key MERCEDES-BENZ E500 2003 W211 Owner's Manual

Contents
Introduction.......................................... 9
Product information ................................ 9
Operator’s Manual ............................... 10
Service and warranty information .. 10
Important notice for California
retail buyers and lessees of
Mercedes-Benz automobiles .......... 11
Maintenance .................................. 12
Roadside Assistance ...................... 12
Change of address or ownership.... 12
Operating your vehicle outside
the USA or Canada......................... 13
Where to find it .................................... 14
Symbols ............................................... 15
Operating safety .................................. 16
Proper use of the vehicle ............... 16
Problems with your vehicle .................. 17
Reporting safety defects...................... 18
Reporting safety defects ................ 18
At a glance.......................................... 19
Cockpit ................................................. 20
Instrument cluster ................................ 22
Multifunction steering wheel ................ 24
Center console ..................................... 25
Upper part ...................................... 25
Lower part ...................................... 26
Overhead control panel ........................ 27
Door control panel................................ 28Getting started................................... 29
Unlocking ............................................. 30
Unlocking with the SmartKey.......... 30
Unlocking with KEYLESS-GO* ......... 32
Adjusting .............................................. 34
Seats............................................... 34
Steering wheel ................................ 37
Mirrors ............................................ 38
Driving .................................................. 40
Fastening the seat belts.................. 40
Starting the engine ......................... 43
Switching on headlamps ................. 46
Turn signals and high beam ............ 46
Windshield wipers ........................... 47Problems while driving.................... 48
Parking and locking .............................. 50
Parking brake ................................. 50
Switching off headlamps................. 51
Turning off the engine ..................... 51
Safety and Security........................... 55
Occupant safety ................................... 56
Airbags ........................................... 57
Seat belts ....................................... 61
Children in the vehicle .................... 65
Blocking of rear door window
operation ........................................ 71
Panic alarm .......................................... 72
Activating........................................ 72
Deactivating.................................... 72
Driving safety systems ......................... 73
ABS ................................................. 73
BAS ................................................. 74
ESP ................................................. 75
The SBC brake system .................... 77
Anti-theft systems ................................ 81
Immobilizer ..................................... 81
Anti-theft alarm system .................. 82
Tow-away alarm .............................. 82

ContentsControls in detail............................... 85
Locking and unlocking ......................... 86
Keys ............................................... 86
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*......... 89
Opening the doors from the inside . 93
Opening the trunk from the inside.. 94
Opening the trunk .......................... 96
Closing the trunk ............................ 96
Trunk lid emergency release .......... 97
Separately locking the trunk .......... 98
Separately unlocking the trunk ...... 99
Automatic central locking .............. 99
Locking and unlocking from
the inside ..................................... 100
Seats.................................................. 102
Easy-entry/exit feature* .............. 102
Head restraints............................. 103
Multicontour seat* ....................... 104
Dynamic driving seat* .................. 105
Heated seats* .............................. 107
Seat ventilation* .......................... 108
Memory function................................ 109
Storing positions into memory ..... 110
Recalling positions from memory . 110
Storing parking position ............... 111Lighting.............................................. 112
Exterior lamp switch..................... 112
Combination switch ..................... 115
Hazard warning flasher ................ 115
Interior lighting............................. 116
Door entry lamps ......................... 117
Trunk lamp ................................... 117
Instrument cluster ............................. 118
Instrument cluster illumination .... 118
Coolant temperature display ........ 119
Trip odometer .............................. 119
Tachometer .................................. 120
Outside temperature indicator ..... 120
Control system .................................. 121
Multifunction display .................... 121
Multifunction steering wheel ........ 122
Menus .......................................... 124
Standard display menu ................ 126
AUDIO menu ................................ 126
NAVI* ........................................... 128
Distronic* menu........................... 128
Malfunction memory menu .......... 129
Settings menu .............................. 130
Trip computer menu ..................... 145
TEL menu* ................................... 147
Automatic transmission ..................... 151One-touch gearshifting ................ 152
Gear ranges ................................. 153
Gear selector lever position ......... 154
Program mode selector switch .... 155
Accelerator position ..................... 156
Emergency operation
(Limp home mode) ....................... 156
Good visibility .................................... 157
Rear view mirror .......................... 157
Headlamp cleaning system* ........ 158
Sun visors .................................... 158
Rear window sunshade* .............. 160
Roller sunblind* in the rear doors 161
Climate control .................................. 162
Setting the temperature............... 165
Adjusting air distribution .............. 166
Adjusting air volume .................... 166
Defrosting .................................... 167
Air recirculation mode.................. 167
Rear window defroster ................. 169
Deactivating the climate
control system ............................. 170
Air conditioner ............................. 170
Residual heat and ventilation* ..... 171
Automatic climate control* ............... 172
Setting the temperature............... 176

