Distronic displays in the speedometer
When Distronic is activated, triangle
;
shows the stored speed.
i For design reasons, the speed displayed
in the speedometer may differ slightly from
the speed set for Distronic.
If Distronic detects a vehicle in front, the
speedometer dial lights up between speed of
the vehicle in front :and stored speed ;.
Distronic displays in the multi-function
display You can use the
Assistancemenu
(Y page 223) in the on-board computer to
select the distance display and to switch the
Distronic distance warning function off or on.
Display when Distronic is deactivated
X Select the Distance display function
using the on-board computer
(Y page 223).
When Distronic is deactivated, you will see
the following in the multi-function display: :
Symbol for activated distance warning
function
; Vehicle in front, if detected
= Distance indicator, displaying current dis-
tance to the vehicle in front
? Specified minimum distance to the vehi-
cle in front, adjustable
A Own vehicle
Display when Distronic is activated
X Select the Distance display function
using the on-board computer
(Y page 223).
You will see the stored speed for about five
seconds when you activate Distronic. When
Distronic is activated, you will see the follow-
ing in the multi-function display: :
Distronic activated
; Own vehicle
= Specified minimum distance to the vehi-
cle in front, adjustable
? Vehicle in front, if detected Driving sys
tems
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Deactivating Distronic
There are several ways to deactivate Dis-
tronic:
X Briefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards :.
or
X Brake.
or
X Briefly press the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow =.
Variable Speedtronic is selected. LIM indi-
cator lamp ;in the cruise control lever
lights up.
i The last speed stored remains stored until
you switch off the engine.
i Distronic is not deactivated if you depress
the accelerator pedal. If you accelerate
briefly to overtake, Distronic adjusts the
vehicle's speed to the last speed stored
after you have finished overtaking.
Distronic is automatically deactivated if:
R you engage the electric parking brake
R you are driving at less than 25 km/h
R ESP ®
intervenes or you deactivate ESP ®
R you shift the automatic transmission to N
while the vehicle is in motion
If Distronic is deactivated, you will hear a
warning tone. You will see the DISTRONIC
off message in the multi-function display for
approximately five seconds. Tips for driving with Distronic The following contains descriptions of certain
road and traffic conditions in which you must
be particularly attentive. In such situations,
brake if necessary. Distronic is then deacti-
vated.
Cornering, entering and exiting a bend
The ability of Distronic to detect vehicles
when cornering is limited. Your vehicle may
brake unexpectedly or too late.
Vehicles travelling on a different line
Distronic may not detect vehicles travelling
on a different line. The distance to the vehicle
in front will be too short.234
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Other vehicles changing lane
Distronic has not yet detected the vehicle
cutting in. The distance to this vehicle will be
too short.
Narrow vehicles
Distronic has not yet detected the vehicle in
front on the edge of the carriageway, because
of its narrow width. The distance to the vehi-
cle in front will be too short. Distronic Plus*
i Distronic Plus is not available in all coun-
tries.
Distronic Plus regulates the speed and auto-
matically maintains the distance to the vehi-
cle in front. It brakes automatically in order
to avoid exceeding the set speed. On long and
steep downhill gradients, especially if the
vehicle is laden, you must select shift range
1, 2or 3in good time. By doing so, you will
make use of the braking effect of the engine,
which relieves the load on the brake system and prevents the brakes from overheating
and wearing too quickly. G
Risk of accident
The brake pedal is retracted when Distronic
Plus brakes. Do not restrict the movement of
the pedal in any way.
R Do not put any objects in the footwell.
R Ensure that floor mats and carpets are fixed
securely.
R Do not place your foot under the brake
pedal as it could become trapped.
You could otherwise cause an accident and
injure yourself and others. G
Risk of accident
Do not change down for additional engine
braking on a slippery road surface. This could
cause the drive wheels to lose their grip and
the vehicle could skid. G
Risk of accident
Distronic Plus is only an aid designed to assist
driving. The driver remains fully responsible
for the vehicle's distance from other vehicles,
the vehicle's speed and for braking in good
time.
Distronic Plus does not react to:
R pedestrians
R stationary obstacles on the road, e.g. sta-
tionary or parked vehicles
R oncoming and crossing traffic
Distronic Plus may not detect narrow vehicles
driving in front, e.g. motorcycles, or vehicles
driving on a different line. Therefore, always
pay attention to traffic conditions even when
Distronic Plus is activated. Otherwise, you
may fail to recognise dangers in time, could
cause an accident and injure yourself and oth-
ers.
If a slower-moving vehicle is detected in front,
Distronic Plus causes your vehicle to brake
and maintain a preset distance to the vehicle
in front. Driving systems
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G
Risk of accident
Distronic Plus cannot take account of road
and traffic conditions. If Distronic does not
recognise or no longer recognises the vehicle
in front, do not activate Distronic or, if it is
already active, deactivate it. This is especially
the case:
R before corners
R in filter lanes
R when changing to a lane with faster moving
traffic
R in complex driving situations or where the
lanes are diverted, e.g. at roadworks on a
motorway
Otherwise, Distronic Plus maintains the cur-
rent speed or accelerates up to the set speed.
