2008 MERCEDES-BENZ S-Class ESP

446 Controls in detailDriving systemsThe driving systems of your vehicle are de-
scribed on the following pages:

Cruise control (
page 446) and
DISTRONIC Plus*(page 451), with
which the vehicle can maintain a preset
speed.


Airmatic (
page 468) and ABC*
(
page 470) adjust the vehicle sus-
pension characteristics automatically
and control the vehicle level.


Parktronic* (
page 472), Park Assist*
(
page 476) and Advanced Parking
Guidance* (
page 481), which serve
as a parking assistant.


Rear View Camera* (
page 487) is an
electronic and visual parking aid.


Night View Assist* (
page 491) illumi-
nates the road with infrared light in ad-
dition to the normal headlamps.


Blind Spot Assist* (
page 495) de-
tects and warns you about vehicles in
your blind spot.For information on the ABS, Adaptive
Brake, BAS, BAS Plus*, EBP, ESP
® and
PRE-SAFE
® Brake*, see “Driving safety
systems” (page 67).
Cruise control
The cruise control automatically maintains
the speed you set for your vehicle.
The use of the cruise control is recom-
mended for driving at a constant speed for
extended periods of time.
You can set or resume the cruise control at
any speed over 20 mph (30 km/h).
The cruise control function is operated by
means of the cruise control lever.
Warning!
G
The cruise control is a convenience system
designed to assist the driver during vehicle
operation. The driver is and must always re-
main 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 ad-
visable to travel at a steady speed.

The use of the cruise control can be dan-
gerous on winding roads or in heavy traf-
fic because conditions do not allow safe
driving at a steady speed.


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


Deactivate the cruise control when driv-
ing in fog.
The “Resume” function should only be oper-
ated if the driver is fully aware of the previ-
ously set speed and wishes to resume this
particular preset speed.

447 Controls in detail
Driving systems
1Setting current or higher speed
Adjustment in 1 mph increments (to re-
sistance point) or 5 mph increments
(past resistance point)
(Canada: 1 km/h or 10 km/h)
2Setting current or lower speed
Adjustment in 1 mph increments (to re-
sistance point) or 5 mph increments
(past resistance point)
(Canada: 1 km/h or 10 km/h)
3Cancel cruise control
4Resume to last set speedActivating cruise control
You can activate the cruise control if the
vehicle speed is above 20 mph (30 km/h).
In the following cases you cannot activate
the cruise control:


when you brake


the vehicle is secured with the elec-
tronic parking brake


when the automatic transmission is set
to park positionP, reverse gearR, or
neutral positionN


when ESP
® is switched off
Setting current speed

Accelerate or decelerate to the desired
speed.

Briefly lift the cruise control lever in
direction of arrow1 or depress in
direction of arrow2.
Warning!
G
The cruise control brakes automatically so
that the set speed is not exceeded. The
brake pedal depresses when the cruise con-
trol engages the brakes.
Keep driver’s foot area clear at all times, in-
cluding the area under the brake pedal. Ob-
jects stored in this area may impair pedal
movement which could interfere with the
braking ability of the cruise control system.
Do not place your foot under the brake pedal
– your foot could become caught.
Keep in mind that the cruise control is a con-
venience system designed to assist the driv-
er during vehicle operation. The driver is and
must always remain responsible for the ve-
hicle’s speed and for safe brake operation.
i
The vehicle speed displayed in the speedom-
eter can briefly vary from the speed setting for
the cruise control system.


448 Controls in detailDriving systems
The current speed is set.

Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
The cruise control is activated.

The last set speed appears in the
multifunction display for approxi-
mately 5 seconds.


The corresponding speedometer
segments from the selected speed
to the vehicle maximum speed in
the multifunction display are illumi-
nated.


The set speed is shown by a triangle
in the speedometer.Canceling cruise control
There are several ways to cancel the cruise
control:

Step on the brake pedal.
The cruise control is canceled. The last
speed set is stored for later use.
or

Briefly push the cruise control lever in
direction of arrow3.
The cruise control is canceled. The last
speed set is stored for later use.
i
On uphill grades, the cruise control may not
be able to maintain the set speed. Once the
grade eases, the set speed will be resumed.
On downhill grades, the cruise control maintains
the set speed by braking with the vehicle’s brake
system. In addition, on longer downhill grades
the automatic transmission will downshift auto-
matically.
i
The last stored set speed is deleted when
the engine is turned off.
i
The cruise control switches off automatical-
ly when


you step on the brake pedal


the vehicle is secured with the electronic
parking brake
In this case the segments in the multifunc-
tion display go out and no warning sounds.


the vehicle speed is below 20 mph
(30 km/h)


the ESP
® is in operation or switched off with
the ESP® switch (
page 74)


you set the automatic transmission to neu-
tral positionN while driving
The segments in the multifunction display go out,
An acoustic warning sounds and the message
“Cruise Control Off” appears in the multifunction
display for approximately 5 seconds.
!
Setting the automatic transmission to neu-
tral positionN while driving cancels the cruise
control. However, the automatic transmission
should not be set to neutral positionN while driv-
ing except to coast when the vehicle is in danger
of skidding (e.g. on icy roads).


