Mercedes-Benz DISTRONIC PLUS Inop Unavailable Common Problems
When “DISTRONIC PLUS Currently Unavailable See Oper. Manual” or “DISTRONIC PLUS Inoperative” messages appear on your Mercedes-Benz dashboard, the Distronic Plus system has malfunctioned and been deactivated. The first thing you need to do is pull over as soon as it is safe to do so and do the following:
- clean the radiator grille
- restart the engine
- reactivate the Distronic Plus
If these steps don’t restore the Distronic Plus operation, one of the following problems will cause the system to malfunction.
Possible Problems with Distronic Plus
The most common problems that cause the Distronic Plus to malfunction include:
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- Distronic sensors at the front of the vehicle are dirty
- The Distronic Inoperative error message often occurs when installing an aftermarket grill or replacing the STAR on the front grill.
- Heavy snow or rain
- Dirty or scratched camera lens
- The radar sensor system is temporarily inoperative due to electromagnetic radiation emitted by nearby TV or radio stations or other sources (that is normal. restart the engine)
- The system is outside the operating temperature range
- The onboard voltage is too low (a warning tone also sounds). It might be a bad battery, alternator, or electrical system issue.
- The system has not detected any other vehicles on the road for a long time.
- Incorrect tire sizes or pressures
- Wheel speed sensor error
To determine what is wrong with your Distronic Plus, you will need to read the fault codes from that module.
DISTRONIC PLUS is operational again, and the display message may disappear when:
- The dirt drops away while the vehicle is in motion
- The system detects that the sensor is fully available again
- The system is within the operating temperature range.
- You clean the sensors in bumpers that might be dirty
- You clean the DISTRONIC PLUS cover in the radiator grille
- Wait until the system cools down or the battery recovers
- Restart the engine
Restart the car and try activating the DISTRONIC PLUS again.
Distronic Plus Off
The “Distronic Plus Off” message can appear while driving when the Distronic system is turned off for different reasons. One possible cause is when the driver presses the brake pedal. Another reason could be that following a vehicle that makes a sharp turn causes the system to turn off automatically. Additionally, Distronic Plus may turn off due to a malfunction in the system.
Distronc Override
This message appears when the Distronic System is enabled. Still, the driver takes over the accelerator pedal and causes the vehicle to accelerate instead of allowing the Distronic system to do its job.
How to Diagnose Mercedes Distronic Problems
Cleaning the sensors may not fix the problem. You must read the Distronic control unit’s fault codes to determine why your Distronic Plus is not working.
- Get a Mercedes YOUCANIC Full System Diagnostic Scanner. Generic OBD2 scanners cannot diagnose the Mercedes-Benz Distronic system.
- Plug the scanner into the diagnostic port under the dashboard.
- Turn on the ignition and turn on the scanner. You don’t need to start the engine.
- Select your Mercedes model from the main menu.
- Select Control Units from the menu.
- Select Chassis, then scroll down until you see DTR Distronic and select it.
- Scroll down to Read Codes from the menu and press enter. You will get a code and a description of the problem.
In this instance, the Distronic Plus control unit was faulty and required replacement. Before replacing the Distronic unit, inspect the wires leading to it. Since the Distronic control unit is located at the front of the car, the wires can be easily damaged, so it is essential to inspect them first. Sometimes, a software update at the dealer can fix the Distronic Plus issue.
Where is the Mercedes-Benz Distronic Radar Located?
The Mercedes-Benz Distronic or Distronic Plus radar is positioned at the front center of the vehicle, behind the front grille or the front bumper, depending on the model.
Related Messages
- Distronic Plus Currently Unavailable See Oper. Manual
- Distronic Plus Inoperative
- Internal error in control unit A89 (DTR Controller Unit)
We hope you find the Mercedes-Benz DISTRONIC PLUS Unavailable Common Problems guide helpful. Check these troubleshooting and repair guides for more help on your Mercedes-Benz.
Resources
- NHTSA – Message in instrument cluster “DISTRONIC PLUS- Currently Unavailable – See Owner’s Manual”
https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2014/MC-10166976-9999.pdf
Mine say “Interference”
How are you supposed to clean the lens… I have a round plastic lens in the foremost part of the grill…. Do you take out the grill..?