2013 MERCEDES-BENZ E-Class CABRIOLET ESP

Warning and indicator lamps
Function Page
:
å ESP
®
OFF 259
;
N Front fog lamps
122
=
R Rear fog lamp
123
?
#! Turn signals
124
A
ä ESP
® 259
B
· Distance warning
264
C
K High-beam headlamp
124
D
L Low-beam
headlamps
122
E
ü Seat belt
257 Function Page
F
6 SRS
261
G
; Check Engine
262
H
J Brakes (Canada only)
258
I
h Tire pressure monitor
(USA only)
265
J
? Coolant
262
K
$ Brakes (USA only)
258
L
! ABS
258
M
8 Reserve fuel
26230
Instrument cluster
At a glance

Air bags
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Air bags are designed to reduce the incidence
of injuries and fatalities in certain situations:
R frontal impacts (driver's and front-
passenger front air bags and knee bag on
the driver's side)
R side impacts (side impact air bags, pelvis
air bags, window curtain air bags on the
Coupe and head bags on the Cabriolet)
R rollover in a Cabriolet (head bags)
However, no system available today can
completely eliminate injuries and fatalities.
When the air bags are deployed, a small
amount of powder is released. The powder
generally
does not constitute a health hazard
and does not indicate that there is a fire in the
vehicle. In order to prevent potential
breathing difficulties, you should leave the
vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so. If you
have any breathing difficulty but cannot get
out of the vehicle after the air bag inflates,
then get fresh air by opening a window or
door. G
WARNING
In order to reduce the potential danger of
injuries caused during the deployment of the
front air bags, the driver and front passenger
must always be correctly seated and wear
their seat belts.
For maximum protection in the event of a
collision, you must always be in the normal
seat position with your back against the
backrest.

Fasten your seat belt and make sure
that it is correctly positioned on your body. As the air bag inflates with considerable
speed and force, a proper seating position
and correct positioning of the hands on the
steering

wheel will help to keep you at a safe
distance from the air bag. Occupants who are
not wearing their seat belt, are not seated
properly or are too close to the air bag can be
seriously injured or killed by an air bag, as it
inflates with great force instantaneously:
R sit with the seat belt fastened correctly and
in a position that is as upright as possible
with your back against the backrest.
R move the driver's seat as far back as
possible, still permitting proper operation
of vehicle controls. The distance from the
center of the driver's chest to the center of
the air bag cover on the steering wheel
must be at least 10 inches (25 cm). You
should be able to accomplish this by
adjusting the seat and steering wheel. If
you have any difficulties, please contact an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
R do not lean your head or chest close to the
steering wheel or dashboard.
R only hold the steering wheel on the outside.
Placing hands and arms inside the rim can
increase the risk and potential severity of
hand/arm injury if the driver front air bag
inflates.
R adjust the front-passenger seat as far back
as possible from the dashboard when the
seat is occupied.
R occupants, especially children, should
never place their bodies or lean their heads
in the area of the door where the side
impact air bag (Coupe) or the side impact
air bag and the head bag (Cabriolet) inflate.
This could result in serious injuries or death
should the side impact air bags (Coupe) or
side impact air bags and head bag
(Cabriolet) inflate. Always sit as upright as
possible, wear the seat belt properly and
use an appropriately sized child restraint
system, infant restraint system or booster
seat recommended for the size and weight
of the child. Occupant safety
41
Safety
Z

Failure to follow these instructions can result
in severe injuries to you or other occupants.
If
you sell your vehicle, it is important that you
make the buyer aware of this safety
information. Be sure to give the buyer this
Operator's Manual. G
WARNING
Accident research shows that the safest place
for
children in an automobile is in a rear seat.
A side impact air bag related injury may occur
if occupants, especially children, are not
properly seated or restrained when next to a
side impact air bag which needs to deploy
rapidly in a side impact in order to do its job.
To help avoid the possibility of injury, please
follow these guidelines:
(1) Always sit as upright as possible and use the seat belts properly.
Make sure that children 12 years
old

and under use an appropriately
sized child restraint, infant
restraint, or booster seat
recommended for the size and
weight of the child.
(2) Always wear seat belts properly.
If the air bags are deployed, you will hear a
bang,
and a small amount of powder may also
be released. Only in rare cases will the bang
affect your hearing. The powder that is
released generally does not constitute a
health hazard. The 6 SRS warning lamp
lights up.
The air bags are deployed if the air bag control
unit detects the need for deployment. Only in
the event of such a situation will the air bags
provide their supplemental protection.
If the driver and front passenger do not wear
their seat belts, it is not possible for the air
bags to provide their supplemental
protection.
In the event of other types of impacts and
impacts below air bag deployment
thresholds, the air bags will not deploy. The
driver and passengers will then be protected to the extent possible by a properly fastened
seat

