2012 MERCEDES-BENZ E-CLASS ESTATE tow

You can wash the vehicle in an automatic car
wash from the very start.
Wash off excess dirt before cleaning the vehi-
cle in an automatic car wash.
After using an automatic car wash, wipe off
wax fro
mthe windscreen and the wiper
blades. This will prevent smears and reduce
wiping noises caused by residue on the wind-
screen.
Washing by hand In some countries, washing by hand is only
allowed at specially equipped washing bays.
Observe the legal requirements for each indi-
vidual country.
X Do not use hot water and do not wash the
vehicle in direct sunlight.
X Use a soft sponge to clean.
X Use a mild cleaning agent, such as a car
shampoo approved by Mercedes-Benz.
X Thoroughly hose down the vehicle with a
gentle jet of water.
X Do not point the water jet directly towards
the air inlet.
X Use plenty of water and rinse out the
sponge frequently.
X Rinse the vehicle with clean water and dry
thoroughly with a chamois.
X Do not let the cleaning agent dry on the
paintwork.
When using the vehicle in winter, remove all
traces of road salt deposits carefully and as
soon as possible.
High-pressure cleaning equipment G
WARNING
Do not use high-pressure cleaners with circu-
lar-jet nozzles (dirt grinders) to clean your
vehicle, in particular the tyres. You could oth-
erwise damage the tyres and cause an acci-
dent.
! Always maintain a distance of at least
30 cm between the vehicle and the high- pressure cleaner nozzle. Information about
the correct distance is available from the
equipment manufacturer.
Move the high-pressure cleaner nozzle
around when cleaning your vehicle.
Do not aim directly at any of the following:
R tyres
R door gaps, roof gaps, joints etc.
R electrical components
R battery
R connectors
R lights
R seals
R trim elements
R ventilation slots
Damaged seals or electrical components
can lead to leaks or failures.
Cleaning the paintwork !
Do not affix:
R stickers
R films
R magnetic plates or similar items
to painted surfaces. You could otherwise
damage the paintwork.
Scratches, corrosive deposits, areas affected
by corrosion and damage caused by inade-
quate care cannot always be completely
repaired. In such cases, visit a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
X Remove impurities immediately, where
possible, whilst avoiding rubbing too hard.
X Soak insect remains with insect remover
and rinse off the treated areas afterwards.
X Soak bird droppings with water and rinse
off the treated areas afterwards.
X Remove coolant, brake fluid, tree resin,
oils, fuels and greases by rubbing gently
with a cloth soaked in petroleum ether or
lighter fluid.
X Use tar remover to remove tar stains.
X Use silicone remover to remove wax. 352
CareMaintenance and care

X
Use clear water and a soft cloth to clean
camera lens :.
Cleaning the exhaust tail pipes !
Do not clean the exhaust pipe with alka-
line-based cleaning agents, such as wheel
cleaner.
Impurities combined with the effects of road
grit and corrosive environmental factors may
cause flash rust to form on the surface. You
can restore the original shine of the exhaust
pipe by cleaning it regularly, especially in win-
ter and after washing.
X Cleant he exhaust pipe with a chrome care
product tested and approved by Mercedes-
Benz.
Cleaning the trailer tow hitch H
Environmental note
Dispose of oily and greasy cloths in an envi-
ronmentally-responsible manner.
! Do not clean the ball coupling with a high-
pressure cleaner. Do not use solvents.
! Observe the note on care provided by the
trailer manufacturer. The ball coupling must be cleaned if it
becomes dirty or corroded.
X Remove rust, e.g. with a wire brush.
X Remove dirt with a clean, lint-free cloth or
a brush. X
After cleaning, lightly oil or grease ball cou-
pling :.
X Check that the vehicle's trailer tow hitch is
working properly.
i You can also have the maintenance work
on the ball coupling and the trailer tow hitch
carried out by a qualified specialist work-
shop. Interior care
Cleaning the display !
For cleaning, do not use any of the fol-
lowing:
R alcohol-based thinner or petrol
R abrasive cleaning agents
R commercially-available household clean-
ing agents
These may damage the display surface. Do
not put pressure on the display surface
when cleaning. This could lead to irrepara-
ble damage to the display.
X Before cleaning the display, make sure that
it is switched off and has cooled down.
X Cleant he display surface using a commer-
cially available microfibre cloth and TFT/
LCD display cleaner.
X Dry the display surface using a dry micro-
fibre cloth.
Cleaning Night View Assist Plus !
Never clean the camera lens. When clean-
ing the field of vision of the driving systems,
make sure that you do not spray glass
cleaner on the camera lens. If the camera
lens is dirty, visit a qualified specialist work-
shop. Care
355Maintenance and care Z

