156 Controls in detailControl systemThe table below shows what settings can
be changed within the various menus. De-
tailed instructions on making individual
settings can be found on the following pag-
es.INSTRUMENT CLUSTER
TIME/DATE
LIGHTING
VEHICLE
CONVENIENCE
DYNAMIC SEAT*
Select temperature dis-
play mode
Synchronizing the
time
Set daytime running
lamp mode
(USA only)
Set automatic lock-
ing
Activate easy-en-
try/exit feature
Set level for dynam-
ic seat, driver
Select speedometer dis-
play mode
Set time (hours)
Set locator lighting
Limiting opening
height of trunk lid*
Set SmartKey-
dependency
Set level for dynam-
ic seat, passenger
Select language
Set time (minutes)
Ambient lighting
Set parking position
for exterior rear
view mirror
Select display (speed dis-
play or outside tempera-
ture) for status line
Set date (month)
Exterior lamps de-
layed shut-off
Select display (speed dis-
play or outside tempera-
ture) for basic display
Set date (day)
Interior lighting de-
layed shut-off
Tire pressure unit dis-
play*
Set date (year)
157 Controls in detail
Control system
Instrument cluster submenu
Access the
Instr. cluster
submenu via
the
Settings
menu. Use the
Instr. clus-
ter
submenu to change the instrument
cluster display settings. The following
functions are available:Selecting temperature display mode
Move the selection marker with
theæ orç button to the
Instr.
cluster
submenu.
Press buttonj ork repeatedly
until you see this message in the dis-
play:
Temp. indicator
.
The selection marker is on the current
setting.
Press buttonæ orç to set the
temperature unit to degrees
Celsius (°C) or degrees
Fahrenheit (°F).Selecting speedometer display mode
Move the selection marker with
theæ orç button to the
Instr.
cluster
submenu.
Press buttonj ork repeatedly
until you see this message in the dis-
play:
Display unit Speed-/odometer
.
The selection marker is on the current
setting.
Press button æ or ç to set
speedometer unit to
km or
miles
.
Function
Page
Select temperature display
mode
157
Select speedometer display
mode
157
Select language
158
Select display (speed display or
outside temperature) for status
display
158
Select display (speed display or
outside temperature) for basic
display
159
Tire pressure display*
159
159 Controls in detail
Control system
Selecting display (speed display or out-
side temperature) for basic display
Move the selection marker with
theæ orç button to the
Instr.
cluster
submenu.
Press buttonj ork repeatedly
until you see this message in the dis-
play:
Basic display
.
The selection marker is on the current
setting.
Press buttonæ orç to select
the display permanently shown in the
multifunction display.Tire pressure display*
Use this function to set the unit for the tire
pressure display.
Move the selection marker with the
æ or ç button to the
Instr,
cluster
submenu.
Press button j or k repeatedly
until you see this message in the dis-
play:
Display unit Tire pressure
.
The selection marker is on the current
setting.
Press buttonæ or ç to select
the desired tire pressure unit.Time/Date submenu
Access the
Time/Date
submenu via the
Settings
menu. Use the
Time/Date
sub-
menu to change the time and date display
settings. The following functions are avail-
able:
Function
Page
Synchronizing the time
160
Set time (hours)
160
Set time (minutes)
160
Set date (month)
161
Set date (day)
161
Set date (year)
161
iInformation on setting the time, refer to
separate COMAND instructions.
231 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Driving systems
The following driving systems are ex-
plained on the following pages:
Cruise control and Distronic*, with
which the vehicle can maintain a preset
speed
Airmatic* adjusts the vehicle suspen-
sion characteristics automatically and
controls the vehicle level
Parktronic system*, which assists the
driver during parking maneuvers
The BAS, ABS, ESP and SBC are described
in the “Safety and Security” section
(
page 85).
Cruise control
The cruise control automatically maintains
the speed you set for your vehicle.
Use of cruise control is recommended for
driving at a constant speed for extended
periods of time. You can set or resume
cruise control at any speed above 25 mph
(40 km /h).
E 320 4MATIC, E 500 4MATIC:
You can set or resume cruise control at any
speed above 20 mph (30 km /h).
The cruise control function is operated by
means of the cruise control lever.
The cruise control lever is the uppermost
lever found on the left-hand side of the
steering column (
page 22).
Warning!
G
Cruise control is a convenience system de-
signed to assist the driver during vehicle op-
eration. The driver is and must always
remain responsible for the vehicle speed
and for safe brake operation.
Only use cruise control if the road, traffic
and weather conditions make it advisable to
travel at a steady speed.
The use of cruise control can be danger-
ous on winding roads or in heavy traffic
because conditions do not allow safe
driving at a steady speed.
The use of cruise control can be danger-
ous on slippery roads. Rapid changes in
tire traction can result in wheel spin and
loss of control.
Deactivate cruise control when driving
in fog.
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.
236 Controls in detailDriving systems
iCanada only:
This device complies with RSS-210 of
Industry Canada. Operation is subject
to the following two conditions:
(1) This device may not cause interfer-
ence, and
(2) this device must accept any inter-
ference received, including interfer-
ence that may cause undesired
operation of the device.
Any unauthorized modification to this
device could void the user’s authority
to operate the equipment.Warning!
G
Distronic cannot take street and traffic con-
ditions into account. Only use Distronic if
the road, weather and traffic conditions
make it advisable to travel at a steady
speed.
Warning!
G
Use of Distronic can be dangerous on slip-
pery roads. Rapid changes in tire traction
can result in wheel spin and loss of control.
