ignition MERCEDES-BENZ S500 2006 W221 Owner's Manual

25 At a glance
Instrument cluster
Item
Page
1
Coolant temperature gauge
141
2
Fuel gauge with fuel tank
reserve warning lamp
343
3
LLeft turn signal
indicator lamp
51
KRight turn signal
indicator lamp
51
4
Speedometer with:vElectronic Stability
Program (ESP
®)
warning lamp
345
lDistance warning
lamp
Vehicles without Distronic*:
Distance warning lamp with-
out function. It illuminates
when the ignition is on. It
should go out when the en-
gine is running.
344
5
Tachometer
142
Item
Page
6
Right display with: 345
AHigh beam headlamp
indicator lamp
50
-Antilock Brake
System (ABS)
indicator lamp
340
7
JReset button
140
8
Display with:

Gear selector lever
position
174


Program mode
174


Digital clock
(see COMAND operating
instructions)
9
Multifunction display with:

Trip odometer
141


Main odometer
141
Item
Page
a
Outside temperature
indicator
142
b
Left display with:1Supplemental
Restraint System
(SRS) indicator lamp
347
;Brake warning lamp,
USA only
341
3Brake warning lamp,
Canada only
341
?Engine malfunction in-
dicator lamp,
USA only
342
±Engine malfunction in-
dicator lamp, Canada
only
342
HTire inflation pressure
warning lamp
346
c
Knob for instrument cluster il-
lumination
140

34 Getting startedUnlockingStarter switch positions
SmartKeyStarter switch
0For removing SmartKey
1Power supply for some electrical con-
sumers, such as seat adjustment
2Ignition (power supply for all electrical
consumers) and driving position.
All lamps (except high beam headlamp
indicator lamp and turn signal indicator
lamps unless activated) in the instru-
ment cluster come on. If a lamp in the
instrument cluster fails to come on
when the ignition is switched on, have
it checked and replaced if necessary.
If a lamp in the instrument cluster re-
mains on after starting the engine or
comes on while driving, refer to “Lamps
in instrument cluster” (
page 340).
3Starting position
Warning!
G
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. Do not leave children unat-
tended 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.
iWhen you switch on the ignition, the in-
dicator and warning lamps (except high
beam headlamp indicator lamp and
turn signal indicator lamps unless acti-
vated) in the instrument cluster come
on. The indicator and warning lamps
(except high beam headlamp indicator
lamp and turn signal indicator lamps if
activated) should go out when the en-
gine is running. This indicates that the
respective systems are operational.iThe SmartKey can only be removed
from the starter switch with the gear
selector lever in position P.

36 Getting startedUnlockingPosition 0
Before you press the KEYLESS-GO
start/stop button, the vehicle’s on-board
electronics have status 0 (as with
SmartKey removed).
Position 1
Press KEYLESS-GO start/stop button
once.
This supplies power for some electrical
consumers, such as seat adjustment.Ignition (or position 2)

Press KEYLESS-GO start/stop button
twice.
This supplies power for all electrical
consumers.
All lamps (except high beam headlamp
indicator lamp and turn signal indicator
lamps unless activated) in the instru-
ment cluster come on. If a lamp in the
instrument cluster fails to come on
when the ignition is switched on, have
it checked and replaced if necessary.
If a lamp in the instrument cluster re-
mains on after starting the engine or
comes on while driving, refer to “Lamps
in instrument cluster” (
page 340).
For information on starting the engine us-
ing the KEYLESS-GO start/stop button,
see “Starting with KEYLESS-GO*”
(
page 47).
iIf you now press the KEYLESS-GO
start/stop button

once again, the ignition (position2)
is switched on


twice, the power supply is again
switched off
iIf you now press the KEYLESS-GO
start/stop button once, the power sup-
ply is again switched off.iWhen you switch on the ignition, the in-
dicator and warning lamps (except high
beam headlamp indicator lamp and
turn signal indicator lamps unless acti-
vated) in the instrument cluster come
on. The indicator and warning lamps
(except high beam headlamp indicator
lamp and turn signal indicator lamps if
activated) should go out when the en-
gine is running. This indicates that the
respective systems are operational.

38 Getting startedAdjustingSeat adjustment
The seat adjustment switches are located
on the front doors.
1Head restraint height
2Seat height
3Seat cushion tilt
4Seat cushion depth
5Seat fore and aft adjustment
6Seat backrest tilt

Switch on the ignition (
page 34).
or

Open the respective door.
Seat fore and aft adjustment

Press the switch forward or backward
in the direction of arrow5.
Adjust seat to a comfortable seating
position that still allows you to reach
the accelerator/brake pedal safely.
The position should be as far to the rear
as possible, consistent with ability to
properly operate controls.Seat cushion tilt

Press the switch up or down in the di-
rection of arrow3until your upper
legs are lightly supported.
Seat cushion depth

Press the switch forward or backward
in the direction of arrow4 until your
legs are supported comfortably.
Seat backrest tilt

Press the switch forward or backward
in the direction of arrow6 until your
arms are slightly angled when holding
the steering wheel.
Seat height

Press the switch up or down in the di-
rection of arrow2.
A child’s risk of serious or fatal injuries is
significantly increased if the child restraints
are not properly secured in the vehicle and
the child is not properly secured in the child
restraint.
iWhen moving the seat, make sure
there are no items in the footwell or be-
hind the seats. Otherwise you could
damage the seats.
The memory function (
page 128) lets
you store the setting for the seat posi-
tion together with the settings for the
steering wheel and the exterior rear
view mirrors.


