
R ESP ®
must be switched on, but not inter-
vening.
R the transmission must be in position D.
R the bonnet must be closed.
R the driver's door must be closed when you
shift from Pto Dor your seat belt must be
fastened.
R the fron tpassenger door must be closed.
R the vehicle must no tbe skidding.
Activating while driving X
Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you ;, or press it up :or down =.
DISTRONIC PLUS is selected.
X Keep the cruise control lever pressed
up : or down =until the desired speed
is set.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
Your vehicle adapts its speed to that of the
vehicle in front, but only up to the desired
stored speed.
When driving at speeds below 30 km/h, you
can only activate DISTRONIC PLUS if the vehi-
cle in fron thas been detected and is shown
in the multifunction display. If the vehicle in
fron tis no longer detected and displayed, 190
Driving systemsDriving and parking

HOLD function
General notes The HOLD function can assist the drive
rinthe
following situations:
R when pulling away, especially on steep
slopes
R when manoeuvring on steep slopes
R when waiting in traffic
The vehicle is kept stationary without the
driver having to depress the brake pedal.
The braking effect is cancelled and the HOLD
function is deactivated when you depress the
accelerator pedal to pull away.
Activation conditions You can activate the HOLD function if:
R
the vehicle is stationary.
R the engine is running or if it has been auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/
stop function.
R the driver's door is closed or if your seat
belt is fastened.
R the parking brake is released.
R the bonnet is closed.
R the selector lever is in position D,Ror Non
vehicles with automatic transmission.
R DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated.
Activating the HOLD function G
WARNING
The vehicle's brakes are applied when the
HOLD function is activated. For this reason,
deactivate the HOLD function if the vehicle is
to be set in motion by other means (e.g. in a
car wash or by towing). X
Make sure that the activation conditions
are met.
X Depress the brake pedal.
X Quickly depress the brake pedal further
until ë appears in the multifunction dis-
play.
The HOLD function is activated. You can
release the brake pedal.
i If depressing the brake pedal the first
time does not activate the HOLD function,
wait briefly and then try again.
Deactivating the HOLD function G
WARNING
Never get out of the vehicle when the HOLD
function is activated.
The HOLD function must never be operated
or deactivated by a passenger or from outside
the vehicle.
The HOLD function does not replace the park-
ing brake and must not be used for parking.
The braking effect of the HOLD function is
cancelled and the vehicle could roll away if:
R the HOLD function is deactivated by
depressing the accelerator pedal or the
brake pedal.
R there is a malfunction in the system or an
interruption in the power supply, e.g. bat-
tery failure.
R the electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses are tam-
pered with.
R the battery is disconnected.
If you leave the vehicle or park it, deactivate
the HOLD function and secure the vehicle
against rolling away.
The HOLD function is deactivated automati-
cally if:
R you accelerate. On vehicles with automatic
transmission: only when the transmission
is in position Dor R.
R you shift the transmission to position Pon
vehicles with automatic transmission. 198
Driving systemsDriving and parking

segments showing operational readiness
=
light up.
The gear lever position or the transmission
position of the automatic transmission deter-
mines which warning display is active when
the engine is running.
Manual transmission: Gear lever posi-
tion Warning display
Forwards gear
or
Neutral
Front area activated
Reverse gear
Rear and front areas
activated Automatic transmission:
Transmission
position Warning display
D
Front area activated
R
or N Rear and front areas
activated P
No areas activated
One or more segments light up as the vehicle
approaches an obstacle, depending on the
vehicle's distance from the obstacle.
From the:
R sixth segment onwards, you will hear an
intermittent warning tone for approx-
imately two seconds.
R seventh segment onwards, you will hear a
warning tone for approximately two sec-
onds. This indicates that you have now
reached the minimum distance. Deactivating/activating PARKTRONIC :
Indicator lamp
; To deactivate/activate PARKTRONIC
If indicator lamp :lights up, PARKTRONIC is
deactivated. Parking Guidance is also deacti-
vated.
i PARKTRONIC is automatically activated
when you turn the key to position 2in the
ignition lock.
Towing atrailer !
Fold in the ball coupling if the trailer tow
hitch is not required .PARKTRONIC meas-
ures the minimum detection range to an
obstacle fro mthe bumper, not the ball cou-
pling.
PARKTRONIC is deactivated for the rear area
when you establish an electrical connection
between your vehicle and a trailer. 202
Driving systemsDriving and parking

