2007 MERCEDES-BENZ CL500 traction control

412 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Warning!G
DISTRONIC Plus adaptive cruise control is
no substitute for active driving involvement.
It does not react to pedestrians or stationary
objects, nor does it recognize or predict the
curvature and lane layout or the movement
of vehicles ahead. DISTRONIC Plus can only
apply a maximum of 40% of the vehicle’s
braking power.
DISTRONIC Plus may not detect narrow ve-
hicles possibly driving in front of you, such
as motorcycles and vehicles driving in an
offset formation.
It is the driver’s responsibility at all times to
be attentive to road, weather and traffic con-
ditions and to provide the steering, braking
and other driving inputs necessary to retain
control of the vehicle.
High-frequency sources such as toll sta-
tions, speed measuring systems etc. can
cause the DISTRONIC Plus system to tem-
porarily cease functioning.
Warning!G
DISTRONIC Plus requires familiarity with its
operational characteristics. We strongly rec-
ommend that you review the following infor-
mation carefully before operating the
system.
Warning!G
DISTRONIC Plus cannot take street and traf-
fic conditions into account. Only use
DISTRONIC Plus if the road, weather and
traffic conditions make it advisable to travel
at a steady speed.
Warning!G
Use of DISTRONIC Plus can be dangerous
on slippery roads. Rapid changes in tire trac-
tion can result in wheel spin and loss of con-
trol.
DISTRONIC Plus does not act upon adverse
sight distance conditions. Do not use
DISTRONIC Plus during conditions of fog
and heavy rain, snow or sleet.
Warning!G
DISTRONIC Plus cannot take weather condi-
tions into account. Switch off
DISTRONIC Plus or do not turn it on if:

roads are slippery or covered with snow
or ice. The wheels could lose traction
while braking or accelerating, and the
vehicle could skid.

the sensor is dirty or visibility is
diminished due to snow, rain or fog. The
distance control could be impaired.
Always pay attention to traffic conditions
even while DISTRONIC Plus is switched on.
Otherwise, you may not be able to recognize
dangerous situations until it is too late and
could cause an accident resulting in person-
al or fatal injury to you or others.

503 Operation
Driving instructions
Specified tire inflation pressures must be
maintained. This applies particularly if the
tires are subject to extreme operating con-
ditions (e.g. high speeds, heavy loads, high
ambient temperatures).
For more information, see “Tires and
wheels” (
page 520).
Hydroplaning
Depending on the depth of the water layer
on the road, hydroplaning may occur, even
at low speeds and with new tires. Reduce
vehicle speed, avoid track grooves in the
road and apply brakes cautiously in the
rain.
Tire traction
The safe speed on a wet, snow covered or
icy road is always lower than on a dry road.
You should pay particular attention to the
condition of the road whenever the outside
temperatures are close to the freezing
point.Mercedes-Benz recommends winter tires
(
page 549) with a minimum tread depth
of approximately 1/6in (4 mm) on all four
wheels for the winter season to ensure
normal balanced handling characteristics.
On packed snow, they can reduce your
stopping distance compared to summer
tires.
Stopping distance, however, is still consid-
erably greater than when the road is not
covered with snow or ice. Exercise appro-
priate caution.
Warning!G
Do not drive with a flat tire. A flat tire affects
the ability to steer or brake the vehicle. You
may lose control of the vehicle. Continued
driving with a flat tire or driving at high
speed with a flat tire will cause excessive
heat build-up and possibly a fire.
Warning!G
If ice has formed on the road, tire traction
will be substantially reduced. Under such
weather conditions, drive, steer and brake
with extreme caution.
!Avoid spinning of a drive wheel. This may
cause serious damage to the drivetrain which is
not covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited War-
ranty.

