MERCEDES-BENZ E550 4MATIC 2007 W211 Owner's Manual

260 Controls in detailDriving systemsSetting to last stored speed
(“Resume” function)
Briefly tip the cruise control lever in di-
rection of arrow4 (
page 258).
Distronic is activated and set to the last
stored speed.

Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.Deactivating Distronic
There are several ways to deactivate the
Distronic system:

Briefly tip the cruise control lever in di-
rection of arrow3 (
page 258).
or

Step on the brake pedal.
Distronic will be deactivated. The last
speed set will be stored into memory.Distronic deactivates automatically when:


you set the parking brake


you drive slower than 20 mph
(30 km/h)


the ESP
® is active (
page 100) or you
deactivate the ESP
®


you move the gear selector lever into
positionN
A signal will sound. The
DISTRONIC off

message appears in the multifunction
display for approximately 5 seconds.
Warning!
G
The speed stored in memory should only be
set again if prevailing road conditions per-
mit. Possible acceleration or deceleration
differences arising from returning to the pre-
set speed could cause an accident and/or
serious injury to you and others.
i
The following message will appear in the
multifunction display for approximately
5seconds:
DISTRONIC offThe last stored speed is deleted when you turn
off the engine.
Warning!
G
Distronic switches off and releases the
brakes when the vehicle decelerates below
the minimum speed of 20 mph (30 km/h)
by operation of the system. At that time the
driver must apply the brakes in order to re-
duce vehicle speed further or bring it to a
stop.

261 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Setting the following distance in
Distronic
You can set the specified following dis-
tance for Distronic by varying the time set-
ting between 1.0 and 2.0 seconds. Using
this time setting and the current speed of
your vehicle, Distronic calculates and sets
the required following distance to the vehi-
cle ahead. The set distance will be shown
in the multifunction display.
The thumbwheel for making the time set-
ting is located on the lower section of the
center console.1Distance warning function on/off
switch
2Indicator lamp
3Thumbwheel for setting distance
Increasing distance
Increasing the distance setting tells
Distronic to maintain a greater following
distance to the vehicle ahead.

Turn thumbwheel3 towards¯.Decreasing distance
Decreasing the distance setting tells
Distronic to maintain a smaller following
distance to the vehicle ahead.

Turn thumbwheel3 towards®.
Distance warning function
When Distronic is deactivated, this func-
tion will continue to warn you when recog-
nizing a stationary obstacle or a slower
vehicle moving in the vehicle’s path and
the danger of a collision exists:


The distance warning lampl in the
instrument cluster comes on.


An intermittent warning will sound if
necessary.
If these warnings are issued, you must
brake manually to maintain a safe distance
and avoid a collision with the vehicle
ahead.
Warning!
G
It is up to the driver to exercise discretion to
select the appropriate setting given road
conditions, traffic, driver’s preferred driving
style and applicable laws and driving recom-
mendations for safe following distance.

262 Controls in detailDriving systemsWhen pressing the brake pedal, the warn-
ing sound ceases. The warning sound will
also cease when the distance to the vehi-
cle ahead is sufficient again without apply-
ing the brakes. In this case, the distance
warning lamp will also go out.Activating

Press switch1.
Indicator lamp 2 on the switch comes
on. A loudspeaker symbol appears in
the multifunction display (
page 257).
Deactivating

Press switch1.
Indicator lamp 2 on the switch goes
out. No loudspeaker symbol appears in
the multifunction display.Driving with Distronic
This section describes a number of driving
situations where special precaution is re-
quired on the part of the driver. Be pre-
pared to brake in such situations. This will
deactivate the Distronic system.
Warning!
G
If the distance warning lampl in the in-
strument cluster comes on while driving
and/or an intermittent warning sounds, im-
mediate attention on the part of the driver is
required. As required by the traffic situation,
apply the brakes and navigate around a pos-
sible obstacle. However, do not drive by re-
lying on the distance warning function, as
this will result in an emergency braking ap-
plication. Especially depending on road sur-
face conditions and driver reaction, this will
not always enable you to avoid a collision.i
Complex driving situations are not always
fully recognized by Distronic. This could result in
wrong or missing distance warnings.
Warning!
G
Distronic works to maintain the speed se-
lected by the driver unless a moving obsta-
cle proceeding directly ahead of it in the
same travel direction is detected (e.g. fol-
lowing another vehicle ahead of you at a dis-
tance set by Distronic). This means that:

Your vehicle can pass another vehicle
after you change lanes.


