2012 MERCEDES-BENZ E-CLASS ESTATE display

DISTRONIC PLUS does not replace the park-
ing brake and must not be used for parking.
The DISTRONIC PLUS braking effect is can-
celled and the vehicle can start moving if:
R
DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated using the
cruise control lever.
R you accelerate.
R there is a malfunction in the system or an
interruption in the powe rsupply, 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 wish to leave th evehicle or park it,
deactivate DISTRONIC PLUS and secure the
vehicle against rolling away. G
WARNING
Hybrid vehicles: ensure that you read the
"HYBRID" supplement .You could otherwise
fail to recognise dangers.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that the vehicle
in front is stopping, it brakes your vehicle until
it is stationary.
Once your vehicle is stationary, it remains
stationary and you do not need to depress the
brake.
i Depending on the specified minimum dis-
tance, your vehicle will come to a standstill
at a sufficient distance behind the vehicle
in front.T he specified minimum distance is
set using the control on the cruise control
lever.
Vehicles featuring automatic transmis-
sion with aselector lever
Select Park (P) X
Shift the transmission to position Pto pre-
ven tthe vehicle from rolling away.
DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated. The warn-
ing message in the multifunction display
disappears. You will see a warning message in the multi-
function display if DISTRONIC PLUS is acti-
vated and:
R
the driver's door is open and the driver's
seat belt is unfastened.
R the engine is switched off, unless it is auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/
stop function.
R the bonnet is opened.
The horn will also sound at regular intervals if
DISTRONIC PLUS is activated and you:
R switch the engine off, open the driver's
door and take off your seat belt
R open the bonnet
The sounding of the horn alerts you to the fact
that the vehicle has been parked while DIS-
TRONIC PLUS is still activated. The sound
becomes louder if you attempt to lock the
vehicle. The vehicle is not locked until DIS-
TRONIC PLUS is deactivated.
i If the engine has been switched off, it
cannot be started again until DISTRONIC
PLUS has been deactivated.
If DISTRONIC PLUS is activated and a fault
occurs in the system or if there is a disruption
in the power supply, the Brake immedi‐ ately message is shown in the multifunction
display. Immediately depress the brake firmly
until the warning message in the multifunc-
tion display goes out or shift the transmission
to position P. DISTRONIC PLUS is deactiva-
ted.
Vehicles featuring automatic transmis-
sion with aDIRECT SELECT lever
When DISTRONIC PLUS is activated, the
transmission is shifted automatically to posi-
tion Pif:
R the driver's door is open and the driver's
seat belt is unfastened.
R the engine is switched off, unless it is auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/
stop function.
R the bonne tis opened. 200
Driving systemsDriving and parking

DISTRONIC PLUS keeps to the vehicle in
front, dependent on vehicle speed. You can
see this distance in the multifunctio
ndisplay
(Y page 202).
X To increase: turn control;in direction
=.
DISTRONIC PLUS the nmaintains a greater
distance between your vehicle and the
vehicle in front.
X To decrease: turn control;in direc-
tion :.
DISTRONIC PLU Sthen maintains a shorter
distance between your vehicle and the
vehicle in front.
i Make sure that you maintain a sufficient
and safe distance from the vehicle in front.
Adjust the distance to the vehicle in front if
necessary.
Displaying DISTRONIC PLUS in the
speedometer Example: vehicles featuring automatic transmis-
sion with a DIRECT SELECT lever
When DISTRONIC PLUS is activated, one or
two segments
;in the set speed range light
up.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detectsav ehicle in front,
segments ;between speed of the vehicle in
front :and stored speed =light up.
i For design reasons, the speed displayed
in the speedometer may differ slightly from
the speed set for DISTRONIC PLUS. Displaying DISTRONIC PLUS in the mul-
tifunction display General notes
In the Assistance menu (Y
page 256) of the
on-board computer, you can select the dis-
tance display.
Display when DISTRONIC PLUS is deacti-
vated Example: vehicles featurin
gautomatic transmis-
sion with a DIRECT SELECT lever
: Vehicle in front, if detected
; Distance indicator: current distance to
the vehicle in front
= Specified minimum distance to the vehi-
cle in front; adjustable
? Own vehicle
X Select the Distance display function
using the on-board computer
(Y page 256). 202
Driving systemsDriving and parking

