wheel MERCEDES-BENZ E55AMG 2005 W211 Owner's Guide

93 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
Four wheel electronic traction system (4MATIC) with the ESP
Models with all-wheel-drive only.
The 4MATIC improves vehicle’s ability to
use available traction, e.g. during winter
operation in mountains under snowy
conditions, by applying power to all four
wheels.Warning!
G
If you see the ESP warning lampv flash-
ing in the speedometer, proceed as follows:

While driving off, apply as little throttle
as possible


While driving, ease up on the accelera-
tor


Adapt your speed and driving style to
the prevailing road conditions
Failure to observe these guidelines could
cause the vehicle to skid.
The ESP cannot prevent accidents resulting
from excessive speed.
!Do not tow with one axle raised.
Otherwise the transfer case can be
damaged, which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.!Performance testing must only be con-
ducted on a two-axle dynamometer.
Otherwise the transfer case can be
damaged, which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
!Because of the ESP’s automatic opera-
tion, the engine and the ignition must
be shut off (SmartKey in starter switch
position0 or1 or KEYLESS-GO
start/stop button* in position0 or1)
when the parking brake is being tested
on a brake test dynamometer.
Active braking action through ESP may
otherwise seriously damage the front
or rear axle brake system.
Operational tests with the engine
running can only be conducted on a
two-axle dynamometer.

118 Controls in detailLocking and unlocking
Briefly press emergency release
button1.
The trunk unlocks and the trunk lid
opens.
Illumination of the emergency release but-
ton:


The button will flash for 30 minutes af-
ter opening the trunk.


The button will flash for 60 minutes af-
ter closing the trunk.
Automatic central locking
The doors and the trunk automatically lock
when the ignition is switched on and the
wheels are turning at vehicle speeds of ap-
proximately 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.
iThe emergency release button unlocks
and opens the trunk while the vehicle is
standing still or in motion.iThe emergency release button does
not open the trunk lid, if the vehicle
battery is discharged or disconnected.
iIf the emergency release button is
pressed and the vehicle was centrally
locked from the outside using the
SmartKey, the exterior lamps will flash
and the alarm will sound as the trunk
lid opens.
To cancel the alarm, do one of the fol-
lowing:

Insert the SmartKey in the starter
switch.


Press button Œ or ‹ on the
SmartKey.
In vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*


Grasp the outside door handle.
The SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO
must be within 3 ft (1 m) of the ve-
hicle.


Press the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop
button (
page 35).
The SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO
must be inside the vehicle.
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

121 Controls in detailSeats
Seats
For more information on seat adjustment,
see the “Getting started” section
(page 38).
Easy-entry/exit feature
This feature allows for easier entry into and
exit from the vehicle.
The easy-entry/exit feature can be activat-
ed or deactivated in the
Convenience
sub-
menu of the control system (
page 167).When exiting the vehicle, with the
easy-entry/exit feature activated and de-
pending on your selection, the steering
wheel tilts upwards and/or the driver’s
seat moves a few inches to the rear when
you:


remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch,
or


open the driver’s door with the
SmartKey in starter switch position 0
or 1 or the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop
button (
page 35) in position 1.
Warning!
G
You must make sure no one can become
trapped or injured by the moving steering
wheel and driver’s seat when the easy-en-
try/exit feature is activated.
To cancel seat/steering wheel movement,
do one of the following:

Press seat adjustment switch
(page 30).


Move steering column stalk
(page 40).


Press one of the memory position but-
tons (
page 131).
Do not leave children unattended in the ve-
hicle, or with access to an unlocked vehicle.
Children could open the driver’s door and
unintentionally activate the easy-entry/exit
feature, which could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury.

122 Controls in detailSeats
When entering the vehicle, with the
easy-entry/exit feature activated, the
steering wheel or, depending on your se-
lection, the steering wheel and driver’s
seat will return to their last set memory po-
sition or a factory-set maximum forward
position when you:

close the driver’s door with the ignition
switched on


insert the SmartKey in starter switch or
press the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop
button (
page 35) once with the driv-
er’s door closed.
iIf the current position for the steering
wheel is in the uppermost tilt position,
the steering wheel will no longer be
able to move upward when the
easy-entry/exit feature is activated.
If the current seat position falls into a
factory-set position range and the
sytem recognizes the current seat posi-
tion to be rearward enough for easy en-
try and exit, the driver’s seat will not
move to the rear when the
easy-entry/exit feature is activated.
iFor safety reasons, the driver’s seat will
not return to its last set position with
the easy-entry/exit feature activated if
the system recognizes the last set posi-
tion as an extreme forward position. In-
stead, the driver’s seat will remain at or
move to a factory-set maximum for-
ward position. To again fully return the
driver’s seat to your last set position or
to memory position, adjust the seat to
the desired position or press and hold
the respective memory position button
(page 131).

130 Controls in detailMemory function
You can store up to three different settings
for each SmartKey or SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO*.
The following settings are stored when us-
ing the buttons on the driver’s door:

Driver’s seat, backrest, head restraint
position and settings for multicontour
seat


Steering wheel position


Exterior rear view mirror positions
These SmartKey-dependent memory set-
tings can be deactivated if desired. For in-
formation on SmartKey-dependent
memory settings, see “Setting
SmartKey-dependency” (
page 168).
The following settings are not
SmartKey-dependent. They are stored
when using the buttons on the front pas-
senger door:


Front passenger seat, backrest, head
restraint position and settings for mul-
ticontour seat
!Prior to operating the vehicle, the driv-
er should check and adjust the seat
height, seat position fore and aft, and
seat backrest angle if necessary, to
ensure adequate control, reach and
comfort. The head restraint should also
be adjusted for proper height. See also
the section on air bags (
page 61) for
more information on proper seat posi-
tioning.
In addition, adjust the steering wheel to
ensure adequate control, reach, opera-
tion and comfort. Both the interior and
exterior rear view mirrors should be ad-
justed for adequate rear vision.
Fasten seat belts. Infants and small
children should be seated in a properly
secured restraint system that complies
with U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards 213 and 225 and Canadian
Motor Vehicle Safety Standards 213
and 210.2.
Warning!
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.

