Mercedes-Benz SL SERIES Operator's Manual page 182

Driving systems
180
and drive at a speed to suit the prevailing
weather conditions.
You should pay special attention to road con-
ditions when temperatures are around freez-
ing point.
For more information on driving with snow
chains, see ( page 571).
Y
For more information on driving with summer
tires, see ( page 570).
Y
Observe the notes in the "Winter operation"
section ( page 570).
Y
Driving systems
Cruise Control
General notes
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, you must select a lower gear
in good time. By doing so, you will make use of
the braking effect of the engine. This relieves
the load on the brake system and prevents
the brakes from overheating and wearing too
quickly.
Use cruise control only if road and traffic con-
ditions make it appropriate to maintain a
steady speed for a prolonged period. You can
store any road speed above 20 mph
(30 km/h).
Important safety notes
If you fail to adapt your driving style, cruise
control can neither reduce the risk of an acci-
dent nor override the laws of physics. Cruise
control cannot take into account the road,
traffic and weather conditions. Cruise control
is only an aid. You are responsible for the dis-
tance to the vehicle in front, for vehicle speed,
for braking in good time and for staying in
lane.
Do not use cruise control:
in road and traffic conditions which do not
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allow you to maintain a constant speed e.g.
in heavy traffic or on winding roads
on slippery road surfaces. Braking or accel-
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erating could cause the drive wheels to lose
traction and the vehicle could then skid
when there is poor visibility, e.g. due to fog,
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heavy rain or snow
If there is a change of drivers, advise the new
driver of the speed stored.
Cruise control lever
Cruise control lever
To store the current speed or a higher
:
speed
To store the current speed or call up the
;
last stored speed
To store the current speed or a lower
=
speed
To deactivate cruise control
?
When you activate cruise control, the stored
speed is shown in the status indicator of the
multifunction display:
USA only: e.g. CRUISE 55 Miles
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Canada only: e.g. ¯
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90 Km/h