Distronic Plus cannot take account of weather
conditions. Deactivate, or do not activate,
Distronic Plus:
R if the roads are slippery, snow-covered or
icy. The wheels could lose their grip when
braking or accelerating. The vehicle could
start to skid.
R if the sensors are dirty or there is poor vis-
ibility, e.g. due to snow, rain or fog. Dis-
tance control may be impaired.
Always pay attention to traffic conditions
even when Distronic Plus is activated. Other-
wise, you may fail to recognise dangers in
time, could cause an accident and injure your-
self and others.
! You must deactivate the radar sensor sys-
tem in certain countries and near radio
telescope facilities. Further information
can be found in the index under "Radar
sensor system".
Vehicles with COMAND and navigation sys-
tem*: you must deactivate the radar sensor
system near radio telescope facilities
(Y page 411). If you want Distronic Plus to assist you, the
radar sensor system must be activated and
operational.
If no car is driving in front of you, Distronic
Plus works like cruise control in the speed
range between 30 km/h and 200 km/h. If a
vehicle is driving in front of you, Distronic Plus
works in the speed range between 0 km/h
and 200 km/h.
Do not use Distronic Plus while driving on
roads with steep gradients.
G
Risk of accident
Distronic Plus brakes your vehicle at a maxi-
mum of 4m/s2
depending on its speed. This
corresponds to approximately 40% of your
vehicle's maximum brake force. You must
also apply the brakes yourself if this braking
power is not sufficient.
If Distronic Plus detects a risk of collision with
a vehicle in front, an intermittent warning tone
sounds. In addition, the ·distance warn-
ing lamp in the instrument cluster lights up.
Brake to avoid a collision.
Cruise control lever With the cruise control lever you can operate
Distronic Plus and variable Speedtronic.
The LIM indicator lamp on the cruise control
lever indicates which system you have selec-
ted:
R
LIM indicator lamp off:
Distronic Plus is selected.
R LIM indicator lamp lit:
Variable Speedtronic is selected. 236
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:
To store the current speed or a higher
speed
; To adjust the specified distance
= LIM indicator lamp
? To store the current speed or to call up
the last stored speed
A To store the current speed or a lower
speed
B To switch between Distronic Plus and var-
iable Speedtronic
C To deactivate Distronic Plus
Selecting Distronic Plus X
Check whether LIM indicator lamp =is off.
If it is off, Distronic Plus is already selected.
If it is not, press the cruise control lever in
the direction of arrow B.
LIM indicator lamp =in the cruise control
lever goes off. Distronic Plus is selected.
Activating Distronic Plus, storing the
current speed and maintaining it G
Risk of accident
The vehicle can be braked when Distronic Plus
is activated. For this reason, deactivate Dis-
tronic Plus if the vehicle is to be set in motion
by other means (e.g. in a car wash or by tow-
ing). You can activate Distronic Plus in the follow-
ing circumstances:
R
about two minutes after the engine is star-
ted
R when the engine is running
R if you do not brake during the journey
R if your vehicle is not secured by the electric
parking brake
R if ESP ®
is activated
R if the automatic transmission is in position
D
R if the bonnet is closed
R if the driver's door is closed and you switch
from Pto Dor your seat belt is fastened.
Activating while driving
When driving at speeds below 30 km/h, you
can only activate Distronic Plus if the vehicle
in front has been detected and is shown in the
multi-function display. If the vehicle in front is
not shown in the multi-function display and is
no longer being detected, because it has
changed lanes, for example, Distronic Plus is
deactivated and you hear a warning tone.
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you ?or press it up :or down Ato the
pressure point.
Distronic Plus is selected.
X Keep the cruise control lever pressed
up : or down Auntil the desired speed
is set.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
Your vehicle adapts its speed to that of the
vehicle in front, but only up to the stored
speed.
i If you do not fully release the accelerator
pedal, the DISTRONIC PLUS suspended
message appears in the multi-function dis-
play. Then, the distance to a slower-moving
vehicle in front will not be governed. You
will be driving at the speed you determine
by the position of the accelerator pedal. Driving systems
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Activating when driving towards a sta-
tionary vehicle
If the vehicle in front of you is stationary, you
can only activate Distronic Plus once your
vehicle is stationary as well.
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you ?.
Distronic Plus is selected.
i Distronic Plus can only be activated at
under 30 km/h if a vehicle in front has been
detected. Therefore, the Distronic Plus dis-
tance display in the instrument cluster
should be activated.
X Keep the cruise control lever pressed
up : or down Auntil the desired speed
is set.
i You can use the cruise control lever to set
the stored speed and the thumbwheel on
the cruise control lever to set the specified
minimum distance (Y page 239).
Pulling away
X If the vehicle in front pulls away: remove
your foot from the brake pedal.
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you ?.
or
X Accelerate briefly.
Your vehicle pulls away and adapts its
speed to that of the vehicle in front.
