2008 MERCEDES-BENZ S-Class ESP

459 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Switching on when approaching a sta-
tionary vehicle
If the vehicle in front of you is stationary,
you can only switch on DISTRONIC Plus if
your vehicle is also at a standstill.
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.Starting off
When the vehicle in front of you starts off:

Remove your foot from the brake
pedal.

Pull DISTRONIC Plus lever briefly in di-
rection of arrow4.
or

Briefly step on the accelerator pedal.
Your vehicle starts off and adapts its speed
to the vehicle in front of you.Driving
If no vehicle is driving ahead of you,
DISTRONIC Plus functions like the cruise
control (
page 446).
When DISTRONIC Plus detects that the ve-
hicle in front of you is driving more slowly,
it brakes the vehicle in order to keep the
distance specified by you.
When DISTRONIC Plus detects that the ve-
hicle in front of you is driving faster, the ve-
hicle accelerates up to the set speed.
i
It is helpful to switch on the DISTRONIC Plus
display in the instrument cluster (
page 455)
since you can only switch on DISTRONIC Plus un-
d e r a s p e e d o f 2 0 m p h ( 3 0 k m / h ) w h e n a v e h i c l e
has been detected in front of you.
i
You can adjust the set speed using the
DISTRONIC Plus lever and the target distance
using the distance setting switch on the
DISTRONIC Plus lever (
page 464).
i
If DISTRONIC Plus is switched off,
PRE-SAFE
® Brake* (
page 77) will warn of an
impending collision if this function has been ac-
tivated with the instrument cluster control sys-
tem (
page 303).
Warning!
G
When you step on the brake pedal, you
switch off DISTRONIC Plus except when the
vehicle is at a standstill. DISTRONIC Plus will
no longer brake your vehicle. You are always
responsible for maintaining a distance from
other vehicles, observing road speeds and
braking well in advance.

463 Controls in detail
Driving systems

Briefly press the DISTRONIC Plus lever
down past the resistance point in
direction of arrow2 (
page 457).

Release the DISTRONIC Plus lever.
The vehicle speed decreases in incre-
ments of 5 mph (Canada: 10 km/h).Setting to last stored speed (“Resume”
function)

Briefly pull the DISTRONIC Plus lever in
the direction of arrow4 (
page 457).
DISTRONIC Plus is set to the last
stored speed.
DISTRONIC Plus resumes 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.Deactivating DISTRONIC Plus
There are several ways to deactivate the
DISTRONIC Plus system:

Briefly tip the DISTRONIC Plus lever in
the direction of arrow3 (
page 457).
or

Step on the brake pedal.
DISTRONIC Plus will be deactivated.
The last speed set will be stored into
memory.
DISTRONIC Plus deactivates automatically
when:


the vehicle is secured with the elec-
tronic parking brake


the vehicle speed is below 20 mph
(30 km/h) and no preceding vehicle is
detected


the ESP
® is in operation or switched off
with the ESP
® switch (
page 74)
i
The set value is decreased in 5 mph
(Canada: 10 km/h) increments each time you
press the DISTRONIC Plus lever down past the
resistance point.
i
The new speed is set and the vehicle will de-
celerate. Keep in mind that it may take a brief
moment until the vehicle has reached the set
speed.
Warning!
G
The speed stored in memory should only be
set again if prevailing road conditions per-
mit. Possible acceleration or deceleration
differences arising from returning to preset
speed could cause an accident and/or seri-
ous injury you and others.i
Upon switching off the engine, the last
stored speed is deleted.
i
The last stored speed is deleted when you
turn off the engine.

466 Controls in detailDriving systemsThe most likely cause for a malfunctioning
system is a dirty sensor (located behind
the hood grille), especially at times of snow
and ice or heavy rain. In such a case,
DISTRONIC Plus will switch off, and the
message:
“DISTRONIC PLUS
Currently Unavailable
See Oper. Manual”
appears in the multifunction display.
For cleaning and care of the
DISTRONIC Plus sensor, see “Cleaning the
DISTRONIC Plus*/ PRE-SAFE
® Brake*
system sensors (USA only)” (page 619).Another cause might be that the radar sen-
sors have been manually switched off in
the instrument cluster control system.
Please verify that the radar sensors are
switched on (
page 307).Turns and bends
In turns or bends, DISTRONIC Plus may not
detect a moving vehicle in front, or it may
detect one too soon. This may cause your
vehicle to brake late or unexpectedly.
Warning!
G
DISTRONIC Plus should not be used in
snowy or icy road conditions.
i
If the message:
“DISTRONIC PLUS
Currently Unavailable
See Oper. Manual”
disappears during driving and the last speed
stored flashes for approximately 5 seconds, the
dirt (e.g. slush) has dissolved; DISTRONIC Plus is
again available.

468 Controls in detailDriving systemsObstacles and stationary vehicles
DISTRONIC Plus does not brake for obsta-
cles or stationary vehicles. If, for example,
the vehicle detected in front of you chang-
es lanes to bypass an obstacle or station-
ary vehicle in front of it, DISTRONIC Plus
will not brake for the obstacle or stationary
vehicle.Cross-traffic
DISTRONIC Plus may inadvertently detect
crossing vehicles. If you switch on DIS-
TRONIC Plus, for example, at a traffic light
with cross-traffic, the vehicle may sudden-
ly start to drive off.
Airmatic
Airmatic automatically selects the opti-
mum suspension tuning and ride height for
your vehicle.
Airmatic consists of two components:

Level control system


Adaptive Damping System (ADS)
The ADS automatically selects the opti-
mum damping for the respective driv-
ing conditions. At the same time the
suspension is set to either sporty or
comfort.

