2003 MERCEDES-BENZ CL500 key

83 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
KEYLESS-GO card*
Specially equipped vehicles come with two
KEYLESS-GO cards. On these vehicles, the
validity of the KEYLESS-GO card is
checked every time you grasp a door
handle.
If the card is valid, your vehicle unlocks

the doors


the trunk lid


the fuel filler flapImportant notes on using KEYLESS-GO


Always carry the KEYLESS-GO card
with you.


Never store the KEYLESS-GO card to-
gether with:

Electronic items such as a cellular
phone or another KEYLESS-GO card


Metallic objects such as coins or
metal foil
Doing so could impair the function of
the KEYLESS-GO system.


Always take an electronic SmartKey
with you in case of a malfunction of the
KEYLESS-GO system.


To lock or unlock the vehicle, the card
must be located outside the vehicle
within approximately 3 ft. (1 m) of a
door or the trunk lid.


In order to start the engine with the
KEYLESS-GO card:

The KEYLESS-GO card must be lo-
cated in the vehicle.


All the doors must be closed.


If you have started the engine with the
KEYLESS-GO start / stop button, you
can only turn it off again with this but-
ton, even if you have put the key in the
starter switch in the meantime.


This does not apply if, after starting, the
selector lever is still in positionP. The
key will then have priority over the card
and the vehicle’s electrical system will
operate according to the position of
the key in the starter switch, even stop-
ping the engine.


If the KEYLESS-GO card is positioned
farther away from the vehicle (e.g. in-
side clothing or briefcase) and can no
longer be recognized by the system,
the vehicle cannot be locked or the en-
gine started via the KEYLESS-GO sys-
tem.
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
key from the starter switch, take the
KEYLESS-GO card with you and lock the ve-
hicle. Do not leave children unattended in
the vehicle, or with access to an unlocked
vehicle. Unsupervised use of vehicle equip-
ment may cause an accident and/or serious
personal injury.
!To prevent possible malfunction, avoid
exposing the KEYLESS-GO card to high
levels of electromagnetic radiation.

84 Controls in detailLocking and unlocking

If the KEYLESS-GO card is removed
from the vehicle while the ignition is
switched on (e.g. if passenger exits the
vehicle with the card), the message CHIP CARD NOT RECOGNIZED!
will ap-
pear in the multifunction display.
Find the card or change its present lo-
cation immediately (e.g. place it on the
front passenger seat or insert it in shirt
pocket).


Remember that the engine can be
started by anyone with a KEYLESS-GO
card that is left inside the vehicle. If you
leave the card behind when exiting and
locking the vehicle, the message
CHIP
CARD DETECTED IN VEHICLE!
will ap-
pear in the multifunction display.Factory setting
Global unlocking

Grasp the door handle.
The vehicle will lock again automatically
within approximately 40 seconds of un-
locking if neither door nor trunk is opened.
Global locking

Press lock button at door handle
(page 52) or trunk (
page 86) and
(
page 93).Individual setting
If you frequently travel alone, you may wish
to reprogram the KEYLESS-GO card so that
grasping a door handle only unlocks the
driver’s door, interior lockable storage
compartments and the fuel filler flap.
1Programming button
2“Driver’s door” symbol
3“Global unlock” symbol
iThe vehicle could inadvertently unlock
if the KEYLESS-GO card is within 3 ft.
(1 m) of the vehicle and

the door handle is splashed with
water, or


you attempt to clean the door
handle.

85 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking

Press and hold the programming
button1 until the “Driver’s door”
symbol2 lights up.
The KEYLESS-GO card will then func-
tion as follows:
Unlocking the driver’s door
Grasp the driver’s door handle.
Global unlocking

Grasp the door handle on the pas-
senger side.
Global locking

Press lock button at door handle or
trunk.
Restoring to factory setting

Press and hold the programming
button1 until the “Global unlock”
symbol3 lights up.Checking the batteries

Briefly press the programming
button1.
The KEYLESS-GO card batteries are in
order if the indicator lamp for either the
“Driver’s door”2 or “Global unlock”3
comes on red or green.
!If you cannot lock or unlock the vehicle
with the KEYLESS-GO card, then either
the batteries of the KEYLESS-GO card
are discharged or the KEYLESS-GO
card is malfunctioning or the vehicle
battery is drained.

Check the batteries of the
KEYLESS-GO card (
page 85) and
replace them if necessary
(
page 299).
or


Use the mechanical key to unlock
the doors (
page 297) and trunk
(
page 298) as required. Lock the
vehicle using the mechanical key
(page 298).
If your KEYLESS-GO card is malfunc-
tioning, contact your authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
!If the symbols2 or3 do not light up
during the check, then the batteries of
the KEYLESS-GO card are discharged.

Change the batteries (
page 299).
You can obtain the batteries at any au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center.

