height MERCEDES-BENZ S CLASS 2007 User Guide

319 Controls in detailSeats
Front power seat adjustmentExample driver’s door1Head restraint height (
page 324)
2Seat height
3Seat cushion tilt
4Seat cushion depth
5Seat fore and aft adjustment
6Seat backrest tilt

Switch on the ignition (
page 315).
or

Open the respective door.

Seat height: Press the switch up or
down in the direction of arrow2.

Seat cushion tilt: Press the switch up
or down in the direction of
arrow3until your upper legs are
lightly supported.

Seat cushion depth: Press the switch
forward or backward in the direction of
arrow4 until your legs are supported
comfortably.

Seat fore and aft adjustment: Press
the switch forward or backward in the
direction of arrow5.
Adjust the seat to a comfortable seat-
ing position that still allows you to
reach the accelerator/brake pedal
safely. The position should be as far to
the rear as possible, consistent with
ability to properly operate controls.

Seat backrest tilt: Press the switch
forward or backward in the direction of
arrow6 until your arms are slightly
angled when holding the steering
wheel.
i
If PRE-SAFE
® has been activated, the front
passenger’s seat and/or electrically adjustable
rear seats* will be moved to a more favorable
seat position.
i
The memory function (
page 336) lets you
store the settings for the seat positions together
with the settings for the steering wheel and the
exterior rear view mirrors.
!
When moving the seat, make sure there are
no items in the footwell or behind the seats. Oth-
erwise you could damage the seats.
i
Depending on the set height of the head re-
straint, the seat fore and aft position is automat-
ically pre-set.
i
To ensure a maximum range of movement
for seat adjustment, various adjustment func-
tions also involve other indirect adjustments be-
ing made.

321 Controls in detailSeats
Adjusting front passenger seat from
driver’s seat*
You can adjust the front passenger seat
using the seat switches on the driver’s
side.
1Adjusting front passenger seat
Switch on the ignition (
page 315).

Press button1.
When the indicator lamp on button1 is
on, you can operate the following features
of the front passenger seat:


seat adjustment


seat heating/ventilation*


memory function
Setting front passenger seat position
from rear*
The switch is located on the right rear pas-
senger door.
1To select front or rear passenger seat
2Seat height
3Head restraint height (
page 324)
4Backrest tilt
5Seat fore and aft adjustment

Switch on the ignition (
page 315).
or

Open the right rear passenger door.

Press button1 to adjust the front
passenger seat.
The Indicator lamp in the button1
comes on.

Adjust front passenger seat using seat
switches2,3,4 and5.

To adjust right rear passenger seat
(page 320), press button1 again.
The Indicator lamp in the button1
goes out.
i
Adjusting the passenger seat position from
the rear is not possible if you deactivate the over-
ride switch (
page 67).

324 Controls in detailSeatsHead restraints Front power head restraints
Head restraint height
1Head restraint height

Press the switch up or down in the di-
rection of arrow1.Head restraint tilt
Manually adjust the angle of the head re-
straint.

Push or pull on the upper edge of the
head restraint cushion.
Luxury active head restraints
(S 600 only) (front seats)
Warning!
G
For your protection, drive only with properly
positioned head restraints.
Adjust head restraint so that it is as close to
the head as possible and the center of the
head restraint supports the back of the head
at eye level. This will reduce the potential for
injury to the head and neck in the event of
an accident or similar situation.
Do not drive the vehicle without the seat
head restraints. Head restraints are intend-
ed to help reduce injuries during an acci-
dent.i
Adjust the head restraint in such a way that
it is as close to the head as possible.
i
Depending on the seat’s set fore and aft po-
sition, the head restraint height is automatically
pre-set.
i
The head restraint on the front passenger’s
side is automatically lowered all the way down
while the vehicle is in motion if no one is sitting
on the seat. This helps you to acquire a better
all-round view.
Warning!
G
When folding back the side cushions, never
reach between the side cushion and the
mounting post. You could otherwise be
trapped.

327 Controls in detailSeats

Press switch down in the direction of
arrow3.
The rear power head restraint will fold
backward.