23 At a glance
Instrument cluster
Item
Page
1
LLeft turn signal indi-
cator lamp
2
vElectronic Stability
Program (ESP)
warning lamp
288
3
Speedometer
4
Multifunction display
with:Basic display with outside
temperature display
126
Status indicator with mal-
function warning messageTrip odometer
119
5
lDistance warning
lamp
1
1Vehicles without Distronic*: Warning lamp without
function. It illuminates with key in starter switch
position 2. It should go out when the engine is run-
ning.
289
6
KRight turn signal in-
dicator lamp
Item
Page
7
Coolant temperature dis-
play with:•Coolant tempera-
ture warning lamp
292
8
Tachometer with:1Supplemental
restraint system
indicator lamp
290
-Antilock Brake Sys-
tem (ABS) malfunc-
tion indicator lamp
289
warning lamp
293
AHigh beam head-
lamp indicator
115
9
Main odometer with:

Selector lever position
43


Program mode
155
Item
Page
10
Clock with:;Brake warning
lamp, except
Canada
291
3Brake warning
lamp, Canada only
291
?Engine malfunction
indicator lamp
293
11
Fuel display with:AFuel reserve warn-
ing lamp
293
12
Reset knob for:

Resetting trip
odometer
119


Adjusting instrument
cluster illumination
118


Confirming new time
settings
136

26 At a glanceCenter consoleLower part
Item
Page
1
Ashtray
231
2
KEYLESS-GO* start/stop
button
33
3
Selector lever for automat-
ic transmission
43,
151
4
Parking assist (Parktronic
system)* deactivation
switch
212
5
Adaptive damping system
(ADS)* switch
209
Item
Page
6
Vehicle level control
switch*
209
7
Thumbwheel for setting
distance for Distronic*
204
8
Distance warning func-
tion* on/off switch
205
9
Program mode selector for
automatic transmission
155

30 Getting startedUnlockingThe "Getting started" section provides an
overview of the vehicle’s most basic func-
tions. First-time Mercedes-Benz owners
should pay special attention to the infor-
mation given here.
If you are already familiar with the basic
functions described here, the "Controls in
detail" section will help you with further in-
formation. The corresponding page refer-
ences are at the end of each segment.
UnlockingUnlocking with the SmartKeySmartKey with remote control 1‹Lock button
2ŠUnlock button for trunk lid
3ŒUnlock button
4ÂPanic button (
page 72)

Press unlock button Πon the key.
All turn signal lamps blink once. The
locking knobs in the doors move up.

Get in the vehicle and insert the key in
the starter switch.
More information can be found in the
"Controls in detail" section (
page 86).

31 Getting started
Unlocking
Starter switch positionsStarter switch0For removing key
1Power supply to some electrical con-
sumers, such as seat adjustment
2Ignition (power supply for all electrical
consumers) and driving position
3Starting position
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle always remove the
key from the starter switch, take the Smart-
Key with KEYLESS-GO* (if so equipped) with
you and lock the vehicle. Do not leave chil-
dren unattended in the vehicle, or with ac-
cess to an unlocked vehicle. Unsupervised
use of vehicle equipment may cause serious
personal injury.iThe SmartKey can only be removed
from the starter switch with the gear
selector lever in position P.
!If the key is left in starter switch
position0 for an extended period of
time, it can no longer be turned in the
starter switch.

Remove the key from the starter
switch and reinsert.
If the key can still not be turned, the
battery may not be sufficiently
charged.

Check the battery and charge it
if necessary (
page 266).

Get a jump start (
page 346).
To prevent accelerated battery dis-
charge or a completely discharged bat-
tery, always remove the key from the
starter switch.

32 Getting startedUnlockingUnlocking with KEYLESS-GO*
Your vehicle comes supplied with two
SmartKeys with remote controls and a re-
movable mechanical key. The locking tabs
for the mechanical key portion of the two
keys are a different color to help distin-
guish each key unit.
The function of the SmartKey overrules the
KEYLESS-GO function.
If you have the KEYLESS-GO function, your
vehicle checks whether the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO is valid when you grasp the
door handle. If your key is valid, the doors
will unlock, and you can open them.

