2003 MERCEDES-BENZ E500 Owner's Manual

209 Controls in detail
Driving systems
AIRMATIC DC (Dual Control)*
Vehicle level control
Your vehicle automatically adjusts its ride
height to

reduce fuel consumption


increase vehicle safety
The following vehicle chassis ride heights
are possible:


Normal


Raised


Lowered
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 automatically by up to approxi-
mately 0.6 inch (15 mm) "Lowered"
level.


With decreasing speed, the ride height
is again raised to the "Normal" level.
Select the "Raised" level only when re-
quired by current driving conditions. Oth-
erwise


fuel consumption may increase


handling may be impairediThese height adjustments are so small
that you may not notice any change.
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.

210 Controls in detailDriving systemsThe following vehicle level settings can be
selected when the vehicle is stationary and
the engine is running:
The switch is located in the lower section
of the center console.
1Vehicle level control switch
2Indicator lamp

Briefly press switch1 to change from
"Normal" level to "Raised" level. When
vehicle is at "Raised" level, pressing the
switch will return the vehicle to "Nor-
mal" level.
Vehicle level when
stationary
Use for
Ride height increase
over normal
Automatic lowering
Indicator lamp (
page 210)
Normal
Normal operation
None
Max. approx. 0.6 in (15 mm)
Lamp off
Raised
Driving with snow
chains or very
rough road sur-
face conditions
Approx. 1 in (25 mm)
Max. approx. 1 in (25 mm)
Lamp on
iAt a speed of approx. above 75 mph
(120 km/h) or if the speed amounts to
between 50 mph (80 km/h) and
75 mph (120 km/h) for approx. five
minutes the setting "Raised" is can-
celed. The message
Level selec.
canceled
appears in the multifunction
display.
If you do not drive in this speed range,
the "Raised" level remains stored even
if the key is removed from the ignition.

211 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Comfort-/Sport setting
The AIRMATIC DC (Dual Control) consists
of two components:

Adaptive-Damping-System (ADS)


Suspension style
The ADS automatically selects the opti-
mum damping for the respective driving
conditions. At the same time the suspen-
sion style is set to either sporty or regular.The suspension tuning is set according to:


your driving style


road surface conditions


your choice of suspension style,
"sporty I", "sporty II" or "regular", which
you select using the damping switch.
The selected suspension style is stored
in memory, even after the key is re-
moved from the starter switch.
1Damping button
2Indicator lamps

Start the engine.
iIn the sporty suspension style the vehi-
cle is lowered 0.6 in (15 mm).

212 Controls in detailDriving systemsSuspension for sporty driving style I
The setting for sporty driving I is selected
when one indicator lamp2 is illuminated.
Press button1.
One indicator lamp2 comes on.
Suspension for sporty driving style II
The setting for sporty driving II is selected
when two indicator lamps2 are illuminat-
ed.

Press button1 twice.
Two indicator lamps2 come on.
Suspension for regular driving style
The setting for regular driving is selected
when the two indicator lamps2 are off.

Press button1 repeatedly until all indi-
cator lamps go out.
The indicator lamps2 go out.
PARKTRONIC system*
The Parktronic system is an electronic aid
designed to assist the driver during park-
ing maneuvers. It visually and audibly indi-
cates the relative distance between the
vehicle and an obstacle.
The Parktronic system is automatically ac-
tivated when you switch on the ignition
and release the parking brake. The Park-
tronic system deactivates at speeds over
11 mph (18 km/h). At lower speeds the
Parktronic system turns on again.Warning!
G
Parktronic is a supplemental system. It is
not intended to, nor does it replace, the
need for extreme care. The responsibility
during parking and other critical maneuvers
always rests with the driver.
Special attention must be paid to objects
having smooth surfaces or low silhouettes
(e.g. trailer couplings, painted posts, or
street curbs). Such objects may not be de-
tected by the system and can damage the
vehicle.
The operational function of the Parktronic
can be affected by dirty sensors, especially
at times of snow and ice. See "Cleaning the
Parktronic system sensors" (
page 284).
Interference caused by other ultrasonic sig-
nals (e.g. working jackhammers or the air
brakes of trucks) can cause the system to
send erratic indications, and should be tak-
en into consideration.
Warning!
G
Be sure that no persons or animals are in the
area in which you are maneuvering. You
could otherwise injure them.