Useful information
............................360
Where will I find...? ...........................360
Flat tyre ............................................. 363
Batter y(vehicle) ................................ 367
Jump-starting .................................... 370
Towing and tow-starting ..................372
Electrical fuses ................................. 375 359Breakdown assistance

Useful information
i This Owner's Manual describes all mod-
els, series and optional equipment for your
vehicle that were available at the time of
going to press. National variations are pos-
sible. Note that your vehicle may not be
equipped with all of the functions descri-
bed. This is also the case for systems and
functions relevant to safety.
i Read the information on qualified special-
ist workshops: (Y page 25). Where will I find...?
Warning triangle
Removing the warning triangle X
Saloon: open the boot lid.
X Press warning triangle holder :up in the
direction of the arrow, open it and remove
the warning triangle. X
Estate: open the tailgate.
X Open the right-hand side trim panel.
X Remove warning triangle :.
Setting up the warning triangle :
Press-stud
; Reflectors
= Feet
X Fold feet =down and out to the side.
X Pull side reflectors ;upwards to form a
triangle and lock them at the top using
upper press-stud :. First-aid kit
Saloon:
the first-aid kit is in the right-hand
stowage compartment in the boot.
X Open the boot lid.
X Slide the stowage net down.
X Open the stowage compartment. 360
Where will I find...?Breakdown assistance

X
Loosen tensioning strap :.
X Remove first-aid kit ;.First-aid kit in the stowage net
First-aid kit behind the side trim panel
Estate:
depending on the vehicle's equip-
ment, the first-aid kit is in the stowage net or
behind the side trim panel.
X Open the tailgate.
X Open the right-hand side trim panel if the
first-aid kit is in the side trim panel.
X Remove first-aid kit :.
i Check the expiry date on the first-aid kit
at least once a year. Replace the contents
if necessary, and replace any missing
items. Fire extinguisher
! Keep the stowage compartment closed
while the vehicle is in motion. It may oth-
erwise be damaged. The fire extinguishe
ris located in the stowage
compartment underneath the driver's seat. X
Pull handle :upward and fold cover ;
forward.
X Remove the fire extinguisher from the
stowage compartment.
i Have fire extinguisher ;refilled after
each use and checked every one to two
years. It may otherwise fail in an emer-
gency.
Observe the legal requirements for each
individual country. Vehicle tool kit
General notes The vehicle tool kit can be found in the stow-
age well under the boot floor/luggage com-
partment floor. Depending on the vehicle
equipment, the vehicle tool kit is on the left-
hand side or the right-hand side in the stow-
age well under the boot floor/load compart-
ment floor.
i
Apart from certain country-specific varia-
tions, vehicles are not equipped with a tyre-
change tool kit. Some tools for changing a
wheel are specific to the vehicle. For more
information on which tools are required to
perform a wheel change on your vehicle,
consult a qualified specialist workshop. Where will I find...?
361Breakdown assistance

Necessary wheel-changing tools can
include, for example:
R
jack
R wheel chock
R wheel wrench
Vehicles with aTIREFIT kit Example: vehicle tool kit in the left-hand stowage
space
:
Tyre sealan tfiller bottle
; Folding wheel chock
= One pair of gloves (under jack)
? Tyre inflation compressor
A Towing eye
B Jack
C Centring pin
D Wheel wrench
X Open the boot lid/tailgate.
X Swing the boot floor/luggage compart-
men tfloor upwards (Y page 325) or
(Y page 325). Vehicles with spare wheel/"Minispare"
emergency spare wheel :
Vehicle tool kit tray
; Stowage tray
= Spare wheel/"Minispare" emergency
spare wheel
X Open the boot lid/tailgate.
X Swing the boot floor/luggage compart-
men tfloor upwards (Y page 325) or
(Y page 325).
The vehicle tool kit contains:
R Foldable wheel chock
R Fuse allocation chart
R Jack
R Centring pin
R One pair of gloves
R Wheel wrench
R Towing eye 362
Where will I find...?Breakdown assistance

