warning light MERCEDES-BENZ S350 2006 W221 Owner's Manual

ContentsSafety and Security........................... 59
Occupant safety................................... 60
Air bags .......................................... 61
Seat belts ....................................... 67
Preventive occupant safety
(PRE-SAFE
®)................................... 70
Children in the vehicle .................... 71
Override switch for rear
passenger compartment ................ 77
Panic alarm .......................................... 78
Activating ....................................... 78
Deactivating ................................... 78
Driving safety systems ......................... 79
ABS ................................................ 79
BAS ................................................ 80
ESP
®.............................................. 81
Four wheel electronic traction
system (4MATIC) with the ESP
®..... 84
Anti-theft systems................................ 85
Immobilizer..................................... 85
Anti-theft alarm system .................. 86
Tow-away alarm ............................. 88
Controls in detail............................... 91
Locking and unlocking ......................... 92
SmartKey ....................................... 92
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* ........ 96
Opening the doors
from the inside ............................. 102
Opening the trunk ........................ 103
Closing the trunk.......................... 105
Trunk lid emergency release ........ 111
Power closing assist for doors
and trunk lid ................................. 112
Automatic central locking ............ 112
Locking and unlocking
from the inside ............................. 113
Seats ................................................. 114
Easy-entry/exit feature ................ 114
Removing and installing front
seat head restraints ..................... 116
Rear seats .................................... 117
Rear seat head restraints ............. 120
Lumbar support............................ 122
Multicontour backrest* ................ 122
Drive-dynamic seat* .................... 124
Seat heating* ............................... 125
Seat ventilation* .......................... 127Memory function ............................... 128
Storing positions into memory ..... 129
Recalling positions from memory . 129
Storing exterior rear view
mirror parking position ................ 130
Lighting ............................................. 131
Exterior lamp switch .................... 131
Combination switch ..................... 135
Hazard warning flasher ................ 136
Interior lighting ............................ 137
Courtesy lighting .......................... 139
Door entry lamps ......................... 139
Trunk lighting ............................... 139
Instrument cluster ............................. 140
Instrument cluster illumination .... 140
Coolant temperature gauge ......... 141
Trip odometer .............................. 141
Tachometer .................................. 142
Outside temperature indicator ..... 142
Clock............................................ 142
Control system .................................. 143
Multifunction display.................... 143
Multifunction steering wheel........ 144
Menus .......................................... 146
Standard display menu ................ 148
AUDIO menu ................................ 148

10 IntroductionOperator’s ManualThis Operator’s Manual contains a great
deal of useful information. We urge you to
read it carefully and familiarize yourself
with the vehicle before driving.
For your own safety and longer service life
of the vehicle, we urge you to follow the in-
structions and warnings contained in this
manual. Ignoring them could result in dam-
age to the vehicle or personal injury to you
or others. Vehicle damage caused by fail-
ure to follow instructions is not covered by
the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Your vehicle may have some or all of the
equipment described in this manual.
Therefore, you may find explanations for
optional equipment not installed in your
vehicle. If you have any questions about
the operation of any equipment, your au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center will be
glad to demonstrate the proper proce-
dures.We continuously strive to improve our
product, and ask for your understanding
that we reserve the right to make changes
in design and equipment. Therefore, infor-
mation, illustrations and descriptions in
this Operator’s Manual might differ from
your vehicle.
Optional equipment is also described in
this manual, including operating instruc-
tions wherever necessary. Since they are
special-order items, the descriptions and
illustrations herein may vary slightly from
the actual equipment of your vehicle.
If there are any equipment details that are
not shown or described in this Operator’s
Manual, your authorized Mercedes-Benz
C e n t e r w i l l b e g l a d t o i n f o r m y o u o f c o r r e c t
care and operating procedures. The Oper-
ator’s Manual and Maintenance Booklet
are important documents and should be
kept with the vehicle.
Service and warranty information
The Service and Warranty Information
Booklet contains detailed information
about the warranties covering your
Mercedes-Benz, including:

New Car Limited Warranty


Emission System Warranty


Emission Performance Warranty


California, Maine, Massachusetts, and
Vermont Emission Control System
Warranty
(California, Maine, Massachusetts, and
Vermont only)


State Warranty Enforcement Laws
(Lemon Laws)

15 Introduction
Symbols
Symbols
Registered trademarks
®:
ESP
® and PRE-SAFE
® are registered trade-
marks of DaimlerChrysler.
The following symbols are found in this
Operator’s Manual:
* Optional equipment is identified
with an asterisk. Since standard
equipment varies between models,
the descriptions and illustrations in
this manual may differ slightly from
the actual equipment of your vehi-
cle.

This symbol points to instructions for
you to follow.

A number of these symbols appearing
in succession indicates a multiple-step
procedure.
 Page This symbol tells you where to
look for further information on a
topic.
This continuation symbol marks
an interrupted procedure which
will be continued on the next
page.
-> In the glossary of technical
terms, this symbol is used to in-
dicate cross-references to term
definitions.
DISPLAY
Words appearing in the multi-
function display are printed in
the type shown here.
Warning!
G
Warning notices draw your attention to haz-
ards that may endanger your health or life,
or the health or life of others.!Highlights hazards that may result in
damage to your vehicle.iHelpful hints or further information you
may find useful.

