Driving systems
Your vehicle's driving systems are described on the following pages:
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Cruise control,
Distronic* and
Speedtronic, which you can use to control the speed of the vehicle
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Parktronic*, which assists you with parking and manoeuvring
The ABS, BAS, and ESP® driving safety systems are described in the "Driving safety systems" section more.
Cruise control
Cruise control maintains a constant road speed for you. It brakes automatically in order to avoid exceeding the set speed. On long and steep downhill gradients, especially if the vehicle is laden or towing a trailer, you must shift to a lower gear in good time or select shift range 1, 2 or 3 on vehicles with automatic transmission*. In this way you will make use of the braking effect of the engine, which relieves the load on the brake system and prevents the brakes from overheating and wearing too quickly.
 | Risk of accident |
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Do not change down for additional engine braking on a slippery road surface. This could cause the drive wheels to lose their grip and the vehicle could skid.
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Use cruise control only if road and traffic conditions make it appropriate to maintain a steady speed for a prolonged period. You can store any road speed above 30 km/h.
| Risk of accident |
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Cruise control cannot take account of road and traffic conditions.
Always pay attention to traffic conditions even when
cruise control is activated.
Cruise control is only an aid designed to assist driving. You are responsible for the vehicle's speed and for braking in good time.
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| Risk of accident |
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Do not use
cruise control:
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in road and traffic conditions which do not allow you to maintain a constant speed (e.g. heavy traffic or winding roads). You could otherwise cause an accident.
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on slippery roads. Braking or accelerating could cause the drive wheels to lose traction and the vehicle could then skid.
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when there is poor visibility, e.g. due to fog, heavy rain or snow
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Cruise control display in the instrument cluster
When cruise control is activated, the stored speed is shown in the multi-function display. In the speedometer, the segments between the stored speed and the maximum speed light up.
Cruise control lever
You can operate cruise control and variable Speedtronic with the cruise control lever.
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The last speed stored is cleared when you switch off the engine.
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The LIM indicator lamp on the cruise control lever indicates which system you have selected:
Selecting cruise control
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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  .
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LIM indicator lamp in the cruise control lever is off. Cruise control is selected.
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| Risk of injury |
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Cruise control brakes automatically in order to avoid exceeding the set speed. As it does so, the brake pedal is depressed. Do not place your foot under the brake pedal as it could become trapped.
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Storing the current speed
You can store the current speed if you are driving faster than 30 km/h.
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Accelerate the vehicle to the desired speed.
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Press the cruise control lever briefly up  or down  .
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Remove your foot from the accelerator pedal.
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Cruise control is activated. The vehicle automatically maintains the stored speed.
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Cruise control may be unable to maintain the stored speed on uphill gradients. The stored speed is resumed when the gradient evens out. Cruise control maintains the stored speed on downhill gradients by automatically applying the brakes.
Vehicles with manual transmission:
When selecting another gear, press the accelerator pedal slightly to increase the smoothness of the gear change.
When you depress the clutch pedal and change to another gear, the engine speed can increase slightly as long as no gear is selected.
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Always drive at adequate but not excessive engine speeds.
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Change gear in good time.
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If possible, do not change down several gears at a time.
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Selecting a stored speed
| Risk of accident |
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Only select a stored speed if you know what that speed is and whether it is suitable for the current situation. Otherwise, sudden acceleration or braking could endanger you or others.
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Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards you  .
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Remove your foot from the accelerator pedal.
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Cruise control is activated and adjusts the vehicle's speed to the last speed stored.
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Setting a speed
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Press the cruise control lever up for a higher speed or down for a lower speed.
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Keep the
cruise control lever pressed until the desired speed is reached.
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Release the cruise control lever.
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The new speed is stored.
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Cruise control is not deactivated if you depress the accelerator pedal. For example, if you accelerate briefly to overtake, cruise control adjusts the vehicle's speed to the last speed stored after you have finished overtaking.
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Deceleration of the vehicle by means of the cruise control lever is assisted by automatic application of the brakes.
Vehicles with automatic transmission*:
On long downhill gradients, the automatic transmission shifts down as a further measure.
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Making fine adjustments in 1 km/h increments
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Briefly press the cruise control lever up for a higher speed or down for a lower speed.
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The last speed stored is increased or reduced.