Vehicles with
acollapsible emergency
spare wheel :
Towing eye
; One pair of gloves
= Jack
? Folding wheel chock
A Centring pin
B Sheet for faulty wheel
C Tyre inflatio ncompressor
D Wheel wrench
E Fuse allocation chart
X Open the boot lid/tailgate.
X Swing the boot floor/luggage compart-
ment floor upwards (Y page 325) or
(Y page 325). Flat tyre
Preparing the vehicle
Information on changing a wheel/fitting
(Y page 388).
Vehicle preparation is not necessary on vehi-
cles with MOExtended tyres.
Your vehicle may be equipped with:
R MOExtended tyres (tyres with run-flat char-
acteristics) (Y page 363)
R a TIREFIT kit (Y page 364)
R an emergency spare wheel (only for certain
countries) (Y page 425) X
Stop the vehicle as far away as possible
from traffic on solid, non-slippery and level
ground.
X Switch on the hazard warning lamps.
X Apply the parking brake.
X Bring the front wheels into the straight-
ahead position.
X Shift the transmission to position P.
X Vehicles with AIRMATIC: make sure that
"normal" level is selected (Y page 208).
X Switch off the engine.
X Vehicles without KEYLESS-GO: remove
the key from the ignition lock.
X Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO: open the
driver's door.
The on-board electronics have status 0,
which is the same as the key having been
removed.
X Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO: remove the
Start/Stop button from the ignition lock
(Y page 161).
X All occupants must get out of the vehicle.
Make sure that they are not endangered as
they do so.
X Make sure that no one is near the danger
area while a wheel is being changed. Any-
one who is not directly assisting in the
wheel change should, for example, stand
behind the barrier.
X Get out of the vehicle. Pay attention to traf-
fic conditions when doing so.
X Close the driver's door.
X Place the warning triangle a suitable dis-
tance away (Y page 360). Observe legal
requirements. MOExtended tyres (tyres with run-flat
characteristics)
G
WARNING
When driving in emergency mode, the driving
characteristics deteriorate, e.g. when corner-
ing, accelerating quickly and when braking.
There is a risk of accident. Flat tyre
363Breakdown assistance
Z

R
Immediately change out of clothing which
has come into contact with tyre sealant.
R If an allergic reaction occurs, seek medical
attention immediately.
! Do not operate the tyre inflation com-
pressor for longer than eight minutes at a
time withou tabreak. It may otherwise
overheat.
The tyre inflation compressor can be oper-
ated again once it has cooled down. TIREFIT sticker, 2-part
X
Do not remove any foreign objects which
have penetrated the tyre, e.g. screws or
nails.
X Remove the tyre sealant bottle, the accom-
panying TIREFIT sticker and the tyre infla-
tion compressor from the stowage well
underneath the boot floor/luggage com-
partment floor (Y page 361).
X Affix part :of the TIREFIT sticker within
the driver's field of vision.
X Affix part ;of the TIREFIT sticker near the
valve on the wheel with the defective tyre. X
Pull plug ?with the cable and hose Aout
of the housing.
X Screw hose Aonto flange Bof tyre seal-
ant bottle :.
X Place tyre sealant bottle :head down-
wards into recess ;of the tyre inflation
compressor. X
Remove the cap from valve Con the faulty
tyre.
X Screw filler hose Donto valve C.
X Insert connector ?into a 12 V socket
(Y page 332) in your vehicle.
Observe the notes on sockets
(Y page 332).
X Turn the key to position 1in the ignition
lock (Y page 161).
X Press on/off switch =on the tyre inflation
compressor to I.
The tyre inflation compressor is switched
on. The tyre is inflated.
i First, tyre sealant is pumped into the tyre.
The pressure can briefly rise to approx-
imately 500 kPa (5 bar/73 psi).
Do not switch off the tyre inflation com-
pressor during this phase.
X Let the tyre inflation compressor run for
five minutes. The tyre should then have
attained a pressure of at least 180 kPa
(1.8 bar/26 psi).
If a tyre pressure of 180 kPa (1.8 bar/
26 psi) has been attained after five minutes:
(Y page 366). Flat tyre
365Breakdown assistance Z