warning MERCEDES-BENZ S CLASS 2003 Workshop Manual

101 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking

Press switch2 in the trunk lid.
The trunk lid closes automatically and
the vehicle is locked. The turn signals
flash three times to confirm locking.Limiting opening height of trunk
You can limit the opening angle of the
trunk lid. The trunk lid then opens only to
approximately the height of the roof edge.
This can be useful when there is not
enough overhead clearance space, for ex-
ample. The trunk lid opening height can be
limited when transporting goods on a roof
rack (e.g. presence of an MB sport luggage
container). When activated, the trunk lid
opens to approximately the height of the
roof edge.

With the trunk lid closed, press the re-
mote control switch (
page 99) and
hold for at least five seconds.
Depending on its previous status, the
opening height restriction is then
switched either on or off.
iTo prevent a possible inadvertent lock-
out, the trunk lid will open automatical-
ly if a KEYLESS-GO card is recognized
in the area of the rear shelf or inside
the trunk.Warning!
G
Monitor the closing procedure carefully to
ensure that no one is in danger of being in-
jured. To prevent possible personal injury,
always keep hands and fingers away from
the trunk opening when closing the trunk.
Be especially careful when small children
are around. To stop the closing procedure,
press the trunk lid closing switch1 in the
trunk lid, the
Š
button on the SmartKey,
or the remote trunk lid switch (on driver’s
door control panel).
iIf the trunk lid comes into contact with
an object while closing (e.g. luggage
that has been piled too high), the clos-
ing procedure is stopped and the trunk
re-opens slightly.
The closing procedure can be stopped
at anytime by once again pressing the
closing switch in the trunk lid, the re-
mote control switch in the driver’s
door, or the
Š
button on the Smart-
Key.

102 Controls in detailLocking and unlockingPower closing assist for doors and trunk lid
Power closing assist for doors
Press the doors gently past the initial
engage position into the lock.
The doors close automatically.
Power closing assist for trunk lid

Press the trunk lid gently into its lock.
The trunk closes automatically.
Automatic central locking
The doors and the trunk automatically lock
when the ignition is switched on and the
wheels are turning at vehicle speeds of ap-
proximately 9 mph (15 km/h) or more.
You can open a locked door from the in-
side. Open door only when conditions are
safe to do so.You can deactivate the automatic locking
using the control system (
page 155).
iIt is not necessary to slam the door or
trunk lid closed. A pneumatic pow-
er-assisted mechanism draws doors
and trunk lid closed quietly and auto-
matically once door and trunk lid has
been latched. When the pneumatic
power-assisted mechanism has
stopped, doors and/or trunk can be
re-opened.
Warning!
G
To prevent possible personal injury, always
keep hands and fingers away from the door
or trunk opening when closing a door or the
trunk lid. Be especially careful when small
children are around.
The pneumatic power closing assist mecha-
nism cannot be interrupted once it has been
engaged.
To prevent personal injury, never actuate
the closing assist mechanism by tampering
with the door or trunk lid latch.
iThe doors unlock automatically after an
accident if the force of the impact ex-
ceeds a preset threshold.
The vehicle automatically locks when
the ignition is switched on and the
wheels are turning at vehicle speeds of
approximately 9 mph (15 km/h) or
more. You could therefore lock yourself
out when the vehicle

is pushed


is on a test stand

103 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Locking and unlocking from the inside
You can lock or unlock the doors and the
trunk from inside using the central locking
switch. This can be useful, for example, if
you want to lock the vehicle before starting
to drive.
The fuel filler flap cannot be locked or un-
locked with the central locking switch.The switches are located in the center con-
sole.
Central locking/unlocking switches1Locking
2Unlocking
Locking
Press central locking switch1.
If both doors are closed, the vehicle
locks.Unlocking

Press central unlocking switch2.
The vehicle unlocks.
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch, take the
KEYLESS-GO* card (if so equipped) with you
and lock the vehicle. Do not leave children
unattended in the vehicle, or with access to
an unlocked vehicle. Unsupervised use of
vehicle equipment may cause an accident
and/or serious personal injury.
iYou can open a locked door from the
inside. Open door only when conditions
are safe to do so.
If the vehicle was previously centrally
locked with the SmartKey or the
KEYLESS-GO* card (if so equipped) it
will not unlock using the central locking
switch.
If the vehicle was previously locked
with the central locking switch:

While in the global remote control
mode, the vehicle is unlocked com-
pletely when a door is opened from
the inside.


