2007 MERCEDES-BENZ CL-CLASS Owners Manual

416 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Displaying the distance graphic
In the “Assistance” menu under “Distance
display” you see the current settings for
DISTRONIC Plus. The information shown in
the multifunction display depends on
whether DISTRONIC Plus is activated or
deactivated.
Press ( or & to select the
“Assistance” menu.
Press % or $ to select the
“Distance display” function.
Press #.
The DISTRONIC Plus distance graphic
appears and you will see one of the fol-
lowing displays on the multifunction
display.DISTRONIC Plus activated
When you turn DISTRONIC Plus on, you will
see the set speed in the multifunction dis-
play for about 5 seconds. You then see the
following display in the multifunction dis-
play.
1DISTRONIC Plus activated
2Your vehicle
3Preset distance threshold to the
preceding vehicle
4Preceding vehicle, if detectedDISTRONIC Plus deactivated
If DISTRONIC Plus is deactivated, the stan-
dard display of DISTRONIC Plus appears in
the multifunction display.
1Preceding vehicle, if detected
2Actual distance to the preceding
vehicle
3Preset distance threshold to the
preceding vehicle
4Your vehicle
DISTRONIC Plus lever
The DISTRONIC Plus system is operated by
means of the DISTRONIC Plus lever.
iFor activating or deactivating the
DISTRONIC Plus system, see “Activating
DISTRONIC Plus” (
page 417) or “Deactivating
DISTRONIC Plus” (
page 423).
iThe menu overview can be found on
(
page 258).
ProCarManuals.com

417 Controls in detail
Driving systems
1Setting current or higher speed
Adjustment in 1 mph increments (to
the resistance point) or 5 mph
increments (past the resistance point)
(Canada: 1 km/h or 10 km/h)
2Setting current or lower speed
Adjustment in 1 mph increments (to
the resistance point) or 5 mph
increments (past the resistance point)
(Canada: 1 km/h or 10 km/h)
3Canceling DISTRONIC Plus
4Activating DISTRONIC Plus or resum-
ing to last set speed
5Setting target distanceActivating DISTRONIC PlusYou can activate DISTRONIC Plus when:

you are driving slower than 20 mph
(30 km/h) and DISTRONIC Plus has
detected a vehicle ahead of you

you are driving above 20 mph
(30 km/h)
If DISTRONIC Plus has not been activated
after pressing the DISTRONIC Plus lever,
you will see the message: “DISTRONIC
PLUS- - -” in the multifunction display.
Warning!G
When DISTRONIC Plus is braking, the brake
pedal is retracted (i.e. depressed automati-
cally). The pedals’ range of motion must not
be impeded by any obstacles:

Do not place any objects in the footwell.

Make sure that the floor mats and car-
pets are securely in place.

Do not rest your foot underneath the
brake pedal, as it could otherwise be
trapped.
You could otherwise cause an accident and
injure yourself and others.
Warning!G
When DISTRONIC Plus is switched on, the
vehicle can be braked. You should therefore
switch off DISTRONIC Plus if the vehicle
must be towed.
iThe maximum speed you can set is 120 mph
(Canada: 200 km/h).
ProCarManuals.com

418 Controls in detail
Driving systems
In the following cases you cannot activate
DISTRONIC Plus:

up to 2 minutes after starting the en-
gine

if the engine is switched off

if you step on the brake pedal while
driving

the vehicle is secured with the elec-
tronic parking brake

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

if ESP® is switched off

if the hood is open

if the driver’s door is open and the driv-
er has not fastened his or her seat belt

if the radar sensors are switched off
(
page 272).Switching on while driving
Tap DISTRONIC Plus lever up1 or
down2 until desired speed is set.
DISTRONIC Plus is switched on.
or
Pull DISTRONIC Plus lever briefly in di-
rection of arrow4 to call up speed
last set (
page 423).
DISTRONIC Plus is switched on.
Take your foot off the accelerator ped-
al.
Your vehicle adapts its speed to the ve-
hicle ahead, observing the set speed as
a maximum value.
iUnder 20 mph (30 km/h), you can only
switch on DISTRONIC Plus if the vehicle ahead of
you has been detected and is shown on the mul-
tifunction display. If you no longer see the vehi-
cle in front of you on the multifunction display
and if it is no longer detected because it has
changed lanes, for example, DISTRONIC Plus
switches off and you will hear a signal.
iIf you do not completely lift your foot off the
accelerator pedal, the message
“DISTRONIC PLUS override” appears on the mul-
tifunction display. The distance to a slower-driv-
ing vehicle will not be set. You will drive at the
speed you dictate by pressing the accelerator
pedal.
ProCarManuals.com

