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Driving systems
Cruise control
General notes Cruise control maintains a constant road speed
for you. It brakes automatically in order to avoid
exceeding the set speed. Change into a lower
gear in good time on long and steep downhill
gradients. Take particular note of this when driv-
ing a laden vehicle. By doing so, you will make
use of the braking effect of the engine. This
relieves the load on the brake system and pre-
vents the brakes from overheating and wearing too quickly.
Use cruise control only if road and traffic con-
ditions are appropriate for maintaining a steady speed for a prolonged period. You can store anyroad speed above 30 km/h.
Cruise control lever :
To store the current speed or a higher speed
; LIM indicator lamp
= To store the current speed or re-calling the
last stored speed
? To store the current speed or a lower speed
A To switch between cruise control and varia-
ble SPEEDTRONIC
B To deactivate cruise control
You can operate cruise control and variable
SPEEDTRONIC with the cruise control lever.
The LIM indicator lamp on the cruise control
lever indicates which system you have selected:
R LIM indicator lamp off: cruise control is
selected.
R LIM indicator lamp on: variable SPEED-
TRONIC is selected.
When you activate cruise control, the stored
speed is shown in the multifunction display for five seconds. In addition, the
ésymbol
appears in the multifunction display. In the
speedometer, the segments between the stored
speed and the maximum speed light up.
Selecting cruise control X
Check whether LIM indicator lamp :is off.
If it is off, cruise control is already selected.
If it is not, press the cruise control lever in the direction of arrow ;.
LIM indicator lamp :in the cruise control
lever goes out. Cruise control is selected.
Storing and maintaining the current
speed You can store the current speed if you are driv-
ing faster than 30 km/h.
X Accelerate the vehicle to the desired speed.
X Briefly press the cruise control lever up :or
down ;.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator pedal.
Cruise control is activated. The vehicle auto-
matically maintains the speed.
i Cruise control may be unable to maintain
the stored speed on uphill gradients. The
stored speed is resumed when the gradient 126
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evens out. Cruise control maintains the
stored speed on downhill gradients by auto-
matically braking the vehicle.
Storing, maintaining and calling up a
speed G
WARNING
If you call up the stored speed and it is lower
than the current speed, the vehicle deceler-
ates. If you do not know the stored speed, the vehicle could decelerate unexpectedly. There
is a risk of an accident.
Pay attention to the road and traffic condi-
tions before calling up the stored speed. If you do not know the stored speed, store the
desired speed again. X
Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you :.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator pedal.
The first time cruise control is activated, it
stores the current speed or regulates the
speed of the vehicle to the previously stored
speed.
Setting a speed Bear in mind that it may take a brief moment
until the vehicle has accelerated or braked to
the set speed.
X Press the cruise control lever up :for a
higher speed or down ;for 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.
X To adjust the set speed in1 km/hincre-
ments:
briefly press the cruise control lever
up : or down ;to the pressure point.
The last stored speed increases or decreases
in 1 km/h increments.
X To adjust the set speed in10 km/hincre-
ments: briefly press the cruise control lever
up : or down ;beyond the pressure point.
The last stored speed increases or decreases
in 10 km/h increments.
i Cruise control is not deactivated if you
depress the accelerator pedal. If you acceler-
ate to overtake, cruise control adjusts the
vehicle's speed to the last speed stored after
you have finished overtaking.
Deactivating cruise control There are several ways to deactivate cruise con-
trol:
X Briefly press the cruise control lever forwards
=.
or
X Brake.
or
X Briefly move the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow ;.
