seats MERCEDES-BENZ S-Class 2012 W221 Owner's Manual

Index ....................................................... 4Introduction ......................................... 28At a glance ........................................... 33Safety ................................................... 43Opening/closing ................................. 77Seats, steering wheel and mirrors ..101COMAND ............................................ 115Lights and windshield wipers ..........275Climate control ................................. 289Driving and parking ..........................301On-board computer and displays ....371Stowing and features .......................431Maintenance and care ......................455Breakdown assistance .....................471Wheels and tires ............................... 489Technical data ................................... 519
Contents3

Setting the specified minimum
distance ......................................... 338
Warning lamp ................................. 428
Dolby Digital ...................................... 136
Doors Automatic locking (switch) ............... 86
Central locking/unlocking
(SmartKey) ....................................... 78
Control panel ................................... 40
Display message ............................ 418
Emergency locking ........................... 88
Emergency unlocking .......................87
Important safety notes ....................85
Opening (from inside) ......................86
Power closing feature ......................87
Drinking and driving ......................... 326
Drinks holder see Cup holder
Drive program
Automatic ...................................... 314
Manual ........................................... 316
Driver's door
see Doors
Driver's seat
see Seats
Driving abroad
Mercedes-Benz Service .................463
Symmetrical low beam ..................276
Driving Assistance package ............. 360
Driving safety systems ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) .......69
ADAPTIVE BRAKE ............................. 73
BAS (Brake Assist System) ..............70
BAS PLUS (Brake Assist System
PLUS) ............................................... 70
Electronic brake force distribution ...73
ESP ®
(Electronic Stability
Program) .......................................... 71
ETS/4ETS (Electronic Traction
System) ........................................... 72
Important safety information ...........69
Overview .......................................... 68
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake ............................. 73
Driving systems
Active Blind Spot Assist .................364
Active Body Control .......................345Active Driving Assistance
package ......................................... 363
Active Lane Keeping Assist ............367
AIRMATIC ...................................... 343
ATTENTION ASSIST ........................356
Blind Spot Assist ............................ 360
Cruise control ................................ 330
Display message ............................ 408
DISTRONIC PLUS ........................... 332
Driving Assistance package ...........360
HOLD function ............................... 342
Lane Keeping Assist ......................362
Night View Assist Plus ...................357
Parking Guidance ........................... 350
PARKTRONIC ................................. 347
Rear view camera .......................... 354
Driving tips
Automatic transmission .................313
Brakes ........................................... 327
Break-in period .............................. 302
DISTRONIC PLUS ........................... 340
Downhill gradient ........................... 327
Drinking and driving .......................326
Driving abroad ............................... 276
Driving in winter ............................. 330
Driving on flooded roads ................329
Driving on wet roads ......................329
Exhaust check ............................... 327
Fuel ................................................ 326
General .......................................... 326
Hydroplaning ................................. 329
Icy road surfaces ........................... 330
Limited braking efficiency on
salted roads ................................... 328
Pedals ............................................ 326
Snow chains .................................. 493
Symmetrical low beam ..................276
Wet road surface ........................... 327
DVD
Changer ......................................... 220
Copy protection ............................. 229
Fast forward/fast rewind ...............225
Handling ........................................ 189
Inserting ........................................ 220
Inserting/loading (Rear Seat
Entertainment System) ..................251
Notes on discs ............................... 22910Index

