Instrument cluster MERCEDES-BENZ S550 2007 W221 Service Manual

379 Controls in detail
Instrument cluster
Tachometer
The red marking on the tachometer de-
notes excessive engine speed.
To help protect the engine, the fuel supply
is interrupted if the engine is operated
within the red marking.
Outside temperature indicator
The outside temperature indicator is on
the bottom left-hand side of the instru-
ment cluster.
The temperature sensor is located in the
front bumper area. Due to its location, the
sensor can be affected by road or engine
heat during idling or slow driving. There-
fore, the accuracy of the displayed temper-
ature can only be verified by comparison to
a thermometer placed next to the sensor,
not by comparison to external displays
(e.g. bank signs, etc.).When moving the vehicle into colder ambi-
ent temperatures (e.g. when leaving your
garage), you will notice a delay before the
lower temperature is displayed.
A delay also occurs when ambient temper-
atures rise. This prevents inaccurate tem-
perature indications caused by heat
radiated from the engine during idling or
slow driving.
Fuel gauge
The fuel gauge is on the left-hand side of
the instrument cluster (
page 28). Once
the fuel level has fallen below the reserve
mark, the yellow segment indicator for the
fuel reserve comes on (page 550).
!
Excessive coolant temperature triggers a
warning in the multifunction display
(
page 588).
The engine should not be operated with the cool-
ant temperature above 248°F (120°C), i.e. in
the red zone of the coolant temperature gauge.
Doing so may cause serious engine damage
which is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz Lim-
ited Warranty.
i
During severe operating conditions,
e.g. stop-and-go traffic, the coolant temperature
may rise close to 248°F (120°C), i.e. close to
the red zone of the temperature gauge.
!
Avoid driving at excessive engine speeds, as
it may result in serious engine damage that is not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warran-
ty.
Warning!
G
The outside temperature indicator is not de-
signed to serve as an ice-warning device and
is therefore unsuitable for that purpose.
Indicated temperatures just above the freez-
ing point do not guarantee that the road sur-
face is free of ice. The road may still be icy,
especially in wooded areas or on bridges.

388 Controls in detailDriving systemsWhen DISTRONIC Plus detects a vehicle
driving ahead of you, the ring on the speed-
ometer dial lights up between the speed of
the vehicle ahead of you and set speed2.
If DISTRONIC Plus calculates that there is
a danger of collision (
page 397):


The distance warning lampl in the
instrument cluster comes on.


An intermittent warning sounds.

Immediately brake the vehicle to avoid
a collision.
Under no circumstances should the
driver await the intermittent warning
sound before braking. See the follow-
ing warning note.
The intermittent warning sound ceases
and the distance warning lampl
goes out when the necessary distance
to the vehicle ahead is again
established.
Warning!
G
An intermittent warning sounds and the dis-
tance warning lampl in the instrument
cluster is illuminated if the DISTRONIC Plus
system calculates that the distance to the
vehicle ahead and your vehicle’s current
speed indicate that DISTRONIC Plus will not
be capable of slowing the vehicle sufficiently
to maintain the preset following distance,
which creates a danger of a collision.
Immediately brake your vehicle to increase
the distance between your vehicle and the
vehicle in front of you. The warning sound is
intended as a final caution that you have not
interceded with your own braking inputs to
avoid a potentially dangerous situation. Do
not wait for the operation of the warning sig-
nal to intercede with your own braking, as
that will result in potentially dangerous
emergency braking which will not always re-
sult in an impact being avoided.
Tailgating increases the risk of an accident.
Warning!
G
DISTRONIC Plus brakes your vehicle with a
maximum of 13 ft/s
2 (4 m/s
2). This corre-
sponds to about 40% of the maximum decel-
eration ability of your vehicle.
DISTRONIC Plus brakes the vehicle in an ef-
fort to restore the preset distance or to
maintain the speed. The brake pedal is auto-
matically applied as this happens which re-
sults in the brake pedal moving.
Keep driver’s foot area clear at all times, in-
cluding the area under the brake pedal. Ob-
jects stored in this area may impair pedal
movement which could interfere with the
braking ability of the DISTRONIC Plus sys-
tem.
Do not place your foot under the brake pedal
– your foot could become caught.

