display MERCEDES-BENZ S430 2006 W221 Repair Manual

223 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Activating Distronic
You can activate Distronic when:

you are driving above 25 mph
(40 km/h)


the ESP
® switched on (
page 81)
If Distronic has not been activated after
pressing the cruise control lever, you will
see the message:
---
in the multifunction
display.In the following cases you cannot activate
Distronic:


up to two minutes after starting the en-
gine


when you brake


if you have set the parking brake


if the gear selector lever is in
positionP, R, or N


if the ESP
® is switched offSetting the current speed

Accelerate or decelerate to the desired
speed.

Briefly lift the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow1 or depress in the
direction of arrow2.
Distronic is activated and the current
speed is set.

Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
iThe maximum speed you can set is
110 mph (180 km/h).
iIf you do not take your foot off of the
accelerator completely, the following
message will appear in the multifunc-
tion display: DISTRONIC OVERRIDEDistronic will not work to maintain the
distance to a slower moving vehicles in
front of you. Your vehicle speed will
then be determined only by the accel-
erator pedal position.

224 Controls in detailDriving systemsSetting a higher speed
Briefly tip the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow1 (
page 222) to
increase vehicle speed in increments
of 5 mph (Canada: 10 km/h).
The new speed is set.
The stored speed is displayed in the
multifunction display for approximately
five seconds (
page 222), and one or
two segments around the stored speed
come on the speedometer
(
page 220).
Setting a lower speed

Briefly tip the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow2 (
page 222) to
decrease vehicle speed in increments
of 5 mph (Canada: 10 km/h).The new speed is set.
The stored speed is displayed in the
multifunction display for approximately
five seconds (
page 222), and one or
two segments around the stored speed
come on the speedometer
(
page 220).
Fine adjustment in 1 mph
(Canada: 1 km/h) increments
Faster

Briefly tip the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow4 (
page 222).Setting to last stored speed (“Resume”
function)

Briefly tip the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow4 (
page 222).
Distronic is set to the last stored
speed.

Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
iDepressing the accelerator pedal does
not deactivate Distronic. After brief ac-
celeration (e.g. for passing), the cruise
control resumes the last speed set.
iWhen you use the cruise control lever
to decelerate, the brakes will be ap-
plied to support deceleration.
In addition, the transmission will auto-
matically downshift on long downhill
grades.
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.

225 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Deactivating Distronic
There are several ways to deactivate the
Distronic system:
Briefly tip the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow3 (
page 222).
or

Step on the brake pedal.
Distronic will be deactivated. The last
speed set will be stored into memory.Distronic deactivates automatically when:


You set the parking brake.


You drive slower than 22 mph
(35 km/h).


The ESP
® engages (
page 81) or you
switch off the ESP
®.


You move the gear selector lever into
positionN.
A signal will sound. The
DISTRONIC OFF

message appears in the multifunction
display for approximately five seconds.Setting the following distance in
Distronic
You can set the specified following dis-
tance for Distronic by varying the time set-
ting 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 vehi-
cle ahead. The set distance will be shown
in the multifunction display field.
iThe following message will appear in
the multifunction display for approxi-
mately five seconds:DISTRONIC OFFThe last stored speed is deleted when
you turn off the engine.
Warning!
G
Distronic switches off and releases the
brakes when the vehicle decelerates below
the minimum speed of approximately
22 mph (35 km/h) by operation of the sys-
tem. At that time the driver must apply the
brakes in order to reduce vehicle speed fur-
ther or bring it to a stop.
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.

227 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Activating
Press button1.
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on. A loudspeaker symbol ap-
pears in the multifunction display
(page 222).
Deactivating

Press button1.
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.Driving with Distronic
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 system.
Warning!
G
Distronic works to maintain the speed se-
lected by the driver unless a moving obsta-
cle proceeding directly ahead of it in the
same travel direction is detected (e.g. fol-
lowing another vehicle ahead of you at a dis-
tance set by Distronic). 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 could
lose sight of a vehicle traveling in front
of it, then your vehicle could accelerate
to the previously selected speed.
Distronic regulates only the distance be-
tween your vehicle and those directly ahead
of it, but does not register stationary objects
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.
Warning!
G
Distronic should not be used in snowy or icy
road conditions.

228 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, Dis-
tronic will switch off, and the message:DISTRONIC
CURRENTLY UNAVAILABLE
SEE OPERATORS MANUALappears in the multifunction display.
For cleaning and care of the Distronic sen-
sor, see “Cleaning the Distronic* system
sensor cover” (
page 335).Turns and bends
In turns or bends, 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.Offset driving
A vehicle traveling in your lane but offset
from your direct line of travel may not be
detected by Distronic. There will be insuffi-
cient distance to the vehicle ahead.
iIf the message:DISTRONIC
CURRENTLY UNAVAILABLE
SEE OPERATORS MANUALdisappears during driving and the last
speed stored flashes for approximately
five seconds, the dirt (e.g. slush) has
dissolved; Distronic is again operation-
al.

230 Controls in detailDriving systems1Indicator lamps
2Damping button
Start the engine.

Press the damping button2 until the
desired suspension style is set.

If both indicator lamps are out, you
have chosen the automatic mode
for soft damping. The message:AIRMATIC
CONVENIENCEfor Comfort suspension tuning ap-
pears in the multifunction display.


