2008 MERCEDES-BENZ S600 ESP

413 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Shifting into optimal gear range
Press and hold left shift button1 or
pull and hold left shift paddle1.
The transmission will automatically
select the gear range suited for optimal
acceleration and deceleration. This will
involve shifting down one or more
gears.Manual shift program (S 63 AMG and S65AMGonly)
In addition to the automatic shift
programC orS, your vehicle is equipped
with the manual shift programM.
Manual shift programM differs with regard
to spontaneity, response time, and shifting
smoothness from automatic shift
programS.
In the manual program modeM,
system-controlled automatic gearshifting
is switched off and you need to change the
gears by manually upshifting or downshift-
ing using the steering wheel gearshift con-
trol paddles to the left and right of the
steering wheel (
page 411).
Program mode selector switch
M Manual For manual gear shifting
C Comfort For standard driving
S Sport For sporty driving
!Allow engine to warm up under low load use.
Do not place full load on the engine until the op-
erating 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.

418 Controls in detail
Instrument cluster
Tachometer
The red marking on the tachometer de-
notes excessive engine speed.To help protect the engine, the fuel supply
is interrupted if the engine is operated
within the red marking.
Outside temperature indicator
The outside temperature indicator is on
the bottom left-hand side of the instru-
ment cluster (
page 28).
The temperature sensor is located in the
front bumper area. Due to its location, the
sensor can be affected by road or engine
heat during idling or slow driving. There-
fore, the accuracy of the displayed temper-ature can only be verified by comparison to
a thermometer placed next to the sensor,
not by comparison to external displays
(e.g. bank signs, etc.).
When moving the vehicle into colder ambi-
ent temperatures (e.g. when leaving your
garage), you will notice a delay before the
lower temperature is displayed.
A delay also occurs when ambient temper-
atures rise. This prevents inaccurate tem-
perature indications caused by heat
radiated from the engine during idling or
slow driving.
Fuel gauge
The fuel gauge is on the left-hand side of
the instrument cluster (
page 28). Once
the fuel level has fallen below the reserve
mark, the yellow segment indicator for the
fuel reserve comes on (
page 605).
of the vehicle and do not stand near the ve-
hicle until the engine has cooled down.
!Excessive coolant temperature triggers a
warning in the multifunction display
(
page 646).
The engine should not be operated with the cool-
ant temperature above 248°F (120°C), i.e. in
the red zone of the coolant temperature gauge.
Doing so may cause serious engine damage
which is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz Lim-
ited Warranty.
iDuring severe operating conditions,
e.g. stop-and-go traffic, the coolant temperature
may rise close to 248°F (120°C), i.e. close to
the red zone of the temperature gauge.
!Avoid driving at excessive engine speeds, as
it may result in serious engine damage that is not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
Warning!G
The outside temperature indicator is not de-
signed to serve as an ice-warning device and
is therefore unsuitable for that purpose.
Indicated temperatures just above the freez-
ing point do not guarantee that the road sur-
face is free of ice. The road may still be icy,
especially in wooded areas or on bridges.


419 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Driving systems
The driving systems of your vehicle are de-
scribed on the following pages:

Cruise control (page 419) and
DISTRONIC Plus*(
page 424), with
which the vehicle can maintain a preset
speed.

Airmatic (page 440) (S 550 only) and
ABC* (
page 442) adjust the vehicle
suspension characteristics automati-
cally and control the vehicle level.

Parktronic* (page 444) and Park As-
sist* (
page 448), which serve as a
parking assistant.

Dynamic Rear View Monitor*
(
page 453) is an electronic and visu-
al parking aid.

Night View Assist* (page 461) illumi-
nates the road with infrared light in ad-
dition to the normal headlamps.
For information on the ABS, Adaptive
Brake, BAS, BAS Plus*, EBP, ESP
® and
PRE-SAFE® Brake*, see “Driving safety
systems” (
page 66).
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.

420 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 positionP, R, or N

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.
The current speed is set.
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.
iThe vehicle speed displayed in the speedom-
eter can briefly vary from the speed setting for
the cruise control system.

421 Controls in detail
Driving systems
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.
iOn 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.
iThe last stored set speed is deleted when
the engine is turned off.
iThe 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 73)

you set the automatic transmission toN
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 toN
while driving cancels the cruise control. Howev-
er, the automatic transmission should not be set
toN while driving except to coast when the vehi-
cle is in danger of skidding (e.g. on icy roads).

424 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Briefly pull the cruise control lever in
the direction of arrow4 (
page 420).
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 419).
DISTRONIC Plus functions within a speed
range of 0 to 120 mph.When travelling in Canada in a vehicle not
registered in Canada, you must switch off
the radar sensor system* (
page 282).
Canadian law does not permit the use of
the radar sensor system* (
page 282) for
vehicles from outside of Canada. When you
switch off the radar sensor system*, the
following functions are deactivated:

BAS Plus* (page 69)

DISTRONIC Plus

Park Assist* (page 448)

PRE-SAFE® Brake* (page 76)
iThe last stored set speed is deleted when
the engine is turned off.

425 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Warning!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 con-
trol.


426 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.
iDo not use DISTRONIC Plus if you are driv-
ing on a road with steep uphill or downhill slopes.
iDue 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.