Variable SPEEDTRONIC is selected. LIM indi-
cator lamp :in the cruise control lever is lit. Driving systems
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Cruise control is automatically deactivated if:
R you apply the electric parking brake
R you are driving at less than 30 km/h
R ESP ®
intervenes or you deactivate ESP ®
R you shift the transmission to position Nwhile
driving
If cruise control is deactivated, you will hear a
warning tone. You will see the Cruise con‐
Cruise con‐
trol off trol off message in the multifunction display
for approximately five seconds.
i The last speed stored is cleared when you
switch off the engine. SPEEDTRONIC
General notes SPEEDTRONIC brakes automatically so that you
do not exceed the set speed. Shift to a lower
gear in good time on long and steep downhill
gradients. Take particular note of this when driv-
ing a laden vehicle. By doing so, you will make
use of the braking effect of the engine. This
relieves the load on the brake system and pre-
vents the brakes from overheating and wearing too quickly.
Important safety notes If you fail to adapt your driving style, SPEED-
TRONIC can neither reduce the risk of an acci-
dent nor override the laws of physics. SPEED-
TRONIC cannot take into account road, weather or traffic conditions. SPEEDTRONIC is only an
aid. You are responsible for the distance to the
vehicle in front, for vehicle speed, for braking in
good time and for staying in lane.
If a new driver takes over, advise the new driver
of the speed stored.
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 restrictions,
e.g. when driving with winter tyres fitted
(Y page 130)
i The speed indicated in the speedometer
may differ slightly from the limit speed stored. Variable SPEEDTRONIC General notes
:
To store the current speed or a higher speed
; LIM indicator lamp
= To store the current speed or call up the last
stored speed
? To store the current speed or a lower speed
A To switch between cruise control or
DISTRONIC PLUS and variable SPEED-
TRONIC
B To deactivate variable SPEEDTRONIC
With the cruise control lever, you can operate
cruise control or DISTRONIC PLUS and variable SPEEDTRONIC.
The LIM indicator lamp on the cruise control
lever indicates which system you have selected:
R LIM indicator lamp off: cruise control or
DISTRONIC PLUS is selected
R LIM indicator lamp on: variable SPEED-
TRONIC 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.
Selecting variable SPEEDTRONIC 128
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If there is a change of drivers, advise the new
driver of the limit speed stored.
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 ;.
LIM indicator lamp :in the cruise control
lever is on. Variable SPEEDTRONIC is selec-
ted.
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 ;.
The current speed is stored and shown in the
multifunction display.
The speedometer dial lights up between the
start of the scale and the stored speed.
Storing the current speed and calling up a stored speed G
WARNING
If you call up the stored speed and it is lower
than the current speed, the vehicle deceler-
ates. If you do not know the stored speed, the vehicle could decelerate unexpectedly. There
is a risk of an accident.
Pay attention to the road and traffic condi-
tions before calling up the stored speed. If you do not know the stored speed, store the
desired speed again. X
Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you :.
Setting a speed X
To adjust the set speed in10 km/hincre-
ments:briefly press the cruise control lever
up : beyond the pressure point 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.
X To adjust the set speed in1 km/hincre-
ments:briefly press the cruise control lever
up
: to the pressure point 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.
Switching SPEEDTRONIC to passive If you depress the accelerator pedal beyond the
pressure point (kickdown), SPEEDTRONIC is
switched to passive mode. The following mes- Driving systems
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sage appears in the multifunction display:
SPEEDTRONIC passive
SPEEDTRONIC passive.
You can then exceed the stored speed. SPEED-
TRONIC is activated again if you:
R drive at less than the stored speed without
kickdown
R set a new speed or
R call up the last speed stored again
The SPEEDTRONIC passive
SPEEDTRONIC passive message in the
multifunction display disappears.
Deactivating variable SPEEDTRONIC
It is not possible to deactivate variable SPEED-
TRONIC by braking. There are several ways to deactivate variable
SPEEDTRONIC:
X Briefly press the cruise control lever forwards
=.
or
X Briefly press the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow ;.
LIM indicator lamp :in the cruise control
lever goes out. Variable SPEEDTRONIC is
deactivated.
Cruise control or DISTRONIC PLUS is selec-
ted.
i The last speed stored is cleared when you
switch off the engine.
