2015 MERCEDES-BENZ E-CLASS CABRIOLET ESP

DISTRONIC PLUS with Steering Assist
and Stop&Go Pilot General notes
DISTRONIC PLUS with Steering Assist and
Stop&Go Pilot aids you in keeping the vehicle in
the centre of the driving lane by means of mod-
erate steering interventions in a speed range
from 0 - 200 km/h.
It monitors the area in front of your vehicle by
means of multifunction camera :, at the top of
the windscreen.
In a speed range from 0 - 60 km/h, Stop&Go
Pilot focuses on the vehicle in front, taking into
account lane markings, e.g. when following vehi- cles in a traffic jam.
At speeds of more than 60 km/h, Steering
Assist focuses on detected lane markings (left
and right), only focusing on the vehicle in front if
detected lane markings are not present.
If these conditions are not present, Steering
Assist and Stop&Go Pilot cannot provide assis-
tance.
DISTRONIC PLUS must be active in order for the
function to be available.
Important safety notesIf you fail to adapt your driving style, DISTRONIC
PLUS with Steering Assist and Stop&Go Pilot
can neither reduce the risk of an accident nor
override the laws of physics. It cannot take into account road, weather or traffic conditions.
DISTRONIC PLUS with Steering Assist and
Stop&Go Pilot is only an aid. You are responsible
for the distance to the vehicle in front, for vehi-
cle speed, for braking in good time and for stay- ing in lane.
DISTRONIC PLUS with Steering Assist and
Stop&Go Pilot does not detect road and traffic
conditions and does not detect all road users. If
you are following a vehicle which is driving towards the edge of the carriageway, your vehi-
cle could come into contact with the kerb or
other road boundaries. Be particularly aware of
other road users, e.g. cyclists, that are directly
next to your vehicle.
Obstacles such as traffic pylons on the lane or
projecting out into the lane are not detected.
An inappropriate steering intervention, e.g. after intentionally driving over a lane marking, can be
corrected at any time if you steer slightly in the
opposite direction.
DISTRONIC PLUS with Steering Assist and
Stop&Go Pilot cannot continuously keep your
vehicle in lane. In some cases, the steering
intervention is not sufficient to bring the vehicle back to the lane. In such cases, you must steer the vehicle yourself to ensure that it does not
leave the lane.
The support offered by the system may be
impaired if:
R there is poor visibility, e.g. due to insufficient
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 (e.g. if
the road surface is wet)
R the windscreen is dirty, misted up, damaged
or covered, for instance by a sticker, in the
vicinity of the camera
R no, or several, unclear lane markings are pres-
ent for one lane, e.g. in a construction area
R the lane markings are worn away, dark or cov-
ered up, e.g. by dirt or snow
R the distance to the vehicle in front is too small
and the lane markings thus cannot be detec-
ted
R the lane markings change quickly, e.g. lanes
branch off, cross one another or merge
R the road is narrow and winding
R there are highly variable shade conditions on
the road
The system is switched to passive and no longer assists you by performing steering interventions
if:
R you actively change lanes
R you switch on the turn signal
R you take your hands off the steering wheel or
do not steer for a prolonged period of time
i After you have finished changing lanes,
Steering Assist and Stop&Go Pilot are auto-
matically active again. 176
Driving syste
msDriving and parking

DISTRONIC PLUS Steering Assist does not pro-
vide assistance:
R on very sharp corners
R if a loss of tyre pressure or a defective tyre has
been detected and displayed
Pay attention also to the important safety notes
for DISTRONIC PLUS (Y page 168).
The steering interventions are carried out with a limited steering moment. The system requires
the driver to keep his hands on the steering
wheel and to steer himself.
If you do not steer yourself or if you take your
hands off the steering wheel for a prolonged
period of time, the system will first alert you with a visual warning. A steering wheel symbol
appears in the multifunction display. If you have
still not started to steer and have not taken hold
of the steering wheel after five seconds at the
latest, a warning tone also sounds to remind you to take control of the vehicle. Steering Assist
and Stop&Go Pilot switch to passive mode.
DISTRONIC PLUS remains active.
Activating Steering Assist and Stop&Go
Pilot X Activate the DISTRONIC PLUS with Steering
Assist and Stop&Go Pilot function using the
on-board computer (Y page 222).
The DTR+: steering assistant On
DTR+: steering assistant On mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
Steering Assist and Stop&Go Pilot are active.
