MERCEDES-BENZ E WAGON 2006 S211 Owner's Manual

120 Controls in detailLocking and unlockingOpening the tailgate
Opening the tailgate from the outside
A minimum height clearance of 6.76 ft
(2.06 m) is required to open the tailgate.
The handle is located above the rear
license plate recess.
In vehicles without KEYLESS-GO*: The ve-
hicle must be unlocked.
Pull on the handle.
The tailgate opens.Opening the tailgate from the inside
with handle
You can open the tailgate from the inside if
the vehicle is stationary.
A minimum height clearance of 6.76 ft
(2.06 m) is required to open the tailgate.
The handle is located on the inside of the
tailgate.
1Handle
2Catch

To unlock the tailgate, move the
catch2 to the right.

Pull handle1 down and swing tailgate
upward.
!The tailgate swings open upwards auto-
matically. Always make sure there is
sufficient overhead clearance.
Vehicles with tailgate opening/closing
system*: to stop the opening proce-
dure, press buttonŠ on the
SmartKey. The tailgate stops moving.iThe tailgate can also be opened using
button Š on the SmartKey or
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO.iIf the vehicle was previously centrally
locked, the tailgate will lock automati-
cally after closing it (
page 122).
To confirm locking all turn signal lamps
flash three times.

121 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Opening the tailgate from the inside au-
tomatically*
In vehicles with tailgate opening/closing
system* you can open the tailgate from
the inside if the vehicle is stationary.
A minimum height clearance of 6.76 ft
(2.06 m) is required to open the tailgate.
The switch is located on the driver’s door.
1Remote tailgate release switch with in-
dicator lamp

Pull and hold remote tailgate release
switch1 until

the tailgate is completely open
(opened to its full extent),
or


the tailgate has reached the desired
opening angle.
The tailgate stops moving as soon as
you release the switch. The indicator
lamp in the switch comes on. It re-
mains lit until the tailgate is closed
again.
!Always make sure there is sufficient
overhead clearance.iTo lock the tailgate, move the catch2
to the left.Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey or the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* from the starter switch, take
it with you, and lock the vehicle. Do not
leave children unattended in the vehicle.
Children could open the tailgate from the in-
side, which could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury.

122 Controls in detailLocking and unlocking
Limiting opening height of tailgate*
Vehicles with tailgate opening/closing
system*:
The tailgate opening height can be limited
when transporting goods on a roof rack
(e.g. presence of an optional MB sport lug-
gage container). When activated, the tail-
gate opens to approximately the height of
the roof edge.
Activate the limiting opening height of
tailgate using the control system
(page 176).
Closing the tailgate
1Handle
Lower tailgate using handle1.

Close tailgate with hands placed flat on
the tailgate.
!The tailgate swings open upwards as
long as you pull and hold the remote
tailgate release switch. Always make
sure there is sufficient overhead clear-
ance. To stop the opening procedure,
release the remote tailgate release
switch.iThe tailgate can also be opened using
buttonŠ on the SmartKey or
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*.

123 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
1Strap in vehicles with folding bench
seat
Pull the tailgate down from the inside of
the vehicle using strap1.Closing the tailgate from the outside
(vehicles without KEYLESS-GO*)
In vehicles with tailgate opening/closing
system* you can close the tailgate sepa-
rately from the outside using the tailgate
closing switch.
1Tailgate closing switch

Press tailgate closing switch 1 briefly.
The tailgate closes.
Warning!
G
To prevent possible personal injury, always
keep hands and fingers away from the cargo
compartment opening when closing the tail-
gate. Be especially careful when small chil-
dren are around.
Warning!
G
Only drive with the tailgate closed as,
among other dangers such as blocked visi-
bility, exhaust fumes may enter the vehicle
interior.iTo prevent an inadvertent lockout, do
not place the SmartKey in the cargo
compartment.
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*:
To prevent a possible inadvertent lock-
out, the tailgate will open automatically
if a SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO is rec-
ognized inside the vehicle.

124 Controls in detailLocking and unlockingIf the tailgate comes into contact with an
object while closing (e.g. luggage that has
been piled too high), the closing procedure
is stopped and the tailgate reopens
slightly.
iYou can also close the tailgate by hand.
Warning!
G
Monitor the closing procedure carefully to
make sure no one is in danger of being in-
jured. To prevent possible personal injury,
always keep hands and fingers away from
the cargo compartment opening when clos-
ing the tailgate. Be especially careful when
small children are around. To stop the clos-
ing procedure, do one of the following:

press the tailgate closing switch1
(page 123)


press button Š on the SmartKey


pull the remote tailgate switch (on the
driver’s door) (
page 121)
Even with the SmartKey removed from the
starter switch, the tailgate closing switch
can be operated. Therefore, do not leave
children unattended in the vehicle, or with
access to an unlocked vehicle. Unsuper-
vised use of vehicle equipment may cause
an accident and/or serious personal injury.
Warning!
G
Only drive with the tailgate closed as,
among other dangers such as blocked visi-
bility, exhaust fumes may enter the vehicle
interior.iDo not place the SmartKey in the open
cargo compartment. You may lock
yourself out.iIf the vehicle was previously centrally
locked, the tailgate will lock automati-
cally after closing it.
To confirm locking all turn signal lamps
flash three times.