451 Controls in detail
Driving systems

Briefly pull the cruise control lever in
the direction of arrow4 (
page 447).
The cruise control resumes to the last
set speed or if no speed is stored, it will
set and store the current speed.

Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
The last set speed appears in the multi-
function display for approximately
5 seconds, and the corresponding
speedometer segments from the se-
lected speed to the vehicle maximum
speed are illuminated.
DISTRONIC Plus*
When activated, the DISTRONIC Plus adap-
tive cruise control system increases driv-
ing convenience afforded by the cruise
control during travel on expressways and
other major roadways.

If the DISTRONIC Plus distance sensor
detects a slower moving vehicle direct-
ly ahead, your vehicle speed will be re-
duced so that you follow that vehicle at
a preset distance.


If there is no vehicle directly ahead of
you, DISTRONIC Plus will function in
the same way as the cruise control
(page 446).
DISTRONIC Plus functions within a speed
range of 0 to 120 mph
(Canada: 0 to 200 km/h).When travelling in Canada in a vehicle not
registered in Canada, you must switch off
the radar sensor system. Canadian law
does not permit the use of the radar sensor
system for vehicles from outside of Cana-
da. When you switch off the radar sensor
system, the following functions are deacti-
vated:


BAS Plus* (
page 70)


PRE-SAFE
® Brake* (
page 77)


DISTRONIC Plus* (
page 451)


Park Assist* (
page 476)


Advanced Parking Guidance*
(page 481)


Blind Spot Assist* (
page 495)
i
The last stored set speed is deleted when
the engine is turned off.

452 Controls in detailDriving systemsWarning!
G
DISTRONIC Plus is a convenience system.
Its speed adjustment reduction capability is
intended to make the cruise control more ef-
fective and usable when traffic speeds vary.
It is not however, intended to, nor does it, re-
place the need for extreme care. The re-
sponsibility for the vehicle speed and the
distance to the vehicle ahead, including
most importantly brake operation to assure
safe stopping distance, always remains with
the driver.
DISTRONIC Plus cannot take street and traf-
fic conditions into account.
Complex driving situations are not always
fully recognized by DISTRONIC Plus. This
could result in wrong or missing distance
warnings.
Warning!
G
DISTRONIC Plus adaptive cruise control is
no substitute for active driving involvement.
It does not react to pedestrians or stationary
objects, nor does it recognize or predict the
curvature and lane layout or the movement
of vehicles ahead. DISTRONIC Plus can only
apply a maximum of 40% of the vehicle’s
braking power.
DISTRONIC Plus may not detect narrow ve-
hicles possibly driving in front of you, such
as motorcycles and vehicles driving in an
offset formation.
It is the driver’s responsibility at all times to
be attentive to road, weather and traffic con-
ditions and to provide the steering, braking
and other driving inputs necessary to retain
control of the vehicle.
High-frequency sources such as toll sta-
tions, speed measuring systems etc. can
cause the DISTRONIC Plus system to tem-
porarily cease functioning.
Warning!
G
DISTRONIC Plus requires familiarity with its
operational characteristics. We strongly rec-
ommend that you review the following infor-
mation carefully before operating the
system.Warning!
G
DISTRONIC Plus cannot take street and traf-
fic conditions into account. Only use
DISTRONIC Plus if the road, weather and
traffic conditions make it advisable to travel
at a steady speed.Warning!
G
Use of DISTRONIC Plus can be dangerous
on slippery roads. Rapid changes in tire trac-
tion can result in wheel spin and loss of
control.

453 Controls in detail
Driving systems
DISTRONIC Plus does not act upon adverse
sight distance conditions. Do not use
DISTRONIC Plus during conditions of fog
and heavy rain, snow or sleet.Warning!
G
DISTRONIC Plus cannot take weather condi-
tions into account. Switch off
DISTRONIC Plus or do not turn it on if:

roads are slippery or covered with snow
or ice. The wheels could lose traction
while braking or accelerating, and the
vehicle could skid.