belt. A properly fastened seat belt is also
needed to provide the best possible
protection in a rollover.
Air bags provide additional protection; they
are not, however, a substitute for seat belts.
All vehicle occupants must fasten their seat
belts regardless of whether your vehicle is
equipped with air bags or not.
It is important for your safety and that of your
passengers to have deployed air bags
replaced and to have any malfunctioning air
bags repaired. This will help to make sure the
air bags continue to perform their protective
function for the vehicle occupants in the
event of a crash.
Front air bags Driver's air bag
: deploys in front of the
steering wheel; front-passenger front air
bag ;

deploys in front of and above the glove
box.
The front air bags increase protection for the
driver's and front-passenger's head and
chest.
They are deployed:
R in the event of certain frontal impacts
R if the system determines that air bag
deployment can offer additional protection
to that provided by the seat belt
R depending on whether the seat belt is being
used
R independently of other air bags in the
vehicle42
Occupant safety
Safety

as a young teenager or a small adult), the
45 indicator lamp will illuminate for
approximately 6 seconds when the engine is
started. Depending on occupant weight
sensor readings from the seat, it will then
remain illuminated or go out. With the
45 indicator lamp illuminated, the
front passenger front air bag is deactivated.
With the 45 indicator lamp out, the
front passenger front air bag is activated.
When the OCS senses that the front
passenger seat occupant is classified as an
adult or someone larger than a small
individual, the
45 indicator lamp will
illuminate for approximately six seconds
when the engine is started and then go out.
This indicates that the front passenger front
air bag is activated.
If
the 45 indicator lamp is illuminated,
the front passenger front air bag is
deactivated and will not be deployed.
If the 45 indicator lamp is not
illuminated, the front passenger front air bag
is activated and will be deployed
R in the event of certain frontal impacts
R if the impact exceeds a predetermined
triggering threshold
R Coupe: independent of the side impact air
bag or pelvis air bag
R Cabriolet: independent of the side impact
air bag, pelvis air bag or head bag
If the front passenger front air bag is
deployed, the rate of inflation will be
influenced by
R the rate of vehicle deceleration as assessed
by the air bag control unit
R the front passenger's weight category as
identified by the OCS G
WARNING
According to accident statistics, children are
safer when properly restrained on the rear
seats

than on the front-passenger seat. Thus,
we strongly recommend that children be
placed in the rear seats whenever possible. Regardless of seating position, children 12
years old and under must be seated and
properly secured in an appropriate infant
restraint, toddler restraint, or booster seat
recommended for the size and weight of the
child.
The infant or child restraint must be properly
secured with the vehicle's seat belt, the seat
belt and Top Tether strap, or lower anchors
and

Top Tether strap, fully in accordance with
the child seat manufacturer's instructions.
Occupants, especially children, should always
sit as upright as possible, wear the seat belt
properly and use an appropriately sized infant
restraint, toddler restraint, or booster seat
recommended for the size and weight of the
child.
Children can be killed or seriously injured by
an inflating air bag. Note the following
important information when circumstances
require you to place a child in the front-
passenger seat:
R Your vehicle is equipped with air bag
technology designed to deactivate the
front-passenger front air bag in your vehicle
when the system senses the weight of a
typical 12-month-old child or less along
with the weight of a standard appropriate
child restraint on the front-passenger seat.
R A child in a rear-facing child restraint on the
front-passenger seat will be seriously
injured or even killed if the front-passenger
front air bag inflates in a collision which
could occur under some circumstances,
even with the air bag technology installed
in your vehicle. The only means to eliminate
this risk completely is never to place a child
in a rear-facing child restraint in the front-
passenger seat. We therefore strongly
recommend that you always place a child
in a rear-facing child restraint on the rear
seat.
R If you install a rear-facing child restraint on
the front-passenger seat, make sure the
45 indicator lamp is illuminated,
indicating that the front-passenger front air Occupant safety
47
Safety
Z

