lock MERCEDES-BENZ S CLASS 2003 Owner's Manual

53 Getting started
Parking and locking
Turning off engine with KEYLESS-GO* 
Place the gear selector lever in P.

Press and hold the KEYLESS-GO
start/stop button until the engine
shuts off.
With the driver's door closed, the start-
er switch is now in position1. With the
driver’s door opened, the starter switch
is set to position0, same as SmartKey
removed from starter switch
(page 31).

Press the seat belt release button
(page 41).
1Lock button on the door handle

After exiting the vehicle, press lock
button1 on the door handle or on the
trunk lid.
The locking knobs on the doors move
down. The turn signal indicators light
up briefly.
For more information, see “Controls in de-
tail” (page 85).
!If you hear a warning signal you have ei-
ther:

forgotten to turn off the lights, or


not put the gear selector lever inP
before opening the driver’s door
Turn off the lights or place the gear se-
lector lever inP.
Warning!
G
To prevent possible personal injury, always
keep hands and fingers away from the door
openings when closing the doors. Be espe-
cially careful when small children are
around.
Before closing doors, make sure that there
is no possibility of someone getting caught
in a door during closing.
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch, take the
KEYLESS-GO* card (if so equipped) with
you, and lock your 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 an ac-
cident and/or serious personal injury.

66 Safety and SecurityOccupant safetyPreventive occupant safety (PRE-SAFE)
Your vehicle automatically takes preven-
tive measures to better protect the occu-
pants in the following hazardous
situations:

You execute an emergency braking ma-
neuver and the Brake Assist System
(page 78) is activated.


The PRE-SAFE system detects a critical
driving dynamics situation.In such cases, the following systems are
automatically activated:


The front seat belts are pre-tensioned.


If the front passenger seat or rear seats
are in an unfavorable position, they are
adjusted to a better position. Rear seat
a d j u s t m e n t o c c u r s o n l y i n v e h i c l e s w i t h
individual seats* in the rear.


The sliding/pop-up roof closes if the
vehicle is in a severe skid or is spin-
ning.
If the seat belts do not release:

Adjust the backrest or seat slightly to
the rear until the seat belt tension is di-
minished.
The locking mechanism releases.
Warning
G
The PRE-SAFE system is intended to reduce
the effects of an accident on properly seat
belted vehicle occupants. Despite having
the PRE-SAFE systems in your car, the pos-
sibility of injuries occurring as a result of an
accident cannot be totally eliminated.
Therefore you should always drive carefully
and adjust your driving to the prevailing
road, weather, and traffic conditions.
iThe PRE-SAFE systems are activated at
speeds exceeding 22 mph (35 km/h).
When the driving dynamic situation has
passed without an accident occurring,
the pre-tensioning on the seat belts is
deactivated.
You can then adjust the seats and the
sliding sunroof to their previous posi-
tion.

67 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Children in the vehicle
If an infant or child is traveling with you in
the vehicle:

Secure the child using an infant or child
restraint appropriate for the age and
size of the child and recommended for
use by Mercedes-Benz.


Ensure that the infant or child is prop-
erly secured at all times while the vehi-
cle is in motion.
Infant and child restraint seats and infor-
mation on choosing an appropriate re-
straint system can be obtained from any
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.Infant and child restraint systems
Use only a BabySmart
TM compatible child
restraint for the front passenger seat in
this vehicle.
We recommend all infants and children be
properly restrained at all times while the
vehicle is in motion.
All lap-shoulder belts except the driver’s
seat belt have special seat belt retractors
for secure fastening of child restraints.
To fasten a child restraint, follow child re-
straint instructions for mounting. Then pull
the shoulder belt out completely and let it
retract. During seat belt retraction, a ratch-
eting sound can be heard to indicate that
the special seat belt retractor is activated.
The belt is now locked. Push down on child
restraint to take up any slack.To deactivate, release seat belt buckle and
let seat belt retract completely. The seat
belt can again be used in the usual man-
ner.
BabySmart
TM is a trademark of Siemens
Automotive Corp.
iInformation on child seats with mount-
ing fittings for tether anchorages
(page 71).
For information on “LATCH”-type child
seat mounts (
page 72).

