2008 MERCEDES-BENZ CLS63AMG ESP

221 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Distronic menu in the control system
In the Distronic menu you can read the cur-
rent settings for Distronic. What appears in
the multifunction display depends on
whether Distronic and the distance warn-
ing function are turned on or off.
Press buttonè orÿ repeatedly
until one of the following displays ap-
pears.Distronic deactivated
When Distronic is deactivated you will see
the standard display in the multifunction
display.
1Vehicle ahead, if detected
2Actual distance to vehicle ahead
3Preset distance threshold to vehicle
ahead
4Your vehicle
5Symbol for activated distance warning
function
Warning!G
Distronic brakes your vehicle with a maxi-
mum deceleration of 6.5 ft/s2 (2 m/s2).
This corresponds to about 20% of the maxi-
mum deceleration ability of your vehicle.
Distronic brakes the vehicle in an effort to
restore the preset distance or to maintain
the speed.

222 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Distronic activated
If you turn Distronic on, you will see the set
speed in the multifunction display for
about 5 seconds. When Distronic is
activated, you will see the following display
in the multifunction display.
1Distronic activatedCruise control lever
The Distronic system 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.
1Set current or higher speed
2Set current or lower speed
3Deactivate Distronic
4Resume at last set speedActivating Distronic
You can activate Distronic if:

you are driving between 20 mph
(30 km/h) and 110 mph (180 km/h)

the ESP® is activated (page 92)
If Distronic has not been activated after
pressing the cruise control lever you will
see the message
--- in the multifunction
display.
In the following cases you cannot activate
Distronic:

up to 2 minutes after starting the
engine

when you brake

if you have set the parking brake

if the gear selector lever is in
positionP, R orN

if the ESP® is switched off

225 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Setting stored speed
(“Resume” function)
Briefly tip the cruise control lever in di-
rection of arrow4 (
page 222).
Distronic is activated and set to the last
stored speed.
Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.Deactivating Distronic
There are several ways to deactivate the
Distronic system:
Briefly tip the cruise control lever in di-
rection of arrow3 (
page 222).
or
Step on the brake pedal.
Distronic will be deactivated. The last
speed set will be stored in memory.Distronic deactivates automatically when:

you set the parking brake

you drive slower than 20 mph
(30 km/h)

the ESP® is active (page 92) or you
deactivate the ESP®

you move the gear selector lever into
positionN
A s i g n a l w i l l s o u n d . T h e
DISTRONIC Off
message appears in the multifunction
display for approximately 5 seconds.
Warning!G
The speed stored in memory should only be
set again if prevailing road conditions per-
mit. Possible acceleration or deceleration
differences arising from returning to the pre-
set speed could cause an accident and/or
serious injury to you and others.
iThe following message will appear in the
multifunction display for approximately
5 seconds:
DISTRONIC Off
The last stored speed is deleted when you turn
off the engine.Warning!G
Distronic switches off and releases the
brakes when the vehicle decelerates below
the minimum speed of approximately
20 mph (30 km/h) by operation of the
system. At that time the driver must apply
the brakes in order to reduce vehicle speed
further or bring it to a stop.

227 Controls in detail
Driving systems
When pressing the brake pedal, the warn-
ing sound ceases. The warning sound will
also cease when the distance to the vehi-
cle ahead is sufficient again without apply-
ing the brakes. In this case, the distance
warning lamp also go out.Activating
Press switch1.
Indicator lamp2 on the switch comes
on. A loudspeaker symbol appears in
the multifunction display (
page 222).
Deactivating
Press switch1.
Indicator lamp2 on the switch goes
out. No loudspeaker symbol appears in
the multifunction display.Driving with Distronic
This section describes a number of driving
situations where special precaution is
required on the part of the driver. Be pre-
pared to brake in such situations. This will
deactivate the Distronic system.
Warning!G
If the distance warning lampl in the in-
strument cluster comes on while driving
and/or an intermittent warning sounds, im-
mediate attention on the part of the driver is
required. As required by the traffic situation,
apply the brakes and navigate around a pos-
sible obstacle. However, do not drive by
relying on the distance warning function, as
this will result in an emergency braking
application. Especially depending on road
surface conditions and driver reaction, this
will not always enable you to avoid a colli-
sion.
iComplex driving situations are not always
fully recognized by Distronic. This could result in
wrong or missing distance warnings.
Warning!G
Distronic works to maintain the speed se-
lected by the driver unless a moving obsta-
cle proceeding directly ahead of it in the
same travel direction is detected (e.g. fol-
lowing another vehicle ahead of you at a dis-
tance set by Distronic). This means that:

Your vehicle can pass another vehicle
after you change lanes.

While in a sharp turn or if the vehicle in
front is in a sharp turn, Distronic could
lose sight of a vehicle traveling in front
of it, then your vehicle could accelerate
to the previously selected speed.


