brake light MERCEDES-BENZ S550 2007 W221 Owner's Manual

Contents
Introduction....................................... 13
Product information ............................. 13
Operator’s Manual ............................... 14
Service and warranty information .. 14
Important notice for California
retail buyers and lessees of
Mercedes-Benz automobiles .......... 15
Maintenance .................................. 15
Roadside Assistance ...................... 16
Change of address or ownership.... 16
Operating your vehicle outside
the USA or Canada......................... 16
Where to find it .................................... 17
Symbols ............................................... 18
Operating safety .................................. 19
Proper use of the vehicle ............... 19
Problems with your vehicle .................. 20
Reporting safety defects...................... 21
Reporting safety defects ................ 21
Vehicle data recording ......................... 22
Information regarding electronic
recording devices ........................... 22
At a glance.......................................... 23
Exterior view ......................................... 24
Cockpit ................................................. 26
Instrument cluster ................................ 28
Control systems ................................... 30
Center console ..................................... 32
Upper part ...................................... 32
Lower part ...................................... 33
Automatic climate control .................... 34
Overview ......................................... 34
Automatic climate control panel,
front ................................................ 36
Overhead control panel ........................ 37
Driver’s door control panel ................... 38
Rear door control panel ........................ 39
Storage compartments ......................... 40
Rear passenger compartment .............. 42
Safety and Security........................... 43
Occupant safety ................................... 44
Air bags .......................................... 45
Occupant Classification System ..... 50
Seat belts ....................................... 55
Luxury active head restraints
(S 600 only) .................................... 59
Preventive occupant safety
(PRE-SAFE
®) ................................... 60
Children in the vehicle .................... 61
Override switch for rear
passenger compartment................. 67
Panic alarm .......................................... 68
Activating........................................ 68
Deactivating.................................... 68
Driving safety systems ......................... 69
ABS ................................................. 69
Adaptive Brake ............................... 70
Adaptive Brake Lights
(S 600 and USA only) ..................... 70
BAS ................................................. 71
BAS Plus* ....................................... 71
EBP ................................................. 71
ESP
®............................................... 72

69 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
Driving safety systems
This section contains information about
Adaptive Brake Lights as well as the follow-
ing driving safety systems:

ABS (A
ntilock B
rake S
ystem)


Adaptive Brake


BAS (B
rake A
ssist S
ystem)


BAS Plus* (B
rake A
ssist S
ystem Plus*)


EBP (E
lectronic B
rake P
roportioning)


ESP
® (E
lectronic S
tability P
rogram)


ETS (E
lectronic T
raction S
ystem)
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 28) comes on when you
switch on the ignition (
page 315). It goes
out when the engine is running.
Braking
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.
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, BAS Plus*, EBP, ESP
® and
ETS cannot reduce this risk.
Always adjust your driving style to the pre-
vailing road and weather conditions.i
In winter operation, the maximum effective-
ness of the ABS, Adaptive Brake, BAS,
BAS Plus*, EBP, ESP
® and ETS is only achieved
with winter tires (
page 530), or snow chains
as required.
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.

70 Safety and SecurityDriving safety systemsThe 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 544).
Adaptive Brake
Adaptive Brake provides a high level of
braking safety as well as increased braking
comfort.Adaptive Brake Lights (S 600 and
USA only)
Depending on vehicle production date the
brake lamps flash in quick intervals while
you are braking in order to signal to cars
behind you that

you are braking strongly at a speed of
more than 30 mph (50 km/h)


you are braking with the aid of BAS or
BAS Plus*
If you bring the car to a complete stop by
hard braking at a speed of more than
40 mph (70 km/h), the hazard warning
flasher automatically comes on as soon as
the vehicle is at a standstill. While the vehi-
cle is stationary, the brake lamps are con-
tinuously lit up. Once you drive faster than
6 mph (10 km/h) afterward, the hazard
warning flasher goes out.
Warning!
G
When the ABS is malfunctioning, the BAS,
BAS Plus*, ESP
® and ETS are also switched
off.
When the ABS is malfunctioning, the wheels
may lock during hard braking, reducing
steering capability and extending the brak-
ing distance.
Warning!
G
The ABS cannot prevent the natural laws of
physics from acting on the vehicle, nor can
it increase braking or steering efficiency
beyond 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 reckless or dan-
gerous manner which could jeopardize the
user’s safety or the safety of others.

319 Controls in detailSeats
Front power seat adjustmentExample driver’s door1Head restraint height (
page 324)
2Seat height
3Seat cushion tilt
4Seat cushion depth
5Seat fore and aft adjustment
6Seat backrest tilt

Switch on the ignition (
page 315).
or

Open the respective door.

Seat height: Press the switch up or
down in the direction of arrow2.

Seat cushion tilt: Press the switch up
or down in the direction 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 fore and aft adjustment: Press
the switch forward or backward in the
direction of arrow5.
Adjust the seat to a comfortable seat-
ing 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 backrest tilt: Press the switch
forward or backward in the direction of
arrow6 until your arms are slightly
angled when holding the steering
wheel.
i
If PRE-SAFE
® has been activated, the front
passenger’s seat and/or electrically adjustable
rear seats* will be moved to a more favorable
seat position.
i
The memory function (
page 336) lets you
store the settings for the seat positions together
with the settings for the steering wheel and the
exterior rear view mirrors.
!
When moving the seat, make sure there are
no items in the footwell or behind the seats. Oth-
erwise you could damage the seats.
i
Depending on the set height of the head re-
straint, the seat fore and aft position is automat-
ically pre-set.
i
To ensure a maximum range of movement
for seat adjustment, various adjustment func-
tions also involve other indirect adjustments be-
ing made.