419 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Switching on when approaching a
stationary vehicle
If the vehicle in front of you is stationary,
you can only switch on DISTRONIC Plus if
your vehicle is also at a standstill.
Tap DISTRONIC Plus lever up1 or
down2 until desired speed is set.
DISTRONIC Plus is switched on.
or
Pull DISTRONIC Plus lever briefly in di-
rection of arrow4 to call up speed
last set (
page 423).
DISTRONIC Plus is switched on.Starting off
When the vehicle in front of you starts off:
Remove your foot from the brake
pedal.
Pull DISTRONIC Plus lever briefly in di-
rection of arrow4.
or
Briefly step on the accelerator pedal.
Your vehicle starts off and adapts its speed
to the vehicle in front of you.Driving
If no vehicle is driving ahead of you,
DISTRONIC Plus functions like the cruise
control (
page 405).
When DISTRONIC Plus detects that the ve-
hicle in front of you is driving more slowly,
it brakes the vehicle in order to keep the
distance specified by you.
When DISTRONIC Plus detects that the ve-
hicle in front of you is driving faster, the ve-
hicle accelerates up to the set speed.
iIt is helpful to switch on the DISTRONIC Plus
display in the instrument cluster (
page 416)
since you can only switch on DISTRONIC Plus un-
d e r a s p e e d o f 2 0 m p h ( 3 0 k m / h ) w h e n a v e h i c l e
has been detected in front of you.
iYou can adjust the set speed using the
DISTRONIC Plus lever and the target distance
using the distance setting switch on the
DISTRONIC Plus lever (
page 425).
iIf DISTRONIC Plus is switched off,
PRE-SAFE® Brake* (page 73) will warn of an
impending collision if this function has been
activated with the instrument cluster control
system (
page 268).
Warning!G
When you step on the brake pedal, you
switch off DISTRONIC Plus except when the
vehicle is at a standstill. DISTRONIC Plus will
no longer brake your vehicle. You are always
responsible for maintaining a distance from
other vehicles, observing road speeds and
braking well in advance.
ProCarManuals.com

420 Controls in detail
Driving systems
StoppingWhen DISTRONIC Plus detects that the ve-
hicle in front of you is stopping, the vehicle
brakes until it also stops.
Once DISTRONIC Plus has stopped your
vehicle and it is at a standstill, it remains
stationary; the brake pedal does not need
to be depressed.
Warning!G
DISTRONIC Plus’s braking effect is canceled
and the vehicle can start to roll if

DISTRONIC Plus is switched off using
the DISTRONIC Plus lever

you accelerate

the system or the power supply is mal-
functioning, e.g. due to battery failure

the electrical components in the engine
compartment or the fuses have been
manipulated

the battery is disconnected
Warning!G
Never get out of the vehicle while
DISTRONIC Plus is switched on!
DISTRONIC Plus must never be operated or
switched off by passengers or from outside
the vehicle.
DISTRONIC Plus is not a substitute for the
electronic parking brake and may not be
used for parking.
When you get out of the vehicle or switch off
the engine, deactivate DISTRONIC Plus and
secure the vehicle from rolling away by en-
gaging the electronic parking brake.
iAfter a short while, your vehicle is secured in
place by the electronic parking brake so that the
operating brake can be relieved of load.
iDepending on the following distance set us-
ing the distance setting switch on the DISTRON-
IC Plus lever, your vehicle will stop
approximately 13.1 ft away from the vehicle in
front of you.
ProCarManuals.com