391 Controls in detail
Driving systems


if the gear selector lever is in
positionP, R, or N


if ESP
® is switched off


if the hood is open


if the driver’s door is open and the driv-
er has not fastened his or her seat belt


if the radar sensors are switched off
(page 256).
Switching on while driving

Tap DISTRONIC Plus lever up1 or
down2 until desired speed is set.
DISTRONIC Plus is switched on.
or

Pull DISTRONIC Plus lever briefly in di-
rection of arrow4 to call up speed
last set (
page 395).
DISTRONIC Plus is switched on.

Take your foot off the accelerator ped-
al.
Your vehicle adapts its speed to the ve-
hicle ahead, observing the set speed as
a maximum value.
Switching on when approaching a sta-
tionary vehicle
If the vehicle in front of you is stationary,
you can only switch on DISTRONIC Plus if
your vehicle is also at a standstill.

Tap DISTRONIC Plus lever up1 or
down2 until desired speed is set.
DISTRONIC Plus is switched on.
or

Pull DISTRONIC Plus lever briefly in di-
rection of arrow4 to call up speed
last set (
page 395).
DISTRONIC Plus is switched on.
i
Under 20 mph (30 km/h), you can only
switch on DISTRONIC Plus if the vehicle ahead of
you has been detected and is shown on the mul-
tifunction display. If you no longer see the vehi-
cle in front of you on the multifunction display
and if it is no longer detected because it has
changed lanes, for example, DISTRONIC Plus
switches off and you will hear a signal.
i
If you do not completely lift your foot off the
accelerator pedal, the message“DISTRONIC
PLUS passive” appears on the multifunction dis-
play. The distance to a slower-driving vehicle will
not be set. You will drive at the speed you dictate
by pressing the accelerator pedal.
i
It is helpful to switch on the DISTRONIC Plus
display in the instrument cluster since you can
only switch on DISTRONIC Plus under a speed of
20 mph (30 km/h) when a vehicle has been de-
tected in front of you.
i
You can adjust the set speed using the
DISTRONIC Plus lever and the target distance
using the distance setting switch on the
DISTRONIC Plus lever (
page 396).
i
The distance warning function will still issue
warnings even when DISTRONIC Plus is switched
off if you have activated it on using the instru-
ment cluster control system (
page 252).

397 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Decreasing distance
Decreasing the distance setting causes
DISTRONIC Plus to maintain a shorter fol-
lowing distance to the vehicle ahead.
Move distance setting switch 1 in di-
rection 3.
Distance warning function
When DISTRONIC Plus is deactivated, this
function will continue to warn you when
recognizing a slower vehicle moving in
your vehicle’s path or a stationary object in
your vehicle’s path and the danger of a col-
lision exists:


The distance warning lampl in the
instrument cluster comes on.


An intermittent warning sounds.
If these warnings are issued, you must
brake manually to maintain a safe distance
and avoid a collision with the vehicle or
stationary object ahead.When pressing the brake pedal, the warn-
ing sound stops. The warning sound also
stops when the distance to the vehicle
ahead is sufficient again without applying
the brake pedal. In this case the distance
warning lampl also goes out.Activating and deactivating
The distance warning function can be acti-
vated or deactivated using the instrument
cluster control system (
page 252).
After the function has been activated,
: appears on the left-hand side of the
multifunction display.
Driving with DISTRONIC Plus
This section describes a number of driving
situations where special precaution is re-
quired on the part of the driver. Be pre-
pared to brake in such situations which will
deactivate the DISTRONIC Plus system.
Warning!
G
If the DISTRONIC Plus warning lampl in
the instrument cluster comes on while driv-
ing and/or an intermittent warning sounds,
immediate attention on the part of the driver
is required. As required by the traffic situa-
tion, apply the brakes and navigate around a
possible obstacle. However, do not drive by
relying on the distance warning function, as
this will result in an emergency braking ap-
plication. Especially depending on road sur-
face conditions and driver reaction, this will
not always enable you to avoid a collision.
Warning!
G
DISTRONIC Plus works to maintain the
speed selected by the driver unless a mov-
ing obstacle proceeding directly ahead of it
in the same travel direction is detected (e.g.
following another vehicle ahead of you at a
distance set by DISTRONIC Plus).


