MERCEDES-BENZ S550 4MATIC 2008 W221 Owner's Manual

330 Control systems
Voice Control* individualization
The individualization is used to adapt the
Voice Control System to your own voice
and to therefore improve speech recogni-
tion. This does not affect the speech rec-
ognition of other users.
Individualization consists of two stages:

Digits

Commands
You can activate individualization in the
COMAND system settings (
page 237).
A dialog and screen displays will guide you
through the individualization process.
The system can be reset to the factory set-
tings at any time.
iThe individualization can only be performed
when the vehicle is stationary.
If you drive off, the individualization will be can-
celed.
After starting the session, the system will guide
you through the individualization by means of
acoustic instructions.iYou may wish to complete only a portion of
the individualization process.
Completing the digits portion alone may result in
an improved recognition rate.
Individualization can be exited at any time. The
data trained, however, will only be retained if a
given individualization portion is completed and
the data is stored when prompted to do so by the
system.

331 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Starter switch positions
Seats
Steering wheel
Mirrors
Memory function
Fastening the seat belts
Lighting
Windshield wipers
Power windows
Driving and parkingAutomatic transmission
Instrument cluster
Driving systems
Air vents
Automatic climate control
Trunk
Power tilt/sliding sunroof
Panorama roof with power
tilt/sliding panel*
Loading and storing
Useful features

332 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
SmartKey
Your vehicle comes supplied with two
SmartKeys, each with remote control and
a removable mechanical key.
The SmartKey provides an extended oper-
ating range. To prevent theft, however, it is
advisable to only unlock the vehicle when
you are in close proximity to it.
The SmartKey centrally locks and unlocks,
when set to factory settings (
page 333):

the doors

the trunk

the fuel filler flap
SmartKey with remote control
1‹ Lock button
2ŠOpening button for trunk
(
page 479)
3Mechanical key locking tab
4ŒUnlock button
5Battery check lamp
6ÂPanic button (
page 65)
!To prevent possible malfunction, avoid ex-
posing the SmartKey to high levels of electro-
magnetic radiation.
Warning!G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch, take it
with you, and lock the vehicle. Do not leave
children unattended in the vehicle, or with
access to an unlocked vehicle. A child’s un-
supervised access to a vehicle could result
in an accident and/or serious personal inju-
ry.
Warning!G
To prevent possible personal injury, always
keep hands and fingers away from the door
or trunk lid opening when closing a door or
the trunk. Be especially careful when small
children are around.
Before closing doors, make sure there is no
possibility of someone getting caught in a
door during closing.

333 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Factory setting
Global unlocking: Press buttonŒ.

All turn signal lamps flash once.

An acoustic signal sounds once
(if equipped and feature activated).

The locking knobs in the doors
move up.

The anti-theft alarm system is dis-
armed.
The vehicle will lock again automatically
and rearm the anti-theft alarm system
within approximately 40 seconds of un-
locking if:

neither a door nor the trunk is opened

the SmartKey is not inserted in the
starter switch

the central locking/unlocking switch is
not activated
iUSA only:
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC
Rules. Operation is subject to the following two
conditions:
(1) This device may not cause harmful interfer-
ence, and
(2) this device must accept any interference re-
ceived, including interference that may
cause undesired operation.
Any unauthorized modification to this device
could void the user’s authority to operate the
equipment.
iCanada only:
This device complies with RSS-210 of Industry
Canada. Operation is subject to the following
two conditions:
(1) This device may not cause interference, and
(2) this device must accept any interference re-
ceived, including interference that may
cause undesired operation of the device.
Any unauthorized modification to this device
could void the user’s authority to operate the
equipment.
iYou can also open and close the door win-
dows and tilt/sliding sunroof, or the tilt/ sliding
panel* using the SmartKey (
page 385).
!If you cannot lock or unlock the vehicle with
the SmartKey, then either the batteries in the
SmartKey are discharged, the SmartKey is mal-
functioning or the vehicle batteries are drained.

Check the batteries in the SmartKey and re-
place them if necessary (
page 676).

Use the mechanical key to unlock the driv-
er’s door (
page 671) and the trunk
(
page 672).

Use the mechanical key to lock the driver’s
door (
page 672) and the trunk
(
page 484).

Have the vehicle batteries and their connec-
tions checked (
page 692).
If the SmartKey is malfunctioning, contact Road-
side Assistance or an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
iYour vehicle may be equipped with an
acoustic lock and unlock confirmation signal fea-
ture. If your vehicle is equipped with this feature
and the feature is activated, an acoustic signal
will sound when the vehicle is locked or unlocked
using the SmartKey. To determine whether or not your vehicle is
equipped with this feature, contact an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center. If equipped and
you wish to activate or deactivate the feature, or
adjust its signal volume, also contact an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center.

334 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Global locking: Press button‹.
With the trunk and both doors closed:

All turn signal lamps flash three
times.

