MERCEDES-BENZ R350 2010 W251 Owner's Manual

R
when the automatic transmission is in park
position P, reverse gear R, or neutral
position N
R when the ESP ®
is switched off or has
switched off due to a malfunction
The vehicle speed displayed on the
speedometer can briefly vary from the speed
setting on the Distronic system.
Setting the current speed X
Accelerate or decelerate to the desired
speed.
X Briefly lift the cruise control lever in
direction of arrow : or depress in
direction of arrow ; (Y page 148).
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
i If you do not take your foot off of the
accelerator pedal and continue to
accelerate

past the set speed, the following
message will appear in the multifunction
display:
DISTRONIC Override
The distance to a slower moving vehicle in
front of you will not be set. Your vehicle
speed will then be determined only by the
accelerator pedal position.
Changing the set speed G
Warning!
Keep in mind that it may take a brief moment
until the vehicle has made the necessary
adjustments.
Increase

or decrease the set vehicle speed to
a value that the prevailing road conditions and
legal speed limits permit. Otherwise, sudden
and unexpected acceleration or deceleration
of the vehicle could cause an accident and/
or serious injury to you and others.
You can increase or decrease the set speed
in 1 mph (Canada: 1 km/h) increments or in
5 mph (Canada: 10 km/h) increments. When you use the cruise control lever to
decelerate, the brake system will brake the
vehicle automatically if the engine’s braking
power

does not brake the vehicle sufficiently.
Adjustment in 1 mph (Canada:
1 km/h) increments
i The set speed value is increased or
decreased in 1 mph (Canada: 1 km/h)
increments each time you lift or press the
cruise control lever up or down to the
resistance point.
X Increasing: Briefly lift the cruise control
lever
up to the resistance point in direction
of arrow : (Y page 148).
X Decreasing: Briefly press the cruise
control lever down to the resistance point
in direction of arrow ; (Y page 148).
X Release the cruise control lever.
The new speed is set and the vehicle will
accelerate or decelerate.
Adjustment in 5 mph (Canada:
10 km/h) increments
i The set speed value is increased or
decreased in 5 mph (Canada:

10 km/h)
increments each time you lift or press the
cruise control lever up or down past the
resistance point.
X Increasing: Briefly lift the cruise control
lever up past the resistance point in
direction of arrow : (Y page 148).
X Decreasing: Briefly press the cruise
control lever down past the resistance
point in direction of arrow ;
(Y page 148).
X Release the cruise control lever.
The new speed is set and the vehicle will
accelerate

or decelerate. Keep in mind that
it may take a brief moment until the vehicle
has reached the set speed. Driving systems
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Setting stored speed (Resume function)
G
Warning!
The set speed stored in memory should only
be set again if prevailing road conditions and
legal speed limits permit. Possible
acceleration or deceleration differences
arising from returning to the preset speed
could
cause an accident and/or serious injury
to you and others.
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever in
direction of arrow ? (Y page 148).
If no speed is stored, the current speed is
set and stored.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
Deactivating Distronic X
Depress the brake pedal.
or
X Briefly push the cruise control lever in
direction of arrow = (Y page 148).
The cruise control speed segments in the
speedometer dial will go out and the
following message appears briefly in the
multifunction display: DISTRONIC Off
The last set speed is stored for later use.
The last stored speed is deleted from memory
when the engine is turned off.
The Distronic switches off automatically
when you depress the brake pedal or you
engage the parking brake. In this case, the
cruise control speed segments in the
speedometer dial will go out.
The

Distronic also switches off automatically
when
R the vehicle speed falls below 20 mph
(30 km/h)
R the ESP ®
is in operation
R the ESP ®
is switched off with the ESP ®
switch R
the ESP ®
has switched off due to a
malfunction
R you shift the automatic transmission into
neutral position N while driving
The cruise control speed segments in the
speedometer dial goes out and an acoustic
warning will sound. Observe additional
messages in the multifunction display that
may appear. G
Warning!
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
reduce vehicle speed further or bring it to a
stop.
Depressing the accelerator pedal does not
deactivate the Distronic. After a brief
acceleration (e.g. for passing), the Distronic
will resume the last set speed.
Setting the following distance in
Distronic You can set the specified following distance
for Distronic by varying the time setting
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 preceding vehicle.
The set distance will be shown in the
multifunction display. G
Warning!
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
recommendations