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Deactivating cruise control
There are several ways to deactivate cruise control:
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Briefly press the cruise control lever forwards  .
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or
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Brake
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or
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Briefly press the cruise control lever in the direction of arrow .
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Variable Speedtronic
is selected. LIM indicator lamp in the cruise control lever lights up.
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Cruise control is automatically deactivated if:
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you depress the parking brake
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you are driving at less than 30 km/h
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ESP® is intervening or you deactivate ESP®
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you depress the clutch pedal for more than seven seconds on vehicles with a manual transmission
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you move the selector lever to N on vehicles with automatic transmission* while the vehicle is in motion
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The last speed stored is cleared when you switch off the engine.
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Distronic*
Distronic regulates the speed and automatically maintains the distance to the vehicle in front. It brakes automatically in order to avoid exceeding the set speed. On long and steep downhill gradients, especially if the vehicle is laden or towing a trailer, you must select shift range 1, 2 or 3. In this way you will make use of the braking effect of the engine, which relieves the load on the brake system and prevents the brakes from overheating and wearing too quickly.
| Risk of accident |
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Do not change down for additional engine braking on a slippery road surface. This could cause the drive wheels to lose their grip and the vehicle could skid.
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| Risk of accident |
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Distronic is only an aid designed to assist driving. You are responsible for the vehicle's distance from other vehicles, the vehicle's speed and braking in good time. Distronic does not react to:
Distronic may not detect narrow vehicles driving in front, e.g. motorcycles, or vehicles driving on a different line. Therefore, always pay attention to traffic conditions even when Distronic is activated. Otherwise, you may fail to recognise dangers in time, could cause an accident and injure yourself and others.
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If a slower-moving vehicle is detected in front, Distronic causes your vehicle to brake and maintain a preset distance to the vehicle in front.
| Risk of accident |
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Distronic cannot take account of road and traffic conditions. Deactivate, or do not activate, Distronic in situations in which Distronic maintains the speed or accelerates to the set speed because it has lost the vehicle in front, in particular:
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before corners
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on filter lanes
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when changing to a lane with faster moving traffic
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in complex driving situations or where the lanes are diverted, e.g. in motorway roadworks
Distronic cannot take account of weather conditions. Deactivate, or do not activate, Distronic:
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if the roads are slippery, snow-covered or icy. The wheels could lose their grip under braking or acceleration. The vehicle could start to skid.
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if the sensors are dirty or there is poor visibility, e.g. due to snow, rain or fog. Distance control may be impaired.
Always pay attention to traffic conditions even when Distronic is activated. You may not otherwise recognise dangers in time, could cause an accident and injure yourself and others.
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If there is no vehicle in front, Distronic operates in the same way as cruise control. Distronic functions in the 30 km/h to 180 km/h range.
| Risk of accident |
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Distronic brakes your vehicle at a maximum of 2
m/s
2 depending on its speed. This corresponds to approximately 20% of your vehicle's maximum braking power. You must also apply the brakes yourself if this braking power is not sufficient to avoid a collision.
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Cruise control lever
With the cruise control lever you can operate
Distronic and variable
Speedtronic.
The LIM indicator lamp on the cruise control lever indicates which system you have selected:
Selecting Distronic
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Check whether LIM indicator lamp is off.
If it is off, Distronic is already selected.
If it is not, press the cruise control lever in the direction of arrow .
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LIM indicator lamp in the cruise control lever is off. Distronic is selected.
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Activating Distronic
| Risk of accident |
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The brake pedal is retracted when Distronic brakes. Do not restrict the freedom of movement of the pedal in any way.
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Do not put any objects in the footwell.
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Ensure that floor mats and carpets are fixed securely.
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Do not place your foot under the brake pedal as it could become trapped.
You could otherwise cause an accident and injure yourself and others.
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If Distronic is not activated after the cruise control lever is pressed, you will see the message DISTRONIC - - - km/h in the multi-function display.
You cannot activate Distronic under the following circumstances:
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if you are driving slower than 30 km/h or faster than 180 km/h
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when braking
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when you have applied the parking brake
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if ESP® is deactivated
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when the selector lever* is in position P, R or N
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for two minutes after the engine is started
Storing the current speed
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Accelerate the vehicle to the desired speed.
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Press the cruise control lever briefly up or down .
