height MERCEDES-BENZ S600 2008 W221 User Guide

349 Controls in detail
Seats
Seat fore and aft: Press the switch for-
ward or backward in the direction of
arrow5.
Seat backrest tilt: Press the switch
forward or backward in the direction of
arrow6.Rear power seat* adjustment
(rear outer seats)
Example rear right door
1Seat cushion tilt
2Seat backrest tilt
3Folding down and placing upright head
restraint (
page 355)
4Head restraint tilt (
page 355)
5Seat fore and aft
Switch on the ignition (page 344).
or
Open the respective door.
Adjust desired seat using seat
switches1,2 and5.Adjusting front passenger seat from
driver’s seat/rear*
iDepending on the set height of the head re-
straint, the seat fore and aft position is automat-
ically pre-set.Warning!G
When adjusting the front passenger seat,
make sure the seat, if occupied, is as far
from the passenger front air bag as possi-
ble.
Otherwise, the passenger could be seriously
or even fatally injured in the event of an ac-
cident or braking maneuver.
Make sure no one is caught or injured while
the seat is being adjusted.
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 power seats
can be operated when the respective door is
open. Therefore, do not leave children unat-
tended in the vehicle, or with access to an
unlocked vehicle. A child’s unsupervised ac-
cess to a vehicle could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury.

350 Controls in detail
Seats
Adjusting front passenger seat from
driver’s seat*
You can adjust the front passenger seat
using the seat switches on the driver’s
side.
1Adjusting front passenger seat
Switch on the ignition (page 344).
Press button1.When the indicator lamp on button1 is
on, you can operate the following features
of the front passenger seat:

seat adjustment

seat heating/ventilation*

memory functionSetting front passenger seat position
from rear*
The switch is located on the right rear pas-
senger door.
1To select front or rear passenger seat
2Seat height
3Head restraint height (
page 353)
4Backrest tilt
5Seat fore and aft
!Do not move the front passenger seat com-
pletely forward if objects are stored in the parcel
net in the front passenger-side footwell. Items in
the net may be damaged.

353 Controls in detail
Seats
Head restraints
Front seat active head restraints
You cannot remove the active head re-
straint on the driver’s and front passen-
ger’s seats.For removal contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
For information on active head restraints,
see “Active head restraints” (
page 55).
Head restraint height
1Head restraint height
Press the switch up or down in the di-
rection of arrow1.Head restraint adjusting
Manually adjust the head restraint. Push or pull on the upper edge of the
head restraint cushion to the desired
position.
Warning!G
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 po-
tential for injury to the head and neck in the
event of an accident or similar situation.
Do not drive the vehicle without the seat
head restraints. Head restraints are intend-
ed to help reduce injuries during an acci-
dent.
iAdjust the head restraint in such a way that
it is as close to the head as possible.
i Depending on the seat’s set fore and aft po-
sition, the head restraint height is automatically
pre-set.
i The head restraint on the front passenger’s
side is automatically lowered all the way down
while the vehicle is in motion if no one is sitting
on the seat. This helps you to acquire a better
all-round view.

356 Controls in detail
Seats
Press switch down in the direction of
arrow3.
The rear power head restraint will fold
down.
Press the switch forward or backward
in the direction of arrow2 or4.
The power head restraint will be tilted.
Luxury head restraints*
(rear outer seats)Adjustment
1Head restraint side cushions
2Head restraint height
You can individually adjust side
cushions1 of the luxury head restraints:
Adjusting side cushions: Pull or push
side cushions1 into desired position.
Adjusting head restraint angle: Push
or pull on the lower edge of the head re-
straint cushion in the direction of
arrow2.
Multicontour seats*, rear
You can adjust the rear outer multicontour
seats using the buttons on the center con-
sole.
1To select right rear passenger seat
2Massage setting, gentle
3Massage setting, vigorous
4To adjust position of backrest curva-
ture (lordosis)
5Lumbar region support
6Side bolster adjustment
7To select left rear passenger seat
Switch on the ignition (page 344).
Warning!G
When folding back the side cushions, never
reach between the side cushion and the
mounting post. You could otherwise be
trapped.


365 Controls in detail
Memory function
Memory function
Prior to operating the vehicle, the driver
should check and adjust the seat height,
seat position fore and aft, and seat back-
rest angle if necessary, to ensure adequate
control, reach, and comfort. The head re-
straint should also be adjusted for proper
height. See also the section on air bags
(
page 42) for proper seat positioning.
In addition, adjust the steering wheel to
ensure adequate control, reach, operation
and comfort. Both the interior and exterior
rear view mirrors should be adjusted for
adequate rear vision.
Fasten seat belts. Infants and small chil-
dren should be seated in a properly se-
cured restraint system that complies with
U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards 213 and 225 and Canadian
Motor Vehicle Safety Standards 213 and
210.2.With the memory function you can store up
to 3 different configurations.
Each stored position on the driver’s side
includes the following settings:

Driver’s seat, head restraint height and
backrest position

Multicontour seat*: previously saved
setting

Drive-dynamic multicontour seat*: ac-
tivation/deactivation

Steering wheel position

Exterior rear view mirrors positionEach stored position on the passenger side
includes the following settings:

Seat position and lumbar support

Multicontour seat*: previously saved
setting

Drive-dynamic multicontour seat*: ac-
tivation/deactivation
Each stored position in the rear passenger
compartment includes the following set-
tings (Canada only):

Seat position

Multicontour seat*: previously saved
setting
Warning!G
Do not activate the memory function while
driving. Activating the memory function
while driving could cause the driver to lose
control of the vehicle.

