R
when changing to a lane with faster moving
traffic
R in complex driving situations or where lanes
are diverted, e.g .atroadworks on a motor-
way
DISTRONIC PLUS otherwise maintains the
current speed set by you 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.
Otherwise, you may fail to recognise dangers
in time, cause an accident and injure yourself
and others.
! You must deactivate the radar sensor sys-
tem in certain countries and near radio
telescope facilities. You will find further
information under "Radar sensor system"
in the index.
The radar sensor system is automatically
deactivated near radio telescope facilities
(Y page 327).
If you want DISTRONIC PLUS to assist you,
the radar sensor system must be activated
(Y page 210) and operational.
If there is no vehicle in front, DISTRONIC
PLUS operates in the same way as cruise
control in the speed range between
30 km/ha nd 200 km/h. If avehicle is driving
in front of you, DISTRONIC operates in the
speed range between 0km/h and
200 km/h.
Do not use DISTRONIC PLUS while driving on
roads with steep gradients. G
Risk of accident
DISTRONIC PLUS brakes yourv ehicle up to a
maximum of 4 m/s 2
depending on its speed.
This corresponds to approximately 40% of
your vehicle's maximum braking power. You
must also apply the brakes yourself if this
braking power is not sufficient.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects a risk of collision
with avehicle in front, an intermittent warning
tone sounds. In addition, the ·distance
warning 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 SPEED-
TRONIC.
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 on: variable SPEED-
TRONIC is selected. :
To store the curren tspeed or a higher
speed
; To set the specified minimum distance
= LIM indicator lamp
? To store the curren tspeed or call up the
last stored speed
A To store the curren tspeed or a lower
speed Driving systems
155Driving and parking Z
B
To switch between DISTRONIC PLUS and
variable 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 selec-
ted.
If it is not, press the cruise control lever in
the direction of arrow B.
LIM indicator lamp =in the cruise control
lever goes out. DISTRONIC PLUS is selec-
ted.
Switching on DISTRONIC PLUS, storing
the current speed and maintaining it Important safety notes
G
Risk of accident
The vehicle can be braked when DISTRONIC
PLUS is activated. For this reason, deactivate
DISTRONIC PLUS if the vehicle is to be set in
motion by other means (e.g. in a car wash or
by towing).
In order to activat eDISTRONIC PLUS, the fol-
lowing conditions must be fulfilled:
R the engine must be started, and you have
been driving for up to two minutes.
R the parking brake must not be applied.
R yourv ehicle must not be secured by the
electric parking brake.
R ESP ®
must be activated.
R the transmission must be in position D.
R the bonnet must be closed.
R the driver's door must be closed when you
shift from Pto Dor your seat belt must be
fastened.
R the front-passenger door and rear doors
must be closed.
R the vehicle must not skid. Activating while driving
When driving at speeds below 30 km/h, you
can only activate DISTRONIC PLUS if the vehi-
cle in fron
thas been detected and is shown
in the multifunction display. If the vehicle in
fron tis not shown in the multifunction display
and is no longer being detected, for example
because it has changed lanes, DISTRONIC
PLUS is deactivated and atone sounds.
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 desired
stored speed.
i If you do not fully release the accelerator
pedal, the DISTRONIC PLUS suspended message appears in the multifunction dis-
play. The set distance to a slower-moving
vehicle in front will then not be maintained.
You will be driving at the speed you deter-
mine by the position of the accelerator
pedal.
Activating when driving towards asta-
tionary vehicle
If the vehicle in front of you is stationary, you
can only activate DISTRONIC PLU Sonce your
vehicle is stationary as well.
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you ?.
DISTRONIC PLU Sis 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
distance display in the instrument cluster
should be activated. 156
Driving systemsDriving and parking
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 control on the
cruise control lever to set the specified
minimum distance (Y page 159).
