2008 MERCEDES-BENZ R320 steering

184 Controls in detail
Control system
Activating easy-entry/exit feature*
Use this function to activate and
deactivate the easy-entry/exit feature
(
page 128).
Move the selection marker with
buttonæ orç to the
Comfort
submenu.
Press buttonj ork repeatedly
until the message
Easy-entry
Function
appears in the multifunction
display.
The selection marker is on the current
setting.
Press buttonæ orç to switch
the easy-entry/exit feature
On or Off.Setting fold-in function for exterior rear
view mirrors*
Using this function, you can set the
exterior rear view mirrors to be automati-
cally folded in when you lock your vehicle.
Warning!G
You must make sure no one can become
trapped or injured by the moving steering
wheel when the easy-entry/exit feature is
activated.
To stop steering wheel movement, do one of
the following:

Move steering wheel adjustment stalk*
(
page 47).

Press one of the stored position
buttons* or memory button M*
(
page 141).
Do not leave children unattended in the ve-
hicle, or with access to an unlocked vehicle.
Children could open the driver’s door and
unintentionally activate the easy-entry/exit
feature, which could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury.
iWith this function set to On and the exterior
rear view mirrors folded in using the button on
the door control panel (
page 205), the exterior
rear view mirrors will not fold out when you
switch on the ignition. You will then have to fold
out the exterior rear view mirrors using the
button on the door control panel (
page 205).
Make sure both exterior rear view mirrors are
folded out completely before driving off.

187 Controls in detail
Control system
Distance to empty
Press buttonÿ orè repeatedly
until the message
From Start appears
in the multifunction display.
Press buttonj ork repeatedly
until the message
Range: appears in
the multifunction display.
The calculated remaining driving range
based on the current fuel tank level
appears in the multifunction display.
TEL menu*
You can use the functions in the
TEL menu
to operate your telephone, provided it is
connected to a hands-free system and
switched on.
Switch on the telephone and COMAND
system.
Press buttonÿ orè on the
multifunction steering wheel repeat-
edly until the message
TEL appears in
the multifunction display.
iIf only very little fuel is left in the tank, a
vehicle at the fuel pump is shown instead of the
range.
Warning!G
A driver’s attention to the road must always
be his/her primary focus when driving. For
your safety and the safety of others, we
recommend that you pull over to a safe
location and stop before placing or taking a
telephone call. If you choose to use the tele-
phone while driving, please use the
hands-free device and only use the tele-
phone when weather, road and traffic
conditions permit.
Some jurisdictions prohibit the driver from
using a cellular telephone while driving a
vehicle.
Bear in mind that at a speed of just 30 mph
(approximately 50 km/h), your vehicle is
covering a distance of 44 feet
(approximately 14 m) every second.
Never operate radio transmitters equipped
with a built-in or attached antenna (i.e. with-
out being connected to an external antenna)
from inside the vehicle while the engine is
running. Doing so could lead to a malfunc-
tion of the vehicle’s electronic system,
possibly resulting in an accident and/or
personal injury.

190 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
For information on driving with an
automatic transmission see “Automatic
transmission” (
page 53).
Your vehicle’s transmission adapts its gear
shifting process to your individual driving
style by continually adjusting the shift
points up or down. These shift point adjust-
ments are performed based on current
operating and driving conditions.
If the operating conditions change, the
automatic transmission reacts by
adjusting its shift program.
Gear selector lever
The gear selector lever is located on the
right of the steering column.
Gearshift pattern for automatic
transmission
PPark position
RReverse gear
NNeutral
DDrive position
iDuring the brief warm-up, transmission
upshifting is delayed. This allows the catalytic
converter (gasoline engine) or the oxidation
catalyst (diesel engine) to heat up more quickly
to operating temperature.
Warning!G
Make sure that absolutely no objects are
obstructing the pedals’ range of movement.
Keep the driver’s footwell clear of all obsta-
cles. If there are any floormats or carpets in
the footwell, make sure that the pedals still
have sufficient clearance.
During sudden driving or braking maneuvers
the objects could get caught between the
pedals. You could then no longer brake or
accelerate. This could lead to accidents and
injury.

193 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Shifting from D or R to N
If you want to select neutral positionN
with the transmission being in drive
positionD or reverse gearR:
With the vehicle at a standstill, depress
the brake pedal and keep it pressed.
Step firmly on parking brake pedal
(
page 65).
Move gear selector lever up to resis-
tance point when in drive position D or
down to resistance point when in
reverse gear R to select neutral
positionN.
Release the brake pedal.
Shifting procedure
The automatic transmission selects indi-
vidual gears automatically, depending on:

drive positionD (page 194) with
gear ranges (
page 199)

the selected program mode (C/S)
(
page 200)

the position of the accelerator pedal
(
page 197)

the vehicle speedWith drive positionD selected, you can use
the steering wheel gearshift control
buttons (page 201) to influence trans-
mission shifting by:

limiting the gear range

changing gears manually
iWhen the vehicle needs to be moved with
the engine switched off and the transmission set
to neutral positionN (
page 194), do not
depress the parking brake pedal.
!Allow engine to warm up under low load use.
Do not place full load on the engine until the
operating temperature has been reached.
Shift into reverse gearR or park positionP only
when the vehicle is stopped.
Avoid spinning of a drive wheel for an extended
period when driving off on slippery road
surfaces. This may cause serious damage to the
drivetrain which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.