Information in the multifunction display If Steering Assist and Stop&Go Pilot are activa-
ted but not ready for a steering intervention,
steering wheel symbol :appears in grey. If the
system provides you with support by means of
steering interventions, symbol :is shown in
green. Deactivating Steering Assist and Stop&Go
Pilot
X Deactivate the DISTRONIC PLUS with Steer-
ing Assist and Stop&Go Pilot function using
the on-board computer (Y page 222).
The DTR+: steering assistant Off
DTR+: steering assistant Off mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
Steering Assist and Stop&Go Pilot are deac-
tivated.
When DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated or not
available, Steering Assist and Stop&Go Pilot are deactivated automatically. 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 effect is cancelled and the HOLD
function is deactivated when you depress the
accelerator pedal to pull away.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
When leaving the vehicle, it can still roll away despite being braked by the HOLD function if:
R there is a malfunction in the system or in
the voltage supply
R the HOLD function is deactivated by the
accelerator pedal being depressed, e.g. by
a vehicle occupant
R the electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses are tam-
pered with
R the battery is disconnected
There is a risk of an accident.
Before leaving the vehicle, always deactivate
the HOLD function and secure the vehicle
from rolling away. Driving systems
177Driving and parking Z

Dynamic handling package with
sports mode
General notes The most important part of the dynamic han-
dling package with sports mode is the adjusta-
ble damping system. This automatically controls
and adapts the suspension to the respective
driving situation.
The calibration of the suspension depends on:
R your driving style
R the road surface conditions
R your individual selection; see the following
description
Vehicles with dynamic handling package
with sports mode: in addition to drive pro-
grams Eand S, there is also manual drive pro-
gram M(Y page 151).
Sport mode Example: position of dynamic handling package
with sports mode button
The firmer setting of the suspension tuning in
sports mode ensures even better contact with
the road. Select this mode when employing a
sporty driving style, e.g. on winding country
roads.
X Start the engine.
X If indicator lamp ;
; is not lit: press but-
ton :.
Indicator lamp ;lights up. The sports sus-
pension setting is selected.
i Your selection remains stored until you
switch off the engine. Comfort mode
In comfort mode, the driving characteristics of
your vehicle are more comfortable. Therefore,
select this mode if you prefer a more comforta-
ble driving style. Select Comfort mode also
when driving fast on straight roads, e.g. on
straight stretches of motorway.
X If indicator lamp =
= is not lit: press but-
ton :.
Indicator lamp =lights up. The comfortable
suspension setting is selected. PARKTRONIC
Important safety notes PARKTRONIC is an electronic parking aid with
ultrasonic sensors. It monitors the area around
your vehicle using six sensors in the front
bumper and six sensors in the rear bumper.
PARKTRONIC indicates visually and audibly the
distance between your vehicle and an object.
PARKTRONIC is only an aid. It is not a substitute
for your attention to the immediate surround-
ings. The responsibility for safe manoeuvring
and parking remains with you. Make sure that
there are no persons, animals or objects in
range while manoeuvring and parking.
! When parking, pay particular attention to
objects above or below the sensors, such as
flower pots or trailer drawbars. PARKTRONIC does not detect such objects when they are in
the immediate vicinity of the vehicle. You
could damage the vehicle or the objects.
The sensors may not detect snow and objects which absorb ultrasonic sources.
Ultrasonic sources, such as an automatic car
wash, a lorry's compressed-air brakes or a Driving syste
ms
179Driving an d parking Z

Problems with PARKTRONIC
Problem
Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions Only the red segments in
the PARKTRONIC warn-
ing displays are lit. You
also hear a warning tone
for approximately two
seconds.
PARKTRONIC is then
deactivated and the indi-
cator lamp on the
PARKTRONIC button
lights up. PARKTRONIC has malfunctioned and has switched off.
X If problems persist, have PARKTRONIC checked at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop. Only the red segments in
the PARKTRONIC warn-
ing displays are lit.
PARKTRONIC is then
deactivated. The PARKTRONIC sensors are dirty or there is interference.
X
Clean the PARKTRONIC sensors (Y page 300).
X Switch the ignition back on. The problem may be caused by an external source of radio or ultra-
sound waves.
X See if PARKTRONIC functions in a different location. Active Parking Assist
General notes Active Parking Assist is an electronic parking aid
with ultrasound. It measures the road on both
sides of the vehicle. A parking symbol indicates a suitable parking space. Active steering inter-
vention and brake application can assist you
during parking. You may also use PARKTRONIC
(Y page 179).
i The active braking application is only avail-
able on vehicles with automatic transmission.