Radio-controlled devices
(installing) .......................................... 454
Read-aloud function .......................... 174
Reading lamp ..................................... 281
Real-time traffic reports ................... 174
Rear compartment Activating/deactivating climate
control ........................................... 292
Setting the air distribution .............295
Setting the airflow .........................295
Setting the air vents ......................299
Setting the temperature ................294
Rear fog lamp
Display message ............................ 402
Switching on/off ........................... 278
Rear seat
Adjusting ....................................... 104
Rear Seat Entertainment System
Adjusting the sound settings .........248
Audio mode (CD, DVD, MP3) .........250
AUX mode ...................................... 258
Changing batteries (remote
control, headphones) .....................247
Changing the picture format ..........249
Components/overview ..................138
Headphones (cordless) ..................142
Multiple users ................................ 248
Overview of picture settings ..........249
Remote control .............................. 140
Screen ........................................... 139
Setting the audio format ................258
System settings ............................. 249
Using headphones .........................248
Using the main loudspeaker ..........248
Video DVD mode ........................... 254
Rear seats
Overview .......................................... 42
Rear view camera
Cleaning instructions .....................467
Function/notes ............................. 354
Rear-view mirror ............................... 112
Rear window blind ............................ 439
see Rear window roller sunblind
see Roller sunblind
Rear window defroster
Problem (malfunction) ...................297
Rear window heating
Switching on/off ........................... 297Redialing (telephone) ........................ 200
Refueling Fuel gauge ....................................... 35
Important safety notes ..................317
Refueling process ..........................319
see Fuel
Remote control
Garage door opener .......................450
Remote operation
Selecting a screen (Rear Seat
Entertainment System) ..................140
Switching a screen on/off (Rear
Seat Entertainment System) ..........140
Reporting
Malfunctions relevant to safety ........ 31
Reserve (fuel tank)
see Fuel
Reserve fuel
Display message ............................ 407
Warning lamp ................................. 428
see Fuel
Reset function ................................... 150
Resetting (factory settings) ............. 150
Residual heat (climate control) ........ 298
Restraint system see SRS (Supplemental Restraint
System)
Reversing lamps (display
message) ............................................ 403
Road map see Map
Roadside Assistance (breakdown) .... 29
Roller blind see Roller sunblind
Roller sunblind
Panorama roof with power tilt/
sliding panel ..................................... 97
Rear side windows ...........................93
Rear window .................................. 439
Rear window (COMAND) ................261
Roller sunblind of the panorama
roof with power tilt/sliding panel Operating (front roller sunblind) ....... 98
Operating (rear roller sunblind) ........98
Roof carrier ........................................ 436
Roof lining and carpets (cleaning
guidelines) ......................................... 469Index19

Roof load (maximum) ........................ 530
Route see Route guidance (navigation)
Route (navigation)
Displaying the distance to the
destination ..................................... 172
Route overview .............................. 172
Selecting an alternative route ........171
Setting route options (avoiding:
highways, toll roads, tunnels,
ferries) ........................................... 152
Setting the route type (short
route, fast route, dynamic route or
economic route) ............................ 152
Starting calculation ........................156
Route guidance
Canceling ....................................... 169
Continuing ..................................... 169
Destination reached ......................170
Lane recommendations .................167
Off-road ......................................... 173
Traffic reports ................................ 174
Route guidance (navigation) ............ 377
Route guidance (on-board
computer) .......................................... 377
Route information see Dynamic route guidance/TMC
S
Safety Children in the vehicle .....................62
Child restraint systems ....................62
Occupant Classification System
(OCS) ............................................... 50
Overview of occupant safety
systems ........................................... 44
Safety notes
Audio CD/DVD and MP3 mode .....220
Operating safety ............................ 116
Video DVD mode ........................... 240
Safety systems
see Driving safety systems
SatRadio ............................................. 216
Displaying information ...................220
Registering .................................... 217
Selecting a category ......................218
Screen
Selecting for remote control (Rear
Seat Entertainment System) ..........140
Switching on/off (Rear Seat
Entertainment System) ..................126
see Display
SD memory card
Loading .......................................... 221
Seat belts
Adjusting the driver's and front-
passenger seat belt .........................60
Adjusting the height ......................... 60
Automatic comfort-fit feature ..........62
Belt force limiters ............................ 61
Cleaning ......................................... 469
Correct usage .................................. 58
Emergency Tensioning Devices ........ 61
Fastening ......................................... 59
Important safety guidelines .............57
Releasing ......................................... 60
Safety guidelines ............................. 45
Special seat belt retractor ...............64
Switching belt adjustment on/off
(on-board computer) ......................386
Warning lamp ................................. 420
Warning lamp (function) ................... 61
Seats
Active multicontour seat ........ 108, 272
Adjusting (electrically) ...................104
Adjusting (rear compartment) ........104
Adjusting lumbar support ..............108
Adjusting the head restraint ..........106
Cleaning the cover .........................469
Correct driver's seat position ........102
Important safety notes ..................103
Multicontour seat .......................... 108
Seat heating problem ....................109
Seat ventilation problem ................109
Selecting (COMAND) .....................270
Storing settings (memory
function) ........................................ 113
Switching seat heating on/off .......108
Switching seat ventilation on/off ..109
Selecting stations (radio)
Using station presets .....................212
Using station search ......................212
Sending DTMF tones ......................... 203
Sensors (cleaning instructions) ....... 46720Index