While in the selective remote con-
trol mode, only the door opened
from inside is unlocked.

105 Controls in detailSeats
You can activate the following functions:

Steering column
Only the steering column is adjusted.


Steering column and seat
Both the steering column and the seat
are adjusted.
The easy-entry/exit feature can be
switched on or off in the Settings menu of
the Control System (
page 156).
Head restraints
Information on head restraint adjustment
can be found in the “Getting started” sec-
tion (
page 37).Front seat head restraints
Removing front head restraints

Press switch1 upwards and hold until
the head restraint is fully extended.

Pull out head restraint.
Warning!
G
You must ensure that no one can become
trapped or injured by the moving steering
wheel and driver’s seat when the
easy-entry / exit feature is activated, the
driver’s door is being opened, and the en-
gine is turned off or the SmartKey removed
from the starter switch. Do not leave chil-
dren unattended in the vehicle, or with ac-
cess to an unlocked vehicle. Unsupervised
use of vehicle equipment may cause an
accident and/or serious personal injury.
Warning!
G
For your protection, drive only with properly
positioned head restraints.
Adjust head restraint to support the back of
the head approximately at ear level.
Do not drive the vehicle without the seat
head restraints. Head restraints are intend-
ed to help reduce injuries during an acci-
dent.iTilt the seat backrest to the rear for
easier removal and installation of the
head restraints.

106 Controls in detailSeatsInstalling front head restraints:
Press switch1 upwards and hold for
about five seconds.

Push the head restraint down until it
engages.

Adjust head restraint to desired posi-
tion (
page 35).
Rear seat head restraintsFolding rear head restraints back

Make sure the ignition is switched on.
All the lamps in the instrument cluster
should light up.

Press switch1.
The rear head restraints will fold back-
ward.Placing rear head restraints upright

Pull the rear head restraint forward un-
til it locks into position.
Rear head restraint tilt
The read head restraint angle can be ad-
justed manually.
Warning!
G
For safety reasons, always drive with the
rear head restraints in the upright position
when the rear seats are occupied.
Keep the area around head restraints clear
of articles (e.g. clothing) to not obstruct the
folding operation of the head restraints.iYou can adjust the angle manually by
pulling or pushing the head restraints
by hand.
!Make sure that the head restraints en-
gage when adjusting them manually.
Otherwise, their protective function
cannot be ensured.

115 Controls in detailSeats
Power seat, setting passenger seat po-
sition from rear*
This function lets you adjust the position of
the passenger seat from the rear.The switch is located on the right rear pas-
senger door.
1Front passenger seat adjustment
2Rear seat adjustment
3Seat height
4Head restraint height
5Backrest tilt
6Seat fore and aft adjustment

Make sure the ignition is switched on.
or

Open the right rear passenger door.

Press button1 to adjust the front
passenger seat.
Warning!
G
When adjusting the passenger seat, make
sure that the seat, if occupied, is as far from
the front passenger airbag as possible.
Otherwise, the passenger could be seriously
or even fatally injured in the event of an ac-
cident or braking maneuver.
Make sure that no one is caught or injured
while the seat is being adjusted.
The power seats can also be operated with
the driver's or passenger door open. Do not
leave children unattended in the vehicle, or
with access to an unlocked vehicle. Unsu-
pervised use of vehicle equipment may
cause an accident and/or serious personal
injury
iAdjusting the passenger seat position
from the rear is not possible if you de-
activate the operation of the rear door
windows (
page 74).
!Do not move the front passenger seat
completely forward if objects are
stored in the parcel net in the front pas-
senger-side footwell. Items in the net
may be damaged

117 Controls in detail
Memory function
Memory function
The memory button and stored position
switch are located on the door.
You can store up to three different settings
per SmartKey or KEYLESS-GO* card.
The following settings are saved for each
stored position:

Seat and backrest position


Settings for the multi-contour seat*


Steering wheel position


Inside rear view mirror position


Exterior rear view mirror position


Automatic climate control
These key dependent memory settings can
be deactivated if desired (
page 156).
1 Stored position buttons
2Memory button