Pulling away
X If the vehicle in front pulls away: remove
yourf oot 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
vehicle in front, it increases the driving speed,
but only up to the desired speed you have
stored. 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. In such cases, control the distance
from vehicles travelling in front with the brake
alone. You could otherwise cause an accident
and thereby injure yourself and others. The
driver remains fully responsible for the vehi-
cle's distance from other vehicles, the speed
being driven and for braking in good time. Changing lanes
If you wish to change to the passing lane (in
left-hand-drive vehicles, the passing lane is
the left-hand lane), DISTRONIC PLUS sup-
ports you if:
R
you are driving faster than 60 km/h
R DISTRONIC PLUS is maintaining the dis-
tance to a vehicle in front
R you switch on the appropriate turn signals
R DISTRONIC PLUS does not detect a danger
of collision
If these conditions are met, your vehicle is
accelerated. Acceleration will be interrupted
if changing lanes takes too long or if the dis-
tance between your vehicle and the vehicle in
front becomes too small. G
Risk of accident
DISTRONIC PLUS and Active Blind Spot Assist
are only an aid designed to assist driving.
They do not relieve you of the responsibility
of paying attention. The driver remains fully
responsible for the vehicle's distance from
other vehicles, the vehicle's speed and for
braking in good time. Always pay attention to
traffic conditions and your surroundings. Oth-
erwise, you may fail to recognise dangers in
time, cause an accident and injure yourself
and others.
Vehicles with COMAND APS/
Audio 50 APS
i The following functions are not opera-
tional in all countries.
DISTRONIC PLUS uses additional information
from your navigation system so that it can
react appropriately to certain traffic situa-
tions. This is the case if, while following a
vehicle, DISTRONIC PLUS is active and you:
R approach or drive through aroundabout
R approach a T junction
R turn off at a motorway exit
Even if the vehicle in front leaves the detec-
tion range, DISTRONIC PLUS temporarily
maintains the current driving speed and does Driving systems
157Driving and parking Z
not accelerate. This is based on the current
map data in the navigation system.
Roundabou
t(example)
The curren tspeed is maintained:
R approximately 10 seconds before the
roundabout/T junction and for approx-
imately 1.5 seconds when driving on the
roundabout
R approximately 12 seconds before reaching
a motorway exit and approximately 4sec-
onds after the motorway exit
Afterwards, the vehicle accelerates back to
the set speed you specified.
Stopping G
Risk of accident
Never get out of the vehicle when DISTRONIC
PLUS is activated.
DISTRONIC PLUS must also never be oper-
ated, activated or deactivated by a passenger
or from outside the vehicle.
DISTRONIC PLUS does not replace the park-
ing brake and must not be used for parking.
The DISTRONIC PLUS braking effect is can-
celled and the vehicle can start moving if:
R DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated using the
cruise control lever.
R you accelerate.
R there is a malfunction in the system or an
interruption in the power supply, e.g. bat-
tery failure. R
the electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses are tam-
pered with.
R the battery is disconnected.
If you wish to leave the vehicle or park it,
deactivate DISTRONIC PLUS and secure the
vehicle against rolling away.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that the vehicle
in fron tis 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 Depending on the specified minimum dis-
tance, your vehicle will come to a standstill
at a sufficient distance behind the vehicle
in front.T he specified minimum distance is
set using the control on the cruise control
lever.
When DISTRONIC PLUS is activated, the
transmission is shifted automatically to posi-
tion Pif:
R the driver's door is open and the driver's
seat belt is unfastened.
R the engine is switched off, unless it is auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/
stop function.
R the bonnet is opened.
R a system fault occurs.
R the power supply is not sufficient.
Setting aspeed X
Press the cruise control lever to the pres-
sure point, up :for a highe rspeed 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. 158
Driving systemsDriving and parking
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects
avehicle in front,
segments ;between speed of the vehicle in
front :and stored speed =light up.
DISTRONIC PLUS displays in the multi-
function display General notes
In the Assistance menu (Y
page 203) of the
on-board computer, you can select the dis-
tance display and activate or deactivate the
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake.
Display when DISTRONIC PLUS is deacti-
vated
X Select the Distance display function
using the on-board computer
(Y page 203).
When DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated, you
will see the following in the multifunction dis-
play: :
Symbol for activated PRE-SAFE ®
Brake
; Vehicle in front, if detected
= Distance indicator: current distance to
the vehicle in front
? Specified minimum distance to the vehi-
cle in front; adjustable
A Own vehicle
Display when DISTRONIC PLUS is activa-
ted
X Select the Distance display function
using the on-board computer
(Y page 203). You will see the stored speed for about five
seconds when you activate DISTRONIC PLUS.