543 Operation
Tires and wheels
Quality grades can be found, where appli-
cable, on the tire sidewall between tread
shoulder and maximum section width. For
example:
All passenger car tires must conform to
federal safety requirements in addition to
these grades.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rat-
ing based on the wear rate of the tire when
tested under controlled conditions on a
specified government test course. For ex-
ample, a tire graded 150 would wear one
and one-half (1
1/2) times as well on the
government course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of their use,
however, and may depart significantly from the norm due to variations in driving
habits, service practices and differences in
road characteristics and climate.
Traction
The traction grades, from highest to low-
est, are AA, A, B, and C. Those grades rep-
resent the tire’s ability to stop on wet
pavement as measured under controlled
conditions on specified government test
surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire
marked C may have poor traction perfor-
mance.Temperature
The temperature grades are A (the high-
est), B, and C, representing the tire’s resis-
tance to the generation of heat and its
ability to dissipate heat when tested under
controlled conditions on a specified indoor
laboratory test wheel. Sustained high tem-
perature can cause the material of the tire
to degenerate and reduce tire life, and ex-
cessive temperature can lead to sudden
tire failure. The grade C corresponds to the
minimum level of performance which all
passenger car tires must meet under the
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
No. 109. Grades B and A represent higher
levels of performance on the laboratory
test wheel than the minimum required by
law.
TreadwearTractionTemperature
200AAA
Warning!G
The traction grade assigned to this tire is
based on straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning, or peak traction
characteristics.

550 Operation
Winter driving
Snow chainsSnow chains should only be driven on
snow-covered roads at speeds not to
exceed 30 mph (50 km/h). Remove chains
as soon as possible when driving on roads
without snow.
Please observe the following guidelines
when using snow chains:

Use of snow chains is not permissible
with all wheel/tire combinations
(
page 678).

Use snow chains in pairs and rear
wheels only. Follow the manufacturer’s
mounting instructions.

Only use snow chains that are
approved by Mercedes-Benz. Your
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center will
be glad to advise you on this subject.

Use of snow chains may be prohibited
depending on location. Always check
local and state laws before installing
snow chains.

Do not use snow chains on the spare
wheel (
page 681).
Warning!G
If you use your spare tire when winter tires
are fitted on the other wheels, be aware that
the difference in tire characteristics may
very well impair turning stability and that
overall driving stability may be reduced.
Adapt your driving style accordingly.
Have the spare tire replaced with a winter
tire at the nearest authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
!When driving with snow chains, always se-
lect the raised level of the level control system
ABC (
page 429). Other settings may result in
damage to your vehicle.
!Some tire sizes do not leave adequate clear-
ance for snow chains. To help avoid serious dam-
age to your vehicle or tires, make sure that the
use of snow chains is permissible as specified in
the “Technical data” section of this Operator’s
Manual, see “Rims and tires” (
page 678).
!If snow chains are mounted to the front
wheels, they may scrape against the body or axle
components. The tires or the vehicle could be
damaged as a result.
iWhen driving with snow chains, you may
wish to deactivate the ESP® (page 71) before
setting the vehicle in motion. This will improve
the vehicle’s traction.

572 Practical hints
What to do if …?
ProblemPossible cause/consequenceSuggested solution
lPRE-SAFE® Brake*: The red dis-
tance warning lamp comes on
while driving.You are too close to the vehicle in front of
you to maintain selected speed.Apply the brakes immediately to in-
crease the following distance.
lDISTRONIC Plus* or PRE-SAFE®
Brake*: The red distance warn-
ing lamp comes on while driving
and an acoustic warning
sounds.You are gaining too rapidly on the vehicle
ahead of you.Apply the brakes immediately.
DISTRONIC Plus* or PRE-SAFE® Brake* has
recognized a stationary obstacle on your
probable line of travel.Apply the brakes immediately.
Carefully observe the traffic situation.
You may need to brake or maneuver to
avoid hitting an obstacle.
vThe yellow ESP® warning lamp
flashes while driving.The ESP® or electronic traction system has
come into operation because of detected
traction loss in at least one tire.
Cruise control and DISTRONIC Plus* are de-
activated.When driving off, apply as little throttle
as possible.
While driving, ease up on the accelera-
tor.
Adapt your speed and driving to the pre-
vailing road and weather conditions.
Do not deactivate the ESP®. Exceptions:
(
page 71).
Failure to follow these instructions increas-
es the risk of an accident.

