2003 MERCEDES-BENZ S CLASS keyless

Contents
Introduction.......................................... 9
Product information ................................ 9
Operator’s Manual ............................... 10
Service and warranty information .. 10
Important notice for California
retail buyers and lessees of
Mercedes-Benz automobiles .......... 11
Maintenance .................................. 12
Roadside Assistance ...................... 12
Change of address or ownership.... 12
Operating your vehicle outside the
USA or Canada............................... 13
Where to find it .................................... 14
Symbols ............................................... 15
Operating safety .................................. 16
Proper use of the vehicle ............... 16
Problems with your vehicle .................. 17
Reporting safety defects...................... 18
Reporting safety defects ................ 18At a glance......................................... 19
Cockpit ................................................ 20
Instrument cluster ............................... 22
Multifunction steering wheel ............... 24Center console ..................................... 25
Upper part ...................................... 25
Lower part ...................................... 26
Overhead control panel ........................ 27
Door control panel................................ 28
Getting started................................... 29
Unlocking ............................................. 30
Unlocking with the SmartKey.......... 30
Unlocking with KEYLESS-GO* ......... 32
Adjusting .............................................. 34
Seats............................................... 34
Steering wheel ................................ 37
Mirrors ............................................ 38
Driving .................................................. 40
Fastening the seat belts.................. 40
Starting the engine ......................... 42
Switching on headlamps ................. 46
Turn signals and high beam ............ 46
Windshield wipers ........................... 47
Problems while driving .................... 48
Parking and locking .............................. 50
Parking brake.................................. 50
Switching off headlamps................. 51
Turning off engine ........................... 52
Safety and Security........................... 55
Occupant safety ................................... 56
Airbags ........................................... 57
Seat belts ....................................... 62
Preventive occupant safety
(PRE-SAFE) ..................................... 66
Children in the vehicle .................... 67
Override switch for rear passenger
compartment .................................. 74
Panic alarm .......................................... 75
Activating........................................ 75
Deactivating.................................... 75
Driving safety systems ......................... 76
ABS ................................................. 76
BAS ................................................. 78
ESP ................................................. 78
Four wheel electronic traction system
(4MATIC) with the ESP .................... 81
Anti-theft systems ................................ 82
Immobilizer ..................................... 82
Anti-theft alarm system .................. 82
Tow-away alarm .............................. 84

ContentsControls in detail............................... 85
Locking and unlocking ......................... 86
SmartKey ....................................... 86
KEYLESS-GO card*......................... 89
Opening the doors from the
inside ............................................. 94
Opening the trunk lid...................... 95
Opening the trunk from the
inside ............................................. 96
Trunk lid emergency release .......... 96
Closing the trunk lid ....................... 97
Separately locking the trunk .......... 98
Separately unlocking the trunk ...... 98
Trunk lid opening/closing
ystem* ........................................... 99
Power closing assist for doors
and trunk lid ................................. 102
Automatic central locking ............ 102
Locking and unlocking from
the inside ..................................... 103
Seats.................................................. 104
Lumbar support ............................ 104
Easy-entry/exit feature ................ 104
Head restraints............................. 105
Multicontour seat* ....................... 107Drive-dynamic seat* .................... 109
Seat ventilation* .......................... 110
Seat heating* ............................... 111
Rear seats .................................... 113
Memory function ............................... 117
Storing positions into memory ..... 118
Recalling positions from
memory ........................................ 118
Storing exterior rear view mirror
parking position ........................... 118
Lighting.............................................. 120
Exterior lamp switch..................... 120
Combination switch ..................... 123
Hazard warning flasher ................ 124
Interior lighting............................. 124
Courtesy lighting .......................... 126
Instrument cluster ............................. 127
Instrument cluster illumination .... 127
Coolant temperature gauge ......... 128
Trip odometer .............................. 128
Tachometer .................................. 129
Outside temperature indicator ..... 129
Control system .................................. 130
Multifunction display .................... 130
Multifunction steering wheel ........ 131
Menus .......................................... 133Standard display menu ................ 135
AUDIO menu ................................ 135
CD changer* operating mode ...... 137
TEL menu* ................................... 139
NAVI menu ................................... 142
Distronic* menu .......................... 142
Trip computer menu..................... 143
Malfunction memory menu .......... 145
Settings menu .............................. 146
Automatic transmission ..................... 160
One-touch gearshifting ................ 161
Gear ranges ................................. 162
Gear selector lever position ......... 163
Program mode selector switch .... 164
Accelerator position ..................... 165
Emergency operation (Limp home
mode) .......................................... 165
Steering wheel gearshift control
(Speedshift) and manual shift
program S 55 AMG ...................... 166
Good visibility .................................... 168
Rear view mirror .......................... 168
Electrically folding exterior rear
view mirrors ................................. 170
Windshield wipers ........................ 171
Headlamp cleaning system .......... 171

