Mercedes-Benz S 450 4MATIC Operator's Manual page 456

Warning!
An intermittent warning sounds and the dis-
tance warning lamp l 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 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 your vehicle to increase
the distance between your vehicle and the
vehicle in front of you. The warning sound is
intended as a final caution that you have not
interceded with your own braking inputs to
avoid a potentially dangerous situation. Do
not wait for the operation of the warning sig-
nal to intercede with your own braking, as
that will result in potentially dangerous
emergency braking which will not always re-
sult in an impact being avoided.
Tailgating increases the risk of an accident.
G
Warning!
DISTRONIC Plus brakes your vehicle with a
2
maximum of 13 ft/s . This corresponds to
about 40% of the maximum deceleration
ability of your vehicle.
You must also apply the brakes yourself to
avoid a collision. DISTRONIC Plus brakes
the vehicle in an effort to restore the preset
distance or to maintain the speed. The brake
pedal is automatically applied as this hap-
pens which results in the brake pedal mov-
ing.
Keep driver's foot area clear at all times, in-
cluding the area under the brake pedal. Ob-
jects stored in this area may impair pedal
movement which could interfere with the
braking ability of the DISTRONIC Plus sys-
tem.
Do not place your foot under the brake pedal
– your foot could become caught.
Controls in detail
Driving systems
G
Warning!
If you do not receive visual or acoustic warn-
ing 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 driv-
ers responsibility to apply the brakes in or-
der to control the vehicle and avoid a
collision.
Displaying the distance graphic
In the "Assistance" menu under "Distance
Display" you see the current settings for
DISTRONIC Plus. The information shown in
the multifunction display depends on
whether DISTRONIC Plus is activated or
deactivated.
i
For activating or deactivating the
DISTRONIC Plus system, see "Activating
DISTRONIC Plus" ( page 457) or "Deactivating
DISTRONIC Plus" ( page 463).
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