
Cruise control lever:To store the current speed or a higher
speed;To store the current speed or a lower
speed=To deactivate DISTRONIC?To store the current speed or to call up
the last stored speed
Switching on DISTRONIC, storing and
maintaining the current speed
GWARNING
The vehicle can be braked when DISTRONIC
is activated. For this reason, deactivate
DISTRONIC if the vehicle is to be set in motion
by other means (e.g. in a car wash or by
towing).
You can activate DISTRONIC in the following
circumstances:
R if the engine has been started and you have
been driving for up to two minutes
R while driving, except if you brake
R if the parking brake is not applied
R if ESP ®
is activated
R if the transmission is in position D
Activating while driving
When driving at speeds below 20 mph
(30 km/h) , you can only activate DISTRONIC
PLUS if the vehicle in front has been detected
and is shown in the multifunction display. If
the vehicle in front is not shown in the
multifunction display and is no longer being
detected, because it has changed lanes, for
example, DISTRONIC is deactivated and you
hear a warning tone.XBriefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you ? or press it up : or down ; to the
pressure point.
DISTRONIC is activated.XKeep the cruise control lever pressed
up : or down ; until the desired speed
is set.XRemove 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 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 177).
i If you do not fully release the accelerator
pedal, the DISTRONIC Override message
appears in the multifunction display. The
set distance to a slower-moving vehicle in
front will then not be maintained. You will
be driving at the speed you determine by
the position of the accelerator pedal.
Driving
If there is no vehicle in front, DISTRONIC
operates in the same way as cruise control.
If a slower-moving vehicle is detected in front,
DISTRONIC causes your vehicle to brake and
maintain the preset distance to the vehicle in
front.
If DISTRONIC detects a faster-moving vehicle
in front, it increases the driving speed, but
only up to the desired speed you have stored.
GWARNING
If you depress the brake pedal, DISTRONIC is
deactivated. DISTRONIC will then no longer
brake your vehicle. In such cases, control the
distance from vehicles traveling in front with
the brake alone. You could otherwise cause
an accident and thereby injure yourself and
others. The driver remains fully responsible
Driving systems175Driving and parkingZ

for the vehicle's distance from other vehicles,
the speed being driven and for braking in good
time.
StoppingGWARNING
DISTRONIC must never be operated,
activated or deactivated by a passenger or
from outside the vehicle.
If DISTRONIC detects that the vehicle in front
is stopping, it brakes your vehicle until it is
stationary.
i Depending on the specified minimum
distance, your vehicle will come to a
standstill at a sufficient distance behind the
vehicle in front. The specified minimum
distance is set using the thumbwheel on
the cruise-control lever.
DISTRONIC is deactivated automatically
when stopping:
R on flat stretches of road or on downhill
gradients when the vehicle is stationary
R while the vehicle is still moving on uphill
gradients, to prevent the vehicle from
unexpectedly rolling back when
DISTRONIC is deactivated
If DISTRONIC is deactivated, you will hear a
warning tone.
XTo prevent the vehicle from rolling away,
apply the foot brake or parking brake.
Setting a speed
GWARNING
Keep in mind that it may take a brief moment
until the vehicle has made the necessary
adjustments.
Increase or decrease the set vehicle speed to
a value that the prevailing road conditions and
legal speed limits permit. Otherwise, sudden
and unexpected acceleration or deceleration
of the vehicle could cause an accident and/
or serious injury to you and others.
XPress the cruise control lever to the
pressure point, up : for a higher speed or
down ; for a lower speed.XKeep the cruise control lever pressed until
the desired speed is reached.XRelease the cruise control lever.
The new speed is stored. DISTRONIC is
activated and adjusts the vehicle's speed
to the new speed stored.
Making adjustments in 1 mph (Canada:
1 km/h) increments
XBriefly press the cruise control lever to the
pressure point, up : for a higher speed or
down ; for a lower speed.
The last speed stored is increased or
reduced.
Making adjustments in 5 mph (Canada:
10 km/h) increments
XBriefly press the cruise control lever
beyond the pressure point, up : for a
higher speed or down ; for a lower speed.
The last speed stored is increased or
reduced.
Storing the current speed or calling up
the last stored speed
GWARNING
The set speed stored in memory should only
be set again if prevailing road conditions and
legal speed limits permit. Possible
acceleration or deceleration differences
arising from returning to the preset speed
could cause an accident and/or serious injury
to you and others.
XBriefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you ?.XRemove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
DISTRONIC is activated and accepts the
current speed if it is activated for the first176Driving systemsDriving and parking

