ESP MERCEDES-BENZ S CLASS 2003 Owner's Guide

145 Controls in detail
Control system
Call up range (distance to empty)
Press button
ÿ
or
è
repeatedly
until you see the first function of the
Trip computer menu.

Press button
j
or
k
repeatedly
until you see this message in the dis-
play:
RANGE
.
In the display you will see the calculat-
ed range based on the current fuel tank
level.
Malfunction memory menu
Use the malfunction memory menu to scan
malfunction and warning messages that
may be stored in the system. What infor-
mation is shown in the display depends on
whether malfunctions have actually oc-
curred.

Press button
è
or
ÿ
repeatedly
until you see the malfunction message
memory in the display.
No malfunction messages
If no malfunctions have occurred, the mes-
sage in the display is:
NO MALFUNCTIONMalfunctions have occurred
If malfunctions have occurred, you will see
the number of malfunctions in the display:
1Number of malfunctions
Warning!
G
Malfunction and warning messages are only
indicated for certain systems and are inten-
tionally not very detailed. The malfunction
and warning messages are simply a remind-
er with respect to the operation of certain
systems and do not replace the owner’s
and/or driver’s responsibility to maintain
the vehicle’s operating safety by having all
required maintenance and safety checks
performed on the vehicle and by bringing
the vehicle to an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center to address the malfunction and
warning messages (
page 296).

151 Controls in detail
Control system
Setting daytime running lamp mode
(USA only)
Move the selection marker with
the
æ
or
ç
button to the
LIGHT-
ING
submenu.

Press button
j
or
k
repeatedly
until you see this message in the dis-
play:
LAMP CIRCUIT HEADLAMP MODE
.
The selection marker is on the current
setting.

Press
æ
or
ç
to select manual
or daytime running lamp (constant)
mode. This function is not available in
countries where daytime running
lamps are mandatory.With daytime running lamp mode se-
lected and the exterior lamp switch at
position0, the following lamps will
come on automatically when the en-
gine is turned on:


Parking lamps and low beam head-
lamps


License plate lamps (in low ambient
light conditions) Setting locator lighting
During darkness, the following lamps will
come on when the exterior lamp switch is
in position
U
, the locator lighting fea-
ture is activated, and the vehicle is un-
locked by remote control:


Parking lamps


Tail lamps


License plate lamps


Front fog lamps
The locator lighting switches off when the
driver’s door is opened. It switches off au-
tomatically after a period of approximately
40 seconds.

Move the selection marker with
the
æ
or
ç
button to the
LIGHT-
ING
submenu.
iIf you turn the exterior lamp switch to
another position, the corresponding
lamp(s) will switch on.
For safety reasons, resetting the LIGHTING
submenu to factory settings
(
page 147) while driving will not re-
set the daytime running lamp mode.
In the display you will then see the mes-
sage:
LIGHTING – CANNOT BE TOTALLY
RESET TO FACTORY SETTINGS WHILE
DRIVING.


163 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Gear selector lever position
Effect
P
Park position
Selector position when the vehicle
is parked. Only place selector lever
in positionP when vehicle is
stopped. The park position is not in-
tended to serve as a brake when
the vehicle is parked. Rather, the
driver should always set the park-
ing brake in addition to placing the
selector lever in positionP to se-
cure the vehicle.
The SmartKey can only be removed
from the starter switch with the se-
lector lever in positionP. With the
SmartKey removed, the selector le-
ver is locked in positionP.
Effect
R
Reverse gear
Place selector lever in positionR only
when vehicle is stopped.
N
Neutral
No power is transmitted from the en-
gine to the drive axle. When the
brakes are released, the vehicle can
be moved freely (pushed or towed).
To avoid damage to the transmission,
never engageN while driving.
If the ESP is deactivated or malfunc-
tioning:
Only move selector lever toN if the
vehicle is in danger of skidding (e.g.
on icy roads).
D
Drive
The transmission shifts automatical-
ly. All five forward gears are avail-
able.
!Coasting the vehicle, or driving for any
other reason with selector lever inN
can result in transmission damage that
is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.Warning!
G
Getting out of your vehicle with the selector
lever not fully engaged in positionP is dan-
gerous. Also, positionP alone is not intend-
ed to or capable of preventing your vehicle
from moving, possibly hitting people or ob-
jects.
Always set the parking brake in addition to
shifting to positionP (
page 44).
When parked on an incline, turn the front
wheels towards the road curb.