While in a sharp turn or if the vehicle in
front is in a sharp turn, Distronic could
lose sight of a vehicle traveling in front
of it, then your vehicle could accelerate
to the previously selected speed.

263 Controls in detail
Driving systems
The most likely cause for a malfunctioning
system is a dirty sensor (located behind
the hood grille), especially at times of snow
and ice or heavy rain. In such a case,
Distronic will switch off, and the message DISTRONIC
currently unavailable
See Operator’s Manualappears in the multifunction display.
For cleaning and care of the Distronic sen-
sor, see “Cleaning the Distronic* system
sensor cover” (
page 373).Turns and bends
In turns or bends, Distronic may not detect
a moving vehicle in front, or it may detect
one too soon. This may cause your vehicle
to brake late or unexpectedly.
Distronic regulates only the distance be-
tween your vehicle and those directly ahead
of it, but does not register stationary objects
in the road, e.g.:

a stopped vehicle in a traffic jam


a disabled vehicle


an oncoming vehicle
The driver must always be on the alert, ob-
serve all traffic and intercede as required by
steering or braking the vehicle.
Warning!
G
Distronic should not be used in snowy or icy
road conditions.
i
If the message
DISTRONIC
currently unavailable
See Operator’s Manualdisappears during driving and the last speed
stored flashes for approximately 5 seconds, the
dirt (e.g. slush) has dissolved; Distronic works
again.

264 Controls in detailDriving systemsOffset driving
A vehicle traveling in your lane but offset
from your direct line of travel may not be
detected by Distronic. There will be insuffi-
cient distance to the vehicle ahead.Lane changing
Distronic has not yet detected the vehicle
changing lanes. There will be insufficient
distance to the lane-changing vehicle.Narrow vehicles
Because of their narrow profile, the
vehicles traveling near the outer edges of
the lane have not yet been detected by
Distronic. There will be insufficient
distance to the vehicles ahead.

265 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Airmatic DC (Dual Control)
(only available on E 550, E 550 4MATIC, E 63 AMG)
Airmatic automatically selects the opti-
mum suspension tuning and ride height for
your vehicle. The Airmatic consists of two
components:

Adaptive Damping System (ADS)


Vehicle level control
The ADS automatically selects the opti-
mum damping for the respective driving
conditions. At the same time the suspen-
sion is set to either Sport 1, Sport 2 or
Comfort.
Suspension tuning
The suspension tuning is set according to:


Your driving style


Road surface conditions


Your choice of suspension style,
Sport 1, Sport 2 or Comfort, which you
select using the damping button1The following suspension styles are
available:


Comfort
Both indicator lamps2 are off.


Sport 1
One indicator lamp2 is on.


Sport 2
Both indicator lamps2 are on.
1Damping button
2Indicator lamps

Start the engine.

Press the damping button1 until the
desired suspension style is set.
!
If you have selected the Comfort suspen-
sion tuning, the vehicle lowers slightly when you
lock it within approximately 60 seconds after
switching off the engine. When parking, make
sure that your vehicle cannot come into contact
with other objects, such as a curb, while lower-
ing. Your vehicle could otherwise be damaged.
i
The selected suspension style is stored in
memory, even after the SmartKey is removed
from the starter switch.

266 Controls in detailDriving systemsVehicle level control
Your vehicle automatically adjusts its ride
height to

increase vehicle safety


reduce fuel consumption
The following vehicle chassis ride heights
can be selected:


Normal


Raised
The vehicle chassis ride height is raised or
lowered according to the selected level
setting and to the vehicle speed:


At a speed exceeding approximately
68 mph (110 km/h) with normal level
set or exceeding 75 mph (120 km/h)
with raised level set, the ride height is
reduced automatically. The table on
the next page provides an overview of
the vehicle levels.


