2008 MERCEDES-BENZ ML SUV cruise control

Off-road driving
140
The DSR symbol and a message such as the
following appear in the multi-function display: If the current vehicle speed is too high, the
DSR symbol appears on the multi-function
display with the max. speed 30 km/h mes-
sage.
Deactivating
X Press button 1.
Indicator lamp 2goes out.
The DSR symbol appears in the multi-func-
tion display with the Offmessage
DSR switches off automatically if you drive
faster than 35 km/h. The DSR symbol
appears in the multi-function display with the
Off message. You also hear a warning tone.
Changing the set speed while the vehi-
cle is in motion When DSR is activated, you can change the
set speed to a value between 4 km/h and
18 km/h while the vehicle is in motion. 1
To increase set speed
2 To reduce set speed
X To increase or reduce the set speed by
1 km/h increments: briefly press the
cruise control lever to the pressure point
up 1 for a higher set speed or down 2for
a lower set speed.
The set value appears in the multi-function
display.
X To increase or reduce the set speed in
10 km/h increments: briefly press cruise
control beyond the pressure point up 1for
a higher set speed or down 2for a lower
set speed.
The set value appears in the multi-function
display. Off-road drive program
Only vehicles without the Off-Road Pro engi-
neering package* feature the off-road drive
program.
The off-road drive program assists you in driv-
ing off-road and when fording. The engine's
performance characteristics and the gear-
shifting characteristics of the automatic
transmission are adapted for this purpose.
ABS, ESP ®
and 4 ETS programs especially
adapted to off-road driving are also activated.
Do not use the off-road drive program on
roads that are snowy or icy or if you have fit-
ted your vehicle with snow chains.
ML 63 AMG You can activate and deactivate the off-road
drive program using the on-board computer
(Y
page 126). Controls
* optional
164_AKB; 5; 5, en-GB
wobuchh,
Version: 2.10.6 2008-05-11T11:55:12+02:00 - Seite 140Dateiname: 6515_4293_02_buchblock.pdf; preflight

Driving sys
tems 145Driving systems
Overview of driving systems
The vehicle's driving systems are described
on the following pages:
R Cruise control, Distronic* and Speedtronic,
which are used to control the speed of the
vehicle
R AIRMATIC package*, consisting of level
control* for individual adjustment of
ground clearance and ADS* (Adaptive
Damping System), for individual adjust-
ment of suspension tuning
R Parktronic*, which assists you in parking
and manoeuvring
R Reversing camera*, which assists you
when parking and manoeuvring
The ABS, BAS, ESP ®
, EBV and 4-ETS vehicle
safety systems and the distance warning sys-
tem* are described in the "Safety" section
(Y page 57). Cruise control
Cruise control maintains a constant road
speed for you. It brakes automatically in order
to avoid exceeding the set speed. On long and
steep downhill gradients, especially if the
vehicle is laden or towing a trailer, you must
select shift range 1,2or 3in good time. By
doing so you will make use of the braking
effect of the engine, which relieves the load
on the brake system and prevents the brakes
from overheating and wearing too quickly. G
Risk of accident
Do not change down for additional engine
braking on a slippery road surface. This
could cause the drive wheels to lose their
grip and the vehicle could skid.
Use cruise control only if road and traffic con-
ditions make it appropriate to maintain a
steady speed for a prolonged period. You can
store any road speed above 30 km/h. G
Risk of accident
Cruise control cannot take account of road
and traffic conditions.
Always pay attention to traffic conditions
even when cruise control is activated.
Cruise control is only an aid designed to
assist driving. You are responsible for the vehicle's speed and for braking in good
time.
G
Risk of accident
Do not use cruise control:
R in road and traffic conditions which do
not allow you to maintain a constant
speed (e.g. heavy traffic or winding
roads). You could otherwise cause an
accident.
R on slippery roads. Braking or accelerat-
ing could cause the drive wheels to lose
traction and the vehicle could then skid.
R when there is poor visibility, e.g. due to
fog, heavy rain or snow
Cruise control lever You can operate cruise control and variable
Speedtronic with the cruise control lever.
The LIM indicator lamp on the cruise control
lever indicates which system you have selec-
ted:
R
LIM indicator lamp off:
Cruise control is selected.
R LIM indicator lamp lit:
Variable Speedtronic is selected. Controls
* optional
164_AKB; 5; 5, en-GB
wobuchh
,V ersion: 2.10.6
2008-05-11T11:55:12+02:00 - Seite 145 ZDateiname: 6515_4293_02_buchblock.pdf; preflight