for safe following distance.150
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X
Increasing distance: Turn distance
setting switch : in direction of arrow =.
Increasing the distance setting tells
Distronic to maintain a greater following
distance to the preceding vehicle.
X Decreasing distance: Turn distance
setting switch : in direction of arrow ;.
Decreasing the distance setting tells
Distronic to maintain a shorter following
distance to the preceding vehicle.
Driving with Distronic This section describes a number of driving
situations where special precaution is
required on the part of the driver. Be prepared
to brake in such situations. Braking will
deactivate the Distronic system.
G
Warning!
The Distronic works to maintain the speed
selected by the driver unless a moving
obstacle proceeding directly ahead of it in the
same travel direction is detected (e.g.
following another vehicle ahead of you at your
set distance).
This means that:
R Your vehicle can pass another vehicle after
you have changed lanes.
R While in a sharp turn or if the preceding
vehicle is in a sharp turn, the Distronic
could lose sight of the preceding vehicle.
Your vehicle could then accelerate to the
previously selected speed. The Distronic regulates only the distance
between your vehicle and those directly
ahead of it, but does not register stationary
objects in the road, e.g.:
R
a stopped vehicle in a traffic jam
R a disabled vehicle
R an oncoming vehicle
The driver must always be alert, observe all
traffic and intercede as required by means of
steering or braking the vehicle. G
Warning!
The Distronic should not be used in snowy or
icy road conditions.
The most likely cause for a malfunctioning
system is a dirty Distronic system sensor
cover (located in the hood grille), especially
at times of snow and ice or heavy rain.
In such a case, the Distronic will switch off,
and the message DISTRONIC Currently
Unavailable – See Operator’s Manual
appears in the multifunction display.
For cleaning and care of the Distronic system
sensor cover, see (Y page 265).
i If the message DISTRONIC Available
Again appears during driving, the dirt (e.g.
slush) has dissolved; the Distronic works
again, if you reactivate it ( Y page 148).
Turns and bends In turns or bends, the 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. Driving systems
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Offset driving
A vehicle traveling in your lane but offset from
your direct line of travel may not be detected
by the Distronic. There will be insufficient
distance to the preceding vehicle.
Lane changing
The 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 the Distronic.
There will be insufficient distance to the
preceding vehicles.
Distance warning function This function warns you at a vehicle speed of
above approximately 20 mph (30 km/h) in
the following cases:
R
At the current speed, the distance between
your vehicle and the preceding vehicle is
too low for several seconds. The distance
warning lamp · in the instrument
cluster comes on.
R You are gaining on a preceding vehicle
rapidly. An intermittent warning sounds
and the distance warning lamp · in the
instrument cluster comes on.
If these warnings are issued, you must apply
the brakes to maintain a safe distance and
avoid a collision with the preceding vehicle.
When depressing the brake pedal, the
warning sound ceases. The warning sound
will also cease when the distance to the
preceding vehicle is sufficient again without
applying the brakes. In this case, the distance
warning lamp · will also go out. G
Warning!
If the distance warning lamp · in the
instrument cluster comes on while driving
and/or an intermittent warning sounds,
immediate attention on the part of the driver
is required. As required by the traffic
situation, apply the brakes and navigate
around a possible obstacle. However, do not
drive by relying on the distance warning
function, as this will result in an emergency
braking application. This will not always
enable you to avoid a collision, especially
when traveling on varying road surface
conditions and with varying driver reaction.
Complex driving situations are not always
fully recognized by the distance warning
function. This could result in wrong or missing
distance warnings. 152
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X
Activating/deactivating: Activate or
deactivate the distance warning function in
the control system (Y page 138).
When activated, the distance warning
function indicator Ä appears in the
multifunction display. Hill-start assist system
G
Warning!
The hill-start assist system is not designed to
function as a parking brake. It does not
prevent the vehicle from moving when parked
on an incline.
Always engage the parking brake in addition
to shifting the automatic transmission into
park position P.
On uphill grades, the hill-start assist system
maintains the pressure in the brake system
for approximately 1 second after you have
released the brake pedal. Therefore, you can
start off smoothly without the vehicle moving
immediately after releasing the brake pedal.
X Depress the brake pedal.
X Shift the automatic transmission into drive
position D or reverse gear R.
X Release the brake pedal.
X Carefully depress the accelerator pedal.
The hill-start assist system is inactive
R when starting off on a level road or downhill
grades
R with the automatic transmission in neutral
position N
R with the parking brake engaged
R if the ESP ®