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Remove your foot from the accelerator pedal.
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Distronic is activated. The vehicle maintains the stored
speed until the distance to the vehicle in front becomes too small.
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If you do not fully release the accelerator pedal, the Distronic Override message appears in the multi-function display. The distance to a slower-moving vehicle in front will not then be governed. You will be driving at the speed you determine by the position of the accelerator pedal.
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Setting a speed
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Press the cruise control lever up for a higher speed or down for a lower speed.
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Keep the
cruise control lever pressed until the desired speed is reached.
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Release the cruise control lever.
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The new speed is stored.
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Distronic is not deactivated if you depress the accelerator pedal. If you accelerate briefly to overtake, Distronic adjusts the vehicle's speed to the last speed stored after you have finished overtaking.
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Deceleration of the vehicle by means of the cruise control lever is assisted by automatic application of the brakes.
On long downhill gradients, the automatic transmission* shifts down as a further measure.
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Making adjustments in 10 km/h increments
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Briefly press the cruise control lever up for a higher speed or down for a lower speed.
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The last speed stored is increased or reduced.
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Making fine adjustments in 1 km/h increments
Resuming to the last speed stored
| Risk of accident |
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Only select a stored speed if you know what that speed is and whether it is suitable for the current situation. Otherwise, sudden acceleration or braking could endanger you or others.
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Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards you .
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Remove your foot from the accelerator pedal.
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Distronic is activated and adjusts the vehicle's speed to the last speed stored.
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Setting the specified minimum distance for Distronic
You can set the specified minimum distance for Distronic by varying the time span between 1.0 and 2.0 seconds. This time span determines the distance that Distronic should maintain from the vehicle in front, depending on the road speed. You can read this distance in the speedometer multi-function display.
Setting the specified minimum distance
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To increase: turn thumbwheel towards  .
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Distronic then maintains a greater distance between your vehicle and the vehicle in front.
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To decrease: turn thumbwheel towards  .
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Distronic then maintains a shorter distance between your vehicle and the vehicle in front.
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Make sure that you maintain the minimum distance required by law to the vehicle in front. Adjust the distance to the vehicle in front if necessary.
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Distance warning function
This function warns you when the distance to the vehicle in front is too small, even when Distronic is deactivated:
You must apply the brakes yourself in order to maintain the correct distance to the vehicle and to avoid a collision.
| Risk of accident |
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Pay careful attention to the traffic situation if:
Brake or swerve to avoid the obstacle if necessary.
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Distronic does not always clearly recognise complex road and traffic conditions. You may then receive a false distance warning tone or none at all.
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To activate/deactivate: press button .
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When the function is activated, the indicator lamp in button lights up and a loudspeaker symbol appears in the display.
When the function is deactivated, the indicator lamp in button goes out and the loudspeaker symbol disappears from the multi-function display.
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Distronic displays in the speedometer
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| Stored speed |
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When Distronic is activated, one or two segments in the set speed range light up.
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For design reasons, the speed displayed in the speedometer may differ slightly from the speed set for Distronic.
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| Segments |
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If Distronic detects a vehicle in front, the segments between the speed of the vehicle in front and the stored speed light up. The 
distance warning lamp in the instrument cluster lights up if the distance to the vehicle in front is too small.
| Risk of accident |
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If Distronic detects a risk of collision with the vehicle in front:
Brake to avoid crashing.
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The intermittent warning tone ceases and the distance warning lamp goes out once you have re-established the required distance to the vehicle in front.
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Distronic brakes your vehicle at a maximum of 2 m/s2. This corresponds to approximately 20% of your vehicle's maximum braking power.
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Distronic menu in the on-board computer
You can read the current Distronic settings in the Distronic menu. What the multi-function display shows depends on whether Distronic and the distance warning function are activated or deactivated.
Distronic deactivated
When Distronic is deactivated you will see the standard Distronic display in the multi-function display.
Distronic activated
When Distronic is activated, the stored speed appears in the multi-function display for approximately five seconds. With Distronic activated, you will see the following in the multi-function display:
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| Display for activated Distronic |
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Deactivating Distronic
There are several ways to deactivate Distronic:
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Briefly press the cruise control lever forwards .
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or
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Brake
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or
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Briefly press the cruise control lever in the direction of arrow .