Driving sys
tems 1461
To store the current speed or a higher
speed
2 LIM indicator lamp
3 Storing the current speed or call up the
last stored speed
4 To store the current speed or a lower
speed
5 To switch between cruise control and var-
iable Speedtronic
6 To deactivate cruise control
When you activate cruise control, the stored
speed is shown in the multifunction display.
Selecting cruise control X
Check whether LIM indicator lamp 2is off.
If it is off, cruise control is already selected. If it is not, press the cruise control lever in
the direction of arrow
5.
LIM indicator lamp 2in the cruise control
lever goes out. Cruise control is selected. G
Risk of accident
The brake pedal is retracted when cruise
control brakes. Do not restrict the freedom
of movement of the pedal in any way.
R Do not put any objects in the footwell.
R Ensure that floor mats and carpets are
fixed securely.
R Do not place your foot under the brake
pedal as it could become trapped.
You could otherwise cause an accident and
injure yourself and others.
Storing and maintaining the current
speed You can store the current speed if you are
driving faster than 30 km/h and ESP
®
is acti-
vated (Y page 58). X
Accelerate the vehicle to the desired
speed.
X Briefly press the cruise control lever up
1 or down 4to the pressure point.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
Cruise control is activated. The vehicle
automatically maintains the stored speed.
i Cruise control may be unable to maintain
the stored speed on uphill gradients. The
stored speed is resumed when the gradient
evens out. Cruise control maintains the
stored speed on downhill gradients by
automatically applying the brakes.
Storing the current speed or calling up
the last stored speed G
Risk of accident
Only select a stored speed if you know what
that speed is and whether it is suitable for
the current situation. Otherwise, sudden
acceleration or braking could endanger you
or others. Controls
164_AKB; 5; 5, en-GB
wobuchh
,V ersion: 2.10.6
2008-05-11T11:55:12+02:00 - Seite 146 Dateiname: 6515_4293_02_buchblock.pdf; preflight

Driving sys
tems 147
X
Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you 3.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
The first time cruise control is activated it
stores the current speed or regulates the
speed of the vehicle to the previously
stored speed.
Setting a speed X
Press the cruise control lever to the pres-
sure point, up 1for a higher speed or
down 4for a lower speed.
X Keep the cruise control lever pressed until
the desired speed is reached.
X Release the cruise control lever.
The new speed is stored.
i Cruise control is not deactivated if you
depress the accelerator pedal. For exam-
ple, if you accelerate briefly to overtake,
cruise control adjusts the vehicle's speed
to the last speed stored after you have fin-
ished overtaking. Making fine adjustments in 1 km/h
increments X
Briefly press the cruise control lever to the
pressure point, up 1for a higher speed or
down 4for a lower speed.
The last speed stored is increased or
reduced.
Making adjustments in 10 km/h incre-
ments X
Briefly press the cruise control lever
beyond the pressure point, up 1for a
higher speed or down 4for a lower speed.
The last speed stored is increased or
reduced.
Deactivating cruise control There are several ways to deactivate cruise
control:
X Briefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards 6.
or
X Brake.
or X
Briefly press the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow 5.
Variable Speedtronic is selected. LIM indi-
cator lamp 2in the cruise control lever
lights up.
Cruise control is automatically deactivated if,
for example:
R you depress the parking brake
R you are driving at less than 30 km/h
R ESP ®
is intervening or you deactivate
ESP ®
.
R you shift the automatic transmission to N
while driving
If cruise control is deactivated, you will hear
a warning tone. You will see the Cruise con-
trol Off message in the multi-function dis-
play for approximately five seconds.
i The last speed stored is cleared when you
switch off the engine. Controls
164_AKB; 5; 5, en-GB
wobuchh
,V ersion: 2.10.6
2008-05-11T11:55:12+02:00 - Seite 147 ZDateiname: 6515_4293_02_buchblock.pdf; preflight

