2007 MERCEDES-BENZ CL-CLASS brake

432 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Range of the sensorsFront sensors
Rear sensorsMinimum distance
If the system detects an obstacle in this
range, all the distance warning segments
illuminate and you hear a warning signal. If
the obstacle is closer than the minimum
distance, the actual distance may no long-
er be indicated by the system.
iTo function properly, the sensors must be
free of dirt, ice, snow and slush. Clean the sen-
sors regularly, being careful not to scratch or
damage the sensors, see “Cleaning the Park-
tronic* system sensors” (
page 559).
Centerapprox. 40 in (100 cm)
Cornersapprox. 24 in (60 cm)
Centerapprox. 48 in (120 cm)
Cornersapprox. 32 in (80 cm)
!During parking maneuvers, pay special at-
tention to objects located above or below the
height of the sensors (e.g. street curbs, painted
posts, or trailer hitches etc.). The Parktronic sys-
tem will not detect such objects at close range
and damage to your vehicle or the object may
result.
Ultrasonic signals from outside sources (e.g.
truck air brakes, car wash, or jackhammers) may
impair the operation of the Parktronic system.
Centerapprox. 8 in (20 cm)
Cornersapprox. 6 in (15 cm)
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433 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Warning 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
in the instrument cluster. The warning indi-
cator for the rear area is on the roof liner in
the rear.
1Left side of the vehicle
2Right side of the vehicle
3Readiness indicators
Each warning indicator is divided into five
yellow and two red distance segments for
either side of the vehicle.
If yellow readiness indicators 3 under the
distance segments are lit, Parktronic is
ready to measure.The position of the gear selector lever de-
termines which warning indicators will be
activated.
As your vehicle approaches an object, one
or more distance segments will illuminate,
depending on the distance. When the sev-
enth distance segment illuminates, you
have reached the minimum distance.
Front area:
An intermittent acoustic warning will
sound as the first red distance segment
illuminates and a constant acoustic
warning lasting a maximum of
2 seconds will sound for the second
red distance segment. The signal is
canceled when the gear selector lever
is placed in position P.

Rear area:
An intermittent acoustic warning will
sound as the first red distance segment
illuminates and a constant acoustic
warning lasting a maximum of
2 seconds will sound for the second
red distance segment. The signal is
canceled when the gear selector lever
is placed in position D orP.
Gear selector
lever positionWarning indicator
DFront area activated
RFront and rear area
activated
NWith the electronic
parking brake engaged:
neither activated.
With the electronic
parking brake released:
front and rear area
activated.
PNeither activated
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436 Controls in detail
Driving systems
When travelling in Canada in a vehicle not
registered in Canada, you must switch off
the radar sensor system* (
page 272).
Canadian law does not permit the use of
the radar sensor system* (
page 272) for
vehicles from outside of Canada. When you
switch off the radar sensor system*, the
following functions are deactivated:

BAS Plus* (page 67)

DISTRONIC Plus* (page 411)

Park Assist

PRE-SAFE® Brake* (page 73)
It visually and audibly indicates the relative
distance between the vehicle and an
obstacle.
Park Assist is automatically activated
when the engine is running and the trans-
mission is in position D, R or N.
The Park Assist system deactivates at
speeds over approximately 11 mph
(18 km/h). At lower speeds the Parktronic
system turns on again.Park Assist is also switched off when you
set the automatic transmission to P or
switch off the engine.
While the transmission is in position N,
Park Assist is switched off if you secure the
vehicle in place with the electronic parking
brake.
The Park Assist system monitors the sur-
roundings of your vehicle with four sensors
in the front bumper and two sensors in the
rear bumper.
Range of the sensors
The sensors of the Park Assist system are
integrated in the front and rear bumpers.
Make sure that the bumpers are clear of
dirt, ice and slush in the area of the sen-
sors, as otherwise, Park Assist may not
function properly, see “Cleaning the Park
Assist* system sensors” (
page 559).
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437 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Front sensors
Rear sensorsWarning 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
in the instrument cluster. The warning indi-
cator for the rear area is on the roof liner in
the rear.
1Left side of the vehicle
2Right side of the vehicle
3Readiness indicator
Each warning indicator is divided into five
yellow and two red distance segments for
either side of the vehicle.
If yellow readiness indicators 3 under the
distance segments are lit, Park Assist is
ready to measure.The position of the gear selector lever de-
termines which warning indicators will be
activated.
As your vehicle approaches an object, one
or more distance segments will illuminate,
depending on the distance. When the sev-
enth distance segment illuminates, you
have reached the minimum distance.
iDue to the sensors’ broad detection range,
it is possible that Park Assist also detects the fol-
lowing obstacles and issues a warning:

obstacles in the ground, e.g. sewer canal
covers, rails, bumps in the road or gutters

obstacles moving upward quickly, e.g. rolling
garage doors
Centerapprox. 40 in (100 cm)
Cornersapprox. 24 in (60 cm)
Centerapprox. 50 in (125 cm)
Cornersapprox. 24 in (60 cm)
!While parking, pay particular attention to ob-
jects over or underneath the sensors, e.g. flower
boxes, an elevated crossbar or a trailer tow
hitch. Park Assist does not detect such nearby
objects. You could otherwise damage the vehicle
or the objects.
Gear selector
lever positionWarning indicator
DFront area activated
RFront and rear area
activated
NWith the electronic
parking brake engaged:
neither activated.
With the electronic
parking brake released:
front and rear area acti-
vated.
PNeither activated
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438 Controls in detail
Driving systems

Front area:
As soon as the first red distance seg-
ment comes on, you will hear an inter-
mittent warning tone for approximately
2 seconds. Once the second red dis-
tance segment comes on, you will hear
a continuous warning tone. You have
reached the minimum distance.

Rear area:
As soon as the first red distance seg-
ment comes on, you will hear an inter-
mittent warning tone for approximately
2 seconds. Once the second red dis-
tance segment comes on, you will hear
a continuous warning tone. You have
reached the minimum distance.Collision warning
Park Assist can detect obstacles from a
considerable distance. If you drive in re-
verse towards an obstacle, you will hear a
warning tone. You must then brake in or-
der to avoid a collision. The warning tone
for a collision will not sound when the vehi-
cle is at a standstill very close to the obsta-
cle. In this case, you will hear a
corresponding tone for the warning indica-
tor in the rear area.
Switching Park Assist system on/off
The Park Assist system can be switched off
manually.
The Park Assist button with the indicator
lamp is located on the control panel on the
right-hand side of the instrument cluster.1Park Assist button
2Indicator lamp
Switching off Park Assist system:
Press button 1.
Indicator lamp 2 comes on.
Switching on Park Assist system:
Press button 1 again.
Indicator lamp 2 goes out.iDuring strong rainfall, the warning indicators
and warning tones may be triggered, for exam-
ple, by water splashing into the area of the sen-
sors.
iDuring strong rainfall, the collision warning
may be triggered, for example, by water splash-
ing into the area of the sensors.
iWhen the indicator lamp is illuminated, the
Park Assist system is switched off.
iThe Park Assist system is automatically
switched on when the ignition (
page 336) and
radar sensors are switched on (
page 272).
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476 Controls in detail
Useful features
Sun visors
1Sun visor
2Vanity mirror cover
3Vanity mirror lamp
4Document holderGlare from front
Swing sun visor1 down.
Glare from front and sides
Disengage sun visor1 from the
mounting.
Pivot sun visor1 to the side.
Vanity mirror in sun visor
To use vanity mirror, lift up cover2.
Vanity mirror lamp3 comes on.
Document holder
You can use the plastic tab of document
holder4 to hold admission tickets, park-
ing passes, or similar items in place.
Ashtray
1Button for disengaging ashtray
2Cover plate
Warning!G
Do not use the vanity mirror while driving.
Keep the vanity mirrors in the sun visors
closed while vehicle is in motion. Reflected
glare can endanger you and others.!Close vanity mirror cover2 (if open) before
you disengage sun visor1 from the mounting
and pivot it to the side.
iIf you disengage sun visor1 from the
mounting, vanity mirror lamp2 will switch off.
Warning!G
Remove ashtray only with vehicle standing
still. Engage the electronic parking brake to
secure vehicle from movement. Set auto-
matic transmission toP. With the automatic
transmission set toP, turn off the engine.
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499 Operation
Driving instructions
Driving instructions
Drive sensibly – save fuel
Fuel consumption, to a great extent,
depends on driving habits and operating
conditions.
To save fuel you should:

Keep tires at the recommended tire
inflation pressures.

Remove unnecessary loads.

Remove roof rack when not in use.

Allow engine to warm up under low
load use.

Avoid frequent acceleration and decel-
eration.

Have all maintenance work performed
at the intervals specified in the Mainte-
nance Booklet and as required by the
Maintenance System (U.S. vehicles.
Canada vehicles, depending on vehicle
production date) or FSS PLUS (Canada
vehicles, depending on vehicle produc-
tion date). Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.Fuel consumption is also increased by driv-
ing in cold weather, in stop-and-go traffic,
on short trips, and in hilly area.
Drinking and driving
Pedals
Power assistance
Warning!G
Drinking and driving and/or taking drugs
and driving are very dangerous combina-
tions. Even a small amount of alcohol or
drugs can affect your reflexes, perceptions
and judgment.
The possibility of a serious or even fatal ac-
cident are greatly increased when you drink
or take drugs and drive.
Do not drink or take drugs and drive or allow
anyone to drive who has been drinking or
taking drugs.
Warning!G
Make sure that absolutely no objects are ob-
structing the pedals’ range of movement.
Keep the driver’s footwell clear of all obsta-
cles. If there are any floormats or carpets in
the footwell, make sure the pedals still have
sufficient clearance. Otherwise this could
lead to accidents or injury.
Warning!G
With the engine not running, there is no
power assistance for the brake and steering
systems. In this case, it is important to keep
in mind that a considerably higher degree of
effort is necessary to brake and steer the ve-
hicle.
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500 Operation
Driving instructions
Brakes
To help prevent brake disk corrosion after
driving on wet road surfaces (particularly
salted roads), it is advisable to brake the
vehicle with considerable force prior to
parking. The heat generated serves to dry
the brakes.
If your brake system is normally only sub-
jected to moderate loads, you should occa-
sionally test the effectiveness of the
brakes by applying above-normal braking
pressure at higher speeds. This will also
enhance the grip of the brake pads.Refer to the description of the Brake Assist
System (BAS or BAS Plus*) (
page 66).
Brake pad wear or a leak in the system may
be the reason for low brake fluid level in
the reservoir.
The brake fluid level in the reservoir may
be too low if the red brake warning lamp in
the instrument cluster comes on while the
engine is running and an acoustic warning
sounds (
page 569). Observe additional
messages in the multifunction display that
may appear (
page 580).
Have the brake system inspected
immediately. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Warning!G
After driving in heavy rain for some time
without applying the brakes or through wa-
ter deep enough to wet brake components,
the first braking action may be somewhat
reduced and increased pedal pressure may
be necessary to obtain expected braking
effect. Maintain a safe distance from
vehicles in front.
Resting your foot on the brake pedal will
cause excessive and premature wear of the
brake pads.
It can also result in the brakes overheating,
thereby significantly reducing their effec-
tiveness. It may not be possible to stop the
vehicle in sufficient time to avoid an
accident.
!Because the ESP® operates automatically,
the engine and ignition must be shut off
(SmartKey in starter switch position0 or1 or
KEYLESS-GO start/stop button* in position0
or1) when

the electronic parking brake is being tested
on a brake test dynamometer

the vehicle is being towed with the
front/rear axle raised
Active braking action through the ESP
® may oth-
erwise seriously damage the brake system.
Warning!G
Make sure not to endanger any other road
users when carrying out these braking ma-
neuvers.
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