An acoustic signal sounds three
times (if equipped and feature acti-
vated).

The locking knobs in the doors
move down.

The anti-theft alarm system is
armed.
Selective setting
If you frequently travel alone, you may wish
to reprogram the SmartKey so that press-
ing buttonŒ only unlocks the driver’s
door and the fuel filler flap.
Press and hold buttonsŒ and‹
simultaneously for about 5 seconds un-
til battery check lamp5 (
page 332)
flashes twice.The SmartKey will then function as fol-
lows:
Unlocking driver’s door and fuel fill-
er flap: Press buttonΠonce.

All turn signal lamps flash once.

An acoustic signal sounds once
(if equipped and feature activated).
For more information, see “Factory
setting” (
page 333).

The locking knob in the driver’s
door moves up.

The anti-theft alarm system is dis-
armed.
Global unlocking: Press buttonŒ
twice.

All turn signal lamps flash once.

An acoustic signal sounds once
(if equipped and feature activated).

The locking knobs in the doors
move up.

The anti-theft alarm system is dis-
armed.
Global locking: Press button‹.
With the trunk and both doors closed:

All turn signal lamps flash three
times.

An acoustic signal sounds three
times (if equipped and feature acti-
vated).

The locking knobs in the doors
move down.

The anti-theft alarm system is
armed.
Restoring to factory setting: Press
and hold buttonsŒ and‹ si-
multaneously for about 5 seconds until
battery check lamp5 (
page 332)
flashes twice.

335 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
Vehicles equipped with KEYLESS-GO come
with two SmartKeys with KEYLESS-GO,
each with remote control and a removable
mechanical key.
The locking tabs for the mechanical key
portion of the two SmartKeys with
KEYLESS-GO are of different color to help
distinguish each SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO unit.
The KEYLESS-GO function is integrated
into the SmartKey. On these vehicles, the
validity of the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO
is checked every time you grasp an outside
door handle.
With the KEYLESS-GO function, you can
lock and unlock the vehicle without using
the remote control buttons on the
SmartKey and start the engine without in-
serting the SmartKey in the starter switch.The SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO centrally
locks and unlocks, when set to factory set-
tings (
page 338):

the doors

the trunk

the fuel filler flap
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO
1‹ Lock button
2ŠOpening button for trunk
(
page 479)
3Locking tab for mechanical key
4ΠUnlock button
5Battery check lamp
6ÂPanic button (
page 65)
iWhen any outside door handle other than
the driver’s outside door handle is grasped, the
vehicle is centrally unlocked.
!To prevent possible malfunction, avoid ex-
posing the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO to high
levels of electromagnetic radiation.
Warning!G
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* with you and
lock the vehicle. Do not leave children unat-
tended in the vehicle, or with access to an
unlocked vehicle. A child’s unsupervised ac-
cess to a vehicle could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury.
Children could start the vehicle with a valid
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO left in the vehi-
cle or with the KEYLESS-GO button on the
starter switch, or could release the electron-
ic parking brake, thereby putting them-
selves and others in danger. Switch off the
engine and take the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO with you even if you are only
leaving the vehicle for a short while.

336 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Important notes on using KEYLESS-GO

You can also use the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO like a normal SmartKey
(
page 332).
The starter switch is located under the
KEYLESS-GO button. Pull the
KEYLESS-GO button out in order to ac-
cess the starter switch.

You can combine KEYLESS-GO func-
tions with normal SmartKey functions
(e.g. unlocking with KEYLESS-GO and
locking with button ‹).
Warning!G
To prevent possible personal injury, always
keep hands and fingers away from the door
or trunk lid opening when closing a door or
the trunk. Be especially careful when small
children are around.
Before closing doors, make sure there is no
possibility of someone getting caught in a
door during closing.
iUSA only:
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC
Rules. Operation is subject to the following two
conditions:
(1) This device may not cause harmful interfer-
ence, and
(2) this device must accept any interference re-
ceived, including interference that may
cause undesired operation.
Any unauthorized modification to this device
could void the user’s authority to operate the
equipment.
iCanada only:
This device complies with RSS-210 of Industry
Canada. Operation is subject to the following
two conditions:
(1) This device may not cause interference, and
(2) this device must accept any interference re-
ceived, including interference that may
cause undesired operation of the device.
Any unauthorized modification to this device
could void the user’s authority to operate the
equipment.
iYou can also open and close the door win-
dows and tilt/sliding sunroof, or the tilt/ sliding
panel* using the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO
(
page 385).
!If you cannot lock or unlock the vehicle with
the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO, then either the
batteries in the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO are
discharged, the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO is
malfunctioning or the vehicle batteries are
drained.

Check the batteries in the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO and replace them if necessary
(
page 676).

Use the mechanical key to unlock the driv-
er’s door (
page 671) and trunk
(
page 672).

