steering wheel adjustment MERCEDES-BENZ S-Class 2011 W221 Owner's Manual

The belt tensioners are triggered depending
on the type and severity of an accident:
R in the event of a head-on or rear-end
collision, if the vehicle decelerates or
accelerates rapidly in a longitudinal
direction during the initial stages of the
impact
R in the event of a side impact, on the side
opposite the impact if the vehicle
decelerates or accelerates rapidly in a
lateral direction
R in certain situations, if the vehicle
overturns and the system determines that
it can provide additional protection
If the air bags are deployed, you will hear a
bang and a small amount of powder may also
be released. Only in rare cases will the bang
affect your hearing. The powder that is
released generally does not constitute a
health hazard. The 6 SRS warning lamp
lights up.GWarning
Pyrotechnic Emergency Tensioning Devices
that have been deployed must be renewed.
For your safety, when disposing of Emergency
Tensioning Devices, always observe the
safety instructions. These are available from
any authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
The PRE-SAFE ®
system has electrically
operated reversible pre-tensioners that do
not require replacement after activation.
Automatic comfort-fit feature
The front seat belts have an automatic
comfort-install feature. In vehicles with a rear
bench seat with electrically adjustable outer
seats, the seat belts for the outer seats have
an automatic comfort-install feature. The
automatic comfort-install feature reduces the
retraction force of the seat belts. This results
in increased seat belt comfort.
Children in the vehicle
Important safety notes
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 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
ignition lock 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 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
60Children in the vehicleSafety

Vehicle equipment
i This manual describes all the standard
and optional equipment of your vehicle
which was available at the time of
purchase. Country-specific differences are
possible. Bear in mind that your vehicle
may not feature all functions described
here. This also refers to safety-related
systems and functions.
SmartKey
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
General information
If you cannot open or lock the vehicle with the
SmartKey, either the battery in the SmartKey
is empty, the SmartKey is faulty, or the starter
battery is discharged.
XCheck the battery in the SmartKey and
replace it if necessary ( Y page 80).XUnlock the driver's door with the
mechanical key ( Y page 84).XLock the vehicle ( Y page 84).XHave the starter battery and battery
contacts checked by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
If the SmartKey is faulty, contact Roadside
Assistance or an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
SmartKey functions
General notes
i USA only:
This device complies with Part 15 of the
FCC regulations. Operation is subject to
the following conditions:
1. This device must not cause any harmful
interference, and
2. This device must be able to
accommodate interference that is
received, including interference which
could cause unwanted functions.
76SmartKeyOpening and closing

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

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

Side windows
Important safety notes
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 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
When opening or closing the door windows,
make sure that there is no danger of anyone
being harmed by the opening/closing
procedure.
The door windows are equipped with
automatic operation and the anti-entrapment
feature. If in automatic mode a door window
encounters an obstruction that blocks its
path, the anti-entrapment feature will stop the
door window and open it slightly.
The door windows operate differently when
the switch is pulled. See the "Problems with
door windows" section for details.
The closing of the door windows can be
immediately halted by releasing the switch or,
if the switch was pulled past the resistance
point and released, by either pressing or
pulling the respective switch.
Activate the override switch when children
are riding in the back seats of the vehicle. The
children may otherwise injure themselves,
e.g. by becoming trapped in the door window
opening.
GWarning!
Do not keep any part of your body up against
the window pane when opening a window. The
downward motion of the pane may pull that
part of your body down between the window
pane and the door frame and trap it there. If
there is a risk of entrapment, release the
switch and pull it to close the window.
Side windows89Opening and closingZ