With decreasing speed, the ride height
is again raised to the normal level.Select the raised level only when required
by current driving conditions. Otherwise


handling may be impaired


fuel consumption may increase
i
These height adjustments are so small that
you may not notice any change.Warning!
G
To help avoid personal injury, keep hands
and feet away from wheel housing area, and
stay away from under the vehicle when low-
ering the vehicle chassis.

267 Controls in detail
Driving systems
The following vehicle level settings can be
selected when the vehicle is stationary and
the engine is running:Vehicle level
when stationary
Indicator lamp
Suspension
tuning
Use for
Ride height increase
over normal
Automatic lowering
Normal
Lamp off
Comfort
For driving on normal
roads
None
Max. approx. 0.4 in (10 mm)
Normal
Lamp off
Sport 1 or 2
For driving on normal
roads
None
Max. approx. 0.6 in (15 mm)
Raised
Lamp on
Comfort
For driving on rough
roads or with snow
chains
Approx. 0.8 in (20 mm)
Max. approx. 1.2 in (30 mm)
Raised
Lamp on
Sport 1 or 2
For driving on rough
roads or with snow
chains
Approx. 0.8 in (20 mm)
Max. approx. 1.4 in (35 mm)

268 Controls in detailDriving systemsThe button is located in the lower section
of the center console.
1Vehicle level control button
2Indicator lamp 
Start the engine (
page 52).

Briefly press button1 to change from
normal level to raised level. When vehi-
cle is at raised level, pressing the but-
ton will return the vehicle to normal
level.
When raised level is set, indicator
lamp2 on the button comes on.
When normal level is set, indicator
lamp2 on the button goes out.
i
At a speed of approximately above 75 mph
(120 km / h) or if the speed amounts to between
50 mph (80 km / h) and 75 mph (120 km / h) for
approximately 5 minutes, the setting raised is
canceled. The indicator lamp 2 on the button
goes out.
If you do not drive in this speed range, the raised
level remains stored even if the SmartKey is re-
moved from the starter switch.

269 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Parktronic system (Parking assist)*
The Parktronic system is an electronic aid
designed to assist the driver during park-
ing maneuvers. It visually and audibly indi-
cates the relative distance between the
vehicle and an obstacle.
The Parktronic system is automatically ac-
tivated when you switch on the ignition, re-
lease the parking brake, and placed the
gear selector lever in positionD,R,orN.
The Parktronic system deactivates at
speeds over approximately 11 mph
(18 km/h). At lower speeds the Parktronic
system turns on again.
The Parktronic system also deactivates
when you place the gear selector lever in
positionP or depress the parking brake
pedal.The Parktronic system monitors the sur-
roundings of your vehicle with six sensors
in the front bumper and four sensors in the
rear bumper.
1Sensors in the front bumper
Range of the sensors
To function properly, the sensors must be
free of dirt, ice, snow and slush. Clean the
sensors regularly, being careful not to
scratch or damage the sensors, see
“Cleaning the Parktronic system* sensors”
(
page 373).
Warning!
G
Parktronic is a supplemental system. It is
not intended to, nor does it replace, the
need for extreme care. The responsibility
during parking and other critical maneuvers
always rests with the driver.
Special attention must be paid to objects
with smooth surfaces or low silhouettes
(e.g. trailer couplings, painted posts, or road
curbs). Such objects may not be detected by
the system and can damage the vehicle.
The operational function of the Parktronic
system can be affected by dirty sensors, es-
pecially at times of snow and ice, see
“Cleaning the Parktronic system* sensors”
(page 373).
Interference caused by other ultrasonic sig-
nals (e.g. working jackhammers, car wash or
the air brakes of trucks) can cause the sys-
tem to send erratic indications, and should
be taken into consideration.
Warning!
G
Make sure no persons or animals are in the
area in which you are maneuvering. You
could otherwise injure them.