2006 MERCEDES-BENZ ML350 brake

238 Controls in detailDriving systemsThe driving systems of your vehicle are de-
scribed on the following pages:

Cruise control, with which the vehicle
can maintain a preset speed.


Downhill Speed Regulation (DSR),
which supports you when you are
driving downhill.


Off-road driving program, which
supports you when you are driving
off-road.


Air suspension package* which adjusts
the vehicle suspension characteristics
automatically and controls the vehicle
level.


Parktronic*, which serves as a parking
aid.
For information on the ABS, BAS, EBB,
ESP®, and 4-ETS driving systems, see
“Driving safety systems” (
page 93).
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
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 on the left-hand side of the steering
column (
page 22).
iThe cruise control should not be acti-
vated during off-road driving.
Warning!
G
The cruise control is a convenience system
designed to assist the driver during vehicle
operation. The driver is and must remain at
all times responsible for the vehicle speed
and for safe brake operation.
Only use the cruise control if the road,
traffic, and weather conditions make it ad-
visable 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 the cruise control when driv-
ing 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.

239 Controls in detail
Driving systems
1Set current or higher speed
Adjustment in 1 mph increments (first
position) or 5 mph increments (second
position) (Canada: 1 km/h or
10 km/h)
2Set current or lower speed
Adjustment in 1 mph increments (first
position) or 5 mph increments (second
position) (Canada: 1 km/h or
10 km/h)
3Cancel cruise control
4Resume to last set speedSetting current speed

Accelerate or decelerate to the desired
speed.

Briefly lift1 or depress2 the cruise
control lever.
The current speed is set.

Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
The cruise control is activated.
The last set speed appears in the multi-
function display for approximately five sec-
onds.
Warning!
G
The cruise control brakes automatically so
that the set speed is not exceeded. The
brake pedal depresses when the cruise con-
trol engages the brakes.
Keep driver’s foot area clear at all times, in-
cluding the area under the brake pedal. Ob-
jects stored in this area may impair pedal
movement which could interfere with the
braking ability of the cruise control system.
Do not place your foot under the brake pedal
- your foot could become caught.
Keep in mind that the cruise control is a con-
venience system designed to assist the driv-
er during vehicle operation. The driver is and
must always remain responsible for the ve-
hicle’s speed and for safe brake operation.

240 Controls in detailDriving systems
Canceling cruise control
There are several ways to cancel the cruise
control:
Step on the brake pedal.
The cruise control is canceled. The last
speed set is stored for later use.
or

Briefly push the cruise control lever in
direction of arrow3 (
page 239).
The cruise control is canceled. The last
speed set is stored for later use.
iOn uphill grades, the cruise control
may not be able to maintain the set
speed. Once the grade eases, the set
speed will be resumed.
On downhill grades, the cruise control
maintains the set speed with braking
from the vehicle’s braking system. In
addition, on longer downhill grades the
automatic transmission will automati-
cally downshift.
iThe last stored speed is canceled when
you turn off the engine.
iThe cruise control switches off auto-
matically when

you step on the brake pedal


you depress the parking brake
pedal
The cruise control also switches off au-
tomatically when


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


the ESP
® is in operation or
switched off with the ESP
® switch
(
page 97)


you set the automatic transmission
toN while driving
An acoustic warning sounds and the
message
Cruise control OFF
appears
in the multifunction display.

242 Controls in detailDriving systems
Briefly lift the cruise control lever past
the resistance point in direction of
arrow1 (
page 239).
The vehicle speed increases in incre-
ments of 5 mph (Canada: 10 km/h).
Setting a lower speed
You can reduce the speed in two stages.Adjustment in 1 mph (Canada: 1 km/h)
increments

Press the cruise control lever down to
the resistance point in direction of
arrow2 (
page 239) and hold it
down until the desired speed is
reached.

Release the cruise control lever.
The new speed is set.Adjustment in 5 mph
(Canada: 10 km/h) increments
iThe new speed is set and the vehicle
will accelerate. Keep in mind that it
may take a brief moment until the vehi-
cle has reached the set speed.iWhen you use the cruise control lever
to decelerate, the brake system will au-
tomatically brake the vehicle if the en-
gine’s braking power does not brake
the vehicle sufficiently.
iThe set value is decreased in 1 mph
(Canada: 1 km/h) increments each
time you depress the cruise control
lever to the resistance point.
Warning!
G
You can decrease the vehicle speed in
5 mph (Canada 10 km/h) increments. When
using this feature, keep in mind that it may
take a brief moment until the vehicle has
reached the set speed.
Decelerate the vehicle speed to a value that
the prevailing road conditions permit. Other-
wise, sudden and unexpected deceleration
of the vehicle could cause an accident
and/or serious injury to you and others.iThe set value is decreased in 5 mph
(Canada: 10 km/h) increments each
time you press the cruise control lever
down past the resistance point.

243 Controls in detail
Driving systems

Briefly press the cruise control lever
down past the resistance point in direc-
tion of arrow2 (
page 239).
The vehicle speed decreases in incre-
ments of 5 mph (Canada: 10 km/h).Setting to last stored speed
(“Resume” function)

Briefly pull the cruise control lever in di-
rection of arrow4 (
page 239).
The cruise control resumes the last set
speed.

Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
The last set speed appears in the multi-
function display for approximately five sec-
onds.
Downhill Speed Regulation (DSR)
iThe new speed is set and the vehicle
will decelerate. Keep in mind that it
may take a brief moment until the vehi-
cle has reached the set speed.
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 the pre-
set speed could cause an accident and/or
serious injury to you and others.
Warning!
G
Downhill Speed Regulation is a convenience
system designed to assist the driver during
vehicle operation. The system must be set
to be appropriate for the topographical and
weather conditions encountered which can
change quickly. The driver is and must
remain at all times responsible for the vehi-
cle speed and for safe brake operation.
Depending on the programmed speed
(page 176), actual vehicle speed and gra-
dient, switching on the DSR while driving
can cause the vehicle to slow down rapidly
and you may hear a sound which is caused
by the activation of the vehicle’s brake sys-
tem through the DSR. Sudden and unex-
pected decelaration can result in loss of
vehicle control, causing an accident and/or
serious personal injury to you and others.
Do not switch on the DSR in a circumstance
where rapid decelaration could result in a
loss of vehicle control.

244 Controls in detailDriving systemsFor more information, see “Off-road driv-
ing” (
page 306).
The DSR is an aid for driving downhill. DSR
regulates your vehicle’s speed when driv-
ing downhill to the value set in the control
system (page 176). The steeper the
downhill gradient is, the greater the brake
application. On flat road surfaces, DSR
brakes only slightly or not at all.
DSR regulates the vehicle’s speed in auto-
matic transmission positionsD, orR.
You can drive slower or faster than the set
speed at any time by braking the vehicle or
depressing the accelerator pedal.
iWhenever DSR is switched on, DSR will
use the programmed default speed to
regulate the vehicle’s speed. The de-
fault speed programmed at the factory
is 4 mph (Canada: 6 km / h). The de-
fault speed can be reprogrammed us-
ing the control system (
page 176).
The next time DSR is switched on, DSR
will use the newly programmed default
speed to regulate the vehicle’s speed.
Once DSR is switched on, you can ad-
just the set speed using the cruise con-
trol lever (
page 238). Keep in mind
that adjusting the set speed using the
cruise control lever with DSR switched
on will not change the programmed de-
fault speed. If DSR is switched off and
then switched on again, DSR will use
the programmed default speed.
Whenever the DSR is switched on, the
programmed default speed will be
used. That value can be changed
through the multifunction display. The
next time the DSR is switched on, it will
use that newly programmed default
speed.
Depending on the road surface and lev-
el of downhill grade, the DSR may not
be able to maintain the set speed. To
maintain the set speed, apply the
brakes if necessary.

245 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Switching the Downhill Speed
Regulation on/off
The switch is located in the lower part of
the center console.Switch for DSR1DSR on/off
2Indicator lampSwitching Downhill Speed Regulation on

Press DSR switch1 (
page 245).
The indicator lamp2 comes on.
The message
DSR
and the set speed ap-
pear in the multifunction display.
Warning!
G
If the accelerator pedal is depressed while
the Downhill Speed Regulation is activated,
the vehicle can drive faster than the pro-
grammed set speed. You should therefore
drive downhill with particular caution as it
could otherwise lead to an accident and/or
serious injury to you or others. Keep in mind
that as soon as you remove the foot from
the accelerator pedal with the DSR switched
on, the DSR will start regulating the vehicle’s
speed including use of brakes where re-
quired. Depending on the programmed set
speed, actual vehicle speed and gradient,
the DSR can cause the vehicle to slow down
rapidly. Sudden and unexpected decelara-
tion can result in loss of vehicle control,
causing an accident and/or serious person-
al injury to you and others.
iThe DSR can only be switched on if the
vehicle speed is below 18 mph
(Canada: 30 km/h).

254 Controls in detailDriving systemsWhen the highway/high-speed level is
reached, the following message appears in
the multifunction display for five seconds:
Indicator lamp2 (
page 252) goes out.The following applies additionally when
towing a trailer:


The vehicle is lowered to the highway
level when it reaches a speed of 5 mph
(8 km/h).


The high-speed level is not available.


The restrictions that apply to towing
also apply when using accessories that
are connected to the trailer power
socket, such as an accessory bicycle
rack.
Parktronic* system (Parking assist)
iThe vehicle is lowered to the highway
level if:

the vehicle speed is above 55 mph
(88 km/h)


the speed stays between 40 mph
(64km/h) and 55mph (88km/h)
for approximately 20 seconds
iDepending on the ADS setting
(page 249), the vehicle will be low-
ered to the high-speed level when trav-
eling at higher speeds. At speeds below
40 mph (64 km/h) at the latest, it will
be returned to the highway level.
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
with smooth surfaces or low silhouettes
(e.g. trailer couplings, painted posts, or road
curbs). Such objects may not be detected by
the system and can damage the vehicle.
The operational function of the Parktronic
system can be affected by dirty sensors, es-
pecially at times of snow and ice. See
“Cleaning the Parktronic system sensors”
(page 377).
Interference caused by other ultrasonic sig-
nals (e.g. working jackhammers, car wash,
or the air brakes of trucks) can cause the
system to send erratic indications, and
should be taken into consideration.