2008 MERCEDES-BENZ R320 warning

273 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Increasing distance
Increasing the distance setting tells
Distronic to maintain a greater following
distance to the preceding vehicle.
Turn distance setting switch1 in
direction of arrow 3.
Decreasing distance
Decreasing the distance setting tells
Distronic to maintain a shorter following
distance to the preceding vehicle.
Turn distance setting switch1 in
direction of arrow 2.Driving with Distronic
This section describes a number of driving
situations where special precaution is re-
quired on the part of the driver. Be pre-
pared to brake in such situations. Braking
will deactivate the Distronic system.
Warning!G
Distronic works to maintain the speed
selected by the driver unless a moving
obstacle proceeding directly ahead of it in
the same travel direction is detected (e.g.
following another vehicle ahead of you at
your set distance). This means that:

Your vehicle can pass another vehicle
after you have changed lanes.

While in a sharp turn or if the preceding
vehicle is in a sharp turn, Distronic could
lose sight of the preceding vehicle. Your
vehicle could then accelerate to the
previously selected speed.
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 alert, observe all
traffic and intercede as required by means
of steering or braking the vehicle.
Warning!G
Distronic should not be used in snowy or icy
road conditions.

275 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Lane changing
Distronic has not yet detected the vehicle
changing lanes. There will be insufficient
distance to the lane-changing vehicle.Narrow vehicles
Because of their narrow profile, the vehi-
cles traveling near the outer edges of the
lane have not yet been detected by
Distronic. There will be insufficient
distance to the vehicles ahead.Distance warning function*
(Canada only)
When Distronic* is deactivated, this
function will continue to warn you when
recognizing a stationary obstacle or a
slower vehicle moving in your vehicle’s
path and the danger of a collision exists:

The distance warning lampl in the
instrument cluster comes on.

An intermittent warning will sound if
necessary.
If these warnings are issued, you must
brake manually to maintain a safe distance
and avoid a collision with the preceding
vehicle.
When pressing the brake pedal, the warn-
ing sound ceases. The warning sound will
also cease when the distance to the
preceding vehicle is sufficient again with-
out applying the brakes. In this case, the
distance warning lamp will also go out.

276 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Switch on the distance warning func-
tion in the control system
(
page 185).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 276): Automatically optimizes
your vehicle’s suspension tuning.

Vehicle level control* (page 277):
Regulates the ride height of the vehicle.
Adaptive Damping System (ADS)*
The fine tuning of the damping is depen-
dent on:

road surface conditions

your driving style

your personal settings
The ADS switch is located on the upper
part of the center console.
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.

278 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Basic settings
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 513).
iThe activation threshold is defined by the set
suspension tuning (
page 276).
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.

281 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Permanent four-wheel drive (4MATIC)*
Your vehicle is equipped with permanent
four-wheel drive (4MATIC). Both, the front
and rear axles, are powered at all times
when the vehicle is being operated. The
4MATIC improves traction in conjunction
with the ESP
® (page 101) and the
Electronic Traction System (
page 103).
Parktronic* (Parking assist)
Warning!G
If a drive wheel is spinning due to insuffi-
cient traction:

While driving off, apply as little throttle
as possible.

While driving, ease up on the accelera-
tor.

Adapt your speed and driving style to
the prevailing road conditions.
Failure to observe these guidelines could
cause the vehicle to skid.
The 4MATIC cannot prevent accidents re-
sulting from excessive speed.
!Operational or performance test must only
be conducted on a two-axle dynamometer. If
such tests are necessary, contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center. You could
otherwise seriously damage the brake system or
the transfer case which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
!Because the ESP® operates automatically,
the engine and ignition must be shut off
(SmartKey in starter switch position0 or1 or
KEYLESS-GO* start/stop button in
position0or1) when testing the parking brake
on a brake test dynamometer and such testing
should be no longer than 10 seconds.
Active braking action through the ESP
® may
otherwise seriously damage the brake system
which is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.
iIn winter operation, the maximum effective-
ness of the 4MATIC is only achieved with winter
tires (
page 398) or snow chains as required.
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 408).
Interference caused by other ultrasonic
signals (e.g. working jackhammers, car
wash, or the air brakes of trucks) can cause
the system to send erratic indications, and
should be taken into consideration.