125 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Closing the tailgate from the outside
(vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*)
In vehicles with tailgate opening/closing
system* you can close the tailgate sepa-
rately from the outside using the tailgate
closing switch.
1Tailgate closing switch
Make sure you have the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO with you.

Press tailgate closing switch 1 briefly.
The tailgate closes.If the tailgate comes into contact with an
object while closing (e.g. luggage that has
been piled too high), the closing procedure
is stopped and the tailgate reopens
slightly.
iYou can also close the tailgate by hand.iTo prevent a possible inadvertent lock-
out, the tailgate will open automatically
if a SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO is rec-
ognized inside the vehicle.
Warning!
G
Monitor the closing procedure carefully to
make sure no one is in danger of being in-
jured. To prevent possible personal injury,
always keep hands and fingers away from
the cargo compartment opening when clos-
ing the tailgate. Be especially careful when
small children are around. To stop the clos-
ing procedure, do one of the following:

press KEYLESS-GO locking / closing
switch1 (
page 126)


press the tailgate closing switch1
(page 125)


press button Š on the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO (
page 111)


pull the remote tailgate switch (on the
driver’s door) (
page 121)


126 Controls in detailLocking and unlocking
Closing the tailgate and locking the
vehicle from the outside (vehicles with
KEYLESS-GO*)
In vehicles with tailgate opening/closing
system* and KEYLESS-GO, you can close
the tailgate and lock the vehicle simulta-
neously from the outside using the
KEYLESS-GO locking/closing switch.
1KEYLESS-GO locking/closing switch
Make sure you have SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO with you.

Press switch 1 briefly.

The tailgate closes.


All turn signal lamps flash three
times.


The locking knobs in the doors
move down.


The anti-theft alarm system is
armed.
If the tailgate comes into contact with an
object while closing (e.g. luggage that has
been piled too high), the closing procedure
is stopped and the tailgate reopens
slightly.
Even with the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO
removed from the vehicle, the tailgate clos-
ing switch can be operated. Therefore, 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.Warning!
G
Only drive with the tailgate closed as,
among other dangers such as blocked visi-
bility, exhaust fumes may enter the vehicle
interior.iIf the vehicle was previously centrally
locked, the tailgate will lock automati-
cally after closing it.
To confirm locking all turn signal lamps
flash three times.
iYou can also close the tailgate by hand.iTo prevent a possible inadvertent lock-
out, the tailgate will open automatically
if a SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO is rec-
ognized inside the vehicle.


127 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Automatic central locking
The doors and the tailgate automatically
lock when the ignition is switched on and
the wheels are turning at vehicle speeds of
approximately 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.For more information on towing the vehi-
cle, see “Towing the vehicle” (
page 458).
You can deactivate the automatic locking
mode using the control system
(
page 176).
Warning!
G
Monitor the closing procedure carefully to
make sure no one is in danger of being in-
jured. To prevent possible personal injury,
always keep hands and fingers away from
the cargo compartment opening when clos-
ing the tailgate. Be especially careful when
small children are around. To stop the clos-
ing procedure, do one of the following:

press KEYLESS-GO locking / closing
switch 1


press tailgate closing switch1
(page 125)


press button Š on the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO (
page 111)


pull the remote tailgate switch (on the
driver’s door) (
page 121)
Even with the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO
removed from the vehicle, the locking/clos-
ing switch can be operated. Therefore, 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.Warning!
G
Only drive with the tailgate closed as,
among other dangers such as blocked visi-
bility, exhaust fumes may enter the vehicle
interior.
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 or towed


is on a test stand

128 Controls in detailLocking and unlockingLocking and unlocking from the inside
You can lock or unlock the doors and the
tailgate from inside using the central lock-
ing switch. This can be useful, for example,
if you want to lock the vehicle before start-
ing to drive.
The fuel filler flap cannot be locked or un-
locked with the central locking switch.The switch is located in the center console.
Central locking switch1Locking
2UnlockingLocking

Press lower half 1 of the central lock-
ing switch.
If all doors are closed, the vehicle
locks.
Unlocking

Press upper half2 of the central lock-
ing switch.
The vehicle unlocks.
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey or the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* 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. Unsu-
pervised 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 using the SmartKey, it will not
unlock using the central locking switch.
If the vehicle was previously locked
with the central locking switch

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


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

129 Controls in detailSeats
Seats
For more information on seat adjustment,
see the “Getting started” section
(page 41).
Front seat active head restraints
You cannot remove the active head re-
straint on the driver’s and passenger’s
seats.For removal of the active head restraints
we recommend that you contact an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center.
For information on head restraint adjust-
ment, see “Seats” (
page 42).
For information on active head restraints,
see “Active head restraints” (
page 76).
Rear seat head restraints
Folding head restraints back
The rear seat head restraints can be folded
backward for increased visibility.
Warning!
G
For your protection, drive only with properly
positioned head restraints.
Adjust head restraint so that the center of
the head restraint supports the back of the
head at eye level. This will reduce the poten-
tial 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.
iAdjust the head restraint in such a way
that it is as close to the head as possi-
ble.
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.