370 Controls in detail
Fastening the seat belts
Proper use of seat belts

Do not twist the seat belt when fasten-
ing.

Adjust seat belt so that the shoulder
portion is located as close as possible
to the middle of the shoulder (it should
not touch the neck). Never pass the
shoulder portion of the seat belt under
your arm.

Position the lap belt as low as possible
on your hips (over hip joint) and not
across the abdomen.

Place the seat backrest in a nearly up-
right position.

Never use a seat belt for more than one
person at a time.

Do not fasten a seat belt around a per-
son and another object at the same
time. When using a seat belt to secure
infant restraints or toddler restraints or
children in booster seats, always follow
the child seat manufacturer’s instruc-
tions.

Check your seat belt during travel to
make sure that it is properly posi-
tioned.

Make sure the seat belt is always fitted
snugly. Take special care of this when
wearing loose clothing.For more information, see “Seat belts”
(
page 52).
Seat belt height adjustment
The vehicle automatically adjusts the seat
belt height for the driver’s and front pas-
senger’s seats as well as for the rear outer
seats. Comply with the instructions on how
to properly fasten a seat belt
(
page 368).
Warning!G
Do not pass seat belts over sharp edges.
They could tear.
Do not allow the seat belt to get caught in
the door or in the seat adjustment mecha-
nism. This could damage the seat belt.
Never attempt to make modifications to
seat belts. This could impair the effective-
ness of the seat belts.
Do not bleach or dye seat belts as this may
severely weaken them. In a crash, they may
not be able to provide adequate protection.
Damaged seat belts or seat belts that were
highly stressed in an accident must be re-
placed. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.

440 Controls in detail
Driving systems
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.Airmatic (S 550 only)
Airmatic automatically selects the opti-
mum suspension tuning and ride height for
your vehicle.
Airmatic consists of two components:

Level control system

Adaptive Damping System (ADS)
The ADS automatically selects the opti-
mum damping for the respective driv-
ing conditions. At the same time the
suspension is set to either sporty or
comfort.

441 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Vehicle level control with Airmatic
Your vehicle automatically adjusts its ride
height to:

increase vehicle safety

reduce fuel consumption
The vehicle chassis ride height is raised or
lowered according to the selected level
setting and to the vehicle speed:

With increasing speed, ride height is re-
duced by up to approximately 0.8 in
(20 mm).

With decreasing speed, the ride height
is again raised to the selected vehicle
level.The following vehicle level settings can be
selected when the vehicle is stationary:
Select the “Raised” level setting only when
required by current driving conditions.
Otherwise:

Fuel consumption may increase.

Handling may be impaired.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.
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.
iThese height adjustments are so small that
you may not notice any change.
Level
NormalFor driving on normal roads.
The indicator lamp is off.
RaisedFor driving on rough roads or
with snow chains. The indica-
tor lamp is on.


442 Controls in detail
Driving systems
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 suspension tuning is set according to:

your driving style

road surface conditions

the vehicle loading

your choice of suspension style
The program mode selector switch (C/S)
(
page 409) is used to adjust the suspen-
sion tuning:
Start the engine.
Select the desired driving program.
Active Body Control (ABC)*
The ABC system is an active, comput-
er-controlled system that hydraulically ad-
justs the suspension at all four wheels in
response to various driving situations. It
automatically selects the optimum suspen-
sion tuning and ride height for your vehicle.
iThe 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 programSuspension tuning
CComfortcomfortable
(default setting)
SSportsporty
for dynamic driving
Warning!G
S63AMG and S65AMG only:
When you switch off the engine, the entire
vehicle is lowered. You should therefore
make sure that no one is near the wheel
housing or under the vehicle when you
switch off the engine. Otherwise, parts of
the individuals body could be trapped.
!S63AMG and S65AMG only:
When you switch off the engine, the entire vehi-
cle is lowered. When parking, position your vehi-
cle in such a way that it will not scrape against a
curb, for example, when it is lowered. Your vehi-
cle could otherwise be damaged.


443 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Vehicle level control with ABC
Your vehicle automatically adjusts its ride
height to:

increase vehicle safety

reduce fuel consumption
The vehicle chassis ride height is raised or
lowered according to the selected level
setting and to the vehicle speed:

With increasing speed, ride height is re-
duced by up to approximately 0.6 in
(15 mm).

With decreasing speed, the ride height
is again raised to the selected vehicle
level.
The following vehicle level settings can be
selected when the vehicle is stationary:
Select the “Raised” level setting only when
required by current driving conditions.
Otherwise:

Fuel consumption may increase.

Handling may be impaired.1Vehicle level control switch
2Indicator lamp
Selecting 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.
iS63AMG and S65AMG only:
When you switch off the engine, the entire vehi-
cle is lowered by 0.2 in (5 mm).
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.
iThese height adjustments are so small that
you may not notice any change.
Level
NormalFor driving on normal roads.
The indicator lamp is off.
RaisedFor driving on rough roads or
with snow chains. The indica-
tor lamp is on.
iThe selected vehicle level setting remains
stored in memory even if the engine is turned off
and restarted.