Question about Distronic Plus
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Joined: Oct 2008
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2015 S550 4matic, 1960 Chevy Impala Conv, (Previously 2002 S500, 2008 S550 4Matic)
Question about Distronic Plus
Switching from Cruise control in my 2008 S now I am using the Distronic Plus in the 2015 S.
The difference between the cruise control and DISTRONIC PLUS cruise control is Distronic automatically adapts the set speed to the vehicle ahead. This worries me as I don't think the brake lights go on when the speed is slowed as compared to when one would apply the brakes to slow down. The person behind me (If the brakes lights do not light up) can be caught off guard and could get into a rear end collision. I am using the Distronic to test it out and I worry when it slows down and try to see how far is the person behind me in the rear view mirror to judge if the person knows that my car is slowing down.
Does anyone else feels the same or I am missing something
Thanks.
The difference between the cruise control and DISTRONIC PLUS cruise control is Distronic automatically adapts the set speed to the vehicle ahead. This worries me as I don't think the brake lights go on when the speed is slowed as compared to when one would apply the brakes to slow down. The person behind me (If the brakes lights do not light up) can be caught off guard and could get into a rear end collision. I am using the Distronic to test it out and I worry when it slows down and try to see how far is the person behind me in the rear view mirror to judge if the person knows that my car is slowing down.
Does anyone else feels the same or I am missing something
Thanks.
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Tesla Model S P100D
Mercedes has always activated the brake lights when the car would intentionally slow down. This actually predates Distronic Plus. Most 2007+ Mercedes vehicles would activate the brake lights if you just keep pressing down the cruise control level to reduce the speed or set cruise control going down hill and the car starts braking to avoid exceeding the set speed. You can try this at night and watch the rear view mirror that will pick up the reflection from the brake lights. Both Distronic plus and regular cruise control actuate the brake lights. It's designed to work as you'd expect it to...
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Joined: Oct 2008
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2015 S550 4matic, 1960 Chevy Impala Conv, (Previously 2002 S500, 2008 S550 4Matic)
Thanks jenz and WEBSRFR I am relieved. I was not aware of it. Will check next time when driving to see the reflections of the brake light. I am glad I asked the question I feel safer now.
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Tesla Model S P100D
Not only does it turn on the brake lights if the car slows down but unless I am mistaken it actually flashes the break lights during an autonomous panic stop. The Distronic braking system is very well thought out.
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2016 s550 White/Nut Brown
Wow, I didn't know this. I had the same worry on my 2016 s550. I am using this adaptive cruise control ALL the time now and I love it!! It works beautifully even on my short commute home each night. I too worried about how the car behind me would know what is up.
Interestingly with Tesla's regenerative braking, the lights don't go on despite the car slowing (because no brakes are applied even though the car can slow rather quickly) so I often find myself almost running into slowing Teslas on the freeway. I avoid being behind them now like the plague...
Interestingly with Tesla's regenerative braking, the lights don't go on despite the car slowing (because no brakes are applied even though the car can slow rather quickly) so I often find myself almost running into slowing Teslas on the freeway. I avoid being behind them now like the plague...
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MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Apr 2006
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Tesla Model S P100D
Wow, I didn't know this. I had the same worry on my 2016 s550. I am using this adaptive cruise control ALL the time now and I love it!! It works beautifully even on my short commute home each night. I too worried about how the car behind me would know what is up.
Interestingly with Tesla's regenerative braking, the lights don't go on despite the car slowing (because no brakes are applied even though the car can slow rather quickly) so I often find myself almost running into slowing Teslas on the freeway. I avoid being behind them now like the plague...
Interestingly with Tesla's regenerative braking, the lights don't go on despite the car slowing (because no brakes are applied even though the car can slow rather quickly) so I often find myself almost running into slowing Teslas on the freeway. I avoid being behind them now like the plague...
The Tesla regenerative braking is definitely tied to the brake lights and it is actually quite sophisticated in that it is actuated by an accelerometer. The Model S accelerometer triggers the brake lights milliseconds after you lift your foot off the accelerator pedal if it causes the car to slow down.
After getting used to single pedal driving it seems so intuitive. You basically lift your foot off the accelerator for the car to slow down and the brake lights to turn on. It then recharges the battery by converting your kinetic energy to electrical energy and there is no brake dust. Once I got hang of how well Regenerative Braking works, I use my brakes now perhaps 10-15% as much as I used to in the past.
The brake lights being tied to a Model S decelerating was discussed in an article as far back as 2013. You can specify how aggressive you want regenerative braking to be but whenever the car slows down, the brake lights turn on the same way even a most basic Mercedes sold since around 2006 will turn on the brake lights and actively slow down with engine braking if you set the cruise control at a lower speed than your current speed.
Both cars actuate the brake lights as they should.
http://www.edmunds.com/tesla/model-s...e-braking.html
Last edited by WEBSRFR; Nov 12, 2015 at 10:16 AM. Reason: Typo.
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2016 s550 White/Nut Brown
My apologies. I almost rear ended a Tesla 2 weeks ago when it slowed down without brake lights and came almost to a stop for no clear reason. I assumed it was the braking system. I guess it must have been something else the driver did that allowed it to come almost to a complete halt from going about 40 on my main street.
3 people on our street own Teslas and I never see their break lights when they are slowing rapidly. Maybe they are downshifting or something else? Either way, I don't like being behind them.
3 people on our street own Teslas and I never see their break lights when they are slowing rapidly. Maybe they are downshifting or something else? Either way, I don't like being behind them.
Last edited by kath00; Nov 11, 2015 at 02:09 PM.
