page 35 MERCEDES-BENZ S-Class 2011 W221 Service Manual

ProblemPossible causes/consequences and M SolutionsThe engine cannot be
started using the
SmartKey.The on-board voltage is too low.XRemove the SmartKey and reinsert it into the ignition lock.XStart the engine within 30 seconds of inserting the SmartKey
into the ignition lock.XRepeat if necessary.
If the engine does not start after several attempts:
XCheck the starter battery and charge it if necessary
( Y page 468).
or
XJump-start the vehicle ( Y page 471).
or
XConsult a qualified specialist workshop.The engine cannot be
started using KEYLESS-
GO. The SmartKey is in
the vehicle.A door is open. Therefore, the SmartKey cannot be detected as
easily.XClose the door and try to start the vehicle again.There is interference from a powerful source of radio waves.XStart your vehicle with the SmartKey in the ignition lock.Doors
Important safety notes
GWarning!
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch. Always
take the SmartKey with you and lock the
vehicle. Do not leave children unattended in
the vehicle, even if they are secured in a child
restraint system, or with access to an
unlocked vehicle. A child's unsupervised
access to a vehicle could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury. The children
could
R injure themselves on parts of the vehicle
R be seriously or fatally injured through
excessive exposure to extreme heat or cold
R injure themselves or cause an accident with
vehicle equipment that can be operated
even if the SmartKey is removed from the
starter switch or removed from the vehicle,
such as seat adjustment, steering wheel
adjustment, or the memory function
If children open a door, they could injure other
persons or get out of the vehicle and injure
themselves or be injured by following traffic.
Do not expose the child restraint system to
direct sunlight. The child restraint system's
metal parts, for example, could become very
hot, and the child could be burned by these
parts.GWarning
Do not carry heavy or hard objects in the
passenger compartment unless they are
firmly secured in place.
Unsecured or improperly positioned cargo
increases a child's risk of injury in the event
of:
R strong braking maneuvers
R sudden changes of direction
R an accident
82DoorsOpening and closing

Unlocking and opening the doors
from the inside
You can open a door from inside the vehicle
even if it has been locked, unless the child-
proof locks have been activated (Y page 65).
Open the door only when the traffic
conditions permit.
If the vehicle has been opened with the
SmartKey or KEYLESS-GO key, opening from
inside triggers the anti-theft alarm system.
Switch off the alarm (Y page 73).
XPull door handle ;.
If the door is locked, locking knob : pops
up. The door is unlocked and can be
opened.
Centrally locking and unlocking the
vehicle from the inside
You can centrally lock or unlock the vehicle
from the inside. This feature may be useful if,
for example, you wish to unlock the front-
passenger door from the inside or lock the
vehicle before you pull away.
The central locking/unlocking button does
not lock or unlock the fuel filler flap.
XTo lock: press button ;.
The vehicle locks itself when the front-
passenger door is closed.
XTo unlock: press button :.
You can open a front door from inside the
vehicle even if it has been locked. Open the
door only when the traffic conditions permit.
If the vehicle has been locked with the locking
button for the central locking function:
Rand the SmartKey has been reset to the
factory settings, the complete vehicle is
unlocked when a front door is opened from
the inside
Rand the SmartKey has been set to an
individual setting, only the front door that
is opened from the inside is unlocked
If the vehicle has been locked centrally with
the SmartKey or with KEYLESS-GO, it is not
unlocked if you use the unlocking button for
the central locking system.
Automatic locking
The vehicle locks automatically when the
ignition is switched on and the wheels of the
vehicle are moving at a speed above 9 mph
(15 km/h). Therefore, there is a risk of being
locked out when the vehicle is being pushed,
towed or tested on a dynamometer.
You can switch off the automatic locking
function via COMAND (Y page 261).
Doors83Opening and closingZ