398 Controls in detailDriving systems
The most likely cause for a malfunctioning
system is a dirty sensor (located behind
the hood grille), especially at times of snow
and ice or heavy rain. In such a case,
DISTRONIC Plus will switch off, and the
message:
DISTRONIC PLUS
currently unavailable
See Oper. Manual
appears in the multifunction display.
For cleaning and care of the
DISTRONIC Plus sensor, see “Cleaning the
DISTRONIC Plus* system sensor cover”
(page 537).Another cause might be that the radar sen-
sors have been manually switched off in
the instrument cluster control system.
Please verify that the radar sensors are
switched on (
page 256).
This means that:

Your vehicle can pass another vehicle
after you change lanes.


While in a sharp turn or if the vehicle in
front is in a sharp turn, DISTRONIC Plus
could lose sight of a vehicle traveling in
front of it, then your vehicle could accel-
erate to the previously selected speed.
DISTRONIC Plus regulates only the distance
between your vehicle and those directly
ahead of it. It may not register stationary ob-
jects in the road, e.g.:


a stopped vehicle in a traffic jam


a disabled vehicle


an oncoming vehicle
The driver must always be on the alert, ob-
serve all traffic and intercede as required by
steering or braking the vehicle.
Warning!
G
DISTRONIC Plus should not be used in
snowy or icy road conditions.
i
If the message:
DISTRONIC PLUS
currently unavailable
See Oper. Manual
disappears during driving and the last speed
stored flashes for approximately 5 seconds, the
dirt (e.g. slush) has dissolved; DISTRONIC Plus is
again operational.


402 Controls in detailDriving systemsThe Airmatic button with the indicator
lamp is located on the control panel on the
right-hand side of the instrument cluster.
1Vehicle level control switch
2Indicator lamp

Start the engine.

Briefly press switch1 to change from
one level setting to the other.
The message:
Vehicle rising
appears in the multifunction display
when changing from normal level to
raised level.
The indicator lamp2 is then lit. The
display switches off when the vehicle is
raised.

Press switch1 again to lower the ve-
hicle. The indicator lamp2 is off.Suspension tuning
The Adaptive Damping System (ADS) auto-
matically tunes shock absorbers and
springs.
The program mode selector switch (S/C)
(
page 374) is used to adjust the suspen-
sion tuning:
In addition, suspension characteristics in
both driving programs (S/C) depend on:


your driving style


road surface conditions


the vehicle loading
Warning!
G
To help avoid personal injury, keep hands
and feet away from wheel housing area, and
stay away from under the vehicle when low-
ering the vehicle chassis.
i
The selected vehicle level setting remains
stored in memory even if the engine is turned off
and restarted except when you


exceed a speed of 75 mph (120 km/h)
or


maintain a speed of between 50 mph
(80 km/h) and 75 mph (120 km/h) for more
than 3 minutes
The vehicle then lowers to regular level.
Driving program
Suspension tuning
CComfort
Comfortable
(default setting)
SStandard
Standard
for dynamic driving

404 Controls in detailDriving systemsThe ABC level control switch with the indi-
cator lamp is located on the control panel
on the right-hand side of the instrument
cluster.
1Vehicle level control switch
2Indicator lampSelecting a higher level

Start the engine.
If indicator lamp2 is off:

Press switch1.
Indicator lamp2 comes on. The vehi-
cle is raised to a higher level.
Selecting a normal level

Start the engine.
If indicator lamp2 is on:

Press switch1.
Indicator lamp2 goes out. The vehicle
is adjusted to a normal level.Suspension tuning
The program mode selector switch (C/S)
(
page 374) is used to adjust the suspen-
sion tuning:
In addition, suspension characteristics in
both driving programs (S/C) depend on:


your driving style


road surface conditions


the vehicle loading
Driving program
Suspension tuning
CComfort
Comfortable
(default setting)
SStandard
Standard
for dynamic driving

407 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Warning indicators
Visual signals indicate to the driver the rel-
ative distance between the sensors and an
obstacle.
The warning indicator for the front area is
in the instrument cluster. The warning indi-
cator for the rear area is on the roof liner in
the rear.
1Left side of the vehicle
2Right side of the vehicle
3Indicator
Each warning indicator is divided into five
yellow and two red distance segments for
either side of the vehicle.
If yellow indicators 3 under the segments
are lit, Parktronic is ready to measure.The position of the gear selector lever de-
termines which warning indicators will be
activated.
As your vehicle approaches an object, one
or more distance segments will illuminate,
depending on the distance. When the sev-
enth distance segment illuminates, you
have reached the minimum distance.


