Do you use the speedtronic limiter?

Do you use the speed limiter on your Merc?

  • No, not fitted

    Votes: 7 1.6%
  • No, don't use cruise or limiter

    Votes: 40 9.2%
  • No, do use cruise

    Votes: 199 45.5%
  • Yes, I regularly use the limiter

    Votes: 191 43.7%

  • Total voters
    437
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When in contraflows or average speed camera traps I feel the limiter gives a greater degree of control back to me with finer precision...

Cruise Control: runs at a base speed of x mph and the driver can go faster by pressing the accelerator but car will revert to x mph if there is no input from the driver. [On my CLS little segments in the speedo light up from set speed to max speed]

Speed Limiter: runs from 0 to a max set x mph. So ultimately the driver is deciding what speed to travel at by constant input (not the car defaulting to a set speed). You can accelerate past the set speed on the speed limiter by engaging kick-down on the accelerator pedal. [On my CLS little segments in the speedo light up from zero to set speed][/QUOTE]

And that's why I use it too. Only use Cruise in France where there's hardly any traffic.
 
Question for Steve_Perry,

I used the speed limiter once, and have never felt so out of control of the car in all my 50+ years of driving! but could be persuaded to try again. However my car is a manual, so no kickdown.

Can the limiter still be over ridden, if so, how?

Thanks

Malcolm
I'm afraid I don't know as I've never driven a manual Merc. Sorry about that.

I know that when I very first tried the speed limiter function I felt 'out of control' as you mentioned but then no one had explained to me the way the speed limiter functions... I kept taking my foot off the accelerator and wondering why the car wasn't keeping to a set speed but then that's not how the speed limiter works. I would suggest just driving the car like normal and be aware you will have a self imposed speed limit whilst using the speed limiter. It's easy to switch off and back on again by flicking the stalk forward (off) and then flicking the stalk back toward the driver (resume at previous setting), that would be an alternative to not having a kickdown switch on a manual gearbox.

S.
 
I use the cruise control as a limiter on long journeys. It makes the journey more relaxed and fuel efficient.

Also use cruise as a limiter through ave speed cameras to prevent my speed creeping up.

I find the limiter itself quite odd.
 
I use the cruise control as a limiter on long journeys. It makes the journey more relaxed and fuel efficient.

Also use cruise as a limiter through ave speed cameras to prevent my speed creeping up.

I find the limiter itself quite odd.

It seems my experience of the limiter is similar to yours.

I find use of the Cruise Control lever to go up/down by 1 mph increments gives far better control in 50mph average zones, assuming one is sensible in keeping a safe distance from the car in front. It enables very fine control of one's speed with the ease of CC. When one senses the gap between oneself and the car in front decreasing, one simply flicks the CC lever down by 1 or 2 mph until the safe distance is restored. What could be simpler?
 
Not really use the limiter, forgot I even had it until I saw this post!
 
It seems my experience of the limiter is similar to yours.

I find use of the Cruise Control lever to go up/down by 1 mph increments gives far better control in 50mph average zones, assuming one is sensible in keeping a safe distance from the car in front. It enables very fine control of one's speed with the ease of CC. When one senses the gap between oneself and the car in front decreasing, one simply flicks the CC lever down by 1 or 2 mph until the safe distance is restored. What could be simpler?

That's exactly what I do too. Just yesterday had to endure over four hours on M1, all the way to Sheffield and back - those 50mph sections would have been intolerable without cruise control.
 
Tend to use cruise control quite a lot, both to keep within speed limits and to ease my arthritic ankle on motorways. Perhaps it's just me but I find the limiter a bit disconcerting when I depress the pedal and nothing happens!
 
I used it whenever I was in traffic in a 20, 30, 40 or 50 speed limit area. Simples, just set it at say 30 and you'll never need to worry about braking the limit when going around town.

Trouble is I've just sold my CLS and 'defected' to a BMW 530d GT which doesn't have the limit function and I'm missing it a lot. It's going to cost me hundreds to get the car programmed to enable the function which is a US market only option.
 
I use the limiter all the time through AV Speed zones. 52mph on the speedo is a true 50 on the GPS, so that differential makes all the difference for a relaxed cruise through the zones. Used it for many many years with no issues.
 
I think the limiter is one of the most amazing features - especially in big cities with speed cameras at every corner, I just set it to the limit and can then concentrate fully on the hundreds of other things happening around me, like many here said - trucks, bikes, red lights, pedestrians...

Also helps prevent me to brake every time I see a camera; I know it won't get me so I can just drive on as I was. Would be great if more people had and used this system just for that reason.

Which leads to a question - whenever I explain this system to people who haven't got a Mercedes, they don't seem to understand it too well. I'm wondering, is there nothing like this sort of limiter in any of the other cars around? Any at all?
 
Yep

I use the limiter in all ''specs'' zones. I very rarely use cc in this country......far too much traffic to be able to keep my feet on the dash for long.

Mic
 
Yep

I use the limiter in all ''specs'' zones. I very rarely use cc in this country......far too much traffic to be able to keep my feet on the dash for long.

Mic

Use cruise most of the time, even at low speeds but the speed limiter is a godsend when in the London suburbs, saved me on more than one occasion. You may though get a traffic build up behind sometimes but for a £100 and three points who cares?
 
Living in france cc is readily useable as there is little traffic. However the limiter is excellent where there are cars ahead who are erratic in their speed you can adjust up an down easily using the accelerator as opposed to the cc stick when in cruise. In general I frequently control the car from the cc stick which is a smooth system especially when pulling away from the peage on the autoroute.
The limiter is excellent on twisty roads enabling you to drive the car normally but not exceed the limit. Different conditions call for different control of the car and I think the 2 systems complement each other giving different control for different conditions.
I use both all the time as being a more precise way to have accurate control of the speed. Annoyingly the calibration of the speedometer on my lhd glk has the 50km and 90km (the main limits I encounter) in the reduced section I.e 60 and 100km are bold ....so checking is not as clear. Margins of error given by the gendarme are less generous here so accuracy is more important.
I agree it is weird when you first use the limiter but you get used to it. To disengage is very quick simply flick the stick forward same with cc which also disengages when you touch the break.
Not happy about the new layout with the indicater stalk and speedtronic controls swapping places....each time I have a loan car it is irritating but will adjust no doubt when I get the new car in april.
 
Whilst not yet owning my own Merc I do use the limiter on those I drive through work. I mainly use it in 30 and 40 zones where you can easily go with the flow of traffic and end up being caught by a mobile camera van doing 34 and above.

I also use it in the average speed camera 50 areas on the motorway network.

It will be on my own Merc when I buy one as I do find it very useful.

Mike
 
I use mine in 30 mph speed limits nowadays after being fined £100 and 3 points for doing 36mph in a 30mph , and I did not even see the camera van
 
Yep, we have to use technology to beat technology these days.

Using cruise/limiter has enabled me to avoid speeding tickets for the last couple of years in this car : thumb:
 
Interesting responses. I think that the limiter is one of the most useful functions in the car. There are too many (money making) cameras around nowadays, especially in the towns. I use the limiter all the time, and as a previous post said, it allows you to concentrate on all the other distractions.

I also make use of it a lot when driving down long steep hills, especially in France, when it controls the speed quite well.

Question - when it 'slows you down', does it use the brakes to do that, or the gearbox? I've never been sure.
 

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