213 Controls in detail
Driving systems
The Parktronic system monitors the sur-
roundings of your vehicle with six sensors
in the front bumper and four sensors in the
rear bumper.
1Sensors in the front bumperRange of the sensors
To function properly, the sensors must be
free of dirt, ice, snow and slush. Clean the
sensors regularly, being careful not to
scratch or damage the sensors.
Front sensors
Rear sensorsMinimum distance
If the system encounters an obstacle in
this range, all the warning lamps light up
and you hear a warning signal. If the obsta-
cle is closer than the minimum distance,
the actual distance may no longer be indi-
cated by the system.
Center
approx. 40 in (100 cm)
Corners
approx. 23 in (60 cm)
Center
approx. 48 in (120 cm)
Corners
approx. 32 in (80 cm)
!During parking maneuvers, pay special
attention to objects located above or
below the height of the sensors (e.g.
planters or trailer hitches). The Park-
tronic system will not detect such ob-
jects at close range and damage to
your vehicle or the object may result.
Ultrasonic signals from outside sourc-
es (e.g. truck air brakes or jackham-
mers) may impair the operation of the
Parktronic system.
Center
approx. 8 in (20 cm)
Corners
approx. 6 in (15 cm)

214 Controls in detailDriving systemsWarning 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 located above the center air
outlets in the dashboard. The warning indi-
cator for the rear area is integrated in the
rear trim.Front area warning indicator1Left side of the vehicle
2Right side of the vehicleEach warning indicator is divided into six
yellow and two red segments for either
side of the vehicle. The Parktronic system
is ready when the border around the indi-
cator is illuminated.
The position of the gear selector lever de-
termines which warning indicators will be
activated.As your vehicle approaches an object, one
or more segments will light up, depending
on the distance. When the eighth segment
lights up, you have reached the minimum
distance.


Front area: An intermittent acoustic
warning will sound as the seventh seg-
ment lights up and a constant acoustic
warning lasting a maximum of three
seconds will sound for the eighth seg-
ment.


Rear area: An intermittent acoustic
warning will sound when the first seg-
ment lights up. This signal quickens
with each additional segment lit. When
the eighth segment illuminates, the
acoustic warning becomes a constant
signal. The signal is canceled when the
selector lever is placed in position D
orP.
Selector lever po-
sition
Warning indicator
D
Front area activated
R or N
Rear area activated
P
Neither activated

215 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Switching the Parktronic system
on/off
You can switch off the Parktronic system
manually.
The Parktronic switch is located in the low-
er section of the center console.
1Parktronic on/off
2Indicator lampSwitching off the Parktronic system

Press button 1.
Indicator lamp 2 comes on.
Switching on the Parktronic system

Press button 1 again.
Indicator lamp 2 goes out.

216 Controls in detailLoading
LoadingRoof rack*
1TrimPreparing roof rack installation

Open trim1 at the trim strips in the
roof.

Secure the roof rack according to man-
ufacturer’s instructions for installation.
Ski sack*
Unfolding and loading
Fold armrest down (arrow).

Swing cover1 down.
Warning!
G
Use only those roof racks approved by Mer-
cedes-Benz for your vehicle model to avoid
damage to the vehicle. Follow manufactur-
er’s installation instructions.
!Be sure to stack a load on the roof rack
so that the vehicle cannot be damaged
while driving.
Make sure that:

you can fully raise the
sliding/pop-up roof*


you can fully open the trunk