Use the mechanical key to lock the driver’s
door (
page 672) and the trunk
(
page 484).

Have the vehicle batteries and their connec-
tions checked (
page 692).
If the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO is malfunc-
tioning, contact Roadside Assistance or an au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center.

337 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking

Always carry the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO with you.

Never store the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO together with:

Electronic items such as a mobile
phone or another SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO

Metallic objects such as coins or
metal foil
Doing so could impair the function of
the KEYLESS-GO system.

To lock or unlock the vehicle, the
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO must be
located outside the vehicle within ap-
proximately 3 ft (1 m) of a door or the
trunk lid.

If the vehicle has been parked for more
than 72 hours, you must pull an outside
door handle in order to activate the
KEYLESS-GO function.

In order to start the engine with the
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO:

The SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO
must be located in the vehicle.

The KEYLESS-GO start/stop button
must be inserted in the starter
switch (
page 346).

The brake pedal must be firmly de-
pressed. Do not depress the accel-
erator.

If the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO is
positioned farther away from the vehi-
cle, the system may no longer recog-
nize the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO.
The vehicle then cannot be locked or
the engine started via the KEYLESS-GO
system.

If the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO is re-
moved from the vehicle (e.g. if passen-
ger exits the vehicle with the SmartKey
with KEYLESS-GO)

when pressing the KEYLESS-GO
start/stop button or trying to lock
the vehicle with the outside door handle the message “Key not recog-
nized” appears in the multifunction
display

with the engine running, the mes-
sage “Key not recognized” appears
in the multifunction display while
driving off
Find the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO or
change its present location immediate-
ly (e.g. place it on the front passenger
seat or insert it in shirt pocket).

If you have started the engine with the
KEYLESS-GO start/stop button, you
can turn it off again with:

the KEYLESS-GO start/stop button

the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO in-
serted in the starter switch, when
the automatic transmission is in
park positionP

338 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking

Remember that the engine can be
started by anyone with a SmartKey
with KEYLESS-GO that is left inside the
vehicle.
Possibility 1: (One SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO in the vehicle, one
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO outside
the vehicle):
If you leave the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO behind when exiting and
locking the vehicle, no message
appears in the multifunction display.
Possibility 2: (One SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO in the vehicle, no
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO outside
the vehicle):
When exiting and trying to lock the ve-
hicle, the message “Key still in vehicle”
appears in the multifunction display.
The vehicle will not be locked.Factory setting
1Outside door handleGlobal unlocking: Grasp an outside
door handle1.

All turn signal lamps flash once.

An acoustic signal sounds once
(if equipped and feature activated).

The locking knobs in the doors
move up.

The anti-theft alarm system is dis-
armed.
The vehicle will lock again automatically
and rearm the anti-theft alarm system
within approximately 40 seconds of un-
locking if:

neither a door nor the trunk is opened

the central locking/unlocking switch is
not activated
iYour vehicle may be equipped with an
acoustic lock and unlock confirmation signal fea-
ture. If your vehicle is equipped with this feature
and the feature is activated, an acoustic signal
will sound when the vehicle is locked or unlocked
using the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO.
To determine whether or not your vehicle is
equipped with this feature, contact an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center. If equipped and
you wish to activate or deactivate the feature, or
adjust its signal volume, also contact an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center.
iThe vehicle could inadvertently be unlocked
if the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO is within 3 ft
(1 m) of the vehicle and:

an outside door handle is splashed with wa-
ter, or

you attempt to clean an outside door handle.

339 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Global locking: Close all doors and
touch outside of door handle1. Do
not keep your hand in the door handle
recess.
With the trunk and both doors closed:

All turn signal lamps flash three
times.

An acoustic signal sounds three
times (if equipped and feature acti-
vated).

The locking knobs in the doors
move down.

The anti-theft alarm system is
armed.Selective setting
If you frequently travel alone, you may wish
to reprogram the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO so when you, grasp the driv-
er’s outside door handle only the driver’s
door and the fuel filler flap unlocks.
Press and hold buttonsŒ and‹
simultaneously for about 5 seconds un-
til battery check lamp5 (
page 335)
flashes twice.
The SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO will
then function as follows:
Unlocking driver’s door and fuel fill-
er flap: Grasp the driver’s outside door
handle.

All turn signal lamps flash once.

An acoustic signal sounds once
(if equipped and feature activated).
For more information, see “Factory
setting” (
page 338).

The locking knob in the driver’s
door moves up.

The anti-theft alarm system is dis-
armed.
Global unlocking: Grasp any outside
door handle other than the driver’s out-
side door handle.

All turn signal lamps flash once.

An acoustic signal sounds once
(if equipped and feature activated).

The locking knobs in the doors
move up.

The anti-theft alarm system is dis-
armed.
iVehicles with trunk opening/closing
system*:
You can also lock the vehicle using the
KEYLESS-GO locking/closing switch
(
page 482).