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 ready to
brake, in particular when warned to do so by
DISTRONIC PLUS.
G WARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS brakes your vehicle with up
to 50% of the maximum possible deceleration.
If this braking force is insufficient, DISTRONIC
PLUS warns you visually and audibly. There is
a risk of an accident.
In such cases, apply the brakes yourself and
try to take evasive action.
! If DISTRONIC PLUS or the HOLD function
is activated, the vehicle brakes automati-
cally in certain situations.
To prevent damage to the vehicle, deacti-
vate DISTRONIC PLUS and the HOLD func-
tion in the following or other similar situa-
tions: R
when towing the vehicle R
in the car wash
If you fail to adapt your driving style,
DISTRONIC PLUS can neither reduce the risk
of accident nor override the laws of physics.
DISTRONIC PLUS cannot take into account
the road, traffic and weather conditions.
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 your 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 slippery road surfaces. Braking or accel-
erating could cause the drive wheels to lose
traction 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
vehicles driving in front, e.g. motorcycles, or
vehicles driving on a different line.
In particular, the detection of obstacles can
be impaired if: R
there is dirt on the sensors or anything else
covering the sensors R
there is snow or heavy rain R
there is interference by other radar sources R
there are strong radar reflections, for
example, in parking garages
If DISTRONIC PLUS no longer detects a vehi-
cle in front, DISTRONIC PLUS may unexpect-
edly accelerate the vehicle to the stored
speed.
This speed may: R
be too high if you are driving in a filter lane
or an exit lane R
be so high when driving in the right-hand
lane that you overtake vehicles in the left-
ha nd lane R
be so high when driving in the left-hand lane
that you overtake vehicles in the right-hand
lane
If there is a change of drivers, advise the new
driver of the speed stored. Driving systems 181
Driving and parking Z
dampers. The damping characteristics adapt
to the current operating and driving situation.
The damping is tuned individually to each
wheel and depends on: R
your driving style, e.g. sporty R
the road surface conditions R
the drive program selected R
the vehicle level setting
The drive program can be set using the
DYNAMIC SELECT button ( Y
page 155).
Selecting Comfort mode In the Comfort drive program, the driving
characteristics of your vehicle are more com-
fortable. Therefore, select this mode if you
favor a more comfortable driving style. Also
select the Comfort drive program when driv-
ing fast on straight roads, e.g. on straight
stretches of highway. X
Press DYNAMIC SELECT button C
( Y
page 155) as many times as necessary
until the Comfort drive program is selec-
ted.
Selecting Sport mode
The firmer setting of the suspension tuning in
the Sport drive program ensures even better
contact with the road. Select this drive pro-
gram when employing a sporty driving style,
e.g. on winding country roads. X
Press DYNAMIC SELECT button C
( Y
page 155) as many times as necessary
until the Sport drive program is selected.
PARKTRONIC
Important safety notes
PARKTRONIC is an electronic parking aid with
ultrasonic sensors. It monitors the area
around your vehicle using six sensors in the
front bumper and six sensors in the rear
bumper. PARKTRONIC indicates visually and audibly the distance between your vehicle
and an object.
PARKTRONIC is only an aid. It is not a replace-
ment for your attention to your immediate
surroundings. You are always responsible for
safe maneuvering, parking and exiting a park-
ing space. When maneuvering, parking or
pulling out of a parking space, make sure that
there are no persons, animals or objects in
the area in which you are maneuvering.
! When parking, pay particular attention to
objects above or below the sensors, such
as flower pots or trailer drawbars.
PARKTRONIC does not detect such objects
when they are in the immediate vicinity of
the vehicle. You could damage the vehicle
or the objects.
The sensors may not detect snow and other
objects that absorb ultrasonic waves.
Ultrasonic sources such as an automatic
car wash, the compressed-air brakes on a
truck or a pneumatic drill could cause
PARKTRONIC to malfunction.
PARKTRONIC may not function correctly on
uneven terrain.
PARKTRONIC is activated automatically when
you: R
switch on the ignition R
shift the transmission to position D , R or NR
release the electric parking brake
Range of the sensors
General notes
PARKTRONIC does not take objects into con-
sideration that are: R
below the detection range, e.g. people, ani-
mals or objects. R
above the detection range, e.g. overhang-
ing loads, truck overhangs or loading
ramps.192
Driving systems
Driving and parking