warning MERCEDES-BENZ S CLASS 2007 Owners Manual
[x] Cancel search | Manufacturer: MERCEDES-BENZ, Model Year: 2007, Model line: S CLASS, Model: MERCEDES-BENZ S CLASS 2007Pages: 705, PDF Size: 9.84 MB
Page 387 of 705
386 Controls in detailDriving systemsWarning!
G
DISTRONIC Plus requires familiarity with its
operational characteristics. We strongly rec-
ommend that you review the following infor-
mation carefully before operating the
system.Warning!
G
DISTRONIC Plus cannot take street and traf-
fic conditions into account. Only use
DISTRONIC Plus if the road, weather and
traffic conditions make it advisable to travel
at a steady speed.Warning!
G
Use of DISTRONIC Plus can be dangerous
on slippery roads. Rapid changes in tire trac-
tion can result in wheel spin and loss of con-
trol.
DISTRONIC Plus does not act upon adverse
sight distance conditions. Do not use
DISTRONIC Plus during conditions of fog
and heavy rain, snow or sleet.Warning!
G
DISTRONIC Plus cannot take weather condi-
tions into account. Switch off
DISTRONIC Plus or do not turn it on if:
roads are slippery or covered with snow
or ice. The wheels could lose traction
while braking or accelerating, and the
vehicle could skid.
the sensor is dirty or visibility is
diminished due to snow, rain or fog. The
distance control could be impaired.
Always pay attention to traffic conditions
even while DISTRONIC Plus is switched on.
Otherwise, you may not be able to recognize
dangerous situations until it is too late and
could cause an accident resulting in person-
al or fatal injury to you or others.
Warning!
G
The “Resume” function should only be oper-
ated if the driver is fully aware of the previ-
ously set speed and wishes to resume this
particular preset speed.Warning!
G
Close attention to road and traffic condi-
tions is imperative at all times, regardless of
whether or not DISTRONIC Plus is activated.
Use of DISTRONIC Plus can be dangerous
on winding roads as conditions do not allow
safe driving at a steady speed.
DISTRONIC Plus may not react to stationary
objects in the roadway (e.g. a stopped vehi-
cle in a traffic jam or a disabled vehicle).
DISTRONIC Plus will also not respond to on-
coming vehicles.
Page 389 of 705
388 Controls in detailDriving systemsWhen DISTRONIC Plus detects a vehicle
driving ahead of you, the ring on the speed-
ometer dial lights up between the speed of
the vehicle ahead of you and set speed2.
If DISTRONIC Plus calculates that there is
a danger of collision (
page 397):
The distance warning lampl in the
instrument cluster comes on.
An intermittent warning sounds.
Immediately brake the vehicle to avoid
a collision.
Under no circumstances should the
driver await the intermittent warning
sound before braking. See the follow-
ing warning note.
The intermittent warning sound ceases
and the distance warning lampl
goes out when the necessary distance
to the vehicle ahead is again
established.
Warning!
G
An intermittent warning sounds and the dis-
tance warning lampl in the instrument
cluster is illuminated if the DISTRONIC Plus
system calculates that the distance to the
vehicle ahead and your vehicle’s current
speed indicate that DISTRONIC Plus will not
be capable of slowing the vehicle sufficiently
to maintain the preset following distance,
which creates a danger of a collision.
Immediately brake your vehicle to increase
the distance between your vehicle and the
vehicle in front of you. The warning sound is
intended as a final caution that you have not
interceded with your own braking inputs to
avoid a potentially dangerous situation. Do
not wait for the operation of the warning sig-
nal to intercede with your own braking, as
that will result in potentially dangerous
emergency braking which will not always re-
sult in an impact being avoided.
Tailgating increases the risk of an accident.
Warning!
G
DISTRONIC Plus brakes your vehicle with a
maximum of 13 ft/s
2 (4 m/s
2). This corre-
sponds to about 40% of the maximum decel-
eration ability of your vehicle.
