2007 MERCEDES-BENZ CL-CLASS cruise control

Contents
Driving and parking............................ 378
Starting the engine....................... 378
Driving off .................................... 381
Turn signals.................................. 382
Problems while driving ................. 383
Parking......................................... 384
Turning off the engine .................. 387
Releasing seat belts ..................... 388
Automatic transmission ..................... 389
Gear selector lever ....................... 389
Shifting procedure ....................... 392
Transmission positions................. 393
Driving tips ................................... 396
Gear ranges ................................. 398
Automatic shift program .............. 399
Steering wheel gearshift control .. 400
Emergency operation
(Limp-Home Mode) ...................... 401
Instrument cluster ............................. 402
Adjusting instrument cluster
display illumination ...................... 402
Coolant temperature gauge ......... 403
Tachometer .................................. 403
Outside temperature indicator ..... 404
Fuel gauge ................................... 404Driving systems .................................. 405
Cruise control ............................... 405
DISTRONIC Plus* .......................... 411
Active Body Control (ABC) ............ 429
Parktronic system* ....................... 431
Park Assist* .................................. 435
Dynamic Rear View Monitor*........ 439
Night View Assist* ........................ 446
Air vents ............................................. 450
Opening and closing air vents ....... 452
Ventilated storage compartment .. 452
Automatic climate control .................. 453
Deactivating
climate control system ................. 455
Operating climate control
system in automatic mode............ 455
Setting temperature...................... 456
Adjusting air volume ..................... 456
Front defroster.............................. 456
Rear window defroster .................. 457
Maximum cooling
MAXCOOL (USA only) ................... 458
Air recirculation mode .................. 458
Residual engine heat
and ventilation .............................. 460Trunk .................................................. 461
Opening trunk ............................... 461
Closing trunk ................................ 462
Trunk emergency release ............. 464
Valet locking ................................. 465
Power tilt/sliding sunroof .................. 466
Opening and closing
power tilt/sliding sunroof ............. 466
Synchronizing ............................... 468
Loading and storing............................ 469
Loading instructions ..................... 469
Storage compartments ................. 469
Cup holders .................................. 473
Trunk ............................................ 474
Useful features ................................... 476
Sun visors ..................................... 476
Ashtray ......................................... 476
Cigarette lighter ............................ 477
Floormats* ................................... 478
Telephone* ................................... 479
Tele Aid ......................................... 482
Garage door opener ...................... 490
Infrared reflecting windshield ....... 496
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29 At a glance
Cockpit
ItemPage
1Combination switch

High beam

Corner-illuminating lamps

Windshield wipers

Turn signals
367
368
372
382
2Lever for

Cruise control

DISTRONIC Plus*
406
411
3Horn
4Multifunction steering wheel257
5Instrument cluster30
6Steering wheel gearshift
control400
7Gear selector lever for
automatic transmission389
ItemPage
8Control panel with

Front passenger front
air bag off indicator lamp

Vehicle level control
switch

Electronic Stability Pro-
gram (ESP®) switch

Parktronic*/Park Assist*
deactivation switch

Swivel COMAND display

COMAND/instrument
cluster display
illumination
50
429
71
434,
438
83
83,
402
9COMAND display81
aOverhead control panel37
bAutomatic climate control
Center console 244,
453
36
ItemPage
cGlove box lock470
dCover of compartment with

CD/DVD changer

PCMCIA card slot
111
112
eControl system34
fStarter switch
KEYLESS-GO* start/stop
button336
337
gSteering wheel adjustment
Heated steering wheel* 351
352
hHeadlamp cleaning button367
jElectronic parking brake384
kHood lock release512
lDriver’s door control panel38
mNight View Assist*446
nExterior lamp switch363
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70 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
For more information, see “Practical hints”
section (
page 572) and (page 580).
Warning!G
Never switch off the ESP® when you see the
ESP® warning lamp v flashing in the in-
strument cluster. In this case proceed as fol-
lows:

While driving off, apply as little throttle
as possible.

While driving, ease up on the accelera-
tor.

Adapt your speed and driving style to
the prevailing road conditions.
Failure to observe these guidelines could
cause the vehicle to skid.
The ESP
® cannot prevent accidents result-
ing from excessive speed.
Warning!G
The ESP® cannot prevent the natural laws of
physics from acting on the vehicle, nor can
it increase the traction afforded. The ESP
®
cannot prevent accidents, including those
resulting from excessive speed in turns, or
hydroplaning. Only a safe, attentive, and
skillful driver can prevent accidents. The ca-
pabilities of an ESP
® equipped vehicle must
never be exploited in a reckless or danger-
ous manner which could jeopardize the us-
er’s safety or the safety of others.
iDISTRONIC Plus* and cruise control are
switched off when the ESP® engages.
iThe ESP® will only function properly if you
use wheels of the recommended tire size
(
page 678).
!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.
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71 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
Electronic traction system
The electronic traction system is a compo-
nent of ESP
®.
The electronic traction system improves
the vehicle’s ability to utilize available trac-
tion, especially under slippery road condi-
tions by applying the brakes to a spinning
wheel.
When you switch off the ESP
®, the elec-
tronic traction system is still enabled.Switching off the ESP
®
To improve the vehicle’s traction, turn off
the ESP® in driving situations where it
would be advantageous to have the drive
wheels spin and thus cut into surfaces for
better grip such as:

when driving with snow chains

in deep snow

in sand or gravelWhen you switch off the ESP
®

the ESP® does not stabilize the vehicle

the engine output is not limited, which
allows the drive wheels to spin and
thus cut into surfaces for better grip

the electronic traction system will still
apply the brakes to a spinning wheel

the ESP® continues to operate when
you are braking

you cannot activate the cruise control
or the DISTRONIC Plus*
Warning!G
If you are driving too fast, the electronic
traction system cannot reduce the risk of an
accident.
The electronic traction system cannot pre-
vent the natural laws of physics from acting
on the vehicle.
Warning!G
The ESP® should not be switched off during
normal driving other than in the circum-
stances described below. Disabling of the
system will reduce vehicle stability in stan-
dard driving maneuvers.
Warning!G
Switch on the ESP® immediately if the afore-
mentioned circumstances do not apply any-
more. Otherwise the ESP
® will not stabilize
the vehicle when it is starting to skid or a
wheel is spinning.
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405 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Driving systems
The driving systems of your vehicle are de-
scribed on the following pages:

Cruise control (page 405) and
DISTRONIC Plus*(
page 411), with
which the vehicle can maintain a preset
speed.

ABC (page 429) adjusts the vehicle
suspension characteristics automati-
cally and control the vehicle level.

Parktronic* (page 431) and
Park Assist* (
page 435), which serve
as a parking assistant.

Dynamic Rear View Monitor*
(
page 439) is an electronic and
visual parking aid.

Night View Assist* (page 446) illumi-
nates the road with infrared light in
addition to the normal headlamps.
For information on the ABS, Adaptive
Brake, BAS, BAS Plus*, EBP, ESP
® and
PRE-SAFE® Brake*, see “Driving safety
systems” (
page 64).
Cruise control
The cruise control automatically maintains
the speed you set for your vehicle.
The use of the cruise control is recom-
mended for driving at a constant speed for
extended periods of time.
You can set or resume the cruise control at
any speed over 20 mph (30 km/h).
The cruise control function is operated by
means of the cruise control lever.
Warning!G
The cruise control is a convenience system
designed to assist the driver during vehicle
operation. The driver is and must always
remain responsible for the vehicle’s speed
and for safe brake operation.
Only use the cruise control if the road,
traffic, and weather conditions make it
advisable to travel at a constant speed.

The use of the cruise control can be dan-
gerous on winding roads or in heavy traf-
fic because conditions do not allow safe
driving at a constant speed.

The use of the cruise control can be dan-
gerous on slippery roads. Rapid changes
in tire traction can result in wheel spin
and loss of control.

Deactivate the 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.
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406 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)
3Cancel cruise control
4Activating cruise control or resuming to
last set speedActivating cruise control
You can activate the cruise control if the
vehicle speed is above 20 mph (30 km/h).
In the following cases you cannot activate
the cruise control:

when you brake

the vehicle is secured with the elec-
tronic parking brake

when the automatic transmission is set
to positionP, R, or N

when ESP® is switched off
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.
iThe vehicle speed displayed in the speedom-
eter can briefly vary from the speed setting for
the cruise control system.
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407 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Setting current speed
Accelerate or decelerate to the desired
speed.
Briefly lift the cruise control lever in
direction of arrow1 or depress in
direction of arrow2.
The current speed is set.
Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
The cruise control is activated.

The current set speed appears in
the multifunction display for ap-
proximately 5 seconds.

The corresponding speedometer
segments from the selected speed
to the vehicle maximum speed in
the multifunction display are illumi-
nated.

The set speed is shown by a triangle
in the speedometer.Canceling cruise control
There are several ways to cancel the cruise
control:
Step on the brake pedal.
The cruise control is canceled. The last
set speed is stored for later use.
or
Briefly push the cruise control lever in
direction of arrow3.
The cruise control is canceled. The last
set speed 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 by braking with the vehicle’s brak-
ing system. In addition, on longer downhill
grades the automatic transmission will down-
shift automatically.
iThe last stored set speed is deleted when
the engine is turned off.
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408 Controls in detail
Driving systems
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 cruise control lever up to
the resistance point in direction of
arrow1 (
page 406).
Release the cruise control lever.
The vehicle speed increases in incre-
ments of 1 mph (Canada: 1 km/h).
iThe cruise control switches off automatical-
ly when

you step on the brake pedal

the vehicle is secured with the electronic
parking brake
In this case, the cruise control speed seg-
ments in the multifunction display will go out
and no warning sounds.

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

the ESP® is in operation or switched off with
the ESP® switch (page 71)

you set the automatic transmission toN
while driving
The cruise control speed segments in the
multifunction display will go out and an
acoustic warning sounds.
Observe additional messages in the
multifunction display that may appear.
!Setting the automatic transmission toN
while driving cancels the cruise control. Howev-
er, the automatic transmission should not be set
toN while driving except to coast when the vehi-
cle is in danger of skidding (e.g. on icy roads).
iDepressing the accelerator pedal does not
deactivate the cruise control. After a brief accel-
eration (e.g. for passing), the cruise control will
resume the last set speed.
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 cruise control lever up to the resistance
point.
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