Make sure that the ignition is switched
on or the relevant door is open and the
SmartKey is inserted in the starter
switch.
!Prior to operating the vehicle, the driv-
er should check and adjust the seat
height, seat position fore and aft, and
seat backrest angle if necessary, to en-
sure adequate control, reach, and com-
fort. The head restraint should also be
adjusted for proper height. Also see
“Airbags” (
page 57) section for prop-
er seat positioning.
In addition, adjust the steering wheel to
ensure adequate control, reach, opera-
tion and comfort. Both the inside and
outside rear view mirrors should be ad-
justed for adequate rear vision.
Fasten seat belts. Infants and small
children should be seated in a properly
secured restraint system that complies
with U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards 213 and 225 and Canadian
Motor Vehicle Safety Standards 213
and 210.2.
Warning!
G
Do not activate the memory function while
driving. Activating the memory function
while driving could cause the driver to lose
control of the vehicle.

118 Controls in detailMemory functionStoring positions into memory
Adjust the seats, steering wheel and
rear view mirrors to the desired posi-
tion (
page 34).

Press memory button2.

Release memory button and push one
of the position buttons1 within three
seconds.
All the settings are stored with the se-
lected position.
Recalling positions from memory
Press and hold one of the position
buttons1 until the seat, steering wheel
and rear view mirrors have fully moved
to the stored positions.Storing exterior rear view mirror park-
ing position
For easier parking you can adjust the pas-
senger-side exterior rear view mirror so
that you can see the right rear wheel as
soon as you engage reverse gearR.
For information on activating the parking
position, see “Setting parking position for
exterior rear view mirror” (
page 158).
iReleasing the button immediately
stops movement to the stored posi-
tions.Warning!
G
Do not operate the power seats using the
memory button if the seat backrest is in an
excessively reclined position. Doing so
could cause damage to front or rear seats.
First move seat backrest to an upright posi-
tion.
iYou can store a parking position for the
passenger-side exterior rear view mir-
ror for each SmartKey or KEYLESS-GO*
card.

120 Controls in detailLighting
LightingFor notes on how to switch on the head-
lamps and use the turn signals, see the
“Getting started” section (
page 46).
Exterior lamp switch
The exterior lamp switch is located on the
dashboard to the left of the steering wheel.
M
Off
U
Automatic headlamp mode
C
Parking lamps (also side marker
lamps, tail lamps, license plate
lamps, instrument panel lamps)
Canada only: When engine is run-
ning, the low beam is also switched
on.
B
Parking lamps plus low beam or
high beam headlamps (combination
switch pushed forward).
ˆ
Standing lamps, right (turn left one
stop)
‚
Standing lamps, left (turn left two
stops)
iIf you remove the SmartKey and open
the driver’s door while the parking
lamps or low beam headlamps are
switched on, then:

A warning sounds.


$
appears in the multifunction
display.


The message
TURN OFF LIGHTS!
ap-
pears in the multifunction display.
iWith the daytime running lamp mode
activated and the engine running, the
low beam headlamps cannot be
switched off manually.

121 Controls in detail
Lighting
Manual headlamp mode
The low beam headlamps and parking
lamps can be switched on and off with the
exterior lamp switch. For exterior lamp
switch, see (
page 120).
Automatic headlamp mode
The parking lamps, low beam headlamps
and license plate lamps switch on and off
automatically depending on the brightness
of the ambient light.

Turn the exterior lamp switch to
U
.
iWith the daytime running lamp mode
activated, the low beam headlamps will
not switch off automatically.
iFront fog lamps and rear fog lamp can
not be switched on manually with exte-
rior lamp switch in position
U
. To
activate the fog lamps, turn exterior
lamp switch to position
B
and pull
the exterior lamp switch to first or
second stop (
page 122).
Warning!
G
In automatic headlamp mode, the head-
lamps will not be automatically switched on
under foggy conditions. To minimize risk to
you and to others, activate headlamps by
turning exterior lamp switch to
B
.
The driver is responsible for the operation of
the vehicle’s lights at all times. The automat-
ic headlamp feature is only an aid to the driv-
er. Switch on the vehicle lights manually
when driving or when traffic conditions re-
quire you to do so.
iIf you drive in countries where vehicles
drive on the other side of the road than
the country where the vehicle is regis-
tered, you must have the headlamps
modified for symmetrical low beams.
Relevant information can be obtained
at your authorized Mercedes-Benz Cen-
ter.