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Variable Speedtronic
is selected. LIM indicator lamp in the cruise control lever lights up.
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You will see the Distronic off message in the multi-function display for approximately five seconds.
The last speed stored is cleared when you switch off the engine.
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Distronic is not deactivated if you depress the accelerator pedal. If you accelerate briefly to overtake, Distronic adjusts the vehicle's speed to the last speed stored after you have finished overtaking.
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Distronic is automatically deactivated if:
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you depress the parking brake
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you are driving at less than 30 km/h
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ESP® is intervening or you deactivate ESP®
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you move the selector lever* to N while driving
If Distronic is deactivated, you will hear a warning tone. You will see the Distronic off message in the multi-function display for approximately five seconds.
Tips for driving with Distronic
The following contains descriptions of certain road and traffic conditions in which you must pay particular attention. In such situations, brake if necessary. Distronic is then deactivated.
Cornering, going into and coming out of a bend
The ability of Distronic to detect vehicles when cornering is limited. Your vehicle may brake unexpectedly or late.
Vehicles travelling on a different line
Distronic may not detect vehicles travelling on a different line. The distance to the vehicle in front will be too short.
Other vehicles changing lane
Distronic has not detected the vehicle cutting in yet. The distance to this vehicle will be too short.
Narrow vehicles
Distronic has not detected the vehicle in front on the edge of the carriageway yet, because of its relatively narrow width. The distance to the vehicle in front will be too short.
Speedtronic
Speedtronic brakes automatically so that you do not exceed the set speed. On long and steep downhill gradients, especially if the vehicle is laden or towing a trailer, you must shift to a lower gear in good time or select shift range 1, 2 or 3 on vehicles with automatic transmission*. In this way you will make use of the braking effect of the engine, which relieves the load on the brake system and prevents the brakes from overheating and wearing too quickly. If you need additional braking, depress the brake pedal repeatedly rather than continuously.
| Risk of accident |
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Never depress the brake pedal continuously while the vehicle is in motion, e.g. never cause the brakes to rub by applying constant slight pedal pressure. This causes the brake system to overheat, increases the braking distance and can lead to the brakes failing completely.
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| Risk of accident |
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Do not change down for additional engine braking on a slippery road surface. This could cause the drive wheels to lose their grip and the vehicle could skid.
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You can set a variable or permanent limit speed:
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variable for speed limits, e.g. in built-up areasmore
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permanent for long-term speed restrictions, e.g. for driving on winter tyresmore
| Risk of accident |
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Speedtronic is only an aid designed to assist driving. You are responsible for the vehicle's speed and for braking in good time.
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The speed indicated in the speedometer may differ slightly from the limit speed stored.
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Variable Speedtronic
With the cruise control lever you can operate cruise control, Distronic* and variable Speedtronic.
The LIM indicator lamp on the cruise control lever indicates which system you have selected:
You can use the cruise control lever to restrict the speed to any speed above 30 km/h while the engine is running.
Selecting variable Speedtronic
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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 .
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LIM indicator lamp in the cruise control lever lights up. Variable Speedtronic
is selected.
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| Risk of accident |
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If there is a change of drivers, advise the new driver of the limit speed stored.
Only use variable Speedtronic if you are sure that you will not have to accelerate suddenly to a speed above that stored as the limit speed, otherwise you could cause an accident.
You can only exceed the limit speed stored if you deactivate variable Speedtronic:
It is not possible to deactivate variable Speedtronic by braking.
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| Risk of injury |
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Variable Speedtronic brakes automatically in order to avoid exceeding the set speed. As it does so, the brake pedal is depressed. Do not place your foot under the brake pedal as it could become trapped.
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Storing the current speed
You can use the cruise control lever to restrict the speed to any speed above 30 km/h while the engine is running.
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Press the cruise control lever briefly up or down .
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The current speed is stored. You will see the stored speed in the multi-function display.
The segments in the speedometer from the start of the scale up to the stored speed light up.
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Selecting a stored speed
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Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards you .
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Adjustment in 10 km/h increments
Making fine adjustments in 1 km/h increments
Deactivating variable Speedtronic
There are several ways to deactivate variable Speedtronic:
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Briefly press the cruise control lever forwards .
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or
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Briefly press the cruise control lever in the direction of arrow .