168 Controls in detailGood visibility
Good visibilityInformation on the windshield wipers
(page 47) and for setting the rear view
mirrors (
page 38) is found in the “Get-
ting started” section.
Rear view mirror
Automatic antiglare rear view mirror
The reflection brightness of the exterior
rear view mirror on the driver’s side and
the inside rear view mirror will respond au-
tomatically to glare when

the ignition is switched on, and


incoming light from headlamps falls on
the sensor in the inside rear view
mirror.
The rear view mirror will not react if


reverse gear is engaged


the interior lighting is turned on
Warning!
G
The automatic antiglare function does not
react if incoming light is not aimed directly
at sensors in the inside rear view mirror.
The inside rear view mirror and the exterior
rear view mirror on the driver’s side do not
react, for example, if the rear window sun
shade* is in raised position.
Glare can endanger you and others.Warning!
G
In the case of an accident liquid electrolyte
may escape from the mirror housing if the
mirror glass breaks.
Electrolyte has an irritating effect. Do not al-
low the liquid to come into contact with
eyes, skin, clothing, or respiratory system.
In case it does, immediately flush affected
area with water, and seek medical help if
necessary.
Warning!
G
Exercise care when using the passen-
ger-side exterior rear view mirror. The mirror
surface is convex (outwardly curved surface
for a wider field of view). Objects in mirror
are closer than they appear. Check your in-
side rear view mirror or glance over your
shoulder before changing lanes.!Electrolyte drops coming into contact
with the vehicle paint finish can be
completely removed only while in the
liquid state by applying plenty of water.

170 Controls in detailGood visibilityElectrically folding exterior rear view mirrors
Folding the exterior mirrors in and out
automatically
When the corresponding function in the
control system is activated (
page 158):


The exterior rear view mirrors automat-
ically fold in as soon as the vehicle is
locked from the outside.


The exterior rear view mirrors automat-
ically fold out as soon as the vehicle is
unlocked and the driver’s or front pas-
senger door are subsequently opened.Folding the exterior mirrors in and out
manually
The exterior rear view mirrors can vibrate if
they are not completely folded out.
The buttons are located on the door.
1Folds the exterior mirrors out
2Folds the exterior mirrors in

Make sure that the ignition is switched
on.All the lamps in the instrument cluster
light up.
Folding in

Press button2 briefly.
Both mirrors fold in.
Folding out

Press button1 briefly.
Both mirrors fold out.
!Before you drive the vehicle through an
automatic car wash, fold the exterior
mirrors in, otherwise they may get
damaged.
iIf you are driving at more than 9 mph
(15 km/h) you will not be able to fold
the exterior mirrors in.
!If an exterior rear view mirror housing
is forcibly pushed forward (hit from the
rear), reposition it manually by applying
firm pressure until it snaps back into
place.
If an exterior rear view mirror housing
is forcibly pushed rearward (hit from
the front), press button2 to fold mir-
rors in, then press button1 to fold mir-
rors out. Do not force mirrors by hand
as this may damage the adjustment
mechanism.

177 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control
Setting the temperature
Use temperature controls (
page 175)
10for the left side or8 for the right side to
separately adjust the air temperature on
each side of the passenger compartment.
You should raise or lower the temperature
setting in small increments, preferably
starting at 72°F (22°C).
Increasing / decreasing

Press button 10 or 8 repeatedly until
the display shows the desired tempera-
ture.
The automatic climate control system
will correspondingly adjust the interior
air temperature.Adjusting the temperature for center
air vents
When outside temperatures are low, you
can manually raise the air temperature for
the center and side air vents.
Thumbwheel4 is located between the cen-
ter air vents (
page 174).
Automatic temperature control

Turn thumbwheel 4 to A.
The indicator lamp above the thumb-
wheel lights up. The temperature is au-
tomatically adjusted to the set value.Turning on warm air

Turn thumbwheel 4 in the direction of
the white marking.
Warm air will enter from the center air
vent.
Turning on cooler air

Turn thumbwheel4 in the direction of
the blue marking.
Cooler air will enter from the center air
vent.
iWhen operating the climate control
system in automatic mode, you will
only rarely need to adjust the tempera-
ture, air volume and air distribution.

178 Controls in detailAutomatic climate controlAdjusting air distribution
Use air distribution controls12 and6
(page 175) to separately adjust the air
distribution on each side of the passenger
compartment. The following symbols are
found on the controls:Adjusting manually

Press button
U
.
The button emerges and the
h
,
V
, j
and
k
symbols become
visible.

Turn the marking on the regulator to
the desired symbol.
The air will be directed to the vents cor-
responding to this symbol.
Adjusting automatically

Press button
U
until it clicks in.
The
h
, V
, j
and
k
sym-
bols are no longer visible. The air distri-
bution is adjusted automatically.Windows fogged on the inside

Press button AC
OFF
to switch on the air
conditioning (
page 175).
The indicator lamp in the button goes
out.