Power closing feature
The power closing feature pulls the doors and
trunk lid into their locks automatically even if
they are only partly closed.
GWarning
To prevent possible personal injury, always
keep hands and fingers away from the door or
trunk opening when closing a door or the
trunk lid. Be especially careful when small
children are around.
If danger threatens, pull the inside or outside
door handle, or pull the trunk lid handle.
To prevent personal injury, never activate the
closing assist mechanism by tampering with
the door or trunk lid latch.
GWarning
Only drive with the doors closed. Otherwise,
one or more of the doors could open while the
vehicle is in motion, putting you and/or
others at risk.
GWarning
Make sure the trunk lid is closed when the
engine is running and while driving. Among
other dangers, deadly carbon monoxide (CO)
gases may enter the vehicle interior resulting
in unconsciousness and death.
XPower closing feature (doors): push the
door past the first detent position of the
lock.
The power closing feature will pull the door
fully closed.
XPower closing feature (trunk lid): lightly
push the trunk lid closed.
The power closing feature will pull the trunk
lid fully closed.
Unlocking the driver's door
(mechanical key)
If the vehicle can no longer be unlocked
centrally with the SmartKey or KEYLESS-GO:
XTake the mechanical key out of the
SmartKey (Y page 79).
XInsert the mechanical key into the lock of
the driver's door as far as it will go.
XFirmly turn the mechanical key counter-
clockwise as far as it will go to position
1 and hold it in this position.
XPull the door handle quickly.
The locking knob pops up.
The door is unlocked.
XTurn the mechanical key back and remove
it.
XPull the door handle again.
Locking the vehicle
If the vehicle can no longer be locked
centrally with the SmartKey or KEYLESS-GO:
If the SmartKey is faulty, you can lock the
doors and the trunk by taking the following
steps. If the central locking in the vehicle is
malfunctioning, you cannot lock the trunk.
XPress down the locking knobs on the open
rear doors.
XClose the rear doors.XOpen the front-passenger door.XClose the driver's door and the trunk lid.XPress down the locking knob of the driver's
door inside the vehicle.
XPress down the locking knob of the open
front-passenger door.
84DoorsOpening and closing

iMake sure that you have the SmartKey on
your person and that it has not been left in
the vehicle.XClose the front-passenger door.XMake sure that the doors and the trunk are
locked.
i If you lock the vehicle as described above,
the fuel filler flap is not locked. The anti-
theft alarm system is not primed.
Trunk
Important safety notes
Do not leave the SmartKey in the trunk. You
could otherwise lock yourself out.
GWarning
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the ignition lock. Always take
the SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle.
Do not leave children unsupervised in the
vehicle, even if they are secured in a child
restraint system, and do not give them access
to an unlocked vehicle. A child's unsupervised
access to a vehicle could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury. They could:
R injure themselves on vehicle parts
R be seriously or fatally injured by extreme
heat or cold
R injure themselves or have an accident with
vehicle equipment that may still be in
operation even after the SmartKey has
been removed from the ignition, such as the
seat adjustment, steering wheel
adjustment or memory function.
If children open a door, they could cause
severe or even fatal injury to other persons; if
they get out of the vehicle, they could injure
themselves when doing so or be seriously or
even fatally injured by any passing traffic.
Do not expose the child restraint system to
direct sunlight. The child restraint system's
metal parts, for example, could become very
hot, and a child could be burned on these
parts.GWarning!
Do not carry heavy or hard objects in the
passenger compartment or trunk unless they
are firmly secured in place.
Unsecured or improperly positioned cargo
increases a child's risk of injury in the event
of
R strong braking maneuvers
R sudden changes of direction
R an accident
GWarning
Make sure the trunk lid is closed when the
engine is running and while driving. Among
other dangers, deadly carbon monoxide (CO)
gases may enter the vehicle interior resulting
in unconsciousness and death.
! The trunk lid swings upwards when
opened. Therefore, make sure that there is
sufficient clearance above the trunk lid.
You can limit the opening angle of the trunk
lid. This could be useful, for example, if there
is insufficient space above the trunk lid. You
can switch the trunk lid opening height
restriction function on or off via COMAND
( Y page 261).
For the trunk lid to be opened fully, there must
be a minimum clearance from floor to ceiling
of 5.90 ft (1.80 m).
The trunk lid can be:
R opened and closed manually from outside
R opened and closed automatically from
outside
R opened and closed automatically from
inside
R locked separately
R unlocked with the mechanical key
R opened using the emergency release
button inside the trunk
Trunk85Opening and closingZ

Opening and closing manually
Opening
You can only open the trunk lid after
unlocking it first.
XPress the % button on the SmartKey.XPull handle :.
Closing
GWarning
To prevent possible personal injury, always
keep hands and fingers away from the trunk
opening when closing the trunk lid. Be
especially careful when small children are
around.
XPull the trunk lid down using recess :.XLock the vehicle if necessary with
the & button on the SmartKey or with
KEYLESS-GO (Y page 77).
Automatic opening and closing from
the outside
Important safety guidelines
GWarning
Make sure the trunk lid is closed when the
engine is running and while driving. Among
other dangers, deadly carbon monoxide (CO)
gases may enter the vehicle interior resulting
in unconsciousness and death.
! The trunk lid swings upwards when
opened. Therefore, make sure that there is
sufficient clearance above the trunk lid.
For the trunk lid to be opened fully, there must
be a minimum clearance from floor to ceiling
of 5.90 ft (1.80 m).
Opening
You can open the trunk lid with the SmartKey.
XPress and hold the F button on the
SmartKey until the trunk lid opens.
Closing
GWarning!
Monitor the closing procedure carefully to
make sure no one is in danger of being
injured. To prevent possible personal injury,
always keep hands and fingers away from the
trunk opening when closing the trunk lid. Be
especially careful when small children are
around. To stop the closing procedure, do one
of the following:
RPress button F on the SmartKey.
RPress the remote trunk opening/closing
switch (on the driver's door).
RPress the trunk closing switch.
RPress the KEYLESS-GO locking/closing
switch.
RPull the trunk lid handle.
Even with the SmartKey removed from the
starter switch or the SmartKey with KEYLESS-
GO removed from the vehicle, the remote
86TrunkOpening and closing