Permanent SPEEDTRONIC You can use the on-board computer to perma-
nently limit the speed to a value between
160 km/h(e.g. for driving on winter tyres) and
the maximum speed (Y page 166).
Shortly before the stored speed 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). DISTRONIC PLUS
General notes DISTRONIC PLUS regulates the speed and auto-
matically helps you maintain the distance to the vehicle detected in front. Vehicles are detected
with the aid of the radar sensor system.
DISTRONIC PLUS brakes automatically so that
the set speed is not exceeded.
Shift to a lower gear in good time on long and
steep downhill gradients. Take particular note of
this when driving a laden vehicle. By doing so,
you will make use of the braking effect of the
engine. This relieves the load on the brake sys-
tem and prevents the brakes from overheating
and wearing too quickly.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects a risk of collision
with the vehicle in front, you will be warned vis-
ually and acoustically. Without your interven-
tion, DISTRONIC PLUS cannot prevent a colli-
sion. An intermittent warning tone will then
sound and the distance warning lamp will light
up in the instrument cluster. Brake immediately to increase the distance to the vehicle in front,
or take evasive action, provided it is safe to do
so.
DISTRONIC PLUS operates in the range
between 0 km/h and 200 km/h.
Do not use DISTRONIC PLUS while driving on
roads with steep gradients.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS does not react to:
R people or animals
R stationary obstacles on the road, e.g. stop-
ped or parked vehicles
R oncoming and crossing traffic
As a result, DISTRONIC PLUS may neither give
warnings nor intervene in such situations.
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit- uation and be ready to brake. 130
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G
WARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS cannot always clearly rec-
ognise other road users and complex traffic
conditions.
In such cases, DISTRONIC PLUS may:
R give an unnecessary warning and then
brake the vehicle
R neither give a warning nor intervene
R accelerate or brake unexpectedly
There is a risk of an accident.
Continue to drive carefully and be prepared to
brake, particularly if DISTRONIC PLUS warns
you. G
WARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS brakes your vehicle with up to 50% of the maximum possible deceleration.
If this deceleration is not sufficient,
DISTRONIC PLUS alerts you with a visual and
acoustic warning. There is a risk of an acci-
dent.
Apply the brakes yourself in these situations
and try to take evasive action.
! When DISTRONIC PLUS or the HOLD func-
tion is activated, the vehicle brakes automat- ically in certain situations.
To avoid damage to the vehicle, deactivate
DISTRONIC PLUS and the HOLD function in
the following or similar situations:
R when towing away
R in a car wash
If you fail to adapt your driving style, DISTRONIC PLUS can neither reduce the risk of an accident
nor override the laws of physics. DISTRONIC
PLUS cannot take road and weather conditions
or traffic conditions into account. DISTRONIC
PLUS is only an aid. You are responsible for the
distance to the vehicle in front, for vehicle
speed, for braking in good time and for staying in lane. Do not use DISTRONIC PLUS:
R in road and traffic conditions which do not
allow you to maintain a constant speed, e.g. in
heavy traffic or on winding roads.
R on icy or slippery roads. Braking or acceler-
ating can cause the drive wheels to lose trac-
tion and the vehicle could then skid.
R when there is poor visibility, e.g. due to fog,
heavy rain or snow.
DISTRONIC PLUS may not detect narrow vehi-
cles driving in front, e.g. motorcycles, or vehi-
cles driving on a different line.
In particular, the detection of obstacles can be
impaired in the following situations:
R dirt on the sensors or obscured sensors
R snow or heavy rain
R interference by other radar sources
R strong radar reflections, e.g. in multi-storey
car parks
If DISTRONIC PLUS no longer detects a vehicle
in front, it may unexpectedly accelerate to the
speed stored.