Speed, controllingsee Cruise control
Speed Limit Assist
see Speed Limit Assist
Speedometer
Activating/deactivating the
additional speedometer .................386
Digital ............................................ 376
In the Instrument cluster .................35
Selecting the unit of
measurement ................................ 386
see Instrument cluster
SPLITVIEW ......................................... 122
SRS (Supplemental Restraint
System) Display message ............................ 397
Introduction ..................................... 44
Warning lamp ................................. 426
Warning lamp (function) ................... 44
Standing lamps
Display message ............................ 402
Switching on/off ........................... 276
Starting (engine) ................................ 304
Station memory ................................. 213
Steering (display message) .............. 418
Steering wheel Adjusting (electrically) ...................110
Button overview ............................... 37
Buttons (on-board
computer) ...................................... 373
Important safety notes ..................109
Paddle shifters ............................... 314
Steering wheel heating ..................110
Storing settings (memory
function) ........................................ 113
Steering wheel (cleaning
instructions) ...................................... 468
Steering wheel heating Switching on/off ........................... 110
Steering wheel paddle shifters ........ 314
Stop function Audio DVD ..................................... 223
Rear Seat Entertainment System ...255
Video DVD ..................................... 243
Stopwatch (RACETIMER) ................... 380
Storing stations Manually ........................................ 213Storing stations (radio)
Automatically ................................. 213
Stowage compartments
Armrest (under) ............................. 433
Cup holders ................................... 437
Door ............................................... 433
Eyeglasses compartment ...............433
Glove box ....................................... 432
Important safety information .........432
Parcel net ...................................... 435
Rear ............................................... 434
Rear seat backrest ......................... 434
Rear seats (between) .....................434
Stowage well ..................................... 436
Stowage well beneath the trunk
floor .................................................... 436
Summer opening see Convenience opening feature
Summer tires ..................................... 492
Sun visor ............................................ 438
Supplemental Restraint System see SRS (Supplemental Restraint
System)
Surround sound
see 3D sound (Harman Kardon ®
surround sound system)
Surround sound (harman/
kardon ®
surround sound system)
Notes ............................................. 136
Switching on/off ........................... 136
Suspension tuning
Active Body Control .......................346
AIRMATIC ...................................... 344
Switching air-recirculation mode
on/off ................................................. 297
Switching between picture
formats (TV, video) ............................ 240
Switching between summer time
and standard time ............................. 144
Switching off the alarm (ATA) ............ 75
Switching the hands-free
microphone on/off ............................ 201
Switching wavebands (radio) ........... 212
System settings
Bluetooth ®
..................................... 147
Date ............................................... 144
Language ....................................... 14922Index

Cockpit ................................................. 34
Instrument cluster ..............................35
On-board computer and COMAND .....37
Center console .................................... 38
Overhead control panel ......................39
Door control panel .............................. 40
Rear seats ............................................ 4233At a glance