DISTRONIC Plus brakes the vehicle in an ef-
fort to restore the preset distance or to
maintain the speed. The brake pedal is auto-
matically applied as this happens which re-
sults in the brake pedal moving.
Keep driver’s foot area clear at all times, in-
cluding the area under the brake pedal. Ob-
jects stored in this area may impair pedal
movement which could interfere with the
braking ability of the DISTRONIC Plus sys-
tem.
Do not place your foot under the brake pedal
– your foot could become caught.
Page 390 of 705
389 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Displaying the distance graphic
In the “Assistance” menu under “Distance
display” you see the current settings for
DISTRONIC Plus. The information shown in
the multifunction display depends on
whether DISTRONIC Plus is activated or
deactivated.
Press ( or & to select the
“Assistance” menu.
Press % or $ to select the
“Distance display” function.
Press #.
The DISTRONIC Plus distance graphic
appears and you will see one of the fol-
lowing displays on the multifunction
display.DISTRONIC Plus activated
When you turn DISTRONIC Plus on, you will
see the set speed in the multifunction dis-
play for about 5 seconds. You then see the
following display in the multifunction dis-
play.
1DISTRONIC Plus activated
2Your vehicle
3Preset distance threshold to vehicle
ahead
4Vehicle ahead, if detectedDISTRONIC Plus deactivated
If DISTRONIC Plus is deactivated, the stan-
dard display of DISTRONIC Plus appears in
the multifunction display.
1Symbol for activated distance warning
function
2Vehicle ahead, if detected
3Actual distance to vehicle ahead
4Preset distance threshold to vehicle
ahead
5Your vehicle
i
For activating or deactivating the DISTRON-
IC Plus system, see “Activating
DISTRONIC Plus” (
page 390) or “Activating
DISTRONIC Plus” (page 395).
For activating or deactivating the distance warn-
ing function, see “Distance warning function*
activating/deactivating” (
page 252).
Page 391 of 705
390 Controls in detailDriving systemsDISTRONIC Plus lever
The DISTRONIC Plus system is operated by
means of the DISTRONIC Plus lever.
1Setting current or higher speed
Adjustment in 1 mph or 5 mph
increments (Canada: 1 km/h or
10 km/h)
2Setting current or lower speed
Adjustment in 1 mph or 5 mph
increments (Canada: 1 km/h or
10 km/h)
3Canceling DISTRONIC Plus
4Activating DISTRONIC Plus or resum-
ing to last set speed
5Setting target distanceActivating DISTRONIC PlusYou can activate DISTRONIC Plus when:
you are driving slower than 20 mph
(30 km/h) and DISTRONIC Plus has
detected a vehicle ahead of you
you are driving above 20 mph
(30 km/h)
If DISTRONIC Plus has not been activated
after pressing the DISTRONIC Plus lever,
you will see the message: “DISTRONIC
PLUS Off” in the multifunction display.
In the following cases you cannot activate
DISTRONIC Plus:
up to 2 minutes after starting the en-
gine
if the engine is switched off
if you step on the brake pedal while
driving
the vehicle is secured with the electric
parking brake
Warning!
G
When DISTRONIC Plus is braking, the brake
pedal is retracted (i.e. depressed automati-
cally). The pedals’ range of motion must not
be impeded by any obstacles:
Do not place any objects in the footwell.
Make sure that the floor mats and car-
pets are securely in place.
Do not rest your foot underneath the
brake pedal, as it could otherwise be
trapped.
You could otherwise cause an accident and
injure yourself and others.
Warning!
G
When DISTRONIC Plus is switched on, the
vehicle can be braked. You should therefore
switch off DISTRONIC Plus if the vehicle
must be towed.
i
The maximum speed you can set is 124 mph
(200 km/h).