Front area:
An intermittent acoustic warning will
sound as the first red distance segment
illuminates and a constant acoustic
warning lasting a maximum of
2 seconds will sound for the second
red distance segment. The signal is
canceled when the gear selector lever
is placed in position P.


Rear area:
An intermittent acoustic warning will
sound as the first red distance segment
illuminates and a constant acoustic
warning lasting a maximum of
2 seconds will sound for the second
red distance segment. The signal is
canceled when the gear selector lever
is placed in position D orP.
Gear selector
lever position
Warning indicator
D
Front area activated
R or N
Front and rear area
activated
P
Neither activated

408 Controls in detailDriving systemsSwitching Parktronic system on/off
The Parktronic system can be switched off
manually.
The Parktronic button with the indicator
lamp is on the control panel on the
right-hand side of the instrument cluster.
1Parktronic button
2Indicator lamp

Switching off the Parktronic sys-
tem: Press button 1.
Indicator lamp 2 comes on.

Switching on the Parktronic system:
Press button 1 again.
Indicator lamp 2 goes out.
Parktronic system malfunction
If only the red distance segments illumi-
nate and an acoustic warning sounds,
there is a malfunction in the Parktronic
system. The Parktronic system will auto-
matically switch off after 20 seconds and
the indicator lamp in the Parktronic switch
comes on.

Have the Parktronic system checked
by an authorized Mercedes-Benz Cen-
ter as soon as possible.
If only the red distance segments illumi-
nate and no acoustic warning sounds, the
Parktronic system sensors are dirty or
there is an interference from other radio or
ultrasonic signals. The Parktronic system
will automatically switch off after 20 sec-
onds and the indicator lamp in the Park-
tronic switch comes on.

Switch off the ignition (
page 315).

Clean the Parktronic system sensors
(page 538).

Switch on the ignition.
or

Check the Parktronic system operation
at another location to rule out interfer-
ence from outside radio or ultrasonic
signals.
i
The Parktronic system is automatically
switched on when the ignition is switched on
(
page 315).

411 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Warning indicators
Visual signals indicate to the driver the rel-
ative distance between the sensors and an
obstacle.
The warning indicator for the front area is
in the instrument cluster. The warning indi-
cator for the rear area is on the roof liner in
the rear.
1Left side of the vehicle
2Right side of the vehicle
3Indicator
Each warning indicator is divided into five
yellow and two red distance segments for
either side of the vehicle.
If yellow indicators 3 under the segments
are lit, Park Assist is ready to measure.The position of the gear selector lever de-
termines which warning indicators will be
activated.
As your vehicle approaches an object, one
or more distance segments will illuminate,
depending on the distance. When the sev-
enth distance segment illuminates, you
have reached the minimum distance.


Front area:
As soon as the first red segment lights
up, you will hear an intermittent warn-
ing tone for approx. two seconds. Once
the second red segment lights up, you
will hear a continuous warning tone.
You have reached the minimum dis-
tance.


Rear area:
As soon as the first red segment lights
up, you will hear an intermittent warn-
ing tone for approx. two seconds. Once
the second red segment lights up, you
will hear a continuous warning tone.
You have reached the minimum dis-
tance.
Gear selector
lever position
Warning indicator
D
Front area activated
R
Front and rear area
activated
N
With the electric park-
ing brake engaged:
neither activated.
With the electric park-
ing brake released:
front and rear area acti-
vated.
P
Neither activated
i
During strong rainfall, the warning indicators
and warning tones may be triggered, for exam-
ple, by water splashing into the area of the sen-
sors.