Driving
If there is no vehicle in front, Distronic Plus
operates in the same way as cruise control.
If a slower-moving vehicle is detected in front,
Distronic Plus causes your vehicle to brake
and maintain a preset distance to the vehicle
in front.
If Distronic Plus detects a faster-moving vehi-
cle in front, it increases the driving speed, but
only up to the stored speed. G
Risk of accident
If you depress the brake, Distronic Plus is
deactivated unless your vehicle is stationary.
Distronic Plus then no longer brakes your
vehicle. The driver remains fully responsible
for the vehicle's distance from other vehicles,
its speed and for braking in good time.
Stopping G
Risk of accident
The Distronic Plus braking effect is cancelled
and the vehicle could roll away if:
R Distronic Plus is deactivated using the
cruise control lever.
R you accelerate.
R the system or the power supply is disrup-
ted, e.g. due to battery failure.
R the electrical system in the engine com-
partment or the fuses have been tampered
with.
R the battery is disconnected. G
Risk of accident
Never get out of the vehicle when Distronic
Plus is activated.
Distronic Plus must never be operated or
deactivated by a passenger or from outside
the vehicle.
Distronic Plus does not replace the electric
parking brake and must not be used for park-
ing.
If you wish to leave the vehicle or park it,
deactivate Distronic Plus and secure the vehi-
cle against rolling away.
If Distronic Plus detects that the vehicle in
front is stopping, it brakes your vehicle until
it is stationary.
Once your vehicle is stationary, it remains
stationary and you do not need to depress the
brake.
i After a time, the electric parking brake
secures the vehicle and relieves the service
brake. 238
Driving syste
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i
Depending on the specified minimum dis-
tance, your vehicle will come to a standstill
about four metres behind the vehicle in
front. The specified minimum distance is
set using the thumbwheel on the cruise-
control lever.
Setting a speed X
Press the cruise control lever to the pres-
sure point, up :for a higher speed or
down Afor a lower speed.
X Keep the cruise control lever pressed until
the desired speed is reached.
X Release the cruise control lever.
The new speed is stored. Distronic Plus is
activated and adjusts the vehicle's speed
to the new speed stored.
Making adjustments in 1 km/h incre-
ments X
Briefly press the cruise control lever to the
pressure point, up :for a higher speed or
down Afor a lower speed.
The last speed stored is increased or
reduced.
Making adjustments in 10 km/h incre-
ments X
Briefly press the cruise control lever
beyond the pressure point, up :for a
higher speed or down Afor a lower speed.
The last speed stored is increased or
reduced.
Storing the current speed or calling up
the last stored speed G
Risk of accident
Only select a stored speed if you know what
that speed is and whether it is suitable for the
current situation. Otherwise, sudden acceler-
ation or braking could endanger you or others. X
Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you ?.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
Distronic Plus is activated. The first time it
is activated, the current speed is stored.
Otherwise, it sets the vehicle cruise speed
to the previously stored value.
Setting the specified minimum dis-
tance for Distronic Plus You can set the specified minimum distance
for Distronic Plus by varying the time span
between one and two seconds. With this func-
tion, you can set the minimum distance that
Distronic Plus keeps to the vehicle in front,
dependent on vehicle speed. You can read
this distance in the multi-function display
(Y
page 240). X
To increase: turn thumbwheel ;towards
=.
Then, Distronic Plus maintains a greater
distance between your vehicle and the
vehicle in front.
X To decrease: turn thumbwheel ;
towards :.
Then, Distronic Plus maintains a shorter
distance between your vehicle and the
vehicle in front.
i Make sure that you maintain the mini-
mum distance to the vehicle in front
required by law. Adjust the distance to the
vehicle in front if necessary. Driving systems
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Distronic Plus displays in the speedom-
eter When you switch on Distronic Plus, trian-
gle ;shows the stored speed.
i For design reasons, the speed displayed
in the speedometer may differ slightly from
the speed set for Distronic Plus.
If Distronic Plus detects a vehicle in front, the
speedometer dial lights up between speed of
the vehicle in front :and stored speed ;.
Distronic Plus displays in the multi-
function display In the
Assistance menu (Ypage 223) of the
on-board computer, you can select the dis-
tance display and activate or deactivate PRE-
SAFE ®
Brake*.
Display when Distronic Plus is switched
off
X Select the Distance display function
using the on-board computer
(Y page 223).
When Distronic Plus is deactivated, you will
see the following in the multi-function display: :
Symbol for activated PRE-SAFE ®
Brake
; Vehicle in front, if detected
= Distance indicator, displaying current dis-
tance to the vehicle in front
? Specified minimum distance to the vehi-
cle in front, adjustable
A Own vehicle
Display when Distronic Plus is switched
on
X Select the Distance display function
using the on-board computer
(Y page 223).
You will see the stored speed for about five
seconds when you activate Distronic Plus.
When Distronic Plus is activated, you will see
the following in the multi-function display: :
Distronic Plus activated
; Own vehicle
= Specified minimum distance to the vehi-
cle in front, adjustable
? Vehicle in front, if detected 240
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