trunk opening/closing switch can be
operated. Therefore, do not leave children
unattended in the vehicle, or with access to
an unlocked vehicle. A child's unsupervised
access to a vehicle could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury.
You can close the trunk lid automatically by
using the closing button5 or locking button6.
XTo close: press closing button : in the
trunk lid.
XTo close and lock simultaneously:
Press locking button ; in the trunk lid.
iThe trunk lid can only be locked if there is
a KEYLESS-GO key outside the vehicle.
Automatic opening and closing from
the inside
GWarning!
Maintain sight of the area around the rear of
the vehicle while operating the trunk lid with
the door mounted switch. Monitor the closing
procedure carefully to make sure no one is in
danger of being injured.
To interrupt the closing procedure, release
the door mounted remote trunk opening/
closing switch again.
Even with the SmartKey removed from the
starter switch or the SmartKey with KEYLESS-
GO removed from the vehicle, the remote
trunk opening/closing switch can be
operated. Therefore, do not leave children
unattended in the vehicle, or with access to
an unlocked vehicle. A child’s unsupervised
access to a vehicle could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury.
GWarning
Make sure the trunk lid is closed when the
engine is running and while driving. Among
other dangers, deadly carbon monoxide (CO)
gases may enter the vehicle interior resulting
in unconsciousness and death.
You can open/close the trunk lid from the
driver's seat when the vehicle is stationary.
XTo open: press remote operating switch for
trunk lid : until the trunk lid opens.
XTo close: press remote operating switch
for trunk lid : until the trunk lid is closed.
Locking the trunk separately
You can lock the trunk separately. If you then
unlock the vehicle centrally, the trunk
remains locked and cannot be opened.
XClose the trunk lid.XTake the mechanical key out of the
SmartKey (Y page 79).5For vehicles with the trunk lid remote closing feature only.6For vehicles with the trunk lid remote closing feature and KEYLESS-GO only.
Trunk87Opening and closingZ

XInsert the mechanical key into the trunk lid
lock as far as the stop.
XTurn the mechanical key clockwise from
position 1 to position 2.
XRemove the mechanical key.
Unlocking the trunk (mechanical key)
! The trunk lid swings upwards when
opened. Therefore, make sure that there is
sufficient clearance above the trunk lid.
If the trunk can no longer be unlocked with
the SmartKey or KEYLESS-GO:
XTake the mechanical key out of the
SmartKey (Y page 79).
XInsert the mechanical key into trunk lid
lock : as far as possible.
XTurn the mechanical key counter-clockwise
as far as possible.
The trunk is unlocked.
XTurn the mechanical key back and remove
it.Trunk emergency release
You can open the trunk lid from inside the
vehicle with the emergency release button.
XBriefly press emergency release
button :.
The trunk lid unlocks and opens.
The trunk lid can be unlocked and opened
with the trunk lid emergency release when
the vehicle is stationary or while driving.
Trunk lid emergency release light:
RThe button flashes for 30 minutes after the
trunk lid is opened.
RThe button flashes for 60 minutes after the
trunk lid is closed.
The trunk lid emergency release does not
open the trunk lid if the battery is
disconnected or discharged.
88TrunkOpening and closing