After this time, you will see the following in
the multifunction display while DISTRONIC
PLUS is activated:
:
DISTRONIC PLUS activated
; Own vehicle
= Specified minimum distance to the vehi-
cle in front; adjustable
? Vehicle in front, if detected
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. 160
Driving systemsDriving and parking
or
X
Briefly press the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow =.
Variable SPEEDTRONIC is selected. LIM
indicator lamp ;in the cruise control lever
lights up.
When you deactivate DISTRONIC PLUS, the
DISTRONIC PLUS off message is shown in
the multifunction display for approximately
five seconds.
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 to overtake, DISTRONIC PLUS
adjusts the vehicle's speed to the last
speed stored after you have finished over-
taking.
DISTRONIC PLUS is automatically deactiva-
ted if:
R you apply the parking brake.
R you are driving slower than 25 km/h and
there is no vehicle in front, or if the vehicle
in front is no longer detected.
R ESP ®
intervenes or if you deactivate ESP ®
.
R the transmission is in the P,Ror Nposition.
R the vehicle is near a radio telescope facility
(Y page 327).
R you switch off the radar sensor system
(Y page 210).
R you pull the cruise control lever towards
you in order to pull away and the front-
passenger door or one of the rear doors is
open.
R the vehicle has skidded.
If DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated, you will
hear a warning tone. The DISTRONIC PLUSoff message is shown in the multifunction
display for approximately five seconds. Tips for driving with DISTRONIC PLUS General notes
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, going into and coming out of a
bend
The ability of DISTRONIC PLUS to detect vehi-
cles when cornering is limited. Your vehicle
may brake unexpectedly or late.
Vehicles travelling on
adifferent line DISTRONIC PLUS may not detect vehicles
travelling on a different line. The distance to
the vehicle in fron
twill be too short. Driving systems
161Driving and parking Z
Other vehicles changing lane
DISTRONIC PLUS has not detected the vehi-
cle cutting in yet. The distance to this vehicle
will be too short.
Narrow vehicles
DISTRONIC PLUS has not yet detected the
vehicle in fron
tonthe edge of the carriage-
way, because of its narrow width. The dis-
tance to the vehicle in front will be too short.
Obstructions and stationary vehicles DISTRONIC PLUS does not brake for obsta-
cles or stationary vehicles. If, for example, the detected 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
DISTRONIC PLUS at traffic lights with cross-
ing traffic, for example, could cause your vehi-
cle to pull away unintentionally. SPEEDTRONIC
Important safety notes 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-
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. 162
Driving systemsDriving and parking
Shortly before the store
dspeed is reached, it
appears in the multifunction 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). HOLD function
General notes The HOLD function can assist the driver in the
following situations:
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 effec tis cancelled and the HOLD
function deactivated when you depress the
accelerator pedal to pull away.
Activation conditions You can activate the HOLD function if:
R the vehicle is stationary.
R the engine is running or it has been auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/
stop function.
R the driver's door is closed or your seat belt
is fastened.
R the parking brake is not applied.
R the bonnet is closed.
R the transmission is in position D,Ror N.
R DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated.
Activating the HOLD function X
Make sure that the activation conditions
are met.
X Depress the brake pedal. X
Quickly depress the brake pedal further
until HOLD display
:appears in the multi-
function display.
The HOLD function is activated. You can
release the brake pedal.
i If depressing the brake pedal the first
time does not activate the HOLD function,
wait briefly and then try again. G
Risk of accident
The vehicle's brakes are applied when the
HOLD function is activated. For this reason,
deactivate the HOLD function if the vehicle is
to be set in motion by other means (e.g. in a
car wash or by towing).
Deactivating the HOLD function The HOLD function is deactivated automati-
cally if:
R
you accelerate and the transmission is in
position Dor R.
R the transmission is in position P.
R you apply the brakes againw ith a certain
amoun tofpressure until HOLD disappears
from the multifunction display.
R you activate DISTRONIC PLUS. G
Risk of accident
Never get out of the vehicle when the HOLD
function is activated.
The HOLD function must never be operated
or deactivated by a passenger or from outside
the vehicle.
The HOLD function does not replace the park-
ing brake and must not be used for parking. Driving systems
165Driving and parking
Z