If there is no vehicle in front, DISTRONIC
PLUS operates in the same way as cruise
control.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that the vehicle in front has slowed down, it brakes your vehicle.
In this way, the distance you have selected is
maintained.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects a faster-moving
vehicle in front, it increases the driving speed. The vehicle is only accelerated up to the
speed you have stored.
Selecting the drive program
DISTRONIC Plus supports a sporty driving
style when you have selected the Sor Mdriv-
ing program (Y page 153). Acceleration
behind the vehicle in front or to the set speed is then noticeably more dynamic. If you have
selected the E(AMG vehicles: C) drive pro-
gram, the vehicle accelerates more gently.
This setting is recommended in stop-and-
start traffic.
Changing lanes
If you change to the passing lane, DISTRONIC PLUS supports you when:
R you are driving faster than 70 km/h
R DISTRONIC PLUS is maintaining the dis-
tance to a vehicle in front
R you switch on the appropriate turn signal
R DISTRONIC PLUS does not detect a danger
of collision
If these conditions are fulfilled, 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. Stopping G
WARNING
When leaving the vehicle, even if it is braked
only by DISTRONIC PLUS, it could roll away if:
R there is a malfunction in the system or in
the voltage supply.
R DISTRONIC PLUS has been deactivated
with the cruise control lever, e.g. by a vehi-
cle occupant or from outside the vehicle.
R the electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses have
been tampered with.
R the battery is disconnected.
R the accelerator pedal has been depressed,
e.g. by a vehicle occupant.
There is a risk of an accident.
If you wish to exit the vehicle, always turn off
DISTRONIC PLUS and secure the vehicle
against rolling away.
For further information on deactivating
DISTRONIC PLUS (Y page 176).
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.
i Depending on the specified minimum dis-
tance, your vehicle will come to a standstill
at a sufficient distance behind the vehicle in
front. The specified minimum distance is
set using the control on the cruise control
lever. 174
Driving systemsDriving and parking
When the HOLD function is activated, the
transmission is shifted automatically to posi- tion Pif:
R the driver's seat belt is not fastened and the
driver's door is open.
R the engine is switched off, unless it is auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/
stop function.
The electric parking brake secures the vehicle automatically if DISTRONIC PLUS is activated
when the vehicle is stationary and:
R a system malfunction occurs.
R the power supply is not sufficient.
If a malfunction in the electric parking brake
occurs, then the transmission may also be
shifted into position Pautomatically.
Setting a speed :
To store the current speed or a higher
speed
; To store the current speed or a lower
speed
Keep in mind that it may take a brief moment
until the vehicle has accelerated or braked to
the speed set.
X Press the cruise control lever up :for a
higher speed or down ;for a lower speed.
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. Setting the specified minimum distance 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
see this distance in the multifunction display
(Y page 176).
i Make sure that you maintain the mini-
mum distance to the vehicle in front as
required by law. Adjust the distance to the
vehicle in front if necessary. X
To increase: turn control=in direc-
tion ;.
DISTRONIC PLUS then maintains a greater distance between your vehicle and the
vehicle in front.
X To decrease: turn control=in direc-
tion :.
DISTRONIC PLUS then maintains a shorter
distance between your vehicle and the
vehicle in front. Driving systems
175Driving and parking Z
Deactivating DISTRONIC PLUS
There are several ways to deactivate
DISTRONIC PLUS:
X Briefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards :.
or X Brake, unless the vehicle is stationary
If you deactivate DISTRONIC PLUS, you will
see the DISTRONIC DISTRONIC PLUS
PLUSOff
Offmessage in the
multifunction display for approximately five
seconds.
i The last speed stored remains stored until
you switch off the engine. DISTRONIC PLUS
is not deactivated if you depress the accel-
erator pedal.
DISTRONIC PLUS is automatically deactiva-
ted if:
R you engage the electric parking brake or if
the vehicle is automatically secured with
the electric parking brake
R ESP ®
intervenes or you deactivate ESP ®
R the transmission is in the P,Ror Nposition
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 is skidding
R you activate Active Parking Assist
If DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated, you will
hear a warning tone. You will see the
DISTRONIC PLUS Off
DISTRONIC PLUS Off message in the multi-
function display for approximately five sec-
onds. DISTRONIC PLUS displays in the instru-
ment cluster Displays in the speedometer
Example: DISTRONIC PLUS displays in the speed-
ometer
When DISTRONIC PLUS is activated and there
are no vehicles detected in front, one or two
segments ;in the set speed range light up.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects a vehicle in front, segments ;between speed of the vehicle in
front =and stored speed :light up.
i For design reasons, the speed displayed
in the speedometer may differ slightly from the speed set for DISTRONIC PLUS.