This speed can:
R be too high for a filter lane or a slip road
R be so high in the right lane that you pass vehi-
cles driving on the left (in countries where
they drive on the right)
R be so high in the left lane that you pass vehi-
cles driving on the right (in countries where
they drive on the left)
If a new driver takes over, advise the new driver
of the speed stored.
Cruise control lever :
To activate or increase speed
; To set the specified minimum distance
= LIM indicator lamp Driving systems
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?
To activate at the current speed/last stored
speed
A To activate or reduce speed
B To switch between DISTRONIC PLUS and
variable SPEEDTRONIC
C To deactivate DISTRONIC PLUS
You can operate DISTRONIC PLUS and variable
SPEEDTRONIC with the cruise control lever.
LIM indicator lamp =on the cruise control lever
indicates which function you have selected:
R LIM indicator lamp = =off:DISTRONIC PLUS
is selected.
R LIM indicator lamp= =on:variable SPEED-
TRONIC is selected.
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 ;.
LIM indicator lamp :in the cruise control
lever goes out. DISTRONIC PLUS is selected.
Activating DISTRONIC PLUS Activation conditions
To activate DISTRONIC PLUS, the following con-
ditions must be fulfilled:
R the engine must be running. It may take up to
two minutes of driving before DISTRONIC
PLUS is ready for use.
R the electric parking brake must be released.
R ESP ®
must be switched on, but not interven-
ing.
R the transmission must be in position D.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 the rear doors
must be closed.
R the DISTRONIC PLUS function must be selec-
ted with the cruise control lever (Y page 132).
Activating X
Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you ;, up :or down =.
DISTRONIC PLUS is activated.
X Press the cruise control lever repeatedly
up : or down =until 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 inactive DISTRONIC PLUS inactive mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display. The
set distance to a slower-moving vehicle in
front will then not be maintained. The position of the accelerator pedal will determine the
speed.
You can also activate DISTRONIC PLUS when
stationary. The lowest speed that can be set is
30 km/h. X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you ;or press it up :or down =.
DISTRONIC PLUS is activated.
Activating at the current speed/last
stored speed G
WARNING
If you call up a stored speed and this is dif-
ferent from the current speed, the vehicle 132
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accelerates or brakes. If you do not know
what the stored speed is, the vehicle may
accelerate or brake unexpectedly. There is a
risk of an accident.
Take the traffic conditions into account
before calling up the stored speed. If you do
not know what the stored speed is, store the
desired speed again. 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. Oth-
erwise, it sets the vehicle cruise speed to the
previously stored value.
Driving with DISTRONIC PLUS Pulling away and driving X
If you want to pull away with DISTRONIC
PLUS:
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. If no vehicle is
detected in front, your vehicle accelerates to
the set speed.
i The vehicle can also pull away when it is
facing an unidentified obstacle or is driving on
a different line from another vehicle. The vehi-
cle then brakes automatically. There is a risk
of an accident. Be ready to brake at all times.
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 main-
tained.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects a faster-moving
vehicle in front, it increases the driving speed.
However, the vehicle is only accelerated up to
the speed you have stored.
Selecting the drive program
DISTRONIC PLUS assists a sporty driving style
when you have selected the Sor S+ drive pro-
gram (see the vehicle Owner's Manual). Accel-
eration behind the vehicle in front or to the set
speed is then noticeably more dynamic. When
you select the Cdrive program, the vehicle
accelerates more gently. This setting is recom-
mended in stop-start traffic.
Changing lanes
If you change to the overtaking lane, DISTRONIC
PLUS supports you if:
R you are driving at a speed greater than
70 km/h
R you switch on the respective turn signal
R DISTRONIC PLUS does not detect a danger of
collision
If these conditions are met, your vehicle accel-
erates. Acceleration will be interrupted if chang- ing lanes takes too long or if the distance
between your vehicle and the vehicle in front
becomes too small.
i Vehicles with COMAND Online:
when you
change lanes, DISTRONIC PLUS monitors the Driving systems
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