Important safety notes Active Parking Assist is only an aid. It is not a
substitute for your attention to the immediate
surroundings. The responsibility for safe
manoeuvring and parking remains with you.
Make sure that no persons, animals or objects
are in the manoeuvring range.
When PARKTRONIC is switched off, Active Park-
ing Assist is also unavailable. G
WARNING
While parking or pulling out of a parking
space, the vehicle swings out and can drive onto areas of the oncoming lane. This could
cause you to collide with other road users.
There is a risk of an accident.
Pay attention to other road users. Stop the
vehicle if necessary or cancel the Active Park-
ing Assist parking procedure.
! If unavoidable, you should drive over obsta-
cles such as kerbs slowly and not at a sharp
angle. Otherwise, you may damage the
wheels or tyres.
Active Parking Assist may also display spaces
not suitable for parking, e.g.: R parking or stopping prohibitions.
R in front of driveways or entrances and exits.
R unsuitable surfaces.
Parking tips:
R on narrow roads, drive as closely as possible
past the parking space.
R parking spaces that are littered or overgrown
might be identified or measured incorrectly.
R parking spaces that are partially occupied by
trailer drawbars might not be identified as
such or be measured incorrectly. Driving systems
183Driving and parking Z

right angles to the direction of travel. You will
need to judge whether your vehicle will fit in
the parking space.
When driving at speeds below 30 km/h, you will
see parking symbol ;as a status indicator in
the instrument cluster. When a parking space
has been detected, an arrow towards the right or the left also appears. Active Parking Assist only
displays parking spaces on the front-passenger side as standard. Parking spaces on the driver's
side are displayed as soon as the turn signal on the driver's side is activated. When parking on
the driver's side, this must remain activated
until you confirm the use of Active Parking Assist by pressing the abutton on the multifunc-
tion steering wheel. The system automatically
determines whether the parking space is paral-
lel or at right angles to the direction of travel.
A parking space is displayed while you are driv-
ing past it, and until you are approximately 15 m away from it.
Parking G
WARNING
If you leave the vehicle when it is only being
braked by Active Parking Assist it could roll
away if:
R there is a malfunction in the system or in
the voltage supply.
R the electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses are tam-
pered with.
R the battery is disconnected.
R the vehicle is accelerated, e.g. by a vehicle
occupant.
There is a risk of an accident.
Before leaving the vehicle, always secure it
against rolling away.
i Vehicles with automatic transmission:
When PARKTRONIC detects obstacles, Active Parking Assist brakes automatically during
the parking process. You are responsible for
braking in good time. X
Stop the vehicle when the parking symbol
shows the desired parking space in the instru- ment cluster.
X Vehicles with manual transmission: shift to
reverse gear.
Vehicles with automatic transmission: shift to
position R.
The Start Park Assist? Yes: OK No:
Start Park Assist? Yes: OK No:
% message appears in the multifunction
display.
X To cancel the procedure: press the%
button on the multifunction steering wheel or
pull away.
or X To park using Active Parking Assist: press
the a button on the multifunction steering
wheel.
The Park Assist active Accelerate Park Assist active Accelerate
and brake Observe surroundings
and brake Observe surroundings mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
X Release the multifunction steering wheel.
X Reverse the vehicle, being ready to brake at
all times. When reversing, drive at a speed
below 10 km/h. Otherwise, Active Parking
Assist will be cancelled.
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
Active Parking Assist brakes the vehicle to a
standstill when the vehicle approaches the
rear border of the parking space.
Manoeuvring may be required in tight parking
spaces.
X Vehicles with manual transmission: stop
as soon as PARKTRONIC sounds the contin-
uous warning tone, if not before.
Manoeuvring may be required in tight parking
spaces.
Vehicles with manual transmission: the
Park Assist active Engage forward Park Assist active Engage forward
gear Observe surroundings gear Observe surroundings message
appears in the multifunction display
Vehicles with automatic transmission: the
Park Assist active Select D Observe Park Assist active Select D Observe
surroundings surroundings message appears in the multi-
function display
X Vehicles with manual transmission: shift
to first gear while the vehicle is stationary.
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
select transmission position Dwhile the vehi-
cle is stationary.
