MERCEDES-BENZ S-Class 2008 W221 Comand Manual

490 Controls in detailDriving systems
1Blue guide lines for vehicle width
2Yellow 39 in (1 m) guide line
3Red 10 in (0.25 m) guide line
The red 10 in (0.25 m) guide line3, the
yellow 39 in (1 m) guide line2 corre-
spond to the relevant distance from the
rear of the vehicle. The blue guide line for
vehicle width1 show the required width
for the vehicle.
Warning!
G
Please note that objects which do not touch
the ground, such as the bumper of a vehicle
parked behind you, a trailer hitch, or the
back of a truck, may appear to be further
away than they actually are. In this case, you
should not use the guide lines to judge dis-
tance as the use of the guide lines to judge
distance increases the risk of impacting the
objects.
Even when the object you approach is di-
rectly on the ground (and nothing on the ob-
ject extends above the ground beyond the
object’s contours directly touching the
ground) and no objects that do not touch
the ground, such as the bumper of a vehicle
parked behind you, a trailer hitch, or the
back of a truck are in the path, do not ap-
proach the object on the ground any closer
than red guide line4.
i
If you activate a different function on the
driver’s COMAND controls while reverse parking
or parallel parking, the image from the Rear View
Camera is interrupted.
To reactivate the camera, take the vehicle out of
reverse gear and then re-engage reverse gear
again.


491 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Night View Assist*
Night View Assist illuminates the road with
infrared light in addition to the normal
headlamps.
A camera at the top of the windshield mea-
sures the infrared light and shows a
black-and-white image on the multifunc-
tion display. The image on the multifunction display cor-
responds to a road lit up by high-beam
headlamps.
The Night View Assist image on the multi-
function display is not impaired


by the headlamps of approaching vehi-
cles


if you cannot switch on the high beams
due to oncoming traffic
As a result, you can better follow the
course of the road and detect obstacles
earlier on.The camera is at the top of the windshield.
1Night View Assist camera
Switching on or off
You can only switch on the Night View As-
sist if


the SmartKey in the starter switch is
set to position2


it is dark
Warning!
G
Night View Assist is only an aid to support
you while driving and cannot substitute your
careful attention. Do not rely on the display
of the Night View Assist; instead, continue
to look through the windshield. You are al-
ways responsible for safety and must drive
in accordance with traffic conditions. Other-
wise, you could endanger yourself and oth-
ers.
If it is foggy, raining or snowing, the clarity of
the Night View Assist image on the multi-
function display may be diminished.
Warning!
G
Night View Assist cannot record objects im-
mediately in front of or next to the vehicle.
When maneuvering, continue to look
through the windshield. Make sure no per-
sons or animals are in the area in which you
are maneuvering. You could otherwise in-
jure them.
i
Infrared light is invisible to the human eye
and can therefore remain permanently switched
on without blinding oncoming traffic.

492 Controls in detailDriving systems

the light switch is set to * or B
or if the daytime driving lamps are
switched on


the automatic transmission is not in re-
verse gearR
1Night View Assist on or off

Press button1 up or down.
The Night View Assist image appears
on the multifunction display.Image on multifunction display
When you switch on Night View Assist, the
image for the speed gauge changes on the
multifunction display. The speed gauge is
shown as a bar on the lower edge of the
multifunction display. The line for main
menus is no longer available. If you would
like to change a setting using the steering
wheel buttons, you must first switch off
Night View Assist.
1Night View Assist image
2Speedometer displayAdjusting instrument cluster
illumination
1Knob

Make sure the Night View Assist is
switched on.

Brightening illumination: Turn
knob1 clockwise.

Dimming illumination: Turn knob1
counterclockwise.
i
The infrared headlamps only come on above
a speed of approximately 9 mph (15 km/h).
Therefore, when you are at a standstill, you do
not have a complete view and cannot check the
function of the Night View Assist.
i
If you change the brightness of the instru-
ment cluster while Night View Assist is switched
on, only the brightness of the multifunction dis-
play is changed.