time, or adjusts the vehicle's speed to the
last speed stored.
Setting the specified minimum distance
You can set the specified minimum distance
for DISTRONIC by varying the time span
between one and two seconds. This time span
determines the distance that DISTRONIC
should maintain from the vehicle in front,
depending on the road speed. You can see
this distance in the multifunction display
( Y page 178).
GWARNING
It is up to the driver to exercise discretion to
select the appropriate setting given road
conditions, traffic, driver's preferred driving
style and applicable laws and driving
recommendations for safe following distance.
XTo increase: turn thumbwheel ; towards
= .
DISTRONIC then maintains a greater
distance between your vehicle and the
vehicle in front.XTo decrease: turn thumbwheel ;
towards :.
DISTRONIC then maintains a shorter
distance between your vehicle and the
vehicle in front.
i Make sure that you maintain the
minimum distance to the vehicle in front as
required by law. Adjust the distance to the
vehicle in front if necessary.
DISTRONIC displays in the
speedometer
When DISTRONIC is activated, one or
two segments in the set speed range light up.
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,
segments ; between the speed of the
vehicle in front : and stored speed = light
up.
GWARNING
An intermittent warning sounds and the
distance warning lamp · in the instrument
cluster is illuminated if the Distronic system
calculates that the distance to the vehicle
ahead and your vehicle's current speed
indicate that the Distronic will not be capable
of slowing the vehicle sufficiently to maintain
the preset following distance, which creates
a danger of a collision.
Immediately brake the vehicle to increase
your distance to the preceding vehicle. The
warning sound is intended as a final caution
in which you should intercede with your own
braking inputs to avoid a potentially
dangerous situation. Do not wait for the
operation of the warning signal to intercede
with your own braking. This will result in
potentially dangerous emergency braking
which will not always result in an impact being
avoided.
Tailgating increases the risk of an accident.
Driving systems177Driving and parkingZ

FunctionETrip computer menu (Y page 210)FTelephone menu (Y page 211)Standard display menu
Standard displayXPress the V or U button on the
steering wheel to select the standard
display.
Standard display
:Trip odometer;Odometer
You can select the following functions in the
Standard display menu using the & or
* button:
R tire pressure loss warning system
( Y page 329) (Canada only)
R tire pressure monitor ( Y page 331) (USA
only)
R coolant temperature ( Y page 202)
R digital speedometer or outside
temperature ( Y page 202)
R ASSYST PLUS service interval display
( Y page 287)
XTo reset the trip odometer: press and
hold the . reset button in the instrument
cluster until the trip odometer is reset.
Displaying the coolant temperature
GWARNING
Driving when your engine is overheated can
cause some fluids which may have leaked into
the engine compartment to catch fire. You
could be seriously burned.
Steam from an overheated engine can cause
serious burns which can occur just by opening
the engine hood. Stay away from the engine
if you see or hear steam coming from it.
Stop the vehicle in a safe location away from
other traffic. Turn off the engine, get out of the
vehicle and do not stand near the vehicle until
the engine has cooled down.XPress the V or U button on the
steering wheel to select the standard
display.XPress the & or * button to select the
coolant temperature.
Under normal driving conditions, with the
correct anti-corrosion and antifreeze additive
concentration, the reading may rise to
248 ‡(120 †).
! If the coolant temperature exceeds
248 ‡(120 †) do not continue driving. The
engine will otherwise be damaged.
Displaying the digital speedometer or
outside temperature
If you have selected the digital speedometer
for the status bar ( Y page 206), the outside
temperature is displayed here.
202Menus and submenusOn-board computer and displays

Settings menu
Introduction
The Settings menu can be used for:
R restoring the factory settings
R changing the instrument cluster settings
R changing the time/date settings 26
R changing the light settings
R changing the vehicle settings
R changing the convenience settings
Resetting to factory settings
For safety reasons, the Daytime Running
Lamps function in the Lighting submenu is
only reset when the engine is switched off.
XPress V or U on the steering wheel
to select the Settings menu.XPress and hold the . reset button on the
instrument cluster for approximately three
seconds.
A prompt appears in the multifunction
display asking you to confirm by pressing
the . reset button again.XPress the . reset button again.
The settings of most functions are restored
to the factory settings.
or
XIf you want to retain the settings, do not
press the . reset button a second time.
After approximately five seconds, the
Settings menu reappears.XPress the V or U button to select a
different menu.Instrument cluster
Selecting the unit of measurement for
distance
This function is only available in Canada.
The Display unit Speedometer/
Odometer function allows you to choose
whether certain displays appear in kilometers
or miles.
The selected unit of measurement for
distance applies to:
R the analog speedometer
R the odometer and the trip odometer
R the trip computer
R the navigation instruction in the
Navigation menu
R DISTRONIC
XPress the V or U button on the
steering wheel to select the Settings
menu.XPress the & button to call up the
selection of submenus.XPress the W or X button to select the
Instrument Cluster submenu.XPress the & button to select Display
Unit Speedometer/Odometer .XPress the W or X button to select
km or Miles as the unit of measurement for
distance.XPress the &, V or U button to
select a different display.
Selecting the unit of distance for the
digital speedometer
XPress V or U on the steering wheel
to select the Settings menu.XPress the & button to select submenus.XPress the W or X button to select the
Instrument cluster submenu.XPress the & button to display Display
unit Digital speedometer .26
This function is not available in vehicles with the navigation module.Menus and submenus205On-board computer and displaysZ

