MERCEDES-BENZ S550 2007 W221 Owner's Manual

330 Controls in detailSteering wheel
Steering wheel adjustment
1Adjusting steering column, in or out
2Adjusting steering column, up or down
Switch on the ignition (
page 315) or
open the driver’s door.

Adjusting steering column in or out:
Move stalk forward or back in the direc-
tion of arrow1 until a comfortable
steering wheel position is reached with
your arms slightly bent at the elbow.

Adjusting steering column up or
down: Move the stalk up or down in the
direction of arrow2.
Make sure your legs can move freely
and all the displays (incl. malfunction
and indicator lamps) on the instrument
cluster are clearly visible.
Warning!
G
Do not adjust the steering wheel while driv-
ing. Adjusting the steering wheel while driv-
ing could cause the driver to lose control of
the vehicle.
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey or SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
from the starter switch, take it with you, and
lock the vehicle.
Even with the SmartKey or SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* removed from the starter
switch or the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
removed from the vehicle, the steering
wheel adjustment feature can be operated
when the driver’s door is open. Therefore,
do not leave children unattended in the ve-
hicle, or with access to an unlocked vehicle.
Unsupervised use of vehicle equipment may
cause an accident and/or serious personal
injury.
i
The memory function (
page 336) lets you
store settings for the steering wheel together
with the settings for the exterior rear view mir-
rors and the seat positions.

331 Controls in detail
Steering wheel
Heated steering wheel*
The steering wheel heating warms up the
leather area of the steering wheel.
1Switching on
2Switching off
3Indicator lamp
Switch on the ignition (
page 315).

Switching on: Turn switc h a t the t ip of
stalk in the direction of arrow1.
The steering wheel is heated. Indicator
lamp3 comes on.

Switching off: T u r n s w i t c h a t t h e t i p o f
stalk in the direction of arrow2.
The steering wheel heating is turned
off. Indicator lamp3 goes out.
i
The steering wheel heating will not switch
on, when the temperature of the vehicle interior
is above 86°F (30°C).
i
Indicator lamp3 flashes or goes out


in case of power surge or undervoltage


in case of a steering wheel heating malfunc-
tion
i
The steering wheel heating switches off au-
tomatically:


when you remove the SmartKey from the
starter switch


on vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*, when you
switch off the ignition (
page 315) and
open the driver’s door


when the temperature of the vehicle interior
is above 86°F (30°C)


after approximately 30 minutes

332 Controls in detailMirrorsAdjust the interior and exterior rear view
mirrors before driving so that you have a
good view of the road and traffic condi-
tions.
Interior rear view mirror
Manually adjust the interior rear view
mirror.
For more information, see “Auto-dimming
rear view mirrors” (
page 334).
Exterior rear view mirrors
1 Selector switch for right or left exterior
mirror
2Adjustment button

Switch on the ignition (
page 315).

Press button1 repeatedly until de-
sired exterior mirror is selected.
The left or right indicator lamp in
button1 comes on.

Push adjustment button2 up, down,
left, or right according to the desired
setting.
Warning!
G
In case of an accident, liquid electrolyte may
escape the mirror housing if the mirror glass
breaks.
Electrolyte has an irritating effect. Do not al-
low the liquid to come into contact with
eyes, skin, clothing, or respiratory system.
In case it does, immediately flush affected
area with water, and seek medical help if
necessary.!
Electrolyte drops coming into contact with
the vehicle paint finish can only be completely
removed while in their liquid state and by apply-
ing plenty of water.
Warning!
G
Exercise care when using the passenger
side exterior rear view mirror. The mirror
surface is convex (outwardly curved surface
for a wider field of view). Objects in mirror
are closer than they appear. Check your in-
terior rear view mirror or glance over your
shoulder before changing lanes.

333 Controls in detail
Mirrors
Power folding exterior rear view mir-rors
Folding exterior rear view mirrors in
and out automatically
When the corresponding function in the
COMAND system is activated
(page 222):


The exterior rear view mirrors automat-
ically fold in as soon as the vehicle is
locked from the outside.


