2008 MERCEDES-BENZ S-Class ECU

430 Controls in detailAutomatic transmissionTransmission positions
The current transmission position appears
in the multifunction display.
1Current transmission position!
If the current transmission position does not
appear in the multifunction display due to a
malfunction, for example, make sure that the
automatic transmission is in the desired position
by carefully driving off with the transmission in
drive positionD and program modeS
(
page 436) selected. Do not limit the gear
range.
Effect
ì
Park position
Shift into park positionP only
when vehicle is stopped. The
park position is not intended to
serve as a brake when the vehi-
cle is parked. Rather, the driver
should always engage the elec-
tronic parking brake in addition
to shifting into park positionP to
secure the vehicle.
If the vehicle’s electrical system
is malfunctioning, the automatic
transmission could remain
locked in park positionP.
Have the vehicle checked as
soon as possible by an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center.
!
SmartKey:
If you turn off the engine using the SmartKey and


remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch
or


open a front door
the transmission will shift to park positionP
automatically.
Keep in mind that turning off the engine with the
SmartKey alone only will automatically shift the
transmission to neutral positionN.
!
KEYLESS-GO*:
If you turn off the engine using the KEYLESS-GO
start/stop button and open a front door, the
transmission will shift to park positionP
automatically.
Keep in mind that turning off the engine using
the KEYLESS-GO start/stop button alone only
will automatically shift the transmission to
neutral positionN.

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).


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!
G
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!
G
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).

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.

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!
G
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!
G
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.

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.

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).