trailer MERCEDES-BENZ CL500 2007 C216 Owner's Manual

431 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Parktronic system*
The Parktronic system is an electronic
parking aid with ultrasonic sensors that
helps you while parking.
It visually and audibly indicates the relative
distance between the vehicle and an ob-
stacle.
The Parktronic system is automatically ac-
tivated when you switch on the ignition, re-
lease the electronic parking brake or start
the engine and engage gear D, R or N.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 set the automatic transmission
to P or secure the vehicle in place with the
electronic parking brake and switch off the
engine.
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 (Only visi-
ble without DISTRONIC Plus*)
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 remains with the driver.
Warning!G
Make sure no persons or animals are in the
area in which you are maneuvering. You
could otherwise injure them.
!Special attention must be paid to objects
with smooth surfaces or low silhouettes (e.g.
trailer couplings, painted posts, elevated cross-
bars 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, espe-
cially at times of snow and ice.
Make sure that the area on the bumpers around
the sensors is free of dirt, ice and/or slush,
otherwise the Parktronic system may not
function properly, see “Cleaning the Parktronic*
system sensors” (
page 559).
iInterference caused by other ultrasonic sig-
nals (e.g. working jackhammers, car wash, or the
air brakes of trucks) can cause the system to
send erratic indications, and should be taken
into consideration.

432 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Range of the sensorsFront sensors
Rear sensorsMinimum distance
If the system detects an obstacle in this
range, all the distance warning segments
illuminate and you hear a warning signal. If
the obstacle is closer than the minimum
distance, the actual distance may no long-
er be indicated by the system.
iTo function properly, the sensors must be
free of dirt, ice, snow and slush. Clean the sen-
sors regularly, being careful not to scratch or
damage the sensors, see “Cleaning the Park-
tronic* system sensors” (
page 559).
Centerapprox. 40 in (100 cm)
Cornersapprox. 24 in (60 cm)
Centerapprox. 48 in (120 cm)
Cornersapprox. 32 in (80 cm)
!During parking maneuvers, pay special at-
tention to objects located above or below the
height of the sensors (e.g. street curbs, painted
posts, or trailer hitches etc.). The Parktronic sys-
tem will not detect such objects at close range
and damage to your vehicle or the object may
result.
Ultrasonic signals from outside sources (e.g.
truck air brakes, car wash, or jackhammers) may
impair the operation of the Parktronic system.
Centerapprox. 8 in (20 cm)
Cornersapprox. 6 in (15 cm)

435 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Park Assist*
Park Assist is an electronic parking aid
with radar sensors that helps you while
parking.
Warning!G
Park Assist 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 remains with the driver.
Warning!G
Make sure no persons or animals are in the
area in which you are maneuvering. You
could otherwise injure them.
!Special attention must be paid to objects
with smooth surfaces or low silhouettes (e.g.
trailer couplings, painted posts, elevated cross-
bars or road curbs). Such objects may not be
detected by the system and can damage the
vehicle.
iUSA only:
This device has been approved by the FCC as a
“Vehicular Radar System”. The radar sensor is
intended for use in an automotive radar system
only. Removal, tampering, or altering of the de-
vice will void any warranties, and is not permitted
by the FCC. Do not tamper with, alter, or use in
any non-approved way.
Any unauthorized modification to this device
could void the user’s authority to operate the
equipment.
iCanada only:
This device complies with RSS-210 of Industry
Canada. Operation is subject to the following
two conditions:
(1) This device may not cause interference, and
(2) this device must accept any interference re-
ceived, including interference that may
cause undesired operation of the device.
Removal, tampering, or altering of the device will
void any warranties, and is not permitted. Do not
tamper with, alter, or use in any non-approved
way.
Any unauthorized modification to this device
could void the user’s authority to operate the
equipment.
!The operational function of the Park Assist
system can be affected by dirty sensors, espe-
cially at times of snow and ice.
Make sure that the area on the bumpers around
the sensors is free of dirt, ice and/or slush,
otherwise Park Assist may not function properly,
see “Cleaning the Park Assist* system sensors”
(
page 559).
!High-frequency sources such as toll sta-
tions, speed measuring systems, etc. can cause
the Park Assist system to malfunction. You can
switch off the Park Assist using the Park Assist
button (
page 438) or switch off the radar sen-
sors (
page 272) to prevent possible malfunc-
tion.