348 Controls in detailLightingHazard warning flasher
The hazard warning flasher can be
switched on at all times, even with the
SmartKey removed from the starter switch
or with the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
removed from the vehicle.
The hazard warning flasher is automatical-
ly switched on if

an air bag has been triggered


S 600 and USA only: you brake the ve-
hicle strongly at a speed of more than
50 mph (70 km/h) and bring it to a
complete stop.
1Hazard warning flasher switch

Switching on: Press hazard warning
flasher switch.
All turn signals will flash.

Switching off: Press hazard warning
flasher switch again.
Interior lighting
i
With the hazard warning flasher activated
and the combination switch set for either left or
right turn, only the respective left or right turn
signals will operate when the SmartKey in the
starter switch is in position1 or2 or the
KEYLESS-GO* start/stop button (
page 317) is
pressed once or twice.
i
If the hazard warning flasher was activated
automatically, also press hazard warning flasher
switch 1 to switch off the hazard warning flash-
er.
i
When you lock the vehicle from the outside,
the interior lighting is switched off. As soon as
one of the interior lighting buttons inside the ve-
hicle is pressed, however, the selected lamp
comes on and all of the lamps inside the vehicle
that are not switched on via a button are activat-
ed.
If you do not lock the vehicle, all lamps will be
switched off after 30 minutes. When you open
the door, you can still use the lighting for the
storage compartment, glove box and vanity mir-
ror without in the starter switch in position1 or2
or the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop button
(
page 317) pressed once or twice.

373 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Driving tips
Accelerator position
Your driving style influences the automatic
transmission’s shifting behavior:
Less throttle Earlier upshifting
More throttle Later upshifting
Kickdown
Use kickdown when you want maximum
acceleration.
Press the accelerator past the point of
resistance.
Depending on the engine speed the au-
tomatic transmission shifts into a lower
gear.

Ease on the accelerator when you have
reached the desired speed.
The automatic transmission shifts up
again.Stopping
When you stop briefly, e.g. at traffic lights:

Leave the automatic transmission in
gear.

Hold the vehicle with the brake.
When you stop for a longer period of time
with the engine idling and/or on a hill:

Set the electric parking brake.

Shift into park positionP.
Maneuvering
When you maneuver in tight areas,
e.g. when pulling into a parking space:

Control the vehicle speed by gradually
releasing the brakes.

Accelerate gently.

Never abruptly step on the accelerator.Rocking the vehicle
Rocking the vehicle by shifting between
drive positionD and reverse gearR can
help free a vehicle stuck in mud or snow.
The engine control system of this vehicle
electronically limits shifting between drive
positionD and reverse gearR to very low
speeds (i.e. approx. 5 mph (9 km/h)). To
shift between drive positionD and reverse
gearR, move the gear selector lever past
the resistance point up or down.
Working on the vehicle
Warning!
G
When working on the vehicle, set the
electric parking brake and shift to park
positionP. Otherwise the vehicle could roll
away.

380 Controls in detailDriving systemsThe driving systems of your vehicle are de-
scribed on the following pages:

Cruise control and DISTRONIC Plus*,
with which the vehicle can maintain a
preset speed.


Distance warning function* (only avail-
able with DISTRONIC Plus*), which
warns of a stationary obstacle or slow-
er moving vehicle that you are closing
on to quickly.


Airmatic (S 550 only) and ABC* adjust
the vehicle suspension characteristics
automatically and control the vehicle
level.


Parktronic* and Park Assist*, which
serve as a parking assistant.


Dynamic Rear View Monitor* is an
electronic and visual parking aid.


Night View Assist* illuminates the road
with infrared light in addition to the nor-
mal headlamps.For information on the ABS, Adaptive
Brake, BAS, BAS Plus*, EBP, and ESP
® driv-
ing systems, see “Driving safety systems”
(
page 69).
Cruise control
Cruise control automatically maintains the
speed you set for your vehicle.
The use of cruise control is recommended
for driving at a constant speed for extend-
ed periods of time. You can set or resume
cruise control at any speed over 20 mph
(30 km/h).
The cruise control function is operated by
means of the cruise control lever.
Warning!
G
Cruise control is a convenience system de-
signed to assist the driver during vehicle op-
eration. The driver is and must always
remain responsible for the vehicle’s speed
and for safe brake operation.
Only use the cruise control if the road, traffic
and weather conditions make it advisable to
travel at a steady speed.

The use of cruise control can be danger-
ous on winding roads or in heavy traffic
because conditions do not allow safe
driving at a steady speed.


The use of cruise control can be danger-
ous on slippery roads. Rapid changes in
tire traction can result in wheel spin and
loss of control.


Deactivate cruise control when driving
in fog.
The “Resume” function should only be oper-
ated if the driver is fully aware of the previ-
ously set speed and wishes to resume this
particular preset speed.

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.

400 Controls in detailDriving systemsNarrow vehicles
Because of their narrow profile, the vehi-
cles traveling near the outer edge of the
lane have not yet been detected by
DISTRONIC Plus. There will be insufficient
distance to the vehicles ahead.Obstacles and stationary vehicles
DISTRONIC Plus does not brake for obsta-
cles or stationary vehicles. If, for example,
the vehicle detected in front of you chang-
es lanes to bypass an obstacle or station-
ary vehicle in front of it, DISTRONIC Plus
will not brake for the obstacle or stationary
vehicle.Cross-traffic
DISTRONIC Plus may inadvertently detect
crossing vehicles. If you switch on DIS-
TRONIC Plus, for example, at a traffic light
with cross-traffic, the vehicle may sudden-
ly start to drive off.

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.