has switched off due to a
malfunction Rear-axle level control
The rear-axle level control adjusts the vehicle
level for the rear axle. The rear-axle level
control is beneficial because it keeps the vehicle level at the rear axle constant,
independent of the load.
i
Observe the information on towing a
trailer, see “Trailer towing” ( Y page 256). AIRMATIC
The AIRMATIC lets you select the chassis and
suspension setup. The chassis and
suspension setup adjusts the damping
behavior and the ride height for your vehicle.
The AIRMATIC consists of two components.
The Adaptive Damping System (ADS)
(Y page 153) and the vehicle level control
(Y page 154). Adaptive Damping System (ADS)
The Adaptive Damping System (ADS) is
controlled electronically and operates
continuously. It adjusts the damping
characteristics to the current operating and
driving conditions. The damping is adjusted
individually for each wheel. Driving safety and
tire comfort are increased.
The fine tuning of the damping is dependent
on:
R your driving style
R road surface conditions
R your personal settings The following settings are available:
R
AUTO (for normal driving situations) Driving systems
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Indicator lamps ; and = are off.
R SPORT (for sporty driving)
Indicator lamp ; comes on.
R COMF (for comfort driving)
Indicator lamp = comes on.
X Start the engine.
X Press ADS switch : repeatedly until the
desired suspension tuning is reached.
The setting remains stored when you turn off
the engine. Vehicle level control
Your vehicle automatically adjusts its ride
height.
The all-around vehicle level control provides
best possible suspension and constant
ground clearance. The vehicle lowers at high
speed automatically in order to increase
driving safety and to reduce fuel
consumption.
Changes to the vehicle level should be made
while the vehicle is moving. The vehicle will
then reach the set level as fast as possible.
When you park the vehicle and the ambient
temperature changes, the vehicle level may
change visibly. When the temperature drops,
the vehicle lowers. When the temperature
rises, the vehicle raises.
The vehicle begins adjusting to the set vehicle
level as soon as the doors or tailgate are
unlocked or opened or closed with the vehicle
unlocked.
For major changes in vehicle level, the engine
must be running. G
Warning!
Make sure no one is near the wheel housing
or under the vehicle when you lower the
vehicle while it is standing still. Limbs could
become wedged into or under the vehicle.
For safety reasons, the vehicle can only be
lowered with all doors and the tailgate closed.
Lowering is interrupted if a door or the tailgate is opened and will continue after the door is
closed again.
! Keep in mind that on rough or uneven
roads, adjusting the vehicle to a lower level
may cause the vehicle underbody to come
in contact with the road and result in
damage to the vehicle underbody. Always
make sure the vehicle has sufficient ground
clearance before adjusting it to a lower
level.
! Before jacking up the vehicle with
equipment that lifts one or more of the
wheels completely off of the ground,
remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch.
i The activation threshold is defined by the
ADS setting (Y page 153). Basic settings
The following vehicle chassis ride heights can
be selected using vehicle level control
switch : in the center console:
Level Driving situation
Raised level For driving on rough roads.
Indicator lamp ; is on.
Highway
level For driving on paved roads
in fair or better condition.
Indicator lamp ; is off.154
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i
The third available level is the highspeed
level that is set automatically.
The following is the approximate change in
ride height for each of the level settings: Level Ride height
Raised level +1.97 in (50 mm)
Highway
level +/-0 in (0 mm)
Highspeed
level -0.78 in (-20 mm)
i
The vehicle is lowered to the highspeed
level automatically if the vehicle speed is
above 70 mph (112 km/h) or if the vehicle
speed stays between 60 mph (96 km/h)
and 70 mph (112 km/h) for
approximately 20 seconds.
i The highspeed level is not available when
towing a trailer. For more information on
towing a trailer, see “Trailer towing”
(Y page 256).
i Obey local speed limits. Use prudent
driving speeds appropriate to prevailing
conditions.
Raised level Only select the raised level if appropriate for
the driving situation encountered. Otherwise
the fuel consumption may increase and/or
the handling characteristics of the vehicle
may be unfavorable.
i
You can select the raised level at speeds
up to 25 mph (40 km/h). At higher speeds,
the message Á Level Selection
Not Permitted appears in the
multifunction display.
X Start the engine. When indicator lamp
; is off:
X Press switch :.
Indicator lamp ; flashes. The vehicle
adjusts to the raised level.
The following message appears in the
multifunction display while the level is
being set: i
The message can be cleared by pressing
the V, U, & or * button on
the multifunction steering wheel.
When the raised level is reached, indicator
lamp ; comes on continuously and the
following message appears in the
multifunction display for approximately
5 seconds: The vehicle level is set to highway level
automatically when the vehicle speed is
exceeding 25 mph (40 km/h).
Highway level
!
Keep in mind that on rough or uneven
roads, adjusting the vehicle to a lower level
may cause the vehicle underbody to come
