Mercedes-Benz E-Class Quiz
Driving and parking

Starting. Moving off

In this manual: Driving and parking
Introduction — 5At a glance — 6Safety — 25Opening and Closing — 17Seats, steering wheel and mirrors — 12Lights and windshield wipers — 11Climate Control — 11Driving and parking — 44On-board computer and displays — 29Stowing and Useful Information. Good to Know — 1Stowing and Useful Information. Storage Options — 10Stowage and convenience features. Convenience features — 7Maintenance and care — 11Roadside assistance — 13Wheels and tires — 13Technical data — 13
~5min read

The section "Starting and Moving Off" in the Mercedes E-Class (4th generation, W212, 2009–2016) explains the correct procedures for starting the engine and moving off with manual or automatic transmission. Notes on the hill start assist and safety ensure that the vehicle can be moved safely, even in difficult situations.

Start

Important Safety Notes

WARNING

If you leave children unattended in the vehicle, they can

  • open the doors and thereby endanger other persons or road users
  • get out and be hit by traffic
  • operate vehicle equipment and, for example, trap themselves.
In addition, children can set the vehicle in motion, e.g. by
  • releasing the parking brake
  • shifting the automatic transmission out of the P (Park) position or shifting the manual transmission into neutral
  • starting the engine.
There is a risk of accident and injury!

Always take the key with you when leaving the vehicle and lock the vehicle. Never leave children or animals unattended in the vehicle. Keep the key out of reach of children.

WARNING

Combustion engines emit toxic exhaust gases such as carbon monoxide. Inhaling these exhaust gases leads to poisoning. There is a risk to life! Never let the engine run in enclosed spaces without adequate ventilation.

WARNING

Flammable materials deposited by environmental influences or animals can ignite on hot engine or exhaust system parts. There is a risk of fire!

Therefore, check regularly that no flammable foreign material is present in the engine compartment or on the exhaust system.

NOTE

Do not press the accelerator when starting.

General Notes

Info
Gasoline engines: For approximately 30 seconds after a cold start, the catalytic converter is pre-heated. During this time, the engine noise may change.

Manual Transmission

Depress and hold the brake pedal.

Fully depress the clutch pedal.

Shift to neutral N.

Automatic transmission

Shift the transmission to position P.
  • The transmission position display in the multifunction display shows P. Info
    You can start the engine in transmission position P and N.

    Starting with the key

    Info
    To start the engine with the key instead of KEYLESS-GO, pull the Start/Stop button out of the ignition lock.

    Diesel engines: Turn the key in the ignition to position 2 .

  • The glow plug indicator lamplights up in the instrument cluster.

    Turn the key in the ignition to position 3 and release it as soon as the engine runs.

    Info

    Diesel engines: If the engine is warm, you can start without preheating.

    Starting with KEYLESS-GO

    Info
    With the Start/Stop button, you can start your vehicle manually without inserting the key into the ignition lock. The key must be in the vehicle and the Start/Stop button must be inserted in the ignition lock. Manual engine starting is not related to the automatic engine start of the ECO start/stop function.

    Depress and hold the brake pedal.

    Press the Start/Stop button once .

  • Gasoline engines: The engine starts. Diesel engines: The engine preheats and then starts.

    Pulling away

    General Notes

    WARNING

    Vehicles with automatic transmission:

    If the engine speed is above idle speed and you then engage transmission position D or R, the vehicle may accelerate suddenly. There is a risk of accident!

    Always depress the brake pedal firmly when engaging transmission position D or R and do not press the accelerator at the same time.

    NOTE

    Vehicles with manual transmission: Shift at the right time and avoid spinning the wheels where possible. Otherwise, you may damage your vehicle.

    If a warning tone sounds and the message Release parking brake appears in the multifunction display, the parking brake is still applied. Release the parking brake.

    When moving off, apply the accelerator carefully.

    After moving off, the vehicle locks automatically (central locking). The locking pins on the doors extend downward.

    You can open the doors from the inside at any time.

    You can also switch off the automatic door locking .

    Vehicles with automatic transmission: You can only shift the transmission from position P to the desired transmission position when you depress the brake pedal. If you do not depress the brake pedal, the DIRECT SELECT lever can be moved, but the parking lock remains engaged.

    Info

    Vehicles with automatic transmission: After a cold start, the transmission shifts at higher engine speeds. This allows the catalytic converter to reach its operating temperature sooner.

    Hill start assist

    The hill start assist supports you when starting forward and reverse uphill. It holds your vehicle briefly after you take your foot off the brake pedal. This gives you time to move your foot to the accelerator pedal and drive off without the vehicle rolling back immediately.

    WARNING

    After a short time, the hill start assist may not hold the vehicle and it can roll away. There is a risk of accident and injury!

    Therefore, move your foot quickly from the brake pedal to the accelerator pedal. Never try to leave the vehicle while it is being held by the hill start assist.

    The hill start assist is not active when

    • you move off on a level road or downhill
    • the transmission is in position N on vehicles with automatic transmission
    • the parking brake is applied
    • ESP is malfunctioning.

    The starting and moving-off system of the Mercedes E-Class W212 (model years 2009–2016) combines comfort and safety. Important information on engine starting, pedal operation and the hill start assist helps ensure that every journey runs smoothly and safely.

    These well-designed solutions make the E-Class an ideal companion, whether in the city or on long journeys.

    Question: Why should you not press the accelerator when starting?

    Answer: Because the vehicle may start on its own, and accelerating unnecessarily can put strain on the engine.

    Question: How does the hill start assist work?

    Answer: It holds the vehicle briefly after the brake is released to prevent it from rolling back.

    • Test yourself

    A quick Mercedes-Benz E-Class quiz: every answer comes with an explanation and a link to the manual page.