Press button
O
to switch off the air
recirculation (
page 175).
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.

Adjust left and right air vents1 and6
upwards (
page 174).

Set blower to the maximum blower
speed.

Increase temperature setting.

Open side air vents9 and direct them
onto the side windows (
page 174).
Symbol
Function
h
Directs air through the cen-
ter air vents
j
Directs air to the windows
V
Directs air into the entire
vehicle interior
k
Directs air to the footwells

180 Controls in detailAutomatic climate controlDefrosting
Activating
Press button
P
(page 175).
The indicator lamp on the button lights
up.

Switch off air recirculation, if selected.

Press button
O
(page 175).
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.

Close center air vents.

Adjust side air vents upwards.
Deactivating

Press button
P
(page 175).
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out. Defrosting is turned off.
Air recirculation mode
Switch to air recirculation mode to prevent
unpleasant odors from entering the vehicle
from the outside. This setting cuts off the
intake of outside air and recirculates the
air in the passenger compartment.
Activating
Press button
O
(page 175).
The indicator lamp on the button lights
up.
iThese settings should only be selected
for a short time.
Warning!
G
When the outside temperature is below
41°F (5°C), only switch to air recirculation
mode for short periods to prevent window
fogging.iIf you keep button
O
pressed, the
side windows and the sliding/pop-up
roof will be closed.
Warning!
G
Never operate the side windows and the
sliding pop/pop-up roof if there is the possi-
bility of anyone being harmed by the closing
procedure.
In the event that the procedure causes po-
tential danger, the closing of the side win-
dows can be immediately halted by pressing
the respective window switch. The closing of
the sliding/pop-up roof can be immediately
halted by moving the sliding/pop-up roof
switch in the overhead control panel in any
direction.

182 Controls in detailAutomatic climate controlCharcoal filter
An activated charcoal filter markedly re-
duces bad odors and removes pollutants
from air entering the passenger compart-
ment.
Activating
Press button
e
(page 175).
The indicator lamp on the button lights
up.
Deactivating

Press button
e
(page 175).
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.The system automatically switches to the
air recirculation mode if the carbon
monoxide (CO) or nitrogen oxide (NO
X)
concentration of the outside air increases
beyond a predetermined level.
The automatic air recirculation mode does
not function if economy mode AC
OFF
is se-
lected or if the outside temperature has
fallen below 41°F (5°C).
The activated charcoal filter should be
switched off when windows fog up on the
inside, or if the passenger compartment
needs to be quickly heated or cooled
down.
iIf you keep button
e
pressed, the
side windows and the sliding/pop-up
roof will be closed.
Warning!
G
Never operate the side windows and the
sliding pop/pop-up roof if there is the possi-
bility of anyone being harmed by the closing
procedure.
In the event that the procedure causes po-
tential danger, the closing of the side win-
dows can be immediately halted by pressing
the respective window switch. The closing of
the sliding/pop-up roof can be immediately
halted by moving the sliding/pop-up roof
switch in the overhead control panel in any
direction.
iIf you keep button
e
pressed, the
side windows and the sliding/pop-up
roof will be returned to their previous
position.

183 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control
Rear window defroster
The rear window defroster uses a large
amount of power. To keep battery drain to
a minimum, switch off the defroster as
soon as the rear window is clear. The de-
froster is automatically deactivated after
approximately 6 to 17 minutes of opera-
tion depending on the outside tempera-
ture.
Activating
Press button
F
(page 175).
The indicator lamp on the button lights
up.
Deactivating

Press button
F
(page 175) again.
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.Deactivating the climate control sys-
tem
Deactivating
It is possible to completely deactivate the
automatic climate control system. 
Press button
M
(page 175).
The display shows “0”.
Reactivating
There are several ways to reactivate the
automatic climate control system:

Press one of the following buttons, M
, P
, U
, a temperature con-
trol switch (
page 175) or air volume
switch 9 on the automatic climate con-
trol panel.
Warning!
G
Any accumulation of snow and ice should be
removed from the rear window before driv-
ing. Visibility could otherwise be impaired,
endangering you and others.!If the rear window defroster switches
off too soon and the indicator lamp
starts blinking, this means that too
many electrical consumers are operat-
ing simultaneously and there is insuffi-
cient voltage in the battery. The system
responds automatically by deactivating
the rear window defroster.
As soon as the battery has sufficient
voltage, the rear window defroster au-
tomatically switches on again.