in contact with the road and result in
damage to the vehicle underbody. Always
make sure the vehicle has sufficient ground
clearance before adjusting it to a lower
level. Driving systems
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X
Close all doors and the tailgate.
X Start the engine.
When indicator lamp ; is on:
X Press switch :.
Indicator lamp ; flashes. The vehicle
adjusts to the highway level.
The following message appears in the
multifunction display while the level is
being set: i
The message can be cleared by pressing
the V, U, & or * button on
the multifunction steering wheel.
When the highway level is reached, indicator
lamp ; goes out and the following message
appears in the multifunction display for
approximately 5 seconds: The vehicle level raised from highspeed level
to highway level automatically when the
vehicle speed falls below 40 mph (64 km/h).
In the raised level, the vehicle level is lowered
to the highway level automatically when the
vehicle speed is exceeding 25 mph
(40 km/h).
All-wheel drive (4MATIC)
In vehicles with all-wheel drive (4MATIC),
both axles are powered at all times when the
vehicle is being operated. The 4MATIC improves traction in conjunction with the
ESP
®
(Y page 65) and the Electronic Traction
System (4-ETS) (Y page 65). G
Warning!
If a drive wheel is spinning due to insufficient
traction:
R While driving off, apply as little throttle as
possible.
R While driving, ease up on the accelerator
pedal.
R Adapt your speed and driving style to the
prevailing road conditions.
Failure to observe these guidelines could
cause the vehicle to skid.
The 4MATIC cannot prevent accidents
resulting from excessive speed.
! Do not tow with one axle raised. Doing so
could damage the transfer case, which is
not covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty. All wheels must be on or off the
ground. Observe instructions for towing the
vehicle with all wheels on the ground.
! Only conduct operational or performance
tests on a two-axle dynamometer. If such
tests are necessary, contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center. You could
otherwise seriously damage the brake
system and/or the transfer case which is
not covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
i In winter operation, the maximum
effectiveness of the 4MATIC is only
achieved with winter tires ( Y page 251) or
snow chains as required. Parktronic system
The Parktronic system is an electronic
parking aid with ultrasonic sensors designed
to assist the driver during parking maneuvers.
The Parktronic system indicates the relative 156
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distance between the vehicle and an obstacle
visually and audibly.
The Parktronic system is activated
automatically when
R
you switch on the ignition
and
R you release the parking brake
and
R the automatic transmission is in drive
position D, reverse gear R, or neutral
position N
The Parktronic system deactivates at speeds
above approximately 11 mph (18 km/h). At
lower speeds, the Parktronic system
activates again.
The Parktronic system also deactivates when
you shift the automatic transmission into
park position P or engage the parking brake.
The Parktronic system monitors the
surroundings of your vehicle with six sensors
in the front bumper and four sensors in the
rear bumper. To function properly, sensors
: must be free
of dirt, ice, snow and slush. Clean
sensors : regularly. Be careful not to
scratch or damage sensors :, see “Cleaning
the driving systems sensors” (Y page 265). G
Warning!
The 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.
G
Warning!
Make sure no persons or animals are in or
near the area in which you are parking/
maneuvering. Otherwise, they could be
injured.
! Special attention must be paid to objects
with smooth surfaces or low silhouettes
(e.g. trailer couplings, painted posts,
elevated crossbars or road curbs). Such
objects may not be detected by the system
and can damage the vehicle.
During parking maneuvers, pay special
attention to objects located above or below
the height of the sensors (e.g. street curbs,
painted posts, or trailer hitches etc.). The
Parktronic system 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.
Range of the sensors Driving systems
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Front sensors
Center approx. 40 in (100 cm)
Corners approx. 24 in (60 cm)
Rear sensors
Center approx. 48 in (120 cm)
Corners approx. 32 in (80 cm)
Minimum distance
Center approx. 8 in (20 cm)
Corners approx. 6 in (15 cm)
If the Parktronic 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 longer be indicated by the Parktronic
system.
Warning indicators
Visual signals indicate the relative distance
between the sensors and an obstacle. Front area warning indicators
Rear area warning indicators
Each warning indicator is divided into five
yellow and two red distance segments for left
side
: and right side ; of the vehicle. The
Parktronic system is ready to measure when
the yellow readiness indicators = are
illuminated.
The current transmission position determines
which warning indicator will be activated. Current
transmission
position Warning indicator
D
Front area activated
R or N Front and rear area
activated
As your vehicle approaches an object, one or
more distance segments will illuminate,
depending on the distance. When the seventh
distance segment illuminates, you have
reached the minimum distance.158
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