Page 392 of 705
391 Controls in detail
Driving systems
if the gear selector lever is in
positionP, R, or N
if ESP
® is switched off
if the hood is open
if the driver’s door is open and the driv-
er has not fastened his or her seat belt
if the radar sensors are switched off
(page 256).
Switching on while driving
Tap DISTRONIC Plus lever up1 or
down2 until desired speed is set.
DISTRONIC Plus is switched on.
or
Pull DISTRONIC Plus lever briefly in di-
rection of arrow4 to call up speed
last set (
page 395).
DISTRONIC Plus is switched on.
Take your foot off the accelerator ped-
al.
Your vehicle adapts its speed to the ve-
hicle ahead, observing the set speed as
a maximum value.
Switching on when approaching a sta-
tionary vehicle
If the vehicle in front of you is stationary,
you can only switch on DISTRONIC Plus if
your vehicle is also at a standstill.
Tap DISTRONIC Plus lever up1 or
down2 until desired speed is set.
DISTRONIC Plus is switched on.
or
Pull DISTRONIC Plus lever briefly in di-
rection of arrow4 to call up speed
last set (
page 395).
DISTRONIC Plus is switched on.
i
Under 20 mph (30 km/h), you can only
switch on DISTRONIC Plus if the vehicle ahead of
you has been detected and is shown on the mul-
tifunction display. If you no longer see the vehi-
cle in front of you on the multifunction display
and if it is no longer detected because it has
changed lanes, for example, DISTRONIC Plus
switches off and you will hear a signal.
i
If you do not completely lift your foot off the
accelerator pedal, the message“DISTRONIC
PLUS passive” appears on the multifunction dis-
play. The distance to a slower-driving vehicle will
not be set. You will drive at the speed you dictate
by pressing the accelerator pedal.
i
It is helpful to switch on the DISTRONIC Plus
display in the instrument cluster since you can
only switch on DISTRONIC Plus under a speed of
20 mph (30 km/h) when a vehicle has been de-
tected in front of you.
i
You can adjust the set speed using the
DISTRONIC Plus lever and the target distance
using the distance setting switch on the
DISTRONIC Plus lever (
page 396).
i
The distance warning function will still issue
warnings even when DISTRONIC Plus is switched
off if you have activated it on using the instru-
ment cluster control system (
page 252).
Page 393 of 705
392 Controls in detailDriving systemsStarting off
When the vehicle in front of you starts off:
Remove your foot from the brake
pedal.
Pull DISTRONIC Plus lever briefly in di-
rection of arrow4.
or
Briefly step on the accelerator pedal.
Your vehicle starts off and adapts its speed
to the vehicle in front of you.
Driving
If no vehicle is driving ahead of you, DIS-
TRONIC Plus functions like cruise control
(
page 380).
When DISTRONIC Plus detects that the ve-
hicle in front of you is driving more slowly,
it brakes the vehicle in order to keep the
distance specified by you.
When DISTRONIC Plus detects that the ve-
hicle in front of you is driving faster, the ve-
hicle accelerates up to the set speed.Stopping
When DISTRONIC Plus detects that the ve-
hicle in front of you is stopping, the vehicle
brakes until it also stops.
Warning!
G
When you step on the brake pedal, you
switch off DISTRONIC Plus except when the
vehicle is at a standstill. DISTRONIC Plus will
no longer brake your vehicle. You are always
responsible for maintaining a distance from
other vehicles, observing road speeds and
braking well in advance.Warning!
G
DISTRONIC Plus’s braking effect is canceled
and the vehicle can start to roll if
DISTRONIC Plus is switched off using
the DISTRONIC Plus lever
you accelerate
the system or the power supply is mal-
functioning, e.g. due to battery failure
the electrical components in the engine
compartment or the fuses have been
manipulated
the battery is disconnected
Warning!
G
Never get out of the vehicle while DISTRON-
IC Plus is switched on!
