
DISTRONI C PLUS
General notes DISTRONIC PLU S regulates th e speed and auto-
matically helps you maintain th e distanc e from
th e vehicle detecte d in front. Vehicles are detec -
te d wit h th e aid of th e radar sensor system.
DISTRONIC PLU S brake s automatically so that
th e set speed is no t exceeded.
Change into a lowe r gear in goo d time on lon g
and steep downhill gradients. Thi s is especially
important if th e vehicle is laden. By doin g so, you
will mak e use of th e braking effect of th e engine.
Thi s relieves th e load on th e brake syste m and
prevents th e brake s from overheatin g and wear -
in g to o quickly.
If DISTRONIC PLU S detects that there is a ris k of
a collision , you will be warned visually and
acoustically. DISTRONIC PLU S canno t preven t a
collision without your intervention . An intermit -
tent warnin g tone will then soun d and th e dis -
tanc e warnin g lamp will ligh t up in th e instru-
men t cluster. Brak e immediately in order to
increase th e distanc e to th e vehicle in fron t or
take evasiv e action provided it is saf e to do so.
DISTRONIC PLU S operates in th e speed range
between 0 mph (0 km/ h) an d 120 mph
(200 km/h).
Do not use DISTRONIC PLUS whil e driving on
roa ds with steep gradients.
As DISTRONIC PLUS transmits radar waves, it
can resemble the radar detectors of the respon-
sible authorities. You can refer to the relevant
chapter in the Operator's Manual if questions
are asked about this.
i USA only: This device has been approved by
the FCC as a "Vehicular Radar System". The
radar sensor is intended for use in an auto-
motive radar system only. Removal, tamper-
ing, or altering of the device will void any war-
ranties, and is not permitted by the FCC. Do
not tamper with, alter, or use in any non-
approved way.
Any unauthorized modification to this device
could void the user's authority to operate the
equipment.
i Canada only: This device complies with
RSS-210 of Industry Canada. Operation is
subject to the following two conditions:
1. This device may not cause interference,
and 2. This device must accept any interference
received, including interference that may
cause undesired operation of the device.
Removal, tampering, or altering of the device
will void any warranties, and is not permitted.
Do not tamper with, alter, or use in any non-
approved way.
Any unauthorized modification to this device
could void the user's authority to operate the
equipment.
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.
G WARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS cannot always clearly iden-
tify other road users and complex traffic sit-
uations.
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.164
Driving systems
Driving and parking

between your vehicle and the vehicle in front
becomes too small.
When you change lanes, DISTRONIC PLUS mon-
itors the left lane (on left-hand-drive vehicles) or
the right lane (on right-hand-drive vehicles).
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 169).
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that the vehicle in
front has stopped, it will cause your vehicle to
brake and come to a halt.
Once your vehicle is stationary, it remains sta-
tionary and you do not need to depress the
brake.
After a time, the electric parking brake secures
the vehicle and relieves the service brake.
Depending on the specified minimum distance,
your vehicle will come to a standstill at a suffi-
cient distance behind the vehicle in front. The
specified minimum distance is set using the
control on the cruise control lever. When DISTRONIC PLUS is activated, the trans-
mission is shifted automatically to position ] ,
if: 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 insufficient.
If a malfunction occurs, the transmission may
also be shifted to position ] automatically.
Setting a speed X
Push the cruise control lever up C for a
higher speed or down D for a lower speed.X
To adjust the set speed in 1 mph incre-
ments (1 km/h increments): briefly push
the cruise control lever up C or down D to
the pressure point.
Every time the cruise control lever is pressed
up C or down D the last speed stored is
increased or reduced. X
To adjust the set speed in 5 mph incre-
ments (10 km/h increments): briefly push
the cruise control lever up C or down D
beyond the pressure point.
Every time the cruise control lever is pressed
up C or down D , the last speed stored is
increased or reduced.
i If you accelerate to overtake, DISTRONIC
PLUS adjusts the vehicle's speed back to the
last speed stored after you have finished over-
taking.
Setting a 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 maintains to the vehicle in
front, depending on the driving speed. You can
see this distance in the multifunction display
( Y
page 168).
Make sure that you maintain the minimum dis-
tance to the vehicle in front as required by law.Driving systems 167
Driving and parking Z