2008 MERCEDES-BENZ R-CLASS MPV display

Driving sys
tems 144 under 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
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Driving sys
tems 145
R
when the parking brake is applied
R if ESP ®
is deactivated (Y page 60)
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
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Driving sys
tems 146
Setting the specified minimum distance
for Distronic You can set the specified minimum distance
for Distronic by varying the time span
between one and two seconds. This time span
determines the distance that Distronic should
maintain from the vehicle in front, depending
on the road speed. You can read this distance
in the multi-function display (Y page 147).1
To reduce the set distance
2 Thumbwheel
3 To increase the set distance X
To increase: turn thumbwheel 2towards
3.
Distronic then maintains a greater distance
between your vehicle and the vehicle in
front.
X To decrease: turn thumbwheel 2towards
1.
Distronic then maintains a shorter distance
between your vehicle and the vehicle in
front.
i Make sure that you maintain the mini-
mum distance to the vehicle in front
required by law. Adjust the distance to the
vehicle in front if necessary. Distronic displays in the speedometer 1
Speed of the vehicle in front
2 Segments
3 Stored speed
When Distronic is activated, one or two seg-
ments in the set speed range light up.
i For design reasons, the speed displayed
in the speedometer may differ slightly from
the speed set for Distronic.
If Distronic detects a vehicle in front, seg-
ments 2between speed of the vehicle in
front 1and stored speed 3light up. Controls
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Driving sys
tems 147
Distronic displays in the multi-function
display X
Select the Distronic menu on the on-board
computer (Y page 128).
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
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Driving sys
tems 148
R
ESP ®
is intervening or you deactivate
ESP ®
.
R you shift the automatic transmission to N
while the vehicle is in motion
If Distronic is deactivated, you will hear a
warning tone. You will see the DISTRONIC
Off message in the multi-function display for
approximately five seconds.
Tips for driving with Distronic The following contains descriptions of certain
road and traffic conditions in which you must
be particularly attentive. In such situations,
brake if necessary. Distronic is then deacti-
vated.
Cornering, entering and exiting a bend The ability of Distronic to detect vehicles
when cornering is limited. Your vehicle may
brake unexpectedly or belatedly.
Vehicles travelling in a different line
Distronic may not detect vehicles travelling
on a different line. The distance to the vehicle
in front will be too short.
Other vehicles changing lane Distronic has not yet detected the vehicle
cutting in. The distance to this vehicle will be
too short.
Narrow vehicles Distronic has not yet detected the vehicle in
front on the edge of the carriageway, becauseControls
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Driving sys
tems 150
5
To switch between cruise control or Dis-
tronic* and variable Speedtronic
6 To deactivate variable Speedtronic
Selecting variable Speedtronic X
Check whether LIM indicator lamp 2is on.
If it is on, variable Speedtronic 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 lights up. Variable Speedtronic is
selected. G
Risk of accident
If there is a change of drivers, advise the
new driver of the limit speed stored.
Only use Speedtronic when you do not have
to accelerate suddenly to a speed higher
than the stored limit speed allows. You
could otherwise cause an accident.
You can only exceed the limit speed stored
if you deactivate variable Speedtronic:
R using the cruise control lever.
R by depressing the accelerator pedal
beyond the pressure point (kickdown). It is not possible to deactivate variable
Speedtronic by braking.
G
Risk of injury
Variable Speedtronic brakes automatically
in order to avoid exceeding the set speed.
As it does so, the brake pedal is depressed.
Do not place your foot under the brake
pedal as it could become trapped.
Storing the current speed You can use the cruise control lever to limit
the speed to any speed above 30 km/h while
the engine is running.
X
Briefly press the cruise control lever up
1 or down 4to the pressure point.
The current speed is stored and shown in
the multi-function display.
The LIM indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up.
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 driving and traffic situation. Otherwise, sudden braking could endanger
you or others.
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you 3.