Press the switch forward or backward
in the direction of arrow2 or4.
The power head restraint will be tilted.
Luxury head restraints*
(rear outer seats)Adjustment
1Head restraint side cushions
2Head restraint height
You can individually adjust side
cushions1 of the luxury head restraints

Adjusting side cushions: Pull or push
side cushions1 into desired position.

Adjusting head restraint angle: Grip
head restraint at upper edge of cushion
and pull it forward or backward in di-
rection of arrow2.
Multicontour seats*, rear
You can adjust the rear outer multicontour
seats using the buttons on the center con-
sole.
1To select right rear passenger seat
2Massage setting, gentle
3Massage setting, vigorous
4To adjust position of backrest curva-
ture (lordosis)
5Lumbar region support
6Side bolster adjustment
7To select left rear passenger seat
Switch on the ignition (
page 315).
Warning!
G
When folding back the side cushions, never
reach between the side cushion and the
mounting post. You could otherwise be
trapped.


336 Controls in detailMemory functionPrior to operating the vehicle, the driver
should check and adjust the seat height,
seat position fore and aft, and seat back-
rest angle if necessary, to ensure adequate
control, reach, and comfort. The head re-
straint should also be adjusted for proper
height. See also the section on air bags
(page 45) for proper seat positioning.
In addition, adjust the steering wheel to
ensure adequate control, reach, operation
and comfort. Both the inside and outside
rear view mirrors should be adjusted for
adequate rear vision.
Fasten seat belts. Infants and small chil-
dren should be seated in a properly se-
cured restraint system that complies with
U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Stan-
dards 213 and 225 and Canadian Motor
Vehicle Safety Standards 213 and 210.2.With the memory function you can store up
to 3 different settings.
The following settings are saved for each
stored position the driver’s door:


Seat position and lumbar support


Multicontour seat*: previously select-
ed setting


Drive-dynamic multicontour seat*: ac-
tivation/deactivation


Steering wheel position


Exterior rear view mirrors position
The following settings are stored when us-
ing the buttons on the front passenger
door:


Seat position and lumbar support


Multicontour seat*: previously select-
ed setting


Drive-dynamic multicontour seat*: ac-
tivation/deactivationThe following settings are stored when us-
ing the buttons* on the rear passenger
doors (Canada only):


Seat position


Multicontour seat*: previously select-
ed settingWarning!
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.

341 Controls in detail
Fastening the seat belts
Proper use of seat belts

Do not twist the belt when fastening.


Adjust seat belt so that the shoulder
portion is located as close as possible
to the middle of the shoulder (it should
not touch the neck). Never pass the
shoulder portion of the belt under your
arm.


Position the lap belt as low as possible
on your hips (over hip joint) and not
across the abdomen.


Place the seat backrest in a nearly up-
right position.


Never use a seat belt for more than one
person at a time.


Do not fasten a seat belt around a per-
son and another object at the same
time. When using a seat belt to secure
infant or toddler restraints or children
in booster seats, always follow the
child seat manufacturer’s instructions.


Check your seat belt during travel to
make sure that it is properly posi-
tioned.


Make sure the seat belt is always fitted
snugly. Take special care of this when
wearing loose clothing.For more information, see “Seat belts”
(
page 55).
Seat belt height adjustment
The vehicle automatically adjusts the seat
belt height for the driver’s and front pas-
senger’s seats as well as for the rear outer
seats. Comply with the instructions on how
to properly fasten a seat belt
(page 339).
Warning!
G
Do not pass belts over sharp edges. They
could tear.
Do not allow the belt to get caught in the
door or in the seat adjustment mechanism.
This could damage the belt.
Never attempt to make modifications to
seat belts. This could impair the effective-
ness of the belts.
Do not bleach or dye seat belts as this may
severely weaken them. In a crash, they may
not be able to provide adequate protection.
Damaged seat belts or belts that were highly
stressed in an accident must be replaced.
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Cen-
ter.

401 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Airmatic (S 550 only)
Airmatic automatically selects the opti-
mum suspension tuning and ride height for
your vehicle.
Airmatic consists of two components:

Level control system


Adaptive Damping System (ADS)
The ADS automatically selects the opti-
mum damping for the respective driv-
ing conditions. At the same time the
suspension is set to either sporty or
regular.Vehicle level control with Airmatic
Your vehicle automatically adjusts its ride
height to:


reduce fuel consumption


increase vehicle stability
The vehicle chassis ride height is raised or
lowered according to the selected level
setting and to the vehicle speed:


With increasing speed, ride height is re-
duced by up to approximately 0.8 in
(20 mm).