Active Parking Assist immediately steers in
the other direction. Driving systems
185Driving and parking Z

The
Park Assist active Accelerate
Park Assist active Accelerate
and brake Observe surroundings
and brake Observe surroundings mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
i You will achieve the best results by waiting
for the steering procedure to complete before
pulling away.
X Drive forwards and be ready to brake at all
times.
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
Active Parking Assist brakes the vehicle to a
standstill.
X Vehicles with manual transmission: stop,
at the latest when PARKTRONIC sounds the
continuous warning tone.
Vehicles with manual transmission: the
Park Assist active Engage reverse
Park Assist active Engage reverse
gear Observe surroundings gear Observe surroundings message
appears in the multifunction display.
Vehicles with automatic transmission: the
Park Assist active Select R Observe
Park Assist active Select R Observe
surroundings surroundings message appears in the multi-
function display.
Additional transmission shifts may be neces-
sary.
As soon as the parking procedure is complete,
the Park Assist switched off
Park Assist switched off message
appears in the multifunction display and you will hear a tone. The vehicle is now parked. The
vehicle is kept stationary without the driver hav- ing to depress the brake pedal. The braking
effect is cancelled when you depress the accel-
erator pedal.
Active Parking Assist no longer supports you
with steering interventions and brake applica-
tions. When Active Parking Assist is finished,
you must steer and brake again yourself.
PARKTRONIC is still available.
X Manoeuvre if necessary.
X Always observe the warning messages dis-
played by PARKTRONIC (Y page 181).
Parking tips:
R The way your vehicle is positioned in the park-
ing space after parking is dependent on vari-
ous factors. These include the position and
shape of the vehicles parked in front and
behind it and the conditions of the location. It
may be the case that Active Parking Assist
guides you too far into a parking space, or not far enough into it. In some cases, it may also
lead you across or onto the kerb. If necessary, you should cancel the parking procedure with
Active Parking Assist.
R You can also preselect transmission position
D. The vehicle redirects and does not drive as
far into the parking space. Should a gear be
changed too early, the parking procedure will be cancelled. A sensible parking position can
no longer be achieved from this position.
Exiting a parking space In order that Active Parking Assist can support
you when exiting the parking space:
R the border of the parking space must be high
enough at the front and the rear. A kerb stoneis too small, for example.
R the border of the parking space must not be
too wide, as the position of the vehicle must
not exceed an angle of 45° to the starting
position as it is manoeuvred into the parking
space.
R a manoeuvring distance of at least 1.0 mmust
be available.
i Vehicles with automatic transmission:
If PARKTRONIC detects obstacles, Active
Parking Assist brakes automatically whilst the vehicle exits the parking space. You are
responsible for braking in good time.
Active Parking Assist can only assist you with
exiting a parking space if you have parked the
vehicle parallel to the direction of travel using
Active Parking Assist.
X Start the engine.
X Release the parking brake.
X Switch on the turn signal in the direction you
are pulling away.
X Vehicles with manual transmission:
engage first or reverse gear.
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
shift the transmission to position
Dor R.
The Start Park Assist? Yes: OK No: Start Park Assist? Yes: OK No:
% message appears in the multifunction
display.
X To cancel the procedure: press the%
button on the multifunction steering wheel or
pull away.
or 186
Driving systemsDriving and pa
rking

X
To exit a parking space using Active Park-
ing Assist: press theabutton on the mul-
tifunction steering wheel.
The Park Assist active Accelerate
Park Assist active Accelerate
and brake Observe surroundings and brake Observe surroundings mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
X Release the multifunction steering wheel.
X Pull away, being ready to brake at all times. Do
not exceed a maximum speed of approx-
imately 10 km/h when exiting a parking
space. Otherwise, Active Parking Assist will
be cancelled.
X Vehicles with manual transmission: stop,
at the latest when PARKTRONIC sounds the
continuous warning tone.
X Vehicles with manual transmission:
engage first gear or reverse gear when the
vehicle is stationary, depending on the mes-
sage or requirement.
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
shift the transmission to position Dor Rwhen
the vehicle is stationary, depending on the
message or requirement.
Active Parking Assist immediately steers in
the other direction. The Park Assist
Park Assist
active active Accelerate
Accelerate and
andbrake
brake Observe
Observe
surroundings
surroundings message appears in the mul-
tifunction display.
i You will achieve the best results by waiting
for the steering procedure to complete before
pulling away.
If you reverse after activation, the steering
wheel is moved to the straight-ahead posi-
tion.