199 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Gear ranges
With the automatic transmission in drive
positionD, you can select a gear range for
the automatic transmission to operate
within.
You can limit the gear range by pressing
the left gearshift button on the steering
wheel gearshift control, and reverse the
gear range limit by pressing the right gear-
shift button on the steering wheel gearshift
control (
page 201).
The selected gear range appears in the
multifunction display.
1Current gear range
Effect
ïThe transmission shifts through
sixth gear only.
îThe transmission shifts through
fifth gear only.
éThe transmission shifts through
fourth gear only.
èThe transmission shifts through
third gear only.
With this selection you can use
the braking effect of the engine.
Effect
çThe transmission shifts through
second gear only.
Allows the use of engine’s
braking power when driving:

on steep downgrades

in mountainous regions

under extreme operating
conditions
æThe transmission operates in
first gear only.
For maximum use of engine’s
braking effect on very steep or
lengthy downgrades.

201 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Steering wheel gearshift control
With drive positionD selected, you can
limit or extend the gear range.
1Left shift button: limiting gear range
2Right shift button: extending gear
rangeLimiting gear range
Briefly press left shift button1.
The transmission will shift to the next
lower gear as permitted by the shift
program. This action simultaneously
limits the gear range of the transmis-
sion (
page 199).
!Allow engine to warm up under low load use.
Do not place full load on the engine until the
operating temperature has been reached.
Shift into reverse gearR or park positionP only
when the vehicle is stopped.
Avoid spinning of a drive wheel for an extended
period when driving off on slippery road
surfaces. This may cause serious damage to the
drivetrain which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
iYou cannot shift with the steering wheel
gearshift control buttons when the transmission
in positionP,N orR.
Warning!G
On slippery road surfaces, never downshift
in order to obtain braking action. This could
result in drive wheel slip and reduced
vehicle control. Your vehicle’s ABS will not
prevent this type of loss of control.
iTo avoid overrevving the engine when down-
shifting, the transmission will not shift to a lower
gear if the engine’s max. speed would be
exceeded.

257 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Driving systems
The driving systems of your vehicle are
described on the following pages:

Cruise control (page 257) and
Distronic* (
page 262), with which
the vehicle can maintain a preset
speed.

Distance warning function*
(
page 275) is only available with
Distronic*, which warns of stationary
obstacles or slower moving vehicles
that you are closing in on too quickly.

AIRMATIC* (page 276) adjusts the
vehicle suspension characteristics
automatically and controls the vehicle
level.

Parktronic* (page 281) and rear view
camera* (
page 285), which serve as
a parking aid.
For information on the ABS, BAS, EBP,
ESP
®, and 4-ETS, see “Driving safety sys-
tems” (
page 99).
Cruise control
The 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 above
20 mph (30 km/h).
The cruise control function 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 (
page 24).
Warning!G
The cruise control is a convenience system
designed to assist the driver during vehicle
operation. 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 constant speed.

The use of the cruise control can be
dangerous on winding roads or in heavy
traffic because conditions do not allow
safe driving at a constant speed.

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

Deactivate the cruise control when
driving in fog.
The “Resume” function should only be
operated if the driver is fully aware of the
previously set speed and wishes to resume
this particular preset speed.

263 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Warning!G
Distronic is a convenience system. Its speed
adjustment reduction capability is intended
to make cruise control more effective and
usable when traffic speeds vary. It is not
however, intended to, nor does it, replace
the need for extreme care.
The responsibility for the vehicle’s speed,
distance to the preceding vehicle and, most
importantly, brake operation to ensure a
safe stopping distance, always remains with
the driver.
Distronic cannot take road and traffic condi-
tions into account.
Complex driving situations are not always
fully recognized by Distronic. This could
result in wrong or missing distance
warnings.
Warning!G
Distronic adaptive cruise control is no
substitute for active driving involvement. It
does not react to pedestrians or on station-
ary objects, nor does it recognize or predict
the lane curvature or the movement of
preceding vehicles.
Distronic can only apply a maximum of 20%
of the vehicle’s braking power.
It is the driver’s responsibility at all times to
be attentive to the road, weather and traffic
conditions. Additionally, the driver must
provide the steering, braking and other
driving inputs necessary to remain in control
of the vehicle.
High-frequency sources such as toll
stations, speed measuring systems etc. can
cause the Distronic system to malfunction.
Warning!G
Distronic requires familiarity with its opera-
tional characteristics. We strongly recom-
mend that you review the following
information carefully before operating the
system.
Warning!G
Distronic cannot take road and traffic condi-
tions into account. Only use Distronic if the
road, weather and traffic conditions make it
advisable to travel at a constant speed.
Warning!G
Use of Distronic can be dangerous on slip-
pery roads. Rapid changes in tire traction
can result in wheel spin and loss of control.