Never attempt to make modifications to seat
belts. This could impair the effectiveness of
the seat belts.
Fastening seat belts G
WARNING
According to accident statistics, children are
safer when properly restrained on the rear
seats
than on the front-passenger seat. Thus,
we strongly recommend that children be
placed in the rear seat whenever possible.
Regardless of seating position, children 12
years old and under must be seated and
properly secured in an appropriately sized
child restraint system or booster seat
recommended for the size and weight of the
child. For additional information, see the
"Children in the vehicle" section.
A child's risk of serious or fatal injuries is
significantly increased if the child restraints
are not properly secured in the vehicle and/
or the child is not properly secured in the child
restraint. G
WARNING
Seat belt presenter : must be retracted
while
the vehicle is in motion. Only when seat
belt presenter : is retracted can the seat
belt be properly positioned on the body and
protect the occupant as intended. Seat-belt extender (example: Coupe)
The

seat-belt extender for the driver and front
passenger helps you fasten your seat belt.
Seat-belt extender : is extended when the respective door is closed and the SmartKey
is

turned to position 1 or 2 in the ignition lock. You can also extend seat-belt extender
:
by
using the seat-belt extender button in the
center console.
X Press the seat-belt extender button.
Seat-belt extender : extends.
Seat-belt extender : is retracted again if:
R the belt tongue is engaged in the seat belt
buckle.
R the belt tongue is not engaged in the seat
belt buckle within 60 seconds.
R the respective door is opened.
R the

SmartKey is turned to position 0 in the
ignition lock.
R you release the seat backrest and fold it
forwards.
R the front-passenger seat is unoccupied
after, approximately five seconds.
If you press the seat-belt extender button
after this, seat-belt extender : will not
extend. Occupant safety
55
Safety Z

Tensioning Device could be triggered in the
event of an accident.
The seat belts are equipped with Emergency
Tensioning Devices and belt force limiters.
The
ETDs tighten the seat belts in an accident,
pulling them close against the body.
The ETDs do not correct incorrect seat
positions or incorrectly fastened seat belts.
The ETDs do not pull vehicle occupants back
towards the backrest.
If the seat belt is also equipped with a seat
belt force limiter and this is triggered, the
force exerted by the seat belt on the vehicle
occupant is reduced.
When triggered, seat belt force limiters help
to reduce the peak force exerted by the seat
belt on the vehicle occupant.
The belt force limiters for the front seats are
synchronized with the front air bags, which
take on a part of the deceleration force. This
results in the force exerted on the occupant
being distributed over a greater area.
The ETDs can only be activated when:
R the ignition is switched on.
R the restraint systems are operational; see
"SRS warning lamp" ( Y page 39).
R
R the belt tongue is engaged in the buckle on
each of the lap-shoulder belts in the front.
R the front-passenger seat is occupied and
the belt tongue is engaged in the buckle on
the front-passenger side.
The ETDs on the seats in the rear
compartment are triggered independently of
the lock status of the seat belts.
The ETDs are triggered depending on the type
and severity of an accident:
R if, in the event of a head-on or rear-end
collision, the vehicle decelerates or
accelerates rapidly in a longitudinal
direction during the initial stages of the
impact
R if, in the event of a side impact, on the side
opposite the impact the vehicle decelerates or accelerates rapidly in a
lateral direction
R Cabriolet:
in certain situations if the vehicle
overturns and the system determines that
it can provide additional protection
If the ETDs are deployed, you will hear a bang,
and a small amount of powder may also be
released. Only in rare cases will the bang
affect your hearing. The powder that is
released generally does not constitute a
health hazard. The 6 SRS warning lamp
lights up.
Automatic comfort-fit feature The front seat belts have an automatic
comfort-fit

feature. The automatic comfort-fit
feature reduces the retraction force of the
seat belts. This results in increased seat belt
comfort. Children in the vehicle
Child restraint systems
Important safety notes G
WARNING
According to accident statistics, children are
safer when properly restrained in the rear
seating positions than in the front seating
position. Thus, we strongly recommend that
children

be placed in the rear seats whenever
possible. Regardless of seating position,
children 12 years old and under must be
seated and properly secured in an appropriate
infant restraint, toddler restraint, or booster
seat recommended for the size and weight of
the child.
The infant or child restraint must be properly
secured with the vehicle's seat belt, the seat
belt and top tether strap, or lower anchors and
top tether strap, fully in accordance with the
child seat manufacturer's instructions.
Occupants, especially children, should always
sit as upright as possible, wear the seat belt
properly and use an appropriately sized infant 58
Children in the vehicle
Safety