27 At a glance
Center console
Center console
Upper part
Item
Page
1
Switch for rear window sun-
shade
191
2
Parktronic* deactivation
button
238
3
Airmatic or Active Body
Control (ABC)* button
232
4
Level control button
234
5
Central locking switch
113
Anti-theft alarm system indi-
cator lamp
86
6
Hazard warning flasher
on/off switch
136
Item
Page
7
Central unlocking switch
113
8
Electronic Stability Program
(ESP
®) control switch
82
9
Rear seat head restraints,
switch for folding down
120
a
Tow-away alarm switch
88
b
COMAND system (see
separate operating instruc-
tions)
c
Automatic climate control
205
d
Cover of:

Ashtray


Lighter
249
250

40 Getting startedAdjustingSteering wheel Steering wheel adjustment
The stalk for steering wheel adjustment is
located on the steering column (lower left).
1Adjusting steering column, in or out
2Adjusting steering column, up or down

Switch on the ignition (
page 34).
or

Open the driver’s door.Adjusting steering column in or out

Move stalk forward or back in the direc-
tion of arrow1 until a comfortable
steering wheel position is reached with
your arms slightly bent at the elbow.
Adjusting steering column up or down

Move the stalk up or down in the direc-
tion of arrow2.
Make sure your legs can move freely
and all the displays (incl. malfunction
and indicator lamps) on the instrument
cluster are clearly visible.
For more information, see “Heated steer-
ing wheel* (except S 55 AMG and
S65AMG)” (
page 252).
Warning!
G
Do not adjust the steering wheel while driv-
ing. Adjusting the steering wheel while driv-
ing could cause the driver to lose control of
the vehicle.
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey or SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
from the starter switch, take it with you, and
lock the vehicle.
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 steering
wheel adjustment feature can be operated
when the driver’s door is open. Therefore,
do not leave children unattended in the ve-
hicle, or with access to an unlocked vehicle.
Unsupervised use of vehicle equipment may
cause an accident and/or serious personal
injury.
iThe memory function (
page 128) lets
you store settings for the steering
wheel together with the settings for the
exterior rear view mirrors and the seat
position.

57 Getting started
Parking and locking
Switching off headlamps
Turn the exterior lamp switch toM.
For more information, see “Lighting”
(
page 131).
Turning off the engine 
Place the gear selector lever in
positionP.
Turning off with the SmartKey

Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
(page 34) to position0 and remove
it.
The immobilizer is activated.

Press the seat belt release button
(page 44).
Allow the retractor to completely re-
wind the seat belt by guiding the latch
plate.
Turning off the engine with
KEYLESS-GO*

Place the gear selector lever in
positionP.

Press the KEYLESS-GO start/stop
button (
page 35) to shut off the en-
gine.With the driver’s door closed, the start-
er switch is now in position1. With the
driver’s door opened, the starter switch
is set to position0, same as SmartKey
removed from starter switch
(
page 34).

Press the seat belt release button
(page 44).
Allow the retractor to completely re-
wind the seat belt by guiding the latch
plate.
iAlways set the parking brake in addi-
tion to shifting to position P.
On slopes, turn the front wheels to-
wards the curb.
iThe SmartKey can only be removed
from the starter switch with the gear
selector lever in positionP.iWith the SmartKey removed and the
driver’s door open, a warning sounds if
the vehicle’s exterior lamps are not
switched off.
!If you hear a warning signal, you have
either

forgotten to turn off the lights be-
fore opening the driver’s door
or


tried to turn off the engine while the
gear selector lever is not inP.
Turn off the lights or place the gear se-
lector lever inP.

70 Safety and SecurityOccupant safetyAutomatic comfort-fit feature seat belt
An automatic comfort-fit feature for front
seats and for the rear outer seats (only for
vehicles with electrically adjustable rear
bench seat* or with individual seats* in the
rear) reduces the retracting force of the
seat belts when they are in normal use.
Preventive occupant safety (PRE-SAFE
®)Your vehicle automatically takes preven-
tive measures to better protect the occu-
pants in the following hazardous
situations:


You execute an emergency braking ma-
neuver and the Brake Assist System
(page 80) is activated.


The PRE-SAFE
® system detects a criti-
cal driving dynamics situation.
In such cases, the following systems are
automatically activated:


A front seat belt with the seat belt
buckled is pre-tensioned electrically.


If the occupied front passenger seat or
rear seats are in an unfavorable posi-
tion, they are adjusted to a better posi-
tion. Rear seat adjustment occurs only
in ve hic le s wi th ind ivid ua l s ea ts* i n the
rear.


