2008 MERCEDES-BENZ S-Class warning

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!
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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!
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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!
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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!
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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!
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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!
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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!
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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.

454 Controls in detailDriving systems
DISTRONIC Plus displays in multifunc-
tion display
1Speed of the vehicle ahead
2Set speed
3Distance warning lamp
If DISTRONIC Plus is activated, the
marker2 indicates the set speed.When DISTRONIC Plus detects a vehicle
driving ahead of you, the ring on the speed-
ometer dial lights up between the speed of
the vehicle ahead of you and set speed2.
If DISTRONIC Plus calculates that there is
a danger of collision:


The distance warning lampl in the
instrument cluster comes on.


An intermittent warning sounds.

Immediately brake the vehicle to avoid
a collision.
Under no circumstances should the
driver await the intermittent warning
sound before braking. See the follow-
ing warning note.
The intermittent warning sound ceases
and the distance warning lampl
goes out when the necessary distance
to the vehicle ahead is again
established.
i
USA only:
This device has been approved by the FCC as a
“Vehicular Radar System”. The radar sensor is
intended for use in an automotive radar system
only. Removal, tampering, or altering of the de-
vice will void any warranties, and is not permitted
by the FCC. Do not tamper with, alter, or use in
any non-approved way.
Any unauthorized modification to this device
could void the user’s authority to operate the
equipment.
i
Canada only:
This device complies with RSS-210 of Industry
Canada. Operation is subject to the following
two conditions:
(1) This device may not cause interference, and
(2) this device must accept any interference re-
ceived, including interference that may
cause undesired operation of the device.
Removal, tampering, or altering of the device will
void any warranties, and is not permitted. Do not
tamper with, alter, or use in any non-approved
way.
Any unauthorized modification to this device
could void the user’s authority to operate the
equipment.
i
The vehicle speed displayed on the speed-
ometer can briefly vary from the speed setting
on the DISTRONIC Plus system.

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!
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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!
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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).


457 Controls in detail
Driving systems
DISTRONIC Plus lever
The DISTRONIC Plus system is operated by
means of the DISTRONIC Plus lever.
1Setting current or higher speed
Adjustment in 1 mph increments (to
the resistance point) or 5 mph
increments (past the resistance point)
(Canada: 1 km/h or 10 km/h)
2Setting current or lower speed
Adjustment in 1 mph increments (to
the resistance point) or 5 mph
increments (past the resistance point)
(Canada: 1 km/h or 10 km/h)
3Canceling DISTRONIC Plus
4Activating DISTRONIC Plus or resum-
ing to last set speed5Setting target distance
Activating DISTRONIC Plus
You can activate DISTRONIC Plus when:


you are driving slower than 20 mph
(30 km/h) and DISTRONIC Plus has
detected a vehicle ahead of you


you are driving above 20 mph
(30 km/h)
If DISTRONIC Plus has not been activated
after pressing the DISTRONIC Plus lever,
you will see the message: “DISTRONIC
PLUS - - - mph” (Canada: “DISTRONIC PLUS
- - - kmh”) in the multifunction display.
Warning!
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When DISTRONIC Plus is braking, the brake
pedal is retracted (i.e. depressed automati-
cally). The pedals’ range of motion must not
be impeded by any obstacles:

Do not place any objects in the footwell.


Make sure that the floor mats and car-
pets are securely in place.


Do not rest your foot underneath the
brake pedal, as it could otherwise be
trapped.
You could otherwise cause an accident and
injure yourself and others.
Warning!
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When DISTRONIC Plus is switched on, the
vehicle can be braked. You should therefore
switch off DISTRONIC Plus if the vehicle
must be towed.i
The maximum speed you can set is 120 mph
(Canada: 200 km/h).

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).
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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!
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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.

460 Controls in detailDriving systemsStopping
When DISTRONIC Plus detects that the ve-
hicle in front of you is stopping, the vehicle
brakes until it also stops.
Once DISTRONIC Plus has stopped your
vehicle and it is at a standstill, it remains
stationary; the brake pedal does not need
to be depressed.Setting the current speed

Accelerate or decelerate to the desired
speed.

Briefly lift the DISTRONIC Plus lever in
the direction of arrow1 or depress in
the direction of arrow2.
DISTRONIC Plus is activated and the
current speed is set.

Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
Warning!
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DISTRONIC Plus’s braking effect is canceled
and the vehicle can start to roll if

DISTRONIC Plus is switched off using
the DISTRONIC Plus lever


you accelerate


the system or the power supply is mal-
functioning, e.g. due to battery failure


the electrical components in the engine
compartment or the fuses have been
manipulated


the battery is disconnected
Warning!
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Never get out of the vehicle while
DISTRONIC Plus is switched on!
DISTRONIC Plus must never be operated or
switched off by passengers or from outside
the vehicle.
DISTRONIC Plus is not a substitute for the
electronic parking brake and may not be
used for parking.
When you get out of the vehicle or switch off
the engine, deactivate DISTRONIC Plus and
secure the vehicle from rolling away by en-
gaging the electronic parking brake.
i
After a short while, your vehicle is secured in
place by the electronic parking brake so that the
operating brake can be relieved of load.
i
Depending on the following distance set us-
ing the distance setting switch on the
DISTRONIC Plus lever, your vehicle will stop ap-
proximately 13.1 ft away from the vehicle in
front of you.

461 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Setting a higher speed
You can increase the set speed in two
stages.Adjustment in 1 mph (Canada: 1 km/h)
increments

Briefly lift the DISTRONIC Plus lever to
the resistance point in direction of
arrow1 (
page 457).

Release the DISTRONIC Plus lever.
The vehicle speed increases in incre-
ments of 1 mph (Canada: 1 km/h).Adjustment in 5 mph
(Canada: 10 km/h) increments

Briefly lift the DISTRONIC Plus lever
past the resistance point in direction of
arrow1 (
page 457).

Release the DISTRONIC Plus lever.
i
If you do not take your foot off of the accel-
erator completely, the following message
“DISTRONIC PLUS Override” will appear in the
multifunction display.
The distance to a slower moving vehicle in front
of you will not be set. Your vehicle speed will
then be determined only by the accelerator ped-
al position.Warning!
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If you increase the set speed, keep in mind
that it may take a brief moment until the ve-
hicle has reached the set speed.
Increase the set speed to a value that the
prevailing road conditions and legal speed
limits permit. Otherwise, sudden and unex-
pected acceleration of the vehicle could
cause an accident and/or serious injury to
you and others.
i
The set speed value is increased in 1 mph
(Canada: 1 km/h) increments each time you lift
the DISTRONIC Plus lever to the resistance
point.
Warning!
G
You can increase the vehicle speed in 5 mph
(Canada: 10 km/h) increments. When using
this feature, keep in mind that it may take a
brief moment until the vehicle has reached
the set speed.
Increase the vehicle speed to a value that
the prevailing road conditions permit. Other-
wise, sudden and unexpected acceleration
of the vehicle could cause an accident
and/or serious injury to you and others.i
The set value is increased in 5 mph
(Canada: 10 km/h) increments each time you
lift the DISTRONIC Plus lever past the resistance
point.