belt A on the left and right past head
restraint :.
or
X Route Top Tether belt A over the center of
the head restraint.
X Hook Top Tether hook ? into Top Tether
anchorage =.
X Make sure that Top Tether belt A is not
twisted.
X Install the LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child
restraint system with Top Tether. Comply
with the manufacturer's installation
instructions

when doing so. Make sure that
Top Tether belt A is tight. Child-proof locks
Important safety notes G
WARNING
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the ignition lock. Always take
the SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle.
Do not leave children unattended in the
vehicle, even if they are secured in a child
restraint system, or with access to an
unlocked vehicle. A child's unsupervised
access

to a vehicle could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury. The children
could:
R injure themselves on parts of the vehicle
R be seriously or fatally injured through
excessive exposure to extreme heat or cold
R injure themselves or cause an accident with
vehicle equipment that can be operated
even if the SmartKey is removed from the
ignition lock or removed from the vehicle,
such as seat adjustment, steering wheel
adjustment, or the memory function
If children open a door, they could injure other
persons or get out of the vehicle and injure
themselves or be injured by following traffic.
Do not expose the child restraint system to
direct sunlight. The child restraint system's metal parts, for example, could become very
hot, and the child could be burned on these
parts.
Override feature for the rear side
windows G
WARNING
When children ride on the vehicle's rear seats,
activate the override switch. Otherwise the
children could be injured, e.g. by trapping
themselves in the rear side window. X
To activate/deactivate: press
button ;.
If indicator lamp : is lit, operation of the
rear side windows is disabled. Operation is
only possible using the switches in the
driver's door. If indicator lamp : is off,
operation is possible using the switches in
the rear compartment. Driving safety systems
Driving safety systems overview
In
this section, you will find information about
the following driving safety systems:
R ABS ( Anti-lock Braking System)
(Y page 64)
R BAS ( Brake Assist System) ( Y page 64)
R BAS PLUS ( Brake Assist System PLUS)
(Y page 65)
R ESP ®
(Electronic Stability Program)
(Y page 66) Driving safety systems
63
Safety Z

R
EBD ( electronic brake force distribution)
(Y page 67)
R ADAPTIVE BRAKE
(Y page 67)
R PRE-SAFE ®
Brake (Y page 67) Important safety notes
If you fail to adapt your driving style or
become distracted, the driving safety
systems can neither reduce the risk of
accident nor override the laws of physics.
Driving safety systems are merely aids
designed to assist driving. You are
responsible for the distance to the vehicle in
front, for vehicle speed and for braking in
good

time. Always adapt your driving style to
suit the prevailing road and weather
conditions and maintain a safe distance from
the vehicle in front. Drive carefully.
i The driving safety systems described only
work as effectively as possible when there
is adequate contact between the tires and
the road surface. Please pay special
attention to the notes on tires,
recommended minimum tire tread depths,
etc. (Y page 322).
In wintry driving conditions, always use
winter tires (M+S tires) and if necessary,
snow chains. Only in this way will the
driving safety systems described in this
section work as effectively as possible. ABS (Anti-lock Braking System)
Important safety notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes"
section ( Y page 64).G
WARNING
If ABS is faulty, the wheels could lock when
braking. The steerability and braking
characteristics may be severely impaired.
Additionally, further driving safety systems
are

deactivated. There is an increased danger
of skidding and accidents. Drive on carefully. Have ABS checked
immediately at a qualified specialist
workshop.
When ABS is malfunctioning, other systems,
including driving safety systems, will also
become

inoperative. Observe the information
on the ABS warning lamp ( Y page 258) and
display messages which may be shown in the
instrument cluster (Y page 229).
ABS regulates brake pressure in such a way
that the wheels do not lock when you brake.
This allows you to continue steering the
vehicle when braking.
ABS works from a speed of about 5 mph
(8 km/h) upwards, regardless of road-surface
conditions. ABS works on slippery surfaces,
even if you only brake gently.
The yellow ! ABS warning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up when the ignition
is switched on. It goes out when the engine is
running.
Braking X
If ABS intervenes:
continue to depress the
brake pedal vigorously until the braking
situation is over.
X To make a full brake application:
depress the brake pedal with full force.
If ABS intervenes when braking, you will feel
a pulsing in the brake pedal.
The pulsating brake pedal can be an
indication of hazardous road conditions, and
functions as a reminder to take extra care
while driving. BAS (Brake Assist System)
i Observe the "Important safety notes"
section ( Y page 64). G
WARNING
If BAS is malfunctioning, the braking distance
in an emergency braking situation is
increased. There is a risk of an accident. 64
Driving safety systems
Safety