131 Controls in detail
Memory function
The memory button and stored position
button are located on the door.
MMemory button
1, 2, 3Stored position button
Switch on the ignition (
page 33).
or

Open the respective door and insert
the SmartKey in the starter switch.
Storing positions into memory
Adjust the seats, steering wheel and
exterior rear view mirrors to the de-
sired position (
page 37).

Press memory buttonM.

Release memory buttonM and press
stored position button 1, 2 or 3 within
three seconds.
All the settings are stored to the select-
ed position.
Recalling positions from memory
Press and hold stored position
button1, 2 or3 until the seat, steering
wheel and exterior rear view mirrors
have completely moved to the stored
positions.!Do not operate the power seats using
the memory button if the seat backrest
is in an excessively reclined position.
Doing so could cause damage to front
or rear seats.iReleasing the stored position button
stops movement to the stored posi-
tions immediately.

132 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 187).
1Passenger side, exterior rear view mir-
ror
2Adjustment button

Stop the vehicle.

Switch on the ignition (
page 33).

Press button1.
The passenger-side exterior rear view
mirror is selected.

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

Press memory button M.

Within three seconds, press bottom of
adjustment button2.
The parking position is stored if the
mirror does not move.
iYou can store a parking position for the
passenger side exterior rear view mir-
ror for each SmartKey or SmartKey
with KEYLESS-GO*.
iIf the mirror does move, repeat the
above steps. After the setting is stored,
you can move the mirror again.

133 Controls in detail
Lighting
Lighting
For information on how to switch on the
headlamps and use the turn signals, see
“Switching on headlamps” (
page 50)
and see “Turn signals” (
page 51).
Exterior lamp switch
The exterior lamp switch is located on the
dashboard to the left of the steering wheel.Exterior lamp switchMOff
Daytime running lamp mode
(
page 134)
UAutomatic headlamp mode
Daytime running lamp mode
(page 134)
CParking lamps (also tail lamps, li-
cense plate lamps, side marker
lamps, instrument panel lamps)BLow beam headlamps (or high
beam headlamps when the combi-
nation switch is pushed forward)
and parking lamps.
ˆStanding lamps, right (turn left one
stop)
‚Standing lamps, left (turn left two
stops)
‡Indicator lamp for front fog lamps
†Indicator lamp for rear fog lamp
iIf you drive in countries where vehicles
drive on the other side of the road than
the country where the vehicle is regis-
tered, you must have the headlamps
modified for symmetrical low beams.
Relevant information can be obtained
at your authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
iWith the SmartKey removed from the
starter switch or the engine turned off
with KEYLESS-GO* and the driver’s
door open a warning sounds if the park-
ing lamps or low beam headlamps are
switched on.
The message
Switch off lamps
ap-
pears in the multifunction display.

145 Controls in detail
Control system
Control system
The control system is activated as soon as
the SmartKey in the starter switch is
turned to position1 or as soon as the
KEYLESS-GO start/stop button* is in
position1. The control system enables you
to:

call up information about your vehicle


change vehicle settings.
For example, you can use the control sys-
tem to find out when your vehicle is next
due for service, to set the language for
messages in the instrument cluster dis-
play, and much more.
The control system relays information to
the multifunction display.
Multifunction display
1Outside temperature
2Trip odometer
3Automatic transmission program mode
4Main odometer
5Current gear selector lever position
Above illustration shows the standard dis-
play.
For more information on menus displayed
in the multifunction display, see “Menus”
(page 148).
iThe displays for the audio systems (ra-
dio, CD player) will appear in English,
regardless of the language selected.
Warning!
G
A driver’s attention to the road and traffic
conditions must always be his/her primary
focus when driving.
For your safety and the safety of others, se-
lecting features through the multifunction
steering wheel should only be done by the
driver when traffic and road conditions per-
mit it to be done safely.
Bear in mind that at a speed of just 30 mph
(approximately 50 km / h), your vehicle is
covering a distance of 44 feet (approximate-
ly 14 m) every second.

146 Controls in detailControl systemMultifunction steering wheel
The displays in the multifunction display
and the settings in the control system
(page 145) are controlled by the buttons
on the multifunction steering wheel.Pressing any of the buttons on the multi-
function steering wheel will alter what is
shown in the multifunction display.
The information available in the multifunc-
tion display is arranged in menus, each
containing a number of functions or sub-
menus.
The individual functions are then found
within the relevant menu (radio or CD op-
erations under
Audio
, for example). These
functions serve to call up relevant informa-
tion or to customize the settings for your
vehicle.
1
Multifunction display in the speed-
ometerOperating the control system
2
Selecting the submenu or setting
the volume:
Press buttonæup/to increaseçdown/to decrease
3
Telephone*:
Press buttonsto take a calltto end a call
4
Menu systems:
Press buttonèfor next menuÿfor previous menu
5
Moving within a menu:
Press buttonjfor next displaykfor previous display