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.

42 Getting startedAdjustingThe buttons are located on the driver’s
door.
1 Driver’s side exterior rear view mirror
button
2Passenger-side exterior rear view mir-
ror button
3Adjustment button

Switch on the ignition (
page 34).

Press button1 for the left mirror or
button2 for the right mirror.

Push adjustment button3 up, down,
left, or right according to the desired
setting.
For more information, see “Folding exteri-
or rear view mirrors in and out
automatically” (
page 188).
!For information on how to reposition
the exterior mirror housing when it was
forcibly pushed forward (hit from the
rear) or forcibly pushed rearward (hit
from the front), see “Folding exterior
rear view mirrors in and out manually”
(page 189).
iThe memory function (
page 128) lets
you store the setting for the exterior
rear view mirrors together with the set-
ting for the steering wheel and the seat
position.
At low ambient temperatures, the mir-
rors will be heated automatically.

52 Getting startedDrivingWindshield wipers
The combination switch is located on the
left of the steering column.Combination switch1Single wipe
Wiping with windshield washer fluid
2Switching on windshield wipers
Switch on the ignition (
page 34).Switching on windshield wipers

Turn the combination switch to the de-
sired position depending on the inten-
sity of the rain.
0Windshield wipers off
IIntermittent wiping (interval depen-
dent on wetness of windshield)
IINormal wiper speed
IIIFast wiper speed!Do not operate the wipers when the
windshield is dry. Dust that accumu-
lates on a windshield might scratch the
glass and/or damage the wiper blades
when wiping occurs on a dry wind-
shield. If it is necessary to operate the
wipers in dry weather conditions, al-
ways operate the wipers with wind-
shield washer fluid (
page 53).
iIntermittent wiping interval is depen-
dent on wetness of windshield. Pauses
between wipes are automatically con-
trolled by the rain sensor.!Do not leave windshield wipers in inter-
mittent setting when vehicle is taken to
an automatic car wash or during wind-
shield cleaning. Wipers will operate in
the presence of water sprayed on the
windshield, and wipers may be dam-
aged as a result.

54 Getting startedDrivingProblems while driving
The engine runs erratically and misfires

An ignition cable may be damaged.


The engine electronics may not be op-
erating properly.


Unburned gasoline may have entered
the catalytic converter and damaged it.

Give very little gas.

Have the problem repaired by an au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center as
soon as possible.The coolant temperature is above
248°F (120°C)
The coolant is too hot and is no longer
cooling the engine.

Stop the vehicle as soon as possible
and turn off the engine. Allow engine
and coolant to cool.

Check the coolant level and add cool-
ant if necessary (
page 294).In case of accident
If the vehicle is leaking gasoline:

Do not start the engine under any cir-
cumstances.

Notify local fire and/or police authori-
ties.
If the extent of the damage cannot be de-
termined:

Notify an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
If no damage can be determined on the


major assemblies


fuel system


engine mount:

Start the engine in the usual manner.
iExcessive coolant temperatures trigger
a warning message in the multifunction
display (
page 363).

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.

81 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
For more information, see “Practical hints”
section (
page 340).
ESP
®
The Electronic Stability Program (ESP
®) is
operational as soon as the engine is run-
ning and monitors the vehicle’s traction
(force of adhesive friction between the
tires and the road surface) and handling.
The ESP
® recognizes when a wheel is spin-
ning or if the vehicle starts to skid. By ap-
plying brakes to the appropriate wheel and
by limiting the engine output, the ESP
®
works to stabilize the vehicle. The ESP® is
especially useful while driving off and on
wet or slippery road surfaces. The ESP®
also stabilizes the vehicle during braking
maneuvers.
The ESP
® warning lamp v in the instru-
ment cluster flashes when the ESP
® is en-
gaged.
The ESP
® warning lamp v in the instru-
ment cluster comes on when you switch on
the ignition (
page 34). It goes out when
the engine is running.
Warning!
G
The BAS cannot prevent the natural laws of
physics from acting on the vehicle, nor can
it increase braking efficiency beyond that af-
forded by the condition of the vehicle brakes
and tires or the traction afforded. The BAS
cannot prevent accidents, including those
resulting from excessive speed in turns, fol-
lowing another vehicle too closely, or hydro-
planing. Only a safe, attentive, and skillful
driver can prevent accidents. The capabili-
ties of a BAS equipped vehicle must never
be exploited in a reckless or dangerous
manner which could jeopardize the user’s
safety or the safety of others.
Warning!
G
Never switch off the ESP
® when you see the
ESP
® warning lamp
v
flashing in the in-
strument cluster. In this case proceed as fol-
lows:


While driving off, apply as little throttle
as possible.


While driving ease up on the accelera-
tor.


Adapt your speed and driving style to
the prevailing road conditions.
Failure to observe these guidelines could
cause the vehicle to skid.
The ESP
® cannot prevent accidents result-
ing from excessive speed.