2005 MERCEDES-BENZ E55AMG switch

230 Controls in detailPanorama roof with power tilt/sliding panel*
Move and hold the roof panel switch in
the direction of arrow3 until the
tilt/sliding panel is fully raised.

Keep holding the roof panel switch in
the direction of arrow3 for approxi-
mately one second.

Move and hold the roof panel switch in
the direction of arrow2 until the
tilt/sliding panel is fully closed.

Keep holding the roof panel switch in
the direction of arrow2 for approxi-
mately one second.

Check the Express-open feature of the
tilt/sliding panel (
page 229).
If the tilt/sliding panel opens com-
pletely, the roof is synchronized. Other-
wise repeat the above steps.
Solar panel*
A solar panel is available in combination
with the panorama roof with tilt/sliding
panel. The solar cells convert natural light
into electrical energy. When the engine is
switched off, the energy generated auto-
matically switches on the ventilation fan.
The constant air flow creates a cooler tem-
perature for cars parked in the sunlight.
The air flow depends on the intensity of the
solar radiation. The ventilation starts two
minutes after switching off the engine.


233 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Canceling cruise control
There are several ways to cancel cruise
control:
Step on the brake pedal.
Cruise control will be canceled. The
last speed set will be stored for later
use.
or

Briefly push the cruise control lever to
position3.
Cruise control will be canceled. The
last speed set will be stored for later
use.iThe last stored speed is canceled when
you turn off the engine.
iCruise control automatically switched
off, if
E 320 CDI, E 320, E 500, E 55 AMG:

you step on the brake pedal.


you depress the parking brake ped-
al.
In this case the segments in the
multifunction display (
page 232)
go out and no warning sounds.


the vehicle speed is below 25 mph
(40 km/h).


the ESP is in operation or switched
off with the ESP switch (
page 89).


you move the gear selector lever to
position N while driving.
The segments in the multifunction dis-
play (page 232) go out, and an
acoustic warning sounds.
E 320 4MATIC, E 500 4MATIC:

you step on the brake pedal.


you move the gear selector lever to
position N while driving.


the vehicle speed is below 20 mph
(30 km/h).


ESP is in operation.
The segments in the multifunction dis-
play are flashing.
!Moving gear selector lever to
positionN while driving also cancels
cruise control. However, the gear se-
lector lever should not be moved to
positionN while driving except to coast
when the vehicle is in danger of skid-
ding (e.g. on icy roads).

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.

240 Controls in detailDriving systemsActivating Distronic
You can activate Distronic if:

you are driving between 25 mph
(40km/h) and 110mph (180km/h)


the ESP is activated (
page 87)
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 or depress the cruise control
lever.
Distronic is activated and the current
speed is set.

Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.Setting a higher speed

Briefly tip the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow1 (
page 239) 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 239), and one or
two segments around the stored speed
come on, on the speedometer
(
page 237).
iIf you do not take your foot off the
accelerator completely, the following
message will appear in the multifunc-
tion display: Distronic override
. The distance to a
slower moving vehicles in front of you
will not be set. Your vehicle speed will
then be determined only by the accel-
erator pedal position.
iDepressing the accelerator pedal does
not deactivate Distronic. After brief ac-
celeration (e.g. for passing), cruise con-
trol will resume the last speed set.

242 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 239).
or

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


you set the parking brake


you drive slower than 25 mph
(40 km / h)


the ESP is active (
page 87) 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 approximately
25 mph (40 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.

243 Controls in detail
Driving systems
1Distance warning function on/off
switch
2Control lamp
3Thumbwheel for setting distance
Increasing distance
Increasing the distance setting tells
Distronic to maintain a greater following
distance to the vehicle ahead.
Turn thumbwheel3 towards¯.Decreasing distance
Decreasing the distance setting tells
Distronic to maintain a shorter following
distance 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 lampl in the instru-
ment cluster comes on 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 pos-
sible obstacle. However, do not drive by re-
lying on the distance warning function, as
this will result in an emergency braking ap-
plication. Especially depending on road sur-
face conditions 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.

245 Controls in detail
Driving systems
The 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 will switch off, and the message Currently unavailable See Operator’s
Manual
appears in the multifunction dis-
play.
For cleaning and care of the Distronic sen-
sor, see “Cleaning the Distronic system
sensor” (page 351).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.
iIf the message
Currently unavailable
See Operator’s Manual
disappears
during driving and the last speed stored
flashes for approximately five seconds,
the dirt (e.g. slush) has dissolved;
Distronic works again.

247 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Airmatic DC (Dual Control)*
Airmatic automatically selects the opti-
mum suspension tuning and ride height for
your vehicle. The Airmatic consists of two
components:

Adaptive Damping System (ADS)


Vehicle level control
The ADS automatically selects the opti-
mum damping for the respective driving
conditions. At the same time the suspen-
sion is set to either sporty or comfort.
Suspension tuning
The suspension tuning is set according to:


Your driving style


Road surface conditions


Your choice of suspension style,
“sporty I”, “sporty II” or “comfortable”,
which you select using the damping
button.The following suspension styles are
available:


Comfortable
Both indicator lamps2 are off.


Sporty I
One indicator lamp2 is on.


Sporty II
Both indicator lamps2 are on.
1Damping button
2Indicator lamps

Start the engine.

Press the damping button1 until the
desired suspension style is set.iThe selected suspension style is stored
in memory, even after the SmartKey is
removed from the starter switch.iIn the sporty suspension style the vehi-
cle is lowered up to 0.6 in (15 mm).