698 Index
Distance warning lamp 31, 572
Driving hints 426
Increasing distance 425
Increasing time interval 425
Intermittent signal tone 414
Lever 417
Menu 416
Messages in display 583
Sensor cover 558
Setting a higher speed 421
Setting a slower speed 422
Setting following distance 425
Setting the current speed 421
Setting to last stored speed
(“Resume” function) 423
Warning and indicator lamps 414
Document holder 476Door
Control panel 38
Entry lamps 371
Inside door handle 333
Locking 324, 330
Locking with Tele Aid 489
Messages in display 585, 612
Opening from inside vehicle 333
Opening from outside 324, 330
Power closing assist 334
Unlocking 324, 329
Unlocking with Tele Aid 489
DOT 545
Downhill driving
Cruise control 407
Drink holder see Cup holder
Drinking and driving 499
Drive-dynamic multicontour seats*
Adjusting (COMAND) 252
Drive-dynamic function
(COMAND) 255
Multicontour adjustments
(COMAND) 252Driving 378
Abroad 506
Hydroplaning 503
In winter 504
Instructions 378, 499
Problems 383
Safety systems 64
Through standing water 505
With DISTRONIC Plus* 426
Driving maneuver (COMAND) 196
Driving off 501
Driving safety systems
ABS 64
Adaptive Brake Lights
(CL 600 and USA only) 66
BAS 66
BAS Plus 67
EBP 69
Electronic traction system 71
ESP
®69

699 Index
Driving systems 405
ABC 429
Cruise control 405
DISTRONIC Plus* 411
Driving safety systems 64
Dynamic Rear View Monitor* 439
Park Assist* 435
Parktronic system* 431
Vehicle level control (ABC) 429
Driving tips 396
Kickdown 396
DVD 107
Audio (COMAND) 107
Changer (COMAND) 111
Changer (Voice Control) 303
Ejecting (COMAND) 113
Loading (COMAND) 111
Playback options (COMAND) 119
Selecting a medium (COMAND) 117
Selecting a track (COMAND) 117
Setting
the audio format (COMAND) 119Dynamic Rear View Monitor* 439
Camera lens 560
Cleaning camera lens 560
Parallel parking 443
Reverse parking
(back-in parking) 441
Switching on 441
View through the camera 439E
Easy-entry/exit feature 344
COMAND menu 239
EBP 69
Electrical fuses see Fuses
Electrical system, Technical Data 682
Electronic Brake Proportioning see EBP
Electronic parking brake 384
Indicator lamp 31, 568
Mechanically releasing 637
Messages in display 599
Warning lamp 31, 568
Electronic Stability Program see ESP
®
Electronic traction system 71
Emergency call system 482
Emergency calls, Tele Aid 483
Emergency engine shut-down 670
Emergency operation
(Limp-Home Mode) 401

714 Index
Important notes on
tire inflation pressure 529
Inflation pressure 528
Information placard 524
Inspection 521
Load rating 537, 547
Load rating, Maximum 541, 545
Minispare wheel 634, 681
Ply composition
and material used 547
Problems under-/overinflation 528
Retreads 520
Rotating 548
Service life 521
Sizes 678
Snow 549
Speed rating 504, 538, 547
Storing 522
Temperature 529, 543
Terminology 544
Total load limit 547
TPMS* malfunction telltale 31, 576
Traction 503, 547
Tread depth 522
Tread depth, Winter 549
Treadwear indicators 547Vehicle maximum load on 547
Wear pattern 548
Winter 549
Tools 632
Top tether
Children in the vehicle 60
Tow-away alarm 78
Tow-away alarm (COMAND) 243
Towing eye bolt
(vehicle tool kit) 632, 666
Towing the vehicle 663
Tow-start 660, 663
Traction 503, 543, 547
Transmission see Automatic transmission
Traveling abroad 506
Tread 547
Tread depth, Tires 522
Tread depth, Winter tires 549
Treadwear indicators 547
Trip odometer 260
Resetting 261
Troubleshooting
Voice Control 317Trunk
Closing 635
Emergency release 464
Lighting 371
Message in display 631
Opening-height restriction
(COMAND) 242
Power closing assist for trunk lid 334
Unlocking in an emergency 635
Valet locking 465
Trunk, Trunk lid, Lock button
(KEYLESS-GO*) 331
Tumbler holder see Cup holder
Turn signal lamps
Cleaning lenses 558
Replacing bulbs 642
Turn signals 382
Additional in mirrors 642
Front bulbs 642
Indicator lamp 31
Rear bulbs 642