With decreasing speed, the ride height
is again raised to the selected vehicle
level.The following vehicle level settings can be
selected when the vehicle is stationary:
Select the “Raised” level setting only when
required by current driving conditions.
Otherwise:


Fuel consumption may increase.


Handling may be impaired.
i
These height adjustments are so small that
you may not notice any change.
LevelNormal
For driving on normal roads.
The indicator lamp is off.
Raised
For driving on rough roads or
with snow chains. The indica-
tor lamp is on.

403 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Active Body Control (ABC)*
The ABC system automatically selects the
optimum suspension tuning and ride
height for your vehicle.
The ABC system consists of an active, hy-
draulically controlled suspension and
damping system.
Vehicle level control with ABC*
Your vehicle automatically adjusts its ride
height to:

reduce fuel consumption


increase vehicle stability
The vehicle chassis ride height is raised or
lowered according to the selected level
setting and to the vehicle speed:


With increasing speed, ride height is re-
duced by up to approximately 0.6 in
(15 mm).


With decreasing speed, the ride height
is again raised to the selected vehicle
level.The following vehicle level settings can be
selected when the vehicle is stationary:
Select the “Raised” level setting only when
required by current driving conditions.
Otherwise:


Fuel consumption may increase.


Handling may be impaired.
i
These height adjustments are so small that
you may not notice any change.
LevelNormal
For driving on normal roads.
The indicator lamp is off.
Raised
For driving on rough roads or
with snow chains. The indica-
tor lamp is on.
i
The selected vehicle level setting remains
stored in memory even if the engine is turned off
and restarted.
Warning!
G
To help avoid personal injury, keep hands
and feet away from wheel housing area, and
stay away from under the vehicle when low-
ering the vehicle chassis.

406 Controls in detailDriving systemsRange of the sensorsFront sensors
Rear sensorsMinimum distance
If the system detects an obstacle in this
range, all the distance warning segments
illuminate and you hear a warning signal. If
the obstacle is closer than the minimum
distance, the actual distance may no long-
er be indicated by the system.i
To function properly, the sensors must be
free of dirt, ice, snow and slush. Clean the sen-
sors regularly, being careful not to scratch or
damage the sensors, see “Cleaning the Park-
tronic* system sensors” (
page 538).
Center
approx. 40 in (100 cm)
Corners
approx. 24 in (60 cm)
Center
approx. 48 in (120 cm)
Corners
approx. 32 in (80 cm)
!
During parking maneuvers, pay special at-
tention to objects located above or below the
height of the sensors (e.g. street curbs, painted
posts, or trailer hitches etc.). The Parktronic sys-
tem will not detect such objects at close range
and damage to your vehicle or the object may re-
sult.
Ultrasonic signals from outside sources (e.g.
truck air brakes, car wash, or jackhammers) may
impair the operation of the Parktronic system.
Center
approx. 8 in (20 cm)
Corners
approx. 6 in (15 cm)

436 Controls in detailTrunkOpening trunk
A minimum height clearance of 5.9 ft.
(1.80 m) is required to open the trunk lid.Opening trunk from outside
1Trunk lid handle
In vehicles without KEYLESS-GO*: The ve-
hicle must be unlocked.

Pull on handle1.
or

Press and hold button Š on the
SmartKey or SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* until trunk unlocks and
begins to open.Opening trunk from inside
You can open the trunk from the inside if
the vehicle is stationary.
Vehicles without trunk opening/closing
system*
1Remote trunk opening switch

Press switch1 until the trunk begins
to open.
The trunk opens. The indicator lamp in
switch1 comes on and remains lit un-
til the trunk closed.
Warning!
G
Only drive with the trunk closed as, among
other dangers such as blocked visibility, ex-
haust fumes may enter the vehicle interior.!
The trunk lid swings open upwards automat-
ically. Always make sure that there is sufficient
overhead clearance.
!
Vehicles with trunk opening/closing sys-
tem*: To stop the opening procedure, press
buttonŠ on the SmartKey or SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO*.