2007 MERCEDES-BENZ R320CDI wheel

249 Controls in detail
3-zone automatic climate control*
B-pillar air vents
Air vents are located in both B-pillars.
1Air vent, adjustable
2Thumbwheel for air volume control
Adjusting air volume
Turn thumbwheel 2 to the left to
increase the air volume.
or
Turn thumbwheel 2 to the right to
decrease the air volume.Adjusting air distribution
Move air vent slider 1 to the left, right,
up, or down to direct the air in the de-
sired direction.
Rear automatic climate control
(second and third row)*
The rear automatic climate control for the
second and third row* is operated in the
same manner as the rear automatic
climate control for the second row
(
page 245).Air vents are located in the left and right
side trim below the rear quarter windows.
1Defrost air vent for rear quarter
window, fixed
2Air vent, adjustable
3Thumbwheel for air volume control

250 Controls in detail
3-zone automatic climate control*
Adjusting air volume
Turn thumbwheel 3 downwards to
increase the air volume.
or
Turn thumbwheel 3 upwards to
decrease the air volume.
Adjusting air distribution
Move air vent slider 2 to the left, right,
up, or down.
The air is directed in the desired
direction.

266 Controls in detail
Driving systems
The driving systems of your vehicle are
described on the following pages:

Cruise control (page 266) and
Distronic* (
page 271), with which
the vehicle can maintain a preset
speed.

Distance warning function*
(
page 284) is only available with
Distronic*, which warns of stationary
obstacles or slower moving vehicles
that you are closing in on too quickly.

AIRMATIC* (page 285) adjusts the
vehicle suspension characteristics
automatically and controls the vehicle
level.

Parktronic* (page 291) and rear view
camera* (
page 295), which serve as
a parking aid.
For information on the ABS, BAS, EBP,
ESP
®, and 4-ETS, see “Driving safety sys-
tems” (
page 100).
Cruise control
The cruise control automatically maintains
the speed you set for your vehicle.
The use of cruise control is recommended
for driving at a constant speed for extend-
ed 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 24).
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
dangerous on winding roads or in heavy
traffic because conditions do not allow
safe driving at a constant speed.

The use of the cruise control can be
dangerous 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
operated if the driver is fully aware of the
previously set speed and wishes to resume
this particular preset speed.

272 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Warning!G
Distronic is a convenience system. Its speed
adjustment reduction capability is intended
to make cruise control more effective and
usable when traffic speeds vary. It is not
however, intended to, nor does it, replace
the need for extreme care.
The responsibility for the vehicle’s speed,
distance to the preceding vehicle and, most
importantly, brake operation to ensure a
safe stopping distance, always rests with
the driver.
Distronic cannot take road and traffic condi-
tions into account.
Complex driving situations are not always
fully recognized by Distronic. This could
result in wrong or missing distance
warnings.
Warning!G
Distronic adaptive cruise control is no
substitute for active driving involvement. It
does not react to pedestrians or on station-
ary objects, nor does it recognize or predict
the lane curvature or the movement of
preceding vehicles.
Distronic can only apply a maximum of 20%
of the vehicle’s braking power.
It is the driver’s responsibility at all times to
be attentive to the road, weather and traffic
conditions. Additionally, the driver must
provide the steering, braking and other
driving inputs necessary to remain in control
of the vehicle.
High-frequency sources such as toll
stations, speed measuring systems etc. can
cause the Distronic system to malfunction.
Warning!G
Distronic requires familiarity with its opera-
tional characteristics. We strongly recom-
mend that you review the following
information carefully before operating the
system.
Warning!G
Distronic cannot take road and traffic condi-
tions into account. Only use Distronic if the
road, weather and traffic conditions make it
advisable to travel at a constant speed.
Warning!G
Use of Distronic can be dangerous on slip-
pery roads. Rapid changes in tire traction
can result in wheel spin and loss of control.

273 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Distronic does not act upon adverse sight
and distance conditions. Do not use
Distronic during conditions of fog, heavy
rain, snow or sleet.
Warning!G
Distronic cannot take weather conditions
into account. Switch off Distronic or do not
switch 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, for
example. The distance control system
functionality could be impaired.
Always pay attention to surrounding traffic
conditions even while Distronic is switched
on. Otherwise, you may not be able to recog-
nize dangerous situations until it is too late.
This could cause an accident in which you
and others could be injured.
Warning!G
The “Resume” function should only be
operated if the driver is fully aware of the
previously set speed and wishes to resume
this particular preset speed.
Warning!G
Close attention to road and traffic condi-
tions is imperative at all times, regardless of
whether or not Distronic is activated.
Use of Distronic can be dangerous on
winding roads or in heavy traffic because
conditions do not allow safe driving at a
continuous speed.
Distronic will not react to stationary objects
in the roadway (e.g. a stopped vehicle in a
traffic jam or a disabled vehicle). Distronic
will also not respond to oncoming vehicles.
Switch off Distronic:

when changing from the left to the right
lane if vehicles are moving more slowly
in the left lane

when entering a turn lane or highway off
ramp

in complex driving situations, such as in
highway construction zones
In these situations, Distronic will continue to
maintain the set speed unless deactivated.
Distronic is designed and intended only to
maintain a set speed and keep a set dis-
tance from moving objects in front of it.