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LIM indicator lamp in the cruise control lever goes out. Variable Speedtronic is deactivated.
Cruise control or Distronic* is selected.
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Variable Speedtronic is automatically deactivated if you depress the accelerator pedal beyond the pressure point (kickdown) and your current speed does not differ by more than 20 km/h from the stored speed. You will hear a warning tone if this is the case.
| Risk of accident |
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It is not possible to deactivate variable Speedtronic by braking.
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The last speed stored is cleared when you switch off the engine.
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Permanent Speedtronic
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Permanent Speedtronic is only available for certain countries.
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You can use the on-board computer to limit the speed permanently to a value between 160 km/h (e.g. for driving with winter tyres) and the maximum speed.
Shortly before the stored speed is reached, it is displayed in the multi-function display.
You cannot exceed the stored limit speed, even if you depress the accelerator pedal beyond the pressure point (kickdown).
Setting permanent Speedtronic
Parktronic*
| Risk of accident |
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Parktronic is only an aid and may not detect all obstacles. It does not relieve you of the responsibility to pay attention.
You are always responsible for safety and must continue to pay attention to your immediate surroundings when parking and manoeuvring. You could otherwise endanger yourself and others.
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| Risk of injury |
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Make sure that no persons or animals are in the manoeuvring range. Otherwise, they could be injured.
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Parktronic is an electronic parking aid. It indicates visually and audibly the distance between your vehicle and an object.
Parktronic is automatically activated when you switch on the ignition.
Parktronic is deactivated at speeds above 18 km/h. It is reactivated at lower speeds.
Parktronic monitors the area around your vehicle using six sensors in the front bumper and four sensors in the rear bumper.
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| Sensors in the front bumper |
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Range of the sensors
The sensors must be free of dirt, ice and slush; otherwise they may not function correctly. Clean the sensors regularly, taking care not to scratch or damage them.
 Side view
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 Top view
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Front sensors
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Centre
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Approximately 100 cm
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Corners
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Approximately 60 cm
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Rear sensors
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Centre
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Approximately 120 cm
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Corners
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Approximately 80 cm
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Pay particular attention to objects above or below the sensors when parking, such as flower pots or trailer towbars. Parktronic does not detect such objects when they are in the immediate vicinity of the vehicle. You could damage the vehicle or the objects.
Ultrasonic sources such as an automatic car wash, a lorry's compressed-air brakes or a pneumatic drill could cause Parktronic to malfunction.
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Minimum distance
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Centre
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Approximately 20 cm
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Corners
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Approximately 15 cm
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If there is an obstacle within this range, both warning displays light up and a warning tone sounds. If the distance falls below the minimum clearance, it may no longer be shown.
Warning displays
The warning displays show the distance between the sensors and the obstacle. The warning display for the front area is located on the dashboard above the centre air vents. The warning display for the rear area in the Coupé is in the roof trim at the rear; in the Cabriolet it is in the rear seat backrest between the rear bench seats.
The warning display for each side of the vehicle is divided into six yellow and two red segments. Parktronic is operational when the frame lights up.
The gear or selector lever position* determines which warning display is active:
Manual transmission:
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Gear lever in
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Warning display
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Forwards gear
Or
Neutral
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Front area activated
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Reverse gear
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Rear and front areas activated
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Automatic transmission*:
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Selector lever at
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Warning display
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D
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Front area activated
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R or N
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Rear and front areas activated
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P
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No areas activated
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One or more segments light up as the vehicle approaches an obstacle, depending on the vehicle's distance from the obstacle. From the seventh segment onwards, you will hear an intermittent warning tone; from the eighth segment onwards, you will hear a continuous warning tone for a maximum of two seconds. You have reached the minimum distance.
Activating/deactivating Parktronic
If indicator lamp is on, Parktronic is deactivated.
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Parktronic is automatically activated when you turn the key to position 2 in the ignition lock.
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Trailer towing*
Parktronic is deactivated for the rear area when you establish an electrical connection between your vehicle and the trailer.
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Remove the detachable trailer hitch as soon as it is not required. The minimum detection range of Parktronic to an obstacle refers to the bumper, not the ball coupling.
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or
button repeatedly until one of the following two displays appears in the multi-function display.
to select the 
to call up the selection of submenus.
or 
to select the 