228 Controls in detail
Driving systems
The most likely cause for a malfunctioning
system is a dirty sensor (located behind
the hood grille), especially at times of snow
and ice or heavy rain. In such a case,
Distronic will switch off, and the message
DISTRONIC
Currently Unavailable
See Operator’s Manual
appears in the multifunction display.
For cleaning and care of the Distronic sen-
sor, see “Cleaning the Distronic* system
sensor cover” (
page 337).Turns and bends
In turns or bends, Distronic may not detect
a moving vehicle in front, or it may detect
one too soon. This may cause your vehicle
to brake late or unexpectedly.
Distronic regulates only the distance be-
tween your vehicle and those directly ahead
of it, but does not register stationary objects
in the road, e.g.:

a stopped vehicle in a traffic jam

a disabled vehicle

an oncoming vehicle
The driver must always be on the alert,
observe all traffic and intercede as required
by steering or braking the vehicle.
Warning!G
Distronic should not be used in snowy or icy
road conditions.
iIf the message
DISTRONIC
Currently Unavailable
See Operator’s Manual
disappears during driving and the last speed
stored flashes for approximately 5 seconds, the
dirt (e.g. slush) has dissolved; Distronic works
again.


230 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Airmatic DC (Dual Control)
Airmatic automatically selects the opti-
mum suspension tuning and ride height for
your vehicle. The Airmatic consists of two
components:

Adaptive Damping System (ADS)

Vehicle level control
The ADS automatically selects the opti-
mum damping for the respective driving
conditions. At the same time the suspen-
sion is set to either Sport 1, Sport 2 or
Comfort.
Suspension tuning
The suspension tuning is set according to:

Your driving style

Road surface conditions

Your choice of suspension style,
Sport 1, Sport 2 or Comfort, which you
select using the damping buttonThe following suspension styles are avail-
able:

Comfort
Both indicator lamps2 are off.

Sport 1
One indicator lamp2 is on.

Sport 2
Both indicator lamps2 are on.
1Damping button
2Indicator lamps
Start the engine (page 51).
Press damping button1 until the de-
sired suspension style is set.
!If you have selected the Comfort suspen-
sion tuning (
page 230), the vehicle lowers
slightly when you lock it within approximately
60 seconds after switching off the engine. When
parking, make sure that your vehicle cannot
come into contact with other objects, such as a
curb, while lowering. Your vehicle could
otherwise be damaged.
iThe selected suspension style is stored in
memory, even after the SmartKey is removed
from the starter switch.

234 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Parktronic system (Parking assist)*
The Parktronic system is an electronic aid
designed to assist the driver during park-
ing maneuvers. It visually and audibly indi-
cates the relative distance between the
vehicle and an obstacle.
The Parktronic system is automatically
activated when you switch on the ignition,
release the parking brake, and placed the
gear selector lever in positionD, R,orN.
The Parktronic system deactivates at
speeds over approximately 11 mph
(18 km/h). At lower speeds the Parktronic
system turns on again.
The Parktronic system also deactivates
when you place the gear selector lever in
positionP or depress the parking brake
pedal.The Parktronic system monitors the sur-
roundings of your vehicle with six sensors
in the front bumper and four sensors in the
rear bumper.
1Sensors in the front bumper
Range of the sensors
To function properly, the sensors must be
free of dirt, ice, snow and slush. Clean the
sensors regularly, being careful not to
scratch or damage the sensors, see
“Cleaning the Parktronic* system sensors”
(
page 337).
Warning!G
Parktronic is a supplemental system. It is
not intended to, nor does it replace, the
need for extreme care. The responsibility
during parking and other critical maneuvers
always remains with the driver.
Special attention must be paid to objects
with smooth surfaces or low silhouettes
(e.g. trailer couplings, painted posts, or road
curbs). Such objects may not be detected by
the system and can damage the vehicle.
The operational function of the Parktronic
system can be affected by dirty sensors,
especially at times of snow and ice, see
“Cleaning the Parktronic* system sensors”
(
page 337).
Interference caused by other ultrasonic sig-
nals (e.g. working jackhammers, car wash or
the air brakes of trucks) can cause the sys-
tem to send erratic indications, and should
be taken into consideration.
Warning!G
Make sure no persons or animals are in the
area in which you are maneuvering. You
could otherwise injure them.

238 Controls in detail
Loading
Roof rack*
1Trim
Open trim1 at the trim strips in the
roof.
Secure the roof rack according to
manufacturer’s instructions for instal-
lation.
Loading instructions
The total load weight including vehicle
occupants and luggage/cargo should not
exceed the total load limit indicated on the
corresponding placard located on the driv-
er’s door B-pillar.
The handling characteristics of a fully load-
ed vehicle depend greatly on the load dis-
tribution. It is therefore recommended to
load the vehicle according to the illustra-
tions shown, with the heaviest items being
placed towards the front of the vehicle.
Always place items being carried against
front or rear seat backrests, and fasten
them as securely as possible.
The heaviest portion of the cargo should
always be kept as low as possible since it
influences the handling characteristics of
the vehicle.
Warning!G
Only use roof racks approved by
Mercedes-Benz for your vehicle model to
avoid damage to the vehicle.
Follow the manufacturer’s installation
instructions. Otherwise, an improperly at-
tached roof rack system or its load could be-
come detached from the vehicle.
Do not exceed the maximum roof load of
220 lb (100 kg).
Take into consideration that when the roof
rack is loaded, the handling characteristics
are different from those when operating the
vehicles without the roof rack loaded.
!Load the roof rack in such a way that the ve-
hicle cannot be damaged while driving.
Make sure

you can fully raise the tilt/sliding sunroof

you can fully open the trunk