to close without the anti-entrapment feature
for as long as you hold the switch.
Sliding sunroof
Important safety notes
Your vehicle may be installed with a sliding
sunroof or a panorama roof with power tilt/
sliding panel. In the following section, the
term "sliding sunroof" refers to both types of
sliding sunroof.
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 accidentGWarning
When opening or closing the sliding sunroof,
make sure that there is no danger of anyone
being harmed by the opening/closing
procedure.
The sliding sunroof is equipped with
automatic operation and the anti-entrapment
feature. If the movement of the sliding sunroof
is blocked during the closing procedure, the
sliding sunroof will stop and open slightly.
The sliding sunroof operates differently when
the sliding sunroof switch is pressed and held.
See the "Problems with the sliding sunroof/
panorama roof with power tilt/sliding panel"
section for more details.
The opening/closing procedure of the sliding
sunroof can be immediately halted by
releasing the sliding sunroof switch or, if the
sliding sunroof switch was moved past the
resistance point and released, by moving the
sliding sunroof switch in any direction.
GWarning
The sliding sunroof is made out of glass. In the
event of an accident, the glass may shatter.
This may result in an opening in the roof.
In a vehicle rollover, occupants not wearing
their seat belts or not wearing them properly
may be thrown out of the opening. Such an
opening also presents a potential for injury for
occupants wearing their seat belts properly,
as entire body parts or portions of them may
protrude from the passenger compartment.
! Only open the sliding sunroof if it is free
of snow and ice. Otherwise, malfunctions
may occur.
Sliding sunroof93Opening and closingZ

Vehicle equipment
i This manual describes all the standard
and optional equipment of your vehicle
which was available at the time of
purchase. Country-specific differences are
possible. Bear in mind that your vehicle
may not feature all functions described
here. This also refers to safety-related
systems and functions.
Correct driver's seat position
Observe the safety guidelines on
( Y page 101).
XCheck whether you have adjusted seat =
properly.
Electrical seat adjustment ( Y page 102)
When adjusting the seat, make sure:
R you are as far away from the driver's air
bag as possible.
R you are sitting in a normal upright
position.
R you can fasten the seat belt properly.
R you have moved the backrest to an
almost vertical position.R you have set the seat cushion angle so
that your thighs are gently supported.
R you can depress the pedals properly.XCheck whether the head restraint is
adjusted properly ( Y page 104).
When doing so, make sure that you have
adjusted the head restraint so that the back
of your head is supported at eye level by
the center of the head restraint.
Observe the safety guidelines on
( Y page 107).
XCheck whether steering wheel : is
adjusted properly.
Adjust the steering wheel electrically
( Y page 108)
When adjusting the steering wheel, make
sure:
R you can hold the steering wheel with your
arms slightly bent.
R you can move your legs freely.
R you can see all the displays in the
instrument cluster clearly.
Observe the safety guidelines on
( Y page 55).
XCheck whether you have fastened seat
belt ; properly ( Y page 57).
The seat belt should:
R fit snugly across your body
R be routed across the middle of your
shoulder
R be routed in your pelvic area across the
hip jointsXBefore starting off, adjust the rear-view
mirror and the exterior mirrors
( Y page 109) in such a way that you have
a good view of road and traffic conditions.XVehicles with memory function: save the
seat, steering wheel and exterior mirror
settings ( Y page 111).100Correct driver's seat positionSeats, steering wheel and mirrors

Seats
Important safety notes
GWarning
In order to avoid possible loss of vehicle
control, all seat, head restraint, steering
wheel and rear view mirror adjustments, as
well as fastening of seat belts, must be done
before setting the vehicle in motion.
GWarning
Do not adjust the driver's seat while driving.
Adjusting the seat while driving could cause
the driver to lose control of the vehicle.
Never travel in a moving vehicle with the seat
backrest in an excessively reclined position as
this can be dangerous. You could slide under
the seat belt in a collision. If you slide under
it, the seat belt would apply force at the
abdomen or neck. This could cause serious or
fatal injuries. The seat backrest and seat belts
provide the best restraint when the wearer is
in a position that is as upright as possible and
seat belts are properly positioned on the
body.
GWarning
Your seat belt must be adjusted so that you
can correctly fasten your seat belt.
Observe the following points:
R adjust the seat backrest until your arms are
slightly angled when holding the steering
wheel.
R adjust the seat to a comfortable seating
position that still allows you to reach the
accelerator/brake pedal safely. The
position should be as far back as possible
with the driver still able to operate the
controls properly.
R adjust the head restraint so that it is as
close to the head as possible and the center
of the head restraint supports the back of
the head at eye level.
R never place hands under the seat or near
any moving parts while a seat is being
adjusted.
Failure to do so could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury.GWarning
The electrically adjustable seats can be
operated at any time. 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!
According to accident statistics, children are
safer when properly restrained in the rear
seating positions than in the front seating
position. Thus, we strongly recommend that
children be placed in the rear seats whenever
possible. Regardless of seating position,
children 12 years old and under must be
seated and properly secured in an
appropriately sized infant restraint, toddler
restraint, or booster seat recommended for
the size and weight of the child. For additional
information, see "Children in the vehicle".
A child's risk of serious or fatal injuries is
significantly increased if the child restraints
are not properly secured in the vehicle and/
or the child is not properly secured in the child
restraint.
GWarning
For your protection, drive only with properly
positioned head restraints.
Adjust the head restraint so that it is as close
to the head as possible and the center of the
head restraint supports the back of the head
at eye level. This will reduce the potential for
injury to the head and neck in the event of an
accident or similar situation.
Seats101Seats, steering wheel and mirrorsZ