DISTRONIC Plus must never be operated or
switched off by passengers or from outside
the vehicle.
DISTRONIC Plus is not a substitute for the
electric parking brake and may not be used
for parking.
When you get out of the vehicle or switch off
the engine, deactivate DISTRONIC Plus and
secure the vehicle from rolling away by en-
gaging the electric parking brake.
Page 394 of 705
393 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Once DISTRONIC Plus has stopped your
vehicle and it is at a standstill, it remains
stationary; the brake pedal does not need
to be depressed.
Setting the current speed
Accelerate or decelerate to the desired
speed.
Briefly lift the DISTRONIC Plus lever in
the direction of arrow1 or depress in
the direction of arrow2.
DISTRONIC Plus is activated and the
current speed is set.
Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.Setting a higher speed
You can increase the set speed in two stag-
es.
Adjustment in 1 mph (Canada: 1 km/h)
increments
Briefly lift the DISTRONIC Plus lever to
the resistance point in direction of
arrow1 (
page 381).
Release the DISTRONIC Plus lever.
The vehicle speed increases in incre-
ments of 1 mph (Canada: 1 km / h).
Adjustment in 5 mph
(Canada: 10 km/h) increments
i
After a short while, your vehicle is secured in
place by the electric parking brake so that the
operating brake can be relieved of load.
i
Depending on the following distance set us-
ing the distance setting switch on the DISTRON-
IC Plus lever, your vehicle will stop approx.
13.1 ft. (4 m) away from the vehicle in front of
you.
i
If you do not take your foot off of the accel-
erator completely, the following message will ap-
pear in the multifunction display:
DISTRONIC PLUS passive
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 ped-
al position.
i
The set speed value is increased in 1 mph
(Canada: 1 km/h) increments each time you lift
the DISTRONIC Plus lever to the resistance
point.
Warning!
G
You can increase the vehicle speed in 5 mph
(Canada 10 km/h) increments. When using
this feature, keep in mind that it may take a
brief moment until the vehicle has reached
the set speed.
Increase the vehicle speed to a value that
the prevailing road conditions permit. Other-
wise, sudden and unexpected acceleration
of the vehicle could cause an accident
and/or serious injury to you and others.i
The set value is increased in 5 mph
(Canada: 10 km/h) increments each time you lift
the DISTRONIC Plus lever past the resistance
point.
Page 395 of 705
394 Controls in detailDriving systems
Briefly lift the DISTRONIC Plus lever
past the resistance point in direction of
arrow1 (
page 381).
Release the DISTRONIC Plus lever.
The vehicle speed increases in incre-
ments of 5 mph (Canada: 10 km / h).
Setting a lower speed
You can reduce the speed in two stages.
Adjustment in 1 mph (Canada: 1 km/h)
increments
Briefly press the DISTRONIC Plus lever
down to the resistance point in direc-
tion of arrow2 (
page 381).
Release the DISTRONIC Plus lever.
The vehicle speed decreases in incre-
ments of 1 mph (Canada: 1 km/h).
Adjustment in 5 mph
(Canada: 10 km/h) increments
Briefly press the DISTRONIC Plus lever
down past the resistance point in
direction of arrow2 (
page 381).
Release the DISTRONIC Plus lever.
The vehicle speed decreases in incre-
ments of 5 mph (Canada: 10 km/h).
i
The new speed is set and the vehicle will ac-
celerate. Keep in mind that it may take a brief
moment until the vehicle has reached the set
speed.
i
When you use the DISTRONIC Plus lever to
decelerate, the brake system will automatically
brake the vehicle if the engine’s braking power
does not brake the vehicle sufficiently.
i
The set value is decreased in 1 mph
(Canada: 1 km/h) increments each time you
press the DISTRONIC Plus lever down to the re-
sistance point.
Warning!
G
You can decrease the vehicle speed in
5 mph (Canada 10 km/h) increments. When
using this feature, keep in mind that it may
take a brief moment until the vehicle has
reached the set speed.