Rear seatsFunctionPage:Cup holder underneath the
rear seat armrest
437
;Cup holder in the rear seat
armrest
437
=Control panel for
multicontour seat in the
rear compartment
108
?Stowage compartment in
the rear seat armrest
434
AStowage box in the seat
backrest
434
42Rear seatsAt a glance

restraint or as being a small individual (such
as a young teenager or a small adult), the
42 indicator lamp will illuminate
for approximately 6 seconds when the engine
is started and then, depending on occupant
weight sensor readings from the front-
passenger seat, remain illuminated or go out.
With the 42 indicator lamp
illuminated, the front-passenger front air bag
is deactivated. With the 42
indicator lamp out, the front-passenger front
air bag is activated.
When the OCS senses that the front-
passenger seat occupant is classified as an
adult or someone larger than a small
individual, the 42 indicator lamp
will illuminate for approximately 6 seconds
when the engine is started and then go out,
indicating that the front-passenger front air
bag is activated.
If the 42 indicator lamp is
illuminated, the front-passenger front air bag
is deactivated and will not be deployed.
If the 42 indicator lamp is not
illuminated, the front-passenger front air bag
is activated and will be deployed:
R in the event of certain frontal impacts
R if impact exceeds a preset deployment
threshold
R independently of the side impact air bags
If the front-passenger front air bag is
deployed, the rate of inflation will be
influenced by:
R the rate of vehicle deceleration as assessed
by the air bag control unit
R the front passenger's weight category as
identified by OCS
For further information, see "Air bag display
messages" ( Y page 399).GWARNING
According to accident statistics, children are
safer when properly restrained on the rear
seats than on the front-passenger seat. 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
child restraint system or booster seat
recommended for the size and weight of the
child.
The infant or child restraint system must be
properly secured with the vehicle's seat belt,
the seat belt and Top Tether strap, or lower
anchors and Top Tether strap, fully in
accordance with the child seat
manufacturer's instructions.
Occupants, especially children, should always
sit as upright as possible, wear the seat belt
properly and use an appropriate sized infant
restraint, toddler restraint, or booster seat
recommended for the size and weight of the
child.
Children can be killed or seriously injured by
an inflating air bag. Note the following
important information when circumstances
require you to place a child in the front-
passenger seat:
R Your vehicle is equipped with air bag
technology designed to deactivate the
front-passenger front air bag in your vehicle
when the system senses the weight of a
typical 12-month-old child or less along
with the weight of a standard appropriate
child restraint on the front-passenger seat.
R A child in a rear-facing child restraint on the
front-passenger seat will be seriously
injured or even killed if the front-passenger
front air bag inflates in a collision which
could occur under some circumstances,
even with the air bag technology installed
in your vehicle. The only means to eliminate
this risk completely is never to place a child
in a rear-facing child restraint in the front-
passenger seat. We therefore strongly
recommend that you always place a child
in a rear-facing child restraint on the rear
seat.
R If you install a rear-facing child restraint on
the front-passenger seat, make sure theOccupant safety51SafetyZ