If you have switched the function on and you
fold the exterior mirrors in using the button
on the door ( Y page 110), they will not fold
out automatically. The exterior mirrors can
then only be folded out using the button on
the door.XPress V or U on the steering wheel
to select the Settings menu.XPress the & button to select submenus.XPress the W or X button to select the
Convenience submenu.XPress & to select Fold In Mirrors
When Locking .XPress W or X to activate/deactivate
the Fold Mirrors In When Locking
function.XPress the &, V or U button to
select a different display.
Additional functions menu
Activating/deactivating the distance
warning function
This function is only available with
DISTRONIC.
XPress V or U on the steering wheel
to select the Additional functions menu.XPress the & or * button to select the
Distance warning function.XPress the W or X button to activate
or deactivate the Distance warning
system.
When the distance warning function
( Y page 68) is activated, the Ä symbol
is shown in the lower multifunction display.XPress the &, V or U button to
select a different display.
Activating/deactivating Blind Spot
Assist
Further information about Blind Spot Assist
( Y page 189).
XPress V or U on the steering wheel
to select the Additional functions menu.XPress the & or * button to select the
Blind Spot Assist function.XPress the W or X button to switch
Blind Spot Assist on or off.XPress the &, V or U button to
select a different display.
Trip computer menu
Trip computer "From start" or "From
reset"
The values in the From Start submenu refer
to the start of your journey, while those in the
From Reset submenu refer to the last time
you reset ( Y page 211) this submenu.
XPress the V or U button on the
steering wheel to select the trip
computer menu.XPress the & or * button to select
From Start or From Reset .
Trip computer "From start" (example)
:Distance;Time=Average speed?Average fuel consumption
The From Start trip computer is reset
automatically when:
R the ignition has been switched off for more
than four hours.
R 999 hours have been exceeded.
R 9,999 miles have been exceeded.
210Menus and submenusOn-board computer and displays

When 9,999 hours or 99,999 miles have been
exceeded, the trip computer is automatically
reset From Reset .
Resetting valuesXPress the V or U button on the
steering wheel to select the trip
computer menu.XPress the & or * button to select the
function that you wish to reset.XPress and hold the . reset button on the
instrument cluster until the values have
reverted to "0".
Calling up the range
XPress V or U on the steering wheel
to select the trip computer menu.XPress & or * to select Range:.
The multifunction display shows the
estimated range of the vehicle, based on
the current driving style and the fuel level.
If there is only a small amount of fuel left in
the fuel tank, the display shows a vehicle
being refueled C instead of the range.
Displaying the current fuel
consumption
XPress V or U on the steering wheel
to select the trip computer menu.XPress & or * to select
Consumption .
The current fuel consumption is displayed.Telephone menu
Introduction
You can establish a Bluetooth ®
connection to
COMAND (see the separate operating
instructions).
GWARNING
A driver's attention to the road must always
be his/her primary focus when driving. For
your safety and the safety of others, we
recommend that you pull over to a safe
location and stop before placing or taking a
telephone call. If you choose to use the
telephone while driving, please use the hands-
free device and only use the telephone when
weather, road and traffic conditions permit.
Some jurisdictions prohibit the driver from
using a mobile phone while driving a vehicle.
Bear in mind that at a speed of just 30 mph
(approximately 50 km/h ), your vehicle is
covering a distance of 44 feet (approximately
14 m) every second.
XSwitch on the mobile phone and COMAND
(see the separate operating instructions).XPress the V or U button on the
steering wheel to select the Telephone
menu.
You will see one of the following display
messages in the multifunction display:
R Ready or the name of the network provider:
the mobile phone has found a network and
is ready to receive.
R No Service : no network is available, or the
mobile phone is searching for a network.
Accepting a call
If someone calls you when you are in the
Telephone menu, a display message appears
in the multifunction display, for example:
Menus and submenus211On-board computer and displaysZ

Display messages
General information
GWARNING
All categories of messages contain important information which should be taken note of and,
where a malfunction is indicated, addressed as soon as possible at an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
Failure to repair the condition noted may cause damage not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty, or result in property damage or personal injury.
Display messages appear in the multifunction display.
Display messages with graphic displays may be shown in simplified form in the Operator's
Manual and may differ from the messages shown in the multifunction display.
Please respond in accordance with the display messages and follow the additional notes in
this Operator's Manual.
Certain display messages are accompanied by an audible warning tone or a continuous tone.
Hiding display messages
You can hide some display messages with a low priority.
XPress the V, U , & or * button on the steering wheel to select another display.
or
XPress the . reset button on the instrument cluster ( Y page 29).
The display message is cleared.
Display messages with a high priority are shown in red.
You cannot hide display messages of the highest priority. The multifunction display shows
these messages continuously until the causes for the messages have been remedied.
Message memory menu
The on-board computer saves certain display messages. You can call up the display messages
in the message memory menu.
The message memory menu is only shown if any display messages have been stored.
XPress the V or U button repeatedly, until either the original menu or the message
memory menu is shown.
If there are display messages, the multifunction display shows, for example, 2 Messages.XPress the & or * button to scroll through the display messages.
When the ignition is switched off, all display messages are deleted apart from some high-
priority display messages. Once the causes of the high-priority display messages have been
rectified, the corresponding display messages are also deleted.
Display messages213On-board computer and displaysZ