2012 MERCEDES-BENZ E-CLASS ESTATE lights

Display when DISTRONIC PLUS is activa-
ted Example: vehicles featurin
gautomatic transmis-
sion with a DIRECT SELECT lever
: DISTRONIC PLUS activated
; Own vehicle
= Specified minimum distance to the vehi-
cle in front; adjustable
? Vehicle in front, if detected
X Select the Distance display function
using the on-board computer
(Y page 256).
i You will see the stored speed for about
five seconds when you activate DISTRONIC
PLUS.
Deactivating DISTRONIC PLUS There are several ways to deactivate DIS-
TRONIC PLUS:
X Briefly press the cruise control leve rfor-
wards :.
or X
Brake, unless the vehicle is stationary.
or
X Briefly press the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow =.
Variable SPEEDTRONIC is selected. LIM
indicator lamp ;in the cruise control lever
lights up.
When you deactivate DISTRONIC PLUS, you
will see the DISTRONIC PLUS off message
in the multifunction display for approximately
five seconds.
i The last speed stored remains stored until
you switch off the engine.
DISTRONIC PLUS is automatically deactiva-
ted if:
R you engage the parking brake.
R you are driving slower than 25 km/h and
there is no vehicle in front, or if the vehicle
in front is no longer detected.
R ESP ®
intervenes or you deactivate ESP ®
.
R the transmission is in the P,Ror Nposition.
R the vehicle is near a radio telescope facility
(Y page 451).
R you switch off the radar sensor system
(Y page 262).
R you pull the cruise control lever towards
you in order to pull away, and the front-
passenger door or one of the rear doors is
open.
R the vehicle has skidded.
If DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated, you will
hear a warning tone. You will see the DIS‐ TRONIC PLUS off message in the multifunc-
tion display for approximately five seconds.
Vehicles with automatic transmission with
selector lever: if the vehicle has been stopped
by DISTRONIC PLUS and a fault occurs in the
system, the Brake immediately message
appears in the multifunction display .Depress
the brake pedal immediately so that the vehi-
cle does not roll away. DISTRONIC PLUS is
then deactivated, and the message disap-
pears. Driving systems
203Driving and parking Z

detected vehicle turns a corner and reveals
an obstacle or stationary vehicle, DISTRONIC
PLUS will not brake for these.
Crossing vehicles DISTRONIC PLUS may mistakenly detect
vehicles that are crossing your lane. Activat-
ing DISTRONIC PLUS at traffic lights with
crossing traffic, for example, could cause
your vehicle to pull away unintentionally. HOLD function
General notes The HOLD function can assist the driver in the
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 effec tis 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. Driving systems
205Driving and parking
Z

On vehicles with automatic transmission, you
can also shift into position
P.This deactivates
the HOLD function. RACE START
Important safety notes G
WARNING
RACE START is only available when SPORT
handling mode is activated. SPORT handling
mode will only be able to stabilise the vehicle
to a limited degree if the vehicle starts to skid
or a wheel starts to spin. The vehicle is there-
fore harder to control at the threshold range.
You could lose control of the vehicle and
cause an accident.
RACE START should only be used on closed
off circuits. Always adapt your driving style to
suit the prevailing road and weather condi-
tions.
i RACE START is only available in AMG vehi-
cles.
RACE START enables optimum acceleration
from a standing start. The precondition for
this is a suitable high-grip road surface.
Activation conditions You can activate RACE START if:
R
the doors are closed.
R the engine is running and it has reached an
operating temperature of approximately
80 †. This is the case when the engine oil
temperature in the multifunction display
stops flashing.
R SPORT handling mode is activated
(Y page 74).
R the steering wheel is in the straight-ahead
position.
R the vehicle is stationary and the brake
pedal is depressed (left foot).
R the transmission is in position D.Activating RACE START X
Depress the brake pedal with your left foot
and keep it depressed.
X Turn the drive program selector clockwise
(Y page 174) until the RSlamp lights up.
The RACE START Confirm: Paddle UP Cancel: Paddle DOWN message appears
in the multifunction display.
i If the activation conditions are no longer
fulfilled, RACE START is cancelled. The
RACE START cancelled message appears
in the multifunction display.
X To cancel: pull the left steering wheel shift
paddle (Y page 175).
or
X To confirm:p ull the right steering wheel
shif tpaddle (Y page 175).
The RACE START available Depress accelerator message appears in the mul-
tifunctio ndisplay.
i If you do not depress the accelerator
pedal fully within two seconds, RACE
START is cancelled. The RACE START not
possible See Owner's Manual message
appears in the multifunction display.
X Fully depress the accelerator pedal.
The engine speed rises to approximately
3500 rpm.
The RACE START Release brake to start message appears in the multifunc-
tion display.
i If you do not release the brake pedal
within five seconds, RACE START is cancel-
led. The RACE START cancelled message
appears in the multifunction display.
X Take your foot off the brake, but keep the
accelerator pedal depressed.
The vehicle pulls away at maximum accel-
eration.
The RACE START active message appears
in the multifunction display.
RACE START is deactivated when the vehicle
reaches a speed of approximately 50 km/h. Driving systems
207Driving and parking Z

