2003 MERCEDES-BENZ E-CLASS warning

204 Controls in detailDriving systemsDeactivating Distronic
There are several ways to deactivate the
Distronic system:
Briefly tip the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow3 (
page 201).
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 25 mph
(Canada: 40 km/h)


the ESP is active (
page 75) or you de-
activate the ESP


you move the transmission selector le-
ver into positionN
A si gnal wi ll s ound. T he
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.
The thumbwheel for making the time set-
ting is located on the lower section of the
center console.
iThe following message will appear in
the multifunction display for approxi-
mately five seconds:
Distronic off
.
The 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 approx. 25 mph
( 40 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.
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.
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205 Controls in detail
Driving systems
1Distance warning function on/off
switch
2Control lamp
3Thumbwheel for setting distance
Increasing distance
Increasing the distance setting tells Dis-
tronic to maintain a greater following dis-
tance to the vehicle ahead.
Turn thumbwheel3 towards¯.Decreasing distance
Decreasing the distance setting tells Dis-
tronic to maintain a shorter following dis-
tance to the vehicle ahead.

Turn thumbwheel3 towards®.
Distance warning function
When Distronic is deactivated, this func-
tion will continue to warn you when recog-
nizing a stationary obstacle or a slower
vehicle moving in the vehicle’s path and
the danger of a collision exists:


The distance warning lampl in the
instrument cluster comes on.


An intermittent warning sounds.
If these warnings are issued, you must
brake manually to maintain a safe distance
and avoid a collision with the vehicle
ahead.
When pressing the brake pedal, the warn-
ing sound stops. The warning sound also
stops when the distance to the vehicle ahead is sufficient again without applying
the brake pedal. In this case the distance
warning lamp also extinguishes.
Warning!
G
If the DTR warning lamp
l
in the instru-
ment cluster lights up while driving and/or
an intermittent warning sounds, immediate
attention on the part of the driver is re-
quired.
As required by the traffic situation, apply the
brakes and navigate around a possible ob-
stacle. However, do not drive by relying on
the distance warning function, as this will re-
sult in an emergency braking application.
Especially depending on road surface condi-
tions and driver reaction, this will not always
enable you to avoid a collision.
iComplex driving situations are not al-
ways fully recognized by Distronic. This
could result in wrong or missing dis-
tance warnings.
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206 Controls in detailDriving systemsActivating
Press button1.
Indicator lamp 2 on the button lights
up. A loudspeaker symbol appears in
the multifunction display (
page 201).
Deactivating

Press button1.
Indicator lamp 2 on the button goes
out. No loudspeaker symbol appears in
the multifunction display.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. This 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 af-
ter 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.
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209 Controls in detail
Driving systems
AIRMATIC DC (Dual Control)*
Vehicle level control
Your vehicle automatically adjusts its ride
height to

reduce fuel consumption


increase vehicle safety
The following vehicle chassis ride heights
are possible:


Normal


Raised


Lowered
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 automatically by up to approxi-
mately 0.6 inch (15 mm) "Lowered"
level.


With decreasing speed, the ride height
is again raised to the "Normal" level.
Select the "Raised" level only when re-
quired by current driving conditions. Oth-
erwise


fuel consumption may increase


handling may be impairediThese height adjustments are so small
that you may not notice any change.
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.
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212 Controls in detailDriving systemsSuspension for sporty driving style I
The setting for sporty driving I is selected
when one indicator lamp2 is illuminated.
Press button1.
One indicator lamp2 comes on.
Suspension for sporty driving style II
The setting for sporty driving II is selected
when two indicator lamps2 are illuminat-
ed.

Press button1 twice.
Two indicator lamps2 come on.
Suspension for regular driving style
The setting for regular driving is selected
when the two indicator lamps2 are off.