Grasp the door handle.
The turn signal lamps blink once. The
locking knobs on the doors move up.
Pressing the KEYLESS-GO start/stop but-
ton on the selector lever corresponds to
turning the key to the various starter
switch positions.
iTo unlock the vehicle, the SmartKey
with KEYLESS-GO must be outside the
vehicle, no further than approx. 3 feet
(1 meter) away from the door. Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle always take the
key and the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO
with you, and lock the vehicle. Do not leave
children unattended in the vehicle, or with
access to an unlocked vehicle. Unsuper-
vised use of vehicle equipment may cause
serious personal injury.

33 Getting started
Unlocking
1KEYLESS-GO start/stop button
Before you press the KEYLESS-GO
start/stop button, the vehicle’s on-board
electronics have status 0 (as with key re-
moved).Make sure the gear selector lever is set
toP.
Do not depress the brake pedal.
Position 1

Press the KEYLESS-GO start/stop but-
ton once.
This supplies power to some electrical
consumers, such as seat adjustment.Ignition (or position 2)

Press the KEYLESS-GO start/stop but-
ton twice.
This supplies power to all electrical
consumers. All the lights in the instru-
ment cluster light up.
More information can be found in the
"Controls in detail" section (
page 89).
For information on starting the engine us-
ing the KEYLESS-GO start/stop button,
see "Starting with KEYLESS-GO"
(
page 44).
iIf you now press the KEYLESS-GO
start/stop button twice, the power
supply is again switched off.
iIf you now press the KEYLESS-GO
start/stop button once, the power sup-
ply is again switched off.

34 Getting startedAdjusting
AdjustingSeatsWarning!
G
All seat, head restraint, steering wheel, and
rear view mirror adjustments, as well as fas-
tening of seat belts, must be done before
the vehicle is put into motion.Warning!
G
Do not adjust the driver’s seat while driving.
Adjusting the seat while driving could cause
the driver to lose control of the vehicle.
Never ride in a moving vehicle with the seat
back reclined. Sitting in an excessively re-
clined position can be dangerous. You could
slide under the seat belt in a collision. If you
slide under it, the belt would apply force at
the abdomen or neck. That could cause se-
rious or fatal injuries. The seat back and seat
belts provide the best restraint when the
wearer is in an upright position and belts are
properly positioned on the body.
Your seat must be adjusted so that you can
correctly fasten your seat belt (
page 40).
Never place hands under the seat or near
any moving parts while a seat is being ad-
justed.
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle always remove the
key from the starter switch, take the Smart-
Key with KEYLESS-GO* (if so equipped) with
you, and lock your vehicle.
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 serious personal injury.
Warning!
G
Children 12 years old and under must never
ride in the front seat, except in a
Mercedes-Benz authorized BabySmart
TM
compatible child seat, which operates with
the BabySmart
TM system installed in the ve-
hicle to deactivate the passenger front air-
bag when it is properly installed. Otherwise
they will be struck by the airbag when it in-
flates in a crash. If this happens, serious or
fatal injury will result.
According to accident statistics, children
are safer when properly restrained in the
rear seating positions than in the front seat-
ing positions. Infants and small children
must ride in back seats and be seated in an
appropriate infant or child restraint system,
which is properly secured with the vehicle’s
seat belt, fully in accordance with the child
seat manufacturer’s instructions.

35 Getting started
Adjusting
Seat adjustment
The seat adjustment switches are located
in each door.
1Seat fore and aft adjustment
2Seat height
3Seat cushion tilt
4Backrest tilt
5Head restraint height
Turn the key in the starter switch to
position1or2.
or

Press the KEYLESS GO* start/stop
button once or twice.
or

Open the driver’s or passenger door.
Seat height

Press the switch up or down in the di-
rection of arrow2.
Seat fore and aft adjustment

Press the switch forward or backward
in the direction of arrow1.
Adjust to a comfortable seating posi-
tion 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.
Infants and small children must be seated in
an appropriate infant or child restraint sys-
tem, which is properly secured with the ve-
hicle’s seat belt, fully in accordance with the
child seat manufacturer’s instructions.
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.
iWhen moving the seat, be sure that
there are no items in the footwell or be-
hind the seats. Otherwise you could
damage the seats.