Question for all those with distronic plus with brake assist--the one with the front k-band radar. My question which I cannot find the answer anywhere (including the dealer!) is CAN YOU TURN THE WHOLE SYSTEM OFF, INCLUDING THE RADAR???

I'm in the market for a new E-Class, and I want to be sure I can turn it off for when I am using my radar detector. I am hoping that if you can turn it off, it turns off the radar signals as well, so as to not falsely trip my radar detector's K-Band bandwidth.

I appreciate any help in this matter. Thanks so much.

There must be an option to turn the radars off because those are not allowed at certain places (like close to radio astronomy stations, the 221 with Comand APS actually turns the radars off automatically). There is a cluster menu setting for this.

However at least on the 221 you loose cruise control completely, it does not work even in the traditional way after radars have been switched off. Then again if you feel you do need the radar detector, I've seen posts showing how it has been successfully installed on a 221 while avoiding interference from the radar system.

I don't think so, at least on my 220. Even with the cruise control off, the distronic IC screen shows the distance to the car in front.

I belive I have distronic on my 04 E-500 but have never seen any distance to car ahead..On the Nav screen`? At what scale?

(Never used cruise control on the car however..Is there a connection there?)

You believe you have distronic but are not sure? The distance is shown at the cluster, you just have to select the appropriate menu.

You don't have Distronic Plus in your car, I believe, "just" Distronic. The point was not about the radar switching off when CC is off but CC switching off if the radar was switched off.

I did not check if the 211 has a cluster menu where the Distronic radar could be switched off. It might not even exist because the Distronic Plus cars have this menu because of the bumper radars (that work on a lower frequency).

Yup, not sure.

I read the window sticker with all the options when I bought the car last year, and it does have a lot of options...bunch of gee whis stuff, seats with a built in massage program, GPS, etc.

The radar thingy would not be important to be 'cause I never use cruise control never count on a piece of electronic to keeo me out of trouble.
(That being said, if it worked the one day I really f.... up and saved my bacon, that would be splendid)

Have never seen any indication on the instrument cluster however and I have cycled through all the menus.

(Right now I am sitting in a hotel room in Santiago, Chile and can't pull out the info on the car, otherwise I would be sure of what my car has or has not...With a $68K sticker in 2003....$81K in todays dollar adjusted for inflation, it was loaded and probably has the radar)

no you cant turn it off but some of the systems will let you turn off the k band so that doesnt happen