Mercedes-Benz 2003 SL 55 AMG Automobile User Manual


 
168
Controls in detail
Driving systems
Driving systems
The driving systems of your vehicle are de-
scribed on the following pages:
ț Cruise control and Distronic*, with
which the vehicle can maintain a preset
speed
ț ABC with vehicle level control systems,
with which you can change vehicle sus-
pension characteristics
ț Parktronic*, which assists the driver
during parking maneuvers
The driving systems BAS, ABS, SBC, and
ESP are described in the “Safety” section
(
page 68).
Cruise control
The cruise control automatically maintains
the speed you set for your vehicle.
Use of cruise control is recommended for
driving at a constant speed for extended
periods of time. You can set any speed
over 20 mph (30 km/h).
The cruise control function is operated by
means of the cruise control lever.
The cruise control lever is the uppermost
lever found on the left-hand side of the
steering column (
page 18).
Warning! G
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 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.
ț The use of cruise control can be danger-
ous on winding roads or in heavy traffic
because conditions do not allow safe
driving at a steady speed.
ț The use of cruise control can be danger-
ous on slippery roads. Rapid changes in
tire traction can result in wheel spin and
loss of control.
ț 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.