If indicator lamp
;is not lit:
X Press button :.
Indicator lamp ;lights up. The vehicle
heighti s adjusted to raised level.
The Vehicle rising message appears in
the display.
The "Raised level" setting is cancelled if you:
R drive at a speed above approximately
120 km/h.
R drive for approximately three minutes at a
speed above 80 km/h.
The "Raised Level" remains saved when you
are not driving within these speed ranges.
Setting the normal level
X Start the engine.
If indicator lamp ;is lit:
X Press button :.
Indicator lamp ;goes out. The vehicle is
adjusted to normal level.
Suspension tuning General notes
The electronically controlled damping system
works continuously. This improves driving
safety and ride comfort.
The damping is tuned individually to each
wheel and depends on:
R your driving style, e.g. sporty
R the road surface condition, e.g. bumps
R your individual selection, i.e. sports or com-
fort
Your selection remains stored even if you
remove the key from the ignition lock. Sports tuning The firmer suspension tuning in Sport mode
ensures even better contact with the road.
Select this mode when employing a sporty
driving style, e.g. on winding country roads.
X
Press button :.
Indicator lamp ;lights up. You have selec-
ted "Sports tuning".
The AIRMATIC SPORT message appears in
the multifunction display.
Comfort tuning
In comfort mode, the driving characteristics
of your vehicle are more comfortable. There-
fore, select this mode if you prefer a more
comfortable driving style. Select comfort
mode also when driving fast on straight roads,
e.g. on straight stretches of motorway.
X Press button :.
Indicator lamp =lights up. You have selec-
ted "Comfort tuning".
The AIRMATIC COMFORT message appears
in the multifunction display. AMG RIDE CONTROL sports suspen-
sion
General notes i
AMG RIDE CONTROL sports suspension
is available for the E63AMG model. Driving systems
209Driving and parking Z

Vehicle level
The vehicle automatically sets the vehicle
level at the rea
raxle .Rear axle level control
ensures the best possible suspension and
that the ground clearance remains constant
even when the vehicle is loaded. This
improves driving safety and fuel consump-
tion.
Suspension tuning General notes
The electronically controlled damping system
works continuously. This improves driving
safety and ride comfort.
The damping is tuned individually to each
wheel and depends on:
R your driving style, e.g. sporty
R the road surface condition, e.g. bumps
R your individual selection of Sport, Sport +
or Comfort
If you select Sport or Sport + mode and
restart the engine, the suspension setting
reverts to Comfort mode.
Sport mode :
Switch for selecting the mode
; Switch for storing, calling up and display-
ing the selected mode
= Sport + mode indicator lamp
? Sport mode indicator lamp
The firmer suspension tunin ginSport mode
ensures even better contact with the road. Select this mode when employing a sporty
driving style, e.g. on winding country roads.
X
Press button :once.
Indicator lamp ?lights up. You have selec-
ted Sport mode.
The AMG Ride Control SPORT message
appears in the multifunction display.
Sport + mode
The very firm setting of the suspension tuning
in Sport +mode ensures the best possible
contact with the road. Select this mode only
when driving on race circuits.
If indicator lamps =and ?are off:
X Press button :twice.
Indicator lamps =and ?light up. You
have selected Sport +mode.
The AMG Ride Control SPORT + message
appears in the multifunction display.
If indicator lamp ?lights up:
X Press button :once.
Second indicator lamp =lights up. You
have selected Sport +mode.
The AMG Ride Control SPORT + message
appears in the multifunction display.
Comfort mode
In comfort mode, the driving characteristics
of your vehicle are more comfortable. There-
fore, select this mode if you prefer a more
comfortable driving style. Select comfort
mode also when driving fast on straight roads,
e.g. on straight stretches of motorway.
X Press button :repeatedly until indicator
lamps =and ?go out.
You have selected Comfort mode.
The AMG Ride Control COMFORT mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
Storing and calling up settings
Once the suspension tuning and drive pro-
gram have been selected, you can store and
call up your settings using AMG button ;.210
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Warning displays
Warning display for the front area
:
Segments on the left-hand side of the
vehicle
; Segments on the right-hand side of the
vehicle
= Segments showing operational readiness
The warning displays show the distance
between the sensors and the obstacle. The
warning display for the front area is located
on the dashboard above the centre airv ents.
The warning display for the rear area is loca-
ted on the roof lining in the rear compart-
ment.
The warning display for each side of the vehi-
cle is divided into five yellow and two red seg-
ments. PARKTRONIC is operational if yellow
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 segmen tonwards, you will hea ran
intermittent warning ton efor 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. Driving systems
213Driving and parking Z