26 At a glanceCenter consoleLower part
Item
Page
1
KEYLESS-GO* start / stop
button
33
2
Selector lever for
automatic transmission
43
3
PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF
indicator lamp
69
4
Thumbwheel for setting
distance in Distronic*
206
Item
Page
5
Distance warning func-
tion* on / off switch
206
6
Lower storage space
225
7
Program mode selector for
automatic transmission
164

31 Getting started
Unlocking
Starter switch positionsStarter switch0For removing SmartKey
1Power supply to some electrical con-
sumers, such as seat adjustment
2Ignition (power supply for all electrical
consumers) and driving position
3Starting position
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch, take the
KEYLESS-GO* card (if so equipped) with you
and lock the vehicle. Do not leave children
unattended in the vehicle, or with access to
an unlocked vehicle. Unsupervised use of
vehicle equipment may cause an accident
and/or serious personal injury.iThe SmartKey can only be removed
from the starter switch with the gear
selector lever in position P.
!If the SmartKey is left in starter switch
position 0 for an extended period of
time, it can no longer be turned in the
starter switch.

Remove the SmartKey from the
starter switch and reinsert.
If the SmartKey can still not be turned,
the battery may not be sufficiently
charged.

Check the battery and charge it
if necessary (
page 344).

Get a jump start (
page 347).
To prevent accelerated battery dis-
charge or a completely discharged bat-
tery, always remove the SmartKey from
the starter switch.

32 Getting startedUnlockingUnlocking with KEYLESS-GO*
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*: In addition to
the two SmartKeys with remote controls
and removable mechanical key, your vehi-
cle comes equipped with two
KEYLESS-GO* cards.
The function of the SmartKey overrules the
KEYLESS-GO function.If you have the KEYLESS-GO function, your
vehicle checks whether the KEYLESS-GO
card is valid when you grasp the door han-
dle. If your KEYLESS-GO card is valid, the
doors will unlock, and you can open them.

Grasp the door handle.
All turn signal lamps blink once. The
locking knobs in the doors move up.Pressing the KEYLESS-GO start/stop but-
ton on the selector lever corresponds to
turning the key to the various starter
switch positions.iTo unlock the vehicle, the KEYLESS-GO
card must be outside the vehicle, no
further than approximately 3 feet
(1 meter) away from the door.
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey and the KEYLESS-GO card with
you, and lock the vehicle. Do not leave chil-
dren unattended in the vehicle, or with ac-
cess to an unlocked vehicle. Unsupervised
use of vehicle equipment may cause an ac-
cident and/or serious personal injury.

33 Getting started
Unlocking
1KEYLESS-GO start/stop button
Before you press the KEYLESS-GO
start/stop button, the vehicle’s on-board
electronics have status 0 (as with
SmartKey removed).
Make sure the gear selector lever is set
toP.
Do not depress the brake pedal.Position 1

Press the KEYLESS-GO start/stop but-
ton once.
This supplies power to some electrical
consumers, such as seat adjustment.
Ignition (or position 2)

Press the KEYLESS-GO start/stop but-
ton twice in immediate succession.
This supplies power to all electrical
consumers. All the lights in the instru-
ment cluster light up.More information can be found in the
“Controls in detail” section (
page 85).
For information on starting the engine us-
ing the KEYLESS-GO start/stop button,
see “Starting with KEYLESS-GO*”
(
page 43).
iIf you now press the KEYLESS-GO
start/stop button twice, the power
supply is again switched off.iIf you now press the KEYLESS-GO
start/stop button once, the power sup-
ply is again switched off.

34 Getting startedAdjusting
Adjusting
Seats
Warning!
G
All seat, head restraint, steering wheel, and
rear view mirror adjustments, as well as fas-
tening of seat belts, must be done before
the vehicle is put into motion.
Warning!
G
Do not adjust the driver’s seat while driving.
Adjusting the seat while driving could cause
the driver to lose control of the vehicle.
Never ride in a moving vehicle with the seat
back reclined. Sitting in an excessively re-
clined position can be dangerous. You could
slide under the seat belt in a collision. If you
slide under it, the belt would apply force at
the abdomen or neck. That could cause se-
rious or fatal injuries. The seat backrest and
seat belts provide the best restraint when
the wearer is in an upright position and belts
are properly positioned on the body.
Your seat must be adjusted so that you can
correctly fasten your seat belt.
Never place hands under the seat or near
any moving parts while a seat is being ad-
justed.
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch, take the
KEYLESS-GO* card (if so equipped) with
you, and lock your vehicle.
The power seats can also be operated with
the driver’s or passenger door open. Do not
leave children unattended in the vehicle, or
with access to an unlocked vehicle. Unsu-
pervised use of vehicle equipment may
cause an accident and/or serious personal
injury.

36 Getting startedAdjusting
Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position1or2.
or

Press the KEYLESS GO* start/stop
button once or twice.
or

Open the respective driver’s or passen-
ger door.
Seat height

Press the switch up or down in the di-
rection of arrow2.
Seat cushion tilt

Press the switch up or down in the di-
rection of arrow3 until 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 to a comfortable seating posi-
tion 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.
iWhen moving the seat, be sure that
there are no items in the footwell or be-
hind the seats. Otherwise you could
damage the seats.