Important safety notes

Mercedes-Benz E-Class / Mercedes-Benz E-Class Sedan and Wagon Owners Manual / Driving and parking / Driving systems / DISTRONIC PLUS / Important safety notes

DISTRONIC PLUS regulates the speed and automatically helps you maintain the distance to the vehicle detected 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, you must select shift range 1, 2 or 3 in good time. By doing so, 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 a slower-moving vehicle is detected in front, DISTRONIC PLUS causes your vehicle to brake and maintain a preset distance to the vehicle in front.

WARNING
The DISTRONIC PLUS requires familiarity with its operational characteristics. We strongly recommend that you review the following information carefully before operating the system. WARNING
The DISTRONIC PLUS is a convenience system. Its speed adjustment reduction capability is intended to make cruise control more effective and usable when traffic speeds vary. It is not however, intended to, nor does it, replace the need for extreme care.

The responsibility for the vehicle's speed, distance to the preceding vehicle and, most importantly, brake operation to ensure a safe stopping distance, always remains with the driver.

The DISTRONIC PLUS cannot take street and traffic conditions into account.

Complex driving situations are not always fully recognized by the DISTRONIC PLUS. This could result in wrong or missing distance warnings.

If you want DISTRONIC PLUS to assist you, the radar sensor system must be activated and operational.

If there is no vehicle driving in front of you, DISTRONIC PLUS functions like cruise control at a speed range between 20 mph (Canada: 30 km/h) and 120 mph (Canada: 200 km/h). If a vehicle is driving in front of you, it functions at a speed range between 0 mph (0 km/h) and 120 mph (Canada: 200 km/h).

Do not use DISTRONIC PLUS while driving on roads with steep gradients.

As DISTRONIC PLUS transmits radar waves, it can resemble the radar detectors of the responsible authorities. You can refer to the applicable section in the Operator's Manual if there are any questions concerning this.

USA only:

This device has been approved by the FCC as a “Vehicular Radar System”. The radar sensor is intended for use in an automotive radar system only. Removal, tampering, or altering of the device will void any warranties, 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.

WARNING
The DISTRONIC PLUS adaptive cruise control is not a substitute for active driving involvement. It does not react to pedestrians or on stationary objects, nor does it recognize or predict the curvature and lane layout or the movement of preceding vehicles. The DISTRONIC PLUS can only apply a maximum of 40% of the vehicle's braking power.

The DISTRONIC PLUS may not detect narrow vehicles possibly driving in front of you, such as motorcycles and vehicles driving in an offset formation.

It is the driver's responsibility at all times to be attentive to the road, weather and traffic conditions. Additionally, the driver must provide the steering, braking and other driving inputs necessary to remain in control of the vehicle.

High-frequency sources such as toll stations, speed measuring systems etc. can cause the DISTRONIC PLUS system to temporarily cease functioning.

WARNING
The DISTRONIC PLUS cannot take road and traffic conditions into account. Only use the DISTRONIC PLUS if the road, weather and traffic conditions make it advisable to travel at a constant speed.

WARNING
Use of the DISTRONIC PLUS can be dangerous on slippery roads. Rapid changes in tire traction can result in wheel spin and loss of control.

The DISTRONIC PLUS does not function in adverse sight and distance conditions. Do not use the DISTRONIC PLUS during conditions of fog, heavy rain, snow or sleet.

WARNING
The DISTRONIC PLUS cannot take weather conditions into account. Switch off the DISTRONIC PLUS or do not switch it on if:

- roads are slippery or covered with snow or ice. The wheels could lose traction while braking or accelerating, and the vehicle could skid.
- the DISTRONIC PLUS system sensor covers are dirty or visibility is diminished due to snow, rain or fog, for example. The distance control system functionality could be impaired.

Always pay attention to surrounding traffic conditions even while the DISTRONIC PLUS is switched on. Otherwise, you may not be able to recognize dangerous situations until it is too late. This could cause an accident in which you and/or others could be injured.

WARNING
The "Resume" function should only be operated if the driver is fully aware of the previously set speed and wishes to resume this particular preset speed.

WARNING
Your undivided attention to street and traffic conditions is necessary at all times whether DISTRONIC PLUS is active or not.

The use of DISTRONIC PLUS can be dangerous on winding roads or in heavy traffic because conditions do not allow safe driving at a constant speed.

DISTRONIC PLUS does not react to stationary objects on the road (for example, a vehicle stopped in traffic or an abandoned vehicle).

DISTRONIC PLUS likewise does not react to oncoming vehicles.

Deactivate DISTRONIC PLUS:

- when changing to the right lane, if the vehicles in the left lane are driving slower
- when driving into a filter lane or an expressway exit
- in complex driving situations, for example in construction sites on an expressway

In these situations DISTRONIC PLUS will maintain the set speed if it is not deactivated.

DISTRONIC PLUS is intended only for maintaining a set speed and a set distance from the objects moving in front of the vehicle.

WARNING
An intermittent warning sounds and the distance warning lamp in the instrument cluster is illuminated if the DISTRONIC PLUS system calculates that the distance to the vehicle ahead and your vehicle's current speed indicate that the DISTRONIC PLUS will not be capable of slowing the vehicle sufficiently to maintain the preset following distance, which creates a danger of a collision.

Immediately brake the vehicle to increase your distance to the preceding vehicle. The warning sound is intended as a final caution in which you should intercede with your own braking inputs to avoid a potentially dangerous situation. Do not wait for the operation of the warning signal to intercede with your own braking. This will result in potentially dangerous emergency braking which will not always result in an impact being avoided.

Tailgating increases the risk of an accident.

WARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS brakes your vehicle with a maximum deceleration of 13 ft/s2(4 m/s2).

This is equivalent to approximately 40 % of your vehicle's maximum possible deceleration.

You need to brake yourself to prevent a collision. DISTRONIC PLUS brakes the vehicle to restore the set distance from the vehicle ahead or the set speed.

WARNING
If you do not receive visual or acoustic warning signals during a critical traffic situation, DISTRONIC PLUS has either not recognized the collision risk, has been deactivated or is malfunctioning.

Remember, whether or not DISTRONIC PLUS is operating, it is ultimately always the drivers responsibility to apply the brakes in order to control the vehicle and avoid a collision.

Important safety notes

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