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

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.
R you depress the brake pedal again with a
certain amount of pressure until ëdis-
appears from the multifunction display.
R you activate DISTRONIC PLUS.
On vehicles with automatic transmission and
a DIRECT SELECT lever, the transmission is
automatically shifted to Pif the HOLD func-
tion is activated and:
R the driver's door is open and the driver's
seat belt is unfastened.
R the engine is switched off, unless it is auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/
stop function.
R the bonnet is opened.
R a system fault occurs.
R the power supply is not sufficient. In vehicles with manual transmission or auto-
matic transmission with a selector lever, you
see a warning message in the multifunction
display if the HOLD function is activated and:
R the driver's door is open and the driver's
seat belt is unfastened.
R the engine is switched off, unless it is auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/
stop function.
R the bonnet is opened.
For vehicles with manual transmission:
Brake immediately X
Immediately depress the brake pedal firmly
until the warning message in the multifunc-
tion display goes out. This deactivates the
HOLD function.
In vehicles featuring automatic transmission
with a gear selector lever: Select Park (P)
X
Shift the transmission to position Pto pre-
vent the vehicle from rolling away.
The HOLD function is deactivated. The
warning message in the multifunction dis-
play disappears.
Ah orn will also sound at regular intervals if
the HOLD function is activated and you:
R switch the engine off, open the driver's
door and take off your seat belt
R open the bonnet
The sounding of the horn alerts you to the fact
that the vehicle has been parked while the
HOLD function is still activated. If you attempt
to lock the vehicle, the tone becomes louder.
The vehicle is not locked until the HOLD func-
tion is deactivated.
i If the engine has been switched off, it
cannot be started again until the HOLD
function has been deactivated.
If there is a fault in the system or power supply
while the HOLD function is activated, the
Brake immediatelyBrake immediately message is shown in the multifunction dis-
play. Immediately depress the brake firmly
until the warning message in the multifunc-
tion display goes out.206
Driving systemsDriving and parking

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

Drive program
S+is activated .SPORT han-
dling mode remains activated.
RACE START is deactivated immediately if
you release the accelerator pedal during
RACE START or if any of the activation condi-
tions are no longer fulfilled. The RACE START
not possible See Owner's Manual mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
i After using it several times in short suc-
cession, RACE START will be unavailable
until a certain distance has been driven. AIRMATIC
Vehicle level Important safety notes
G
WARNING
If you have selected "Comfort tuning", the
vehicle will be lowered if you lock it within
60 seconds of the engine being switched off.
Make sure, therefore, that nobody is in the
vicinity of the wheel housing or under the
vehicle when you lock the vehicle. Otherwise,
limbs could become trapped.
! The vehicle is lowered by about 15 mm if:
R you have selected "Comfort tuning"
R you switch off the engine and
R you lock the vehicle within approximately
60 seconds
When parking, position your vehicle so that
it does not make contact with the kerb as
the vehicle is lowered. Your vehicle could
otherwise be damaged.
Observe the notes on driving with a trailer
(Y page 236).
Your vehicle regulates its height automati-
cally. All-round level control ensures the best
possible suspension and constant ground
clearance, even with a laden vehicle. When
you drive fast, the vehicle is lowered auto-
matically to improve driving safety and to
reduce fuel consumption. The following vehicle levels are possible:
R
normal
R raised (vehicles without 4MATIC): the vehi-
cle is raised by about 25 mm when com-
pared with the normal level.
R raised (vehicles with 4MATIC): the vehicle
is raised by about 35 mm when compared
with the normal level.
R lowered: the vehicle is lowered by about
10 mm when compared with the normal
level.
The "Normal" and "Raised" vehicle levels can
be set manually.
The "Lowered” vehicle level is set automati-
cally:
R at speeds above 140 km/h
R if you have selected "Sports tuning"
(Y page 209)
Setting the vehicle level G
WARNING
Make sure that nobody is in the vicinity of the
wheel housing or under the vehicle while low-
ering the vehicle when it is stationary. Other-
wise, limbs could become trapped.
Select the "Normal" setting for normal road
surfaces and "Raised" for driving with snow
chains or on particularly poor road surfaces.
Your selection remains stored even if you
remove the key from the ignition lock.
Setting raised level X
Start the engine. 208
Driving systemsDriving and parking

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