The tilt/sliding sunroof closes if the ve-
hicle is in a severe skid or is spinning.If the seat belts do not release:

Adjust the backrest or seat slightly to
the rear until the seat belt tension is di-
minished.
The locking mechanism releases.
Warning!
G
The PRE-SAFE
® system is intended to re-
duce the effects of an accident on properly
seat-belted vehicle occupants. Despite hav-
ing the PRE-SAFE® system in your car, the
possibility of injuries occurring as a result of
an accident cannot be totally eliminated.
Therefore you should always drive carefully
and adjust your driving to the prevailing
road, weather, and traffic conditions.
iThe PRE-SAFE
® systems are activated
in the previously described circum-
stances only at speeds exceeding
22 mph (35 km/h).
When the driving dynamic situation has
passed without an accident occurring,
the pre-tensioning on the seat belts is
deactivated.
You can then adjust the seats and the
tilt/sliding sunroof to their previous po-
sition.

77 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Override switch for rear passenger compartment
You can disable select functions in the rear
passenger compartment for added safety
(for instance when you have children riding
in the rear passenger compartment).
You can disable the following functions in
the rear passenger compartment:

rear door window operation
(page 208)


adjustment of front passenger seat
from the rear* (
page 118)


cigarette lighter in rear (
page 251)The override switch is located on the driv-
er’s door.
1Override switch
Activating override switch

Slide override switch 1 to the right.
A dot becomes visible. The functions in
the rear are disabled.
Deactivating override switch

Slide override switch 1 to the left.
The functions in the rear are enabled
again.
Warning!
G
Activate the override switch when children
are riding in the back seats of the vehicle.
The children may otherwise injure them-
selves, e.g. by becoming trapped in the win-
dow opening.
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey or SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
from the starter switch, take it with you, and
lock your vehicle. Do not leave children un-
attended in the vehicle, or with access to an
unlocked vehicle. Unsupervised use of vehi-
cle equipment may cause an accident
and/or serious personal injury.iOperation of the rear door windows
with the switches located in the driver’s
door is still possible.

79 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
Driving safety systems
In this section you will find information on
the following driving safety systems:

ABS (A
ntilock B
rake S
ystem)


BAS (B
rake A
ssist S
ystem)


ESP
® (E
lectronic S
tability P
rogram)


4MATIC (Four Wheel Electronic Trac-
tion System)
ABS
The Antilock Brake System (ABS) regulates
the brake pressure so that the wheels do
not lock during braking. This allows you to
maintain the ability to steer your vehicle.
The ABS is functional above a speed of ap-
proximately 5 mph (8 km/h) independent
of road surface conditions.
On slippery road surfaces, the ABS will re-
spond even to light brake pressure.
The - indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster (
page 24) comes on when you
switch on the ignition (
page 34). It goes
out when the engine is running.
iIn winter operation, the maximum ef-
fectiveness of the ABS, ESP
®, BAS and
4MATIC is only achieved with winter
tires (
page 327), or snow chains as
required.
Warning!
G
The following factors increase the risk of ac-
cidents:

Excessive speed, especially in turns


Wet and slippery road surfaces


Following another vehicle too closely
The ABS, BAS, ESP
®, and 4MATIC cannot re-
duce this risk.
Always adjust your driving style to the pre-
vailing road and weather conditions.
Warning!
G
Do not pump the brake pedal. Use firm,
steady brake pedal pressure instead. Pump-
ing the brake pedal defeats the purpose of
the ABS and significantly reduces braking
effectiveness.

80 Safety and SecurityDriving safety systemsBraking
At the instant one of the wheels is about to
lock up, a slight pulsation can be felt in the
brake pedal, indicating that the ABS is in
the regulating mode. 
Keep firm and steady pressure on the
brake pedal while experiencing the pul-
sation.
Continuous, steady brake pedal pressure
yields the advantages provided by the ABS,
namely braking power and the ability to
steer the vehicle.
The pulsating brake pedal can be an indica-
tion of hazardous road conditions and
functions as a reminder to take extra care
while driving.Emergency brake maneuver

Keep continuous full pressure on the
brake pedal.
For more information, see “Practical hints”
(
page 340).
BAS
The Brake Assist System (BAS) operates in
emergency situations. If you apply the
brakes very quickly, the BAS automatically
provides full brake boost, thereby poten-
tially reducing the braking distance.
Apply continuous full braking pressure
until the emergency braking situation is
over.
The ABS will prevent the wheels from
locking.
When you release the brake pedal, the
brakes function again as normal. The BAS
is then deactivated.
Warning!
G
The ABS cannot prevent the natural laws of
physics from acting on the vehicle, nor can
it increase braking or steering efficiency be-
yond that afforded by the condition of the
vehicle brakes and tires or the traction af-
forded. The ABS cannot prevent accidents,
including those resulting from excessive
speed in turns, following another vehicle too
closely, or hydroplaning. Only a safe, atten-
tive, and skillful driver can prevent acci-
dents. The capabilities of an ABS equipped
vehicle must never be exploited in a reck-
less or dangerous manner which could jeop-
ardize the user’s safety or the safety of
others.
Warning!
G
If the BAS is malfunctioning, the brake sys-
tem is still functioning normally, but without
the additional brake boost available that
BAS would normally provide in an emergen-
cy braking maneuver. Therefore, the braking
distance may increase.