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 4for a lower speed.
or
X Keep the cruise control lever pressed to the
pressure point until the desired speed is
set. Press the cruise control lever, up 1
for a higher speed or down 4for a lower
speed.
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.
or
X Keep the cruise control lever pressed
beyond the pressure point until the desired
speed is set. Press the cruise control lever, Controls
* optional
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Driving sys
tems 151
up
1 for a higher speed or down 4for a
lower speed.
Deactivating variable Speedtronic There are several ways to deactivate variable
Speedtronic:
X
Briefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards 6.
The LIM indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster goes out.
or
X Briefly press the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow 5.
LIM indicator lamp 2in the cruise control
lever goes out. Variable Speedtronic is
deactivated.
Cruise control or Distronic* is selected.
Variable Speedtronic is deactivated automat-
ically when you depress the accelerator pedal
beyond the pressure point (kickdown), but
only if your current speed does not differ by
more than 20 km/h from the stored speed.
You will hear a warning tone if this is the case. G
Risk of accident
It is not possible to deactivate variable
Speedtronic by braking. i
The last speed stored is cleared when you
switch off the engine.
Permanent Speedtronic i
Permanent Speedtronic is only available
in certain countries.
You can use the on-board computer to limit
the speed permanently to a value between
160 km/h (e.g. for driving with winter tyres)
and the maximum speed.
Just before the stored speed is reached, it
appears in the multi-function display.
Permanent Speedtronic remains active, even
if variable Speedtronic is deactivated.
You cannot exceed the stored limit speed,
even if you depress the accelerator pedal
beyond the pressure point (kickdown).
Setting permanent Speedtronic
X Press the èor· button to select the
Settings menu (Ypage 129).
X Press the jbutton to call up the selec-
tion of submenus.
X Press the æorç button to select the
Vehicle submenu.
X Press the jbutton to select Speed
limit (winter tyres) . X
Press the æorç button to select the
desired setting.
The following settings can be selected:
R Off
Permanent Speedtronic is deactivated.
R A limit speed between 240 km/hand
160 km/h in increments of 10 km/h. Rear axle level control*
The rear axle level control regulates the vehi-
cle level at the rear axle. The benefit of this is
that the vehicle level at the rear axle is kept
constant regardless of the load.
Observe the notes on driving with a trailer in
the "Operation" (Y page 239) section. Controls
* optional
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Driving sys
tems 153begin a level change. You could otherwise
trap yourself or others.
G
Risk of accident
Adjust your driving style to the altered han-
dling characteristics. ESP ®
cannot reduce
the risk of an accident if you drive too fast.
ESP ®
cannot override the laws of physics.
! When driving in very poor road conditions,
select a high vehicle level in good time.
Make sure there is always sufficient ground
clearance to prevent damage to the vehi-
cle.
Basic settings
Select the raised level for very poor road con-
ditions (Y page 153) or the highway level for
normal road conditions (Y page 154).
The vehicle is automatically lowered to high-
speed level when you:
R drive faster than 140 km/h
R drive at a speed between 120 km/h and
140 km/h for approximately 20 seconds The individual vehicle levels are:
R
Raised level: 50 mm above highway level
R Highway level: +/- 0 mm
R High-speed level: 20 mm below highway
level
Raised level
Only select the raised level when this is appro-
priate for the road conditions. Otherwise, fuel
consumption increases and handling per-
formance is affected.
If you select the raised level at a speed above
40 km/h, the Level selection not per-
mitted message appears in the multi-func-
tion display. 1
Button
2 Indicator lamp X
Start the engine.
Indicator lamp 2is not lit:
X Press button 1.
Indicator lamp 2flashes. The vehicle rises
to the raised level.
While the adjustment is taking place, a mes-
sage appears in the multi-function display,
e.g. : Example display for vehicles with the AIRMATIC
package* and compass*
If you press the è,·,korj
button on the multi-function steering wheel,
the message will disappear.
Once the vehicle has reached the raised level,
indicator lamp 2remains lit. A message Controls
* optional
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