493 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Dirty or fogged-up windshield
If the windshield in front of the camera is
fogged up on the inside or outside or if it is
dirty, the Night View Assist image is dimin-
ished.Removing condensation

Check settings of automatic climate
control and change them, if necessary
(page 501).

Swing the camera cover downward
(page 621).
Cleaning inside of windshield

Clean inside of windshield in front of
camera with a soft, non-scratching
cloth (
page 621).
Warning!
G
Please do not forget that your primary re-
sponsibility is to drive the vehicle. A driver’s
attention to the road must always be
his/her primary focus when driving. For
your safety and the safety of others, stop be-
fore trying to remove window fogging or
cleaning the window in front of the Night
View Assist camera.
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.

494 Controls in detailDriving systemsNight View Assist* malfunctionProblem
Possible cause
Suggested solution
The quality of the Night View Assist image
has diminished.
The windshield wipers are leaving streaks
on the windshield.

Replace windshield wiper blades
(page 721).
The area of the windshield within the cam-
era’s field of view is dirty.

Clean windshield (
page 621).
The area of the windshield within the cam-
era’s field of view has been damaged.

Replace windshield.
The area of the windshield within the cam-
era’s field of view is fogged over.

Remove condensation (
page 493).
The area of the windshield within the cam-
era’s field of view is iced over.

Defrost windshield (
page 504).

495 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Blind Spot Assist*
Blind Spot Assist uses radar sensors to
monitor the area on both sides of your ve-
hicle. It will assist you when you change
lanes driving at speeds of above 20 mph
(30 km/h). A warning will appear on the
outside rear view mirror as soon as anoth-
er vehicle is detected in the area being
monitored. If you then activate the corre-
sponding turn signals to change lanes, you
will see and hear a collision warning. Blind
Spot Assist operates using two sensors in
the front bumper and four sensors in the
rear bumper.In order for Blind Spot Assist to function,
the radar sensors must be switched on and
operational.
When travelling in Canada in a vehicle not
registered in Canada, you must switch off
the radar sensor system. Canadian law
does not permit the use of the radar sensor
system for vehicles from outside of Cana-
da. When you switch off the radar sensor
system, the following functions are deacti-
vated:


BAS Plus* (
page 70)


PRE-SAFE
® Brake* (
page 77)


DISTRONIC Plus* (
page 451)


Park Assist* (
page 476)


Advanced Parking Guidance*
(page 481)


Blind Spot Assist* (
page 495)
Warning!
G
Blind Spot Assist is only a driving aid and
may not detect all vehicles. It is the driver’s
responsibility at all times to be attentive to
road, weather and traffic conditions and to
provide the steering, braking and other driv-
ing inputs necessary to retain control of the
vehicle. Failure to do so could result in
recognizing dangers too late, possibly re-
sulting in an accident and serious injury to
yourself and others.
Warning!
G
Blind Spot Assist cannot detect road and
traffic conditions.
Blind Spot Assist may not be able to detect
narrow vehicles such as motorcycles or bi-
cycles, or it may not detect them until it is
too late.
The monitoring function may be impaired if
your sensors are dirty, subject to heavy
spray, or if visibility is poor due to e.g. snow,
rain, or fog. This can result in vehicles not
being detected or being detected too late.
It is the driver’s responsibility at all times to
be attentive to road, weather and traffic con-
ditions and to provide the steering, braking
and other driving inputs necessary to retain
control of the vehicle. Failure to do so could
result in recognizing dangers too late, possi-
bly resulting in an accident and serious inju-
ry to yourself and others.