Distronic does not act upon adverse sight
distance conditions. Do not use Distronic
during conditions of fog and heavy rain,
snow or sleet.Warning!
G
Close attention to road and traffic condi-
tions is imperative at all times, regardless of
whether or not Distronic is activated.
Use of Distronic can be dangerous on wind-
ing roads or in heavy traffic because condi-
tions do not allow safe driving at a steady
speed.
Distronic will not react to stationary objects
in the roadway (e.g. a stopped vehicle in a
traffic jam or a disabled vehicle). Distronic
will also not respond to oncoming vehicles.
Switch off Distronic:
when changing from the left to the right
lane if vehicles are moving more slowly
in the left lane
when entering a turn lane or highway off
ramp
in complex driving situations, such as in
highway construction zones
In these situations, Distronic will continue to
maintain the set speed unless deactivated.
Distronic is designed and intended only to
maintain a set speed and keep a set dis-
tance from moving objects in front of it.
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.
321 Operation
Tires and wheels
Placard (Example B)
1Vehicle Tire Information placard with
recommended cold tire inflation
pressures
Placard (Example B) lists the recommend-
ed cold tire inflation pressures for maxi-
mum loaded vehicle weight. The tire
inflation pressures listed apply to the tires
installed as original equipment.Important notes on tire inflation
pressure
Tire temperature and tire inflation pressure
are also increased while driving, depending
on the driving speed and the tire load.
If you will be driving your vehicle at high
speeds of 100 mph (160 km / h) or higher,
where it is legal and conditions allow,
consult the placard on the inside of the fuel
filler flap on how to adjust the cold tire in-
flation pressure. If you do not adjust the
tire inflation pressure, excessive heat can
build up and result in sudden tire failure.Be sure to readjust the tire inflation
pressure for normal driving speeds. You
should wait until the tires are cold before
adjusting the tire inflation pressure.
Some vehicles may have supplemental tire
pressure information for vehicle loads less
than the maximum loaded vehicle condi-
tion. If such information is provided, it can
be found on the placard located on the in-
side of the fuel filler flap.
Tire inflation pressure changes by approxi-
mately 1.5 psi (0.1 bar) per 18°F (10°C) of
air temperature change. Keep this in mind
when checking tire inflation pressure
where the temperature is different from
the outside temperature.
iPlacard (Example B) may list
recommended cold tire inflation
pressures for different vehicle loads.
Warning!
G
If the tire inflation pressure repeatedly
drops:
Check the tires for punctures from
foreign objects.
Check to see whether air is leaking from
the valves or from around the rim.
324 OperationTires and wheels
Reactivating the tire pressure monitor-
ing system
The tire pressure monitoring system must
be reactivated in the following situations:
If you have changed the tire inflation
pressure
If you have replaced the wheels or tires
If you have installed new wheels or
tires
Using the tire placard on the driver’s
door B-pillar or, if available, the inside
of the fuel filler flap, make sure the tire
inflation pressure of all four tires is cor-
rect.
Press button j or k repeatedly
until you see the current inflation pres-
sures for each tire appear in the multi-
function display or the following
message appears in the multifunction
display:Tire pressure
displayed only
after driving
a few mins.
Press the reset button on the instru-
ment cluster (
page 24).
The following message will appear in
the multifunction display:
Check current
tire pres.?
Warning!
G
Follow recommended tire inflation pres-
sures.
Do not overinflate tires. Overinflating tires
can result in sudden deflation (blowout) be-
cause they are more likely to become punc-
tured or damaged by road debris, potholes,
etc.
Do not underinflate tires. Underinflated tires
wear unevenly, adversely affect handling
and fuel economy, and are more likely to fail
from being overheated.
Do not overload the tires by exceeding the
specified vehicle capacity weight (as indicat-
ed by the label on the pillar in the driver’s
door opening). Overloading the tires can
overheat them, possibly causing a blowout.
iIf you are transporting a deflated tire in
the vehicle, do not activate the tire
pressure monitoring system until
the deflated tire is no longer in the
vehicle
you have inflated the tire to the cor-
rect pressure
326 OperationTires and wheels
Potential problems associated with
underinflated and overinflated tires
Underinflated tire inflation pressure
Underinflated tires can:
cause excessive and uneven tire wear
adversely affect fuel economy
lead to tire failure from being
overheated
adversely affect handling
characteristicsOverinflated tire inflation pressure
Overinflated tires can:
adversely affect handling
characteristics
cause uneven tire wear
be more prone to damage from road
hazards
adversely affect ride comfort
increase stopping distance
iIf the positions of the wheels have not
been changed on the vehicle, the tire
inflation pressures are shown correctly
after a short period. If the positions of
the wheels have been switched, howev-
er, it is possible that the tire inflation
pressures are temporarily shown for
the wrong wheel positions. They are
corrected after a few minutes of driv-
ing, and the tire inflation pressures are
shown for the correct wheel positions.
Warning!
G
Follow recommended tire inflation
pressures.
Do not underinflate tires. Underinflated tires
wear excessively and / or unevenly,
adversely affect handling and fuel economy,
and are more likely to fail from being
overheated.
Warning!
G
Follow recommended tire inflation
pressures.
Do not overinflate tires. Overinflated tires
can adversely affect handling and ride
comfort, wear unevenly, increase stopping
distance, and result in sudden deflation
(blowout) because they are more likely to
become punctured or damaged by road
debris, potholes etc.