Driving Systems; Cruise Control - Mercedes-Benz 2008 S550 Operator's Manual

Driving systems

The driving systems of your vehicle are de-
scribed on the following pages:
Cruise control ( page 419) and
DISTRONIC Plus*( page 424), with
which the vehicle can maintain a preset
speed.
Airmatic ( page 440) (S 550 only) and
ABC* ( page 442) adjust the vehicle
suspension characteristics automati-
cally and control the vehicle level.
Parktronic* ( page 444) and Park As-
sist* ( page 448), which serve as a
parking assistant.
Dynamic Rear View Monitor*
( page 453) is an electronic and visu-
al parking aid.
Night View Assist* ( page 461) illumi-
nates the road with infrared light in ad-
dition to the normal headlamps.
For information on the ABS, Adaptive
Brake, BAS, BAS Plus*, EBP, ESP
®
PRE-SAFE Brake*, see "Driving safety
systems" ( page 66).

Cruise control

The cruise control automatically maintains
the speed you set for your vehicle.
The use of the cruise control is recom-
mended for driving at a constant speed for
extended periods of time.
You can set or resume the cruise control at
any speed over 20 mph (30 km/h).
The cruise control function is operated by
means of the cruise control lever.
®
and
Controls in detail
Driving systems
Warning!
The cruise control is a convenience system
designed to assist the driver during vehicle
operation. The driver is and must always re-
main responsible for the vehicle's speed and
for safe brake operation.
Only use the cruise control if the road,
traffic, and weather conditions make it ad-
visable to travel at a steady speed.
The use of the cruise control can be dan-
gerous on winding roads or in heavy traf-
fic because conditions do not allow safe
driving at a steady speed.
The use of the cruise control can be dan-
gerous on slippery roads. Rapid changes
in tire traction can result in wheel spin
and loss of control.
Deactivate the cruise control when driv-
ing in fog.
The "Resume" function should only be oper-
ated if the driver is fully aware of the previ-
ously set speed and wishes to resume this
particular preset speed.
G
419