421 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Setting the current speed
Accelerate or decelerate to the desired
speed.
Briefly lift the DISTRONIC Plus lever in
the direction of arrow1 or depress in
the direction of arrow2.
DISTRONIC Plus is activated and the
current speed is set.
Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.Setting a higher speed
You can increase the set speed in two
ways.Adjustment in 1 mph (Canada: 1 km/h)
increments
Briefly lift the DISTRONIC Plus lever up
to the resistance point in direction of
arrow1 (
page 416).
Release the DISTRONIC Plus lever.
The vehicle speed increases in incre-
ments of 1 mph (Canada: 1 km/h).
iIf you do not take your foot off of the accel-
erator completely, the following message
“DISTRONIC PLUS override” will appear in the
multifunction display.
The distance to a slower moving vehicle in front
of you will not be set. Your vehicle speed will
then be determined only by the accelerator ped-
al position.
Warning!G
If you increase the set speed, keep in mind
that it may take a brief moment until the ve-
hicle has reached the set speed.
Increase the set speed to a value that the
prevailing road conditions and legal speed
limits permit. Otherwise, sudden and unex-
pected acceleration of the vehicle could
cause an accident and/or serious injury to
you and others.
iThe set speed value is increased in 1 mph
(Canada: 1 km/h) increments each time you lift
the DISTRONIC Plus lever up to the resistance
point.
ProCarManuals.com

422 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Adjustment in 5 mph
(Canada: 10 km/h) increments
Briefly lift the DISTRONIC Plus lever up
past the resistance point in direction of
arrow1 (
page 416).
Release the DISTRONIC Plus lever.
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 ways.Adjustment in 1 mph (Canada: 1 km/h)
increments
Briefly press the DISTRONIC Plus lever
down to the resistance point in direc-
tion of arrow2 (
page 416).
Release the DISTRONIC Plus lever.
The vehicle speed decreases in incre-
ments of 1 mph (Canada: 1 km/h).
iThe set speed value is increased in 5 mph
(Canada: 10 km/h) increments each time you
lift the DISTRONIC Plus lever up past the resis-
tance point.
iThe new speed is set and the vehicle will ac-
celerate. Keep in mind that it may take a brief
moment until the vehicle has reached the set
speed.
Warning!G
If you decrease the set speed, keep in mind
that it may take a brief moment until the ve-
hicle has reached the set speed.
Decelerate the set speed to a value that the
prevailing road conditions and legal speed
limits permit. Otherwise, sudden and unex-
pected deceleration of the vehicle could
cause an accident and/or serious injury to
you and others.
iWhen you use the DISTRONIC Plus lever to
decelerate, the brake system will automatically
brake the vehicle if the engine’s braking power
does not brake the vehicle sufficiently.
iThe set speed value is decreased in 1 mph
(Canada: 1 km/h) increments each time you
press the DISTRONIC Plus lever down to the re-
sistance point.
ProCarManuals.com

423 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Adjustment in 5 mph
(Canada: 10 km/h) increments
Briefly press the DISTRONIC Plus lever
down past the resistance point in
direction of arrow2 (
page 416).
Release the DISTRONIC Plus lever.
The vehicle speed decreases in incre-
ments of 5 mph (Canada: 10 km/h).Setting to last stored speed (“Resume”
function)
Briefly pull the DISTRONIC Plus lever in
direction of arrow4 (
page 416).
The DISTRONIC Plus resumes to the
last set speed, or if no speed is stored,
it will set and store the current speed.
Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.Deactivating DISTRONIC Plus
There are several ways to deactivate the
DISTRONIC Plus system:
Briefly tip the DISTRONIC Plus lever in
the direction of arrow3 (
page 416).
or
Step on the brake pedal.
DISTRONIC Plus will be deactivated.
The last speed set will be stored into
memory.
iThe set speed value is decreased in 5 mph
(Canada: 10 km/h) increments each time you
press the DISTRONIC Plus lever down past the
resistance point.
iThe new speed is set and the vehicle will de-
celerate. Keep in mind that it may take a brief
moment until the vehicle 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 preset
speed could cause an accident and/or seri-
ous injury you and others.
iUpon switching off the engine, the last
stored speed is deleted.
iThe last stored set speed is deleted when
the engine is turned off.
ProCarManuals.com