If one indicator lamp is on, the con-
trol system supports a primarily dy-
namic style of driving. The
message:AIRMATIC
SPORTS 1for Sporty 1 suspension tuning ap-
pears in the multifunction display.


If both indicator lamps are on, the
system is set for a dynamic style of
driving. The message:AIRMATIC
SPORTS 2for Sporty 2 suspension tuning ap-
pears in the multifunction display.Vehicle level control with Airmatic
Your vehicle automatically adjusts its ride
height to:


reduce fuel consumption


increase vehicle safety
The vehicle chassis ride height is raised or
lowered according to the selected level
setting and to the vehicle speed:


With increasing speed, ride height 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.
iThe selected suspension style is stored
in memory, even after the SmartKey is
removed from the starter switch.
iThese height adjustments are so small
that you may not notice any change.

231 Controls in detail
Driving systems
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.The switch with the indicator lamps is lo-
cated on the upper part of the front center
console.
1Indicator lamp
2Vehicle level control switch

Start the engine.

Briefly press switch2 to change from
one level setting to the other.
The message:AIRMATIC
VEHICLE RISING appears in the multifunction display
when changing from normal level to
raised level.The indicator lamp is then lit. The dis-
play switches off when the vehicle is
raised.

Press switch2 again to lower the ve-
hicle. The indicator lamp is off.
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 5 minutes
The vehicle then lowers to regular level.
The message:
AIRMATIC
LEVELING CANCELLEDappears in the multifunction display and
the indicator lamp is off. The display
switches off when the vehicle is raised.
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.
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.

232 Controls in detailDriving systemsActive Body Control (ABC)*
The ABC system automatically selects the
optimum suspension tuning and ride
height for your vehicle.
Suspension tuning
The suspension tuning is set according to:

your driving style


road surface conditions


the vehicle loading


your choice of suspension style
You can set following suspension style:


regular (convenience)


sportyThe ABC button with the indicator lamps is
located on the upper part of the front cen-
ter console.
1Indicator lamp
2ABC button

Start the engine.
Suspension for sporty driving style
The setting for sporty driving is selected
when indicator lamp1 is illuminated.

Press button2.
Indicator lamp1 comes on.The message:
ACTIVE BODY CONTROL
ABC
SPORTSappears in the multifunction display for
a short time.
Suspension for regular driving style
The setting for regular driving is selected
when indicator lamp1 is off.

Press button2.
Indicator lamp1 goes out.
The message:ACTIVE BODY CONTROL
ABC
CONVENIENCEappears in the multifunction display for
a short time.
iThe selected setting is stored, even if
the engine is turned off.

234 Controls in detailDriving systemsThe button with the indicator lamps is lo-
cated on the upper part of the front center
console.
1Indicator lamps
2Vehicle level control button

Start the engine.

Briefly press button2 to change from
one level setting to the next.

Both indicator lamps are not illumi-
nated, the normal level is select.


At level 1, one of the indicator
lamps1 is illuminated.


At level 2 both indicator lamps1
are illuminated.
The message:
ACTIVE BODY CONTROL
ABC
VEHICLE RISINGappears in the multifunction display for
a short time.
When the vehicle is at level 2, pressing
the button will return the vehicle to nor-
mal level.
iPressing the button twice in quick suc-
cession will cause the vehicle to imme-
diately raise or lower according to the
starting level.
The selected vehicle level setting re-
mains stored in memory even if the en-
gine is turned off and restarted.

255 Controls in detail
Useful features
System self-check
Initially, after switching on the ignition,
malfunctions are detected and indicated
(the indicator lamps in the SOS button, the
Roadside Assistance button• and the
Information button¡ stay on longer
than ten seconds or do not come on). The
message:TELE AID MALFUNCTION
DRIVE TO WORKSHOPappears for approximately ten seconds in
the multifunction display.Emergency calls
An emergency call is initiated
automatically following an accident in
which the emergency tensioning devices
(ETDs) or air bags deploy.
An emergency call can also be initiated
manually by opening the cover next to the
interior rear view mirror labeled SOS, then
briefly pressing the button located under
the cover. See (
page 256) for
instructions on initiating an emergency call
manually.
Once the emergency call is in progress, the
indicator lamp in the SOS button will begin
to flash. The message:
CONNECTING CALL

appears in the multifunction display and
the audio system is muted. When the con-
nection is established, the message:
CALL
CONNECTED
appears in the multifunction
display. All information relevant to the
emergency, such as the location of the ve-
hicle (determined by the GPS satellite loca-
tion system), vehicle model, identification
number and color are generated.
iThe Tele Aid system utilizes the cellular
network for communication and the
GPS (Global Positioning System) satel-
lites for vehicle location. If either of
these signals are unavailable, the Tele
Aid system may not function and if this
occurs, assistance must be summoned
by other means.
Warning!
G
If the indicator lamps in the SOS button, in
the Roadside Assistance button
•

and/or in the Information button
¡
do
not come on during the system self-check,
or if any of these indicators remain illuminat-
ed continuously in red and/or the message:
TELE AID MALFUNCTION
DRIVE TO WORKSHOPis displayed in the multifunction display af-
ter the system self-check, a malfunction in
the system has been detected.
If a malfunction is indicated as outlined
above, the system may not operate as ex-
pected. Have the system checked at the
nearest Mercedes-Benz Center as soon as
possible.