74 Safety and SecurityOccupant safetyOverride switch for rear passenger compartment
You can disable select functions in the rear
passenger compartment for added safety
(for instance when you have children riding
in the rear passenger compartment).
You can disable the following functions in
the rear passenger compartment:

rear door window operation
(page 188)


adjustment of front passenger seat
from the rear* (
page 115)


cigarette lighter in rear (
page 234)
The switch is located on the driver’s door.1Override switch
Activating override switch

Slide override switch 1 to the right.
The functions in the rear are disabled.
Deactivating override switch

Slide override switch 1 to the left.
The functions in the rear are enabled
again.
!The rear door windows can still be op-
erated with the switches located in the
driver’s door.Warning!
G
Activate the override switch when children
are riding in the back seats of the vehicle.
The children may otherwise injure them-
selves, e.g. by becoming trapped in the win-
dow opening.
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch, take the
KEYLESS-GO* card (if so equipped) with
you, and lock your 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 an ac-
cident and/or serious personal injury.

76 Safety and SecurityDriving safety systems
Driving safety systemsIn this section you will find information on
the following driving safety systems:

ABS (A
ntilock B
rake S
ystem)


BAS (B
rake A
ssist S
ystem)


ESP (E
lectronic S
tability P
rogram)


4MATIC (Four Wheel Electronic Trac-
tion System)
ABS
The ABS regulates the brake pressure so
that the wheels do not lock during braking.
This allows you to maintain the ability to
steer your vehicle.
The ABS is functional above a speed of ap-
proximately 5 mph (8 km/h) independent
of road surface conditions.
At the instant one of the wheels is about to
lock up, a slight pulsation can be felt in the
brake pedal, indicating that the ABS is in
the regulating mode. Keep firm and steady
pressure on the brake pedal while experi-
encing the pulsation.
iIn winter operation, the maximum ef-
fectiveness of the ABS, ESP and the
4MATIC is only achieved with winter
tires (M + S tires) or snow chains as re-
quired.
Warning!
G
The following factors increase the risk of ac-
cidents:

Excessive speed, especially in turns


Wet and slippery road surfaces


Following another vehicle too closely
The ABS, BAS, ESP, and 4MATIC cannot re-
duce this risk.
Always adjust your driving style to the pre-
vailing road and weather conditions.
Warning!
G
Do not pump the brake pedal. Use firm,
steady brake pedal pressure instead. Pump-
ing the brake pedal defeats the purpose of
the ABS and significantly reduces braking
effectiveness.

78 Safety and SecurityDriving safety systemsBAS
The Brake Assist System (BAS) operates in
emergency situations. If you apply the
brakes very quickly, the BAS automatically
provides full brake boost, thereby poten-
tially reducing the braking distance. Apply
continuous full braking pressure until the
emergency braking situation is over. The
ABS will prevent the wheels from locking.
When you release the brake pedal, the
brakes function again as normal. The BAS
is then deactivated.
For more information see “Practical hints”
(page 289).
ESP
The Electronic Stability Program (ESP)
monitors the vehicle's traction (force of
adhesive friction between the tires and the
road surface) and handling.
The ESP recognizes when a wheel is spin-
ning or if the vehicle starts to skid. By ap-
plying brakes to the appropriate wheel and
by limiting engine output, the ESP works to
stabilize the vehicle. The ESP is especially
useful while driving off and on wet or slip-
pery road surfaces.
The ESP warning lamp
v
in the instru-
ment cluster flashes when the ESP is en-
gaged.
The ESP warning lamp
v
in the instru-
ment cluster lights up when you turn the
SmartKey in the starter switch to
position2 or press the KEYLESS-GO* (if so
equipped) start/stop button twice. It goes
out when the engine is running.
Warning!
G
The BAS cannot prevent the natural laws of
physics from acting on the vehicle, nor can
it increase braking efficiency beyond that af-
forded by the condition of the vehicle brakes
and tires or the traction. The BAS cannot
prevent accidents, including those resulting
from excessive speed in turns, following an-
other vehicle too closely, or hydroplaning.
Only a safe, attentive, and skillful driver can
prevent accidents. The capabilities of a BAS
equipped vehicle must never be exploited in
a reckless or dangerous manner which
could jeopardize the user’s safety or the
safety of others.