86 Controls in detailLocking and unlockingChecking vehicle lock status
If you cannot remember whether you have
locked the vehicle, you can check the lock
status using the KEYLESS-GO card.
Briefly press programming button1.
The indicator lamp for “Driver’s door”2
or “Global unlock”3 lights up in red or
green.
Vehicle lock status:
Red Vehicle is locked
Green Vehicle is unlockedLocking the vehicle
1Trunk lock button

Press the lock button at door
(page 52) or trunk1.
Closing the side windows and the
sliding / pop-up roof

Press and hold lock button at door
(page 52) until the side windows and
the sliding / pop-up roof are closed.
iWhen the vehicle is unlocked and the
anti-theft alarm system is switched off,
the turn signals illuminate briefly. If it is
dark, the locator lighting also switches
on (
page 137).
When the vehicle is locked and the an-
ti-theft alarm system is activated, the
the turn signals flash three times.
Warning!
G
When closing the windows and the sliding /
pop-up roof, make sure that there is no dan-
ger of anyone being harmed by the closing
procedure.
If potential danger exists, proceed as fol-
lows:

Release the lock button.


Pull on the door handle and hold firmly.
The side windows and the
sliding / pop-up roof will open for as long
as the door handle is held but the door
not opened.

87 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Unlocking the trunk lid
The trunk lid lock is located in the rear li-
cense plate recess.
A minimum height clearance of 6.1 ft
(1.90 m) is required to open the trunk lid. 
Press trunk lid lock1 (
page 89)Loss of the KEYLESS-GO card
If you lose your KEYLESS-GO card, you
should do the following:

Have the KEYLESS-GO card deactivat-
ed by an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.

Report the loss immediately to your car
insurance company.

Have the mechanical lock replaced if
necessary.
Your authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
will be glad to supply you with a replace-
ment.
Opening the doors from the inside
You can open a locked door from the in-
side. Open door only when conditions are
safe to do so.
1Locking knob
2Inside door handle
Pull on door handle2.
If door was locked, locking knob1 will
move up.
!The trunk lid swings open automatical-
ly. Always make sure that there is suffi-
cient overhead clearance.iIf the vehicle was previously centrally
locked, the trunk lid will lock automati-
cally after closing it. The turn signal will
flash three times to confirm locking.
To prevent a possible inadvertent lock-
out, the trunk lid will open automatical-
ly if a KEYLESS-GO card is recognized
in the area of the rear shelf or inside
the trunk.

88 Controls in detailLocking and unlocking
Opening the trunk lid from the inside
You can open the trunk from the inside if
the vehicle is stationary.
A minimum height clearance of 6.1 ft
(1.90 m) is required to open the trunk lid.
The switch is located on the driver’s door.
1Indicator lamp
2Remote trunk lid release switch

Pull remote trunk lid release switch2.
The trunk opens. The indicator lamp1
comes on. It remains lit until you close
the trunk again.
The trunk can also be opened from the in-
side in an emergency, see “Trunk lid emer-
gency release” (
page 89).
iIf the vehicle has previously been
locked from the outside with the
SmartKey, opening a door from the in-
side will trigger the anti-theft alarm sys-
tem.
To cancel the alarm, do one of the fol-
lowing:

Press button
Œ
or
‹
on the
SmartKey.


Insert the SmartKey in the starter
switch.
iIf you open a door, the side windows on
that side of the vehicle will lower slight-
ly. The windows close again when you
close the door.
!The trunk lid swings open automatical-
ly. Always make sure that there is suffi-
cient overhead clearance.

89 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Opening the trunk lid from the outside
The trunk lid lock is located in the rear li-
cense plate recess.
A minimum height clearance of 6.1 ft
(1.90 m) is required to open the trunk lid.
Press trunk lid lock1.
The trunk lid swings open. Always make
sure that there is sufficient overhead clear-
ance.The trunk can also be opened from the in-
side of the trunk in an emergency, see
“Trunk lid emergency release”
(
page 89).
Trunk lid emergency release
The emergency release button is located in
the trunk lid.
Illumination of the emergency release but-
ton:

The button will blink for 30 minutes af-
ter opening the trunk.


The button will blink for 60 minutes af-
ter closing the trunk.

Briefly press the emergency release
button.
The trunk unlocks and the trunk lid
opens.
iThe vehicle must be unlocked.
!The emergency release button does
not open the trunk lid if the vehicle bat-
tery is discharged or disconnected.iIf the emergency release button is
pressed and the vehicle was centrally
locked, the exterior lamps will flash and
the alarm will sound as the trunk lid
opens.
To cancel the alarm, insert the key in
the starter switch or press button
Œ

or
‹
on the key.

90 Controls in detailLocking and unlockingClosing the trunk lid
1Handle
Lower trunk lid by pulling firmly on
handle1.

Push the trunk lid closed from the out-
side with hands placed flat on trunk lid.
The power closing assist automatically
ensures that the lid is pulled complete-
ly closed (
page 94).
Separately locking the trunk
1Locked
2Unlocked
Close the trunk lid.
Warning!
G
To prevent possible personal injury, always
keep hands and fingers away from the trunk
lid opening when closing the trunk. Be espe-
cially careful when small children are
around.Warning!
G
Only drive with the trunk closed as, among
other dangers such as visibility blockage,
exhaust fumes may enter the vehicle interi-
or.
iTo prevent an inadvertent lockout, do
not place the key in the trunk.
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*: To pre-
vent a possible inadvertent lockout, the
trunk lid will open automatically if a
KEYLESS-GO card is recognized in the
area of the rear shelf or inside the
trunk.