Driving sys
tems 149under braking or acceleration. The vehi-
cle could start to skid.
R if the sensors are dirty or there is poor
visibility, e.g. due to snow, rain or fog.
Distance control may be impaired.
Always pay attention to traffic conditions
even when Distronic is activated. Other-
wise, you may fail to recognise danger in
time, could cause an accident and injure
yourself and others.
If there is no vehicle in front, Distronic oper-
ates in the same way as cruise control. Dis-
tronic functions in the 30 km/h to
180 km/h range. G
Risk of accident
Distronic brakes your vehicle at a maximum
of 2 m/s 2
, depending on its speed. This
corresponds to approximately 20% of your
vehicle's maximum braking power. You
must also apply the brakes yourself if this
braking power is not sufficient.
If Distronic detects a risk of collision with a
vehicle in front, an intermittent warning
tone sounds. In addition, the ldistance
warning lamp in the instrument cluster
lights up. Brake to avoid a collision. Cruise control lever You can operate Distronic and variable
Speedtronic with the cruise control lever.
The LIM indicator lamp on the cruise control
lever indicates which system you have selec-
ted:
R LIM indicator lamp off:
Distronic is selected.
R LIM indicator lamp lit:
Variable Speedtronic is selected. 1
To store the current speed or a higher
speed
2 To adjust the set distance
3 LIM indicator lamp
4 To store the current speed or call up the
last stored speed 5
To store the current speed or a lower
speed
6 To switch between Distronic and variable
Speedtronic
7 To deactivate Distronic
Selecting Distronic X
Check whether LIM indicator lamp 3is off.
If it is off, Distronic is already selected.
If it is not, press the cruise control lever in
the direction of arrow 6.
LIM indicator lamp 3in the cruise control
lever goes off. Distronic is selected.
Switching on Distronic, storing and
maintaining the current speed If Distronic is not activated after the cruise
control lever is pressed, you will see the mes-
sage
DISTRONIC - - - km/h in the multi-
function display.
You cannot activate Distronic in the following
circumstances:
R for two minutes after the engine is started
R if you are driving slower than 30 km/h or
faster than 180 km/h
R when braking Controls
164_AKB; 5; 5, en-GB
wobuchh
,V ersion: 2.10.6
2008-05-11T11:55:12+02:00 - Seite 149 ZDateiname: 6515_4293_02_buchblock.pdf; preflight

Driving sys
tems 150
R
when the parking brake is applied
R if ESP ®
is deactivated (Y page 58)
R when the automatic transmission is in posi-
tion P,Ror N
X Accelerate the vehicle to the desired
speed.
X Briefly press the cruise control lever up
1 or down 5to the pressure point.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
Distronic is activated. The vehicle main-
tains the stored speed until the distance to
the vehicle in front becomes too small.
i If you do not fully release the accelerator
pedal, the DISTRONIC Override message
appears in the multi-function display. The
distance to a slower-moving vehicle in front
will then not be governed. You will be driv-
ing at the speed you determine with the
accelerator pedal. Setting a speed X
Press the cruise control lever to the pres-
sure point, up 1for a higher speed or
down 5for a lower speed.
X Keep the cruise control lever pressed until
the desired speed is reached.
X Release the cruise control lever.
The new speed is stored.
i Deceleration of the vehicle by means of
the cruise control lever is assisted by auto-
matic application of the brakes. On long
downhill gradients, the automatic trans-
mission also shifts down.
Making adjustments in 1 km/h incre-
ments X
Briefly press the cruise control lever to the
pressure point, up 1for a higher speed or
down 5for a lower speed.
The last speed stored is increased or
reduced. Making adjustments in 10 km/h incre-
ments X
Briefly press the cruise control lever to the
pressure point, up 1for a higher speed or
down 5for a lower speed.
The last speed stored is increased or
reduced.
Storing the current speed or calling up
the last stored speed G
Risk of accident
Only select a stored speed if you know what
that speed is and whether it is suitable for
the current situation. Otherwise, sudden
acceleration or braking could endanger you
or others.
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you 4.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
Distronic is activated and accepts the cur-
rent speed if it is activated for the first time,
or adjusts the vehicle's speed to the last
speed stored. Controls
164_AKB; 5; 5, en-GB
wobuchh
,V ersion: 2.10.6
2008-05-11T11:55:12+02:00 - Seite 150 Dateiname: 6515_4293_02_buchblock.pdf; preflight