Display when DISTRONIC PLUS is deacti-
vated
In the Assistance menu (Y page 209) of the
on-board computer, you can select the assis- tance display. Assistance graphic
: Vehicle in front, if detected
; Distance indicator, current distance to
the vehicle in front 176
Driving syste
msDriving and parking
=
Specified minimum distance to the vehi-
cle in front; adjustable
? Own vehicle
X Select the Assistance Info Display
Assistance Info Display
function using the on-board computer
(Y page 209).
Display when DISTRONIC PLUS is activa-
ted
You will initially see the stored speed for
about five seconds when you activate
DISTRONIC PLUS. Assistance graphic
: Vehicle in front, if detected
; Specified minimum distance to the vehi-
cle in front; adjustable
= Own vehicle
? DISTRONIC PLUS active (text only
appears when the cruise control lever is
actuated)
X Select the Assistance Info Display
Assistance Info Display
function using the on-board computer
(Y page 209).
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 traveling on a different line DISTRONIC PLUS may not detect vehicles
traveling on a different line. The distance to
the vehicle in front will be too short.
Other vehicles changing lanes Driving systems
177Driving and parking Z
Multifunction display
:
Permanent display: outside temperature
or speed (Y page 212)
; Time
= Text field
? Menu bar
A Drive program (Y page 149)
B Transmission position (Y page 149)
In AMG vehicles, the indicators in the lower
and upper part of the multifunction display
differ from the display shown here.
X To display menu bar ?: press the=
or ; button on the steering wheel.
Menu bar ?disappears after a few sec-
onds.
Text field =shows the selected menu or
submenu as well as display messages.
i Set the time using Audio 20 or COMAND
(see the separate operating instructions).
The following messages may appear in the
multifunction display:
Z Gearshift recommendation when
shifting manually (Y page 155)
XjY Active Parking Assist (Y page 184)
CRUISE
CRUISE Cruise control (Y
page 169) è
ECO start/stop function
(Ypage 145)
ë HOLD function (Y page 178) Menus and submenus
Menu overview
Press the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to call up the menu bar and select a
menu.
Operating the on-board computer
(Y page 201).
Depending on the equipment installed in the
vehicle, you can call up the following menus:
R Trip Trip menu (Y page 203)
R Navi Navi menu (navigation instructions)
(Y page 205)
R Audio
Audio menu (Y page 207)
R Tel
Tel menu (telephone) (Y page 208)
R DriveAssist
DriveAssist menu (assistance)
(Y page 209)
R Serv.
Serv. menu (Y page 211)
R Sett.
Sett. menu (settings) (Y page 211)
R AMG
AMG menu in AMG vehicles (Y page 214)
The Audio
Audio, Navi
NaviandTel
Tel menus differ slightly
in vehicles with Audio 20 and in vehicles with COMAND. The examples given in this Opera-
tor's Manual apply to vehicles equipped with
COMAND. Trip menu
Standard display X
Press and hold the %button on the
steering wheel until the Trip Tripmenu with Menus and submenus
203On-board computer and displays Z
X
Press the :or9 button to select the
Display Unit Speed-/Odometer
Display Unit Speed-/Odometer func-
tion.
You will see the selected setting: km
km or
miles
miles.
X Press the abutton to save the setting.
The selected unit of measurement for dis-
tance applies to:
R digital speedometer in the Trip
Trip menu
R odometer and the trip odometer
R trip computer
R current fuel consumption and approximate
range
R navigation instructions in the Navi
Navi menu
R cruise control
R DISTRONIC PLUS
R ASSYST PLUS service interval display
Switching the additional speedometer
on/off
The Speedometer [km/h]
Speedometer [km/h] orSpeedometer Speedometer
[mph]
[mph] function allows you to choose whether
the multifunction display in the status area
shows the speed in km/h
km/hor inmph
mphinstead of
the outside temperature.
X Press the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the Sett.
Sett. menu.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Instrument Cluster
Instrument Cluster submenu.
X Press ato confirm.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Speedometer [km/h]
Speedometer [km/h] orSpeedometer
Speedometer
[mph]
[mph] function.
You will see the selected setting: On
OnorOff
Off.
X Press the abutton to save the setting.
Selecting the permanent display function
You can determine whether the multifunction display permanently shows the outside tem-
perature or your speed in km/h( USA) or mph
(Canada). X
Press the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the Sett.
Sett. menu.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Instrument Cluster Instrument Cluster submenu.
X Press ato confirm.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Permanent Display:
Permanent Display: function.
You will see the selected setting: Outside
Outside
Temperature
Temperature orSpeedometer [km/h]
Speedometer [km/h]/
Speedometer [mph]
Speedometer [mph].
