warning MERCEDES-BENZ S-Class 2008 W221 Comand Manual
[x] Cancel search | Manufacturer: MERCEDES-BENZ, Model Year: 2008, Model line: S-Class, Model: MERCEDES-BENZ S-Class 2008 W221Pages: 801, PDF Size: 10.23 MB
Page 455 of 801
454 Controls in detailDriving systems
DISTRONIC Plus displays in multifunc-
tion display
1Speed of the vehicle ahead
2Set speed
3Distance warning lamp
If DISTRONIC Plus is activated, the
marker2 indicates the set speed.When 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:
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.
i
USA 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.
i
Canada 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.
i
The vehicle speed displayed on the speed-
ometer can briefly vary from the speed setting
on the DISTRONIC Plus system.
Page 456 of 801
455 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.
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. This corresponds to
about 40% of the maximum deceleration
ability of your vehicle.
You must also apply the brakes yourself to
avoid a collision. DISTRONIC Plus brakes
the vehicle in an effort to restore the preset
distance or to maintain the speed. The brake
pedal is automatically applied as this hap-
pens which results in the brake pedal mov-
ing.
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.
Warning!
G
If you do not receive visual or acoustic warn-
ing signals during a critical traffic situation,
DISTRONIC Plus has either not recognized
the collision risk, has been deactivated or is
malfunctioning.
Remember, whether or not DISTRONIC Plus
is operating, it is ultimately always the driv-
ers responsibility to apply the brakes in or-
der to control the vehicle and avoid a
collision.i
For activating or deactivating the
DISTRONIC Plus system, see “Activating
DISTRONIC Plus” (
page 457) or “Deactivating
DISTRONIC Plus” (page 463).
Page 458 of 801
457 Controls in detail
Driving systems
DISTRONIC Plus lever
The DISTRONIC Plus system is operated by
means of the DISTRONIC Plus lever.
1Setting current or higher speed
Adjustment in 1 mph increments (to
the resistance point) or 5 mph
increments (past the resistance point)
(Canada: 1 km/h or 10 km/h)
2Setting current or lower speed
Adjustment in 1 mph increments (to
the resistance point) or 5 mph
increments (past the resistance point)
(Canada: 1 km/h or 10 km/h)
3Canceling DISTRONIC Plus
4Activating DISTRONIC Plus or resum-
ing to last set speed5Setting target distance
Activating DISTRONIC Plus
You 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 - - - mph” (Canada: “DISTRONIC PLUS
- - - kmh”) in the multifunction display.
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 120 mph
(Canada: 200 km/h).
Page 460 of 801
459 Controls in detail
Driving systems
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 463).
DISTRONIC Plus is switched on.Starting 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,
DISTRONIC Plus functions like the cruise
control (
page 446).
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.
i
It is helpful to switch on the DISTRONIC Plus
display in the instrument cluster (
page 455)
since you can only switch on DISTRONIC Plus un-
d e r a s p e e d o f 2 0 m p h ( 3 0 k m / h ) w h e n a v e h i c l e
has been detected 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 464).
i
If DISTRONIC Plus is switched off,
PRE-SAFE
® Brake* (
page 77) will warn of an
impending collision if this function has been ac-
tivated with the instrument cluster control sys-
tem (
page 303).
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.
Page 461 of 801
460 Controls in detailDriving systemsStopping
When DISTRONIC Plus detects that the ve-
hicle in front of you is stopping, the vehicle
brakes until it also stops.
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.
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
DISTRONIC 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
electronic 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 electronic parking brake.
i
After a short while, your vehicle is secured in
place by the electronic 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
DISTRONIC Plus lever, your vehicle will stop ap-
proximately 13.1 ft away from the vehicle in
front of you.
Page 462 of 801
461 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Setting a higher speed
You can increase the set speed in two
stages.Adjustment in 1 mph (Canada: 1 km/h)
increments
Briefly lift the DISTRONIC Plus lever to
the resistance point in direction of
arrow1 (
page 457).
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
Briefly lift the DISTRONIC Plus lever
past the resistance point in direction of
arrow1 (
page 457).
Release the DISTRONIC Plus lever.
i
If you do not take your foot off of the accel-
erator completely, the following message
“DISTRONIC PLUS Override” will appear in the
multifunction display.
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.Warning!
G
If you increase the set speed, keep in mind
that it may take a brief moment until the ve-
hicle has reached the set speed.
Increase the set speed to a value that the
prevailing road conditions and legal speed
limits permit. Otherwise, sudden and unex-
pected acceleration of the vehicle could
cause an accident and/or serious injury to
you and others.
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 463 of 801
462 Controls in detailDriving systems
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 457).
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
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.Warning!
G
If you decrease the set speed, keep in mind
that it may take a brief moment until the ve-
hicle has reached the set speed.
Decelerate the set speed to a value that the
prevailing road conditions and legal speed
limits permit. Otherwise, sudden and unex-
pected deceleration of the vehicle could
cause an accident and/or serious injury to
you and others.
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. Otherwise,
sudden and unexpected deceleration of the
vehicle could cause an accident and/or se-
rious injury to you and others.
Page 464 of 801
463 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Briefly press the DISTRONIC Plus lever
down past the resistance point in
direction of arrow2 (
page 457).
Release the DISTRONIC Plus lever.
The vehicle speed decreases in incre-
ments of 5 mph (Canada: 10 km/h).Setting to last stored speed (“Resume”
function)
Briefly pull the DISTRONIC Plus lever in
the direction of arrow4 (
page 457).
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 457).
or
Step on the brake pedal.
DISTRONIC Plus will be deactivated.
The last speed set will be stored into
memory.
DISTRONIC Plus deactivates automatically
when:
the vehicle is secured with the elec-
tronic parking brake
the vehicle speed is below 20 mph
(30 km/h) and no preceding vehicle is
detected
the ESP
® is in operation or switched off
with the ESP
® switch (
page 74)
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.
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 last stored speed is deleted when you
turn off the engine.
Page 465 of 801
464 Controls in detailDriving systems
you set the automatic transmission to
park positionP, reverse gearR, or neu-
tral positionN while driving
the radar sensors are switched off
(page 307)
the vehicle rolls backward
The segments in the multifunction display
go out, an acoustic signal sounds, and the
message “DISTRONIC PLUS Off” appears in
the multifunction display for approximately
5 seconds.
If the vehicle has been stopped by
DISTRONIC 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.
DISTRONIC Plus is then switched off and
the message disappears.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.
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.
Page 466 of 801
465 Controls in detail
Driving systems
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.Decreasing distance
Decreasing the distance setting causes
DISTRONIC Plus to maintain a shorter fol-
lowing distance to the vehicle ahead.
Move distance setting switch 1 in di-
rection 3.
Driving with DISTRONIC Plus
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 which will
deactivate the DISTRONIC Plus system.Warning!
G
DISTRONIC Plus works to maintain the
speed selected by the driver unless a mov-
ing obstacle proceeding directly ahead of it
i n t h e s am e t ra ve l di re ct io n i s de te c te d (e.g.
following another vehicle ahead of you at a
distance set by DISTRONIC Plus).
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 Plus
could lose sight of a vehicle traveling in
front of it, then your vehicle could accel-
erate to the previously selected speed.
DISTRONIC Plus regulates only the distance
between your vehicle and those directly
ahead of it. It may not register stationary ob-
jects 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.