The exterior rear view mirrors automat-
ically fold out as soon as the vehicle is
unlocked and the driver’s or front pas-
senger door are subsequently opened.Folding exterior rear view mirrors in
and out manually
The exterior rear view mirrors can vibrate if
they are not folded out completely.
1Folds the exterior mirrors in and out

Switch on the ignition (
page 315).

Folding in: Press button1.

Folding out: Press button1 again.
i
When you press button1 for the first time,
the exterior mirror on the driver’s side is always
selected.
If you do not make adjustments to the selected
exterior rear view mirror within 15 seconds, the
indicator lamp goes out. You will then have to se-
lect the desired exterior rear view mirror again
before any adjustments can be made. Adjust-
ments can only be made with the indicator lamp
for the respective exterior rear view mirror but-
ton illuminated.
i
At low ambient temperatures, the exterior
rear view mirrors will be heated automatically.
i
The memory function (
page 336) lets you
store the setting for the exterior rear view mir-
rors together with the setting for the steering
wheel and the seat positions.
!
Before driving the vehicle through an auto-
matic car wash, fold the exterior mirrors in. Oth-
erwise they may get damaged.
i
The mirrors do not fold out if they were pre-
viously folded in manually.
i
If you are driving at more than approximately
9 mph (15 km/h), you will not be able to fold the
exterior mirrors in.


334 Controls in detailMirrorsAuto-dimming rear view mirrors
The reflection brightness of the exterior
rear view mirror on the driver’s side and
the interior rear view mirror will respond
automatically to glare when

the ignition is switched on
(page 315)
and


incoming light from headlamps falls on
the sensor in the interior rear view
mirrorThe interior rear view mirror will not react if


reverse gear R is engaged


the interior lighting is turned on
!
If an exterior rear view mirror housing is
forcibly pushed forward (hit from the rear), repo-
sition it manually by applying firm pressure until
it snaps back into place.
If an exterior rear view mirror housing is forcibly
pushed rearward (hit from the front), press
button1 to fold mirrors in, then press
button1 again to fold mirrors out. Do not force
mirrors by hand as this may damage the adjust-
ment mechanism.
The mirror housing is then properly positioned
and you can adjust the mirror in the usual man-
ner.
Warning!
G
The auto-dimming function does not react if
incoming light is not aimed directly at sen-
sors in the interior rear view mirror.
The interior rear view mirror and the exterior
rear view mirror on the driver’s side do not
react, for example, if the rear window sun-
shade is in raised position.
Light hitting the mirror(s) at certain angles
(incident light) could blind you. As a result,
you may not be able to observe traffic con-
ditions and could cause an accident.Warning!
G
In case of an accident, liquid electrolyte may
leak from the mirror housing if the mirror
glass breaks.
Electrolyte has an irritating effect. Do not al-
low the liquid to come into contact with
eyes, skin, clothing, or respiratory system.
In case it does, immediately flush affected
area with water, and seek medical help if
necessary.!
Electrolyte drops coming into contact with
the vehicle paint finish can be completely re-
moved only while in the liquid state by applying
plenty of water.
Warning!
G
Exercise care when using the passen-
ger-side exterior rear view mirror. The mirror
surface is convex (outwardly curved surface
for a wider field of view). Objects in mirror
are closer than they appear. Check your in-
side rear view mirror or glance over your
shoulder before changing lanes.


335 Controls in detail
Mirrors
Activating exterior rear view mirror parking position
Follow these steps to activate the mirror
parking position so that the passen-
ger-side exterior rear view mirror will be
turned downward to the stored position.
Make sure you have stored a parking
position for the passenger-side exterior
rear view mirror (
page 338).

Make sure the “Lower mirror when re-
versing” function in the “Exterior Mirror
Convenience Settings” submenu of the
COMAND system is selected
(page 222).

Switch on the ignition (
page 315).1Selector switch for right or left exterior
mirror

Press switch1 repeatedly until the
exterior mirror on the front passenger
side is selected.