X Press the abutton to save the setting.
i The speed is highlighted in km/h or in
mph conversely to your speedometer.
Lights Switching the daytime running lamps on/
off
This function is not available in Canada.
X Press the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the Sett. Sett.menu.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Lights
Lights submenu.
X Press ato confirm.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Daytime Running Lights
Daytime Running Lights function.
If the Daytime Running Lights
Daytime Running Lights function
has been switched on, the cone of light and the W symbol in the multifunction dis-
play are shown in orange.
X Press the abutton to save the setting.
Further information on daytime running lights
(Y page 110).
Vehicle Activating/deactivating the automatic
door locking mechanism
X Press the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the Sett. Sett.menu.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Vehicle
Vehicle submenu.
X Press ato confirm. 212
Menus and submenusOn-board computer and displays
Display messages
Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions DISTRONIC
DISTRONIC
PLUS
PLUSCur‐
Cur‐
rently
rently Unavailable
Unavailable
See
See Operator's
Operator's Man‐
Man‐
ual
ual DISTRONIC PLUS is temporarily inoperative.
Possible causes are:
R function is impaired due to heavy rain or snow.
R the radar sensor system is temporarily inoperative, e.g. due to
electromagnetic radiation emitted by nearby TV or radio sta-
tions or other sources of electromagnetic radiation.
R the system is outside the operating temperature range.
R the on-board voltage is too low.
A warning tone also sounds.
When the causes stated above no longer apply, the display mes-
sage disappears.
DISTRONIC PLUS is operational again.
If the display message does not disappear:
X Pull over and stop the vehicle safely as soon as possible, paying
attention to road and traffic conditions.
X Secure the vehicle against rolling away (Y page 160).
X Restart the engine. DISTRONIC PLUS DISTRONIC PLUS
Inoperative Inoperative DISTRONIC PLUS is defective. Adaptive Brake Assist may also
have failed.
A warning tone also sounds.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop. DISTRONIC DISTRONIC
PLUS
PLUSsus‐
sus‐
pended
pended You have depressed the accelerator pedal. DISTRONIC PLUS is no
longer controlling the speed of the vehicle.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator pedal. DISTRONIC PLUS
DISTRONIC PLUS
- - - mph - - - mph An activation condition for DISTRONIC PLUS is not fulfilled.
X Check the activation conditions for DISTRONIC PLUS
(Y page 171). Cruise Control
Cruise Control
Inoperative Inoperative Cruise control is malfunctioning.
A warning tone also sounds.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop. Cruise Control Cruise Control
- - - mph - - - mph A condition for activating cruise control has not been fulfilled.
You have tried to store a speed below 20 mph
(30 km/h), for
example.
X If conditions permit, drive faster than 20 mph (30 km/ h)and
store the speed.
X Check the activation conditions for cruise control (Y page 170).238
Display messagesOn-board computer and displays
Problem
Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions ÷
The yellow ESP
®
warn-
ing lamp flashes while
the vehicle is in motion. ESP
®
or traction control has intervened because there is a risk of
skidding or at least one wheel has started to spin.
Cruise control or DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated.
X When pulling away, only depress the accelerator pedal as far as
necessary.
X Ease off the accelerator pedal while the vehicle is in motion.
X Adapt your driving style to suit the road and weather conditions.
X Do not deactivate ESP ®
.
In rare cases (Y page 68) , it may be best to deactivate ESP ®
.
Observe the important safety notes on ESP ®
(Y page 67). å
The yellow ESP
®
OFF
warning lamp is lit while the engine is running. ESP
®
is deactivated. ESP ®
will not stabilize the vehicle if it starts to
skid or if a wheel starts to spin.
G WARNING
If ESP ®
is switched off, ESP ®
is unable to stabilize the vehicle.
There is an increased risk of skidding and an accident.
X Reactivate ESP ®
.
In rare cases (Y page 68) , it may be best to deactivate ESP ®
.
Observe the important safety notes on ESP ®
(Y page 67).
X Adapt your driving style to suit the road and weather conditions.
If ESP ®
cannot be activated:
X Drive on carefully.
X Have ESP ®
checked at a qualified specialist workshop. M
AMG vehicles only:
The yellow SPORT han-
dling mode warning
lamp is lit while the
engine is running.
SPORT handling mode is activated.
G WARNING
When SPORT handling mode is switched on, ESP ®
is unable to
stabilize the vehicle.
There is an increased risk of skidding and an accident.
X Only switch to SPORT handling mode in accordance with the
conditions described in the "Activating/deactivating SPORT
handling mode" section (Y page 68). Warning and indicator lamps in the instrument cluster
253On-board computer and displays Z