2007 MERCEDES-BENZ S550 DISTRONIC

370 Controls in detailAutomatic transmissionAutomatic transmission positions
The current automatic transmission posi-
tion appears in the tachometer display.
1Current automatic transmission posi-
tion!
If the automatic transmission position fails
in the tachometer display, you should check
whether the gear selector lever is placed in the
desired position while driving off with added cau-
tion. We recommend you to shift the gear selec-
tor lever to positionD. Do not limit the gear
range.
Effect
ì
Park position
Shift into park positionP only
when vehicle is stopped. The
park position is not intended to
serve as a brake when the vehi-
cle is parked. Rather, the driver
should always set the electric
parking brake in addition to shift-
ing into park positionP to secure
the vehicle.
If the vehicle’s electrical system
is malfunctioning, the automatic
transmission could remain
locked in park positionP.
Have the vehicle checked as
soon as possible by an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center.
!
SmartKey:
If you turn off the engine using the SmartKey and
remove the SmartKey from the starter switch,
the automatic transmission will shift to park
positionP automatically. Keep in mind that turn-
ing off the engine with the SmartKey alone will
not automatically shift the automatic transmis-
sion to park positionP. Only when the SmartKey
is removed from the starter switch, will the auto-
matic transmission automatically shift to park
positionP.
KEYLESS-GO*:
If you turn off the engine using the KEYLESS-GO
start/stop button and open the driver’s door, the
automatic transmission will shift to park
positionP automatically. Keep in mind that turn-
ing off the engine using the KEYLESS-GO
start/stop button alone will not automatically
shift the automatic transmission to park
positionP. Only when the driver’s door is
opened, will the automatic transmission auto-
matically shift to park positionP.
DISTRONIC Plus*:
the transmission will shift to park positionP au-
tomatically, only when DISTRONIC Plus brings
your vehicle to a standstill, and when it meets at
least one of the following conditions at the same
time:

the engine is turned off


the driver’s or passenger door opens and the
seat belt is not engaged in the buckle
In addition to shifting to park positionP, the elec-
tric parking brake will be engaged automatically.

380 Controls in detailDriving systemsThe driving systems of your vehicle are de-
scribed on the following pages:

Cruise control and DISTRONIC Plus*,
with which the vehicle can maintain a
preset speed.


Distance warning function* (only avail-
able with DISTRONIC Plus*), which
warns of a stationary obstacle or slow-
er moving vehicle that you are closing
on to quickly.


Airmatic (S 550 only) and ABC* adjust
the vehicle suspension characteristics
automatically and control the vehicle
level.


Parktronic* and Park Assist*, which
serve as a parking assistant.


Dynamic Rear View Monitor* is an
electronic and visual parking aid.


Night View Assist* illuminates the road
with infrared light in addition to the nor-
mal headlamps.For information on the ABS, Adaptive
Brake, BAS, BAS Plus*, EBP, and ESP
® driv-
ing systems, see “Driving safety systems”
(
page 69).
Cruise control
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 over 20 mph
(30 km/h).
The cruise control function is operated by
means of the cruise control lever.
Warning!
G
Cruise control is a convenience system de-
signed to assist the driver during vehicle op-
eration. 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 steady speed.

The use of cruise control can be danger-
ous on winding roads or in heavy traffic
because conditions do not allow safe
driving at a steady speed.


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


Deactivate 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.

385 Controls in detail
Driving systems
DISTRONIC Plus*
When activated, the DISTRONIC Plus adap-
tive cruise control system increases driv-
ing convenience afforded by the cruise
control during travel on expressways and
other major roads.

If the DISTRONIC Plus distance sensor
detects a slower moving vehicle direct-
ly ahead, your vehicle speed will be re-
duced so that you follow that vehicle at
a preset distance.


If there is no vehicle directly ahead of
you, DISTRONIC Plus will function in
the same way as cruise control
(page 380).
DISTRONIC Plus functions within a speed
range of 0 to 124 mph (0 to 200 km/h).
Warning!
G
DISTRONIC Plus is a convenience system.
Its speed adjustment reduction capability is
intended to make cruise control more effec-
tive and usable when traffic speeds vary. It
is not however, intended to, nor does it, re-
place the need for extreme care. The re-
sponsibility for the vehicle speed and the
distance to the vehicle ahead, including
most importantly brake operation to assure
safe stopping distance, always rests with
the driver.
DISTRONIC Plus cannot take street and traf-
fic conditions into account.
Complex driving situations are not always
fully recognized by DISTRONIC Plus. This
could result in wrong or missing distance
warnings.
Warning!
G
The DISTRONIC Plus adaptive cruise control
is no substitute for active driving involve-
ment. It does not react to pedestrians or sta-
tionary 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 properly.

