warning MERCEDES-BENZ S-Class 2008 W221 Comand Manual

466 Controls in detailDriving systemsThe 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 Plus will switch off, and the
message:
“DISTRONIC PLUS
Currently Unavailable
See Oper. Manual”
appears in the multifunction display.
For cleaning and care of the
DISTRONIC Plus sensor, see “Cleaning the
DISTRONIC Plus*/ PRE-SAFE
® Brake*
system sensors (USA only)” (page 619).Another cause might be that the radar sen-
sors have been manually switched off in
the instrument cluster control system.
Please verify that the radar sensors are
switched on (
page 307).Turns and bends
In turns or bends, DISTRONIC Plus 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.
Warning!
G
DISTRONIC Plus should not be used in
snowy or icy road conditions.
i
If the message:
“DISTRONIC PLUS
Currently Unavailable
See Oper. Manual”
disappears during driving and the last speed
stored flashes for approximately 5 seconds, the
dirt (e.g. slush) has dissolved; DISTRONIC Plus is
again available.

469 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Vehicle level control with Airmatic
Your vehicle automatically adjusts its ride
height to:

increase vehicle safety


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


W it h inc re a sing s pe ed, ri de hei ght is re -
duced by up to approximately 0.8 in
(20 mm).


With decreasing speed, the ride height
is again raised to the selected vehicle
level.The following vehicle level settings can be
selected when the vehicle is stationary:
Select the “Raised” level setting only when
required by current driving conditions.
Otherwise:


Fuel consumption may increase.


Handling may be impaired.1Vehicle level control switch
2Indicator lamp

Start the engine.

Briefly press switch1 to change from
one level setting to the other.
The message:
“Vehicle Rising”
appears in the multifunction display
when changing from normal level to
raised level.
The indicator lamp2 is then lit. The
display switches off when the vehicle is
raised.
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.
i
These height adjustments are so small that
you may not notice any change.
LevelNormal
For driving on normal roads.
The indicator lamp is off.
Raised
For driving on rough roads or
with snow chains. The indica-
tor lamp is on.


470 Controls in detailDriving systems
Press switch1 again to lower the ve-
hicle. The indicator lamp2 is off.Suspension tuning
The Adaptive Damping System (ADS) auto-
matically tunes shock absorbers and
springs.
The suspension tuning is set according to:


your driving style


road surface conditions


the vehicle loading


your choice of suspension style
The program mode selector switch (C/S)
(
page 436) is used to adjust the suspen-
sion tuning:

Start the engine.

Select the desired driving program.
Active Body Control (ABC)*
The ABC system is an active, comput-
er-controlled system that hydraulically ad-
justs the suspension at all four wheels in
response to various driving situations. It
automatically selects the optimum suspen-
sion tuning and ride height for your vehicle.
i
The selected vehicle level setting remains
stored in memory even if the engine is turned off
and restarted except when you


exceed a speed of 75 mph (120 km/h)
or


maintain a speed of between 50 mph
(80 km/h) and 75 mph (120 km/h) for more
than 3 minutes
The vehicle then lowers to regular level.
Driving program
Suspension tuning
CComfort
comfortable
(default setting)
SSport
sporty
for dynamic driving
Warning!
G
When you switch off the engine, the entire
vehicle is lowered. You should therefore
make sure that no one is near the wheel
housing or under the vehicle when you
switch off the engine. Otherwise, parts of
the individuals body could be trapped.!
When you switch off the engine, the entire
vehicle is lowered. When parking, position your
vehicle in such a way that it will not scrape
against a curb, for example, when it is lowered.
Your vehicle could otherwise be damaged.


471 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Vehicle level control with ABC
Your vehicle automatically adjusts its ride
height to:

increase vehicle safety


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


W it h inc re a sing s pe ed, ri de hei ght is re -
duced by up to approximately 0.6 in
(15 mm).


With decreasing speed, the ride height
is again raised to the selected vehicle
level.
The following vehicle level settings can be
selected when the vehicle is stationary:
Select the “Raised” level setting only when
required by current driving conditions.
Otherwise:


Fuel consumption may increase.


Handling may be impaired.1Vehicle level control switch
2Indicator lamp
Selecting a higher level

Start the engine.
If indicator lamp2 is off:

Press switch1.
Indicator lamp2 comes on. The vehi-
cle is raised to a higher level.
i
S63AMG and S65AMG only:
When you switch off the engine, the entire vehi-
cle is lowered by 0.2 in (5 mm).
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.
i
These height adjustments are so small that
you may not notice any change.
LevelNormal
For driving on normal roads.
The indicator lamp is off.
Raised
For driving on rough roads or
with snow chains. The indica-
tor lamp is on.
i
The selected vehicle level setting remains
stored in memory even if the engine is turned off
and restarted.

472 Controls in detailDriving systemsSelecting a normal level
Start the engine.
If indicator lamp2 is on:

Press switch1.
Indicator lamp2 goes out. The vehicle
is adjusted to a normal level.
Suspension tuning
The suspension tuning is set according to:


your driving style


road surface conditions


the vehicle loading


your choice of suspension styleThe program mode selector switch (C/S)
(
page 436) or (S/C/M) (
page 440) is
used to adjust the suspension tuning:

Start the engine.