496 Controls in detailDriving systemsSensor monitoring range
Blind Spot Assist is able to monitor a range
up to three meters to the rear and both
sides of the vehicle.
The Blind Spot Assist sensors are built into
t h e f r o n t a n d r e a r b u m p e r s . M a k e s u r e t h a t
the area of the bumpers around the sen-
sors is free of dirt, ice and snow. The radar
sensors must not be obstructed, for exam-
ple, by bicycle carriers or overhanging lug-
gage.
Warning!
G
Blind Spot Assist monitors certain areas in
the immediate vicinity of your vehicle. Vehi-
cles approaching and passing at increased
speeds will not be detected. There will be no
warning display and no audible warning.
When driving in a very wide lane, the sensors
may not be able to cover the entire width of
the neighboring lane. Vehicles driving on the
outside of the neighboring lane may not be
detected.
It is the driver’s responsibility at all times to
be attentive to road, weather and traffic con-
ditions and to provide the steering, braking
and other driving inputs necessary to retain
control of the vehicle. Failure to do so could
result in recognizing dangers too late, possi-
bly resulting in an accident and serious inju-
ry to yourself and others.
When driving in a very narrow lane, the sen-
sors may detect and display vehicles in the
second lane over. This will be the case if
there are vehicles driving on the inside edge
of their lane.!
In the event of a significant impact or dam-
age affecting the bumpers, have the radar sen-
sors checked by a qualified specialist workshop
such as a Mercedes-Benz Center. Failure to do
this can result in Blind Spot Assist not function-
ing correctly.

497 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Indicator and warning lamps
1Yellow indicator lamp/red warning
lamp
Switching on: Make sure that the ra-
dar sensors (
page 307) and Blind
Spot Assist (
page 304) are switched
on.
With the ignition switched on, the warn-
ing lamp1 in the exterior mirror lights
up red.
With the engine running, the indicator
lamp1 in the exterior mirror lights up
yellow up to a speed of 20 mph
(30 km/h).Once a speed above 20 mph (30 km/h)
has been reached and


Blind Spot Assist detects no vehicle in
its range, the indicator lamp1 goes
out


Blind Spot Assist detects another vehi-
cle in its range, the warning lamp1 on
the corresponding side of the vehicle
turns red.Collision warning
If a vehicle is detected in the Blind Spot As-
sist range and you activate the turn signal,
a two-tone warning will sound and the red
warning lamp1 will flash.

Remain on the lane that you are cur-
rently on until traffic conditions permit
to change.
If the turn signal remains on, the red warn-
ing lamp1 will flash to indicate that vehi-
cles have been detected. No further
audible warnings will sound.
Warning!
G
Blind Spot Assist is not active at speeds be-
low approximately 20 mph (30 km/h). You
will not be alerted to the presence of vehi-
cles in the monitored area at these speeds.
It is the driver’s responsibility at all times to
be attentive to road, weather and traffic con-
ditions and to provide the steering, braking
and other driving inputs necessary to retain
control of the vehicle. Failure to do so could
result in recognizing dangers too late, possi-
bly resulting in an accident and serious inju-
ry to yourself and others.
Warning!
G
Do not change lanes or make turns, while
the red warning lamp
1
is flashing. Doing
so could result in an accident and seroius in-
jury to yourself and others.

498 Controls in detailAir vents

499 Controls in detail
Air vents
Please comply with the following instruc-
tions in order for the automatic climate
control to function optimally:

Keep the air intake grille in front of the
windshield free of snow, leaves, sticks,
and any other debris.


Always keep all air vents and grilles in
the passenger compartment free from
obstruction.
Item
1
Left side defroster vent, fixed
2
Left side air vent, adjustable
3
Left center air vent, adjustable
4
Thumbwheel for air volume control
for left center air vent
5
Thumbwheel for air volume control
for right center air vent
6
Right center air vent, adjustable
7
Right side defroster vent, fixed
8
Right side air vent, adjustable
9
Front climate control panel
a
Thumbwheel for left rear center air
vents
b
Left rear center air vent, adjustable
c
Right rear center air vent, adjustable
d
Thumbwheel for right rear center air
vents
e
Rear climate control panel*
Warning!
G
When operating the automatic climate con-
trol, the air that enters the passenger com-
partment through the air vents can be very
hot or very cold (depending on the set tem-
perature). This may cause burns or frostbite
to unprotected skin in the immediate area of
the air vents.
Always keep sufficient distance between un-
protected parts of the body and the air
vents. If necessary, use the air distribution
adjustment (
page 275) to direct the air to
air vents in the vehicle interior that are not
in the immediate area of unprotected skin.