X
Countersteering: while the vehicle is sta-
tionary, tur nthe steering wheel in the
specified direction until the arrow is white
and a warning tone sounds.
X To reverse into the parking space: main-
tain the steering wheel angle and reverse
carefully.
X Stop as soon as you hear a warning tone,
at the latest when PARKTRONIC sounds the
continuous warning tone.
The Parking Guidance finished mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display
and a tone sounds. You may be asked to
steer in a different direction and then
change gear. In this case, further displays
in the multifunction display will direct you
to the final position.
X Manoeuvre if necessary.
X Always observe the warning messages dis-
played by PARKTRONIC (Y page 201).
Cancelling Parking Guidance X
Press the PARKTRONIC button on the
centre console (Y page 202).
Parking Guidance is cancelled immediately
and PARKTRONIC is deactivated.
Parking Guidance is cancelled automatically
if it is no longer possible to guide you into the
parking space or if a malfunction occurs.
The parking space symbol goes out and a
warning tone sounds. The Parking Guid‐ance cancelled message appears in the
multifunction display.
Towing atrailer For vehicles with a trailer tow hitch, the min-
imum length for parking spaces is slightly
increased.
If you have attached a trailer to your vehicle,
you should not use Parking Guidance. When
the electrical connectio
nis established
between your vehicle and the trailer, Parking
Guidance ceases to be available. PARK-
TRONIC is deactivated for the rear area. Reversing camera
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Make sure that no persons or animals are in
the manoeuvring range. Otherwise, they
could be injured.
General notes Example: Saloon
Reversing camera
:is an optical parking aid.
It shows the area behind your vehicle in the
COMAND display.
Reversing camera :is located in the handle
strip of the tailgate.
View through the camera G
WARNING
The reversing camera is only an aid and may
display obstacles in a distorted or incorrect
manner, or may not even display them at all.
The reversing camera does not relieve you of 206
Driving systemsDriving and parking

:
Yellow indicator lamp/red warning lamp
If Blind Spot Assist is switched on, indicator
lamp :in the exterior mirrors lights up yel-
low up to a speed of 30 km/h. At speeds
above 30 km/h, the indicator lamp goes out
and 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 rang efrom 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. Blind Spot Assist is then
deactivated.
The brightness of the indicator/warning
lamps is adjusted automatically according to
the ambient light.
Collision warning
If a vehicle is detected in the monitoring range
of Blind Spot Assist and you switch on the
corresponding turn signal, a double warning
tone sounds. Red warning lamp :flashes. If
the turn signal remains on, detected vehicles
are indicated by the flashing of red warning
lamp :.There are no further warning tones.
Switching on Blind Spot Assist
X Make sure that the radar sensor system
(Y page 245) and Blind Spot Assist (Y
page 241) are activated in the on-board
computer.
X Turn the 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. Blind Spot Assist is then
deactivated. The indicator lamp lights up yel-
low in the exterior mirrors and the message:
Blind Spot Assist currently unavail‐
able See Owner's Manual appears in the
multifunction display.
i You can deactivate the indicator lamps in
the exterior mirrors.
To do so, switch off Blind Spot Assist if:
R the key is in position 2in the ignition
lock.
R the engine is not running.
R the electrical connection to the trailer
has been established.
Lane Keeping Assist Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Lane Keeping Assist does not keep your vehi-
cle 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 insuffi-
cient illumination of the road, or due to
snow, rain, fog or spray.
R there is glare, e.g. from oncoming traffic,
the sun, or reflection from other vehicles. 212
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

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