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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
msControls
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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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Page 243 of 421

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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Page 244 of 421

Deactivating Distronic Plus
There are several ways to deactivate Dis-
tronic Plus:
X
Briefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards :.
or
X Brake, unless the vehicle is stationary.
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 Plus is not deactivated if you
depress the accelerator pedal. If you accel-
erate briefly to overtake, Distronic Plus
adjusts the vehicle's speed to the last
speed stored after you have finished over-
taking.
Distronic Plus is automatically deactivated if:
R you engage the electric parking brake or if
the vehicle is automatically secured with
the electric parking brake
R you are driving slower than 25 km/h and
there is no vehicle in front, or the vehicle in
front is no longer detected
R ESP ®
intervenes or you deactivate ESP ®R
you shift the automatic transmission to N,
P or R
R the vehicle is near a radio telescope facility:
only vehicles with COMAND and a naviga-
tion system* (Y page 411).
If Distronic Plus is deactivated, you will hear
a warning tone. You will see the DISTRONIC
PLUS off message in the multi-function dis-
play for approximately five seconds
Tips for driving with Distronic Plus The following contains descriptions of certain
road and traffic conditions in which you must
be particularly attentive. In such situations,
brake if necessary. Distronic Plus is then
deactivated.
Cornering, entering and exiting a bend The ability of Distronic Plus to detect vehicles
when cornering is limited. Your vehicle may
brake unexpectedly or too late.
Vehicles travelling on a different line Driving syste
ms
241Controls
* option al
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Page 245 of 421

Distronic Plus may not detect vehicles trav-
elling on a different line. The distance to the
vehicle in front will be too short.
Other vehicles changing lane Distronic Plus has not detected the vehicle
cutting in yet. The distance to this vehicle will
be too short.
Narrow vehicles Distronic Plus does not detect 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. Obstructions and stationary vehicles Distronic Plus does not brake for obstacles or
stationary vehicles. For example, if the detec-
ted vehicle turns a corner and reveals an
obstacle or stationary vehicle, Distronic Plus
will not brake for these.
Crossing vehicles Distronic Plus may detect vehicles that are
crossing your lane by mistake. Activating Dis-
tronic Plus at traffic lights with crossing traf-
fic, for example, could cause your vehicle to
pull away unintentionally.
Speedtronic
Speedtronic brakes automatically so that you
do not exceed 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. If you need addi- 242
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Page 246 of 421