XTouch sensor surface : on the door
handle until the side windows and the
sliding sunroof or the panorama roof with
power tilt/sliding panel are fully closed.
i Make sure you only touch sensor
surface :.
XMake sure that all the side windows and the
sliding sunroof or panorama roof with
power tilt/sliding panel are closed.XTo interrupt convenience closing:
release sensor surface : on the door
handle.
On vehicles with roller sunblinds:
XTouch the sensor surface on the door
handle again until the roller sunblinds
close.XTo interrupt the roller sunblind closing
procedure: pull the outside door handle
and hold firmly.
Resetting the side windows
You must reset each side window if:
R a side window cannot be closed
automatically.
R a side window opens again slightly after
being closed manually.
XClose all the doors.XTurn the SmartKey to position 1 in the
ignition lock.XPull the corresponding switch on the door
control panel until the side window is
completely closed. ( Y page 90)XHold the switch for an additional second.
If the side window opens again slightly:
XImmediately pull the corresponding switch
on the door control panel until the side
window is completely closed ( Y page 90).XHold the switch for an additional second.XIf the corresponding side window remains
closed after the button has been released,
the side window has been reset correctly.If this is not the case, repeat the steps
above again.
Problems with the side windows
Problem: a side window cannot be closed
because objects are trapped between the
side window and the door frame.
XRemove the objects.XClose the side window.
Problem: a side window cannot be closed
because objects in the guide rail are
preventing the window from being raised.
XRemove the objects.XClose the side window.
Problem: a side window cannot be closed,
and you cannot see the cause.
GWarning
Closing the side windows with increased force
or without the anti-entrapment feature could
lead to serious or even fatal injury. Make sure
that nobody can become trapped when
closing the side windows.
If a side window is obstructed during closing
and reopens again slightly:
XImmediately after the window blocks, pull
the corresponding switch again until the
side window has closed.
The side window is closed with increased
force.
If a side window is obstructed again during
closing and reopens again slightly:
XImmediately after the window blocks, pull
the corresponding switch again until the
side window has closed.
The side window is closed without the anti-
entrapment feature.GWarning!
Pulling and holding the switch to close the
door window immediately after it had been
blocked two times will cause the door window
92Side windowsOpening and closing

Do not allow anything to protrude from the
sliding sunroof. Otherwise, the seals could
be damaged.
! If the sliding sunroof cannot be opened or
closed due to a malfunction, contact a
qualified specialist workshop, e.g. an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
! Do not forget that the weather can
change abruptly. Make certain that the
sliding sunroof is closed when you leave the
vehicle. The vehicle electronics can be
damaged if water enters the vehicle
interior.
i Resonance noises can occur in addition
to the usual airflow noises when the sliding
sunroof is open. They are caused by minor
pressure fluctuations in the vehicle interior.
Change the position of the sliding sunroof
or open a side window slightly to reduce or
eliminate these noises.
Operating the sliding sunroof
Opening and closing
i You can continue to operate the sliding
sunroof after switching off the engine or
removing the SmartKey from the ignition.
This function remains active for five
minutes or until one of the front doors is
opened.
Overhead control panel
:To raise;To open=To closeXTurn the SmartKey to position 2 in the
ignition lock.XPush or pull the 3 switch in the
corresponding direction.
i If you press the 3 switch beyond the
point of resistance, an automatic opening/
closing process is started in the
corresponding direction. You can stop
automatic operation by pressing again.
Automatic raising is only available when the
sliding sunroof is closed.
Automatic opening is only available when
the sliding sunroof is not raised.
You can open or close the sun protection
cover by hand when the sliding sunroof is
raised or closed.
Resetting
Reset the sliding sunroof if it does not open
smoothly.
! If the sliding sunroof cannot be closed
fully or reset, consult a qualified specialist
workshop.
XTurn the SmartKey to position 2 in the
ignition lock.XRaise the sliding sunroof fully at the rear
( Y page 94).XKeep the 3 switch pressed for another
second.94Sliding sunroofOpening and closing

XMake sure that the sliding sunroof can be
opened or closed fully again when operated
automatically ( Y page 94).XIf the sliding sunroof can be raised fully at
the rear, it has been reset correctly. If this
is not the case, repeat the steps above
again.
Operating the panorama sliding
sunroof
Opening and closing
Overhead control panel
:To raise;To open=To close
The panorama roof with power tilt/sliding
panel can only be moved when the roller
sunblinds are open.
i When raising the panorama roof with
power tilt/sliding panel, the front roller
sunblind opens first if it was closed.
XTurn the SmartKey to position 2 in the
ignition lock.XPush or pull the 3 switch in the
corresponding direction.
i If you press the 3 switch beyond the
point of resistance, an automatic opening/
closing process is started in the
corresponding direction. You can stop
automatic operation by pressing again.
Operating the roller sunblinds of the
panorama sliding sunroof
General notes
The roller sunblinds provide protection from
the sun. The front roller sunblind can only be
opened and closed when the panorama roof
with power tilt/sliding panel is closed. The
front and rear roller sunblinds can be
operated individually.
Operating the front roller sunblind
GWarning
When opening or closing the front roller
sunblind, make sure no one is in danger of
being injured by the opening or closing
procedure.
The front roller sunblind is equipped with
automatic operation and the anti-entrapment
feature. If the movement of the front roller
sunblind is blocked during the closing
procedure, the front roller sunblind will stop
and retract slightly.
The opening or closing of the front roller
sunblind can be immediately halted by
releasing the roof panel switch or, if the roof
panel switch was moved past the resistance
point and released, by moving the roof panel
switch in any direction.
Overhead control panel
:To open;To open=To closeSliding sunroof95Opening and closingZ