470 Controls in detailDriving systems
Press switch1 again to lower the ve-
hicle. The indicator lamp2 is off.Suspension tuning
The Adaptive Damping System (ADS) auto-
matically tunes shock absorbers and
springs.
The suspension tuning is set according to:


your driving style


road surface conditions


the vehicle loading


your choice of suspension style
The program mode selector switch (C/S)
(
page 436) is used to adjust the suspen-
sion tuning:

Start the engine.

Select the desired driving program.
Active Body Control (ABC)*
The ABC system is an active, comput-
er-controlled system that hydraulically ad-
justs the suspension at all four wheels in
response to various driving situations. It
automatically selects the optimum suspen-
sion tuning and ride height for your vehicle.
i
The selected vehicle level setting remains
stored in memory even if the engine is turned off
and restarted except when you


exceed a speed of 75 mph (120 km/h)
or


maintain a speed of between 50 mph
(80 km/h) and 75 mph (120 km/h) for more
than 3 minutes
The vehicle then lowers to regular level.
Driving program
Suspension tuning
CComfort
comfortable
(default setting)
SSport
sporty
for dynamic driving
Warning!
G
When you switch off the engine, the entire
vehicle is lowered. You should therefore
make sure that no one is near the wheel
housing or under the vehicle when you
switch off the engine. Otherwise, parts of
the individuals body could be trapped.!
When you switch off the engine, the entire
vehicle is lowered. When parking, position your
vehicle in such a way that it will not scrape
against a curb, for example, when it is lowered.
Your vehicle could otherwise be damaged.


472 Controls in detailDriving systemsSelecting a normal level
Start the engine.
If indicator lamp2 is on:

Press switch1.
Indicator lamp2 goes out. The vehicle
is adjusted to a normal level.
Suspension tuning
The suspension tuning is set according to:


your driving style


road surface conditions


the vehicle loading


your choice of suspension styleThe program mode selector switch (C/S)
(
page 436) or (S/C/M) (
page 440) is
used to adjust the suspension tuning:

Start the engine.

Select the desired driving program.
Parktronic system*
Driving program
Suspension tuning
CComfort
comfortable
(default setting)
SSport
MManual
sporty
for dynamic driving
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.Warning!
G
Make sure no persons or animals are in the
area in which you are maneuvering. You
could otherwise injure them.!
Special attention must be paid to objects
with smooth surfaces or low silhouettes (e.g.
trailer couplings, painted posts, elevated cross-
bars or road curbs). Such objects may not be de-
tected by the system and can damage the
vehicle.

473 Controls in detail
Driving systems
The Parktronic system is an electronic
parking aid with ultrasonic sensors that
helps you while parking.
It visually and audibly indicates the relative
distance between the vehicle and an ob-
stacle.
The Parktronic system is automatically ac-
tivated when you switch on the ignition, re-
lease the electronic parking brake or start
the engine and engage drive positionD, re-
verse gearR or neutral positionN.The Parktronic system deactivates at
speeds over approximately 11 mph
(18 km/h). At lower speeds the Parktronic
system turns on again.
The Parktronic system also deactivates
when you set the automatic transmission
to park positionP or secure the vehicle in
place with the electronic parking brake
and switch off the engine.
The Parktronic system monitors the sur-
roundings of your vehicle with six sensors
in the front bumper and four sensors in the
rear bumper.
1Sensors in the front bumper (Only visi-
ble without DISTRONIC Plus*)Range of the sensors!
The operational function of the Parktronic
system can be affected by dirty sensors, espe-
cially at times of snow and ice.
Make sure that the area on the bumpers around
the sensors is free of dirt, ice and/or slush,
otherwise Parktronic may not function properly,
see “Cleaning the Parktronic* system sensors”
(
page 619).
i
Interference caused by other ultrasonic sig-
nals (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.
i
To function properly, the sensors must be
free of dirt, ice, snow and slush. Clean the sen-
sors regularly, being careful not to scratch or
damage the sensors, see “Cleaning the Park-
tronic* system sensors” (
page 619).

476 Controls in detailDriving systems
Switching off the Parktronic sys-
tem: Press button 1.
Indicator lamp 2 comes on.

Switching on the Parktronic system:
Press button 1 again.
Indicator lamp 2 goes out.
Parktronic system malfunction
If only the red distance segments illumi-
nate and an acoustic warning sounds,
there is a malfunction in the Parktronic
system. The Parktronic system will auto-
matically switch off after 20 seconds and
the indicator lamp in the Parktronic switch
comes on.

Have the Parktronic system checked
by an authorized Mercedes-Benz Cen-
ter as soon as possible.
If only the red distance segments illumi-
nate and no acoustic warning sounds, the
Parktronic system sensors are dirty or
there is an interference from other radio or
ultrasonic signals. The Parktronic system
will automatically switch off after 20 sec-
onds and the indicator lamp in the Park-
tronic switch comes on.

Switch off the ignition (
page 370).

Clean the Parktronic system sensors
(page 619).

Switch on the ignition.
or

Check the Parktronic system operation
at another location to rule out interfer-
ence from outside radio or ultrasonic
signals.
Park Assist*
i
The Parktronic system is automatically
switched on when the ignition is switched on
(
page 370).
Warning!
G
Park Assist 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.Warning!
G
Make sure no persons or animals are in the
area in which you are maneuvering. You
could otherwise injure them.!
Special attention must be paid to objects
with smooth surfaces or low silhouettes (e.g.
trailer couplings, painted posts, elevated cross-
bars or road curbs). Such objects may not be de-
tected by the system and can damage the
vehicle.