Distronic
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Joined: Jun 2002
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From: Europe
Distronic
I just wondered how this functions. Does it always follow the car ahead of you? For example, if in fronts of you drives - let's say - a SL55. 
You put the distronic on at the SL driving 60 mph/100 kmh, the SL slows to 0 mph. Does your car also stop? When the SL accelerates, does yours also? What if the SL floors it, does your car also do a full throttle acceleration?
Thanks.
You put the distronic on at the SL driving 60 mph/100 kmh, the SL slows to 0 mph. Does your car also stop? When the SL accelerates, does yours also? What if the SL floors it, does your car also do a full throttle acceleration?Thanks.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 6,340
Likes: 22
From: Southern California, USA
2003 CL55 AMG
Distronic will only apply a maximum of 20% braking power. Distronic disengages below a certain speed for safety reasons and returns the vehicle to full driver control. You set a following distance (Max 300ft) as well as a set crusing speed.
If the car ahead of you takes off your vehicle will acclerate SMOOTHLY to your set crusing speed, unless another object moves into your path.
If the car ahead of you takes off your vehicle will acclerate SMOOTHLY to your set crusing speed, unless another object moves into your path.
Newbie
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 14
Likes: 1
From: Chicago, IL
S55 AMG
Pacific,
Lets just start out saying Distronic is a fabulous feature. Once you have it, you will always want it, unless you never drive on a highway. Its operation is simple, just like a cruse control. The way I use it, is to setting the speed in which I want to maintain. In the stats here 85mph is what I set it at. Once set the Distronic will take you to 85. If a car moves in front of you at 65mph, on the speedometer you will have the segmented lights light up at the speed the car is in front of you through your set position at 85. Your car will gradually slow done to the maintained distance that you set via thumb wheel on the console. Once the car in front moves to a different lane, and there is no other near cars, Distronic will take you back to the max set position of 85mph. You do not have to touch the gas or brakes.
Note that if a car drops to 0 or Distronic has to apply more than 20% of the brakes, it will disable itself.
If the car in front goes up to 100mph, the Distronic will take you to the set speed of 85mph. But at anytime you can press on the gas and exceed the max setting of 85mph. Once you let up on the gas, again you will resume to the max at 85mph. This is great when you see a long stretch of highway and you want to take it up to the max speed.
Also once you have Distronic, you get a side feature that will warn you when an object in front of you is coming at a greater speed than normal. You can enable or disable the audio alert to this, but I leave it on. It gets you to turn your head and look at what’s coming ahead. Also I believe that once this alert is on, and you hit the brakes, you will get an extra 10% boost to compensate for human reaction time.
Hope this helps, I drive an S55.
Lets just start out saying Distronic is a fabulous feature. Once you have it, you will always want it, unless you never drive on a highway. Its operation is simple, just like a cruse control. The way I use it, is to setting the speed in which I want to maintain. In the stats here 85mph is what I set it at. Once set the Distronic will take you to 85. If a car moves in front of you at 65mph, on the speedometer you will have the segmented lights light up at the speed the car is in front of you through your set position at 85. Your car will gradually slow done to the maintained distance that you set via thumb wheel on the console. Once the car in front moves to a different lane, and there is no other near cars, Distronic will take you back to the max set position of 85mph. You do not have to touch the gas or brakes.
Note that if a car drops to 0 or Distronic has to apply more than 20% of the brakes, it will disable itself.
If the car in front goes up to 100mph, the Distronic will take you to the set speed of 85mph. But at anytime you can press on the gas and exceed the max setting of 85mph. Once you let up on the gas, again you will resume to the max at 85mph. This is great when you see a long stretch of highway and you want to take it up to the max speed.
Also once you have Distronic, you get a side feature that will warn you when an object in front of you is coming at a greater speed than normal. You can enable or disable the audio alert to this, but I leave it on. It gets you to turn your head and look at what’s coming ahead. Also I believe that once this alert is on, and you hit the brakes, you will get an extra 10% boost to compensate for human reaction time.
Hope this helps, I drive an S55.