437 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Front sensors
Rear sensorsWarning indicators
Visual signals indicate to the driver the rel-
ative distance between the sensors and an
obstacle.
The warning indicator for the front area is
in the instrument cluster. The warning indi-
cator for the rear area is on the roof liner in
the rear.
1Left side of the vehicle
2Right side of the vehicle
3Readiness indicator
Each warning indicator is divided into five
yellow and two red distance segments for
either side of the vehicle.
If yellow readiness indicators 3 under the
distance segments are lit, Park Assist is
ready to measure.The position of the gear selector lever de-
termines which warning indicators will be
activated.
As your vehicle approaches an object, one
or more distance segments will illuminate,
depending on the distance. When the sev-
enth distance segment illuminates, you
have reached the minimum distance.
iDue to the sensors’ broad detection range,
it is possible that Park Assist also detects the fol-
lowing obstacles and issues a warning:

obstacles in the ground, e.g. sewer canal
covers, rails, bumps in the road or gutters

obstacles moving upward quickly, e.g. rolling
garage doors
Centerapprox. 40 in (100 cm)
Cornersapprox. 24 in (60 cm)
Centerapprox. 50 in (125 cm)
Cornersapprox. 24 in (60 cm)
!While parking, pay particular attention to ob-
jects over or underneath the sensors, e.g. flower
boxes, an elevated crossbar or a trailer tow
hitch. Park Assist does not detect such nearby
objects. You could otherwise damage the vehicle
or the objects.
Gear selector
lever positionWarning indicator
DFront area activated
RFront and rear area
activated
NWith the electronic
parking brake engaged:
neither activated.
With the electronic
parking brake released:
front and rear area acti-
vated.
PNeither activated

440 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Warning!G
Please note that objects which do not touch
the ground, such as the bumper of a vehicle
parked behind you, a trailer hitch, or the
back of a truck, may appear to be further
away than they actually are. In this case, you
should not use the guide lines to judge dis-
tance. The use of the guide lines to judge
distance increases the risk of impacting the
objects.
Warning!G
The Dynamic Rear View Monitor is a supple-
ment system. It is not intended to, nor does
it replace, the need for extreme care. The re-
sponsibility during parking and other driving
maneuvers always remains with the driver.
The Dynamic Rear View Monitor may show
obstacles with a distorted perspective, in-
correctly or not at all.
Special attention must be paid to objects
outside of the camera’s field of view such as
those located very close to or below the rear
bumper, or above the recessed grip of the
luggage compartment lid. Such objects may
not be detected by the system and can dam-
age the vehicle.
The Dynamic Rear View Monitor does not
warn you about impending collisions with
objects. The driver is always responsible for
safety and must continue to pay attention to
the immediate surroundings while parking
or maneuvering the vehicle. This applies not
only to the area behind the vehicle, but also
to the area in front of and to the sides of the
v e h i c l e . F a i l u r e t o d o s o c o u l d r e s u l t i n i n j u r y
to persons and/or damage to the vehicle or
other property. We also recommend that the
driver use the Parktronic system* or Park
Assist* when parking or maneuvering the
vehicle.Warning!G
Make sure no persons or animals are in the
area in which you are maneuvering. You
could otherwise injure them.
Warning!G
The Dynamic Rear View Monitor may not
function if:

the trunk lid is not completely closed

it is raining or snowing heavily, or if
there is thick fog

in a very dark area

the camera is exposed to very strong
white light (white stripes may appear on
the COMAND display)

the surrounding area is lit with fluores-
cent light (the COMAND display can
flicker)

outside temperatures are very high (lens
condensation)

442 Controls in detail
Driving systems
1Yellow and blue guide lines for vehicle
width
2Yellow 13 ft (4 m) guide line
3Yellow 39 in (1 m) guide line
4Red 10 in (0.25 m) guide line
The red 10 in (0.25 m) guide line4, the
yellow 39 in (1 m) guide line3 and the
y e l l o w 1 3 f t ( 4 m ) g u i d e l i n e2 correspond
to the relevant distance from the rear of
the vehicle. The yellow and blue guide lines
for vehicle width1 show the required
width for the vehicle.5Blue guide lines for straight driving
6Symbol for “reverse parking”
7Yellow and red guide lines for cornering
When you turn the steering wheel out of
the straight-ahead position, the positions
of the yellow and red guide lines7
change depending on the steering wheel’s
position. The space required by the vehicle
for reverse cornering is indicated by yellow
and red guide lines7.
Warning!G
Please note that objects which do not touch
the ground, such as the bumper of a vehicle
parked behind you, a trailer hitch, or the
back of a truck, may appear to be further
away than they actually are. In this case, you
should not use the guide lines to judge dis-
tance as the use of the guide lines to judge
distance increases the risk of impacting the
objects.
Even when the object you approach is di-
rectly on the ground (and nothing on the ob-
ject extends above the ground beyond the
object’s contours directly touching the
ground) and no objects that do not touch
the ground, such as the bumper of a vehicle
parked behind you, a trailer hitch, or the
back of a truck are in the path, do not ap-
proach the object on the ground any closer
than red guide line4.