285 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Switch on the distance warning func-
tion in the control system
(
page 191).1Symbol for activated distance warning
function
When the distance warning function is
switched on, you will see the : symbol
in the Standard display. When the distance
warning function is deactivated the
:symbol will not appear.
AIRMATIC*
The AIRMATIC* consists of two compo-
nents:

Adaptive Damping System (ADS)*
(
page 286): Automatically optimizes
your vehicle’s suspension tuning.

Vehicle level control* (page 286):
Regulates the ride height of the vehicle.
Warning!G
If the distance warning lampl in the in-
strument cluster comes on while driving
and/or an intermittent warning sounds,
immediate attention on the part of the driver
is required. As required by the traffic
situation, apply the brakes and navigate
around a possible obstacle. However, do not
drive by relying on the distance warning
function, as this will result in an emergency
braking application. This will not always
enable you to avoid a collision, especially
when traveling on varying road surface
conditions and with varying driver reaction.
Complex driving situations are not always
fully recognized by the distance warning
function. This could result in wrong or miss-
ing distance warnings.
Warning!G
R 63 AMG only: When you turn off the
engine, the vehicle may be lowered
(
page 288). To avoid personal injury,
make sure that nobody is in the vicinity of
the wheel housing or under the vehicle when
you turn off the engine.
!R 63 AMG only: When you turn off the en-
gine, the vehicle may be lowered (
page 288).
When parking, make sure there is sufficient
clearance under the vehicle for it to lower with-
out making contact with the road curb for exam-
ple. Otherwise, the vehicle could be damaged.

287 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Basic settings (except R 63 AMG)
There are two settings from which to
choose:

Raised level, for driving on rough roads

Highway level, for driving on paved
roads in fair or better conditionThe vehicle’s ride height changes by the
approximate values given in table below
according to the set level:
The vehicle lowers to highspeed level
automatically when

the vehicles speed exceeds
70 mph (112 km/h)

the vehicles speed is between
60 mph (96 km/h) and
70 mph (112 km/h) for longer
than 20 seconds
Warning!G
Make sure that no one is near the wheel
housing or under the vehicle when you lower
the vehicle while it is standing still. Limbs
could become wedged into or under the
vehicle.
For safety reasons, the vehicle can only be
lowered with all doors and the tailgate
closed. Lowering is interrupted if a door or
the tailgate is opened and will continue after
the door is closed again.
Warning!G
Adapt your speed and driving to possible
changed driving behavior of the vehicle after
changing the vehicle level. The ESP
® cannot
prevent accidents, including those resulting
from excessive speed. The ESP
® cannot
prevent the natural laws of physics from
acting on the vehicle.
!Keep in mind that in rough or uneven roads,
adjusting the vehicle to a lower level may cause
the vehicle underbody to come in contact with
the road and result in damage to the vehicle un-
derbody. Always make sure the vehicle has suffi-
cient ground clearance before adjusting it to a
lower level.
!Before jacking up the vehicle with equip-
ment that lifts one or more of the wheels com-
pletely off the ground, remove the SmartKey
from the starter switch.
!Please also note the information in the
section on towing (
page 517).
iThe activation threshold is defined by the set
suspension tuning (
page 286).
iThe third available level is the highspeed
level that is set automatically.
LevelRide height
Raised+ 1.97 in (+ 50 mm)
Highway+/- 0
Highspeed- 0.78 in (- 20 mm)
iObey local speed limits. Use prudent driving
speeds appropriate to prevailing conditions.

289 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Raised level
Only choose the raised level when the road
conditions permit. Otherwise:

Fuel consumption may increase.

Handling characteristics of the vehicle
may be unfavorable.
Start the engine (page 54).The switch is located on the upper part of
the center console.
1Vehicle level control switch
2Indicator lamp
If indicator lamp2 is off:
Press switch1.
Indicator lamp2 flashes. The vehicle
adjusts to the raised level.
The following message appears in the
multifunction display while the level is
being set:When the raised level is reached, indicator
lamp2 comes on continuously and the
following message appears in the multi-
function display:
iYou can select the raised level at vehicle
speeds of up to 25 mph (40 km/h). At a higher
vehicle speed, the message
n
Level selection not permitted
appears in the multifunction display.
iThe messages can be cleared by pressing
buttonæ orç on the multifunction steer-
ing wheel.