2003 Mercedes SL-Class Owner's Manual - Page 181

Controls in detail Driving systems Turns and bends Warning! G Distronic works to maintain the speed selected by the driver unless a moving obstacle proceeding directly ahead of it in the same travel direction is detected (e.g. following another vehicle ahead of you at a distance set by Distronic). This means that: Your vehicle can pass another vehicle after you change lanes. While in a sharp turn or if the vehicle in front is in a sharp turn, Distronic could lose sight of a vehicle traveling in front of it. Your vehicle could then accelerate to the previously selected speed. Distronic regulates only the distance between your vehicle and those directly ahead of it, but does not register stationary objects in the road, e.g.: a stopped vehicle in a traffic jam a disabled vehicle an oncoming vehicle The driver must always be on the alert, observe all traffic and intercede as required by steering or braking the vehicle. Warning! G Distronic should not be used in snowy or icy road conditions. The most likely cause for a malfunctioning system is a dirty sensor (located behind the hood grill), especially at times of snow and ice or heavy rain. In such a case, Distronic will switch off, and the message DISTRONIC - CLEAR SENSOR! appears in the multifunction display. For cleaning and care of the Distronic sensor, see "Cleaning the Distronic* system sensor cover" ( page 246). In turns or bends, Distronic may not detect a moving vehicle in front, or it may detect one too soon. This may cause your vehicle to brake late or unexpectedly. 181