83 Safety and Security
Anti-theft systems
Arming the alarm system
The alarm system is armed after locking
the vehicle with the SmartKey or KEY-
LESS-GO*. The turn signal lamps blink
three times to indicate that the alarm sys-
tem is activated. The indicator lamp in the
central locking switch (
page 25) will
blink after approximately 10 seconds
when the alarm system is completely
armed.Disarming the alarm system
The alarm system is disarmed when you
unlock your vehicle with the SmartKey or
KEYLESS-GO*. The turn signal lamps blink
once to indicate that the alarm system is
deactivatedCanceling the alarm
To cancel the alarm:
With the SmartKey

Insert the SmartKey in the starter
switch.
or

Press the
Œ
or
‹
button.
With KEYLESS-GO*

Grasp the outside door handle.
or

Press the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop
button.
iIf the alarm stays on for more than
20 seconds, an emergency call is initi-
ated automatically by the Tele Aid sys-
tem provided that Tele Aid service was
subscribed to and properly activated,
and that necessary cellular service and
GPS coverage are available.
iIf the turn signal lamps do not blink
three times, a door or the hood may not
be closed properly.
Close the respective element and lock
the vehicle again.

84 Safety and SecurityAnti-theft systemsTow-away alarm
Once the tow-away alarm is armed, a visual
and audible alarm will be triggered when
someone attempts to raise the vehicle.
Arming tow-away alarm
When you lock your vehicle, the tow-away
alarm is automatically armed after about
30 seconds.
When you unlock your vehicle, the
tow-away protection disarms automatical-
ly.Disarming tow-away alarm
To prevent triggering the tow-away alarm
feature, switch off the tow-away alarm be-
fore towing the vehicle, or when parking on
a surface subject to movement, such as a
ferry or auto train.
The switch is located on the center con-
sole.
1Tow-away alarm off switch
2Indicator lamp

Turn off the ignition and remove the
SmartKey.

Press switch1.
Indicator lamp2 in the switch lights up
briefly.

Exit vehicle and lock your vehicle with
the SmartKey or (vehicles with
KEYLESS-GO*) the lock button at each
door handle.
The tow-away alarm remains disarmed un-
til you lock your vehicle again.
iThe tow-away protection alarm is trig-
gered, for example, if the vehicle is lift-
ed on one side.
If the alarm stays on for more than
20 seconds, an emergency call is initi-
ated automatically by the Tele Aid sys-
tem, provided Tele Aid service was
subscribed to and properly activated
and that necessary cellular service and
GPS coverage are available.
iYou cannot disarm the tow-away alarm
if the ignition is turned on.

85 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Seats
Memory function
Lighting
Instrument cluster
Control system
Automatic transmission
Good visibility
Automatic climate control
Power windows
Sliding/pop-up roof
Driving systems
Loading
Useful features

86 Controls in detailLocking and unlockingIn the “Controls in detail” section you will
find detailed information on how to oper-
ate the equipment installed on your vehi-
cle. If you are already familiar with the
basic functions of your vehicle, this section
will be of particular interest to you.
To quickly familiarize yourself with the ba-
sic functions of the vehicle, see “Getting
started” (
page 29). The corresponding
page numbers are given at the beginning of
each segment.
For information on locking and unlocking,
refer to the Getting started section on
(
page 30) and (
page 50).
Locking and unlockingSmartKey
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
SmartKeys are a different color to help dis-
tinguish each SmartKey unit.
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:

the doors


the trunk


the fuel filler flap
SmartKey with remote controls1‹
Lock button
2
Š
Unlock button for trunk lid
3Mechanical key locking tab
4
Œ
Unlock button
5Battery check lamp
6
Â
Panic button (
page 75)
!To prevent possible malfunction, avoid
exposing the SmartKey to high levels of
electromagnetic radiation.
iYou can also open and close the power
windows (
page 190) and slid-
ing/pop-up roof (
page 194) using
the SmartKey.