Press button1 repeatedly until all indi-
cator lamps go out.
The indicator lamps2 go out.
PARKTRONIC system*
The Parktronic system is an electronic aid
designed to assist the driver during park-
ing maneuvers. It visually and audibly indi-
cates the relative distance between the
vehicle and an obstacle.
The Parktronic system is automatically ac-
tivated when you switch on the ignition
and release the parking brake. The Park-
tronic system deactivates at speeds over
11 mph (18 km/h). At lower speeds the
Parktronic system turns on again.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 rests with the driver.
Special attention must be paid to objects
having smooth surfaces or low silhouettes
(e.g. trailer couplings, painted posts, or
street curbs). Such objects may not be de-
tected by the system and can damage the
vehicle.
The operational function of the Parktronic
can be affected by dirty sensors, especially
at times of snow and ice. See "Cleaning the
Parktronic system sensors" (
page 284).
Interference caused by other ultrasonic sig-
nals (e.g. working jackhammers or the air
brakes of trucks) can cause the system to
send erratic indications, and should be tak-
en into consideration.
Warning!
G
Be sure that no persons or animals are in the
area in which you are maneuvering. You
could otherwise injure them.
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213 Controls in detail
Driving systems
The Parktronic system monitors the sur-
roundings of your vehicle with six sensors
in the front bumper and four sensors in the
rear bumper.
1Sensors in the front bumperRange of the sensors
To function properly, the sensors must be
free of dirt, ice, snow and slush. Clean the
sensors regularly, being careful not to
scratch or damage the sensors.
Front sensors
Rear sensorsMinimum distance
If the system encounters an obstacle in
this range, all the warning lamps light up
and you hear a warning signal. If the obsta-
cle is closer than the minimum distance,
the actual distance may no longer be indi-
cated by the system.
Center
approx. 40 in (100 cm)
Corners
approx. 23 in (60 cm)
Center
approx. 48 in (120 cm)
Corners
approx. 32 in (80 cm)
!During parking maneuvers, pay special
attention to objects located above or
below the height of the sensors (e.g.
planters or trailer hitches). The Park-
tronic system will not detect such ob-
jects at close range and damage to
your vehicle or the object may result.
Ultrasonic signals from outside sourc-
es (e.g. truck air brakes or jackham-
mers) may impair the operation of the
Parktronic system.
Center
approx. 8 in (20 cm)
Corners
approx. 6 in (15 cm)
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214 Controls in detailDriving systemsWarning 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 located above the center air
outlets in the dashboard. The warning indi-
cator for the rear area is integrated in the
rear trim.Front area warning indicator1Left side of the vehicle
2Right side of the vehicleEach warning indicator is divided into six
yellow and two red segments for either
side of the vehicle. The Parktronic system
is ready when the border around the indi-
cator is illuminated.
The position of the gear selector lever de-
termines which warning indicators will be
activated.As your vehicle approaches an object, one
or more segments will light up, depending
on the distance. When the eighth segment
lights up, you have reached the minimum
distance.


Front area: An intermittent acoustic
warning will sound as the seventh seg-
ment lights up and a constant acoustic
warning lasting a maximum of three
seconds will sound for the eighth seg-
ment.


Rear area: An intermittent acoustic
warning will sound when the first seg-
ment lights up. This signal quickens
with each additional segment lit. When
the eighth segment illuminates, the
acoustic warning becomes a constant
signal. The signal is canceled when the
selector lever is placed in position D
orP.
Selector lever po-
sition
Warning indicator
D
Front area activated
R or N
Rear area activated
P
Neither activated
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216 Controls in detailLoading
LoadingRoof rack*
1TrimPreparing roof rack installation

Open trim1 at the trim strips in the
roof.

Secure the roof rack according to man-
ufacturer’s instructions for installation.
Ski sack*
Unfolding and loading
Fold armrest down (arrow).

Swing cover1 down.
Warning!
G
Use only those roof racks approved by Mer-
cedes-Benz for your vehicle model to avoid
damage to the vehicle. Follow manufactur-
er’s installation instructions.
!Be sure to stack a load on the roof rack
so that the vehicle cannot be damaged
while driving.
Make sure that:

you can fully raise the
sliding/pop-up roof*


you can fully open the trunk
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