524 Operation
Tires and wheels
Tire and Loading InformationTire and Loading Information placard
1Load limit information on the Tire and
Loading Information placard
The Tire and Loading Information placard
showing the load limit information is
located on the driver’s door B-pillar
(
page 523).
Locate the statement “The combined
weight of occupants and cargo should
never exceed XXX kilograms or XXX
lbs.” on the Tire and Loading Informa-
tion placard.
The combined weight of all occupants,
cargo/luggage and trailer tongue load
(if applicable) should never exceed the
weight referenced in that statement.
Seating capacity
The seating capacity gives you important
information on the number of occupants
that can be in the vehicle. Observe front
and rear seating capacity. The Tire and
Loading Information placard showing the
seating capacity is located on the driver’s
door B-pillar (
page 523).
Warning!G
Do not overload the tires by exceeding the
specified load limit as indicated on the
Tire and Loading Information placard on the
driver’s door B-pillar. Overloading the tires
can overheat them, possibly causing a
blowout. Overloading the tires can also
result in handling or steering problems, or
brake failure.
iData shown on Tire and Loading Information
placard example are for illustration purposes
only. Load limit data are specific to each vehicle
and may vary from data shown in the illustration
below. Refer to Tire and Loading Information
placard on vehicle for actual data specific to your
vehicle.
iData shown on Tire and Loading Information
placard example are for illustration purposes
only. Seating data are specific to each vehicle
and may vary from data shown in the illustration
below. Refer to Tire and Loading Information
placard on vehicle for actual data specific to your
vehicle.

525 Operation
Tires and wheels
1Seating capacity information on the
Tire and Loading Information placard
Steps for determining correct load limit
The following steps have been developed
as required of all manufacturers under
Title 49, Code of U.S. Federal Regulations,
Part 575 pursuant to the “National Traffic
and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966”.
Step 1
Locate the statement “The combined
weight of occupants and cargo should
never exceed XXX kg or XXX lbs.” on
your vehicle’s Tire and Loading Infor-
mation placard.Step 2
Determine the combined weight of the
driver and passengers that will be
riding in your vehicle.
Step 3
Subtract the combined weight of the
driver and passengers from
XXX kilograms or XXX lbs.
Step 4
The resulting figure equals the avail-
able amount of cargo and luggage load
capacity. For example, if the “XXX”
amount equals 1400 lbs and there will
be five 150 lbs passengers in your
vehicle, the amount of available cargo
and luggage load capacity is 650 lbs
(1400 – 750 (5 x 150) = 650 lbs)
Step 5
Determine the combined weight of
luggage and cargo being loaded on the
vehicle. That weight may not safely
exceed the available cargo and luggage
load capacity calculated in step 4.Step 6 (if applicable)
If your vehicle will be towing a trailer,
load from your trailer will be trans-
ferred to your vehicle. Consult this
manual to determine how this reduces
the available cargo and luggage load
capacity of your vehicle (
page 527).
The following table shows examples on
how to calculate total and cargo load
capacities with varying seating configura-
tions and number and size of occupants.
The following examples use a load limit
of 1500 lbs. This is for illustration
purposes only. Make sure you are using
the actual load limit for your vehicle stated
on the vehicle’s Tire and Loading Informa-
tion placard (
page 524).

526 Operation
Tires and wheels
The higher the weight of all occupants, the
less cargo and luggage load capacity is
available.
For more information, see “Trailer tongue
load” (
page 527).
ExampleCombined weight
limit of occupants
and cargo from
Tire and Loading
Information
placardNumber of
occupants
(driver and
passengers)Seating
configura-
tionOccupants weight Combined
weight of all
occupantsAvailable cargo/luggage and
trailer tongue weight (total
load limit from Tire and
Loading Information placard
minus combined weight of
all occupants)
11500 lbs4front: 2
rear: 2Occupant 1: 190 lbs
Occupant 2: 200 lbs
Occupant 3: 190 lbs
Occupant 4: 170 lbs750 lbs1500 lbs – 750 lbs = 750 lbs
21500 lbs3front: 1
rear: 2Occupant 1: 200 lbs
Occupant 2: 190 lbs
Occupant 3: 150 lbs540 lbs1500 lbs – 540 lbs = 960 lbs
31500 lbs1front: 1Occupant 1: 150 lbs150 lbs1500 lbs – 150 lbs = 1350 lbs

527 Operation
Tires and wheels
Certification label
Even after careful determination of the
combined weight of all occupants, cargo
and the trailer tongue load (if applicable)
(
page 527) as to not exceed the permis-
sible load limit, you must make sure that
your vehicle never exceeds the Gross Vehi-
cle Weight Rating (GVWR) and the Gross
Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) for either the
front or rear axle. You can obtain the
GVWR and GAWR from the certification
label. The certification label can be found
on the driver’s door B-pillar, see “Technical
data” (
page 674).Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR): The
total weight of the vehicle, all occupants,
all cargo, and the trailer tongue load
(
page 527) must never exceed the
GVWR.
Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR): The to-
tal allowable weight that can be carried by
a single axle (front or rear).
To assure that your vehicle does not ex-
ceed the maximum permissible weight
limits (GVWR and GAWR for front and rear
axle), have the loaded vehicle (including
driver, passengers and all cargo and, if
applicable, trailer fully loaded) weighed on
a suitable commercial scale.Trailer tongue load
The tongue load of any trailer is an impor-
tant weight to measure because it affects
the load you can carry in your vehicle. If a
trailer is towed, the tongue load must be
added to the weight of all occupants riding
and any cargo you are carrying in the
vehicle. The tongue load typically is
10 percent of the trailer weight and every-
thing loaded in it.
Your Mercedes-Benz has been designed
primarily to carry passengers and their
cargo. Mercedes-Benz does not recom-
mend trailer towing with your vehicle.