Problems with PARKTRONIC
Problem Possible causes/consequences and
M Solutions
Only the red segments
in the PARKTRONIC
warning displays are lit.
You also hear a warning
tone for approximately
two seconds.
PARKTRONIC is deacti-
vated after approx-
imately 20 seconds,
and the indicator lamp
in the PARKTRONIC
button lights up. PARKTRONIC has malfunctioned and has switched off.
X
If problems persist, have PARKTRONIC checked at a qualified
specialist workshop. Only the red segments
in the PARKTRONIC
warning displays are lit.
PARKTRONIC is deacti-
vated after approx-
imately 20seconds. The PARKTRONIC sensors are dirty or there is interference.
X
Cleant he PARKTRONIC sensors (Y page 354).
X Switch the ignition back on. The problem may be caused by an external source of radio or
ultrasound waves.
X See if PARKTRONIC functions in a different location. Parking Guidance
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Parking Guidance is merely an aid and may
recommend parking spaces that are not suit-
able for parking. For example, these might be
spaces where parking is prohibited, drive-
ways, unsuitable surfaces, etc.
Parking Guidance measures the parking
space as you drive past it. Any later changes
to the parking space are not taken into
account. For instance, this may be the case
when the vehicle parked in front of or behind
the space changes its position or when an
obstacle is moved into the parking space.
Parking Guidance does not relieve you of the
responsibility for paying attention. If you rely
solely on Parking Guidance, you could cause
an accident and injure yourself and others. You are always responsible for safety and
must continue to pay attention to your imme-
diate surroundings when parking and
manoeuvring.
G
WARNING
Objects located above the height range of
Parking Guidance will not be detected when
the parking space is measured. These are not
taken into account when the parking proce-
dure is calculated, e.g. overhanging loads, tail
sections or loading ramps of goods vehicles.
In some circumstances, Parking Guidance
might therefore issue steering instructions
too soon. This may lead to a collision. For this
reason, you should avoid using Parking Guid-
ance in such situations. Driving systems
215Driving and parking Z

Monitoring range of the sensors
G
WARNING
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. There is no display and no
warning.
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 in
differen tlanes .This may be the case if vehi-
cles 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: Saloon
Blind Spot Assist monitors the area up to
3.0
mbehind your vehicle and directly nextto
your vehicle, as shown in the diagram.
If the lanes are narrow, vehicles driving in the
lane beyond the lane next to 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 edge
of their lane nearest your vehicle. Due to the nature of the system:
R
warnings may be issued in error when driv-
ing close to crash barrier sorsimilar solid
lane borders.
R warnings may be interrupted when driving
alongside long vehicles, for example lor-
ries, for a prolonged time.
The two radar sensors for Blind Spot Assist
are integrated into the sides of the rear
bumper .Make sure that the bumpe ris free of
dirt, ice or slush in the vicinity of the sensors.
The sensors must not be covered, for exam-
ple by cycle racks or overhanging loads. Fol-
lowing a severe impact or in the event of dam-
age to the bumpers, have the function of the
sensors checked at a qualified specialist
workshop. Blind Spot Assist may otherwise
not work properly.
Indicator and warning display G
WARNING
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, cause an accident
and injure yourselfa nd others. :
Yellow indicator lamp/red warning lamp
If Blind Spo tAssist 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. 226
Driving systemsDriving and parking