Select the desired driving program.
Parktronic system*
Driving program
Suspension tuning
CComfort
comfortable
(default setting)
SSport
MManual
sporty
for dynamic driving
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 de-
tected by the system and can damage the
vehicle.

474 Controls in detailDriving systemsFront 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.Warning 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
3Indicator
Each warning indicator is divided into five
yellow and two red distance segments for
either side of the vehicle.
If yellow indicators 3 under the segments
are lit, Parktronic is ready to measure.Center
approx. 40 in (100 cm)
Corners
approx. 24 in (60 cm)
Center
approx. 48 in (120 cm)
Corners
approx. 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 re-
sult.
Ultrasonic signals from outside sources (e.g.
truck air brakes, car wash, or jackhammers) may
impair the operation of the Parktronic system.
Center
approx. 8 in (20 cm)
Corners
approx. 6 in (15 cm)

475 Controls in detail
Driving systems
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.


Front area:
An intermittent acoustic warning will
sound as the first red distance segment
illuminates and a constant acoustic
warning lasting a maximum of
2 seconds will sound for the second
red distance segment. The signal is
canceled when the gear selector lever
is placed in park position P.


Rear area:
An intermittent acoustic warning will
sound as the first red distance segment
illuminates and a constant acoustic
warning lasting a maximum of
2 seconds will sound for the second
red distance segment. The signal is
canceled when the gear selector lever
is placed in drive position D or park
positionP.Switching on or off Parktronic system
The Parktronic system can be switched off
manually.
1Parktronic button
2Indicator lamp
Gear selector
lever position
Warning indicator
D
Front area activated
R or N
Front and rear area
activated
P
Neither activated

476 Controls in detailDriving systems
Switching off the Parktronic sys-
tem: Press button 1.
Indicator lamp 2 comes on.

Switching on the Parktronic system:
Press button 1 again.
Indicator lamp 2 goes out.
Parktronic system malfunction
If only the red distance segments illumi-
nate and an acoustic warning sounds,
there is a malfunction in the Parktronic
system. The Parktronic system will auto-
matically switch off after 20 seconds and
the indicator lamp in the Parktronic switch
comes on.

Have the Parktronic system checked
by an authorized Mercedes-Benz Cen-
ter as soon as possible.
If only the red distance segments illumi-
nate and no acoustic warning sounds, the
Parktronic system sensors are dirty or
there is an interference from other radio or
ultrasonic signals. The Parktronic system
will automatically switch off after 20 sec-
onds and the indicator lamp in the Park-
tronic switch comes on.

Switch off the ignition (
page 370).

Clean the Parktronic system sensors
(page 619).

Switch on the ignition.
or

Check the Parktronic system operation
at another location to rule out interfer-
ence from outside radio or ultrasonic
signals.
Park Assist*
i
The Parktronic system is automatically
switched on when the ignition is switched on
(
page 370).
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 de-
tected by the system and can damage the
vehicle.

479 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
3Indicator
Each warning indicator is divided into five
yellow and two red distance segments for
either side of the vehicle.
If yellow indicators 3 under the 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.i
Due 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
Center
approx. 40 in (100 cm)
Corners
approx. 24 in (60 cm)
Center
approx. 50 in (125 cm)
Corners
approx. 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 position
Warning indicator
D
Front area activated
R
Front and rear area
activated
N
With the electronic
parking brake engaged:
neither activated.
With the electronic
parking brake released:
front and rear area acti-
vated.
P
Neither activated

480 Controls in detailDriving systems

Front area:
As soon as the first red segment lights
up, you will hear an intermittent warn-
ing tone for approximately two sec-
onds. Once the second red segment
lights up, you will hear a continuous
warning tone. You have reached the
minimum distance.


Rear area:
As soon as the first red segment lights
up, you will hear an intermittent warn-
ing tone for approximately two sec-
onds. Once the second red segment
lights up, you will hear a continuous
warning tone. You have reached the
minimum distance.Collision warning
Park Assist can detect obstacles from a
considerable distance. If you drive in re-
verse towards an obstacle, you will hear a
warning tone. You must then brake in or-
der to avoid a collision. The warning tone
for a collision will not sound when the vehi-
cle is at a standstill very close to the obsta-
cle. In this case, you will hear a
corresponding tone for the warning indica-
tor in the rear area.Switching Park Assist system on/off
The Park Assist system can be switched off
manually.
The Park Assist button with the indicator
lamp is located on the control panel on the
right-hand side of the instrument cluster.
1Park Assist button
2Indicator lamp
i
During strong rainfall, the warning indicators
and warning tones may be triggered, for exam-
ple, by water splashing into the area of the sen-
sors.
i
During strong rainfall, the collision warning
may be triggered, for example, by water splash-
ing into the area of the sensors.
i
When the indicator lamp is on, the Park
Assist system is switched off.