Decelerate the vehicle speed to a value that
the prevailing road conditions permit. Other-
wise, sudden and unexpected deceleration
of the vehicle could cause an accident
and/or serious injury to you and others.
i
The set value is decreased in 5 mph
(Canada: 10 km/h) increments each time you
press the DISTRONIC Plus lever down past the
resistance point.
i
The new speed is set and the vehicle will de-
celerate. Keep in mind that it may take a brief
moment until the vehicle has reached the set
speed.
Page 396 of 705
395 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Setting to last stored speed (“Resume”
function)
Briefly pull the DISTRONIC Plus lever in
the direction of arrow4 (
page 390).
DISTRONIC Plus is set to the last
stored speed.
DISTRONIC Plus resumes the last set
speed or if no speed is stored, it will set
and store the current speed.
Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.Deactivating DISTRONIC Plus
There are several ways to deactivate the
DISTRONIC Plus system:
Briefly tip the DISTRONIC Plus lever in
the direction of arrow3 (
page 390).
or
Step on the brake pedal.
DISTRONIC Plus will be deactivated.
The last speed set will be stored into
memory.
If the vehicle has been stopped by DIS-
TRONIC Plus and a malfunction occurs in
the system, the message “Brake immedi-
ately” will appear on the multifunction dis-
play. Step on the brake immediately to
prevent the vehicle from rolling. DISTRON-
IC Plus is then switched off and the mes-
sage disappears.
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 preset
speed could cause an accident and/or seri-
ous injury you and others.i
Upon switching off the engine, the last
stored speed is deleted.
i
The following message will appear in the
multifunction display for approximately
5 seconds:
DISTRONIC PLUS Off
The last stored speed is deleted when you turn
off the engine.
i
DISTRONIC Plus deactivates automatically
when:
the vehicle is secured with the electric park-
ing brake
the vehicle speed is below 20 mph
(30 km/h) and no preceding vehicle is de-
tected
the ESP
® is in operation or switched off with
the ESP® switch (
page 73)
you set the automatic transmission toP, R,
or N while driving
the radar sensors are switched off
(page 256).
The segments in the multifunction display go out,
an acoustic warning sounds, and the message
“DISTRONIC PLUS Off” appears in the multifunc-
tion display for approximately 5 seconds.
Page 397 of 705
396 Controls in detailDriving systems
Setting the following distance in
DISTRONIC Plus
You can set the specified following dis-
tance for DISTRONIC Plus by varying the
time setting between 1.0 and 2.0 seconds.
Using this time setting and the current set
speed of your vehicle, DISTRONIC Plus cal-
culates and sets the required following dis-
tance to the vehicle ahead. The set
distance will be shown in the multifunction
display.The distance setting switch for the target
distance is located on the DISTRONIC Plus
lever.
1Distance setting switch for target dis-
tance
2To increase target distance
3To decrease target distance
Increasing distance
Increasing the distance setting causes
DISTRONIC Plus to maintain a greater fol-
lowing distance to the vehicle ahead.
Move distance setting switch 1 in di-
rection 2.
Warning!
G
DISTRONIC Plus switches off and releases
the brakes when the vehicle decelerates be-
low the minimum speed of 20 mph
(30 km / h) by operation of the system un-
less DISTRONIC Plus detects a vehicle di-
rectly ahead of you. At that time the driver
must apply the brakes in order to reduce ve-
hicle speed further or bring it to a stop.!
Setting the automatic transmission toN
while driving cancels the DISTRONIC Plus. How-
ever, the automatic transmission should not be
set toN while driving except to coast when the
vehicle is in danger of skidding (e.g. on icy
roads).
i
Depressing the accelerator pedal does not
deactivate DISTRONIC Plus. After brief accelera-
tion (e.g. for passing), DISTRONIC Plus will re-
sume the last speed set.
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.