X Drive forwards and reverse as prompted by
the PARKTRONIC warning displays, several
times if necessary.
X Vehicles with manual transmission: stop
as soon as PARKTRONIC sounds the contin-
uous warning tone, if not before.
Once you have exited the parking space com-
pletely, the steering wheel is moved to the
straight-ahead position. You hear a tone and the
Park Park Assist
Assist switched
switched off
offmessage appears
in the multifunction display. You will then have
to steer and merge into traffic on your own.
PARKTRONIC is still available. You can take over the steering before the vehicle has exited the
parking space completely. This is useful, for
example when you recognise that it is already
possible to pull out of the parking space. Cancelling Active Parking Assist You can cancel Active Parking Assist at any
time.
X Stop the movement of the multifunction
steering wheel or steer yourself.
Active Parking Assist will be cancelled at
once. The Park Assist cancelled Park Assist cancelled mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display and you hear a tone.
or
X Press the PARKTRONIC button on the centre
console (Y page 181).
PARKTRONIC is switched off and Active Park-
ing Assist is immediately cancelled. The
Park Assist cancelled Park Assist cancelled message appears
in the multifunction display and you hear a
tone.
Active Parking Assist is cancelled automatically
if:
R the transmission is shifted too early
R transmission position Pis selected
R parking using Active Parking Assist is no lon-
ger possible
R you are driving faster than 10 km/h
R a wheel spins and ESP ®
intervenes or fails. In
such cases the ÷warning lamp lights up in
the instrument cluster.
A warning tone sounds. The parking symbol dis-
appears and the multifunction display shows the
Park Assist cancelled
Park Assist cancelled message.
When Active Parking Assist is cancelled, you
must steer and brake again yourself.
Vehicles with automatic transmission: if a
system malfunction occurs, the vehicle is
braked to a standstill. To drive on, depress the
accelerator pedal again.
Towing a trailer For vehicles with a trailer tow hitch, the mini-
mum length for parking spaces is slightly
increased.
If you have attached a trailer to your vehicle, you
should not use Active Parking Assist. Once the
electrical connection is established between
your vehicle and the trailer, Active Parking
Assist is no longer available. PARKTRONIC is
deactivated for the rear area. Driving systems
187Driving and parking Z

Reversing camera
General notes Reversing camera
:is an optical parking and
manoeuvring aid. It shows the area behind your vehicle with guide lines in the multimedia sys-
tem display.
The area behind the vehicle is displayed as a
mirror image, as in the rear-view mirror.
i The text shown in the multimedia system
display depends on the language setting. The following are examples of reversing camera
messages in the multimedia system display.
Important safety notes The reversing camera is only an aid. It is not a
substitute for your attention to the immediate
surroundings. The responsibility for safe
manoeuvring and parking remains with you.
Make sure that there are no persons, animals or
objects in range while manoeuvring and parking.
Under the following circumstances, the revers-
ing camera will not function, or will function in a limited manner:
R if the boot lid is open
R in heavy rain, snow or fog
R at night or in very dark places
R if the camera is exposed to very bright light
R if the area is lit by fluorescent bulbs or LED
lighting (the display may flicker)
R if there is a sudden change in temperature,
e.g. when driving into a heated garage in win-
ter R
if the camera lens is dirty or obstructed.
Observe the notes on cleaning
(Y page 300)
R if the rear of your vehicle is damaged. In this
case, have the camera position and setting
checked at a qualified specialist workshop.
The field of vision and other functions of the
reversing camera may be restricted due to addi-
tional accessories on the rear of the vehicle (e.g.
licence plate holder, bicycle rack).
On vehicles with height-adjustable chassis,
leaving the standard height can result in inac-
curacies in the guide lines, depending on tech-
nical conditions.
i The reversing camera is protected from rain-
drops and dust by means of a flap. When the
reversing camera is activated, this flap opens.
The flap closes again when:
R you have finished the manoeuvring process
R you switch off the engine
R you open the boot
See the notes on cleaning (Y page 300).
For technical reasons, the flap may remain
open briefly after the reversing camera has
been deactivated.
Activating/deactivating the reversing
camera X
To activate: make sure that the key is in
position 2in the ignition lock.
X Make sure that the Activation by R gear Activation by R gear
function is selected in the multimedia system (see the Digital Owner's Manual).
X Engage reverse gear.
The reversing camera flap opens. The area
behind the vehicle is shown with guide lines in
the multimedia system display. 188
Driving systemsDriving and parking