Shift the automatic transmission in re-
verse gearR.
The passenger-side exterior rear view
mirror will be turned downward to the
stored position.
The exterior rear view mirror returns to its
previously stored driving position:


when you switch off the ignition


10 seconds after you have put the au-
tomatic transmission out of reverse
gearR


immediately once your vehicle exceeds
a speed of approximately 6 mph
(10 km/h)


immediately when you press button1
for driver’s side exterior rear view mir-
ror.
i
With the automatic transmission in reverse
gear R, the previously selected exterior rear view
mirror is activated.
i
If you adjust the exterior mirrors while they
are in the parking position, the new mirror posi-
tion is stored as a new parking position.

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.

337 Controls in detail
Memory function
The memory button and stored position
buttons are located on the door control
panel.
MMemory button
1 2 3Memory position buttons
Switch on the ignition (
page 315).
or

Open the respective door.
Storing positions into memory
Adjust the seat (
page 318) to the de-
sired position.

On the driver’s side: adjust the steering
wheel (
page 330) and the exterior
rear view mirrors (
page 332) to the
desired position.

Press memory buttonM.

Release memory buttonM and push
one of the position buttons within
3 seconds.
All the settings are stored with the se-
lected position.
Recalling positions from memory
Press and hold one of the position
buttons until the seat, steering wheel
and exterior rear view mirrors have fully
moved to the stored positions.
!
Do not operate the power seats using the
memory button if the seat backrest is in an ex-
cessively reclined position. Doing so could cause
damage to front or rear seats.
First move seat backrest to an upright position.
i
Releasing the button immediately stops
movement to the stored positions.
The multicontour seat* and/or lumbar support
will continue to be adjusted.

338 Controls in detailMemory functionStoring 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 “Activating exterior rear view
mirror parking position” (
page 335).
1Memory button M
2Adjustment button
3Selector switch for right or left exterior
mirror

Stop the vehicle.

Make sure the ignition is switched on
(page 315).

Press switch3 until the exterior mir-
ror on the front passenger side is se-
lected.

Adjust the passenger-side exterior rear
view mirror with button2 so that you
see the rear wheel and the road curb.

Press memory button M.

Within 3 seconds, press one of adjust-
ment buttons2.
The parking position is stored if the
mirror does not move.
i
If the mirror does move, repeat the above
steps. After the setting is stored, you can move
the mirror again.

339 Controls in detail
Fastening the seat belts
Fastening the seat belts
Warning!
G
Always fasten your seat belt before driving
off. Always make sure all of your passengers
are properly restrained, even those sitting in
the rear and pregnant women.
Failure to wear and properly fasten and
position your seat belt greatly increases
your risk of injuries and their likely severity
in an accident. You and your passengers
should always wear seat belts.
If you are ever in an accident, your injuries
can be considerably more severe without
your seat belt properly buckled. Without
your seat belt buckled, you are much more
likely to hit the interior of the vehicle or be
ejected from it. You can be seriously injured
or killed.
In the same crash, the possibility of injury or
death is lessened if you are wearing your
seat belt. The air bags can only provide the
protection they were designed to afford if
the occupants are using their seat belts
(page 45).
Warning!
G
According to accident statistics, children
are safer when properly restrained in the
rear seating positions than in the front seat-
ing position. Thus, we strongly recommend
that children be placed in the rear seats
whenever possible. Regardless of seating
position, children 12 years old and under
must be seated and properly secured in an
appropriate infant, or toddler restraint, or
booster seat recommended for the size and
weight of the child. For additional informa-
tion, see “Children in the vehicle”
(page 61).
A child’s risk of serious or fatal injuries is
significantly increased if the child restraints
are not properly secured in the vehicle and
the child is not properly secured in the child
restraint.Warning!
G
Never let more people ride in the vehicle
than there are seat belts available. Be sure
everyone riding in the vehicle is correctly re-
strained with a separate seat belt. Never use
a seat belt for more than one person at a
time.