PRE-SAFE®
(preventative occupant
protection)GWARNING
The PRE-SAFE ®
system reduces the impact of
an accident on vehicle occupants, as long as
their seat belts have been fastened correctly.
Although your vehicle is equipped with a PRE-
SAFE ®
system, the possibility of injury in the
event of an accident cannot be ruled out. You
should therefore always drive carefully and
adapt your driving style to the prevailing road,
weather and traffic conditions.
PRE-SAFE ®
takes preemptive measures to
protect occupants in certain hazardous
situations.
PRE-SAFE ®
intervenes:
R in emergency braking situations, e.g. if BAS
is activated or, in vehicles with DISTRONIC
PLUS, BAS PLUS intervenes powerfully
R if the radar sensor system detects an
imminent danger of collision in certain
situations (on vehicles with DISTRONIC
PLUS)
R in critical driving situations, e.g. when
physical limits are exceed and the vehicle
understeers or oversteers severely
PRE-SAFE ®
takes the following measures
depending on the hazardous situation
detected:
R the front seat belts are pre-tensioned.
R it adjusts the seats if the front-passenger
seat or the electrically adjustable outer
seats in the rear are in unfavorable
positions.
R vehicles with a multicontour seat or an
active multicontour seat: the air pressure
in the side bolsters on the seat cushion and
the side bolsters on the backrest is
increased.
R vehicles with multicontour seats in the
rear: the air pressure in the backrest side
bolsters of the outer seats in the rear is
increased.
R if the vehicle skids, the sliding sunroof/
panorama roof with power tilt/sliding
panel and the side windows are closed so
that only a small gap remains.
If the sliding sunroof, panorama roof with
power tilt/sliding panel or a side window is
obstructed during closing, the closing
procedure is stopped. The obstructed sliding
sunroof, panorama roof with power tilt/
sliding panel or side window opens again
slightly.
If the hazardous situation passes without
resulting in an accident, PRE-SAFE ®
slackens
the belt pretensioning. The air pressure in the
side bolsters on the multicontour seat/active
multicontour seat is reduced again. All
settings made by PRE-SAFE ®
can then be
reversed.
If the seat belts are not released:XMove the backrest back slightly, but only
when the vehicle is stationary.
The belt pretensioning is reduced and the
locking mechanism is released.GWARNING
Make sure that nobody can become trapped
as you adjust the seat.
! Make sure that there are no objects in the
footwell or behind the seats when resetting
the seats. There is a risk that the seats
and/or the objects could be damaged.
More information about seat-belt
adjustment, a convenience function
integrated into PRE-SAFE ®
, can be found in
the "Seat-belt adjustment" section
( Y page 60).
NECK-PRO head restraints/NECK-
PRO luxury head restraints
NECK-PRO head restraints/NECK-PRO luxury
head restraints increase protection of the
driver's and front-passenger's head and
Occupant safety55SafetyZ

neck. In the event of a rear collision of a
certain severity, the NECK-PRO head
restraints/NECK-PRO luxury head restraints
on the driver's and front-passenger seats are
moved forwards and upwards. This provides
better head support.GWARNING
Do not attach any objects (e.g. a coat hanger)
to the NECK-PRO head restraints/NECK-PRO
luxury head restraints. Otherwise, the NECK-
PRO head restraints/NECK-PRO luxury head
restraints may not function properly and in
the event of a rear-end collision may not offer
the protection they are designed to provide.
GWARNING
Seat or head restraint covers can cause a
malfunction when the NECK-PRO head
restraints/NECK PRO luxury head restraints
are activated or when the side impact air bags
are deployed, or they can prevent this
completely. The NECK-PRO head restraints/
NECK PRO luxury head restraints or side
impact air bags can therefore not provide the
intended protection. Do not use any seat or
head restraint covers.
If the NECK-PRO head restraints/NECK-PRO
luxury head restraints have been triggered in
an accident, reset the NECK-PRO head
restraints/NECK-PRO luxury head restraints
on the driver's and front-passenger seats
( Y page 56). Otherwise, the additional
protection will not be available in the event of
another rear-end collision. NECK-PRO head
restraints/NECK-PRO luxury head restraints
that have been triggered are moved forwards
and can no longer be adjusted.
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.
Resetting triggered NECK-PRO head
restraints
Important safety notes
GWARNING
For reasons of safety, have the NECK-PRO
head restraints/NECK-PRO luxury head
restraints checked at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center after a rear-end
collision.
GWARNING
When pushing back the NECK-PRO head
restraint cushion, make sure your fingers do
not become caught between the head
restraint cushion and the cover. Failure to
observe this could result in injuries.
NECK-PRO head restraints
i Resetting the NECK-PRO head restraints
requires a lot of strength. If you have
difficulty resetting the NECK-PRO head
restraints, have this work carried out at a
qualified specialist workshop, e.g. an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
56Occupant safetySafety