tional braking, depress the brake pedal
repeatedly rather than continuously.
G
Risk of accident
Never depress the brake pedal continuously
while the vehicle is in motion, e.g. never cause
the brakes to rub by applying constant slight
pedal pressure. This causes the brake system
to overheat, increases the braking distance
and can lead to the brakes failing completely. 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.
You can set a variable or permanent limit
speed:
R variable for speed limits, e.g. in built-up
areas
R permanent for long-term speed restric-
tions, e.g. for driving on winter tyres
(Y page 245) G
Risk of accident
Speedtronic is only an aid designed to assist
driving. You are responsible for the vehicle's
speed and for braking in good time.
i The speed indicated in the speedometer
may differ slightly from the limit speed
stored.
Variable Speedtronic With the cruise control lever, you can operate
cruise control or Distronic*/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:
Cruise control or Distronic*/Distronic
Plus* is selected.
R LIM indicator lamp lit: Variable Speedtronic is selected.
You can use the cruise control lever to limit
the speed to any speed above 30 km/h while
the engine is running. :
To store the current speed or a higher
speed
; LIM indicator lamp
= To store the current speed or to call up
the last stored speed
? To store the current speed or a lower
speed
A To switch between cruise control or Dis-
tronic*/Distronic Plus* and variable
Speedtronic
B To deactivate variable Speedtronic
Selecting variable Speedtronic X
Check whether LIM indicator lamp ;is on.
If it is on, variable Speedtronic is already
selected.
If it is not, press the cruise control lever in
the direction of arrow A.
LIM indicator lamp ;in the cruise control
lever lights up. Variable Speedtronic is
selected. G
Risk of accident
If there is a change of drivers, advise the new
driver of the limit speed stored.
Only use Speedtronic when you do not have
to accelerate suddenly to a speed higher than
the stored limit speed allows. You could, oth-
erwise, cause an accident. Driving systems
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You can only exceed the limit speed stored if
you deactivate variable Speedtronic:
R using the cruise control lever
R by depressing the accelerator pedal
beyond the pressure point (kickdown)
It is not possible to deactivate variable Speed-
tronic by braking. G
Risk of injury
Variable Speedtronic brakes automatically in
order to avoid exceeding the set speed. As it
does so, the brake pedal is depressed. Do not
place your foot under the brake pedal as it
could become trapped.
Storing the current speed You can use the cruise control lever to limit
the speed to any speed above 30 km/h while
the engine is running.
X Briefly press the cruise control lever
up : or down ?to the pressure point.
The current speed is stored and shown in
the multi-function display.
The speedometer dial lights up between
the start of the scale and the stored speed.
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 driving and traffic situation. Other-
wise, sudden braking could endanger you or
others.
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you =. 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 ?for a lower speed.
or
X Keep the cruise control lever pressed to the
pressure point until the desired speed is
set. Press the cruise control lever, up :
for a higher speed or down ?for a lower
speed.
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 ?for a lower speed.
or
X Keep the cruise control lever pressed
beyond the pressure point until the desired
speed is set. Press the cruise control lever,
up : for a higher speed or down ?for a
lower speed.
Deactivating variable Speedtronic There are several ways to deactivate variable
Speedtronic:
X
Briefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards B.
or
X Briefly press the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow A.
LIM indicator lamp ;in the cruise control
lever goes out. Variable Speedtronic is
deactivated.
Cruise control or Distronic*/Distronic
Plus* is selected.
Variable Speedtronic is deactivated automat-
ically when you depress the accelerator pedal
beyond the pressure point (kickdown), but
only if your current speed does not differ by 244
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more than 20 km/h from the stored speed.
You will hear a warning tone if this is the case.
G
Risk of accident
It is not possible to deactivate variable Speed-
tronic by braking.
i The last speed stored is cleared when you
switch off the engine.
Permanent Speedtronic i
Permanent Speedtronic is only available
in certain countries.
You can use the on-board computer to limit
the speed permanently to a value between
160 km/h (e.g. for driving with winter tyres)
and the maximum speed.
Just before the stored speed is reached, it
appears in the multi-function display.
Permanent Speedtronic remains active, even
if variable Speedtronic is deactivated.
You cannot exceed the stored limit speed,
even if you depress the accelerator pedal
beyond the pressure point (kickdown).
Setting permanent Speedtronic
X Press the =or; button to select the
Settings menu.
X Press the :or9 button to select
SPEEDTRONIC.
X To change this, press a. X
Press the abutton again.
X Press the :or9 button to set per-
manent Speedtronic in increments of ten
(240 km/h to 160 km/h). Permanent Speedtronic is deactivated with the
off
setting.
X Press ato save the entry. HOLD
HOLD assists the driver in the following sit-
uations:
R when pulling away, especially on steep
slopes
R when manoeuvring on steep slopes
R when waiting in traffic
The vehicle is kept stationary without the
driver having to depress the brake pedal.
The braking effect is cancelled and HOLD
deactivated when you depress the accelera-
tor pedal to pull away.
Activation conditions You can activate HOLD if:
R
the vehicle is stationary.
R the engine is running.
R the driver's door is closed or your seat belt
is fastened.
R the electric parking brake is released.
R the bonnet is closed.
R the automatic transmission is in position
R, Nor D. If the automatic transmission is
in position R, the boot lid must be closed.
Activating HOLD X
Make sure that the activation conditions
are met.
X Depress the brake. Driving systems
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