386 Controls in detailDriving systemsWarning!
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.
Warning!
G
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.Warning!
G
Close attention to road and traffic condi-
tions is imperative at all times, regardless of
whether or not DISTRONIC Plus is activated.
Use of DISTRONIC Plus can be dangerous
on winding roads as conditions do not allow
safe driving at a steady speed.
DISTRONIC Plus may not react to stationary
objects in the roadway (e.g. a stopped vehi-
cle in a traffic jam or a disabled vehicle).
DISTRONIC Plus will also not respond to on-
coming vehicles.

387 Controls in detail
Driving systems
DISTRONIC Plus displays in the speed-
ometer dial
1Speed of the vehicle ahead
2Set speed
If DISTRONIC Plus is activated, the
marker2 indicates the set speed.
Switch off DISTRONIC Plus:

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 Plus will
continue to maintain the set speed unless
deactivated.
DISTRONIC Plus is designed and intended
only to maintain a set speed and keep a set
distance from moving objects in front of it.
i
Do not use DISTRONIC Plus if you are driv-
ing on a road with steep uphill or downhill slopes.
i
In certain countries and near radio-astrolog-
ical facilities, you must switch off the radar sys-
tems (page 256).
i
Due to its radar-emitting nature DISTRONIC
Plus may have an appearance similar to a radar
detector to law inforcement officials. You may
want to refer to this section of your Operator’s
Manual when asked.
i
USA only:
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC
Rules. Operation is subject to the following two
conditions:
(1) This device may not cause harmful interfer-
ence, and
(2) this device must accept any interference re-
ceived, including interference that may
cause undesired operation.
Any unauthorized modification to this device
could void the user’s authority to operate the
equipment.
i
Canada only:
This device complies with RSS-210 of Industry
Canada. Operation is subject to the following
two conditions:
(1) This device may not cause interference, and
(2) this device must accept any interference re-
ceived, including interference that may
cause undesired operation of the device.Any unauthorized modification to this device
could void the user’s authority to operate the
equipment.
i
The vehicle speed displayed on the speed-
ometer can briefly vary from the speed setting
on the DISTRONIC Plus system.

388 Controls in detailDriving systemsWhen DISTRONIC Plus detects a vehicle
driving ahead of you, the ring on the speed-
ometer dial lights up between the speed of
the vehicle ahead of you and set speed2.
If DISTRONIC Plus calculates that there is
a danger of collision (
page 397):


The distance warning lampl in the
instrument cluster comes on.


An intermittent warning sounds.

Immediately brake the vehicle to avoid
a collision.
Under no circumstances should the
driver await the intermittent warning
sound before braking. See the follow-
ing warning note.
The intermittent warning sound ceases
and the distance warning lampl
goes out when the necessary distance
to the vehicle ahead is again
established.
Warning!
G
An intermittent warning sounds and the dis-
tance warning lampl in the instrument
cluster is illuminated if the DISTRONIC Plus
system calculates that the distance to the
vehicle ahead and your vehicle’s current
speed indicate that DISTRONIC Plus will not
be capable of slowing the vehicle sufficiently
to maintain the preset following distance,
which creates a danger of a collision.
Immediately brake your vehicle to increase
the distance between your vehicle and the
vehicle in front of you. The warning sound is
intended as a final caution that you have not
interceded with your own braking inputs to
avoid a potentially dangerous situation. Do
not wait for the operation of the warning sig-
nal to intercede with your own braking, as
that will result in potentially dangerous
emergency braking which will not always re-
sult in an impact being avoided.
Tailgating increases the risk of an accident.
Warning!
G
DISTRONIC Plus brakes your vehicle with a
maximum of 13 ft/s
2 (4 m/s
2). This corre-
sponds to about 40% of the maximum decel-
eration ability of your vehicle.
DISTRONIC Plus brakes the vehicle in an ef-
fort to restore the preset distance or to
maintain the speed. The brake pedal is auto-
matically applied as this happens which re-
sults in the brake pedal moving.
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 DISTRONIC Plus sys-
tem.
Do not place your foot under the brake pedal
– your foot could become caught.

389 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 vehicle
ahead
4Vehicle ahead, if detectedDISTRONIC Plus deactivated
If DISTRONIC Plus is deactivated, the stan-
dard display of DISTRONIC Plus appears in
the multifunction display.
1Symbol for activated distance warning
function
2Vehicle ahead, if detected
3Actual distance to vehicle ahead
4Preset distance threshold to vehicle
ahead
5Your vehicle
i
For activating or deactivating the DISTRON-
IC Plus system, see “Activating
DISTRONIC Plus” (
page 390) or “Activating
DISTRONIC Plus” (page 395).
For activating or deactivating the distance warn-
ing function, see “Distance warning function*
activating/deactivating” (
page 252).

390 Controls in detailDriving systemsDISTRONIC Plus lever
The DISTRONIC Plus system is operated by
means of the DISTRONIC Plus lever.
1Setting current or higher speed
Adjustment in 1 mph or 5 mph
increments (Canada: 1 km/h or
10 km/h)
2Setting current or lower speed
Adjustment in 1 mph or 5 mph
increments (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 Off” in the multifunction display.
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 electric
parking brake
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.
i
The maximum speed you can set is 124 mph
(200 km/h).