Driving sys
tems 152
Distronic displays in the multi-function
display X
Select the Distronic menu on the on-board
computer (Y page 126).
Display when Distronic is deactivated
When Distronic is deactivated, you will see
the following in the multi-function display: 1
Vehicle in front, if detected
2 Distance indicator, displaying current dis-
tance to the vehicle in front
3 Specified minimum distance to the vehi-
cle in front, adjustable
4 Own vehicle
Display when Distronic is activated
When Distronic is activated, you will see the
following in the multi-function display: 1
Distronic activated
2 Stored speed
When activating Distronic and when setting
the speed, stored speed 2appears for
around 5 seconds.
Deactivating Distronic 1
To deactivate Distronic
2 LIM indicator lamp
3 To switch between Distronic and variable
Speedtronic There are several ways to deactivate Dis-
tronic:
X
Briefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards 1.
or
X Brake.
or
X Briefly press the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow 3.
Variable Speedtronic is selected. LIM indi-
cator lamp 2in the cruise control lever
lights up.
i The last speed stored remains stored until
you switch off the engine.
i Distronic is not deactivated if you depress
the accelerator pedal. If you accelerate
briefly to overtake, Distronic adjusts the
vehicle's speed to the last speed stored
after you have finished overtaking.
Distronic is automatically deactivated if:
R you depress the parking brake
R you are driving at less than 25 km/h Controls
164_AKB; 5; 5, en-GB
wobuchh
,V ersion: 2.10.6
2008-05-11T11:55:12+02:00 - Seite 152 Dateiname: 6515_4293_02_buchblock.pdf; preflight

Driving sys
tems 154
of its narrow width. The distance to the vehi-
cle in front will be too short. Speedtronic
Speedtronic brakes automatically so that you
do not exceed the set speed. On long and
steep downhill gradients, especially if the
vehicle is laden or towing a trailer, you must
select shift range 1,2or 3in good time. By
doing so you will make use of the braking
effect of the engine, which relieves the load
on the brake system and prevents the brakes
from overheating and wearing too quickly. If
you need additional braking, depress the
brake pedal repeatedly rather than continu-
ously. G
Risk of accident
Never depress the brake pedal continu-
ously while the vehicle is in motion, e.g.
never cause the brakes to rub by applying
constant slight pedal pressure. This causes
the brake system to overheat, increases
the braking distance and can lead to the
brakes failing completely. G
Risk of accident
Do not change down for additional engine
braking on a slippery road surface. This could cause the drive wheels to lose their
grip and the vehicle could skid.
You can set a variable or permanent limit
speed:
R variable for speed limits, e.g. in built-up
areas
R permanent for long-term speed restric-
tions, e.g. for driving on winter tyres
(Y page 156) G
Risk of accident
Speedtronic is only an aid designed to
assist driving. You are responsible for the
vehicle's speed and for braking in good
time.
i The speed indicated in the speedometer
may differ slightly from the limit speed
stored.
Variable Speedtronic With the cruise control lever, you can operate
cruise control, Distronic* and variable
Speedtronic.The LIM indicator lamp on the cruise control
lever indicates which system you have selec-
ted:
R
LIM indicator lamp off:
Cruise control or Distronic* is selected.
R LIM indicator lamp lit:
Variable Speedtronic is selected.
You can use the cruise control lever to limit
the speed to any speed above 30 km/h while
the engine is running. 1
To store the current speed or a higher
speed
2 LIM indicator lamp
3 Storing the current speed or call up the
last stored speed
4 To store the current speed or a lower
speed Controls
* optional
164_AKB; 5; 5, en-GB
wobuchh
,V ersion: 2.10.6
2008-05-11T11:55:12+02:00 - Seite 154 Dateiname: 6515_4293_02_buchblock.pdf; preflight