282 Controls in detail
Driving systems
The Parktronic system is an electronic aid
designed to assist the driver during
parking maneuvers. It visually and audibly
indicates the relative distance between the
vehicle and an obstacle.
The Parktronic system is automatically
activated when you

switch on the ignition or start the
engine
and

release the parking brake
and

set the automatic transmission to
positionD,R, orNThe Parktronic system deactivates at
vehicle speeds exceeding approximately
11 mph (18 km/h). At lower vehicle
speeds, the Parktronic system turns on
again.
The Parktronic system also deactivates
when you set the automatic transmission
to positionP or depress the parking brake
pedal.
The Parktronic system monitors the
surroundings of your vehicle with six sen-
sors in the front bumper and four sensors
in the rear bumper.
1Sensors in the front bumperRange 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 damaging the sensors, see
“Cleaning the Parktronic* system sensors”
(
page 408).
Warning!G
Make sure no persons or animals are in the
area in which you are maneuvering. You
could otherwise injure them.
!During parking maneuvers, pay special
attention to objects located above or below the
height of the sensors (e.g. planters or trailer
hitches).
The Parktronic system will not detect such
objects at close range and damage to your
vehicle or the object may result.
Ultrasonic signals from outside sources (e.g.
working jackhammers, car wash or the air brakes
of trucks) may impair the operation of the
Parktronic system.

283 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Front sensors
Rear sensors
Minimum distance
If the system detects an obstacle in this
range, all the distance warning segments
illuminate and you hear a warning signal. If
the obstacle is closer than the minimum
distance, the actual distance may no
longer be indicated by the system.Warning indicators
Visual signals indicate to the driver the
relative distance between the sensors and
an obstacle. The warning indicator for the
front area is located above the center air
vents in the dashboard. The warning indi-
cator for the rear area is located in the rear
overhead control panel.
Front area warning indicator
1Left side of the vehicle
2Right side of the vehicle
3Readiness indicators
Centerapprox. 40 in (100 cm)
Cornersapprox. 24 in (60 cm)
Centerapprox. 48 in (120 cm)
Cornersapprox. 32 in (80 cm)
Centerapprox. 8 in (20 cm)
Cornersapprox. 6 in (15 cm)

284 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Each warning indicator is divided into five
yellow and two red distance segments for
either side of the vehicle. The Parktronic
system is ready when the yellow readiness
indicators3 are illuminated.
The current transmission position deter-
mines which warning indicator will be
activated.As your vehicle approaches an object, one
or more distance segments will illuminate,
depending on the distance. When the
seventh distance segment illuminates, you
have reached the minimum distance.

Front area: An intermittent acoustic
warning lasting a maximum of
2 seconds will sound as the first red
distance segment illuminates and a
constant acoustic warning lasting a
maximum of 2 seconds will sound for
the second red distance segment. The
signal is canceled when the automatic
transmission is set to positionP or the
parking brake is set.

Rear area: An intermittent acoustic
warning lasting a maximum of
2 seconds will sound as the first red
distance segment illuminates and a
constant acoustic warning lasting a
maximum of 2 seconds will sound for
the second red distance segment. The
signal is canceled when the automatic
transmission is set to positionD, P, or
the parking brake is set.Switching the Parktronic system
on/off
You can switch off the Parktronic system
manually.
The Parktronic switch is located in the
upper part of the center console.
1Parktronic switch
2Indicator lamp
Switching off
Press Parktronic switch1.
Indicator lamp2 comes on.
Transmission
positionWarning indicator
DFront area activated
R or NFront and rear area
activated
PNeither activated