the sensor is dirty or visibility is
diminished due to snow, rain or fog. The
distance control could be impaired.
Always pay attention to traffic conditions
even while DISTRONIC Plus is switched on.
Otherwise, you may not be able to recognize
dangerous situations until it is too late and
could cause an accident resulting in person-
al or fatal injury to you or others.
Warning!
G
The “Resume” function should only be oper-
ated if the driver is fully aware of the previ-
ously set speed and wishes to resume this
particular preset speed.Warning!
G
Close attention to road and traffic condi-
tions is imperative at all times, regardless of
whether or not DISTRONIC Plus is activated.
Use of DISTRONIC Plus can be dangerous
on winding roads as conditions do not allow
safe driving at a steady speed.
DISTRONIC Plus may not react to stationary
objects in the roadway (e.g. a stopped vehi-
cle in a traffic jam or a disabled vehicle).
DISTRONIC Plus will also not respond to on-
coming vehicles.
Switch off DISTRONIC Plus:

when changing from the left to the right
lane if vehicles are moving more slowly
in the left lane


when entering a turn lane or highway off
ramp


in complex driving situations, such as in
highway construction zones
In these situations, DISTRONIC Plus will
continue to maintain the set speed unless
deactivated.
DISTRONIC Plus is designed and intended
only to maintain a set speed and keep a set
distance from moving objects in front of it.
i
Do not use DISTRONIC Plus if you are driv-
ing on a road with steep uphill or downhill slopes.
i
Due to its radar-emitting nature DISTRONIC
Plus may have an appearance similar to a radar
detector to law enforcement officials. You may
want to refer to this section of your Operator’s
Manual when asked.

455 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Displaying the distance graphic
In the “Assistance” menu under “Distance
Display” you see the current settings for
DISTRONIC Plus. The information shown in
the multifunction display depends on
whether DISTRONIC Plus is activated or
deactivated.
Warning!
G
An intermittent warning sounds and the dis-
tance warning lampl in the instrument
cluster is illuminated if the DISTRONIC Plus
system calculates that the distance to the
vehicle ahead and your vehicle’s current
speed indicate that DISTRONIC Plus will not
be capable of slowing the vehicle sufficiently
to maintain the preset following distance,
which creates a danger of a collision.
Immediately brake your vehicle to increase
the distance between your vehicle and the
vehicle in front of you. The warning sound is
intended as a final caution that you have not
interceded with your own braking inputs to
avoid a potentially dangerous situation. Do
not wait for the operation of the warning sig-
nal to intercede with your own braking, as
that will result in potentially dangerous
emergency braking which will not always re-
sult in an impact being avoided.
Tailgating increases the risk of an accident.
Warning!
G
DISTRONIC Plus brakes your vehicle with a
maximum of 13 ft/s
2. This corresponds to
about 40% of the maximum deceleration
ability of your vehicle.
You must also apply the brakes yourself to
avoid a collision. DISTRONIC Plus brakes
the vehicle in an effort to restore the preset
distance or to maintain the speed. The brake
pedal is automatically applied as this hap-
pens which results in the brake pedal mov-
ing.
Keep driver’s foot area clear at all times, in-
cluding the area under the brake pedal. Ob-
jects stored in this area may impair pedal
movement which could interfere with the
braking ability of the DISTRONIC Plus sys-
tem.
Do not place your foot under the brake pedal
– your foot could become caught.
Warning!
G
If you do not receive visual or acoustic warn-
ing signals during a critical traffic situation,
DISTRONIC Plus has either not recognized
the collision risk, has been deactivated or is
malfunctioning.
Remember, whether or not DISTRONIC Plus
is operating, it is ultimately always the driv-
ers responsibility to apply the brakes in or-
der to control the vehicle and avoid a
collision.i
For activating or deactivating the
DISTRONIC Plus system, see “Activating
DISTRONIC Plus” (
page 457) or “Deactivating
DISTRONIC Plus” (page 463).


458 Controls in detailDriving systemsIn the following cases you cannot activate
DISTRONIC Plus:

up to 2 minutes after starting the en-
gine


if the engine is switched off


if you step on the brake pedal while
driving


the vehicle is secured with the elec-
tronic parking brake


if the gear selector lever is in park
positionP, reverse gearR, or neutral
positionN


if ESP
® is switched off


if the hood is open


if the driver’s door is open and the driv-
er has not fastened his or her seat belt


if the radar sensors are switched off
(page 307).Switching on while driving

Tap DISTRONIC Plus lever up1 or
down2 until desired speed is set.
DISTRONIC Plus is switched on.
or

Pull DISTRONIC Plus lever briefly in di-
rection of arrow4 to call up speed
last set (
page 463).
DISTRONIC Plus is switched on.

Take your foot off the accelerator ped-
al.
Your vehicle adapts its speed to the ve-
hicle ahead, observing the set speed as
a maximum value.
i
Under 20 mph (30 km/h), you can only
switch on DISTRONIC Plus if the vehicle ahead of
you has been detected and is shown on the mul-
tifunction display. If you no longer see the vehi-
cle in front of you on the multifunction display
and if it is no longer detected because it has
changed lanes, for example, DISTRONIC Plus
switches off and you will hear a signal.
i
If you do not completely lift your foot off the
accelerator pedal, the message“DISTRONIC
PLUS Override” appears on the multifunction
display. The distance to a slower-driving vehicle
will not be set. You will drive at the speed you
dictate by pressing the accelerator pedal.