Do not drive the vehicle without the seat head
restraints. Head restraints are intended to
help reduce injuries during an accident.
! To avoid damage to the seats and the seat
heating, observe the following information:
Rdo not spill any liquids on the seats. If
liquid is spilled on the seats, dry them as
soon as possible.
Rif the seat covers are damp or wet, do not
switch on the seat heating. The seat
heating should also not to be used to dry
the seats.
Rclean the seat covers as recommended;
see the "Interior care" section.
Rdo not transport heavy loads on the
seats. Do not place sharp objects on the
seat cushions, e.g. knives, nails or tools.
The seats should only be occupied by
passengers, if possible.
Rwhen the seat heating is in operation, do
not cover the seats with insulating
materials, e.g. blankets, coats, bags,
seat covers, child seats or booster seats.
! When you move the seats, make sure that
there are no objects in the footwell or
behind the seats. Otherwise, you could
damage the seats and the objects.
iThe head restraints in the front seats are
installed with the NECK-PRO system. For
this reason, it is not possible to remove the
head restraints from the front seats.
For design reasons, the rear-compartment
head restraints cannot be removed.
Please contact an authorized Mercedes-
Benz Center for more information.
Adjusting the seats:Head restraint height;Seat height=Seat cushion angle?Seat cushion lengthASeat fore-and-aft adjustmentBBackrest angle
iIf PRE-SAFE® has been activated, the
front-passenger seat and the electrically
adjustable rear seats are moved into a
more favorable position.
iYou can store the seat settings using the
memory function (Y page 111).
iTo ensure the largest possible range of
seat settings, certain seat adjustment
functions will automatically activate other
seat adjustment functions.
iDepending on the seat fore-and-aft
setting, the head restraint height is
adjusted automatically.
Adjusting the rear seats electrically
You can only adjust the outer seats in the rear
electrically.
102SeatsSeats, steering wheel and mirrors

:Seat cushion angle;Backrest angle=To fold the head restraint up or back?Head restraint angleASeat fore-and-aft adjustment
Adjusting the front-passenger seat
from the driver’s seat
GWarning!
When adjusting the front passenger seat,
make sure the seat, if occupied, is as far from
the front passenger front air bag as possible.
Otherwise, the passenger could be seriously
or even fatally injured in the event of an
accident or braking maneuver.
Make sure no one is caught or injured while
the seat is being adjusted.
Even with the SmartKey or SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO removed from the starter switch
or the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO removed
from the vehicle, the power seats 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.
! Do not move the front-passenger seat
fully forwards if there are objects in the
parcel net in the front-passenger footwell.
The objects could otherwise be damaged.
You can use the seat switches on the driver's
side to adjust the front-passenger seat.
XTo activate/deactivate: press button :.
If the indicator lamp in button : is lit, you
can access the following functions for the
front-passenger seat:
Rseat adjustment
Rseat heating/ventilation
Rmemory function
Adjusting the front-passenger seat
from the rear
GWarning!
When adjusting the front passenger seat,
make sure the seat, if occupied, is as far from
the front passenger front air bag as possible.
Otherwise, the passenger could be seriously
or even fatally injured in the event of an
accident or braking maneuver.
Make sure no one is caught or injured while
the seat is being adjusted.
Even with the SmartKey or SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO removed from the starter switch
or the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO removed
from the vehicle, the power seats 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.
! Do not move the front-passenger seat
fully forwards if there are objects in the
parcel net in the front-passenger footwell.
The objects could otherwise be damaged.
Seats103Seats, steering wheel and mirrorsZ